Jobs in HAL Nashik Special Drive

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)

Aircraft Division, Nashik

HAL Aircraft Division, Nasik is Hyderabad invites application for the following posts :

1. Deputy Manager- Human Resources (Legal) : 01 post
2. Deputy Manager- Civil (Work & Services) : 01 post
3. Team Leader (Warranty Cell) : 05 posts

Special Recruitment Drive for Persons with Disabilities in Non-Executive (Workmen) cadre :

1. Diploma Trainee (Mechanical) / Scale 6 (D-6) : 06 posts
2. Technician Trainee (Fitter) /Scale 5 (C-5 ) : 07 posts
3. Accounts Trainee / Scale 5 (C-5 ) : 09 posts
4. Admin. Trainee / Scale 5 (C-5 ) : 08 posts

How to Apply : Candidates may send their applications strictly in the prescribed application format to Senior Manager (HR), Post Box No. 23, Ojhar Township Post Office, Nashik – 422207 enclosing all relevant certificates /testimonials and a passport size photograph in an envelope super scribing “ Application for the post of ……………. And with the post code No… so as to reach on or before 10/05/2011.

Please visit http://www.emodeapply.com/hal_nasik/ for complete details and application format.

Faculty and Staff Jobs in CUJ

Central University of Jharkhand (CUJ)
(A Central Government University)
Brambe, Lohardaga Road, Mandar, Ranchi-835205, Jharkhand

CUJ invites application for the following Faculty Posts in various departments :

1. Professor : 02 posts
2. Associate Professor : 08 posts
3. Assistant Professor : 07 posts
4. Librarian : 01 post
5. Systems Analyst : 01 post
6. Private Secretary : 02 posts
7. Technical Assistant : 04 posts in various trades
8. Library Assistant : 06 posts
9. Laboratory Attendant : 05 posts
10. Library Attendant : 01 post
11. Driver : 02 posts
12. Peon / Office Attendant : 04 posts
13. Cook : 02 posts
14. Deputy Registrar : 01 post
15. Section Officer : 01 post
16. Assistant : 02 posts
17. UDC: 02 posts
18. LDC : 02 posts
19. Medical Officer : 01 post
20. Nurse : 01 post
21. Medical Attendant/Dresser : 01 post
22. Executive Engineer : 01 post
23. Assistant Engineer(C/E) : 01 post
24. Junior Engineer : 02 posts (Civil-1, Electrical-1)
25. Security Officer : 01 post
26. Caretaker : 01 post
27. Attendant (Kitchen) : 02 posts
28. Attendant Hostel : 02 posts

Application Fee : Rs. 500/- fir faculty posts and Rs.300/- for Staff posts only through cross demand draft drawn in favour of Central University of Jharkhand Payable at Ranchi. SC/ST/PH Candidates need not pay fee.

How to Apply : The filled in application with attested copies of the certificates should be addressed to the Registrar, Central University of Jharkhand, C.T.I Campus, Brambe, Ratu- Lohardaga Road, Mandar, Ranchi-8352085 on or before 20/05/2011.

Please visit http://cuj.ac.in/Regular%20Teaching%20Positions-April-2011.html for all the details and application form.

Union Public Service Commission

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Shahjahan Road, Dhopur House, New Delhi – 110069

Advertisement No. 08/2011

UPSC invites application on prescribed forms by 12/05/2011 (19/05/2011 for the candidates from far flung areas) for various posts in various Government of India Ministries and Departments in the prescribed format. The posts are :

1. Assistant Director (Entomology) : 10 posts in Directorate of Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture
2. Assistant Director Grade-I, (Industrial Management & Training) : 02 posts in M/o Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
3. Deputy Director (Metallurgy) : 01 post in M/o Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises

Fee payable is Rs.50/- in the shape of Central Recruitment Fee Stamp only. (fee exempted for SC/ ST/ PH/ Women candidates)

For Details of posts, qualification, instructions and application format relating to Advt. No. 08/2011, please visit UPSC web site at http://upsc.gov.in/. Application forms are available in the Recruitment Section of the above said website.

