India | CHINDIA ALERT: You'll be living in their world, very soon

09/03/2012

* Indian government clears distribution of 5 million tablet PCs in schools, colleges

The Hindu: “In a move that will give a big push to broadband penetration in the country, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has cleared an ambitious plan to distribute 50-lakh (5 million) tablet PCs (personal computers) to students in the next financial year (2012-13). A note containing the nitty-gritty of the ambitious Aakash-2 project is likely to be placed before the Cabinet soon. …

The government wants to initially assemble the tablet PCs through its public sector undertakings (PSUs) and eventually indigenise it to maintain cost-competitiveness.

The DoT has declared that the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), the research and design wing of the Department of Information Technology, will be the nodal agency for successfully implementing the Aakash-2 project. It will be assisted by the Indian Institute of Technology-Mumbai. They will be responsible for finalising specifications, ensuring quality and testing the tablet PCs. The DoT has decided to rope in two PSUs — Bharat Electronics Ltd and ITI Ltd — for manufacturing and procuring the tablet PCs that will be priced between $55 and $70 (around Rs.2,750 and Rs.3,500).”

via The Hindu : Sci-Tech / Gadgets : DoT clears distribution of 50 lakh tablet PCs in schools, colleges.

This initiative will help push India further into the information era both in terms of the next generation of knowledge workers as well as in terms of hardware development.

Posted in India alert, Investment in tangibles, Technology | 1 Comment »

Tags: Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, computer, Department of Telecommunication, Department of Telecommunications, DoT, Government, Hindu, India, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Kapil Sibal, public sector undertakings, Tablet personal computer, tech gadgets, technology

07/03/2012

* Indian state assembly votes shakes Congress’ Gandhi dynasty

The Times, London: “Voters in India’s most populous state decisively rejected Rahul Gandhi yesterday, dealing a blow to his hopes of becoming the fourth generation of the Nehru dynasty to rule the country.

The 41-year-old son of Rajiv Gandhi, the assassinated former Prime Minister, led the Congress party’s campaign in Uttar Pradesh (UP), spending nights with the poorest villagers to counter accusations that he is too privileged to understand their concerns.

But Congress suffered devastating results in four of five state elections. It came fourth in UP, lost control in Goa, failed to win Punjab, was neck and neck in Uttarakhand and managed a clear victory only in the remote northeastern state of Manipur.

The poor showing will make it harder for the weakened ruling party to force through national reforms that could boost economic growth, which has slipped below 7 per cent, in the teeth of opposition from its coalition allies. The Indian stock market slumped at the prospect of two more years of “policy paralysis”.

Congress had been pinning its hopes of winning the national election due in 2014 on the youthful appeal of Mr Gandhi, who has been carefully insulated from the troubles that dog the national Government led by 79-year-old Manmohan Singh.”

Indian vote shakes Gandhi dynasty | The Times.

Just when India needs more reform, the Congress party falters badly in four out of five state elections. This was to be the forerunner to 2014 national elections. So Congress has a little over a year to catch up.

Posted in India alert, Politics, Reform | Leave a Comment »

Tags: India, Indian National Congress, Manipur, manmohan singh, Nehru–Gandhi family, rahul gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Uttar Pradesh

06/03/2012

* China, India hold border talks, pledge to safeguard peace

Extracted from Xinhua: “China and India concluded a border meeting in Beijing on Tuesday with a joint pledge to safeguard peace and tranquility along their border, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement released Tuesday.

This was the first meeting on the bilateral working mechanism for consultation and coordination over border affairs, which was launched in January this year. …

Both sides agreed to further enhance communication, trust and cooperation in accordance with the consensus reached by the two countries’ leaders, and to give full play to the role of the working mechanism, said the statement. They agreed to hold the next meeting for the working mechanism in India. …

China and India share a 2,000-km-long border that has never been formally delineated. The two countries began to discuss border issues in the 1980s. To maintain peace and stability in their border areas, the two sides signed two agreements in 1993 and 1996, respectively. In 2005, the two countries signed a political guideline on border demarcation during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao‘s visit to India.”

via China, India hold border talks, pledge to safeguard peace – Xinhua | English.news.cn.

