Miss Venezuela Ivian Sarcos crowned Miss World 2011

Miss Venezuela Ivian Sarcos was on November 06 evening crowned Miss World 2011, and India’s hopes of winning the title for the sixth time came crashing down as Miss India World Kanishtha Dhankhar failed to make it to the top 25.

At an extravagant ceremony at the Earls Court in London, 21-year-old Sarcos defeated over 100 beauties from various parts of the world at the 61st Miss World contest.

Miss Philippines Gwendoline Ruais was the first runner-up and Miss Puerto Rico Amanda Perez became the second runner-up.

The gala event kicked off on Sunday evening with a dynamic performance by British street dance troupe Diversity, followed by the introduction of the Miss World contestants.

It ended with Miss World 2010 Alexandria Mills crowning Sarcos. The jury included former Miss World winners — Cindy Breakspeare (1976), Nigeria Agbani Darego (2001), Zhang Zilin (2007) and Kaiane Aldorino (2009).

Titleholders:

Year	Country/Territory	Miss World	Location	Date
2011	Venezuela	Ivian Sarcos	London, United Kingdom	6 November
2010	USA	Alexandria Mills	Sanya, China	30 October
2009	Gibraltar	Kaiane Aldorino	Johannesburg, South Africa	12 December
2008	Russia	Ksenia Sukhinova	Johannesburg, South Africa	13 December
2007	China	Zhang Zilin	Sanya, China	1 December
2006	Czech Republic	Taťána Kuchařová	Warsaw, Poland	30 September
2005	Iceland	Unnur Birna Vilhjálmsdóttir	Sanya, China	10 December
2004	Peru	María Julia Mantilla	Sanya, China	4 December
2003	Ireland	Rosanna Davison	Sanya, China	6 December
2002	Turkey	Azra Akın	London, United Kingdom	7 December
2001	Nigeria	Agbani Darego	Sun City, South Africa	16 November
2000	India	Priyanka Chopra	London, United Kingdom	30 November

BY NUMBER OF WINS:

Country/Territory	Titles	Winning years
Venezuela	6	1955, 1981, 1984, 1991, 1995, 2011
India	5	1966, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000,
United Kingdom		1961, 1964, 1965, 1974(resigned) , 1983
United States	3	1973, 1990, 2010
Iceland		1985, 1988, 2005
Jamaica		1963, 1976, 1993
Sweden		1951, 1952, 1977
Russia	2	1992, 2008
Peru		1967, 2004
Austria		1969, 1987
Germany		1956, 1980 (resigned)
Argentina		1960, 1978
South Africa		1958, 1974 (took over title in November 1974)
Australia		1968, 1972
Netherlands		1959, 1962
Gibraltar	1	2009
China		2007
Czech Republic		2006
Ireland		2003
Turkey		2002
Nigeria		2001
Israel		1998
Greece		1996
Poland		1989
Trinidad & Tobago		1986
Dominican Republic		1982
Guam		1980 (took over title on 28 November 1980)
Bermuda		1979
Puerto Rico		1975
Brazil		1971
Grenada		1970
Finland		1957
Egypt		1954
France		1953

India's financial sector priorities to remain unchanged: PM

 
Against the backdrop of the battle against the sovereign debt crisis in the Eurozone, PM Manmohan Singh has said there will be no change in India's financial sector priorities to sustain high rates of economic growth.
 

"Financial inclusion, provision of long-term funding instruments for infrastructure, the development of liquid bond markets to improve monetary policy transmission, among others, were financial sector priorities in India before the crisis," Singh said in his intervention at the Summit of world's leading 20 economies at Cannes on November 03.

"Nothing has happened in Indian financial markets or globally that warrants changing these priorities. We need to be sure that the regulatory reforms being introduced globally will not hamper this process," he added.

India's concerns were different, Singh said, adding, "the banking capital needs to be strengthened in India, this is not on account of higher risks but because credit is projected to expand at a very fast pace to feed the high real growth that we expect".

Pointing out that tax payers and equity holders in case of the Indian PSU banking sector are the same, he said, "In this environment it is difficult to see why a financial sector tax, which would only raise the cost of capital even further, would be appropriate."

As regards the Indian economy, Singh said, "our economy has slowed down in the current year and GDP growth is likely to be between 7.6 and 8 per cent...We in India are taking steps to ensure a return to high growth.

