Heart Attacks And Drinking Warm Water

This  is a very good article. Not only about the warm water after  your meal, but aboutHeart  Attacks .  The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals, not  cold water, maybe it is time we adopt  their   drinking  habit  while  eating.

For  those who like to drink cold water, this article is  applicable to you. It is feels nice to have a cup of cold drink  after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily  stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the  digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will  break down and be absorbed by  the  intestine  faster  than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon,  this will turn into fats and lead  to  cancer .  It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a  meal.

  
  French fries and Burgers are the biggest enemy of heart health.
A coke after that gives more power to this demon.
Avoid them for your Heart's Health 
 

Common  Symptoms Of Heart Attack...   
A  serious note about heart attacks - You should know that not  every heart attack symptom is going to be theleft arm hurting .  

Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line .   

You  may never have the first   chest  pain  during  the course of a heart attack.

  Nausea  and   intense  sweating  are  also common symptoms.

60% of people who have a heart attack  while they are asleep do not wake up.  Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware.  The more we know, the better chance we could survive.   


A   cardiologist  says  if everyone who reads this message sends it to 10 people,  you can be sure that we'll save at least one life. 

Misprint in HSC papers gives full marks to students

 Here is some good news for HSC students. All students, who attempted questions of chemistry, physics-II and fisheries having printing errors, will get full marks.

For physics-II, the misprint was worth almost 10% of the total marks. Debashis Bhowmick, vice-principal of Nuva College and a PhD in physics, said, "Question number five was about finding the shortest wavelength for Paschen and Brackett series in hydrogen atom. However, instead of mentioning the symbol for angstrom, they printed a symbol which made no sense."

Sanjay Charalwar, principal of Mohota Science College, said, "The board has committed an error in printing and the usual practice is to give full marks to students who have either attempted the question or even written the question number in the paper."

There were two such errors in the chemistry subject, with one mistake each in paper-I and II. SS Goyal, lecturer at VB Junior College said, "In the first paper, there were numericals to be solved using Hess' Law but the data was wrong. They had printed H2O gas whereas H2O liquid should have been mentioned. The board has decided to give full four marks to anyone who attempted the question."

Mumbai: Cops caught smuggling 500 liqour bottles

 In a twisted irony, the Maharashtra state's stringent de-addiction policy sprang brazenly back in its face when 14 Navi Mumbai policemen were caught smuggling 500 bottles of alcohol from Goa. The cops, including an assistant inspector and two assistant sub-inspectors, have been placed under suspension pending further inquiry.
The incident happened on Wednesday night when the police team, on deputation with the Reserve Bank of India, were returning from the party capital after transporting an undisclosed amount of cash to the Panjim branch of the central bank, top sources from the government said. They had hired a private vehicle, inwhich they stashed 500 liquor bottles, little anticipating any interruption of their journey back from the official assignment.
But, acting on a tip-off, the Goa excise officials intercepted them, and found bottles of Royal Stag, McDowell's, and Imperial Blue among other liquor brands in the vehicle. The policemen were detained and the alcohol seized, sources said.
When word reached the state police, the embarrassment of the breach from within its ranks caught up with the higher echelons of the department. By midnight, Home Minister RR Patil asked Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Ahmed Javed to suspend the policemen immediately. Javed said, "The liquor has been recovered in the jurisdiction of Goa. They will be looking into the investigations. Since these policemen were attached to the Navi Mumbai police, we have taken action against them. All those involved in smuggling the liquor have been placed under suspension. A departmental inquiry has been initiated."
According to the Navi Mumbai police, the staff of 14 policemen was attached specially for RBI security. The policemen were responsible forproviding security cover for the transportation of cashfrom Navi Mumbai to Goa.
Bootlegging cops
API Shivaji Raut, APSI Balu Gosavi, APSI Suresh Wagh, Constables Rajaram Ubale, Vishwanath Biwale, Bharat Pawar, Rajesh Patil,Ashok Rabade, Ratnakar Wankhede, Annasaheb Pawar, G V Kadam, H B Shinde, V C Shinde and R V Vanjari

All Facebook pages to get a new design on Mar 30

Now is the time for Facebook pages to get some makeover. Facebook has announced that on March 30, 2012,all Facebook pages will automatically get the new design. The company is actually updating its pages to look like Timeline profiles.
However, Facebook lets admins of the pages preview the new look before the company automatically rolls the new design out.
Users may find the alert related to the new page design as they go the Facebook page. But this is possible only if they are admins of that particular page.
After previewing that how the new page looks, users can click the"Publish Now" button to get the new design. But if you don't want the new design at the moment, you should not click the "Publish Now" button. Until you publish your page, you can get back the old design/current design any time.
But the old design is not going to stay forever. Users can only stick tothe old design till this month as all pages will upgrade to the new design on March 30, 2012.
I took the tour of the changes that will be automatically rolled out by the end of this month. Let's see what all new features are going toaccompany your Facebook pages:
1. The cover photo is the first thing that people will see when they visit your page. So, it is suggested to choose a striking photo that goes well with your page.
2. The new page design will accommodate your profile picture that is square and at least 180 pixels wide.
3. Once the new design will be rolled out, users will be able to highlight what is important. Photos, likes and apps will be at the top of your page.
4. With the new page design, userscan show a maximum number of 12 apps. So, ensure that you put your most important ones first.
5. Users can also review their page timeline. Hover over a story and click on the star (star icon) to makeit wider, or on the pencil (pencil icon) to pin it to the top of your Page, hide or delete it entirely.
6. There is an activity log that userscan visit to review all posts and activity.
There is nothing to worry about as the new design is quite intuitive. In a nutshell, your Facebook pages are going to look just like the timeline on regular user accounts. To know more about Facebook pages, you can go to the help section of Facebook.

Divorces get easier; wives get property rights

 The Central government on Friday took some major decisions with regard to the Hindu Marriage Act, including making divorce easier, in a key Cabinet meeting.
According to the decision of the Cabinet, the mandatory six-month clause for filing of divorce will nowbe waived off on grounds of irretrievable breakdown.
The new clause also allows one-time settlement instead of monthly maintenance in case of divorce.
The redrafted Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010 based on key recommendations of a Parliamentary Standing Committee also allows a woman a share in her husband's property. The quantum of share will be decided by the court on case-by-case basis.
The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010, which was cleared by the Cabinet, also seeks to give a woman a share in her husband's property.
The government has accepted the recommendation of the parliamentary committee that women should have a share in the property of her husband in case of a divorce but the quantum of sharewill be decided by the courts on case-by-case basis.
According to the Cabinet Note, while a wife can oppose a husband's plea for a divorce under the new "irretrievable breakdown of marriage" clause, the husband will have no such rights to oppose if the wife moves the court on the same grounds.
Apart from this, bringing a big change in the adoption laws, the Union Cabinet has cleared equal rights for adopted children in custody cases.
According to the redrafted Bill passed by the Cabinet, adopted children will have rights on par with biological off springs of a couple in case the parents go for a divorce.
In another major decision, the Union Cabinet also cleared 7 per cent hike in dearness allowance for the government employees.
The hike is effective from January 1, 2012. The dearness allowance isrevised twice every year on the basis of change in the consumer price index.
Notably, the Consumer Price Index inflation stood at 8.83 per cent for the month of February, higher thanthe 7.7 per cent in January.
The cabinet meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

