What they can''t teach you in media schools

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What they can''t teach you in media schools
In the past ten years or so, journalism, especially electronic journalism, has become an attractive

In the past ten years or so, journalism, especially electronic journalism, has become an attractive, meaningful and extremely competitive profession. Not just the glamour, which includes the possibility of meeting face-to-face Shahrukh Khan and Arun Jaitley, but it also gives a young man or woman fired with a spirit of idealism a platform to make a difference.


If there has been a boom in the media business there has, simultaneously, been a boom in journalism and mass communication institutes. These institutes come in all shapes and sizes - the good, the bad and the ugly. Before joining such schools, the student needs to carefully check the bonafides of the institute. I will not be giving away any secrets when I say some of these schools are completely bogus, while others are of world-class standards. The Asian College of Journalism in Chennai, for instance, is among the very best.


The usefulness of such institutes is that they teach you the "fundamentals". Just because an individual has a flair for writing or speaking confidently does not mean he/she will automatically be successful in print or electronic journalism. These are useful starting points. What you need to add to your natural talent is understanding of the "craft" of journalism. In other words, you have to learn the rules of the trade, its grammar and vocabulary. Just 20 years ago, for someone interested in journalism there were few opportunities for formal education. When I became a journalist, learning-on-the-job was the usual route. Some of the best journalists India has produced began as trainees or "copy boys" - which meant you learnt by seeing, absorbing and asking questions. Now, one has the possibility of spending a year or two in a journalism school and cutting short the training period.


I am assuming you will make a wise choice in picking your school. And once you have done that you will probably emerge with a sound allround knowledge. That still doesn''''t mean you have made it. "How to do" and "Actually do" are not one and the same thing. All I can say is that a basic grounding in journalism acquired through a school will enable you to become a professional faster.


Whether you choose print or television journalism, one of the things they don''t teach you in journalism schools is how to work under pressure. This you can only learn when you are actually on the job.


What do I mean by pressure? Specifically, pressure of time. Both print and TV journalists are expected to produce excellent journalism. Accuracy and fairness are absolutely essential (and the "rules" for such excellent journalism are well-taught in schools). But so is speed. Whether you work in a newspaper or a weekly magazine or a TV news channel, the 24-hour news cycle never relents. You may go to sleep at night, but news does not sleep. This 24-hour news cycle moves at an incredible speed - which you have to match and master.


The trouble is you can''t cut corners. Accuracy and fairness cannot be sacrificed for speed. You dare not tell your editor, "Sorry, boss, I got that politician''s initials wrong because I was in a hurry." That is no excuse. The viewer or the reader will rightly assume that if you can''t get the politicians initials right, why should he trust you to get the rest of the story right. Of course, journalists are not infallible, they will make mistakes, but these have to be few and far between.


How to ensure accuracy under pressure is the most important challenge you will face in journalism as it is practised in India 2009. This challenge will confront you all the time you are a journalist - and this challenge cannot be simulated by your teacher at school. I can only give you one piece of advice on how to meet this challenge: keep a cool head. When you are working against the clock, do not get flustered or agitated. If you are not sure of a particular fact - check, do not assume or think "that may be right". It does not matter how many years of experience you have collected - everyone is prone to making mistakes. You will also make a few mistakes. Hopefully, they will be very few. Good luck
source: careers360

Role of the media

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cartoon: Deccan Chronicle
Role of the media
The thesis that democracy is a Western intellectual inheritance derived from a long and unique past (unmatched anywhere else in the world) does not, therefore, work. It would not survive very well even if we took the rather limited public balloting view of democracy, and it does particularly badly when the history of democracy is seen in terms of public reasoning.

One of the central issues to consider for the advancement of public reasoning in the world is support for a free and independent press, which is often conspicuous by its absence — a situation that can certainly be reversed. And here the traditions established in Europe and America over the last three hundred years have indeed made a gigantic difference. The lessons derived from these traditions have been transformational for the world as a whole, from India to Brazil, and from Japan to South Africa, and the need for a free and vigorous media is being rapidly learned across the globe. What I think is particularly heartening is the speed with which the coverage — and indeed sometimes the culture — of the media can change.

press freedom

An unrestrained and healthy media is important for several different reasons, and it is useful to separate out the distinct contributions it can make. The first — and perhaps the most elementary — connection concerns the direct contribution of free speech in general and of press freedom in particular to the quality of our lives. We have reason enough to want to communicate with each other and to understand better the world in which we live. Media freedom is critically important for our capability to do this. The absence of a free media and the suppression of people’s ability to communicate with each other have the effect of directly reducing the quality of human life, even if the authoritarian country that imposes such suppression happens to be very rich in terms of gross national product.

Second, the press has a major informational role in disseminating knowledge and allowing critical scrutiny. The informational function of the press relates not only to specialized reporting (for example on scientific advances or on cultural innovations), but also to keeping people generally informed about what is going on where. Further-more, investigative journalism can unearth information that would have otherwise gone unnoticed or even unknown.

Third, media freedom has an important protective function in giving voice to the neglected and the disadvantaged, which can greatly contribute to human security. The rulers of a country are often insulated, in their own lives, from the misery of common people. They can live through a national calamity, such as a famine or some other disaster, without sharing the fate of its victims. If, however, they have to face public criticism in the media and confront elections with an uncensored press, the rulers have to pay a price too, and this gives them a strong incentive to take timely action to avert such crises.

The paretian liberal

Fourth, informed and unregimented formation of values requires openness of communication and argument. The freedom of the press is crucial to this process. Indeed, reasoned value formation is an interactive process, and the press has a major role in making these interactions possible. New standards and priorities emerge through public discourse, and it is public discussion, again, that spreads the new norms across different regions.

The relationship between majority rule and the protection of minority rights, both of which are integral parts of democratic practice, is particularly dependent on the formation of tolerant values and priorities. One of the lessons drawn from the social choice result of ‘the impossibility of the Paretian liberal’ is the crucial relevance of mutually tolerant preferences and choice in making liberty and liberal rights consistent with the priority of majority rule and of being guided by unanimity over particular choices. If a majority is ready to support the rights of minorities, and even of dissenting or discordant individuals, then liberty can be guaranteed without having to restrain majority rule.

A recurrent theme

Finally, a well- functioning media can play a critically important role in facilitating public reasoning in general, the importance of which for the pursuit of justice has been a recurrent theme in this work. The evaluation needed for the assessment of justice is not just a solitary exercise but one that is inescapably discursive. It is not hard to see why a free, energetic and efficient media can facilitate the needed discursive process significantly. The media is important not only for democracy but for the pursuit of justice in general. ‘Discussionless justice’ can be an incarcerating idea.

— Excerpted from Amartya Sen’s recent book, The Idea of Justice

TECHNICAL WRITER – AS A CAREER

TECHNICAL WRITER – AS A CAREER

Technical writing, a form of technical communication, is a style of formal writing and is used in fields as diverse as computer hardware and software, aerospace industry, robotics, finance, consumer electronics and biotechnology. Technological Writers explain complex ideas to the technical and non­technical audiences.

Technical Writers often write for readers who know less than they do about their subject, and they try to inform the readers about it rather than show how much they know.

In some organizations Technical Writers may be called Information Developers, Documentation Specialists, Documentation Engineers or Technical Content Developers.

Technical Writers are more successful when they try to impress their readers with how clearly and simply they can present information the readers need. A good Technical Writer needs strong language skills and must understand the highly evolved conventions of modern technical communications.

Quality of a good Technical Writer:

Good Technical Writers in high-tech firms ask two questions about their readers:

i. How much do they know about my subject?

ii. How interested will they be in reading what I have written?

Readers will know a little about the subject, a lot, or something in between. Readers may be uninterested, very interested or somewhere in between, but to keep the readers interest, the technical writer must feel the readers’ response ‘and control the tone and content of the subject.

Prospects of Technical Writers:

Thousands of business and trade magazines and papers are published by industries and publishing firms to keep readers informed about special fields. Industrial publications are often written and edited by Technical Writers. Newspapers, news magazines and wire services employ Technical Writers. Professional journals covering automobile industries, engineer-ing, computers, medicine, law, chemistry, biotechnology, etc. use Technical Writers to report professional trends and to work as editors.

Many Technical Writers work as freelance writers. They are paid by the job or by the hour. Sometimes they are hired to do specific jobs such as writing about a new high-tech product or advancement. Some Technical Writers start out as Research Assistants or as trainees in a Technical Information Department and then are promoted as Technical Writers.

A Technical Writer has no true career levels, but can move up into management of other writers. He could grow into a Senior Technical Writer position, handling complex projects or a small team of writers and editors. His next rise could be a Documentation Manager handling multiple projects and teams.

Technical Writers in high-tech firms are encouraged to state their subject, audience and purpose at the beginning of a document unless the purpose is to persuade the readers to understand the product.

Technical Writers in high-tech firms must be able to write as quickly as possible, and must be able to switch from one writing task to another. Requirements for documents sometimes arise suddenly, and often there is little time between the first notice of a requirement and the deadline for the document.

Technical Writers may also have additional planning duties, including contributing to the documents’ design, writing or reviewing the document outline for content coverage, logical organization, and providing guidelines for the writers and editors. Writing and editing guidelines help ensure consistency in formats, acronyms and abbreviations, and technical details, to cut editing time.

In high-tech firms Technical Writers have two type of audiences i.e. a Primary and a Secondary.

A document written for readers outside the firm will be reviewed by the writer’s supervisor and other company staff before it is revised, put into production, and released to the outside audience. These reviewers are a Secondary audience. The outside readers (the related customers) are the Primary audience.

When Technical Writers have two audiences, they must satisfy their Secondary audience with the document while they try to make it communicate effectively with the Primary audience. Usually, the Secondary audience is familiar with the Primary and can provide effective review.

Technical Writers often recommend usage guidelines or strict observance of the company style manual to his Senior who decides which standard to follow in the document. The longer a document the more important it is for the Technical Writer to coordinate activities with publication staff, letting them know how much work is coming, when it will be submitted, and when it is needed. Accordingly he has to plan and schedule his work.

Technical Writers are expected to be strong in all steps of the writing process. They are expected to emphasis the product and not the processes. The final document (write-up) is much more important in high-tech firms then other professional settings.

Personal Skills of a Technical Writer:

A Technical Writer must possess very good skills in writing good English. He must have good research and communication skill to gather information about the product using many media like- Internet, books, and sometimes to interview the experts in the field, design skills and multimedia presentation.

A Technical Writer should be familiar with the specified subject area apart from technically skilled or trained.

Challenges before the Technical Writers:

In companies that do not produce written or on-line documents for sale, Technical Writers often have to justify their positions by demonstrating that their work has increased the marketability of the firm’s goods or services. Technical Writers are the image builders of the company and are an essential aid to augment its profits. They must keep themselves up-dated with new technical developments in their fields. He must up-date his skills daily by collaborating with educated, intelligent people who value their services. As technology develops, the material technical writers work with changes constantly. The variety makes their work more interesting and challenging and the new materials educate them.

Eligibility for Technical Writers:

There is no requirement of a formal education in the field of Technical Writers. Any Degree with a Post Graduation degree or diploma preferably in Journalism and Mass Communication, knowledge of good English language and IT skills are desirable for a Technical Writer. Computer literacy and knowledge of software application, Microsoft word, page maker, frame maker, rob help and front page, etc. are some of the important skills a Technical Writer must possess.

Jobs Description of a Technical Writer are:

l To Prepare catalogues, user manuals and guides, technical help books, engineering reports and online help documents.

l To Communicate with actual developers of products.

l To Work closely with engineers, scientists, pharmaceutical firms and accountants.

Jobs available for a Technical Writer:

At various firms such as advertising agencies, software developing companies, and in newspapers and magazines, Technical Writers are in demand. The highest demand for Technical Writers is generated by the IT industries. Freelancers can also take up work on contract basis from the companies.

Companies like Infosys Technologies Ltd, Sun Microsystems, Infotech, often appoint Technical Writers for their companies.

Institutes/Universities offering Courses for Technical
Writing:

Though the Technical Writing field in India is growing faster than ever before, no institute/University in the country impart any kind of Technical Writing course or training purely. Some university courses include a paper in Technical Writing in their curriculum along with Journalism and Mass Communication courses etc.

Some of the Institutes/Universities offering courses in Technical Writing :

i. University of Calicut, Kozhikode.

ii. Documentation Research and Training Centre ( D.R.T.C.) Bangalore.

iii. Xaviers Institute of Communi-cation, Mumbai.

iv. Post Graduate Diploma in Technical Communication (PGDTC), University of Pune.

v. And many private institutes also offer courses related to the field.

(Pradip Kumar Nath is Assistant Professor, National Institue of Rural Development & Hemprabha Chauhan is former Asst. Professor, Institute of Media & Technology, Gurgaon and Journalist Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500030)
Author:
— by Pradip Kumar Nath & Hemprabha Chauhan
source: employment news

Google CEO Eric Schmidt On Newspapers & Journalism

Google CEO Eric Schmidt On Newspapers & Journalism
Is Google a newspaper killer? Not by a long shot, says Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Nor does he want it to be. In a long interview about his company’s relationship with newspapers and the print journalism industry, Schmidt made it clear he wants established players to survive. In fact, he thinks Google has a “moral responsibility” to help. But help doesn’t mean a handout.

I spoke with Schmidt on the topic about two weeks ago in his office at Google. In summary, he felt that Google takes most of the blame for the internet as a whole, in how it has changed news reading habits that have impacted the newspaper industry. But despite that impact, he felt newspapers would survive in some form.

Schmidt would like Google to help by experimenting with new ways of reading news that might help print institutions make it through the transition they face. That’s especially so in that Google has no plans to produce news content itself. Google’s success, he says, is tied to pointing its visitors to sources of quality content.

Moreover, Schmidt said Google has a responsibility to help, given that part of his company’s vision is to make the world a better place. Without journalistic institutions to do professional investigative articles and other “deep” reporting, democracy would be harmed.

That argument is one many beleaguered newspaper executives themselves have made. If hearing that Schmidt agrees with them is a relief, there’s more goodness flowing their way. Schmidt largely believes that only existing mainstream news institutions have the resources and established trust to do deep journalism. He acknowledges that new online publications have emerged, and that there are journalists working independently of large companies. But his faith is still with the old school, so to speak.

As for the ongoing discussions with the Associated Press, he expects a new deal will be reached. More on that, and the other topics I’ve summarized, below.

Google’s Not A Newspaper Vampire

This year, Google has been blamed by some in the mainstream journalism industry for everything from being a vampire that’s sucked the life out of newspapers to undermining democracy by somehow short-changing publications of ad revenue. How does Schmidt view these accusations? He sees them as Google taking the brunt of disruption caused by the internet itself:

I think in this case Google is a proxy for the internet as a whole. So the people would make the same statements about the Internet as they do about Google. Substitute the internet for Google and you get that idea. And because we play such a central role in information, we’ve become somewhat used to being blamed for everything. In some cases people don’t understand that we’re a conduit to other people doing things. They think Google did it when in fact somebody else did it and made it available.

Rereading Schmidt’s answer when writing up this interview, I was struck how it brought to mind something he started talking about back in 2006, his “don’t bet against the internet” line. That’s the idea that the internet was transforming the world and that only foolish businesses would effectively think they could stick with “old” ways.

Newspapers Will Decline But Won’t Die

So it’s the internet that’s killing papers? Schmidt immediately stopped me from suggesting that he’s saying newspapers will die. He thinks they will survive in some form:

Killing newspapers, that’s your words, not mine…

The number of readers for newspapers is declining. The market is becoming more specialized. There will always be a market for people who read the newspaper on a train going into New York City. There will always be a market for people who sit in in the afternoon in a cafe in the city and read the newspaper in the sunshine. The term “killing” is a bit over[blown]. Newspapers face a long-term secular decline because of the shift in user habits due to the Internet.

So again, if you take the criticism as a statement about the Internet, how will Google fix that? I think that’s just politically a better answer from our perspective. Let me put it this way: Imagine if Google didn’t exist. Would the same criticism still exist? You betcha. See my point?

Online Solutions To Newspaper Woes & Google Wants To Help

As for newspapers specifically, Schmidt feels they have three major problems: physical production costs, loss of classified revenue and loss of print ad revenue. Google’s role is to help with online fixes for these, Schmidt said:

In the case of the newspapers, they have multiple problems which are hard to solve. If you think about it there are three fundamental problems. One is that the physical cost of things is going up, physical newsprint. Another one has been the loss of classifieds. And a third one has been essentially the difficulty in selling traditional print ads. So, all of them have online solutions. And we’ve come to the conclusion that the right thing to do is to help them with the online.

One Solution: New Ways To Read News Online

In terms of the physical production issue, Google’s contribution seems to be experimenting with new ways of reading journalism online. Said Schmidt:

We think that over a long enough period of time, most people will have personalized news-reading experiences on mobile-type devices that will largely replace their traditional reading of newspapers. Over a decade or something. And that that kind of news consumption will be very personal, very targeted. It will remember what you know. It will suggest things that you might want to know. It will have advertising. Right? And it will be as convenient and fun as reading a traditional newspaper or magazine.

So one way one to think about it is that the newspaper or magazine industry do a great job of the convenience of scanning and looking and understanding. And we have to get the web to that point, or whatever the web becomes. So we just announced, the official name is Google Fast Flip. And that’s an example of the kind of thing we’re doing. And we have a lot more coming.

