Dateline New Delhi M P Prasanna Kumar Reports
INDIA-ISRAEL FOR COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT ON SCIENTIFIC TIES
ISRAELI SATELLITE LAUNCH BY INDIAN ROCKET
India and Israel have agreed to go in for a new comprehensive agreement for cooperation in science and technology. This will spell out the common agenda, methodology, joint technology development and upgradation of technology. Within six months, the two sides will prepare a Plan of Action, identifying the joint projects to be taken up besides other activities for implementation during the next two years. This is revealed in a joint statement issued at the end of discussions between the two delegations, headed by the Israeli Minister for Science and Technology, Mr. Eliezer Sandberg and the Minister of Sate for Science and Technology, Bachi Singh Rawat.The two ministers while reaffirming their firm commitment to promote scientific and technological collaboration, agreed that this constitutes an important element for fostering socio-economic development of the peoples of the two countries. The Israeli Minister was keen on cooperation in Nano-technology, Nano-biotechnology and solar energy. Cooperation in space technology and applications also figured during the talks. Israel is interested in India launching some of its micro-satellites. For this, the Israeli delegation is going to Bangalore tomorrow for talks with ISRO authorities.
Bachi Singh Rawat expressing India’s keenness in expanding the scope of cooperation with Israel said opportunities will be provided to young researchers to upgrade their sills in their areas of interest and short-term fellowships would be made available to them. Both the Ministers also agreed to allocate adequate funds required for undertaking joint research projects etc.
The Space Agencies of the two countries have already signed a Memorandum of Understanding on TAUVEX-GSAT-4, which offers a unique opportunity to put the Indian and Israeli scientists in the front line of space-astrophysics. The TAUVEX is a set of three wide-field telescopes that will image the ultraviolet sky. It was specifically recognised that installing TAUVEX on-board the technology demonstrator satellite GSAT-4 would be ideal for operating TAUVEX as a scientific payload in geo-synchronous orbit. While this will allow the Israeli team to realise its goals, it will bring in UV expertise to the Indian astrophysical community. (keralamonitor.com)
RESULTS OF THE NATIONAL DEFENCE ACADEMY & NAVAL ACADEMY WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS (II) 2003 ANNOUNCED
The Union Public Service Commission has announced the results of the National Defence Academy (NDA) & Naval Academy Examination (II) 2003 held by the Commission in September, 2003. The Candidates whose roll numbers appear in the list have qualified for interview by the Services Selection Board of the Ministry of Defence for admission to Army, Navy and Air Force Wings of the National Defence Academy for the 112th Course and Naval Academy for the 32nd 10+2 (Executive Branch) course commencing from July, 2004.The candidature of all candidates whose roll numbers appear in the list is provisional. They are required to submit original certificates direct to the Army Headquarters. They should not send the certificates to the UPSC.
For any further information, the candidates may contact Facilitation Counter of the Commission, either in person or on Telephone numbers 23385271 or 23381125 or 23098543. The result is also available at Union Public Service Commission website at http://www.upsc.gov.in.
THE ROADSIDE DHABHAS AND SMALL HOTELS TO GET BASIC HOSPITALITY TRAINING AT DOORSTEPS
14:27 IST
The Department of Tourism has embarked on a scheme to train and upgrade skills of service providers in the unorganised tourism sector. Under this new scheme of ‘Capacity building for service providers’, people working in small hotels, roadside dhabas, restaurants and other eatery joints spread around the places of tourist interest would be given basic essential training by the Institutes of Hotel Management and Food Crafts Institutes functioning both in the Government and private sector.Objective of the scheme is to enhance service quality and delivery among a large population of workers servicing tourists as they are the cutting edge who can increase consumer satisfaction and trigger repeat travel. The training primarily focuses on service skills, etiquette and basic mannerism, health and personal hygiene, cleanliness, garbage disposal and the like. Lessons on cooking, energy and nutrition saving techniques would also be given. Mobile training facilities are being set up so that the training of the service providers is available at their doorstep.
0.9 BILLION GAS RESERVES IN INDIA
LOK SABHA
Balance gas reserves in the country as on 1.4.2003 have been estimated to be of the order of 0.9 billion tonnes. Giving this information in a written reply in the Lok Sabha the Minister for Chemical and Fertilizers Shri S.S. Dhindsa added that Fertilizer industry is a major consumer of natural gas and accounts for nearly 38 per cent of total consumption of gas. The average actual supply of gas to fertilizer units during 2002-03 was about 21.54 million standard cubic meters per day (MMSCMD).
No assessment about the duration for which the gas reserves will last has been made as it is dependent on several factors such as trends of production and consumption, new gas finds, alternative sources of energy etc
SATELLITE SURVEY FOR DIAMOND
LOK SABHADuring the last three years satellite imagery has been used for identifying kimberlite/lamproite pipes/bodies in Mahboobnagar, Nalgonda, Kurnool, Annanttapur, Khammam and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh; Raichur, Gulburga and Tumkur districts of Karnataka; Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts of Maharashtra; Bastar, Raigarh and Jangih-champa districts of Chhattisgarh and Bargar, Nuapada, Bolangir, Sambalpur, Sonepur and Jharsududa districts of Orissa. Incidence of diamond has been indicated from gravels of Ib river in Raigarh area, Chattisgarh and Wajrakarur Kimberlite field Annanttpur district of Andhra Pradesh.This information was given by the Minister for Mines, Shri Ramesh Bais in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
PURCHASE OF PIPES BY GAIL
18:59 IST
RAJYA SABHAShri Ram Naik, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas informed the Rajya Sabha today while replying to a question that GAIL (India) Limited (GAIL) has reported that they have procured pipes for their Dahej-Vijaipur Pipeline (DVPL) through international competitive bidding wherein technically the best available material at most competitive prices has been procured. The selection of vendors for procurement of pipelines has been done by GAIL keeping in view the pipeline requirement of the project and as per the technical advice of their consultants M/s Engineers India Limited. Tractebel Engineering, Belgium, who are consultants to GAIL for their upcoming Dahej-Uran Pipeline Project, has also recommended Longitudinally Submerged Arc Welded Pipes only as against the other alternative of Helically Submerged Arc Welded Pipes. GAIL has denied that it has spent an extra amount of Rs. 450 crore in procuring pipes for its gas pipeline project. Based on safety and economic considerations, GAIL has to take a view on specifications of material to be procured for gas pipelines. Government will issue appropriate directions if considered necessary.
PRESIDENTIAL ASSENT FOR THE MARRIAGE LAWS (AMENDMENT) BILL
The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2003 has received the assent of the President today, and consequently has become an Act of Parliament. The Act amends the Special Marriage Act, 1954 and Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 to provide that a petition for relief under the provisions of these Acts may be presented by an aggrieved wife to the District Court within the local limits of whose jurisdiction she may be residing.The Act also provides that the parties to a matrimonial suit could prefer appeal within 90 days instead of 30 days. The Act is being published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section I, dated the 23rd December, 2003 as Act No. 50 of 2003.
