Software Industry is Abetting Brain Drain

Software industry is the sunrise industry in India. Though it is only about $1 billion, which is much smaller than many traditional industries like steel, manufacturing, chemicals, etc., it has caught the imagination of the nation as the possible industry in which India can eventually dominate the world. It is also one of the few high-tech areas in which India has made its presence felt world wide, and this has helped change the perception of India with respect to technological advancement and has brought national pride. This has led to the desire by the nation and the government to support the industry even more.

The industry has been growing at about 40% per year. As the industry is highly labor intensive, its main raw material is the trained and highly skilled manpower. Nasscom estimates that the software industry will need about 20,000 people per year. Compare this to the total output in all engineering disciplines of the top 50 engineering institutes in the country, which is about 12,000 to 15,000! In this context, the brain-drain from engineering institutes like the IITs, primarily to the US , is a source of concern to the software industry. Besides the brain drain these institutes are also being put in the dock for not producing enough engineers to satisfy the needs of the software industry.

Though brain drain from these institutes and stagnant output of engineering colleges definitely contribute to the manpower shortage of the software industry, the software industry itself has contributed to brain drain and the shortage of manpower in no small measure by its short term approach to business.

It is well known that a good portion of the exports of software industry can be attributed to �body shopping�, in which people are placed on-site overseas for long periods of time and the software company placing them on-site makes a risk-free profit in dollars. This percentage has reduced over the years, and many companies have started doing more projects off-shore in India . Multinationals, who have started operations in India , have also helped in reducing this, as the very purpose of their opening offices here is to get work done in India . Still, a significant portion of exports, particularly of many smaller companies, can be attributed to �body shopping�.

Body shopping inevitably leads to brain drain. When people are placed for a long period of time in the US , it is inevitable that most such people will end up staying in the US, given our almost blinding attraction to the west. And it is well known that many of the people stationed abroad for long periods of time generally do not return. The software industry knows this quite well, but to meet the short-term targets and to make easy money without really doing any work (other than find the person to place overseas), it still continues to engage in this, thereby hurting its own long term interests.

The situation is worsened by small software companies, acting largely as placement agencies for sending software professionals abroad for clients (Bangalore , for example, is full of such companies). This active participation of the software industry in the brain drain from the country, and at the same time crying hoarse about the shortage of trained manpower, almost leads one to think that the industry is really seeking the extra output of engineers (at a cost to the tax payer and the government) only to export them outside and make a profit.

Let us try to estimate the contribution of the software industry to brain drain. Software industry currently employs about 70,000 engineers. The turnover in the industry is at least 20%. That is, 20% of the employees quit their jobs to take up some other job. As a conservative estimate, 40%-50% of these people who quit their jobs, take up jobs overseas, either by leaving the company when posted abroad or through these placement software companies. This means that this year itself about 6000 to 7000 software professionals will leave India with the help of software companies. We can estimate this number in another manner. The quota for India for H-1 visa (the visa that is generally used by software companies when they want to post people in US for a long time) is 20,000. That is, the US consulates in India have put a limit of 20,000 on H-1 visas. It is fair to assume that 30% to 40% (if not higher) of the people given H-1 visa never return. From this, the estimate of the brain drain volume from the software industry comes to 6000-8000 persons this year - similar to the estimate from the turnover percentage. Compare this number to the total brain drain from all the IITs this year, which, if we assume that half of the graduates will go abroad for higher studies, will be only about 1000 persons. In other words, the total brain drain from all the IITs will only be about 15% of the brain drain from the software industry!

Software industry has been growing at about 40% each year. As the output of the software industry is proportional to the engineers it employs, this means that the employment in the software industry in the previous three years was of the level 50,000, 35,000, and 20,000 respectively. Again, considering 10% loss to other countries (though in earlier years this figure is likely to be higher as more body shopping was being done earlier than now), we find that in 4 years (including this year), the software industry has �exported� about 18,000 software engineers � probably comparable to the brain drain from all the IITs in the last two decades!

From the software industry point of view, this brain drain is more serious than the brain drain of fresh graduates from the academic institutions, as in the brain drain from the industry, it is people with experience who are lost. And as is well known in the industry, it is the middle level people that are in most short supply.

What should be done to reduce the brain drain by the software industry? Even though it can be argued that brain drain has also helped India by creating a pool of NRIs who can invest, act as ambassadors, etc., it should be clear that there is a need to reduce the brain drain. The long term solution to the general problem of brain drain is to create an environment (in terms of opportunities, living conditions, wealth creation, etc.), in India that can obviate the need for people to emigrate overseas. However, in the short and medium term some policies and strategies have to be deployed to reduce this. One obvious approach is to reduce the activities that lead to brain drain. That is, minimize the long term stay of software personnel on-site by doing more work off-shore in India . Some companies are already moving in this direction. However, a lot of software companies are not likely to do this, thereby hurting those companies that are willing to take a long term view. Even some of the large software companies are not likely to accept this approach. And organizations like Nasscom are unlikely to support any such move, as many of its member companies do not agree with it.

As the industry itself is not likely to take steps to reduce this brain drain, one strategy to reduce this brain drain is to have proper policies imposed by the country in the larger interests of the nation and the software industry which restrict the brain drain. When the US wanted to put restrictions on H-1 visa, many policy makers and industry watchers believed that this will be in the long term benefit of the software industry in India . However, the software industry lobbied hard against it. Perhaps, the Government of India, in the interest of the country, should lobby with the US to bring in tighter restrictions for long-term visas but more liberal policies for short-term visas so that body shopping is reduced and the bona-fide software service business being conducted from India is encouraged. The software industry itself should take active measures to reduce this brain drain and organizations like Nasscom should regularly collect and publish data on the volume of brain drain from the software industry, just like it publishes the data about total volume of business and exports. And definitely the software organizations and the government should get together to identify and ban those software companies that are only placement agencies, and work out proper disincentives for �exports� that arise by people export. If some such measures are not taken, building a case for increased manpower production will not be perceived as serious, and the manpower shortage of the software industry will get more acute.

