PM to inaugurate Make in India week tomorrow,big investors to attend

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the Make in India Week at the NSCI Auditorium at Worli in central Mumbai, tomorrow.

Over 2,500 international and 8,000 domestic companies will be participating in the week-long multi-sectoral industrial event, which will be attended by foreign government delegations from 68 countries and business teams from 72 nations.

The participants at the event also include foreign heads of government and states, prime ministers of Sweden, Finland and Deputy Premier of Poland, besides other Cabinet ministers.

"We have for long been known as a service-led economy as the sector contributed over 60 per cent of GDP. But this expo will prove to the world our manufacturing prowess," DIPP Secretary Amitabh Kant told a select group of reporters during a media preview here.

The government has pulled out all the stops for the event, which is scheduled for February 13-18, as it has set aside Rs 80 crore for the jamboree.

Modi is expected to interact with the industry captains like Ratan Tata, Cyrus Mistry, Mukesh Ambani, Ajay Piramal, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Anand Mahindra and Gautam Adani.

As many as 17 states, mostly BJP-ruled ones, will be participating in the expo and there will be 52 seminars, which will be attended by top executives of leading firms, both domestic and global.

Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha and Punjab will have dedicated state-centric sessions.

"Its for the first time that around 3,000 bilateral meetings -- business to government and business to business -- will be held during these seven days," Kant said.

"Maharashtra has been at the forefront of industrial development and the initiative comes at a very pivotal juncture."

"This one-of- a-kind event will showcase Indias talent to innovate and deliver high-quality investments in real estate, financial services, infrastructure and pharmaceuticals,"  said Piramal Group Chairman Ajay Piramal. 

Make in India Week not just about the rich: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis.  India Today

Mahatma Gandhi - a good reminder

When Mahatma Gandhi was studying law at the University College of London, a professor by the name of Peters disliked him intensely and always displayed animosity towards him.  And because Gandhi never lowered his head when addressing him, as he expected, there were always "arguments" and confrontations.

One day Mr Peters was having lunch at the University dining room when Gandhi came along with his tray and sat next to him. The professor said, "Mr Gandhi, you do not understand. A pig and a bird do not sit together to eat.  "Gandhi looked at him as a parent would a rude child and calmly replied, "You do not worry, professor. I'll fly away," and he went and sat at another table.

Peters, red with rage, decided to take revenge on the next test paper, but Gandhi responded brilliantly to all questions.

Unhappy and frustrated, Mr Peters asked him the following question:  "Mr Gandhi, if you were walking down the street and found a package, and within was a bag of wisdom and another bag with a lot of money, which one would you take?"

Without hesitating, Gandhi responded, "The one with the money, of course."  Mr Peters, smiling sarcastically, said, "I, in your place, would have taken the wisdom."  Gandhi shrugged indifferently and responded, "Each one takes what he doesn't have."

Mr Peters, by this time, was fit to be tied. So great was his anger that he wrote on Gandhi's exam sheet the word "idiot" and handed it back to him. 

Gandhi took the exam sheet and sat down at his desk, trying hard to remain calm while he contemplated his next move.  A few minutes later, Gandhi got up, went to the professor and said to him in a dignified but sarcastically polite tone, "Mr Peters, you autographed the sheet, but you did not give me the grade."

37 dead, 27 injured as bus plunges into Purna river in Gujarat

                                          Bus plunges into Purna river in Gujarat. (TOI photo)

SURAT: Feb 5, 2016: 37 passengers including many students were dead and more than 27 were injured as the Gujarat State road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) bus in which they were travelling plunged in to Purna river from Khad Supa bridge on Navsari-Bardoli road some 10 km from Navsari town and about 40km from Surat in Navsari district.

The bus was on its way from Navsari to Songadh via Bardoli. Since it was an evening bus, many students were returning home after their schools and colleges from Navsari.

Officials said that the incident took place between 5.30pm and 6.00pm and the bus was carrying about 50-60 passengers on board. Several passengers were grievously injured and are being rushed to different hospitals of Navsari town.

