July 25, 2002. Keralamonitor.com Launching of the New Indian President. The President K.R Narayanan with the President- elect Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam at the' At Home' hosted by the former for the Council of Ministers in New Delhi on July 24, 2002 (Wednesday). The Vice President Krishan Kant, his wife Smt. Suman Krishan Kant and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee were also present on the occasion.
Text of the President K.R. Narayanan’s Farewell Address to the Nation-Compensation talks underway for paralysed journalist -Second Saudi Prince Dies in Road Accident -All about Internet Telephone -Far East most popular destination for summer 2002, says UAE Travel Company-CRISIL Assigns First Healthcare Grade In Ahmedabad - East Timor Becomes ADB's 61st Member. Inmarsat Swift64 Comes of Age Only Three Months After Launch -Middle East Imaging and Diagnostic Meet to coincide with Arab Health -Hundreds of street kids reportedly dumped in a forest -Focus on Islamic terrorism, and the challenge for the AU -Mugabe warns against interference under pretext of aid -Alcatel-Singapore Telecom deal for IP Voice plus -Warning to Westerners Visiting Afghanistan, Pakistan. Ajith Singh announces New measures to tackle Drought in the Country
- Cable Operators Threat to MPs Undesirable Sushama Swaraj -Raising Funds to settle VRS Dues by National Textile Mills.-Pharmaceutical Authority revises pricing of three forumulations-P.M.Nair is President Kalam's Secretary.
- A delegation from Andhra Pradesh presenting Memorandum to Vajpayee.
- ENOC Launches joint venture with Government of Djiboti U.S. Moves to Undermine New Torture Treaty Occupied Territories: Forcibly transferring relatives of suspected Palestinian suicide bombers would violate international law Indian Giant Moves to Dubai to capture Middle East Energy Market. Deteriorating Human Rights Situation in Liberia
- Supply of Piped Natural Gas to Delhi No agreement to Share Indus Water with Pakistan,
- 25 Percent of the land to come under Forest by 2007
- News Brief
- Farmers get Relief Measures.
Declaring that the country is facing the worst drought in 12 years, the Centre unveiled a four-fold preliminary package including extension of Calamity Relief Fund to all farmers to mitigate their plight.
Centre not pressurising EC for holding early polls in Gujarat: AdvaniStating that the Situation in Gujarat is conducive for polls,Deputy PM L K Advani said in Rajya Sabha that centre was not pressurising EC for holding early polls.
Narayanan appeals for safeguarding tradition of toleranceIn his farewell speech to the nation, outgoing President K R Narayanan made an appeal for guarding the tradition of tolerance and asked the Hindu majority to speak out in the traditional spirit of the Hindu religion.
Opposition stages walkout in RS over cable operators issueThe Entire Opposition staged a walk-out in the Rajya Sabha accusing the Government of protecting cable operators who had threatened Members from opposing the Cable TV Network Bill.
Sensex down 69 points,touches 8 month lowReeling under selling pressure and downward sentiments in the US bourses , the BSE Sensex plunged by 69 points to close at 8 month low of 3107.48 points.
"Speed " -- The New Generation Fuel launched in Delhi
New Delhi July 23, 2002, Ram Naik, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, launched the BPCL’s "SPEED" – the New General Fuel – in Delhi today making it only the second city in the country after Mumbai where the fuel was launched on 9.7.2002. The launch of the new fuel took place at M/s Gymkhana Service Station, a Retail Outlet of Bharat Petrolem Corporation Limited (BPCL). Jag Mohan, Minister of Tourism & Culture, Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas, Ram Bhaj, Local MLA, S. Behuria, CMD BPCL and Bhupinder Singh Suri, owner of the BPCL retail outlet, were present.
Speaking on the occasion Naik said that the owners of new generation vehicles would now get the Premium Petrol pre-mixed with the multi-functional additives which used to be earlier added separately for enhanced performance of vehicles. Besides convenience, Naik said that the fuel would provide benefits like better combustion, low carbon deposit, maximum power, better mileage and reduced smoke and emissions for a cleaner and greener environment.
Naik further said that perceptible improvement in environment in the Capital can be attributed more to the cleaner diesel and petrol with only 0.05 per cent sulphur content in the last two years as against earlier 0.25 per cent. Out of about 25 lakh vehicles in Delhi only about 55000 vehicles run on CNG which constitute 2 per cent of the total vehicular population. "Therefore, to conclude that the reduction in air pollutants from vehicles is due to CNG is a myth in view of a very small fraction of CNG vehicles", Naik observed. He reiterated that a huge amount of about Rs. 10000 crore has been spent on improving fuel quality to meet the Bharat Stage II Level Norms in Metro cities. An additional investment of Rs. 15000 crores in refinery would be required to meet Bharat Stage II Norms in the entire country. Further Euro-III quality emission norms for all categories of vehicles would be introduced in 4 Metros and Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad by 1st April 2005 and the entire country by the year 2010.
Presiding over the function, Jag Mohan described the new fuel as another milestone for cleaner environment in the Capital City. But he cautioned that this alone would not help us to achieve objective of better civic life for all, much requires to be done on other fronts also. Today, the civil amenities such as drinking water, power supply, cleanliness, public health, etc., face frequent breakdowns due to various non-permissible activities, such as illegal construction. Due to the actions of some unscrupulous elements the law abiding citizens are also made to suffer, he added.
Santosh Kumar Gangwar emphasised the commitment of the oil industry to the customers and the community by continuously striving for making available better fuel and efficient service. Today’s launch of the new generation fuel has rightly demonstrated the concern of Bharat Petroleum in particular and Oil Industry in general to move in accordance with or possibly ahead of time.
Behuria said a lot of new generation vehicles like Honda, Ford, Hyundai etc., need additives for their vehicles. By launching "Speed", at such an affordable price, BPCL is providing its customers with an additive that would enhance the performance of the vehicle and reduce costs.
Currently there are a large number of customers, mostly owners of "new generation" vehicle who use fuel additives in order to enhance their vehicles’ performance. Among other marketers, BPCL, along with Iftex, a private company markets co-branded Bharat Iftex additives through its retail network. The product is today marketed in small packages from retail outlets and is poured into the fuel tanks by customers at the time of re-fuelling. The introduction of "Speed" – Premium Petrol -- would eliminate the tedious process of purchase, storage and the need to remember to pour in a measured quantity at the time of every filling. "Speed" costs Rs. 1.25 per litre more than the price of the conventional one and will be available in 16 retail outlets located in different parts of Delhi. BPCL plans to make available this fuel gradually in rest of the country. Speed has been sourced from Chevron Texaco Co.
