ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA ON THE
EVE OF THE REPUBLIC DAY OF INDIA 2016
New Delhi: Jan 25, 2016
My Fellow Citizens:
On the eve of the sixty-seventh Republic Day of our nation, I extend warm greetings to all of you in India and abroad. I convey my special greetings to members of our Armed Forces, Para-military Forces and Internal Security Forces. I pay my tribute to the brave soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice of their lives in defending India's territorial integrity and in upholding the rule of law.
Fellow Citizens:
On twenty-sixth January 1950, our Republic was born. On this day, we gave ourselves the Constitution of India. This day saw the culmination of heroic struggle of an extraordinary generation of leaders who overcame colonialism to establish the world's largest democracy. They pulled together India's amazing diversity to build national unity, which has brought us so far. The enduring democratic institutions they established have given us the gift of continuity on the path of progress. India today is a rising power, a country fast emerging as a global leader in science, technology, innovation and start-ups, and whose economic success is the envy of the world.
Fellow Citizens:
The year 2015 has been a year of challenges. During this year, the global economy remained subdued. Unpredictability ruled the commodity markets. Uncertainty marked the institutional responses. In such troubled environment, no one nation could be an oasis of growth. India's economy also had to face the blowback. Weak investor sentiments led to withdrawal of funds from emerging markets including India putting pressure on the Indian rupee. Our exports suffered. Our manufacturing sector is yet to recover fully.
In 2015, we were also denied the bounty of nature. While large parts of India were affected by severe drought, other areas reeled under devastating floods. Unusual weather conditions impacted our agricultural production. Rural employment and income levels suffered.
Fellow Citizens:
We can call out these challenges because we are aware of them. There is a great virtue in acknowledging a problem and resolving to address it. India is building and implementing strategies to solve these problems. This year, with an estimated growth rate of 7.3 percent, India is poised to become the fastest growing large economy. Contraction in global oil prices has helped maintain external sector stability and control domestic prices. Despite occasional setbacks, industrial performance this year has been strong.
Aadhaar, with its present reach of 96 crore people, is helping in direct transfer of benefits, plugging leakages and improving transparency. Over 19 crore bank accounts opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana is the single largest exercise in the world at financial inclusion. The Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana aims to create model villages. The Digital India programme is an effort to bridge the digital divide. The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana targets farmer's welfare. Increased spending on programmes like MGNREGA is aimed at enhancing employment generation to rejuvenate the rural economy.
The Make-in-India campaign will boost manufacturing by facilitating easy conduct of business and improving competitiveness of domestic industry. The Start-up India programme will foster innovation and encourage new-age entrepreneurship. The National Skill Development Mission envisages skilling 300 million youth by 2022.
There will be, amongst us, occasional doubters and baiters. Let us continue to complain; to demand; to rebel. This too is a virtue of democracy. But let us also applaud what our democracy has achieved. With investments in infrastructure, manufacturing, health, education, science and technology, we are positioning ourselves well for achieving a higher growth rate which will in the next ten to fifteen years help us eliminate poverty.
Fellow Citizens:
Reverence for the past is one of the essential ingredients of nationalism. Our finest inheritance, the institutions of democracy, ensure to all citizens justice, equality, and gender and economic equity. When grim instances of violence hit at these established values which are at the core of our nationhood, it is time to take note. We must guard ourselves against the forces of violence, intolerance and unreason.
Fellow Citizens:
For revitalizing the forces of growth, we need reforms and progressive legislation. It is the bounden duty of the law makers to ensure that such legislation is enacted after due discussion and debate. A spirit of accommodation, cooperation and consensus-building should be the preferred mode of decision-making. Delays in decision-making and implementation can only harm the process of development.
Fellow Citizens:
Peace is the primary objective of a rational consciousness as well as our moral universe. It is the foundation of civilization and a necessity for economic progress. And yet, we have never been able to answer a simple question: why does peace remain so elusive? Why has peace been so much more difficult to attain than degenerate conflict?
As the twentieth century closed down with a remarkable revolution in science and technology, we had some reason for optimism that the twenty-first century would mark an era in which the energies of people and nations would be committed to a rising prosperity that would eliminate, for the first time, the curse of extreme poverty. That optimism has faded in the first fifteen years of this century. There is unprecedented turbulence across vast regions, with alarming increase in regional instabilities. The scourge of terrorism has reshaped war into its most barbaric manifestation. No corner can now consider itself safe from this savage monster.
Terrorism is inspired by insane objectives, motivated by bottomless depths of hatred, instigated by puppeteers who have invested heavily in havoc through the mass murder of innocents. This is war beyond any doctrine, a cancer which must be operated out with a firm scalpel. There is no good or bad terrorism; it is pure evil.
Fellow Citizens:
Nations will never agree on everything; but the challenge today is existential. Terrorists seek to undermine order by rejecting the very basis of strategic stability, which are recognized borders. If outlaws are able to unravel borders, then we are heading towards an age of chaos. There will be disputes among nations; and, as is well-known, the closer we are to a neighbour the higher the propensity for disputes. There is a civilized way to bridge disagreement; dialogue, ideally, should be a continual engagement. But we cannot discuss peace under a shower of bullets.
We on our subcontinent have a historic opportunity to become a beacon to the world at a time of great danger. We must attempt to resolve the complex edges of our emotional and geo-political inheritance with our neighbours through a peaceful dialogue, and invest in mutual prosperity by recognizing that human beings are best defined by a humane spirit, and not their worst instincts. Our example can be its own message to a world in anxious need of amity.
