- ROP recaptures runaway inmates
- Kuwait War Compensation: HC admits Pravasi Malayali Council Petition
- Students Islamic Movement of India activists held in Kerala
- SFI calls for judicial probe into lathicharge
- Non Resident Keralites Need Bank's Support
- Kerala bank lost Rs 950 mn in arbitrage services: JPC
- Indian Government to study Male Organ Size to make condoms: Report
- GE Shipping makes presence felt in the Middle East
- Email portal launched in Dubai for Direct marketing
- RS. 8712 Crore for Higher Education in the 10th plan
- Railway Recruitment Boards need to be more transparent and fair
- Kuwait War Compensation: HC admits Pravasi Malayali Council Petition
Many prisoners escaped from Omani Prison
ROP recaptures runaway inmates
keralamonitor.com
MUSCAT - Nineteen prisoners who made good their escape from the central prison in Al Manawama in Oman have been re-captured, the Oman News Agency said quoting the Royal Oman Police. According to sources, several prisoners, some of whom are suspected to be supporters of Islamic groups, escaped from the prison. In a statement, the ROP clarified that the prisoners who escaped were intruders and stray labour hailing from the Indian sub-continent. They managed to retreat from a special refuge in the vicinity of the prison, where they were placed temporarily, till the steps of their extradition were completed. However, due to the concerted efforts of the ROP, all the prisoners were arrested again and subsequently, the extradition efforts have resumed. According to sources ten prisoners were arrested from Mattrah.
Kuwait War Compensation: HC admits Pravasi Malayali Council Petition
Union Bank asked to file statement
keralamonitor.com
Kochi: A division bench of the Kerala High court directed the Union Bank of India to file a detailed statement, showing the amount received from special Kuwait cell and details regarding disbursement of the same to gulf war victims. The bench, comprising chief justice b N Srikrishana and justice M Ramachandran, issued the direction while admitting a petition by the Pravasi Malayali Council. The court also issued a notice to the central government. The court said that the statement should indicate the number of cases in which the compensation amount was sanctioned by the UN Compensation Commission (UNCC) and had not yet reached the bank.The petitioner submitted that compensation amounts should be disbursed to those whose claims are sanctioned, but not disbursed by the UNCC.
BJP Govt to present SIMI ban decison before Tribunal: Mahajan
SIMI activists held in Kerala SFI calls for judicial probe into lathicharge
keralamonitor.com
Thiruvananthapuram. Several activists from the students Islamic movement of India (SIMI) were arrested from different parts of Kerala following BJP Government`s ban on the organisation. Following a central government notification banning the organisation Thursday evening, police sealed the SIMI offices at Kottayam, Alapuzha and Kozhikode. The BJP Government has been trying to misuse the anti-terrorism campaign launched by the US administrtion to fight Islamic movements in India.There is domestic opposition to align with the US, which is viewed as a global policeman and imperialist force, supporting militants and terrorrists all over the world including Kashmir, the Sikh militants and others in India.
Police conducted raids in Thrissur and Kochi, said police sources. Most of the arrested SIMI activists were state Committee members and district secretarites. According to SIMI sources' the outfit had about 600 members spread over the state. However, the movement has many sympathiers in the state.
Mumbai, sep 30 Pramod mahajan has said the central government will
presenting its case regarding the ban on Student`s Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) before the tribunal, to be set up under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The BJP government has banned SIMI based on specific information and reports about its links with terrorist organisations, he told reporters on Saturday Under the act, a tribunal headed by a judge, is required to be set up, where the government would have to present its case, the minister said.The BJP and other suffron wings have been trying to create communal tension in the country to attract the vast majority of Hindus to the party fold. It has been trying to alienate the Muslism, Christians and other minorities from the mainstream Hindu society. The Central Government is trying to use the anti-terrorist campaign launched in close collaboratin with the US government as a tool to suppress domestic opposition and rival political groups. When journalists asked him about about imposing ban on similar communal organisations, like Bajrang Dal, Mahajan, a BJP minister said the Government would take decisions after studying each case.
Students play an important role in Kerala politics.
Several students were injured when a march by the student Federation of India (SFI)in the city turned violent leading to police action at the University college campus. The clash left at least 22 persons including three policemen injured. The Kerala unit of the Students Federation of India (SFI) demanded a Judicial probe into the police excesses on university College students here on september 27. SFI state president Dineshan and its secretary A B Rajesh alleged that police had `deliberately` created tension and lathicharged its activists who were protesting the `high-handness` of pro-congress Kerala students union workers. It was the result of a well-planned conspiracy with a view to demoralising SFI, the student movement affiliated to the Communist party of India (Marxist), and tarnish image of Federation.
