"Satyamev Jayate " a first TV appearance of Aamit Khan, was begun today. With a lot of advertisement and publicity, the show portrayed the message on the first telecast on Air. Aamir's hosting could live up to the expectations and might get a busy Sunday for all the Indians from now.
It could give a boost to already struggling team anna in a national movement, if it hits right. As it seems to be. Anna Hazare will get more public support if such political topics get covered later in the episodes
What’s the show about?
What’s the show about?
It’s clear, now, that Satyamev Jayate will highlight problems in India that we are all familiar with. The construct will be along these lines: a) definition of a problem b) demonstration of the impact of the problem c) the reaction of the authorities to dealing with the problem d) Aamir’s suggested action e) call for viewers’ involvement and support.
What makes the show interesting is that there will be an element of ‘naming and shaming’. Each episode, while focusing on victims will name the wrongdoers – even if we do not see or hear them.
Today, the show focused on female foeticide and its impact. It showed women who were tortured and forced to abort female foetuses but didn’t quite name the guilty, but we know who they are. The friends, families, colleagues and neighbors of the women on the show all know who they are — and I wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of the guilty. The same is true of the government authorities and the doctors who are highlighted in this case.
In the future, the ‘named and shamed’ could be builders, contractors, architects, vendors, development authorities… The possibilities are endless.
The concept of Satyamev Jayate is as far away as it can be from the satellite television fare we are generally used to. It’s forcing us to look at real issues and problems, not in the superficial way that entertainment TV has done in the past decade, but in a more involved manner.
Anna Hazare tried the same, with corruption as a focus. He successfully highlighted the issue, but was undone by in-your-face news media, over which he had no control. That’s why Aamir Khan is brilliant; getting non-fiction content on STAR Plus protects him from the harsh glare of news media and the attendant dangers.
There’s no doubt the show works .It’s bigger than I first thought. It’s Anna Hazare, Medha Patkar and Sunita Narain rolled into one — except this creature has brains. Lots of brains.
What makes the show interesting is that there will be an element of ‘naming and shaming’. Each episode, while focusing on victims will name the wrongdoers – even if we do not see or hear them.
Today, the show focused on female foeticide and its impact. It showed women who were tortured and forced to abort female foetuses but didn’t quite name the guilty, but we know who they are. The friends, families, colleagues and neighbors of the women on the show all know who they are — and I wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of the guilty. The same is true of the government authorities and the doctors who are highlighted in this case.
In the future, the ‘named and shamed’ could be builders, contractors, architects, vendors, development authorities… The possibilities are endless.
The concept of Satyamev Jayate is as far away as it can be from the satellite television fare we are generally used to. It’s forcing us to look at real issues and problems, not in the superficial way that entertainment TV has done in the past decade, but in a more involved manner.
Anna Hazare tried the same, with corruption as a focus. He successfully highlighted the issue, but was undone by in-your-face news media, over which he had no control. That’s why Aamir Khan is brilliant; getting non-fiction content on STAR Plus protects him from the harsh glare of news media and the attendant dangers.
There’s no doubt the show works .It’s bigger than I first thought. It’s Anna Hazare, Medha Patkar and Sunita Narain rolled into one — except this creature has brains. Lots of brains.
More graduates have to work for free according to a recent survey.
Confronting the worst job market in decades, many college graduates who expected to land paid jobs are turning to unpaid internships to try to get a foot in an employer’s door.
While unpaid postcollege internships have long existed in the film and nonprofit worlds, they have recently spread to fashion houses, book and magazine publishers, marketing companies, public relations firms, art galleries, talent agencies — even to some law firms.
Although many internships provide valuable experience, some unpaid interns complain that they do menial work and learn little, raising questions about whether these positions violate federal rules governing such programs.
Yet interns say they often have no good alternatives. As Friday’s jobs report showed, job growth is weak, and the unemployment rate for 20- to 24-year-olds was 13.2 percent in April.
Melissa Reyes, who graduated from Marist College with a degree in fashion merchandising last May, applied for a dozen jobs to no avail. She was thrilled, however, to land an internship with the Diane von Furstenberg fashion house in Manhattan. “They talked about what an excellent, educational internship program this would be,” she said.
But Ms. Reyes soon soured on the experience. She often worked 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., five days a week. “They had me running out to buy them lunch,” she said. “They had me cleaning out the closets, emptying out the past season’s items.”
Ms. Reyes finally quit when her boss demanded that she also work both days of a weekend. She now works part time as a model. Asked about her complaints, the fashion firm said, “We are very proud of our internship program, and we take all concerns of this kind very seriously.”
