A Publication of the Embassy of India, Washington, D.C.

January 1, 2012

I India RevieI w Vol. 8 Issue 1 www.indianembassy.org

(Above) Members of the Southern Baptist Church Choir rendering a series of traditional Christmas hymns; (Below) Members of the American Jewish Committee Young Leaders Group rendering traditional Hanukkah songs. Embassy Celebrates Christmas and Hanukkah n Food Security n USAID, FICCI ink n India’s romantic Bill tabled deal to support hero Dev Anand in Parliament innovation passes away Ambassador’s ENGAGEMENTS ‘AsiA-PAcific region is the center of grAvity for globAl oPPortunities’ peaking at the University of other countries of the region, through California, Berkeley, on forums such as East Asia Summit for ‘India and the Asia-Pacific: evolution of an open, balanced and SExpanding engagement’ on inclusive architecture in the region, so December 5, 2011, Ambassador that all stakeholders can make their Nirupama Rao observed that the respective contributions to regional Asia-Pacific region had emerged security. In multilateral forums such as the primary center for global as the East Asia Summit, ASEAN opportunities. Regional Forum or ADMM + 8 She said that India’s engagement process, there is now a regular consul - with the Asia-Pacific region was not tation between our two countries and new. “It has been a continuous we work together constructively. process that goes back over a millen - We are supplementing such multi- nium. From the fact that we are a vast lateral efforts by bilateral consultations nation, with a rich and diverse history, Ambassador Nirupama Rao on the Asia-Pacific. We instituted a we have had very dynamic and exten - regular dialogue on developments in sive contacts with our eastern neigh - Ambassador Rao pointed the region last year and have held four bors since the first century — contacts rounds of meetings. This dialogue based on cultural exchange, trade and out that the economic provides an opportunity for two sides commerce and maritime interaction,” growth and prosperity of to discuss and exchange our respec - Ambassador Rao said. both India and the tive perspectives on a wide range of regional issues. We have agreed to Excerpts from Ambassador United States was further deepen these strategic Nirupama Rao’s speech at the linked in many ways to consultations on developments in the event: the Asia-Pacific region Asia-Pacific. “It is well accepted that the As both our countries have a shared Asia-Pacific region today is the center interest in maritime security in the of gravity for global opportunities with with the United States, which has region, cooperation in this area its continued economic growth. While been an important player in Asia, and between India and the United States the global economic situation is today is renewing its engagement with has deepened in the past several years. showing several signs of stress, the the region. The continuance of eco - We both have affirmed the importance emerging market countries in Asia are nomic growth and prosperity in both of maritime security, unimpeded com - growing well and have demonstrated our countries is in many ways linked merce, and freedom of navigation, in their resilience. to the Indo-Pacific region. It is neces - accordance with relevant universally The region can be expected to con - sary in this context that we work agreed principles of international law, tinue contributing to global growth, together to manage challenges such as including the United Nations trade, prosperity and innovation. those posed by terrorism and extrem - Convention on the Law of the Sea, Today, Asia has by far the greatest ism, or other diverse threats to our and peaceful settlement of maritime share of rising middle classes and a peace and security. disputes. young population; its economies are These converging interests have As we move towards an Asia-Pacific growing both quantitatively and quali - opened up new opportunities for century, India will continue to deepen 2 tatively and integrating with the global enhancing cooperation and our efforts its engagement with the region as well economy. The sheer numbers alone, would be to capitalize on these oppor - as contribute to it’s overall prosperity, in terms of population or accelerating tunities. It was in recognition of these stability and security.” economic activity, ensures that the mutual interests that Prime Minister The full text of the speech can be region will play a starring role in the Singh and President Obama spelled viewed at: http://www.indianem - 21st century. We do not deny, howev - out the shared vision of both countries bassy.org/prdetail1833/address-by- er, that there are still many challenges for peace, stability and prosperity in ambassador-nirupama-rao-at-uc- that the region faces and that need to Asia, the Indian Ocean and Pacific berkeley-on-5-december-2011------be successfully tackled. regions during the visit of President andlsquo%3Bindia-and-the-asia- In this regard we also have an Obama to India last year. pacific%3A-expanding-engagemen - increasing convergence of interests We will work together and with tandrsquo%3B

January 2012 India Review Embassy EVENTS christMAs celebrAtion At eMbAssy resiDence on DeceMber 8 1 2 3

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4 5 PHOTO LEGENDS 1. Ambassador Nirupama Rao welcoming and greeting the guests. 2. Congressmen Ed Royce speaking on the occasion. 3. Invocation prayer by Rev. Mathai Mannoovadakkethil VICAR Malankara. 4. Dr. Sajan Mathews, Professor of Theology, Moody Bible Institute addressing the guests. 5. Patrick Jacob, Seventh Day Adventist Church proposing the vote of thanks. 6. Community Choir Group led by Ayona Dutta rendering a medley of Christmas Carols in different Indian languages. 7. Christmas Carols rendered by a group from Mizoram. 8. Christmas Carols rendered by the Southern Baptist Church Choir. 9. Guests in attendance. 6 7

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January 2012 India Review Embassy EVENTS HANUKKAH CELEBRATION AT THE EMBASSY ON DECEMBER 22 1 2

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PHOTO LEGENDS 5. Jarrod Bernstein, Director of Jewish Outreach, Office of Public 1. Invocation Prayer by Benjamin Reuben (President, Magen Abraham Engagement, The White House, addressing the gathering. Synagogue, India), Nissim Reuben (American Jewish Committee) & 6. Jason F. Isaacson, Director, Office of Govt. & International Affairs, Rabbi Rachel Gartner (Georgetown University). American Jewish Committee (AJC), addressing the guests. 2. Ambassador Nirupama Rao greeting the guests through a video 7. Daniel S. Mariaschin, Executive Vice-President, B'nai B'rith message. International, speaking on the occasion. 3. Deputy Chief of Mission Arun K Singh welcoming the guests. 8. Jewish Acapella songs by American Jewish Committee Young Leaders 4. Dan Arbell, Minister & DCM, Embassy of Israel, Washington, Group. DC, speaking on the occasion.

January 2012 India Review Embassy EVENTS Dr. bhuPen hAZAriKA MeMoriAl service on DeceMber 3

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Lighting of the Ceremonial Lamp by Deputy Chief of Mission Arun K. Singh and Aroona Borpujari.

Chorus rendered by Arundhotee Goswami, Nipika Patgiri, Barnali Deka, Smita Barua reading Dr. Bhupen Hazarika’s biography. Satyen Das, Anurag Barua and Rabin Goswami.

Deputy Chief of Mission Arun K. Singh delivering the Memorial Address. Tej Hazarika, son of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, speaking on the occasion.

Asad Rehman proposing the vote of thanks. Guests in attendance.

January 2012 India Review Embassy EVENTS embassY Celebrates inDian armeD ForCes FlaG DaY 2011 1 2

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PHOTO LEGENDS 1. Defence & Military Attache, Brig. B.K. Jain welcoming the guests at the Embassy on December 5, 2011. 2. Deputy Chief of Mission Arun K. Singh addressing the guests. 3. A view of the audience gathered on the occasion.

Consulate EVENTS Christmas Celebration at CGi new York

Clockwise from above left: Consul-General Prabhu Dayal addressing the guests; a 30-member Chamber Choir of the Herricks High School rendering carols; a group of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints rendering carols

A 30-member Chamber Choir of the Herricks High School and a group of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints rendered various carols. Various community leaders, including Prof. Blair Williams, President of the Anglo-Indian community, he Consulate General of India, New York, hosted a Dr. Thomas Abraham, Chairman of GOPIO and 6 Reception at the Consulate on December 14 to Suzy Abraham of the Indian Overseas National Congress T celebrate Christmas. thanked Ambassador Prabhu Dayal for reaching out to all Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Prabhu Dayal, the community members and keeping them together by Consul-General of India in New York, extended his sea - way of holding such events and conveyed their Christmas son’s greetings and best wishes for Christmas to all the greetings and best wishes to all the participants. participants. He reflected on the secular traditions of India About 100 people, including eminent members of the and the Consulate’s special endeavors in celebrating vari - Christian community from the Tri-State Area, members of ous religious festivals and thanked the community mem - the Indian-American community and their associations bers for their active and enthusiastic participation at all the and media representatives participated and enjoyed the events organized at the Consulate. gaiety and festive ambiance of the celebrations.

