KAPIL SIBAL launches CBSE-International curriculum in UAE

[Pages:13]PUBLICATION OF THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF INDIA IN DUBAI

UAE, India to renew MoU on labour migration

IMF predicts another robust year for India with 8.8% growth rate

UAE non-oil trade grows 18% in March 2010

India to launch 10 satellites a year: ISRO

VOL. 2 ISSUE 5 MAY 2010

KAPIL SIBAL launches CBSE-International

curriculum in UAE

Dubai remembers the victims of the Mangalore air crash

PRIZE QUIZ INSIDE

FROM THE CONSUL GENERAL'S DESK

Dear Reader,

Although it's difficult today to see beyond the sorrow, May looking back in memory help comfort you tomorrow. - Author unknown

The above held true for many families and friends who lost their loved ones in the Mangalore air crash tragedy on May 22. It was more sorrowful as the passengers lost their lives while journeying home, thus accentuating the reality of your karma bhoomi and your janam bhoomi. A condolence gathering was held at the Consulate on May 24.

Life goes on. One of the highlights of the month was the Honourable Minister for Human Resources Development, Mr. Kapil Sibal's visit to the UAE to launch the CBSE International (CBSE-I) curriculum. CBSE-I is the first step in having our school curriculum standard accepted globally. India's Minister of State for Finance, the Honourable Mr. Namo Narain Meena was in Dubai for the inauguration of Punjab National Bank's Dubai International Financial Centre branch. He also inaugurated the representative office of the Indian Overseas Bank in Karama. Another significant visit was that of Honourable Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, Mr. Vayalar Ravi. The Minister met UAE Labour Minister Saqr Gobash Saeed Gobash and had interactive meetings with the Indian community in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Hearty congratulations to students who took the board exams and came out with excellent grades. Kudos to their parents and teachers. As some of you may know, the Consulate comes live on the radio show India Matters every Saturday at 6pm on Radio Spice 105.4 FM. Tune in, if you can. Do keep us posted with your comments on the radio show and the magazine.

Happy Reading!

Sanjay Verma

INDIA MATTERS ON AIR

The Consulate General of India in Dubai has re-launched its weekly radio programme, India Matters, with the purpose of informing the public about various Consular services, events relating to India and about what matters to Indians in the UAE.

India Matters is aired every Saturday between 6 pm and 7 pm on FM 105.4 Radio Spice and repeated every Friday between 5 pm and 6 pm.

FM 105.4 Radio Spice caters to the South Asian community in the UAE, broadcasting mainly in Hindi and English.

2| INDIA MATTERS

MAY 2010

The winner of the first monthly quiz contest is

Mr. Harindranath Sundaram. He wins a gift hamper.

Congratulations!

India Matters is a monthly publication of the Consulate General of India

(CGI) in Dubai. All rights reserved. No part of this journal

may be produced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means ? electronic, mechanical,

photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the

permission of the CGI Dubai.

Editorial correspondence and manuscripts can be addressed to

indiamatters2009@

Content and design by IANS ()

on behalf of Consulate General of India in Dubai.

contents

4 CBSE-International curriculum launched India's Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Kapil Sibal, launched the Central Board of Secondary Education's International curriculum in the UAE

8 INDIA-UAE UAE, India to sign renewed MoU on labour migration

16 BUSINESS & ECONOMY Another robust year for India predicted

The International Monetary Fund has predicted another robust year for India with a growth rate of 8.8 percent driven by strong domestic demand

19 BUSINESS & ECONOMY India will launch 10 satellites in a year: ISRO

The Indian Space Research Organisation will launch 10 satellites in a year to better communication network and improve disaster management

10 INDIA-UAE UAE remembers those who passed away in Mangalore airline tragedy

TRAVEL: KEYLONG

20

INDIA MATTERS |3

MAY 2010

COVER STORY

KAPIL SIBAL LAUNCHES CBSE-I

Recognised by US and UK universities, the new curriculum will now pave the way for students to be readily accepted for higher studies without pre-requisites

India's Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal was on a short visit to the United Arab Emirates to launch the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) International curriculum and for the unveiling of the new Manipal University campus.

On May 24, Minister Kapil attended a forum titled `India-UAE: Leveraging the Knowledge Economy Paradigm', which discussed the development of knowledgebased partnerships between the UAE and India, at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi.

Addressing the forum, UAE's Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan said both countries could cooperate not only in creating knowledge, but

translating this into innovations. "India is gaining international reputa-

tion for its innovations in pharmaceuticals and software, which will improve further with the development of research and development," he said.

According to Minister Sibal, the current population of children in India will be ready to join the workforce in the next 20 years.

"The education sector in both the UAE and India must be expansive, inclusive and excellent in order to meet the global needs for a workforce of the 21st century," he said.

