Republic Day Chief Guest

Republic day celebrations not only evoke the patriotic fervour of the Indian citizens but also open the doors for international tie-ups.

Guest Country and Republic Day

Caste Unaware

Caste has cast its spell on our lives

That we did not ask for.

For generations, we tried hard to break-free

Yet we could't find permanent solutions

So we learnt to live with the situation.

But why do we have to drag the poor animals

Those are caught unaware in the caste battle?

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Thanks to the article in Times of India

Dog cast(e) away after dalit touch

A dog's life couldn't get worse. A mongrel brought up in an upper caste home in Morena was kicked out after the Rajput family members discovered that their Sheru had eaten a roti from a dalit woman and was now an "untouchable". Next, Sheru was tied to a pole in the village's dalit locality. His controversial case is now pending with the district collector, the state police and the Scheduled Caste Atrocities po lice station in Morena district of north MP.

Read more:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Dog-caste-away-after-dalit-touch/articleshow/6617039.cms

Cherish Banarasi Saree

The Indian handloom and cottage industries has emerged stronger after every unwarranted crisis for years. The past has always sown seeds of hope. The Banarasi saree’s recent geographical indications (GI) status is an achievement worth mentioning.

With this the story of duplication comes under scrutiny as “the GI rights are the intellectual property rights that restrict others from marketing or processing a product in the same name.”

September saw the Banarasi silk product register as the ‘Banaras Brocades and Sarees’ under Geographical Indications (GI) Act.

According to experts “the GI status would benefit about 12 lakh people associated directly or indirectly with the handloom silk industry of the region because it would restrict the misuse of Banarasi saree brand. As per the GI certificate issued by the registrar of GI, the Banaras Brocades and Sarees fall in four classes (13-26) that include silk brocades, textile goods, silk saree, dress material and silk embroidery. The registration is for 10 years and it may be further renewed.”

It is easy to find skilled labour, but maintaining the tradition needs attention and care. Though at the policy level there is a need for protection from cheap silk and powerloom houses, the challenge to reintroduce Banarasi sarees as a brand is not anymore a dream in waiting. The sweat, blood and about eight years struggle of many weavers to restore the lost glory and grandeur of the Banarasi sarees is set to begin a new innings.

Virtual India’s Bhuvan

Bhuvan, India’s mapping application website has been launched. Working on similar grounds as Google Earth and Wikimapia, Bhuvan is a geoportal that provides medium to high resolution satellite imagery of virtually the entire India. When compared to the rest, this web-based 3D mapping tool, which is a product of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is said to have better zooming properties. “This would provide a user with images having resolution up to 10 metres. The degree of resolution showcased is based on the points of interest and popularity, but most of the Indian terrain is covered up to at least 5.8 metres of resolution with the least spatial resolution being 55 metres.” It is also said that “the user can also navigate through 3D viewing environment. One can “fly” to destinations of choice and even draw 3D objects such as placing of expressive 3D models, 3D polygons and boxes. The site also offers tools to measure horizontal, vertical and aerial distances.” The images on the site are a combination of satellite imagery from various IRS sensors taken “sometime within the last three years during different seasons.” But to browse the website, one has to create an account and download “the Bhuvan Plug-in”. A few days old into the World Wide Web, Bhuvan has a long way to go. As a common man we can hope that it would be a rich and useful source in addressing very local problems including water issues and infrastructure development.

Rich Lifestyle Affects Climate

According to a study conducted by researchers at Princeton University, rich people and their lifestyles account for a major chunk of the carbon emissions globally. Tackling climatic change has been an ongoing process world around; but who could have imagined that the rich and the wealthy can be one of the causes? “Instead of simply considering carbon emissions on a national or per capita level, the Princeton team proposes a more granular system of climate accounting that would examine the range of individual emissions within countries. Thanks to economic growth, there are well-off people in almost every nation in the world.” The current data says that the world average for tons of carbon dioxide emitted a year per individual is about five tons. Here, while each European produces about 10 tons a year, Americans alone produce twice that amount. A researcher noted that most of the emissions come from lifestyles that involve airplane flights, car use and the heating and cooling of large homes. “And the study doesn’t take into account the carbon that is embedded in imports and exports in global trade. But big developing nations like China – with its rising middle class – won’t be let off the hook either.” Writes Times. It has been estimated that in 2008, half of the world’s emissions came from just 700 million people. Wonder, what one will do, if pleasures and comfort are taken away from life.