January 2012 India Review India-U.S. Relations 2011 AT A GLANCE

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Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh meets with President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and East Asia Summits in Nusa Dua on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali on November 18. AFP PHOTO / Saul Loeb inDia-U.s. relations 2011: a retrospeCtive India Review travels back through 2011 to take stock of how two of the world’s most important nations, India and the United States, gave greater meaning and substance to what Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and President Barack Obama had termed as one of the “defining partnerships of the 21st century”

fter President Barack science, space, clean and renewable May: HoMeland Security dialogue Obama’s historic visit to energy, information sharing, military Affirming the strategic importance India in November 2010, exchanges, defense trade, counter- of cooperation for the security of A India-US relations terrorism, education, health, India and the United States and their achieved a new momentum. While agriculture, technology, innovation, people, the two countries concluded several leaders from India visited manufacturing and services. As the India-U.S. Homeland Security Washington, Secretary Hillary Ambassador Nirupama Rao, address - Dialogue in New Delhi on May 27, Clinton and several other leaders from ing the Chicago Council on Global 2011. At the Dialogue, the Indian the U.S. too visited India to widen the Affairs on “India’s Global Outlook delegation was led by Home Minister canvas of India-U.S. relations in and Foreign Policy” on September 20, P. Chidambaram and the U.S. side by 2011. Besides political level coopera - said that India’s bilateral relations Secretary, Homeland Security tion, the two of the world’s largest with the U.S. had “matured into a Department, Janet Napolitano. democracies, that share the values of strategic partnership of global It was as part of the growing global pluralism, tolerance, openness, and dimensions”. The role of the Indian strategic partnership between India respect for fundamental freedoms and diaspora in the U.S. has also been and the United States, that Prime human rights, also strengthened their critical in strengthening the bilateral Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and relations in different sectors such as relations between the two countries. President Barack Obama had launched

January 2012 India Review India-U.S. Relations 2011 AT A GLANCE

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Secretary of Treasury Tim Geithner at the Home Minister P. Chidambaram meeting with U.S. Secretary for India-U.S. Financial and Economic Partnership meet in Washington, D.C. on June 28. Homeland Security Janet Napolitano in New Delhi on May 27.

the India-U.S. Homeland Security the Group of 20 (G20) efforts to Dialogue during President Obama’s Taking forward their ties, reduce trade imbalances. State Visit to India in November 2010. India and the United Minister Mukherjee assured the During their talks, Home Minister American investors that with the Chidambaram and Secretary States have agreed to “major steps” that India had taken Napolitano hailed the growing coop - expand trade and recently, its economy was back on its eration between the two countries in investment links between over 8.5 percent growth path. their counter-terrorism efforts. During the course of his visit, the Referring to the Mumbai terror attack the two economies, and Indian Finance Minister also held a of November 2008, they restated that to develop and bilateral meeting with the U.S. Treasury the two governments were determined strengthen their financial Secretary and discussed issues of to bring to justice the perpetrators and mutual interest and those related to the the supporters of the carnage. systems world economic situation. As regards institutional coopera - Later, on June 28, Mukherjee tion, the two leaders agreed to deep - During the meeting, billed as the participated in the Cabinet Level en agency-to-agency engagement, “highest-level” economic engage - Meeting of the India-US Financial and sharing of intelligence and informa - ment between the two countries, Economic Partnership with Geithner. tion, and access to data relating to Mukherjee and the US Treasury Asserting that India and the USA terrorism. Secretary Timothy Geithner would work together to expand their interacted with top U.S. corporate trade and investment links and would June: Financial and econoMic leaders and policy makers to discuss further develop and strengthen their PartnerSHiP ways to further strengthening financial systems, the two leaders Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee economic cooperation between the issued a joint statement at the end of arrived in the United States of two countries. The first meeting the meeting. 8 America on June 27 to attend the sec - of the India-U.S. Financial and According to the joint statement, the ond meeting of India-U.S. Financial Economic Partnership was held in two countries also agreed to “work and Economic Partnership in April, 2010, in India’s capital together in the G-20 on an effective Washington, D.C. Speaking at the New Delhi. mutual assessment process to bring inauguration of the meeting, Finance While Minister Mukherjee led the about strong, sustained, and balanced Minister Mukherjee said that in the Indian delegation, Timothy Geithner, global growth”. one year since the forum’s launch, it Secretary, U.S. Department of It further said that “leveraging their had succeeded in giving an impetus to Treasury, led the U.S. delegation. combined knowledge, experience, and the rapidly expanding financial and The two-day meeting focussed on shared interests, the two sides economic engagement between India infrastructure development, capital have agreed to a robust agenda for and the U.S. markets reforms, and cooperation on the coming year that includes

January 2012 India Review India-U.S. Relations 2011 AT A GLANCE

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HRD Minister Kapil Sibal speaking at the First US-India Higher Education Summit at India’s Minister for Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma meeting Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. on October 13, 2011. U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, in Washington on June 22, 2011. deeper engagement” in three key countries have sought to deepen areas: bilateral and multilateral engagements July: bilateral aviation n Macroeconomic challenges, in order to fully capitalize on the safety agreement including growth, unemployment, wealth of economic opportunities n a significant development, India and inflation, global liquidity, commodi - between the two nations. the United States signed the Bilateral ty prices, international capital flows It said the India-U.S. economic I Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) on and fiscal consolidation. relationship had made significant July 18 in New Delhi. India representative n Financial sector reforms, progress over the past decade and that Dr. Nasim Zaidi, Secretary, Civil Aviation including deepening of capital trade and investment between the two and U.S. Representative J. Randolph Babbitt, Administrator, Federal Aviation markets, financial inclusion, and countries had expanded across a vari - Administration (FAA) signed the agree - ensuring the stability, transparency, ety of industries and sectors during ment in the presence of senior officials and integrity of the financial system. this period. Between 2000 and 2010, from the Civil Aviation Ministry, n Infrastructure finance, including Indian exports to the United States Directorate General of Civil Aviation, innovative strategies to mobilize had grown by nearly 180 percent while Airports Authority of India from the Indian capital for infrastructure develop - U.S. exports to India had increased side and FAA and U.S. Trade and ment, and sharing best practices and over four times the previous levels, the Development Agency from the U.S. side. building capacity for design statement said. The signing of the agreement coincided with the visit of U.S. Secretary of State, and successful execution of Earlier, the combined bilateral Hillary Clinton, to India. Public-Private Partnerships. India-U.S. foreign direct investment BASA will facilitate reciprocal airworthi - The United States, the joint had grown by nearly 165 percent ness certification of civil aeronautical statement said, was “committed to between 2005 and 2009, according to products imported or exported between making investments in technology, the statement. Despite this progress, the two signatory authorities and accept - skills, and infrastructure necessary and especially given the size of the ance of Indian aeronautical products by to maintain and enhance U.S. compet - two respective economies, the joint the U.S. itiveness in the global economy.” statement pointed out that there The aircraft manufacturing industry in India is expected to benefit as a result of On its part, “India intends to take remained untapped potential and the new agreement. The agreement is also steps to marshal private and public opportunities to expand trade and expected to spur trade between India and savings to meet the infrastructure investment linkages to the benefit of the U.S. BASA would also encourage the needs of a rapidly growing Indian the two countries. indigenous aircraft and aeronautical prod - economy,” the joint statement said. The Indian Finance Minister also ucts industry and the U.S. acceptance of According to the joint statement, met with the Chief Executive Officers Indian products would help the industry to the India-U.S. relationship offers (CEOs) of Indian and American achieve global acceptance of its products. enormous economic opportunities for companies during his three-day trip The BASA is expected to lead to the Americans and Indians alike. to the U.S. Later, Mukherjee had a signing of the Implementation Procedures for Airworthiness, which provides for tech - Through stronger collaboration and bilateral meeting with the nical cooperation between FAA and its coordination amongst their economic US National Security Advisor counterpart civil aviation authorities. and financial policymakers, the two Thomas E. Donilon.

