The Hindu Business Line : Friday, April 13, 2007

COURTS/LEGAL ISSUES
Indian patent law — Needed, proper definition of `inventive step'
It is indeed possible for the Patent Office to prevent "ever-greening" and patenting of worthless inventions by properly defining and interpreting the term "inventive step". More

HC quashes order on dispossession of small farmer's land
The Madras High Court has ruled that if public purpose was for building houses on behalf of State Housing Board, it did not give right to dispossess persons who were already having houses built on their land on loan taken from a co-operative ... More

ECONOMY
Manufacturing pushes up industrial growth
Electricity sector proves a dampener More

EXCISE AND CUSTOMS
Additional posts in CBEC cleared
The Union Cabinet on Thursday gave its nod for creation of 4,647 additional posts in the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) to strengthen its audit wing and also to beef up the service tax machinery. Official sources said that about ... More

FERTILISERS
Cabinet gives nod for PSU fert units revival
The Cabinet today gave its in-principle approval to revive eight closed units of public sector Fertiliser Corporation of India (FCI) and Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation Ltd (HFCL) and reverse the decision taken by the erstwhile NDA Government to ... More

INFRASTRUCTURE
RBI eases norms for infrastructure financing
An infrastructure project that requires bank finance can now delay production by a year from the scheduled date of completion. The loan will be treated as a substandard account if the delay is beyond a year. Earlier infrastructure projects ... More

`Prepare infrastructure projects fast for pvt investment'
For securing private investments More

PSU
Retirement age in PSUs raised
The Cabinet on Thursday gave an across-the-board approval to all Ministries to increase the retirement age of their employees from 58 years to 60 years, subject to the financial health of the company. Briefing reporters after ... More

Oil marketing cos irked over Reliance's LPG sale plan
Ministry asks them to study impact of competitive bidding route More

PETROCHEMICALS
New petrochem policy aims at leap in plastic consumption
The Cabinet today approved the National Policy on Petrochemicals which has set a target of threefold increase in domestic per capita plastic consumption from four kg to 12 kg by 2011 and increasing per capita consumption of synthetic fibres from ... More

PETROLEUM
Petrol dealers drop stir plan
The Federation of All India Petrol Traders has called off their proposed agitation and call to close retail outlets on April 13. An announcement to this effect was made after a meeting with the Petroleum Minister, Mr Murli Deora, here today. ... More

BRPL lines up Rs 2,000-cr investment
Plans upgrading product quality More

POWER
Tata Power told to stop overdrawing
As it can affect the grid stability More

TAXATION
Fuel cess funds for NHAI project approved
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today approved a proposal to use the fuel cess funds to undertake the Rs 557-crore project to provide four-lane National Highways connectivity to the proposed International Container Transshipment ... More

TEXTILES
Textiles: India, China, Bangladesh `benefit in post-quota regime'
Imports from India to US rose 12% in 2006; China enhances its role as leading supplier More

SSI
Tiruchi fabrication sector has scope for growth'
With Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) poised to invest over Rs.1,000 crore for augmenting the manufacturing capacity of its Tiruchi unit to 10,000 MW, there was potential for business and technological growth in the fabrication industry here, ... More

546 units identified for sample survey in Coimbatore
Annual exercise by the Central Statistical Organisation for devising policy frameworks More

COAL
SAIL will import more coal via Paradip, Haldia, Vizag ports
Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) is to step up its import of coal through the ports of Haldia, Paradip and Visakhapatnam by 30 per cent in 2007-08 vis-a-vis 2006-07. An estimated 13 million tonnes (mt) of coal will be imported in ... More

EDUCATION
Realtor Emaar MGF entering education sector
To set up 100 schools, higher education institutions More

`Practical learning is the best method of education'
Meaningful and purposeful learning only takes place through the process of interactivity between teachers and students. Practical learning, whereby students learn on the field by observing others, is the best method of education. For instance, ... More

SVE College gets accreditation
Sree Vidyanikethan Engineering College of Sree Vidyanikethan Educational Institutions Group (SVEI) has been accredited by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA), an autonomous wing of All India Council of Technical Education ... More

IT finishing school at Mysore to produce 5,000 graduates this year
The course is aimed at producing graduates who are trained in soft-skills, corporate culture and technical skills. It is certified by University of Mysore. More

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION
Chennai Citi Centre building: `Norms will be complied with'
The Chennai Citi Centre building will not be demolished, a senior official of the ETA group, whose promoters own the building, said today.The mega shopping mall was built recently and houses INOX movie theatres, food courts and shops of Adidas, ... More

NAC to open 40 more centres by year-end
Tie-up with JNTU for technological expertise More

QVC Realty gets $100-m funding
Plans townships in Gurgaon, Bangalore More

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Agni III test-fired successfully
Ready to take on bigger challenges in the arena: Scientists More

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT
Investors review Salim group's bike project in Bengal
Representatives of Zong Shen Industry Group of China and Universal Success met the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee, on Thursday to discuss the progress of the Indonesian conglomerate Salim Group-promoted Mahabharat Motors ... More

WTO
WTO lauds India, Vietnam on trade performance
Exports, imports expanded faster than Asia's trade More

Breakthrough in trade talks unlikely: Schwab
`However, differences are slowly narrowing' More

RURAL DEVELOPMENT
RCom, BSNL bag bulk of rural cellular project
Govt stands to gain on aggressive bids More

AP plans society to curb urban poverty
The Andhra Pradesh Government has announced plans to set up a registered society called `Mission for Elimination of Extreme Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) on the lines of Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP). The society, which ... More

Nabard scheme for MFIs
Nabard will extend capital or equity support to micro-finance institutions through its Micro Finance Development and Equity Fund. Nabard has sanctioned Rs 1 crore to three MFIs each. The new scheme will facilitate MFIs to leverage funds from ... More

EXPORTS & IMPORTS
Export shipments held up due to computer glitch
Around 5,000 export shipments are held up at IGI airport in the Capital due to computer failure at the Customs department, according to the Delhi Exporters Association. There has been no export shipment clearance in the last one week as the ... More

TOURISM
Gujarat Govt move to hive off hotels for tourism promotion
9 parcels of land identified for first phase sell-off More