Mystery Of Giant Eyeball That Puzzled Marine Biologists In Florida Solved

State experts believe the eye could have been from a swordfish. This conclusion from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was based on the color, size and structure of the eyeball, along with a bone present around it. The softball-sized eyeball was found on the Florida Straits Offshore according to the wildlife officials. A fisherman may have caught the fish and discarded its eye. 

Gino Covacci, found the eye while on a walk north of Ft Lauderdale, on the Pompano Beach. He found it fully intact and ‘fresh’. “It was still bleeding when I put it in the plastic bag.”  He immediately made a report to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission who preserved the eye before they handed it over to the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St. Petersburg, Fla. The institute was to analyze the eye and identify its origin.

The officials couldn’t tell immediately the size of the swordfish that could have had this eye but the species is known to grow as big as 1400 pounds. If necessary, the Marine biologists would use genetic testing to identify the species associated with the eye. 

An assistant professor at the Florida University, Miami, in the marine science program started the discussion with colleagues immediately pictures of the eyeball hit the internet. A swordfish’s eye, according to them is assumed to be smaller since the eye is hidden inside the head. 

Image Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

  According to a recent news release by the commission :

“After examining an eye found on a south Florida beach this week, researchers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) believe the specimen came from a swordfish. Genetic testing will be done to confirm the identification.

“Experts on site and remotely have viewed and analyzed the eye, and based on its color, size and structure, along with the presence of bone around it, we believe the eye came from a swordfish,” said Joan Herrera, curator of collections at the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg. “Based on straight-line cuts visible around the eye, we believe it was removed by a fisherman and discarded.”” 

Read more: http://www.unbelievable-facts.com/2014/07/mystery-of-giant-eyeball-that-puzzled.html#ixzz3A5DXP1xr

British People Trust More Wikipedia Than Mainstream Media News

 British people trust Wikipedia more than the mainstream media, the information site's founder Jimmy Wales said Sunday, at the close of a three-day conference of the Wikimedia movement in London.
A YouGov poll of almost 2,000 British adults found 64 percent trust the authors of Wikipedia entries to tell the truth "a great deal" or "a fair amount".
This compared to 61 percent who trusted BBC news journalists, 45 percent who trusted journalists on broadsheet newspapers such as The Times and The Guardian, and 13 percent for journalists on tabloids such as The Sun.

"British people trust Wikipedia more than the news," Wales told the conference, to cheers from the audience.
"The things that's really impressive here is the BBC has an excellent reputation... and we're trusted slightly more than the BBC. That's a little scary. But it's something we have accomplished," he said.
Wales acknowledged that the online encyclopedia -- which relies on the public for its contributions and corrections -- was "flawed" but said that people "turn to us for reliable, solid information.... We do a decent job of it."
The YouGov survey revealed however that the traditional Encyclopaedia Britannica is viewed as the most reliable source of information by far, trusted by 83 percent of respondents.
"I'm not going to rest until they trust us more than they ever trusted Encyclopaedia Britannica in the past," Wales said.
After three days of discussions, the "Wikimania" annual event closed with a moment of silence for contributors who had died in the past year.
This included Ihor Kostenko, a 22-year-old Ukrainian geography student who was shot dead in pro-European protests in Kiev in February. Wales named him "Wikipedian of the year".

Survey of India :Google polluted Internet with classified data

After registering a Preliminary Enquiry against Google for alleged mapping of classified areas, CBI has sought help of Survey of India which has alleged that the Internet giant continued to "pollute" the web with classified material despite being warned against it.
As the probe continues, Surveyor General of India Swarna Subba Rao alleged that the Internet giant did not refrain from mentioning classified site even after having been asked not to do so.
"During their (Google's) Mapathon 2013 exercise, they collected lot of classified data and we had approached them to refrain from doing so when we came to know about it," Dr Rao told PTI from Dehradun.
He said, instead of desisting, Google "polluted the Internet" with the coordinates of classified locations on the map. "They (Google) have expressed their desire to meet me at some hotel but I have been firm of a meeting in office," he said.
The Survey of India (SoI), the official mapping agency of the country, is the complainant in the case. After initial probe by Delhi Police, the case was handed over to the CBI as the investigation involved a company which is based in the US.
Google had not taken permission from SoI before organising a mapping competition in February-March 2013 in which they asked citizens to map their neighbourhoods, especially details related to hospitals and restaurants.
Alarmed by Mapathon, SoI, India's national survey and mapping organisation under the Department of Science and Technology, asked the Internet giant to share its details and found that there were several coordinates with information on sensitive defence installations which are out of the public domain.
The CBI has examined Google-India's Legal Advisor Geetanjali Duggal and others so far.
Asked for its response, Google India said "we continue to be in touch with relevant authorities and take national regulations and security very seriously.
"We are cooperating with the CBI's investigations and have submitted a detailed response to the queries that they have sent. We have nothing more to share at this point in time." .
The CBI registered the PE based on a complaint filed by the Surveyor General of India's office to the Union Home Ministry, in which it was alleged that Google had been indulging in activities of mapping several areas which were not included in the maps of the country.
Highlighting the violations to the Home Ministry, the SoI said only it was mandated to undertake 'Restricted' category surveying and mapping, and no other government or private organisations or individual are authorised to do so.
As per the National Map Policy 2005, "the responsibility for producing, maintaining and disseminating the topographic map database of the whole country, which is the foundation of all spatial data, vests with the Survey of India".
It was alleged that Google India had launched a nationwide contest and people might have passed on maps and other key details of strategic installations located in other cities and states to the US company, the sources added.
For SoI, it was clarified that the company never took any permission before undertaking the mapping exercise, and from national security point of view, civil and military Vital Areas, Vital Points (VPs) cannot be shown in the map/data published in public domain.