Minister Sibal suggested distance-learning programmes as one of the solutions to the Indian schools crisis in Abu Dhabi.

4| INDIA MATTERS

MAY 2010

Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal (centre) at the launch of the CBSE International curriculum.

Distance-learning programmes from India could be introduced for the students in Abu Dhabi, Minister Sibal said in reply to a question raised by a panelist at the forum.

The Indian Minister said, to establish the new Indian schools, investment should be raised in the UAE.

The CBSE International (CBSE-I) curriculum was officially launched in Dubai on May 25 by the Minister at The Indian High School (IHS).

The new curriculum of the CBSE that seeks to be at par with other international curricula was introduced in 30 schools outside India this year. History and geography in global and local contexts, envi-

ronment education and community service programmes are some of the added components in the curriculum.

CBSE-I was introduced in 13 schools in the UAE in grade 1 and grade 9 for the 2010-2011 academic year. The IHS, Our Own Indian School and The Millennium School, all based in Dubai, are some of the CBSE-I schools with this upgrade.

In phase two, the curriculum will be introduced in grades 6, 7 and 10 and in the remaining grades in 2012.

The UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan are among the nine countries that are first to adopt the new curriculum.

Recognised by US and UK universities, the new curriculum will now pave the way for students to be readily accepted for higher studies without pre-requisites.

Speaking at the launch ceremony,

Minister Sibal said CBSE-I is a small step for India but a huge step for education.

"With the internet revolution, there are no more boundary restrictions in the transfer of data or knowledge. But apart from the transfer of data, very little interaction (between) people is happening. In this world, we need to collaborate; we need to internationalise our curriculum. Through that process of education, we will have a more peaceful, tolerant diverse and unified world. That is the real aim of education," he stated.

According to him, the Indian education system needs to move away from the mere percentages in examinations that have "engrossed many children in unhealthy competition".

"Some students would like a more international course and we are just increasing the choice for students," said Minister Sibal during the media gathering that was attended by Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Director-General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), M.K. Lokesh, Ambassador of India to the UAE, and Sanjay Verma, Consul General of India in Dubai.

He said the CBSE was ready to compete with international systems like the International Baccalaureate (IB).

"We can provide the same quality education at a much lower cost."

Later, at a press conference held at the school, Minister Sibal said CBSE-I is open for students of non-Indian origin too.

"We are looking at both foreign and Indian students. I do not think any choice should be limited to one nationality," he said.

The Minister said children should realise that the goal of education is not to understand complex mathematical problems, but to prepare them to face challenges out in the world.

"Children must realise that two plus two must be four in the classroom. But outside the classroom, it may not be so. Formulas of life are more complicated and in that sense we need a globalised community that understands the complexities outside the classroom," he said.

Ashok Kumar, CEO of IHS, said his school now has a mixed model wherein students can choose between the existing or the international curriculum.

INDIA MATTERS |5

MAY 2010

COVER STORY

Minister Sibal and CBSE Chairman Vineet Joshi promoting the distance learning programme of the CBSE.

"We have begun with grades 1 and 9 and will roll over to the new system gradually while retaining the Indian curriculum."

Vineet Joshi, Chairman of the CBSE, said the internationally benchmarked curriculum is a response to the challenges of teaching students in a globalised world, which is enquiry and skill-based catering to individual learning styles.

"The curriculum provides opportunity for extended learning and help develop perspectives, with emphasis on research orientation and social empowerment," Mr. Joshi said.

"In addition to knowledge, it is becoming increasingly important for people to have the right attitude, a willingness to learn and understanding on how to collaborate in teams," he said.

"This will determine the economic fortunes of many countries in the foreseeable future."

On his part, Abdulla Al Karam, said that, while some diversity in curriculum is healthy, efforts should be made to standardise education.

"In Dubai, there are 13 different curricula (for) around 200,000 students," he said.

"This is unusual and poses several challenges which we faced during the inspections of schools, but we overcame it."

More than 180 principals and teachers

from the 30 schools affiliated to CBSE-I

will receive professional development and

a comprehensive syllabus document with

support material and guidelines in areas of

pedagogy and assessment.

Minister Sibal also unveiled the new

CBSE-I portal and officially opened the e-

learning programme in The Indian High

School. A professional training pro-

gramme was also initiated for 180 teach-

ers from 30 schools.

The Minister was also the chief guest at

a ceremony held by Manipal University

for unveiling the new campus, the facili-

ties and design of the university. He con-

gratulated Manipal University for its new

expansion and said one of the challenges

the university should embark upon is to

figure out whether it can be built in the

context of a 21st century city.

He added that "sitting in Manipal

(University), in the midst of a new centre,

there are many conquests yet to be made"

and as the university moved along in the

knowledge economy, it would have to

meet those challenges and address them.

