Rediff article on :Tata seeks more land at Pantnagar for Nano

Despite slowdown in auto and other sectors due to the global financial turmoil, Tata Motors [Get Quote] is now seeking more land for expanding its Pantnagar manufacturing facility from where it wants to roll out the first small car, the Nano.

Official sources said that top company officials recently met Uttarakhand Chief Minister BC Khanduri and demanded 35 acres of additional land for expanding the facility. Earlier, the company had sought 55 acres of land at Pantnagar for housing purpose. The government is yet to take a decision in this regard.

The sources said the automobile major is planning to build a railyard at Pantnagar, which would be linked to nearby railway track. The company has also assured the chief minister that it would launch the first Nano from Pantnagar itself. However, no date has been given in this regard. Tata Motors is currently manufacturing Ace truck from Pantnagar.

rediff article on:Wish Our Heroes in Uniform

For 58 hours, as a bunch of determined, and lethally armed, terrorists held Mumbai to ransom, out to destroy everything the city, and India, stands for, our men in uniform have taken them on, bravely and against all odds.

Finally, at considerable cost to themselves, the security forces have brought the grim nightmare to an end.

For this, no words will be enough to pay tribute them. As a stunned nation gropes around for a ray of hope, our heroes in uniform stand tall, assuring us that the nation's, and our own, destiny, is in safe hands.

At this emotional moment, rediff.com pays tribute to our Heroes in Uniform. Come, join us, in celebrating our Real Life Heroes.

Rediff article on:Anand grabs lead in World chess final

Viswanathan Anand [Images] crushed Vladimir Kramnik [Images] with black pieces to score the first victory in the 12-game World Chess Championship final in Bonn on Friday.

Anand, who had played Kramnik in the Slav Exchange in the first game of the 12-game match, found himself in the same opening once again. This time, unlike the first draw, the Russian was outwitted by the Indian in 41 moves.

Kramnik also seemed to be in time trouble as Anand squeezed him. The Indian ace appeared well-prepared and went all out in a very aggressive manner. Kramnik did try to fight back, but Anand was always better-placed, even though in a disguised manner, which later made it clear that his preparation was designed to deceive his opponent.

Defending champion Anand now leads 2-1 in the 12-game match, where the first to reach 6.5 will be declared winner.

Both players will however share equally the prize purse of 1.5 million euros.

In the fourth game on Saturday, Anand will have white pieces.

Kramnik v Anand

World Championship Round 3

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5 10. e5 cxd4 11. Nxb5 axb5 12. exf6 gxf6 13. O-O Qb6 14. Qe2 Bb7 15. Bxb5 Bd6 16. Rd1 Rg8 17. g3 Rg4 18. Bf4 Bxf4 19. Nxd4 h5 20. Nxe6 fxe6 21. Rxd7 Kf8 22. Qd3 Rg7 23. Rxg7 Kxg7 24. gxf4 Rd8 25. Qe2 Kh6 26. Kf1 Rg8 27. a4 Bg2+ 28. Ke1 Bh3 29. Ra3 Rg1+ 30. Kd2 Qd4+ 31. Kc2 Bg4 32. f3 Bf5+ 33. Bd3 Bh3 34. a5 Rg2 35. a6 Rxe2+ 36. Bxe2 Bf5+ 37. Kb3 Qe3+ 38. Ka2 Qxe2 39. a7 Qc4+ 40. Ka1 Qf1+ 41. Ka2 Bb1+ 0-1 (Black -- Anand wins).

Reddif article on:The Indian behind Intel's super chip

When Intel launched its first six-core x86 microprocessor - a high-end processor to crunch huge amount of data - designed and developed by its Indian team, there was relief at its India office. This made-in-India project, code-named Dunnington, was launched after another much-touted India-specific project - Whitefield - was aborted mid-way by Intel in 2005, citing 'business reasons'. Praveen Vishakantaiah, a Bangalore-boy and the first one from Bangalore to head Intel India's operations led this project from the front. Prior to this, he was the director of Intel's Digital Enterprise Group and has been part of the microprocessor design team.He has rich experience in the development of Pentium II, Pentium III and Pentium IV microprocessors at Intel.