This Is What Will Happen If The Earth Loses Oxygen For 5 Seconds

Oxygen may not be the main constituent of the Earth's atmosphere, but its role in the survival of many forms of life elevates its significance. No one can live without sufficient quantity of food, water and oxygen. Of the three, oxygen is by far the most important and urgently needed. Have you ever imagined what if oxygen from the Earth was lost for 5 seconds? To find out more read below..

Read more: http://www.unbelievable-facts.com/2014/02/this-is-what-will-happen-if-earth.html#ixzz3A2ztNuvI

Millions Of Chinese People Still Living In Caves In 21st Century

Cave dwelling is known to be a thing of the past especially in the 21st modern China. Xi Jinping, the current paramount leader of China once lived in a cave too. Those who have moved out of the caves to live in the cities would love to retire there later on in their lives. 

Image source: www.odditycentral.com

 Most of these Chinese caves have been passed on from generation to generation. They have been modernized to have electricity, plumbing, water, phone services, etc. depending on one’s financial status. Building materials required are few since they are built on existing landscape. The hills they are dug into provide all year round natural insulation and are more energy-efficient. The caves favor farmers who get more arable land to plant their crops. 

Image source: www.odditycentral.com

www.nydailynews.com

Shaanxi province is home to most of the caves in China since it’s endowed with porous soil which makes it easy to dig. The LA Times report discovered that the caves feature a semicircular entrance covered with quilts or rice paper that leads to a vaulted long room dug into the side of the mountain. The walls are covered with decorations like photographs of movie stars or famous people torn out of magazines. Some of the caves have been reinforced with brick masonry and protrude from the mountains. A family can have different chambers by connecting the caves laterally. Some of the beautiful caves are spacious with high ceilings and a nice yard for exercises and basking in the sun out front. 

Image source: www.odditycentral.com

A current TV report in 2007 found that most of the caves were being abandoned by the younger generations although the old were still living there. According to the LA Times report, a one bedroom primitive cave with no plumbing costs $30 rent per month while a three-bedroom deluxe cave with plumbing sells for approximately $46,000. Most of these people rely on potties or outhouses that they empty outside. The unfortunate thing is that most of these caves are not for rent or sale since they are handed down from a generation to another. 

Image source: www.inhabitat.com

Most of those who have lived in caves all their lives would not imagine anything different. They find them easy and comfortable to live in. 

Read more: http://www.unbelievable-facts.com/2013/11/millions-of-chinese-people-still-living.html#ixzz3A2xurUmd

Foreign investors pull out Rs 5,000 crore from debt securities this month

 After pouring in over Rs 80,000 crore in Indian debt securities in first seven months of 2014, overseas investors have pulled out nearly Rs 5,000 crore ($811 million) so far this month.
In comparison, equity markets have seen a modest net inflow of about Rs 100 crore so far in August.
According to the latest data compiled by depositories, foreign investors made gross purchase of equities and debt securities worth over Rs 33,351.67 crore during August, as against sale of about Rs 38,215 crore across the two segments - resulting into a net outflow of Rs 4,863.35 crore ($801.46 million).
The significant outflows this month have also brought down net investments by foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) to $25.6 billion as on August 8, against more than $26 billion registered at the end of July.
FIIs and FPIs have purchased shares worth about Rs 27,875 crore so far this month, while they sold equity worth Rs 27,777 crore in the same period.

