Saturday 30 June 2012

The Taj Lands End in Mumbai,India is the only Asian Hotel in Top 10 Hotels list released by Expedia.

Expedia's insiders drew up their list from 500,000 assessments provided by the website's users. European and American hotels fill up the top of the list, but there are two outliers in the top 10.
The list includes 650 hotels around the world, and Expedia used 500,000 user assessments that have been verified and analyzed. The website only included the best-rated hotels in its listing, after assessing more than 150,000 hotels and resorts worldwide.


Taj Lands End,Mumbai


The 10 best hotels in the world, according to Expedia's 2012 Insiders' Select list:
  • Marrol's Boutique Hotel - Bratislava (Slovakia)
  • Hotel Al Codega - Venice (Italy)
  • Hotel Royal Corin - Fortuna (Costa Rica)
  • Hilton Garden Inn Aberdeen - Aberdeen (Scotland)
  • Four Seasons Miami - Miami, Florida (USA)
  • Madison Hotel Hamburg - Hamburg (Germany)
  • Element Omaha Midtown Crossing - Omaha, Nebraska (USA)
  • Sonnenalp Resort of Vail - Vail, Colorado (USA)
  • Taj Lands End - Mumbai (India)
  • Mr. C Beverly Hills - Los Angeles, California (USA)




Tuesday 19 June 2012

India pledges 10 billion $ for eurozone

After the BRICS(Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) meeting in Los Cabos,Mexico on June 18,2012. Brazil, Russia and India each pledged $10 billion, while South Africa offered $2 billion. G20 host Mexico also contributed $10 billion.
(L-R) Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, China's President Hu Jintao and South African President Jacob Zuma pose for a picture after a BRICS leaders' meeting in Los Cabos June 18, 2012.
"I am happy to announce India has decided to contribute $10 billion to IMF's additional firewall of $430 billion," said the Indian Prime minister Mr. Manmohan Singh, The prime minister began by congratulating the new government in Greece that is about to take office, as it has given hope that the debt-laden country will stay in the Eurozone and take up critical reforms. "We wish them well and are encouraged by the early statements of intent." said the Indian PM.
He(Indian P.M.), nevertheless, said the crisis in Eurozone remained worrying, as it was pulling down even emerging economies such as India and China, which were earlier on a high growth path.
The announcement brought an end to the mystery of how much the powerful BRICS countries -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- would provide.


The five BRICS nations represent 43 percent of the world's population and about 18 percent of global economic output. They have about $4 trillion in combined reserves, with the lion's share held by export powerhouse China.


Emerging economies have long demanded more say at institutions like the IMF to reflect their growing clout. Their frustrations have grown with the likely delay in implementing the 2010 deal that would boost their voting power and make China the third-largest voting member of the IMF.







The big emerging economies are also seeking more influence in the world economy by planning wider use of currencies other than the dollar and euro. The BRICS statement on Monday said the five leaders had "discussed swap arrangements among national currencies as well as reserve pooling."
BRICS finance ministers and central bank governors were instructed to study the swaps and pooling arrangements and relevant internal legal issues and report to next year's BRICS leaders' summit in South Africa, the statement said.

Monday 18 June 2012

Diversity in INDIA


Two distinctive features of India are its vastness and variety. Because of its vastness; it is often called a sub-continent. Its size is twenty times that of Great Britain and it is as large as Europe excluding Russia. The population of some of the states is more than that of many important countries of the world. It presents one of the most remarkable arrays of geographical, climatic and attendant economic features with racial, linguistic and religious differences.