"We don't know what technology is

going to bring to us 10 years from now...

and the only way to discover is to ignite

young minds in institutions like this

nature (Manipal University)," Minister

Sibal said.

!

The CBSE-international curriculum

Aglobal and country-specific content will be taught in history and geography while an enrichment component called `Breakthroughs' has been added to science that will look at a more project-based learning process.

Mathematics has been divided into two levels, the core in grade 1 to grade 8 and core and higher elective mathematics in grade 9 and grade 10.

The curriculum that will see a shift in the teaching pedagogy and resources will focus on innovation programmes called Perspectives, Life Skills and Social Empowerment Through Work and Action (SEWA) and Research. In Life Skills, students will develop critical thinking, interpersonal, communication, self-esteem and cooperation skills.

Students will gain global and local insights to issues through discussions and debate in Perspectives. SEWA will be introduced to students from grades 1 to 10 that will mandate community service every year with an NGO or organisation of their choice, recording their experiences in a journal.

6| INDIA MATTERS

MAY 2010

INDIA-UAE

CBSE TOPPERS IN GULF BASK IN GLORY

Students in the Gulf have consistently placed themselves at the top in the class 12 Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examinations.

The overall pass percentage in the Gulf was 90.67 percent against 79.87 percent that was achieved by students in India.

Around 3,500 students from 33 UAE schools appeared for the class 12 CBSE board examinations. Many schools recorded pass percentages of 97 and above with girls outshining the boys this year as well.

Parents and students were eagerly awaiting the results because the scores are crucial in gaining admission to Indian universities or for pursuing higher studies abroad.

The Delhi Private School in Sharjah had much to celebrate with the first and second UAE toppers emerging from their batch. This year, the UAE and science topper is Varsha Madhavnarayan Totadri with 96.2 percent followed by Manish Raje of the same school with 96 percent.

In the commerce stream, Akshya Kannan of the Our Own English High

" UAE TOPPER: " 2nd UAE TOPPER: " SCIENCE TOPPER: " COMMERCE TOPPER: " HUMANITIES TOPPER:

Varsha Madhavnarayan Totadri Manish Raje Varsha Madhavnarayan Totadri Syed Tasmiya Rasheeda Shabbir Rashid

96.2% 96% 96.2% 94.8% 94.8%

School, Al Ain, topped in the country with 94.8 percent while Rasheeda Shabbir Rashid of the Indian High School (IHS) bagged the top honours in humanities with 94.8 percent.

Ashok Kumar, CEO of IHS, said this year's results surpassed their expectations with many students passing in the first division.

Dr. Farooq Wasil, Director of Asian Schools under the GEMS group, said that there has been a significant improvement in the grades from last year.

"The overall averages are higher this year and subject averages too have gone up," Wasil, said. GEMS schools have no compartments this year.

Students were challenged further with a shift towards analytical and practical application assessment.

"The shift towards higher order thinking in examinations and the gradual

move towards a hands-on approach

rather than a restricted means of assess-

ment will strengthen the students' skills,"

Wasil said.

In the Gulf, students from countries like

the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and

Bahrain appeared for the exams in 63 cen-

tres in March.

The overall pass percentage in the region

recorded a marginal increase of 0.63 from

last year.

The overall pass percentage across India

and abroad saw a 1.13 per cent dip. The

pass percentage for girls was 85.28, com-

pared to 75.90 for boys.

According to the CBSE, the number of

cheating cases in this year's exams saw a

drop with 43 cases as compared to 58 cases

reported last year.

This year, 699,129 students ? 408,367

boys and 290,762 girls ? took the Class 12

board exams in India and abroad.

!

97% Gulf students pass SSLC exams

Students from the Gulf outperformed their Kerala counterparts again this year in the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination of the Kerala board, with 97.52 percent securing eligibility for higher education. The pass percentage last year was 98.7 percent.

The results were announced by Kerala's Education and Cultural Affairs Minister M.A. Baby on May 3. The overall percentage of students who secured eligibility for higher education in the examination is 90.72 as against 91.92 last year.

In all, 564 students had appeared for the examination in the Gulf region this year. Of this, 550 secured eligibility for higher education. All students in eight out of 11 schools in the Gulf secured eligibil-

ity for higher education. As many as 17 students received the top honour of A+ grade in all subjects in the Gulf as against 7,056 in Kerala and Lakshadweep.

In all, 450,000 students had appeared for the examination held in March in 2,709 centres in Kerala, 11 in the Gulf and nine in Lakshadweep. Of this, 410,348 secured eligibility for higher education.

The Model School, Abu Dhabi, showed the best performance on this count with 10 students securing A+ grade, followed by The New Model School, Sharjah with four securing the A+ grade. One student each in The New Indian School, Dubai, Al Majd English School, Dubai, and The Indian School, Fujairah, got A+ Grade in all subjects.

