Poor Vs Rich
Monday, March 22, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Headline News - March 2009
SC dismisses Sanjay Dutt's plea to contest polls (rediff)
Indian in US kills six relatives, self (indian express)
Manmohan Singh is the Prime Ministerial candidate of the Congress and not UPA, says NCP leader D P Tripathi (hindu)
Colombian father accused of decades-long incest, rape (cnn)
Lahore police academy recaptured (bbc)
27 killed in eight-hour siege of Lahore police academy (ians)
Cyber-spies used social sites to trick Dalai Lama's office: US expert (ians)
Varun Gandhi gets bail in 2 cases (rediff)
Salman, Katrina headed for separation (bollywood mantra)
Drinking hot tea raises risk of cancer (ndtv)
26/11 trial: Anjali Waghmare to defend Kasab (hindu)
Hyderabad airport among the world's top 10 (rediff)
Want to Save Money? Carry Around $100 Bills
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1887485,00.html
Sources: GM, Chrysler to get more money; GM CEO to resign (cnn)
Obama: U.S. prepared to pursue targets in Pakistan (cnn)
Would You Like to Make $5,000 a Month Posting a Link on Google?
http://scottsmoneyblog.com/index.html
Police camp attacked in Lahore; 20 dead, hostages taken (zeenews)
Pakistan police academy attacked (bbc)
8 dead as gunmen storm Pak cop training centre (Times of India)
Supersonic BrahMos missile successfully tested in Pokhran (dnaindia)
Critics call WTC tower name change unpatriotic (ap)
Free cash withdrawals from all ATMs from April 1 (samaylive)
Varun charged with attempt to murder, rioting (samaylive)
Rabri, children richer than Lalu; have assets worth Rs 1.2cr (Times of India)
Advani attacks UPA over Indian money in Swiss banks (zeenews)
Researchers: Cyber spies break into govt computers (ap)
Shilpa to marry Raj Kundra in October? (ians)
Left will not support Congress-led alliance (reuters)
Lawyer stabbed 38 times; husband held (cnn)
Lights go out across planet for Earth Hour (cnn)
No NSA against Varun Gandhi yet: Pilibhit district magistrate (Times of India)
Chinese hack into Indian embassies, steal Dalai Lama's documents (deccan herald)
Varun goes to jail riding a saffron wave (rediff)
Vijayashanti to contest from Medak Lok Sabha constituency (eendu)
Australia kicks off Earth Hour climate campaign (Times of India)
First sign on Rs 100 provisions file: Chiru (eenadu)
SC orders common symbol to Praja Rajyam, DMDK and Lok Satta (PTI)
Obama passing new law to allow searching of PC's, Laptops, and media devices (youtube)
Man jailed for sex with car wash vacuum (yahoo)
NJ girl, 14, arrested after posting nude pics (ap)
Bomber kills at least 50 in Pakistani mosque (reuters)
Japan Readies Missile Interceptors (nytimes)
Seychelles: Paradise goes bankrupt (yahoo)
NTR (Junior) seriously injured in road accident (zeenews)
Varun Gandhi's lawyers withdraw his bail plea from Delhi High Court (Times of India)
No alliance with DMK, Congress: DMDK (rediff)
China fury at US military report (bbc)
Deadly Pakistan restaurant blast (bbc)
Manmohan should contest LS poll: Advani (rediff)
India to grow at around 6% in 2009: UN Survey (zeenews)
Russian Rocket Carries Space Tourist (nytimes)
Maoist action team commander Yadaiah arrested. The arrested Maoist had planned to kill Congress MLA Uppunutala Purushotham Reddy (TV9)
It's official: Praja Rajyam Party clinch deal with Mana Party (ntv)
'I'm having a very good crisis,' says Soros as hedge fund managers make billions off recession (dailymail)
PMK seals deal with Jayalalithaa's AIADMK (Times of India)
F-22 crashes in California desert; pilot killed (ap)
INFLATION DIPS TO RECORD LOW OF 0.27 PER CENT (indiatoday)
SC panel raps UGC, MCI for poor anti-ragging measures (PTI)
Want healthy kids? Get married to a stranger! (msnindia)
80 paise for Congress, 60 paise for BSP! (sify)
Bofors scam Rs 64 cr; Israel Rs 600 cr (dnaindia)
US announces USD 10 million bounty on Baitullah (samaylive)
TRS general secretary Venugopal Reddy resigns from party and floats a new party, promises to give tickets to all those who were denied TRS tickets (NTV)
N. Korea positions rocket on launch pad (CNN)
Obama turns to Web to bypass news media (iht)
Captain Gopinath of Deccan Aviation to contest Lok Sabha elections (NDTV)
At least six people killed, 20 injured in an explosion at Jandola Bazaar in Tank District in Pakistan (Hindu)
Man wrongly jailed for 27 years walks free ... and is hit by a taxi (dailymail)
Satyam board shortlists 8 cos for next stage of bidding (Economic Times)
PMK may breakaway from UPA, tie-up with AIADMK (zeenews)
Naked & ‘creamy’ Cindy Crawford poses for Allure (ANI)
Tudi Devender Reddy resigns from Congress Party (ntv)
Questions pour in for Obama's online town hall meeting (cnn)
Country poised for a record wheat production estimated to surpass 78 million tonnes (newsonair)
Afghan Strikes by Taliban Get Pakistan Help, U.S. Aides Say (nytimes)
96-year-old sells 55-year-old Fiat to buy Nano (indian express)
SHILPA Shetty has revealed that she gave Jade Goody a jade green Buddha as a parting gift before she died at the weekend – and that the tragic star’s disease convinced her to get a smear test.(sun)
India Vs New Zealand 2nd Test: New Zealand suffer early setbacks (redif)
BJP leader arrested for raping daughter for eight years (msnindia)
Woman gives birth on airliner, leaves baby in trash (cnn)
Army Chief alleges Pak Army involved in Kupwara encounter (zeenews)
‘Dissident sister’ hits CM’s poll inaugural (deccan)
Jyoti Basu, 94, is a star in cyberspace (rediff)
IPL was prime target of terror attack: US think tank (ndtv)
Gandhi fought SA’s racism in cricket(Times of India)
Azhar to contest on Cong ticket from Moradabad in UP (zeenews)
South Africa to award Fidel Castro high state honour (reuters)
'Oldest woman in the world' about to turn 130 (telegraph)
Officials in Kazakhstan claim to have have a found the world's oldest person - a woman who will this week celebrate her 130th birthday.
.....
Congress manifesto silent on national security: Modi (rediff)
Latest Glimmer of Economic Hope: Rise in Factory Orders (nytimes)
Pakistani troops fire at Indian posts in Uri (zeenews)
IPL signs 9-year broadcast deal with Sony for Rs 8,200 cr (Economic times)
Michigan looks to jump-start stalled careers (msnbc)
Men just take 8.2 seconds to fall in love (webindia123)
Cong govt may need left again - Pawar (reuters)
India set sights on NZ series win (bbc)
Obama's Press Conference Stirs the Buzz (yahoo)
Yahoo Widgets Lend Brains to Boob Tube (wsj)
Insurers offer to stop charging sick people more (ap)
Hindu fights for funeral pyre 'dignity' (cnn)
Knight Riders drop Ganguly from captaincy (rediff)
Jade Goody's life to be turned into film (Hindustan Times)
Advani's rally in Azamgarh not allowed (times of India)
Kim Kardashian Airbrushed Thinner, Smoother, Lighter (complex)
EPA review of mining permits signals policy shift (ap)
U.S. to increase security at Mexican border (cnn)
Obama vows to 'attack this crisis on all fronts' (cnn)
'Hillary: The Movie' gets U.S. court review (cnn)
SL Army captures LTTE intelligence chief`s hideout (zeenews)
Exports from Japan falls almost 50 percent (zeenews)
Doutzen Kroes sizzles in a hot beach shoot (spice zee)
Russell Brand: Sex addiction is like having an eating disorder (spice zee)
After HC blow, Varun to move Supreme Court (NDTV)
Britney ‘indulges in 9-min bathroom romp with dancer’ (spicezee)
25 dead in 5 days of battles in Kashmir (cnn)
Kalam exhorts people to elect righteous candidate (zeenews)
India tops remittances in 2008, fall predicted in 2009: World Bank (IANS)
Congress' vague Telangana stand leaves it isolated (ians)
Spice says may withdraw from Satyam bid process (ibnlive)
BSP's Mukhtar Ansari denied permission to file nomination from Varanasi (Times of India)
Minister Gollapalli resigns from Congress (ntv)
Teen auctions virginity for £50k (sun)
Hate speech: HC rejects Varun Gandhi's plea (rediff)
Varun Gandhi thanks Bal Thackeray for support (PTI)
Chris Brown and Rihanna are taking a break (msnbc)
Last-ditch efforts to retain PMK in UPA (Financial Express)
PR case in SC adjourned to March 27 (telugupeople)
Blow for Cong as PMK set to join AIADMK camp (Times of India)
Suryaa daily Chairman, MD and editor N Surya Prakash Rao resigns from Congress (suryaa)
Newspaper editor shot dead in Assam (Hindu)
TRS settles for 45 assembly, 9 LS seats (eenadu)
The TRS LS seats:Secunderabad, Karimnagar, Peddapally, Warangal, Nizamabad, Medak, Zaherabad, Malkajgiri and Nagarkurnool. (suryaa)
"Unafraid" of Internet, China appears to block YouTube (reuters)
Now, Varun Gandhi's anti-Sikh remarks spark row in Punjab (IANS)
IPL matches to be held in South Africa from April 18 (ntv)
Spending money gives brain the same buzz as doing drugs (topnews)
Politics Buoys Asia's Ad Industry (wsj)
Shah Rukh and Preity Zinta to campaign for the Congress party (telugupeople)
Obama tries to temper furor over AIG bonuses (ap)
Congress manifesto pushes for rural help, jobs (reuters)
Congress projects Manmohan Singh as PM (Times of India)
Dalai Lama denied visa for South Africa peace conference (cnn)
Mahesh Babu calls up Junior NTR (inews)
Soumya Vishwanathan murder case cracked, four held (rediff)
Pawan Kalyan cancels his Mahabubnagar tour (suryaa)
South Africa new IPL frontrunners (bbc)
Obama nominates deputy at the Treasury Department (ap)
Congress sure of just 120 AP seats (deccan)
Tata Nano Launched in Mumbai (nytimes)
Tata Nano, world's cheapest car, launched in India (telegraph)
Nano wait is over (businessline)
With a 'nano' advertising budget, Tatas go creative (business standard)
Tata Nano, World’s Cheapest Car, Won’t Help Pay Debt (bloomberg)
Nano needs some redesigning for US: Ratan Tata (Times of India)
Tata Motors website crashes (business standard)
Tata Nano: Neither good nor bad, just ominous (guardian)
Little Nano makes big splash in US media (IANS)
Rave reviews for world's cheapest car (AFP)
Delivering On A Promise: Tata Rolls Out The Nano (forbes)
Forget Slumdog - India Has A New Star (sky)
At Last, Tata Motors' $2,000 Nano (business week)
India's Nano, Driving Like a (National) Dream (washington post)
A Nano promise delivered (livemint)
Nano booking will be done through lottery ! (samay live)
Road Test: Nano second to none! (business standard)
Tata Nano: World's cheapest car is India's answer for cash-strapped drivers (guardian)
Nano no ego trip for India's soft-spoken Tata (reuters)
Tata says no to Nano as taxi (dnaindia)
10 Things You Should Know About the Tata Nano
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/fresh-greens/2009/03/24/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-tata-nano.html
Tata hopes that Nano technology will boost sales (irishtimes)
Team Work Speaks for Tata Nano (cartradeindia)
FACTBOX - Specifications of Tata's Nano
http://in.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idINIndia-38567520090318
Nano makes everyone happy (Hindustan Times)
Deadly plane crash at Tokyo airport (cnn)
Up to 17 killed in Montana plane crash, officials say (cnn)
Nano to ride on innovative marketing (economictimes)
Plane crashes in Montana killing 17: Reports (economic times)
UPA could get 257 Lok Sabha seats: Survey (Times of India)
More women going from jobless to topless (msnbc)
IPL will be staged outside India (bbc)
Jade dies on Mother's Day (sun)
Harrison Ford proposes to girlfriend - People (reuters)
Furl Changes Hands (wsj)
N-powered drinking water at Kalpakkam (ndtv)
More Babies Born in 2007 Than Any Other Year in U.S. History (foxnews)
Iftikhar Chaudhry takes charge as Pak chief justice (indiatoday)
Obama fends off Geithner doubters (bbc)
PRP poll campaign begins with a bang (Times of India)
Won't support Cong after polls: CPI (rediff)
Analysis: Obama rhetoric, reality clash (ap)
In Angola, pope urges more for poor (cnn)
Sudarshan announces retirement, Mohan Bhagwat new RSS chief (Times of India)
History in Hamilton as India win after 33 years (zeenews)
Fareed Zakaria is India Abroad Person of the Year 2008 (rediff)
Film director Raj Aditya commits suicide (eendu)
Film director Raj Aditya had committed suicide by hanging to a fan in Bassera hotel at Secunderabad. He had worked as assistant director for 15 years. His first film as director was 'Istam'. His second film 'malli malli' slated for release today. The 38 year old director is a native of Chennai.
