The Indian Panorama

Month: July 2013

  • BJP President Criticized For Violating The Spirit Of India’s Constitution

    BJP President Criticized For Violating The Spirit Of India’s Constitution

    NEW YORK (TIP): Juned Qazi, president of Madhya Pradesh unit of Indian National Overseas Congress (I), who is vigorously campaigning for a Congress (I) ticket from Aligarh Lok Sabha constituency, strongly criticized Rajnath Singh, BJP president, for violating the secular spirit of India’s constitution in speeches made in New Jersey, USA, July 21.

    Qazi, who recently returned from a whirlwind BHARAT NIRMAN SANDESH tour of Aligarh, UP, criticized Singh for advocating ‘Hindu nationalism and Hindutva’ as a political strategy at a public reception hosted by ‘Overseas Friends of BJP’ in Edison, NJ on July 21, 2013. In a strongly worded press release Qazi pointed out that people of India can’t allow religion-based politics any more.

    “Such politics clearly violates the fundamental values of our nation upon which our constitution is based”, he said. “India is a secular country which clearly states the establishment of a secular, socialist and democratic nation”, Qazi said. “With its religion based politics, BJP is tempering with the secular nature of our constitution.” Qazi said that India is fortunate to have a very progressive and modern constitution, which is capable of taking the nation to new heights in 21st century.

    “We are a nation of young people who have no interest in promoting the bogey of religion for serving the political needs of outdated politicians. India’s constitution was created under the leadership of visionaries such as Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar who wanted to build India as a strong nation based secular and democratic values”, he pointed out. “BJP is a narrow-minded party whose leaders foolishly mislead the people of India by dragging religion in politics”, Qazi commented adding that BJP president Rajnath Singh spoke in USA as if he was speaking to people ignorant of outside world.

    BJP president Rajnath Singh urges Overseas friends of BJP to lobby US lawmakers and US Department of State to issue a US visa to tainted BJP leader Narendra Modi. Mr. Juned Qazi would like to ask the BJP president, why it is that BJP is unable to come to terms with the fact that Narendra Modi is in-fact responsible for the heinous systematic massacre(s) in Gujarat. With technical legal maneuvers, political arm twisting, witness/evidence tampering the BJP ruling apparatus was able to temporarily fool the Indian judiciary and procured a clean chit for the tainted leader.

    Why is it that the state department revoked Mr. Modi’s tourist/business visa and refused to let Modi into the United states on a diplomatic visa? As clearly cited in the official state department communiqué and various un-biased reports published by human rights groups, Modi and his government were directly responsible for systematic violation of human rights in the state of Gujarat.

  • Helen Marshall Signs The Steel Beam To Mark The Topping Off Of New Boys And Girls Club Of Metro Queens

    Helen Marshall Signs The Steel Beam To Mark The Topping Off Of New Boys And Girls Club Of Metro Queens

    Steel beam (top) is raised to mark the topping off of new Boys and Girls Club of Metro Queens on Atlantic Avenue in Richmond Hill, Friday, July 12th. Queens Borough President Helen Marshall signed the beam (bottom) before it was hoisted up. Marshall provided the club, formerly known as the South Queens Boys and Girls Club, a total of $4.75 million for an $11.5 million renovation and expansion that includes a new community center.

    Major League Baseball and the New York Mets also provided $250,000 in capital for the club’s new teen center. Marshall said the new building will be able to accommodate 375 children and contain the teen center, a regulation-size gym, a learning center, a technology center, a literacy center, a music room and dance studio.

  • Queens Borough President Celebrates Completion Of The Renovation Of Flushing Town Hall’s Garden And Portico

    Queens Borough President Celebrates Completion Of The Renovation Of Flushing Town Hall’s Garden And Portico

    On Thursday, July 11, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall helped celebrate the completion of the renovation of Flushing Town Hall’s garden and portico. The $2 million renovation project was funded by her office and by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the Queens delegation of the City Council.

    Among those on hand were (from left to right) Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate Levin, Assemblywoman Toby Stavisky, Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, City Comptroller John Liu, Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts (FCCA) Executive Director Ellen Kodadek, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, City Councilman Peter Koo, City Councilman Leroy Comrie (standing behind Councilman Koo), Assemblyman Ron Kim, City Councilman Peter Vallone, City Councilman Daniel Dromm and FCCA Board President Howard Graf.

  • Sikhs Observe The Death Anniversary Of Sant Baba Prem Singh

    Sikhs Observe The Death Anniversary Of Sant Baba Prem Singh

    Sikhs of the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut organized in Queens, a day long memorial function for Sant Baba Prem Singh, a saintly figure who was a great social reformer. Sikhs in general and the Lobana community, in particular, revere him. Prayers, singing of hymns and sermons marked the occasion which was largely attended.

  • Consul General Hosts BJP President And His Entourage

    Consul General Hosts BJP President And His Entourage

    Consul General Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay held, July 20, a dinner reception for the visiting BJP President Rajnath Singh and his entourage that included Ananth Kumar, BJP general Secretary, Vijay Jolly, Convener of BJP Overseas Affairs and OFBJP and SudhanshuTrivedi, BJP National Spokesperson.

    Mr. Mulay welcomed them as also the 20 or so guests invited to the reception dinner. Mr. Rajnath Singh spoke briefly on the state of Indian economy and stated that purpose of his visit was to meet Indian Americans and US lawmakers, policymakers and businessmen.

  • ‘Thinking Through Gandhi’ Released

    ‘Thinking Through Gandhi’ Released

    Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, USA organized a well attended function at the Indian Consulate on July 17 to release the book “Thinking through Gandhi” by Krishna A. Chokshi. Consul General Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay who released the book , spoke also about his literary journey and recited a couple of poems in English, Hindi and Marathi.

  • President Nominates Indian-American To Key Judiciary Post In California

    President Nominates Indian-American To Key Judiciary Post In California

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian-American legal luminary Vince Girdhari Chhabria has been nominated by US President Barack Obama to a key judiciary post in California. Chhabria, nominated to be US district judge for the Northern District of California, is currently deputy city attorney for government litigation and the co-chief of appellate litigation at the San Francisco city attorney’s office, where he has worked since 2005.

    Obama announced his nomination along with five other judicial posts, all of which requires Senate confirmation. “These men and women have had distinguished legal careers and I am honoured to ask them to continue their work as judges on the federal bench,” Obama said, adding that they will serve the American people with integrity and an unwavering commitment to justice.

    “This is a proud moment for NASABA as another deserving South Asian has been nominated to the judiciary,” president of North American South Asian Bar Association Nadeem Bezar said. Once confirmed, Chhabria would be the first South Asian Article III judge in California, and the fourth South Asian Article III judge in the nation following Amul Thapar at the US district court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Cathy Bissoon at the US district court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and Sri Srinivasan at the US court of appeals for the DC Circuit.

    Chhabria began his legal career by clerking for Judge Charles R Breyer of the US district court for the Northern District of California from 1998 to 1999. He also worked as an associate at the law firm Covington & Burling LLP from 2002 to 2004. From 2001 to 2002, he clerked for Justice Stephen G Breyer on the US Supreme Court. In 2001, Chhabria worked at the law firm of Keker & Van Nest, LLP, after completing a one-year clerkship for Judge James R Browning of the United States court of appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

    A member of the South Asian Bar Association of Northern California and NASABA, he was a speaker at the 2011 NASABA Convention in Los Angeles. Chhabria received his JD in 1998 from Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley and his BA in 1991 from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

  • Nassau County In Highest Debt Ever: Tom Suozzi

    Nassau County In Highest Debt Ever: Tom Suozzi

    HICKSVILLE, NY (TIP): A former Nassau County Commissioner Jim Reeds writes on his Facebook wall: “A war of words — and websites — between County Executive Ed Mangano and Democratic nominee Tom Suozzi’s campaigns heated up this week. “As November’s election creeps closer, Suozzi — who launched the website edmanganosdebt.com earlier this week — has called the finances under the Mangano Administration into question, including what Suozzi says is more than $2 billion in borrowing.”

