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Phasing out further destruction to ozone layer
Binay Singh, TNN 7 November 2009, 08:03pm IST
VARANASI: Carbon Tetrachloride (CTC), one of the hazardous ozone depleting substances (ODS), is widely used in cleaning applications in textile and other industries. Though, under the Montreal Protocol, India is committed to complete the phase out of CTC by January 1, 2010.
To assess the problem and get its remedy, the Eastern UP Exporters Association (EUPEA), in association with the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ)-Proklima, organised a seminar on phasing out CTC from textile industry on Saturday. The GTZ offers technical assistance to industries using CTC and it identifies viable alternatives for known CTC uses. The ozone layer in the atmosphere is the natural shield for the earth to filter the ultraviolet B-rays out of the sun light. "The usage of CTC along with other ODS have already caused severe damage to the protective ozone layer," said Bholanath Baranwal, the president of EUPEA, adding it was high time to phase out the use of CTC from the carpet and textile industry.
The EUPEA, however, is yet to quantify the CTC being used in the textile and carpet industry in this region. "The GTZ has lent a helping hand to the textile industry, where CTC is used as a fabric stain remover," said Amitabh, the EUPEA general secretary, adding it has identified and tested about 30 alternative stain removers and assessed their performance and cost effectiveness.
In the early 20th century, the CTC was widely used as a dry-cleaning solvent in a refrigerant. Prior to the Montreal Protocol, large quantities CTC were used to produce the freon refrigerants. However, these refrigerants are now believed to play a role in ozone depletion and being phased out. The scientific research has proved that several chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons and methyl bromide contribute substantially to ozone depletion. The CFCs, developed in the early 1930s, are non-toxic, non-flammable and are used extensively as coolants for commercial and home refrigeration units, aerosol propellants, electronic cleaning solvents and blowing agents. Over time, these CFCs are released into the air and often, strong winds carry them into the stratosphere.
According to Prof BP Tripathi, an environmentalist and coordinator of the Centre of Environmental Science and Technology of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), when CFC molecules flow into the environment, the UV-B and UV-C radiation from the sun releases their chlorine atoms. "The chemical reactions in the atmosphere result in the formation of chlorine monoxide (ClO), which reacts with the ozone molecule to form oxygen and regenerates more chlorine atoms that carry on converting the ozone molecules. Each chlorine atom can break thousands of ozone molecules causing tremendous damage to the ozone layer," Tripathi told TOI.
According to a report, as per the Montreal Protocol, India is one of the countries consuming a large volume of CFCs, second only to China. India ratified the Montreal Protocol agreement in 1992 and the Government of India has taken many progressive steps to phase-out ODS in India. A special Ozone Cell was established under the Ministry of Environment And Forests to co-ordinate all ODS phase-out initiatives. As per the report of the Ozone Cell, the executive committee of the Montreal Protocol in 2003 approved the CTC National Phase-out Plan. During 2007, the GTZ continued its technical assistance to replace CTC used in stain removal work for small garment manufacturers and metal cleaning.
The Montreal Protocol
In 1987, several countries across the world signed an international treaty, the Montreal Protocol, on substances that deplete the Ozone layer. According to this protocol, countries would phase out CFCs and other ODS as per a given schedule, with a complete halt by 2010.
Benefits of the phase-out
Protection of the Ozone Layer: The phasing out of CFCs will help tremendously in the recovery of the ozone layer.
Reduced health risks: The phase out of CFCs will have a positive impact on health risks posed by the depleting of the ozone layer.
New Technologies: Phasing out of CFCs is prompting research and development of alternative technologies, especially for cleaning applications in electronic assemblies and precision parts.
Energy Savings: As a consequence of CFC phase out, there has been considerable effort in many countries to develop and invest in a new generation of energy efficient air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment. This also impacts positively on global warming and climate change.
Pollution Prevention: The energy savings from equipment upgrades mean that less fossil fuel are burned at the power plant, leading to reduced emissions of air pollutants including carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide (SO2).
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Binay Singh, TNN 4 November 2009, 07:28pm IST
VARANASI: Exactly 365 days to the Prime Minister's declaration of the holy Ganga as the National River of India on November 4, 2008, much water has flown. However, the holy river is becoming dirtier and more polluted every day.
