Mauritius has one of the strongest economies in Africa; although final figures are not yet available, 2004 GDP at market prices is estimated at $6 billion and per capita income at $4,900. Over the past two decades, real output growth averaged just below 6% per year, leading to a more than doubling of per capita income and a marked improvement in social indicators. Economic growth was first driven by sugar, then textiles and tourism, and more recently by financial services (particularly offshore companies). The information and communications technology (ICT) sector is now emerging as the fifth pillar of the economy, following massive investment by government in the last three years in related infrastructure (the newly built Ebene Cyber City is one example) and training. However, the economy is now facing some serious challenges, including the decline in the rate of economic growth, increasing unemployment, an increasing public sector deficit, and an increasing domestic debt. In 2003, GDP grew by 4.3%, up from 1.8% in 2002 when sugar production was diminished by a hurricane. Although final figures are not yet available, the growth rate for 2004 is estimated at 4.6%. However, this is still below the average growth rate of the past two decades. Mauritius stands today at the crossroads of its future development. The main engines of growth in the Mauritian economy, namely the sugar and textile industries, are faced with the erosion of preferential trade arrangements stemming from the proposed reforms of the European Union sugar regime, the phasing out of the Multi Fiber Agreement, and the increasing trend towards the globalization of world trade. The prospects of intensified global competition from low-wage countries (particularly China and India) and limited future opportunities for preferential trade arrangements represent serious constraints on future growth. Realizing the need to diversify the economy, Mauritius has embarked on an ambitious development strategy to find new drivers for economic growth. The government is putting emphasis on the development of the ICT sector and the promotion of Mauritius as a seafood hub in the region, using existing facilities at the Freeport (free trade zones at the port and airport). Measures are also being taken to modernize and restructure the sugar and textile sectors through better technology and greater capitalization. The business climate is friendly yet extremely competitive. Mauritius has a long tradition of private entrepreneurship, which has led to a strong and dynamic private sector. Firms entering the market will find a well-developed legal and commercial infrastructure. With regard to telecommunications, Mauritius has a well-developed digital infrastructure and offers state-of-the-art telecommunications facilities including international leased lines and high speed Internet access. Telecommunications services were liberalized in January 2003. The government policy is to act as a facilitator to business, leaving production to the private sector. However, it still controls key utility services directly or through parastatals, including electricity, water, waste water, postal services, and broadcasting. The State Trading Corporation controls imports of rice, flour, petroleum products, and cement. Mauritius has strong and friendly relations with the West as well as with India and the countries of southern and eastern Africa. It is a member of the African Union (AU), World Trade Organization (WTO), the Commonwealth, La Francophonie, the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), the Indian Ocean Commission, Community of Eastern and South African States (COMESA), and the recently formed Indian Ocean Rim Association. In 2004, then-Prime Minister Berenger became chairman of SADC for a one-year term. Trade, commitment to democracy, colonial and cultural ties, and the country's small size are driving forces behind Mauritian foreign policy. The country's political heritage and dependence on Western markets have led to close ties with the European Union and its member states, particularly the United Kingdom and France, which exercises sovereignty over neighboring Reunion. Considered part of Africa geographically, Mauritius has friendly relations with other African states in the region, particularly South Africa, by far its largest continental trading partner. Mauritian investors are gradually entering African markets, notably Madagascar and Mozambique. Mauritius coordinates much of its foreign policy with the Southern Africa Development Community and the African Union. Relations with India are strong for both historical and commercial reasons. Foreign embassies in Mauritius include Australia, the United Kingdom, China, Egypt, France, India, Madagascar, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, and the United States.