Port Jefferson dachshund is world's oldest dog (newsday)
Varun is our candidate from Pilibhit, affirms BJP (hindu)
India gets spy satellite from Israel to secure its borders (khabrein)
NTR's family members cross swords (ians)
Another jolt for IPL, Mah Police calls for postponement (dnaindia)
‘Deep vein thrombosis kills more people than other diseases’ (expressbuzz)
iGate not to participate further in Satyam bid (economic times)
Newborn 'left behind' on NZ plane (bbc)
Pakistan rocket attack 'kills 10' (bbc)
Not so deadly? Chance Tulsa spider misidentified (ap)
Obama Tells Iran to Seek New Links With U.S., World (bllomberg)
Son's tearful dash to see dying Jade (sun)
Hyderabad court extends custody of Raju, others by 14 days (zeenews)
Review: ‘Straight’ discovers alternative sexuality in a lighter vein (spicezee)
Rihanna sex tape rumours (sun)
Desperate Japanese head to 'suicide forest' (cnn)
Delhi HC grants anticipatory bail to Varun Gandhi (hindu)
Congress corrupt to the core, says Chiru (hindu)
100 families join PR in Proddatur (hindu)
CM's relative, TV stars join Praja Rajyam Party (expressbuzz)
Report: Energy contributing to birds' decline (ap)
'Gulaal' stirs politics ahead of general polls (reuters)
Obama's 'Tonight Show' appearance could become a 'special' event (latimes)
Obama announces new housing money for California (cnn)
Undersea volcano erupts near Tonga island (msnbc)
Microsoft launches latest browser (bbc)
Mumbai businessman held for raping daughters (ibnlive)
House to Consider Tax on AIG Bonuses (washingtonpost)
Chennai lawyers end agitation, to resume work from Monday (Times of India)
Internet could become environmental watchdog (reuters)
BJP patch-up likely after Jaitley meets Rajnath Singh (zeenews)
New nationwide strike hits France (bbc)
Karat reaches out to Congress party (reuters)
Natasha Richardson dies after ski fall (cnn)
Do you know who my dad is? Bianca Gascoigne, step-daughter of Gazza poses at the premiere of The Damned United in London last night
"America's Next Top Model": Get on the bus! (latimes)
Saravana Bhavan founder gets life term for murder (times of india)
Court to hear CBI petition for custody of Satyam's Raju, four others (ani)
Sony e-book reader gets 500,000 books from Google (ap)
‘Murder Naidu, NTR said’ (deccan)
Inflation at 20-year low of 0.44% (rediff)
Axe falls on DGP for praising YSR (hindu)
Inflation at all time low of 0.44 per cent (economic times)
Natasha Richardson dies at 45 after ski accident (msn)
AIG's LIDDY TO FACE FUROR ON CAPITOL HILL... WATCH HEARING LIVE... (huffingtonpost)
Sun Microsystems Surges on Report of Takeover Talks With IBM (bloomberg)
Australian Government adds Wikileaks to banned website list (techradar)
Credit crunch hits sex toys (metro)
No Smooth Ride on TV Networks’ Road to Diversity (nytimes)
Josef Fritzl admits all charges (bbc)
AIG's Liddy: 'I share that anger' (cnn)
Malakpet Congress MLA to join PRP (deccanapost)
AIG chairman inherits retention bonus mess (ap)
Innocent man jailed for 27yrs (thesun)
Tit for tat: Congress seals deal with JMM in Jharkhand (Times of India)
22 Photoshop Videos To Turn You Into An Expert
http://creativenerds.co.uk/tutorials/22-photoshop-videos-to-turn-you-into-an-expert/
Analysts: Next bailout will be a tougher sell (cnn)
Jade Goody awaits the inevitable (ndtv)
US Treasury to reclaim AIG cash(bbc)
Cracks in UPA: RJD-LJP seat sharing pact irks Cong (zeenews)
Supporters of Deposed Madagascar President to Hold Rally Wednesday (voanews)
The iPhone Is Gaining Some Editing Skills (nytimes)
India leaders blog, text to plug in to young voters (reuters)
Reuters poll sees Congress coalition leading in election (reuters)
Uma Bharti supports Advani's prime ministerial candidature (Times of India)
Obama pushes Congress to pass $3.6 trillion budget (ap)
Thrift fashions on the money during recession (cnn)
KCR to contest from Mahabub Nagar? (sakshi)
Pakistan rape victim gets married (bbc)
BJP war within: Jaitley, Yeddyurappa skip meets (ndtv)
Moser Baer India launches MP3 players (reuters)
Beach Volleyball Ads Could "Spike" Attendance (cnbc)
Barclays gags Guardian over tax (guardian)
R-Com launches free unlimited call offer in Delhi (msnindia)
IPL drops Jaipur, Delhi and Vizag from revised schedule (ndtv)
Anger Over Firm Depletes Obama's Political Capital (washington post)
Housing starts unexpectedly surge (cnn)
Advani's vision: Every girl a 'lakhpati' in India (HIndustan Times)
Mum seeks sex partner for son (straits times)
Zac Efron gets dirty with nude model in muddy mag shoot (spicezee)
Abhishek-Aishwarya’s love-making session dropped from ‘Raavan’ (spicezee)
Passwords of 8,000 Comcast Customers Exposed (nytimes)
Reports: Natasha Richardson in critical condition (ap)
EC files criminal case against Varun Gandhi for his alleged communal remarks / case filed under non-bailable law (Times of India)
US OKs record $2.1bn arms sale to India (Times of India)
Jennifer Aniston to play next Bond girl? (dnaindia)
Anil Kapoor donates 'Slumdog' pay cheque to Indian charity (zeenews)
Airlines 'lose one million bags' (bbc)
Obama Orders Treasury Chief to Try to Block A.I.G. Bonuses (nytimes)
Renters rocked by corporate meltdown (msnbc)
India or Pakistan will win T20 world title in England: Lara (Hindustan times)
HIV-AIDS Rate in D.C. 'Higher Than West Africa' (foxnews)
Ram Sene's Pramod Muthalik banned from Mangalore for one year (TOI)
Nayar is unhappy with Hurley's 'bossy' behaviour (dnaindia)
I see one team with a legitimate reason to complain: Saint Mary's (yahoo)
Pakistan Leader Backs Down and Reinstates Top Judge (nytimes)
Marking anniversary of deadly NYC crane collapse (ap)
HCL bags $350mn outsourcing deal from Reader's Digest (pti)
French physicist d'Espagnat wins prestigous Templeton Prize (reuters)
Pakistan reinstates sacked judge (bbc)
Austrian incest father pleads not guilty to murder (ap)
India names Sharat Sabharwal as new envoy to Pakistan (ians)
Home Ministry declines to spare forces for IPL (zeenews)
Poll: Unemployment is Americans' top economic concern (cnn)
India headed toward deflation: Goldman Sachs (ians)
Twenty20 match: Windies beat England by 6 wkts (Geo)
Mothers work 40 percent harder than fathers: Study (rediff)
Mayawati can be Deputy PM if BJP wins: SP (Times of India)
Pakistan ex-PM ignores 'arrest' (bbc)
Swiss to end secret bank accounts (upi)
Male officers cannot frisk women: SC (NDTV)
Kylie has broken Bollywood cost record (NDTV)
Obama to unveil proposals to help small businesses (ap)
CANCER victim Jade Goody was last night just hours from death(sun)
BSP to go it alone in the polls (rediff)
Nawaz defies house arrest, vows to reach Islamabad (zeenews)
Al Jazeera TV says to air new tape by Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden (reuters)
A BRIT soldier killed in Afghanistan today brought the total number of Our Boys killed in the country to 150 since 2001 (the sun)
Doctors save speared Indian boy (bbc)
Sonia was 'worst performer' in Lok Sabha (dna)
Jon Stewart puts spotlight on CNBC and meltdown (ap)
Lesbians subjected to "corrective rape" in South Africa (telegraph)
Washington Post Folds Business Section Into Front (huffingtonpost)
Third front is like a 'parking lot': Venkaiah Naidu (Indian Express)
Political parties in AP raise fund from common man (dnaindia)
Brain Scans Can Read Memories (livescience)
Web founder warns against website snooping (reuters)
Baby sitters accused of taping sex with children (msnbc)
Police: Woman drugs boss's coffee so he'll 'chill' (ap)
Bangalore police decline security for IPL matches till May 3.
Obama announces FDA picks, food safety measures (ap)
S&P Estimates India GDP Growth at 6% (wsj)
Chand Mohammed says 'talaq' to Fiza from London (IANS)
Home next to Playboy mansion selling for 28M dlrs (AFP)
Mukesh Ambani meets Advani, fuels speculation (msnindia)
India lose in Auckland but win series 3-1 (zeenews)
G20 ministers meet amid divisions (bbc)
Pakistan TV station blocked in parts of country (cnn)
SLUMDOG Millionaire beauty FREIDA PINTO could become the new Bond girl — after being invited to a screen test for the next spy adventure (Sun)
16 still missing after chopper ditches in Atlantic (cnn)
Suspected US missile strike kills 15 in Pakistan (Hindustan times)
Final decision on IPL to be taken on Friday by Home Ministry (msnindia)
Madoff pleads guilty to fraud, sent to jail (Times of India)
Madoff To Plead Guilty... Expected To Face Duped Investors… Strong Chance He Could Go Straight To Jail (huffingtonpost)
Joaquin Phoenix leaps into crowd at hip-hop show (ap)
One-Third Use a Single Password for Everything (pcworld)
AILING Jade Goody was granted her last wish yesterday when she was allowed home to be with her cherished little sons (thesun)
Tech Mahindra registers interest in Satyam bidding process (msnindia)
15 guns found at German school killer's home (cnn)
Satyam sale process underway; bidders face deadline (reuters)
No IPL in AP during elections: AP Police (zeenews)
Tears and laughter as Jade Goody shares her wedding album (dailymail)
Third front formally launched at a public rally at Dobbespet near Bangalore (hindu)
Octuplets mom says she's paying for new LA house (ap)
Pakistan protesters start march(bbc)
Bharti Airtel shares fall as CEO sells entire holding (reuters)
3 execs, 81 cars missing from Nebraska dealership(ap)
‘Rampage’ injured; Machida gets shot at Evans (Yahoo)
Satyam U.S. lawsuits may cost $440-$840 m - report (FC)
Mulayam's party gives voters Holi gift: money (IBNLIVE)
Alaska Gov. Palin's daughter's, boyfriend break up (ap)
India's richest men lose billions (bbc)
Artificial life 'could be created within five years' (telegraph)
US extends $8 million aid to Pakistan (rediff)
Report: Bristol Palin and fiancé split (msnbc)
Gates still world's richest; recession shrinks billionaires: Forbes
Man survives plunge over Niagara Falls(cnn)
German rampage victims died in classrooms (cnn)
Sehwag stars as Dhoni's men create history in New Zealand (msnindia)
Alabama man's 10 victims include family, strangers (cnn)
Pay uncertainty rises as variable part expands (FC)
4th ODI: India crush NZ; seal ODI series (rediff)
Madoff Will Plead Guilty; Faces Life for Vast SwindleMadoff Will Plead Guilty; Faces Life for Vast Swindle (nytimes)
24 Indians make it to Forbes 'World's Richest' list (Times of India)
NetApp announces Guarantee Program (CIOL)
Obama to sign spending bill, push for new rules (ap)
Ten die in Alabama shooting spree (bbc)
Ala. man kills at least 9, including 4 relatives (ap)
Almost half of Indian women married as minors: Study (Times of India)
BREAKING NEWS:
Sakshi newspaper editor dies
KNY Patanjali, popular writer and journalist passed away due to ill-health (hmtv). Mr. Patanjali is a reputed journalist in Teluguand known for his works Kakhivanam, Gopathrudu, Veerabobbili and Oka Deyyam Atmakatha.
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World economy to shrink below zero: IMF chief (FC)
Obama, taking on unions, backs teacher merit pay (ap)
Tatas most trustworthy in financial reporting: Poll (financial express)
The Dalai Lama spoke to the media Tuesday morning in Dharamsala, India, as he marked his 50th year of exile.
