Archive for June, 2008
Friday, June 27th, 2008
Congress is sending legislation to President Bush that will finally erase a government-imposed stigma against association with the African National Congress of South Africa. Last night the House and
Senate came to agreement on legislation by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard L. Berman (D-CA) that will remove from U.S. databases any notation characterizing the ANC and its leaders — including Nobel Laureate and former South African President Nelson Mandela — as terrorists.
“Congress finally stands ready to rid U.S. immigration law of this anachronistic blight,” Berman noted. “The Senate and House have now both affirmed that America’s place is on the side of those who fought against Apartheid, and there should be no discrimination in our legal code based on their ANC association alone.”
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Posted in Africa, North and South America | No Comments »
Friday, June 27th, 2008
Field Marshal Manekshaw had been in the hospital for some time due to a progressive lung disease. He had developed Acute Bronchopneumonia with associated complications and his condition had been serious for the past four days. He was being treated in the intensive care unit of the Hospital. In a rare gesture the Government today decided to accord a State Funeral to Field Marshal SHFJ Manekshaw, who passed away late last night. The Minister of State for Defence Shri MM Pallam Raju will represent the Government at the funeral.
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Posted in Defence | No Comments »
Friday, June 27th, 2008
In a letter to Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, the Chairman Howard L. Berman (D-CA), four key members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee wrote “convey our deep concern about new information that has surfaced regarding the nuclear proliferation activities of the A.Q. Khan network. Recent reports indicate that the Khan network may have transferred designs for smaller, more sophisticated nuclear warheads than were previously known publicly. These designs could allow states like Iran to more easily produce smaller nuclear warheads for its ballistic missiles, significantly increasing the potential nuclear threat from Iran to Israel and our European allies.”
Ever since his network was publicly revealed in 2003, Congress has been very concerned about the lack of access that the Government of Pakistan has given the United States to interview A.Q. Khan about the extent of his activities. A full investigation on the actions and activities of Dr. Khan has therefore not been possible.
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Posted in North and South America | No Comments »
Friday, June 27th, 2008
The Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) has issued the draft Costal Management Zone (CMZ), Notification, 2008 on May 1, 2008. This CMZ Notification, 2008 shall supersede the existing Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification of February, 1991. It seeks to regulate and impose blanket restrictions on certain industrial and development activities in coastal areas which could be harsher than the existing CRZ dispensation.
To enable industry and other stakeholders understand the implications of CMZ Notification, 2008 and to help everyone in the workshop formulate suggestions, comments or observations for sending them to MoEF, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organized a one day workshop on CMZ Notification, 2008 and REACH Regulation of EU today at Kolkata.
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Posted in Industry, Policy | No Comments »
Thursday, June 26th, 2008
The Minister of State for Defence Shri MM Pallam Raju has stressed the need for use of biodiesel and non-conventional energy sources in the Armed Forces. Presiding over a meeting of the three services and the DRDO on ‘Promotion of Alternative Energy Sources in the Armed Forces’ in New Delhi today, Shri Pallam Raju emphasized that in view of the spiraling cost of fossil fuels and the huge consumption of oil fuels by the Armed Forces to secure the national interests, it was high time that the three Services adopt bio-diesel. He called upon the DRDO to find out the suitability of blending bio-diesel with conventional fuel and study its performance, without compromising the needs of the Forces, in extreme hot and cold climates.
The DRDO already has a running programme with the Army on developing a composite biodiesel model for Army usage and civil sector as well. Various laboratories including CSIR, universities and industrial houses are collaborating in the programme. The DRDO’s Defence Agricultural Research Laboratory (DARL), Pithoragarh is the nodal agency for the DRDO – Army Bio-Diesel Programme. Programme Director, Dr. Zakwan Ahmed who is the Director of DARL, said that over 3.64 lakh saplings of the high-yielding Jatropha has been planted on 300 hectares of land at Military Farms in Secunderabad, Mhow and Ahmednagar. Dr. Shashi Bala Singh, Director, Field Research Laboratory (FRL), Leh revealed that during tests, it was found that 20 % blended Winter Grade Diesel does not freeze up to -17oC and that 5 % blended and 10 % blended diesel worked efficiently at -17oC to run the vehicles.
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Posted in Defence | No Comments »
Thursday, June 26th, 2008
Indian Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment has announced that the Government has approved revision of the Scheme for prevention of drug abuse. The key features of the new Scheme are provision of grant for food for BPL addicts; Integrated Centre for Rehabilitation of Addicts; flexibility regarding number of Beds and duration of stay of addicts in the centres; RRTCs as an integral component of the Scheme; Panchayati Raj institutions as eligible bodies for running centres; greater emphasis on awareness, preventive education and Media campaign; and enhanced financial support to the centres. Minister was addressing a gathering in a function to mark the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Organized by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, here today. Minister said that the most effective way to eradicate drugs from the earth would be to create a grand alliance of the government, the civil society, the corporate houses and the media.
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Posted in Policy | No Comments »
Thursday, June 26th, 2008
Central Government has issued notification No.29/2008-Service Tax, dated 26.06.2008 to exempt fully from levy of service tax on supply of transport vehicles (goods carriage) to a goods transport agency (GTA) to be used for transport of goods by road [section 65(105)(zzzzj) of the Finance Act, 1994].
Representations have been received from the All India Confederation of Goods Vehicle Owners’ Associations and also from the All India Motor Transport Congress requesting to provide relief on account of levy of service tax on supply of goods carriage to GTA for use in transport of goods. It has been stated that GTAs often provide services in relation to transportation of goods by road using the goods carriage obtained on rent or hire basis. The relief has been sought on various grounds inter alia that the service tax paid on renting / hiring of goods carriage, without right of possession and effective control, could not be taken as input credit for payment of service tax towards GTA service.
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Posted in Policy, Travel and Transport | No Comments »
Thursday, June 26th, 2008
The Union Cabinet toady gave its approval for adoption of Cruise Shipping Policy of India.
Cruise Shipping would be a path breaking development in India’s effort to carve a prominent space in world tourism. Cruise Shipping would showcase India as a major source and destination of world tourism. It would spill out growth in diverse other sectors thereby earning precious foreign exchange for the country. It will also generate enormous employment opportunities. Cruise tourism would also promote people to people contact which will enhance India’s friendly ties with foreign countries.
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Posted in Policy, Travel and Transport | No Comments »
Thursday, June 26th, 2008
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today gave its approval for extending grants-in-aid to Indian Pharmaceutical Industry for R&D projects involving Clinical Trials (Phase-I, II and III) to develop new drugs for neglected diseases of tropical region under Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Research Programme of Department of Science & Technology.
Deptt. of S&T has been implementing the Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Research Programme (DRPR) since 1994-95 as a Plan Programme to support pharma industry – institutional collaboratrive R&D projects and infrastructure development. From 2004-05 onwards this programme has extended soft loans to pharma industries for R&D projects to the tune of 70% of total project cost at a simple annual rate of interest of 3% with 10 years of instalment repayment period beginning from the end of project duration.
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Posted in Pharma | No Comments »
