K E R A L A M O N I T O R . C O M N E W S B U R E A U
India Kuwait Extradition Treaty Ratified
Regional centre for authentication of educational certificates to be opened in Kerala
by R S Priya
Dec 11: A regional centre for authentication of educational certificates is being opened in Kerala soon. There is demand for manpower in the Gulf region, especially in the Middle East countries. A large number of people from Kerala are availing of this opportunity and going to these countries. In order to get work permit and visa, these countries require their educational qualifications to be authenticated by the Department of Secondary & Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development and countersigned by the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi.
In order to help people from the southern states going abroad, Minister of Human Resource Development, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, has decided that a regional center be opened for authentication of educational qualifications in Kerala. The demand has been made by the Kerala Chief Minister to the Prime Minister.
The HRD Ministry has already informed the state government of its intention to open an office there and requested suitable office space. It has also requested the Ministry of External Affairs to make suitable arrangements for countersigning the certificates in Kerala itself so that people from the southern parts of the country do not have to travel all the way to Delhi for authentication and countersignature. -Keralamonitor.com
India Kuwait Extradition Treaty Ratified
Union Cabinet formally approved Anti Defection bill; Tobacco advertisements to be banned in a week
New Delhi Dec 11: Union Cabinet has today formally approved a new draft anti-defection bill, which would automatically disqualify any legislator who shifts loyalty to another party, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said. She was announcing decisions, taken at a Cabinet meeting last night, of which include one to limit the size of ministries and another to ban promotion of tobacco products in media within a week or 10 days. She said the rules and regulations for the ban on tobacco products will be notified in 10-days. With this, India will become the 7th country to ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.The cabinet also approved a bill to limit the size of ministries. Under this, small states can have only a maximum of 12 ministers and also the size of government cannot exceed 15 per cent of the strength of the lower House. The cabinet also gave approval for the Indo-Kuwait Extradition Treaty and authorised its ratification. -Keralamonitor.com
Request for ten-year visa extension for Pak citizens
Thiruvananthapuram Dec 11: Kerala government has requested the central governemnt to give a further ten-year extension of the visa validity to some of the 'Pakistan citizens' settled in the northern parts of the state who have crossed 60 years. Yet, in the case of Pakistan passport holders below 60, numbering 12 out of the total population of 255, the state government sought a three-months' time to finalise the formalities for giving them Indian citizenship. Chief minister A K Antony said that the central government should also consider setting up of a centre here to complete the formalities as majority of them were above the age of 70 and could not travel up to Delhi. The state cabinet took such a decision on the basis of the recommendations of a recent meeting of the Members of Parliament from Kerala. "They are living in a pathetic condition. We cannot call them as Pakistan citizens. Most of them are born in Kerala only, but at one stage they left for Pakistan and got the passport from there. Now, they are back in Kerala and want to live here, " he said, urging the BJP Government to stop all measures for their deportation till the issue was settled. -Keralamonitor.com
Design,development and commissioning of engines of Sky Bus
Lok Sabha
Dec 11: Technology for 3 phase AC asynchronous motors and interfacing with Konkan Railway's Anti Collision Device (ACD) for driving the Sky Bus will be jointly developed.
The Austrian Company will be involved in developing the entire three phase AC traction system with electronic controls suitable to operate in Sky Bus Guideway and will also reveal the interface requirement to match with Konkan Railway's Anti Collision Devices. The name and address of the firm with whom Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. (KRCL) has signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is: "ELIN EGB Traction GmbH, CumberlandstraBe, 32-34, A-1141, Wein Austria".
While proposals have been submitted for implementing Sky Bus Metro in 15 cities in India and 7 cities abroad, the technology is still to be proved.
Sky Bus System is more cost effective than other urban mass transit transportation systems. Sky Bus follows the road alignment. It is an elevated system of mass transport. The elevated metro at present is found to be costing between Rs. 100 crores to Rs. 120 crores per route km. In comparison, for the same level of performance, the Sky Bus Metro costs between Rs. 45 crores to Rs. 50 crores per kilometre. Sky Bus does not require land at most of the occasion since it follows roads and hence can be constructed within 2 to 3 years in any city.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Basanagouda R. Patil in a written reply to a question from Shri Naresh Puglia in the Lok Sabha today. -Keralamonitor.com
Internet service in moving trains
Lok Sabha
Dec 11: RailTel Corporation of India Ltd., a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Railways, is planning to provide Internet service on one of the trains, as a pilot project, during 2003-04. Initial technical trials for provision of such services in running train have already been conducted on 'Tughlakabad-Faridaba' section. The train and route on which the pilot project is to be implemented is under finalization.
The facility will initially be provided in one coach of the selected train.
It will be possible for railway passengers traveling on the trains, where such facility will be provided, to access Internet and send/receive e-mails, besides, making international calls using VOIP (Voice over IP) Technology. This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Basanagouda R. Patil in a written reply to a question from Shri Y. V. Rao in the Lok Sabha today. -Keralamonitor.com
Training for agriculture graduates
Dec 11: 20,450 applications have been received from agriculture graduates from across the country so far under the scheme for the Establishment of Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centres by agriculture graduates. 4,043 graduates have been given training. Out of them, 757 graduates have set up agriclinics or agribusiness centres in different activities. The scheme was launched in the last year of the 9th Five Year Plan throughout the country. Under the scheme, graduates in agriculture are given training for two months.
The main objective of the scheme is to provide extension services to farmers through trained agriculture graduates on payment basis. The scheme also helps provide employment to agriculture graduates. An illustrative list of about 20 activities has been identified which could be taken up by agriculture graduates individually or in a group of 5 persons.
The scheme is being implemented through the Small Farmers Agri-Consortium, National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. -Keralamonitor.com