State on high alert after terror intercept

Good morning friends.  Start of my daily routine again.  As usual I’m not missing the chance to know what is happening to the world especially to India.   A message about a terror strike in Mumbai make the government of India more aware.  They have started checking every boat and are also validate all the  details of the passengers. Which I think is the right thing to do to prevent all event like what happened to Mumbai.

Coast Guard intercepts radio message hinting at Terror attacks in south Gujarat, Maharashtra; deep-sea patrolling intensified.  Deep-sea patrolling has been intensified in south Gujarat as well as neighbouring Maharashtra following a radio message intercept that hinted at the possibility of an attack akin to 26/11 in the region.

Security agencies such as the Indian Coast Guard, Customs Department, Intelligence Bureau and the Gujarat Police held a high-level intelligence review meeting in Daman on January 21 following the intercept to take adequate preventive measures.

V R Kajale, Assistant Commissioner, Customs, Valsad, said his staff has been directed to extensively patrol the deep seas. There is also assistance from the Gujarat Police. Valsad Superintendent of Police D J Patel, said that the surveillance has been strengthen in the coastal areas in coordination with the Customs Department.

The Coast Guard had intercepted a message about a terror strike somewhere in Mumbai or in south Gujarat, following which the coastal areas of Gujarat and Maharashtra are on a high alert. Customs officers said they have started checking every boat and are also verifying details of the passengers.

The perpetrators of the Mumbai attack had crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line apparently with the help of local sailors and reached Mumbai via Gujarat.

 

Ref:  Indian Express

 

 

aProCh to make children ‘street smart’ on Republic Day

Good morning friends!  I believe that children should give the chance to be seen as imaginative and artistic, they should be heard as their voice matters. 

 

A protagonist in every Child (aProCh), an initiative of Riverside School, will organise an event — Street Smart — on Monday in a bid to convert streets into playground for children. The programme is being held in association with with J G International School to mark the Republic Day.

 

The event aims to give children experience of exploration, creativity, curiosity and community, said an aProCh release on Sunday, adding that it offers the perfect platform for children to claim ‘ownership of their own city’.

 

The main activities during the day include building a solar system with help of astronomer Tanmaye Vyas, live band and magic show, interactive dance workshop by Shiamak Davar Dance Academy and face painting and tattooing among others. Around 2,000 children will participate, the release said.  “aProCh believes that children need to be seen as creative, they be heard as their voice matters, and they need to be talked about as protagonists,” said the release.

 

Over 300 children from four organisations — Arzoo, Sarjan, Sunflower and Yuva Unstoppable — will be special invitees.  It will also have 50 children from its newly started Tees Ka Dum One on One Tutoring Centre from the Sadar Bazaar Community on the Airport Road.

 

City Mayor Kanaji Thakor, municipal school board chairman Manubhai Raval and its administrative officer Dr L D Desai are scheduled to attend the event.  AMC has endorsed the sound, light and stage arrangements for all Street Smart events while Gujarat Law Society has provided space for back office arrangements and power.

 

Ref: The Indian Express

Diesel technology best for Indian auto sector: Expert

Good morning friends.  Fuels are quite expensive.  Relatively almost 50% or more   of the market were using diesel.  In some countries fuel is cheaper.

Better fuel efficiency and lesser chances of pollution has led to a rising acceptance of diesel technology in the automotive sector, said Pawan Goenka, president of Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and a top functionary in the Mahindra & Mahindra Group, on Friday.

Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the 11th Symposium on International Automobile Technology here, Goenka said it has now been proved that vehicles based on diesel technology, though apparently more expensive initially, prove cheaper in the long run.

Even in countries like the US, a large majority of commercial vehicles are now running on diesel and the market is heading for full dieselisation’ of the transport sector, said Goenka. He added that the passenger-vehicles segment is also showing a growing acceptance for diesel technology.

The need to use a high standard fuel injection methodology, use of superior quality materials to build the engines and the need to maintain strict emission norms makes a diesel-engine vehicle more expensive, but the payback comes in terms of nearly 20 per cent greater fuel efficiency, Goenka said. He added that in a country like India, where diesel has been subsidised and costs about 20 per cent less than petrol, the advantage is double.

Goenka also spoke about the latest development in diesel production, saying that the sulphur content in this fuel is reducing drastically and engine technology has also evolved significantly, reducing the need for maintenance.

“Cost of fuel is the key driver of the decision in favor of diesel,” Goenka said, pointing out that in Europe, where fuels are quite expensive, nearly 50 per cent of the market is diesel-driven. In the US or the Middle East, where fuel is cheap, there is a preference for petrol but even this is changing now, he said.

Ref:  The Times of India

Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address-Transcript-4

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.

It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break; the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours.

It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new, the instruments with which we meet them may be new, but those values upon which our success depends, honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old.

These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.

What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence: the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall. And why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day in remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled.

In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by nine campfires on the shores of an icy river.

The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood.

At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

“Let it be told to the future world that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet it.”

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words; with hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come; let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you.

And God bless the United States of America.

Source: NYTimes

Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address-Transcript-3

And so, to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions.

They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use. Our security emanates from the justness of our cause; the force of our example; the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy, guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We’ll begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard- earned peace in Afghanistan.

With old friends and former foes, we’ll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat and roll back the specter of a warming planet.

We will not apologize for our way of life nor will we waver in its defense.

And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that, “Our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken. You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.”

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.

We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth.

And because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society’s ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.

To those…

To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.

And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.

We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service: a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.