Kerala bank lost Rs 950 mn in arbitrage services: JPC
keralamonitor.com
Leading kerala-based Nedungadi Bank lost Rs 945.2 million in unauthorised arbitrage services provided To three stock broker firms, the jpc chairman prakash mani Tripathi said in New Delhi. Stating that the arbitrage service was a new venture by The bank, which was stopped following the losses, Tripathi said the matter was dealt in a confidential manner due to fear of run on the nedungadi bank. Leading stock brokers in Bombay Stock Exchange were trying to take over the bank and some of them had bought stake in the bank.
The JPC Chairman said as a result of measures, the bank Recovered about 80 per cent of the loss and had an outstanding Of Rs 210 million. The lapse was noticed in March 2000 and the Then chairman A K Moorthy was removed from his post, he told Reporters after four-hour JPC hearing. According to the jpc ny direct connection of the incident. To the stock scam was peripheral.The bank was represented by its chairman J.R. Prabhu and its General Manager C.K. Prabhakaran.
The banking sector in Kerala has been neglecting many viable investment projects in the state and running speculators and stock brokers in other states, especially Bombay for making quick bucks. Even though the Non Resident Keralites deposit their life savings in such banks, when many of them return home they seldom get any help from banks to start a business. Do we need to support such banks?
keralamonitor.com Due to the high failure rate of condoms, India Ministry has launched a project to study the size of male organs across the country and make condoms of different sizes instead of the single size presently available, the Indian Express newspaper reported on Saturday. The project in seven centres around the country will use volunteers at hospitals and measure the length and width of their fully erect penises with a digital camera, the paper said."We are now developing a software that will translate pictures automatically into measurements of width and length," Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) scientist R.S. Sharma, who is in-charge of the project, told the newspaper. Each of the seven centres will identify 300 volunteers, mostly relatives of patients admitted at hospitals, and start the delicate project in January, Sharma said. The Rs 11,00,000 rupee project hopes to bring down the 15 to 20 percent failure rate of condoms due to breakage or spillage, said N.C. Saxena, head of reproductive biology at ICMR. Sharma said condoms were currently made in a size specified by the World Health Organisation and the International Standards Organisation. The ICMR officials said only three percent of Indians use condoms while 52 percent don't use any contraceptive method.
GE Shipping makes presence felt in the Middle East
keralamonitor.com
Mumbai: The Great Eastern Shipping Company Ltd. (GE Shipping) will be opening it's representative office at Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
GE Shipping is the largest Indian private sector operator of harbour tugs
and the first offshore service provider in India to be awarded an ISO 9002
certification. G E Shipping through it's offshore division provides
services to the offshore energy industry and port authorities by operating
a diversified fleet of offshore support vessels which includes vessels like
AHT, AHTSV, DSV and tugs. The division which commenced operations in 1983, has catered to varied clients including all oil majors and major ports in
India apart from international clients like NPCC, Enron Oil & Gas, Cairn
Energy, Hardy Oil, Nicco Resources, Cochin Shipyard Ltd., Mazagaon Shipyard Ltd. and L & T to name a few.GE Shipping has entered into a long term operating agreement with Saudi
Aramco for deployment of Malaviya Two, a 4800 BHP Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessel (AHTSV). " We are proud of this association as it is the
first time that an Indian company has won an international tender for long
term operations with Saudi Aramco" said Mr. Vijay Sheth, Managing Director,
The Great Eastern Shipping Company Ltd.Saudi Aramco with interests in oil exploration, refining and distribution
is a fully integrated global oil company and the largest in the Middle East
in terms of revenue, manpower and assets. It operates through it's joint
ventures in several domestic companies in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and
abroad.The Malaviya Two is equipped with a 9 man Fast Rescue Craft Capability of 25 knots speed, for rescue operations in offshore fields and has fire fighting capability (2400 m 3/hr) which makes it a unique Anchor Handling Tug Supply/ Safety Vessel.
Email portal launched in Dubai for Direct marketing
keralamonitor.com
Dubai, UAE - 19 September 2001 (PRN): Middle East Post Box is the first
dedicated portal in the region for 'Opt-in' email marketing. The technology
implemented on the site captures the demographics of the registered
internet subscribers with their areas of interest for delivering value
added information through email and WAP enabled news alerts.The need for Middle East Post Box was realised by Cyber Gear, the internet
solutions company based in Dubai. According to Sharad Agarwal, CEO of Cyber Gear, "There is a critical need for providing a platform for cost effective
and targeted online marketing. With banner advertising having serious
limitations in reaching the appropriate message to the right audience,
permission emarketing is slated to be the next major revolution in the
internet industry. I think I am speaking for all that unsolicited emails
are becoming a menace and one needs to receive only information that one
subscribes to. Middle East Post Box will help agencies and marketing
organisations in the region accomplish their objectives of delivering a
compelling message in rich media format directly to the email boxes of
their target market.Global research conducted by Forrester and eMarketer in USA, has
established that more than 85% of all net users use their internet accounts
for email. Total email marketing spending in the US is likely to reach US$
3.5 billion by end 2003. With an estimated 3.5 million internet users in
the Middle East, opt-in email marketing holds much promise."Indian Design Institute Delegation due in Dubai
keralamonitor.com
A delegation of senior officials from one of India’s leading professional organisations is due in Dubai early next month (October) on a fact-finding visit to Index 2001 the Middle East’s premier trade event for the furnishing and interiors industries.