Minister Baby said the overall pass percentage was 1.2 percent less this time, down to 90.72 percent as against 91.92 percent last year. The Education Minister added that students seeking higher education will not have any difficulty in getting admissions as the government had provided for over 420,000 seats for the class 11. The admission process will begin immediately and classes will commence on June 30.

He said that the government had no intention of doing away with the board examinations for classes 10 and 12 as proposed by the union government. However, the government would introduce changes in the examination system to make the examinations less cumbersome for the students, he added.

INDIA MATTERS |7

MAY 2010

INDIA-UAE

Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi, flanked by India's Ambassador to the UAE (right) and India's Consul General in Dubai Sanajy Verma, addressing the media in Dubai.

UAE AND INDIA TO SIGN RENEWED MOU ON LABOUR MIGRATION

India and the United Arab Emirates are set to revamp legal procedures that will ensure that skilled Indian employees, once they arrive in the Gulf country, are no longer prone to undue hardship.

The broad agreement was reached during the visit to the UAE of Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi, who met UAE Labour Minister Saqr Gobash Saeed Gobash on May 26. Minister Ravi said the countries were working towards "a memorandum of understanding that will offer greater protection to the large number of Indian workers here".

Officials familiar with the process said the agreement is expected to be finalised in two months. The existing MoU was signed in 2006 and is valid till December 2010.

EMPOST TO ADD A DAY

Empost centres, which provide Indian passport services, will be open for business on Fridays very soon, India's Ambassador to the UAE M.K. Lokesh said.

This decision has been made after a request from the Indian community in Al Ain, Ambassador Lokesh said at Abu Dhabi Indian Social Centre.

"Instead of Fridays, the centres will remain closed on Saturdays," he said.

He said this change would be implemented in Al Ain only as no such request had come up from any other part of the country.

The two sides have agreed to expand the scope of the existing MoU and to usher in more control over the recruit-

ment agencies to prevent cheating of the Indian workers migrating here, Minister Ravi said during the interactive session organised by the Community Welfare Department of the Indian Embassy at the India Social Centre. The technical committee comprising experts from both the sides will meet in Abu Dhabi in July to discuss the details of the MoU renewal.

"We are optimistic of signing the renewed MoU before December itself," Minister Ravi said.

"This is going to be the first such agreement between a labour supplying and a labour hiring country," K. Ellangovan, Counsellor (Community Affairs) at the Indian Embassy said.

The UAE is presenting a paper at the International Labour Organisation in Geneva-based on this round of agreement, he added.

8| INDIA MATTERS

MAY 2010

Under the new regulation, the UAE Labour Ministry will issue labour permits strictly in accordance with the details furnished by the prospective employee in India through his recruiting agent. Minister Ravi said he was confident that a "very transparent" system for the recruitment of skilled Indian workers would be in place soon. In the past, there have been several instances when an overseas-bound white collar worker from India, after arrival in UAE, found that the terms of his employment were much worse when compared to what was offered by the recruitment agent in India.

"The UAE has taken several measures like the Wage Protection System, improving the civic conditions in the labour

accommodation units and abandoning the rule that the employees should submit guarantees for settling labour dues. These steps have improved the conditions of the workers significantly", said Minister Ravi.

Indian community leaders also met the Minister and voiced their concerns about the new tax laws in India, voting rights for expatriates and more direct air services to smaller Indian cities.

India's introduction of a new tax law in which Indians, regardless of where they live, will face income tax, was a major concern raised by many of those gathered. Minister Ravi said that he would raise the matter in Parliament seeking an exemption for expatriate Indians.

Another concern raised was that non-

resident Indians are not allowed to vote

through absentee ballots, which some said

had been a source of frustration. Many

residents here were unable to travel to

India to cast votes during the general elec-

tions in 2009, they said.

The Minister said that the

Constitution stipulated that a person had

to reside in India for at least six months to

be eligible but added that he would push

a bill allowing absentee voting.

On direct flights from the UAE to

India, however, Minister Ravi was firm.

"If you can persuade some airlines to

fly directly from every city here to there,

then good," he said. "Because I cannot

offer you flights."

!

India to set up resource centre for workers

The Indian Embassy in UAE will soon be starting a resource centre in Dubai to provide a range of services for the welfare of the expatriate workers, including a 24-hour helpline.

The Indian Workers' Resource Centre (IWRC) would provide services like the facility for registering and monitoring grievance petitions and providing legal, financial and medical counseling and plans to set up a toll free number which Indians in need of assistance can call, said Mr. M. K. Lokesh, India's Ambassador to the UAE.

He said the centre would be an outsourced facility.