The Labor Department says that if employers do not want to pay their interns, the internships must resemble vocational education, the interns must work under close supervision, their work cannot be used as a substitute for regular employees and their work cannot be of immediate benefit to the employer.
But in practice, there is little to stop employers from exploiting interns. The Labor Department rarely cracks down on offenders, saying that it has limited resources and that unpaid interns are loath to file complaints for fear of jeopardizing any future job search.
No one keeps statistics on the number of college graduates taking unpaid internships, but there is widespread agreement that the number has significantly increased, not least because the jobless rate for college graduates age 24 and under has risen to 9.4 percent, the highest level since the government began keeping records in 1985. (Employment experts estimate that undergraduates work in more than one million internships a year, with Intern Bridge, a research firm, finding almost half unpaid.)
“A few years ago you hardly heard about college graduates taking unpaid internships,” said Ross Eisenbrey, a vice president at the Economic Policy Institute who has done several studies on interns. “But now I’ve even heard of people taking unpaid internships after graduating from Ivy League schools.”
Matt Gioe had little luck breaking into the music and entertainment industry after graduating with a philosophy degree from Bucknell last year. To get hands-on experience, he took an unpaid position with a Manhattan talent agency that booked musical acts. He said he answered phones and looked up venues. Although he was sometimes told to make bookings, he said he received virtually no guidance on how to strike a deal or how much to charge. But the boss did sometimes ask him to run errands like buying groceries.
“It was basically three wasted months,” he said.
Mr. Eisenbrey said many companies were taking advantage of the weak labor market to use unpaid interns to handle chores like photocopying or running errands once done by regular employees, which can raise sticky legal questions.
Eric Glatt, who at age 40 interned for the movie “Black Swan,” is one of the few interns with the courage to sue for wages over the work he did.
With an M.B.A. and a master’s in international management, Mr. Glatt wanted to get into film after a previous job overseeing training programs at the American International Group, the big insurance and financial services company. For “Black Swan,” he prepared documents for purchase orders and petty cash, traveled to the set to obtain signatures on documents and tracked employees’ personnel data.
“I knew that this was going to be a normal job and I wasn’t going to be paid for it,” he said. “But it started kicking around in my mind how unjust this was. It’s just become part of this unregulated labor market.”
Mr. Glatt filed suit, accusing Fox Searchlight Pictures of minimum wage violations. The company says it fully complies with the law and provides interns with a valuable, real-world work experience.
“The purpose of filing this case was to help end this practice,” said Mr. Glatt, who now plans to go to law school. “That was more important than my working on the next blockbuster.”
Ross Perlin, author of the 2011 book “Intern Nation,” said postcollege internships used to be confined to a few fields like film but have become far more common. “The people in charge in many industries were once interns and they’ve come of age, and to them unpaid internships are completely normal and they think of having interns in every way, shape and form,” he said.
Some interns say their experiences were quite helpful. Emily Miethner, a fine arts major at Hofstra, took an unpaid position at Gawker after graduating in 2010, doing research and social media for the news and gossip site. After two months, she moved to an unpaid internship at Flavorpill, an online cultural guide.
The knowledge she gained at those places, she said, was crucial to her landing a $35,000-a-year job as social media coordinator at Sterling Publishing. “More than just the individual tasks that I did, it was being in a great company culture and meeting a lot of people,” she said, noting that she was able to work without pay partly because she stayed at the home of her boyfriend’s parents.
Xuedan Wang, known as Diana, did not have such a positive experience. Ms. Wang, who graduated from Ohio State in 2010, interned at Harper’s Bazaar, working 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. overseeing eight other unpaid interns who ran around Manhattan picking up items from various fashion houses and showrooms.
She sued the fashion magazine in February, accusing it of minimum wage violations.
“Harper’s Bazaar was my favorite magazine growing up. I was dazzled that I was going to be working there,” she said. “But it was real grunt work, lugging things around.”
Hearst Magazines, which owns Harper’s Bazaar, said its internship programs enhanced students’ educational experience and fully complied with the law.
Some people end up on an internship treadmill. Joyce Lee, who received a film degree from Wesleyan in 2010, moved to Los Angeles and did six unpaid internships, including one for Scott Rudin, a top Hollywood and Broadway producer.
Her duties included reading scripts and picking up the mail. To pay her rent, she worked at a coffee shop and handed out fliers for a taxi company.
“Scott Rudin is made of money,” she said. “I don’t think it would be so hard for him to pay five interns the minimum wage.”
A spokesman for Mr. Rudin said he could not be reached for comment.
Ms. Lee, who is now in New York making her own film and supporting herself by again working at a coffee shop, said interns deserved better.
“If I ever become a famous filmmaker,” she said, “I promise I will pay my interns.”
