MUMBAI: On Your Call this week, catch HRD Minister Kapil Sibal who is determined to shake up India‘s education system despite all the hurdles. As the Right to Education Act 2009 is enacted, Kapil Sibal talks about his game plan to roll out this historical initiative. He presents his thoughts on foreign university bill; abolition of Board exams for 10th class; reservation in education; brain drain from India and other issues.

On being asked whether he considers himself as ?a man in hurry?, he says that he is trying to do what should have been done 15 years ago. He not only emphasizes the need for every child to go to school in India but also get quality education keeping in mind the nation?s interest.

Replying on the rationale behind abolition of C.B.S.E. Class X Board Exam, Kapil Sibal explains that class X board results should not decide what stream one opts for and instead should be judged on the student?s aptitude. 

On being asked by N R Narayan Murthy on enhancing autonomy of the board in higher education universities, Sibal highlights the difference between Indian Universities which have been set up quite recently compared to the US Universities established 200-300 years ago and adds that as we move along, the system in India will also allow alumni to come on board to manage these universities more efficiently.

Sibal also expresses his disappointment on the recent CAT examination fiasco where some of the aspiring students were not able to sit for the exams.

Responding to a question by Actor Aamir Khan on the need for inclusive education for children who are special and with learning disabilities, Sibal shares his concern on the void of teaching capabilities for such children and tells Aamir that in the course of the next 5 years, the government plans to lay the foundations of an integrated school system.

On the show, referring to reservation as ?a constitutional issue?, Sibal advocates the need for reservation as it promotes equality in the system by giving opportunities to the unequals to compete.

Catch Kapil Sibal in a no-hold barred chat with anchor Sonia Varma Singh on ?Your Call? this Sunday, January 10, 2010 at 9:30pm only on NDTV 24x7.

MUMBAI: Honda Jazz & Kawasaki Ninja 250R were named as the Car of the Year and Bike of the Year at the NDTV Profit Car & Bike India Awards 2010 held in New Delhi today. Pawan Munjal was conferred with the title of Automotive Man of the Year for his immense contribution to the Indian automobile industry while Shahrukh Khan who is brand ambassador of Hyundai i10 bagged the Best Brand Ambassador Award 2010. Toyota Kirloskar Motors bagged the Ista Hotels Green awards for their involvement in NDTV Toyota Greenathon Campaign and specific green measures taken in Innova and Fortuner. Adrian Sutil collected the MotorSport Award on behalf of the Force India Team.

The evening brought nation?s top professionals, corporate honchos and best minds in the automobile industry such as Jagdish Khattar, Pawan Munjal, Rajesh Jejurikar, Sunil Kant Munjal, Karl Sylm, on a single platform. The grand award ceremony was a celebration of the best style, technology, design and performance and recognized the finest of the speed machines that dominated the Indian terrain in 2009. It also encouraged the participants to look forward to a promising 2010 with new, exciting launches.

Recipient of Best Brand Ambassador of the Year for Hyundai i10 Shahrukh Khan said,? Automotive industry has always been perceived as the transgressor. We all keep talking about the green technology and I believe automobile industry can contribute significantly to this cause. As this day marks the launch of Hyundai electric car, I believe electric car would be the call of the day.?

On receiving the Automotive Man of the Year Award, Pawan Munjal said, ?Whatever we are it?s only because of our customer. Last year everyone saw a decline in sales but we as a company had a flat year. We saw this as an opportunity to build on the momentum and drive our sales.?

The winners of NDTV Car and Bike Awards 2010 in respective categories are:

TWO WHEELERS:
1. Motorcycle up to 125cc: Bajaj Discover DTS-Si
2. Motorcycle up to 160cc: Suzuki GS150
3. Motorcycle up to 200cc: TVS Apache RTR180
4. Motorcycle up to 250cc: Kawasaki Ninja 250R
5. Motorcycle above 250cc: Royal Enfield Classic 500
6. Scooter of the Year: Mahindra Duro
7. Import Two Wheeler of the Year: Honda CB1000R
8. CNB Viewers? Choice Two Wheeler: Hero Honda Karizma ZMR
9. Two Wheeler Manufacturer of the Year: Hero Honda Motors
10. Bike of the Year: Kawasaki Ninja 250R

