Think India Foundation

India gets a solar plant in 100 days

ThinkIndia — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:21:52 PST

A 5 MW solar PV project has recently been commissioned in 100 days - in the Rawra village near Jodhpur, in India’s northern desert state of Rajasthan. The project has been established by Mahindra Solar One, a leading solar power developer in the country and a joint venture between the US $14.4 billion Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) group, based in Mumbai, and Kiran Energy Solar Power Pvt. Ltd, also from Mumbai. Pursuing the foundation of over 100 MW of large grid-connected projects over the next 2 to 3 years, the company says it aims to be at the forefront of...

'CCI scrutiny of foreign takeovers may not be effective'

ThinkIndia — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:07:38 PST

New Delhi : Ministry of corporate affairs is exploring possibilities of amending the Competition Act to exempt deals in the sector from the current turnover and deal size thresholds The government’s attempt to strike a balance between public health concerns and need for foreign direct investments (FDI) by empowering the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to monitor all foreign takeovers of Indian drug firms may have no impact. Experts feel all domestic takeovers, irrespective of the turnover, deal size or the status of the acquirer, need to be brought under strict scrutiny. Read more Source : business-standard.com

Now, get birth certificate on your mobile

ThinkIndia — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:00:15 PST

New Delhi : Soon, getting a birth certificate or a school mark sheet, or transferring money from one bank account to another, will be possible with the click of a button on your mobile phone. The service will be rolled out in major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and some rural areas by March. The rest of the country will be covered over the next two years. Read more Source : hindustantimes.com

Elementary, but only 54 pc schools have them

ThinkIndia — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:54:29 PST

DHNS: The State government has identified eight basic facilities elementary and high schools must have. At the elementary school level, playgrounds rank the lowest, with only 54.42 per cent having them. The second worst facility is, ironically, the compound wall, which only 66.6 per cent schools have. The drastically low figures are, however, better than the previous years’. A face-saver of sorts for the State education department, playgrounds have seen a marginal 4.5 per cent increase in the last three years. Read more Source : deccanherald.com

E-pension scheme hits roadblock in Haryana

ThinkIndia — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:46:23 PST

Haryana’s plans to become the first state in the country to electronically transfer pension across its 21 districts has hit a roadblock due to inadequate banking infrastructure. The Haryana government had earlier claimed that it was the first state in the country to have opened bank accounts for more than two million beneficiaries under the Social Security Schemes for electronic transfer of pension. However, it seems to have faltered in the very first step of implementing this. After CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda recently reviewed the progress made under the scheme and noted with concern that the state consisted of “grossly...

Is Sonipat-Kundli region another Gurgaon in the making?

ThinkIndia — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:39:47 PST

With realty prices soaring in Delhi in recent years, action is shifting to the suburbs and the satellite towns. Affordable property prices, proximity to the metro city, enhanced infrastructure and the availability of spacious residential and commercial spaces are the key factors driving the growth of these towns and suburbs. And one such fast-developing region is the Sonipat-Kundli region in Haryana. In fact, the Sonipat-Kundli region has developed so fast in the past few years that some industry observers have already started viewing this region as the next Gurgaon in the state. Read more Source : articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com

Mumbai-born engineer plans to make steel out of waste

ThinkIndia — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:35:39 PST

Mumbai : Even as we grapple with the growing problem of waste management, a city girl’s homecoming is marked with an innovative patented technology that uses rubber and plastic to make steel. Meet Dr Veena Sahajwalla, director of Sustainable Materials Research and Technology at the University of New South Wales, whose enthusiasm about science is simply infectious. “I love engineering, and I have always been this problem-solving person,” she says as she reminisces her childhood days in Mumbai. At a time when girls studying science mostly opted for medicine, Dr Sahajwalla opted for engineering to become the only woman engineer...

What happens to the millions of gadgets we discard?

ThinkIndia — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:27:30 PST

Miraj Malik deals with the after life. His days begin with a casual stroll around the dusty lanes of Seelampur - a Delhi suburb - inspecting the latest cold cargo that's been picked up from across the National Capital Region (NCR) and unloaded by hundreds of trucks the previous night. Malik dabbles in cadavers of computers and sundry gizmos. He runs 18 shops in Seelampur - one of India's biggest "organised" unorganised market for scrapped electronic devices - where they are dismantled, glass and plastic parts are sifted out from metals, which, in turn, are separated to be sold to...

