Revised Cost Estimate and implementation schedule for National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the revised cost estimate of Rs.2288.06 crore for the National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRIP) in place of the original approved cost estimate of Rs.1718 crore.  The budget escalation of Rs.570.96 crore, includes Rs.427.29 crore by way of grant and Rs.142.77 crore as loan as a part of the revised cost estimate of Rs.2288.06 crore.  The revised cost estimate of Rs.2288 crore includes the additional loan component of Rs.95.51 crore to be provided to offset the lower recovery of the user charges from Rs.118 crore (originally envisaged) to Rs.22.49 crore during the project period.

India, Pak to initiate steps for power, petroleum trade

Recognising that economic engagement will help build mutual trust, India and Pakistan on Thursday agreed to initiate steps for trade of electricity and petroleum products between them.Besides, Commerce Secretaries of the two countries agreed on a slew of measures to realise the full potential of bilateral trade which at present is less than $2 billion.

Govt hikes subsidy of DAP, MoP to curb domestic price rise

The government on Thursday hiked subsidy on two important fertilisers Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) and Muriate of Potash (MoP) to prevent a rise in their domestic prices following a surge in global rates.The additional burden of subsidy is estimated to be about Rs 10,000 crore for the current financial year after the government raised the benchmark price level for fixing subsidy for these nutrients.

Global ban on endosulfan ban recommended

The Contact Group on endosulfan and new persistent organic pollutants to the Stockholm Convention, meeting in Geneva, finalised a draft decision proposing global ban on endosulfan with many exemptions on Thursday. 

Lab to Land Initiative – Reaching Out to Rural Populace

Programs have a direct bearing on the well being of the rural community. A host of programs sponsored by Central Government and State Governments are being implemented in the field or rural development, agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, watershed, forests and environment, health, education, nutrition, public distribution system, industries, development of women, children, ST/ST and physically challenged persons, rural electrification, management of land records and so on.Most of these programs are being implemented under the supervision of District Collector and BDOs. In the implementation of these programs large number of stakeholders comprising Line Departments, NGOs and PRIs are involved.  The achievement of the objectives of the program depends on the commitment and cooperation among the stakeholders and proper knowledge and understanding of the programs.

After Bihar, M.P. says no to GM crops

The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to prohibit any environmental release, including field trials, of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).In a letter to Union Minister of Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh, Agriculture Minister Ramkrishna Kusmaria has strongly stated that due to insufficient research on their safety and impact on human beings and the environment, the State government has decided to ban field trials and release of GM crops in the State unless there “is clear evidence of [their] safety, proven beyond doubt.” With this, Madhya Pradesh has become the second State, after Bihar, to officially oppose GM crops. 

No decision taken at experts meet on Bt Brinjal

No decision was taken at the first meeting of experts that deliberated on issues relating to the moratorium on the commercial release of Genetically Modified Bt Brinjal.The experts were invited by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) for their views on the controversial issue.Noted agriculture scientist M.S. Swaminathan, however, recused himself from the meeting.He told that being a member of a Parliamentary Committee that was looking into the issue of Genetically Engineered Crops and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), he would not participate in any such deliberations. 

The inflation conundrum - Opinion

To the surprise of the UPA government, inflation just refuses to go away. Almost a year ago, when addressing a Chief Minister’s conference on food prices early in February 2010, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared: “The worst is over as far as food inflation is concerned. I am confident that we will soon be able to stabilise food prices.” Three months later, on more than one occasion, government spokespersons, like Chief Economic Advisor Kaushik Basu, declared that inflation had “peaked out” and was on a downward trend. Such statements are not surprising since in the current dispensation government representatives at the highest level are expected to talk down prices and talk up markets. It is not what you say but the confidence with which you say it that matters.

Achuthanandan writes to Chief Ministers

Kerala Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan wrote to Chief Ministers of other States on Wednesday urging them to support a national ban on endosulfan.The Chief Minister also urged his counterparts to demand that India should adopt a stand in favour of global ban on endosulfan at the conference of parties to the Stockholm Convention which is to end on Friday. 

