The Seven Year Old Surgeon - Akrit Jaswal

This astonishing film follows 12-year-old Akrit Jaswal as he researches cures for cancer in his Delhi laboratory, which was set up by his proud parents. We see him jetting to the UK to meet top British scientists, who give their verdicts on the young genius, as well as psychologists who assess the effects these achievements could be having on his childhood.

Akrit comes from a small village in northern India. He is thought to have an IQ higher than Einstein; at three, he was reciting Shakespeare. At seven, dressed in surgical garb that swamped his tiny frame, the precocious youngster performed his first surgical operation, declaring, “Today, I am very much happy to have an opportunity to serve the poor community.”

"India Rural ACTION PROGRAM Conference" in Chicago on May 3rd and 4th 2008

By Mr Ram Narayanan, IDCA

Dear Friends: My first despatch of January 13, 2008 on the Rural India Learning Journey (RILJ) trip had conveyed a birds-eye-view of what the Learning Journey was all about and what the Indian American team had learned from the trip.
One of our tour guides from Chennai, Uma Balakrishnan, has written a fuller 13 page description of the day-by-day story of our rural tour as it unfolded, which is much more informative and also has some beautiful photographs. You can see it at http://akash-ganga-rwh.com/RILJ/Learning_Journey_Dec2007_FullReport.pdf. Please read it. The December trip was so inspiring -- and exciting -- in terms of what we, Indian Americans, can do to work with India's dynamic NGOs and the rural folks, to ensure that Bharat, as distinguished from India, can catch up and run, that the group has decided to convene an "India Rural ACTION PROGRAM Conference" in Chicago on May 3rd and 4th (i.e Saturday and Sunday), 2008. Many of us who participated in the Rural India Learning Journey (RILJ 2007) trip will be attending the May 3-4 conference. We would like to invite other Indian Americans who are keen to work with us. Some of you, I know, are already involved in India's rural development. Some others have expressed keenness to get involved. Here is a wonderful opportunity for all us to to learn from each other and work together and, very important, participate in formulating concrete action plans. This event is being called an ACTION PROGRAM Conference because we expect a concrete action program to emerge from its deliberations. Our objective is to get together Indian Americans who hail or whose ancestors came from different parts of India. We want ALLof rural India to make progress during the next decade or two -- including the states of the north and east that have lagged behind. I am suwhen you see the tentative agenda outlined below, you will decide to sign up. Please do so immediately. To keep the group small and intimate, the number of participants is restricted to 50 (excluding the spouses if they wish to join). SO, PLEASE HURRY UP!

Cheers, Ram NarayananUS-India Friendshiphttp://usindiafriendship.net/

India Rural ACTION PROGRAM Conference DETAILS :

DATES: May 3 (Saturday) and May 4 (Sunday), 2008

VENUE: Club House Inn and Suites, 630 Pasquinelli DrWestmont, IL 60559; (630) 920-2200

AGENDA: May 3 Saturday -- Morning session : Gist of RILJ trip lessons with a 15 minute video clipA couple of RILJ members will make short presentations on the Learning Journey (LJ), how they felt about it and what they think we should do next.

To be followed by discussion on: How other Indian Americans have started similar processes? What works, what does not?Key NGO's in IndiaExchange program betwen US universities and IndiaWhat each Indian American can do to inspire others?

Lunch

Afternoon session
Participants will talkIndividual needs, approachesHow Indian Americans can involve themselves in India's rural development How do we communicate the Learning Journey's experience to other interested Indian Americans?

Dinner -- A key note speaker

May 4th Sunday - Morning

Goal for 2008 : 300 Indian Americans to visit different parts of India on Learning Journey studies?
Possible Learning Journey (LJ) trips for 2008
a. Andhra Pradesh

b. Bihar and Jharkand

c. Gujarat

d. Haryana and Rajasthan

e. Karnataka

f. Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh

g. Maharashtra (including Vidarbha)

h. North-Eastern States

i. Orissa

j. Uttar Pradesh

k. West Bengal

l. If needed, repeat Tamil Nadu (but other parts of the state)

Sign up for 2008 LJ's Lunch

Conclude the Sunday session around 2 PM so people from out-of-town can catch their return flights.