The embassy has already invited `expressions of interest' from the organisa-

tions which would be able to establish and manage the centre.

The Indian Embassy in the UAE would be the second Indian mission in the GCC countries, after Kuwait, to have such a centre, Ambassador Lokesh said.

The IWRC will process applications for attestation of employment documents of Indian workers. It will also conduct awareness classes and counseling sessions for the community.

The Indian government will meet the expenditure for running the centre. The organisation, which would establish and manage the IWRC, would be selected based on its experience and competence.

Asked how long would it take for the actual launch of the centre, the

Ambassador said it would be difficult to set a stipulated time-frame.

"We have advertised in the media, inviting the bids from experienced companies to establish the centre. But it would all depend on how many organisations respond.

"Those who send applications expressing interest to run the centre will have to make a presentation on their proposals. Those found eligible will be shortlisted and issued the request for submitting detailed proposals," Ambassador Lokesh said.

There are about 1.7 million expatriate Indians working in the UAE, nearly 65 percent of whom belong to the blue collar category.

INDIA MATTERS |9

MAY 2010

INDIA-UAE

UAE RESIDENTS PRAY FOR DEPARTED

SOULS

10 INDIA MATTERS

MAY 2010

After the initial shock over the Mangalore air crash, it was a day of mourning and remembrance for Indians in the UAE. It was a community united in grief that gathered at the Indian Consulate on May 24. Hundreds of Indians gathered at their consulate in Dubai to light candles and mourn the loss of friends and loved ones who were killed in the Air India Express Flight 812 which crashed in Mangalore on May22.

Grief-stricken members from the community expressed anguish and shock about the deaths.

Indian Consul General Sanjay Verma said the tragedy was more sorrowful as the passengers of the Air India Express flight had lost their lives while making their journey to the motherland.

"Only thing that comes with a 100 percent guarantee is death," Consul General

Verma said at the condolence meeting. "But when death comes in such an unnatural and abrupt manner, it confounds the soul."

"This tragedy happened to people working here who had spent decades here, dedicated their youth to this country, and were going home," he said.

"Let this time of crisis bring us together to hold hands as a nation. The 158 deaths affected many Indians in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Northern Emirates. Today's gathering unites us all in sorrow. It unites our nationality," he added.

Mr. Verma announced that the Indian Consulate in Dubai would appoint a dedicated officer to deal with all requirements the families of the deceased would need to receive the compensation the Indian government had announced would be offered. He said the process of compensation in such accidents had to go through a process but the Consulate and the entire community

will back the families in every way possible. "I am sure that everyone in this room is

affected by this crash and has lost someone they knew. However, life has to go on," Consul General Verma said.

Men, women and young children gathered at the hall to observe a minute's silence in respect for those who died. The names of all the victims from the crash were shown on a large screen while many held pictures of those who died.

Students from the Dubai Indian High School recited verses from the holy scriptures. Prominent members of the community also expressed their support for the relatives and families of the deceased.

C.R. Shetty, President of the Karnataka Sangha, Dubai, and UAE Tulu Association, which lost 40 of its members in the crash, said the community had not yet come to terms with the reality of losing so many of its close associates.

"This is the greatest tragedy to have hap-

pened in my lifetime. I have lost family,

friends and community members. All I can

do now is pray for them. We are doing our

best to help the relatives with information,"

Shetty said.

"Our members are also in touch with

people who need help from the UAE on all

matters."

K Kumar, another community leader,

said: "We lost children, families and men

for no fault of theirs. I only pray that their

souls remain in peace forever."

While most of the close relatives of the

air crash victims headed to India to be there

when their loved ones were laid to rest,

friends and colleagues stayed back and

remained in grief over the death of their

dear ones.

Before departing, the mourners lit hun-

dreds of candles at the Consulate premises

in memory of those who died.

!

INDIA MATTERS|11

MAY 2010

INDIA-UAE

Two Indian banks foray into UAE market

Minister Namo Narain Meena, along with Ambassador of India M.K. Lokesh, inaugurating the Punjab National Bank's DIFC branch.

Two major Indian nationalised banks, Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) opened their facilities in the UAE during the course of Minister of State for Finance Namo Narain Meena's two-day visit to Dubai.

On May 1, Minister Meena inaugurated PNB's Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) branch. PNB is one of the largest banks in India with over 5,000 branches and a business of over $100 billion (AED3.67 trillion).

K.R. Kamath, Chairman and Managing Director of PNB, said the bank, though now has a presence in DIFC with a Category 1 licence, nurtures bigger ambitions for the UAE. The bank will offer an array of financial services to corporate and professional clients.

"We are open to the idea of entering the country's banking market through a joint venture or acquisition.

We have to assess how much capital will be required and what sort of returns we can expect before a decision on the same is made," said Mr. Kamath.

