18.11.2007

• Language lessons:
• What does a Requiem mean?
• Japanese set to hunt the humpback whale for the first time in decades
• These whales were hunted to near extinction four decades ago. They have been off-limits since 1963 except for a small number caught under subsistence whaling programme by Greenland and the Caribbean nation of Saint Vincent and Grenadines.
• Estimates put their global population at 30,000 to 40,000.
• Japan is about to break the decades old moratorium on hunting these whales ostensibly for scientific research. Its whaling fleet is leaving for south pacific with orders to kill up to 50 of these whales.
• Japan says that whaling is a Japanese tradition since the early 1600’s.
• Since 1986 there is a moratorium on commercial whaling imposed by the IWC.
• Online advertising markets
• Globally the digital advertising market is worth $30 bn and in India it is about Rs. 500 crores and is growing at 50% annually.
• Worldwide, interactive ads account for 8% of media spend.
• US slowdown and impact on China
• If the US economic growth slows by a percentage point, it will result in a decline of 6% for Chinese exports.
• UN estimates put the world GDP growth to be at 3.4% for 2007. This is less than the 4% recorded in 2006.
• Credit rating for Indian cities
• Currently there is an ongoing exercise of credit rating 63 of the Indian cities. Four credit rating agencies viz., Crisil, Care, ICRA and Fitch are undertaking the exercise.
• The higher a city’s rating the better its bonds subscriptions. Under the JNNURM, the Centre has promised to dole out Rs. 50,000 crore (approximately 50%) of the total requirement of funds. A city with better ratings will be able to issue bonds through the PFDF.
• DGCA – Director General of Civil Aviation
• Mr. Kanu Gohain.
• He is likely to get a six month extension in service. He will be in service till June 30, 2008.
• Planning Commission proposes National Electricity Fund
• This is to generate resources for improving power distribution network in the country.
• Some proposals under consideration include:
• Granting priority sector lending status to power projects in the country.
• Raising the income tax exemption limit for investment in infrastructure bonds from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 1.5 lakh.
• India’s demographics
• By 2050, about 32.8% of the country’s population will be over 50 years old.
• The country needs 3 mn nurses by 2017. Annually about 80,000 students are enrolling for nursing courses.
• Is it only IT that is an employment generator?
• From the Open Space column of TOI
• Titanium toothbrush
• It was invented in Japan. They help do away with toothpaste.
• One variety of this uses titanium dioxide, which causes an electrochemical reaction while brushing and this helps remove plaque.
• The other variety uses titanium bristles that last for several years.
• White holes
• These are the opposite of black holes.
• They eject matter and anti-matter instead of sucking them as done by black holes.
• A Schwarzschild wormhole has two ends. One end is a black hole, sucking in matter and other end is a white hole, ejecting matter.