Google Fast Flip is out there now for anyone to use. As for the intriguing idea of a personalized news reader, Google’s Marissa Mayer hinted at experiments with this in August (see Of Living URLs, Newspaper Rankings & California Fires). Schmidt also talked again about the concept yesterday. Stay tuned.

New Ads For News Will Come

What about those lost revenues? Schmidt didn’t address the classified revenue loss, perhaps because Craigslist is the poster child for blame there. As for print display ad decline, Schmidt suggested new ads will follow through into the new reading models:

On the business side, which is what people are really talking about, it seems to me that we should be able to get very powerful advertising in display formats that people will like in this new model, invented, built and sold. Now I don’t know how much revenue that is, but it’s a lot more than they’re getting now.

Speaking of revenue sharing, some noted that Google’s Fast Flip seemed to mark the first time Google has shared revenue with news sites. When I asked Schmidt about this, he disagreed, noting that Google has ad deals with a variety of newspapers where revenue is shared.

However, those deals are for ads delivered on the news sites themselves. Publications like USA Today or the Washington Post carry Google search boxes and share in revenues generated by search ads. Other sites also carry display ads through AdSense. How about sharing revenue with news sites for content hosted on Google itself, as Fast Flip does. Isn’t that new?

Google’s Not A Content Company

Yes, that’s “probably true,” Schmidt said, though he stressed the goal is not for Google to be a content company but rather to help those with content thrive:

We need these content partners to survive. We need their content. We are not in the content business. So, you could decide that we’re just evil businessmen trying to give money to the newspapers [through the Fast Flip revenue sharing], or you could decide that we’re altruistic and trying to save an important Fourth Estate of American political discourse. Whichever one leads to the same outcome. I hope you believe the second. But even if you believe the first, it’s still good business. We need their content.

It should be noted that Google has worked to help newspapers with offline newspaper ad sales, but after trying for two years, it shuttered its program this past January. Meanwhile, Google competitor Yahoo continues with its own two-year-old Yahoo Newspaper Consortium that allows nearly 1,000 papers to sell online ads at their own sites and through Yahoo. The consortium has gotten a lot of positive reviews through it is far from a short-term solution, as even Yahoo admits.

Google Has A “Moral Responsibility” To Help The Press

Moving on, I asked Schmidt if Google felt any obligation to help the newspaper industry. Definitely, he agreed, saying:

Google sees itself as trying to make the world a better place. And our values are that more information is positive – transparency. And the historic role of the press was to provide transparency, from Watergate on and so forth. So we really do have a moral responsibility to help solve this problem.

If You Teach A Newspaper To Fish, They Don’t Need A Short Term Bailout

Sort of like the adage about teaching someone to fish, rather than giving them a fish, Schmidt sees Google’s responsibility as helping the press get into a healthier position in the long-term, not by providing subsidies that don’t solve their current problems:

The next question that the journalists who inevitably ask these questions say is, OK then why don’t you just write us a large check? Let me just posit that that’s a question that people might ask, because I know I’ve had it before. And the problem is that just transferring money from an area where we’re making a lot of money to an area where we’re making little money does not solve the problem for the long term. You’re fundamentally better off building the new product that is profitable and growing – again with the news, with magazines and so forth. It’s better for everyone. Because ultimately a subsidy model is a temporary solution. It’s not a long-term solution.

Google Wants “Well Funded” & “Professional” Investigative Journalism

So far during the interview, I’d largely used newspapers as being synonymous with journalism. But they’re not the same. Journalists don’t all work for newspapers; some publish through blogs. So I wondered, when Schmidt talked about feeling an obligation to support the press, did he mean large press organizations?

I specifically am talking about investigative journalism when I talk about this. There’s no lack of bloggers and people who publish their opinions and faux editorial writers and people with an opinion. And I think that one of the great things about the internet is that we can hear them. We can also choose to ignore them. So it’s not correct to say that the internet is decreasing conversation. The internet is clearly increasing conversation at an incredibly rapid pace. The cacophony of voices is overwhelming as you know.

Well-funded, targeted professionally managed investigative journalism is a necessary precondition in my view to a functioning democracy. And so that’s what we worry about. And as you know, that was always subsidized in the newspaper model by the other things that they did. You know, the story about the scandal in Iraq or Afghanistan was difficult to advertise against. But there was enough revenue that it allowed the newspaper to fulfill its mission.

Few Bloggers Can Do What The New York Times Can Do

But what about people who go out and do professional journalism on their own, who don’t turn around and complain they’re unable to succeed because Google’s hurting them? Said Schmidt:

Let’s talk about Afghanistan. How many free bloggers are there that are in a safe-house in Afghanistan with the necessary support structure to do the kind of deep investigative reporting on what’s really going on in the war? I’m not talking about the ones that are embedded in the government. That’s an example. The kind of articles about the scandals in the various government bureaucracies. All of those kinds of things. There are very few bloggers, to use the term broadly, who have the time and the resources – I mean these are stories that take months to develop, they take confidential sources.

Another example that people in our world often miss: Let’s assume you’re a mid-level government executive, not necessarily in the United States, and it’s a crime to leak information for purposes of discussion. Are you willing to leak to a blogger who has no track record of protecting his or her own sources, versus the New York Times, which routinely sends its people to jail over this question of a shield law.

So again, it’s facile in my view to say that the two functions are similar. There’s no question that a large part of the function of newspapers and magazines is broad communication that’s not particularly controversial, and helpful and it’s great. But whatever percentage that is that requires the protection of sources, deep investigative journalism, is very important in a democracy. You would be crazy to not understand the history of that.

People don’t like it, by the way, because it’s very controversial. The Pentagon Papers is a classic example. It was incredibly controversial: Was Daniel Ellsberg a patriot or was he a criminal? He was actually adjudicated and was not a criminal because the government was doing something inappropriate. People disagree over these things. But the point is that that’s the kind of stuff I’m talking about.

Hearing Schmidt talk of this, I could only think that some newspaper executives who have attacked Google ought to be lining him up as a chief spokesperson for their industry.

It was also somewhat amazing to hear. Could I imagine someone leaking information to a blogger? Of course, I thought — to me! I was blogger (according to some) sitting right across from him, yet someone who has routinely honored embargoes and confidential information I’ve received from his own company.

To be fair, Schmidt did talk about bloggers with “no track record” (I think I’ve got one) versus the New York Times as an institution that has a well known track record.

But still, when I started as an independent journalist over a decade ago, I had nothing behind me (I’d have been called a blogger, but we didn’t have blogs back then). My site built its own audience because the traditional press was not covering search engines as well as or in as much depth as my publication was. It thrived because of the internet.

I countered. Aren’t there journalists out there who are independent of mainstream publications but who have good track records and relationships? Not for the deep journalism that Schmidt is worried about:

Not at the level I’m talking about. Name a blogger who today has the kind of deep embedded reporting that a traditional newspaper does for this kind of, for scandals. It just doesn’t exist yet. They may develop. It’s perfectly possible that they will develop. It’s a different kind of reporting. The online world is so immediate, it’s so competitive, you know people are like having heart attacks just keeping up with the publication demands in the online world. So there are some attempts at this. For example, ProPublica, which is funded by the folks [the Sandler Foundation] in Berkeley, San Francisco actually, is an attempt to replicate what I’m describing in a nonprofit way. So there is an example. It’s run by journalists, run by professionals.

Name a blogger doing deep investigative reporting? Schmidt’s got me there. I can’t name them off the top of my head. It’s not an area I focus on. I do suspect some are out there, though — if you know of some, drop them in the comments below.

Personally, I feel the big challenge to large, investigative reporting isn’t figuring out how to fund it or how to develope the trust factor needed. It’s dealing with the aftermath, when some large corporation or government body decides to sue you. That’s the chilling effect to me, for independents, especially when there’s still little clarity about how protected they are by various shield laws for journalists.

City Hall & Local Coverage At Risk

Assuming the mainstream journalism outlets did go away, would we lose investigation? Or would something spring up? Schmidt’s response that something might replace coverage on big issues but “city hall” or local deep reporting is at risk:

It’s a speculation. As I said, ProPublica is a good example. There’s a couple of groups that are funded out of political groups. There’s one that’s under Center for American Progress [Media Matters] …. Their basic job is to keep what they claim is the Republican spend machine honest. So that’s sort of an example of this. But it’s not quite. Again, think Iraq, Afghanistan, Defense Department errors, you know, corruption in governments, local governments. It’s fair to say that, though, I think the biggest worry is actually for local reporting.

Media Matters is an example. I think most people believe that in, hopefully, the unlikely scenario of the loss of all of these voices, most people believe that there’s enough emphasis and interest at the national level. But what happened to the guy who’s investigating the misdeeds of the CFO in the mayor’s office? And again, I’m talking about the stuff you can’t do in an hour. The gumshoe kind, walking around talking to people. There are very few of those people.

The loss of local coverage certainly resonated with me, since my roots in journalism started there. Last year, I did a piece talking about how over the years, the Los Angeles Times greatly reduced its local reporting from the heyday of when I worked there. So there are very few of these people? My response was that I know lots of them — they’ve all been laid off. That prompted Schmidt to say:

But they’re not doing it anymore. Or if they do it, they’re doing it on their own time.

It turns out there’s not enough money there — even with the improvement in overhead costs, because you don’t have a lot less overhead. There’s not enough money yet. Although for the most popular blogs you know, it’s the 1% phenomenon, the head of the tail, they do make money. But the vast majority of blogs end up being, it’s a little bit like wine-making. It’s a lifestyle as opposed to a real profitable business.

Last week, New York University professor Clay Shirky also had much to say about the issues of funding journalism, and the impact it might have on regional reporting. His comments are well worth reading for more on this topic. Shirky also has an interesting dissection of a local paper, looking at how few on a large payroll are actually involved in the reporting.

Schmidt: Institutional Brands Over Individual Journalists

Next the interview moved on to Schmidt’s statements about the internet being a “sewer” that brands such as major newspapers can help sort out. Is it just newspapers that have the important brands that people recognize as trusted sources, when it comes to journalism?

There are two different views. There are two different views even within Google. So one view goes like this: The institution becomes less important but the writer remains as important. So that’s sort of the new view.

I don’t happen to agree with this, but I want to make sure I report it accurately. And the rough argument goes like this: Newspapers existed because you needed an aggregation point of great talent. But you really go to a newspaper to read the writers. And because they have so many other outlets, they will become more like freelancers in this model. They will be paid by institutions and they’ll make enough money to get through the day and people will follow them. And some writers will become so famous that they’ll be like basketball stars – they’ll have large salaries and speaking [and] book deals and things like that, although the majority won’t get there.

I disagree with that view, because I believe that there is a value to the brand of the aggregator as well as this trust issue that I was discussing earlier that ultimately a freelance reporter, that ultimately it would be difficult for freelance reporters, as much as we favor them, to operate without at least some institutions of trust. And trust in two ways: trust to the reader, and trust to the sources.

I found his response fascinating, especially the discussion of a split within Google itself. All too often, there’s an assumption that Google has a monolithic view of everything. When it comes to newspapers, I think many newspaper business executives assume Google’s goal is to destroy their brands, to favor the blogs and aggregators, to be a newspaper-killing aggregator itself.

Instead, Schmidt’s not endorsing some massive revolution that will sweep mainstream publications away, with an air of good riddance. He seems to view the institutions that we now have as essential.

A Rise Of New Brands? Some…

Does this mean the institutional journalism brands we have now are locked in stone? Are there new brands that have arisen, new online ones?

Well, the most obvious one is Politico. So there is an example. I think it’s reasonable to say that there will be, in every category of information, there will be a couple of new brands that are Internet-only. An example in our world is TechCrunch….

All Things Digital is another one. So those are some of the brands that didn’t exist 10 years ago. And if you think about it, they’re defined by the personalities of their founders.

I asked if we should mourn some of the mainstream brands that will inevitably disappear.

Well I’ll tell you a story. I’ve been in this industry for 30 years, and during this time there has always been headline conferences that were very exclusive. And when I was a young executive I assumed that they would live forever. So the Agenda Conference was an example. For me, that was the most important professional event of the whole year. I would make sure that if I was invited I would go. I really enjoyed it. It was very, very important. When was the last Agenda conference? A long time ago.

So, do I mourn that? Yeah, I had a really good time. But society moves forward. New brands emerge. How old is the Starbucks brand? What would we do without Starbucks today? So the point about brands is that while it’s true that brands do end, new brands emerge. So it’s possible that the sum of the brands we were just talking about could ultimately… I’m not suggesting it can’t happen, I’m suggesting it’s very hard.

So, San Jose news. What is the brand that I will go to for news about San Jose? Well, I’ve got the San Jose Mercury News. Let’s assume for the purposes of argument that that’s in decline, which I think is without question. What’s the new brand that I’ll go to? I actually don’t know.

Google & The AP

Next I asked about Google’s current negotiations with the Associated Press. The AP ratcheted up suggestions earlier this year that it wasn’t getting a fair deal from Google from its current agreement, which was cut in 2006. The AP has also suggested that Google should be rewarding “recognizable news brands” more in its regular web search results. What’s the beef? Did the AP not get a good enough deal in the first place?

I would rather not discuss a business negotiation. But you’re smart enough to understand that this is a business negotiation. I am sure we will come to a good deal for all parties. How’s that? I was rather humored by the public criticisms because – there was all this criticism – we have a deal with the Associated Press that’s in place today. So, and surely they’re aware of this.

Indeed, I expect a deal will be struck. But my worry is that “must-carry” publications like the AP will get attended to at the expense of online publications that, as even Schmidt says, struggle to build their own revenues. And given how we’ve had suggestions that the health of democracy is at stake, if mainstream publications can’t get deals with Google, shouldn’t the AP terms be public. So that everyone knows what’s being given?

The fact of the matter is, the problems that are occurring in the industry are intrinsic. They need to be addressed. We’re doing what we can think of and we’ve been upfront about working on those. This is ultimately about money and the difficulty people are having of bringing in revenue. Again, I understand that.

So, in the private discussions with the AP, if the AP wants to do everything public then I’m sure we would consider that. But usually business negotiations are done in private for precisely the reason that people think it’s competitive.

OK, AP, so how about it? I sent the AP what Schmidt said and asked if it would be willing to publish the terms of any deal with Google. No luck. I was told:

As a longstanding corporate policy, The Associated Press has refrained from discussing the terms of its business dealings.

I was also given a quote from Sue Cross, the AP’s Senior Vice President, Global New Media & US/Americas Media Markets:

Commercial agreements are crucial to helping the AP offset the costs of its global newsgathering operation and keep member assessments lower. They allow AP to continue providing vital breaking news, including coverage of this week’s deadly earthquakes and tsunami, and to continue reporting from critical war zones, such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

Back to my interview with Schmidt, I asked him how Google may deal with a situation where if the AP gets a new deal, others may feel left out. He said:

Well, the Associated Press is different from other publications, remember, because the Associated Press is really, they really are an aggregator at some basic level. Again, I don’t want to parse the specifics. But the fact that there’s a deal with AP does not mean that you have the same deal with the New York Times. And in fact we do not.

Finally, I was curious if Schmidt actually read a newspaper regularly. Yes, he does. Two, in fact. But the exact two are the only part of the interview he asked remain off the record. And I have a pretty good track record of dealing with that type of material :)

source: searchengineland (dt 11/1/09)

15 financial problems at a glance!

15 financial problems at a glance!

When it comes to psychology and financial behaviour, India does not have too much of research papers. Hence we are forced to turn to the US or UK for such research work.

US studies have summarised financial problems and have found the following to be the most common of financial problems:

~ Not planning: The single biggest problem for most people is that they just do not plan their finances. It just keeps coming and going. Even if they are not happy about the results of what they have done so far, they do not change the way things are done.

~ Overspending: Many people with not very high incomes have very high ambitions. This is likely to get them to grief. Most of this problem is because the salesmen in most shops do not tell you the price of a product, they only tell you the EMI -- so anything from a plasma TV to a luxury home on the outskirts of the city are made to look cheap! After all at Rs 2,899 a month does a plasma TV not look cheap?

~ Not talking finance at home: Children are kept away from the finance topics at the dining table. Finance is perhaps the second most taboo topic at home! So many children grow up without knowing how much of sacrifice their parents have gone through to educate them.

~ Parents spending on education and marriage: There are just too many kids out there who believe that they need to worry about savings, investment and life insurance only at the age of 32 plus. This means your father, father�in-law or a bank loan has funded your education and marriage. Kids should take on financial responsibility at a much younger age than what is happening currently.

~ Marriage between financially incompatible people: Most marriages under stress are actually under financial stress. Either the husband or the wife is from a rich background and the other partner cannot understand or cope with the spending pattern. It is necessary to match people financially before marriage.

~ Delaying saving for retirement: "I am only 27 years old why should I think of retirement" seems to be a very valid refrain for many 32 year olds! Every year that you delay in investing the greater the amount that you will have to save later in your life. Till the age of 32 it might be feasible for you to catch up, but after some time the amount that you need to save for retirement just flies away.

~ Very little life insurance: With all the risks of life styles, travel, etc. illness and premature death are common. We all have classmates who had heart attack at the age of 32 but still pretend that we do not need life or medical insurance. We buy car insurance because it is forced upon us, but we ignore life insurance! Imagine insuring a Rs 10 lakhs car, but not insuring (or under insuring) the person who is using the car -- and paying for it, that is, you!

~ Not prepared for medical emergencies: Normally big emergencies -- financially speaking -- are medical emergencies. Being unprepared for them -- by not having an emergency fund is quite common. Emergency fund has now come to mean the credit card -- which is good news for the bank, not for the borrower.

