Sunday, 26 June 2011

The Best-Performing CEOs in the World

A lot of people have blamed short-term thinking for causing our current economic troubles, which has set off a debate about what time window we should use to assess a CEO’s performance. Today boards of directors, senior managers, and investors intensely want to know how CEOs handle the ups and downs of running businesses over an extended period. Many executive compensation plans define the “long term” as a three-year horizon, but the real test of a CEO’s leadership has to be how the company does over his or her full tenure.

This article contains the first ranking that shows which CEOs of large public companies performed best over their entire time in office—or, for those still in the job, up until September 30, 2009. To compile our results, we collected data on close to 2,000 CEOs worldwide.

It may come as no shock that Steve Jobs of Apple tops the list. However, our ranking does contain a few surprises. You’ll see some relatively unknown faces at the top. The inverse is also true: Some obvious candidates in terms of reputation don’t make the top 50, which we’re printing in this issue—or even the top 100 or top 200. (To view the top 100 and access a list of the top 200, go to hbr.org/top-ceos.) In fact, our list overlaps very little with lists of the most-admired or highest-paid CEOs

CEO of Microsoft

Steven Anthony "Steve" Ballmer (born March 24, 1956) has been the chief executive officer of Microsoft Corporation since January 2000.As of 2011, his personal wealth is estimated at US$14.5 billion, ranking number 46 on the Forbes list of billionaires.

salary of steve jobs (Chairman and CEO, Apple Inc)

Even though Jobs only earns $1 a year,his 5.426 million shares of Apple, and his 138 million shares of Disney (which he had received in exchange for Disney's acquisition of Pixar),Forbes has estimated his net wealth at $5.1 billion in 2009, making him the 43rd wealthiest American.After Bloomberg had accidentally published Jobs' obituary in 2008, Arik Hesseldahl of BusinessWeek magazine noted that "Jobs isn’t widely known for his association with philanthropic causes", compared to Bill Gates' efforts.After resuming control of Apple in 1997, Jobs eliminated all corporate philanthropy programs.

Saturday, 9 April 2011

Forbes list of billionaires (2011)

Carlos Slim HelúCarlos Slim Helú and family
Bill Gates
Warren Buffett
Bernard Arnault
Lawrence Ellison
Lakshmi Mittal
Amancio Ortega
Eike Batista
Mukesh Ambani
Christy Walton
Li Ka-shing
Karl Albrecht
Persson, Stefan
Vladimir Lisin
Liliane Bettencourt

List of banks in the Americas

1 Argentina
2 Bahamas
o 2.1 Commercial banks
o 2.2 Defunct banks
3 Barbados
o 3.1 Central bank
o 3.2 Commercial banks
o 3.3 Development banks
o 3.4 Foreign-owned banks
4 Belize
5 Bermuda
6 Brazil
o 6.1 Central bank
o 6.2 Major privately-owned banks
o 6.3 Government-owned banks
+ 6.3.1 Merged
o 6.4 Foreign-owned banks
o 6.5 Merged or defunct banks
7 Canada
o 7.1 Central bank
o 7.2 Big Five banks
o 7.3 Other banks
o 7.4 Defunct or merged banks
8 Chile
o 8.1 Central bank
o 8.2 Government-owned banks
o 8.3 Commercial banks
o 8.4 Foreign banks with repesentation
o 8.5 Merged or defunct banks
9 Colombia
o 9.1 Central bank
o 9.2 Commercial banks
10 Costa Rica
o 10.1 Central bank
o 10.2 Government-owned banks
o 10.3 Commercial banks
11 Dominica
o 11.1 Commercial banks
o 11.2 Branches of foreign banks
o 11.3 Foreign-owned banks
o 11.4 Offshore banks
12 Dominican Republic
o 12.1 Central bank
o 12.2 Major banks
13 Grenada
o 13.1 Commercial banks
o 13.2 Branches of foreign banks
o 13.3 Foreign-owned banks
14 Jamaica
o 14.1 Central bank
o 14.2 Commercial banks
+ 14.2.1 Locally-owned banks
+ 14.2.2 Subsidiary/branch of foreign entity
o 14.3 Merchant banks
+ 14.3.1 Locally-owned banks
+ 14.3.2 Subsidiary/branch of foreign entity
15 Mexico
o 15.1 Central bank
o 15.2 Mexican banks
o 15.3 Foreign-owned banks
o 15.4 Development banks
o 15.5 Defunct banks
16 Panama
17 Peru
o 17.1 Central bank
o 17.2 Commercial banks
o 17.3 Development banks
o 17.4 Defunct banks
18 Saint Lucia
o 18.1 Commercial banks
o 18.2 Branches of foreign banks
o 18.3 Foreign-owned banks
19 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
o 19.1 Local banks
o 19.2 Offshore banks
20 Suriname
21 Trinidad and Tobago
22 United States

Merged or defunct banks

* Arbuthnot & Co
* Bank of Bombay (now part of the State Bank of India)
* Bank of Calcutta (now part of the State Bank of India)
* Bank of Chettinad
* Bank of Madras (now part of the State Bank of India)
* Binny & Co
* Bank of Madura (now part of ICICI Bank)
* Lord Krishna Bank (now part of Centurion Bank of Punjab)
* Global Trust Bank (now part of Oriental Bank of Commerce)
* Centurion Bank of Punjab (now part of HDFC Bank)

Foreign banks operating in India

* ABN AMRO Bank N.V.
* Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank
* American Express Bank
* Antwerp Bank
* Arab Bangladesh Bank
* Bank Internasional Indonesia
* Bank of America NA
* Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait B.S.C.
* Bank of Ceylon
* Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotia Bank)
* Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ
* Barclays Bank PLC
* BNP Paribas
* Calyon Bank
* Chinatrust Commercial Bank
* Citibank N.A.
* DBS Bank
* Deutsche Bank AG
* HSBC
* JPMorgan Chase Bank
* Krung Thai Bank
* Mashreq Bank psc
* Mizuho Corporate Bank
* Oman International Bank S.A.O.G.
* Shinhan Bank
* Société Générale
* Sonali Bank
* Standard Chartered Bank
* State Bank of Mauritius
* UBS
* VTB

List of international banking institutions (India)

List of banks in India
Central bank

Reserve Bank of India

State Bank of India & associates (also nationalized)

* State Bank of India
* State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur
* State Bank of Hyderabad
* State Bank of Indore (now merged into state bank of India)
* State Bank of Mysore
* State Bank of Patiala
* State Bank of Saurashtra (Now merged into State Bank of India)
* State Bank of Travancore
Nationalized banks

* Allahabad Bank
* Andhra Bank
* Bank of Baroda
* Bank of India
* Bank of Maharashtra
* Canara Bank
* Central Bank of India
* Corporation Bank
* Dena Bank
* IDBI Bank
* Indian Bank
* Indian Overseas Bank
* Oriental Bank of Commerce
* Punjab & Sind Bank
* Punjab National Bank
* Syndicate Bank
* UCO Bank
* Union Bank of India
* United Bank of India
* Vijaya Bank
Old private sector banks

* Catholic Syrian Bank
* City Union Bank
* Dhanlakshmi Bank
* Federal Bank
* Karur Vysya Bank
* Lakshmi Vilas Bank
* Ratnakar Bank
* South Indian Bank

New private sector banks

* Axis Bank (Formerly UTI Bank)
* HDFC Bank
* ICICI Bank
* IndusInd Bank
* Kotak Mahindra Bank
* Yes bank

List of banks in Asia

# 1 Afghanistan
# 2 Bahrain
# 3 Bangladesh
# 4 Cambodia
# 5 People's Republic of China

* 5.1 Central bank
* 5.2 Major banks
* 5.3 Small banks
* 5.4 Local banks
* 5.5 Defunct banks
* 5.6 Institutional banks
* 5.7 Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
o 5.7.1 Major banks
o 5.7.2 Defunct or merged banks
* 5.8 Macau Special Administrative Region

# 6 India

* 6.1 Central bank
* 6.2 State Bank of India & associates (also nationalized)
* 6.3 Nationalized banks
* 6.4 Old private sector banks
* 6.5 New private sector banks
* 6.6 Foreign banks operating in India
* 6.7 Cooperative banks
* 6.8 Merged or defunct banks

# 7 Indonesia

* 7.1 Central bank
* 7.2 State banks
* 7.3 Public banks
* 7.4 Private banks
* 7.5 Defunct banks
* 7.6 Islamic banks
* 7.7 Regional development banks

# 8 Iran

* 8.1 Central bank
* 8.2 National Banks
* 8.3 Private banks
* 8.4 Foreign banks
* 8.5 Investment banks
* 8.6 Financial and Credit Institute

# 9 Iraq

* 9.1 Central bank
* 9.2 Major banks

# 10 Israel

* 10.1 Central bank
* 10.2 Major banks

# 11 Japan

* 11.1 Central bank
* 11.2 Major banking groups
* 11.3 Regional banks
* 11.4 Other banks

# 12 Jordan
# 13 South Korea

* 13.1 Central bank
* 13.2 Big 5 banks
* 13.3 Exchange bank
* 13.4 Major regional banks
* 13.5 Other banks
* 13.6 Foreign-owned banks

# 14 Kuwait
# 15 Lebanon

* 15.1 Central bank
* 15.2 Major banks
* 15.3 Other banks
* 15.4 Foreign banks

# 16 Maldives
# 17 Malaysia

* 17.1 Commercial banks

# 18 Nepal

* 18.1 Central bank
* 18.2 Foreign banks
* 18.3 Government-operated banks
* 18.4 Commercial banks
* 18.5 Development banks
* 18.6 Financial institution banks

# 19 Pakistan

* 19.1 Central bank
* 19.2 Nationalized scheduled banks
* 19.3 Specialized banks
* 19.4 Private scheduled banks
* 19.5 Development financial institutions
* 19.6 Investment banks
* 19.7 Discount and guarantee houses
* 19.8 Housing finance companies
* 19.9 Venture capital companies
* 19.10 Micro finance banks
* 19.11 Islamic banks

# 20 Philippines

* 20.1 Central bank
* 20.2 Universal banks
* 20.3 Commercial banks
* 20.4 Thrift banks
* 20.5 Rural banks
* 20.6 Government banks
* 20.7 Islamic banks
* 20.8 Special banks
* 20.9 Foreign banks
* 20.10 Defunct or merged banks

# 21 Qatar
# 22 Singapore

* 22.1 Central bank
* 22.2 Local banks
* 22.3 Qualifying full banks
* 22.4 Merged local banks

# 23 Sri Lanka

* 23.1 Central bank
* 23.2 Major banks
* 23.3 Foreign banks

# 24 Syria

* 24.1 Central bank
* 24.2 Public banks
* 24.3 Private banks
* 24.4 Islamic banks

# 25 Taiwan

* 25.1 Central bank
* 25.2 Local banks

# 26 Thailand

* 26.1 Central bank
* 26.2 Universal banks
* 26.3 Retail banks
* 26.4 Specialized government-owned banks
* 26.5 Merged banks

# 27 United Arab Emirates

* 27.1 Major commercial banks
* 27.2 Islamic banks
* 27.3 Defunct or merged banks

# 28 Vietnam

* 28.1 Central bank
* 28.2 State banks
* 28.3 Joint stock banks
o 28.3.1 Big banks
o 28.3.2 Small banks

# 29 Yemen

List of international banking institutions

This is a list of International banking institutions

* African Development Bank
* Asian Development Bank
* Bank for International Settlements
* Bank of World Residence Program (BWRP)
* Caribbean Development Bank
* European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
* European Investment Bank
* Islamic Development Bank
* Preferential Trade Area Bank
* World Bank Group
o International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
o International Development Association (IDA)
o International Finance Corporation (IFC)
o Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
o International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)

Friday, 8 April 2011

Today's non-violent Anna Hazare was an Army man.

