by rakesh | Oct 11, 2007 | India News
The Sainik Schools will hold an all-India entrance examination on Sunday, January 6, 2008 for the session 2008-09 for admission to classes Sixth and Ninth. Admission test will be held at various centres for all 21 Sainik Schools across the country barring Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir, which will conduct a separate examination.
Boys between the age of 10 and 11 years as on July 1, 2008 can apply for admission to Class VI while those between 13 and 14 years are eligible for Class IX.
Necessary advertisements inviting applications are being issued by the respective Sainik Schools this month. The prospectus can be obtained by the candidates from the Sainik Schools where admission is desired on payment of Rupees 300/- (Rs.200/- for SC/ST) by crossed Postal Order in favour of the Principal. Last date for receipt of applications is December 10, 2007.
Admission is made strictly on merit in the entrance examination and subject to medical fitness. Reservation will be made in admission for 15% and 7½% seats for SC and ST candidates respectively. Besides 25% seats are reserved for wards of service personnel, including exservicemen.
Admission will also be made to Class XI subject to vacancy and criteria laid down by respective Sainik Schools.
The 21 Sainik Schools are located as under:
Andhra Pradesh (KORUKONDA-VIJIANAGARAM), Assam (GOALPARA), Bihar (NALANDA and GOPALGANJ), Gujarat (BALACHADI-JAMNAGAR), Himachal Pradesh (SUJANPUR TIRA), Haryana (KUNJPURA-KARNAL), Jharkhand (TILAIYA), Jammu and Kashmi (NAGROTA), Karnataka (BIJAPUR), Kerala (KAZHAKOOTAM-THIRUVANANTHAPURAM), Maharashtra (SATARA), Mainpur (IMPHAL), Madhya Pradesh (REWA), Nagaland (PUNGLWA), Orissa (BHUBANESWAR), Punjab (KAPURTHALA), Rajasthan (CHITTORGARH), Tamil Nadu (AMARAVATHINAGAR), Uttarakhand (GHORAKHAL) and West Bengal (PURULIA).
In States/UTs listed below where Sainik Schools are not located, Principals of the Sainik Schools mentioned in bracket will be in-charge of entrance examination in regard to the respective State/UT:
Chandigarh (KAPURTHALA), Delhi (KUNJPURA-KARNAL), Diu & Daman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli (BALACHADI-JAMNAGAR), Lakshadweep and Male (KAZHAKOOTAM-THIRUVANANTHAPURAM), Pondicherry and Karaikal (AMARAVATHINAGAR), Yaman (KORUKONDA-VIJIANAGARAM) Tripura and Mizoram (IMPHAL), Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh (PUNGLWA), Goa (SATARA), Meghalaya and Sikkim (GOALPARA), Andaman & Nicobar Islands (PURULIA), Uttar Pradesh (GHORAKHAL), Chhattisgarh (REWA, also in respect of proposed Sainik School at AMBIKAPUR, Chhattisgarh), Karnataka (BIJAPUR and KUDIGE)
Sainik Schools are residential public schools and affiliated to the CBSE to impart education upto Class XII under 10+2 pattern. Central and state governments have instituted liberal scholarships for the benefit of socio-economically backward sections of society.
by rakesh | Oct 6, 2007 | Travellers look
Smt. Ambika Soni, Union Minister of Tourism & Culture, Shri Chandan Mitra, Member of Parliament, Shri Ashok Ahuja, MLA, Delhi, Shri K. C. Jena, Chairman, Railway Board and senior officers of Ministry of Railways and IRCTC were among those present on the occasion. The train has been introduced by Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Railways. Shri Lalu Prasad said that this special train has been introduced for the Buddhist pilgrimage from India and abroad particularly from the South Asian countries to promote tourism. The train will take passengers to important destinations linked to the life of Buddha such as Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Nalandha, Kushinagar, Lumbini, Sravasti. He said that the package includes train travel, road travel, all meals, deluxe hotel facilities, sight seeing, monument entry fees, security, insurance and guide services. The Minister informed that the travel related information for this train has been prepared in Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Thai languages for the convenience of international travellers. The Minister pointed out that IRCTC is already running a “Bharat Darshan” train with a nominal fare of Rs.500 per day. More useful tour packages will be introduced for the benefit of the tourists, he added. He thanked the Ministry of Tourism for their cooperation in the project.
Speaking on the occasion, Smt. Ambika Soni, said that Railways in recent times have made tremendous progress and earned huge surplus. She pointed out that several passenger amenities introduced by Railways are helping in the promotion of tourism in a big way. She said that her department will continue to collaborate with Railways in the tourist sector.
