Walmart hopes to open first India store within 18 months:WSJ

WSJ :PTI :Saturday, September 22, 2012, 14:42 [IST]

New York, Sept 21: Walmart Stores Inc has said it is capable of opening stores within 12 to 18 months in India, a media report says.

"The company is capable of opening stores within 12 to 18 months and would be seeking permission to do so from states that have already indicated their willingness to have the US retailer set up shop," Walmart Stores President and CEO for Asia Scott Price said in an interview to The Wall Street Journal.

"Two years would be a reasonable time frame in total," he added.

Price, however, said the company has not yet decided where or how many stores it would like to have in India. But he said the company expects to continue in retail its current partnership with Bharti Enterprises in a chain of 17 cash and carry stores.

Walmart Stores Inc is not in discussions with any other company for a potential retail partnership at present, Price was quoted as saying in the report. Price told WSJ that he was confident that the reform would be permanent and said the company is committed to India's long-term future.

Showing resolve for reforms, the government yesterday notified its decision to allow global retail giants like Walmart to open stores in India. With this notification, multinational retailers can invest upto 51 per cent to open stores in 10 states and UTs which, till date, have agreed to implement the decision.

Bharti for 50:50 Joint Venture With Walmart for Retail

PTI :One India :Sunday, September 30, 2012, 13:29 [IST]

New Delhi, Sep 30: Bharti Enterprises has started talks with Wal-Mart and is hoping to form a 50:50 joint venture to roll out retail outlets in India, a top company official has said.

The two companies have an equal partnership in wholesale business and the Indian partner is hopeful of replicating it in the retail business, following government's decision to allow up to 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail.

Bharti Enterprises Vice Chairman and MD Rajan Bharti Mittal said "talks have started" and the company is hopeful that the nature of their relationship, under which Wal-Mart became an equal partner in wholesale business despite having a chance of bringing in 100 per cent FDI, would continue.

"All I am trying to say here is that when there is opportunity to go 100 per cent in wholesale, they had 50:50 with Bharti. Now, with the opening up of the front-end, the discussions are on the table and hopefully the relationship that we have enjoyed in the last five years will continue," Mittal said in CNN-IBN TV programme Devil's Advocate.

When asked if the retail JV will still be a 50:50 one, he said: "That's what I am trying to say. That's the relationship we have despite 100 per cent being open (in wholesale)".

Mittal also dismissed various reports questioning the impact and work ethics of Wal-Mart terming them as "myth".

"That's not true to be honest. That's a myth of course. You really look at the US, where they do USD 300 billion business, they have about 11 per cent of market share. They save about USD 230 billion worth to the consumers and two million jobs.

"So, that's a myth that they are going to squeeze from both sides," he said when asked about allegations on Wal-Mart paying less to farmers and hiking prices for consumers after capturing the market.

Black money: India to expand customs overseas snoop network

Money Life :MDT/PTI | 01/10/2012 11:33 AM 

The main area of focus would be expanding the snoop network would be the South East region after authorities found that a majority of illegal goods were originating from there and being smuggled to India using different gateways

New Delhi: India is considering a proposal to expand its Customs Overseas Intelligence Network across Asia for checking cross-border illegal trade and blackmoney besides gathering information on commercial frauds, reports PTI.

A proposal in this regard is under consideration of the ministry of external affairs, sources said.

The network, which functions under the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence under the finance ministry, plays a pivotal role in exchange of information related to cross-border illegal trade.

At present, there are nine Customs Overseas Intelligence Network (COIN) offices in various cities including London and Brussels. The finance ministry has recently approved two COIN offices in China, the proposal which has been agreed upon by the MEA.

“Two COIN offices are yet to be established in China. There has been an in-principle approval on it by the finance ministry and the MEA. The MEA is also looking into the possibility of opening few more such offices in Asian nations. However, no final decision has been taken so far,” a source said.

He said the main area of focus would be South East region which includes Malaysia, Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand among others.

The need for expanding the network was felt after authorities found that a majority of illegal goods were originating from these countries and being smuggled to India using different gateways, sources said.

