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PM favours lowering AIDS drug prices
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he favours "further" lowering of prices of AIDS drugs to make them accessible and affordable to all. He said the pharmaceutical industry should be "sensitised" to expand basic research in the area.

Speaking at the `National Convention on HIV/AIDS for Youth Leaders of Political Parties,' the PM said that with the rapid march of technology the cost of detecting HIV/AIDS, as well as the medication required to keep the disease under control is reducing.
He added, "We need to strengthen our delivery systems to provide treatment for this disease even while minimising drug resistance."
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Railways to set up call centres
New Delhi: The Indian Railways are planning to set up 22 call centres with a common telephone number,139, across the country. Apart from this initiative, the organisation will launch a National Train Enquiry System (NITES) and Management Information System.

The Railways have also decided to investment more in Information Technology and related services to widen the unreserved ticketing system, automatisation of control charts and data flows between Railway stations, according to a release.

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad in a meeting with the Railway Board chairman and other board members took the decision.

The release said that Radio Frequency Identification Systems (RFIDs) were also being introduced to track the movements of wagon and provide real time information.

Railways are also in discussion with the State Bank of India for ticket vending ATM installations, the release said and added that 42 cyber cafes were also planned at important stations.
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Labour law reforms may be introduced in textile sector
New Delhi: The government is considering exempting the textile sector from some labour laws but would like to take Left Parties along while doing this.

A government official said, "The government is aware of the problem faced by the industry due to the existing labour laws. We are trying to bring amendment in the law. But it is not moving forward as Left is undecided over its approach."
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Chinese gas companies to invest in India
Mumbai: Chinese companies are showing interest in investing in India's industrial gas manufacturing sector through strategic partnerships with domestic players and sharing expertise to develop closer ties.

Feng Xin, a senior official with Beijing-based CP Industries, and leader of the Chinese delegation said Chinese gas manufacturers have already started studying the Indian scenario and are awaiting response from the Indian side.

He said both India and China will own a larger chunk of global industrial gas production if they collaborate for joint projects in all fields of gas production and industrial gas manufacturing," he added.
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House approves bill to amend RBI Act
New Delhi: The Parliamentary panel has approved a bill that will give Reserve Bank the flexibility to cut Cash Reserve Ratio below 3 per cent and come up with new instruments for covering interest rate risks.

With the proposal of the Reserve Bank of India (amendment) Bill, the government wants to do away with the floor and ceiling limits of 3 and 20 per cent respectively and provide greater flexibility to the RBI in monetary management.

At present, the Section 42(1) of RBI Act mandates that banks have to maintain cash balances with RBI within 3-20 per cent of their time and demand deposits. So, RBI can not reduce CRR below 3 per cent even if there is a shortage of liquidity in the banking system.

The bill also wants to empower RBI to deal in repo, reverse repo and derivatives and validate over-the-counter (OTC) derivative contracts.
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New health insurance policy for poor on cards
Hyderabad: The Centre is considering a comprehensive health insurance scheme to cover 25 per cent of India's poor, living below the poverty line.

Sawant Reddy, secretary, department of chemicals and petrochemicals, Government of India, said "We will introduce a health insurance plan for the poor under the new comprehensive drug policy that is being discussed".

In a keynote address at 'India-Africa, ASEAN and GCC Pharma & Health Conference', Reddy said a right atmosphere for a vibrant pharma industry would be created through a new drug policy.
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Measures mooted to streamline coal sector
New Delhi: To end the unrest in the power sector arising out of shortage of coal, the Planning Commission has suggested a slew of measures to streamline the sector and make it vibrant and useful.

The Planning Commission has pointed out to the coal ministry that the current practice of pricing coal based on "useful heat value" (UHV) was irrational as it was determined by obsolete empirical formula "whose validity is seriously in doubt."

"UHV classification also uses excessively wide brands for grading coal. This limits incentives for delivering better quality coal or for washing coal to improve its quality. It said the ministry of Coal should consider pricing coal on the basis of Gross Calorific Value to conform to international practice. The change can be implemented within three to six months," the Commission said.
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ATF prices slashed
New Delhi: Public sector oil companies have slashed prices of Aviation Turbine Fuel (jet fuel) prices by Rs4,000 per kilolitre in line with fall in international prices. This is for the second consecutive month that oil firms have cut ATF prices.

On November 1, ATF prices were slashed by 1.8 per cent.

In Delhi, from today the domestic price of ATF including sales tax is Rs31,750.56 per kilolitre, in Kolkata the price is reduced to Rs35,978.32 per Kl, in Mumbai it is priced at Rs32,564.27 per Kl and in Chennai it is priced at Rs34.664 per Kl.
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