Business in India

DOING BUSINESS IN INDIA

Doing business in India in the 21st century is on one hand not so much different than doing business in any other emerging or industrialized country. On the other hand doing business in India is a unique undertaking if one expect optimum outcome in a reasonable time.

Why this is the case?
India is a country with a distinct philosophy, ideology and ethos. India was under outside threats from the 11th century when her trades and economy were at her peak- The best in the world. People of India lived under outside rulers for 750 years until her independence in the mid 20th century. Ironically all those influences did not affect much of her core ideology and identity. One’s ideology and identity makes the character and personality of the country. Though India externally seems to be reasonably comparable with the western world, India remains an interesting and mystic society – understanding India require serious learning and dedication.

In Max Muller words:

“If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions, I should point to India.”

-Max Mueller, German Scholar, 1823-1900

Successfully doing business in India requires an array of complex skills and sound understanding of the nation and its people compared to the knowledge needed to do business in most other emerging and western countries. Followings are a few key areas one might build competence in:

(1) Origins of India: Historical and Contemporary India
(2) Culture of India: Society, Spirituality, Belief-systems, Rituals and Customs
(3) Economics, Business and Politics of India
(4) India as an Emerging Market: A two Market system
a. Commercial Center Markets (Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi)
b. Rural India- Market
(5) Work-force and human resource management in India
(6) Management Style
(7) Communication, Negotiation and Deal –sealing in India
(8) Education and Educational Institutions in India
(9) Living in India – the Infrastructure and Public Services

WHAT IS INDIA
India is not simply a geographic location. It is a concept that is continuously shedding, shaping and reshaping like an epidermis-outer layer of an organism. India is alive with both multiplicity and continuity. It is an unusual blend of cultures, religions, races and languages. The nation's identity and social structure remain protected by a rich cultural heritage that dates back at least 10,000 years, making India one of the oldest formal social-systems in the world.

Recent genome analysis: Indian is the mother of all Asians. The ancestors of the contemporary population of China, Japan and other East Asian countries migrated from India, according to a research study conducted by a team of scientists from 10 Asian countries. India, China, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand were all part of this scientific study and analysis.

ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING MARKETS
The Indian market with its over 1.1 billion populations, presents attractive and diverse opportunities for international companies that have appropriate and suitable products, services, and commitment. India’s requirements for equipments and services for major sectors such as energy, environmental, healthcare, education, research, high-tech, infrastructure, transportation, and defense will exceed tens of billions of dollars as the Indian economy further expands internally and globally. India’s middle class is estimated to be as large as the entire population of the United States. India’s GDP grew at the rate of 8.7% in 2007-08, and it has potential for a sustained growth of 7-10% for the next ten years.

India as an emerging Market


SOME FACTS AND FIGURES OF INDIA

Official Name: Republic of India
Independence: 15 August 1947 (from British)

Government type: Federal Republic
Capital: New Delhi, Financial Center: Mumbai
Legal system: Based on English common law; limited judicial review of legislative acts;
Currency: Indian Rupee (Rs)
GDP: $1.16 trillion, Per Capita (PPP): $4,139 (2007-08)

Geography: India has vast open ocean-fronts (east, south and the west) and on the north it has Himalayan mountain range.
• Location South Asia bordering the Arabian Sea to the west and the Bay of Bengal to the east. India shares land boundaries with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, China, Nepal, and Pakistan
• Area 3,287,590 sq km

Population
Total - 1,129,866,154 (July 2007)
Urban population (% of total) - 28.4

Age structure:
• 0-14 years: 34% (male 189,487,322; female 174,123,490)
• 15-59 years:56.9% (male 303,400,561; female 282,238,162)
• 60 years and over: 7.5% (male 37,768,327; female 38,853,994) (2001 census)

Population growth rate: 1.60% (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: Total population: 68.59 years (2007)
Male: 66 years (2007), Female: 71 years (2007 est.)

Literacy (2001census): Definition of Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 64.8%
Male: 75.3% Female: 53.7%

Religions
Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 2%, Buddhist 0.8%, Jain 0.4%, other 0.6%

Languages
India's 1.1-billion people speak more than 6,500 languages and dialects, according to the 2001 census. However, many of the spoken languages and dialects are in the verge of extinction due to low population and none or little use for livelihood.
The major official language of the India is Hindi that is the primarily used by over 300,000,000 people. Other most common regional official languages are: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, and Sindhi.