Women to get share in husbands' property

 A Bill seeking to give a woman a share in her husband's property was approved by the Union Cabinet on Friday. Apart from giving women the right to their husband's property, the Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010, also aims at giving rights to adopted children on par with biological off-springs.
The cabinet meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in August two years ago and then referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice and Personnel.
Supporting the Bill which sought tomake "irretrievable breakdown of marriage" a new ground for grant of divorce, the Standing Committeehad in March last year opposed doing away with the prevailing waiting period before moving a joint motion for annulling marriage.
Partially accepting the recommendation, the government has now decided the cooling off period will be decided by courts.
According to the redrafted Bill passed by the Cabinet, adopted children will have rights on par with biological off springs of a couple in case the parents go for a divorce.
The government has also acceptedthe recommendation of the parliamentary committee that women should have a share in the property of her husband in case of a divorce but the quantum of sharewill be decided by the courts on case-by-case basis.
According to the Cabinet Note, while a wife can oppose a husband's plea for a divorce under the new "irretrievable breakdown of marriage" clause, the husband will have no such rights to oppose if the wife moves the court on the same grounds

Samsung is like a fantastic soap maker

When Samsung Electronics rushed its first smartphone to market in a panicky response to the smash-hit debut of the Apple iPhone, some customers burned the product on the streets or hammered it to bits in public displays of disaffection.
Complaints ranged from dropped calls and a clunky touchscreen to frequent auto rebooting and a dearth of applications.
"It was just awful," said Kim Sang-uk, 27, who bought the Omnia in late-2009 just before starting his first job. "I just wanted to throw it away, but couldn't because I was on a 2-year contract.It was the kind of phone where you'd say 'no', even if someone gave it to you for free."
Samsung Mobile President JK Shin admitted it was a tough time. The company had seen a 1 trillion won ($885 million) profit in its telecom sector in the first quarter of 2010 halved in the following quarter after Apple Inc's latest iPhone tookthe market by storm.
"We were facing a really serious crisis," Shin said later.
Soap vs perfume
Yet on the 9th floor of Samsung Electronics headquarters in Seoul housing the mobile division's design centre, Lee Minhyouk said he was not feeling the heat. Samsung Mobile's vice president for design and his team were already working on its next smartphone, the Galaxy, and this would be truly a worthy opponent to the iPhone.
Samsung has sold 44 million Galaxy units since its launch in June 2010 on its way to displacing Apple last year as the world's top-selling smartphone maker. Its success evolved from the Omnia, said Lee, who at 40 is the company's youngest senior executive.
"Without Omnia and Samsung's previous models, there would havebeen no Galaxys. There's a design link among these products," he said in an interview at his office."They shouldn't be viewed as fragmental design. They share our deep deliberation on technology, colour and design language."
Samsung's chequered entry into the smartphone market is emblematic of the South Korean conglomerate's strengths and weaknesses.
Its strategy has always been to be the "fast executioner", the first in the market with a copycat product when a new opportunity is presented. But it is not known as a great innovator or a company like Apple that can literally create a new market with an iconic product.
To become a truly innovative company, Samsung needs to explore the art, as well as the science, of what it does, critics say.
"Samsung is like a fantastic soap maker," said Christian Lindholm, chief innovation officer of service design consultancy Fjord based in Finland. "Their products get you clean, lathers well. However, they do not know how to make perfumes, an industry where margins are significantly higher. Perfume is an experience. Perfumeis meant to seduce, make you attractive and feel good. You love your perfume, but you like your soap."
Designing something people can love is an art, which requires risk taking and is based more on experience than data. "Samsung needs to learn to lead more. They analyse all creativity to death, theylack self confidence," Lindholm said.
"Korea has to leap into the experience industry," she added. "Ithink they have only five years before they are the new Japan, outmanoeuvred by the Chinese who are quickly learning the soap business."
Evolution vs creation
Lee's office atmosphere and his comments seem to reinforce an image of a company whose cultureleans more to evolution than big-bang creationism.
His design sanctum looks much like any other Samsung department, a Dilbert sprawl of desks and cubicles with framed aphorisms from the founding family on the walls: "Be with Customers" and "Create Products that Contribute to Humanity" and also this one: "Challenge the World, Create the Future".
The office may lack the exotic art, exercise balls and creative toys of Silicon Valley decor, but Lee and histeam are borrowing some start-up techniques for tapping the design muses.
Lee, who has acquired the monikerof "Midas" for his golden touch with the Galaxy series, has travelled to Brazil's Iguazu Falls and the ancient city of Cuzco in Peru for inspiration. Samsung sends the design team on such trips across the world to stoke their imaginary fires.
Images or emotions they pick up on these trips can be "naturally expressed in design languages or lines and colours", said Lee, who started out designing cars for Samsung's failed auto joint venture with Renault in the 1990s.
The design process can also be more mundane, he adds.
"Designing is just part of your life. You study, do some research on future trends and experience stuff you haven't done before. All this stuff interacts to create a new design."
If money was the answer to innovation then Samsung Electronics would certainly rank among the best in the world. Samsung spent 10 trillion won ($9 billion) on research and development in 2011.
Indeed, the annual Bloomberg BusinessWeek survey of most innovative companies ranks Samsung 11th on its list of top-50 most innovative companies, though it trails local rival LG Electronics in 7th and Sony in 10th.
Part of Samsung's design philosophy is to leverage the conglomerate's ability to manufacture inhouse the components in its products, including microchips and flat screens - an advantage over Apple for instance, which has to outsource most of that.
Samsung readily acknowledges it has yet to attain Apple's innovative spark. And Lee concedes he is no match - yet - for Jonathan Ive, the genius designer behind the distinctive look and feel of Apple's range of phones, tablets and other must-have consumer gadgets.
By most accounts, Ive's success at Apple stemmed from his close personal relationship with Steve Jobs - a classic marriage between gizmo-maker and entrepreneur.
Lee, who said he has never met Ive, has a more corporate relationship with top managers at Samsung. He believes, however, that paradigmatic breakthroughs are a matter of the right product coming at the right time.
"I might not be at (Ive's) level yet, but I believe Samsung will producesuch iconic products one day. It's not just effort that makes it possible for a new product to be a massive hit. It also has to be timely, and technology should be ready to make a certain design a reality."
Apple aptitude
That Samsung might eventually wind up with some Apple aptitude has to worry company executives at its Cupertino, California headquarters.
Samsung and Apple are locked in an escalating global patent battle, as they jostle for top position in the booming smartphone and tablet markets. Apple fired the first salvo in April last year, arguing Samsung had "slavishly" copied its iPad and iPhone. Since then both have taken legal action against each other in several countries claiming patent infringements.
Lee takes personal affront at the copycat charge.
"I've made thousands of sketches and hundreds of prototype products (for the Galaxy). Does thatmean I was putting on a mock show for so long, pretending to be designing?"
"As a designer, there's an issue of dignity. (The Galaxy) is original from the beginning, and I'm the one who made it. It's a totally different product with a different design language and different technology infused."
And a different marketing approach. While Apple has a simple product line-up for the iPhone and iPad, Samsung has bombarded the market with varieties of the Galaxy, the Wave phone, which uses Samsung's own 'bada' platform, and most recently with a phone-tablet.
Lee sees no harm in this tweaking-rather-than-innovating approach, saying it plays to the company's corporate strengths.
Samsung's vertically integrated structure allows it to use prototypecomponents and new technology developed elsewhere in the company in the design lab. The company has overseas design labs to help uncover consumer trends inthe various global markets in which it competes.
Designers have to be integrators, researching user behavior, discovering what's happening in the market, as well as searching for a unique aesthetic, Lee says.
"As a designer, my job is to blend new functions and technology with aesthetic beauty, as far as possible."
"There are different teams studying new technology trends, working on future design trends and Samsung's own design identity, and they're all regularly exchanging ideas with designers."
Fab-let?
Lee's latest project - a follow-up to the Galaxy model called the Note - is a mini-tablet and phone, with a throwback stylus. Although it lookshuge compared with a standard phone, its pinpoint apps and high definition screen should please those using it for video and gaming.
The phone-tablet - or phablet - hassold more than 2 million units since its October launch, and was a crowd pleaser at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.
Lee said the design risk with the note was "breaking a taboo" about keeping handsets small enough to fit easily in your hand.
"But smartphones are more about entertainment. The Note was created by simply breaking that taboo and focusing more on the new functions that smartphones require."
Handsets are now Samsung's biggest earner - bringing in 8.3 trillion won ($7.4 billion) in operating profit last year - and the group's confidence has grown in tandem with its fattening patent book - it registered over 5,000 patents last year alone.
"We were told so many times until the early part of last year that Samsung is not good at software. We're not hearing that as often any more," Samsung Chief Executive Choi Gee-sung said at the CES event in Las Vegas. Late last month, Choi went further and told reporters at the world's biggest annual mobile show in Barcelona that Samsung would notunveil its new Galaxy model at the Mobile World Congress for fear of rivals copying it.
Yet there's not one software engineer or designer among the 17 Samsung Fellows, Samsung Group's in-house equivalent of the Nobel prize winners to reward those making a significant contribution to its success. Lee hopes his time will come.
"I'm confident that one day Samsung will make a product that defines our time, and I hope it's one of mine."

