After two-decade gap Suu Kyi set for US return

After two-decade gap Suu Kyi set for US return

September 16, 2012

by sagarmedia
Democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi leaves Myanmar on Sunday for her first visit in two decades to the United States, where she will be garlanded by supporters keen to discuss the progress of reforms in the former junta-ruled nation.
The Nobel laureate, who was elected to parliament this year, will travel to Washington to meet US President Barack Obama whose government has been at the forefront of Western re-engagement with the long-time military dominated country.
She will also be showered in awards including the Congressional Gold Medal, the top honour bestowed by the US Congress, and meet Burmese diaspora groups as far apart as New York and San Francisco.
During her near three-week trip Suu Kyi is likely to be quizzed about reforms that have seen Myanmar take tentative steps onto the global stage after decades under a secretive military regime.
“I think Daw Suu can talk at least about the reforms situation in Myanmar. She will get this opportunity,” Nyan Win, a spokesman for Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party said, using a common honorific for the Nobel laureate.
The opposition leader will travel with just three other people, he added, and is expected to arrive in Washington tomorrow.
Despite the predicted red carpet welcome her visit is laced with potential political trouble.
Suu Kyi’s stay coincides with that of Myanmar’s President Thein Sein, who is due in the US later in the month to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
The 67-year-old could also face tricky questions on the treatment of stateless Rohingya Muslims after a wave of deadly communal violence in western Myanmar.
Suu Kyi has remained cautious in her comments about the group, who many in Myanmar believe are foreigners and therefore not entitled to citizenship.
Last week the US embassy in Yangon expressed its “great concern” at the humanitarian situation in Rakhine state.

Indian National Academy of Engineering to host 1st global conf Delhi

by sagarmedia on September 16, 2012 Dr R A Mashelkar, Dr R Chidambaram, Dr Arun Maira to lead deliberations aimed at fostering a Better Innovation Ecosystem
New Delhi September 16, 2012: Tech Czar Sam Pitroda, Chairman, National Innovation Council and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Public Information Infrastructure & Innovations will open a global seminar on technology innovation aimed at developing a better innovation ecosystem at New Delhi on September 20, 2012.
The 2-day Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) conference will have seven panel discussion sessions on creating and nurturing innovation mindsets, funding innovation and building systems and structures for an innovative India.
Eminent scientists, planners and academics like Dr R A Mashelkar, National Research Professor and President, Global Research Alliance, National Chemical Laboratory; Dr R Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India and DAE Homi Bhabha Chair Professor; Dr Arun Maira, Member, Planning Commission and Dr Baldev Raj, President, Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) would lead the two-day deliberations by over 300 leading scientists, technology innovators, policymakers and CEOs from around the world including USA and Australia among others.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr M J Zarabi, Conference Chair and Vice President, INAE said, “Innovation is indispensable for organizations to remain competitive and is indeed a major driver of progress of any country. An Innovation Ecosystem that allows ideas to grow to fruition is the principal catalyst for fostering rapid innovation and scaling of these into successful businesses. The INAE conference is aimed at providing a platform for exchange of ideas and collaboration among various stakeholders.”
“Participation of international experts will afford cross-cultural exchanges to further stimulate our thinking on innovation and the ways to improve the Indian innovation ecosystem”, Dr Zarabi added.
The INAE Innovation Conference is supported by the National Innovation Council (NIC), the International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS), the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Board of Research in Nuclear Science.
Leading research and consulting firm CyberMedia Research (CMR) has been retained by INAE as the Conference Support and Knowledge Partner to help the Academy host the Conference as well as to develop a background paper.
According to Mr Pradeep Gupta, Chairman, CyberMedia Group, “CyberMedia Research is proud to be retained as Conference Support and Knowledge Partner of INAE’s first conference on innovation. Our strengths in news gathering, market intelligence, research and analysis of technology innovation trends have placed us in a vantage position that provides us with a bird’s eye view of the most significant industry developments.”
“We endeavour to offer quality content and reports on the achievements of global scientists and technologists”, Mr. Gupta added.
The conference would afford delegates an opportunity to connect with their colleagues and peers during special networking sessions and a gala networking dinner.
INAE will also host an exhibition to showcase innovations by leading innovators from India and around the world, commended by scientific innovation journals such as MIT’s Technology Review, and tech business incubation organizations such as the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) and the Marico Innovation Foundation, amongst others.
Notes to the Editors: The CMR analyst team led by Anirban Banerjee, Associate Vice President, Research and Advisory Services, CMR and Prabhu Ram, General Manager, Research and Consulting, CMR worked in close coordination with the INAE team to develop a comprehensive background paper that covers – Drivers and Challenges for fostering a climate of technological innovation; Important elements of the innovation ecosystem; Role of international collaborations in fostering innovations: success stories; Innovation-driven Research & Development; Inclusive Innovation, and Creating and Nurturing Innovation Mindsets.
– ENDS –
About Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE)
The Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) founded in 1987 comprises India’s most distinguished engineers, engineer-scientists and technologists covering the entire spectrum of engineering disciplines, and functions as an apex body to promote and advance the practice of engineering and technology and the related sciences and disciplines in India and their application to problems of national importance.
Among the aims and objects of the Academy are:
 to encourage and promote the pursuit of excellence in the field of ‘Engineering’;
 to offer the Govt. of India, the local Governments and others, the views of engineers in co-operation with other professional bodies in regard to all matters pertaining to ‘Engineering’;
 to promote the National Policy on Education of the Govt. of India;
 to present at all academic forums, the research and development activities on engineering on mutual interactive and cooperative basis both in India and abroad;
 to encourage inventions, investigations and research and promote their applications for development of both organised and unorganized sectors of national economy;
 to institute and establish Professorships, Fellowships, Studentships, Scholarships, Awards and other benefactions;
 to interact with Professional Bodies, Engineering and Scientific Academies etc. in India and abroad.
The Academy is registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860 and is an autonomous institution supported partly through grant-in-aid by Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. As the only engineering Academy of the country, INAE represents India at the International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS).
For more details, please visit www.inae.org or www.betterinnovationecosystem.in.
About CyberMedia Research
A part of CyberMedia, South Asia’s largest specialty media and media services group, CyberMedia Research (CMR) has been a front runner in market research, consulting and advisory services since 1986.
CMR offers research-based insights and consulting services – market intelligence, market sizing, stakeholder satisfaction, growth opportunity identification, incubation advisory, and go-to-market services – covering the Information Technology, Telecommunications, Semiconductors, Electronics & Smart Infrastructure, Government, Energy & Utilities and Lifesciences sectors, as well as the large enterprise, SMB and consumer user segments.
Cyber Media Research Ltd., an ISO 9001: 2008 company, is a member of the Market Research Society of India (www.mrsi.in) and senior CMR analysts are enrolled with the European Society for Market Research (www.ESOMAR.org).
CMR’s core value proposition encompasses a rich portfolio of syndicated reports and custom research capabilities across multiple industries, markets and geographies.
For more details, please visit http://www.cybermediaresearch.co.in or http://www.cmrindia.com
For media queries, please contact:
At Strategic Communications & PR
Sanjiv Kataria, +91-98100 48095, sanjiv.kataria@gmail.com
At CyberMedia Research
Vishaal Bhatnagar, Associate Vice President, +91-98101 91634, vbhatnagar@cmrindia.com
For conference registrations and industry queries, please contact:
At INAE
Pratigya Laur, Research Officer, Indian National Academy of Engineering, +91-11-2658 2635, registration@betterinnovationecosystem.in
At CyberMedia Research
Prabhu Ram, General Manager, CMR Incubation Advisory Practice, +91-98994 40380, pram@cmrindia.com

