India, Mozambique ink three pacts, India gives $500 million credit
India and Mozambique today inked three pacts and a credit line of $500 million has been extended to that country for infrastructure projects, agriculture and energy during a meeting between president of Mozambique Armando Guebuza and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Guebuza and Singh, who held delegation level talks, decided to create a partnership based on greater political engagement, deepening of economic cooperation, strengthening of defence and security cooperation, specially to secure sea lanes against piracy and, cooperation in capacity building and human resource development.
India will support the establishment of training and planning institutions in Mozambique to support capacity building in the coal industry and will also support capacity building for the defence and police forces of that country, the prime minister said.
They have decided to set a target of bilateral trade of one billion US dollars by the year 2013.
India inks pipeline deal with Turkmenistan: TAPI
The four countries signed the gas pipeline framework agreement (GPFA) and heads of agreements that will lead to the a gas sales purchase agreement in Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat.
TAPI is a proposed natural gas pipeline being developed by the Asian Development Bank. The pipeline will transport Caspian Sea natural gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan into Pakistan and then to India. The abbreviation comes from the first letters of those countries.
India, Argentina sign civil nuclear energy cooperation agreement
India and Argentina signed an agreement for "Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy". Both signed an agreement in civil nuclear cooperation and nine other pacts to establish strategic partnership.
Argentina became the seventh country with which India has signed a civil nuclear agreement after the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group lifted a 34-year-old ban on nuclear commerce in Sep 2008.
India has already signed similar pacts with the US, France, Russia, Kazakhstan, Namibia and Mongolia.
India, Norway sign MoU on cooperation in local governance
India and Norway signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the area of local governance in Oslo. The MoU was signed by Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Minister C P Joshi, who was on a visit to Norway, and Ms Liv Signe Navarsete, the Norwegian Minister of Local Government and Regional Government.
An official press release here said the MoU would transference of competence between India and Norway for strengthening local self-governance, including capacity building of institutions, focusing on areas relating to achievement of Millenium Development Goals, e-governance, solution sharing and mobilisation of resources.
India, Brazil, S Africa begin second IBSAMAR naval exercise
This is the second edition of IBSAMAR. The first edition was held in 2008.
Brazil will take upon the role in the next edition to be held in 2012.
Indian naval destroyer INS Mysore, frigates INS Tabar and INS Ganga along with tanker INS Aditya have joined IBSAMAR exercise. Brazil is participating with its warships, while South Africa has brought its submarines.
India, Canada agree to increase bilateral trade to $ 15 b annually
India and Canada have reiterated their Prime Ministers' commitment to increasing bilateral trade from the current level of $ 4.5 billion to $ 15 bilion annually in the next five years.
Canada-India Joint Study Group Report was released that examined the feasibility of a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA). They welcomed the group's recommendation that negotiations be initiated towards a substantive and ambitious CEPA to the mutual benefit of both countries.
Under the umbrella of the Ministerial Dialogue, both sides agreed in principle to establish working groups on PPP model, focussing on infrastructure, Energy, Mining, Agro-processing, ICT and Education.
India, Kuwait to enhance cooperation in oil sector
Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora and his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah al Ahmad al Sabah held discussions on ways of enhancing cooperation between the two countries in the oil and gas sector.
India, UK sign MoU on road transport, highways
India and the United Kingdom have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the area of road transport and highways. The MoU was signed by Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath and his British counterpart Philip Hammond in London.
As per the MoU, both countries will exchange best practices in motor vehicle testing, driver training and maintaining highway networks.
Mr Deora said there were several areas in which the two countries could work together, including a long-term arrangement of crude oil supply from Kuwait to India and mutual investments in the hydrocarbon sector.
India, China to work towards MoU on Road Transport, Highways
India and China have agreed to work towards signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the areas of Road Transport and Highways. This was agreed at a meeting between Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways Kamal Nath and Chinese TransportMinister Li Shenglin in Beijing. Mr Nath told the Chinese minister that India had embarked on a massive national nighway development programme under which it proposed to construct 7000 km of highways every year over the next few years. So this programme offered huge opportunities to Chinese construction companies and financial institutions to enhance their engagement with India. He also said that the preferred mode of highway development in India is public-private partnership.
India, Brazil likely to collaborate for production of ethanol, investment inagriculture
India and Brazil are exploring the possibilities of cooperation in the production of ethanol and investment in agriculture. . It is felt that the joint efforts of the world's two largest sugarcane producers, India and Brazil, were crucial to making ethanol a global commodity and a sustainable, low-carbon energy alternative to oil.
US team in Delhi for talks on food security, agricultural cooperation
India and the United States held the first meeting of the US-India Agriculture Dialogue Steering Committee as part of the partnership between the two countries on agricultural cooperation and food security.
India 3rd most powerful nation in the world
The new global power line-up for 2010 compiling the world's most powerful countries/regions recognized India as the third most powerful country behind the US and China, and predicted that its clout as well as that of China and Brazil would further rise by 2025.
Recognizing India’s growing clout in the world, an official US report on global governance here declared the country the fourth most powerful nation/bloc behind the US, China and the European Union.
The US is followed by China (more than 12 per cent), European Union (more than 16 per cent), India (nearly eight per cent), and less than five per cent each for Japan, Russia and Brazil. According to this international futures model, by 2025 the power of the US, EU, Japan and Russia would decline while that of China, India and Brazil would increase, even though there would be no change in this listing.
By 2025, the United States would still be the most powerful country of the world, but it would have a little over 18% of the global power.
The US would be closely followed by China (nearly 16%), European Union (14%) and India (10%).
India has maximum people without electricity: IEA
More people in India lack access to electricity than any other nation, a deficit that must be closed to ensure that expansion of the world's third-fastest growing major economy is sustained, the Inter-national Energy Agency said.
In India, 404 million people don't have access to the energy needed for lighting, mechanical power, transport and telecommunications, according to an IEA report
India’s health cover for poor attracts world attention
INDIA’S ambitious public health insurance scheme covering 19 million poor families is now going global, after the World Bank recommended it for the rest of the world.
After the multilateral development institution flagged it as a “model of good design and implementation”, countries such as Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria and Ghana have evinced interest in learning from the experience. The Maldives government has asked the Union labour ministry, the nodal ministry for implementing the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), to design a similar project for its people.
Other countries in Asia and Africa with sizable number of poor people have shown interest in replicating the Indian scheme that provides cashless treatment up to Rs 30,000 annually to a family of five at empanelled government and private hospitals through smart cards. About 4,500 private hospitals and 2,000 public hospitals are part of the RSBY scheme.
Cabinet okays release of additional DA for Central Govt. Employees
The Union Cabinet decided to release an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners with effect from July 1.
An official press release said this represented an increase of 10 per cent over the existing rate of 35 per cent of the basic pay/pension and was meant to compensate for the price rise.
The increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 6th Central Pay Commission.
The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief will be of the order of Rs. 9,303.2 crore per annum and Rs. 6,202.1 crore in the financial year 2010-2011 (for a period of 8 months from July,2010 to February, 2011), the release added.
Cabinet approves National Identification Authority Bill
The Union Cabinet today approved the proposed National Identification Authority of India Bill, 2010, which envisages to make UIDAI a statutory body.
The Bill proposes to constitute a statutory authority to be called the National Identification Authority of India and lays down the powers and functions of the Authority, the framework for issuing unique identification numbers (aadhaar numbers), major penalties and other related matters through an Act of Parliament.
The Bill will now be introduced in Parliament for approval by the members.
The project will involve an expenditure of Rs 3023.1 crore which includes project components for issue of UID numbers (called aadhaar numbers) by March 2011, and recurring establishment costs for the entire project phase of five years ending March 2014.
The UID project is primarily aimed at ensuing inclusive growth by providing a form of identity to those who do not have any identity.
Cabinet approves new labour Bill
The Union Cabinet approved the introduction in Parliament of the simpler version of the bill relating to the Labour Act to benefit establishments employing up to 40 workers in maintaining registers and submitting returns electronically under 16 labour laws.
The new bill — Labour Laws (Exemption from Furnishing Returns and Maintaining Registers by Certain Establishments) Amendment Bill, 2010 (Appendix-III) — will be introduced in the Rajya Sabha. It will be moved after withdrawing the earlier one — the Labour Laws (Exemption from Furnishing Returns and Maintaining Registers by Certain Establishments) Amendment and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, 2005.
Tembhli becomes first Aadhar village in India
With this number, Ranjana has become the first Indian to get the UID (Unique Identification).
With this Tembhli has become the forst village to get UID numbers and
Maharashtra will be the first State to get the UIDs, the rest of the country will get them within a span of four years.
Assam launches country's first model district health project
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi launched the Morigaon Model District Health Project, Health Department's ambitious project, in collaboration with The Earth Institute, Columbia University, and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Morigaon becomes the first district in the country to have started the project and is among the five districts in the country (the rest being one each in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar) to have been selected under the model district health project.
Project would aim at reducing infant and maternal mortality rates not only in Morigaon district but in other districts of the State as well by 2015.
Prithvi-II fails to take off
The nuclear weapons-capable, surface-to-surface ballistic missile Prithvi-II with a range of 350 km failed to take off after it was fired from a mobile launcher during a user trial at Chandipur in Orissa.
Prithvi is the first missile to be developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme and has two variants – Prithvi-II for the Air Force and Dhanush for the Navy.
B&R, BPCL become mini-ratna firms
The government has provided enhanced financial autonomy to two public sector units — Bridge and Roof Company and Bharat Pumps and Compressors — by granting them the ‘mini-ratna’ status. With this, the number of such companies under the ministry of heavy industries and public enterprises has increased to seven. Kolkata-based B&R has been given mini-ratna category-I status while Allahabad based BPCL has been placed under category – II.
Wikipedia to open office in India soon
Wikipedia, the free online encyclopaedia and one of the most visited sites after Google with 375 million visitors a month, will shortly be launching an India office, besides setting up an India Chapter of the Wiki Foundation
Number portability from November 1
Mobile Number Portability (MNP) — which allows mobile subscribers to retain their existing number while changing operators — is on schedule to be rolled out across the country on November 1, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman J.S. Sarma said.
Central Govt. to make available 19.98 lakh tonnes of sugar in October
The Central Government has decided to make available 19.98 lakh tonnes of sugar for October, which it said would be sufficient to meet the internal demand for the commodity during the month.
Nod for Film Development Corporation revival plan
Union Cabinet has approved a plan to infuse additional equity worth Rs.3 crore in order to revive the National Film Development Corporation (NDFC).
Originally a profit-making PSU which funded and produced over 300 films in 18 Indian languages, the NFDC started incurring losses after 2002-03 with the entry of private channels, leading to a split of advertisement revenue from Doordarshan, which was a major source of its income.
EU bans import of branded Indian honey
The European Union has banned the import of branded honey from India after laboratory tests showed a high level of lead and antibiotics in the samples.
