PUBLICATION OF THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF INDIA IN DUBAI

VOL. 1 ISSUE 1 APRIL 2009

✹ India to grow at 7.1%✹ 12 dedicated centres

for Indian passport and visa services

✹ University of Pune opens campus in RAK

Indiacelebrates60th Republic Day

|3APRIL 2009

INDIA MATTERSAPRIL 2009

2| INDIA MATTERS

AMBASSADOR’S MESSAGEThe publication, India Matters, will portray developments in India as well as major India-related events taking place in the

UAE. This is a timely effort which will spread awareness about the role being played by the Indian Missions and our communityin various fields in the UAE. This is especially important when we are facing an economic slowdown. In the current phase ofuncertainty due to the global economic slowdown, we should not forget that ours is a resilient nation. India will not just endurethe economic crisis, but scale new heights in the near future.

I am glad to note that India-UAE relationship has acquired new dimensions. Both countries have established a strong part-nership in the field of commerce and trade; our ties are evolving into a strategic partnership with diversification into new areassuch as security, defence and energy. Over the last year, there was a regular high-level India-UAE political interaction and dia-logue with the visits of External Affairs Minister, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, and Commerce and Industry Ministry, Shri Mr.Kamal Nath, to the UAE. Early this year Naval Staff Major General Ahmad Mohammad Al Tunaiji, Commander of the UAENaval Forces, visited India.

I compliment the Consulate General of India, Dubai, and particularly Consul General Venu Rajamony for this initiative andwish it all success.

(Talmiz Ahmad)

FROM THE CONSUL GENERAL’S DESKThe Consulate General of India in Dubai is happy to present this monthly publication, which will bring to its readers the lat-

est developments in India, as well as events and happenings relating to India and the Indian community in the UAE.The focus of this publication will be economic, cultural and community matters. India for centuries has been a close eco-

nomic and trading partner of the UAE. It continues till date to be one of its top trading partners with the status of number onedestination for exports and re-exports and number two destination for imports out of Dubai. It will be the endeavour of thismagazine to promote and strengthen this economic partnership by providing reports and features that would assist the businesscommunity in the UAE.

Our inaugural issue provides detailed coverage of the 60th Republic Day celebrations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and theopening of 12 dedicated visa and passport service centres in the UAE. We also cover the launch of the 'Incredible India' tourismpromotion campaign on RTA buses and several other subjects, which are of interest to Indians and friends of India in the UAE.

As part of the Indian Consulate’s efforts to expand its outreach, the Consulate has revamped its website www.cgidubai.com.This publication is the second major effort to reach out to the constituency that we serve and to meet their information needsvis-à-vis India. A PDF version of the magazine will be made available on the website for a wider reach and readers can choose toreceive an online or print version.

Happy Reading!

(Venu Rajamony)

Republic Day celebrations in UAE

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee pre-sented the Interim Union Budget whileRailway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav pre-sented the Interim Railway Budget.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Highlights of interim budgets

INDIA-UAE

Dedicated Indian visaand passport centres

8SPECIAL

General electionsin India

11

DIASPORA

Art show by Indianand Emarati artists

17

1220

TRAVEL: MUNNAR IN KERALA

Colourful celebrations marked the 60th Republic Day of India in the UAE with local and foreign dignitaries participating in the official functions at the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the IndianConsulate in Dubai.

contents

4

percent of the country’s GDP.“Ninety percent of investments

have been from within the country.Despite the financial crisis, India isexpected to continue to grow ataround 7 percent this year,” theConsul General stated.

Pointing out that India was a closeeconomic partner of the UAE,Rajamony said, in the first threequarters of 2008, India was thenumber one destination for Dubai interms of exports and re-exports andnumber two source country forimports.

Reaffirming his faith in the bilateralrelations, he said, “The current finan-cial scenario must be seen, not as acrisis, but as an opportunity to expandrelations between India and the UAEacross the board and to raise thealready close economic partnership toeven greater heights.”

After the speech, the function start-ed with a fashion show presented bythe Department of FashionTechnology, Manipal Academy ofHigher Education in Dubai, whichshowcased the students’ unique talent

of designing clothes for children withspecial needs. Students from SpecialNeeds Families, a Dubai-based groupthat works for the welfare of childrenwith special needs, walked the rampleaving the audience enthralled withtheir confidence and grace. It was fol-lowed by the screening of a short film,“Prarambh”, directed by SantoshSivan, to promote AIDS awareness.The film is one of four short films byfour eminent directors under the ban-ner of “AIDS Jaago” campaign, whichis funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates

Foundation. The evening’s potpourri of Indian

culture also featured some famousclassical and folk dance forms. TheDubai-based Gurukul Group, whichpromotes South Asian art and culture,captivated the audience with a Kathakdance recital.

This classical dance form traces itsorigins to nomadic bards in northIndia, known as ‘Kathaks’ or ‘story-tellers’, who recounted mythologicaland moral tales from the scripturesthrough recitals embellished with

atriotism, festivities, opti-mism and cheer marked thecelebrations of India’s 60thRepublic Day in the United

Arab Emirates (UAE), home toaround 1.5 million expatriate Indians.

Arab dignitaries and members ofthe Indian community attended spe-cial functions held to mark the occa-sion in Dubai and UAE’s capital AbuDhabi.

In Abu Dhabi, India’s Ambassadorto the UAE Talmiz Ahmad unfurledthe national flag at the Indian embassyand read out excerpts from the speechof President Pratibha Patil. In theevening, UAE Energy MinisterMohammad Bin Dhaen Al Hameliand officials of the country’s foreignministry attended a reception hostedby the Ambassador.

In Dubai, India’s Consul GeneralVenu Rajamony hoisted the tri-colour at a function which wasattended by thousands of Indianswho had come braving peak traffictime and unusually cold weather.Students of Indian schools in theemirate sang patriotic songs on theoccasion.

In the evening, members of theroyal families of Dubai, Ras AlKhaimah and Sharjah, prominentEmiratis, diplomats from variouscountries and leading members ofthe Indian community attended areception hosted by the ConsulGeneral, which showcased India’srich cultural heritage.

Guests were welcomed bywomen dressed in saris withThalapoli, a traditional greeting,even as the Chenda, a traditional

percussion instrument of Kerala wasplayed in the background.

The ceremony started with the cus-tomary lighting of the lamp by thedignitaries present.

Speaking on the occasion,Rajamony highlighted the fact thatIndia’s rapid growth in recent yearswas based mainly on internal driverswith exports constituting only 13.5

CCOOVVEERR SSTTOORRYY

|5APRIL 2009

INDIA MATTERSAPRIL 2009

4| INDIA MATTERS

India celebrates 60thRepublic Day in UAEP

hand gestures and facial expressions.This was followed by a performance

of Kuchipudi, the classical dance formof Andhra Pradesh that gets its namefrom a village of the same name onthe Bay of Bengal coast.

The evening was further livened upby performances of Bhangra, the pop-

CCOOVVEERR SSTTOORRYY

|7APRIL 2009

INDIA MATTERSAPRIL 2009

6| INDIA MATTERS

‘India will notabandon the ship’

Indians came to UAE at a timewhen there was no water, power,

roads or skyscrapers. They have livedand worked with the people of UAEin times of prosperity as well asadversity. Indians will not abandonthe ship just because there is a smallfinancial downturn. India and theIndian community, both, standready to support in every mannerpossible the UAE Government andits people in their efforts to tide overthe financial crisis.

