Harun Rashid Khan - Deputy governor of RBI

Harun Rashid Khan is new deputy governor of RBI

Harun Rashid Khan on Monday assumed charge as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India for a period of three years.

Mr. Khan replaces Shyamala Gopinath who retired last month, RBI said in a statement.

As one of the deputy governors of the apex bank, Mr. Khan will look after the Central Security Cell, Department of External Investments and Operations, Department of Government and Bank Accounts, Department of Payment and Settlement Systems, Foreign Exchange Department, Internal Debt Management Department and Inspection Department.

Prior to this appointment, Mr. Khan was Executive Director of RBI.

He had served in that position since October 2007 and looked after the Department of External Investments and Operations, Foreign Exchange Department, Internal Debt Management Department and Department of Government and Bank Accounts.

He was earlier Regional Director of RBI’s New Delhi Office and and had also served as Principal of the College of Agricultural Banking in Pune.

With a career spanning over 32 years, Mr. Khan had worked in diverse fields of specialisation like rural credit, currency management, banking supervision and regulation, debt management, reserve management, exchange control, personnel administration and internal accounts.

Mr. Khan has also been associated with number of committees both within and outside the RBI, including Committee on Technology Exports, Committee on Ways and Means Advances to the State Governments, Working Group on Instruments of Sterilisation and International Task Force on Central Counter-parties.

He also chaired the internal group of RBI on Rural Credit and Microfinance.

Based on the recommendations of that committee, known as the Khan Committee, the RBI had issued guidelines to expand the banking outreach through business facilitators and business correspondents with information and communication technology support for spearheading financial inclusion in the country.

Khan was also earlier the nominee director of RBI on the boards of Dena Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Punjab and Sind Bank, Bank of Rajasthan and the Orissa State Finance Corporation.

The RBI has four deputy governors looking after various departments.

In his latest position, Mr. Khan joins Subir Gokarn, K.C. Chakrabarty and Anand Sinha who also serve as deputy governors of the central bank.

Rohinton Nariman - Solicitor General of India

Senior lawyer Rohinton Nariman was on Wednesday appointed the Solicitor General of India after the Appointments Committee of Cabinet approved his name, sources in the Law Ministry said.

Nariman, 54, son of eminent jurist Fali S Nariman, replaces Gopal Subramanium who resigned to protest Nariman’s appointment, without his knowledge, as special government counsel in a 2G spectrum allocation scam case.

Nariman has argued a number of constitutional and corporate cases in the Supreme Court and high courts. He, with senior advocate Harish Salve, argued for Mukesh Ambani’s RIL in the dispute over the supply and pricing of gas from KG basin between the Ambani brothers.

Nariman was designated a senior advocate at age 37 in 1993 when the then CJI M N Venkatachaliah amended the rules to reduce the limit of the minimum age of 45 years for designating a lawyer as a senior advocate.

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Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships 2011

Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships 2011
1. Girija Devi  ( Classical singer,Padma Bhushan, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 1977)
2. N. Ramakrishna
3. R.F. Dagar
4. T.K. Murthy (born 13 August 1924 is an Indian mridangam player.)

Role of Media in a Democracy

Introduction


Democracy means "A system of government in which all the people of a country can vote to elect their representatives". Media came into existence in 1780 with the introduction of a newspaper namely "The Bengal Gazette" and since then it has matured leaps and bounds. It has been playing a very important role in shaping human minds.


Role of media


Media plays a crucial role in shaping a healthy democracy. It is the backbone of a democracy. Media makes us aware of various social, political and economical activities happening around the world. It is like a mirror, which shows us or strives to show us the bare truth and harsh realities of life.


The media has undoubtedly evolved and become more active over the years. It is the media only who reminds politicians about their unfulfilled promises at the time of elections. T.V news channels excessive coverage during elections helps people, especially illiterates, in electing the right person to the power. This reminder compels politicians to be upto their promises in order to remain in power.


Television and radio have made a significant achievement in educating rural illiterate masses in making them aware of all the events in their language. Coverage of exploitative malpractices of village heads and moneylenders has helped in taking stringent actions against them by attracting government's attention.


The media also exposes loopholes in the democratic system, which ultimately helps government in filling the vacuums of loopholes and making a system more accountable, responsive and citizen-friendly. A democracy without media is like a vehicle without wheels.


In the age of information technology we are bombarded with information. We get the pulse of the world events with just a click of a mouse. The flow of information has increased manifolds. The perfect blend of technology and human resources (journalist) has not left a single stone unturned in unearthing rampant corruption in politics and society. We all are well aware of what tehelka did. Thanks to technology that has brought a kind of revolution in journalism.


