Sunday, August 31, 2008

www.cee.kerala.gov.in - CAP- Centralised Allotment Process

www.cee.kerala.gov.in - CAP- Centralised Allotment Process

Admission to Professional Degree Courses - 2008

Second Allotment Result at http://www.cee.kerala.gov.in/capresult2008/main/index.php

Candidates who have not yet received the keynumber or forgotten the password should go to Option Facilitation Centre(OFC).

www.cee.kerala.gov.in-CEE kerala 2nd allotment

Second Allotment Result

CEE Kerala 2nd Engineering and Medical allotment notification is released.

To download the Notification at http://www.cee-kerala.org/engmed/2008/allt/round2/mnoti_270808.pdf

To Download the second round schedule at http://www.cee-kerala.org/engmed/2008/allt/round2/Allotment_schedule_27.08.2008.pdf

For CAP-2008 second round at http://www.cee-kerala.org/engmed_cap.htm

SECOND PHASE ALLOTMENTS PUBLISHED at http://www.cee.kerala.gov.in/capresult2008/main/index.php

For List of SBT Branches Collecting Fees at http://www.cee.kerala.gov.in/capresult2008/main/CAP2008BANK.pdf


Tags: www.cee kerala.gov.in, www.cee kerala.org, www.cee.kerala.org, www.cee.kerala.gov.in/keam, cee kerala.gov.in

www.cee-kerala.org | Kerala Allotment details - www.cee kerala.org

www.cee-kerala.org | Kerala Allotment details - www.cee kerala.org

CAP - Centralized allotment process for Professional degree colleges Kerala

Here is the information related to the CAP Kerala.

http://cee.kerala.gov.in/capresult2008/main/index.php

This is for Admission to Professional Degree Courses - 2008, you need to enter the following information

Second Allotment Result Roll Number

Last Rank Details

Application Number

Key Number

You can get the same information from the following sites, but most of these sites are not opening sometimes because they are down due to heay traffic. Keep checking these sites for Kerala Engineering allotment details
www.cee.kerala.org,
www.cee.kerala.gov.in,
www.cee.kerala.gov.in/keam,
cee kerala.org,
www.manoramaonline.com


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www.cee-kerala.org - Official Website of CEE, Kerala

www.cee-kerala.org - Official Website of CEE, Kerala

Kerala Entrance Examinations

KEAM 2008

RESULTS OF SECOND PHASE ALLOTMENT PUBLISHED; OPTIONS INVITED FOR ALLOTMENT TO PUSPAGIRI DENTAL COLLEGE

SECOND PHASE ALLOTMENTS PUBLISHED at http://www.cee-kerala.org/

NOTIFICATION [ in Malayalam ] [ in English ]

SCHEDULE: at http://www.cee-kerala.org/

LAST RANK (second phase): at http://www.cee-kerala.org/

ALLOTMENT TO PUSPAGIRI DENTAL COLLEGE -

OPTIONS INVITED more at http://www.cee-kerala.org/

CAP-2008: at http://www.cee-kerala.org/

(SECOND ROUND)

General Information KEAM: at http://www.cee-kerala.org/

L L B 5 YEAR, 2008

CATEGORY LISTS PUBLISHED more at http://www.cee-kerala.org/

Results of withheld cases released - LIST 2 at http://www.cee-kerala.org/

Tags: kerala entrance, cee, kerala cee, www.cee kerala.org, cee.kerala.gov.in,keam,www.cee.kerala.gov.in/keam

www.cee kerala.org - Kerala Central Allotment process

www.cee kerala.org - Kerala Central Allotment process

Centralized allotment process (CAP) for Professional degree colleges Kerala 2008

You can get details about the allotment process from the following link

http://cee.kerala.gov.in/capresult2008/main/index.php

Tags: www.cee.kerala.gov.in, www.cee kerala.gov.in, www.cee.kerala.org, www.cee.kerala.gov.in/keam, cee kerala

6th Pay Commission notification brings joy to people’s faces

6th Pay Commission notification brings joy to people’s faces

By Husna Anjum

New Delhi, Aug 31, 2008: 6th Pay Commission notification brings joy to people’s faces. It has made 5.5 million central government employees happy. They say the pay panel recommendations’ implementation could not have come at a more opportune time. It has relieved millions of Government employees from top to the lowest order.

Steep price rise had troubled central government employees like never before. The inflation had eaten into the savings of the most people and most of the people had to fall back on either loans from relatives or from banks at ever increasing rates.

The life was becoming very tough for most of the people who work in the central government enterprises. The cash crunch was affecting most of the families and they were under increasing distress.

Sixth pay commission at least relieves the central government employees in some small ways. The 40 percent arrears that the central government workers will get this month will help them pay their debts and also save a part of the money that comes their way.

Though many people are not pleased with the way only 40 percent amount of arrears is being paid this year. Many people say that they had hoped that they will be paid full arrears in one go and that it would have helped them tide over their precarious economic condition in a better way. They say that 40 percent arrears is insignificant for them and would do no good to their lives.

Manjeet Singh who works with central school says that he had to go for a large loan to take care of his kids’ education, hoping that he would be able to pay for the loan when his arrears are paid, but he says that he will have to take loan again to pay for the previous loan as the 40 percent arrear he is being paid this year is utterly insignificant for the purpose.

The same is the story of Rekha Bhardwaj, who is working with postal department. She feels that neither pay rise is sufficient to tide over the increasing inflation nor 40 percent payment of arrears are enough to take care of loan that they have been forced to take during the last one year.

But there are many people who say that it will help them in some ways at least. Rajeev, a central government employee in New Delhi says that with increasing inflation he was under increased distress. No amount of restrained spending was enough to keep the household expenses under control. Repeatedly I was forced to borrow during the last six months.

Rajeev adds that the new pay raise will give him and his family some breathing space and the back pay would help him pay the loan he has accumulated.

The same is the story of most of the central government employees. With inflation hovering around 13 percent, the highest in more than a decade, the life of ordinary people has changed from bad to worse. But for at least 4.5 million central government employees it gives some respite.

The pay hike would cost union government 125.61 billion rupees for the current fiscal year 2008/09, and 180.60 billion rupees in backpay from January 2006 till date.

Some important features of Sixth Pay Commission after notification

Pay Band and Grade pay:

* Grade Pay up to PB2 recommended by 6CPC accepted as such.

* Revised Grade pay from PB3 and above. Check New pay band and Grade Pay

* The basic pay drawn as on 1.1.2006 on the existing Fifth CPC pay scales will be multiplied by a factor of 1.86 and then rounded off to next multiple of 10. This will be the pay in the revised running Pay Band. Grade Pay, as approved by the Government, corresponding to the pre-revised pay scale, will then be added to the Pay in the revised Pay Band. The total of pay in the Pay Band and grade pay will be the revised Basic Pay as on 1.1.2006.
* Rate of annual increments will be 3% and the rate of variable increment for high achievers in PB-3 will be 4%.

* There will be a uniform date of annual increment, viz. 1st July of every year. Employees completing 6 months and above in the revised pay structure as on 1st of July will be eligible to be granted the increment. The first increment after fixation of pay on 1.1.2006 in the revised pay structure will be granted on 1.7.2006 for those employees for whom the date of next increment was between 1st July, 2006 to 1st Jan 2007.

DA and other Allowances

* AICPI (IW) with base 2001 may, henceforth, be used for the purpose of calculating DA till it gets revised. The base using the 2001 series works out to be 115.76. Based on this index the revised DA as on Jan-06, July-06, Jan-07, July-07, Jan-08 and July-08 are estimated to be 0%, 3%, 6%, 9%, 12%, and 16% respectively (based on the calculation made as per index - Exact DA rates are yet to be confirmed by the Govt).

* “Campus” restriction for grant of Transport Allowance will be removed. Consequently, employees living in campuses will also be eligible for Transport Allowance. Further, Transport Allowance for the employees at the lowest levels will be increased to Rs.600 (from Rs.400) in A-1/A class cities and Rs.400 (from Rs.300) in other towns.

