Snap 2008 Answer Key

Snap 2008 Answer Key

SNAP Answer Key | Solution Key

SNAP Exam’s (held on 21st December 2008) Answer key will be put up on competeindia.com shortly.

Miss World: Miss World Pageant

Miss World: Miss World Pageant

Miss World 2008 Contestants

Millions of women across the globe aspire for the title of Miss World. They work hard to bag the most prestigious beauty

pageant in the world. The year-long event is held in several stages. Hundreds of contestants compete in the initial stages.

The numbers shrink to a few more than a dozen on the final day. 110 contestants are expected to participate in Miss World

2008 contest.

Country Contestant Age Height
Albania Egla Harxhi 17 175
Angola Brigith dos Santos 18 180
Antigua & Barbuda Athina James 18 180
Argentina Agustina Quinteros 17 176
Aruba Christina Trejo 20 175
Australia Katie Richardson 20 178
Austria Kathrin Krahfuss 23 177
Bahmas Tinnyse Johnson 21 176
Barbados Natalie Griffith 18 168
Belarus Volha Khizhynkova 21 184
Belgium Alizée Poulicek 21 175
Belize Charmaine Chinapen 21 174
Bolivia Jackelin Arias 18 177
Bosnia & Herzegovina Herzegovina Tanja Vujicic 18 178
Botswana Itseng Kgomotso 19 178
Brazil Tamara Almeida 22 174
Bulgaria Julia Yurevich 19 177
Canada Leah Ryerse 20 178
Cayman Islands Nicosia Lawson 25 175
Chile Nataly Chilet 23 175
Mei Yan Ling China PR 24 180
Chinese Taipei Jamie Lin 24 173
Colombia Katherine Medina 17 180
Congo DR Christelle Ndila 18 174
Costa Rica Amalia Matamoros 19 175
Croatia Josipa Kusic 20 182
Curacao Norayla Francisco 23 181
Cyprus Mari Vasileiou 18 168
Czech Republic Zuzana Jandová 20 180
Denmark Lisa Lents 21 177
Dominican Republic Nathali Montes de Oca 21 175
Ecaudor Marjorie Cevallos 22 183
Egypt Sanaa Ismail Hamed 24 175
El Salvador Gabriela Gavidia 18 173
England Laura Coleman 22 175
Ethiopia Hibret Fekadu 18 180
Finland Linda Wikstedt 19 174
France Laura Tanguy 20 175
Georgia Khatuna Skhirtladze 18 177
Germany Anne Katrin Walter 21 172
Ghana Frances Takyi-Mensah 22 180
Gibraltar Krystel Robba 22 178
Greece Angeliki Kalaitzi 24 173
Guadeloupe Frédérika Charpentier 23 175
Guatemala Maribel Arana 23 174
Guyana Christa Simmons 23 173
Honduras Gabriela Zavala 23 183
Hong Kong Skye Chan 24 168
Hungary Szilvia Freire 24 174
Iceland Alexandra Ívarsdóttir 18 180
India Parvathy Omanakuttan 21 175
Indonesia Sandra Angelia 22 168
Ireland Sinéad Noonan 21 175
Israel Tamar Ziskind 23 176
Italy Claudia Russo 25 178
Jamaica Brittany Lyons 19 166
Japan Mizuki Kubodera 21 173
`Kazakhstan Alfina Nassyrova 20 175
Kenya Ruth Kinuthia 22 184
Korea Choi Bo-in 22 169
Latvia Ina Avlasevica 20 180
Lebanon Rosarita Tawil 20 178
Lithuania GabrieleMartirosianaite 17 176
Macedonia FYRO Suzana Al-Salkini 24 176
Malaysia Soo Wincci 23 170
Malta Martha Fenech 17 170
Martinique Elodie Delor 18 183
Mauritius Olivia Carey 19 170
Mexico Anagabriela Espinoza 20 180
Moldova Iana Varnacova 17 180
Mongolia Anun Chinbat 23 173
Montenegro Mariana Mihajlovic 18 180
Namibia Marelize Robberts 21 180
Netherlands Carmen Kool 22 178
New Zealand Kahurangi Taylor 17 180
Nigeria Adaeze Igwe 18 173
Northern Ireland Judith Wilson 23 180
Norway Lene Egeli 21 178
Paraguay Gabriela Rejala 19 173
Peru Annmarie Dehainaut Velezmoro 18 175
Philippines Danielle Castaño 18 174
Poland Klaudia Ungerman 20 180
Portugal Andréia Rodrigues 24 175
Puerto Rico Ivonne Orsini 20 175
Russia Ksenia Sukhinova 21 178
Scotland Stephanie Willemse 19 180
Serbia Nevena Lipovec 19 175
Seychelles Elena Angione 22 168
Sierra Lione Tyrilla Gouldson 24 188
Singapore Faraliza Tan 22 175
Slovakia Edita Krešáková 19 180
South Africa Tansey Coetzee 23 174
Spain Patricia Rodríguez 18 179
Sri Lanka Rochelle Correa 24 180
St Lucia Joy-Ann Biscette 22 173
Swaziland Tiffany Simelane 20 172
Sweden Jennifer Palm Lundberg 22 176
Tanzania Nasreem Ndiye 22 174
Thailand Ummarapas Jullakasian 23 173
Trinidad & Tobago Gabrielle Walcott 23 170
Turkey Leyla Tugutlu 19 175
Uganda Dora Mwima 18 175
Ukraine Irina Zhuravskaya 18 177
United States Lane Lindell 18 177
Uruguay Fatimih Dávila 20 176
Venuzuela Hannelly Quintero 22 176
Vietnam Duong Truong Thiên Lý 19 169
Wales Chloe Morgan 22 175
Zambia Winfridah Mofu 19 172
Zimbabwe Cynthia Muvirimi 25 170

Source: pageants.india-server.com

DDA: DDA Results - www.dda.org.in

DDA: DDA Results - www.dda.org.in

DDA housing scheme results out, over 5000 flats allotted

Here's a piece of good news for the applicants of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) housing scheme. The two websites that were displaying the results of the draw are now opening. Earlier, many were facing problems while logging onto the sites. The sites - www.dda.org.in or www.urbanindia.nic.in, were not opening till afternoon.

