PRESIDENTIAL EELCTION IN TN – A LOOK

         In Tamil Nadu:-

Number of Elected MLAs	234
Value of one MLA vote	176
Total	41, 184
Number of Elected Mps (LS + RS)	57
Value of one MP vote	708
Total	40, 356
Total Value of votes from TN	81, 540

TN Political Parties and their vote values:-

Party	MLAs	MPs (LS+RS)	Votes
AIADMK	155*	14	37, 192
Total Vote for Sangma in TN			37, 192
DMK	023	25	21, 748
INC	005	13	10, 084
CPI(M)	010	01	02, 468
PMK	003	00	00, 528
VCK	000	01	00, 708
Total Vote for Pranab Mukherjee in TN			35, 536
Abstention
DMDK	029	00	05, 104
CPI	008	01	02, 116

How the Presidential Election is calculated?

   Value of 1 MLA vote = (State Population) / (1000 * Number of MLAs in the State)                        

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   Value of 1 MP vote = (Total vote value of all MLA’s) / (Total Members of Parliament (LS + RS))

   (Population is based on 1971 census; 84th Constitutional Amendment (2000) by NDA government made 1971 census as the basis for calculating the value of vote for Presidential Election)

CHENNAI CITY COLLEGES ATTRACTING MORE FOREIGN STUDENTS

Chennai may not be the most preferred location, but it is definitely catching up and the figures are proof of the fact. The number of students from foreign countries applying to city colleges that had increased by almost 20 per cent over the last three years has hit a new high this time.

          Madras University Vice-Chancellor G. Thiruvasagam said that the hostel is being built at a cost of Rs. 18 crore for international students in Taramani, Chennai. It will have a support centre and all facilities to make them feel at ease here. Foreign students at the University mainly study specific subjects in Music, Anthropology and Public Administration. 

Besides a steady flow from Thailand, Mauritius, Italy, Kenya and Bhutan, the university this year has recorded an increase in the number of students from Sri Lanka, the U.K and France for research. Some colleges says that education in English is what the Chinese students are looking for and so they are willing to take up any of the popular courses. 

The online admission process initiated this year by some colleges and their high position on most all-India lists of best colleges are some of the factors that attracted students. Oscar C. Nigli, former director of Foreign Desk, Loyola College, points out that “the city is intellectually vibrant, safe and has a lower cost of living.”

About Finance Budget in India - Interesting Facts

     In India, Budget was introduced on April07,1860

   The first Finance Minister who presented the Budget was James Wilson

  Liaquat Ali Khan, member of the Interim Government presented the Budget of 1946

   Independent India’s first Budget was presented by R.K. Shanmugam Chetti

   Moraji Desai presented a record number of 10 budgets. He was the Finance Minister from1959-1964and 1967-1970

     C. D. Deshmukh was the Indian Governor of RBI to have presented the interim budget for 1951-1952

     Initially, Budget papers were printed in Rashtrapti Bhavan. In 1950, Budget papers were leaked. This changed the printing venue to Minto Road located Security Press. Since 1980, Budget papers are printed in North Block. A week before the Budget is presented, the employees of the press stay in the Ministry itself and have no means of communicating with the outside world.

     The Budget process has its roots in the Bombay Plan of 1944. Bombay Plan was authored by John Mathai. G D Brila and JRD Tata

     The1991-1992 final and interim Budgets were presented by the Finance Ministers of two different political parties. Yashwant Sinha presented the interim budget and Manmohan Singh presented the final budget

     1965-1966 budget contained the first disclosures scheme for black money

     As of now, R. Venkataraman is the only Finance Minister who later became President of India 

CHENNAI’S CONNECTION WITH LONDON OLYMPICS

Members of Chennai-based band Staccato are going to the London Olympics — not as spectators, but performers. On July 30 and August 2, they will occupy the coveted main band stand and perform a string of their compositions. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has requested them to also perform at various other parts of the Olympic Park on these days.“Staccato is one of the two bands selected from Asia. The other one is from China,” says its percussionist P.D. Balasubramanian. “These bands were chosen ahead of hundreds of others that had sent in their compositions.”

The judges were sent two of Staccato’s songs, ‘Sounds Of Air’ and ‘Salsa’, and a set of sample tapes that included percussion grooves. ‘Sounds of Air’ is led by the flute play of Sruthi Saagar, the band’s key player.

