....................
Indian space activities received a high level of recognition at the Congress. Dr K Kasturirangan, Member of the upper house of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and former Chairman, ISRO was selected for the prestigious international award of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) â the Allan D Emil Memorial Award for 2004. This award, which is given to a distinguished personality for significant and life-time contribution for the development of space and astronautics, will be presented in the 55th IAF in Vancouver during October 4-8, 2004. <b> Also, Dr Kasturirangan was elected as the Vice President of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and in this capacity, he will steer the scientific activities of the academy in the coming years. </b> The IAA is an international academy, which aims to foster the development of astronautics and space for peaceful purposes. <b> It is a non-governmental organisation recognized by the United Nations </b> <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='rolleyes.gif' /><!--endemo--> and has members from 65 countries. An IAA Regional Workshop is proposed to be held in India on a selected topic in 2005 which will be led by Dr Kasturirangan.
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<b> Is this proper?...can a MP take such job at UN NGO?
And instead of that why not give him some wonderfull job of recruitment for ISRO or open a new R&D center as part of ISRO and hand over it to him where it will be 100% industry investment will be allowed.. <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
why not give him 100 carore and ask him to setup institutions across india hand in hand with industry? Since he was chairman of ISRO,i assume he knows all management things about such space research institution.
When we are going tobe serious about our national aims? <!--emo&:furious--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/furious.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='furious.gif' /><!--endemo-->
</b>
<b> Canadian Company To Launch Cremated Remains Into Space </b>
Columbiad offers a variety of low cost launch services.
Kitchener - Dec 08, 2003
The President of Columbiad Launch Services Inc. , Mr Richard Graf, announced today Columbiad's new line of Starburst Memorial Flight Services which will provide an affordable and reliable way commemorating a persons life by launching their ashes into space. <!--emo&:blink:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='blink.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<b> Based on Columbiad Launch Services' Industrial Sounding System (ISS) Starburst Memorials will fly a clients cremated ashes into space as a primary payload on one of our Mosquito flight vehicles where they will be ejected and scattered. As the ashes float down to Earth it is expected that the heaver particles will land within a hundred kilometers or so of the launch site and the lighter particles may be picked up by the jet stream and carried around the world.</b> <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Starburst Memorials Flight Service offers to launch a persons full cremated remains as a complete, no hassle package for only $12,500us.
Columbiad's Starburst and Wayfarer Memorials flight services are poised to become a world leader in memorial space launches. Taking advantage of the cost savings provided by Columbiad's Industrial Sounding System (ISS), Starburst Memorials is able to provide memorial space launches for a fraction of the cost of any other launching service.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->NEW YORK - Recently, our readers voted "offshoring"--the movement of traditionally high-paying jobs from rich countries to poorer ones--the most significant business trend of 2003. We agree, <b>so for our Face Of The Year, we have selected Kiran Karnik, a man trying to direct the path of the offshoring tsunami. </b>
As president of the National Association of Software and Service Companies, or NASSCOM, Karnik is in a unique position to do just that. NASSCOM is the self-proclaimed voice of the Indian information technology industry. Its charter is to promote India's technology strength to the world, and to foster a business-friendly environment for companies setting up shop there.
And a lot of foreign companies are doing just that. Over the last few years, many crucial "white collar" tech jobs such as application development, database design, integration and services have moved to India. Tech currently accounts for some 3% of India's gross domestic product, or $16.5 billion, up from just $1.7 billion nine years ago. The big driver? Exports of software and services to the United States.
By 2015, experts predict that 3 million U.S. white collar jobs will be farmed out to other countries, up from about 300,000 today. Whether that is good or bad news for the U.S. economy long term is a matter of considerable debate, but it could already be having an impact. Consider that in the third quarter, U.S. GDP grew 8.2% but the unemployment rate dropped only two-tenths of 1%.
"Offshore outsourcing was triggered by the intention to cut costs, but now it's not just driven by cost factors," says Karnik, 56. "We are helping [U.S. companies] tap into talent that is scarce in the United States."
