1400 HRS.

17th May, 2013

THE HEADLINES:

• Prime Minister seeks cooperation of industry and trade unions to encourage business sentiment in the country; Says Government commited to providing Universal Social Security cover for workers.
• Life saving drugs to become cheaper up to 80 per cent as new drug price control order comes into effect.
• Finance Minister says the GoM headed by him will work towards giving functional autonomy to CBI.
• Tamil Nadu Police raids at six places in Chennai in connection with alleged IPL spot fixing.

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Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today sought cooperation of the Industry and Trade Unions to help encourage enterprise and business sentiment in the country. Inaugurating the 45th session of the Indian Labour Conference in New Delhi, Dr. Singh said, the government has paid serious attention to the issues raised by the trade unions. He said, the UPA Government is committed to strict implementation of labour laws, welfare schemes and universal social security cover for workers in both the organised and unorganised sectors.

We have set up a Group of Ministers under the Finance Minister to go into the whole gamut of demands raised by the Trade Unions and I am confident that soon you will see some forward movement on these demands.

The Prime Minister said, the UPA Government is committed to strict implementation of labour laws, welfare schemes and universal social security cover for workers in both the organised and unorganised sectors.

Dr. Manmohan Singh said, the government is considering the creation of National Security Fund and also fix National floor level minimum wage and minimum pension of one thousand rupees under the employees pension scheme. Dr. Singh asked the government, industry and trade unions to work in partnership to strengthen the society, the economy and the country. Dr. Singh said that demand of the trade unions reflect the concern that economic growth and progress should be inclusive and benefit the under privilege sectors of the society. Dr. Singh also said, providing productive employment is the best way of achieving this objective. Dr. Singh said, special attention have been paid to remove bottlenecks that hamper new industrial activities.

We have paid special attention to the need for removing bottlenecks that hamper new industrial activity. I would urge you all Captions of Industry and Trade Union leaders to help is in making a success of these efforts.

The Prime Minister said that during UPA's tenure, 20 million additional jobs were created and unemployment came down from 8.3 per cent to 6.6 per cent. Women employment in organised sector grew by about 19 per cent. Dr. Singh said, women participation is more than 48 per cent in the MGNREGA scheme which helped reduce inter-state migration, eliminating bonded labour and increase purchasing power of rural households. Noting that due to persistent efforts of the UPA government, even though child labour has come down by 45 per cent during its tenure, Dr. Singh said there is need to bring it down further.

We have taken proactive steps for elimination of child labour. Our Government has taken a decision to amend the Child Labour Prohibition & Regulation Act, 1986 to ban all child labour below 14 years to enable our children to exercise their right to education.

Union Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge said, the UPA government's efforts on skill development have led to the doubling of the number of ITIs from five thousand to ten thousand. Another 3000 ITIs, 5000 Skill Development Centres and 27 Advanced Training Institutes are to be set up during the 12th five year plan.

Our Government's policy of inclusive growth has yielded good results in the last decade. These positive outcomes have inspired us to keep faster and more inclusive growth of basic mandate of our 12th Five Year Plan.

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Prices of 348 medicines, including life saving drugs, will be cheaper soon by up to 80 per cent as the new Drug Price Control Order has come into effect. Industry experts feel the implementation of the new drug policy will lead to slashing of prices of many anti-cancer and anti-infective drugs by 50-80 per cent. The government has notified the Drug Prices Control Order (DPCO), 2013, with effect from fifteenth of this month, replacing the 1995 order.

The new order gives power to the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy (NPPP) 2012 to regulate prices of 348 essential drugs. The earlier order had regulated prices of only 74 bulk drugs. As per the new drugs policy, all strengths and dosages specified in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2011 will be under price control.

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Finance Minister P Chidambaram said that the Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by him, will work towards giving functional autonomy to CBI but at the same time asserted that accountability is important. Mr. Chidambaram said in an interview with a TV news Channel yesterday that the government will ensure a large degree of functional autonomy to the agency in the matters of investigation. Mr. Chidambaram's comments came three days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh approved the constitution of the high-powered Group of Ministers (GoM) to finalise a plan of action to secure autonomy for the CBI. The Finance Minister, who is on an official visit to the UK on the first leg of this three-nation tour to woo foreign investors, also addressed the issue of accountability. He said, all over the world, all bodies are accountable to somebody but we have to ensure that no one interferes with the investigations of the CBI.

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Suspected Hizbul militant Liyaqat Shah, arrested by the Delhi Police for allegedly conspiring to carry out terror attacks in the national capital, was today granted bail by a special NIA court in Delhi. District Judge I S Mehta released Liyaqat on bail on a personal bond of 20,000 rupees with a surety of the like amount. The court however imposed several conditions on Liyaqat and directed him not to leave the country without its prior permission.

45-year-old Liyaqat was arrested on March 20 while crossing the Indo-Nepal border in Gorakhpur with his family. Liyaqat had said that he had come to surrender under the Jammu and Kashmir government's rehabilitation policy.

