MMB files writ against CSPCO

Bengaluru: March 25, 2016, DHNS

Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (MMB), a 50:50 joint venture between Mahyco and Monsanto Holdings, has filed a writ petition before the High Court of Delhi against certain provisions of the Cotton Seeds Price (Control) Order dated December 7, 2015 (CSPCO).

The MMB in a statement noted that CSPCO seeks to regulate the licensing of cotton seed technology. Such regulation, besides being contrary to various laws, was also against the long-term interests of farmers and the government’s admirable vision to promote ease of doing business and innovation. MMB brought to the notice of the Delhi High Court that the High Court of Karnataka had passed some interim orders on a petition filed by the industry body Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE) and Namdhari Seeds. The Delhi High Court has indicated that this matter will be heard further on April 7, 2016.

MMB spokesperson said “We remain confident in the merits of our legal claims and are optimistic that the government will take into account arguments that will result in an outcome that will continue to encourage innovation in Indian agriculture.”

MMB has sub-licensed the Bollgard technologies to 45 plus Indian seed companies each of whom have introduced the Bollgard technology into their own germplasm.

The Bollgard technology has been widely accepted by India’s cotton farmers and has played a pivotal role in increasing cotton yields from 302 kg/hectare lint in 2002-03 to 552 kg/hectare lint in 2013-14. The low technology fees represents only 1-2% of the total cost of cultivation for the farmers.

Indian economy to grow at 7.2% in 2016-17: BMI Research

New Delhi, Mar 25, 2016 (PTI)

The Indian economy is expected to grow at 7.2% in 2016-17, a tad lower than Central Statistics Office’s advance estimates of 7.6% in the current fiscal due to weak investments and external headwinds, says BMI Research.

“We forecast India’s real GDP growth to come in at 7.2% for FY17 from our estimate of 7.3% in FY16 and 7.2% in FY15,” the research firm said in a statement. The Indian economy continues to face multiple challenges, and this is being reflected in high frequency data such as industrial production and trade, it added.

“Weak private investment and external headwinds will be hurdles to higher growth, and we forecast real GDP growth to come in at 7.2% in FY2016/17 (versus 7.3% in FY2015/16), the statement said.

Central Statistics Office had projected 7.6% GDP growth rate in its advance estimates for the current fiscal released earlier in February this year.

Contrary to the BMI Research view, last month the Economic Survey tabled in Parliament had termed external environment as challenging.

However, the Survey had projected a 7-7.5% GDP growth rate in the next fiscal which could accelerate to eight per cent in a couple of years.

But it had cautioned that if the world economy remains weak, India's growth would face considerable headwinds.

According to Japanese financial services major Nomura, India’s GDP growth is likely to pick up to 7.8% in fiscal 2016-17 from 7.6% this year, largely driven by higher discretionary demand.

BMI Research said, “Modi administration remains committed in enacting incremental economic reforms, which we believe will be positive for economic growth over the coming years.

“The Indian government aims to reduce subsidies through the JAM (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile) initiative, and we believe that the government's small steps in improving the transfer of subsidies by plugging leakages will help reduce expenditures and aid long-term fiscal deficit consolidation plans,” it added.

“The disinflationary environment, coupled with the government’s fiscal prudence, opens space for the Reserve Bank of India to reduce its repurchase (repo) rate as it attempts to support the economy.”

“Indeed, we are forecasting the central bank to ease its benchmark policy rate by 50 basis points to 6.25% by the end of FY17, with at least 25 basis points worth of cuts either at its April meeting or at an unscheduled review,” the research firm said. 

Landing in Brussels, minutes after blasts: A first-hand experience

Jitendra Mudhol March 25, 2016, DHNS:

For me, Paris attacks’ prime suspect Salah Abdeslam’s arrest was not just end of a manhunt, but an end to a search for answers. How naive!

The difference was a 60-minute delay at the Newark International Airport, thanks to the extra baggage. My flight 999 landed at Brussels but was not allowed to taxi its way to the terminal.

The pilot then announced: “Owing to security reasons, we are not allowed to approach a gate at the moment.”  

This sounded a bit ominous. I had by now turned on my mobile phone and when I checked the BBC app, it showed a breaking news item: Explosions in Brussels airport.  

