Manmohan Singh's 1991 Rupee brahma astra may boomerang to a junk rating- An interesting reading

Rating companies and politicians have something in common - both are discredited, but indispensable in a socioeconomic system. The nation is suddenly back at a stage where one unreliable entity will evaluate the performance and potential of the other. The devil of a sovereign rating downgrade, that was nearly slain with the return of P Chidambaram to the finance ministry, who surprised by spending less than forecast - a sweet black swan event - is rearing its head again.

It is not the profligacy of the government this time, but a currency that is sliding fast and furious — partly due to global factors such as the US Federal Reserve tapering bond purchases, and mostly because of India's continued reliance on short-term flows to fund excessive imports.

A depreciating currency could be welcomed as a boon for a country suffering from a record high current account deficit — the excess of spending overseas than imports — as we did in 1991. Not quite in 2013.

Manmohan Singh as a finance minister in the PV Narasimha Rao Cabinet depreciated the rupee by a quarter and set the stage for an economic recovery after a balance of payments crisis in 1991. But as the head of the state, he could hardly afford that now. Government policies and finances are caught in such a web that his brahma astra of 1991 may probably boomerang this time with a sovereign downgrade to junk.

"The threat of a downgrade has more to do with India's current account deficit than with the exchange rate weakness per se,'' says Jahangir Aziz, senior Asia economist at JPMorgan Chase. "The rupee weakness, however, matters because it has the potential to widen this year's subsidy bill significantly, and therefore the fiscal deficit. To the extent that the rating agency is worried about India's CAD and fiscal deficit, the present situation clearly has not strengthened India's case for an improved outlook or rating.''

Indian Rupee has depreciated 10% since April amid fears that the Federal Reserve may taper its $85-billion of monthly bond purchases, shutting the liquidity tap for emerging markets. With announced reform measures not leading to a quick economic recovery, foreigners who flocked to India to benefit from higher returns have developed cold feet. After investing almost $30 billion between September 2012 and April 2013, they pulled out $5.3 billon since then. Standard & Poor's, which faces probe for its role in the 2008 credit crisis, rates India at Triple B- with a negative outlook and has warned that there are one in three chances of a downgrade in the next 12 months.

Moody's, which rated India Baa3 last week, said, "The fall in the exchange rate, by increasing the domestic prices of imported goods, will contribute to inflation, as well as to an increase in the government's expenditures, including on subsidies.'' Both ratings are investment grade, and a downgrade of one notch can make India a junk nation.

Government and the Reserve Bank of India have made consumption of gold, accounting for more than half the CAD, more difficult with restriction on imports and quadrupling import duty. The demand is falling, but relief from it is some way off. The bigger worry is crude oil, of which India imports more than three-fourths of requirements.

It has faced a double whammy with its price rising to $108 a barrel, from less than $98 and due to currency depreciation. Both translate into crude turning 20% more expensive than it was a few months ago. Fuel subsidy, which was Rs85,000 crore last year, and budgeted to be Rs90,000 crore, could bloat if oil remains where it is. Nomura Securities forecasts oil subsidy to rise by Rs8,100 crore for every Rs1 fall in the exchange rate. Petrol prices are market determined, but diesel is subsidised. So are cooking gas and kerosene, which account for half the subsidy. Raising prices of these fuels will pinch people. So that can be ruled out when the ruling class is headed to seek votes from the electorate.

"The government will also have to pay more on an increased fertiliser subsidy bill,'' says Sonal Varma of Nomura Securities. "Hence, a fiscal slippage is likely. The window for reforms is fast closing," she adds.

Government's foreign direct investmentboosting measures are not yielding immediate results. The big-bang opening up of multi-brand retail is yet to translate into investments. The government intends to raise foreigners' limit in telecom, defence and many other sectors.

"I don't think it's just a matter of opening up an FDI channel here or there, you have to address the root causes and send a signal that you are committed to making changes to narrow the deficits,'' says Subir Gokarn, former deputy governor of the RBI. "That is when you will start seeing new money from outside." CAD though may fall from the 4.8% of the GDP in 2013, but it may still remain far higher than the desired 2.5% for the next two years.

Fiscal deficit target of 4.8% of the GDP may be breached as government may not be able to squeeze expenditure as it did last year. Fiscal deficit worries will acquire bigger proportion given the economic slowdown where economists are lowering their target to just about 5% from more than 5.6%. Tax collections are falling behind budgeted estimates.

Indirect taxes rose 4.7% in the June quarter, compared with the fiscal year target of 20%. Direct taxes grew 12% in the fiscal first quarter, way below the 18% budget for the year. Sale of stake in state-run enterprises for Rs 40,000 crore appears tough, though staterun financial companies may be directed to bail out such sales. The revenue short fall and the weakening currency have created a rating risk, but it may not be there yet. "Although there is always a risk, I don't expect a downgrade,'' says Bimal Jalan, who conducted monetary policy during the previous downgrade and the 1997 Asian crisis as RBI governor.

"Growth may have declined, but our total borrowings are not very high and we have always been careful about borrowings abroad.'' The government may have bungled in its policy on subsidies and not getting its announcements translate into actual investments. But some are saying that the central bank may have also foundered in its currency operations. RBI should have shored up reserves when the flows were plenty, which it did not unlike during the times of Jalan, who also floated the Resurgent India Bonds and India Millennium Deposits, which some call a guerrilla attack.

