The Hindu Business Line : Thursday, June 10, 2004

CLIMATE & WEATHER
Climate changes could impact business practices
THE Hollywood flick The day after tomorrow, set against the backdrop canvas of global warming, playing at a nearby theatre, could be a racy entertainer with special effects. But in real life too, climatic change is no more a marginal issue ... More

ENVIRONMENT
AWARE to revive `dead' Orissa lake
THE `Anusupa' Lake, located about 30 km from Cuttack in Orissa and for all practical purposes virtually dead, could well see good old days, fully revived and fresh water flowing. Hoping to make this real, is AWARE Group, a Non-Governmental ... More

For a healthy sea
Students and public clean the beach in Visakhapatnam on the occasion of World Ocean Day on Tuesday.

FOREIGN TRADE
Thai Minister keen on FTA with India
THE Foreign Minister for Thailand, Dr Surakiart Sathirathai, has said that India and Thailand have the potential for enlarging their economic and trade ties. At a meeting with a delegation from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Thai ... More

HEALTH
`Media should create awareness on use of only screened blood'
PUBLIC health activists are concerned about the presence of what they call the `black sheep' among the medical fraternity who are indifferent to the regulation prescribing only screened blood for transfusion. This is a situation typically ... More

`Pulli Raja' gets the message across forcefully
THE `Pulli Raja' HIV/AIDS awareness campaign launched in Tamil Nadu last year by an NGO called Population Services International (PSI) succeeded in raising awareness and sparking attitudinal changes among young working class men, according to its ... More

INFRASTRUCTURE
Reinforcing the drive
As the south-west monsoon has set in, Mumbai's municipality is preparing for the season by putting huge stones on the bay of Marine Drive in order to avoid the seawater coming on to the road. ... More

Rs 50 cr for Kerala local bodies
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Ministry of Local Affairs has extended its approval for various projects worth Rs 50 crore to be taken up in the administrative department. An official spokesman quoted the Local Affairs Minister, Mr Cherkalam ... More

PSU
Bengal may complete PSEs restructuring process by fiscal-end
THE process of restructuring in 18 identified public sector enterprises in West Bengal is expected to be completed by the end of the current fiscal, according to the West Bengal Minister for Industries & Commerce, Mr Nirupam Sen. Expressions ... More

PETROLEUM
Govt to announce petro package on June 15 — To protect consumers from global price shocks
THE Government will announce a package of measures on June 15 to insulate the consumer from the vagaries of the rising global crude oil prices. The various components of this package include a new pricing mechanism for petrol, diesel, LPG and ... More

POWER
Power India expo to be held in Oct
THE sixth edition of POWER India 2004 will be held from October 25-28 at Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai. Power India 2004 - International Exhibition & Conference is organised by India-Tech Foundation, a public trust and apex industry ... More

Higher cost of thermal power deters lifting of load-shedding in Kerala
CYCLICAL power cuts during peak hours in Kerala is likely to continue despite the good rains and subsequent rise in water levels in the State's major reservoirs. With the water available currently, 805 million units can be generated, a senior ... More

Marginal hike effected in Bengal farm power rates
CLOSE on the heels of the State Government putting on hold a restructuring programme for the State Electricity Board, the West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission (WBERC) passed the 2004-05 tariff revision order for the West Bengal State ... More

Protests over high Reliance Energy tariffs
Consumers and political activists from the Janata Dal, including employee shareholders from the Bombay Electric Workers' Union, shouted slogans against the company for selling power at high rates. Protestors complained that monthly power bills ... More

Bengal eyes large coal block in Jharkhand
WEST Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd, (WBPDCL), the state-run power agency, is hopeful of getting a big opencast mine in the Pachwara north, coal block in Jharkhand for captive mining purposes. The mining activity will be carried out ... More

A note of dissent among WBERC members
THERE was discord and dissent among the three members of the WBERC with the Member (Finance) deciding to put in a note of dissent over the interpretation of what constitutes trading of power and sale of power to consumers. He felt that the ... More

STEEL
Steel policy must be compatible with WTO: Assocham
THE Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) has suggested that the policy directions on steel be taken in a manner that is compatible with the World Trade Organisation. In a note submitted to the Government, the ... More

TAXATION
Net direct tax collections zoom to Rs 1,661 crore
AIDED by a 45.23 per cent jump in personal income tax collections, net direct tax collections during April-May 2004 touched Rs 1,661 crore as against collection level of Rs 63 crore recorded in the same period during the previous year. Gross ... More

Shobha Majumdar, CBDT Chairperson
MS SHOBHA Majumdar has been formally appointed as the Chairperson of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). Besides the appointment of Ms Majumdar as Chairperson, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has also given its nod for ... More

Tax body suggests scrapping of tribunal
THE All India Federation of Tax Practitioners (AIFTP), the apex body for tax professionals, has made a fresh representation to the Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, for scrapping the national tax tribunal (NTT) in totality. According to Mr ... More

TEXTILES
Textile majors gear up for quota phase-out by expanding capacity
TEXTILE majors are on an overdrive to expand capacity to cash in on the export opportunity arising from the phase-out of quantitative restrictions on global trade from January 1 next year. The country's three largest textile players - AV ... More