Besides the sites, the DDA has also promised to publish the results in major newspapers on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, a number of calls were received at NDTV.com with people complaining that they were unable to view the results on the DDA website and asking for an alternative way to do so.

It was a day many in Delhi had been waiting for with fingers crossed - the DDA allotted 5,000 flats through a computer lottery. At the Vikas Sadan office where applicants had been collecting since morning, the display of results had mixed news. An exultant Ratnesh Kumar Maheshwari, whose name appeared in the list, said, Earlier, I used to stay in a rented house. But now, I'll have a flat of my own.

On the other hand, Harish Kumar, whose name did not figure in the list, said he was not lucky this time. I will try next time because it is still affordable, he said.

The lottery process, which began at 12 noon, saw hundreds of applicants protesting and shouting slogans outside the DDA's office at Vikas Sadan. The protesting applicants said they were told that the draw would be shown live to them on a screen to ensure transparency. But they were not being allowed inside the building. Instead, they' d been asked to check the result at 3 pm on the DDA website.

The 5,000 DDA flats range from Rs 7 to 77 lakh in cost. They've been built in some of Delhi's most-wanted colonies like Dwarka, Rohini and Vasant Kunj.

The fact that they are 50 per cent cheaper than market rates for these areas makes them priceless. And to avoid any controversy, the lottery was supervised by IIT teachers.

Source: ndtv.com

Russian blonde Kseniya Sukhinova named new Miss World 2008 in Johannesburg, South Africa

Russian blonde Kseniya Sukhinova named new Miss World 2008 in Johannesburg, South Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) — Russian blonde Kseniya Sukhinova is the new Miss World.

Sukhinova was crowned after a two-hour spectacle in Johannesburg Saturday that combined elements of travelogue and reality show, and the kind of flag-waving usually seen at sports events. She beamed as she was crowned.

Sukhinova also had won the contest's top model award and was third in the swimsuit competition. She was a crowd favorite — though not as popular as hometown beauty Miss South Africa, Tansey Coetzee. Coetzee made the final five.

Second runner up was Miss Trinidad and Tobago, Gabrielle Walcott. First runner up was Miss India, Parvathy Omankuttan.

Source: http://www.dailypress.com

American Idol Season 8 2009

American Idol Season 8 2009

The eighth season of American Idol will premiere on January 13, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson will return to judge once again, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. Kara DioGuardi was announced as the fourth and newest judge to the 'Idol' panel.

Media sponsorship
American Idol is often noted for advertising its sponsors during the show's runtime. Being the number-one-rated show in the United States, it costs around $700,000 for a 30-second commercial.

Apple iTunes has joined as a Season 7 major sponsor in the U.S., and Ryan Seacrest notes during the program that all performances are available via iTunes. Video is regularly shown of contestants learning their songs by rehearsing with iPods. Coca-Cola is a major sponsor in the U.S., and all the judges, hosts, and contestants are seen consuming beverages out of cups bearing the Coca-Cola logo, although video evidence suggests there is actually no beverage in the judges' cups at all.[38] The sponsorship also depicts contestants and host Seacrest gathering for a "Keeping it Real" segment between songs in the "Coca-Cola Red Room," the show's equivalent to the traditional green room. (During rebroadcast on ITV in the UK, the Coca-Cola logo is obscured in the shots.) In seasons 1 through 4, after every Wednesday results show, the host and remaining contestants meet in the Coca-Cola Red Room to discuss next week's theme; the footage of this meeting is shown at the start of the following Tuesday's performance show. The red room was removed in Season 7 at the beginning of the top 12 when American Idol switched to a new stage. Highlights of the show were also featured on the official American Idol web site with a Coca-Cola logo surrounding them.

Text voting is made possible by AT&T Mobility, formerly Cingular Wireless. AT&T created an ad campaign that centered around an air-headed teenager going around telling people to vote. This kind of branding to American Idol enabled AT&T to become the favored system to vote for many Americans (Jenkins 87).

Kellogg and Pop-Tarts are also two major sponsors, especially of the cast tour that follows the end of every season.[40] Products from the Ford Motor Company also receive prominent product placement; contestants appear in Ford commercials on the results shows, and the final two of Seasons 4, 5 and 6 each won free Mustangs. Previous contestants Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Hicks have also been tapped to do commercials for Ford. Also, in the top 24's studio, in the red room there is a glass table with a Ford tire inside of it. The camera routinely captures the logo. Carrie Underwood previously did commercials for various chocolate brands. Jordin Sparks, the winner of the sixth installment of 'Idol', filmed a commercial promoting the new "American Idol Experience" section of the Florida theme park, Disneyworld.

Contestants will occasionally don Old Navy clothing during performances,[40] and celebrity stylist Steven Cojocaru appeared in two previous seasons to assist contestants with picking out wardrobe pieces from Old Navy. Clairol hair care products also sponsors the show, with contestants usually getting Clairol-guided hair makeovers after the first two or three episodes during the round of 12.

Source: wikipedia.org

Katrina Kaif is the hottest babe on Google

Katrina Kaif is the hottest babe on Google

Looks like Katrina Kaif has finally won the 'Race'! As per a new Google report, Indians couldn't have enough of the leggy beauty on big screen so they spent most of the 2008 searching for this Bollywood siren on the Web.

Recently declared as Asia's sexiest woman, Katrina Kaif has yet again pipped former beauty queen and Bollywood heart-throb Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as the most searched for person on the Web, according to Google's India Zeitgeist list for 2008.

Interestingly, Katrina has also outdone her boyfriend and godfather Salman Khan when it comes to being googled on the Net! As for Salman, he may not have been able to set his account straight with Shah Rukh Khan in real life but on the world wide web he has elbowed King Khan, and remains the most searched for actor in India. Shahid Kapoor makes his debut on the list while Genelia D'Souza of Jaane Tu Jaane Na has been declared as one the fastest rising searched for terms on the Net besides Beijing Olympics and IPL!

