A sizeable number of Americans believe that the next Bill Gates would come from India or China as the two Asian giants are fast marching ahead on the global platform, a new US survey has revealed.

“When asked where the next Bill Gates will come from, 40 per cent of Americans predicted either India or China,” said a national survey released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) on the sidelines of the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow at Las Vegas.

The vast majority of them, about 96 per cent, believe that innovation was critical to the future success of the US as a world economic leader but they were concerned that the rising federal deficit would jeopardise prosperity of future generations, the survey said.

The economic survey, conducted by Zogby International, found that 68 per cent of Americans think innovation was key to the future success of their place of employment, with 50 per cent maintaining that innovation was important for their job remaining in the US.

After the World Economic Forum reported that the US has lost its global competitiveness ranking while India, China and Brazil have gained, 74 per cent of Americans said it was unlikely the US would regain its status next year. But 44 per cent pointed to innovation was the most important factor in seeking US competitiveness, it said.

According to the survey, nearly 60 per cent Americans agreed that the rising national deficit would have a major impact on the prosperity of future generations. But when it comes to reducing the deficit, they were largely split on three issues: discontinuing corporate bailouts (23 per cent), reducing military spending (20 per cent), and relying on the free market to correct the imbalance (31 per cent).

Nearly 60 per cent of the respondents said that they were concerned that current path being taken by Congress would be detrimental to medical innovation. Tensions seemed to run high: nearly half of them said they were very concerned, the survey said.

The Zogby survey was conducted between November 20 and 23, with a sample size of 3,779 US adults over the age of 18.

India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) on Monday reaffirmed commitment to multilateralism and to increased participation of developing countries in the decision-making bodies of multilateral organisations and institutions.

The three nations also reiterated the need for the UN to be reformed so as to become more representative and reflective of the needs and priorities of developing countries. The reaffirmation was made at a meeting here among External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and his counterparts from Brazil and South Africa, Celso Amorim and Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, respectively.

Bearing in mind the importance that developing countries participate in the procedures and deliberations of the UNSC on a continuous and regular basis, ministers recalled the urgent need to expand its permanent and non-permanent categories, in order to increase participation of developing countries in both.

Such expansion would make the UN Security Council more broadly representative, efficient and transparent, would enhance its effectiveness and legitimacy.

Ministers acknowledged the progress in the inter-governmental negotiations on Security Council reform so far and stressed the urgent need to achieve concrete results at the 64th session of the General Assembly.

In this context, they committed to coordinate with each other and the broader UN membership for achieving genuine reform of the UNSC at the earliest.

Meanwhile, Amre Moussa, secretary general of the League of Arab States called on Krishna to discuss the current situation in the Middle East. Other members of the Indian delegation included Hardeep Puri, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and Asith Bhattacharjee, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.

India’s national space agency said communications with the country’s only satellite orbiting the moon snapped Saturday and that its scientists were no longer controlling the spacecraft.

Radio contacts with Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft were abruptly lost at 0130 Saturday (2000 GMT Friday), the Indian Space Research Organization said.

The agency’s monitoring unit near the southern city of Bangalore is no longer receiving data from the spacecraft, spokesman S. Satish told The Associated Press by telephone from Bangalore.

The spacecraft had completed 312 days in orbit and orbited the moon more than 3,400 times.

“We are studying the telemetry data and trying to figure out what is the problem,” Satish said. The space agency had received a large volume of data from the spacecraft — which is slotted in an automatic orbit of the moon — and most of the scientific objectives of the mission had been met, he said.

The spacecraft had been controlled from a monitoring center at Byalalu, 18 miles (30 kilometers) southwest of Bangalore, sending it commands to change direction, speed and to focus the cameras. Satish said it was no longer receiving commands.

The launch of Chandrayaan-1 in October 2008 put India in an elite club of countries with moon missions. Other countries with similar satellites are the United States, Russia, the European Space Agency, Japan and China.

The US$80 million lunar spacecraft has had problems earlier too. In May, the satellite lost a critical instrument called the star sensor. Two months later, it overheated but scientists were able to salvage the craft and resume normal operations.

The spacecraft had completed around 95 per cent of the two-year mission’s objectives, Satish said Saturday.

Scientists say the Chandrayaan project will boost India’s capacity to build more efficient rockets and satellites, especially through miniaturization, and open research avenues for young Indian scientists.

India plans to follow the Chandrayaan, which means “moon craft” in Sanskrit, by landing a rover on the moon in 2011.

Noting that India is a dominant power in South Asia, the Special US Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrook on Thursday said the Obama administration is keeping New Delhi informed about its policies in Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

“The Indians are a major factor in the region. They are a dominant power,” Holbrook said at a meeting on Af-Pak region organised by the Center for American Progress, a Washington-based think tank.

“Improving US-India relations has been a continual goal of the last three administrations, all of whom have been successful in that regard I think starting with President Clinton’s term in 2000,” he said.

Responding to a question, Holbrook said India was outside the portfolio of his job. “On the other hand, I am in constant touch with the embassy. I met with the Indians continually, the New Delhi’s Ambassador in Washington and I have had dinner recently. She and I are in close touch,” he said.

“I will go to India whenever the schedule permits,” Holbrook said.

Some Celestial News:

India’s spy satellite, built by Israel, is undergoing final stages of testing and integration at the spaceport of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh for an April 20 launch.

The 300-kg radar imaging satellite will keep a watch on movements on the borders and help the country in anti-infiltration and anti-terrorist operations. The satellite is set to be launched on board the 230-tonne core-alone, home-grown rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle without strap-on motors in view of the light weight of the payload.

The Bangalore-based space agency has kept the mission low-profile, given its sensitiveness.

This imaging satellite, built by Israel Aerospace Industries, has all-weather capabilities which means it can take pictures during day and night and under cloud cover.

In addition to surveillance applications, the spacecraft will add to the capabilities of ISRO in managing disasters like cyclones, floods and landslides.

Anusat, a 40-kg satellite built by Chennai-based Anna University, is the co-passenger on board PSLC-C12.

My only doubt is that if its a Spy satellite then why is it going so public on air??

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