All about talking on the Net telephony involves using a computer and an Internet connection to make or receive phone calls.A technical way of saying that would be that Internet or IP (internet protocol) telephony involves transmitting voice over data networks using Internet technology.
How does Net telephony work?
TO make a telephone call over the Internet the basic requirement is a compatible computer and software that converts sound into digital codes. One also needs to be logged onto the Internet through an ISP (Internet Service Provider).
Typically, the call starts from a computer, which converts the sound into digital codes, which are then split into packets. The computer also encodes each packet i.e. provides destination address to each packet. These packets are then transmitted over the Internet to the Internet Telephone Service Provider (ITSP) at the destination.
The multiple packets are then aggregated by the ITSP, converted to sound i.e. a routine telephone call, and passed on to the local telephone network. The local telephone network directs the call to the right number.
Technologically, what is the difference between Net telephony and conventional telephony?
TRADITIONAL telephony uses a circuit-switching concept. When a call is made, a connection is established between the two parties. This is called opening a circuit. When the call is terminated, the circuit is closed.What is important that the connection is maintained for the entire duration of the telephone call. Typically, in this kind of network, voice is transmitted at the rate of 64 Kbps in each direction, giving a total rate of 128 Kbps.
However, in a normal telephone call only one party is speaking at one time. This means that only half the capacity is being used. This is clearly wasteful. But there is no way to avoid this, as circuit is open throughout the duration of call.
If the Internet were to use circuit switching, it would be become expensive and slow, as it would mean a constant connection to the web page one is looking at. This would also prevent others from communicating with two computers involved.
To avoid this, Internet uses a technology called packet switching. In this, a computer splits the data being sent into small packets, encodes them with destination address and sends it over the network. The receiving computer aggregates the packets into data.
What is important is that connection is opened for just long enough to send a small chunk of data. It reduces the load on the network and enables the two computers involved to communicate with other computers simultaneously. The same splitting technology is used (as explained earlier) in making telephone calls over the Internet.
Why is Net telephony cheaper than conventional telephony?
THE cost advantage of Net telephony becomes obvious only when a long distance, let us say, an international call is made. In case of conventional telephony, a long distance call first goes to international gateway provider — in the case of India, it is VSNL — through a local network. VSNL then passes that call to an international carrier, for instance AT&T.AT&T carries that call to the local network of the destination, which finally takes it to the right number. Therefore, in this case, all the carriers involved would charges a fee and call becomes expensive.
Moreover, it also results in waste of capacity, as explained earlier, which makes it even more expensive. In the case of Net telephony, since the call is made through the Internet the only cost involved is that of getting onto the Internet through a local call to the ISP.
In other words, even for international calls, the cost is same as that of making a local call. If Net telephony is so cheap, why has it not been able to displace the conventional telephones?
THE Net telephony technology is still evolving and the voice quality is not so good. In a regular telephone call, the entire connection is devoted to that communication. In case of Net telephony, the network is shared by a number of users. Therefore, the voice quality would depend on not only the speed of connection but also the total Internet traffic on the network. A poor connection gives rise to problem of latency.
Because the voice is split into digital packets, slow connection could cause packets to arrive late and the conversation could become difficult. However, this as speed improves and voice compression is used, the quality would improve drastically.The other problems is that a number of countries do not still allow Net telephony.
Compensation talks underway for paralysed journalist
NAIROBI, 24 July (IRIN) - A paralysed Kenyan journalist is seeking compensation from the Kenyan authorities following an incident in 1991 when police threw him out of a fourth-floor window, the media watchdog Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) reported.
Wallace Gichere, the-then chief photographer of the government-owned 'Kenya Times', was beaten and thrown out of the window by a group of 15 Special Branch members who broke into his Nairobi flat to arrest him, RSF official Jared Obuya told IRIN on Wednesday.
Gichere was accused of writing anti-government articles and sending information on human rights abuses to the rights group, Amnesty International.
Kenyan Attorney General Amos Wako told Parliament on 17 July that the issue of liability was not contested, but that the amount Gichere had requested in compensation - over US $3 million - was "colossal" and "inordinately high", the 'EastAfrican' weekly reported.
Therefore, he said, it might be difficult to reach an amicable settlement in view of the wide disparity between the two sides.
"In the circumstances, the best course of action would be for the court to assess damages," the newspaper reported Wako saying.
Jared Obuya told IRIN that negotiations between the two were ongoing, but Wako had said he was only prepared to pay about US $125,000, while Gichere - who has been paralysed from the waist down since the incident - was now looking for at least US $500,000.
Wako's admission of liablity comes after Gichere was admitted to hospital on 15 July, unconscious from an eight-day hunger strike.
"He has been waiting for his money, he hasn't received anything over ten years later so he said he had nothing to lose," RSF reported.
Gichere had now ended his strike, Obuya confirmed, and was in a "much better condition".
The Special Branch officers originally reported that Gichere had jumped from the bedroom window in his flat, in an effort to avoid the officers who tried to arrest him. None of them has been arrested or charged to date, Matuma Ruteere of the Kenya Human Rights Commission confirmed to IRIN.
The case was brought to the attention of the Kenyan government by a Kenyan non-governmental organisation, People Against Torture, and the government-run Standing Committee on Human Rights, which recommended that compensation be awarded to Gichere.
Far East most popular destination for summer 2002, says UAE Travel Company
July 24, 2002
- Special offers from the company include seven-day holiday package
for only Dhs. 2990 -Dubai, UAE - MMI Travel, a division of Maritime and Mercantile International, and one of the UAE's leading IATA accredited travel firms, has identified the Far East as one of the most preferred holiday destinations for summer travellers from the UAE. Having acknowledged this emerging trend, the company is offering a range of economically priced holiday packages, geared to accommodate the various needs of leisure travellers.
Ray D'souza, Manager, Incentives and Leisure, MMI Travel, explained that the company recognised this trend due to the large number of corporate, individual and family bookings made at their travel outlets in Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Jebel Ali.
