SouthAsiaBiz: August 2006 Archives

Know More: India 2.0, India

India’s largest general insurance company, New India Assurance(NIA), has taken a new approach to increase the sales of its health insurance. The company will create policies based on the income levels of Indian people. The groups would be divided in urban, semi-urban, and rural.

NIA is also trying to attract young people to buy health insurance. According to B.Chakrabarti, Chairman and Managing Director, New India Assurance, their company is trying to give incentives to younger people to buy medical insurance.

Among various insurance policies offered by NIA, motor insurance occupies the top position in terms of sales. Health insurance is at a lower position. However, the claim ratio of health insurance is more than hundred percent and most of the buyers are old people. For the last three years, there has been a significant growth in the sales of health insurance.

While browsing the net, I found this survey conducted by NDTV of India on health insurance. The survey was conducted on four hundred people and 93% of the respondents considered health insurance as a compulsory. In addition, 86% respondents wanted to bring pregnancy under insurance coverage and 67% supported the idea of free insurance for poor people. In the face of the rising medical expense in India, people are considering to have health insurance.

Personally, I believe that health insurance is very much necessary. It does not matter if the person is young and fit. I live in Bangladesh and it may be known as a poor and underdeveloped country but the cost of medical treatment is very high over here and it is the poor people who suffer most for higher cost. Health insurance is a must for people whether rich or poor, urban or rural. In this regard, the new initiative of NIA deserves praise as it is trying to include the lower income group.

Related article:

Times of India

Posted at 9:51 AM | Permalink | Comments

What is definition of poverty? An income of less than $1 a day? I think this definition is stated most of the times in the media. These days, we often talk about the rising economies of China and India.... Continue Reading

Posted at 5:47 AM | Permalink | Comments

Despite record production this year, India is going to face a shortage of tea. The shortage is amounted to 27 million kilograms. Last year, the shortage was 23 million kilograms. The officials of Indian Tea Association said that they will... Continue Reading

Posted at 1:38 PM | Permalink | Comments

The Nepalese government has published a report on the assets of the Royal family. King Gyanendra and his kin owned seventeen big companies in Nepal. Among these industries there are five star hotels, biscuit company, power supplying company and tobacco... Continue Reading

Posted at 4:51 AM | Permalink | Comments

Flood is a major catastrophe in all the South Asian countries. During the time of monsoon rain, these countries become the victim of flood. Nepal is a small country situated on the southern side of the great Himalayas. The country... Continue Reading

Posted at 1:20 PM | Permalink | Comments

If any body is told to name the top ten cola producers in the world then there is a 100% probability that the name “Coca-Cola” would come up first. Served in more than 200 countries, definitely it is the most... Continue Reading

Posted at 8:46 AM | Permalink | Comments

It seems that flood has become a major cause of concern for Nepal. Flood and landslide has caused the loss of lives as well as many people are missing . On the other hand, people in Bangladesh are praying... Continue Reading

Posted at 3:51 PM | Permalink | Comments

Child labor is a major problem in South Asian countries. According to the report of International labor Organization, there are 21.6 million child workers between the age of five and fourteen in South Asian countries. The main reasons behind child... Continue Reading

Posted at 3:38 AM | Permalink | Comments

Compared to China, India and Bangladesh, Pakistan is earning less foreign currency by exporting textiles to USA and Europe. According to the report published in fibre2fashion, a UNDP report titled “Asia-Pacific Development Report 2006” says that Pakistan is getting $5.38... Continue Reading

Posted at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments

Are you an Indian? Are you good looking? Do you have athletic physique? Ever thought of getting into modeling? Well, you may or may not succeed but if you have all the above mentioned qualities, then at least you should... Continue Reading

Posted at 2:51 AM | Permalink | Comments

Showbiz stars are an integral part of modern business. Big companies around the world try to get the endorsement of the celebrities. Nepal is not an exception either. Nepalese businessmen care to attract the consumers by hiring celebrities. There is... Continue Reading

Posted at 1:10 PM | Permalink | Comments

Is it really possible? Well, I always knew that tea was better than coffee for health. In fact, many people in Asia believe that drinking tea can help you to fight with cancer. And now European researchers are saying that... Continue Reading

Posted at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments

Rivers are very important for any country. They play important roles in communication, transportation, agriculture, and economy. In many countries, dams are built across rivers to produce hydro electricity. On the contrary, rivers also cause flood which destroys houses and... Continue Reading

Posted at 5:21 AM | Permalink | Comments

Indian private radio centers are now facing a shortage of skilled radio professionals. Within the next few years, more than three hundred FM radio stations will open up. I am quoting from the report published in monsters and critics.com: ... Continue Reading

Posted at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments

I guess almost every week, I receive emails from Nigerian scammers who promise me to transfer $10 million for nothing. Everyone knows about this scam and no one believes them. Well, you know that there some exceptional people in every... Continue Reading

Posted at 5:41 PM | Permalink | Comments

For the first time, Nepal has agreed to give transit to India and China. Nepal is situated on the border of India and China. Officials of Nepal and India are going to attend meeting on August 24th and 25th in... Continue Reading

Posted at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments

World’s tallest Buddha statues Buddhism is one of the oldest religions of the world. Originated in Asia, in 563 BCE, this religion has a follower of around 1.6 billion. In countries like China, Japan, Korea, Bhutan, Thailand, Cambodia, Mongolia, Burma,... Continue Reading

