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Beijing Olympics 2008 snapshots

2011-05-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

India bagged its first ever individual Olympic gold medal in 108 years when Abhinav Bindra won the 10-metre air rifle event in one of the most exciting shooting finals in the history of the world's biggest sporting spectacle. Abhinav's first individual gold for India is hailed as a historic breakthrough that augurs well for the country's future.
Phelps, Bolt shine; China charges to the top (ibnlive)

BRAVE HEART: Natalie du Toit of South Africa, prepares for the start of the women's 10km marathon swimming event.
Defining moments of Beijing Olympic Games
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/defining-moments-of-beijing-olympic-games/72001-29.html

Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia

Vijender
Going for gold: Vijender will show up in Friday's semifinal with nothing to lose and only newer heights to gain

Paraguayan javelin thrower Leryn Franco

Sushil Kumar

Du Toit
Amputee Du Toit inspires all

South Africa's disabled swimmer Natalie du Toit, may not have finished in the top three in this morning's 10km

open water swim at the Beijing Olympic Games, but the mere fact that she participated was worth a medal.

Du Toit, who lost her lower leg in a scooter accident eight years ago, never let go of her dream to participate

in the Olympic Games. This morning she finished 16th out of 25 participants-- completing the distance in two

hours, 49.9 seconds.

That was just one minute and 22 seconds behind the winner, Larisa Ilchenko of Russia, who won in one hour, 59

minutes and 27.7 seconds.

Amputee Du Toit inspires all

Hoping to contend for a medal, the 24-year-old South African amputee fell off the pace toward the end of the

grueling 10 kilometer race, more than a minute behind gold medalist Larisa Ilchenko of Russia.

The South African admitted she shed a tear before her race, but was far from happy with her performance.

"I was a bit diappointed with my first Olympic race, placing sixteenth is not that bad, but I wanted to come in

the top five," she said.

Du Toit hung with the lead pack much of the race, but she had a problem with her cap and couldn't keep up when

the pace quickened toward the end of the two-hour ordeal.

Then again, du Toit's time of 2 hours, 49.9 seconds put her ahead of nine others, including 16-year-old

American Chloe Sutton, who broke down in tears after finishing.

"I was swimming next to her and she beat me-- and she has one leg," Sutton said. "It's incredible she was able

to do that."

Amputee Du Toit inspires all

Winner Ilchenko praised du Toit for not letting her disability hold her back. She was right in there battling

with everyone else in a race that's often called wrestling in the water for its rough tactics.

"I'd even go so far as to award her a separate medal," the winner said through a translator. "I have enormous

respect for her. It is exceedingly hard. Just looking at these people inspires you."

Du Toit did receive a special gift from officials at the rowing basin: a traditional Chinese drawing encased in

a wooden box. She doesn't want to be treated any different, however.

"I worked hard to get here," she said. "I want to do everything on merit. This is not just a free ride."

Amputee Du Toit inspires all

The Cape Town-bred du Toit was identified as a potential Olympian in her early teens.

But her career appeared to have been cut short in February 2001 when a car hit her as she rode past. Her left

leg was amputated at the knee after it began to turn gangrenous and a titanium rod was inserted into her femur.

Three months later, she was back in the water.

"I knew I had no muscle, I had no fitness. I had nothing basically. That is why I had to build up all my

fitness again," she says.

She missed out on qualification for the 2004 Athens Olympics but competed in the Paralympics that year, winning

five gold medals and a silver. She also won gold against able-bodied swimmers in the 1,500m freestyle at last

year's All Africa Games.

Amputee Du Toit inspires all

The 10 km open water race, a new Olympic event and one of the most punishing of the Games.

There are no flip turns to negotiate in marathon swimming, which is usually held in lakes and oceans, and the

upper body is more important than the legs.

Du Toit, who wears a prosthetic leg out of the water, had previously been a medley swimmer but decided to

concentrate on long distances because they require less kicking.

"When I take my leg off and I'm completely free in the water," du Toit said, "that's who I am."

She had found her new calling. Du Toit qualified for the Olympics with a fourth-place finish at the world

championships in Spain this year.

Amputee Du Toit inspires all

Du Toit, who carried South Africa's flag at the Beijing Games' opening ceremony, was one of only two athletes

to enter both the Olympics and the Paralympics and could become the first amputee to win a medal at a Summer

Games for 56 years.

Fellow South African amputee, 400 metres runner Oscar Pistorius and who runs with carbon-fibre prosthetic

blades, failed to set an individual qualifying time for Beijing.

The talented athlete has proven that the mind can be as strong as you will it to, pushing herself to train

through her disability. On Wednesday, she realised her dream of being an Olympian.

"I have had this dream since I was six years old," said du Toit.

"I think for me to come to an Olympic Games is a dream come true, my message isn't just to disabled people, but

to everyone out there - you have to work hard to make your dreams reality."

No. 6: Phelps grabs yet another gold medal (ap)

Gymnast Liukin edges Johnson for all-around gold (ap)

An inspiration: Abhinav Bindra has dedicated his gold medal to all athletes, saying they can also dream big

Abhinav Bindra: Reticent champion
Ace shooter Abhinav Bindra, India's first individual Olympic gold medallist, says he has been "punching holes on black paper" for the last 10 years.

Saina Nehwal
Saina in pre-quarters at Olympics (Zee)

Darling diva: American Olympic swimmer Amanda Ray Beard is an amazing sportwomen who has captured the attention of the media atmost. No wonder, this model-turned-swimmer is one of the most photographed, sometimes clutching her teddy bear and on the medal stand.

Jumping jack: Candace Nicole Parker, an All American basketball player is a uniquely versatile player. Mainly a forward, this 6-feet-4 inches dark beauty is the female answer to LeBron James.

Beach beauty: American Olympian Misty May-Treanor is beach volleyball player with 102 career tournament wins. This bikini-clad winner player sets sand on fire with her quick shots.

Magical move: Daniela Hantuchova, a Slovak tennis player, is currently one of the biggest draws not only because of ranking 12th at the WTA ranking Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Singles Rankings, but also because of the sexiness and elegance in her moves. In this powerful shot too, one can get enchanted with her charm.

Those hot looks: Serbian tennis player Ana Ivanoviæ, the current World No. 1 on the WTA Tour, is also the topper on the looks front. She is 23rd on FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2008 list. The tennis ace has won the tennisreporters.net Sexiest Female Player award for the last three years. What else, she is also named the best-looking tennis player of all-time by The Age newspaper.

Saina Nehwal wins in first round of badminton.
Archery was not featured at the first summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

A Sprint, (a short run that was called the "stade"). The race was run by men who competed in the nude.

The flag of the Olympic Games illustrates five interlocking rings (blue, yellow, black, green, and red) on a white background. The rings represent the five parts of the world that were originally joined together in the Olympic movement: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia and Europe.

What is the symbolism of the Olympic torch?
The tradition of the Olympic flame began during the ancient Olympic Games in Greece. A flame was lit for each Olympics, every four years, and it burned throughout the games. Historians suggest the flame was born in a temple erected by the ancient Greeks to honor Hera, powerful queen of the mythological gods. Her shrine stands in the home of the Olympic Games of antiquity, a cypress-shaded archaeological site in Olympia where the first recorded Games was held in 776 B.C.

The United States has won more medals (2,189) at the Summer Games than any other country.

World War I caused the cancellation of the Games in 1916, which would have been held in Berlin, Germany. World War II caused the cancellation of both Summer and Winter Olympics in 1940 and 1944.

CAROLINA KLUFT
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Did you know:
Former star engineers from this company unveiled Cuil, a new Web search service that aims to outdo Google in size:
Google

This sportswear and shoe company pulled print ads, accompanied by the slogan, "That ain't right," that some bloggers had dubbed anti-gay:
Nike

Richard Branson unveiled a plane intended as the launch aircraft for a Virgin Galactic spaceship full of tourists. What is the plane called?
WhiteKnightTwo

Which country did travelers say they are most likely to visit next in the annual Lonely Planet Travelers' Pulse Survey?

United States
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Sania Mirza

Yelena Isinbayeva
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Amputee Sprinter’s Beijing Quest Is Over (nytimes)

Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav
Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav (January 15, 1926 – August 14, 1984), or KD Jadhav, was independent India's first individual Olympic medalist when he won the wrestling bronze medal at the 1952 Helsinki Games
================

Forecast: China to top medals table
Study Shows Problems With Olympic-Style Tests (nytimes)

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Dog meat off the menu during Beijing Olympics

Rajinikanth’s health condition improves! | Rajinikanth | ApunKaChoice.com

2011-05-21T06:12:00.000-07:00

Rajinikanth’s health condition improves! | Rajinikanth | ApunKaChoice.com: "South star Rajinikanth, who is hospitalized at Sri Ramchandra Medical Centre in Porur, is showing signs of improvement, a medical bulletin released by the hospital on Saturday said"

5 Elements of Attractiveness

2011-05-21T06:11:00.000-07:00

Amrita Rao

5 Elements of Attractiveness
Physical attraction may be as old as time, but new studies are beginning to uncover the science behind sex appeal.

Unexpected factors—like smell, facial symmetry, voice pitch, financial stability and kissing prowess—just might have more to do with your choice of mate than anyone ever expected. Discover the evolutionary explanations.
1. Smell

A spritz on the wrist. A dab behind the ears. Many men and women spend a lot of time—and money—searching for a signature scent that attracts the opposite sex. Little do they know, these lotions and potions actually mask the natural odors scientists say potential mates find most appealing.

Karl Grammer and Elizabeth Oberzaucher, researchers who study how the human scent influences sexual attraction, found that when women are ovulating, they produce pheromones called copulins. Copulins have a distinct smell, which Elizabeth describes as "butter gone off."

When a man gets a whiff of copulins, his testosterone levels rise. As a result, he secretes androstenone, an odor that repels women who aren't ovulating.

Sex therapist Dr. Laura Berman says science and evolution plays a larger role in attraction than people might think. "We are capable of discerning 10,000 different scents consciously," she says. "But then there's a whole realm of unconscious scents that we're not even aware that we're smelling."

In one recent study, Dr. Berman says researchers had women smell men's T-shirts. The women were most attracted to the shirts of men whose major histocompatability complexes (MHC) differed from theirs. MHC is a collection of genes that are related to immune systems. "We unconsciously want to mate with someone who has a different immune system than ours," Dr. Berman says. "That helps with the survival of our offspring."

2. Voice
3. Facial Features
4. Financial Stability
5. Kissing

source: OPRAH

How To Be Happier: Stay Connected To Your Past

2011-05-21T05:54:00.000-07:00

How To Be Happier: Stay Connected To Your Past
I'm working on my Happiness Project, and you could have one, too! Everyone's project will look different, but it's the rare person who can't benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump in right now. Each Friday's post will help you think about your own happiness project.

A while back, my husband and I noticed a characteristic we shared - neither of us did a particularly good job of staying connected with our past. It was true of us as a couple, too, once we got married. In each stage of life, we'd have good friends, but when we moved to the next stage, we found it difficult to stay connected to the people to whom we'd earlier been close. I'm not sure I would have remarked on this fact if I hadn't seen the contrast to my younger sister - she does an outstanding job of staying close to friends from every stage of her life.

Philosophers and scientists agree: if there is one element that is the key to happiness, it's having strong relationships with other people. Many of my happiness-project resolutions are aimed at helping me build or strengthen friendships: Show up, Make three friends, Join or start a group. (Here are some other tips for making new friends).

Also, remembering happy times in the past is a great way to boost happiness in the present.

My resolution to "Stay connected to my past" is meant to address both these sources of happiness. As a consequence of this resolution, I sign up for high-school, college, and law-school reunions without hesitation. I don't begrudge the time I spend on Facebook. I make a big effort to keep my friends' contact information up-to-date. I keep a one-sentence journal. I look for reasons to visit my old neighborhoods.

I went to Washington, D.C., this week to give a talk to the Yale Law School Association about "Blogging the Pursuit of Happiness." (Trying to be strategic, I asked to come in January after my book comes out, but they don't do book talks.) This trip made me happy for many reasons. I saw some of my blogland pals from that area. I visited the Slate offices and imbibed the heady Slate-y atmosphere. I cruised around Washington, which is a beautiful city, especially when everything is blooming.

But one of the things that made me happiest was the opportunity to "Connect with my past." I loved being around a bunch of people from my law school. It was funny - I hadn't realized just how much alums have in common, how many references, interests, and inside jokes we shared. Also, a bunch of friends from law school showed up, so that was especially fun.

Sometimes it makes me sad that I've left behind my lawyerly identity - there were many things I enjoyed about that time. Staying connected to that part of my past makes me happier - and so does staying connected to other parts of my past.

Of course, this resolution applies to aspects of your past that actually were happy. You might well choose deliberately to disengage with unhappy parts of your past.

Have you found any good strategies to stay connected to your (happy) past?

*

Josh Landis and Mitch Butler over at cbsnews.com did a provocative video piece on happiness myths. It's about happiness, and there's a lot of interesting information in it -- and it also gave me flashbacks to my book Power Money Fame Sex: A User's Guide.

(huffingtonpost)

Vasta nee venuka - Nani

2011-05-21T05:52:00.000-07:00

Network 18

2011-05-21T05:32:00.000-07:00

===

The story of how cnn-IBN was formed has a distinct James Bond ring to it. On 15 April 2005, two of NDTV’s pillars — news anchor Rajdeep Sardesai and finance whiz kid Sameer Manchanda — electrified the media and investment community by announcing their split with NDTV promoter Prannoy Roy. Evidently, a senior TV18 official had moled into NDTV and lured the top duo away with an offer they couldn’t resist — ownership. “We left because we wanted to be entrepreneurs,” says Manchanda, now joint managing director of TV18’s subsidiary Global Broadcast News (GBN).

The rest is history. Within a few weeks of the stunning move, CNN-IBN, owned by GBN, had become India’s No.1 English news channel.

In a matter of few years, TV18 has grown like a baby on steroids, from a single-channel operation with Rs 15 crore in revenue in 2000 to a Rs 1,000-crore media behemoth that today boasts news channels, music and entertainment channels, finance websites, newswires, print publications, a tele-shopping venture and a publicly-floated film company. It has aggressively acquired companies, formed savvy partnerships, poached some of the best talent in the country, and promoted a uniquely entrepreneurial culture across all of its properties.

But the fairy-tale ride could hit nasty, unseen speed-breakers. The vast spectrum of investments — an advantage today — could become an unwieldy corporate sprawl during industry meltdowns. Allegations about the company’s unethical advertising practices have also begun to get louder.

In the 1990s, the merger mania in the US gave birth to a new buzz word — synergy — that was appropriated by companies worldwide and printed in thousands of annual reports to justify the conjoining of properties that made millions of dollars for its bankers and top management, but seldom for its shareholders.

Today, ‘synergy’ has been replaced by ‘convergence’ as the new hot concept. TV18, now called Network18, has become India’s most diversified and ‘converged’ media company, and is well on its way to make an international mark. However, convergence is not simply a fashionable idea for Network18. It is one of the few companies that has been successful in monetising its real-time news content by making it available across television, the wire and the internet.

I Want My (M) TV
The man behind this phenomenal growth story is Raghav Bahl, managing director of Network18. Impeccably dressed in a classic pin-striped blue shirt, he strides about the buzzy CNBC newsroom posing for pictures, supported by his trusty cane. “He was a brilliant student, who won all the debates and always topped the class,” recalls Brian Paes, his classmate at St Xavier’s School in Delhi’s Civil Lines. “The kind of student a school produces once in five years.”

Bahl — who was an anchor for Doordarshan in the late 1980s because it paid him Rs 250 a session — began assembling and producing business shows for television in the early 1990s. He anchored the Indian Business Report for the BBC and another one for Star — thus becoming one of the primary providers of business content for television from India. However, Bahl soon realised that the future lay in the broadcast business, not content production.

The Elegant Opportunist
Bahl’s decision to build a media and entertainment powerhouse has proved to be both enormously prescient and exceedingly lucky. He decided to ride the media boom. “The Indian entertainment and media industry continues to outperform the Indian economy, and yet again, is one of the fastest growing sectors in India,” says a 2007 PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report. The report projects the television industry cornering the largest share — around a 20 per cent — in the Rs 75,000-crore media and entertainment pie. It is expected to grow annually at a rapid 22 per cent clip from its current Rs 19,100 crore to Rs 51,900 crore in 2011. No surprise, then, that Bahl looks like he’s willing to scarf up every available media property in sight.

Most other media companies have preferred to guard their monopolistic turf without venturing into alien territory. Network18, however, has been like an octopus, using its tentacles to seize every part of the media pie. For instance, around the time of CNN-IBN’s successful launch, the group was also working on a business plan for a Hindi news channel to complement its new English one. When the floundering Hindi news channel Jagran TV came up for sale, Bahl quickly grabbed a 46 per cent controlling stake from Jagran Group’s M.M. Gupta family — and was able to hit the market at the time of CNN-IBN’s initial high with a Hindi sister channel, IBN 7.

About the middle of last year, Network18 pulled off another coup. Viacom was in trouble and on the hunt for a reliable Indian partner. In the first instance of an Indian media company buying into a subsidiary of a foreign media major, TV18 snapped up a 50 per cent stake in MTV Networks India for Rs 200 crore. In one stroke, Network18 added two music channels — MTV and VH1 — to its broadcasting repertoire as well as acclaimed kids’ channel Nickelodeon. Network18 now boasts seven TV channels — CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz (Hindi business), CNN-IBN, IBN 7 and the Viacom three. It has two immediate launches in sight — IBN Lokmat, a Marathi news channel JV with print group Lokmat, and a retail shopping channel, Home Shop 18. An entertainment channel is also in the works.

Wired To Win
Way back in 2000, when TV18 was a small company with a measly Rs 15 crore in revenues, Bahl made bets on the internet that are serving him well today. He set up e-Eighteen Dot Com, and then picked up an ailing personal finance portal, Moneycontrol.Com. Next, he tied up with online brokers such as ASK Raymond James to offer transaction capabilities.

Many of those internet bets have translated into resounding wins. Today, MoneyCon- trol.com, with 7 million users, has grown to become India’s biggest business portal, and a perfect online partner for the group’s flagship business channel, CNBC-TV18. “It’s a Rs 45-crore brand,” says Network18’s group CEO Haresh Chawla, who claims the group’s internet business generates Rs 60 crore a year.

