By Alok Deshwal : The National Archives of India is celebrating its 110th Foundation Day on 11 March 2010, as a repository of non-current records of the Government.  It was on 11 March 1891 that the Department was established as Imperial Record Office at Imperial Secretariat Building, Calcutta, with G.W. Forrest as the first Officer-in-Charge of the Department.
Following the transfer of capital from Calcutta to New Delhi in 1911, it was imperative that the Imperial Record Office (IRD) would also be transferred to the new capital.  The present building which …

By : Kalpana Palkhiwala : The pollution load on major rivers has increased over the years due to industrialization and urbanisation. Use of water for irrigation, drinking, power and other purposes compound the challenge.
Source of Pollution
The rivers are polluted by the discharge of treated and untreated municipal waste and industrial effluent. All the large and medium industries have installed effluent treatment plants and are generally meeting the prescribed standards (30 mg / 1) with respect to Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD). However, the cumulative impact of many industrial point sources adds …

By Tanveer Jafri : The much awaited foreign secretary level talks between India and Pakistan concluded on 25th February at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Though different people have different views about these high level talks but political analysts are of the view that the coming together of foreign secretaries of both the countries is itself a proof that both India and Pakistan are willing to establish peace and more such talks will follow in future. India’s main opposition party the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was not in favour of …

By : Dilip Ghosh :Like in the previous years, there have been many different reactions to this year’s Railway Budget also. But, there is unanimity on one point that this was prepared with an eye on the common man. Presenting her second budget in eight months, the Railway Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee said in the Lok Sabha yesterday that between the two objectives of economic viability of projects and social responsibility of the Railways, she considered the second one more important. She said that the Indian Railways should provide connectivity …

By Sadaket Malik : The folk people of Bhalessa were called Bhalls in the past which makes one to believe that queen Bhala of Raja Nagpal have been from Bhaderwah. There are variety of opinions from different people regarding the origin of its name “Bhalessa” some talk it as Land of “Bhaley Manus” (Bhaley Lougun Ka Desh) which is meant the decent people with distinct identity. Dr. P K Koul who conducted a research on Bhaderwah, Chamba, Kangra and Bhalessa in early nineties opine that the Bhalessa area derived its …