India to top Asia salary growth in 2010 – survey

 

 

Companies in Asia are set to offer bigger pay rises next year as the region continues to rebound from global recession, notably in India where base salary levels are poised to jump nearly 10 percent, a survey showed on Wednesday. Salaries in Indonesia and China will also surge, by 8.7 percent and 6.7 percent respectively, whereas workers in Japan can expect a paltry 2.1 percent pay rise, according to the survey by Hewitt Associates. The survey covered more than 2,000 local and joint-venture companies in the Asia-Pacific region. Salaries — or annual guaranteed pay — this year in Asia’s fast-growing economic powerhouses China and India, at 4.5 percent and 6.3 percent respectively, were the lowest since 2005, Hewitt said. Salaries barely grew at all in Hong Kong and Japan, this year as companies cut staff. More than 60 percent of companies surveyed in Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore froze wage levels, compared with only 26.1 percent in India and 30.8 percent in China. Next year, only 6 percent of companies in India and 8.3 percent in China expect to freeze pay compared with 12-14 percent of companies in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia. Overall average Projected salary increase salary increase 2009 (pct) 2010 (pct) India 6.3 9.2 Indonesia 6.0 8.7 China 4.5 6.7 Philippines 4.3 6.4 Malaysia 4.1 5.2 Thailand 3.4 4.7 Korea 2.7 5.1 Macau 2.6 2.5 Australia 2.1 3.4 New Zealand 2.1 3.1 Taiwan 1.8 3.1 Singapore 1.8 2.6 Hong Kong 1.4 2.9 Japan 1.2 2.1 (For more news on Reuters Money visit http://www.reutersmoney.in )

32 new planets discovered

European astronomers have found 32 new planets outside the solar system, adding evidence to the theory that the universe has many places where life could develop.

 

Scientists using the European Southern Observatory telescope did not find any planets quite the size of Earth or any that seemed habitable or even unusual. But their announcement increased the number of planets discovered outside the solar system to m ore than 400.

Six of the newly found planets are several times bigger than Earth, increasing the population of so-called super-Earths by more than 30 percent. Most planets discovered so far are far bigger, Jupiter-sized or even larger.

Two of the newly discovered planets were as small as five times the size of Earth and one was up to five times larger than Jupiter.

Astronomer Stephane Udry of the University of Geneva said the results support the theory that planet formation is common, especially around the most common types of stars.

 

H1N1 vaccine still far away

HYDERABAD: There is little chance of the H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine becoming available in the State anytime soon.

Though it was being administered to vulnerable sections in USA and other places, the vaccine was still far away as human trials were yet to begin here, said Principal Secretary (Health) L.V. Subrahmanyam on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Subrahmanyam pointed out that the vaccine being administered abroad was a long term one but had to be administered annually.

The cost of each vaccine vial was said to be hovering between Rs. 300-500.

“The Centre has advised all States to keep the cold chain ready. We have it as part of the pulse polio immunisation programme. The first priority for administering the vaccine is for health providers but it is difficult to guess about when it could be available,” he said.

‘Second wave’

But, at the same time he claimed that the government was better equipped to tackle any fresh onslaught of the flu since the ‘second wave’ of H1N1 flu had hit Mexico and other nations.

“We are maintaining surveillance and screening at the airports are continuing. The virus is already here and no imports are needed,” he said.

Better equipped

Mr. Subrahmanyam said the government was now better equipped with more laboratories, more beds, adequate medicines and training given to health personnel to tackle the flu.

Hopes of AIDS vaccine breakthrough dashed

 

The vaccine did not protect those at high risk of HIV infection, such as sex workers and intravenous drug users

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The protective effect was the greatest in the first 12 months and then seemed to diminish

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The first Aids vaccine to show an encouraging result in clinical trials is only modestly effective and did not protect those at highest risk of HIV, it emerged on 20 October, as U.S. and Thai researchers revealed their full results in Paris.

The announcement last month that the controversial $105 million trial carried out in Thailand had unexpectedly been successful took experts by surprise and sparked excitement around the world amid speculation that the steady spread of HIV/Aids could before long be checked.

However, it is now clear that this is a long way wide of the mark.

The full results, presented at the Aids vaccine conference in Paris and published immediately online by the New England Journal of Medicine reveal that:

– The vaccine did not protect those at high risk of HIV infection, such as sex workers and intravenous drug users.

– The protective effect was greatest in the first 12 months and then seemed to diminish.

– When those who did not get all six vaccine shots were taken out of the analysis, the positive result was statistically insignificant.

Results hailed

Some scientists and campaigners in Paris nevertheless hailed the results, if not as a triumph, then as a beacon of hope. Dr Nelson Michael of the US army — the US military had run the research programme with the Thai government — said scientists would now be working intensely to pick up clues to future Aids vaccine development from the results of the trial. “It is a signpost for vaccine development,” he said.