From the internet, leap-frogging into the news-wire space seemed like a logical move. In late 2006, Network18 acquired Crisil MarketWire, a real-time financial news wire service from Crisil. Calling it NewsWire18, the company broadened the service into an integrated information terminal and now has 600 terminals in the country. Network18’s convergence strategy has not gone unnoticed. “The group is building an effective synergy between Moneycontrol.com and NewsWire18 to compete with Bloomberg,” says Ashok Jainani, an analyst with Khandwal Securities.

The strategy of being present in all segments is obviously not just for the arithmetic sum of the revenue these streams generate. “The objective is to keep the media consumer within the Network18 cluster,” says Group COO B. Saikumar. “Our aim is to connect television, the internet and print to keep the consumer within our basket.”

Filmi Forays
In a country that is obsessed with its movie industry, a media company without a film division is like a Queen without a crown, and Bahl’s group didn’t have one. For Bahl, sitting on the sidelines of a booming multiplex market was not an option. His solution? Poach and build. Bahl lured away Sandeep Bhargava from Sahara One Motion Pictures, who defected with his entire team to set up shop in the backlanes of Mahalaxmi Race Course, a stone’s throw away from Famous Studios.

Confronted with the challenge of scaring up a large sum of money to begin their bets on film, Bahl and Bhargava set up The Indian Film Company (TIFC) in Guernsey, listed it on London’s AIMs exchange and raised $100 million (Rs 400 crore) about 18 months ago. This move has given Studio18, the group’s front for its film business, a lever for raising an equal amount of debt, too, arming it with a war chest of Rs 1,000 crore. Flush with cash, Bhargava has moved forward with a three-pronged strategy: financing in-house films, co-productions and acquisitions. Studio18’s first slew of in-house films, including ‘Fruit and Nut’ with Boman Irani and Cyrus Broacha, are mid-budget, in the Rs 8 crore-10 crore range. The company’s acquisition strategy has also engineered some savvy deals. Bhargava managed to flog the telecast rights for the hit film ‘Jab We Met’ to four channels — 9X, Zee Cinema, Max and Bindass — simultaneously on a non-exclusive basis and for a specified number of airings. No one had done that before. “This got us Rs 12 crore,” says Bhargava. “If we had sold exclusively, we would have earned at best Rs 8 crore.”

A Few Good Men
Perhaps, Bahl’s most astute investments are those he has made in people, such as Bhargava and Sardesai, to run his businesses. Bahl has relied heavily on ‘human brands’, and has handed out the sweet lure of hefty equity stakes and ESOPs in order to bring some star power into his team. Quite a few eyebrows went up when he gave Sardesai, Manchanda and Chawla collectively a whopping 26 per cent stake in GBN — worth around Rs 650 crore on current valuations. But the unprecedented sweetener was vital if Bahl was to take on the might of NDTV. “He (Bahl) has grown aggressively by harnessing entrepreneurial talent, and then empowering them in an autonomous structure,” says Enam Consultants’ media analyst Salil Pitale. Where most media companies are hit by a regular exodus of talent, industry watchers point out that Network18 has managed to win the loyalty of its top managers.

The Great Gamble
When Bahl decided to chuck up his highly successful show with BBC in 1996 to chase a broadcasting joint venture where the risks would be much greater, his directors and shareholders were alarmed. Content was king at the time, but Bahl remained steadfast. He convinced them that margins in the content business would soon be under severe pressure.

His first broadcasting venture was a flop. Bahl formed a union with Singapore-based Asia Business News (ABN), a Dow Jones company that offered TV18 a joint venture partnership. The venture, however, soon collapsed because of poor audience response.

The next round may have gone the same way. “We told CNBC that 22 hours of international content and two hours of Indian news just won’t work,” says Bahl. “You can’t survive on international content. They (CNBC) said you take the risk; we said we will take the whole company.” In Singapore, ABN merged with CNBC Asia, and CNBC launched in India as a 51:49 partnership with TV18 in 1999.

The takeover risk played out in 2003 when the government restricted foreign equity in news broadcasting companies to 26 per cent, and Bahl emerged flush with funds from a rights issue. Forced to dilute, CNBC Asia virtually exited in exchange for a 15-year brand franchise arrangement. In the swap, TV18 upped its holding from 49 to 90 per cent in CNBC-TV18.

Black Holes
The one missing piece in Raghav Bahl’s media empire is print, an arena sharply competitive, saturated, with established monopolies and high entry barriers. Among the regional business dailies, competition has already moved to outflank Network18’s plans to launch a regional Hindi business newspaper. Anticipating a Jagran-Network18 blitz, both potential rivals — The Economic Times and Business Standard — have launched a slew of editions in Hindi and Gujarati from several centres.

Moreover, attempts by Network18 to buy out the daily Business Standard have failed, and now the company says it would launch its own business daily. Though insiders are tight-lipped, Bahl is believed to be pushing for a tie-up with UK’s Financial Times after its arrangement with Business Standard broke down.

Bahl’s initial strategy for print was to pick up a 53 per cent stake in a niche vertical such as Infomedia, better known for its Tata Press yellow pages, for Rs 178 crore. Infomedia gives Network18 a substantial printing capacity for a slew of specialist magazines the group is aiming to launch. However, it has been performing badly and is a difficult business to turn around quickly. For the first nine months of this fiscal, Infomedia’s sales grew dismally, by about 5 per cent to Rs 105 crore compared to Rs 99 crore for the same period in 2006. Its bottom line did worse, dipping from a marginal profit of Rs 1.4 crore to a net loss of Rs 7.5 crore for the current year’s first nine months (see ‘Watch The Numbers on page 40’).

Bahl wants print entities to complement his other media properties. Network18 has made a start with a JV with Forbes Media to launch a fortnightly in India. However, the larger question is: does the company have the cash and the stomach to endure the long and painful grind in a market saturated with established leaders?

Two other ventures threaten to undermine Network18: entertainment television and tele-shopping. Entertainment was the one major element missing from its bouquet but now that the group has allied itself with Viacom, Bahl feels that he finally has the right partner to enter the space. A team headed by Rajesh Kamat, from content company Endemol, and Ashwini Yardi, the programming head poached from Zee TV, is ready to launch the group’s channel. But are they too late?

Quite likely. Much like in the print arena, the channel will have to duke it out in a very crowded ring with well-entrenched heavyweights such as Star Plus and Zee TV, as well as newcomers such as 9X and NDTV Imagine. The competition for entertainment television is especially stiff considering that it draws about 60-70 per cent of advertising spends.

Bahl’s move to enter the tele-shopping arena is also fraught with considerable risk. Network18 is about to launch HomeShop18 helmed by CEO Sundeep Malhotra, on a 24-hour television platform. HomeShop18 hopes to reach a vast array of products and services across 1,600 cities and towns in India. But earlier attempts by Zee TV and UTV to popularise tele-shopping flopped. The Indian penchant to test the look and feel of a product before they buy it has defeated attempts to popularise this alternative way of hawking products. But, if it clicks, Malhotra feels it is a business format that has no plateau point, unlike most others.

Ethically Speaking
If these concerns weren’t enough, Network18 is now being accused by some media watchers of acting in unethical ways, specifically in its ‘private treaties’ programme. Pioneered successfully by the Times group, it involves picking up minority stakes in various companies in exchange for advertising. On the face of it, there is no editorial barter; but there is increasing concern that promises for giving a leg-up to private treaty clients involve brand building and positioning through editorial content as well. Often, ads are made to look like editorial content. If it goes out of hand, the programme could severely damage the reputation of a company.

Network18 has a private equity acquisition programme through its investment arm Capital18. Saikumar says the general formula is that 70 per cent of the investment would be cash or equity, while 30 per cent would be traded off against subsidised advertising airtime. Bahl defends private treaties. “It is a legitimate business investment strategy; it does not involve any trading for editorial content,” he says. “Unlike the Times, we have a few tens of crores in investments in just four or five companies.”

Corporate Concerns
These allegations seemed to have had minimal effect on the group’s impressive performance. The group, from revenues of Rs 135 crore in 2004, is expected to touch Rs 1,000 crore in FY2008. It has emerged as the fourth largest media group along with HT Media after the Times Group with estimated revenues of Rs 4,000 crore, Star India Rs 2,500 crore and the Zee companies together clocking Rs 1,500 crore. Network18’s two listed flagships, TV18 and GBN, have galloped along at a 50 per cent and a 70 per cent clip, respectively. TV18’s profits ballooned almost four-fold to Rs 22 crore for the nine-month period ending 31 December 2007, while GBN’s losses were pared down to Rs 8 crore for the same nine-month period, from Rs 35 crore in the previous period.

Its corporate structure is a labyrinth of companies with criss-crossed equity holdings and complicated joint ventures that can confuse investors. At the top of the heap is the listed holding company of the group, Network18 Media & Investments, in which Bahl holds a controlling 51 per cent stake.

Network18 in turn controls 51 per cent in two other listed subsidiaries — GBN and TV18. Besides these, the group has a host of unlisted corporate entities including Web18, HomeShop18, Capital18 and the cable distribution arm, Setpro18. And finally, there are the JVs that include Viacom18 and the partnership with the Hindi print giant, Jagran Group (see ‘Network 18 Group Structure’ on page 37).

“The group’s properties are distributed over too many companies,” says Jagdish Malkhani, country head of broking house Taib Securities. “It is too complex. What I am buying, I want to put my arms around.” Media watchers also point out that the group has a maze of brands that have little recall value. Those that are recognised are those that have been adopted from the group’s JV partners such as CNBC and CNN-IBN. Perhaps in recognition of this criticism, the group has launched an aggressive branding campaign to give the group’s properties a brand identity through the number ‘18’.

Interestingly, a report from HSBC has marked down TV18 from ‘Overweight’ to ‘Neutral’ and has put a ‘hold’ on the share because of higher than estimated expenses. The report says though the revenues were healthy, there was no margin expansion as marketing expenses grew a massive 373 per cent in FY2008.

Investors have a right to be a bit confused. Just when you think you’ve got your arms around it, Network18 hares off in a different direction. Chawla has recently bought the marathon telecast rights from Procam. It signals the start of a new company — Sports18 — for acquiring sports properties. Which way is the group heading? What is its focus? “We are in the business of creating ecosystems through a network of media properties,” says Chawla. “We will move in whatever direction that takes us.”

Saikumar puts it more succinctly. “Five years down the line we may be an internet company; or we may be known as a film company.” For a company passionate about convergence and growth, it could be heading for the sky.

source: businessworld.in

In a short span of 10 years, Raghav Bahl, managing director of Network18 Media & Investments, has built India’s fastest growing media empire, with a finger in every pie. He spoke with BW’s Gurbir Singh on how the growth story evolved. Excerpts:

What does the number ‘18’ — carried on most of your companies — represent?
It is just a lucky number. Most people don’t know the number of businesses we are in. It is a conscious branding exercise to increase our visibility.

You launched ABNi in 1996, but it collapsed soon.
Indeed, we are the first business news broadcasters. We were also the first private content company with a business show on Doordarshan — the Amul Morning (AM) show. ABN (Asia Business News) then was broadcasting out of Singapore, and launched in India in 1995. ABN held a 51 per cent stake, Hindujas had 26 per cent and TV18, 23 per cent. Both the channel and its head, Paul France, were ahead of their times. ABN merged with CNBC, and CNBC launched in India with us providing the Indian content.

How did your joint venture with CNBC play out?
They (CNBC) said you take the risk; we said we will take the whole company. Though there was a joint venture broadcast company in Mauritius, it was just a shell company. In India, the entire assets of the channel were built and owned by TV18. In 2003, the 51:49 structure in favour of CNBC collapsed after the government restricted foreign holding to 26 per cent. They offered us a stake; we preferred to buy them out.

You have ‘treaties’ that give you stakes in companies in exchange for airtime.
We do not compromise editorial. If you want to compromise content, you don’t need the torchlight of a private treaty to do it. It need not show on your books either. We do have a policy of private treaties, but what is wrong with a business plan that monetises our media reach? What difference does it make if we pay for a stake in a company in cash or kind? It is true that the companies we invest in get access. It is also true they may try and influence us, but that is the occupational hazard every journalist faces.

You have grown quietly and rapidly…
We are self-made professionals. We are close to a Rs 1,200 crore if we factor in the value of the films on the production floor. But the tag of a small company, the initial perception, has stuck to us. We fancy ourselves as the guerrillas of the media industry, successful guerrillas. The first time we saw money was in the year 2000 when we did the IPO. I still remember the date — 14 February — as it was the day when the Sensex hit the highest. We managed to raise Rs 55 crore.

Your senior colleagues have stuck by you when poaching is rampant.
I have always considered myself primarily a journalist. We have invested in our people through ESOPs and stakes. We have worked hard to retain people such as Senthil and Udayan.

How Does the Average Consumer Spend His Money?

2011-05-21T05:20:00.000-07:00

How Does the Average Consumer Spend His Money?

General Awareness

2011-05-21T05:06:00.000-07:00

21 May, 1927 – Charles Lindbergh touches down at Le Bourget Field in Paris, completing the world's first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

Who founded the American Red Cross?
In 1861, when Clara Barton heard that many of the wounded from the First Battle of Bull Run in Virginia suffered because of a lack of medical supplies, she took matters into her own hands. She advertised for donations and formed an organization to distribute the goods she acquired. Over the next three years, she traveled among the battlefields in Virginia and South Carolina, bringing medical supplies when she could, caring for the sick and wounded, and overseeing some of the nurses. She also began a program for locating soldiers listed as MIA. It would take nearly twenty years for her organization to be formalized: on this date in 1881, Barton established the American Red Cross.

Organisers of this year's Commonwealth Games have promised tight security during the October event after bomb blasts in Bangalore. In this 2009 file photo, a dancer performs during the launch of the XIX Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton Relay at Buckingham Palace in London.

The first National Park in India was established in 1935, by Jim Corbett as the Hailey National Park, which aimed at the preservation of tigers and other animals and birds. Today, the efforts of the government have translated themselves into the formation of almost 80 National Parks in India, in addition to 441 sanctuaries and 23 tiger reserves in India.
.....
India 54th in networked readiness index
India has been ranked 54th among 134 countries in the latest edition of a global report that evaluated the capability of nations to leverage Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for their overall benefit and economic progress.
.....
Medical tourism: India ranks second. Thailand tops the list
.....
Indonesia most corrupt in Asia, S'pore the least
Indonesia and Thailand are perceived as Asia's most corrupt economies. An annual survey of foreign business executives showed.

Singapore and Hong Kong retained their top two rankings as the region's least corrupt economies, although there are concerns about private-sector fraud, according to the survey by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC), made available to this agency.
India stood at fourth place in the survey.
.....
The 2009 World Water Summit was held in Istanbul capital of Turkey.
.....
Cave in Vietnam may be world's largest
A cave discovered in Vietnam's Quang Binh province may be the largest in the world, a team of British explorers says.

British Cave Research Association explorer Howard Limbert, whose team confirmed the cave's existence, said the possible record-setting cavern is 656 feet high, 492 feet wide and at least 4 miles long, the Vietnam News Service said April 24, 2009. The explorer said strong currents and flooding prevented his team from thoroughly exploring the cave.

Previously, the largest known cavern was Deer Cave in Malaysia. The Malaysian cave is 328 feet high, 295 feet wide and 1 mile long, the Saigon Giai Phong newspaper said.
...
Man Utd’s Ryan Giggs wins PFA footballer of the year
.....

World Fair Trade Day is celebrated every second Saturday of May, and is endorsed by the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT), the global association of Fair Trade Organizations, comprised of 300 organizations from 70 countries around the world.
.....
The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Committee on Procedures and Performance Audit on Public Services (CPPAPS) has recommended introduction of Rs 10 coins.

The committee headed by former RBI deputy governor SS Tarapore has suggested RBI to consider paying incentive to banks for acceptance of return of uncurrent coins.
.....
In Himachal Pradesh, every citizen had a bank account.
.....
Tokyo and Osaka are the most expensive cities in the world according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) survey of 140 cities.
.....
What is the capital of California?
Sacramento
Veteran Genius Manoj Kumar Honored With Phalke Ratna Award

Ace actor Prithviraj Kapoor was posthumously honored with Phalke Kalpataru Award at the function.
Shammi Kapoor with Phalke Legend Actor Award, father of Anil-Boney and Sanjay Kapoor, veteran film producer Surinder Kapoor with L. V. Prasad Phalke Award and living legend singer Shamshad Begum with Phalke Golden Singer Award.

Facebook is World's Fourth Most Trafficked Website

2011-05-21T05:01:00.000-07:00

Facebook is World's Fourth Most Trafficked Website
Social networking website Facebook continues its rapid rise and has already become the fourth most trafficked website in the world.

In June this year, Facebook attracted a total of 340 million unique visitors globally, trailing only Google, Microsoft and Yahoo sites, the report said, citing latest results from market research firm comScore.

According to the report, Facebook grew 157 percent in the past year alone, gaining 208 million visitors.

The social networking website surged past Amazon in August last year in terms of worldwide unique visitors. In the first half of this year, it beat eBay, AOL and Wikimedia Foundation sites.

Facebook still has some way to go before it catches up to Google, Microsoft and Yahoo, each of which has between 240 million and 500 million more monthly global unique visitors.

Facebook itself officially acknowledged in July that it now has 250 million active registered users worldwide.

source: tech2

Cat feeds baby wolf into life in Siberia

2011-05-21T04:53:00.000-07:00

Essential notes for MCJ Entrance Test - Osmania University

2011-05-20T20:06:00.000-07:00

Election results

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attends the commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore in New Delhi on May 7, 2011. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced that the Government of India had decided to institute a prestigious International award in the name of Rabindranath Tagore to recognise very distinguished contributions towards the promotion of international brotherhood and fraternity.

Indian doctor Binayak Sen holds a biography book on him which were distributed at a seminar themed on "Attack by the State on the Life and Personal liberty of its people in Democratic India: Examining the Law on Sedition, other Draconian Laws and Human Rights Violations of Citizens under Ordinary Laws" in New Delhi May 7, 2011. The Supreme Court last month granted bail to Sen, a doctor who was sentenced to life for links with Maoists and disputed sedition charges against him in a case that sparked international scrutiny of the country's human rights record.

Osmania University BCJ Entrance Test 2010 current affairs plus

Journalism Entrance Test material 2009, Osmania University

BCJ 2008: BCJ (Bachelor of Communication and Journalism) Osmania University Entrnace Test Material

Words often used in the media

Kalpana Sharma is a Mumbai-based journalist and columnist and author of the book "Rediscovering Dharavi".