Mixed response came from people involved in getting the status of the national river to Ganga when TOI tried to know their opinion and work done so far on the first anniversary of the event on Wednesday. While some were sceptical of the move of the Central government, others were optimistic about the outcome.
"It is good that the Ganga has been given the status of the national river, but is it enough to put an end to the miseries of our national river? questioned Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the convener of the Ganga Seva Abhiyan (GSA) and disciple of Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati.
It may be mentioned here that the Shankaracharya of Jyotish and Dwarka Sharda Peeth, Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, met the Prime Minister in New Delhi along with a delegation on October 16, 2008. Following the meeting, the PM declared the Ganga as the National River on November 4, 2008 and decided to set up National Ganga River Basin Authority as an empowered planning, implementing and monitoring authority for the Ganga.
"There is a need of separate and stringent laws for saving the Ganga. But, the government has taken the issue of the Ganga like that of any other ordinary river and attached it with the environment ministry. Then, what was the need to declare it as a national river? wondered the seer, who had spearheaded a campaign to save the river by forming a body of Ganga Sansad across the country.
While Avimukteshwaranand was critical, Prof BD Tripathi, an environmentalist and coordinator of the Centre of Environmental Science and Technology of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), had an optimistic approach. Tripathi, who was also in the delegation that called on the PM on October 16, is also a member of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA). "In the past one year, almost all official formalities were completed. The PM also called a meeting of the NGRBA members on October 5 this year to discuss matters related to the Ganga," said Tripathi, adding the state governments were also asked to constitute State Ganga River Conservation Authorities to serve the purpose.
According to Tripathi, taking lessons from the drawbacks of the first and second phases of the Ganga Action Plan (GAP), the NGRBA would take all appropriate measures. To fix accountability, the Central government would sign a memorandum of understanding (MoUs) with the state governments and local bodies. Besides, site specific sewage treatment plants would be constructed. "Since the PM is taking personal interest in Ganga, we are hopeful that encouraging results will be soon possible," said Tripathi.
But, on the other hand, an eminent river expert and head of the Ganga Research Laboratory, Institute of Technology (IT-BHU), Prof UK Chowdhary was not satisfied with the developments. "The government should frame a constitution of the Ganga (Ganga ka Samvidhan) to determine the baseline of the issue by gathering opinions of experts from research institutes of the country," he said, adding the only achievement in one year was that a meeting had been held. He had also objection over the inclusion of politicians (ministers) and bureaucrats in the NGRBA. "Only river experts and scientists can explain what is required to save the Ganga, which is gradually losing its Oxygen absorption and retention capacity," he said, adding the Ganga was the only river in the world which had 12ppm of oxygen. "The Ganga was once known as the reservoir of oxygen. But, today, it's oxygen has reduced to 4-8ppm," he said.
Nominated reps to work for Ganga
VARANASI: Like the members of the Parliament, the Ganga Seva Abhiyan (GSA) will nominate a representative from each parliamentary constituency to work for the cause of the Ganga. It means there will be 583 Ganga Sansads in the country.
"So far, around 400 representatives from parliamentary constituencies have been nominated and we will complete the process very soon," said Swami Avimukteshwaranand, the convener of GSA. "When the government is deviating from its path, we will also not sit idle. Our nominated representatives who are committed to the Ganga will organise a mass movement across the country to put pressure on the government," said the seer.
He said the national conclave of those representatives was likely to be held on the occasion of the Ganga Dussehra (May-June) in Kashi. They would hold elaborate discussion and formulate appropriate laws for the protection of the Ganga. The draft of laws would be forwarded to the Central Government for consideration and enactment, he said. "If the government has no time to formulate the laws, we will do this job," he said. "So far, the state-level conventions have been taking place at Prayag (UP) and Hardwar (Uttarakhand)," he said, adding by the end of the year, conventions would also be held at Patna (Bihar) and Kolkata (West Bengal).
Sewage flows unabated into river
VARANASI: Though, the Ganga has been declared the National River, millions of litres of untreated sewage is still going directly into the river everyday.
Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh, while responding to a Calling Attention Motion in the Lok Sabha in August, also admitted that the Ganga and Yamuna were not as clean as they were 20 years ago despite the investment of Rs 1,700 crore on them during the same period.