“This was a yes-we-can moment: the opportunity to become enthusiastic. The door has cracked open. We are all going to try to collectively crash through it.”

But Seth Berkley, president of the International Aids Vaccine Initiative, which evaluates and channels funds into trials, said he thought the regime tested in Thailand would be taken no further.

The vaccines involved — AidsVax, which previously failed in a trial in Thailand on its own, and Alvac — were 15 years old.

The controversy

“That’s why there was scientific controversy about starting this trial,” he said. “If you were going to start again, you might use one of the more robust vaccines we have [in the lab] today.

“We don’t have a vaccine on the horizon. It isn’t the Thai one or one of the others. That’s why we have to have the patience for this marathon rather than a sprint.”

The Thai trial, given the name RV144, was controversial from the start because it involved two vaccines given together, one of which had previously failed to protect people from HIV while the other had not been tested alone.

Many people felt the $105million it cost could be better spent.

More than 16,400 Thai men and women aged 18 to 30 who did not have HIV were recruited and randomly assigned to receive the vaccine or a placebo.

They were given six shots over six months: two of Alvac followed by two more sessions where they were injected with both vaccines. They were tested for HIV every six months, and counselled on how to avoid it for the next three years.

By the end of the trial only 125 people had become infected with HIV. In the announcement of the headline results last month, it was said that 51 of those given the vaccine had become HIV positive compared with 74 in the placebo group, which gives a statistically significant efficacy of 31 per cent.

Size shrunk

But many volunteers did not get all six vaccinations, taking the numbers down from around 8,000 in each group to around 6,000. Removing those who did not get all the six vaccinations was done in accordance to the protocol.

Among those people, there were 50 infections on placebo and 36 on the vaccine, which gives an efficacy of 26 per cent but is not statistically significant, meaning it could happen by chance.

Gitam varsity to open distance learning centres

  

Three of 30 centres will be in district

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CDLs to offer two UG and five PG courses

Aim is to benefit job-holders, housewives

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Rajahmundry: Gitam University has identified 30 colleges in the State, three of them in East Godavari district, for setting up centre for distance learning (CDL).

MoU

Informing this to newsmen here on Wednesday, university’s Joint Director for CDL Tanuku Srinivas said that they had an MoU with V.S. Lakshmi College, Kakinada, S.K.B.R. College, Amalapuram, and Jasti Bullemmai College, Rajahmundry, for setting up the facility.

Programmes

He said that they the CDLs would be opened in this academic year. They would offer two UG (B.A., B.Com.) and five PG (MBA, MCA, MA, M.Com, and M.Sc.) courses. PG diploma courses in Environment and Sustainable Management, Communication Skills, Communicative English and Computer Applications would also be offered.

Permission

Mr. Srinivas said that the Distance Education Council had given permission to launch CDLs and that the degrees offered by them were equal to those offered by other universities.

He said that CDLs would benefit job-holders, housewives and part-timers.

The university wanted to allow SSC failed or passed students to complete their graduation through CDL courses.

Fee structure

On the fee structure, he said the MBA programme though CDL would cost only Rs.30,000.

It would cost Rs.1.50 lakh in any other institution, he claimed.

Quality

Stating that there would not be any compromise on the quality front, Mr. Srinivas said that the students would be supplied IGNOU material. He said that web and e-mail based contact classes along with regular classes would be offered. Examinations and classes would be conducted at all CDLs. Jasti Janardhana Murthy of Jasti Bullemmai College for Women was also present

Google agreement with Twitter – Search Deal

At Google, our goal is to create the most comprehensive, relevant and fast search in the world. In the past few years, an entirely new type of data has emerged — real-time updates like those on Twitter have appeared not only as a way for people to communicate their thoughts and feelings, but also as an interesting source of data about what is happening right now in regard to a particular topic.

Given this new type of information and its value to search, we are very excited to announce that we have reached an agreement with Twitter to include their updates in our search results. We believe that our search results and user experience will greatly benefit from the inclusion of this up-to-the-minute data, and we look forward to having a product that showcases how tweets can make search better in the coming months. That way, the next time you search for something that can be aided by a real-time observation, say, snow conditions at your favorite ski resort, you’ll find tweets from other users who are there and sharing the latest and greatest information.

twitter – Hyderabad News

Twitter – Hyderabad

http://twitter.com/NewsHyderabad

Twitter is without a doubt the best way to share and discover what is happening right now.

A Twitter client designed to easily manage and build your community directly in your … Events In Hyderabad Today « Hyderabad News is the one stop online destination for thelatest news, flash news, breaking news, current issues

Find out the more Hyderabad news on twitter, http://twitter.com/NewsHyderabad

Congress supporters celebrate impending victory

PTI Congress workers celebrate the party’s victory in the Assembly elctions in Arunachal Pradesh, Maharshtra and Haryana outside the residence of the party’s president, Sonia Gandhi, in New Delhi on Oct. 22, 2009. Photo: PTI

As trends indicated a Congress victory in all the three States which went to the polls, the headquarters of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) here reverberated with drumbeats and fireworks.

