The Competition Master

BJP promises Ram temple, opposes minority quota in U.P. manifesto

BJP promises Ram temple, opposes minority quota in U.P. manifesto

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which has been struggling hard to regain its pre-eminent position in Uttar Pradesh, revived the Ram Temple iss...

+ Read more »

Labour unrest turns violent in Yanam, one dead

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Large-scale violence broke out in  Yanam, an enclave of Puducherry about 30 kms from Kakinada, following  the death of a trade union leader of a ceramic private factory here,  allegedly due to police beating, on Friday morning. Curfew has been  imposed in the town. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>M. S. Murali Mohan, the founder of the union, was picked up on  Thursday night by Yanam police, reportedly on a complaint by the factory  management against the workers, who have been agitating for better  wages and staff regularisation for nearly one month. Mr Murali was  released a little while later. At 6 am on Friday, he went to the factory  along with some workers and tried to obstruct those who were attending  the morning shift. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Police personnel, who were present at the spot, are said to have  attacked the trade union leader with lathis, resulting in serious  injuries. He collapsed on the spot and was taken by police to the local  hospital where he died. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>As news of his death spread, factory workers torched nearly 50 buses  and lorries owned by the company. Groups of workers entered the  factory, while others rushed to a college run by the management. Few  others staged a demonstration in the centre of the town. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Workers of factory have been agitating since January 1 demanding a  hike in wages and regularisation of services of temporary staff. There  are about 1200 workers in the factory of which 800 are on contract. The  trade union has been demanding the regularisation of at least to those  who have put in 15 years of service.</li>
</ul></div>

Labour unrest turns violent in Yanam, one dead

Large-scale violence broke out in Yanam, an enclave of Puducherry about 30 kms from Kakinada, following the death of a trade union leader ...

+ Read more »

Lakshya-II test-flight successful

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="5801" style="display: block;">                                          <ul><li>The advanced version of pilotless target aircarft (PTA) Lakshya -II  was successfully flight tested at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) here,  demonstrating its 'ultimate' capability.  </li>
</ul><ul><li>The 10th flight demonstration was held on Jan 25 at the ITR, about 15 km from Balasore.<span style="text-align: justify;">Lakshya II flew at sea skimming height of about 15 meters. </span> </li>
</ul><ul><li>"In a flight lasting over 30 minutes, it was made to dive down from  an altitude of around 800 meters to just 12 meter and maintained  required altitude for the specified time before demonstrating auto  climb-out," sources said here.  </li>
</ul><ul><li>It demonstrated various technologies and sub-systems including  software correction to auto rudder scheme done to prevent loss of  mission, engaging and flying in way point navigation mode while carrying  tow targets.  </li>
</ul><ul><li>During the flight, one of the tow targets was released and the other was deployed while way point navigation was on.  </li>
</ul><ul><li>Lakshya-II has been designed and developed by Bangalore based  Aeronautical Development Establishment, a premier DRDO lab specializing  in UAVs and flight control systems, the sources said. </li>
</ul></div></div>

Lakshya-II test-flight successful

The advanced version of pilotless target aircarft (PTA) Lakshya -II was successfully flight teste...

+ Read more »

Climate: UN launches online database for business

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="5802" style="display: block;">                                          <ul><li style="text-align: justify;">The UN has launched a new online  database to showcase successful strategies that businesses and  communities are using to adapt to climate change while simultaneously  increasing their profits and using their resources more efficiently. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The database, which can be accessed through the UN Framework  Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) website, features more than 100  examples from companies such as Coca-Cola, Levi's, Microsoft and  Starbucks, which share the details of their business-friendly adaptation  practices. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Climate risks which affect communities around the world are always  also business risks.Examples of best practices in the database include  efforts to make drinking water clean and safe in developing countries  and efforts to improve the yield of coffee beans in regions that are  particularly vulnerable to climate change, said the officials.</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><span></span></div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The database also covers activities such as the development of  climate-friendly goods and services and climate proofing the supply  chains of companies.  </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The initiatives detailed in the database both show how the private  sector can secure early advantages by adapting without waiting for  absolute policy certainty at the international level, and how  governments and the private sector can work together to respond to  climate change now. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Public-private partnerships and cooperation with a wide range of  stakeholders is becoming increasingly important to ensure successful  implementation. </li>
</ul></div></div>

Climate: UN launches online database for business

The UN has launched a new online database to showcase successful strategies that businesses and ...

+ Read more »

Kepler telescope team finds 11 new solar systems

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="5803" style="display: block;">                                          <ul><li style="text-align: justify;">NASA's planet-hunting Kepler space  telescope has found 11 new planetary systems, including one with five  planets all orbiting closer to their parent star than Mercury circles  the Sun, scientists. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The discoveries boost the list of confirmed extra-solar planets to  729, including 60 credited to the Kepler team. The telescope, launched  in space in March 2009, can detect slight but regular dips in the amount  of light coming from stars. Scientists can then determine if the  changes are caused by orbiting planets passing by, relative to Kepler's  view.  </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Kepler scientists have another 2,300 candidate planets awaiting additional confirmation.  </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>None of the newly discovered planetary systems are like our solar  system, though Kepler-33, a star that is older and bigger than the Sun,  comes close in terms of sheer numbers. It has five planets, compared to  our solar system's eight, but the quintet all fly closer to their parent  star than Mercury orbits the Sun.  </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The planets range in size from about 1.5 times the diameter of Earth  to five times Earth's diameter. Scientists have not yet determined if  any are solid rocky bodies like Earth, Venus, Mars and Mercury or if  they are filled with gas like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.  </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The Kepler team previously found one star with six confirmed planets  and a second system with five planets, said planetary scientist Jack  Lissauer, with NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field,  California.  </li>
</ul><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Nine of the new systems contain two  planets and one has three, bringing the total number of newly discovered  planets to 26. All are closer to their host stars than Venus is to the  Sun. </li>
</ul></div></div>

Kepler telescope team finds 11 new solar systems

NASA's planet-hunting Kepler space telescope has found 11 new planetary systems, including on...