BPL families in Maharashtra to get 9 kg extra grains
The State government has announced that the BPL quota has been increased from 35 kg to 44 kg per card a month for the period between September 2010 and February 2011.
It is due to the release of rotten food grains.
Apart from the normal quota, the Central government has already issued 1,30,000 metric tonne extra wheat and 1,20,000 mt extra rice to the Maharashtra government.
Sikkim has the highest suicide rate
Sikkim has earned the dubious distinction of being the State with the highest suicide rate in the country. The report was attributed to a Chennai-based regional representative of World Health Organisation.
According to the report, Sikkim has dislodged the usual top ranker Kerala as the State with the highest suicide rate in the country with a rate of 48.2 per lakh population. Puducherry was ranked second with a rate of 46.9 per lakh.
Sanskriti schools to open across country
Sanskriti School, the exclusive preserve of children of officers of all-India services and central services in Delhi, will now go national, as the Centre is planning similar schools all over the country.
However, the new Sanskriti schools — the first one is being planned in Shillong — may go against a key provision of the Right to Education Act that mandates 25% reservation for children of economically weaker sections in the neighbourhood. The new Sanskriti schools, as per the draft, will have only 15% of seats reserved for poor children while 55% will be for children of officers belonging to all-India services or central services.
Since the states will have to provide free land for the schools, children of state government employees will have 15% reservation, leaving 15% for general public. The general public will have to pay a higher fee, according to the draft proposal.
PM releases book on "Monuments of Delhi"
He noted that, out of the 174 monuments maintained by the ASI in Delhi, the book focused on 46 monuments located within the "core area" of the Commonwealth Games, which cover the heart of the city.
Queen's Baton finally reaches Delhi ahead of Games
The Queen's Baton today finally reached Delhi, the host city of the XIX Commonwealth Games, to be held from October 3-14, after travelling nearly 20,000 km in the past 100 days across all the 28 Indian States and 7 Union Territories.
Kerala Tourism to launch global campaign in London
Kerala, which has successfully marketed its stunning backwaters, pristine beaches and serene countryside to travellers from around the world, will soon launch a global publicity blitz to consolidate its position as one of the top tourist destinations in the world. It will be launched in London at the end of September through the world premiere of a new ad film.
Conceived by Stark Communications and directed by acclaimed film-maker Prakash Varma of Vodafone ZooZoo ad fame, the new campaign aims to make Kerala a ‘must-visit' destination for travellers to experience its brilliance and top-rate hospitality.
Railways to switch to 5-digit numbering system for all passenger trains
The Indian Railways will switch to a five-digit numbering system for all its passenger carrying trains from December 20, 2010 in place of the existing four-digit system. The new system would be more scientific, logical, uniform and computer-friendly. To make the transition smooth and simple, only a prefix of the digit 1 will be added to the 4-digit numbers of the existing trains.
The five-digit numbering scheme had become necessary because the four-digit scheme had got exhausted as the Indian Railways are now running more than 10,000 trains every day.
Govt revises Union War Book to meet current situation
The new Union War Book, which is with the Cabinet Committee of Security for the final nod, lays down action plans in minute details to meet any contingency during war.
It spells out, for instance, how air, train and other services will be commandeered in times of national emergency. It also provides the basis for forward deployment of military assets like the movement of a Mirage-2000 fighter squadron from Gwalior to say Ambala or Leh.
The Union War Book was last taken up for implementation during Operation Parakram, the 10-month-long forward troop mobilisation launched in the aftermath of the December 2001 terrorist attack, when India almost went to war with Pakistan.
Union health ministry’s latest projections on life expectancy
According to projections published in the latest Family Welfare Statistics 2009, a male child born in Kerala is expected to live till 75.2 years by 2021 while a female child will live till 78.6 years.
The life expectancy at birth (LEB) — the average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year — of an Indian male will be 69.8 years in 2021 compared to 65.8 at present and 63.8 years in 2001.
In comparison, an average Indian woman can expect to live to 72.3 years by 2021, compared to 68.1 now and 66.1 in 2001.
Most deaths of children under five occur in India: UNICEF report
According to the latest United Nations under-five mortality estimates, released by UNICEF, India recorded 17.26 lakh under-five deaths with a mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) of 66 in 2009.
The statistic was much worse in 1990 — the base year from when the progress made by countries to combat child mortality is calculated. In 1990, India had recorded 31 lakh under-five deaths, with a mortality rate of 118.
The under-five mortality is increasingly concentrated in a few countries. About half of global under-five deaths in 2009 occurred in only five countries: India, Nigeria, Congo, Pakistan and China.
According to the report, India’s under-five mortality rate will be 39 in 2015, which works out to an average annual reduction rate of 3.1% since 1990.
Ministerial panel agrees on the new mining bill
A ministerial panel, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, reached a consensus to give a go ahead to the draft mining bill, which seeks that miners share 26 per cent of profits with local people who get affected by their projects.
The new bill has proposed that a fund – District Mineral Foundation – be created and the beneficiaries be paid out from it.
The ministry plans to introduce the bill in the winter session of Parliament to replace the existing Mines and Mineral Development and Regulation Act (MMDR Act), 1957.
In the earlier draft of MMDR Act, the provision was made for companies to either share 26 per cent equity or profits with the locals and tribals. However, the equity sharing proviso was opposed fiercely by the industry, especially the lobby group FICCI.
After 40 yrs, govt lifts ban on Ray’s film on Sikkim
Satyajit Ray may have been India’s most celebrated filmmaker, but the government had banned a documentary film Satyajit Ray made on Sikkim in 1971. Now, the film, Ray’s second documentary after he made one on Tagore, will finally be allowed for public screening, since the external affairs ministry has decided to lift the ban 40 years after it was made.
