Kalam’s Spiritual Speech

Indian President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s address at the European Union (EU) parliament on 25 April 2007 was more about spirituality and religion. During the course of his address Dr Kalam said religion has two components – theology and spirituality. Dr Kalam further stated that when he was 10-year-old, he used to see three different unique personalities meet at his house. Those three were none other than Pakshi Lakshmana Shastrigal, who was head priest of the famous Rameshwaram temple; vedic scholar Reve Father Bodal, who built the first church in Rameshwaram Island; and his father who was Imam in the mosque. “As they built religious connectivity with compassion, such linkage quietly spreads to others in the island like the fragrance from the flowers,” Dr Kalam stated.

IIPTF Website Launched

Creature Companions – a leading magazine in the country’s pet care industry – has launched the official website www.iiptf.com of India International Pet Trade Fair (IIPTF). The website contains information on sponsorship opportunities, fair promotion, boothmanship, buyer registration, venue and floor plan, and provides online booking opportunity for the incoming IIPTF which is going to be held on 29 February - 2 March 2008 in New Delhi. IIPTF is first of its kind event in India; the last fair held on 9 and 10 February 2007 at NSIC, New Delhi under the name of ‘Creature Companions International Pet Fair’ was a great start.

BrahMos to be Inducted into Army

BrahMos supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia was successfully tested from a range at Chandipur near Balasore in Orissa on 22 April 2007, paving the way for its induction into the Indian army this year. Terming the test a hundred percent success, top missile scientist Mr A Sivathanu Pillai who heads the BrahMos project said, “It was a very good flight, an excellent one. The high reliability and new operational capabilities of the missile were established during the flight.”

India Launches Italian Satellite

India has joined an elite club of nations with capabilities to launch commercial satellites when it put an Italian astronomical satellite into orbit from the space centre in Sriharikota. The white and magenta polar satellite launch vehicle PSLV-C8 lifted off into the clear blue sky from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. Shortly thereafter, it placed the 352-kg AGILE satellite from Italy into orbit to catapult the country into an elite group of just six nations that have the ability to launch commercial satellites.

India-Thailand FTA by June’07

Indian Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Kamal Nath had a bilateral meeting with Mr Krirk-Krai Jirapaet, Minister of Commerce, Thailand recently in New Delhi. The discussions between the two commerce ministers covered review of bilateral trade and investments underlining the scope for substantially stepping up the level of two-way trade, which stood at US$2.2 billion in 2005-06 (comprising US$1 billion worth exports from India to Thailand and US$1.2 billion valued imports from Thailand to India). Both sides hope to conclude their proposal for FTA by the end of June 2007.