MUMBAI: The largest Ever Oral Care Marathon entitled ?Mumbai Smiles? will be handled by Mudra MAX today.This event initiated by Indian Dental Association (IDA) in partnership with Wrigley?s Orbit? sugar-free chewing gum will be held between 9-10 Oct?09 at the Bandra Kurla Complex, in Mumbai.

The specialized units of Mudra MAX have started initiating and driving Mumbaikars to be part of this event where they are expecting more than 5,000 dental check-ups.To increase registrations, Kidstuff (promotional marketing) has organized promotions at schools, corporate houses, BPO and other high footfall areas. Celsius (events marketing) will handle its on-ground activities like setting up the dental camps, running the show etc while Primesite (Out-of-home solutions) will take care of its outdoor activities.

Tomorrow, i.e., on the 10th Oct?09, Deepika Padukone will be marking a closure to this marathon and also give away prizes to the lucky draw winners as well as to the college with maximum number of registrations for the event. Mumbai Indians, the IPL cricket team, have also extended their support by giving their autographed merchandise which will be distributed to the winners at the venue.

Mumbai Smiles is a part of the World Dental Show, where over 600 of the finest dentists from across the country will meet and participate in a 24 hour dental check-up marathon. Driving the importance of oral health related issues amongst the common people, ?Mumbai Smiles? is an initiative to offer free dental check-ups for Mumbaikars and also in the process create one more reason for Mumbai to be on the world map.

Lt. Gen. Dr. Paramjit Singh, President IDA said ?Mumbai Smiles is a landmark initiative, where we are trying to reach out to as many people as possible to create awareness about oral health. We hope this initiative will yield greater results. Through the oral care marathon we are attempting to make the people realise the importance of oral health and the need to go for regular dental check-ups to ensure a good overall health.?

Participation in this 24 hours oral care marathon would be facilitated through walk-ins at the venue & also people can register by smsing ?SMILES? to 58888 or visiting the site www.mumbaismiles.co.in . In addition, to free dental check-ups at the World Dental Show, the participants will receive advise from noted dentists of India and will also be eligible for two free dental check-ups in the next one year. The World Dental Show 2009 will have over 20,000 members of the dental fraternity attending the event and is being promoted by Indian Trade Promotion Organisation, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs.

MUMBAI: ?The economy can absorb some reasonable movement in interest rates even though the shift will have to be defined by the prevailing conditions? Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Thursday. In an exclusive interview with Bloomberg UTV?s Editor-in-Chief Govindraj Ethiraj, the minister also said Reserve Bank of India governor Duvvuri Subbarao will be meeting him in the next couple of days to discuss monetary policy.

?A reasonable interest rate can be absorbed but what is a reasonable rate will depend on the existing conditions,? Mukherjee said when asked about India?s ability to grow even during periods of high interest rate.

Mukherjee also said every country will have to exercise an independent choice on the timing of an exit strategy for the stimulus measures and a straight jacketed approach will not help. The finance minister was referring to India?s stand at the recently concluded IMF annual meeting and the meeting of G20, the group of rich and developing nations.

On economic growth, the minister said it could accelerate to over 6 plus percent in the fiscal year starting April 2010 but it will definitely be over 6.3 percent logged in the previous financial year. The government is trying to put in place policies to help steer the economy back to the ?ideal growth rate of 9 percent? but this may not possible immediately due to poor rains and floods now in some regions, Mukherjee said.

The minister also said the impact of drought have been mitigated substantially and there was no need to panic about low food stocks as prospects for the winter-harvested crop had brightened.

Tune in to Bloomberg-UTV on Saturday 10 pm and Sunday 2.30 pm for this interaction and more?.

MUMBAI: President of Bharatiya Janata Party for Maharashtra, Shri.Nitin Gadkari, will speak exclusively with IBN-Lokmat on Saturday, 10th Oct, 2009.

In this election special Great-Bhet exclusive interview with Nikhil Wagle, Editor, IBN-Lokmat, people will be able to watch him discussing his strategies and ideologies in politics, his continuous crusade for the upliftment of the underprivileged and his keen interest in industrial and commercial development.

Viewers will get to see Shri. Gadkari talk about his efforts in getting the commissions grated to achieve complete road connectivity in Maharashtra, his achievement in building the Mumbai-Pune Express Way and a whole number of flyovers in Mumbai rescuing the Mumbaikars of traffic congestions.

Shri. Gadkari, a leading industrialist will talk about his tenure as a cabinet minister of Public Works Department of Govt. of Maharashtra and his ?BOT? formula. Shri. Gadkari will also be seen opinionating on the Chief Minister?s title in Maharashtra and the current scenario of Indian Politics. Apart from this, viewers will also get to watch Shri. Gadkari throw light on his relations with Shri. Gopiinath Munde and Late Shri. Pramod Mahajan.

Viewers will also get to hear him talk about his life?s journey, his passion for food and his foray into Politics. To witness this hard talk, tune in to IBN Lokmat‘s GREAT-BHET for more on 10th October 2009 @ 10pm.

