India uranium enrichment activity revealed by Google Earth A DC-based think tank has used evidence of construction activity visible on freely available Google Earth satellite images to argue that 's uranium enrichment programme is being expanded.Releasing satellite imagery of the Rare Materials Plant (RMP) near Mysore, the Institute for Science and International Security said an image that it noticed from February 28, 2011 suggests the new facility under construction is roughly 210 meters by 150 meters. A report in Nuclear Intelligence Weekly earlier this month additionally noted that Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Director R.K. Sinha had admitted that India was “building a new uranium enrichment facility” but it was unclear whether Mr. Sinha was referencing the RMP site or a planned new enrichment facility near the town of Chitradurga, according to ISIS. One of the images shows two cranes adjacent to the construction sites, whereas the satellite image from March 2010 reportedly showed mostly excavation work and site clearing for the new facility. According to ISIS, the facility adjacent to the new construction is in all likelihood the existing uranium enrichment facility.

Krishi Mela to be national-level event The annual Krishi Mela of the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, which has become a popular event among farmers of this region, is set to grow bigger this year both in size as well as stature. The Krishi Mela, which used to be a State-level event, will now be organised as a national-level programme with the participation of agricultural universities from other States and Central farm research institutions besides the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. The first national Krishi Mela will be held from November 16 to 20 on the GKVK campus of the university.

Where can you find caution date on the cylinder? LPG cylinders have a caution date mentioned on one of the three vertical stay plates (side stems). The date is coded alpha numerically as A or B or C or D and a two-digit number. The alphabets stand for quarters — A for quarter ending March, B for quarter ending June, and so on. The digits stand for the year when the cylinder is due for statutory testing. If consumers find out that cylinders due for statutory testing are being supplied, they can inform Food and Civil Supplies Department official concerned or the Chief Controller of Explosives or Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (http://peso.gov.in).

India studying NATO offer on joining missile programme The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO) invitation to India in the first week of September to be a partner in its ballistic missile defence (BMD) programme is being analyzed, according to V.K. Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the Defense Minister. “We are analysing the report. It is under consideration,” he said after the successful launch of the Agni-II ballistic missile from the Wheeler Island on the Orissa coast. India has so far conducted six interceptor missile tests as part of its quest to establish a credible shield against ballistic missiles launched from adversarial countries. Of these, five interceptor tests, including the first three in a row, were successful. The first interceptor missile test took place in November 2006. These six tests featured a missile launched from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur on the Orissa coast, mimicking the path of a ballistic missile coming from an “enemy country” and an interceptor launched from the Wheeler Island destroying the incoming missile in mid-flight. The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is the author of India's BMD programme and Dr. Saraswat is the programme's architect. He is DRDO Director-General.

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Rathotsavam at Tirumala attracts a large number of devotees Splendour' marked the ‘Rathotsavam' at the temple of Lord Venkateswara, the penultimate day of the nine-day annual Brahmotsavam. After the conduct of special rituals such as ‘Punyavachanam' and ‘Navagraha dhyanam,' the processional deities of Lord Malayappa flanked by his two divine consorts on his either side were ceremoniously mounted atop the giant wooden chariot at the auspicious time between 4.48 and 5.30 a.m. amidst chanting of Vedic hymns by the temple pundits. Tens of thousands of devotees from different parts of the country participated in the divine procession that began at 7.30 a.m. Devotees congregated all along the mada streets through which the procession passed by. The chariot was tastefully decorated with different varieties of flowers, flags and festoons. As is customary, the golden umbrella was tied atop the mammoth chariot. The chanting of ‘Govinda' ‘Govinda' by the devotees filled the air. The chariot rolled majestically down the thoroughfares of the hill temple preceded by temple paraphernalia, including half-a-dozen caparisoned elephants, horses, bulls, cultural and bhajan troops besides a contingent of Vedic pundits led by the priests of the temple.