Posted at 7:55 AM | Permalink | Comments

It is very sad news. 5 persons in Indian state of Assam have been killed after some people thought that they were witches and caused evil to the people. Well, it is not an isolated incident at all. In fact,... Continue Reading

Posted at 3:40 AM | Permalink | Comments

(I like group writing projects and in the past I have I have noticed that participating in any group writing project can increase exposure in the blogosphere. I am writing this entry as a part of AW Blogchain: #5.) ... Continue Reading

Posted at 4:41 AM | Permalink | Comments

Within two days of the announcement, the government of Nepal has decided to remove the newly imposed prices on various oil products as it caused serious political unrest around the country. On Saturday, Nepal government has decided to raise the... Continue Reading

Posted at 3:16 PM | Permalink | Comments

It seems that China is now really very serious to expand its economic activities with the Asian countries. It has already worked on improving trade ties with India. Now, it is trying to start transit trade with Pakistan, Kyrgizstan and... Continue Reading

Posted at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

If you are a Hindi movie lover like me then the title would remind you of a Hindi movie based on racism in West. Now, you would assume that I am going to talk about racism; WRONG ANSWER!! Racism is... Continue Reading

Posted at 2:33 PM | Permalink | Comments

Few days ago, I have written about Japan canceling debts of Nepal. However, it could not escape India’s debt. Due to Nepal’s huge debt to Indian Oil Corporation, and loss of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), the government of Nepal has... Continue Reading

Posted at 8:16 AM | Permalink | Comments

Lord Buddha, founder of one of the most respected religions in the world (Buddhism), is a respected name in the whole world. Many people from other religion both in the East and the West admire him. Since Nepal was the... Continue Reading

Posted at 3:38 AM | Permalink | Comments

When it comes to tariff on imported products China does not have good image in the world economy. Both rich and poor countries are all the time complaining against Chinese policy about this matter. It seems that Chinese government has... Continue Reading

Posted at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

As a professional blogger, I browse Internet a lot everyday. So, I read the writings of many writers. I admire Bhaswati Ghosh (an Indian freelance writer and blogger) mainly because of her writing skill. She makes writing look so easy.... Continue Reading

Posted at 7:08 AM | Permalink | Comments

This story is really a tragic story. 741 inhabitants of Hulhudheli islander of Maldives are now totally frustrated and have started an all out general strike out of desperation. They are in a desperate mood because for 15 years they... Continue Reading

Posted at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

Here are links to some of the news items related to South Asia: IJM Corp likely to clinch Pakistan highway job Nepal endorses Biotechnology Policy Japan ups tea imports from Sri Lanka After China, Ericsson Moves Into Indonesia and... Continue Reading

Posted at 2:33 PM | Permalink | Comments

This is what everybody calls a real fan. A woman flew all the way to Mumbai to return the umbrella of Abhishek Bachchan, a top actor of Bollywood. I am quoting from the report published in Reuters: “The fan,... Continue Reading

Posted at 6:01 AM | Permalink | Comments

I am writing this entry as a part of ‘Lists’ Group Writing Project at ProBlogger of Darren Rowse. Needless to say that I like this project and I have participated in the two previous projects. Both of them helped me to... Continue Reading

Posted at 5:17 AM | Permalink | Comments

E-commerce was supposed to make our life easy. However, I am going to present you the most difficult way of carrying out e-commerce in the world. Just be patient and read the full story here and then you will discover... Continue Reading

Posted at 3:16 PM | Permalink | Comments

How would you feel if all your debts were cancelled? For poor countries, foreign debt is a big problem and often they cannot develop because of this. So, I felt very happy that Japan has cancelled $23.91 million for Nepal.... Continue Reading

Posted at 1:56 PM | Permalink | Comments

Bhutan is officially a happy country and many people love to compare with Shangri-La. It seems that Bhutanese people do not want to remain happy anymore and they have realized that land has more value than happiness. So, many people... Continue Reading

Posted at 3:28 PM | Permalink | Comments

David Daniels is one of the bloggers that I respect very highly. Well, he is not actually a blogger but the Managing Director of a consulting company. He is interested about Asia and he helps western companies to do better... Continue Reading

Posted at 4:14 PM | Permalink | Comments

In the last couple of years, Indian television industry, like the film industry, has flourished a lot. Television has remained one of the major sources of information, education and entertainment in India for more than forty years. During the eighties,... Continue Reading

Posted at 1:42 PM | Permalink | Comments

In Bangladesh, tea is the most popular drink (far more popular than Coke, Pepsi and coffee). Thousand of ordinary people earn their livelihood by selling tea. In every part of Bangladesh, you can find a small tea stall beside the... Continue Reading

Posted at 7:21 AM | Permalink | Comments

Good news is always good. I just found a list of 100 top blogs about India. This list has been prepared according Technorati ranking. There are some great blogs in this list and I am happy that this blog (SouthAsiaBiz)... Continue Reading

Posted at 4:34 PM | Permalink | Comments

Bhutan is one of the happiest countries on earth. Its government gives more importance to Gross National Happiness than Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, the teachers are not happy as they do not have good condition. Bhutan is now seriously... Continue Reading

Posted at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments

Nepalese tea garden workers went on strike as their employers did not want to raise their wage. Nearly 25000 workers in the Eastern district of Ilam and Jhapa went on strike. This strike is a result of a series of... Continue Reading