It's the "scarce" part that grates on some American captains of industry, such as Intel's (nasdaq: INTC - news - people ) Andrew Grove and IBM's (nyse: IBM - news - people ) Sam Palmisano. Both have pointedly expressed fear that the Unites States is losing its technical edge to other countries. Palmisano says that IBM will pledge $200 million to train employees for jobs that might otherwise leave the country. (It's somewhat ironic, since unconfirmed reports recently said that IBM will send up to 4,700 software jobs outside the United States.)
A backlash may already be beginning. Both Dell (nasdaq: DELL - news - people ) and Lehman Brothers (nyse: LEH - news - people ) recently elected to bring back some jobs to the United States.
Karnik acknowledges the rumblings. "We began to see some concern [about loss of U.S. jobs] in 2003 that has not been there in the past, but by and large, that is not the mainstream view."
In the meantime, Karnik says it's his goal to more than double India's share of the global software production to 6%.
Dennis McGuire, too, acknowledges growing protectionism but says U.S. companies will search the world for whatever makes them more competitive. McGuire is president of TPI, a Houston-based consultancy focusing on outsourcing deals. He says companies need to outsource commodity processes so they can focus on their own competencies. "Does it matter if you have world class accounts payable?"
Karnik, who is a physicist by training and spent two decades with the Indian space agency, is keening aware of an impending shortage of sciences and engineering-based talent in the United States.
India, with a population topping one billion, turns out 75,000 IT Graduates annually, by far its most popular area of study. In the United States, the number of students graduating with computer and information science degrees have grown more than 70% since the mid-nineties but are still far outpaced by business, social science and education degrees.
Offshore outsourcing has been quietly building up for years but 2003 will likely be remembered as the year that it burst into the mainstream. Despite concerns in the United States about unemployment and lost innovation, there is no turning back. The pressure on U.S. companies to cut costs and compete globally is too compelling.
Will India continue to receive the lion's share of outsourced jobs from U.S. companies? Probably, but Karnik needs to be aware of growing competition from professionals in China and Russia. Skilled labor there is equally plentiful, and equally cheap. And equally hungry.
Says McGuire, <b>"China has seen the Indian miracle, and they want a piece of it." </b>
Indian Act to hit US-based IT workers hard
Has the Jassoo meethaiwalla lost it? <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
SYDNEY: There is a backlash against Indian Information and Communications Technology and IT enabled service firms, which are beginning to enjoy significant success in Australia, due to fear of job losses, chairman of the Australia India Business Council Neville Roach said in Sydney.
Knowledge-based industries like ICT and ITES, as well as Education, Research and Development offer the greatest potential for the strengthening of links between India and Australia, Roach said. "However, a backlash is developing because of the fear of job losses."
"This challenge can be met by advocacy of Australians of Indian origin by emphasising the benefits of offshoring to Australian customers," Roach, who will be among 50 Australian Indians who will attend the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas, said.
However, Indian ICT companies need to move to a win-win model by matching other global ICT players through investment in Australia, employing local staff and transferring technology and skills to Australian employees and firms.
Indian companies can also collaborate with Australian firms, taking advantage of Australia's low relative costs, excellent education system, strong skills and exceptional domain knowledge, the result of advanced application of ICT across several industries, Roach said.
There was great potential for growth on the Education front, he said pointing out that Australia has become the third most popular destination of choice for students from India after the USA and UK.
As an Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur student, he always asked himself if life existed beyond earth. So it was a dream come true when he was selected for Mission Mars.
"I landed in USA as a 23-year-old Graduate like any other boy from India," said Dr Amitabha Ghosh (33), Planetary Geologist, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, in Mumbai. "So when I was selected for Mission Mars in 1993 I felt great. However, I didn't believe that I was the only Indian scientist working on Mission Mars until it was pointed out to me."
The National Geographic Channel had invited him to India to promote the Mars Exploration Rovers Mission.
He had worked on the first Mission Mars in 1993, which failed.
In 1997 he became the only Asian to serve on the Mars Pathfinder Mission Operations. As a member of that mission, he conducted chemical analyses of the rock and soil at the landing site.