+ Read more »

UK wants stronger, deeper ties with India: Hague

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Noting that India is making its mark on  the global economy with electrifying skill, innovation and dynamism,  British Foreign Secretary William Hague has said that now is the time to  make a "stronger, wider and deeper" relationship with India.  </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Launching the India Institute at the King's College in London last  evening, the British foreign secretary said that India is already one of  the largest economies in the world and will soon have the world's  largest population.  </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>"Now is the time to study India, to invest in India and to work with  India. This applies to all of us, to those of us in Government seeking a  stronger foreign policy and economic future for this country; to  businesses seeking to expand, and to individuals seeking new  opportunities and a deeper understanding of today's world," he said.  </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>He said India is leading the way in the development of renewable  energy and green technologies. "It is playing an increasingly important  role in the affairs of the world – from tackling piracy off the Horn of  Africa to United Nations peacekeeping and development support to  Afghanistan."  </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Hague, who announced that he would be visiting India later this  year, said: "We want the brightest and the best to come to Britain. We  have made our immigration system far more efficient and targeted... But  we are clear that if you want to come to Britain legitimately as a  student, a business person or a visitor, then you are very welcome in  the UK."  </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>"India's success speaks for itself, but nonetheless I spent several  years in opposition speaking at the parliamentary despatch box,  describing the great and inexorable shift in the international landscape  typified by the rise of India and the other emerging powers, and  calling for British foreign policy to expand its reach and ambition in  response to these changes," he said.</li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>"We want to be India's partner of choice in a whole range of areas  as it develops its economy, supporting jobs creation and growth in both  our countries.”  </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>"We have set the target of doubling our trade with India by 2015  compared to 2010 and are making good progress: our exports were up more  than 40 per cent last year and India is now our third largest market  outside the EU."  </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Britain, he said, wanted to see India represented at the top table  of international decision-making, working more closely with us and other  nations to address global issues. "That is why we support reform of the  UN Security Council and a permanent seat for India. The time has come  to make Security Council reform a reality. The institutions that  underpin global governance must become more representative if they are  to succeed in finding legitimate and sustainable solutions to the  challenges of this century.” <span></span></li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>"In building this stronger relationship we know, as our Prime  Minister (David Cameron) has said, as he put it, Britain cannot rely on  sentiment or on shared history for a place in India's future. It is  something that we must work hard to achieve." </li>
</ul></div>

UK wants stronger, deeper ties with India: Hague

Noting that India is making its mark on the global economy with electrifying skill, innovation and dynamism, British Foreign Secretary Wil...

+ Read more »

UN Security Council to discuss Syria crisis today

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="5805" style="display: block;">                                          <ul><li style="text-align: justify;">The UN Security Council will discuss the crisis in Syria later today.  </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The unexpected meeting was announced by France's UN mission on its  Twitter account after representatives of the council's five permanent  members - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States held  talks yesterday on the new resolution. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>A new resolution giving strong backing to the Arab League's  initiative to end the Syria crisis has been drawn up by Britain, France,  Germany and a number of Arab nations. </li>
</ul><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">The Arab League has called on President  Bashar al-Assad to hand over powers to a deputy so that elections can  be held in Syria where the UN says more than 5,400 people have died  since protests started in March last year.</li>
</ul></div></div>

UN Security Council to discuss Syria crisis today

The UN Security Council will discuss the crisis in Syria later today. The unexpected meeting was...

+ Read more »

Aus Open: Sania & Bhupathi go down in Mixed Doubles semifinal

Aus Open: Sania & Bhupathi go down in Mixed Doubles semifinal

Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza crashed out of Mixed Doubles at the Australian Open Tennis tournament in Melbourne today. In the semifinal,...

+ Read more »

India signs pact with France and Germany to check tax evasion

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="5807" style="display: block;">                                          <ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Taking another step towards combating  blackmoney, India has signed a multi-lateral agreement with economic  powers like France and Germany to check both tax evasion and avoidance. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The agreement, Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax  Matters, is a multilateral agreement of 31 other nations which promotes  international co-operation while respecting the rights of taxpayers. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The agreement has been signed under the aegis of the Organisation  for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a top global financial  body, at its headquarters in Paris recently. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>A Finance Ministry official said the agreement was signed by CBDT  official and Joint Secretary in foreign tax division of Finance Ministry  Sanjay K Mishra along with OECD Deputy Secretary General Rintaro  Tamakio. </li>
</ul><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">An OECD statement said, by joining the  agreement, India and other 31 signatories sent a strong signal that  these countries are acting together to ensure that individuals and  multinational enterprises pay the right amount of tax, at the right time  and in the right place.</li>
</ul></div></div>

India signs pact with France and Germany to check tax evasion

Taking another step towards combating blackmoney, India has signed a multi-lateral agreement with...

+ Read more »