After Sikkim was merged with India in 1975, it was still considered a sensitive region and the Centre decided to ban the film that was commissioned by the monarchy with there being no screening of the film in India.
India may soon have DNA database to crack crime
The FBI has a DNA index system. The UK has a similar database. And if Parliament passes the DNA Profiling Bill, 2007, India will soon join the league, creating a national DNA database that will help police arrest serial offenders and give a boost to forensic investigation.
Six regional laboratories — to be established in Kolkata, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Bhopal, Pune and Guwahati — will facilitate the exchange and comparison of forensic DNA profiles created from evidence gathered from crime investigations and convicts. The move to create the database is part of the 11th Plan and has a financial outlay of Rs 42.6 crore.
Mukherjee releases first Budget Manual of Union Government
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today released the first Budget Manual of the Union Government which brings together all the budget-related activities and procedures, hitherto available in the dispersed manner in the form of executive instructions and guidelines, in one place.
The Manual has been prepared by the Budget Division of the Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Fnance.
The core sections of the Manual explain the entire chain of activities related to Budget preparation right from the issue of Budget Circular in September to the Budget Day in February, including the processes of estimation of receipts and expenditure, their firming-up and finalization through the Pre-Budget Meetings and their compilation.
Finally the Manual deals with the implementation and reporting of various Budget announcements. There is also a series of annexes which provide a holistic perspective on related subjects.
"Fairy Queen" to haul heritage train from Oct 23-March 12
FM: India to need incremental skilled workforce of 240-250 m till 2022
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said a study instituted by the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) and conducted by ICRA had shown that India would need an incremental skilled workforce of 240-250 milion till 2022 in 20 high growth sectors and the unorganised sector.
PM announces ad hoc assistance of Rs 500 crore for flood-hit Uttarakhand
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today announced an ad hoc assistance of Rs 500 crore for Uttarakhand, many parts of which have been severely affected by unprecedeted floods and landslides.
AIDS budget focus on its prevention: Naco
Claiming that India has a low prevalence of AIDS with 99.69% population uninfected by the disease, the Centre has reduced the HIV-related budget by Rs 100 crore, from Rs 1,030.87 crores in 2008-09 to Rs 924.1 crores in 2009-10.
National AIDS Control Organisation (Naco) said low prevalence of HIV has prompted the government to focus more on preventing new infections in high risk groups and general population rather than on care and treatment of existing patients.
Sanction granted for Rs 100 crore special assistance to J&K
The Centre has granted sanction for the Rs 100 crore special assistance for Jammu and Kashmir that was decided by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) A statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs said the grant, under Special Plan Assistance, was meant for schools and colleges for improvement and additions to their existing infrastructure such as class rooms, auditorium, library, playgrounds and toilet complex..
28 Indian diaspora youth in country as part of Know India Programme
As many as 28 Indian diaspora youth from different parts of the world are in the country under the 15th Know India Programme (KIP), a three-week orientation programme designed to promote awareness on different facets of life in India.
9th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on January 7-9 in Delhi
The ninth edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), the high-profile annual convention of non-resident Indians (NRIs) and persons of Indian origin (PIOs) will be held here from January 7-9, 2011.
PBD 2011 will have as its theme "Engaging the Global Indian". It will be organised by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs in partnership with the North-Eastern States and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in Durban on October 1-2
The 4th Regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) will be held on October 1-2 this year in Durban, South Africa on the theme "India and Africa: Building Bridges".
The event is being organised by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs in partnership with the provincial governmento KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Government of South Africa.
The first ever Regional PBD outside India was organized in New York in September, 2007 and the second one was held in Singapore in October, 2008. The third in the series of such events was held in September last year in The Hague.
Reproductive and child health project a success
Five-year project on Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) implemented in 180 villages of seven districts in Rajasthan with financial assistance from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) has yielded “encouraging results” in terms of awareness and access to RCH services as well as changes in the attitude and perception.
International Affairs
Russia, China sign energy deal
They celebrated the completion of a long-awaited China-Russia oil pipeline, the largest bilateral project.
The 999-km pipeline runs from Angarsk in Russia to Daqing in northeast China. It is part of a bilateral loan-for-oil deal reached in 2009.
Under it, China makes a $25-billion long-term loan to Russia while Russia supplies China with 300 million tonnes of oil through pipelines from 2011 until 2030.
The two countries also signed 15 deals on cooperation covering coal, gas supply, energy efficiency, renewable energy, nuclear power, power grids and banking.
10,00km pipeline to help gas flow from Central Asia to China
Central Asia will start meeting a good part of China’s energy demand from 2010 end when the first stage of a massive 10,000-km long gas pipeline becomes operational.
The pipeline will bring over 15 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Kazakhstan. The pipeline is expected to fuel the government’s plans for western area development by bringing in Caspian Sea gas supplies to the relatively backward Xinjiang region. The pipeline runs from Turkmenistan and passes through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
This is the fourth international oil and gas pipeline linking China besides the Sino-Myanmar oil and gas pipelines, the China-Pakistan crude pipeline and the Sino-Russian oil pipeline.
The capacity of the Central Asian pipeline is expected to double from 15 billion cubic meters in 2010 end to 30 billion cubic meters by the end of 2011.
Russia, Norway sign Arctic border pact
The Treaty on Maritime Delimitation and Cooperation in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean was signed
Under the treaty Russia and Norway will equally divide the long-contested 176,000 sq. km. zone that lies off their Arctic coastlines and is believed to be rich in oil and gas.
The Barents Sea contains 7.6 billion so-called “tonnes of equivalent fuel”, according to Russia's Natural Resources Ministry.
U.S. exited recession in June 2009
The U.S. economy exited recession in June 2009, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) said, making it official that the downturn was the longest in more than half a century.
More than eight million jobs were lost in the slump that was triggered by dodgy Wall Street mortgage investments.
The NBER underscored that slow pace of recovery as it issued a statement that confirmed: “The recession lasted 18 months, which makes it the longest of any recession since World War II.”
Nepali Congress elects new president
Pact on UNMIN
The Nepal government and the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) arrived at a four-point agreement late, including on the future of the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN). Both sides have agreed to request the Security Council to extend UNMIN's term “for the final time for a period of four months”, under the same mandate.
The two sides also agreed to finish all remaining tasks of the peace process by January 14, 2011, which is when UNMIN's mandate will finally expire.
Pakistan to chair IAEA Board for third time
Pakistan was elected Chairman of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the third time.
It held this office in 1962-63 and 1986-87.
Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission Ansar Parvez was elected unanimously for the post for 2011-12.
Kuwait scraps sponsored foreign recruitment
Kuwait has decieded to scrap the sponsorship system for the recruitment of foreign labour, which is heavily loaded in favour of employers. And this decision has been welcomed by India.
The daily newspaper Al Rai quoted Mohammed Al Afasi, Kuwait's Minister of Social Affairs and Labour as saying that the sponsorship system, known locally as Kafeel, would be scrapped. Instead, a public authority in charge of recruiting foreign workers would be established in February. After Bahrain, Kuwait will become the second country in the GCC to establish a new foreign labour recruitment regime.
China-Pakistan in talks over n-power plant
China's State-run nuclear energy firm is in talks to set up a one gigawatt nuclear power plant in Pakistan.
The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), which has already set up two power plants at Chashma in Pakistan, earlier this year announced it would set up two additional, Chashma-3 and Chashma-4, 300 MW power reactors.
Google, UN-Habitat join hands for access to water, sanitation
The initiative provides a common, real-time, online platform for data collected by groups around the world, presenting them in the form of interactive maps (using Google Earth), while providing an opportunity for community participation in data collection.
Apple showed Arunachal as part of China
Within just four days of its launch, Apple's iPhone 4 is quite in demand.
Every one of those users who logged on to Apple's latest new product would have been led to think the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh was a part of China, if they went by the phone's maps.
Apple has been told to show the entire state within China's borders, according to local media reports here.
An image was posted on the popular China-based website the Shanghaiist. International maps usually show the region as disputed, though maps in India and in China show their respective territorial claims. ‘Even as the region is administered by India, any Chinese iPhone will show that it belongs to China,” the website reported.
Any international map which shows territories as disputed is blocked by China's Internet restrictions.
China's lunar probe
China will launch its second lunar probe, Chang'e II, at an appropriate time between October 1 and 3, the Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC), in southwest China's Sichuan Province, announced.
The country plans to launch its third unmanned probe to the moon, Chang'e III, in 2013.
Japan-China dispute in East China Sea
China has suspended senior bilateral contact with Japan over the detention of a Chinese captain accused of ramming his boat against Japanese patrol vessels in disputed waters.
The incident took place near the disputed Diaoyu islands —— called Senkaku in Japan and also claimed by Taiwan — which lie in an area with rich fishing grounds that is also believed to contain oil and gas deposits.
3 more Indian-Americans in Team Obama
This week the White House announced a string of appointments to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and they included three Indian-Americans: Farooq Kathwari, Amardeep Singh and Sunil Puri.
France clears veil-ban law
The French parliament passed a law prohibiting wearing a full-face veil in public, meaning a ban will come into force early next year if it is not overturned by senior judges.
The Senate passed the bill on Tuesday by 246 votes to one and, having already cleared the lower house in July, the bill will now be reviewed by the Constitutional Council, which has a month to confirm its legality.
The text makes no mention of Islam, but President Nicolas Sarkozy’s government promoted the law as a means to protect women from being forced to wear Muslim fullface veils such as the burqa or the niqab.
Boeing enters space tourism business
Boeing has announced that it intends to enter the space tourism industry with flights as early as 2015.
With their new Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 spacecraft Boeing is hoping to launch flights from Cape Canaveral in Florida to the International Space Station with seven people on board.
Outsourcing emerged as a new business strategy in early 1980s
Read very good summarization of Outsourcing
Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (20-22 September 2010
World leaders had a hard time convincing doubtful aid agencies that they are serious about meeting the eight big development goals that were set at the Millennium summit in 2000 with a target date of 2015.
European leaders have offered $1.3 billion at the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) summit here, amid mounting calls for money to pay for the battle to cut extreme poverty.
The huge sum was offered by EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
UN secures $40 billion for women’s and children’s health
Progress in the UN Millennium Development Goals- Some facts
The United Nations is set to launch a $40 billion global strategy to help pregnant mothers and their infants, as it tries to boost efforts to meet its Millennium Development Goals. The anti-poverty goals are meant to be achieved by 2015.
1. REDUCING GLOBAL POVERTY AND HUNGER
Goal: to halve the number of people living below the poverty line of $1.25 a day and halve the number of people going hungry.
The goal of cutting the poverty rate in half appears well within reach by 2015, according to a World Bank report
The world is not on track to halve hunger by 2015 mainly because of setbacks caused by record food price increases in 2008. In 1990, the share of hungry people was 20 percent; by 2005 it had dropped to 16 percent, but rose to an estimated 19 percent in 2009.
2. ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION
Goal: to ensure that all boys and girls get a complete primary school education.
According to World Bank data, 50 poor countries have achieved universal primary education and seven more are on their way. Still, 38 countries, mostly in Africa, are off track and unlikely to achieve the full-enrollment target.
3. PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY
Goal: to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education.
The target looks likely to be met by 2015 although Africa is lagging.
4. REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY
Goal: to cut by two-thirds deaths of children under age 5.
Only about one-fourth of developing countries are on track to reach this goal.
Each year about 8 million children die before the age of 5 largely from preventable causes.
5. IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH
Goal: to reduce by three-quarters the maternal mortality rate and achieve universal access to reproductive health.
Globally, more than half of all maternal deaths were concentrated in six countries: Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan.
6. COMBAT AIDS, MALARIA AND OTHER DISEASES
Goal: to halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS. Achieve by 2010 universal access to treatment for HIV and AIDS. Halt and begin to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases.
Africa is the region most heavily affected, accounting for more than two-thirds of all people living with HIV and nearly three-quarters of AIDS-related deaths in 2008. Women are most affected, accounting for about 60 percent of those living with HIV in Africa.
7. ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL STABILITY AND REVERSE LOSS OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
Goal: to integrate sustainable development into national policies and reverse environmental losses; reduce the rate of loss of biodiversity by 2010; halve the number of people living without safe drinking water and basic sanitation.
Between 1990 and 2008, more than 1.6 billion people in developing countries gained access to improved sources of drinking water, raising the proportion of population with access to 84 percent from 72 percent.
8. DEVELOP A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT
Goal: to address cooperation in aid, trade, debt relief, and access to technology and essential drugs.
India’s development report card for MDG
Economy, Banking and Finance
ADB upgrades India's growth forecast
Multilateral lender Asian Development Bank (ADB) raised the country’s growth forecast for the current fiscal to 8.5%, identical to the government figure, from 8.2%, after a series of positive numbers from industrial and agriculture sectors.
Growth is being supported by robust investment, increased capital inflows, and stronger industrial output, buoyed by rising consumer demand.
At 44.6mt, India is 4th largest steel producer
Russia has slipped to fifth place among steel-producing countries, behind India, the World Steel Association said. Russia produced 5.6 million tonne last month, while India made 5.7 mt.
The top three producers are China, Japan and the US.
ADB to lend $250 million to Goa, Karnataka & Maharashtra
The Asian Development Bank will lend up to $250 million (about 1,124 crore) for protection of coastlines in Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra. ADB’s board of directors have approved a multi-tranche financing facility of up to $250 million for the Sustainable Coastal Protection and Management Investment Programme. The programme “aims to reduce coastal erosion and instability in the western coastal states of Goa, Karnataka, and Maharashtra”.
India has over 7,500 kilometres of coastlines.
FII investment cap raised by $10 b in debt markets
Aimed at bridging the financing gap in infrastructure business and ensuring India's growing attractiveness as an investment destination, the government raised the cap on investment by foreign institutional investors (FIIs) in the country's debt and bond markets by $10 billion to $30 billion.
According to an official statement here, FIIs will now be allowed to invest up to $5 billion more in both government bonds and corporate papers after they reach the existing cap of $5 billion and $15 billion in the two instruments, respectively. Besides, FIIs are permitted to invest $5 billion in bonds of infrastructure companies and government bonds with a residual maturity of over five years.
The current limit of FII investment in corporate bonds has also been increased by $5 billion, raising the cap to $20 billion and The government has increased the current limit of FII investment in government securities by $5 billion, raising the cap to $10 billion.
REC gets infrastructure finance company status
Reserve Bank has granted the Rural Electrification Corp (REC) the infrastructure finance company status which would allow the firm to lend more to power projects. REC is into financing power generation, transmission and distribution projects in the country. With IFC status, REC can now take an additional lending exposure of up to 5% of its owned funds in case of a single borrower and up to 10% of its owned funds in case of a group of borrowers. The total permissible exposure would thus be 40% of owned funds in case of a group of borrowers. REC also becomes eligible for issuance of infrastructure bonds and for raising funds up to $500 million ( 2,500 crore approximately) through external commercial borrowing (ECB) in a year.
REC is the second company after Power Finance Corp (PFC) to be accorded the status of IFC by the Reserve Bank. PFC was accorded the status in July this year.
GDP to grow by 9.2%, farm sector by 5.7%: CMIE .
India's GDP is expected to grow at 9.2% in 2010-11 on the back of spurt in economic activities, the Centre of Monitoring Indian Economy said in its monthly review here. The industrial sector, including construction is projected to grow by 9.4% in FY 11, better than the 9.2% growth in FY10. The services sector is projected to expand by 10%, compared to 8.6% last year led by the growth in trade and transport segment. The biggest turnaround is expected from the agriculture and allied sector, which is projected to grow by 5.7% in FY11. Grain production is projected to rise by 5.2 % as compared to an estimated seven per cent decline in FY10.
Banks told to ensure MFIs cap interest on lendings at 24%
The government has asked banks to ensure that micro finance institution (MFI) they lend to, do not charge beyond 24% interest from final borrowers, many of whom are poor women and landless labourers.
Govt reduces borrowing by 10,000 crore to 4.47 l crore
THE government scaled down its gross borrowing for the current financial year by 10,000 crore to 4.47 lakh crore for the current fiscal on back of windfall from auction of 3G airwaves and buoyant revenue collections.