Soon, the pilot confirmed the news. The aircraft then taxiied slowly and stopped near four other planes but far away from the gates. We could see a lot of activity near the buildings, smoke billowing, police vans going back and forth and all the ground staff  lined up. 

We all looked at each other. If fear and doubt cast their shadow over this motley crowd huddled and put together by circumstance, it passed quickly. A slow but positive murmur went around as people started sharing their experiences and feelings. Twenty minutes later, nearly two hours after landing, we were put into buses and moved to a hangar. 

The hangar was enormous, the giant doors blocking the cold, giving warmth to an assortment of humanity, of all races and age, in the middle of all the chaos that was being unleashed a few metres away.  

For the next few hours, this was our home. Home to a couple on their way to Budapest, a strapping lad waiting to meet his mother who lived near Brussels, an African researcher collaborating with scientists in Belgium to discover vaccines, we were all there.

A barrage of questions rained on the yellow-jacketed folks from harried passengers, but frankly they did a magnificent job. They were consistent in their answers, humane in response and helpful in spirit and action. I wondered if their fortitude was from culture or training or both. It seemed so far from merely “doing their duty”.  

Soon, buses started lining up to escort people, who could arrange transport facility, out of the airport. By now all public transport was off and the only way to get to my folks was by reaching a point from where they could pick me up.

I got into one of the buses, which meandered its way through airport lanes, giving us a glimpse of the Sheraton and the damaged airport entrance. We alighted at the Zaventem train station, in a kind and considerate manner, not making any loud and obvious conversations, muted and low, not fearful but solemn.

A policeman advised me to walk towards the Church of Zaventem, a majestic tall spire rising among the cluster of buildings which were mostly small complexes, apartments and shops, and the location from where my colleagues can pick me.

Friends indeed
 I then noticed a lady standing a few feet away, she had a distraught look, a look that reflected pain. I greeted her and she hesitantly nodded back. I asked if she was at the airport, she said, “Yes, I work there.”

It hit me. She probably went through the horror. This woman was two floors right above the main blast spot when it ripped through the main entrance. But 12 minutes earlier, she was right at the blast spot to meet a colleague! 

I asked if her colleague made it, she slowly shook her head. She started crying, unsure of how to console, I just gave her a hug.  

A minute later, she got into a car, gave an unexpected smile and that was all. A couple of minutes later, my colleagues picked me up. We hugged and I expressed my gratitude. As I got into the car, my eye caught the eye of the policeman. He merely nodded. I did manage to land safely in the midst of that chaos and am lucky to be safe.

Cong blames Ramdev for Uttarakhand crisis

New Delhi, March 25, 2016, DHNS:

In a new twist to the political crisis in Uttarakhand, Congress has accused yoga guru Ramdev of “masterminding” defections from its ranks and acting as “an agent of the BJP”.

Uttarakhand Congress chief Kishore Upadhyay said that he had “enough evidence” to prove Ramdev was in touch with the 9 rebel MLAs much before March 18, when they turned against the party.

Ramdev, whose interest straddle across fields as diverse as spirituality, yoga and a fast growing business of processed foods headquartered in Haridwar, is considered close to the BJP. 

He has  dismissed the Congress allegations as baseless.  “Not even in my dreams, would I even think of doing such a thing. I have not spoken to any Congress MLA or worker. If I have to make or break anything, I would not do it hiding behind a curtain. I would do it openly,” Ramdev told reporters in Haridwar.

“We have no role to play in this matter. Political parties are responsible for political incidents,” he said.
However, Upadhyay stuck to his guns and accused Ramdev and BJP president Amit Shah for “hatching a conspiracy” to topple the Harish Rawat-led government. He said the BJP had whisked away the rebels along with its MLAs to Jaipur.

Six arrested in Brussels after attacks: prosecutors

Brussels, Mar 25, 2016, (AFP):

 Six people were arrested in a series of police operations in the Belgian capital, the federal prosecutor's office said, two days after jihadist attacks in Brussels left 31 dead.
Three of the suspects were detained yesterday "outside the door of the federal prosecutor's office", in the city centre, spokesman Eric Van der Sypt said.