Fellow Citizens:
Each of us has the right to lead a healthy, happy and productive life in India. This right has been breached, especially in our cities, where pollution has reached alarming levels. Climate change has acquired real meaning with 2015 turning out to be the warmest year on record. Multiple strategies and action at various levels is necessary. Innovative solutions of urban planning, use of clean energy, and changing the mindsets of the people call for active participation of all stakeholders. Permanence of such changes can be ensured only if people own these changes.
Fellow Citizens:
Love for one's motherland is the basis of all progress. Education, with its enlightening effect, leads to human progress and prosperity. It helps us develop forces of spirit which can revive lost hopes and ignored values. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan had said and I quote: "End-product of education should be a free creative man who can battle against historical circumstances and adversities of nature" (unquote). The advent of the "Fourth Industrial Revolution" demands that this free and creative man should also be able to master the velocity of change to absorb disruptions which are getting embedded in the systems and societies. An eco-system that fosters critical thinking and makes teaching intellectually stimulating is necessary. It must inspire scholarship and encourage unfettered respect for knowledge and teachers. It must instill a spirit of reverence towards women that will guide social conduct of an individual throughout his life. It must breed a culture of deep thought and create an environment of contemplation and inner peace. Through an open-minded approach to the wider spectrum of ideas emanating from within, our academic institutions must become world-class. A beginning has already been made with two Indian institutes of higher education finding place in the top two hundred in international rankings.
Fellow Citizens:
The generational change has happened. Youth have moved centre-stage to take charge. March ahead with Tagore's words from Nutan Yuger Bhore:
"CHOLAAY CHOLAAY BAAJBEY JOYER BHEREE - PAAYER BEGEYI POTH KETEY JAAY, KORISH NEY AAR DERI"
Move ahead, the roll of drums announce your triumphal march;
With feet of glory, you shall cut out your own path;
Delay not, delay not, a new age dawns.
Thank you.
Jai Hind!
Message of H.E. Mr. Sunil Jain, Ambassador of India to Kuwait,
on the Republic Day of India (26 January 2016)
I convey my best wishes to the members of our community as well as our many, many friends, well-wishers and admirers in Kuwait on the auspicious occasion of India's 67th Republic Day. Also, as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the rule of His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of Kuwait, I have the honour to convey our heartiest greetings and profound regards from Indian leaders to His Highness for his good health and well-being and continued peace and prosperity to the people of Kuwait.
On 26 January 1950, the Constitution of modern India came into force, laying strong foundations of a democratic and secular State. During these years, our Constitution has remained steadfast, yet flexible, to accommodate various changes which the people of India desired and the manifold challenges India faced. The Indian Constitution is a beacon for the socio-economic and political transformation of India whose civilization has witnessed pluralism, advocated tolerance and promoted goodwill among diverse communities in all aspects, be it religion, language, ethnicity, political ideology, customs, or geography. There are constitutional guarantees to ensure diversity, assuring equal respect for all faiths and religions. India, therefore, is a great example of unity in diversity. A vibrant democracy has been India's most enduring identity ever since India adopted its Constitution in 1950 that made it a democratic Republic with universal adult suffrage. The current Government under the dynamic leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken various initiatives towards realizing the aspirations of its 1.2 billion people by improving the business environment, growth and creation of jobs in the country; and the intensity of India's international engagement has greatly increased.
In an international environment where economic growth is modest, India today stands as a bright spot among the global economies. India has been the world's fastest growing economy in 2015 and is expected to remains so in 2016. India enjoys among the best growth prospects in the coming decade. Indian Rupee has remained stable during the past few years. Coupled with stable political environment, our macroeconomic fundamentals such as high economic growth, low inflation and relatively low fiscal deficit has made India one of the most preferred investment destinations in the world. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its latest report has projected India's growth for 2015 at 7.3%, and rising to 7.5% in 2016. FDI flows to India during the year 2014-2015 reached US$ 44 billion.
The Government of India has set an ambitious dateline for 2016 with regard to the implementing of Goods and Services Tax (GST). A clear cut roadmap for lowering corporate tax from 30% to 25% over the next 4 years has been laid down. FDI limits have been liberalized (100% in railways, 49% in insurance, and 49% in defence which could go up to 100% on case-to-case basis). As a result of these measures, India has substantially moved up its rankings on a global index of the world's most competitive economies compiled by the World Economic Forum which underlines India's continued economic buoyancy, improvement in the competitiveness of the country's institutions and its macroeconomic environment. Ernst & Young ranked India No.1 attractive investment destination globally; IMF ranked India No.1 amongst the world's fastest growing economies; Financial Times, UK ranked India No.1 as Greenfield Foreign Direct Investment destination during the period January-June 2015. Moody's ratings revised India's sovereign rating outlook to "positive" from "stable".