Bollywood remains one of the most popular Internet search terms ahead of Tamil Cinema when it comes to netizens' interest on movies. As with most of the awards ceremonies, one name that is conspicously missing is none other than Aamir Khan's. After all, Aamir was never in the rat race, more so if it was run on people's keyboards!

Source: movies.ndtv.com

Katrina Kaif is the hottest babe on Google

Katrina Kaif is the hottest babe on Google

Looks like Katrina Kaif has finally won the 'Race'! As per a new Google report, Indians couldn't have enough of the leggy beauty on big screen so they spent most of the 2008 searching for this Bollywood siren on the Web.

Recently declared as Asia's sexiest woman, Katrina Kaif has yet again pipped former beauty queen and Bollywood heart-throb Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as the most searched for person on the Web, according to Google's India Zeitgeist list for 2008.

Interestingly, Katrina has also outdone her boyfriend and godfather Salman Khan when it comes to being googled on the Net! As for Salman, he may not have been able to set his account straight with Shah Rukh Khan in real life but on the world wide web he has elbowed King Khan, and remains the most searched for actor in India. Shahid Kapoor makes his debut on the list while Genelia D'Souza of Jaane Tu Jaane Na has been declared as one the fastest rising searched for terms on the Net besides Beijing Olympics and IPL!

Bollywood remains one of the most popular Internet search terms ahead of Tamil Cinema when it comes to netizens' interest on movies. As with most of the awards ceremonies, one name that is conspicously missing is none other than Aamir Khan's. After all, Aamir was never in the rat race, more so if it was run on people's keyboards!

Source: movies.ndtv.com

Ring Of Fire Lyrics

Ring Of Fire Lyrics

Love Is A Burning Thing
And It Makes A Fiery Ring
Bound By Wild Desire
I Fell Into A Ring Of Fire

CHORUS:
I Fell Into A Burning Ring Of Fire
I Went Down, Down, Down
And The Flames Went Higher

And It Burns, Burns, Burns
The Ring Of Fire
The Ring Of Fire

I Fell Into A Burning Ring Of Fire
I Went Down, Down, Down
And The Flames Went Higher

And It Burns, Burns, Burns
The Ring Of Fire
The Ring Of Fire

The Taste Of Love Is Sweet
When Hearts Like Ours Meet
I Fell For You Like A Child
Oh, But The Fire Went Wild

CHORUS
I Fell Into A Burning Ring Of Fire
I Went Down, Down, Down
And The Flames Went Higher
Cool New Version of Johnny Cash
And It Burns, Burns, Burns
The Ring Of Fire
The Ring Of Fire

I Fell Into A Burning Ring Of Fire
I Went Down(down), Down(down), Down(down)
And The Flames Went Higher Higher Higher

And It Burns, Burns, Burns
The Ring Of Fire
The Ring Of Fire

And It Burns, Burns, Burns

The Ring Of Fire

The Ring Of Fire
Oh Yeah!
The Ring Of Fire

Jingle Bell Rock - Billy Idol

Jingle Bell Rock - Billy Idol

Embedding disabled by request

Click here for Jingle Bell Rock - Billy Idol.

Jingle Bell Rock Lyrics

Jingle Bell Rock Lyrics

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring
Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun
Now the jingle hop has begun

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air.

What a bright time, it's the right time
To rock the night away
Jingle bell time is a swell time
To go gliding in a one-horse sleigh
Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet
Jingle around the clock
Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet
That's the jingle bell,
That's the jingle bell,
That's the jingle bell rock.

Sixth Pay Commission: MBAs play safe, vie for civil services

Sixth Pay Commission: MBAs play safe, vie for civil services

A24 x7 blue-collar job, with a six-figure pay - and the demons of impossible targets, insecurity and killer stress. Or a cushy government job, with a decent pay, comfortable lifestyle, non-existent accountability, loads of perks and real power? For MBAs, the choice is no longer a blind first. The heat generated by the global meltdown seems to have warmed their hearts for government jobs.

Caught in the worldwide financial turmoil, the glam quotient in corporate jobs has taken a nose-dive . Job security - rather than big bucks - is determining factor. Even IIM-Calcutta grads, the much-envied elite in the MBA community, cannot resist the survival instinct. Their choice: the Indian Civil Services.

Several IIM-C students are preparing as hard for the 2009-2010 civil service examinations, as they are for their MBA finals. IIM and IIT grads do appear in the civil services exam and make it to the topper's list every year. In fact, the Bengal cadre has a number of IIT graduates - S K Gupta, N S Nigam, Talleen Kumar, Binod Kumar , and Prabhat Mishra - to name a few. But this time the number of hopefuls from these elite campuses is far more.

The campus placements - in which the big bucks had dried up this season - perhaps isn't as much of a pull as the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy that trains IAS officers . But won't they miss the sixfigure salaries?

"Money isn't everything," says Kapidhwaja Pratap Singh, 1st year student at IIM-C . He knows that the starting point is only Rs 24,000 a month in the civil services, but says he can "discount that for the more meaningful stuff in life" . With a gold medal in electrical engineering from NIT, Kurukshetra, the IIM-C students' council president is even ready to vouch for his campus mates. "We'll take the IAS exams because government service offers quality work. The reach is wider. And the pay does enhance with seniority."

"I want quality life and a rewarding career. You can have both as a bureaucrat . Besides, I don't want the stress that comes with a corporate package," says Harish, Singh's batchmate . "I always dreamt of being a civil servant. This meltdown has only reinforced my resolve. After the Sixth Pay Commission revision, a civil servant's job is paying, too."

Singh has made a note of the Cabinet secretary's Rs 90,000-minimum basic salary. "Add to that the other allowances and the perks and I can be laughing my way to the bank," he says, solemnly adding: "We've all weighed the pros and cons carefully. This isn't a sudden decision."

However, Jyotirmoy Pal Chowdhury , director of Bose Academy, an IAS coaching centre, feels it is just that - a knee-jerk reaction. "We have been struck by the sudden interest generated from B-schoolgoers for the 2009 ICS prelims. The global meltdown has certainly touched the civil service chord in job aspirants," says the veteran trainer.