    The website says, “Ed Mangano has taken Nassau deeper in debt than any County Executive in history. $3,500,000,000 Suozzi claims Ed Mangano has borrowed over $2 billion dollars and wants to borrow $1 billion more. That means higher taxes for Nassau residents in the future. He adds “Nassau County has suffered 3 bond rating downgrades and the county debt is the highest in history”.

  • Royal Baby Boy Born In London

    Royal Baby Boy Born In London

    Royal Baby Boy Born In London
    LONDON (AP) — It’s a boy! Prince William’s wife, Kate, has given birth to a boy, a child now third in line to the British throne. The child was born on July 22, after many Britons woke up to the news that Kate had gone into labor with the couple’s first child. The birth announcement, via a press release from Kensington Palace, said the boy was born at 4:24 p.m. weighing 8 pounds 6 ounces.

    The new royal baby was named George Alexander Louis. Kensington Palace revealed on July 25 that the third-in-line to the throne will be known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge. The last British royal named George was the child’s great-great-grandfather King George VI, who was Queen Elizabeth’s father. The royal birth recalled that of the baby’s father, William, in 1982, at the same central London hospital. Many remember the moment when he was carried out in his mother Princess Diana’s arms with proud father Prince Charles at their side.

    William and Kate’s son is expected to follow Charles and William to the throne. No one can tell what political and personal changes the intervening years will bring, but the baby can be expected to become the head of state of 16 countries, including Britain, Australia and Canada, and possibly the head of the Commonwealth, which covers 54 nations.

    The child will also eventually become Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The baby represents a living link to Britain’s imperial history — the infant is the great-great-great-great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria, who ruled at the peak of British power. Many Britons had hoped that William and Kate would start a family shortly after their gala 2011 wedding, which drew a global television audience in the hundreds of millions.

    The couple waited, however, until William was nearly finished with his military work as a search and rescue helicopter pilot based at an air base in a remote island off the coast of Wales. That allowed Kate to ease into royal life, and to become more comfortable in the spotlight, before becoming a parent. It also allowed her to play a supporting role during Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations last summer.

    The first months of her pregnancy were not easy, and she was hospitalized in early December with acute morning sickness that left her weak and dehydrated. She seemed to recover her stamina fairly quickly and made a series of public appearances until the final weeks before giving birth, drawing praise for her poise and good cheer.

    The royal couple and their newborn are expected to spend much of their time in the coming years in renovated quarters at Kensington Palace, where William and Harry also spent much of their childhood. Royal officials say Kate and William will try to give their child as normal an upbringing as possible — which may be challenging in an age when the British royals are treated as major world celebrities.

  • Joe Biden Bats For More Skilled Visas

    Joe Biden Bats For More Skilled Visas

    MUMBAI (TIP): US is considering increasing the number of temporary visas and availability of Green Cards to highly skilled Indians, Joe Biden, the first US vice-president to visit India in three decades, said in his address to India Inc in the financial capital on Jukly 24. Biden, who sought a greater cooperation between the two countries to boost trade and investments five-fold, acknowledged the contribution of Indian expatriates to America’s growth story.

    “The US has benefited due to Indian human capital,” said Biden. He pointed out that Indians received more skilledworker visas to the United States than any other country in the world. “And the legislation our Congress is considering increases the number of temporary visas and Green Cards availability for highly skilled Indians to come work in the United States,” the 47th vice-president of US said while addressing the industry gathering at theBombay Stock Exchange.

    In a 40-minute speech which was interspersed with lighter moments, Biden said, “Our bilateral trade has increased five-fold to touch $100 billion in the last 13 years. We see tremendous opportunity and there is no reason that if our countries make the right choices, trade cannot grow five-fold or more,” he said. Making a strong case for India to further open up its economy in a serious bid to attract more foreign investment, Biden, said, “A young Indian woman graduating from IIT-Bombay who wants to start the next Tata Motors should be able to buy the best technology and parts, wherever in the world they come from — as her competitors around the world are able to do.”

    However, Biden said, a lot more is needed to remove trade barriers. “We still have a lot of work to do on a wide range of issues, including limit in FDI, inconsistent tax system, barriers to market access, civil nuclear cooperation, bilateral investment treaty and policies protecting innovations,” said Biden.

    Biden later addressed India Inc at the Taj Mahal hotel too in south Mumbai. While assuring US support for India’s candidacy for a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Biden said, “That’s why yesterday, on behalf of the President Obama, I invited Prime Minister Singh to make a visit to Washington at the end of September.” India has been vying for a permanent seat in UNSC along with Japan, Brazil and Germany.

    On India’s military needs, Biden pointed out how cargo aircraft C-130s that US had sold to India were now saving the lives of flood victims in Uttarakhand. Biden also called by a greater cooperation between India, China and US. “We are three big nations — China, India and the United States — with our own perspectives. We have significant common interests. All three of us and the entire region would benefit if we coordinated more closely,” said Biden.

  • FIA Reception Committee Chairman Sarvesh Kumar Dharayan Arrested:

    FIA Reception Committee Chairman Sarvesh Kumar Dharayan Arrested:

    Charged in multimillion bribery and kickback scheme
    NEW YORK (TIP): Only a couple of months ago, The Indian Panorama had come out with comments on the functioning of FIA, much to the chagrin of FIA coterie. It was mentioned then that a former president of FIA was a proclaimed offender in India against whom there was a red corner notice. And since then there has been an addition to the FIA criminals’ list.

    Only this month, on July 17, Chairman of the Reception Committee for the 2013 FIA India Day Parade, Sarvesh Dharayan, aka Sarvesh Kumar Dharayan, was arrested from his home in New Jersey. He has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, one count of conspiracy to violate the Travel Act, which carries a maximum term of five years in prison and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison.

    Here is the detailed report. Eight individuals from New Jersey have been charged in a multimillion bribery and kickback scheme in New York. Five of those charged with paying the kickbacks and one of those charged with receiving the kickbacks, are of Indian origin. Sarvesh Dharayan, Sanjay Gupta, Venkata Atluri, Rangarajan Kumar, Vadan Kumar Kopalle and Darren Siriani have been charged with paying bribes and kickbacks in a lucrative scheme in which these IT vendors paid $2.3 million to get business from a Manhattan-based medical cost management company.

    Those accused of receiving the bribes and kickback include Anil Singh and Keith Bush. None of the companies are named in the complaint and information filed in court. The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara said the eight defendants charged in this multimillion dollar scheme carried out from 2008 to 2012, regarded the bribes and kickbacks as “the cost they imposed for doing business,” a release from his office said.

    “As today’s charges detail, the defendants achieved their years long fraud through fake companies, sham invoices and made-up consulting services,” Bharara is quoted saying. Dharayan, Gupta, Koppalleand Siriani were arrested July 17 at their homes in New Jersey, and appeared in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott. Singh was arrested in April and pled guilty to honest services fraud and other charges before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote on July 11.

    Atluri and Kumar were not yet in custody on the day of filing this news report on July 18. Dharayan, 42, of Edison, N.J.; Gupta, 38 of East Windsor, N.J.; Atluri, 41, of Monmouth Junction, N.J.; Kumar, 47, of Monroe, N.J.; and Kopalle, 43, of Edison, N.J.; were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and one count of conspiracy to violate the Travel Act, which carries a maximum term of five years in prison.

    They were also charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison. Singh, 40, a resident of East Brunswick, N.J., pled guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, conspiracy to violate the Travel Act, violating the Travel Act, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

    He faces a maximum penalty of 70 years in prison on all counts. According to the court filings by prosecutors, Singh was a senior vice president and CIO at the New York company which provided nation-wide medical cost management solutions including, among other things, medical reimbursement services. Bush was the director of Database Administration. Singh and Bush had considerable influence over the selection of vendors, specifically vendors of database administrators, hired by the New York company, a release from the Justice Department says.

    From 2008 to September 2012, various individuals collectively paid over $2.3 million in money and other benefits to Singh and Bush. In exchange Singh and Bush agreed to steer millions of dollars of the New York company’s DBA business to them.