We are particularly promoting our manufacturing sector, improving our services sector, investing in on unprecedented scale in infrastructure; and, making our cities smart, sustainable and the engines of progress. India is keen to scale up investments in next generation infrastructure including digital networks and clean energy as well as in our social, industrial and agri-infrastructure to give better income and quality of life to our people. About 800 million people in India are below the age of 35 years and their aspirations, energy, enterprise and skills will be the force for India's economic transformation. With this in view, our Hon'ble Prime Minister launched the "Make in India" initiative. Since its launch, India has emerged among the top destinations globally for foreign direct investment in 2015 and we are working on all fronts to make India a global manufacturing hub. Many international companies viz. Spice Group, Samsung, Hitachi, Foxconn, Huawei, Xiaomi, Lenova, Boeing, Alstom and GE Transport have announced investing and setting up manufacturing plants in India. The Government of India is organizing a ‘Make in India Week' from 13-18 February 2016 in Mumbai which would offer foreign participants unprecedented access, insights and opportunities to connect and collaborate with India and global industry leaders, academicians etc. A flexible PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model is being work¬ed out; and many countries including the USA, Japan, China and Singapore, have promised to play a role under this scheme. Japan has agreed to build India's first high speed train line between the financial hub of Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
We have the demographics but the challenge is to derive the dividend and to equip our working population with the requisite skills for the manufacturing sector. For this purpose, a separate Department of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has been set up. The Government's policies aim at achieving rapid growth with social justice and equity. India is a software giant and an outsourcing hub, especially for business and knowledge processes. Some cutting-edge products and services are being developed in India both by multinational companies as well as Indian companies. India has made significant progress in Space Technology and Planetary Exploration. After the success of India's Mars Orbiter Mission ‘Mangalyaan', Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched six satellites for Singapore on 16 December 2015. ISRO has launched 17 foreign and four Indian satellites in 2015, including its GSAT-15 which was launched from French Guiana in November. Singapore has chosen Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle for its maiden commercial satellite launch which shows the trust they have in ISRO.
Our foreign policy is focused on a broad range of global issues that serve the broader interests of humanity. We work with other countries to tackle issues of common concerns, such as international terrorism, climate change, energy security, food security, and the reforms of multilateral institutions, including the UN Security Council. India's support for Sustainable Development Goals emphasizes upliftment of all. Peace, non-violence and good neighbourly intentions have remained the fundamentals of our foreign policy. As inheritors of an old civilization that values its openness and diversity, India aspires to protect its values and project its own heritage on the global scene. The International Day of Yoga that was marked across the world in 2015, is a visible symbol of this development. India has consistently been at the forefront of the fight against international terrorism and believes that the progress of humanity lies in unity, peace, brotherhood and non-violence.
The Gulf region is an important part of our extended neighborhood. India has vital stakes in the security and stability of the entire region. GCC is one of our largest trading blocs, provides about 70% of India's crude oil requirements and hosts about 7 million Indians. In 2014-15, India-GCC trade was over US$ 133 billion and accounted for about 18% of our global trade.
India's relations with Kuwait have historically been warm, close and friendly. We have been an integral part of each other's life and consciousness for generations. Our relationship extends beyond historical and cultural linkages to encompass political, trade and economic interests. During the Financial year 2014-15, Kuwait was India's 4th largest crude oil supplier. India has consistently been among Kuwait's top trading partners and the total bilateral trade during the Financial Year 2014-15 was US$ 14.58 billion. During the last two years, Indian EPC companies viz. Larsen & Toubro, Dodsal, Shapoorji Pallonji, Punj Lloyd, Essar, Simplex Project Ltd and Kalpataru Transmission Ltd. were awarded EPC contracts in Kuwait worth about US$ 6 billion in the hydrocarbon and construction sectors. The confidence of Kuwaiti investors in Indian economy has shown positive trends and recently Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) has made an investment of US$ 300 million in GMR Infrastructure Ltd., which operates the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi as well as in an IPO brought out by Interglobe Aviation, which operates Indigo airlines.
High-level visits and other exchanges between our two countries have helped to further strengthen bilateral relations and explore new avenues of cooperation. His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of Kuwait visited India in November 2013. During the visit, various Agreements and MOUs were signed. It is our endeavour that meetings under the bilateral institutional mechanisms like Joint Working Groups on Hydrocarbon; Labour, Employment and Manpower; and Foreign Office Consultations between the Foreign Ministries of the two countries are held regularly. The 4th meeting of the India-Kuwait Joint Working Group on Hydrocarbon was held in New Delhi on 15-16 September 2015. The Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Persons (TSP) between India and Kuwait, which was signed in November 2013, came into effect from 3 April 2015 on ratification by two sides. An MOU on bilateral cooperation between Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research (KISR) was signed on 30 September 2015. The 3rd Joint Ministerial Commission meeting is scheduled to be held in Kuwait this year. For improvement of air connectivity between our two countries, Kuwait Airways has started flights to Ahmedabad and Bangalore thrice in a week, while New Delhi flight is on a daily basis.
Indians historically have traversed the world and made their presence felt through their hard work, sincerity and commitment. The dynamic Indian community in Kuwait continues to play its cementing role in the strengthening of bilateral ties. It is present in practically all segments of Kuwaiti society and their contribution to the socio-economic development and prosperity of Kuwait has been highly appreciated.