Emergency Labs in U.S for EBOLA viruse

All three U.S. facilities established to quickly make vaccines and therapeutics in the event of a major public health threat say they are standing by to support any U.S. government effort to scale up a treatment for Ebola.
The facilities, called Centers for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing (ADM), were set up by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with private industry, to respond to pandemics or chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear threats.
They have the expertise to quickly switch production lines to manufacture, for example, a smallpox vaccine if that scourge were to re-emerge, or an anthrax vaccine, and other life-saving compounds against both natural outbreaks and bioterrorism.
"They know our number and they can call us 24 hours a day," said Brett Giroir, chief executive of Texas A&M Health Science Center, site of one of the facilities. "We are prepared."
Global health agencies are only starting to consider whether to make experimental drugs, most of which have only been tested on monkeys, available to patients in West Africa, which is suffering the worst Ebola outbreak in history.
The World Health Organization is convening a group of bioethicists to consider such as issues as who decides which patients would receive the treatments or vaccines. U.S. officials have repeatedly emphasized the importance of public health measures such as quarantines to stop the spread of the disease.
Among the Ebola treatments that have shown promising results in lab animals is an antibody cocktail from Mapp Biopharmaceutical, a tiny biotechnology company in San Diego; a vaccine from Profectus in Tarrytown, New York; and an RNA-interference drug being developed by Vancouver-based, Tekmira Pharmaceuticals, which late last week got approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to resume safety trials in human volunteers.
The decision to order any of the three advanced labs to begin making Ebola treatments would be made at the highest levels of the Obama administration.
BUS-LENGTH CLEAN ROOMS
The Texas facility consists of a dozen bus-length mobile clean rooms, each supplied with sterile air, nutrient media for growing cells, and other clean-manufacturing requirements.
"We are prepared to make any kind of vaccine," Giroir said, from the traditional kind grown in chicken eggs to newer varieties grown in mammalian or bacterial cells. "The whole idea is to take a process that may exist only on sticky notes at a small biotech company and scale it up as fast as possible"
The three centers are required to have the ability to produce vaccines against pandemic flu but must also dedicate at least six months a year to developing products against other threats, and at sufficient volume to meet a sudden spike in U.S. demand, Giroir said.
The Texas facility collaborates with British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline Plc. A center led by Emergent Biosolutions in Baltimore, Maryland, collaborates with various universities as does the third center, in Holly Springs, North Carolina, led by Swiss drug company Novartis AG.
Their operations are funded with $400 million from HHS and are overseen by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of HHS's Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.
Combined, the centers have the capacity to produce and deliver at least 50 million doses of vaccine against pandemic influenza, the most likely source of a health emergency, within 12 weeks.
Any Ebola order would be for much fewer doses, said Giroir. "Even if Ebola were spreading here, it's not an airborne transmissible disease like influenza so you wouldn't need 50 million doses. At most you'd need a few thousand, maybe a million."
SCALING UP
The centers are not set up to invent drugs. They are designed to take what Giroir calls "the scientific substrate" or recipe for the product, either an existing one or, as in the case of Ebola treatments, an experimental one and develop a process for making it.
Of the three, only the Texas lab said it can produce proteins such as human antibodies in plant-based systems, which is how Mapp's Ebola drug has been made in limited quantities, so the government may sub-contract with a company that has additional plant technology.
One candidate is Bryan, Texas-based Caliber Biotherapeutics LLC. Mapp currently works with Kentucky BioProcessing, a unit of tobacco giant Reynolds American to produce its drug. More capacity would be needed to scale up.
Emergent Biosolutions' facility does not have the recipe to develop an Ebola treatment, but Adam Havey, president of the company's biodefense division, said that if the government asked it to produce something against the virus “we would absolutely respond to that.”
Novartis said its facility also "stands ready, as with previous public health emergencies, to provide scientific support aimed at halting the current outbreak."
Even with dedicated facilities to hand, getting medicines to Africa quickly and in sufficient quantities will be a challenge.
BARDA does have a network of distributors, including Baxter International Inc, Cook Pharmica LLC and JHP Pharmaceuticals, who would be obliged, if requested, to fill vials and package a BARDA-designated product.
While U.S. legislation intended such production to be for U.S. use, there are provisions for products to be provided to allies and other countries if it is in the interest of national security.

