Monday, December 31, 2012


Former Israeli foreign minister indicted

Israel on Sunday announced the indictment of former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Lieberman Who  is accused of trying to promote a diplomat who relayed to him information about a criminal investigation into his political funding,notified of the pending charges, Lieberman resigned his cabinet post on December 18th saying he would prove his innocence.

Lieberman is a leader of a far-right coalition bloc that's a partner with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party.He's running in parliamentary elections on January 22nd, on a joint proportional representation list of the two parties.

Netanyahu called a snap election, hoping to benefit from the strong support of the Israeli people. But the latest poll shows that some supporters have shifted to another far-right party.
 Ekal Silver Jubilee Year on 13th, January, 2013.


Ekal Abhiyaan through its support organization Bharat Lok Shiksha Parisad recipient of Sita Ram Jindal Award for exceptional achievement in the field of “Peace, Social Harmony & Social Development" is organizing an event on 13th of January, 2013 at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi.

The program is conceptualized to mark the beginning of 25th year of Ekal Abhiyaan rendering selfless service through Ekal Vidyalayas based on five tier education for the holistic development of Tribal & Rural Bharat and to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. 

The program is only the beginning of year long celebrations throughout Ekal Movement from Delhi to remotest tribal village. The details of the program are as follows:







                    
SN
Program
Time
From
TO
1
RUN with Ekal
A run of 5.5 KM with 2000 – 3000 youth from Delhi and also from Ekal Villages


9.00 AM


11.30 AM
2
Launch Ceremony
to mark the beginning of Silver Jubilee year 




3.00 PM


6.00 PM


We would kindly like to request you to grace the occasion with your gracious presence.

We would be grateful for your consent to grace the occasion.

Thanking You,

With Warm Regards
For Ekal Sansthan

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Gang rape victim had planned a wedding party in Delh

Girl victim of a gang-rape,then murdered triggered an outpouring of grief and anger across country is cremated at a private ceremony at  wee hours on Sunday as it emerged she was planning to get married in February.The girl, a physiotherapy student, was gangraped and brutally assaulted allegedly by six men in a moving bus in south Delhi on December 16 night.She died on Saturday at around 2:15 a.m.

The mortal remains were flown to the capital in a Special Aircraft of Air India and after landing at IGI airport. Family members accompanied the body.The cremation took place under a dense cover of fog. A Special aircraft of Air India carrying the mortal remains of the victim, who died in Mount Elizebeth hospital, landed at IGI airport in New Delhi at around 3.30 am.  The funeral pyre was lit after traumatized relatives and friends said their final prayers at a ceremony in southwestern Delhi..The  23-year-old, the focus of nationwide protests since she was brutally attacked on a bus in New Delhi two weeks ago, was cremated away from the public glare only hours after her body was repatriated from Singapore.
Reports according to mourners who revealed she had been due to wed a boyfriend who was injured in the same attack "They had made all the wedding preparations and had planned a wedding party in Delhi" for February, said Meena Rai, who was a close friend and neighbour."I really loved this girl. She was the brightest of all."
 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, the leader of the main ruling Congress party, were at Delhi airport to console her parents as they arrived home on a chartered plane with their daughter's body at around 4:00 am (2230 GMT).
After initial treatment in a Delhi hospital following the attack, she was flown to Singapore on Wednesday night. But doctors were unable to prevent a multiple organ failure and she was pronounced dead in the early hours of Saturday.
Her death has prompted government promises of better protection for women, and deep soul-searching in a nation where gang-rapes are a daily occurrence and sexual harassment is routinely dismissed as "Eve-teasing".
Waves of protests have erupted across nation since the attack on the night of December 16 when the woman was not only repeatedly raped but also sexually assaulted with an iron bar, leaving her with terrible intestinal injuries.
Thousands took part in late-night candlelit vigils Saturday after Singh led appeals for calm to prevent a repeat of the sometimes violent protests.As police said the six accused of murdering the unnamed woman could face the death penalty, there was a widespread determination that the killing would serve as a tipping point for how the nation deals with violence against women.