RAY of hope: Slum dwellers to get houses in Bangalore

ThinkIndia — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:36:20 PST

BANGALORE: If everything goes as planned, the slum dwellers who are aspiring to own a house across the State will not have to wait for 15 years to get the ownership title (Occupancy certificates) as the State government is planning to reduce the waiting period to five years. The Union Government launched Rajiv Gandhi Awaas Yojana (RAY) as part of ‘Slum free India’ campaign. In this scheme, all the slums whether declared or undeclared, will be taken up for redevelopment. Read more Source : ibnlive.in.com

Housing conundrum: FICCI report on urban infrastructure reveals uncomfortable truths

ThinkIndia — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:31:39 PST

In 2001, about 286 million persons were living in urban areas of India and it was the second largest urban population in the world. According to the Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India, the urban population in India over the next 25 years is expected to grow 38 per cent and become 534 million in 2026. Furthermore, as per the Census of India, 2001, 640 cities/towns in 26 States/Union territories have reported slum populations. Andhra Pradesh has the largest number of towns (77) reporting slums followed by Uttar Pradesh (69), Tamil Nadu (63) and Maharashtra (61). As many as...

A sustainable makeover for NCR

ThinkIndia — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:27:04 PST

Delhi : Germany, India pledge funds for environmental urban infrastructure development The agreement with Germany will help towards a better NCR. Photo: Shanker Chakravarty To boost the environmental sustainability of fast-growing towns in India's National Capital Region (NCR), the German Government-owned development bank KfW has signed a loan agreement worth 100 million euros (approximately Rs. 700 crore) and a financing agreement for project development and capacity building grant of 1 million euro (approximately Rs. 7 crore) with the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB). The Agreement was signed in New Delhi by Naini Jayaseelan, Member Secretary, NCRPB and Mr. Uwe...

“Cardiovascular diseases a major threat”

ThinkIndia — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:21:54 PST

CHENNAI : Seventh MDRF-UAB Gold Medal Oration held U.S. Consul General Jennifer McIntyre presents the 7th MDRF-UAB gold medal to cardiologist K. Srinath Reddy at a function in Chennai on Friday. MDRF president V. Mohan is in the picture. Photo: V. Ganesan Conscious policy changes can make a radical difference to the health of the population of a country, said K. Srinath Reddy, cardiologist and president, Public Health Foundation of India. Delivering the seventh MDRF-UAB Gold Medal Oration organised by the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation on Friday, Dr. Reddy said cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a major development threat to India....

It’s not rocket science

ThinkIndia — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:16:36 PST

In a slum along the Mysore Road in Bangalore, the headquarters for the state-run Indian Space Research Organisation, or Isro, dozens of dish antennae jut out from crowded rooftops. They pick up signals directly from one of several home-grown satellites, making 24/7 television possible and spurring direct-to-home services. “The cable guys stopped servicing our area because nobody would pay,” says S Sudhir, a resident who maintains a public toilet in Bangalore. “Now we can buy recharge TV coupons for even a day’s viewing. This is easy on the pocket.” Read more Source : hindustantimes.com

Simians fight for survival as humans encroach on their space

ThinkIndia — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:11:27 PST

THE northern part of Mumbai, encompassing an area of over 100 sq km, and stretching from Borivali in the west to Thane in the east, is a sprawling national park, teeming with wild animals, and rich flora. The Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), basically a reserve forest, includes a thousand species of plants, more than 250 species of birds, 50,000 insect species and over 40 species of mammals and an equal number of reptile species. Read more Source : khaleejtimes.com

'25% elderly population depressed'

ThinkIndia — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:07:03 PST

NEW DELHI: One in every four among India's elderly population is depressed, and one in three suffers from arthritis, while one in five cannot hear. While one in three suffers from hypertension in rural India and one in two in urban areas, almost half have poor vision. Around one in 10 experiences a fall that results in fracture, while two in five are anemic. Read more Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com