~ Lack of asset allocation: Risk is not a new concept. However, it is a difficult concept to understand. For example when the Sensex was 3k there was much less risk in the equity markets than there is today. However at 3k index people were afraid of the market. Now everybody and his aunt wants to be in the equity market -- and there are enough advisors who keep saying, "Equity returns are superior to debt returns." This is true with a rider -- in the long run. It is convenient for the relationship manager to forget the rider. So there could be a much larger allocation to equity at higher prices -- to make for the time missed out earlier.

~ Falling prey to financial pitches: The quality of pitches has improved! Aggressive young kids are recruited by brokerage houses, banks, mutual funds, life insurance companies, etc. and all these kids are selling mutual funds, life insurance, portfolio management schemes, structured products, et al. Selling to their kith and kin helps these kids keep their jobs, and there is happiness all around! These kids, themselves prey to financial pitches, have now made it an art when they are selling to their own natural 'circle of friends' and relatives.

~ Buying financial products from 'obligated persons': This is perhaps one of the worst things you can do in your financial life. A friend, relative, neighbor, colleague who has been doing something else suddenly becomes a financial guru because they have become an agent! They, in great enthusiasm, sell you a financial product and promptly in 2 years time give up this 'business' because it is too difficult. You are saddled with a dud product for life! What a pity. Charity begins at home, not financial planning.

~ Financial illiteracy: Most people do not wish to know or learn about financial products. They simply ask, "Where do I have to sign" -- so buying a mutual fund is easier than buying life insurance! Selecting products based on the ease and simplicity of buying is a shocking but true real life experience in the financial behaviour of the rational human being!

~ Ignoring small numbers for too long: What difference will it make if I save Rs 1,000 a month? Well over a long period it could make you a millionaire! So start early and invest wisely. It will make you rich. That is the power of compounding.

~ Urgent vs important: Most expenses, which look urgent, are perhaps not so important -- the shirt or shoe at a sale. That luxury item which was being offered at 30 per cent discount is such an example. These small leakages are all reducing the amount of money you will have for the bigger things like education or retirement.

~ Focusing too much on money: Money is no longer a commodity to buy things. It is a scorecard of one's life. That will cause stress, and yoga might help. However if you will seek a branded yoga teacher -- so that your friends think you have arrived, yoga it self could cause financial stress!

***


123 will de-nuke; this will nuke

S GURUMURTHY

IN the tumult over the farm loan waiver, a dangerous move in Finance Minister’s budget oration — that has the potential to nuke the Indian financial market — has gone totally unnoticed. It’s a month after the budget. Still there is not a word in the media about this dirty nuke. So ignorant those who count seem to be that the peril may be celebrated as a towering financial sector reform! The paradox is this: the subject drives away those who are not concerned with it; but the concerned are the ones who are getting the dirty bombs to target Indian economy!

Is it that serious? Yes, it is. Read on, but seriously. In para 97 of his speech the finance minister says, “I propose to take measures to develop the bond, currency and derivative markets that will include launching an exchangetraded currency and interest rate futures and developing a transparent derivative market with appropriate safeguards.” Shorn off all ornaments, the minister intends to allow trade in ‘currency and interest futures’ and ‘derivatives’.

For easier understanding here it is better to use one complex word — the ‘derivative’ —which includes futures, options, forwards and so on. Even one among the millions who listened to the minister would not know what are the new beasts, the derivatives, that would soon populate the Indian financial market, if the minister is not stopped. Why, even ‘experts’ have no great idea about derivatives. An expert global website on finance says that ‘politicians, senior executives, regulators, even portfolio managers have limited knowledge’ about derivatives. If this were so in the US, the birth place of derivatives, one can imagine the level of enlightenment here. A brief journey into the exotic world of derivatives is necessary at this stage. This will help drive home what the finance minister is proposing to get the country into.

Derivatives are the most dangerous instruments in global finance which is today more virtual than real. It is almost a drama in real life, a theatre. Derivatives are shadow financial instruments. As the story unfolds, the shadow has not only replaced the actual, but, has grown several times the actual. This is how the derivative works as compared to the actual. If one buys or sells stocks of Tata Motors, it is actual trade. But if one buys the option to buy or not to buy Tata Motors stocks, then it is a derivative trade. But the seller of the option to the buyer need not own the Tata Motors stocks and the buyer need not have full money. Is it anything other than wager? This transaction is linked to asset values. Derivatives need not be linked to asset values only. It may be linked to loans, like that a bank may turn into a single rated security its multiple loan transactions and sell the rated Asset Backed Security (ABS} in the market. This is a credit derivative. Likewise, betting whether stock prices or stock market indexes will go up or come down or whether interest rates will go up or come down or whether the rainfall will be normal or above or below are all integral to derivative trade.

To understand this new animal called derivative that has all, but, crippled the global economy, take the credit derivative. The sub-prime housing loan crisis in the US has shaken the world. For the benefit of those who entered the debate late here is some basic info. Sub-prime loan means loan given at less than prime interest rates. Normally creditworthy borrowers would get loans at less interest. In US, however, from around the year 2000, even those who would not deserve loans at more than normal rates, were given housing loans at sub-prime rates. Households were given loans without income check, without margin money for the loan. This led to huge home demands and that pushed up the value of the existing houses. Those whose home values went up were given loans on the appreciation. This was to make Americans to go the shopping malls and buy up cars, jewellery, and other luxuries. These loans were given by design, not by mistake, to revive the American economy that was falling into depression in 2000- 2001 as a result of the dot.com collapse and the terror attack on the US. The US Federal Reserve cut the lending rates to one per cent to facilitate sub-prime borrowing. The sub-prime loans by local banks were later bundled into large bonds of millions of dollars —some times even billions — as ABS, which is a credit derivative. Rated by rating agencies ABS were sold in global market. A more sophisticated form of ABS is known as Collateralised Debt Obligations (CDOs). Like ABS, CDOs are also credit derivatives. Thus the local loans of US were turned into global loans. Result? When sub-prime borrowers in US failed to pay up, the European, Middle Eastern and Asian banks which had bought the CDOs lost the money. So it became American loan mela at global cost! The European Central Bank had to lend something like $560 billions to banks in Europe to save them from insolvency. This is one example of derivatives and also what it can do.

The total of all derivative positions of banks as measured by the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) as of December 2007 is — believe it — $516 trillions or as converted into rupees 20,640 lakh crores! The derivative beasts have grown from $100 trillion in 2002 by five times in five years. This is the shadow or virtual economy, or the mirage. The actual economy is lilliputian as compared to the shadow. The shadow economy is worth more than ten times the actual global GDP ($50 trillion); some seven times the world’s actual real estate ($75 trillions); more than five times the world’s actual stock ($100 trillions). It is not the actual that controls the virtual economy. It is the other way round —the virtual, or the speculative economy controls, even overawes, the actual.

Worse, derivatives are off balance sheet businesses of banks. Result, the true liabilities of bank in which a depositor puts in his hard earned savings, or the true position of a corporate in which corporate in whose shares someone invests money, are not known at all.

Warren Buffet, the most celebrated US investor, said recently that derivatives are financial Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)! The man is no socialist. He is a free market capitalist. And identified as the richest man on this plant less than a month ago. He is a huge player in global finance that is dominated by derivatives and yet keeps away from derivatives. No one, including Chidambaram, can claim to know more about these derivative beasts better than Warren Buffet. Again, these beasts are not just financial WMDs. They are equally financial ICBMs which can hit from one continent at another just as the local subprime loans of US transformed into CDOs and nearly bankrupted many banks in far away continents.

Chidambaram welcomes these financial WMDs and ICBMs into Indian financial market with red carpet. The pink media will vouch this disastrous move as financial sector reform, liberalisation and globalisation! But the truth is: India is about to embrace the beast that Warren Buffet is terrified about. Yet, the whole nation is in the dark about this financial dirty bomb. QED: The 123 agreement will de-nuke India. The derivatives will nuke India’s economy. And that completes the square. Is a Karat or a Jaswant listening?

source: The New Indian Express
****

• Mcj – internal exams: September 2007
  
  citizen journalism
  David McClelland : n-ach (need for achievement)
  psychic mobility – Daniel Lerner
  empathy
  dominant paradigm
  Walt Rostow: unilinier model
  Print media in India steady growth
  Village level administrative officer- village secretary
  inter personal communication
  sustainable development
  modular printing
  sub-headings
  elements of dominant paradigm
  WED stands for- Writing Editing Design
  Festinger’s cognitive dissonance theory
  sub-culture of peasantry – Everett Roger
  Limited effects theory
  Mass Society theory
  Cultural imperialism
  Political Economy Theory
  Web offset
  Surveillance ____function of media
  review of literature
  sampling
  Readability means
  SFX
  Reader friendliness means

Journalism Entrance Test : MCJ (Master of Communication and Journalism) Osmania University Entrance Test Material

Note: First published in 2008

Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch Buys Wall Street Journal
Rupert Murdoch has succeeded with his $5 billion bid for Dow Jones, owners of the Wall Street Journal

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Fareed Zakaria
Fareed Zakaria was named editor of Newsweek International in October 2000, overseeing all Newsweek's editions abroad. The magazine reaches an audience of 24 million worldwide. He also writes a regular column for Newsweek, which also appears in Newsweek International and fortnightly in The Washington Post. Starting this year, he will host a new foreign affairs show on CNN Worldwide.

Zakaria was the managing editor of Foreign Affairs, the widely-circulated journal of international politics and economics. He is the author of several books, including "The Future of Freedom," which was a New York Times bestseller and has been translated into 20 languages. His new book, "The Post American World," is being published in May 2008.

Zakaria has won several awards for his columns and cover-essays, in particular for his October 2001 Newsweek cover story, "Why They Hate Us." In 1999, he was named "one of the 21 most important people of the 21st Century" by Esquire Magazine. In 2007, he was named one of the 100 leading public intellectuals in the world by Foreign Policy and Prospect Magazines. He has received honorary degrees from many universities. He serves on the board of Yale University, The Council on Foreign Relations, The Trilateral Commission, and Shakespeare and Company.

He received a B.A. from Yale and a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard. He lives in New York City with his wife, son and two daughters.
-------------

Stephanie Mehta
Stephanie Mehta named Global Editor of Fortune
Stephanie Mehta, a veteran writer at Fortune, has been named global editor of the US business magazine.

Mehta, whose father is from India and mother from the Philippines, replaces Robert Friedman, an internal memo at the magazine said.

Mehta has earlier worked with the Wall Street Journal.

She has a master's degree in journalism and a bachelor's in English from Northwestern University
--------------------

Nirupama Subramanian
Nirupama Subramanian, The Hindu’s correspondent in Pakistan, has been awarded the Prem Bhatia Award for the best political reporting for 2008. And, the award for best reporting on environment has gone to Keya Acharya, a Bangalore-based freelance journalist.
----------------

Nandan Mani Ratnam
Moving away from the glamour of the film industry to the world of Marxian ideology, the 16-year-old son of noted film maker Mani Ratnam has created a buzz by joining as a red volunteer at the ongoing 19th All-India Congress of the Communist Party of India-Marxist in Coimbatore.

Nandan Mani Ratnam, son of Mani Ratnam and popular actress Suhasini, is also the proud author of a new pamphlet on Leninism, which is on sale at the venue, along with other leading Left literature.

The 27-paged pamphlet titled 'Contours of Leninism' has articles under five different headings - Theory, Marxism, Democratic dictatorship, Materialism and Vanguard. On his inclination to Marxism, he told the media that he was impressed because it was the 'most cogent, comprehensive and highly developed complex of theory and practice'.

The thought of how his parents felt about his leanings towards Marxism has apparently not crossed his mind yet, Nandan Mani Ratnam said.

The eleventh standard student said that it was his reading habit that introduced him to the world of Marxism. A student of an international residential school in Chennai, Nandan came on his own to serve as a volunteer and assist the foreign delegates at the Congress. The boy has not decided on future plans, like joining a party like CPI-M.
---------------------------


Sevanti Ninan
Headlines from the Heartland Author: Sevanti Ninan
--------------


China has the highest percentage in the world exports at 8.4 per cent
------------------

Veerappa Moily
The edge of time book written by Veerappa Moily
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Vinod Dua
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Barkha Dutt
Three TV journalists including Sardesai, NDTV’s Barkha Dutt and independent broadcaster Vinod Dua have been given Padma Shri
-------------------

Rajdeep Sardesai
CNN-IBN finds a special mention in the Padma awards list with Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai getting a Padma Shree.
-----------------

Vasanth Sathe
India to be global power book written by Vasanth Sathe
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P. Sainath
July 31, 2007: P. Sainath, Rural Affairs Editor of The Hindu, Filipino nationalist Jovito R Salonga, Rev Kim Sun-tae of South Korea are among seven persons chosen for the 2007 Ramon Magasaysay award.
---------

Karan Thapar
Best current affairs presenter:-
Karan Thapar- best current affairs presenter in Asia for interview with Ram Jethmalani in CNN-IBN “Devil’s Advocate”. Asian Television award winning only South Asian journalist. Forth time he won it.

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MS Swaminathan
Agriculture cannot wait New Horizons in Indian Agriculture book written by MS
Swaminathan
-------------------------

Thursday May 8, 2008
How often does one carry home an Oscar, and with a quiet ease that would seem almost like an old habit? So what if it is the Chess Oscar that we are talking about. It has been raining awards since Vishwanathan Anand won the undisputed World title at Mexico last year, and now it's the prestigious Chess Oscar again! Anand had earlier won the Chess Oscar for his performances in 1998, 1999, 2003 and 2004. In the photo: Anand receiving Padma Award from President Pratibha Patil.
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Tuesday April 29, 2008
Albert Hofmann, discoverer of the mind-altering drug LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) and former head of the research department of Swiss chemical company Sandoz, passed away at the age of 102. In this Jan. 13, 2006 file photo Hofmann takes part in an international symposium in Basel, Switzerland.


----------------

Narain Karthikeyan
Sunday May 4, 2008
Narain Karthikeyan celebrates after winning the second race of the A1GP at Brands Hatch, South of London.


-------------------

Nirmala Deshpande
Thursday May 1, 2008
Nirmala Deshpande died in New Delhi on May 1. She was 79. She was a noted Gandhian, social activist and a nominated Member of the Rajya Sabha. She received the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award and the Padma Vibhushan in 2006. Known as the "Manaskanya" of Acharya Vinoba Bhave, she joined the Bhoodan movement in 1952 when her tryst with social service began. She undertook 40,000-km padyatra across India to carry Mahatma Gandhi's message of Gram Swaraj. She was also the spirit behind the peace marches in Punjab and Kashmir when violence was at its peak.
----------------

Will McCain pick Jindal as his running mate? The speculation heats up in the US press. And plenty of reasons are being advanced for McCain to take a serious look at Jindal. Running with the 36-year-old Jindal would “implicitly acknowledge” the concerns some voters have about McCain’s age (71). The message would be that of a generational change which McCain-Jindal can offer without risking a liberal and inexperienced Obama as commander-in-chief.


------------------------

Saturday May 4, 2008
Women and children having lunch at a relief camp in Nandigram in West Bengal after fresh violence forced them to leave their homes and take shelter at a school building. Three women activists of Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Commitee have claimed that they were beaten up and stripped by CPI-M cadres in Nandigram for refusing to support the Marxists in the ensuing panchayat polls.


-----------

Wednesday April 23, 2008
Newly appointed NFDC Chairman and renowned actor Om Puri (L) greets well known film director Shyam Benegal during a press conference, in Mumbai on Wednesday. Om Puri assumed his new role from 4th April 2008 for a period of 3 years



Monday April 29, 2008
Greenpeace activists set up temporary shanties on a billboard to highlight the issues of climate migrants in New Delhi.
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Monday March 10, 2008
Arms dealer Suresh Nanda and son Sanjay (of the BMW hit-and-run fame) were arrested by CBI in Mumbai in a Rs 10-cr IT officer bribe sting. The duo are also accused in the Barak deal.


-----------------------------


----------

Raul Castro
Fidel Castro's younger brother Raul Castro,left, speaks after being elected President of Cuba's supreme governing body, the Council of State, by the new National Assembly in Havana on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008. The council president serves as Cuba's head of state.


--------------------

Sydney Pollack
Director Sydney Pollack dies of cancer (cnn)
# Academy Award winning director was 73
# He died at his home in Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles, his agent says
# "Sydney made the world a little better," says actor George Clooney
# His most notable film was "Out of Africa," which won two Oscars
==========================

Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi has the unique distinction of becoming the longest serving Congress president. Even Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi did not have the privilege of holding the post for 10 years at a stretch. (She was appointed on March 14, 1998)

Filmmaker Jagmohan Mundra, know for making movies based on real life incidents like Bhawandar and Provoked announced a biopic on Congress President Sonia Gandhi

=============================================================
Media is the subject in demand (DC)
Glamour, glitz and a whole lot of excitement — or at least the promise of all this has been luring youngsters to be a part of the media madness. Considering that umpteen news channels and magazines are springing up nation wide, mass communication and journalism courses are the hottest picks this year for many.

The application forms for these courses have doubled over the year say college authorities in the city. Reena Dewan, lecturer for Communicative English in the mass communication course, Villa Marie College says, "Youngsters are so much more aware of the world around them thanks to the media and now there is a yearning to be a part of this exciting field. The number of students applying for the course has increased since last year."

