No security for education loans upto Rs. 4 lakh More

Employees Provident Fund interim interest reduced to 8.5%

Aug 9: The Employees Provident Fund subscribers will get an interim interest of 8.5% on their deposits for the current financial year (2004-05). This was decided at the 4th session of the 169th meeting of the Central Board of Trustees, CBT, here today. Announcing the decision the Labour & Employment Minister Shri Sis Ram Ola, who is also the Chairman of the CBT, said that the interim interest will entail a deficit of Rs. 206 crores. Efforts would be made to cover it which would include special drive for recovery from defaulters, the Minister added. He said that the Board would decide the final rate of interest at the end of the financial year when the actual earnings on the EPF investments would be known. Shri Ola said that the Finance Ministry would be requested to ratify the CBT's decision to pay EPF subscribers interest at the rate of 9.5% for 2002-03 and 9% plus 0.5% for 2003-04. He said that that the Finance Ministry would also be requested to continue Special Deposit Scheme (SDS) as a parking lot for social security funds. -Keralamonitor.com

President inaugurates golden jubilee celebrations of Lalit Kala Academy

Indian arts gains international status : Reddy

Aug 9: Art is enduring and it spans the bridge between human contrivance and organic growth immortalizing it in the process. This was stated by the Minister of Information & Broadcasting and Culture, Shri S. Jaipal Reddy at the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Lalit Kala Akademi, which was inaugurated by the President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam here today. The Minister said that Lalit Kala Akademy, which was the Government of India endeavor to promote the Arts among the grass root level, has taken up this job with full responsibility and enthusiasm and has completed 50 years of its life. He said that with the support of the Lalit Kala Akademy Indian art has gained an International status and also attempted reach to common man.

Seventeen eminent Indian artists were felicitated with the Lalita Kala Ratna for lifetime contribution to art by the President. The awardees include Akbar Padamsee, Amar Nath Sehgal, Chintamoni Kar, Jehangir Sabavala, KG Subramanyan, Kapila Vatsayayan, Krishen Khanna, MF Husain, Mulk Raj Anand, Paritosh Sen, Ram Kumar, SH Raza, Sankho Chaudhuri, Satish Gujral, Shanti Dave, Somnath Hore and Tyeb Mehta.

Congratulating the awardees, Shri Reddy said that these honoured artists have not only made a special position for themselves but also became a source of inspiration for the youth and the children of the whole world.

To commemorate its Golden Jubilee year, the Akademy will be organizing a year long programme of events to be held in partnership with a wide range of art institutions and practitioners. The yearlong calendar of events will reflect the Akademy's achievements in the last 50 years and contribution to developing and promoting Indian visual arts nationally and internationally. It will target artists, cultural experts and other segments of the society to seek an all-inclusive participation and an attempt will be made to look forward to the future and use the platform here in Delhi and in the other metros through its expanding network of regional centres to focus on the Akademy's plans in the coming years. -Keralamonitor.comPantech launches G600, the world's smallest camera phone

Cellucom appointed distributor for Pantech mobile phones

August 9, 2004

Cellucom, one of the premier distributors of mobile communication devices and accessories in the region, has recently been named the UAE distributor for Pantech Co Ltd, the third largest Korean mobile phone manufacturer.
This latest contract has increased Cellucom's distribution portfolio of Nokia and Sony Ericsson handsets to include Pantech's exciting range of mobile phones.

Pantech specialises in innovative mobile phones with unique features and trendy designs and today is the world's fastest growing mobile phone company. The Pantech GSM range in the Middle East currently includes the G300, the
world's smallest 260,000 LCD colour GPRS phone and the G500, a 310,000 pixel camera phone with 64 polyphonic ring tones, both firsts in their respective categories when launched in the Middle East and the stylish
G200 with a large TFT screen display

Coinciding with the tie-up with Cellucom is the launch of two exciting new Pantech mobile phones; the attractive G600, the world's smallest camera phone targeted at women and the tri-band G700 with a 65,000 TFT Color display. Using its expanded product portfolio and Cellucom's extensive distribution network, the company is aiming to increase its market presence in the Middle East region.

Speaking about the tie-up, Shogun Yang, Managing Director, Pantech Middle East said, "Being a relatively new entrant in the Middle East region, Pantech is glad to tie-up with Cellucom and we look forward to a mutually beneficial business relationship. We are confident that this new partnership will strengthen our presence in the region, considered one of the fastest developing in the mobile phone industry."

Arun Nagar, Managing Director, Cellucom stated, "We are delighted to join hands with Pantech, a welcome addition to our growing portfolio of business partners in the mobile phone industry. Pantech's unique strengths in offering
technologically advanced phones with a strong 'value for money' proposition will help Cellucom widen its customer base and maintain its leadership position in the mobile distribution market."

"As long-term players in this industry, Cellucom prides itself on understanding the dynamic needs of the Middle East consumer. Consumers in the region always look forward to innovative products and the latest designs. We believe
Pantech's range of cutting-edge phones will help us cater to this need," he added.

"We look forward to supporting Pantech through our well-established distribution network and knowledgeable sales staff. I am confident that our combined strengths will help Pantech gain strong market share in the region," said
Nagar. "We will continue to bring into the region innovative products that are firsts in the industry. Including the G600 and G700, we currently have a portfolio of five products in the region and we will be launching another
six models before the end of this year," Yang concluded.

Cellucom is a global enterprise engaged in the distribution of cellular communication devices and accessories from its base at Dubai Airport Free Zone. Its strategic location in the free zone has given a tremendous push to its exports into the emerging markets of Asia, Eastern Europe, South America and Africa. In addition to a wide dealer network, Cellucom has a strong presence in GCC and Middle East through its own retail stores in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar, with bases in Hong Kong, Singapore, India and East Africa. Through its 'think global, act local' policy the company has fostered regional associations and adopted a global management style. Sourcing directly from the manufacturers of most of the major brands of mobile phones, Cellucom
also works closely with many cellular networks providing special packaging with the operator's design and branding conventions. The company achieved regional sales amounting to AED 500 million for the year 2002. (KM Dubai)