"We are in the unique position of being able to identify emerging trends at an early stage, as we handle very large volumes of corporate, regular and walk-in customers. It has been easy to identify that consumers in the UAE who wish to travel in the summer only choose destinations that are safe, family-oriented and not too far from home. A significant percentage of holiday bookings for this season have been made to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia," he stated, adding that summer bookings were still underway, and are expected to continue until the first week of September.
"Travel trends constantly evolve, and the Far East has gained great significance this season for several reason," D'souza explained. "Among them are affordability, safety, and the convenience offered by all-inclusive holiday packages."
To cash in on this trend, MMI Travel has introduced several holiday packages that are tailor-made to accommodate the specific needs of the UAE traveller. "Two of our best-selling packages are the seven-day Kuala Lumpur and the 10-day Singapore-Penang-Kuala Lumpur holidays. Priced at Dhs. 2990 and Dhs. 3820 twin share respectively, the prices include air fare, accommodation, breakfast, and airport transfers at the destination," he stated.
Other Far East holiday packages from MMI Travel include: An eight-day package to Bangkok and Koh Samui for Dhs. 3730; a seven-day package to Bangkok and Chiang Mai for Dhs. 3170, and the seven-day package to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur for Dhs. 3070 per person. More details on MMI's Far East summer holiday offers can be had by emailing vidyab@mmi.co.ae, or by calling Tel: (04) 209 5500 or (04) 209 5000.
MMI Travel is a full service travel management company and provides a one-stop travel solution in three core areas - Business Travel Management, Outbound Leisure and Vacation Travel, and Destination Management (Gulf Ventures). The company is the exclusive General Sales Agent (GSA) for Abercrombie and Kent, Contiki Holidays, Cox & Kings, American Airlines and Air New Zealand in the UAE.
- July 24, 2002. keralamonitor.com 4.30 p.m.
CRISIL Assigns First Healthcare Grade In Ahmedabad
Mumbai --After assigning healthcare grades to hospitals in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, CRISIL has assigned the first healthcare grade in Ahmedabad to Prathama Blood Centre, Ahmedabad . Prathama Blood Centre has been classified as a 'Transfusion Medicine Centre'. This is CRISIL's first grading in this category of healthcare institutions. Prathama Blood Centre has been assigned "Grade A" by CRISIL, which indicates 'Very Good Quality' of delivered service. Healthcare institutions graded in this category have facilities, equipment, manpower and service quality levels that are consistent with the highest standards in the Indian healthcare industry.
Advanced Transfusion Medicine Research Foundation (ATMRF), a company incorporated under Section 25 of the Companies Act 1956 as a not-for-profit organisation, manages Prathama Blood Centre. ATMRF is also registered as a public charitable trust under the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950. Under an agreement with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Prathama Blood Centre has been allotted land on a 99-year lease and has agreed to provide blood components to AMC-operated hospitals at subsidised rates.
The blood bank has a built-up area of 372 square metres, which is more than adequate given the government's stipulation of 150 square metres for blood banks and blood component preparations. Prathama Blood Centre conducts all mandatory tests on the blood collected and also complies with all the guidelines of the Drugs and Cosmetics (Second Amendment) Rules, 1999. Prathama Blood Centre operates on the principle of 100% voluntary blood donation and not on replacement blood donation. The blood bank's operations are integrated through customised software for blood donation, testing, component preparation, storage and issue of components. Prathama Blood Centre does not offer whole blood and delivers only blood components, which is a practice that is accepted all over the developed world.
Prathama Blood Centre has prepared standard operating procedures (SOPs), which are followed by all its operating personnel. These SOPs cover daily operations like blood donation, testing, storage, component preparation and issue of components. Prathama Blood Centre employs qualified doctors and technicians to operate the blood bank on a professional basis and to provide consistent quality blood components to more than 50 hospitals in and around Ahmedabad. Prathama Blood Centre follows international bar-coding in order to avoid human errors in identifying, cross-matching and issuing blood components.
ATMRF, in operation for the last one and half years, has been supported by its promoters, INTAS group, through loans to the extent of Rs. 30.2 million in this period. The company is expected to breakeven during the current financial year.
EAST TIMOR BECOMES ADB'S 61st MEMBER
MANILA, PHILIPPINES (24 July 2002) - The Democratic Republic of East Timor
became the 61st member of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), effective from
yesterday.To coincide with the event, East Timor Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Cooperation, Jose Ramos-Horta, paid a courtesy call on ADB President Tadao
Chino yesterday and expressed appreciation for ADB's continuing involvement
in the economic reconstruction of East Timor. President Chino assured
Minister Ramos-Horta that ADB would continue to work closely with the
government and donor partners to address poverty in East Timor, one of the
poorest countries in Asia.ADB plans to send a country consultation mission to East Timor shortly to
formulate a medium-term assistance program. Although East Timor was not yet a member of the ADB during the pre-independence period, it was eligible to receive ADB technical
assistance grants. Since 2000, ADB has approved 19 technical assistance
projects for East Timor, amounting to $8 million from grant funds. Such
projects were for project preparation, capacity building, and policy advice
in key sectors and for economic management.During the past two years, ADB also served as a co-administrator of the
multi-donor Trust Fund for East Timor (TFET). ADB processed and supervised
six TFET projects totaling $52.8 million, covering the restoration of
physical infrastructure, particularly roads, ports, water supply and power
facilities. ADB also prepared and administered a TFET-financed microfinance
project.ADB has a Special Liaison Office in East Timor and is shortly expected to
announce its new head.
Inmarsat Swift64 Comes of Age Only Three Months After Launch
Installation milestone for Inmarsat's high-speed data serviceDubai, 24th July 2002
Inmarsat Limited, the global mobile satellite communications provider, announced today that its Swift64 service has already 'come of age' just three months after commercial launch, topping 21 active commercial jets. This milestone demonstrates Inmarsat's commitment to delivering cost-effective, robust, high-speed data services to the aviation industry."With Swift64 we are providing what was desperately required by aircraft passengers - cost-effective passenger e-mail and Internet-based applications," said Tony Busby, general manager of aeronautical business at Inmarsat.
Inmarsat Swift64 was commercially launched in April 2002. The initial service offering provides passengers in the corporate and government aircraft markets with ISDN speeds of 64kbit/s. This will be expanded during the year to include a Mobile Packet Data service based on IP-protocol, and by the end of the year will be available to the commercial airline market. Passengers of Swift64 enabled aircraft are able to access Inmarsat's services via on-board servers as part of an email or aircraft intranet solution.
