India will pay 3.8 percent on all FMS deals with US
By Gulshan Luthra

Washington, Sep 2 (IANS) India would be paying 3.8 percent as an administrative fee for all military hardware and systems acquired from the United States under its Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme.

This fee is actually the same for every country for all FMS deals, effective from August 2006, and is charged to facilitate discussions with US arms manufacturers, weapon tests, securing all government clearances and to ensure that a customer gets exactly what ... Read More

Companies Bill to factor in apex court verdict on Bhopal tragedy
Kolkata, Sep 2 (IANS) Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Thursday said the directive of the Supreme Court on a curative petition on the Bhopal gas tragedy will have to be "factored in" within the proposed Companies Bill .

"The curative petition filed by the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) is before the Supreme Court, and whatever comes from the Supreme Court has to be factored in the Bill as on criminal liability of directors we need ... Read More

A matrimony site exclusively for armed forces personnel
New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) Defence personnel seeking life partners will now be able to access a matrimony website designed exclusively for them.

The site defencematrimony.com, launched by internet firm Consim Info Pvt Ltd, is part of CommunityMatrimony.com. It will provide online matrimony service to all the three wings of the armed forces -- the Army, Air Force and Navy personnel.

Speaking at the launch of the website, Air Vice Marshal V.K. Dayalu said: “This is ... Read More

Sonia sets several records in Congress history
By George Joseph

New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) As Sonia Gandhi is all set to be unanimously elected Friday for a fourth term as the Congress president, she will be setting several records in the history of the 125-year-old party, among them being the longest-serving incumbent.

Italian-born Sonia Gandhi (nee Maino), who has been the Congress president since 1998, is the seventh person of foreign origin to become the president of the Congress - a party formed ... Read More

Lawyers demand more women courts and judges
New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) A group of lawyers has sent a representation to the chief justice of Delhi High Court seeking more women courts as well as judges to deal with cases of marital discord.

The representation, signed by about 150 lawyers led by Rubinder Pal Ghumman, said there were inadequate number of courts and judges to deal with the more than 3,500 pending matters and complaints of litigants under various family laws.

According to ... Read More

Telecom services can bridge rich-poor divide: Rahul
Amethi, Sep 2 (IANS) Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Thursday launched 3G-services in his parliamentary constituency, noting that telecommunication services play an important role in development as they can bridge the rich-poor and the rural-urban divide, party officials said.

Gandhi was accompanied by telecom expert Sam Pitroda.

"Rahulji, who this (Thursday) evening launched 3G services in Gauriganj said if telecommunication services are made available to the poor than they would get a link to get ... Read More

PDS hike under consideration: Ministerial panel
New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Thursday said the government is considering a hike in the quantity of foodgrains under the Public Distribution System along with an upgradation in the number of eligible Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.

“The government is considering an overall increase in PDS including an upgradation in the number of eligible BPL families,� Pawar told reporters here after a meeting of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on food. ... Read More

Protest against genetically modified Bt Brinjal
Chennai: Church of South India (CSI) Synod Ecological Concerns Committee (SECC) strongly protests against the decision of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), in approving the commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) Bt brinjal. The CSI SECC has the opinion that the GEAC had “mindlessly” gone ahead and approved Bt Brinjal even when informed scientists and citizens of the country raised serious concerns on the nature of the safety studies.

The church cannot be ... Read More