The violin-heavy ‘Salsa’ is a product of the group’s interaction with musicians from across the world during their visit to Rio De Janeiro in 2011 for the finals of an out-of-the-box percussion event, ‘Tum Tum Pa’ that was staged across 30 countries.

The band is likely to go in full strength, as they would be required to perform in front of 2,50,000 spectators and on a stage that can accommodate around 40 musicians.

It consists of Sruthi Saagar, Vikram Sarathy, P.D. Balasubramanian, Ajay Gnanasekaran, Tapas Naresh, Kaashif Rafiq, Rohit Krishnamoorthy, Vandana Srinivasan, Aishwarya, Manoj Kumar and Shallu Varun.

Kerala: GOD is vacating His Own Country

BREAKING NEWS: “God is vacating His Own Country, as He cannot bear it any more”

The public discourse in Kerala since May 4, 2012 has revolved round a political murder, that of T. P. Chandrasekharan, CPI(M) dissident, who established a new party, the Revolutionary Marxist Party in 2009.

Political killings are no anathema to Kerala, but the murder of Chandrasekharan became a resonating symbol in the collective consciousness of society. He was stabbed in the face 49 times, and the killing was executed not by motivated cadre but by hired killers. Herein lie the tentacles of a disturbing social trend. Chandrasekharan is an unfortunate symbol of a society in a disturbing transition.

Nobody is safe in the most literate State of India, which is under the delirium of easy money. The last 10 years have conferred a lot of material prosperity on Kerala and its people. Enter the real estate boom and there emerged new breeds of beings novel to the traditional psyche of Kerala. Gangs of varied varieties — real estate brokers, construction mafias, illicit sand mining groups, middlemen of all hues, etc. They were heavily localised, offering “easy money” to willing youngsters, who were needed to put pressure on non-complying people. And thus came into being what are euphemistically known as “Quotation Groups.”

Quotation Groups are hired goons, and a vast majority of them are not hardcore criminals, but unemployed or partially employed educated youngsters who prefer it as a short-cut to savour enhanced material choices. While the number of professional Quotation Groups is formidable, the real threat lies in these ubiquitous amateurs who represent the cross-section of everyday Kerala.

Quotation Groups have their own vocabulary, unfamiliar to the rest of India. Quoting, sketching and drawing are the different stages of this brutal business. The “game of eight” refers to the initiative of handing over a contract to contain a rival. Alas, Quotation Groups have semi-permeable group boundaries, and the docile and ductile neighbourhood boy you see today might be a part-timer in a Quotation Group. Recently, an undergraduate girl hailing from an affluent family was sent to judicial custody in Pathanamthitta district for arranging a Quotation Group to brutally attack another youngster, whose condition remained extremely critical for weeks.

Physical victory over the opponent is the sign of chivalry in mass consciousness, but that is the story of yore. Anybody sans chivalry can settle scores with the opponent provided he has money in hand. Kerala has become successful in democratising thuggery. Pity, Quotation Groups have become part of everyday life, and a Keralite won’t be surprised to hear a primary school child jokingly threatening another that he will be “quoted.”

A redeeming feature is that Kerala is among those rare States where political leaders undertake transformational roles, and many of them truly walk their talk. The top echelons of bureaucracy also reflect a similar picture. But the grass-roots policing apparatus is not at all citizen-centric, and going to a police station is said to be the most intimidating and harrowing experience one can ever have. Unfortunately, the lower level police are yet to learn that the term “public servants” is applicable to them.

Kerala still remains God’s Own Country, thanks to the enlightened media activism which daringly holds a critical mirror up to society through courageous reporting and deliberative wisdom, both rooted in egalitarian impulses. People are aware of the fast deteriorating social health, and it is time to act decisively. The leadership must demonstrate the will to act. It is time to reconsecrate God in his Own Country.

Why critcise P.A. Sangma?