English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication. English has become a "lingua franca" and is the accepted language for business and government.

Tamaso Mā Jyotirgamaya

--Tamaso Mā Jyotirgamaya - (From Darkness to Light) -let this be our collective motto for the 2010. - Happy new year. from CA Takshila University/Biopreneur.

CTU/Biopreneur is embarking on a figurative and literary motto of "Darkness-to-light through -
(1) Bringing Solar Lantern to thousands of rural people in India and elsewhere

(2) Giving access to Universities education to the people around the globe at and/or no-cost.

What we need are the supports from millions of you - support of any-kind : -time, wisdom, books, computers, funds, grants, endowments and self-sponsored projects.

Thank you,

California Takshila University (www.ctuniv.org)
info@ctuniv.org

6 Thriving Jobs That Are Here to Stay

Even in a turbulent economy there's hope for sustained employment in careers that stand the test of time. The downturn means an opportunity for those who want to return to school to increase their skills and earning power -- or for those who are training for their first job.

In any recession, the outcome often means the job market reshapes itself, with in-demand careers rising to the top. Job titles may change, but professionals with key skill sets will continue to thrive in careers with staying power.

If you're looking for career training, a college degree, or certification courses to qualify for a profession with legs, here are six careers to consider:

Alternative Energy Engineers

Green is good. And engineers with specializations in environmental sciences will find themselves valued in today's and tomorrow's economy. You'll be designing solutions for issues of global warming, waste water and air pollution, outdated fossil fuel energy systems, and excessive carbon footprints.

Join the ranks of environmental engineers with a bachelor's degree in engineering. Or, if you're an engineer, take a master's degree in environmental studies or advanced engineering. Job growth is predicted at 25 percent between 2006 and 2016, and the 2008 median annual wage was $74,020.

Registered Nurses

Registered nursing tops the health-care occupations with the greatest number of total jobs (2.5 million). Openings are expected to rise 23 percent from 2006 to 2016. Recent news reports say that 116,000 jobs for registered nurses are currently open in hospitals, with another 100,000 unfilled positions at nursing homes. An additional 587,000 new jobs are predicted to open, which makes nursing the single-largest occupation in terms of career growth.

Prepare to land an opening by completing an online associate or bachelor's degree program in nursing. The median 2008 annual wage for registered nurses was $62,450, with top earnings at $92,240.

Accountants

People who count money and help others prepare for taxation have been around forever. Job growth is projected at 18 percent between 2006 and 2016.

To join this nearly-bulletproof profession, complete an online bachelor's degree in accounting. To increase your earning potential, take national exams to qualify as a certified public accountant. In 2008, the median annual wage was $59,430, with accountants in the top-earning bracket drawing $102,380.

Paralegals

Lawyers are bound to last the economic shakedown, but they're having trouble handling the workload. That's why paralegals are increasingly brought into private practice, government organizations, and corporate legal departments to shoulder the research and paperwork duties. Projections show a 22 percent increase in paralegals during the 2006-2016 decade.

There are online associate's and bachelor's degree programs that qualify paralegals to enter the law office and courthouse. Earnings are rising, too. The median 2008 annual wage for paralegals was $46,120, with the top 10 percent taking home $73,450.

Physician Assistants

Health-care professions are on the rise. The employment of physician assistants is projected to grow by 27 percent from 2006 to 2016. Physician assistants handle a great many medical procedures under the direct supervision of a doctor, including making diagnoses, conducting examinations, and taking medical histories.

The states and the District of Columbia require physician assistants to pass a physician assistant national certifying examination in addition to completing a two-year degree program. Employers are looking for candidates with bachelor's degrees and health-care experience. The median annual wage for physician assistants in 2008 was $81,230.

College Professors and Post-Secondary Teachers

The current generation of qualified educators is facing retirement. The U.S. Labor Department predicts a 23 percent increase in jobs for postsecondary teachers between 2006 and 2016. That means ample openings at trade schools, vocational schools, community colleges, and universities. Requirements vary by institution and subject matter.

At the university level, you'll often need to complete a Ph.D. in your field. At community colleges, professors and instructors may only need a master's degree to land a faculty position. In technical institutes, an undergraduate degree and on-the-job experience in your subject matter may suffice. Wages vary greatly, between $58,662 and $98,974.

Even in today's uncertain economic climate, there are careers with resilience and a promising upside. While others may emerge out of the tumult, these six professions deserve consideration.

