If you have more like Ajit Jain, send them over to me: Warren Buffet to India PM

NEW DELHI: Warren Buffett preferred to play second fiddle to his associate Ajit Jain when the duo called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday.

"Shareholders in my company have more faith in him than in me. I am just a name," the Oracle from Omaha told the PM. "If you have more like him send them over to me," Buffet said. The 10-minute interaction also brought out Buffet's faith in IITs as centres of excellence. "In 1991, I asked Bill Gates which institution I should recruit from. He suggested IIT, and he was right," he told the Prime Minister.

Buffet who was bullish on economies of India and the US also interacted with a group of MPs. In the hour-long interaction, the investment wizard refrained from proffering any advice on what India should do. He, however, expressed his admiration for the emphasis of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and PM on inclusive growth.

He agreed with Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh that US had turned insular at a time when India and China were looking outward, but said that it was because of the crisis in the US economy. Asked whether financial liberalization was responsible for the economic crisis in the US, Buffet blamed what he called "mass delusion for house ownership". But while he said that another crisis could not be ruled out, the Wizard of Omaha was confident that the American economy would get out of its current woes shortly.
Replying to a question from BJP MP Chandan Mitra about corporate corruption, Buffet said that the USA was built on corporate corruption. But there was a clean up and regulation was brought in, he said. The iconic investment guru, however, stressed that he was not defending corporate corruption, but only suggesting that things needed to be viewed in a perspective.

L C Jain''s family declines Padma Vibhushan

New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) The family of noted Gandhian L C Jain has declined to accept the Padma Vibhushan, the country's second highest civilian honour for which he was chosen posthumously. Jain, known as a fierce opponent of "overwhelming" state control, was selected for the coveted award this year posthumously. Sources said Jain's family members and several NGOs said the late Gandhian was against accepting state honours. Jain, a recipient of the Magsaysay Award, breathed his last on November 14 last year at the age of 85. President Pratibha Patil gave away 61 Padma awards at a function at Rashtrapati Bhawan this evening. Another investiture ceremony is scheduled to be held on April 1 to honour the remaining 66 awardees. This year the President has approved 128 awards.

M P Veerendra Kumar Wins Sahitya Academy Award

M P Veerendra Kumar Wins Sahitya Academy Award

M P Veerendra Kumar, the famous writer, publisher and politician have won the prestigious Sahitya Academy award for his travelogue in Malayalam.

Read more about M P Veerendra Kumar at Famous Jains blog at:

http://famousjains.blogspot.com/2008/02/mp-veerendra-kumar.html

-Mahavir Sanglikar

Sangeet Ratna Award to Harsshit Abhiraj

Famous Music Composer Harsshit Abhiraj was felicitated by All India Marathi Sahitya Parishad by conferring Mahatma Phule Sangeet Ratna Award on him.Renowned Dalit writer Ratanlal Sonagra and Social Worker Vijay Kolate presented the award.

Harsshit is a Jain by birth and deeds. To know more about Harsshit Abhiraj and his work, please visit: http://famousjains.blogspot.com/

Ordinary people and their lives inspire filmmaker Sona Jain

How in the world did you manage to make a movie like this? You’re not even married,” writer-director Vishal Bhardwaj had said after the screening of my film, For Real,” says 34-year-old filmmaker Sona Jain. “I am single and yet managed to decode the life of a married couple. I guess it’s because I wrote it from a child’s point of view,” she adds. The film, which took nine years to complete, is what Jain describes as a “side-effect of her years in New York as a film student”.

If she managed to capture the layers marriages and relationships contain, Jain says it’s because she is a people watcher. “I love to meet and interact with people. The beauty of life lies in the dynamics of human interaction,” says Jain, having already garnered critical acclaim at various international festivals for her film. Seen from the eyes of a six-year-old, For Real is an entertaining yet moving take on everything that is going around her. Revolving around the lives of a busy workaholic father and a mother who has lost her sense of being, For Real is a movie that zooms into the lives of real people. “These writings are my take on relationships. An artist never gives up the child in her,” she says. “For Real happened when I got homesick and started writing stories about Delhi and of this little girl. When you are writing without any agenda, magical things may happen.”