There is a motivated criticism in some sections of media of P.A. Sangma’s decision to contest the Presidential election. The argument is that the numbers are not on his side, hence he should not contest. This suggestion makes a mockery of the democratic principle of contest. In an election, only one candidate can be successful. But people do contest to make their point of view known.
When Lakshmi Saigal contested against Adbul Kalam, the media never reacted this way. Why criticise Mr. Sangma now?
In fact, Mr. Sangma is the first person to announce that he'll contest the Presidential Election...
The Congress argument that Mr.Pranab is a good leader itself a big joke..(just a number of years as MPs, heading too many GoMs alone does not makes a good Statesmanship)

When Mr. Sangma called for the debate on the range of issues (including economy) with Mr.Pranab, the Congress shrugs off saying President does not manage the economy is just a joke as Mr. Pranab is just a nominee (as of now he is the Finance Minister of India)
There are some Corporate lobbying in elevating Mr. Pranab to Raisana Hills (but media not focused on this)

கருணாநிதியின் உண்மையான தமிழர் பற்று

"அப்துல் கலாமை ஜனாதிபதியாக்க வேண்டும்' என்ற குரல் தமிழகத்தில் இருந்து அல்ல, வடமாநில அரசியல் தலைவர்களிடம் இருந்து தான் எழுந்துள்ளது. "தமிழினத் தலைவர்' என, அழைத்துக் கொள்ளும், தி.மு.க., தலைவர் கருணாநிதி, இவ்விஷயத்தில், "மவுனகுரு'வாக இருப்பது, தமிழர்களுக்கு அதிர்ச்சியை அளித்துள்ளது. நமது அடுத்த ஜனாதிபதியை தேர்வு செய்யும் விஷயத்தில், நாடு முழுவதும் உள்ள அரசியல் கட்சிகள் தீவிரம் காட்டி வருகின்றன. தொடர் ஆலோசனை, கூட்டணிக் கட்சிகளுடன் கலந்துரையாடல், யார், யாரை வேட்பாளராக நிறுத்துவது என்பது போன்ற ஆலோசனைகள் டில்லியில் சூடுபிடித்துள்ளன.
கலகலத்தது: ஜனாதிபதி தேர்தலில், காங்கிரசின் வேட்பாளராக பிரணாப் முகர்ஜி அறிவிக்கப்படும் முன், சோனியாவை சந்தித்தார் மேற்கு வங்க முதல்வர் மம்தா; சந்திப்புக்கு பின், நேராக முலாயம் சிங் யாதவை சென்று மம்தா பார்த்தார். தொடர்ந்து, "ஜனாதிபதி தேர்தலில் அப்துல் கலாம், மன்மோகன் சிங், சோம்நாத் சட்டர்ஜி ஆகிய மூவரில் ஒருவரை நிறுத்தினால் தான் எங்கள் ஆதரவு' என, குண்டை தூக்கி போட்டார். மம்தாவின் அதிரடியால், காங்கிரஸ் வட்டாரம் கலகலத்தது. மம்தாவும், முலாயமும் அறிவித்த மூவரில், மன்மோகனும், சோம்நாத் சட்டர்ஜியும் அரசியல் சார்புள்ளவர்கள் என்பதால், எதிரான அரசியல் கட்சிகள் இவர்களை ஏற்பது சிரமம் தான். ஆனால், எல்லாருக்கும் பொதுவான, அரசியல் சாயல் இல்லாத ஒரே வேட்பாளர் கலாம் மட்டுமே. தமிழகத்தைச் சேர்ந்த கலாம் மீண்டும் ஜனாதிபதியாகும் வாய்ப்புகளை, இரண்டு வடமாநிலத் தலைவர்கள் தான் தற்போது உருவாக்கியுள்ளனர். கலாமை ஜனாதிபதியாக்க வேண்டும் என்ற முதல் குரல், தமிழகத்தில் இருந்து அதுவும், "தமிழினத் தலைவர்' எனக் கூறிக் கொள்ளும் கருணாநிதியிடம் இருந்தல்லவா முதலில் எழுந்திருக்க வேண்டும். ஆனால், கருணாநிதி, வழக்கம்போல, தான் சார்ந்திருக்கும் கூட்டணியின் தலைமை நிறுத்தும் வேட்பாளரை ஆதரிப்போம் என, சிம்பிளாக அறிவித்து விட்டு, ஒதுங்கிக் கொண்டார். 

