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Sudip Nandy becomes chief executive of Wipro's telecom and product engineering business
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Bangalore, Dec 24 (ANI/Businesswire): Wipro Technologies has appointed Sudip Nandy as the company's chief executive for the telecom and product engineering solutions.
With over 24 years in Wipro, Nandy brings in excellent understanding of the product engineering business having handled various leadership roles in the company.
Over the last four years, Nandy has played an important role determining the growth strategy of Wipro and under his leadership as the Head of Mergers and Acquisitions; Wipro has acquired and successfully integrated a number of companies of different sizes and strategic significance.
Prior to his role as the Chief Strategy Officer, Nandy was the Vice President of Wipro Global R&D, Vice President of Marketing for Wipro's Semiconductor IP business and Vice President of Europe Operations. (ANI)
- AY
Mayawati to address BSP rally in Bangalore on Sunday
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Bangalore, Dec.22 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati will address a mammoth convention of her party workers at the Palace Grounds here on Sunday.
The convention, which commences at 11 a.m., will aim to strengthen the BSP's base in Karnataka.
BSP buntings and hoardings have been put up across the city in anticipation of Mayawati's visit, which will take place amidst tight security.
Bangalore Police have pulled out all stops to ensure elaborate security arrangements. State General Secretary Jigani Shankar was quoted as saying that the BSP would like to use Karnataka as its gateway to south India.
The BSP expects to eat into the votebank of the Congress, targetting the backward classes, the Dalits and the minorities. The party leadership in the state says that it is keeping its political options open in the run-up to Assembly elections in the state. (ANI)
--MP
Cranes Software announces the release of the 64 bit NISA Version 15.5 on Microsoft Windows
Friday, December 21, 2007
Bangalore, Dec 20 (ANI-Business Wire India): Cranes Software International Limited today announced the release of NISA 64 bit version (NISA V15.5x64) on Microsoft Windows. This version is targeted towards the enterprise customers enabling them to solve large size problems. This version also introduces the multicore/multi processor computing capability to NISA.
On this occasion, Dr. Ramdass Keshavamurthy, Vice President - Product development, said: "This is a significant upgrade release of NISA Version 15.0 targeted towards our enterprise customers. NISA Version 15.5x64 enables the users to solve much bigger problems since more memory can be addressed due to 64 bit address space. In addition, one salient feature of this release is the incorporation of the PARDISO solver from the Intel Math Kernel Library which enables multicore, multiprocessor Cluster Computing capability in NISA. This would translate into our customers being able to solve complex STRUCTURAL and FLUID problems with million or more degrees of freedom significantly faster using multicore/multi processor machines."
Pradeep Kumar, Sr. Vice President, said "With multicore machines becoming the norm and very affordable, we are pleased to be releasing a version which addresses the multicore computing needs of our enterprise customers. We are glad Cranes in collaboration with Intel got the necessary support for critical testing of this version. We hope this release would be enthusiastically received by our Enterprise customers."
"We are pleased to have Cranes using the Intel Math Kernel Library (Intel MKL) with its PARDISO solver in Cranes 64-bit NISA," said James Reinders, director sales and marketing, Intel Software Development Products. "The strength of NISA combined with Intel MKL creates a solution that harnesses the performance of Intel's multi-core processors." (ANI)
--MP
Deccan, Kingfisher Airlines merger in final stages
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Bangalore, Dec 20 (ANI) Boards of Deccan Aviation and Kingfisher Airlines have announced to merge both the airlines to create a mega airline.
Deccan Aviation will merge its scheduled airline operations into the unlisted Kingfisher Airlines, to create one of the biggest air carriers in India and pave the way for the latter to fly overseas.
The merged airliner which is to come up by next year will be called Kingfisher Airlines, officials from the two carriers said after a four-hour meeting late Wednesday.
Deccan founder G R Gopinath said the Deccan Board, which comprises of four independent directors as it is a listed company, unanimously without descent, along with the Kingfisher Board from their side have recommended that "one merged cooperative entity be created to get the best synergies and cost; and the greatest value for customer in creating a great infrastructure airline in this country."
While the Deccan will be called Kingfisher Airlines after the merger, but the charter operations of Deccan will be spun off into a separate firm to be equally owned by Deccan's founder G R Gopinath and the UB group.
India's top spirits maker UB group, which runs Kingfisher Airlines, bought a 26 percent stake in Deccan in May through United Breweries (Holdings) and subsequently raised it to 46 percent.
The merger was recommended by consultancy firm Accenture Consulting; and the merger methodology would be suggested by consultants KPMG and Dalal and Shah.
"The details of the merger, the valuations, the swap ratios etc will be worked out by KPMG and Dalal and Shah. They will now be appointed to very quickly come up with the valuations and recommended merger structure," said UB group chairman Vijay Mallya, adding "the boards of both the companies will meet again in early January to go ahead with various formalities."
The merger will help Kingfisher to meet Indian regulatory requirement of five year's operation to fly overseas destinations. Deccan, which started in 2003 as a low cost airline, drastically changed the aviation scenario in India. It will be eligible to offer overseas flights by mid-2008.
UB group chairman Vijay Mallya will be the chairman and chief executive of the merged entity and Gopinath its vice-chairman.