Mumbai: Anna Hazare's fast unto death for the Lokpal Bill has taken the nation by storm. But the man at the centre of it all is no stranger to hunger strikes, protests against government and even serving a jail term.

Here's a look at his three decade long struggle against corruption.

Anna Hazare, a non-violent protestor today, was once an Army man, who served in the 1965 Indo Pak war.

Anna Hazare started his career as a driver

Anna Hazare started his career as a driver in the Indian Army. He spent his spare time reading the books of Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi and Acharya Vinoba Bhave that inspired him to become a social worker and activist. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, he was the only survivor in a border exchange of fire, while driving a truck. During the mid-1970s he was again involved in a road accident while driving

‘Fast Unto Death’ In The Times Of Twitter

On April 5th. a Gandhian activist known as Anna Hazare started a ‘fast unto death’ to exert pressure on the Indian government to enact a strong anti-corruption act as in the Jan Lokpal Bill.

The Jan Lokpal Bill or the Citizen’s Ombudsman Bill is a draft anti-corruption bill that would create a Jan Lokpal, or an independent body (like the Election Commission) which would have the power to prosecute politicans and bureaucrats without government permission. Incidentally, the Lokpall Bill drafted by the government has failed to pass the Rajya Sabha for 42 years.

Hazare’s fast is fuelling a mass anti-corruption drive in India, and has roped in several hundred thousand supporters for the man, thanks to the Internet and social media. Techcircle.in takes a quick look at how Hazare is trending in the Web.

Anna to end fast as Govt bows to people power

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he is happy that Hazare gave up his fast. "I am happy that government and civil society have reached an agreement to fight corruption," he said.

After a day of high drama and four days of Anna Hazare's unrelenting fast-unto-death, the Government, on Friday, finally agreed to forming a joint committee to draft a stronger Lokpal Bill.

Union Minister Kapil Sibal, who led the Government team of negotiators, welcomed Hazare's announcement and thanked him for it.

"This is a victory for democracy," he said adding it was for the government now now to issue an appropriate order constituting the committee that will include representatives of civil society and government.

Anna to end fast as Govt bows to people power

New Delhi: Anna Hazare will be breaking his fast on Saturday after the Government agreed to forming a joint committee to redraft the Lokpal Bill.

Anna Hazare said that this was the happiest day of his life.

"Government has accepted all our demands and I will end my fast tomorrow at 10 am. This is a victory for the entire nation," Hazare said on Friday.

Anna Hazare

Kisan Bapat Baburao Hazare (Marathi: किसन बापट बाबुराव हजारे) (born 15 January 1940), popularly known as Anna Hazare (Marathi: अण्णा हजारे), is an Indian social activist who is especially recognized for his contribution to the development of Ralegan Siddhi, a village in Parner taluka of Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, India and his efforts for establishing it as a model village, for which he was awarded the Padma Bhushan by Government of India, in 1992.

On 5 April 2011, Hazare started a 'fast unto death' to exert pressure on the Government of India to enact a strong anti-corruption act as envisaged in the Jan Lokpal Bill, a law that will establish a Lokpal (ombudsman) that will have the power to deal with corruption in public offices. The fast led to nation wide protests in support of Hazare. The fast ended on 9 April 2011 with two of the most important demands of the movement - at least 50% members of the bill draft committee be a non-politician and Co-chairman of the draft committee be a non-politician - met by the Government of India.

Thursday, 7 April 2011

Top 10 cities by GDP

List of Top 10 Indian cities GDPs in 2009 based on PPP and Exchange rate.
Rank City
1 Mumbai
2 Delhi
3 Kolkata
4 Chennai
5 Bangalore
6 Hyderabad
7 Ahmadabad
8 Pune
9 Surat
10 Kanpur

List of Indian states by GDP

This is a list of States and Union Territories of India by gross domestic product (or GSDP of Indian States) for the year 2006-2007, and the exchange rate to USD was 45.34 Rupees to 1 USD in 2006.Please note states whose data is not available for 2006-07, 2005-06 are taken.

India
Maharashtra
Andhra Pradesh
Tamil Nadu
Uttar Pradesh
West Bengal
Gujarat
Karnataka
Rajasthan
Kerala
Madhya Pradesh
Punjab
Haryana
Delhi Territory
Bihar
Orissa
Jharkhand
Assam
Chattisgarh
Jammu & Kashmir
Uttarakhand
Himachal Pradesh
Chandigarh Territory
Goa
Tripura
Meghalaya
Manipur
Pondicherry Territory
Nagaland
Arunachal Pradesh
Mizoram
Andaman and
Nicobar Islands
Territory
Dadra and
Nagar Haveli
Territory
Daman and
Diu Territory
Lakshadweep Territory

Economy of India

Major industries include telecommunications, textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, information technology-enabled services and pharmaceuticals.The labour force totals 500 million workers. Major agricultural products include rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry and fish.In 2009-2010, India's top five trading partners are United Arab Emirates, China, United States, Saudi Arabia and Germany.

Economy of India

India's large service industry accounts for 57.2% of the country's GDP while the industrial and agricultural sectors contribute 28.6% and 14.6% respectively.Agriculture is the predominant occupation in India, accounting for about 52% of employment. The service sector makes up a further 34%, and industrial sector around 14%.However, statistics from a 2009-10 government survey, which used a smaller sample size than earlier surveys, suggested that the share of agriculture in employment had dropped to 45.5%.

Economy of India

Social democratic policies governed India's economy from 1947 to 1991. The economy was characterised by extensive regulation, protectionism, public ownership, pervasive corruption and slow growth.Since 1991, continuing economic liberalisation has moved the country towards a market-based economy.A revival of economic reforms and better economic policy in first decade of the 21st century accelerated India's economic growth rate. In recent years, Indian cities have continued to liberalise business regulations.By 2008, India had established itself as the world's second-fastest growing major economy.

However, as a result of the financial crisis of 2007–2010, coupled with a poor monsoon, India's gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate significantly slowed to 6.7% in 2008–09, but subsequently recovered to 7.2% in 2009–10, while the fiscal deficit rose from 5.9% to a high 6.5% during the same period.India’s current account deficit surged to 4.1% of GDP during Q2 FY11 against 3.2% the previous quarter. The unemployment rate for 2009–2010, according to the state Labour Bureau, was 9.4% nationwide, rising to 10.1% in rural areas, where two-thirds of the 1.2 billion population live.

Economy of India

The Economy of India is the eleventh largest in the world by nominal GDPand the fourth largest by purchasing power parity (PPP).The country's per capita GDP (PPP) is $3,290 (IMF, 127th) in 2010.Following strong economic reforms from the post-independence socialist economy, the country's economic growth progressed at a rapid pace, as free market principles were initiated in 1991 for international competition and foreign investment.

Scams worth Rs.2.54 trillion in Mayawati’s regime: BJP

Lucknow, April 7 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday accused Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati of presiding over 100 scams entailing Rs.2,54,000 crore (Rs.2.54 trillion) and said it would submit a detailed charge-sheet.

A report titled ’100 scams of Mayawati government-FIR (First Information Report)’ was released by party secretary Kirit Somaiya here.

‘As per our evaluation, the scams are worth around Rs.2,54,000 crore. Very soon we would be coming with a detailed and separate report on each scam that has been listed by us,’ Somaiya said at a press conference.

On the basis of the report, a chargesheet would be prepared by the BJP and handed over to the president, the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Chief Vigilance Commissioner June 12, he added.

‘Of all the scams, the major ones are related to land acquisition, particularly in NCR (National Capital Region), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, pension schemes and selling of sugar mills,’ Somaiya added.

BJP officials said that if needed, they may move court on the basis of the report prepared by them for initiating action against Mayawati.

The BJP also demanded that Mayawati government must come on record regarding its deal with the Jai Prakash Group and businessman Ponty Chadha.

‘We want that the state government should detail the nature of deals it had with JP Group, in terms of urban development projects, and Ponty Chadha, in terms of selling of sugar mills,’ said party state president Surya Pratap Shahi.

‘If the government fails to do so, we would be unmasking the government before the public,’ he added.

The biggest and most successful scam in History. (Now Comes the Income Tax!)

As of March 6, 2006, the national debt stands at 8.2 trillion dollars. The American taxpayers have paid the FED banking system $173,875,979,369.66 in interest on that debt in just five short months, from October, 2005, through February, 2006. Since this article was written a couple of years ago the national debt has now risen to 10.7 trillion dollars, and since the economic meltdown that figure has risen dramatically and will continue to rise. The United States will never even be able to pay the interest on the loan,let alone the principle. So in actuality the Federal Reserve owns the United Statses and our elected officials are beholden to the bankers, not the American people. The Feds are the unseen "shadow government" , they are the ones who are governing our once great Republic. They control both houses of Congress and also the President, and no-one dare oppose them. they are all powerful because they control the money supply. No con artist or group of con artists in history has ever perpetrated a scam that even approaches the scope of this one.