Market yawns but geopolitical risks eyed

The eventful week started off on a high note but failed to sustain as global cues disrupted sentiment. Key indices ended lower on a weekly basis for the third time in the last five weeks
The 30-share BSE Sensex shed 0.6 percent in the week to close at 25,320 levels, while the 50-unit Nifty was down 0.5 percent at 7,567 levels. Investors continued to book profits in broader markets after making most of the recent bull-run which saw stocks from the space outperform the benchmark indices. Both BSE small-cap and mid-cap indices were down 1.1-1.2 per cent, in the week.
RBI’s credit policy sprung no surprises but the central bank’s outlook was distinctly hawkish.
Market remained volatile during the week, tracking weakness in rupee and escalating geopolitical risks. Russia-Ukraine tensions dominated the earlier part of the week while Friday saw US’ announcement of limited intervention in Iraq to check the advance of Islamic fundamentalists in the region.
Friday’s losses sparked off by a global sell-off in equities largely dragged the overall market performance this week.
US President Barack Obama on Friday authorised ‘limited’ airstrikes against militant outfit -Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), in Iraq, to halt the latter’s bid to capture Erbil-the capital of Kurdistan region in Iraq, said reports.
The week started off on a positive note, with feeble anticipation of a potential surprise by Raghuram Rajan in the RBI’s bi-monthly monetary policy review. Although there was a near unanimous consensus on the Dalal street, that key rates will remain unchanged.
Tuesday's RBI credit policy was a non-event as key rates were left unchanged. The guidance given by the central banker was hawkish. He warned that inflation risks persist despite recent mellow in inflation figures, owing to a potential spike in food prices if monsoons disappoint.
CPI Inflation in June dropped to its 30-month levels and 400 bps down from its November 2013 high.
"The upside risks to the target of ensuring CPI inflation at or below 8 percent by January 2015 remain, although overall risks are more balanced than in June," said Rajan.
Rajan also said that RBI's goal was to bring consumer price-indexed inflation (CPI) down to 6 per cent by January 2014 and there was a need to look beyond the recent relief in inflation numbers. This prompted market men to give up any hopes of a rate cut in calendar year 2014.
However, the central bank slashed the statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) by 0.5 percent to unlock about Rs. 40,000 crore into the system. This failed to enthuse the market.
Brokerages and financial firms do not anticipate a rate cut till 2014-end. While HSBC upped the ante, saying they won’t rule out rate tightening ahead.
“We continue to expect the repo rate to be kept on hold through 2014 although a window of opportunity to cut may open around 4Q,” said ANZ Bank.
Market Internals
Among top Nifty gainers this week, ONGC & Wipro, Tech Mah, JSPL, ACC, Infosys, M&M surged between 2.5 percent-5 percent higher.
M&M reported a 4.3 percent growth in first quarter (April-June) profit at Rs 896.4 crore compared to Rs 859.8 crore in same quarter last year driven by operational performance.
Nearly all sectoral indices ended the week in red, barring IT & consumer durables. BSE Consumer Durables was up 3.1 percent; from the space Marico posted its first quarter earnings results. It beat street expectations both on bottomline and topline fronts but disappointed with its operational performance during April-June quarter. Consolidated net profit rose 17.5 percent year-on-year to Rs 185.3 crore driven by a healthy topline growth. Adjusted for the Kaya business which was demerged in October 2013, the growth in net profit was 19.4 percent.
CNX IT index was up 1.7 percent owing to a weakness in rupee against the dollar this week, in-line with global US dollar strength and weakness in emerging market stocks. The rupee posted its biggest single day fall (against the dollar) in six and a half months to 61.78 per dollar mark on Wednesday, on back of outflows from local equity and debt markets. Dollar demand from importers was also to be blamed, said experts.
From the pack, Infosys stock surged over 4 percent this week and fared among top Nifty performers. It hogged the limelight in the week after three of its retail investors and former top level executives, in a letter to the management, asked the firm to buy back stock worth Rs 11,200 cr, saying it will help check the "asymmetry of information" between management and investors.
Among the three former executives who shot off a letter to the Infy's board -TV Mohandas Pai, V Balakrishnan had served as chief fianancial officers (CFOs) while DN Prahlad as senior Vice President. The trio, according to reports, said that there is a need to announce a large and consistent buyback at the stock's 52-week high of Rs 3850-a-share, to show confidence in the management and the business model.
However, company sources told CNBC-TV 18 that they were "astonished" since ex-employees in question who demand a buyback now were themselves against the move when they were CFOs. They added that the company is at an inflection point and it is not the time to take rash decisions, and the new leadership be given the time to chart out its strategic course.
Cognizant lowered its revenue growth expectations for the full year to 14per cent from 16.5per cent. This sparked off concerns about the sector in general which witnessed a mixed quarter on the earnings front.
Bank Nifty and CNX PSU Bank indices slipped 2.4 percent, PNB, BoB, ICICI Bank Down, HDFC Bk, Axis Bank and SBI emerged on the losing front from the Nifty index.
Public lender State Bank of India (SBI) surprised street with the first quarter (April-June) net profit rising 3.3 percent year-on-year to Rs 3,349 crore on higher net interest income though it was impacted by higher provisions, tax cost and lower other income. Net profit in the year-ago period was Rs 3,241.08 crore. The growth in profitability was for the first time in last six quarters.
Among important earning results this week, Hero MotoCorp Ltd posted a net profit of Rs. 5627.60 mn for the quarter ended June 30, 2014 as compared to Rs. 5485.80 mn for the quarter ended June 30, 2013. The stock was down 1per cent at Rs2584. UBS, in a report, has maintained its ‘sell’ rating on the stock with a target price of Rs 2400. “Limited scope for margin improvement cost pressures to rise due to new facilities, higher R&D spends, start up investments in export markets. Honda expected to gain incremental market share in Motorcycles,” it said.
Expert Take
Market participants welcomed the recent correction, which they said loomed in the backdrop of rich valuations. They advised to make use if this as a buy on dips opportunity.
Dipen Sheth, HDFC Securties speaking to CNBC-TV18, said that he continues to be bullish on market. He said, deep cut in large cap stocks will offer meaningful opportunities.
He likes the financial space, especially SBI; among private sector banks, he is bullish on Axis Bank and ICICI Bank. Hero Motocorp and Maruti are his favourites from the auto space. He believes TCS will continue to grow current levels.
The recent correction notwithstanding, analysts remain bullish on markets. Too many headwinds — Russia, Gaza, Iraq, Rangarajan --- responsible for this correction, says Dilip Bhat of Prabhudas Lilladher of a market that fell a good 300 plus points on Friday. "We may see some more correction, but I will reiterate this is a buyer's market," he said. Next 15 days equity market may remain in corrective phase, but will like to add Divi's lab, L&T, Reliance , Lupin and L&T in his portfolio for the long term. "I will look at buying L&T at every correction."
Siddharth Bhamre of Angel Broking does not believe one should short this market now. He says the shorting quantum even in the bank Nifty will not see a breakdown. We are not at all bearish on this market, he says
Among other important developments during the week, the Cabinet has cleared a proposal to allow 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in Indian Railways.

Google to pay $250 million to fight illegal online pharmacies

 Google has agreed in a court settlement to spend at least $250 million over the next five years to help fight illegal online pharmacies selling to US customers, documents showed Friday.
The US Internet search giant made the commitment in settling a lawsuit from shareholders alleging Google failed to take adequate measures to prevent foreign online pharmacies from using its advertising network.
The lawsuit was filed in 2011 after Google paid a $500 million settlement to the US government over charges it sold advertisements to Canada-based online pharmacies which marketed drugs to Americans in violation of US law.
In a settlement filed in federal court in California, Google agreed to spend at least $50 million per year in each of the coming five years on "product quality operations, policy enforcement, and user safety initiative" to prevent the ads from appearing.
Google said its audit committee would set up a plan "to ensure compliance with federal and state laws and regulations" and to prevent the advertising of pharmaceuticals and supplements which violate the law running through its AdWords platform.
In the settlement with the US government, authorities said the online pharmacies from Canada used Google's Adwords programs, which deliver ads based on a user's browsing history and search queries, from 2003 to 2009.

All you need to know about Ebola

The origin of the deadly Ebola virus has been traced to Africa. The scientist who discovered the Ebola virus from a blood sample of a dying Catholic nun way back in 1976 in Congo warns that the latest outbreak is caused by the deadliest strain of the virus — 9 out of 10 infected will die from it.  