( Source: The NewYork Times )
Confronting the worst job market in decades, many college graduates who expected to land paid jobs are turning to unpaid internships to try to get a foot in an employer’s door.
While unpaid postcollege internships have long existed in the film and nonprofit worlds, they have recently spread to fashion houses, book and magazine publishers, marketing companies, public relations firms, art galleries, talent agencies — even to some law firms.
Although many internships provide valuable experience, some unpaid interns complain that they do menial work and learn little, raising questions about whether these positions violate federal rules governing such programs.
Yet interns say they often have no good alternatives. As Friday’s jobs report showed, job growth is weak, and the unemployment rate for 20- to 24-year-olds was 13.2 percent in April.
Melissa Reyes, who graduated from Marist College with a degree in fashion merchandising last May, applied for a dozen jobs to no avail. She was thrilled, however, to land an internship with the Diane von Furstenberg fashion house in Manhattan. “They talked about what an excellent, educational internship program this would be,” she said.
But Ms. Reyes soon soured on the experience. She often worked 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., five days a week. “They had me running out to buy them lunch,” she said. “They had me cleaning out the closets, emptying out the past season’s items.”
Ms. Reyes finally quit when her boss demanded that she also work both days of a weekend. She now works part time as a model. Asked about her complaints, the fashion firm said, “We are very proud of our internship program, and we take all concerns of this kind very seriously.”
The Labor Department says that if employers do not want to pay their interns, the internships must resemble vocational education, the interns must work under close supervision, their work cannot be used as a substitute for regular employees and their work cannot be of immediate benefit to the employer.
But in practice, there is little to stop employers from exploiting interns. The Labor Department rarely cracks down on offenders, saying that it has limited resources and that unpaid interns are loath to file complaints for fear of jeopardizing any future job search.
No one keeps statistics on the number of college graduates taking unpaid internships, but there is widespread agreement that the number has significantly increased, not least because the jobless rate for college graduates age 24 and under has risen to 9.4 percent, the highest level since the government began keeping records in 1985. (Employment experts estimate that undergraduates work in more than one million internships a year, with Intern Bridge, a research firm, finding almost half unpaid.)
“A few years ago you hardly heard about college graduates taking unpaid internships,” said Ross Eisenbrey, a vice president at the Economic Policy Institute who has done several studies on interns. “But now I’ve even heard of people taking unpaid internships after graduating from Ivy League schools.”
Matt Gioe had little luck breaking into the music and entertainment industry after graduating with a philosophy degree from Bucknell last year. To get hands-on experience, he took an unpaid position with a Manhattan talent agency that booked musical acts. He said he answered phones and looked up venues. Although he was sometimes told to make bookings, he said he received virtually no guidance on how to strike a deal or how much to charge. But the boss did sometimes ask him to run errands like buying groceries.
“It was basically three wasted months,” he said.
Mr. Eisenbrey said many companies were taking advantage of the weak labor market to use unpaid interns to handle chores like photocopying or running errands once done by regular employees, which can raise sticky legal questions.
Eric Glatt, who at age 40 interned for the movie “Black Swan,” is one of the few interns with the courage to sue for wages over the work he did.
With an M.B.A. and a master’s in international management, Mr. Glatt wanted to get into film after a previous job overseeing training programs at the American International Group, the big insurance and financial services company. For “Black Swan,” he prepared documents for purchase orders and petty cash, traveled to the set to obtain signatures on documents and tracked employees’ personnel data.
“I knew that this was going to be a normal job and I wasn’t going to be paid for it,” he said. “But it started kicking around in my mind how unjust this was. It’s just become part of this unregulated labor market.”
Mr. Glatt filed suit, accusing Fox Searchlight Pictures of minimum wage violations. The company says it fully complies with the law and provides interns with a valuable, real-world work experience.
“The purpose of filing this case was to help end this practice,” said Mr. Glatt, who now plans to go to law school. “That was more important than my working on the next blockbuster.”
Ross Perlin, author of the 2011 book “Intern Nation,” said postcollege internships used to be confined to a few fields like film but have become far more common. “The people in charge in many industries were once interns and they’ve come of age, and to them unpaid internships are completely normal and they think of having interns in every way, shape and form,” he said.
Some interns say their experiences were quite helpful. Emily Miethner, a fine arts major at Hofstra, took an unpaid position at Gawker after graduating in 2010, doing research and social media for the news and gossip site. After two months, she moved to an unpaid internship at Flavorpill, an online cultural guide.
The knowledge she gained at those places, she said, was crucial to her landing a $35,000-a-year job as social media coordinator at Sterling Publishing. “More than just the individual tasks that I did, it was being in a great company culture and meeting a lot of people,” she said, noting that she was able to work without pay partly because she stayed at the home of her boyfriend’s parents.