“We are required to, as per the programme given earlier, to raise 1.73 lakh crore (in the second half of FY11). Looking at the projected cash flows and current requirement, we think it is not required to raise the whole amount. The amount reduced is by 10,000 crore to 1.63 lakh crore,” Finance secretary Ashok Chawla told reporters after finalising the borrowing plan for the second half with central bank officials
Indirect tax collection rises 45% in Apr-Aug
Indirect tax collection for the first five months of this fiscal (April-August 2010) at Rs 124,170 crore showed an increase of 45% over the same period last year. The highest increase was in customs duty collection, which went up by 67% to Rs 51,866 crore.
Excise duty mop up indicated an increase of 42% to Rs 49,672 crore, while collections from service tax during April-August was Rs 22,632 crore, an increase of 20%
India's infrastructure sector grows by 3.7 % in August
India's infrastructure sector grew 3.7 per cent in August from a year earlier, mainly due to expansion in petroleum refining, steel and cement sectors, latest government data shows.
The infrastructure sector - comprising six core industries of crude oil, petroleum refining, coal, cement, electricity and steel - grew 3.8 per cent in April-August, compared with a growth of 7.3 per cent in the same period last year.
India's food inflation rate rises to 16.44 %
India's food inflation rate rose slightly to 16.44 % for the week ended September 18, as compared to 15.46 per cent in the previous week, under the new Wholesale Price Index (WPI) series introduced last week with 2004-05 as the base year instead of 1993-94 in the earlier series.
Cabinet approves amendments to Forward Contracts(Regulation) Act
The Union Cabinet approved amendments to the Forward Contracts (Regulation) Act 1952 and a Bill in this regard will be introduced in Parliament.
An official press release said that the passage of the Bill by Parliament would enable the Forward Markets Commission (FMC) to get autonomy and power to regulate the market effectively. The amendments will also allow new products such as options in the commodity market, the release said.
India's exports up 22.5 per cent at $16.64 bln
The country's exports grew by 22.5 per cent to USD 16.64 billion in August compared to the same period last fiscal.
Imports, too, jumped by 32.2 per cent year-on-year to USD 29.67 billion in August, according to the government data released.
During April-August this fiscal, exports posted a growth rate of 28.6 per cent to USD 85.27 billion on a year-on-year basis.
Imports during the April-August period grew by 33.1 per cent to USD 141.89 billion.
Railways' freight revenue up 6.83 % during April-August
The Indian Railways' freight earnings went up by 6.83 per cent to Rs 24,544.39 crore during April-August this year from Rs 22,974.22 crore achieved during the corresponding period in the last financial year.
EPFO raises PF interest rate to 9.5 % for 2010-11
The Central Board of Trustees (CBT) of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) decided to increase the interest rate on retirement benefits by a full percentage point to 9.5% for 2010-11 from 8.5% for the previous year. An official press release said the Board had recommended the higher interest rate from the surplus located in the interest suspense account.
The 9.5% interest rate will result in an additional outgo of Rs 1,600 crore, which will be used from the surplus of Rs 1,731 crore in the interest suspense account of EPFO.
The Board recommended delinking of calculation of assurance benefit with the PF balances payable to family of employees who die while in servie under the EDLI Scheme, 1976. It would be now calculated at 20 times the average monthly wages drawn by the deceased employee in preceding 12 months of service. The maximum benefit payable to the families of EPF subscribers on their death in service would be Rs. 1.30 lakh. This would benefit the families of employees who die in harness.
10% DA hike approved for govt staff
Union Cabinet approved release of an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners to compensate for price rise. This is an increase of 10% over the existing rate of 35% of the basic pay/pension.
According to government, the increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on recommendations of the 6th Central Pay Commission.
India's domestic airlines carry 3.969 million passengers in August
India's domestic airlines carried a total of 39.89 lakh passengers in August this year, slightly less than the 40.84 lakh they reported in the previous month.
Awards
Pride of India Award given to U.K.'s first Asian judge
Sangeet Natak Akademi awards
Six eminent personalities were conferred Akademi Fellowships for 2009 and 33 artists received the Akademi awards.
Six legendary artists given the Akademi Ratna, the highest honour among the Akademi awards, were:
Violinist Lalgudi Jayaraman, actor Shreeram Lagoo, Bharatnatyam exponent Yamini Krishnamurti, Sanskrit theatre scholar Kamlesh Dutt Tripathi and classical music maestros Pandit Jasraj and Kishori Amonkar
IBSA Trust Fund receives MDG Award
The India, Brazil and South Africa Facility for Poverty and Hunger Alleviation (IBSA Fund) has received the 2010 MDG Award for South-South Cooperation.
The Award recognizes the work of the three countries in using innovative approaches to share, replicate and scale up successful development experiences for combating poverty and hunger in other parts of the world through the IBSA Trust Fund.
The annual MDG Awards support and raise awareness for the Millennium Development Goals.
Each country contributes $ 1 million annually to this Fund which is managed by the UNDP Special Unit for South-South Cooperation.
57th National Film Awards: Amitabh Bachchan Won Best Actor Award
Malayalam movie Kuttysrank, directed by Shaji N Karun and starring superstar Mammootty in the lead role, was chosen for the Best Feature Film Award in the National Film Awards for 2009, while megastar Amitabh Bachchan won the Best Actor Award for Paa in Hindi.
The list of the National Film Award winners are as follows:
Best Actor: Amitabh Bachchan for Paa
Best Actress: Ananya Chatterjee for her role in Abohomaan.
Best Director : Rituparno Ghosh for his Bengali film Abahoman.