Mr. Kamath is confident that Dubai will offer the bank a good market as it is considered one of the top international markets in the region.

He said the bank had already stabilised in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.

"We will move to Canada, Australia, and soon we will upgrade our representative office in Oslo to a full-fledged branch," he said.

Mr. Kamath said the DIFC Dubai branch, headed by G. Rajkumar Nair, its chief executive, would facilitate servicing corporate clients who are exploring overseas business opportunities in the UAE and India.

"The DIFC branch of PNB will assist Indian corporates in raising project finance for the UAE and overseas investments, along with the provision of trade related services to corporate clients. We will also support global corporate houses wishing to conduct their business in India and the branch can leverage PNB's domestic distribution network as well as its access to Indian currency market to facilitate the same," said Mr. Rajkumar.

PNB also launched a new remittance product in association with UAE Exchange Centre to facilitate STP (Straight Through Processing).

"DIFC is the ideal gateway for Punjab National Bank to launch its operations in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, particularly as India-GCC trade volumes continue to grow positively,"

Mr Abdulla Mohammed Al Awar, CEO, DIFC Authority, said at the time of granting the licence.

Speaking at the inaugural function of the PNB at DIFC, he expressed the hope that GDP growth rate will be around 8 to 8.5 percent if monsoon is normal, as expected.

Minister Meena said that the government is keeping close watch on inflation which is a great cause of worry at present.

He said UAE is the largest non-oil trading partner of India and 10th largest foreign direct investor in the country while India is third largest investor in UAE. He said despite global slowdown India's export to UAE jumped to 56 percent.

Minister Meena said UAE's energy resources and investible funds are as important for India as India's ability to contribute the development of UAE's service sector and its economy.

On May 2, Minister Meena inaugurated the representative office of IOB.

A. Bhat, Chairman and Managing Director of IOB, said the bank was taking a significant step towards further globalising its operations by opening an office in an important business hub like Dubai.

IOB already has a global presence with full-fledged branches in Hong Kong, Colombo, Seoul, Singapore and Bangkok. !

12|INDIA MATTERS

MAY 2010

Rongali Bihu celebrated in Dubai

Under the aegis of Assam Society UAE, the Assamese community in the UAE celebrated Rongali Bihu on

April 16 with the traditional Bihu dance

with the soft percussions of the dhol

(Assamese drum), the sensuous sound of

the pepa (pipe made from buffalo horn)

and a host of other ethnic instruments.

Graceful damsels swirled around

wrapped in golden silk, with some seri-

ously bright ethnic motifs.

Rongali Bihu (the joyous Bihu), celebrated during the Assamese month of

A Bihu dance being performed.

Bohag (Baisakh), marks the welcoming of UAE's Assamese community performed

the New Year and spring. The word Bihu is the traditional Bihu dance and Hussori

derived from Visuvan that describes a amidst the unique sounds of exotic musical

number of festivals in India that are associ- instruments. During the cultural pro-

ated with the March equinox. Like most gramme, local artistes were joined by guest

other Indian festivals, Bihu is associated performers from Assam who enthralled the

with farming because the traditional audience with the famous Sattriya dance

Assamese society is predominantly depend- and a plethora of popular Assamese songs.

ent on farming.

The occasion was graced by Mr. Sanjay

This year's Rongali Bihu celebrations Verma, Consul General of India and Mrs.

were held at Dubai's Metropolitan Palace Verma, who sampled an array of mouth

Hotel in Deira, where members of the watering Assamese delicacies, and the gor-

geous Assamese traditional silk attires,

before being treated to some ethnic

Assamese Music.

In his message, the Indian Consul

General said, "On the auspicious occa-

sion of Rongali Bihu, I extend my greet-

ings and best wishes to the entire

Assamese community in the UAE. May

the Assamese New Year bring peace, hap-

piness and prosperity to the entire com-

munity. I would also like to express my

admiration for the rich and inclusive

Assamese culture which brings together

people of different faiths and beliefs."

During the Rongali Bihu festivities,

Consul General Verma launched the new

website of Assam Society UAE,

, and released the fifth

edition of Probaxi Bihuwan, the Rongali

Bihu 2010 souvenir, which serves as a

socio-cultural medium for the UAE's

vibrant Assamese community.

Assam Society UAE is a community

based voluntary organisation which serves as

a socio-cultural forum for the Assamese

community living in the UAE.

!

Indian made new dean of Harvard Business School

Professor Nitin Nohria, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai, has been named the first Indian American dean of the prestigious Harvard Business School, a role he will take up from July 1.

Currently the Richard P. Chapman Professor of Business Administration at the century-old institution and co-chair of its Leadership Initiative, Nohria will serve as the 10th dean of Harvard Business School.