January 2012 India Review India-U.S. Relations 2011 AT A GLANCE

June: trade & coMeerce talkS During his visit to the United States, Anand Sharma, India’s Minister for Commerce and Industry held wide-ranging discussions with Ambassador Ron Kirk, the United States Trade Representative on June 22. Minister Sharma and Ambassador Kirk agreed to fast-track the technical negotiations for an early conclusion of the India-US Bilateral Investment Agreement. The two sides also agreed to re-invigorate the Trade Policy Forum (TPF) and make it more robust and effective in resolving bilateral commercial issues. During their discussions, the two leaders covered the entire range of issues related to bilateral trade and com - mercial engagement. External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna with Secretary Hillary Clinton in New Delhi on July 19.

July: Second Strategic dialogue their defense cooperation and commitment to taking forward civil India and the U.S. concluded the partnership on export controls and nuclear energy cooperation on the second round of their bilateral non-proliferation. They have also wit - basis of full implementation of mutual Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi on nessed an expansion of the already commitments. We were reassured that July 19, 2011, with a commitment to robust people-to-people ties; scientific, United States reaffirmed its deepening the India-U.S. global space, and technology collaboration; commitment for full civil nuclear strategic partnership. At the clean energy cooperation; and connec - cooperation. I expressed appreciation Dialogue, the U.S. delegation was led tions among entrepreneurs and social for our ongoing engagement and full by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton innovators. support of the U.S. for India’s full and the Indian side by External Addressing a joint press conference membership of the four export control Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna. after his meeting with Secretary regimes and our expectation of During the meeting, both the sides Clinton, Minister Krishna said, “The progress in tandem on the four recognized that their strategic Strategic Dialogue is the bedrock on regimes. We discussed UNSC reforms consultations had expanded to cover which we are building our global and India’s permanent membership of all major issues and regions of the strategic partnership that would be a reformed UN Security Council.” world. India and the U.S. have one of the defining relationships of Describing the meeting very increased counter-terrorism coopera - the 21st century. This is the vision of “productive”, Secretary Clinton said, tion, intelligence sharing, and law Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan “We are building habits of coopera - enforcement exchanges. The two Singh and President Obama.” tion and bonds of trust. And we are countries have significantly expanded He further said, “We reiterated our standing on a firm foundation. And

highlights of the india-U.s. strategic Dialogue he second meeting of the India-U.S. n The two sides reiterated their commit - n India and the U.S. affirmed the impor - Strategic Dialogue stressed on the issues ment to working together to strengthen tance of maritime security, unimpeded 10 Tof global stability and prosperity. election management capacity in inter - commerce, and freedom of navigation, n Both India and the U.S. expressed their ested countries. in accordance with international law, intention to expand strategic consulta - n Secretary Clinton recalled President and the peaceful settlement of disputes. tions to other regions, including Latin Obama’s statement that, in the years n The two sides cited the signing of a America and the Caribbean. ahead, the United States looks forward Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement as n The two sides reaffirmed their commit - to a reformed UN Security Council that a big step forward. ment to consultation, coordination, and includes India as a Permanent Member. n Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton cooperation in Afghanistan. n Both sides also affirmed their desire to welcomed the continued commitment of n As part of their global concerns, the two strengthen cooperation through technol - the Indian and American governments sides agreed to promote food security in ogy transfer, and joint research, devel - to full implementation of the India-U.S. Africa through a triangular cooperation opment and production of defense civil nuclear energy cooperation program with Liberia, Malawi and Kenya. items. agreement.

January 2012 India Review India-U.S. Relations 2011 AT A GLANCE for mutually beneficial exchanges and provide a plat - form for intense and meaning - ful collaboration among aca - demia, the private sector, and government on both sides. The Dialogue is planned to be held alternately in the United States and India. The two leaders reiterated their strong commitment to the Fulbright-Nehru Program and 11 its contribution to leadership development and scholarly achievement. They also high - lighted and encouraged the full array of direct collaborations between higher education com - munities, such as the India-U.S. Higher Education Leadership Program. Minister Sibal and Secretary Clinton underscored the need to enhance the scope of collaboration. From Left: John J. DeGioia, President, Georgetown University, Ambassador Nirupama Rao, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Robert O. Blake, Jr. Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian The two leaders also Affairs, at Georgetown University. expressed their support for the Indo-U.S. Science and we believe that we can do even more acknowledged the immense possibili - Technology Forum, which provides work to ensure that this important ties for further collaboration between fresh impetus to academic collabora - dialogue leads to concrete and the two countries given the inherent tion in cutting-edge areas of scientif - coordinated steps that will produce dynamism, emerging challenges, and ic research and technology develop - measurable progress for the numerous exciting opportunities avail - ment. They lauded the continuing well-being and betterment of the able for sharing and growing together. Indian and American people.” Minister Sibal and Secretary January: engineering Clinton emphasized that access to, october: HigHer education SuMMit and development of technology and education Conclave With a view to further strengthening skills were cross-cutting require - ndo-U.S. Engineering Education higher education collaboration and ments to meet the challenges that Conclave was held in January 2011 in New Delhi for strengthening higher exchange between institutions in India their two countries faced. They I educational institutions in the fields of and the United States, the two coun - acknowledged the fruitful collabora - engineering and technology and expressed tries hosted the first US-India Higher tion between India and the United the hope that more such opportunities for Education Summit at Georgetown States in the areas of education, engagement would emerge in the future in University in Washington, D.C. on research and innovation and noted its other fields. October 13. India’s Minister for contribution to the development of Human Resource Development and technologies, skills and knowledge- July: moU between Computer Communications and Information based societies in both countries. emergency response teams Technology Kapil Sibal and Secretary Both leaders emphasized the need to he United States and India on July 19, of State Hillary Clinton delivered the enhance this collaboration. 2011 signed a Memorandum of opening remarks at the inaugural ses - Expressing their commitment to T Understanding (MoU) between the sion of the Summit. that vision, Minister Sibal and Computer Emergency Response Teams Minister Sibal and Secretary Clinton Secretary Clinton launched the (CERT-IN and US-CERT) of both the reaffirmed the strategic partnership expanded US-India Higher countries to exchange information on cyber attacks and mutual response to cyber securi - between India and the United States Education Dialogue as an annual ty incidents, to cooperate on cyber security for meaningful dialogue, cooperation bilateral event to map out strategies technology, and to exchange information on and engagement in the field of higher for partnership in the field of educa - cyber security policy and best practices and education, and launched a new phase tion between the two countries. capacity building and exchange of experts. in this partnership. The two leaders The Dialogue should identify areas

January 2012 India Review India-U.S. Relations 2011 AT A GLANCE

september: ambassador nirupama rao takes charge s. Nirupama Rao assumed her first woman Ambassador to China. In her dis - responsibilities as the new tinguished diplomatic career spanning over M Ambassador of India to the United three decades, Ms. Rao’s other ambassadori - States in September 2011. She served as the al assignments include Peru and Bolivia, and Foreign Secretary, the highest office in the Sri Lanka (where also she was India’s first Indian Foreign Service, for a two-year term woman High Commissioner). till end-July 2011, before joining as the An M.A. in English Literature, Ms. Rao Ambassador of India to the United States. joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1973. Ms. Rao served previously in Washington in Ambassador Rao was a Fellow at the the capacity of Minister for Press and Cultural Centre for International Affairs (now the Affairs at the Indian Embassy from 1993 to Weatherhead Centre) at Harvard University in 1995. She also served as Deputy Chief of the early 1990s. She was also a Distinguished Mission at the Indian Embassy in Moscow, in International Executive in Residence at the Ambassador Nirupama Rao presented her credentials to President Barack Obama on the late 1990s. Ms. Rao was also designated University of Maryland at College Park in September 9, 2011 (Photo:- White House). as Spokesperson of the Ministry of External 1999-2000. Affairs in 2001, the first woman Indian Foreign Ambassador Rao is married to Sudhakar who retired as the Chief Secretary of the State Service officer to hold this post. Rao, a distinguished civil servant and former Government of Karnataka. They have two From 2006 to 2009, She served as India’s member of the Indian Administrative Service sons, Nikhilesh and Kartikeya.

