India

India YouTube link

Check out my video!

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Lead India

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An Indian Valentine's Day

Rising India: is this how we know India -- a country with millions of occasions to celebrate? There is more festivals than the number of days in calendar. Now the question is, why do we care for just one festival -- St. Valentine's Day -- that isn't even our own, more than for the others? Every festival has a purpose and its effects just like the St. Valentine's Day. Where exactly does the Valentine's day fit in the Indian culture?

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Republic Day

Republic Day is India's great national festival. It is celebrated every year on January 26, in New Delhi with great pomp and pageant and in capitals of the States, as well as at other headquarters. It was the Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress at midnight of December 31, 1929 - January 1, 1930, that the Tri-Colour Flag was unfurled by the nationalists...

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India and the US

India and United States are at the crossroads of international partnerships. In this regard, India and the United States could not be more alike. Although in economic terms India is only now experiencing faster economic growth, many of us are optimistic that this path will lead to the kind of vibrant and responsive economic structures that now support American markets.

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Kite Flying Day

14th January is the Kite Flying Day of India and many other countries. A kite is a flying tethered man-made object. Kites were first used by the military in ancient China over 3,000 years ago. The kite is said to be the invention of the famous 5th century BC Chinese philosophers Mozi and Lu Ban. By at least 549 AD paper kites were being flown, as it was recorded in that year a paper kite was used as a message for a rescue mission. After its appearance in China, the kite migrated to Japan, Korea, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), India, Arabia, and North Africa, then farther south into the Malay Peninsula, Indonesia, and the islands of Oceania as far east as Easter Island.

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India, the land of festivals

Hello,

My name is Raution and I am an international student from India. I am a number person and i do not understand the rhetorics of culture and of their philosophy. I came to the US because it has a mature financial market where I can learn more. I am a youtube fan and spend hours watching it.

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Biometric Technology changing lives

When we talk about technology, we talk about electronic gadgets for convenience and entertainment. But not very often is technology used to help one of the poorest segments in the world. A little background – a futile attempt to describe the hardship endured by the people in these communities on a daily basis.


Some rural places in India have bad road connectivity (especially in the state of Bihar discussed in the below article). Travel from a local village to another for banking needs can take a whole day’s journey in extreme weathers – summer or winter. This initiative brings the progress of the country (& technology in general) on the doorsteps of the most ignored consumers.


Techchanginglives

South Asian Block – from a mouthpiece to tackling terror & trade!!!

SAARC South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation is the next frontier the Indian Prime Minister is trying to strengthen. This regional block has 1/5th of the world’s population but it is nowhere close to what European Union is like. But that’s fast changing – India being one of the members is trying to drive growth for the region. I see it as forward looking approach, since Afghanistan, Pakistan, and many other countries have deeply rooted terrorist organizations and the only way to change that is by bringing prosperity to the region. And I love this PM for that – he has taken the initiative without asking for the same in return. If the conflict in the region is to be resolved, this is the most refreshing step taken.

IndianWebsite
BBC

Globalization – we have heard about it, let’s see how it makes you a billionaire at 30!!!

This article introduces to a city you would have probably heard about – Bangalore – an Electronic City and touches on a story of a 23 year-old who started with $226 and is a billionaire seven years later… taking chances still pays.

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I love this feature from BBC.com – "Country profile"

This link will take you to the country profile for India. More importantly, I wanted to introduce all of you to this feature from BBC.com; they provide overview of a country (with a little history), key facts, political leaders, and major media-players/sources & to some extent its efficiency. I make a new friend from a new geographical location – this feature helps me understand them better. Check it out for your own country too.

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Coming from a smoker...a health tip!

Vaibhav Rajpal

Though Yoga's origin is shrouded, evidence links the earliest Yoga tradition back at least 5000 years.

