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THE NR EYE: Opening PN route will boost NRI investments
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| 02. NEWSMAKERS |
Statement by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on the final outcome of the meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group |
 We welcome the decision earlier today of the Nuclear Suppliers Group to adjust its guidelines to enable full civil nuclear cooperation with India. This is a forward-looking and momentous decision. It marks the end of India’s decades long isolation from the nuclear mainstream and of the technology denial regime. It is a recognition of India’s impeccable non-proliferation credentials and its status as a state with advanced nuclear technology. It will give an impetus to India’s pursuit of environmentally sustainable economic growth.
I thank the United States and other member countries of the Nuclear Suppliers Group for the role they have played in ensuring this outcome. The opening of full civil nuclear cooperation between India and the international community will be good for India and for the world. We look forward to establishing a mutually beneficial partnership with friendly countries in an area which is important for both global energy security as well as to meet the challenge of climate change.
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How about more Hindi courses, say Indians in Australia
With 70,000 Hindi speakers in Australia, Indians in the country are demanding that the language and its literature be given the recognition it deserves in educational institutions.The number of Hindi speakers has doubled since 1996. But while the demand for it is growing at the Class 12 level, some universities are cutting down courses, citing lack of interest and funding cuts. An increasing number of Indian origin students in Australia are choosing Hindi as a subject for the High School Certificate (HSC) or Class 12 exam to improve their overall percentage and seize the opportunities offered by India's economic growth. "Learning Hindi has opened up many opportunities. It will be of great help if I choose to work in India as I can now interact with different people with ease," Jasmine Sodhi, who migrated here at the age of eight, told IANS. In Sydney, most migrant children attend the Sunday Hindi classes at The Indo-Australian Bal Bharathi Vidyalaya. The school has come a long way since its inception in 1987 when a group of mothers, some with teaching backgrounds, started the Hindi classes.
Mala Mehta, the honorary founder, coordinator and teacher at the Vidyalaya, told IANS: "I used to teach Hindi to my daughter at home, but she kept winging and found learning by herself a chore. So a group of mothers got together to set up the school and make learning Hindi fun. We started with 35 students and now have about 150 students and 11 trained teachers. "The way Hindi is taught here is very different from the 'learn by heart' concept followed in India. Here, we do a lot of listening tasks and translation, which tests one's command over Hindi and English. The text is interactive and contemporary, based on current affairs and topical events," Mehta added. The Vidyalaya also has classes for adults. For example, some medical students are learning Hindi to gain clinical experience in India and a few Australians are learning the language to live up a dream in Bollywood. While private community schools offer Hindi at all levels from kindergarten to Class 12, a Hindi teacher for the past seven years, Rekha Rajvanshi, feels the Department of Education and Training should introduce Hindi in the mainstream school curriculum alongside European and Chinese languages.
Various Australian universities have been offering Hindi at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, some since the 1960s. But recently the University of Sydney decided to axe the Hindi language from its undergraduate course. "We will not be offering courses in Hindi-Urdu for new students commencing in 2009. Unfortunately, there is very little demand from students for these languages - there are currently 10 students enrolled in 1st year, one in 2nd year and one in third year," a spokesperson for the university told IANS.
The grim situation is said to have been compounded by two factors. "The Australia National University withdrew from a collaborative arrangement and funding promised by the Indian and Pakistani community to supplement the costs has not been forthcoming. The university has been left with a growing deficit," the spokesperson said. It was the establishment of Hindi Samaj that pioneered the cause of the Hindi language during the 1980s. The Samaj's Shailaja Chaturvedi says: "Unfortunately, our foreign missions have not been the true ambassadors of our culture, heritage and progression of our national language. There is no convincing evidence on the part of the government to maintain the prestigious position of Hindi at least in Australia."
"It is time for Doordarshan news in Hindi to be telecast on SBS Radio (an Australian government funded radio station), which telecasts news in several other languages," says Darpan Hindi Radio's Pradeep Kumar. With new Hindi-speaking immigrants arriving on the shores, cultural and religious organisations are taking up the cause of keeping the language alive. For the first time, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia recently organised a nationwide celebration of `Hindi' to recognise people who have made a significant contribution to the language here. As president of Bhavan Australia, Gambhir Watts told IANS: "All individual groups and organisations engaged in teaching and promotion of Hindi need to pool their resources together to make a critical mass of action. We at Bhavan Australia are endeavouring to act as the catalyst." Almost 400 different languages are spoken in homes across Australia. In the 2006 census, 34.4 percent of Indian-born people spoke English at home followed by 19.9 percent speaking in Hindi.
