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Saturday, January 26, 2013

जनरल नॉलेज क्विज 9th Jan (General Knowledge Quiz 9th Jan)

1. राजकेश्‍वर परयाग मॉरिशस के राष्ट्रपति हैं, लेकिन उनका संबंध भारत से भी रहा है. करीब डेढ. सौ साल पहले उनके पूर्वज भारत से मॉरिशस गये थे. उनका संबंध भारत के किस राज्य से है?

(क) उत्तर प्रदेश (ख) बिहार (ग) मध्यप्रदेश



2. संयुक्त राष्ट्र महासचिव बान की मून ने राष्ट्रपति बशर-अल असद की शांति योजना पर असंतोष जताया है. असद गृहयुद्ध से ग्रसित किस देश के राष्ट्रपति हैं, जहां 21 महीने से जारी हिंसा में लगभग साठ हजार लोग मारे जा चुके हैं? 

(क) सीरिया (ख) फिलस्तीन (ग) ट्यूनीशिया

3. भारत किस ग्रह पर जीवन की संभावना तलाशने के लिए अंतरिक्ष यान इस साल अक्तूबर में लॉन्च करेगा. इस अभियान का मकसद वहां वायुमंडल के खात्मे की वजह का पता लगाना भी है?

(क) मंगल (ख) शुक्र (ग) बृहस्पति



4. अज्रेंटीना के किस खिलाड.ी को लगातार चौथी बार फीफा (फुटबॉल की विश्‍व संस्था) का सवश्रेष्ठ फुटबॉल खिलाड.ी के पुरस्कार से सम्मानित किया गया है. वहीं, स्पेन की ला लीगा टीम को इस साल की सर्वश्रेष्ठ टीम के खिताब से नवाजा गया.

(क) मैक्सी लोपेज (ख) लायनल मेसी (ग) एडुअडरे सैल्वियो

5. तेलंगाना को अलग राज्य बनाने की मांग काफी समय से चली आ रही है. फिलहाल तेलंगाना किस राज्य का हिस्सा है? 

(क)केरल (ख) कर्नाटक (ग) आंध्र प्रदेश 



6. नेशनल क्राइम रिकॉर्ड ब्यूरो-2011 की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक, हैदराबाद महिलाओं के लिए दूसरा सबसे असुरक्षित शहर है. इस सूची में पहले स्थान पर किस शहर का नाम है? 

(क) लखनऊ (ख) पटना (ग) दिल्ली

सही उत्तर 1.(ख) 2.(क) 3.(क) 4.(ख) 5.(ग) 6.(ग)


Google Translator's output: 

1. Rajkeshhwar Pryag President of Mauritius, but their relationship is with India. Nearly half. Hundred years ago, their ancestors were from India to Mauritius. Their relationship is the Indian state?
 

(A) Uttar Pradesh (b) Bihar (c) Madhya Pradesh 



2. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, President Bashar - al-Assad has expressed dissatisfaction with the peace plan. Assad, the president of which country plagued by civil war, where 21 months of violence has killed nearly sixty thousand people? 

(A) Syria (b) holy land (c) Tunisia 

3. How India to explore the possibility of life on Mars spacecraft will launch in October this year. The purpose of this campaign is to find out the cause of the end of the atmosphere? 

(A) Tue (b) F (c) Jupiter 



4. Which Ajrentina Player. Shri fourth consecutive FIFA (football's world body) Football Player of the Svsresht. Shri was awarded the prize. Meanwhile, Spain's La Liga team won the title of best team this year. 

(A) Maxi Lopez (b) Laynl Messi (c) Aduadere Salvio 

5. The demand for a separate Telangana state is long-standing. The state is part of Telangana? 

(A) Kerala (b) Karnataka (c) Andhra Pradesh 



6. According to the National Crime Records Bureau -2011 report, the second most unsafe city for women Hyderabad. What is the name of the city in the first position of this list? 

(A) Lucknow (b) Bihar (c) Delhi 

Correct Answer 1. (B) 2. (A) 3. (A) 4. (B) 5. (C) 6. (C)

Sachin's Records at a glance

1. In his career spanning over 23 years, Sachin Tendulkar has achieved immeasurable records in both Test and ODI cricket. We take a look at the most prominent ones

Sachin made his debut in 1989 in Pakistan and has played 194 Tests since then – a world record.

2.Sachin's 15646 runs are the maximum by any player in the history of Test cricket.

3.Sachin the only player to score 50-Test centuries. He holds the record for maximum tons – 51.

4.Sachin has appeared in maximum number of ODIs ever. Sachin stepped on field for India in 463 games during his 23-year long ODI career.

5.Sachin's tally of 18426 runs, inclusive of 49 centuries in the 50-over format is yet another world record in his name.

6.Sachin became the first cricketer in the history of ODIs to score a double century with his knock of 200 against South Africa in 2010.

7.Sachin Tendulkar, together with Rahul Dravid, holds the record for most partnership runs in Tests – 6920. The duo also has 20 100-run partnerships – the most for any pair.

8.Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for most number of runs by any batsmen in a single edition of ICC World Cup. The little master amassed 673 runs from the 11 innings in the 2003 edition in South Africa.

9.Sachin Tendulkar holds the world record for most number of ODI runs, 1894, by any batsmen in a calendar year.

10. Sachin also holds the world record for maximum number of ODI centuries in a calendar. The batting maestro notched by 9 tons in 1998 with an overall tally of 1894 runs.

Monday, January 14, 2013

General Anti Avoidance Rules (GAAR):GAAR amended and deferred, the fine print

Here are the highlights of the amended GAAR rules.

Accepting most of the Shome committee recommendations on GAAR, the
finance ministry has deferred the implementation of GAAR to assessment
year 2016-17. However, investments made after August 30, 2010 will
come under the GAAR scanner, effectively making GAAR applicable with
retrospective effect. There will also be a monetary threshold of Rs 3
crore of tax benefit for GAAR to be applicable.

Crucially, investments made by non residents in FIIs, including
Participatory Notes will not be come under the anti-avoidance regime.
However, contrary to earlier rules, GAAR will override India's tax
treaties with countries such as Mauritius, but only if the "tax
arrangement" is deemed "impermissible".

This is likely to bring post box structures and round tripping of
funds from tax havens under the scanner. The definition of an
impermissible arrangement though has been diluted- it shall now be an
arrangement whose main purpose is to avail tax benefits.

The finance ministry has also given into industry's demand for an
external member in the approving panel - a three-member panel that
will be headed by a retired or serving High Court judge and will
include an income tax official.