CARS:
11. Micro Car of the Year: Tata Nano
12. Small Car of the Year: Honda Jazz
13. Mid-size Car of the Year: Fiat Linea
14. Executive Car of the Year: Chevrolet Cruze
15. Entry Premium Car of the Year: Skoda Superb
16. Premium Car of the Year: Mercedes Benz E Class
17. Import Car of the Year: BMW 7 series
18. SUV of the Year: Toyota Fortuner
19. MUV of the Year: Mahindra Xylo
20. Premium SUV of the Year: Audi Q5
21. CNB Viewers‘ Choice Car: Chevrolet Cruze
22. Car Manufacturer of the Year: Maruti Suzuki
23. Car of the Year: Honda Jazz

GENERAL AWARDS:
24. Automotive Product of the Year: MapmyIndia Navigation Device
25. Design of the Year: Hyundai i20
26. Automotive Technology of the Year: Bosch India
27. Ista Hotels Green Award: Toyota Kirloskar Motors India
28. Automotive Man of the Year: Pawan Munjal
29. MotorSport Award: Force India Team

CNB-AAA AWARDS:
30. Best Brand Ambassador: Shahrukh Khan
31. Best Integrated Campaign 2-Wheeler: Bajaj Discover & Pulsar
32. Best Integrated Campaign 4-Wheeler: No award was given in this category
33. Best PR & Communications Team: Royal Enfield

The winners of the awards were chosen by an expert jury comprising of eminent panel of auto aficionados: Gul Panag, Talented actress & a complete cruiser motorcycle fanatic, Aspi Bhathena, Editor, Car India & Bike India; Bunny Punia, Deputy Editor, Car India & Bike India Rayomand Banajee, racing driver & Nawaz Sandhu, ace lady rallyist and Siddharth Vinayak Patankar, Editor-Auto, NDTV and Anjana Beniwal, winner of the C&B be on jury contest.

A special panel of jury consisting of Sam Balsara, CEO, Madison Communications; Preeti Vyas, CEO and Chief Creative Officer, Vyas Giannetti Creative; Ad Filmmaker Prasoon Pandey along with NDTV?s Shruti Verma Singh and Siddharth Vinayak Patankar chose the winners of CNB-AAA Awards category.

‘NDTV Profit Car India & Bike India Awards‘ is an attempt to felicitate the best among the best in the auto sector, which have been showcased in the highly acclaimed ‘The Car and Bike‘ show. Initiated in the year 2006, the awards have emerged as the most credible automobile industry awards, presented every year by NDTV in association with Car India and Bike India magazine team.

Valuable support has been lent to NDTV Profit Car & Bike Awards 2010 by Presenting Sponsor HDFC Ergo and Associate Sponsor Keys Hotels.

Watch the telecast of the awards on NDTV Profit on 9th Jan at 1:00pm and repeat on following Sunday at 9:00pm.
 

MUMBAI: Mumbai?s popular radio station, hosted Priyanka Chopra & Uday Chopra recently in their studios. The duo had made a visit to Fever 104 FM to promote their upcoming flick, Pyaar Impossible, which hits cinemas today. The actors got candid on the station and shared many secrets with Fever RJ Harssh on the Fever No.1 show, including how Priyanka used to be a geek as a child. Priyanka also gave away dating tips to Fever 104 FM listeners while Uday answered rapid fire questions about himself on the show. 

Fever 104 FM also conceptualized a unique ?Possible-Impossible? on-air contest where RJ Harssh posed situations & listeners were asked to guess if these were possible or impossible for the actors. Autographed CDs & T-shirts of the movie were given away to the first correct responses for each situation.

Speaking on the promotion, says Mr. Neeraj Chaturvedi, Marketing and Promotions Head, Fever 104 FM, ?We are very excited to host Priyanka Chopra and Uday Chopra in our studios and conceptualize this unique promotion for the movie. I wish them luck and hope that ?Pyaar Impossible? becomes a great hit.?
 

MUMBAI: ICICI Bank along with CNBC-TV18, India?s leading business channel and Overdrive India?s premier Car and Bike magazine, presented ?CNBC-TV18 Overdrive Awards 2010?. The awards focused on the road ahead for the auto industry in the face of increasing need for green technology and environment conservation.

The CNBC-TV18 Overdrive Auto Awards 2010, which were presided over by Honourable Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, witnessed some of the biggest names in Indian auto sector including Ratan Tata, Pavan Goenka and Force India Driver Adrian Sutil among others, come together to honour the excellence in Indian automobile industry.

Speaking at the award ceremony, Omar Abdullah, said, ?Indian auto industry has a lot to pat itself on its back. The fact that the Auto Expo is the third largest in the world is a testament to the fact. He also added that he is looking forward to the Indian automobile industry to rise from its difficult period.