Posted at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments

Bollywood, the Indian cinema industry is now considered to be the second biggest film industry in the world after Hollywood. Aishwarya Rai and Julia Roberts are the two top ranked actresses of Hollywood and Bollywood. In this entry, I... Continue Reading

Posted at 9:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

It's a fascinating real life story. A village in India has own website. If you live in the west then it is not a surprising story but if you have any idea about South Asian villages then you would surely... Continue Reading

Posted at 4:51 AM | Permalink | Comments

The increasing number of Nepalese pilots quitting their jobs inside the country has become a major headache for the Nepalese Government. In order to discourage the pilots from quitting their jobs, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has made a new... Continue Reading

Posted at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Comments

Shangri-la is a happy place that exists in fiction. However, in Nepal, Casino Shangri-la is going to be a place for the rich people to enjoy. In South Asia, casinos are not available in most of the places. Nepal is... Continue Reading

Posted at 9:40 AM | Permalink | Comments

Do you know about Gai Jatra (Procession of Cows)? I guess it is a unique festival in the world only held in Nepal. It is a very interesting festival in the sense it has both happy and sad aspects. On... Continue Reading

Posted at 3:56 PM | Permalink | Comments

I surely feel that this matter should be included in Ripley's Believe It or Not! In Bangladesh, now many families are engaged in making birds' nests. They mainly live Jessore, a district situated in South Western part of Bangladesh. They... Continue Reading

Posted at 8:44 AM | Permalink | Comments

Film festivals are supposed to be very happy and colorful occasions. Well, when it falls into the hand of a corrupt regime then it only becomes a source of corruption and mismanagement. Nepal's first national film festival took place on... Continue Reading

Posted at 4:15 PM | Permalink | Comments

Pakistan government has decided to levy tax on tickets that will be issued for international flights from Pakistan. The amount of this tax will be 15% of the total cost of the ticket. I am quoting from the report published... Continue Reading

Posted at 7:47 AM | Permalink | Comments

The rivalry between Coca cola and Pepsi is not only limited to the sales of soft drinks but also in bagging celebrities. In India, it has become a trend that big film stars and players are either signed up with... Continue Reading

Posted at 7:05 AM | Permalink | Comments

This strong show of support for Pepsi has come from Bollywood's top actor, Shahrukh Khan (SRK). SRK is unhappy that many people in India are now trying to ban Pepsi and Coke over the pesticide issue. This has really become... Continue Reading

Posted at 3:47 PM | Permalink | Comments

Companies always look for more sales for having more profit. This is the general rule and there is no exception. No company wants to sell less- do they. Well, sometimes exceptions happen. Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has found itself in... Continue Reading

Posted at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments

The rivalry between Pepsi and Coca cola reminded me of the great Indian epic, Mahavarata, where the two arch rivals- the Kauravs, and the Pandavas fought fiercely. If Mahavarata was written in this era then I think the writer would... Continue Reading

Posted at 2:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

Have you ever heard of a ghost parliament? Nepalese parliament was dissolved by King Gyanendra on May 22, 2002. So, this parliament died and became a ghost. Because of massive popular uprising, this ghost was reinstated on April of this... Continue Reading

Posted at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments

Since its inception, movie has remained one of the major sources of entertainment to the people all around the world. Today, people of all the countries watch movies and almost all the countries of the world have their own movie... Continue Reading

Posted at 2:23 PM | Permalink | Comments

When we studied Economics, we studied that supply of land is limited in this earth and that is why land is so valuable. The price of land is going up in all the countries all the time. There are so... Continue Reading

Posted at 7:55 AM | Permalink | Comments

The government of Pakistan has introduced a new law to decrease the import of used vehicles by Pakistani expatriates. The law will be called “Import of Vehicle Rules 2006.” I am quoting from the report published in the Peninsulaquatar: ... Continue Reading

Posted at 7:13 AM | Permalink | Comments

This is the next big battle. I can assure you that soon this battle is going to become very intense just like Coke vs Pepsi. It's basically the war between the rich world and poor world. India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh... Continue Reading

Posted at 5:29 PM | Permalink | Comments

For the last one week, I have written about traveling in the seven countries of South Asia. South Asia is a great place and if you have not come here, you must visit this place. Here, I have compiled all... Continue Reading

Posted at 3:23 PM | Permalink | Comments

The heavy monsoon rain has caused flood in the Eastern and Southern provinces of India. Mumbai, Chattishgarh, Andhrapradesh, Gujarat, Hyderabad, Maharashtra, Orissa, and many other areas in the eastern and western zone are severely damaged by this flood. ... Continue Reading

Posted at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments

Of course, blogging is great fun otherwise there would not be 50 million blogs in the world. Why blogging is fun? Different people will answer it differently. I think that 3 of the most common reasons for blogging are: 1.... Continue Reading

Posted at 8:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

Today, I am going to give fifteen reasons for traveling to India. Here is the first one: India is the seventh biggest country in the world in terms of land area. It is also the second most populous country and the... Continue Reading

Posted at 3:47 PM | Permalink | Comments

Bhutan has only a few thousand Internet users and many of them will not be able to afford this. I guess that it will become popular to the small offices who cannot afford a leased line. Continue Reading