Completed applications with enclosures should be sent to the Joint Secretary (Recruitment), Union Public Service Commission, Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi - 110069, so as to reach on or before prescribed closing date i.e. 12/05/2011. Application format is available at http://upsc.gov.in/general/general.htm

DOEACC Delhi Walk-In for Data Entry Operator

DOEACC Society Centre
(An Autonomous Body of Deptt. of Information Technology, Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, Govt. of India)
Branch Office New Delhi
2nd Floor, Parsvanath Metro Mall, Inderlok Metro Station, Delhi-35

DOEACC Society Delhi invites candidates to appear for Walk-In-Interview at above address on 27th April 2011 from 10.30 am to 4.00 pm. :

• Data Entry Operator : 01 post, Pay : Rs.6800/- per month consolidated
  

Application Fee : Rs. 350/- through Demand Draft (favoring Director, DOEACC Society, Chandigarh Center B.O. New Delhi Payable at New Delhi)

Walk-In-Interview : Appear for a Walk-In-Interview on 27/04/2011 at the DOEACC Society, 2nd Floor, Parsvanath Metro Mall, Inderlok Metro Station, Delhi-35.

Please visit http://www.doeaccchd.edu.in/jobs/apr11/dl20/ad201104dl.htm for details and applicaiton form.

Faculty jobs in NIA

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AYURVEDA (NIA)
Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India,
Jorawar Singh Gate, Amer Road, Jaipur 302002

Vacancy Advertisement N0. 1/2011

Applications are invited the prescribed Format for the following Posts:

• Professor : 03 Posts, Pay Scale: PB-4 Rs.37400-67000 grade pay Rs.8700 + NPA 25%
• Associate Professor : 06 Posts, Pay Scale: PB-3 Rs.15600-39100 grade pay Rs.7600+ NPA 25%
• Lecturer : 05 Posts, Pay Scale: PB-3 Rs.15600-39100 grade pay Rs.5400+ NPA 25%

How to Apply : The filled in Application carrying a recent Passport Size Photograph pasted on the upper right corner duly attested by a Gazetted Officer along with attested copies of all testimonials and an Application fee of Rs. 1000/- (For SC and ST candidates, Rs. 500) by Demand Draft in favour of Director, National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur should reach the Director, National Institute of Ayurveda, Jorawar Singh Gate, Amer Road, Jaipur 302002 by 23/05/2011 till 5 PM.

For more information please view http://www.nia.nic.in/VACANCY%20%20%20NOTIFICATION%20%20%20%20NO%201%20-2011%20-%20CIRCULAR%5B1%5D.pdf

Came close to getting married four times: Ratan Tata

New Delhi, Apr 13 (PTI) Revealing one of the best kept secrets of his personal life, the bachelor industrialist Ratan Tata has said that he had fallen in love and had come seriously close to getting married as many as four times.

But in the hindsight, he thinks it was not a bad thing to remain unmarried and the situation would have been more complex had he got married, Tata said in an interview to CNN International''s Talk Asia programme.

"When you asked whether I''d ever been in love, I came seriously close to getting married four times and each time it got close to there and I guess I backed off in fear of one reason or another," he said.

He replied in the affirmative when asked whether he had ever been in love. When asked how many times, he replied, "seriously, four times."

Ratan Tata, 73, heads one of the country''s biggest business empires which comprises nearly 100 firms with revenues totalling about USD 67 billion dollars. He is scheduled to retire in December, 2012 when he turns 75.

Asked to speak more about his love life, Tata said: "Well, you know one was probably the most serious was when I was working in the US and the only reason we didn''t get married was that I came back to India and she was to follow me...