What is Ebola? 

There are four types of Ebola virus that infect humans. The most deadly is this strain from the current epidemic, known as the 'Zaire strain'. It is part of a small group of viruses that kills infected people within a couple of weeks. It has a very high mortality, much like rabies. 

Symptoms of Ebola 

The early symptoms of an Ebola infection include fever, headache, muscle aches and sore throat, according to the World Health Organization. It can be difficult to distinguish between Ebola and the symptoms of malaria, typhoid fever or cholera. Only in later stages do people with Ebola begin bleeding both internally and externally, often through the nose and ears. 

How does it spread? 

The Ebola virus is not airborne, so people would have to come into contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. These include blood, sweat, vomit, feces, urine, saliva or semen — making transmission through casual contact in a public setting unlikely. 

Prevention 

If an Ebola outbreak is suspected, the premises should be quarantined immediately. Culling of infected animals, with close supervision of burial or incineration of carcasses, may be necessary to reduce the risk of animal-to-human transmission. Restricting or banning the movement of animals from infected farms to other areas can reduce the spread of the disease. 

In the absence of effective treatment and a human vaccine, raising awareness of the risk factors for Ebola infection and the protective measures individuals can take is the only way to reduce human infection and death. 

Treatment 

No licensed vaccine against the deadly Ebola virus is available. Several vaccines are being tested, but none are available for clinical use. 

Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. Patients are frequently dehydrated and require oral rehydration with solutions containing electrolytes or intravenous fluids. 

No specific treatment is available. However, new drug therapies are being evaluated.

Markets Ride the Modi Wave

The victory of the BJP-led National
Democratic Alliance (NDA) in parliamentary
elections has triggered
a bull run in equity and currency
markets. Analysts are
already predicting the ‘mother of all bull runs’
in Indian equities. Some are even forecasting
that the rupee will appreciate
to 55 a dollar. Amidst all this
euphoria and changing investment
landscape, how should
retail investors view different
asset classes and build
a portfolio?
Equities: Between
May 12, when the exit polls
hinted at a comfortable victory
for the NDA, and May 19,
the Sensex jumped close to 6%
from 22,994 to 24,363. On the day
of the results, the Sensex breached
25,000 before settling at the 24,100 level at
the close of day.
Despite the run-up, the valuations are
still at a fair level and experts see the bull run
continuing at least for a year. Large brokerage
houses have already revised upward their
year-end target for the Nifty and the Sensex.
Nomura has raised its 2014 target for the
Sensex to 27,200 from 24,700, while Citigroup
raised its year-end target to 26,300. Though
the stock market sentiments are positive, the
investment strategy has to be different from
what it was six-eight months ago in order to
make gains. The sectoral outlook has
changed, and so has outlook for stocks of different
market caps.
The large-cap and defensive sector bias
has to give way to a high-beta, cyclical and
mid- and small-cap strategy to gain in the
short and medium term. Sectors such as energy, PSU banks, infrastructure and metals are back in
focus as pharma, FMCG and IT stocks look for a correction
in the short-term. The infrastructure sector may
see a boost in the long-term, but analyst remains cautious
on the sector. The focus is also on PSU oil companies
such as ONGC, Oil India, HPCL and IOC as steps
like rise in gas and diesel prices, lowering of subsidy
burdens are positive for these stocks.
Debt Market: The debt market has not shown the same
kind of exuberance as the equity market as it is still
cautious about the next government’s fiscal policies.
Analysts feel the new government may have to borrow
more by issuing bonds in the short term, thereby keeping
the fiscal deficit high for some time. This has led to
fall in bond prices as 10-year government bond yields
rose to 8.9% from 8.83% on May 16. “We find these fears
(the government may borrow more) unfounded. We
believe that the government would go on the path of fiscal
consolidation and sooner or later bond yields will
fall,” says Dhawal Dalal, fund manager, DSP BlackRock
Mutual Fund. He sees 10-year government bond yields
at 8.5% by December this year. Retail investors, depending
on their risk tolerance, can invest in accrual funds
(short-term funds, FMPs) or duration funds. Accruals
funds (which follow the hold-to-maturity strategy) have
given good returns in the past couple of years and can
still do well if invested at these levels.
Gold: Though gold prices are internally driven, the
metal gained domestically last year due to rupee depreciation
and import restrictions put by the government
to control the current account deficit (CAD), a situation
where imports exceed exports. However, with improving
CAD due to which the new government may ease
certain restrictions, and appreciating rupee, gold prices
are likely to correct in the 6-12 month period. “Prices
will depend on three factors: international prices, rupee
movement and government policies vis-à-vis restriction
on gold imports. If the new government eases these
import restrictions, domestic gold prices are likely to
come down in the short term,” says Chirag Mehta, Fund
Manager, Quantum Mutual Fund. However, he says that
in the long-term, sentiments remain favourable for gold.