SSI
Reduce rates for small-scale sector: FAPI
THE Federation of Andhra Pradesh Industries (FAPI) has asked the Union Government to reduce interest rates for the small-scale sector on par with the agricultural sector. It also wanted the Government to offer credit to the industry at six per ... More

WATER
Meet on energy-water nexus tomorrow
ENERGY-WATER nexus in India and South Asia will be the focus of a one-day Policy Dialogue being organised by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), South Asia Regional Office, here on June 11. The IWMI, located in the ICRISAT ... More

EDUCATION
New course for financial planners
INTERNATIONAL College of Financial Planning Ltd (ICFPL) has announced the beginning of one-year classroom course for Certified Financial Planner (CFP) programme. The organisation already provides distance-learning programme in CFP in ... More

Ramanathan Kannan to take over as IFMR Director
MR Ramanathan Kannan will take over as Director of the Chennai-based Institute for Financial Management & Research (IFMR) from July 1. He will take over from Prof S. Ramachander who will be retiring on June 30, on completing his six-year ... More

AUTOMOBILE COMPONENTS
28 Indian component cos taking part in Teheran auto show
THE Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) is organising a strong contingent of 28 companies to exhibit their technology and products in the Tehran International Auto Fair scheduled to be held in Teheran, Iran, from June ... More

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION
Rental value up in Chennai business dist
THE capital and rental values have risen in the central business district (CBD) in Chennai due to lack of adequate new buildings, according to a half yearly market forecast by Colliers International, a firm of international property ... More

KSHB to continue sale of flats
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Housing Board (KSHB) proposes to continue sales through auction of houses, plots and flats till June 30. According to Mr P.M. John, Secretary, KSHB, the auctions would be held at 3.30 p.m. on all ... More

BIO-TECH & GENETICS
Iowa emerging nerve centre of bioscience
THANKS to a series of initiatives taken by policymakers, the State of Iowa in the United States has emerged as major centre for bioscience industry. The leadership and high level of support for the biotechnology ... More

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
5-day Indo-US space summit in Bangalore
IT was inconceivable in the turbulent nineties and improbable even four years ago. But, later this month, the who's who of the Indian and US space sectors will meet for five days in Bangalore in the first ever Indo-US space summit and expo. The ... More

PACKAGING
IndiaPack 2004 in October
TETRA PAK, Tin Plate Company of India, Excel Tubes, Paharpur Industries, Fuji, APEDA, and Henkel, are among the packaging companies that have confirmed their participation at the International Packaging Exhibition & Conference, IndiaPack 2004, to More

CREDIT RATING
Crisil records more upgrades than downgrades
FOR the first time in years, major credit rating agency Crisil has recorded more upgrades than downgrades, a trend that is said to reflect an improvement in the country's business environment. The upgrades-to-downgrades ratio recorded by the ... More

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT
Visa Comtrade among FDI proposals cleared
SWITZERLAND-based Visa Comtrade's plan to increase its holding in Kolkata-based Visa Industries Ltd, engaged in steel manufacturing, from 39.6 per cent to 47.41 per cent involving foreign direct investment (FDI) worth Rs 19 crore was among the ... More

WTO
GoM meet to grasp `state of play' in WTO talks
AS part of the Cabinet Committee on World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Wednesday met under the Chairmanship of the Defence Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, to acquaint the new Government with the possible stance New ... More

SOCIAL WELFARE
Maharashtra `involvement' has charitable trusts worried
AoH has written to the Chief Minister, urging the Government not to rush into implementing the recommendation, lest it drove away philanthropic donors. More

RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Velugu shifts focus to rural youth welfare
VELUGU (Society for Eliminating Rural Poverty - SERP) has embarked on a project to channelise the full potential of the youth in the State. The project envisages the setting up of a network by roping in all youth associations working in rural ... More

Housing scheme launched in Kerala
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Minister for Local Self-Government, Mr Cherkalam Abdulla, has launched the `Bhavanasree' housing scheme of State Bank of India at a function at Anchal in Kollam district. Bhavanasree is a housing scheme with ... More

TRADE & LABOUR UNIONS
Militant unionism a thing of the past: Buddhadeb
EVEN as he presented a case on West Bengal's attractiveness as an investment destination before the Consular Corps of Kolkata here on Wednesday, the Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, emphatically stated that the days of militant trade ... More

EVENTS

In Hyderabad today

NATURAL CALAMITIES
Guntur tops in ryot suicides
GUNTUR district has registered the highest number of suicides by farmers in the State after the Congress came to power less than a month ago. Mr K. Ramakrishna Rao, the District Collector, said here on Wednesday that 23 cases of suicides by ... More

TOURISM
Tourism Malaysia, Myanmar Air extend package
TOURISM Malaysia and Myanmar Airways have decided to extend the six-day five-night package covering Yangon and Malaysia till the end of September this year. The six-day five-night package, which costs Rs 19,999 per person, was earlier supposed ... More

STANDARDS & BENCHMARKS
BIS norms for street food vendors by year-end
THE Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is preparing a set of standards for street food vendors who operate in the metropolitan cities. This was indicated by Prof. Indira Chakravarty, Director Professor & Head, Department of Bio-Chemistry & ... More