Vineet Jain Becomes PTI Chairman

The Board of Directors of Press Trust of India (PTI), the premier news agency of the country, has elected Vineet Jain as the new Chairman. The announcement was made at the 62nd annual general meeting of the PTI shareholders held at New Delhi. Jain succeeds Vijay Kumar Chopra, Editor of the Punjab Kesari Group.

Jain is the Managing Director of The Times of India (TOI) Group. Prior to being announced the Chairman Jain held the position of Vice Chairman in the PTI Board. Under his leadership the TOI Group has witnessed phenomenal growth in the print sector and expansion to the newer ventures in online, radio and television service. This is Jain’s second stint as the Chairman to PTI board, earlier he served as the PTI Chairman in 2002-2003.

Simultaneously M.P. Veerendrakumar, Chairman and Managing Director of the Mathrubhumi Group has been named as the Vice Chairman for the year. He is former Member of Parliament and Union Minister as well as served as President of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS).

Other members on the board of PTI are are Vijay Kumar Chopra (Hind Samachar), N. Ravi (The Hindu), R. Lakshmipathy (Dinamalar), Aveek Kumar Sarkar (Ananda Bazar Patrika), Shekhar Gupta (Indian Express), K.N. Shanth Kumar (Deccan Herald), Mahendra Mohan Gupta (Jagran Prakashan), Hormusji N. Cama (Bombay Samachar), Riyad Mathew (Malayala Manorama) and Sanjoy Narayan (Hindustan Times). The Directors from outside the newspaper industry are Professor E.V. Chitnis, Justice S.P. Bharucha and Fali S. Nariman.

Prominent Jains to be listed | Suggest Persons

Prominent Jains to be listed Suggest Persons

Jain Friends, the renowned social organization is going to publish short biographies of major Jain personalities. The list includes Jains from various fields of life who have done some extra ordinary work.

The biographies of selected Jains will be published on a specially created website. The website will be search engine friendly and will be listed in all major search engines including Google, Yahoo and MSN. Anybody from any corner of the world will find information, photographs and contact details of any person listed on the website through search engines.

Although we have collected lot of information, we herewith request you to suggest some Jain persons for inclusion. There is no restriction in which fields they are working, the only eligibility is that they are doing or have done some great or different work.

Required details:

Name of the person
Date of Birth and Birth Place
Educational Qualification (Please write in which school and university he/she studied)
Family Background
Occupation
Achievements in detail
Awards won
Institutions and organizations in which he/ she is an office-bearer
Hobbies and Interests
Two different close up photographs
Full Contact Details (Complete Postal Address with PIN/ ZIP code; Phone, Cell Phone and Fax Numbers, Email address, Website Name and URL if any)

Please write us at: jainway@gmail.com

If you want to send any printed material, please send it to: (NO Curriers, only by Registered/ Speed Post or in person)

Jain Friends (PJ)
Post Box No. 58
Jagannath Complex, 199 Mumbai-Pune Rd
Chinchwad East, Pune 411019
MH India

Please feel free to ask any question regarding this project.

Sincerely Yours,

-Mahavir Sanglikar
Cell Phones: 91 927 309 3122, 91 962 372 5249

Please note:
Some of the categories under which the Prominent Jains will be listed: (This is not complete list. Each category has many subcategories)

Education: Vice-Chancellors, Professors, Speakers
Animal Rights and Vegetarianism
Artists:


Entertainment: Actors and actresses, Music Composers, Musicians, Directors, Producers, Singers, Dancers, Mimicry artists, Magicians, Stage Performers etc.
Social Activities: Social Workers, Social Organizers, Disaster Managers,
Government and Politics: Ministers, Members of Parliament, Members of Legislative Councils and Assemblies
Administration: IAS, IPS and other Government Officers
Science and Technology: Scientists and Researchers
Literature: Writers, Poets, Novelists
Media: Publishers, Editors, TV Journalists, Reporters
Jainism: Researchers, Indologists,
Sports: Sportspersons
Business and Industry: Business Persons, Industrialists, Entrepreneurs, CEOs
Any person who appears in media