A Brief discussion of the profession concerned with the study and application of economics An economist is an individual who studies, develops, and applies theories and concepts from economics, and writes about economic policy. Within this field of study there are many sub-fields, ranging from the broad philosophical theories propounded by thinkers such as Adam Smith and Karl Marx to focused study of minutiae within specific markets, macroeconomics analysis, microeconomics analysis or financial analysis, involving analytical methods and tools such as econometrics, statistics, economics computational models, financial economics, financial mathematics and mathematical economics. A professional working inside of one of many fields of economics or having an academic degree in this subject is an economist, and any person within any of these fields can properly claim to be one, although the broad range of matters coming under this designation makes it a practical impossibility for any individual to master all of them (this is the same as for almost all other fields of knowledge such as medicine or engineering). Politicians often consult economists before enacting policy, and many statesmen have academic degrees in economics. Economists are also employed in banking, finance, accountancy, commerce, marketing, and business administration. Most major universities have an economics faculty, school or department, where academic degrees are awarded in support of potential professional economists. However, many prominent economists come from a background in mathematics, engineering, business, law, sociology, or history. In the United States, about 400 colleges and universities grant about 900 new Ph.D.s in economics each year.[citation needed] The median annunal income for an economist in the United States was US$ 72,780 in May 2004 with the top ten percent earning more than US$ 129,170.[1] Economics as a field of knowledge and an independent social science by its own right was born in the 18th century with Adam Smith, and since then it became a discipline with an increasing and definitive importance in modern societies. The Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel is a prize awarded to economists each year for outstanding intellectual contributions in the field of economics. The Prize Winners are announced in October every year. They receive their awards (a prize amount, a gold medal and a diploma) on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death.[1] Founding fathers People who are considered to be the first economists for various schools and currents of thought in economics: Richard Cantillon David Hume William Stanley Jevons Thomas Malthus Karl Marx Carl Menger John Stuart Mill Franz Oppenheimer David Ricardo Jean-Baptiste Say Adam Smith Léon Walras Max Weber Nobel Prize in Economics Winners [edit] 1960s Year Name Topics 1969 Ragnar Anton Kittil Frisch (Norway), Jan Tinbergen (Netherlands) for having developed and applied dynamic models for the analysis of economic processes [edit] 1970s Year Name Topics 1970 Paul Samuelson (United States) for the scientific work through which he has developed static and dynamic economic theory and actively contributed to raising the level of analysis in economic science 1971 Simon Kuznets (USA) for his empirically founded interpretation of economic growth which has led to new and deepened insight into the economic and social structure and process of development 1972 John Hicks (United Kingdom), Kenneth Arrow (USA) for their pioneering contributions to general economic equilibrium theory and welfare theory 1973 Wassily Leontief (Russia) for the development of the input-output method and for its application to important economic problems. 1974 Gunnar Myrdal (Sweden), Friedrich Hayek (Austria) for their pioneering work in the theory of money and economic fluctuations and for their penetrating analysis of the interdependence of economic, social and institutional phenomena 1975 Leonid Kantorovich (Soviet Union), Tjalling Koopmans (Netherlands) for their contributions to the theory of optimum allocation of resources 1976 Milton Friedman (USA) for his achievements in the fields of consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and for his demonstration of the complexity of stabilization policy. 1977 Bertil Ohlin (Sweden), James Meade (UK) for their pathbreaking contribution to the theory of international trade and international capital movements 1978 Herbert Simon (USA) for his pioneering research into the decision-making process within economic organizations 1979 Theodore Schultz (USA), Arthur Lewis (SAINT-lucia) for their pioneering research into economic development research with particular consideration of the problems of developing countries [edit] 1980s Year Name Topics 1980 Lawrence Klein (USA) for the creation of econometric models and the application to the analysis of economic fluctuations and economic policies 1981 James Tobin (USA) for his analysis of financial markets and their relations to expenditure decisions, employment, production and prices 1982 George Stigler (USA) for his seminal studies of industrial structures, functioning of markets and causes and effects of public regulation 1983 Gerard Debreu (France) for having incorporated new analytical methods into economic theory and for his rigorous reformulation of the theory of general equilibrium 1984 Richard Stone (UK) for having made fundamental contributions to the development of systems of national accounts and hence greatly improved the basis for empirical economic analysis 1985 Franco Modigliani (USA) for his pioneering analyses of saving and of financial markets 1986 James Buchanan Jr. (USA) for his development of the contractual and constitutional bases for the theory of economic and political decision-making 1987 Robert Solow (USA) for his contributions to the theory of economic growth 1988 Maurice Allais (France) for his pioneering contributions to the theory of markets and efficient utilization of resources 1989 Trygve Haavelmo (Norway) for his clarification of the probability theory