Karnataka to give interest free loans to farmers

Farmers across Karnataka will get interest free small-term loans up to Rs 100,000 from state cooperatives in the ensuing fiscal (2012-13) besides free energy for their irrigation pump sets up to 10 horse power.
Presenting the 'Agriculture Budget'for the next fiscal in the state legislative assembly Wednesday, Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda told lawmakers that the state government would continue to facilitate farm credit above Rs 100,000 at four percent interest rate per annum from cooperative societies.
"Buffer stock of fertilizers will be doubled to 800,000 metric tonnes from 400,000 metric tonnes to ensure enough supplies to farmers across the state," Gowda said in hismaiden budget speech, which lasted over two hours.
As part of various pro-farmer schemes, the farm budget envisages expansion of sprinkler and drip irrigation and development of water tanks for increasing food grain production with higher yields per acre.
"Schemes under the third stage of the Upper Krishna Project will be implemented at a cost of Rs.17,207crore in the drought-prone northern districts of the state for the benefit of farmers and rural people," Gowda said.
With an overall outlay of Rs.19,660crore for the agriculture and allied sectors, the agri-budget proposes to implement cluster-villages and area-based programmes to increase productivity in dry land farming by using new technology and mechanised implements and supplying nutrients in irrigated lands.
"Under the Rs 110-crore 'Bhuchethana' special scheme, 4.5 million (45 lakh) farmers cultivating in five million hectares of area in all the 30 districts across the state will be funded to increase their crop yield in dryland by 20 percent and improve their living standard and financial status," Gowda said.
The state agriculture department has set a target of 13.7 million metric tonnes for food grains production and 1.5 million metric tonnes for oilseeds in the new fiscal

The Langkawi sky-bridge is located at Gunung Mat Cincang on the island of Langkawi, Malaysia. The bridge is suspended 700 metres above sea level and has a span of 125 metres across the gorge.
The Andaman Sea and Thailand’s Tarutao Island can be seen in the distance. Platforms at each end allow the visitors to take a breather before venturing across. There are also signs telling visitors to get off the bridge quickly in the event of an electrical storm. 

In 1947, the then leaders of the Muslim League came forward with their own plan for Darjeeling and her merger with East Pakistan. A Muslim league team visited Darjeeling around the same time, held talks with the leaders of the local political party and participated in a convention on the merger issue. Some understanding appears to have been reached between them. This was reflected in the bizarre developments in Darjeeling between August 14 and 18, 1947. This Pakistani flag [see the only photo ever taken] fluttered on the Darjeeling Town hall for full five days in place of the Union jack. Darjeeling was popularly stated to have become a part of Pakistan in preference to India and Nepal. In fact, even sweets were disturbed and fireworks let off in joyous celebration of Pakistan’s independence. 

Airtel may launch 4G in Kolkata this month

 Bharti Airtel is likely to launch 4G services, starting with Kolkata on March 20, which would give the company a lead over rivals in offering the next- generation telecom services in the country, according to industry sources.
The country's largest private telecom company had earlier appointed Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) for building and operating its 4G network in the Maharashtra circle using TD-LTE, one of the 4G technology.
However, it was not known immediately who would be the vendor for the Kolkata circle. With the launch in Kolkata, Airtel will bethe first company to start 4G services in the country, sources said.
The company had won spectrum for high-speed wireless broadbandservice (Broadband Wireless Access spectrum) in four telecom circles namely Kolkata, Maharashtra, Punjab and Karnataka and paid Rs 3,314.36 crore in 2010.
The company was allocated 20 Mhz of BWA spectrum in 2.3 Ghz frequency band which is considered suitable for transmitting signals for running 4G services.
In the same auction, Reliance Infotel (then Infotel Broadband Services) had won a 20 Mhz slot pan-India BWA spectrum for Rs 12,847.71 crore but the company isyet to announce its plan for rolling out services.
Qualcom, Tikona, Aircel and Augere have also won BWA spectrum in some circles.
Public sector companies BSNL and MTNL were allocated one slot of BWA spectrum in their respective circles on payment of amount equivalent to the highest bidder in the service area. 