  • BJP Has Sound Plans To Jumpstart The Stalled Indian Economy- Rajnath Singh

    BJP Has Sound Plans To Jumpstart The Stalled Indian Economy- Rajnath Singh

    NEW YORK, NY (TIP): “The BJP-led NDA government created 67 million jobs in less than five years whereas the Congress led UPA created less than 2.7 million jobs between 2004 and 2009. These figures are from the data collected by the federal government controlled agencies and not a figment of imagination”, Rajnath Singh said.

    He was speaking on what BJP will do to jumpstart the stalled Indian economy at a function organized by India-America Chamber of Commerce, July 25. Rajnath Singh who was in Washington for three days said he had discussions with the Congressmen and administration officials on the issue of difficulties faced by candidates in H1B and L1 visa to work legally in the US. The GDP cost burden will go up by 0.3 to 0.4 percent due to increase in fees.

    “We had lodged our protest against the comprehensive immigration reforms bill and they had raised the issue of patents and compulsory drug license issues. There was only one case under these CDL whereas Indonesia had six cases and Canada four cases,” he added. The US would do well to share its latest technology on green energy with nations such as India so that it can benefit the humanity. Once these inventions are ashared, they would help us more in a very rapid manner, he said.

    The BJP government will strengthen the village economy as over 70 percent of the people live in rural areas. We will do our best to stop urbanization and create more jobs in the rural areas as was done in the previous NDA government under the PURA scheme. More than 55 percent of the jobs for youth are in rural areas and there is a need to strengthen this sector. Turning to climate change, the BJP leader said while US that has been preaching, has a carbon emission rate of 20 ton per capita per annum, India has only 1.5 per ton per capita per annum.

    The global average is only 4.5 ton per capita per annum. You now decide who is on the right side and who is not. Addressing the members of the India- America Chamber of Commerce in Manhattan, he said India is now facing a serious financial crisis of grave magnitude despite the fact that no one in the global economy can ignore India. The economy of India is not something that makes us feel comfortable or feel proud of.

    But India was regarded as third largest economy of the world, he said. When the NDA government led by Atal Behari Vajpayee stepped down in 2004, the fiscal deficit was 2.5 percent and current account deficit was surplus. The revenue deficit was less than one percent. The economy witnessed a boom period during 1999 to 2004 when the country was ruled by the NDA and the slide started in 2004. “The boom that we created lasted till 2008 and then we are now witnessing is one of the worse economic downturns,” Singh said.

    “When I mentioned to the Speaker of the House yesterday at Washington that we had a surplus current account when we left power, he was surprised. There was a revenue deficit that went up from 4.5 percent to 6 percent in 2008. The current account of deficit shot to 6 percent. We passed the fiscal responsibility bill in the parliament and hence were able to bring some fiscal discipline.

    Inflation is now hovering around 7.7 percent,” he said. The rupee value has depreciated drastically to the US dollar from Rs 37 a dollar in 2008 to Rs 60 in 2013 almost doubling in five years. We thought this would be offset by increase in exports and that also did not happen; it went up by just one percent. It’s very unfortunate that savings that have been the biggest strength of India as it provided capital is now falling at a very rapid rate.

    The small businesses tend to grow with the increase in savings and in the absence they take a major hit. Savings drop and growth rates drop and what else to drop. The success of Indian story is over. The success story of India is waiting for the BJP to return to power. The UPA has ruined the economic structure of the country. How will the BJP restore investors’ confidence and fix the broken economy once it comes to power? We will do what we did from 1999 to 2004 and we had a unique development model which is not only a model for India to feel proud of but came as a surprise to the world.

    When we handed over the reins of the government to the Congress-led UPA, India’s growth rate was 8 to 9 percent and rate of inflation was around three percent. More than 50 percent of the highways were built during the Vajpayee government and the present Congress dispensation had admitted this in the court. Where had all the developments gone now? The BJP created a success story only to be mauled by the Congress, he added.

    We have proved in the BJP-ruled states how we prioritize economic reforms and Gujarat is a shining example of India. The whole world is now talking about Gujarat and foreign governments are keen to study the success story. Take the case of Madhya Pradesh that was considered a sick state with no economic development before the BJP Government took over. Agricultural growth rate has gone up to 19.1 percent in the state as against 4 percent of the federal government.

    Madhya Pradesh has replaced as country’s largest supplier of food grains to the central pool. In Chhattisgarh, more than 90 percent of the population is covered under the Public Distribution System and people enjoy social security compared to mass suicide by farmers in the Congress-ruled states. Goa is the only state in India where petrol is cheaper than diesel similar to what we see in the US.

    Do we have to prove anything more to assure the people that our first priority will be to fix the problems and take India on a different plane?, he asked. The average GDP of BJP-ruled governments is about 10 percent whereas the nation is only experiencing a growth rate of less than five percent. There are only two models – BJP model for growth and Congress model for destruction, he added. Earlier, Rajiv Khanna, President, India-America Chamber of Commerce welcomed Rajnath Singh and introduced the subject of talk.

    He pointed out that Indian economy has been weakening and this had caused considerable doubts in the minds of investors and wanted Singh to speak on how his party, if it came to power would jumpstart the stalled Indian economy. The talk by Rajnath Singh was followed by an interesting Q & AA session. Singh candidly answered the few questions put to him.

  • Spain Train Tragedy Blamed On Excessive Speed, 80 Dead

    Spain Train Tragedy Blamed On Excessive Speed, 80 Dead

    SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Spain (TIP): A Spanish train that hurtled off the rails and smashed into a security wall as it rounded a bend was going so fast that carriages tumbled off the tracks like dominos, killing 80 people, according to eyewitness accounts and video footage obtained on July 25. An Associated Press analysis of video images suggests that the train may have been traveling at twice the speed limit for that stretch of track.

    Spain’s government said two probes have been launched into the cause of Wednesday night’s crash near this Christian festival city in northwest Spain. The interior ministry raised the death toll to 80 in what was Spain’s deadliest train wreck in four decades, while 95 remained hospitalized, 36 in critical condition, among them four children. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, a native of Santiago de Compostela, toured the crash scene alongside rescue workers and went to a nearby hospital to visit those wounded and their families.

    “For a native of Santiago, like me, this is the saddest day,” said Rajoy, who declared Spain would observe a three-day period of mourning. He said judicial authorities and the public works ministry had launched parallel investigations into what caused the crash. Eyewitness accounts backed by securitycamera footage of the moment of disaster suggested that the eight-carriage train was going too fast as it tried to turn left underneath a road bridge. The train company Renfe said 218 passengers and five crew members were on board.

    Spanish officials said the speed limit on that section of track is 80 kilometers (50 miles) per hour. An Associated Press estimate of the train’s speed at the moment of impact using the frame rate of the video and the estimated distance between two pylons gives a range of 144-192 kph (89-119 mph). Another estimate calculated on the basis of the typical distance between railroad ties gives a range of 156-182 kph (96-112 mph).

    The video footage, which the Spanish railway authority Adif said probably came from one of its cameras, shows the train carriages start to buckle soon into the turn. Murray Hughes, consultant editor of Railway Gazette International, said it appeared that a diesel-powered unit behind the lead locomotive was the first to derail. The front engine itself quickly followed, violently tipping on to its right side as it crashes into a concrete security wall and bulldozes along the ground.

    In the background, all the rear carriages can be seen starting to decouple and come off the tracks. The picture goes blank as the engine appears to crash directly into the camera. After impact, witnesses said a fire which engulfed passengers trapped in at least one carriage most likely from the diesel fuel carried in the locomotive units.

    “I saw the train coming out of the bend at great speed and then there was a big noise,” one eyewitness who lives beside the train line, Consuelo Domingues, told The Associated Press. “… Then everybody tried to get out of the train.” Santiago officials had been preparing for the city’s internationally celebrated Catholic festival Thursday but canceled it and took control of the city’s main indoor sports arena to use as a makeshift morgue.