The course may be popular but students all these years have been complaining that facilities in city colleges were dissatisfactory. Preeti Reddy, a city girl studying in Symbiosis Pune says, "I had to move out and study since no college in Hyderabad had the appropriate facilities required."

To meet the growing demand for the course, colleges offering media courses are upgrading their current programmes to ensure students are both technically and creatively equipped. Reema adds, "Villa Marie is offering mass communication with political science and communicative English. There is training in voice modulation, conversational english and writing."

Loyola College’s course right from its inception has always been the first choice for many for its well-equipped lab. Father Lourduraj, the HOD of the Mass Communication department believes that it is technical know-how that gives you an edge over the rest. "Our USP lies in our lab that teaches online production, editing skills with softwares like Avid, Final Cut Pro and more. Moreover from this year there is a masters scholarship opportunity from a New Zealand University. We have also added a visual communication paper this year. " he says.

St Mary’s Yousufguda has introduced swanky amenities like an amphitheater to facilitate better learning. "Students watch films there and are expected to critique them. The lab is also updated with the top of the line facilities and software to meet the growing demand of student intake into the mass comm course," says Jayalakshmi, faculty, St Mary’s.

"Be it a ticket to explore showbiz through film journalism or a chance to reform the society with documentaries or even breaking news stories, the prospects that mass communication offers is infinite," says Sareen Mehta, a mass comm graduate from St Francis who has landed a plum job with Channel V, Mumbai.

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

B.S. Yeddyurappa
BJP chief ministerial candidate B.S. Yeddyurappa waves to party workers at his residence in Bengaluru on Sunday.
=======================================================================
DC’s fatter, brighter and enters Bengaluru


Deccan Chronicle breaks a new frontier today with the launch of our edition in Bengaluru. To celebrate this, we bring you a double dhamaka, DC style. We have increased the number of pages and we have redone our look. You will find us brighter, the stories sharper, the pictures bigger, all packaged in an attractive layout. You’ll find more sections in the newspages in the main edition and more features in the Tab, Hyderabad Chronicle. You cannot expect anything less from the leading English newspaper in Andhra Pradesh and India’s fourth largest daily.
Enjoy!


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

Vinod Mehta

Vinod Mehta (Editor of Outlook) has been conferred the International Press Institute of India award for excellence in journalism
===============================

Arthur C Clarke
===============================

Ratan Tata

Ratan Tata has been named as NASSCOM's global Indian for 2008
========================================

Brazil
Brazil will host the 2014 edition of FIFA world cup of Football


Justine Henin
Justine Henin has been given laureus world sports woman of the year award 2008
======================================================================

Manavjit Singh Sandhu
Manavjit Singh Sandhu is the recent recipient of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award
==================================================================================================================================================
Please Note:

This material is prepared by BCJ Entrance test (Osmania University) Topper

Current Affairs Plus

Attitude Skill Knowledge

· Lead India initiative is by The Times of India
· Indian Reader’s Digest is published by Living Media India LTD, New Delhi
· Jodha Akbar film director: Ashutosh Gowarikar
· World Press Freedom Day May 3rd
· Fidel Castro, 81, of Cuba retired as head of state 49 years after he seized power in an armed revolution.


BCJ 2008 entrance test syllabus: -

1) General Knowledge and Current Affairs – Politics, Economy, Geography, History, Culture, Literature, Science and Technolony2. Media Awareness covering Radio, T.V. Newspapers, Web based, Awards etc., 3. Understanding newspaper languages/Psychology; 4. Basic English Language; 5. Essay on contemporary Socio-political and economic issues (not exceeding 300 words); 6. Short answers on persons / places events in News; 7. Short news report based on information provided.

Model question paper:-
Part-A (30 marks)

1. Write three sentences on each of the following indicating the reasons why they were in news in the recent past (2 x 5 = 10 marks)
(a) HUGO CHAVEZ (b) Nithari (c) SEZ

2. Write a brief news report based on the information provided below (1 x 10=10 marks) Dr. Narayana Murthy, Chief Mentor of Infosys technologies addressed the Graduation day Ceremony of Bishop Cotton Boys School on Sunday. He said the following-people of the previous generation worked hard to give this generation a platform to fly. India had advanced in GDP growth and export. He mentioned the areas which it had not been given due emphasis like education, access to sanitation etc. He distributed special awards on behalf of the Infosys foundation. India is marching on with confidence and hope that countries of the world are looking at India with admiration. The present generation should work hard to take the country forward.

Model Answer

Narayana Murthy calls youth to take India forward
(Or)
Take India Forward: Narayana Murthy
(Or)
Youth to take India forward, says Narayana Murthy

Dr. Narayana Murthy, Chief Mentor of Infosys technologies called the present generation to work hard to take the country forward. Addressing at the graduation day ceremony of Bishop Cotton Boys School on Sunday, he said, the following-people of the previous generation worked hard to give this generation a platform to fly.
Distributing special awards on behalf of the Infosys Foundation, he said that India had advanced in GDP growth and export. India is marching on with confidence and hope that countries of the world are looking at India with admiration. He also mentioned the areas which it had not been given due emphasis like education, access to sanitation etc.


3. Write an essay on any ONE of the following topics listed below (1 x 10 = 10 marks) (a) India on the path to Knowledge society, (b) India’s position in Human Development (c) Commercialization of Indian sport

Some important topics for three sentence questions/ essay:-
a) Vikram Pandit
b) Ratan Tata
c) Sachar Committee
d) Inflation
e) Rajiv Gandhi International Airport
f) Talangana
g) Why do you want to become a journalist
h) Jalayagnam
i) Judicial activism
j) Farmers suicide
k) Rs 2 Kg rice scheme
l) Media and development
m) FM radio revolution
n) Twenty20 cricket world cup
o) Internet addiction
p) Right to information act
q) Television boom
r) Retail boom
s) 27% OBC quota
t) US Elections
u) Indian Premier League
v) Sub-prime crisis
w) RK Pachauri
x) IAEA
y) Bharat Ratna awards
z) Vernacular press

Hugo Chavez: Venezuela’s leftist firebrand President Hugo Chavez on February 1 assumed sweeping new powers for 18 months. The new law gives him the power to transform state institutions in 11 key sectors, including the economy, military, transportation, security and oil.

SINGUR:- In the midst of political controversies and protests, the Tata Motors on Januar 21, began construction work of its car manufacturing plant at Singur in West Bengal after a brief ceremony and distribution of sweets. However, hours later, a group of people destroyed a portion of the fence at the site. The project is expected to create employment in excess of 10,000 direct and indirect jobs. The first car is expected to roll out of the factory in 2008. As per the report on the acquisition of land, 997.11 acres of land spread across five mouzas in Singur has already been acquired by the State Government, and Rs 119 crore were allocated as compensation money for the land acquisition.

http://reddy2007.blogspot.com


Judiciary and Legislature: - Law could not go against the basic structure of the Constitution. So it depends on how, where and why the court strikes down law. The judiciary, as an interpreter of law, contributes in the development and growth of law, democracy and for creation of a new society. And many a time it acts as protector of the poor, the disadvantaged to render justice. The problem arises when it becomes over-active or interest in the domain of others. In fact, it is the failure of governments to enact law and take decision in time.


Ratan Tata: - Born in 1937, is a bachelor. Took charge of Tata group as chairman in 1991. The biggest ever takeover by an Indian company credit belongs to Mr Tata (Corus takeover) Ratan Tata is known for honesty and integrity. Tata Indica is the brain child of Mr Tata. Another jewel in his crown is the recent takeover of iconic brands Jaguar and Landrover.

Justice Sachar Committee: - Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee was entrusted with the task of preparing a comprehensive report on the social, economic and educational status of Muslims in the country.

Corruption:-

Corruption is corroding the vitals of the country and it is natural for righteous persons to show their anger against the menace. While hearing a bail application of an accused in the notorious fodder scam of Bihar, involving the swindling of public money to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore, a Bench of the Supreme Court remarked: “The only way to rid the country of corruption is to hang a few of you from the lamppost. The law does not permit us to do it but otherwise we would prefer to hang people like you from the lamppost”.


Always bear in mind that your own resolutions to succeed is more important than any one thing. ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Inflation: - There has been an increase in the prices of various agricultural commodities. The prices of certain items like sugar, rice, wheat and vegetable have increased significantly in the recent past. Inflation indicates the rise in the price of a basket of commodities on a point-to-point basis. It basically suggests an increase in the cost of living over a period of time.




http://reddy2007.blogspot.com


Special Economic Zones: - SEZs policy was announced in April 2000. This policy intended to make SEZs an engine for economic growth supported by quality infrastructure complemented by an attractive fiscal package, both at the Centre and the State level, with the minimum possible regulations.
The Economic survey highlights that SEZs have been established in many countries as testing grounds for implementation of liberal market economy principles. They are viewed as instruments to enhance the acceptability and credibility of transformation process, to attract domestic and foreign investment, and generally, for the opening up of the economy.


Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want –DAN STANFORD


Current affairs plus

1. India’s largest news agency – PTI (Press Trust of India)
2. Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) – Pune
3. The highest contributor to central exchequer – corporate tax
4. Compulsory AIDS test before marriage introduced by Goa state
5. First banking district in the country – Ernakulam
6. RK Raghavan Committee was appointed by the Union Human Resource Development Ministry to look into the issue of ragging and suggest means for its prevention in educational institutions.
7. Tenth schedule: The Tenth Schedule provides for the disqualification of people’s representative on the ground of defection.

8. The Ninth Schedule in the constitution was originally enacted in 1950 in order to place beyond challenge certain laws, particularly those relating to agrarian reforms.
9. Durand line is between India and Afghanistan
10. National cricket academy is in Bangalore
11. First country to introduce grading for public issues – India
12. How many countries are there in NSG(Nuclear Suppliers Group) – 45
13. Sameera Salim: first woman from Pakistan planning to go to space travel
14. Budget deficit means the receipts minus total expenditure on both revenue and capital account
15. Lead India initiative is by The Times of India
16. HLL (Hindustan Lever Limited) now becomes HUL(Hindustan Unililver Limited)


The most solid stone in the structure is the lowest one in the foundation. KHALIL GIBRAN

17. Which UN committee’s allegations brought the name of the Congress Party to the fore in the Iraq oil for food scam? The Volcker commission
18. How many languages recognized by the Constitution of India? 22
19. Liberhan Commission – Babri masjid demolition
20. Global village is an expression coined by – Marshal McLuhan
21. Which state has highest number of borders in India – Asom
22. In which city is the national library situated – Kolkata
23. Kanha National Park is in Madhya Pradesh
24. Business Standard in association with Financial Times
25. Japan tops the list of countries having the lowest monthly broadband prices
26. Paul Krugman – New York Times columnist
27. FM radio frequency 91.1 – radio city; 92.7 BIG fm; 93.5 S fm; 98.3- radio mirchi, 101.9 – FM rainbow
28. Radio mirchi – Times of India group
29. Big FM – Adlabs (Reliance group – Anil Ambani)
30. S FM – sun net work
31. The Week is published from Kochi.
32. Alive monthly magazine is published from New Delhi
33. Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union on January 1, bringing the block’s membership to 27
34. Sweden’s Postoch Inrikes Tidningar newspaper founded in 1645 by Sweden’s QueenKristina, the world’s oldest paper still in circulation has dropped its paper edition and now exists only in cyberspace.
35. Tej News channel belongs to TV Today Network Limited
36. How many PIN Code zones are there in India – 8
37. Which Indian cricketer is known as Jumbo – Anil Kumble
38. Indian Reader’s Digest is published by Living Media India LTD, New Delhi
39. Bourses is the term related to stock exchange
40. AUM in mutual funds terminology – assets under management
41. Mona Lisa – Leonardo da Vinci (Italy)
42. As per net craft survey internet web sites number touched 10 crore figure
43. Vodafone CEO – Arun Sarin
44. United Nations declared 2008 as the year of Potato
45. For farmers which state started e-krishi web site – Kerala
46. 1936: BBC Television service started.
47. Father of yellow journalism Josef Pulitzer. Pulitzer award presented to journalists is established on his name.
48. Player of the tournament in 2007 Twenty20 cricket world cup- Shahid Afridi
49. Madhya Pradesh has the maximum forest cover in India
50. India’s national fruit – Mango
51. India is the third largest coconut producing country after Indonesia and Philippines
52. Largest oil reserves in the world – Saudi Arabia
53. Agriculture is a state subject.
54. India is the largest producer and consumer of tea in the world.
55. Father of Green Revolution M S Swaminathan , currently chairman of National Farmers Commission.
56. The NSE is the world’s third largest stock exchange in terms of transactions.
57. Bank rate is the rate at which RBI provides medium-term loans to banks.
58. What is the rank of India in UNDP’s Human Development Index 2007? 128
59. OUTLOOK weekly is published from New Delhi
60. A blog is a web page made up of usually short, frequently updated posts that are arranged chronologically-like what’s new page or a journal.
61. The largest circulated annual in India – Kalnirnay (Marathi)
62. The world’s most popular sport – football
63. The Indian city that plays host to the International Kite Festival every January – Ahmedabad
64. Yojana comes in how many languages? 13
65. Who was the last recipient of Bharat Ratna and when? Lata Maneshkar and Ustad Bismillah Khan in the year 2001
66. 15th SAARC Summit will be held in Maldives
67. Thar Express links which places- Munabao in India to Khokrapar in Pakistan
68. Uttarakhand is the new name of Uttaranchal
69. India’s first soap opera – Hum Log
70. India’s first high budget animation movie – Hanuman
71. The only food that does not spoil – honey
72. A journalist who was Indian High Commissioner in London in 1990 – Kuldip Nayar
73. In the parliament attack case, the Supreme Court pronounced death sentence to Afzal guru
74. ASEAN(Association of South East Asian Nations) total members: 10
75. Which gas is responsible for global warming? Co2
76. Who is the media adviser for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh? Sanjay Baru (former editor of the Financial Express)
77. The Hindu group publishes Sportstar, the weekly tabloid.
78. Florida passed a new gun law allowing residents to: Take their gun to work
79. How much did a nude photo of French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy sell for at a NY auction? Close to $100,000



Make it a point to do something every day that you don’t want to do. This is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain. MARK TWAIN









Preparation Plan: broad areas to be covered include:-

Ø National
Ø International
Ø Persons in News
Ø Places in News
Ø Awards
Ø Appointments
Ø Sports
Ø Science & Technology
Ø Economy
Ø Political
Ø Geography
Ø Meetings
Ø Committees
Ø Defense
Ø Space
Ø Nobel prize
Ø Booker prize
Ø Padma awards
Ø Film awards
Ø Economic survey
Ø RBI credit policy
Ø Constitution amendments
Ø Court judgments
Ø Joint declaration with heads of foreign states
Ø Human development index
Ø Watch Television / Listen to radio

v Daily reading of newspapers
v Planned preparation
v Scientific reading
v Study with examination point of view.


Current Affairs:-

To crack BCJ you need to have command over current affairs. Current affairs play a key role.

The perfect 10 steps:-

1. Contemporary issues: - Issues of the Nation, State affairs. Affairs of our neighbours.
2. Defence system: - Airforce, Navay and military developments. Agreements with different countries. Research and development.
3. Committees and Commissions: - National and State level committees and its reports and their heads etc.
4. National and International meetings: - National, International bilateral, trilateral and multilateral meetings.
5. Space: - Satellite launching, ISRO, DRDO etc.
6. Reports: - Various agencies reports like, UNO, UNDP, WHO etc. India’s position, AP’s position. Indians place in various magazines like Time, Forbes
7. Places, Persons and appointments: - State, National and International level appointments. Persons and places in news.
8. Awards, achievements: - Nobel, Magsaysay, Pulitzer, Booker prizes. Oscar, Filmfare, Nandi awards etc.
9. Sports: - National and International level sports. Award winners from AP and India.
10. Miscellaneous: - Headline News which occupy front page of news papers. Books and authors. Major controversies.