IAS coaching centres run by IISWBM and Asutosh College had closed down a few years ago because the demand had waned in the glare of the corporate boom. Now, it's just the opposite.

"If B-school boys are really interested in our service, it's certainly a welcome development," says Sunil Mitra, power secretary and president, IAS Officers' Association. "The country will benefit from their managerial skills."

Subesh Das, principal secretary to chief minister, isn't surprised by the trend. "The government sector is the most challenging. It's the best paying, professionally," said Das, who has done a PhD in industrial and labour relations from Cornell University , US. "The extra professional degree (MBA) would only heighten their expertise as bureaucrats."

West Midnapore district magistrate N S Nigamagrees: "Several of my batchmates from IIT-Kanpur became civil servants. Nobody has any regret. This is one of the best professions available in India. Paywise, this job offers enough for a decent living."

But there have been some in the Bengal cadre who took a lien for Bcourses . Most of them left in due time for the moolah. Mitra's candid explanation : "Some of our younger colleagues have left the service to meet bigger challenges. On the flip side, there's no denying that the political environment does affect decisionmaking in governance. But now that the corporate bubble has burst, the positive sides of bureaucracy will be seriously considered. I am sure the trend is here to stay."

Or is it? A K Patnaik, member, State Administrative Tribunal, takes a different view. "Just because a handful of IIM grads are showing interest in IAS, we must not read too much into it. Our service has lost its primacy and differential advantage. In a meltdown scenario, any government job - and not just civil service - would be considered a better option."

Ditto, says HR consultant Tushar Bose: "I think it's only a temporary phenomenon. Once the economy bounces back, they will again look the corporate way."


Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Miss World 2008 is Ksenia Sukhinova - Russia

Miss World 2008 is Ksenia Sukhinova - Russia

Miss World 2008 Russia - Ksenia Sukhinova

1st Runner-up India - Parvathy Omanakuttan

2nd Runner-up Trinidad & Tobago - Gabrielle Walcott.

Jennifer Aniston Desktop Calendar 2009

Jennifer Aniston Desktop Calendar 2009

Jennifer Aniston's wet T-shirt look for desktop calendar

IT'S only a 2009 desktop calendar, but the rather prim Jennifer Aniston has revealed herself like never before. news.com

Dr Dre Detox (Dr Dre Detox Album)

Detox (Dr. Dre album)

Detox is the upcoming third and final studio album by rapper and record producer Dr. Dre. It was originally due for a 2004 release, but was not completed because Dr. Dre wanted to concentrate on producing for artists that were on his Aftermath Entertainment record label.

Studio album by Dr. Dre

Released: November–December 2008

Recorded: 2003–2008

Genre: West Coast hip hop, gangsta rap

Label: Aftermath, Interscope

Producer: Dr. Dre (exec.), Dawaun Parker, Focus, Hi-Tek, J. R. Rotem, Just Blaze, Mahogany, Mel-Man, Nottz, Mr. Porter, RZA, Scott Storch, Warren G, DJ Khalil

Dr. Dre chronology

2001: Detox

(1999): (2008)

Background

Work for the album dates back to early 2004,[4] but later in that year he decided to stop working on the album to focus on producing for other artists. The album had initially been set for a fall 2005 release.

On February 18, 2007, Dr. Dre revealed to Power 106 radio that he had completed eighteen potential tracks for the album. He plans to have twelve or thirteen songs in the final version, with each one being a single. He also announced that the introductory track is titled "Intervention". However, Bishop Lamont stated that the album will include more than thirteen tracks.

In an interview, 50 Cent was asked about Detox, in which he spoke of his collaborations and Dr. Dre's progress, stating,

He's working on it. I've recorded two songs for him. He's such a perfectionist. But sometimes that can be a bad thing. You create new pressure when you wait that long. When you put a new album against the last two classics, people will scrutinize it if they become impatient.

On September 9, 2007, before presenting the award for Video of the Year on the MTV Video Music Awards, Dr. Dre stated that Detox will be released. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Dr. Dre said the album will be released after Eminem's sixth studio album.

On September 21, 2007, he revealed to Hillary Crosley of Billboard magazine that Detox will be his final album and released in 2008.In February 2008, Bishop Lamont also announced a second "Up in Smoke Tour" to begin shortly after the album.

In May 2008, rumors spread that Detox had been completed. That same month, Detox and Eminem's new studio album were revealed to be released for the fourth quarter of 2008. In an interview with Defsounds, Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo stated that they are unsure if they will appear on Detox. They stated that 50 Cent has recorded about three songs for Detox. In an interview with the website DubCNN.com, rapper The D.O.C. also said that fellow N.W.A members Ice Cube and MC Ren would most likely not be guests on the album. Although Ice Cube later stated in August 2008 that he is likely to be featured on the album.

In June 2008, Snoop Dogg announced that Detox was completed and that Dre is looking for the right songs for the album. He also said it would be worth the wait. During the same month, Dr. Dre revealed that he is aiming to release the album in November or December of 2008. He said "I'm just now, over the last couple of months, starting to feel that it's going to be right and it's something I can be proud of, and everybody is going to love it." Dr. Dre also talked about the drum work on the album that is derived from live instrumentation, saying "We have an entirely new thing going with the drums that's incredible and we're still developing that."

On August 6th it was reported that Dr. Dre and Drinks Americas made a joint venture to release a drink called "Aftermath Cognac" within the next 60 days. According to Drinks Americas, this drink would be introduced at the same time as the Detox album as part of a marketing plan.


Music

Concept

At one point, Dr. Dre had intended for Detox to be a concept album. In an interview with MTV in 2002, Dr. Dre stated,

I'm not talking about lowriders and blunts and all that anymore… I mean, that's played. As a matter of fact, I'm tired of hearing other people talk about it, to tell you the truth… I had to come up with something different but still keep it hardcore, so what I decided to do was make my album one story about one person and just do the record through a character's eyes, and everybody that appears on my album is going to be a character, so it's basically going to be a hip-hop musical.