Dalai Lama Harshly Condemns China Over Tibet (nytimes)
Marvel eyes global growth, bets on India and China (reuters)
For many groups of people Facebook, Twitter and blogging websites have become more convenient ways of keeping in touch than email
Facebook, Twitter and blogs more popular than email, report says (telegraph)
'Dozens dead' in Baghdad bombing (bbc)
China says U.S. ship violated international law (cnn)
Dalai Lama warns Tibetans are 'near extinction' at 50th anniversary of exile (telegraph)
Several injured at Praja Rajayam party meeting suryaa)
Abhishek has a crush on Zeenat Aman (ndtv)
Halle Berry voted ‘Sexiest Black Woman Alive’ (spicezee)
Obama unlikely to mediate on Kashmir: Congressional report (rediff)
IPL chief plays down safety fears (bbc)
UN to terminate contract with Satyam (rediff)
TCS may cut 1,300 jobs (rediff)
Study: Eating fish makes kids more intelligent (xinhua)
Five of the ten cheapest locations hail from India: The Economist magazine (ani)
Obama to unveil first piece of education plan (ap)
Tibetans' lives 'hell on Earth'(bbc)
SL: 10 killed, minister injured in suicide attack (rediff)
Pfizer To Launch 600 Smoking Cessation Clinics In India By 2010 (topnews)
Explosives and anger on eve of 50th anniversary of Dalai Lama's exile (guardian)
Police officer shot dead in Ulster attack (Times)
Vatican paper: Washing machine liberated women most (reuters)
Even in a recession, some companies are hiring (ap)
Dalai Lama blasts 'brutal crackdown' in Tibet (ap)
Obama’s Budget Faces Test Among Party Barons (nytimes)
Finnair to suspend Mumbai route for summer. Decision made due to unfavourable economic conditions affecting both passenger and cargo sales in India and Europe (reuters)
BREAKING NEWS: Pentagon says Chinese ships harassed unarmed U.S. Navy ship, issues protest(msnbc)
Gigolo admits blackmailing BMW heiress (cnn)
World economy to 'shrink' in 2009 (bbc)
Merck buying Schering-Plough in a $41.1B deal (ap)
CBI gets custody of Raju brothers and Vadlamani Srinivas in Satyam fiasco
'Watchmen' earns $24.9 mil in first day (hollywoodreporter)
New Zealand to Jail Parents That Let Children Play Violent Video Game? (stuff)
SP leaves only 6 seats for Congress in UP (Timesofindia)
21st century will be India's: Mukesh Ambani (Hindustantimes)
Obama hints at talks with Taleban (bbc)
Taliban kill 14 kidnapped Pakistani soldiers (dnaindia)
LoC like Berlin Wall, tear it down: Musharraf (indiatoday)
Seven nations link found in Mumbai attack: Interpol (timesofindia)
Bombings kill 11 in Pakistan amid political feuds (hindu)
Six Pakistani policemen killed in blast in northwest - police (reuters)
IBM unlikely to bid for Satyam stake - sources (reuters)
Internet growing weapon in Asian radicalisation (reuters)
Koobface, Other Worms Target Facebook Friends (NewsFactor)
US unemployment jumps to 8.1 percent; 651,000 jobs lost (aol)
Govt didn’t ask me to buy Gandhi articles: Mallya (zeenews)
Unemployed place their bets on casino jobs (cnn)
Top UK restaurant closed as 400 diners taken ill (reuters)
Report: More young girls face rape in Afghanistan (cnn)
Job Losses Hint at Vast Remaking of U.S. Economy (nytimes)
Zimbabwe PM's wife dies in crash (bbc)
NEWS FLASH: Blast kills 6 in Peshawar, Pakistan: Reports (ndtv)
Bollywood, Hollywood Tightening Film Ties (washingtonpost)
Bus driver invited to holiday in Sri Lanka (hindu)
Tendulkar kidnap plot: HuJI man came to secure comrade's release (rediff)
Obama's safety net: the TelePrompter (politico)
Countdown to NASA search for Earth-like planets (cnn)
breaking news: Plane crashes near Bengaluru: 3 dead (rediff)
Alliance with Congress has 'broken', declares SP (hindu)
IPL will go ahead, declares Modi (bbc)
Indian Premier League Season 2 is on: Lalit Modi (zeenews)
Pakistan cricket tour to Bangladesh ditched (cnn)
Ranbir and Deepika voted the ‘Most Boring Couple’(spicezee)
Kylie's making Bolly lolly (sun)
India successfully tests interceptor missile (times of india)
Slumdog crosses $200 mn mark worldwide (msnindia)
Student gives birth in exam hall (deccan)
Mallya gets Bapu items for $1.8m (deccan)
Girl, 19, becomes youngest pilot (deccan)
newsh flash: Govt appoints corporate lawyer O P Vaish and former ICAI President Ved Jain as Directors on Maytas Infra Board (hindu)
Match-fixing won't affect political career: Azhar (rediff)
Megan Fox lines up comic-book movies (Reuters)
Four Indians in Forbes philanthropy heroes' list (sify)
Jai Ho is America's new fitness anthem (rediff)
SanDisk May Cancel Satyam Contract (wsj)
Senate panel to question Swiss banker, secrecy (reuters)
Coach: Team stayed calm as bullets flew (cnn)
Congress buys rights to Slumdog tune 'Jai Ho' (economictimes)
No iPhones, iPods at Bill Gates's house (yahoo)
Congress to use Jai Ho in poll campaign (rediff)
India successfully testfires supersonic BrahMos missile (samaylive)
Pakistan: Gunmen in rickshaws attack cricket team (ap)
Obama flays Lahore attack, reviewing Pak policy (msnindia)
Sri Devi to enter marital bliss (indiaglitz)
Two Indians among 50 short-listed for world's best job (dna)
Govt probing source of Rs2000cr used to 'fund' terror (Times of India)
No World Cup matches in Pak under current scenario: ICC (zeenews)
3/3/09: Math fans to celebrate Square Root Day (ap)
Ayesha Takia ties the knot with Farhan Azmi (indiafm)
Study: 7.3 million in U.S. prison system in '07 (cnn)
Gunmen attack Sri Lankan cricket team (cnn)
* Story Highlights
* NEW: Police believe at least 12 gunmen involved in attack in Lahore
* NEW: Sri Lanka cricket team bus attacked as it neared stadium for match
* NEW: Injured believed to include six players, and two coaches or trainers
* NEW: Incident occurred at stadium where Pakistan, Sri Lanka were to play
Gunmen attack S Lanka cricketers (bbc)
Gunmen Fire on Sri Lanka Cricket Team in Pakistan (wsj)
10 Essential Facts About 'Terminator Salvation'
http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/need-to-know-terminator-salvation.html
India's Elections to Open April 16 (wsj)
India sets dates for April-May general election (reuters)
A.I.G. Reports $61.7 Billion Loss as U.S. Gives More Aid (nytimes)
News Corp shakeup could see James Murdoch and Rebekah Wade promoted (guardian)
General Elections scheduled between April 16-May 13(business standard)
Election Commission to announce Lok Sabha poll dates at 3.30 pm today (Monday)
BJP announces tie-up with Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal for Lok Sabha polls (hindu)
Bangladesh manhunt for mutineers (bbc)
Ajit Singh's RLD joins NDA for Lok Sabha polls (ibnlive)
Sourabhee Debbarma becomes first female 'Indian Idol' (hindustantimes)
Asia markets plunge on Wall Street fears (cnn)
Lalit Modi loses Rajasthan CA election (rediff)
EC Navin Chawla to stay, Govt rejects CEC's recommendation (dnaindia)
Stripper Putting Herself Through Life (theonion)
Kelly Brook makes a rare fashion faux-pas as she steps out in a pair of leggings (dailymail)
Pawar mounts pressure on Cong; seeks more seats (hindustantimes)
King: Green jobs grow slowly in Philadelphia (cnn)
Lok Sabha poll dates likely next week? (timesnow)
Kelly Brook makes a rare fashion faux-pas as she steps out in a pair of leggings (dailymail)
Lok Sabha polls to cost more than US presidential poll (Timesofindia)
EU ready for crunch economy talks (bbc)
Indian in US kills six relatives, self (indian express)
Manmohan Singh is the Prime Ministerial candidate of the Congress and not UPA, says NCP leader D P Tripathi (hindu)
Colombian father accused of decades-long incest, rape (cnn)
Lahore police academy recaptured (bbc)
27 killed in eight-hour siege of Lahore police academy (ians)
Cyber-spies used social sites to trick Dalai Lama's office: US expert (ians)
Varun Gandhi gets bail in 2 cases (rediff)
Salman, Katrina headed for separation (bollywood mantra)
Drinking hot tea raises risk of cancer (ndtv)
26/11 trial: Anjali Waghmare to defend Kasab (hindu)
Hyderabad airport among the world's top 10 (rediff)
Want to Save Money? Carry Around $100 Bills
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1887485,00.html
Sources: GM, Chrysler to get more money; GM CEO to resign (cnn)
Obama: U.S. prepared to pursue targets in Pakistan (cnn)
Would You Like to Make $5,000 a Month Posting a Link on Google?
http://scottsmoneyblog.com/index.html
Police camp attacked in Lahore; 20 dead, hostages taken (zeenews)
Pakistan police academy attacked (bbc)
8 dead as gunmen storm Pak cop training centre (Times of India)
Supersonic BrahMos missile successfully tested in Pokhran (dnaindia)
Critics call WTC tower name change unpatriotic (ap)
Free cash withdrawals from all ATMs from April 1 (samaylive)
Varun charged with attempt to murder, rioting (samaylive)
Rabri, children richer than Lalu; have assets worth Rs 1.2cr (Times of India)
Advani attacks UPA over Indian money in Swiss banks (zeenews)
Researchers: Cyber spies break into govt computers (ap)
Shilpa to marry Raj Kundra in October? (ians)
Left will not support Congress-led alliance (reuters)
Lawyer stabbed 38 times; husband held (cnn)
Lights go out across planet for Earth Hour (cnn)
No NSA against Varun Gandhi yet: Pilibhit district magistrate (Times of India)
Chinese hack into Indian embassies, steal Dalai Lama's documents (deccan herald)
Varun goes to jail riding a saffron wave (rediff)
Vijayashanti to contest from Medak Lok Sabha constituency (eendu)
Australia kicks off Earth Hour climate campaign (Times of India)
First sign on Rs 100 provisions file: Chiru (eenadu)
SC orders common symbol to Praja Rajyam, DMDK and Lok Satta (PTI)
Obama passing new law to allow searching of PC's, Laptops, and media devices (youtube)
Man jailed for sex with car wash vacuum (yahoo)
NJ girl, 14, arrested after posting nude pics (ap)
Bomber kills at least 50 in Pakistani mosque (reuters)
Japan Readies Missile Interceptors (nytimes)
Seychelles: Paradise goes bankrupt (yahoo)
NTR (Junior) seriously injured in road accident (zeenews)
Varun Gandhi's lawyers withdraw his bail plea from Delhi High Court (Times of India)
No alliance with DMK, Congress: DMDK (rediff)
China fury at US military report (bbc)
Deadly Pakistan restaurant blast (bbc)
Manmohan should contest LS poll: Advani (rediff)
India to grow at around 6% in 2009: UN Survey (zeenews)
Russian Rocket Carries Space Tourist (nytimes)
Maoist action team commander Yadaiah arrested. The arrested Maoist had planned to kill Congress MLA Uppunutala Purushotham Reddy (TV9)
It's official: Praja Rajyam Party clinch deal with Mana Party (ntv)
'I'm having a very good crisis,' says Soros as hedge fund managers make billions off recession (dailymail)
PMK seals deal with Jayalalithaa's AIADMK (Times of India)
F-22 crashes in California desert; pilot killed (ap)
INFLATION DIPS TO RECORD LOW OF 0.27 PER CENT (indiatoday)
SC panel raps UGC, MCI for poor anti-ragging measures (PTI)
Want healthy kids? Get married to a stranger! (msnindia)
80 paise for Congress, 60 paise for BSP! (sify)
Bofors scam Rs 64 cr; Israel Rs 600 cr (dnaindia)
US announces USD 10 million bounty on Baitullah (samaylive)
TRS general secretary Venugopal Reddy resigns from party and floats a new party, promises to give tickets to all those who were denied TRS tickets (NTV)
N. Korea positions rocket on launch pad (CNN)
Obama turns to Web to bypass news media (iht)
Captain Gopinath of Deccan Aviation to contest Lok Sabha elections (NDTV)
At least six people killed, 20 injured in an explosion at Jandola Bazaar in Tank District in Pakistan (Hindu)
Man wrongly jailed for 27 years walks free ... and is hit by a taxi (dailymail)
Satyam board shortlists 8 cos for next stage of bidding (Economic Times)
PMK may breakaway from UPA, tie-up with AIADMK (zeenews)
Naked & ‘creamy’ Cindy Crawford poses for Allure (ANI)
Tudi Devender Reddy resigns from Congress Party (ntv)
Questions pour in for Obama's online town hall meeting (cnn)
Country poised for a record wheat production estimated to surpass 78 million tonnes (newsonair)
Afghan Strikes by Taliban Get Pakistan Help, U.S. Aides Say (nytimes)
96-year-old sells 55-year-old Fiat to buy Nano (indian express)
SHILPA Shetty has revealed that she gave Jade Goody a jade green Buddha as a parting gift before she died at the weekend – and that the tragic star’s disease convinced her to get a smear test.(sun)
India Vs New Zealand 2nd Test: New Zealand suffer early setbacks (redif)
BJP leader arrested for raping daughter for eight years (msnindia)
Woman gives birth on airliner, leaves baby in trash (cnn)
Army Chief alleges Pak Army involved in Kupwara encounter (zeenews)
‘Dissident sister’ hits CM’s poll inaugural (deccan)
Jyoti Basu, 94, is a star in cyberspace (rediff)
IPL was prime target of terror attack: US think tank (ndtv)
Gandhi fought SA’s racism in cricket(Times of India)
Azhar to contest on Cong ticket from Moradabad in UP (zeenews)
South Africa to award Fidel Castro high state honour (reuters)
'Oldest woman in the world' about to turn 130 (telegraph)
Officials in Kazakhstan claim to have have a found the world's oldest person - a woman who will this week celebrate her 130th birthday.
.....