The party’s supporters celebrated the impending victory in front of the AICC headquarters on Akbar Road and the adjoining 10, Janpath, the residence of the party president, Sonia Gandhi. While some supporters danced to the tunes of drumbeats, others carried the party’s flags.

Expecting a Congress victory, based on indications by exit polls, the supporters had gathered together even before the first result was officially announced.

Carrying placards with photographs of Sonia Gandhi, AICC General Secretary, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Vadra, the supporters raised slogans and danced on the streets holding the traffic on the busy Akbar Road.

They distributed sweets amongst themselves and also to the mediapersons who were present there.

A Vijay Rath (victory chariot) was brought in front of the entrance of 10, Janpath, and supporters hailed Ms. Gandhi for providing a leadership which led the party to victory, first in the Lok Sabha polls and then in the Assembly elections in the three States.

A steady stream of visitors met Ms. Gandhi to congratulate her on the success of the party in the elections.

Jaganmohan meets Sonia

The Hindu Jaganmohan Reddy, son of late Y.S.Rajasekhar Reddy after meeting Congress President Sonia Gandhi at her residence in New Delhi on Thursday. Photo: R.V. Moorthy

Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, son of late Y.S. Rajashekhara Reddy, on Thursday met Congress President Sonia Gandhi at her residence here amid demands by his supporters to make him chief minister of Andhra Pradesh.

This is the first visit of Mr. Jaganmohan to the national capital after the death of his father in a helicopter crash.

The meeting between Ms. Gandhi and Mr. Jaganmohan lasted for over an hour but he refused to comment on what was discussed between the two.

On Wednesday, the 37-year-old first-time MP from Kadapa had sought an appointment with the Congress President.

Cong set to win Maharashtra, Haryana, Arunachal

PTI Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan (left) at an election rally earlier this month.

But it was not a sweep except in Arunachal Pradesh. What does the victory mean to the Congress?

The Congress on Thursday was set to capture power in Maharashtra for a third consecutive term and sweep Arunachal Pradesh while a not-so-good performance in Haryana left it as the single largest party scrambling for numbers to get a majority.

The Congress, along with its ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was poised to form the government in Maharashtra as it was leading in 134 constituencies having already bagged 4 seats in the 288-member Assembly.

The alliance, which had won 140 seats in the last elections, may end up with almost the same figure and may not have problems in forming the government with the support of rebels of both the parties and independents.

Congress has bagged one seat and was leading in 75 others, while the NCP has won three and was ahead in 50 others.

Affected vastly by the presence of Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) combine has managed to be ahead in only 84 seats, far behind its 2004 tally of 116 seats. Shiv Sena won 2 seats and was ahead in 41 seats, while BJP bagged one seat and was leading in 46 seats.

Results in Haryana came as a bit of surprise for the Congress which advanced polls by over seven months to cash in on its spectacular Lok Sabha election performance in which it had won 9 of the 10 seats.

Today, the Congress managed to win 9 seats and was ahead only in 31 seats in the 90—member assembly and may have to look for support from rebels and independents who are ahead in 9 seats.

The Congress, which had won 67 seats in the 2005 elections, was apparently over—confident as reflected by an impressive show by Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) which has won 6 and was leading in 23 others. The INLD had 9 seats in the previous assembly.

The BJP was ahead in 4 seats, BSP in two and Bhajan Lal-led Haryana Janhit Congress in five. ‘Others’ accounted for eight leads and one win.

Arunachal Pradesh turned out to be a happy hunting ground for the Congress which has already won 13 seats and was ahead in 10 others in the 60—member assembly. The Congress had 34 seats in the outgoing assembly.

The Trinamool Congress has won two seats and was leading in one while the NCP was ahead in one and has won one. BJP was ahead in one seat.

In Maharashtra, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and a number of other leaders have emerged victorious, while President Pratibha Patil’s son Rajendra Shekhawat is trailing behind Congress rebel Sunil Deshmukh.

47 candidates in ‘others’ category are leading in the State while two have won.

MNS put up an impressive show and was leading in over 10 seats and the Third Front in 10.

As the ruling alliance was set for another term in office, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and Union Minister Vilas Rao Deshmukh, who is speculated to be one of the contenders for the Chief Minister’s post, said the High Command would decide on the issue.

Ally Sharad Pawar made it clear that the Congress would decide on the Chief Minister’s post virtually dismissing a demand voiced by his party colleague and Deputy Chief Minister Chagan Bhujbal that the office be rotated.

In Haryana, enthused by his party’s performance, INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala demanded that Congress should accept defeat as the opposition parties have won or led in 51 of the 90 seats.

BJP blames Electronic Voting Machines for its poor performance

NEW DELHI – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have been turned into the Electronic Victory Machines by the Congress in the recently held assembly elections.