Great Soul, a book on Mahatma Gandhi was written by former editor Joseph Lelyveld

Actor Vikram becomes youth envoy for United Nations Human Settlement Programme - UN Habitat

BRIC economy to surpass US by 2015: Study
BRIC ( Brazil, Russia, Indian, China)

BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa)

South Africa's veteran all-rounder Jacques Kallis became the second all-rounder after Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya to score 1,000 runs and pick up 20 wickets in the World Cup

India has overtaken China to become the world's largest importer of arms, a Sweden-based think tank says.

AP tops in crime against women

India's top court allows 'passive euthanasia'
India's Supreme Court ruled on Monday that life support can be legally removed for some terminally ill patients in a ruling that will allow "passive euthanasia" for the first time.

The Union Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee announced, in Lok Sabha today, an increase in the allocation under the MPLAD Scheme from Rs.2 crore to Rs.5 crore per Member.

Jasmine Revolution
the Tunisian Revolution in which President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was forced out of the presidency by popular protests in late 2010/early 2011, called "the Jasmine Revolution" by many media organisations, and which was the impetus of the 2010–2011 Middle East and North Africa protests.

Lakshmi Mittal replaces Mukesh Ambani as world's richest Indian.

Shane Watson scored 185 runs from 96 balls, including a record 15 sixes, while leading Australia to a nine-wicket victory over Bangladesh in their second one-day cricket International in Mirpur.

World Book Day - 3rd March

Death for 11, life for 20 accused in Godhra train burning case

PC Chacko appointed chairman of JPC on 2G scam

RIL-BP $7.2 bn deal among largest FDIs in India

Sachin Tendulkar is Wisden's leading cricketer for 2010

The Nobel Peace Prize 2010 was awarded to Liu Xiaobo "for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China".

"China has emerged as the world's second-largest economy, surpassing neighbouring Japan , which had held on to the position for over four decades.

"India's foreign exchange reserves went up by USD 243 million to USD 299.415 billion in the week ended February 4, driven by an increase in its foreign currency assets (FCAs)."

DMK's Kalaignar TV linked in 2G scam

"Hundreds of Indian students, mostly from Andhra Pradesh, face the prospect of deportation from the US after authorities raided and shut down a university in the Silicon Valley on charges of a massive immigration fraud.

The Tri-Valley University in Pleasanton, a major suburb in San Francisco Bay Area, has been charged by federal investigating authorities with being part of an effort to defraud, misuse visa permits and indulge in money laundering and other crimes."

SC grants bail to Binayak Sen

Actress-turned-director Nandita Das has been conferred with the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, one of the highest civilian awards of France, for her contribution to the development of Indo-French cooperation in cinema.

Anna Hazare wins Rabindranath Tagore peace award
Social activist Anna Hazare, who is on a fast-unto-death for a stronger anti-corruption Lokpal Bill, has been announced as the winner of the 2011 Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize by the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM). The award carries a cash reward of one crore rupees, a gold medal and a citation.

Record centuries in World Cup
A record number of 24 centuries scored -- the highest in a single edition.
Zaheer Khan, who was instrumental in India's victorious effort in the World Cup, emerged as the leading wicket taker in the tournament with 21 wickets, a feat he shared with Pakistan Captain and leg spinner Shahid Afridi.

Siddhartha Mukherjee wins 2011 Pulitzer prize
Indian-American physician Siddhartha Mukherjee's acclaimed book on cancer, 'The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer,' has won the prestigious 2011 Pulitzer prize in the general non-fiction category.

Newsmakers:-
Anna Hazare, more on Hazare
A. Raja - Spectrum 2G scam
Facebook
Twitter
Social Media
Social Networking
Lokpal Bill
Srikrishna Committee
Telangana
Julian Assange
WikiLeaks
Barkha Dutt
Niira Radia
Vir Sanghvi
Guardian newspaper
Cricket World Cup 2011
- man of the series - Yuvraj Singh
- man of the match in final - MS Dhoni
- final match held in Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Satya Sai Baba
Poonam Pandey
Inflation
Hasan Ali
Fukushima
Japan earthquake / tsunami
Hosni Mubarak
Silvio Berlusconi
PJ Thomas : CVC Thomas: A chronology
Tahrir Square
Adarsh Housing
Pt. Bhimsen Joshi

The Alchemist has been translated into more than 67 languages, winning the Guiness World Record for most translated book by a living author.

Journalism Entrance Test : BCJ (Bachelor of Communication and Journalism) Osmania University Entrnace Test Material

2011-05-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch Buys Wall Street Journal
Rupert Murdoch has succeeded with his $5 billion bid for Dow Jones, owners of the Wall Street Journal

-------------------

Fareed Zakaria
Fareed Zakaria was named editor of Newsweek International in October 2000, overseeing all Newsweek's editions abroad. The magazine reaches an audience of 24 million worldwide. He also writes a regular column for Newsweek, which also appears in Newsweek International and fortnightly in The Washington Post. Starting this year, he will host a new foreign affairs show on CNN Worldwide.

Zakaria was the managing editor of Foreign Affairs, the widely-circulated journal of international politics and economics. He is the author of several books, including "The Future of Freedom," which was a New York Times bestseller and has been translated into 20 languages. His new book, "The Post American World," is being published in May 2008.

Zakaria has won several awards for his columns and cover-essays, in particular for his October 2001 Newsweek cover story, "Why They Hate Us." In 1999, he was named "one of the 21 most important people of the 21st Century" by Esquire Magazine. In 2007, he was named one of the 100 leading public intellectuals in the world by Foreign Policy and Prospect Magazines. He has received honorary degrees from many universities. He serves on the board of Yale University, The Council on Foreign Relations, The Trilateral Commission, and Shakespeare and Company.

He received a B.A. from Yale and a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard. He lives in New York City with his wife, son and two daughters.
-------------

Stephanie Mehta
Stephanie Mehta named Global Editor of Fortune
Stephanie Mehta, a veteran writer at Fortune, has been named global editor of the US business magazine.

Mehta, whose father is from India and mother from the Philippines, replaces Robert Friedman, an internal memo at the magazine said.

Mehta has earlier worked with the Wall Street Journal.

She has a master's degree in journalism and a bachelor's in English from Northwestern University
--------------------

Nirupama Subramanian
Nirupama Subramanian, The Hindu’s correspondent in Pakistan, has been awarded the Prem Bhatia Award for the best political reporting for 2008. And, the award for best reporting on environment has gone to Keya Acharya, a Bangalore-based freelance journalist.
----------------

Nandan Mani Ratnam
Moving away from the glamour of the film industry to the world of Marxian ideology, the 16-year-old son of noted film maker Mani Ratnam has created a buzz by joining as a red volunteer at the ongoing 19th All-India Congress of the Communist Party of India-Marxist in Coimbatore.

Nandan Mani Ratnam, son of Mani Ratnam and popular actress Suhasini, is also the proud author of a new pamphlet on Leninism, which is on sale at the venue, along with other leading Left literature.

The 27-paged pamphlet titled 'Contours of Leninism' has articles under five different headings - Theory, Marxism, Democratic dictatorship, Materialism and Vanguard. On his inclination to Marxism, he told the media that he was impressed because it was the 'most cogent, comprehensive and highly developed complex of theory and practice'.

The thought of how his parents felt about his leanings towards Marxism has apparently not crossed his mind yet, Nandan Mani Ratnam said.

The eleventh standard student said that it was his reading habit that introduced him to the world of Marxism. A student of an international residential school in Chennai, Nandan came on his own to serve as a volunteer and assist the foreign delegates at the Congress. The boy has not decided on future plans, like joining a party like CPI-M.
---------------------------

Sevanti Ninan
Headlines from the Heartland Author: Sevanti Ninan
--------------

China has the highest percentage in the world exports at 8.4 per cent
------------------

Veerappa Moily
The edge of time book written by Veerappa Moily
-----

Vinod Dua
----------

Barkha Dutt
Three TV journalists including Sardesai, NDTV’s Barkha Dutt and independent broadcaster Vinod Dua have been given Padma Shri
-------------------

Rajdeep Sardesai
CNN-IBN finds a special mention in the Padma awards list with Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai getting a Padma Shree.
-----------------

Vasanth Sathe
India to be global power book written by Vasanth Sathe
-----------------

P. Sainath
July 31, 2007: P. Sainath, Rural Affairs Editor of The Hindu, Filipino nationalist Jovito R Salonga, Rev Kim Sun-tae of South Korea are among seven persons chosen for the 2007 Ramon Magasaysay award.
---------

Karan Thapar
Best current affairs presenter:-
Karan Thapar- best current affairs presenter in Asia for interview with Ram Jethmalani in CNN-IBN “Devil’s Advocate”. Asian Television award winning only South Asian journalist. Forth time he won it.

----------

MS Swaminathan
Agriculture cannot wait New Horizons in Indian Agriculture book written by MS
Swaminathan
-------------------------

Thursday May 8, 2008
How often does one carry home an Oscar, and with a quiet ease that would seem almost like an old habit? So what if it is the Chess Oscar that we are talking about. It has been raining awards since Vishwanathan Anand won the undisputed World title at Mexico last year, and now it's the prestigious Chess Oscar again! Anand had earlier won the Chess Oscar for his performances in 1998, 1999, 2003 and 2004. In the photo: Anand receiving Padma Award from President Pratibha Patil.
------------------

Tuesday April 29, 2008
Albert Hofmann, discoverer of the mind-altering drug LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) and former head of the research department of Swiss chemical company Sandoz, passed away at the age of 102. In this Jan. 13, 2006 file photo Hofmann takes part in an international symposium in Basel, Switzerland.

----------------

Narain Karthikeyan
Sunday May 4, 2008
Narain Karthikeyan celebrates after winning the second race of the A1GP at Brands Hatch, South of London.

-------------------

Nirmala Deshpande
Thursday May 1, 2008
Nirmala Deshpande died in New Delhi on May 1. She was 79. She was a noted Gandhian, social activist and a nominated Member of the Rajya Sabha. She received the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award and the Padma Vibhushan in 2006. Known as the "Manaskanya" of Acharya Vinoba Bhave, she joined the Bhoodan movement in 1952 when her tryst with social service began. She undertook 40,000-km padyatra across India to carry Mahatma Gandhi's message of Gram Swaraj. She was also the spirit behind the peace marches in Punjab and Kashmir when violence was at its peak.
----------------

Will McCain pick Jindal as his running mate? The speculation heats up in the US press. And plenty of reasons are being advanced for McCain to take a serious look at Jindal. Running with the 36-year-old Jindal would “implicitly acknowledge” the concerns some voters have about McCain’s age (71). The message would be that of a generational change which McCain-Jindal can offer without risking a liberal and inexperienced Obama as commander-in-chief.

------------------------

Saturday May 4, 2008
Women and children having lunch at a relief camp in Nandigram in West Bengal after fresh violence forced them to leave their homes and take shelter at a school building. Three women activists of Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Commitee have claimed that they were beaten up and stripped by CPI-M cadres in Nandigram for refusing to support the Marxists in the ensuing panchayat polls.

-----------

Wednesday April 23, 2008
Newly appointed NFDC Chairman and renowned actor Om Puri (L) greets well known film director Shyam Benegal during a press conference, in Mumbai on Wednesday. Om Puri assumed his new role from 4th April 2008 for a period of 3 years

Monday April 29, 2008
Greenpeace activists set up temporary shanties on a billboard to highlight the issues of climate migrants in New Delhi.
---------

Monday March 10, 2008
Arms dealer Suresh Nanda and son Sanjay (of the BMW hit-and-run fame) were arrested by CBI in Mumbai in a Rs 10-cr IT officer bribe sting. The duo are also accused in the Barak deal.

-----------------------------

----------

Raul Castro
Fidel Castro's younger brother Raul Castro,left, speaks after being elected President of Cuba's supreme governing body, the Council of State, by the new National Assembly in Havana on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008. The council president serves as Cuba's head of state.

--------------------

Sydney Pollack
Director Sydney Pollack dies of cancer (cnn)
# Academy Award winning director was 73
# He died at his home in Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles, his agent says
# "Sydney made the world a little better," says actor George Clooney
# His most notable film was "Out of Africa," which won two Oscars
==========================

Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi has the unique distinction of becoming the longest serving Congress president. Even Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi did not have the privilege of holding the post for 10 years at a stretch. (She was appointed on March 14, 1998)

Filmmaker Jagmohan Mundra, know for making movies based on real life incidents like Bhawandar and Provoked announced a biopic on Congress President Sonia Gandhi

=============================================================
Media is the subject in demand (DC)
Glamour, glitz and a whole lot of excitement — or at least the promise of all this has been luring youngsters to be a part of the media madness. Considering that umpteen news channels and magazines are springing up nation wide, mass communication and journalism courses are the hottest picks this year for many.

The application forms for these courses have doubled over the year say college authorities in the city. Reena Dewan, lecturer for Communicative English in the mass communication course, Villa Marie College says, "Youngsters are so much more aware of the world around them thanks to the media and now there is a yearning to be a part of this exciting field. The number of students applying for the course has increased since last year."

The course may be popular but students all these years have been complaining that facilities in city colleges were dissatisfactory. Preeti Reddy, a city girl studying in Symbiosis Pune says, "I had to move out and study since no college in Hyderabad had the appropriate facilities required."

To meet the growing demand for the course, colleges offering media courses are upgrading their current programmes to ensure students are both technically and creatively equipped. Reema adds, "Villa Marie is offering mass communication with political science and communicative English. There is training in voice modulation, conversational english and writing."

Loyola College’s course right from its inception has always been the first choice for many for its well-equipped lab. Father Lourduraj, the HOD of the Mass Communication department believes that it is technical know-how that gives you an edge over the rest. "Our USP lies in our lab that teaches online production, editing skills with softwares like Avid, Final Cut Pro and more. Moreover from this year there is a masters scholarship opportunity from a New Zealand University. We have also added a visual communication paper this year. " he says.

St Mary’s Yousufguda has introduced swanky amenities like an amphitheater to facilitate better learning. "Students watch films there and are expected to critique them. The lab is also updated with the top of the line facilities and software to meet the growing demand of student intake into the mass comm course," says Jayalakshmi, faculty, St Mary’s.

"Be it a ticket to explore showbiz through film journalism or a chance to reform the society with documentaries or even breaking news stories, the prospects that mass communication offers is infinite," says Sareen Mehta, a mass comm graduate from St Francis who has landed a plum job with Channel V, Mumbai.

==========================================================================

B.S. Yeddyurappa
BJP chief ministerial candidate B.S. Yeddyurappa waves to party workers at his residence in Bengaluru on Sunday.
=======================================================================
DC’s fatter, brighter and enters Bengaluru

Deccan Chronicle breaks a new frontier today with the launch of our edition in Bengaluru. To celebrate this, we bring you a double dhamaka, DC style. We have increased the number of pages and we have redone our look. You will find us brighter, the stories sharper, the pictures bigger, all packaged in an attractive layout. You’ll find more sections in the newspages in the main edition and more features in the Tab, Hyderabad Chronicle. You cannot expect anything less from the leading English newspaper in Andhra Pradesh and India’s fourth largest daily.
Enjoy!

=============================================

Vinod Mehta

Vinod Mehta (Editor of Outlook) has been conferred the International Press Institute of India award for excellence in journalism
===============================

Arthur C Clarke
===============================

Ratan Tata

Ratan Tata has been named as NASSCOM's global Indian for 2008
========================================

Brazil
Brazil will host the 2014 edition of FIFA world cup of Football

Justine Henin
Justine Henin has been given laureus world sports woman of the year award 2008
======================================================================

Manavjit Singh Sandhu
Manavjit Singh Sandhu is the recent recipient of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award
==================================================================================================================================================
Please Note:

This material is prepared by BCJ Entrance test (Osmania University) Topper

Current Affairs Plus

Attitude Skill Knowledge

· Lead India initiative is by The Times of India
· Indian Reader’s Digest is published by Living Media India LTD, New Delhi
· Jodha Akbar film director: Ashutosh Gowarikar
· World Press Freedom Day May 3rd
· Fidel Castro, 81, of Cuba retired as head of state 49 years after he seized power in an armed revolution.

BCJ 2008 entrance test syllabus: -

1) General Knowledge and Current Affairs – Politics, Economy, Geography, History, Culture, Literature, Science and Technolony2. Media Awareness covering Radio, T.V. Newspapers, Web based, Awards etc., 3. Understanding newspaper languages/Psychology; 4. Basic English Language; 5. Essay on contemporary Socio-political and economic issues (not exceeding 300 words); 6. Short answers on persons / places events in News; 7. Short news report based on information provided.

Model question paper:-
Part-A (30 marks)

1. Write three sentences on each of the following indicating the reasons why they were in news in the recent past (2 x 5 = 10 marks)
(a) HUGO CHAVEZ (b) Nithari (c) SEZ

2. Write a brief news report based on the information provided below (1 x 10=10 marks) Dr. Narayana Murthy, Chief Mentor of Infosys technologies addressed the Graduation day Ceremony of Bishop Cotton Boys School on Sunday. He said the following-people of the previous generation worked hard to give this generation a platform to fly. India had advanced in GDP growth and export. He mentioned the areas which it had not been given due emphasis like education, access to sanitation etc. He distributed special awards on behalf of the Infosys foundation. India is marching on with confidence and hope that countries of the world are looking at India with admiration. The present generation should work hard to take the country forward.

Model Answer

Narayana Murthy calls youth to take India forward
(Or)
Take India Forward: Narayana Murthy
(Or)
Youth to take India forward, says Narayana Murthy

Dr. Narayana Murthy, Chief Mentor of Infosys technologies called the present generation to work hard to take the country forward. Addressing at the graduation day ceremony of Bishop Cotton Boys School on Sunday, he said, the following-people of the previous generation worked hard to give this generation a platform to fly.
Distributing special awards on behalf of the Infosys Foundation, he said that India had advanced in GDP growth and export. India is marching on with confidence and hope that countries of the world are looking at India with admiration. He also mentioned the areas which it had not been given due emphasis like education, access to sanitation etc.