* New TA - Employees drawing grade pay of Rs. 5400 and above will be eligible to receive TA of Rs.3200 and DA thereon (A1/A class cites) and Rs.1600 and DA thereon (other places. Similarly Employees drawing grade pay of Rs.4200 to Rs.4800 will be eligible to receive TA of Rs. Rs.1600 and DA thereon (A1/A class cites) and Rs.800 and DA thereon (other places). Employees drawing grade pay of below Rs. 4200 will be eligible to receive TA of Rs. 600 and DA thereon (A1/A class cites) and Rs.400 and DA thereon (other places).

* City Compensatory Allowance abolished.

* Employess living in X (Earlier classified as A-1), Y (Earlier classified as A, B-1 & B-2), and Z (Earlier classified as C and Unclassified) will be eligible for HRA of 30%, 20% and 10% (on Fixed Pay and Grade Pay) respectively.

* Children Education Allowance and Reimbursement of Tuition Fee are merged and reimbursement of Children Education allowance will be paid upto the maximum of Rs.1000 per child per month subject to a maximum of 2 children. Hostel subsidy will be reimbursed upto the maximum limit of Rs.3000 per month per child. The limits would be automatically raised by 25% every time the Dearness Allowance on the revised pay bands goes up by 50%.

* Cycle Allowance, Washing Allowance, Cash Handling Allowance, Special Allowance, Night Duty Allowance and Split Duty Allowance have been doubled. Similarly, rates of allowances specific to different Ministries/Departments/Organisations not covered in this Report will also be doubled. The rates of these allowances will be increased by 25% every time the Dearness Allowance payable on revised pay scales goes up by 50%.

* All provisions concerning travel under LTC are to be retained except frequency of travel in home town concession (up to three times during the first two blocks of 4 years after joining the service).

* The revised allowances, other than dearness allowance, will be effective from 1st day of September, 2008.

ACP (Assured Career Progression):

* Three upgradations will be granted under Assured Career Progression (ACP) Scheme at 10, 20 and 30 years as per the modified ACP Scheme recommended by the Commission. ACP Scheme will also be applicable to Group A employees.

* Financial upgradation through ACP will be available whenever a person has spent 10 years continuously in the same grade.

* Benefit of pay fixation available at the time of normal promotion shall be allowed at the time of financial upgradations under the scheme. Thus, an increase of 3% of pay and grade pay shall be available as financial upgradation under the scheme.

Other Points accepted by the Govt:

* The Commission’s recommendation regarding payment of arrears has been modified to the extent that the arrears will be paid in cash in two instalments – first instalment of 40% during the current financial year (2008-09) and the remaining 60% in the next financial year (2009-10).

* The Government has approved setting up of Anomalies Committees to examine individual, post-specific and cadre-specific anomalies. The Anomalies Committees should endeavour to complete their work in one year.

Recommendations not accepted by the Govt:

* Liberal ‘severance package’ for those employees who want to leave service without pension with more than 15, but less than 20 years of service.

* Recommendation relating to Holiday Policy that there should only be three closed holidays for Government employees.

* Flexi-hours for women employees and flexi-weeks for employees with disabilities.

Recommendations of Sixth CPC which will be examined separately :

* Recommendation related to Bonus and Over Time Allowance.

* Recommendation related to General Provident Fund for Central Government employees and Central Government Employees Group Insurance Scheme.

* Introduction of Health Insurance Scheme for Central Government employees and pensioners.

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

Source: http://www.khabrein.info/

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Sixth Pay Commission report: Pay panel bonanza to cost Railways Rs 6,500 cr

Sixth Pay Commission report: Pay panel bonanza to cost Railways Rs 6,500 cr

New Delhi, Aug 31 (PTI) The Sixth-Pay Commission report which has come as a pre-Diwali gift for the 14 lakh workers in Indian Railways, will cost their employer about Rs 6,500 crore in the current fiscal.
While Rs 5,000 crore has already been earmarked in the current Railway Budget, "We have to make provision for an additional Rs 1,500 crore to meet the requirement," a senior Railway Ministry official said here.

To offset the additional financial burden arising from the pay panel report, the Railways will have to increase its revenue earnings and undertake cost control measures.

"All general managers of Zonal Railways have been instructed to initiate cost control measures in their respective zones. They have also been asked to take steps to increase earnings," the official said.

According to the arrear payment plan, Railways would make 40 per cent of arrear payment in the current financial year.

"Rest would be paid in the next fiscal," he said.

The government on Friday finalised the notification on the pay panel report. It would cost the exchequer Rs 22,000 crore this year.

It is expected that each Railway employee will take home an average of 21 per cent higher salary next month.

The salary increase for Group A officers will be much more than 21 per cent and in cases of some senior Railway Board officials, the hike is almost 50 per cent, said Basudeb Acharya, Chairman of the Parliament Committee on Railways. PTI


Source: http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/0/387797C3E2D020F4652574B60023E936?OpenDocument

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Some Key Points of Sixth Pay Commission after notification

Some Key Points of Sixth Pay Commission after notification

New Delhi, Aug 31, 2008: Union govt. notified Sixth Pay Commission Friday. Following are some key points after notification.

Govt. has accepted most of the points but has rejected three recommendations and has put some other contentious issues to be taken up in future.

But it has done a commendable job by not just accepting most of the pay panel recommendations but also improving upon the recommendations in many cases.

Pay Band and Grade pay:

* Grade Pay up to PB2 recommended by 6CPC accepted as such.

* Revised Grade pay from PB3 and above. Check New pay band and Grade Pay

* The basic pay drawn as on 1.1.2006 on the existing Fifth CPC pay scales will be multiplied by a factor of 1.86 and then rounded off to next multiple of 10. This will be the pay in the revised running Pay Band. Grade Pay, as approved by the Government, corresponding to the pre-revised pay scale, will then be added to the Pay in the revised Pay Band. The total of pay in the Pay Band and grade pay will be the revised Basic Pay as on 1.1.2006.
* Rate of annual increments will be 3% and the rate of variable increment for high achievers in PB-3 will be 4%.

* There will be a uniform date of annual increment, viz. 1st July of every year. Employees completing 6 months and above in the revised pay structure as on 1st of July will be eligible to be granted the increment. The first increment after fixation of pay on 1.1.2006 in the revised pay structure will be granted on 1.7.2006 for those employees for whom the date of next increment was between 1st July, 2006 to 1st Jan 2007.

DA and other Allowances

* AICPI (IW) with base 2001 may, henceforth, be used for the purpose of calculating DA till it gets revised. The base using the 2001 series works out to be 115.76. Based on this index the revised DA as on Jan-06, July-06, Jan-07, July-07, Jan-08 and July-08 are estimated to be 0%, 3%, 6%, 9%, 12%, and 16% respectively (based on the calculation made as per index - Exact DA rates are yet to be confirmed by the Govt).

* “Campus” restriction for grant of Transport Allowance will be removed. Consequently, employees living in campuses will also be eligible for Transport Allowance. Further, Transport Allowance for the employees at the lowest levels will be increased to Rs.600 (from Rs.400) in A-1/A class cities and Rs.400 (from Rs.300) in other towns.

* New TA - Employees drawing grade pay of Rs. 5400 and above will be eligible to receive TA of Rs.3200 and DA thereon (A1/A class cites) and Rs.1600 and DA thereon (other places. Similarly Employees drawing grade pay of Rs.4200 to Rs.4800 will be eligible to receive TA of Rs. Rs.1600 and DA thereon (A1/A class cites) and Rs.800 and DA thereon (other places). Employees drawing grade pay of below Rs. 4200 will be eligible to receive TA of Rs. 600 and DA thereon (A1/A class cites) and Rs.400 and DA thereon (other places).

* City Compensatory Allowance abolished.

* Employess living in X (Earlier classified as A-1), Y (Earlier classified as A, B-1 & B-2), and Z (Earlier classified as C and Unclassified) will be eligible for HRA of 30%, 20% and 10% (on Fixed Pay and Grade Pay) respectively.

