India ranked 155th on Yale’s environmental performance index

India ranked 155th on Yale’s environmental performance index

Despite an improvement in overall performance, India comes out worst among other emerging economies, including China, in efforts to address environmental challenges, with dramatic declines on air quality, according to Yale University researchers. India ranks 155th out of 178 countries in the 2014 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) issued by Yale University, while China ranks 118th, […]

Iran, world power to finalise nuclear talks next month

Iran, world power to finalise nuclear talks next month

Iran and the six world powers will resume nuclear negotiations in New York in February to finalise a comprehensive agreement on the dispute, an official said Monday. The new series of nuclear negotiations will be held in the presence of Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and representatives […]

India to review gold import curbs by March end: Chidambaram

India to review gold import curbs by March end: Chidambaram

chidThe government will, by March end, review and may revisit some of the restrictions imposed on gold imports, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said Monday. Addressing an event to mark the International Customs Day here, Chidambaram hinted at easing the curbs on gold imports if there is a firm grip on the current account deficit (CAD). […]

India’s spices exports rise by 32 percent

India’s spices exports rise by 32 percent

India’s spices exports jumped by 32 percent to $1.39 billion in the April-November period of the current financial year, according to data released by the Spices Board of India. In terms of US dollar value spices exports rose by 32 percent in the first eight months of the current fiscal while in rupee term the […]

Jains declared minority community

Jains declared minority community

ainThe Jain community has been included in the list of minorities, an official statement from the minority affairs ministry said Monday. They will be in addition to the five communities already notified as a minority. These are Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Zoroastrians (Parsis). The cabinet last week approved notification of Jains as a minority […]

SC notice to Andhra, Odisha over labourers’ torture

SC notice to Andhra, Odisha over labourers’ torture

Taking suo motu congnizance of media reports that the hands of two migrant labourers were chopped off in Odisha, the Supreme Court Monday issued notice to the state government and also to Andhra Pradesh, where the contractor who hired them was based. The notice is returnable in four weeks. The bench of Chief Justice P. […]

Time to manufacture indigenous arms, says Modi

Time to manufacture indigenous arms, says Modi

Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi said here Monday that indigenous arms and weapons were needed to be manufactured for the country’s armed forces with export potential in future. “We should focus on producing indigenous firearms and weapons… It will not just add to our armoury, but the country will even be able […]

Want to put India on the manufacturing map: Rahul

Want to put India on the manufacturing map: Rahul

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Monday unveiled his vision of India as a global manufacturing hub at par with China. In an interview to Times Now news channel, Gandhi said: “I want to put India on the manufacturing map, I want to make this the centre of manufacturing in the world. I want to make […]