The Hindu Business Line : Tuesday, March 30, 2004

CLIMATE & WEATHER
Summer rain evenly spread in Kerala
FOR the first time since the start of the summer season, all four days reviewed at a stretch by the Met Office, Thiruvananthapuram, for Agromet advisory statistics yielded reports of summer rain spells of fairly even spread, including from the ... More

NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY
BMEDA shutdown to protest tariff cut by APERC
THE non-conventional energy generators in the State will close down their units for three days from midnight of March 31 in protest against the AP Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) reducing the tariff rates to Rs 2.40 per unit from Rs ... More

ENVIRONMENT
To control auto pollution in cities — TERI `session' to draft fuel choices for transport sector
THE Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), an independent research organisation focusing on energy and environment, will be making a presentation to the Union Petroleum Ministry on fuel choices for the transport sector in major Indian ... More

`US signing of Kyoto protocol will benefit India'
INDIA is expected to get annual investment inflows to the tune of $1 billion if the US signs the Kyoto protocol. "The US, which accounts for 36 per cent of the total emission of green houses gases (GHG), has not yet signed the protocol. If it ... More

FOREIGN TRADE
ESC wants withholding tax issue with Japan sorted out
THE Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) has called for a review of the `Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement' between India and Japan to eliminate the 20 per cent withholding tax in Japan on the import of software ... More

HEALTH
UK team releases £20-m aid to combat TB
THE visiting delegation of International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases from the United Kingdom was in India to release the approved grant of £20 million (around Rs 161 crore) to fight against tuberculosis and other lung diseases in ... More

Kamineni Hospitals plans health centre at Hyderabad
KAMINENI Hospitals, the city-based corporate hospital, has proposed to set up a health centre with a variety of medical services from different streams, according to Ms Chandana Khan, Principal Secretary to Govt of AP (Tourism and ... More

PESTICIDES
Pesticides sector calls for crackdown on fakes — Demands amendments in Insecticides Act
The counterfeit business has mainly affected multinationals, which mostly market low volume, high value insecticides. More

PETROLEUM
Four oil, gas PSUs ink fresh MoUs for new fiscal
THE four public sector oil and gas majors - GAIL (India) Ltd, Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) and Oil India Ltd (OIL) - on Monday inked fresh agreements with the Government, setting new targets for production and profits ... More

POWER
Following CERC directive — NTPC to reduce power tariff
NATIONAL Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), which supplies around 25 per cent of the country's power requirement, will begin supplying cheaper power, by around 15 paise per unit, following the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission's (CERC) ... More

SSI
Steel furniture makers to strike work today
REITERATING their demand for a rollback in the price of iron and steel, steel furniture manufacturers, who had stopped production since Thursday, have decided to shut shop on Tuesday. The steep rise in the price of iron and steel has, according ... More

WATER
`Rainwater harvesting holds the key'
RAINWATER harvesting, if done by all, could be an ideal solution to the acute water scarcity, as it would help recharge the underground water table. In fact, it is the only source of natural water and during the rainy season a lot of water is ... More

EDUCATION
`Attempts by HRD Ministry to gain operational control over IIMs'
THE white paper brought out by the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad faculty on the twin issue of fee cut and autonomy were made public on Monday. The paper has termed some of the recent developments as clear attempts by the Ministry ... More

FOODS & FOOD PROCESSING
Kerala urged to improve food quality to become global player
KERALA should improve the quality of foods by enhancing its competitiveness so as to become a global player in the processed food sector, says Dr A.S. Bawa, Director, Defence Food Research Ltd. This, he told a seminar organised by Kinfra here ... More

GEMS & JEWELLERY
World Diamond Council meet from today in Dubai
THE third annual World Diamond Council (WDC) meeting, sponsored by the Dubai Metals and Commodities Centre (DMCC), will be held in Dubai on March 30 and 31. The meeting will focus on the development of the diamond industry, the Kimberley ... More

LEATHER
CLE's market focus programme for Russia in final stages
THE Council for Leather Exports (CLE) is now putting the final touches to a market focus programme for Russia, which is likely to be implemented in 2004-05. The plan, which will be similar to the one in the US, will be part of the market ... More

DISINVESTMENT
Govt plans to raise Rs 5 lakh cr from divestment
THE Ministry for Disinvestment is preparing a plan for raising around Rs 1 lakh crore every year for the next five years, according to Mr Arun Shourie, Union Minister for Disinvestment. This is following the Prime Minister's request for ... More

Delhi Centaur `due diligence' from April 5
THE divestment of the Air India (AI) subsidiary, Centaur Hotel Delhi, and the Chefair flight kitchens in Delhi and Mumbai, is set to move ahead in the first week of April with the `due diligence' process to begin from April 5. Official sources ... More

RURAL DEVELOPMENT
`SHGs a model for women empowerment': AP CM
SELF-help groups' (SHGs) movement has become a model for women empowerment in the State and this is reflected from over Rs 2,000 crore corpus created by small contribution of Re 1 per day from women members of this SHGs. These empowered women ... More

Clearance for 35 agro-based projects in Tiruchi
THE State-level clearance committee for the New Anna Marumalarchi Plan has cleared 35 agro-based projects in Tiruchi district. Disclosing the clearance of the projects at a seminar organised by the Department of Industries and Commerce at ... More

EVENTS
`Infrastructure vital for luring investments'
INDIA has to overcome the infrastructural limitations to attract more investments from the developed countries into the manufacturing sector. Also, the approach to reforms which is "on again and off again" has to change to gain confidence, ... More

Technical exhibition at Nitte
MANGALORE: Nitte Mahalinga Adyanthaya Memorial Institute of Technology (NMAMIT), Nitte, in association with the Department of Technical Education, Bangalore, will host a State-level technical exhibition, `Do it yourself,' at Nitte in Udupi ... More

The Hindu Business Line Club launched at IMK
Mr R. Narayanan, Vice-President, Tata Consultancy Services, speaking at a function to inaugurate The Hindu Business Line Club at the Institute of Management, Kerala (IMK) in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. ... More