Father, My Father

“I love my daddy. My dad is the best,” you say proudly and so is the story of dads, the world around. Dad, papa, father, no matter how you address him even in your mother tongue, he is the guiding force in a healthy family. The Father’s Day is far gone, but the cards and news stories keep the day alive, and the reasons for me to write. Thanks to Sonora Smart-Dodd, we have an exclusive day - the third Sunday in June - to honour not only our fathers but also those who are our father figures. Though legend says that a Babylonian youth named Elmesu carved the first known Father’s Day card in clay with a special message that wished his father good health and a long life, it was Sonora’s efforts that bore fruit. Sonora’s father William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran and widower raised his six children single-handedly. For Sonora, it was hero worship. On Mother’s Day, in 1909, when she was listening to the sermons at the church, she got the idea to have a Father’s Day observation. The following year Sonora convinced the local churches and celebrated Father’s Day honouring her father on his birthday. She also encouraged the concept of roses - a red rose was worn for fathers who were still living and a white rose to honour the dead. With time, Father’s Day has been much commercialised and you have an option to choose from a variety of cards and gifts. Interestingly, a National survey (US) shows the evolution of the Father’s Day gift, from Old Spice and leisure suits to DVDs and plasma TVs. Her interest and efforts paid off well, as the then US President proclaimed it a law; and President Richard Nixon in 1972 established a permanent national observance of Father's Day on the third Sunday of June. Today Father’s Day is a universal concept and celebrated across countries.

Do You Miss Zoozoos

This morning I received an e-mail forward on the "making of ZooZoo", the vodafone ad campaign, a second time in a week. I could not stop myself but go chasing the zoozoo related news. Here, is my writeup... They appeared as the sweet animations we would love to watch again and again. Fresh out of the box and in between the IPL matches, Zoozoo, the dwarf egg-heads, successfully walked straight into the hearts of the viewers. In a short span of time, the new brand ambassadors of Vodafone have become the stars with fan following on the World Wide Web. Interestingly, these characters from Vodafone ad campaign are real people. Vodafone’s new brand ambassadors came alive through Ad-filmmaker Prakash Varma of Nirvana Films, who directed the commercials for Ogilvy and Mathers (O&M). “The practical aspect of how they would talk, gesticulate and emote was very important. It took me three weeks of pre-production work to understand how it would work,” said Prakash in an interview. Today, the zoozoos are celebrities in various social networking sites and have a great fan following. “According to data available here Advertising Age U.S., which tracks the top viral video advertisement (video clip that gains widespread popularity through the process of Internet sharing - e-mail or Instant messaging, blogs and other media sharing websites) campaigns of the world by number of views, has the Vodafone Zoozoo campaign right at the top. For the week of May 11, the Vodafone Zoozoos top the chart at 1.45 million views, way ahead of the second placed campaign. This is the second week in a row that the Vodafone Zoozoos have topped this chart. Last week, the Zoozoos entered the chart at number one, the first time in the world any campaign has done that on its debut. This also marks the first time any ad campaign from India has ever appeared on this chart of the most viewed viral ad campaigns of the world, let alone tops it,” reported Sakaal Times. That’s not all; it has wooed People for Ethical Treatment for Animals (PETA) too. “The popularity of this ad campaign proves that there are many creative ways to convey a message without using animals. Animals used in films are often treated as little more than props, and many suffer terribly behind the scenes.” Vodafone has won the first of PETA’s 2009 Glitterbox Awards, for taking advantage of humane alternatives to the use of real animals in their ZooZoo ads. It has been rightly observed, “If Hutch made Pug the ‘national’ dog, ZooZoos are the new youth icon.” Do you miss them?

