150 Rupees coin to be out soon by RBI

For the first time in the country's minting history, government will issue coins of Rs 150, marking the number of years of taxation in India.

The special coins, to be released by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee before his Budget speech, will also be brought out in Rs 5 denomination on the occasion of completion of 150 years, from 1860 to 2010, of the Income Tax department.

This is the first time that coins of Rs 150 denomination are being minted by the government. The Department of Economic Affairs under the Finance Ministry recently notified the order.

The Rs 150 coin, made of an alloy of Silver, Copper, Nickel and Zinc, will have an international design with ''Satyameva Jayate'' and ''India'' on the front side while a portrait of ''Chanakya and lotus with honeybee'' on the reverse side.

The Rs 5 coins will also be minted in the same fashion. While 200 coins will be minted in Rs 150 denomination, 100 such coins of Rs 5 will be issued.

"The Income Tax department celebrated 150 years of taxation in the country last year and the these coins, especially the one in Rs 150 denomination will be minted for the first time," a senior I-T official said.

A Chinese man died after three-day of continuous gaming

A Chinese man, in his thirties, has died after a three-day online gaming session in which he did not sleep and barely ate.

He slipped into coma and was rushed to a nearby clinic, but he was pronounced dead.

The man had spent more than 1500 US dollars on Internet gaming over the past month.

According to the Beijing Times report, Police removed several computers from the caf for investigating and examining the cause of death.

According to the researchers the number of Internet addicts in China has risen to more than 30 million.

New Zealand quake kills at least 65, hundreds may be trapped

New Zealand cricketers, in India for the World Cup, on Tuesday reacted in horror to the grim news that at least 65 people had died in the Christchurch earthquake.

Fee reimbursement: Supreme Court raps State government

The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the State government for circulating a letter seeking extension of time by three months for reimbursement of about Rs. 3,700 crore towards fees to the colleges for the eligible students, whose parental income was less than Rs. one lakh per year.

A Bench of Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice A.K. Patnaik found fault with the government for circulating such a letter, instead of filing an affidavit in this regard. The Bench refused to grant extension of time but allowed the government to file an affidavit in one week.

Acting on an appeal from the State against the Andhra Pradesh High Court order, the Supreme Court in December last made an interim order that the State should pay 25 per cent of the fee within first four weeks of admission of students; another 25 per cent within 8 weeks thereafter. Further, the State should undertake the verification of the certificates and within four months thereafter, it should pay the remaining 50 per cent of the fee. The court had made it clear that if this interim order was not complied with the interim stay on implementation of the High Court order would automatically stand vacated.

When the case resumed on Monday, the court took serious exception to the letter from the State. Justice Raveendran observed that if the State was not able to implement the popular scheme, it can scrap it. “You can't shift the liability to pay the fees on the students.” The court did not accept the State's contention that the loans would be arranged through banks to colleges instead of fee reimbursement.

The State government had moved the Supreme Court after the Andhra Pradesh High Court upheld the contention of the private professional colleges that the fee of the students should be paid in full at the stage of admissions itself. This led to a widespread agitation among poor students with less than Rs one lakh parental income as they wanted the State to step in to pay the fee under the reimbursement scheme.

The complaint of the petitioner colleges is that the government is not paying the fee for the SC ,ST, BC and EBC students at the beginning of academic year. They said the government had promised to reimburse later and they are finding it difficult to run the institutions at the expected standards.

It must be noted that the engineering colleges managements association had threatened to launch an agitation from Tuesday failing to clear the fee reimbursement dues to the tune of Rs. 3,737 crore. According to them out of the total Rs. 4,037 crore fee reimbursement arrears, the State government had so far paid only Rs. 300 crore.

As per the Supreme Court's directive, the managements were to pay the fee reimbursement money to students before January 29 and their grievance was it was not complied with so far.

Check out Supreme Court order to Govt for fee reimbursement :TV9

Hi,

I want you to take a look at: Supreme Court order to Govt for fee reimbursement :TV9 

Violence in parts of Hyderabad during Telangana protests

Violence rocked parts of Hyderabad Monday as pro-Telangana students went berserk, setting afire a local train, ransacking a railway station and clashing with police in several areas.