Impact of media


The impact of media is really noteworthy. Excessive coverage or hype of sensitive news has led to communal riots at times. The illiterates are more prone to provocations than the literates. Constant repetition of the news, especially sensational news, breeds apathy and insensitivity. For instance, In Dhananjoy Chatterjee case, the overloaded hype led to death of quite a few children who imitated the hanging procedure which was repeatedly shown in most of the T.V. news channels. There is a plethora of such negative impacts. Media should take utmost care in airing or publishing such sensational news.


Commercialization has created a stiff competition in media. In order to outdo each other print media has often gone one step further in publishing articles, cover stories, etc. on sex.
Media experts say this is one of the means of attracting readers who are glued to T.V. news channels, which have cropped up swiftly in a recent past and they believe this is a cheap form of journalism.


Conclusion

No one is perfect in this world and so is the media. Here I am not degrading the media, rather I would say there is still a lot of scope for improvement by which media can raise upto the aspirations of the people for which it is meant. I cannot think of a democracy without active and neutral media. Media is like a watchdog in a democracy that keeps government active. From being just an informer it has become an integral part of our daily lives. With the passage of time it has become a more matured and a more responsible entity. The present media revolution has helped people in making an informed decisions and this has led to beginning of a new era in a democracy.

Wakhan Corridor & Wakhjir Pass

Two of the Most Amazing places


Wakhan Corridor
An area of far north-eastern Afghanistan which forms a land link or "corridor" between Afghanistan and China. The Corridor is a long and slender panhandle or salient, roughly 140 miles (220 km) long and between 10 and 40 miles (16 and 64 km) wide. It separates Tajikistan in the north from Pakistan in the south.


The corridor was a political creation of the Great Game ( between Britain & Russia). On the corridor's north side, agreements between Britain and Russia in 1873 and between Britain and Afghanistan in 1893 effectively split the historic area of Wakhan by making the Panj and Pamir Rivers the border between Afghanistan and the Russian Empire. On its south side, the Durand Line agreement of 1893 marked the boundary between British India and Afghanistan. This left a narrow strip of land as a buffer between the two empires, which became known as the Wakhan Corridor in the 20th century. The corridor has 12,000 inhabitants

Geography

The Pamir River, flowing out of Lake Zorkul, forms the northern border of the corridor. The Wakhan River passes through the corridor from the east to Kala-i-Panj, joining the Pamir River to become the Panj River.
In the south, the corridor is bounded by the high mountains of the Hindu Kush, crossed by the Broghol pass, the Irshad Pass and the disused Dilisang Pass to Pakistan.

At the eastern border, the Wakhjir Pass through the Hindu Kush at 4,923 m (16,152 ft), is one of the highest in the world. The Wakhjir Pass has the greatest official change of clocks of any international frontier (UTC+4:30 in Afghanistan to UTC+8, China Standard Time, in China)

The Corridor as a through route

Although the terrain is extremely rugged, the Corridor was historically used as a trading route between Badakhshan and Yarkand. It appears that Marco Polo came this way. The Portuguese Jesuit priest Bento de Goes crossed from the Wakhan to China between 1602 and 1606. In May 1906 Sir Aurel Stein explored the Wakhan, and reported that at that time 100 pony loads of goods crossed annually to China.

Early travellers used one of three routes:

A northern route led up the valley of the Pamir River to Zorkul lake, then east through the mountains to the valley of the Murghab River, then across the Sarikol Range to China.
A southern route led up the valley of the Wakhan River to the Wakhjir Pass to China. This pass is closed for at least five months a year and is only open irregularly for the remainder.
A central route branched off the southern route through the Little Pamir to the Murghab River valley.
As a through route the Corridor has been closed to regular traffic for over 100 years. There is no modern road through the Corridor. There is a rough road from Ishkashim to Sarhad-e Broghil built in the 1960s, but only paths beyond. It is some 100 km from the road end to the Chinese border at Wakhjir Pass, and further to the far end of the Little Pamir.


Townsend (2005) discusses the possibility of drug smuggling from Afghanistan to China via Wakhan Corridor and Wakhjir Pass, but concludes that, due to the difficulties of travel and border crossings, even if such trafficking occurs, it is minor compared to that conducted via Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province or even via Pakistan, both having much more accessible routes into China.


Afghanistan has asked China on several occasions to open the border in the Wakhan Corridor for economic reasons, or as an alternative supply route for fighting the Taliban insurgency. However China has resisted, largely due to unrest in its far western province of Xinjiang which borders the corridor. In December 2009 it was reported that the United States had asked China to open the Corridor.