With concerted efforts of Indian-Kuwaiti authorities, the illegal flow of female Indian domestic workers to Kuwait has been stopped and the recruitment of Indian nurses for work in Kuwait has been streamlined. To protect the interests of Indian workers coming to Kuwait, the Government of India has implemented the e-Migrate system since June 2015. Last year, the Embassy attested a total of 90,498 employment contracts (62,587 in private sector and 27,911 in domestic sector) for recruitment of Indian workers in Kuwait. The Embassy also issued 87,083 new passports in 2015, as compared to 75,031 in 2014, showing a healthy increase of 16%. Currently, there are 204 Indian Associations registered with the Embassy in Kuwait. During 2015, Embassy Auditorium was used for 48 socio-cultural events organized by various Indian Associations. To strengthen our services further, we are working on various suggestions received from our community during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) celebrated on 9 January 2016 in the Embassy. To boost travel of Kuwaiti nationals and expatriates in Kuwait to India, the Embassy has been providing multi-entry business visas (5-year and 1-year), tourism visas (6-month), medical visas (1-year) and visas for study purposes. The Embassy issued 13,259 visas in 2015, vis-a-vis 12,738 visas issued in 2014, which shows a modest increase of 4% compared to 2014.
The Embassy has been consistently trying to improve the quality of its services and has taken several measures for the welfare of the Indian community in Kuwait. Our community can reach us on 24x7, in cases of emergency. The Embassy has the "Consular Open House" facility where any Indian national can meet a senior consular official without appointment. The Embassy's "Indian Workers Welfare Center" set up in September 2009 has been providing the much needed support system to our workers with its help desk, labour complaints desk, free accommodation and free initial legal advice. I would like to assure that the Embassy will spare no efforts in looking after the issues of concern to our community with utmost sensitivity and care.
On this joyous occasion of our Republic Day, I once again wish every Indian national in Kuwait good health and happiness. May the bonds of friendship between India and Kuwait continue to be nourished and nurtured in the years ahead!
Jai Hind!
M A. ASAD KHAN
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Ashok Kalra
(Managing Director/Partner),
MUGHAL MAHAL GEN TRAD & CONT CO.W.L.L.
Fmr. Hon. Chairman (Indian Community School)
Let us celebrate India's unique 'unity in diversity'
It is very commendable that Indian Frontliners is once again coming up with a special-edition to mark India's 67th Republic Day.
Frontliners have always been at the forefront in organizing social and cultural events that highlight our nation's diversity while promoting its unity. This heterogeneity and solidarity is perhaps best exemplified by members of Frontliners, who, though they hail from states across India and come from various walks of life, work together as one, 'doing things that count - for others', as the organization's motto points out.
On this 67th Republic Day let us celebrate India's unique 'unity in diversity' - a time-honored Indian tradition that continues to remain the mainstay of our nation's strength. On this day, let us revive our pledge to work together as one, to promote the variety of our profound social and cultural traditions, the multiplicity of our languages, the plurality of beliefs and faiths, because, it is this 'coming together of differences' that makes us, above all else, who we are - Indians.
The Constitution of India that came into effect on 26th January, 1950 and which we celebrate each year as our Republic Day, underscores this 'strength in our difference'. The Constitution not only unshackled us from the fetters of British colonialism, it also liberated us from separatism and the choking hold that traditional inequities of caste, community, religion and gender had on people. The visionary leaders who framed our constitution enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution that it secures for all its citizens 'Justice, Liberty, Equality and to promote among them Fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity of the Nation.'
While there have been occasions when we have veered from the guidelines outlined by the Constitution, it is a matter of pride for all Indians that in the more than six decades since it was adopted, the Constitution continues to remain the main framework and the supreme law that governs our Republic.
In the past six decades, our country has witnessed enormous progress on all fronts. We have turned each challenge that confronted our nation into an opportunity for growth and progress; every hurdle in our path has only strengthened the resolve to move ahead with greater vigor. It is this vitality and resilience, rejuvenated by each new generation that has propelled our nation forward in every field.
India and Kuwait have enjoyed friendly relations for centuries. The ties that bond us are not merely commercial; Kuwait is not just a provider of oil for India, nor is India just a source of manpower for Kuwait. Our relations transcend mere economic and trade interests to encompass bonds that link us historically and which continue to grow culturally, spiritually and on personal levels.
As Indians we can be proud of the fact that we strive to reflect the vitality of our nation and to demonstrate our national unity and community spirit on every occasion in this country. I wish everyone peace and prosperity on this Republic Day and pray that our country will continue to move forward in unity and towards even greater glory in the future.
Jai Hind.
Siddhartha Mukherjee
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Dr. R. Seetharaman
CEO, Doha Bank Group
On the occasion of the 67thanniversary of Indian Republic Day which falls on 26th January 2016 I extend my warm greetings to all India Citizens.
India is the largest democracy in the world, the 7th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations.The values that guided our freedom movementbecame the cornerstone of the Independent Indian Republic.The great dream of raising a new India from the ashes of colonialism reached a historic denouement in 1947; more important, independence became a turning point for an equally dramatic narrative, nation-building.
The foundations were laid when the Government of India Act of 1935 was replaced by our Constitution, on 26 January 1950, which we celebrate each year as Republic Day. Its driving principle was a compact between state and citizen, a powerful public-private partnership nourished by justice, liberty and equality.
India's Constitution inspired a Cultural Evolution which put Indian society on the track to modernity: society changed in a gradual evolution. In last six and half decades our economic growth rate has more than tripled and our literacy rate has increased by over four times.
India has also secured a respected place in the comity of nations.India today is poised for a giant leap from the ranks of developing countries to developed countries. Indian economy is expected to grow by 7.3% in this fiscal year.India's foreign direct investment was more than $32 billion in the year ended Sept 2015. Our economic activity is projected to pick up gradually on account of various measures taken by the current government.