In the first three quarters of 2008,India was the number one destina-tion for Dubai in terms of exportsand re-exports and the number twosource for imports. The large middleclass population of India amountingto around 350 million people situat-ed at three hours flying distancefrom Dubai constitute an importantmarket which can provide stimulusto the infrastructure, civil aviation,real estate, retail, tourism and hospi-tality industry in Dubai.

Equally, these sectors which havehelped Dubai carve an internationalreputation for itself are the verysame sectors which hold tremendouspromise for future growth in India.A thousand opportunities exist forUAE companies to invest in Indiaand for UAE and Indian businessesto forge win-win partnerships. !

Dignitaries whoattended thefunction in Dubai! Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed AlMaktoum, President,Department of Civil Aviation andPresident, Emirates Group andDubai Airports

! Abdul Rahman Mohammad AlOwais, UAE Minister for Culture,Youth and CommunityDevelopment

! Sheikh Faisal bin Saqr AlQassimi, Chairman, RAK FreeTrade Zone

! Lt. Gen. Saif Abdulla Al Saif AlShafar, Under Secretary, UAEMinistry of Interior

! Dr. Omar Bin Sulaiman,Governor, Dubai InternationalFinancial Centre and theChairman of the UAE CentralBank

! Ahmed Mohammad Al Midfa,Chairman, Sharjah Chamber ofCommerce and Industry

! Dr. Salah Al Qassim, Adviser,Dubai Culture and Arts Authority

! Nasser Khalifa Al-Budoor,Assistant Under Secretary, UAEMinistry of Health

! Hussain Mohammed AlMahmoodi, Director General,Sharjah Chamber of Commerceand Industry

! Sayed Ebrahim Sharaf,President, Sharaf Group

! Ilyas Abdul Wahab Galadari andMustafa A.W. Galadari, Chairmanand Vice-Chairman respectively ofIlyas & Mustafa Galadari Group

Indian President calls for unifiedeffort to fight terrorismExcerpts from President PratibhaPatil’s Republic Day speech:

We have witnessed, in the lastone year, major events in the

financial and security scenario both atthe global and the national level –terrorism and violence, natural disas-ters, volatility in oil and food prices,and a global economic slowdown.These tested the inherent structuresand systems for dealing with emer-gent situations, throwing up chal-lenges of addressing inadequacies andhighlighting the need to reinforcemonitoring and response mecha-nisms. In the terrorist attacks in ourcities and in different states manyinnocent lives were lost. The nationwas outraged. However, contrary towhat the terrorists had hoped, theevent saw the emergence of a unifiedand strong voice from India.

Unity is our greatest strength. It isthat unique amalgam which trans-forms the over one billion individuals

of the country into an over one bil-lion strong resolve of one nation. It isthis unity which has seen us throughdifficult times and is what we mustpreserve as we seek to fulfill ournational ambitions and goals.

The launch of Chandrayaan-I hasmade every Indian proud. Our effortsat collaborating with the internationalcommunity to reap the benefits oftechnology for the welfare of thenation continue apace. The conclud-ing of the nuclear civil cooperationagreement has made India a partici-pant in the international regime fornuclear energy. Moreover, its finaliza-

tion was an expression of confidenceby the international community inIndia. As a responsible nation, theconduct of our foreign relations sinceindependence has been to promotepeace and development.

We also need to address the genderbias prevalent in our society, whichhas resulted in social malpractices likefemale foeticide, dowry, child mar-riage and other evils. With a view tomake society sensitive towards the girlchild, the “National Girl Child Day”will be celebrated on 24th January,from this year onwards.

I believe each one of us is a proudIndian, willing to work for the nationbut the question is how do we bringabout unison in our efforts. It cannotbe through the following of a narrowagenda. We cannot give in to region-al, sectarian or caste considerations.These concepts militate against thevery principles we chose to followwhen we began our journey as a freenation. !

ular folk dance of Punjab, andDhamaal, a folk dance of Haryana.Farmers perform these dances to cele-brate the onset of spring and the har-vesting season.

Among other highlights of theevening were Dholcholam, a drumdance from the northeastern Indianstate of Manipur, and the Lion Danceof Sikkim, which pays homage to theHimalayan peak of Kanchenjunga,regarded by the Sikkimese people astheir guardian deity. The functionconcluded with a sitar recital.

“The idea behind this event was tobring the villages of India to Dubai

and showcase the native culture of theland,” Consul General Rajamony said.

Guests were also treated to somesumptuous Indian delicacies – fromappams of south India to mouth-watering kebabs of Uttar Pradesh, thefamous chaat of Mumbai and lip-smacking makki di roti of Punjab.

To continue with the explorationof India, foreigners were given giftsafter the event. The bag of goodiescontained DVD’s of the latest Hindifilm “Taare Zameen Par”, a CD ofinstrumental music, assortment ofsnacks and traditional Indian tea,along with other souvenirs. !

Excerpts from Consul General Venu Rajamony’s speech:

IINNDDIIAA--UUAAEE

|9APRIL 2009

INDIA MATTERSAPRIL 2009

8| INDIA MATTERS

W ithin days of inauguratingdedicated centres forIndian visas and passports

in the UAE, the Indian community ishailing it as a big success.

Expediting visa and passport appli-cation procedures and easing theprocess, the Indian Embassy andConsulate General of India in associa-tion with Empost, has opened 12 cen-tres to receive applications for passportsand visas.

This is in line with Government ofIndia’s policy to reach out to the vastIndian community in different parts ofthe world including the Gulf region toprovide efficient and transparent servic-es in a comfortable environment withminimum additional financial liability.

The first such office was opened inDeira on February 19 by ConsulGeneral of India to the UAE VenuRajamony and Sultan Al Midfa, ChiefExecutive Officer of Empost. It startedreceiving applications from public fromFebruary 20.

Speaking at the launch of the newservice, Rajamony said, “The goal is toreduce the congestion and enable peo-ple to avail the services without havingto take time away from work. The out-

sourcing efforts are part of a larger pol-icy decision of Government of India topermit Indian missions across theworld an opportunity of engaging pri-vate firms to provide services.”

He stated that the move would go along way towards benefiting the largeIndian community in the UAE, as alsoUAE residents who wish to visit India.

“The centres will be managed byskilled employees from Empost, whohave been trained to complete the pre-liminary paperwork and other formali-ties related to the services and forwardthe applications to the Embassy orConsulate for processing. This initia-tive, the first of its kind, is part of ourefforts to provide high-value customerservice in all matters related to passportsand visas,” the Consul General said.

Commenting on the new service,Empost CEO Sultan Al Midfa said, “Asa service provider to the major initiativeundertaken by the Indian Embassy andConsulate, Empost has made greatprogress since signing the agreement.All of us who were involved in makingthis initiative a reality took great care toensure that the facilities and servicesoffered at these offices are of the high-est standards with the main aim of pro-

viding a hassle-free experience to appli-cants. We would like to thank theIndian Embassy and Indian Consulatefor reposing their trust in our ability torun these dedicated centres as animportant service to the public.”

The Indian Embassy and Consulateused to handle around 200,000 pass-port services and 63,000 visas annually.Over 4,000 people visited the Embassyand the Consulate daily to seek theseservices.