"... and that was the year of the, if you like, the Indo-Chinese conflict and in true American fashion this conflict in the Himalayas, in the snowy, uninhabited part of the Himalayas was seen in the United States as a major war between India and China and so, she didn''t come and finally got married in the US thereafter."

Asked why he never got married, Tata said: "Each of the occasions (the four times he was close to getting married, but did not) were different, but in hindsight when I look at the people involved; it wasn''t a bad thing what I did. I think it may have been more complex had the marriage taken place."

Asked whether any of the people he was in love with were still in the city, he replied in the affirmative, but declined to speak any further on the matter.

"Oh, well I''d certainly because of the people that are here, of course this may be aired in the US, so I''d be in trouble, whatever I do, so I think I''d better stop here," he added.

www.dda.org.in DDA Draw of lot DDA Housing Scheme DDA Result Website

DDA housing scheme draw of lot on April 18

If you have applied for a flat in Delhi Development Authority's (DDA) housing scheme, the wait could be over on Monday. DDA, the country's biggest land development agency, will hold the draw of lots to select successful applicants who had applied for housing scheme on April 18, sources said. The housing scheme, DDA's biggest ever, was launched on November 25, 2010 with nearly 16,000 flats on offer.

source:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/DDA-housing-scheme-draw-of-lot-on-April-18/Article1-684518.aspx

DDA Housing:

The development of Housing projects by DDA commenced in 1967 with construction of houses and providing the basic amenities like electricity, water supply, sewage disposal, and other infrastructure facilities. The new projects undertaken instigate with recognition of project sites, public announcement about the new DDA housing schemes in various categories through newspapers and other media advertisements, formal acceptance of the applications, a transparent draw system for shortlisting of the applicants and finally allotment of the property.

Tags: www.dda.org.in DDA Draw of lot DDA Housing Scheme DDA Result DDA Website DDA Draw DDA result 2011 dda result 2010 dda housing 2011 dda housing 2010 dda housing scheme draw result 2011 dda website link url details information where to find dda result dda website link ? dda flat draw result dda flat result dda flats housing scheme draw results 2011 April 18 2011

Yale University student killed in hair-pulling accident in chemistry lab

NEW HAVEN (CONNECTICUT): A Yale University student nearing graduation was killed inside a school lab when her hair was pulled into a piece of machine-shop equipment, an official said on Wednesday.

Michele Dufault, a senior majoring in astronomy, died on Tuesday night "in what appears to have been a terrible accident involving a piece of equipment," school officials said. The school said the accident took place inside a chemistry lab machine shop but didn't say what the equipment was.

"By all reports, Michele was an exceptional young woman, an outstanding student and young scientist, a dear friend and a vibrant member of this community," Yale Vice President Linda Lorimer wrote in a message to Yale students and faculty. "We will find ways in the next day to gather to celebrate her life and grieve her loss."

The university told the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration that Dufault was operating the machinery for a senior project when she was killed, according to Kang Yi, an assistant area director for OSHA.

OSHA was reviewing jurisdiction in the case and evaluating whether it would conduct an inspection, said Ted Fitzgerald, an agency spokesman.

Dufault was graduating in a month, said her grandfather Robert Dufault. She studied constantly and loved sports, he said.

"She was a living saint," the grandfather said. "She was a good, smart girl."

An uncle called her brilliant. "She's a wonderful, wonderful kid and that should be celebrated. There's nothing but good things to say about her," said Frederick Dufault.

On its website, Yale's chemistry department says it maintains a state-of-the-art machine shop to allow students, faculty and staff to construct or modify research instruments. Access is limited to those who have completed a shop course, according to the website.

Yale was offering counseling to students. The lab was closed today and classes were cancelled in the building that houses the lab. Yale police are leading the investigation, New Haven police spokesman Joe Avery said.

PM briefs President on Lok Pal Bill stand-off

New Delhi, Apr 8 (PTI) In the midst of continued stand-off between the government and civil society activists on the proposed Lok Pal Bill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today met President Pratibha Patil and briefed her about the efforts being made to resolve the issue.