WAKHJIR PASS :


The Wakhjir Pass (red marked) is a mountain pass in the Hindu Kush or Pamirs at the eastern end of the Wakhan Corridor, the only pass between Afghanistan and China. It links Wakhan in Afghanistan with the Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County in Xinjiang, China, at an altitude of 4,923 m, but the pass is not an official border crossing point. The border has the sharpest official change of clocks of any international frontier (UTC+4:30 in Afghanistan to UTC+8, China Standard Time, in China). Ludwig Adamec in his 1972 publication Historical and political gazetteer of Afghanistan identifies the Chinese name of the pass as Wa Ho Chi Erh Shan K'ou.

INDIA & RUSSIA : Military relations

INDIA & RUSSIA : Military relations

The Prime Minister of India, in collaboration with External Affairs Ministry, handles key foreign policy decisions. Shown here is the current Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh with the former President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.

Defence relations between India and the Russian Federation have a historical perspective. The Soviet Union was an important supplier of defence equipment for several decades, and that relationship was inherited by Russia after the break-up of the Soviet Union. Today, the cooperation is not limited to a buyer-seller relationship but includes joint research and development, training, service to service contacts, including joint exercises. The last joint naval exercises took place in April 2007 in the Sea of Japan and joint airborne exercises were held in September 2007 in Russia.

An Inter-Governmental commission on military-technical cooperation is co-chaired by the Defence Ministers of the two countries. The Seventh session of this Inter-Governmental Commission was held in October 2007 in Moscow. During the visit, an agreement on joint development and production of prospective multi role fighters was signed between the two countries.

An India–Russia co-operation agreement was signed in December 1988. It has resulted in the sale of a multitude of defence equipment to India and also the emergence of the countries as development partners as opposed to purely a buyer-seller relationship. Two programmes that evidence this approach are the projects to form Indian-Russian joint ventures to develop and produce the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) and the Multirole Transport Aircraft (MTA). The agreement is pending a 10-year extension.

India and Russia have several major joint military programs including:

• BrahMos cruise missile program
• 5th generation fighter jet program
• Sukhoi Su-30MKI program (230+ to be built by Hindustan Aeronautics)
• Ilyushin/HAL Tactical Transport Aircraft

Additionally, India has purchased/leased various military hardware from Russia:

• T-90S Bhishma with over 1000 to be built in India
• Akula-II nuclear submarine (2 to be leased with an option to buy when the lease expires)
• INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier program
• Tu-22M3 bombers (4 ordered)
• US$900 million upgrade of MiG-29
• Mil Mi-17 (80 ordered)
• Ilyushin Il-76 Candid (6 ordered to fit Israeli Phalcon radar)
• The Farkhor Air Base in Tajikistan is currently jointly operated by India and Russia.

However, more recently the defense relationship between India and Russia has been drifting apart. The relationship has been strained due to delays and frequent pricing changes for INS Vikramaditya, and repeated delays in delivery of several critical defense systems. In May 2011, Russia canceled joint army and naval exercises with India allegedly in response to the elimination of Mikoyan MiG-35 from the Indian MRCA competition.An Indian Navy report to the Ministry of Defence referred to Russia as a fair-weather friend and recommended the review of Russia's status as a strategic partner.

Pursuit of happiness Inspiring Scene

China's Peaceful Rise

China's peaceful rise was a phrase that was used by officials and scholars in the People's Republic of China to describe the country's foreign policy approach in the early 21st century. It seeks to characterize China as a responsible world leader, emphasizes soft power, and vows that China is committed to its own internal issues and improving the welfare of its own people before interfering with world affairs. The term suggests that China seeks to avoid unnecessary international confrontation.

The term proved controversial because the word 'rise' could fuel perceptions that China is a threat to the established order, so since 2004 the term China's peaceful development has been used by the Chinese leadership.

Origins

Many of the ideas behind the effort to promote the concept of the peaceful rise of the PRC came from the new security concept, which was formulated by thinktanks in the PRC in the mid-1990s.

The term itself was used in a speech given by the former Vice Principal of the Central Party School, Zheng Bijian, in late 2003 during the Boao Forum for Asia. It was then reiterated by PRC premier Wen Jiabao in an ASEAN meeting as well as during his visit to the United States. It appears to be one of the first initiatives by the fourth generation of the leadership of the PRC, headed by Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao.

In Zheng's speech he pointed out that in the past, a rise of a new power often resulted in drastic changes to global political structures, and even war (i.e. the hegemonic stability theory in international relations). He believed that this was because these powers "chose the road of aggression and expansion, which will ultimately fail." Zheng stated that in today's new world, the PRC should instead develop peaceably, and in turn help to maintain a peaceful international environment.