"I feel a profound sense of responsibility for continuing Harvard Business School's proud legacy of ground-breaking ideas and transformational educational experiences," said the chemical engineerturned-management expert who has coauthored 16 books.

"With business education at an inflection point, we must strive to equip future leaders with the competence and character to address emerging global business

and social challenges," Nohria added.

Some of his students also recall how he, along with his brother-in-law Bharat N. Anand, the Henry R. Byers Professor of Business Administration at Harvard, are known for their hospitality and the receptions to celebrate Indian festivals and its culture.

Nohria received his degree in chemical engineering in 1984 from the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai, which also awarded him with its distinguished alumnus medal in 2007.

He then received his doctoral degree in management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management in 1988 where he earned an outstanding doctoral thesis award in behavioral and policy sciences.

Following that, he joined the Harvard faculty as an assistant professor in 1988, became an associate professor five years later and then served as the Richard P. Chapman Professor of Business Administration since 1999.

His current academic interests include the theory and practice of leadership, the study of human motivation, the analysis of management practices critical to corporate success, and the strategic and organisational challenges of globalisation.

"Nitin Nohria will be a wonderful dean of Harvard Business School," said Jay Light about his successor. "He is widely respected within our extended community as a perceptive scholar of leadership and as a thoughtful and able academic leader."

INDIA MATTERS|13

MAY 2010

SPECIAL

INDIA SHINING

Recent surveys show several positive aspects of the world's second-fastest growing economy even as multiple sectors await investment

MUMBAI AMONG TOP 10 COSTLIEST OFFICE MARKETS

India's financial capital Mumbai has emerged the world's fourth mostexpensive office market, with London's West End retaining its position as the world's most expensive office market, according to CB Richard Ellis Group, which tracks occupancy costs for prime office space in 176 cities around the globe.

"Mumbai CBD (central business district) regaining its fourth place in the most expensive office rents list from seventh place in December 2009 is a clear indication that the corporates have re-started to expand their operations and supply in this micromarket continues to remain limited, which has moved up the rentals," says Anshuman Magazine, chairman and managing director, CB Richard Ellis, South Asia.

INDIA'S NEWSPAPERS

Dainik Jagran continues to be India's most- read newspaper across all languages. The Hindi daily leads the overall dailies and Hindi dailies lists, according to quarterly Indian Readership Survey by the Media Research Users Council (MRUC).

According to the IRS Q1 2010, the daily has a Total Readership (TR) of 54,254,000. Dainik Bhaskar comes second with a readership of 33,432,000.

Hindustan, published by the Hindustan Media Ventures Ltd and a subsidiary of HT Media Ltd., comes third with a readership of 29,411,000.

Amar Ujala stands at the fourth position

with a readership of 28,720,000. Amar Ujala was launched on April 18, 1948 from Agra.

The Marathi daily Lokmat comes fifth with a total readership of 23,276,000. Lokmat is also the highest read regional daily.

The Tamil newspaper Daily Thanthi is ranked sixth with a total readership of 20,305,000. Dinakaran, a leading Tamil daily, is ranked seventh among the mostread newspapers in India. The Ananda Bazar Patrika stands at the eighth position with a total readership of 15,318,000.

Eenadu, a Telugu newspaper, is in fifth position among regional language players with a TR of 14,726,000; it is the ninth most read paper in India.

Rajasthan Patrika with a total readership of 14,205,000 is the tenth most read newspaper in India.

The Times of India, which tops the English dailies chart is the 11th most-read across all languages. Owned by Bennett, Coleman & Co, it is the flagship company of The Times Group, which has been in existence for 150 years.

The Times Group's business spans across newspapers and magazines, television broadcasting, running internet portals, creating and distributing multimedia products and music publishing and retailing. The group has five dailies, two magazines, 29 niche magazines.

Among English dailies, The Times of India has received a TR of 13,447,000, which puts it at No. 1 spot. Hindustan Times is the second most-read English daily

and the 12th among all newspapers with a total readership of 6,254,000.

HT Media also publishes a national business newspaper, Mint with an exclusive agreement with the Wall Street Journal to publish WSJ-branded news and information in India.

The Hindu is ranked third among English dailies with a total readership of 5,140,000. The Hindu, which started off as a weekly in 1878, became a daily newspaper from 1889. The Hindu is based in Chennai with 13 editions.

The Telegraph is ranked fourth with a total readership 2,877,000. It was launched in 1982 by the ABP group of publications. Today, The Telegraph is the largest-circulated English daily in the eastern region published from Kolkata.

Deccan Chronicle follows at No. 5 among English dailies with a total readership of 2,816,000.

The Economic Times is at the 6th position while The New Indian Express is at No. 7 among English dailies. The last three in the top 10 list of English dailies are: MidDay, Mumbai Mirror and DNA.