India's top airline Jet Airways bought unlisted Sahara Airlines in April and the Indian government merged two state-run airlines Air India and Indian Airlines in August. (ANI)
--MP
Gift your loved ones a Lifestyle gift voucher this festive season
Bangalore, Dec 20 (ANI/Business Wire India): This Christmas and New Year, gift your near and dear ones the freedom of choice with the newly designed Lifestyle gift voucher.
These gift vouchers are available in convenient denominations of Rs. 50, 100, 500 and 1000.
They have been redesigned in bright colours such as red and green to make the art of gifting personalised and much more fun.
Lifestyle gift vouchers are not only a wonderful way to show your appreciation or celebrating an occasion, they also provide the receiver the joy of choosing what they want.
The gift vouchers can be exchanged for a variety of products and more than 250 brands across five categories at Lifestyle including apparel, footwear and travel accessories, children wear and baby basics, furniture, home decorative, furnishing as well as lifestyle accessories.
Besides housing some of the most sought after brands, Lifestyle also offers a range of products under its own brand.
Apart from personal gifts, the gift vouchers can be used by Corporate as souvenirs and thank you token for their employees.
Lifestyle offers special discounts and customised gift vouchers for bulk or corporate orders.
A few leading Corporate who have gifted their employees the 'freedom of choice' include American Express, Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC Bank, Nokia, Reliance and Airtel.
Lifestyle gift vouchers are available and valid across all Lifestyle and Home Centre store across Mumbai, Delhi and NCR, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Jaipur and Ahmedabad. (ANI)
--MP
PETA activists protest against leather industries
Bangalore, Dec 19 (ANI): Activists of 'People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) today protested against leather industries alleging them for encouraging cruelty against animals.
Banners reading 'Imagine Getting Killed For Your Skin' and 'Leather is Murder' were displayed during the protest.
The organisation urged consumers not to buy leather products saying that this would eventually stop slaughterhouses.
"You wouldn't skin human for a leather bag, for a human leather bag or a belt or a shoe; why would you skin a calf?," questioned Natasha Paul, PETA's Campaign Co-ordinator.
"The cruelty involved in the leather industries, what the animals go through, is unimaginable. I think people should really give up leather," she added.
Drawing the attention of the people and state authorities towards the illegal and cruel animal slaughtering, PETA demanded that the government should take action against such killing and implement new laws to restrict cruelty towards animals. (ANI)
--MP
Deccan crosses 15 million passenger mark
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Bangalore, Dec.18 (ANI): Deccan India's first and fastest growing low cost carrier, has crossed the 15 million mark in terms of passenger volume .It also recorded a 23 percent year on year increase compared to passenger volume in 2006.
The average load factor has notched up several paces to maintain a record high of 81 percent from January to July 2007 against the average load factor of 76 percent in the last calendar year.
This year, Deccan has already flown 6.79 million passengers as against 5.55 million passengers flown between January and December 2006. The 5.55 million passenger figure was crossed by September this year, while the 15 million passenger mark was crossed recently. It is further estimated that by December 31, 2007, approximately 7.3 million passengers would have flown Deccan, in this year alone.
Ramki Sundaram, the officiating CEO of Deccan said: "We are immensely pleased to reach the 15 million passenger landmark in a short period of four years. The numbers are testimony to our commitment to empowering every Indian to fly and bring us closer to our vision. "
"This year we began operations to Leh, Dharamshala, Shimla, and Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jamshedpur and increased frequency on other sectors as well. Our increasing on time performance coupled with affordable fares and strategic initiatives such as tele check in facility for all passengers, free travel for infants, flexible cancellation and rescheduling policy has dramatically fueled passenger confidence in Deccan, making ours the airline of choice for more and more Indians, " he added. (ANI)
--MP
Chandrayaan I to remain as a remote sensing mission
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Byalalu (Karnataka), Dec 16 (ANI): India's first unmanned mission to the moon will be a remote sensing mission with an objective to do the chemical and mineral mapping.
"Chandrayaan-1 is basically a remote sensing mission doing a chemical and mineral mapping. Chandrayaan-2 will be a lander and rover mission," said M Annadurai, Chandrayaan Project Director.
"Under Chandrayaan-1 going on orbiting mission and possibly we will be demonstrating technologies required for landing is concerned, which is more impact prone," he added.
The scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are also working on subsequent Chandrayan-2 mission basically meant for the robotic mission.
"We will be having a lander and rover there that will be doing instant chemical analysis," Annadurai said.
The ISRO launched four satellites on a single rocket for the first time in January, including one that was brought back to earth to set the stage for the country to send an astronaut into space by 2014 and a manned mission to the moon by 2020.
Sixteen Indian satellites currently orbit the earth, supporting telecommunications, TV broadcasting, earth observation, weather forecasting, remote education and healthcare.
Head of ISRO's telemetry division said the country's indigenously built 32-metre dish antenna, deep space network (DSN), was ready for performance test.
"For any space mission the ground system has to be complemented. The major component in the ground system is deep space network," Director of the telemetry, tracking and command network, Shiv Kumar said, adding, "We can receive the telemetry signals from the satellite which will tell us about satellite health and subsequent performance and manoeuvring capabilities etc which is built into the satellite and we can also send commercial satellite from the same ground station."
The DSN, built at a cost of nearly 2.5 million dollars, is capable of performing telemetry, tracking, and command operations in S-band and science data reception in X-band.
India's constellation of seven earth-observation satellites is the largest of its kind in the world. (ANI)
- AY
Lakshmi returns home after successful operation for extra four limbs
Bangalore, Dec 15 (ANI): Lakshmi Tatma, a two-year-old girl born with four arms, four legs and extra internal organs, was discharged from a hospital here today, nearly six weeks after doctors removed her extra limbs in a gruelling operation.
The team of around 30 doctors took away what amounted to Lakshmi's headless identical twin sister, who was joined at the pelvis and did not develop and separate properly in the womb.
The rare birth defect is known as "parasitic twin".
Lakshmi went through a 27-hour long surgery at Bangalore's Sparsh Hospital in early November. Besides the removal of the extra limbs, Lakshmi's deformed pelvis and spine were corrected, and redundant extra organs removed, doctors said.
"Fortunately, the surgery went off well. She has recovered adequately. She has had no significant problems during the process of her recovery. She is doing well enough," said Sharan Patil, a doctor who had led the surgery.
The hospital said it did not charge Lakshmi's poor parents for the surgery, which had cost 2.5 million rupees.
"I am happy that my daughter has recovered and is going to lead a normal life. We plan to build a temple in our village as a gesture of thanks to the 'Almighty'," said Shambu, Lakshmi's father, a labourer from Bihar.
Doctors had said that Lakshmi, who could not walk on her deformed limbs, would not have had much chance of surviving past adolescence without undergoing surgery.
Lakshmi will need a "corrective treatment" at a later date, but was being allowed to go home now, doctors said. (ANI)
--MP
Bangalore's Pani Puri seller is a body builder of international fame
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Bangalore, Dec.14 (ANI): For a youngster, who took to selling "Pani Puri" (a popular street snack generally sold by hawkers) as a medium to earn his daily bread n butter, becoming an international bodybuilder could be anything but a smooth ride.
But Kitty refused to give up on his big dream even when surrounded by various challenges in life, instead of complaining as just another commoner on the street corner.
Today, Kitty is an internationally recognised body builder and inspiration to many youngsters in Bangalore. Despite his reputation in body building circuit, he continues to sell "Pani Puri" at Mahalakshmi Layout in Bangalore.
Many of his customers are his fans too who appreciate his dedication in life.
Vinod and Roopashree, the customers, say: "Pani Puri Kitty is a story of man and his achievements. Recognition is a must for these people who have been neglected by all."
Kitty says as a young boy, he was inspired by a body builder, who visited his Pani Puri cart and helped him to cherish his dream. A software engineer friend Sudhakar helped him to shape up his muscles.
Kitty had been to the United States recently to participate in an International Body Building Competition and stood at fourth place.
These days Kitty also runs a training centre called Muscle planet in Bangalore. Over 200 aspiring body builders have enrolled themselves as students at his training centre. One of the students is from Boston.
Kitty says that the awards or prizes have always been motivating and encouraging but lack of government support is what that upsets him. But despite everything Kitty's big dream is to win "Mr.World" title one day. (ANI)
- AY
TWB initiates Aerospace Documentation Standards Training
Bangalore, Dec 14 (ANI/Business Wire India): The Writers Block (TWB) has launched India's first ever Aerospace Standards Documentation training for the corporate sector.
The training reinforces TWB's commitment to specialist documentation domain, especially defence and aerospace.
Indian aerospace manufacturers will now be able to train their workforce in creating documentation of international standards and lower documentation costs.
The training will also aid in decreasing cost of training the end customer, owing to shorter procedure / product training cycles.
The TWB training portfolio in Aerospace Documentation Standards will provide an opportunity to aerospace manufacturers to lower support costs. Finally, it will provide large multinational aerospace players operating in India international quality training.
Rakesh Shukla, Chief Executive Officer, TWB said," The Indian aerospace industry is buoyed by increased outsourcing capabilities and international collaborations, greater export potential and accent on indigenization of production capabilities. Availability of good quality documentation completes the aerospace production value chain for most market players and makes them competitive. TWB is fully equipped to address the market need and is pleased to be a part of this opportunity."
The training modules cover general aerospace documentation standards including procedure manuals and technical publications for: Aircraft maintenance task oriented support system (AMTOSS), Maintenance steering group (MSG3), Document type definitions (DTD) and SGML templates, System description section (SDS), The maintenance practices and procedures data section (MPPD) including structural repair DTDs and SGML templates, Aircraft Maintenance Manuel DTD and SGML templates, System Schematics (FIM), Aircraft Illustrated parts catalogue, Tools and equipment manual, Cautions and Warning Pool, Technical Names and Manufacturing Process pool and ATA 100, SD1000D Specifications.
TWB's technical documentation expertise includes creating technical manuals, instruction booklets, quick reference guides, product overview, 3D drawings, IETM generated documents, technical illustration and related technical documentation works.
TWB provides turnkey offshore documentation delivery for customers in defense and aerospace standards and integrated logistic support connecting engineering with the customers. (ANI)
- AY
Bad light forces draw in Bangalore Test
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Bangalore, Dec.12 (ANI): An exciting last day's play in the third and final Test between India and Pakistan was brought to an end by bad light.