Xuedan Wang, known as Diana, did not have such a positive experience. Ms. Wang, who graduated from Ohio State in 2010, interned at Harper’s Bazaar, working 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. overseeing eight other unpaid interns who ran around Manhattan picking up items from various fashion houses and showrooms.
She sued the fashion magazine in February, accusing it of minimum wage violations.
“Harper’s Bazaar was my favorite magazine growing up. I was dazzled that I was going to be working there,” she said. “But it was real grunt work, lugging things around.”
Hearst Magazines, which owns Harper’s Bazaar, said its internship programs enhanced students’ educational experience and fully complied with the law.
Some people end up on an internship treadmill. Joyce Lee, who received a film degree from Wesleyan in 2010, moved to Los Angeles and did six unpaid internships, including one for Scott Rudin, a top Hollywood and Broadway producer.
Her duties included reading scripts and picking up the mail. To pay her rent, she worked at a coffee shop and handed out fliers for a taxi company.
“Scott Rudin is made of money,” she said. “I don’t think it would be so hard for him to pay five interns the minimum wage.”
A spokesman for Mr. Rudin said he could not be reached for comment.
Ms. Lee, who is now in New York making her own film and supporting herself by again working at a coffee shop, said interns deserved better.
“If I ever become a famous filmmaker,” she said, “I promise I will pay my interns.”
( Source: The NewYork Times )
As we have seen a worst weekly decline in the stock markets this week. Markets are on the edge of break off on the lower side and see a significant downside. Factors that might weigh in
1) Greece Election Outcome
2) France Elections and its relation with Germany
3) Global markets' negative sentiments as US markets were only holding up its gain and started loosing it now.
4) Steep Decline in Oil Prices due to loss of confidence in economic recovery
5) "Sell in May" sentiment effect
Don't try to play markets on a long side and it is advisable to sell on rallies. Also see how to trade Nifty next week here
1) Greece Election Outcome
2) France Elections and its relation with Germany
3) Global markets' negative sentiments as US markets were only holding up its gain and started loosing it now.
4) Steep Decline in Oil Prices due to loss of confidence in economic recovery
5) "Sell in May" sentiment effect
Don't try to play markets on a long side and it is advisable to sell on rallies. Also see how to trade Nifty next week here
S&P CNX Nifty (5,086.85): As anticipated last week, the Nifty index made a decisive move which effectively puts an end to the listless activity witnessed in the past few weeks. Friday’s fall below the prior swing low at 5,135 is a sign of weakness.
The index could now slide to the next support in the 4,850-4,900 range. The bearish view would be in force until the index closes above the positive trigger level of 5,390.
The index could now slide to the next support in the 4,850-4,900 range. The bearish view would be in force until the index closes above the positive trigger level of 5,390.
The deterioration in the technical structure of quite a few index heavyweights, the ones from the banking universe in particular, is a cause of concern. Stocks from the two-wheeler sector too have displayed a penchant for seeking lower levels.
Given this backdrop, investors may avoid fresh equity exposures while those already invested may buy some protection via the options route.
CNX Bank Index (9,802.35): The crack in this index played a key role in pulling down the Nifty on Friday (4 May). The short-term outlook remains bearish and a test of the immediate support at 9,250 appears likely.
Any signs of recovery may be used to take short positions in the index, with a stop-loss at 10,600. Fresh investment in banking stocks may be avoided while those having significant exposure to the sector may consider put options as a risk control measure.
Given this backdrop, investors may avoid fresh equity exposures while those already invested may buy some protection via the options route.
CNX Bank Index (9,802.35): The crack in this index played a key role in pulling down the Nifty on Friday (4 May). The short-term outlook remains bearish and a test of the immediate support at 9,250 appears likely.
Any signs of recovery may be used to take short positions in the index, with a stop-loss at 10,600. Fresh investment in banking stocks may be avoided while those having significant exposure to the sector may consider put options as a risk control measure.
Power Finance Corporation (Rs 154.75): The stock has been in a downtrend since it touched a high of Rs 223.80 on 17 February. The recent chart patterns indicate the bearish trend could continue and the stock could test the immediate support at Rs 132.
Short positions may be considered with a stop-loss at Rs 174, for a target of Rs 132. The downtrend would gain momentum on a fall below Rs 132 and the stock could test the major support at Rs 120.
Axis Bank (Rs 1,009.85): After hitting a high of Rs 1,309 on 21 February, the stock has been in a downtrend, marked by a sequence of lower highs and lower lows. The recent price action suggests that the stock could fall to the short-term support at Rs 900.
