Daily News Notes

· Both the Houses of Parliament have been adjourned for the day today on the many issues including hike in the cotton prices, demand for separate Telangana State and BJP demand for resignation of Home Minister(for his involment on 2G issue), while NDA has announced to move an adjournment motion on black money and the Left parties on price rise. The two Houses also expressed sympathiy with the next of the kin killed of those in earthquakes in Sikkim, the fire tragedy in Delhi, the stampede in Haridwar and natural calamities in Turkey and Thailand.
· The Finance Minister today assured the Lok Sabha that the government is committed to bring down inflation (which is due to mismatch in demand and supply) to more acceptable levels of between 6 to7% by the end of the March and thus called for improving agricultural productivity, strengthening food supply chains and augmenting capacity in the manufacturing sector to keep pace with the growth in demand. Making a suo moto statement in the House, he said the government is soon launching a pilot project (using UIDAI platform) for direct transfer of subsidies on kerosene, LPG and fertilisers to the vulnerable sections of society. He aslo said that there is an urgent need to amend and enforce the agriculture produce marketing Act to enable farmers to bring their products directly to the retail outlets and vice versa. Calling for accelerated Public Distribution System reforms to ensure food security for the poor, he said that expeditious action is being taken to create storage space for centrally procured food grains.
· The government today informed Lok Sabha that an International Centre for Wheat and Maize will come up at the Borlaug Institute for South Asia in India.
· The government proposes to establish 335 Anti Human Trafficking Units all over the country as there are over two lakh cases of crime against women which were reported in the country during 2010. Some states have already set up Women Police Stations while still many has to do.
· Government affirmed that it is taking steps to prevent loss of food grains due to use of spurious pesticides with the help of Central Insecticides Laboratory, two regional Pesticides Testing Labs and 68 State Pesticides Testing Laboratories. Thus the qualitiy of the pesticides is monitored through these institutions.
· The Supreme Court today refused to quash criminal proceedings against former BJP chief Bangaru Laxman for allegedly receiving one lakh rupees bribe from undercover scribes to favour them in a fictitious defence deal as proceeding were already in its progression in lower court. The case, lodged by the CBI, pertains to 2001 when a sting operation was done by Tehelka news portal purportedly showing Laxman receiving money from undercover journalists.
· The Indian rupee dropped by 58 paise to a lifetime low of 52 rupees 73 paise against the US dollar in early trade today on persistent demand for the American currency from banks and importers, amid sustained foreign capital outflows from the equity market. Students abroad gone for further studies are in great financial pain as they now have to earn nearly 1lkh/month more to sustain their education and livelihood. Mr Pranab Mukherjee, however, said (on the side lines of the 35th meeting of the Heads of National Drug Law enforcement Agencies at Agra) that RBI cannot make much intervention as the rupee volatility is because of uncertainty in the international market, but the situation will improve if Foreign Direct Investments in the country increases. The Indian rupee is the fourth most depreciated currency in the world and the most depreciated in the Asian continent. A weaker rupee is a matter of concern for India as it depends on imports for over 70 per cent of its oil and gas requirements and the depreciation of the local currency has made imports more expensive. Talking about Drug Laws, he said India has been working consistently to strengthen its legal framework in compliance with international standards set by the U N Convention against Transnational crime and International Drug Control Conventions.
· The Health Pavilion (which have been made for spreading awareness, especially about non communicable diseases which is the theme this year) at the ongoing India International Fair in New Delhi is drawing largest overall crowds.
· The Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests has said, regenerating the forests will enhance the economic level of the country thus called for stronger system to monitor forests and increase the number of forests in the country. Expressing concern over the forests degradation in the tribal areas of the country she said there is need to strengthen community co-operation from tribals in the country. She also said that Green India Mission to plant trees will surely help to fight forest degradation.