    There, relatives of the dead could be seen sobbing and embracing each other. The US state department said five American citizens were among the injured. The interior ministry, responsible for law and order, ruled out terrorism as a cause. It was Spain’s deadliest train accident since 1972, when a train collided with a bus in southwest Spain, killing 86 people and injuring 112.

    “July 24 will no longer be the eve of a day of celebration but rather one commemorating one of the saddest days in the history of Galicia,” said Alberto Nunez Feijoo, regional president of Galicia. Santiago de Compostela is its capital. The accident created a scene that was “Dante-esque,” Feijoo said. He said Galicia would observe seven days of mourning. Rescue workers spent the night searching through smashed carriages alongside the tracks.

    As dawn broke, cranes brought to the scene were used to lift the carriages away from the tracks. Rescue workers collected passengers’ scattered luggage and loaded it into a truck next to the tracks. Rescuers described a scene of horror immediately after the crash. Smoke billowed from at least one carriage that had caught fire, while another had been torn into two parts.

    Residents of the residential neighborhood closest to the rail line struggled to help victims out of the toppled cars. Some passengers were pulled out of broken windows. Television images showed one man atop a carriage lying on its side, using a pickaxe to try to smash through a window. Other rescuers used rocks to try to free survivors from the fiery wreckage. Nearby, rescue workers lined up bodies covered in blankets alongside the tracks.

    State-owned train operator Renfe said the crash happened at 8.41pm (1841 GMT) about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) south of Santiago de Compostela. Spanish media said the train had two drivers aboard and both survived. However, Galician court officials said the train had only one driver. Court spokeswoman Maria Pardo Rios said the driver survived and was expected to give a statement to police later Thursday.

    She declined to name the driver but said he was not being treated as the suspect of a crime. Renfe said it and Adif, another stateowned company that manages tracks, signals and other railway infrastructure, were cooperating with a judge appointed to investigate the accident. It was the world’s third major rail accident this month. On July 12, six people were killed and nearly 200 were injured when four cars of a passenger train derailed south of Paris.

    On July 6, 72 cars carrying crude oil derailed in Lac-Megantic, Ontario, setting off explosions and fires that killed 47 people. Catholic pilgrims converge on Santiago de Compostela annually to celebrate a festival honoring St. James, a disciple of Jesus whose remains are said to rest in a shrine. The city is the main gathering point for those who reach the end of the El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route that has drawn Christians since the Middle Ages.

    Several injured passengers said they felt a strong vibration just before the cars jumped the tracks, according to Xabier Martinez, a photographer who talked with them after arriving at the scene as rescue workers were still removing bodies. One passenger, Ricardo Montero, told the Cadena Ser radio station that “when the train reached that bend it began to flip over, many times, with some carriages ending up on top of others, leaving many people trapped below. We had to get under the carriages to get out.”

    Another passenger, Sergio Prego, told Cadena Ser the train “traveled very fast” just before it derailed and the cars flipped upside down, on their sides and into the air. “I’ve been very lucky because I’m one of the few able to walk out,” Prego said. The Alvia 730 series train started from Madrid and was scheduled to end its journey at El Ferrol, about 95 kilometers (60 miles) north of Santiago de Compostela. Alvias operate high-speed services but do not go as fast as Spain’s fastest bullet trains, called AVEs.

    The maximum Alvia speed is 250 kph (155 mph) on tracks made especially for the AVEs, and they travel at a maximum speed of 220 kph (137 mph) on normal gauge rails. Other major train crashes in Spain include a 1944 accident involving three trains that crashed in a tunnel. That disaster produced wildly disputed death tolls ranging from the government’s official count of 78 to more than 500, according to later research.

    In 2006, 43 people died when a subway train crashed because of excessive speed in the southern city of Valencia. In 2004, 191 died when al-Qaida-inspired terrorists detonated 10 bombs on four Madrid commuter trains.

  • Meet Himalayan Yogi Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath

    Meet Himalayan Yogi Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath

    An Illumined Being with direct experiences of Mahavatar Babaji Gorakshanath, Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath spent his early years in the Himalayas with the great Nath Yogis in whose presence he was transformed, realizing the unity of all Yogas and Religions. A Master of Kundalini Kriya Yoga, Yogiraj’s message to Humanity is EARTH PEACE THROUGH SELF PEACE. In conveying his message, Yogiraj goes beyond the limited reach of words and offers the grace of direct Experience. Yogiraj will bless Purnima Desai, her institution Shikshayatan and students at the 25th anniversary celebrations of the institution on the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima on Saturday and Sunday, July 20 and 21. He will hold healing and enlightenment workshop on Saturday from 4 to 9 P.M. and give lessons in Kriya Yog empowerment from 1 to 6 P.M. at Community Center, 143-09 Holly Avenue, Flushing, NY 11355.
    Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath was born in Gwalior (northern), India on May 10, 1944, and is descended from the ancient family of Ikshavaku Rama of the Solar Dynasty. Though he belonged to a royal family, with all the comforts of palace life, he was a born siddha and went into spontaneous enlightened states from the age of 3.

    During his childhood days, Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath was aware of his larger self dwelling in his helpless little body. From the age of three, he would sit long hours in meditation and have visions of Shiva, Krishna, Rama and Christ. He took his schooling at Sherwood College, Nainital, situated in the lower mountains of the Himalayas. There, he would utilize the later hours of the night to move into profound states of meditative consciousness.

    In his early years, he was blessed with the presence of great Himalayan yogis and divine beings. Spiritually realized from a very young age, he cast away his royal ties after completing his educational responsibilities and fulfilled his calling as a yogi. An Illumined Being with direct experiences of Mahavatar Babaji Gorakshanath, Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath spent his early years in the Himalayas with the great Nath Yogis in whose presence he was transformed, realizing the unity of all Yogas and Religions.

    A Master of Kundalini Kriya Yoga, Yogiraj’s message to Humanity is EARTH PEACE THROUGH SELF PEACE. In conveying his message, Yogiraj goes beyond the limited reach of words and offers the grace of direct Experience. While traveling as a teenager in the Himalayas, Yogiraj was blessed and empowered by the spiritual supermen of the Himalayan caves. His divine transformation flowered after his deep and personal experiences with the supreme yogi- Christos known as the Mahavatar (Supreme Spirit Incarnate) Shiva- Goraksha-Babaji (the same mentioned by Paramahansa Yogananda in his “Autobiography of a Yogi”).

    With these blessings he was charged with the duty to spread the teachings of “Earth peace through Self peace” and spiritual evolution of Consciousness through the divine science of Kundalini Kriya Yoga meditation. Besides the Himalayan Masters, he is one of the rare Siddhas known to us who is broadly accessible and can impart direct Shivapat, means his soul consciousness of a still mind state of knowingness, sowing the seeds of peaceful co-existence.

    He bestows three distinct graces:
    1. Shaktipat – Healing energy transmission, where he transmits his kundalini energy.
    2. Pranapat – Cleanses your karma from the root cause, where he breathes through your breath.
    3. Shivapat – Shares his own Samadhi (still-mind state of soul awareness), which boasts your spiritual evolution. This is the true genius of Yogiraj. The sincere will receive this dimension of his soul consciousness of natural enlightenment (Unmani Avastha) through direct experience as to what true Yoga is rather than through intellectual exploration.

    Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath’s unique contribution to the yogic treasury is his work in
    1) The “Unified Field of Consciousness” which is Shivapat, the zero-mind state of knowingness.
    2) His legacy of the Luminous Swan as to where our soul Consciousness resides in the body; for the first time ever documented in his film ‘Wings to Freedom’.
    3) The Alchemy of Total Transformation via the medium of consolidated mercury, also called the elusive ‘philosophers stone’, which is a closely guarded secret of the Himalayan Masters. Yogiraj addressed the Global Ethics Committee of the United Nations, New York, in October 2007. It is said that Indian scientist Aryabhatt discovered the ‘zero’; Indian philosopher Vivekananda spoke about it; and Indian Yogi Gurunath Siddhanath gave it, showing what India has to offer to the world citizenry and proving that at the level of divine consciousness, humanity is one.