Featured guests

Dr. Dre first mentioned Detox to the press around 2000, and since that time various producers and vocalists have contributed with potential tracks.[25] Dr. Dre bought a beat for Detox from producer J. R. Rotem in 2003, going so far as to record a track, "It Ain't a Thing". In January 2004, co-producer Scott Storch listed guest appearances by 50 Cent, Eminem, The Game, Guvner, Knoc-turn'al, Lloyd Banks, and Snoop Dogg. A XXL article released shortly thereafter listed many of the same performers, along with Mary J. Blige. Aftermath-affiliated producers Dawaun Parker, Hi-Tek, DJ Khalil, and Focus are also working with Dr. Dre.[28][29][30] When asked about Detox by dubcnn.com, Devin the Dude claimed to have accepted an invitation to record for the album.[31] Mike Elizondo has recorded bass guitar parts for Detox. An interview with Billboard revealed that J. R. Rotem will produce for the album.[33] RZA announced that he co-produced a track with Dr. Dre that features Marsha Ambrosius, which could be on Detox.[34] MP3.com has reported that Busta Rhymes and Snoop Dogg have also contributed to the album. Jay-Z and Warren G stated that they worked with Dr. Dre. In March 2005, Aftermath producer Mel-Man said that Dr. Dre and himself have made hundreds of beats for Detox. In July 2008, it was confirmed that Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Nas will be among guests on the album. In August 2008, Ice Cube also stated he is likely to be featured.

Tags: dr dre detox album,dr dre detox,dr dre detox wiki,dr dre detox wikipedia

Photo Credit: http://z.about.com

Source: wikipedia.org

www.thaindian.com | Sixth Pay Commission | Anomaly in reviewed pay commission: IAF chief

August 27th, 2008 - 9:08 pm ICT by IANS -

New Delhi, Aug 27 (IANS) The government must take immediate steps to restore the parity in the pay scales of officers of the rank of Lieutenant Colonels and equivalent with their civilian and Coast Guard counterparts who have been awarded more emoluments by the Sixth Pay Commission, says Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal Fali H. Major. Major has made the plea in a letter to Admiral Sureesh Mehta, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Indian Navy chief, urging him to intervene before the government implements the recommendations made by the pay commission.

“The finance ministry is introducing yet another anomaly by lowering the extant of parities of officers of the armed forces, of the Lt. Col. (and equivalent), by retaining them in pay band-3, while raising similarly placed civilian and paramilitary officers to pay band-4,” Major wrote in the letter sent Monday. A copy of the letter was made available to IANS.

“It is reliably learnt that civilian and paramilitary officers in the extant pay scales S-24 (Rs.14,300-400-18,300) and S-25 (Rs.15,100-400-18,300) will be placed in pay band-4, whereas the same is being denied to the armed forces officers (Lt. Col. and equivalent) who were already in S-25,” Major said.

The IAF chief has pointed that because of this the civilian officers who were in the lower pay bracket (S-24) and were hitherto drawing lesser pay than Lieutenant Colonels and officers of equivalent ranks would now draw a higher basic salary.

At present, the India Army, the Indian Navy and IAF have 11,187, 3,528 and 4,216 officers, respectively, of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and equivalent.

“This is not just affecting a Lt. Col. Because of this the pay of Coast Guard’s commandant with 23 years of experience will be equivalent to a Rear Admiral with 30 years of experience,” a senior army official said.

The cabinet Aug 14 cleared the revised recommendations of the pay commission, granting huge hikes to five million government employees, with special attention paid to military and paramilitary personnel.

According to the government, the revision translates into a 20 percent hike over the 40 percent across-the-board increase the pay commission had recommended.

The government promised at least three promotions for defence personnel and civilian employees under the modified assured career progression (ACP) scheme.

Civilians will be assured of promotions after 10, 20 and 30 years of service. Junior and non-commissioned officers and personnel below officer rank (PBOR) will be eligible for this after 8, 16 and 24 years of work.

The Military Service Pay recommended by the pay commission has been doubled to Rs.2,000 for PBORs and retained at Rs.6,000 for officers up to the rank of brigadiers.

Middle level officers - colonels, brigadiers and equivalent - are now placed in the highest pay band of PB-4. Lieutenant generals overlooked for promotion as army commanders due to lack of residual service will get the grade of an army commander.

The report of the Sixth Pay Commission, headed by Justice (retd) B.N. Srikrishna, was submitted to Finance Minister P. Chidambaram March 24.

It led to protests from both civilian and defence personnel, following which the government appointed a committee under Cabinet Secretary K. Chandrashekhar to study the various demands for financial corrections.

The three service chiefs also made a joint representation to Defence Minister A.K. Antony.


Source: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/anomaly-in-reviewed-pay-commission-iaf-chief_10089386.html

Khabrein.Info: IAF chief criticizes Sixth Pay Commission

By Khabrein.Info Correspondent,

New Delhi, Aug 27, 2008: The Indian Air Force (IAF) chief has criticized the Sixth Pay Commission and said that there was a need to create parity between civilian and military pay scale.

The criticism comes after several senior armed forces officials had welcomed the final Sixth pay Commission recommendations as accepted by the Union Cabinet on 14th August. Government had made several amendments to the original recommendations of the sixth pay commission to satisfy the demands of the armed forces.

Former armed forces chief General (Rtd) NC Vij had criticized the original Sixth pay recommendations calling it inadequate. In a letter written to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Sigh he had said, “ As a former chief, I feel morally duty-bound to bring this fact to the notice of the Hon'ble Prime Minister in my personal capacity. I take heart from the fact, that it is under your leadership, that, in my tenure, the government went for a major improvement in the 'operational posture by sanctioning South Western Command and 9 Corps HQs with full complements and also for some restoration of self esteem of the young officers through addressing their delayed promotions-cum-service conditions, by approving Part 1 of Ajay Vikram Singh Committee report'…If this had been followed up, through a balanced PCR and implementation of Part II of the 'AVS Report', things would have reasonably improved, but unfortunately the very opposite has happened.”

