The 5th Nalanda Mentor Group meeting in Bodh Gaya in Bihar has been concluded.
The group, which included Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo, called on the state's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and updated him on details of the two-day meeting, which ended on Friday.
The Bihar government also offered for consideration two plots of land to the Singapore Buddhist Lodge to build a Pilgrim Centre for Singaporeans visiting Bodh Gaya.
The plots are near to where Lord Buddha gained enlightenment.
Mr Yeo accompanied the delegation to view the plots on Saturday.
He said: "The Chief Minister told me that we will then go through the procedures for the land that has been allocated to us. There is a hope that we can begin work on the Pilgrim Centre very quickly."
Sunday, 22 February 2009
Saturday, 21 February 2009
Seven-year old passes 10th to enter Limca Book of Records
Sushma Verma, a student of St. Meera’s Inter College at Kanpur road lucknow, entered the Limca Book of Records for being the youngest student to pass high school examination at the age of seven years, three months and 28 days.
Sushma broke the record of Bihar’s Tathagat Tulsi, who passed the class 10th at the age of nine.
The little girl completed her early education at home and enrolled at the Inter College as a class ninth student two years back.
Japan’s Tokyo Broadcasting Corporation has already included her in its list of child prodigies.
The Limca Book of Records has issued a certificate recognising Sushma’s achievement, which reached the college authorities on Friday.link
Sushma broke the record of Bihar’s Tathagat Tulsi, who passed the class 10th at the age of nine.
The little girl completed her early education at home and enrolled at the Inter College as a class ninth student two years back.
Japan’s Tokyo Broadcasting Corporation has already included her in its list of child prodigies.
The Limca Book of Records has issued a certificate recognising Sushma’s achievement, which reached the college authorities on Friday.link
Mahila Udyog Mela gets underway
The three-day Mahila Udyog Mela organised by the Bihar Mahila Udyog Sangh got underway here on Friday. Over 60 stalls have been set up at the fair organized at Lala Lajpat Rai Hall.
Women entrepreneurs from Bihar and some other states have set up their stall at the fair. Paintings and handicraft items are the main attraction of this fair. Arrangements have also been made for food lovers with dedicated stalls providing varieties of local delicacies.
Sangh president Pushpa Chopra threw light on the hardships being faced by women entrepreneurs in Bihar and urged the state government to take steps for ameliorating their condition.
Principal secretary, tourism, Rashmi Verma, who inaugurated the fair, said that the tourism department would try to provide stalls at places of tourist importance to the women entrepreneurs using which they could sell their products to the tourists visiting the state.link
Women entrepreneurs from Bihar and some other states have set up their stall at the fair. Paintings and handicraft items are the main attraction of this fair. Arrangements have also been made for food lovers with dedicated stalls providing varieties of local delicacies.
Sangh president Pushpa Chopra threw light on the hardships being faced by women entrepreneurs in Bihar and urged the state government to take steps for ameliorating their condition.
Principal secretary, tourism, Rashmi Verma, who inaugurated the fair, said that the tourism department would try to provide stalls at places of tourist importance to the women entrepreneurs using which they could sell their products to the tourists visiting the state.link
Bhojpuri film industry cries for a film city
The Bhojpuri film industry produces nearly 100 movies a year, employs over 50,000 people and is worth Rs.2 billion (Rs.200 crore), but a long-standing complaint of Bhojpuri actors and filmmakers is the lack of a dedicated film city in Uttar Pradesh.
While many say former chief minister Mulayam Singh's government failed to develop a film city despite having promised to do so, film industry members says the current government headed by Bahujan Sam Party (BSP) chief Mayawati too has done little for their cause.
"Mulayam Singh Yadav's government made numerous promises, but it never materialised. The present Mayawati government helped by giving subsidy to some films, but that's it," Bhojpuri superstar Ravi Kissen told.
Bhojpuri films are doing a profitable business. Kissen said the Bhojpuri film industry is worth Rs.2 billion (Rs.200 crores) and attracts crowds in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and even Maharashtra.