“We have received numerous complaints of tampering with the EVMs and bulk voting by the Congress from many regions,” said BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

Reacting on BJP’s allegation, the Congress said the BJP should introspect instead of blaming the Congress.

“The BJP has nothing else to say but to blame the Congress,” said Sachin Pilot, Congress leader. (ANI)

Haryana win triggers celebrations at Congress headquarters

NEW DELHI – The decisive lead taken by the ruling Congress in the Haryana assembly poll led to scenes of frenzied celebrations inside and outside the party’s national headquarters here Thursday morning.

Congress workers from Haryana — which surrounds the national capital on three sides — reached the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters by mid-morning in one cavalcade after another, carrying large quantities of firecrackers which they set off in celebration.

As the supporters danced on the lawns of AICC headquarters and spilled over on New Delhi’s exclusive Akbar Road, they were chased by television crews who were beaming live from the spot. The result was a traffic snarl that tested the policemen, who were anyway nervous because the prime minister was in the vicinity, inaugurating a conference at Vigyan Bhavan.

Haryana win triggers celebrations at Congress headquarters

NEW DELHI – The decisive lead taken by the ruling Congress in the Haryana assembly poll led to scenes of frenzied celebrations inside and outside the party’s national headquarters here Thursday morning.

Congress workers from Haryana — which surrounds the national capital on three sides — reached the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters by mid-morning in one cavalcade after another, carrying large quantities of firecrackers which they set off in celebration.

As the supporters danced on the lawns of AICC headquarters and spilled over on New Delhi’s exclusive Akbar Road, they were chased by television crews who were beaming live from the spot. The result was a traffic snarl that tested the policemen, who were anyway nervous because the prime minister was in the vicinity, inaugurating a conference at Vigyan Bhavan.

Congress makes History, gets majority in Haryana

The Congress Party created history in Haryana by becoming the only party to win two consecutive Assembly elections in 32 years. Although Congress got less seats than last time, it managed to win 46 out of 90 seats – a simple majority. Om Prakash Chautala’s INLD, which could not open its account in Lok Sabha elections, won 25 seats to emerge as a strong opposition.

The BJP, which is on the decline elsewhere in the country, won just 4 seats. The HJC won 5 seats, while BSP managed to win 2 seats. Other parties and independents won 8 seats in Haryana.

Bhupinder Singh Hooda is all set to become the Chief Minister of Haryana for a second time in a row. Although a formal decision will be taken at the CLP meeting, Hooda’s election remains a mere formality.

Assembly Elections: Congress leads in Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh

Chandigarh: Breaking News! For the first time in 40 years, the political record in Haryana has taken a beating, as Congress is all set to retain power in the state. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda got a thumbs up from the voters, as Congress is leading in 22 out of 49 seats. INLD is leading in 12 seats, while BJP is leading in just 4 seats.

While Bhupinder Singh Hooda is leading, Om Prakash Chautala is trailing. Others are leading in 9 seats in Haryana. Congress is expected to get a simple majority in Haryana, as the counting progresses.

Not only in Maharashtra and Haryana, but also Arunachal Pradesh seems to have favoured the Congress yet again. Out of 10 trends received so far from Arunachal Pradesh, Congress is leading in all seats, while the Opposition is almost wiped out from the state.

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Raj Thackeray’s MNS emerges as Big Power in Mumbai

Mumbai: Breaking News! Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has emerged as a big power in Mumbai at the expense of Uddhav Thackeray’s ShivShiv Sena, but also indirectly helped the Congress to establish its lead in Maharashtra and Mumbai. MNS has taken a lead over Shiv Sena – a historic moment for Raj Thackeray. Sena. The MNS not only caused maximum damage to BJP and

The traditional Shiv Sena voters in Mumbai have favoured Raj Thackeray as the saviour of Marathas and voted for him in en masse. Out of the 36 seats in Mumbai, the Congress-NCP is leading in 17 seats – Congress (15) and NCP (2), while MNS alone is leading in 8 seats. The Shiv Sena-BJP combine is leading in just 10 seats – Shiv Sena (6) and BJP (4).

In Mumbai, the slogan “Marathi Manoos” seems to have worked in favour of Raj Thackeray’s MNS. MNS is now leading in 15 seats in Maharashtra, which is a major achievement for the party. Congress-NCP is set to retain power in the state, as they now lead in 136 out of 288 seats. The Shiv Sena-BJP is leading in 102 seats.

Congress is leading in 83 seats in Maharashtra, while NCP is leading in 53 seats. Shiv Sena is leading in 54 seats. The BJP is leading in just 48 seats in Maharashtra. Third Front is leading in 12 seats. MNS is leading in 15 seats.

Prominent leaders, who are leading in Maharashtra Assembly elections are RR Patil (NCP), Narayan Rane (Congress), Ashok Chavan (Congress), Amit Deshmukh (Congress) Pranati Shinde (Congress), and Rajendra Shekhawat (Congress), Jayant Patil (NCP), Chhagan Bhujbal (NCP), and Abu Azmi (SP). Ramdas Kadam (Shiv Sena), Poonam Mahajan (BJP), Arun Gawali and Vinod Kambli are trailing.