India is one of the oldest civilizations and has a rich and varied heritage. The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu. The Game "Chess" was invented in India. Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India. The 'Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were developed in India in 100 B.C. The world's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago in India. Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years. India is land of unity in diversity. It has different languages, customs, art and culture. Indian dance has themes drawn from mythology, legends and classical literature.India's Bollywood, Kollywood, tollywood and other regional language films have attracted global audiences.Indians have spread across globally on account of their knowledge, skill and commitment. On account of this Indian culture has also transcended borders in the form of dance, literature, food, music, festival or cinema Indian festivals are celebrated globally.The Indian Culture has brought Global Indian Community closer.
GCC- India Bilateral trade is over $133bn for 2014-15 and there is significant potential on bilateral trade, finance and investment between the both blocs. GCC is home to a large Indian expatriate population, which constantly nurtures and renews the ties of friendship and understanding between the two blocks. India received US$ 70 billion in remittances in 2014 out of which GCC contributed more than 35 percent from more than 6 million Indians residing in GCC. The dynamic and lively Indian community in GCC continues to play its part in the rapid evolution and up gradation of ties. On this day we take pride as an Indian and celebrate the success of India across various fields in the Global arena and once again I extend my Republic day greetings to all Indian Citizens.
Jai Hind
Salute the grand constitution of our country
SK.WADAWAN
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S.M.HYDER ALI
Chairman, TVS Travels & Cargo services co. Wll..
Amazing facts about Indian Railways
1. Indian Railway is constructing the highest rail bridge over Chenab, in J&K Five times the height of QutubMinar, it will be taller than the Eiffel Tower.
2. Loco-pilots (train drivers) are paid more than an average software engineer Salaries are the tune of Rs. 1 Lakh per month and more.
3. No loco-pilot has abandoned the train even in the face of certain death
4. The Indian Railways website gets close to 12 Lakh hits per minute Hourly traffic on IRTC.com is more than annual traffic of some of the most popular Indian websites. It can support almost 5 million threads at one time. But, we've got more people than that. Hence the never ending trolls.
5. The slowest train goes uphill at the speed of 10 kilometers per hour You can jump off the train, light up a smoke, take few drags and climb on the train again. It's the MettupalayamOotyNilgiri Passenger train.
6. If the tracks of Indian railways were to be laid out, they would circle the earth almost 1.5 times
7. The trains got toilets after Indian Railways completed about 50 years! Back then, passengers had to wait till the next station to answer the call of nature! Thank Okhil Chandra for making Indian Railways do the needful. He wrote the letter to Indian Railways and finally, there were toilets in 1909!
8. Back in the old days, elephants were used to position the carriages
9. Its 161 years old! 16 TH April, 1853. That's a long time ago.
10. The station with the longest name is VenkatanarasimharajuvaripetaAnd it's sometimes spelled with 'Sri' prefixed. Quite a mouthful.
11. Most unreliable train in Indian Railways is Guwahati-Trivandrum Express It is late on an average by ten to twelve hours. Gosh!12. The longest tunnel in the country is 11.215 kilometers long! It is the PirPanjal Railway tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir.
13. The station with the smallest name is called 'IB ': It's in Odisha
14. Before Automatic Point System was installed, hundreds of guards lost their hands and fingers trying to fix it manually. Every time a train got delayed and we complained, an Indian Railways employee probably lost his limbs for us
15. The longest running train covers a distance of 4273 km between Dibrugarh and Kanyakumari: It's called the Vivek Express
16. The shortest distance covered between two successive stations is 3 kilometers It's between the Nagpur and Ajni station.
17. A train covers a distance of 528 km without a single stop It's Trivandrum - H. NizamuddinRajdhani Express.
18. Lucknow is the busiest junction in the nation: 64 trains come in and move out, every day
19. A massively successful organization - running 11,000 trains
20. Indian Railways transports almost 2.5 crore passengers daily That's nearly the total population of New Zealand, Australia and Tasmania put together!
21. Indian Railways has a mascot - Bholu, the Guard Elephant.
Happy to share this on this Republic day! JAI HIND!
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National Flag unfurling on Republic dayEvery Indian heart fills with pride when we see the National flag unfurl on Republic Day. 26th January brings out the patriot in us, but does everyone know what significance this day holds for us. So, here are some facts about Republic Day that every Indian must be aware of. Here are a few facts to recall about this day: |
Sunil Menon, CEO
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Importance Of Constitution
RAVI KOHLI
MD, Al - Sabah & Kohli Group
Today, mostly every democratic country has a constitution which is a vital document, according to which the country carries out its operations. Constitution protects the rights of the citizens of a concerned nation, irrespective of their religion, caste, creed, sex or physical appearance. A constitution, thus, can be safely said to be a social contract between the government and the people it governs.
It can also be deemed as the fundamental underlying framework of government for a nation. In a constitutional country therefore, every person is treated equally, regardless of his office or position and is expected to abide by higher law. For instance, the constitution of United States, besides establishing the government's power also cites the fundamental rights belonging to the people who reside within its borders.
Significance Of Constitution
The primary function of a constitution is to lay out the basic structure of the government according to which the people are to be governed. It is the constitution of a country, which establishes the three main organs of the government, namely, the legislature, executive and judiciary.
The constitution of a country not only defines the powers allotted to each of the three main organs, but it also significantly makes a clear demarcation of the responsibilities assigned to each of them. It effectively regulates the relationship between these organs as well as the relationship between the government and its people.