3. Write an essay on any ONE of the following topics listed below (1 x 10 = 10 marks) (a) India on the path to Knowledge society, (b) India’s position in Human Development (c) Commercialization of Indian sport

Some important topics for three sentence questions/ essay:-
a) Vikram Pandit
b) Ratan Tata
c) Sachar Committee
d) Inflation
e) Rajiv Gandhi International Airport
f) Talangana
g) Why do you want to become a journalist
h) Jalayagnam
i) Judicial activism
j) Farmers suicide
k) Rs 2 Kg rice scheme
l) Media and development
m) FM radio revolution
n) Twenty20 cricket world cup
o) Internet addiction
p) Right to information act
q) Television boom
r) Retail boom
s) 27% OBC quota
t) US Elections
u) Indian Premier League
v) Sub-prime crisis
w) RK Pachauri
x) IAEA
y) Bharat Ratna awards
z) Vernacular press

Hugo Chavez: Venezuela’s leftist firebrand President Hugo Chavez on February 1 assumed sweeping new powers for 18 months. The new law gives him the power to transform state institutions in 11 key sectors, including the economy, military, transportation, security and oil.

SINGUR:- In the midst of political controversies and protests, the Tata Motors on Januar 21, began construction work of its car manufacturing plant at Singur in West Bengal after a brief ceremony and distribution of sweets. However, hours later, a group of people destroyed a portion of the fence at the site. The project is expected to create employment in excess of 10,000 direct and indirect jobs. The first car is expected to roll out of the factory in 2008. As per the report on the acquisition of land, 997.11 acres of land spread across five mouzas in Singur has already been acquired by the State Government, and Rs 119 crore were allocated as compensation money for the land acquisition.

http://reddy2007.blogspot.com

Judiciary and Legislature: - Law could not go against the basic structure of the Constitution. So it depends on how, where and why the court strikes down law. The judiciary, as an interpreter of law, contributes in the development and growth of law, democracy and for creation of a new society. And many a time it acts as protector of the poor, the disadvantaged to render justice. The problem arises when it becomes over-active or interest in the domain of others. In fact, it is the failure of governments to enact law and take decision in time.

Ratan Tata: - Born in 1937, is a bachelor. Took charge of Tata group as chairman in 1991. The biggest ever takeover by an Indian company credit belongs to Mr Tata (Corus takeover) Ratan Tata is known for honesty and integrity. Tata Indica is the brain child of Mr Tata. Another jewel in his crown is the recent takeover of iconic brands Jaguar and Landrover.

Justice Sachar Committee: - Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee was entrusted with the task of preparing a comprehensive report on the social, economic and educational status of Muslims in the country.

Corruption:-

Corruption is corroding the vitals of the country and it is natural for righteous persons to show their anger against the menace. While hearing a bail application of an accused in the notorious fodder scam of Bihar, involving the swindling of public money to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore, a Bench of the Supreme Court remarked: “The only way to rid the country of corruption is to hang a few of you from the lamppost. The law does not permit us to do it but otherwise we would prefer to hang people like you from the lamppost”.

Always bear in mind that your own resolutions to succeed is more important than any one thing. ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Inflation: - There has been an increase in the prices of various agricultural commodities. The prices of certain items like sugar, rice, wheat and vegetable have increased significantly in the recent past. Inflation indicates the rise in the price of a basket of commodities on a point-to-point basis. It basically suggests an increase in the cost of living over a period of time.

http://reddy2007.blogspot.com

Special Economic Zones: - SEZs policy was announced in April 2000. This policy intended to make SEZs an engine for economic growth supported by quality infrastructure complemented by an attractive fiscal package, both at the Centre and the State level, with the minimum possible regulations.
The Economic survey highlights that SEZs have been established in many countries as testing grounds for implementation of liberal market economy principles. They are viewed as instruments to enhance the acceptability and credibility of transformation process, to attract domestic and foreign investment, and generally, for the opening up of the economy.

Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want –DAN STANFORD

Current affairs plus

1. India’s largest news agency – PTI (Press Trust of India)
2. Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) – Pune
3. The highest contributor to central exchequer – corporate tax
4. Compulsory AIDS test before marriage introduced by Goa state
5. First banking district in the country – Ernakulam
6. RK Raghavan Committee was appointed by the Union Human Resource Development Ministry to look into the issue of ragging and suggest means for its prevention in educational institutions.
7. Tenth schedule: The Tenth Schedule provides for the disqualification of people’s representative on the ground of defection.

8. The Ninth Schedule in the constitution was originally enacted in 1950 in order to place beyond challenge certain laws, particularly those relating to agrarian reforms.
9. Durand line is between India and Afghanistan
10. National cricket academy is in Bangalore
11. First country to introduce grading for public issues – India
12. How many countries are there in NSG(Nuclear Suppliers Group) – 45
13. Sameera Salim: first woman from Pakistan planning to go to space travel
14. Budget deficit means the receipts minus total expenditure on both revenue and capital account
15. Lead India initiative is by The Times of India
16. HLL (Hindustan Lever Limited) now becomes HUL(Hindustan Unililver Limited)

The most solid stone in the structure is the lowest one in the foundation. KHALIL GIBRAN

17. Which UN committee’s allegations brought the name of the Congress Party to the fore in the Iraq oil for food scam? The Volcker commission
18. How many languages recognized by the Constitution of India? 22
19. Liberhan Commission – Babri masjid demolition
20. Global village is an expression coined by – Marshal McLuhan
21. Which state has highest number of borders in India – Asom
22. In which city is the national library situated – Kolkata
23. Kanha National Park is in Madhya Pradesh
24. Business Standard in association with Financial Times
25. Japan tops the list of countries having the lowest monthly broadband prices
26. Paul Krugman – New York Times columnist
27. FM radio frequency 91.1 – radio city; 92.7 BIG fm; 93.5 S fm; 98.3- radio mirchi, 101.9 – FM rainbow
28. Radio mirchi – Times of India group
29. Big FM – Adlabs (Reliance group – Anil Ambani)
30. S FM – sun net work
31. The Week is published from Kochi.
32. Alive monthly magazine is published from New Delhi
33. Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union on January 1, bringing the block’s membership to 27
34. Sweden’s Postoch Inrikes Tidningar newspaper founded in 1645 by Sweden’s QueenKristina, the world’s oldest paper still in circulation has dropped its paper edition and now exists only in cyberspace.
35. Tej News channel belongs to TV Today Network Limited
36. How many PIN Code zones are there in India – 8
37. Which Indian cricketer is known as Jumbo – Anil Kumble
38. Indian Reader’s Digest is published by Living Media India LTD, New Delhi
39. Bourses is the term related to stock exchange
40. AUM in mutual funds terminology – assets under management
41. Mona Lisa – Leonardo da Vinci (Italy)
42. As per net craft survey internet web sites number touched 10 crore figure
43. Vodafone CEO – Arun Sarin
44. United Nations declared 2008 as the year of Potato
45. For farmers which state started e-krishi web site – Kerala
46. 1936: BBC Television service started.
47. Father of yellow journalism Josef Pulitzer. Pulitzer award presented to journalists is established on his name.
48. Player of the tournament in 2007 Twenty20 cricket world cup- Shahid Afridi
49. Madhya Pradesh has the maximum forest cover in India
50. India’s national fruit – Mango
51. India is the third largest coconut producing country after Indonesia and Philippines
52. Largest oil reserves in the world – Saudi Arabia
53. Agriculture is a state subject.
54. India is the largest producer and consumer of tea in the world.
55. Father of Green Revolution M S Swaminathan , currently chairman of National Farmers Commission.
56. The NSE is the world’s third largest stock exchange in terms of transactions.
57. Bank rate is the rate at which RBI provides medium-term loans to banks.
58. What is the rank of India in UNDP’s Human Development Index 2007? 128
59. OUTLOOK weekly is published from New Delhi
60. A blog is a web page made up of usually short, frequently updated posts that are arranged chronologically-like what’s new page or a journal.
61. The largest circulated annual in India – Kalnirnay (Marathi)
62. The world’s most popular sport – football
63. The Indian city that plays host to the International Kite Festival every January – Ahmedabad
64. Yojana comes in how many languages? 13
65. Who was the last recipient of Bharat Ratna and when? Lata Maneshkar and Ustad Bismillah Khan in the year 2001
66. 15th SAARC Summit will be held in Maldives
67. Thar Express links which places- Munabao in India to Khokrapar in Pakistan
68. Uttarakhand is the new name of Uttaranchal
69. India’s first soap opera – Hum Log
70. India’s first high budget animation movie – Hanuman
71. The only food that does not spoil – honey
72. A journalist who was Indian High Commissioner in London in 1990 – Kuldip Nayar
73. In the parliament attack case, the Supreme Court pronounced death sentence to Afzal guru
74. ASEAN(Association of South East Asian Nations) total members: 10
75. Which gas is responsible for global warming? Co2
76. Who is the media adviser for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh? Sanjay Baru (former editor of the Financial Express)
77. The Hindu group publishes Sportstar, the weekly tabloid.
78. Florida passed a new gun law allowing residents to: Take their gun to work
79. How much did a nude photo of French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy sell for at a NY auction? Close to $100,000

Make it a point to do something every day that you don’t want to do. This is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain. MARK TWAIN

Preparation Plan: broad areas to be covered include:-

Ø National
Ø International
Ø Persons in News
Ø Places in News
Ø Awards
Ø Appointments
Ø Sports
Ø Science & Technology
Ø Economy
Ø Political
Ø Geography
Ø Meetings
Ø Committees
Ø Defense
Ø Space
Ø Nobel prize
Ø Booker prize
Ø Padma awards
Ø Film awards
Ø Economic survey
Ø RBI credit policy
Ø Constitution amendments
Ø Court judgments
Ø Joint declaration with heads of foreign states
Ø Human development index
Ø Watch Television / Listen to radio

v Daily reading of newspapers
v Planned preparation
v Scientific reading
v Study with examination point of view.

Current Affairs:-

To crack BCJ you need to have command over current affairs. Current affairs play a key role.

The perfect 10 steps:-

1. Contemporary issues: - Issues of the Nation, State affairs. Affairs of our neighbours.
2. Defence system: - Airforce, Navay and military developments. Agreements with different countries. Research and development.
3. Committees and Commissions: - National and State level committees and its reports and their heads etc.
4. National and International meetings: - National, International bilateral, trilateral and multilateral meetings.
5. Space: - Satellite launching, ISRO, DRDO etc.
6. Reports: - Various agencies reports like, UNO, UNDP, WHO etc. India’s position, AP’s position. Indians place in various magazines like Time, Forbes
7. Places, Persons and appointments: - State, National and International level appointments. Persons and places in news.
8. Awards, achievements: - Nobel, Magsaysay, Pulitzer, Booker prizes. Oscar, Filmfare, Nandi awards etc.
9. Sports: - National and International level sports. Award winners from AP and India.
10. Miscellaneous: - Headline News which occupy front page of news papers. Books and authors. Major controversies.

Must read:-

Russia elections
Pakistan elections – Benazir Bhutto assassination, place. Party position in elections
Bangladesh military rule, cyclone
Kenya political turmoil.
Fidel Castro
Democracy in Bhutan
Malaysia and Indians agitation.
US Presidential elections
Palestine
G-8, SAARC, Commonwealth, APEC, ASEAN, IBSA meetings.
Elections in various states. Disputes between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
Rama Sethu,
Administrative Reforms Committee,
Sixth Pay Commission
Delimitation
Centre- State relations commission
Indo US nuclear deal
SEZ
Sachar Committee
Taslima Nasreen
World military games
State government schemes
Books and authors

Read news papers, magazines watch Television and listen to Radio.

http://reddy2007.blogspot.com

The harder you fall, the higher you bounce - AMERICAN PROVERB

1. 2010 Commonwealth games, New Delhi mascot? Shera
2. New name of Pondicherry? Puducherry
3. Gandhiji’s first fast in India was in connection with
The strike of mill workers at Ahmadabad
4. Who decides whether a bill is a money bill or not? Speaker of the Lok sabha
5. The Last Mughal written by William Dalrymple.
6. Just like that – Ajit Ninan – Times of India
7. Dalit woman launch first community radio (in the country) Sangham radio of the Deccan Development society operated and managed entirely by Dalit woman in Machnoor in Jharasangam mandal in Medak district
8. Assam, the second highest Muslim populated state in the country after J & K has 30.9% Muslims.
9. World post day – 9th October.
10. IANS- Indo-Asian News Service.
11. SEZ- Special Economic Zone
12. “A view from the outside” written by P Chidambaram (finance minister)
13. Sunita Williams second woman of Indian origin after Kalpana Chawla to board space shuttle discovery.
14. Sachar committee report on the socio-economic status of Muslims across the country
15. Total members in the AP Legislative Council – 90
16. NASSCOM-National Association of Software and Services Company

1. Sakshi Telugu daily editor: KNY Patanjali.
2. ISI: Inter-Services Intelligence
3. Heathrow Airport is in London
4. US democratic party symbol- donkey
5. Mizoram achieves 90.27% literacy in March,06 second only to Kerala’s 90.90%
6. First Express Highway in India between : Mumbai to Pune
7. Which was the only congress session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi? Belgaum, 1924
8. Reuters news agency belongs to which country – Britain
9. Osmania University was established in 1918
10. Largest library in the world – Congress Library, Washington, America
11. Mumbai Mirror claimed to be the country’s first compact newspapers, has been launched by – Times of India Group
12. Hindi at its best tagline is associated with – Navbharat Times
13. The largest producer of rice in the world – China
14. Which country today has more neighbors than any other in the world – China
15. Which brand’s baseline is “The fine art of Writing”? – Mont Blanc pens

16. Name the businessman who founded the virgin group of companies? Richard Branson
17. How many people of Indian origin are living in US as per 2005 census – 23 lakh
18. Which banner took initiative to exhibit movies on internet? Rajshree Films
19. First cinema theatre in Andhra Pradesh, Maruthi theatre was built by P Srinivasa Rao
20. The world’s first female space tourist and first space blogger, American national Anousheh Ansari
21. Nishcal Narayanam, 11, has got into the Guinness Book of world records in the most random objects memorized category
22. Second Administrative Reforms Commission was headed by former Karnataka Chief Minister Veerappa Moily
23. IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
24. Kishan Srikanth, 9 ½ years old wrote a story on rag pickers on the road, shaped it for celluloid and made it to the Guinness Book of World records.(care of footpath)
25. What term originated during the circulation wars between Pulitzer’s and Hearst’s papers? Yellow Journalism
26. 59 nominations for Oscar awards – Walt Disney
27. TRAI - Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
28. Largest read daily in India - Dainik Jagran
29. MINT, the business newspaper from The Hindustan Times stable with the backing of Wall Street Journal
30. Metro Now, Delhi’s first morning tabloid brought out by The Hindustan Times and The Times of India
31. Identity and Violence – The illusion of destiny author : Amartya Sen
32. Blood brothers author – M J Akbar

Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. – HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON

1. Muthaiah Muralitharan 709 wickets in test cricket:
Paul Collingwood 709th
116 matches
1992 debut Vs Australia
1993 ODI debut
20 times 10 wickets in a match

2. IPI award to Outlook:
International Press Institute (IPI) India award for excellent for 2007:- For 2006 investigative journalism in Navy.

4. Billion beats – e-paper by APJ Abdul Kalam (abdulkalam.com)
5. India TV second most popular Hindi news channel : TAM( 30.5.2007)
6. Global warming two most obvious results:-
- rising sea levels
- more intensive cyclones
7. Narain- A1 GP:-
Narain Karthikeyan won A1 Grand Prix in Zhuhai China
8. Ex-MP to hang for lynching DM (lynching means: killing, hanging, execution)
A trial court in Patna awarded capital punishment to three political leaders, including former MP Anand Mohan, who led a mob of criminals that lynched a district magistrate, G.Krishnaiah, an IAS officer on December 5, 1994.