Navsari district collector Remya Mohan who rushed to the spot on hearing the news said, "According to locals incident took place as bus driver driving at full speed tried saving a rider. May be he took a wrong turn and the bus plunged into Purna river breaking the RCC railing."

As there was not much water in the river, the vehicle plunged in the empty river with very high impact.

Initially rescue workers who rushed to the spot had to cut out the top of the bus to bring out injured survivors . As there were no big size cranes available to lift the bus such a step was taken. It was only after the big crane was summoned from Navsari that bus was lifted of the river bed.

Remya Mohan also said, " We have summoned all possible help from all private and government hospitals of Navsari and everybody is cooperating well." She also said that as there are large number of grievously injured people death toll could mount.

Narendra Modi ✔ @narendramodi

Bus accident in Gujarat's Navsari is tragic & deeply upsetting. Condolences to families of the deceased. May the injured recover quickly.

10:22 PM - 5 Feb 2016

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According to primary information 10 injured were taken to Mulla hospital, 16 to Navsari civil Hospital, 4 were rushed to Parsi General Hospital and some people were taken to Yashfin hospital too.

Collector Remya Mohan said, "The bodies of all the deceased are kept at four different hospitals namely Parsi General Hospital, New Civil Hospital, Mulla Hospital and at Mulla hospital of Navsari town. Till the relatives of all these people come it will not be possible to identify all the deceased."

Sources also said that number of students belonged to Naran Lala College and Agarwal college of Navsari as their ID cards have been found. However their official confirmation would take place only when their family members come and identify. -  TNN

5.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Nepal, Tremors Felt In Bihar: Reports

At least five people have been reportedly injured in the earthquake.

NEW DELHI:  An earthquake measuring 5.2 hit Nepal tonight at 9.50 pm.

Tremors were also felt in adjoining Bihar, bringing back memories of the massive 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal last year on April 25.

There are no reports yet of damage to life or property.

The US Geological Survey or USGS said on its website that today's earthquake measured 5.2 on the Ritcher Scale and the epicentre was found to be 16 km North-North West of Nepal's capital city Kathmandu.

The capital city and adjoining areas had suffered extensive damage in last year's quake on April 25 that killed nearly 9,000 people, injuring many more and rendering people homeless. - indiatoday

Crane Collapses in New York City, Killing 1

Moment of Fatal NYC Crane Collapse 

New York:  One person died and three others were injured after a construction crane fell in downtown Manhattan this morning.

The crane, which fell around 8:25 a.m., toppled parked cars on Worth Street in the Tribeca neighborhood.

One person was pulled from a crushed vehicle, ABC owned station WABC reported. New York City's Office of Emergency Management said three individuals were injured in the crash, two seriously. A fourth individual was killed. None of the injuries are life threatening.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a press conference this morning that a full police investigation was underway. He said this was the first crane collapse in the city since 2008.

"This is a very sad incident. Thank God it was not worse," the mayor said. "Our hearts go out to the family of the individual who was lost."

De Blasio said the crawler crane collapsed as it was being "lowered into a safe and secure position." The manufacturer of the crane requires that the crane be moved into a "secure position" if winds top more than 20 miles per hour, according to de Blasio. New York City is currently experiencing a winter storm with wind gusts in the 20 mile per hour range. The crane had been inspected as of 6:20 a.m.

The mayor noted that FDNY officers and personnel of utility company Con Ed are sweeping nearby buildings in search of gas links after gas odors were reported in the area. Gas has been temporarily turned off in most buildings in the area as a precaution, de Blasio said.

The force of the collapse also caused a water main break at Worth Street and West Broadway. - abcnews

The Latest: Heavy Snow Likely Won't Hit Iowa During Caucuses

Flagstaff resident Audrey Reichstadt of Flagstaff, Ariz. on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016. A storm dropped snow and rain on the region, shuttering schools and making travel difficult. (AP Photo/Josh Biggs)

DENVER — Feb 1, 2016, The Latest on a storm system moving across the West (all times local):

3:10 p.m.

Heavy snow and strong winds from a storm blowing across the West are expected to move into Iowa, but likely not until after voters gather for the state's leadoff presidential caucuses.