Facts about Software Usage in India

The software industry in India has a unique distinction - the revenue from domestic projects, as of now account for less than 50% of the total turnover of the software industry. Though in this day when there is a heavy emphasis on exports, this may sound good, it actually is also a potential source of concern.

The reason is that the software industry is essentially a support industry. The fundamental role of software is to to improve the functioning of some organization in some form, or solve some problem which will be hard to solve manually. The improvement may be in form of improved service, problem solving capability, information management, efficiency, or something else. In other words, the real success of the software industry should not be measured in terms of how much revenue they have generated, but how much enhancement they are able to induce in other industry segments. In this light, the high ratio of exports to domestic consumption of software is a disturbing trend - in exports the multiplying effect of the software goes to some other country.

A main reason for the domestic consumption not being high is lack of understanding of software, its processes, and its costs by the consumer organizations. For a long time consumers of IT goods thought that software is "free", and the main thing in IT is the hardware. Little was it realized that hardware, without proper software is almost literally a piece of metal and silicon junk. This mentality, unfortunately, was also reinforced by some hardware vendors, who at the time of selling their machines, either promised to "give software for free" or convinced the buyer that software is something that the buyer can easily do himself. And this is as far from truth as it can be!

BROADLY speaking, software can be broken into three categories - system software, software packages, and application software. System software comprises of operating systems compilers, editors, etc., which typically come with the machine. Software packages like DBASE, LOTUS, ORACLE etc. are general utility programs that can be used to develop applications in some domain more easily. Application software is that are used to provide a computer based solution to some problem of an organization. Some examples of such softwares are, software for payroll processing, banking, railway/airline reservations, inventory management, decision support system, etc.

It is the application software that makes the IT investment useful to an organization. Generally, typical application software depends on the needs, characteristics, and methods of the organization, and has to be developed specially for the organization and cannot be bought as an off-the-shelf product. And as things stand today, getting software developed is not cheap.

Let us see the order of software costs from the view point of a client. One way to estimate the size and complexity of an application is the function points approach. By this method, a medium sized business application requiring 10-12 reports to be printed, having 8-10 different types of input, a few interface files, and a dozen odd different types of queries, will have about 200 function points. Typical productivity in the software industry is of the order of 10 function points per person-month. This means that this application will require about 20 person-months to develop. That is, a team of 4 software engineers will develop this system in about 5 months. As many good organizations charge between Rs 6 - 10 lakhs per person-year, in terms of money such an application will cost at least Rs 12 lakhs! And it can easily run on a workstation or a system consisting of a server and a few PCs costing about 6 - 8 lakhs! So, in India also, as the hardware costs have fallen over the years and the salaries of software personnel have grown, the reversal of hardware-software cost ratio has occurred. Only, many organizations still do not seem to realize it!

Being ready to pay the cost of software is not the complete story. Another reason for organizations not getting proper returns from their automation plans is that organizations do not understand software, the process of producing software, and software quality.

It is now known that to produce quality software, the developing organization has to follow well laid out software engineering methodologies. Unfortunately, there are many software organizations who will not follow these methods and do a poor job of developing the software, but bid low for a job. Due to lack of appreciation of software quality and software development process, a consumer cannot understand why a company will charge 20 lakhs, while the team of boys out of school is willing to do it for one tenth the cost. They find out the reason the hard way - when low quality software with poor user interface and without proper documentation gets delivered, which keeps failing, loosing data and records, and is not liked by the people who have to use it. The other approach, which the more aware companies will take, is to give the contract to some well known, reputed company. They will get good software but will probably be charged more due to their inability to distinguish well from bad and effectively use competitive forces to reduce costs.

Getting quality application software developed is actually not an easy task. It requires sufficient knowledge about the software development process to be able to distinguish between a "mature" software organization that has reasonable software development processes in place, and an "immature" organization, which produces software in an ad-hoc manner, and is therefore more likely to produce a low quality software. Being able to make this distinction is necessary in selecting proper vendors for giving the contract. Furthermore, the customer organization also has to play an active role during the development of software, if it wants the software to satisfy its objectives - even the ISO9000 standards for software companies specify that the customer organization play a key role during software development. Unless the customer organization analyses the capability of the software developers and plays its the proper role during software development, it is likely to end up wasting its investment in computerization and IT.

Cancerians

June 22 to July 22
Cancer traits, both good and bad:
Cancer Positive Traits
Loving and Emotional Shrewd and cautiousSensitive and nurturing Intuitive as well as imaginative Sympathetic and Protective
Cancer Negative Traits
Indecisive and moody Over-emotional and sensitive Clinging and possessive

