Nirmal Om newsline

Technology Solution for Environment Upgradation 07 July 2012, Gandhinagar – With the stage set for Vibrant Gujarat 2013, the Forest and Environment Department and Gujarat Pollution Control Board organized seminar on–Technology SolutionforEnvironment Upgradation at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar Gujarat. Mr. J.S. Kamyotra, Member Secretary – Central Pollution Control Board was the Guest of Honour, and Dr. Tishyarakshit Chatterjee, Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests, was the Chief Guest for the seminar. The event was attended by over 400 participants, representing various industry sectors, academia, regulatory agencies and student fraternity Mr. A.K. Joti, IAS, Chief Secretary  - Government of Gujarat delivered a special address during the seminar. He stated that environmental technologies are at the core of sustainable development in Gujarat. He mentioned that the state Government understands the environmental implications arising o...

Shri Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia, the Minister for State for Commerce and Industry, led a delegation of officials, CEOs and other business delegates to Bogota, Colombia during 6-7 July 2012. On the first day of the visit, Minister Scindia had a detailed delegation level bilateral talk with Dr. Carlos de Hart , Vice Minister of Commerce, Government of Colombia. Both Ministers expressed their satisfaction that considerable substance and contents had been added to bilateral relations during the last 5 years and reiterated their mutual desire and commitment to further strengthen the existing trade and investment relations and all-round bilateral cooperation. However both leaders agreed that the current level of trade and investment is well below the potential and that calls for focused efforts by the two countries. They also agreed on the need to widen the trade basket. Recently enforced Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement(BIPPA) between the two ...

ICNP-2 Concludes Successfully.India to Give One Million USD for Ministerial Level.Participation From Least Developed Countries The Second Meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for Nagoya Protocol (ICNP-2) on Access and Benefit Sharing was inaugurated in Delhi on 2 July 2012 concluded successfully, here today. At the concluding session, India announced that it would give equivalent to one million US$ for participation of Ministerial Level Representatives from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) in the High Level Segment of Convention of Parties (CoP-11) in Hyderabad. India informed the participating delegates from the Least Developed Countries of this decision, so that they communicate this decision to the concerned personnel to enable the Ministerial Level Representatives to finalise their participation plans of CoP-11 which is scheduled to be held in October 12, 2012 in Hyderabad. India expressed satisfaction on the good progress made on several issues...

New Delhi, July 7, 2012- Supreme Court’s judgment delivered on July 6, 2012 directed the central government to ban import of all hazardous/toxic wastes identified and declared to be so under the UN’s Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal to which India is a party. >The para 35 of the judgment reads:“The Central Government is also directed to ban import of all hazardous/toxic wastes which had been identified and declared to be so under the BASEL Convention and its different protocols. The Central Government is also directed to bring the Hazardous Wastes (Management & Handling) Rules, 1989, in line with the BASEL Convention and Articles 21, 47 and 48A of the Constitution.” This judgment is consistent with multilateral decisions made in October 2011, when 178 parties to the Basel Convention met in Cartagena, Colombia to not only re-endorse the Basel Ban Amendment forbidding the export of hazardous wastes fro...

Impose Immediate Ban on Mining and Trade in White Asbestos (Chrysotile)  1.Mr Jean Charest Premier Government of Quebec Quebec City  2.Mr Stephen Harper Prime Minister Government of Canada Ottawa  Through Mr Stewart Beck, Government of CanadaⳠHigh Commissioner to India Subject- Impose Immediate Ban on Mining and Trade in White Asbestos (Chrysotile) Dear Mr Charest,  This is to express our sense of outrage and dismay at the announcement of a $58 million loan for revival of the Jeffrey Asbestos mine under the influence of Chrysotile Institute, a white asbestos industry funded group. This unscientific decision of the Liberal Party-led Quebec government that was announced on June 29, 2012 by ignoring the views of World Health Organisation (WHO), International Labour Organisation (ILO), National Public Health Institute, Canadian Medical Association and Canadian Cancer Society. It is shocking to note that you chose to ignore in...

2nd Indian Stainless Steel Houseware Show 2012 2 nd Indian Stainless Steel Houseware Show 2012 to be organize in Delhi from 10-12 July 2012 The demand of the stainless steel Houseware products is astounding in India New Delhi : 6 th July 2012: “Steel Market Info” a quarterly magazine dedicated to the rapidly growing Indian Stainless Steel Industry is going to organize a unique event after the grand memorable success of “1 st Indian Stainless Steel Houseware Show-2011”. Now “2 nd Indian Stainless Steel Houseware Show-2012” being held on July 10 th -12 th at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The Show will have variety of Stainless Steel Houseware products pertaining to different fields and utility on display by the manufacturers from different towns of the country and provide an unprecedented opportunity of direct viewing of these products to the exporters, traders, wholesalers, buying houses and agents, restaurants and corporate etc. Addres...