The train covers the whole journey in eight days. The passengers will be taken to Gaya, Rajgir-Nalanda, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Lumbani in Nepal, Gonda, Agra and back to Delhi. The fare from October 2007 to March 2008 will be US$ 150, 105 and 88 for 1st AC, 2nd AC and 3rd AC respectively per person per night on twin sharing basis. In other words, the total individual fair for seven days will be US$ 1050, 735 and 616 respectively.
Tariff includes all the comforts of Rajdhani Express Air Conditioned train, which includes train journey, onboard/off board catering, house keeping, road transfer by AC vehicles, sightseeing, Darshan, visit to holy places, hotel stay in AC rooms and entrance fee at monuments. Indian passengers can pay in equivalent Rupee (INR) amount, at the exchange rate prevalent at the time of payment.
For information and booking, one can contact Email: tourticket@irctc.co.in or Market Office of IRCTC, 2nd Floor, STC Building, Jawahar Vyapar Bhawan, 1-Tolstoy Marg, New Delhi-110001. Tel./Fax: 011-23701174, 23701145-47.
by rakesh | Oct 2, 2007 | India News
Today, October 2nd the Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi is celebrated an International Day of Non-Violence by the United Nations from this year. At a function organized by the Ministry of Culture and Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti at Vigyan Bhawan here, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh administered the following pledge:
“I shall work for an India in which the poorest shall feel that it is their country, in whose making they have an effective voice, an India in which there shall be no high class and low class of people; an India in which all communities shall live in perfect harmony. There can be no room in such an India for the curse of untouchability, or the curse of intoxicating drinks and drugs. Women will enjoy the same rights as men. We shall be at peace with all the rest of the world. This is the India of my dreams.” M.K. GANDHI.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister for Tourism and Culture, Smt. Ambika Soni said history has time and again shown that violence can never be countered by violence, wars never bring peace and hatred and intolerance get only multiplied and reinforced whenever confronted with counter intolerance and hatred. She said Gandhiji, a visionary that he was, showed us the way out from this vicious circle. He clearly saw the futility of violent means to resolve conflicts and realize peace. She said the declaration of October 2, Gandhi Jayanti, as International Day of Non-Violence by UN mooted by India and supported by 142 member states is a manifestation of the change of hearts. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi “the world will live in peace, only when the individuals composing it make up their minds to do so”. Smt. Ambika Soni said this message can and should be practiced by all of us at individual levels if we want this world to be a better place to live.
by rakesh | Sep 28, 2007 | India News
In a new endeavour, to provide new, modern and improved facilities to the passengers of the Indian Railways, a common countrywide train enquiry telephone No.139 for West Zone will be inaugurated by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Naranbhai J. Rathawa at Chatterapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), Mumbai on 29th September 2007. With the commissioning of this service which is known as Integrated Train Enquiry System (ITES): ‘Rail Sampark’, the basic enquiry services like train arrival and departure, PNR status, availability of accommodation, train fare etc, are to be made available for the general public of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Dadar Nagar Haweli, Goa and Daman Diu with MTNL and BSNL subscribers. In addition to Hindi and English, enquiry services will also be available in Marathi and Gujarati for west zone.
In the first phase, Zonal hub for North Region at Delhi and call centre at Noida was commissioned on 17th July 2007. Under the North Zone basic enquiry services are being made available for general public of Delhi, NCR, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Rajashtan, Uttrakhand state and Chandigarh with MTNL and BSNL as Telecom Service Provider (TSP).
The services in other two zones i.e. East and South Zones will begin in the month of October 2007.
Work of implementation of ITES is based on Public Private Partnership model. Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) in association with Centre for Railway Informatics System (CRIS) are responsible for rolling out this project across the country. . Execution of ITES is being done by Rail Enquiry Franchisee – M/s Bharat BPO and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited.
by rakesh | Sep 24, 2007 | India News
Five coaches of 9038 Avadh Express caught fire when the train, on its way from Gorakhpur (U.P.) to Mumbai, was passing through Bharuch district in Gujarat at 1.30 a.m. today. The Railway medical team along with senior Railway officers was immediately rushed to the spot. None of the passengers were hurt in the fire incident. The fire was noticed in one of its Sleeper Class coach (S-10) when the train was on its run between Lakodra-Palez section of Vadodara division in Western Railway. Immediately the train was stopped and all the passengers from the affected five coaches (S-8 to S-12) were cleared safely and shifted to other coaches. The train has since resumed its onward journey early this morning. The cause of the fire is not yet known.