The Osmania University students' march to the assembly building turned violent as a group of protestors set afire a Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS) train coach at the Jamia Osmania railway station near the varsity campus.

The incident took place even as hundreds of students clashed with police and paramilitary forces at three places around the sprawling campus. Prevented by police from coming out of the campus, the students pelted stones and the police retaliated with a baton charge and tear gas shells.

Another group of protestors ransacked the Necklace Road MMTS railway station near Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the state governor. They set ablaze the reservation counter, destroyed computers and broke window panes.

The incident triggered tension in the high security areas around Raj Bhavan, and the police forced the closure of the shops to prevent a march by pro-Telangana lawyers, who wanted to submit a memorandum to Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan.

There was more trouble as a group of protestors on board a local train tried to stop it forcibly near Raj Bhavan. Police sealed the road leading towards the governor's residence, causing huge traffic jam in the busy Khairatabad and surrounding areas.

Violence also rocked the Nizam College area near the assembly building as students pelted stones, clashed with police and damaged several vehicles. Tension prevailed at Nizam College as police pushed back the students inside the college and the hostel buildings.

A few policemen were reportedly injured in the stone pelting near the college.

Pro-Telangana leader and Maoist sympathizer Gaddar was arrested at Tank Bund when he tried to march towards the assembly.

Mizoram man has 39 wives, 94 children, 33 grandchildren

Believe it or not, a man in Mizoram has 39 wives, 94 children and 33 grandchildren -- all living together under one roof in a picturesque village about 100 km from Baktawng in the north of the state.

The head of the family and leader of the "Chana" sect -- which allows polygamy -- is 66-year-old Ziona Chana who lives with his family in a 100-room, four-storyed house named ''Chhuan That Run'' or the House of the New Generation.

Though all of Ziona''s family members live in different rooms in the building, they all share the kitchen where they cook for the entire family.

"Today I feel like God''s special child. He''s given me so many people to look after. I consider myself a lucky man to be the husband of 39 women and head of the world''s largest family," says Ziona.

The sect believes in "Kum Sang Rorel" or the rule of 1,000 years by Jesus Christ on Earth as foretold in Bible''s Revelation Chapter 20 and that they would be soon ruling the world with Christ.

Previously known as Khuangtuaha Pawl, the sect was formed on June 12, 1942, after the followers of Khuangtuaha were evicted from Hmawngkawn village by the village chief for propagating "wrong and dangerous" theology.

The sect, till date, celebrates the "Bawkte Kut" or the festival of the hut on June 12 every year to commemorate the formal formation of the sect.

Studying abroad just a status symbol?

Despite so many mishaps, studying abroad still remains popular. Students spend exorbitant sums to study in top universities abroad. And of course, the education loan takes ages to get over. These days many foreign students come to India for studies. In such times is studying abroad just a status symbol? What’s better in colleges abroad – faculty, ambience or facilities? Do you think studying abroad increases your chances of getting a lucrative job?

Maoists kidnap IAS officer in Orissa, set 48-hr deadline

The District Collector of Orissa's Malkangiri has been kidnapped by Maoists, who are demanding withdrawal of Central forces and release of jailed ultras.

The Maoists have reportedly set a 48-hour deadline for the government to concede their demands. The Orissa assembly was disrupted this morning, with the opposition denouncing the Naveen Patnaik government, and demanding President's rule. Reports in the afternoon suggest the government has started negotiating with the Maoists.

Malkangiri collector R V Krishna along with a junior engineer went missing last evening when he was on a visit to the remote Chitrakonda area, a Maoist stronghold about 85 km from here, to attend a camp for local development, SP Anirudh Singh said.

There was no trace of the 30-year-old IAS officer after he went from the camp held at Badapada bordering Andhra Pradesh to see a culvert on a road nearby on a motorcycle along with two junior engineers and another person, Chitrakonda Tehsildar D Gopal Krishnan said.

World Cup Opening Ceremony in Bangladesh

The 2011 mega-event kicks off with a colourful start at Dhaka's Bangabandhu Stadium.

World's longest Passenger Jet Boeing unveils new 747-8 passenger plane

Boeing has unveiled a new 747 passenger jet to rival the Airbus A380.

The new Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental, which measures 250 feet in length, will be the world’s longest passenger jet.