With sustainability and environment conservation being the need of the hour, automobile manufacturers are under constant pressure to more to reduce the carbon footprints of their vehicles. CNBC-TV18 Overdrive Awards 2010 reiterated this need for green technology by bringing together all the industry stakeholders on a single platform and highlighted the road ahead for the Indian Automobile sector.

To recognise the contribution of the automobile sector and highlight its forward march, ICICI Bank car loans and CNBC-TV18 presented the CNBC-TV18 Overdrive Awards 2010, the most trusted awards on automobiles for consumers, manufacturers and auto experts alike.

The winners for these defining awards this year were:

Category Winner
Car of the year Tata Nano
Bike of the year  Bajaj Kawasaki Ninja 250R
UV of the year  Mahindra Xylo
SUV of the year  Toyota Fortuner
Compact Car of the Year  Tata Nano
Midsize Car of the Year  Skoda Laura
Premium Automobile of the Year  Mercedes Benz E-Class
Performance Car of the Year  BMW Z4
Import Car of the Year  Porsche Panamera
Performance Bike of the Year  Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade
Import SUV of the Year  Audi Q5
Manufacturer of the Year  Maruti Suzuki India
Motorsport Award of the Year Force India
Storyboard auto Commercial of the Year -Car Fiat Linea- Agency: Bates 141
Storyboard auto Commercial of the Year-Bike Bajaj Discover DTS-i- Agency: Lowe Lintas
Green Award of the Year  Reva Electric Car Company
Hall of Fame Hero Honda Splendor
Viewers Choice Car of the Year Hyundai i20 

Speaking on the occasion, Shereen Bhan, Executive Editor, CNBC-TV18 said, ?CNBC-TV18 Overdrive Awards are most credible and widely accepted benchmark for automobile excellence today. The awards have served the dual purpose of honouring the best in Indian automobile and bringing together the best minds in the auto sector to discuss the critical issues facing the industry.?

Spokesperson from ICICI Bank said that ICICI Car loans has been an integral part of the auto industry and has played a pivotal role in the critical growth phase of the Automobile industry. It is a pleasure to be part of the event which recognises the best in the Automobiles sector. Going forward also he said the Bank would be playing a industry shaping role. He also mentioned that the Bank has also been pursuing an agenda towards environment accountability under the branding of ‘Go Green‘. Under ‘Go-Green‘ initiative several actions are underway in the Bank and in keeping with that only the theme for these awards also is kept ‘Green‘.

Award Methodology: The vehicles vying for honors are scrupulously evaluated by an elite jury comprising of senior editorial staff from OVERDRIVE and automotive experts of national and global renown. Judging is conducted on various parameters based on quality, value and relevance to the Indian automotive context. The results are only disclosed at the glittering awards night, to ensure fair and unbiased verdicts.

In 2008, OVERDRIVE initiated a pioneering award for eco-friendly initiatives by car manufacturers and agencies. This continues this year with the inclusion of a ?Green Award? and a ?Safety Award?. Keeping in mind consumer benefits, the OVERDRIVE Awards will run separate categories to pick the compact, mid-size and executive cars of the year, along with the coveted Car Of The Year.

All vehicles homologated and introduced in India, in the calendar year 2008 are eligible for the OVERDRIVE Car, Bike and UV/SUV Awards. Engine changes to an existing vehicle will not make the vehicle eligible though a mechanical change or body style alteration which significantly alters a vehicle?s positioning will make it eligible. CBU imports introduced in India in 2008 and with a run under 250 units for cars, 100 units for SUVs and 200 units for bikes qualify for the Import of the Year award.

The objective of the award is to find a single, decisive winner. The voting process, therefore, is designed to pick one outstanding contender and not to provide a scale of merit of the competing cars. A jury consisting of a minimum of five persons is entrusted with the task of voting. Each jury member is an expert in evaluating cars and has a fair amount of experience with a wide range of vehicles. The jury will be assisted by the objective test data and analysis by Overdrive India, which has exhaustively tested all the eligible vehicles.

The winners were selected by an eminent jury consisting of Hari Singh, five time Indian National Rally champion, Sirish Chandran, Editor, Overdrive, Bertrand D‘Souza, Deputy Editor, Overdrive, Shubhabrata Marmar, Deputy Editor, Overdrive, Gaurav Gill, Indian National Rally champion, Production WRC driver, Vikram Mathias, Former National Rally Champion and Siddharth Lal, CEO, Eicher Motors.