The city has been dubbed the "rape capital" of India. According to police and prosecutors, the murder victim's ordeal began when six men lured her and her male companion onto a bus that they thought would take them home.Group of joyriders, who had been drinking heavily, launched a savage attack lasting some 40 minutes that only ended when the victims were thrown off the bus.The attack has prompted intense debate among Indians who had grown almost inured to an epidemic of violence against women.
Gang-rapes are so common that they rarely get a mention in the newspapers. Victims are often deterred even from reporting them for fear of shaming their families or receiving a brush-off from police.

249th Army Medical Corps Anniversary

Air Marshal D.P. Joshi addressing a Press Conference on the occasion of 249th Army Medical Corps Day  Jan 01,2013


249th Army Medical Corps Anniversary falls on Jan 01,2013. Director General, Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), Air Marshal D.P. Joshi addressing a Press Conference on the occasion of 249th Army Medical Corps Day, in New Delhi on December 28, 2012.
Army Medical Corp celebrate its 249 Anniversary on 1 Jan 2013.
On 1 Jan 1764,the first Indian Doctor joined East India Company and on 03  April 1947,amalgamation of Indian Medical department,Indian Medical Services and Indian Hospital Corps led to formation of the Indian Army Medical  Corps. Air Marshal D.P. Joshi is Director General, Armed Forces Medical Service.

AIASA Constituted Anti-Corruption Cell(ACC)

The All India Agricultural Students Association(AIASA)  in its Annual General Meeting(AGM) held on 29.12.2012   at New Delhi has constituted 15 members Anti Corruption Cell(ACC) headed by Mr.Jitendra Singh Shekhawat, former President, Central Students Union, S.K.Rajasthan Agricultural University-Bikaner. The ACC will work independently in close cooperation and coordination with All India Federation of Agricultural Associations(AIFAA) and other Agricultural Organizations  for bringing transparency in the agriculture sector in the country. The other members in the ACC represent from Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, New Delhi, Haryana.
Recently the Students of  55 Agricultural, Horticultural, Veterinary, Fisheries Universities and in other 100s colleges in the Traditional  Universities  have come under one umbrella for the welfare of the primary sector and its various stakeholders such as students,  farmers, officers, teachers, various professional personnel. On this backdrop, a registered Society under the name  of All India Agricultural Students Association (AIASA) has been constituted in December, 2011. The association is having two kinds of membership i.e. current membership and associate membership. About 2 lakhs students pursuing their courses in agriculture and its various allied subjects are members under current membership and the professional such as teachers, scientists, farmers and other stake holders are associate members.
The Association has  conducted election for constitution of its 75  Students Cabinet members for the year 2013. Dr.Mahesh Yadav, returning officer of AIASA has declared the election result on 29.12.2012. Mr.Manjit Lad, IARI, New Delhi  has been declared elected as National President, Mr.Rohan Kelawala, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari(Gujarat) as Senior Vice President, Mr.Babu Lal, President, Rajasthan Agricultural University, Jobner(Raj) as General Secretary, Miss Hina Rasool Mir as National Treasurer and Mr.Harish Makhija as Chief Coordinator.

The out going National President Mr.Biswajit Mondal has stated that the AIASA has recently initiated membership drive in the Country and it will have crores of members on its roll and the Association will work for betterment of agriculture community and will be in a position to influence the decision making process in the government  in the interest of agriculture community particularly agriculture students. The newly elected National President Mr.Manjit Lad has advocated that immediate steps will be taken up  to impress upon the government to  create all India Cadre of Indian Agriculture Service, State Agriculture Services, Agriculture education Commission and to   fill up 50,000 vacant Group A posts in Central and State Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry and  Agriculture Universities.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Japan objects to China’s continental shelf claim

Japan has filed an objection at the United Nations over China’s application to extend its continental shelf to areas including the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
The Japanese government on Friday submitted a document to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, asking it not to screen China’s application.
The Japanese document says Japan and China first need to set boundaries over the continental shelf in the East China Sea according to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
It says screening of applications to extend a continental shelf requires agreement by all coastal countries according to international law.
The Chinese government submitted its application to the UN commission on December 14th.
The document argues that the continental shelf in the East China Sea extends from the Chinese mainland to the Okinawa Trough, where the Senkaku Island chain is located.
The Senkakus are controlled by Japan but are claimed by China and Taiwan.
Based on this extension, China sets part of the outer limit of its continental shelf.