But, two key questions remain. Firstly, if GAAR overrides the
Mauritius treaty, will Circular 789 of 2000 that provides capital
gains tax exemption still stand? The answer to this will determine the
fate of investments from Mauritius. Secondly, what is the fate of
Shome's suggestion to do away with the Short Term Capital Gains tax?
Has it been accepted and will it be announced in the forthcoming
Budget?

read more http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/cnbc-tv18-comments/gaar-amended-deferred-the-fine-print_807693.html

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Current Offers 2012:International Affairs 2012, free download ,


  • Statue of Liberty reopens, The statue of Liberty has reopened for the public viewing after a year-long 30 million-dollar interior makeover. The mostly federally funded renovation to the 126 year old statue of Liberty includes fire safety and ventilations improvement, better bathrooms, a third elevator and remodelled staircase with 39 extra steps to make it easier to climb from pedestal to crown.
    And for the first time ever, there is wheelchair access to the top of the pedestal. With the structural improvements, 26,000 more visitors will be able to visit the crown every year, the New York Post reports.
    "All that makes me confident I can bring my grandparents," Jean-Pascal Mill, 38, a tourist from Lyon, France, who visited the Liberty Island said.

  • Opposition rejects Prachanda's proposals Any hope that the festive mood in Nepal could help end the ongoing political crisis seems unlikely for the time being with the opposition parties rejecting a fresh move by the ruling Maoists.
    After a 'Dashain' hiatus of nearly 10 days, talks have resumed among the ruling parties and those in opposition, but there is no sign yet of resolving the impasse soon. Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxists Leninist) rejected two proposals forwarded by Unified Communists Party of Nepal (Maoists) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'.
    The Maoists chief had discussed the proposals in separate talks with NC president Shushil Koirala, CPN (UML) chairman Jhalanath Khanal and former prime minister and CPN (UML) leader Madhav Kumar Nepal.
    Prachanda expressed his party's willingness to support a new government headed by NC if the latter agree on reviving the dissolved constituent assembly to promulgate the new constution.

  • Wen Jiabao's family denies NYT report on wealth Lawyers hired by Premier Wen Jiabao's family have issued an unprecedented rebuttal to the New York Times story denying that his close relatives including his mother have amassed assets worth more than $2.7 billion in the last decade.
    The lawyers have denied that the "hidden riches" as described by the US newspaper does not exist and that his mother who according to the report had accrued millions- only received her salary and pension.
    They have added that they reserved the right to hold the newspaper responsible legally. The denial issued is being considered unusual as it's possible for the first time that a top Chinese politician has issued a denial against a foreign newspaper's report.
    Earlier this year when a similar story was done by Bloomberg on senior leader Xi Jinping, he had not responded.
click here for download more :


Current Affairs December 2012:National Affairs


  • Chaos in the capital as kejriwal and group hits the streets
    Chaos gripped the streets of Delhi as more than a thousand protestors led by erstwhile team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal and others tried to break police cordons and reach Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and BJP president Nitin Gadkari's residence.
    Protesting under the banner of India against Corruption (IAC) and against the alleged irregularities in the coal blocks allocation; the crowd tried to march to Singh's residence twice, but was detained on both occasions.
    The first attempt at 6am caught the police off guard. "Arwind Kejriwal and Gopal Rai reached near PM's residence with a few supporters while IAC member Sanjay Singh went to Nitin Gadkari's home at Teen Murti Lane. They were detained and taken to the Mandir Marg police station," said a senior police officer.

  • Indian Parliamentarians gets offer of programme from Yale University
    The sixth India, Yale Parliamentary Leadership Program that began on June 20 and will conclude on June 30discussed fragile global economy along with evolving political and economic crises in the Middle East and Europe, and the 2012 US presidential elections. The meeting also discussed topics like challenges of leadership.
    This programme was launched in the year 2007 in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the India -US Forum of Parliamentarians. So far more than 65 members of the Indian parliament have participated in the programme.
    A team of 11 members from India's parliament had come to the Yale University campus in New Haven, to attend the six-day leadership program with Yale faculty. This programme is four day program that consist meetings, discussions, and interactions in Washington, DC along with senior officials of the US government.

  • SAIL, STERLITE make way for Ultratech, Lupin on Nifty
    Birla Group Firm Ultratech Cement and drug maker Lupin will replace public sector Steel Authority of India (SAIL) and Vedanta group firm Sterlite Industries in the National Stock Exchange's (NSE) benchmark index Nifty.
    As per the changes announced last month by India Index Services & Products Ltd (IISL), an NSE-Crisil joint venture that maintains Nifty index, SAIL and Sterlite Industries (India) would be excluded from the 50-share benchmark index with effect from September.
    In their place, Lupin and Ultratech Cement would be included in the Nifty index. Analysts say the removal of SAIL and Sterlite from the Nifty underlines the negative sentiment prevailing on the materials sector even as valuations are at multi year low. Shares of SAIL and Sterlite Industries also fell due to the new changes.

  • Delhi govt sets Nov 24 deadline for plastic ban
    The Delhi govt has set November 24 deadline for the enforcement of blanket ban on the manufacture, import, sale, storage and use of plastic carry bags, sheets, films or tubs- irrespective of their thickness.
    Without any feasible alternative in sight, the order also bans plastic sheets used to line dust bins. But the ban will not affect the use of plastic carry bags specified under the bio-medical waste (management and handling), rules 1998.
    Plastic used to pack food products such as milk and flour bags- in which goods are sealed prior to use- will be allowed. "The sate cabinet passed the ban order on September11 and the government notified it on October 23. A copy of the notification has been uploaded on the government's environment department website. Enforcement has to begin after a month of notification," said a top govt official who is part of the team authorised to enforce the ban.

  • Delhi cops say Namdhari shot Hardeep Chadha
    Former Uttarakhand minorities commission chairman Sukhdev Singh Namdhari shot dead liquor baron Ponty Chadha's brother Hardeep Chadha, Delhi police crime branch told the city court.
    Metropolitan magistrate Gaurav Rao sent Namdhari to police custody till December 2for further interrogation after crime branch said he has been formally booked for murder following eyewitnesses' inputs. Initially police had arrested him for trespass and attempt to murder on the basis of disclosure made by Bhupinder Singh Bisht, another accused who was Ponty's personal security officer.
    Police said they Namdhari to recover various weapons used in the shootout, which are believed to be hidden at his farmhouse. "I am satisfied that to unearth the entire conspiracy... it is a fit case for grant of three days of police custody," the judge said.

Modal Papers :Sample questions for SSC exams 2013

Expand AFSPA. (Hint: Armed Forces)

Which 2 Asian countries will sign liberalised visa agreement during
3-day home minister-level talks beginning 28th January 2013?