"The Prime Minister briefed the President about the efforts being made by the government to resolve the differences with the civil society activists on the proposed Lokpal Bill," a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said.

During the 35-minute meeting, the Prime Minister and the President discussed about various issues of national and international importance and also the President''s forthcoming visit to Mauritius.

The fast unto death of social activist Anna Hazare, demanding formation of a joint committee to draft an effective Lokpal Bill entered the fourth day today with differences persisting on the issue of the chairmanship of the committee being given to a civil society member and an official notification being issued.

PM briefs President on Lok Pal Bill stand-off

New Delhi, Apr 8 (PTI) In the midst of continued stand-off between the government and civil society activists on the proposed Lok Pal Bill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today met President Pratibha Patil and briefed her about the efforts being made to resolve the issue.

"The Prime Minister briefed the President about the efforts being made by the government to resolve the differences with the civil society activists on the proposed Lokpal Bill," a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said.

During the 35-minute meeting, the Prime Minister and the President discussed about various issues of national and international importance and also the President''s forthcoming visit to Mauritius.

The fast unto death of social activist Anna Hazare, demanding formation of a joint committee to draft an effective Lokpal Bill entered the fourth day today with differences persisting on the issue of the chairmanship of the committee being given to a civil society member and an official notification being issued.

Hegde rules himself out to be head of panel on Lokpal bill

Bangalore, Apr 8 (PTI) Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde today ruled himself out to be the chairman of the proposed committee to draft an effective Lokpal bill as favoured by social activist Anna Hazare, who is on a fast-unto-death over corruption issue.

Hegde, a former supreme court judge known for his vigorous campaign against corruption, said former chief justice of India J S Verma, Hazare''s other choice, would be the most ideal person for the post.

"No I do not think it will be right for me to chair the joint committee," Hegde said, noting his role in drafting the earlier Lokpal bill and supporting Hazare in his fight against graft might invite allegations of being biased and prejudiced.

"I think Justice J S Verma is the most ideal person to chair the joint committee," he told PTI here.

Amid the stalemate over his demand for setting up a joint committee of government and civil society to draft the Lokpal Bill, Hazare today suggested to the government to consider the names of Verma or Hegde to head the panel.

Hazare, whose fast entered the fourth day today, has rejected the government''s suggestion that Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee be the chairman of the committee.

On Hazare''s anti-corruption movement, Hegde said, "I think it is moving in the right direction. The government has been offering lame excuses on the issue for the last 40 years."

He said he himself had always spoken against corruption and backed all actions that could root it out.

Hegde said he had not met Hazare but had known him through his work and mission.

Cong blames Hazare's supporters for impasse

New Delhi, Apr 8 (PTI) As the standoff between Government and Anna Hazare continued on Lokpal Bill, Congress today blamed the "obstinate and intransigent" attitude of the social activist''s supporters for the impasse despite the administration going the "extra mile" to address their concerns.

"The ball is in their court....We have agreed with every substantial demand...Absolutely no substantial or real issues remains to be resolved...Are not some of the members of the civil society being obstinate and intransigent?," party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters.

Singhvi, a senior advocate, made a spirited defence of the government, telling the supporters of Hazare that "we cannot lose sense of balance. We are a government by constitution. Jingoistic and populist slogans cannot take place of substance."

Putting the onus on Hazare''s associates for his health condition, Singhvi suggested that the impasse arose due to demands by the supporters of Hazare that the Chairman of the Joint Committee for drafting the Lokpal bill should be from civil society and that government should notify the committee.

"Is it possible for an extremely senior minister to sit on a committee under someone else''s chairmanship or headed by any member from civil society. Will the society members pilot the bill in Parliament?

"We must realize that we are part of a constitutional governance, where the responsibility for any legislations lays squarely on the government and the Council of Ministers," Singhvi said, accusing Hazare''s supporters of delaying the process of setting up the committee on "procedural matters". Singhvi however did not name anyone.