* Children Education Allowance and Reimbursement of Tuition Fee are merged and reimbursement of Children Education allowance will be paid upto the maximum of Rs.1000 per child per month subject to a maximum of 2 children. Hostel subsidy will be reimbursed upto the maximum limit of Rs.3000 per month per child. The limits would be automatically raised by 25% every time the Dearness Allowance on the revised pay bands goes up by 50%.

* Cycle Allowance, Washing Allowance, Cash Handling Allowance, Special Allowance, Night Duty Allowance and Split Duty Allowance have been doubled. Similarly, rates of allowances specific to different Ministries/Departments/Organisations not covered in this Report will also be doubled. The rates of these allowances will be increased by 25% every time the Dearness Allowance payable on revised pay scales goes up by 50%.

* All provisions concerning travel under LTC are to be retained except frequency of travel in home town concession (up to three times during the first two blocks of 4 years after joining the service).

* The revised allowances, other than dearness allowance, will be effective from 1st day of September, 2008.

ACP (Assured Career Progression):

* Three upgradations will be granted under Assured Career Progression (ACP) Scheme at 10, 20 and 30 years as per the modified ACP Scheme recommended by the Commission. ACP Scheme will also be applicable to Group A employees.

* Financial upgradation through ACP will be available whenever a person has spent 10 years continuously in the same grade.

* Benefit of pay fixation available at the time of normal promotion shall be allowed at the time of financial upgradations under the scheme. Thus, an increase of 3% of pay and grade pay shall be available as financial upgradation under the scheme.

Other Points accepted by the Govt:

* The Commission’s recommendation regarding payment of arrears has been modified to the extent that the arrears will be paid in cash in two instalments – first instalment of 40% during the current financial year (2008-09) and the remaining 60% in the next financial year (2009-10).

* The Government has approved setting up of Anomalies Committees to examine individual, post-specific and cadre-specific anomalies. The Anomalies Committees should endeavour to complete their work in one year.

Recommendations not accepted by the Govt:

* Liberal ‘severance package’ for those employees who want to leave service without pension with more than 15, but less than 20 years of service.

* Recommendation relating to Holiday Policy that there should only be three closed holidays for Government employees.

* Flexi-hours for women employees and flexi-weeks for employees with disabilities.

Recommendations of Sixth CPC which will be examined separately :

* Recommendation related to Bonus and Over Time Allowance.

* Recommendation related to General Provident Fund for Central Government employees and Central Government Employees Group Insurance Scheme.

* Introduction of Health Insurance Scheme for Central Government employees and pensioners.

Tags: 6th Pay Commission,Sixth Pay Commission news

Source: http://www.khabrein.info

Lifestyle

Lifestyle

The term lifestyle was originally coined by Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler in 1929. The current broader sense of the word dates from 1961.

In sociology, a lifestyle is the way a person lives. A lifestyle is a characteristic bundle of behaviors that makes sense to both others and oneself in a given time and place, including social relations, consumption, entertainment, and dress. The behaviors and practices within lifestyles are a mixture of habits, conventional ways of doing things, and reasoned actions. A lifestyle typically also reflects an individual's attitudes, values or worldview. Therefore, a lifestyle is a means of forging a sense of self and to create cultural symbols that resonate with personal identity. Not all aspects of a lifestyle are entirely voluntaristic. Surrounding social and technical systems can constrain the lifestyle choices available to the individual and the symbols she/he is able to project to others and the self.

The lines between personal identity and the everyday doings that signal a particular lifestyle become blurred in modern society [3]. For example, "green lifestyle" means holding beliefs and engaging in activities that consume fewer resources and produce less harmful waste (i.e. a smaller carbon footprint), and deriving a sense of self from holding these beliefs and engaging in these activities. Some commentators [4] argue that, in Modernity, the cornerstone of lifestyle construction is consumption behavior, which offers the possibility to create and further individualize the self with different products or services that signal different ways of life.


Source: wikipedia.org

Durga

Durga

Read more about Durga at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durga

Delhi Book Fair inaugurated

Delhi Book Fair inaugurated

‘80,000 books are published in 22 languages annually across the country’

NEW DELHI: Vice-President Hamid Ansari on Saturday inaugurated the 14th edition of Delhi Book Fair (DBF) at Pragati Maidan here by lighting a ceremonial lamp.

After releasing a CD set titled “Talking Books”, Mr. Ansari evinced keen interest on a wide range of books and also purchased some of them.

Later, the Vice-President described himself as a bookworm and said he was extremely delighted to see a large number of books on varied subjects.

This year, Pakistan has put up a wide assortment of books in both Urdu and English at the fair and most of them are economically priced.

“We are displaying all kinds of books for children. Book on science and Islam are also available. In Pakistan, we organise training programmes in which we impart the basics of writing skills to those who want to make a mark as a writer. Cash prizes are given to those who have a flair for writing,” said Shaukat Ali from National Book Foundation of Pakistan.

Some of the important books brought from the neighbouring country include “Fatima Jinnah: Life and Works” on sister of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, “Are Women Human” and “The Rajputs” on the history, clan, culture and nobility of this warrior race. A collection of short poems in English titled “The Whispering Wind” was also vying for attention on the shelves. “We have been promoting the DBF at Frankfurt Book Fair for quite some time. As a result, this book fair has become an international event. As the theme of DBF is women’s writer we have invited important writers like Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen,” said Federation of Indian Publishers president R.C. Govil.

Pointing out that 80,000 books were published in 22 languages annually across the country, Mr. Govil said: “Indian publishers are also translating regional language books into French, Italian and other foreign languages. After Singapore, India is the most sought after destination for publishing books.”

Amitav Ghosh’s latest novel “Sea Of Poppies” attracted quite a few bibliophiles and some even loosened their purse strings to get hold of a copy. “I was hunting for Pupul Jayekar’s biography on Indira Gandhi and now I am a proud the owner of one. I have also bought ‘The Best of Ruskin Bond’ on the famous English writer based in Mussoorie and ‘The Name is Rajinikanth’,” said Anita Saxena, a school teacher from Noida.

The theme of the nine-day fair “Women Writers” acknowledges the growing contribution of women in this field. For lovers of art, popular magazine “The Great Artists” by Marshall Cavendish Weekly Collection was also up for grabs. Then there were travelogues, spiritual books and of course fiction.


Source: http://www.thehindu.com/

Aishwarya Rai

Aishwarya Rai Bio,Aishwarya Rai Biography

Date of Birth: 1 November 1973, Mangalore, Karnataka, India


Birth Name: Aishwarya Krishnaraj Rai


Nickname: Ash,Gullu,The Queen of Bollywood


Height: 5' 7" (1.70 m)


Mini Biography

Born into a traditional south Indian family, Aishwarya started modeling at a young age. This green-blue-eyed beauty appeared in advertisements for many prestigious firms; the ones that brought her into the limelight were the garden sari and the Pepsi ad. Crowned Miss India 1994 runner-up, she was a hot favorite in the run for miss world title, which she won, her beauty and charm made her India's darling. Ash stormed into the Indian movie industry, where she has proven herself a brilliant & genuine actress. Her performance in Iruvar (1997) was critically acclaimed, and she won the Screen best female debutant award for her role in ...Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya (1997). She was adored in movies like Taal, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas, her item number in 'Bunty & Bubbly' had sent waves of rhythm across the nation. With her successful Bollywood movies & prestigious Hollywood projects lined up for release it is impossible to ignore this Indian diva in international scenes.

IMDb Mini Biography By: preetesh< preetesh_c@rediffmail.com>


Mini Biography

Aishwarya was an architecture student before she entered modeling as her part-time job. She was best known for her Pepsi commercial with Mahima Chaudhry. With her green-grey eyes, she was already approached by big names in India's film industry, where they offered her starring roles. She rejected the film offers since she aimed to be an architect. However, fate had other things in store for her after she was crowned Miss World 1994. Soon after her winning, again she received offers to star in movies. In Southern India, she was best known for her role as Madhumita/Veishnavi in Jeans (1998) and as Meenakshi in Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000). She won the Filmfare Award for best actress for her performance in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) as Ajay Devgan's wife who is in love with another man. She also won rave reviews for her performance as a rape victim in Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai (2000).