In 1986, according to the government's estimates, about 147 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage and industrial waste generated in Varanasi flowed into the Ganga while the installed capacity of the sewage treatment plants (STPs) constructed under GAP in the city is only 102 MLD. At the time of launching the Ganga Action Plan (GAP), the main objective was to improve the water quality of the river to acceptable standards by preventing the pollution load. The objective of GAP was, however, recast in 1987 as restoring the river water quality to the bathing class standards. It meant there should be dissolved oxygen (DO) not less than 5 mg/litre, bio-chemical oxygen demand (BOD) not more than 3 mg/litre, bacterial load/coliform count not more than 10,000 per ml, faecal coliform not more than 2,500 per 100 ml, and pH value 6.5 to 8.5.
But, according to the report of Sankat Mochan Foundation (SMF), an organisation working for the cause of the Ganga for over 25 years and monitoring the river quality, the BOD of Ganga water in Asi, at the beginning of the city, is around 4 mg/l and FCC/100 ml is around 60,000. The river flows downstream from this point and the quality of the water at the end of the town at the Varuna confluence is poor with BOD equal to 20 mg/l or more and FCC around 1.5 million/100 ml.
Quick Facts
* June 14, 1986: Ganga Action Plan (GAP) was launched in Varanasi by the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi
* 1993-1996: GAP Phase-II was launched in phases
* November 4, 2008: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared Ganga as National River
* February 20, 2009: The Central government set up the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)
The objective of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)
To ensure effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga by adopting a holistic approach with the river basin as the unit of planning
Functions of NGRBA
The functions of the NGRBA include all measures necessary for planning and execution of programmes for abatement of pollution in the Ganga including augmentation of sewerage infrastructure, collection, analysis and dissemination of information relating to environmental pollution in Ganga, investigations and research regarding problems of environmental pollution and conservation of Ganga, and, promotion of water conservation practices including recycling and reuse, rain water harvesting, and decentralised sewage treatment systems
Prof UK Choudhary, the co-ordinator of the Ganga Research Centre, department of Civil Engineering, Institute of Technology, BHU, wrote a letter to the PM in November 2008 after the declaration of Ganga as National River
He points out the problems the Ganga is facing and the points for the management of the problems:
* Excess withdrawal of water in unscientific way through dams, barrages and canals that causes the lack of quantity of the drinking water in down stream plain
* Uncontrolled inflow of pollutants and fall in drinking water quality, falling diversity in aquatic lives
* No application of technology for fixing the location of out fall site, quantification of water to be withdrawn and the suitable methodology to withdraw the water based on minimum energy loss concept
* Reducing flood plain area of the Ganga due to various human occupancy
* Rising sedimentation and erosion in flood plain
* With the rise in numbers of dams and extending length of canals growing problems of flood and the area of waterlogging
* Depleting groundwater table in the basin
* No use of renewable natural energies of the river
* No control over instantaneous flow from the basin
* Lack of understanding in the interaction phenomena between surface and ground water flows
* Lack of research institutions for management studies of river problems.
* No institution for providing training for river management
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Ganga research institute recommended
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http://www.deccanherald.com/content/34849/iit-jee-candidates-get-performance.html
New Delhi, Nov 8, (PTI):
Students appearing in the next Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for admission to IITs will get performance cards specifying marks and the ranks secured by them in the test.
For the first time, the JEE Board would issue such performance cards which can be considered as certificates by many other institutions wanting to give admission to JEE candidates. The board will also put out the answers of the questions on its website to help students make assessment of their performance.
The Prime Minister's Office had sought a reply on the issue from the HRD Ministry which said a decision for issuing such score cards has been taken by the Joint Admission Board (JAB) for IITs in its meeting on August 23. "It has been stated by the Chairman JEE-2009 that at the meeting of JAB on August 23, it was decided to issue score cards to every student appearing in JEE and to provide marks to them a week after the results are declared," the letter said. IIT Guwahati Director Prof Gautam Baruah said JAB has urged for issuing such performance cards which will serve as certificates for the students.
"Many other institutes, which want to take JEE candidates, can give admission to students on the basis of these performance cards," Baruah said. At present, the IITs are not issuing any score cards to students. Certain institutes, which are giving admission to JEE candidates, have to get authenticated data from the JEE Board on the list of students and marks secured by them.