Expand PFM. (Hint: Finance)

Name the Padma Vibhushan recipient of India who was conferred with
Maharashtra Bhushan award recently.

Which Indian state is set to form a Medical Service Corporation to
procure and distribute medical products?

Expand TTF. (Hint: Travel)

Which company will invest an additional amount of Rs.14,000 crore in
Gujarat's port sector and water supply projects?
Operation smile is set to sign MoU with Government of Meghalaya for
what purpose?

Which rank does India hold on the economic freedom index 2013?

Expand CCI. (Hint: Competition)

Expand HOSTIA. (Hint: Industries)

Who is appointed as interim CEO of Lakshmi Vilas Bank?

Name the Indian Navy pilot who is set to become the first Indian to
circumnavigate the globe non-stop.

How many FDI proposals were approved by Government of India worth
Rs.1,310.60 crore recently?

Current Affairs November 2012:International Current Affairs 2012

Current Affairs [November 2012]


 

  • China claims historical rights Beijing's claims to nearly all the South China Sea are embossed in its latest passports, based on what it calls long established "historical facts" and what Chinese analysts say is Western imperial precedent.
    Beijing has grown increasingly assertive in recent years in claiming islands and waters even without effective control of them- in some cases hundreds of kilometres from the China's mainland and close to rival claimants' coasts. 
    The latest front on the simmering dispute is China's new passport, which shows the map of the country including almost all of the strategically significant sea, the site of key shipping routes and possibly significant petroleum reserves.

 

  • UK press needs new watchdog: Leveson A judge called on legislation to underpin a new regulator for Britain's "outrageous" newspapers in a dramatic move that threatens to Divide Prime Minister David Cameron's coalition government.
    Lord justice Brian Leveson, who led an eight month inquiry following the phone hacking scandal that closed down Rupert Murdoch's News of the World, also criticised politicians for getting too close to the press.
    His eagerly awaited report called for legislation for a new independent self regulatory body underpinned by law, saying that misbehaviour by the British press has undermined its own arguments that it works in the public interest.

 

  • Genuine Indian students kept out by UK agency Officials at the UK Border Agency (UKBA) sat over more than 150,000 complaints of non-European students breeching their conditions of study, Britain's chief inspector of immigration John Vine said, prompting a senior MP to accuse the agency of putting off genuine Indian students. Vine criticised the UKBA in a report for failing to act on tip-offs provided by colleges and universities who, under a student sponsorship system, are meant to notify the agency whenever non-EU students do not enrol, stop attending courses or breach visa rules.
    Vine said the agency had no targets in place for responding to such tip-offs. "As a result, notifications were not being acted upon." At one point a backlog of 153,000, such reports had built up, said Vine, whose tem examined work at three UKBA offices in Sheffield, Beijing and Delhi. However by may this year, all outstanding tip-offs had been acted upon.

 

  • Pakistani journalist escapes bomb attack Pakistani journalist and celebrity TV anchor Hamid Mir escaped an assassination attempt, when the police defused a bomb planted under his car in Islamabad. The device in a metal box was found under the front passenger seat of Mir's car. "It was a powerful bomb. Had it gone off, the car would have been blown into pieces," interior minister Rehman Malik said.
    Mir who host Capital Talk, an evening show on Geo TV, and writes a column for Jang, was criticised by the Taliban last month in the wake of the shooting of teenage activist Malala Yousafzai.
    The interior minister said that he would offer a reward of Rs 5 crore for anyone who provided any information on the accused.

Current Affairs December 2012:International Current Affairs

Current Affairs December 2012

International Current Affairs

  • First economic dialogue between India, Japan
    To impart a renewed momentum in order to grow and flourish new ties and to resolve issues relating to civil nuclear issues, India and Japan are going to hold their first economic dialogue and sixth strategic talks. The two dialogues will be co-chaired by our external Affairs Minister along with his Japanese counterpart Koichiro Gemba, who will be on a two day visit to the National Capital.
    The dialogues are slated to be centred on range of bilateral and global issues. These issues include the prospects of civil nuclear cooperation, maritime security and the evolving East Asia regional security architecture.

  • Russia to build two more nuclear reactors in China
    Nuclear countries Russia and China have cemented their nuclear cooperation leading the Russian capital to build two more reactors in the Chinese soil.
    Earlier also Russia helped China in building two reactors in the Taiwan nuclear plant in Jiangsu province. Those two reactors went into operation in the year 2007 as said by the Sergey Sergeevich Razov, Moscow's envoy.
    The two reactors being built have a combined capacity of 2,000 mw and are using Russia's VVER 1000 nuclear model.
    r> Russia will build the two reactors in Taiwan after the Chinese government lifts its suspension on the new atomic power plants imposed after the nuclear disaster in Japan last year.

  • China set to take over reins of Pakistan's Gwadar port
    China appears all set to take over the reins of Pakistan's strategic Gwadar port in Balochistan, with the Singapore Port Authority (SPA) and its partners intending to pull out of a 40yr old management and development contract.
    The SPA and its partners, the National Logistics cell and AKD Group, have been allowed to quit the project to transfer 584acres at the mouth of the port that are currently in possession of Pakistan Navy.
    "We have not been able to meet the contractual obligations and resolve land issues. As a result, they (SPA and its partners) have gone under duress and we issued them no objection certificate to give up their contract," ports and shipping minister Babar Khan Ghauri told a meeting of senate's standing committee on ports and shipping.

Educational Material: Possible essay topics December 2012

Possible essay topics December 2012

Reduction in Education fees and its impact on economy

India's Art Festival and its influence on rest of the world

Energy conservation, a social responsibility

Poor loan lending and its adverse effects on economy

Write a note on:

Cash to the poor program in India

13th annual Indo-Russian bilateral summit

Wind Power India 2012

Olympics and India's role

Introduction of e-pension in India

National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy 2012

Rashtriya Swastha Bima Yojana

Sitar maestro – Pandit Ravi Shankar

Pinjore heritage festival

Conference of the Commissioners of Police

Goonda Act 1923

Indian PSU's role in Brazil's iron ore assets

Letter writing topics

Write a letter to Medical officer highlighting the raise in Dengue
cases in your locality.

Write a letter to city Mayor mentioning the grow menace of garbage in
your locality.

All about Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda was an Indian Hindu monk. He was a key figure in the
introduction of Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the western
world and was credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing
Hinduism to the status of a major world religion in the late 19th
century. He was a major force in the revival of Hinduism in India and
contributed to the notion of nationalism in colonial India. He was the
chief disciple of the 19th century saint Ramakrishna and the founder
of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission. He is perhaps
best known for his inspiring speech beginning with "Sisters and
Brothers of America,"through which he introduced Hinduism at the
Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893.