Governor Bimal Jalan and deputy governor Reddy would buy as much FX as possible during periods of capital inflows and sell as little as they could during episodes of capital outflows,'' says Indranil Sengupta at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. "As these guerrilla-type tactics built up FX reserves, improved investor confidence led to capital inflows and, by extension, appreciation. Of course, times are different. CAD at 4.8% of GDP is four times of what it was in 1997. Fiscal deficit is budgeted at 4.8%, compared to last year's 5.06%. But some amount of consistency and strong measures should be taken, and there is a need to stand by them, even if painful. Last week's liquidity tightening by RBI and raising of short-term interest rates were a case in point. But those measures were diluted, and their impact were lot lesser than what they would otherwise have been.

If the twin deficits are not addressed in the next few months, the nation moves closer to a downgrade, even if it is by companies whose credibility has waned quite a bit. Investors are pouring in more money into Britain and the US after their downgrades. "Things can become much more ugly,'' says Aziz. "Right now, much of the CAD is being financed by short-term borrowing. A credit downgrade could spike the risk premium on such instruments, increasing next year's CAD and gross financing needs. This will, in turn, raise serious concerns about the sustainability of India's balance of payments.''

BMA Inspiration: Indian Classical Musician and Shehnai Maestro Ustaad Bismillah Khan

Ustad Bismillah Khan was born as Qamaruddin Khan in Bhirung Raut ki Gali at Dumraon, Bihar. He was born as the second son of Paigambar Khan and Mitthan. He hailed from the family of musicians, wherein his ancestors were musicians in the court of princely states of Bhojpur, now in Bihar. His father was a shehnai player in the court of Maharaja Keshav Prasad Singh, Dumraon. His named was changed to Bismillah by his grandfather Rasool Baksh Khan. On being relocated to Varanasi at his maternal uncle at the age of 6, Bismillah received formal training in music from him, Ali Baksh 'Vilayatu', a renowned shehnai player at Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi.

Bismillah Khan practiced the shehnai devotedly and perfected in a short span of time. It was his concert in All India Music Conference in Calcutta in 1937 which brought shehnai into the limelight. It was highly appreciated by the common masses and shehnai became associated with Bismillah. His live performance at Delhi's Red Fort became an inseparable part of the celebration of the first Independence Day in 1947, when he was invited by the first Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Later on January 26, 1950, he even performed at, yet again, Red Fort on the eve of India's first Republic Day. His recital was telecast on Doordarshan every year as part of cultural activities in Independence Day celebrations. He performed almost at every place across the globe. He took active participation in the Cannes Art Festival and Osaka Trade Fair. Continuing his musical presence, he was invited in the World Exposition in Montreal. The modesty and simplicity of Bismillah Khan was reflected in his lifestyle. He believed that music has nothing to do with caste and religion. Although he was a dedicated Shi'ite Muslim, he was a staunch devotee of the Hindu goddess of music, Saraswati.

Ustad Bismillah Khan will always be remembered for his remarkable contribution to the Indian music. He is the only one to make the shehnai one of the most popular classical music instruments across the world. He was the perfect and unbeatable synonym for shehnai.

While keeping the magic of shehnai alive round the world, Bismillah tried his hand at some movies as well. He played the shehnai for Kannada film 'Sanaadi Appanna' and had even acted in the Satyajit Ray movie 'Jasaghar'. The sound of shehnai in the 1959 film 'Goonj Uthi Shehnai' was provided by this music legend. He recorded for his last movie in 2006 in 'Swades' for the song 'Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera'.

Ustad Bismillah Khan was admitted to Heritage Hospital on August 17, 2006 and four days later, died of a cardiac arrest on August 21. A day of national mourning was announced by the Government of India on his death. He was buried, along with a Shehnai, at Fatermain burial ground, Old Varanasi with a 21-gun salute from the Indian Army. He is survived by five sons, three daughters, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

"The Nightingale of India" , Sarojini Naidu

Life
Sarojini Naidu was born on February 13, 1879 in Hyderabad. Her father, Dr. Aghornath Chattopadhyaya was a scientist, philosopher, and educator. He founded the Nizam College of Hyderabad. Her mother, Varada Sundari Devi was a Bengali poetess. Dr. Aghornath Chattopadhyaya was the first member of the Indian National Congress in Hyderabad. For his socio-political activities, Aghornath was dismissed from his position as Principal.

Since childhood, Sarojini was a very bright and intelligent child. Though Aghornath wanted his daughter to become a mathematician or scientist, young Sarojini was fond of poetry. At an early age, she wrote a "thirteen-hundred-lines" long poem "The Lady of the Lake". Impressed with her skills of expressing things with appropriate words, Aghornath Chattopadhyaya encouraged her works. Few months later, Sarojini, with assistance from her father, wrote the play "Maher Muneer" in the Persian language. 

Sarojini's father Dr. Aghornath Chattopadhyaya distributed some copies of the play among his friends and relatives. He also sent a copy to the Nizam of Hyderabad. Impressed with the works of the little child, the Nizam granted her a scholarship to study overseas. At the age of 16, she got admission in the King's College of England. There, she had the opportunity to meet prominent English authors like Arthur Simon and Edmond Gausse. It was Gausse who asked Sarojini Naidu to write on the Indian themes like great mountains, rivers, temples, social milieu etc. 

After returning to India, at the age of 19, Sarojini Naidu married Muthyala Govindarajulu Naidu. He was a noted doctor from South India. They were married by the Brahmo Marriage Act (1872), in Madras in 1898. The marriage took place at a time when inter-caste marriages were not allowed and tolerated in the Indian society. Her marriage was a very happy one. They had four children. 