The biggest and most successful scam in History.(In 1811, under President James Madison)

In 1811, under President James Madison, Vice President George Clinton broke the tied vote in congress to cast the bankers out refusing to renew the charter for the bankers. Unfortunatly it was President Madison who proposed a second United States privately owned Central bank and it came into existence in 1816

However, in 1836 President Jackson, overriding Congress, closed it commenting, "The bold effort the present bank had made to control the government are but premonitions of the fate that await the American people should they be deluded into a perpetuation of this institution or the establishment of another like it." (we now have another one like it)

Andrew Jackson also said, when speaking to the bankers: "You are a den of vipers and thieves. I intend to rout you out, and by the eternal God I will rout you out."

(The biggest and most successful scam in History) Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1743-1812)

"Let me issue and control a nation's money, and I care not who writes its laws" ---Mayer Amschel Rothschild

It was Alexander Hamilton who lobbied for the first private Federal Bank, and in 1789 Congress chartered the bank.

Thomas Jefferson was adamantly opposed to the idea of a privately owned federal bank and said " I sincerely believe the banking institutions having the issuing power of money are more dangerous to liberty than standing armies"

The biggest and most successful scam in History.

Just in case you didn't know the Federal Reserve is a private company of bankers with twelve branch banks that confiscate our money and they have been doing this for almost a hundred years,--- this time! They are not part of the United States Government. Yet today they collect hundreds of billions of dollars from American taxpayers every year.

Wednesday, 6 April 2011

Richest Politicians – The Top 10

Here are the Top 10:

1. T. Subbarami Reddy
Indian National Congress
Rajya Sabha, Andhra Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 239.6 cr

2. Jaya Bachchan
Samajwadi Party
Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 214.3 cr

3. Rahul Bajaj
Independent
Rajya Sabha, Maharashtra
Total Assets: Rs 190. 6 cr

4. Anil H. Lad
Indian National Congress
Rajya Sabha, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 175 cr

5. M. Krishnappa
Indian National Congress
MLA, Vijay Nagar, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 136 cr

6. MAM Ramaswamy
Janata Dal (Secular)
Rajya Sabha, Karnataka
Total Assets Rs 107.7 cr

7. Anand Singh
BJP
MLA, Vijayanagara, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 239 cr

8. Anil V. Salgaocar
Independent
MLA, Sanvordem, Goa
Total Assets: Rs 91.4 cr

9. N.A. Haris
Indian National Congress
MLA, Shanti Nagar, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 85.3 cr

10. Mahendra Mohan
Samajwadi Party
Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 85 cr

Judicial review of laws

Judicial review is adopted in the Indian constitution from the constitution of the United States of America. In the Indian constitution, Judicial Review is dealt with under Article 13. Judicial Review refers that the Constitution is the supreme power of the nation and all laws are under its supremacy. Article 13 states that

1. All pre-constitutional laws, after the coming into force of constitution, if in conflict with it in all or some of its provisions then the provisions of constitution will prevail and the provisions of that pre-constitutional law will not be in force until an amendment of the constitution relating to the same matter. In such situation the provision of that law will again come into force, if it is compatible with the constitution as amended. This is called the Theory of Eclipse[citation needed].

2. In a similar manner, laws made after adoption of the Constitution by the Constituent Assembly must be compatible with the constitution, otherwise the laws and amendments will be deemed to be void-ab-initio.

In such situations, the Supreme Court or High Court interprets the laws as if they are in conformity with the constitution. If such an interpretation is not possible because of inconsistency, and where a separation is possible, the provision that is inconsistent with constitution is considered to be void. In addition to article 13, articles 32, 124, 131, 219, 228 and 246 provide a constitutional basis to the Judicial review in India.

System of government(Constitution of India)

The basic form of the Union Government envisaged in the Constitution is as follows,
“ A democratic executive must satisfy three conditions:

1. It must be a stable executive, and
2. It must be a responsible executive.
3. It must be impartial to all religion, caste and community. Unfortunately, it has not been possible so far to devise a system which can ensure both conditions in equal degree. ..... The daily assessment of responsibility, which is not available in the American system is, it is felt, far more effective than the periodic assessment and far more necessary in a country like India. The Draft Constitution in recommending the parliamentary system of Executive has preferred more responsibility to stability.”

Constitution of India

The Constitution of India (Hindi: भारतीय संविधान, see names in other Indian languages) is the supreme law of India. It lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles, establishes the structure, procedures, powers and duties, government and spells out the fundamental rights, directive principles and duties of citizens. It is the longest written constitution of any sovereign country in the world, containing more than 444 articles in 24 parts, 12 schedules and 110 amendments,for a total of 117,369 words in the English language version. Besides the English version, there is an official Hindi translation.

Passed by the Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949, it came into effect on 26 January 1950.The date 26 January was chosen to commemorate the declaration of independence of 1930. It declares the Union of India to be a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, assuring its citizens of justice, equality, and liberty and, endeavors to promote among them all, fraternity. The words "socialist", "secular", and "integrity" were added to the definition in 1976 by constitutional amendment.India celebrates the adoption of the constitution on 26 January each year as Republic Day.After coming into effect, the Constitution replaced the Government of India Act 1935 as the governing document of India.

List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita(International Monetary Fund 2010)

In US$
1 Luxembourg 104,390
2 Norway 84,543
3 Qatar 74,422
4 Switzerland 67,074
5 Denmark 55,113
6 Australia 54,869
7 Sweden 47,667
8 United Arab Emirates 47,406
9 United States 47,132
10 Netherlands 46,418
11 Canada 45,888
12 Ireland 45,642
13 Austria 43,723
14 Finland 43,134
15 Singapore 42,653
16 Belgium 42,596
17 Japan 42,325
18 France 40,591
19 Germany 40,512
20 Iceland 39,563
21 United Kingdom 36,298
22 Italy 33,828
23 Kuwait 32,530
— European Union 32,283
— Hong Kong 31,799
24 New Zealand 31,588
25 Spain 29,875
26 Brunei 28,340
27 Cyprus 27,722
28 Greece 27,264
29 Israel 27,085
30 Slovenia 23,008
31 Portugal 21,030
32 Bahamas, The 20,878
33 Korea, South 20,165
34 Bahrain[4] 19,641
35 Czech Republic 18,721
36 Malta 18,586
37 Republic of China (Taiwan) 18,303
38 Oman 18,040
39 Saudi Arabia 16,641
40 Trinidad and Tobago 16,167
41 Slovakia 15,906
42 Estonia 14,416
43 Barbados 14,307
44 Croatia 13,527
45 Hungary 13,210
46 Antigua and Barbuda 12,785
47 Uruguay 12,129
48 Libya 12,062
49 Chile 11,587
50 Poland 11,521
51 Equatorial Guinea 11,081
52 Lithuania 10,765
53 Seychelles 10,714
54 Russia 10,521
55 Brazil 10,471
56 Latvia 10,377
57 Turkey 10,206
58 Saint Kitts and Nevis 10,205
59 Lebanon 10,019
60 Venezuela 9,773
61 Mexico 9,243
— World 8,985
62 Argentina 8,663
63 Gabon 8,395
64 Kazakhstan 8,326
65 Malaysia 7,775
66 Panama 7,712
67 Romania 7,390
68 Costa Rica 7,350
69 Mauritius 7,303
70 South Africa 7,101
71 Botswana 6,796
72 Grenada 6,264
73 Suriname 6,245
74 Colombia 6,220
75 Montenegro 6,204
76 Bulgaria 5,955
77 Saint Lucia 5,778
78 Azerbaijan 5,764
79 Belarus 5,607
80 Namibia 5,454
81 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5,434
82 Serbia 5,262
83 Peru 5,196
84 Dominican Republic 5,152
85 Dominica 5,148
86 Jamaica 5,055
87 Angola 4,812
88 Macedonia, Republic of 4,634
89 Thailand 4,620
90 China, People's Republic of 4,520
91 Iran 4,484
92 Maldives 4,478
93 Algeria 4,477
94 Jordan 4,435
95 Ecuador 4,295
96 Belize 4,262
97 Tunisia 4,160
98 Bosnia and Herzegovina 4,157
99 El Salvador 3,717
100 Turkmenistan 3,663
101 Albania 3,661
102 Fiji 3,544
103 Kosovo 3,164
104 Congo, Republic of the 3,075
105 Swaziland 3,072
106 Samoa 3,023
107 Cape Verde 3,007
108 Ukraine 3,002
109 Indonesia 2,963
110 Vanuatu 2,917
111 Tonga 2,907
112 Syria 2,892
113 Morocco 2,868
114 Guyana 2,844
115 Guatemala 2,839
116 Egypt 2,771
117 Paraguay 2,681
118 Armenia 2,676
119 Iraq 2,625
120 Georgia 2,559
121 Sri Lanka 2,364
122 Mongolia 2,111
123 Bhutan 2,042
124 Honduras 2,014
125 Philippines 2,011
126 Bolivia 1,839
127 Sudan 1,642
128 Kiribati 1,522
129 Moldova 1,503
130 Djibouti 1,382
131 Papua New Guinea 1,358
132 Uzbekistan 1,335
133 Nigeria 1,324
134 Zambia 1,286
135 Solomon Islands 1,269
136 Yemen 1,230
137 India 1,176
138 Vietnam 1,155
139 São Tomé and Príncipe 1,132
140 Mauritania 1,096
141 Nicaragua 1,096
142 Cameroon 1,071
143 Pakistan 1,049
144 Côte d'Ivoire 1,016
145 Laos 984
146 Senegal 964
147 Kenya 888
148 Comoros 819
149 Kyrgyzstan 816
150 Cambodia 795
151 Ghana 762
152 Chad 742
153 Tajikistan 732
154 Lesotho 708
155 Benin 673
156 Haiti 659
157 Mali 649
158 Bangladesh 640
159 Gambia, The 605
160 Burkina Faso 590
161 Burma 582
162 Rwanda 569
163 Afghanistan 560
164 Tanzania 542
165 Nepal 536
166 Timor-Leste 535
167 Uganda 503
168 Guinea-Bissau 497
169 Zimbabwe 475
170 Mozambique 473
171 Central African Republic 468
172 Togo 441
173 Eritrea 423
174 Guinea 420
175 Madagascar 391
176 Niger 383
177 Ethiopia 364
178 Malawi 354
179 Sierra Leone 325
180 Liberia 226
181 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 188
182 Burundi 177

Tuesday, 5 April 2011

List of Asian and Pacific countries by GDP (PPP)

millions of International dollars
total Asia $24,077,897
1 People's Republic of China $8,767,000
2 Japan $4,329,000
3 India $3,297,000
4 South Korea $1,335,000
5 Indonesia $914,600
6 Iran $841,700
7 Australia $799,000
8 Republic of China (Taiwan) $712,000
9 Saudi Arabia $576,500
10 Thailand $547,400
11 Pakistan $427,300
12 Malaysia $384,300
13 Philippines $317,500
14 Hong Kong, China $306,600
15 Vietnam $241,700
16 Singapore $237,300
17 Bangladesh $224,000
18 Israel $201,400
19 United Arab Emirates $184,300
20 Kuwait $149,100
21 Iraq $103,900
22 Syria $98,830
23 Sri Lanka $91,870
24 Qatar $91,330
25 Oman $66,980
26 Yemen $55,280
27 Burma $55,130
28 Lebanon $44,060
29 North Korea $40,000
30 Jordan $31,610
31 Nepal $31,080
32 Cambodia $27,940
33 Bahrain $26,820
34 Afghanistan $22,270
35 Brunei $20,250
36 Macau, China $18,140
37 Laos $13,980
38 Papua New Guinea $13,210
39 Mongolia $9,476
40 Fiji $3,579
41 Bhutan $3,524
42 East Timor $2,520
43 Maldives $1,716
44 Solomon Islands $1,078
45 Samoa $1,049
46 Vanuatu $988
47 Kiribati $579
48 Tonga $549
49 Federated States of Micronesia $238
50 Palau $164
51 Marshall Islands $133
52 Nauru $60
53 Tuvalu $14

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, About this sound pronunciation (help·info) (Hindi: महेन्द्र सिंह धोनी ) (born July 7, 1981 in Ranchi, Bihar) (now in Jharkhand) is an Indian cricketer and the current captain of the Indian national cricket team.