ASEAN-India Summit and the East highlights of the First Us-india higher education summit Asia Summit. “Last year around this time, he two sides endorsed the resolve of enhancement to meet the needs of I embarked on what was an extraordi - the stakeholders from academia, gov - today’s world; nary trip to India, in which we contin - T ernment, and industry to take forward n Exploration of models for ‘educational the following areas of consensus arrived at institutions for the 21st Century’ (such ued to strengthen the bonds, both during the Summit: as ‘meta’ universities); commercial, on the security side, and 1. A continued expanded India-U.S. Higher n Further strengthening programs for stu - strategic between the world’s two Education Dialogue with representatives dent and faculty enrichment and largest democracies,” President from government, academia, and business exchange, and development of leader - Obama said. that would interact on a periodic basis to ship in academia at all levels; “And since that time, we’ve contin - inform and underpin the Dialogue. n Welcoming the involvement of the pri - ued to make progress on a wide range 2. Support for the following goals: vate sector in the two countries to sup - of issues. The bonds between our n Promoting strategic institutional part - port and deepen collaboration with the nerships for further strengthening and higher education community, faculty countries are not just at the leader - expansion of collaboration in the priori - exchanges, skills development, and ship level, but they’re, obviously, at ty areas of higher education, including institutional partnerships. the person-to-person level, given the science and engineering, social sci - 3. India announced its intention to set up an extraordinary contributions of ences, and humanities, and addressing India-U.S. higher education platform as a Indian-Americans to our culture, our societal challenges in areas such as means to pursue these goals. politics and our economy,” President cyber security, energy, environment, 4. Strengthening educator enrichment and Obama told Prime Minister Singh. health and agriculture; exchange programs (with the Government Prime Minister Singh remarked n Encouraging expansion and deepen col - of India indicating its intention to sponsor laboration in research and development initially up to 1,500 faculty and junior that there “were no irritants whatso - in the above areas between academic scholars to leading universities and ever” in the working relationship institutions of the two countries research institutes in the United States) to between India and the U.S. extending 12 through existing initiatives; promote development of human resources across “multiplicity of areas”. n Fostering partnerships in the areas of while also enhancing broader interaction Recalling President Obama’s visit vocational education and skills between the two countries. to India, Prime Minister Singh said that “progress in every direction” had efforts by both sides to explore new noveMber:PriMe MiniSter been made during the last year. avenues for collaboration such as the dr. ManMoHan SingH MeetS “And whether it is in humanitarian Indo-U.S. Engineering Education PreSident barack obaMa relief and disaster management, mar - Conclave, held in January 2011 in Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan itime security — all these are issues New Delhi, for strengthening higher Singh met with President Barack which unite us in a quest for a world educational institutions in the fields Obama at Bali in Indonesia on free from the threat of war, want and of engineering and technology. November 18 on the sidelines of the exploitation.”

January 2012 India Review Economy NEWS FooD seCUritY bill tableD in parliament he government on December The bill will also provide rations or 22 tabled in the Lok Sabha, cooked meals to children under 14 the food security bill which years of age, pregnant women and T seeks to provide subsidized lactating mothers and persons on the food grain to over half of India's 1.2 margins of society. billion population and ensure that peo - Community kitchens are also pro - ple "live a life with dignity". vided for to give at least one meal a Food Minister K.V. Thomas intro - day to destitute persons. duced the National Food Security These entitlements will increase the 13 Bill, 2011, "to provide for food and food subsidy from around $11.8 billion nutritional security by ensuring at present to $15 billion in 2011-12, access to adequate quantity of quality ies. The general category will get not which could go up later. It will also food at affordable prices". less than 3 kg grain per person per require the government to improve It promises 75 percent of rural pop - month at half the maximum selling procurement from around 55 million ulation and 50 percent of urban house - price (MSP). tonnes to 61 metric tonnes. holds the right to 7 kg food grain per The federal government will identi - In a first of its kind, the bill will person per month, at `3 ($0.056) per fy the priority (BPL) and general cat - treat the eldest woman, not less than kg for rice, `2 ($ 0.037) per kg for egory (APL) beneficiaries and will 18 years of age, as the head of the wheat and `1 ($0.018) per kg for decide the distribution quota for the family while issuing ration cards to coarse grains to the priority beneficiar - states. the beneficiaries.

tough action against exports sUrGe in 2011 corporate fraud proposed espite the global downturn top $300 billion, against $246 billion ndia will soon have a new regulation that and major fluctuation in the in the previous year. would ensure stringent punishment for D value of the rupee, India's "The overall growth in our exports Icorporate fraud and make independent merchandise exports logged a robust has been quite impressive given the directors more accountable, Corporate Affairs Minister M. Veerappa Moily said on rise during 2011 with experts attribut - global economic situation," said Ramu December 19. ing this to the government's focus on S. Deora, President, Federation of "Based on the experience gained over the product and market diversification. Indian Export Organizations (FIEO). years, existing provisions regarding inspec - The year also saw Pakistan extend Minister of State for Commerce tion, inquiry and investi - "most-favored nation" status to India, Jyotiraditya Scindia said the govern - gation are proposed to even as two comprehen - ment's strategy of prod - be strengthened in the sive economic partner - FollowinG are the uct and market diversifi - Companies Bill 2011, hiGhliGhts oF inDia's ship agreements were cation would minimize introduced in the current ForeiGn traDe in 2011: signed with Malaysia the impact of uncertain - session of Parliament," n Export target set at $300 Minister Moily said. and Japan. billion for 2011-12 against ties in Europe, the U.S. He said the proposed Merchandise exports $246 billion logged last and Japan which tradi - regulation would ensure that account for 22 per - fiscal. tionally accounted for Corporate Affairs "more effective action cent of the country's n Target to boost exports to over 60 percent of Minister M. against companies and Veerappa Moily gross domestic product, $500 billion by 2013-14. exports. their officers who rose by an impressive n April-November exports As part of the market indulge in fraudulent actions of non compli - 33.2-percent to reach rose 33.2 percent to diversification pro - ance with law". $192.7 billion during $192.7 billion. gramme, the govern - "The role of key managerial personnel, n Imports also surged to board committees, audit committee, remu - the first eight months of $309.5 billion during ment promoted exports neration committee and stakeholders rela - this fiscal, exceeding the April-November, 2011. to some non-traditional tionship committee, independent director official target. n Asia, Africa and Latin markets like Africa and and auditors is being made more account - Now the government America named focus mar - Latin America. On the able in the management of company," the and industry hope that kets for exports. other hand, petroleum Minister said. the fiscal year will end in n Focus products cover phar - and engineering goods The definition of "officer in default" would March with the country ma, electronics, auto, engi - led the exports growth in also be revised to make it more relevant in logging at least 20 per - neering, electronics and terms of products, along the present corporate and economic envi - aerospace industries. ronment, he said. cent annual growth to with jewelry.

