“Visionary approach towards the future of DELHI”

To involve the ‘Dilliwallas’ in the process of Delhi 2050- future scenario making, the first part of Public days have been launched on 5 March at 11:00 AM, Sanskriti Kendra. The discussion MY DELHI marked the beginning of the series of public discourses, workshops and lectures.The eminent panelists present at the discussion were Dunu Roy (activist, environmentalist & director, Hazards Center, New Delhi), Seth Schindler & Bharati Chaturvedi (author & director, Chintan), Sohail Hashmi (scholar & activist) and Anne Feenstra (principal architect arch i platform) moderated the session.

“Delhi 2050” is a research initiative by arch i*, a Delhi based architecture and research platform, with the support of Dutch Design Fashion Architecture Programme** and The Embassy of The Netherlands in India. In the Delhi 2050 process, a large amount of research has been carried out to find unique interpretations of what our city could be 40 years from now with out-of-the-box future ideas. These willl be discussed during the public interactions in presence of Dutch and Indian experts, from 5-7 March and 13-15 March at various locations in the city. The outcome will be assimilated into three future visions for Delhi represented as large scale models. These will be open for viewing in the form of a mobile exhibition through the city from 1 May 2011 onwards.
At the DELHI 2050 Press conference, held on 5 March at India Women’s Press Corps., the Dutch and Indian experts, part of the Delhi 2050 process addressed the press. The expert panel included top architect and planner of the Netherlands along with prominent architects of Delhi.Prof. Ton Venhoeven: Chief Government Advisor on Infrastructure in The Netherlands; He advises the Dutch government on complex infrastructural projects and sustainable urban developments. His architectural practice won the international competition for Future Hospitals.

Bart Vink: Deputy Director, Division National Spatial Planning, Ministry of Infrastructure & Environment of the Netherlands; Program manager Randstad 2040 Structural Vision. (Randstad is the multipolis that houses 50 % of the Dutch population in the inter-connected city ring Amsterdam-Utrecht-Rotterdam-Delft-The Hague-Leiden-Schiphol city. The center of this circular multipolis is rather ‘empty’ and is called the Green Heart.)
Ashok Lall: Dean of Studies of the former TVB School of Habitat Studies in New Delhi from 1996 to 2007; Principal Ashok B Lall Architects in New Delhi; His practice has executed projects for educational research institutions in India and specializes in low energy sustainable architecture. Three of the firm’s projects have been nominated for the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture.
Iftikhar M. Chishti: Principal architect, Studio IF in New Delhi; Convener of DXD expose series at Alliance Francaise, New Delhi; Professor at School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi ninth most powerful person

Chinese President Hu Jintao, who rules over one-fifth of world's population, has topped the list of world's most powerful person while UPA Chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi has been ranked ninth by the US Forbes magazine.Jintao has been described by the magazine as a person who "unlike Western counterparts, can divert rivers, build cities, jail dissidents and censor internet without meddling from pesky bureaucrats, courts."

US President Barack Obama, who last year topped the list, has been placed behind Hu at second while Saudi King Abdullah stands third most powerful man in the world.
Sonia Gandhi, at ninth place, has been described as a person who wields unequaled influence over 1.2 billion Indians and "after being elected as Congress President for the record fourth term she has cemented her status as true heiress to the Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty.

Somali Pirates release 11 Indians

Somali Pirates have released eleven Indians along with a ship, nearly eleven months after they were hijacked in Seychelles waters. Twelve persons of other nationalities were also released. A sources in the Shipping Ministry said that the ship 'MV Rak Afrikana' and its crew members have been freed but the ship is still in the Somali waters. The ship has developed some technical snag and will take some time to sail again