Initially recognized as an extravagantly flamboyant and destructive batsman, Dhoni has come to be regarded as one of the coolest heads to captain the Indian ODI side. Under his captaincy, India won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, CB Series of 2007–08 , the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2008 and 2010 against Australia 2–0 and 2011 Cricket World Cup in which India beat Sri Lanka. Under his captaincy India acheived numero one ranking in tests. His Test,ODI record is best among all the Indian captains up to date. He also captained Chennai Super Kings to victory in the recent IPL 2010. He is now captain of India in all three forms of the game and also led the team to their first ever bilateral ODI series wins in Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Under Dhoni captaincy India became the first team after a gap of more than 20 Years to clean sweep Australia in Test series. Dhoni also led team India to number one position in ICC rankings in test cricket for the first time. Dhoni has also been the recipient of many awards including the ICC ODI Player of the Year award in 2008 and 2009 (the first Indian player to achieve this feat), the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award and the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour in 2009. As of January 2010, Dhoni is the highest ranked ODI batsman on the ICC Rankings List. Dhoni was named as captain of Wisden's first-ever Dream Test XI Team in 2009 and has topped the list of world’s top 10 earning cricketers compiled by Forbes. He was named as the captain of ICC World Test and ICC ODI teams for 2009. In the final of the 2011 Cricket World Cup, he hit 91 not out of just 79 balls to lead India to victory. For his oustanding batting in the final and under extreme pressure he was awarded man of the match.

Prize money(2011 Cricket World Cup)

The 2011 Cricket World Cup winning team would be taking home a prize money of US$ 3 million and US$ 1.5 million for runner-up, with the International Cricket Council deciding to double the total allocation for the coveted tournament to US$ 10 million. The winning team will also take home a replica of the ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy, that has been awarded since 1999. The decision was taken at the ICC Board meeting which was held in Dubai on April 20, 2010.The total prize money on offer for the tournament for the teams placing from 1st to 8th is US$7.48 million. The remaining two semi-finalists will receive 0.75 million US$ each. The last four quarter-finalists will each receive 0.37 million US$.

Media and promotion(2011 Cricket World Cup)

The World Cup has grown as a media event with each tournament. The International Cricket Council has sold the rights for broadcasting of the 2011 Cricket World Cup for around US$ 2 Billion to ESPN Star Sports and Star Cricket.

Song and other promotions

The official event ambassador for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is Sachin Tendulkar,promoting various ICC initiatives for the tournament.

The official song of the 2011 World Cup "De Ghuma Ke" was composed by the trio of Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, and is sung in Hindi, Bengali and Sinhala. It incorporates an array of Indian rhythms, as well as elements of rock and hip-hop. The song was performed at the opening ceremony of the tournament, which was held in Bangladesh on 17 February 2011.

2011 Cricket World Cup's Bids

The ICC originally announced its decision as to which countries would host the 2011 World Cup on 30 April 2006. Australia and New Zealand also bid for the tournament, and a successful Australasian bid for the 2011 World Cup would have seen a 50–50 split in games, with the final still up for negotiation. The Trans–Tasman bid, Beyond Boundaries, was the only bid for 2011 delivered to ICC headquarters in Dubai ahead of the 1 March deadline. Considerable merits of the Australasian bid were the superior venues and infrastructure and the total support of both the New Zealand and Australian governments on tax and customs issues during the tournament, according to Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland.The New Zealand government had also given assurance that Zimbabwe would be allowed to compete in the tournament, following political discussions in the country over whether their cricket team should be allowed to tour Zimbabwe in 2005.

ICC President Ehsan Mani said the extra time taken by the Asian block to hand over its bid compliance book had harmed the four-nation bid. However, when the time came to vote, Asia won the hosting rights by seven votes to three.The Pakistan Cricket Board has revealed that it was the vote of the West Indies Cricket Board that swung the matter, as the Asian bid had the support of the four bidding countries along with South Africa and Zimbabwe. It was reported in Pakistani newspaper Dawn that the Asian countries promised to hold fund-raising events for West Indian cricket during the 2007 World Cup, which may have influenced the vote.However, chairman of the Monitoring Committee of the Asian bid, I. S. Bindra, said it was their promise of extra profits in the region of US$400 million that swung the vote,that there "was no quid pro quo for their support",and that playing the West Indies had "nothing to do with the World Cup bid".

The ICC prefers to rotate World Cup venues between major cricket playing nations. The World Cups have been hosted by England (three times: 1975, 1979, 1983), India/Pakistan (1987), Australia/New Zealand (1992), India/Pakistan/Sri Lanka (1996), England/Netherlands (1999), South Africa/Zimbabwe/Kenya) (2003) and West Indies (2007). For the 2011 World Cup Australia/New Zealand were a strong contender ahead of India/Pakistan/Sri Lanka/Bangladesh because they had not hosted a World Cup since 1992. In the final voting India won because they argued that since they were a bigger group of countries they should be assigned a World Cup more frequently. Australia/New Zealand were awarded the 2015 World Cup.

2011 Cricket World Cup

The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It was Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup. The World Cup was also supposed to be co-hosted by Pakistan, but in the wake of the 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka national cricket team in Lahore, the International Cricket Council (ICC) decided to strip Pakistan of its hosting rights.The headquarters of the organising committee were originally situated in Lahore, but have now been shifted to Mumbai. Pakistan was supposed to hold 14 matches, including one semi-final. Eight of Pakistan's matches (including the semi-final) were awarded to India, four to Sri Lanka and two to Bangladesh.

All matches in the World Cup were accorded One Day International status, with all matches being played over 50 overs. Fourteen national cricket teams competed in the tournament, including ten full members and four associate members. The World Cup took place between February and 2nd April 2011, with the first match played on 19 February 2011 with co-hosts India and Bangladesh facing off at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka.The opening ceremony was held on 17 February 2011 at Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka, two days before the start of the tournament, with the final on 2 April 2011 between India and Srilanka at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

The tournament was won by India who defeated Sri Lanka by 6 wickets. India became the first nation to win a world cup final on home soil. Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni played a captain's knock of unbeaten 91 in the final and was adjudged man of the match. The biggest upset of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 was the defeat of England by Ireland. Ireland's Kevin O'Brien made 100 in just 50 balls (and a total of 113 off 63 balls), the fastest World Cup Century. Also Ireland made the highest successful run chase in World Cup history beating Sri Lanka's 313 against Zimbabwe at New Plymouth in New Zealand in 1992.

Decision to carry Tendulkar pre-decided: Harbhajan

JALLANDHAR: It may have appeared to be a spontaneous gesture, but Sachin Tendulkar being carried by his teammates on their shoulders after India's World Cup win was not so.

The decision to carry Tendulkar around the Wankhede stadium was taken much earlier but was not known to the batting maestro, Harbhajan Singh disclosed on Tuesday.

"We had decided to chair him around the stadium if India won the World Cup," said the off-spinner who is personally close to Tendulkar.

Harbhajan has vivid memories of the stand-out moments in Indian cricket's greatest triumph at home and Tendulkar's role in them.

Recalling the team's triumph against Pakistan in the semi-final at Mohali last week, he said that the players were drained after the high-pressure match but had a sense of triumph.

However, Tendulkar was asking his teammates in the dressing room to "cool down", reminding them "the next three days (to the final against Sri Lanka) are the most important days of our lives and so cool down and keep focus".

Harbhajan candidly admitted that for the first time in his career he was tense, almost scared, before the match against arch rivals Pakistan.

"Everyone from a doorman to a billionaire, was urging us on. The pressure had begun to get to me", he said.

But then, the offie went on to play a key role in Pakistan's defeat by getting rid of dangerous Umar Akmal and skipper Shaid Afridi.

He disclosed how Akmal's downfall was plotted. "I had seen videos of Akmal. He likes to go for his shots. If the ball hurries on to him, he sometimes finds himself in a tangle, either rushed for the shot or finishing as a lbw candidate.

"This ball was an angled delivery but went straight on. It got us a crucial wicket at a critical time, as was the case with Afridi," he said.

Recalling tense moments in the final against Sri Lanka last Saturday, Harbhajan said that he was padded up to come in at number 8.

"Sachin, who got out early, was sitting in a chair, clearly praying. And so was Viru (Sehwag) sitting next to him, hands clasped. Obviously, in prayer too".

"As Dhoni hit that six, we fell in each other's arms. We were crying, shouting, laughing. I have no idea what I did. Tears flowed freely.

"The unbearable pressure of six weeks was finally off our chest", Harbhajan said.

Ind vs SL: Didn't know how to celebrate win, says Dhoni

MUMBAI: A joyous Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said, he didn't know how to celebrate India's magnificent World Cup win over Sri Lanka, minutes after the six-wicket triumph at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. ( Read: Dhoni's Devils are World Champions ) ( Read: World Cup the ultimate thing: Sachin Tendulkar ) ( Read: Skipper Dhoni hits out at critics ) ( Read: Delhi boy Gambhir is toast of Mumbai )

When asked why didn't he go wild after such a massive win, Dhoni said, "emotions were running very high. As soon as I hit the six, I was almost half-way down the pitch and I thought I would grab the stumps at the non-striker's end as souveneirs. But then I saw Yuvraj standing there and I was afraid he will grab that stump. I then told myself, forget hugging Yuvraj, let me grab a stump first. That confusion made me stand still in the middle of the pitch."