Best Movie on National Integration: Delhi 6
Best Movie with Wholesome Entertainment: 3 Idiots
Best Film : Kutty Srank
Best film on social issues: Well Done Abba
Best Camerawork: Anjali Shukla.
Best Sound Engineer: Oscar winner Resul Pookutty
Best Supporting role (Male): Farooq Sheikh for the film Lahore
Best Supporting role (Female): Arundhati Naag for the film Paa
Best Playback singer (Male): Rupam Islam for Mahanagar
Best Playback singer (Female): Niranjana Sarkar (Housefull)
Best Music: Amit Trivedi for Dev D
Best lyrics: Swananad Kirkire for the film 3 Idiots
Best Music Director: Amit Trivedi for the film Dev D
Best Child Film : Ottani Pati and Kesu
Best Child actor: Jiva and Anba Karasu
Best Background Music score: Illyaraza for Pazhassi Raja
Best Choreography: K Shivashankar for film Magadheera
Appointments
Chauhan elected CCA president
Bharat Singh Chauhan has been elected president of the Commonwealth Chess Association (CCA) in the elections held at Khanty Mansisyk, Russia.
Viswanathan is new Lok Sabha Secretary-General
R. Chandrashekhar is new Telecom Secretary
R. Chandrashekhar has been appointed as the new Telecom Secretary.
Vellayan takes over as FAI chief
A. Vellayan, Chairman, Murugappa Group, took over as Chairman of Fertiliser Association of India (FAI).
Mr Mohan Kumar, at present the Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India in Paris, has been appointed as the country's next Ambassador to Bahrain.
Ashok Sajjanhar to be Ambassador to Latvia also
Mr Ashok Sajjanhar, currently India's Ambassador to Sweden, has also been appointed as the country's next Ambassador to Latvia.
Kundan Vyas elected President of Indian Newspaper Society
Mr Kundan R Vyas of the Mumbai-based Janmabhoomi Group of Newspapers was today elected President of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) for 2010-11 at its 71st annual general meeting held in Bangalore. Mr Vyas succeeds Mr T Venkattram Reddy of the Deccan Chronicle of Hyderabad.
Deaths
Economist, Rajya Sabha member Arjun Kumar Sengupta passes away
Dr. Sengupta was a well known developmental economist and a diplomat who served in various capacities within the Government and many international organisations.
Dr Sengupta's Report on the Unorganised Sector was a guiding force to provide minimum social security for all unorganised sectors.
During a distinguished career, he also served as Economic Advisor, Ministry of Commerce, Economic Minister, Indian High Commission, London, Special Secretary to the Prime Minister of India, Executive Director for India, Bangladesh and Bhutan at International Monetary Fund (IMF), Special Advisor to the Managing Director, IMF, , Member and Member Secretary, Planning Commission, and Independent Expert on the Right to Development
Hindi writer and journalist Kanhaiya Lal Nandan passes away
Singapore Minister Balaji Sadasivan passes away
Before moving to the Foreign Ministry, where he specialised in South Asia (including India), Europe, and Latin America, Mr. Balaji held several other portfolios, including that of Minister of State for Health and Environment.
V. Narayanan passes away
V. Narayanan, the former Chairman of Goodyear India and Founder Trustee of Chennai Willingdon Corporate Foundation, passed away
Sports
Tennis
Rafeal Nadal winner of United States Open 2010
Nadal is only the seventh man in tennis history and the fifth in the Open era to achieve the feat.
The 24-year-old is the youngest player to win a career Slam.
Read results of US open 2010
Cricket
Chennai Super Kings emerged as champion
Chess
Soumyaranjan bags title
Orissa's fourth-seeded Soumyaranjan Mishra won the DBFS Securities-RSC all-India FIDE-rated open chess tournament.
Motor Racing
Singapore Grand Prix 2010
Fernando Alonso of Ferrari took his third victory in five races at the Singapore grand prix.
Shooting
Ronjan wins double trap gold in Turkey World Cup
archery
Talukdar bags bronze
India’s Jayanta Talukdar claimed a bronze medal in the World Cup final in Edinburh.
Talukdar defeated Marco Galiazzo of Italy to win the bronze medal. The archer from Assam recorded a comfortable 6-2 (30-29, 29-28, 26-27, 29-28) victory. This was Talukdar’s first medal in his third World Cup Final appearence.
More Current Affairs
- India Telecom 2010 to be held in Delhi from December 9-11
- The Union Ministry of Communications & Information Technology today banned all bulk Short Message Services (SMS) and Multi-media Messaging Services (MMS) in the country for the next 72 hours ahead of the Allahabad High Court's verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suits
- "Commonwealth Express" train - The main purpose of the special exhibition train was to spread awareness about sports, coinciding with the XIX Commonwealth Games that Delhi will host from October 3-14, and also about information technology among the masses and the youth, in particular.
- "Miniratna" status was conferred to two Central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) – Bharat Pumps & Compressor Ltd and Bridge & Roof Company (I) Ltd.
- After a High Sex Ratio of 1004 Girls/1000 Boys in 2008, Delhi’s Figure Drops to 915/1000, Lower than National Average
- A medical couple in Hyderabad, Debraj Shome and Rinky Kapoor, claim that their home-grown invention, QR 678, could arrest the most stubborn cases of hairfall.
- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has banned all sales of S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran.
- Sahara India Pariwar, an Indian conglomerate with real estate and media holdings, says it has made a $2-billion bid to buy the debt of struggling Hollywood studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
- Chinese may be included in CBSE curriculum
- U.K.-based Cairn Energy announced that it had made its first oil discovery off the coast of Greenland.
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