Getting ready for College

Getting ready for college?

Should read the following articles and if possible the book along with it.
One may compare the goal of a student from other nations such as India, Japan, Vietnam and Korea. Education is affordable and income or parents' education level make little difference in achieving students' goal.

Then why it is an issue in USA?


Which High School Students Are Most Likely to Graduate From College?
By Kim Clark Kim Clark Thu Sep 10, 4:09 pm ET

Parents: Stop fretting so much about which high school your youngsters attend or how they score on the SATs. If you want your student to make it to a bachelor's degree, it's far more important for him or her to earn at least B's in high school and reach for the best possible college. Oh, and saving a few thousand bucks by sending your kid to a community college could turn out to be an expensive mistake.

Some of the nation's best-respected educational researchers are likely to reconsider much conventional wisdom today with the release of surprising findings from an analysis of educational records of more than 200,000 freshmen who started at public four-year colleges in 1999.

In the new "Crossing the Finish Line," William Bowen, a former president of Princeton University, argues that so many undergrads are dropping out (44 percent) that the country is in danger of losing its competitive edge to other nations.

He and coauthor Michael McPherson, former president of Macalester College, warn that America is likely to fall even further behind in the educational race because coming crops of high schoolers are filled with the kinds of low-income and minority students who tend to have the least educational success. In fact, despite billions of dollars in financial aid and scores of government and private efforts, the college graduation rate for low-income Americans who are the first in their families to go to college has been falling. "We're not doing as good a job as we should of creating genuine opportunity. We haven't continued to make progress the way other places have," Bowen said in an interview. (Harvard doctoral candidate Matthew Chingos also contributed to the book.)

The new research finds distressing signs that demographic factors such as gender, race, and parental education play large roles in determining a student's fate, no matter how smart or hardworking the particular student is. Those from families with below-average earnings or parents who didn't finish college, as well as African-Americans, Hispanics, and males, are failing college at disproportionate rates, even when compared with students with similar grades and test scores. Wealthy undergrads earn 11 percent more degrees from flagship universities than comparable students from the poorest income quartile, for example. White men are 6 percent more likely to graduate than black men with similar grades and scores. Women earn degrees at much higher rates than men. Failing to open educational opportunities to all students will endanger "the long-term health of our country," the authors warn.

Their findings about the actions that parents, students, and politicians should--and shouldn't--take to fix the problems are already sparking controversy:

High school grades are key: High school grades are the single best gauge of how well a student will do in college, no matter how "easy" or "tough" the high school's grading system is. "High school grades measure a student's ability to 'get it done' in a more powerful way than do SAT scores. . . . They reveal qualities of motivation and perseverance--as well as the presence of good study habits and time management skills--that tell us a great deal about the chances that a student will complete a college program," Bowen writes.

But the nature of the high school doesn't make much difference: The size, location, and racial mix of a student's high school don't appear to influence his or her ability earn a college degree, the study finds. Students who attend wealthier high schools do seem to enjoy a slight edge in enrolling in college. And elite high schools appear to help the very best students succeed at the most selective public universities. Interestingly, an analysis of eighth-grade reading and math test scores in North Carolina found that they were far more significant predictors of college enrollment than most other factors, including high school characteristics and student race. (The authors didn't research the correlation between eighth-grade test scores and college graduation, however.) That doesn't mean students or teachers should cram for eighth-grade tests, though, says coauthor McPherson. "The high scores identify students who study hard, pay attention, and do their best. It's these qualities that parents and teachers should aim to develop. And if they succeed in doing that, then those students are likely to do better in their eighth-grade tests and in later life," McPherson says.

Students shouldn't settle for less in a college: Thousands of bright, qualified students apply only to lower-ranked schools where their grades and tests scores are above those of the average student. But the new study finds that those who attend such "safety" schools are far more likely to drop out than those who get into "reach" schools. "It is counterintuitive," Bowen says. "You might think that if Sally goes to a school where she is top dog, she will have a much easier time graduating. But that's not true. She has a better chance of graduating if she goes to school with other people as talented she is."

