India News Clips
 

‘Greatest honour’, shared with many - Nobel Chemistry Laureate - Venkatraman Ramakrishnan http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091209/jsp/nation/story_11840996.jsp# AMIT ROY Stockholm, Dec. 8: From his birthplace in Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu 57 years ago to the Aula Magna auditorium at Stockholm University, Venkatraman Ramakrishnan completed quite a journey today when he delivered his Nobel chemistry lecture. This year, three scientists have shared the prize for chemistry but Ramakrishan was picked ahead of his fellow winners, Thomas Steitz of Yale and Ada Yonath of the Weizmann Institute in Israel, to deliver the opening lecture. A packed lecture theatre, which included nearly 30 friends and relatives of Venkatraman, witnessed him open his lecture, ‘Decoding the genetic message: the 3D vision’, with the words: “This is the greatest honour a scientist can have.” Rather than claim, “I did it all by myself”, he showed pictures of all the “post docs” and colleagues who have collaborated with him at the Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge and elsewhere. In the audience were his wife Vera Rosenberry and stepdaughter Tania Kapka. His son, Raman, a physicist-turned-musician, flies in tomorrow for the royal prize-giving-cum-banquet on Thursday. An Indian lady who patted him encouragingly on the back said later: “I am his sister, Lalita - today he has surpassed even himself. We are all very proud of him.” Ramakrishnan’s co-winners referred to him affectionately in their lectures as “Venki”. Ramakrishnan’s wife Vera Rosenberry Ramakrishnan acknowledged the “hundreds, if not thousands”, of scientists all over the world who had been researching into ribosomes and associated

Indian Govt. reviewing policy for issue of visas to all foreigners of Pakistani origin http://www.newsonair.com/news.asp?cat=national&id=NN2035 Government is reviewing the policy for issue of visas to all foreigners of Pakistani origin. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Mr. Shashi Tharoor said that according to the extant guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs Heads of Indian Mission and Posts in the US has the discretion to grant visas to US and Canadian citizens of Pakistani origin. The move comes following FBI’s arrest of Canadian National of Pakistani origin Tahawwur Rana Hussain who was given a one-year Business visa, valid up to March 2011. His wife Samraz Rana Akhtar was granted a tourist visa for five years which was valid till August 2012. Mr. Tharoor said both visas have since been cancelled and the entire process of issuance of visas to Rana and his wife is being inquired into.

Tighter visa rules for UK-bound Indian IT workers http://www.ptinews.com/news/415242_Tighter-visa-rules-for-UK-bound-Indian-IT-workers PTI | STAFF WRITER | Prasun Sonwalkar London, Dec 9 (PTI) Britain has tightened immigration rules from January for Indian IT professionals seeking to move to the UK under inter-company transfers. From next year, workers in this category will need to have 12 months experience instead of six months as at present with their employer before they can be transferred to the UK, official sources said. The immigration category will be closed as a route to permanent settlement in the UK. This means that IT professionals who come to the UK under inter-company transfer will not be allowed to settle here permanently even after the mandatory stay of five years. Immigration officials also denied reports that the Tier 2 (Intra company transfer) category of the points-based system was providing a loophole for Indian IT companies to bring foreign workers into the UK.

Indian IT sector growing at 11% against global growth of 4% http://www.newsonair.com/news.asp?cat=Business&id=BN401 The Chief Executive and Managing Director of Infosys Kris Gopalakrishnan has said that against the global growth of four per cent, Indian IT sector will be registering eleven per cent in the coming years, providing employment opportunities to about two lakh people every year. Addressing a national summit on ' Changing Role of India in Global IT Business' at Kovalam in Kerala, he urged the IT sector to capitalise the big opportunity. AIR correspondent Pillai reports from Thiruvananthapuram that The international tourist destination Kovalam is hosting a two-day brain storming session on changing role of India in global IT business. Inaugurating the summit organized by the Confederation of Indian Industires, Kerala Chief Minister Mr V S Achuthanadhan said that about 2000 crore rupees will be invested by the state to enhance infrastructure facilities in major IT parks of the state. He said that Kerala’s IT export is more than double the national average. Attended by the whose who of Indian IT industry, the summit focuses on promoting Kerala as a major IT destination. Besides this, challenges from emerging IT destinations like China and Vietnam will be the focus of discussion.

Tata makes water filter for poor http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8399692.stm The Indian industrial conglomerate Tata Group has launched a new low-cost water purifier, aimed at lower-income households in rural areas. The Tata 'Swach' purifier is less than one metre tall, and does not need running water or electricity to work. The firm is hoping to revolutionise the business of providing clean water, a lack of which affects almost one billion people globally. Tata says the device is the result of a decade of research and development. The Tata Group includes India's largest carmaker Tata Motors, and also has interests in steelmaking, IT, and chemicals. Its Swach water device - named after the Hindi word for clean - will cost under 1,000 rupees ($21.50; £13), according to one Indian report. According to the latest Indian government survey of rural wages, in 2007/08, daily pay in rural areas can range from about 45 rupees a day for herd-keeping, to about 110 rupees a day for well digging. The Swach uses ash from rice milling to filter out bacteria, and also uses tiny silver particles to kill harmful germs that can lead to diseases like diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid. The health consequences of poor water quality are enormous for developing countries like India, with millions of people affected. Trying to provide safe drinking water for them has cost the government billions of rupees, but it continues to be a major hurdle. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/business/8399692.stm Published: 2009/12/07 17:11:02 GMT © BBC MMIX