Damini succumbs to injuries at multi-organ transplant Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore the body to be flown back tonight.Back home "Damini" the brave soul awakens the nation.
An Air India aircraft has been chartered by the government and sent to Singapore to bring back the body of the gangrape victim and her family members to New Delhi.
The chartered plane, an Airbus A-319, left the IGI Airport at 0800 hours for Singapore and expected to return around 2000 hours tonight after taking off from there around 1700 hours local time, Air India officials told a news agency.
The aircraft is carrying some senior government officials, including those from the Union Home Ministry.
E Media is  reporting  each moment of people voice and raise Q of accountability, stringent laws, fast-track courts  to take up the rape cases on priority which happen every hr across the nation, need goverance action and attention to liberate the women from the clutches parochial society. Damini  23-year-old victim of the brutal gang rape and assault in Delhi that had triggered an outrage across India died early Saturday morning in Singapore after putting up a brave battle for life for nearly a fortnight.


The girl, who was admitted to the well-known multi-organ transplant facility Mount Elizabeth Hospital here on Thursday morning in an extremely critical condition, breathed her last at 4:45 AM (2:15 AM India time).

She was earlier treated at the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi.

Meanwhile, an Air India aircraft has been chartered by the government and sent to Singapore to bring back the body of the gangrape victim and her family members to New Delhi.
The chartered plane, an Airbus A-319, left the IGI Airport at 0800 hours for Singapore and expected to return around 2000 hours tonight after taking off from there around 1700 hours local time, Air India officials said.
"We are very sad to report that the patient passed away peacefully at 4.45am on 29 Dec 2012 (Singapore time)," the hospital's Chief Executive Officer Dr Kelvin Loh said in a statement.
"Her family and officials from the High Commission of India were by her side. The Mount Elizabeth Hospital team of doctors, nurses and staff join her family in mourning her loss," the statement said.
The body has been moved to the mortuary in the Singapore General Hospital and will be flown back to India by a chartered plane.
Accompanied by her family, the body is expected to arrive in Delhi in the night.
President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and a host of political leaders condoled the death of the girl and paid rich tributes to the victim of the sexual assault for her brave fight.
"Damini" was raped and brutally assaulted in a moving bus by six men in Delhi on 16th December and thrown out along with her companion.
Indian High Commissioner T C A Raghavan told reporters that the family was yet to decide on the plans for the last rites back home.
He said the "Damini" fought a brave battle till the end. She was brought to Singapore for being provided good medical treatment.
The envoy "The family is shattered by this development. At the same time, they realised that best possible medical attention was given. And in the end it was the scale of injuries that proved too much for the medical attention provided to her".
He said the final few hours was a trying time for the girl's family and they bore the entire process with a great deal of fortitude and courage.
Raghavan said he has passed on the condolence message of the Prime Minister to the family in which he had spoken of the desire to make India a demonstrably better and safe place for women to live in.
Raghavan said the High Commission has received numerous messages from various quarters including the Singapore government deeply mourning the death.
He appreciated the help extended by the Singapore Foreign Ministry, the government and the Mount Elizabeth Hospital for all their support in the last two days.
Replying to questions on the shifting of the girl from Delhi to Singapore, he said consultations were held between doctors of Safdarjung hospital and Mount Elizabeth Hospital and they must have given full thought to it before taking it.
Asked whether doctors felt that she could have died to her shift from Delhi to Singapore, Raghavan said "no such sentiments was expressed to me.
Both the doctors (P K Verma of Safdarjung and Yatin Mehta of Medanta Medicity) said she was very badly injured in the assault of December 16 night".
He said the best possible treatment was given to the girl in Delhi and in Singapore and the cause of her death was "the injuries she sustained".
"All possible medical efforts were made to treat the injuries. The efforts were not successful in helping her to overcome the injuries," he said. Declining to go into the details of the family, he said they had requested that the privacy of their identity be protected.
Meanwhile, the hospital added: "We are humbled by the privilege of being tasked to care for her in her final struggle. We acknowledge the faith the Indian Government and the patient's family have placed with us to ensure the best care possible was indeed provided to her at Mount Elizabeth Hospital".