The Shiv Sena-BJP combine suffered huge losses in Maharashtra elections, as they now lead in just 94 seats, far less that what they got in 2004. MNS is leading in 15 seats, while others are leading in 40 seats.

Assembly Elections 2009 – Arunanchal Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra

Maharashtra

Assembly Election 2009 Results Live Update Arunanchal Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra

Maharashtra : General Election 2009 Results
Constituency Name	Winning Candidates	Party
Nandurbar	Gavit Manikrao Hodlya	Indian National Congress
Dhule	Sonawane Pratap Narayanrao	Bharatiya Janata Party
Jalgaon	A.T. Nana Patil	Bharatiya Janata Party
Raver	Haribhau Madhav Jawale	Bharatiya Janata Party
Buldhana	Jadhav Prataprao Ganpatrao	Shivsena
Akola	Dhotre Sanjay Shamrao	Bharatiya Janata Party
Amravati	Adsul Anandrao Vithoba	Shivsena
Wardha	Datta Meghe	Indian National Congress
Ramtek	Wasnik Mukul Balkrishna	Indian National Congress
Nagpur	Muttemwar Vilasrao Baburaoji	Indian National Congress
Bhandara – Gondiya	Patel Praful Manoharbhai	Nationalist Congress Party
Gadchiroli – Chimur	Kowase Marotrao Sainuji	Indian National Congress
Chandrapur	Ahir Hansaraj Gangaram	Bharatiya Janata Party
Yavatmal – Washim	Bhavana Gawali (Patil)	Shivsena
Hingoli	Subhash Bapurao Wankhede	Shivsena
Nanded	Khatgaonkar Patil Bhaskarrao Bapurao	Indian National Congress
Parbhani	Adv. Dudhgaonkar Ganeshrao Nagorao	Shivsena
Jalna	Danve Raosaheb Dadarao	Bharatiya Janata Party
Aurangabad	Chandrakant Khaire	Shivsena
Dindori	Chavan Harishchandra Deoram	Bharatiya Janata Party
Nashik	Sameer Bhujbal	Nationalist Congress Party
Palghar	Jadhav Baliram Sukur	Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi
Bhiwandi	Taware Suresh Kashinath	Indian National Congress
Kalyan	Anand Prakash Paranjape	Shivsena
Thane	Dr.Sanjeev Ganesh Naik	Nationalist Congress Party
Mumbai North	Sanjay Brijkishorlal Nirupam	Indian National Congress
Mumbai North West	Ad.Kamat Gurudas Vasant	Indian National Congress
Mumbai North East	Sanjay Dina Patil	Nationalist Congress Party
Mumbai North Central	Dutt Priya Sunil	Indian National Congress
Mumbai South Central	Eknath M. Gaikwad	Indian National Congress
Mumbai South	Deora Milind Murli	Indian National Congress
Raigad	Anant Geete	Shivsena
Maval	Babar Gajanan Dharmshi	Shivsena
Pune	Kalmadi Suresh	Indian National Congress
Baramati	Supriya Sule	Nationalist Congress Party
Shirur	Adhalrao Shivaji Dattatray	Shivsena
Ahmednagar	Gandhi Dilipkumar Mansukhlal	Bharatiya Janata Party
Shirdi	Wakchaure Bhausaheb Rajaram	Shivsena
Beed	Munde Gopinathrao Pandurang	Bharatiya Janata Party
Osmanabad	Patil Padamsinha Bajirao	Nationalist Congress Party
Latur	Awale Jaywant Gangaram	Indian National Congress
Solapur	Shinde Sushilkumar Sambhajirao	Indian National Congress
Madha	Pawar Sharadchandra Govindrao	Nationalist Congress Party
Sangli	Pratik Prakashbapu Patil	Indian National Congress
Satara	Bhonsle Shrimant Chh.Udyanraje Pratapsinhmaharaj	Nationalist Congress Party
Ratnagiri – Sindhudurg	Dr.Nilesh Narayan Rane	Indian National Congress
Kolhapur	Sadashivrao Dadoba Mandlik	Independent
Hatkanangle	Shetti Raju Alias Devappa Anna	Swabhimani Paksha

Constituencies in Maharashtra
1 – Nandurbar		2 – Dhule	3 – Jalgaon
4 – Raver		5 – Buldhana	6 – Akola
7 – Amravati		8 – Wardha	9 – Ramtek
10 – Nagpur		11 – Bhandara – Gondiya	12 – Gadchiroli – Chimur
13 – Chandrapur		14 – Yavatmal – Washim	15 – Hingoli
16 – Nanded		17 – Parbhani	18 – Jalna
19 – Aurangabad		20 – Dindori	21 – Nashik
22 – Palghar		23 – Bhiwandi	24 – Kalyan
25 – Thane		26 – Mumbai North	27 – Mumbai North West
28 – Mumbai North East		29 – Mumbai North Central	30 – Mumbai South Central
31 – Mumbai South		32 – Raigad	33 – Maval
34 – Pune		35 – Baramati	36 – Shirur
37 – Ahmednagar		38 – Shirdi	39 – Beed
40 – Osmanabad		41 – Latur	42 – Solapur
43 – Madha		44 – Sangli	45 – Satara
46 – Ratnagiri – Sindhudurg		47 – Kolhapur	48 – Hatkanangle

