Govt to continue to fight inflation
New Delhi: The centre wants a political consensus to try and curb inflation following a heated parliament debate on price rises, with the entire opposition blaming the ruling Congress party of failing to rein in inflation since coming to power in 2004.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram said his government was willing to take further fiscal steps to contain inflation if the (parliament) members so suggest.

This year inflation has been rearing its ugly head time and again soaring to more than 6 pc in recent times. A year ago inflation stood at 3.90 per cent, has emerged as a key political battleground in the country of 1.1 billion people, where rising prices put huge strain on domestic budgets. Chidambaram said his government in recent months had imposed several control measures, including a ban on the export of staples to keep prices of cereals, cooking oil and milk products under control. He said now the government will take further steps if required as it is aiming to moderate inflation.

Inflation has slipped to 5.6 per cent compared to more than six pc two weeks ago and efforts would continue to cut it further, he said.
Chidambaram attributed the rising costs to government spending in subsidy-gobbling sectors such as rural employment, education, health and agriculture.
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OBC reservation issue goes to larger bench
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday referred the OBC reservation issue to a larger bench.

While referring the matter to a larger bench, the court enumerated 30 issues divided into seven parts that were required to be considered. However, the court gave liberty to the larger bench to consider more issues if required.

The 30 issues divided into parts include the following:

What is the meaning of the term "special provisions" in Articles 15(4) and 15(5) of the Constitution? Does it include 'quotas' by reservation of seats especially in higher educational institutions and professional and technical education (particularly those of national stature or importance and in courses categorized as speciality or super speciality). Is it a permissible measure of advancement of socially, educationally backward classes?

What is the meaning of the words "for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens" in Articles 15(4) and 15(5)? What is the yardstick for measuring educational backwardness in Clauses (4) and (5) of Article 15?

Whether substitution of the expression "socially and educationally backward classes of citizen" by "socially and economically backward classes" would result in fulfilling constitutional intentions and objectives?

Whether reservations based solely or principally upon the basis of caste are impermissible under Article 15? Whether a reservation that relies significantly on "caste" to identify its beneficiaries is inherently divisive and incompatible with the Unity and integrity of the Nation?

If the answer is yes, then how, in what way and on what basis are the beneficiaries of "special provisions" to be identified,selected, included or excluded?

Does the Union of India's method, and manner of identifying and compensating beneficiaries of 'special provisions' perpetuate caste & backwardness?

Whether, after the judgment in Indra Sawhney's case, the classification of backward classes on the basis of caste for the purposes of Article 16(4) would equally apply to Articles 15(4) and Article 15(5) of the Constitution? Whether reservation in employment for such categories also include reservation in educational institutions?
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Tea output down in March; exports up
Chennai: The production and exports of tea declined in the first quarter of the current annual year. Despite this there was only a marginal rise in the average realisation at auctions across the country. According to Tea Board statistics, tea production during January-March dropped 11.3 million kg (mkg) to 86.7 mkg compared with the same period a year ago mainly due to adverse weather conditions, mainly prolonged dry period in North and South India.

For the January-March period, production in North India declined 7.4 mkg to 44.3 mkg, while in the South it slipped 3.9 mkg to 42.4 mkg. In March, tea output dropped 5 mkg in North to 35.1 mkg, while in South it was down 2.4 mkg to 15.6 mkg.

Exports, on the other hand, increased in March by 5 mkg to 19.2 mkg compared with the same period a year ago. However, overall exports since the beginning of the year were down 0.9 mkg to 44.1 mkg.

Industry experts said the appreciation of the rupee against the dollar was a worrying factor for the industry. The rupee has gained 8-9 per cent since the beginning of the year against the dollar.
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MoD says it cannot vacate spectrum before two years
New Delhi: The ministry of defence (MoD) has questioned the department of telecommunication's assurance to the operators that 40 MHz of spectrum would be vacated by July.

The MoD has said that setting up an exclusive fibre network for the Army would require shifting to an alternative spectrum band. This would take at least two years and a cost of over Rs4,000 crore.

(Earlier, after its meeting with the armed forces, the Bharat Sanchar Nigam had said that laying an exclusive fibre network for the armed forces would require an additional cost of Rs1,500 crore, escalating the project cost to Rs3,076 crore, only for the Army. The total project cost for the three services is expected to be Rs4,000 crore.)

This is nearly four times that of the DoT-sanctioned fund — Rs980 crore — for the armed forces' exclusive project.

The MoD has also told DoT that since spectrum could be released only after the completion of the new fibre network, giving a deadline for the 40 Mhz spectrum to be vacated and assuring the operators of the availability of the spectrum is not desirable.
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Government hikes MSPs of oilseeds, paddy, pulses
New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) has announced an across-the-board hike in minimum support price (MSP) of paddy, oilseeds and pulses for the Kharif season.

The minimum support price of moong and urad have been hiked to Rs1,740 per quintal, an increase of Rs220 over last year's procurement price.

The procurement price for arhar dal has been increased by Rs180 to Rs1,590 per quintal; for soyabean by Rs30 to Rs1,050 per quintal; for sunflower seeds by Rs10 to Rs1,510 per quintal; for cotton of medium staple length by Rs30 to Rs1,800; for cotton of long staple length by Rs40 to Rs2,030.

The increase will be effective from October 1, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told reporters. He said that till today, 9.6 million tonne of wheat had been procured as compared to 6.1 million tonne in the same period last year.
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