"We share their huge sadness at her passing and will work with the High Commission of India to provide the family support in this time of grief," said Dr Loh.
Late last night, the hospital said the condition of the rape victim had taken a "turn for the worse". "As of 9 pm (6:30 PM IST), the patient's condition has taken a turn for the worse. Her vital signs are deteriorating with signs of severe organ failure," Loh had said in a statement.
"This is despite doctors fighting for her life including putting her on maximum artificial ventilation support, optimal antibiotic doses as well as stimulants which maximise her body's capability to fight infections," the CEO had said.
During her treatment in Safdarjung Hospital, the girl's condition had recorded several ups and downs. Three days after the attack, her gangrenous intestine was removed.
The beastial attack on the girl and her male friend in the bus had sparked off protests by students and women activists which took a violent turn in the capital last Saturday and Sunday.
Death for rapists was one of the demands of the protesters and the victim's demise could trigger fresh display of emotions on the streets.
A series of peaceful marches and protests were on Saturday held in the capital, including one at Jantar Mantar, to mourn the death of the 23-year-old gangrape victim even as India Gate and Raisina Hill were kept out of bounds for people.
Policemen were deployed in strength in and around India Gate and Raisina Hill as well as other parts of the capital to ensure that the protests remain peaceful besides shutting down of Delhi Metro stations near the war memorial.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit requested Home Minister SushilKumar Shinde to lift restrictions on holding peaceful demonstration in memory of the victim in and around India Gate.
In one of the protests, JNU students marched from their campus to Munirka bus stop from where the girl boarded the bus in which she was gangraped and brutally assaulted on December 16 allegedly by six men.
The students announced that they will hold a night vigil at the same spot on New Year Eve demanding strong laws to punish sexual offenders.
Activists of Left parties staged a peace march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar led by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat. She said there was a need for fixing accountability.
"Unless we do this, such incidents will repeat," she said. Asked about sexist comments by politicians, she said it shows the mindset of people and that "action should be taken against them in Parliament".
At Jantar Mantar, a number of people sat on a silent protest.
However, later there were sloganeering and demands for immediate punishment of the culprits. The mourners also protested against the security lock down of India Gate and Raisina Hill where violent demonstrations were witnessed last weekend over the rape.
People started gathering at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi at around 10 AM and sat in silence.CM Delhi was not allowed to speak to the protesters.
Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Kumar Vishwas joined the protest along with some of their supporters with their mouth tied with black cloth.Kejriwal tweeted, "her death is a matter of shame and sorrow for all of us. Let's resolve that we will not let her death go in vain.”
In tweets, activist Kiran Bedi said, "today is a day of reflection and personal audit on the way we as parents and teachers are grooming boys in this country.
"Today is day of mourning on lives we have lost because of failure of our criminal justice system and resolve to not fail it in future. Today is a day to also reflect the way we project our women in media," she said.
Should a diabetic with tight sugar control drive?
New Delhi: Saturday, 29 December 2012: Worldwide, diabetics are required to produce proof of good blood sugar control to keep their driving license. A study by Dr. Donald A. Redelmeier, professor of medicine at the University of Toronto has shown that diabetics, who keep their blood sugar tightly controlled run the risk of having traffic accidents due to low blood sugar, said Padma Shri & Dr. B.C. Roy National Awardee, Dr. KK Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India.
The risk was substantial, accounting for almost 50 percent of the accidents. The accidents were mostly related to severe hypoglycemia in association with strict blood sugar control. The findings were published online in PLoS Medicine. For the study, Redelmeier's team collected data on 795 diabetic drivers. They found that one in 14 of the drivers had been involved in car accidents. Those with low blood sugar were more likely to have had an accident than were diabetics whose blood sugar was not as well controlled. Moreover, the risk for having a car accident increased fourfold if the person had a history of hypoglycemia.
Diabetics should not to drive if they feel dizzy or have other symptoms of hypoglycemia. If some one has had a hypoglycemic episode the previous day, he or she should not drive the car next day.
Patients with diabetes should drive only if diabetes is under control and there is no evidence of end organ disease.