January 2012 India Review Economy NEWS ‘Rate pause will help regain growth momentum ’ he Reserve Bank of percent for the week ended on India’s decision to December 3. The Indian economy keep key rates grew by 8.5 percent in 2010-11 T unchanged and the government had set a tar - would help improve get of around 9 percent growth for business sentiments the current financial year. and regain economic The Finance Minister said the growth momentum, recent moderation in inflation and Finance Minister growth had necessitated change in Pranab Mukherjee said Finance Minister monetary tightening stance. on December 16. Pranab Mukherjee “There has been an appreciable “I am hopeful today’s decline in food inflation in the announcement will help in There is no change month of November but inflation in regaining our growth momentum in any policy variables manufactured products is still high,” with improved macro economic and that includes the repo rate... The he said. parameters in the remaining period of Governor has chosen to reflect his “The need to improve the business fiscal 2011-12,” Minister Mukherjee concern on growth which has altered sentiments and recover the growth said while reacting on the RBI’s mid- in the past few months,” he said. momentum in the remaining months quarter review of monetary policy in In its mid-quarter review of the of the current fiscal necessitated a which it kept key policy rates monetary policy on December 16, the review of the current monetary policy unchanged. central bank kept key rates stance,” Minister Mukherjee said. Welcoming the central bank’s unchanged after 13 successive hikes The Reserve Bank said it main - move, the Finance Minister said the since early 2010. tained its projection for annual infla - RBI had chosen to address the con - The review came against the back - tion at 7 percent for end-March, while cerns on slowing growth. drop of India’s annual rate of inflation reserving its forecast on growth for “The RBI has changed its policy falling to 9.1 percent in November, the third quarter review, which is stand from monetary tightening. while the food inflation fell to 4.35 expected in January, 2012.

Indian ports to handle 3,130 mn tonnes by 2020 Indian Navy to induct 24 long range o cater to the growing cargo traf - maritime reconnaissance aircraft fic demand, the Indian govern - T ment on December 17 said it he Indian Navy will acquire 12 more India is the first export customer for this air - would increase capacity at the coun - long-range maritime reconnaissance (LRMR) craft, and the advantage is that India will benefit try’s ports to 3,130 million tonnes from Taircraft in addition to the 12 Boeing P-8I air - from the hi-tech systems being developed for the the current 870 million tonnes by 2020 craft already ordered or being ordered to boost its U.S. Navy, which has ordered 117 aircraft. through infrastructure development. eye in the sky over the country’s territorial waters Most of the specifications of the U.S. and the “The total traffic handled by Indian and exclusive economic zone, a top commander Indian navies are reportedly common but details ports is expected to go up to around to has said. are understandably being kept secret. 2,495 million tonnes by the year 2020. Indian Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma However, there would be some Indian compo - For the purpose of handling this volume said that the force was satisfied with the progress nents, thanks to the offsets and transfer of tech - of traffic, the capacity at the ports is of the first eight Indian P-8Is being built by Boeing nology requirements. India’s Bharat Electronics expected to enhance to 3,130 million under a 2009 order and that a second order for Ltd has already started supplying its Data Link II 14 tonnes by 2020,” Shipping Minister four more aircraft was being processed to be system to facilitate the P-8I’s communications G.K. Vasan said in a statement. placed within the current fiscal ending March with Indian space, naval, and land based-assets. According to Minister Vasan, an 2012. The U.S. aircraft, designated the P8-A investment of $0.52 million would be At a later date, the force also plans to acquire poseidon multimission maritime aircraft (MMA), made in the next 10 years to create fur - 12 more LRMR aircraft for offshore surveillance has the capability of broad-area surveillance and ther capacity. and protection of the Indian waters and interests, launching Harpoon anti-ship and land attack mis - Indian ports handled a total cargo bringing the total to 24. The exact type of the 12 siles, depth charges and torpedoes against sub - traffic of around 870 million tonnes in additional aircraft would be worked out later. marines and underwater unmanned assets. The 2010-11, out of which major ports han - Admiral Verma said that the P-8I was the most aircraft can also perform electronic intelligence dled 570 million tonnes, and non-major advanced LRMR platform with a capability to (ELINT) missions with its highly sophisticated ports handled around 300 million observe even small boats and destroy hostile Raytheon APY-10 radar and Northrop Grumman tones. submarines. electronic warfare (EW) systems.

January 2012 India Review Economy NEWS 10 INdIaNs IN FoRbes’ bRIGhtest staRs lIst en Indians, including a otubes. Vikas Mohindra, 25, financial 17-year-old, rub shoulders advisor at the Bank of America Merrill with the likes of Facebook Lynch gathered $38 million in three T founder Mark Zuckerberg years from scratch, while Manvir and pop stars Lady Gaga Nijhar, 28, Co-Head of and Justin Bieber in a European Equity 15 Forbes list of ‘Tomorrow’s Derivatives Sales at Brightest Stars’. Citigroup, gave “Citi’s Among the Indians on derivatives business a Comptroller and Auditor General of India the list of people from 12 jolt”. Raj Krishnan, 29, Vinod Rai diverse fields, including Chief Executive of caG of India to head UN energy, finance, media, Biological Dynamics is panel of external auditors law, entertainment, sci - developing blood tests ence, design and technolo - that use electric fields to he Comptroller and Auditor General gy, who are “reinventing detect key signals that a (CAG) of India, Vinod Rai, has been elected Chairman of the United the world” is Kunal Shah, patient has cancer. T Nations panel of external auditors. at 29, the youngest Sidhant Gupta, 27, a Rai succeeds Norbert Hauser, Managing Director at Param Jaggi graduate student at Vice-President of Germany’s Federal Court Goldman Sachs. the University of Washington, is of Auditors, the CAG said in a statement on Also on the list is Param Jaggi, 17, an developing new sensors and software December 8. “award-winning high schooler” at for the home that conserve electricity, As head of the panel, Rai will be respon - Austin College, who created an algae- heat and gas. sible for overseeing the external audit filled device that fits over a car’s tailpipe Nikhil Arora, 24, co-founded a busi - works and periodical reports on accounts and management of the UN and its special - and turns carbon dioxide into oxygen. ness that sells ‘grow-your-own-mush - ized agencies. Vivek Nair, 23, Chief Executive of room’ kits using one million pounds of Jagbans Singh, Director-General in the Damascus Fortune, is developing a recycled coffee grounds and Maneet office of the CAG, has also been elected technology that transforms industrial Ahuja, 27, a producer at CNBC and a Chairman of the Technical Group of the carbon emissions into carbon nan - hedge fund expert is also on the list. UN panel. MaRylaNd closes deals woRth $60 MN wIth INdIa six-day trade mis - Washington, and eight business in the US,” O’Malley said. sion to India netted Maryland businesses inked Jasco Nutri Foods, an India-based A a total of $60 mil - deals with Indian partners manufacturer and exporter of organic lion in new business deals during the trip aimed at food products, is planning to invest for Maryland and deals selling the state as the best $10 million in opening a facility in worth millions more are in place for Indian compa - Bowie, he said. the works, according to nies to get a foothold in Jubilant Life Sciences, which already state Governor Martin the American market. has a drug manufacturing facility in O’Malley. More than 100 business Salisbury, also announced plans to “This mission has leaders, educators and spend $20 million to triple its Eastern opened new doors for state officials participated Shore warehouse space and add Maryland to create jobs, in the trip that included new jobs. bolster trade and invest - stops in Hyderabad, During the trip, Maryland signed an ment, and strengthen Governor Martin O’Malley Mumbai and New Delhi. agreement with the Federation of existing business and cul - “Together, with our Indian Chambers of Commerce and tural relationships,” he said on entire delegation, we are sending a Industry to create an India-Maryland December 12. strong message to India’s top business Centre in Maryland to boost bilateral Two Indian companies plan invest - organizations and companies that trade. The federation will lead a dele - ments in Maryland state, bordering Maryland is the gateway to doing gation to Maryland in April, 2012.