National Movement
Sarojini Naidu was moved by the partition of Bengal in 1905 and decided to join the Indian freedom struggle. She met regularly with Gopal Krishna Gokhale, who later introduced her to the stalwarts of the Indian freedom movement. She met Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, C. P. Ramaswami Iyer and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. With such an encouraging environment, Sarojini later moved on to become leader of the Indian National Congress Party. She traveled extensively to the United States of America and many European countries as the flag-bearer of the Indian Nationalist struggle. 

During 1915, Sarojini Naidu traveled all over India and delivered speeches on welfare of youth, dignity of labor, women's emancipation and nationalism. In 1916, she took up the cause of the indigo workers of Champaran in the western district of Bihar. 

In March 1919, the British government passed the Rowlatt Act by which the possession of seditious documents was deemed illegal. Mahatma Gandhi organized the Non-Cooperation Movement to protest and Naidu was the first to join the movement. Besides, Sarojini Naidu also actively campaigned for the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, the Khilafat issue, the Sabarmati Pact, the Satyagraha Pledge and the Civil Disobedience Movement. 

In 1919, she went to England as a member of the all-India Home Rule Deputation. In January 1924, she was one of the two delegates of the Indian National Congress Party to attend the East African Indian Congress. In 1925, she was elected as the President of the Indian National Congress Party.

Poet
Besides her role and sacrifices in the Indian Nationalist Movement, Sarojini Naidu is also commended for her contribution in the field of poetry. Her works were so beautiful that many were transformed into songs. In 1905, her collection of poems was published under the title "Golden Threshold". Later, she also published two other collections called "The Bird of Time", and "The Broken Wings".

Death
Sarojini Naidu was the first woman Governor of Uttar Pradesh. Her chairmanship of the Asian Relations Conference in 1947 was highly-appraised. Two years later, on 02 March 1949, Sarojini Naidu died at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

(Source:www.culturalindia.net)

"The Son of the Soil" The life story of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

Subhas Chandra was born on 23 January, 1897 in Cuttack. His father named Rai Bahadur Janakinath Bose was a Government pleader working there. Subhas had obtained his early education at Cuttack. In his childhood, the influ­ence of his mother Probhavati Devi and that of the Headmaster named Beni Madhav Das taught him to learn about the ancient heritage of his motherland and to love India more than anything else in his life.

Subhas had his college education at Calcutta. He left for England on 15 September, 1919 to appear at the Indian Civil Service Examination, as desired by his father. He passed the examination by coming out 'Fourth' among the successful candidates, but he did not want to serve the British Government. So he resigned to the lucrative post offered to him. He returned to India and joined the Indian National Congress to fight for the independence of India.

Subhas was sent to jail about eleven times in his life. He became the President of the Congress Party, but later, resigned due to his differences of opinion with Gandhiji.

When the World War II broke in 1941, Subhas was interned in his Calcutta home under constant police guard'. He did not come out of his house for 40 days, nor did he see anyone during that period. And on the 41st midnight, he escaped in the disguise of a Maulavi and reached Germany under an Italian diplomatic passport with an Italian name of Orlando Mazzota.

In Berlin, he formed the first Indian National Army (I.N.A.) with the 'prisoners of war' who were Indian soldiers serving the British Army. Now he came to be known as 'Netaji'. Subhas also founded an Indian Radio Station called Azad Hind Radio in Berlin, from where he had very often to broadcast for his countrymen suggesting about their political activities during the war.

From Berlin, Subhas went to Japan, where the I. N. A. was enlarged with the addition of more soldiers and civil­ians. The I.N.A. was now a large army. Netaji, as the Chief Commander of the I.N.A., declared war against the British. The I.N.A. fought tooth and nail in the Burma front, and hoisted Indian national flag in Imphal at Manipur. The war took suddenly a strange turn, because the Japanese who were I.N.A.'s allied forces surrendered. So Netaji had to order retreat of his I.N.A.

Netaji's senior army officials advised him to go to Russia for help. He started for Russia in a Japanese aircraft which unfortunately met with an accident at the time of taking off, and the great Indian leader Netaji died on the spot or 18 August, 1945.

(source: preservearticles.com)

BMA Inspirations- 'Storyteller of Generations" - the life of Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore was born in Calcutta, India into a wealthy Brahmin family. After a brief stay in England (1878) to attempt to study law, he returned to India, and instead pursued a career as a writer, playwright, songwriter, poet, philosopher and educator. During the first 51 years of his life he achieved some success in the Calcutta area of India where he was born and raised with his many stories, songs and plays. His short stories were published monthly in a friend's magazine and he even played the lead role in a few of the public performances of his plays. Otherwise, he was little known outside of the Calcutta area, and not known at all outside of India.

This all suddenly changed in 1912. He then returned to England for the first time since his failed attempt at law school as a teenager. Now a man of 51, his was accompanied by his son. On the way over to England he began translating, for the first time, his latest selections of poems, Gitanjali, into English. Almost all of his work prior to that time had been written in his native tongue of Bengali. He decided to do this just to have something to do, with no expectation at all that his first time translation efforts would be any good. He made the handwritten translations in a little notebook he carried around with him and worked on during the long sea voyage from India. Upon arrival, his son left his father's brief case with this notebook in the London subway. Fortunately, an honest person turned in the briefcase and it was recovered the next day. Tagore's one friend in England, a famous artist he had met in India, Rothenstein, learned of the translation, and asked to see it. Reluctantly, with much persuasion, Tagore let him have the notebook. The painter could not believe his eyes. The poems were incredible. He called his friend, W.B. Yeats, and finally talked Yeats into looking at the hand scrawled notebook.