Posted at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

The legendry rivalry between Coca-Cola and PepsiCo is now taking a new twist. The two giants have found themselves on the same side in a die hard battle that can have a long influence on the cola industry. In India,... Continue Reading

Posted at 8:23 AM | Permalink | Comments

Bangladesh is a small country with a land area of 55,598 sq miles. At present, it may be known as an underdeveloped country but it has a rich historical and cultural heritage. Bangladesh is also my homeland and today I... Continue Reading

Posted at 3:06 PM | Permalink | Comments

From today, I am going to post links of important and interesting news items and blog entries related to South Asia on a regular basis. In blogging, it is called as speed linking. I hope you enjoy it. If you... Continue Reading

Posted at 1:46 PM | Permalink | Comments

Good news is always good and if it is about Nepal then it is even better. Naturally, I was very happy to read that arrival of tourists on July 2006 has been 7.2% better than the same month of the... Continue Reading

Posted at 1:16 PM | Permalink | Comments

The word “Pakistan” means “Land of the Pure” in Urdu and Persian language. In this blog, Razib Ahmed wrote two articles about Pakistan tourism: Pakistani Government trying for Tourism and Pakistan: Some tourist attractions. For the last few days, I... Continue Reading

Posted at 3:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

Have you ever heard that a company gave advertisements for 80 well paid jobs and then failed to get the employees? This is unimaginable in this age as people are dying to get a job. In third world countries, often... Continue Reading

Posted at 2:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

Know More Media (KMM), one of the leading blog networks, announced just few hours ago that its network has passed 1 million unique visitors. Know More Media is a blog network dedicated to providing quality content on business topics and... Continue Reading

Posted at 9:05 AM | Permalink | Comments

Systems Applications and Products in Data Processing (SAP), one of the major software companies in Europe has declared their future investment plan in India. On Wednesday, the company’s chief executive, Henning Kagermann, told reporters that their company would be investing... Continue Reading

Posted at 5:34 AM | Permalink | Comments

Have you seen the movie Vertical Limit, where Peter Garrett, (Chris O’Donnell), a mountain climber, scales K2, the second highest mountain of the world to save his sister? Mountains have always been feared and respected by human beings. In Greek... Continue Reading

Posted at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

Sri Lanka is a small island situated on the south of India. Like every other South Asian countries, Sri Lanka too has something to offer to the travelers. A country with a land area of 25,332 square miles, Sri Lanka... Continue Reading

Posted at 3:01 AM | Permalink | Comments

The strong demand in India and China is raising the price of natural rubber too much. In fact, in 2005, these countries consumed 20% of global natural rubber production and they want even more. Continue Reading

