The Hindu Business Line : Thursday, March 25, 2004

CLIMATE & WEATHER
Depth of desperation
As the mercury crossed the 40-degree Celsius mark in Palakkad, people take a dip in a pool in the Nila river for respite. In the absence of summer showers, most parts of the State are under heatwave conditions. ... More

ANTI-DUMPING
Removal of dumping duty on ammonium nitrate mooted
THE Designated Authority in the Commerce Ministry has recommended the withdrawal of anti-dumping duties provisionally imposed on ammonium nitrate imports from Russia and Iran. In its final findings on the anti-dumping investigations concerning ... More

COURTS/LEGAL ISSUES
Bid to tap cost-effective market — US law firms ship project work to India
The works are coding and organising of documents, transcription, research and document management. More

To achieve double-digit economic growth — FICCI conference to review legal, judicial systems
TO achieve a double-digit economic growth, there is a need to review the existing legal and judicial systems of the country. "Legal reforms should keep pace with economic reforms. We have to reinvent the present legal system to achieve the ... More

ENVIRONMENT
Waste management is big business now
GONE are the days where hazardous chemicals and municipal waste were considered as major environmental concerns in Andhra Pradesh. Now these wastes have turned out to be major business avenues, thanks to the innovative methods of power ... More

FOREIGN TRADE
Sino-Indian team discusses trade prospects
A TWO-DAY meeting of the Sino-Indian Joint Study Group (JSG) on trade & economic co-operation began in Beijing on March 22 to work out measures for comprehensive trade and economic co-operation. The Joint Study Group would also discuss the ... More

`Free, fair trade is the only forward way for America'
AT a time when this Republican administration is under pressure from Democrats in an election year, a senior Cabinet official has defended the record on free trade and has called on Americans to "firmly and forcefully" reject the emerging ... More

HEALTH
Raise TB awareness level, says PM
GIVING a thumbs-up to India's campaign against tuberculosis, the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on Wednesday said that the country has made great progress in fighting the dreaded disease and by 2005 the entire country would be covered ... More

Manga's jaws are now in action
THE other day, Manga, a 10-year-old girl from Malkipuram in East Godavari district, had a mouthful of curd rice and chewed it too. Wondering what's so great about it? It was the first time that Manga could take any solid food as she was ... More

PHARMACEUTICALS
Life Sciences Alliance to organise meet in Goa
LIFE Sciences Alliance, a private alliance of three Indian and a US-based pharmaceutical companies, has announced that it is going to organise the first global symposium in Goa to offer an opportunity to the global pharmaceutical industry to ... More

POWER
Reliance Energy revamps bill for Mumbai customers
RELIANCE Energy Ltd today launched a new revamped monthly bill for its 22-lakh Mumbai customers. The company plans shortly to extend the new pattern of monthly electricity bills to consumers in Delhi, company officials said. Initially, the ... More

TEXTILES
Textiles pull down overall export growth
TRADITIONAL export items such as engineering goods, gems and jewellery and chemicals and related products comprising slightly half of the country's overall exports performed well during the first eight months of the current fiscal while textiles, ... More

`EOUs must be converted to domestic tariff area units'
THE Northern India Textile Mills' Association (NITMA) has urged the Government to ease the "de-bonding burden" on textile and apparel units operating under the export-oriented units (EOUs) scheme to enable such units to convert themselves into ... More

`Zero-for-zero approach could be best bet in post-MFA regime'
A zero-for-zero approach in textile and apparel tariffs could be the best bet for India in a post multi-fibre agreement (MFA) world from early 2005, according to the Textile Commissioner, Mr Subodh Kumar. Addressing the annual general meeting ... More

WATER
Kerala Govt to accord highest priority to water conservation
THE State Government has resolved to elevate conservation of water resources and protection of riparian rights to the top of its policy priorities list after being made to bear the brunt of disastrous drought conditions right at the start of the ... More

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS
Indian chamber bid to explore business opportunities in Gulf
THE Indian Merchants Chamber (IMC) that signed a memorandum of understanding with the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday, is planning a proactive presence in the UAE in a bid to tap business and investment opportunities in the ... More