India needed just three wickets to register what would have been an improbable win and a 2-0 series score line, but the Pakistani batters managed to keep an aggressive Anil Kumble (5 for 60) and an aspiring bowler in Yuvraj Singh (2 for 9) at bay for at least 40-minutes.
A litle after lunch on Day five, India had left Pakistan just 47 overs to score an improbable 374 for victory. As the opening pair added 44, thoughts turned to how soon the match could be called off but dramatic interventions from Anil Kumble and Yuvraj Singh pushed Pakistan to the precipice before bad light saved them from acute embarrassment with 11 overs still to be bowled.
The playing conditions didn't allow the use of floodlights to leave India ruing a late declaration, though they clinched their first home Test series victory against Pakistan since 1979-80.
Even when Yasir Hameed and Younis Khan fell in the space of four balls, one bowled by a Kumble express and the other popping up a return catch, it appeared to be a wobble rather than a quake.
Salman Butt and Faisal Iqbal steadied the innings with a 29-run stand and, when Butt got a thin edge behind to give Kumble his third wicket of the innings, Pakistan decided to blast their way out of trouble.
With the fielders crowding the bat, cuts and drives flew to the boundary as Misbah-ul-Haq and Iqbal added 73 at seven an over.
Only nine balls remained for the mandatory overs to start when Kumble struck again. Ishant Sharma caught Iqbal at mid-on and Kamran Akmal's off-stump was uprooted by a quicker delivery.
Mohammad Yousuf avoided the hat-trick, but Yuvraj Singh, the birthday boy, then left his mark on proceedings.
An arm ball ended Misbah's cameo of 37, while Yasir Arafat had no answer to one that went straight on.
Given the batting qualities of Shoaib Akhtar and Danish Kaneria, India were effectively three decent balls away from a famous victory, but Mohammad Sami kept Yousuf company long enough for the umpires to bring their light-meters out.
Once they asked the question, the batsmen were off.
Batting, by and large, was no picnic on a pitch where the bounce had become impossible to predict.
Earlier in the day, India were helped to a decent score of 284 for six, thanks to a 91 by Saurav Ganguly, who is in the form of his life, 52 by an out of form Dinesh Karthick and 42 by former captain Rahul Dravid.
The Ganguly-Dravid partnership was worth 152 when Dravid was deceived by a googly from Kaneria, and three balls later, Ganguly slashed a wide ball from Sami straight to Iqbal at gully. His knock ended on 91.
Another nine runs and he would have become only the seventh man in history to make a double-hundred and a century in the same Test.
India will reflect on missed opportunities, but at the end of the day, they'll take a 1-0 series win, their first against Pakistan on Indian soil since the days when a fresh-faced Kapil Dev was leading the attack. (ANI)
--MP
Toll in Bangalore building collapse rises to 7
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Bangalore, Dec 12 (ANI): The toll in the Tuesday night building collapsed in Bangalore has risen to seven. Other eighteen people were injured when a balcony of an old residential building collapsed here.
The balcony was the first to collapse to be followed by the rest of the building.
Speaking to media persons, Sub Inspector Biju Kumar Singh, said that three were brought dead and four died at the hospital taking the toll of the dead to seven.
"Construction work of the building was not properly done and over the period of wear and tear, repair work has not been taken up in an earnest manner," Singh added.
The Bangalore city corporation building, which was said to be very old, is located at Nehrupura in the city's Bharathi Nagar area.
The tragedy took place when relatives of Haroon Pasha, a fruit merchant had come for his daughter's engagement were standing near the balcony, which was not able to withstand the load and gave way.
"The incident took place around 8:30-9:00 in the night. Within a short while, the balcony and some parts of the building had collapsed," said Arif, Haroon Pasha's neighbour. (ANI) -AJ
Seven killed in Bangalore building collapse
Bangalore, Dec 12 (ANI): At least seven people were killed and eighteen injured when a balcony of an old residential building collapsed here late on Tuesday night.
The Bangalore city corporation building, which was said to be very old, is located at Nehrupura in the city's Bharathi Nagar area.
The tragedy took place when a large number of people gathered here to participate in a function at a flat in the second floor, the police said.
According to sources, the flat is belonged to Harron Basha, a fruit merchant where his daughter's engagement was going on when tragedy took place.
The injured are undergoing treatment at hospitals.
The deceased were identified as Salma (42), Taslina Bhanu (32), Rehana (16), Mohamed Ismail (25), Sayed Sameer and his son Faizan (2). (ANI)
- AY
Bangalore Test: Sourav Ganguly's double ton dashes Pak's hope to level series
Monday, December 10, 2007
Bangalore, Dec 9 (ANI): The visiting Pakistani teams hope to level the series 1-1 against India has started fading fast, courtesy the trio of Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan.
Ganguly's first double century here today reasserted his prowess for putting big scores on boards as he made the highest runs ever made at the Chinnaswamy Stadium by a batsman. His contribution of 239 runs put India on a firm position as the team passed the 600-mark.
As India ended its first inning just after tea, it had scored 626 runs.
In between, Irfan Pathan scored his first test century before Danish Kaneria dismissed him for 102. On the first day of the Test match Yuvraj Singh knocked 169 runs as he tried to silence his critics, who normally labels him the Twenty20 phenomenon.