Buying a Flat/Site/House in bangalore

Buying a property that to in Bangalore consists of many measures.First of all look for whether its apporved by BDA(Bangalore Development Authority),BBMP(Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagar Palika) or BMP.Also look for the water line ,cever line and other concerned connections to that area.All people first look for the locality and then the convenience as per their office,market area,bus stand,Hopcom market etc etc.Now a days we will get daily items in any food Bazar.On my friends blog I got a nice information for the people who is willing to buy a flat/House/site in Bangalore.Have a look at this.

Even though this post is specific to Bangalore, the general principles should apply everywhere. I have not included everything related to buying an apartment here like location, security etc. Just those things which are not so obvious to new house-hunters.

Size: Do not buy a smaller unit thinking that you can always buy a bigger one later. Banish the thought forever. If you can’t afford a bigger house now, you won’t be able to do so after 5 years either. Property rates are doubling every two years whereas the salary is not. And once you get settled in a house, it is almost impossible to shift.
Looking ahead 10 years, you’d have kids who would need a room of their own. Your parents might come to stay with you. You might acquire a ton of household stuff which you’d have to put somewhere. So buy the biggest house you can afford. Look for one with atleast 3 bedrooms with a total area of about 2000 sqft. It might pinch a little now but will sure come in handy later.

Built-up area: The area of the apartment quoted by the builder is called super built-up area. This is the area for which you are paying the money. This super built-up area includes the area reserved for corridors, playgrounds, gardens and lift etc. The area in which you actually get to live in is called built-up area which is typically 80% of super built-up area. So if you are buying a 2000 sqft apartment, you get only 1600 sqft out of that. Some builders claim to give 85% but that is the limit.

Loan: This is the one thing that causes most anxiety to new homebuyers. There are many things to be taken care of while taking a loan.

Pre-EMI: In a typical payment schedule, the bank releases a part of loan, say 10%, at each stage of construction. By the time you take possession, the bank would have paid the entire loan amount to the builder. If the construction takes 18 months, you have to pay the interest for 18 months on the money the bank has released. As and when the bank releases money, the amount on which you have to pay interest goes up. This interest amount is called Pre-EMI.
The alternative to Pre-EMI is to ask the bank to release the full loan to the builder in the beginning itself. Then you can start paying full EMIs to the bank instead of paying Pre-EMIs. Even though paying full EMIs sounds bad when you can get away with paying much less Pre-EMIs, it is actually better and will save you as much as 5 lakhs!
When you pay full money to the builder up-front, you get a discount of 4-5%. This works out to be 1.5-2 lakhs, depending upon the cost of the apartment.
The Pre-EMIs that you pay do not count towards your loan. I.e. they do not bring your loan down. You are just paying a convenience fee to the bank. Most people go for this option ’cause they can’t pay full EMI and the rent at the same time.
Interest rate: You can go for either fixed or floating rate of interest. Floating rates generally change every quarter but it is up to the bank. Fixed rates are of two types - fixed for a term and fixed for full tenure. The fixed term is typically 3 years after which there is a revision to the rate, depending on the market condition at that time. There are very few banks which offer fixed rate for full tenure. ICICI is one such bank. Some banks like Kotak offer loan with interest rate linked to the Fixed Deposit rate.
You can change your loan from fixed to floating rate later and vice-versa but banks typically charge 0.5% of outstanding principle amount for this. There is one hidden cost though here. Your interest and principle components for EMI would be calculated again and you might end up paying more.
As of Feb 2006, the floating rate is 7.75%, three year fixed is 8.25%, and fixed for full tenure is 8.75%.
Pre-closure: Most loans last for about 6-7 years even though they were originally taken for 15-20 years. If you get some extra money and want to close off your loan, banks typically charge you 2% of the remaining loan amount. Some banks do not allow you to do this at all. In ICICI, you don’t have to pay any penalty for this if you leave 12 EMIs.
Also check if you can pay more than your EMI once in a while. Banks typically allow you to make excess payments once in a quarter or once in 6 months.
Insurance: Banks typically fund up to 85% of the apartment cost. Some banks fund up to 90% if you take loan insurance but 90% is the upper limit. The loan insurance premium is typically 8-10k per year. It covers things like disability, unemployment, death, or loss of property due to fire and theft etc. Unlike life insurance, you won’t get anything back at the end of coverage term. You might be better off taking simple life insurance if you are not concerned about job security etc.
Tax exemption: You get tax benefits on pre-EMI and EMI only in the year in which you are taking possession. See more details here.
Loan disbursement: All the builders have home loan tie-ups with various banks and they also have loan agents who deal with those particular banks. After your loan has been sanctioned, it takes a lot of co-ordination between the builder and the bank to disburse the money. All this becomes much easier if you take the loan through these builder appointed agents.
Cost: Like there is an ex-showroom price for cars, apartments have an ex-builder price (I just made up that term). A typical price of, say, 2000/- per sqft quoted by the builder does not include charges for Water supply, Electricity, Car parking, Service tax, VAT, Registration, and legal expenses etc. You won’t get any wardrobes or kitchen shelves either. Add 30% of the base cost for these things (total cost now = 2600/-). The builder should be able to tell you exactly how much would these things cost. Your loan eligibility is calculated on the sum total of all the above costs.