Mobile tech reshaping the health sector

Your smartphone is not only your best friend, it's also become your personal trainer, coach, medical lab and maybe even your doctor.
"Digital health" has become a key focus for the technology industry, from modest startups' focus on apps to the biggest companies in the sector seeking to find ways to address key issues of health and wellness.
Apps that measure heart rate, blood pressure, glucose and other bodily functions are multiplying, while Google, Apple and Samsung have launched platforms that make it easier to integrate medical and health services.
"We've gotten to a point where with sensors either in the phone or wearables gather information that we couldn't do in the past without going to a medical center," says Gerry Purdy, analyst at Compass Intelligence.
"You can do the heart rate, mobile EKGs (electrocardiograms). Costs are coming down, and these sensors are becoming more socially acceptable."
The consultancy Rock Health estimates 143 digital health companies raised $2.3 billion in the first six months of 2014, already topping last year's amount.
An analysis by the global consultancy Deloitte suggests that smart glasses, fitness bands and watches, should sell about 10 million units in 2014, generating over $3 billion and that the number of devices will hit 170 million by 2017.
"Many health- and fitness-related technologies have multiple applications and encourage wearers to be more engaged in their own fitness, help modify behavior by reminding wearers to exercise or take medication," Deloitte's Karen Taylor says in a July report.
- Patients take control -
The California startup MD Revolution has created a system adapted from a concierge medicine practice, which allows participants to track a variety of health indicators using mobile or wearable devices.
The company uses fitness and other tracking devices to address "imminently preventable conditions such as diabetes or hypertension," says spokeswoman Lisa Peterson.
"We are creating a new specialty in digital health in which people can interact with nutritionists, exercise physiologists to receive a plan and coaching, to prevent or reverse chronic diseases," she told AFP.
Peterson said the company using existing commercial devices from makers such as Fitbit or Jawbone and plans to launch its own app for its users.
She noted that the launching of health platforms by Google and Apple "will make it easier for us to integrate more devices and apps."
Recent studies suggest that people who use connected devices to monitor health and fitness often do a better job of managing and preventing health problems.
A study led by the Center for Connected Health found that people who use mobile devices did a better job of lowering dangerous blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
A separate study published in the July 2014 issue of Health Affairs found that data collected by devices is not only useful for patients but can help doctors find better treatments.
"When linked to the rest of the available electronic data, patient-generated health data completes the big data picture of real people's needs, life beyond the health care system," said Amy Abernethy, a Duke University professor of medicine lead author of the study.
Some firms have even more ambitious plans for health technology.
Google, for example, is developing a connecting contract lens which can help monitor diabetics and has set up a new company called Calico to focus on health and well-being, hinting at cooperation with rivals such as Apple. And IBM is using its Watson supercomputer for medical purposes including finding the right cancer treatment.
- Better care, good-bye office? -
Joseph Kvedar, a physician and founder and director of the Boston-based nonprofit Center for Connected Health, said mobile technology has the potential to keep people engaged in their own care, and lessen the burden on the health care system.
"One of our goals is to do away with the vast majority of offices," Kvedar told AFP.
"That's not because office visits are a bad thing but you should think about care as a continuous function and mobile technology allows you to do this in a way you could never do before."
Kvedar said some health platforms that required patients to upload data had a mixed record but that mobile is growing because "people are addicted to their smartphones."
Doctors should not fear this technology, he said, because patients who use it often stay healthier.

"For the vast majority of things, you the patient are in charge and we are just the sherpas," he said. "Engaged patients get better."

How to settle your credit scores

A credit score, whether from CIBIL or Experian, can have quite a say in whether you succeed in your loan or credit card applications, and in the interest rate you may get. But errors can crop up in your credit report due to no fault of yours, wholly messing up your finances.
So if you want to apply for a loan, it’s best to get your first credit score before making the application, just to be sure there are no surprises in store.
Identifying and rectifying any mistake in the score can then be done quickly.
The mistakes made
Two main factors account for credit score mistakes. First, it can be wrong entries at the time of making inputs, such as an extra zero added accidentally to a personal loan of ₹100,000.
And second, credit information companies rely on lending institutions sending data every month.
A delay or neglect in this updating can lead to payments not being credited to you when you apply for the score. Says Harshala Chandorkar, Senior VP, Consumer Relations, CIBIL, if you access your report within 45 days of making a payment, it may not be updated.
It’s a red flag when the date reported (date on which data is submitted by that lender) on your account is older than two months and your payment is not reflected.
A CIBIL TransUnion score, for example, is split into personal details and loan account details.
Both can have mistakes. Personal detail errors can be a mis-spelt name, incorrect date of birth, gender, address or telephone number. Identification details provided, such as PAN, voter ID or passport, could also be wrong. An incorrect PAN can have far-reaching implications, as that is linked to any financial transaction you make.
Loan account mistakes can similarly be disastrous. Your loan status may be wrong — stating overdue when you have made all payments or latest payment not updated.
Loan accounts you closed can be classified as written off or defaulted, especially if the lending institution hasn’t been updating details on time.
This can send credit scores crashing. The same loan details can accidentally show up more than once, raising the total credit, known as duplication errors.
Or your details can be mixed up with someone else’s, leaving you with loans you’ve never taken, or several requests for credit which you haven’t made, called ownership errors. In the most extreme situation, if your details are stolen and misused, that can reflect in your credit score details.
Correcting the mistakes
If you find mistakes in your credit score, report it immediately to the credit information company. It cannot make corrections on its own; it takes it up with the institution in question and, once confirmed, rectifications are done.
Reporting CIBIL score mistakes can be done online through their Dispute Resolution. Fill up the form available through their website www.cibil.com.
Give your personal details as well as a detailed explanation of the mistake.
If you are uncomfortable working online, send a written request to their Mumbai address. Always mention your CIBIL control number, available in the top right-hand corner of your report.
Rectifying Experian score mistakes can similarly be done by sending written requests. They require supporting documents too, such as identity and address proof, and sending them to their Mumbai office.
Barring complications, disputes are settled within a month’s time. Personal details may be quickly settled since it involves looking through identification proofs.
Loan account mistakes can take some time as a result of back and forth communication between the lending institution and the credit information company.
Recourse
Should the mistake you point out be disputed by the institution, the credit information company will let you know.
Theoretically, you can re-apply for correction, though it is rather pointless. Take it up with the bank. Protect your own interests. Chandorkar suggests maintaining proofs, such as loan closure letter, payment confirmation letters or emails, especially if you’ve settled previously written off or overdue accounts.
She also emphasises the need to keep your lender up to date with your personal details so that necessary changes and communication can be made.
Credit information companies too fall under the purview of the Reserve Bank. You can approach the banking ombudsman if you are still dissatisfied.
If all else fails, the consumer court is your last resort. 

