Sixteen Presidents, 20 Prime Ministers and 12 delegates from the 53-member bloc of English-speaking countries discussed a range of issues including environment, governance and human rights, during the three-day meet. Dubbed the “Lake Victoria
Declaration on Climate Change”, the leaders issued a statement on climate change policy, intended as a follow-up to the Langkawi Declaration on Environment, issued in 1989, during a Commonwealth leaders’ summit in Langkawi, Malaysia.

In the new declaration, the leaders said that measures to control environmental degradation should not compromise development strategies drawn up by individual countries.

On the contrary, measures to tackle the impact of climate change should support positive economic and social transformation of societies. The leaders also called for support
for improved land use management, including conservation and sustainable use of forest resources.

The Lake Victoria Declaration highlighted five action points:
“Serious deterioration of the environment was a threat to the well-being of current and future generations; delay in halting environmental degradation would result in permanent and irreversible damage; threats to the environment needed to be viewed and addressed in a balanced perspective, mindful of the needs to eradicate poverty, provide sustainable development, and enhanced quality of life for all; most environmental problems transcended national boundaries, and therefore required solutions that were mutually reinforcing at global, regional, national and community levels; and, solutions to environmental challenges also required active participation by all.”

Referring to the mode of action, the leaders “resolved, individually and collectively, to pursue active participation through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, caucusing together and leveraging from our shared vision and diversity to the fullest extent possible”.

Wheeler Island (Orissa): India on Thursday demonstrated its capability to defend itself against ballistic missile attacks by successfully testing a hypersonic interceptor missile. The missile destroyed an incoming target missile in a direct hit over the Bay of Bengal.

The interception took place at an altitude of 15 km, in what is called the "endo-atmosphere." The debris fell into the sea. The launch has propelled the nation into the elite club, comprising the United States, Russia and Israel. The target missile, a modified, single-stage Prithvi missile called 'TGT-04,' lifted off from Chandipur-on-Sea, Orissa, at 11a.m. Five minutes later, the interceptor missile, named 'AAD-02' (Advanced Air Defence), roared off from a mobile launcher at Wheeler Island, about 70 km across the sea from Chandipur.

As the target missile climbed to an altitude of 110 km and had a free fall at a speed of 2.5 to 3 Mach, the AAD-02, speeding at 4.5 Mach, performed intricate manoeuvres and homed in on the target in a head-on collision. The interception took place 25 seconds after the AAD-02 took off. Radars at Konark and Paradip in Orissa picked up the target missile in its ascent mode and communicated its velocity and position to the MCC. The MCC classified it as a ballistic missile and assigned the task of waylaying it to the AAD-02. The interceptor lifted off, homed in on the target, using a radio frequency seeker on board, and achieved a "direct hit."

Source : The Hindu

Manmohan scholarships in Cambridge

" He added: "This scheme has been named after one of our most notable alumni and we are very proud of our association with Dr Singh and of what he has done for India."

The scholarship idea came jointly from a former student and a former master of St. John's. Both wanted to help bright young Indians who could not otherwise afford to study at Cambridge. India-born student Abhijit Banerjee, CEO of Immediance, the world's first online stock exchange for shares in private companies, and former master Richard Perham wrote jointly to Dr Singh in 2004 suggesting a scholarship in his name. The proposal was developed during a meeting of St. John's alumni over dinner at the Prime Minister's residence last year.

Subsequently, Dr Singh visited Cambridge in autumn last year to receive an honorary doctorate. There he spoke fondly of his years at St. John's and of the "inclusive character" of Cambridge, which had welcomed both Nehru, who had an exclusive schooling at Harrow, as well as him.

"Before the First World War, a young man from Allahabad came up to Trinity via Harrow. After the Second World War, a simple young Indian came to St. John's from an obscure university in Punjab. Cambridge University embraced both," he had said in a moving speech on "inclusive globalisation". "It was then that we realised just how fond Dr Singh was of the place," said Mr Teal. "We knew that the university was trying to set up ties with India, and we came up with this scheme, which is the first of its kind for Ph.D. students."

Source: The Asian Ag

The High Commissioner of India to the UK , H,E . Mr Kamalesh Sharma, who was India's candidate for the position of Secretary General of the Commonwealth has been elected for a four year term by the Commonwealth Heads of Government at Kampala, Uganda .

Mumbai: Four Indians will be part of a special programme of the National Geographic channel, in an in-depth series 'My Brilliant Brain' exploring the human mind and what makes a genius. Siddharth Nagrajan and Nischal Narayanam from Hyderabad, Tataghat Avatar Tulsi from Bangalore and Raghav Sachar from Mumbai will be featured by Nat Geo in the series being billed by it as its biggest initiative this year.

The 10-part series, premiering December 10 runs through till December 21. The Indian sections being presented by national award winning actor Konkana Sen Sharma.

Source : The Hindu