The 747-8 has a capacity of 467 passengers, 51 more than the current 747. It was introduced to an audience of 10,000 in a factory in Everett, Washington, yesterday.

The 747-8 also has 16 percent less carbon emissions per passenger, and a noise footprint that is reduced by 30 percent from its predecessor the 747-400, according to Boeing.

Rajnikanth is Entertainer of the Year 2010

In the NDTV Indian of the Year - Entertainment segment, Rajnikanth got the prestigious NDTV 'Entertainer of the Decade' award. Accepting the award from Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, the superstar said, "ROBOT (ENTHIRAN) is my best film till date.

Hyderabad,Delhi airports globally on the top

Hyderabad''s Rajiv Gandhi Airport retained the number one position for the second year in a row among 49 airports handling 5-15 million passengers per annum (mppa), Indira Gandhi International Airport (DELHI) came fourth in a group of 19 airports in the 25-40 mppa category.

World War II bomb defused after 66 years

 Austrian experts have defused a bomb of the second World War period in Vienna.

The 250-kg bomb was found by construction workers at a proposed train station in the city, Xinhua reported quoting Austrian media.

The interior ministry sent a team of experts to the scene and evacuated the area. The operation caused traffic jams in some of the busiest roads in the Favoriten district.

The second World War was fought from 1939 to 1945, involving all the major powers of the world divided between two groups- Allies and Axis.

Honda to recall 57,853 City sedans

Honda Siel Cars India (HSCI) today said it is recalling over 57,800 units of its City sedan to replace faulty engine parts.

In a statement, the company said it would carry out preventive part replacement of the lost motion spring in the valve train for 57,853 third-generation City models that were manufactured between November, 2008, and December, 2009.

"Lost motion springs, which are compressed by rocker arms in normal engine use, may bend or break over time, resulting in abnormal engine noise and potentially causing engine stalling and problems in re-starting, the company said.

Brazilian football Player Ronaldo retired from international career

Sydney, Feb 14(ANI): Brazil's two-time World Cup winning striker Ronaldo has retired from international football citing injury and fitness concerns.

Ronaldo, who played 97 international matches for Brazil - amassing 62 goals, was part of the squad that won the 1994 and 2002 World Cups.

During the 2006 World Cup, he became the highest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup with his fifteenth goal, surpassing Gerd Muller's previous record of 14.

"I can't take any more. I wanted to continue, but I can't do it any more. I think of an action, but I can't do it the way I want to. It's time," the Herald Sun quoted Ronaldo, as saying.

The 34-year-old was one of the most prolific scorers in the world in the late 1990s and the early 2000s.

He had won his first Ballon d'Or as the European Footballer of the Year in 1997, and again won the award in 2002.

He is also one of only two men to have won the FIFA Player of the Year award three times, along with French footballer Zinedine Zidane.

In 2007, Ronaldo was named as one of the best starting eleven of all-time by France Football and was named to the FIFA 100, a list of the greatest footballers compiled by fellow countryman Pele.

In 2010, he was voted Goal.com's 'Player of the Decade' in an online poll, gathering 43.63 percent of all votes, and was also included as Centre Forward in the 'Team of the Decade'. (ANI)

Only three choices left for indian students of Tri Valley University

First, Report to ICE to be processed for voluntary departure from the United States; Second, departing the US on their own; and

Third, file for reinstatement with US Citizenship and Immigration Services 

Chiranjeevi fans upset over merger

Many of movie star Chiranjeevi's fans are upset that he merged Praja Rajyam, his fledgling party, with the Congress.

NDTV reports that admirers in his home town Dowleswaram, near Rajahmundry, feel let down. About 70 lakh voters in Andhra Pradesh gave him their support in the 2009 elections.

The channel quotes a fan who says, "We have always loved Chiranjeevi and were happy that he started a party after his film career.... But now he has joined the Congress while we wanted him to lead a separate party"

On February 6, Chiranjeevi met Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and announced the merger, saying it would strengthen both parties.

Chiranjeevi had contested the 2009 assembly elections on the social justice plank. His long-term success as a movie star won him 18 seats when he faced the electorate, but it was too little for him to dream of forming a government in the 294-seat Andhra Pradesh assembly. The ruling Congress has 156 legislators.