The Indo-Chinese border was unilaterally set under British Raj by Surveyor MacMohan. Although agreed by the Tibetan authorities, it was not ratified by the Manchu or later Chinese government. It was the intransigence of India when other neighbours like Pakistan, Burma, Nepal were willing to re-negotiate, that caused China to invade India in the autumn of 1962 with tanks rolling over the Himalayas. Since then the border has still not been formally agreed.

China’s borders with Russia and Vietnam were settled after some military incidents.

These latest talks hold hope that India is finally seeing that the way forward is to negotiate and not stand on unilateral definitions set by the British.

Posted in China alert, Chindia Alert, India alert | Leave a Comment »

Tags: China, foreign minister, Fu Ying, Himalayas, India, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Wen Jiabao

05/03/2012

* Indian PM calls for greater cooperation between India and Africa on climate change

In geopolitical terms, India is lagging behind China in wooing Africa. This is despite a longer history of involvement mainly engendered by British colonialism that imported 100s of thousands of Indian labourers into Africa. Most of whom, a few generations later rose to become the commercial and middle class citizens. Though in Uganda, they ere thrown out by Idi Amin to Britain’s benefit where the Indians have established themselves as excellent business people and professionals at all levels.

Extract from the Hindu: “Noting that economies of developing countries are impacted by climate change, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday pitched for greater cooperation between Asian and African countries to address short and long term challenges in this regard.

“I believe that in the future we will need to tackle the short term and long term environmental challenges that our economies face,” Dr. Singh said while addressing the inaugural function of Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Afro-Asian Rural Development Organisation in New Delhi.

Exhorting the scientists and experts to reflect on suitable technology to address the issue, Dr. Singh said, “Our scientists and experts have to reflect on technologies and processes that are most suitable for our rural conditions and circumstances, both in Africa and in Asia.” Underlining the need for African and Asian countries to work jointly, he said, “We have to work together to build a favourable international regime that enables us to access funds and green technologies for rural growth“. …

Noting that three quarters of world’s poor live in Asia and Africa, the Prime Minister said, “Rural reconstruction and poverty eradication are fundamental to our plans for sustainable development and inclusive growth.”

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2963288.ece

Posted in Climate change, Ecology, GeoPolitics, Good news, India alert | Leave a Comment »

Tags: africa, Asia, Business and Economy, Developing country, environment, green, India, manmohan singh, prime minister manmohan singh, research, rural

03/03/2012

* US military ties with India growing

Times of India: “Ties between the US and Indian militaries are growing, a senior defense official said on Friday, noting recent bilateral security talks between the two countries reaffirmed the partnership and the growing US interest in advancing it.

Acting under secretary of defense for policy James Miller joined Indian defense secretary Shashi Kant Sharma in co-chairing the 12th annual US-India defense policy group dialogue in New Delhi Feb 21 and 22.”

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Military-ties-with-India-growing-US/articleshow/12121013.cms

Undoubtedly another attempt at ‘encircling’ China policy by US. Earlier this year US and Australia agreed closer military cooperation. This will, no doubt, cause some reaction from the Chinese military eventually.

Posted in Defence, Diplomacy, GeoPolitics, India alert, Military | 5 Comments »

Tags: Australia, China, India, Indian Defence, Military, New Delhi, People's Liberation Army, United States

CHINDIA ALERT: You'll be living in their world, very soon

Chindia Alert: You’ll be Living in their World Very Soon

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* Indian government clears distribution of 5 million tablet PCs in schools, colleges

* Indian state assembly votes shakes Congress’ Gandhi dynasty

* China, India hold border talks, pledge to safeguard peace

* Indian PM calls for greater cooperation between India and Africa on climate change

* US military ties with India growing

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