Must read:-

Russia elections
Pakistan elections – Benazir Bhutto assassination, place. Party position in elections
Bangladesh military rule, cyclone
Kenya political turmoil.
Fidel Castro
Democracy in Bhutan
Malaysia and Indians agitation.
US Presidential elections
Palestine
G-8, SAARC, Commonwealth, APEC, ASEAN, IBSA meetings.
Elections in various states. Disputes between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
Rama Sethu,
Administrative Reforms Committee,
Sixth Pay Commission
Delimitation
Centre- State relations commission
Indo US nuclear deal
SEZ
Sachar Committee
Taslima Nasreen
World military games
State government schemes
Books and authors


Read news papers, magazines watch Television and listen to Radio.



http://reddy2007.blogspot.com



The harder you fall, the higher you bounce - AMERICAN PROVERB




1. 2010 Commonwealth games, New Delhi mascot? Shera
2. New name of Pondicherry? Puducherry
3. Gandhiji’s first fast in India was in connection with
The strike of mill workers at Ahmadabad
4. Who decides whether a bill is a money bill or not? Speaker of the Lok sabha
5. The Last Mughal written by William Dalrymple.
6. Just like that – Ajit Ninan – Times of India
7. Dalit woman launch first community radio (in the country) Sangham radio of the Deccan Development society operated and managed entirely by Dalit woman in Machnoor in Jharasangam mandal in Medak district
8. Assam, the second highest Muslim populated state in the country after J & K has 30.9% Muslims.
9. World post day – 9th October.
10. IANS- Indo-Asian News Service.
11. SEZ- Special Economic Zone
12. “A view from the outside” written by P Chidambaram (finance minister)
13. Sunita Williams second woman of Indian origin after Kalpana Chawla to board space shuttle discovery.
14. Sachar committee report on the socio-economic status of Muslims across the country
15. Total members in the AP Legislative Council – 90
16. NASSCOM-National Association of Software and Services Company

1. Sakshi Telugu daily editor: KNY Patanjali.
2. ISI: Inter-Services Intelligence
3. Heathrow Airport is in London
4. US democratic party symbol- donkey
5. Mizoram achieves 90.27% literacy in March,06 second only to Kerala’s 90.90%
6. First Express Highway in India between : Mumbai to Pune
7. Which was the only congress session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi? Belgaum, 1924
8. Reuters news agency belongs to which country – Britain
9. Osmania University was established in 1918
10. Largest library in the world – Congress Library, Washington, America
11. Mumbai Mirror claimed to be the country’s first compact newspapers, has been launched by – Times of India Group
12. Hindi at its best tagline is associated with – Navbharat Times
13. The largest producer of rice in the world – China
14. Which country today has more neighbors than any other in the world – China
15. Which brand’s baseline is “The fine art of Writing”? – Mont Blanc pens

16. Name the businessman who founded the virgin group of companies? Richard Branson
17. How many people of Indian origin are living in US as per 2005 census – 23 lakh
18. Which banner took initiative to exhibit movies on internet? Rajshree Films
19. First cinema theatre in Andhra Pradesh, Maruthi theatre was built by P Srinivasa Rao
20. The world’s first female space tourist and first space blogger, American national Anousheh Ansari
21. Nishcal Narayanam, 11, has got into the Guinness Book of world records in the most random objects memorized category
22. Second Administrative Reforms Commission was headed by former Karnataka Chief Minister Veerappa Moily
23. IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
24. Kishan Srikanth, 9 ½ years old wrote a story on rag pickers on the road, shaped it for celluloid and made it to the Guinness Book of World records.(care of footpath)
25. What term originated during the circulation wars between Pulitzer’s and Hearst’s papers? Yellow Journalism
26. 59 nominations for Oscar awards – Walt Disney
27. TRAI - Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
28. Largest read daily in India - Dainik Jagran
29. MINT, the business newspaper from The Hindustan Times stable with the backing of Wall Street Journal
30. Metro Now, Delhi’s first morning tabloid brought out by The Hindustan Times and The Times of India
31. Identity and Violence – The illusion of destiny author : Amartya Sen
32. Blood brothers author – M J Akbar


Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. – HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON


1. Muthaiah Muralitharan 709 wickets in test cricket:
Paul Collingwood 709th
116 matches
1992 debut Vs Australia
1993 ODI debut
20 times 10 wickets in a match

2. IPI award to Outlook:
International Press Institute (IPI) India award for excellent for 2007:- For 2006 investigative journalism in Navy.


4. Billion beats – e-paper by APJ Abdul Kalam (abdulkalam.com)
5. India TV second most popular Hindi news channel : TAM( 30.5.2007)
6. Global warming two most obvious results:-
- rising sea levels
- more intensive cyclones
7. Narain- A1 GP:-
Narain Karthikeyan won A1 Grand Prix in Zhuhai China
8. Ex-MP to hang for lynching DM (lynching means: killing, hanging, execution)
A trial court in Patna awarded capital punishment to three political leaders, including former MP Anand Mohan, who led a mob of criminals that lynched a district magistrate, G.Krishnaiah, an IAS officer on December 5, 1994.

9. World Heart Day – September 30
10. Four journalists of Mid Day sentenced to four months imprisonment by the Delhi High Court for accusing retired Chief Justice YK Sabharwal of impropriety (impropriety means: rudeness, bad taste, indecency, bad behaviour, lack of decorum)
11. Anand is Vishwa Champion: Vishwanathan Anand World Chess champion.
12. Taslima Nasreen autobiography : Dwikhandito (split in two)
13. Vinod Rai to be next CAG: Financial services secretary Vinod Rai, a 1972 batch IAS of Kerala cadre, has been appointed as the new Comprollter and Auditor General.
14. Kaka named FIFA’s world player of the year.
15. India’s century book written by Kamal Nath
16. The Ramachandra puram gram panchayat in Medak district is the first electronic knowledge based panchayat in the country. All its functions are computerized and web enabled. Nagarkurnool gram panchayat is the second to be fully computerised
17. Putin voted TIME magazine’s person of the year 2007. Russian President Vladimir Putin was chosen by Time magazine as its ‘Person of Year’ for his extraordinary feat of leadership in taking a country that was in chaos and bringing it stability. (chaos means: disorder, confusion, turmoil)
18. Merkel tops Forbe’s list of world’s 100 most powerful women.
19. Ananthapur is the second largest district (after Ladakh in Kashmir) in India area-wise.
20. What is code: “Operation Gangajal”:- Between 1979 and 1982 police poured acid in the eyes of 33 prisoners in Bhagalpur jail in Bihar. (It is known as Bhagalpur blindings)
21. HUJI- Harkat-ul- Jehad-al-Islami
22. First ever military exercise between India and China “Hand in Hand 2007” exercise held at Kunming in South west China’s Yunna province.
23. 102.8 FM Vivid Bharati
24. Urban India caught in ringxiety syndrome! Ringxiety – a phenomenon in which users imagine their phone ringing or feel it vibrate when it actually does not.
25. Bobby Ghosh: World editor of TIME. Bobby Ghosh, born and brought up in India, is the first Indian and non-American to hold the prestigious world editor title at TIME.
26. Jhoolan Goswami- the ICC women’s cricketer of the year.
27. Andhra Pradesh is a mineral rich state that ranks second in the country containing a vast variety of mineral wealth.
28. Global business magazine Fortune global editor – Ms. Stephanie Mehta
29. Fareed Zakaria – Newsweek International.
30. 1950 January 25: The Election commission of India was established.
31. 1950 March 15: Planning Commission was set up.
32. 1951 November 22: The first finance commission constituted under Article 280 of the constitution.
33. 1993 April 24: Panchayat raj institutions got constitutional status through the 73rd amendment.
34. There are 2, 65,000 gram panchayat in the country.
35. The highest bridge in the world, Baily bridge in the Ladakh valley, was built by the Indian army in 1982
36. The best selling book ‘The World is Flat” is written by Thomas L. Friedman.
37. Yoga dates back to the Indus valley civilization (3300- 1700 BC)
38. Anandvan, an ashram was set up for lepers by Baba Amte.
39. 1868: Dadabhai Naoroji estimatesthe income of India
40. During Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Jallikattu (bull fighting) are hot events in Madurai, Thanjavur and Trichy. Unarmed man wrestle with a ferocious bull to retrieve bundles of money tied to its horns.
41. world’s hottest chillin, Bhut Jolokia, is grown in Assam
42. 1829: Sati banned by Sir William Bentick
43. Hindus constitute 13 per cent of the world’s population. In India, 80.4 per cent of the population follows Hinduism.
44. Rs 300 crore is the estimated annual income of Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh, the richest temple in the world. It is the second most visited place of worship after the Vatican.
45. The Attukal Pongala, a religiousfestival in Thiruvananthapuram district, is the biggest gathering of women in the world. Interestingly, men are not allowed to participate in the festivities.
46. 1950 January 28: The Supreme Court of India came into being two days after India became a sovereign democratic republic; inauguration at the Chamber of Princes in the Parliament building.
47. The Ramoji film city in Hyderabad, which is spread across 2,000 acres, is the largest studio complex in the world.
48. Hindi is the fifth most spoken language in the world. Mandarin tops the lsit, followed by Spanish, English and Arabic.
49. The Asian Development Bank, an international partnership of 63 member countries, was established in 1966 with its headquarters at Manila, Philippines. India is a founder member.
50. Kashmir Singh released after spending 35 years in jail in Pakistan. The former Punjab cop was arrested on espionage charge and eventually ordered to be hanged spent life in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail. (Espionage means: spying, intelligence, surveillance)
51. Double centurions Graeme Smith (232) and Neil Mckenzie (226) broke Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy’s 56 year old record for highest opening partnership (India’s record Vs. New Zealand), South Africa record Vs. Bangladesh. Runs:- 415
52. Meghalaya statehood on 21st January, 1972. Assembly seats: 60
53. Nagaland assembly seats: 60
54. China now largest trade partner:- Economic survey said, “China’s trade share during April – October 2007 is even higher than that of the United States by Rs 600 crore.
55. India is a trillion dollar economy:- The Economic survey said the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) for 2007-08 would be the equivalent of $ 1.16 trillion. In rupee terms, the Central Statistical Organization has projected GDP at market prices in the current year to reach just a tad under Rs 47,00,000 crore.
56. Centre spending on education 2.84 % of GDP, 1.39% in case of health.
57. George Fernandes and former Navy Chief Admiral (retd) Sushil Kumar are accused in the case registered in October 2006 – along with three others – then Samatha Party president Jaya Jaitly, the party treasurer RK Jain and arms dealer Suresh Nanda in the Rs 1160 crore Barak missile deal.
58. Agni- I: 700 km range; Agni-II: 2000 km range; Agni III: 3500 km range.
59. Oscar awards:
Best picture No Country For Old Men
Best Actor Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood)
Best Actress Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose)
Best Director Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country For Old Men)
60. 53rd Fair One Filmfare Awards 2007:-
Best Actor Shah Rukh Khan (Chak De India)
Best actress Kareena Kapoor (Jab We Met)
Best Director Aamir Khan (Taare Zameen Par)
61. Dr.Amit Kumar, kidney scam kingpin who fled from Gurgaon was arrested in Nepal.
62. Andhra Pradesh’s agricultural growth rate posted a 8.38 per cent as against a national average of 2.59 per cent. AP growth rate 10.07 which is 1.57 per cent higher than previous year. Industry : AP 9.8, India – 8.90 Service: AP 11.5, India 10.73
63. AP per capita income Rs 33,970 Vs. India’s Rs 33,131
64. Pakistan elections: Total seats: 272; PPP – 87; PML-N: 66; PML-Q: 38, MQM- 19, ANP- 10, MMA – 3
65. The largest observatory wheel in the world: Singapore flyer.
66. SEBI chairman: CB Bhave
67. What was special about a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 that flow between Heathrow and Amsterdam on February 24, 2007? It became the first commercial aircraft to make a flight powered by bio fuel.
68. Name the ambitious biological web site that crashed hours after launch on Feb 27, thanks to 11.5 million hits! Encyclopedia of Life (eol.org)
69. For which IPL team Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis play? Bangalore Royal Challengers
70. Sea-to-land version of Brah Mos tested. The missile has strike range of 290 km.
71. State budget at a glance for 2008-09:-
Projected GSDP Rs 2,29,461 crore
Rs 2 rice scheme subsidy Rs 1980 crore
Metro rail project Rs 150 crore
Hussain Sagar development Rs 119 crore
Industrial growth 9.82%
Service sector growth rate: 11.5%
Revenue deficit: zero per cent
Total outlay Rs. 100574.76 crore
72. Four Indians among world’s richest: US has the most billionaires (469) followed by Russia (87), Germany (59) India (53). Moscow is home to most billionaires(74), followed by New York (71) and London ( 36)
73. India records highest number of polio cases: India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only four countries where polio is still endemic.
74. MP Pappu Yadav gets life term for Sarkar’s murder.
75. Only 1411 tigers remain in the wild in India as per the National tiger conservation authority’s estimation.
76. Basara’s Saraswati temple is among the only two of its kind in the country – the other is reputed to be in Kashmir.
77. In 1952, India was the first country to launch family planning.
78. Dola Banerjee:- the first Indian to win an archery gold medal at the world cup.
79. Brand ambassador of king fisher airlines? Deepika Padukone
80. Lufthansa – Germany; Qantas – Australia


All things pass…Patience attains all it strives for – MOTHER TERESA


1. Agni I missile was inducted into the Army in 2004. First test fired in January 2002. The Chinese specific Agni III missile, which has a 3,500 km strike range and was tested for the first time in April, 2007.
2. Greatest chess player of all time Bobby Fischer died at the age of 64
3. 21st October – Police commemoration Day
4. The Age of Turbulence book written by Alan Greenspan
5. What is meant by the term ‘smart money’: cash with public
6. GHIAL: GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited
7. Suravaram Pratap Reddy started ‘Golkonda’ newspaper on 10th May 1926 with the help of Rajabahadur Pingali Venkata Rama Reddy.
8. First Telugu political prisoner – Gadicharla Hari Sarvothama Rao
9. Andhrula Sangheeka charitra written by Suravaram Pratap Reddy
10. First in the world: Blackbuck is born with artificial womb created by CCMB (Centre for cellular and Molecular Biology)
11. Brands: Lenovo – China; TCL – China; LG- South Korea; Sony- Japan
12. The fertile land of Nandigram had been identified as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for a chemical hub to be run by the Salim group. Nandigram was next to Haldia, a major port.
13. Bajaj’s partner in the new ultra low cost car – Renault
14. The country’s first fully indigenous surface-to-air missile – Akash
15. Manik Sarkar becomes Tripura CM for the third time in a row
16. GOP: Grand Old Party: Republican
17. GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development – Almora
18. Dr. PK Sethi, renowned orthopaedic surgeon and inventor of Jaipur foot died at the age of 80.
19. Charles Dickens famous works:- Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, Our Mutual Friend
20. Khardung La pass in Ladakh, which is 18,380 ft above sea level and is the highest motorable road in the world.
21. Russia with 38 Gold topped the list of medal winners at 4th Military Games held in India. India at 19th place.
22. Asian Juggernaut: The Rise of China, India and Japan written by Brahma Chellaney
23. The Assam Rifles raised as catcher Levy in 1835 is the oldest Police Force in the country.
24. Name (HC) Territorial Jurisdiction Seat
Allahabad Uttar Pradesh Allahabad
(bench at Luknow)
Bombay Maharastra, Goa, Dadra Mumbai (bench at
& Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Nagpur, Panaji and
Aurangabad)
Kerala Kerala and Lakshadweep Ernakulam
Orissa Orissa Cuttack
Rajastan Rajastan Jodhpur (bench at
Jaipur)
25. BIMSTEC: Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Co-operation.
26. NIMI: National Instructional Media Institute – Chennai.
27. Prasar Bharati came into existence on 23 November, 1997
28. All India Radio came to known as Akashvani from 1957
29. Circulation of newspapers (which submitted annual statements) is approximately 15.67 crore (during 2004-05)
30. Technology Day – May 11
31. Asia’s fastest computer: The fourth fastest super computer facility in the world, Eka (Sanskrit for number one), set up at the Computational Research Laboratories (CRL) in Pune, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons Ltd.
32. Air Show in 2008 in Hyderabad: - A four-day air show will be held in Hyderabad. Indian Aviation 2008, which begins on October 15, is being jointly organized by the civil aviation ministry and FICCI.
33. World Diabetes day: 14 November
34. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established in 1988.
35. Tsunami warning centre is at: Hyderabad
36. First Petrol university in India is in the State of: Gujarat
37. Rajiv Gandhi trained as pilot in Hyderabad
38. World consumer rights day – March 15
39. Telugu university was established on 2 December, 1985
40. 100 storey commercial building is being built in Rajendra Nagar mandal of Ranga Reddy district by a consortium consisting of Reliance Energy (66%), Shobha Developers (23%) and APIIC (11%). The estimated cost is Rs 6,300 crore.
41. Which country became the world’s first black republic – Haiti
42. Of the 25 great civilizations, which was the most durable, lasting almost 4,000 years.- Egyptian
43. Caparo group – Lord Swaraj Paul.
44. India is 72nd on the list of corrupt countries:- India is presently ranked at 72nd place among 180 countries by the Transparency International in its latest corruption perception index (CPI)
45. Sci-fi guru Clarke is dead at 90:- Pioneering science fiction writer and visionary Arthur C Clarke, best known for his work on the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, has died in his adopted home of Sri Lanka.
46. Along with HG Wells and Isaac Asimov, Sir Arthur Charles Clarke formed the trilogy of visionary science fiction writers.
47. One of the greatest Telugu dynasties that ruled for centuries the Kakatiyas ruled parts of modern day Andhra Pradesh from 1083 CE to 1323 CE
48. PDA: palm device assistant
49. VLE : virtual learning environment
50. Vikram Bhatt’s thriller Fear, produced by Ramesh Sippy, became the first Indian movie to be released only online.
51. My Country, My life book by L K Advani
52. Romancing with Life written by Dev Anand (autobiography) is published by Penguin.
53. Jab We Met film directed by: Imtiaz Ali
54. The current Dalai Lama – The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso
55. Who is the chairman of the Sixth Central Pay commission – Justice BN Srikrishna
56. Automotive Mission plan 2006-2016 aims to – make India a global hub of automobiles and auto components.
57. The Earth’s revolution time increases 0.0001 seconds annually
58. The average life span of people in Andorra is about 83 years, the highest of any country in the world.
59. According to the 2007 study conducted by Internet and Mobile association of India, India has 32 million active internet users (as of September, 2007).
60. As per the World Association of Newspapers, world’s largest read newspaper is Dainik Jagran (11 states, 32 editions)
61. Who coined the term ‘Chindia’ for China and India – Jairam Ramesh, financial advisor of Congress Party.
62. Indira Gandhi Peace Prize for 2007:- Bill Milinda Gates Foundation.
63. CNN-IBN’s Indian of the year award for 2007 E Sreedharan ( Delhi Metro fame)
64. Young Global Leader award winner from Geneva based World Economic Forum? Suhas Gopinath of Bangalore.
65. How many times Rosaiah presented budget in the State? Record 13 times.
66. Rajam is the main business centre in Srikakulam. From this place hails G. Mallikarjuna Rao, who has been featured in the top 500 billionaires list of Forbes.
67. Kalpana Chawla excellent award 2007 for women conferred – Nandita Das.
68. Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 2001. Name the biography by Patrick French – The world is what it is.
69. The total forest cover of the country (as per 2003 assessment) is 20.60 per cent.
70. The Lufthansa flight LH 752 was the first flight to touch down at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad early on Sunday dt 23.3.2008