Sonia Gandhi's decision to rope Chiranjeevi into her party was prompted by Jaganmohan Reddy, the expelled Congressman who has emerged as a challenger to the ruling party. Jagan has been rallying support all over the state in the name of his father YS Rajasekhara Reddy, the chief minister who died in a helicopter crash.

Chocolate is healthier than fruit juices

 Chocolate is healthier than many fruit juices and is a 'superfood' in its own right, says a new study conducted by a US-based chocolate company.

Superfoods are high in anti-oxidants and compounds that help prevent damage to healthy cells.

Researchers from the Hershey Centre for Health & Nutrition in the US found that powdered dark chocolate had more anti-oxidants and polyphenols, believed to protect us from cancer and cardiac conditions, the Chemistry Central Journal reports.

They compared single servings of dark chocolate, cocoa, and hot chocolate mix with fruit juices including acai berries, cranberries and pomegranates, according to a Hershey statement.

The research showed that both dark chocolate and cocoa had more antioxidant activity and more flavonols than fruit. Debra Millar, who led the study, said chocolate should be labelled a 'superfruit'.

Risk of using credit cards

The next time you swipe your debit card at a petrol bunk, use a credit card to buy a movie ticket or pay a bill online, do it at your own risk.

A new survey of security in Indian banks has revealed that many of them do not follow even basic measures to ensure card security or protect your personal information. The survey finds that banks in India lag in security of cards transactions.

"Against the backdrop of well known global cases of card breaches, it is surprising to note that basic measures for ensuring card security have not been adopted by many of the banks," points out the survey done by the Data Security Council of India and KPMG, under the aegis of CERT-In (Computer Emergency Response Team), the cyber security wing of the ministry of information technology.

UK visa curbs will hit Indian MBA students with new rules

London, Feb 7 (PTI) Britain''s move to abolish the visa that allows Indian and other non-EU students to take up employment in the UK for two years after the completion of their courses is likely to reduce the number of Indians coming here for MBA degrees, an industry body has said.

The London-based Association of MBAs, which accredits business management courses in 70 countries, including the UK, said the proposed move was of ''significant concern'', and would restrict enrolment of international students from India and elsewhere.

In a speech last week, immigration minister Damian Green said that non-EU students could not be allowed unfettered access to the UK labour market amidst growing unemployment in Britain.

He said: "The post study work route was intended to form a bridge between study and skilled work, allowing all international graduates to remain for two years after graduation... To allow unfettered access to the jobs market for two years to anyone with a student visa from abroad is putting an unnecessary extra strain on our own graduates".

Noting that India and China are two of the UK''s biggest markets for international students, the association said in its response to the consultation on the student visa review that the UK must do all it can to remain competitive in the highly skilled business education sector.

"Turning students away by restricting their access to post-study employment puts their reputations at stake and threatens future viability," it said.

The association said that MBA courses have high fees, and does not attract the type of migrants which the David Cameron government was seeking to deter from entering and abusing the student visa system.

Moreover, MBA international students bring "a high level of income for UK universities at a time when they are struggling for funding", the association said.

In British universities, MBA tuition fees range from 10,000 pounds to 50,000 pounds per year.

The Association of MBAs surveyed 47 accredited business schools in the UK in early January 2011.

Of the 34 who responded, 97 per cent said that they believe continued restrictions on student visas are likely to impact their enrolment numbers in the future.

Of these, 56 per cent said that the impact was highly likely.

"This supports deep concerns voiced in focus groups among business schools that prospective students will look elsewhere to competitor countries including Canada, the United States and Australia", it said. .

Board Exams making students so stressed

CBSE has put in place a helpline to support students during the much dreaded board exams and they boast of having received a 200 calls on day one. Despite so many efforts to make education system friendlier for the students, it still makes them tense. Is it the pressure more because of the expectations of the parents or is it more because of the course structure and stringent marking? Does India need to loosen up a bit towards the performance of students? What should change – the attitudes or the system

Dada retires from all formats of Cricket

India’s most successful captain — the man who single-handedly galvanised a bunch of talented players into a winning side — won’t play again. The God on the off-side has announced his retirement from competitive cricket. Sourav Ganguly made this announcement during an exclusive interview withHeadlines Today.

Breaking his silence on the IPL controversy, he said, he was playing Ranji only to stay fit for the league. And he doesn’t see any possibility of playing IPL again. So he’s hanging up his boots.