Posted at 2:45 AM | Permalink | Comments

I know, I know. It i

Aug31	Insurance in India: Now for the lower income group Mehdi Hassan August 31, 2006 Know More: India 2.0, India India’s largest general insurance company, New India Assurance(NIA), has taken a new approach to increase the sales of its health insurance. The company will create policies based on the income levels of Indian people. The groups would be divided in urban, semi-urban, and rural. NIA is also trying to attract young people to buy health insurance. According to B.Chakrabarti, Chairman and Managing Director, New India Assurance, their company is trying to give incentives to younger people to buy medical insurance. Among various insurance policies offered by NIA, motor insurance occupies the top position in terms of sales. Health insurance is at a lower position. However, the claim ratio of health insurance is more than hundred percent and most of the buyers are old people. For the last three years, there has been a significant growth in the sales of health insurance. While browsing the net, I found this survey conducted by NDTV of India on health insurance. The survey was conducted on four hundred people and 93% of the respondents considered health insurance as a compulsory. In addition, 86% respondents wanted to bring pregnancy under insurance coverage and 67% supported the idea of free insurance for poor people. In the face of the rising medical expense in India, people are considering to have health insurance. Personally, I believe that health insurance is very much necessary. It does not matter if the person is young and fit. I live in Bangladesh and it may be known as a poor and underdeveloped country but the cost of medical treatment is very high over here and it is the poor people who suffer most for higher cost. Health insurance is a must for people whether rich or poor, urban or rural. In this regard, the new initiative of NIA deserves praise as it is trying to include the lower income group. Related article: Times of India Posted at 9:51 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug30	If Poverty= $2 a day: 2 Billion Poor People in Asia Razib Ahmed August 30, 2006 What is definition of poverty? An income of less than $1 a day? I think this definition is stated most of the times in the media. These days, we often talk about the rising economies of China and India.... Continue Reading Posted at 5:47 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug29	India will face shortage of Tea Mehdi Hassan August 29, 2006 Despite record production this year, India is going to face a shortage of tea. The shortage is amounted to 27 million kilograms. Last year, the shortage was 23 million kilograms. The officials of Indian Tea Association said that they will... Continue Reading Posted at 1:38 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Nepalese Government discloses Gyanendra’s assets Mehdi Hassan August 29, 2006 The Nepalese government has published a report on the assets of the Royal family. King Gyanendra and his kin owned seventeen big companies in Nepal. Among these industries there are five star hotels, biscuit company, power supplying company and tobacco... Continue Reading Posted at 4:51 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug28	Monsoon flood hits Western Nepal Mehdi Hassan August 28, 2006 Flood is a major catastrophe in all the South Asian countries. During the time of monsoon rain, these countries become the victim of flood. Nepal is a small country situated on the southern side of the great Himalayas. The country... Continue Reading Posted at 1:20 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Nine accusations against Coca-Cola Mehdi Hassan August 28, 2006 If any body is told to name the top ten cola producers in the world then there is a 100% probability that the name “Coca-Cola” would come up first. Served in more than 200 countries, definitely it is the most... Continue Reading Posted at 8:46 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug27	South Asia on 27 August 2006 Razib Ahmed August 27, 2006 It seems that flood has become a major cause of concern for Nepal. Flood and landslide has caused the loss of lives as well as many people are missing . On the other hand, people in Bangladesh are praying... Continue Reading Posted at 3:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Child labor: The unspoken problem of Maldives Mehdi Hassan August 27, 2006 Child labor is a major problem in South Asian countries. According to the report of International labor Organization, there are 21.6 million child workers between the age of five and fourteen in South Asian countries. The main reasons behind child... Continue Reading Posted at 3:38 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug26	Pakistan earning less exporting textiles to USA and Europe Mehdi Hassan August 26, 2006 Compared to China, India and Bangladesh, Pakistan is earning less foreign currency by exporting textiles to USA and Europe. According to the report published in fibre2fashion, a UNDP report titled “Asia-Pacific Development Report 2006” says that Pakistan is getting $5.38... Continue Reading Posted at 10:02 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	India's top Male Super Models Mehdi Hassan August 26, 2006 Are you an Indian? Are you good looking? Do you have athletic physique? Ever thought of getting into modeling? Well, you may or may not succeed but if you have all the above mentioned qualities, then at least you should... Continue Reading Posted at 2:51 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug25	Nepalese Companies need Foreign Celebrities to Shine? Razib Ahmed August 25, 2006 Showbiz stars are an integral part of modern business. Big companies around the world try to get the endorsement of the celebrities. Nepal is not an exception either. Nepalese businessmen care to attract the consumers by hiring celebrities. There is... Continue Reading Posted at 1:10 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug24	Tea is Better than Water for Health? Razib Ahmed August 24, 2006 Is it really possible? Well, I always knew that tea was better than coffee for health. In fact, many people in Asia believe that drinking tea can help you to fight with cancer. And now European researchers are saying that... Continue Reading Posted at 12:25 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Major Rivers of South Asia: Rivers that make or break Economies Mehdi Hassan August 24, 2006 Rivers are very important for any country. They play important roles in communication, transportation, agriculture, and economy. In many countries, dams are built across rivers to produce hydro electricity. On the contrary, rivers also cause flood which destroys houses and... Continue Reading Posted at 5:21 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug23	Shortage of skilled workers: Headache for Indian private Radio Stations Mehdi Hassan August 23, 2006 Indian private radio centers are now facing a shortage of skilled radio professionals. Within the next few years, more than three hundred FM radio stations will open up. I am quoting from the report published in monsters and critics.com: ... Continue Reading Posted at 10:01 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug22	Bhutan: 2 Greedy Men falling to the Nigerian E-mail Scam Razib Ahmed August 22, 2006 I guess almost every week, I receive emails from Nigerian scammers who promise me to transfer $10 million for nothing. Everyone knows about this scam and no one believes