The only disability in life is a bad attitude
– Scott Hamilton

1. AB Bardhan is unanimously reelected as the general secretary of CPI for the fourth term.
2. Which public sector bank unveiled its 1000th branch in March, 2008: SBH
3. US Republican Presidential candidate: John McCain
4. Which team was undefeated in the ICC Twenty20 world cup 2007 until finals – Pakistan
5. The bridge on the river Godavari linking Kovvur and Rajahmundry is Asia’s largest rail-cum-road bridge.
6. Idukki, a district in Kerala is India’s first corporal punishment free district.
7. Scarlett Keeling, the British teenager was killed in Goa.
8. On 23rd March 1931, Shaheed Sukhdev, Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Shaheed Rajguru walked to the gallows.
9. The world’s biggest software maker: Microsoft.
10. In India, nearly 1,60,000 students go overseas to pursue higher and technical education. This results in a foreign exchange out flow of about $ 10 billion per year.
11. 60 life terms in a day: Oct 24, 2007:- Amarmani Tripathi, wife guilty of killing Madhumita Shukla on May 9, 2003 along with two others; 10 cops of Delhi Police; 15 sentenced for 1992 kanpur riots; 31 get life in prison for 1998 serial blasts in Coimbatore.
12. Union budget 2008-09:- Rs 60,000 crore loan write off for farmers, beneficiaries 4 crore farmers. 16 central university, 3 IITs, No change in corporate tax, short-term capital gains tax up from 10% to 15%. Allocation for education and health sectors has been increased by 20 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. Rs 34,400 crore for education. Smart card-based PDS rollout in Haryana and Chandigarh.
13. CHOGM – Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
14. P Chidambaram is only second finance minister after Dr Manmohan Singh to present 5 consecutive budgets in one government.
15. First woman speaker in Pakistan – Famida Mirza
16. Chairman of the Delimitation Commission – Kuldip Singh
17. Once upon a Time in the Soviet Union book written by Dominique Lapiere
18. Dow Chemicals formerly known as Union Carbide
19. At the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meet in Bali, representatives from 190 countries have converged to compare notes and thrash out agreements on how to tackle climate change challenge facing the planet.


http://reddy2007.blogspot.com

1. The Universal Postal Union is in Berne (Switzerland)
2. India has largest number of post office 1, 55,333 and Vatican the lowest just four.
3. STPI – Software Technology Parks of India
4. Under Article 102 (a) C of the Constitution an insolvent person cannot be a Member of Parliament.
5. World TB Day – 24 March
6. Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was killed after a rally in the city of Rawalpinid on 27th December, 2007
7. December 6, 1988: Benazir Bhutto becomes the first woman Prime Minister of a Muslim nation.
8. The world’s tallest rail bridge is coming up over Chenab, connecting Kauri and Bakkal in J & K’s Reasi district. Standing 359 m high when completed, it will be 5 times as high as Qutub Minar, 35m taller than Eiffel Tower and 17m higher than the present record holder, Millau Bridge (342m) in France.
9. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, India’s first Greenfield Airport developed through a Public Private Partnership initiative has the country’s longest runway 4.26 km
10. MCX : Multi Commodity Exchange
11. Tata Motors acquired two iconic brands, Jaguar and Land Rover, in an all-cash deal of $ 2.3 billion from Ford Motor Company.
12. Maxim Gorky, Russian author and a political activist whose works include: - A Confession, summer folk, Twenty-six Men and a Girl.
13. Thomson Corp agreed to buy Reuters for 8.7 pound billion, creating a combined business called Thomson Reuters. This will create the biggest provider of financial information to trading floors, overtaking current market leader and US rival Bloomberg.
14. Which two former Warsaw Pact countries officially joined the European Union on the first of January, 2007 – Bulgaria and Romania
15. Why did HN51 strike terror in the hearts of most health agencies this year - It is the deadliest strain of bird flu, found at a farm in Suffolk.
16. In which American University did 23 year old Seung Hui Cho massacre 32 people in a shooting frenzy on April 16, 2007? Virginia Tech
17. Why did the discovery of a stellar body called Gliese 581c on April 24, 2007 cause a flutter in scientific circles? It is considered to be the most potentially habitable earth like extra solar planet ever found.
18. On September 13, which building became the world’s tallest free standing structure after surpassing the height of the tower in Toranto – Burj Dubai surpassed Toranto’s CN Tower.
19. In what way the Singapore Airlines flight between Singapore and Sidney on October 25 a first – It was the first commercial flight of the Airbus 380.
20. Whose record did Roger Federer equal while winning his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title – Bjorn Borg.
21. What was the name of the cyclone which devastated Bangladesh in November 2007 – Sidr.
22. Who was announced as TIME magazine’s person of the year 2007 – Vladimir Putin.
23. Which British writer, at the age of 88, became the oldest ever winner of the Nobel Prize of literature- Doris Lessing.
24. Which mammoth 14 year undertaking did Pramod Dattaram Kode finally wrap up this year? He was the judge in the Mumbai 1993 bomb blast case.
25. The Indian media and entertainment industry size:- $ 11 billion ( Rs 450 billion)
26. Vikram Pandit is CEO of Citigroup.
27. Kamlesh Sharma of India was elected as the secretary General of the Commonwealth.
28. Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd swept to power in Australia.
29. The country’s highest policy making body- The National Development Council (NDC).
30. WiMAX – Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access.
31. Sir Edmund Hillary, who stood arm in arm on the Everest summit on May 29, 1953 died on 11.1.2008. He was 88. He holds record for the being first to stand at both poles.
32. The book ‘Manzil se zyada safar’ is written by – VP Singh
33. ‘Sabse Pehale Pakistan’ is an Urdu translated version of which book – In the line of fire.
34. 26th January, 2008 Republic Day guest – Nicolas Sarkozy, France President
35. Jaipur foot inventor – Pramod Karan Sethi.
36. March 2, 2007: Ibodi Singh who has the distinction of being Manipur’s first Chief Minister to complete a full term is sworn in for a second consecutive term.
37. April 2, 2007: The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council is revived 20 years after being abolished.
38. April 18, 2007: the second prototype of Saras, India’s first indigenously designed commercial civilian aircraft makes its maiden flight in Bangalore.
39. The Polar Satellite Launch vehicle PSLV-C8 blasts off from Sriharikota and places in orbit Agile, an Italian satellite, the first commercial launch by the ISRO (dt 23.4.2007)
40. April 25, 2007: India joins an elite club of 12 countries with a trillion dollar economy.
41. April 27, 2007: The world’s largest passenger aircraft Airbus A-380 makes its maiden landing in India at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.
42. May 10, 2007: The nation commemorates the 150th anniversary of the first war of Independence of 1857 at a joint session of parliament.
43. The Central government exits the Maruti Udyog Limited, the country’s largest car maker.
44. AR Lakshmanan, former Supreme Court Judge assumes charge as chairman of the 18th Law Commission.
45. June 25, 2007: Hindustan Lever gets centre’s nod to change its name to Hindustan Uniliver Ltd.
46. July 21, 2007: Pratibha Devi Singh Patil is declared elected the 12th President defeating the vice-president Bharon Singh Shekhawat.
47. July 31, 2007: Film actor Sanjay Dutt is jailed for six years in the 1993 Mumbai blasts for illegal possession of a prohibited weapon.
48. August 3, 2007: the country’s first mobile court is inaugurated in Mewat district of Haryana by the Chief Justice of India, KG Balakrishnan.
49. August 7, 2007: Buddhadeb Dasgupta’s Kaalpurush bags the best feature film award at the National Film Awards for 2005.
50. Shyam Benegal film director is named recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke award 2005.
51. August 19, 2007: IAF pilots wing commander Anil Kumar and Rahul Monga create a world record by flying a micro flight aircraft around the world in 80 days.
52. Aug 24, 2007: the corporate affairs ministry clears Air India – Indian merger. The new company National Aviation Company of India Limited becomes a legal entity.
53. Aug 24 2007: Forty persons are killed as two blasts, one at amusement park and another at an eatery rock Hyderabad.
54. August 27, 2007: Tata Steel turns 100.
55. September 2, 2007: The Geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle, GSLV F04 is successfully launched from the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh and places in orbit the 2,130 kg INSAT -4 CR, the heaviest satellite to be launched by the ISRO.
56. September 11, 2007: Popatrao Pawar of Hewre village in Maharastra becomes the first winner of National Water Award.
57. October 1, 2007: The Gujarat Government launches a new all-tribal district named Tapi bifurcating Surat district with headquarters at Vyara.
58. Oct 24, 2007: A special court sentences the former Uttar Pradesh Minister, Amarmani Tripathi and his wife Madhumati to life imprisonment in the murder of poetess Madhunita Shukla in Lucknow on May 9, 2003. Al Umma founder SA Basha and general secretary Mohammed Ansari among 31 persons sentenced to life in the Coimbatore serial blasts on Feb 14, 1998. Basha’s son Siddiq Ali is awarded two life terms and 48 years RI.
59. October 29, 2007: Sensex crosses the 20,000 mark and India becomes the 20th nation in the world whose stock market benchmark has touched the milestone.
60. November 27, 2007: After a 27 hour surgery Lakshmi Tatma (2), the eight limbed girl from Araria village in Bihar is separated from her parasitic twin by a 36 member team of doctors at a Bangalore hospital.
61. The former Finance Secretary Vijay L Kelkar is named chairman of the 13th Finance Commission.
62. Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) is renamed Tata Communications Limited.
63. Vinod Rai is the new Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
64. Adventurer Ajeet Bajaj unfurls tri-colour at South Pole and becomes the first Indian to go to both North and South poles.
65. 31.1.2008: China emerges as second largest gold producer. China has emerged as the world’s second largest gold producer in 2007 when its output reached 270.29 tonnes and is well on course to overtake South Africa to occupy the number one slot, the China Gold Association said.
66. Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat unseeded Jo-wilfried Tsonga in the singles finals of the Australian Open.
67. Frankly speaking with Arnab Goswami : Times Now.
68. City franchises of the Indian Premier League – the BCCI’s Twenty20 competition: Reliance Industries Limited – Mumbai- Rs 441 crore; UB Group – Bangalore- Rs 440 crore; Deccan Chronicle- Hyderabad- Rs 422 crore.
69. Thailand has for many years the world’s largest exporter of rice. India and Vietnam, the world’s second and third largest exporters have blocked exports. China, the world’s biggest rice consumer.
70. Feb 4, 2007: US astronaut Sunita Williams sets a new record in space walking of 22 hours and 27 minutes.
71. Apri 23, 2007: British bank Barclays Plc agrees to buy Dutch ABN-Amro for about $91 billion in the world’s biggest bank takeover.
72. May 22, 2007: Kutsusuke Yanagisawa (71) of Japan becomes the oldest person to climb to the top of Mount Everest.
73. May 30, 2007: The US President George W Bush names Robert Zoellick to replace Paul Wolfowitz as World Bank president.
74. Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe wins the 60,000 pound 2007 Man Booker International Prize for fiction
75. June 16, 2007: Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams makes history by setting a record for the longest uninterrupted space flight by a woman surpassing the 188 day four hour mark held by her compatriot Shannon Lucid since 1996.
76. June 23, 2007: Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams returns to the earth after a 195 day stay in space, on board shuttle Atlantis which makes a safe touch down at the Edwards Air Force Base in California after a 14 day trip.
77. June 24, 2007: An Iraqi court hands down death sentence for Ali Hassan al Majid, a cousin of Saddam Hussein known as “Chemical Ali” for genocide of 1,82,000 kurds in 1988.
78. July 7, 2007: Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, the Colosseum in Rpme, pink ruins of Petra in Jordan, the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Jeneiro, the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru and the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza in Mexico are the new seven wonders of the world.
79. July 8, 2007: the Moitree Express, the first Indian passenger train from Kolkata reaches Bangladesh on a trial run.

http://reddy2007.blogspot.com

1. July 28, 2007: the Scouts movement completes 100 years.

3. July 31, 2007: British troops leave Northern Ireland after a 38 year stay as part of operation banner.
4. July 31, 2007: Australian media baron Rupert Murdoch acquires Dow Jones for $ 5 billion.
5. Oct 2, 2007: The United Nations marks Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday as the first International Day of Non-Violence.
6. Oct 3, 2007: For the first time since 1947 a truck with goods from Pakistan moves across the Wagah border.
7. Oct 12, 2007: The former US vice-president Al Gore and the Inter governmental Panel on Climate change, headed by Rajendra K Pachauri of India are declared joint winners of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
8. Hurwicz (90) is the oldest Nobel winner ever and has no degree in the field.
9. Oct 24, 2007: China launches its first lunar probe Chang’e 1.
10. Oct 25, 2007: the World’s largest double decker jetliner makes history with its first commercial flight from Singapore to Sydney.
11. November 15, 2007: At least 2,300 people killed as super cyclone Sidr rips through Bangladesh’s southern coastline. Nine lakh families are affected.
12. December 28, 2007: Prof Ian Wilmut, creator of Dolly, the sheep, is knighted.
13. RK Sharma first IPS to get murder rap: - Suspended inspector general of police RK Sharma was sentenced to life imprisonment in the nine-year old case involving murder of journalist Shivani Bhatnagar, Indian Express reporter. This is the first instance of an IPS officer being convicted of murder anywhere in the country.
14. Sanjay Dutt was jailed in Yerwada jail in Pune in connection with Mumbai blasts.
15. With a net worth of $ 35 billion, KP Singh of DLF is the world’s richest real estate developer.
16. Top bureaucrat – The Cabinet Secretary
17. Top rice producing states in India (in thousand tones): 1. West Bengal – 14,746; 2. Andhra Pradesh – 11,872; 3. Uttar Pradesh – 11, 124; 4. Punjab – 10,138; 5. Orissa – 6,825
18. Ideas create, values protect is tagline of which company – Edelweiss
19. Top three tea producing states in India: 1. Assam; 2. West Bengal; 3. Tamil Nadu.
20. Virender Sehwag joined Brian Lara and Sir Don Bradman in the record books as the only batsmen to have surpassed 300 runs in Test cricket twice. He now holds the record for fastest triple century (with just 278 balls).
21. Dr MS Swaminathan was awarded the ‘Commander of Agriculture Merit’ by France.
22. The new addition to the commonwealth games 2010 is: wrestling.
23. 86th amendment to the Constitution adds a new article 21A says: “The state shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to 14 in such manner as the state may, by law, determine.”
24. Darfur is in Sudan.
25. Commonwealth is an association of 53 countries and covers 30% of the world’s population.
26. Maharastra led with a share of 31.02 per cent in India’s exports during 2005-06. Andhra Pradesh is at sixth place with 3.91 per cent.
Gujarat 31.02%
Karnataka 10.80%
Tamil Nadu 9.82%
Delhi 5.10%
Andhra Pradesh 3.91%
27. The only country in the world whose flag is triangular flag: Nepal
28. The Andhra Pradesh government’s initiative in engineering colleges to prepare the engineering graduates in soft skills needed for placement in ITES and IT sector jobs – Jawahar Knowledge Centres.
29. Jalayagnam is aimed providing assured water supply to farmers and bring one crore additionally under cultivation in the State by 2010.
30. Top five states in India with highest suicides (in 2004-05):1. West Bengal; 2. Maharastra; 3. Andhra Prades; 4. Tamil Nadu; 5. Karnataka.
31. The share of workforce in India: agriculture – 60 per cent; industry – 12 per cent; services – 28 per cent.
32. Rahul Dravid completed his 10,000 runs in Test cricket (while playing vs South Africa). He is the third Indian and sixth overall. Dravid is in the more exclusive club of batsmen who have done the 10,000 double in Tests and ODIs, sharing the honour now with Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar.
33. India has largest blind population. Of 37 million blind in the world, 15 million are Indians.
34. Categories of security: Z plus, Z, Y and X. Z plus, the highest level category has a cover of 65 – 80 personnel with bullet proof transport and escort vehicles.
35. CK Prahlad, professor at the University of Michigan’s Stephen M Ross school of business, has been crowned the greatest management thinker alive by Thinkers50, an annual ranking of the Top 50 management thought leaders in the world.
36. The world hunger index of IFPRI has ranked India 94th out of 118 countries.
37. Which newspaper’s editor was removed recently- Deccan Chronicle (MJ Akbar)
38. Vijay Mallya’s Formula One team – Force India
39. Largest city in the world by population – Tokyo (over 35 million people)
40. India has displaced China and Mexico to become the top remittance receiving country in the world, according to latest data released by the World Bank. India 25.7 $ billion; Mexico – 24.7 $ bn; China – 22.5 $bn; Phillippines 14.9 $ bn.
41. Times Now TV channel is a joint venture of the Times group and Reuters service.
42. The Tiger Elephant, the Tiger and the Cell phone written by Shashi Tharoor.
43. The export revenue of Indian software industry is worth $ 32 billion in 2006-07. India now accounts for about 65 per cent of global market in offshore IT and about 46 per cent in offshore ITES market.
44. Lead India an initiative by The Times of India winner – RK Mishra.
45. Indian Premier League (IPL) is sponsored by – DLF.
46. Saakshi, telugu news paper is published from 23 centres.
47. The learning disability, where a child is not able to read and for that reason is unable to write – Dyslexia.
48. French President Nicolas Sarkozy married his girl friend, former model Carla Bruni, at the Elysee Palace on 2nd February, 2008.
49. Only industrialist Bharat Ratna – JRD Tata
50. World’s biggest solar cooking system is in Tirumala.
51. Twenty20 cricket competition designed by Stuart Robertson of England.
52. An Inconvenient Truth, a book on climate change is by Al Gore.
53. India under 19 team won the world cup by beating South Africa by 12 runs in the final in Kaulalmpur. India earlier won in 2000.
54. Keshavanda Bharati judgment of April 24, 1973, codified the inviolability of a citizen’s fundamental rights.
55. The Sir Richard Branson owned Virgin group is launching the Virgin mobile brand in India in association with Tata Teleservices.
56. The Economic survey said the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for 2007-08 would be equivalent of $ 1.16 trillion calculated at the average dollar rupee exchange rate for the year.
57. Jodha Akbar film director: Ashutosh Gowarikar.
58. At the all-India level, population below poverty line (BPL) is pegged at 27.5 per cent. Orissa tops the list with a whopping 46 per cent. BPL population followed by Chattisgarh and Jharkhand all with about 40 per cent.
59. Life expectancy is highest in Kerala (73 years) followed by Punjab, Maharastra, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It was least in Madhya Pradesh (58) followed by Assam, Orissa, UP and Bihar. The all India average is 63 years.
60. Agriculture account for just 19 per cent of India’s economic output but provides livelihood to 60 per cent.
61. Red Chillies Entertainment Company was promoted by Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan.
62. For women aged above 60, will get 50% concession on the basic fare as per the railway budget.
63. The Darul Uloom Deoband located in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, one of the most influential theological schools in South Asian Islam, termed terror anti-Islam.
64. The league of nations held its first meeting in January of which year – 1920
65. Nasscom president – Som Mittal
66. Andhra Pradesh literacy rate 60.47 per cent, National average: 64.84 per cent.
67. Fidel Castro, 81, of Cuba retired as head of state 49 years after he seized power in an armed revolution.
68. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairman- Anil Kakodkar.
69. Saamna is mouthpiece of Shiva Sena
70. You Can Win book written by Shiv Khera
71. International Womens Day – March 8
72. Spielberg boycotts Beijing Olympics over China’s role in Darfur:- Steven Spielberg said that he was withdrawing as an artistic adviser to the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing over Sudan’s attacks in the Darfur region.
73. Mumbai police registered cases against Maharastra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Samajwadi party leader Abu Asim Azmi for allegedly promoting enmity between groups of people and for provoking incidents of violence.
74. P Susheela, playback singer and K Padmanabhaiah, former Union home secretary awardees of Padma Bhushan from Andhra Pradesh.
75. Goodbye to Gandhi book written by Bernard Imhasley
76. Martin Luther King Jr, at the age of 35, he was the youngest to have received the Nobel peace prize.
77. Rizwanur Rahman found dead by the railway tracks on September 21, 2007. Rizwanur married Priyanka without informing their families on August 18, 2007 (West Bengal).
78. Asia’s first moonlit animal house is located in the Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad.
79. Bonanza time for central staff: Salary up 40%, Allowances 100%, Central employees to get arrears from January 2006 as per the sixth pay commission recommendations.
80. Which corporate house has a proposal to commence 20 TV channels – Reliance group of Anil Ambani