Congress manifesto silent on national security: Modi (rediff)
Latest Glimmer of Economic Hope: Rise in Factory Orders (nytimes)
Pakistani troops fire at Indian posts in Uri (zeenews)
IPL signs 9-year broadcast deal with Sony for Rs 8,200 cr (Economic times)
Michigan looks to jump-start stalled careers (msnbc)
Men just take 8.2 seconds to fall in love (webindia123)
Cong govt may need left again - Pawar (reuters)
India set sights on NZ series win (bbc)
Obama's Press Conference Stirs the Buzz (yahoo)
Yahoo Widgets Lend Brains to Boob Tube (wsj)
Insurers offer to stop charging sick people more (ap)
Hindu fights for funeral pyre 'dignity' (cnn)
Knight Riders drop Ganguly from captaincy (rediff)
Jade Goody's life to be turned into film (Hindustan Times)
Advani's rally in Azamgarh not allowed (times of India)
Kim Kardashian Airbrushed Thinner, Smoother, Lighter (complex)
EPA review of mining permits signals policy shift (ap)
U.S. to increase security at Mexican border (cnn)
Obama vows to 'attack this crisis on all fronts' (cnn)
'Hillary: The Movie' gets U.S. court review (cnn)
SL Army captures LTTE intelligence chief`s hideout (zeenews)
Exports from Japan falls almost 50 percent (zeenews)
Doutzen Kroes sizzles in a hot beach shoot (spice zee)
Russell Brand: Sex addiction is like having an eating disorder (spice zee)
After HC blow, Varun to move Supreme Court (NDTV)
Britney ‘indulges in 9-min bathroom romp with dancer’ (spicezee)
25 dead in 5 days of battles in Kashmir (cnn)
Kalam exhorts people to elect righteous candidate (zeenews)
India tops remittances in 2008, fall predicted in 2009: World Bank (IANS)
Congress' vague Telangana stand leaves it isolated (ians)
Spice says may withdraw from Satyam bid process (ibnlive)
BSP's Mukhtar Ansari denied permission to file nomination from Varanasi (Times of India)
Minister Gollapalli resigns from Congress (ntv)
Teen auctions virginity for £50k (sun)
Hate speech: HC rejects Varun Gandhi's plea (rediff)
Varun Gandhi thanks Bal Thackeray for support (PTI)
Chris Brown and Rihanna are taking a break (msnbc)
Last-ditch efforts to retain PMK in UPA (Financial Express)
PR case in SC adjourned to March 27 (telugupeople)
Blow for Cong as PMK set to join AIADMK camp (Times of India)
Suryaa daily Chairman, MD and editor N Surya Prakash Rao resigns from Congress (suryaa)
Newspaper editor shot dead in Assam (Hindu)
TRS settles for 45 assembly, 9 LS seats (eenadu)
The TRS LS seats:Secunderabad, Karimnagar, Peddapally, Warangal, Nizamabad, Medak, Zaherabad, Malkajgiri and Nagarkurnool. (suryaa)
"Unafraid" of Internet, China appears to block YouTube (reuters)
Now, Varun Gandhi's anti-Sikh remarks spark row in Punjab (IANS)
IPL matches to be held in South Africa from April 18 (ntv)
Spending money gives brain the same buzz as doing drugs (topnews)
Politics Buoys Asia's Ad Industry (wsj)
Shah Rukh and Preity Zinta to campaign for the Congress party (telugupeople)
Obama tries to temper furor over AIG bonuses (ap)
Congress manifesto pushes for rural help, jobs (reuters)
Congress projects Manmohan Singh as PM (Times of India)
Dalai Lama denied visa for South Africa peace conference (cnn)
Mahesh Babu calls up Junior NTR (inews)
Soumya Vishwanathan murder case cracked, four held (rediff)
Pawan Kalyan cancels his Mahabubnagar tour (suryaa)
South Africa new IPL frontrunners (bbc)
Obama nominates deputy at the Treasury Department (ap)
Congress sure of just 120 AP seats (deccan)
Tata Nano Launched in Mumbai (nytimes)
Tata Nano, world's cheapest car, launched in India (telegraph)
Nano wait is over (businessline)
With a 'nano' advertising budget, Tatas go creative (business standard)
Tata Nano, World’s Cheapest Car, Won’t Help Pay Debt (bloomberg)
Nano needs some redesigning for US: Ratan Tata (Times of India)
Tata Motors website crashes (business standard)
Tata Nano: Neither good nor bad, just ominous (guardian)
Little Nano makes big splash in US media (IANS)
Rave reviews for world's cheapest car (AFP)
Delivering On A Promise: Tata Rolls Out The Nano (forbes)
Forget Slumdog - India Has A New Star (sky)
At Last, Tata Motors' $2,000 Nano (business week)
India's Nano, Driving Like a (National) Dream (washington post)
A Nano promise delivered (livemint)
Nano booking will be done through lottery ! (samay live)
Road Test: Nano second to none! (business standard)
Tata Nano: World's cheapest car is India's answer for cash-strapped drivers (guardian)
Nano no ego trip for India's soft-spoken Tata (reuters)
Tata says no to Nano as taxi (dnaindia)
10 Things You Should Know About the Tata Nano
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/fresh-greens/2009/03/24/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-tata-nano.html
Tata hopes that Nano technology will boost sales (irishtimes)
Team Work Speaks for Tata Nano (cartradeindia)
FACTBOX - Specifications of Tata's Nano
http://in.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idINIndia-38567520090318
Nano makes everyone happy (Hindustan Times)
Deadly plane crash at Tokyo airport (cnn)
Up to 17 killed in Montana plane crash, officials say (cnn)
Nano to ride on innovative marketing (economictimes)
Plane crashes in Montana killing 17: Reports (economic times)
UPA could get 257 Lok Sabha seats: Survey (Times of India)
More women going from jobless to topless (msnbc)
IPL will be staged outside India (bbc)
Jade dies on Mother's Day (sun)
Harrison Ford proposes to girlfriend - People (reuters)
Furl Changes Hands (wsj)
N-powered drinking water at Kalpakkam (ndtv)
More Babies Born in 2007 Than Any Other Year in U.S. History (foxnews)
Iftikhar Chaudhry takes charge as Pak chief justice (indiatoday)
Obama fends off Geithner doubters (bbc)
PRP poll campaign begins with a bang (Times of India)
Won't support Cong after polls: CPI (rediff)
Analysis: Obama rhetoric, reality clash (ap)
In Angola, pope urges more for poor (cnn)
Sudarshan announces retirement, Mohan Bhagwat new RSS chief (Times of India)
History in Hamilton as India win after 33 years (zeenews)
Fareed Zakaria is India Abroad Person of the Year 2008 (rediff)
Film director Raj Aditya commits suicide (eendu)
Film director Raj Aditya had committed suicide by hanging to a fan in Bassera hotel at Secunderabad. He had worked as assistant director for 15 years. His first film as director was 'Istam'. His second film 'malli malli' slated for release today. The 38 year old director is a native of Chennai.
Port Jefferson dachshund is world's oldest dog (newsday)
Varun is our candidate from Pilibhit, affirms BJP (hindu)
India gets spy satellite from Israel to secure its borders (khabrein)
NTR's family members cross swords (ians)
Another jolt for IPL, Mah Police calls for postponement (dnaindia)
‘Deep vein thrombosis kills more people than other diseases’ (expressbuzz)
iGate not to participate further in Satyam bid (economic times)
Newborn 'left behind' on NZ plane (bbc)
Pakistan rocket attack 'kills 10' (bbc)
Not so deadly? Chance Tulsa spider misidentified (ap)
Obama Tells Iran to Seek New Links With U.S., World (bllomberg)
Son's tearful dash to see dying Jade (sun)
Hyderabad court extends custody of Raju, others by 14 days (zeenews)
Review: ‘Straight’ discovers alternative sexuality in a lighter vein (spicezee)
Rihanna sex tape rumours (sun)
Desperate Japanese head to 'suicide forest' (cnn)
Delhi HC grants anticipatory bail to Varun Gandhi (hindu)
Congress corrupt to the core, says Chiru (hindu)
100 families join PR in Proddatur (hindu)
CM's relative, TV stars join Praja Rajyam Party (expressbuzz)
Report: Energy contributing to birds' decline (ap)
'Gulaal' stirs politics ahead of general polls (reuters)
Obama's 'Tonight Show' appearance could become a 'special' event (latimes)
Obama announces new housing money for California (cnn)
Undersea volcano erupts near Tonga island (msnbc)
Microsoft launches latest browser (bbc)
Mumbai businessman held for raping daughters (ibnlive)
House to Consider Tax on AIG Bonuses (washingtonpost)
Chennai lawyers end agitation, to resume work from Monday (Times of India)
Internet could become environmental watchdog (reuters)
BJP patch-up likely after Jaitley meets Rajnath Singh (zeenews)
New nationwide strike hits France (bbc)
Karat reaches out to Congress party (reuters)
Natasha Richardson dies after ski fall (cnn)
Do you know who my dad is? Bianca Gascoigne, step-daughter of Gazza poses at the premiere of The Damned United in London last night
"America's Next Top Model": Get on the bus! (latimes)
Saravana Bhavan founder gets life term for murder (times of india)
Court to hear CBI petition for custody of Satyam's Raju, four others (ani)
Sony e-book reader gets 500,000 books from Google (ap)
‘Murder Naidu, NTR said’ (deccan)
Inflation at 20-year low of 0.44% (rediff)
Axe falls on DGP for praising YSR (hindu)
Inflation at all time low of 0.44 per cent (economic times)
Natasha Richardson dies at 45 after ski accident (msn)
AIG's LIDDY TO FACE FUROR ON CAPITOL HILL... WATCH HEARING LIVE... (huffingtonpost)
Sun Microsystems Surges on Report of Takeover Talks With IBM (bloomberg)
Australian Government adds Wikileaks to banned website list (techradar)
Credit crunch hits sex toys (metro)
No Smooth Ride on TV Networks’ Road to Diversity (nytimes)
Josef Fritzl admits all charges (bbc)
AIG's Liddy: 'I share that anger' (cnn)
Malakpet Congress MLA to join PRP (deccanapost)
AIG chairman inherits retention bonus mess (ap)
Innocent man jailed for 27yrs (thesun)
Tit for tat: Congress seals deal with JMM in Jharkhand (Times of India)
22 Photoshop Videos To Turn You Into An Expert
http://creativenerds.co.uk/tutorials/22-photoshop-videos-to-turn-you-into-an-expert/
Analysts: Next bailout will be a tougher sell (cnn)
Jade Goody awaits the inevitable (ndtv)
US Treasury to reclaim AIG cash(bbc)
Cracks in UPA: RJD-LJP seat sharing pact irks Cong (zeenews)
Supporters of Deposed Madagascar President to Hold Rally Wednesday (voanews)
The iPhone Is Gaining Some Editing Skills (nytimes)
India leaders blog, text to plug in to young voters (reuters)
Reuters poll sees Congress coalition leading in election (reuters)
Uma Bharti supports Advani's prime ministerial candidature (Times of India)
Obama pushes Congress to pass $3.6 trillion budget (ap)
Thrift fashions on the money during recession (cnn)
KCR to contest from Mahabub Nagar? (sakshi)
Pakistan rape victim gets married (bbc)
BJP war within: Jaitley, Yeddyurappa skip meets (ndtv)
Moser Baer India launches MP3 players (reuters)
Beach Volleyball Ads Could "Spike" Attendance (cnbc)
Barclays gags Guardian over tax (guardian)
R-Com launches free unlimited call offer in Delhi (msnindia)
IPL drops Jaipur, Delhi and Vizag from revised schedule (ndtv)
Anger Over Firm Depletes Obama's Political Capital (washington post)
Housing starts unexpectedly surge (cnn)
Advani's vision: Every girl a 'lakhpati' in India (HIndustan Times)
Mum seeks sex partner for son (straits times)
Zac Efron gets dirty with nude model in muddy mag shoot (spicezee)
Abhishek-Aishwarya’s love-making session dropped from ‘Raavan’ (spicezee)
Passwords of 8,000 Comcast Customers Exposed (nytimes)
Reports: Natasha Richardson in critical condition (ap)
EC files criminal case against Varun Gandhi for his alleged communal remarks / case filed under non-bailable law (Times of India)
US OKs record $2.1bn arms sale to India (Times of India)
Jennifer Aniston to play next Bond girl? (dnaindia)
Anil Kapoor donates 'Slumdog' pay cheque to Indian charity (zeenews)
Airlines 'lose one million bags' (bbc)
Obama Orders Treasury Chief to Try to Block A.I.G. Bonuses (nytimes)
Renters rocked by corporate meltdown (msnbc)
India or Pakistan will win T20 world title in England: Lara (Hindustan times)
HIV-AIDS Rate in D.C. 'Higher Than West Africa' (foxnews)
Ram Sene's Pramod Muthalik banned from Mangalore for one year (TOI)
Nayar is unhappy with Hurley's 'bossy' behaviour (dnaindia)
I see one team with a legitimate reason to complain: Saint Mary's (yahoo)
Pakistan Leader Backs Down and Reinstates Top Judge (nytimes)
Marking anniversary of deadly NYC crane collapse (ap)
HCL bags $350mn outsourcing deal from Reader's Digest (pti)
French physicist d'Espagnat wins prestigous Templeton Prize (reuters)
Pakistan reinstates sacked judge (bbc)
Austrian incest father pleads not guilty to murder (ap)
India names Sharat Sabharwal as new envoy to Pakistan (ians)
Home Ministry declines to spare forces for IPL (zeenews)
Poll: Unemployment is Americans' top economic concern (cnn)
India headed toward deflation: Goldman Sachs (ians)
Twenty20 match: Windies beat England by 6 wkts (Geo)
Mothers work 40 percent harder than fathers: Study (rediff)
Mayawati can be Deputy PM if BJP wins: SP (Times of India)
Pakistan ex-PM ignores 'arrest' (bbc)
Swiss to end secret bank accounts (upi)
Male officers cannot frisk women: SC (NDTV)
Kylie has broken Bollywood cost record (NDTV)
Obama to unveil proposals to help small businesses (ap)
CANCER victim Jade Goody was last night just hours from death(sun)
BSP to go it alone in the polls (rediff)
Nawaz defies house arrest, vows to reach Islamabad (zeenews)
Al Jazeera TV says to air new tape by Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden (reuters)
A BRIT soldier killed in Afghanistan today brought the total number of Our Boys killed in the country to 150 since 2001 (the sun)
Doctors save speared Indian boy (bbc)
Sonia was 'worst performer' in Lok Sabha (dna)
Jon Stewart puts spotlight on CNBC and meltdown (ap)
Lesbians subjected to "corrective rape" in South Africa (telegraph)
Washington Post Folds Business Section Into Front (huffingtonpost)
Third front is like a 'parking lot': Venkaiah Naidu (Indian Express)
Political parties in AP raise fund from common man (dnaindia)
Brain Scans Can Read Memories (livescience)
Web founder warns against website snooping (reuters)
Baby sitters accused of taping sex with children (msnbc)
Police: Woman drugs boss's coffee so he'll 'chill' (ap)
Bangalore police decline security for IPL matches till May 3.
Obama announces FDA picks, food safety measures (ap)
S&P Estimates India GDP Growth at 6% (wsj)
Chand Mohammed says 'talaq' to Fiza from London (IANS)
Home next to Playboy mansion selling for 28M dlrs (AFP)
Mukesh Ambani meets Advani, fuels speculation (msnindia)
India lose in Auckland but win series 3-1 (zeenews)
G20 ministers meet amid divisions (bbc)
Pakistan TV station blocked in parts of country (cnn)
SLUMDOG Millionaire beauty FREIDA PINTO could become the new Bond girl — after being invited to a screen test for the next spy adventure (Sun)
16 still missing after chopper ditches in Atlantic (cnn)
Suspected US missile strike kills 15 in Pakistan (Hindustan times)
Final decision on IPL to be taken on Friday by Home Ministry (msnindia)
Madoff pleads guilty to fraud, sent to jail (Times of India)
Madoff To Plead Guilty... Expected To Face Duped Investors… Strong Chance He Could Go Straight To Jail (huffingtonpost)
Joaquin Phoenix leaps into crowd at hip-hop show (ap)
One-Third Use a Single Password for Everything (pcworld)
AILING Jade Goody was granted her last wish yesterday when she was allowed home to be with her cherished little sons (thesun)
Tech Mahindra registers interest in Satyam bidding process (msnindia)
15 guns found at German school killer's home (cnn)
Satyam sale process underway; bidders face deadline (reuters)
No IPL in AP during elections: AP Police (zeenews)
Tears and laughter as Jade Goody shares her wedding album (dailymail)
Third front formally launched at a public rally at Dobbespet near Bangalore (hindu)
Octuplets mom says she's paying for new LA house (ap)
Pakistan protesters start march(bbc)
Bharti Airtel shares fall as CEO sells entire holding (reuters)
3 execs, 81 cars missing from Nebraska dealership(ap)
‘Rampage’ injured; Machida gets shot at Evans (Yahoo)
Satyam U.S. lawsuits may cost $440-$840 m - report (FC)
Mulayam's party gives voters Holi gift: money (IBNLIVE)
Alaska Gov. Palin's daughter's, boyfriend break up (ap)
India's richest men lose billions (bbc)
Artificial life 'could be created within five years' (telegraph)
US extends $8 million aid to Pakistan (rediff)
Report: Bristol Palin and fiancé split (msnbc)
Gates still world's richest; recession shrinks billionaires: Forbes
Man survives plunge over Niagara Falls(cnn)
German rampage victims died in classrooms (cnn)
Sehwag stars as Dhoni's men create history in New Zealand (msnindia)
Alabama man's 10 victims include family, strangers (cnn)
Pay uncertainty rises as variable part expands (FC)
4th ODI: India crush NZ; seal ODI series (rediff)
Madoff Will Plead Guilty; Faces Life for Vast SwindleMadoff Will Plead Guilty; Faces Life for Vast Swindle (nytimes)
24 Indians make it to Forbes 'World's Richest' list (Times of India)
NetApp announces Guarantee Program (CIOL)
Obama to sign spending bill, push for new rules (ap)
Ten die in Alabama shooting spree (bbc)
Ala. man kills at least 9, including 4 relatives (ap)
Almost half of Indian women married as minors: Study (Times of India)
BREAKING NEWS:
Sakshi newspaper editor dies
KNY Patanjali, popular writer and journalist passed away due to ill-health (hmtv). Mr. Patanjali is a reputed journalist in Teluguand known for his works Kakhivanam, Gopathrudu, Veerabobbili and Oka Deyyam Atmakatha.