The AICC's sharp criticism of Hazare''s supporters came close on the heels of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi holding consultations after the Gandhian threatened a Jail Bharo from April 13.

Replying to questions, Singhvi said that the government has literally walked the "extra mile" to resolve the issue and the government''s acceptance of the demand for the joint committee should not be construed as a precedent or principle.

"We have utmost deference and respect for Hazare. We have tried to engage with him at every stage...despite no precedent we still agreed to a joint drafting committee. We also agreeed to have their five members and five members from the government in the committee.

We also agreed to introduce the bill in the Monsoon session. We also agreed that the joint committee will be activated before May 13. We are with the civil society in the crusade against corruption. What else remains. All points of substance met," Singhvi said. .

PTI – Fri, Apr 8, 2011 6:45 PM IST

Victory for Anna Hazare and India as government bends

Anna Hazare announced that he will call off his four-day-old hunger strike Saturday morning, saying the government had conceded most of the demands related to a stringent Lokpal Bill to combat corruption in India.

More than 83 hours after he launched his fast in the heart of the capital, Anna Hazare told reporters and frenzied supporters: 'From the way the government has accepted (our demands), the people of India have won.'

10:30 pm: 'It is a victory of the democracy,' Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal said of the accord that had been reached on forming a joint committee of ministers and civil society leaders to draft an anti-graft legislation that had prompted social reformer Anna Hazare to announce that he would end Saturday morning his fast-unto-death undertaken for the measure.

9:00 pm: Anna Hazare announced that he was continuing with his fast demanding a stringent Lokpal Bill and said he expected a final government response on Saturday.

'Our fast is not over,' Anna Hazare said addressing thousands of frenzied supporters in the heart of the capital, amid speculation that the standoff with the government had ended.

8:15 pm: Indicating progress in talks with the government on the proposed formation of a committee for drafting the Lokpak Bill, the emissaries of Anna Hazare said he will soon announce his decision which people would be happy to hear.

"There is some progress in talks with government. Message is to be conveyed to Hazare," activist Arvind Kejriwal, who is one of the three emissaries, said after a meeting with Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, Law Minister Veerappa Moily and Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid. Read on

7:30 pm: India Inc came out with strong support for social activist Anna Hazare's fast-unto-death to demand a stringent anti-graft law.

'I think it is extremely important. We have talked about this for a while. First, you have said there is corruption in India and in many ways it seemed we had accepted it as a fact of life,' Sunil Munjal, chairman of Hero Corporate Services, told.

'But the amount and number of scandals which have broken out in recent times, it has made people sit up and take notice and say this is enough. We need to fix this problem, and so I see in many ways what we are seeing in this movement is a sign of the same thing,' he added.

7:00 pm: Anna Hazare demanded appointment of a chairman and a co-chairman for the proposed joint committee to draft an effective Lokpal Bill and rejected the government's offer of setting up of the committee by a letter of the Law Ministry.

Addressing his supporters, he said his anti-corruption movement has achieved considerable success and will not cow down before the government. "We have not accepted the government's offer of constitution of the committee through a letter from the Law Minister. There should be a government order on behalf of the government," he said. More on Yahoo! India News

6:00 pm: The Anna Hazare-led movement is finding increasing resonance not merely among the citizens of this country, but also those living abroad. One instance: Saturday April 8, at noon, Indian Americans living in the tri-state area (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut) plan to rally in Times Square, the iconic center of Manhattan in New York, in support of Anna Hazare's demand for a corruption free polity.

5:55 pm: Amid the stalemate over Lokpal Bill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stepped up efforts to resolve the issue as he held a second round of deliberations with senior ministers.

5:30 pm: As Hazare's fast-unto-death on the Lokpal Bill issue continues, support for his movement is gaining momentum with people from all walks of life, including scientists, film stars and lawyers saying they have turned up here to send across a 'bigger message'.