OTHER DETAILS: Participation fee: $50.00 per participant. The lunch and dinner expenses will be collected at the conference, on a pro rata basis. Please reach Chicago and check in at a place near the conference site by the evening of Friday, May 2, 2008. (For suggested places to stay, please see below).

Chicago has 2 airports.: O'Hare (ORD) served by United and American Airlines. Midway (MDW) served by low cost carriers such AirTran from Atlanta, Frontier from Denver/Phoenix and many more.

Weather expected in Chicago during May first week - around balmy 50 degrees F. NO SNOW.

SUGGESTED PLACES WHERE YOU CAN STAY: 1) Club House Inn and Suites, 630 Pasquinelli DrWestmont, IL 60559; (630) 920-2200. This is the place where the conference will be held. Raj Rajaram has reserved some rooms for the conference participants at $84.00 plus tax (Includes breakfast). 2) Homestead Studio Suites Chicago - Westmont - Oak Brook855 Pasquinelli Dr., Westmont, IL 60559, Telephone: 630-323-9292.This place is very near Club House Inn -- within walking distance. It's somewhat cheaper than Club House Inn (but does not include breakfast).

REGISTRATION: Please register with IDCA email: info@idc-america.org (with copy to ramn_wins@roadrunner.com). Registrants may send the check for $50.00 to IDCA, PO BOX 4673,Oakbrook, IL 60522-4673. If you have any questions, please contact Raj Rajaram(630 915 6176) or Ram Narayanan (716 875 9976). ________________________________________

“This life is short, the vanities of the world are transient, but they alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive.”

- Swami Vivekananda

RECESSION IN THE US, POLICY OPTIONS FOR INDIA

Rajiv Kumar, Hindustan Times February 19, 2008

First Published: 22:46 IST(19/2/2008) Last Updated: 22:48 IST(19/2/2008) Hopes that the impact of the housing loan crisis in the US would be limited have now faded. The crisis has spread to other countries and potential losses of up to half a trillion dollars are estimated. This is big by any standards and has the potential to generate serious negative impact on the global economy.

The US economy has perceptibly slowed down and, in all likelihood, is headed for a recession. This will weaken global economic growth this year and perhaps next year. With a $13 trillion economy (compared to India’s $1 trillion and China’s of $3 trillion) the US accounts for nearly 22 per cent of the world GDP. When the US stalls, the rest of the world economy splutters. The notion that emerging economies like China and India have decoupled and could maintain high growth rates despite the US recession is anything but wishful thinking. The decline in US consumption demand; the negative investors’ sentiment; and the possible flow back of capital to OECD countries in search of safer havens and for building up battered balance sheets will surely impact India’s export and growth prospects.

India’s economic performance is now inextricably linked to global economic growth. This is not surprising as external account transactions (exports and imports of goods and services) account for more than 52 per cent of India’s GDP today. What then can India’s policy makers do to weaken the negative fallout from a likely US recession?

IMF Managing Director Dominique Strass Kahn, during a recent trip to New Delhi, suggested that countries like India and China should use both monetary and fiscal policy measures to try and generate more domestic demand to compensate for slackening external demand. This will also allow these countries to absorb rising US exports, which will help restore global economic balance by seeing a decline in US trade and current account deficit.

The fiscal option could be relevant for India this year because of the 40 per cent-plus increase in direct tax revenues. This wouid provide the headroom for increasing public infrastructure expenditure and sustain investment demand. But in India there are always many pressures for increasing subsidies and transfer payments and this pressure will be enormous in an election year. The Finance Minister would do well to resist these pressures and allocate more resources for infrastructure, which have a stronger positive impact on economic growth.

The important issue is whether it is appropriate at this time to adopt a pro-growth monetary policy stance or target the policy to counter inflation. We are an inflation sensitive polity, as most clearly reflected in the Prime Minister’s recent speech. In the election year the pressures to keep prices in check will be as strong if not stronger as those on increasing subsidies. Sustaining growth may look a bit esoteric to the common voter or political worker.

But clearly policy makers know better and realise that a precipitous decline in growth rates can create its own serious problems. Given the need to sustain export growth in a slackening external environment, the most important policy measure would be to prevent further rupee appreciation and in fact to try and bring it down to below forty to a dollar.