Born into an aristocratic Bengali family of Calcutta, Vivekananda
showed an inclination towards spirituality. He was influenced by his
guru Ramakrishna from whom he learnt that all living beings were an
embodiment of the divine self and hence, service to God could be
rendered by service to mankind.After the death of his guru,
Vivekananda toured the Indian subcontinent extensively and acquired a
first-hand knowledge of the conditions that prevailed in British
India. He later travelled to the United States to represent India as a
delegate in the 1893 Parliament of World Religions. He conducted
hundreds of public and private lectures and classes, disseminating
tenets of Hindu philosophy in the United States, England and Europe.
In India, Vivekananda is regarded as a patriotic saint and his
birthday is celebrated as the National Youth Day.

Contents

"I am indebted to my mother for the efflorescence of my knowledge." –
Swami Vivekananda

Vivekananda was born as Narendranath in Calcutta, the capital of
British India, on 12 January 1863 during the Makar Sankranti festival.
He belonged to a traditional Bengali Kayastha (a caste of Hindus)
family and was one of the nine siblings. Narendra's father Vishwanath
Datta was an attorney of Calcutta High Court. Narendra's mother was a
pious woman and a housewife. The progressive rational approach of his
father and the religious temperament of his mother helped shape his
thinking and personality. Young Narendranath was fascinated by the
wandering ascetics and monks.

Narendra was an average student, but a voracious reader. He was
interested in a wide range of subjects such as philosophy, religion,
history, the social sciences, arts, and literature. He evinced
interest in the Hindu scriptures such as the Vedas, the Upanishads,
the Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas. He
trained in Indian classical music, and participated in physical
exercise, sports, and organisational activities. Narendra joined the
Metropolitan Institution of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in 1871 and
studied there until 1877 when his family moved to Raipur. The family
returned to Calcutta two years later.

College and Brahmo Samaj

In 1879 after his family moved back to Calcutta, Narendra passed the
entrance examination from the Presidency College. He subsequently
studied western logic, western philosophy and history of European
nations in the General Assembly's Institution (now known as the
Scottish Church College). In 1881 he passed the Fine Arts examination
and in 1884 he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Narendra studied the works of David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Johann
Gottlieb Fichte, Baruch Spinoza, Georg W. F. Hegel, Arthur
Schopenhauer, Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer, John Stuart Mill, and
Charles Darwin. Narendra became fascinated with the evolutionism of
Herbert Spencer and had correspondence with him; he translated
Spencer's book Education (1861) into Bengali. Alongside his study of
Western philosophers, he was thoroughly acquainted with Indian
Sanskrit scriptures and many Bengali works. Dr. William Hastie,
principal of General Assembly's Institution, wrote, "Narendra is
really a genius. I have travelled far and wide but I have never come
across a lad of his talents and possibilities, even in German
universities, among philosophical students." Some accounts regard
Narendra as a srutidhara—a man with prodigious memory.

Narendra became the member of a Freemason's lodge and of a breakaway
faction of the Brahmo Samaj led by Keshub Chandra Sen. His initial
beliefs were shaped by Brahmo concepts, which included belief in a
formless God and deprecation of the worship of idols. Not satisfied
with his knowledge of philosophy, he wondered if God and religion
could be made a part of one's growing experiences and deeply
internalised. Narendra went about asking prominent residents of
contemporary Calcutta whether they had come "face to face with God"
but could not get answers which satisfied him. His first introduction
to the saint Ramakrishna occurred in a literature class in General
Assembly's Institution, when he heard Hastie lecturing on William
Wordsworth's poem The Excursion. While explaining the word "trance" in
the poem, Hastie suggested his students to visit Ramakrishna of
Dakshineswar to know the real meaning of trance. This prompted some of
his students, including Narendra, to visit Ramakrishna.

Narendra's meeting with Ramakrishna in November 1881 proved to be a
turning point in Narendra's life. Narendra said about this first
meeting that

"Ramakrishna looked just like an ordinary man, with nothing
remarkable about him. He used the most simple language and I thought
'Can this man be a great teacher?'. I crept near to him and asked him
the question which I had been asking others all my life: 'Do you
believe in God, Sir?' 'Yes', he replied. 'Can you prove it, Sir?'
'Yes'. 'How?' 'Because I see Him just as I see you here, only in a
much intenser sense.' That impressed me at once. [...] I began to go
to that man, day after day, and I actually saw that religion could be
given. One touch, one glance, can change a whole life."

Though Narendra did not accept Ramakrishna as his teacher initially
and revolted against his ideas, he was attracted by his personality
and started visiting him at Dakshineswar frequently. He initially
looked upon Ramakrishna's ecstasies and visions as "mere figments of
imagination", and "hallucinations". As a member of Brahmo Samaj, he
was against idol worship and polytheism, and Ramakrishna's worship of
Kali. He even rejected the Advaitist Vedantism of "identity with
absolute" as blasphemy and madness, and often made fun of the
concept.Though at first Narendra could not accept Ramakrishna and his
visions, he did not neglect him. Instead, he tested Ramakrishna, who
faced all of his arguments and examinations with patience—"Try to see
the truth from all angles" was his reply. His father's untimely death
in 1884 left Narendra's family bankrupt. Unable to find employment and
facing poverty, Narendra questioned God's existence. During this time,
Narendra found solace in Ramakrishna, and his visits to Dakshineswar
increased.Narendra gradually became ready to renounce everything for
the sake of realising God. In time, Narendra accepted Ramakrishna as
his guru.

In 1885, Ramakrishna developed throat cancer and he was transferred to
Calcutta and later to Cossipore. Narendra and Ramakrishna's other
disciples took care of him during his final days. Narendra's spiritual
education under Ramakrishna continued. At Cossipore, Narendra
reportedly experienced Nirvikalpa Samadhi.[46] During Ramakrishna's
last days, Narendra and some of the other disciples received the ochre
monastic robes from Ramakrishna, forming the first monastic order of
Ramakrishna. Narendra was taught that service to men was the most
effective worship of God. During his final days, Ramakrishna asked
Narendra Nath to take care of other monastic disciples and in turn
asked them to look upon Vivekananda as their leader.Ramakrishna died
in the early morning hours of 16 August 1886 at his garden house in
Cossipore.