Admissions tests don't predict graduation: SAT and ACT test scores are no help in predicting who will graduate from many, if not most, colleges. The widely used tests do help identify those likely to succeed at elite schools, the study found. But for many less selective colleges, students with higher scores were actually more likely to drop out. Representatives for the testing organizations noted that the tests are designed to--and do--predict college freshmen's grades, not college graduation. "We would be the first to acknowledge that the tests are not a perfect prediction," says Jon Erickson, vice president of the organization that runs the ACT. But Erickson argues that standardized test scores are helpful because, for example, they allow college admission officers to account for grade inflation at different high schools.

True achievement tests are useful indicators: Advanced Placement scores tell colleges more about a student's ability to complete college than other tests, the study found. Advanced Placement courses directly match the curriculum for entry-level college courses, and, at many universities, students can earn credit hours for high scores on AP tests.

B minuses aren't good enough: The new research confirms other findings that students who earn at least a 3.0 grade-point average are far more likely to graduate from college than students just under that mark. At less selective colleges, for example, 58 percent of students who entered with a 3.0 to 3.3 GPA graduated, compared with only 47 percent of sub-B students. The gap was even bigger at more selective colleges. "High school grades are tremendously important. It will not do for high school students to believe that 'just getting through' is enough," Bowen says. "You've got to work. You've got to pay your dues. You've got to achieve. If you do, you will succeed."

Today's community colleges are not the best solution: Bright, well-prepared community college students are 36 percent less likely to make it through to a bachelor's than similarly qualified students who start their degrees at four-year schools. Bowen realizes that message is likely to rile politicians and students who are hoping to use community colleges to save money in this economy but notes that his findings confirm those of others: "It is pretty hard to argue with the data . . . . If you want a bachelor's and you can start out at a good four-year institution, that is what you should do."

Why do community college students fall by the educational wayside so often? Other research has shown the influence of motivated and challenging peers, who are not always present in community college classrooms. Many community college students also have complained over the years about the failure of their schools to direct them to classes that will count as transfer credits. In addition, Bowen says many students are probably put off by complicated transfer processes.

Spokesmen for community colleges were distressed by the findings. "Community college officials are acutely aware that they must do more to maximize the number of students who graduate; it's a huge and growing concern," says David Baime, the American Association of Community Colleges' vice president for government relations. But Baime says much of the problem is caused by "the utterly unjustifiable practices of many four-year institutions that prevent would-be community college transfers from enrolling with appropriate credit."

Cash helps but is not a cure-all: More generous scholarships, or lower net tuition prices, can boost graduation rates by 5 to 10 percent. But scholarships and true costs need to be communicated to parents far earlier than the current system's six-month lead, and much more clearly, the authors say. In addition, combining sufficient aid with extra support services for students and parents does even more to shepherd students through to graduation.

Some colleges are doing a much better job than others: Colleges where most students live on campus and schools that create "honors" groups and "learning communities" are far more successful at graduating students than other universities.

There is some hope: The graduation rate success of experiments such as the Posse program, which provides teams of 10 low-income and minority students at elite schools lots of scholarships, mentoring, counseling, and peer support, shows that "graduation rates can be increased substantially if enough resources--and creativity--are put to work," the authors say.

Samurai Mind Training -

Academic Learning through mind training is key to the success in professional career development. Most renowned executives regularly trained their minds through meditation and/or mind-exercises.

As we all accepted that there are great deal of similarities between political-war strategy and business-strategy. Here is an example what Most-high-tech army of the world is adopting in their war-strategy.

Perhaps, business execs and MBA-students, those who have not incorporated meditation in their strategy, find the following article useful.

Thank you,
---------------------------------

Samurai Mind Training for Modern American Warriors
By BONNIE ROCHMAN Bonnie Rochman Mon Sep 7,2009

Not long ago at Fort Bragg, N.C., the country's largest military base, seven soldiers sat in a semi-circle, lights dimmed, eyes closed, two fingertips lightly pressed beneath their belly buttons to activate their "core." Electronic music thumped as the soldiers tried to silence their thoughts, the key to Warrior Mind Training, a form of meditation slowly making inroads on military bases across the country. "This is mental push-ups," Sarah Ernst told the weekly class she leads for soldiers at Fort Bragg. "There's a certain burn. It's a workout."

Think military and you think macho, not meditation, but that's about to change now that the Army intends to train its 1.1 million soldiers in the art of mental toughness. The Defense Department hopes that giving soldiers tools to fend off mental stress will toughen its troops at war and at home. It's the first time mental combat is being mandated on a large scale, but a few thousand soldiers who have participated in a voluntary program called Warrior Mind Training have already gotten a taste of how strengthening the mind is way different - dare we say harder? - than pounding out the push-ups. (See pictures of ninja warriors.)