Cancer Personality
ProfileEmotional sometimes, Cancer sun sign people tend to be some of the more caring people in our world. They are very loving and value family and friends over fame or fortune. You will always find this loving person with a dear pet of some sort.Extremely intuitive and imaginative, these people make great artists and designers. You will find them where ever there is a need for creativity and flare. Never underestimate the scope of their imagination either.Freedom loving, courageous and pioneering. Loves adventure, is self assertive and has as abundance of energy. Can be enterprising and will work from sun up to sun down, the Cancerian will run not walk. He is generally forceful by nature and very direct.Not a risk taker, the astrological sign of cancer is not likely to be betting the farm on a not so well thought out venture. Rest assured this wise person will be checking all the angles before plunging in to anything.A few negatives: Can be seen as selfish, rash and quick tempered. Sometimes coming across as quarrelsome and aggressive. Often emotional and highly sensitive. May show impatience at times, while also having a devious side. Is self pitying with an unforgiving and possessive tendency.Cancer is very protective. Cancer people are very protective and sympathetic to those around them. They are very capable of "feeling your pain" whether it be physical, financial or emotional. They will help out to, as long as it is clear they are not being taken advantage of. When they are shining Cancer is sensitive and caring, kind and sympathetic, they have an urge to care for and nurture people. This trait expresses itself particularly well with things concerning the family and home life. This can be considered the "softer" side of the Cancer personality. However lurking in the shadows is the hard side, which can be self-centered an enterprising. The Cancerian person tends to be kind and caring individuals with a natural sense to nurture and care for others, especially their loved ones. They are very protective and can be quite defensive at times. They may be emotional and sentimental often seeming to be extremely touchy.Often seen as having a keen sense of perception and observation and the ability to construct things in their imagination. Cancerians are meditative and have keen abilities to concentrate. They are creative and have a natural tendency to study and analyze things. Cancerians make some of the best students and can learn most anything that they set their minds to.They are shrewd and intuitive, resourceful and imaginative and know when to reach out to others. They love adventure and have an abundant source of energy, always seeming to be full of self assurance . But, there is a hard shell to go along with their seemingly softer underside, which is very tough and hard to penetrate. At times their nurturing may suddenly turn defensive, accompanied by erratic mood swings and outburstsThe cancer zodiac sign can be extremely protective of a vulnerable underside. The hard shell appearance is outwardly tough and impenetrable, but deep inside cancer is highly caring and sensitive, even if they manage to hide it well from the rest of the world.Cancer Health ConcernsThis zodiac sign having the tough outer shell of the crab also has it’s soft belly. Even though they may seem cool and in control on the surface, they quite often are prone to emotional disruptions. While desiring the feeling of security, uncertainty in life may cause the agitation, which in turn makes them susceptible to gastric problems.Heartburn, gastric disorders and obesity are of major concern to the Cancerian. Although they are supportive of others close to them, they usually suffer in silence as they are not ones who communicate freely.Water retention is also common among Cancerians. They should avoid high fat foods and learn to talk openly about things that bother them as to avoid any chances of stomach ulcers. Watch food intake as Canerians are often the greatest of worriers, which may in turn lead to overeating and an expanding waistline.Cancer sun-sign is very imaginative.When they are tuned in to their own natural rhythms, Cancerians are imaginative, intuitive and resourceful, often realizing when it's good to reach out to others and when to back off, withdrawing into their inner self.When in sync with their life, Cancerians are resourceful, imaginative and have natural intuition. They seem to know when and how to reach out to others in need and also when to withdraw within themselves.At the same time they have the dilemma of being ambitious and forceful while being sensitive and nurturing. This makes it practically impossible to understand the Cancerians contradictive nature and certainly how to deal with one.Cancerians sometimes experience trouble deciding between the ambitious, tough and outgoing side of their nature and the somewhat sensitive, inward looking part of themselves. This can cause inner conflict and mood swings, making it almost impossible for others to assess how they will react to a given situation. Cancerians can be possessive at timesCancer has a complex inferiority problem sometimes, so that any hurt, imagined or real, is magnified. cancer sometimes shows a tendency to look back at, and hold on to, things in the past. This is a sign of their inner possessiveness. It also highlights a natural conservative aspect of them. As a cardinal sign, they will often be the initiators of change. Having a deep inferiority complex anything said or done to them may offend them, be it real or imagined, it is pondered upon. They may tend to hold on to the past, having an exceedingly hard time with letting go. Consequently, they will often initiate the changes if any are to come.Here are some interesting Cancer facts:* Ruled by the Moon* Primary color is silver* Birthstone is Pearl and Moonstone* Lucky day is Friday* Lucky numbers are 8 and 3* Lucky colors are silver and white* Best location for success is: near or on water The Cancer Sun Sign - Zodiac Sign InformationCancer is the forth zodiac sign. Cancer represents the crab sent by the goddess Hera. According to Greek Mythology it gives lasting fame to the crab as it was sent to combat Hercules, Hera’s old enemy. As Hercules himself was embattled in his second series of the “Twelve Labors” with the destruction of the nine headed serpent “Hydra”. During the battle the crab was said to have nipped at Hercules’ ankles but was in turn crushed under foot. As the crabs reward Hera is said to have raised it to the heavens.