But now, with the opening of thededicated centres by Empost, it will bemuch more convenient as it will haveextended working hours on weekdays,as well as on weekends and will becapable of receiving large number ofapplicants daily, between 7 a.m. and10p.m. A dedicated website(www.ipavsc.com) has been set up toprovide information, facilitate onlineapplications and check the status ofapplications. A call centre (600522229) has also been established toanswer telephone queries. Trained staff,familiar with different Indian languageslike Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam willguide applicants in filling up forms.The applicants for passports and pass-port related services will be pho-tographed digitally at the collectioncentres and hence will not have to pro-vide photographs with their applica-tions. Applicants will receive back theirdocuments via courier at theiroffice/residence. Whenever required,the centres are also in a position toschedule appointments with theEmbassy/ Consulate for interviews.

A nominal service fee will be leviedby Empost at a cost of AED12 for eachpassport service and AED50 for eachvisa service, over and above the normalpassport and visa application fees.

While applications of passports andvisas will have to be submitted at theEmpost centres, attestations of docu-ments and other legal matters will con-tinue to be done as before at theEmbassy/Consulate. !

Indian missions in UAE outsourcevisa and passport services W ith the end of school ses-

sions round the corner andcollege worries looming

large for Indian parents in the UAE, theinauguration of the University of Pune(UoP) campus in Ras al-Khaimah(RAK) comes as a relief to many.

The formal launch was made at afunction held in the emirate in thepresence of Sheikh Saud bin Saqr AlQasimi, Crown Prince and DeputyRuler of Ras al-Khaimah, IndianConsul General Venu Rajamony andtop officials from the University ofPune and Edulink Consultants, aDubai-based education consultancyfirm that helped set up the Indianhigher education institution in RAK.

Speaking on the occasion, SheikhSaud said, “We are living in the age ofknowledge society, where a country isrecognized based on its knowledge baseand how it organizes its humanresources. The Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah greatly values the develop-ment of its human potential and iscommitted to make the emirate a hubfor higher education in the region.”

During the inauguration, theConsul General applauded the initia-tive by the University of Pune and said,“It is wonderful to have a governmentinstitution here in RAK. This marks awelcome shift in the thinking patternof state universities in India, some ofwhich are world class. I hope moresuch universities will venture into theUAE”. He also expressed his gratitudeto the RAK government for supportingIndian educational institutions.

Narendra Jadhav, Vice Chancellor,University of Pune, said that setting upof a branch campus in the UAE was akey milestone for the University.“University of Pune is well known bothin India and globally. The universitywill bring a distinct advantage with itstraditions of excellence. This will also

be the first time when the universitywill be directly teaching all pro-grammes at a branch campus.”

The University will start offering itsflagship two year, full-time MBA pro-gramme in September 2009, alongwith a range of other bachelor’s andmaster’s programmes in sciences, man-

agement, engineering, commerce,pharmacy and other subjects. TheMBA programme will have dual spe-cialization, whereby students will takeone subject from the functional list andanother from the sectoral list for spe-cialization. The sectoral specializationwould include sectors like retail, IT,biotechnology, banking and insurance.

“Apart from the regular academicprogrammes, the university will startan MBA and an Executive MBA pro-gramme for working professionals andwill be offered through evening andweekend classes. We will also com-mence an Information TechnologyEnabled Services programme whichwill have a 70 percent online compo-nent,” said Riaz Bava, ManagingDirector of Edulink Consultants.

The UoP campus will initially oper-ate from a location in Al Burairat areanear the George Mason UniversityCampus and will eventually move to itsown buildings in the planned educa-tion city that will come up in RAK.

University of Pune joins severalother Indian institutions like BirlaInstitute of Technology InternationalCentre and Ras al-Khaimah Medicaland Health Sciences University run bythe ETA Group which are alreadyfunctioning in Ras al-Khaimah. !

University of Pune opens campus in RAK

! Undergraduate, graduate andpostgraduate courses available.! A full-time MBA programmestarts September 2009.! Currently accepting applicationsand registrations for post-graduatelevel ! Evening and weekend classes alsoavailable.! UoP has been awarded five starrating, the highest grade by theindependent National Assessmentand Accreditation Council of India.! UoP was honoured by theUniversity Grants Commission as aUniversity with Potential forExcellence. ! Has 650,000 students studyingon its parent campus and affiliatedcolleges.

Classes commenceSeptember 2009

IINNDDIIAA--UUAAEE

|11APRIL 2009

INDIA MATTERSAPRIL 2009

10|INDIA MATTERS

Two public buses wrapped intourism images are running onDubai roads till mid-march

between Al Satwa Bus Station to AlQusais and from Al Quoz IndustrialArea to Al Ghubaiba Bus Station as partof the Incredible India campaign.Capitalizing on the visibility and reachof outdoor advertising, India Tourismhas branded RTA buses with colourfuland engaging designs.

The initiative is to communicatewith potential tourists and thus pro-mote India as a preferred holiday desti-nation. Officials believe that such ini-tiatives, along with conventionalmedia, will help boost the inflow oftourists into the country. Draping abuilding with Incredible India images isalso on the cards.

Launching the first phase of the out-door promotion on January 31, IndianConsul General Venu Rajamony said,“We have an opportunity to attract

more tourists, especially in a time of theglobal turmoil. With people cancellingtheir long haul trips, India can emergeas the preferred choice for Emirati andWesterners, since its only three-fourhours from Dubai.”

Tourism officials claim that Gulftravellers are showing keen interest inadventure tourism such as moun-taineering, rock climbing, white waterrafting, kayaking, surfing and

snorkelling, among others. Besides, alarge segment is interested in enjoyingthe experiences of staying in palacesand travelling on luxury heritage trainssuch as the Palace on Wheels and theDeccan Odyssey.

Several UAE nationals have been intouch with tour operators in the emi-rates to design special tour packagesoffering adventure, heritage and healthtourism. !

Dubai buses sport Incredible India campaign

Srinagar became an internationalairport on the February 14 giving

tourism in Jammu and Kashmir amuch needed boost. The first directcommercial flight, an Air IndiaExpress carrier took off the same dayfrom Srinagar to Dubai. Up untilnow, only Haj flights were operatingdirectly from the airport to Jeddah.

During the flagging off of the flight,United Progressive AllianceChairperson Sonia Gandhi said, “Thestart of the Dubai-Srinagar interna-tional flight will help people ofKashmir and promote tourism.”

The carrier, a wholly owned sub-sidiary of Air India, will operate once-a-week non-stop flights from Srinagarto Dubai on Saturdays. BiswajitMukherji, Manager, Air India Express,

said that there would be a one wayintroductory fare starting fromAED99 plus taxes. The flight willdepart from Dubai at 8:30 a.m. andarrive in Srinagar at 1:20 p.m. Onreturn, it will depart from Srinagar at2:20 p.m. and arrive in Dubai at 4:50p.m.

Air India Express, which offersflights to 10 major international desti-nations inducted a fresh B737-800 air-craft increasing its fleet size to 21 air-craft, including seven leased aircraft.The new aircraft inducted in the fleet

has a “shikara (boat) on the Dal Lakein Kashmir” on one side of the tail andan “image of a large expanse of theRajasthan Desert” on the other side.

The carrier will be operating fromthe revamped Srinagar airport, whichwas done up at a cost of Rs. 600 mil-lion ($12,110,200).

Tourism is reviving in the valley.Jammu and Kashmir held elections in2008 which saw a huge voter turnoutof 63 percent. Omar Abdullah waschosen as the youngest chief ministerof the country to lead the state.Although in recent years tourism inKashmir has suffered due to insur-gency, such initiatives from theGovernment guaranteed a footfall of500,000 to the valley last year. Here’sto a better tomorrow! !