And yet, at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

Source: NYTimes

Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address-Transcript-2

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed.

Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.

The state of our economy calls for action: bold and swift. And we will act not only to create new jobs but to lay a new foundation for growth.

We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.

We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality…

… and lower its costs.

We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.

All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long, no longer apply.

MR. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works, whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.

Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end.

And those of us who manage the public’s knowledge will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched.

But this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control. The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.

The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.

Our founding fathers faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations.

Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake.

Source: NYTimes

Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address-Transcript-1

My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.

I thank President Bush for his service to our nation…

… as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.

The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.

Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many, and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable, but no less profound, is a sapping of confidence across our land; a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met.

 

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less.

It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.

Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor — who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died in places Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Source: NYTimes

Hindu priest for Obama’s inaugural prayer-2

Dr Uma Mysorekar, President of the Hindu Temple Society of North America will offer “responsive prayers” at the special service which will “symbolise America’s traditions of religious tolerance and freedom”, the Presidential Inaugural Committee said.

 

Mysorekar, a practicing gynecologist, heads the popular Ganesha temple in New York, said to be the first Hindu shrine of North America which was consecrated on July 4, 1977.

 

The National Prayer Service, a tradition dating

back to the inauguration of George Washington, will be held at the National Cathedral at the conclusion of the inaugural events.

 

It will include scripture readings, prayers, hymns and blessings delivered by faith leaders from across the US.

 

“President-elect Obama’s faith is a central part of his life and he will begin the first full day of his Administration with a service of interfaith prayer and reflection,” Presidential Inaugural Committee Communications Director Josh Earnest said in a statement.

 

“The National Prayer Service, which will embody the themes of tolerance, unity and understanding, is a worship service for all Americans,” he said.

 

The service will include a traditional prayer for civil leaders, a prayer for the nation, a selection by the Washington, DC-based Children of the Gospel choir, and, for the first time, feature a sermon delivered by a woman — Sharon E Watkins from Disciples of Christ church. more

 

Hindu priest for Obama’s inaugural prayer-1

Good evening friends, something good again to share with you all. I just read that there is one hindu priest in obama’s inaugural prayer. Dr. Uma Mysorekar will be one the six priest specially invited to participate in the National Prayer Service. Read the following new for more details.

A Hindu woman priest will be among six religious leaders specially invited to participate in the National Prayer Service on January 21, a day after Barack Obama is sworn-in as the President of America.dating back to the inauguration of George Washington, will be held at the National Cathedral at the conclusion of the inaugural events.

Dr Uma Mysorekar, President of the Hindu Temple Society of North America will offer “responsive prayers” at the special service which will “symbolise America’s traditions of religious tolerance and freedom”, the Presidential Inaugural Committee said.

Mysorekar, a practicing gynecologist, heads the popular Ganesha temple in New York, said to be the first Hindu shrine of North America which was consecrated on July 4, 1977.

The National Prayer Service, a tradition

It will include scripture readings, prayers, hymns and blessings delivered by faith leaders from across the US.

“President-elect Obama’s faith is a central part of his life and he will begin the first full day of his Administration with a service of interfaith prayer and reflection,” Presidential Inaugural Committee Communications Director Josh Earnest said in a statement.

“The National Prayer Service, which will embody the themes of tolerance, unity and understanding, is a worship service for all Americans,” he said.

The service will include a traditional prayer for civil leaders, a prayer for the nation, a selection by the Washington, DC-based Children of the Gospel choir, and, for the first time, feature a sermon delivered by a woman — Sharon E Watkins from Disciples of Christ church.

A Hindu woman priest will be among six religious leaders specially invited to participate in the National Prayer Service on January 21, a day after Barack Obama is sworn-in as the President of America. more

Farmers to turn into managers

Good Morning friends,

New week started. Today is Monday, January 19, 2009. I just have a thought that 2009 is going to come few weeks back and today, we are in 2009 and 19 days already past. Time is running out so fast. Yesterday was third Sunday and I was with family. It was nice time to be with family. I need to spare more time for family.

 

I was reading times of India online and I read following news. It is really something interesting IIM-A doing. They are going to start a new batch for farmers. We need to educate root leave people. I think that is the way we can bring revolution. More education to rural people, we will have more bright future. Read the complete news.

 

Soon, Indian Institute of Management (Ahmadabad) will have a different batch of students. This batch, however, will that be of farmers. For, the institute is launching a course on Food supply chain management, to upgrade the knowledge of farmers.

 

Prosperity of agriculture and related industries has been a matter of concern which has been reflected at many forums, including the recently held agri-business meet at the IIM-A.

 

The institute has now decided to contribute in its own way and for the first time, has launched a management development programme (MDP) in this area.

 

The one-week long course called food supply chain management will begin from February 15 and will be conducted by Professor G Raghuram. “The course is open to farmers, traders of agricultural products, warehouse owners, government officials in the sector and anybody who is involved,” said Raghuram.

 

Revealing the contents of the course, Raghuram said, “The course will cover all challenges and bottle-necks of the supply chain from the times the seed is sowed, till it reaches the consumer. Also, exports and reaching the food to poor will be discussed.”

 

The enrolment is open and interested participants can contact the institute. “Issues of standardisation, food safety, infrastructure facilities like warehousing and cold chains will also be looked into,” he said.

 

“The government bodies and facilitating agencies like APEDA (Agricultural and processed food products export development agency), National Dairy Development Board and Fisheries Development Board need to visualise the importance of food supply chains,” he added.

 

Ref: times of india