The performance cards will be issued two weeks after the results are declared. But the marks of the students can be put out in the website just a week after the results are declared, he said. The next JAB meeting in April 2010 will give the final approval to the move, he said. The IITs for the first time will put out the answers of the question on the website.
"This will help students know how they have performed in the examination. The answers will be put in the JEE website two weeks after the exam," Baruah said. Meanwhile, the JEE Board has decided to hold the next JEE on April 11, 2010. Students can apply for the entrance test till the last week of December. About four lakh students had appeared in the test last year for nearly 8,200 seats in 15 IITs, IT-BHU and ISM Dhanbad.
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http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091025/jsp/frontpage/story_11655891.jsp
CHARU SUDAN KASTURI
New Delhi, Oct. 23: The IITs are preparing to gradually hike their fees to levels closer to the amounts charged by the IIMs over the coming few years to meet rising costs and reduce dependence on government subsidies.
In a departure from their traditional fee-setting strategy, the IITs are preparing a roadmap for gradual fee hikes just a year after they last raised fees, top sources on the IIT council told The Telegraph.
A panel set up by the council — the highest decision making body of the IITs — headed by atomic energy chief Anil Kakodkar has been asked to draft the roadmap for gradual fee hikes, the sources said.
Drafting the fee hike roadmap is one of the components of the mandate of the Kakodkar panel, set up at the council meeting on October 19 to prepare a blueprint for the future development of the IITs. The Kakodkar panel has been asked to submit its report in six months.
The strategy of employing gradual hikes — possibly on an annual basis — represents a change from the current practice of a sudden jump after several years of an unchanged fee structure.
The new strategy aims at following the IIM practice of a gradual but regular fee hike supported by an increase in financial assistance for those students who cannot afford the new fee structure.
The Kakodkar panel will recommend how the IITs can increase the number of scholarships, fellowships and other financial aid to ensure that deserving but economically weak students do not suffer from the hike, sources said.
“The strategy of gradual fee hikes will allow us, for the first time, an opportunity to hike fees commensurate with rising costs,” an IIT director said.
The IITs had a fixed tuition fee of Rs 25,000 a year for undergraduate and postgraduate science students for 10 years before the fees were doubled last year — to Rs 50,000 a year.
But even with the new fee structure, the IITs earn only Rs 2 lakh for four years of undergraduate teaching or Rs 1 lakh for two years of the masters in science programme from each student.
The top IIMs — which typically raise their fees each year — in contrast earn around 10 times as much through tuition fees from each student over comparable course lengths.
IIM Ahmedabad, for instance raised the fees for its two-year post-graduate diploma in management to Rs 12.5 lakh this year, from Rs 11.5 lakh last year.
The IIMs in Bangalore and Calcutta charge Rs 9.5 lakh and Rs 9 lakh for their two year postgraduate diploma courses respectively.
The IITs have over recent years frequently complained about an increasing financial deficit — the gap between funds allocated to them by the government on one hand and their expenditure on the other.
The institutes have met the deficit by dipping into reserve funds drawn from alumni donations and money earned through consultancy projects with industry. But these funds, the IITs have argued, are dwindling.
The IITs argue that their students — like those at the IIMs — earn starting salaries adequate to allow them to pay back any education loan within a few years.
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19 Oct 2009, 0505 hrs IST, PTI
NEW DELHI: The first IIT Council meeting under the chairmanship of HRD minister Kapil Sibal on Monday is expected to frame a multi-pronged policy, including introducing scholarships and reducing fee, to attract more foreign students at post-graduate level in the institutes.
The council will also decide on allowing the prestigious IITs to create extra seats for foreign students at PG level to ensure that youths from other countries take part in research and development in a big way.
At present, foreign students have to pay a much higher amount of money than their Indian counterparts as fee. There are two different fee structures — one for the students of Saarc countries and another for the students of other nations.
However, both the fee regimes entail to much more spending than what the Indian students pay, an IIT director said. The number of foreign students is very less in the IITs, mainly because of the high fees.
“IITs attract mainly students from the developing countries. These students find it difficult to pay the huge amount and develop a cold feet on coming here,” he said.
The council will ratify the revised pay structure of the IIT faculty. The new pay structure had attracted criticism from the IIT faculty which went on a hunger strike on September 25.
Sibal met representatives of IIT faculty which was demanding removal of 40% cap on promotion of professors to senior grade.