Jammu and Kashmir reaches out to the world, through Dubai

India, the world’s largest democra-cy with 714 million voters, willpick a new government over five

phases between April 16 and May 13,and the votes will be counted on May16, it was announced onMarch 2.

In what is often billed asthe festival of democracy,over six million civil officialsas well as police and paramil-itary personnel will overseethe conduct of the elections,the 15th to the 545-seat LokSabha since India gainedindependence in 1947.

Making the much awaitedannouncement, ChiefElection Commissioner N.Gopalaswami said that 124Lok Sabha constituencieswould go to the polls onApril 16, followed by 141 onApril 23, 107 on April 30, 85 on May 7 and 86 con-stituencies on the final dayon May 13.

The millions of votes cast in theworld’s seventh largest country wouldbe counted on May 16.

Political parties welcomed the dec-laration of the fresh election, which

would take place exactly five yearsafter voters delivered a verdict inApril-May 2004 that unseated theBharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led gov-ernment and brought into power aCongress-led coalition.

Gopalaswami said elections to theAndhra Pradesh, Orissa and Sikkimassemblies would also take placealong with the Lok Sabha battle.Assembly by-elections would also beheld in Mizoram, Jharkhand andKarnataka (one seat each) andNagaland (four seats).

Over four million civil officials and2.1 million security personnel wouldbe deployed in 828,800 polling sta-tions, an increase of 20 percent over2004, for free and fair elections.

The strength of the Indian elec-torate, more than the combined pop-ulation of Russia and the US, hasgone up by 43 million since 2004 to714 million now, Gopalaswami said.

A total of 1.36 million electronicvoting machines would be used.

Jammu and Kashmir as well asUttar Pradesh, India’s most populousstate, would see polling spread overfive phases while Bihar would havefour rounds of balloting.

Maharashtra and West Bengalwould undergo polling over threephases. Eight states – Andhra Pradesh,Assam, Jharkhand, Karnataka,Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Orissaand Punjab – would witness votingover two phases.

Fifteen states would end the exer-cise within a day, said Gopalaswami.

He added that the election dateswere decided after extensive discus-sions with political parties as well aschief secretaries, directors general ofpolice and chief electoral officers of allstates. Local holidays, religious festi-vals and annual school examinationswere also taken into consideration. !

India votes from April 16 to May 13

Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami flanked by Election CommissionersNavin B. Chawla (right) and S.Y. Qureshi (left) while announcing the poll dates.

EELLEECCTTIIOONN SSPPEECCIIAALL

! This is the 15th general election to the545-seat Lok Sabha since India’s independ-ence in 1947.

! The Indian electorate is 714-millionstrong, more than the combined populationof Russia and the US.

! There will be 828,800 polling stations.

! Over four million civil officials and 2.1million security personnel will be deployed atthe polling stations.

! 1.36 million electronic voting machineswill be used.

!124 constituencies will go to the polls onApril 16, 141 on April 23, 107 on April 30,85 on May 7 and 86 on May 13.

!Votes to be counted on May 16.

KEY FACTS

BBUUSSIINNEESSSS && EECCOONNOOMMYY

|13APRIL 2009

INDIA MATTERSAPRIL 2009

12|INDIA MATTERS

! Total expenditure for 2009-10pegged at Rs. 9,532.31 billion.! Provision for subsidy on food, fertiliz-er and petroleum at Rs. 955.79 billion.! Farmers to get loan up to Rs.100,000 at 7 percent. ! Debts of 360 million farmerstotalling Rs. 653 billion waived off. ! Rural job schemes to get Rs. 301 bil-lion in 2009-10. ! Defence spending up by 31 percentwith allocation Rs. 1,417.03 billion.! Mid-day meal scheme allocated Rs. 83 billion.! Infrastructure spending to be 9 per-cent of GDP by 2014.! Rs. 400 billion relief extendedthrough tax cuts. !Tax collections in 2008-09 to exceedthat of 2007-08. ! Economy grew at 9 percent for thirdstraight year.! Outlook for higher education roseby 900 percent in 11th Five-Year Plan. ! 98 percent of habitation covered by elementary education.! Steps taken to deepen and widen securities market.! 15-point programme for welfare of minorities set up.! Record FDI inflow of $32.4 billion.

Interim Budget HIGHLIGHTS

F inance Minister PranabMukherjee has said that India’sGDP growth of 7.1 percent for

the current year would make the coun-try the second-fastest growing econo-my of the world.

“The fallout of the global slowdownon Indian economy was counteredwith fiscal stimulus packagesannounced in December 2008 andJanuary 2009 providing tax relief toboost demand and increasingexpenditure on public proj-ects,” he said, while presentingthe Interim Budget for the year2007-08 in New Delhi onFebruary 16.

The pre-election budget is amega effort to shield the econo-my from the global slump andprovide relief for the poor. TheGovernment has decided to step upspending to protect the country fromrecession. Expenditure will rise 6 per-cent to Rs. 9.53 trillion ($196 billion)in the year starting April 1 according tothe budget.

India received a total of $23.3 billionin foreign direct investment (FDI)

between April and December 2008,recording a growth of 45 percent,Mukherjee said.

But he added that that there was nochance of complacency in these toughfinancial times. “There’s a need to sus-tain foreign trade, revive foreign invest-ment and generate domestic demand inorder to maintain our growth rates".

In the budget, the Governmentpromised help for the rural sector and

stem job losses. It showedplans for the period April-July in fiscal 2009-10 fiscal totake care of essential spend-ing.

The Finance Minister alsosaid that in order to maintainthe growth momentum, theGovernment had approved

37 infrastructure projects worth Rs.700 billion ($14.1 billion) from August2008 to January 2009 and gave in-principle or final approval to 54 centralsector infrastructure projects with aproject cost of Rs. 677 billion. Further,the Government also approved 23 proj-ects amounting to Rs. 279 billion forviability gap funding in 2008-09. !

India poised to grow at7.1%, says Mukherjee

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad cutfares by 2 percent, introduced 43

new routes and hiked the plannedexpenditure for Indian Railways’ expan-sion in the Interim Railway Budget thathe presented on February 13 in spite ofthe economic downturn that saw lowerfreight revenues last quarter.

Following are the highlights:! Two percent reduction in fares forvirtually all classes .! Feasibility studies progressing well tostart ‘bullet trains’ in India.

! Passenger income up 14 percent.! Plan outlay for 2009-10 kept at Rs.379.05 billion.! Railways will create record surplus ofRs. 900 billion this fiscal. ! Rs. 700 billion surplus ploughedback to improve efficiency. ! Railways saw 14 percent rise in pas-senger income. ! Eight percent growth in freight load-ing in five years. ! Estimated freight earnings for nextfiscal pegged at Rs. 590.59 billion.

! Wagons with higher capacity to beintroduced.! Work has started on Delhi-Mumbaidedicated freight corridor ! Kolkata Metro will be expanded. ! 43 new train services to be started in2009-10. ! Frequencies of 14 trains enhanced ! Passenger volume likely to grow byaround 7 percent over previous year. ! Steps to have railway connectivity toKashmir initiated.! Four call centres started.

Interim Railway Budget: 43 new trains planned in 2009-10

IN SHORT

The Indian telecommunicationsindustry is on a growth trajecto-

ry with the global system for mobilecommunications (GSM) operatorsadding a record 9.3 million new sub-scribers in January 2009, taking thetotal user base to 267.5 million,according to the Cellular OperatorsAssociation of India (COAI).