In 2001 he was associated with the Mars Odyssey Orbiter; and now in 2004 he is working on MERM.
The MERM team, co-headed by Cornell Astronomy professor Steve Squyresm, laboured to prepare Spirit and Opportunity, the two golf-sized rovers, for the rigours of the voyage to mars.
Spirit landed on mars on January 4; Opportunity is scheduled to land on January 25.
National Geographic will air the programme Mars Mission on January 11, 2004, at 2000 IST.
On his role, Dr Ghosh said, "I was the first to analyse the rock on mars in 1997. As a geologist, I was the first person to announce the tentative result. We found something that was very unexpected, which was interesting. It was very different kind of rock."
Asked if he shouted 'Eureka!' he smiled and said: "No way. In science if you find something new you put a question and say, 'let me recheck'. You think you are making a mistake. I checked and rechecked. The other people then checked. But the first response is that this is not possible. This is how science progress."
Asked if he believed there was life on mars, he said, "It is too early to say⦠This may be true or may not be true. It cannot be a straight answer. There are too many similarities between earth and mars. There are storms, volcanoes and dunes on mars just like on earth. So we don't know whether there is a possibility of life."
He added: "There are pictures of bacteria kind of material to be found on mars, but there are only debates on whether those pictures are truly of bacteria or not. We might be able to know the complete truth only if we send a human being to mars or we get more details from our latest Mission Mars."
However, Dr Ghosh pointed out that to send human beings on mars was a gigantic task. "It takes six months to reach mars as it is millions of miles away. And to reach mars and do research you need water supply for human beings for at least 18 months. So the task of sending human beings is huge now."
About his latest assignment, Dr Ghosh said, "In this mission I am working on atmospheric science and geology part. I am in India only to explain our first mission of NASA's Rovers spirit that landed on the surface of mars on January 4. Now our second mission is called as Opportunity that will accomplished on January 25, 2004."
Keep an eye for such articles. In some IT networking groups there have been posts on behalf of reporters of some reputed US Newspapers on this topic. They were trying to get direct access to <i>"anyone who's lost his job because it went abroad"</i>
We taught them to fish...
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Following the old and tired tradition for making predictions at this time of the year...
1) The rising tide against offshore outsourcing will continue through 2004 and beyond.
2) Western Politicians will enact legislation to counter the so called loss of work.
3) Companies will react by creating separate companies in other countries to service their need to achieve the corporate goals of productivity and efficiency.
4) India and all the other countries looking to increase their standard of living by climbing the ladder of technology will do so and there is nothing the West can do to stop it. <!--emo&:guitar--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/guitar.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='guitar.gif' /><!--endemo-->
In short, Third World countries have learned to fish ... even worse, they're using a Net to work. (ouch... bad pun. I'll go sit in the corner for a month.)
HYDERABAD: The backlash against outsourcing in countries like US and Britain notwithstanding, multinationals continue to flock to this Andhra Pradesh capital, rapidly making it a preferred destination for business process outsourcing (BPO).
The Bank of America's recent decision to establish its IT-enabled services (ITES) centre and Kanbay Inc.'s announcement of plans to set up its development-cum-learning centre will further strengthen this southern city's image as an important IT/ITES hub in the subcontinent.
Bank of America, the third largest bank in the US and Kanbay Inc., a $105 million US-based systems integrator, are to sign memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the Andhra Pradesh government shortly.
Kanbay will be spending Rs. 500 million on its proposed development-cum-learning centre.
Their move comes close on the heels of many multinationals making similar decisions.
Only three months ago, the $12 billion Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) announced it would set up its fifth development centre in India at Hyderabad.
In November last year, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), one of the world's largest global software services, inaugurated its largest global development centre built at a cost of Rs. 1.5 billion.
Similarly, in June last year, GE Capital International Services (GECIS), the ITES arm of GE Capital, commissioned its largest BPO facility on 14 acres of land.
And that is not all.
Microsoft is setting up a 2,000-seat technical help desk, the largest such facility of the company outside the US. Dell Computers' 2,000-seat call centre is also likely to become operational soon.
