- About minority mapping
- The Centre has completed the minority mapping exercise from the Census data available for 2001.
- As many as 103 districts and 885 blocks in Hindu-majority states and union territories have minority population exceeding 25%.
- In six states and UTs where the Hindus are in a minority, there are 53 districts where the country’s religious minorities constitute more than 25% of the total population.
- These six states where Hindus are in a minority are: J&K, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab and Lakshadweep.
- This exercise was undertaken on the recommendation of the Rajinder Sachar committee report.
- USAID – US Agency for International Development
- Its Administrator is Mr. Randall Tobias.
- US’s development assistance to the world has nearly tripled from $10 bn (i.e., $1000 crores) in 2000 to $28.5 bn (i.e., $2850 crores) in 2005.
- Poland’s Lech Walesa
- Started the Solidarity movement in the early 1980’s. Went on to become the President during 199-95. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983.
- A bit about steel making
- Steel is typically made through the blast furnace route or through the electric arc furnace (EAF) method.
- In the blast furnace, coal is used to melt the iron ore.
- The EAF route is adopted to make precision steel products for use in high-end automobile products or in aerospace.
- India’s FMCG market size
- Is estimated at Rs. 64,000 crores.
- Newspaper growth defies conventional wisdom
- So says the World Association of Newspapers, the Paris based organization.
- Its CEO is Timothy Balding
- The total number of paid-for daily newspapers worldwide is about 10,104.
- Free daily newspaper circulation is about 28 mn (2.8 crores) in 2005.
- Newspapers represent a nearly $180 bn ($18000 crore) industry worldwide.
- It employs nearly 20 lakh people worldwide.
- India’s BPO industry
- It is estimated to be of the $9 bn ($900 crores) size.
- NASA astronaut arrested on kidnapping charge
- US Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak, 43. She flew in the Discovery shuttle in July 2006.
- Human skin and bacteria
- Researchers have found that the human skin is home for about 182 different bacteria species.
- The microbes in the body actually outnumber human cells by 10 to 1.
- World’s smelliest plant
- Titan Arum or Corpse Flower
- It flowers usually once every six to nine years.
- Unreasonably warm weather is suspected to have tricked the flower into blooming this year.
- Native to Indonesia, the plant rarely blooms in its 40-year life span, and not often in cultivation. For about eight hours during its blooming cycle it emits an odor likened to "rotten eggs or road kill" to attract pollinating, carrion-eating beetles, hence the name Corpse Flower. The plant begins as a large tuber. It then sends up a solitary pointed shoot that can grow at the rate of six inches (about 15 cm) a day, sometimes reaching 12 feet (almost 4 m) in height. Not a lot is known about this plant as it's difficult to find in the wild, especially flowering. The Corpse Flower plant has only been seen in bloom about 20 times since it was first displayed in New York in 1937 and is thought to be the largest flowering plant structure in the world.
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