Pakistan began its innings today, but lost a quick wicket in Yasir Hameed.
Hameed managed to score only 19 runs before Indian skipper Anil Kumble got him leg before wicket.
Pakistan ended the day at 86 for the loss of one wicket. Salman Butt and skipper Younis Khan were at the crease on their individual scores of 50 and seven runs respectively.
Host India is leading the series 1-0. (ANI)
--MP
Yuvraj's century puts India in command
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Bangalore, Dec 8 (ANI): A cracking century by Yuvraj Singh and equally brilliant half-century by Sourav Ganguly put India (277/4) in command on the opening day of the third and final Test match against Pakistan at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here.
Yuvraj's blistering century helped team make a strong comeback. His century came off just 135 balls and contained 20 fpours and a six. Ganguly also kept the tempo up from his side as well.
Ganguly's knock was marked with some exquisite stroke-making followed-up with effective running between the wickets, a feat he has mastered in recent times.
Coming in at the fall of VVS Laxman's wicket, with India struggling at 61-4, Yuvraj (batting on 125) took the fight into the opposition camp with a series of boundaries. He was particularly severe on Mohammad Sami.
From the other end, Ganguly (batting on 87) matched Yuvraj in elegance and poise.
Ganguly, who took time to build his innings, then took over from Yuvraj and attacked the Pakistan bowling quite effectively.
He reached his fifty with his 10th boundary when he flicked Pakistan skipper Younis Khan to the fine-leg boundary.
Earlier, debutant Yasir Arafat struck thrice to leave India gasping at 65-4 off 24 overs at lunch.
Replacing Shoaib Akhtar as first-change bowler, Arafat, scalped the prize wickets of former captain Rahul Dravid (19), Wasim Jaffer (17) and Laxman (five) in his inspiring first spell in Test cricket.
India team: Wasim Jaffer, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik(wk), Ishant Sharma, Irfan Pathan
Pakistan team: Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan(capt), Mohammad Yousuf, Faisal Iqbal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal(wk), Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Yasir Arafat, Danish Kaneria. (ANI)
--MP
Yuvraj, Ganguly propel India to a challenging total in Bangalore Test
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Bangalore, Dec.8 (ANI): Middle-order batsmen Yuvraj Singh and Sourav Ganguly stroked sublime centuries to wrest control of the third and final Test against Pakistan on Saturday, the first day of the match.
The Indians who opted to bat first on the placid and times double-paced M.A.Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch, were intially rocked by bowling all-rounder Yasir Arafat's three wickets on debutbefore lunch.
Staring down the barrel at 61 for 4, both Yuvraj and Ganguly reconstructed the Indian innings in magnificent fashion, posting a 300-run partnership before Yuvraj was caught off the bowling of Mohammad Sami.
Pakistan's challenge was affected by fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar going off the field after lunch with back spasms, and the final two sessions showcased the prowess of the Indian batting line-up in all its glory.
Yuvraj, who scored a blistering 203-ball 169, gave a chance to the Pakistan slip fielders when his individual score was a paltry 12. But thereafter, he was the master, plummeling Pakistani bowlers to all corners of the ground with strokes that had class written all over it. A cut through cover took Yuvraj to his third century, all of them against his favourite opposition. There was a jubilant leap in the air and a prolonged hug from Ganguly.
Ganguly was an equally classy effort, and was no less valuable in providing India a bridgehead. At the close of play, he was unbeaten on 125 with 20 boundaries, and had wiketkeeper batsman Dinesh Karthick for company.
On his 15th Test century, and second in succession, Ganguly raised his bat to acknowledge the applause from an enraptured crowd.
The partnership so demoralised Pakistan that the second new ball was taken only after 84 overs, with Younis also conscious of a dismal over-rate. Initially, it made not the slightest bit of difference, with Ganguly and Yuvraj continuing to score runs at will, there was no other option.
The Pakistan bowler of the day was Arafat, who replaced Sohail Tanvir in the bowling line-up. Arafat, who had a good county season with Kent, snared Rahul Dravid, Wasim Jaffer and V.V.S.Laxman in an inspired spell of fast bowling. Dravid was caught at at first slip by Misbah-ul-Haq. Jaffer padded up to one that moved into him, while Laxman was bowled.
At 365 for five, India has a good chance of putting up an imposing total and then asking Pakistan to bat for the rest of the match. (ANI) -AJ
Tendulkar, Dhoni may miss Bangalore Test
Bangalore, Dec 7 (ANI): Former skipper Sachin Tendulkar and wicketkipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni may not play the Bangalore Test against Pakistan beginning Saturday, because of injuries.
Both are nursing old ankle injuries that got aggravated in the drawn second Test in Kolkata.
Gautam Gambhir has been called as back-up.
Captain Anil Kumble said that a decision on Tendulkar and Dhoni's inclusion would be made after both undergo fitness tests on Saturday morning.
India is leading the ongoing series 1-0.
The Indian squad for the third Test: Wasim Jaffer, Dinesh Karthik, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (WicketKeeper), Anil Kumble (Captain), Harbhajan Singh, VRV Singh, Murali Kartik, Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Vice captain Yunus Khan has agreed to lead his side in the final Test, as Captain Shoib Malik, who missed the Kolkata match has been ruled out for this match also, due to an ankle injury.(ANI)
- AY
Rapaport acquires 50 per cent stake in The Art of Jewellery
Bangalore, Dec 7 (ANI/Business Wire India): The Rapaport Group announced that it has acquired a 50 percent stake in India's leading Jewellery magazine, The Art of Jewellery.