For the majority of the people, the movement is not just about drafting of an effective Lokpal Bill, but it is about cautioning the government against ever increasing corruption and scams as a result of which India's imgae has taken a serious beating.

4:50 pm: As a formula designed to end Anna Hazare's fast, the government has offered this solution: a joint drafting committee will be set up with the brief to draw up strict anti-corruption laws, with adequate checks and balances. The ten member committee, to be convened by Law Minister Veerappa Moily, will comprise five ministers and five selected people from society at large, with one of the latter five to be Anna Hazare himself. The resulting bill will be introduced in the monsoon session of Parliament. "All points of substance (raised by Hazare) have been met," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the media. "The Congress is with the crusade against corruption. We have shown that whenever there are credible allegations the Congress party has taken concrete actions and full transparency has been maintained. We are with the nation and with the civil society in this crusade against corruption."

Hazare demands co-chairman for the committee on Lokpal

New Delhi, Apr 8 (PTI) Anna Hazare today demanded appointment of a chairman and a co-chairman for the proposed joint committee to draft an effective Lokpal Bill and rejected the government's offer of setting up of the committee by a letter of the Law Ministry.

He also said there should be no "tainted" ministers in the joint committee comprising civil society members and ministers.

Addressing his supporters at the Jantar Mantar here, even as three of his emissaries were engaged in discussions with Union Ministers, the 73-year old Gandhian said his anti-corruption movement has achieved considerable success and will not cow down before the government.

"We have not accepted the government''s offer of constitution of the committee through a letter from the Law Minister. There should be a government order on behalf of the government," he said adding this has been made clear to the emissaries for discussion with the ministers.

He said his campaign has also demanded from the government that the committee should have a chairman and a co-chairman. "If there is a chairman from the government side then the Cabinet will have to accept the recommendations of the committee on the Bill".

Claiming that his anti-graft movement has achieved quite a lot of success, he said the government has accepted the proposal for a joint committee and it will have five members from each side.

To the cheers of the assembled gathering, he said, there should be no tainted ministers in the committee.

Asked if there were five untainted ministers in the government, Hazare said "they should be least tainted".

He said he has accepted to be a member of the committee to keep pressure on the government.

To a question he said, "we have not reached nay compromise. If our chairman is there then it will be difficult for them. But if a minister is the chairman, then the Cabinet will have to accept the recommendations. There will be no difference in powers of the chairman and the co-chairman."

He rejected a charge that he was blackmailing the government through hunger strike and said his approach was that if the government does not listen to people, they will throw it out.

PTI

India to get Swiss bank info for cases dating from Jan 2011

NEW DELHI: India can get information on secret bank accounts from Swiss authorities for cases dating from January 2011, once the revised taxation treaty between the two countries is ratified by the Switzerland Parliament.

"In this case, because you (India) wants to find all the tax evaders... I think we have conceded in the negotiation of DTAA, that India will get information effective from January 1, 2011," Swiss Ambassador to India Philippe Welti told PTI.

"It was negotiated and approved by both Indian and Swiss governments," he said.

The revised Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between India and Switzerland is awaiting ratification from the Swiss Parliament, which is expected to happen by end of this year.

Generally, bilateral taxation agreements do not have provisions for getting information on a retrospective basis, but in this case, both governments finalised the same after negotiations.

"It (provision to give details for cases starting from January 1, 2011), is part of revision of the treaty... retroactivity we call it," Welti said.

India inked an agreement with Switzerland to revise the DTAA in August last year and once the amended treaty is in force, Indian authorities can seek information for cases of tax fraud as well as tax evasion.

The issue of black money has become a political hot potato and the Indian government is facing intense pressure from the Opposition as well as courts to crack down on those who have allegedly stashed illicit wealth in secret Swiss banks.

"Under the revised treaty, the Indian government and the Swiss government are entitled to file for request for release of data in cases also of tax evasion," Welti noted.