9. World Heart Day – September 30
10. Four journalists of Mid Day sentenced to four months imprisonment by the Delhi High Court for accusing retired Chief Justice YK Sabharwal of impropriety (impropriety means: rudeness, bad taste, indecency, bad behaviour, lack of decorum)
11. Anand is Vishwa Champion: Vishwanathan Anand World Chess champion.
12. Taslima Nasreen autobiography : Dwikhandito (split in two)
13. Vinod Rai to be next CAG: Financial services secretary Vinod Rai, a 1972 batch IAS of Kerala cadre, has been appointed as the new Comprollter and Auditor General.
14. Kaka named FIFA’s world player of the year.
15. India’s century book written by Kamal Nath
16. The Ramachandra puram gram panchayat in Medak district is the first electronic knowledge based panchayat in the country. All its functions are computerized and web enabled. Nagarkurnool gram panchayat is the second to be fully computerised
17. Putin voted TIME magazine’s person of the year 2007. Russian President Vladimir Putin was chosen by Time magazine as its ‘Person of Year’ for his extraordinary feat of leadership in taking a country that was in chaos and bringing it stability. (chaos means: disorder, confusion, turmoil)
18. Merkel tops Forbe’s list of world’s 100 most powerful women.
19. Ananthapur is the second largest district (after Ladakh in Kashmir) in India area-wise.
20. What is code: “Operation Gangajal”:- Between 1979 and 1982 police poured acid in the eyes of 33 prisoners in Bhagalpur jail in Bihar. (It is known as Bhagalpur blindings)
21. HUJI- Harkat-ul- Jehad-al-Islami
22. First ever military exercise between India and China “Hand in Hand 2007” exercise held at Kunming in South west China’s Yunna province.
23. 102.8 FM Vivid Bharati
24. Urban India caught in ringxiety syndrome! Ringxiety – a phenomenon in which users imagine their phone ringing or feel it vibrate when it actually does not.
25. Bobby Ghosh: World editor of TIME. Bobby Ghosh, born and brought up in India, is the first Indian and non-American to hold the prestigious world editor title at TIME.
26. Jhoolan Goswami- the ICC women’s cricketer of the year.
27. Andhra Pradesh is a mineral rich state that ranks second in the country containing a vast variety of mineral wealth.
28. Global business magazine Fortune global editor – Ms. Stephanie Mehta
29. Fareed Zakaria – Newsweek International.
30. 1950 January 25: The Election commission of India was established.
31. 1950 March 15: Planning Commission was set up.
32. 1951 November 22: The first finance commission constituted under Article 280 of the constitution.
33. 1993 April 24: Panchayat raj institutions got constitutional status through the 73rd amendment.
34. There are 2, 65,000 gram panchayat in the country.
35. The highest bridge in the world, Baily bridge in the Ladakh valley, was built by the Indian army in 1982
36. The best selling book ‘The World is Flat” is written by Thomas L. Friedman.
37. Yoga dates back to the Indus valley civilization (3300- 1700 BC)
38. Anandvan, an ashram was set up for lepers by Baba Amte.
39. 1868: Dadabhai Naoroji estimatesthe income of India
40. During Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Jallikattu (bull fighting) are hot events in Madurai, Thanjavur and Trichy. Unarmed man wrestle with a ferocious bull to retrieve bundles of money tied to its horns.
41. world’s hottest chillin, Bhut Jolokia, is grown in Assam
42. 1829: Sati banned by Sir William Bentick
43. Hindus constitute 13 per cent of the world’s population. In India, 80.4 per cent of the population follows Hinduism.
44. Rs 300 crore is the estimated annual income of Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh, the richest temple in the world. It is the second most visited place of worship after the Vatican.
45. The Attukal Pongala, a religiousfestival in Thiruvananthapuram district, is the biggest gathering of women in the world. Interestingly, men are not allowed to participate in the festivities.
46. 1950 January 28: The Supreme Court of India came into being two days after India became a sovereign democratic republic; inauguration at the Chamber of Princes in the Parliament building.
47. The Ramoji film city in Hyderabad, which is spread across 2,000 acres, is the largest studio complex in the world.
48. Hindi is the fifth most spoken language in the world. Mandarin tops the lsit, followed by Spanish, English and Arabic.
49. The Asian Development Bank, an international partnership of 63 member countries, was established in 1966 with its headquarters at Manila, Philippines. India is a founder member.
50. Kashmir Singh released after spending 35 years in jail in Pakistan. The former Punjab cop was arrested on espionage charge and eventually ordered to be hanged spent life in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail. (Espionage means: spying, intelligence, surveillance)
51. Double centurions Graeme Smith (232) and Neil Mckenzie (226) broke Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy’s 56 year old record for highest opening partnership (India’s record Vs. New Zealand), South Africa record Vs. Bangladesh. Runs:- 415
52. Meghalaya statehood on 21st January, 1972. Assembly seats: 60
53. Nagaland assembly seats: 60
54. China now largest trade partner:- Economic survey said, “China’s trade share during April – October 2007 is even higher than that of the United States by Rs 600 crore.
55. India is a trillion dollar economy:- The Economic survey said the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) for 2007-08 would be the equivalent of $ 1.16 trillion. In rupee terms, the Central Statistical Organization has projected GDP at market prices in the current year to reach just a tad under Rs 47,00,000 crore.
56. Centre spending on education 2.84 % of GDP, 1.39% in case of health.
57. George Fernandes and former Navy Chief Admiral (retd) Sushil Kumar are accused in the case registered in October 2006 – along with three others – then Samatha Party president Jaya Jaitly, the party treasurer RK Jain and arms dealer Suresh Nanda in the Rs 1160 crore Barak missile deal.
58. Agni- I: 700 km range; Agni-II: 2000 km range; Agni III: 3500 km range.
59. Oscar awards:
Best picture No Country For Old Men
Best Actor Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood)
Best Actress Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose)
Best Director Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country For Old Men)
60. 53rd Fair One Filmfare Awards 2007:-
Best Actor Shah Rukh Khan (Chak De India)
Best actress Kareena Kapoor (Jab We Met)
Best Director Aamir Khan (Taare Zameen Par)
61. Dr.Amit Kumar, kidney scam kingpin who fled from Gurgaon was arrested in Nepal.
62. Andhra Pradesh’s agricultural growth rate posted a 8.38 per cent as against a national average of 2.59 per cent. AP growth rate 10.07 which is 1.57 per cent higher than previous year. Industry : AP 9.8, India – 8.90 Service: AP 11.5, India 10.73
63. AP per capita income Rs 33,970 Vs. India’s Rs 33,131
64. Pakistan elections: Total seats: 272; PPP – 87; PML-N: 66; PML-Q: 38, MQM- 19, ANP- 10, MMA – 3
65. The largest observatory wheel in the world: Singapore flyer.
66. SEBI chairman: CB Bhave
67. What was special about a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 that flow between Heathrow and Amsterdam on February 24, 2007? It became the first commercial aircraft to make a flight powered by bio fuel.
68. Name the ambitious biological web site that crashed hours after launch on Feb 27, thanks to 11.5 million hits! Encyclopedia of Life (eol.org)
69. For which IPL team Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis play? Bangalore Royal Challengers
70. Sea-to-land version of Brah Mos tested. The missile has strike range of 290 km.
71. State budget at a glance for 2008-09:-
Projected GSDP Rs 2,29,461 crore
Rs 2 rice scheme subsidy Rs 1980 crore
Metro rail project Rs 150 crore
Hussain Sagar development Rs 119 crore
Industrial growth 9.82%
Service sector growth rate: 11.5%
Revenue deficit: zero per cent
Total outlay Rs. 100574.76 crore
72. Four Indians among world’s richest: US has the most billionaires (469) followed by Russia (87), Germany (59) India (53). Moscow is home to most billionaires(74), followed by New York (71) and London ( 36)
73. India records highest number of polio cases: India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only four countries where polio is still endemic.
74. MP Pappu Yadav gets life term for Sarkar’s murder.
75. Only 1411 tigers remain in the wild in India as per the National tiger conservation authority’s estimation.
76. Basara’s Saraswati temple is among the only two of its kind in the country – the other is reputed to be in Kashmir.
77. In 1952, India was the first country to launch family planning.
78. Dola Banerjee:- the first Indian to win an archery gold medal at the world cup.
79. Brand ambassador of king fisher airlines? Deepika Padukone
80. Lufthansa – Germany; Qantas – Australia

All things pass…Patience attains all it strives for – MOTHER TERESA

1. Agni I missile was inducted into the Army in 2004. First test fired in January 2002. The Chinese specific Agni III missile, which has a 3,500 km strike range and was tested for the first time in April, 2007.
2. Greatest chess player of all time Bobby Fischer died at the age of 64
3. 21st October – Police commemoration Day
4. The Age of Turbulence book written by Alan Greenspan
5. What is meant by the term ‘smart money’: cash with public
6. GHIAL: GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited
7. Suravaram Pratap Reddy started ‘Golkonda’ newspaper on 10th May 1926 with the help of Rajabahadur Pingali Venkata Rama Reddy.
8. First Telugu political prisoner – Gadicharla Hari Sarvothama Rao
9. Andhrula Sangheeka charitra written by Suravaram Pratap Reddy
10. First in the world: Blackbuck is born with artificial womb created by CCMB (Centre for cellular and Molecular Biology)
11. Brands: Lenovo – China; TCL – China; LG- South Korea; Sony- Japan
12. The fertile land of Nandigram had been identified as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for a chemical hub to be run by the Salim group. Nandigram was next to Haldia, a major port.
13. Bajaj’s partner in the new ultra low cost car – Renault
14. The country’s first fully indigenous surface-to-air missile – Akash
15. Manik Sarkar becomes Tripura CM for the third time in a row
16. GOP: Grand Old Party: Republican
17. GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development – Almora
18. Dr. PK Sethi, renowned orthopaedic surgeon and inventor of Jaipur foot died at the age of 80.
19. Charles Dickens famous works:- Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, Our Mutual Friend
20. Khardung La pass in Ladakh, which is 18,380 ft above sea level and is the highest motorable road in the world.
21. Russia with 38 Gold topped the list of medal winners at 4th Military Games held in India. India at 19th place.
22. Asian Juggernaut: The Rise of China, India and Japan written by Brahma Chellaney
23. The Assam Rifles raised as catcher Levy in 1835 is the oldest Police Force in the country.
24. Name (HC) Territorial Jurisdiction Seat
Allahabad Uttar Pradesh Allahabad
(bench at Luknow)
Bombay Maharastra, Goa, Dadra Mumbai (bench at
& Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Nagpur, Panaji and
Aurangabad)
Kerala Kerala and Lakshadweep Ernakulam
Orissa Orissa Cuttack
Rajastan Rajastan Jodhpur (bench at
Jaipur)
25. BIMSTEC: Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Co-operation.
26. NIMI: National Instructional Media Institute – Chennai.
27. Prasar Bharati came into existence on 23 November, 1997
28. All India Radio came to known as Akashvani from 1957
29. Circulation of newspapers (which submitted annual statements) is approximately 15.67 crore (during 2004-05)
30. Technology Day – May 11
31. Asia’s fastest computer: The fourth fastest super computer facility in the world, Eka (Sanskrit for number one), set up at the Computational Research Laboratories (CRL) in Pune, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons Ltd.
32. Air Show in 2008 in Hyderabad: - A four-day air show will be held in Hyderabad. Indian Aviation 2008, which begins on October 15, is being jointly organized by the civil aviation ministry and FICCI.
33. World Diabetes day: 14 November
34. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established in 1988.
35. Tsunami warning centre is at: Hyderabad
36. First Petrol university in India is in the State of: Gujarat
37. Rajiv Gandhi trained as pilot in Hyderabad
38. World consumer rights day – March 15
39. Telugu university was established on 2 December, 1985
40. 100 storey commercial building is being built in Rajendra Nagar mandal of Ranga Reddy district by a consortium consisting of Reliance Energy (66%), Shobha Developers (23%) and APIIC (11%). The estimated cost is Rs 6,300 crore.
41. Which country became the world’s first black republic – Haiti
42. Of the 25 great civilizations, which was the most durable, lasting almost 4,000 years.- Egyptian
43. Caparo group – Lord Swaraj Paul.
44. India is 72nd on the list of corrupt countries:- India is presently ranked at 72nd place among 180 countries by the Transparency International in its latest corruption perception index (CPI)
45. Sci-fi guru Clarke is dead at 90:- Pioneering science fiction writer and visionary Arthur C Clarke, best known for his work on the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, has died in his adopted home of Sri Lanka.
46. Along with HG Wells and Isaac Asimov, Sir Arthur Charles Clarke formed the trilogy of visionary science fiction writers.
47. One of the greatest Telugu dynasties that ruled for centuries the Kakatiyas ruled parts of modern day Andhra Pradesh from 1083 CE to 1323 CE
48. PDA: palm device assistant
49. VLE : virtual learning environment
50. Vikram Bhatt’s thriller Fear, produced by Ramesh Sippy, became the first Indian movie to be released only online.
51. My Country, My life book by L K Advani
52. Romancing with Life written by Dev Anand (autobiography) is published by Penguin.
53. Jab We Met film directed by: Imtiaz Ali
54. The current Dalai Lama – The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso
55. Who is the chairman of the Sixth Central Pay commission – Justice BN Srikrishna
56. Automotive Mission plan 2006-2016 aims to – make India a global hub of automobiles and auto components.
57. The Earth’s revolution time increases 0.0001 seconds annually
58. The average life span of people in Andorra is about 83 years, the highest of any country in the world.
59. According to the 2007 study conducted by Internet and Mobile association of India, India has 32 million active internet users (as of September, 2007).
60. As per the World Association of Newspapers, world’s largest read newspaper is Dainik Jagran (11 states, 32 editions)
61. Who coined the term ‘Chindia’ for China and India – Jairam Ramesh, financial advisor of Congress Party.
62. Indira Gandhi Peace Prize for 2007:- Bill Milinda Gates Foundation.
63. CNN-IBN’s Indian of the year award for 2007 E Sreedharan ( Delhi Metro fame)
64. Young Global Leader award winner from Geneva based World Economic Forum? Suhas Gopinath of Bangalore.
65. How many times Rosaiah presented budget in the State? Record 13 times.
66. Rajam is the main business centre in Srikakulam. From this place hails G. Mallikarjuna Rao, who has been featured in the top 500 billionaires list of Forbes.
67. Kalpana Chawla excellent award 2007 for women conferred – Nandita Das.
68. Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 2001. Name the biography by Patrick French – The world is what it is.
69. The total forest cover of the country (as per 2003 assessment) is 20.60 per cent.
70. The Lufthansa flight LH 752 was the first flight to touch down at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad early on Sunday dt 23.3.2008

The only disability in life is a bad attitude
– Scott Hamilton

1. AB Bardhan is unanimously reelected as the general secretary of CPI for the fourth term.
2. Which public sector bank unveiled its 1000th branch in March, 2008: SBH
3. US Republican Presidential candidate: John McCain
4. Which team was undefeated in the ICC Twenty20 world cup 2007 until finals – Pakistan
5. The bridge on the river Godavari linking Kovvur and Rajahmundry is Asia’s largest rail-cum-road bridge.
6. Idukki, a district in Kerala is India’s first corporal punishment free district.
7. Scarlett Keeling, the British teenager was killed in Goa.
8. On 23rd March 1931, Shaheed Sukhdev, Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Shaheed Rajguru walked to the gallows.
9. The world’s biggest software maker: Microsoft.
10. In India, nearly 1,60,000 students go overseas to pursue higher and technical education. This results in a foreign exchange out flow of about $ 10 billion per year.
11. 60 life terms in a day: Oct 24, 2007:- Amarmani Tripathi, wife guilty of killing Madhumita Shukla on May 9, 2003 along with two others; 10 cops of Delhi Police; 15 sentenced for 1992 kanpur riots; 31 get life in prison for 1998 serial blasts in Coimbatore.
12. Union budget 2008-09:- Rs 60,000 crore loan write off for farmers, beneficiaries 4 crore farmers. 16 central university, 3 IITs, No change in corporate tax, short-term capital gains tax up from 10% to 15%. Allocation for education and health sectors has been increased by 20 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. Rs 34,400 crore for education. Smart card-based PDS rollout in Haryana and Chandigarh.
13. CHOGM – Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
14. P Chidambaram is only second finance minister after Dr Manmohan Singh to present 5 consecutive budgets in one government.
15. First woman speaker in Pakistan – Famida Mirza
16. Chairman of the Delimitation Commission – Kuldip Singh
17. Once upon a Time in the Soviet Union book written by Dominique Lapiere
18. Dow Chemicals formerly known as Union Carbide
19. At the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meet in Bali, representatives from 190 countries have converged to compare notes and thrash out agreements on how to tackle climate change challenge facing the planet.

http://reddy2007.blogspot.com

1. The Universal Postal Union is in Berne (Switzerland)
2. India has largest number of post office 1, 55,333 and Vatican the lowest just four.
3. STPI – Software Technology Parks of India
4. Under Article 102 (a) C of the Constitution an insolvent person cannot be a Member of Parliament.
5. World TB Day – 24 March
6. Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was killed after a rally in the city of Rawalpinid on 27th December, 2007
7. December 6, 1988: Benazir Bhutto becomes the first woman Prime Minister of a Muslim nation.
8. The world’s tallest rail bridge is coming up over Chenab, connecting Kauri and Bakkal in J & K’s Reasi district. Standing 359 m high when completed, it will be 5 times as high as Qutub Minar, 35m taller than Eiffel Tower and 17m higher than the present record holder, Millau Bridge (342m) in France.
9. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, India’s first Greenfield Airport developed through a Public Private Partnership initiative has the country’s longest runway 4.26 km
10. MCX : Multi Commodity Exchange
11. Tata Motors acquired two iconic brands, Jaguar and Land Rover, in an all-cash deal of $ 2.3 billion from Ford Motor Company.
12. Maxim Gorky, Russian author and a political activist whose works include: - A Confession, summer folk, Twenty-six Men and a Girl.
13. Thomson Corp agreed to buy Reuters for 8.7 pound billion, creating a combined business called Thomson Reuters. This will create the biggest provider of financial information to trading floors, overtaking current market leader and US rival Bloomberg.
14. Which two former Warsaw Pact countries officially joined the European Union on the first of January, 2007 – Bulgaria and Romania
15. Why did HN51 strike terror in the hearts of most health agencies this year - It is the deadliest strain of bird flu, found at a farm in Suffolk.
16. In which American University did 23 year old Seung Hui Cho massacre 32 people in a shooting frenzy on April 16, 2007? Virginia Tech
17. Why did the discovery of a stellar body called Gliese 581c on April 24, 2007 cause a flutter in scientific circles? It is considered to be the most potentially habitable earth like extra solar planet ever found.
18. On September 13, which building became the world’s tallest free standing structure after surpassing the height of the tower in Toranto – Burj Dubai surpassed Toranto’s CN Tower.
19. In what way the Singapore Airlines flight between Singapore and Sidney on October 25 a first – It was the first commercial flight of the Airbus 380.
20. Whose record did Roger Federer equal while winning his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title – Bjorn Borg.
21. What was the name of the cyclone which devastated Bangladesh in November 2007 – Sidr.
22. Who was announced as TIME magazine’s person of the year 2007 – Vladimir Putin.
23. Which British writer, at the age of 88, became the oldest ever winner of the Nobel Prize of literature- Doris Lessing.
24. Which mammoth 14 year undertaking did Pramod Dattaram Kode finally wrap up this year? He was the judge in the Mumbai 1993 bomb blast case.
25. The Indian media and entertainment industry size:- $ 11 billion ( Rs 450 billion)
26. Vikram Pandit is CEO of Citigroup.
27. Kamlesh Sharma of India was elected as the secretary General of the Commonwealth.
28. Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd swept to power in Australia.
29. The country’s highest policy making body- The National Development Council (NDC).
30. WiMAX – Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access.
31. Sir Edmund Hillary, who stood arm in arm on the Everest summit on May 29, 1953 died on 11.1.2008. He was 88. He holds record for the being first to stand at both poles.
32. The book ‘Manzil se zyada safar’ is written by – VP Singh
33. ‘Sabse Pehale Pakistan’ is an Urdu translated version of which book – In the line of fire.
34. 26th January, 2008 Republic Day guest – Nicolas Sarkozy, France President
35. Jaipur foot inventor – Pramod Karan Sethi.
36. March 2, 2007: Ibodi Singh who has the distinction of being Manipur’s first Chief Minister to complete a full term is sworn in for a second consecutive term.
37. April 2, 2007: The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council is revived 20 years after being abolished.
38. April 18, 2007: the second prototype of Saras, India’s first indigenously designed commercial civilian aircraft makes its maiden flight in Bangalore.
39. The Polar Satellite Launch vehicle PSLV-C8 blasts off from Sriharikota and places in orbit Agile, an Italian satellite, the first commercial launch by the ISRO (dt 23.4.2007)
40. April 25, 2007: India joins an elite club of 12 countries with a trillion dollar economy.
41. April 27, 2007: The world’s largest passenger aircraft Airbus A-380 makes its maiden landing in India at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.
42. May 10, 2007: The nation commemorates the 150th anniversary of the first war of Independence of 1857 at a joint session of parliament.
43. The Central government exits the Maruti Udyog Limited, the country’s largest car maker.
44. AR Lakshmanan, former Supreme Court Judge assumes charge as chairman of the 18th Law Commission.
45. June 25, 2007: Hindustan Lever gets centre’s nod to change its name to Hindustan Uniliver Ltd.
46. July 21, 2007: Pratibha Devi Singh Patil is declared elected the 12th President defeating the vice-president Bharon Singh Shekhawat.
47. July 31, 2007: Film actor Sanjay Dutt is jailed for six years in the 1993 Mumbai blasts for illegal possession of a prohibited weapon.
48. August 3, 2007: the country’s first mobile court is inaugurated in Mewat district of Haryana by the Chief Justice of India, KG Balakrishnan.
49. August 7, 2007: Buddhadeb Dasgupta’s Kaalpurush bags the best feature film award at the National Film Awards for 2005.
50. Shyam Benegal film director is named recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke award 2005.
51. August 19, 2007: IAF pilots wing commander Anil Kumar and Rahul Monga create a world record by flying a micro flight aircraft around the world in 80 days.
52. Aug 24, 2007: the corporate affairs ministry clears Air India – Indian merger. The new company National Aviation Company of India Limited becomes a legal entity.
53. Aug 24 2007: Forty persons are killed as two blasts, one at amusement park and another at an eatery rock Hyderabad.
54. August 27, 2007: Tata Steel turns 100.
55. September 2, 2007: The Geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle, GSLV F04 is successfully launched from the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh and places in orbit the 2,130 kg INSAT -4 CR, the heaviest satellite to be launched by the ISRO.
56. September 11, 2007: Popatrao Pawar of Hewre village in Maharastra becomes the first winner of National Water Award.
57. October 1, 2007: The Gujarat Government launches a new all-tribal district named Tapi bifurcating Surat district with headquarters at Vyara.
58. Oct 24, 2007: A special court sentences the former Uttar Pradesh Minister, Amarmani Tripathi and his wife Madhumati to life imprisonment in the murder of poetess Madhunita Shukla in Lucknow on May 9, 2003. Al Umma founder SA Basha and general secretary Mohammed Ansari among 31 persons sentenced to life in the Coimbatore serial blasts on Feb 14, 1998. Basha’s son Siddiq Ali is awarded two life terms and 48 years RI.
59. October 29, 2007: Sensex crosses the 20,000 mark and India becomes the 20th nation in the world whose stock market benchmark has touched the milestone.
60. November 27, 2007: After a 27 hour surgery Lakshmi Tatma (2), the eight limbed girl from Araria village in Bihar is separated from her parasitic twin by a 36 member team of doctors at a Bangalore hospital.
61. The former Finance Secretary Vijay L Kelkar is named chairman of the 13th Finance Commission.
62. Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) is renamed Tata Communications Limited.
63. Vinod Rai is the new Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
64. Adventurer Ajeet Bajaj unfurls tri-colour at South Pole and becomes the first Indian to go to both North and South poles.
65. 31.1.2008: China emerges as second largest gold producer. China has emerged as the world’s second largest gold producer in 2007 when its output reached 270.29 tonnes and is well on course to overtake South Africa to occupy the number one slot, the China Gold Association said.
66. Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat unseeded Jo-wilfried Tsonga in the singles finals of the Australian Open.
67. Frankly speaking with Arnab Goswami : Times Now.
68. City franchises of the Indian Premier League – the BCCI’s Twenty20 competition: Reliance Industries Limited – Mumbai- Rs 441 crore; UB Group – Bangalore- Rs 440 crore; Deccan Chronicle- Hyderabad- Rs 422 crore.
69. Thailand has for many years the world’s largest exporter of rice. India and Vietnam, the world’s second and third largest exporters have blocked exports. China, the world’s biggest rice consumer.
70. Feb 4, 2007: US astronaut Sunita Williams sets a new record in space walking of 22 hours and 27 minutes.
71. Apri 23, 2007: British bank Barclays Plc agrees to buy Dutch ABN-Amro for about $91 billion in the world’s biggest bank takeover.
72. May 22, 2007: Kutsusuke Yanagisawa (71) of Japan becomes the oldest person to climb to the top of Mount Everest.
73. May 30, 2007: The US President George W Bush names Robert Zoellick to replace Paul Wolfowitz as World Bank president.
74. Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe wins the 60,000 pound 2007 Man Booker International Prize for fiction
75. June 16, 2007: Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams makes history by setting a record for the longest uninterrupted space flight by a woman surpassing the 188 day four hour mark held by her compatriot Shannon Lucid since 1996.
76. June 23, 2007: Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams returns to the earth after a 195 day stay in space, on board shuttle Atlantis which makes a safe touch down at the Edwards Air Force Base in California after a 14 day trip.
77. June 24, 2007: An Iraqi court hands down death sentence for Ali Hassan al Majid, a cousin of Saddam Hussein known as “Chemical Ali” for genocide of 1,82,000 kurds in 1988.
78. July 7, 2007: Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, the Colosseum in Rpme, pink ruins of Petra in Jordan, the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Jeneiro, the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru and the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza in Mexico are the new seven wonders of the world.
79. July 8, 2007: the Moitree Express, the first Indian passenger train from Kolkata reaches Bangladesh on a trial run.