No power cuts during Indo-Pakcricket match: Gilani

Islamabad: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday directed authorities to ensure there were no power cuts during Sunday's India-Pakistan cricket match in theAsia Cup tournament.
Gilani directed the Water and Power Ministry not to resort to power cuts during the live telecast of the India-Pakistan match, officials said.
The two sides will face each other in the fifth match of the Asia Cup tournament in Bangladesh.
Pakistan is grappling with a severeenergy shortage and authorities have resorted to power cuts across the country.
There are power cuts of over 12 hours in some rural areas and evencities like Islamabad go without electricity for four to five hours every day. 

Live-in relationships against Indian culture: RSS

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Friday said live-in relationships must be discouraged in the country as it is 'against humanity and Indian culture'.
"The Sangh is against live-in relationships because it is against humanity, and also against the Indian traditions and culture," RSS joint secretary Dattatraya Hosbale said, speaking to reporters on the first day of 'Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha', the outfit's highest decision-making body.
Live-in relationships should be discouraged and even in the West, religious leaders are voicing concern over the trend, he said.
"It is our responsibility to keep the institution of family intact," Hosbale said, when asked to respond to a recent initiative of a local NGO to find live-in matches for senior citizens.
Hosbale also said that RSS endorsed 'a three-generation family system, consisting of grand-parents, parents and children'.
"If there is a problem, a single grandparent can live in 'Gurukul Ashrams' promoted by (the late RSS veteran) Nanaji Deshmukh," he said.
He also said the Sangh advocated a no-TV day concept.
Conservation of natural resources is also being discussed among other issues at the ongoing meeting.
"RSS is of the view that all natural resources, particularly water, should be treated as the property of the public, and a resolution on the issue would be passed," he said. 

Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi resigns

Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi resigned on Sunday evening after speaking to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee. Trivedi had called up Mamata expressing his willingnessto abide by the party's wishes and resign.
Mamata Banerjee had told reporters that the ex-Railway Minister had called her agreeing toquit. "Dinesh Trivedi called in. He will resign tonight," said Mamata.
Mamata Banerjee is set to arrive inDelhi on Sunday night. Sources saidthat she had sought an appointment with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to press for Trivedi's removal.
Said Mamata, "I am going to Delhi... nothing else. Sometimes we meet in Delhi. This time Parliament is in session, so I am happy because I haven't been to Parliament for one year."
Mamata is also expected to meet Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. She had reportedly asked all her party MPs to be available in Delhi for the meet.
Dinesh Trivedi had been insistent till now that he would not quit his post unless he got a written order from Mamata. He said on Sunday that the Railway Ministry could notbe treated as somebody's property,although, he added that he had full regards for Mamata.
Mamata was reportedly upset withthe ex-Railway Minister over the train fare hikes announced in the Rail Budget. Trivedi had reportedlynot consulted the Trinamool Congress over the budget, either.
Mukul Roy, a close aide of Mamata,will most likely be the new Railway Minister 

Budget 2012 and its impact on NRIs

As the Budget speech comes to an end, we list down the quick takeaways for Non Resident Indians (NRIs). We will continue to bring you detailed analyses as finer aspects of the Finance Bill trickle in.

Measure: The government of India will now allow qualified foreign investors access to the Indian corporate debt market. Qualified foreign investors, or QFIs, can be individuals, groups or associations based abroad.

Impact: This proposal, when implemented will deepen the country's shallow bond market and also open up a lucrative avenue for foreign individual investors who are keen to participate in India's growth story. But, NRIs will hope for something more. On paper, NRIs were always permitted to invest in Indian corporate bonds. However, it required the issuing companies to enable the option for NRI investors with specific permission with the Reserve Bank of India. Often, companies chose not to do so, restricting access to NRIs. It is hoped that this move will also improve access for NRIs in the corporate bond market.

Measure: To introduce mandatory foreign asset reporting; income tax body to have powers to open previous returns of up to 16 years to check for tax evasion

Impact: While the intention of this proposal is to bring to book all those who have been evading taxes by stashing their money abroad, one fears that it will create unnecessary reporting requirements and needless harassment for NRIs who have returned to India after a long stint abroad.

Measure: Tax slabs have been changed to the following: Up to Rs 2 lakh: NIL (earlier Rs 1.8 lakh) Rs 2-5 lakh: 10% Rs 5-10 lakh: 20% (earlier Rs 5-8 lakh) Above Rs 10 lakh: 30% (earlier above 8 lakh)

Impact: For NRIs, as for all resident Indians, the tax liability will come down. A tax reduction of up to Rs 22,000 is likely on income of Rs 10 lakh.

Measure: The Direct Tax Code (DTC) which was expected to be implemented from April 2012, has been deferred for now

Impact: This might come as a relief for NRIs as some of the provisions of the DTC were quite harsh. For instance, under the proposed DTC, any individual (including NRIs/PIO) will become resident, if they are present in India for 60 days or more in the financial year and 365 days or more over a period of four years prior to the financial year and would be liable to pay taxes on their global income. This proposal would have impacted all those NRIs who visited India frequently for personal or business purposes.

Measure: To allow electronic voting for shareholders

Impact: If the Government allows electronic voting, this will help NRI shareholders to participate more actively

Measure: Gold purchases in India to become expensive; customs duty doubled

Impact: If keeping your money in India in the form of gold has been a favorite avenue, that might just change. Gold will become more expensive as the FM doubled customs duty.

Shane Warne lauds Sachin Tendulkar's 'awesome' feat as tributes pour in

Australian spin legend Shane Warne pleaded for an end to the talk of Sachin Tendulkar's retirement as he joined the international chorus of appreciation for the iconic Indian cricketer who scripted history by completing a century of international tons.

Apart from his close friend Warne, cricket legends such as Sir Vivian Richards, former Australian captain Ian Chappell, Ian Botham, Rahul Dravid, Keven Pietersen and Tony Greig were among those who paid glowing tributes to the champion batsman.

"Congrats to Sachin on reaching his 100th international 100 - just awesome buddy. Please press no retirement Q'S and let Sachin enjoy the moment," Warne tweeted after Tendulkar reached the milestone against Bangladesh in an Asia Cup match in Mirpur on Friday.

The 114-run knock ended a year-long wait for the 38-year-old star batsman, whose 99th ton came during a World Cup match against South Africa in March 2011.

Tributes continued to pour in for the veteran from other parts of the world as well with former England captain Tony Greig calling him a fine ambassador of the game.

"Just woke up to the wonderful news that Sachin has made that century. Great player and wonderful ambassador for our great game," he said.

"Well played Sachin the little master...!!!" added legendary all-rounder Ian Botham.

England batsman Kevin Pietersen, who is in Sri Lanka for a series, said the effort was way beyond imagination.

"Seriously has anyone actually thought about what Sachin has done here?? 100 100's!!!! Absolutely unbelievable.. Batters dream!" he said.

Tendulkar's former teammate and the recently-retired Rahul Dravid marvelled at his genius.

