Kozhikode Archive

Mite discovered by Indians is a new genus, say US scientists

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: National, Sci-TechTags:

New Delhi, Nov 3 – US scientists say a new mite discovered by their counterparts at the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) and christened Mangalaus represents ‘a new genus’.

The taxonomists of the ICAR Network Project on Insect Biosystematics, who discovered the new mite, named it after Director General Mangal Rai.

Renowned mites and ticks expert (acarologist) James Amrine of the West Virginia University said: ‘This mite has an eye-like ocelli and represents a new genus.’

‘The tibiae of legs I and II lack a seta, but all femora have a normal seta and tarsal setae, and it is sister to Notaceria,’ he added.

Ronald Ochoa of the US Department of Agriculture said there was no report of such structure in this mite family.

‘The round area, yes almost it does look like an eye…But as you know, there is no report of such structure in this mite family,’ he said.

The mite, which is too small to be seen by the naked eye, was found in the farm of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.

The mite with an average length of 200 microns (one micron is 1,000th of a millimetre) feeds on a leaf called erineum on the fragrant plant manjarack or Indian cherry.

The scientists named it after Rai because of his ‘abiding interest’ in insect bio-systematics.

NCP will ‘definitely’ join Maharashtra ministry: Patel

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: National, PoliticsTags:

New Delhi, Nov 3 – Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel Tuesday said his party will ‘definitely’ be part of the Congress-led ministry in Maharashtra, but asserted that the NCP will stick to the 1999 berth-sharing formula.

‘We will definitely be joining the government (in Maharashtra),’ Patel, also the civil aviation minister in the central government, told reporters.

The assurance came hours after NCP leader and deputy chief minister -designate Chhagan Bhujbal said that if the Congress did not agree to the power-sharing formula decided in 1999, the NCP would offer it ‘outside support’ instead of joining the ministry.

Patel said the ‘NCP won’t deviate from the 1999 portfolios’ formula’, according to which major ministries like home, power and finance were with the NCP.

The two parties – the Congress with 82 seats and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with 62 seats in the 288-member assembly – are locked in a bitter squabble over allocation of portfolios, causing a delay in the forming of the new government.

Upto Rs.25 lakh reward for information on spurious drug

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: Health, NationalTags:

New Delhi, Nov 3 – Whistle blowers who pass on information about illegal drugs will be rewarded up to Rs.25 lakh (Rs.2.5 million), the union health ministry said Tuesday.

‘The reward of maximum of up to 20 percent of the total cost of consignment seized will be payable to them (whistle blowers). The amount should not exceed Rs.25 lakh in each case,’ said a statement issued here.

The scheme will be applicable to seizure of spurious medicines, cosmetics and medical devices. The identity of the whistle blower will be kept secret, the release said.

India accounts for 35 percent of spurious drugs in the world. Some fake drugs are passed off as life-saving ones and some as antibiotics and gastroenteritis tablets.

‘With a view to ensure that the informers are not made to wait till the final disposal of the matter, 25 percent of the amount will be given at the time of filing of the charge sheet in the court of law,’ the statement said.

The policy also kept in mind the fact that informers do not turn hostile during the trail of the case. Twenty-five percent of the reward money will be given after the case goes in favour of the government.

‘The remaining 50 percent amount will be paid only when the case has been finally disposed of in favour of the government and no appeal with respect to the matter is pending in any other court of law in the country,’ it added.

Officials from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) if eligible for the cash rewards will not get more than Rs.500,000 per case and Rs.20 lakh in their entire career, the statement said.

In July this year, union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had announced a whistle blower policy to involve public to provide information on any kind of unlawful activity in manufacture of drugs.

The Indian government in August had announced that offenders will now face life imprisonment or fine of Rs.10 lakh or three times the value of the drugs confiscated, whichever is more.

The cases will be filed in special courts that will be set up for the purposes of drugs related issues.

‘Since spurious or fake drugs is a sensitive issue affecting the health of the citizens as well as the prestige of the country’s pharmaceutical trade interests, there is a sense of urgency in taking on the menace on priority basis,’ a health ministry official said Tuesday.

‘People’s participation is imperative in this regard and would be a highly effective step in augmenting the efforts of taking on the elements engaged in such illicit trade of spurious drugs,’ the official said.

