People's Car

Tata India has unveiled the long awaited, the cheapest car in the world Called Nano. It was a long dream for the millions of people all around the globe.

Available in the petrol version, passenger carrying capacity of this car is 4: 1 Driver plus 3 passengers. Its price has been set to one lakh Indian rupees.

Regarding the safety tests, the car has passed the tests required in India including full frontal crash, roof crush (Roll over), side door intrusion for doors, etc. It has a mileage of 23.6 kmpl. Nano has three Versions/ Variants. The base version is called 'Nano'. It is a non AC version. The mid version (with HVAC) is called 'Nano CX'. The top end version ( fully loaded with power windows,HVAC, Central Locking etc) is called 'Nano LX'. Nano CX and LX are offered with HVAC. This car accelerates from 0-60 kmph in just 8 seconds. The torque on this car is 48Nm@3000 rpm. Nano has been offered in the three color : Racing red, Ivory white and Summer Blue.

Th Nano will be available in Nepal very soon. It is estimated that with all tax (169% tax ) it cost around 4 lakh Nepali rupees. Lets have a ride on Nano!

Women's Rights

Though we all believe that men and women are equal, it is hard to feel that they are enjoying the equal rights. Everywhere we are seeing the discrimination and intimidation. I was thinking that it should not be the case of the educated and the developed nation like Japan. But the situation seems grim after reading the article from the Japan times which says that 33% married women are abused by husbands. The news follows like this:

A government survey released Tuesday shows that 33.2 percent of married women have experienced physical and mental abuse from their husbands, unchanged from the previous survey in 2005.Of the victims, 13.3 percent said they feared for their life, according to the Cabinet Office survey, which was conducted last October and November and covered 3,125 adults.

The survey found 13.6 percent of the women said they experienced violence from their boyfriends when they were in their teens to 20s. Of them, 21.9 percent feared for their life.
It found 13.6 percent of married women faced physical and mental abuse from their husbands in the past five years.Of them, 53.0 percent didn't ask anyone for help and 27.6 percent consulted friends or acquaintances. Only around 3 percent consulted police or a hospital and about 1 percent turned to prefectural help centers, lawyers or private shelters. Of those subjected to violence from their husbands, 34.4 percent said they were injured or psychologically harmed

It is high time that we all wake up to end all sort of violence to women and let create an environment where there is enough space for the human dignity.

(News source:Japantimes)

New Urban Planning for Paris

After the 9 months study commissioned after the presidential order 10 master plan proposals have been put forwarded for the Paris city . The proposals aim to transform Paris and its surrounding suburbs into the first sustainable "post-Kyoto city," with expanded metro rail system and large parks.

The team comprises to renowned international stars like Richard Rogers and Christian de Portzamparc to French architects who are just beginning their careers. The ideas include to breakdown the isolation between the city core and the outlying areas besides making the city greener and sustainable thereby breaking the social evils that deeply exists in the society.

Among the most audacious is Mr. de Portzamparc's plan (see the photo), which proposes massive European train station just outside the city center which is supposed to link to the Eurostar train lines to London and Brussels, as well as to a new elevated maglev train that would run above the périphérique.

Mr. Rogers's ambitious plan include vast system of public parks connecting poor and middle-class neighborhoods and A new Métro line would ringing the outer city and train links to the city center.

All of the proposed projects recognize the strong linking between urban policy and social equality. All suggest ways to begin reversing the growing social divisions that mark the contemporary city.

It a high time that we learn from Paris to uplift the chaotic urban development of Kathmandu and other cities of Nepal. If the concerned people and agencies learn a little from this new initiative in Paris and try to implement in the field, then we will be heading to New Nepal of new and efficient cities as all know cities are the engines of the development.

Congratulations!

CONGRATULATIONS for winning the FIRST prize

in the Photo Exhibition in Matsuyama, Japan.

Congratulations - you did it!!

Keep it up !