http://reddy2007.blogspot.com

1. July 28, 2007: the Scouts movement completes 100 years.

3. July 31, 2007: British troops leave Northern Ireland after a 38 year stay as part of operation banner.
4. July 31, 2007: Australian media baron Rupert Murdoch acquires Dow Jones for $ 5 billion.
5. Oct 2, 2007: The United Nations marks Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday as the first International Day of Non-Violence.
6. Oct 3, 2007: For the first time since 1947 a truck with goods from Pakistan moves across the Wagah border.
7. Oct 12, 2007: The former US vice-president Al Gore and the Inter governmental Panel on Climate change, headed by Rajendra K Pachauri of India are declared joint winners of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
8. Hurwicz (90) is the oldest Nobel winner ever and has no degree in the field.
9. Oct 24, 2007: China launches its first lunar probe Chang’e 1.
10. Oct 25, 2007: the World’s largest double decker jetliner makes history with its first commercial flight from Singapore to Sydney.
11. November 15, 2007: At least 2,300 people killed as super cyclone Sidr rips through Bangladesh’s southern coastline. Nine lakh families are affected.
12. December 28, 2007: Prof Ian Wilmut, creator of Dolly, the sheep, is knighted.
13. RK Sharma first IPS to get murder rap: - Suspended inspector general of police RK Sharma was sentenced to life imprisonment in the nine-year old case involving murder of journalist Shivani Bhatnagar, Indian Express reporter. This is the first instance of an IPS officer being convicted of murder anywhere in the country.
14. Sanjay Dutt was jailed in Yerwada jail in Pune in connection with Mumbai blasts.
15. With a net worth of $ 35 billion, KP Singh of DLF is the world’s richest real estate developer.
16. Top bureaucrat – The Cabinet Secretary
17. Top rice producing states in India (in thousand tones): 1. West Bengal – 14,746; 2. Andhra Pradesh – 11,872; 3. Uttar Pradesh – 11, 124; 4. Punjab – 10,138; 5. Orissa – 6,825
18. Ideas create, values protect is tagline of which company – Edelweiss
19. Top three tea producing states in India: 1. Assam; 2. West Bengal; 3. Tamil Nadu.
20. Virender Sehwag joined Brian Lara and Sir Don Bradman in the record books as the only batsmen to have surpassed 300 runs in Test cricket twice. He now holds the record for fastest triple century (with just 278 balls).
21. Dr MS Swaminathan was awarded the ‘Commander of Agriculture Merit’ by France.
22. The new addition to the commonwealth games 2010 is: wrestling.
23. 86th amendment to the Constitution adds a new article 21A says: “The state shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to 14 in such manner as the state may, by law, determine.”
24. Darfur is in Sudan.
25. Commonwealth is an association of 53 countries and covers 30% of the world’s population.
26. Maharastra led with a share of 31.02 per cent in India’s exports during 2005-06. Andhra Pradesh is at sixth place with 3.91 per cent.
Gujarat 31.02%
Karnataka 10.80%
Tamil Nadu 9.82%
Delhi 5.10%
Andhra Pradesh 3.91%
27. The only country in the world whose flag is triangular flag: Nepal
28. The Andhra Pradesh government’s initiative in engineering colleges to prepare the engineering graduates in soft skills needed for placement in ITES and IT sector jobs – Jawahar Knowledge Centres.
29. Jalayagnam is aimed providing assured water supply to farmers and bring one crore additionally under cultivation in the State by 2010.
30. Top five states in India with highest suicides (in 2004-05):1. West Bengal; 2. Maharastra; 3. Andhra Prades; 4. Tamil Nadu; 5. Karnataka.
31. The share of workforce in India: agriculture – 60 per cent; industry – 12 per cent; services – 28 per cent.
32. Rahul Dravid completed his 10,000 runs in Test cricket (while playing vs South Africa). He is the third Indian and sixth overall. Dravid is in the more exclusive club of batsmen who have done the 10,000 double in Tests and ODIs, sharing the honour now with Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar.
33. India has largest blind population. Of 37 million blind in the world, 15 million are Indians.
34. Categories of security: Z plus, Z, Y and X. Z plus, the highest level category has a cover of 65 – 80 personnel with bullet proof transport and escort vehicles.
35. CK Prahlad, professor at the University of Michigan’s Stephen M Ross school of business, has been crowned the greatest management thinker alive by Thinkers50, an annual ranking of the Top 50 management thought leaders in the world.
36. The world hunger index of IFPRI has ranked India 94th out of 118 countries.
37. Which newspaper’s editor was removed recently- Deccan Chronicle (MJ Akbar)
38. Vijay Mallya’s Formula One team – Force India
39. Largest city in the world by population – Tokyo (over 35 million people)
40. India has displaced China and Mexico to become the top remittance receiving country in the world, according to latest data released by the World Bank. India 25.7 $ billion; Mexico – 24.7 $ bn; China – 22.5 $bn; Phillippines 14.9 $ bn.
41. Times Now TV channel is a joint venture of the Times group and Reuters service.
42. The Tiger Elephant, the Tiger and the Cell phone written by Shashi Tharoor.
43. The export revenue of Indian software industry is worth $ 32 billion in 2006-07. India now accounts for about 65 per cent of global market in offshore IT and about 46 per cent in offshore ITES market.
44. Lead India an initiative by The Times of India winner – RK Mishra.
45. Indian Premier League (IPL) is sponsored by – DLF.
46. Saakshi, telugu news paper is published from 23 centres.
47. The learning disability, where a child is not able to read and for that reason is unable to write – Dyslexia.
48. French President Nicolas Sarkozy married his girl friend, former model Carla Bruni, at the Elysee Palace on 2nd February, 2008.
49. Only industrialist Bharat Ratna – JRD Tata
50. World’s biggest solar cooking system is in Tirumala.
51. Twenty20 cricket competition designed by Stuart Robertson of England.
52. An Inconvenient Truth, a book on climate change is by Al Gore.
53. India under 19 team won the world cup by beating South Africa by 12 runs in the final in Kaulalmpur. India earlier won in 2000.
54. Keshavanda Bharati judgment of April 24, 1973, codified the inviolability of a citizen’s fundamental rights.
55. The Sir Richard Branson owned Virgin group is launching the Virgin mobile brand in India in association with Tata Teleservices.
56. The Economic survey said the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for 2007-08 would be equivalent of $ 1.16 trillion calculated at the average dollar rupee exchange rate for the year.
57. Jodha Akbar film director: Ashutosh Gowarikar.
58. At the all-India level, population below poverty line (BPL) is pegged at 27.5 per cent. Orissa tops the list with a whopping 46 per cent. BPL population followed by Chattisgarh and Jharkhand all with about 40 per cent.
59. Life expectancy is highest in Kerala (73 years) followed by Punjab, Maharastra, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It was least in Madhya Pradesh (58) followed by Assam, Orissa, UP and Bihar. The all India average is 63 years.
60. Agriculture account for just 19 per cent of India’s economic output but provides livelihood to 60 per cent.
61. Red Chillies Entertainment Company was promoted by Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan.
62. For women aged above 60, will get 50% concession on the basic fare as per the railway budget.
63. The Darul Uloom Deoband located in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, one of the most influential theological schools in South Asian Islam, termed terror anti-Islam.
64. The league of nations held its first meeting in January of which year – 1920
65. Nasscom president – Som Mittal
66. Andhra Pradesh literacy rate 60.47 per cent, National average: 64.84 per cent.
67. Fidel Castro, 81, of Cuba retired as head of state 49 years after he seized power in an armed revolution.
68. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairman- Anil Kakodkar.
69. Saamna is mouthpiece of Shiva Sena
70. You Can Win book written by Shiv Khera
71. International Womens Day – March 8
72. Spielberg boycotts Beijing Olympics over China’s role in Darfur:- Steven Spielberg said that he was withdrawing as an artistic adviser to the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing over Sudan’s attacks in the Darfur region.
73. Mumbai police registered cases against Maharastra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Samajwadi party leader Abu Asim Azmi for allegedly promoting enmity between groups of people and for provoking incidents of violence.
74. P Susheela, playback singer and K Padmanabhaiah, former Union home secretary awardees of Padma Bhushan from Andhra Pradesh.
75. Goodbye to Gandhi book written by Bernard Imhasley
76. Martin Luther King Jr, at the age of 35, he was the youngest to have received the Nobel peace prize.
77. Rizwanur Rahman found dead by the railway tracks on September 21, 2007. Rizwanur married Priyanka without informing their families on August 18, 2007 (West Bengal).
78. Asia’s first moonlit animal house is located in the Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad.
79. Bonanza time for central staff: Salary up 40%, Allowances 100%, Central employees to get arrears from January 2006 as per the sixth pay commission recommendations.
80. Which corporate house has a proposal to commence 20 TV channels – Reliance group of Anil Ambani

http://reddy2007.blogspot.com

1. India’s foreign debt rose to $ 201.4 billion ( Rs 7,94,017 crore) by December 2007.
2. Gujjars have been agitating for ST status in Rajastan.
3. Editor-in-chief of The New Indian Express – Aditya Sinha
4. Which news paper celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2007- The New Indian Express.
5. Ayesha Meera, B.Pharmacy student was killed in Durga ladies hostel in Ibrahimpatnam, Vijayawada.
6. About 638 attempts were made on the life of Fidel Castro.
7. The strength of Supreme Court judges will be increased from 25 to 30.
8. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a historic apology to aborigines on 13th February, 2008.
9. Best director Nandi award – Sekhar Kammula for Godavari.
10. Election commissioners:- N. Goplaswami (CEC), Navin Chawla, SY Quraishi
11. Election Commission sends notice to Sonia Gandhi for accepting the ‘Order of Leopold’ from the king of Belgium in November, 2006.
12. The Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices has recommended that the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy be fixed at Rs 1,000 a quintal for the common variety.
13. Record price for painter MF Hussain’s work $ 1.6 million (Rs 6.4 crore)
14. Jhumpa Lahiri works include:- Interpreter of Maladies, The Namesake and Unaccustomed Earth.
15. The Other half columnist in The Hindu – Kalpana Sharma.
16. Charlton Heston, the legendary Hollywood actor who acted in films like, Ben Hur and Ten Commandments passed away recently

17. Which English Daily was redesigned recently? - The New Indian Express

18. Probate is the process for transfer of legal title of the property from the deceased to his/her proper beneficiaries. The term probate is akin to proving the existence of a valid will, or determining and proving the actual legal heirs.
19. Indian Roller (Paala Pitta) is Andhra Pradesh’s state bird.
20. Karnataka will be the first state in the country to go to polls after the delimitation of constituencies
21. Who was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction? Edith Wharton
22. Water lily is Andhra Pradesh’s state flower
23. Indian Ambassador to China – Ms. Nirupama Rao
24. India’s lowest score in Test cricket – 42 against England (at Lords in 1974)
25. ICC Chief Executive – South African Haroon Lorgat
26. Legendary musician and folk icon Bob Dylan was handed a special citation from the Pulitzer Prize board.
27. Washington Post wins 6 Pulitzer Prizes, the second most any news paper has won in a year.
28. Pakistan born Bangkok based photojournalist; Adrees Latif of Reuters won the prize for Breaking News photography.
29. The book ‘It crossed my mind’ is written by Shailaja Chandra
30. Rastogi Panel was set up by Finance Ministry to review issues related with – Service Tax
31. Neem is the state tree of Andhra Pradesh
32. Deputy speaker in AP assembly – Dr G Kuthuhalamma
33. Court upholds 27% OBC quota, creamy layer excluded – 93rd constitution amendment Act empowering the centre to come out with the special law for OBC reservations in educational institutions of higher learning.
34. The first India-Africa Forum summit was held in New Delhi.
35. As of March 19, 2008 there are 54 SEZs notified in Andhra Pradesh, highest in the country.
36. Khuda Kay Liye, the first Pakistan film screened in India. The film stars Nasiruddin Shah (The story of the film is about issues faced by Muslims after 9/11)
37. Where can the world’s smallest bird, the male Bee Hummingbird, be found – Cuba
38. Austria was the first country to use post cards.
39. Which is the only bird known to have nostrils at the tip of its beak – Kiwi
40. Which author created the fictional character John Carter of Mars – Edgar Rice Burroughs
41. Who took the first photograph of the moon – Louis Daguerre
42. In which year were the first national presidential election held in the US – 1789
43. The Sexes – Shobhaa De (The Week)
44. Journalism with a human touch – The Week
45. Name the two ministers dropped at centre in the reshuffle from AP? Dasari Narayana Rao, T Subbarami Reddy
46. Plain Speaking is the biography of TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu
47. Name of the super computer located in DRDO, Hyderabad – Anurag
48. Which country issued one crore dollar note recently – Zimbabwe
49. Asia’s largest Tulip garden started recently in – Sri Nagar
50. Which American State recently banned death sentence – New Jersey
51. Which state achieved highest growth rate during the 10th Five Year Plan? Gujarat 10.6%, Haryana 7.6%, Himachal Pradesh 7%
52. Mr and Mrs Dutt, book based on the story of Sunil Dutt and Nargis is written by Namrata Dutt and Priya Dutt
53. What is Azadi Express – Exhibition train showcasing 1857 war incidents on 150th anniversary
54. Name the person of Indian origin elected as governor of Louisiana- Bobby Jindal
55. Most dangerous state as per Newsweek report – Pakistan.