One is puzzled at her many contrasting features such as the splendours of her temples, mosques and tombs, alongside the squalor of her villages, the intellectual brilliance of the educated men and women at the top, alongside ignorance and superstition of the majority of people. The tribes living within kilometers of Rabindranath Tagore's last residence, Santi Niketan had no idea whatsoever about Gitanjali or the Nobel Prize he had won. When Tagore was being awarded Nobel Prize for Literature, the Santhals living around Santi Niketan were still at the food gathering stage.
Diversity in Physical Features :
Apart form vastness with threefold natural division its variety is partly due to its geography and physical features. The differences in altitude, climate, temperature, rainfall, flora and fauna are remarkable. The temperature of the country varies from the eternal snowy mountains to the scorching heat of the Rajasthan desert. The rainfall varies from 7.5 cms to 1200 cms per year. The country contains an arid desert as well as fertile plains. There are rivers, which flow throughout the year. India offers all the three types of climate - the Polar, the Temperate and the Tropical. There are areas which experience the extreme heat of summer as well as the biting cold of the winter.
The physical divisions have led to differences in flora and fauna, animals and vegetables. The flora and fauna here include almost all known varieties. If the Sunderbans of Bengal is famous for the Royal Bengal Tiger, the forest of Malwas is known for its breed of lions.
Within the three natural physical divisions of India, again, there have been sub­divisions created by physical barriers, which have stood on the way of regional unity and affected the course of history. The great Thar desert intervening between the plains of the Indus and the valley of the Ganga has practically converted these two regions into two separate units. This has been detrimental to the unity of India.
Diversity in each and every form

Racial Diversity:
It is a arduous task to construct a systematic ethnography of the teeming millions of Indian population. Different ethnic groups came to India as invaders, mingled with the Indian population and developed their own civilization and language. India contains a large variety of human types. The three primary broad types of mankind such as the Caucasian or white type, the Mongolian or yellow type and the Ethiopian or black type are found in India. As per the 1901 census the following eight different ethnic groups are found here.
1. Pre-Dravidian 2. Dravidian 3. Indo-Aryan
4. Turko-lranian 5. Scytho-Dravidian 6. Arya-Dravidian
7. Mongoloid 8. Mongoloid-Dravidian
India has been described as an ethnological museaum. Race formation is a dynamic process and environmental stimuli have caused many changes in the ethic types. However, it is said, "The bridge which links the Pathans of North west to the hill tribes of Travancore is still in existence." There are primitive tribesmen as well as city dwellers. There is a wide variety of differences in physical features, complexion and even in language. Often linguistic terms like Aryan and Dravidian have been applied to ethnic units.
It is difficult to assume that this vast subcontinent was once a vaccuum and the races have migrated into this ethnological paradise from faraway places. There have never been attempts to ascertain how far India bred her own races.

Linguistic Diversity:

The ethnological differences gave rise to a large number of languages. The linguistic survey of India records as many as 179 languages and 544 dialects. Among the Dravidian languages, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam are popular. Similarly, among the north Indian languages, Hindi, Bengali, Gujrati, Punjabi, and Urdu are prominent. The Constitution of India recognizes 18 languages in the country. Many foreign languages like Arabic ad Persian are also in use.
India is a secular nation
All the main religions of the world are found here along with religions which are born here. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Islam, Sikhism etc. have adherents in India. All these religions have grown freely along with their sects. Many beliefs, superstitions, dogmas, cults and gods and goddesses are worshipped here. Hinduism, the religion of the majority has a number of cults and creeds as Vaishnavism, Saivism, Shaktism, Tantricism, Ganapatya cult, Sun cult etc. There have been religious reformers like Kabir, Nanak and Chaitanya who have preached synthesis of religions. The primitive tribes have their own religions. Various fairs and festivals are also observed in different parts of the country. Even the Hindus differ widely in respect of observance of fairs and festivals.
The political history of India resolves itself into separate histories of the regions. Local and regional chauvinism always led rulers to fight among themselves. The lack of unity among the Indian rulers encouraged invaders to attack India. During the later Vedic period, north India was divided into a number of Janapadas, among which 16 Mahajanapadas figure prominently. Some of the regions like the extreme south never came under northern rule and always remained independent under local dynasties. Even in the face of foreign invasion or a common enemy the Indian rulers did not unite. There has never been a strong central government ruling over the entire country with a singli administrative system. Glorification of local rulers has always encouraged separatist tendencies. Internal dissension and foreign invasions were chiefly responsible for political disunity and fragmentation of the country.
The natural barriers of hills and rivers largely determined the different political and cultural units into which India was divided. These natural divisions favoured the growth of local and regional spirit and fostered separatist tendencies.
The marked distinction between north India and south India dominated the political history of the country. Each of these regions frequently achieved political unity though unity between the two of the regions was rendered more difficult. The people of south India always abhorred the north and protested under the slightest pretext.
Certain regions have always waged heroic struggles for independence against heavy odds. The Rajputs, the Sikhs and the Marathas for example have always fought against the imperial power of Delhi. This was as much due to the nature of their land as to the bravery of the people.
The physical features, natural barriers and strategic positions almost made some kingdoms, small or big, little worlds by themselves. An Indian ruler, inspite of his potentials and ambition, had the least temptation for conquering the comparatively unknown regions beyond the high hills and seas. During the days when scientific knowledge and modern means of communication were lacking it took months for the army to reach the frontiers. Even the news of revolts in border provinces reached the rulers after weeks or even months. Today we have unifying factors like the Indian Railways, the Indian Airlines, the Posts and Telegraphs and such other symbols of national unity, which did not exist in the past.
The variations in climatic condition, land structure and political set-up have resulted in considerable differences in dress, food habit and social customs and practices. The dress of the people of Rajasthan due to heat is bound to differ from that of the people of Kashmir due to cold. The people of the south under Saivite influence put sandal marks on their forehead whereas the people of the north under the influence of Vaishnavism were more liberal and catholic. The Hindu society as such is divided into a number of castes or varnas with well-defined functions for each Varna.
A modern writer, who has attempted a vivid portrayal of the diversities in India says, "Everybody looks different and dresses differently. Complexions range from white to black coffee, nose for Biblical spurs to Mongolian pugs; some people are very tall, others very; short. Dress, like a botanical classification, reveals the exact identity of the bearer, his or her religion, caste, region and occupation. The variety is endless."