The rest, as they say, is history. Yeats was enthralled. He later wrote the introduction to Gitanjali when it was published in September 1912 in a limited edition by the India Society in London. Thereafter, both the poetry and the man were an instant sensation, first in London literary circles, and soon thereafter in the entire world. His spiritual presence was awesome. His words evoked great beauty. Nobody had ever read anything like it. A glimpse of the mysticism and sentimental beauty of Indian culture were revealed to the West for the first time. Less than a year later, in 1913, Rabindranath received the Nobel Prize for literature. He was the first non-westerner to be so honored. Overnight he was famous and began world lecture tours promoting inter-cultural harmony and understanding. In 1915 he was knighted by the British King George V. When not traveling he remained at his family home outside of Calcutta, where he remained very active as a literary, spiritual and social-political force.

In 1919, following the Amritsar massacre of 400 Indian demonstrators by British troops, Sir Tagore renounced his Knighthood. Although a good friend of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, most of the time Tagore stayed out of politics. He was opposed to nationalism and miltiarism as a matter of principle, and instead promoted spiritual values and the creation of a new world culture founded in multi-culturalism, diversity and tolerance. He served as a spiritual and creative beacon to his countrymen, and indeed, the whole world. He used the funds from his writing and lecturing to expand upon the school he had founded in 1901 now known as Visva Bharati . The alternative to the poor system of education imposed by the British, combined the best of traditional Hindu education with Western ideals. Tagore's multi-cultural educational efforts were an inspiration to many, including his friend, Count Hermann Keyserling of Estonia. Count Keyserling founded his own school in 1920 patterned upon Tagore's school, and the ancient universities which existed in Northern India under Buddhist rule over 2,000 years ago under the name School of Wisdom. Rabindranath Tagore led the opening program of the School of Wisdom in 1920, and participated in several of its programs thereafter.

Rabindranath Tagore's creative output tells you a lot about this renaissance man. The variety, quality and quantity are unbelievable. As a writer, Tagore primarily worked in Bengali, but after his success with Gitanjali, he translated many of his other works into English. He wrote over one thousand poems; eight volumes of short stories; almost two dozen plays and play-lets; eight novels; and many books and essays on philosophy, religion, education and social topics. Aside from words and drama, his other great love was music, Bengali style. He composed more than two thousand songs, both the music and lyrics. Two of them became the national anthems of India and Bangladesh. In 1929 he even began painting. Many of his paintings can be found in museums today, especially in India, where he is considered the greatest literary figure of India of all times.

Tagore was not only a creative genius, he was a great man and friend to many. For instance, he was also a good friend from childhood to the great Indian Physicist, Bose. He was educated and quite knowledgeable of Western culture, especially Western poetry and Science. This made him a remarkable person, one of the first of our planet to combine East and West, and ancient and modern knowledge. Tagore had a good grasp of modern - post-Newtonian - physics, and was well able to hold his own in a debate with Einstein in 1930 on the newly emerging principles of quantum mechanics and chaos. His meetings and tape recorded conversations with his contemporaries such Albert Einstein and H.G. Wells, stand as cultural landmarks, and show the brilliance of this great man. Although Tagore is a superb representative of his country - India - the man who wrote its national anthem - his life and works go far beyond his country. He is truly a man of the whole Earth, a product of the best of both traditional Indian, and modern Western cultures. The School of Wisdom is proud to have him as part of its heritage. He exemplifies the ideals important to us of Goodness, Meaningful Work, and World Culture.

'The real spiritual leader of India' The story of Swami Vivekanada.

Swami Vivekananda (January 12, 1863 - July 4, 1902) is one of the most inspiring personalities of India, who did a lot to make India a better place to live in. within a short span of time, he achieved a lot and went a long way in serving humans. He was the principal disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa. Well, in this article, we will provide you with the Swami Vivekananda biography that will give you valuable insight into the life history of Vivekananda.

It is Swami Vivekananda who can be attributed the credit for laying the foundation for the establishment of Ramakrishna mission and math that are actively involved in carrying out philanthropic works. The national day that is celebrated on the 12th of January every year is dedicated to Swami Vivekananda, as it is on this day that this impressive personality was born. His influence led to the introduction of Vedanta philosophy in America and England.

His efforts were acknowledged even by the noted Indian leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose. Subhash Chandra Bose called him "the maker of modern India". According to Gandhiji, it was the influence of Swami Vivekananda that his love for his country increased thousand fold. He deserves a major credit for giving the nation a modern vision. His influence led to the introduction of Vedanta philosophy in America and England. Read on to know the complete story of Swami Vivekanand.

Life
Before turning into a monastic, Vivekananda was called by the name Narendranath Dutta. He was born as the son of Viswanath Dutta & Bhuvaneswari Devi on the January 12, 1863 in Shimla Pally, Kolkata, West Bengal. This precocious child started meditating at a very early age. Even as a child, he was an all rounder. He was outstanding at studies, games and other extra curricular activities. In the year 1879, he joined the Presidency College for pursuing higher studies. After one year, he learnt philosophy from the Scottish Church College, Calcutta. It was in this college that he got to know about Sri Ramakrishna of Dakshineswar.

