Satyajit Ray's unseen film 'Sikkim' to be screened

In 1971, the then Chogyal (king) of Sikkim and his wife had commissioned Satyajit Ray for this documentary. The film earned censorship both from them and from indian government after Sikkim's accession to India in 1975. All the prints were reported to be destroyed subsequently. Howeve a print was discovered in the archives of British Film Academy in 2003 and it is being restored digitally. The rights of the film at present rest with a trust which has given informal consent and a formal intimation of permission is exected.
The film will be screened at the 14th Kolkata Film Festival to be hed between 10th to 17th November, 2008.
The restoration project is executed by Paul Lindner who is attending the festival with a package of 5 Ray fims digitally restored. These are 'Parosh Pathar', 'Teen Kanya', 'Joy Baba felunath', 'Two' and 'Aparajito'.

UN urges faster transfer of clean energy technology

      Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, said that it is esential that industrialized countries speed up transfer of clean energy technology to poorer nations to tackle global warming. There is lot of talk about targets of carbon emissions but not about means to achieve that. Switzerland has suggested funding technology transfer by levvying 'carbon tax' per ton of greenhouse gases produced by the countries, with poorer nations paying less. 

      China produced a policy document last month stating that it will attempt to reduce emission of greenhouse gases, but it needs help from developed nation for transfer of clean energy technology. China also admitted that its emission levels have reached that of world's biggest producer of greenhouse gasses, USA.

Chinese Premierr Wen Jiabao urged developed nations to take main responsibility for addressing climate change, including its citizens changing their 'UNSUSTAINABLE WAY OF LIFE'. 

Prime Minister of India pegs for humanities

Eminent Kashmiri poet Rahman Rahi was honured with prestigious Jnanapith Award by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. PM was speakin at this function.
Though schools and colleges focus on providing with the meansto go forward in life and become responsible citizens, we may not be paying enough attentio to humanities which will help youngsters become better human beings. Even as youths learns skills for employment they should not deprived of access to literature, poetry and other forms of creativity. No society can consider itself complete if it has no room for creativity.
Accepting the award, 82 years old Mr. Rahi said that Kashmiri language has repository of rich poetic and prose literature.

Rail link to Sikkim

Sikkim is going to be connected with rest of India with broadgauge rail link.  The 52.7 km rail line from Rongpo to Sivak in Sikkim will cost Rs. 1300 crores and is  planned to completed by 2015-16. This project has been approved as National  Project by CCEA headed by PM. Work will start before end of this finacial year. This will be tenth national froject in the northeastern region.

ISOR to launch GIS based maps

ISRO will soon launch 'Bhuvan', which will provide online maps based on GIS in line of Google Earth and more precise. It will provide latest information on India's natural resources.  The service is likely to be commenced in coming six months. ISRO Chairman said that with this service they will have mapping of entire earth, both in terms of the upper land surface and the exotic minerals down below.

Proyaash helping Assam serial balst victims

Members of Proyaash, a charity  organisation, based on the ideals of helping the needy and working towards all round development of Assam, distributed food to the victims of recent serial blasts.

Proyaash means 'an initiative' in Assamese. This NGO has basic objective of helping the people of Assam, to improve their socio-economic condition and to present Assam in a better way in global scenario. According to an active member, Proyaash includes members include Assemese students and professional spread accross the world, who basically met online bounded by soft corner and concern towards their homeland. It was initiated on 1st March, 2008 by a single scrap on Orkut vowing all pocketmoney for the downtrodden.

Ganga (Ganges) to be declared as national river

Government of India has decided to declare Ganga as a National River and also to set up a high powered Ganga river Basin Authority to protect the ancient river from pollution and other degradation. The proposed authority will be headed by Prime Minister himself and will have as its members Chief Minsiters of all states through which Ganga flows. The details will be worked out. A PMO release said that there is a need for integrated approach that sees the river as an ecological antity and addresses issues of quantity in terms of water flows along the issues of quality.

Workers by thier closed company

Garaware Nylons Ltd (at Ahemdanagar, Maharashtra, India) was closed down 12 years ago due to excessive losses. The company had a 9 acres (more than 36,000 sq. meters) land near Ahemnadnagar. Bombay High Court declared to auction the land. Worker decided to paticiapte in the auction under the collaborative 'Saamaanya Janatechi Aagaadi' (सामान्य जनतेची आघाडी ) (which is a phrase in vernacular marathi language and it means a social collaborative of common people). 210 workers offered all their money. The auction was won by the collaborative for 61 million INR. After paying the whole amount the workers now officially own the land. This carries a very special improtance as this is a first instance in the country where a close down company was taken over by the workers. It is expected that the collabortive will start a manufacturing plant for making corrugated boxes used in packaging.
It is not known about the source of this huge finance as well as antecendets of the social collaborative and its leaders.