Infighting marks Calcutta tea body poll
THE general body election of Calcutta Tea Traders Association (CTTA) used to be an innocuous annual affair where industry colleagues meet, exchanged pleasantries and, probably, discuss the nuances of the industry over a cup of tea. This year's ... More

DAIRY & DAIRY PRODUCTS
`Dairy sector must increase productivity'
THERE is a huge opportunity in improvement of productivity levels in the dairy sector in India. Despite being a major producer of milk and vegetables, productivity levels continue to be very low, according to Mr Xavier Bertrand of the Trade ... More

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT
`BJP favours allowing FDI in real estate, retailing'
THE Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) is in favour of throwing open the real estate and retailing sector to foreign direct investment (FDI). In the case of real estates, there are no stumbling blocks ahead though for the retailing sector the opening up ... More

IPR
IPR seminar on Friday at Kochi
KOCHI: Coinciding with the CII Kerala annual session, The IPR Tool Kit - an awareness seminar on intellectual property rights (IPRs) will be organised here on Friday. The objective of the seminar is to raise awareness of the ... More

RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Kerala: `Micro housing' initiative on anvil
SOLID waste management, biotechnology and coir are some of the areas in which the Kerala State Poverty Eradication Mission or Kudumbashree plans to set up micro enterprises. Also on the anvil is a `micro housing' initiative targeted at ... More

Kudumbasree units of Kochi to widen operations
THE Kudumbasree units of Kochi have decided to widen their activities here to cover the collection and processing of household refuse and marketing of consumer products. As many as seven units of Kudumbasree will launch its activities here ... More

HUMAN RESOURCES
`Movement of labour, key facet of trade in services'
AS developed countries are increasingly becoming labour deficit due to demographic structure with documented global migratory labour alone accounting for about 170 million people contributing to $94 billion in annual remittances, the free flow of ... More

SECURITY
`Thinking' fencing system at HAL
ELECTRONICS Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) has commissioned `Thinking' — electric perimeter fencing system at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), Hyderabad. The computer controlled system can `think and adapt' to different environmental ... More

EVENTS
`Financial Press must act as friend, philosopher & guide'
A CRUSADING editor-turned-politician who has carried his doggedness to the portals of government to successfully resolve knotty issues and push through the Government's disinvestment programme. The chief executive of the largest private sector ... More

International food tech show at Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: The Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in association with Confederation of Indian Food Trade and Industry, is organising a four-day International FoodTec India, an international exhibition and conference for ... More

Lecture on communication by PRSI
MANGALORE: The Mangalore-Manipal chapter of Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) will organise a lecture on `Art of effective communication' by the former Vice-Chancellor of Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Dr B.M. Hegde, in ... More

Teachers urged to develop students' skill
MANGALORE: The Inspector-General of Police (Western Range), Mr H.S.N. Rao, has urged teachers to identify the capabilities of their students and develop them. Speaking at the valedictory of the workshop on "Bioinformatics", jointly ... More

In Hyderabad today

EXPORTS & IMPORTS
Mills favour raw sugar imports by actual users — Shipments into the country top 1 lakh t
THE National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Ltd (NFCSFL) is `not averse' to duty-free import of raw sugar, provided it is undertaken by the mills themselves under the actual user condition. This is broadly in line with the position of ... More

Tea Board raises 2003 export figures
THE Tea Board has revised the total figures for tea exports from India during 2003 at 173 million kg (mkg) from 164.9 mkg, according to a statement issued by the Indian Tea Association. In 2002, Indian tea exports was 201 mkg. During 2003, it ... More

TOURISM
Familiarisation trip for UK travel journalists
KERALA Travels Interserve Ltd, the CGH Group of Hotels, and Avion Tours of the UK have together organised `Kerala from our hearts', a familiarisation trip to display the verdant beauty and tourism potential of the State to a team of travel ... More

STANDARDS & BENCHMARKS
5 cos register for Green Globe Certification
FIVE Indian organisations have registered themselves for Green Globe Certification with the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). Green Globe Certification has currently been obtained by participants from over 30 countries spread across all ... More