Ramakrishna Mission
The Rama Krishna mission was founded by Swami Vivekananda, the chief disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa on the 1st of May in the year 1897. The Vivekananda Ramakrishna mission is actively involved in the missionary as well as altruistic works such as disaster relief. The disciples that are serving the mission consist of both monastic and householder. Its headquarters are based near Kolkata, India. More…

Philosophy
Swami Vivekananda was a great social reformer and a very inspiring personality. He was the pride of India. He made an immense contribution to purify the souls of people. He always said that God dwells inside every heart. He was of the opinion that, a person who cannot see God in poor and unhealthy people, but claims to see God in the idol, is not a true worshipper. More…

Vivekananda Works 
He compiled a number of books on the four Yogas, namely Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga. His best literary works include the letters written by him, which have a lot of spiritual value. He maintained a very simple style of writing, so that the laymen, for whom the message is meant, are able to understand his each and every word. He was not just actively involved in writing, but also was a great singer and composed several songs.

On July 4, 1902, at a young age of 39, this great man headed his way for heaven.

(source:thecolorsofindia.com)

'The outstanding Indian scientist', the life story of Meghnad Saha..

Made outstanding contribution to the field of Astrophysics. He put forward an "ionization formula" which explained the presence of the spectral lines.

Meghnad Saha was an outstanding Indian scientist. He made remarkable contribution to the field of Astrophysics.

Meghnad Saha was born on October 6, 1893 in Sheoratali, a village in the District of Dacca, now in Bangladesh. He was the fifth child of his parents, Sri Jagannath Saha and Smt. Bhubaneshwari Devi. His father was a grocer in the village. Meghnad Saha had his early schooling in the primary school of the village. As his family could hardly able to make both ends meet, Meghnad Saha managed to pursue his schooling only due to the generosity of a local medical practitioner, Ananta Kumar Das, who provided him with boarding and lodging in his house.

In 1905, British Government took the decision of partition of Bengal. There was great political unrest in Bengal as popular opinion was against the partition. Sir Bampfylde Fuller was governor of East Bengal at that time. One day he came to visit the Collegiate school. Meghnad Saha along with other students boycotted his visit. As a result he was suspended from the school and his scholarship was terminated. He took admission in the Kishorilal Jubili School and passed the Entrance Examination of the Calcutta University in 1909, standing first among the student from East Bengal obtaining the highest marks in languages (English, Bengali and Sanskrit combined) and in Mathematics. In 1911, he ranked third in the ISc exam while the first position went to another great scientist Satyendranath Bose.

Meghnad Saha took admission in Presidency College Calcutta. In 1913 he graduated from Presidency College with Mathematics major and got the second rank in the University of Calcutta while the first one was taken by S.N. Bose. In 1915, both S.N.Bose and Meghnad Saha ranked first in M.Sc. exam, Meghnad Saha in Applied Mathematics and S.N. Bose in Pure Mathematics.

While studying in Presidency College, Meghnad got involved with Anushilan Samiti to take part in freedom fighting movement. He also came in contact with nationalists like Subhash Chandra Bose and Rajendra Prasad.

In 1917, Meghnad Saha joined as lecturer at the newly opened University College of Science in Calcutta. He taught Quantum Physics. Along with S.N. Bose, he translated the papers published in German by Einstein and Minkowski on relativity into English versions. In 1919, American Astrophysical Journal published - "On Selective Radiation Pressure and it's application" - a research paper by Meghnad Saha. He put forward an "ionization formula" which explained the presence of the spectral lines. The formula proved to be a breakthrough in astrophysics. He went abroad and stayed for two years. He spent time in research at Imperial College, London and at a research laboratory in Germany. In 1927, Meghnad Saha was elected as a fellow of London's Royal Society.

Meghnad Saha moved to Allahabad and in 1932 Uttar Pradesh Academy of Science was established. He returned to Science College, Calcutta in 1938. During this time Saha got interested in Nuclear Physics. In 1947, he established Institute of Nuclear Physics which later was named after him as Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics. He took the first effort to include Nuclear Physics in the curriculum of higher studies of science. Having seen cyclotrons used for research in nuclear physics abroad, he ordered one to be installed in the institute. In 1950, India had its first cyclotron in operation.

In 1952 he stood as an independent candidate for Parliament and was elected by a wide margin. He died on February 16, 1956 due to a heart attack.

(source:iloveindia.com)

'The Little Master Blaster' A tribute to the cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar.

Born on 24th of April,Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, is acknowledged as the greatest living batsman, and second only to Don Bradman in the all time greatest list in Test cricket. One Day Internationals (ODIs), statistics confirm that Sachin is by far the most successful batsman. In 2002, The Wisden ranked him the second greatest Test batsman of all time, behind Bradman, and the second greatest one-day-international (ODI) batsman of all time, behind Viv Richards. Tendulkar was a part of the 2011 Cricket World Cup winning Indian team in the later part of his career, his first such win in six World Cup appearances for India. He was also the recipient of "Player of the Tournament" award of the 2003 Cricket World Cup held in South Africa.

Tendulkar won the 2010 Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for cricketer of the year at the ICC awards. He has been recommended for the receipt of the Bharat Ratna award, in fact it has been speculated that the criteria for the award of the Bharat Ratna was changed to allow him receive the award. He is also a member of Rajya Sabha of Parliament of India. Tendulkar passed 30,000 runs in international cricket on 20 November 2009. On 5 December 2012, Tendulkar became first batsman in history to cross the 34,000 run aggregate in all formats of the game put together. At 36 years and 306 days, he became the first ever player to score a double-century in the history of ODIs. Two years later he became the first player to score 100 international centuries. As of December 2012, Tendulkar has played 657 matches in international cricket.