Saturday 16 June 2012

Eurozone problems will dampen global markets, impact India: PM

Prime Minister  of India Manmohan Singh on Saturday voiced concern that continuing problems in the eurozone will further dampen global markets and adversely impact India's own economic growth.

Singh also said that the need to revive global growth should be an issue of immediate concern which must be addressed by world leaders.

He made these remarks prior to his departure for Mexico and Brazil to attend the seventh summit of the Group of 20 developed and developing countries (G-20) in the Mexican resort town of Los Cabos on June 18 and the Rio+20 Summit in Rio De Janeiro.
Observing that G-20 Leaders will meet once again in the shadow of the economic crisis in the Eurozone and a "faltering" global economy, Singh said the situation in Europe is of particular concern as it accounts for a significant share of the global economy and is also India's major trade and investment partner.
"Continuing problems there will further dampen global markets and adversely impact our own economic growth. It is our hope that European leaders will take resolute action to resolve the financial problems facing them," he said.
Singh emphasised on the need to revive global growth.
"It is imperative that the G-20 countries work in coordination to implement policies that promote sustained growth. India has been pursuing this objective in its capacity as the Co-Chair of the Working Group on the 'Framework for Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Growth'.
"I will stress the need to ensure primacy of the development dimension in G-20 deliberations and the need to focus on investment in infrastructure as a means of stimulating global growth," he said.
Singh also noted that BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) countries have been the new growth poles of the global economy
"BRICS leaders have agreed to work with the global community to ensure international policy coordination to maintain macroeconomic stability conducive to healthy recovery of the global economy," he said.
As current chair of BRICS, India will host an informal meeting of BRICS leaders prior to the commencement of the G-20 Summit to exchange views on the agenda of the Summit.
On the Earth Summit in Rio, the Prime Minister said the cardinal principles of Rio 1992 must not be diluted, particularly the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities as well as equity.
"We have come a long way since the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992. Environmental concerns today occupy the centre-stage of global discourse. Yet, we are far from pursing a truly sustainable path towards development," he said.
Indian PM Manmohan Singh.