Warrior Mind Training is the brainchild of Ernst and two friends, who were teaching meditation and mind-training in California. In 2005, a Marine attended a class in San Diego and suggested expanding onto military bases. Ernst and her colleagues researched the military mindset, consulting with veterans who had practiced meditation on the battlefield and back home. She also delved into the science behind mind training to analyze how meditation tactics could help treat - and maybe even help prevent - post-traumatic stress disorder.

Rooted in the ancient Samurai code of self-discipline, Warrior Mind Training draws on the image of the mythic Japanese fighter, an elite swordsman who honed his battle skills along with his mental precision. The premise? Razor-sharp attention plus razor-sharp marksmanship equals fearsome warrior. (Read about the samurai film version of King Lear by Akira Kurosawa.)

The Samurai image was selected after careful deliberation; it was certifiably anti-sissy. "We took a long time to decide how we were going to package this," says Ernst, who moved to North Carolina in 2006 and teaches classes at Fort Bragg as well as Camp Lejeune, a Marine base near the coast. "There are a lot of ways you could describe the benefits of doing mind training and meditation. Maybe from a civilian approach we would emphasize cultivating happiness or peace. But that's not generally what a young soldier is interested in. They want to become the best warrior they can be." (Read a story on the health benefits of meditation.)

The benefits of Warrior Mind Training, students have told instructors, are impressive: better aim on the shooting range, higher test scores, enhanced ability to handle combat stress and slip back into life at home. No comprehensive studies have been done, though a poll of 25 participants showed 70% said they felt better able to handle stressful situations and 65% had improved self-control.

The results were intriguing enough that Warrior Mind Training has been selected to participate in a University of Pittsburgh study on sleep disruption and fatigue in service members that will kick off early next year.

For now, success is measured anecdotally.

On patrol in Iraq two years ago, John Way would notice his mind straying. "Maybe I should be watching some guy over there and instead I'm thinking, 'I'm hungry. Where's my next Twinkie?'"

With privacy at a premium, he'd often retreat to a Port-A-Potty to practice the focusing skills he'd learned from Ernst at Fort Bragg. "To have a way to shut all this off is invaluable," says Way.

The importance of the mind-body connection is being acknowledged at the highest levels of the military. The West Point-based Army Center for Enhanced Performance (ACEP), which draws on performance psychology to teach soldiers how to build confidence, set goals and channel their energy, has expanded to nine army bases in the past three years since the Army's chief-of-staff praised the program.

"The Army has always believed if we just train 'em harder, the mental toughness will come," says Lorene Petta, a psychologist at Fort Bragg who works for ACEP. "A lot of times with this population, because they're so rough and tough, they tend to say, 'This is too touchy-feely for me. No thanks.' But we talk about the importance of being a good mental warrior too."

Free to members of the military and their relatives, Warrior Mind Training classes are offered at 11 U.S. military installations and veterans centers across the country; an online option opened up this spring. At Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in California, for example, Warrior Mind instructors prep elite Navy SEALS candidates for Hell Week, when potential newbies are vetted in a 5 ½-day sleepless trial of physical and mental endurance. (See pictures of the U.S. troops in Iraq.)

Beefing up the brain for combat is one aspect of the training; another is decompression. If one day you're dodging snipers in Iraq and the next you're strolling the aisles at Wal-Mart, Warrior Mind Training techniques can ease the transition.

"It's kind of like a reset button," says Erick Burgos, a military paramedic who takes classes at Coronado. "It's a time-out for you to take a break from the chaos in your life."

If the Army's new mental-toughness initiative, set to kick off in October, is to be successful, it needs buy-in from the people it plans to train. It can be a tough sell. At Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, in N.C., Adam Credle, who teaches military, law enforcement and Coast Guard personnel how to drive boats equipped with machine guns really fast, has encouraged his students to try out the meditative techniques. So far, he's been rebuffed, though he continues to try to persuade them to give the discipline's central exercise a chance. The mental focusing technique is called deep listening and it sounds super-simple but - unless you're accustomed to meditation - it requires exquisite concentration.

To help develop this skill, Warrior Mind, relies upon music. The idea is to listen, really listen, to the wail of the guitar or the staccato tap of the drums instead of letting your mind wander. In athletics, this concept is called being in "the zone."