Indian Institute Of Management(IIMs) CAT 2014 NOTIFICATION

For those who are attempting cat 2014

cat 2014 is 2 day testing window(4 sessions) 16th&22nd november of 2014 will be conducted by iims as a pre-request for admission of a various management programmes

Information Sources

CAT website : www.iimcat.ac.in(from 1st aug 2014 it is availiable)

IVRS no : 1800-2100-151

CAT ELIGIBILITY

The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s Degree, with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA [45% in case of the candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Differently Abled (DA) (It may also referred to as Persons with Disability (PWD) category)], awarded by any of the Universities incorporated by an act of the central or state legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India. The percentage of marks obtained by the candidate in the bachelor’s degree would be calculated based on the practice followed by the university/institution from where the candidate has obtained the degree. In case the candidates are awarded grades/CGPA instead of marks, the conversion of grades/CGPA to percentage of marks would be based on the procedure certified by the university/ institution from where they have obtained the bachelor’s degree. In case the university/ institution does not have any scheme for converting CGPA into equivalent marks, the equivalence would be established by dividing the candidate’s CGPA by the maximum possible CGPA and multiplying the result with 100. Candidates appearing for the final year of bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification examination and those who have completed degree requirements and are awaiting results can also apply

PAYMENT OF REGISTRATION FEE

The registration fee is ₹ 1600 for general nc-obc and ₹800 for sc,st,pwd(da) candidates

REGISTRATION  FOR CAT 2104 

The registration  window opens from 6th aug 2014 and will close on 30th sep 2014

candidates can download their admit car from 16 th oct 2014 

India likely to grow at 6 per cent in 2014-15: Harvard professor

The Indian economy is likely to grow at six per cent in 2014-15 and if the new government delivers on its promise of good governance, reversion to a growth rate of around 7-8 per cent can occur in coming years, Harvard University professor Gita Gopinath said.
"Let's just say that 6 per cent growth rate in FY15 would not be unreasonable... if the Modi government delivers on its promise of good governance, speedy implementation, improved infrastructure and manufacturing revival, 7-8 per cent growth is certainly within reach," she said.
As per the Economic Survey for 2013-14, India's GDP growth rate will improve to 5.4-5.9 per cent in the current fiscal after remaining at sub-5 per cent level for past two years.

The Survey added that reversion to a growth rate of around 7-8 per cent can only occur beyond the ongoing and the next fiscal. The domestic economy was expanding by over 9 per cent before being hit by the global financial meltdown of 2008. "The Budget provided few details on how the fiscal deficit will be reduced," she said on Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's resolve to bring down the the fiscal deficit to 4.1 per cent in 2014-15.
"There were some new revenue sources, like the increase in cigarette taxes and the service tax base, but bigger changes on the expenditure end will be required to make the fiscal deficit sustainable," said Gopinath, the first Indian woman to become a professor at the Economics Department of Harvard University.
She also pitched for India's rating upgrade and underlined the need for fiscal prudence. "If the economic environment improves and higher growth rates return there is certainly a case for an upgrade. One of the "do no harm" pieces of the Budget is that it did not introduce new subsidies and handouts. That is a welcome sign of fiscal discipline," she added.
Describing Modi government's first Budget as a "safe" one, Gopinath said among the announcements that caught her attention included a serious resolve to move to Goods and Services Taxes (GST) regime and cutting subsides, including those on fertilisers

Jet Airways chairman says looking to restructure debts, talking to bankers

Jet Airways Ltd said the country's No. 2 airline by market share will look at selling planes and restructuring its debts as it tries to find ways to end the losses that have plagued it for years.

"We are looking at a lot of consolidation (of our fleet)," Jet's Chairman Naresh Goyal said at a press event in New Delhi on Wednesday. Goyal said the carrier is talking to its bankers without giving details of the discussions.
Like all but one of India's major airlines, Jet is losing money fast, beset by high costs, low fares and cut-throat competition in its domestic market.
The airline, which has not reported an annual profit since 2007, set out a three-year restructuring plan in May centred on cutting costs and boosting efficiency.
As the carrier struggles to turn around its fortunes, it also named Cramer Ball as its fourth chief executive within the space of a year, pending regulatory approvals.