Customs officials have noticed spurt in activity related to Trade Based Money Laundering (TBML) through illegal export to India from South East nations.

“The government is in talks with all the stakeholders.

An appropriate decision will be taken soon,” an official, in the know of the status on the proposal, said.

The sources said the MEA is also considering a proposal to set up 14 new Income Tax Overseas Units (ITOUs) to deal with the menace of black money and keep a tab on illegal routing of funds from abroad and parking of money in foreign countries.

A similar proposal to position liaison officers in some of the countries by CBI is also under consideration of the MEA.

India has already established 10 ITOUs in its missions at Cyprus, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, the UAE, the UK, the US, Mauritius and Singapore.

The ITOUs are manned by tax officers who are designated as first secretaries to maintain effective coordination and liaison between Indian tax authorities and the tax authorities of countries concerned.

These units are mandated to obtain information on tax and financial data of investments made by individuals and institutions in these countries and facilitate exchange of data on legal investment or routing of money in the country and vice-versa.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has decided to open its offices in the UK, the US and the UAE to liaise with their law enforcement agencies which would help in execution of its judicial requests on real time basis.

Sources said the MEA is looking into all the proposals by the Customs and the I-T departments and the CBI.

A recent finance ministry report on black money has recommended to expand and strengthened the scope and reach of COIN offices to check suspicious trade transactions.

DRI maintains constant interaction with its Customs Overseas Intelligence Network offices to share intelligence and information through diplomatic channels on the suspected import/export transactions to establish cases of mis-declaration, which are intricately linked with tax evasion and money laundering.

“The scope and reach of COIN offices should be further expanded and strengthened. Customs officers should be stationed in major trading partner countries to liaise with customs authorities of those countries and cause verifications of suspicious trade transactions,” the report has said.

கொஞ்சம் சினிமா கொஞ்சம் பாப்கார்ன், தாண்டவம் - திரை விமர்சனம்

ஒன்இந்தியா :வெள்ளிக்கிழமை, செப்டம்பர் 28, 2012, 19:17 [IST]

எஸ். ஷங்கர்

நடிப்பு: விக்ரம், எமி ஜாக்ஸன், அனுஷ்கா, சந்தானம், ஜெகபதிபாபு, நாசர்
இசை: ஜிவி பிரகாஷ்குமார்
ஒளிப்பதிவு: நீரவ் ஷா
பிஆர்ஓ: ஜான்சன்
தயாரிப்பு: யுடிவி
எழுத்து - இயக்கம்: விஜய்

ஏகப்பட்ட பரபரப்பைக் கிளப்பியபடி வெளியாகியிருக்கும் தாண்டவம், ஒரு வழக்கமான பழி வாங்கல் கதைதான். ஆனால் அதற்கு லண்டன் லொகேஷன், கலர் கலராக ஹீரோயின்கள், ஸ்டைலிஷ் மேக்கிங் என கோட்டிங் கொடுத்து, பார்க்க வைத்துவிடுகிறார் இயக்குநர் விஜய்.

இந்தியாவின் முதன்மையான ரா அதிகாரிகளுள் ஒருவரான விக்ரமுக்கு, தீவிரவாதிகளைக் களையெடுக்கும் வேலை. அவருடைய சக அதிகாரி ஜெகபதிபாபு.

திடீரென ஊரில் விக்ரமுக்கு திருமணம் நிச்சயமாகிறது. வேண்டா வெறுப்பாக வருபவர், அனுஷ்காவைப் பார்த்ததும் மனம் மாறி மணக்கிறார். திருமணமான கையோடு வேலை விஷயமாக மனைவியுடன் லண்டன் கிளம்புகிறார். அங்கே வில்லன்கள் சதியில் மனைவியை இழக்கிறார்.. கூடவே தன் இரு கண்களையும்!

இதற்குக் காரணமான 5 வில்லன்களை கண்தெரியாத விக்ரம் எப்படி பழி தீர்க்கிறார் என்பது க்ளைமாக்ஸ்.

