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[Grapevine] For Dec 17, 1999



Title: The Mumbai Grapevine
The Mumbai Grapevine Connecting Mumbaikars with Mumbai
(Published by Mumbai-Central.com)
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Headlines
News:
U.S. Lifts N-Test Sanctions on 51 Indian Entities
Prime Minister to start CTBT talks with Opposition
Rajya Sabha passes Copyright Act
Maharashtra MPs meet Mamata, demand new railway projects
85 new members inducted into Maharashtra YC unit
Govt asked to take action against vechicles causing pollution
Drug haul
Dravid scores 107 in India's 241 for six at close
First SAF Winter Games postponed


Markets:
BSE Sensex loses 34.64 points to close at 4675.85
Indian Bank may hive off all 3 subsidiaries




Forex, Metals and Weather below

News
U.S. Lifts N-Test Sanctions on 51 Indian Entities

NEW DELHI, Dec 17 (Reuters) - The United States will remove 51 Indian government agencies and private companies from a list of over 200 originally sanctioned in 1998 after India's nuclear tests, U.S. officials in New Delhi said on Friday.

The United States Information Services said the aim of the move -- which comes ahead of a visit to India by President Bill Clinton early next year -- was to focus sanctions more closely on entities most directly involved in proliferation activities.


Top

Prime Minister to start CTBT talks with Opposition
The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, will begin discussions with Opposition parties today to arrive at a consesus on the signing of the Comprehensive Test Bank treaty (CTBT).

Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee has chosen to consult with one party and its leader at a time. He has invited the leader of Opposition Mrs Sonia Gandhi of Congress (I) today.

The exercise is being under-taken in view of the US President Bill Clinton's proposed visit in March, 2000. However, US officials said that the trip is not linked with New Delhi signing the CTBT.

Although the first visit by a US President in over two decades will still be an important event. The Indo-US ties are looking up and if New Delhi decides to sign the CTBT, without necessarily ratifying it, it will be good enough for Washington.

The joint secretary in charge of the Americas, Alok Prasad, and the joint secretary, disarmament, Rakesh Sood, will be leaving for Washington by the weekend for expert-level discussions with their US counterparts. The meetings will focus on disarmament, where the issue of India signing the CTBT will naturally come up.


Top

Rajya Sabha passes Copyright Act
The Rajya Sabha today passed a bill to amend the Copyright Act of 1957 to extend the term of protection of performers' rights from 25 years to 50 years. The copyright (amendment) bill, 1999, passed by a voice vote without discussion, seeks to provide for powers to the government to extend the provisions of the act to broadcasts and performances made in other countries, provided those countries extend similar protection to broadcasts and performances made in India. The bill was piloted by human resources development minister Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi. According to the statement of objects and reasons, the term of protection available to performers shall last 50 years computed from the end of the calendar year in which the performance took place as per Article 14 of the agreement on trade related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPs), to which India is a signatory. It said extension of the period of protection of performers' rights to 50 years as well as extending applicability of provisions of Copyright Act to broadcasts and performances in other countries shall benefit the Indian broadcasting organisations and performers to get reciprocal protection for their rights in other countries which are signatories to TRIPs.


Top

Maharashtra MPs meet Mamata, demand new railway projects
Mumbai: An all-party delegation of MPs from Maharashtra today met railway minister Mamata Banerjee and expressed concern over the "slow progress" of several ongoing projects and demanded new railway schemes in the state for its infrastructural and economic development. The delegation comprising 30-odd members submitted a memorandum to the minister listing "slow progress" on ongoing major projects in Maharashtra and said that if these were not completed quickly besides taking up new projects, "development of the state could be hampered". Some of the new rail projects demanded by the MPs are: Matheran-Aman Lodge line for facilitating movement of tourists to this tourist centre near Mumbai, Dahanu-Nasik line, second BG line between Pune and Kohlapur, connecting Manmad to Indore via Dhule and Nardhana, doubling of the Surat-Bhusawal track, linking Kolhapur with Ratnagiri, and conversion into BG the Purna-Baramati-Hingoli-Washim-Akola-Ratlam section on the Central Railway. The delegation included union ministers Balasahib Vikhe Patil and Jaywantiben Mehta as also MPs SB Chavan, VN Gadgil, Ved Prakash Goyal, Naresh Puglia, Mohan Rawale and Sadashivrao Mandlik. They expressed concern that major ongoing projects were being delayed such as the Latur-Miraj section, Diva-Panvel-Roha section, Panvel-Karjat link, Jalna-Khamgaon track, and the Parli-Vaijnath-Beed-Ahmednagar project. Mamata Banerjee assured them that she would look into their demands sympathetically.


Top

85 new members inducted into Maharashtra YC unit
Mumbai: The Maharashtra Youth Congress (MPYC), through fresh appointments, inducted 85 members as office bearers and executives. The selection procedures were in keeping with the Congress party's Panchmarhi resolution which advocates equal respresentation for all sections of society, said MPYC secretary Suresh Dalvi.