January 2012 India Review Economy NEWS

UsaId, FIccI INk deal to sUppoRt INNovatIoN he United States Agency for International Development (USAID) T and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on INdIa, Us alUMINUM December 20 signed an agreement to set up an institution that would support innovation in India and elsewhere in the world. assocIatIoNs sIGN MoU The two organizations have pledged $7.5 million each for setting up the ‘Millennium he Aluminium Association packaging and building and con - Alliance: an India-US Innovation Partnership of India and its U.S. coun - struction markets; and promote alu - for Global Development’, which will promote terpart, The Aluminum minum as a sustainable material. innovation in sectors such as health, food Association, signed a The U.S. is the fourth largest pro - security, climate change, energy and T education. “USAID and FICCI both will work Memorandum of Understanding ducer of aluminum and second (MoU) for technology and knowl - largest consumer in the world while to raise up to $50 million within the next 12 edge sharing on December 8. India is the eighth largest producer months,” Rajiv Shah, Administrator, USAID, The MoU signed on the last day of and fifth largest consumer. said after signing of the agreement. Shah said the new alliance would wel - the sixth International Conference on The gap, however, is very wide in come “academics, entrepreneurs, non-gov - Aluminium (INCAL 2011) in terms of per person consumption of ernment organizations and private sector Hyderabad is expected to facilitate Aluminum. While per person con - players to discover scalable answers to some the growth of the aluminum sector in sumption of aluminum in the U.S. is of the subcontinent’s greatest challenges”. India. K.S.S. Murthy, Honorary 22.3 kg, in India it is 1.8 kg. FICCI Secretary-General Rajiv Kumar said General-Secretary, AAI and Charles Organizers said the three-day the alliance would raise money through D. Johnson, Jr. Vice-President INCAL 2011 was a huge success donations and contributions from corpora - (Environment, Health & Safety), with participants, especially those tions, foundations and other governments. “This is a path-breaking approach to fos - The Aluminum Association (TAA) from top aluminum markets, such as tering a new paradigm of partnership signed the MoU. the US, China and Japan, expressing between the U.S. and India that promotes The MoU will facilitate exchanging satisfaction over the outcome of innovations for the benefit of the people in of information on effective recycling the deliberations on promoting both India and other developing programs in the transportation, aluminum. economies,” said Kumar. american firm wins deal for engines in c-17 plane for India merican aero-engine manufac - Programs and Customer turer Pratt and Whitney Support Vice-President Bev A (P&W), a unit of the United Deachin said. Technologies, has won a deal for pro - “The F117 is suited for a 16 ducing first four engines for the Boeing wide range of operating envi - C-17 Globemaster heavylift plane for ronments and conditions and the Indian Air Force (IAF). it has demonstrated superb P&W will produce the four performance and reliability F117-PW-100 engines for delivery in government to acquire 10 C-17s. India from the Antarctic to the deserts of the the second quarter of 2012, according will take delivery of its first C-17 in Middle East,” he said. to a release from the aero-engine man - early 2013. Four F117s provide exclusive power ufacturer on December 19. “We are delighted the Indian Air for the C-17 Globemaster III heavy Earlier this year, India’s Defense Force has selected the C-17 with Pratt airlifter. The F117-PW-100 is the sis - Ministry had signed a Letter of Offer & Whitney F117 engines to support its ter engine of Pratt and Whitney’s and Acceptance with the U.S. airlift mission,” P&W’s Military PW2037 commercial engine.

January 2012 India Review Science NEWS

IIt-kaNpUR eNGINeeRs a tINy INFosys scIeNce FoUNdatIoN devIce to pReveNt deRaIlMeNt aNNoUNces wINNeRs fter fabricating Jugnu, the under the guidance of N.S. Vyas, he Infosys Science Foundation of the IT country’s tiniest satellite Professor and Head, Mechanical bellwether on November 16 selected which was launched in Engineering, and the Railways’ T Sriram Ramaswamy, Professor of A October, Indian Institute of Research Design and Standards Physics at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Technology-Kanpur graduates have Organization (RDSO), Lucknow. Bangalore for the Infosys Prize 2011 in recog - now come up with a matchbox-sized “Our device is a supplementary nition of his outstanding contribution in device to monitor the wear and tear of system for monitoring track health, Physical Sciences. 17 railway tracks and prevent derailment. making it simpler to integrate with the For similar prizes in five other categories of The new device is aimed at existing railway infrastructure,” scientific research, the Foundation selected replacing a bulky, box-like said Kshitij Deo, M.Tech in Kanpur Genetic Algorithms Laboratory contraption that is cur - mechanical engineering, Director Kalyanmoy Deb in Engineering and rently used by Indian who developed the Computer Science, Centre for Cellular and Railways. device with three others Molecular Biology scientist Imran Siddiqi in For Railways, safety from the vibration and Life Sciences, Stanford University Professor is important as thou - dynamics lab of the Kannan Soundararajan in Mathematical sands of trains use IIT. Sciences, University of Chicago Professor around 114,500 km The device, based on Raghuram G. Rajan in Social Sciences and tracks of its network — micro-electro mechani - Centre for Policy Research Chief Executive the world’s fourth largest. cal system, can monitor Pratap Bhanu Mehta in Political Science and With regular use, the tracks track health more compre - International Relations. develop cracks and fissures, hensively and enable efficient In recognition of their contribution, each of including problems linked to loose nuts track maintenance. the six distinguished winners received prize and bolts at the joints. If the tracks are “The extremely handy package money of $97, 609, a 22-carat gold medallion less firmly anchored on the soil, it locates and logs track faults accurately and a citation certificate from former President could lead to derailment. All these with the help of the GPS (global posi - A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on January 9, 2012 in faults can now be detected in real time tioning system), eliminating human Bangalore. and recorded automatically to prevent errors and making train journeys safer. Congratulating the winners, Infosys derailment, thanks to the oscillation It has a battery life of 10 hours and can Chairman Emeritus N.R. Narayana Murthy said monitoring system, a cutting-edge be recharged by USB port on comput - the prestigious prize for the third year was a device weighing just 100 grams. ers,” said Deo. “We did manage to commitment to encourage the distinguished The device has been designed and reduce the number of buttons to one as scientists at a time when it could make a developed by a team of IIT-Kanpur’s against 50 required on the keypad of greater difference to their career and attract mechanical engineering graduates, the railway equipment,” Deo said. young minds to research.

INdIa-U.s. collaboRatIoN oN dIabetes & steM cell ReseaRch uring his first official visit to nations. High-value collaboration India from December between the two countries includes D 1-6, 2011, Dr. Francis S. research related to vaccine, Collins, Director of the U.S. National HIV/AIDS, neuroscience, maternal Institutes of Health (NIH), signed two and child health, infectious diseases, letters of intents to launch new cardiovascular disease, cancer, eye India-U.S. collaboration in the field of disease, and low-cost medical devices. diabetes and stem cell research. The Dr. Francis S. Collins, Director, NIH (left) and Dr. Collins, globally known for his NIH would be collaborating with the Dr. V.M. Katoch, Director General, ICMR signing leadership in human genome project, the Letter of Intent for Diabetes Research Indian Council of Medical Research Collaboration. visited several of India’s best medical (ICMR) for diabetes research and with research institutions in Bangalore and the Department of Biotechnology ment and India’s medical research New Delhi, met with senior Indian (DBT) for stem cell research. For community in the biomedical and government officials from the Health decades, NIH is involved in a robust behavioral health sciences, focused in Ministry and the Science & collaboration with the Indian govern - several high-priority areas for both the Technology Ministry.

January 2012 India Review Trends in SOCIETY

Fortune in gems and jewelry Although dominated mostly by the unorganized players, the $16 billion gems and jewelry market in India, the largest gold jewelry market in the world, has witnessed the arrival of a number of global jewelry brands in the recent times

ndia possesses the world’s most ting and polishing Industry for dia - ing. Nobody can ignore it now,” as per competitive gems and jewelry mond in the world. The Government GR Radhakrishnan, Managing market owing to its low cost of policies and the banking sector have Director, GRT Jewelers, one of India’s I production and availability of provided a lot of assistance to this sec - leading jewelry store, that pegs the skilled labor. Gems and jewelry form tor with around 50 banks providing share of men’s jewelry in its total sales an essential part of the Indian tradi - nearly $3 billion of credit to the Indian at 20-25 per cent. tion. The components of jewelry diamond industry. Indian sellers on eBay, a leading include traditional gold, diamond and India will soon overtake the U.S. to online marketplace, export an item platinum, as well as a variety of other become the third-largest men’s luxury internationally every 32 seconds, precious and semi-precious stones. jewelry market in the world, according according to the company’s Asian The Indian gems and jewelry sector to a study by Euromonitor exporters’ index. Forty four pieces of is expected to grow at a compound International, a leading market jewelry are sold every hour by Indian annual growth rate (CAGR) of research farm. The study estimated sellers on eBay. approximately 13 per cent during that the country’s men’s jewelry mar - Ratings agency CRISIL has 2011–2013, on the back of increasing ket stood at around $194.4 million, in launched a Gold Index to track the government efforts and incentives sales and it is projected to grow by performance of gold prices in the together with private sector initiatives, 36.4 per cent in 2012. Indian market. This is the first index according to a report Indian Gems and “Although it’s a niche launched by CRISIL in the Jewelry Market Forecast to 2013, by market, it is grow - commodities space. The research firm RNCOS. As purpose of the CRISIL per the research report, Gold index is to pro - 18 with India’s con - vide an independent, sumption pegged at relevant and common nearly 24 per cent benchmark for per - in 2008, the coun - formance evaluation try remains the of investment prod - world’s largest gold ucts with gold as consumer and this underlying invest - share is expected to ment, according to a grow further. release from CRISIL. Moreover, India also Swiss watchmaker Rado, forms the largest cut - a part of the world’s largest