A 15-strong delegation from the Indian Institute of Interior Designers
(IIID), led by its Vice President Trade, Mr Ramesh Daswani, is to visit
the show to "assess its future potential for the Indian interiors
community.""The IIID has 2,000 members throughout India and we want to assess the
potential of Index and its relevance to our membership for future
exhibiting or visiting opportunities," said Daswani."India’s proximity to the Gulf makes the GCC in particular key target
markets for our members and the accessibility of the show would suggest
it is an ideal venue at which our body can achieve an international
profile and the latest industry intelligence."The IIID was set up 20 years ago to promote excellence in India’s
interiors industry. Its membership now spans interior designers,
architects and interior products manufacturers. Confirmation of the visit has been warmly received by dmg Index Exhibitions, organisers of the Index series which is now in its 11th year."The Indian design community is expansive and represents a huge
potential visiting base for Index, which attracts professionals not only
from the Middle East but a far wider geographical area," said Bernard
Walsh, Managing Director, dmg Index Exhibitions."For instance last year’s show was attended by almost 27,000 visitors
with the catchment footprint taking in North Africa, the Indian
Sub-continent, Levant, CIS, Far East and South Africa."We are looking forward to continued discussions with the IIID on how
best we can meet its members needs and spur greater co-operation between
us."Index 2001 will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from Oct 3-7. It
will be the biggest ever in the series with more than 1,200 exhibitors
from over 50 countries filling all DWTC halls, including the new Hall 8
and two temporary outdoor pavilions. Over 20 national pavilions will be
mounted at the show, which has first-time official participation from
Turkish and Brazilian groups."This year’s show will cover some 22,500 square metres nett, which is 8%
more than last year’s record-breaking event," added Walsh.Dmg Index Exhibitions Limited is part of the giant dmg World Media group, one of the world’s leading trade show companies with over 400 events worldwide annually.Since establishing in Dubai four years ago, the company now owns and
operates five exhibitions, including Index, Index Cairo, the Big 5
construction and contracting exhibition, The Hotel Show, the trade event
for suppliers to the hospitality industry and the recently launched
Office Exhibition, an event for the office interiors and facilities
management sectors.
BANKING INDUSTRY TO CONTINUE AS PUBLIC UTILITY SERVICES FOR ANOTHER SIX MONTHS
keralamonitor.com
The Central Government has declared services in the Banking Industry as a public utility service under the Industrial Dispute Act, 1947 for another six months from September 19, 2001. In a notification issued here, the Labour Ministry said that this is being done in the public interest. The services in the Banking Industry were earlier declared as public utility service from March 19, 2001 for six months.
Government has also declared services in the cement industry as a public utility service under the Industrial Dispute Act, 1947 for six months from September 17, 2001. In a notification, the Labour Ministry said that this has been done in the public interest.
The employees in this industry, as a result, would among other things be required to give notice to their employer six weeks in advance of proceeding on strike so that conciliatory proceedings could be started. During the conciliatory proceedings and seven days after their completion, the employees cannot go on strike.
RS. 8712 Crore for Higher Education in the 10th plan
keralamonitor.com
An amount of Rs. 8712 crore has been projected by the Ministry of Human Resource Development for higher education during the 10th Plan. This was revealed by the Secretary, Department of Secondary and Higher Education, Shri M.K. Kaw, at a meeting of State Secretaries of Higher Education here today. While the 9th Plan allocation for higher education has been Rs. 2500 crore, the increased requirement in the 10th Plan has been projected, keeping in view the new initiatives and cost escalation. It is also to take into account the expected increase in enrolment in higher education which is expected to go up to 15% over the next ten years from the present level of 6 to 7% in the 18-23 age group.