IMDb Mini Biography By: Alindalia


Mini Biography

Aishwarya Rai (Ash) is one of Bollywood's pre-eminent leading ladies. This Indian darling burst upon the world stage when her striking beauty, poise and commanding intelligence won her the Miss World crown in 1994. This former architecture major soon became one of India's most famous models landing a prestigious Pepsi campaign and appearing in Vogue Magazine. India's top Bollywood directors were soon lining up to work with Ash. Her film debut in Mani Rathnam's 'Iruvar' (1997) received critical acclaim and her performance in Aur Paar Ho Gaya' (1997) directed by Rahul Rawail garnered her the Best Female Debutante Award. In 2000 she was awarded Best Actress by FilmFare and Zee Cine for her work in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam", in that same year, nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her special appearance in Aditya Chopra's Mohabbatein (2000). In 2001 Ash was nominated for FilmFare's Best Actress Award for Satish Kaushik's "Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai".

Ash's star continued to rise in 2002 working again with Sajay Leela Bhansali in 'Devdas'. 'Devdas' is the most ambitious and most successful film in Bollywood history. It became the first Bollywood picture to ever receive a special screening at this year's Cannes Film Festival and broke box-office records in India and the United States.

2003 brought even more exciting opportunities. Ash became the first Indian actor to be a member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival. She is also the latest member of the elite L'Oreal Dream Team, joining beauties Catherine Deneuve & Andie MacDowell as their international ambassador. She graced the covers of India Today and the prestigious TIME Magazine. Time Magazine has also listed her on their list of the "100 Most Influential People in the World Today". She has graced numerous covers worldwide including USA, UK, China, Russia, Israel, United Emerites, Italy, Spain and France. Ash was also listed on Rolling Stone Magazine's annual "Hot List", Hello Magazine's Most Attractive Women in the World", Stuff Magazine, FHM magazine, V-Life from Variety Magazine, GQ Magazine, New York Times Magazine, Harper's & Queen and countless others.

2004 saw Aishwarya take on the leading role in her first English language film for Gurinder Chadha in "Bride & Prejudice". She also became the first Indian female to be immortalized in wax at the world famous Madame Tussaud's wax museum in London.

With over 17,000 websites dedicated to her, Ash finally launched her "Official Website" www.AishwaryaWorld.com

2005 started with appearances on "60 Minutes", "David Letterman Show" and the most watched television program in the world the "Oprah Winfrey Show". Aishwarya's career continues to grow even stronger - she will soon be seen in Mistress of Spices for director Paul Berges, Jag Mundhra's Provoked, Sanjay Gadhvi's Dhoom 2 and legendary film producer Dino De Laurentiis's The Last Legion opposite Colin Firth and Sir Ben Kingsley. The Queen of Bollywood is already becoming the talk of tinseltown and is currently in negotiations on two major motion pictures.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Simone Sheffield - Manager


Spouse
Abhishek Bachchan (20 April 2007 - present)


Trade Mark
Her blue-green eyes



Trivia
Wanted to study medicine, but circumstances prevented her.

Miss World 1994.

Dated Salman Khan.

Was offered Rani Mukherjee's role in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998).

Runner up, Miss India 1994

Ambassador (spokesperson) for Longines watches since 1999.

Daughter of Vrinda Rai

Sister of Aditya Rai

In April 2003, she suffered an accident on the sets of Khakee (2004) when a car driven by a stuntman got out of control, hit her, took her down a crevice, and slammed her into a cactus plant. She broke a bone in one foot and suffered severe cuts, and she was rushed to a hospital. The incident rekindled the discussion about poor safety standards on Bollywood film sets.

The first Indian actress to be on the jury of the Cannes International Film Festival.

Has made over 50 music videos in only seven years.

Despite the fact that she is adorned with jewelry in her music videos and movies, she is apparently not too fond of it.

Is the highest paid actress in Bollywood.

Created a frenzy at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival when she arrived at the premiere of her film _Devdas (2002)_ in a coach and wearing a beautiful yellow-orange-embroidered sari.

Was originally cast in the role of Jwala in the film _The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey (2005)_, but dropped out before filming started due to contract problems. The role was later given to Amisha Patel.

Loves collecting watches.

Made her first commercial for Camlin pencils when she was in the 9th grade.

Was the Coca Cola Girl for the Middle East and south Asia.

Favorite subject in college was Zoology.

Has achieved iconic status all over South Asia.

Is featured in the 2004 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.

In a poll conducted by Hello magazine, she was voted the number-one attractive woman of 2003, beating actresses such as Nicole Kidman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

In April 2003, L'Oréal signed her as its new international brand ambassador (spokesperson).

The first Bollywood star to appear in Rolling Stone magazine (Issue 932, October 2, 2003)

Gained 20 pounds for Bride & Prejudice (2004) because she didn't want her character to look like a supermodel and also felt that it would add a sense of realism to the character.

Is a Bunt, like fellow actors Shilpa Shetty and Sunil Shetty. The Bunts are a South Indian community who mainly speak Tulu, which is Aishwarya's mother tongue.

Turned down the lead in Munnabhai M.B.B.S. (2003). The role was given to Gracy Singh.

Turned down the role of Mastani in the film _Bajirao Mastani (2005)_.

The first movie star she ever met was Rekha. Aishwarya was still in high school at the time and was a model. While at a grocery store with her mother, Aishwarya was tapped on the shoulder by none other than Rekha herself. Rekha recognized Aishwarya from her modeling ads. She complimented the young Aishwarya on her good looks and wished her all the best.

Is fluent in the languages English, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, and Urdu.

Receives at least two movie offers every day.

Was originally intended for the role of Priya in the film _Chalte Chalte (2003)_.

Aamir Khan and Aishwarya Rai are the only stars to advertise for both Coca Cola and Pepsi.

Before she was famous, she auditioned to do voice-dubbing for a television serial and was rejected.

Shahrukh Khan recommended her to play Kaurwaki in the film Asoka (2001). But the director wanted to cast someone who hadn't already been paired with Shahrukh as a leading lady.

After winning the title of Miss World in 1994, the host of the event, Richard Steinmetz, actually asked Aishwarya out. But being a professional, she refused right away.

Sued the magazine Star and Style for a sum of Rs 20 million (2 crore) for printing an article claiming that actress Raveena Tandon had caught her and Akshay Kumar in a compromising position at the poolside of a five- star hotel.

During the filming of the song 'Dola Re Dola' from the movie _Devdas (2002)_, Aishwarya's ears were bleeding because to the heavy earrings she had to wear, but she continued to perform anyway.

Is a trained classical dancer. She learnt classical dance and music for five years while in her teens.

Has a puppy named Sunshine, which was given to her as a gift by friend Vivek Oberoi.

Won the title of Miss Photogenic in the 1994 Miss World Pageant.

Has won over 100 awards since 1994 when she was 20.

Is good friends with actress Preity Zinta.

Has gained a cult following in Pakistan.

Was listed in Time magazine as one of 100 most influential people in the world (The 2004 TIME 100).

Ran the Olympic-torch relay in June 2004.

Turned down a role in San wa (2005) due to her touring schedule. The role was eventually given to Mallika Sherawat.

Has refused to work with Salman Khan after their break-up, in spite of several offers.

Has over 17,000 Web sites dedicated to her.

In 2004, Aishwarya became the first Bollywood and Indian actress to have her own statue at London's Madame Tussauds museum.

On January 2nd, 2005, she became the first Indian actress to be interviewed on "60 Minutes" (1968).

Voted #9 in Harpers and Queen magazine's list of the 100 most beautiful women of today. (Harpers and Queen, June 6, 2005)

A tulip produced in 2005 was named for her.

Member of the jury at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.