About HCFI : The only  National  Not for profit NGO, on whose mega community health education events, Govt. of India has released two National commemorative stamps and one cancellation stamp, and who has conducted one to one training on” Hands only CPR” of 22624 people since 1st  November 2012.

The CPR 10 Mantra is – “within 10 minutes of death, earlier the better; at least for the next 10minutes, longer the better; compress the centre of the chest of the dead person continuously and effectively with a speed of 10x10 i.e. 100 per minute.”

Friday, December 28, 2012





Country's apex policy making body NDC has approved the strategy to achieve average growth rate of 8 pc during the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17), generate 50 million new jobs and increase investments in infrastructure sector. 

"I am very happy that NDC (National Development Council) has approved the 12th Five Year Plan. We have marginally reduced the average annual growth rate to 8 per cent (from 8.2 per cent).
"We expect with the growth rate of 5.8 per cent this fiscal and little over 7 per cent next fiscal, and with extra effort in the remaining three more years we can reach 8 per cent," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said in New Delhi on Thursday.
The voluminous document, containing detailed policy strategy for the 12th Plan, was approved at the full meeting of the NDC chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The document has pegged the aggregate Plan resources at Rs 37.16 lakh crore during the five year period starting 2012-13.
Singh assured all Chief Ministers that Centre has taken note of the points raised by them, including those in the written speeches.
"All these points will be carefully considered by the Planning Commission," he said, adding, the Plan is not a rigid blue print.
"It is a broad 'directional' and 'aspirational' document, which must allow for modification on the basis of experience... We must now devote all our energies to implementing the Plan," the Prime Minister said.
Moving away from previous practice of presenting single growth projection, the Planning Commission has come out with three different economic scenarios for 12th Five-Year Plan.
As per the "aspirational" scenario one -- of strong inclusive growth -- India's economic growth will be average 8 percent in the five years.
The document also cautions that in scenario of policy logjam, the GDP growth could slow down to 5-5.5 percent.
The document proposes to bring down poverty by 10 percentage points by the end of the 12th Plan and generate five crore new jobs in non-farm sector.
As regard the infrastructure sector, it says that efforts should be made to increase investment in this sector to 9 percent of the GDP by the end of the Plan period.
The other targets include increasing green cover by one million hectare every year and adding 30,000 MW of renewable energy generation capacity in the Plan period.
It also seeks to reduce emission intensity of the GDP in line with the target of 20-25 reduction by 2020 over 2005 levels.
Although the document envisages 6.7 percent growth rate in the current fiscal, it has been projected at 5.7-5.9 percent in 2012-13 by the Finance Ministry.
The strategy for the full Plan would aim at raising agriculture output to 4 percent and manufacturing sector growth to 10 percent.
It also wants all the states to set higher targets of growth than what was achieved in the 11th Five Year Plan.
(DD-28.12)
Petro products, power, coal underpriced: PM 
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday made a strong case for "phased" hike in prices of petroleum products, coal and power as they are "underpriced" warning that failure to control subsidies would lead to cut in plan expenditure.
"Unfortunately, energy is underpriced in our country. Our coal, petroleum products and natural gas are all priced well below international prices. This also means that electricity is effectively underpriced, especially for some consumers.”
"Immediate adjustment of prices to close the gap is not feasible, I realise this, but some phased price adjustment is necessary", Singh said while addressing the 57th meeting of the National Development Council (NDC).
The apex policy-making body NDC, which comprises Cabinet Ministers and State Chief Ministers, was convened to approve the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) which seeks to peg the average annual growth rate at 8 per cent, as against 8.2 per cent proposed earlier.
Drawing attention to the need to control subsidies, Dr Singh said some subsidies were a normal part of any socially just system but they should be well designed and effectively targeted. The total volume must be kept within limits of fiscal sustainability.
"Failure to control subsidies within these limits only means that other plan expenditures have to be cut or the fiscal deficit target exceeded," he said.
In his address, Dr Singh also referred to the recent gangrape of a 23-year old paramedic student in the capital and said the government would accord high priority to safety and security of women as "there can be no meaningful development without the active participation of half the population".