Gk facts about India

Indian Awards
Arjuna Award :The Arjuna Awards were instituted in 1961 by the government of India to recognize outstanding achievement in National sports. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 300,000, a bronze statuette of Arjuna and a scroll.
Ashoka Chakra Award :Awarded for the "most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent valour or self-sacrifice" other than in the face of the enemy. The decoration may be awarded either to military of civilian personnel and may be awarded posthumously.
Bharat Ratna :Bharat Ratna is India's highest civilian award, awarded for the highest degrees of national service. This service includes artistic, literary, and scientific achievements, as well as "recognition of public service of the highest order". Unlike knights, holders of the Bharat Ratna carry no special title nor any other honorifics, but they do have a place in the order of precedence. Bharat Ratna roughly translates as 'Gem of India'. It was established by the President of India, on 2nd January, 1954.
Dadasaheb Phalke Award :The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is an annual award given by the Indian government for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema. It was instituted in 1969, the birth centenary year of Dadasaheb Phalke, considered the father of Indian cinema.
Dronacharya Award :Dronacharya Award is an award presented by the government of India for excellence in sports coaching. The award comprises of a bronze statuette of Dronacharya, a scroll of honour and a cash component of Rs.75,000. The award was instituted in 1985. As the best sportsperson award is named Arjuna Award, it is appropriate that the coaching award is named after Dronacharya, as he was the Guru of Arjuna.
Gandhi Peace Prize :The International Gandhi Peace Prize, named after Mahatma Gandhi, is awarded annually by the government of India for outstanding work and contribution to social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods.
Indira Gandhi Prize :The Indira Gandhi Prize or the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize or the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is the prestigious award accorded annually by India to individuals or organisations in recognition of creative efforts toward promoting international peace, development and a new international economic order; ensuring that scientific discoveries are used for the larger good of humanity, and enlarging the scope of freedom.
The Jnanpith Award : The Jnanpith Award is the highest literary honour conferred in the Republic of India. It is presented by the Jnanpith Trust, which is largely owned by the Jain family, publishers of The Times of India.
Kirti Chakra :Kirti Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valor, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Maha Vir Chakra. It is second in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards; it comes after Ashoka Chakra and before Shaurya Chakra. Before 1967, the award was known as the Ashoka Chakra, Class II.
The Maha Vir Chakra :The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) is the second highest military decoration in India and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. It may be awarded posthumously.
Padma Bhushan:The Padma Bhushan is an Indian civilian decoration established on January 2, 1954 by the President of India. It stands third in the hierarchy of civilian awards, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Sri. It is awarded to recognize distinguished service of a high order to the nation, in any field.
Padma Shri :Padma Shri is an award given by the Government of India generally to Indian citizens to recognize their distinguished contribution in various spheres of activity including Arts, Education, Industry, Literature, Science, Sports, Social Service and public life.
Padma Vibhushan :The Padma Vibhushan is India's second highest civilian honour. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India.It was established on January 2, 1954. It follows the Bharat Ratna and precedes the Padma Bhushan. It is awarded to recognize exceptional and distinguished service to the nation in any field, including government service. The award was briefly suspended from July 13, 1977 to January 26, 1980.
Param Vir Chakra :The Param Vir Chakra is an Indian military decoration given for valour in combat operations. It is India's highest military honour.
Pravasi Bharatiya Community Service Award :The Pravasi Bharatiya Community Service Award is an honour granted annually by the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), to honour persons of Indian ancestry for their contributions to countries they are members of.
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman :The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman is an award constituted by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs in conjunction with the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, to honor exceptional and meritorious contribution in their chosen field/profession.
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna :The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (RGKR) is India’s highest honour given for achievement in sports. The words "Khel Ratna" literally translate to "Sports Gem" in Hindi. The award is named after the late Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India. It carries a medal, a scroll of honour and a substantial cash component. As of 2004-05, when the award was last bestowed, the cash component stands at Rs. 500,000/- (c.11,500 USD)
Rashtrapati Award :Rashtrapati Awards are given by the President of India. They are given to award excellence in various fields. The award-giving ceremony is conducted in the Rashtrapati Bhavan - the President's official residence.
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award :The Sangeet Natak Akademi Award is given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi - India's apex body for performing arts. It is the highest national recognition given to practicing artistes. It carries a purse money is Rs. 50,000/-, a shawl and a Tamrapatra.
Sena Medal :Awarded to members of the army, of all ranks, "for such individual acts of exceptional devotion to duty or courage as have special significance for the Army." Awards may be made posthumously and a bar is authorized for subsequent awards of the Sena Medal.
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award :The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) Prizes are awarded annually by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) to outstanding Indian research workers in seven disciplines of science and technology. The SSB Prizes are awarded to scientists for their outstanding scientific contributions made primarily in India during last 5 years preceding the year of the award are eligible for the Prize. The SSB Prize comprising a citation, a plaque and a cash award of Rupees two lakh (Rs. 200,000) is given to each selected person
Shaurya Chakra :Shaurya Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valor, courageous action or self-sacrifice while not engaged in direct action with the enemy. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, sometimes posthumously. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Vir Chakra. It is generally awarded for Counter-Insurgency ops & actions against the enemy during peace-time. It is third in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards and comes after Ashoka Chakra and Kirti Chakra. It precedes the Sena Medal. Before 1967, the award was known as the Ashoka Chakra, Class III.
Shilp Guru :Shilp Guru is an award conferred by Government of India every year to the master craftspersons in innovating different styles and designs of the traditional craftsmanship, to continue with the highest level of aesthetic character, quality and skill in the traditional Indian Handicrafts .They were started in 2002 when 10 eminent master Craftpersons were honoured with "Shilp Guru" title by the President of India.
Shram Awards :The Prime Minister's Shram Awards were instituted in 1985 by Government of India. This national award is conferred on workers for outstanding contribution to improve productivity, innovation, indigenisation resulting in saving foreign exchange as also long exceptional dedicated work.
They are four types of awards:
* Shram Ratna* Shram Bhushan* Shram Vir / Shram Veerangana* Shram Devi/Shram Shree
Vir Chakra :Vir Chakra is an Indian gallantry award presented for acts of bravery in the battle field. Award of the decoration carried with it the right to use Vr.C. as a postnominal abbreviation (note the care to distinguish this abbreviation from that for the Victoria Cross (V.C.). It is third in precedence in the war time gallantry awards and comes after the Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra.
Wound Medal :The Wound Medal is an Indian Military award given to those who sustain "wounds as a result of direct enemy action in any type of operations or counter-insurgency actions." Eligible categories include all ranks of the Indian military, including reserve and territorial forces, and members of the Railway Protection Force, police, Home Guards, civil defense, or any other organization specified by the government. Aircrews who, in the course of bailing out of an aircraft destroyed by hostile action may be awarded if they sustain injuries (and not, specifically, "wounds").The medal may not be awarded posthumously. Specific provision is made for bars for subsequent awards.Established: 1973, by the President of India (with effect from 15 August 1947).
Yudh Seva Medal :Awarded for a high degree of distinguished services in an operational context. In many ways, this is an operational version of the Vishisht Seva Medal which, since 1980, has been restricted to non-operational awards.Established: 1980.





