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IndiaMART.com nominated among the top three at emerging India Awards 2008
02.07.2008 05:27
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IndiaMART.com nominated for India's Biggest Business Awards for Small and Medium Enterprises. In its successive fourth year, India's biggest initiative for Small and Medium Enterprises Sector, 'Emerging India Awards 2008' creates a global mark with its theme 'Think Global Go Global'. The awards are jointly organized by ICICI Bank and CNBC TV 18 to honor India's most globally competitive SMEs. CRISIL, the nations leading credit rating agency, is managing the evaluation process. The Emerging India Awards London- 2008 felicitation ceremony for the winning SMEs is scheduled for July 8, 2008 in London where the Honorable Chief Guest L N Mittal, Chairman and CEO, Mittal Steel will felicitate the winners. The award ceremony will be graced by stalwarts like Rt. Hon John Hutton MP, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Kamal Nath, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, who will felicitate some of the winners from the 17 categories. CNBC-TV18 India's leading business medium and ICICI Bank announced the fourth 'Emerging India Awards London-2008' powered by CRISIL. Small and Medium Enterprises are often hailed as being the drivers of economic growth. 'Emerging India Awards' this year will recognize and reward India's most globally competitive SMEs whose business practices are at par with global giants. The initiative aims at recognizing the most sustainable Value Creators among SMEs in the country. It is estimated that SMEs account for almost 90 per cent of industrial units in India, 40 per cent of value addition in the manufacturing sector and contribute 35 per cent to India's merchandise exports. CNBC-TV18 'Emerging India Awards London 2008' will provide a platform that enhances the visibility of these integral players in India's economic growth story. Combating the tough competition from nominees under the category of Trading (non-retail), IndiaMART.com, India's largest online B2B marketplace has been short listed amongst the top three companies along with Aptivaa Consulting Solutions Private Limited and Molecular Connections Private Limited. "We are honored to be amongst the top 3 companies in our category. It is highly satisfying that our efforts to put Indian suppliers on the global map have been recognized. Emerging India Awards has become a platform of repute to showcase India's best SMEs, and we are happy that we have been recognized by them", says Dinesh Agarwal, Founder & CEO, IndiaMART.com Commenting on the awards Neel Chowdhury, Vice President, Marketing CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz said "The Emerging India Awards has become not just the benchmark for recognizing the best performing enterprises from the SME space but it has also emerged as India's (and one of the world's) largest business awards! We are extremely proud to partner with ICICI Bank in this initiative. What is also extremely heartening that SMEs are raring to go and willing to take on challenges & opportunities thrown in by globalization with Think Global Go Global! We will continue to take up the SME cause at the CNBC TV18 network." CNBC-TV18 and ICICI Bank 'Emerging India Awards' is India's foremost initiative powered by the capability of shaping the future of Indian SMEs, and have been acknowledged as India's biggest business award by the Limca Book of Records. (ANI)
India
Economics & Finance
Another batch of 1672 pilgrims leaves for Amarnath shrine
02.07.2008 05:27
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Another batch of 1672 pilgrims left for the Amarnath yatra from the base camp of Bhagwati Nagar early this morning. The pilgrimage is being held amid large scale protests and violence against the cancellation of the land allotment order to the Sri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB). According to official sources, the devotees, including 273 women and 49 children, left in a convoy of 53 vehicles at around 5:00 a.m. They were escorted by a group of CRPF personnel. A total of 34,282 pilgrims have so far left the shrine. The first batch left on June 17. Meanwhile, the yatra has so far been suspended four times due to bad weather and heavy rush of pilgrims on June 20, 25, 27 and 29. The two-month long yatra will conclude on August 16. Security forces have been put on a high alert along the entire route of the pilgrimage to ensure the safety of the pilgrims. The security setup consists of area domination and setting up of mountain posts by Army, deployments of CRPF and mobile patrolling by armed police. Every year, a large number of devotees trek the steep, slippery 48-kilometres route to reach the Amarnath cave shrine, which stands at a height of nearly 12,500 feet above sea level. (ANI)
India
Social Life
Indefinite curfew imposed in Jammu
02.07.2008 05:27