Officials in the IT department are confident that Lloyds Bank, Cap Gemini E&Y, Computer Associates and many others would soon announce their plans to locate BPO units in Hyderabad.
They will be only adding to the long list of multinationals that have either set up their bases here or are in the process of doing so.
The list includes IT giants like Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, Infosys and Satyam.
Going in Hyderabad's favour are the low rentals compared to cities like Bangalore and Chennai, good IT infrastructure, availability of abundant manpower skills and an IT-savvy Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
The monthly lease/rentals are Rs. 22 to 35 per sq ft against Rs. 35-45 in Bangalore and Rs. 30-36 in Chennai.
Besides offering a rebate of Rs. 20,000 per job created on the land cost and 25 percent rebate in power tariff, the state government has also formed the autonomous single window agency AP FIRST (Agency for Promotion and Facilitation of Investments in Remote Services) to help IT companies.
From 1992 to 2003, IT firms have made an investment of Rs 2800 crore in the state. Investment this fiscal year alone is expected to cross Rs 600 crore against Rs 542 crore during 2002-03.
The number of IT firms registered with the Software Technology Park of India (STPI), Hyderabad, today stands at 1,165 against 1,154 units operating in Bangalore.
Though Hyderabad lags behind its competitors Bangalore and Chennai in total IT exports, it is a clear leader in the ITES sector.
Despite the slowdown, the sector recorded an impressive growth of 104 per cent last fiscal year and contributed 39.16 per cent of the total exports of Rs 3668 crore from the state.
ITES exports have grown to Rs 1,411 crore in 2002-03 from Rs 690 crore in 2001-02 (24.11 per cent of the total exports of Rs.28.55 billion). It was a mere Rs163 crore in the previous year but recorded a dramatic 323 per cent growth in 2001-02.
As India's ITES opportunity is estimated to be $24 billion with direct employment of two million by 2008, Andhra Pradesh is leading the way to capitalise on this opportunity.
"By 2008, Hitec City (the IT enclave in the city) will emerge as the biggest integrated IT park with approximately six million sq ft of world-class IT office space and it will be home to 75,000 software professionals," said Ajay P. Sawhney, special secretary, IT.
Cashing on the huge demand for office space at the Hyderabad Information Technology Engineering Consultancy City (Hitec) City, L&T Infocity Wednesday signed an MoU with the state government for developing the fourth phase of the Hitec City to build one million square feet of world-class IT office space.
L&T Infocity, a joint venture between Larsen and Toubro and the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Ltd, will build the space along with modern common amenities on 14 acres of land at an investment of Rs 200 crore.
Wipro, India's third-largest software services company, saw record net profit in the third quarter, having signed up 24 new clients in the October to December period to lift sales by 44 per cent to Rs 15.6bn ($343m).
Azim Premji, chairman, said,"sustained volume growth coupled with stable pricing environment and operational improvements resulted in Wipro posting its highest ever quarterly profit after tax."
The Bangalore-based company, listed both in New York and Mumbai, posted net quarterly profit of Rs 2.66bn under US GAAP accounting rules. Clients based in the US contributed 54 per cent of its total revenue last year, putting pressure on profit margins as the rupee gained 5.2 per cent against the dollar in 2003. Political pressure has also seen a number of major US clients, such as Lehman Brother, bringing previously outsourced work back to the US.
But a revival in the global telecom sector, Wipro's mainstay, brought an increase in the number of software design and implementation projects outsourced to the company during the period, following a three-year downturn.
[b]Its shares in Mumbai rose 1.6 per cent to Rs1,742 by midday following its results announcement. Infosys, its larger competitor, had also announced strong growth in its third quarter to December, income rising 35 per cent to $70.5m.
The government on Wednesday said it has asked the Central Board of Secondary Education to exempt students of class eight and their juniors from taking examinations.
The board has allowed this exemption till class three.