Dhoni also hailed the Wankhede crowd and said despite losing the wickets of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar, they applauded every single as if it was a boundary.

He also hailed the team's unity and he said it was a year and a half ago when the team set winning the World Cup as its goal. "We wanted to win this for each other and for the nation.

"Everything that we were doing was keeping the World Cup in mind. It was a challenge to ensure that our best players don't get injured before the World Cup. But we managed it. The format also helped us to peak at the right time. There were a lot of league games and that allowed us to field all combinations and arrive at our best team in the knockouts."

When asked why the Indian team is doing so well under him in all formats, he simply said with a smile, "I am lucky."

He then added, "I think the guys have responded well to my leadership.

Man of the series, Yuvraj Singh, who had promised that he will reveal who was the 'special person' who he is playing this World Cup for, he said, "Sorry to disappoint you all. This is not for my girlfriend. It is for Sachin Tendulkar."

I learnt a lot from Yuvraj, says Raina

NEW DELHI: Suresh Raina had to wait for his chance to shine in the World Cup but made an immediate impression with a valuable knock against Australia in the quarterfinals. And his calculated cameo against Pakistan in the high-octane semifinal helped India enter the final which they won to be crowned the new world champions. TOI caught up with the southpaw who shared his World Cup experience in an interview. Excerpts:

How did you manage to keep yourself fighting fit when you were not a part of the playing XI for many games in the World Cup?

I knew beforehand that I might not be considered for the playing eleven. But I kept hitting the ball well in the nets. Gary (coach Kirsten) kept telling me that I would get my chance and I have to keep myself ready. He was also pushing me to do the extra bit during the training sessions, which always kept me in good shape. So, I was mentally ready all the time and it wasn't a problem when I played my first World Cup match against the West Indies.

How tough was the quarterfinal against Australia?

I knew I had to do well and the team needed me to do well. So, I was prepared for the occasion. But before I went into bat, Sachin Tendulkar reminded me how consistently I have batted in the past. To be honest, everyone in the dressing room was confident that I would bat through the match. If my team can back me like that, I had no reason to let them down. I had to put my best foot forward.

Who do you dedicate this World Cup victory to?

To my country, spectators, family, friends, well-wishers and to Sachin Tendulkar. We got amazing support from everyone in the country and it was overwhelming to see the way everyone celebrated Team India's victory. As far as Sachin is concerned, he deserved it from the team. We are extremely proud to play alongside a cricketer of his stature.

Your thoughts on Yuvraj Singh...

Like every member of the Indian team, we knew from the beginning that Yuvraj could do something special. I was not surprised by the way he batted. He is a matchwinner and he proved it every time he took the field. I learnt a lot from him, the way he batted and handled pressure situations.

Whom did you speak to first after the World Cup win?

My mom and dad and then my friends.

Indian fielding during the final match was something very special...

Well, we were playing the final and the occasion demanded we threw our body behind everything. We gave 200 per cent because we had to win. I enjoyed fielding alongside with Yuvraj and Virat and we were able to apply a lot of pressure on the Sri Lankan top order.

How did you celebrate the win?

We sat and had dinner together. The atmosphere was outstanding. We were tired still we decided to hang out together. This is the biggest moment of my life.

What is next for Team India?

From here on, we will have to play like champions.

Won't you want Kirsten to stay back?

We would love to keep him back. But he has a family and you need to respect it. Team India will always miss him after what he has done. I would also like to congratulate MS Dhoni for leading from the front. He backed every player and knew exactly what he was doing.

Stump signed by Sachin biggest prize, says Ashwin

CHENNAI: "If we had lost the game, the first question that I would have been asked was why Sreesanth and why not Ashwin?" MS Dhoni's comment in the prize distribution ceremony of the World Cup final said it all.

Ashwin was easily one of the most talked-about cricketers of the World Cup, despite the fact that he had played only two games.

The Chennai offie performed brilliantly in the games against West Indies and Australia and was always in the fray for a place in the final XI in the games against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The team management felt that the Asian teams play spin well, and that's why he had to miss out, but one thing is for certain, Ashwin has all but sealed the second spinner's slot in the Indian ODI squad.

"I was probably close to playing the final, but it didn't happen. Obviously playing the game is different to sitting on the sidelines, but it doesn't matter now... We had won the World Cup and that was all we were looking for," Ashwin told the TOI.

Ashwin knows that the whole country discussed him even though he didn't get a game in the initial phases, but he looked at the lighter side of it.

"It's funny to be discussed so much without even bowling a delivery," Ashwin added. The most prized scalp for Ashwin was Shane Watson's in the high-voltage game against Australia, which pegged the former world champions back.

"I really felt good taking that wicket. And then, when you get Ricky Ponting, it's the icing on the cake. I'll cherish the Ahmedabad experience all my life," Ashwin said.

After that game, Ashwin got a memento which is his "most prized possession". "I got a stump signed by Sachin Tendulkar. I have played only two games with him and this is one memento that I will never lose," the offie sounded emotional.

LONDON: After winning the 2011 World Cup, Indian skipper MS Dhoni is planning to add another feather to his cap by targeting the Twenty20 crown, with the tournament being played in Sri Lanka next year. The Indian team is No.1 in the Test rankings and is World Cup champion for the first time since 1983. With the Twenty20 World Cup back here in the subcontinent in Sri Lanka next year, Dhoni has set his sights on the trophy as present champions England will struggle to keep hold of their trophy, the Daily Express reports.

KOLKATA: After Sachin Tendulkar, former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram has also called Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the best Indian captain for his historical World Cup triumph at home.

A day after Tendulkar described Dhoni as the best captain he has played under during his 21-year-old international career, Akram also joined in the chorus and said the Ranchi player's record is a testimony to the fact.

"Dhoni performed very well in the last four years. He has evolved as a leader, not just as a cricketer. In my opinion, if you see his records, he is definitely the best captain India ever had," Akram said.

The 1992 World Cup-winning Pakistani fast bowler also congratulated the Indian team for their World Cup triumph on home soil, a first in the history of the showpiece event.

"I have been there as a World Cup winner. I know the feeling, the excitement and what it is to win the World Cup. Indians were the favourites to win the World Cup and they did it.

"I want to congratulate the Indian team for winning the World Cup and obviously the whole nation. Enjoy the success, you deserve it," Akram said.

World Cup winner Dhoni now targets T20 crown

LONDON: After winning the 2011 World Cup, Indian skipper MS Dhoni is planning to add another feather to his cap by targeting the Twenty20 crown, with the tournament being played in Sri Lanka next year.

The Indian team is No.1 in the Test rankings and is World Cup champion for the first time since 1983.

With the Twenty20 World Cup back here in the subcontinent in Sri Lanka next year, Dhoni has set his sights on the trophy as present champions England will struggle to keep hold of their trophy, the Daily Express reports.

Friday, 25 March 2011

'3 Idiots' coming to US on DVD April 26

The DVD of the film starring award winning actors Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Sharman Joshi has some new, exclusive bonus features: Idiots in Ladakh, Aal Izz Well, 100 percent Idiots and Making of Miss Idiot.

The refreshing comedy about a rebellious prankster with a crafty mind and a heart of gold name covers the exploits of "Rancho" at India's most prestigious university.

Rancho's outlandish schemes turn the campus upside down-along with the lives of his two newfound best friends. Together, they make life miserable for "Virus," the school's uptight and heartless dean.

But when Rancho catches the eye of the dean's sexy daughter, Virus sets his sights on flunking out the "3 idiots" once and for all.

"3 Idiots" won six FilmFare Awards in India including Best Picture and Best Director. It also swept the International Indian Film Academy Awards with an impressive 16 wins.

With a total run time of 164 minutes the DVD in English/Hindi would be available with subtitles in English, Spanish and French.

The DVD will be available starting April 26 on Amazon. com, Target, Transworld (FYE) and other stores.

Defeated Ponting backs India to beat Pakistan

Ahmedabad, March 24 (AFP): Australia captain Ricky Ponting predicted India would beat Pakistan when the arch-rivals meet in the World Cup semi-finals after seeing the co -hosts end his team's 12-year run as champions.

Ponting made his first international century in over a year when Australia batted but it wasn't enough as India, thanks to an unbeaten 57 from Yuvraj Singh, won by five wickets after finishing on 261 for five with 14 balls to spare.

"If you look at their attacks, they're quite similar," said Ponting, who in Australia's preceding final group match saw Pakistan end the title-holders' 34-match unbeaten streak at the World Cup.

"Pakistan played the quicks against us, (Abdul) Razzaq and (Umar) Gul and (Wahab) Riaz played that game as well and he's done a pretty good job for them. They used a lot of their spin."

"How do I compare the bowling attacks? It's pretty hard to say, but I think India will beat Pakistan in the semi-final."

Ponting added of the March 30 clash in Mohali: "We all know how fierce a rivalry it is between Pakistan and India so I'm sure that's going to be a very entertaining semi-final."

"India have a got a great chance now. Their batting is very powerful and they bat quite deep."

Ponting to carry on as Australia player

Ahmedabad, March 24 (AFP): Australia captain Ricky Ponting said he would be continuing as an international cricketer despite the champions' exit from the World Cup at the hands of India on Thursday.

"Didn't I answer that question the other day? Nothing's changed," said Ponting after the five-wicket defeat by the co-hosts in the quarter-finals.

Ponting made 104 - his first international hundred in 13 months - in Australia's total of 260 for six.

But it wasn't enough, as India finished on 261 for five with an unbeaten 57 from Yuvraj Singh seeing his team to victory with 14 balls to spare.

However, despite having now presided over the end of Australia's 12-year run as World Cup champions and an Ashes defeat, Ponting still said talk of the end of an era was misplaced.

"It's a bit premature to say it was the end of an era for Australian cricket, it was a pretty good game tonight (Thursday night)," he insisted.

"I didn't think we were far away from winning a game against a very good Indian team on their home soil. I think it's a bit too early to say it's the end of an era."

The 36-year-old Ponting, who has also been under intense pressure for his controversial behaviour at the World Cup, on Wednesday denied reports he planned to retire from the international scene at the end of World Cup and finish his career at an English county.

"That's completely false," Ponting said on Wednesday. "I've never even thought about or contemplated retiring at the end of this World Cup. I'm enjoying my cricket as much as ever."