After the death of Ramakrishna, his devotees and admirers stopped
funding the Cossipore math. The unpaid rents soon piled up and
Narendra and other disciples of Ramakrishna had to find a new place to
live. Many of his disciples returned home and became inclined towards
a Grihastha (family-oriented) life. Narendra decided to make a
dilapidated house at Baranagar the new math (monastery) for remaining
disciples. The rent of the Baranagar Math was cheap and it was funded
by "holy begging" (mādhukarī). In his book Swami Vivekananda: A
Reassessment, Narasingha Prosad Sil writes, "the Math was an adult
male haven, a counter–culture community of freedom–seeking youths on
the fringe of society and the city". The math became the first
building of the Ramakrishna Math—the monastery of the first monastic
order of Ramakrishna.Narendra later reminisced about the early days in
the monastery:

" We underwent a lot of religious practice at the Baranagar Math. We
used to get up at 3:00 am and become absorbed in japa and meditation.
What a strong spirit of detachment we had in those days! We had no
thought even as to whether the world existed or not. "

In January 1887, Narendra and eight other disciples took formal
monastic vows. Narendra took the name of Swami Bibidishananda. Later
he was given the name Vivekananda by Ajit Singh, the Maharaja of
Khetri.In January 1899 the Baranagar Math was transferred to Belur in
the Howrah district, now known as the Belur Math.

As a monk wandering in India (1888–1893)

Swami Vivekananda sitting, black and white image

Swami Vivekananda at Jaipur, ca.1885–1893.

Swami Vivekananda as a wandering monk

Swami Vivekananda location unknown, ca.1888–1893

In 1888, Vivekananda left the monastery as a Parivrâjaka— the Hindu
religious life of a wandering monk, "without fixed abode, without
ties, independent and strangers wherever they go."His sole possessions
were a kamandalu (water pot), staff, and his two favourite
books—Bhagavad Gita and The Imitation of Christ.Vivekananda travelled
extensively in India for five years, visiting centres of learning,
acquainting himself with the diverse religious traditions and
different patterns of social life. He developed a sympathy for the
suffering and poverty of the masses and resolved to uplift the nation.
Living mainly on bhiksha (alms), Vivekananda travelled on foot and
railway tickets bought by his admirers whom he met during the travels.
During these travels he made acquaintance and stayed with Indians from
all walks of life and religions—scholars, dewans, rajas, Hindus,
Muslims, Christians, pariahs (low caste workers) and government
officials.

Northern India (1888–1890)

In 1888, Vivekananda's first destination was Varanasi,where he met the
Bengali writer, Bhudev Mukhopadhyay and the saint Trailanga Swami. He
also met Babu Pramadadas Mitra, the noted Sanskrit scholar, with whom
he corresponded on the interpretation of the Hindu scriptures. After
Varanasi he visited Ayodhya, Lucknow, Agra, Vrindavan, Hathras and
Rishikesh. At Hathras, he met Sharat Chandra Gupta, a railway station
master who later became one of his earliest disciples as Sadananda.
Between 1888 and 1890, he visited Vaidyanath and Allahabad. From
Allahabad, he went on to Ghazipur, where he met Pavhari Baba, an
Advaita Vedanta ascetic who used to spend most of his time in
meditation.During this period, Vivekananda returned to Baranagar math
a few times, because of ill health and to arrange for monetary funds
for the math.

The Himalayas (1890–1891)

In July 1890, accompanied by the fellow monk Swami Akhandananda (also
a disciple of Ramakrishna), Vivekananda visited the Himalayas. This
constituted the first phase of his journey that would encompass the
West. He visited Nainital, Almora, Srinagar, Dehradun, Rishikesh and
Haridwar. During these travels, he met Swami Brahmananda, Saradananda,
Turiyananda and Advaitananda. They stayed at Meerut for some days
engaged in meditation, prayer and study of scriptures. At the end of
January 1891, Vivekananda left his fellows and journeyed to Delhi.

Rajputana (1891)

After visiting historical sites at Delhi, Vivekananda journeyed
towards Alwar in Rajputana. Later Vivekananda journeyed to Jaipur,
where he studied Panini's Ashtadhyayi with a Sanskrit scholar. He next
travelled to Ajmer, where he visited the palace of Akbar and the
Dargah Sharif. At Mount Abu, he met Raja Ajit Singh of Khetri, who
became his ardent devotee and supporter. Swami Tathagatananda, a
senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order wrote of the relationship:

Swami Vivekananda's friendship with Maharaja Ajit Singh of Khetri was
enacted against the backdrop of Khetri, a sanctified town in Northern
Rajasthan, characterized by its long heroic history and independent
spirit. Destiny brought Swamiji and Ajit Singh together on 4 June 1891
at Mount Abu, where their friendship gradually developed through their
mutual interest in significant spiritual and secular topics. The
friendship intensified when they travelled to Khetri and it became
clear that theirs was the most sacred friendship, that of a Guru and
his disciple.

At Khetri, he delivered discourses to the Raja, became acquainted with
the pandit Ajjada Adibhatla Narayana Dasu, and studied Mahābhāṣya on
sutras of Panini. After two and a half months there, in October 1891,
he proceeded towards Maharastra.

Western India (1891–1892)

Vivekananda visited Ahmedabad, Wadhwan and Limbdi. At Ahmedabad, he
completed his studies of Islamic and Jain culture.[62] At Limbdi, he
met Thakur Saheb Jaswant Singh, who had himself been to England and
America. From Thakur Saheb, he first got the idea of going to the West
to preach Vedanta. He later visited Junagadh, where he was the guest
of Haridas Viharidas Desai, the Dewan of the State. The Diwan was so
charmed with his company that every evening he, with all the State
officials, used to meet Vivekananda and converse with him until late
at night. Vivekananda also visited Girnar, Kutch, Porbander, Dwaraka,
Palitana, Nadiad, Nadiad ni haveli and Baroda. At Porbander, he stayed
three quarters of a year, furthering his philosophical and Sanskrit
studies with learned pandits.

Vivekananda's next destinations included Mahabaleshwar, Pune, Khandwa
and Indore. At Kathiawar, he heard of the Parliament of the World's
Religions and was urged by his followers there to attend it. After a
brief stay in Bombay in July 1892, he met Bal Gangadhar Tilak during a
train journey. After staying with Tilak for a few days in
Pune,Vivekananda travelled to Belgaum in October 1892 and to Panaji
and Margao in Goa. He spent three days in the Rachol Seminary, the
oldest convent of Goa, where rare religious manuscripts and printed
works in Latin were preserved. There, he studied Christian theological
works.

Southern India (1892–1893)

Later Vivekananda travelled to Bangalore, where he became acquainted
with K. Seshadri Iyer, the Dewan of the Mysore state, and stayed at
the palace as a guest of the Maharaja of Mysore, Chamaraja Wodeyar.
Iyer described Vivekananda as "a magnetic personality and a divine
force which were destined to leave their mark on the history of his
country." The Maharaja provided the Swami a letter of introduction to
the Dewan of Cochin and got him a railway ticket.