The bearish view would be invalidated on a close above Rs 1,140. Short positions may be considered on a rally, with a stop-loss at Rs .1,150 for a target of Rs 900.
Short positions may be considered with a stop-loss at Rs 174, for a target of Rs 132. The downtrend would gain momentum on a fall below Rs 132 and the stock could test the major support at Rs 120.
Axis Bank (Rs 1,009.85): After hitting a high of Rs 1,309 on 21 February, the stock has been in a downtrend, marked by a sequence of lower highs and lower lows. The recent price action suggests that the stock could fall to the short-term support at Rs 900.
The bearish view would be invalidated on a close above Rs 1,140. Short positions may be considered on a rally, with a stop-loss at Rs .1,150 for a target of Rs 900.
The current economic turmoil in US and European nations have led to a sharp fall in property prices there making them extremely lucrative for non-resident Indians as well as resident Indians to invest in. More and more Indians are opting for offshore properties as a second home in exotic locations. However the process of purchasing a property in foreign countries has its own share of complexities, which need to be addressed before committing the money. Properties owned by banks as a result of fore closure or as non performing assets are the most sought after while there are a few places, which advertise their real estate as means of secure investments for foreigners.
Where to Look for?
Indians are increasingly acquiring properties across the globe but the leading destinations for offshore properties remain London, New York, Singapore and Dubai. Exotic holiday destinations such as Thailand, Malaysia, Southern France, Florida and Mauritius are also gaining rapid popularity among those looking to invest abroad in real estate. London is popular due to its assured returns over a long horizon while resort locales are being used as a second home for the rich and famous. The sea side resort of Pattaya is offering three bed room independent houses at prices as less as 60 to 70 lakhs which are pretty competitive compared to such houses in Tier 1 cities of India. The places in US are preferred by Indians who have either studied there or have worked for some time. Despite the high prices of real estate in Dubai, it is still popular due to its proximity to India and the presence of large Indian diasporas in the city.
Legal Precautions before Investing
Before even thinking of buying a property offshore one needs to be absolutely clear regarding property laws in India and other countries. Indians are permitted to buy property in foreign nations by making an annual remittance of up to $ 2000000 in a financial year. The Foreign Exchange Management Act also permits Indians to acquire property abroad as gifts or through inheritance. Additionally resident Indians can own property elsewhere in case it was acquired while they were not residents of India. However one must consult trusted legal experts in country where they want to buy the property in regarding local taxation policies, citizenship laws and ownerships provisions. Many nations mandate foreigners to pay a huge property transaction fees while making the purchase. Extra stamp duty costs are often levied on foreigners acquiring property in certain countries which may add up to the total cost significantly.
Practical Considerations when Buying Property Offshore
Here are a few practical guidelines that will come handy while setting out to buy yourself a house in some exotic location abroad or a simple investment in foreign countries.
- Make sufficient number of visits to that place during different parts of the year to get a broad overview of the locale.
- Remember there is adequate scope of bargaining at all places around the world and do not swayed by the quoted price.
- Get a consolidated list of all transaction charges, stamp duties and associated fees for buying the property beforehand.
- Always negotiate through a reputed property brokerage firm of that country.
- Additionally hire an independent legal advisor to give detailed inputs.
- Time your purchase when the exchange rates of that country's currency are in your favor.
- Understand the legal implications of your purchase and rules that govern your access to that country.
Owning a grand property in foreign nations is no more the domain of the extremely rich anymore. However there is a definite need for detailed analysis and planned approach in order to get a good deal and avoid legal complications subsequently.
Where to Look for?
Indians are increasingly acquiring properties across the globe but the leading destinations for offshore properties remain London, New York, Singapore and Dubai. Exotic holiday destinations such as Thailand, Malaysia, Southern France, Florida and Mauritius are also gaining rapid popularity among those looking to invest abroad in real estate. London is popular due to its assured returns over a long horizon while resort locales are being used as a second home for the rich and famous. The sea side resort of Pattaya is offering three bed room independent houses at prices as less as 60 to 70 lakhs which are pretty competitive compared to such houses in Tier 1 cities of India. The places in US are preferred by Indians who have either studied there or have worked for some time. Despite the high prices of real estate in Dubai, it is still popular due to its proximity to India and the presence of large Indian diasporas in the city.
Legal Precautions before Investing
Before even thinking of buying a property offshore one needs to be absolutely clear regarding property laws in India and other countries. Indians are permitted to buy property in foreign nations by making an annual remittance of up to $ 2000000 in a financial year. The Foreign Exchange Management Act also permits Indians to acquire property abroad as gifts or through inheritance. Additionally resident Indians can own property elsewhere in case it was acquired while they were not residents of India. However one must consult trusted legal experts in country where they want to buy the property in regarding local taxation policies, citizenship laws and ownerships provisions. Many nations mandate foreigners to pay a huge property transaction fees while making the purchase. Extra stamp duty costs are often levied on foreigners acquiring property in certain countries which may add up to the total cost significantly.