    For over 40 years, Yogiraj has healed and transformed millions all over the world with his transmissions of kundalini shakti energy and has shared freely his own Samadhi (enlightened state) of peaceful bliss-consciousness. Yogiraj has taught yoga and spirituality to world leaders and has given experiential discourse before the United Nations, yet he prefers nothing more than to sit in the simple pristine forests and mountains and meditate on God in tranquility.

    In that spirit, Yogiraj built with his wife the Hamsa Yoga Sangh Mother Center, the Siddhanath Forest Ashram in the gentle valley of Sita Mai outside the city of Pune, in the Simhagad region. His wife of 35 years, Gurumata Shivangini (affectionately called Ayie or “Mother” by Yogiraj’s students) is a powerful yogini in her own right. Together they have raised two children and are now proud grandparents, demonstrating by example that it is not necessary to live as a renunciate in order to meditate and achieve enlightenment.

    They spend much time at the Siddhanath Forest Ashram, which is also available to all sincere seekers worldwide to come and rejuvenate spiritually. It is a Siddha Peeth (land spiritualized by the shakti of a spiritual master), a Tapo-Bhoomi (kundalini power center), and holds one of the earth’s most powerful Earth Peace temples. This temple houses the largest known solid parasmani (alchemical mercury) Shivalinga, which alchemically transmutes the mercurial mind which meditates upon it into a still mind of enlightened Consciousness.

    Hamsa Yoga Sangh, a non-profit organization was born in the late 1970’s by Yogiraj and his wife Gurumata Shivangini to inspire spiritual evolution through the pristine ancient meditative practices of Kriya Yoga, Hamsa Yoga and Siddhanath Surya Yoga. Hamsa Yoga Sangh seeks to awaken a deeper understanding of the harmony underlying all religions and thus unfold the blossom of love which unites all humanity.

    The practices of Yoga are universal in spirit and complement all faiths and religions. The Kriya Yoga originated by Shiva-Goraksha- Babaji, the Himalayan Mahavatar, is the crest jewel of spiritual techniques, flowering the practitioner with lightning speed into the likeness of one’s own divinity. Kriya Yoga is rightly called the lightning path, and exemplifies the glorious Indian heritage of pure spirituality.

    Yogiraj holds public events to expand awareness and invite more souls to awaken to their birthright. These open gatherings with the master are a chance to see the yogi face-to-face and feel the spiritual energy which radiates from his presence. These events include Satsangs, Kundalini Kriya Yoga Empowerments, and New Life Awakening Retreats. A Satsang is an evening of spiritual communion with a realized master.

    The benefits of attending one of Yogiraj’s satsangs include the healing of mental and emotional traumas through interdimensional energy transmissions called Pranapat and Shaktipat, and a temporal impartations of expanded bliss-awareness called Shivapat. Those who are receptive will experience the at-one-ness of all beings as well as a calm, still mind, bereft of thoughts, with the attendant feelings of bliss and joy.

    These experiences will strengthen your resolve to practice the discipline of yoga as taught by Yogiraj, or simply to keep doing what you are already doing better. A Kriya Yoga Empowerment is an initiation into Mahavatar Babaji’s Kriya Yoga by personal empowerment from Yogiraj, enabling the practitioner to experience the expanded still mind spheres of consciousness and bliss: one’s natural state of enlightenment. Every cell becomes oxygenated and flooded with pranic life.

    The Hamsa Yoga New Life Awakening Retreats are very special events, where sincere seekers have the opportunity to experience personal one-on-one time with the master, learn powerful yoga meditation techniques, recharge themselves and make significant progress in their spiritual practice. The peaceful setting is Ideal for removal of stress and tension.

    During these retreats, Yogiraj offers the 3 distinct graces of a True Living Master which awakens you to the next level of spiritual experience: the spiritual impetus of Pranapat breathing through your breath; continuous healing transmissions of Shaktipat energy; and the sharing of his own Samadhi – an enlightened state of peaceful blissconsciousness. Yogiraj’s 2013 World Tour includes a Satsang – Healing & Enlightenment Workshop and a Kriya Yoga Empowerment Workshop in New York City, and a New Life Awakening Retreat in Catskill Mountains NY.

  • Shikshayatan Celebrates 25th Anniversary With Blessings From Yogiraj Siddhanath

    Shikshayatan Celebrates 25th Anniversary With Blessings From Yogiraj Siddhanath

    Her credo: “Duty with sincerity and honesty” takes in to account the importance of hard work. She is a staunch believer in “Work is Worship” and “God helps those who help themselves”.
    Shikshayatan and Purnima Desai are synonymous. Purnima founded the cultural organization- Shikshayatan which means house of learning, on the auspicious day of VIJAYADASHMI- the day Lord Rama achieved victory over demon king Ravana- on Thursday October 20, 1988. Purnima says she felt the need for such an organization to impart knowledge about Indian Culture to the young generation who are born and brought up in U.S. A. and who are deprived of the rich Indian cultural heritage.

    About the activities of Shikshayatan, she said, “Shikshayatan conducts regular and organized classes to young and adults to impart knowledge about Indian culture – philosophy, languages such as Sanskrit, Hindi, and imparts training in Classical and Light Vocal music and in Instrumental music, like Harmonium, Keyboard, Tabla, Violin, Sitar, Flute etc, and the Classical and light dance etc.”

    To serve the humanity on the planet Earth Shikshayatan has opened its doors to all nationalities to come together for peace, harmony and team spirit. Shikshayatan has successfully and continuously offered vocal and instrumental lessons flexibly throughout the calendar year for the last 25 years and it provides a stage for young and old performers alike.

    In addition it has begotten several loyal and dedicated students who showed their support by providing community performances in churches, temples, at various functions of organizations, at South Street seaport Diwali celebrations, Public libraries, Public schools etc. Shikshayatan provides a very healthy, happy peaceful and comfortable atmosphere akin to one in India to all seekers who want to be connected to Indian art & culture.

    Shikshayatan has a faculty of highly educated, multitalented and professional artists who are renowned and are spreading Indian culture to western world. Pandit Kamal Mishra is a great asset to the organization since 1989 and has proved his multiple talents through teaching and as a performing artist. We have an accomplished Tabla artist Anand Ramanaju who joined our faculty recently.

    Pandit Sujan Rane, the great classical vocalist will also will be performing this year accompanied by a great Tabla player Naren Budhakar. Purnima has celebrated many festivals of India, birthdays of saints, sages, patriotic leaders to give the knowledge of India and her sacrifices, morality and spirituality. “Our students are academically growing on top and flowering spiritually also”, says Purnima.

    She adds, “I also want to mention that we are blessed by saints, sages, spiritual masters like Amma, Sant Morari Bapu, Acharya Mridula Shashtri, Swami Bua ji, dignitaries and diplomats- Hillary Clinton, Gary Ackerman Dr. Karan Singh, Dr. Abid Hussain, Lalit Mansingh, Neelam Deo, Shashi Tripathi, scholars, renowned artists- Sonal Mansingh, Padmini Ramachandran, Archana Joglekar, Pandit Ramesh Narayan, Partho Bose, Aditya Narayan Chatterjee and many more, poets – Dr. Bijoy Mehta, community leaders, world renowned astrologers and healers Swami Chakradhar, Shakunta Devi and many community leaders .

    The services she rendered have not only given Purnima a deep inner satisfaction but have brought her immense recognition and honor. She is recipient of many citations, felicitations, certificates, awards and rewards for her community work since 1988. Asked about her mission in life, she told The Indian Panorama: “My mission is to serve humanity and vision is to have a full fledged institution.

    Manurbhav – Manushya ban – Be Human is real goal we teach which means have the true qualities of a human being for Peace, Prosperity with Politeness.” Her credo: “Duty with sincerity and honesty” takes in to account the importance of hard work. She is a staunch believer in “Work is Worship” and “God helps those who help themselves”. In the last 25 years that Purnima has been running the great institution she so lovingly founded to promote Indian culture and heritage she has come to be known as dynamic and versatile personality and as an ambassador of Indian art & culture in the United States.