When Oprah Winfrey saw Aishwarya's interview on "60 Minutes" (1968), she was so fascinated by her that she got a hold of Ash and invited her to be a guest on her show. On April 25, 2005, Aishwarya became the first Indian and South Asian actress to be featured on _"Oprah Winfrey Show, The" (1986)_.

Turned down the role of Helen in the film Troy (2004).

Director Andy Tennant offered her a part in _Hitch (2005)_, but she turned it down because she was so busy with other films.

Turned down the role of Anna in A Sublime Love Story: Barsaat (2005).

In the summer of 2005, Mattel released limited-edition Barbie dolls inspired by Aishwarya and her costumes. They were released only in Britain and sold out within minutes. These dolls are now considered rare collectibles among fans.

Her favourite film is Casablanca.

Was voted number 12 on VH1's 50 Sexiest Actresses of the Last 20 Years. (December 2005)

Roger Ebert has said he considers her the most beautiful actress in the world.

Was voted as E's 7th sexiest celebrity in the world

The first actress from India to get signed on with the American Library Association and also have a poster made of her for schools and library's all across America.

Was originally signed on to play the part of Simmi in Bluffmaster! (2005), but was replaced without any notice by Priyanka Chopra. Director Rohan Sippy then gave Aishwarya a "special thanks" in the end credits as an apology.

Turned down the part of Sandhya in _Saamna (2006)_.

When President George W. Bush visited India in March 2006, he invited Aishwarya, along with Aamir Khan, to a luncheon. Aishwarya could not attend because she was in Brazil at the time filming for Dhoom:2 (2006).

Was considered for the role of Priya in Krrish (2006).

Turned down the lead in Corporate (2006) because she didn't have any dates available for filming. The role was given to Bipasha Basu.

In mid 2001, Aishwarya started work on two films titled Radheshyam Seetaram and Hum Panchhi Ek Daal Ke. For reasons unknown, filming stopped on these films in February 2002. Filming was never completed and the films have now been shelved. The only glimpse of the movies that exist for the public to see are photographs from the sets and publicity shots.

Performed to an audience of 85,000 in Melbourne, Australia at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games with 800 backup dancers. (March 2006)

Was cast with a small role in Lajja (2001), but was dropped because there were already too many major stars in the film.

When Karan Johar asked Aishwarya on his talk show which film she wishes she could have been a part of, she responded _Khamoshi: The Musical (1996)_.

Is the second Indian actress to appear on the cover of TIME magazine in 2003. The first was Parveen Babi in 1976.

Is very popular in many Arab countries.

Featured in People Magazine as one of the 100 Most Beautiful People in the World. (Issue May,8,2006)

Was considered for the role of Kalyani in Water (2005).

Got her education at Arya Vidya Mandir and DG Ruparel College, both in Bombay, India. She was also accepted into Raheja College of Architecture in Bombay, but never went.

Good friends with fellow Indian superstar and icon, Madhuri Dixit. The two worked together in the super-hit and widely acclaimed Devdas.

Listed as number 3 of 'Top Bollywood Actresses' of 2006. (rediff.com, 8-25- 2006)

Caused a day long traffic jam in Dubai, United Arab Emirates while filming a soap commercial. People would stop for hours just to catch a glimpse of their favorite actress. (September 5, 2006)

Listed #3 by UK magazine Eastern Eye one of "Asia's Sexiest Women" (Sept/ 2006).

Is the most photographed woman in India.

She was the first choice for the role of Jane Smith in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), but she turned it down due to filming conflicts.

She secured 90% marks in HSC at Ruparel college in Mumbai.

her Pepsi ad with Aamir Khan was shot in one night during the infamous Bombay riots.

Has been in six movies with Abhishek Bachchan, more than with any other actor.

Came in #1 in BollySpice.com Magazine's list of "Top 10 Actresses of 2006".

Turned down the part of Malvika Talwar in Baabul (2006).

In January 2007, she announced that she has accepted a marriage proposal from current boyfriend, actor Abhishek Bachchan.

Is often referred to as "the most beautiful woman in the world".

In 2005, Hugh M. Hefner attempted to create and Indian version of Playboy for India, which would feature South Asian women and Indian pop culture articles, but no nudity. He wanted to have Aishwarya on the cover of the first issue. The magazine was rejected.

Twice turned down the lead in the Hindi version of Chandramukhi (2005).

Was invited in 2005 to be a presenter at The 77th Annual Academy Awards (2005) (TV), but was unable to attend because she was busy filming for The Mistress of Spices (2005).

Is active in various charities and often visits orphanages.

Her favorite Western designer is Giorgio Armani. Whenever she is in London, clothes are taken to her hotel for her to choose from.

Is the second of five Indian women to win the Miss World title. The first was Reita Faria, who won in 1966. Others include Diana Hayden who won in 1997, Yukta Mookhey in 1999, and Priyanka Chopra in 2000.

Ranked #30 in TIME magazines issue of '100 Most Influential People of the Year'. This is her second time making the list, her first being in 2004. (The Time 100, 2007).

Has appeared on more magazine covers worldwide than any other Bollywood or Indian star.

Director Brett Ratner is a fan of Aishwarya's and he wanted her to be cast in Rush Hour 3 (2007), but she turned down the offer.

Was considered for the part of Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale (2006).

Her wax statue at Madame Tussauds Museum in London was borrowed by the museum in New York for six weeks. The statue was flown to New York and made its debut on August 15, 2007, making her the first Indian actress in the American version of the museum.

About 15 kilos of henna was special ordered from Sojat in Rajasthan for the henna ceremony before her wedding.

Her wedding invitations were embossed with two entwined As and delivered along with a box of chocolate meringues. Within the invitation was also a poem about new beginnings written by Amitabh Bachchan's father and renowned poet Harivash Rai Bachchan.

Her wedding ceremony lasted a total of three days. It was the most awaited and talked about wedding in years and the press followed it like Princess Diana's wedding.

For her 34th birthday, she went to go see Beyonce Knowles in concert in Mumbai.

Personal Quotes
I'm just average woman with average concerns.

Life will take its toll on all of us. We get injured, we get old. It's really sad to try to run away from these harsh realities of life. Looks are not everything. I am not going to look beautiful all the time.

You give to the world your greatest gift when you're being yourself.

I believe that as an actress all my fears and phobias exist till I sign on the dotted line for a film.

I don't believe in proving a point to anybody. Nobody is that important.

It's strange that Rakesh Roshan thinks I look older than Hrithik. In fact, he's approached me for all his home productions.

I always knew I would be successful. So there was no element of surprise.

I know for a fact that if there's a role which I am suited for, I'll be signed on. I'll never go begging.

"I only entered Miss India after pressure from friends and because I thought it would be a laugh".

Comedy is difficult for an actor. But I think I have a good sense of humor and manage to make people laugh and make them happy.

On donating her eyes after death - "People know me more because of my eyes. So, I decided to donate my eyes. But before that, I acquired all the information about the campaign. Within what time after death one has to donate eyes, and all other information. Only then I decided to donate my eyes. It's not that just for doing something, I donated my eyes. I found that useful so I did it. I like to do social service from my heart. Whatever is possible I do, but I don't speak of that. But I would like to give more time to it in the near future."

Women in the industry have been exploited very often, but there are some actors who belive that the short cut to stardom is through nudity or exposure. Such success is, in fact, very short-lived.

I have never done a kissing scene nor do I have intentions to.

About her film Chaos (2006): When this came to be early this year, I was ecstatic. I couldn't believe that I was actually going to work with Meryl Streep, someone I've always admired. In all my interviews 10 years ago people used to ask who is your favourite actor and actress and I would mention Robert de Niro and Meryl Streep. On my first trip there I met up with de Niro and my first film is with Meryl Streep, and I said, 'Oh God that's really, really cool. Really wonderful.

Ever since I went to the Cannes festival, the media overseas really encouraged me to consider the possibilities of working in the West. Then I got a call from some people who worked in the business in America, who asked me to first obviously get an agent so that they could have direct access because that's the way they work.