You can also watch this interview in ?Great Bhet? on Sunday @ 12:00 pm & 5:00 pm and hear the leader speak his mind.

MUMBAI: IBN18 Network has announced the winners of the second edition of the prestigious ?IBN7 Diamond States Awards?- a path breaking editorial initiative in partnership with Outlook, for recognizing human and social development efforts by the states of India. In a glittering awards ceremony held in the national capital, New Delhi and attended by the cr?me de la cr?me of the country, Kerala and Goa bagged 3 awards each and also won top honors as India?s Best Big State and India?s Best Small State respectively for the second consecutive year for their overall performance and significant contribution. ?IBN7 Diamond States Awards 2009? is the only one of its kind initiative that recognize the extraordinary efforts of the states and their contribution to the community and society at large.

The event kick-started with a live performance by India?s leading classical & playback singer Hariharan & his troupe who left the audience enthralled. Hon?ble Speaker of Lok Sabha, Smt. Meira Kumar graced the event as the Chief Guest and delivered the key note address, which was followed by an interesting interactive session including Chief Ministers, leaders and dignitaries conducted by Ashutosh and Rajdeep Sardesai. The awards function was attended by dignitaries from various walks of life which included cabinet ministers, chief ministers, eminent politicians, journalists, lawyers, bureaucrats etc.

The Grand Finale would be telecast on IBN7 at 8 PM on Sunday, October 11, 2009 & on CNN-IBN at 8 PM, Saturday, October 17, 2009.

The selection process for ?IBN7 Diamond States Awards 2009? was a credible multi-pronged approach

involving secondary data from authentic sources and primary data from a nation wide research exercise conducted by Nielsen, the research partner for the awards. KPMG, the independent Knowledge Partner managed the process, methodology and the data for arriving at the best states for the various categories of the awards.

At the occasion, Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, IBN18 Network said, ?IBN7 Diamond States Awards 2009 celebrate excellence in human and social development among Indian states by taking an in-depth look on the work done by them and judging their significant contribution on parameters beyond economic growth. They truly signify the diamond standard for good governance in India. These winners have been arrived at through a rigorous and credible evaluation process.?

The list of parameters in each category were evaluated by the best journalistic brains in the country from IBN18 Network Editorial Board & the Outlook Editorial Board comprising of Raghav Bahl, Rajdeep Sardesai, Ashutosh, Vinod Mehta & Krishna Prasad. A six member jury comprising well-known personalities drawn by different walks of life, deliberated on the categories, criteria and parameters. This included eminent citizens like Dr. Bimal Jalan ? Former RBI Governor & Chairman of the Jury, Dr. Amit Mitra - Secretary General, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), Mr. M. Damodaran ? Former Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Dr. Bakul H Dholakia ? Former Director, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), Mr. Gurcharan Das ? Author, consultant and public intellectual, Prof. Pushpesh K Pant - Professor in Diplomatic Studies, CIPOD, JNU.

Ashutosh, Managing Editor, IBN7 added, ?The awards mark a landmark event, recognizing meaningful development in the socio-economic sphere. These awards are a concerted effort in recognising positive change, growth and progress made by states to mark a true celebration of federal governance.?

?The Jaypee Group?, a well diversified infrastructural industrial conglomerate is the founding Presenting Sponsor for the awards. ?Maharana Pratap Group of Institutions (MPGI)? is the academic partner for the event and is dedicated to imparting knowledge aiming individualists to excel in professionalism. ?Hi-Tech Sweet Water Technologies Private Ltd? is the associate sponsor of the event is a reliable offshore water treatment development company in India.

MUMBAI: UTV Movies proudly presents the world TV premiere of ?Dil Dosti Etc? on Friday, 9th October, 2009 at 8 P.M and ?13B? on Sunday, 11th October, 2009 at 8 P.M.

Dil Dosti Etc is a fresh, unabashed, no holds barred look at how young men of today think and choose to live their lives. Dil Dosti Etc is set around students in Delhi University. The movie stars Shreyas Talpade, Nazrudeen Shah?s son, Immaduddin Shah and former Miss India, Nikita Anand.

Manohar (R. Madhavan) was enjoying his life after moving into his new apartment. But little did he know that the apartment 13B has most frightening secrets to share..., and they unfold in the strangest way, a new television soap serial. Will he be too late to save his family from what the television is foretelling?

Sameer Ganapathy, Business Head UTV Movies says ?It has been our endeavor to bring our viewers the latest of Hindi Blockbusters and shall continue the same which has been a differentiating factor for UTV Movies. This month we are premiering 3 movies and Dil Dosti Etc and 13B are going to be premiered this weekend.?