"What stands out in an exceptional career of unbelievable achievements is Sachin Tendulkar's ability to change, adapt and mould his batting according to the conditions around him. What makes him a phenomenal player is that he has done so many things, be it scoring the highest number of Test and one-day runs or scoring a century of international centuries," he said.

"What he has done is set a benchmark for future generations which, probably, would be almost impossible for anyone to emulate. He has created a new milestone, which to my mind, is like Don Bradman's average of 99.94, the most memorable feat that any cricketer has achieved.

"Like overtaking Bradman's average appears almost impossible today, Sachin's century feat too will in all probability stay forever," he added.

Similar words of appreciation came from former Australian captain Ian Chappell.

"The skill, the tenacity and the competitive urge still flows freely through the veins of Tendulkar. He seemed destined to conquer the batting Mount Everest from the moment it was said about him as at the age of 17, Tendulkar scored his first Test century at Old Trafford," he said.

"The fact that Tendulkar has handled fame so well and maintained an attacking outlook throughout is a tribute to not only his skill but also his wonderfully alert mind.

"Considering the length of his career and the fact that he was able to renew his attacking desires, I would now rate Tendulkar slightly ahead of Brian Lara and comfortably in front of a fading Ricky Ponting."

West Indies legend Viv Richards described Tendulkar as a "genius" when it comes to ability and a "Trojan" when it came to work ethics.

"I believe Sir Donald Bradman is the greatest of them all, but seeing Tendulkar bat, I can say that when he is in top flight, in a variety of conditions, I have seen the best.

"He has been a genius when it comes to ability, a Trojan when it comes to work ethic and manic when it comes to his focus. Yet we often miss the little things that make him both human and exceptional", Richards said.

"As a sportsman, I know how damaging an injury can be. For a batsman, an elbow injury and corrective surgery could be akin to a professional death knell. But the way Sachin overcame those setbacks and played at the highest level with unmatched distinction is special", he said.

Richards felt Tendulkar has earned the right to decide when to hang his boots.

"Friday's century was a testimony to Sachin Tendulkar's self belief and his unwavering focus. Many of his contemporaries who were spoken of in the same breath did not have the hunger and focus, which is why Sachin stands alone at the summit.

"And let it not be forgotten that he is no dour batsman, he still plays thrilling shots and has entertained more fans than any batsman has in the history of the game. All this with humility, bearing the burden of his team's batting and the expectations of his millions of fans," he said.

"I think Sachin has earned the right to decide when exactly he wants to put down his bat. He is mature and sensible individual and more importantly a very proud cricketer. He is not going to continue if he feels he is not performing up to his standards," he added.

Veteran Indian tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi also took to Twitter to appreciate Tendulkar's feat.

"...I guess chant today goes Sacccchiiiinnnn, Sachhhhhhiiiinnn.. Hmmm I have been chanting that for twenty years."

England Test captain Andrew Strauss also congratulated Tendulkar for reaching a milestone that might remain unsurpassed.

"Sachin is a player by which all others are measured over the last 10-15 years, and for him to go out and get a hundred hundreds is an amazing achievement without precedent - it's unlikely to be achieved again," he told 'BBC Sports'.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain said even if the 100th ton had not come about, Tendulkar would still have remained a great player.

"Don Bradman is sometimes remembered, unfairly, as the batsman who did not quite average 100 in Test cricket. And there was a danger, as we all waited for Sachin Tendulkar to reach three figures again, that he would be remembered for the one international century he did not score, rather than the 99 he did. That would have been a shame - and completely unjust," he said.

"You could tell after he tucked that single off his pads on Friday in Dhaka how much it meant to him. He's been criticised in the past for being a closed book, a guy who doesn't show his feelings too easily. But you could see the more human side of him after he took his helmet off to celebrate," he added.

"...he's done it and no one can ever take the achievement away. Finally, he can move on. The mother of all monkeys has been removed."

We are not writing AI a cheque for $500m: Boeing

With Air India seeking a compensation package for the substantial delays in delivery of Boeing's Dreamliner aircraft, the US manufacturer today said it will "not write a cheque" for USD 500 million to the airline.

President and Chief Executive Officer of Boeing's commercial airplane unit Jim Albaugh said he had read reports coming from India.

"I think if we settle for 500 million dollars somebody would have told me. We do not comment on deals that we have done, but I can tell you that we are not writing anybody a cheque for 500 million dollars," he said when asked about the reports of it paying compensation to Air India.

Speaking at the JP Morgan aviation and defence conference here today, Albaugh said he had read similar reports six months ago which had claimed that Boeing could pay a billion dollars as compensation to the Indian carrier.

Yesterday, Joint Secretary in India's Ministry of Civil Aviation Prashant Shukul had told reporters in Hyderabad that while state-owned Air India had demanded a billion dollar compensation from Boeing, the Chicago-based aircraft maker has agreed to pay USD 500 million.

Shukul, who was speaking on the sidelines of the India Aviation 2012 on Wednesday, said the government is trying to push Boeing to pay more.

Air India has sought a compensation package, a mix of both discount in services and cash, from Boeing for delay in the delivery of its 787 Dreamliners. Air India had ordered 27 Dreamliners in 2005 and Boeing failed to stick to the delivery schedule. As per the original schedule, Boeing was to start delivery from September 2008.

Albaugh said the GE certification for the 787 aircraft has been completed a week ago and the first aircraft with the GE certificate will be delivered to Air India in the weeks to come.

INDIAN ARMY BODYBUILDING TEAM

Mumbai: Airport garbage bins used for smuggling

You never know what you might find inside the garbage cans at Mumbai airport. Now before you start planning to get your hands dirty, let's clarify here that the matter pertains to the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Mumbai customs busting a smuggling racket involving some employees at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA).
The smuggler would drop their consignment inside a designated garbage box placed near the international terminal arrivals section. All the airport workers hadto do was clear the 'waste' and collect a handsome reward for a job well done.
With a tip-off about airport employees helping smugglers, the AIU team, led by its deputy commissioner, Sameer Wankhede, arranged a trap on Monday night to catch the culprits red-handed.
The team was tracking every movement of Saiyed Mohammed Hanif, an alleged smuggler, who landed via Thai Airways flight TG 317 Bangkok-Mumbai at around 10:30 pm on March 12.
"We started following him once heentered the terminal and he was apprehended while placing the consignment inside the dumpster.
In the next few minutes we apprehended a duty manager of CSIA who was present inside the terminal to aid Hanif. In due courseof investigation, another CSIA employee's name also came to light and he was caught on Tuesday morning," said a customs official on condition of anonymity.
The arrested CSIA employees Rakshit Kapur and Mahesh Bamne are both duty managers and have reportedly confessed to their crimein statements to AIU.
"During interrogation they revealed how the litter box was used as a drop box for the consignment and the same was cleared on priority by them.
We have booked all three under different provisions of Indian Customs Act, including sections pertaining to confiscation of illegalimport of goods. We have also informed CSIA authorities about the role of their two employees.
It seems likely that this wasn't the only instance of their involvement. We'll also try to find out if other airport workers are connected," the official added.
When contacted, PM Saleem, Commissioner of Customs, CSIA, said, "We have arrested them and investigation is in progress."
Both the CSIA employees have been sacked. "The matter was brought to our notice by the customs. The two workers were immediately dismissed from their jobs," said Vaibhav Tiwari, spokesperson, CSIA.
This was not the first time that an airport insider has been found to be hand in glove with smugglers. On December 30, 2011 MiD DAY had reported (Nabbed smugglers spill the beans on customs employee) how a driver employed with Customs helped smugglers clear their consignments.
"The smugglers after landing from Hong Kong, called a driver employed with the Mumbai AirportCustoms, to help them clear the consignment from the airport's premises," said a source from Mumbai Airport Customs.
The smugglers later confessed thatthe driver was their main source ofinformation and a security clearance agent at the airport.
"Revealing their modus operandi, the smugglers stated that after landing at the airport, they would rush to the urinal to stash their consignments.
Later, the driver would take the consignment out, clearing all the security points without raising suspicion," added the source.