them. Well, you know that there some exceptional people in every... Continue Reading Posted at 5:41 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Nepal agrees to give transit route to India and China Mehdi Hassan August 22, 2006 For the first time, Nepal has agreed to give transit to India and China. Nepal is situated on the border of India and China. Officials of Nepal and India are going to attend meeting on August 24th and 25th in... Continue Reading Posted at 12:33 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	World’s tallest Buddha statues Mehdi Hassan August 22, 2006 World’s tallest Buddha statues Buddhism is one of the oldest religions of the world. Originated in Asia, in 563 BCE, this religion has a follower of around 1.6 billion. In countries like China, Japan, Korea, Bhutan, Thailand, Cambodia, Mongolia, Burma,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:55 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	India: 5 INNOCENT Persons killed in Witch Hunt Razib Ahmed August 22, 2006 It is very sad news. 5 persons in Indian state of Assam have been killed after some people thought that they were witches and caused evil to the people. Well, it is not an isolated incident at all. In fact,... Continue Reading Posted at 3:40 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug21	Rain: Blessing and Curse for Bangladeshi Economy Razib Ahmed August 21, 2006 (I like group writing projects and in the past I have I have noticed that participating in any group writing project can increase exposure in the blogosphere. I am writing this entry as a part of AW Blogchain: #5.) ... Continue Reading Posted at 4:41 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug20	India’s DEBT or People’s rage: Where will NepaI go? Mehdi Hassan August 20, 2006 Within two days of the announcement, the government of Nepal has decided to remove the newly imposed prices on various oil products as it caused serious political unrest around the country. On Saturday, Nepal government has decided to raise the... Continue Reading Posted at 3:16 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug19	Transit Trade between China and Pakistan: Is it Good? Razib Ahmed August 19, 2006 It seems that China is now really very serious to expand its economic activities with the Asian countries. It has already worked on improving trade ties with India. Now, it is trying to start transit trade with Pakistan, Kyrgizstan and... Continue Reading Posted at 4:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	I…………….Proud to be an Indian: 15 Amazing Things about Indians in USA Mehdi Hassan August 19, 2006 If you are a Hindi movie lover like me then the title would remind you of a Hindi movie based on racism in West. Now, you would assume that I am going to talk about racism; WRONG ANSWER!! Racism is... Continue Reading Posted at 2:33 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Nepal raises Oil Price Mehdi Hassan August 19, 2006 Few days ago, I have written about Japan canceling debts of Nepal. However, it could not escape India’s debt. Due to Nepal’s huge debt to Indian Oil Corporation, and loss of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), the government of Nepal has... Continue Reading Posted at 8:16 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Descendants of Buddha now Bonded Laborers? Razib Ahmed August 19, 2006 Lord Buddha, founder of one of the most respected religions in the world (Buddhism), is a respected name in the whole world. Many people from other religion both in the East and the West admire him. Since Nepal was the... Continue Reading Posted at 3:38 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug18	China becoming too Generous with Tariff Cuts on 1700 Products Razib Ahmed August 18, 2006 When it comes to tariff on imported products China does not have good image in the world economy. Both rich and poor countries are all the time complaining against Chinese policy about this matter. It seems that Chinese government has... Continue Reading Posted at 4:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	"Something I had to adapt to when writing for the American market was to learn American English" Razib Ahmed August 18, 2006 As a professional blogger, I browse Internet a lot everyday. So, I read the writings of many writers. I admire Bhaswati Ghosh (an Indian freelance writer and blogger) mainly because of her writing skill. She makes writing look so easy.... Continue Reading Posted at 7:08 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug17	741 Islanders declare ‘Government No-Go Area’ Razib Ahmed August 17, 2006 This story is really a tragic story. 741 inhabitants of Hulhudheli islander of Maldives are now totally frustrated and have started an all out general strike out of desperation. They are in a desperate mood because for 15 years they... Continue Reading Posted at 4:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	South Asia on 17 August 2006 Razib Ahmed August 17, 2006 Here are links to some of the news items related to South Asia: IJM Corp likely to clinch Pakistan highway job Nepal endorses Biotechnology Policy Japan ups tea imports from Sri Lanka After China, Ericsson Moves Into Indonesia and... Continue Reading Posted at 2:33 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	To return an Umbrella: Would you Travel 7020 km? Mehdi Hassan August 17, 2006 This is what everybody calls a real fan. A woman flew all the way to Mumbai to return the umbrella of Abhishek Bachchan, a top actor of Bollywood. I am quoting from the report published in Reuters: “The fan,... Continue Reading Posted at 6:01 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	14 Accomplishments of a Newbie Blogger Razib Ahmed August 17, 2006 I am writing this entry as a part of ‘Lists’ Group Writing Project at ProBlogger of Darren Rowse. Needless to say that I like this project and I have participated in the two previous projects. Both of them helped me to... Continue Reading Posted at 5:17 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug16	Believe It or Not: The most Difficult e-commerce in the World Razib Ahmed August 16, 2006 E-commerce was supposed to make our life easy. However, I am going to present you the most difficult way of carrying out e-commerce in the world. Just be patient and read the full story here and then you will discover... Continue Reading Posted at 3:16 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Nepal being exempted from debt to Japan Mehdi Hassan August 16, 2006 How would you feel if all your debts were cancelled? For poor countries, foreign debt is a big problem and often they cannot develop because of this. So, I felt very happy that Japan has cancelled $23.91 million for Nepal.... Continue Reading Posted at 1:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug15	Bhutan: Land Price on the Rise Razib Ahmed August 15, 2006 Bhutan is officially a happy country and many people love to compare with Shangri-La. It seems that Bhutanese people do not want to remain happy anymore and they have realized that land has more value than happiness. So, many people... Continue Reading Posted at 3:28 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug14	"Both India and China are now key players on a global scale" Razib Ahmed August 14, 2006 David Daniels is one of the bloggers that I respect very highly. Well, he is not actually a blogger but the Managing Director of a consulting company. He is interested about Asia and he helps western companies to do better... Continue