"We hope to go back to higher growth in 2012-13, together with a moderation in inflation", he added.

"Our medium term strategy focuses on a revival of investment especially in infrastructure, and continuing efforts to reduce our fiscal deficit through improved revenue collection which is expected to come from tax reforms," Singh said.

The Prime Minister also warned that "prolonged" uncertainty and instability in Europe will hurt other countries too and suggested that the IMF can help rescue the situation.

Observing that everyone has a stake in the orderly functioning and prosperity of Europe, including the Eurozone countries, Singh said, "prolonged uncertainty and instability in the Eurozone countries can hurt us all. In an increasingly integrated world, all of us have a stake in the orderly functioning and prosperity of Europe." 

G-20 leaders mulling boost in IMF funding: Britain
World leaders meeting at the G20 summit on Thursday discussed boosting their funding of the International Monetary Fund to help resolve the eurozone debt crisis, Britain's finance minister said.
George Osborne said countries such as the China were interested in the proposals, which have been pushed heavily by British Prime Minister David Cameron, but he refused to put a figure on the increase.
"The international community has also accepted that it needs to address the general global economic situation and there is a debate that has begun, but not concluded, about increasing resources to the IMF," Osborne told reporters.
"There are certainly no numbers yet and I suspect that those discussions will not conclude until tomorrow," he said, summarising day one of the G20 summit in the southern French resort of Cannes.
Britain's government has been floating the idea of an increase in funding for the IMF partly as a way of helping the eurozone without contributing to a direct bailout, which would be politically damaging at home.
Asked if there was international support at the meetings, Osborne said it had been under discussion by G20 nations since the start of October.
"I've not heard anyone object to the suggestion that we increase the resources of the IMF. Individual contributions to that increase have yet to be discussed so I can't give you a number," he said.
"But certainly from what I've heard of the Chinese, and I've had my own discussions with the Chinese here as well, they too are intersted in providing support to the IMF." Cameron said earlier Thursday that Britain would consider boosting its 29 billion (34 billion euros, USD 46 billion) funding for the IMF.

Kamalesh Sharma Re-appointed Commonwealth Secretary General

Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma was re-appointed to the coveted post on 30 October 2011. At the 19th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Uganda the Commonwealth Leaders agreed to re-appoint him. Sharma who served as a veteran Indian diplomat was re-appointed for a four-year term beginning in April 2012.

Kamlesh Sharma’s Background:

Sharma was first elected to as the Secretary General of Commonwealth during the biennial summit of the 54-nation grouping in Kampala, Uganda, in 2007. He took over from Sir Don McKinnon of New Zealand on 1 April, 2008.

Kamalesh Sharma previously served as India's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, where he was closely involved in Commonwealth activities. In that capacity, he served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Foundation. He was associated with the Commonwealth since 2004 when he was a member of the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Foundation.

From 2002 to 2004, Mr Sharma served as the special representative of the United Nations secretary-general to Timor Leste, with the rank of Under Secretary-General. He helped building up a newly independent Timor Leste by strengthening internal security and public administration, including justice, financial administration, policing and protection of human rights.

From 1988 to 1990, he was India's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva. There he acted as the spokesperson for developing countries in the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) during the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade talks. During his tenure as an Ambassador and the Indian Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, from 1997 to 2002, Kamlesh Sharma chaired the Working Group on Financing for Development, which led to the Monterrey Consensus.

India ranked 134 in terms of human development index

UN study has ranked India at 134 out of 187 countries in terms of Human Development Index even as it has observed that life expectancy at birth in the country has increased by 10.1 percent a year over the last two decades.
In the 2010 Human Development Report, prepared by UNDP, India had been ranked at 119 out of 169 countries. But the new report for 2011 says it is misleading to compare values and rankings with those of previously published reports, because the underlying data and methods have changed, as well as the number of countries included in the Human Development Index.
The report said India’s Human Development Index (HDI) value for 2011 was 0.547 positioning the country in the ‘medium human development category’.
Neighbouring Pakistan was ranked at 145 (0.504) and Bangladesh at 146 (0.500) respectively in terms of HDI.
It said Between 1980 and 2011, India’s HDI value increased from 0.344 to 0.547, an increase of 59 percent or an average annual increase of about 1.5 percent.
However, the report pointed that the country’s HDI of 0.547 was below the average of 0.630 for countries in the medium human development group and below the average of 0.548 for countries in South Asia.
The HDI is a measure for assessing long-term progress in three basic dimensions of human development such as a long and healthy life, access to knowledge and a decent standard of living.
The report said the “mean” year of schooling for the country increased by 3.9 years between 1980 and 2011 and expected years of schooling increased by 3.9 years.