http://reddy2007.blogspot.com

1. India’s foreign debt rose to $ 201.4 billion ( Rs 7,94,017 crore) by December 2007.
2. Gujjars have been agitating for ST status in Rajastan.
3. Editor-in-chief of The New Indian Express – Aditya Sinha
4. Which news paper celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2007- The New Indian Express.
5. Ayesha Meera, B.Pharmacy student was killed in Durga ladies hostel in Ibrahimpatnam, Vijayawada.
6. About 638 attempts were made on the life of Fidel Castro.
7. The strength of Supreme Court judges will be increased from 25 to 30.
8. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a historic apology to aborigines on 13th February, 2008.
9. Best director Nandi award – Sekhar Kammula for Godavari.
10. Election commissioners:- N. Goplaswami (CEC), Navin Chawla, SY Quraishi
11. Election Commission sends notice to Sonia Gandhi for accepting the ‘Order of Leopold’ from the king of Belgium in November, 2006.
12. The Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices has recommended that the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy be fixed at Rs 1,000 a quintal for the common variety.
13. Record price for painter MF Hussain’s work $ 1.6 million (Rs 6.4 crore)
14. Jhumpa Lahiri works include:- Interpreter of Maladies, The Namesake and Unaccustomed Earth.
15. The Other half columnist in The Hindu – Kalpana Sharma.
16. Charlton Heston, the legendary Hollywood actor who acted in films like, Ben Hur and Ten Commandments passed away recently

17. Which English Daily was redesigned recently? - The New Indian Express

18. Probate is the process for transfer of legal title of the property from the deceased to his/her proper beneficiaries. The term probate is akin to proving the existence of a valid will, or determining and proving the actual legal heirs.
19. Indian Roller (Paala Pitta) is Andhra Pradesh’s state bird.
20. Karnataka will be the first state in the country to go to polls after the delimitation of constituencies
21. Who was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction? Edith Wharton
22. Water lily is Andhra Pradesh’s state flower
23. Indian Ambassador to China – Ms. Nirupama Rao
24. India’s lowest score in Test cricket – 42 against England (at Lords in 1974)
25. ICC Chief Executive – South African Haroon Lorgat
26. Legendary musician and folk icon Bob Dylan was handed a special citation from the Pulitzer Prize board.
27. Washington Post wins 6 Pulitzer Prizes, the second most any news paper has won in a year.
28. Pakistan born Bangkok based photojournalist; Adrees Latif of Reuters won the prize for Breaking News photography.
29. The book ‘It crossed my mind’ is written by Shailaja Chandra
30. Rastogi Panel was set up by Finance Ministry to review issues related with – Service Tax
31. Neem is the state tree of Andhra Pradesh
32. Deputy speaker in AP assembly – Dr G Kuthuhalamma
33. Court upholds 27% OBC quota, creamy layer excluded – 93rd constitution amendment Act empowering the centre to come out with the special law for OBC reservations in educational institutions of higher learning.
34. The first India-Africa Forum summit was held in New Delhi.
35. As of March 19, 2008 there are 54 SEZs notified in Andhra Pradesh, highest in the country.
36. Khuda Kay Liye, the first Pakistan film screened in India. The film stars Nasiruddin Shah (The story of the film is about issues faced by Muslims after 9/11)
37. Where can the world’s smallest bird, the male Bee Hummingbird, be found – Cuba
38. Austria was the first country to use post cards.
39. Which is the only bird known to have nostrils at the tip of its beak – Kiwi
40. Which author created the fictional character John Carter of Mars – Edgar Rice Burroughs
41. Who took the first photograph of the moon – Louis Daguerre
42. In which year were the first national presidential election held in the US – 1789
43. The Sexes – Shobhaa De (The Week)
44. Journalism with a human touch – The Week
45. Name the two ministers dropped at centre in the reshuffle from AP? Dasari Narayana Rao, T Subbarami Reddy
46. Plain Speaking is the biography of TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu
47. Name of the super computer located in DRDO, Hyderabad – Anurag
48. Which country issued one crore dollar note recently – Zimbabwe
49. Asia’s largest Tulip garden started recently in – Sri Nagar
50. Which American State recently banned death sentence – New Jersey
51. Which state achieved highest growth rate during the 10th Five Year Plan? Gujarat 10.6%, Haryana 7.6%, Himachal Pradesh 7%
52. Mr and Mrs Dutt, book based on the story of Sunil Dutt and Nargis is written by Namrata Dutt and Priya Dutt
53. What is Azadi Express – Exhibition train showcasing 1857 war incidents on 150th anniversary
54. Name the person of Indian origin elected as governor of Louisiana- Bobby Jindal
55. Most dangerous state as per Newsweek report – Pakistan.

***

1. Badle Bharat ki Tasveer – India TV
2. Barriers break when people talk – Airtel
3. Bollywood ka boss programme – Filmy (Boman Irani)
4. Little drops of joy –Coca cola India
5. Think hatke – Virgin mobile
6. Second Opinion – Jug Suraiya (The Times of India)
7. World ki best kahaniyan – Firangi TV
8. The great Indian tamasha – NDTV 24x7
9. Revealed – CNN
10. Hard Talk – BBC
11. 30 Minutes –TV9
12. Recently which Telugu Television channel re-designed its logo – Maa TV
13. Shoaib banned: Shoaib Akhtar, 32, fast bowler was handed a five-year ban by the Pakistan Cricket Control Board (PCB) for violating the players’ code of conduct. Shoaib cannot play for or in Pakistan during the period.
14. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) has been extended to all 604 districts of the country from 1st April, 2008.
15. Books: Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri; Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh; The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie.
16. The X factor: NDTV 24x7
17. Who are the two ministers out in the Cabinet reshuffle at the Centre: Dasari Narayana Rao and T Subbirami Reddy
18. Yousuf Raza Gillani was sworn in as Pakistan’s 25th Prime Minister
19. The US listed Nandigram violence as a human rights violation.
20. OIC: Organisation of Islamic Countries (57 member organization)
21. 2012 London Olympics slogan: Make Britain Proud
22. First space tourist: Denis Tito
23. A biography of Rahul Dravid, the nice guy who finished first book by Devendra Prabhu Desai
24. Raghupathi Venkaiah award for 2006 – D. Rama Naidu
25. NTR National award for 2006- Waheeda Rehman
26. Speaker of Orissa Assemply Mahewar Mohanty resigned from his post following sexual harassment charges against him.
27. NR Narayana Murthy would join global banking giant HSBC.
28. For the first time in eight decades, Indian men’s hockey team has failed to qualify for the Olympics; Great Britain beat India in the final match of the Beijing Olympic qualifier in Santiago.
29. Five past midnight book written by Dominique Lapier
30. Which Indian cricketer was charged of racially abusing Australian all rounder Andrew Symonds – Harbhajan Singh
31. Hindraf: Hindu Rights Action Force
32. Russia’s Maria Sharapova won her first Australian Open title by beating Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic in the final. This is her third grand slam title.
33. The Wagah border will henceforth be known as the Attari border on the Indian side.
34. Ratan Tata unveiled the Rs 1 lakh car Tata Nano at the 9th auto expo in New Delhi.
35. Name the Pakistani lawyer for the deposed chief justice Iftikar Chaudhary who is leading the campaign for the reinstatement of the ousted Supreme Court judges – Aitzaz Ahsan.
36. Which software company did European Commission penalize? Microsoft Corporation was penalized with a fine of $ 1.35 billion for failing to comply with a 2004 anti-trust order.
37. United States Ambassador to India David C Mulford.
38. Meghalaya governor:- S S Sidhu
39. Which country recently introduced new visa system for all potential Indian immigrants to pass through the “Points Based System (PBS), Tier 1 : UK
40. Salwa Judum (self-defence groups) by the Chhattisgarh government.
41. Civil Aviation minister – Praful Patel
42. ADC: Access Deficit Charge
43. SIMI: Students Islamic Movement of India
44. National Security Advisor: MK Narayanan
45. UNPA: United National Progressive Alliance
46. The Hindu is published from 12 centres.
47. Two-time Haryana Chief Minister Bhajanlal, who rebelled against the Congress, was disqualified from the assembly under the anti-defection law.
48. Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama resides in Dharmasala.
49. Agni-1, a product of the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
50. Advanced Systems Laboratory is in Hyderabad
51. LeT: Laskar –e- Taiba
52. Nirupama Subramanian is The Hindu’s Islamabad (Pakistan) reporter.
53. Biggest fall in sensex – 1408.35 points on January 21, 2008.
54. The Goa government decided to scrap all the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) projects in the State.
55. Communal violence hit Kandhamal headquarters Phulbani is in Orissa.
56. ICC replaces umpire Steve Bucknor for Perth Test (between India and Australia)
57. Which Tollywood star is involved in a divorce case – Pawan Kalyan
58. Terror attacks on the CRPF group centre in Rampur were involved by Lashkar-e-Taiba
59. Television rights of Indian Premier League (IPL):- The Sony Television network and the Singapore based World Sports group have purchased the event’s television rights for the next 10 years for $ 1 billion.
60. Which TV channel is involved in a fake sting operation of a government school teacher – Live India
61. 299 inmates escape from Dantewada jail, Chhattisgarh
62. Leading first wicket stands in Tests: - N. Nckenzie – G Smith 415, South Africa V Bangladesh, Chittagong, 2008. Vinod Mankad – P Roy, 413 India V New Zealand, Chennai 1956; V. Sehwag – R Dravid, 410, India V Pakistan, Lahore, 2006.
63. This year’s World Health Day (April 7) theme: “protecting health from climate change”.
64. Hogenakkal issue is between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
65. What is the controversy surrounding Hindi film Jodha Akhar? Historians dispute the existence of the fiery Rajput princess named Jodha in Akbar’s life.
66. With $ 104 billion, India is now the second largest source of foreign investment in the UK.
67. Veteran actor Shobhan Babu dead: The 71 year old actor, Uppu Shobhana Chalapathi Rao passed away in Chennai.
68. Whose autobiography is titled: Life and Death in Installments- Manoj Kumar
69. ORS – optical response sheet
70. India’s ambassador to the US : Ronen Sen
71. The State Assembly passed a resolution adopting the Urban Land Ceiling Repeal Act of the Central Government thus repealing the Act in the State.
72. The Opposition toppled the government in Andhra Pradesh with no confidence just once. The first no-confidence motion was moved by Gowtu Latchanna against the then chief minister Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu in 1954. This was the first and the last time in the history of the State that a no-confidence motion resulted in the resignation of a chief minister.
73. Sub-prime loan means loan given at less than prime interest rates.
74. Proteas is used to refer which country cricketers: South Africa
75. Zoom TV channel belongs to Times group
76. Earth Hour: ‘Earth Hour’ founder Andy Ridley said 371 cities, towns or local governments from Australia to Canada and even Fiji had signed up for the 60-minute shutdown at 0900 GMT on March 29.
77. Bangalore franchise of IPL Royal Challengers
78. The theme of the Beijing torch relay is a “Journey of Harmony”.
79. Prakash Karat was re-elected General Secretary of the CPI-M.
80. Chief Information Commissioner : Wajahat Habibullah
81. Miss India Universe: Simran Kaur Mundi
82. Muslims outnumber Catholics: The number of Muslims has overtaken the number of Roman Catholics in the world, a Vatican official said. Muslims are estimated to make up 19.2 % of the world population.
83. The speaking tree : The Times of India
84. Phalke Ratna award: B R Chopra
85. National Herald, the 70 year old news paper which was started by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1938 is closed.
86. Daily Inspiration book written by Robin Sharma
87. What is recession- Negative growth in GDP in two successive quarters.
88. IRBM: Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile
89. Blue chip shares mean the shares of companies’ which are doing well, paying dividends, bonus, rights issue etc.
90. Wal-Mart partner in India Bharti group.
91. WTO (World Trade Organization) was established in 1995.
92. Crude oil reserves about 25% are in Saudi Arabia.
93. AP Land reforms committee chairman: Koneru Ranga Rao
94. Reader’s Digest – Editor-in-chief- Aroon Purie
95. The government has set an export target of $ 200 billion for the current fiscal year.
96. Contours of Leninism book written by Nandan Mani Ratnam
97. Who was elected as Prime Minister in the first ever democratic elections in Bhutan- Jigme Thinley
98. Who was presented Golden Ball by BCCI – Anil Kumble fro his 600 wickets in Test Cricket.
99. The Future of India book is written by Bimal Jalan
100. Andhra Pradesh government’s off shore reservoir on the river Mahendra Tanaya is a bone of contention between AP and which state- Orissa


http://reddy2007.blogspot.com






COLUMNS & COLUMNISTS

Online and offline – K Narayanan (The Hindu)
Out of London – Hasan Suroor (The Hindu)
State Craft – Harish Khare (The Hindu)
Delhi Diary – S Viswam (Deccan Chronicle)
Back to Forward – Inder Malhotra (Deccan Chronicle)
Between the lines - Kuldip Nayar (Deccan Chronicle)
Realty check – Siddharth Vardarajan (The Hindu)
Cambridge Letter – Bill Kirkman (The Hindu)
Men and Ideas – Guru charan Das (The Times of India)
Media Matters -Sevanti Ninan (The Hindu)
Politically incorrect -Shobhaa De (The Times of India)
Indiaspora -Chidanand Rajghatta (The Times of India)

Some of the most important news papers published in different countries

Daily Mirror UK
Daily Express UK
Daily Mail UK
Guardian UK
New York Times USA
Daily News USA
Washington Post USA
Toronto Globe & Mail USA
People’s Daily China
Asahi Shimbun Japan
Dawn Pakistan
Jang Pakistan





News Agencies / Head quarters

AP Associated Press New York
IRNA Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran
PPI Pakistan Press International Karachi
PTI Press Trust of India Mumbai
SPA Saudi Press Agency Riyadh
TASS Telegraph Agency of the Moscow
Sovereign State
UPI United Press International New York
XINHUA Xinhua Beijing
AFP Agence France Presse Paris


MEDIA TERMINOLOGY

*Banner: The main headline stretching right across the top of a page over all the columns.

