RESEARCH

Otherwise, there is little that has merit in his hastily proposed new education policy _______________ Surajit Dasgupta _______________ T he then Science & Technology and Ocean Development (ST&OD) Minister, now the Minister for Human Resource Development, Kapil Sibal unknowingly made my transition from a teacher to a journalist a smooth affair. Hardly three days into what was then my new vocation, as I was still asking my colleagues for tips on journalism, came an invite from the ST&OD Ministry in The Statesman office. The subject matter for the press conference to be held at, no prizes for guessing, Shastri Bhawan, seemed inconsequential. So much so, I am unable to recall the subject now. When I asked my boss if it was needed that I be there, he asked me to hang around in the corridors of the Press Information Bureau nevertheless... to develop some contacts if for nothing else. With little pathbreaking research happening in India, and with a discovery or invention happeni...

A month or more after the shocking incident of an asthmatic girl's death inside a Delhi school for its authorities' negligence, the pressing need for sensitisation of the schools to the issue seems to have been relegated to the backburner ____________ Nithin Sridhar ____________ T he Government had, on 19 November 2007, set up the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights as a statutory body which would be authorised to summon and enforce the attendance of any person from any part of India and examining them on oath. Under the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005, the national commission would have all the powers of the Civil Court while inquiring into matter under the CPC. The national commission, while inquiring into a matter, could warrant any document and receive evidence on affidavits from authorities concerned. It could also requisition any public record or copy thereof from any court of office. Apart from having the power to forward a case to a M...

The awareness about the just-launched New Pension Scheme is abysmally low. That is unfortunate because the NPS may turn out to be the best long-term investment product From May 2009 onwards, