Tata's Nano car passes Indian road test

The Singur plant may not be ready to roll out the Nano just yet, but the Rs 1 lakh car is now officially roadworthy for Indian tarmac. The car was successfully ‘homologated’ by the Pune-based Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), which handed over the Nano’s clearance certificate to Tata Motors last week. This means that the car has met all the specified criteria for roadworthiness laid out by the government including emissions or noise & vibration and can now ply on Indian roads. When Tata Motors first announced the Nano project, there was a lot of scepticism over its cost target as well as technical specifications. But the road-worthiness test has now proved what Tata brass have been claiming so far — that the Nano will be the most fuel efficient car in India. The Nano is fitted with a twin-cylinder 623 cc rear mounted petrol engine that generates 33 horse power. Those dimensions make it the smallest engine in India but sources say the Nano managed to score around 24 km per litre during its ‘homologation’ tests with ARAI. Although the ARAI score is under standard and not in city driving conditions, the Nano is expected to deliver a standard mileage of over 20 kmpl when it actually rolls out on Indian roads. This would make it more fuel efficient than the Maruti Alto small car, currently top of the mileage heap. Sources say that’s why the Nano will be the first car in India to display the actual fuel mileage figures it recorded at ARAI’s tests on its windshield. The innovatively-designed Nano went through more than 100 tests of various kinds at the ARAI’s Pune facility over a period of four months. It conforms to Euro IV emission standards which will come into effect in India in 2010. Clearing the homologation hurdle means the Nano is now technically ready to be sold in India. As part of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), all vehicles that ply on Indian roads, including the totally imported ones, have to be homologated for the local market. “Successful homologation is the first step and the certification which was handed over to Tata Motors’ head of Engineering Research Centre Clive Hickman will be dispatched to all regional transport offices in India. Immediately thereafter they can start registering any car sold by Tata Motors,” sources said.

Brainy work makes people hungrier

Intellectual activities like reading, or working on the computer, can increase an individual’s calorie intake, suggests a new study.

The new research led by researchers from Universite Laval has found that thinking hard makes people hungrier.

The team led by Dr Angelo Tremblay measured the food intake of 14 students after each of three tasks: relaxing in a sitting position, reading and summarizing a text, and completing a series of memory, attention, and vigilance tests on the computer.

After 45 minutes at each activity, participants were invited to eat as much as they wanted from a buffet.

The researchers had already shown that each session of intellectual work requires only three calories more than the rest period.

However, the new study showed that despite the low energy cost of mental work, the students spontaneously consumed 203 more calories after summarizing a text and 253 more calories after the computer tests. This represents a 23.6pct and 29.4pct increase, respectively, compared with the rest period.

The blood samples taken before, during, and after each session revealed that intellectual work causes much bigger fluctuations in glucose and insulin levels than rest periods.

"These fluctuations may be caused by the stress of intellectual work, or also reflect a biological adaptation during glucose combustion," hypothesized Jean-Philippe Chaput, the study's main author.

“The body could be reacting to these fluctuations by spurring food intake in order to restore its glucose balance, the only fuel used by the brain.

"Caloric overcompensation following intellectual work, combined with the fact that we are less physically active when doing intellectual tasks, could contribute to the obesity epidemic currently observed in industrialized countries.

"This is a factor that should not be ignored, considering that more and more people hold jobs of an intellectual nature," he added.

Governor appeals to end Singur impasse

With the West Bengal government seeking more time, Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi has deferred the much-awaited meeting to resolve the Singur crisis to later Friday asking both the sides to participate in a "mood of reconciliation and compromise". Gandhi, who called this meeting on Wednesday to end the deadlock over Tata Motors Nano plant, told reporters at the Raj Bhavan that the state government representatives had urged him to postpone the session by a few hours and "I requested the opposition to consider it". "I have now decided to hold the meeting at 4 pm," he said. The meeting was earlier scheduled at 10 am. The governor, who chose to preside over the meeting, but not to mediate, asked both the government and the opposition to come forward with an "attitude of compromise and a spirit of reconciliation". The meeting has generated hopes about the future of Tata's Nano car plant. "I am pleased with both sides for reacting positively to my request to attend the meeting," he said, adding he was appealing to the two parties to ensure the success of the talks. "The opposition and the government came to me with expectations. I am hopeful of a solution ...without any compromise nothing can be achieved," he said. Governor Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, on Thursday met representatives of farmers who are protesting the acquisition of some 400 acres of farmland. According to sources, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has decided to arrange an alternative plan for the unwilling farmers, but isn't ready yet to announce the policy decision. Government sources said that with not much alternate land available, Friday's meeting may deliberate on a better compensation package for farmers whose land was acquired for the Tata Motors' car plant in Singur. It will also propose to make an economic package for the farmers that would ensure consistent income, added insiders. Buddha wants to use about 40 acres land left with them near the plant for the economic activities of the land losers and farmers. Sources added that though Mamata will demand the return of 400 acres of land from Inside the Tata Nano plant, the government will not consider the proposal. It is going to be day of hard bargaining for the West Bengal government as Mamata Banerjee has refused to relent on her demand of the 400 acres of land within the Nano plant. The Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi's role will be crucial as he moderates the meeting which will revolve around three basic points of Land used, livelihood of those who lost their land and a compensation package for the farmers. Sources tell us that Buddha has requested the governor to save the project. The Trinamool Congress too is banking on the West Bengal Governor's initiative to resolving the deadlock. Tata against change in Singur land pattern Ratan Tata's letter that he was against any change in pattern of land in Singur, would "dampen the spirit of the initiative" taken by West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi to resolve the Singur issue, Trinamool Congress said. In a virtual rejection of the TC demand for shifting the ancillary units and returning 400 acres to "unwilling" farmers, Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata on Thursday made it clear that the company was against any change in the land pattern at Singur. Informed sources said that Tata, in his reply to the Governor's letter sent on Thursday, said the Tatas had no problem in participating in any talks on Singur as suggested but was against any change in the land pattern. In the letter, Tata explained the circumstances leading to the decision taken to suspend work at the small car plant at Singur following disruptions and violence, the sources said. A copy of the letter was sent to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. Earlier, the Governor had sent a letter to Ratan Tata informing him that an initiative had been taken to resolve the Singur impasse. Gandhi had told reporters last night that the Tatas should be involved in the talks.