***

1. Badle Bharat ki Tasveer – India TV
2. Barriers break when people talk – Airtel
3. Bollywood ka boss programme – Filmy (Boman Irani)
4. Little drops of joy –Coca cola India
5. Think hatke – Virgin mobile
6. Second Opinion – Jug Suraiya (The Times of India)
7. World ki best kahaniyan – Firangi TV
8. The great Indian tamasha – NDTV 24x7
9. Revealed – CNN
10. Hard Talk – BBC
11. 30 Minutes –TV9
12. Recently which Telugu Television channel re-designed its logo – Maa TV
13. Shoaib banned: Shoaib Akhtar, 32, fast bowler was handed a five-year ban by the Pakistan Cricket Control Board (PCB) for violating the players’ code of conduct. Shoaib cannot play for or in Pakistan during the period.
14. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) has been extended to all 604 districts of the country from 1st April, 2008.
15. Books: Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri; Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh; The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie.
16. The X factor: NDTV 24x7
17. Who are the two ministers out in the Cabinet reshuffle at the Centre: Dasari Narayana Rao and T Subbirami Reddy
18. Yousuf Raza Gillani was sworn in as Pakistan’s 25th Prime Minister
19. The US listed Nandigram violence as a human rights violation.
20. OIC: Organisation of Islamic Countries (57 member organization)
21. 2012 London Olympics slogan: Make Britain Proud
22. First space tourist: Denis Tito
23. A biography of Rahul Dravid, the nice guy who finished first book by Devendra Prabhu Desai
24. Raghupathi Venkaiah award for 2006 – D. Rama Naidu
25. NTR National award for 2006- Waheeda Rehman
26. Speaker of Orissa Assemply Mahewar Mohanty resigned from his post following sexual harassment charges against him.
27. NR Narayana Murthy would join global banking giant HSBC.
28. For the first time in eight decades, Indian men’s hockey team has failed to qualify for the Olympics; Great Britain beat India in the final match of the Beijing Olympic qualifier in Santiago.
29. Five past midnight book written by Dominique Lapier
30. Which Indian cricketer was charged of racially abusing Australian all rounder Andrew Symonds – Harbhajan Singh
31. Hindraf: Hindu Rights Action Force
32. Russia’s Maria Sharapova won her first Australian Open title by beating Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic in the final. This is her third grand slam title.
33. The Wagah border will henceforth be known as the Attari border on the Indian side.
34. Ratan Tata unveiled the Rs 1 lakh car Tata Nano at the 9th auto expo in New Delhi.
35. Name the Pakistani lawyer for the deposed chief justice Iftikar Chaudhary who is leading the campaign for the reinstatement of the ousted Supreme Court judges – Aitzaz Ahsan.
36. Which software company did European Commission penalize? Microsoft Corporation was penalized with a fine of $ 1.35 billion for failing to comply with a 2004 anti-trust order.
37. United States Ambassador to India David C Mulford.
38. Meghalaya governor:- S S Sidhu
39. Which country recently introduced new visa system for all potential Indian immigrants to pass through the “Points Based System (PBS), Tier 1 : UK
40. Salwa Judum (self-defence groups) by the Chhattisgarh government.
41. Civil Aviation minister – Praful Patel
42. ADC: Access Deficit Charge
43. SIMI: Students Islamic Movement of India
44. National Security Advisor: MK Narayanan
45. UNPA: United National Progressive Alliance
46. The Hindu is published from 12 centres.
47. Two-time Haryana Chief Minister Bhajanlal, who rebelled against the Congress, was disqualified from the assembly under the anti-defection law.
48. Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama resides in Dharmasala.
49. Agni-1, a product of the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
50. Advanced Systems Laboratory is in Hyderabad
51. LeT: Laskar –e- Taiba
52. Nirupama Subramanian is The Hindu’s Islamabad (Pakistan) reporter.
53. Biggest fall in sensex – 1408.35 points on January 21, 2008.
54. The Goa government decided to scrap all the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) projects in the State.
55. Communal violence hit Kandhamal headquarters Phulbani is in Orissa.
56. ICC replaces umpire Steve Bucknor for Perth Test (between India and Australia)
57. Which Tollywood star is involved in a divorce case – Pawan Kalyan
58. Terror attacks on the CRPF group centre in Rampur were involved by Lashkar-e-Taiba
59. Television rights of Indian Premier League (IPL):- The Sony Television network and the Singapore based World Sports group have purchased the event’s television rights for the next 10 years for $ 1 billion.
60. Which TV channel is involved in a fake sting operation of a government school teacher – Live India
61. 299 inmates escape from Dantewada jail, Chhattisgarh
62. Leading first wicket stands in Tests: - N. Nckenzie – G Smith 415, South Africa V Bangladesh, Chittagong, 2008. Vinod Mankad – P Roy, 413 India V New Zealand, Chennai 1956; V. Sehwag – R Dravid, 410, India V Pakistan, Lahore, 2006.
63. This year’s World Health Day (April 7) theme: “protecting health from climate change”.
64. Hogenakkal issue is between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
65. What is the controversy surrounding Hindi film Jodha Akhar? Historians dispute the existence of the fiery Rajput princess named Jodha in Akbar’s life.
66. With $ 104 billion, India is now the second largest source of foreign investment in the UK.
67. Veteran actor Shobhan Babu dead: The 71 year old actor, Uppu Shobhana Chalapathi Rao passed away in Chennai.
68. Whose autobiography is titled: Life and Death in Installments- Manoj Kumar
69. ORS – optical response sheet
70. India’s ambassador to the US : Ronen Sen
71. The State Assembly passed a resolution adopting the Urban Land Ceiling Repeal Act of the Central Government thus repealing the Act in the State.
72. The Opposition toppled the government in Andhra Pradesh with no confidence just once. The first no-confidence motion was moved by Gowtu Latchanna against the then chief minister Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu in 1954. This was the first and the last time in the history of the State that a no-confidence motion resulted in the resignation of a chief minister.
73. Sub-prime loan means loan given at less than prime interest rates.
74. Proteas is used to refer which country cricketers: South Africa
75. Zoom TV channel belongs to Times group
76. Earth Hour: ‘Earth Hour’ founder Andy Ridley said 371 cities, towns or local governments from Australia to Canada and even Fiji had signed up for the 60-minute shutdown at 0900 GMT on March 29.
77. Bangalore franchise of IPL Royal Challengers
78. The theme of the Beijing torch relay is a “Journey of Harmony”.
79. Prakash Karat was re-elected General Secretary of the CPI-M.
80. Chief Information Commissioner : Wajahat Habibullah
81. Miss India Universe: Simran Kaur Mundi
82. Muslims outnumber Catholics: The number of Muslims has overtaken the number of Roman Catholics in the world, a Vatican official said. Muslims are estimated to make up 19.2 % of the world population.
83. The speaking tree : The Times of India
84. Phalke Ratna award: B R Chopra
85. National Herald, the 70 year old news paper which was started by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1938 is closed.
86. Daily Inspiration book written by Robin Sharma
87. What is recession- Negative growth in GDP in two successive quarters.
88. IRBM: Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile
89. Blue chip shares mean the shares of companies’ which are doing well, paying dividends, bonus, rights issue etc.
90. Wal-Mart partner in India Bharti group.
91. WTO (World Trade Organization) was established in 1995.
92. Crude oil reserves about 25% are in Saudi Arabia.
93. AP Land reforms committee chairman: Koneru Ranga Rao
94. Reader’s Digest – Editor-in-chief- Aroon Purie
95. The government has set an export target of $ 200 billion for the current fiscal year.
96. Contours of Leninism book written by Nandan Mani Ratnam
97. Who was elected as Prime Minister in the first ever democratic elections in Bhutan- Jigme Thinley
98. Who was presented Golden Ball by BCCI – Anil Kumble fro his 600 wickets in Test Cricket.
99. The Future of India book is written by Bimal Jalan
100. Andhra Pradesh government’s off shore reservoir on the river Mahendra Tanaya is a bone of contention between AP and which state- Orissa

http://reddy2007.blogspot.com

COLUMNS & COLUMNISTS

Online and offline – K Narayanan (The Hindu)
Out of London – Hasan Suroor (The Hindu)
State Craft – Harish Khare (The Hindu)
Delhi Diary – S Viswam (Deccan Chronicle)
Back to Forward – Inder Malhotra (Deccan Chronicle)
Between the lines - Kuldip Nayar (Deccan Chronicle)
Realty check – Siddharth Vardarajan (The Hindu)
Cambridge Letter – Bill Kirkman (The Hindu)
Men and Ideas – Guru charan Das (The Times of India)
Media Matters -Sevanti Ninan (The Hindu)
Politically incorrect -Shobhaa De (The Times of India)
Indiaspora -Chidanand Rajghatta (The Times of India)

Some of the most important news papers published in different countries

Daily Mirror UK
Daily Express UK
Daily Mail UK
Guardian UK
New York Times USA
Daily News USA
Washington Post USA
Toronto Globe & Mail USA
People’s Daily China
Asahi Shimbun Japan
Dawn Pakistan
Jang Pakistan

News Agencies / Head quarters

AP Associated Press New York
IRNA Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran
PPI Pakistan Press International Karachi
PTI Press Trust of India Mumbai
SPA Saudi Press Agency Riyadh
TASS Telegraph Agency of the Moscow
Sovereign State
UPI United Press International New York
XINHUA Xinhua Beijing
AFP Agence France Presse Paris

MEDIA TERMINOLOGY

*Banner: The main headline stretching right across the top of a page over all the columns.

*Blow-up: An enlargement.

*By-line: Name of a reporter of contributors printed above the story.

*Credit lines: A line acknowledging the source of a story.

*Crusade: A campaign by a newspaper to bring pressure to accomplish a specific social mission.

*Edition: The total copies of a newspaper printed at one run

*Free-lance: A journalist not on the staff of any newspaper but usually contributing to several newspapers.

*Lead: The main story in a newspaper or the first paragraph in a news story giving the main facts.

*Spot news: News obtained on the scene of the event, hence fresh, live news. Usually used to refer to unexpected events.

*Tabloid: It is the page half the size of a broad sheet, usually applied to newspapers of page size.

*Tip-off: As information passed on to a newspaper by the public

*Yellow Journalism: Refers to a newspaper or journal specializing in highly sensational stories

· Caption: words accompanying picture or graphic.

* Dateline: place from which story was filed usually applied to stories from abroad

80. Ads / Captions / tag lines :-

Journalism of courage The Indian Express
Connecting people Nokia
Count on us Maruti Suzuki
Because you are worth more Timesjobs.com
Express Yourself AIRTEL
News you can trust TV5
For decision makers Outlook Business
Speak out OUTLOOK
Keep walking Johnnie Walker
Making sense of India India Today
God’s own country Kerala
Be the first to know CNN
We nurture talent Amity
Growth is Life Reliance
Putting News First BBC World
The complete man Raymond
Connecting India BSNL
India’s International bank Bank of Baroda
Read to lead The Financial Express
Good people to grow with Indian Overseas Bank
Making tomorrow brighter ONGC
Incredible India India Tourism
What ever it takes CNN-IBN
Feel the news Times Now
Sabse Tej Aaj Tak
Sharp news for sharp people Headlines Today

81. News papers/TV channels / magazines & editors

Tehelka Tarun Tejpal
Outlook Vinod Mehta
The Week Chief Mammen Mathew
The Hindu N Ram
Pioneer Chandan Mitra
Hindustan Times Vir Singhvi
CNN-IBN Rajdeep Sardesai
Times Now Arnab Goswami
India Today Aroon Puri
India Today (telugu) Prabhu Chawla
Tribune H K Dua

82. TV programmes

Big Fight - NDTV 24x7 (Barkha Dutt)
Walk the Talk - NDTV 24x7 (Sekhar Gupta)
Spandinche Hrudayam – TV9
Claps Kottu Basoo - Zee Telugu
Avakkayyara! – MAA TV
Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyaann –ZEE TV
Vedika – Gemini News
Devil’s Advocate – CNN-IBN (Karan Thapar)
India Tonight - CNBC India (Karan Thapar)
Indian Idol – Sony
We the people (NDTV 24x7) - anchor – Barkha Dutt
The great Indian laughter Star One
Nenu Saitham ETV2
Ghantaravam ETV2
Neti bharatam ETV2
Neralu Ghoralu ETV2
Open Forum TV9
Nigha TV9
Vikata Kavi TV9

Naveena TV9 (anchor: Jhansi)
Pratidwani ETV2 (Parakala Prabhakar)
Open Forum TV9 (Rajnikanth)
AP Round Up Gemini News
Aarogyaniki 60 rahasyalu – MAA TV

NEWS PAPERS & SUPPLEMENTS

Pratibha plus Eenadu
Quest The Hindu
Down Town The Hindu
Woman’s Life The New Indian Express
Career The New Indian Express / Vaartha
Sadhana Andhra Bhoomi
Diksoochi Andhra Jyothi
Maidaan Andhra Jyothi
Cheli Vaartha
Opportunities The Hindu
Friday Review The Hindu
Brand Equity Economic Times

DAYS
National Press Day November 16
Anti-Terrorism day May 21
Earth day April 22
National Technology Day May 11
World Book day April 23
World Health day April 7
World tourism day September 27
World water day March 22
World Press Freedom Day May 3rd
World Human Rights day December 10
Small Industry Day August 30
World Vegetarian Day October 2
World AIDS Day December 1
Anti Tobacco Day May 31

Top dailies in India

Dainik Jagran Hindi
Dainik Bhaskar Hindi
Malayala Manorama Malayalam
Anand Bazar Patrika Bengali

Books and authors

Conversations with God Neale Donald Dalsch
The Good Earth Pearl Buck
The World is Flat Thomas Friedman
Playing with Pizza John Grisam
The Alchemist Paulo Cohelo
Speedpost Shobha De
Freedom is not Free Shiv Khera
Losing my virginity Richard Branson
How to Know God Deepak Chopra
Argumentative Indian Amartya Sen
Harry Potter (series) J K Rowling
One night @ the call center Chetan Bhagat
In the line of Fire Pervez Musharraf
A suitable boy Vikram Seth
War & Peace Tolstoy
Midnight’s Children Salman Rusdie
Everyday Greatness Stephen Covey
Algebra of infinite justice Arundhati Roy
Caravan to Tibet Deepa Agarwal
The Google Story David A. Vise

Abbreviations

IBSA India Brazil South Africa
SAFTA South Asian Free Trade Area
NACO National AIDS Control Organisation
NCMP National Common Minimum Programme
DRDO Defence Research and Development
IRDA Insurance Regulatory Development Authority
CNN Cable News Network
CDMA Code Division Multiple Access
PCI Press Council of India
LCA Light Combat Aircraft
BAFTA British Academy Film Awards
PURA Providing urban amenities in Rural Area
NREGP National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme
CAS Conditional Access System
ULFA United Liberation Front of Asom
OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
FDI Foreign Direct Investment
CTBT Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
MTCR Missile Technology Control Regime
WMD Weapons of Mass Destruction
CSO Central Statistical Organization
GLONASS Global Navigation Satellite System
ESMA Essential Services Maintenance Act
NRSA National Remote Sensing Agency
CRR cash reserve ratio
SLR Statutory Liquidity Ratio

Correct Spellings:-

Vacuum; embarrass; separate, immigrant; catastrophe; twelfth; ninth; fortieth; eighth; sycophant; repetition; deception; extension; intention; cliffhanger; symbiotic; fierce; phenomenal; reverberate; renaissance; demeanour; paradigm; entrepreneur; gnarled, timbre, aegis; berserk; dais; germane; unctuous; vignette; critique; prescient; pseudonym.

Osmania University BCJ 2006 entrance test questions:

1. Indo-US nuclear deal
2. Tarapur nuclear reactor fuel supplying country
3. Kavya
4. Meerut fire tragedy
5. Vadodara communal clashes
6. Varanasi blast – responsible
7. capital convertibility
8. Narmada bachao
9. The Hindu reader’s editor
10. Largest circulated Telugu daily
11. Largest circulated English daily
12. India today editor
13. Sportstar – weekly / monthly…??
14. Times of India
15. The Hindu
16. Steven Spielberg
17. 15 park avenue director
18. saif ali khan best actor award for
19. Dadasaheb phalke award for 2005
20. broadband
21. byline
22. tabloid
23. MPLADS
24. oil for food scam
25. MPs questions
26. search engine
27. MS Dhoni
28. TDP MLA killed
29. World economic forum theme
30. NIFTY
31. Europe grand pix
32. Naushad music director
33. Ajeet Bajaj
34. blockbuster
35. Salman Khan 5 years imprisonment in which case
36. New Zealand high commissioner
37. Young tarang in which tv
38. sri lanka army chief attached by
39. AP’s position in software exports
40. locus standi
41. banner
42. … destiny
43. Salman rusdie novel ……..deals with
44. Top country in low corruption
45. Davinci code movie
46. Goenka award winner
47. Vaishali – tele serial in which tv
48. DTH
49. Radio city
50. KG Gas basin
51. Narmada dam
52. Grammy awards
53. bird flu
54. ADB meeting
55. FIFA first cup in
56. FIFA stadium
57. 18th common wealth games best athlete
58. Nepal king
59. fundamental duties amendment
60. DNA – daily news and analysis published from
61. Katrina coverage best newspaper
62. Aishwarya rai
63. Hard talk India presenter
64. 4 lakh votes margin / Sonia Gandhi victory margin
65. US insisting Iraq on
66. Kasauti Zindagi ki serial in which tv

BCJ 2005 Osmania University entrance test questions

1. NEFA
2. Highest telescope
3. 77 Oscar best director
4. Whom Sania Mirza defeated in Dubai open to enter semi-final
5. Nobel peace prize winner – Wangari Mathai – ecologist
6. Caveat / Habeas corpus
7. Navin chawla – election commission member
8. Radio mirchi
9. baglihar project – dispute between India and Pakistan
10. Transmitter of national radio channel
11. Anand film director
12. 2004 best film
13. Hard talk presenter on BBC
14. Employment guarantee – how many days?
15. Iraq president
16. broadband
17. First English newspaper in India
18. Highest circulated English newspaper
19. tabloid
20. screen weekly / fortnightly
21. Femina editor
22. Media matters columnist
23. couch potato means
24. No full stops in India book author
25. Emergency imposed in which country
26. China recognized which state
27. tsunami which language
28. Fourth estate
29. UC Bannerjee
30. charge sheet on Lalu Yadav
31. FM Chidambaram withdrew which tax
32. PSLV-6 Cartosat 1
33. who joined tv 18 recently
34. Nooyi journalism award
35. Right to information passed in may
36. Saptarshi
37. CAS
38. FDI in 2004-05
39. Sensex
40. Cannes film festival classics
41. England – labour party won
42. Week published from
43. bluechip
44. EPW editor
45. Sarkar serial writer
46. K word serials production company
47. soap opera
48. Danel purchase scandal first published in ?
49. USA visa denied to?
50. editorial
51. largest forest is in which state
52. arctic / Antarctic
53. which newspaper redesigned recently
54. panchayat raj
55. group 500 – award
56. world space
57. eenadu published from how many places
58. VAT
59. largest lake
60. Jayendra saraswathi not involved in the followi9ng
61. TV & Film training institute is situated in
62. Rs 100 crore in the budget granted to IISc
63. Indian news agency
64. smoking banned recently
65. Black Friday movie subject
66. Feng Shui relating to?