Setting out the agenda for the meeting, Shri Kaw said significant developments are taking place in the higher education centre including the impact of WTO regime and consequent globalisation of higher education. The Government is considering evolving a policy and strategy for regulating the flow of high quality educational activities from abroad into the country. It is also necessary to raise the level and reputation of Indian institutions abroad so that India becomes a sought-after educational destination, he said. Shri Kaw emphasised the need for enhancing quality in institutions of higher education and suggested that the year 2002 should be observed for this purpose. He called for a two pronged approach to strengthen the existing educational institutions and also to encourage distance education. He suggested that each State might consider establishing an open university. Underlining the need for better fiscal management, he said the educational institutions should augment their resources by rationalising fee structure and mobilising funds through research, consultancy, endowments and alumni participation while at the same time, undertaking economy in expenditure.
Speaking on the initiatives during the past few years, the UGC Chairman, Dr. Hari Gautam, said that model curriculum in 32 subjects has been prepared by a panel of experts which would be circulated to the universities to form the basis for curriculum revision in higher education. The UGC is identifying 30 universities for excellence in different subjects to promote quality education. Five universities have already been identified – Pune in Bio-informatics, JNU in Genetics, Hyderabad in Interface studies and Jadhavpur in mobile computing while the proposal from Madras is awaited. Dr. Gautam also disclosed that centres abroad are being set up by three Deemed Universities- BITS Pilani and Ranchi and Manipal Institute of Higher Education. Qualifying NET would be mandatory for teaching and facilities are being created for holding NET examinations abroad also for those who want to teach in India. Dr. Gautam said that the UGC has framed guidelines for foreign universities requiring them to register with the UGC before they practice in India. The guidelines are presently under consideration in the Ministry. He informed the meeting that 15% supernumerary seats have been created in all universities for foreign students. To encourage academic-industry linkage, universities are being permitted to appoint adjunct professors without restrictions of qualifications. National lectureship for science subjects is being introduced for university toppers to revive the flagging interest in science. The UGC is also introducing national awards for best publisher and author of university level textbooks, Dr. Gautam added.
Making a presentation about the National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC), its Director, Dr. V.N. Rajsekharan Pillai, said that accreditation had been made mandatory for all institutions, before December 2002 for universities and December 2003 for collages. He added that the NAAC had accredited over 200 institutions so far. Making a presentation about autonomous colleges, Dr. Mrs. Pankaj Mittal, Jt. Secretary in the UGC, said that a number of steps are being taken to accelerate the growth of autonomous colleges, at present there being 131 such colleges when even the 7th Plan projection had been for 500 such colleges.
The Higher Education Secretaries from the State Governments while welcoming the accreditation procedure, added that more regional workshops needed to be organised by the NAAC to remove doubts. Some representatives from the States added that more consultation was necessary for the envisaged curriculum revision in the universities.
Railway Recruitment Boards need to be more transparent and fair in Recruitment
keralamonitor.com
The Minister for Railways, Shri Nitish Kumar has impressed upon the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) that their job is to work with full dedication and honesty to ensure a fair and transparent process of selection and recruitment for various railway jobs and to select only competent persons. Inaugurating the meeting of the Chairmen of the Railway Recruitment Boards at New Delhi today, Shri Nitish Kumar said that ‘selection of only competent personnel is as important as ensuring safety on the Indian Railways’.
The Minister expressed satisfaction that the process of reforms in the Railway Recruitment Boards and of railway recruitment, which he had begun about three and a half years ago, during his earlier tenure as Railway Minister, is now bringing fruits. However, he said that there is a need to be vigilant constantly so that unwanted elements are kept under check and their nefarious efforts are not allowed to succeed. This was a difficult task and require a large degree of firmness to withstand all sort of pressures, he said and added that even if this involves certain amount of expenditure, we should not deter ‘as quality of recruitment is more important than the costs involved’.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman Railway Board, Shri R.N. Malhotra complimented the RRBs for various steps that have been initiated to ensure a transparent and fair selection by them. The Member Staff, Shri K. Balakesari gave an overview of various recruitment reforms that have been introduced during the recent years by the Railways.
Airlines to pass on War Insurance Surcharge:
keralamonitor.com
Major international airlines will pass on the newly introduced third party war risk insurance surcharge by insurance underwriters to the passengers. The airlines that have already issued circulars to travel agents in this regard include Emirates, Royal Jordanian, Gulf Air, KLM Royal Dutch, British Airways, Qatar Airways and Egypt Air. However, three leading regional players - Oman Air, Air India and Indian Airlines - are likely to follow suit.
war risk insurance surcharge will be introduced from 1 October at the rate of $5 per ticket and $10 for a two-way ticket. KLM Royal Dutch has already informed their local travel agents that the airline would charge an additional $5 surcharge for all ticket coupons with effect from 8 October. Airlines need more resources for high tech equipment and additional security staff for extra luggage and passenger screening.