The faculty demanded abolition of contractual appointment at entry level. The minister told them that the government “guidelines are just norms and there can be flexibility or relaxation in exceptional cases” . The council will also discuss giving more autonomy to the elite institutes.
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a) IIT-Jodhpur to begin functioning from February-March 2010
http://www.zeenews.com/news573480.html
b) IIT Faculty to Accept New Pay Structure
http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?668314
c) Plan for common counselling for IITs and NITs
http://www.ptinews.com/news/349386_Plan-for-common-counselling-for-IITs-and-NITs
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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Cabinet-approves-seven-new-IIMs/articleshow/4940382.cms
PTI 27 August 2009, 01:40pm IST
NEW DELHI: The country will soon have seven new IIMs, of which four will start functioning from next year with the Union Cabinet today approving a HRD ministry proposal to set up these management institutes.
The new Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) will be set up in Tami Nadu, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan.
Aimed at generating a highly competent and trained manpower, the institutes are also expected to act as a major catalyst for developing a knowledge society that would inevitably impact on the economic growth of the country.
In the first phase, four IIMs at Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Raipur (Chhattisgarh) and Rohtak (Haryana) will be set up in 2009-10, which would become functional from academic session 2010-11.
The IIMs in Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan will be set up in 2010-11.
In phase-I there would be an intake of 140 students in the PG course and by the end of phase-II, it would reach 560 students per year.
The 11th Five Year Plan endorsed by the National Development Council (NDC) in December 2007, envisaged establishment of seven new IIMs in the country.
With these new IIMs, the country will have 13 B-schools. The Centre has also established one IIM -- Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management (RGIIM) in Shillong -- which has commenced its first academic session from 2008-2009.
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http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091105/jsp/frontpage/story_11702166.jsp
CHARU SUDAN KASTURI
New Delhi, Nov. 4: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Yale have told India they are ready to join efforts to start “world class” universities in the country, government officials said today.
The two universities indicated their willingness to help start the proposed varsities during talks with a visiting official delegation led by human resource development minister Kapil Sibal, the officials added.
No official memorandum of understanding has been signed between the universities and India, sources said, for the proposed new varsities that the government hopes will emerge as global knowledge hubs.
But a senior MIT official also confirmed that the university had indicated its willingness during talks with the Indian delegation. Indian officials feel that a collaboration may help India pitch the innovation universities as global institutions of excellence.
At least two other American universities also exhibited interest in collaborating with India, the sources here said. However, Harvard University, also visited by the Indian delegation, is likely to need more convincing, the sources added.
The Indian delegation visited a number of American universities between October 24 and November 1, wooing them to float campuses here and to help set up the 14 innovation universities. The trip was the first by the Indian government to lure American universities.
Sibal, it is learnt, explained the new innovation universities as centres that will focus on local needs — of India — but evolve solutions that will be applicable globally. “We want these universities to be global standard bearers and that’s how we pitched the idea to the American universities,” a source said.
India’s efforts to seek collaboration with top international institutions comes half a century after the then newly independent country used assistance from global universities to set up its own centres of excellence.
The MIT led a consortium of nine American universities known as the Kanpur Indo-American Programme (KIAP) that assisted the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur in starting and establishing itself as a leading engineering institution.
IIT Kanpur started in 1959 and the collaboration with the Cambridge, Massachusetts, institute started soon after, following a visit by a team of three experts led by MIT professor N.C. Dahl.
The collaboration, which continued till 1972, principally consisted of three components.
Indian teachers were taken to KIAP consortium universities and exposed to hands-on training, research and administrative and teaching experience. American experts visited and worked at the IIT and oversaw components of the development of specific institute departments and research. The MIT also assisted the IIT with books, other teaching aid and research equipment not available in India then.
Top institutions from other countries — Germany, the former Soviet Union and the UK in particular — helped set up other IITs.
Sibal, during his talks with administrators and students at the universities during the recent visit, referred to the history of collaboration these institutions share with India.
But government officials here are drawing a distinction between the collaboration then and now.
“We were a newly independent country with little technical knowhow and needed foreign assistance. That is not the case today. We will certainly benefit from their assistance but they too will benefit from the collaboration,” an official said.
Collaboration today, the Indian officials said, will include allowing the foreign universities concerned access to Indian students who may not be able to afford education abroad.