Stressing on the plight of army personnel he further said, “Sir, you yourself hail from a state, which has traditionally produced soldiers. You would have often wondered, as to why a supremely fit jawan/JCO who retires at the young age of 42-48, ages and grows old so fast. It is because he has no resources to fall back upon to ensure a decent living for his family after his early retirement. This problem gets further accentuated with the constraints of even poor farming conditions. Why should a soldier retire at this early age (other services serve upto 60 years) and why this man who has served the Nation so valiantly not be given a second career by way of 'lateral transfer', which alas will never come about”.

Now when everyone thought that armed forces grouse had been adequately addressed, IAF chief has asked the government to restore the parity in the pay scales of officers of the rank of Lieutenant Colonels and equivalent with their civilian and Coast Guard counterparts who have been awarded more emoluments by the Sixth Pay Commission.

Air Chief Marshal Fali H. Major in a letter addressed to Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Indian Navy chief says, “The finance ministry is introducing yet another anomaly by lowering the extant of parities of officers of the armed forces, of the Lt. Col. (and equivalent), by retaining them in pay band-3, while raising similarly placed civilian and paramilitary officers to pay band-4”.

IAF chief added that “It is reliably learnt that civilian and paramilitary officers in the extant pay scales S-24 (Rs.14,300-400-18,300) and S-25 (Rs.15,100-400-18,300) will be placed in pay band-4, whereas the same is being denied to the armed forces officers (Lt. Col. and equivalent) who were already in S-25”.

Earlier chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee and Navy Chief, Admiral Sureesh Mehta had welcomed the government’s decision to consider the demands of the armed forces while granting the Sixth Pay Commission. He said that even as more details are awaited, prima-facie, all the concerns of the defence forces appear to have been suitably addressed.

The Navy chief had said, “Increase in Military Service Pay of PBORs and compensation for middle-rung officers are particularly heartening. The decision to credit arrears from January 01, 2006 is most welcome”.


Source: http://www.khabrein.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16190&Itemid=88&limit=1&limitstart=1

Sixth pay commission: Websites

6th pay commission: Websites

1. Calculator based on 6th Pay commission recommendations.Sixth Pay Commission Calculator:
www.6pc.in

1. The Sixth Central Pay Commission submitted its Report to the Government on 24th March, 2008. The Report and main highlights can be viewed through this website india.gov.in/govt/paycommission.php

3. Staff Corner.com hwww.staffcorner.com

http://staffcorner.com/calc_mirror1.html
http://staffcorner.com/calc_mirror2.html

4.http://www.gconnect.in

5. http://www.khabrein.info

Allowances as suggested by Sixth Pay Commission

New Delhi, Aug 27, 2008: Following are the list of allowances as suggested by Sixth Pay Commission:

4.1.3 The Fifth Central Pay Commission recommended uniform neutralization of DA at 100% to employees at all levels; conversion of DA into Dearness Pay each time the CPI increases by 50% over the base index with Dearness Pay counting for all purposes including retirement benefits; and Dearness Allowance including Dearness Pay being paid net of tax. The Commission did not favor the option of employing separate indices for each category of employee because of the sheer impracticality of the task and, therefore, recommended using the 12 monthly average of All India CPI (IW) with base 1982 for calculating DA.

• DA should be paid net of taxes on the same line asrecommended by the 5th CPC to make the concept of 100% neutralization somewhat meaningful. Determining the level of inflationmethodology 4.1.7 While considering the issue of the quantum of DA admissible, the Commission considered at length the procedure for estimation of inflation. Presently, inflation as determined by the AICPI (IW), is estimated using the Laspeyere’s Fixed base methodology. The inflation index using this methodology captures the cost of buying a basket of goods (fixed in the base year) at current prices relative to the cost of buying the same basket of goods at base year prices.

4.1.11 Presently, the estimation of DA for Central Government Employees is based on the movements in the AICPI (IW) (1982=100). The Fourth Central Pay Commission, while considering the issue of suitability of the AICPI, opined that the Government should examine whether a more suitable index could be prepared for Government employees taking into account their consumption pattern and other relevant factors. This recommendation was based on the view that the AICPI does not truly represent the consumption pattern of all central Government employees. On the other hand, the Fifth Central Pay Commission took the view that consumption patterns of Group A,B,C,D employees within Government are bound to be different due to different income levels and hence a suitable index based on consumption pattern for Government employees as recommended by the Fourth Central Pay Commission is likely to suffer from the same set of problems which the AICPI(IW) suffers. The Fifth Central Pay Commission opined that even though the option of employing separate indices for each category of employees did exist, it was devoid of merit because of the sheer impracticality of the task as well as needless suspicion such an arrangement was likely to arouse between various groups. Therefore, they recommended that the AICPI (IW) should continue to be the index used for calculating DA for Government employees.

4.1.15 The rate of dearness allowance is calculated in terms of the percentage increase in 12 monthly average of AICPI (base 1982) over the average index of 306.33, which was the reference base for the existing scales of pay recommended by the Fifth Central Pay Commission.

4.2.4 City Compensatory Allowance (CCA) is granted to Central Government employees to adjust the high cost of living in certain specified localities.

4.2.9 Special Compensatory Allowance (Hill Areas/Remote Locality/Border Area/Gandhinagar) - Special Compensatory Allowances are paid on account of exceptionally difficult local conditions in various places.

4.2.10 Hill Area allowance - It is granted to Central Government employees posted at Hill stations located at an altitude of 1000 Mtrs. or more above sea level. The rates of Special Compensatory (Hill Area) Allowance vary between Rs.40 to Rs.300 per month. 4.2.11 Special Compensatory (Remote Locality) Allowance - It is payable to the employees serving in specified remote localities at rates varying between Rs.40 to Rs.1300 per month.

4.2.17 Tribal Area Allowance – It is paid in certain Tribal Talukas and pockets in certain States and is payable at rates varying between Rs.40 to Rs.200 per month.

The rates of all the components of Daily Allowance shall automatically increase by 25% whenever the Dearness Allowance payable on the revised pay bands goes up by 50%.