Gay population is 25 lakh, 7 pc HIV infected: Govt

India has an estimated 25 lakh gay population and about seven per cent (1.75 lakh) of them are HIV infected, Government told the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
"The population of MSM was estimated to be 25 lakhs in India," the governemnt said in its affidavitfiled in the apex court, citing figures of the National Aids Controlprogramme.
The affidavit, filed by Ministry of health, said that it is planning to bring 4 lakh high risk Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) under itsAIDS control programme and it hasalready covered around 2 lakh.
It further said that estimated HIV prevalence among Female Sex Workers is 4.60-4.94 percent, and among MSM it is 6.54 -7.23 percent and in case of lnjecting Drug Users it is 9.42-10.30 percent.
The governemnt affidavit was filed in compliance with the Supreme Court's direction seeking detailed information on the number of homosexuals in the country and how many of them areHIV infected.
The governemnt submitted that there has been an overall reduction of HIV prevalence, HIV incidence (new infections) as well as deaths due to AIDS-related causes because of its AIDS control programme 

Beti B named Aaradhya Bachchan?

The nation wants an answer. What are the burning questions before India today? Will an Indian film ever win an Oscar? Did you know that Sonam Kapoor has a sister? Will Dabangg 2 be an even bigger hit Dabangg? Will India ever be a superpower? Apparently not.
The even bigger question: What has the Bachchan family named their four-month-old member, dubbed Beti B by the media? The word is that it's Aaradhya, which means venerable. While the Bachchan family refrained from commenting on the issue, the media reports suggested that Abhishek Bachchan and AishwaryaRai Bachchan's newborn has been named Aaradhya.
The last time Beti B was in the news, was when author Shobhaa De sparked off speculation on the name of the baby girl.
De tweeted: "Beti B to be named Abhilasha? That's a stroke of genius. Well done,parents. Abhi and Ash. Truly inspired, if true." The news was not confirmed by any one from the Bachchan clan. But it did not stop people on Twitter from sharing the news, most retweeting De's cryptic tweetwhich does not specifically confirmthe news.
Rai gave birth to a baby girl on November 17, the first child for the former Miss World and her actor husband Abhishek Bachchan. The delivery took place at the Seven Hills Hospital in Marol, Mumbai 

Cricket legend Rahul Dravid hangs up his bat

Bangalore: After 164 Tests spanning nearly 17 years, Rahul Dravid has announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket.
Dravid, India's best Test No. 3 and the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket, informed the media ofhis decision during a press conference at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in his home city of Bangalore, with the BCCI president N Srinivasan and former India captain Anil Kumble at his side.
I never thought I would play for India that long. I want to thank all my junior coaches, international coaches for supporting me, said Dravid. I have failed at times but I have never stopped trying, which is why I leave with sadness but also with pride.
I hope the youngsters in the team do even better than I did. It's been a wonderful journey. I thank the selectors, who rarely get thanked for what they do.
I thank all the captains I played under, all the teams I was part of. It's time for me to move on. I retire with sadness and pride.
Dravid's announcement was expected after a poor final tour of Australia, in which he scored 194 runs in eight innings. Prior to that, however, he was the highest run scorer in Test cricket for 2011 at the age of 38, making him the oldest active cricketer.
In 164 Tests Dravid scored 13,288 runs at an average of 52.31, with 36 centuries and 63 fifties. In 344 one-day internationals he amassed 10,889 runs – the seventhhighest of all time - at 39.16, with 12 hundreds and 83 fifties. Dravid captained India in 25 Tests, winning eight, losing six and drawing 11.
Dravid, 39, made his Test debut at Lord's in June 1996 – five years after his first-class debut for Karnataka - scoring 95 in his first Test innings. His first century (148) came in his ninth Test, against South Africa in Johannesburg in January 1997. He finished his career with 36 Test centuries, the fourth most for any batsman in history, and his 164 Test caps are the third most of all time behind Sachin Tendulkar (188) and Steve Waugh (168).
Among Dravid's career highlights in Test cricket are his four successive centuries in four inningsin 2002 – including 148 in India's victory at Headlingley - and his double-centuries to delivery India famous overseas victories in Adelaide and Rawalpinde. On a minefield of a Kingston pitch in 2006, Dravid's twin fifties (81 and 68) delivered India their second series victory in the West Indies, 25years after Ajit Wadekar's team triumphed.
At home, Dravid will be best remembered for his 180 in an epic partnership with VVS Laxman in Kolkata in 2001, in which he joinedLaxman with India 42 runs from aninnings defeat and lifted them from ignominy to incredible triumph, as well as his twin centuries at the same venue in 2005 to beat Pakistan.
In one-day cricket, Dravid's highlights include 145 in a record stand of 318 in 45 overs with Sourav Ganguly at Taunton during the 1999 World Cup - in which he was the leading run-scorer - and a run-a-ball 153 in the company of Tendulkar to break that record with 331 in 46 overs against New Zealand in Hyderabad. Labeled a Test player in the early stages of his career, Dravid worked hard on his game to become an integral part of India's ODI team and finished with over 10,000 runs at a more than respectable average of 39.16.
Over the course of his 17-year international career, Dravid set a host of milestones. He was the firstbatsman to score a century in all Test-playing countries, the first batsman to score 10,000 runs at No. 3, the batsman to face the mostdeliveries in Test cricket, the longest in ODI cricket to not score aduck (120 innings) and finished as the man with the most catches in Test cricket.
He leaves the game as a true all-time great.

IT boom in India left women behind, finds study

As you scan a busy street or travel on a train, the ubiquitous mobile is everywhere. And yet, one of India's biggest success stories - the use of mobile technology - has reached women only partially. A recent study shows that 12% fewer women own mobiles as compared to men. The gender gap is even higher in internet use with women comprising just 17% of total internet users. Interestingly, 20% women borrow mobiles through family and friends for use.