Friday, January 5, 2007Firsts in India
First British Governor General Warren Hastings
First British Governor General of Independent India Lord Mountbatten
First Chief Justice of India Hiralal J Kania
First Commander-in-Chief of Free India General K M Cariappa
First Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sir Thomos Elmhirst
First Indian Air Chief Air Marshal S Mukherjee
First Chief of Army Staff General M Rajendra Singh
First Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral R D Katari
First Cosmonaut Sqn Ldr Rakesh Sharma
First Female Graduates Kadambini Ganguly and Chandramukhi Basu
First Female Head of an Undergraduate Academic Institution Chandramukhi Basu
First Female Honours Graduate Kamini Roy
First Female Lawyer Cornelia Sorabjee
First Female Physician Kadambini Ganguly
First Field Marshal SHFJ Manekshaw
First Governor-General of Indian Union C Rajagopalachari
First Graduate in Medicine Soorjo Coomar Goodeve Chuckerbutty
First Indian to get an Oscar Bhanu Athaiya
First Indian to reach the South Pole Col I K Bajaj
First Indian to win a major literary award in the United States Dhan Gopal Mukerji
First Indian to win an Olympic medal Norman Pritchard
First Indian ICS Officer Satyendranath Tagore
First Indian Man to swim across the English Channel Mihir Sen
First Indian Woman to swim across the English Channel Miss Arati Saha
First Magsaysay Award Winner Acharya Vinod Bhave
First Nobel Prize Winner Rabindranath Tagore
First President of the Indian National Congress W C Bonnerjee
First President of the India Rajendra Prasad First Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru First Deputy Prime Minister of India Vallabhbhai Patel
First Talkie Film Alam Ara (1931)
First Woman President of the Indian National Congress Annie Besant
First Woman Prime Minister Indira Gandhi First Woman Minister Rajkumari Amrit Kaur First Woman Chief Minister of a State Sucheta Kripalani First Woman Governor Sarojini Naidu First Woman central Minister Vijayalakshmi Pandit First Woman Speaker of a State Assembly Mrs Shanno Devi
First Woman Airline Pilot Durga Banerjee
First Woman to Win Asiad Gold Kamlijit Sandhu
First Woman to Win an Olympic medal Karnam Malleswari
First Woman Judge of Supreme Court Meera Sahib Fatima Beevi
First Woman IPS Officer Kiran Bedi
First Woman to Win Miss Universe Title Sushmita Sen
First Woman to win the Ford Supermodel of the World (contest) Bipasha Basu
First Woman to Win Nobel Prize Mother Teresa
First Woman to win Miss World title Reita Faria
Labels: History
posted by Proud Indian @ 6:11 AM 0 Comments
Thursday, January 4, 2007BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES:
Agronomy: soil management and production of field cropsAgrostology: grassesAnatomy: structure of animals, plants or human bodyAnthropology: origin, physical and cultural development of mankindAstronomy: heavenly bodiesBacteriology: bacteriaBiochemistry: chemical processes of living thingsBiology: living beingsBiometry: application of maths to study of living thingsBotany: plantsChemotherapy: treatment of disease using chemical substancesCryogenics: production, control and application of very low temperaturesDactylography: fingerprintsEcology: relation of animals and plants to their surroundings and environmentEntomology: insectsEthology: animal behaviourGenealogy: family origins and historyGenetics: phenomena of heredity and laws of governing itGerontology: old age, its phenomena, diseases, etcHistology: tissuesMycology: fungiOdontology: teethOsteology: bonesPaleontology: fossilsPhthisiology: tuberculosisPhycology: algae
Courtsey : Apeksha Ahluwalia
( I received on good article on "Stem cell" . It will be of good help for Group Discussion Preparations. I can not put it on this website due to copyright reasons. Those Who are interested can send me email at : indiagk1@rediffmail.com . I will forward the attachment received from Apeksha. Thanks to apeksha.)
Labels: Biological Sciences
posted by Proud Indian @ 11:16 AM 0 Comments
Unique Vehicle reg. code in India
AN — Andaman & Nicobar IslandsAP — Andhra PradeshAR — Arunachal PradeshAS — AssamBR — BiharCH — ChandigarhCG — ChhattisgarhDD — Daman and DiuDL — Dilli (Delhi)DN — Dadra and Nagar HaveliGA — GoaGJ — GujaratHP — Himachal PradeshHR — HaryanaJH — JharkhandJK — Jammu & KashmirKA — KarnatakaKL — KeralaLD — LakshadweepMH — MaharashtraML — MeghalayaMN — ManipurMP — Madhya PradeshMZ — MizoramNL — NagalandOR — OrissaPB — PunjabPY — PondicherryRJ — RajasthanSK — SikkimTN — Tamil NaduTR — TripuraUA — UttaranchalUP — Uttar PradeshWB — West BengalLabels: Vehivke Numbering System India

Educational

Indian Business Tycoonshttp://gk-india.blogspot.com/2006/12/adi-godrej-adi-godrej-is-present.html

Inventions : Who invented Whathttp://gk-india.blogspot.com/2006/12/inventions-who-invented-what.html

International Awards ( Oscars ,Booker , Nobel prize etc )http://gk-india.blogspot.com/2006/12/international-awards.html

Countries - Currencieshttp://gk-india.blogspot.com/2006/12/currency-by-country.html
: Economic Terms, Glossaries and Definitions :http://gk-india.blogspot.com/2006/12/economic-terms-glossaries-and.html
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List of COuntries by Their GDP :http://gk-india.blogspot.com/2006/12/countries-gdp.html
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Punchlines of Indian & Foreign COmpanies , Brands and Products :http://gk-india.blogspot.com/2006/12/companies-brands-their-taglines-part-1.html
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Top COmpanies of The World & their CEos :http://gk-india.blogspot.com/2006/12/companies-chief-executive-officers.html
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Indian cabinet Ministers - Who is Minister of which department:http://gk-india.blogspot.com/2006/12/indian-cabinet-ministers.html
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Top Dot COm Companies of the World :http://gk-india.blogspot.com/2006/12/top-dot-com-companies-of-world.html
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Various Indian Awards & Descrition about the same :http://gk-india.blogspot.com/2006/12/indian-awards.html
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Indian News Papers :http://gk-india.blogspot.com/2006/12/indian-news-papers.html
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Players of Indian origin in national cricket teams of other countries :http://gk-india.blogspot.com/2006/12/players-of-indian-origin-in-national.html
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Renamed Indian Cities : ( Bombay -Mumbai , Baroda -Vadodara etc.)http://gk-india.blogspot.com/2006/12/renamed-indian-cities.html
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Various Indian Dances :http://gk-india.blogspot.com/2006/12/gk-india.html
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Languages of India :http://gk-india.blogspot.com/2006/12/official-languages-of-india-1.html
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Indian States & Territories :http://gk-india.blogspot.com/2006/12/indian-state-and-union-territory.html
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Indian magazines :http://gk-india.blogspot.com/2006/12/indian-magazines.html