A forward I feel can make a difference. Join the revolution, fight against Global Warming www.earthhour.in 1. What is Earth Hour? - Earth Hour is World Wildlife Fund's global initiative where individuals, businesses and governments turn off their lights for one hour to show their support for action on climate change. - Earth Hour is a symbolic event designed to engage people from all walks of life in the climate change discussion to send a strong message to our political leaders that we want them to take meaningful action on climate change. - The largest climate event in history where millions of people around the world will unite by turning off their lights for one hour, Earth Hour, to demand action on the climate crisis. 2. When is Earth Hour? Earth Hour 2009 takes place on Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 8:30 pm local time. Just like New Year’s Eve, Earth Hour will travel from time zone to time zone starting at 8:30 pm in New Zealand. 3. Which cities have signed up for Earth Hour? Already cities in more than 80 countries around the world have committed to Earth Hour 2009, including Mumbai and New Delhi. Satellite Earth Hours will also be observed in Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Amritsar. 4. What do we hope to accomplish through Earth Hour 2009? - Through Earth Hour, WWF hopes to create political momentum for enacting national climate legislation and a global climate treaty. - Through Earth Hour, WWF will continue to educate and raise awareness about the climate crisis and offer ideas and solutions that people can merge into their daily lives. - Through Earth Hour, WWF aims to unify people’s voices from around the world who are demanding action form our elected officials to solve the climate crisis. 5. What happened during Earth Hour in 2008? - Earth Hour 2008 was an important step in the fight against climate change. Over 50 million people, representing over 400 cities on all seven continents, turned out their lights in the largest climate event of all time. - The movement captured the public's imagination with lights going out at some of the world's most iconic landmarks, including the Sydney Opera House, Bangkok's Wat Arun Buddhist temple, the Coliseum in Rome, Stockholm's Royal Castle, London's City Hall, New York's Empire State Building, Sears Tower in Chicago and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Other symbols going dark included Cola-Cola's famous billboard in Times Square and the Google homepage. 6. Who can participate in Earth Hour? Anyone. Earth Hour is an inclusive event and everyone is invited to participate. WWF will provide tools online to enable any town, community, school, individual or organisation to be part of the event. 7. Why is Earth Hour at 8:30 pm this year instead of 8 pm? As the campaign has grown from one city in one country to a truly global campaign, the time has been moved to allow the maximum number of cities around the world to be suitably dark for the lights out campaign to have greater visual impact. Earth Hour is held around the spring equinox, which ensures nearly equal sunset times in both the northern and southern hemispheres. 8. Do I have to turn off all of my electricity for Earth Hour? Not at all. Through Earth Hour we are asking people to turn off all non-essential lighting. Emergency lighting, televisions and computers can stay on for the hour. The main point of Earth Hour is to unite people, companies and governments around the world through the symbolic flip of a switch. Earth Hour in itself will not lower our carbon footprint, rather, it sends a signal to those in positions of power that we as individuals and communities demand action. The decision on which lights to turn off can be made individually, but it usually involves shutting overhead lights in rooms (whether it is your house or a business), outdoor lighting that does not impact safety, computers, decorative lights, neon signs for advertising, televisions, desk lamps, etc. 9. Will my city go completely black? Earth Hour is not a black-out. It is a voluntary power shutdown of non-essential, decorative lighting by its participants. For businesses in city skyscrapers or for government buildings, it involves turning off the lights at the end of the business day the Friday before Earth Hour and not turning them back on until that Monday morning. So the event will be more of a fadeout to gray than an abrupt shift to black. There is usually no instant dramatic difference, but rather a gradual power shutdown starting the day prior. Earth Hour means turning off non-essential lighting only. Lights necessary for public safety will not go out. 10. Why is WWF dealing with climate change? WWF is committed to saving the planet's most threatened habitats and species, including tigers, rhinos, elephants and polar bears. To do this effectively, WWF must focus on the most imminent threats, climate change being an overarching issue for all of them. Simply put, climate change is a game changer. It threatens to undo the great progress we've been making in conserving the world's most important and most threatened regions and animals.

Four Indians in Forbes

The economic slowdown has not got all the Indians trickling down in the latest list of Forbes’ world’s wealthiest CEOs. According to a list of 10 wealthiest CEOs compiled by Forbes magazine, Reliance Industries (RIL) chief Mukesh Ambani is the third-richest chief executive in the world. The other Indians to follow are Lakshmi Mittal, Anil Ambani and Sunil Mittal. “Being a CEO isn’t what it used to be. Crackdowns on corporate frills like private jets and over-the-top offices have become the norm, taking some of the fun - but none of the stress - out of running billion-dollar businesses. “While some chief executives’ jobs may be in peril, these 10 have stuck it out long enough to partake in what’s left of the global economy. These have made our annual list of the world’s wealthiest CEOs,” Forbes said. Despite a 62 per cent drop in RIL share prices since last year, Mukesh Ambani climbed up three places in the 2009 rankings. For steel baron Lakshmi Mittal, who heads ArcelorMittal, it was a slip down to the fourth position from second. While Sunil Mittal of Bharti Airtel has joined the league at ninth position, Wipro chief Azim Premji is out of the race. Interestingly, the total number of Indians on the list have remained unchanged at four this year too. “To compile our list for 2009, we looked at chief executive officers and managing directors (a title that sometimes denotes the top leadership position at corporations outside the US) of public companies the world over and ranked them according to the size of their stakes in the businesses they run,” Forbes said. Yet the undisputed wealthiest chief executive is once again, the American billionaire investor Warren Buffett. “Due to the difficulty of pinning down private holdings in the midst of volatile market swings, we excluded CEOs of private companies from our rankings. We also excluded individuals’ private holdings. Full net-worth estimates will be available in March, when we release our annual list of the world’s billionaires,” Forbes added.

Bible and American President

Barack Obama, the 44th President of United States is the first US president to swear on the Bible that Abraham Lincoln used for his 1861 inauguration. In the US, presidents are not constitutionally required to be sworn in using a Bible, though most presidents have traditionally used one to take oath of office. It was George Washington, the first president of United States of America who began this practice. He borrowed a Bible from St. John’s Lodge No. 1. Chester A. Arthur in 1881 and Theodore Roosevelt in 1901, were some exceptions as they did not use a Bible. Similarly, when Kennedy was assassinated, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson assumed the job of president and took the oath of office aboard “SAM 26000”- Air Force One in 1963. Since there was no Bible in the plane, he used a Roman Catholic missal (contains religious services). The popular choice till date has been George Washington’s Bible. It has been used by Warren Harding, Dwight Eisenhower and George W Bush. Some others like Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton have opted for personal Bibles. While Nixon used two Bibles belonging to his family, Clinton chose his grandmother’s. The Lincoln Bible, an 1853 Oxford University Press edition, will be on display at the Library of Congress from Feb 12 to May 9 as part of an exhibition for the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth. No matter what the rule says, the presidents continue the tradition to finish the oath of office with the words “So help me God”.