About turning down the role opposite Jackie Chan in the movie _Time Breaker (2004)_, "I did not have the required dates as I was busy with the shows abroad. I had to turn down the film. I have no regrets because there is always a next time."

Indian cinema has begun to be recognized globally. And it's very important for us to make our presence felt at important events such as Cannes. I feel there should be more Indian representation at festivals. India is producing such a large cross section of films. We need to be part of world cinema, and we need to do that now.

Someone asked me why I'm politically correct, even when people hit out so openly at me. But the truth is, I've never been brought up to behave any other way. I can't say anything hurtful about anyone. I just don't believe in saying mean things. I won't feel good doing that. It's strange why being well behaved is perceived as being too 'propah' and staid. This is the way I am. I'm amazed how many people feel good hitting out at me. They're welcome to do it. Earlier, they had more leeway to deny their indiscretions in print. But now on television they look pretty ridiculous denying what they say.

About the sari on the Oprah show: "I thought I'd wear one on the show, and packed two of them, in case Oprah wanted to wear one too. As luck would have it, my flight was delayed and I reached minutes before the show went on air! So I had no time to change, which is a pity. Americans love the garment but have no clue how it's tied. Oprah is very respectful and appreciative of all cultures. She was very curious about the sari and I helped her put it on, on air! She has sent me an autographed picture saying, 'Next time we change the blouse.' She was very sweet." (Rediff, May 18, 2005)

About being on the Oprah show: "Yes, I was extremely happy to be on her show. I absolutely admire her. I never thought I'd actually be meeting her -- and that too, on her show! It's so strange. But prior to our meeting, during my visit to the US for the premiere of Bride & Prejudice, I had some afternoons off and I watched Oprah. I thought how wonderful it would be to be on her show. And within a month, I was!" (Rediff, May 18, 2005)

"I am not comfortable about kissing or nudity. I am clear about what I want. I'll work only with good directors who'll offer me two-dimensional roles. The director and the role are most important." (Movie Mag International, September 2004)

About her long career in entertainment: "This is my tenth year now, so things have changed within this span of time - so drastically that when I look at the work done when I just joined, it's like, "Oh my God!" So much has changed in these ten years. You get to see how you're part of the process of change within the Indian film industry. That's all positive, that's all a good sign." (Forbes Magazine, August 25th 2005)

Her advice to aspiring professionals: "My biggest concern is always the students who are working toward a certain career - when they limit themselves to just that one option. They need to know that the world is huge - it's an ocean, and there are so many options. It's not the end of the world if they don't get to pursue an apparent childhood dream. That's really important, because you find a lot of kids who believe that they want to become a doctor or an aeronautical engineer or something, and if they don't manage to make their degree, that's the end. They feel so defeated, which is very disheartening. It's sad to know that people let themselves be limited by these aspirations." (Forbes Magazine, August 25th 2005)

It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.

Life is a stage, and we are all characters. So play your part and play it well!

On why she participated in the Miss World Pageant in 1994: "For me, it went beyond being a beauty queen. For me, it was about being the 20-year-old girl from India on international platform and a lot of people actually would assume that I wasn't even educated in India because of the way I'd speak. And they'd be like, 'Have you studied in India? Do you actually speak English out there?' and, I was like, 'This is so interesting that so many people know so little about my country.' and this is exactly what I wanted to do when I set out on this little mission in my head." (Jan 2005, 60 Minutes Interview)

"Good films are good films regardless of being made in India or abroad. I believe a great story transcends cultural lines and language barriers." (American Way Magazine, 3-15-06)

I choose films with characters that I feel are relative to a woman's growth for me. In The Last Legion, I play a warrior. This was a first for me and it was a fantastic experience. I would like very much to do more action films. As for the right direction, I make my choices and always move forward one step at a time. (4-26- 06)

On her character in _Mistress of Spices (2005)_: "I have related to each character I have performed thus far, including Tilo. I am very sensitive to moods and one's inward feelings and emotions. I am a true people person and people watcher. I look forward to meeting interesting people and understanding their experiences in life." (4-26-06)

On her character in Dhoom:2 (2006): "It's the kind of character I have never essayed before. Sunehiri, my character in the film, is distinctly different from any other character you have seen me play. That's what makes her exciting to me. For the first time in my life I went through a bit of a fitness regime. Contrary to popular belief, right since modeling, to the (Miss World) title, to films, I have never been a fitness freak or exercised." (October 2006)

About director _J.P. Dutta_: "J P Dutta is a committed taskmaster. I have danced to songs before. But he always added to choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant's steps, and that was quite challenging. He would shoot an entire mukhda in one shot. To do all the songs at that level required remaining focused at all times. In that moment, I felt I became Umrao Jaan. It was interesting to deliver a performance that shows her passionate but tragic story. The film is also reflective of the art that was at its zenith in that era. The sex trade was called the performing arts then and not prostitution." (October 2006)

On Umrao Jaan (2006) being her first Urdu language film: "Since our generation speaks English, we are not very fluent in Hindi, leave alone Urdu. I loved those dialogs and the experience to work and know about that era. For me, it was a study of Urdu on the sets under the guidance of JP and Javed saab."

About Rekha: "Rekha is very inspiring. It is not necessarily relative to just one performance, but her entire career, the span of characters that she has essayed, the performances that she has delivered itself is extremely inspiring. I am inspired by her performance. But I cannot ape her." (October 2006)

On her role in Umrao Jaan (2006) :"Playing Umrao Jaan was a demanding emotional journey. When a story takes that course, it is following an entire arc; it goes through all the possible emotions. The process was satisfying, inspiring and challenging. It forced me to deliver the best in every moment." (October 2006)

On being compared to Rekha in the original version of Umrao Jaan (1981): "For me, as an actor, it's a special experience to get the opportunity to play Umrao Jaan who has been already iconised on our celluloid. When I played Paro in Devdas, I went through the same area of questioning about how my role will be compared with the ones played earlier." (rediff.com,October 2006)

"My reason for choosing a film is not to impress people. I don't choose films for the box office." (November 2006)

"The audiences feel I am part of their life so they worry about me. I think that is very sweet of them and I tell them that when I will marry I will announce it. When I get married, you'll know. I believe in marriage and it is a beautiful institution." (November 2006)

"It is a very tricky situation when you get the chance to work in English films. I do films based on characters, not to get an entry into Hollywood or whatever. In English, my Bride & Prejudice did well world over. I don't know how it did in Hindi, but I know Jurassic Park too didn't do well in Hindi. I was glad audiences worldwide liked an English film that was Indian. When I did Mistress of Spices, I did it for Paul [Mayeda Berges, the director and husband of Gurinder Chadha] as a team. The film found its audiences. When the Provoked script came to me, I felt it was a very important story of an Indian woman based in London who killed her husband because of marital abuse. Kiranjit Ahluwalia made a big impression in England, and so I did this film because I felt it was an important story to be told. Provoked is an important film for many other Kirans in the world." (November 2006)

As far as The Last Legion (2007) is concerned, it is a film based on a book [A novel by Valerio Manfredi]. I don't think the character of Meera [her role] is there in the book. I did the film for the new experience and it is for the first time that I was with a complete foreign crew. Working with Ben Kingsley was a great experience. Meera is an Indian in the film and she has great roots and you will identify with her strength. I feel for Indian audiences, and want them to feel pride in what I am doing: I am not doing films just to be there as guest appearances.

On celebrating her 33rd birthday: "I am just not the birthday bash kind. My day will start with a visit to the Siddhivinayak temple with my family, something I do every year. There will be no loud parties... my birthday is a very private affair. Concidering I have to leave for Dubai tomorrow, it will be over early too. Only family and friends will be there." (November 1, 2006)

On the rumors that her black eye was the result of abuse by Salman Khan: "For some perverse reason, no one wants to believe me, that I fell down the stairs. First the media calls me the woman of the millennium, a woman of substance. Then how can the same media make me out to be such a doormat? I'm a self-respecting woman, I don't take nonsense from anyone. No one tries caveman tactics on me. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger can fall and get hurt, so why should I be any different?"

I have never deliberately driven attention to the fact that I am working in Hollywood films. I have categorically stated that I am working in different kinds of films, be it British, Hindi, Tamil or Bengali. It's all about doing films, which are my passion.

On meeting producer Harvey Weinstein for the first time at the 2005 Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People: "He is a big fan of Indian films. He has seen Devdas (2002/I), and said he respected my work. It's a big compliment coming from somebody who has such an immense body of work and yet is so humble from him? He discussed a few ideas and scripts with me. He is starting his own company. We are discussing projects. Time will tell all."

On attending the dinner for Time Magazines 100 Most Influential People of the Year in 2005: "I am surprised at my life's turn of events. Six of us were asked to raise the toast for the evening. And I raised it for my parents and for my fans, without whom I wouldn't have reached where I am today. Nicole Kidman had to rush out for some premiere, but she said that she and her son loved Bride and Prejudice and I told her how I loved all her performances. Sean Penn told me that I spoke well and I told him that I've always been his fan!"

Upon hearing that Julia Roberts had said that Aishwarya was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen: "That was embarrassing; at first I didn't believe she said that. I thought it was a rumor started by a journalist. But it's sweet. She's an incredible actor and she seems like a wonderful person, so all you can do is say, Thank you." (April 2007)

"I am not comfortable about kissing or nudity. I've never said I'd never kiss, or whatever on screen. I've always maintained I'd cross that bridge when I come to it. Again, I'm accused of playing it safe. The truth is, I don't know what tomorrow holds. So I can't make a close ended principle about it." (2007)

Her thoughts on modern women versus the queens of the era of Jodhaa Akbar (2008): I consider myself lucky to be born in today's era where a woman has far more freedom to exercise her rights. It took them ages to get ready for one appearance, and imagine staying behind curtains all day long. (2008)



Where Are They Now
(May 2003) Released "Aishwarya's Greatest Hits" on DVD containing 50 of her music videos to date.

(April 2004) Will start her world-wide tour to perform alongside stars Lara Dutta, Celina Jaitley, Hrithik Roshan, and Fardeen Khan.


Source: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0706787/bio

Geeta Basra Wiki (Geeta Basra Wikipedia)

Geeta Basra Wiki (Geeta Basra Wikipedia)

Geeta Basra is an Indian actress who has done two known movies. She originally hails from Portsmouth on the south coast of England, but now resides in Mumbai.

Dil Diya Hai

The Train : Some lines should never be crossed

Source: wikipedia.org

Geeta Basra

Geeta Basra

Geeta Basra Biography

Geeta Basra is an Indian actress who has done two known movies. She originally hails from Portsmouth on the south coast of England, but now resides in Mumbai.

- Dil Diya Hai

- The Train : Some lines should never be crossed

Geeta Basra is an Indian actress who originally hails from Portsmouth in the south of England, but now resides in Mumbai.She was born to emigrant Punjabi parents in Portsmouth, UK. Even before she began to walk, Geeta Basra learnt to use the videocassette recorder and put a video in to watch films. She had done her first performance on stage when she was only two years old. She is an ardent fan of Madhuri Dixit for many years now and performed on Madhuri numbers many times.Since her childhood, she used to watch Madhuri Starrer films. and tried to mimic her.Madhuri Dixit influenced Geeta Basra’s talent as an actress and dancer. When Main ‘Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon’ was being made Geeta Basra was dying to play that role but could not make her dream come true since she was still at Portsmouth, UK.The lead role in the movie was played by the stunning beauty Antara Mali. Bollywood is Geeta Basra’s dream ever since she started to dream. She always dreamt of becoming a glittering star like Madhuri Dixit in the skies of Bollywood.Geeta Basra moved to Mumbai when she was seventeen and joined the acting school as any other Bollywood aspirant. She joined Kishore Namit Kapoor's acting school, where the likes of Priyanka Chopra and Hrithik Roshan were trained. Upon completion of the training she hired a manager for herself and left for London, UK. She has done two known bollywood movies both with Emran Hashmi.


Source: http://www.perfectpeople.net/biography/4816/geeta-basra.htm

Sixth Pay Commission: Pay bonanza for state govt employees

Sixth Pay Commission: Pay bonanza for state govt employees

JAIPUR: With elections round the corner, it's raining goodies for state government employees.

The Raje Cabinet on Saturday gave its in-principle approval for implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations for the 7.5 lakh state government employees. The Cabinet also cleared a five-day week for the employees that the chief minister had promised in her Independence Day speech.

Parliamentary affairs minister Rajendra Singh Rathore, told reporters at a briefing that the Cabinet had taken the decision to raise salaries of state government employees but did not specify when it would be implemented. He said a high-power committee would be set up to look into the matter.

Rathore also did not specify if the state government would follow the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Panel or implement the higher scales cleared by the Union government.

"We received the central notification on pay revision of central government employees only last night and did not get enough time to study the notification. The finance department is studying the notification and will take an appropriate decision." he said.

Besides higher pay, the state employees will now need to work only five days a week. Effective, September 1, their hours will be revised to 9.30 am to 6 pm, which will include a half-hour lunch break.

As a pre-poll bonanza, the Cabinet also raised the limit of medical advance for the state employees from Rs 1.2 lakh to 3 lakh and also gave its nod for availing of medical facilities in private and charitable hospitals. However, the reimbursement would be based on the rate of the same treatment in government hospitals.

The Cabinet decided in favour of a Rs 1,500-crore loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the development of basic infrastructure facilities at 32 small cities in the state.

It also cleared the new Rajasthan Nagar Palika Act 2008 under which the mayor, municipal council chairman and municipal chairman will be elected directly.

The Cabinet decided to constitute committees at various levels to decide on the installation of statutes and naming of roads.

Rathore said the Cabinet decided to earmark Rs 1 crore each for the proposed universities at Alwar, Bharatpur and Shekawati region and decided to regularise 167 junior engineers posted in the rural development and panchayati raj department.

Also, the pension of the MISA and DIR prisoners have been increased from Rs 2500 to Rs 6000. In addition, they will get an additional medical allowance of Rs 600 per month.


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

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

Sixth Pay Commission: Be an investor, not a spendthrift

Sixth Pay Commission: Be an investor, not a spendthrift

Dhirendra Kumar

Now that the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission have been accepted, government employees are set to receive a good chunk of money over the next few months. It has been estimated that most government employees will effectively get a hike of around 30% on the pre-tax salary that they are getting in hand. Since the hike is with effect from the start of 2006, everyone will get arrears of around 32 months. A rough estimate would be that someone who gets a pre-tax salary of Rs 40,000 a month now, would get a total of around Rs 3.75 lakh as arrears.

Looked upon as savings, this is a lot of money. Someone who earns Rs 40,000 a month probably doesn’t save more than three or four thousand rupees a month. At Rs 4,000 a month, it would take almost eight years to save Rs 3.75 lakh. Even if we take into account some interest income, the arrears are worth six-and-a-half years’ worth of savings.

For those who save less than what I’ve estimated, this sum could be the equivalent of what they would otherwise have saved in a decade, perhaps. Make no mistake; the size of the hike as well as the period of the arrears has made this whole thing financially very significant for many government employees.

What should be done with this money? About the worse thing I’ve heard is that this payout should ‘boost demand in the economy’, which is what some business association types have stated. What that implies is that people should go out and spend the money, presumably buying cars and LCD TVs and clothes and pizzas and whatnot and thus boost the economy.

My advice to government employees is quite the opposite. Let the economy find other ways to get any boosting that it needs. These arrears are your savings, you should hang on to them tightly, without trying to boost anything but your own financial situation.