-----
World economy to shrink below zero: IMF chief (FC)
Obama, taking on unions, backs teacher merit pay (ap)
Tatas most trustworthy in financial reporting: Poll (financial express)
The Dalai Lama spoke to the media Tuesday morning in Dharamsala, India, as he marked his 50th year of exile.
Dalai Lama Harshly Condemns China Over Tibet (nytimes)
Marvel eyes global growth, bets on India and China (reuters)
For many groups of people Facebook, Twitter and blogging websites have become more convenient ways of keeping in touch than email
Facebook, Twitter and blogs more popular than email, report says (telegraph)
'Dozens dead' in Baghdad bombing (bbc)
China says U.S. ship violated international law (cnn)
Dalai Lama warns Tibetans are 'near extinction' at 50th anniversary of exile (telegraph)
Several injured at Praja Rajayam party meeting suryaa)
Abhishek has a crush on Zeenat Aman (ndtv)
Halle Berry voted ‘Sexiest Black Woman Alive’ (spicezee)
Obama unlikely to mediate on Kashmir: Congressional report (rediff)
IPL chief plays down safety fears (bbc)
UN to terminate contract with Satyam (rediff)
TCS may cut 1,300 jobs (rediff)
Study: Eating fish makes kids more intelligent (xinhua)
Five of the ten cheapest locations hail from India: The Economist magazine (ani)
Obama to unveil first piece of education plan (ap)
Tibetans' lives 'hell on Earth'(bbc)
SL: 10 killed, minister injured in suicide attack (rediff)
Pfizer To Launch 600 Smoking Cessation Clinics In India By 2010 (topnews)
Explosives and anger on eve of 50th anniversary of Dalai Lama's exile (guardian)
Police officer shot dead in Ulster attack (Times)
Vatican paper: Washing machine liberated women most (reuters)
Even in a recession, some companies are hiring (ap)
Dalai Lama blasts 'brutal crackdown' in Tibet (ap)
Obama’s Budget Faces Test Among Party Barons (nytimes)
Finnair to suspend Mumbai route for summer. Decision made due to unfavourable economic conditions affecting both passenger and cargo sales in India and Europe (reuters)
BREAKING NEWS: Pentagon says Chinese ships harassed unarmed U.S. Navy ship, issues protest(msnbc)
Gigolo admits blackmailing BMW heiress (cnn)
World economy to 'shrink' in 2009 (bbc)
Merck buying Schering-Plough in a $41.1B deal (ap)
CBI gets custody of Raju brothers and Vadlamani Srinivas in Satyam fiasco
'Watchmen' earns $24.9 mil in first day (hollywoodreporter)
New Zealand to Jail Parents That Let Children Play Violent Video Game? (stuff)
SP leaves only 6 seats for Congress in UP (Timesofindia)
21st century will be India's: Mukesh Ambani (Hindustantimes)
Obama hints at talks with Taleban (bbc)
Taliban kill 14 kidnapped Pakistani soldiers (dnaindia)
LoC like Berlin Wall, tear it down: Musharraf (indiatoday)
Seven nations link found in Mumbai attack: Interpol (timesofindia)
Bombings kill 11 in Pakistan amid political feuds (hindu)
Six Pakistani policemen killed in blast in northwest - police (reuters)
IBM unlikely to bid for Satyam stake - sources (reuters)
Internet growing weapon in Asian radicalisation (reuters)
Koobface, Other Worms Target Facebook Friends (NewsFactor)
US unemployment jumps to 8.1 percent; 651,000 jobs lost (aol)
Govt didn’t ask me to buy Gandhi articles: Mallya (zeenews)
Unemployed place their bets on casino jobs (cnn)
Top UK restaurant closed as 400 diners taken ill (reuters)
Report: More young girls face rape in Afghanistan (cnn)
Job Losses Hint at Vast Remaking of U.S. Economy (nytimes)
Zimbabwe PM's wife dies in crash (bbc)
NEWS FLASH: Blast kills 6 in Peshawar, Pakistan: Reports (ndtv)
Bollywood, Hollywood Tightening Film Ties (washingtonpost)
Bus driver invited to holiday in Sri Lanka (hindu)
Tendulkar kidnap plot: HuJI man came to secure comrade's release (rediff)
Obama's safety net: the TelePrompter (politico)
Countdown to NASA search for Earth-like planets (cnn)
breaking news: Plane crashes near Bengaluru: 3 dead (rediff)
Alliance with Congress has 'broken', declares SP (hindu)
IPL will go ahead, declares Modi (bbc)
Indian Premier League Season 2 is on: Lalit Modi (zeenews)
Pakistan cricket tour to Bangladesh ditched (cnn)
Ranbir and Deepika voted the ‘Most Boring Couple’(spicezee)
Kylie's making Bolly lolly (sun)
India successfully tests interceptor missile (times of india)
Slumdog crosses $200 mn mark worldwide (msnindia)
Student gives birth in exam hall (deccan)
Mallya gets Bapu items for $1.8m (deccan)
Girl, 19, becomes youngest pilot (deccan)
newsh flash: Govt appoints corporate lawyer O P Vaish and former ICAI President Ved Jain as Directors on Maytas Infra Board (hindu)
Match-fixing won't affect political career: Azhar (rediff)
Megan Fox lines up comic-book movies (Reuters)
Four Indians in Forbes philanthropy heroes' list (sify)
Jai Ho is America's new fitness anthem (rediff)
SanDisk May Cancel Satyam Contract (wsj)
Senate panel to question Swiss banker, secrecy (reuters)
Coach: Team stayed calm as bullets flew (cnn)
Congress buys rights to Slumdog tune 'Jai Ho' (economictimes)
No iPhones, iPods at Bill Gates's house (yahoo)
Congress to use Jai Ho in poll campaign (rediff)
India successfully testfires supersonic BrahMos missile (samaylive)
Pakistan: Gunmen in rickshaws attack cricket team (ap)
Obama flays Lahore attack, reviewing Pak policy (msnindia)
Sri Devi to enter marital bliss (indiaglitz)
Two Indians among 50 short-listed for world's best job (dna)
Govt probing source of Rs2000cr used to 'fund' terror (Times of India)
No World Cup matches in Pak under current scenario: ICC (zeenews)
3/3/09: Math fans to celebrate Square Root Day (ap)
Ayesha Takia ties the knot with Farhan Azmi (indiafm)
Study: 7.3 million in U.S. prison system in '07 (cnn)
Gunmen attack Sri Lankan cricket team (cnn)
* Story Highlights
* NEW: Police believe at least 12 gunmen involved in attack in Lahore
* NEW: Sri Lanka cricket team bus attacked as it neared stadium for match
* NEW: Injured believed to include six players, and two coaches or trainers
* NEW: Incident occurred at stadium where Pakistan, Sri Lanka were to play
Gunmen attack S Lanka cricketers (bbc)
Gunmen Fire on Sri Lanka Cricket Team in Pakistan (wsj)
10 Essential Facts About 'Terminator Salvation'
http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/need-to-know-terminator-salvation.html
India's Elections to Open April 16 (wsj)
India sets dates for April-May general election (reuters)
A.I.G. Reports $61.7 Billion Loss as U.S. Gives More Aid (nytimes)
News Corp shakeup could see James Murdoch and Rebekah Wade promoted (guardian)
General Elections scheduled between April 16-May 13(business standard)
Election Commission to announce Lok Sabha poll dates at 3.30 pm today (Monday)
BJP announces tie-up with Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal for Lok Sabha polls (hindu)
Bangladesh manhunt for mutineers (bbc)
Ajit Singh's RLD joins NDA for Lok Sabha polls (ibnlive)
Sourabhee Debbarma becomes first female 'Indian Idol' (hindustantimes)
Asia markets plunge on Wall Street fears (cnn)
Lalit Modi loses Rajasthan CA election (rediff)
EC Navin Chawla to stay, Govt rejects CEC's recommendation (dnaindia)
Stripper Putting Herself Through Life (theonion)
Kelly Brook makes a rare fashion faux-pas as she steps out in a pair of leggings (dailymail)
Pawar mounts pressure on Cong; seeks more seats (hindustantimes)
King: Green jobs grow slowly in Philadelphia (cnn)
Lok Sabha poll dates likely next week? (timesnow)
Kelly Brook makes a rare fashion faux-pas as she steps out in a pair of leggings (dailymail)
Lok Sabha polls to cost more than US presidential poll (Timesofindia)
EU ready for crunch economy talks (bbc)
Monday, March 1, 2010
25 Ways To Become An Effective Freelancer; freelance writing web sites
13 BestFreelance Writing Job Websites
http://www.thewritersmanifesto.com/blog/2007/12/07/freelance-writing/
Elance is a great market place for professionals of all walks of life
Guru is designed to service freelancers of all kinds and has a very active bulletin board.
ScriptLance is probably the most known website for freelancers all around the world
oZLance is a freelance website focused to bring more connections to Australian and New Zealand professionals and connecting business owners with freelancers.
Freelance Writing is one of those sites to get lost in easily. They have a huge range of information and links leading to other related websites.
Journalism Jobs is simply put a job website for many professionals around the world. Some are in house based and others allow you to work remote.
25 Ways To Become An Effective Freelancer
“Producing the intended or expected result”
“A person who sells services to employers without a long-term commitment to any of them”
So an effective freelancer would be “A person who sells services to employers without a long-term commitment to any of them producing the intended or expected results.”
Of course, there are no long term commitments as you are not obligated to work for anybody for any amount of time unless you choose to. One reason you chose to go the ‘for hire‘ route is to become your own boss (among other reasons). But although there are no long term commitments, establishing a long term relationship should be close to the top of the list of priorities.
An effective freelancer not only produces intended or expected results but goes beyond that to provide clients with exceptional service. Here we’ll highlight some of the things that can help you become an effective freelancer:
Try to look at the service or product you offer through the client’s eyes - why hire you or order from you?
Be reliable and build credibility
Always meet, and if possible, beat deadlines
Do not over-promise or set unrealistic goals or expectations
When you have problems with a project, use it to your advantage and come up with a solution
Give undivided attention to each and every client, make them feel unique and special
Build a more personal relationship with the client (not too personal though)
Don’t leave your client in the dark - it takes a minute to send an e-mail
Ask questions to be able to better understand the project and meet expectations
Get feedback from your clients so you can better your services and products
Have an easy to navigate and simple website to offer your services so it’s easy even for the non-technically inclined to get to you
Acknowledge your clients and show recognition
Be quick replying to emails and show utmost respect
If you have a meeting with a client, be it on the phone, on IM or in person, arrive early. Early is on time, on time is late.
If possible gather as much information about your client as possible so it shows you are well prepared
Be a problem solver - No need to focus on problems, focus on finding solutions
Offer different packages and deals (example: 3 packages, bronze, silver and gold)
Let your work speak for you - Have you won a design award? Got your site featured on high profile sites? Got interviewed?
Give your customers what every human being wants : friendship, respect, recognition, concern, reliability and always keep your promises
Give your freelance business a personality so clients will see you and/or your company as being unique and friendly
It doesn’t matter how much your service or product is worth to you, make it worth for the client
Remember to send short emails to your previous clients every once in a while so as to stay in touch
When the client asks for little things that needs to be done, get them done. Keep in mind it’s the little things that matters the most
Don’t get intimidated if you get a high profile client, this person/company is offering you a job because he thinks you are worth his time and money - That’s a very good sign!
The most important thing we need to realize is that every client can become our biggest referral, without setting up an affiliate system. If we follow the tips above, chances are our clients will refer us to others. There is no better way to boost our freelancing business other than converting clients into evangelists.
Bonus Tip: One of the secrets of becoming an effective freelancer is to suggest and exchange ideas with other freelancers and like-minded people.
If you found this post helpful please take a moment to share your own tips and tricks and share your thoughts on how we can become an effective freelancer. How can we get repeat business from a client? How can we personalize our services according to the client’s needs? Anything you can think of that can help us become an effective freelancer, share with us. The comments section is yours now.
****
7 star strategies for your child's future
How can you put a price on the expression of pure bliss on your four-year-old's face
as she enjoys an ice-cream? When your 17-year-old whoops on hearing the news that
he has secured admission to his dream college, would your brain tick away at the
amount of money this is going to cost you?
These are non-questions to any parent. Parental love is unconditional and largely
unaccountable. It's heartless and clinical to count your child as a cost centre, and we
are not suggesting you do that.
Understanding expenses does not imply condemning them. On the contrary, it is only a
first step towards gaining an advantage over them. In fact, if you do manage to chip
away at the warm, fuzzy feeling of pride and accomplishment and examine the costs
of raising a child, you would be able to do a far better job of being the provider.