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The Jammu district administration extended curfew to the entire Jammu region on Wednesday, following large scale protests and violence against the cancellation of the land allotment order to the Sri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB). All schools and colleges have been shut for the day, but essential services were exempted from curfew. The curfew was imposed on Tuesday afternoon in areas falling under three police stations of Muthi, Bakshi Nagar and Rehari. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) called for nationwide shutdown on Thursday. Calling the revocation of land to Amarnath Shrine Board as a 'non-secular' move, BJP president Rajnath Singh urged the state government to re-allot the land to Shrine Board. After hue and cry and nearly two weeks of row over the 40-acre land allotted to the Shri Amarnath shrine board by the state government, Jammu and Kashmir government has revoked the allotted land and has passed on the land to the tourism department. Rajnath has also alleged the Central Government for the revocation and has blamed the congress for bowing down to the pressure of separatists. BJP will also take out protest rallies in all the major centers of the country from July 4 to July 11. (ANI)
India
Social Life
Nationwide truckers strike from today
02.07.2008 05:27
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Truckers across the country are on an indefinite strike today to push their demand for abolishment of toll tax and rationalization of duty of diesel. All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) claimed the support of all state transporters' association with a combined fleet size of 48 lakh trucks. On Tuesday, AIMTC officials had presented a note of their demands to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The demands of the truckers' body include removal of ad valorem taxes levied on diesel. They also demanded that toll taxes on old highways, where recoveries have already been made, should be removed. The roads constructed under the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) model, where the private parties have already made recoveries, toll taxes should also be withdrawn. AIMTC also demanded the removal of speed governors at highways, which set speed limit at 60 km considering the government, was going ahead with construction of expressways. (ANI)
India
Social Life
NSA Narayanan to brief Amar Singh on N-Deal
02.07.2008 05:27
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National Security Advisor (NSA) MK Narayanan is scheduled to meet Samajwadi Party (SP) General Secretary Amar Singh here today, to brief him about the nitty-gritty of the Indo-US nuclear deal, ahead of tomorrow's crucial UNPA meeting. Tomorrow, the UNPA would decide the future of the third front, and also which way the SP would go in the event of voting in the Parliament over the nuclear deal. A couple of days ago, Amar Singh had averred that he was not privy to the details of the civil nuclear deal and that he, or his party, has come to know about the deal and 123 Agreement only through his "friends" in Communist parties. He had also said that his party would make its final stance only after getting to know the details of the deal. The standoff over the nuclear deal between the Congress-led UPA government and the Left parties continues, amid speculations making rounds that the UPA Government might go in for voting over the nuclear deal in the parliament. Amid hectic political parleys between different parties, Amar Singh had on Tuesday held talks with his CPI-M General Secretary Prakash Karat. Earlier, after arriving from his vacations in the US on Sunday night, Amar Singh had held deliberations on the nuclear deal with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, making the first contact between the SP and the Congress. The developments over the past few days have given enough hints that the UPA is on the lookout for a replacement of its Left allies, who have been threatening to withdraw support if it moves ahead with the deal. The Communists are opposing the deal, saying it "compromises India's sovereignty and security" and have threatened to withdraw vital support from the ruling coalition if the government moved ahead with it. (ANI)
India
Social Life
India, Cuba finalise agreement for cooperation in the Hydrocarbon sector
02.07.2008 05:27
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India and Cuba have finalised India Cuba Hydrocarbon agreement for cooperation in the oil and gas sector. This emerged at an hour long meeting between Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Murli Deora and his counterpart from Cuba Yadira Garcia Vera, Minister of Basic Industry, in the afternoon yesterday (evening India time) at Madrid (Spain) on the occasion of the 19th World Petroleum Congress. Recognising the need for such a mechanism for facilitating further cooperation between the two countries, the two sides agreed that Indian Petroleum Minister would visit Cuba for signing the agreement, which could coincide with spudding of oil wells by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Videsh in its exploration block in Cuba. Deora recalled the long-standing friendly relations between the two nations and emphasised that the process to further cement ties should be carried forward in the backdrop of ventures finalised in recent years. OVL acquired interests in nine exploration blocks in Cuba including 100 per cent in two blocks. The contracts for