Since the country's constit ution stands superior to all the laws framed within the territorial precincts of the country, any law enacted by the ruling government has to be in conformity with the concerned constitution. As such, the citizens would, in turn, be abiding by not just the law, but also working in sync with the demarcations of the constitution laid by the country.
The constitution does not simply provide a recipe for an efficient government, but also deals with limitations on power. Since power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, a constitution is established to restrict the abuse of power by those who conduct governmental functions.
The constitution of a particular country lays down the national goals which form the basic edifice on which the nation rests upon. For instance, the constitution of India has inscribed in it the primary facets of the nation which are democracy, socialism, secularism and national integration.
A constitution, besides thrusting on the rights of the citizens of the concerned nation, also has embedded in it the duties that the citizens require to adhere to as well.
According to Dr. Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution of India, "The Constitution is workable, it is flexible and it is strong enough to hold the country together both in peacetime and in wartime."
At a time when there are so many ideological clashes, rising intolerance among people of various communities, growing inequality, suppression of women's rights, it is only the Constitution of our country that can bind everyone together and help find solutions to various problems..
Today's students are tomorrow's leaders. It is the responsibility of the teaching community to educate students about the Constitution and make them informed citizens. Constitution Day is a one-day affair with some activities but Constitution education is a process leading to right thinking and noble behaviour.
Teachers can be educated about the Constitution. Educationists, lawyers, human rights activists, writers and experts having through knowledge of the Constitution of India can be invited to talk about it and interact with the teachers. When teachers are equipped with the basic knowledge of the Constitution, they, in their turn, will be able to enlighten the student community.
Some Amazing Indian Achievements In The Field Of Science And The People Behind Them
ChejarlaIndra Kumar Raju
Chairman, Burgan Express Gen.trd.cont co,
Sun victoruInt' l Ltd, HongKong
Today, mostly every democratic country has a constitution which is a vital document, according to which the country carries out its operations. Constitution protects the rights of the citizens of a concerned nation, irrespective of their religion, caste, creed, sex or physical appearance. A constitution, thus, can be safely said to be a social contract between the government and the people it governs.
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Republic India- A success story
Eng. Joseph Panicker
Ex. Officio Chairman,
The IEI- Kuwait Chapter & Board of Trustees, ICSK
India is the most populous and vibrant democracy in the world, however our success stories are in many frontiers and to name a few are, economic growth, foreign policy, electronics and communication, health care, medical tourism, Information Technology, Heavy Industries, food security, Space exploration, rocket science & Space technology etc. Take the example of recent success in the inter-planetary space explorations carried out by India. Moon and Mars were our closest celestial bodies, and through the ages has aroused curiosity in our minds much more than any other object in the sky. The Moon and Mars mission experiences have reinforced our belief that we have the will and capability to carry out world class space science explorations and deep penetrating inter planetary communication.
In an agricultural cum industrial country like India, Engineering and Technology provides the tool for improving the life of the common people and lot of its poor. Our Indian Sub-continent, a nation of 1 billion people, some still continues to live with some of its old traditions that goes back to 4000 years and more. Even in its expedition to modernization, India always has preserved its ancient civilization and not altered from the ideal strength which was acquired over countless centuries.
The manner in which India came out unaffected from the 2008 economic meltdown has made the world wonderstruck at the strength of Indian institutions and the foresight of our forefathers who have designed it.The need of today is to counter global warming issue. India's green economy strategies are first among equals.
The conversion of electricity supply system towards the use of 100% reznewable energy by 2050 is an ambitious goal and requires proper governance and will. The earlier we start the decisive actions in containing global warming issues, the more time we will have to tackle the upcoming challenges of necessary technological and social adaptation.
Our past was glorious, present is a challenge to raise the standard of living of common man, future is bright if we handle the present challenges wisely and efficiently.
Let the nations around us look at India with admiration. Let the Indian Diaspora fly the success story flags high in distant lands and beyond.
Jai Hind.
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MARS ORBITER MISSION
MARS Exploration - Significance
Of all the planets in the solar system, Mars has sparked the greatest human interest as the conditions in Mars are believed to be hospitable since the planet is similar to Earth in many ways. Mars has surface features reminiscent of both the impact craters of the Moon and volcanoes, deserts and polar ice of Earth.
Mars and Earth have almost equal period of revolution around its axis. Mars takes 24 hours and 37 minutes to complete one revolution around its axis. While Earth takes approximately 365 days to orbit around the Sun, Mars takes 687 days for the same. The gravity of Mars is roughly one- third of Earth's gravity and it has a thin atmosphere with a pressure of 1 % that of Earth.
For ages, humans have been speculating about life on Mars. Recent discovery of Methane on Mars suggest that life could exist on Mars. It entails more and more understanding of the Martian surface, its topography, geology, landforms, mineralogy, and its upper atmosphere to understand the evolution of universe.
The Indian Mission to Mars is primarily intended to establish Indian technological capability to reach the Mars, orbit around it and also provide an excellent opportunity, to the scientific community, to further understand the Martian Science. Also, having demonstrated the technological capability in reaching the Moon, the next logical step go forth into interplanetary space is Mars.
Indian MARS Orbiter Mission
Mars Orbiter Mission is ISRO's first interplanetary mission with an orbiter craft designed to orbit Mars in an elliptical orbit of 366 km x 80000 km. Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) is a complex technological mission considering the critical mission operations and stringent requirements on propulsion, communications and other bus systems of the spacecraft.