    She could not achieve it all alone. She received immense support of her family. Her husband Ashok C. Desai and her three daughters Komal, Tejal and Kaveeta and many well wishers have been a constant support and source of encouragement. Purnima is highly educated with a number of degrees under her belt. She is a B.A. (Edu.Hons)., C.C.O.S.W., M.B.A., Real Estate Manager., Computer Programmer and Music and Dance professional.

    Born in a Brahmin family in Calcutta, India on MAGHI POORNIMA she lived in Calcutta for 19 years, moving to Delhi where she lived for 4 years. It was a brief one year stay in Mumbai, then Bombay, before she moved to New York where she has been living for 41 years.

    She attributes many of her qualities to her close association with her late grandfather L.K. Desai, her grandmother late Mani Desai, her father D. P. Desai, and her mother Bhanumati, who was especially her greatest inspiration, besides her association with late Prime Minister Morarji Desai, G.L. Mehta, Dr. H. B. Desai, Dr. P.G. Shukla, Dr. P. Jayaraman, and many other scholars.

    A motivating and dedicated teacher in Vocal and Instrumental music, dance, languages Indian philosophy, Sanskrit Shlokas, etc. Purnima is an acknowledged vocalist who has many music albums to her credit- Devanjali, Shivanjali, Krishnanjali, Ambikaanjali, Pushpaanjali, Vedanjali, Mahaviraanjali, Raashtraanjali etc. It is a little rare that a person is as multifaceted and versatile as Purnima is. Besides the above, she is a poetess who has written many poems and sung them in her music albums and participated in Kavi Sammelans in New York, Canada and U.K.

    She is a journalist too in her own right. She is publisher/editor of Abhyudaya, an educational and literary magazine in Hindi & English for children, youth, and adults She has authored many books. A Children’s books -“Give All Get All” has 25 short stories with high moral values and coloring book. A book of patriotic songs is titled Rashtranjali. The book was released by a well known saint, Sant Morari Bapu.

    Then there are books that contain spiritual songs- – Shivanjali, Bhajan Mani Mala Series: Ganeshanjali, etc. Theater also fascinates her. She is a Script Writer, Producer and Director of small plays -Apna Desh Apne Tyohaar and Bal Ramayan for Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, NY, USA. Add to that her skill as a program director of cultural events. She has produced and directed more than hundred cultural programs for youngsters and adults for various organizations, institutions, ashrams, temples, churches, libraries, schools, delegates, etc.

    She does not stop here. She is a painter with proficiency in oil painting. But she paints only as a hobby. With such skills, performances, services and accomplishments it is a natural corollary that she would be recognized. She has received a number of recognitions, honors and awards. She is a recipient of Dharma Kalyaan Jyoti Madalsa Award by Maa Yog Shakti.

    All Brahmin Convention 2001 commenced by Brahmin Samaj of U.S.A. honored her with an award of “Excellence and Accomplishments for brilliance, versatility, expertise, dedication, commitment and dignifying Worldwide Brahmin Community through [her] prolific, meritorious contribution and glorious accomplishments in the field of cultural and Educational activities”.

    During the Cultural Festival of India organized on July 12 through August 11 in Edison, NJ, she was felicitated for her “outstanding contributions and achievements by a person of Indian origin living in America in the field of Academics.” On March 17, 2006, World Business Forum honored her with the awards: “Person of the Year” and “Woman of the Era” at the Hilton Hotel in NY.

    She also received the “Samaaj Bandhu” and “Best Teacher’s Award” from the Probidhini Foundation; “Sangeet Vishaarad” on May 17th 2009 from Maha Mandaleshwar Maa Yog Shakti Saraswati, Spiritual head and Founder & President of MYSIM. She received a citation from New York City Council for being “an outstanding citizen, one which is worthy of the esteem of both community and the great City of New York” on October 2, 2009. Purnima is also a recipient of “AMBASSADOR FOR PEACE” from Universal Peace Foundation in 2011.

    This is the woman and this her institution that she dreams of making a true Indian cultural center. And she is ready to make any sacrifice to realize her dream for Indian Americansyoung and old- and for India, the cradle of the finest cultural heritage. And she is not alone in this. Her family is committed to her vision and dream . Her supporters are there to encourage her. Above all, Purnima has an indomitable spirit and she has always drawn inspiration from Tagore’s “Ekla Chalo, ekla chalo”. Hum to nikle the safar per akele hee; log milte gaye, kafila banata gayaa”.

    She also received the “Samaaj Bandhu” and “Best Teacher’s Award” from the Probidhini Foundation; “Sangeet Vishaarad” on May 17th 2009 from Maha Mandaleshwar Maa Yog Shakti Saraswati, Spiritual head and Founder & President of MYSIM. Purnima is also a recipient of “AMBASSADOR FOR PEACE” from Universal Peace Foundation in 2011.

  • India To Promote Heritage Lighthouses As Tourist Destinations

    India To Promote Heritage Lighthouses As Tourist Destinations

    NEW DELHI (TIP): India is to promote heritage lighthouses as tourist destinations. Out of fifteen heritage lighthouses having historical importance, in the first phase, Konhoji Angere lighthouse in Maharashtra will be taken up for development.

    The Ministry of Tourism plans to support construction of a boat jetty and passenger terminal at Konhoji Angere lighthouse. The Konhoji Angere island is situated about a miles away from the Gateway of India, Bombay. Once the jetty is built, domestic as well as international tourists will get a new day-trip destination in India’s commercial capital and its most cosmopolitan city.

  • Ministry Of Tourism To Give Us$ 16.5 Milion To Rebuild Tourist Infrastructure In Uttarakhand

    Ministry Of Tourism To Give Us$ 16.5 Milion To Rebuild Tourist Infrastructure In Uttarakhand

    NEW DELHI (TIP): India’s Minister of Tourism Mr. K Chiranjeevi has sanctioned a special financial package of US$ 16.5 million (Rs. 1000 million) for restoration and reconstruction of the affected Government tourist facilities in Uttarakhand. This will be in addition to the Central Financial Assistance of about US$ 15.6 million already sanctioned during the current financial year for developing tourism infrastructure in the State.

    Uttarakhand has recently witnessed an unprecedented natural calamity that has caused colossal damage to both life and infrastructure in the State. The State Government has been advised to assess the destroyed and damaged tourist amenities and conveniences and come back with the requirement of funds for rebuilding the infrastructure. On examination of the demand, Ministry of Tourism will sanction funds.

    The funds sanctioned in the relief package will be utilized for restoration and reconstruction of tourist infrastructure across the State with a special focus on tourist facilities along yatra route which will be used for providing shelter to the disaster hit pilgrims and tourists.

  • New Discovery Could Help Explain Earth’s Origin

    New Discovery Could Help Explain Earth’s Origin

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Scientists still have doubts over the theory that Earth arose from the collision of asteroids, as its composition doesn’t resemble that of meteoroids — the small particles that break off from asteroids. The Earth’s mantle — the layer between the planet’s crust and core — is missing an amount of lead found in meteorites whose composition has been analyzed following impact with the Earth.

    Much of the Earth is composed of rocks with a high ratio of uranium to lead (uranium naturally decays to lead over time). However, according to standard theories of planetary evolution, the Earth should harbor a reservoir of mantle somewhere in its interior that has a low ratio of uranium to lead, to match the composition of meteorites. But such a reservoir has yet to be discovered — a detail that leaves Earth’s origins hazy.

    Now, researchers in MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences have identified a “hidden flux” of material in the Earth’s mantle that would make the planet’s overall composition much more similar to that of meteorites. This reservoir likely takes the form of extremely dense, lead-laden rocks that crystallize beneath island arcs, strings of volcanoes that rise up at the boundary of tectonic plates.

    As two massive plates push against each other, one plate subducts, or slides, under the other, pushing material from the crust down into the mantle. At the same time, molten material from the mantle rises up to the crust, and is ejected via volcanoes onto the Earth’s surface. According to the MIT researchers’ observations and calculations, however, up to 70 per cent of this rising magma crystallizes into dense rock — dropping, lead-like, back into the mantle, where it remains relatively undisturbed.