"In Bihar, there are 365 theatres dedicated to Bhojpuri films. In Uttar Pradesh there is a total of 680 theatres, of which 400 are dedicated to Bhojpuri," said Ravi Kissen, who has also acted in Hindi films like "Welcome to Sajjanpur".
"They also have similar market in other parts of the country because a good number of migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are living there to make a livelihood. In Maharashtra, there are 35 theatres for Bhojpuri films and it includes both single screen and multiplexes," he said.
"The industry has over 500 professionals and over 50,000 people are employed directly or indirectly with the industry,"said the actor, who will soon be seen playing Abhishek Bachchan's brother in Mani Ratnam's "Ravan".
Manoj Tiwari, another Bhojpuri star who will be contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as the Samajwadi Party's candidate from Gorakhpur, too feels having a separate film industry is a must as it will go a long way in cutting costs.
"Besides a number of good locations, the cost of making films in Uttar Pradesh is definitely very low as compared to other places. So a Bhojpuri film city is not only a demand, but it is a necessity," Tiwari said.
Actress-producer Madhu Tiwari says the recent anti-migrant protests by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in Maharashtra is another factor that has fuelled the demand for a separate film city for Bhojpuri movies in Uttar Pradesh.
"We are united on the issue and will soon be pressing our demand to the state government. If a film city materialises, we will not be forced to go to Mumbai for dubbing, editing, recording and other technical work," said Madhu.
Ravi Kissen said Bhojpuri films are popular because it provides entertainment cheaper than Bollywood movies as far as ticket prices go. According to him, even English films dubbed into Bhojpuri are popular.
"Even a poor man who earns Rs.20 a day can watch Hollywood movies dubbed in Bhojpuri in the remote rural areas at a price of Rs.9. So why are we wrong in asking for a dedicated film city?" asks Kissen, who also plans to open a Bhojpuri film and drama school in his hometown Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh.
"I will make the school with my own money and on my own land. My target is to complete it in the next five years and, besides providing training in acting and other technical aspects of filming, I will also give free training to poor aspirants,"Kissen said.link
While many say former chief minister Mulayam Singh's government failed to develop a film city despite having promised to do so, film industry members says the current government headed by Bahujan Sam Party (BSP) chief Mayawati too has done little for their cause.
"Mulayam Singh Yadav's government made numerous promises, but it never materialised. The present Mayawati government helped by giving subsidy to some films, but that's it," Bhojpuri superstar Ravi Kissen told.
Bhojpuri films are doing a profitable business. Kissen said the Bhojpuri film industry is worth Rs.2 billion (Rs.200 crores) and attracts crowds in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and even Maharashtra.
"In Bihar, there are 365 theatres dedicated to Bhojpuri films. In Uttar Pradesh there is a total of 680 theatres, of which 400 are dedicated to Bhojpuri," said Ravi Kissen, who has also acted in Hindi films like "Welcome to Sajjanpur".
"They also have similar market in other parts of the country because a good number of migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are living there to make a livelihood. In Maharashtra, there are 35 theatres for Bhojpuri films and it includes both single screen and multiplexes," he said.
"The industry has over 500 professionals and over 50,000 people are employed directly or indirectly with the industry,"said the actor, who will soon be seen playing Abhishek Bachchan's brother in Mani Ratnam's "Ravan".
Manoj Tiwari, another Bhojpuri star who will be contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as the Samajwadi Party's candidate from Gorakhpur, too feels having a separate film industry is a must as it will go a long way in cutting costs.
"Besides a number of good locations, the cost of making films in Uttar Pradesh is definitely very low as compared to other places. So a Bhojpuri film city is not only a demand, but it is a necessity," Tiwari said.
Actress-producer Madhu Tiwari says the recent anti-migrant protests by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in Maharashtra is another factor that has fuelled the demand for a separate film city for Bhojpuri movies in Uttar Pradesh.
"We are united on the issue and will soon be pressing our demand to the state government. If a film city materialises, we will not be forced to go to Mumbai for dubbing, editing, recording and other technical work," said Madhu.
Ravi Kissen said Bhojpuri films are popular because it provides entertainment cheaper than Bollywood movies as far as ticket prices go. According to him, even English films dubbed into Bhojpuri are popular.
