10.12.2007

• India among the top 10 intangible economies of the world!!!
• In the knowledge driven global marketplace, where intangible assets such as intellectual property, brand, customer relationship and talent hold much more value than tangible ‘value’ assets such as capital, land, building, factories et al, India emerges at the top of the podium, head and shoulders above all developed countries and blocs, barring the US and Switzerland.
• This is according to a report by Brand Finance Institute titled “Global Intangible Tracker 2007.”
• India has an estimated intangible asset component of 74% (equal to Switzerland’s) compared to 75% of the US.
• Company secretaries to advertise their services
• We have noted sometime back that our lawyers cannot advertise their services.
• But the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), the regulatory body that governs the profession is going to allow company secretaries to advertise in print, electronic and internet media from January 1, 2008.
• ICSI President: Priti Malhotra.
• Utilizing JNNURM funds
• To access these funds, states would have to show some reforms such as reduction in stamp duty to a maximum of 5%.
• Ever wondered what is a ‘master plan’ for a town/city?
• It should detail the course it wants to take over a period of time. It must ensure adequate public spaces, good intra-city and suburban transport and housing for different strata of society to build harmonious cities.
• Some good commentary on subsidies from UR Bhat
• If the nation has to make headway in the fight against poverty, the way out is not more subsidies but executing a concerted plan of action to improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of the small farmer.
• Several cross-country studies have established that GDP growth originating from agriculture is at least twice as effective in reducing poverty as growth in non-agricultural GDP.
• What can sustain a bull run in the long term?
• The ability of governments to reform their economies, build efficient and sustainable institutions and free up the corporate sector to develop and make profits.
• Some more important snippets that appeared in another article today
• Aggregate employment in large private sector industries increased by an annual compounded rate of 0.9% during 1993-94 to 2001-02, whereas it declined by 0.4% in the public sector.
• The private sector’s share in the country’s organized sector employment increased from 25.6% to 27.6% over this period, whereas the public sector’s share declined from 71% to 69%.
• Currently 50% of India’s GDP is generated in its cities, which is expected to reach 65% by 2011. (Should we take this an indicator of more urbanization? Or should we see it as a pointer to making rural India the focus of our economy expansion initiative?)
• There are currently 73 municipal corporations, 1770 municipal councils and 229 town area committees and 717 notified area committees in the country.
• Two of the unique experiments done by some cities in India:
• Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation was the first local body to tap the capital market to obtain funds through issue of a bond. It did it 1996.
• Indore has come up with a programme of 50:50 funding, in which citizens of a jurisdiction get their roads revamped from a private contractor by mobilizing 50% of the bill and municipal corporation foots the remaining 50% of the bill.
• See how unnoticed can developments go?
• The 8^th EU India annual summit was held recently in Delhi. It was devoted to a reaffirmation of the common foundations of pluralism, democracy, respect for human rights, and multilateralism.
• It was noticed more for the absence of a high profile character of the previous summit.
• Understanding Russia
• Those of you who have Political Science as an optional cannot afford to miss today’s article in The Hindu by Vladimir Radyuhin.
• See how deftly Vladimir Putin seems to be moving ahead with his political agenda. Perhaps we should expect him back in the saddle circa 2012.
• I think we should be working more vigorously with Russia on improving the ties. Russia has always been a very reliable partner in progress with our country. The recent blips that are noticed are a cause for worry. We should never allow the relations to drift further apart.
• Is it time for NPT’s obituary?
• If you read today’s article by Ramesh Thakur in The Hindu, I am sure you cannot come to a different conclusion.
• It is one more very important article for Political Science students.
• The NPT was agreed to by 188 countries and embraces almost the entire comity of nations. It deserves to be denounced more for its emphasis on containing proliferation than for its commitment to disarmament of the existing nuclear powers.
• India’s 17^th GM in Chess
• It is Abhijeet Gupta. He achieved it in the Parvsnath Commonwealth championships at the Siri Fort Sports Complex, New Delhi.
• Sahaz Grover, the 12 year old kid has earned the IM norm in the same tournament.
• Cricket
• At last Ganguly seems to be gaining his form back as a batsman.
• He made a good 239 runs against Pakistan in Bangalore’s Chinnaswamy Stadium in the third test.