Possible blizzard conditions could complicate candidates' plans to leave Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the system was bringing steady snow to the Denver area on Monday, and forecasters warned that the evening commute could be difficult. Up to about a foot of snow could fall along Colorado's heavily populated Front Range region by the time the storm moves out Tuesday.

The system also is bringing snow to parts of Wyoming, Arizona and New Mexico.

It dumped about a foot of snow in southern Utah and on the ski resorts in the mountains east of Salt Lake City.

———

12:40 p.m.

A weather system that unleashed strong winds, snow and heavy rain on California is promising to bring the first big snowstorm of the season to the Denver area before heading across the Plains.

Up to about a foot of snow could fall along Colorado's heavily populated Front Range region by the time the storm moves out Tuesday.

The system also is bringing rain and cool weather to Nevada and snow to parts of Wyoming, Arizona and New Mexico.

It's expected to drop snow on Iowa during the caucuses and become heavier soon after people cast their votes.

In California, a driver was killed by a falling tree in San Diego County on Sunday and at least 40 vehicles got into a pileup near Lake Tahoe. - AP

Are we getting closer to understanding where the moon actually came from?

The full moon sets beyond the Rocky Mountains beyond Denver on Sunday. The moon may be the closest object to us in space, but scientists are still struggling to understand how it got there. Charlie Riedel Associated Press  BY DEBORAH NETBURN

The moon may be the closest object to us in space, but scientists are still struggling to understand how it got there. Most planetary researchers think the moon was created as the result of a collision between the Earth and a long-hypothesized protoplanet called Theia about 100 million years after the birth of the solar system.

But whether that impact was a glancing blow or a full, head-on crash is still up for debate.

This week researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles provided new evidence in the journal Science that the collision was head-on, and so powerful that materials from both bodies mixed completely before settling into the Earth-moon system we know today.

To come to that conclusion, the researchers analyzed seven lunar rocks collected by the Apollo 12, 15 and 17 missions, as well as six volcanic rocks that include material from Earth’s mantle. Specifically, they wanted to see if the ratio of oxygen isotopes in lunar rocks was the same as that in the terrestrial rocks.

More than 99.9 percent of Earth’s oxygen is O-16, which means each atom has eight protons and eight neutrons, but there are also small amounts of the heavier isotopes O-17 and O-18 in our planet’s oxygen mix.

“Every rock in the solar system we’ve ever found has a unique fingerprint of oxygen isotopes,” said Edward Young, a geochemist at UCLA and the first author on the study. And yet, his analysis shows that the moon and Earth have the exact same oxygen isotope profile. The only way to explain this finding is if Earth and the moon are made of the exact same material.

And herein lies the challenge.

The easiest way for computer modelers to explain the physics of the Earth-moon system, such as how fast our planet spins on its axis and how fast the moon orbits Earth, is to have Theia giving Earth a glancing blow strong enough for both bodies to become molten. In this scenario, most of the Theia material mixes with the Earth’s, but a small portion of it forms the moon.

If that’s the case, the moon and Earth should have a different chemical fingerprint. Although scientists expect Theia and Earth to have a similar oxygen isotope ratio, they would not expect it to be identical, Young said.

“Even if the proto-Earth and Theia were very similar, they couldn’t possibly be this similar,” he said.

Back in 2012 two groups of scientists presented computer models that show an alternative story of Earth-moon formation. In their simulations, the two bodies collide head-on, allowing for extensive mixing between Earth and Theia. Those models have since been dismissed as “too special,” said Sarah T. Stewart of the University of California, Davis, who was a coauthor on one of those studies.

“The odds of getting one of these perfectly mixing impacts is so low that it is probably not the best solution,” she said.

But Young thinks the team was on the right track. “The collision must have been very energetic for everything to melt together,” he said.

Stewart, who was not involved in the new study, said the work by Young and his colleagues provides the best measurement yet of the oxygen isotope ratio in the two bodies, and provides a challenge to her and her colleagues.

“We have a very big science problem of how did our neighbor form,” she said. “The geochemists have told us the answer, but the physicists have not been able to get us there.” - Los Angeles Times