"Currently, around 75 per cent of modern long haul commercial aircraft and over 1400 private jets already have the Inmarsat satellite communications antenna needed to carry Swift64 services, so only a partial technology upgrade is needed, which in turn delivers an important cost benefit to aircraft operators," commented Mr. Busby. "Significantly, Swift64 is meeting passenger's inflight data requirements now, well in advance of the competition and their cost and infrastructure intensive broadband initiatives," he added.
Telenor Satellite Services and Xantic (for SITA) have been authorised in all four ocean regions for Swift64 services, and Swift64 compatible avionics are being provided by Honeywell/Thales, EMS Technologies and Ball Aerospace. Other manufacturers including Rockwell Collins and Thrane & Thrane are expected shortly.
· Inmarsat Ltd owns and operates a unique global mobile satellite network and delivers its communications solutions through a worldwide network of approximately 260 distributors and other service providers operating in over 80 countries to end users in the maritime, land and aeronautical sectors.
July 24, 2002. keralamonitor.comMiddle East Imaging and Diagnostic Meet to coincide with Arab Health
IIR Exhibitions in association with the UAE Ministry of Health's Radiology Department is to stage The Middle East Imaging & Diagnostic Conference for radiologists in Dubai, in January, to coincide with Arab Health 2003, the region's premier hospital, medical equipment and services exhibition and conference. Hamad Kazim, the Ministry's Director of Federal Radiology, said the move fulfills a long felt need for an annual radiology conference in the UAE.
"We are hoping this conference acts as a regional primer," said Kazim.
"Radiology methods and technology are evolving very rapidly. Holding the radiology conference as part of Arab Health will ensure health service professionals can tap into the latest developments. This will help ensure the best medical care is available.
"Leading radiology staff, as well as clinicians and surgeons who are directly involved in imaging diagnosis will attend the conference which will be addressed by experts in breast, cardiac and coronary imaging, interventional radiology, digital radiography and PACS," said Kazim.
The Ministry, which officially supports Arab Health, is also planning to stage a series of workshops and lectures on various imaging aspects alongside the show, which will be held at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre from January 26-29.
"This is a boost to Arab Health's standing as the hitherto unchallenged regional industry forum," said John Hassett, Exhibitions Director, Healthcare Division, IIR Exhibitions. "Conference delegates will also visit the show which next year will be the largest in its long history spanning six halls at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre. We anticipate a show of some 12,000 square metres of net space, which is a growth of between 40-50%."
To date, 18 national pavilions have been confirmed for Arab Health, including first-time group participation by Saudi Arabia. In all exhibitors from 24 countries across the USA, Europe, Scandinavia, the Far and Middle East as well as the Indian Sub-continent are so far confirmed for the show.
Arab Health 2003 will incorporate three specialist arenas: Pharmacy, the region's only event dedicated to pharmacists, general practitioners and hospital medical staff; Arab Dentistry and Medlab, for laboratory and biotechnology products.
Also, for the first time, the show will feature International Health Services (IHS), a dedicated event for hospitals, clinics, insurance and specialised recruitment companies involved in the expanding global market for overseas and distance healthcare facilities.
Arab Health 2003 is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry.
Hundreds of street kids reportedly dumped in a forest
24 July 2002 keralamonitor.com
ADDIS ABABA, 23 July (IRIN) - Hundreds of street children and homeless
people were last month forced out of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and
dumped in a forest outside the city, the Ethiopian Human Rights Council
(EHRCO) has said.It said security forces took them to the Gorfu forest, some 55 km from the
capital. Some of the children were reportedly only 11-years-old.The round-up, which has only come to light a month after it happened, took
place during the World Cup last month. The homeless and the children were
rounded up from the centre of the city where a huge television screen had
been erected so people could watch the football matches.“Although the police have warned and intimidated the individuals whom they
have rounded up and dumped not to come back to Addis Ababa, they have come back to the city because they have no other place to go,” EHRCO said.“Ethiopia’s unresolved economic, social and political problems have
continued to plunge the country deep into the morass of poverty, hardship
and misery,” said an EHRCO spokesman. “This critical situation has assumed
extremely serious dimensions.”The ministry of labour and social affairs (MOLSA) says the number of
street children in Ethiopia has reached alarming proportions, with an
estimated 100,000 to 200,000 youngsters on the streets.The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), which works with the government on the
problem, estimates there are some 50,000 to 60,000 street kids in the
capital alone.The city also has thousands of beggars, many of whom have left their
villages in the countryside to try and make a living in the capital.
Focus on Islamic terrorism, and the challenge for the AU
JOHANNESBURG, 23 July (IRIN) - If Africa's role in the "global war on terror" is to be taken seriously, African governments must put in place effective legal tools to translate their commitments into action.
A recent report by the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies (ISS) said that despite overwhelming support from African leaders for the US-led campaign against international terrorism, the continent still lagged behind in implementing some of its obligations.
"Perhaps the biggest shortfall in Africa's engagement in the global campaign against terrorism is the absence of a continental mechanism to support the required cooperation between states," the report said.The collaborative study between South African and Ethiopian scholars titled "Africa and Terrorism", outlined how international terrorism had undermined global security.
Africa, the study noted, despite its economic marginalisation in the world, had been drawn into the collective response to the "new post-Cold War threat", and would have to deliver on its commitments.
The report said that although African concerns about terrorism had obviously intensified in recent months, as far back as 1992 the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) had adopted a resolution to enhance cooperation in order to fight extremism.
The OAU adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism (the Algiers Convention) at its 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in 1999 in Algiers.
A number of the contributions to the ISS study reflected on various aspects of the Algiers Convention. They noted the glaring exclusion of any reference to an enforcement mechanism in the event of a country not acting in accordance with the provisions of the convention, or of effective monitoring mechanisms to measure the compliance of states to their legal commitments.
"Ratification and enactment of the Convention remained halting and slow, even after the events of 11 September 2001," the report said.
Following the attacks on New York and Washington last year, the OAU sought to reinvigorate the African contribution to the global campaign against terrorism.
The Constitutive Act of the African Union (AU) this month declared its demand for "respect for the sanctity of human life, condemnation, and rejection of impunity and political assassination, acts of terrorism and subversive activities".
In considering the key challenges that should inform a comprehensive approach by the AU, which replaced the OAU, to combating terrorism, the study highlighted a number of concerns.