In the first month of 2009,Vodafone Essar added 2.4 million newusers, taking its total base up to 63million, while Airtel added 2.73 mil-lion more customers.BSNL added1.31 million new users, while MTNLadded 0.1 million in January.

India's annual rate of inflation fellfurther to 2.43 percent for the week

ended February 28 from 3.03 theweek before.

The inflation figure was the lowestsince June 2002. The official wholesaleprice index however rose by 0.04 per-cent during the week. While the indexfor primary articles rose by 0.2 percent,that for manufactured products fellmarginally by 0.1 percent. The indexfor fuels remained unchanged.

The media and entertainmentindustry in India is likely to grow

at 12.5 percent per annum over thenext half-a-decade and touch $20.09billion by 2013, a report by KPMGand Federation of Indian Chambers ofCommerce and Industry says.

The industry grew 12.4 per cent toreach $11.73 billion in the year 2008,owing to increased media penetrationamong India’s huge population.

India-born steel czarLakshmi Mittal andhead of India’s

largest company MukeshAmbani figure amongthe Forbes list of‘World’s Most PowerfulBillionaires’ who wield astaggering authority and influence farbeyond their riches.

Ranking third on the global listcompiled by US business magazine isLakshmi Mittal who “controls 10 per-cent of the world’s steel productionthrough his company ArcelorMittal”despite his fortune falling $24.5 billionbetween March and November 2008.

“Born in India but lives inLondon, where his political cloutoften incites controversy”, it said,noting, “In 2002, then British PrimeMinister Tony Blair reportedly wrotea letter to the Romanian prime min-ister hinting a sale of the country’s

steel company to Mittalwould facilitate itsentrance into theEuropean Union.”

Figuring seventh onthe list is MukeshAmbani, who heads“petrochemicals giant

Reliance Industries, Indian’s largestcompany by market cap”. Forbesnoted he produces oil, gas, petrochem-icals and textiles and is personallyfunding construction of a 27-storeyhome in Mumbai that could cost $2billion.

Giving the rationale behind thecompilation of this list, Forbes hadnoted last March, there were 1,125 bil-lionaires in the world, each wieldingtremendous wealth and weight overthe markets and industries in whichthey operate. Heading this year’s listis Michael Bloomberg, Mayor ofNew York City. !

Mittal, Ambani on mostpowerful billionaires list

Mittal (left) and Ambani

The global downturn has notaffected outward remittances by

Indians and they continue to spend onoverseas education, travel and realestate investments.

According to the latest data releasedby the Reserve Bank of India, duringthe first eight months of the currentfinancial year, the total outflowsthrough the liberalized remittancescheme (LRS) for individuals was esti-mated at $531 million.

Under LRS, residents are permittedto remit up to an amount of $200,000every financial year (April-March) forcurrent and capital account transac-tions. While outward remittances are

nowhere near the levels seen in August($159.7 million), there has been apick-up of sorts in November whenoutflows under LRS were estimated at$58.8 million as against $51 million inSeptember and $40.9 million inOctober. Outward remittances in2007-08 for education and travel wereestimated at $160.4 million.

For equity and debt investments, theRBI data shows that remittances rose to$12.4 million in November, the levelseen in June and July but much higherthan those in September and Octoberwhen the impact of the credit crisis wasseen across the globe and investorsbecame risk averse. !

Indians continue to spend overseas

Mobile subscriber basetouches 267.5 mn

Inflation down to 2.43%

Media set for big growth

BBUUSSIINNEESSSS && EECCOONNOOMMYY

|15APRIL 2009

INDIA MATTERSAPRIL 2009

14|INDIA MATTERS

Aero India 2009, the inter-national air show, atYelahanka Air Force on the

outskirts of Bangalore held fromFebruary 11 to 15, was a grand dis-play of military equipment andtechnology. Over 200,000 visitors,including 50,000 business dele-gates, attended the show. Apartfrom India, the participating coun-tries included the US, UK, Canada,Australia, Brazil, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland,Israel, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain,Sweden and Switzerland among others. Manufacturers, ven-dors and suppliers from these countries exhibited their mili-tary and civil aircraft.

Boeing Integrated Defence System’s twin engine F/A-18FSuper Hornet, Mikoyan’s MiG-35D, Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Falcon, the Indian Air Force’s famed Sarang helicopterand Surya Kiran fixed-wing aerobatic teams, the AdvancedLight Helicopter Dhruv, the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer and

the Embraer 135 BJ Legacy 600were the show stoppers at the event.Indian Air Force also took thisopportunity to display their mostpowerful airborne platform, thetwin-engine fighter, Su-30MKI.The Eurofighter Typhoon, partici-pating for the first time, wowed thecrowd, so did the F-16 and F-18,LCA Tejas, Sukhoi 30 MKI andothers.

This year, Olympics star Abhinav Bindra, India’s firstastronaut Rakesh Sharma, and MP Naveen Jindal flew the F-16. Aero India is an air show that takes place biennially inBangalore. One of the major aviation exhibitions in India,the show was first held in the year 1996 and has alreadycarved a niche for itself globally as a premier aerospace exhi-bition, with six successful editions. It aims at bringingexhibitors from all around the globe, under one roof, toshowcase the best in aviation. The next Aero India will beheld from February 9, 2011. !

Aero India 2009 draws 250,000 visitors

G lobal accounting firm KPMGhas recognised Ahmedabad,Jaipur and Nagpur among 31

emerging cities globally, for the infor-mation technology (IT) and businessprocess outsourcing (BPO) industry.

As the existing favourite locationsfor shared services and outsourcingbecome saturated, newer cities areemerging, offering improved incentivepackages and talent, that are bettergeared for the IT/ITeS industry, saysKPMG in its report, ‘Exploring GlobalFrontiers — the New EmergingDestinations’.

The report highlights that enterpris-es are moving offshore not only tobenefit from lower costs and access toa diversified talent pool, but also to getan added "first-mover" advantage ifthey tap relatively unexplored cities.They can also acquire various incen-tives such as government grants due to

a heavier hand at the negotiation tableas “first-movers”. Countries in thedeveloping markets are offering lowercost destinations for outsourcing serv-ices, and also access to their marketswhich have high growth potential.Some cities are also becoming activelyinvolved, independently promotingtheir capabilities and programmes.

To create a “unique selling point”,specific services such as accounting,research and development and anima-tion are being promoted.

The report identifies that even thebest and the most affordable workforcecannot compensate for inadequatetelecommunications infrastructure thatrequires companies to invest millionsof dollars in dedicated lines and redun-dancies.

Similarly, some cities with large andaffordable skill pools, lack moderncommercial real estate required tohouse sophisticated IT operations.

Local political conditions and businesspractices may make setting up andrunning a business a costly and frus-trating experience.

Factors that supported these cities tojoin the list include, presence and fur-ther improvement of infrastructure,incentives provided by state govern-ments, availability of human resourceand low risk possibilities.

Egidio Zarrella, global partner-in-charge, IT Advisory, KPMG, ina state-ment coinciding with the release of thereport, said: “Over the longer run,companies are likely to pursue rational-ization measures. In the IT/BPOindustry, these measures are likely tofocus on the search for lower cost busi-ness alternatives globally, that couldalso allow companies to provide diver-sity to their global operations.”

He added that entities were begin-ning to look at other alternative loca-tions due to a variety of drivers. !

Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Nagpur next IT hotspots

Amidst the global financial crisis,19 Indian banks have made it to

the world’s top 500 financial brandsprovided by the Brand Finance alongwith The Banker magazine

The biggest gainer from India wasHDFC Bank, whose brand value roseby $243 million from 2007 to $611million in 2008, with its position inthe league table jumping to 151st in2008 from 236th in 2007. Axis Bankmoved up the ladder to occupy the267th position, while Kotak MahindraBank was at 278th. On the contrary,State Bank of India (SBI) ranked 69th,down from 60th a year earlier.

The other 13 new entrants fromIndia are Punjab National Bank, Bankof India, Canara Bank, Bank ofBaroda, Union Bank of India, IndianOverseas Bank, Indian Bank, PowerFinance Corporation, Oriental Bankof Commerce and Syndicate Bank.and three SBI associates – State Bankof Hyderabad, State Bank of Patialaand State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur.

Indian banks among top500 financial brands

India became the fourth largestadopter of biotech crop in the

world in 2008 planting Bt cotton on7.6 million hectares, according to theInternational Service for theAcquisition of Agri-biotechApplications (ISAAA).

A record five million small andresource-poor farmers planted Bt cot-ton in 2008, significantly up fromonly 3.8 million farmers in 2007.Cotton area in India comprises about21% of the total area in the world androughly 13% of the total cotton out-put in the world. At the national level,cotton production increased from15.8 million bales in 2001-02 to 32.2million bales in 2008-09.

India takes a lead inbiotech crop

INDIA POSITIVE

India’s steel industry has the potentialto grow at double digit rates and

should target a production of 125 mil-lion tonnes in the medium term.Sounding an optimistic note, leadingprofessional services firm Ernst &Young’s latest report states that thoughthe world steel scenario is grim, Indiastands in good stead.

Quoting the report titled ‘IndianSteel Industry 2009: squeezed, butstrong’, Navin Vohra, partner andnational leader, Metals & MiningPractice, in Ernst & Young said, “Thecurrent Indian scenario is very similarto that of China in 1998 and we expectsignificant investments here towardslarge-scale public infrastructure, urban-ization, auto and white goods. Further,in the long-term, capacity in the com-modity industry has to move to low-cost centres and India is well-placed

with abundant high-quality iron ore,qualified manpower and competitivecapital costs due to low land and con-struction costs.”

According to the report, while thenear-to-medium term future of theglobal steel industry is challenging, theoutlook for India is also encouragingbecause unlike the last bear phase dur-ing 1993-94 to 2001-02 when thedomestic sector was reeling under asupply overhang, the supply-demandscenario is more balanced this time.On the related question of whether theIndian steel industry is prepared for theexpected demand growth, the reporthas suggested certain proactive meas-ures to boost supply additions such aspriority sector status for credit avail-ability, clear and unambiguous mineallocation and land acquisition poli-cies. !

Steel can grow in double digits

The Indian pharmaceutical sectorwill remain stable during the cur-

rent year 2009, according to ratingsagency Fitch.

This comes at a time when theagency has downgraded its outlook forEuropean and US pharma sectors. Thereport has pointed out that the pres-sures arising out of weak global eco-nomic environment coupled with aweaker rupee and a wave of mindsetchange in governments across theworld which are now migrating to pro-generic attitude to reduce healthcarespend will translate in higher exportorders for the low-cost Indian genericdrug makers and an increased demandfor low cost contract research and man-ufacturing activities.

Meanwhile, there is a sharp changein the trends of acquisitions of phar-

maceutical firms over the last threeyears. While Indian pharma companieswere aggressively buying small andmid-size companies globally between2006 and 2008, foreign pharmaceuti-cal giants are now keen on buyingIndian drug firms.

Pfizer is in talks with Wockhardt tobuy the Indian company’s animalhealthcare business besides some otherlocal companies. GSK and SanofiAventis are reportedly looking to buyPiramal Lifesciences. Other potentialtarget companies for MNC drug firmsinclude Aurobindo Pharma, DiviLaboratories, Cipla, Shasun Chemicalsand Torrent Pharma. Last year,Germany’s Fresenius Kabi boughtDabur Pharma and Japan’s DaiichiSankyo acquired RanbaxyLaboratories. !

Pharma sector to stay stable in ’09

DDIIAASSPPOORRAA

|17APRIL 2009

INDIA MATTERSAPRIL 2009

16| INDIA MATTERS

W inners of the 2008 RamonMagsaysay Award PrakashAmte and his wife

Mandakini Amte were honoured inDubai on January 1 for their achieve-ments in the field of community lead-ership. Film actor Atul Kulkarni andjournalist and film producer Ajit Bhureattended the ceremony. Renownedvocalist Padmaja Phenany-Joglekar per-formed at the event.

Prakash and Mandakini Amte havebeen working for over 30 years in theremote forests of central India servingthousands of tribal people by providinghealthcare facilities and educationalservices. The award was in recognitionto their pathbreaking work among theMadia Gond tribes.

Beginning in 1975, Prakash andMandakini Amte built a hospital in theinterior area and performed surgeries,treated malaria, tuberculosis, and dysen-tery, burns and animal bites of theimpoverished tribals free of cost.

In 1976, they opened a school. Afterinitial reluctance, the Madia Gonds

sent their children, and in time, theschool prospered and became a centrefor both academic and vocational edu-cation.

The Amtes then introduced theMadia Gonds to agriculture – growingvegetables, fruits, and irrigated grainsorganically – and encouraged them toconserve forest resources.

Today, the Amtes’ hospital has 50beds, a staff of five doctors, and treats40,000 patients a year free of charge. Itis a regional centre for mother and

child welfare and health education. Its “barefoot doctors” bring first aid

to outlying villages and serve as a a wel-come relief to the poor. Prakash Amteis the son of one of India’s most respect-ed social activists, late Baba Amte, whois particularly known for his work withleprosy patients.

Baba Amte devoted his life to manyother social causes, the most notable ofwhich were environmental awareness,wildlife preservation and the NarmadaBachao Andolan. !

Magsaysay Award winners felicitated

Health camp for labourers

The Association of All KeralaMedical Graduates (AKMG),conducted a health awareness

camp for labourers and working classpersonnel at Al Ilahthoor Camp inJebel Ali on Friday 23rd January, 2009.

The programme was conducted inassociation with the IndianConsulate.Consul General Mr. VenuRajamony inaugurated the event andVice Consul for Labour Affairs Mr.R.K Raina also took part in the camp.

Participants were welcomed by Dr.Mohammad Kasim, President DubaiChapter of AKMG, and addressed byDr. Viswanathan, the PresidentAKMG UAE Chapter.

Classes were conducted by Dr.Kasim Rawther, Dr. Harish Babu, Dr.Nirmala Raghunath and Dr. EjasKader.

AKMG-UAE, one of the largest pro-fessional organizations in Dubai is anaffiliated branch of AKMG Internationaland has around 250 doctors. !

An artisticconfluence of India, UAE

‘Kaleidoscope’, a painting exhi-bition organized by theIndian Embassy in Abu

Dhabi, brought together Emarati andIndian artists to celebrate the culturalconfluence of the two countries.

The works displayed at the showwere inspired by the history and mod-ern challenges of India and the UAE.For the first time, artists from bothnations shared a platform to portraytheir personal and unique expressionson vibrant canvases.

