• India's economy picking up
• India: Services growth fastest in 16 months in January - HSBC
• Morgan Stanley raises India FY11 growth forecast to 8.5 per cent

• India: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's institutes of higher learning continue to expand
• India: Maharishi Vidya Mandir Schools group wins Distinguished Educational Institution Award
• The Global Capital of World Peace: Seat of the silent administration of total Natural Law

• India successfully tests nuclear-capable missile
• Thousands protest in India-administered Kashmir over killing of schoolboy
• India: Fresh protests erupt over Telangana demand

---

Positive Trends
Short Summaries of Top Stories

India's economy picking up
8 February 2010 - The government said on Monday India's economy would grow 7.2 per cent this fiscal year, picking up from a six-year low the previous year. It also backed the market view that the government could announce steps to unwind its stimulus measures in the annual 2010/11 budget presentation on 26 February as a recovery in Asia's third-biggest economy shows a more solid footing. (more)

India: Services growth fastest in 16 months in January - HSBC
8 February 2010 - Business activity among Indian services companies expanded at its fastest pace in 16 months in January, rising for a second straight month on sharp increase in new work orders, a survey showed. The HSBC Markit Business Activity Index, based on a survey of 400 firms, rose to 58.96 in January, its highest since September 2008, after rising to 57.41 in December. (more)

Morgan Stanley raises India FY11 growth forecast to 8.5 per cent
8 February 2010 - Morgan Stanley raised its forecast for India's economic growth to 8.5 per cent in 2010/11 from 8 per cent earlier, citing a pick-up in domestic consumption. 'The key driver for this higher growth will be domestic demand, particularly investments,' the investment bank said on 4 February. Morgan Stanley also revised its gross domestic product growth forecast for 2009/10 to 7.1 per cent from 6.7 per cent earlier. (more)

India, Pakistan talks seen good for Afghan efforts
7 February 2010 - An easing of tension between India and Pakistan should help US-led efforts to stabilize Afghanistan though no one is expecting any quick breakthrough between the nuclear-armed rivals. India has proposed the first high-level bilateral talks since it suspended a peace process with Pakistan after Pakistan-based militants attacked the Indian city of Mumbai in November 2008. Officials from the two countries are discussing an agenda and when and where to talk. (more)

India: Farm outlook brightens, food prices to dip - Prime Minister
7 February 2010 - India's farm output in 2009/10 will be higher than initial estimates, raising prospects that food inflation, which has soared in recent months, will soon be controlled, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday. The Prime Minister said India had adequate stocks of rice and wheat to maintain food security. Singh also said India was likely to grow at 7.5 per cent for the fiscal year ending March, at a faster clip than the 6.7 per cent economic expansion recorded for the previous year. (more)

India, Pakistan officials meet to decide talks agenda
6 February 2010 - Indian and Pakistani officials met Friday to decide the agenda for high-level bilateral talks proposed by India over a year after the terror attacks on Mumbai. Indian officials said the meeting was constructive and they were waiting for Pakistan to get back with a date. They said India had offered open-ended talks on all outstanding issues affecting peace and security. (more)

India offers to resume stalled talks with Pakistan
5 February 2010 - India has offered to resume bilateral talks with Pakistan that were halted after the deadly Mumbai terrorist attacks nearly 15 months ago, an official said Thursday. India proposed the resumption of discussions between the foreign secretaries on terrorism and other issues, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity citing the sensitivity of the matter. Pakistan welcomed the offer. (more)

India offers official talks with Pakistan
4 February 2010 - India has offered to hold official-level talks with Pakistan, a top Indian government official said on Thursday, signalling a return to bilateral dialogue suspended after the 2008 Mumbai attacks. 'It is with a positive and open mind that this proposal has been made,' said a top government official requesting anonymity because of the sensitiveness of the subject. Pakistan welcomed the offer. (more)

India's minister visit suggests change in India-Pakistan ties
4 February 2010 - India's minister of internal security travels to Pakistan for a regional meeting this month, a visit that may lay the ground for improving ties which deteriorated after the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Palaniappan Chidambaram's 26-27 February trip is the first high-level visit since the attacks and comes when India is showing a willingness to re-engage Pakistan. (more)

India manufacturing rises
2 February 2010 - India's manufacturing in January grew at its fastest pace in almost 18 months, driven by a sharp rise in new export orders that are supporting a recovery in the industrial sector, a survey showed on Monday. The HSBC Purchasing Managers' Index mirrored India's positive export performance, with a more-than 5 point jump in the new export orders component, a sign that growth in manufacturing sector is increasingly fuelled by exports. (more)

---

Success of Maharishi's Programmes
Short Summaries of Top Stories

India: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's institutes of higher learning continue to expand
31 January 2010 - The institutes of higher learning established in India by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi continue to train enlightened leaders in the field of business management and computer science. In the current academic year, 24 branches of Maharishi Institute of Vedic and Management Sciences were launched. (more)