Amitabh Bhachan's Interview with DT MArvellous read it once

1. I guess you are feeling these days much like a section of the Muslim community is often made to feel in this nation: Keep providing proof that you care for Mumbai and Maharashtra

Firstly, the premise of your query is something that I do not contribute to or believe in. I am also therefore, not qualified to address it in the manner you put it. So can we just remain with my part as an individual and not attempt to grind two stones in one stroke.

Secondly, I have said it before and shall say it again, that I shall conduct myself, a proud citizen of this country, according to, the Law of the land and its Courts, the Constitution and my conscience. Courts, Constitution and Conscience, my three C’s !! Nothing and no one shall find a place, even remotely, into these honourable portals.

Every individual in a free society has the freedom of expression and speech. And I honour and respect that.
But those that question me and my deeds or non deeds, need to know a simple fact.
I am a public figure, not a public official. I am not a democratically elected representative of the people, neither do I hold any Government public office. I am answerable ONLY to the three C’s and nothing else. People have the right to question me, as they do and must. But they do not have the right to demand proof for any activity of mine, particularly when they themselves are not eligible for such a misguided, heedless and a totally inappropriate, task.

2. Must be depressing and hurtful. To be made to feel like an outsider in a city where you have spent a lifetime in. Goons have been chucking beer bottles inside your premises.

I shall feel depressed and hurt if I have betrayed my conscience. Nothing else. I am not an outsider by any stretch of imagination. This land is my land as much as it is of every other citizen of our beloved country. I came to Mumbai in 1968 to pursue a vocation. I did not need a visa to come here. I have made this city my home for the last 40 years. I bought my first car here, and my own house. I met and married my wife in this city and both my children were born here. Both my children were married in this city from that same house. My two grand children were born in this city. My Father and my Mother spent their last years in Mumbai and died here. They were put to flames here and their ashes have mingled with the earth of this city.
This city gave me name and fame beyond anything that I may have deserved or hoped for. I am not leaving this city and going anywhere !!

Let them chuck a thousand bottles. Let them burn my effigies and conduct morchas in front of my house. Let them blacken my film posters and stop the screening of my films. Let them attack me with stones and lathis or whatever else is there in their arsenal. Let them abuse me in the print and electronic media. Let them implicate me in false cases and send me to jail.

I am not budging !!

They will have to shoot me to get rid of me !!

3. Do you accept the fact that you are one, paying the price of your enormous popularity and two, are a victim of desperate communal politics that has been unleashed by the MNS. You have been turned into the mascot of communal hatred without you enrolling for the job!

I do not accept what you insinuate, simply because I am illiterate about these aspects. You and your ilk, who are the keepers of this nation, are more educated than I am, to address this.

4. The latest Saamna piece comparing your situation with Rajnikanth must have hurt too. Although Bal Thackeray issued a clarification, the damage was done.

I feel honoured that I have a friend in Rajnikant and even more honoured that, despite my insignificance, I am brought into comparison with him. Bala Saheb has been a father figure to us and shall remain so, ever. In my growing up years my parents taught me that ‘when elders speak, the young listen quietly’. I quietly accept whatever my elder or his outfit has expressed.

5. Will the attacks on your loyalty to Maharashtra compel you to alienate yourself from doing things for your home state, UP? And will you now try harder to do more visible social work in Maharashtra? Say, opening a school for girls out here?

Accusations and insinuations are not going to make me change the course of my conscience. I shall do what I want to do and what I feel needs to be done ; whether it is in Maharashtra, or UP or Bihar or Punjab or Bengal or TamilNadu or any part of the Country. The people of this country have loved and given unbounded affection to my family and me. I am equal in the eyes of the entire nation and no one should stipulate what I must do or not. My sense of fairness and fortitude is not up for scrutiny.

6. Correct me if I am wrong, but your continued involvement with UP has perhaps more to do with your friendship with Amar Singh rather than deep emotions attached with that state. And either the Maharashtra politicians don’t understand this or simply don’t want to understand this.

You are wrong. And I shall correct you. Where was Amar Singhji when I fought the election from Allahabad. What does anyone, you included, know of my connections with UP, prior to my association with Amar Singhji. It is as though my association with any issue is a problem with the so called ‘discerning’. Repeatedly, the Amar Singhji factor is brought to the forefront, whenever the media or other exalted bodies have been unable to find credible reason on the matter under question. Its an assessment that I have lived through year after year. When it was Bofors, the tale was - “Its your proximity to the Gandhi’s that is your problem “. Conveniently, it swiftly changes to “my non proximity to the Gandhi’s that is my problem”, in more recent times. I suspect the same would happen if Amar Singhji were to find himself in the seat of power in the future, or some equally exciting permutation. How interesting to see what their refrain would be then. So I am attacked because of “my proximity to Bala Saheb”, I and my Miss World is attacked because of “my proximity to SP”. And on and on and on. Your argument Anil, as you can see is not as simplistic as it sounds.
Sometimes in life, situations demand the proverbial ‘whipping horse’. And there are a few ‘chosen’ people in this country that fit that bill.