*Blow-up: An enlargement.

*By-line: Name of a reporter of contributors printed above the story.

*Credit lines: A line acknowledging the source of a story.

*Crusade: A campaign by a newspaper to bring pressure to accomplish a specific social mission.

*Edition: The total copies of a newspaper printed at one run

*Free-lance: A journalist not on the staff of any newspaper but usually contributing to several newspapers.

*Lead: The main story in a newspaper or the first paragraph in a news story giving the main facts.

*Spot news: News obtained on the scene of the event, hence fresh, live news. Usually used to refer to unexpected events.

*Tabloid: It is the page half the size of a broad sheet, usually applied to newspapers of page size.

*Tip-off: As information passed on to a newspaper by the public

*Yellow Journalism: Refers to a newspaper or journal specializing in highly sensational stories

· Caption: words accompanying picture or graphic.

* Dateline: place from which story was filed usually applied to stories from abroad






80. Ads / Captions / tag lines :-

Journalism of courage The Indian Express
Connecting people Nokia
Count on us Maruti Suzuki
Because you are worth more Timesjobs.com
Express Yourself AIRTEL
News you can trust TV5
For decision makers Outlook Business
Speak out OUTLOOK
Keep walking Johnnie Walker
Making sense of India India Today
God’s own country Kerala
Be the first to know CNN
We nurture talent Amity
Growth is Life Reliance
Putting News First BBC World
The complete man Raymond
Connecting India BSNL
India’s International bank Bank of Baroda
Read to lead The Financial Express
Good people to grow with Indian Overseas Bank
Making tomorrow brighter ONGC
Incredible India India Tourism
What ever it takes CNN-IBN
Feel the news Times Now
Sabse Tej Aaj Tak
Sharp news for sharp people Headlines Today


81. News papers/TV channels / magazines & editors

Tehelka Tarun Tejpal
Outlook - Krishna Prasad
The Week Chief Mammen Mathew
The Hindu -Siddharth Varadarajan
Pioneer Chandan Mitra
Hindustan Times Vir Singhvi
CNN-IBN Rajdeep Sardesai
Times Now Arnab Goswami
India Today Aroon Puri

Tribune H K Dua



82. TV programmes

Big Fight - NDTV 24x7 (Barkha Dutt)
Walk the Talk - NDTV 24x7 (Sekhar Gupta)
Spandinche Hrudayam – TV9
Claps Kottu Basoo - Zee Telugu
Avakkayyara! – MAA TV
Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyaann –ZEE TV
Vedika – Gemini News
Devil’s Advocate – CNN-IBN (Karan Thapar)
India Tonight - CNBC India (Karan Thapar)
Indian Idol – Sony
We the people (NDTV 24x7) - anchor – Barkha Dutt
The great Indian laughter Star One
Nenu Saitham ETV2
Ghantaravam ETV2
Neti bharatam ETV2
Neralu Ghoralu ETV2
Open Forum TV9
Nigha TV9
Vikata Kavi TV9

Naveena TV9 (anchor: Jhansi)
Pratidwani ETV2
Open Forum TV9 (Rajnikanth)
AP Round Up Gemini News
Aarogyaniki 60 rahasyalu – MAA TV




NEWS PAPERS & SUPPLEMENTS

Pratibha plus Eenadu
Quest The Hindu
Down Town The Hindu
Woman’s Life The New Indian Express
Career The New Indian Express / Vaartha
Sadhana Andhra Bhoomi
Diksoochi Andhra Jyothi
Maidaan Andhra Jyothi
Cheli Vaartha
Opportunities The Hindu
Friday Review The Hindu
Brand Equity Economic Times



DAYS
National Press Day November 16
Anti-Terrorism day May 21
Earth day April 22
National Technology Day May 11
World Book day April 23
World Health day April 7
World tourism day September 27
World water day March 22
World Press Freedom Day May 3rd
World Human Rights day December 10
Small Industry Day August 30
World Vegetarian Day October 2
World AIDS Day December 1
Anti Tobacco Day May 31



Top dailies in India

Dainik Jagran Hindi
Dainik Bhaskar Hindi
Malayala Manorama Malayalam
Anand Bazar Patrika Bengali



Books and authors

Conversations with God Neale Donald Dalsch
The Good Earth Pearl Buck
The World is Flat Thomas Friedman
Playing with Pizza John Grisam
The Alchemist Paulo Cohelo
Speedpost Shobha De
Freedom is not Free Shiv Khera
Losing my virginity Richard Branson
How to Know God Deepak Chopra
Argumentative Indian Amartya Sen
Harry Potter (series) J K Rowling
One night @ the call center Chetan Bhagat
In the line of Fire Pervez Musharraf
A suitable boy Vikram Seth
War & Peace Tolstoy
Midnight’s Children Salman Rusdie
Everyday Greatness Stephen Covey
Algebra of infinite justice Arundhati Roy
Caravan to Tibet Deepa Agarwal
The Google Story David A. Vise

Abbreviations

IBSA India Brazil South Africa
SAFTA South Asian Free Trade Area
NACO National AIDS Control Organisation
NCMP National Common Minimum Programme
DRDO Defence Research and Development
IRDA Insurance Regulatory Development Authority
CNN Cable News Network
CDMA Code Division Multiple Access
PCI Press Council of India
LCA Light Combat Aircraft
BAFTA British Academy Film Awards
PURA Providing urban amenities in Rural Area
NREGP National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme
CAS Conditional Access System
ULFA United Liberation Front of Asom
OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
FDI Foreign Direct Investment
CTBT Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
MTCR Missile Technology Control Regime
WMD Weapons of Mass Destruction
CSO Central Statistical Organization
GLONASS Global Navigation Satellite System
ESMA Essential Services Maintenance Act
NRSA National Remote Sensing Agency
CRR cash reserve ratio
SLR Statutory Liquidity Ratio

Correct Spellings:-

Vacuum; embarrass; separate, immigrant; catastrophe; twelfth; ninth; fortieth; eighth; sycophant; repetition; deception; extension; intention; cliffhanger; symbiotic; fierce; phenomenal; reverberate; renaissance; demeanour; paradigm; entrepreneur; gnarled, timbre, aegis; berserk; dais; germane; unctuous; vignette; critique; prescient; pseudonym.





Osmania University BCJ 2006 entrance test questions:

1. Indo-US nuclear deal
2. Tarapur nuclear reactor fuel supplying country
3. Kavya
4. Meerut fire tragedy
5. Vadodara communal clashes
6. Varanasi blast – responsible
7. capital convertibility
8. Narmada bachao
9. The Hindu reader’s editor
10. Largest circulated Telugu daily
11. Largest circulated English daily
12. India today editor
13. Sportstar – weekly / monthly…??
14. Times of India
15. The Hindu
16. Steven Spielberg
17. 15 park avenue director
18. saif ali khan best actor award for
19. Dadasaheb phalke award for 2005
20. broadband
21. byline
22. tabloid
23. MPLADS
24. oil for food scam
25. MPs questions
26. search engine
27. MS Dhoni
28. TDP MLA killed
29. World economic forum theme
30. NIFTY
31. Europe grand pix
32. Naushad music director
33. Ajeet Bajaj
34. blockbuster
35. Salman Khan 5 years imprisonment in which case
36. New Zealand high commissioner
37. Young tarang in which tv
38. sri lanka army chief attached by
39. AP’s position in software exports
40. locus standi
41. banner
42. … destiny
43. Salman rusdie novel ……..deals with
44. Top country in low corruption
45. Davinci code movie
46. Goenka award winner
47. Vaishali – tele serial in which tv
48. DTH
49. Radio city
50. KG Gas basin
51. Narmada dam
52. Grammy awards
53. bird flu
54. ADB meeting
55. FIFA first cup in
56. FIFA stadium
57. 18th common wealth games best athlete
58. Nepal king
59. fundamental duties amendment
60. DNA – daily news and analysis published from
61. Katrina coverage best newspaper
62. Aishwarya rai
63. Hard talk India presenter
64. 4 lakh votes margin / Sonia Gandhi victory margin
65. US insisting Iraq on
66. Kasauti Zindagi ki serial in which tv


BCJ 2005 Osmania University entrance test questions

1. NEFA
2. Highest telescope
3. 77 Oscar best director
4. Whom Sania Mirza defeated in Dubai open to enter semi-final
5. Nobel peace prize winner – Wangari Mathai – ecologist
6. Caveat / Habeas corpus
7. Navin chawla – election commission member
8. Radio mirchi
9. baglihar project – dispute between India and Pakistan
10. Transmitter of national radio channel
11. Anand film director
12. 2004 best film
13. Hard talk presenter on BBC
14. Employment guarantee – how many days?
15. Iraq president
16. broadband
17. First English newspaper in India
18. Highest circulated English newspaper
19. tabloid
20. screen weekly / fortnightly
21. Femina editor
22. Media matters columnist
23. couch potato means
24. No full stops in India book author
25. Emergency imposed in which country
26. China recognized which state
27. tsunami which language
28. Fourth estate
29. UC Bannerjee
30. charge sheet on Lalu Yadav
31. FM Chidambaram withdrew which tax
32. PSLV-6 Cartosat 1
33. who joined tv 18 recently
34. Nooyi journalism award
35. Right to information passed in may
36. Saptarshi
37. CAS
38. FDI in 2004-05
39. Sensex
40. Cannes film festival classics
41. England – labour party won
42. Week published from
43. bluechip
44. EPW editor
45. Sarkar serial writer
46. K word serials production company
47. soap opera
48. Danel purchase scandal first published in ?
49. USA visa denied to?
50. editorial
51. largest forest is in which state
52. arctic / Antarctic
53. which newspaper redesigned recently
54. panchayat raj
55. group 500 – award
56. world space
57. eenadu published from how many places
58. VAT
59. largest lake
60. Jayendra saraswathi not involved in the followi9ng
61. TV & Film training institute is situated in
62. Rs 100 crore in the budget granted to IISc
63. Indian news agency
64. smoking banned recently
65. Black Friday movie subject
66. Feng Shui relating to?


Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from indomitable will – MAHATMA GANDHI


For further information please visit reddy2007.blogspot.com

Why Journalism?

Career in journalism is a prestigious profession aw well as a highly paid one. Journalist plays a major role in the development of nation. It is through them that we get information about daily happenings in the society. The purpose of journalism itself is to inform and interpret, educate and enlighten the people.

The opportunities for journalists are endless and at the same time the job has become more challenging.

Simple reporting of events is no more sufficient, more specialization and professionalism in reporting required.

Personal attributes: To become a journalist one should have an inquisitive mind, will power, an aptitude for presenting information in an accurate, concise and effective manner. Organizing thoughts and expressing themselves clearly both orally and in writing is very important attribute. At the same time a journalist has to be tactful, confident and organized while interviewing people from all walks of life. They must have the ability to sift relevant facts from the irrelevant.


Synonyms :-( for words used in Newspapers)

Lynch: string up, hang, murder, mob, assassinate, kill

Overture: proposal, proposition, offer, advance, approach, gambit, suggestion

Panic: fright, terror, fear, dread, alarm, horror (antonym: calm)

Magnum opus: work of art, masterwork, work of genius, stunning success

Snub: ignore, cold-shoulder, slight, fail to acknowledge, cut, rebuff, rebuke

Grudge: feeling of resentment, complaint, ill will, rancor, bitterness, resent, hold against

Convergence: meeting, junction, union (antonym: divergence)

Greasepaint: cosmetics, face-paint, powder and paint

Peg: dowel, hook, bolt, hanger, attach, hang, nail, fasten

Torment: anguish, suffering, agony, distress, pain, torture, ordeal (antonym: pleasure)


Brink: edge, rim, lip (antonym: centre)

Browbeat: badger, bully, cudgel, dragoon, nag, twist somebody’s arm, push, pester

Slur: smear, disgrace, insult, slight, stain, affront

Beleaguered: stressed, under pressure, harassed, fraught, careworn, struggling

Scribe: engrave, inscribe, etch, cut, notch, score

Providential: fortunate, lucky, beneficial, good luck, advantageous (antonym: unfortunate)

Jingoism: xenophobia, nationalism, patriotism, chauvinism

Whip: beat, flog, thrash, belt, lash, whisk, fluff up

Hiccup: hitch, glitch, minor malfunction, technical hitch, interruption, delay, setback

Pitch: playing field, area of play, terrain, field, arena, ground, throw, hurl

Disband: break up, split up, scatter, separate, part, disperse

Stumble: stagger, trip, trip up, lurch, slip, fall, hesitate, falter

Cling: adhere, grip, stick, hug, fit tightly, hang (antonym: let go)

Flaunt: show off, exhibit, display, parade

Gag: choke, retch, suppress, silence, stifle, curb, restrain, muffle

Ridiculous: ludicrous, preposterous, absurd, silly, outlandish, outrageous, bizarre, unreasonable

Rampage: run riot, run amok, tear, charge, storm, go wild, go berserk

Gimmick: attention-grabber, publicity stunt, device, trick

Snippet: clip, snatch, morsel, shred, fragment, small piece

Maestro: genius, expert, rare talent, ace, whiz (antonym: amateur)

Fickle: indecisive, inconsistent, changeable, capricious, vacillating, unpredictable, erratic, picky

Lineage: ancestry, family, line, heredity, extraction, roots, pedigree, family tree

Sabotage: damage, disrupt, interfere with, interrupt, harm, incapacitate, impair, disruption

Spat: fight, quarrel, row, argument, spit

Zenith: peak, summit, pinnacle, top, acme, culmination (antonym: nadir)

Plunge: thrust, force, throw, push, pitch, sink, stab, fall

Snoop: spy, watch, poke around, nose around, sneak, pry, interfere (antonym: mind your own business)

Fume: stink, smoke, reek, smolder, smell, emit, exude, seethe

Incumbent: In office, current, present, serving, sitting, now (antonym: past)

Exorcise: get rid of, get free of, escape, disentangle yourself from, jettison, eliminate, purge

Mayhem: chaos, disorder, confusion, turmoil, havoc, pandemonium, bedlam, anarchy
Decipher: decode, make sense of, interpret, translate, make out, work out, read, crack
Inertia: inactivity, apathy, torpor, lethargy, disinterest, inaction, sluggishness, indolence

Manoeuvre: a movement performed with care and skill, a clever plan, action or movement

Phenomenon: occurrence, fact, observable fact, experience, happening, incident, event, trend

Zigzag: wind, meander, crisscross

Hackneyed: trite, clichéd, worn-out, tired, stale, everyday (antonym: imaginative, original)

Discernible: visible, apparent, perceptible, noticeable, distinct, evident, marked

Impermeable: resistant, waterproof, water-resistant, water tight, solid,

Hatchet: cut, chop up, slice, hack, ax, sever, split, hew

Chip: break off, fragment, cut, damage, disfigure, whittle,

Pragmatic: practical, realistic, hardheaded, hardnosed, sensible, matter-of-fact, no-nonsense, down to earth

Septuagenarian: a person between 70 and 79 years old

Quixotic: idealistic, unrealistic, romantic, impracticable, dreamy (antonym: down to earth)

Articulation: expression, verbalization, communication, enunciation, pronunciation, speech

Cognitive: connected with mental processes of understanding

Iota: jot, bit, scrap, speck, grain (antonym: lot)

Impulse: desire, urge, whim, wish, itch, fancy, inclination, yen

Overhaul: repair, renovate, fix, refit, refurbish, service, revamp, patch up

Jostle: push, shove, elbow, push around, man handle, crowd, bump

Asylum: refuge, haven, safe haven, sanctuary, shelter, place of safety, protection

Domain: area, field, sphere, sphere of influence, province, realm

Put up: erect, raise, build, construct, create (antonym: tear down)

Abode: house, residence, dwelling, habitat, quarters, domicile, address

Hazy: misty, foggy, cloudy, obscure (antonym: clear)

Usher: escort, accompany, shepherd, guide, conduct, steer, lead, marshal


Plunder: steal, rob, loot, pillage, raid, ransack, stolen goods, booty

Hue: shade, tone, tinge, tint, colour, type, kind, sort

Aplomb: assurance, self-confidence, self-possession, composure, cool, style, ease (antonym: awkwardness)

Tabloid: sensationalist, shocking, lurid, scandalous

Terrain: land, topography, territory, ground, landscape, environment

Soak: immerse, steep, marinate, infuse, saturate, bath, drench (antonym: dip)

Canine: connected with dogs

Lash: tie, bind, fasten, knot, secure, rope, tie up, fix

Shrillness: to make an unpleasant high loud sound

Clout: thump, wallop, whack, smack, blow, cuff, influence, power

Albeit: although, though, even though, even if, notwithstanding

Spin off: by-product, follow-up, sequel, offshoot, development

Cue: prompt, signal, sign, indication, reminder, nod

Wrath: anger, rage, fury

Pandora’s Box: a process that, if started, will cause many problems that cannot be solved

Plank: board, flat timber, floor board, piece of wood, lath

Retreat: move away, move back, back away, run away, recoil, withdraw, leave

Wrap: enfold, drape, swathe, cover, envelop, bind, enclose, wrap up

Rebuff: rejection, refusal, snub, slighting, denial, refuse, reject, repulse






All the Best

Thank you