இந்தக் கதைதான் தமிழ், தெலுங்கு, இந்தி சினிமாக்களில் பல முறை அடித்துத் துவைக்கப்பட்ட சமாச்சாரமாச்சே... அதற்கு ஏன் இத்தனை ஆர்ப்பாட்டம்... வழக்கு.. பஞ்சாயத்து.. ராஜினாமாக்கள்? என்ற கேள்விதான் முதலில் எழுகிறது.

தெரிந்த கதை, யூகிக்கும் காட்சி நகர்வுகளைக் கூட சுவாரஸ்யமாய் சொல்வது ஒரு திறமைதான். அந்த வகையில் இயக்குநர் விஜய் தன்னைக் காப்பாற்றிக் கொண்டிருக்கிறார்.

விக்ரம் நன்றாக நடித்திருக்கிறார் என்பது எவரெஸ்டில் எக்கச்சக்க பனி என்பது மாதிரி ரொம்ப வழக்கமான சொல்லாடல். ஆனால் அவர் முகத்தில் எட்டிப் பார்க்கும் முதுமை டூயட் காட்சிகளில் நெருடுகிறது. எக்கோலொகேஷன் முறையில், காதுகளைக் கண்களாக அவர் பாவிக்கும் காட்சிகளில் சில ஓஹோ ரகம்.. சில காதுல பூ சமாச்சாரம்.

அனுஷ்கா, எமி ஜாக்ஸன், லட்சுமி ராய் என மூன்று ஹீரோயின்கள். மூவரில் அனுஷ்காவுக்கே வாய்ப்புகளும் கைத்தட்டல்களும் அதிகம்.

படத்தில் ஒரு இளைப்பாறல் என்றால் அது டாக்சி ட்ரைவராக சந்தானம் வரும் காட்சிகள்.

வெட்டி ஆபீசராக வருகிறார் நாசர்.

தன்னை வளைக்கும் லண்டன் போலீசை, நிராயுதபாணியாக இருக்கும் விக்ரம் சுட்டுக் கொல்லும் காட்சி, சந்தானம் காமெடியைவிட டாப்!!

அதேபோல, அந்த தீவிரவாதிகளை அழிக்கப் போடும் பிளானை பென் ட்ரைவில் அனுப்புவது. 'என்னப்பா... இன்னும் கடுதாசி காலத்திலேயே இருக்கீங்களே' என்ற கமெண்டடிக்கும் அளவுக்கு இப்படி சில காட்சிகள். தவிர்த்திருக்கலாம்.

படத்தில் ஈர்க்கும் விஷயம் நீரவ் ஷாவின் ஒளிப்பதிவு. வேண்டா வெறுப்பாக கேட்க வைக்கும் விஷயம் ஜிவி பிரகாஷின் இசை. கிராமத்துப் பாடல் என்ற பெயரில் அவர் 'படுத்தியிருக்கும்' அனிச்சம் பூவழகியைக் கேட்ட பிறகு... 'தம்பி, நீங்க இன்னும் நல்ல கிராமிய இசை கேட்கணும்!'

ஏகப்பட்ட பஞ்சாயத்துக்களைச் சந்தித்ததாலோ என்னமோ பெரிய ஈர்ப்போ எதிர்ப்பார்ப்போ இல்லாமல்தான் தாண்டவம் படத்தைப் பார்க்க நேர்ந்தது.

அதுகூட ஒருவிதத்தில் நல்லதுதான். தாண்டவம் ஆனந்த தாண்டவமாக இல்லையென்றாலும், மோசமான ஆட்டம் என்று சொல்லும்படி இல்லை. கதையில் சறுக்கினாலும், காட்சிப்படுத்திய விதத்தில் பார்வையாளர்கள் கவனத்தை வென்றிருக்கிறார் விஜய்!

முதல்முறையாக டல்லாஸில் விநாயகர் சிலை கரைப்பு!

