Editor's Note: 
The United Nations—the much criticized but still indispensable watch dog of the world—is celebrating its diamond jubilee this year; this historic event calls for some serious introspection and analysis, which we have attempted to do in our cover story .... Read the Note. 
  

EU-India Relations: Friendship to Strategic Partnership
The evolution of the European Union came from a regional economic agreement among six neighbouring states—Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg (the Benelux countries) and (West) Germany, France and Italy—in 1951 to today’s supernatural organization of 25 countries across the European continent stands as an unprecedented phenomenon. Read the Article. 
 

United We Stand: UN Turns 60
In 2005, the UN celebrates its 60th year. Though, the UN came into effect on 24 Oct 1945, its genesis traces back still further. President Franklin Roosevelt, along with leaders of 26 Allied countries, first coined the term United Nations to describe their continued fight against the Axis powers. On 01 January 1942, 26 nations of the Allies gathered in Washington DC to sign the ‘Declaration by United Nations’. After World War II, however, the Allies extended the ambit of the term to include a worldwide body of nations. Read the Article. 
 

Mohini Giri: Empowered Vision
Though Dr. Giri first shot into limelight by forming the War Widows’ Association in 1971, her innings in social service goes way back much more. Despite hailing from an elitist background, since her childhood she has nurtured a deep rooted dedication towards social causes.   Read the Article.

In conversation with ADB's Country Director
Mr. Tadashi Kondo joined the Asian Development Bank (ADB), India Resident Mission (INRM), as its new Country Director with effect from 01 July 2005. Mr. Kondo was previously Director, Transport and Communications Division of the South Asia Department of ADB. He has completed almost 20 years of service at ADB and has extensive and diversified experience in the development field, particularly with regard to ADB operations, and project design and implementation. Following are excerpts from an interview with the Diplomatist.  Read an interview.  
  

India-Singapore CECA Benefits & Synergies
The Indo-Singapore Compre-hensive Economic Coop-eration Agreement (CECA), which becomes effective on August 1, 2005, is India’s first broad-based agreement. It covers goods, services, investment, intellectual property rights, and economic cooperation in areas like education, science and technology, air transport services, and intellectual property. The CECA follows on the heels of the recently signed Indo-Thai Free Trade Agreement and is an important step towards fostering economic and political ties between India and Singapore. It is an integral component of India’s Look East Policy. It also fits well within and furthers India’s broader trade and investment liberalization programme  Read the Article.

Shopper Trends: The way ahead for retailing regionally
The Convenience Store format has been the most fast moving in China, with more than 60 percent of all new stores coming from this market, resulting in China hitting the 20,000 store mark nationwide.  Read the Article.     
  

Gems & Jewellery:  The Sparkle of Success
From its cottage industry status in its earlier years, the gems and jewellery industry today occupies a preeminent position in the Indian economy, contributing to foreign exchange earnings, domestic growth and significant employment.    Read the Article.   
   

Hatching New Success Stories: Indian Hatcheries
The Indian hatchery industry has a 5000-year-old legacy. However, it came of age only in the twentieth century when a few Christian missionary organizations and some Englishmen brought high quality exotic chicken breeds into India. The poultry farming at that time was limited to backyard farming and was maintained under peasant husbandry practices. India’s commercial poultry production came into existence after the advent of the planning era. Although India still accounts for a very small share in global poultry production and consumption, the Indian poultry industry has been growing at a rate of 15-20 percent during recent decades.   Read the Article. 
  

Textiles: Bewitching India
Today, traditional Indian art of cloth making has re-established its popularity. Indian weaver artisans are still engaged in the making of the finest silks and cottons, both in fabric material and saris, the most loved and popular of all. In fact the beauty and grace of an assortment of Indian handlooms was never better appreciated. Read the Article.
  

Heritage India: Live the heritage and the phrase 'Live Life King Size' will never ring truer!
India, the erstwhile land of Maharajas and Maharanis, is a mystical confluence of history, folk art, tribal crafts, ancient rituals and traditions along with exotic beaches, palm-fringed backwaters, mist-clad hill stations, lush tropical forests, stark desert landscapes and exotic wildlife that manifest themselves in a dazzling display of colour and harmony. Every aspect of the country is presented on an awesome scale; consistent with the mighty Himalayas soaring majestically over the subcontinent in the north, to the vast blue expanse of the two seas and an ocean that fringe the east, west and south, respectively, of this large peninsular nation. With a civilization that is over 5000 years old, India is culturally diverse, rich in heritage and, more importantly, distinctively Indian, having continually attracted visitors—be it as invaders, traders, missionaries, or just plain travellers—from whom it has absorbed, adapted, adopted, and assimilated, while always retaining its inherent uniqueness. Most have left behind their imprints that are reflected in each and every aspect of Indian culture—art, architecture, music, dance, drama, language, and cuisine.  Read the Article.  
 

Towards Progress...
An interview with PR Kyndiah, Minister for Tribal Affairs & Development of North Eastern Region, shed a lot of light on the lesser-known North-East region. Following are excerpts from the interview with the minister.   Read an interview.  
  

Living Heritage 
One of the rich legacies of India’s colonial era is its wonderful architecture. These glorious reflections of lofty thoughts, grand visions and awesome dexterity dot the country’s landscape. They exude charm, grandeur and romance of a bygone era: one outstanding example being the Victoria Terminus in Mumbai (formerly Bombay).  Read the Article.
  

Picasso and Guernica
Picasso, from the beginning of his career, has restricted any romantic or realistic imagery in his art, which is reflected in Guernica too. Rather, Guernica is a powerful invective against violence in modern art. Its motifs—the weeping woman, the horse, the bull—had been running through Picasso’s work for years before Guernica brought them together. Read the Article.
   

Titans of Industry: Jamshed J Irani
Dr. Jamshed J Irani began his career in 1963 as a Senior Scientific Officer at the British Iron and Steel Research Association, Sheffield, UK. On his return to India in 1968, he joined Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) as Assistant to Director, Research and Development, in 1968, and eventually, after occupying several diverse positions, was appointed the Managing Director in 1992—a position he held till July 2001.  Read an interview.