Premiums: Some builders, or rather all of them, ask for a premium for corner units or upper floors. In other cities, lower level floors cost more than the higher ones but in Bangalore it’s the other way around. This premium rate is typically 20/- to 50/- per sqft per floor. There is no problem in paying it except that it is not shown in any of the documents. Your house would still be registered at a rate of 2000/- only. See if your builder can waive it off or reduce it; most do.

Amenities: All the apartment complexes are advertised to have a club house, swimming pool, gym, garden, and playground etc. It would be a shame to call that pit a swimming pool but the point here is that you are made to pay for these things. If you are going to buy a house in one of these projects, there is nothing you can do to avoid paying for them. But what you can do is to buy a house in a much smaller apartment complex. These complexes typically have only 12-20 units and don’t have any of the above “luxuries”. You can see these kind of complexes everywhere in residential areas like Koramangala. The prices are about same as big complexes but then you get to live in the city and in a much better locality.

Salespeople: Do NOT trust the marketing executives who take you to the site and give you a tour. They would promise anything just to sell you the damn apartment. Always call up the customer care department and verify it with them. Better still, go to their office and have a look at the papers yourself.

When to buy: This one is simple. Buy it as soon as possible. Buy it now. Don’t worry about leaving Bangalore and going back to your hometown. you can always sell it later. And at a profit too. The best time to buy an apartment is during the pre-launch offer. These offers run for about 2 months and the rates are up to 200/- per sqft lower. As soon as the builder gets the plans approved from the govt authorities (and the project is officially launched), the rates shoot up (and keep on shooting up). The number of units on offer during pre-launch is very less though.
Another thing to note is that builders do not release (put up for sale) all the units once they launch the project. They keep some units for selling them later at a higher price.

Links:

BDA Sites - A highly useful and relevant discussion group on MSN. Do not trust everything you read there though.
Official website of BDA
Official website of BMRDA

TOI News:SBI ups lending, deposit rates

NEW DELHI: Amid high interest rate scenario, the State Bank of India on Monday has brought some cheers for both depositors and small home loan borrowers.

While increasing the interest rate on fixed deposits (FDs) by 25 to 75 basis points (100 basis points = 1%), the bank insulated the small home loan borrowers from the hike in the lending rate by 100 basis points across the board.

While the interest rate on FDs between one year and three years has been increased by 50 basis points to 10%, that on three years to less than five years has been increased by 75 basis points to 9.75%.