January 2012 India Review Trends in SOCIETY

and the UK. It is also estimated that about 600 tonnes of gold is used to make jewelry

COSTUME JEWELRY: The Indian costume jewelry market is also witness - ing growth in the international market, as per the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts. The industry body further stated that the government was also working towards formulating an 19 international compliance code for manufacturing costume jewelry The current global costume jewelry and accessories market is estimated at $16.3 billion, of which India only watch conglomerate The Swatch imports of gold and rough diamond exports around $53 million, thereby, Group, recently unveiled its luxury arrives in Mumbai. However, most of providing a huge opportunity area for jewelry collection at the Rado boutique the processing of diamonds takes place the Indian costume manufacturers. in Banjara Hills in Hyderabad. This in Gujarat. range features beautiful diamond stud - exports ded watches. The Rado jewelry collec - Key Industry components India is the largest market for gold tion brings together an exquisite selec - DIAMONDS: Currently India is the jewelry in the world, representing an tion of the brand’s most cele - major polishing and cutting hub for amazing 746 tonnes of gold in 2010. brated products. The Swiss diamonds. India is also the third The net exports of gem and jewelry watch brand has been a pio - largest consumer of polished dia - grew from $22,616.35 in neer in the use of innova - monds. The April-October 2010 to $26,160.04 in tive materials such as hard surge of urban - April-October 2011. metal, high-tech ceramic, ization and lanthanum and ceramos. It rapidly the road ahead also features convex, dome- growing The enormous growth of the Indian shaped sapphire crystals, gems and jewelry industry has seen the affording innovative watch arrival of many new branded jewelry designs and shapes. The jewel - shops in various metros of this ry range is priced from $574.66 country. Brands such as, Damas to $76,626.75. Jewelry, Reliance Retail, “In the last 3-4 years, a lot of middle Swarovski, and Joy Alukkas are Indians are investing in gold which is class in either opening or have already in the paper format. People should India has led opened their new branches. The avail - take a long-term perspective while Indian con - ability of cheap labor and presence of investing in gold,” as per Jiju sumerism to well skilled people in various states of Vidyadharan, Head, Funds and Fixed new heights, India is helping in the growth of dia - Income Research, CRISIL Research. particularly in the diamond jewelry mond polishing and gold jewelry mar - sector. Every 11 out of 12 diamonds kets. Experts feel that the growing Industry structure sold around the world are processed in demand for expensive jewelry in India The gems and jewelry industry in India regardless of the place they are is a result of the strengthening of the India is greatly dominated by the unor - mined. Indian economy. India will soon over - ganized players, but with the growing GOLD: India is the leading gold con - take the U.S. in terms of market size of economy and increasing income levels, suming nation. In the third quarter of gems and jewelry in the not so distant the organized segment and retailing of 2011, year-on-year gold demand in future, as per the Rapaport Group, an branded jewelry is fast catching up in India is up 15 percent in tonnes and international network of companies the currently fragmented market which 46 percent in value (US$), as reported that support the development of free, is worth $16 billion and shows huge by the World Gold Council in fair, efficient and competitive diamond potential for growth in the future. November 2011. and jewelry markets. The center of trade in India’s gems The other key markets include (Courtesy: India Brand Equity and jewelry industry is Mumbai. Most Japan, China, Turkey, Italy, the U.S. Foundation).

January 2012 India Review Short STORY FAREWELL, MY LOVE By Anil Chandra

he large clock at Wodehouse nursing home family in to be with him, one at a Calcutta read two fifty p.m. As she climbed the time, according to policy. His stairs, she wondered what she’d have to do in the sister walked in first. “Oh Ronu, T next eight hours of her life. Would it be simply Ronu, goodbye now,” She said controlling a patient’s pain with a little morphine, or in a low voice. Her tears fell on would she be constantly running mental calculations to her brother’s arm, and she made keep drugs balanced and respirators pumping smoothly? no attempt to wipe them away. She reached the last step and had to juggle her lunch- “I always called him Ronu,” the box and purse to open the door to the green waiting room. sister explained. “It was his nick - As she walked under the acute coronary care sign, she name.” She started to say something else to her brother, noticed a woman in a light yellow saree and white hair sit - her lips moving without the sounds. She put her hand to ting on the couch and crying. Another elderly woman her mouth and backed out of the room. leaned over her, touching her shoulder, saying nothing. Ten minutes later a thin young man in is late teens She passed them and opened the door into the walked stiffly into the room. A grandchild. The world of the critically ill — four rooms, each youth reached out to touch his grandfather’s holding a single blue bed. Only one of the face but caught himself halfway. Suddenly, the monitor banks was lighted and running. Bed boy’s shoulders began to shake. He turned Two. away and quickly left. The nurse’s hand moved She walked to the locker and took the to the patient’s forehead and slowly wiped away white-cotton uniform from its hanger. the sweat. Lacing her white shoes, she wondered about She moved down to the end of the bed and Bed Two. How old? Man or woman? How massaged his white feet as they lay still and bad was it? The grieving white-haired cold. She noticed the monitor: heart rate seven - woman in the waiting-room hinted at the ty, blood-pressure seventy four. He was slow - answers. ing down. “Both his electroencephalograms have Twenty minutes passed and the soft been flat, and I haven’t heard results of the whooshing noise from the respirator lulled head scan he had this morning,” the on-duty her into a kind of trance as she sat at the nurse told her. “He is sinking fast. It is a nurse’s desk doing her charting and question of time.” preparing the paper work. A deep voice Briefed, the nurse coming on duty walked startled her. She looked up and saw a very quietly into the coronary-care room. The res - tall man with a pretty woman standing close pirator was on. She looked closely at him. A mist to him. of sweat covered his balding head. “How is he?” The man asked, hope hang - She walked back to the door and pulled the ing on the words. blue curtain all the way around the glass room. “Not good,” she said. They were alone now. She began routine assess - The woman moved towards the nurse, ment, like analyzing a dysfunctional engine, piece wringing her hands. “We’re good friends. Is 20 by piece. Heart rate: 140. Blood pressure: 80. he going to pull out of it?” Skin: wet and mottled. Color: bluish gray. Drugs: The nurse stared directly at the woman. dopamine, procainamide, and lidacaine. Neuro: “He is dying now… as we talk.” pupils widely dilated, all reflexes absent. “Look,” the man said, “if we go and get the He had been laughing and very active only a few best doctors, would that help?” hours before it happened she had been told. There “No,” she said. “His brain is gone. We are had been a family dinner that day, and she could keeping his heart beating with drugs, and a imagine the grandfather’s joy at being there. After all machine is breathing for him.” her experience, it still amazed her how quickly it Both visitors looked away from her. “He was a could happen. wonderful man,” the tall man said. “The best. He Her initial assessment finished, she allowed the made everyone laugh. He helped people feel good

