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Use technology to solve socio-economic problems, says Muhammed Yunus
- Noted Bangladeshi economist, founder of the Grameen Bank programme and Nobel Laureate Muhammed Yunus has said that technology should be used for solving socio-economic problems rather than for commercial exploitation.
- “Business is to solve problems and not to make money” and this is the success behind the Grameen Bank programme, he said.
- Calling on scientists and technologists to develop more “digital genies” like the mobile phones to improve the lives of the poor and needy
- He said that as a result of the programme, today 22,000 people had stopped begging and become door to door salesmen in his country.
- 70 per cent of the people of his country had no access to electricity. The situation changed dramatically with the introduction of the “solar home system” which his organisation promoted.
- Prof. Yunus said that he had initiated micro finance to get over poverty without any intention of making money out of the poor people.
- But today that idea was being abused by people to make money by lending money to the poor.
- In order to control this, there should be proper legislation to create a banking system for the poor.
‘Mullaperiyar, Idukki dams safe'
- Allaying the apprehensions of the people of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the two technical experts of the Supreme Court appointed-Empowered Committee (EC) informed that the recent tremors in that region did not have any impact on the Mullaperiyar and Idukki dams and that the dams were safe.
- They had inspected all the dams in and around the Mullaperiyar catchment area to ascertain their safety in the wake of the recent earthquakes.
PMO steps in to resolve row over oil, gas exploration
- The Prime Minister's Office has been forced to call an emergency meeting to resolve a showdown between the Petroleum and Natural Gas and Defence ministries, which has stalled exploration work on several offshore oil and gasfields — something critical to India's energy security.
- Last year, the Defence Ministry gave clearance for beginning work on eight offshore oil and gasfields in the Eastern and Andaman offshore zone
- However, the Defence Ministry has refused to allow exploration, saying any activity could jeopardise naval operations.
- the objections centred round the fact that the exploration would take place in the areas being used for submarine manoeuvres and training.
- The auction was held in the ninth round of the New Exploration Licensing Policy