India: Maharishi Vidya Mandir Schools group wins Distinguished Educational Institution Award
28 January 2010 - Maharishi Vidya Mandir Schools Group in India has been honoured with the Distinguished Educational Institutional Award for 2009, by the Federation of Educational Publishers in New Delhi. In other achievements, thousands of students, parents, and teachers from all 16 states of India took part in a special three-day Maharishi National Cultural Celebration. Awards were given to teachers and students who gave the best presentations. (more)

The Global Capital of World Peace: Seat of the silent administration of total Natural Law
28 January 2010 - The Global Capital of World Peace in the Brahmasthan (geographic centre) of India was designed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi as the seat from which the silent administration of total Natural Law will create invincible permanent peace for every nation and the world. Raja John Konhaus, Raja (Administrator) of the Global Country of World Peace for Japan and other countries, continued his recent address, showing photos of the campuses for Maharishi Vedic Pandits and Rajas at the Global Capital, and noted that courses are being developed for people who would like to study Maharishi's Vedic Science there, in the Land of the Veda. (more)

India: Construction update on Maharishi Samadhi Smarak - Memorial of Total Knowledge inspired by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
27 January 2010 - A new video reports on progress in constructing the Maharishi Samadhi Smarak - Memorial of Total Knowledge in Prayag (Allahabad), India. The beautiful structure is being built to celebrate the eternal Vedic wisdom of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi for thousands of generations to come. It is inspired by Maharishi's life and 50 years work creating the foundation for permanent invincibility for every nation and peace for the world. (more)

India: Many thousands learn Transcendental Meditation
22 January 2010 - In India, 33,900 people learnt the Transcendental Meditation Technique during 2009, and 23,000 the advanced Transcendental Meditation Sidhi Programme, including Yogic Flying. Starting from 12 January 2010, Transcendental Meditation camps are being organized in 250 cities throughout the country, to enable many more people to learn Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's technologies of consciousness in 2010. (more)

Maharishi's Vedic Pandits creating peace and coherence for India, the United States, and the whole world: Dr Girish Varma
21 January 2010 - Large groups of Maharishi Vedic Pandits--6,000 in several locations around India, and almost 1,050 in the United States--continue to perform 'Yoga and Yagya' for the creation of world peace, reported Dr Girish Varma, esteemed leader of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's organizations in India. (Dr Varma was referring to Pandits' group practice of Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation Programme and Yogic Flying; and their special peace-creating Vedic performances.) Dr Varma also said that the Maharishi World Peace Movement organization in India had 50,000 participants by the end of 2009. (more)

India: Global Mother Divine Organization offers multitude of programmes for ladies and girls
16 January 2010 - An inspiring report about programmes of the Global Mother Divine Organization in India continued on 13 January 2010, the second day of the global celebrations of 12 January in MERU, Holland. Included were achievements of MDVP (Mahila Dhyan Vidya Peeth), the ladies' wing of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation Programme in India since 1976. (more)

India: Thousands of ladies and girls enjoy Global Mother Divine Organization programmes
15 January 2010 - On 13 January 2010, during the continuing global celebration of 12 January in MERU, Holland, leaders of the Global Mother Divine Organization reported on activities in India, including those of MDVP (Mahila Dhyan Vidya Peeth), the ladies' wing of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation Programme in India since 1976. (more)

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's programmes restoring Vedic civilization in India
15 January 2010 - Raja Harris Kaplan gave a beautiful address to the worldwide 12 January global assembly held in MERU, Holland and India. Speaking by teleconference from the Global Capital of World Peace at the Brahmasthan [geographical centre] of India, Raja Harris honoured Dr Girish Varma and other leaders of the Global Country of World Peace in India, for their dedication and outstanding achievements which are realizing the goals of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's programmes to bring enlightenment and invincibility to every individual and nation. (more)

India: Maharishi Samadhi Smarak, memorial of Total Knowledge, completion date set for January 2011
4 January 2010 - January 2011 has been established as the date for inauguration of the Maharishi Samadhi Smarak in Prayag, Allahabad, India--a memorial of Total Knowledge celebrating the eternal Vedic wisdom of His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Founder of the Global Country of World Peace. Leaders of the project, including architects and builders, recently met to evaluate progress on the project and plan for its completion. (more)

---

Flops
Short Summaries of Top Stories

India successfully tests nuclear-capable missile
8 February 2010 - India again successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable missile Sunday that can hit targets across much of Asia and the Middle East, a Defence Ministry press release said. It was the fourth test of the Agni III missile, the statement added. India's current arsenal of missiles is largely intended for confronting archrival Pakistan. The Agni III, in contrast, is India's longest-range missile, designed to reach 3,000 kilometers (1,900 miles) -- putting China's major cities well into range, as well as Middle Eastern targets. (more)

Thousands protest in India-administered Kashmir over killing of schoolboy
7 February 2010 - Thousands of people took to streets in Srinagar on Saturday accusing government forces of killing a schoolboy, witnesses said, an incident that may escalate anti-India protests that have rocked the region this week. The growing protests and anger could hurt fresh efforts to improve relations between India and Pakistan who claim the region in full but rule in parts and have fought two wars over Kashmir. At least 400 people have been injured in pitched street battles between government forces and groups of rock-pelting Muslim protesters over the past three days. The rise in tension in Kashmir is coinciding with a spike in violence by militant groups, most of them Pakistan-based. (more)