On Thursday, Switzerland's Head of Federal Department of Economic Affairs Johann N Schneider-Ammann said the DTAA is expected to be concluded before the end of this year.

"We do want to solve issues around the black money. I can tell you Switzerland is very much interested... We respect all the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) prime conditions," Schneider-Ammann had said after his meeting with finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Sonia blames BJP-AGP for infiltration problem

GUWAHATI: Hitting back at the BJP and the AGP, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday charged these parties with failing to check infiltration or enacting laws for the welfare of the people in Assam during their tenure.

"I heard today and saw on TV that these parties have raised the Bangladeshi migrants problem as a poll issue. They are going from place to place talking about it," Gandhi told an assembly election rally here.

"But I want to ask them when their (BJP) government was in power at the Centre why did they not take any measure to stop infiltration even though our chief minister had raised the issue before the then union home minister. Do they now have any authority to raise a finger on us on the issue," she asked.

Gandhi asserted, "When the BJP government was in power at the Centre it never did anything for Assam. Now both our central and state governments have taken measures to stop infiltration from Bangladesh."

"During the earlier regime of AGP, the situation was such that nobody came out of their homes, nobody had time to think about development. Salaries were not paid on time to government employees and the government was burdened with loans as the exchequer became empty," she said.

"But the Congress government headed by Tarun Gogoi brought the state out of this mess and made a turnaround in its economy putting the state on the path of development. It is, therefore, our responsibility to continue this pace of development," she said.

Going gets tough for Tata succession panel

MUMBAI: The $72-billion Tata Group is facing challenges in finding a successor to chairman Ratan Tata. India's largest corporate house may be forced to review the selection parameters after struggling to shortlist potential candidates in the past eight months.

Tata Sons, the group's holding company, had set up a high-profile selection committee in August 2010, which was expected to name the successor by March this year. Tata, who transformed the group into an international conglomerate, will retire in December 2012 after turning 75. The group's internal magazine published a recent interview with Tata Sons director, and one of the search panel members, R K Krishna Kumar, in which he said: "Our committee has come to the conclusion that we cannot find a replacement for Mr Tata!," and goes on to add that, "We may have to change and rearrange the model in terms of what we are looking for."

"There are challenges but we will soon come to a conclusion," Krishna Kumar said. The committee has met some nine times since it was constituted. Tata Group has been searching for business leaders both within and outside the conglomerate with emphasis on candidates having managed a global enterprise. Besides, the candidate should also fit into the group's value and cultural framework.

Several well-known names, including Tata's half brother Noel Tata have been doing the rounds for the coveted post but the group has not reacted to any speculation till date. The deadline to name a successor is now being extended. The group had earlier set a March deadline to provide the successor enough time in understanding the group's functioning.

In the past, Tata had stated that his successor could be an Indian or a foreigner. Till now, the 140-year-old group has had five chairmen with four of them being from the Tata family. The one non-Tata chairman was Nowroji Saklatwala. The group has a presence in almost all sectors from salt-to-steel and tea-to-telecom and is spread across the globe. More than 60% of its revenues now come from overseas following a string of global acquisitions which include Corus, Jaguar Land Rover, General Chemicals and Tetley. Though Tata intends to keep his date with retirement, several shareholders of the group's listed companies had suggested that he should continue to be chairman emeritus and oversee the group's operations.

Double-digit pay hikes for techies this year

BANGALORE: The salary increment season has just started. And techies have something to look forward to. In contrast to the salary cuts and the single-digit hikes during the slowdown years, increments this year are expected to be in double digits for most.

The surge in demand for IT globally and rising customer confidence have substantially increased the demand for people. A quick check done by TOI found that average increments would be in the 12% to 15% range. People in specialized areas, like the product space, are expected to get up to 20% or more.

Fresher salaries/stipends are already up by 10% to 15% compared to last year. Hires from premier educational institutions have seen 15% to 20% increases this year. Recruiters say the country's top tech firms - TCS, Wipro, Infosys, HCL and Cognizant - are considering a 10% to 15% average hike this year. A senior official at Infosys said the company is looking at a pay hike in June and that it should be in the range of 10% to 12%.

Wipro has just started its appraisal process. An e-mail to employees on Wednesday said the process would be completed by May. Increments are expected to be announced in June-July, and will be effective June 1. Sources in the company said increments would be in the 12-15% range, against 8-12% last year.

C Mahalingam, senior V-P and HR head in Symphony Services, said the situation had improved significantly for IT companies. "Markets are warming up. Customer rates are improving. There is also tension in the talent demand-supply scenario. All these will have a positive impact on increments this year,'' he said.

Roy Joseph, head of HR in the technology product development and sourcing of Mahindra & Mahindra, said that with the economy rebounding quicker that expected, there is additional pressure on retaining the best talent. "There is limited supply of quality talent. That means a scramble for good people. Ultimately, what prompts good talent to remain where they are is the remuneration.''

Mahalingam said that people with 3-8 years of experience have become particularly hot property. That's because business has increased rapidly and has not given enough time for companies to train freshers to deal with these orders. However, increments will remain lower than what they were in the years immediately preceding the global recession. Companies are cautious about the global economic outlook, given the sluggish recoveries in western markets and the problems in Japan and West Asia. Salary hikes this year will reflect that caution.

Cairn-Vedanta deal gets extra time

NEW DELHI: Scottish explorer Cairn Energy Plc on Thursday extended by a month the deadline for completing the proposed sale of control in its Indian arm, Cairn India, to London-listed Vedanta Resources of NRI mining-to-metals tycoon Anil Agarwal.

Cairn Energy extended the deadline from April 15 to May 20, a day after the government referred the $9.6 billion deal to a ministerial panel. The company management did not seek fresh approval from its shareholders for extending the deadline. Ever since the deal was leaked in the UK media in August last year, Cairn Energy and its CEO Bill Gammel had repeatedly said the April 15 deadline for completing the transaction, as envisaged in the initial agreement with Vedanta, was sacrosanct and would not be extended.

Market analysts said the fact that Cairn Energy did not go back to the shareholders means the company was prepared for a long haul to see the deal through and may have been trying to put pressure on the government by saying they would not extend the deadline.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron had also written to his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh to say that the Cairn-Vedanta deal, among several other transactions, were facing "regulatory hurdles", which was not conducive to improved bilateral business ties.

Singh too had asked the oil ministry to take a call on the deal by January. The Cabinet's panel on economic affairs had on Wednesday referred the Cairn-Vedanta deal to a ministerial panel under finance minister Pranab Mukherjee after sharp differences arose among ministers on how to clear the deal. On Thursday, Cairn Energy said Vedanta has received Sebi's clearance to commence an open offer for up to 20% of Cairn India shares.


The open offer will be made by Vedanta's subsidiary Sesa Goa and will open for acceptance between April 11 and 30.

Sensex opens 83 points higher on Asian cues

MUMBAI: Snapping a three-session losing streak, the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark sensex recovered by almost 83 points in opening trade on Friday on the back of selective buying by funds as well as retail investors amid a firming trend on other Asian bourses.

The 30-share barometer, which has lost over 111 points in the previous three sessions, rose by 82.97 points, or 0.42 per cent, to 19,674.15 on Friday morning.

The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty also moved up by 21.70 points, or 0.30 per cent, to 5,907.40.

Brokers said the emergence of buying by funds and investors, taking positive cues from other Asian markets, mainly influenced the trading sentiment here.

Buying was confined to the realty, banking, FMCG and capital goods sectors, they added.

Meanwhile, in the Asian region, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was up by 0.50 per cent and Japan's Nekkei by 0.91 per cent in morning trade on Friday, while the US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.14 per cent lower in the previous session.