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Elections Schedule 2009
Schedule No. 1									Schedule No. 2B		Schedule No. 3A
Poll Day 16-Apr-09									Poll Day 23-Apr-09		Poll Day 30-Apr-09
5							Buldhana		1	Nandurbar	22	Palghar
6							Akola		2	Dhule	23	Bhiwandi
7							Amravati		3	Jalgaon	24	Kalyan
8							Wardha		4	Raver	25	Thane
9							Ramtek		18	Jalna	26	Mumbai North
10							Nagpur		19	Aurangabad	27	Mumbai North West
11							Bhandara – Gondiya		20	Dindori	28	Mumbai North East
12							Gadchiroli-Chimur		21	Nashik	29	Mumbai North Central
13							Chandrapur		32	Raigad	30	Mumbai South Central
14							Yavatmal-Washim		33	Maval	31	Mumbai South
15							Hingoli		34	Pune
16							Nanded		35	Baramati
17							Parbhani		36	Shirur
									37	Ahmednagar
									38	Shirdi
									39	Beed
									40	Osmanabad
									41	Latur
									42	Solapur
									43	Madha
									44	Sangli
									45	Satara
									46	Ratnagiri – Sindhudurg
									47	Kolhapur
									48	Hatkanangle

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Bye Election to the Maharashtra Legislative Council

The seat of Shri Navnath Bhaurao Ahvad, a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, has been lying vacant since 18th July 2008. The seat has been declared vacant in accordance with the provisions of clause (4) of Article 190 of the Constitution, before the completion of his term of office which was till 7th July, 2010.

In view of this, the election commision has decided to hold bye-election to the Maharashtra Legislative Council by the Members of Legislative Assembly from 23rd October, 2008 (Thursday) to 25th October (Saturday). The schedule of the entire program is given below:

Maharashtra Bye-Election Schedule
Issue of Notifications	6th October, 2008 (Monday)
Last date of making nominations	13th October, 2008 (Monday)
Scrutiny of nominations	14th October, 2008 (Tuesday)
Last date for withdrawal of candidatures	16th October, 2008 (Thursday)
Date of poll	23rd October, 2008 (Thursday)
Hours of poll	9.00 A.M. to 4.00 P.M
Counting of Votes	23rd October,2008 (Thursday) at 5.00 PM
Date before which election shall be completed	25th October, 2008 (Saturday)

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Assembly Elections: Congress leads in Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh

Chandigarh: Breaking News! For the first time in 40 years, the political record in Haryana has taken a beating, as Congress is all set to retain power in the state. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda got a thumbs up from the voters, as Congress is leading in 22 out of 49 seats. INLD is leading in 12 seats, while BJP is leading in just 4 seats.

While Bhupinder Singh Hooda is leading, Om Prakash Chautala is trailing. Others are leading in 9 seats in Haryana. Congress is expected to get a simple majority in Haryana, as the counting progresses.

Not only in Maharashtra and Haryana, but also Arunachal Pradesh seems to have favoured the Congress yet again. Out of 10 trends received so far from Arunachal Pradesh, Congress is leading in all seats, while the Opposition is almost wiped out from the state.