India: Fresh protests erupt over Telangana demand
20 January 2010 - At least a dozen students were injured as they clashed with police in Hyderabad during a shutdown of the IT hub on Wednesday, in a fresh burst of protests over the creation of a new state, police said. Violence erupted when police and paramilitary forces stopped hundreds of students from holding a procession with the body of a colleague, who committed suicide over the delay in carving a new state of 'Telangana' out of Andhra Pradesh. Supporters of Telangana statehood say the interior region has been neglected in favour of Andhra Pradesh's dominant coastal districts. Opponents fear the loss of Hyderabad to the new state will cut off a major revenue stream for Andhra Pradesh, which has invested heavily in the city's infrastructure. Analysts say the turmoil could hit businesses in Hyderabad, a city that is home to companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Mahindra Satyam. A quick resolution paving the way for the formation of Telangana appears slim as most politicians are sharply divided within their own parties on this issue (more)

Q and A - New skirmishes could further strain India-Pakistan ties
19 January 2010 - A spate of border skirmishes between Pakistani and Indian forces could further strain ties between the nuclear-armed rivals. Border skirmishes underline long-standing mistrust between Pakistan and India, which have fought three wars since their independence in 1947. Here are a few questions and answers on the impact of border clashes on relations. (more)

India says to sign fighter jet deal with Russia
18 January 2010 - Russia will supply more than two dozen MiG-29 fighter jets to India's navy in a $1.2 billion deal to be finalised this week, a Defence Ministry official said on Monday. The proposed deal comes after the two countries agreed on a 10-year military pact in December to cover weapons development, aircraft, and maintenance contracts worth more than $5 billion. Russia will also lease to India in 2010 its new Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine, Russian defence officials and Indian naval officers said earlier this month. During talks in the capital later this week, Indian defence officials will ask the Russian delegation to speed up delivery of pending military equipment, another defence official said. (more)

Protest erupts in Indian Parliament over inflation
16 December 2009 - Indian lawmakers walked out of Parliament on Wednesday protesting against inflation, as the opposition piled up pressure on the government to curb rising prices and threatened to carry out street protests. The speaker adjourned proceedings for the day after lawmakers from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the main opposition, as well as from other parties walked out of parliament with many shouting: 'The government needs to be changed.' India's food inflation was at 16.7 per cent in November as the worst dry spell in nearly four decades and annual floods in some states slashed farm output. Higher prices paid by government agencies to buy grains from farmers have pushed the headline inflation to 4.78 per cent. (more)

India test fires ballistic missile off east coast
13 December 2009 - India successfully tested a nuclear-capable ship-based ballistic missile on Sunday off its eastern coast, a defence official said. The surface-to-surface missile, which was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization, is a naval variant of the Prithvi ('earth') missile built as a part of India's ambitious integrated guided missile development programme. (more)

India: Schools caught in middle of rebel fight
10 December 2009 - Indian children are increasingly caught in the middle of fighting between the government and communist rebels in impoverished rural areas, with at least 42 schools attacked in the past year, a human rights group said Wednesday. The rebels, who say they are inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, have been fighting for more than four decades in several states in central India. A spate of recent attacks has raised concern they are lashing out ahead of a planned government offensive aimed at routing them from their forest strongholds. While the rebels frequently target police and government workers, schools are also often destroyed by rebels or occupied by police, jeopardizing the education of tens of thousands of India's most disadvantaged and marginalized children, New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a report. (more)

Communist rebels gain strength in rural India
6 December 2009 - All over the countryside in central India, red monuments topped with hammer and sickle symbols announce that this is Maoist land. And these days, nobody could forget it. A string of recent attacks by communist rebels points to the comeback of an extreme leftist movement inspired by Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong and long seen as outdated. In response, the Indian government has announced plans to deploy more than 70,000 paramilitary and police forces, in a spring offensive that activists criticize as too little, too late. The communists are tapping into a deep dissatisfaction over the widening gap between rich and poor, particularly in the rural areas where most people live. As breakneck development pushes parts of India far ahead of others, the richest states now have incomes five times higher than the poorest states, according to the World Bank. (more)

India's 'factory of death' leaves toxic legacy 25 years on
3 December 2009 - A quarter of a century after Union Carbide accidentally released toxic gases into the city of Bhopal, killing thousands of people and causing many more to suffer in one of the world's worst industrial disasters, the derelict factory stands abandoned. But behind its locked iron gates lies what environmentalists say is 'a disaster within a disaster' -- a highly polluted site which, according to a new study, is slowly poisoning the drinking water for thousands of Indians. At the time of the disaster and the years that followed, close to 30,000 people died. Now activists and health workers say a further 100,000 people who were exposed to the gas continue to suffer today from sicknesses including cancer, immune and neurological disorders, reproductive disorders, and birth defects. Activists say tonnes of toxic chemical waste were not properly disposed of and have been seeping into the ground for years. (more)