Through its magazine publication, the company provides the highest level of well-researched timely editorial content while also engaging in exhibitions and top industry events throughout India.
As a result of these activities, the company enjoys premiere brand quality and is recognized as a catalyst for change in the Indian gem and jewelry sector.
Through its association with Rapaport, The Art of Jewellery will be able to penetrate new markets throughout India and rapidly expand its reach.
The Art of Jewellery also serves as the organizer for the leading South India Jewellery Show (SIJS), held annually in Bangalore.
It has been the prime mover in promoting the jewelry trade through innovative and well acknowledged initiatives like "Gold Shopping Festivals."
In its six years of publishing, the magazine has won several awards and accolades for its contribution to the industry.
The Rapaport Group will bring its extensive knowledge and global expertise of the diamond industry to the company's resources.
Martin Rapaport, who will be appointed Chairman of the board of directors, said, "The Indian gem and jewelry sector is one of the fastest growing markets in the world. We are excited to partner with The Art of Jewellery, India's premier jewelry magazine and a well established reputable brand, whose mission of education, enlightenment and market development we share. This investment is a sign of our deep long-term commitment to India's jewelry sector. We appreciate India's wonderful jewelry community for its consistent encouragement and support of our activities in India."
Sumesh Wadhera, CEO, The Art of Jewellery, said, "We are delighted to have The Rapaport Group as our partner. Our clients and associates will immensely benefit from Rapaport's information services and global expertise in the diamond industry. Together, we will strive to provide world class information and services to the Indian gem and jewelry trade."
As part of its expansion, The Art of Jewellery plans to open offices in Surat, Kolkata and Chennai and introduce a number of trade shows in various parts of India as well as provide cutting-edge online information services.
The company will retain its distinct brand identity and will operate independently of the Rapaport Group. The Art of Jewellery's head office will remain in Bangalore and all employees will remain with the company. (ANI)
- AY
Younis denies reluctance to lead Pakistan
Bangalore, Dec 7 (ANI): Acting skipper Younis Khan has denied all rumours regarding his reluctance to lead Pakistan in the third Test.
Younis dispelled the impression that he was unhappy about leading the side without sufficient powers handed over to him.
"These reports are absolutely baseless. I am looking ahead to leading the side in Bangalore, and there is no rift or disagreement among the players over anything," Younis said.
"I myself have heard such rumours, but there is no truth in them at all," he added.
"These reports are being spread to harm the spirit of our team which is pretty confident about levelling the series against India here," Younis said.
Commenting on his controversial column in an Indian newspaper last week, Younis said it was a different scenario altogether and the issue was dead and buried now.
"Then, I was hurried into the job on the morning of the Test and couldn't change anything at that stage," he admitted.
"That had really annoyed me, but things have since been sorted out," the Dawn quoted Younis, as saying.
Media manager Ahsan Hameed Malik and manager Talat Ali also denied reports of Younis' refusal to take up the job at Bangalore.
"There has been a lot of confusion here today about it, but believe me nothing of it is true," said Ahsan Malik. (ANI)
- AY
Human urine can be a good fertiliser
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Bangalore, Dec.6 (ANI): A doctorate student at the Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra here is doing a study on how human urine can be utilised for agriculture.
Sridevi, the scholar, has grown 83 tonnes of maize on 7.3 acres using 750 litres of human urine. She is presently growing 200 banana plants using only human urine as fertiliser.
She says: "Initially, the farmers hesitated. But after seeing the good yield in maize cultivation they are eager to use human urine for cultivation."
It is a known fact that human urine contains an appreciable quantity of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium which are essential plant nutrients and readily absorbed and assimilated by the crop.
Prasanna, a farmer, says that utilization of human urine yields good crop and saves expenditure on chemical fertilizer.
Around 10 houses in Nagasundra and Swami Vivekananda School near Dodaballapur have adopted eco-sanitation that is eco-friendly toilet. And it's the first time in India a study on eco-sanitation has been conducted.
Developed with the main objective of protecting environment and saving water resources, these eco-friendly toilets are used for recovery of nutrients from human waste to be used for agriculture.
Amrutha, a student of Swami Vivekananda school said that the idea is to grow vegetables for their mid-day meals using nutrients recovered from human waste from the eco-sanitation in the school.
Meanwhile, Sridevi wants the government run school which have mid-day meal system for children, to consider her model for kitchen garden. She has requested the government authorities considering these schools have enough vacant area to adapt her model. (ANI)
--MP
Pathan, Ishant, VRV replace Zaheer, Munaf and RP Singh for Bangalore Test
Bangalore, Dec 5 (ANI): With the injury ruling out three bowlers-- Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel and RP Singh from the Indian squad for the Third Test against Pakistan, the selectors on Wednesday chose to induct Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma and VRV Singh into the team.
India is leading the ongoing series 1-0 and the final Test match of the series is scheduled to start on December 8 in Bangalore.
Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of selectors, also attended today's meeting.