Practical Considerations when Buying Property Offshore
Here are a few practical guidelines that will come handy while setting out to buy yourself a house in some exotic location abroad or a simple investment in foreign countries.
- Make sufficient number of visits to that place during different parts of the year to get a broad overview of the locale.
- Remember there is adequate scope of bargaining at all places around the world and do not swayed by the quoted price.
- Get a consolidated list of all transaction charges, stamp duties and associated fees for buying the property beforehand.
- Always negotiate through a reputed property brokerage firm of that country.
- Additionally hire an independent legal advisor to give detailed inputs.
- Time your purchase when the exchange rates of that country's currency are in your favor.
- Understand the legal implications of your purchase and rules that govern your access to that country.
Owning a grand property in foreign nations is no more the domain of the extremely rich anymore. However there is a definite need for detailed analysis and planned approach in order to get a good deal and avoid legal complications subsequently.
Having embarked on an ambitious expansion of its atomic energy programme, India will build an underground repository about 1km below land surface for storing nuclear waste and is setting up a laboratory to develop the required technology.
The research laboratory will also be underground, operating in an abandoned mining site, where shafts and chambers provide the setting for a complex analysis of factors that affect storage of nuclear waste generated by atomic power plants.
At present, India has the capacity to store nuclear waste for 30 years by which time it will lose some radioactivity, but underground disposal is needed in view of plans to add 5,330mw in the 12th Plan and for atomic power to contribute 25% of power production by 2050.
Nuclear power production has picked up with the generation target of 32,000 million units being met in March - the first time in the last five years.
"The proposed laboratory will be of a generic nature. Such laboratories are used for development of methodology and technology related to emplacement of solidified waste in the repository. Experiments will form the basis of the underground geological repository for storing high level nuclear waste," the department of atomic energy said replying to a Parliament question.
A Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) source said the laboratory will research parameters for conductivity, fissures and permeability that impact containment of radiation. "There are tests for thermal systems, rock mechanics, hydrological and chemical systems," the source said.
The department told three MPs, who raised queries, that currently the inventory of waste is small and the interim storage facility adequate. "Presently, work related to host rock characterization to develop comprehensive data bases is in progress," DAE said.
The department adopts a three-stage process to manage nuclear waste which is first converted into an inert solid material in the form of sodium borosilicate. Then, the solidified waste is stored under surveillance in an air-cooled facility for 25-30 years, and finally this will be disposed in the underground repository that is being planned.
The waste will be disposed "at a depth of 800-1,000 meters to isolate radioactivity from the environment," the government has said.
The research laboratory will also be underground, operating in an abandoned mining site, where shafts and chambers provide the setting for a complex analysis of factors that affect storage of nuclear waste generated by atomic power plants.
At present, India has the capacity to store nuclear waste for 30 years by which time it will lose some radioactivity, but underground disposal is needed in view of plans to add 5,330mw in the 12th Plan and for atomic power to contribute 25% of power production by 2050.
Nuclear power production has picked up with the generation target of 32,000 million units being met in March - the first time in the last five years.
"The proposed laboratory will be of a generic nature. Such laboratories are used for development of methodology and technology related to emplacement of solidified waste in the repository. Experiments will form the basis of the underground geological repository for storing high level nuclear waste," the department of atomic energy said replying to a Parliament question.
A Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) source said the laboratory will research parameters for conductivity, fissures and permeability that impact containment of radiation. "There are tests for thermal systems, rock mechanics, hydrological and chemical systems," the source said.
The department told three MPs, who raised queries, that currently the inventory of waste is small and the interim storage facility adequate. "Presently, work related to host rock characterization to develop comprehensive data bases is in progress," DAE said.
The department adopts a three-stage process to manage nuclear waste which is first converted into an inert solid material in the form of sodium borosilicate. Then, the solidified waste is stored under surveillance in an air-cooled facility for 25-30 years, and finally this will be disposed in the underground repository that is being planned.
The waste will be disposed "at a depth of 800-1,000 meters to isolate radioactivity from the environment," the government has said.
Springing a surprise, Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Saturday said the Kudankulam nuclear power project is all set to go on stream within 10 days. "Within 10 days we will start the project," an optimistic Jayalalithaa said after participating in the chief ministers' conference in New Delhi.
Senior officials at the Nuclear Power Corporation Limited, however, did not share the CM's enthusiasm about the short deadline for commissioning of the plant.