AirAsia helps endangered ASEAN art form soar Posted on July 6, 2012 by sagarmedia Cambodian troupe makes international debut with the support of AirAsia Asean Corporate Responsibility initiative SEPANG, 6 JULY 2012 – AirAsia, the world’s best low cost airline, is marking its latest ASEAN-level Corporate Responsibility sponsorship by showcasing the endangered Cambodian art form of Sbaek Thom or the Cambodian large shadow puppet theatre for the first time in Malaysia. In support of Cambodian Living Arts (CLA), a non-profit organisation dedicated to reviving endangered Cambodian art forms, AirAsia is making it possible for the Wat Bo Troupe from Siem Reap to perform to an international audience through its participation in the George Town Festival 2012 (GTF2012) on 7 July 2012. “This sponsorship correlates with AirAsia’s new regional strategy. We see our extensive route network as sky bridges linking cities, communities and culture...

Monti,Merkel meet in Rome Italian Premier Mario Monti and German Chancellor Angela Merkel  met in Rome later on Wednesday for talks on how to apply the deal reached at last week's European Union summit on the eurozone crisis. Monti is also likely to want to discuss how to overcome any lingering opposition to what was hailed as his key victory at the Brussels summit - the agreement to allow European rescue funds to be used to support the bonds of countries facing soaring borrowing costs. Merkel dropped her opposition to the bond-support measure after Monti and his Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy threatened not to back an agreement for a 120-billion-euro package to stoke flagging growth in Europe. The governments of Netherlands and Finland this week raised doubts about the bond-support agreement when they said they were opposed. European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said on Tuesday that the two nations would not be able to veto it.Bu...

President Barack Obama has drummed up support in the expected battleground state of Ohio. Obama started a bus tour in the Midwestern state on Thursday. The trip will also take him to the eastern state of Pennsylvania on Friday.Obama delivered a speech in Maumee in northwestern Ohio, which is home to many auto-related businesses. He argued that US automakers are recovering steadily thanks to massive injections of public funds, which opposition Republicans protested. The president said he was betting on the American worker and industry, and 3 years later, the American auto industry has come roaring back. The presidential election will be a race between Obama and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney of the Republican Party. Obama has recently been enjoying a tail wind. Last month, the Supreme Court upheld his healthcare reform and his measures to deal with illegal immigration. However, the economy is not recovering as fast as he hopes. The unemployment rate is hov...

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says he is not interested in Japan's reaction to his visit to one of the four Russian-held islands claimed by Japan. Medvedev visited Kunashiri Island off Hokkaido, northern Japan on Tuesday, drawing protests from the Japanese government.Medvedev spoke to reporters in Kamchatka on Thursday during his tour of Russia's Far East.Medvedev said he is so indifferent to Japan's reaction that he does not want to waste his time answering questions on the matter. He called the visit one by a Russian prime minister to Russian territory and expressed strong willingness to return to the islands.Russia has unveiled a plan to build aquaculture facilities on the Russian-held islands off Hokkaido, claimed by Japan. Russia's fisheries agency chief Andrei Krainy made the plan public on Thursday at a news conference in Moscow.He said his country will spend 160 million dollars setting up 8 aquaculture farms on Etorofu and Kunashiri islands...

Iran invited Egypt’s new President Mohamed Morsi on Thursday to attend the next Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in the Iranian capital, Tehran, Press TV reported. The 16th NAM summit will be held in Tehran on August 26-31. Iran broke off ties with Egypt after Cairo signed the 1978 Camp David Accords and offered asylum to Iran's deposed monarch Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. At the summit, Iran will receive the NAM’s rotating presidency for three years. An international organization with some 120 member states and 17 observer countries, NAM represents nearly two-thirds of the UN members.

The Shard was designed in 2000 by Renzo Piano, an Italian architect best known for creating Paris’s Pompidou Centre.The project was almost cancelled in late 2007 due to the looming global financial crisis, but an infusion of capital from a consortium of Qatari investors allowed the construction of the tower to start in 2009. The Qatari investors now own an 80% stake in the Shard. Despite criticism over its architectural design and placement in the heart of London, The Shard will certainly become one of the most prominent landmarks of the British capital, along with Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye and the “Gherkin” building. The Shard, which has an irregular pyramidal shape and is clad entirely in glass, stands 309.6 meters (1,016 feet) above ground level on the banks of the Thames River near the famous London Bridge. The 87-floor futuristic tower will contain offices, exclusive residences, a luxury hotel, restaurants and a viewing gallery after the work...