foundations of econometrics and his analyses of simultaneous economic structures [edit] 1990s Year Name Topics 1990 Harry Markowitz (USA), Merton Miller (USA), William Sharpe (USA) for their pioneering work in the theory of financial economics 1991 Ronald Coase (UK) for his discovery and clarification of the significance of transaction costs and property rights for the institutional structure and functioning of the economy 1992 Gary Becker (USA) for having extended the domain of microeconomic analysis to a wide range of human behaviour and interaction, including nonmarket behaviour 1993 Robert Fogel (USA), Douglass North (USA) for having renewed research in economic history by applying economic theory and quantitative methods in order to explain economic and institutional change 1994 John Harsanyi (USA), John Forbes Nash (USA), Reinhard Selten (Germany) for their pioneering analysis of equilibria in the theory of non-cooperative games 1995 Robert Lucas Jr. (USA) for having developed and applied the hypothesis of rational expectations, and thereby having transformed macroeconomic analysis and deepened our understanding of economic policy 1996 James Mirrlees (UK), William Vickrey (USA) for their fundamental contributions to the economic theory of incentives under asymmetric information 1997 Robert Carhart Merton (USA), Myron Scholes (Canada) for a new method to determine the value of derivatives 1998 Amartya Sen (India) for his contributions to welfare economics 1999 Robert Mundell (Canada) for his analysis of monetary and fiscal policy under different exchange rate regimes and his analysis of optimum currency areas [edit] 2000s Year Name Topics 2000 James Heckman (USA), Daniel McFadden (USA) for his development of theory and methods for analyzing selective samples for his development of theory and methods for analyzing discrete choice 2001 George A. Akerlof (USA), Michael Spence (USA), Joseph E. Stiglitz (USA) for their analyses of markets with asymmetric information. 2002 Daniel Kahneman (Israel/USA), Vernon L. Smith (USA) for having integrated insights from psychological research into economic science, especially concerning human judgment and decision-making under uncertainty for having established laboratory experiments as a tool in empirical economic analysis, especially in the study of alternative market mechanisms 2003 Robert F. Engle (USA), Clive W. J. Granger (UK) for methods of analyzing economic time series with time-varying volatility or common trends 2004 Finn E. Kydland (Norway), Edward C. Prescott (USA) for their contributions to dynamic macroeconomics: the time consistency of economic policy and the driving forces behind business cycles 2005 Robert J. Aumann (Israel/USA), Thomas Schelling (USA) for having enhanced our understanding of conflict and cooperation through game-theory analysis

Central Theme of the Upanishads Sri Shankaracharya and some of his modern followers take Monism or Atmaikya, and Absolutism or nirguNa-brahmavaada to be the central theme of Upanishads. Consequently, Idealism or the world being merely a projection, which is unreal, is also taken to be a tenet of the Upanishads. Thus upaasanaa (worship) and bhakti (devotion) are relegated to a secondary position, being needed only up to a point in the spiritual evolution of the soul. Liberation, the final goal of spiritual development becomes less attractive, as the seeker loses his own identity in his merger with the Absolute. The entire process of Creation delineated with such great care in the Upanishads is reduced to a mere illusion. Texts describing Brahman, the Supreme Being, as sarvaj~na (all knowing), sarva-shaktimaan (All Powerful) are also relegated to be descriptions of Ishwara or the Saguna Brahman, who is also a product of the universal Avidya, while Brahman is actually nirguNa or without any attributes in absolute reality. Some of the richest material in the Upanishads delineating the glory of God, the process of creation, prescribing different methods of upaasanaa, Eschatology, recommending meditation, devotion etc. have to be relegated to a secondary position, as they are essentially dealing with the machinations of the unreal Avidya, which vanishes into "nothing," when the soul is liberated and discovers its identity with the formless and attributeless Brahman. In other words, much of Upanishadic texts are worthless and untrue in the domain of the final reality. On the other hand, a few passages are elevated to decisive importance, as they can be interpreted, in a limited sense, to convey Monism. Anyone who has an acquaintance with the deep and mystical atmosphere conjured up by the Upanishads can not accept this position. The central theme of the Upanishads is not Monism but Monotheism, the concept of an all pervasive, immanent supreme being. He is not nirguNa (attributeless), but is guNaparipuurNa -- full of all possible auspicious qualities. The very word brahma indicates this basic delineation of the Supreme Lord. Such a theme brings all the rest of the passages in the Upanishads into proper focus and makes them fully meaningful and essential for the aspirant. All of them will contribute in one way or the other to the development of this central theme and none of them will look secondary or suprefluous. In the larger context of the Vedanta, as a whole, the Vedas, Brahmana-s, Aranyakas, Upanishads and the great Epics which include the other Prasthaana texts -- Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Suutra are woven into a glorious tapestry of the indescribable but realizable, fathomless but understandable glory of the Supreme Person, who has been extolled by great devotees in all Bhakti compositions. The artificial concept of two Brahmans, Saguna and Nirguna simultaneously existing, though totally different in essence, created by Monism to explain away the wealth of texts describing the glory of the Lord is done away with, with a simple explanation of nirguNa being One who completely transcends the three guNa-s -- sattva, rajas and tamas constituting prak.rti, which is responsible for the world as we know it.

