COAST GUARD RESCUES 21 MERCHANT MEN ON HIGH SEAS

The Indian Coast Guard has rescued 21 merchantmen on high seas yesterday, 370 nautical miles off Port Blair. The Indian Coast Guard received a maritime distress call of a flooding vessel MV Jubilee with 21 crew members onboard. The crew members planning to abandon the vessel at 1130 hrs on Jul 24, 2003. The vessel was within Indian search and rescue region and Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, Port Blair was directed to respond. The Rescue Centre quickly identified potential ships in areas and diverted MV Chahaya Star, the nearest ship. While the ship sank, all crew have been rescued by 1430 hrs. The vessels had crew from Myanmar, Indian, China, Bangladesh, Srilanka and Indonesia and are being brought to Kolkata

NO FOREIGN UNIVERSITY PROGRAMME CAN BE OFFERED AGAINST AICTE REGULATIONS

Rajya Sabha

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), keeping in view the interest of students, has recently issued a set of regulations to regulate the operation of foreign universities/institutions providing education in India and abroad.

The AICTE regulations for entry and operation of Foreign Universities/Institutions imparting technical education in India stipulates that, on its commencement (i.e. from 6th May, 2003), no foreign universities/institutions shall establish/operate its educational activity in India leading to award of diplomas/degrees including postgraduate and doctoral in technical education without the express permission/approval of AICTE.

AICTE has also issued notices in newspapers to make it clear that none of the technical programmes being offered by foreign universities/institutions in India is approved by AICTE and that no programme of foreign university/institutions can be offered in India in contravention of the provisions of AICTE regulations in the matter.This information was given by the Minister of State for Human Resource Development Dr. Vallabhbhai Kathiria in reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

COOKED MEALS UNDER MID-DAY MEAL SCHEME IN 25 STATES/UTs

Rajya Sabha

As per the available information, 25 States/UTs are providing cooked meals under the Mid-day Meal Scheme. Of these, while 15 States/UTs namely, Andhra Pradesh, Chatisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Pondicherry and Chandigarh are providing meals across the respective State/UT; the programme is being partially implemented in 10 other States/UTs namely, Haryana, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Orissa, Punjab, Uttranchal, West Bengal and Delhi. Rest of the States/UTs are providing foodgrains under the scheme.

As per the scheme, the Central Government provides, foodgrains, free of cost, and admissible transportation charges on the basis of which implementing agencies in States are required to arrange cooked meals for children. In the light of directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, the Government has been constantly urging the States/UTs currently not providing cooked meals, to implement a cooked meal programme.This information was given by the Minister of State for Human Resource Development Dr. Vallabhbhai Kathiria in reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

STEPS TO CHECK DOPING IN SPORTS RAJYA SABHA

The Indian Olympic Associations and National Sports Federations are primarily the action taking authorities against sports persons found guilty of a doping offence. However, the Government of India, through Sports Authority of India has made serious efforts to keep away sports persons from use of any kind of prohibited drugs. During the coaching camps,. Strict instructions have been issued to the coaches attached with the campers to educate and regularly counsel the players about the banned drugs. Apart from this, the sports medicine doctors at NS NIS, Patiala and other regional centres conduct lecture, wherever camps are being held , to educate the players not to use any banned drugs. At the time of commencement of the camp, each player is being provided with documents and brochures about the banned substances. The list of banned drugs and placards for education of players are put in the rooms of the campers. Rooms and belongings of the players are also searched and checked at regular intervals to see that no banned drugs are used besides testing the urine samples of sports persons during the coaching camps at random. Sports persons who have been found positive for Dope are removed from the camp/SAI Schemes and action is initiated against their coaches also, if found guilty. The Government of India has stopped giving any assistance to sports persons found guilty of doping offence under its sports promotion and other schemes. The IOA and National Sports Federations take action against guilty players as per their rules and the rules of the respective international federations.

The proposal regarding signing the World Anti-Doping Agency declaration is under active consideration of the Govt. and once the Government approves the proposal, India would be signing the Copenhagen Declaration 2003 on Anti-Doping in Sports. India has already paid the first year’s subscription of WADA and the dues for the year 2003 would be paid very soon after Government approval.This information was given by Shri Vijay Goel, Minister of Sports for Youth Affairs & Sports in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.

PROTECTIVE MEASURES BY U.S. AGAINST INDIAN STEEL RAJYA SABHA

Embassy of India, Washington intimated in April 2003 that US producers have complained about the surge in India's export of stainless steel products to the USA and have demanded that Indian stainless steel long products should be brought under the safeguard measures. The US side also raised this issue during the recent visit of the Union Commerce & Industry Minister to U.S.A.

The concerns of the US have been brought to the notice of the industry for appropriate action. Till date the US administration has not invoked safeguard measures against import of stainless steel items from India on the basis of recent complaints from its domestic industry. Protective measures taken earlier by the US administration continue. This information was given by the Minister for Steel Shri Braja Kishore Tripathy in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

11 COMMUNITIES RECOMMENDED FOR INCLUSION IN THE CENTRAL OBCs LIST RAJYA SABHA

The National Commission for Backward Classes has recommended eleven communities in five states for inclusion in the Central List of Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The castes/ communities for the inclusion are Quresh (Muslim butcher) and Patra in Andhra Pradesh; Ghasi, Sadgope and Saikalkgar (Sikligar) (Muslim) in Bihar, Ghumiar and Parjapatra in Punjab; Kannada Saineegar, Kannadiyar (throughout the State) and Dasapalanjika (Coimbatore, Erode and Niligiris districts) in Tamil Nadu and Baghban in Uttar Pradesh. The inclusion of castes/ communities in the Central List of OBCs is decided by the Government of India on the advice of the National Commission for Backward Classes. The Centre has included 3,236 castes / communities in the Central List of Backward Classes since September, 1993 through 20 notifications. Of these, 1189 castes / communities were included during the last four years.

The state governments have also set up their own Commissions for identification of castes/communities in the State List of OBCs. This has been done in pursuance of the judgement of the Supreme Court delivered in 1992. The National Commission for Backward Classes has formulated guidelines for consideration of requests, which include criteria covering social, educational and economic aspects of backwardness.

GOVERNMENT TO CONSIDER MODEL CINEMA REGULATIONS

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting would take steps to evolve "Model Cinema Regulations" which could be adopted by the States. A delegation of the Multiplexes Association of India met the Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad here today and pointed out that the regulatory provisions in different States suffer from multiplicity, oblivity, subjectivity and archaic applications. They requested that the model cinema regulations framed in consultation with the industry should be applicable uniformally across the States.

The Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad appreciated the need for uniform regulations and asked the FICCI to prepare a draft of "Model Cinema Regulations", which could be circulated among all the States to elicit their views on it. He said, the Ministry would then call a meeting of the States to discuss and finalize the Regulations, which may be adopted by the States.

Dr. Amit Mitra of FICCI, who led the delegation, said that Cinema Regulations of States, often conflict with development control regulations of cities, though both cover the same issues. They also do not recognize companies as applicants and licences are issued to individuals and are not transferable. He said, location NOC procedure and criteria in many States is discretionary, construction permission is required from licensing authorities, cinemas are presumed to be stand-alone buildings and seat layouts aisle restrictions, screen distance, ventilations requirements, projection room, stair-case, electrical restrictions may be scrapped for safety reasons.