பங்களிப்பில்லை: தி.மு.க., தலைவர் கருணாநிதி, வழக்கமாக தனது பேச்சு, அறிக்கைகளில், "ஜனாதிபதி, பிரதமர் தேர்வுகளில் நான் முக்கிய பங்கு வகித்திருக்கிறேன்' என, அடிக்கடி கூறிக் கொள்வார். ஆனால், நிஜத்தில் அவரது பங்களிப்பு எதுவுமில்லை என்பது தான் நிதர்சனம். மத்திய அரசில் எந்தக் கூட்டணியில் கருணாநிதி இருக்கிறாரோ, அந்தக் கூட்டணி தேர்வு செய்யும் வேட்பாளரை கேள்வி கேட்காமல் ஆதரிப்பது தான் இவரது பணி. மம்தாவை போல, "இவரை நிறுத்துங்கள்; அவரை நிறுத்துங்கள்' என குறுக்குசால் எல்லாம் ஓட்ட மாட்டார். கடந்த, 2002ல் ஜனாதிபதியாக அப்துல் கலாம் தேர்வு செய்யப்பட்டதில் கூட, "தமிழரான' கருணாநிதியின் பங்களிப்பு எதுவும் இல்லை. 1998ல், "பொக்ரான் அணுகுண்டு' சோதனையின் பிதாமகனாக விளங்கிய அப்துல் கலாமை, கவுரவப்படுத்த விரும்பிய பிரதமர் வாஜ்பாயின் தேர்வு தான் கலாம். அப்போது, தேசிய ஜனநாயகக் கூட்டணியில் இருந்த கருணாநிதி, வழக்கம் போல, "கூட்டணி தர்மப்படி' கலாமை ஆதரித்தார். ஆனால், அதே கலாமின் பதவிக்காலம் முடிவுக்கு வந்த, 2007ல், ஆட்சியும், காட்சியும் மாறியிருந்தது. மத்தியில் ஐக்கிய முற்போக்கு கூட்டணி அரசு ஆட்சியில் இருந்தது. வழக்கம்போல, அங்கும் கருணாநிதி இருந்தார். அப்போது, தேசிய ஜனநாயக கூட்டணி சார்பில், கலாமையே மீண்டும் தேர்வு செய்ய வேண்டும் என்ற கருத்து கூறப்பட்டபோது, அதை ஆதரிக்க கருணாநிதி மறுத்து விட்டார். மீண்டும், "கூட்டணி தர்மப்படி' காங்கிரசின் பிரதிபா பாட்டீலை ஆதரிப்பதாக அறிவித்தார். 
"தமிழகத்தை, தமிழர்களை தமிழாய்ந்த தமிழனே ஆள வேண்டும்' என, அடிக்கடி கூறும் கருணாநிதி, அப்படி ஒரு தமிழன், நாட்டின் முதல் குடிமகன் பதவியில் மேலும் ஐந்தாண்டுகள் நீடிக்க, அன்றே முயற்சி எடுத்திருந்தால், அது பலித்திருக்கும். ஏனெனில், ஐக்கிய முற்போக்கு கூட்டணி சீசன் -1ல், கருணாநிதி, மத்திய அரசில் மிகுந்த செல்வாக்குடன் இருந்தார். மாநிலத்திலும் முதல்வராக இருந்தார். அன்று கலாமை அவர் ஆதரித்திருந்தால், தேசிய ஜனநாயக கூட்டணியும் ஆதரிக்க, வேறு வழியின்றி காங்கிரசும் கலாமை ஜனாதிபதியாக ஆக்கியிருக்கும். 

