The crusader: Kejriwal is one of the architects of the RTI act

Arvind Kejriwal has traveled a long distance. He has been a Tata Steel employee, a volunteer at the Missionaries of Charity, an Income Tax officer (Indian Revenue Service, Batch of 1992; he quit his job in February this year). In his latest avatar, he is an 'RTI (Right To Information) activist.' "I always wanted to help society," says the 38-year-old Mechanical Engineer from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, and this year's winner of the Ramon Magsaysay Award. So what made him take up the RTI Act as his cause? "I stumbled upon it quite by accident in 2001 and realised how powerful a tool it actually was," he confesses. The rest is history. Kejriwal, who runs, Parivartan, a Delhi-based "people's movement" group (he insists "it's not an NGO") helped frame the legislation which came into force on October 14, 2005. "Our mission is to weed out corruption," he says.

Kejriwal feels the effectiveness of the RTI Act will be considerably diluted if the proposed amendments seeking to bar access to "file notings" and curb the powers of the Central Information Commission (CIC) are enforced. The changes, reportedly made under pressure from the bureaucracy, have already been approved by the Union Cabinet. Incidentally, the Cabinet decision comes in the wake of the CIC allowing Kejriwal access to file notings on senior appointments in Delhi since 2004. This move, which apparently impinges upon the powers of senior bureaucrats to dole out patronage, reportedly attracted the ire of the powerful 'IAS (Indian Administrative Service) lobby.' "If this (the proposed changes in the RTI Act) happens, and I have reasons to believe it might, it will be tantamount to repealing the law," he says, adding: "We'll have to brace ourselves for a long journey ahead." That means his agenda for the months ahead has already been set.

-Aman Malik

NUMBERS OF NOTE

157: The number of Indian scientists per million population, says the World Bank. For Japan, the figure is 5,095, followed by the US (4,099), Australia (3,353), UK (2,666) and China (545)

5,340 MW: The installed capacity of wind power throughout the country in 2005-06 compared to 3,595 MW in 2004-05

Rs 60,000 crore: The present worth of India's FMCG market. By 2012, it is expected to touch Rs 1,06,300 crore

5,846 km: Total length of the Golden Quadrilateral, of which 5,409 km was completed till June, 2006

40,000: The number of tourists expected to visit Antarctica in 2006

500,000: Estimated shortfall of personnel in the Indian IT-ITeS sector by 2010

$252 billion (Rs 11,84,400 crore): Combined profits of Exxon-Mobil, BP and Shell, the three biggest oil companies outside the OPEC nations, in 2001-2005

Over $300 billion (Rs 13,20,000 crore): Amount spent on subsidies by governments across the globe in 2005, according to WTO World Trade Report

Rs 22,000 crore: Exports from SEZs in 2005-06, a 30 per cent growth over the previous year's figure of Rs 18,309 crore. The overall growth rate for exports is 23 per cent

Rs 126 crore: The amount that Infosys Technologies will distribute among its employees on the occasion of its 25th anniversary

$3.52 billion (Rs 16,544 crore): Foreign direct investment in Pakistan in 2005-06. It has more than doubled, from $1.524 billion (Rs 7,162.8 crore) a year ago

$147.3 million (Rs 692.31 crore): The amount of 'tour' money generated by the British rock band The Rolling Stones in the first half of 2006, more than any other band/group during the period

NOTED

ENDED: The decade-old Ranbaxy family dispute. Ranbaxy promoter duo Malvinder Singh and Shivinder Singh and Max Group Chairman Analjit Singh have agreed to settle their dispute over the late Bhai Mohan Singh's will. Manjit Singh, the third son of Bhai Mohan Singh, is not party to the agreement between the two branches.

LISTED: On New York Stock Exchange, WNS Holdings, the first Indian business process outsourcing company to do so, after it raised about $224 million (Rs 1,052.8 crore) in an initial public offering.

UPGRADED: By Fitch Ratings, India's sovereign debt rating to investment grade. Prompted by the country's strong fundamentals, it upgraded the long-term foreign and local currency issuer default ratings (IDRs) to BBB- from BB+ with stable outlooks. The short-term foreign currency IDR was raised to F3 from B and the country ceiling upgraded to BBB- from BB+.

SHIFTING: Consumer giant Hindustan Lever, from its landmark south Mumbai headquarters, Lever House, to a new campus in Andheri in the western suburbs of Mumbai in 2008. HLL is also putting its food division headquarters in Bangalore on the block.

RUNG: By Infosys Chairman N.R. Narayana Murthy, the opening bell of Nasdaq from Bangalore on the occasion of the company's 25th anniversary. Infosys, the first Indian company to list on the Nasdaq in 1999, became the first in the Asia Pacific region to remotely open the trading at the world's largest electronic stock exchange on July 19.

APPOINTED: Roland Junck, as Chief Executive and Aditya Mittal, as Chief Financial Officer of steel giant Arcelor Mittal. Arcelor Chairman Joseph Kinsch has been named Chairman and L.N. Mittal, President of the board of the merged company.

BLACKLISTED: Two Indian companies, Balaji Amines and Prachi Poly Products, by the US for allegedly exporting technology to Iran that can be used for developing weapons of mass destruction or missile systems.

VALENTINO ARRIVES IN INDIA

Italian luxury brands like Garavani (handbags, shoes, leather goods and other accessories for men and women), Roma (easy-to-wear women's collection) and R.E.D. (which addresses young consumers up to 25 years of age) are now available in Delhi. Valentino, the company that owns these brands, opened its first exclusive showroom in Delhi's Hotel Shangri-La in a tie-up with Mafatlal Luxury.

Says Michele Norsa, CEO, Valentino: "Though I don't think India is a very important market in the short-term, it is important to have a presence here. The local market will have to be developed. The concept of 'dressing up' is stronger in North India. That is why we have opened our first showroom here and not in Mumbai."

Unlike many other brands which enter markets like India with their accessories range, Valentino has launched its complete range of clothing and accessories. Norsa says it is important to bring the "international fashion sense to India". Therefore, the same product range that is on display in New York or Shanghai will also be available here. However, Indian consumers might find the products priced higher here than in Europe. Valentino's primary consumers are women in the 30-45 age group because of its high pricing.

-Shivangi Misra