these blocks were signed in 2006. He expressed keen interest of the Indian companies to participate in both upstream and downstream projects in Cuba, which have good potential to fructify. Vera invited investment in the planned new refinery project on the West coast of Cuba. She said the project is slated to have a capacity of 150 thousand barrels a day (7.5 million tonnes per annum). Further Indian companies could also participate in the capacity expansion and upgradation of the existing refineries. Showing keen interest in the proposal, Indian side explained that India has set up refineries, which produce latest grade environment-friendly fuels of Euro-III and Euro-IV standards. Besides domestic markets, these products also cater to export markets including the US and Europe. Deora was accompanied during the talks by Petroleum Secretary M S Srinivasan, Indian Ambassador to Spain Sujata Mehta, CMD ONGC R S Sharma and MD ONGC Videsh R S Butola. (ANI)
India
Social Life
How relaxation response helps you deal with high BP, infertility and more
02.07.2008 05:26
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A collaborative study by members of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Genomics Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) casts light on how the relaxation response, a physiologic state of deep rest, enables patients to deal with disorders like high blood pressure, pain syndromes, infertility, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. The study appearing in the open-access journal PLoS One suggests that works by influencing the activation pattern of genes associated with the body’s response to stress. "For hundreds of years Western medicine has looked at mind and body as totally separate entities, to the point where saying something 'is all in your head' implied that it was imaginary. Now we've found how changing the activity of the mind can alter the way basic genetic instructions are implemented," says Dr. Herbert Benson, director emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute. Dr. Towia Libermann, director of the BIDMC Genomics Center and the report's co-senior author, adds: "This is the first comprehensive study of how the mind can affect gene expression, linking what has been looked on as a 'soft' science with the 'hard' science of genomics. It is also important because of its focus on gene expression in healthy individuals, rather than in disease states." Over the years, studies in many peer-reviewed journals documented how the relaxation response not only alleviates symptoms of psychological disorders such as anxiety but also affects physiologic factors such as heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen consumption and brain activity. However, the mechanism underlying such effects remained unknown to date. The researchers said that they designed the current study to determine whether changes in the expression of specific genes were behind the wide-ranging effects of the relaxation response. In the first phase of the study, gene expression patterns of 19 long-term practitioners of different relaxation response techniques were compared with those of 19 individuals who had never engaged in such practices. In the second phase of the study, the control participants went through an eight-week training program to investigate whether initiating relaxation response practice could change gene expression over time. Both phases of the study indicated that the relaxation response alters the expression of genes involved with processes such as inflammation, programmed cell death, and how the body handles free radicals – molecules produced by normal metabolism that, if not appropriately neutralized, can damage cells and tissues. The researchers repeated both phases in six different relaxation response practitioners and five non-practitioners to validate their findings, and observed significantly similar changes in gene expression. "Changes in the activation of these same genes have previously been seen in conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder; but the relaxation-response-associated changes were the opposite of stress-associated changes and were much more pronounced in the long-term practitioners," said Dr. Jeffery Dusek co-lead author of the study. Benson said: "People have been using these culturally determined mind/body techniques for millenia. We found that no matter which particular technique is used – different forms of meditation and yoga, breath focus, or repetitive prayer – the mechanism involved is the same. Now we need to see if similar changes occur in patients who use the relaxation response to help treat stress-related disorders, and those studies are underway now." Libermann said that the sensitive genomic analyses conducted in the study were at the cutting edge of efforts to unravel the genetic aspects of complex disorders. "There are a lot of differences in gene expression between one healthy person and another, so it is challenging to analyze the kinds of subtle changes we are seeing and identify what changes are significant and what are just background noise. Our approach uses the latest bioinformatics tools to identify potential gene functions, generating hypotheses that can then be tested in laboratory or clinical studies," added the researcher. (ANI)