January 2012 India Review Short STORY about themselves.” He paused, then he spoke more slowly: “Special, yes. He was special.” The nurse said, “Yes, I’m sure he was.” Then they left, and she returned to her patient. The thermometer now read ninety-six degrees Fahrenheit. She walked to the outer door. Through the waiting-room window she could see the white haired woman still sitting on the couch. The nurse opened the door and asked her to come in. 21 The wife touched his face and kissed him. “Ranjan don’t go just yet. Not just now, Ranjan. Let me go first.” The nurse pretended to rearrange the plastic tubes and gray monitor leads that were no longer of use. “He woke up several times that night,” the white-haired woman said. “You know, the way we old people do. But the last time, when he walked back towards the bed, he called my name. He was scared and he wouldn’t answer me. I kept talking to him, but he never said anything.” The woman picked up his limp hand and put it to her cheek. She stood a long time holding it. “Farewell, my love”, she seemed to be saying. Then, putting his hands down, she walked out of the room without another word. The nurse was turning him on to his side when she looked up and saw his doc - tor, who guided her to the monitor bank. “The head scan showed massive cere - “He was a wonderful man,” the tall man said. bral hemorrhage. Go ahead and stop the “The best. He made everyone laugh. He drugs and discontinue the respirator. His other doctor and I have discussed it with helped people feel good about themselves.” his family… they want it this way.” He paused, then he spoke more slowly: The nurse made no move towards the “Special, yes. He was special” bed. She waited for the doctor to leave. Carefully letting down the side rails, she put her hands gently under Ronu’s shoulder and “Farewell, Ronu uncle,” she murmured softly. spoke to him in a whisper. “You are very fortunate to have The respirator suddenly seemed loud and obnoxious, all this love. Did you feel it today? You can leave this diminishing the dignity of death. With one swift move - behind you now.” ment she pulled the plug from the wall. Silence. Her face touched his. She removed the tubes and the tapes from his body and Blood-pressure forty, heart rate thirty two. She washed him with warm, soapy water reserved for the liv - squeezed his hand and felt a lump rise in her throat. His ing. The she covered him with a soft blanket. face was blurred by her tears. Just after midnight, she walked through the empty She reached towards the blue intravenous fluid that kept waiting-room. She felt drained. Yet, as she stepped out his blood-pressure up, and turned the valve switch to of the hospital, the nurse found that she carried some - “off”. Then the yellow fluid, keeping his heart pumping. thing with her — the dignity of the mourning wife and “Off”. family, and the love that had surrounded him. He had Again, the monitor flashed and buzzed as a straight line never spoken to her. There had been no gestures. But his moved across the screen. No pulse, blood-pressure zero. spirit lingered.

January 2012 India Review Cinema NEWS IndIa’s romantIc hero bIds adIeu vergreen romantic star of his hairstyle, the puff à la (now in Pakistan) before moving to Dev Anand, who epito - Hollywood legend Gregory Peck. the city of dreams, Mumbai, where his mized the debonair, urban He ruled the black & white era with elder brother, late filmmaker Chetan E gentleman on screen died movies like Munimji , CID and Hum Anand, was already finding foothold, after a cardiac arrest on December 3 Dono and then moved into the colored to fulfill his acting dreams. in London. He was 88. age with classics like Jewel Thief and He was offered a break as an actor In his career as an actor and film - Johny Mera Naam . He provided the by Prabhat Talkies to star in Hum Ek maker spanning over six decades, launch pad for some of tinsel town’s Hain (1946). It was while shooting

Dev Saab, as he was popularly most remembered head-turners like for the film in Pune that Dev Anand addressed, gave classic hits like Guide. Zeenat Aman and Tina Munim. He met Guru Dutt — and was born a He acted, directed and produced till acted as the lead in more than 110 true friendship. the end with his last film Chargesheet movies. The prolific star also released A genius in his own right, Dev released this year when he was 88 and an autobiography, Romancing with Anand turned producer and launched still raring to go, as ebullient and age - Life in September 2007. his production house Navketan in less as ever. Dev Saab romanced his Born on September 26, 1923 as 1949. As a prior commitment, he way through generations of actresses Dharam Dev Pishorimal Anand in asked Guru Dutt to direct the ban - — from Nalini Jaywant to Zeenat Gurdaspur district of the then undi - ner’s first outing — crime thriller, Aman. vided Punjab to an advocate father, he Baazi (1951) — which made Dev And of course, his charming per - graduated in English literature from Anand an overnight star and he sona is incomplete without a mention the Government College, Lahore remained a star till his last breath. shahrukh enjoys playIng a vIllaIn hah Rukh Khan, who played an anti-hero in believes in the existence of one central character in the beginning of his career, returned in a neg - films, who can be either good or bad. 22 S ative role in his latest release Don 2: The King “I started with theatre and there was nothing like is Back . The superstar says that portraying villainous a hero for me. There was a protagonist, a central characters gives a different high to an actor. character. I have been a bad guy on stage, I have “I really enjoyed it. I will be really honest and I been a good guy on stage,” said SRK. am not glorifying badness in real life and these are “I was thrilled that I got this opportunity and I did just films and stories, but as an actor it is one of the not think of the hero type roles. Now that I am get - greatest highs to play a villain’s role,” said Shah ting a chance to play a negative role in Don after so Rukh. Directed by Farhan Akhtar, the film also stars many years, there is no justification to it,” he added. Priyanka Chopra, Boman Irani, Lara Dutta, Om Puri Besides Don2, in 2011, Shah Rukh’s mega-budg - and Kunal Kapoor. et sci-fi film Ra.One was released and he also made The 46-year-old, who rose to fame by playing cameo appearances in Always Kabhi Kabhi and negative roles in superhit films Baazigar and Darr , Love Breakups Zindagi .

January 2012 India Review Travel & TOURISM

23 hImachal’s own chandIgarh his Chandigarh has not been Chhombel Singh said the villagers had stopped coming and the villagers are designed by French architect started planting apples, peas and pota - no longer dependent mainly on tradi - Le Corbusier, nor does it toes. “Earlier, the entire area was bar - tional vocations for livelihood. They T nestle in the foothills of the ren. Now people have started planting have started cultivating crops and rear - Shivaliks. It snows here and people apples. It is not of much use, since dur - ing livestock,” he added. have even started growing apples. This ing the winter, heavy snow damages Chandigarh, lying on the highway Chandigarh is a remote village and, the apple trees. But the sowing of peas connecting Sumdoh with Kaza, the unlike its famous namesake, is not and potatoes is quite successful here,” headquarters of Spiti, is not isolated located in Punjab or Haryana. It lies at he said. from the winds of change sweeping an altitude of over 10,000 feet in Even the government has again across the hills. Heating appliances, Himachal Pradesh, close to the Tibetan greened some of the patches around cable TV and mobiles are common border in the picturesque Spiti Valley the village by planting willow trees, modern gadgets here. of Lahaul and Spiti district that employing villagers under the federal Hurling, the place known for its remains cut off from the world for government’s rural jobs guarantee delicious apples, and Tabo, known for more than four months a year due to scheme, the Mahatma Gandhi a more than 1,000-year-old Buddhist heavy snowfall. Some 320 km from National Rural Employment monastery, lie close to Chandigarh, state capital Shimla, it has some 15 Guarantee Act. located on the banks of the gurgling houses, most of them made of Bodh said Chandigarh was earlier a Spiti river. The climatic conditions of mud-and-stone. center of barter trade with Tibetans the area are harsh as mercury drops “After the 1962 India-China war, the bringing blankets, flasks, raw wool, below minus 20 degrees Celsius during villagers of Kaurik and Lepcha (close herbs and leather products, and the winter. to the international border) were reset - exchanging these for wheat flour, rice, tled in Chandigarh by the government spices, plastic goods, farm imple - of India. Since then we have been ments and livestock. here,” said Tsering Bodh, an octoge - “Now traders from across narian resident of the village. the border have The cold desert has been converted into green land. Bodh’s son

This Chandigarh is a remote village located at an altitude of over 10,000 feet in Himachal Pr adesh’s Spiti Valley, over 300 km from Shimla.

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Residents of New Delhi celebrating the New Year eve by lighting up the streets on December 31.

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