Source: Hindustan Times |
President of India urges youth of Indian origin to become goodwill ambassadors |
The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil addressing at the Conference of Governors, in New Delhi on September 16, 2008. The Vice President, Shri Mohd. Hamid Ansari, the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Union Minister of External Affairs, Shri Pranab Mukherjee and the Union Home Minister, Shri Shivraj V. Patil are also seen.
The President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil has urged the youth of Indian origin around the world to become goodwill ambassadors. The President was speaking while interacting with a group of 31 persons of Indian origin from 10 different countries who are were recently in the 9th Know India Programme of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. The meeting took place at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The President said that the youngsters should build a network of friends to spread the message that India stands for peace in the world and for the principles of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi who taught India about Non-violence and Peace. These were the principles, Smt. Patil said, by which India won its independence and through which it wants peace on the globe. The President said that India is making rapid economic progress and is one of the fastest growing economies today.
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The President said that India's youth is excelling in various fields such as Information Technology, in which India is a world leader. Smt. Patil further said there no doubt are challenges before the country, such as poverty and disease and said she was confident that the Nation would be able to overcome these challenges successfully. The President also said that the Government is working for inclusive growth and the creation of an equitable society. Interacting with the President, the participants said that during their visits to the States of Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, their experiences were memorable, incredible and spiritual. Many of them were overwhelmed to visit the land of their forefathers. All of them felt that the programme has given them an opportunity to understand the culture of India and to know about the economic developments taking place in India.
The visit also made them proud of being of Indian origin and also gave them a sense of belonging and being connected, a feeling which they never experienced before.A series of Programmes e.g. Know India Programme and Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children are also designed specifically for Diaspora youth.Among other things, the 7th POD Convention would have sessions on the preservation of Diaspora language and culture and the importance of Diaspora as facilitators and bridge builders. The highlights of PBD 2009 include an Exhibition on Trade & industry, live demonstrations by craftsmen, cultural evenings and post convention tours. The Convention would be inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India on 8th January. President of India would deliver the valedictory address and also confer Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards for 2009 on 9th’ January. The website wwwpbdlndia.org was launched on 21August 2008 and would provide further details and open the registration.
Source : www.pbdindia.org |
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Dada Saheb Phalke award to
Shri Tapan Sinha |
 American business magazine Forbes said India-born steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal is being conferred the third Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award, which honours heroes of entrepreneurial capitalism and free enterprise. Mittal was given the at Forbes Global CEO Conference, held in Singapore and was attended by 450 business leaders with a combined net worth of more than 160 billion dollars from across the world. Earlier in March this year, Forbes had named Mittal as fourth richest with a net worth of 45 billion dollars in its annual ranking of the world's richest billionaires. Born in Rajasthan in India, Mittal founded Mittal Steel Company (formerly LNM Group) in 1976. It later acquired numerous steel companies around the world, including the International Steel Group in the US, to become the world's largest steel producer following merger with Arcelor in 2006. Forbes said that this year's theme at the three-day conference is "The Winning Hand" and would discuss strategies in dealing with the global uncertainty and issues such as US elections, real estate, China, India and entrepreneurship.
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India Aviation 2008
The Minister for Civil Aviation Shri Praful Patel will inaugurate the first ever-International Exhibition & Conference on Civil Aviation, “India Aviation 2008” at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad on 15th October 2008. Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh will be the chief guest. Eminent speakers from the aviation sector across address the conferences. The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) are jointly organizing the event. India Aviation 2008 will showcase the development of Indian Civil Aviation industry at a time when India is becoming a major aviation player. The event will highlight the history, growth and present stature of Indian Civil Aviation.
The opening ceremony will be supplemented with spectacular fly-past by Surya Kiran and Sarang helicopters from Indian Air Force, followed by parasailing, para jumping and hot air ballooning by Aero Club of India. One new Airbus 319 will be inducted to Air India fleet, coinciding with the closure of inaugural function. Another highlight of the day will be the arrival of the largest passenger aircraft in the world, Airbus A-380 from France. The aircraft, which can cover 3/4th of a football ground, will be on both static and flying display at the event. An exclusive open house inter active session between the Minister and a congregation of more than 35 CEOs from major Aviation Companies on 15th October 2008 would provide an opportunity to the CEOs to discuss their future plan and policy issues before the Minister and senior officials of the Ministry. Civil Aviation Ministerial delegations from 25 countries have been invited to participate in the event. |
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