The dichotomy of spending on your children is a conflict between the present and the
future. Should you cave in and buy the Rs 25,000 Playstation 3 that your son has
been nagging you for? Will it come from the money you have been saving for his
graduation? Will that Barbie-themed Rs 50,000 party you threw on your daughter's
birthday be the reason she will have to do her hotel management in Goa instead of
Geneva? The only way to solve these dilemmas is to plan ahead and start investing.
Now.
Two big-ticket costs that all parents have to provide for fall under the heads
education and marriage. Post-graduate education is expensive, and in this globalised
world, if you want to give your child the advantage of an international education,
multiply the cost by 10 times, often even more. A grand celebration to mark your
child's wedding is a great Indian dream and something that all parents would like to
put some money away for.
1. Second baby
Most couples can afford one child and want to do the best for him or her. As financial
decisions go, the second child is usually one that swings the balances. The thought of
having to keep away double the amount of what you need for a child can be daunting.
Often, when the kids are young, one plus one does not add up to two - you could
re-use and recycle and keep your expenses slightly lower. But, as they grow older,
two children can be a real strain on finances. Guitar lessons for one, football coaching
for the other, science tuitions for one and mathematics for the other can add up to a
tidy sum every month.
A second child had always featured in Jayant Bhadauria and Kamalika Nandi's life
plans. It's just that they did not really have the time to have one. Jayant works in a
multinational software company in Mumbai and Kamalika looks after marketing for an
outsourcing company.
Between work, their travelling schedules and looking after Kamini, their four-year-old
daughter, the second child remained something to be done sometime in the future.
Which was why, in September, when Kamalika discovered she was pregnant, for a
minute she didn't know whether to be happy or sad.
"Of course, money was not the first thing I thought about," says Kamalika. "Once the
news sank in, I did realise that we would have to start looking at our expenses. So
far, if I have seen something and liked it, I have ended up buying it if I felt the price
was fair. Now, I feel, there would be a little bit of a compromise there. I do want the
best for my kids, but that does not necessarily mean the most expensive."
7 star strategies for your child's future
The baby is due in May and, for now, they are figuring out the expenses related to
having him - delivery and hospitalisation are just two of the heads. A normal delivery
in a reasonably good hospital costs about Rs 35,000. If there are complications, the
fee could be substantially higher. Kamalika reckons their monthly expenditure would
increase by at least Rs 7,000 for the first year of the new baby.
A substantial portion of the large expenses they incurred for Kamini would not have to
be repeated. Expensive baby paraphernalia like the cot, stroller, rocker and high chair
can be reused for the second baby.
Jayant has a couple of insurance policies. The rest of his investments are all in equity.
He has an employee stock option in his company. Besides this, he has also opted to
buy the equity of his employer, listed in the US, with a certain percentage of his
salary every month.
The rest of his portfolio is in various Indian companies. While equity investment is the
ideal route to create wealth for his young family, Jayant should also look at
diversifying his portfolio. A major chunk of his money is invested in one stock - that of
his employer.
Jayant is also evaluating a couple of child policies from insurance companies. He
wants to use these as vehicles to save for his kids' higher education and marriages.
He is confident that as the expenses of the kids increase, so will his wife's and his
own salaries and that there will not be a situation of having to face a financial crunch.
Kamalika plans to return to work once her maternity benefits expire. When she was
expecting Kamini, she had given up her job and stayed home till her daughter turned
two. "I will try and enjoy the baby more since this is the last one I will have, but it
might be difficult because I plan to go back to work," she says.
"My career has suffered because of the break I took the last time and I don't want to
do it again. But, my company is employee-friendly and I feel that I would be able to
get leave in case I need to spend more time at home."
For now, they are not thinking about late night feeds and diaper changes. They have
chosen to focus instead on Tahitian weddings and exotic holidays for their kids.
2. Nascent dreams
When Simran Kumar thinks about her kids' future, she is not worried about which
school they will secure admission in or how big a wedding they will have. But, as a
modern, aware mother, she does get anxious about the world they will occupy, what
with environmental pollution, global warming and the rest. "I am concerned about
security issues, about violence against women, childhood respiratory diseases from
living in a polluted and crowded city," she says.
Simran and her husband, Zafar Baig, have two children under the age of two -
daughter Ananya is 22 months, and son Vivan is four months old.
Simran is an anchor for a television channel and Zafar works for an export house. With
two well paying jobs, they have not been worried about spending on the luxuries, so
far. But as their young family grows, they want to make sure they get started on
laying the foundation for a sound financial future.
"Now, we do not spend carelessly and have cut out a little bit of our frivolous
expenses. I want the best for my kids," she says.
One of the dreams Simran and Zafar have for their children is to offer them an
opportunity to follow in their footsteps and study abroad. "We are not very
money-savvy, but now want to invest in our kids' future. We do not really know
where to start," says Simran.
7 star strategies for your child's future
They have, however, opened bank accounts in both kids' names and all the money
they have received as gifts has gone into them. Zafar has bought a couple of
insurance policies and invested a bit directly in equity, as well as in some mutual
funds.
He recently invested Rs 50,000 in HDFC Standard Life's Young Star Plan. Even as they
try and cope with the 'now and here' expenses of a family of four, as well as investing
in their dreams for their kids, Simran and Zafar would also like to buy a house.
They are not alone in wanting to do several things at once. Most couples are in the
early stages of their careers when they start their families. Often, the need to put
away for a rainy day is lost in the euphoria of youth and its maxim of living for the
day.
When the kids come, several priorities tumble out of the financial closet -- a house,
some means of protecting income and insurance against unforeseeable events, buying
things for the baby, hiring someone to help look after them. Often, with this, also
comes a drastic drop in income levels if the mother chooses to stay back home and
look after the kids for a few years.
The key here is in being able to prioritise and not trying to do everything at once. The
important goals of higher education and marriage of children are quite far away and
even putting away a little sum of money starting right away would be enough.
What is key is getting into the discipline of saving, the amounts can be large or small.
As the goals are far away, most investments can be directed into equities. Systematic
investment plans (SIPs) of good funds, with a long-term view, are ideal here.
Short-term expenditure can be rationalised and reduced if there are opportunities.
Simran reckons she spends about Rs 10,000-15,000 a month now on the kids. This
includes diapers (about Rs 500 for a pack of 50), food and household help.
Simran works three days a week, and that leaves her with enough time to spend with
her children. Once they start school, she can go back to working full time. Simran is
optimistic about her future. "It's all there somewhere, I am a positive person in that
sense," she says. "For now, I want to focus on enjoying my babies," she adds.
3. Wonder years
The five years when the child has started school but is not yet in a higher class that
warrants private tuitions is the ramp up stage for the finances of parents. The goals
of higher education and marriage are some distance away, yet well within view.
Even though the primary schooler's ambitions vary widely from day to day, you could
still get a sense of the direction in which he is likely to head. This is the stage where
you could build your savings. If you have SIPs, you could increase the amount you
invest every month.
On the expense side, this is perhaps the easiest stage. You do not have the
heavy-duty everyday requirements of diapers and baby food, nor have you reached
the stage where you have to spend Rs 300 for one hour of mathematics tuition.
School fees, books, birthday parties and expenses on outings and excursions would be
areas of high spends. A birthday party can cost anywhere between Rs 3,000 and Rs
20,000.
In Kolkata, nine-year-old Arkatapa wants to be an archaeologist one day and a
teacher the next. She attends classes on ancient mathematics, Bharatnatyam, singing
and drawing. But her mother, Arpita Roy, feels when it comes to choosing a career,
Arkatapa will pick an academically-oriented one.
7 star strategies for your child's future
Arkatapa's father, Barun Kumar Roy, is an officer in the West Bengal government. His
money mantra is that investments should be made for the short term and loans should
be taken for the long term. He spends 60 per cent of his salary and saves the
remaining 40 per cent.
Barun invests with a three-to-four-year view. His first priority is insurance policies, so
that in case anything happens to him, his family does not suffer financially. He has life
insurance policies and Ulips with accident covers. He also has some investments in
Prudential ICICI Mutual Fund. These are in both equity and debt funds. Child plans do
not attract him, he has not taken any for Arkatapa.
An ideal asset allocation at this stage of your child's life is to have 75 per cent of your
investments in equity. This implies that in the intervening years between 0-4 and
5-10, you move some part of your money from pure equity to balanced or debt funds.
Arpita never wanted a career, she was always keen on staying home and looking after
her family. But her advice to her daughter would be to be self-reliant and have the
financial ability to look after herself.
Arpita finds her joy in her daughter's accomplishments. "When she scores 15 out of 15
in a test, I feel very happy. Even though it is a little silly, I do feel happy," she says.
"My daughter is not a very brilliant student, but she is still young. I am not worried
about her career now, water will flow where it will."
Her husband agrees that it is too early to predict what their daughter will grow up to
be, but he is certain that he must invest in her future. "Whenever she makes her
choice of education or career, it should not get stuck because there is no money for
it," he says emphatically.
"Every moment as a father has been a proud one." His dream for his daughter is that
she grows up to be honest, respectful and a good human being. "Everything else is
extra," he says.
4. Early teenage mayhem
As Rishab Nanda grows tall and lanky, his parents, Manisha and Manish, are beginning
to anticipate the mood swings and door slamming that will start as their
soon-to-be-12-year-old grapples with adolescence. Already, there are arguments and
high drama about pretty much everything -- from walking the dog to going on trips
with friends.
Although Rishab is yet unsure of exactly what he wants to grow up to be, the options
are getting clearer by the day. His parents do not want to get caught on the wrong
foot at the last moment and are now quickly squirrelling away as much money as
possible to fund his dreams.
Rishab's school offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme and his parents
expect that once he finishes his class 10, he would opt for this. Not only is the IB
course more expensive than a regular school, the chance that a child going for it
would ultimately pursue his graduate programmes abroad is also high. A two-year IB
course costs about Rs 4 lakh, compared to Rs 1 lakh that you would pay for a regular
CBSE or ISC school.
Manisha and Manish know that this would be an expensive proposition. They would like
to save enough to fund the full cost of his foreign degree, but are not entirely sure
they would be able to. The actual amounts they would need would depend on the
course, college and country.
When the child is between the ages of 10 and 14, regular day-to-day expenses are
also high. School fees in secondary classes are higher than those in primary, and
children also need a lot of academic and non-academic stimulation outside school.
This would mean a mixture of tuitions and lessons. Rishab takes lessons in playing the
drums, speech and drama. These add up to Rs 18,000 a year.
7 star strategies for your child's future
February 26, 2008
This is also the age of having to make large-ticket purchases. Gameboys,
Playstations, the latest skating boards and other 'toys' cost quite a packet, some
starting upwards of Rs 25,000. You can manage to spin some yarn and convince your
eight-year-old that the Barbie she has is better than the Barbie she wants, but there
is no talking reason, logic or threat to a 13-year-old.
The Nandas have made several investments in equity mutual funds. They also have
two child-specific plans -- one from LIC and the other from UTI. Ideally, the Nandas
should move their portfolio more towards debt and balanced funds. One, they would
need a large sum of money to pay the IB fees after Rishab completes his 10th
standard.
Also, since he is likely to go abroad for his undergraduate studies, their requirements
of funds would be sooner than usual. In case the stockmarket enters a lull phase after
four years, the largely equity portfolio of the couple could prove a problem.
Right now, Rishab is keen on pursuing his athletics and art. The Nandas know that
these are unconventional choices, but if Rishab does stick to either of these and
decides to pursue a career in it, they would encourage his choice.
Manisha was an advertising executive who switched careers to become a teacher.
She wants Rishab to have the guidance that enables him to discover his aptitudes so
that he doesn't waste years working in a profession he does not really want to be in.
"But," she says proudly, "at the end of the day, I think he is a survivor. Like me."
5. Terrible teens
In Delhi, Priyanka Verma is one busy 16-year-old. She is in her 12th standard and
preparing for her board exams pretty much takes up all her time now. She has opted
for the science stream and is studying physics, chemistry, mathematics and computer
science at Shriram School in Gurgaon.
Her mother, Sarika Verma, is an arts teacher and had noticed, very early, Priyanka's
creative bent of mind. "But," she says, "my husband had the foresight to advise her
that even if she wanted to subsequently pursue a career in arts, it would benefit her
to opt for the science stream at this level." Priyanka's father, Ashutosh Verma, works
in the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation.
Priyanka has now found a career that will allow an artistic expression of her science
education - she wants to be an architect. Not only that, Priyanka also decided on a
foreign language early on, and now she is learning French at an advanced level. This
means that she could opt to study architecture at a good college in France, where
the cost of education would be lower than in the US or the UK.
The Vermas are self-confessedly not very money-savvy. They decided early on that
Priyanka's education would have the first claim on their finances; everything else
would be secondary. Right now, these education expenses are high. Priyanka takes
tuitions in a couple of subjects and these cost Rs 300-400 an hour. This, added to
school fees, the bus charges of going to school and coming back home and other
expenses aggregate to a neat Rs 20,000 a month.
"There was no room to splurge or go on binges. We knew we had limited resources
and, for us, spending was not a way of living. We set our priorities and refused to
worry about anything else," Sarika says.
The Vermas have left what they managed to save in their saving bank account. They
will have to drum up the funds once Priyanka secures admission in a college of her
choice. They are looking at the option of taking an educational loan to augment their
reserves.
7 star strategies for your child's future
When the child is between 14 and 18, the first big goal draws close. The money
needed for higher education should be ready and ideally, a large chunk of it should be
moved into debt and balanced funds. A 50 per cent exposure to equity is sufficient at
this stage.
Those sending their children abroad - for undergraduate or post-graduate studies -
should be in a position to provide for at least the first couple of years. If you do not
have enough saved up, you can seek an educational loan from a bank. Usually, kids
find part-time work that helps fund a part of their education or, in the least, provides
for their living expenses once they settle down in their new country and campus.
Ideally, earmark your investments for your needs. If the monthly SIP of Rs 7,000 is
going into junior's college fund, the Rs 4,000 one could be the marriage resource. As
the event draws close, you could switch the investment from an equity to a debt
fund. This would allow it to continue earning higher returns than a bank account while
being absolutely liquid.
Sarika is certain that her daughter is a bright spark. "My only dream is that in her life
she should be able to get opportunities to use her many talents," she says.