Events Today In Hyderabad

Art
Artists Collection Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 11 a.m. to  4 p.m. Mystic Inspirations, Plot No.33, Banjara Hills. An exhibition of paintings by various artists like Suman Roy, Arif, Jaya Baheti, Deeraj Choudhary and Kishan will be on display.
Fragrance Of Life Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 11 a.m. to  6 p.m. Diara Art Gallery, 100A, Banjara Petals, Road No.5, Banjara Hills. An exhibition of figurative paintings on human life, by renowned artist Sukanta Das.
Bronze Sculptures Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 11 a.m. to  5 p.m. Kalakriti, 468, Road No.12, Banjara Hills. An exhibition of bronze sculptures by renowned artist Sonjay Kumar.
Solo Show Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 11 a.m. to  7 p.m. Shrishti 267 , Jubilee Hills A solo exhibition of water color paintings on canvas by Rini Dhumal (Prof. of fine Arts, Baroda) will be on display.
Special Events
Diwali Dhamaka Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. The Square, La Cantina, The Bar, The Deli, Sunset Lounge and Boulder Hills, Novotel Hyderabad, Hitech City, Madhapur. This Diwali, patrons who dine for Rs 1000, get a chance to win a Hyundai i20.
Eating Out
Moon Cake Festival Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 7 p.m. to  11:15 p.m. Golden Dragon, Taj Krishna, Road No.1, Banjara Hills Taj Krishna is hosting the ‘Moon Cake Festival’ at Golden Dragon. The age old Autumn Moon legend comes alive as Chef Hung Fong Ng recreates the exotic, colourful Chinese Moon festival with delicious moon cakes and special menu of exquisite specialities. The Moon Cake Festival is often compared to a sort of “Chinese Thanksgiving” because of its spirit of gratitude and its inclusion of abundant food.
Lunch Buffet Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. noon to  3 p.m. Sweet Nirvana, Plot No.105, Phase II, Kavuri Hills, Madhapur Sweet Nirvana is offering a variety of delicious continental dishes which include soups, salads along with the main course and desserts.
Evening Snacks Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 4 p.m. to  6 p.m. Promenade, Aditya Park, Ameerpet. An array of South and North Indian snacks and light meals at the Promenade.
Happy Hours Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 4 p.m. to  8 p.m. The Bar, Novotel Hyderabad Airport, Shamshabad. The Bar at Novotel is having happy hours – there’s a complimentary drink on purchase of every drink.
Midnight Biryani Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 11:30 p.m. to  3 a.m. Tulips, Hotel Greenpark, Greenlands, Begumpet. Tulips is serving an array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian biryanis. Other delicacies like Haleem, Sheermal, Paneer Burjee and desserts are also available.
Southern Delicacies Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. noon to  3 p.m. Deccan Pavilion, Hotel ITC The Kakatiya, Begumpet. The coffee shop is offering authentic Hyderabadi biryanis and delicious kebabs along with other Chinese and continental cuisines. Also on the menu are soups, salads, cold cuts, pastas and desserts.
Snacks and Desserts Buffet Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 4 p.m. to  7 p.m. Sweet Nirvana, Kavuri Hills, Madhapur. A variety of savoury snacks like chicken barbecue and even desserts are up for grabs.
Dim-Sum Festival Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 7:30 p.m. to  11:30 p.m. Strings, Taj Banjara, Road No.1, Banjara Hills. The menu consists of a wide-range of Dim Sums in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options like Baby Spinach and spring vegetables dim sum, Five spiced mushroom dim sum, Garlic and cabbage dim sum, Burnt garlic fish dim sum, Chicken dim sum, Crispy shrimps dim sum and delicious desserts from Executive Chef Hrudananda Behera.
Vegetarian Buffet Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 7 p.m. to  11 p.m. Venue, Quality Inn Residency, Nampally. The restaurant offers delicious south Indian vegetarian buffet, along with snacks and desserts for lunch and dinner.
Lunch Buffet Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 12:30 p.m. to  3 p.m. Tandoor, White House Building, Begumpet. An authentic North Indian buffet – peas pulao, paneer tikka, biryanis, desserts and more.
The Curry Bar Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 7:30 p.m. to  11:30 p.m. Spice Junxion, Taj Deccan, Road No.1, Banjara Hills. Executive Chef Sachin Joshi has prepared a menu which includes an array of the most popular, authentic, spicy south Indian curries. The chicken, fish, lamb and vegetable curries are made using home-made spices and served with portions of Appams, Malabar Parathas, Dosas, and steamed rice. The non-veg curries on offer are Kozhi Chettinad, Kori Gassi, Meen da Kajippu, Kundapur Chicken, and Meen Moily, and among the veg curries – Cauliflower, Alambo Arepu, Kaikari Chettinad and Gutthi Vankaya Kura are available.
Gourmet Lunch Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. noon to  3 p.m. Taj Deccan, Road No.1, Banjara Hills. Indulge in unlimited kebabs, grills, smoothies and much more.
Guiltf Free Indulgence Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. noon to  3 p.m. Little Italy, 275, Film Nagar Society, Jubilee Hills. Authentic Italian cuisine and a specially crafted menu for lunch during the weekdays. Indulge into unlimited soups, salads, desserts, choice of starters and main course (which includes home made wheat pastas and pizzas).
Sizzler Festival Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 7 p.m. to  11:15 p.m. Me’Lange, The Golkonda Hyderabad, Masabtank Melange is offering an array of hot sizzlers for both lunch and dinner.
FUNjabi Food Festival Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 7 p.m. to  11 p.m. Swagath-De-Royal, #2-36, Kothaguda X Roads, Kondapur, Cyberabad Enjoy authentic Punjabi cuisine here. Some of the specialties on the menu are Sarson ka Saag, Paneer Tikka and many more.
Nightlife
House Music Night Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 8 p.m. to  1 a.m. Dublin, Hotel ITC The Kakatiya, Opp. to Walden, Begumpet Rocking party tracks by in-house DJ Daman.
From Goa With Love Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 8 p.m. to  11:45 p.m. Seasons Bar, Taj Krishna, Road No.1, Banjara Hills. Singer Wahida belts out hit songs from 70s, 80s to latest chart busters.
Russian Melodies Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 8 p.m. to  11:45 p.m. Atrium Bar, Taj Deccan, Road No.1, Banjara Hills. Russian singer Polina will perform at the bar. She is versatile and covers a wide variety of world styles, from contemporary popular repertoire to retro and hip-hop.
Sin’Derella Nights Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 8 p.m. to  11:45 p.m. Excess, Novotel Hyderabad, Hitech City, Madhapur. In-house DJ will spin house. lounge and funk music tonight, for the ladies.
Ladies Night Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 9 p.m. to  11:45 p.m. Enigma, Hotel Minerva Grand, Secunderabad. DJs Shame and Mani will entertain the crowd with hip-hop and desi music tonight.
Mid-week Hip-Hop Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 9 p.m. to  11:45 p.m. Twister Resto Bar, Shrishti Towers, Above Pizza Hut, Madhapur. Hip-hop and reggae all night with the in-house DJ.
Gurls Night Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 9 p.m. to  11:45 p.m. Soul, Saphire Square, Somajiguda. Rafiq and Joe will play house, progressive, underground, techno and rock music tonight.
Martini Nights Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 8 p.m. to  11:45 p.m. The Bar, Novotel Hyderabad, Hitech City, Madhapur. Relish the martinis and other exotic drinks while the DJ plays soothing music at the Bar.
Shopping
Season Sale Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 11 a.m. to  9 p.m. Planet Sports, Shop No.1-2, Afzia Towers, Opp. Lifestyle, Begumpet. There is a 20% discount on apparel, footwear and other sports accessories for women and men.
I Anniversary Celebrations Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 11 a.m. to  8 p.m. Sri Krishna Silks, 3-2-102, General Bazar Avail up to 100% cash back, gold and silver coins and assured gifts on every purchase, on the eve of the anniversary celebrations.
Festive Collection Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 11 a.m. to  9 p.m. New Meena Bazar, Abids. The store is has an exclusive range of reviting kurtas, pyjamas and sherwanis, featuring Lucknowi, Chikandari, Kashmiri works, Brocades and thread embroidery in exotic range of colors and designs. The fabrics used to create these masterpieces include plain cotton, crushed cotton, cotton silk, linen tissue silk and ploy silk.
Shopping Carnival Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 11 a.m. to  9 p.m. Novotel Hyderabad Airport, Shamshabad. With the advent of the festive season, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd., will be organizing the ‘Airport Festive Shopping Carnival’ at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. A host of special offers from the retailers and food and beverage outlets in the airport will be made available. Guests flying Jet Airways will be entitled to additional discounts at all these outlets, except the Landmark, on showing their boarding passes during the shopping festival.
Festive Collection Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 11 a.m. to  8 p.m. Musaddilal Jewellers. Musaddilal Jewellers and Exporters have launched adesigner jewellery collection for Diwali and the wedding season. The collection specialises in diamonds, ruby, antique jewellery like satlada, chokers and much more.
Hyderabadi Cushions Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 11 a.m. to  8 p.m. Inhabit, Novotel lobby store, HICC complex, Hitech City, Cyberabad Syed Arif Ali’s collection of cushions are on display at all the Inhabit outlets in the city.
Workshops
Music Notation Reading Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. 6:45 p.m. to  9 p.m. Alliance Francaise, Desk Edufrance, West Marredpally. Hyderabad Western Music Forum presents the second Music Notation Reading training course. The workshop is conducted by Joe Koster and Laure Menegoz. It is the second in the series by the Hyderabad Western Music Forum. The participants will learn the art of reading Western music notation.