The UN Conference on Sustainable Development is an historic opportunity to give meaningful content to paradigm of sustainable development. At its heart lies the imperative of moving away from a resource intensive development path while ensuring inclusive and balanced development for eradicating the grinding poverty that afflicts millions.
The Rio+20 Conference is likely to debate complex and contentious issues such as green economy and Sustainable Development Goals.
"I will emphasise that we must not dilute the cardinal principles of Rio 1992, particularly the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities as well as equity, which have been at the core of global sustainable development efforts.
"We must acknowledge the continuing differences in levels of development across the world, and the need for provision of financial and technological support to the developing world if we are to work together as a global community to address our most pressing environmental challenges," he said, adding India will work with like-minded countries to forge a consensus in this endeavour.
During his visit, the Prime Minister is expected to hold separate meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Nepalese Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and other leaders.

<hindustan times>

Nokia Crises deepens, sliding Nokia eyes emerging markets like India for profit.

Nokia no more connecting people?

Nokia stocks falling since entry of new companies.Nokia is eyeing new emerging markets like India,China,Brazil,etc.This change could be seen by Nokia launching its new Nokia 808 pure view in India before launching in other markets like USA.
Nokia Pureview 808 for sale India earlier than USA








Nokia to cut jobs, close units; India won't be impacted!!!...

NOKIA corporation once the best cellphone maker now bleeds under it's competition due to its decade old technology and other reasons. 


Nokia Corporation  is a Finnish multinational communications corporation headquartered in EspooFinland. Its principal products are mobile electronic devices, primarily mobile telephones and other communications devices. It also offers Internet services including applicationsgames, music, maps, media and messaging through its Ovi platform, and free-of-charge digital map information and navigation services through its wholly owned subsidiary Navteq. Nokia has a joint venture with SiemensNokia Siemens Networks, which provides telecommunications network equipment, solutions and services.
Nokia Headquarters in Espoo,Finland


Nokia has around 124,800 employees across 120 countries, sales in more than 150 countries and annual revenues of around €38 billion. As of 2012 it is the world's second-largest vendor of mobile phones by unit sales (after Samsung), with a global market share of 22.5% in the first quarter. Nokia is a public limited-liability company listed on the HelsinkiFrankfurt, and New York stock exchanges. It is the world's 143rd-largest company measured by 2011 revenues according to the Fortune Global 500.

Nokia logo's since 1865 when it was a rubber company

After a much rule of Nokia in the world telephone shares Nokia is poised to cut jobs due to it's losses.

Nokia plans to cut more than 10,000 jobs at its global cellphone business and also shut down some units as it loses market share to rivals Apple and Samsung and burns through cash, raising new fears over its future. 
The company also announced major management changes. In a second profit warning in nine weeks, Nokia said on Thursday that its phone business would post a deeper-than-expected loss in the second quarter.
Nokia job cuts

"The job cuts and profit warning underline the seriousness of the challenges Nokia is facing, particularly in light of the eye-watering competition from Apple and Samsung," said Ben Wood, head of research, CCS Insight.
The company said its restructuring-related cash outflows would be around €650 million in the remaining three quarters of 2012 and around 600 million in 2013.
Shares in Nokia has crashed more than 70% since it announced the switch to Microsoft's software in February 2011.
A funny logo of Nokia with a tag line disconnecting people rather than connecting people

No significant impact on India
The changes at the global level will not have any significant impact on Nokia's India operations, the company said. "Today's planned changes will impact Nokia employees throughout operations globally. While we anticipate impact at other sites, we don't see significant impact on India operations," a Nokia spokesperson said.

India is still the best market for Nokia corporation but the trends are seen changing.



Worldwide smartphone market, by operating system, by 2011 global sales
according to Canalys
Operating SystemShipments 2011
(millions)
Market share 2011Annual growth
Android237.748.8%244%
iOS93.119.1%96%
Symbian80.116.4%-29.1%
BlackBerry51.410.5%5.0%
Bada13.22.7%183.1%
Windows Phone6.81.4%-43.3%
Others5.41.1%14.4%
Total487.7100%62.7%
Source: Canalys (Feb 2011)via: mobiThinking

*Symbian is an OS(operating system) used by Nokia corporation


Nokia sales chart for one year


Friday 15 June 2012

Camping tour in Rishikesh

Rishikesh , also spelled HrishikeshRushikesh or Hrushikesh, is a city and a municipal board in Dehradun district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India, it is known as The Gateway to the Himalayas. Rishikesh is surrounded by three other districts namely Tehri GarhwalPauri Garhwal and Haridwar. It is located around 25 km north of holy city, Haridwar. Rishikesh has a permanent population of around 75,000.