An official said that even loading fuel in the first unit may take more than 15 days as the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) is yet to give its clearance. "Only the first inspection of the unit by an AERB team has taken place and another team of senior officials will have to check the unit. Only after that we will get the clearance to load fuel," said the official.
KNPP managers and NPCL senior officials have earlier said that the first 1,000MW unit will be commissioned only by June.
With TN hard-pressed to meet the growing power demand in the state, Jayalalithaa has been making fervent pleas for getting all the 1,000MW generated from the first unit of the plant for TN.
But the Centre has made it clear that TN will receive only about 400MW and that it would adhere to a prescribed formula for power sharing among states. Last week in New Delhi, Union minister of state V Narayanasamy said power production would commence in 40 days in the first unit and two months later in the second unit.
Officials at the plant have tested more than 600 pumps and motors, 200 control panels and a same number of electrical panels and individual systems in the reactor 1. Sources said three kinds of safety drill would be done before the plant is commissioned. The first two have been completed.
As we have seen that blogger has launched dynamic views for templates and it looks pretty awesome for user point of view, but actually it hurts your SERP performance and google search, It won't be able to list your newly added posts and pages. You will see your web traffic is declining in few days. Also, you can't change any layout elements, can't help with Adsense javascript. It won't show any script. It is not working for bloggers who wish to earn from their blogs. You can't even edit Header or upload pic.
Dynamic View templates are just formal plain RSS to show up your blog nice and clean without any messiness. It will hurt your blog's performance and you can't make money through any advertisement.
I think it just need some touch up to address those issues before it gets wide acceptance from public.
Dynamic View templates are just formal plain RSS to show up your blog nice and clean without any messiness. It will hurt your blog's performance and you can't make money through any advertisement.
I think it just need some touch up to address those issues before it gets wide acceptance from public.
Japanese utility Hokkaido Electric Power began shutting the country's last active nuclear reactor on Saturday, leaving the world's third-biggest user of atomic energy with no nuclear-derived electricity for the first time since 1970.
A crisis at Tokyo Electric Power's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, where an earthquake and tsunami in March last year triggered radiation leaks, has hammered public faith in nuclear power and prevented the restart of reactors shut down for regular maintenance checks.
Hokkaido Electric said it started lowering output from the 912-megawatt No.3 unit at Tomari nuclear plant in northern Japan at 5 p.m. (2 a.m. New York time).
The maintenance on the unit is set to begin at around 11 p.m. (9 a.m. New York time) when power generation falls to zero, with the unit to be shut down completely by the early hours of Sunday.
The shutdown means all of Japan's 50 reactors have been taken off line, marking the country's first nuclear power-free day since May 1970.
Trade Minister Yukio Edano and three other ministers have been trying to win the support of communities to reactivate two idled reactors at Kansai Electric Power's Ohi nuclear plant to help ease expected power shortages of nearly 20 percent in coming hot-weather months.
The two Ohi reactors are the first to be considered for reactivation by the central government, but it faces an uphill battle of winning public support.
Kansai Electric's expected deficit for this summer was the highest among four Japanese nuclear plant operators that forecast shortfalls when demand peaks in the summer.
Costly Option
The last time Japan went without nuclear power was in May 1970, when the country's only two reactors operating at that time were shut for maintenance, the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan says.
Nuclear power provided almost 30 percent of the electricity to keep the $5 trillion economy going before the March 11, 2011 disaster that killed almost 16,000 people and left more than 3,000 missing.
A year on, the level of public concern about the safety of the industry is such that the government is still struggling to come up with a long-term energy policy, a delay having a profound impact on the economy and underlining just how costly it will be to contemplate a nuclear-power-free future.
Having boomed in recent decades on the exports prowess of big brands like and Canon, the economy suffered its first trade deficit in more than three decades in 2011 as power producers spent billions of dollars on oil-and-gas imports to fuel extra generation capacity.
At the time of the Fukushima crisis, then Prime Minister Naoto Kan called on Japan to wean itself off of nuclear power. Up to that point, Japan had been planning to lift the share of nuclear generation to over 50 percent by 2030 from about 30 percent.
The government of current Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has softened Kan's call. Noda says Japan can not afford to be nuclear free, although he still holds that as an ideal.
But the government has no clear timetable for getting nuclear power back up and running as it tries to navigate the public opposition—rare in Japan—and the demands of business that wants a stable supply of power.
Cabinet ministers last month rushed to try to win over the public to allow the restart of two nuclear power reactors at Kansai Electric Power's Ohi plant in western Japan, in what experts said was a recognition of the implications of a nuclear-free summer.
The public remained unconvinced. A poll by Kyodo news agency last weekend showed about 60 percent of the public opposed to restarting the two reactors.