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from indomitable will – MAHATMA GANDHI

For further information please visit reddy2007.blogspot.com

Why Journalism?

Career in journalism is a prestigious profession aw well as a highly paid one. Journalist plays a major role in the development of nation. It is through them that we get information about daily happenings in the society. The purpose of journalism itself is to inform and interpret, educate and enlighten the people.

The opportunities for journalists are endless and at the same time the job has become more challenging.

Simple reporting of events is no more sufficient, more specialization and professionalism in reporting required.

Personal attributes: To become a journalist one should have an inquisitive mind, will power, an aptitude for presenting information in an accurate, concise and effective manner. Organizing thoughts and expressing themselves clearly both orally and in writing is very important attribute. At the same time a journalist has to be tactful, confident and organized while interviewing people from all walks of life. They must have the ability to sift relevant facts from the irrelevant.

Synonyms :-( for words used in Newspapers)

Lynch: string up, hang, murder, mob, assassinate, kill

Overture: proposal, proposition, offer, advance, approach, gambit, suggestion

Panic: fright, terror, fear, dread, alarm, horror (antonym: calm)

Magnum opus: work of art, masterwork, work of genius, stunning success

Snub: ignore, cold-shoulder, slight, fail to acknowledge, cut, rebuff, rebuke

Grudge: feeling of resentment, complaint, ill will, rancor, bitterness, resent, hold against

Convergence: meeting, junction, union (antonym: divergence)

Greasepaint: cosmetics, face-paint, powder and paint

Peg: dowel, hook, bolt, hanger, attach, hang, nail, fasten

Torment: anguish, suffering, agony, distress, pain, torture, ordeal (antonym: pleasure)

Brink: edge, rim, lip (antonym: centre)

Browbeat: badger, bully, cudgel, dragoon, nag, twist somebody’s arm, push, pester

Slur: smear, disgrace, insult, slight, stain, affront

Beleaguered: stressed, under pressure, harassed, fraught, careworn, struggling

Scribe: engrave, inscribe, etch, cut, notch, score

Providential: fortunate, lucky, beneficial, good luck, advantageous (antonym: unfortunate)

Jingoism: xenophobia, nationalism, patriotism, chauvinism

Whip: beat, flog, thrash, belt, lash, whisk, fluff up

Hiccup: hitch, glitch, minor malfunction, technical hitch, interruption, delay, setback

Pitch: playing field, area of play, terrain, field, arena, ground, throw, hurl

Disband: break up, split up, scatter, separate, part, disperse

Stumble: stagger, trip, trip up, lurch, slip, fall, hesitate, falter

Cling: adhere, grip, stick, hug, fit tightly, hang (antonym: let go)

Flaunt: show off, exhibit, display, parade

Gag: choke, retch, suppress, silence, stifle, curb, restrain, muffle

Ridiculous: ludicrous, preposterous, absurd, silly, outlandish, outrageous, bizarre, unreasonable

Rampage: run riot, run amok, tear, charge, storm, go wild, go berserk

Gimmick: attention-grabber, publicity stunt, device, trick

Snippet: clip, snatch, morsel, shred, fragment, small piece

Maestro: genius, expert, rare talent, ace, whiz (antonym: amateur)

Fickle: indecisive, inconsistent, changeable, capricious, vacillating, unpredictable, erratic, picky

Lineage: ancestry, family, line, heredity, extraction, roots, pedigree, family tree

Sabotage: damage, disrupt, interfere with, interrupt, harm, incapacitate, impair, disruption

Spat: fight, quarrel, row, argument, spit

Zenith: peak, summit, pinnacle, top, acme, culmination (antonym: nadir)

Plunge: thrust, force, throw, push, pitch, sink, stab, fall

Snoop: spy, watch, poke around, nose around, sneak, pry, interfere (antonym: mind your own business)

Fume: stink, smoke, reek, smolder, smell, emit, exude, seethe

Incumbent: In office, current, present, serving, sitting, now (antonym: past)

Exorcise: get rid of, get free of, escape, disentangle yourself from, jettison, eliminate, purge

Mayhem: chaos, disorder, confusion, turmoil, havoc, pandemonium, bedlam, anarchy
Decipher: decode, make sense of, interpret, translate, make out, work out, read, crack
Inertia: inactivity, apathy, torpor, lethargy, disinterest, inaction, sluggishness, indolence

Manoeuvre: a movement performed with care and skill, a clever plan, action or movement

Phenomenon: occurrence, fact, observable fact, experience, happening, incident, event, trend

Zigzag: wind, meander, crisscross

Hackneyed: trite, clichéd, worn-out, tired, stale, everyday (antonym: imaginative, original)

Discernible: visible, apparent, perceptible, noticeable, distinct, evident, marked

Impermeable: resistant, waterproof, water-resistant, water tight, solid,

Hatchet: cut, chop up, slice, hack, ax, sever, split, hew

Chip: break off, fragment, cut, damage, disfigure, whittle,

Pragmatic: practical, realistic, hardheaded, hardnosed, sensible, matter-of-fact, no-nonsense, down to earth

Septuagenarian: a person between 70 and 79 years old

Quixotic: idealistic, unrealistic, romantic, impracticable, dreamy (antonym: down to earth)

Articulation: expression, verbalization, communication, enunciation, pronunciation, speech

Cognitive: connected with mental processes of understanding

Iota: jot, bit, scrap, speck, grain (antonym: lot)

Impulse: desire, urge, whim, wish, itch, fancy, inclination, yen

Overhaul: repair, renovate, fix, refit, refurbish, service, revamp, patch up

Jostle: push, shove, elbow, push around, man handle, crowd, bump

Asylum: refuge, haven, safe haven, sanctuary, shelter, place of safety, protection

Domain: area, field, sphere, sphere of influence, province, realm

Put up: erect, raise, build, construct, create (antonym: tear down)

Abode: house, residence, dwelling, habitat, quarters, domicile, address

Hazy: misty, foggy, cloudy, obscure (antonym: clear)

Usher: escort, accompany, shepherd, guide, conduct, steer, lead, marshal

Plunder: steal, rob, loot, pillage, raid, ransack, stolen goods, booty

Hue: shade, tone, tinge, tint, colour, type, kind, sort

Aplomb: assurance, self-confidence, self-possession, composure, cool, style, ease (antonym: awkwardness)

Tabloid: sensationalist, shocking, lurid, scandalous

Terrain: land, topography, territory, ground, landscape, environment

Soak: immerse, steep, marinate, infuse, saturate, bath, drench (antonym: dip)

Canine: connected with dogs

Lash: tie, bind, fasten, knot, secure, rope, tie up, fix

Shrillness: to make an unpleasant high loud sound

Clout: thump, wallop, whack, smack, blow, cuff, influence, power

Albeit: although, though, even though, even if, notwithstanding

Spin off: by-product, follow-up, sequel, offshoot, development

Cue: prompt, signal, sign, indication, reminder, nod

Wrath: anger, rage, fury

Pandora’s Box: a process that, if started, will cause many problems that cannot be solved

Plank: board, flat timber, floor board, piece of wood, lath

Retreat: move away, move back, back away, run away, recoil, withdraw, leave

Wrap: enfold, drape, swathe, cover, envelop, bind, enclose, wrap up

Rebuff: rejection, refusal, snub, slighting, denial, refuse, reject, repulse

All the Best

Thank you

11 things NOT to do with your money

2011-05-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

11 things NOT to do with your money

Smart investing is the key to financial happiness. It helps you multiply your money. And it certainly is not as difficult as you think.
If you think you need extra money to start saving, you are wrong! Saving is not about saving extra money. It is about planning your expenses in a manner that lets you save enough money, no matter what you earn, for a safe future.
But handling money is not very easy. So here are 11 tips on what you must not do with your hard earned money.
1. Don't go on depositing your salary in your savings account
Do you rush to the ATM and withdraw money regularly? Well, you cannot afford to be careless about withdrawals. While a savings bank account helps you meet your regular needs, it is important not to deposit all your earnings in the savings account.
While you must keep a portion of the salary in the savings account, make sure you allocate enough money for regular expenses, as well as additional expenses, that you may need to meet unexpectedly.
Excess money in savings account will always also tempt you to spend more money than you should ideally spend

2. Don't manage money without a good plan
A golden rule in investing is to have a good financial plan. Do not invest money only on the basis of what your friends or relatives say. You must identify your priorities and set realistic goals.
Calculate your monthly expenses and see how much you can save every month. Make a list of things you can and cannot avoid. Learn to strictly stick to you plans.
3. Don't invest all your money in the same plan
No matter which investment plan you choose, you must not invest all your money in just one plan or in one bank. You must allocate your resources across various schemes, be it mutual funds, fixed deposits, stocks or small saving schemes.
It is very important to diversify your investment. Remember, interest rates and services charges vary from one bank to the other. Before you invest money in any scheme, call up banks, financial service companies and make sure you get the best deal.
4. Don't set high savings targets
You must not go overboard on savings. You are the best judge of how much you can save and how much you can spend every month. There is no point in saving all your money and being sad about not having enough for your needs.
If you have a family, you must take care of their needs as well before you start investing. Set a target accordingly. But you should allocate a fixed amount every month. The more you can save, the better.
5. Don't lose your focus on savings
You may have invested your money across various investment options. Don't think that your job is over. In fact, you must keep a watch on interest rate changes and market fluctuations.
If it is stocks you have invested in, check out how the companies are performing, read up, be alert. You have to be proactive to the changes and be actively involved to make your money grow.
6. Don't splurge more just because you got a hike
Most people have a habit of spending more and changing their lifestyle when they get a good hike or bonus. There is no harm in enjoying and have a good time. However, if you would like to save money, you must invest the additional amount to add to your savings.
You must always think about the long-term benefits.
7. Don't shop for unnecessary items
You must learn not to give in to temptations while on a shopping trip. It is important to make a list of things you would need for the month and stick to the list. While it is good to indulge yourself once in a while, you must always be careful about spending money on impulsive buying.
Many items may look attractive but soon you may end up not using it, thus wasting your money.
8. Don't go for too many loans at the same time
It is very easy to get a loan nowadays. Loans are available just by sending an SMS. But beware of easy loans! Your may want to own a car, a home or some other luxury, but ideally you must not go for too many loans at the same time.
Buy things one at a time so that you have enough money for yourself and to save and you are not too indebted.
9. Don't join any scheme without verifying the credentials
There have been several cases of fraud, where innocent investors have been cheated by crooks posing as smart investors or advisors. They may lure you with all kinds of schemes of getting higher returns at the shortest possible time. Always cross-check facts and figures and their credentials before you invest in any plan.
You must also be aware of the fine print. Ask for all the details even it is time consuming. At the end of the day, you must be thoroughly convinced that you have made the right choice.

10. Don't invest your money in risky plans
While it is important not to keep stacking your money in a savings account, it is not important not to indulge in risky investment plans. You must start saving with smaller amounts and try to save more as you go along.
To start with, you must seek the advice of a good financial planner or choose low-risk plans. Remember, slow and steady wins the race!
11. Don't forget the dates, plans
Most people are very bad at remembering dates of maturity of their fixed deposits, or savings schemes or dates of paying premium. Make sure you keep a diary of all the saving plans, their maturity dates and remember to either reinvest the money or go ahead with any plan that you have in mind when the plan matures.
All the papers must be safely kept in either a bank locker or any safe place. You must also keep a photocopy of all the important papers incase you lose the original will be useful

Think you can #quote

2011-05-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

Think you can, think you can't; either way you'll be right.
-Henry Ford

Kanimozhi's new address is Tihar Jail No. 6 - The Times of India

2011-05-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

Kanimozhi's new address is Tihar Jail No. 6 - The Times of India: "Dressed in an orange salwar suit, Kanimozhi stepped into Tihar Jail around 4.30pm on Friday after a Delhi court ordered her arrest 'forthwith'. Hours ago, outside the court she had told reporters: 'I was expecting it.'"

Michael Jackson

2011-05-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

michael Jackson

Early Life

Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, the seventh of nine children. Five Jackson boys -- Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael -- first performed together at a talent show when Michael was 6. They walked off with first prize.

Their group later became The Jackson Five, and when it was signed by Motown Records in the late 1960s it underwent its final metamorphosis to become The Jackson 5. Jackson made his first solo album in 1972.

Success

Jackson released "Thriller" in 1982, which became a smash hit that yielded seven top-ten singles. The album sold 21 million copies in the United States and at least 27 million worldwide.

The next year, he unveiled his signature "moonwalk" dance move while performing "Billie Jean" during an NBC special.

Jackson's lifetime record sales tally is believed to be about 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he has received, makes him one of the most successful entertainers of all time.

source: reuters

Slow down and enjoy life

2011-05-20T15:52:00.000-07:00

butterfly
Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast you also miss the sense of where you are going and why - Eddie Cantor

Addicted to the Internet?

2011-05-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

Addicted to the Internet?
Ben Alexander spent nearly every waking minute playing the video game "World of Warcraft." As a result, he flunked out of the University of Iowa.

Alexander, 19, needed help to break an addiction he calls as destructive as alcohol or drugs. He found it in this suburb of high-tech Seattle, where what claims to be the first residential treatment center for Internet addiction in the United States just opened its doors.

The center, called reSTART, is somewhat ironically located near Redmond, headquarters of Microsoft and a world center of the computer industry. It opened in July and for $14,000 offers a 45-day program intended to help people wean themselves from pathological computer use, which can include obsessive use of video games, texting, Facebook, eBay, Twitter and any other time-killers brought courtesy of technology.
"We've been doing this for years on an outpatient basis," said Hilarie Cash, a therapist and executive director of the center. "Up until now, we had no place to send them."

Internet addiction is not recognized as a separate disorder by the American Psychiatric Association, and treatment is not generally covered by insurance. But there are many such treatment centers in China, South Korea and Taiwan — where Internet addiction is taken very seriously — and many psychiatric experts say it is clear that Internet addiction is real and harmful.

Program uses cold-turkey approach
The five-acre center in Fall City, about 30 miles east of Seattle, can handle up to six patients at a time. Alexander is so far the only patient of the program, which uses a cold-turkey approach. He spends his days in counseling and psychotherapy sessions, doing household chores, working on the grounds, going on outings, exercising and baking a mean batch of ginger cookies.
Whether such programs work in the long run remains to be seen. For one thing, the Internet is so pervasive that it can be nearly impossible to resist, akin to placing an alcoholic in a bar, Cash said.

The effects of addiction are no joke. They range from loss of a job or marriage to car accidents for those who can't stop texting while driving. Some people have died after playing video games for days without a break, generally stemming from a blood clot associated with being sedentary.

Psychotherapist Cosette Dawna Rae has owned the bucolic retreat center since 1994, and was searching for a new use for it when she hooked up with Cash. They decided to avoid treating people addicted to Internet sex, in part because she lives in the center with her family.

According to Dr. Kimberly Young of the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery in Bradford, Pa., addiction warning signs are being preoccupied with thoughts of the Internet; using it longer than intended, and for increasing amounts of time; repeatedly making unsuccessful efforts to control use; jeopardizing relationships, school or work to spend time online; lying to cover the extent of Internet use; using the Internet to escape problems or feelings of depression; physical changes to weight, headaches or carpal tunnel syndrome.

Exactly how to respond is being debated.

For instance, Internet addiction can be a symptom of other mental illness, such as depression, or conditions like autism, experts say.

"From what we know, many so-called 'Internet addicts' are folks who have severe depression, anxiety disorders, or social phobic symptoms that make it hard for them to live a full, balanced life and deal face-to-face with other people," said Dr. Ronald Pies, professor of psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y.

"It may be that unless we treat their underlying problems, some new form of 'addiction' will pop up down the line," Pies said.

source: MSNBC

Kanimozhi's 'womanhood' plea failed to cut ice - The Times of India

2011-05-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

Kanimozhi's 'womanhood' plea failed to cut ice - The Times of India: "The plea of 'womanhood' raised by noted criminal lawyer Ram Jethmalani could not cut ice with a Delhi court which on Friday rejected the bail plea of DMK MP Kanimozhi saying that gender cannot be considered as a ground for relief in the 2G spectrum case."

The world's happiest nations

2011-05-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

People get drenched by a large wave during high tide at Mumbai's seafront.

The world's happiest nations

1. Costa Rica

2. Dominican Republic

3. Jamaica

4. Guatemala

5. Vietnam

6. Colombia

7. Cuba

8. El Salvador

9. Brazil

10. Honduras

7 ways the U.S. population is changing - chicagotribune.com

2011-05-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

7 ways the U.S. population is changing - chicagotribune.com: "A shaky Social Security system, the DREAM Act, and a 2012 electoral map that may favor Republicans--these three political hot topics are directly linked to a U.S. population that is aging, growing from immigration, and migrating westward and southward, according to the latest data from the Census Bureau and other entities.

--Danielle Kurtzleben, U.S. News & World Report/Distributed by Tribune Media Services"

kanimozhi arrested

2011-05-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

Which is worse in a relationship, physical or emotional cheating? - Love + Sex on Shine

2011-05-19T20:04:00.000-07:00

Which is worse in a relationship, physical or emotional cheating? - Love + Sex on Shine: "When you hear the word 'cheating,' what comes to mind? For most it is a sexual encounter with another person while in a monogamous relationship with someone else. This issue has been battered back and forth for many years. Some will tell you cheating is sex only while others will tell you that developing a connection with someone who is not your partner is also cheating. Where do your views fit into all of this?"

A Raja in Time list of ignominious club of privileged leaders - General news

2011-05-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

A Raja in Time list of ignominious club of privileged leaders - General news: "Former Telecom Minister A Raja , at the centre of the 2G spectrum allocation scam , has earned the dubious distinction of figuring in the list of Time Magazine's 'an ignominious club of privileged leaders who stepped too far'."

Man jailed for sex with girlfriend's underage niece

2011-05-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

Man jailed for sex with girlfriend's underage niece: "A 51-YEAR-OLD man who started engaging in consensual sex acts with his girlfriend's niece when the latter was just 13 was jailed for 12 years on Thursday."