As for her marriage, it is still far away. "Even if I am rich, I wouldn't splurge on her
wedding; I am totally against that kind of fanfare," she says.
6. Action!
It all comes to pass now, the years of swinging between anticipation and hope. Now
is when your constant refrain of "go to your room and study" goes through its test.
And the money you have put away finally finds its purpose.
Bina Sharma's older son Prabhat is doing his electronics and communications
engineering in Bangalore. As he prepares to finish this and zone in on an area of
specialisation for his post-graduate course, Bina feels a mixture of relief and anxiety.
For one, Prabhat is bright enough to have got through a better college. But, she did
not want him to stay home for a whole year and prepare for the engineering entrance
exam. So, he joined the college where he got admission. This means that if he does
not get through to an IIT for his post-graduate degree, it is best that he go abroad
for it. By the time that would be happening, the younger son would be starting his
first year of college, seeking a medical degree in all likelihood. Bina is remarkably calm
for someone who is juggling so much.
"Prabhat is in two minds and has not decided whether he wants to do a Master's in
Engineering or an MBA," she says. "My sense is that he'll stick to the technical line. If
he does, he might choose to pursue his Master's in aeronautical engineering or
continue in electronics and communications. Either way, if he does not make it to a
top rung college in India, he would go abroad."
A postgraduate degree abroad is much easier to manage compared to an
undergraduate one. All said, it would cost about Rs 40 lakh (Rs 4 million) a year to
study in the US. This means an outlay of Rs 80 lakh (Rs 8 million) for a postgraduate
course, compared to Rs 1.6 crore (Rs 16 million) for an undergraduate degree. Bina
has started planning and has put away a part of this. By the time Prabhat finishes his
degree, she should have the rest of the money on board. If her resources fall short,
the Sharmas may have to take an educational loan.
The Sharmas have been forecasting their finances towards these goals. While they
meet their monthly expenses from the money generated by the business of Bina's
husband, Vipin, her salary is saved in its entirety. They have invested in equities,
mutual funds, fixed deposits and provident funds. They also have bought some real
estate with the express purpose of liquidating it to meet the kids' college expenses.
7 star strategies for your child's future
February 26, 2008
A 25 per cent equity allocation is ideal at this stage. While the remaining money is
invested in lower-risk debt instruments, this 25 per cent would give the kicker of
higher returns.
College expenses cannot be calculated to the last rupee in advance as various factors
come into play on securing admission. Prabhat is planning to pursue a technical
degree, so the possibility of getting sponsorships and fee waivers is higher. However,
the couple needs to peg a basic minimum and work towards it.
The current expenses of the family are also high. Bina paid Rs 150,000 for the first
year of Prabhat's engineering. Over this, he incurs a monthly expense of Rs 8,000.
Bina is focused on her kids having a sound base in education. Once they graduate,
they are free to choose any career they want. She feels that Prabhat's rational
expectations would hold him in good stead through his education and career.
After the stress of steering two boys through their teens, Bina is looking forward to
the final satisfaction of seeing them settle down. "I will then put up my feet and
finally relax," she crystal gazes.
7. The last mile
Sumona Gupta did not want to make the career decisions of her daughters for them.
Snigdha, 23, works in advertising in Google for Hyderabad, and Shaila, 16, is an
aspiring fashion designer. Now that Snigdha is 'settled' professionally, Sumona is
certain that like her choice of an occupation, she would also let her daughter choose
who she wants to marry.
Sumona exudes the confidence of a successful parent -- one who has done the right
thing for her daughters and who can now take it easy and enjoy their success.
Sumona freelances in real estate, helping in renting, buying and selling of property.
Her husband, Sumit, has a shore-based job in a marine operations company in Dubai.
Together, they have set aside some money for their daughters. Most of this is in the
form of equities.
"When my daughter does get married, I would like it to be a big wedding; not overtly
so, but within our budget," Sumona says. A wedding dress for a bride would cost
between Rs 5,000 and Rs 60,000. Of course, if you have the resources you can even
spend a couple of lakh for an outfit. Food for guests sets you back by Rs 50-2,000 a
plate. Ideally, the funds for the kids should be moved out of equity at this stage.
If you have set aside enough, you could leave a small portion, about 5 per cent of the
portfolio, in equity to improve your returns. Investments in gold, ideally in bars and
coins or units of a gold exchange - traded fund, would also come into use now. There
are hardly any expenses you have to incur on behalf of the child now, they have their
own salaries to pay for most of their needs.
Sumona would rather worry about her daughters' financial stability than who they
would marry and when. "There is nothing very secure in a married life," she says. In
fact, she would like Snigdha to go for a postgraduate course, such as an MBA, than
find a man and settle down immediately.
Parenting is full of paradoxes. Even as we wait for the child to cross her next
milestone, we begin to miss the precociousness of the earlier stage. As they wean
themselves away, all we can do is gather all the special moments we have had and air
out their warmth every now and then.
When they grow into adults - people with careers, aspirations and points of view - we
can only wonder how they were ever so small that they fitted into the crook of our
arm. If we have planned ahead and made our children's journey to adulthood that
much easier, that is a job well done, a life well lived
*****
http://www.thewritersmanifesto.com/blog/2007/12/07/freelance-writing/
Elance is a great market place for professionals of all walks of life
Guru is designed to service freelancers of all kinds and has a very active bulletin board.
ScriptLance is probably the most known website for freelancers all around the world
oZLance is a freelance website focused to bring more connections to Australian and New Zealand professionals and connecting business owners with freelancers.
Freelance Writing is one of those sites to get lost in easily. They have a huge range of information and links leading to other related websites.
Journalism Jobs is simply put a job website for many professionals around the world. Some are in house based and others allow you to work remote.
25 Ways To Become An Effective Freelancer
“Producing the intended or expected result”
“A person who sells services to employers without a long-term commitment to any of them”
So an effective freelancer would be “A person who sells services to employers without a long-term commitment to any of them producing the intended or expected results.”
Of course, there are no long term commitments as you are not obligated to work for anybody for any amount of time unless you choose to. One reason you chose to go the ‘for hire‘ route is to become your own boss (among other reasons). But although there are no long term commitments, establishing a long term relationship should be close to the top of the list of priorities.
An effective freelancer not only produces intended or expected results but goes beyond that to provide clients with exceptional service. Here we’ll highlight some of the things that can help you become an effective freelancer:
Try to look at the service or product you offer through the client’s eyes - why hire you or order from you?
Be reliable and build credibility
Always meet, and if possible, beat deadlines
Do not over-promise or set unrealistic goals or expectations
When you have problems with a project, use it to your advantage and come up with a solution
Give undivided attention to each and every client, make them feel unique and special
Build a more personal relationship with the client (not too personal though)
Don’t leave your client in the dark - it takes a minute to send an e-mail
Ask questions to be able to better understand the project and meet expectations
Get feedback from your clients so you can better your services and products
Have an easy to navigate and simple website to offer your services so it’s easy even for the non-technically inclined to get to you
Acknowledge your clients and show recognition
Be quick replying to emails and show utmost respect
If you have a meeting with a client, be it on the phone, on IM or in person, arrive early. Early is on time, on time is late.
If possible gather as much information about your client as possible so it shows you are well prepared
Be a problem solver - No need to focus on problems, focus on finding solutions
Offer different packages and deals (example: 3 packages, bronze, silver and gold)
Let your work speak for you - Have you won a design award? Got your site featured on high profile sites? Got interviewed?
Give your customers what every human being wants : friendship, respect, recognition, concern, reliability and always keep your promises
Give your freelance business a personality so clients will see you and/or your company as being unique and friendly
It doesn’t matter how much your service or product is worth to you, make it worth for the client
Remember to send short emails to your previous clients every once in a while so as to stay in touch
When the client asks for little things that needs to be done, get them done. Keep in mind it’s the little things that matters the most
Don’t get intimidated if you get a high profile client, this person/company is offering you a job because he thinks you are worth his time and money - That’s a very good sign!
The most important thing we need to realize is that every client can become our biggest referral, without setting up an affiliate system. If we follow the tips above, chances are our clients will refer us to others. There is no better way to boost our freelancing business other than converting clients into evangelists.
Bonus Tip: One of the secrets of becoming an effective freelancer is to suggest and exchange ideas with other freelancers and like-minded people.
If you found this post helpful please take a moment to share your own tips and tricks and share your thoughts on how we can become an effective freelancer. How can we get repeat business from a client? How can we personalize our services according to the client’s needs? Anything you can think of that can help us become an effective freelancer, share with us. The comments section is yours now.
****
7 star strategies for your child's future
How can you put a price on the expression of pure bliss on your four-year-old's face
as she enjoys an ice-cream? When your 17-year-old whoops on hearing the news that
he has secured admission to his dream college, would your brain tick away at the
amount of money this is going to cost you?
These are non-questions to any parent. Parental love is unconditional and largely
unaccountable. It's heartless and clinical to count your child as a cost centre, and we
are not suggesting you do that.
Understanding expenses does not imply condemning them. On the contrary, it is only a
first step towards gaining an advantage over them. In fact, if you do manage to chip
away at the warm, fuzzy feeling of pride and accomplishment and examine the costs
of raising a child, you would be able to do a far better job of being the provider.
The dichotomy of spending on your children is a conflict between the present and the
future. Should you cave in and buy the Rs 25,000 Playstation 3 that your son has
been nagging you for? Will it come from the money you have been saving for his
graduation? Will that Barbie-themed Rs 50,000 party you threw on your daughter's
birthday be the reason she will have to do her hotel management in Goa instead of
Geneva? The only way to solve these dilemmas is to plan ahead and start investing.
Now.
Two big-ticket costs that all parents have to provide for fall under the heads
education and marriage. Post-graduate education is expensive, and in this globalised
world, if you want to give your child the advantage of an international education,
multiply the cost by 10 times, often even more. A grand celebration to mark your
child's wedding is a great Indian dream and something that all parents would like to
put some money away for.
1. Second baby
Most couples can afford one child and want to do the best for him or her. As financial
decisions go, the second child is usually one that swings the balances. The thought of
having to keep away double the amount of what you need for a child can be daunting.
Often, when the kids are young, one plus one does not add up to two - you could
re-use and recycle and keep your expenses slightly lower. But, as they grow older,
two children can be a real strain on finances. Guitar lessons for one, football coaching
for the other, science tuitions for one and mathematics for the other can add up to a
tidy sum every month.
A second child had always featured in Jayant Bhadauria and Kamalika Nandi's life
plans. It's just that they did not really have the time to have one. Jayant works in a
multinational software company in Mumbai and Kamalika looks after marketing for an
outsourcing company.
Between work, their travelling schedules and looking after Kamini, their four-year-old
daughter, the second child remained something to be done sometime in the future.
Which was why, in September, when Kamalika discovered she was pregnant, for a
minute she didn't know whether to be happy or sad.
"Of course, money was not the first thing I thought about," says Kamalika. "Once the
news sank in, I did realise that we would have to start looking at our expenses. So
far, if I have seen something and liked it, I have ended up buying it if I felt the price
was fair. Now, I feel, there would be a little bit of a compromise there. I do want the
best for my kids, but that does not necessarily mean the most expensive."
7 star strategies for your child's future
The baby is due in May and, for now, they are figuring out the expenses related to
having him - delivery and hospitalisation are just two of the heads. A normal delivery
in a reasonably good hospital costs about Rs 35,000. If there are complications, the
fee could be substantially higher. Kamalika reckons their monthly expenditure would
increase by at least Rs 7,000 for the first year of the new baby.
A substantial portion of the large expenses they incurred for Kamini would not have to
be repeated. Expensive baby paraphernalia like the cot, stroller, rocker and high chair
can be reused for the second baby.
Jayant has a couple of insurance policies. The rest of his investments are all in equity.
He has an employee stock option in his company. Besides this, he has also opted to
buy the equity of his employer, listed in the US, with a certain percentage of his
salary every month.
The rest of his portfolio is in various Indian companies. While equity investment is the
ideal route to create wealth for his young family, Jayant should also look at
diversifying his portfolio. A major chunk of his money is invested in one stock - that of
his employer.
Jayant is also evaluating a couple of child policies from insurance companies. He
wants to use these as vehicles to save for his kids' higher education and marriages.
He is confident that as the expenses of the kids increase, so will his wife's and his
own salaries and that there will not be a situation of having to face a financial crunch.
Kamalika plans to return to work once her maternity benefits expire. When she was
expecting Kamini, she had given up her job and stayed home till her daughter turned
two. "I will try and enjoy the baby more since this is the last one I will have, but it
might be difficult because I plan to go back to work," she says.
"My career has suffered because of the break I took the last time and I don't want to
do it again. But, my company is employee-friendly and I feel that I would be able to
get leave in case I need to spend more time at home."
For now, they are not thinking about late night feeds and diaper changes. They have
chosen to focus instead on Tahitian weddings and exotic holidays for their kids.
2. Nascent dreams
When Simran Kumar thinks about her kids' future, she is not worried about which
school they will secure admission in or how big a wedding they will have. But, as a
modern, aware mother, she does get anxious about the world they will occupy, what
with environmental pollution, global warming and the rest. "I am concerned about
security issues, about violence against women, childhood respiratory diseases from
living in a polluted and crowded city," she says.
Simran and her husband, Zafar Baig, have two children under the age of two -
daughter Ananya is 22 months, and son Vivan is four months old.
Simran is an anchor for a television channel and Zafar works for an export house. With
two well paying jobs, they have not been worried about spending on the luxuries, so
far. But as their young family grows, they want to make sure they get started on
laying the foundation for a sound financial future.
"Now, we do not spend carelessly and have cut out a little bit of our frivolous
expenses. I want the best for my kids," she says.
One of the dreams Simran and Zafar have for their children is to offer them an
opportunity to follow in their footsteps and study abroad. "We are not very
money-savvy, but now want to invest in our kids' future. We do not really know
where to start," says Simran.
7 star strategies for your child's future
They have, however, opened bank accounts in both kids' names and all the money
they have received as gifts has gone into them. Zafar has bought a couple of
insurance policies and invested a bit directly in equity, as well as in some mutual
funds.
He recently invested Rs 50,000 in HDFC Standard Life's Young Star Plan. Even as they
try and cope with the 'now and here' expenses of a family of four, as well as investing
in their dreams for their kids, Simran and Zafar would also like to buy a house.