4.2.44 Simultaneously, the existing condition which prohibits grant of Transport Allowance to the employees who have been provided with official accommodation within one Kilometer of the office should also be removed because this creates an artificial distinction between the employees living in private accommodation within one Kilometer of the office vis-à-vis those living within one Kilometer of the office in Government accommodation. Other conditions regulating the grant of this allowance shall remain unchanged. Physically disabled employees shall continue to draw this allowance at double the normal rates. This, however, will be further subject to the condition that Transport Allowance in the case of physically disabled employees shall, in no case, be less than Rs.1000 per month plus the applicable rate of dearness allowance. Employees in pay band PB-4 who are entitled to the use of official car for travel between residence and office may be given the option to draw transport allowance at a higher rate of Rs.7000 p.m. plus dearness allowance provided they give up the use of official car for travel between residence and office.

Non-Practicing
4.2.45 Presently, Doctors are given Non-Practicing Allowance (NPA) at the rate of 25% of the basic pay subject to the condition that NPA + basic pay + dearness pay does not exceed Rs.44,250. NPA is counted as pay for all service and pensionary benefits.

4.2.55 The Fifth CPC had recommended a high increase in the HRA of Metropolitan towns like Delhi & Mumbai in view of the inordinate increase in monthly rents for residential accommodation in the period upto 1995 in these cities. The Fifth CPC also persisted with the population criteria for classification of cities and towns and recommended creation of a new category of A-1 cities for cities having a population of 50 lakh and above.

Demands 4.2.56 The Commission has received many demands relating to payment of HRA. Most of the demands seek an increase in the rates of HRA especially in cities other than A-1. Demands have also been received for granting A-1 status to the cities of Bengaluru and Hyderabad. This demand was, however, conceded by the Government during the term of the Commission and Bengaluru and Hyderabad already stand classified as A-1 cities.

Risk Allowance 4.2.65 Risk Allowance is presently given to employees engaged in hazardous duties or whose work will have deleterious effect on
health over a period of time. Risk Allowance is also paid to
Sweepers and Safaiwalas engaged in cleaning of underground
drains, sewer lines as well as to the employees working in trenching
grounds and infectious diseases hospitals.


The Commission, recommends continuation of the five day week in the offices of the Central Government. Holiday policy 4.5.6 As regards the issue of holidays, there can be no rationale for observing a large number of closed holidays in the Government along with a five day week. It is also very true that in a secular nation, religious festivals should be treated as personal to each individual employee without the Government offices having to be closed on that account. Keeping in view the recommendations of
the Fifth Central Pay Commission in this regard, the Commission 270 recommends that, henceforth, the Government offices should remain closed only on the 3 National holidays. No other closed holidays should be allowed. To enable the Government employees the freedom to celebrate their festivals and other
occasions of special significance to them, the number of
Restricted Holidays available to an employee shall be increased
to 8 with the list of Restricted Holidays being suitably enlarged
to include all the erstwhile Gazetted Holidays therein.

4.7.2 Keeping in view the dual responsibilities borne by working
women and the increasing practical difficulties in balancing work
and family responsibilities, previous Pay Commissions made
recommendations for providing special facilities for women in terms
of provision of residential accommodation for single women,
provision of transport facilities, introduction of concepts such as
flexi-time and flexi-place on trial basis, options for working half
time during the period that children are young , etc. The provisions
made by the Central Government for women employees include age
relaxation for appointment in Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ posts, exemption
from educational qualifications for compassionate appointments to
widows of deceased Government employees, maternity and
paternity leave benefits, guidelines for provision of crèche facilities
as well as for posting of husband and wife at the same station.
Demands of the Staff Side
Recommendations 4.7.5 The Commission has studied the facilities provided in other
countries and taken into account the demands made in this regard.
It is the considered opinion of the Commission that adequate
facilities need to be provided to ensure that more women take up public employment and to enable them to balance the dual responsibilities of looking after children and work. In pursuance of this, the Commission makes the following recommendations: -

(i) The concept of staggered working hours needs to be introduced for women employees as it would give flexibility to employees to work either early or late depending on their requirements at the home front. Under this scheme, 11 AM to 4 PM will be core hours during which all women employees will necessarily need to be present in the office. They will, however, have the option of either coming upto one and a half hours earlier or
leaving upto two hours late depending upon the actual time
they have clocked in.

(ii) The concept of child care leave exists in countries like Japan & Netherlands where women employees are allowed leave to look after the needs of their children. A similar facility needs to be extended in Central Government as it will facilitate women employees to take care of their children at the time of need. All women employees having minor children may, therefore, be allowed total leave of upto two years (i.e. 730 days) for taking care of upto 2 children whether for rearing the children or looking after any of their needs like examination, sickness, etc. Child care leave should also be allowed for the third year as leave not due. However, no child care leave shall be given for a child who is eighteen years of age or older.

(iii) Although instructions exist in regard to setting up of daycare- centers/crèches in offices or major residential areas, most Departments have not created such facilities. The setting up of these crèches should be made mandatory in offices where the employees, male and female, have preschool or primary school going children. This will enable male employees also to keep their children in such crèches. These crèches could also be run on contributory basis so that appropriate standard of facilities is maintained.

(iv) Maternity leave of 135 days is presently permitted to women employees for two children. Further, leave up to a 279 period of one year can be availed of in continuation of maternity leave. Keeping in view the guidelines of Ministry of Health & FW which recommends nursing of children till the age of 6 months, the Commission recommends that maternity leave should be increased from 135 days at present to 180 days. Further, the period of leave which can be availed of in continuation of maternity leave should be increased to 2 years instead of one year at present.