7. Do you find it scary that netas in India keep getting away with it despite spewing communal venom, which is unlawful and unconstitutional?

I have zero political acumen. This could best be answered by one that has.

8. Do you feel insecure in Mumbai these days? Are you a worried man?

No. The State has provided me with security, which they feel is adequate. I have faith in the Maharashtra and Mumbai Police.

9. Your message for Raj Thackeray. And please eschew diplomacy out here, things seem to be going out of hand.

N.A

10. Your message for Marathi speaking people of Mumbai on the auspicious occasion of Gudi Padva…

On this auspicious occasion wishing all a very happy and prosperous Gudi Padva.

> thanks
> anil

Thank you,
Amitabh bachchan

Tags: AB, Amitabh, Bachchan, BigB, Interview, Mumbai Mirror, Times of India Posted in Interviews

AB interview to Delhi Times

April 17, 2008 - 10:48 am 26 Comments

I.
Political stalwarts in both Maharashtra and UP seem to single you out for personal attacks and go out of the way to levy accusations and charges against you. The ‘Maharashtrian’ leaders give you a UP tag while the irony is that, at the same time, the UP CM spares no opportunity to prove a point against you. No other figure in the entertainment industry has been so specifically targeted by the political class, even if he has been charged in cases ranging from drunken driving to possession of illegal weapons. Why has this degree of animosity built up against you from powerful people about whom you have never said anything in public till today?

An interesting sms that I received from an unknown source recently seems to be the chosen answer to your query. It had said : “ The Maharashtra politicians say I contribute to UP.. the UP politician says your contribution(stamp duty) is insufficient.. Let the two Governments decide amongst themselves first who is more wronged, before dragging you in on this”.

It’s a legacy I have lived with for a major portion of my life as a public figure and one for which I have been unable to find a credible answer or solution. I have expressed anger and anguish over it. Laughed over it. Kept ‘dignified’ silences over it. Ignored it and at times fought it, publicly and legally. It is now a constant in my existence. Better to accept this than waste precious time in unraveling the mystery.

You term it an ‘animosity’. I think it is deep love. It is a credential most envied and desired. How absolutely enthralling to have the high and mighty of the nation making you the object of their concern. Questioning anxiously, matters as serious as, the reason behind the growth of my French beard, my descent from the skies in a film in a parachute bearing the colors of the national flag, to, an entire machinery of Government bureaucracy drafting notices on the non recognition of two trees – a peepul and a palm – on barren land where a school for girls is being built by me, or the Revenue Department being instructed from ‘higher ups’, to investigate the cost of a pair of plastic dark glasses worn by me, as seen in a tabloid photograph !!
It demonstrates alarmingly, the absolute bankruptcy of thought among the decision makers of the land and their deep interest and dependence on insignificant and frivolous issues. Issues that have been labeled ‘Amitabh Bachchan’. Yes, there have been serious matters too – Bofors, foreign exchange violations, election commission anomalies, violation of tobacco laws, farmer status and land acquisition and many more – all having been dismissed by relevant Tribunals, quasi judicial bodies, Honorable High Courts and the Supreme Court. It would be naïve to imagine that all these litigations arose out of extreme public interest, without the direct-indirect support or interest of political machinations. I wonder if ever, so much political interest has been taken, on an entity, entirely non-political.

Many in the media counter this belief of mine and maybe they are justified. Public figures and the politics of a nation have seldom remained too far apart. Vested interest, from both parties, has often been quoted as the cause for it. Media interest in such occurrences has helped fan circulation economics. Exoneration has never been highlighted, accusation always sensationalized. Nothing wrong in that. It’s the way media commerce is run, much in the way the song and dance routine is run as an integral part of Indian commercial escapist cinema. After a recent dismissal by the Courts in my favor, a section of the media actually expressed immense regret at the decision; they having had to kill a juicy negative headline story they had prepared on me !!

I cannot say why there is ‘specific target’ on me therefore, by the ‘political class’ and I shall not comment on the guarded references you make to other alleged offenders within my Industry, except that we have all, in every circumstance, followed the Law of the Land and its Constitution, more diligently than many others, not in our fraternity, for crimes decidedly more severe.

There is the factor of immediate and effective publicity that comes into play the moment a celebrity is targeted. Media loves to give it the pride of place and prominence and not without reason. In a land of ‘have- nots’, the seeming ‘haves’ are looked upon as the ‘villains’ of society and the cause and reason, for all that is going wrong in it. Comes with the territory. So our mantra – be vigilant and careful even as you sleep and be prepared for the ultimate abuse and action for the smallest of error. It’s a tough call. As humans we will err. But we remember always, that if we fault, no one will leave us and if we do not, nobody can touch us. The law of the land will prevail.

II.
I recall that many years ago, when I was just a reader and not a journalist, I read a detailed interview of yours which ended with you quoting John Dryden’s line, ‘beware the fury of a patient man’…

That line of course must have been brought back to you several times. I was reading an interview you gave in 2001 where the interviewer mentioned Dryden’s line to you, and asked you to elaborate on the thought behind it. Your response was –

“See, obviously it came from a feeling of being ostracized, of being victimised. And when the victimisation is too large for you to battle it immediately because you have an entire hostile government, an entire hostile media, you have hostile people on the streets since that’s the kind of impression that has been built up, it is very difficult to fight. So you remain quiet. You take it on your face. You take it on your chin and then wait to disprove that.”