Xolo Q900s With 4.7-Inch qHD Display Launched at Rs. 9,999

Xolo has launched its latest Q-series smartphone, the Q900s, at Rs. 9,999. The Xolo Q900s is now listed on the company's site without availability details; however, we expect that the company will announce them in the coming days.
Notably, the new Xolo Q900s can be considered as an Android variant of the recently unveiled Win Q900s, which is a Windows Phone 8.1-based smartphone. Much like the Win Q900s, the company is again touting Q900s smartphone's lightweight design of 100 grams, which the company touts as a highlight of the handset.
The new Xolo smartphone expands the company's 'Q' quad-core smartphone series. It is a dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) device which runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box. The company notes that handset is upgradable to Android 4.4 KitKat.
It comes with a 4.7-inch (540x960 pixels) qHD IPS display and offers a pixel density of 234ppi, which is lower than the Win Q900s sporting HD display. The official listing notes that Q900s sports OGS (One Glass Solution) solution.
The smartphone continues the Xolo Q range quad-core tradition and is powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 (MSM 8212) SoC alongside 1GB of RAM and Adreno 302 GPU.
The Xolo Q900s comes with 8GB of inbuilt storage, which is further expandable via microSD card (up to 32GB). It sports an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and PureCel Sensor, while there is a secondary 2-megapixel front-facing camera. On the connectivity front, the Xolo Q900s includes 3G, Wi-Fi, Micro-USB, and Bluetooth.
The budget smartphone packs an 1800mAh battery, which according to the official listing, delivers up to 23 hours of talk time and up to 263 hours of standby time on 2G networks. The Xolo Q900s measures 135.8x67.2x7.2mm and is available in Black colour.

Earlier this week, the domestic handset maker launched its new A-series smartphone, the Xolo A700s, priced at Rs. 7,299.

Rupee Third on Fake Foreign Currency List in Switzerland

New Delhi/Berne: As a debate continues on alleged black money of Indians in Swiss banks, the authorities in Switzerland have come across a significant quantum of fake Indian rupee notes in their country - the third highest for any foreign currency after euro and dollar.

According to the latest counterfeit currency statistics released by Switzerland's Federal Office of Police (Fedpol), the number of fake euro notes seized in the year 2013 stood at 2,394, while there were 1,101 fake US dollar bills.
The number of fake Indian rupee notes found in Switzerland during 2013 stood at 403 - the third highest for any foreign currency. This included 380 fake Rs 500 notes and another 23 counterfeit Rs 1,000 notes.
However, the numbers have declined considerably since 2012 when Fedpol found as many as 2,624 fake rupee notes - the second highest among foreign currencies after 5,284 counterfeit US dollar notes at that time. The number of fake euro notes was third highest during that year at 2084.
The number of fake Swiss franc notes stood at 4,309 during 2012, but was higher than any foreign currency in 2013 at 3,729, as per details compiled by the Fedpol's Counterfeit Currency Unit.
Among other counterfeit foreign currencies found during 2013 were 99 fake British pound notes, 71 South African rand notes, 34 Deutsche Mark notes (German currency officially in circulation from 1948 till 2002 when euro was introduced), 23 Chinese yuan notes and 10 Canadian dollar notes.
The number of any other fake foreign currency notes was in single digits.

Reliance Industries Gains Over 2% as Q1 Beats Estimates

Shares in Reliance Industries which operates the biggest oil refining complex in the world surged over 2 per cent to Rs 1003 on Monday as it reported highest ever quarterly profit in a year for the quarter ending June 2014 on Saturday.
Its consolidated net profit increased 13.7 per cent year-on-year to Rs 5,957 crore bolstered by over 27 per cent y-o-y increase in its oil and gas revenue and higher refining margin.
RIL's net profit was much above the Street expectation as analysts on an average estimated the company to post a net profit of Rs 5,614 crore, according to Thomson Reuters data.
Reliance Industries reported 7.2 per cent y-o-y jump in its consolidated revenue to Rs 107,905 crore which was supported by a whopping 55.2 per cent increase in its US shale gas revenue.
Its revenue from the US shale gas business increased 55.2 per cent y-o-y to Rs 1,617 crore in the Q1 of FY15. But the silver lining is that gross profit from this segment increased 320 per cent to Rs 559 crore supported by expansion in gross profit margin to 34.6 per cent against 12.8 per cent y-o-y.
RIL's gross refining margin stood at $8.7 a barrel against $8.4 a barrel in the same quarter last fiscal. However it was lower than $9.3 a barrel reported last quarter.
Organised retail arm of RIL which turned profitable last quarter continued its growth momentum this quarter as well. Revenue from this segment increased 14.5 per cent y-o-y to Rs 3,999 crore and gross profit margin from this segment increased to 2 per cent against negative 0.4 per cent y-o-y.
Analysts believe organized retail and broadband service, which is scheduled to be launched next year will drive RIL's future profitability.
RIL's subsidiary, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited ("RJIL"), which is the only private player with broadband wireless access spectrum in all the 22 telecom circles of India, plans to provide reliable fast internet connectivity and rich digital services on a Pan India basis.
In order to diversify its portfolio RIL is massively investing in retail, telecommunication and media segment. Mukesh Ambani, chairman of RIL last month said the company plans to invest $30 billion (Rs 1.8 lakh crore) over next three years.
Brokerages have turned positive post this result. Macquarie has maintained outperform on the stock with a target price at Rs 1,294 per share whereas CLSA has maintained buy on the stock with a target price at Rs 1,250 per share. CLSA says the stock could double as ebitda doubles in 3 years.
Deutsche Bank has also maintained buy on the stock but with a lesser target of Rs 1,210 per share. Deutsche Bank says natural gas price hike remains key near-term catalyst.
Reliance Industries shares have surged 4 per cent in last one week compared to 3.26 per cent surge in the BSE's oil and gas sub-index.
As of 9.20 a.m. RIL shares were up 2.08 per cent at Rs 997.05 compared to 0.54 per cent gain in Nifty.