New Delhi Resource Guide

New Delhi Resource Guide Government of India Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (Social Statistics Division) Central Statistical Organisation New Delhi 11 th meeting of the 29-30 January, 2009 at Hotel The Ashok Exibition Hall, 3 rd Floor Diplomatic Enclave, 5CB Chanakyapuri, New Delhi-110 021 SSD, RK Puram, New Delhi -110066 Page 1

Table of Contents Sl. No. Item Page No. A. When, Where, What, How??? 3 B. Meeting Information 4-5 C. Other Related Information 6-9 D. Registration Form 10 SSD, RK Puram, New Delhi -110066 Page 2

A. Welcome page from the Central Statistical Organisation, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation When, Where, What, How??? This resource Guide has been compiled to assist you in the preparation for your visit to New Delhi to participate in the 11 th meeting of the UN s Expert Group on Informal Sector Statistics (Delhi Group). We would appreciate any comments or suggestions that you have on how to improve this resource guide. Feel free to write down your comments or suggestions in the Registration Form at the end of this guide. SSD, RK Puram, New Delhi -110066 Page 3

B. Meeting Information Title 11 th meeting of the UN s Dates 29-30 January, 2009 Venue Exhibition Hall, 3 rd Floor, Diplomatic Enclave, 5CB, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi-110 021 India Date, Time & Place of Meeting The 11 th meeting of the UN s will be held on 29-30 th January, 2009 at Exhibition Hall, 3 rd Floor, Diplomatic Enclave, 5CB, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi-110 021. Morning session will commence at 10.00 a.m. and continue till 1:00 p.m. and the afternoon session will take place during 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Conference will be equipped with the audio visual aids. Please notify the organiser if you require any specific audio visual aids. Registration Registration will start at 9:00 am. The organisation staff members of Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) will assist the participants at the Registration Desk. Please fill in the Registration Form on the last page of this guideline and submit it to the CSO staff at the registration Desk before the start of the meeting. SSD, RK Puram, New Delhi -110066 Page 4

Names & Contact Numbers 1. J. Dash Additional Director General 2. MR Meena, Dy. Director General 3. Inder Jeet Singh, Director +91 (11) 26108529 (Off.) + 98118 74018 (M) Fax: +91 11 26108529 +91(11) 26108615 (Off.) + 98714 83554 (M) +91 ( 11) 2617 1146 (Off) + 98689 81770 (M) Official email: csopiu@nic.in Working Language of the meeting The meeting will be conducted in English and all documentations will be in English. Financial & Administrative Arrangement The cost of participation in the meeting is to be borne by the country/organization of the participants. Important Contact Nos. Police: 100 Fire Service: 101 Hospitals: i) All India Institute of Medical Sciences 91-11-26588500 91-11-26589900 91-11-26588700 ii) Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals +(91)-11-26925858 26925801 iii) Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre 011-10501 91-11-26825002 91-11-26825003 Taxi Service: i) Megacab Radio Taxi: +91-11-41414141 ii) Easy Cab: +91-11-43434343 SSD, RK Puram, New Delhi -110066 Page 5