Remember, this money is not a windfall. A windfall (a word which sounds vaguely like it should have a rude meaning) is what Amar Singh accuses Mukesh Ambani of enjoying. An average government employee’s situation is very different. The Pay Commission’s award is a response not just to the rising cost of living but also to the general rise in private sector’s salaries and an attempt to narrow the gap thus created. In this sense, the arrears are money...

that you have already spent. Given the way most people’s finances are structured nowadays, I think the first priority should be to lighten or eliminate any debt load that one has. Interest paid on borrowings has risen more than that earned on deposits. A lot of us tend to have savings that earn less than the interest on the loans that we are carrying at the same time. This is especially true of credit card debt, which is very expensive.

Beyond debt-reduction, the arrears money is best added to whatever savings medium you are most comfortable with. For those who want to invest for the long-term (at least five to seven years), the best course of action could be to shift this money gradually to a good balanced fund. As the last two decades have shown, despite higher volatility, equity-backed investments have long-term returns that are far superior to any other kind of asset.

A type of mutual fund that get you most of the gains of equity while saving you from some of the volatility is probably the best choice.

Tags: 6th Pay Commission,Sixth Pay Commission News

Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/

sscmpr.org

sscmpr.org

STAFF SELECTION COMMISSION [SSC] - Department of personnel & training

http://www.sscmpr.org/

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Sixth Pay Commission: Revised Pay Scales For Certain Common Categories

Sixth Pay Commission: Revised Pay Scales For Certain Common Categories

New Delhi, Aug 31, 2008Here are revised pay scale for certain common categories as notified by govt. under Sixth Pay

Commission.

Section I
(i) The revised pay structure mentioned in Column (5) and (6) of this part of the Notification for the posts

mentioned in Column (2) have been approved by the Government. The initial fixation as on 1.1.2006 will be done in accordance

with Note 2 below Rule 7 of this Notification.


(ii) On account of merger of pre-revised pay scales of Rs.5000-8000, Rs.5500-9000 and Rs.6500-10500, some posts which

presently constitute feeder and promotion grades will come to lie in an identical grade. The specific recommendations about

some categories of these posts made by the Pay Commission are included Section II of Part B. As regards other posts, the

posts in these three scales should be merged. In case it is not feasible to merge the posts in these pay scales on

functional considerations, the posts in the scale of Rs.5000-8000 and Rs.5500-9000 should be merged, with the post in the

scale of Rs.6500-10500 being upgraded to the next higher grade in pay band PB-2 i.e. to the grade pay of Rs.4600

corresponding to the pre-revised pay scale of Rs.7450-11500. In case a post already exists in the scale of Rs.7450-11500,

the post being upgraded from the scale of Rs.6500-10500 should be merged with the post in the scale of Rs.7450-11500.

(iii) Posts in the scale of Rs.6500-10500 carrying minimum qualification of either Degree in Engineering or a Degree in

Law should also be upgraded and placed in the scale of Rs.7450-11500 corresponding to the revised pay band PB-2 of

Rs.9300-34800 along with grade pay of Rs.4600.

(iv) Posts of scientific staff in the scale of Rs.6500-10500 carrying minimum qualification of engineering degree or a

post-graduate degree should also be upgraded and placed in the scale of Rs.7450-11500 corresponding to the revised pay band

PB-2 of Rs.9300-34800 along with grade pay of Rs.4600

Click here for more

Tags: Sixth Pay Commission,6th Pay Commission

Source: http://www.khabrein.info/

Katrina

Katrina

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane in the history of the United States and also one of the five deadliest. Among recorded hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall and the third strongest to make a landfall in the United States. Hurricane Katrina formed over the Bahamas on August 23, 2005, and crossed southern Florida as a moderate Category 1 hurricane, causing some deaths and flooding there before strengthening rapidly in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm weakened before making its second landfall as a Category 3 storm on the morning of Monday, August 29 in southeast Louisiana. It caused severe destruction along the Gulf coast from central Florida to Texas, much of it due to the storm surge. The most severe loss of life and property damage occurred in New Orleans, Louisiana, which flooded as the levee system catastrophically failed, in many cases hours after the storm had moved inland.[4] The federal flood protection system in New Orleans failed at more than fifty spots. Nearly every levee in metro New Orleans breached as Hurricane Katrina passed just east of the city limits. Eventually 80% of the city became flooded and also large tracts of neighboring parishes, and the floodwaters lingered for weeks.[4]At least 1,836 people combined lost their lives in the actual hurricane and in the subsequent floods, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane since the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane. The storm is estimated to have been responsible for $81.2 billion (2005 U.S. dollars) in damage, making it the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.


The failure of the New Orleans flood protection system prompted a congressional investigation into the Army Corps of Engineers, which by statute has sole responsibility for it. Other congressional investigations were launched into response of the federal, state and local governments, resulting in the resignation of Federal Emergency Management Agency director Michael D. Brown. Conversely, the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service were widely commended for accurate forecasts and abundant lead time. Three years later, thousands of displaced residents in Mississippi and Louisiana were still living in trailers.

Formed August 23, 2005
Dissipated August 30, 2005
Highest
winds 175 mph (280 km/h) (1-minute sustained)

Lowest pressure 902 mbar (hPa; 26.65 inHg)
Fatalities 1,836 confirmed, 705 missing[1][2]
Damage $81.2 billion (2005 USD)
$89.6 billion (2008 USD)
(Costliest Atlantic hurricane in history)
Areas
affected Bahamas, South Florida, Cuba, Louisiana (especially Greater New Orleans), Mississippi, Alabama, Florida Panhandle, most of eastern North America
Part of the
2005 Atlantic hurricane season
Hurricane Katrina

2005 Atlantic hurricane season

General

Timeline
Meteorological history
Preparations
New Orleans preparedness
Impact

Economic effects
Political effects
Criticism of government response
Social effects
Effects by region
Effects on Mississippi
Effects on New Orleans
Levee failures
Infrastructure repairs
Reconstruction
Relief

Disaster relief
International response
Analysis

Alternative theories
Historical context
Media coverage
Other wikis

Commons: Katrina images
Wikinews: Katrina stories
Wikisource: Katrina sources

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina


Tags: katrina,gustav, hurricane, katrina track, gustav vs katrina, gustav katrina

Money Exchange In Goa

Money Exchange In Goa

While planning for a trip to Goa it is essential that you know about the currency of the country. Knowledge of the exchange rates and the currency regulations are essential. With the open economy it has become very easy for travelers to use credit cards for shopping and changing traveller's cheque. Money exchange in Goa is easy and proper information is available regarding the exchange rates at all major banks.

Currency Regulations

Taking Indian currency out of India or purchasing the Rupee is not permitted. Since Goa has a flux of overseas tourists almost round the year all currencies can be exchanged. One will have no difficulty in changing either dollar or sterling traveller's cheques. There are many Exchange Bureaux in Panjim , Calangute and Baga. Cash can be withdrawn by credit cards at some banks in Calangute and Panjim. One can change some of their currency into Rupees at the airport or at the nearest branch of State Bank of India where one is offered the best rates of exchange.
Many hotels and resorts, shopping malls and showrooms accept Master and Visa cards Travellers cheques of all major brands are easily changed.

The Currency Unit in Goa is the standard Indian Rupee. Each rupee consists of 100 paise. Currency notes are issued in the denominations of Rs. 1000, Rs. 500, Rs.100, Rs.50, Rs.10. Coins available are Rs.5, Rs.2, Ree.1, 50 paise coin, 25 paise coin. Notes of Rs. 1000, Rs. 500 and Rs. 100 are quite similar. One should be extra cautious while accepting or handing out these notes.

Money exchange in Goa is an important aspect while touring Goa, India. Log on to Goa Hub to know about money exchange in Goa.


Source: http://www.goahub.com/goa/introduction/money-exchange-in-goa.html

Money Exchange

Money Exchange

Money Exchange Rates, Currency Convertor By Indian Market Watch

Indian Market Watch - Presenting uptodate information on exchange rates with global currency convertor.

Market Watch - Money Exchange Rates at http://finance.indiamart.com

Tags: money exchange,currency convertor, money exchange rates, indian market watch, market pulse, indian finance & investment guide