Medical facilities for serving employees & pensioners
Introduction 4.11.1 Presently, serving Government employees paid from civil estimates other than those working in Railways and Delhi
Administration are covered under the Central Government Health
Scheme (CGHS) which is a compulsory scheme for all Central
Government employees residing within the area covered by the
CGHS Dispensaries. CGHS is a contributory scheme and the
Government employees have to contribute varying sums between
Rs.15 to Rs.150 p.m. for this facility. Pensioners/family pensioners
can also avail CGHS facilities on payment of registration fee. It is
not necessary for pensioners/family pensioners to be living in the
areas covered under the CGHS for joining it. Railways and Defence
have their own medical infrastructure and their
employees/pensioners are not covered under CGHS. Presently, the
coverage of CGHS is available in 24 cities. Central Government
employees living outside these cities are not covered under CGHS.
Employees and their family members living outside the CGHS
areas are entitled to reimbursement for medical attendance and
treatment under the Central Services (Medical Attendance) Rules
[CS(MA) Rules]. These CS (MA) Rules, however, are available
only to the serving Government employees and the pensioners are
not covered under these rules. Pensioners living in non-CGHS
areas are allowed a sum of Rs.100 p.m. for meeting their medical
expenditure that does not require hospitalization. The amount of
Rs.100 was recommended by the Fifth CPC and has remained
unchanged since then. Pensioners living in non-CGHS areas are,
however, eligible for reimbursement of expenditure incurred on
hospitalization in accordance with the prescribed rules.
Demands 4.11.2 Some associations of Government employees in their
submissions to the Commission have lamented the poor quality of
service available under CGHS and sought an alternative to it. The
Central Government pensioners living in non-CGHS areas and
their associations have demanded reimbursement of medical
expenditure under the CS (MA) Rules on par with what is available
to the serving employees. Substantial enhancement in the amount
Chapter 4.11
323
of medical allowance of Rs.100 presently payable to pensioners
living in non-CGHS areas has also been demanded.
Analysis and
recommendations
4.11.3 The Commission is aware that there is increasing pressure
on CGHS which sometimes results in less than satisfactory services
being provided to its beneficiaries. On the obverse, CGHS is
appreciated by a number of employees and most of the pensioners.
In fact, most of the pensioners associations, in their submissions to
the Commission, have requested continuance of CGHS facilities.
The need of the hour may, therefore, be to retain the existing
scheme of CGHS while simultaneously providing optional inpatient
facilities (IPD) through medical insurance. This will
provide an alternative to such of those employees/ pensioners who
are not satisfied or are not living in the areas covered by CGHS.
The Commission, therefore, recommends that the Government
should revise entitlements for treatment in IPD for CGHS card
holders so that private ward facilities are available at least to the
employees in PB-2 pay band. The Commission is not in favour of
extending CS(MA) Rules to the pensioners as not only it will
prove to be very costly (estimates given by the Government peg
it at Rs.1,820 crore p.a.) but will also suffer from problems
relating to submission of bills, its verification and subsequent
payment, etc. This will pose additional problems for the
pensioners claiming reimbursement and will generate additional
administrative work with attendant problems for the
Government. The Commission is of the view that an insurance
scheme should be devised for meeting the OPD needs as well. In
the interregnum, the Government should consider enhancing the
amount of medical allowance for pensioners living in non-CGHS
areas appropriately.

Health insurance for Government employees & pensioners
4.11.4 Availability of health service providers in the private sector
has increased discernibly in the recent past. Therefore, making
available the in-patient facilities through a set up outside CGHS is
now viable. CGHS, by way of referrals, is already using this both
private and Government network. CS (MA) Rules, in any case,
operate through a system of Authorized Medical Attendants
(AMA) where adequate number of Government Doctors is not
available. CS (MA) Rules also provide for a set of empanelled
hospitals where the concerned employees can take treatment. The
Commission was informed that the Government is in the final
stages of introducing a health insurance scheme for its employees
so as to provide them with wider facilities and quality health care
without directly burdening the Government with the
administrative responsibility of verifying bills and/or expanding
public sector medical infrastructure. The scheme being formulated
by the Government, however, had not been formalized till the time
of finalization of this Report. Accordingly, the Commission is
324
recommending a scheme of health insurance for Central
Government employees and pensioners in this Report.
Recommendations 4.11.5 The Commission, accordingly, recommends introduction
of a Health Insurance Scheme for Central Government
employees/pensioners as under :-
i) For the existing employees and pensioners, the Insurance
Scheme would be available on voluntary basis subject to
paying the prescribed contribution. Contributions should
be based on the actual premium paid. Group A, B and C
employees should contribute 30%, 25% and 20% of the
annual premium respectively with the Government
paying the remainder. This arrangement should be
reviewed periodically.
ii) The Health Insurance Scheme would be compulsory for
new Government employees who would be joining
service after the introduction of the Scheme. Similarly,
new retirees after the introduction of the Insurance
Scheme would be covered under the Scheme. The new
recruits and pensioners will consequently not be provided
CGHS / CS (MA) facilities. The new recruits and the new
retirees may be paid an appropriate amount for meeting
their OPD expenditure till the time an insurance scheme
for providing OPD facilities is devised.
iii) Serving employees and existing pensioners shall have the
option to opt out of CGHS and subscribe only to the
Insurance Scheme, thus making their own arrangements
for OPD needs. In such cases, they will not pay
contributions to the CGHS. On par with new recruits,
they will need to contribute only the amounts prescribed
for similarly placed class of employees/pensioners under
CGHS and may also be paid an appropriate amount for
their OPD expenditure till the time an insurance scheme
for providing OPD facilities is devised. The serving
employees in non-CGHS areas may also opt for Health
Insurance Scheme and subscribe to the same.
iv) All personnel of the Central Government including All
India Service officers, serving and retired, and others who
are covered under the existing CGHS and under CS (MA)
Rules may be offered the health insurance scheme on a
voluntary basis.
Railways &
Defence
(combatants)
4.11.6 The aforesaid scheme has been recommended for
Government employees paid from civil estimates other than those
working in Railways. However, Railways and Defence
(combatants), who are having their own medical infrastructure,
should also devise a similar scheme for their employees.

Tags: Sixth Pay Commission,6th Pay Commission,Sixth Pay Commission Latest News,Sixth Pay Commission News, 6th Pay Commission Latest news,Sixth Pay Commission Allowances,6th Pay Commission Allowances

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