From Bangalore, he visited Trichur, Kodungalloor, and Ernakulam. At
Ernakulam, he met Chattampi Swamikal, contemporary of Narayana Guru,
in early December 1892. From Ernakulam, he travelled to Trivandrum,
Nagercoil and reached Kanyakumari on foot during the Christmas Eve of
1892. At Kanyakumari, Vivekananda meditated on the "last bit of Indian
rock", known later as the Vivekananda Rock Memorial. At Kanyakumari,
Vivekananda had the "Vision of one India", also commonly called "The
Kanyakumari resolve of 1892″.He wrote,

" "At Cape Camorin sitting in Mother Kumari's temple,
sitting on the last bit of Indian rock—I hit upon a plan: We are so
many sanyasis wandering about, and teaching the people metaphysics—it
is all madness. Did not our Gurudeva use to say, 'An empty stomach is
no good for religion?' We as a nation have lost our individuality and
that is the cause of all mischief in India. We have to raise the
masses.

From Kanyakumari he visited Madurai, where he met the Raja of Ramnad,
Bhaskara Sethupathi, to whom he had a letter of introduction. The Raja
became his disciple and urged him to go to the Parliament of Religions
at Chicago. From Madurai, he visited Rameswaram, Pondicherry and
Madras and there he met some of his most devoted disciples, who played
important roles in collecting funds for his voyage to America and
later in establishing the Ramakrishna Mission in Madras. With the aid
of funds collected by his Madras disciples and Rajas of Mysore,
Ramnad, Khetri, Dewans and other followers, Vivekananda left for
Chicago on 31 May 1893 from Bombay assuming the name Vivekananda—the
name suggested by the Maharaja of Khetri, Ajit Singh.

First visit to the West (1893–1897)

Vivekananda visited several cities in Japan such as Nagasaki, Kobe,
Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo, and some places in China and Canada
en route the United States. He arrived at Chicago in July
1893.However, to his disappointment he learnt that no one without
credentials from a bona fide organisation would be accepted as a
delegate. He came in contact with Professor John Henry Wright of
Harvard University who invited him to speak at the university. On
learning that Vivekananda lacked credential to speak at the Chicago
Parliament, Wright is quoted as having said, "To ask for your
credentials is like asking the sun to state its right to shine in the
heavens." On the Professor, Vivekananda himself writes "He urged upon
me the necessity of going to the Parliament of Religions, which he
thought would give an introduction to the nation."

Parliament of the World's Religions opened on 11 September 1893 at the
Art Institute of Chicago as part of the World's Columbian Exposition.
On this day Vivekananda gave his first brief speech. He represented
India and Hinduism. He was initially nervous, bowed to Saraswati, the
Hindu goddess of learning and began his speech with, "Sisters and
brothers of America!". To these words he got a standing ovation from a
crowd of seven thousand, which lasted for two minutes. When silence
was restored he began his address. He greeted the youngest of the
nations on behalf of "the most ancient order of monks in the world,
the Vedic order of sannyasins, a religion which has taught the world
both tolerance and universal acceptance." He quoted two illustrative
passages from the Shiva mahimna stotram—"As the different streams
having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the
sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take, through different
tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead
to Thee!" and "Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach
him; all men are struggling through paths that in the end lead to
Me."Despite being a short speech, it voiced the spirit of the
Parliament and its sense of universality.

Dr. Barrows, the president of the Parliament said, "India, the Mother
of religions was represented by Swami Vivekananda, the Orange-monk who
exercised the most wonderful influence over his auditors."[88] He
attracted widespread attention in the press, which dubbed him as the
"Cyclonic monk from India". The New York Critique wrote, "He is an
orator by divine right, and his strong, intelligent face in its
picturesque setting of yellow and orange was hardly less interesting
than those earnest words, and the rich, rhythmical utterance he gave
them." The New York Herald wrote, "Vivekananda is undoubtedly the
greatest figure in the Parliament of Religions. After hearing him we
feel how foolish it is to send missionaries to this learned nation."
The American newspapers reported Vivekananda as "the greatest figure
in the parliament of religions" and "the most popular and influential
man in the parliament". The Boston Evening Transcript reported that
Vivekananda was "a great favourite at the parliament…if he merely
crosses the platform, he is applauded".He spoke several more times at
the Parliament on topics related to Hinduism, Buddhism and harmony of
religions. The parliament ended on 27 September 1893. All his speeches
at the Parliament had the common theme of universality, and emphasised
religious tolerance.

Lecturing tours in America and England

"I do not come", said Swamiji on one occasion in America, "to convert
you to a new belief. I want you to keep your own belief; I want to
make the Methodist a better Methodist; the Presbyterian a better
Presbyterian; the Unitarian a better Unitarian. I want to teach you to
live the truth, to reveal the light within your own soul."

Following the Parliament of Religions, Vivekananda spent nearly two
years lecturing in various parts of eastern and central United States,
mostly in Chicago, Detroit, Boston, and New York. He founded the
"Vedanta Society of New York" in 1894. By the spring of 1895, his busy
and tiring schedule led to poor health. He stopped lecturing tours,
and started giving free and private classes on Vedanta and Yoga.
Starting in June 1895, he conducted private lectures to a dozen of his
disciples at the Thousand Island Park in New York for two months.

During his first visit to the West, he travelled to England twice—in
1895 and 1896. His lectures were successful there.There in November
1895, he met Margaret Elizabeth Noble, an Irish lady, who would later
become Sister Nivedita. During his second visit to England in May
1896, Vivekananda met Max Müller, a noted Indologist from Oxford
University who wrote Ramakrishna's first biography in the West. From
England, he also visited other European countries. In Germany he met
Paul Deussen, another Indologist. Vivekananda was offered academic
positions in two American universities—one for the chair of Eastern
Philosophy at Harvard University and another similar position at
Columbia University—which he declined since such duties would conflict
with his commitment as a monk.

Vivekananda attracted several followers and admirers in the US and
Europe, such as Josephine MacLeod, William James, Josiah Royce, Robert
G. Ingersoll, Nikola Tesla, Lord Kelvin, Harriet Monroe, Ella Wheeler
Wilcox, Sarah Bernhardt, Emma Calvé, and Professor Hermann Ludwig
Ferdinand von Helmholtz. He initiated several followers into his
mission; Marie Louise, a French woman, became Swami Abhayananda, and
Mr. Leon Landsberg, became Swami Kripananda.

