Virgin Mobile just launched in India in this year. It is advertising its services at war level and offering services with very attractive schemes. One of the promotional schemes include 10 paise return on every minute you talk over incoming call. I don’t know how will they justify their counter-roles in other countries where they charge for incoming calls!

Here are few advertisements from Virgin Mobile being floated over TV these days -

And now Virgin Mobile is following me on Twitter . One more Hatke (different) thinking (as they promote) from provider…

Yesterday for first time, I felt the meaning of this phrase -

Dry Smile

with

Silent Screams

I saw people going out from work not to turn back

Just yesterday while reading this news in Times Of India, I realized that I received this mail years back and it was proved to be hoax.

The news went like - 36% of scientists at NASA are Indians: Govt survey.

Of course, any Indian will get interested in reading more of this news after going through such interesting title and getting into detailed news, you get to know that there are 34% Indian employees at Microsoft and 17% at Intel. Voila what a feeling you get specially knowing that these all facts are provided by our own minister of state for HRD, D Purandeshwari in Rajya Sabha (Parliament House).

Just imagine, how thrilled you will feel when you will be getting a similar mail with title - Be A Proud Indian with lot and lot of facts listed down in subject. One such mail I had received in year 2005 and along-with many facts, it contained lot of false data. Find the content of mail below with the link over Internet. And after about three years to that, our minister is presenting all those numbers as facts without checking their truthfulness. Three years is quite long time. Even if minister had figured out that it is 3 years old data, he might had refrained from sharing it but looks like he was in very much hurry to share them in defense of the country’s higher education system and the state of research.

I wouldn’t be getting into details about minister even knowing about him more than average but these are we Indians who select such leaders and should be ready to bear with such statements.

Here is the excerpt of news -

 

36% of scientists at NASA are Indians: Govt survey

NEW DELHI: If you thought that Global Indian Takeover was just a hollow cliche leaning on a few iconic successes like Pepsi’s Indra Nooyi, Citibank’s Vikram Pandit and steel world’s Lakshmi Mittal, there is a slew of statistics now to give it solid ballast.

The extent to which desis have made an impact in the US was reeled off in the Rajya Sabha — as many as 12% scientists and 38% doctors in the US are Indians, and in NASA, 36% or almost 4 out of 10 scientists are Indians.

If that’s not proof enough of Indian scientific and corporate prowess, digest this: 34% employees at Microsoft, 28% at IBM, 17% at Intel and 13% at Xerox are Indians.
And the House of Elders also heard some startling facts about a country that’s still stuck with a Third World tag — 20% of gold in the world is used by Indians and nine out of 10 diamonds used in the world are made in India.

I have always been appreciating Indian Banking services. They provide secure, reliable and faster services as compared to any other banking network in world. I never found any other bank providing online money transfer from one account to another account within matter of seconds.

And yesterday, I came across another surprising news - From March 31, one can get money out of any ATM throughout the country irrespective of the fact to which bank one’s account belong to, by paying just Rs. 20 per transaction. This fee will be applicable till March 31 next year after which it will reduce to zero. Also there wouldn’t be any charge on balance checks.

Here is the news -

From Mar 31, pay Rs 20 for using any ATM

NEW DELHI: Customers will have to pay a maximum of Rs 20 for withdrawing cash from an ATM of another bank from March 31, 2008. However, balance inquiries will attract no charge with immediate effect.

The charge for cash withdrawal is only till March 31 next year, after which it will become zero. Aiming to make all ATM usage free from April 2009, the Reserve Bank of India on Monday said banks cannot charge for balance inquiries and capped the fee for cash withdrawals at Rs 20 per transaction, irrespective of the amount and the bank where the customer holds the account.

 
In a circular issued to all commercial banks, RBI also said that banks cannot charge their own customers for ATM usage, with immediate effect.

 

In the wake of the circular, a bank will not be able to charge more than Rs 20 for transactions carried out using the ATM card of another bank.

It took me 8 days to get over with Jet Lag

and

after effects of travel over seven seas

Loving India more than ever after staying away for 92 days / 2208 hours.