Tendulkar has been honoured with the Padma Vibhushan award, India's second highest civilian award, and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, India's highest sporting honour. He was also the first sportsperson and the first one without aviation background to be awarded the honorary rank of Group Captain by the Indian Air Force. Tendulkar has received honorary doctorates from University of Mysore and Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences. Sachin holds the 18th rank in ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen as of 4 December 2012. On 1 August 2012, Sachin Tendulkar was nominated for the ICC People's Choice award for the third time. In 2012, he was nominated to Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India.
Sachin Tendulkar was conferred with the membership in the Order of Australia (AM) in Mumbai on 6 November 2012. Simon Crean, minister in the Australian cabinet, presented the award to Tendulkar. Julia Gillard, the Australian Prime Minister, was on an official visit to New Delhi in October and had announced Tendulkar's name as the latest recipient of the award. On 23 December 2012, Tendulkar announced his retirement from ODIs. Tendulkar has already stated that he will not be playing T20 Internationals.

Early life:                                                                                                                

Tendulkar was born on 24 April 1973 into a Rajapur Saraswat Brahmin family in Bombay (now Mumbai). His father Ramesh Tendulkar was a reputed Marathi novelist and his mother Rajni worked in the insurance industry. Ramesh named Tendulkar after his favourite music director, Sachin Dev Burman. Tendulkar has three elder siblings: two half-brothers Nitin and Ajit, and a half-sister Savita. They were Ramesh's children from his first marriage. He spent his formative years in the Sahitya Sahawas Cooperative Housing Society, Bandra (East), Bombay. As a young boy, Tendulkar was considered a bully, and often picked up fights with new children in his school. He also showed an interest in tennis, idolising John McEnroe. To help curb his mischievous and bullying tendencies, Ajit introduced him to cricket in 1984. He introduced the young Sachin to Ramakant Achrekar, a famous cricket coach of Bombay and a club cricketer of repute, at Shivaji Park, Dadar, Bombay 
.
Achrekar was impressed with Tendulkar's talent and advised him to shift his schooling to Sharadashram Vidyamandir (English) High School, a school at Dadar which had a dominant cricket team and had produced many notable cricketers. Prior to this, Tendulkar had attended the Indian Education Society's New English School in Bandra (East). He was also coached under the guidance of Achrekar at Shivaji Park in the mornings and evenings. Tendulkar would practice for hours on end in the nets. If he became exhausted, Achrekar would put a one-rupee coin on the top of the stumps, and the bowler who dismissed Tendulkar would get the coin. If Tendulkar passed the whole session without getting dismissed, the coach would give him the coin. Tendulkar now considers the 13 coins he won then as some of his most prized possessions. He moved in with his aunt and uncle, who lived near Shivaji Park, during this period, due to his hectic schedule.
                                                                                                
Meanwhile at school, he developed a reputation as a child prodigy. He had become a common conversation point in Mumbai cricketing circles, where there were suggestions already that he would become one of the greats. Besides school cricket, he also played club cricket, initially representing John Bright Cricket Club in Bombay's premier club cricket tournament, the Kanga League, and later went on to play for the Cricket Club of India. In 1987, at the age of 14, he attended the MRF Pace Foundation in Madras (now Chennai) to train as a fast bowler, but Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee, who took a world record 355 Test wickets, was unimpressed, suggesting that Tendulkar focus on his batting instead. A couple of months later, former Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar gave him a pair of his own ultra light pads. "It was the greatest source of encouragement for me," Tendulkar said nearly 20 years later after surpassing Gavaskar's world record of 34 Test centuries. His season in 1988 was extraordinary, with Tendulkar scoring a century in every innings he played. He was involved in an unbroken 664-run partnership in a Lord Harris Shield inter-school game against Anjuman-E-Islam High School in 1988 with his friend and team-mate Vinod Kambli, who would also go on to represent India. The destructive pair reduced one bowler to tears and made the rest of the opposition unwilling to continue the game. Tendulkar scored 326 (not out) in this innings and scored over a thousand runs in the tournament. This was a record partnership in any form of cricket until 2006, when it was broken by two under-13 batsmen in a match held at Hyderabad in India.

On 24 May 1995, at the age of 22, Tendulkar married Anjali, a paediatrician and daughter of Gujarati industrialist Anand Mehta and British social worker Annabel Mehta. Anjali is six years his senior. They have two children, Sara (born 12 October 1997) and Arjun (born 24 September 1999). Arjun, a left handed batsman, has recently been included in under-14 probables list of Mumbai Cricket Association for off-season training camp.

Career Achievements:

Sachin Tendulkar is the most prolific run scorer in one-day internationals with 18,426 runs. With a current aggregate of 15,470 Test runs, he surpassed Brian Lara's previous record tally of 11,953 runs as the highest run scorer in test matches in the second Test of Australia's 2008 tour of India in Mohali.Tendulkar described "It is definitely the biggest achievement in 19 years of my career" on the day he achieved the record. He also holds the record of highest number of centuries in both Test (51) and ODI cricket. On 16 March 2012, Tenduklar scored his 100th international hundred. It came against Bangladesh in the league matches of Asia Cup 2012. Throughout his career, he has made a strong impact on Indian cricket and was, at one time, the foundation of most of the team's victories. In recognition with his impact on sport in a cricket-loving country like India, Tendulkar has been granted the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award, Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India. He was also chosen as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1997 and is ranked by the Wisden 100 as the second best test batsman and ODI batsman of all time.