Xinjiang keen on reviving historic trade ties with India

The regional government of China's far-western Xinjiang region is keen to revive the frontier trade with India that once flourished along the disputed western section of the border and is courting Indian involvement in plans to develop a special economic zone in the border town of Kashgar.

As the Governor of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Nur Bekri, begins a four-day visit to New Delhi and Mumbai on Thursday, the regional government has sought to downplay its role as a bridge for China's investments in neighbouring Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), which serves as a crucial land-link between China and Pakistan.

In a first, the regional government's Development and Reform Committee (DRC) appeared to implicitly acknowledge India's claims to PoK in written responses to questions ahead of Mr. Bekri's visit, making the case for increasing frontier trade with India and describing Kashgar as bordering India, not Pakistan.

There were particular advantages in developing frontier trade with India, said the DRC, pointing to recently announced policies by the Chinese central government to develop the Kashgar SEZ. The policies would support the “construction of the Kashgar economic development zone which borders with India”, said the DRC. “We welcome Indian companies to invest in Kashgar, which possesses great growth potential in bilateral trade.” The DRC said it would also favour the opening of international flights from Kashgar to India, and would “encourage” foreign airlines to open direct flights.

Officials from Xinjiang's Political and Legal Committee, who will accompany Mr. Bekri, said they would like to work more with India on counterterrorism. The XUAR government blamed recent attacks in Kashgar on local Uighurs — a Muslim ethnic Turkic minority group — trained in camps in Pakistan.

“China and its neighbouring countries should together face terrorism since we have mutual interest in this area to guarantee the stability of our countries,” the committee said. “Xinjiang will continue to enhance cooperation with neighbouring countries, including India.”

The government said it was also keen to increase the flow of people from India, in marked contrast with China's earlier reservations to opening up Xinjiang citing stability concerns. It did not, however, reply to questions on whether it would favour the opening up of an Indian trade office or Consulate in Urumqi or Kashgar in the future.

India's Consulate in Kashgar was closed in 1950, following which the Indian trade presence ceased to exist in the region. Since then, an increasing number of traders from Pakistan have established a presence in Kashgar.

However, deep-rooted cultural links with India, sourced in a long history of commercial and cultural engagement between Kashgar and Ladakh and through the Silk Road, have left a strong appeal for Indian culture among Uighurs, evident today in the widespread popularity of Indian films.

Mr. Bekri's visit is part of a recent initiative by India to revive these forgotten links with a region rarely recognised as neighbouring India, and to build closer links with provinces on China's borders.

His invitation by the Government of India, under the India-China Distinguished Visitors' Programme, followed the organising of a cultural performance in Kashgar last year — one which the Indian Embassy in Beijing lobbied hard for — and a visit by Ambassador to China S. Jaishankar to the regional capital Urumqi last week, where he met official from energy companies TBEA and Goldwind, which are looking to expand their commercial interests in India.

Trade between India and Xinjiang has soared this year, increasing 92.4 per cent year-on-year between January and September, reaching $47 million, the highest in the past five years according to the DRC.

“Xinjiang and India enjoy strong trade complementarities,” the DRC said. “There is great cooperation and broad development potential in agricultural products, food, mechanical and electrical products, IT and other areas as well.”

Pak grants MFN status to India

Pakistan on nOVEMBER 02  extended Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India amid protests from jihadi outfits and the media. The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting in which Commerce Secretary Zafar Mahmood set his ministry’s proposal in a historical perspective by pointing out that Pakistan had given MFN status to India during Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s time.

Even as the decision was announced to the media at the Cabinet briefing, Information Minister Firdous Ashaq Awan and Mr. Mahmood were bombarded with questions on why MFN status was being granted to India when the Kashmir issue was yet to be resolved.

Maintaining that the move would not dilute Pakistan’s position on Kashmir, the Minister pointed out that people of the two Kashmirs were already engaged in trade across the Line of Control. Admitting that Cabinet members raised questions about how the decision would impact the Kashmir cause, she said India and China had a flourishing trade despite territorial disputes.