Traders Bharat Vyapar Bandh on 20 September, 2012 evoked good response

Traders Bharat Vyapar Bandh on 20 September, 2012 evoked good response

September 16, 2012

The Bharat Vyapar Bandh called by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on 20th September, 2012 in protest against FDI in Retail has evoked good response from all over the Country. Nearly 10 thousand Trade Federations & Associations are expected to participate in the Bharat Vyapar Bandh.The traders have sought support to their Bharat Vyapar Bandh from all political parties and organisations of farmers,transporters,labourers,employees and other sections of the people who are dependent upon retail trade for their livelihood. The FDI in retail will create un-even level playing field in the country which will be tilting towards the MNCs and will prove to be a nightmare for trade and consumers.The Trade leaders demanded that Govt should withdraw the permission of FDI in Retail & constitute a Joint Committee of all stakes holders to make indepth study of the Retail Trade & to look into the recommondations of parliamentry standing committee.
CAIT National president B.C. Bhartia & National Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal questioned the need of FDI in Retail Trade. The Indian retail sector which is being successfully run by the indiginious capital is registering an annual growth of about 15% p.a. and contributing nearly 10% to the GDP has an impressive track record and therefore no foreign investment is required. The shortcomings on the infrastructure front is purely a failure of the Government and for such a failure the small traders can not be made scapegoat who has a fear of being wiped out once the MNC’s begin their operations in India simply of the reason that they operate on predatory pricing policy to wipe out the competition. They will compete with each other as they are doing in other countries. When in controlling situtation they also choke free supply of merchandise as they play refree and decide what products should go to consumers and what not. The dictum “ When Elephants fight, the ground below gets trampted” will prove true.
The foreign retailers can open in big cities. But they will source from mandis across rural India and small towns. With their money power, over time, they can corner the supply of produce and dominate the sourcing side. This will devastate the Indian trade in rural and small towns. If Gangotri is cornered, then the water supply in the plains will not be there. This is what the government is permitting. Competition is not only at retail. It will be at source of supply. PLEASE NOTE THAT 50% OF RURAL ECONOMY IN INDIA IS SERVICES, AND A MAJOR PART OF THAT IS TRADE, BOTH WHOLESALE AND RETAIL. This will be devastated.