From West, Vivekananda also set his work back in India in motion. He
was in regular correspondence with his followers and brother
monks,offering advice and monetary funds. His letters in this period
reflect motives of his campaign for social service, and often
contained strong words.[104] He wrote to Swami Akhandananda, "Go from
door to door amongst the poor and lower classes of the town of Khetri
and teach them religion. Also, let them have oral lessons on geography
and such other subjects. No good will come of sitting idle and having
princely dishes, and saying "Ramakrishna, O Lord!"—unless you can do
some good to the poor." Eventually in 1895, money sent by Vivekananda
was used to start the periodical Brahmavadin, for the purpose of
teaching the Vedanta. Later, Vivekananda's translation of first six
chapters of The Imitation of Christ was published in Brahmavadin
(1889). Vivekananda left for India on 16 December 1896 from England
with his disciples, Captain and Mrs. Sevier, and J.J. Goodwin. On the
way they visited France and Italy, and set sail for India from the
Port of Naples on 30 December 1896. He was later followed to India by
Sister Nivedita. Nivedita devoted the rest of her life to the
education of Indian women and the cause of India's independence.

Back in India (1897–1899)

A group photo of Swami Vivekananda and his disciples.

Vivekananda at Chennai 1897

Colombo to Almora

The ship from Europe arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 15 January 1897.
Vivekananda received an ecstatic welcome. In Colombo, he gave what
constitutes his first public speech in the East, India, the Holy Land.
From there on, his journey to Calcutta was a triumphal progress. He
travelled from Colombo to Pamban, Rameshwaram, Ramnad, Madurai,
Kumbakonam and Madras delivering lectures. People and Rajas gave him
enthusiastic reception. During his train journeys, people often
squatted on the rails to enforce stopping of the train to hear
him.From Madras, he continued his journey to Calcutta and then to
Almora. While in the West he talked of India's great spiritual
heritage; on return to India he repeatedly addressed social
issues—uplift of the population, getting rid of the caste system,
promotion of science, industrialisation of the country, addressing the
widespread poverty, and the end of the colonial rule. These lectures,
published as Lectures from Colombo to Almora, show his nationalistic
fervour and spiritual ideology.His speeches had influence on the
contemporaneous and subsequent Indian leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi,
Bipin Chandra Pal, Balgangadhar Tilak and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Founding of the Ramakrishna Mission

On 1 May 1897 at Calcutta, Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna
Mission—the organ for social service. The ideals of the Ramakrishna
Mission are based on Karma Yoga. Its governing body consists of the
trustees of the Ramakrishna Math—the organ to carry out religious
works.Both Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission have their
headquarters at Belur Math.He founded two other monasteries—one at
Mayavati on the Himalayas, near Almora, called the Advaita Ashrama and
another at Madras. Two journals were started, Prabuddha Bharata in
English and Udbhodan in Bengali.The same year, the famine relief work
was started by Swami Akhandananda at Murshidabad district.

Vivekananda had earlier inspired Jamsetji Tata to set up a research
and educational institution when they had travelled together from
Yokohama to Chicago on Vivekananda's first visit to the West in 1893.
Now Tata requested him to head the Research Institute of Science that
Tata had established; he declined the offer citing conflict with his
"spiritual interests".Vivekananda visited Punjab where he tried to
mediate ideological conflict between Arya Samaj (a reformist movement
of Hinduism) and Sanatans (orthodox Hindus).After brief visits to
Lahore, Delhi and Khetri, he returned to Calcutta in January 1896. He
consolidated the works of math and trained disciples over the next
several months. He composed Khandana Bhava Bandhana, a prayer song
dedicated to Ramakrishna in 1898.

Swami Vivekananda– the photo was taken in Bushnell Studio in San
Francisco, 1900. Black and white image of Belur Math

The Swami Vivekananda temple at Belur Math, on the place where he was cremated.

Vivekananda left for the West for the second time in June 1899 despite
his declining health. He was accompanied by Sister Nivedita and Swami
Turiyananda. He spent a short time in England, and went on to the
United States. During this visit, he established the Vedanta societies
at San Francisco and New York. He also founded "Shanti Ashrama" (peace
retreat) at California.He attended the Congress of Religions in Paris
in 1900. From the US, he went to Paris. His lectures in Paris dwelt on
worship of Linga and authenticity of the Gita.From Paris he visited
Brittany, Vienna, Istanbul, Athens and Egypt. The French philosopher
Jules Bois was his host for most of this period. He returned to
Calcutta on 9 December 1900.

Following a brief visit to Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati, he settled at
Belur Math from where he continued to coordinate the works of
Ramakrishna Mission and Math, and also the works in England and
America. Many visitors came to him in these days, including royalties
and politicians. He was unable to join the Congress of Religions in
1901 in Japan due to deteriorating health. He, however, went for
pilgrimages to Bodhgaya and Varanasi.[129] Declining health and
ailments such as asthma, diabetes and chronic insomnia restricted his
activities.

Death

On 4 July 1902, the day of his death, Vivekananda woke up very early
in the morning, went to chapel and meditated for three hours. He
taught Shukla-Yajur-Veda, Sanskrit grammar, and yoga philosophy to
pupils in the morning at Belur Math. He discussed with colleagues a
plan to start a Vedic college in the Ramakrishna Math, and carried out
usual conversation. At seven p.m. he went into his room and asked not
to be disturbed.Vivekananda died at ten minutes past nine p.m. while
he was meditating. According to his disciples, Vivekananda attained
Mahasamadhi. Rupture of blood vessels in the brain was reported as a
possible cause of the death. His disciples believed that rupture was
on account of Brahmarandhra —the aperture in the crown of the head
—being pierced when he attained Mahasamadhi. Vivekananda had fulfilled
his own prophecy of not living to be forty years old.He was cremated
on sandalwood funeral pyre on the bank of Ganga in Belur. On the other
bank of the river, Ramakrishna had been cremated sixteen years before.

Vivekananda believed a country's future depends on its people; his
teachings focused on the development of the mass.He wanted "to set in
motion a machinery which will bring noblest ideas to the doorstep of
even the poorest and the meanest." Vivekananda believed that the
essence of Hinduism was best expressed in the Vedanta philosophy,
based on the interpretation of Adi Shankara. He summarised the
Vedanta's teachings as follows:

"Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this
Divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal.

Vivekananda linked morality with the control of mind. He saw truth,
purity and unselfishness as traits which strengthened the mind.He
advised his followers to be holy, unselfish and have Shraddha (faith).
He supported practice of Brahmacharya (celibacy), and believed that
such practice was the source of his physical and mental stamina, as
well as eloquence. Vivekananda emphasized that success was an outcome
of focused thought and action. In his lectures on Raja Yoga, he said,
"Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it, dream
of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part
of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea
alone. This is the way to success, that is way great spiritual giants
are produced."