ஒன்இந்தியா: திங்கள்கிழமை, அக்டோபர் 1, 2012, 13:05 [IST

டல்லாஸ் (யு.எஸ்): டல்லாஸில் உள்ள இந்து கோவிலில் விநாயகர் சதுர்த்தியை முன்னிட்டு ஊர்வலம் நடந்தது. முதல் முறையாக விநாயகர் சிலைக் கரைப்பு நிகழ்ச்சியும் நடைபெற்றது.

மும்பையிலிருந்து வரவழைக்கப் பட்ட 5 அடி விநாயகர் சிலைக்கு பதினோரு நாட்கள் சிறப்பு பூஜைகள் செய்யப்பட்டன. சனிக்கிழமை, கோவிலைச் சுற்றி ஊர்வலமாக எடுத்துச் செல்லப்பட்டு, தற்காலிகமாக அமைக்கப்பட்ட நீச்சல்குளத்தில் கரைக்கப்பட்டது.

அடாது மழையிலும்...

மும்பையில் விநாயகர் ஊர்வலம் நிறைவடையும் நாளில், பருவ மழையும் முடிவுக்கு வரும் என்பது ஐதீகம். பெரும்பாலும் அவ்வாறே நடந்து வருகிறது. டெக்சாஸ் மாகாணம் முழுவதும் ஒரு மாத காலத்திற்கும் மேலாக மழையை காணாமல் வறட்சியில் இருந்த நிலையில், சனிக்கிழமை டல்லாஸ் மட்டுமல்லாமல், மாகாணம் முழுவதும் பரவலாக மழை பெய்தது. மும்பையில் முடிவடையும் பருவமழை, டெக்சாஸில் ஆரம்ப மாகிவிட்டதோ என்று நினைக்கும் அளவுக்கு இருந்தது. அந்த மழையிலும் ஐநூறுக்கும் மேலான பக்தர்கள் திரண்டிருந்தனர்.

மும்பை ஸ்டைலில் ஆண்கள் பெண்கள் ஆட்டம்

மும்பை ஊர்வலத்தில் பாட்டுகளுடன், ஆட்டம் பாட்டம் என ஆண்களும் பெண்களும் கடற்கரை வரை சென்று சிலையை கரைப்பது வழக்கம். அதே போல் இங்கும் ஆட்டம், பாட்டத்துடன் ஊர்வலம் நடைபெற்றது. ஊர்வலத்தின் இறுதியில், ஆலய வளாகத்தில் அமைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த தற்காலிக நீச்சல் குளத்தில் சிலை கரைக்கப் பட்டது.

களிமண் சிலை போலில்லாமல், தானாகவே நீரோடு நீராக கரையக்கூடிய சிறப்பு அம்சத்துடன் மும்பையிலிருந்து தருவிக்கப் பட்டிருந்த்து. சித்தி விநாயக் கணேஷ் மண்டல் என்ற அமைப்பை சார்ந்தவர்கள் இந்து கோவில் நிர்வாகிகளுடன் இணைந்து இந்த விழாவிற்கான ஏற்பாட்டை செய்திருந்தார்கள். தமிழர்கள் உட்பட, இந்தியாவின் அனைத்து மாநிலங்களையும் சார்ந்த வம்சாவளியினர் கலந்து கொண்டனர்.

டெக்சாஸில் இதுதான் முதல் முறையாக நடந்த விநாயகர் ஊர்வலம், சிலை கரைப்பு என்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது

-டல்லாஸிலிருந்து உதயன்

Pen Drives main threat to Cyber Security: Army

PTI :One india News : Sunday, September 30, 2012, 15:25 [IST]

New Delhi, Sep 30: Despite a ban, use of pen drives has emerged as the main threat to cyber security in defence forces as it is responsible for over 70 per cent of such breaches in the three Services.

The use of pen drives as an easy-to-carry storage device has increased in the recent past and internal reports have confirmed that over 70 per cent cyber security breaches in the armed forces are due to their unauthorised use, Army officials told PTI here.

"These pen drives, which are mostly manufactured in China, have emerged as a big threat to our cyber security systems," they said.