African governments would have to come to terms with the close links between terrorists, organised crime and money laundering, the report said."The same networks that support arms trafficking, the use of mercenaries and illegal human trafficking often provide the means for terrorism," the study said.
It added that mercenaries obtained their arms through the same illegal channels which could be connected to the drug market. They needed the same counterfeit experts to obtain passports, travel documents and access to controlled areas.The report also raised the concerns of several NGOs that human rights could be suspended by governments on the pretext of fighting terrorism.
"The dilemma for Africa is the need to act against terrorists as a national security risk without destroying the often tenuous rule of law that exists. There is a need to ensure that those legal tools do not undermine values that are fundamental to democratic society," the report noted.
Human rights activists are concerned that governments in Africa could see an opportunity to label opposition forces as terrorists.
In Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe recently accused members of the opposition of being terrorists. Since 11 September, the government has used existing and new laws to allegedly harass and intimidate members of the opposition and independent journalists.
In Kenya, members of the Muslim community complain of harassment by government security forces. In several other African countries like Swaziland, governments are enacting new security laws ostensibly to combat terrorism.The report concluded that international developments since the 11 September attacks required a revision of all the anti-terrorism efforts that went before.
"Perhaps most important, unlike initiatives such as those regarding drugs and refugees, African leaders have yet to agree on an action plan to translate their commitment regarding the Algiers Convention into action, to mobilise the resources for such an action plan and to monitor its compliance. This endeavour, more than most, is one worthy of a concerted action by African leaders," the report said.
Mugabe warns against interference under pretext of aid
July 24, 2002 keralamonitor.com
HARARE, 23 July (IRIN) - President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday warned humanitarian groups working in Zimbabwe not to interfere in the country's internal affairs.
Addressing the official opening of the country's third session of parliament, which was boycotted by opposition legislators, Mugabe said aid was welcome but his government was wary of some organisations which he alleged were out to undermine his government.
More than six million people are in need of food aid. The United Nation's has appealed for US $285 million to help Zimbabwe survive the worst food shortage in 50 years.
"While Zimbabwe accepts drought-related assistance from the international community, we remain quite wary of countries and organisations which seek to take advantage of our hour of need to attenuate our sovereignty or even reverse those vital policies we have adopted as a sovereign people," Mugabe told parliament.
"Yes we need food assistance from organisations and nations of goodwill. But we certainly abhor sinister interests which seek surreptitiously to advance themselves under cover of humanitarian involvement," he warned.
But Mugabe addressed only members of the ruling party as the opposition's 55 MPs walked out of the chamber before his 40-minute address began. The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has refused to recognise Mugabe's legitimacy, accusing him of resorting to violence to win last March's hotly disputed presidential election.
Outside Parliament, police maintained a heavy presence after a civic group, the National Constitutional Assembly, had planned to stage a protest during Mugabe's address. The demonstration, however, failed to materialise.
Mugabe said his government would do all it could to feed its people, who are facing starvation as a result of a combination of drought and Zimbabwe's chaotic land reform programme.
"No effort will be spared in ensuring that enough food is secured. We fight the present drought with our eyes clearly set on the future of the agricultural sector which is the mainstay of our economy. We dare not endanger its future through misplaced decisions based on acts of either desperation or expediency," Mugabe said.
Zimbabwe's food crisis has become highly politicised, with the government claiming that the MDC had manufactured the shortages that have seen basic commodities disappear off shop shelves.
Agriculture Minister Joseph Made this month accused millers of stock piling flour for speculative purposes. His statement followed allegations by the police that the opposition was engineering shortages to foment political unrest. The MDC has dismissed the allegations as "nonsense".
Mugabe denied that his government had politicised food aid to strengthen its political support in the rural areas. He also said he would not sacrifice Zimbabwe's independence for humanitarian aid.
"We reject any attempts to use the present drought relief effort to smuggle in failed and inappropriate IMF [International Monetary Fund] policies which we know to have exacerbated our vulnerability to the vagaries of nature and neo-colonial manipulation disguised as globalisation," he warned.
Mugabe said his government would continue with its land reform programme in which 5,153 farms with a total area of 9.8 million hectares had been gazetted for resettlement by people from the over-crowded communal areas. Of these farms, 6.2 million hectares had been resettled by 210,520 households under the fast-track programme.
Alcatel-Singapore Telecom deal for IP Voice plus
Paris, July 24, 2002 - Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA), a leading
telecom infrastructure vendor, announced today that it has been selected by
Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) to optimize the Voice over IP
capabilities of its VoicePlus services. VoicePlus is Singtel's
next-generation VoIP service targeted at resellers of international
telephone services and mobile carriers in the Asia Pacific region.Under the terms of the contract, Alcatel will provide its IPWay 9100
(Alcatel 5021 Advanced Routing Server), a full component of the Alcatel
VoIP Next Generation Network (NGN) solution, designed to provide powerful
call control features, flexible policy-based routing functions and advanced
digit manipulation. User acceptance testing of the Routing Server has been
completed, and commercial use will begin in August 2002."VoicePlus, with its focus on quality and reliability, is an important
service for SingTel because it enables us to enhance our packet-based
technologies to deliver both traditional voice services as well as new
value-added voice services. Together with Alcatel and SingTel Aeradio, we
hope to bring the service levels and capabilities of our VoicePlus service
to a new level," said Masagos Zulkifli, a senior director in SingTel's
International Carrier Services Group. SingTel Aeradio is the system
integrator in this IP-based switch project.Dirk Bailliere, Alcatel's vice president for Voice Networks activities in
Asia Pacific, said, "Being chosen by SingTel, a strong and reputed world
leader in deploying innovative technologies and services, proves again the
readiness of Alcatel's comprehensive NGN solution offering. We are very
pleased to implement our advanced routing feature server, which is a major
step for Alcatel to grow our NGN business globally with carriers like
SingTel."Through VoicePlus, Singtel provides quality termination in Australia,
China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea,
Taiwan, United Kingdom and the United States.
SingTel is Asia's leading communications company with a comprehensive
portfolio of services that include voice and data services over fixed,
wireless and Internet platforms. Serving both the corporate and residential
markets, SingTel is committed to bringing the best of global communications
to its customers in the Asia Pacific and beyond.
SingTel has extensive interests in submarine cable and satellite systems,
including its co-owned ST-1 satellite and the pan-Asian C2C cable network.