"Because of injuries to many fast bowlers, the selectors would like to defer the announcement of the final 16 for the Australia tour," Niranjan Shah, the secretary of the BCCI, told reporters.
He said that the squad for the Australian tour would be decided on December 12 and announced the 24 probables for the forthcoming tour.
The Indian squad for the third Test against Pakistan is as follows: Wasim Jaffer, Dinesh Karthik, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Wicket Keeper), Anil Kumble (Skipper), Harbhajan Singh, VRV Singh, Murali Kartik, Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma.
The probables for the Australia tour are: Anil Kumble, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Wasim Jaffer, Dinesh Karthik, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Sourav Ganguly, RP Singh, Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan, VRV Singh, Pankaj Singh, Ishant Sharma, Murali Kartik, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Aakash Chopra, Gautam Gambhir, Ranadeb Bose, Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar, Parthiv Patel. (ANI)
--MP
Bangalore has a groundnut fair "Kadlekayi Parishe"
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Bangalore, Dec.5 (ANI): A large number farmers in Bangalore congregate at the Basavangudi temple to participate in an annual groundnut fair that is held as a thanksgiving ceremony to Lord Shiva's mout "Nandi".
The three-day fair "Kadlekayi Parishe" (groundnut fair) is actually one of the few remnants of traditional Bangalore, the city that is known mainly for its technological development showcased prominently in the (IT) information technology sector. It is the most awaited event of traditional Bangaloreans.
This year "Kadlekayi Parishe" started on Monday (December 3rd) at Basavangudi, the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva's bull (Nandi) in south Bangalore.
The fair is generally celebrated on the last Monday of Kartik month of Hindu almanac.
"It always begins on Ganesha Somvara (Monday) of the Kartik month. The history behind the fair is that the road, where Bull Temple (Basvangudi) is situated, earlier a bull used to eat all the groundnuts. Somebody jinxed the bull to become stone and since then it turned stoned. And since then this fair begun," said Pampa Acharya, visitor.
Thousands of Bangaloreans made a beeline to this fair to buy and savour varieties of groundnuts ranging from raw, boiled, dried and fried being sold here. Several vendors also make their presence felt during Kadlekai Parishe.
"The little things that are sold here, the small and tiny toys are very attractive. The way they have decorated the gourds is also very nice. I will buy one or two kilograms of ground nuts," said Pratibha, a visitor who has been coming to the fair for several years.
The pavements and all paths leading to the top of the hillock are occupied by farmers and vendors with the heaps of fresh groundnuts.
Legend has it that on every full moon day, a bull used to charge into the agricultural fields in this region and would spoil farmers' yields. Since farmers were clueless about how to stop the aggressive bull, they prayed and pledged to offer their first crop of groundnuts to Nandi.
Their prayers were answered and since then all the farmers with the first yield of groundnuts of the season have been converging at the Bull Temple, the venue of Kadlekayi Parishe on the last Kartik Somvara . (ANI) -AJ
Vengsarkar to attend selection meeting
Bangalore, Dec. 5 (ANI): Chief Selector Dilip Vengsarkar will attend the selection committee meeting here today to select the national team for the third Test match against Pakistan as well as for the tour of Australia.
The former India captain took the decision after parlays over phone with Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sharad Pawar.
"I have decided to attend the meeting in the interest of Indian cricket and following the softening of its stand by the Board," Vengsarkar said.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday, Pawar said that the former cricketer remains invited to attend meeting of selectors, and assured him of resolving all the issues after the selection of the Indian squad for the forthcoming Australia tour.
"We want him to prioritise the selection of the team for Australia, all issues can be discussed after that. There is a board meeting on December 16 to discuss the issue of payment for selectors, all issues can be resolved after the selection meeting," he said.
He also hinted at the possibility of addressing the issues raised by Vengsarkar, particularly relating to the compensation.
Earlier, Vengsarkar had told the Board that he will attend the meeting only if it withdraws the seven-point guideline to be observed by the selectors and also finds a way out to compensate him for the loss of income arising from a BCCI rule that forbids any selector to write newspaper column.
The war of words between Vengsarkar and the BCCI began after the latter debarred the former from writing columns.
Vengsarkar has even threatened to quit the post and has also that he would not be attending the selection's meeting till the issues are resolved. (ANI)
- AY
ISRO denies shelving of spy satellite launch under US pressure
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Bangalore, Dec.4 (ANI): The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has rebutted reports appearing in the media that it has shelved the launch of TechSar, the spy satellite, under pressure from Washington.
Reacting to a report that had appeared in the daily DNA that said that India had aborted the launch of an Indo-Israeli spy satellite with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) literally at the launch pad stage due to last-minute pressure from Washington, ISRO sources said this was untrue.
They, however, refused to go on record about the issue, and just said the satellite would be launched soon.
Once completed, the satellite is capable of obtaining sharp images of civilian construction activities, including nuclear plants that may have a strategic bearing.
It can also scan cloud-covered mountain peaks. Lack of this capability enabled Pakistan-backed militants and army regulars to entrench themselves on the heights of Kargil, necessitating a huge armed response with many casualties.
If the SAR satellite had been launched on schedule, it would have been a first for both Israel and India.
Though official sources say that technical glitches prevented the launch of the satellite, according to the DNA report, the launch of TechSAR, mounted on a PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle), was aborted after American intervention.
