Shri Sathya Sai Baba.

Shri Sathya Sai Baba.

Shri Sathya Sai Baba (85 years old), one of the India’s most popular spiritual leaders, died at “ Puttaparthi ” (Puttaparthi, Anatapur district, Andhra Pradesh, India) on April 24, 2011 after a prolonged illness, plunging millions of followers across the world into glooms. The man whom many worshiped as God despite controversy, breathed his last at the Sathya Sai Super-speciality hospital where he was admitted on March 28, with cardiac problems. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condoled Baba’s death, saying he was an inspiration to people of all faiths and that his death was an irreparable loss to all. The Sathya Sai Baba Trust runs a state-of-art hospitals, university and several other institution to serve the poor in over 160 countries. However, he himself reportedly visited only two foreign countries—Uganda and Kenya. Born as “ Sathyanarayana Raju ” in humble backward caste family in 1926, Baba emerged as one of the most popular God man in India in modern times. Initially he attracted attention through acts like producing articles like sacred ash and lingam which his detractors claimed was a sleight of hand, but later he came to be known for his founding institutions of learning and philanthropy. His devotes were spread throughout the world.

Sai Baba’s History

Nov. 23, 1926 : Born in Puttaparthi, Anatapur district, Andhra Pradesh.

Oct. 20, 1940 : Declares that he is Sai Baba.

1950 : Builds Prasanthi Nilayam, his Puttaparthi ashram.

1954 : General hospital established at Puttaparthi.

1968 : Sets up colleges for girls at Anatapur.

1972 : Founded Shri Sathya Sai Central Trust a charitable trust that undertakes social welfare projects.

1976 : General hospital set up at Bangalore.

1978 : Sets up colleges for boys at Puttaparthi.

1981 : Sri Sathya Sai university inaugurated.

1991 : Sri Sathya Institute for Higher Medical Sciences set up.

1995 : Launches Anatapur drinking water project.

2001 : Launches Medak and Mahabubnagar drinking water projects.

Sets up Sri Sathya Sai  Institute for higher Medical Sciences, Bangalore.

2002 : Launches Chennai water projects.

2007 : East Godavari and west Godavari water projects were launched.

2009 : Launches construction of Sathya Sai University campus.

Donation :-

Among one of Sathya Sai Baba’s donors was Issac Tigrett, who started Hard Rock Café. Sai Baba said to come up in his dreams and saved him from a fatal disease. Tigrett apparently sold his café chain for 108 million dollar and in 1991 donated the money to the Guru and this is how the famous Puttaparthi hospital was funded.

Vital Stats :-

Rs. 250 crore is the cost of Anatapur piped-water project, which benefits nearly 750 villages.

Apparently 30 million is the number of estimated Sai Baba Devotees.

INDIA--ASEAN.

The India –Asian Free Trade Agreement, which came into force on 1^st Jan 2010, is a milestone in the relations between India and ASEAN. The agreement was the result of 6 years of negotiations. The FTA would eliminate tariffs on 4000 products. The tariff on 4000 goods would be reduced by the year 2013 and tariff on the remaining 800 products would be reduced by the year 2016. The FTA was signed on Aug 13, 2009 at Bangkok. The 498 goods excluded from the list of tariff concession and 590 goods excluded from tariff elimination in the FTA are related in the farm products, automobiles, some auto parts, machinery, chemicals, crude and textile products. Tariff cuts in respective of certain sensitive items like palm oil, tea, coffee, pepper would be graduated during a period of 10 years. The FTA is likely to boost trade between the two in coming years. It should be noted that FTA covers trade in goods only. Trade in services and investments are not covered by this agreement. During the Hanoi Summit (Oct 31, 2010) both India and ASEAN have agreed to an early conclusion of negotiations with respect to FTA in services and investments. ASEAN has already signed such FTA’s with China, Japan and South Korea.

India-ASEAN Summits

Ist              Nov, 2002                       Phnom Penh—Cambodia.

IInd            Oct, 2003                       Bali—Indonesia.

IIIrd          Nov, 2004                       Vientiane—Laos.

IVth            Dec, 2005                       Kuala Lumpur—Malayasia.

Vth              Jan, 2007                        Cebu—Phillipines.

VIth            Nov, 2007                       Singapore.

VIIth          Oct, 2009                       Chaam Hua Hin—Thailand.

VIIIth        Oct, 2010                        Hanoi—Vietnam.

IXth            May, 2011                         Jakarta.

XIIth Summit is proposed to be held in India, in 2012 on the eve of 10^th anniversary of beginning of India-ASEAN Summits. A major achievement in the cultural cooperation is the planned development of Nalanda University ( which was a great learning center for Buddhism, in ancient times).

Some highlights of India’s 12th Five year plan (2012-2017).

Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia
(Dy. Chairman Planning Commission, India)

Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia has opened the growth target of 9% to 9.5% for the coming 12^th five year plan (2012-2017) of India. He also clarified that 10% average growth target for 12^th plan period will not be feasible and it would be somewhere between 9%-9.5%. The major area of focus is going to on increasing agricultural productivity. In 11^th plan, the agricultural growth was targeted at 4% on an average but it has been estimated to remain at only 3% level. Planning wants to make sure that agriculture should attain 4% average growth targeted in coming 12^th five year plan. The approach paper of 12^th plan lays stress on “faster more inclusive and sustainable growth”. The outline of the approach paper also puts special thrust on achieving more progress in health and education, besides improving the gender ratio.

Planning Commission has favoured further liberalisation of the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy and improvement of business regulations to raise the growth rate of gross domestic product to 9%-9.5% in the 12^th five year plan (2012-17). Taking the note of weak manufacturing performance, Planning Commission emphasised the need to target a growth of 11%-12% in this sector in 12^th plan period. Infrastructure constraints are the major concerns for the plan panel. Setting up of National Manufacturing investment zones and a better business regulatory framework to ensure a broad industrial base have been outlined by the plan panel. The plan panel has estimated country’s economic growth during 11^th plan (2007-12) at 8.2& on an average which is lower than the original growth target of 9% set for the 11^th plan period. However, the Planning Commission finds 8.2% growth as ‘remarkable’, considering the global economic downturn during 11^th plan period. On micro, small and medium enterprises, the panel supported the idea of promoting clusters to enhance productivity in the sector. The Planning Commission also said that the government should target 4% growth in agriculture, during the 12^th plan period. For this, farmers should be provided with better rural infrastructure, including storage and food processing facilities. The panel had also suggested expanding the Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana to develop the farm sector.