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The CB-CID police conducted raids at six places in Chennai in connection with spot fixing and betting in IPL matches. Police sources said that one person who was nabbed recently on the suspicion of spot fixing, had confessed to several links in the matter. Another financier who was arrested in Chennai, had also confessed to have lost his house due to match fixing.

The police said that five persons were detained today while three had managed to escape during the wee hour raids. Several lakh rupees and electronic gadgets suspected to be used in match fixing, were seized during the raids.

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In Andhra Pradesh, six persons were killed when two cars collided near Denduluru in West Godavari district on the national highway number five, this morning. Five persons died on the spot and one more succumbed to injuries at hospital in Eluru.

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Today is World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. It is celebrated on this day every year to raise awareness about the positives of Information and Communication Technologies, ICTs, among people. The day aims to make information and communication more accessible to people living in remote areas. The theme of the day this year is - ICTs and improving road safety. A report:

The day marks the founding of the International Telecommunication Union, ITU, and signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865. It focuses on filling up the technological gaps, promoting connectivity and bridging physical distances through the Internet, television and phone. This year's theme is significant in the wake of a UN report attributing 1.3 million deaths each year and 20-50 million people getting injured in road accidents mainly in developing countries. Driver distraction and road-user behaviour while driving are among the leading contributors to road accidents. The ITU is behind developing standards for safe communication systems in vehicles to eliminate distraction while driving. With Shiela, Zakir Malik, AIR News.

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In Punjab, the police have cracked a case of human trafficking of minors and rescued 15 kids from a room in Amritsar yesterday. The rescued kids who are from Bihar, had been bought by Bhagalpur based Arvind from their parents. They were forced to work for him for the last one year for a paltry sum of 1000 rupees per month.

According to police, a case has been registered under human trafficking. Our correspondent reports that police is on the lookout to nab the keyman Arvind who was keeping the kids as bonded labour.

These skinny boys of between 5 to 10 years of age were not being properly fed. They were also not allowed to leave their dingy room where they used to make ear-rings with wires. Their fingers were pierced because of the use of wire to make this artificial ornament. Marks of beating with iron rod on their frail bodies were proof enough of their inhuman treatment by Arvind whenever they objected to his commands. Rajesh Bali/Air News, Jalandhar.

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Giving up most of its initial gains, the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange stood just 4 points in the positive zone, at 20,252, in afternoon trade, amid volatility, a short while ago. Earlier in the morning, however, the Sensex had climbed 54 points, or 0.3 percent, to 20,302 on continued foreign funds inflows, amid firm Asian bourses.

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Oil prices eased in Asia today as poor housing and employment data from the United States sparked concerns of weaker crude demand in the world's biggest economy. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in June, dropped 14 cents to 95.02 dollar a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for July delivery shed 15 cents to 103.63 dollar in mid-morning trade.

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The rupee lost 21 paise to 54.98 against the dollar in early trade today on the Interbank Foreign Exchange due to appreciation of the US currency against euro overseas. Increased demand for the dollar from importers also put pressure on the rupee. Dealers attributed the rupee's fall to dollar gains against the euro and yen overseas but a higher opening in the domestic stock market capped the fall.

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Two security personnel were today injured in a Naxal attack in Maoist-hit Sukma district of Chhattisgarh. Sukma ASP, S R Bhagat said, the incident took place when the joint party of district force, Chhattisgarh Armed Force and Special Task Force were on a combing operation in the jungles of Chintagufa Police Station area of the district early this morning. He said that additional forces have been rushed to the spot.

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Union Minister of state for Home, RPN Singh has called upon the Central Industrial Security Force to effectively meet the emerging challenges posed by new form of terrorism and militancy. Addressing the 38th passing out parade of Sub Inspectors at the National Industrial Security Academy on the outskirts of Hyderabad today, the Minister stressed upon the growing role of CISF in the changing security scenario, especially in key areas like Disaster management, VIP security and Aviation Security. He asked the CISF to play a key role in providing secure atmosphere that can ensure growth and investments. A total 697 SIs and executives have passed out after completing training in the academy.

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Taliban militants in Pakistan ambushed a military convoy late last night in Peshawar, killing two soldiers. Officials said the incident took place as the convoy passed through Matani village on the outskirts of Peshawar, the main town of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Reports said militants opened fire on the military vehicles, killing two soldiers and injuring one in the attack. Troops have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack but Taliban militants are active in Matani and other areas around Peshawar.

In other two separate attacks yesterday, unidentified gunmen opened fire on NATO supply trucks passing through Khyber and Peshawar, killing two drivers.

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In IPL cricket, Sunrisers Hyderabad will take on Rajasthan Royals at Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad this evening at 8 'o' clock.

In yesterday's encounter, Kings XI Punjab beat Delhi Daredevils by 7 runs to keep their hopes alive to qualify for the play-offs of the tournament. After put to bat first, Kings XI Punjab made a challenging 171 runs at the loss of 4 wickets in stipulated 20 overs at Dharamshala. Chasing a victory target of 172, Delhi Daredevils could manage only 164 runs at the loss of 7 wickets in 20 overs.