ALL TOGETHER

In Unity there is strength

Two heads are better than one A man is known by the company he keeps Birds of a feather flock together It takes two to tango There is no place like home.................................... GETTING AHEAD The first step is always the hardest He who hesitates is lost. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Necessity is the moother of invention No pain, no gain Nothing ventured, nothing gained The pen is mightier than the sword. Practice makes perfect. You are never too old to learn. Rome wasn't built in a day. Where there is a will, there is a way. FRIEND OR FOE A friend in need is a friend indeed A friend who shares is a friennd who cares. Family breeds contempt Blood is thicker than water Absence makes the heart grow fonder Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery................... WORDS TO LIVE BY Actions speak louder than words Better late than never Charity begins at home Haste makes waste One good turn deserves another You reap what you sow

Some Thoughts of a Good Leader T he essential qualities of leadership and the acts that define a leader are : 1) The ability to hear what is left unspoken, humility, commitment, 2) The value of looking at reality from many vantage points 3) The ability to create an organization that draws out the unique strengths of every member 4) To hear the unheard, is a necessary discipline to be a good ruler. For only when a leader has learned to listen closely to the people's hearts, hearing their feelings uncommunicated, pains unexpressed, and complaints not spoken of, can s/he hope to inspire confidence in his/her people, understand when something is wrong, and meet the true needs of his/her citizens. 5) The road to enlightenment is like the journey down the mountain. It comes only to those who realize that what one sees at the top of the mountain is not what one sees at the bottom...........With this wisdom there comes an awakening. We recognize that alone one sees only so much-which, in truth, is not much at all. This is the wisdom that opens our minds to improvement, knocks down prejudices, and teaches us to respect what at first we cannot view. Never forget this...........What you cannot see can be seen by (other people) from a different part of the mountain. 6) The demise of states comes when leaders listen only to superficial words and do not penetrate deeply into the souls of the people to hear their true opinions, feelings, and desires.

It is not getting to the top of the Everest that matters in Life. It is how and why you get there. RBJ

Sri Rudram - Namakam and Chamakam Srirudram, also known as Rudraprasna, is a hymn devoted to lord Shiva. It is part of the Yajur Veda and one of the greatest of the Vedic hymns for all round benefits and to remove all doshas & difficulties. In most of the poojas and homas it recited by the Vedic pundits. Sri Rudram is in two parts. The first part, chapter 16 of the Yajurveda, is known as Namakam because of the repeated use of the word "Namo" in it. The second part, chapter 18 of the Yajurveda, is known as chamakam because of the repeated use of the words "Chame". Rudram is divided into 11 sections called Anuvakas. In the first Anuvaka, Rudra is asked to turn away his Ghora rupa (fierce appearance) and to please keep his and his followers’ weapons at bay. Having been pacified, Rudra is requested to destroy the sins of those for whom it is being chanted. Apart from being a hymn devoted Lord Shiva, Srirudram also contains may hidden secrets in coded format. For example the verses contain coded instructions for preparing various ayurvedic medicines. This first Anuvaka is chanted to destroy all sins, obtain leadership and divine benevolence, protection from famine, freedom from fear, obtain food, and protect cows, for absence from untimely fear of death, of tigers, thieves, from monsters, devils, demons. It is also chanted as a shield (kavaca) for virulent fever, to cure diseases, fetal disorders, absolution from evils stars and bad karma, for the fulfilment of ones desires, sumptuous rainfall, family protection, blessings with good children, fulfillment of all material desires and the destruction of enemies. In the second Anuvaka, Rudra is prayed to as one who pervades the earth and as the green foliage and heritage of medicinal herbs. He is asked to loosen the bonds of samsara (illusion). This Anuvaka is chanted for the destruction of enemies, possession of wealth, getting kingdom (getting Job) and possession of intelligence. In the third Anuvaka Rudra is described as the Lord of thieves who exists in everything. He is Sarvatma; the self of all. In this context, we who are unenlightened have stolen the immortal status of the Self and replaced it with our own limited conception of ego. And in turn it is Rudra who will come and steal our ignorance from us, restoring us to our natural status of enlightenment. This Anuvaka is also chanted for the cure of diseases. In the fourth Anuvaka, Rudra is described as the creator and worker of all kinds. He is the cause of both the significant and minor. This Anuvaka is chanted for the cure of tuberculosis, diabetics and leprosy. In