2100 HRS1st April, 2013

THE HEADLINES

• Petrol price cut by 85 paise per liter, Non-subsidised LPG by three rupees a cylinder. Jet fuel also to cost less by 5.5 per cent.
• National Investigation Agency to probe the killing of two Indian fishermen by Italian marines.
• Supreme Court dismisses Swiss pharmaceutical chain Novartis AG's petition seeking patent protection for its anti-cancer drug, Glivec.
• Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar pitches for exporting more wheat from FCI godowns to ease storage problems, says wheat output will be more than last year.
• Sports Ministry asks National Anti-Doping Agency to carry out test on Olympic Medalist Boxer Vijender Singh for use of heroin.

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Fuel prices have come down. Petrol price was today cut by 85 paise per litre with effect from midnight tonight. The price cut, which was made possible because of fall in international oil prices, is excluding local sales tax or VAT. Now, petrol will cost 67 rupees and 29 paise per litre in Delhi, 74 rupees and 14 paise in Mumbai, 74 rupees and 72 paise in Kolkata and 70 rupees and 34 paise in Chennai.

The price cut comes on back of reduction of two rupees a litre in rates effected on 16th of last month. This was the steepest cut in rates in the past nine months.

 Non-subsidised cooking gas has become cheaper by three rupees per cylinder. According to Indian Oil Corporation, a 14.2-kilogram LPG cylinder that consumers will have to buy after they exhaust their enhanced quota of nine subsidised bottles in a year, will cost 901 rupees 50 paise from today.

 Jet fuel, ATF prices were also cut by a steep 5.5 per cent, reversing the rising trend of the past two months. According to Indian Oil Corporation, Aviation Turbine Fuel, or ATF, price in Delhi was cut by about 3,885 Rupees per kilolitre to 66,196 rupees per kilolitre from today. The reduction comes on back of a 2 per cent 1,324.84 rupees per kilolitre increase in price from 1st February and a 3.8 per cent ,2,519.83 per kilolitre hike in rates from 1st March.

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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will probe the alleged killing of two Indian fishermen by Italian marines off the Kerala coast last year. The Home Ministry today handed over the investigation to the NIA. The ministry's decision follows the Supreme Court ruling that the Kerala government has no jurisdiction to prosecute the two Italian marines Massimiliano Lattore and Salvatore Girone.

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Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma has hailed the Supreme Court's judgement dismissing Novartis AG's petition seeking patent protection for its anti-cancer drug as historic. He said the judgement reaffirms the position of the Indian law which mandates the need for a substantive innovation while deciding on a case for grant of a fresh patent. Sharma told reporters in New Delhi that the decision will not affect investment in the country.

 It is a question of indication of direct position India has taken. Our patent law is entirely in conformity with multi lateral agreements that is strip.and we have fully met and we have assured our partners and investors that India has never going to be in breach of its international obligation. But at the same time my government's commitments to ensure availability of life saving medicines at affordable cost.

The Supreme Court dismissed Swiss pharmaceutical chain Novartis AG's petition seeking patent protection for its anti-cancer drug, Glivec (Imatinib mesylate).The court has also dismissed the plea of the multinational pharma company to restrain Indian drug firms from manufacturing generic drugs. The apex court bench of Justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Prakash Desai dismissed with cost Novartis' plea challenging the Intellectual Property Appellate Board's decision declining the plea for patent of the drug that is used in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia and malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumours.

Reacting to the judgement, Novartis said it will not invest on research and development in India and move Research and Devolpment, R &D to favourable destinations. Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Ranjit Shahani however said that the company will, keep filing Patent applications for innovative products and continue to invest in India but cautiously.

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Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today pitched for exporting more wheat from Food Corporation of India, FCI, godowns to ease storage problems. He said there is a need to export more wheat as stocks are expected to reach 54 million tonnes with the harvesting season starting this month. Mr Pawar said the government aims to procure 45 million tonnes of wheat during the current procurement season. The Agriculture Minister said there is last year's stock of nine million tonnes of wheat already in godowns, therefore, space needs to be created for the new crop.

The Minister said that there is no effect of rain on the wheat crop and the output will be more than last year's 94.88 million tonnes. Pawar also mentioned that the condition of other crops like pulses and oilseeds is promising.

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The Congress -party today distanced itself from the alleged controversial remarks by Steel Minister, Beni Prasad Verma against Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. Talking to reporters, party spokesperson, Renuka Choudhary said in New Delhi that these remarks are his personal view and the party has nothing to do with it. She called for maintaining political standards while making remarks on any development.

It is an internal matter and it does not bother us who they put where, they have to remain accountable and they can answer the public when the time comes.