Speaking to Headlines Today, he said: “I have already retired from international cricket. I was playing Ranji cricket only to stay fit for IPL. I see no possibility of playing IPL any more. And now I don’t see any point in playing competitive cricket again.”

But he expressed disappointment at not finding a place in 10 IPL teams in which 70 Indians were selected. “I had the runs. Players of my age, Gilchrist, Dravid and Laxman are still actively involved. I haven’t been able to put the finger on why I was left out.

Karnataka CM B S Yeddyurappa has Only 34 Lacks Bank Balance & 10 lacks of other Assets

Bangalore, Feb 6 (PTI) In a move to blunt the Opposition onslaught against his government on alleged corruption, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has declared his assets in line with the diktat by the BJP central leadership.

Yeddyurappa also declared that neither he as chief minister nor any of his family members have any accounts in Swiss banks or in any other country''s tax havens.

As on January 31, 2011, Yeddyurappa had bank balance of nearly Rs 33.5 lakh and household goods, furniture and electronic items worth Rs 10.45 lakh.

He furnished the statement of assets and liabilities, in a declaration yesterday to BJP President Nitin Gadkari.

"Hope you may find the above (the statement) as per the order required," he said in the letter to Gadkari, which was released to the media by the chief minister''s secretariat today.

The declaration comes amid repeated allegations of corruption and nepotism in land denotification and deals levelled against Yeddyurappa and his family members, as also the government by JDS and Congress, and BJP''s clamour at the central level for bringing back black money stashed abroad.

Yeddyurappa listed agriculture and non-agriculture properties owned by him, along with gold and diamond jewellery and silverware vessels and ornaments, but did not mention the value of these assets.

He has silverware vessels and ornaments (own and gift items) weighing 76 kg, compared to 25 kg when he filed his affidavit before the Election Commission on April 24, 2008, during filing of nominations for the Assembly elections.

The chief minister, whose prosecution on corruption charges was sanctioned by Governor H R Bhardwaj in a controversial action recently, has gold and diamond jewellery weighing 2596 grams, up from 1,600 grams in April 2008.

He owns 18.23 acres of agriculture land in his native Shikaripura taluk and an independent house on a 50X80 plot here, allotted by Bangalore Development Authority in 1997. Yeddyurappa has two residential buildings in Shikaripura, where he also owns 9.12 acres of agriculture land which was converted for industrial purpose.

Facing intense Opposition heat, the BJP government has ordered a judicial enquiry into land denotification, an issue which the anti-corruption body Lokayukta is also probing.

On February 1, pledging to set an example in the fight against black money, BJP-led NDA had said it would direct its chief ministers and senior most leaders to declare to the government that they had no money stashed abroad.

The Opposition alliance had also said its leaders should detail their assets and tell the government that it can "seize any black money they have

Pakistan players Banned for 5 Years in fixing

Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt have been banned for five years by ICC

Rs 9,000 crore share transfer: The human story behind Premji's philanthropy

Ever since Mr Premji announced the irrevocable transfer of shares worth Rs 9000 crores to an endowment, the sole purpose of which is to improve quality of education and development for the underprivileged and disadvantaged of this country, I have been asked hundreds of questions and have received even more messages of encouragement combined with a certain sense of thankfulness.

While this event, which some have called the largest act of philanthropy in India, has unfolded in a few days in the media headlines, I have had the privilege of living through and experiencing the evolution of the thought and commitment that led to this.

I thought it was important to share my experience not to lose sight of the human story behind this big action. The first human story is of the man who made this commitment.

Premji is immensely aware of the fact that over 70% people in our country have an income of less than Rs 60/$1.5 per day. While as a businessman he understands that business has to be run in a competitive manner, at a personal level he chooses to follow the Gandhian principle of waste not, want not. 

New Volkswagen XL! Super Efficient Car Gives 133 kms/litre

The Volkswagen XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle (SEV) concept, unveiled at the Qatar Motor Show, features pioneering construction techniques, an advanced plug-in hybrid drivetrain and innovative packaging. The result is an estimated 260 mpg, a benchmark for vehicle efficiency.