Tendulkar has also consistently done well in Cricket World Cups. Tendulkar was the highest run scorer of the 1996 Cricket World Cup and 2003 Cricket World Cup. After his century against England during group stages of 2011 Cricket World Cup, he became the player to hit most number of centuries in Cricket World Cups with six centuries and the first player to score 2000 runs in World Cup cricket. Tendulkar has scored over 1000 runs in a calendar year in ODIs 7 times, and in 1998 he scored 1894 runs, easily the record for the highest number of runs scored by any player in a single calendar year for one day internationals. Tendulkar is also one of the very few players who are still playing in international cricket from the 1980s. On 24 February 2010, Tendulkar broke the previous world record for highest individual innings in an ODI, and became the first male cricketer to score a double-century in one-day cricket. He made 200 runs and broke the previous record of 194 runs, jointly held by Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar and Zimbabwe's Charles Coventry.

                                                                                                      

He has been Man of the Match 13 times in Test matches and Man of the Series four times, out of them twice in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. The performances earned him respect from Australian cricket fans and players.Similarly he has been Man of the Match 60 times in One day International matches and Man of the Series 14 times.He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the first player to score a double century in Men's ODI cricket. He also holds the world record for playing highest number of Test and ODI matches. Tendulkar is the only cricketer to accomplish the feat of scoring a hundred centuries in international cricket which includes 49 ODI and 51 Test centuries. He is also the only player to score fifty centuries in Test cricket, and the first to score fifty centuries in all international cricket combined. On 17 October 2008, when he surpassed Brian Lara's record for the most runs scored in Test cricket, he also became the first batsman to score 12,000, 13,000, 14,000 and 15,000 runs in that form of the game, having also been the third batsman and first Indian to pass 11,000 runs in Test cricket. He was also the first player to score 10,000 runs in one-day internationals, and also the first player to cross every subsequent 1000-run mark that has been crossed in ODI cricket history. In the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, Tendulkar surpassed Australia's Allan Border to become the player to cross the 50-run mark the most number of times in Test cricket history, and also the second ever player to score 11 Test centuries against Australia, tying with Sir Jack Hobbs of England more than 70 years previously.On 24 February 2010, Tendulkar became the first man to score a double century (200*) in an ODI against South Africa. On 8 November 2011, Tendulkar became the first batsman to score 15,000 runs in Test Cricket.

Individual honours and appreciations:

National honours:

1. Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award, 2008.
2. Maharashtra Bhushan Award, Maharashtra State's highest Civilian Award in 2001.
3. Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, 1999.
4. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest honour given for achievement in sports, 1997–98.
5. Arjuna Award, by the Government of India in recognition of his outstanding achievement in sports, 1994.                                                              

                                                                                                                         

Other honours

1. Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World: 2010.
2. ICC Award-Sir Garfield Sobers trophy for cricketer of the year 2010.
3. LG People's Choice Award: 2010.
4. ICC World Test XI: 2009, 2010, 2011.
5. ICC World ODI XI: 2004, 2007, 2010.
6. Player of the tournament in 2003 Cricket World Cup.
7. Rajiv Gandhi Awards – Sports: 2005.
8. Wisden Cricketer of the Year: 1997.
9. In October 2010, he was awarded for Outstanding Achievement in Sport and the Peoples Choice Award at The Asian Awards in London.
10. On 28 January 2011, he won the 'Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year' award.
11. 'BCCI Cricketer of the Year' award on 31 May 2011.
12. On 3 September 2010, he was made a Honorary Group captain by the Indian Air Force.
13. On 11 June 2012, he was given Wisden India Outstanding Achievement award.
14. Honorary Member of the Order of Australia, given by the Australian government on 6 November 2012.

(source: wikipedia.org)

"The Master Filmmaker, Satyajit Ray"

One of India’s most distinguished film directors Satyajit Ray, was born on May 2, 1921 in West Bengal. Ray’s films are of universal interest despite the fact that most of his films were made in Bengali. His films are essentially about those things that make up the human race – relationships, emotions, struggle, conflicts, joys and sorrows. Satyajit Ray, the master story teller, has left cinematic heritage that belongs as much to India as to the world. His films demonstrate a remarkable humanism, elaborate observation and subtle handling of characters and situations. His first film Pather Panchali (Song of the Road, 1955) established his reputation as a major film director, winning numerous awards including best human document at Cannes in 1956 and Best Film in Vancouver in 1958. Pather Panchali is the first film of the Appu trilogy — a three-part tale of a boy’s life from birth through manhood. The other two films of the trilogy are Aparajito ( The Unvanquished, 1956 ) and Apur Sansar ( The World of Apu, 1959).

A versatile craftsman who worked in several film genres, Ray was known best outside India for his moving depictions of Indian family life. Two other outstanding Ray films, Jalsaghar (The Music Room, 1963) and Mahanagar (The Big City, 1963), deal with the changing nature of contemporary Indian life, whereas Charulata (1964) is a graceful adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore's classic portrait of the Indian middle classes in the Victorian era.

In later films such as Aranyer din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest, 1969), Pratidwandi (The Adversary, 1971), and Seemabadha (Company Ltd., 1971), Ray focused on political and social themes without losing his humanistic perspective.

Satyajit Ray wrote all the screenplays of his films, many of which were based on his own stories. He also designed the sets and costumes. He composed the music for many of his films, including Ghare Baire (The Home and the World, 1984), based on Tagore's novel about Bengal in the early 20th century. In 1978, the organising committee of Berlin Film festival ranked him one of the three all-time best directors. Just before his death, in 1992, Ray was given a lifetime achievement award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Other honours include Legion or’ Honneur from France and the Bharat Ratna in India. He died on April 23, 1992.

Ray’s films belong to a genre that includes the works of Akira Kurosawa, Alfred Hitchcock, Charles Chaplin, David Lean... all very different in style and content and yet creators of cinema that’s timeless and universal.