A cut in interest rates will help reduce the upward pressure on the rupee by hopefully moderating inward capital flows.This can be done in a calibrated manner with a 25 basis point reduction to be followed by another, if inflation remains subdued. The Indian economy has to be taken through the coming global slowdown while sustaining its growth momentum. This will call for careful policy shepherding and I think we are up to it.

The writer is Director of Indian Council for Research in International Economic Relations and a member of National Security Advisory Board
Courtesy : USIndiaFriendship

R K Misra journeys from village to Lead India

R K Misra journeys from village to Lead India

Lead India winner R K Misra (second from left) with his family in New Delhi (TOI Photo)

NEW DELHI: It was a journey that began 42 years ago in Sonari, a small, impoverished village in UP's Sitapur district. The stage shifted to IIT Kanpur, then Tokyo University. A series of start-ups followed, with a stint in the US thrown in. But on Saturday night, life came full circle for R K Misra. As he outlined a plan to set up a cooperative dairy farm to transform life in the village where he was born, the jury and audience was visibly moved.

After 10 rounds of challenging tasks and the scrutiny of hawk-eyed judges, it proved to be the decisive moment, helping Misra emerge winner of the Lead India contest. The man who never hesitates to speak his mind has often said that he believes he could be prime minister of India within 18 years. He has now taken a huge stride forward towards his ambitious goal.

On Saturday, Misra showed just why he been a successful entrepreneur. Asked how he would utilize the prize money of Rs 50 lakh if he won, he rattled off a well thought-out plan with time-bound targets and actionable goals. Wasn't he thinking small by focusing on just a dairy farm, asked permanent jury member Kiran Bedi. "I believe in leading by example. This farm will not only provide sustainable employment but also serve as a role model for other villages. The biggest problem in India is ineffective implementation. There is a lot of talk, but little action. That is why my motto is 'work more, talk less'," said Misra to a round of thunderous applause.

Questions from the other judges followed. As a person born in UP, who is now settled in Bangalore, what did he feel about protests against migrants, asked India's solicitor-general Goolam E Vahanvati. "I don't think most citizens support such protests. They are carried out by a handful of people with vested interests. Treat them as a law and order problem, crack down on them, and the problem will vanish," responded Misra.

When former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijay Singh asked him how he would ensure an efficient service delivery mechanism to rural areas, Misra mentioned his efforts to improve Bangalore's roads through public-private partnership. He suggested making panchayats aware of the Right to Information Act. He also paid tribute to another special judge, RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal, saying, "I am a huge fan of his".

ABOUT BABA AMTE AND HIS SELFLESS SERVICE

WHICH AREAS INDIA IS BETTER THAN CHINA ?

HCL LAUNCHES LEAPTOP !

HCL Launches Pink 'MiLeap Series' of Leaptops for Valentine's Day

The Pink 'MiLeap Series' of Leaptops retails at all DigiLife stores across the country with a starting price of Rs. 13,990/-. You can watch video here.

HCL has launched a pink version of its MiLeap Leaptops, targeted at lovers looking for the ideal Valentine gift. For the ones looking to be always connected with their Valentine, HCL said this ultra portable MiLeap Leaptop is an ideal gift with its sleek and stylish looks. "For all those who are tech-savvy, what could be more romantic on Valentine Day than getting the hottest tech-forward product available on the market today? The sleek, stylish, hip and ultra-portable new series of MiLeap laptops are suitable for one and all with a passion for the latest gadgets and technology," said HCL.

Source: IT News Online

Indian ICT Market to Reach $24.3 billion by 2011: Gartner

Indian ICT Market to Reach $24.3 billion by 2011: Gartner

New Delhi, Feb 6 (PTI) Driven by increased use of technology by small and mid-sized businesses, the country's information and communication technology market is estimated to grow 20.3 per cent annually to reach USD24.3 billion by 2011, industry research firm Gartner today said.
"The growth will be driven by chief information officers (CIOs) continuing to build and consolidate the basic IT infrastructure, in addition to small and mid-size businesses increasingly leveraging technology to drive business growth and efficiency," it said.