NABARD's loan disbursement crosses Rs.1 lakh crore marks Loans disbursed to State Governments by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for creating rural infrastructure has crossed the Rs.1 lakh crore marks. Of that Rs.6, 523 crore has been disbursed in Tamil Nadu. This is the fourth among the States that have availed of substantial financial support from NABARD. The other three are Andhra Pradesh (Rs.9,711 cr.), Uttar Pradesh (Rs.7984 cr.), Gujarat (Rs.7,324 cr.), According to a NABARD release, its disbursements stood at Rs.1, 02,844 crore as on September 30 this year. This included loans disbursed to 28 States and Union Territory of Puducherry as well as to the National Rural Roads Development Agency to support the rural roads component of Bharat Nirman. The sanctions are for 4.48 lakh projects spread over 31 broad activities as per the infrastructure requirements in the rural and agricultural sectors. Maximum funds were utilized for irrigation and agriculture (40 per cent), followed by rural roads (33 per cent), rural bridges, rural drinking water supply and social sector.

Chetan Bhagat against keeping education sector non-profit Author Chetan Bhagat feels that the government policy of keeping the education sector non-profit is not good for the country's education system. Speaking in the run-up to the release of his fifth novel, “Revolution 2020: Love. Corruption. Ambition,” Mr. Bhagat said: “The government policy is that the private institutes should be run by non-profit trusts. As a result, credible corporate don't venture into the education sector because the shareholders want profit. The government believes that you should not make money from education. This has led to a situation where a lot of people who have black money have ventured into the sector. They take out the money illegally in cash and on paper maintain the no-profit status.” Mr. Bhagat maintains that in India only if you are in the top 10 percent can you get to study in a good college. “Otherwise you just fall off the cliff. Over the years, the number of applicants has outpaced the number of prestigious institutions. It is leading to ridiculous things like 100 per cent cut-offs and it needs to be fixed.”

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Rajasthan a favourite for solar power projects The majority of proposals submitted this year by private entrepreneurs to the NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) for establishing 350 MW solar power projects based on the solar photovoltaic technique are for Rajasthan. Of the 210 proposals received by the NVVN under the first phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, 145 were for Rajasthan, said Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Director (Technical) M. M. Vijayavargiya. The private sector proposals for solar power projects include 9 for Gujarat, 20 for Andhra Pradesh, 19 for Maharashtra, 12 for Tamil Nadu and 5 for Orissa. Union Government had earlier sanctioned projects for 500 MW capacities to Rajasthan from a total of 620 MW in the solar energy sector. The National Solar Mission, forming part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change, aims at transforming the country's energy prospects and providing large-scale grid connected power. In its decentralized and distributed applications, the National Solar Mission is spreading solar lighting systems, water pumps and other rural applications to change the face of rural economy.

Delhi pushing for heritage city status Seeking to attain the world heritage city status for Delhi, the Delhi Government through the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) will apply for the nomination of Delhi to UNESCO's list of world heritage cities, implementing the task through Indian Trust for Art and Culture Heritage (INTACH) Delhi Chapter. With this end in mind, a campaign “Delhi: A Heritage City” was launched by DTTDC managing director G.G. Saxena, who also launched the official website related to the nomination process. The convener of INTACH Delhi Chapter Prof. A.G.K. Menon introduced the campaign and outlined the nomination process. At present, no Indian city is included in UNESCO's list of world heritage cities. The application for Delhi's inclusion in the list will be submitted next year.

Tomas Transtromer wins literature Nobel Tomas Transtromer, the Swedish poet whose sometimes bleak but powerful work explores themes of nature, isolation and identity, won the 2011 Nobel Prize in literature. Announcing the award in Stockholm, the Swedish Academy praised Mr. Transtromer, saying that “through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality.” The assembled press broke out in loud cheers at the news that Mr. Transtromer, who was born in Stockholm, had won the prize. Mr. Transtromer, 80, has written more than 15 collections of poetry, many of which have been translated into English and 60 other languages. Neil Astley, the editor of Bloodaxe Books in Britain, called Mr. Transtromer “a metaphysical visionary poet.” Since 1901, 103 Nobel Prizes in Literature have been awarded. The prize comes with an honorarium of 10 million kronor, or about $1.5 million.