EC offers expertise to Egypt on EVMs

The Election Commission of India (EC) has offered, if necessary, its technological support to the Egyptian election authorities for developing their own Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi, who led a team of EC officials and a technical expert from the Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), manufacturers of EVMs in India, to Cairo recently, briefed the Egyptian authorities about the functioning of EVMs. Demonstrations were also held.

Cong, DMK slam PAC chief, demand resignation

Slamming PAC chairman MM Joshi over the draft report on 2G scam, Congress and DMK members of the panel on Wednesday accused him of having "malafide intention" of destabilising the government and demanded his resignation.Soon after the draft report leaked, members of Congress and DMK went into a huddle and made it clear that they would not allow the adoption of the report in tomorrow's meeting.

Third phase WB assembly polls record 78.3 pc voting

A total 78.3 percent turnout has been recorded on Wednesday in the third phase of the West Bengal assembly elections in 75 constituencies in three districts.The polling percentage might rise as reports from remote areas of South and North 24 Parganas districts were still awaited, the state's chief electoral officer Sunil Gupta told reporters in Kolkata.He said polling was 82.6 per cent in South 24 Parganas district, 80 per cent in North 24 Parganas districts, while Kolkata (south) registered 63.5 per cent and Kolkata (north) 61.6 per cent.

2G scam: ED to attach properties of errant telecos

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that property worth Rs 2,000 crore each will be attached against two companies which are involved in the 2G spectrum scam during the tenure of former telecom minister A Raja."Property worth Rs 2,000 crore has to be attached relating to these companies," senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing for the ED, submitted before a bench comprising justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly. 

Parcel management to go online in railways - Thiruvananthapurm railway division

The railways have initiated computerisation of parcel management system covering areas like booking, loading and delivery to improve its efficiency in Thiruvananthapurm railway division.The computer-aided modern facility proposed is to be introduced at seven stations in the division initially, railway sources told. An IT initiative of Indian railways, the pilot project was implemented at seven stations in Delhi-Howrah Corridor.Reduction in time for weighment and booking, advance loading guidance according to availability of space thereby optimum use of available space and control on overloading, prior information about the inward traffic, loading according to priority, web-enabled to know about latest position of the parcel, dynamic management tool and reduction in claims are the highlights of the facility. 

NAC's Communal Violence Bill draft ready

After several extensions, and a controversy over the exit of members of its drafting and advisory committees, the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC)'s draft Communal & Sectarian Violence Bill is finally ready: it will be presented on Thursday to NAC members for discussion by the Working Group headed by Farah Naqvi, and which includes Harsh Mander and Aruna Roy. 

PAC divided on 2G report

After a three-hour-long discussion here on Thursday, the Public Accounts Committee remained a divided house on the question whether it should finalise its findings in a report on the 2G spectrum allocation or leave the entire issue to the Joint Parliamentary Committee set up specifically to probe this very subject.Rules of procedure were cited, parliamentary procedures mentioned and instances of past precedents brought up to buttress claims on both the sides.

From Next Year ‘World Water Day’ Celebrations to be Extended as ‘World Water Week’ – Salman Khurshid

From next year the ‘World Water Day’ will be extended to a full week and celebrated as ‘World Water Week’ to reach out to all the states, schools, colleges and media to highlight various issues relating to water. Announcing this here today, while inaugurating the Annual Conference of Principal Secretaries/Secretaries of various States and Union territories dealing with Water Resources Management aspects, Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister for Water Resources, also emphasized the necessity of taking up the issues of interlinking of rivers/inter-basin linking, flood management, etc. for better water management. The one- day Conference was convened by the Ministry of Water Resources to discuss important issues related to the development and management of water sector. It was attended by the representatives of 27 States & UTs as well as by the representatives of related Central Ministries/Departments.

Draft PAC report slams Raja for ‘dubious designs'

The draft report of the Public Accounts Committee on the 2G spectrum allocation scandal comes down heavily on the former Communications Minister, A. Raja, for not heeding the Prime Minister's advice, for ignoring the Law and Justice Ministry's suggestion that a group of Ministers be set up to examine issues related to grant of telecom licences and related matters, for not properly consulting the Telecom Commission and, above all, for arbitrarily changing cut-off dates for the first come, first served policy adopted for grant of licences and spectrum.