The total Indian ICT market was 9.6 billion dollar in 2006, including hardware and software.

Though worldwide IT budgets are expected to increase by 3.3 per cent in 2008, slightly higher than 2007, the Indian firms would report stronger-than-average IT budget increases of around 13 per cent.

"This increased spending by Indian CIOs is directed primarily towards building new business capabilities, with 30 per cent of IT spend allocated for business growth and 19 per cent towards business transformation," the firm said.

The Indian technology landscape was evolving rapidly, driven by continued growth in the offshore services sector with strong domestic growth.

Indian firms are spending their budgets more on hardware and software than on people, Gartner said, adding this is significant as Indian firms continue to build out their infrastructure.

The HR component of the IT budget would grow as the emphasis shifts from implementing standard (generic) solutions to creating unique products and services, it added. PTI

Doctor Software

NRIs awarded for hard work !

Catalyst - Can Scientists Do More For Development ?

Issue Highlights Science in combating poverty

Rural India's innvoations

Making ICT work for the common man

Choosing the future leader of India

ISRO in human development

400,000 Indians Die Due To Cancer Every Year

400,000 Indians die due to cancer

New Delhi, Feb 03: Over 400,000 Indians die every year from cancer and the disease is growing 11 percent annually - thanks to the widespread tobacco consumption in the country. The health ministry, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and independent experts believe over 50 percent of the cancer cases stem from tobacco consumption. 'Tobacco is now the number one killer. Unless we curb tobacco consumption, it would be very difficult to reduce a huge mortality rate and the loss of human workforce due to cancer,' Vikas Bajpai, a senior oncologist in the capital, said. According to the WHO, cancer is one of the top 10 killers in India. 'At present there are 2.5 million cancer cases and nearly 0.8 million new cases occurring every year,' says the WHO official website. Agreeing with the Indian cancer registry, the global health watchdog has said that it kills over 400,000 Indians every year. Portraying a grim picture of the cancer situation in India, the WHO has predicted that by 2015 India will witness over 50 percent growth in deaths due to cancer, that is, over 666,000 people will die every year in India by 2015 due to the disease. 'A decade ago, nearly 80 percent of the cancer patients were people above 50 years of age. But now the disease is affecting much younger people. I have treated breast cancer in a 22-year-old girl and lower intestine cancer in just a 18-year-old,' said Amit Bhargav, a leading oncologist with the Max Healthcare institute. 'You can safely blame tobacco and alcohol for young people succumbing to cancer. I will say healthy diet, freedom from smoke and alcohol, happy family and pollution-free atmosphere can reduce India's cancer burden by at least 70 percent,' Bhargav told IANS. He claimed that though the government says 400,000 people die every year, the real figure might not be less than 700,000. According to the National Cancer Registry, the incidence of cancer in India stands at 36.21 per 100,000 males and 45.02 per 100,000 females. Cancer can affect head and neck, the intestine, breast, oral cavity, cervix uteri (uterus), prostate and, most importantly, lungs. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women and lungs and oral cancer is common among men. Expressing concern over the rise of cancer cases in India, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has said that tobacco is the main reason behind such deaths and his ministry is taking all necessary steps to curb its consumption. 'We are going to make a pictorial warning on all tobacco packets mandatory by June 1. The ministry and the government is on its way to make work atmosphere smoke-free across the country,' Ramadoss said. Health ministry officials said a national task force has been constituted for developing a 'Strategy for Cancer Control in India during the 11th Five-Year Plan' (2007-12). New initiatives include information, education, communication (IEC) activities, research, monitoring and evaluation of the disease. According to the Indian Council Of Medical Research (ICMR), India loses above Rs.300 billion every year due to tobacco consumption and subsequent disease burdens. Monika Arora, director of NGO Hriday, said that smoke-free workplace is a must to reduce the burden of cancer and heart disease. 'I think the revenue loss due to tobacco consumption is much more than the revenue earned from the tobacco industry,' she said. Arora and her organisation work for creating tobacco-free environment in schools, colleges and universities across India. 'In up to 50 percent of cancer cases among men, tobacco is the key factor and over 20 percent of women fall prey to cancer due to the tobacco use,' she added. Bureau Report