"You'll hopefully see me playing a lot in the next few years."

Ponting, who has been captain for nine years, was under pressure even before the World Cup, having earned the dubious distinction of becoming the only Australian skipper of the modern era to fail to win the Ashes three times.

He did himself few favours in India, taking a reprimand from the International Cricket Council after smashing a dressing-room TV in a fit of fury after being run out during Australia's win over Zimbabwe.

He was also criticised for angrily throwing the ball to the ground after colliding with teammate Steven Smith during their victory againsy Canada, and for failing to walk in Saturday's defeat by Pakistan.

There was a fresh flashpoint on Thursday when, with India's Gautam Gambhir - who eventually made 50 - on nought, Ponting said he was unsure about a catch which, when referred, was shown by replays to have bounced well in front of him.

The retirement rumour came a day after a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, in which an unnamed Cricket Australia official was quoted as saying that Ponting faced a challenge at board level to retain the captaincy.

Ponting said if he was asked to step aside as leader to make way for Michael Clarke, it would not be an issue.

New York Indian filmfest to open with 'Do Dooni Chaar'

New York, March 9 : The popular New York Indian Film Festival will open this year with the North American premiere of Disney's critically acclaimed family comedy "Do Dooni Chaar" starring the legendary actor couple Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh.

The Habib Faisal-directed film marks the Hollywood studio's first live-action production in India and earned some of the best reviews of any Hindi film in recent years.

The closing night selection for the 11th annual edition of the Indo-American Arts Council's May 4-8 festival in Manhattan is Rituparno Ghosh's "Noukadubi", an adaptation of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore's acclaimed novel, which stars sisters Riya and Raima Sen.

New York City's prestigious Paris Theatre will host the star-studded red carpet May 4 Opening Night premiere of "Do Dooni Chaar"with special guests Kapoor, Singh, and Faisal attending.

It is a heart-warming comedy about the dreams and challenges of a middle-class family who take a chaotic journey to fulfil their dream of owning a car and discovering the true meaning of family along the way.

"Do Dooni Chaar is a charming and sweet indie film that reflects the realities of a middle-class family in modern day Delhi," says NYIFF Director Aseem Chhabra.

"Written and directed by first time filmmaker Habib Faisal, the film is a perfect blend of authentic dialogues, characters and situations, with a touch of Bollywood charm. It is a great example of India's new emerging cinema that has an indie soul, but working within the framework of Bollywood."

Following the May 8 screening of Rituparno Ghosh's "Noukadubi"will be a special tribute to Tagore who was born 150 years ago on that day.

Aparna Sen's "Iti Mrinalini" will premiere as the Centrepiece selection. The Bengali film features Sen and her daughter, award-winning actress Konkona Sen Sharma, both playing the same title role at different ages.

"NYIFF energises New York City's diversity by presenting amazing independent and diaspora films from the Indian subcontinent while keeping a close watch on Bollywood's foray into alternate cinema," said IAAC Executive Director Aroon Shivdasani.

"The three film highlights of our eleventh annual film festival represent a Hollywood studio's Indian social cinema, independent cinema, as well as a tribute to Rabindranath Tagore."

"Major American studios partnering with India have flirted with NYIFF in the past - Fox Searchlight, Sony, Miramax, and now Disney's contribution to our 2011 Opening Night - 'Do Dooni Chaar'," said Shivdasani. "Clearly NYIFF is the best platform for these films to reach their ideal demographic market."

Tickets for the Opening Night of the New York Indian Film Festival go on sale March 20 while tickets for all other screenings and events will be available starting April 10.

Never known Tendulkar to walk when given not out: Ponting

Ahmedabad, Mar. 23: Days before the India-Australia quarterfinal encounter at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera, Australian captain Ricky Ponting has gone on the front foot verbally, and said that he has never known Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar to walk voluntarily when given not out.

Participating in a Headlines Today interview with former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly on Tuesday, Ponting said he had been very consistent in not walking way until the umpire had ruled him out.

Ponting said that he was surprised when Tendulkar walked after the umpire had not ruled him out caught behind in a pre-quarterfinal match against the West Indies in Chennai on March 20.

"I''''ve never known Sachin to be someone that walks all the time, so I''''m not sure why he chose to walk the other day," Fox Sports quoted Ponting, as saying.

"If I get a nick behind to the ''''keeper, then I stand there until the umpire makes a decision," he added.

"If Sachin had looked up the other day and noticed that the umpire was giving him not out, then I''''m not sure he would have walked either," he said.

Ganguly supported Ponting''''s view that walking can be a bad idea, especially in a big game like Thursday''''s quarterfinal between Australia and India in Ahmedabad.

"Sachin has never done that in the past, let''''s be honest, and he shouldn''''t because there have been times when he has been given out and he was not out," Ganguly said.

"At the end of the career, it balances. I think it''''s fair for everyone to wait for the umpire''''s decision, including Sachin Tendulkar," he added.

"It could be a big game India 100 for three, Tendulkar batting on 55, he''''s holding the key to India''''s success. I would really not want him to walk unless an umpire has given him out," Ganguly said.

"He needs to stick to the umpire''''s decision. Whether he does that consistently, we''''ll have to wait and see," he added. (ANI)

What Australia's 34 and out means

34 World Cup wins in a row.

It is one of those ludicrous records which will likely stand forever, and have a unique, unmovable place in cricket statistic history, like Don Bradman's Test batting average of 99.94 or Sachin Tendulkar's hundred international centuries (admittedly he's only made 99 of those so far, but you'd have to be madder than a Shahid Afridi swipe to long-on to think he won't reach the landmark).

Even Gavin Hamilton's rather special Test record (played one, scored no runs in two innings, took no wickets in 15 overs) has its own place in statistics history, and so too will Australia's 12-year unbeaten stretch in World Cups find its own little corner in the books.

But defeat today was about more than numbers and figures.

Australia, despite cruising unbeaten through five matches in the subcontinent, are not the force they were.

But so long as nobody beat them, the aura could remain, almost unchallenged, as sides fell away, exposed by their own limitations and vulnerabilities.

Few teams do vulnerability quite like Pakistan, but equally few have a knack of pulling out an extraordinary result.

As such, the match never felt won despite the men in green being ahead of the game from start to finish.

Only once Abdul Razzaq, who nearly half his lifetime ago was a member of the last side to beat Australia in a World Cup clash at Headlingey in May 1999, struck the winning runs, did the enormity sink in.

Australia have made a habit of winning from any position. Occasionally they wobbled, but they always managed to fix it before it was too late.

What other side could have come out smiling from the position of being 1 run and four balls away from losing the 1999 World Cup semi-final?

India vs Australia: Ponting devastated but defiant despite World Cup loss

AHMEDABAD: Devastated to finish on the losing side in what was probably his last World Cup game but defiant nonetheless, Australian captain Ricky Ponting has insisted that the quarterfinal loss to India should not be construed as the end of an era in his country's cricket.

Ponting, who was aiming to lead the Aussies to their fourth World Cup title, also predicted that India would beat Pakistan in the semifinal and Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men are strong favourites to win the coveted title after a gap of 28 years.

"India played well as a team and deserved victory. We were not good enough (to win). Going forward they will be pretty hard to beat. They will beat Pakistan in the semifinal and go on to win the World Cup now," Ponting said at the post-match press conference after Australia were knocked out of the World Cup by India last night.

"India have a very good batting line up. We played very competitive cricket tonight but I'm disappointed with the two successive losses (against Pakistan in their last league game and today against India)," he said after his side's five-wicket loss in a high-octane World Cup quarterfinal.

But rejected suggestions it was the end of an era in Australian cricket.

"It's a bit premature to say it was the end of an era for Australian cricket, it was a pretty good game tonight. I do not think we were far away from winning the game against a very good Indian team on their home soil. I think it's a bit too early to say it's the end of an era," said Ponting.

He said he would not be playing in the next World Cup but ruled out quitting one-day cricket.

"I am not quitting one-day cricket but this is probably my last World Cup game. I will be happy to look back after retirement that I made a century in my last innings in the World Cup," Ponting said.

Ponting said his side had chances to win the game and they were devastated by the loss.

"We had great expectations from the game. We were a well organized group. We are devastated. We found it difficult to get momentum. Not performing at critical moments cost us the game. We did not grab our opportunities," he said.

"We were 15 to 20 runs short with the bat. 250-260 was a good total but we lost wickets at bad time and never got the momentum going. We did not execute the plans properly," said the 36-year-old Tasmanian who scored a superb 104 after having struggled in the earlier part of the tournament.

The Australian captain felt the schedule of the tournament could have been spread out better but said that cannot be an excuse for his side's crashing out in the quarterfinals.

"The schedule did not help us. But that cannot be put as an excuse for the loss. Over the last ten days my team has played four games. It would have been nice to have them (games) evenly spread out," he said.

He sympathised with his key fast bowler Brett Lee who had made a great effort to get back into the team after a 14-month injury lay-off.

"Brett has given a lot for Australian cricket during his entire career and at times coming back after big injuries. He will be shattered as he has worked very hard to get here," he said.

Ind vs Aus: Semifinal against Pakistan a dream match: Yuvraj

AHMEDABAD: His dream of guiding India to a win over Australia in the World Cup realised, star batsman Yuvraj Singh is now focussing on the semifinal clash against arch-rivals Pakistan, saying the much-anticipated game would be a battle of equals.

Yuvraj struck an unbeaten half century after claiming two wickets last night to collect his fourth man of the match trophy in the ongoing World Cup.

Looking ahead to the semifinal clash against Pakistan at Mohali on March 30, Yuvraj said it would be another dream game.

"The India-Pakistan game is going to be another dream game after India-Australia. It's a great victory for India today. We would be playing our best cricket against Pakistan. They know our game we know theirs both teams are equal. They have had a very good tournament and have beaten West Indies and Australia," Yuvraj told reporters after India's five-wicket win over the defending champions.

"We don't want to think about the Pakistan game now. It has been a high-pressure game for us (against Australia) and lot of our system has been drained. We would like to relax for a couple of days and then make plans about Pakistan game," he added.

It was very difficult to keep his emotions in check in the high-octane quarterfinal match.

"Over the last one year I have been dreaming of staying till the end and taking the team to victory against Australia in the World Cup and the moment has come. This is the moment I have lived for as a cricketer," he said.

He admitted that it was a tough situation with enormous pressure on him and any small mistake on his part could have thrown India out of the World Cup.