But, FD rate of 5 years to 10 years has been increased by only 25 basis points to 9.25%. However, the five year FD is qualified for tax concession under section 80C.

In this case, deposits up to Rs 1 lakh, will be deducted from your income before tax calculation. The Rs 1 lakh includes deposits in provident fund, insurance, mutual fund, children's school fees and 5-year FDs in post office.
If you invest in five-year FD with a bank, you will save tax of Rs 30,900. However, the interest income earned on the amount will attract tax at the rate of 30.9%, including the education cess.

The 9.25% return offered on five year FD by SBI is equivalent to around 14.75% pre-tax return, if your fall under 30% tax slab. But, for less than five-year FDs, which are not qualified for the tax concessions, the post tax return will come down to around 6.75% under the same slab.

That is why the interest rate offered by banks on five-year FD is lower than other tenures. ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank also offer 9.5% return on five-year FD.

SBI on Monday also increased its benchmark lending rate by one percentage point to 13.75%. This will lead to increased rates on new loans as well as on floating loans by one percentage point. But, the bank said that the new rates will not be applicable on the home loan up to Rs 30 lakh. This means, interest rate on existing as well as new home loan up to Rs 30 lakh will remain unchanged. The existing rate of home loan of the bank is 10.50%.

The existing education loan borrowers will also not get hit by the hike. But, the new borrowers will have to pay the increased rate. SBI has the largest portfolio of education loan. The existing interest rate on education loan up to Rs 4 lakh is 9% and that on beyond Rs 4 lakh is around 10.5%. The new rate will be one percentage point higher than the existing rates.

In the case of auto loan, the bank has restricted the increase up to 50 basis points only. This means, new loan will be available at around Rs 14.5%. SBI said that the concessions to the small borrowers would benefit a large body of customers and would reduce the default rate.

The bank believes that its action would contribute to revival of these sectors, which have witnessed some strain recently and would enhance demand for credit.

Rediff article on CV

When it comes to getting a job, the most important document you own is your CV. It is the document that gets you the call from the recruitment agency or headhunter, gets you the interview and eventually lands you the job, with due importance to your performance at the interview.As important as these few sheets of paper are, not all of us pay as much attention to the details we put on it as we ideally should -- and we should, because, those sheets will be scrutinised by every person who has a role to play in getting you hired. Irrelevant details, shoddy penmanship or just too much fluff all lend a helping hand in getting your CV tossed in the bin instead of getting sent up to HR.
"A CV is an advertisement tool that you present to your prospective employers. It must highlight the specific features written in a chronological order instead of describing your areas of interests and inherent qualities," says Shekhar M, HR manager with an advertisement firm in Bangalore. "We are more interested to know the value they can add to our organisation."

"I have been quite intrigued by the fact that people write bio-data as a heading for their resume/ CV," says, Richa Sharma, senior executive-HR with a retail outlet.

So what is it that HR is looking for anyway? We spoke to some professionals in the field to find out:

Keep it clean
So just what is it that makes a winning CV? Says Anuj Parag*, HR consultant, "Untidy CVs are an immediate turn-off. Crumpled, stained sheets are pushed to the back of the pile and neat, clearly printed CVs are paid attention to. I think most recruiters would agree that they do the same."

"I prefer CVs that have the name of the person up front. Sometimes people put in a paragraph of flowery language covering their career goals or a famous quote instead of stating obvious and useful information like their name, address, previous or current employer," he continues.

"Avoid putting logos of the companies you have worked for," says Mr Rajkumar, VP, human resources, with a leading real estate organisation, "And definitely avoid 'unique' e-mail IDs."

Cut the flash
Keep it simple, is what most HR professionals recommend. "We don't need to see your creative side unless the job demands it, and even then, the CV would not be the right place to display it," says Vijay Kohli*, HR head at a Mumbai-based IT firm.

"Your name and contact details at the top, followed by your work experience and educational qualifications printed on a regular A4 sheet of paper -- that's about all the information we need. I'm not looking for interests, hobbies, family history or a photograph (which should only be sent if specifically asked for)."