Two further people were arrested elsewhere in the city and the sixth was detained in Jette, on the outskirts of the capital, the spokesman said, without giving any further details on their identity.

"It will be decided tomorrow if an arrest warrant (charges) are brought against these people," he added.

At least two men identified by police from surveillance footage at the airport and metro station where the attacks took place are still at large.

Raids have also taken place in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek where the three airport attackers left from on Tuesday morning carrying three explosive-packed suitcases. There have been no arrests in the neighbourhood.

Karnataka: Second year PU Chemistry re-exam on March 31

Bengaluru: March 25, 2016, DHNS:

The Department of Pre-University Education (DPUE) on Thursday said the re-examination for II PU Chemistry paper will be held on March 31, instead of March 29 as announced earlier.

The re-exam will be held between 9 am and 12:15 pm. The department rescheduled the dates after a high-level meeting chaired by Legislative Council Deputy Chairman  Marithibbe Gowda unanimously decided against holding the re-examination on March 29. 

Students had demanded that the re-exam should not be held on March 29 as the Kannada paper is scheduled for March 28, so they would not get enough time to prepare for the Chemistry exam.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Kimmane Rathnakar, IT and BT Minister S R Patil, and several members of the two Houses of the Legislature participated in the meeting. 

Grace marks
At the meeting, legislators from various political parties demanded that grace marks be given for the “out of syllabus” questions in the Mathematics paper held on March 14. 

Rathnakar said that a committee of experts would be formed to look into the issue and a decision would be taken based on the panel’s opinion. Many students and parents had claimed that question numbers 3, 13, 16, 20, 30, 47 and 49 B were not part of the syllabus. 

Earlier in the day, Principal Secretary (Primary and Secondary Education) Ajay Shet had said that the Maths question paper was prepared based on the blueprint and new syllabus of the National Council of Educational Research and Training. 

‘Not out of syllabus’
“None of the questions were out of the syllabus and could have been answered well within the given time,” he said. 

Shet also pointed out that though question numbers 3, 13, 16, 20, 30, 47 and 49 B were “concept based”, they were on similar lines of examples given in the text book and hence within the syllabus. 
Shet’s announcement at a press conference that the Chemistry re-exam would be held on March 29 as announced by the DPUE had led to confusion among students. 

Government plans award to honour people who save accident victims

Bengaluru: March 25, 2016, DHNS

The State government is planning to institute the ‘Jeeva Rakshaka’ (lifesaver) award to honour good Samaritans who help accident victims get timely treatment, Minister for Health and Family Welfare U T Khader has said. 

The award will be given to individuals as well as hospital staff members, he said at the World Tuberculosis Day event at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans) on Thursday. 

Besides, the government is also contemplating bringing a ‘Good Samaritan Act’ to protect people who help accident victims. The law will protect good Samaritans from police harassment, detention at hospitals and prolonged formalities. 

A draft of the law has already been prepared, with the help of Save LIFE Foundation, a Delhi-based nonprofit whose petition in the Supreme Court prompted the Centre to notify guidelines on protecting good Samaritans. The draft is based on the guidelines notified by the Union government on May 13, 2015. 

Piyush Tewari, founder, Save LIFE Foundation, said they were urging various state governments to enact the law. “The Union government has done its bit by notifying the guidelines. Since health is a state subject, state governments have to be proactive in framing laws to protect the rights of those who help accident victims,” he told Deccan Herald. “Karnataka is one of the states with a large number of accidents. As per the National Crime Records Bureau, there were 44,696 accidents in 2011.” 

Tewari recalled last month’s gruesome accident involving Harish Nanjappa, whose body was cut into half after a truck struck him, and lamented that nobody came up to help him. He said it was important to reduce the time between an accident and when a victim is taken to hospital. The Karnataka government has been proactive as it launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Santwana Harish Scheme’ which offers free treatment to accident victims. 

But it’s also important to ensure the victims reach hospital within the Golden Hour. Bystanders may help if the law protects them, he added. 

Centre’s guidelines
The Centre’s guidelines state that a bystander or good Samaritan who might be an eyewitness of a road accident should be allowed to leave immediately after furnishing address and no question shall be asked of them. Besides, state governments should reward or compensate the bystander to encourage them to help the accident victims.