Northern Railways made history as the first train chugged through India's longest railway tunnel through the Pir Panjal mountain range, connecting Kashmir Valley to Banihal town on Srinagar-Jammu National highway. 

The train on a trial run, arrived at Banihal station from Qazigund in Anantnag district of Kashmir, was witnessed by hundreds of local residents of this highway town.
The train chugged in at the station amidst thunderous applause from the people, who had assembled here to witness the historic achievement of Indian railways.
The trial run was scheduled to be conducted on Thursday but had to be postponed following protests by residents of villages falling along Qazigund-Banihal railway link, who were demanding a one-minute halt station for the train at Hillad village.
The protesters, backed by a local politician, tried to block the track on Friday again but were persuaded by the civil administration officials to allow the train to pass. A P Mishra, member of the Railway Board, said the train services between Banihal and Kashmir Valley will start in February or March next year while the entire railway project connecting the Valley with the rest of the country will be completed by 2017.
While the Baramulla-Srinagar-Qazigund link is functional for the past four years, this was the first time that a train has crossed the mighty Pir Panjal Mountain range.
The highlight of the Qazigund-Banihal link is the 11.21 km tunnel the longest railway tunnel in India, which has reduced the distance between the two towns by half.
The tunnel, which was constructed by Hindustan Construction Corporation (HCC), will reduce the travel distance between Qazigund and Banihal from 35 kilometres (by road) to just 17.5 kilometres (by train).
The Pir Panjal tunnel, which is the second longest in Asia, is a vital link in the Railway dream project of connecting Kashmir to Udhampur in Jammu region.
The tunnel is 8.40 metres wide with a height of 7.39 metres. There is a provision of a three metre wide road along the length of the tunnel for the purpose of maintenance and emergency relief.
The rail link will provide an alternative link between Kashmir and rest of the country as Srinagar-Jammu National Highway gets blocked regularly due to heavy snowfall during winter months.
Promising Indian doubles pairs granted wild cards for Aircel Chennai Open 2013 Vishnu Vardhan & Sanam Singh and N Sriram Balaji & Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan to add strength to Indian contingent Chennai, December 28, 2012: The organisers of the Aircel Chennai Open 2013 today announced that India’s upcoming tennis players Vishnu Vardhan, Sanam Singh, N Sriram Balaji, and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan have been granted wild card entries into the doubles draw of the $430,000 tennis tournament to be held here from December 31, 2012 to January 6, 2013. The wild card entry into the tournament is a significant recognition of the talent the four players possess. Vishnu Vardhan, who will be joining forces with Sanam Singh, has played singles as well as doubles matches for India against New Zealand in the Davis Cup. He has also played in the London Olympics with Paes and paired up with Sania Mirza for the mixed doubles. 24-year-old Sanam Singh is a Davis Cup player and Gold Medallist in the Asian Games of 2012. His inclusion into the doubles draw comes on the back of 5 International Tennis Federation Futures titles in 2012. Vishnu receives financial support from the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA) and together with Sanam the pair could be a strong doubles pair of the future for India. The Tamil Nadu duo of N Sriram Balaji and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan receive support from TNTA and has improved their rankings substantially in 2012. If they continue to perform well, the pair could break into the top 200 in 2013. They also have the potential to become a top-25 doubles team. The organisers had announced earlier that the country’s top doubles specialist players, Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, and Rohan Bopanna will be participating in the season-opener. With the inclusion of four more Indian players, the doubles section will see a strong contingent from the country battle for the title. Bhupathi will be teaming up with World No.5 doubles player Canada’s Daniel Nestor, while World No. 12 Bopanna will partner US-based Rajeev Ram, and World No. 