Powering the XL1 is a compact 800cc TDI two-cylinder common rail diesel engine developing 47 hp. It’s linked to an electric motor producing 27 horsepower, resulting in a total of 74 horsepower. It’s a modest output, but more than sufficient considering car weighs only 1,753 pounds.

The TDI engine is linked to an electric motor and a seven-speed DSG gearbox with an automatic clutch mounted between each unit. The electric motor can either work independently of the TDI engine or in tandem when accelerating.

In pure electric mode the XL1 can travel up to 20 miles before the diesel engine engages. Acceleration from 0-60 mph occurs 11.5 seconds, while top speed is 99 mph.

The XL1 is an extension previous VW concepts — the 1-Litre car (2002) and the L1 concept (2009). The XL1 features staggered driver and front passenger in a strong but lightweight structure made from Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) parts on the car called the Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) process and weighing only 507 pounds.

The XL1 styling features scissor doors that hinge on the A-pillar and with a profile honed in a wind tunnel, the result a coefficient of drag figure of 0.186.

The XL1’s overall length and width are similar to the VW Polo, while its height is similar to Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder.

Volkswagen predicts production of the XL1 by 2013.

Black money: Account details revealed by LGT bank of Liechtenstein is out.

After two years of debates and controversies the list of eighteen Indians who have stashed ‘black money’ in the LGT bank of Liechtenstein is out.

The list which was officially handed over to the Indian Government on March 18, 2009 includes 12 trusts and 26 beneficiaries.

The list that Germany shared with India had 12 trusts out of which four belong to Indians. The beneficiaries are

1. Manoj Dhupelia
2. Rupal Dhupelia
3. Mohan Dhupelia
4. Hasmukh Gandhi
5. Chintan Gandhi
6. Dilip Mehta
7. Arun Mehta
8. Arun Kochar
9. Gunwanti Mehta
10. Rajnikant Mehta
11. Prabodh Mehta
12. Ashok Jaipuria
13. Raj Foundation
14. Urvashi Foundation
15. Ambrunova Trust

According to CNN IBN, the amounts in the twelve accounts totals nearly to Rs 52 Crores.

The list has been leaked out of various media houses across the country. However, experts are of the view that this could be a plant – while the real account holders are some where out there.

Also read

Every 1 out of 10 Members Now Obese

THE GLOBAL prevalence of obesity has nearly doubled since 1980, according to a new study released on Thursday.

More than one in ten of the world's adult population was obese in 2008, with women more likely to be obese than men, according to the study published in The Lancet . An estimated 205 million men and 297 million adult women were obese — a total of more than half a billion adults worldwide.

The study points out that average blood pressure and cholesterol levels have gone up in middle income and poor countries, while they have reduced in rich countries since 1980.

Overall, the proportion of the world's population with high blood pressure, or uncontrolled hypertension, has fallen modestly between 1980 and 2008. Uncontrolled hypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure higher than 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure higher than 90 mmHg.

However, due to population growth and ageing, the number of people with uncontrolled hypertension has risen from 600 million in 1980 to nearly 1 billion in 2008.

Average levels of total blood cholesterol fell in North America and Europe, but increased in East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific region.

"Our results show that overweight and obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are no longer Western problems or problems of wealthy nations. Their presence has shifted towards low and middle income countries, making them global problems,” said Majid Ezzati of the School of Public Health at Imperial College.

It Sector has 3 Lacks Jobs in Coming Months

THE EIGHT per cent- plus growth clocked up by the economy is beginning to show up where it matters most for the common man — in jobs.

India's infotech ( IT) and infotechenabled services ( ITES) sector is shrugging off its post- meltdown caution and going on a hiring spree.

The result: a deluge of well over two lakh jobs over the coming months. Fresh hires in the IT- BPO sector alone will reach 2.40 lakh, the apex IT and BPO trade body Nasscom revealed on Thursday.

This will come on top of the estimated one lakh hires done in January alone, a peak hiring time for the IT and BPO sectors in India as it coincides with the start of a new financial year in the countries from which the sector secures its outsourcing jobs.

What's more, the pace of fresh hiring is expected to sustain well into 2012- 13 as well.

" The sector will continue with the hiring spree in the coming years. The fresh hiring in IT- BPO alone will reach 2.40 lakh in this fiscal.

In the next fiscal the sector will be hiring two lakh more people," said Som Mittal, president of Nasscom.