TechSAR is technically an Israeli satellite being launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for a fee, but the imagery captured by it would have been available to Indian intelligence.
It is slated to be the first in a series of spy satellites India is to launch with Israeli collaboration.
According to the DNA report, the need for satellites with SAR technology has been felt very strongly after Kargil, when Indian agencies were caught napping as Pakistani intruders entered Indian peaks and set up bases.
The images, available then from the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites and spy planes, were hazy and did not reveal any ground level movement - an intelligence failure, which proved critical.
The satellite was to be the first of three produced exclusively by or in partnership with Israel for meeting India's intelligence requirements. (ANI) -AJ
Now, health service in Bangalore at a click of a button
Monday, December 3, 2007
Bangalore, Dec 3 (ANI): People in Bangalore now need not to worry about chronic lifestyle diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes, as a US-based doctor has found a solution to the problem.
Dr. Sunil S Jhangini recently launched "Nutrition Vista" for the first time in India at Telerad RxDx, a specialty clinic in Bangalore.
"Nutrition Vista with a convergence of offline and online health service is specially developed for Information Technology (IT) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) employees who are prone to lifestyle diseases," said Dr. Jhangini
Jhangini said that these employees are usually unable to avail medical assistance due to lack of time. "Therefore, "Nutrition Vista" has been initiated to provide them with 24/7 online health service," he added.
Dr. Belliappa, the head of the Telerad RxDx Centre said that at a minimal cost of Rs.350 per hour, peoplecan avail the service online. Some IT companies like AVIVA and Shell have registered for the service, he added.
According to a dietician, such services can improve lifestyle.
"With this service, the working professional can balance both work and maintain good health," said Dr. Sonia. S, a dietician and in-charge of "Nutrition Vista". (ANI)
--MP
AMD expands research and development presence in India
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Bangalore, Nov 29 (ANI/Business Wire India): AMD, a leading global provider of innovative processing solutions in the computing, graphics and consumer electronics markets, today announced the opening of a new silicon design and platform research and development (R&D) facility in Bangalore.
As India's role and importance in AMD's global R&D network increases, the number of employees in Bangalore continues to grow, requiring a new facility that will accommodate the current team while also providing room for future growth.
Employees will move into the new 52,000 square-foot center upon its completion and continue to focus on development of AMD's most advanced, next-generation processing solutions.
Dr. Hector Ruiz, AMD's Chairman and CEO, travelled to Bangalore to inaugurate the newly built center, which is comprised of state-of-the-art office space offering a host of modern amenities to improve the overall work experience.
"Our engineering employees in India play a critical role in AMD's global design network, and this new R&D center gives them the world-class equipment and resources they need to excel," said Ruiz.
"In AMD's quest to become the technology partner of choice for the industry, this facility is vital to help us design and deliver industry-leading solutions specifically tailored to the needs of our customers in India, and for all our customers worldwide," Ruiz added.
Alok Ohrie, Managing Director, AMD India said, "In a short span of six years of presence in India, AMD has posted marketshare gains as well as significant contributions to global R&D efforts. AMD India's expansion demonstrates the confidence our corporation has in the delivery capabilities of the India R&D teams."
Engineering staffs in Bangalore are playing the lead role on "Shanghai," AMD's first 45nm quad-core microprocessor, and are currently involved in design testing and optimization of the new chip.
Prior to their efforts on "Shanghai," teams were responsible for delivering key intellectual property (IP) for the first Quad-Core AMD Opteron(TM) microprocessor, previously codenamed "Barcelona."
AMD will continue operating its first facility in the city, using the existing office space for administration, sales and marketing staffs. (ANI)
- AY
TWB launches Adobe FrameMaker training online
Bangalore, Nov 28 (ANI/Business Wire India): The Writers Block (TWB) has broadened its portfolio by offering Adobe FrameMaker training through the TWB Online portal.
Launching the program, Rakesh Shukla, Chief Executive Officer of TWB said, "The TWB Online: Adobe FrameMaker Certification broadens the TWB portfolio and provides a skill enhancement opportunity to the technical writing professionals. There is a dearth of good training options in this space and TWB aims to be catalyst in bringing about a positive change."
The program titled TWB Online: Adobe FrameMaker Certification is targeted at individuals who are technical writers, programmers or professionals wanting to create or enhance help systems for desktop or web-based applications.
It is helpful to technical writing professionals who want to upgrade their skills with minimum investment of time and money.
Adobe FrameMaker is the industry standard help authoring tool used by most technical writers. The three week program has been designed keeping in mind the sharp learning curve faced by technical writers at the beginning of a new project. The program is priced at US 275 dollars.
TWB Online: Adobe FrameMaker Certification uses TWB Online platform to deliver this training. The TWB Online training platform gives trainees a fully interactive training experience that allows them to interact with trainers in real time and amongst themselves by using the Adobe Flash demo's, blogs, forums and comprehensive training material and calendars for scheduling and keeping track of assignments.
This is the third online offering to come from the TWB stable. This takes the total of TWB certifications and trainings to 15.
TWB Online training has emerged as an effective training channel owing to effective exercises at the end of each unit and a practical yet simple approach to building an online help system. (ANI)
- AY
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