Rishikesh is famous for it's camping and adventure spots.
One might also see some beautiful sites in Rishikesh.
Statue of lord Shiva meditating on the bans of Ganges river in 
Rishikesh

Camps alongside river Ganges in 
Rishikesh

Camps on the hills,in Rishikesh

Camps in Rishikesh on the hills.

View of riverside camps from above in Rishikesh

Camps more Camps

Sunday 3 June 2012

Anonymous making India ready for June 9

Anonymous launched a video and a poster asking most of the Indian's to join the physical protest on June 9..
Will the govt. react?



Video launched by anonymous:-





Poster released by anonymous:-


Facebook face-offs pepper divorce cases across India

Facebook social networking going serious??


Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has not marked his relationship status as "married". His wife Priscilla Chan has. He has no picture of them as newly-weds on his page, she does. It's fine for the couple after the billionaire-founder of the world's most popular social networking site tied the knot about a couple of weeks ago, but in a small town in Tamil Nadu, a similar "failure" by a man to update his "basic info" on Facebook is being cited by his wife as grounds for cruelty.


In Mumbai, a young couple stood in front of a family court judge last week. Their complaint against each other was that the other was always glued to Facebook. The judge reprimanded them, then counselled them. They finally admitted that they still did like each other, resolved to not "unfriend" and to give their marriage another shot.


Some marriages may get saved, but Facebook, which a recent survey in UK blamed for nearly a third of all divorces, is leading to a rise in face-offs in family courts across India too. "Facebook is fast becoming a reason why many marriages are faltering," says celebrity divorce lawyer.


As divorce petitions get peppered with the mention of Facebook and printouts of web pages, the reason is not merely because couples spend more hours individually on the site, the lawyer said. "Spending more time, especially at night before bedtime, with friends on Facebook or merely playing games on the site is no doubt eating into couples' together-time or intimacy. More pertinently, if someone wants to have an affair or flirt, then FB is an easy place to do it. People also use the 'friend finder' to re-unite with school or college friends and some really unite. One couple opted for mutual consent divorce when her husband found his former love on FB," the lawyer explained.


Facebook posts, photos now court evidence


FB a marriage breaker,really?
"There are now FB widows and 'spending time on Facebook' is replacing 'spending time online watching porn' as grounds for cruelty,'' said the lawyer.

A divorce advocate, recounts that in Pune, a woman found her husband "obsessed with FB and 'adding' women friends. She has filed for divorce". Facebook posts and pictures are being used as evidence in courts.

Facebook actually throws up proof of infidelity through pictures posted on friends' pages, said Arthi P S, a Chennai-based divorce lawyer, who believes that distraction in a marriage is endemic, it is just that the mode has changed for most with Facebook.

In Chennai, a woman dragged her husband to court after she found a picture of him in a "compromising" position with another girl on the page of a friend of her friend. "It was a recent picture," she claimed, citing it as evidence. He is denying the charges in court.

A Senior lawyer from Delhi said: "Photographs posted by friends or even husbands and wives are finding their way into divorce battles in a big way."

Families frown at "inappropriate status updates, comments and photographs", said veteran family court lawyer Tara Hegde. In an ongoing case, a man moved court after he found out what his wife was really up to from her FB status updates. "People tell the court one thing, but post the truth online. Facebook exposes a person for what he or she really is," Hegde said.

A lawyer said Facebook has opened avenues to help reinforce suspicions. In Mumbai, a woman, newly married, refused to consummate her marriage. Her husband was patient, said advocate Hegde, till he stumbled on to her FB profile page — it had pictures of her with many male friends. Now, he has filed for annulment with FB pictures as evidence.

The Mumbai family court right now is struggling to figure out where to even send summons to a "wife" who a man says he married after meeting on Facebook.







"I am trying to make the world a more open place," says FB founder Zuckerberg. Millions like him for it, but some are now clicking "unlike."













<TOI>