28.02.2008

• In the context of the Centre contemplating a package for farmers, what suggestions can you offer? Compare yours with what is offered by ET in today’s editorial. Here it goes:
• Waivers and rescue packages are short-term measures to assist farmers. More lasting solutions are required to make farming profitable. These would include amending the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act to create a common market for farm produce and greater choice for farmers to sell their produce to buyers who would give them the best price.
• Reducing fertiliser, LPG and petrol subsidies and raising spending on rural infrastructure, particularly on roads and irrigation, can minimise crop failures caused by poor monsoon. Extension work on better farming practices and use of higher yielding seeds must also be ensured.
• Further, there is the need to bring a larger number of farmers under the institutional lending framework. Most farmers today borrow from usurious moneylenders. The government and the RBI need to put in place a mechanism to regulate moneylenders and interest rates charged by them, because it is not possible to bring all farmers under the institutional lending framework.
• Want an example of stern action? See the language of the EU’s Competition Commission and you will get a picture of what is stern action.
• The Commission fined Microsoft a record $1.3 bn for the amount it charges rivals for software information. When Microsoft responded to this fine saying that the issues for which it was fined have been resolved and that the company is making its products more open, this is what the EU Competition Commissioner said:
• Talk is cheap. Flouting rules is expensive. Microsoft’s actions have stifled innovation and affected millions of people around the world. The fine is a reasonable response to a series of quite unreasonable actions.
• She looked quite cool while saying so in a press conference.
• Can our regulators be so cool while imposing such huge fines on such big companies? Will not loss of jobs or shifting of base by the company concerned play a part? We should wait for history to unfold itself. To be fair, we do have a strong history of caring less for big MNCs. Coca Cola company’s case back in 1970’s is a case in point.
• Sagarika is India’s submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM)
• It was test launched successfully a couple of days back.
• For the SLBM capability the missile is only half the story. The other half is having a nuclear powered submarine. India embarked on building an ATV – Advanced Technology Vessel back in 1970’s. If reports are to be believed we are on our way to building a fleet of three nuclear submarines by 2015, each capable of carrying 12 nuclear tipped missiles.
• First communist head of state in EU!!
• Mr. Demetris Christofias was elected in Cyprus as President.
• Turkey move to rewrite basis of sharia law
• What an idea? Read the full story that appeared in The Hindu today. Do so here. Any attempt that can bring in reform among Islamists or Hindus or for that any religious faith; should necessarily originate within the faith. It cannot originate outside it. All the best to the Turkish Intelligentsia that has embarked on this task.
• By the way, Hadith stands for narrations of the life of the prophet Muhammad. Hadith relate what the prophet said, did or liked. Most Muslims consider the Hadith to be an essential addition to and clarification of the Koran.
• India and US to sign the LSA?
• The US’s interest in roping in India into a Logistics Sharing Agreement (which the US calls the ACSA – Access and Cross Servicing Agreement) is bearing fruit; as yet.
• The government is dithering on this because of the Left’s strong opposition to it.
• Sulochana Pattabhiraman is no more
• She is an eminent Carnatic musician.