India congratulates Karzai, asks world to unite against Taliban

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: NationalTags:

New Delhi, Nov 3 – Congratulating Afghan President Hamid Karzai on his re-election, India Tuesday said it looked forward to partnering Afghanistan in its reconstruction efforts and asked the international community to ‘stand steadfast’ against the Taliban and the Al Qaeda.

‘We congratulate President Karzai and look forward to partnering Afghanistan as it continues the process of its stabilisation, reconstruction and development,’ the external affairs ministry said in a statement here.

The Afghan Independent Election Commission Monday scrapped a presidential run-off vote after Karzai’s only rival, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, withdrew from the fray, citing serious concerns about the election.

Karzai Tuesday vowed to form an inclusive government amid warnings from some Western countries to work harder to combat corruption that had affected the credibility of his government during his first term.

Underlining the threat posed by the Taliban-Al Qaeda nexus to regional stability, New Delhi asked the international community ‘to reiterate its long-term commitment to ensuring security and development in Afghanistan’.

India exhorted the world ‘to stand steadfast against the challenge posed by the Al Qaeda and the Taliban, which threatens the stability of Afghanistan and that of the world as a whole’.

‘India on its part stands fully committed to assisting the government and people of Afghanistan as they build a pluralistic, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan,’ the ministry said.

India actively supported the Hamid Karzai government in its first term by pledging over $1.2 billion in aid directed towards the reconstruction of the violence-torn country.

Undeterred by the attacks on its embassy in Kabul twice in the last 15 months, India has repeatedly stressed that terrorist acts will not deter it from continuing its reconstruction activities that have earned New Delhi enormous goodwill among the Afghan people.

Grain output may have taken 14-mn tonne hit: Mukherjee

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: Business, NationalTags:

New Delhi, Nov 3 – The erratic monsoon during this year, followed by floods in some parts of the country, could have lowered India’s foodgrain output by some 14-15 million tonnes, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said Tuesday.

‘I’m waiting for a hard assessment of the sub-normal southwest monsoon and the impact of floods in some parts of the country,’ the finance minister said at the annual Economic Editors’ Conference.

‘There are some estimates that grain production will be less — 14-15 million tonnes. But we will have to wait for the inputs,’ he said during the interactive session, which, he added, would also be his last, ahead of the national budget in February.

India had logged record foodgrain output in 2008-09 (July-June), estimated at 233.87 million tonnes. But the failure of monsoon — on which depends 60 percent of India’s agriculture — cast a shadow on this year’s crop.

Mukherjee said there were some distinct signs of a pickup in the Indian economy, even though the global outlook, following the financial crisis since last year, remained uncertain. The farm sector was also a concern.

But in what will bring cheer to industry, the finance minister said the fiscal stimuli packages announced since December will continue till the economy stabilises, though the central ban has indicated a phased exit in its monetary policy update last month.

Mukherjee said some more state-run companies will be on the block for some divestment and that the government’s aim will be to sell stake in those public sector units in which outside holding is less than 10 percent.

‘A few other public sector undertakings have been identified for sale of small portions of government shareholding in the domestic market and for issue of fresh equities to meet their fund requirements, if required.’

He said during the past three months, the market capitalisation of two state-run firms — power utility National Hydroelectric Power Corp (NHPC) and hydrocarbons major OIL — jumped 106 percent and 177 percent respectively after divestment.

As a result, he said, the total value of the residual holding of government in these two companies has also increased by 78 percent in the case of NHPC and over 121 percent in OIL.

India’s exports decline for 12th consecutive month to $13.6 bn

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: Business, NationalTags:

New Delhi, Nov 3 – India’s merchandise exports fell for the 12th straight month this September, dipping 13.8 percent to $13.6 billion, compared to the corresponding month last fiscal, a government statement said Tuesday.

India exported $15.8 billion worth of goods in September 2008.

Cumulative value of merchandise exports for the first six months this fiscal stood at $77.8 billion, down 28.5 percent from corresponding half yearly figure of $108.9 billion last year.

The country’s imports fell 31.3 percent to $21.38 billion in the month under review, compared to $31.13 billion in September 2008.

Total imports during the six months ending September were valued at $124.6 billion, a decline of 32.7 percent against $185 billion in the like period last fiscal.

Oil imports during September stood at $6.34 billion, 33.5 percent lower than what it bought in the corresponding period last fiscal.