Reading Posted at 4:14 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	India: The Destination of satellite television Mehdi Hassan August 14, 2006 In the last couple of years, Indian television industry, like the film industry, has flourished a lot. Television has remained one of the major sources of information, education and entertainment in India for more than forty years. During the eighties,... Continue Reading Posted at 1:42 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Making a Cup of Tea: The Easiest and Quickest Way Razib Ahmed August 14, 2006 In Bangladesh, tea is the most popular drink (far more popular than Coke, Pepsi and coffee). Thousand of ordinary people earn their livelihood by selling tea. In every part of Bangladesh, you can find a small tea stall beside the... Continue Reading Posted at 7:21 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug13	SouthAsiaBiz Now one of the Top 30 Blogs on India Razib Ahmed August 13, 2006 Good news is always good. I just found a list of 100 top blogs about India. This list has been prepared according Technorati ranking. There are some great blogs in this list and I am happy that this blog (SouthAsiaBiz)... Continue Reading Posted at 4:34 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Bhutan suffering from the shortage of Physics and Mathematics teachers Mehdi Hassan August 13, 2006 Bhutan is one of the happiest countries on earth. Its government gives more importance to Gross National Happiness than Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, the teachers are not happy as they do not have good condition. Bhutan is now seriously... Continue Reading Posted at 2:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Nepalese tea garden workers want Increase in their Wage Mehdi Hassan August 13, 2006 Nepalese tea garden workers went on strike as their employers did not want to raise their wage. Nearly 25000 workers in the Eastern district of Ilam and Jhapa went on strike. This strike is a result of a series of... Continue Reading Posted at 11:23 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Aishwarya vs. Julia: WHO IS THE BEST? Mehdi Hassan August 13, 2006 Bollywood, the Indian cinema industry is now considered to be the second biggest film industry in the world after Hollywood. Aishwarya Rai and Julia Roberts are the two top ranked actresses of Hollywood and Bollywood. In this entry, I... Continue Reading Posted at 9:29 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Hansdehar Villagers create History Razib Ahmed August 13, 2006 It's a fascinating real life story. A village in India has own website. If you live in the west then it is not a surprising story but if you have any idea about South Asian villages then you would surely... Continue Reading Posted at 4:51 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug12	Nepalese Pilots cannot leave without 6 months Notice Mehdi Hassan August 12, 2006 The increasing number of Nepalese pilots quitting their jobs inside the country has become a major headache for the Nepalese Government. In order to discourage the pilots from quitting their jobs, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has made a new... Continue Reading Posted at 10:22 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Urmila Matondkar Adding Her Glamour to a Nepalese Casino Razib Ahmed August 12, 2006 Shangri-la is a happy place that exists in fiction. However, in Nepal, Casino Shangri-la is going to be a place for the rich people to enjoy. In South Asia, casinos are not available in most of the places. Nepal is... Continue Reading Posted at 9:40 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug11	Nepal: Gai Jatra- Festival of Cows for Remembering the Dead Relatives Razib Ahmed August 11, 2006 Do you know about Gai Jatra (Procession of Cows)? I guess it is a unique festival in the world only held in Nepal. It is a very interesting festival in the sense it has both happy and sad aspects. On... Continue Reading Posted at 3:56 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Bangladesh: Humans are making Bird Nests Not Birds Razib Ahmed August 11, 2006 I surely feel that this matter should be included in Ripley's Believe It or Not! In Bangladesh, now many families are engaged in making birds' nests. They mainly live Jessore, a district situated in South Western part of Bangladesh. They... Continue Reading Posted at 8:44 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug10	Nepal: Film Festival, Celebrities and Corruption Razib Ahmed August 10, 2006 Film festivals are supposed to be very happy and colorful occasions. Well, when it falls into the hand of a corrupt regime then it only becomes a source of corruption and mismanagement. Nepal's first national film festival took place on... Continue Reading Posted at 4:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Pakistan Imposes Tax on Traveling Abroad Mehdi Hassan August 10, 2006 Pakistan government has decided to levy tax on tickets that will be issued for international flights from Pakistan. The amount of this tax will be 15% of the total cost of the ticket. I am quoting from the report published... Continue Reading Posted at 7:47 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Name of the game: Fetch the Celebrities Mehdi Hassan August 10, 2006 The rivalry between Coca cola and Pepsi is not only limited to the sales of soft drinks but also in bagging celebrities. In India, it has become a trend that big film stars and players are either signed up with... Continue Reading Posted at 7:05 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug 9	“If Pepsi is banned in India, I would go to the US and drink it”: Do you Really believe That? Razib Ahmed August 9, 2006 This strong show of support for Pepsi has come from Bollywood's top actor, Shahrukh Khan (SRK). SRK is unhappy that many people in India are now trying to ban Pepsi and Coke over the pesticide issue. This has really become... Continue Reading Posted at 3:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	A Corporation requests Consumers to buy its Products Less Razib Ahmed August 9, 2006 Companies always look for more sales for having more profit. This is the general rule and there is no exception. No company wants to sell less- do they. Well, sometimes exceptions happen. Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has found itself in... Continue Reading Posted at 11:50 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug 8	The soft drinks Mahavarata: Pepsi vs. Coca cola Mehdi Hassan August 8, 2006 The rivalry between Pepsi and Coca cola reminded me of the great Indian epic, Mahavarata, where the two arch rivals- the Kauravs, and the Pandavas fought fiercely. If Mahavarata was written in this era then I think the writer would... Continue Reading Posted at 2:05 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	A Ghost Parliament's Human Acts Razib Ahmed August 8, 2006 Have you ever heard of a ghost parliament? Nepalese parliament was dissolved by King Gyanendra on May 22, 2002. So, this parliament died and became a ghost. Because of massive popular uprising, this ghost was reinstated on April of this... Continue Reading Posted at 1:50 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug 7	Nepal film Industry: A fight of David and Goliath Mehdi Hassan August 7, 2006 Since its inception, movie has remained one of the major sources of entertainment to the people all around the world. Today, people of all the countries watch movies and almost all the countries of