Being the first Indian mission to the planet Mars, the primary technological objective is to design and realize a spacecraft with a capability to - perform Earth Bound Manoeuvre, reach Mars (Martian Transfer Trajectory) with the least amount of fuel, Mars Orbit Insertion and then to orbit around Mars. It has been configured to undertake limited scientific studies during the orbital life of the spacecraft, using the five Indian scientific instruments onboard to study the Mars surface and its atmosphere.
Scientific Instruments (Payload) on the Orbiter
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Science Theme |
Payload |
Primary objective |
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Atmospheric studies |
Lyman Alpha Photometer (LAP) |
Measures relative abundance of deuterium and hydrogen.
Measurement of Deuterium /Hydrogen (D/H) Ratio allows understanding of the loss process of water from the planet. |
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Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM) |
Measures Methane (CH4) in the Martian atmosphere with high level of accuracy and map its sources. |
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Plasma and Particle environment studies |
Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyser (MENCA) |
Map neutral composition in exosphere, Martian upper atmosphere |
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Surface Imaging studies |
Mars Color Camera (MCC) |
This tri-color Mars Color Camera gives images of Martian surface. It is useful for monitoring the dynamic events and weather of Mars. It will also be used for probing the two satellites of Mars – Phobos and Deimos. |
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TIR imaging spectrometer (TIR) |
Measures thermal emission and can be operated during day & night. It will map the surface and mineral composition of Mars. |
Technological Challenges of Mars Orbiter Mission
To provide robust thermal environment and augmented radiation shielding to the spacecraft & payloads to cope with a wide range of thermal environment (from Near Earth conditions to Mars conditions) and harsh radiation conditions due to prolonged exposure.
To build a robust and reliable propulsion system (Liquid Engine), which needs to restart after almost 300 days of voyage to insert the spacecraft into an orbit around Mars.
To build high level of onboard autonomy within the Orbiter to deal with communication delay of the order of 40 minutes. Autonomy logics manage the spacecraft when communication interruptions occur when - (i) the spacecraft is occulted by planet Mars; (ii) Whiteouts/ Blackouts due to Sun; (iii) spacecraft enters Safe-mode
To augment Deep Space Network to be able to command the spacecraft from the ground station when it is at a distance of nearly 400 Million km, which is 1000 times more than the distance Moon and earth.
Launch and Post Launch Orbit Maneuvers
The country witnessed with pride, when India's first interplanetary spacecraft "Mars Orbiter" was successfully launched on November 05, 2013 at 2:38 pm by India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C25 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre. Mars Orbiter was precisely injected into an elliptical earth orbit (with a perigee of 248.4 km and an apogee of 23,550 km, inclined at an angle of 19.27 deg to the equator).
Subsequent to the six orbit-raising manoeuvres, crucial the Tran-Mars Injection Manoeuvre was precisely executed on December 1, 2013 and the Spacecraft was placed on course to the Red Planet along a helio-centric path of 680 million km.
Mars Orbit Insertion on 24th Sep 2014
After a 300 days journey in deep space, on September 24, 2014, India's Mars Orbiter Spacecraft successfully entered into an elliptical orbit around planet Mars by firing its 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor along with eight smaller liquid engines.
With successful Mars Orbit Insertion, ISRO became the fourth space agency to successfully send a spacecraft to Mars orbit and India became the first country in the world to do so in its first attempt.
Mars Orbiter Successfully handled Solar Conjunction
Solar Conjunction is a natural phenomenon in which the Mars, the Sun and the Earth get aligned. Such alignment affects all communication signals from Mars Orbiter towards the Earth. Mars Orbiter is built with onboard autonomy to handle such blackout operations.
Mars Orbiter went under ‘solar conjunction' at Mars, which means the Orbiter, which is orbiting Mars, is behind the Sun as viewed from the Earth. As a result of this event, which happens once in 2.2 years for Mars, communication signals from the spacecraft are severely disrupted by the Sun's corona (outer atmosphere).
Mars Orbiter was under solar conjunction from May 27th to 1st July 2015. The communications from ground to spacecraft were totally stopped with effect from May 28, 2015. No commands were transmitted to the spacecraft during this period and all payload operations were suspended.
In the month of July, 2015; the Mars orbiter successfully came out of the solar conjunction. It is worth mentioning that No reconfiguration of the spacecraft was required, as the on-board autonomy properly functioned.
Current Status
India's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) has completed one year around Mars on September 24, 2015 and accomplished its planned mission objectives. MOM and all its scientific payloads are in good health and it continues to provide valuable data of Mars surface and its atmosphere. The increased duration of observation of Mars by five scientific payloads will enhance the planetary science data and would also enable coverage of Mars in different seasons.
The images of Mars captured by the Mars Colour Camera have been received and found to be of very good quality. The Mars Colour Camera has so far produced 513 images.
Joint morphological studies using MCC and the high resolution mineralogical data with the NASA CRISM data was carried out, which enables the identification of different compounds like sulphates and ferrous based compounds.
The dust patterns around high altitude regions and in Valles were studied and mean height of dust layer was estimated to be ~1.5 km. Albedo using the 1.65 micron studies of the reference channel of Methane sensor for Mars (MSM) was also estimated.