MUMBAI: Beam Global Spirits & Wine, the 4th largest spirits company in the world, today announced the much awaited nominations for the 9th edition of the Teacher?s Achievement Awards. The Teacher?s Achievement Awards bestows honour and recognition to individuals renowned for their achievements in fields of Business, Communication, Entertainment and Sports. Saluting & Celebrating Achievement at the highest level is a platform owned and invested by Teacher?s for many years and the Teacher?s Achievement Awards have awarded and applauded distinguished achievers in various categories and for lifetime accomplishment for the past 8 years.

Announcing the nominees for the 9th Annual Teacher?s Achievement Awards 2009, Mr. Harish Moolchandani, CEO & Managing Director, India and Indian Sub Continent, Beam Global Spirits & Wine, India said, ?We are delighted to reveal the nominees for the 9th edition of the Teacher?s Achievement Awards. This exclusive list, shortlisted by an eminent Advisory board comprises of some of the most successful achievers of the year from various walks of life. We salute their exemplary achievement. He added, ?In this edition, the Awards Jury shall scout for a winner whose achievement makes a lasting impact befits recognition. We are hopeful that this edition of the TAA too shall raise the bar as we herald a decade of the Awards next year and push many more to aspire and achieve.?

Eminent personalities have been nominated in each category of the Teacher?s Achievement Awards. An illustrious Advisory Board has been instrumental in guiding and shortlisting the nominations this year and a distinguished panel of jury members, who are achievers in their respective fields, have been appointed to identify a winner in each of the four categories.

The nominees in Business category include distinguished personalities Meera Sanyal, Corporate Executive Vice President & Country Executive, ABN AMRO Bank India; Pooja Jain, Executive Director, Luxor Writing Instruments Priya Paul, Chairperson, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd; ,Schauna Chauhan Saluja, CEO, Parle Agro and Vinita Bali, MD, Britannia Industries Limited; The panel of judges includes stalwarts like Kashi Memani, Chairman, KNM Advisory Pvt. Ltd; Subodh Bhargava, Chairman, Wartsila India Ltd. and Anu Aga, Chairperson, Thermax Ltd. The Advisory Board for the Business category includes SM Datta, Chairman, Peerless General Finance & Peerless General Finance & Investment Co. Ltd. /EID Parry India Ltd; Subir Raha, Chairman, Team Raha Ideation Ltd and Onkar S. Kanwar, Chairman & MD, Apollo Tyres Ltd.

The Entertainment category boasts of talented actors like Priyanka Chopra, Sonam Kapoor and musicians like awarding winning Sitar player Niladari, renowned sitar player and composer Anoushka Shankar and talented Sarod players Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan as nominees. The panel of judges for the entertainment category includes Ramesh Sippy, Director, Ramesh Sippy Entertainment; Shyam Benegal, Screenplay writer & Film Director and Prasoon Joshi Executive Chairman and Regional Executive Creative Director ? Asia Pacific, McCann-Erickson. The Advisory Board for this category consists of Indian classical Sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan; Jazz exponent Louis Banks and Pritish Nandy, Chairman, Pritish Nandy Communications.

The nominees in the Communication category ? this year focused on photographers from fashion to wildlife to advertising to journalism. The nominees include leading advertising photographer Iqbal Mohamed; award winning fashion and portrait photographer Tarun Khiwal; three time APA award winning photographer Sameer Parekh; Wildlife photographer Clement Francis, celebrated advertising photographer Atul Kasbekar and distinguished photojournalist Arko Datta. The eminent jury members for this category are Syeda Imam, Executive Creative Director, Contract Advertising and Gautam Rajadhyaksha, Fashion Photographer. The Advisory Board for this category includes Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman & National Creative Director, O & M India; Prahlad Kakar, Director, Genesis Films and ace photographer and photo- journalist Pablo Bartholomew

The nominees for Sports category consists of world class right hand batsman Virender Sehwag; national and international award winning boxer Akhil Kumar; highly acclaimed Indian hockey player Dilip Terki; top ranked Indian badminton player Saina Nehwal and table tennis champion Achanta Sharath Kamal, who have achieved laurels for India at various levels in the global sports arena. The respected panel of judges includes well-known Indian cricket commentator and journalist Harsha Bhogle; former billiards player Michael Ferreira and Ayaz Memon, Associate Editor, DNA. The Advisory Board for the Sports category includes Kris Srikkanth, Cricket commentator & Chairman of the Selection committee of the BCCI, Former Captain of the Indian Cricket Team; former Indian Hockey team captain and Coach Zafar Iqbal and FIFA?s Indian footballer of the 20th century PK Banerjee

The entire process of nomination for the four categories of Business, Sports, Entertainment & Communication and selection of the winners is validated by the leading global audit firm - KPMG. The eligibility criteria for Teacher‘s Achievement Award nominee are stringent, adhering to those outlined by KPMG. Some of the critical deciding factors include a proven track record, originality and innovation, peer recognition and significant milestones achieved in the chosen area of expertise, among others. The event partner is Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

The winners of the 9th Annual Teacher?s Achievement Awards 2009 will be announced & honoured on November 7, 2009 at Hotel Taj Lands End, Mumbai.