விரும்பமாட்டார்: "கருணாநிதியைப் பொறுத்தவரை தமிழர் ஒருவர், தன்னை விட  உயர்ந்த பதவியில் அமர்வதை விரும்ப மாட்டார்' என, தமிழக காங்கிரசின் மூத்த தலைவர் ஒருவர் கூறுகிறார். இது குறித்து, அவர் மேலும் கூறியதாவது: ""கடந்த, 1996ம் ஆண்டு, லோக்சபா தேர்தல் முடிந்ததும், காங்கிரஸ், பா.ஜ., அல்லாத இடதுசாரிகள் உள்ளிட்ட மாநிலக் கட்சிகள் இணைந்து உருவான ஐக்கிய முன்னணி ஆட்சிக்கு வந்தது. ஐக்கிய முன்னணியில், தி.மு.க., - த.மா.கா., - தெலுங்கு தேசம் உள்ளிட்ட கட்சிகள் இடம்பெற்றிருந்தன. அப்போது, இந்தக் கட்சிகளின் தலைவர்கள் எல்லாம் டில்லியில் கூடி, யாரை பிரதமராக தேர்வு செய்வது என ஆலோசித்தனர். முதலில், வி.பி.சிங்கை பரிசீலிக்க, உடல்நிலையை காரணம் கருதி அவர் மறுத்து விட்டார். பின்னர், மேற்கு வங்க முதல்வராக இருந்த ஜோதிபாசுவை தேர்வு செய்ய, அவருக்கு விருப்பம் இருந்தும், அவரது மார்க்சிஸ்ட் கட்சி அதை தடுத்து விட்டது. 
தடுத்தவர்: பிரதமர் பதவிக்கு மூன்றாவதாக பரிசீலிக்கப்பட்டவர், த.மா.கா., தலைவர் மூப்பனார். எளிமையும், அமைதியும் கொண்ட மூப்பனாரை எல்லா கட்சிகளும் ஆதரிக்க முன் வந்தன. ஆனால், "அரசியலில் தன்னை விட வயதிலும், அனுபவத்திலும் ஜூனியரான மூப்பனாரை பிரதமராக்கி விட்டு, அவர் தமிழகம் வரும்போது, விமான நிலையத்தில் காத்து கிடந்து நான் வரவேற்பதா?' என, கருணாநிதி, "மாத்தி' யோசித்தார்! உடனே, இடதுசாரிகளை தூண்டி விட்டு, "த.மா.கா., தலைவராக இருந்தாலும், அடிப்படையில் மூப்பனாரும் காங்கிரஸ்காரர் தான்; அவரை பிரதமராக்குவதும் ஒன்று தான்; காங்கிரசிடம் ஆட்சியைக் கொடுப்பதும் ஒன்று தான்' எனக் கூறி, பிரதமர் பதவியில் மூப்பனார் அமர்வதை தடுத்தவர் தான் கருணாநிதி. அதன்பின்னரே தேவகவுடாவுக்கு பிரதமர் பதவி கிடைத்தது. அதுபோலவே, தற்போதும் தமிழர் கலாமை ஜனாதிபதி பதவியில் அமர்த்த கருணாநிதி விரும்ப மாட்டார். அதற்காக எந்த முயற்சிகளும் எடுக்க மாட்டார்.'' இவ்வாறு அவர் கூறினார்.

Settle Election Disputes Quickly!!!

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram may have failed in his bid to avert a trial in a case challenging the validity of his election in 2009 from the Sivaganga parliamentary constituency. But does the Madras High Court's decision dismissing his plea to strike off the election petition filed by his opponent, the AIADMK's Raja Kannappan, signify anything more than a small embarrassment? While the allegations made by Mr. Kannappan are of a serious nature, the germane issue is whether this case against Mr. Chidambaram will be decided before he completes his five-year term as a Lok Sabha MP. The answer: probably not. The delay in disposing of election petitions, which are rarely settled before the term of the elected candidate runs out, is a major flaw of our electoral system. This is not the way things were supposed to be. Section 86 (6) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 enjoins High Courts to hold trials "from day to day" until their conclusion. And subsection 86 (7) declares that "every election petition shall be tried as expeditiously as possible and endeavour shall be made to conclude the trial within six months from the date on which the election petition is presented to the High Court on trial." Unfortunately , the speed of the judicial system has failed to keep up with the demands of the law.

Faced with the phenomenon of election petitions becoming infructuous, as they remained pending after the term of the House expired, the 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission recommended the setting up of special tribunals to expedite their disposal. The enormous irony of delay was brought home in the case of Congress MLA P. Veldurai, whose election to Cheranmahadevi in ​​2006 was set aside by the Supreme Court at a time when he was busy campaigning to be elected to another Tamil Nadu constituency in 2011! That the court ordered to him to repay the salary he earned as a legislator was hardly recompense to his opponent, who was unjustly denied Assembly membership. 

Viswanathan Anand: The lone warrior

The greatest sportsperson India has ever produced is fighting a World Championship battle in the wilderness of Moscow. Vishy Anand is fighting yet again and as always we don't give too much attention to him. Why? Is this indifference because of our obsession with a single sport?