Amid a volley of impassioned questions, Mr. Mahmood said India had granted MFN status to Pakistan in 1995 and World Trade Organisation (WTO) commitments mandated that Islamabad reciprocate. Also, he clarified that the MFN status would not alter the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement that allows Afghan goods to cross over Pakistan into India and not vice versa. At the same time, he added that Indian goods were allowed to move into Afghanistan over land through Pakistan between 1959 and 1965 as per an Af-Pak agreement.

Quoting surveys that show MFN status to India as a move beneficial to Pakistan, he said both countries were committed to dismantling the non-tariff barriers (NTBs). Asked if India had agreed to dismantle NTBs, he said both countries were in the process of doing so; adding that maintaining a positive list approach towards trade with India was in itself a NTB.

Pointing out that the Pakistani media tended to interpret MFN status in its literal sense, the Secretary said both countries had granted the status to each other after ratifying the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in July 1948 despite the bloodletting of Partition less than a year ago.

This regime continued till 1965. Between 1947 and 1965, he said, Pakistan and India signed 12 trade agreements as per which four points for border trade were opened in Punjab, one each in Bahawalpur and Sindh besides a customs point on the Chenab river for timber trade.

Trading relations between the two countries resumed after the Simla Agreement by putting four items on the positive list. But, India moved ahead and granted MFN status to Pakistan in 1995 when WTO replaced GATT.

China launches unmanned spacecraft for first space docking

China on November 01 successfully launched an unmanned spacecraft for its maiden docking mission, paving the way for its first space station by 2020 to rival Mir, the space lab being run by Russian and U.S. astronauts.

The launch of unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou-8 in the early hours of November 01 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest Gobi desert was successful, Commander-in-chief of China’s manned space programme Chang Wanquan announced.

The spacecraft was sent into the designated orbit by Long March-2F rocket.

It is heading for rendezvous with Tiangong-1, or the “Heavenly Palace” that was put into space on September 29 for the country’s first space docking.

The move, if successful, will pave the way for China to operate a permanent space station around 2020 and make it the third to do so after the U.S. and Russia. This will be the second space station after the Mir space lab launched in 2001 by Russia. Mir is currently managed by Russian and U.S. space programmes.

The docking of the Shenzhou-8 will take place at a height of 343 km above the Earth’s surface. It will return to the Earth after two docking tryouts.

Chinese and German scientists will conduct 17 life science space experiments on the Chinese spacecraft Shenzhou-8, Wu Ping, spokesperson for China’s manned space programme, said.

Public Procurement Policy for goods produced and services rendered by Micro and Small Enterprises by the Ministries/Deptts/PSUs

The Cabinet  approved the Public Procurement Policy for goods produced and services rendered by Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) by the Central Ministries/Departments/PSUs to be notified under Section 11 of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006.

The MSEs, including the khadi, village and coir industries, constitute an overwhelming majority of this sector, contributing significantly to the gross domestic product, manufacturing output and exports. In the overall production/value chains however, MSEs are highly susceptible to volatile market conditions. To address this inherent problems, many countries have put in place public procurement policies to support MSEs and to ensure a fair share of market to such entities. Under the existing dispensation in India, the Government guidelines provide for support in marketing of MSE products through a variety of measures such as price preference, reservation of products for exclusive purchase from MSEs, issue of tender sets free of cost, exemption from payment of earnest money, etc. In practice, however, most of these facilities are not being provided to the MSEs by the Government Departments/CPSUs, etc.

The salient features of the Public Procurement Policy are:

i. Every Central Ministries/PSU shall set an annual goal for procurement from the MSE sector at the beginning of the year, with the objective of achieving an overall procurement goal of minimum 20 per cent of the total annual purchases of the products or services produced or rendered by MSEs from the latter in a period of three years.

ii. Out of 20% target of annual procurement from MSEs, a sub-target of 4% (i.e. 20% out of 20%) will be earmarked for procurement from MSEs owned by SC/ST entrepreneurs. However, in the event of failure of such MSEs to participate in the tender process or meet the tender requirements and the L1 price, the 4% sub-target for procurement earmarked for MSEs owned by SC/ST entrepreneurs will be met from other MSEs.

iii. At the end of three years, the overall procurement goal of minimum 20% will be make mandatory. Non conforming Departments will be required to provide reasons for the same to the Review Committee set up under the Policy.