Tell no lies
Eventually, what will get you into the interviewee's seat is the fact that you have what the company is looking for and the interview is the next step to making sure you haven't lied about your qualifications or skills.

"Lying is the worst thing you can do," says Parag. Usually people who have lied about their capabilities get found out in the interview or technical test and if they manage to get past, they'll get caught on the job so it's really not worth the effort, he says.

Lying means that your CV is immediately tossed out. "You would be better off saying that you have rudimentary knowledge of a field, which might make the recruiter hold on to your CV for some other vacancy, instead of claiming to be an expert and proving you're not."Update regularly
Update your CV as and when you pick up new skills or change jobs. "Do not leave time gaps in your CV," says Mitali Ghosh*, HR trainer. If you were unemployed for a time, mention it on the resume, however briefly. "Some people think that it will create a negative impression. But just leaving a gap of 1-2 years unaccounted for is sure to be questioned at the interview and by the recruiter. It will draw more attention and questions than a single line of explanation would."

Says Parag to wind up, "Be honest, relevant and simple in the language and presentation of your CV, that is all we are is looking for."

Rediff article: on Power Walk

Power Walk

Walking is the most important exercise since it burns fat, strengthens the heart and lungs, improves stamina, increases concentration levels and builds bone density, among other benefits.

A power walk will help you burn off excess fat and is a good warm-up for the exercises to follow. Thirty minutes is ideal, but if that's difficult to manage, split it up into two 15-minute power walks. The time of day for the walk is dependent on your schedule. Keep your pace brisk and non stop.

As for where to walk, you may consider your office compound or then on your way to work, simply get off a small distance away from the office and walk it up.

Reddif article on:More H-1B visas, McCain's top priority

May 23, 2008

"I believe we have to secure our borders, but we must enact comprehensive immigration reforms. And we must make it our top priority," Senator John McCain told chief executives of several high-tech companies on Thursday, when he visited the Silicon Valley for a fundraiser event.

Praising the innovative strengths of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, McCain said California's booming technology industry was proof of American competitiveness and why the United States needs to keep international commerce as open as possible, without erecting new barriers that would impede progress and growth.

McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, was flanked by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former eBay President and CEO Meg Whitman, at a roundtable discussion on high-tech innovation on the production floor at Finelite, a maker of lighting systems for offices and schools.

The declaration came after several Silicon Valley CEOs complained about the need for highly skilled employees and the problems they face over the cap on visas for skilled workers.

Rediif article on What you MUST know about inflation

What you MUST know about inflation:

"Inflation is when you pay fifteen dollars for the ten-dollar haircut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair." -- Sam Ewing.
Inflation has hit a ten-month high of close to 6 per cent in India, breaching the Reserve Bank of India's target of 5 per cent. The Wholesale Price-based Index rose to 5.92 per cent for the week ended March 8 from 5.11 per cent in the previous week as food products turned expensive in line with the global trend.

Everyone is facing the brunt of rising prices. Prices of all essential commodities are rising not just in India but across the world due to a fall in supply. Inflation has spiralled all over the world. With India importing food items, it is only adding more woes to the people.

The Indian economy is also facing a slowdown. The markets have also shed huge gains -- March 25 was a sort on aanomaly -- taking a cue from global meltdown. Industrial production has slowed down, further decelerating the economy

Reddif Article on How and when to apply for H-1B visa to the US

There is a misconception many aspiring Indians have that one can apply for an H-1B visa directly and get to the US for a job.
You cannot apply for an H-1B visa yourself.
US Immigration law is vague about the definition of the word profession (relevant to H-1B visa) stating only that the meaning includes such occupations as architects, lawyers, physicians, engineers and teachers. Other occupations, not specifically mentioned in the law, but routinely recognised as professional include, accountants, computer systems analysts, physical therapists, chemists, pharmacists, medical technologists, hotel managers and upper-level business managers.You must hold the educational equivalent to a US bachelor's degree to qualify for an H-1B visa. Also, the job duties must require education equivalent to a US bachelor's degree in the occupation for which you are hired.
If you were not educated in America, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), as part of judging your H-1B eligibility, will often ask for an academic credential evaluation from an approved consulting service to determine the American equivalent of your educational level. Before sending your academic documents to a Credential Evaluation Service, you may want to telephone in advance to discuss your prospects. Usually, you can get some idea of the likelihood of receiving good results. If your prospects are bleak, you may decide not to order the evaluation and to save the service charges.