How different is today from then? You still have a hostile media, as you said in your email. You would have good reason to feel ostracized, the way the senseless question of your Mumbai / Maharashtra loyalty is raised. There still are hostile people on the streets, and now they are sometimes violent too. And there is a hostile government, in UP at least, not that the one at the Centre or in Maharashtra is a very neutral one vis-à-vis you. I realize that it is in your nature to not stand up to respond to every inconsequential bit of gossip, but do you not think that by being patient and holding your peace for far longer periods than most people would, you allow those engaging in campaigns against you to occupy much more of the public mindspace than they otherwise deserve? Your interview in Mirror today is your first public response to many issues, and even it is a no-names-taken, dignified one. How furious is this patient man today, and how does he manage to keep quiet for so long in the face of extreme provocation?

You answer your question, within the question.

Once you use the term ‘inconsequential gossip’, there really is no need for a consequential reply.
‘Campaigns against me to occupy more public mindspace’ are structured to strike at an opportune moment for maximum effect. If people behind these designs seek opportune moments, surely I will and must have the liberty to do the same. I shall hold my peace till as long as I want to and bring it up when I feel it to be an opportune moment. Admittedly, the media has the right to dictate moments in the public sphere, but it never will have the right to dictate the functioning of my mind.

The media thought it an opportune moment to aggressively bring to the fore, incidents connected with the Miss World Contest in Bangaleru(Bangalore) many years ago, when ABCL my company was event managing it. Leaders from all hues of politics descended to deride the occasion and the press delighted itself in front paged headlines. Including your paper The Times of India, when ironically, your own house magazine, Femina, officially conducts the contest to pick the Indian representation. The bone of contention and the virulent refrain during Miss World was the ‘immoral’ act of women parading in swimsuits. That was over 10 years ago. But every year since, and even before, Femina has conducted and continues to conduct, contests for the Indian representation to Miss World, without incident, or any politics !!

And let me tell you more. The very next day after the Miss World Contest ended in Bangaleru, there was another Contest conducted in the same city called the Miss Lingerie Contest, where women and men demonstrated on a catwalk various designs of women and men’s under wear !!

Not a word was mentioned either by the press, or the politician !

I have brought this up several times through interviews, but it has always been conveniently edited. This answer too shall receive the royal axe by you by the time it comes out on print, because it questions the credibility of the media. But, even though I expect this to happen I am not too alarmed. This piece will also go out through the net to the rest of the world, for I believe this to be an opportune moment.

III.
Apparently a film called Yaar Meri Zindagi that starred you and Shatrughan many, many years back will finally be released soon. A question from here - Do you stay in touch, have any association with those who were also stars when your career was in its initial years, but today have faded out, while you continue to be, to use a cliché, a superstar? People like Shashi Kapoor, Vinod Khanna, Shatrughan Sinha, Rajesh Khanna…

I am no superstar and no actor fades away. Shashiji has voluntarily taken a sabbatical due to health reasons, Vinod, Shatrughan and Rajesh Khanna still work, and quite effectively, in the medium.

IV.
Your Unforgettables tour is being talked about since it is supposed to be your first tour in 25 years – I use supposed because I am not sure about this fact, it’s what I read – are you embarking on it after this long a gap primarily since Abhishek and Ash are part of it, or is it something you wanted to do but didn’t have time for earlier? How much does something like this excite you today?

Yes the Concert Tour comes to me after a very long gap. I remember the year of having pioneered it, way back in 1981 and ending it around 1993. It’s a frightening proposition at age 66, but I am happy that we have several energetic and very popular youngsters in the troupe to take maximum charge. Abhishek and Aishwarya being there is of course the primary reason, especially, since the one off performance we gave together at an IIFA event, went of successfully.

V.
Jessica Hines has described you in a most charming manner as “a cross between Clint Eastwood, Al Pacino, Elvis, but with more than a hint of John Travolta”. Your take on this?

I absolutely abhor this habit of continuously trying to find comparatives of indigenous produce, with those of some equivalence, with the Western World. I find this abusive of our status, however insignificant it may be. We are Indian and proud of our inheritance and presence. We’re ok, they’re ok. Viev la difference !!

VI.
What are you currently reading? Which book have you enjoyed reading the most in the past year or so?

Bits and pieces of several books. Nothing very significant. Most of my daily reading is restricted to the print media, the editorials and opinion articles of some, proving to be most educative and rewarding academically.

VII.
Do you follow cricket enthusiastically? Do you share a personal rapport with any of our current cricketers? Have you been approached by any team to associate with any IPL activity?

Yes I do, much like most other Indians. Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin.. I share a personal rapport with.. but in general, whenever we have met the others socially, there has been a healthy mutual respect. And no I have not been approached by IPL.

VIII.
What gift would you like to give to your son and daughter in law on their wedding anniversary?

I gave them love, understanding and togetherness the day they decided to get married. I would never like to replace that with anything material.

IX.
Did you watch OSO and TZP? How did you like them?

Yes, Shah Rukh invited me to a trial of OSO and I found the film to be extremely entertaining. Aamir has invited me to see TZP and I shall soon be seeing it, after the family, that has been traveling extensively, is together in Mumbai.

X.
When you reacted to Aamir’s comments on Black on his blog before TZP was released, did you read those blogs yourself or were they pointed out to you? How regularly do you log on to the net, what activity interests you the most, and are you by any chance a blogger? Are you part of any social networking site or network? Can your fans connect to you directly in some way online?

Aamir’s comments on Black I read in the print media. I am not a blogger as yet, but shall become one very soon. I do go on the net, not with any deliberate intent, but when someone recommends that to me through email, which I attend to somewhat regularly.

XI.
About six years back, in the course of an interview ( the same one where you responded to Dryden’s line), you said, “I can’t read people well. I am a bad reader of people.” Have your experiences over the past few years served to change that perception of yourself, or have they strengthened it? Would be grateful if you would elaborate on this.

That perception remains. I am a bad reader of people. But, I have others close to me who are always bang on. I rely on them and am happy with that. I tend to look at the other persons point of view first, than myself and this is a grouse that continuously comes up from those that guide my perception. My experiences over the years have in fact fortified my modus operandi, much to the consternation of those near.