First, chess is a sport which is played in over 100 countries and has been dominated by Russians for decades. Second, Anand is a phenomenon who broke this stranglehold of the Russians (after Fischer in 72) on the World Chess scene. In Indian lingo, terminologies such as phenomenon are used at frequent intervals but in Anand's case, he fully justifies the meaning of the word. 4 times World Chess Champion in all formats of the game, India's youngest and first Grandmaster, multiple Chess Oscar winner; you name an accolade in the world of chess, Anand has done it. In a game which is played across almost every country in the world, this man has single handedly transgressed the global mind field and emerged triumphant touchwood on almost all occasions. Such is the magnitude of achievement of Anand but do we bother to even acknowledge it? (Cricket is not played in all the countries)

The counter argument to the lack of popularity of sports like chess is that people are not aware of the intricacies of the game. Its an excuse which has little credence because we follow lots of games that we don't understand much. We didn't understand cricket till we are taught how to play the game by the colonial masters. It is so ironical that Chess, being first played in erstwhile India, cannot be understood by the Indians themselves! Like all other sports, familiarity comes with an intention to learn the basics of the game. This intention to learn about other sports comes from an ability to evolve as a narrow minded sporting society to a diverse multi-faceted sporting powerhouse. Sadly, this single sport obsession reflects a large picture about out social development.

This trend reflects a lot more about our society. Our obsession with cricket, which ironically the white man enslaved us into, has turned into a farce for any other sport in India. Like any other sport, chess is no exception to this trend in India. Have you ever wondered, why do most developed economies are accomplished in a wide array of sports? Why do so many world beaters come from such countries with smaller population in comparison to India? A developed and a progressive society are reflected in the diversity of sports that specific country caters to. Sadly, our state of sporting affairs has been so single minded that the idea of other sports entering into the fray is simply not acceptable. Even in our news, such major occurrences are by lines unless someone wins something big. This attitude of single sport melodrama leaves us not only regressive and narrow minded individuals but also deprives people like Anand their due.

Most importantly why is it always back page news when IPL wannabes throng the first pages? These questions require a separate post to analyze and answer them. Beyond these detailed questions lies a fundamental point that want to address here.

My point in this post is very simple. In an age where playing for the country has been trivialized, here is a sportsperson who has succeeded despite the system in such an emphatic manner. All we can do is show him the respect that he deserves and the consistent support that he requires to achieve what he wants to.

When Kasparov was the World Champ for years, he was the toast of Russia for decades. When Bobby Fischer won in 72, he was hailed as the captain who spearheaded the intellectual shift from the Soviet Union to the US. When Anand wins, a couple of gala functions would take place and after that we would forget him till he wins his next World Championship, that's how our hero is treated in India.

Sometimes, I do ask myself "Does India deserve an Anand?" The answer sadly is not always a yes, hopefully things change.

Recently two Chief Ministers echoed Bharat Ratna for Anand. This is a goods step. And one step ahead, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister announced a cash of Rs. 2 crore to him. (Sources say that Tamil Nadu government is going to conduct a grand felicitation for Anand). Kudos to Tamil Nadu government for introducing chess in the schools.

When Anand received first Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (highest award in Indian sports), first sport person to receive Padma Vibhushan, then he must be the first sport person to receive the Bharat Ratna too… (But Northern media channels will focus only on IPL, KKR, Sachin as MP, Gautam Gambhir as next Test Captain, etc…). It’s all the fate of India and ‘real’ Indians.

Viswanathan Anand is the ‘real’ CHENNAI SUPER KING!!!!!

{Next World Chess Championship will be held in Chennai}

Planning Commission spends Rs. 35 lakh to renovate two toilets

The Planning Commission spent 30 lakhs on renovating two toilets in its building; another five lakhs was spent on installing a smart-card system which restricted access to the toilets to 60 senior officials who work at the Yojana Bhawan in the capital. 

The expenditure has been revealed by a Right to Information application filed by activist Subhash Agrawal. The Commission also planned to install security cameras in the corridors leading to these toilets to ensure equipment was not stolen.  The 35-lakh toilets were, according to plans, to serve as models for upgrading another three toilers in the building at a later stage. 

The Planning Commission and its Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia created a major controversy recently over their poverty estimates -they pegged the poverty line at Rs. 28.65 in urban areas, meaning that anyone who spent more than Rs. 28 per day would not be considered poor.

Mr Ahluwalia's spend on travel was criticized recently after another RTI application revealed that  between May and October last year, two lakhs a day was spent on his foreign tours. He said that the trips were necessary for his work.

Now there is also a talk prevails in the political circle that, Mr. Ahluwalia may be elevated as Union Finance Minister (if Pranab is President of India). Am really much worried if he becomes FM of India……

=======================================

கிராமங்களில் வசிக்கும் ஒரு குடிமகன் நாள் ஒன்றுக்கு ரூ.28 சம்பாதித்தால் அவர் ஏழைகளல்ல என கூறிய மத்திய திட்டக்கமிஷன், டில்லியில் இரண்டு கழிவறைகளை புதுப்பிக்க 35 லட்ச ரூபாய் செலவு செய்துள்ளது தகவல் அறியும் சட்டத்தின் கீழ் தெரியவந்துள்ளது.

