27.02.2007

• NBW against Navy war room leak accused
• A non-bailable warrant was issued against Ravi Shankaran, a kin of former Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash.
• The CBI claimed that he along with Kulbhushan Parashar got vital information, including complete plans for the navy’s network-centric warfare system, defence procurement and compromise with the country’s national security.
• Anti-India insurgent groups operating in Bangladeshi soil
• ULFA
• National Liberation Front of Tripura
• All Tripura Tiger Force
• National Democratic Front of Bodoland
• Kamtapuri Liberation Organisation
• Iraqi President
• Jalal Talabani
• Rail freight corridor
• Work on the dedicated freight corridor is expected to start this year and is expected to be finished in about 7 to 8 years.
• Surprise news from Coke
• It is talking of milk-based drinks, coffee-based flavours, ice-cream colas, aam panna, raw apple drink and flavoured water.
• It feels there is life beyond the carbonated drinks.
• NRI savings and spending
• There are about 22.50 lakh (2.25 mn) NRIs abroad whose remittances in 2005-06 alone came to about $2500 crores ($25 bn). Of this 70% were spend towards family support and 9% in gifting.
• Smart City project in Kerala – not scrapped
• The Kerala government appears to have successfully renegotiated the deal with Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority (Tecom).
• The state government wanted to have 26% stake in the project whilst the earlier agreement was for 9% stake.
• An investment of Rs. 1500 crores is envisaged in the first phase. Creates about 30,000 direct jobs.
• Chennai to have its water problems solved once and for all?
• If we go by the reports, it appears that the desalination plant that is being constructed there (at a place called Minjur near Chennai) is going to supply water at a cost of Rs. 48.66 per kilolitre.
• This plant is expected to be commissioned by July 2008.
• Levy policy on sugar reviewed
• In a major policy reversal, the government is toying with the idea of doing away with levy sugar altogether. At present, 10% of the sugar produced by sugar mills is procured by the government as levy sugar. It is proposed to do away with this procurement. In the next phase, the government would also do away with the practice of fixing the amount of sugar each mill can sell every month in the open market.
• Power capacity may miss target
• The target for capacity addition is kept at 32,804 MW. It is feared that this target is unlikely to be achieved and that a shortfall of 9,554 MW to 12,417 MW is going to be there. Even if the target is met, it is still likely to leave a peak shortage of 18,913 MW.
• Wheat farmers in India
• We have about 13 mn (130 lakh) small farmers of wheat. With an average yield of 2.6t/ha, they are each producing less than 4 tonnes of wheat every year.
• First banks in India to launch biometric based ATMs
• ICICI Bank
• Followed by Dena Bank and then Andhra Bank
• Three advantages of road transport over rail transport – of freight
• Railways offer no time guarantee to the consignor wishing to move cargo.
• Trucks offer door-to-door service, unlike the Railways.
• A number of consumer durables and perishables, are better carried safely by roadways than railways, which are more suitable for moving bulk cargo.
• Railway Board Chairman
• JP Batra
• Railway figures
• Projected freight carriage in 2011-12 is 1100 mt.
• Projected passenger carriage is 840 crore (8,400 mn) as against the present 640 crores.
• The national economy growing at 8 to 9% will required Railways to grow at 10 to 12%.
• Railways are India’s lifeline, accounting for 1% of GDP and 6% of its total workforce in the organized sector.