Fresh cyber security guidelines have been issued by the Army headquarters to protect sensitive military networks from hacker attacks, sources said.

Measures have been taken by the other two services also to tighten their cyber security as IAF also recently issued instructions to its personnel warning them against having any official data on their personal computers and pen drives.

All personnel have been asked to declare their Information Technology assets and have been asked not to have any official data on them, IAF officials said here.

Anybody found violating these instructions in checks by cyber security personnel will draw strict action which may even amount to disciplinary action including court martial, they said.

When asked about the development, IAF spokesperson Wg Cdr Gerard Galway confirmed the steps taken by the Air headquarters to safeguard its cyber assets and secret information.

Sources said generally it is found that officials use pen drive to store official data for use at their personal computers but from there, it is transmitted from their IP addresses to hackers from the 'malware' present in the pen drives.

About a couple of years ago, a Major posted in Andaman and Nicobar Islands was apprehended as it was found that sensitive data was being transferred from his computer.

However, it later emerged that his system had been hacked and spying viruses were transferring information to other computers.

An IAF Junior Warrant officer was also apprehended by officials after he was found in possession of unauthorised CDs carrying official information.

The Navy's Eastern Command was also affected after hacker groups were found to be stealing information from its computers there due to malware put in them by external drives.

As part of efforts to counter cyber attacks, the National Security Council has also been discussing designating certain intelligence agencies under the Defence Ministry for countering cyber offensives against the country.

Sonia Gandhi's mysterious treatment costs Rs 1,880 cr: Swamy

 

Nairita:one India News ;Monday, October 1, 2012, 18:16 [IST]

New Delhi, Oct 1: Janata Party supremo Subramanian Swamy once again on Monday, Oct 1 raised question over expenditure on health treatment of UPA Chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

According to Swamy, a total of Rs 1,880 crore was spent by Sonia on her US medical treatment and the Janata Party chief believes that Mrs Gandhi might be sent a PIL soon.

While tweeting from his Twitter account, Swamy said, "Narendra Modified has disclosed that Rs 1880 crores were spent by Sonia on her US medical treatment. Who paid? PIL coming soon."

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hurled few questions at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mrs Gandhi over UPA Government's "wasteful expenditure".

Modi criticised the Centre for questioning Gujarat govt for spending money on festivities and celebrations and also claimed that Gujarat should not be questioned on the same when the central government has itself spent Rs 1,880 crore for Mrs Gandhi's foreign trips and "treatment abroad" over three years.

Criticising Congress and Rahul Gandhi, Swamy also added, "Congi rattled that Modi and I are speaking in the same tenor about Tadakka. Soon Buddhu too under pincer attack. Munich under siege."

Mrs Gandhi had gone abroad on Sept 1 and returned only after one week. Congress spokesperson Janardan Dwivedi had informed about her abroad visit but did not disclose the real reason regarding her treatment. [Read: Mystery over Mrs Gandhi's treatment, goes abroad again]

On Aug 2011, for the first time, Mrs Gandhi had gone to US for surgery. Keeping all the mystery intact, her party did not disclose the hospital's name or any other information regarding her diagnosis. However, reports suggested that she was suffering from Cancer.

Mrs Gandhi went for second check on Feb 27, 2012 when she had faced protest in the country.

Sikh community in the US - Sikh for Justice (SFJ) protested against the Congress president and demanded her exclusion from the country.

Later, when Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni was asked if any government funds had been spent on Gandhi's travel, hospitalisation and treatment and security, the minister snubbed all questions saying that government would announce the details later. However, no such detailed information regarding Mrs Gandhi's check up has been made yet.

Microsoft proposes over Rs 5 lakh fee for new category of H-1B visa

Oct 1, 2012, 01.48PM IST PTI

WASHINGTON: In a proposal that will hit Indian IT companies the most, US software giant Microsoft Corporation has suggested a whopping fee of $10,000 (over Rs 5 lakh) for a new category of H-1B visas and $15,000 (more than Rs 7.5 lakh) for permanent residency or Green Card.

