The Hindu Business Line : Monday, December 01, 2003

Kerosene canalised
THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION to ban private imports of kerosene is a much-delayed response to what after all has been a well-known fact: Kerosene is used to adulterate other petroleum products, notably diesel. Henceforth, only the four public ... More

ECONOMY

Reflections on the Mid-Year Review
THE Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act 2003 enjoins upon the Government to review every quarter the trends in receipts and expenditure in relation to the budget. The first quarterly review for April-June ... More

The enemies within
Technological might has replaced military power in the exploitation of weak nations. Large differences in wealth among nations are mainly due to the degrees of ownership of technology. It is not enough to complain and find fault with the rich nations . Poor nations should also look within and correct their own faults, says P. V. Indiresan. More

The `feel good factor' and all that
That such issues as red tape, poor infrastructure and rigid labour laws should still be around even after the NDA Government has been in power for a full term should make representatives of the regime somewhat more apologetic and certainly less hecto ring than has been the case. Can one suggest that there should be occasions where one should publicly "feel bad" for a change because that may be the only way really to "feel good" later on? More

FOREIGN TRADE

Challenging times for free trade
TRADE ministers from 34 countries in the North and South American continents initiated a process, on November 20, that will create a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). Now that the speeches have been made and the ... More

MUTUAL FUNDS

Mutual funds — Institutions, retail investors should have separate portfolios
BIRLA Sun Life Mutual Fund's decision to announce that it has set March 12, 2004 as one of the record dates for declaring dividends in Birla Advantage Fund does not bode well for the mutual fund industry. The reason is ... More

POLITICS

All set for Round One
EVERY THING is set for the electoral battle in five States, including four in the Hindi heartland. The Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Mizoram assume special significance as their ... More

BOOKS

Audacious outrage!
ALL talk of knowledge explosion and information revolution comes to naught in the case of certain categories of thinkers and writers morbidly determined to live in unfathomable depths of ignorance about countries and ... More

LETTERS

Bank dividend

Pension proposal

Comments & Letters to the Editor to: bleditor@thehindu.co.in
Subscribe to: Business Line