Europe's biggest automaker, Volkswagen, says it will complete the takeover of sports car manufacturer Porsche next month.German carmaker made the announcement at a news conference with Porsche on Thursday.Volkswagen will buy the remaining 50.1 percent of Porsche's auto business by August 1st, giving it total ownership. The deal will cost 4.46 billion euros, or nearly 5.61 billion dollars. Despite the takeover, Porsche is expected to retain its independence as a separate luxury auto brand with its own research and development and production departments.Volkswagen Chairman Martin Winterkorn said the merger will make Volkswagen and Porsche even stronger in creating brands and promoting research and development. The integration will put an end to years of fierce takeover battles between the two companies. At one point, the smaller-sized Porsche gained the upper hand after acquiring a stake of over 50 percent in Volkswagen.

Russian government plans to invite representatives of Syrian opposition forces to Moscow for settlement talks.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says his country is not considering offering political asylum to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.Lavrov spoke about Syria at a news conference in Moscow on Thursday. Moscow lashed out on Thursday at the Western position on Syria, saying it could aggravate the situation to the point of war.“Their [Western] position is most likely to exacerbate the situation, lead to further violence and ultimately a very big war,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. The West has also distorted the Russian position on Syria by suggesting Moscow should offer Syrian President Bashar al-Assad asylum, he said. “This is either an unscrupulous attempt to mislead serious people who shape foreign policy or simply a misunderstanding of what is going on,” Lavrov said. He also warned that Russia will reject any UN Security Council peace enforce...

Leander Paes and his Russian partner Elena Vesnina reached the quarterfinals of the mixed doubles at the Wimbledon with a straight-set victory over Australia's Ashley Fisher and Mona Barthel of Germany, on Wednesday. The fourth seeded Indo-Russian pair beat Fisher and Barthel 6-3 6-3 in a match that lasted just over an hour at the All England Club here. The duo will next take on Belarussian pair of Max Mirnyi and Victoria Azarenka. In the first set, Paes and Vesnina broke their rivals thrice out of the six opportunities, while the Australian and German pair converted the only chance that came their way. Ashley and Mona did sent down three aces but that didn't make any difference to the result. In the second set, the Indo-Russian pair converted one out of the five...

Indo- Canada FTA to Exclude White Asbestos Trade Posted on July 6, 2012 by sagarmedia Govt Must Stop Import of White Asbestos to Prevent Public Heath Disaster New Delhi, July 5, 2012: Even as the central Government has publicly revealed that it does not favour carcinogenic chrysotile asbestos (white asbestos) mineral fibers anymore, a consortium of mostly Indian investors have successfully lobbied hard to rejuvenate the asbestos mines in Quebec, Canada. This mineral fiber has pre-dominantly been used in the construction industry before its incurable disease causing nature came to light. Government of India must resist efforts of Canadian government to dump the cancer causing fibers of white asbestos on to present and future generation of Indians.   Unmindful of the epidemic of asbestos related diseases, Provincial Government of Quebec’s decision to loan $58 million to one of the country’s two remaining ...

Minister of State for Human Resource Development Dr. D. Purandeswari led the Indian delegation at the First East Asia Summuit Education Ministers Meeting (EAS EMM), held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia on 5 July 2012. The Indian delegation comprised Mr. Gurjit Singh, Ambassador of India to Indonesia and the ASEAN; Dr. R. Govinda, Vice Chancellor of National University for Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA); Ms. Radha Chauhan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development; Mr. K. Gunasekaran, Additional Secretary, University Grants Commission of India and Mr. Nikhilesh Giri, First Secretary (ASEAN), Embassy of India, Jakarta. In her statement at the EAS EMM, the Minister stated that time had come to evolve a strategy to promote educational cooperation among the EAS countries to harness credit transfer, mutual recognition of degrees, free flow of highly qualified people, earmarking of seats for students from member countries in reputed institutions in the...

Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC) is hosting the XIX international Conference Hub, 2012 in partnership with Global Network of Sex Workers Project (NSWP) and All India Network of Sex Workers (AINSW) to commemorate 20 years of the completion of Sonagachi Intervention Programme the most successful sex workers’ led HIV Intervention program in the Globe. Background of DMSC: DMSC is a sex workers’ organization representing 65 thousand sex workers male, female and transgender in the state of West Bengal, India. DMSC have been running HIV intervention program in 51 sex worker sites in the state of West Bengal since last two decades. I addition to Health program DMSC is engaged in several other development activities to help improve the quality of life of sex workers and their children. DMSC is also engaged with other unorganized labor in the countries.   The sex workers collective in Kolkata also run Cooperative Society which has a membership of more than seventeen thousa...