This could raise a huge $5 billion over a decade, it said.

Both the new categories of H-1B and Green Cards, according to the Microsoft plan, would have an annual capacity of 20,000 and would be restricted to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

The money thus raised, according to the US company, would be used for the STEM education programmes.

Given that Indian techies grab the maximum number of H-1B visas, such a proposal if accepted by the Congress would hit the Indian IT companies the most.

Such a proposal from Microsoft comes at a time when the visiting External Affairs Minister, SM Krishna, is expected to raise the issue of increase in H-1B visas last year in his meeting with the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, in New York early this week.

The proposal was revealed at a Washington-based think-tank gathering last week by Brad Smith, general counsel & executive vice president, legal & corporate Affairs, of Microsoft.

He said the money thus raised would be used to generate the necessary skilled manpower in the coming years.

Microsoft currently has an opening of 6,000 jobs in the country, of which more than 3,400 jobs are for researchers, developers and engineers.

"Too few American students -- especially students who have historically been underserved and underrepresented -- are achieving the levels of education required to secure jobs in innovation-based industries," he said in his remarks to the Brookings Institute, an eminent American think tank.

"An effective national talent strategy therefore needs to combine long-term improvements in STEM education in the United States with targeted, short-term, high-skilled immigration reforms.

"If done right, the latter can help fund the former, and our white paper outlines specific recommendations," he said.

Microsoft, he said, believes this initiative should include, among other things, funding for states to strengthen K-12 STEM education.

This is by providing additional resources to recruit and train STEM teachers, broaden access to computer science in high school and expand higher education capacity to produce more STEM degrees.

In his speech, Smith said Congress should create a new, supplemental category with 20,000 visas annually for STEM skills that are in short supply.

"In addition, Congress should take advantage of prior unused green cards by making a supplemental allocation of 20,000 new green card slots for workers with STEM skills, Smith said.

Simultaneously, Microsoft released "A National Talent Strategy" policy paper with details of its proposals.

"To provide employers with immediate access to the highly talented STEM professionals that their businesses need, a new allocation of 20,000 H-1B visas for foreign nationals with a US bachelor's degree or equivalent foreign degree in a STEM discipline should be established," said the 32-page policy paper.

To qualify for these visas, it said, employers would be required to make an investment of $ 10,000 toward the development of future American STEM workers for each visa sought from the new allocation.

According to the policy paper, Microsoft conceded, this proposal will not solve the broad shortage of H-1B visas overall, given the stark disparity between the current supply of H-1B visas and the demand for skilled workers -- particularly during periods of economic growth.

"But it will make an appreciable impact in addressing the talent crisis many businesses face today due to the shortage of high skilled STEM workers," it said.

"In addition to improving the ability of private-sector employers to meet their STEM-based workforce needs, full utilisation of this new allocation of visas would generate $ 200 million in investments for the American STEM pipeline annually.

"The incentive of immediate visa availability for STEM professionals would also connect participating employers' staffing strategies today directly to the effort to rebuild the American STEM pipeline for tomorrow," it added.

Microsoft recommends recapturing 20,000 unused employment based green card numbers annually to reduce the green card backlog and generate up to $300 million per annum for new investments in the American STEM pipeline.

This would help address the backlog and enable employers to retain targeted high-skilled foreign workers and attract the best and brightest from around the world.

"To qualify for these green card numbers, employers would invest $ 15,000 for the development of future American STEM workers for each green card number made available through recapture", the policy paper said.

The green card numbers should be assignable only to employees who already have an approved PERM labor certification and/ or I-140 immigrant visa petition, making them eligible for immediate processing of their green card applications, it said.

"Based on our own analysis, we believe that it would be fair and feasible to require an investment of $ 10,000 for each of these new STEM visas and $ 15,000 for each of these new STEM green cards.

"This would raise up to $ 500 million per year - or $ 5 billion over a decade -- that the federal government could use to distribute to the states where STEM education investments are needed, ' Microsoft said.