Top

Govt asked to take action against vechicles causing pollution
Mumbai: The Mumbai high court today directed the Maharashtra government to impose a fine of Rs. 1,000 on vehicles emitting black smoke, ban their entry into the city, suspend driver's licence for 15 days and cancel registration of the defaulters. The directions were given by chief justice Y.K. Sabrahwaland Justice Ranjana Desai on a petition filed by Bombay Environmental Action Group (BEAG) who alleged apathy by authorities towards vehicles causing severe air pollution in the metropolis. The court further directed that if the vehicle was used during the period of its cancellation of registration then it should be impounded and the owner prosecuted for under the relevant laws for causing pollution. The court also directed formation of a special committee to monitor such traffic causing pollution. The committee shall be headed by the transport commisioner V. M. Lal and comprise Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, BEAG, former joint police commissioner and a representative of Union ministry of forests and environment.


Top

Drug haul
Mumbai: Police seized nearly five kg of brown sugar, valued at over Rs 10 lakh, on Thursday and arrested two persons. A car was also recovered. The arrested have been remanded in police custody till December 29 by a magistrate.


Top

Dravid scores 107 in India's 241 for six at close
Hobart: Rahul Dravid scored an elegant 107 as the Indians made 241 for the loss of six wickets on the opening day of their four-day cricket match against Tasmania here today. Dravid put on a century stand for the third wicket with young left-hander Hrishikesh Kanitkar, who made 58, to pull the tourists from 55 for two in the morning.


Top

First SAF Winter Games postponed
The first SAF Winter Games, which were to be held in Himachal Pradesh from January 4 to 8 next year have been postponed. Winter Games Federation of India (WGFI) president Col. N. Kumar said the SAF Games were to be held along with the 2nd National Winter Games, but due to lack of enough international level infrastructure it has been decided to defer it by a year. He however made it clear that the 2nd National Games will be conducted as per schedule in Shimla from January 4 to 8 next year. The opening ceremony is slated for January 4 and ice events like figure-skating, speed-skating and ice-hockey, will take place there from January 5 to 8.


Top

Markets
To get today's complete NIFTY (the NSE index) listing send an e-mail to get-nse@mumbai-central.com
(Now updated multiple times a day)
BSE Sensex loses 34.64 points to close at 4675.85

The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sensitive index closed at 4675.85 losing 34.64 points.


Top

Indian Bank may hive off all 3 subsidiaries

Indian Bank is contemplating hiving off its loss-making subsidiaries. The management is weighing various options. A due diligence exercise exercise is now in all three subsidiaries - Indbank Housing, IndBank Mutual Fund and Indbank Merchant Banking Services. Already the Indbank Mutual Fund has cost Indian Bank dear. Two of its schemes - IndJyothi and IndPrakash - which have not been able to deliver as "indicated" at the time of launch are likely to drain Indian Bank of a little over Rs 100 crore. IndPrakash was a scheme where a 6.45 per cent dividend and redemption at par were "indicated". The AMC had to skip the dividend for the year 1996-99. This accumulated dividend totals Rs 66 crore.


Top

Forex
     
  1 DMark  = 22.61546    INR    
  1 FFranc  = 6.743220    INR    
  1 U.K. Pound  = 70.16740    INR    
  1 US $  = 43.48500    INR    
  1 Yen  = 0.420470    INR    
  1 Singapore $ = 25.97 INR
  1 UAE Dirham = 11.84 INR
  1 Saudi Arabian Riyal = 11.59 INR 
Metals
Gold
  Mumbai  (Rs/10  gm)  4430.00  0.00  
  London  ($/Oz)  280.75  0.25    


Silver
  Mumbai  (Rs/kg)  8120.00  15.00  
  London  ($/oz)  5.18  -0.03   
Weather
 
Temperature: 75 F / 24 C
HeatIndex: 76 F / 25 C
Humidity: 73%
Dewpoint: 66 F / 19 C
Wind: Calm
Pressure: 29.94 in / 1014 hPa
Conditions: Smoke
  
Tonight: Low: 68 F / 20 C Clear
Saturday: High: 86 F / 30 C Clear
Saturday Night: Low: 68 F / 20 C Clear
Sunday: High: 86 F / 30 C Clear
Sunday Night: Low: 68 F / 20 C Clear
  
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Admin Message

Your letters

1. Parkar, Shanthi (from New Zealand):

This is regarding the article "Mumbai's residents breathe 660 tonnes of pollutants everyday " in the M.G. Wouldn't it have a better idea for clean-air to organize a walkathon or relay walkathon or whatever relying on nonpolluting sources for those sporting banners ; considering that motor vehicles would just add to the pollution.

Thanks

You are absolutely right. A walkathon makes much more sense but since when did politics make sense?

- 'shal

2. Chandar Narayan (in response to the "Indian captain ducks umpiring controversy" news item in the Dec 15 issue:

Can you introduce a discussion as to why commentators like Sunil Gavaskar and Ian Chappel dont take up umpiring like Venkatraghavan or some other cricketers for eg Peter Willey . Commenting on decisions is the easiest job that Gavaskar and co can do . Can any one understand the pressure of the moment on the Umpire ( he has to decide this way or the other ??)

[It is difficult to have a discussion on the Mumbai Grapevine since it is a newsletter. However, you can subscribe to 'nukkad' which is a discussion list. Send an email to nukkad-list@mumbai-central.com with 'subscribe' in the subject. You can also discuss this on the Sports Message Board at: http://www.mumbai-central.com/mboards/#sports

- 'shal harshal@mumbai-central.com ]

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