iv. The participating MSEs in a tender quoting price within the band of L1 + 15% may also be allowed to supply a portion of the requirement by bringing down their prices to the L1 price, in a situation where L1 price is from someone other than an MSE. Such MSEs may be allowed to supply up to 20% of the total tendered value. In case of more than one such MSE, the supply will be shared equally.

v. Every Central Ministries/PSU will report the goals set with respect to procurement to be met from MSEs and the achievement made thereto in their respective Annual Reports.

vi. The Central Ministries/PSU will continue to procure 358 items from MSEs, which have been reserved for exclusive purchase from them.

vii. For enhancing the participating of SCs/STs in the Government procurement, the Central Ministries/PSU will take necessary steps including organizing special Vendor Development Programmes, Buyer-Seller Meets etc.

viii. Given their unique nature, defence armament imports will not be included in computing the 20% goal for Ministry of Defence. In addition, Defence Equipment like weapon systems, missiles etc. will remain out of purview of such policy of reservation.

ix. A Committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Secretary (MSME), to review the list of 358 items reserved for exclusive purchase from MSEs on a continuous basis and for monitoring and review of the Public Procurement Policy for MSEs. In addition, a ‘Grievance Cell’ would be set up in the Ministry of MSME for redressing the grievances of MSEs in Government procurement.

The Policy will help to promote MSEs by improving their market access and competitiveness through increased participation by MSEs in Government purchases and encouraging linkages between MSEs and large enterprises.

Official amendments to the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Amendment Bill, 2010

The Union Cabinet  approved the proposal of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for pursuing the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Amendment Bill, 2010 pending in Rajya Sabha in Parliament for its enactment and also to move the official amendments in the Rajya Sabha. Cabinet also approved the action taken on the recommendations made in the Eighteenth Report on “Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Amendment Bill, 2010” of the Standing Committee on Information Technology.

The Cabinet further approved the amendment to section 11(2) of the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Amendment Bill, 2010 pending in the Rajya Sabha by the addition of the words “and until their retirement” at the end of the section. This will make the status of the employees recruited between 23.11.1997 and 05.10.2007, i.e., they are on deemed deputation to Prasar Bharati till their retirement absolutely clear and unambiguous.

The Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Amendment Bill 2010 has been introduced in the Rajya Sabha in August, 2010. The Bill is for making amendments to the existing section 11 of the Prasar Bharati Act, 1990, regarding “Transfer of service of existing employees to the Corporation”, which deals with the transfer of services of employees to Prasar Bharati upon its creation as a Corporation in the year 1997.

Ms Dhoni, Abhinav Bindra and Dr Deepak Rao Granted Honorary Rank in Territorial Army

MS Dhoni, Abhinav Bindra and Dr Deepak Rao were pipped in by the Army Chief Gen VK Singh on November 01. MS Dhoni and Abhinav Bindra have been commissioned as Honorary Lt Colonel and Dr Deepak Rao commissioned as a Honorary Major in the Territorial Army.

MS Dhoni and Abhinav Bindra have been bestowed the honour for their outstanding contribution in the field of sports and their commitment to the Army on various occasions. MS Dhoni has set an example by his unstinted hard work, discipline and supreme dedication. His leading the team from the front, remaining ultra cool in adversities, maintaining excellent physical standards, and giving all credit to his teammates, is very synonymous to the Army way of leadership.

Abhinav Bindra is youth icon and his qualities as a valiant fighter, dedication, hardwork, supreme concentration and perseverance are synonymous to an Army leader.

Deepak Rao is the first Indian to specialise in modern Close Quarter Battle Training (CQB) and has imparted his expertise for 17 years to train soldiers from various Indian forces. He has also been Instructor in Reflex Shooting and Deep Sea Diving. Despite his outstanding achievements he remains committed, selfless and has dedicated his life for Army as an organisation. For his yeomen service to the nation and specifically providing assistance to training of the Armed Forces in Close Quarter Battle, Advanced Commando Combat System and Combating Terrorism, Dr Rao has been bestowed with the honour.

All the three young honorary officers have always followed the ethos and culture of the Indian Army. By donning the Olive Greens, they will be an inspiration to many youngsters of our Nation. As Brand Ambassadors of the Indian Army, they will strengthen the citizen-soldier bonds. Col (Honorary) Anil Habbu, Lt Col (Honorary) Kapil Dev and Lt Col (Honorary) Mohanlal are the other Honorary officers of the Territorial Army.