They are not alone in wanting to do several things at once. Most couples are in the
early stages of their careers when they start their families. Often, the need to put
away for a rainy day is lost in the euphoria of youth and its maxim of living for the
day.
When the kids come, several priorities tumble out of the financial closet -- a house,
some means of protecting income and insurance against unforeseeable events, buying
things for the baby, hiring someone to help look after them. Often, with this, also
comes a drastic drop in income levels if the mother chooses to stay back home and
look after the kids for a few years.
The key here is in being able to prioritise and not trying to do everything at once. The
important goals of higher education and marriage of children are quite far away and
even putting away a little sum of money starting right away would be enough.
What is key is getting into the discipline of saving, the amounts can be large or small.
As the goals are far away, most investments can be directed into equities. Systematic
investment plans (SIPs) of good funds, with a long-term view, are ideal here.
Short-term expenditure can be rationalised and reduced if there are opportunities.
Simran reckons she spends about Rs 10,000-15,000 a month now on the kids. This
includes diapers (about Rs 500 for a pack of 50), food and household help.
Simran works three days a week, and that leaves her with enough time to spend with
her children. Once they start school, she can go back to working full time. Simran is
optimistic about her future. "It's all there somewhere, I am a positive person in that
sense," she says. "For now, I want to focus on enjoying my babies," she adds.
3. Wonder years
The five years when the child has started school but is not yet in a higher class that
warrants private tuitions is the ramp up stage for the finances of parents. The goals
of higher education and marriage are some distance away, yet well within view.
Even though the primary schooler's ambitions vary widely from day to day, you could
still get a sense of the direction in which he is likely to head. This is the stage where
you could build your savings. If you have SIPs, you could increase the amount you
invest every month.
On the expense side, this is perhaps the easiest stage. You do not have the
heavy-duty everyday requirements of diapers and baby food, nor have you reached
the stage where you have to spend Rs 300 for one hour of mathematics tuition.
School fees, books, birthday parties and expenses on outings and excursions would be
areas of high spends. A birthday party can cost anywhere between Rs 3,000 and Rs
20,000.
In Kolkata, nine-year-old Arkatapa wants to be an archaeologist one day and a
teacher the next. She attends classes on ancient mathematics, Bharatnatyam, singing
and drawing. But her mother, Arpita Roy, feels when it comes to choosing a career,
Arkatapa will pick an academically-oriented one.
7 star strategies for your child's future
Arkatapa's father, Barun Kumar Roy, is an officer in the West Bengal government. His
money mantra is that investments should be made for the short term and loans should
be taken for the long term. He spends 60 per cent of his salary and saves the
remaining 40 per cent.
Barun invests with a three-to-four-year view. His first priority is insurance policies, so
that in case anything happens to him, his family does not suffer financially. He has life
insurance policies and Ulips with accident covers. He also has some investments in
Prudential ICICI Mutual Fund. These are in both equity and debt funds. Child plans do
not attract him, he has not taken any for Arkatapa.
An ideal asset allocation at this stage of your child's life is to have 75 per cent of your
investments in equity. This implies that in the intervening years between 0-4 and
5-10, you move some part of your money from pure equity to balanced or debt funds.
Arpita never wanted a career, she was always keen on staying home and looking after
her family. But her advice to her daughter would be to be self-reliant and have the
financial ability to look after herself.
Arpita finds her joy in her daughter's accomplishments. "When she scores 15 out of 15
in a test, I feel very happy. Even though it is a little silly, I do feel happy," she says.
"My daughter is not a very brilliant student, but she is still young. I am not worried
about her career now, water will flow where it will."
Her husband agrees that it is too early to predict what their daughter will grow up to
be, but he is certain that he must invest in her future. "Whenever she makes her
choice of education or career, it should not get stuck because there is no money for
it," he says emphatically.
"Every moment as a father has been a proud one." His dream for his daughter is that
she grows up to be honest, respectful and a good human being. "Everything else is
extra," he says.
4. Early teenage mayhem
As Rishab Nanda grows tall and lanky, his parents, Manisha and Manish, are beginning
to anticipate the mood swings and door slamming that will start as their
soon-to-be-12-year-old grapples with adolescence. Already, there are arguments and
high drama about pretty much everything -- from walking the dog to going on trips
with friends.
Although Rishab is yet unsure of exactly what he wants to grow up to be, the options
are getting clearer by the day. His parents do not want to get caught on the wrong
foot at the last moment and are now quickly squirrelling away as much money as
possible to fund his dreams.
Rishab's school offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme and his parents
expect that once he finishes his class 10, he would opt for this. Not only is the IB
course more expensive than a regular school, the chance that a child going for it
would ultimately pursue his graduate programmes abroad is also high. A two-year IB
course costs about Rs 4 lakh, compared to Rs 1 lakh that you would pay for a regular
CBSE or ISC school.
Manisha and Manish know that this would be an expensive proposition. They would like
to save enough to fund the full cost of his foreign degree, but are not entirely sure
they would be able to. The actual amounts they would need would depend on the
course, college and country.
When the child is between the ages of 10 and 14, regular day-to-day expenses are
also high. School fees in secondary classes are higher than those in primary, and
children also need a lot of academic and non-academic stimulation outside school.
This would mean a mixture of tuitions and lessons. Rishab takes lessons in playing the
drums, speech and drama. These add up to Rs 18,000 a year.
7 star strategies for your child's future
February 26, 2008
This is also the age of having to make large-ticket purchases. Gameboys,
Playstations, the latest skating boards and other 'toys' cost quite a packet, some
starting upwards of Rs 25,000. You can manage to spin some yarn and convince your
eight-year-old that the Barbie she has is better than the Barbie she wants, but there
is no talking reason, logic or threat to a 13-year-old.
The Nandas have made several investments in equity mutual funds. They also have
two child-specific plans -- one from LIC and the other from UTI. Ideally, the Nandas
should move their portfolio more towards debt and balanced funds. One, they would
need a large sum of money to pay the IB fees after Rishab completes his 10th
standard.
Also, since he is likely to go abroad for his undergraduate studies, their requirements
of funds would be sooner than usual. In case the stockmarket enters a lull phase after
four years, the largely equity portfolio of the couple could prove a problem.
Right now, Rishab is keen on pursuing his athletics and art. The Nandas know that
these are unconventional choices, but if Rishab does stick to either of these and
decides to pursue a career in it, they would encourage his choice.
Manisha was an advertising executive who switched careers to become a teacher.
She wants Rishab to have the guidance that enables him to discover his aptitudes so
that he doesn't waste years working in a profession he does not really want to be in.
"But," she says proudly, "at the end of the day, I think he is a survivor. Like me."
5. Terrible teens
In Delhi, Priyanka Verma is one busy 16-year-old. She is in her 12th standard and
preparing for her board exams pretty much takes up all her time now. She has opted
for the science stream and is studying physics, chemistry, mathematics and computer
science at Shriram School in Gurgaon.
Her mother, Sarika Verma, is an arts teacher and had noticed, very early, Priyanka's
creative bent of mind. "But," she says, "my husband had the foresight to advise her
that even if she wanted to subsequently pursue a career in arts, it would benefit her
to opt for the science stream at this level." Priyanka's father, Ashutosh Verma, works
in the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation.
Priyanka has now found a career that will allow an artistic expression of her science
education - she wants to be an architect. Not only that, Priyanka also decided on a
foreign language early on, and now she is learning French at an advanced level. This
means that she could opt to study architecture at a good college in France, where
the cost of education would be lower than in the US or the UK.
The Vermas are self-confessedly not very money-savvy. They decided early on that
Priyanka's education would have the first claim on their finances; everything else
would be secondary. Right now, these education expenses are high. Priyanka takes
tuitions in a couple of subjects and these cost Rs 300-400 an hour. This, added to
school fees, the bus charges of going to school and coming back home and other
expenses aggregate to a neat Rs 20,000 a month.
"There was no room to splurge or go on binges. We knew we had limited resources
and, for us, spending was not a way of living. We set our priorities and refused to
worry about anything else," Sarika says.
The Vermas have left what they managed to save in their saving bank account. They
will have to drum up the funds once Priyanka secures admission in a college of her
choice. They are looking at the option of taking an educational loan to augment their
reserves.
7 star strategies for your child's future
When the child is between 14 and 18, the first big goal draws close. The money
needed for higher education should be ready and ideally, a large chunk of it should be
moved into debt and balanced funds. A 50 per cent exposure to equity is sufficient at
this stage.
Those sending their children abroad - for undergraduate or post-graduate studies -
should be in a position to provide for at least the first couple of years. If you do not
have enough saved up, you can seek an educational loan from a bank. Usually, kids
find part-time work that helps fund a part of their education or, in the least, provides
for their living expenses once they settle down in their new country and campus.
Ideally, earmark your investments for your needs. If the monthly SIP of Rs 7,000 is
going into junior's college fund, the Rs 4,000 one could be the marriage resource. As
the event draws close, you could switch the investment from an equity to a debt
fund. This would allow it to continue earning higher returns than a bank account while
being absolutely liquid.
Sarika is certain that her daughter is a bright spark. "My only dream is that in her life
she should be able to get opportunities to use her many talents," she says.
As for her marriage, it is still far away. "Even if I am rich, I wouldn't splurge on her
wedding; I am totally against that kind of fanfare," she says.
6. Action!
It all comes to pass now, the years of swinging between anticipation and hope. Now
is when your constant refrain of "go to your room and study" goes through its test.
And the money you have put away finally finds its purpose.
Bina Sharma's older son Prabhat is doing his electronics and communications
engineering in Bangalore. As he prepares to finish this and zone in on an area of
specialisation for his post-graduate course, Bina feels a mixture of relief and anxiety.
For one, Prabhat is bright enough to have got through a better college. But, she did
not want him to stay home for a whole year and prepare for the engineering entrance
exam. So, he joined the college where he got admission. This means that if he does
not get through to an IIT for his post-graduate degree, it is best that he go abroad
for it. By the time that would be happening, the younger son would be starting his
first year of college, seeking a medical degree in all likelihood. Bina is remarkably calm
for someone who is juggling so much.
"Prabhat is in two minds and has not decided whether he wants to do a Master's in
Engineering or an MBA," she says. "My sense is that he'll stick to the technical line. If
he does, he might choose to pursue his Master's in aeronautical engineering or
continue in electronics and communications. Either way, if he does not make it to a
top rung college in India, he would go abroad."
A postgraduate degree abroad is much easier to manage compared to an
undergraduate one. All said, it would cost about Rs 40 lakh (Rs 4 million) a year to
study in the US. This means an outlay of Rs 80 lakh (Rs 8 million) for a postgraduate
course, compared to Rs 1.6 crore (Rs 16 million) for an undergraduate degree. Bina
has started planning and has put away a part of this. By the time Prabhat finishes his
degree, she should have the rest of the money on board. If her resources fall short,
the Sharmas may have to take an educational loan.
The Sharmas have been forecasting their finances towards these goals. While they
meet their monthly expenses from the money generated by the business of Bina's
husband, Vipin, her salary is saved in its entirety. They have invested in equities,
mutual funds, fixed deposits and provident funds. They also have bought some real
estate with the express purpose of liquidating it to meet the kids' college expenses.
7 star strategies for your child's future
February 26, 2008
A 25 per cent equity allocation is ideal at this stage. While the remaining money is
invested in lower-risk debt instruments, this 25 per cent would give the kicker of
higher returns.
College expenses cannot be calculated to the last rupee in advance as various factors
come into play on securing admission. Prabhat is planning to pursue a technical
degree, so the possibility of getting sponsorships and fee waivers is higher. However,
the couple needs to peg a basic minimum and work towards it.
The current expenses of the family are also high. Bina paid Rs 150,000 for the first
year of Prabhat's engineering. Over this, he incurs a monthly expense of Rs 8,000.
Bina is focused on her kids having a sound base in education. Once they graduate,
they are free to choose any career they want. She feels that Prabhat's rational
expectations would hold him in good stead through his education and career.
After the stress of steering two boys through their teens, Bina is looking forward to
the final satisfaction of seeing them settle down. "I will then put up my feet and
finally relax," she crystal gazes.
7. The last mile
Sumona Gupta did not want to make the career decisions of her daughters for them.
Snigdha, 23, works in advertising in Google for Hyderabad, and Shaila, 16, is an
aspiring fashion designer. Now that Snigdha is 'settled' professionally, Sumona is
certain that like her choice of an occupation, she would also let her daughter choose
who she wants to marry.
Sumona exudes the confidence of a successful parent -- one who has done the right
thing for her daughters and who can now take it easy and enjoy their success.
Sumona freelances in real estate, helping in renting, buying and selling of property.
Her husband, Sumit, has a shore-based job in a marine operations company in Dubai.
Together, they have set aside some money for their daughters. Most of this is in the
form of equities.
"When my daughter does get married, I would like it to be a big wedding; not overtly
so, but within our budget," Sumona says. A wedding dress for a bride would cost
between Rs 5,000 and Rs 60,000. Of course, if you have the resources you can even
spend a couple of lakh for an outfit. Food for guests sets you back by Rs 50-2,000 a
plate. Ideally, the funds for the kids should be moved out of equity at this stage.
If you have set aside enough, you could leave a small portion, about 5 per cent of the
portfolio, in equity to improve your returns. Investments in gold, ideally in bars and
coins or units of a gold exchange - traded fund, would also come into use now. There
are hardly any expenses you have to incur on behalf of the child now, they have their
own salaries to pay for most of their needs.
Sumona would rather worry about her daughters' financial stability than who they
would marry and when. "There is nothing very secure in a married life," she says. In
fact, she would like Snigdha to go for a postgraduate course, such as an MBA, than
find a man and settle down immediately.
Parenting is full of paradoxes. Even as we wait for the child to cross her next
milestone, we begin to miss the precociousness of the earlier stage. As they wean
themselves away, all we can do is gather all the special moments we have had and air
out their warmth every now and then.
When they grow into adults - people with careers, aspirations and points of view - we
can only wonder how they were ever so small that they fitted into the crook of our
arm. If we have planned ahead and made our children's journey to adulthood that
much easier, that is a job well done, a life well lived
*****
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