(Source: www.pitara.com)

'The God's gift to the world'. A tribute to the sitar maestro Pt. Ravi Shankar.

Pandit Ravi Shankar, the Indian Sitar Maestro passed away in  California today. He is credited to be the man who took Indian Music to world heights.

He was born as born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, on 7 April 1920 at Varanasi in a traditional  Bengali Brahmin Family  and was  the youngest of seven brothers.

At the age of ten, after spending his first decade in Varanasi, Shankar went to Paris with the dance group of his brother, choreographer Uday Shankar. By the age of 13 he had become a member of the group, accompanied its members on tour and learned to dance and play various Indian instruments.

He was trained by lead musician for the Maihar court, Allauddin Khan during a world tour and later at Maihar in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh.

Khan was a rigorous teacher and Shankar had training on sitar and surbahar, learned ragas and the musical styles dhrupad, dhamar, and khyal, and was taught the techniques of the instruments rudra veena, rubab, and sursingar. He often studied with Khan’s children Ali Akbar Khan and Annapurna Devi, whom he later married.

Early Days

In 1944, he  moved to Mumbai where Shankar recomposed the music for the popular song “Sare Jahan Se Achcha” at the age of 25 only.

He began to record music for HMV India and worked as a music director for All India Radio (AIR), New Delhi, from February 1949 to January 1956

By that time, he was already an established Musician  founded the Indian National Orchestra at AIR. In his compositions he combined Western and classical Indian instrumentation.

In 1971, Shankar and Beatles guitarist George Harrison organized and played at a fundraising concert to aid the war and famine victims of Bangladesh, giving birth to the modern megastar benefit concert.

Pandit Ravi Shankar’s association with the Beatles made him a household name in the West and created “an avalanche of such experiments in the rock and pop world,”

Because of the influence Mr. Shankar exerted on musicians of all styles and nationalities, George Harrison called the sitarist the “godfather of world music.”

Ravi Shankar has also composed for ballets and films in India, Canada, Europe and the United States. The latter of which includes the films “Charly,” “Gandhi,” and the “Apu Trilogy”.

In the period of the awakening of the younger generation in the mid 60′s, Ravi Shankar gave three memorable concerts – Monterey Pop Festival, Concert for Bangla Desh, and The Woodstock Festival.

Deeply moved by the plight of more than eight million refugees who came to India during the Bangla Desh Freedom struggle from Pakistan, Ravi Shankar wanted to help in any way he could. He planned to arrange a concert to collect money for the refugees. He approached his dear friend George Harrison to help him raise money for this cause. This humanitarian concern from Ravi Shankar sowed the seed of the concept for the Concert for Bangla Desh. With the help of George Harrison, this concert became the first magnus effort in fund raising, paving the way for many others to do charity concerts.

Personal Life

Pandit Ravi Shankar had a  complicated private life. His marriage to Annapurna Devi ended in divorce and strained his relationship with her family.   His son Shubhendra “Shubho” Shankar was born from Annapurna Devi.

He later entered into a relationship with dancer Kamala Sastri that lasted from the late 1960s to early 1980s, and he began an affair with the married Sukanya Rajan, who played the tanpura at his concerts and was 31 years his junior.

Pandit Ravi Shankar married Sukankya Rajan in 1989 and  had a daughter Anoushka Shankar,  who is also a prominent musician.

In the course of his touring West, Pandit Ravi Shankar also began a relationship with concert promoter Sue Jones, and the couple, in 1979, had a daughter, Geethali Nora Jones Shankar, better known as Norah Jones. Pandit Ravi Shankar had little role in raising his daughter, who failed to thank her father when she won multiple Grammys for “Come Away With Me” in 2003. They were reported to have reconciled in later years.

In fact, Pandit Ravi Shankar was the true father of three musicians: his son Shubho, an Indian classical musician and painter, who died in 1992; Anoushka, who often performed duets with her father; and Norah Jones, an eight-time Grammy Award-winner best known for her composition and performances of jazzy popular songs.

Shubhendra “Shubho” Shankar often accompanied his father on tours.He could play sitar and surbahar, but elected not to pursue a solo career and died in 1992. His Daughter Norah Jones became a successful musician in the 2000s, winning eight Grammy Awards in 2003.

His daughter from Sukanya, Anoushka Shankar was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best World Music Album in 2003. Both Anoushka and her father were nominated for Best World Music Album at the 2013 Grammy Awards for separate albums.

Awards and Recognition

Pandit Ravi Shankar was awarded the three highest national civil honours of India: Padma Bhushan, in 1967, Padma Vibhushan, in 1981, and Bharat Ratna, in 1999. He received the music award of the UNESCO International Music Council in 1975, three Grammy Awards, and was nominated for an Academy Award. Shankar received the Kalidas Samman from the Government of Madhya Pradesh for 1987–88, the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize in 1991, the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1992, and the Polar Music Prize in 1998.

In 1986 Ravi Shankar was nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha, India’s upper house of Parliament.

Speaking of his legacy a few years ago, Mr. Shankar said he was proudest of having helped expand the public notion of what Indian raga music could be. “There is so much more — erotic, romantic, sad, spiritual,” he told the publication the World and I. “One good thing is the people getting stoned don’t do that with my music anymore. I worked hard for that and achieved it.”

Death

On 6 December 2012, Ravi Shankar was admitted to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, San Diego after complaining of breathing difficulties. He died on 11 December at around 16:30  Pacific Time (UTC−8). According to his spokesman, Stuart Wolferman, Shankar died near his home in Encinitas, California.