As with anything, practice makes perfect, which is reassuring for rookies - like me - who find it next to impossible to rein in their thoughts at first. During the course of one five-minute song, I thought repeatedly about whether I'd remembered to lock my car and turn my cell phone to vibrate. And, because I'm a reporter, I thought about what everyone else might be thinking about, which, if they were doing it right, should have been nothing at all.

'The dream shall never die': Edward M. Kennedy

'The dream shall never die': Kennedy on the podium
By The Associated Press The Associated Press 8 mins ago

Some excerpts from speeches by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.

For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.

• Addressing Democratic National Convention, August 1980.

___

My brother need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, to be remembered as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.

Those of us who loved him and who take him to his rest today, pray that what he was to us and what he wished for others will some day come to pass for all the world.

_Eulogy for Robert F. Kennedy, June 1968.

___

With Barack Obama, we will turn the page on the old politics of misrepresentation and distortion. With Barack Obama we will close the book on the old politics of race against race, gender against gender, ethnic group against ethnic group, and straight against gay.

• Endorsing Sen. Barack Obama for president, January 2008.

___

The more our feelings diverge, the more deeply felt they are, the greater is our obligation to grant the sincerity and essential decency of our fellow citizens on the other side. ...

In short, I hope for an America where neither "fundamentalist" nor "humanist" will be a dirty word, but a fair description of the different ways in which people of good will look at life and into their own souls.

I hope for an America where no president, no public official, no individual will ever be deemed a greater or lesser American because of religious doubt — or religious belief.

I hope for an America where the power of faith will always burn brightly, but where no modern inquisition of any kind will ever light the fires of fear, coercion, or angry division.

I hope for an America where we can all contend freely and vigorously, but where we will treasure and guard those standards of civility which alone make this nation safe for both democracy and diversity.

• Speech on "Truth and Tolerance in America," Oct. 3, 1983, Lynchburg, Va.

___

Although my doctors informed me that I suffered a cerebral concussion, as well as shock, I do not seek to escape responsibility for my actions by placing the blame either on the physical and emotional trauma brought on by the accident, or on anyone else. I regard as indefensible the fact that I did not report the accident to the police immediately. ...

It has been seven years since my first election to the Senate. You and I share many memories — some of them have been glorious, some have been very sad. The opportunity to work with you and serve Massachusetts has made my life worthwhile.

And so I ask you tonight, the people of Massachusetts, to think this through with me. In facing this decision (whether to resign), I seek your advice and opinion. In making it, I seek your prayers — for this is a decision that I will have finally to make on my own.

• Statement to the People of Massachusetts on Chappaquiddick, July 25, 1969.

___

The great adventures which our opponents offer is a voyage into the past. Progress is our heritage, not theirs. What is right for us as Democrats is also the right way for Democrats to win.

The commitment I seek is not to outworn views but to old values that will never wear out. Programs may sometimes become obsolete, but the ideal of fairness always endures. Circumstances may change, but the work of compassion must continue. It is surely correct that we cannot solve problems by throwing money at them, but it is also correct that we dare not throw out our national problems onto a scrap heap of inattention and indifference. The poor may be out of political fashion, but they are not without human needs. The middle class may be angry, but they have not lost the dream that all Americans can advance together.

The demand of our people in 1980 is not for smaller government or bigger government but for better government. Some say that government is always bad and that spending for basic social programs is the root of our economic evils. But we reply: The present inflation and recession cost our economy 200 billion dollars a year. We reply: Inflation and unemployment are the biggest spenders of all.

• Address to the Democratic National Convention, August 1980.

___

I was down at the White House this afternoon with some suggestions for the State of the Union address, but all I got from him was, "Are you still using that greasy kid stuff on your hair?"

• Joking about his relationship with President John F. Kennedy shortly after joining the Senate.

___

Sources: http://www.americanrhetoric.com; AP archive; Washington Post.

India's Amity University offers IT degrees to Africans

India's Amity University offers IT degrees to Africans
Edris Kisambira
17.08.2009 kl 14:50 | IDG News Service


One of India's top universities, Amity, is to offer online IT degrees and diplomas to 100,000 students on the African continent over the next five years.
Latest news from Telecommunication

One of India's top universities, Amity, is to offer online IT degrees and diplomas to 100,000 students on the African continent over the next five years.