"Even a poor man who earns Rs.20 a day can watch Hollywood movies dubbed in Bhojpuri in the remote rural areas at a price of Rs.9. So why are we wrong in asking for a dedicated film city?" asks Kissen, who also plans to open a Bhojpuri film and drama school in his hometown Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh.
"I will make the school with my own money and on my own land. My target is to complete it in the next five years and, besides providing training in acting and other technical aspects of filming, I will also give free training to poor aspirants,"Kissen said.link
Two children injured as bomb explodes in Bihar
Two children were injured when a crude bomb kept in a garbage heap went off in a village of Bihar's Saran district on Saturday.
The incident occurred at Shivnagari village on the outskirts of district headquarter town of Chapra when the children, identified as Neeraj Paswan and Brijmohan, went to pick up a ball during a game of cricket, station house officer Arjun Yadav told.
Mistaking the thread-wrapped bomb for their ball, one of them picked it up leading to the blast, Yadav said. Though both children suffered splinter injuries in their face, they were reported out of danger at a government hospital here, he said. link
The incident occurred at Shivnagari village on the outskirts of district headquarter town of Chapra when the children, identified as Neeraj Paswan and Brijmohan, went to pick up a ball during a game of cricket, station house officer Arjun Yadav told.
Mistaking the thread-wrapped bomb for their ball, one of them picked it up leading to the blast, Yadav said. Though both children suffered splinter injuries in their face, they were reported out of danger at a government hospital here, he said. link
Friday, 20 February 2009
Bihar to provide Rs 15-cr grant for food parks in Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur
The Bihar government has decided to provide a grant of Rs 15 crore to entrepreneurs and investors interested in developing food parks in Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur as special purpose vehicle (SPV) in fruit and vegetable clusters.
“We have decided to give a grant of Rs 15 crore to those interested in developing the food parks as SPV in fruits and vegetables,'' state Industries minister, Mr D C Yadav said on Friday.
The proposed food parks would have common infrastructure and research and development, he said, adding the food parks would serve to create modern enabling infrastructure for food processing units in the state with farm-to-market linkages.
Mr Yadav said the initiatives were being made under the Bihar Food Processing Policy, 2009, to boost the agriculture sector.link
“We have decided to give a grant of Rs 15 crore to those interested in developing the food parks as SPV in fruits and vegetables,'' state Industries minister, Mr D C Yadav said on Friday.
The proposed food parks would have common infrastructure and research and development, he said, adding the food parks would serve to create modern enabling infrastructure for food processing units in the state with farm-to-market linkages.
Mr Yadav said the initiatives were being made under the Bihar Food Processing Policy, 2009, to boost the agriculture sector.link
Cairn initiates training programme for Bihar farmers
With a view to spreading awareness among farmers about increasing the fertility of land, Cairn India, an oil exploration major, has initiated training programmes for peasants in Bihar as part of corporate social responsibility initiative, company sources said.
The company, which will give training to 1,500 farmers in batches till June, will train farmers on organic farming and vermi-compost usage.
As part of its corporate social responsibility initiative, the company, in collaboration with the Havidih Gram Vikas Parishad, will organise a two-day training programme from today at Havidih Central and Havidih North panchayats of Baheri block of Darbhanga district, sources said.
During the programme, 100 farmers will be trained in preparing vermi compost and its importance and benefits, the company sources said, adding that the training would be followed by a practical demonstration of compost bed preparation, materials required, worms applications and other precautionary measures.link
The company, which will give training to 1,500 farmers in batches till June, will train farmers on organic farming and vermi-compost usage.
As part of its corporate social responsibility initiative, the company, in collaboration with the Havidih Gram Vikas Parishad, will organise a two-day training programme from today at Havidih Central and Havidih North panchayats of Baheri block of Darbhanga district, sources said.
During the programme, 100 farmers will be trained in preparing vermi compost and its importance and benefits, the company sources said, adding that the training would be followed by a practical demonstration of compost bed preparation, materials required, worms applications and other precautionary measures.link
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