Its infrastructure development strategy is to ensure that its networks
remain modern and efficient, and continue to meet the needs of its
customers.
The SingTel Group has expanded into overseas markets, with investments in
many countries and territories. In Australia, its wholly-owned subsidiary,
SingTel Optus is a leader in integrated communications -- serving more than
five million customers. The Group's major investments include Advanced Info
Service of Thailand, the Bharti Telecom Group of India, Globe Telecom of
the Philippines and Telkomsel of Indonesia.
SingTel has been recognized Best Asian Telecom Operator by industry
publication, TelecomAsia, for five consecutive years since 1998. The
Group's turnover for the year ended 31 March 2002 was S$7.34 billion
(US$4.02 billion
Warning to Westerners Visiting Afghanistan, Pakistan.
We strongly advise against all holiday and other non-essential travel to Kabul City and against all travel to the western and southern districts of Kabul City and to other parts of Afghanistan. The security situation remains serious and the threat to foreigners high. Travellers should be aware that we are advising against all but essential travel to Pakistan for which there is compelling reason and where the traveller has confidence in the security arrangements made for the entire visit.
Second Saudi Prince Dies in Road Accident
Riyadh --July 24, 2002. Another Saudi royal family prince, ho hurried back to Riyadh to attend the funeral of a beloved cousin, ended up being buried with his relative after a fatal crash on the long road journey from Jeddah, his family said. Prince Sultan ibn Faisal ibn Turki, 41, was in Jeddah when he was informed of the death on Monday of his cousin Prince Ahmad, 44, son of Riyadh Governor Prince Salman and chairman of Saudi Research & Marketing Group, the family said.
Prince Sultan decided to make the 1,000- km (625 mile) road journey back to the capital to be sure of arriving on time for the funeral - which in accordance with Muslim tradition was scheduled swiftly after the prince's premature death - but was killed in a crash on the way. A nephew of King Fahd, custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and chairman of the board of directors of Saudi Research and Marketing Group, publishers of the pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat, Arab News and other publications, Prince Ahmad was a close friend of his younger cousin, relatives said. Joint funeral prayers were held for the princes at the Imam Turki ibn Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh.
Prince Ahmad and Prince Sultan were later buried side by side at Al-Oudh graveyard in the capital. Prince Sultan, a businessman, died in a car accident near Riyadh, according to security officials. A close family friend, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the accident occurred before dawn as the prince was driving from Jeddah, where he was on holiday, to Riyadh. Prince Sultan, an ex-military pilot who owned the Lulu health care-related business, died at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, where his 44-year-old cousin had died on Monday. Prince Sultan was a graduate of King Faisal Air Academy in Riyadh.
P.M.Nair is President Kalam's Secretary.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of P.M. Nair, IAS (AGMU: 67), Secretary, Department of Defence Production and Supplies, as Secretary to the President of India, with effect from 25th July, 2002 or the date on which he takes over charge of the post, whichever is later. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has also approved that Subir Dutta, IAS (WB: 67), Defence Secretary, would hold additional charge of the post of Secretary, Department of Defence Production and Supplies on the appointment of Shir P.M. Nair, IAS (AGMU: 67) as Secretary to the President of India.
Report on War History Submitted
The report of the Review Committee on publication of official war histories has been submitted. The report was submitted by the Chairman of the Committee, NN Vohra former Defence Secretary to the Defence Minister George Fernandes here today. Lt. Gen (Retd) Satish Nambiar former Deputy Chief of Army Staff and Dr. SN Prasad, military historian are the other two members of the committee.
The committee was set up in October 2001 following acceptance of the recommendations of the Group of Ministers on National Security System on the issue of publication of the War Histories of the 1962 conflict with China, the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak Wars and the history of ‘Operation Pawan’ by Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka.
When the committee was set up, it was asked to examine the related files of the said conflicts available in the Ministries of Defence and External Affairs with a view to recommending or rejecting their publication for open sale
Ajith Singh announces New measures to tackle Drought in the Country
New Delhi --July 24, 2002 keralamonitor.com The meeting of the Agriculture and Relief Ministers of twelve States with Union Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh here today reviewed the situation arising out of weak monsoon and its implications on agriculture and allied sectors.
The current scenario indicates loss in productivity in may areas although its actual magnitude will be available only in the second half of August as considerable retrieval will be possible wherever rains occur. It was agreed that in the meantime, all out efforts need to be mounted to go in for retrieval operations and sowing of early maturing and drought resistant varieties in as large an area as possible. It was also noted that efforts are already underway to resort to alternative crops based on local conditions and past experience of farming communities. Ajit Singh assured the participants of availability of inputs like seeds and fertilizers and other assistance needed by the State Government. He also underscored the need to initiate urgent and definite steps to tackle the situation in right earnest. He stressed the need to clear dues of farmers and mentioned that the present problems are more likely to affect producers rather than consumers as the availability of food-grains and foreign exchange should ensure that the price-line is guarded.
Augmentation of, fodder and drinking water supply were identified as other areas needing attention of all concerned. Special attention also needs to be focused on smooth running of the Public Distribution System. It was also decided that States would asses on priority basis the extent of additional employment generation required and to also prepare a shelf project to speedily put it in operation should the need arise. The need to keep utmost vigil on the price front was also appreciated. The general feeling was that the coming months would test the capabilities of States and Central Government in tiding over the problems.
The following specific decisions were taken:
(i) Agricultural input subsidy available to small and marginal farmers in the event of damage to crops will be available to other categories also.
(ii) Subsidy admissible for certified seeds will also be available for truthfully labelled seeds during the current season in the affected States.
(iii) States will firm up their arrangements for allocation of free food-grains for additional employment generation for which the initial estimated demand is 41 lakh MTs.
(iv) States will mobilize resources to meet the cash component for employment generation from their own resources meeting shortfalls, if any, from Relief Funds.
(v) There will be an immediate updating of contingency plans and these will be put in operation if not already done.
(vi) Relaxation of last date prescribed under the National Agricultural Insurance Scheme will be examined on a case-to-case basis.
(vii) NABARD and cooperative financing institutions will also be urged to review their existing policies of recovery from State Governments and other borrowers in the affected areas keeping in view the current scenario.
It was the consensus in the meeting that while the current scenario gives cause for concern, given the contingent arrangements made by the States and Centre and successful track record of established good practices in drought management, there is no need for alarm. It was unanimously agreed that the situation warrants close coordination between the Central and State Governments to attend to an emergent situation. It was also the consensus that with the resources at their disposal, Governments are in a position to forestall development of serious distress. It was agreed that there will be constant interaction in managing the situation with highest priority being given to mitigate hardship of common people.