However, the term proved controversial among the Chinese leadership, in part because some officials thought use of the word 'rise' could fuel perceptions that China is a threat to the established order. At the 2004 session of the Boao Forum, Hu Jintao, Chinese president, used instead the phrase China's peaceful development. 'Peaceful development' has since been the definition generally used by senior officials, with 'peaceful rise' rarely heard.

Main principle

The term is used primarily to reassure the nations of Asia and the United States that the rise of the PRC in military and economic prominence will not pose a threat to peace and stability, and that other nations will benefit from PRC's rising power and influence.

The doctrine emphasizes the importance of soft power and is based in part on the premise that good relations with its neighbors will enhance rather than diminish the comprehensive national power of the PRC. Part of this doctrine dictates that the PRC will avoid neo-mercantilism and protectionism.

In diplomacy, the doctrine calls for less assertiveness in border disputes such as those concerning the Spratly Islands, Diaoyutai/Senkaku, Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh/(Jammu & Kashmir). China still has difficult relations with Japan and continues a military modernization program.

Peaceful development road

This section needs references that appear in reliable third-party publications. Primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject are generally not sufficient for a Wikipedia article. Please add more appropriate citations from reliable sources. (August 2010)

The State Council of the People's Republic of China issued a white paper in 2005 defining the China's peaceful development strategy in theory and in practice. It has five chapters:

1. China is the largest developing country, and economic development according to globalization is China's main goal. China seeks a multipolar world rather than hegemony, and seeks relations with other countries based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

2. A peaceful international environment is essential for China's development. China's development is a major part of global development, as China has factored in world gains in poverty reduction, and strives to reduce its energy consumption. China's growth has lessened the effects of the Late-2000s recession.

3. China will develop according to science. It will develop its domestic market and pave a new path to industrialization that is cleaner, and makes more use of information technology and innovation by exploiting its human capital through education.

4. China will remain open to the outside world for trade. It will promote organizations like the World Trade Organization, and support regional integration through institutions like the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area. It will address trade and exchange rate conflicts on an equal footing with other countries. China will invest abroad and maintain its large labor force and exports for use abroad.

5. China will promote "democracy in international relations"; with countries interacting on an equal footing through dialog and multilateralism and not coercion. China will promote the full participation of developing countries in international affairs, and also help them develop themselves. There should be trust and not a "cold war mentality", and arms control and nuclear disarmament should be pursued. China will resolve its remaining border disputes peacefully.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) Video

FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS IN INDIA

FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS IN INDIA

• Part - III of the Constitution (Art 12-35)
• Finalised by a Committee of the Constituent Assembly - Headed by - Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

NATURE OF RIGHTS

• Provides protection only against the State Action and not against Private Individuals EXCEPT the Right pertaining to UN-TOUCHABLITY and the RIGHT against EXPLOITATION.
  
• In these two cases, fundamental rights are provided against state as well as private individuals.
  
• The State may deny fundamental rights in case of Armed Froces, Paramilitary Personnel, Police, etc in INTEREST OF NATIONAL INTEGRITY.
  
• Except the rights in Art. 20 and 21, President has power  to Suspend the Enforcement of Fundamental Rights.

SO WHAT ARE THE FUNDAMENTS RIGHTS GIVEN TO US BY OUR CONSTITUTION?


Article 14. Equality Before Law


1. The State - Shall NOT - Deny- TO ANY PERSON - Equality before Law OR Equal Protection of Laws WITHIN the territories of INDIA.


2. EQUALTY BEFORE LAW MEANS - NOBODY IS ABOVE THE LAW

Well that sounds cool... but but but...
heres the catch ...how can you be so safe in india.. there are exceptions to everything... 


So even Fundamental Rights come with TERMS & CONDITIONS


EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE OF EQUALITY:


A. THE PRESIDENT or THE GOVERNOR of a State is NOT answerable to any Court for the exercise and performance of powers and duties
(thats really bad..thats not equality...and it has been for years misused by the government)


B. No CRIMINAL proceedings can be instituted against the PRESIDENT or GOVERNOR in any court of Law DURING their term of the Office 
(yes!! they have immunity from the LAW till they serve the office..bad!!)


C. No Civil Proceedings can be instituted against PRESIDENT or GOVERNOR in any court of Law in respect to acts done in his personal Capacity.


D. Other Exceptions are Immunity given to Diplomats, Ambassadors.

(Well thats an old indian tradition.. DOOT shouldnt be harmed)


ARTICLE 15 :Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth
Obviously state prevents any kind of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth

EXCEPTION (it comes up everywhere)

Nothing in this Article shall Prevent from making any special provision  for Womem & Children and Also for the advancement of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes of citizens or SC / ST.


ARTICLE 16.- EQUALITY IN MATTERS OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT



1) Equality of opportunity - for all citizens - in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the State.
(ok.. nothing much to explain here)



(2) NO CITIZEN shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth, residence or any of them, be ineligible for, or discriminated against in respect or, any employment or office under the State.


(3) Nothing in this article shall prevent Parliament from making any law prescribing, in regard to a class or classes of employment or appointment to an office under the Government of, or any local or other authority within, a State or Union territory, any requirement as to residence within that State or Union territory prior to such employment or appointment.

(4) Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any provision for the reservation of appointments or posts in favor of any backward class of citizens which, in the opinion of the State, is not adequately represented in the services under the State.

(5) Nothing in this article shall affect the operation of any law which provides that the incumbent of an office in connection with the affairs of any religious or denominational institution or any member of the governing body thereof shall be a person professing a particular religion or belonging to a particular denomination.


ARTICLE 17 - ABOLITION OF UNTOUCHABILITY  


Untouchabilty abolished(.)that is it!!


ARTICLE 18 - ABOLITION OF TITLES


1. No title can be conferred upon by the State except MILITARY and ACADEMIC distinctions.

2. No person who is not a citizen of India shall, while he holds any office of profit or trust under the State, accept without the consent of the President any title from any foreign State.

3. No person holding any office of profit or trust under the State shall, without the consent of the President, accept any present, emolument, or office of any kind from or under any foreign State Right to Freedom.

ARTICLE 19 - RIGHT TO FREEDOM

clause (1) All citizens shall have the right :-

(a) to freedom of speech and expression;
(b) to assemble peaceably and without arms;
(c) to form associations or unions;
(d) to move freely throughout the territory of India;
(e) to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India; and
(f) omitted
(g) to practise any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business

India : MAP : Historical : (1934 - 1947)

The detailed provisions regarding acquisition and termination of Indian Citizenship are contained in the Citizenship Act was Passed by the Indian Parliament in 1955

How can the Fundamental Rights be protected by a Citizen?

Q. How can the Fundamental Rights be protected by a Citizen?


Ans. Fundamental Rights be protected by approaching the Supreme Court which will issue writs against the violating authority.

2010 Nobel Prize Winners

2010 NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS 

(COURTESY : http://nobelprize.org)

THE NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS
Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov "for groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene"

THE NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY
Richard F. Heck, Ei-ichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki "for palladium-catalyzed cross couplings in organic synthesis"

THE NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSIOLOGY OR MEDICINE
Robert G. Edwards "for the development of in vitro fertilization"

THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE
Mario Vargas Llosa "for his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual's resistance, revolt, and defeat"

THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
Liu Xiaobo "for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China"

THE PRIZE IN ECONOMIC SCIENCES
Peter A. Diamond, Dale T. Mortensen and Christopher A. Pissarides "for their analysis of markets with search frictions"

THE NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS

Andre Geim, Konstantin Novoselov

Andre Geim

Born: 1 October 1958, Sochi, Russia

Affiliation at the time of the award:University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom

Prize motivation: "for groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene"

Konstantin Novoselov

Born: 23 August 1974, Nizhny Tagil, Russia

Affiliation at the time of the award:University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom

Prize motivation: "for groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene"

THE NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY
Richard F. Heck, Ei-ichi Negishi, Akira Suzuki

Richard F. Heck

Ei-ichi Negishi

Akira Suzuki

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2010 was awarded jointly to Richard F. Heck, Ei-ichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki "for palladium-catalyzed cross couplings in organic synthesis".

THE NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSIOLOGY OR MEDICINE
Robert G. Edwards

Robert G. Edwards

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2010 was awarded to Robert G. Edwards "for the development of in vitro fertilization"

THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE
Mario Vargas Llosa

Mario Vargas Llosa

The Nobel Prize in Literature 2010 was awarded to Mario Vargas Llosa "for his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual's resistance, revolt, and defeat".

THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
Liu Xiaobo

Liu Xiaobo

The Nobel Peace Prize 2010 was awarded to Liu Xiaobo "for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China".

THE PRIZE IN ECONOMIC SCIENCES

Peter A. Diamond, Dale T. Mortensen, Christopher A. Pissarides

• 
  

Peter A. Diamond

Dale T. Mortensen

Christopher A. Pissarides

The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2010 was awarded jointly to Peter A. Diamond, Dale T. Mortensen and Christopher A. Pissarides "for their analysis of markets with search frictions".