Chemistry Nobel for Dan Shechtman An Israeli scientist won this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering quasicrystals, a material in which atoms were packed together in a well-defined pattern that never repeats. Recent Nobel prizes have generally split credit for scientific advances among two or three people, but this year's chemistry prize and the accompanying 10 million Swedish kronor ($1.4 million) went to a single scientist: Dan Shechtman (70), a professor of materials science at Technion- Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel. Prof. Shechtman is also a professor at Iowa State University and a researcher at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory. The citation from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences states simply, “for the discovery of quasicrystals.”

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The man who redefined digital age Steven P. Jobs, the visionary co-founder of Apple who helped usher in the era of personal computers and then led a cultural transformation in the way music, movies and mobile communications were experienced in the digital age, died. He was 56. The death was announced by Apple, the company Mr. Jobs and high school friend Stephen Wozniak started in 1976 in a suburban California garage. A friend of the family said that Mr. Jobs died of complications from his long battle with pancreatic cancer, with which he waged a long and public struggle, remaining the face of the company even as he underwent treatment. He continued to introduce new products for a global market in his trademark blue jeans even as he grew gaunt and frail. He underwent surgery in 2004, received a liver transplant in 2009 and took three medical leaves of absence as Apple's chief executive before stepping down in August and turning over the helm to Timothy D. Cook, the chief operating officer. When he left, he was still engaged in the company's affairs, negotiating with another Silicon Valley executive only week earlier.

Toyota to export Etios to South Africa Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), a joint venture between Japan's Toyota and India's Kirloskar Group, has said it would make foray into exports by despatching the first shipment of its newly- launched sedan Etios and its hatchback version Etios Liva to South Africa in March next year. The export model of Etios will be built on the same platform as Etios and Etios Liva, manufactured and sold in India. However, there would be a few changes in technical specifications/features, pertaining to the different needs of each market. The export model will be customized to suit the local requirements. The company will export only the petrol variants of the Etios, TKM said in a statement. The Etios is currently manufactured in TKM's second plant located at Bidadi near Bangalore. The current production capacity in the second plant is 80,000 units which will be ramped up to 1.2-lakh units by 2012 and to 2.1-lakh units by 2013. The engine and transmission for the Etios, which are now being imported from Japan, will also be manufactured in India. Starting next year, 1-lakh engines will be produced annually that will go up to 2.4-lakh units by 2013.

Own your Rolls-Royce new Ghost at Rs. 3.05 crore Luxury car maker Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has launched a new variant of its Ghost model at a starting price of Rs.3.05 crore to tap the growing luxury car market in the country. The Ghost extended wheelbase is powered by a 6.6 liter petrol engine and will be available in the market soon, the British company said. “Demand for luxury cars is growing in India and we want to tap the market with the launch of the new Ghost model,” Rolls-Royce India Business Development Head Herfried Hasenoehrl told. The company expects every third car it sells in the country to be the new Ghost extended wheelbase, he said but did not put a number to it. At present, it has just two dealerships — one each in Delhi and Mumbai. The company sells the Phantom and the Ghost models in the country.

India, Iran agree on payment mechanism for trade In a significant development indicating a breakthrough in resolving the India-Iran payment crisis for import of oil as well as exports, both countries have agreed to set up a payment mechanism to facilitate bilateral trade. According to the Finance Ministry, both sides agreed on the mechanism to be put in place for the purpose, including for the payment to Indian exporters and project exporters. Although the statement did not indicate but this would also include payments made by India for buying Iranian crude oil. The issue of payment for oil had been hanging in fire for the last nine months with the Indian side grappling for a solution on the issue. Although Iran has continued to supply crude oil to India , it had threatened to stop supplies if a mechanism to pay for imports is not found quickly. Iran is second only to Saudi Arabia as an oil supplier to India, while India is Iran's second-biggest crude buyer after China, accounting for about 20 per cent of its exports. Iran supplies 12 per cent of total oil needs of India.