India
Health & Beauty
Mediterranean diet cuts cancer risk by 12pc
02.07.2008 05:26
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The benefits of a Mediterranean diet are not just confined to healthy weight loss. According to a new research, the diet rich in fruit and vegetables can also cut the risk of cancer by 12 per cent. The diet, reports the British Journal of Cancer, also includes higher amounts of fruits, vegetables, cereals, and less red meat. The Mediterranean diet came under scrutiny after researchers noticed lower rates of illnesses such as heart disease in countries such as Spain and Greece. They noticed that people living there generally ate more vegetables and fish, less red meat, cooked in olive oil and drank moderate amounts of alcohol. The latest study is one of the largest yet to look at the potential impact on cancer of the various parts of this diet. Researchers from Harvard University persuaded thousands of Greek people of various ages to record their food intake over an eight-year-period. Their adherence to the Mediterranean diet was ranked using a scoring system, and the group with the worst score compared with those who followed a couple of aspects of the diet, and those who followed it the most closely. The biggest effect they found - a 9 percent reduction in risk - was achieved simply by eating more "unsaturated" fats such as olive oil. But just two changes - eating less red meat, and more peas, beans and lentils, cut the risk of cancer by 12 percent. "Adjusting one's overall dietary habits towards the traditional Mediterranean pattern had an important effect,” BBC quoted Dr Dimitrios Trichopoulos, the study’s lead author, as saying. Sara Hiom, from Cancer Research UK, said the research highlighted the importance of a healthy balanced diet. "It shows there are a number of things you can do, and there is no one 'superfood' that can stop you developing the disease,” Hiom said. (ANI)
India
Health & Beauty
Lesbians nearly twice as likely to be obese than straight women
02.07.2008 05:26
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A new study has found that lesbians are nearly twice as likely to be overweight than heterosexual women. Researchers at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing are now using an extraordinarily successful, predominately lesbian weight loss group in Atlanta, as a model system for discovering how to target obesity in a lesbian population. Sarah Fogel, Ph.D., R.N., associate professor of Nursing at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, is studying the group, and her findings are giving her a different view on weight loss. “All weight loss groups offer an environment of like-bodied people (overweight or obese), but this is the first group, to my knowledge, that has been developed around other personal and social issues,” said Fogel. Adherence to a new lifestyle is often the most difficult barrier to overcome in weight loss. However, the Atlanta group has had remarkable success in developing long-term change in its member’s lifestyles. “Perhaps the best representation of the group is to say that there are still several women in the group who were ‘founding members.’ They have been attending since October 2006 and continue to come even though a couple of them have reached their weight loss goals,” Fogel said. “The other side of this is that even the women who have not been able to lose what they want to lose keep coming . . . this is unheard of. It says volumes about the group,” she added. Being overweight or obese can result in a number of health problems, namely cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, so understanding how obesity develops in different populations is a pressing concern. Fogel will study the group over a six-month period, both empirically and qualitatively. Using body mass index (BMI) and relative weight loss, she will put a number on the group’s success. Fogel has already held focus groups in order to lend a deeper, more personal aspect to the study, and therefore weight loss. (ANI)
India
Health & Beauty
Term of Liberhan Ayodhya Commission of inquiry extended by three months
02.07.2008 03:37
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The term of the Liberhan Ayodhya Commission of inquiry has been extended by three months up to 30th September. The Commission is inquiring into the destruction of the Ram Janma Bhoomi-Babri Masjid structure at Ayodhya on 6th December, 1992. Established on December 16, 1992, ten days after the demolition that triggered widespread communal violence, the panel headed by retired Justice M S Liberhan, has got 46 extensions. The probe panel has become one of the longest and costliest commissions with over Rs.7.5 crore having been already spent during this period. The Commission, constituted by the Home Ministry, was expected to submit its report by March 16, 1993. It was mandated to inquire into the circumstances leading to the demolition of the Babri Mosque. During the extended proceedings, the Commission has recorded the statements of senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Kalyan Singh. The last extension for two months ended on June 30. (ANI)
India
Social Life