C. Other Related Information Incredible India 1. India is an incredible country, where culture echoes, tradition speaks, beauty enthralls and diversity delights. Bounded by the majestic Himalayan ranges in the north and edged by an endless stretch of golden beaches, India is a vivid kaleidoscope of landscapes, magnificent historical sites and royal cities, misty mountain retreats, colourful people, rich cultures and festivities. The timeless mystery and beauty of India, always warm and inviting, a place of infinite variety favours with different facets of its fascination every time one visits India. New Delhi 2. New Delhi, besides being the Capital of India, is one of the finest cities of the world. It is truly a cosmopolitan city due to the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural presence. It provides all facilities and is a big tourist attraction. There are more than 160 embassies here. According to 2001 census of India, population of Delhi was nearly 14 million. English is spoken by a large section of people. Sprawling on the banks of the river Yumuna, Delhi, the capital city of India, typifies the soul of the country. In time, the city conceals within its bosom annals of civilisations that flourished for more than three thousand years. The city is a curious blend of the modern and tradition, skyscrapers, beautiful gardens and wide tree-lined avenues perpetuate the Mughal passion of landscaping and architectural excellence. More important, however, Delhi blends within its folds the great cultural variety of India; an unceasing range of activity, a million ways of saying You are Welcome. Religion and Culture of Delhi 3. The cultural diversity and religious unity are the core values of Indian society and New Delhi being the capital of India, naturally reflects it all, as people from different states come here for best education, best medical assistance and better job opportunities. It is a centre stage of Indian politics too and represents all that is best in India. The metropolitan city with a cosmopolitan outlook, New Delhi has rich heritage of royal past. The ancient city Delhi still reflects the remnants of the glorious old-age charm and has a very modern and chic lifestyle. 4. The Archaeological Survey of India recognizes 175 monuments in Delhi as national heritage sites. The Old City is the site where the Mughals and the Turkic rulers constructed several architectural marvels like the Jama Masjid (India's largest mosque) and Delhi Fort (Red Fort). Two World Heritage Sites, the 72.5 meters tall Qutab Minar and Humayun's Tomb are located in Delhi. Other monuments include the India Gate, the Jantar Mantar (an 18th century astronomical observatory) and the Purana Qila (a SSD, RK Puram, New Delhi -110066 Page 6

16th century fortress). The Lotus Temple, Laxminarayan Temple and Akshardham are examples of modern architecture. New Delhi houses several government buildings and official residences reminiscent of the British colonial architecture. Important structures include the Rashtrapati Bhavan, President House, the Secretariat, Rajpath, the Parliament of India and Vijay Chowk. 5. India is a country of festivals.the most festive season is during October- November. However, the Holi the festival of colours attracts the tourist most which is celebrated in the spring season. Climate & Weather of Delhi 6. A part of lush green Aravalis in the plains of Northern India gave way to the capital of India- New Delhi, several centuries ago. Like Agra, the city of Taj Mahal, it is also situated on the bank of river Yamuna. It has mountain (Himalayas) to its north and is surrounded by land from all sides. Positioned inland, far away from sea, it has extreme type of continental climate with typical scorching summers and very cold and dry winters. In summers, temperature can soar up to as high as 45 0 C while in winters; mercury has dipped down to as low as 2 0 C. Misty mornings, foggy evenings and delightfully mild sunny afternoons make up for the chilly waves in the winters. The best seasons in Delhi are the spring season from February to April and the autumn season from August to November. 7. Delhi s climate in January is cold. January is the peak of winter season and the weather towards night gets chilly. The average temperature varies from 8.2 degree Celsius at night to 23 degree Celsius in the day. Invariably warm clothes are required. Air travel to Delhi 8. Delhi is the main gateway city for northern India with a modern airport facility. An international airport known as Indira Gandhi International Airport caters to the needs of travellers. It is divided into two wings International Terminal (20 km from downtown (Connaught Place) and Domestic Terminal (15 KM). Taxi and coach transfer are available from both International and Domestic Arrivals. Prepaid Taxi (a service with journey fare paid at the booking counter), air-conditioned and non air-conditioned coach counters are located immediately outside the Customs Hall in International Terminal and outside Baggage Claim area in Domestic Arrivals. Airport coach (non-air-conditioned) is operated by Delhi Transport Corporation (via Connaught Place and Railway Stations) to Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT), Kashmiri Gate and by Ex-Servicemen s Airlink Transport Service to Connaught Place. The coach covers all major hotels en-route. Car rental 9. Depending on your place of lodging, there will be a need for car rental unless you have other travel plans. Car rental prices can vary significantly between rental companies. The likely rental charge is expected to be around Rs. 500-700 per day for a medium sized car. SSD, RK Puram, New Delhi -110066 Page 7