The Indus-Sarasvati civilization also gave birth to the ancient texts known as the Vedas, the oldest scriptures in the world. The Vedas are a collection of hymns that praise a higher power; they contain the oldest recorded Yogic teachings, and are considered a divine revelation. Thus, the wisdom of the Vedas is known as Vedic or Pre-classical Yoga. Vedic Yoga is characterized by ritualistic ceremonies that require Yoga practitioners to transcend the limitations of their original mind.

click here to learn yoga (it may take some practice)

Bush▓s India visit AND India-US nuclear deal

India▓s decision to go nuclear was seen as a strategic move to encounter growing threat from Pakistan & infact India was attacked in 1999 and world over there was serious concern that India or Pakistan might end up using nuclear power.

Being a resident of India, I feel sure that India will not resort to such an alternative. India has had a long history of non-violence, such that India has not invaded another country in last 10,000 years. It is also a country of secular tolerance: Sonia Gandhi (a Catholic born and bought up in Italy) is the leader of the ruling party, Manmohan Singh (a Sikh) is the Prime Minister and Abdul Kalam (a Muslim) is the president in a country where most of the population is Hindu.

The visit by George W. Bush finalized a civil nuclear deal which on some notes is criticized for its timing as the Iran nuclear struggle is going on. The American Ambassador to India, David Mulford, reflects his optimism.

And finally, here is some business news - maybe a bit boring, but do read if you need to manage your pension funds┘

Taj Mahal √ symbol of love

Vaibhav Rajpal

All Shah Jahan▓s wife wished for was a tomb that the world had never seen before. So, the Shah turned around and made the seventh wonder of the world.

Many of us have heard about Taj Mahal but not many know it is actually a tomb built in memory (& wishes) of the wife of Shah Jahan. The artists who worked on it were brought from turkey, and the material used was brought from all over the world. There's more to find out on the site!

Mittal-Arcelor row: Clash of civilizations

Lakshmi Mittal was ranked the third richest man on planet by Forbes & he has put a takeover bid of 18.6 billion euros ($22.2 billion) for a steel company in France which Arcelor is fighting against.
The Luxembourg steelmaker was created in 2002 after the merger of French, Luxembourg and Spanish metals companies. Mittal overtook Arcelor as the world's largest steelmaker, snapping up mills in eastern Europe and paying about $4.8 billion to acquire Ukraine's state-owned Kryvorizhstal.
The issue has gone from a business deal to a clash of civilizations. Read on..

Rising subscriber base affecting mobile services

It always amazes me how quickly the Indian telecommunications (or rather, the cell phone industry) developed as compared with the American market. The incoming calls are not charged, messaging is almost dirt cheap & I could talk for 3000 minutes for less than $20. there are some trade-offs but not enough to explain the lagging progress.

The below article briefly explains some of the problems the rapid growth is causing.

Indian Food Recipes

Vaibhav Rajpal

Anyone who has taste can be a cook, and as I have said countless times, India is a traveler's and foodie▓s delight. I am attaching a link for recipes for Indian food, vegetarian and meat dishes alike. In case you need to make choices on what you want to try to cook, let me know.

Indo-US ties: Will Bush▓s visit herald a new era?

This article is not so much a news article but a debate that▓s going on in India on the benefits of US-India ties. US Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice states that India and the rest of South Asia is a high priority area right now for America. In my view, China and India provide great visibility to the region. Also, other emerging markets make it a hot spot for development. This is essentially shrinking the world, and the divide between East and West.

India Votes to refer Iran to UNSC, no action now

Although, the nuclear crisis is pushed ahead by a few months, it is something to watch out for. I am optimistic that it will be peacefully resolved, but the situation is difficult to predict given the current volatility. I read many articles discussing censorship of social activists and others in Iran.

Vaibhav Rajpal

Fashion !!!

This isn't a news article; it's a link that highlights some clothes on the Indian fashion ramp. Women might be particularly interested to read. In my writing, I would like to begin with one site which talks about India in general.

India to make 'radical proposals' at SAARC summit

We have the British structure in the government where the prime minister is more prominent than the president. The current Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is originally an economist and his work and ideologies are very promising. He is a man who looks to rise above politics and looks at the prosperity of India, Asia and the world in all his deals.