A study by the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) on women's entrepreneurship and use of information technology says that female employment in the IT sector - estimated to be about 35% in 2008 - is much higher than in other sectors, yet they are not consumers of the product. A 2008 study projected that the female workforce in the industry would grow to 45% after 2010-2011.

The survey, 'Connectivity, how mobile phones, computers and the internet can catalyze women's entrepreneurship' says that 28% women own cellphones compared to 40% men. Another 20% of women were found to be borrowers of cellphones through family and friends. Incidentally, 63% of women cellphone users were urban residents.

The trend is the same with internet use. The 2007 Internet in India (I-Cube) report - which identified 32 million active internet users in 30 cities - suggested that the gender gap in internet use was much greater.

Recent national level data indicates that women's workforce participation, which includes self-employed work, is around 26% in rural areas and only 14% in urban areas. This rate declined by 1.7% between 2004-2005 and 2009-2010. This has resulted in even less entrepreneurial engagement.

India Independence

Greg Chappell attacks Indian culture and cricket team

In a vicious attack on Indian culture and Indian cricket team of which he was the coach, Greg Chappell has said that the side lacked leaders because parents, school teachers and coaches made all the decisions in the Indian system.

"The (Indian) culture is very different, it's not a team culture. They lack leaders in the team because they are not trained to be leaders. From an early age, their parents make all the decisions, their schoolteachers make their decisions, their cricket coaches make the decisions," Chappell said.

"The culture of India is such that, if you put your head above the parapet someone will shoot it. Knock your head off. So they learn to keep their head down and not take responsibility.

"The Poms (British) taught them really well to keep their head down. For if someone was deemed to be responsible, they'd get punished. So the Indians have learned to avoid responsibility. So before taking responsibility for any decisions, they prefer not to," Chappell was quoted as saying during a promotional event for his book 'Fierce Focus'.

Chappell said Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was an exception to that rule but even he seems to have lost to the system.

"Dhoni is one of the most impressive young men that I have ever worked with. When he came into that Indian team, you just knew that he was a leader in the making. He was definitely someone who could make decisions, and he didn't mind putting his head above the parapet, and didn't mind putting the bigger players in their place. I think he is the best thing to have happened to Indian cricket in recent times," he said.

Chappell, who was the coach of Indian team for two turbulent years from 2005 to 2007, reckoned that excessive cricket has now started taking a toll on Dhoni.

"But looking at him on this tour - I didn't meet or speak to him at all - but just watching the body language and just watching him on the field, it wasn't the MS Dhoni that I knew. I think Indian cricket has worn him down as well.

"Especially, captaining all three formats, and India plays about 50 per cent more cricket than Australia does. And Dhoni played four years, captaining three years while being wicketkeeper and their key batman - one of the best chasers of a target that I've ever seen," he said.

The former Australian captain also said that the Indians appeared disinterested in Test cricket during the just-concluded disastrous tour Down Under.

"It was obvious from the start of the tour that the Indians weren't really interested in Test cricket," Chappell said.

"After the Australians showed that they were going to be a formidable foe, I was very disappointed with the Indians. And having worked with many of them and having been in the dressing room with them, Test cricket was too hard for most of them. They can only make a lot of money playing 20-over cricket. Fifty-over cricket they can sort of put up with.

"Test cricket for a lot of, not only India, a lot of subcontinent teams, I think it's pretty tough. And the challenge for Test cricket is, without the sort of grounding that we (Australians) had as kids, Test cricket is too hard. It's very demanding mentally, physically and emotionally," he added.

Chappell also felt that Virender Sehwag's captaincy ambition hurt the team.

"Sehwag thought he should be captain after (Anil) Kumble, so there is a bit of a collision there," he said.

"I think Dhoni is getting to a point where Test cricket is getting too hard for him, and the undercurrent around the dressing room cannot help," Chappell concluded.

He was also of the view that Test cricket needed a strong India.

"I think Australia and England will always look at Test cricket and try and preserve it. South Africa to a lesser degree. Up until this summer I thought India as well. We probably had four major Test-playing countries, and the others would play Test cricket spasmodically," Chappell concluded.

Air India pilots threaten indefinite strike

Upset over non-payment of salaries and other allowances for four months, Air India pilots have again threatened to go on strike from April 1, a union leader said on Wednesday.

In a letter to the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) sent Tuesday, the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) said the pilots would not operate flights till their dues were cleared.

"A large number of our members (pilots) have informed us that owing to the psychological stress that they are under and bearing in mind the safety of passengers, they will be unable to operate flights on and after April 1, until the management clears all the dues," IPG President Jeetendra Awhad said in the letter.

He said the pilots have not been paid salaries and layover allowances from December and flying allowances from November, amounting to nearly a quarter of the total annual emoluments.

Awhad said this had caused tremendous hardships, psychological stress and embarrassment to pilots, many of whom hail from humble economic backgrounds.

"Many have taken loans for their flying training, others have commitments to their parents and children, and many have complained that banks are hounding them to repay their loans," Awhad said.

While the pilots appreciated that Air India was in financial distress, they did not want to endanger the lives of the passengers.

Kingfisher crisis: Oil companies stop fuel supply

Kingfisher Airlines crisis: Oil companies stop fuel supply due to non-payment of dues

NEW DELHI : Oil companies on Wednesday have stopped fuel supply to the Kingfisher Airlines due to non-payment of dues.

According to TV reports, six Kingfisher flights at Mumbai airport were delayed due to no fuel supply on Wednesday. Oil companies stopped fuel supply after 7 pm today.

Earlier today, beleaguered Kingfisher Airlines was suspended for non-payment of dues for the second time in just over a month by the IATA from participating in a system which enables the airlines to settle their interline billings globally.

"IATA has suspended Kingfisher Airlines' participation in the IATA Clearing House (ICH). This is because the airline did not settle their ICH account within the stipulated deadline," IATA's assistant director (corporate communications) Albert Tjoeng said in a statement from Singapore.

This is the second time since February 2 that the cash -strapped carrier has been suspended from ICH for not paying its dues. Earlier, its status was restored ten days later. It has now been suspended once again, IATA sources said.

Airlines and airline-associated companies join the IATA Clearing House to settle accounts for services provided by them to other airlines or firms.

The bank accounts of the airline, which is struggling to stay afloat, have been frozen by the income tax, service tax and excise and customs departments for failing to pay dues.

Crisis-ridden Kingfisher Airlines had last month also delayed joining the global airlines' grouping 'oneworld' due to its precarious financial position. It was slated to formally join the airline alliance on February 10.

The airline, which never made a profit since its inception in May 2005, reported a net loss of Rs 444.26 crore in the December quarter. It suffered a loss of Rs 1,027 crore in 2010-11 and has a debt of Rs 7,057.08 crore apart from over Rs 4,000 crore of accumulated losses and a restructured long- term loan of around Rs 7,000 crore.