The new innovation universities can start collaborative programmes with foreign universities — a procedure that top global institutions are today open to because of the growing stature of India’s own higher education system.
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http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091017/jsp/nation/story_11626054.jsp
CHARU SUDAN KASTURI
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Samir Barua (top), Kapil Sibal |
New Delhi, Oct. 16: The IIMs have for the first time expressed concerns over government plans to allow foreign universities into India, arguing that existing regulations may hurt their ability to compete — even as they themselves eye campuses abroad.
India’s premier business schools today told HRD minister Kapil Sibal that they were concerned about losing some of their best teachers and students to foreign universities, top institute officials said.
“We are concerned that foreign universities may eat into our faculty and student pool,” IIM Ahmedabad director Samir Barua said after the meeting between the directors and the minister.
Sibal said the government would ensure a “level playing field”.
But the concerns voiced by the IIM directors are shared by several faculty members at the IITs too, with the institutes arguing that government restrictions may leave them unable to beat any challenge foreign universities may pose.
The fears — expressed through emails between senior professors across the IITs and IIMs since August — revolve around the perceived inability to compete with faculty remuneration that foreign institutions may offer.
The loss of their best teachers could slowly start influencing the brightest students into choosing private or foreign institutions over the IITs and the IIMs, the emails argue.
The government determines the basic salaries of all faculty at the IITs and the IIMs, though the boards of governors of individual institutes can offer additional incentives. Salary scales were raised recently after 10 years.
The faculty of both the IITs and the IIMs are allowed to earn additionally through consultancy they can offer to private companies — a part of the earning has to be contributed to the institute.
At neither the IITs nor the IIMs do fresh PhDs joining the faculty win themselves consultancy projects. “Companies prefer established excellence over rookie brilliance,” an IIT Delhi professor said.
But it is in attracting young PhD holders into the faculty that the IITs and the IIMs face their biggest challenge, with the institutes suffering potentially crippling teacher shortages.
The IIMs already face tough competition in India from the privately run Indian School of Business (ISB), supported by both the Kellogg and Wharton business schools. A senior IIM Calcutta professor recalled a recent instance when the institute wanted to hire one of their brightest students after his PhD. “We were desperate to hire him, he was that good. But ISB made him an offer which he could not refuse.”
Like their counterparts such as Cambridge and Oxford in the UK, American public universities are run from an endowment fund that consists of government support, donations from alumni and philanthropists, and earnings through industry collaboration.
In contrast, private universities, including the Ivy League institutions and top B-schools such as Kellogg and Wharton, do not seek any government support and finance themselves completely. But top public universities such as the University of California try and ensure that at no stage are their teacher salaries far below the highest pay offered by a private university in that state.
The concerns over foreign universities were ironically raised on a day when Sibal announced that he was “in principle” not averse to allowing the IIMs to set up campuses abroad.
“I have asked the IIMs to prepare a roadmap for how they plan to set up foreign campuses,” Sibal said.
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October 21st, 2009 - 10:38 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Oct 21 (IANS) After he spoke of changes in the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) entrance exam, Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal Wednesday set up a committee to scrutinize the All India Engineering Entrance Exam (AIEEE).
The decision was taken during a meeting of the National Institutes of Technology (NIT) Council chaired by Sibal here.
“The committee consisting of three NIT directors has been constituted to look into the AIEEE structure. The committee will look at the possibility of making the exam online in addition to the regular pen and paper test being conducted by the CBSE at present,” an official said.
The committee will also look into the structure of the entrance exam and whether weightage could be given to class 12 exam results.
“The committee comprising the directors of Allahabad, Calicut and Agartala NITs will submit its report by January and will also look at the problem of seats across NITs staying vacant despite a number of rounds of counselling,” the official said.
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http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0911/S00249.htm
(Goldie Hawn meditates in a boat in Varanasi, India, Monday, Nov. 9. The other person in the photo is unidentified.
Harrison Ford and Goldie Hawn, 63, were named Hollywood's hottest grandparents in a new survey. The pair topped a list of eligible oldies compiled by visitors to AOL's Parentdish.com, to coincide with Grandparent's Day in September.
It was on "Laugh-In" (1968-1970) that Hawn became popular. Originally a dancer on the show, her bikini-clad body painted with funny slogans and designs, she was given a few lines and proved herself a talented performer in a winning, air-headed way.