The 100,000 IT students will be trained at 53 learning centers in the 53 African Union (AU) countries under the Pan-African E-network project. The Pan-African e-Network project is a joint initiative of the government of India and the AU and is funded by India at an estimated cost of US$116 million.

The project, which has three components -- tele-education, tele-medicine and diplomatic communications -- is coordinated by the ministries of ICT wherever it has been adopted.

In Uganda, the tele-education component is hosted at Makerere University's Faculty of Computing and Information Technology.

The faculty, a partner institution with Amity University, has invited applications for interested students. The courses that are on offer include a Bachelor of IT, a post-graduate diploma in IT and a diploma in IT.

Amity University will provide virtual educational services through e-learning technology and video-conferencing facilities set up at Makerere University. Makerere University, in turn, will be providing support to universities in eastern Africa.

Eligible students enrolled in various programs will be required to attend classes in the learning centers set up in each member country as part of the project. Learning centers would offer pre-defined lecture schedules available at a tele-education portal.

Experienced faculty staff will deliver the live, interactive lectures from the tele-education studio set up in India. A unique feature of the tele-education system in the project is the offline access to the lecture content.

"ICT is narrowing the education divide, it is also flattening the world and in the near future all students across the globe will be able to access quality education that is collaborative in nature; independent of time, space and distance," according to a statement from Makerere university.

Thirty African countries have so far launched the pan-African e-network project. India hopes the investment will help it sell telecom gear to Africa including VSAT (very small aperture terminals) technology as well as IT services for telemedicine and other social applications.

BIOPRENEURS: MOLECULAR MILLIONAIRES

California Takshila University just launched the Book titled Biopreneurs: The Molecular Millionaires at a LARTA-NIH Conference at San Jose, California held on June 25, 2009. Mr. Rohit K. Shukla, CEO of LARTA, introduced the book to a packed audience of biotech, pharma, and Governmental executives.

Book is available at the
www.biopreneur.org

and at the University press

http://www.ctuniv.org/university-press.htm

Thank you,
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It is considered that the bio-business is going to be the fastest growing sector of the world economy during this century. Some even designate the 21st century as the bio-century.



Bio-business comprises over 10 trillion dollars or 30 percent of the global economy. Countries throughout the world have identified new opportunities in the bio-business arena as the next hot-technology area and are investing in training their scientists, setting up state-of-the-art life science and technology-knowledge clusters, establishing viable biotechnology industries to fuel growth in bio-business areas.
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It is considered that the bio-business is going to be the fastest growing sector of the world economy during this century. Some even designate the 21st century as the bio-century.



Bio-business comprises over 10 trillion dollars or 30 percent of the global economy. Countries throughout the world have identified new opportunities in the bio-business arena as the next hot-technology area and are investing in training their scientists, setting up state-of-the-art life science and technology-knowledge clusters, establishing viable biotechnology industries to fuel growth in bio-business areas.
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BIOPRENEURS: MOLECULAR MILLIONAIRES


Biopreneurs from the title on, is well-structured four main sections, the reader is smoothly driven in a dynamic and convincing way to understand the interactions of the scientific aspects of biotechnology with legal, political, regulatory and even ethical approaches required to make biotechnology a commercial success.

Indeed, the opening chapters introduce readers to the real concept of applied biotechnology, defined not only as a product or service making one, but also as a mixture of technologies that altogether and in harmony allow the development of a long-lasting commercial biotechnology.

Particularly noticeable is the clarifying chapters on various issues and the differentiation between the interwined concepts normally associated with the issue of intellectual property. Next, the author dives the reader into corporate biotechnology, highlighting the requirements to establish a biotechnology company.

This is a pivotal issue for pure-science biotechnologists, regularly deprived of the required background to build-up from bench to market. The last section is a well-organized basic tour through relevant issues that get together science and technology as a functional unit. It clearly shows the reader that being successful in biotechnology is not an easy task, but not impossible either if the proper steps are followed. Notwithstanding, one of the key concepts resulting from reading the book is that of optimism.

Biotechnology has destroyed paradigms, created new ones and reborn others, always with a positive slope, selling the feeling that we are just at the beginning of a never-ending process. Dr. Ryan Baidya is an enthusiast. Through the different sections of his book he speeds up to convince the reader that getting into Biotechnology is a must. In summary, a robust, commercially-oriented readable book which should be read not only by specialists but also by entrepreneurs which foresee Biotechnology as the business of tomorrow.