I have never voted myself as I feel there is going to be one or another one who will take money out of the taxpayers and people suffering but I am keeping my fingers crossed for him. The below article talks about the SAARC meet scheduled to be on 12th & 13th November. What is SAARC? - South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation.

The South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation website

Serial blasts rock Delhi , at least 61 dead

Delhi is the capital state of India and had recently witnessed terrorist attacks. You will be surprised to know the number of terrorist attacks in India which have significantly increased after the 1970's post the conflict in Jammu & Kashmir began (Kashmir is so beautiful, it was regarded as a Heaven on Earth, still good to visit). As sad it is, the people suffering most are people on whose names the fight is being found. Call me an optimist but I see the conflict getting resolved in next 20 years, but we will see.

Vaibhav Rajpal

Hi Folks,

I am Vaibhav. For those of you who have managed to read so far, I am from Mumbai, India and I am studying at the Business School. So if you ever want to have a good chat, feel free to e-mail me. What I appreciate most is a smile.

India is the seventh largest country & is just behind China in its population (though not something we want to catch up on). India is a diverse country with numerous cultures co-existing and about 850 languages in daily use. It is a travelers delight and people of India are generally friendly and peace loving.

India was under the British rule for about 200 years which drained a lot of resources of the country. It has been free since 1947. It has fascinating mythologies and many Gods, religion and ethnicities. For those who know Buddha, he was born in India and traveled east to preach his teachings.

Today, India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the East, leading the Service sector while China is capitalizing on the Manufacturing sector. I reckon that Asia has the potential to be the future hub of all trade, so if you like to travel, that's where you want to be.

See you next time.

Anna Maria Pinto

Indian junions are ”inside intel”

As is now the pattern, the usual clutch of students of Indian-origin have made the final cut for the Intel Science Talent Search, an annual event whose top finds are said to be progress towards the Nobel Prize and other high honours later in life.

India hot spot for dental tourism

Meditation seems to gel well with medication: designer smiles, fresh crowns and firm implants promise a refashioned nirvana for an increasing number of people from foreign shores as dentistry gets a new edge in India with state-of-the art equipment and multi-speciality centres.

Moral police no problem for city love birds

City Valentines and the 'moral police' are both set to 'celebrate' Valentine's Day in their own way on Monday.

Anna Maria Pinto

India Rocks

From third-world economy to global economic powerhouse—India is the country to watch in the years ahead. While the global media fixates on China's boundless future, India, the English-speaking democracy with a huge middle class, is a far better bet, according to The International Economy.

India Techies Hail Bush Win

The Indian IT industry expressed delight at US President George W Bush's re-election, hoping he would continue to be a proponent of free trade and outsourcing. "The US is a powerhouse of the global economy and the Indian IT industry is delighted in being a partner to US corporations, helping to make them more competitive," India's National Association for Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) president said in a statement.

Reaching out

In a country like India which is engulfed in problems of poverty, illiteracy and unemployment, among many others, it comes as a surprise that there are hardly any volunteers who are interested in contributing towards the upliftment of society. Mitra Technology Foundation, which was established in 2000, by a group of socially conscious alumni of Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA) initiated the concept of 'iVolunteer' to promote volunteer culture in India.

Anna Maria Pinto

Re-packaging Gandhi for the youth

Faced with the threat of Gandhian legacy being wiped out through disinformation and distortions, there is now a concerted effort to reinvent the man, and his ideals. A series of programs are being organized in the state of Gujarat in India. They plan on inviting speakers to offer a fresh perspective on Gandhi and shatter myths surrounding him, especially to appeal to the youth.

US poll result unlikely to affect outsourcing

Shipping of jobs from the US to low cost economies like India to cut costs is likely to continue unabated irrespective of the outcome of the US presidential poll, say analysts and industry representatives. Notwithstanding the political rhetoric against outsourcing in the run up to the US poll, experts say the economic benefits of transfer of jobs to low cost destinations would far outweigh any retrograde measure to curb the business.

Chutneys and curries colonize the globe

Centuries after Indian spices began exerting a magical pull, inspiring fabled adventurers to embark on perilous journeys, chutney, curry and tandoori are turning the tables on the world.