Obituary : Gayatri Devi

Maharani Gayatri Devi is a personality that attracted me since childhood. Recognized as one of the ten leading beauties of the world by the fashion magazine Vogue, the Maharani of Jaipur breather her last today at a Jaipur hospital at the age of 90.

She was a successful politician and known for her philanthropic activities. She was a strong activist for the right for education of the girl child. She started schools for girls’ education in Jaipur, most prominent of which is the Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ Public School. She also promoted the dying art of blue pottery. Read the rest of this entry »

A Lifetime Eclipse

July 22, 2009 is going to be one special day in our lives being the day of the longest total solar eclipse of our lifetime. The eclipse will commence soon after sunrise starting in the Gulf of Cambay at Surat, Gujarat and then pan across India. The shadow of the moon will be so large during this eclipse that even at sunrise the duration of totality will be over three minutes. The shadow very quickly moves across the breadth of India towards Arunachal Pradesh. It spans a third of the entire path in India, 900 km out of 2,500 km. Read the rest of this entry »

Malathi Holla – a story of will power

As I grew up I realised that you need legs to run and wings to fly. I was hurt. But I didn’t give up. I knew, one day, I would run… – Malathi K. Holla

Malathi Holla is a character to emulate, a personality to admire and a sportsperson to idolize. She did not let her physical handicap which kept her bound to her wheel-chair since when she was just a 15 month old girl because of polio.

Malathi Holla launched her first authorized biography A Different Spirit on July 8, 2009. Clearly, it was an evening that celebrated the triumph of the human spirit over physical handicap. Cricket legend Syed Kirmani released the book authored by enior journalist and CorpCom Head of Hindustan Aeronauticals Limited M. Anantha Krishnan. Read the rest of this entry »

How will budget affect your shopping list?

Pranab Mukherjee as Finance Minister presented the first budget of the new Congress government.The stock market tanked by almost 850 points as expectations were more than what was delivered in the 100 minute budget speech. However, the main concerns were addressed by the 73 year old minister -  stimulus on growth, focus on infrastructure development, simplicity in taxes, job creation and modernization of the police and army. Read the rest of this entry »

Full Text of Budget Speech – 2009

Madam Speaker,

I rise to present the Budget for 2009-10.

2. Just 140 days back, I had the privilege to present the Interim Budget for 2009-10. It is a rare honour that I have been called upon to present the regular budget after the new government assumed office.

3. The Congress-led UPA government has come back to power with a renewed mandate. As Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, said recently “It is a mandate for continuity, stability and prosperity. It is a mandate for inclusive growth and equitable development.” It is a mandate that we accept with humility and a firm resolve to do all that we can for the welfare of this nation.

4. I am deeply conscious of the faith reposed by the people in our government and the responsibilities that come with it. I am sensitive to the great challenge of rising expectations of a young India. It reflects a population that is restless, yet engaged and is ready to seize the opportunities that it is presented with. There are new and powerful reasons for us to create, facilitate and sustain those opportunities. Read the rest of this entry »

Bangladesh rewinds clock to save energy

Unable to cope with massive load-sheddings, Bangaldesh joins the group of about 70 countries including Pakistan which set clocks forward to use daylight better and save energy.

Bangladesh’s daylight saving time (DST) started at 11pm (23:00) local time on Friday, June 19, 2009. The clocks moved one hour forward at this time to midnight (00:00) between June 19 and June 20.

“This means Bangladeshis would practically begin their work an hour earlier than usual. Many establishments that run till sundown would actually close before sundown and thus reduce pressure on power demands,” The Daily Star newspaper said on the enforcement of a government decision taken last month. Read the rest of this entry »

Oceansat-2 and GSAT-4

After attracting world attention last month by launching the country’s first “spy satellite,” the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is already planning to launch the indigenously built Oceansat-2 satellite by July end or July.

G Madhavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO

“It will be a unique mission and the satellite would enable us to study the sea surface, wind and also track down the fishing zones,” Nair told reporters on the sidelines of a national seminar on ‘Aerospace Expanding Frontiers-Technologies and Challenges’. Read the rest of this entry »

Bandra Worli Sea Link

UPDATE: The bridge is to be opened by Congress President Sonia Gandhi on June 30,2009.

Finally, the much hyped infrastructure masterpiece Bandra Worli Sea Link is to opened in the middle of this month after a five year delay. Started in 2001, the construction of the 5.6 km sea link was embroiled in numerous issues like logistical, environmental clearance and public interest litigation, leading to its delay and cost escalation.

And tourist operators are busy trying to get permission to get permission to halt their tourist buses on the bridge! Read the rest of this entry »