Celebrated Indian artists like M.F.Hussain, Shamshad Husain, KParmeswaran, Anand Channar and AIAkbar participated alongside Emaratiartists, including Najat Makki, Mona alKhaja, Wasel Safwan, Musab AbdulQadir al Rais, and Matar bin Lahej.Sixty six works were up for sale, with 20percent of all sale proceeds going to theDubai Autism Centre. !

6

APRIL 2009

DDIIAASSPPOORRAA

|19APRIL 2009

INDIA MATTERS18| INDIA MATTERS

Mogaveers UAE, an organizationof UAE-based Mogaveers, a sea-

faring community from Karnataka,celebrated its first anniversary onFebruary 6 in Dubai.

Karnataka Rajyotsava Award recipi-ent G. Shanker inaugurated the func-tion which had India’s Consul GeneralVenu Rajamony as its chief guest.

There are around 3,000 Mogaveersin the UAE from all walks of life likebankers, doctors, civil engineers andaccountants.

Speaking on the occasion,Mogaveers UAE President Lokesh V.Puthran Kudroli said: “From the fish-ing community, our Mogaveera fore-fathers have given importance to edu-cation which has helped the presentgeneration to become doctors, engi-neers, chartered accountants, member

of parliaments, MLAs (members oflegislative assembly), software engi-neers etc.”

The fishing settlements ofMogaveers, known in local parlance‘pattanas’, dot Karnataka’s coastal dis-tricts of Udupi and DakshinaKannada. These pattanas, numberingabout 200, are located in the coastaltalukas of Dakshina Kannada likeKundapur, Udupi and Mangalore andalso in Kasargod taluka, now a part ofKerala state.

In olden times, Mogaveers had tostruggle for their living by defying thewaves and facing raging storms andtidal waves. They were among the ear-

liest inhabitants of South India.Members of the community migratedto Mumbai two centuries ago andestablished schools, colleges, coopera-tive banks in various cities. In the Gulf,there are overseas organizations of thecommunity in the UAE and Muscat inOman.

The February 6 function was alsoattended by Pravasi Bharatiya Sammanrecipient J.R. Gangaramani andDinesh Kunder, Inspector of Customsat Mangalore International Airport.The dignitaries were felicitated fortheir dedicated service to the commu-nity and for supporting numerouscharities. !

Mogaveers ofUAE cometogether

Kerala alumni body holds carnivalAChristmas and New Year Carnival held

by the All Kerala Colleges AlumniForum (AKCAF) on January 23 at EtisalatAcademy in Dubai drew more than 2,000people. Processions, Christmas tree and carolcompetitions, a cooking contest, sports, fami-ly games and magic shows kept the guestsregaled for hours. Consul General of India inDubai Venu Rajamony was the chief guest atthe event.

AKCAF, established in 1998, is an apexintegrated body of 50 active independentalumni associations of Kerala colleges and isone of the largest socio-professional organiza-tions functioning in the UAE. AKCAF is reg-istered with the Indian Community WelfareCouncil (ICWC), which is running under thepatronage of the Indian Consulate, Dubai. !

Mahatma Gandhi once said thattrue art takes note, not merely ofform but also of what lies behind.

For Malekeh Nayiny, what lies behind isBapu himself.

The father of the Indian nation has beenportrayed in various art forms across theworld, but for the first time an Iranian artisthas put paint to paper to celebrate the legendof Gandhi. Her Dubai exhibition, ‘SOSGandhiji’ and ‘Gandhi Bandages’, which ranat XVA Gallery in Bastakhiya, was a collec-tion of 18 portraits of MohandasKaramchand Gandhi.

The event, which concluded on February20, was a huge hit. Nayiny lives and works inParis and has exhibited her works all over theworld.

It all started when Nayiny’s 90-year-old aunt showed her a painting ofGandhi, after which she started dreaming about the picture and the image ofthe Mahatma refused to fade from her mind. !

An exhibition portraying Indiandancers and dance forms washeld in Dubai from January 15

to 18. The exposition, aptly named‘Super Reflections’, by Kali Jal had artenthusiasts and culture connoisseursmaking a beeline to the exhibition hall.

The four-day event, which was inau-

gurated by India’s Consul General inDubai Venu Rajamony, had profession-al dancers present to explain the mean-ing of the photographs and displays.

Kali Jal, a fashion photographer atStudio Special Effects in Dubai, spe-cializes in Indian classical dancers andspent hours learning the meaning

behind each of the poses to add moremeaning to the pictures. He reachedout to local talent and chose a fewmodels and dance forms on the basis ofcharm, expression and presentation.

Keeping his spotlight on Indiandance he says, “I found this subjectbeautiful and patriotic. An artist’shard work and struggle inspired meimmensely and I decided to docu-ment it”.

Dance gurus like Ketaki Hazra,Prem Menon and Girish Kumar inter-acted with the audience about mudrasand bhavas of the canvas along with thephilosophical aspects of the danceposes. Graphic design and photogra-phy students of several universities inthe UAE took this opportunity tostudy new techniques of art. For Arabsand Westerners, the exhibition provid-ed a sneak peek into India’s traditionalcostumes and jewellery. !

Photo exhibition showcases Indian dances

Sangam: a tributeto global music

Blending Carnatic music with jazzand table with drums, the Sangam

concert in Dubai was an amalgama-tion of Indian and western traditionsand a true tribute to global music.The recital waspart of the DSF2009 line-upand drew morethan 3000 peo-ple.

The artisteswho took partincluded jazz musician Charles Lloyd,jazz drummer Eric Harland, singer andcomposer Sankar Mahadevan, master ofthe kanjira U. Srinivasan, tambourineV. Selvaganesh, percussionist TaufiqQureshi and the king of Tabla himself,Ustad Zakir Hussain. !

Gandhi portraits in Dubai

TTRRAAVVEELL

|21APRIL 2009

INDIA MATTERSAPRIL 2009

20|INDIA MATTERS

MUNNAR:A walk in theCLOUDSAn idyllic break in Kerala

How To Reach: All major carriers fly toKerala. Munnar is accessible by roadfrom Cochin (3.5 hours).

You can also reach Munnar fromCoimbatore (248 km / 6 hours)

Tourist Season: August to March

Temperature: Min. 0c – Max. 25c

Clothing: Warm clothes and rain gear.

FACT FILE

I f you are looking for a peacefulretreat, away from the humdrumof your daily rigmarole, take a trip

to Munnar. It’s an idyllic tourist desti-nation in Kerala and is situated at theconfluence of three mountain streams– Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni andKundala.

Sprawling tea plantations, picturepostcard towns, winding lanes,trekking and holiday facilities makesholidaying at Munnar a unique expe-rience.

Munnar has an ancient history andprehistoric relics that can be datedback to the Stone Age. The writtenhistory begins only from the 10thcentury. In the early 19th century, theheadmen of the villages of Anchanadand Kannan Thevar, held land to thenorth of the high ranges, whichbelonged to the local Rajah of Poojar.The first tea sapling was planted byA.H. Sharp at Parvathi, today a partof the Sevenmullay estate.

Till sometime back, Munnar usedto be a sleepy plantation town dottedwith pristine valleys and mountains,colourful species of flora and faunaand exotic spice markets. But today itsenchanting natural beauty and

Deccan climate has come to the fore-front and attracts many holiday mak-ers. The surrounding areas such asAnayirangal dam (22 km fromMunnar) is surrounded by Tata Teaplantations and evergreen forests,making it an enchanting picnic spot.Top Station, which is about 32 kmfrom Munnar, is 1,700 m above sealevel and boasts of the highest pointon the Munnar-Kodaikanal road. Itoffers a panoramic view of the neigh-bouring state of Tamil Nadu.