the world have their own movie... Continue Reading Posted at 2:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Should Royal Families have so much Land? Razib Ahmed August 7, 2006 When we studied Economics, we studied that supply of land is limited in this earth and that is why land is so valuable. The price of land is going up in all the countries all the time. There are so... Continue Reading Posted at 7:55 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Pakistan Government: Savior of the Domestic car producers Mehdi Hassan August 7, 2006 The government of Pakistan has introduced a new law to decrease the import of used vehicles by Pakistani expatriates. The law will be called “Import of Vehicle Rules 2006.” I am quoting from the report published in the Peninsulaquatar: ... Continue Reading Posted at 7:13 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug 6	Tea or Coffee? Razib Ahmed August 6, 2006 This is the next big battle. I can assure you that soon this battle is going to become very intense just like Coke vs Pepsi. It's basically the war between the rich world and poor world. India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh... Continue Reading Posted at 5:29 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	79 Reasons Why You Should Travel South Asia Mehdi Hassan August 6, 2006 For the last one week, I have written about traveling in the seven countries of South Asia. South Asia is a great place and if you have not come here, you must visit this place. Here, I have compiled all... Continue Reading Posted at 3:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Monsoon Rain: Can’t Live with it Can’t live without it Mehdi Hassan August 6, 2006 The heavy monsoon rain has caused flood in the Eastern and Southern provinces of India. Mumbai, Chattishgarh, Andhrapradesh, Gujarat, Hyderabad, Maharashtra, Orissa, and many other areas in the eastern and western zone are severely damaged by this flood. ... Continue Reading Posted at 11:25 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Blogging is not Fun When ……….. Razib Ahmed August 6, 2006 Of course, blogging is great fun otherwise there would not be 50 million blogs in the world. Why blogging is fun? Different people will answer it differently. I think that 3 of the most common reasons for blogging are: 1.... Continue Reading Posted at 8:29 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug 5	15 Reasons why you should travel India? Mehdi Hassan August 5, 2006 Today, I am going to give fifteen reasons for traveling to India. Here is the first one: India is the seventh biggest country in the world in terms of land area. It is also the second most populous country and the... Continue Reading Posted at 3:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Dial-up 512 KBPS: The next big thing for Internet in 2007! Razib Ahmed August 5, 2006 Bhutan has only a few thousand Internet users and many of them will not be able to afford this. I guess that it will become popular to the small offices who cannot afford a leased line. Continue Reading Posted at 1:59 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Arch Rivals Coca-Cola and PepsiCo Have a Common Battle Now! Razib Ahmed August 5, 2006 The legendry rivalry between Coca-Cola and PepsiCo is now taking a new twist. The two giants have found themselves on the same side in a die hard battle that can have a long influence on the cola industry. In India,... Continue Reading Posted at 8:23 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug 4	12 reasons why you should travel Bangladesh: The land of Greenery Mehdi Hassan August 4, 2006 Bangladesh is a small country with a land area of 55,598 sq miles. At present, it may be known as an underdeveloped country but it has a rich historical and cultural heritage. Bangladesh is also my homeland and today I... Continue Reading Posted at 3:06 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	South Asia on 4 August 2006 Razib Ahmed August 4, 2006 From today, I am going to post links of important and interesting news items and blog entries related to South Asia on a regular basis. In blogging, it is called as speed linking. I hope you enjoy it. If you... Continue Reading Posted at 1:46 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	More Tourists Come to Nepal Razib Ahmed August 4, 2006 Good news is always good and if it is about Nepal then it is even better. Naturally, I was very happy to read that arrival of tourists on July 2006 has been 7.2% better than the same month of the... Continue Reading Posted at 1:16 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug 3	Twelve reasons why you should travel to Pakistan Mehdi Hassan August 3, 2006 The word “Pakistan” means “Land of the Pure” in Urdu and Persian language. In this blog, Razib Ahmed wrote two articles about Pakistan tourism: Pakistani Government trying for Tourism and Pakistan: Some tourist attractions. For the last few days, I... Continue Reading Posted at 3:59 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	A Company could not Find People for 80 Well Paid Simple Jobs!!! Razib Ahmed August 3, 2006 Have you ever heard that a company gave advertisements for 80 well paid jobs and then failed to get the employees? This is unimaginable in this age as people are dying to get a job. In third world countries, often... Continue Reading Posted at 2:53 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Know More Media Passes One Million Visitors Razib Ahmed August 3, 2006 Know More Media (KMM), one of the leading blog networks, announced just few hours ago that its network has passed 1 million unique visitors. Know More Media is a blog network dedicated to providing quality content on business topics and... Continue Reading Posted at 9:05 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	India: SAP’s next technological Hub Mehdi Hassan August 3, 2006 Systems Applications and Products in Data Processing (SAP), one of the major software companies in Europe has declared their future investment plan in India. On Wednesday, the company’s chief executive, Henning Kagermann, told reporters that their company would be investing... Continue Reading Posted at 5:34 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug 2	Hold Your Breath: Top ten Mountains of the World Mehdi Hassan August 2, 2006 Have you seen the movie Vertical Limit, where Peter Garrett, (Chris O’Donnell), a mountain climber, scales K2, the second highest mountain of the world to save his sister? Mountains have always been feared and respected by human beings. In Greek... Continue Reading Posted at 1:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	10 reasons why you should visit Sri Lanka: The Pearl of Indian Ocean Mehdi Hassan August 2, 2006 Sri Lanka is a small island situated on the south of India. Like every other South Asian countries, Sri Lanka too has something to offer to the travelers. A country with a land area of 25,332 square miles, Sri Lanka... Continue Reading Posted at 3:01 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	India and China Eating all the Rubbers! Razib Ahmed August 2, 2006 The strong demand in India and China is raising the price of natural rubber too much. In fact, in 2005, these countries consumed 20% of global natural rubber production and they want even more. Continue Reading Posted at 2:45 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Aug 1	Women can now become King too! Razib Ahmed August 1, 2006 I know, I know. It i

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