The “Strategy paper on Coal Import Substitution” has been prepared as a report of the IMC (Inter-Ministerial Committee). The paper focusses on the present energy mix of the country, domestic coal production, trends and projections, import trends (sector-wise), coal import substitution measures already taken by the Government and most importantly, …
RIGHTS ISSUE: A patent on atta chakkis (flour mills). It sure was unexpected. But it's been granted. The latest victim of the patent rights regime is the Asian traditional knowledge of producing atta. The US patent office has given patent rights to Nebraska-based ConAgra Inc for the "method for producing …
an informal round of World Trade Organisation (wto) talks was held in Sydney, Australia on November 14 and 15, 2002. A select group of 25 countries including Brazil, China, India, Senegal, the eu and the us attended the talks. The issue of developing countries' access to inexpensive medicines, enabling them …
The pastures are turning brown for the five rare white rhinos which Zambia imported in 1994. The country is in the grip of a severe drought that has already claimed the lives of 48 other wild animals in the Musi-O-Tunya national park since June 2002. Zambia Wildlife Authority (zawa) acting …
In a desperate bid to tide over its financial crisis, the Kazakh government is studying a proposal to import radioactive waste from abroad and bury it in the country. Though the venture will result in heavy cash inflow, environmentalists warn that it will turn the former Soviet republic into a …
The post-war boom had brought gas-guzzling vehicles, expanding highways and mushrooming suburbs in the industrialised countries, especially the US. This boom was fuelled by oil - the industrialised economies depended almost entirely on intensive use of fossil fuels. The world learned about its dependence on oil in 1973. The Yom …
The Caspian region has possibly the third largest oil and natural gas reserves in the world (after the Persian Gulf and western Siberia), estimated to be up to 15 per cent of the total reserves of the world. Hardly any of this potential has been tapped as yet, and it …
India's prominence in the energy market is that it is the world's sixth largest energy consumer - and yet woefully short of energy sources. It has large coal reserves but the worrisome part is petroleum, which accounts for about 30 per cent of the total energy. India produces only 30 …
"One of the ironies at the turn of the century is that, in an age when the pace of technological change is almost overwhelming, the world will remain dependent, out to the year 2020 at least, essentially on the same sources of energy - oil, natural gas, coal - that …
The US President George W Bush is raring to launch an attack on Iraq. Whether it has weapons of mass destruction or not, Iraq certainly has the world's second largest reserves of petroleum after Saudi Arabia. Thanks to UN sanctions, it produces a mere fraction of its potential. The US, …
"Not since the rise of the railroads more than a century ago has a single industry [energy] placed so many foot soldiers at the top of a new administration." - Newsweek, May 14, 2001 George W Bush took over as president of the US on January 20, 2001. Within two …
the European Union (eu) has placed shrimp consignments from India on the watchlist after finding traces of lethal antibiotics such as chloramphenicol and nitrofuran in them. The recent move follows repeated warnings from the eu to ban all imports of shrimps from India tainted with high doses of antibiotics. The …
It's bad news for coal exporters. Japan, one of the world's biggest coal importers, is considering a coal tax to encourage the use of cleaner fuels such as natural gas. Japanese ministry officials said that they were considering introducing the levy after shares of three of the world's biggest exporters …
Canada seems to have settled scores with the us by restricting imports of mop top virus-infected American potatoes. In 2000-2001, the us had imposed a ban on potatoes from Canada's Prince Edward Island after some were found to have potato warts. The Canadian officials are taking a series of measures …
Amazonian mahogany may literally be deadwood soon. Because at the current rate of deforestation, there may be no more of it in eight years. Despite these warnings, London's appeal court has allowed the import of a shipment of the precious endangered wood into the country. Two senior judges threw out …
the Finnish parliament's go-ahead to the country's fifth nuclear plant has begun to take its toll, with environment minister Satu Hassi's putting in her papers. The decision to build Finland's fifth nuclear reactor comes after a two-decade break. The first four plants were established in the 1970s. The proposal for …
In one fell swoop the us has dealt a crippling blow to the Canadian lumber industry, slapping a 27 per cent duty on softwood timber imports from the country. The us salvo is the latest move in a protracted dispute spanning almost 20 years. Its significance for Canada can be …
The passing of the Patents (Second Amendment) Bill, 2002, by both Houses of Parliament is one more step towards complete compliance with the trips Agreement (Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights). However, further amendments would have to be incorporated to completely comply with trips provisions, since the …
Imported liquefied petroleum gas (lpg)-powered buses will ply on Beijing roads soon. The move has been directed to bring down the rising vehicular pollution and to prepare the city for hosting the forthcoming Olympic Games in 2008. It is reported that an agreement has been signed between Beijing lpg Company …
there is a looming threat from foreign fruits flooding Indian markets as they bring pests with them, say agriculture experts who are urging the government to conduct a risk analysis before allowing free imports. These experts have flayed the double standards of the exporting countries who, while banning the import …
After an 11-year break, Japan intends to import whale meat again. Although the plan has been flayed by environmentalists, Japan has said that it would also expand its research whaling programme. "Japan has been discussing the issue for months with Norway and hopes to reach a positive conclusion soon,' said …