"It was very hard to control emotions. It was difficult to control oneself in such a situation as one mistake and you will be out of the World Cup. I tried to just watch the ball, play down the ground and not lift the ball in the air," said the left-handed batsman.

Yuvraj said he was playing in the tournament with the thought of someone special in his life, though he did not specify the person.

"I am playing for a very special person that comes in my mind and whenever things are not going well I think of that person and things work out," he remarked.

Yuvraj conceded that the dismissal of Gautam Gambhir, who was run out due to a misunderstanding with him, and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in quick succession had put the team under pressure but Suresh Raina lived up to the challenge in crucial stages.

"When Gambhir got out I thought I will get a good partnership going with MS (Dhoni) but when MS got out I knew I was in trouble. When Raina came in I told him to take his time and let's get 20-30 run partnership. He has shown nerves in a crucial stage and this will boost his confidence also," he said.

He said he had already apologised to Gambhir for the mix-up that resulted in his partner getting run out.

"I have apologised to Gautam for the miscommunication on the field. We have not played together much. I think it was probably my fault," said Yuvraj.

Though he got his fourth man-of-the-match award in the tournament, Yuvraj sounded modest and said the team effort was crucial.

"I feel good to have contributed to the team but the victory cannot be achieved by one person, it's a team effort," he said.

He said though he cherished the centuries he had scored in his career, even scores like his 52 not out last night were special as they resulted in the team winning a crucial tie.

"Though centuries are very special for a player, when you are able to contribute 20 or 30 runs which help the team win crucial matches they also become special," he said.

Looking back at the past one year which had seen him being axed from both the ODI and Test teams, Yuvraj said he was very happy that things have turned around for him.

"Last year everything I touched turned into mud. This year it has been a good year," he said.

Praising coach Gary Kirsten for the contribution he has been making, Yuvraj said that was the vital difference from 2007 when the team was knocked out in the first round of the World Cup.

"In 2003, the team was very great (when it made the final). I don't want to talk about 2007. In 2011 with Gary coming in, our confidence in each other has grown. Players confide in each other and the way Gary keeps the team like a family that shows in our performance," he pointed out.

Thursday, 24 March 2011

List of top 30 companies by revenue

1 WalMart (Retailing)
2 ExxonMobil (Oil and gas)
3 BP (Oil and gas)
4 Royal Dutch Shell (Oil and gas)
5 Saudi Aramco (Oil and gas)
6 Toyota Motors (Automotive)
7 Japan Post Holdings (Conglomerate)
8 Sinopec (Oil and gas)
9 Vitol (Raw material)
10 Total S.A. (Oil and gas)
11 State Grid Corporation of China (Electricity)
12 Samsung Electronics (Electronics)
13 Volkswagen Group (Automotive)
14 Chevron (Oil and gas)
15 ING Group (Financial services)
16 ConocoPhillips (Oil and gas)
17 General Electric (Conglomerate)
18 PetroChina (Oil and gas)
19 Glencore International (Raw materials)
20 Allianz (Financial services)
21 Berkshire Hathaway (Conglomerate)
22 Daimler AG (Automotive)
23 General Motors (Automotive)
24 Assicurazioni Generali (Insurance)
25 AXA (Financial services)
26 Hewlett-Packard (Information technology)
27 Carrefour (Retailing)
28 AT&T (Telecommunications)
29 Eni (Oil and gas)
30 Bank of America (Banking)

Budget 2011-2012 speech of Pranab Mukherjee

Budget 2011-2012 Speech of Pranab Mukherjee Minister of Finance February 28, 2011.

I rise to present the Union Budget for 2011-12.

We are reaching the end of a remarkable fiscal year. In a globalised world with its share of uncertainties and rapid changes, this year brought us some opportunities and many challenges as we moved ahead with steady steps on the chosen path of fiscal consolidation and high economic growth.

2. Our growth in 2010-11 has been swift and broad-based. The economy is back to its pre-crisis growth trajectory. While agriculture has shown a rebound, industry is regaining its earlier momentum. Services sector continues its near double digit run. Fiscal consolidation has been impressive. This year has also seen significant progress in those critical institutional reforms that would set the pace for double-digit growth in the near future.

3. While we succeeded in making good progress in addressing many areas of our concern, we could have done better in some others. The total food inflation declined from 20.2 per cent in February 2010 to less than half at 9.3 per cent in January 2011, but it still remains a concern. In the medium term perspective, our three priorities of sustaining a high growth trajectory; making development more inclusive; and improving our institutions, public delivery and governance practices, remain relevant. These would continue to engage the Indian policyplanners for some time. However, there are some manifestations of these challenges that need urgent attention in the short term.

Wednesday, 23 March 2011

World: Asia-Pacific Japan's vital but unpopular nuclear industry

Japan's nuclear industry faces its most serious crisis following the radiation leak at the Tokaimura uranium-processing facility.

Japan's nuclear crisis
This is only the latest in a series of accidents, fires and leaks which have undermined public confidence in the safety of nuclear power.

According to the Japanese Science and Technology Agency, tests on two of those closest to the leak suggest they were subjected to radiation "equivalent to exposure to an atomic bomb".

The statement will provide an unpleasant echo for the Japanese public, which is still greatly influenced by the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War Two.



The town of Tokaimura was also the site of Japan's previous worst nuclear accident, in 1997. At another facility close to the uranium processing plant, 35 workers were contaminated by radiation after a fire was not extinguished properly and caused an explosion.

In another serious accident in July, radiation levels 11,500 times the safety limit leaked out of a pipe in a plant in Tsuruga, 320 km (200 miles) west of Tokyo.

But like it or not, the nuclear industry is extremely important to delivering Japan's vast energy requirement.

Since the oil crisis of 1973, successive governments have made concerted efforts to become self-sufficient - and opted for nuclear energy to achieve this goal.

The country has few natural resources and relies on its 51 commercial nuclear power plants for about one-third of its electricity.


By the year 2010, Japan wants to raise that production level to 42% of its energy needs.

Pursing a goal of self-sufficiency, the Japanese nuclear industry originally wanted to use plutonium in fast-breeder reactors, which could generate more plutonium.

Japan is now the only nation still developing fast-breeder nuclear reactors since France decided in 1997 to close its Superphoenix reactor following a series of problems.

But the high costs, as well as an accident at the fast-breeder reactor Monju in 1995, forced the industry to seek an alternative in MOX fuel, a combination of uranium and plutonium recycled from spent nuclear fuel.

This task is done at recycling plants in France and the UK, and shipped back to Japan.

Just days ago, Tsuneo Futami, director of the Tokaimura plant, said: "Considering Japan's scarce resources, it is very important to have MOX fuel."

Key features of Budget 2011-2012

Opportunities

Swift and broad based growth in 2010-11 has put the economy back to its pre-crisis growth trajectory. Fiscal consolidation has been impressive.

Significant progress in critical institutional reforms that would set the pace for double-digit growth in the near future.

Dynamism in the rural economy due to scaled up flow of resources to the rural areas.

Challenges

Structural concerns on inflation management to be addressed by improving supply response of agriculture to the expanding domestic demand and through stronger fiscal consolidation.

Implementation gaps, leakages from public programmes and the quality of outcomes pose a serious challenge.

Impression of drift in governance and gap in public accountability is misplaced. Corruption as a problem to be fought collectively. Government to improve the regulatory standards and administrative practices.

Inputs from colleagues on both sides of House are important in the wider national interest.

Budget 2011-12 to serve as a transition towards a more transparent and result oriented economic management system in India

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami

The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami Tōhoku Chihō Taiheiyō-oki Jishin literally "Tōhoku region Pacific Ocean offshore earthquake"was a 9.0-magnitude undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on Friday 11 March 2011.The epicenter was approximately 72 kilometers (45 mi) east of the Oshika Peninsula of Tōhoku, with the hypocenter at an underwater depth of approximately 32 km (19.9 mi).

The earthquake triggered extremely destructive tsunami waves of up to 10 meters (33 ft) that struck Japan minutes after the quake, in some cases traveling up to 10 km (6 mi) inland,with smaller waves reaching many other countries after several hours. Tsunami warnings were issued and evacuations ordered along Japan's Pacific coast and at least 20 other countries, including the entire Pacific coast of North America and South America.

The Japanese National Police Agency has officially confirmed 9,523 deaths,2,755 injured,and 16,094 people missing across eighteen prefectures, as well as over 125,000 buildings damaged or destroyed.The earthquake and tsunami caused extensive and severe structural damage in Japan, including heavy damage to roads and railways as well as fires in many areas, and a dam collapse.Around 4.4 million households in northeastern Japan were left without electricity and 1.5 million without water.Many electrical generators were taken down, and at least three nuclear reactors suffered explosions due to hydrogen gas that had built up within their outer containment buildings. On 18 March, the International Atomic Energy Agency described the crisis as "extremely serious."Residents within a 20 km (12 mi) radius of the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant and a 10 km (6 mi) radius of the Fukushima II Nuclear Power Plant were evacuated.

Estimates of the Tōhoku earthquake's magnitude make it the most powerful known earthquake to have hit Japan, and one of the five most powerful earthquakes in the world overall since modern record-keeping began in 1900.Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said, "In the 65 years after the end of World War II, this is the toughest and the most difficult crisis for Japan."The earthquake moved Honshu 2.4 m (7.9 ft) east and shifted the Earth on its axis by almost 10 cm (3.9 in).Early estimates placed insured losses from the earthquake alone at US$14.5 to $34.6 billion.The Bank of Japan offered ¥15 trillion (US$183 billion) to the banking system on 14 March in an effort to normalize market conditions.On 21 March, the World Bank estimated damage between US$122 billion and $235 billion.Japan's government said the cost of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the northeast could reach $309 billion, making it the world's most expensive natural disaster on record.

Highest Individual scores

1 Runs 17,953 Innings 449 PlayerSachin Tendulkar Period1989–
2 Runs 13,428 Innings 432 Player Sanath Jayasuriya Period1989–2009
3 Runs 13,082 Innings 343 PlayerRicky Ponting Period1995–
4 Runs 11,739 Innings 350 Player Inzamam-Ul-Haq Period1991–2007
5 Runs 11,363 Innings 300 Player Sourav Ganguly Period1992–2007

Highest career average

Rank Ave. Runs country Scorers
1 68.55 1234 Netherlands Ryan ten Doeschate
2 59.88 2156 South Africa Hashim Amla
3 53.58 6912 Australia Michael Bevan
4 51.96 4469 Australia Michael Hussey
5 49.22 1772 India Virat Kohli

ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL(CRICKET)

The first ODI matches began in 1971. The Cricket World Cup is the most major of many ODI tournaments held between the 16 teams currently given full ODI status by the International Cricket Council.