Solar storm headed toward Earth may disrupt power grids, flights

An impressive solar flare is heading toward Earth and could disrupt power grids, satellite navigating systems and airplane flights.

Forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center said the sun erupted on Tuesday evening and the effects should start smacking Earth late Wednesday night, close to midnight EST (0500 GMT). They say it is the biggest in five years and growing.

The magnetic storm has the potential to trip electrical power grids. Its radio emissions can disrupt global positioning systems to make them less accurate. It also could damage satellites.

Scientists said communication problems and radiation from the storm will probably force airplanes to avoid flying over the north and south poles. Colourful auroras may be more visible.

U.S. says challenging India poultry ban at WTO

The United States said on Tuesday it was taking action at the World Trade Organization against India's ban on imports of certain U.S. farm products, including poultry meat and eggs, which India says is needed to prevent avian influenza.

"The United States is the world's leader in agricultural safety and we are confident that the WTO will confirm that India's ban is unjustified," U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said in a statement on the U.S. request for consultations.

India's prohibitions on poultry and various other U.S. farm goods date to at least February 2007 and are "clearly a case of disguising trade restrictions by invoking unjustified animal health concerns," Kirk said.

International scientific standards for controlling avian influenza do not support banning imports due to low pathogenic avian influenza, which is the only type detected in the United States since 2004, Kirk's office said.

The United States is the world's largest broiler meat producer and second largest exporter, behind Brazil.

India's broiler meat consumption has risen from 2.23 million metric tons in 2007 to a projected 2.75 million this year, according to a U.S. Agriculture Department report.

India is forecast to produce about 2.70 million metric tons of broiler meat this year, providing some opportunity for imports, the Agriculture Department report showed.

Consultations are the first step in the WTO dispute settlement process and parties are encouraged to agree to a solution at this stage. If the matter is not resolved through consultations, the United States may request the establishment of a WTO dispute settlement panel.

Kerala assembly erects firewall against Facebook

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On a day when the Kerala legislative Assembly created a milestone by launching webcasting of its proceedings, V T Balram, the young legislator who ventured to post a proposed private member bill on his Facebook wall, was pulled up by the Speaker.

Balram, while accepting the Speaker's ruling in good faith, however, felt that democratic institutions should be ready to embrace changes in technology. "Social networking has several good aspects. We should capitalise on those," he said without referring to the Speaker's ruling.

The Thrithala MLA had to delete his FB post on the bill that moots creation of an authority to protect nurses and paramedical staff working in private hospitals after Speaker G Karthikeyan censured him in strong language during Zero Hour in the Assembly. "It came to the notice of the chair that V T Balram has posted a private member bill on social networking sites and sought the views of the public. The member has served a notice but it is yet to come up for consideration of the committee on private members bill. The bill will be circulated among the members and published in the gazette only after the committee clearing it. It is an insult to the House that the member chose to seek public opinion before completing these procedures," he said.

Karthikeyan revealed that he didn't intend to take any disciplinary action against Balram as he is a new member and his act was unintentional. He also advised all new members to be more vigilant on the proceedings of the House. The Speaker also said that his office hadn't given permission for presenting the bill.

Balram withdrew his Facebook post about the bill immediately after the Speaker's ruling. "I fully accept the ruling of the Speaker. I should have been more careful,'' Balram told TOI. He clarified that he sought the permission of the legislative Assembly secretariat and not the office of the Speaker before posting the bill on Facebook.

Indians, Chinese big spending tourists

Did you know that an Indian tourist in Australia spends Rs 3.37 lakh on average? Or that desi travellers contributed nearly $4 billion (almost Rs 20,000 crore) to the US economy in 2010? In a reflection of the changing global trend, tourists from India and China are increasingly acquiring the status of big spenders. Data on the average sums spent by a tourist per trip substantiates this pattern. In Australia and South Africa, tourists from these two Asian countries outspend those from the US and the UK.

Of all the countries that Indians travel to, it is in Australia that they spend the most per trip, followed by the US and South Africa. Data from Down Under is relevant as it is the country where the average spend/tourist is the highest, according to United Nations World Tourism Organization statistics for 2010. Average spend includes all expenses incurred on the trip like airfare, hotel tariff, food, shopping, etc.

On average, an Indian tourist spent Rs 3.37 lakh on her Australian holiday, according to data provided by Tourism Australia for the 12-month period ending September 2011. That's Rs 1 lakh more than what an average British or American tourist spent in Australia in the same time period. The French and Italians spent more than Indians though, as their average tourist spend was Rs 3.4 lakh and Rs 3.5 lakh. The Chinese beat them with an average spending of Rs 3.9 lakh. The Saudis topped the list with each visitor spending Rs 7.4 lakh on a trip, but there were only some 11,000 of them.

In South Africa, Indians outspend those from US

In South Africa, Indian and Chinese tourists outspend those from the US, France, Germany and Canada. According to the South African Tourism annual report, 2010, the average amount spent by an Indian tourist was Rs 82,000. In comparison, the average spend/German tourist was Rs 67,000; for British tourists, it was Rs 70,000 and Rs 78,000 for American tourists. Tourists from neighbouring countries like Angola, Congo, Swaziland show higher average spending as they buy electronic goods from South Africa, said a tourism official. If the African countries are excluded, then the Chinese top the list of high spenders in South Africa with their average tourist spending Rs 1.23 lakh.

The picture alters dramatically if instead of average spend/tourist, the total spending by tourists of a specific country is considered. India is nowhere near the top. This is mainly because despite globalization and increased disposable incomes, the number of Indians travelling abroad is comparatively lower. The UNWTO ranked China at number seven in its international tourism's top spenders list in 2005. In 2010, China climbed up to number three position as its nationals spent a staggering $55 billion abroad, a 152% jump. For the last six years, Germany has held the top slot ($78 billion), followed by the US ($75 billion). The percentage increase in spending by tourists of these two countries in 2005 as compared to 2010 was around 15-20%. On this list, Indian tourists were ranked number 25 in 2005. The latest data on India is not available.

When it comes to the beneficiaries of tourism, the US attracts top dollar with the highest international tourism receipts amounting to $134.4 billion(expenditure incurred by inbound foreign tourists on airfare, hotel tariff, food, shopping, sightseeing, etc). The US department of commerce data shows that in 2010, Canadian tourists were the biggest spenders as they forked out $20.8 billion. Indian tourists spent $4 billion and held the number nine rank (on an average an Indian tourist spent Rs 3 lakh/trip in the US). The Chinese spent a total of $5 billion and were at number seven. In 2005, Chinese tourists spent a total of only $1.5 billion in the US.

Although Indians are emerging as big spenders in foreign countries, on the flip side the trend highlights the increasing income gap in the country. India occupies only the 134th slot in the 141-nation list of the UN Development Programme's Human Development Index. So while at first glance, the trend may appear to be one of those cliched India-China-on-the-rise stories, the real beneficiaries in this case are the advanced economies.