According to Mittal the improving demand from the US market and selected European markets will drive the high recruitment.

" The markets in the US and Europe are improving. The Indian software and service export sector is expected to grow by 15- 17 per cent, which is our conservative estimate keeping in view the Euro crisis and Rupee appreciation. So there will be more hiring," Mittal said.

That is because Indian IT continues to derive a bulk of its revenues from outsourcing.

Global outsourcing spends grew by 10 per cent in 2010, compared to a mere four per cent growth in overall technology spends worldwide, according to data from Everest Research and IDC. And India continues to get a lion's share of this particular pie.

" India's share in the global sourcing has gone up from 51 per cent in 2009 to 55 per cent in 2010, which is a good sign," said Mittal.

India's IT- BPO sector currently accounts for 26 per cent of the country's total exports and 11 per cent of all services revenues. Services account for more than half of India's GDP. IT services continue to comfortably outpace the rest of India Inc in the pace of growth, growing by 22.7 per cent. The BPO sector has been slower, growing at just 14 per cent, as new competition from cheaper geographies eats away India's share.

Nevertheless, improving domestic and overseas business is responsible for the high hiring numbers, said Mittal.

Another big factor has been attrition. After a two- year slowdown in pay hikes and bonuses, employees are ringing up job changes at a rapid clip as they switch jobs to improve their pay. The industry has seen a high attrition rate varying from 10- 20 per cent.

This has led to rising demand for those with more experience as well, although the big numbers are coming from campus hires. Companies like Infosys, Wipro and TCS have been on a hiring spree in campuses since December. Due to the growing order books, most firms have increased their hiring expectations from their earlier targets.

However, experts feel that as the industry grows, the sector will face a talent crunch. " The sector is already facing a talent crunch in more specialised areas, which will become severe in future. There will always be demand for specialised IT professionals," said Kamal Karanth, chief executive officer ( CEO) of Kelly Services.

That is the reason why companies have increased hiring of non- IT candidates. According to Nasscom, in 2005, the number of hires from non- technical backgrounds was around two to three per cent, which went up to 12 per cent in 2010.

2,400 nursing students caught copying in Bangalore Minister Caught the Students

BANGALORE: Those of you who believe there are no short-cuts in life, read this: in six examination centres in Bangalore, all nursing students were given a copy of the filled-in answer script along with the question paper. All that the candidates needed to do was copy the answers on to their answer sheets from the photocopy provided.

When medical education minister S A Ramdass walked into Venkateshwara Engineering College on a surprise inspection on Thursday, he was stunned at the blatant mass copying, and also the manner in which it was done. The centre is in Yelahanka in North Bangalore, where third year students were writing the Paediatrics Nursing paper. Ramdass seized the answer papers, and news spread to the adjacent rooms that a surprise inspection was on. By the time he entered the other rooms, the candidates were trying to throw their chits out of the window.

A student, Thobi Thomas, from MC Vasanth Nursing College, allegedly continued to copy in front of the minister, who debarred him immediately. All these students were from 43 nursing schools in Bidar. "At least 2,400 students were found copying by the department and I have ordered postponement of the exams," the minister said.

Mobile Radiation is Dangerous

The speculative fears of mobile phones being a danger to health in the long run, seem to be coming true. A latest government study talks about the harmful effects of not just using mobile phones but also the radiation from mobile phone towers.

A Times of India report states that -
Radiation from mobile phones and towers poses serious health risks, including loss of memory, lack of concentration, disturbance in the digestive system and sleep disturbances, according to an inter-ministerial committee formed by the ministry of communications and information technology to study the hazards posed by mobile phones.

One India also reported that the damages may not be lethal for humans, but they worse for birds and insects as well. The committee has attributed the radiation effects to the disappearance of butterflies, bees, insects and sparrows. 

Amir Khan in Dhoom 3

So it’s official now. After rumours were rife that one of the 3 Khans would be signed on, looks like Yash Raj Films went with their old favourite Aamir. (Remember Paramapara?) Tinsel town’s teenybopper heartthrob turned award-eschewing rebel turned movie producer turned Oscar nominee turned movie director turned Narmada Bachao activist turned “calculated risk taker” (post-Peepli epithet) is now turning into an onscreen villain.