Oil imports during April-September 2009 were worth $34.8 billion, 45 percent lower than the that in the corresponding period last year.

Non-oil imports for the month under review was $15.03 billion, 30.4 percent lower than the amount in September 2008.

Non-oil imports during April- September were $89.78 billion, which was 26.2 percent lower than the level registered in the first six months last fiscal.

The trade deficit for the six months ending September was estimated at $46.73 billion, which was lower than the deficit of $76.095 billion in first six months of 2008-09.

Prominent businessman held at Delhi airport for mobile theft

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: NationalTags:

New Delhi, Nov 3 – Sanjay Somany, a prominent industrialist, was arrested at the domestic airport here after closed-circuit TV cameras indicated that he had stolen a blackberry phone of a passenger, police said Tuesday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (airport) K.C. Dwivedi told IANS: ‘We have arrested Sanjay Somany and produced him before the court. He belongs to the Somany family and owns a glass manufacturing company.’

According to police, N.K. Puri, a passenger, lodged a complaint early Monday that his blackberry phone had been stolen.

‘He (Puri) was going from Delhi to Mumbai in IC 688 flight which was scheduled to leave at 6.30 a.m.,’ a senior police officer said.

The airport authorities immediately checked the CCTV footage and found out that a person wearing a blue dungaree had picked up a phone at the airport.

‘The authorities found out that the man boarded a Delhi-Chennai flight at 6.05 a.m. The co-passengers and the air hostess also confirmed his presence on the aircraft. He was identified as Sanjay Somany,’ the police officer added.

‘In the evening, when airport authorities were investigating the incident, a passenger told officials by phone that the same person is sitting next to him (at Chennai airport) and is going to board IC 539 Chennai-Delhi flight,’ the official said.

When one of the security personnel went up to him and asked if he is Sanjay Somany, he confirmed his name but grew suspicious.

‘In the aircraft, he hid the phone in the toilet. When the flight landed at Delhi airport at around 9 p.m., he was detained by the airport authorities. The phone was also found in the aircraft,’ the officer said.

Somany is the managing director of Hindustan National Glass and Industries Limited, which is one of the biggest glass manufacturing units of the country.

He is a commerce graduate and has a diploma in diesel engineering. He is a former president of All India Glass Manufacturers’ Federation.

A case under sections 380 (theft) and 411 (retaining or receiving stolen property) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against him.

Delay cannot overrule right to litigate, rules Court

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: NationalTags:

New Delhi, Nov 3 – Saying that delay cannot overrule a person’s right to litigate, the Delhi High Court Tuesday allowed a widow to file her plea for compensation though she had failed to do so within the stipulated time peiod since her husband’s death.

Justice V.B. Gupta, while allowing the plea of Gargia, said: ‘Though there is delay of eight months and three days in filing the petition, the court cannot overlook the fact that appellants are illiterate persons and the only bread earner of their family had died.’

‘When the only bread earner of a family dies, the family would come under a state of shock and grief. There was no time for the family members to pursue the legal remedy,’ he added.

The judge made the remarks while hearing the plea of Gargia who had approached the court after the Northern Railway Tribunal in May 2008 dismissed the plea for compensation for the death of her husband in a railway accident in 2006.

After the tribunal dismissed her plea, she approached a lawyer who assured her that he will prepare all papers and her appeal would be ready soon. The lawyer, however, did not inform her about the progress of the case.

‘There is nothing on record to show that there was any other adult member in the family to properly guide the appellants with regard to their legal rights towards the claim,’ the court noted.

‘Appellants being widow and children (including minor children) of the deceased, at best could have engaged an advocate and asked him to file the petition. If their advocate had duped them and did not file the claim petition within the prescribed period, then the appellants cannot be made to suffer for that,’ the court noted.

However, the railways contended that ‘the story of the appellant being duped by her previous counsel cannot be accepted in absence of any proof of the same. If any such illegal practice ever happened, the appropriate forum for lodging a complaint against such a counsel would have been the Bar Council, and the plea should not be entertained.’

The court, however, said: ‘In the present case, there is a special circumstance to be taken into consideration, and that is that three of the appellants are minors. Since rights of minors are also involved in this case, I deem it necessary in the interest of justice to condone the delay in filing of the claim petition. Accordingly, the present appeal stands allowed.’