<b> "I am against this system of examination... I have asked the CBSE to waive examinations for children till class eight. It has waived these for children up to class three but I think at least till class five there should be no examination for children," Union Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi said in the Rajya Sabha. </b> (<i>oh plz....keep this rule for politicians...they need it) </i>
Questioning the education system which labels children as 'pass' or 'fail' on the basis of whether they clear exams or not, Joshi said India should be known as a nation of successful people and tags such as 'fail' should be removed from the vocabulary.
He was replying to a debate on the National Charter for Children, which envisages provision of free and compulsory education to all children between six and 14 years, banning all forms of child labour and protecting the girl child.
Warning the nation against keeping its children uneducated, under-developed or undernourished, the minister said such nations would not survive in the long run.
<i> This is bizzzaare....How can this idiot Joshi can decide such sensitive education issues?....it is job of education board and experts.
politicians are playing with it now bcoz some american told him that "see...indians fail too much"... ...so lets copy junky american school system where dropouts are setting world records? <!--emo&:blink:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='blink.gif' /><!--endemo--> </i> <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->This is bizzzaare....How can this idiot Joshi can decide such sensitive education issues?....it is job of education board and experts<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Vishal,
Dr. M. M. Joshi is far more qualified than many -- he was an educator first.
And, take it from another one here, he makes eminent sense. There is a time and place for exams -- and there is no need to put kids below a certain age in the pressure cooker of an exam that gives a P or F.
Dr. Joshi is one of the best -- if not the best -- HRD minister India has had.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Dr. M. M. Joshi is far more qualified than many -- he was an educator first.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think Shri. Shriman is absolutely correct. My suggestion is when the kid is about to leave class V, his horoscope should be consulted to assess future potential. Should the kid have an unfortunate planetary alignment that would indicate that he might excel in things other than school he should be encouraged to pursue other activities. This way scarce educational resources could be directed to things with a higher probability of success. Actually, all school principals and HMs should become certified astrologists, preferrably from an IIT. And, a horoscope chart should be submitted as part of the application package to any high school.
A number of people, including the p-sec media misunderstands Dr. Joshi and his astrology related moves. I don't. Based on my chart, I invested in Gujarat Ambuja Cements and made a killing.
<!--QuoteBegin-Prof. Godbole+Jan 28 2004, 01:11 AM-->QUOTE(Prof. Godbole @ Jan 28 2004, 01:11 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--> A number of people, including the p-sec media misunderstands Dr. Joshi and his astrology related moves. I don't. Based on my chart, I invested in Gujarat Ambuja Cements and made a killing. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
What does your chart say about joining India-Forum? <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tongue.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->What does your chart say about joining India-Forum?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Shri. Sudhir,
It asks me to take advantage of the incredible amount of information and knowledge found therein. It adds that I should have fun learning, and enjoy <b>scarcasm</b> wherever and whenever it occurs and never be scared of it. <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
You state:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Actually, all school principals and HMs should become certified astrologists, preferrably from an IIT. And, a horoscope chart should be submitted as part of the application package to any high school.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
And who would be evaluating the horoscope submitted with the application package? Is there any organization that 'certifies astrologists'? Please let me know as these are serious questions I'd like an answer to.
Let me see if I can trace the discussion back. Per Vishal's post, Prof Joshi wants to do away with examinations for kids under Grade V. And you are suggesting it to be replaced by an astrological system of charting the future advancement of kids. Did Prof Joshi say so or this is your own suggestion? The link posted by Vishal does not indicate anything such attributed to Shri Joshiji, but if you have other links of Joshi saying the same, please let me know.
Is there some survey or study done by any academic institution that matches the performance of the students in a particular vocation with what the planetary suggestions were? I'd be most interested in such a study - and I'm not being sarcastic saying so. As far as your claim of making a killing with some stock based on your charts, I think in future you should share it with us too since the entry and exit points of a particular stock would be no different if someone else were to follow in your footsteps.
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='rolleyes.gif' /><!--endemo--> and has members from 65 countries. An IAA Regional Workshop is proposed to be held in India on a selected topic in 2005 which will be led by Dr Kasturirangan.
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> 
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tongue.gif' /><!--endemo-->
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->