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World's cheapest tablet PC launched The world's cheapest tablet PC, costing Rs.2, 276, was launched and it would be available at around half this price to students as part of the government's programme to expand education through information technology. The tablet PC, named Aakash, will cost the government Rs.2,276. It will be given to students after subsidizing the price by up to 50 per cent, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said while unveiling the 7-inch touch screen device. “The price includes taxes and cost of transportation. The government will provide subsidy of 50 per cent to institutes buying it. It will cost around Rs.1,100-1,200 to institutes,” he said. The government has also set an ambitious target of bringing down the cost of such device to as low as $10 (around Rs.500), the Minister said. An initial order of one lakh devices has been placed with device maker Datawind.

Kingfisher to focus on full service airline A week after announcing its decision to focus totally on the full service segment of air travel, Kingfisher Airlines, over the next four months, will reconfigure all its Airbus aircraft into dual cabin aircraft with a reduced premium business class cabin and an increased number of full service economy class seats, leading to a capacity increase of about 10 per cent. “The economy class will offer the same comfort as it does today. The space requirement for additional economy seats will be made available by reducing the number of business class seats,” Sanjay Aggarwal, CEO of Kingfisher, said. Kingfisher currently operates Airbus aircraft with two cabin configurations — dual cabin full service and single cabin no frills. This also means Kingfisher does not offer its premium business class or full service economy class product on all its routes. As a result, it was losing a certain amount of business class traffic on many routes.

BMW to launch under-1,000cc bikes by Jan German auto major BMW, which entered the domestic market early this year with as many as six models in the two-wheeler segment, plans to launch under-1,000cc bikes by January. “We will launch bikes below 1,000cc in the domestic market in January,” Navnit Motors Managing Director Sharad Kachalia told. BMW Motorrad, the super bikes division of the German luxury carmaker, does not have direct presence in the country. It is present through two dealers —Deutsche Motoren in Delhi and Navnit Motors in Mumbai.

Munoth, G' Five form venture Munoth, the Chennai-headquartered group engaged in a range of business activities, has joined hands with G' Five group, a global electronic brand and formed a joint venture, Munoth G' Five Telecom (MGTL). The venture will focus on three core areas — handsets and smart communication device, VAS solutions and MVNO space (mobile virtual network operator). Winston Zhang, Chairman, Munoth G' Five Telecom, said the company would be tapping the mid and high-end consumers with world-class products and services. The company would be coming out with a wide range of smart touch phones and tablets for the Indian market in the next three months. According to Vikas Munoth, Managing Director, MGTL, the investment in the 50:50 joint venture would be Rs. 50 crore. Understanding that great business is built around world-class brands, MGTL unveiled its brand ‘C Fore' under which its telecom business venture will be conducted.

Duty on caustic soda imports from South Korea India has imposed a duty of $366 per dry metric tonne on imports of caustic soda from South Korea. It will be effective up to and inclusive of December 25, 2013, with effect from October 3, 2011, the Department of Revenue has said in a notification.

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Vikas Krishan ensures a medal Vikas Krishan has ensured a medal for India by entering the semifinals of the World boxing championships at Baku, Azerbaijan. Vikas pipped Vasili Belous of Moldova 9-8 in the 60kg quarterfinals. Both Vikas and Belous notched up two points each in the first round. The Indian kept up the pressure to take a one point lead (5-4) in the next round. In the last round, both the boxers garnered four points each. Vikas was the second ever boxer from India to win a medal at the World championships. Vijender Singh was the first, winning bronze in the 2009 Milan edition of the event.

Gopal targets National crown G.N. Gopal may be seeded a little lower this time around, but is aiming the crown at this year's tournament, which begins at Aurangabad. “Last year in I was playing very well and things were going smoothly till I lost in the ninth round to Praveen Thipsay,” Gopal told. The National Premier is now played in Swiss format, unlike round-robin in which all players have to meet each other. Gopal, the strongest chess player Kerala has ever produced expects tough competition at Aurangabad. “, , and B. Adhiban are all strong players and in Swiss format, even lower seeds could come up from nowhere to mount a challenge for the title,” he said. The Kochi-based , who had crossed the 2600 mark in Elo rating (few Indians have done that) last year, said he wanted to play more in Europe. Gopal was part of the Indian team that won the bronze at the World team championship in Turkey and the Asian Games in Guangzhou (China).

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