The Hindu Business Line : Monday, June 12, 2006

OFFHAND
Old timers' quandary
Old timers, approaching the age of 75-80, often find themselves in a quandary. The days they were young and growing up seem the very acme of perfection and excellence, whereas the present times, especially the ... More

WIDE CANVAS
Oil price: States should take the initiative
Reducing imposts would add mileage to the political posturing by the States vis-a-vis the Centre on the oil price-increase issue. More

ON THE MOVE
Seafarers' tax: Novel idea to retain manpower
The scheme proposed by Indian ship-owners to stem the tide of Indian seamen going to foreign ships is novel and equitable. However, while it is revenue-neutral for the government, the fact that it is not levied by any other country may make it diffic ult for ship-owners to convince the tax administrators and unions of its benefits. More

A RINGSIDE VIEW
Indices may try to move upwards
Recovery trail is likely to be marked by intra-day swings More

MUTUAL CONFIDENCE
Immediate prospects may not be quite bright
Investors' appetite for equity turns lower than before More

VISION 2020
The importance of nurturing talent
Statistically, talent is equally distributed among all communities and classes. The final success depends on how well the talent is nurtured. More

ERRORS & OMISSIONS EXPECTED
Sob stories on fuel to make your woes lighter
These days, any discussion on fuel price quickly touches a raw nerve. Because, we know that the State Governments and the Centre take away as taxes almost 55 per cent of what we pay for petrol. In comparison, taxes in other countries are at low ... More

RANDOM WALK
Farmers in trouble
Kerala's suicide-prone farmers need more than mere financial and psychological succour - they need well-focused agrarian policies that will ensure reasonable returns and a secure livelihood. More

EX PARTE
Cobwebs in the law on antiquities
This is about what happened in 1993. Too old, you may fret; but the subject matter is much older: antiquities. "The officers of DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence), Delhi Zonal Unit, intercepted a consignment of antiquities which were ... More

CHAT
Fair persuasions mix'd with sugar'd words
Jogin was watching World Cup, Dakshinamoorthy was tweaking his bike for fuel efficiency, and Sridevi was working out the economics of web ads... Till Khan summoned them all for market chat by SMS-ing, `Bull... Doze.' Wake up! * * * * ... More

JOTTINGS
Being competitive yet human?
The report that many stockbrokers in Mumbai were truly broke — and some broken-hearted, last week showed the real inhuman face of capitalism. Doctors reported increase in patients seeking counselling for depression. Some patients had lost ... More

STICKLISH SINGLES
Sticklish Singles
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AMERICAN PERISCOPE
Lessons from the Enron verdict
Enron began to implode when it announced a $638-million quarterly loss in October 2001 and filed for bankruptcy protection in December 2001. The company is now being wound up. This is probably a good time to reflect on the Enron saga. More