    The lead-heavy flux, they say, puts the composition of the Earth’s mantle on a par with that of meteorites. “Now that we know the composition of this flux, we can calculate that there’s tons of this stuff dropping down from the base of the crust into the mantle, so it is likely an important reservoir,” Oliver Jagoutz, an assistant professor of geology at MIT, said. “This has a lot of implications for understanding how the Earth evolved through history,” he said.

  • Soon, Rocket To Space In 15 Minutes

    Soon, Rocket To Space In 15 Minutes

    LONDON (TIP): Skylon, a revolutionary spacecraft that can take adventurers to Earth’s stratosphere in just 15 minutes will soon be a reality. It will travel at a speed of 30,577.5km (19,000 miles) per hour — five times the speed of sound. It will get £60 million from the UK government for its making. Britain is developing a unique engine to extract the oxygen it needs for low atmosphere flight from the air itself, paving the way for a new generation of space planes which would be lighter, reusable and able to take off and launch from conventional airport runways.

    SABRE is a Britishdesigned rocket engine which could revolutionize the fields of propulsion and launcher technology and significantly reduce the costs of accessing space. The engine will go into Skylon — an unpiloted, reusable single stage to orbit (SSTO) space plane that will provide reliable access to space and be capable of delivering payloads of up to 15 tonnes into Low Earth Orbit at about 1/50th of the cost of traditional expendable launch vehicles, such as rockets.

    The engines will use liquid hydrogen combined with oxygen from air at altitudes up to 26km and speeds of up to Mach 5, before switching over to on-board liquid oxygen for the final stage of ascent. Minister for universities and science David Willett said, “SABRE has the potential to completelytransform how we access space. By supporting this technology we are giving the UK a leading position in a growing market of new generation launchers and removing one of the main barriers to the growth of commercial activity in space.”

    SABRE is the first engine to achieve the goal of reliable, responsive and cost effective space access and in a different configuration to allow aircraft to cruise at high speeds (by operating in two rocket modes: initially in air-breathing mode and subsequently in conventional rocket mode). In an air breathing mode, the rocket engine sucks in atmospheric air as a source of oxygen (as in a typical jet engine) to burn with its liquid hydrogen fuel in the rocket combustion chamber.

    In the conventional rocket mode, the engine is above the atmosphere and transitions to using conventional onboard liquid oxygen. The Skylon technical assessment concluded that ‘no impediments or critical items have been identified for either the Skylon vehicle or the SABRE engine that are a block to further developments’.

  • Astronomer Finds New Moon Orbiting Neptune

    Astronomer Finds New Moon Orbiting Neptune

    CAPE CANAVERAL (TIP): An astronomer studying archived images of Neptune taken by the Hubble Space Telescope has found a 14th moon orbiting the planet, NASA said. Estimated to be about 12 miles in diameter, the moon is located about 65,400 miles from Neptune. Astronomer Mark Showalter, with the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, was searching Hubble images for moons inside faint ring fragments circling Neptune when he decided to run his analysis program on a broader part of the sky.

    “We had been processing the data for quite some time and it was on a whim that I said, ‘OK, let’s just look out further,” Showalter told Reuters. “I changed my program so that instead of stopping just outside the ring system it processed the data all the way out, walked away from my computer and waited an hour while it did all the processing for me. When I came back, I looked at the image and there was this extra dot that wasn’t supposed to be there,” Showalter said.

    Follow-up analysis of other archived Hubble images of Neptune verified the object was a moon. Showalter and colleagues are mulling over a name to propose to the International Astronomical Union, which has final say in the matter. “We haven’t really gotten far with that. What I can say is that the name will be out of Roman and Greek mythology and it will have to do with characters who are related to Neptune, the god of the oceans,” Showalter said. Neptune’s largest moon, Triton, was discovered in 1846, just days after the planet itself was found.

    Nereid, Neptune’s third largest moon was found in 1949. Images taken by NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft unveiled the second largest moon, Proteus, and five smaller moons, Naiad, Thalassa, Despina, Galatea and Larissa. Ground-based telescopes found Halimede, Laomedeia, Sao and Nestor in 2002. Sister moon Psamathe turned up a year later. The newly found moon, designated S/2004 N 1, is located between Larissa and Proteus. It orbits Neptune in 23 hours.

  • Man Spots Lost Pyramids Via Satellite

    Man Spots Lost Pyramids Via Satellite

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Mysterious, pyramid-like structures spotted in the Egyptian desert by an amateur satellite archaeologist may indeed be long-lost pyramids, a new investigation has found. Angela Micol, from North Carolina, made the discovery of the possible pyramid complexes using Google Earth, last year. One site in Upper Egypt, just 19 km from the city of Abu Sidhum along the Nile, featured four mounds.

    The two larger mounds at this site are approximately 76.2 metres in width. Some 144 km north near the Fayum oasis, the second possible pyramid complex revealed a four-sided, truncated mound approximately 150 feet wide and three smaller mounds in a diagonal alignment. Micol told ‘Discovery News’ that peculiar features have been uncovered around the structures during a preliminary ground proofing expedition, revealing cavities and shafts.

    According to Micol, the Egyptian team believes they have identified a temple or habitation site near the site and a row of what may be mastaba tombs adjacent to the mounds.

  • MAHABALESHWAR – Small Station With A Big Secret

    MAHABALESHWAR – Small Station With A Big Secret

    The sweating Mumbaikar has a choice of hill stations, but Mahabaleshwar, eight hours away, tops the list for its cheap lodging, bustling marketplace and strawberry fields. Yet, not many know that this evergreen ‘honeymoon’ spot (what with its secluded points and the enduring thrall of pedal boats) is also home to the discerning shopper. Mahabaleshwar is home to a thriving market for forest honey, turmeric and trousseau saris. Read on to also find out why the residents of that hill station routinely have a great big laugh at us Mumbaikars.

    TROUSSEAU IT UP
    Mahabaleshwar has been a secret trousseau shopping destination for a few years. Enterprising boutique owners in Vile Parle and other suburbs, buy saris from here, embellish and sell them at inflated rates. The hill station’s 90-year-old shop Pallod, set up by the Pallod family from Rajasthan, is at the centre of this industry. It started off as cloth store, and 20-25 years ago, the second generation of the family started commissioning work (mostly saris) from weavers in Ramnagar (near Benaras), Coimbatore, Arni, Lucknow and Uppada.

    With no Octroi and low rent, these saris cost a fraction of what they would in a dazzling store on Juhu-Tara road. Darshan Laddha, a young member of the family, travels 10 days each month to visit the weavers, asking for experimentation like tanchoi weave with Kanjeevaram silk, and returns in time to greet the hordes of customers. Then there is that lone Rajasthani shop without a signboard that sells chiffon Leheriya saris for Rs 300! You heard right.

    COMB FOR HONEY
    Villagers and tribals of the forests of the Sahyadri gather honey by smoking the bees out of a hive and squeezing the honey out of the comb. The result is a few dead bees, terminated eggs and a homeless swarm. Enterprises such as Sanjeevan Honey practise a more ethical form of extraction. They promote building the hive in a wooden box, with a sly opening for the bees.

    The combs are built on trays that slide out. These trays are fitted to an extraction machine (see below) which is hand churned and uses centrifugal force to extract the honey without destroying the combs. The trays go back into the box, and the bees repair cells that may have broken to resume the honey-making process. V R Agarkar, who left Dapoli for the hills of Mahabaleshwar 50 years ago, is happy to give you a tour and explain the honey-making process. The 72-year-old loves explaining how bees like to keep their comb clean. “If I drop a piece of paper, they’ll shred it and I’ll find it outside the box the next day,” he adds. You’ll usually find him at the stall adjoining Kedar Residency.

    WAI TURMERIC? BECAUSE IT’S GOOD
    Wai is to the south of Mahabaleshwar. It’s the place to buy unadulterated turmeric. In drought-prone Maharashtra, turmeric is a highmaintenance crop. With the Krishna river flowing nearby, about 2,000 to 2,500 hectares of farmland grow the antiseptic root. It is harvested in December, laid out to dry, then polished and ground. By next week, the farmers will start sowing the crop, again.