Vivekananda revitalised Hinduism within and outside India. He was the
principal reason behind the enthusiastic reception of yoga,
transcendental meditation and other forms of Indian spiritual
self-improvement in the West. Professor Agehananda Bharati explained
that, "…modern Hindus derive their knowledge of Hinduism from
Vivekananda, directly or indirectly."Vivekananda espoused the idea
that all sects within Hinduism and, indeed, all religions, are
different paths to the same goal. This view, however, has been
criticised for oversimplification of Hinduism.

In the background of germinating nationalism in the British-ruled
India, Vivekananda crystallised the nationalistic ideal. In the words
of the social reformer Charles Freer Andrews, "The Swami's intrepid
patriotism gave a new colour to the national movement throughout
India. More than any other single individual of that period
Vivekananda had made his contribution to the new awakening of
India."Vivekananda drew the attention towards the prevalence of
poverty in the country, and maintained that addressing such poverty
was prerequisite for the national awakening.His nationalistic thoughts
influenced scores of Indian thinkers and leaders. Sri Aurobindo
regarded Vivekananda as the one who awakened India spiritually. Gandhi
counted him among the few Hindu reformers "who have maintained this
Hindu religion in a state of splendor by cutting down the dead wood of
tradition."

The first governor general of independent India, Chakravarti
Rajagopalachari, said "Vivekananda saved Hinduism, saved India."
According to Subhas Chandra Bose, a major proponent of armed struggle
for Indian independence, Vivekananda was "the maker of modern India";
for Mahatma Gandhi, Vivekananda's influence increased his "love for
his country a thousandfold." Vivekananda influenced India's
independence movement;his writings inspired a whole generation of
freedom fighters such as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Aurobindo Ghose,
Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bagha Jatin. Many years after Vivekananda's
death, Rabindranath Tagore told French Nobel Laureate Romain Rolland,
"If you want to know India, study Vivekananda. In him everything is
positive and nothing negative." Rolland himself wrote that "His words
are great music, phrases in the style of Beethoven, stirring rhythms
like the march of Händel choruses. I cannot touch these sayings of
his, scattered as they are through the pages of books, at thirty
years' distance, without receiving a thrill through my body like an
electric shock. And what shocks, what transports, must have been
produced when in burning words they issued from the lips of the hero!"

Jamsetji Tata was influenced by Vivekananda to establish the Indian
Institute of Science—one of India's best known research universities.
Abroad, Vivekananda had interactions with Max Müller. Scientist Nikola
Tesla was one of those influenced by the Vedic philosophy teachings of
Vivekananda. On 11 November 1995, a section of Michigan Avenue, a
major thoroughfare in downtown Chicago, was renamed "Swami Vivekananda
Way". National Youth Day in India is observed on his birthday, 12
January. He is projected as a role model for youth by the Indian
government as well as non-government organisations and personalities.
In September 2010, India's Finance Ministry highlighted the relevance
of teachings and values of Vivekananda in the modern competitive
environment. The Union Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, approved in
principle the "Swami Vivekananda Values Education Project" at the cost
of INR100 crore (US$18.2 million) with the objectives such as
involving the youth through competitions, essays, discussions and
study circles and publishing Vivekananda's complete work in different
languages. In 2011, West Bengal Police Training College was renamed as
"Swami Vivekananda State Police Academy, West Bengal".




:-Sincerely
Wikkipeedia

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Oscar 2013: Life Of Pi gets 11 Oscar nods including Best Picture, Director and Song

Ang Lee's big screen dramatization of Yann Martel's Booker prize-winning Life Of Pi has received 11 Oscar nominations, including two biggies - Best Picture and Best Director.

Pi's Lullaby, with lyrics by Indian singer Bombay Jayashri, is up for Best Original Song. Mychael Danna's composition received a nomination for Best Original Score.

Life Of Pi is also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Production Design, Film Editing, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and, not surprisingly, Visual Effects. 

The film, starring Suraj Sharma and Irrfan Khan, received no nominations in any of the acting categories.

Life Of Pi has also been nominated for three Golden Globes.


Occar 2013 :Complete list of 85th Annual Academy Award nominations

Complete list of 85th Annual Academy Award nominations announced Thursday: 

Best Picture:

Amour
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight

Best Actress

Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Quvenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Naomi Watts, The Impossible

Best Supporting Actor

Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Alan Arkin, Argo
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables 
Helen Hunt, The Sessions 
Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook

Best Director:

Michael Haneke, Amour Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Foreign Language Film:

Amour, Austria
Kon-Tiki, Norway
No, Chile A Royal Affair, Denmark; 
War Witch, Canada

Best Adapted Screenplay

Chris Terrio, Argo
Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
David Magee, Life of Pi
Tony Kushner, Lincoln
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

Best Original Screenplay:

Michael Haneke, Amour
Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
John Gatins, Flight
Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, Moonrise Kingdom
Mark Boal, Zero Dark Thirty

Best Animated Feature Film:

Brave
Frankenweenie
ParaNorman
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Wreck-It Ralph

Best Production Design

Anna Karenina
,
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln

Best Cinematography:

Anna Karenina

Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Skyfall

Best Sound Mixing

Argo
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Skyfall

Best Sound Editing:

Argo
Django Unchained 
Life of Pi 
Skyfall
Zero Dark Thirty

Best Original Score

Anna Karenina, Dario Marianelli
Argo, Alexandre Desplat
Life of Pi, Mychael Danna
Lincoln, John Williams
Skyfall, Thomas Newman.

Best Original Song

Before My Time from Chasing Ice, J. Ralph
Everybody Needs a Best Friend from Ted, Walter Murphy and Seth MacFarlane 
Pi's Lullaby from Life of Pi, Mychael Danna and Bombay Jayashri 
Skyfall from Skyfall, Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth
Suddenly from Les Miserables, Claude-Michel Schonberg, Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil

Best Costume

Anna Karenina
Les Miserables
Lincoln
Mirror Mirror
Snow White and the Huntsman

Best Documentary Feature

5 Broken Cameras
The Gatekeepers
How to Survive a Plague
The Invisible War
Searching for Sugar Man

Best Documentary (short subject)

Inocente

Kings Point
Mondays at Racine
Open Heart
Redemption

Best Film Editing

Argo
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Hitchcock
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Les Miserables

Best Animated Short Film:

Adam and Dog
Fresh Guacamole
Head over Heels
Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare
Paperman

Best Live Action Short Film

Asad
Buzkashi Boys
Curfew
Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw)
Henry

Best Visual Effects

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Life of Pi
Marvel's The Avengers
Prometheus
Snow White and the Huntsman

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