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The Supreme Court today sought responses from the Centre, states and Union Territories on a PIL seeking effective preventive and protective measures, including sentencing guidelines, in respect of sexual offence cases against women.The apex court issued notice to respondents returnable within three weeks. The petition also seeks a uniform proforma for examining adult victims of sexual assault.

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The West Bengal State Election Commission today moved the Calcutta High Court appealing the Panchayat Election dates notified by the state government be rejected. In its petition, the state Election Commission said that the West Bengal government has announced the Panchayat polls in the state unilaterally on 26th and 30th of this month without consulting them. The Commission has sought direction from the court that the dates should be announced by the government in consultation with the State Election Commission. Our Kolkata correspondent reports that the stand off between the government and Commission surfaced over the dates of the poll and deployment of central force during the election. The Trinamool Congress led government announced a two phased Panchayat election under the supervision of the state police while the Commission suggested a three phased Panchayat poll and central force should be deployed to ensure free and fair election. The state BJP has also filed a case in the Kolkata High Court today demanding rejection of poll notification announced by the West Bengal government.

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The Delhi Police has arrested four people in connection with the murder of businessman and BSP leader Deepak Bhardwaj in the capital last week. Talking to the media in New Delhi, South Delhi DCP Chhaya Sharma said the arrested persons include two shooters Purushottam Rana and Sunil Mann, car driver Amit and owner Rakesh.

The BSP leader was shot dead allegedly at his farmhouse in south Delhi's Rajokri on 26th of last month.

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The Supreme Court today granted two weeks' time to the Tamil Nadu Government to apprise it of its stand on the Controversial Sethusamundram project. The Centre, in its affidavit, had told the court that it intended to go ahead with the 25,000 crore Rupees Sethusamudram shipping channel project on the ground that it has economic, navigational and strategic advantages and moreover an expenditure of 829.32 crore Rupees has already been incurred on it as on June 30, 2012.

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In Assam, curfew has been lifted at Sualkuchi town area in Kamrup district. Deputy Commissioner S K Roy said that as normalcy returns, curfew has been lifted.

In a bid to resolve the crisis arising after some traders sold Benarasi fabrics produced in power looms in the name of local clothes, Assam government today held discussion with local weavers and took stock of the latest situation in Guwahati. State Handloom minister Pranati Phookan said that all the demands of weavers and local businessmen are being examined .Assam government has ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident. Kamrup Deputy Commissioner said that special team will be set up by involving sericulture and sales tax department officials to prevent sell of imported fabrics in the name of Assam silk. Local weavers said that due to curfew, they have suffered a loss of at least 20 lakh rupees per day. MANAS PRATIM SARMA/AIR NEWS/GUWAHATI

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The Sports Ministry has asked National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) to carry out immediate test on Olympic Medalist Boxer Vijender Singh for reported use of heroin and inform the ministry accordingly. The Ministry said in a letter to NADA that such media reports in respect of a sporting icon are disturbing and may have a debilitating influence on other sports persons in the country. Director General National Anti-doping Agency, Mukul Chatterjee told AIR News that the test will be carried as per the NADA protocol.

The National Anti-Doping Agency has received the communication from the Ministry, Department of Sports for carrying out the test as Vijendra Singh Boxer and NADA will carry out the test as per the NADA protocol.

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Tennis players Rohan Bopanna and Mahesh Bhupathi have renewed their partnership after they experimented briefly with new partners earlier this year. They had started to play with new partners after Bopanna won the Marseilles Open with Scottish partner Colin Fleming and Bhupathi partnered Michael Llodra to win the Dubai Open. A good partnership last year saw them finish as finalists at the ATP World Tour Finals.

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NEWS FROM THE BUSINESS WORLD

The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange rose a modest 29 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 18,865, today. The Nifty at the National Stock Exchange gained 22 points, or 0.4 percent, to 5,704.But stock markets in Japan, China and South Korea declined between 0.1 percent and 2.1 percent.Gold rose 130 rupees, to 30,200 rupees per ten grams in Delhi. Silver held steady at 53,500 rupees per kilo.And Brent crude oil futures fell below 110 dollars a barrel, while US crude lost 45 cents, to 96.78 dollars a barrel.Pradeep Kumar, AIR News

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The News Services Division of All India Radio in its weekly "PUBLIC SPEAK" programme today, will bring you a discussion on "Fraud with investors in real estate sector." This can be heard on FM Gold Channel and additional frequencies at 9.30 p.m Listeners can ask questions to the experts sitting in our studio on telephone number 011-2331-4444. This programme is also available on Doordarshan DTH.

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Iraq today executed Al-Qaeda's former Baghdad chief and three other men convicted of terror-related offences, despite calls for a moratorium on its use of the death penalty.

The executions brought to 22 the number of times Iraq has carried out the death penalty so far this year.