Currency, credit cards, traveller s cheques and banks 10. Indian currency is the Indian Rupee made up of 100 paisa. The notes are Rs. 1000, Rs. 500, Rs. 100, Rs. 50, Rs. 20, Rs. 10, and Rs. 5. The coins are Rs. 5, Rs.2, Rs. 1, 50 paisa, 25 paisa. Most hotels, restaurants, specially shops and department stores accept major credit cards. The widely accepted credit cards are Citibank, Hongkong, American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Diner s Club. Traveller s Cheques can be en-cashed at the International Airport on arrival in India and at all Banks. American Express Bank has offices in India for cashing and/or issuing traveller s cheques. Banking hours generally are 10.00 AM to 2.00 PM Monday to Friday. Banks remain open only until 12 noon on Saturday. Most of the banks have Automatic Teller Machines (ATM s), which are available for transactions 24 hours a day. Such a facility is available in banks located at Airport. Canara Bank in the Hotel Ashok deals with the Foreign Currency remains open for 24 hrs a day. Food 11. Indian food is a real delecacy. India is a major producer and exporter of spices. Therefore, a spicy food would be a great attraction for the participants. However, the hotels in India serve multi-cuisine food. The delegates can try variety of dishes Continental to Chinese to Italian Food etc. We are sure that the delegates would love to taste the local Punjabi cuisine or even Mughlai delicacies like kababs and biryanis. Due to Delhi's large cosmopolitan population, cuisines from every part of India, including Rajasthani, Maharashtrian, Bengali, Hyderabadi cuisines, and South Indian food items like idli, sambar and dosa are also widely available. Local delicacies Chaat and Dahi-Papri are very popular among the foreign visitors. Lunches and morning and afternoon teas 12. All lunches and morning and afternoon teas will be served in the Conference Room. There is no charge for the lunches and morning and afternoon tea/coffee. Special dietary and other needs 13. If you have any special dietary needs, or any other special requirements, please notify the organiser as soon as possible. For non-conference meals, you need to make your own arrangements. Smoking 14. Smoking is prohibited on all public transport, on the national airlines and at the airports. Smoking is also prohibited in all government and many private offices. Smoking is not permitted in the main venue of the Conference. SSD, RK Puram, New Delhi -110066 Page 8

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Infrastructure facilities and Accommodation 15. India is a fastest growing economy and hospitality industry is also booming very fast. Delhi has a large number of Five Star, Four Star and Three Star hotels to accommodate the foreign delegates of the session. You need to arrange your accommodation by directly contacting the hotels yourself or through any travel agent of your choice. However, names and e-mail addresses of a few good hotels are indicated below:- SL Name of the Hotel No. 1. Ashok Hotel, Chanakya Puri, New Delhi. 2. Hotel Taj Man Singh Man Singh Road, New Delhi 3. Hyatt Regency, Bhikaji Cama Place, Ring Road, R.K. Puram, New Delhi. 4. Le Meridien, Windsor Place, Janpath, New Delhi. 5. Taj Palace Hotel Sardar Patel Marg, Diplomatic Enclave New Delhi 110 021 India 6. Hotel Grand Intercontinental Barakhamba Avenue Connaught Place, New Delhi 7. Shangri-La Hotel New Delhi 19 Ashok Rd. Connaught Place, New Delhi 8. The Park Hotels 15, Parliament Street Delhi, Delhi 110001 Web-link http://www.theashok.com/ http://www.tajhotels.com/luxury/the%20taj%20 Mahal%20Hotel,NEW%20DELHI/default.htm http://delhi.regency.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index. jsp http://www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien/prop erty/overview/index.html?propertyid=1831&em= LM_LEMERIDIEN-NEWDELHI.COM_1831 http://www.tajhotels.com/luxury/taj%20%20palace %20Hotel,NEW%20DELHI/default.htm http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/intercontinental/en/gb/l ocations/overview/newdelhi http://www.shangrila.com/en/property/newdelhi/shangrila http://www.theparkhotels.com/ SSD, RK Puram, New Delhi -110066 Page 10

Registration Form 11 th meeting of the 29-30 January, 2009 at Hotel, the Ashok, Exibition Hall, 3 rd Floor, Diplomatic, Enclave, 5CB Chanakyapuri, New Delhi-110 021 Sl. Item No. 1. Name (As per Passport) 2. Passport No. 3. Address (As per Passport) 4. Designation 5. Organisation/Agency 6. Country 7. Contact No. 8. Name & Contact No. of the person in case of emergency 9. E-mail id 10. Comments/ Suggestions SSD, RK Puram, New Delhi -110066 Page 11