    Two to four kilos of wet root yield a kilo of turmeric powder. Most of the crop would be sold to merchants, who would then supply it to the market places of Satara. “In the past few years, the price offered for our crop has fallen, so we have been grinding the turmeric on our own and selling it on the highway,” says Mangal Zamdale, a farmer. Tables set up under flowering Gulmohars that line the Satara highway sell fresh turmeric powder, pickles, and papads. A spicy way to offset the sweetness of the strawberries you’ve eaten, perhaps?

    GOTCHA, MUMBAIKAR
    It is a truth universally accepted that Mahabaleshwar makes leather chappals that populate the shelves of large shoe store chains in Mumbai. However, that is also an assumption that Mahabaleshwar is in no hurry to correct. The fact is that very few workshops in the hill station still produce chappals the Mahabaleshwar way (not to be confused with a Kolhapuri), which is to soak the leather in sea salt to bleach and dehydrate it.

    The theory is that the leather then absorbs our sweat easily. However, most of what we take back as souvenirs is actually brought in from Dharavi and small-scale industries of Tilak Nagar, Bandra and Santacruz. Yes, Mahabaleshwar is laughing at us. AS Karande of New India Boothouse in Mahabaleshwar, however, still makes the chappals. You can see him at work in his shop. Hemant, Prabhat and Hind shoe marts have workshops, too. To Hemant’s workshop come experienced craftsmen like Nana Kadam, who travels over 35 kilometres one way, every day. He is one of the old hands who knows how to punch in the design that makes a tadgola chappal.

    GETTING THERE
    Mahabaleshwar is 247 km from Mumbai. You can drive down the Satara highway, and hit Wai and Panchgani en route. Buses, private and state-owned also ply regularly. There is a train to Satara, an hour from Mahabaleshwar.

  • Dreamliner Fire Probe Focuses On Beacon, Boeing Shares Rise

    Dreamliner Fire Probe Focuses On Beacon, Boeing Shares Rise

    LONDON (TIP): British aviation investigators identified an emergency beacon made by Honeywell International Inc as a likely source of last week’s blaze on a Boeing Co 787 Dreamliner and called for it to be turned off, spurring a rally in Boeing shares by relieved investors. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the locator beacon and its battery was the only system on a parked Ethiopian Airlines plane at Heathrow that was near the fire and had the power to start it.

    Boeing said the beacon could be removed in about an hour from its newest model plane, which was grounded for more than three months earlier this year because of overheating of lithium-ion backup batteries in two January incidents. Shares of Boeing closed 2.7% higher at $107.63, near the high of $108.15 reached a week ago before the fire. The AAIB said it remained unclear whether the fire was triggered by a malfunction in the beacon’s lithium-manganese battery or some external force – such as an electrical short circuit – and said the probe would continue.

    In its report, the AAIB also called on theUS Federal Aviation Administration and other regulators to review use of such emergency beacons that use lithium-based batteries on all other aircraft. UK officials said last week’s fire was unrelated to the January incidents that grounded the 787. Investigators never determined what prompted the batteries involved in those cases to melt down, but Boeing resolved the issue by fireproofing the box they come in, and finding a way to vent any possible fire outside the plane.

    While the UK report focused on the beacon made byUS conglomerate Honeywell, aviation experts said there could also be issues with the 787’s higher humidity or other environmental factors. Water can conduct electricity, so high moisture levels could increase the likelihood of short circuits. “The investigators are looking at everything, humidity, condensation and … how things are installed. It’s a comprehensive effort,” said one industry source.

  • TCS Outshines Infosys Again

    TCS Outshines Infosys Again

    BANGALORE (TIP): Bangalore based IT services firm Infosys may have set the tone for the better story for the IT industry, but thes country’s largest IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) have taken the growth story to another level. TCS not only continued its strong run, but also belied consensus estimates on earnings as well as revenue growth for the quarter ended June 30, 2013.

    Strong volume growth of 6.10% surprised the street which was building in about 4% sequential volume growth (versus 4.1% for Infosys) for the quarter. This led the revenue growth of 9.5% sequentially to Rs 17,987 crore. The higher volume growth is commendable given the subdued macro environment for the sector. TCS’ net profit growth too came in at a robust 6% as against a marginal slip in Infosys’ profit.

    While Infosys had managed to beat the already muted expectations when it announced its results last week, TCS performance is much superior than Infosys on all fronts. They key difference between both the companies lies in the management tone. While Infosys management remains cautious about the future outlook (despite some signs of pick up in discretionary spending), TCS management appears full of confidence. TCS has been delivering a broad-based all round growth consistently thanks to its welldiversified business model.

    Thus, the valuation gap between the two is likely to sustain going forward. “TCS has reported yet another solid quarter. The sector scorecard is so far 2/2 on revenue performance with both Infosys and TCS delivering good numbers. TCS’ start to the year (already at 16%YY) as well as commentary suggests much greater confidence on growth going ahead. A weak currency is also providing solid buffer to margins and overall on the core operating front, TCS looks well placed,” said Nimish Joshi of CLSA in his note.

    Notably, the TCS stock has made new highs in each of the past two trading sessions and hence analysts believe significant upsides in the scrip remain capped. The TCS scrip trades at 19.2 times FY14 estimated earnings while the metric stands at 16.3 times for Infosys. Despite attractive valuations, analysts believe Infosys needs to deliver consistent performance over the next few quarters to warrant a strong rerating. Ankita Somani, IT analyst at Angel Broking says, “Strong show by TCS indicated that its premium valuations over Infosys are justified and here to stay.

    Contrary to its peers, the TCS management does not sound cautious at all. Even after being the largest company, they are still growing better than their peers.” After today’s strong show, analysts could revise their FY14 estimates for TCS marginally. On the macro front though, stricter visa norms by US and other countries could spoil TCS’ party. It would hit the IT companies revenues as well as profitability significantly.

    Infosys may look at buying out a US- based company to reduce the impact of stricter visa norms. TCS’ strategy on this front will be keenly watched. However, analyst were also confident that the company would be able to handle the immigration bill impact well. “TCS’ management remains ‘very positive’ in its outlook for the rest of the year and maintains that FY14 revenue growth will pick up over FY13. US immigration overhang remains the key concern for the company, but the management expects that it will be able to handle any changes to immigration rules without resorting to extreme measures,” said Divya Nagarajan of UBS Securities Asia in her note.

  • G20 Seeks To Chart Recovery Course Amid Choppy Markets

    G20 Seeks To Chart Recovery Course Amid Choppy Markets

    MOSCOW (TIP): The world’s economic crisis response team will grapple with the prospect of more market volatility as finance ministers and central bankers gather in Moscow to chart a course towards recovery. The Group of 20, a forum that took the lead in the 2008- 09 financial crisis, now faces a multi-speed global economy in which only the United States appears to be nearing a self-sustaining recovery.

    China, for years the engine of global growth, is suffering a slowdown amid doubts over the stability of its financial system, Japan has only recently embarked on a radical fiscal and monetary experiment, and Europe’s economy is more stop than go. Collective efforts to balance the prospect of a withdrawal of US monetary stimulus against expansionary policies elsewhere evoke visions of passengers rushing from port to starboard to stabilise a listing ship.

    “We used to believe that as soon as the economic situation stabilises … we will have less volatility in financial markets and currency markets,” Russia’s G20 summit coordinator, or ‘sherpa’, Ksenia Yudayeva, told Reuters. “The events we just saw have proved that we will not necessarily have less volatility – we will probably have quite a lot,” she added.

    Chairman Ben Bernanke’s guidance in May that the Fed may start to wind down its $85 billion in monthly bond purchases – intended to ease the flow of credit to the economy – triggered a steep sell-off in stocks and bonds, and a flight to the dollar. Investors were calmed by dovish testimony to Congress this week by Bernanke, who is not coming to Moscow. Yet emerging markets – especially those that depend on commodities or that have external deficits – have underperformed.