OPPORTUNITIES GALORE

India offers numerous opportunities for an entrepreneur. Here is a list of sectors where an entrepreneur can invest for better dividends. Tourism A booming industry, tourism is a sector an entrepreneur can hardly afford to miss. Indian heritage sites, historic monuments, beaches, hill stations, wildlife, snowcapped hills and mountains offer a lot to a foreign tourist. Foreign tourist arrivals in May 2010 rose by nearly 16 percent as compared to last year. Around 345,000 foreign tourists visited various parts of the country during May, compared to 299,000 during May 2009. Automobiles India has emerged as a hot spot for automobiles and a cost-effective hub for auto

14|INDIA MATTERS

MAY 2010

components sourcing for global auto majors. The automobile industry recorded a 26 percent growth in domestic sales in 2009-10. The strong sales have made India the second fastest-growing market after China. One of the world's largest manufacturers of small cars with a strong engineering base and expertise, India offers tremendous scope for entrepreneurs. Textiles India is famous for its textiles. Each state has its unique style in terms of apparel. India can grow as a preferred location for manufacturing textiles taking into account the huge demand for garments. Places like Tirupur and Ludhiana are now export hubs for textiles. Social ventures Many entrepreneurs are taking up social entrepreneurship. With a growing young population in rural areas who have the drive and enthusiasm to work, entrepreneurs can focus on this segment. Software India's software and services exports are likely to rise with export revenue growth projected at 13 to 15 percent to hit about $57 billion by March 2011. With one of the largest pool of software engineers, Indian entrepreneurs can set higher targets in hardware and software development. Engineering goods India continues to be one of the fastest growing exporters of engineering goods, growing at a rate of 30.1 percent. The Centre has set a target of $110 billion by 2014 for total engineering exports. Franchising Since India is well-connected with the

world, franchising with leading global brands that want to spread across the country, can offer vast opportunities for young entrepreneurs. With many small towns developing at a fast pace in India, the franchising model is bound to succeed. Education and Training There is a good demand for education and online tutorial services. With good facilities at competitive rates, India can attract more students from abroad. Advanced teaching methods, educational portals and tools can be used effectively to make the sector useful and interesting. Food Processing Food processing is yet another sector that holds tremendous prospect for gor growth. The processed food market opens a vast potential for entrepreneurs, be it fast food, packaged food or organic food. Fresh fruits

and vegetables too have a good demand abroad. A good network of food processing units can help potential exporters build a good business. Corporate demands There will be a rising demand for formal attire with more and more companies opening their branches in India. People who can meet this demand in a cost effective way can make a good business. Ayurveda and traditional medicine India is well-known for its herbal and ayurvedic products. With increasing awareness about the ill-effects allopathic medicines, there will be a huge demand for cosmetics, natural medicines and remedies. Organic farming Entrepreneurs can focus on business opportunities in this sector. There are many small-time farmers who have adopted organic farming but the demand is still unmet, offering many opportunities for those who can promote organic farming. Media The media industry has huge opportunities to offer young entrepreneurs. With the

huge growth of this segment, any business in this field will help entrepreneurs reap huge benefits. Television, advertising, print and digital media have seen a boom in business. Packaging With China invading the markets with cheap plastic goods and packaging materials, there is a good opportunity to develop good packaging materials to meet domestic and foreign demand. There is a huge demand various sectors like agriculture, automotive, healthcare infrastructure and packaging sectors for plastics. Floriculture Floriculture is another lucrative sector with lot of growth potential. The global trade in floriculture products is worth $9.4 billion. With an 8 percent growth, the sector is expected to grow to $16 billion by 2010. India's share in world trade is just 0.18 percent, so there is huge potential for growth. Toys Another evergreen industry is toy manufacturing. India has potential to manufacture cost effective and safe toys for the world. Healthcare sector India's healthcare sector too holds potential. The private sector can play a vital role in developing this sector. With medical tourism also gaining momentum, the sector can attract foreigners who are looking for cost effective treatment in countries like India. Biotechnology Biotechnology also holds huge potential for an entrepreneur. He can look at a plethora of options with the application of biotechnology in agriculture, horticulture, sericulture, poultry, dairy and production of fruits and vegetables. Energy solutions The government has unveiled the National Solar Mission which has set a target of 20,000 MW of solar generating capacity by the end of the 13th Five Year Plan. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had urged the industry to see the huge business opportunity and set up `Solar Valleys' on the lines of the Silicon Valleys. Recycling business E-waste will rise to alarming proportions in the developing world within a decade, with computer waste in India alone to grow by 500 percent from 2007 levels by 2020, according to a U.N. study. This sector opens a viable business opportunity for entrepreneurs for e-waste management.

INDIA MATTERS|15

MAY 2010

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