Hridayam Niranja Onam Ashamsakal

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Orkut wins Pepsi & MTV YouthIcon 2007

ORKUT is the Pepsi-MTV Youth Icon 2007!

As the fierce battle of the ‘Pepsi & MTV Youth Icon 2007’ comes to end, it’s time to crown the winner of the much coveted title! The youth of India have voted ‘ORKUT’ – the biggest youth social networking forum, as the undisputed winner of the Pepsi & MTV Youth Icon 2007. Orkut joins the league of Mahendra Singh Dhoni (in 2006), Shah Rukh Khan (in 2005), Rahul Dravid (in 2004) and Anil Ambani (in 2003) as the winners of Pepsi-MTV Youth Icon.

VJ Nikhil, who was rooting for ORKUT this year says, “Orkut has not only been a mode of communication to the youth but has literally given them the power to expand their horizons! The award is definitely well deserved, validating Orkut’s immense popularity.”

Named after Orkut Buyukkokten, its Turkish creator, Orkut was launched in early 2004. It is the biggest youth social networking forum which helps users meet new friends and keep up with the old ones.

Motherjane rocks Trivandrum

Motherjane’s home coming tour at Nishagandhi in Trivandrum was truly an adrenaline rushing experience.
The songs mindstreet and brocken were really cool. They also sang some songs from their new album ‘Maktub’.
The show was organised by Rosebowl, the youth concept channel.

About Motherjane :

motherjane is a Cochin based five piece progressive rock band which started in 1996. The band consists of Suraj (Vocalist), Baiju ( lead guitarist), John ( Drummer), Clyde ( Bass Guitarist) and Deepu (Rythm Guitarist). Motherjane is the only Indian rock band to have their music played in American, Japanese and Mexican radio stations and has a cult following all around India.
The band was put together on 16th March 1996 by John who was a very famous figure in Cochin’s music scene. To start with, the group had Laji George as the vocalist who continued to be with motherjane till year 2000. The lead guitarist was Mithun who continued till year 2000. Guitarist Rex worked with the band till 2002. Suraj Mani, who is a mechanical engineer by profession joined Motherjane in the year 2000.

Born to rebel

Kishore Biyani, (CEO, Future Group) says

In retrospect, what I find was crucial was the attitude to rebel against the obvious. I was born at a time when everyone believed in socialism and control. Our generation rebelled against this. Today, I find youngsters to be conformists, they totally believe in ideas that are given or have been told by their parents. If they rebel, they won’t get the privileges they are getting, which are much more than what they really should be getting. Without rebelling, one doesn’t learn anything in life.

The 123 Agreement: Different Perspectives

Former BAARC Cheif, Dr A N Prasad says on The Hindu

The agreement to operationalize the Indo-US civil nuclear deal has “compromised India’s case to a large extent and the United States could “remotely drive our atomic programmes in the long run,” former Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Dr A N Prasad, said here Sunday night.

He said the draft text of the 123 agreement, reached in Washington last month, clearly tried to accommodate diverging interests and constraints of both India and US by clever use of the language.

“We are now in effect reduced to a mere recipient state mandated by the Henry Hyde Act (passed by the US Congress) to carry out a set of do’s and don’ts and strive to earn a good behavior report card to become eligible to continue receiving what they can offer,” he said.

“In the process, slowly but surely, they (US) could gain control and remotely drive our nuclear programmes in the long run,” Prasad said.

Prasad, who was active in IAEA inspections in Iraq, said “this deal, through the Hyde Act, gives far too many opportunities to penetrate deep into and interfere even in our 3-stage programme to slow down realization of our goal to harness our own vast resources of thorium for long-term energy security.”

Prasad pointed to two points in support of his view: first revelation by Nicholas Burns, US Under Secretary of State, during his interview to the Council on Foreign Relations and secondly the duration of the 123 agreement coinciding with the time India intending to take thorium use to a commercial reality.

He pointed to Burns’ remark that “it had been an easy ’strategic’ choice for Washington when faced with the question – should we isolate India for the next 35 years or bring it in partially now (under safeguards inspection) and nearly totally in the future.”

Left on 123 agreement:

Left parties, supporting allies of the Government, today rejected the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement and asked the Government not to proceed with operationalising it.

The four-party alliance also decided to press for a constitutional amendment for bringing international treaties and certain bilateral agreements for approval in Parliament.

After “careful assessment” of the text of 123 pact released on Friday and studying it in the “context of burgeoning strategic alliance” with the US, the Left parties said they were “unable to accept the agreement.”

“The Left calls upon the Government not to proceed further with operationalising of the agreement,” a statement issued by the four parties here today said.

“There has to be review of the strategic aspect of Indo-US relations in Parliament,” it said.

Much to gain from the 123 of nuke power (on Economic Times)

Private sector nuclear energy is going to be introduced in four phases in India in the wake of the 123 agreement with the US. To begin with, private sector companies like Tata Power and Reliance Energy will have to form joint ventures with the government-owned Nuclear Power Corporation.
In the next phase, Indian private sector companies will be allowed to set up plants on their own. The third phase will permit foreign investors to come in as JV partners with Indian players. And finally, at least a decade later, foreign investors may be allowed to set up nuclear plants on their own.
In India, the three companies that have already declared an interest in setting up nuclear power plants are Tata Power, Reliance Energy and National Thermal Power Corporation. But others are lurking in the background and may consider entering the fray too.