Significant achievements & Recognitions
First interplanetary mission realized by India and first Indian spacecraft to incorporate full scale on-board autonomy to overcome the long distances and the communication gaps due to non-visibility periods.
First Mars mission in the world to succeed Mars Orbit Insertion in first attempt.
First Indian spacecraft to successfully survive Van Allen belt crossing 39 times. First Indian spacecraft to escape the Sphere Of Influence of Earth and orbit Sun.
Most economical interplanetary mission in the world and paved way for cost-effective access to deep space.
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) - Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) team won the US based National Space Society's "Space Pioneer Award" for science and engineering category for the year 2015.
The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is awarded to ISRO in recognition of its path-breaking achievement, culminating in Mars Orbiter Mission, its significant contribution in strengthening international cooperation in peaceful use of outer space.
IRNSS: Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System
IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system being developed by India. It is designed to provide the position and timing services through an independent Indian regional navigation satellite constellation of seven satellites. The main objective of IRNSS System is to provide positioning services with an absolute position accuracy of better than 20 meters over Indian Land Mass and a region extending to the about 1500 Kms around India.
IRNSS consists of seven satellites in a constellation, three satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO) and four satellites in geosynchronous orbit (GSO) with inclination of 29° to the equatorial plane. Three GEO satellites placed at 32.5°E, 83°E & 131.5°E orbital locations and two geosynchronous satellites each placed in the GSO with an equator crossing at 55°E & 111.75°E with an inclination of 29°.
A first four IRNSS satellites viz., IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C and ID were successfully launched on July 02, 2013, April 04, 2014, October 16, 2014 and March 28, 2015 respectively and are already operational in orbit. With the operationalisation of four navigational satellites in orbit, it is now possible to provide Position, Navigation and Timing services.
Launch of Fifth IRNSS Satellite - IRNSS-1E:
ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C31, successfully launched the 1425 kg IRNSS-1E, the fifth satellite in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) on January 20, 2016 at 09:31 hrs (IST) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota. This is the thirty second consecutively successful mission of PSLV and the eleventh in its 'XL' configuration. IRNSS-1E Satellite was injected to an elliptical orbit of 282.4 km X 20,655.3 km inclined at an angle of 19.21 degree to the equator (very close to the intended orbit). After injection, the solar panels of IRNSS-1E were deployed automatically. In the coming days, four orbit manoeuvres will be conducted from Master Control Facility to position the satellite in the Geosynchronous Orbit at 111.75 deg East longitude with 28.1 deg inclination.
A number of ground stations responsible for the generation and transmission of navigation parameters, satellite ranging and monitoring, etc., have been established in eighteen locations across the country.
Applications:
Terrestrial, Aerial and Marine Navigation
Disaster Management, Vehicle Tracking , Fleet Management
Precision timing applications viz. distributed survey systems, power grid synchronization
Mapping and Geodetic data capture
Visual and voice navigation for drivers
Dr. Abdul Razzak Rumane
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA INTELLIGENTSIA
Bibliotheque: World Wide (BWW), USA has listed the profile of Dr. Abdul Razzak Rumane in their last published book entitled "THE ENCYCLOPEDIA INTELLIGENTSIA: A Compendium of Great Thinkers and Bright Minds of Twenty-First Century". Each person profiled in the book has been selected for inclusion based upon their personal and professional accomplishments as well as their contribution to society through charitable and philanthropic works, their creativity and their inspiration to others.
Those featured in this volume are a relative handful (358) of eminent scientists, scholars, humanitarians, statesmen, revered educators, physicians, economists, researchers and business leaders of special merit from nations around the globe.
The Bibliotheque: World Wide (BWW) Society is an international interdisciplinary multi-cultural forum based on the exchange of creative ideas and innovative concepts, and is primarily focused on the on-going effects-both positive and negative-of globalization.
Dr. Rumane is an accomplished engineer has received various awards and medals. His biography has been listed by various international publishers in their various title books. Dr. Rumane is an author of books titled "Quality Management in Construction Projects" and "Quality Tools for Managing Construction Projects" both published by CRC Press (A Taylor & Francis Group Company), USA. His new book entitled " Handbook of Construction Management: Scope, Schedule, and Cost Control " is expected to be published early 2016.
Dr. Rumane is currently associated with SIJJEEL W.L.L, Kuwait as Advisor & Director, Construction Management.
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Dr. R. Seetharaman Conferred with Ph.D. Degree in "Green Banking and Sustainability" at Sri Sri University
Dr. R. Seetharaman, CEO of Doha Bank, was awarded the Ph.D. Degree on "Green Banking and Sustainability" by Sri Sri University at the Second Convocation of Sri Sri University held on September, 2015. Dr. R. Seetharaman is also a recipient of multiple doctorates from other well known Universities such as European University and Washington College which includes "Doctor of Business Administration "in Global Governance from European University. |
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Indian-American won Champions of Change Award
A 15-year-old Indian-American girl has been honoured by the White House with the prestigious "Champions of Change" award for empowering the community by imparting Internet coding through her non-profit organisation. A junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science andTechnology, Swetha Prabakaran was among the eleven young women selected by the White House as "Champions of Change" who are empowering their communities. Swetha is the Founder and CEO of Everybody Code Now!, a non-profit working to empower the next generation of youth to become engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs. "Under Swetha's direction, Everybody Code Now! has taught hundreds of students how to code and has raised thousands of dollars for STEM activities in schools. 
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