the fifth Anuvaka Rudra’s existence in running waters is praised and his five activities are described (creation of the universe, preservation of it, destruction at the time of Pralaya, bondage in ignorance and the release of moksha). In the sixth Anuvaka Rudra is identified with time (Kalarupa). He is described as the source of the different worlds, Shrutis (Vedas) and its essence in Vedanta. The fifth and sixth Anuvakas are chanted for the expansion of one’s own assets, victory against enemies, blessings for a son with the stature of Rudra, avoidance of a miscarriage and easy childbirth, averting difficult astrology and protection of one’s own son. In the seventh Anuvaka his all-pervading presence in waters, rains, clouds, storms and its various forms are described. This Anuvaka is chanted for the increase of intelligence, improvement of health, wealth, progeny, clothes, cows, sons, education, lands, longevity and obtaining liberation. In the eighth Anuvaka Rudra is described as He who illumines other Gods and confers powers on them. He is seen as ever present in holy rivers and He who can absolve all sins. This Anuvaka is chanted for the destruction of enemies and possession of ones own kingdom (lands). In the ninth Anuvaka the strength and power his attendants is celebrated because they illumine the gods and the world and control the forces of the universe. This Anuvaka is chanted for obtaining gold, a good wife, a job, and the blessings of a son who will be devoted to Lord Shiva. In the tenth Anuvaka Rudra is again asked to shed his fury and shower benevolence by his displaying his Pinaka bow without arrows and to gracefully appear with his tiger skin on his body with pleasing countenance ready to shower boons upon his devotees. This Anuvaka is chanted for possession of wealth, cure of diseases, removal of fear, getting rid of the enmity of powerful people, absence of fear from all living beings, having the vision of Bhairava (Shiva in his most fearful aspect), absence from dangers and fears, blessings and the absolution of sins. In the eleventh Anuvaka Rudra’s accomplishments are profusely praised and his benevolence is invoked with unconditional salutations. This Anuvaka is chanted for blessings of one’s progeny, the enhancement of longevity, visiting of sacred places, and acquiring knowledge of past, present and future. After praying and identifying Rudra with everything in the Namakam, the Chamakam is recited, in which the devotee identifies himself with Lord Shiva and asks him to give him everything!! These excellent prayer is intended for the bulk of the people and every thing to be cherished in the world is included in this ascend to the state of Jnani to attain Moksha i.e. eternal happiness. Chamakam assures granting of what all you ask in a full-throated manner unabashed. The creator makes no distinction between the things of the world and the other world. Both belong to him and desire born out of Virtue is really manifestation of divinity and Dharma. Chamakam furnishes completely the ideal of human happiness and defines in the highest degree the desires and do not delimit to be asked or to be granted. In the first Anuvaka prayer is made to keep fit in the human being his vitalities internal and sensory organs and mind hale and healthy, a long and peaceful and happy old age. The Second Anuvaka prominence and leadership, common sense, intellectual acumen, capability to face trying circumstances, Spiritual elevation, worldly splendour and enjoyments. The third develops innate urge of God and meditative flights and spiritual ecstasy, service to Divinity and humanity and a condition where the world wants him and he wants the world for upliftment. The fourth assures of courtesy, fitness of the body and the best food for the body, cosy and comfort. The fifth asks for the Nava ratnas, the precious stones and all the animals to sub-serve his interest and the qualified materials best in their form for his rituals. The sixth emphasizes the importance of Indra as a co-sharer in the offerings to the other Gods. Thus makes him big to get the major obtainers of Havis among all Gods and his special honour and supremacy. The Seventh lists the various instruments necessary for some and sacrifices in the “Homa Kunda”, the site of offerings to the fire God with Svahakara. The ninth is the prime prayer consists of all the contents of four Vedas. The tenth invokes all the biological species to co-operate in his daily wealth and also for the sacrificial fire. It also involves higher spiritual elevations, and makes it as Jnana Yajna. The Eleventh Anuvaka brings out the long list of benedictions asked for in the odd divine number and even human numbering. Chamakam roots are firmly implanted in the worldly desires ultimately leading to the divine fulfillment. It is prayed that the Divine is immortal, infinite and is the cause of earth and heaven, space and time, reborn after the end of every thing and is the presiding deity. Chamakam Namakam caiva purusa suktam tathaiva ca | Nityam trayam prayunjano Brahmaloke mahiyate || He who ever recites Namakam and Chamakam along with Purusa suktam daily will be honoured in Brahmaloka.