About CNBC TV18: CNBC-TV 18 is India‘s No.1 business medium and the undisputed leader in business news. And its leadership epitomizes the fact that India means business. It delivers quality and involved audiences that comprise a comprehensive viewership base greater than similar offerings in the business space across all media. The channel‘s benchmark coverage extends from corporate news, financial markets coverage, expert perspective on investing and management to industry verticals and beyond. CNBC-TV18 has been constantly innovating with new genres of programming that helps make business more relevant to different constituencies across the country. CNBC-TV18 is currently available in over 30 million households in India.

About ICICI Bank: ICICI Bank Ltd (NYSE:IBN) is India‘s largest private sector bank and the second largest bank in the country with consolidated total assets of about US$ 102 billion at September 30, 2009. ICICI Bank?s subsidiaries include India?s leading private sector insurance companies and among India‘s large securities brokerage firm, mutual fund and private equity firm. ICICI Bank?s presence currently spans 19 countries, including India.

MUMBAI: The latest buzz doing the rounds is that superstar Salman Khan will soon make an appearance on the sets of Zee TV?s Lux Dance India Dance. The superstar is currently on an aggressive marketing campaign to promote his forthcoming film, Veer. If Salman?s previous appearances at Zee TV?s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and the first season of Lux Dance India Dance are anything to go by, one can expect the spirited actor to be at his mischievous best and dance up a storm on the sets of this popular dance reality show.

In the meanwhile, the news of Salman?s upcoming appearance has spread like wild fire amongst the top 18 contestants of the show and the talented bunch has already swung into overdrive with the help of their mentors Remo D?souza, Terence Lewis and Geeta Kapur, rehearsing day and night to dazzle their heartthrob with superlative performances. 

The second season of Lux Dance India Dance, with its stupendous opening and countrywide following, has emerged to be the definitive platform for marketing upcoming Bollywood films. Akash Chawla, Marketing Head, Zee TV said, ?We?re extremely happy to have actors and the makers of the biggest upcoming blockbusters visit our sets to encourage the young talent. Salman, who will be amongst the first to visit our sets this season, has always been a sheer delight on the sets. His presence and energy blend very beautifully with the vibe of the show. In the coming weeks, we will make announcements about various film celebrities that will grace the sets with their presence.?

Do not miss this rocking episode of Lux Dance India Dance on Zee TV at 9:30 PM on Friday, 22nd January.

MUMBAI: Future Group affiliated store Mother Earth has partnered with Shop for Change, a fair trade organization, to launch India‘s first Shop for Change certified products. Shop for Change has launched the fair trade certification with Mother Earth t-shirts and plans for further extension to other cotton products. The Shop for Change certified t-shirts abide by fair trade standards, thus ensuring that cotton farmers receive a fair deal for their produce. The certification guarantees fair trade practices, which means that farmers who grew the cotton for the Mother Earth t-shirts and their families are empowered to improve their lives and care for the environment. The range will be available across all Mother Earth stores in India.

Shop for Change is a Section 25 not-for-profit company, established to build on successful international models of fair trade certification and marketing, has already certified 2,500 cotton farmers. It was established through a partnership between International Resources for Fairer Trade (India) and Tradecraft (UK) and has received an initial financial backing from the European Union and Dutch foundations ICCO and Hivos. 

On being the first Indian company to adopt the Shop for Change Fair Trade certification in India, Kishore Biyani, Group CEO, Future Group said, "As the Indian consumer is increasingly exposed to different trends in the market, I see a significant opportunity for conscious consumption. I look forward to Mother Earth‘s partnership with Shop for Change to tap this new market opportunity and continue to provide our customers with more evolved products."

Seth Petchers, CEO, Shop for Change Fair Trade said, "We strongly believe that India is ready to embrace the concept of fair trade. Shop for Change Fair Trade can be effective and make a difference with a growth in partnerships. Our collaboration with Mother Earth is a first step towards promoting fair trade in India. We are happy to make this pioneering move with Future Group, and are in the process of partnering with other brands. We encourage consumers to look out for the Shop for Change tag on products and are confident of their appreciation of the benefits of fair trade."

Shop for Change has devoted itself to the cause of betterment of farmers, not only ensuring farmers their rightful dues but also giving them an opportunity to develop their communities with better market prospects and enhanced knowledge. The Shop for Change certified cotton in the t-shirts is from farmers from Agrocel Industries Ltd. and Chetna Organic Agriculture Producer Company.