Numerous batting, bowling and fielding records exist. Michael Bevan, an Australian cricketer, holds the best batting average of any retired player, while Sachin Tendulkar currently holds the most ODI runs and the largest number of centuries.

TOP 10 FASTEST HALF CENTUARY

1. Sanath Jayasuriya 76 (17 balls) Sri Lanka v Pakistan 1996

2. Simon O’Donnell 74 (18) Australia v Sri Lanka 1990

3. Shahid Afridi 102 (18) Pakistan v Sri Lanka 1996

4. Shahid Afridi 55 n.o (18) Pakistan v Netherlands 2002

5. Mark Boucher 51 n.o (19) South Africa v Kenya 2001

6. Lance Cairns 52 (21) New Zealand v Australia 1983

7. Ajit Agarkar 67 n.o (21) India v Zimbabwe 2000

8. Douglas Marillier 56 n.o (21) Zimbabwe v India 2002

9. Kapil Dev 72 (22) India v West Indies 1983

10.Virender Sehwag 55 n.o (22) India v Kenya 2001

Best Part Time MBA Programs in the United States for 2009-2010

1. UCLA, Anderson School of Management
2. Emory University, Goizueta Business School
3. USC, Marshall School of Business
4. Loyola Marymount University, College of Business Administration
5. Lehigh University, College of Business and Economics
6. University of Denver, Daniels College of Business
7. University of Chicago, Booth School of Business
8. Loyola University Chicago, Graduate School of Business
9. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Department of Management
10. Drexel University, LeBow College of Business

Best Full Time MBA Programs in the United States for 2009-2010

1. University of Chicago, Booth School of Business
2. Harvard University, Harvard Business School
3. Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management
4. University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School
5. University of Michigan, Ross School of Business
6. Stanford University, Stanford Graduate School of Business
7. Columbia University, Graduate School of Business
8. Duke University, Fuqua School of Business
9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management
10. University of California Berkeley, Haas School of Business

Graduate(M.B.A. PROGRAM) offer you many fields.

* Master of Accountancy (MAcc or MAcy) / Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA), a postgraduate degree in accounting
* Master of Commerce (M.Comm.), a postgraduate business degree usually focused on an particular area
* Master of Economics
* Master of Enterprise (MEnt), a postgraduate, technology & enterprise-based qualification
* Master of Bioscience Enterprise (MBioEnt), a postgraduate degree focussed on the commercialisation of biotechnology
* Master of Finance (MFin), a postgraduate degree in finance
* Master of International Business (MIB), a postgraduate degree focused on International Business
* Master of Management (MM), a postgraduate business degree
* Master of Science in Management, a postgraduate business degree
* Master of Marketing Research (MMR) a postgraduate degree focusing on research in the field of marketing
* Master of Nonprofit Organizations (MNO or MNPO), the postgraduate degree for philanthropy and voluntary sector professionals
* Master of Public Administration (MPA), a postgraduate public administration degree
* Masters of Management: Co-operatives and Credit Unions, a post-graduate degree for co-operative and credit union managers
* Master in Sustainable Business (MSB)
* Master of Real Estate (MScRE), a postgraduate degree focusing on real estate.

Tuesday, 22 March 2011

history of M.B.A in India

There are 1600 business schools in India offering two year MBA programs. The students are a mix of fresh graduates without any work experience and people with good work experience. Among those schools, the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) are the oldest institutions for management education in India. Admission to any of the IIM schools requires passing Common Admission Test (CAT), however other business schools requires passing either CAT, XAT, GMAT, XAT, JMET, MAT or others each of which qualifies candidates for entrance into any management institutions in India, apart from these entrance tests there are few business schools which conducts aptitude test individually which qualifies candidates for that particular business school. The IIM and other autonomous business schools offer a post-graduate diploma in management (PGDM) or Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGPM) which is recognized in India as similar to an MBA degree. Government accreditation bodies such as AICTE established that autonomous business schools can offer only the PGDM or PGPM, whereas a post-graduate degree can be awarded by a university-affiliated colleges, in two-year full-time program. The curriculum of the PGDM or PGPM and MBA degrees are equivalent, although the MBA degree is examination oriented and concentrates on theoretical aspects of management whereas the PGDM or PGPM is industry-oriented and mainly focuses on building soft skills. However, a PGDM or PGPM holder cannot pursue Ph.D. since it is not recognized. Non-government accredited, one-year fast-track programs have proliferated in India, especially for candidates with work experience. Such programs are commonly known as Post Graduate Programme (PGP) in Business Management. See List of business schools in India.

Basic types of MBA programs

Two-year (Full Time) MBA programs normally take place over two academic years (i.e. approximately 18 months of term time). For example in the Northern Hemisphere beginning in late August/September of year one and continuing until May of year two, with a three to four month summer break in between years one and two. Students enter with a reasonable amount of prior real-world work experience and take classes during weekdays like other university students.

Accelerated MBA programs are a variation of the two year programs. They involve a higher course load with more intense class and examination schedules. They usually have less "down time" during the program and between semesters. For example, there is no three to four month summer break, and between semesters there might be seven to ten days off rather than three to five weeks vacation.

Part-time MBA programs normally hold classes on weekday evenings, after normal working hours, or on weekends. Part-time programs normally last three years or more. The students in these programs typically consist of working professionals, who take a light course load for a longer period of time until the graduation requirements are met.

Executive MBA (EMBA) programs developed to meet the educational needs of managers and executives, allowing students to earn an MBA or another business-related graduate degree in two years or less while working full time. Participants come from every type and size of organization – profit, nonprofit, government — representing a variety of industries. EMBA students typically have a higher level of work experience, often 10 years or more, compared to other MBA students. In response to the increasing number of EMBA programs offered, The Executive MBA Council was formed in 1981 to advance executive education.

Distance learning MBA programs hold classes off-campus. These programs can be offered in a number of different formats: correspondence courses by postal mail or email, non-interactive broadcast video, pre-recorded video, live teleconference or videoconference, offline or online computer courses. Many schools offer these programs.

Dual MBA programs combine MBA degree with others (such as an MS or a J.D., etc.) to let students cut costs (dual programs usually cost less than pursuing 2 degrees separately), save time on education and to tailor the business education courses to their needs. Some business schools offer programs in which students can earn both a bachelor's degree in business administration and an MBA in four or five years.

History of M.B.A.

The first graduate school of business in the United States was the Tuck School of Business, part of Dartmouth College.[citation needed] Founded in 1900, it was the first institution conferring advanced degrees (masters) in the commercial sciences, specifically, a Master of Science in Commerce degree, the forebear of the modern MBA degree.

In 1908, the Graduate School of Business Administration (GSBA) at Harvard University was established; it offered the world's first MBA program[citation needed], with a faculty of 15 plus 33 regular students and 47 special students.

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business first offered working professionals the Executive MBA (EMBA) program in 1940[citation needed], and this type of program is offered by most business schools today.

In 1946, Thunderbird School of Global Management was the first school to offer an MBA program focused on global management.[citation needed]

In 1950, the first MBA degrees awarded outside the United States were by The University of Western Ontario in Canada,followed in 1951 with the degree awarded by the University of Pretoria in South Africa.The Institute of Business Administration, Karachi in Pakistan was established in 1955 as the first Asian business school by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. In 1957, INSEAD became the first European business school to offer an MBA program.[citation needed] In 1986, the Roy E. Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College (Florida) was the first MBA program to require every student to have a laptop computer in the classroom. Initially, professors wheeled a cart of laptops into the classroom.

The MBA degree has been adopted by universities worldwide, and has been adopted and adapted by both developed and developing countries.

Master of Business Administration

The Master of Business Administration (MBA or M.B.A.) is a master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out scientific approaches to management. The core courses in the MBA program are designed to introduce students to the various areas of business such as accounting, finance, marketing, human resources, operations management, etc. Students in MBA programs have the option of taking general business courses throughout the program or can select an area of concentration and focus approximately one-fourth of their studies in this subject.

Accreditation bodies exist specifically for MBA programs to ensure consistency and quality of graduate business education. Business schools in many countries offer MBA programs tailored to full-time, part-time, executive, and distance learning students, with specialized concentrations

The World's 30 Best CEOs

1 Warren Buffet (Berkshire Hathaway)
2 Kenneth Chenault (American Express)
3 George David (United Technologies)
4 Charlie Ergen (EchoStar)
5 Larry Fink (BlackRock
6 Lew Frankfort (Coach)
7 Richard Fuld (Lehman Brothers)
8 Fred Goodwin (Royal Bank of Scotland)
9 Jeffrey Immelt (General Electric)
10 Satoru Iwata (Nintendo)
11 Steven Jobs (Apple)
12 Henning Kagermann (SAP)
13 Richard Kovacevich (Wells Fargo)
14 A G Lafley (Procter & Gamble)
15 Terry Leahy (Tesco)
16 John Mackey (Whole Foods)
17 Lakshmi Mittal (Arcelor Mittal)
18 Allan Moss (Macquaire Bank)
19 Angelo Mozilo (Countrywide Financial)
20 Rupert Murdoch (News Corp)
21 Michael O'Leary (Ryanair Holdings)
22 Franck Ribould (Groupe Danone)
23 Peter Rose (Expeditor International)
24 Steven Roth (Vornado Realty)
25 James Schiro (Zurich Financial)
26 Bob Simpson (XTO Energy)
27 James Sinegal (Costco Wholesale)
28 Fred Smith (FedEx)
29 Ratan Tata (Tata Steel)
30 Jong-Yong Yun (Samsung Electronics)
31 Dinesh Aggarwal (IndiaMArt Limited)

How big is the fund?(mutual fund)

The fund's corpus is a good place to start. Look for one that is neither too small nor too big. The current regulations impart a higher cost structure to small-sized funds. Besides, it's difficult for managers of small funds to get information ahead of the market because big research houses and companies seldom entertain them. The larger funds, on the other hand, have their own disadvantages.

It is almost impossible for a very large fund to allocate a sizeable portion of its corpus to a small-cap stock without disturbing the price of the scrip. Therefore, big funds are forced to invest in large-cap stocks. This explains why most large funds tend to move like index funds because their portfolios begin to resemble the index as a whole. Hemant Rustagi, CEO, Wiseinvest Advisors , says, "If a fund becomes too large, stock picking becomes difficult. This is most evident in mid-cap-oriented funds, where stock picking is most crucial to performance."