25.01.2007

• TRAI slashes roaming charges for mobile telephony
• Effective February 15, the roaming charges for mobile telephone users will be lower by as much as 55%.
• Only about 10% of the service providers’ revenue comes from roaming.
• Treaty of re-admission
• Is one which is entered into between countries which want to have an easier visa regime between them.
• It makes it obligatory on the part of the signatories to re-admit their citizens found staying illegally in the other country.
• India’s English speaking population
• Only about 5% of the country’s population speaks English.
• DISC profiling
• It is an HR (Human Resources) testing tool.
• In this psychometric test four primary dimensions – dominance, influence, steadiness and conscientiousness – of the people are measured.
• The results of this test can be used as an input for hiring employees.
• It was invented by William Moulton Marston in 1928.
• Gross Budgetary Support
• The government is likely to peg the overall GBS for the next fiscal at Rs. 2,10,000 crores.
• Government cuts import duty on edible oils by up to 12.5% in an effort to further tackle inflation.
• Portland cement
• Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general usage, as it is a basic ingredient of concrete and mortar. It consists of a mixture of oxides of calcium, silicon and aluminum. Portland cement and similar materials are made by heating limestone (as source of calcium) with clay or sand (as source of silicon) and grinding the product. The resulting powder, when mixed with water, will become a hydrated solid over time.
• India currently has the capacity to produce about 155 mn tones of cement and the actual output is at about 140 mn tones.
• CMD of NALCO, National Aluminium Company
• Mr. C.R. Pradhan
• Data growth rate in industry
• It is estimated that data is growing at the rate of 60% to 80% per year.
• You can imagine the implications for IT managers!!!
• The gambling capital of the world
• Macau, the Chinese city has dethroned Las Vegas as the world’s biggest casino centre.
• It appears to have clocked a gambling revenue of about $6.95 bn last calendar year.
• State Bank of Pakistan, the Central Bank of that country is headed by a woman
• Shamshad Akhtar
• China likely to surpass US in net usage in a couple of years
• China has 137 mn internet users as against US’s 210 mn.
• China is clocking growth rates of about 25% in net users.
• Thai Prime Minister
• Surayud Chulanont
• What are derivatives?
• These are financial instruments derived from stocks, bonds, loans, currencies and commodities, or linked to specific events like changes in the weather or interest rates.
• The face value of the derivative contracts jumped to $370 trillion in the first half of 2006 (calendar year), according to the Bank for International Settlements.