Foreign tourists are especially fondof the Rajamalai National Park, whichis inhabited by endangered species ofmountain goats on rolling grasslandsand shoals spread over 97 sq km. Theatlas moth, the largest in the world,the lion-tailed macaque, leopards andtigers are common in this region.Anamudi Peak inside the NationalPark is the highest peak (2,695 m)south of the Himalayas. The slopes ofthe hills abound in all kinds of rareflora and fauna.

If you fancy a boat ride, drive down10 km towards the Mattupetti Damwhere you can also enjoy horse rides.Many water lovers head straight to theKundala Lake.

Many tourists make a beeline forthe Top Station. It is 37 km fromMunnar on the Kerala-Tamil Naduborder and has great views of theWestern Ghats. The area is known forthe Neelakurunji plant, which flowersonly once every twelve years. If youare a sandalwood fan and aromasinterest you, head to Marayoor. It isthe only place in Kerala with a naturalgrowth of sandalwood trees, naturalcaves with murals, and relics from theLater Stone Age.

Munnar is a commercial centrewith some of the world’s best teaestates. There are about 30 tea planta-tions in and around Munnar. Themajority of the plantations are ownedby Tata Group’s Kannan Devan HillsPlantations.

Another interesting place to visit is

the Mattupetti Indo-Swiss Farm.Established in 1961, the KeralaLivestock Development Board wheremore than 100 varieties of high-yield-ing cattle being reared.

Bird watching is an essential part ofthe Munnar experience and can befound in abundance in Salim Ali(Thattekkad) Bird Sanctuary. Thereare woodpeckers, Malabar gray horn-bills, Ceylon frogmouths, parakeetsand rose-billed rollers.

If you are a sports lover and likethe outdoors, walking, rock climbingand rappelling are readily availableoptions. And if you have avid interestin cuisines, don’t forget to tuck-insome spices like cinnamon, cloves,cardamom and pepper and home-made chocolates before you headhome. !

IINNTTEERRAACCTTIIVVEE QQUUIIZZ

1. Identify this place (photo right) thatis located 10 km away from theGateway of India.a) The Ellora Cavesb) The Elephanta Cavesc) The Pataleshwar Cavesd) The Ajanta caves

2. Who is popularly known as ‘Fatherof the Indian Constitution’?a) Jawaharlal Nehrub) Mahatma Gandhic) B.R.Ambedkard) Bal Gangadhar Tilak

3. With what honour has Dr. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam been decorated – thehighest honour that an Indian citizencan receive?a) Arjuna Awardb) Padma Bhushanc) Bharat Ratnad) Padma Vibhushan

4. “Thinking is progress. Non-think-ing is stagnation of the individual,organisation and the country.Thinking leads to action. Knowledgewithout action is useless and irrele-vant. Knowledge with action, convertsadversity into prosperity.” Who saidthese words?a) Swami Vivekanandab) Mahatma Gandhic) Rajiv Gandhid) Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

5. Which national park in India is theonly home of the pure Asiatic lions?

a) Gir Forest National Parkb) Dudhwa National Parkc) Kanha National Parkd) Nagarhole National Park

6. Who was the first Indian to reachthe semifinal in Wimbledon tennischampionship?a) Ramanathan Krishnanb) Ramesh Krishnanc) Leander Paesd) Mahesh Bhupati

7. A tribal martial dance form origi-nated in Mayurbhanj in which thedancers wear masks and is based onvarious episodes of the Ramayana andthe Mahabharata. Name the dance.

a) Chau dance b) Bihuc) Giddad) Ghoomar Dance

8. Who is the first Indian to ever wina solo gold medal at the Olympicgames?a) Abhinav Bindrab) Amit Bhattacharjeec) P.T Ushad) Leander Paes

9. Who was awarded with the RajivGandhi Khel Ratna for 2006, thecountry’s top sporting honour?a) Mahesh Bhupathib) Rahul Dravidc) Jeev Milkha Singhd) Manavjit Singh Sandhu

10. Which Indian city manufacturedfootballs for the FIFA World Cup?a) Ludhianab) Jalandharc) Mumbaid) Chennai

11. Name this Indian tennis playerwho has turned Hollywood filmmaker.a) Leander Paesb) Mahesh Bhupathic) Vijay Amritrajd) Ashok Amritraj

12. Which former beauty pageant win-ner and Bollywood actress has beenvoted for having the most beautifuleyes in the world?a) Sushmita Sen b) Lara Duttac) Parvathy Omanakuttand) Aishwarya Rai

13. Identify this famous temple (photoleft) in Delhi that is visited by around13000 people every single day?a) Baijnath Templeb) Eklingji Templec) Kedarnath Templed) Lotus Temple

KNOW INDIA !Answers:- 1-b,2-c,3-c,4-d,5-a,6-a,7-a,8-a,9-d,10-b,11-d,12-d,13-d

13

1

Indian Passport and Visa Service Centres

Dubai Office A

101, Al Owais Building, Behind Arabian AutomobilesDeira, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai Office B (Passport Only)

No. 3, Karama Star Building, Karama, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai Office C (Visa Only)

Central Post OfficeKarama, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Ras al-Khaimah

EMPOSTRas al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates

KMCC (Deira)

4th Floor, Opp Sabka Bus Station Naif, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Ajman

Indian Association Ajman, Opp Lulu Hypermarket, Al Ittihad Street, Al Sawan, Ajman, United Arab Emirates

Kalba

Indian Social & Cultural Club, KalbaOpp Kalba Police Station, Near Bin Moosa Pharmacy, Kalba,United Arab Emirates

Al Ain

Indian Social Centre, Al Saroj District, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates

Sharjah

Indian Association Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Ras al-Khaimah

Indian Association RAK Al Mamoyra, Muntazar Road, Near Old Mamoura Police StationRas Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates

Fujairah

Indian Social Club Fujairah Al Fazil Road, Opp Hilton HotelFazeel, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates

Khorfakan

Indian Social Club KhorfakanBehind Indian School Kabba, Khorfakan, United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi

2nd Floor, EMPOST Building,Madina Zayed, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Sharjah

EMPOSTAl Wahda Street, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Umm al-Quwain

EMPOST, Umm al-Quwain, United Arab Emirates

For more information including maps log on to www.ipavsc.com

or call 600 522229 email: ipavsc@empost.ae

Open 7 days from 0700 hrs to 2200 hrs

APRIL 200922|INDIA MATTERS

! Holi: The Festival of Colours

Consulate General of IndiaP.O. BOX 737, DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Tel: +971 4 3971222/ +971 4 3971333, Fax: +971 4 3970453, Tlx.: 46061 CGIND EMEmail: cgidubai@emirates.net.ae

CONSULATE HOTLINE NUMBERS: +971 50 9433111 (For women/housemaids in distress and counseling for stress and depression)

+971 50 7347676 (For death formalities on holidays and after office hours)600 522229 (Passport and Visa Services Centre)

Embassy of India, Abu DhabiPlot No. 10, Sector W-59/02, Diplomatic Area, Off the Airport Road

P.O. Box 4090, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesTel: +971 2 4492700, Fax: +971 2 4444685 / +971 2 4447768

Email: indiauae@emirates.net.ae

Holi is a spring festival and is celebrated throughout India in the monthof March with great fervour and gaiety. It is also known as the festival of

colours and signifies the triumph of good over evil.