BJP calls for a countrywide strike against revocation of land allotted to Shri Amaranth Board
02.07.2008 03:37
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In an attempt to make revocation of Amaranth land a big national and ultimately an election issue, the Bhartiya Janata Party today announced a nationwide strike on 3rd July. Calling it a 'non-secular' move, BJP president Rajnath Singh has urged the state government to re allot the land to Shri Amarnath Shrine board. After hue and cry and nearly two weeks of row over the 40 acre land allotted to the Shri Amarnath shrine board by the state government, Jammu and Kashmir government today revoked the allotted land and has passed on the land to the tourism department. Rajnath has also alleged the central government for the revocation and has blamed the congress for bowing down to the pressure of separatists, he further said, “The issue of land revocation is similar to Shah Bano case in which then congress government gave in to the demands of stoics.” Terming it a matter of belief and faith BJP president said, “No objections were raised in building religious structures like Haj Manzil and Urs centre.” BJP will also take out protest rallies in all the major centers of the country from 4th to 11th July, this decision was taken after an hour long meeting between the office bearers at the party headquarters. Senior leaders of the party ostensibly admit that after Ram Setu, the Amaranth land revocation issue can revitalize the moribund Hindutva agenda of the party. (ANI)
India
Social Life
Pranab Mukherjee wants African nations to choose their representative in Security Council
02.07.2008 03:37
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External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said that African countries should decide among themselves as to who should be their representative in the United Nation Security Council in the permanent and non-permanent categories. Speaking during a brief stopover on his way to Cairo, the Indian Foreign Minister said that he would try to ascertain the views of Egypt on UN reforms. “We have taken a position that representation of African countries must be decided by them”, Mukherjee told the ANI. “We are of the firm opinion that Africa needs to be represented in both permanent and non-permanent categories,” he said. . Speaking about his visit, the minister said his visit was the first visit by an Indian Foreign Minister in last seven years to Egypt. It was important visit bilaterally as also politically and economically . The trade between the two countries has grown from seven million dollars to over 2.2 billion dollars. Pranab Mukherjee would be meeting his counterpart Ahmed Abul Gheit to discuss bilateral, regional and global issues. He would also be calling on President Hoshni Mubarak to reiterate India’s invitation to him. Egypt will be hosting the 25th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in July next year. Mukherjee will spend three-days in Egypt to hold wide-ranging of talks to strengthen bilateral relations. (ANI)
India
Social Life
Now, a Talking Library for the visually impaired in Coimbatore
02.07.2008 03:36
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Lions Club of Coimbatore by joining hands with the Bharatiyar University has set up a unique audio library for the visually impaired students considering how much these students struggle to get study material in Braille for higher studies. The venture known as 'Talking Library' boasts of nearly a thousand recorded audiocassettes on various subjects for the benefit of the visually handicapped pursuing college and post graduation studies. Visually challenged students have found this library very useful. They spend hours at the CD and record players machines listening to books, periodicals and their course materials. "I had come to this talking library for the first time and this talking library is a boon to the visually challenged persons like us. Generally, people with normal eyesight can easily access or go to any library and can also refer any kind of books but we can study only what is being taught to us in our class,” Ponnuswamy, Visually challenged student. “Moreover this kind of talking library is very useful to all our brothers and sisters to refer various books and notes studying for M.A, M.Phil, Ph.D etc. This is really useful to us and in future we can also compete in the world equal to normal people and come up in life," he added. Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Subbulakshmi Jagadeesam at Coimbatore formally inaugurated the library formally recently. "It is for the first time with the help of Lions club they (Bharatiyar University) is initiating this scheme here. All the people have liked the CDs and audio cassette recordings which are not monotonous like Braille. So we have plans to create one more recording system in Coimbatore and want to thank the Lion's Club," said Subbulakshmi. It is estimated that 33.3 million of the world's visually impaired people live in developing countries and more than half of the world's blind live in India (nine million), Africa (seven million) and China (six million). (ANI)
India
Social Life
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