Pirated Microsoft Windows 7 DVDs generate $100,000 in India

About 50,000 pirated DVDs of Microsoft Windows 7 are estimated to have been sold here since the official launch on Oct 22, generating
unaccounted business of around Rs 50 lakh (nearly $100,000).

The reason for the allure of the pirated versions: These cost Rs.40-Rs.250 in Naza Market in Hazratganj here, drawing buyers from not only the rest of Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring states like Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttarakhand but also Nepal and Bangladesh.

"This is the biggest market in the region," said a shopkeeper in Hazratganj, claiming at least 50,000 DVDs of the pirated Windows 7 have been sold since hitting the local markets within 24 hours of the official launch, fetching sellers about Rs.50 lakh so far.

The legal version of the new operating system launched by Microsoft Corp costs between $150-$300 (Rs.7,500-Rs.15,000) in the international markets. The company, however, tagged its prices 20 percent below international rates in India, where it is available in the Rs.6,000-Rs.11,000 range through official channels. Despite the discounted company rates, buyers are opting for the pirated version. "Why invest Rs.10,000 when it is available for Rs.250?" asked Pramod Yadav, a student pursuing a Master of Computer Applications (MCA) course. Added Mohit Singh, who runs a computer hardware and software maintenance company: "We pay for only the DVD as we are regular customers. A DVD hardly costs Rs.20-40." Most computer service providers or "regular customers" in Lucknow and elsewhere in India use pirated software, contended Nishant Kumar, a software engineer with HCL Technologies in Greater Noida. According to him, what makes the pirated operating systems more attractive is that cheap pirated anti-virus software is also freely available. "A lot of anti-virus software, for example Awast, is available on the Internet," Kumar said, adding that it was equally effective and has the same service life.





Those selling pirated Windows 7 deny doing anything illegal.





There are over 200 shops in Naza Market. All have everything you want. We are not doing anything illegal as everything is available on the Internet," said a shopkeeper not willing to be named. "We are only transferring and supplying to buyers who include students, professionals and even big business houses."





Those selling authentic software are unhappy.

Gutka Pouch , Unmanageable Threat

The Government's proposal to ban the use of multi-layered laminated plastic packaging has elicited a strong response from the industry with several pleading to present their case before the environment ministry. The Justice Chopra report recommended that the small pouches segment of the vast plastic based packaging industry had become unmamageable.
The notification also proposes to increase the thickness of polybags from 20 microns to 40 microns.
The proposed notification recommends a strict control and license system for manufacturers of plastic carry bags and containers and also requires the manufactures to label their products based on whether they are made from virgin plastic,recycled plastic or biodegradabele material. With debate also building around what is really biodegradable plastic,the ministry has proposed that only products that match BIS regulations would be allowed to be manufactured and used.

Nine Indian-origin people work in White House

At least nine Indian-origin people work in the White House, with some getting $100,000 or more a year, official figures released by President Barack Obama's office have revealed.According to the figures, Sonal Shah, who's the deputy assistant to the US President and director at Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, gets an annual salary of $120,000. Both Rachana Bhowmick, who is the director of special projects, and Aditya Kumar, also director of special projects as well as special assistant to Office of Chief of Staff, earn $99,000 a year each. Those in the salary slab less than $90,000 are Anisha Dasgupta who works as a Counsel at an annual package of $86,927 and Pradeep Ramamurthy, the Director of Response Policy, whose gross salary is $86,927.





The figures, released on the White House blog, also reveal that Kavita Patel who is the Director of Policy for the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement gets USD 65,000 annually, while Shomik Dutta, the Special Assistant to White House Counsel, earns $62,000. Likewise, White House Policy Advisor Manashi Deshpande earns $54,000 a year while Taara Rangarajan gets $40,000 for her services as Deputy Associate Director. According to the White House, consistent with Obama's commitment to transparency, the figures have been disclosed on its website as it is transmitted to the US Congress. Since the year 1995, it's required to deliver a report every year.

Happy Independence Day

On 3 June 1947, Viscount Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last British Governor-General of India, announced the partitioning of the British Indian Empire into India and Pakistan, under the provisions of the Indian Independence Act 1947. At the stroke of midnight, on 14 August 1947, India became an independent nation. This was preceded by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's famous speech titled Tryst with Destiny.



“ At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance..... We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again. "

Raksha Bandhan - Festival Of India

Raksha Bandhan (the bond of protection in Hindi and Panjabi) is a Hindu festival, which celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. It is celebrated on the full moon of the month of Shraavana.



The festival is marked by the tying of a rakhi, or holy thread by the sister on the wrist of her brother. The elder brother in return offers a gift to his sister and vows to look after her same while an elder sister returns offers to her younger brother. The brother and sister traditionally feed each other sweets. It is not necessary that the rakhi can be given only to a brother by birth; any male can be "adopted" as a brother by tying a rakhi on the person, that is "blood brothers and sisters", whether they are cousins or a good friend. Indian history is replete with women asking for protection, through rakhi, from men who were neither their brothers, nor Hindus themselves. In 16th century, Rani Karnavati of Chittor sent a rakhi to the Mughal Emperor Humayun when she was threatened by Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. Humayun abandoned an ongoing military campaign to ride to her rescue.



The rakhi may also be tied on other special occasions to show solidarity and kinship (not necessarily only among brothers and sisters), as was done during the Indian independence movement.