(Rediff Article)

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But really its worth to buy such type of watches which will be hell costly. In Sales, generally we saw discounts on many brands from 30 to 40% off but its not true.Shopkeepers just do it for luring the people and catch their attractions towards their sales.We have to be very careful while purchasing any branded items.

5 Foods for Healthier Skin by Leslie Baumann, M.D.

You can invest half your paycheck in serums and creams - even splurge on dermal fillers and pricey facials - but none of it will get you far without a skin-friendly diet.

Of course, your skin (and the rest of you, for that matter) is best served by a well-rounded diet, including healthy fats, sufficient protein, and lots of fruits and vegetables. But there are a few nutritional standouts that make particularly important contributions to strong, glowing skin:

1. Fish: Fatty fish like salmon, tilapia, and cod are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. And that's a good thing, because our bodies cannot produce those essential lipids naturally. By adding omega-3s to your diet, though, you can bolster your skin barrier - that is, the layer of lipids that holds onto moisture and keeps irritants out.

There is even evidence that the skin-strengthening effects of omega-3s can improve chronic skin conditions like rosacea and atopic dermatitis, but more research is necessary to confirm that link.

Furthermore, many types of fish (like, once again, salmon and cod) are rich in vitamin D - as dermatologists increasingly emphasize sun avoidance, we also need to emphasize the importance of finding other sources of this vitamin, which is produced during sun exposure.

Don't eat fish? Many eggs are now fortified with omega-3 fatty acids, and plant sources include flax seed and flax seed oil, walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts. And a daily vitamin D supplement is a good idea for vegans and meat-eaters alike.

2. Green Tea: It's inexpensive, easy to add to your routine, and one of the best-researched and most powerful antioxidants around. That's why green tea is my go-to antioxidant: I drink at least three cups a day to fight aging and inflammation. Some studies even suggest that the antioxidants in green tea reduce one's risk of skin cancer. So put down that soda and start drinking your way to healthier skin!


3. Broccoli: Rich in vitamins A, C, and K (among many other nutrients), this veggie does more than its fair share of nutritional work. Vitamin A decreases oil production, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, and vitamin K can help prevent bruises. So whatever ails you, this green wonderfood might be just what the doctor ordered.

4. Safflower or Sunflower Oil: Omega-3s get a lot more talk, but omega-6 fatty acids - like the linoleic acid in these two oils - are also important for healthy skin. Like omega-3s, they help prevent dry skin and inflammation; they're also essential for the formation of prostaglandins, hormones that keep all the cells of the body functioning well.

While many diets are actually quite high in omega-6s - sometimes even too high - the key is to get the good ones and not unhealthy versions, like hydrogenated oils. So try sautéing your salmon or broccoli in a little safflower or sunflower oil and double those skin-soothing benefits!

5. Almonds: When it comes to boosting skin's defenses against aging, inflammation, and even skin cancer, antioxidants are so important that I'm going to add another to my list: A handful of almonds every day boosts your levels of vitamin E, one of the most important antioxidants for skin health. Studies also suggest that consuming vitamin E orally can increase the levels of this moisturizing vitamin on your skin's surface - great news for anyone prone to dry skin.

Wishing you great skin (and bon appetit)!

By-Leslie Baumann, M.D.

Wish u happy new year

All people will say Wish you happy new year.. Just by saying few words to all people you can not change the life of people or in other words I can say your contribution in one`s life is very less.
Sab Prahu ki krupa hai jinke sahare hum log jivit hai.