The Agriculture and Relief Ministers who attended the meeting were from Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra & Uttar Pradesh.
Cable Operators Threat to MPs Undesirable Sushama Swaraj
New Delhi --July 24, 2002 keralamonitor.comReacting to the Press statements attributed to the Cable Operators regarding the passage of the Cable Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha, the Information and Broadcasting Minister, Smt. Sushma Swaraj said that transaction of Legislative Business is entirely the prerogative of the Parliament and is governed by well laid down Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business for the two Houses. No external pressure can or should influence the legislative procedure of business. Further, reacting to some Press reports that a section of the Cable Operators had reportedly threatened to cut off the cable connections of those Members of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) who oppose the passing of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill 2002, she said, this was an unfortunate and undesirable development. Such an attitude on the part of Cable Operators is neither in their own interest, nor in the interest of the general public.
She clarified that the CAS Bill has not been withdrawn by the Government. Rather, it has been temporarily de-listed from the business of Rajya Sabha and the reason for this is that the Government is seeking to evolve a general consensus on this consumer friendly legislation. It will be recalled that this Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha with the support of all Parties. The Minister is meeting leaders of various political parties to clarify doubts or apprehensions, if any, that they might have against any provision of the Bill.
The Information and Broadcasting Minister re-iterated her advice to the Cable Operators, as given to them in their meeting with her yesterday also, to exercise restraint and desist from adopting a path of confrontation, particularly when Government was keen to get the CAS Bill passed in the interest of the consumers.
Following is the text of the President K.R. Narayanan’s Farewell Address to the Nation :
New Delhi --July 24, 2002 keralamonitor.com
"My fellow citizens, On the eve of stepping down from office, my heart is filled with emotions of gratitude and thanks to the people of India, their elected representatives, and to the political parties for the trust and confidence they reposed in me and the kindness and affection they bestowed upon me during the last five years.
And I extend to Dr. Abdul Kalam my heartiest congratulations and warm welcome, as the next President of India, and, wish him success and fulfilment in this highest office of the State. I applaud him as a distinguished scientist and technologist and as a scholar and a humanist.
I had the privilege of being the President during the 50th anniversary of our Republic and to participate in the celebrations of that historic anniversary and also to see India enter the 21st century. It was exciting for me to see our country stepping into the new century as the largest and most vibrant democracy in the world, as an economic and technological power of significance, and above all, as a country of one billion people that has achieved self sufficiency in food for the first time in its modern history. To-day the youth of India are awake and they have brought India to the cutting edge of technology making it possible to be a developed nation in the near future. Swami Vivekananda used to say "give me a dozen young people dedicated to the service of the nation and I shall transform the world". To-day we have thousands of enthusiastic young people in our country who are awaiting a call from the elders, and examples set by the older generation for service to the people and the nation. It is not an exaggeration to say that we of the older generation has failed to set examples and role models to our youth for social action in the service of the nation. If only we could release and set in motion the bottled up potential and energy of our youth we can change India, if not change the world.
Gandhiji has once remarked that true democracy is what promotes the welfare of the people. We are proud of our 200 odd million people who are educated and belong to the entrepreneurial and the more well off classes. But we should not forget that this educated well off class is surrounded and almost besieged by the majority of our people who are poor, ill-fed and illiterate. The economic reforms through liberalization and globalization should not ignore this weaker majority – the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, the women who toil day and night and make life worth living in our homes. The provisions we have already made in our social and economic policies and programmes must be strengthened, expanded and implemented with sincerity in order to deal successfully with the condition of all the marginalized sections of our society.
Above all, we should safeguard the unity of India and the democratic order that has elicited a sense of wonder and admiration from the world. At the base of our unity is our tradition of tolerance, religious tolerance, and communal and social amity. In this context I should like to recall the words of Swami Vivekananda at the Parliament of Religions in America. He said he was proud that he came from India, the wonderful land of tolerance, where the Hindus built mosques for the Muslims, and Churches for the Christians. Indeed Vivekananda entertained a vision of India having a Vedantic brain, an Islamic body and a Christian heart. It was in the same spirit that Mahatma Gandhi declared that "I do not expect the India of my dream to develop one religion i.e. wholly Hindu, wholly Christian or wholly Muslim, but I want it to be wholly tolerant with its religions working side by side with one another". Combining the moral and pragmatic aspects of this tolerance Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wrote to the Chief Ministers of India during the dark days of 1947 and I wish to quote excerpts from this letter. "We have a Muslim minority who are so large in numbers that they cannot, even if they want to, go anywhere else. They have got to live in India. That is a basic fact about which there can be no argument. Whatever the provocation from Pakistan and whatever the indignities and horrors inflicted on non-Muslims there, we have got to deal with this minority in a civilized manner. We must give them security and the rights of citizens in a democratic State. If we fail to do so, we shall have a festering sore which will eventually poison the whole body politic and probably destroy it. Moreover, we are now on a severe trial in the international forum. I have it on the authority of our delegates to the United Nations that the friendliness towards India which existed before the recent tragedy, has changed and we are looked upon with distrust, and almost with a certain degree of contempt. We cannot afford to ignore this feeling. … … … And pure self-interest, apart from moral considerations, demands that world opinion should be on our side in this matter of treatment of minorities." His words are true and relevant even to-day and we can ignore these words of wisdom at our risk. It is important for us to-day to introspect and realize that what makes India’s unity and democracy credible and enduring is this precious tradition of tolerance.
My dear fellow citizens, I was born and brought up in a village called Uzhavoor in Kerala among all religionists. I recall how people of different religions lived together in that village without any sort of tension among them and how the upper class Hindus in that village as well as well-to-do Christians encouraged and helped me in my early studies. Later in life I had the opportunity to fight in general elections from a constituency called Ottapalam well known for important upper caste Hindu families. I recall how they all came out to canvass for me in the elections with great enthusiasm. From this constituency where there were considerable number of Muslims and Christians also, it was my good fortune to get elected to Lok Sabha for three consecutive terms with a sizeable majority. At Ottapalam I experienced the essential goodness of our people, their capacity to forget all communal, religious and social divisions of our society, when an occasion was presented to them. It is up to our social and political leaders to present the people with such occasions, especially to-day when the poison of communalism has caused so much violence and hatred in some parts of our country. We need the Hindus, who form the majority, to speak out in the traditional spirit of the Hindu religion.