Assembly elections – Congress ahead in three states

PTI Congress president Sonia Gandhi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar at a joint Congress-NCP rally during the Lok Sabha polls. File photo

Ruling Congress—NCP combine was ahead of Shiv Sena—BJP in Maharashtra, leading in over three dozen seats, according to initial trends available after counting for Assembly elections to three states began on Thursday.

In Haryana, Congress is leading in four seats while opposition INLD and BJP is ahead in one each seat, while in Arunachal Pradesh ruling Congress was ahead in six seats.

In Maharashtra, having a total of 228 seats, Congress—NCP combine is ahead in 37 seats while the opposition coalition is ahead in 34 seats.Raj Thackeray—led MNS and the Third Front were leading at one seat each.

Shiv Sena candidate Kedari Raibage leads Varsha Gaikwad of Congress in Mumbai’s Dharavi constituency while Congress candidates are leading in Shahada (Dhule) and Solapur.

Those leading include Industry minister Narayan Rane (Kudal) and Union minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s daughter Praniti (Solapur).

Stakes are high in Maharashtra, where there are several chief ministerial aspirants. Rivals Shiv Sena and its offshoot MNS are fighting for the same political space and the ruling Congress—NCP combine is aiming a hat—trick. There are 1,820 independents, mostly party rebels, in fray.

The Congress has been ruling the state for the last 10 years in alliance with the NCP.