Courtesy-http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2009/11/09/unusual_photo_of_the_day_goldie_hawn_med)
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Monday, 9 November 2009, 12:15 pm
Press Release: Rajan Zed
For immediate release
Oscar winner Hollywood actress-director-producer Goldie Hawn (Private Benjamin) visited Varanasi (India) over the weekend, considered the most sacred spot on earth by many Hindus, reports suggest.
Hawn, 63, according to reports, went around ghats (wharfs) taking pictures and writing notes, including famous Dashashwamedh Ghat, and standing with folded hands watched Ganga arti (Hindu ceremony performed in adoration of a deity) from a boat.
She also reportedly visited an ashram (hermitage) where she offered flowers to the portrait of a late guru, whom she first met in 1982 and who imparted her lessons in astrology and spirituality. She knows Varanasi for about 27 years but this visit was after a gap of about five years, reports suggest.
Oscar nominated Hollywood actor Richard D. Jenkins (The Visitor), MTV nominated Billy Crudup (Almost Famous) and Emmy nominated Ryan Murphy (Nip/Tuck) also visited Varanasi last month and attended Ganga arti. Jenkins reportedly offered diya (lamp) to holy river Ganga and was apparently moved by the city.
Welcoming Hawn and other Hollywood celebrities visiting Varanasi, acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that since Hollywood had worldwide reach, Hollywood bigwigs should become familiar with at least basics of world religions to understand the feelings of their audiences better. Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged Hollywood and other celebrities to immerse in Hinduism but taking it seriously and with respect and not just using it as a fashion statement.
Varanasi, also known as Kasi, probably one of the oldest cities on the earth, finds mention in ancient Hindu scripture Mahabharata. Situated on the holy river Ganga, this city of Shiva contains hundreds of Hindu temples and is also linked to Brahma and Sati.
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http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2009/nov/04/travel-varanasi-india/
By Derek Ray | Published Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009
One of the most exotic travel experiences I’ve ever had was in Varanasi, India. Varanasi, sometimes called Benares, is the holiest city of the Hindu religion.
The highlight of any trip to Varanasi is a dawn boat trip on the Ganges. This was my sole reason for coming here and virtually all I had time for, as my flight back to LA from Delhi on my too-short-a-visit to India was scheduled two days after my arrival. Despite this ridiculously tight scheduling and a multi-hour delay in Delhi, it was well worth it. The dawn boat ride and walk about the temples was an experience I’ll never forget.
My hotel was right alongside the Ganges. Luckily, my boat ride was arranged at my arrival the night before, and all I had to do was rise before dawn and walk down the stairs to the ghat. A ghat is a bank of a holy river, and this is where the boats depart from. There are many ghats in Varanasi. These are also the places where the devout say their prayers and bathe.
Varanasi is the preferred spot for those of the Hindu faith to come to die. It is believed that if you die here, your soul will go to heaven permanently, bypassing the rigors of reincarnation. There are certain ghats, called burning ghats, where cremations are held. The half-burnt corpses are then deposited in the Ganges. There are many Hindus who come to die in Varanasi without the means to afford a cremation. Thankfully, I did not see any floating dead bodies, but according to my boatman, it’s a relatively common sight. Be prepared for this possibility if you come here. I did not take any photos of the burning ghats, as it is considered disrespectful.
I walked down to board my boat before dawn and watched as the sun rose over the Ganges. As the sun rises, people steadily emerge. It’s a surreal experience to see the devout gather along the Ganges. Some are bathing; others praying, washing their clothes, meditating and doing yoga. While bathing it’s okay for men to strip down to their briefs, but women must bathe fully clothed. My boatman was very informative and pointed out the key temples along the banks.
After the boat ride and look at the temples, I was invited for a cup of chai and the obligatory visit to a rug merchant. This is standard practice for Westerners on tours throughout India. I generally complement the merchants on their beautiful products and politely decline a purchase due to financial distress after embarking on a trip halfway around the world.
Varanasi is a highly recommended stop on a visit to India. Allow yourself at least an extra day so you’re not rushed as I was. The holy city is a nice contrast to Delhi and the Taj Mahal, particularly if you desire to expose yourself more fully to this ancient, fascinating culture.
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Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University
Varanasi 221005, UP