Plan outlay fixed @ Rs. 28000 crore for TN

The plan outlay for Tamil Nadu for 2012-13 has been fixed at Rs.28,000 crore, an approximate 19 per cent increase than that of for 2011-12 (Rs.23,535 crore), but Chief Minister Jayalalithaa expressed her unhappiness on the outcome saying that her government’s plea for the special and additional assistance from the Centre were not met.

Talking to journalists, after she and her team held discussions with Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Dr. Montek Singh Ahulwalia and his officers at Yojana Bhavan, Ms. Jayalalithaa said: “... but here, out of these Rs. 28,000 crore only Rs. 3,000 crore is from the Centre. The rest of it is Tamil Nadu’s own money. We have asked for the special and additional assistance under various heads but that were not forthcoming. So what this entire exercise amounts to is that we have come all the way to Delhi to have discussions and meetings with the Union Planning Commission, so that they can tell us how to spend our own money”.

 While TN government was remedying its fiscal situation, substantial financial support was required from the Centre for the raised investment needs of the State’s 12th Five Year Plan. “Unfortunately, the 11th Plan has shown disappointing trends. The Centre should liberally support the projects, taken up by TN government through viability gap funding,” she said.

Earlier addressing the Planning Commission, Ms. Jayalalithaa claimed that her government’s prudent fiscal management strategies had reversed the dismal outlook and TN had returned to a situation of revenue surplus in 2011-12 and the fiscal deficit as a percentage of GSDP had been contained at 2.85 per cent. The latest estimates of the Central Statistical Organization (CSO) placed the economic growth rate of TN for 2011-12 at 9.39 per cent much above the national average of 6.50 per cent.

About her government’s proposals, she said 15 new medical colleges, attached to the government district hospitals, would be established and the 17 existing medical colleges-cum-district hospitals upgraded to international standards. Two Medi-cities would be created with a mission to serve the medical tourism industry covering investments in the hospital and education facilities, logistics and hospitality services. To reduce the dropout level further, the government would give a special monetary incentive to all the students studying in 10th and 12th standards in the government and government-aided schools. This scheme was expected to benefit 24,94,649 students with an annual outgo of Rs. 394.04 crore.

Special efforts taken by her government in agriculture had yielded encouraging results with the area under food grains being extended by 24 per cent over 2010-11 and the production increased by as much as 40 per cent. TN would usher in a second green revolution by enhancing agriculture productivity and multiplying farmers’ income. This will require massive investment in the primary sector, she said.

The ambitious goal of the 12th Five Year Plan could be achieved only when good performers (read present TN government) were adequately rewarded through more funds and flexibility in the implementation of various programmes.

Praise for TN:

Mr. Ahluwalia commended TN for its “impressive” record of improvement in human development indices and growth in services sector. The per capita income levels had gone up in TN since independence as a consequence of sustained GSDP growth. “In most of the cases Tamil Nadu has better social indicators than the national average,” he pointed out.

Appreciating the TN government’s efforts to make growth truly inclusive, Dr. Ahluwalia added that the bold and innovative decisions taken including power tariff revision were steps in the right direction. He wanted leading State’s like TN should attract knowledge based investment and for this purpose focus should be on further improving the quality of education.

The Commission appreciated that TN had shown improvement in both overall sex ratio (from 987 to 995) and child sex ratio (from 942 to 946) during 2001-2011. The State was at the 5th place among the major States in the country in terms of child sex ratio.

GK Digest - June Month

(01)Which Asian Capital is served by the “Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport”?

(02)Name the new-defunct English language web-based encyclopedia considered the predecessor of Wikipedia?

(03)What is Australia’s longest river?

(04)Which is largest body of fresh water in Africa?

(05)“Awara”, a Hindi classic, was recently added to Time Magazine’s “All-Time-100” list of the greatest films to be made since1923. Name its famous director?

(06)Out of the 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country, how many of them are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs)?

(07)Who is Jean-Marc Ayrault?

(08)Who is the most expensive player in IPL History?

(09)Of which nation was David Ben-Gurion was the first Prime Minister?

(10)Which two bodies of water are joined by the English Channel?

[Leave your answers and mail id for the correct answers (if needed)]