Most mayors and governors whose communities host nuclear plants want safety assurances beyond government-imposed stress tests before agreeing to restarts, a Reuters poll showed in March.
To overcome the opposition, some politicians have been more forceful. Yoshito Sengoku, the acting president of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, on April 16 called an abandonment of nuclear energy the equivalent of "mass suicide," Kyodo news reported. His comment was criticised by Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura, indicating internal divisions over how to handle the issue.
Global Shift
Ultimately, some argue Japan's economy, already weakened by years of deflation, would suffer if reactors are not restarted.
"It's not an option Japan should take. There will be less employment and the economy will be on a shrinking trend," said Takeo Kikkawa, a professor at Hitotsubashi University.
Japan's liquefied natural gas imports climbed 18 percent in volume and 52 percent in value to 5.4 trillion yen ($67 billion) in the year through March.
Renewable energy, although given emphasis in energy policies being formulated, is not expected to be much of an immediate salve. Energy from renewable sources account for about 10 percent of Japan's power generation, most of that from hydroelectric dams. Wind and solar together contribute about 1 percent.
Worldwide, there has been a shift with Germany, Italy and Switzerland moving away from atomic energy, prompting the International Atomic Energy Agency to revise down its forecast for growth in the industry.
The United States, China and India are still planning to increase the number of reactors.
In Japan, a delay in setting up a new, more independent Nuclear Regulatory Agency due to deadlock in a divided parliament is further clouding the outlook.
Some analysts say the government is not going to turn public opinion unless it admits that nuclear power is never going to be absolutely safe.
"The debate needs to be recast," said Bob Geller, a professor of geophysics at Tokyo University. "They have to come clean, and say, in effect - look we know they're not perfectly safe but we've made a careful evaluation of the risks, which we'll make public."
Canada minted its final penny today as Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said the coin was too expensive to produce and no longer needed for business.
“The real issue was that people weren’t using them, they were putting them in jars at home, and we were doing the same thing at my house,” Flaherty said. He spoke today at the Royal Canadian Mint in Winnipeg, Manitoba, before pushing a button that stamped the last one-cent coin.
The longest-serving finance minister in the Group of Seven nations promised in his March 29 budget to save C$11 million annually by eliminating the coin that he says costs 1.6 cents to mint. The price of copper, which is used in the penny’s production, has surged more than 330 percent since 2000.
Getting rid of the coin will have little impact on inflation, the Bank of Canada said in a May 2010 report. Electronic transactions will still be priced in cents, while retailers will round cash transactions to the nearest five-cent interval, according to the budget documents. The coin will still be usable in payments.
“It’s a bit hard to swallow,” said Francois Gendron, the 34-year veteran press operator who helped Flaherty strike the last coin. “It’s a bit of history.”
The mint has produced 35 billion pennies since it began production in 1908. Distribution of the coin will end later this year. Pennies have been made of copper-plated zinc and copper- plated steel since 1997. The last penny will go to the country’s currency museum in Ottawa.
“I’m not going to miss the penny,” said Mike Gregoire, 37, who was touring the Mint with his son. “I find it more of a nuisance; I rarely ask for my pennies back” as change from shopkeepers, he said.
The penny, with two maple leaves on one side and a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the other, has lost 95 percent of its purchasing power since it was first produced by the mint.
“The real issue was that people weren’t using them, they were putting them in jars at home, and we were doing the same thing at my house,” Flaherty said. He spoke today at the Royal Canadian Mint in Winnipeg, Manitoba, before pushing a button that stamped the last one-cent coin.
The longest-serving finance minister in the Group of Seven nations promised in his March 29 budget to save C$11 million annually by eliminating the coin that he says costs 1.6 cents to mint. The price of copper, which is used in the penny’s production, has surged more than 330 percent since 2000.
Getting rid of the coin will have little impact on inflation, the Bank of Canada said in a May 2010 report. Electronic transactions will still be priced in cents, while retailers will round cash transactions to the nearest five-cent interval, according to the budget documents. The coin will still be usable in payments.
“It’s a bit hard to swallow,” said Francois Gendron, the 34-year veteran press operator who helped Flaherty strike the last coin. “It’s a bit of history.”
The mint has produced 35 billion pennies since it began production in 1908. Distribution of the coin will end later this year. Pennies have been made of copper-plated zinc and copper- plated steel since 1997. The last penny will go to the country’s currency museum in Ottawa.
“I’m not going to miss the penny,” said Mike Gregoire, 37, who was touring the Mint with his son. “I find it more of a nuisance; I rarely ask for my pennies back” as change from shopkeepers, he said.
The penny, with two maple leaves on one side and a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the other, has lost 95 percent of its purchasing power since it was first produced by the mint.