3 Paes will take to the court with new partner Edouard Roger Vasselin of France. Mr. Karti P Chidambaram, Chairman – Tournament Organising Committee, Vice President – AITA & TNTA said: “Players such as Vishnu Vardhan, Sanam, Balaji and Nedunchezhiyan represent the future of Indian tennis. There is no doubt that they hold a lot of promise and the wild cards encourage them and recognise that fact. We are hopeful that they will do very well in the Aircel Chennai Open 2013 due to start on Monday” “We are glad that two doubles pairs from India have been granted wild card entries into the tournament. This will definitely be a huge opportunity for these youngsters and knowing that they hold promise we will not be surprised if they perform very well and even upset some of the veterans,” said tournament director Tom Annear. The field has an impressive line-up of 4 players from the top 20. Apart from the Czech Republic’s Berdych (No.6) who played a lead role in the recent Davis Cup final win, the grid includes Janko Tipsarevic (No.9), twice winner Marin Cilic (No.15) and Stanislas Wawrinka (No.17). ABOUT AIRCEL CHENNAI OPEN 2013 The USD 430,000 Aircel Chennai Open, owned by IMG and operated and organized by IMG Reliance, is India and South Asia’s only ATP World Tour event. Started in 1996, by IMG, a global leader in sports management and marketing, the tournament has completed sixteen successful years of existence, branding Chennai and India on the global tennis map thus creating a legacy of sorts of promoting international tennis in India. Winner of the prestigious ATP's Player Services Award of Excellence (2006) for its outstanding organization and wonderful hospitality towards the participants and ATP's Best Marketing Award (2008), the event has acquired the status of a much sought-after tennis event for both players and fans alike in the International tennis circuit. The 18th edition of the tournament will be held from December 31, 2012 to January 6, 2013 at the SDAT Tennis stadium in Nungambakkam, Chennai. The tournament is conducted in Chennai under the aegis of the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and is organized with the active collaboration of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) and Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA). ABOUT IMG TENNIS For nearly four decades, IMG Tennis has led the industry in the areas of player representation, tournament management, tour marketing, television-related initiatives, and teaching academies. The company’s rich heritage in tennis dates back to 1968 with the signing of its first tennis client, Rod Laver, by Mark H. McCormack. IMG Tennis anticipates the trends, nurtures the talent, and maximizes the opportunities for players, organizations, corporate marketers, and fans of tennis. IMG represents many top players on both the WTA and ATP Tours, along with a bevy of future stars poised to make their mark on the professional game. IMG also prides itself on representing many of the legends of the game. IMG's roster of tennis clients includes Novak Djokovic, Bjorn Borg, Lindsay Davenport, Chris Evert, Mary Joe Fernandez, John McEnroe, Rafael Nadal, Monica Seles, Maria Sharapova, and Venus Williams. ABOUT IMG RELIANCE In 2010 Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), India's largest and most recognized private sector company, and IMG Worldwide (IMG), the world’s leading sports marketing and management company, announced the formation of an equal joint venture to develop, market and manage sports and entertainment in India. The joint venture company, IMG Reliance Pvt. Ltd., will create and operate major sports and entertainment assets in the country. In its first initiative, IMG Reliance entered into an agreement with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) to create a new professional basketball league and manage all aspects of the commercial rights to the game in India. IMG Reliance signed a 15-year agreement with the AIFF, to improve, popularize and promote the game of football throughout India, from the grassroots to the professional level. IMG Reliance has also created a scholarship program to identify and train talented young Indians from sports including - basketball, soccer and tennis–at IMG’s world-class sports training facilities at IMG Academies in Bradenton, Florida. # # # For more information please contact ZZEBRA PUBLIC RELATIONS

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