My parting appeal to you, dear citizens of this proud and tolerant Republic of India, is to guard our tradition of tolerance, for, that is the soul of our culture and civilization, that is the spirit of our Constitution, and that is also the secret of the successful working of our democracy and the secret of the coherence of this vast country as a united nation. May I thank you all again when I step down from the elevated position of the First Citizen, to be a citizen among other citizens of this great Republic.
Jai Hind".
New Delhi --July 24, 2002 keralamonitor.comAVUL PAKIR JAINULABDEEN ABDUL KALAM
Born on 15th October, 1931 at Rameshwaram in Tamilnadu, Bharat Ratna Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam assumes the office of the President of the Republic of India on July 25, 2002.
From a humble beginning, Dr. Kalam had an unparalleled career as an Aerospace and Defence Scientist, leading the nation with a vision of "Developed India." Dr. Kalam as an eminent Aeronautical Engineer, contributed for the development of India’s first Satellite launch vehicle SLV III, became the architect of Indian Guided Missile development programme, led to the successful Nuclear experiments and envisioned a road map for realising "Developed India" within 20 years.
A graduate from the St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchirapalli, Abdul Kalam later studied aeronautical engineering in the Madras Institute of Technology which was regarded as the crown jewel of technical education in Southern India in the fifties. After passing out as a graduate aeronautical engineer, Abdul Kalam joined the Directorate of Technical Development and Production of the Ministry of Defence.
He later joined the Indian Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) as a Rocket Engineer, which during the later half of 1962 had decided to set up the Equatorial Rocket Launching Station at Thumba. He became a member of team led by Prof. Vikram Sarabai which aimed at organising an integrated national space programme for the manufacture of rockets and launch vehicles indigenously.
Dr. Abdul Kalam was chosen to lead a team for the design & development of Satellite Launch Vehicle, SLV III which was successfully launched on 18th July, 1980, injecting Rohini satellite into low earth orbit. He later became Director of ISRO Launch Vehicles/Systems and contributed for the evolution of launch vehicle configurations.
Dr. Abdul Kalam was appointed Director of the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad in 1982. As Director, DRDL, he was the Chief of integrated Guided Missile Development Programme and led to successful completion of Prithvi and Agni missiles. He was appointed as the Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, Secretary to Department of Defence Research and Development and Director General of Defence Research and Development Organisation in 1992. Many new technology projects towards building self-reliance in defence and also spin-off to society emerged during this period. Later he became the Principal Scientific Advisior to the Government of India in the rank of Cabinet Minister and served in this capacity from November 1999 till November 2001. He was primarily responsible for evolving policies, strategies and missions for generation of innovations in technology development for multiple applications through Government departments, academic institutions and industries as partners. Dr. Kalam was also the Chairman, Ex-officio of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet (SAC-C). Dr. Kalam believes that Technology can be used as a tool for national development. In December 2001 he moved over to Anna University as Professor of Technology & Societal Transformation.
Dr. APJ abdul Kalam has been awarded Padma Bhushan in 1981, Padma Vibhushan in 1990 and Bharat Ratna in 1997.
Dr. Kalam was conferred with the degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc. Honoris-causa) by twenty eight universities. He is the recipient of several awards including the National Design Award. Dr. Biren Roy Space Award; Prof. Y Nayudamma Memorial Gold Medal (1996) : GM Modi Award for Science (1996) : R K Firodia Award for Excellence in S&T (1996) : Veer Savarkar Award (1998) : and Indira Gandhi Award for National integration (1997).
He is a Fellow of many professional societies including Aeronautical Society of India : Astronautical Society ; Indian National Academy of Engineering ; Indian Academy of Sciences and Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers. Dr. Kalamn is a connoisseur of classical Carnatic music. He plays veena in his leisure. He writes poetry in Tamil, his mother tongue. Seventeen of his poems were translated into English and published in 1994 as a book entitled "My Journey". He is also the Author of three books in English – "India 2020 : A vision for the New Millennium", "Wings of Fire : an Autobiography" and "Ignited Minds – unleashing the power within India."
Pharmaceutical Authority revises pricing of three forumulations
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has revised/fixed the prices of 3 formulation packs on July 22, 2002. Prices have been fixed for the first time in the case of 1 formulation pack. In the case of 2 packs, prices have increased, 44.50% and 64.85%.
Of the 3 formulation packs, ceiling prices (exclusive of excise duty and local taxes etc.) have been fixed in respect of 1 pack. Non-ceiling prices have been fixed in respect of the remaining 2 packs. Prices have been fixed/revised in accordance with the provisions of the DPCO, 1995 and as per the established criteria and guidelines. The statement showing the existing (where available) and revised prices is annexed. The information is also available on NPPA’s website www.nppaindia.nic.in.
The formulations for which prices have been revised/fixed include formulations containing Ibuprofen+Paracetamol which is used in the treatment of pain and fever, The Griseofulvin based formulation which is used in the treatment of fungal diseases and Madopar Tablet is used in the treatment of parkinsonism.
The prices fixed/revised would become effective within 15 days from the date of the govt. notification in the official gazette or the receipt of the order of the NPPA in this behalf, as per Para 14(1) of DPCO, 1995. The necessary revised price list is to be issued by the manufacturers/importers required under sub paragraph (3) of paragraph 14 of the DPCO, 1995. Accordingly, as per the provisions of the DPCO, the revised price list in Form-V is to be furnished by the concerned manufacturer(s) to the government/NPPA, State Drug Control Authorities and distributors, wholesalers and retailers, etc.
Raising Funds to settle VRS Dues by National Textile Mills.
New Delhi --July 24, 2002 keralamonitor.com An amount of Rs 1600 crores (apprx.) will be needed for giving VRS to surplus workers in NTC. As per draft Rehabilitation Scheme, this amount is to be raised from sale of surplus lands/assets. However, to start the process, Government permitted NTC to issue Bonds for Rs. 500 crores on Government Guarantee. NTC has been able to raise Rs. 333 crores (approx.) through NTC Bonds till date. Balance amount would be raised through loan/sale of assets for which process has already begun, stated the Minister of State for Textiles, Basangouda R. Patil (Yatnal) in Rajya Sabha today.
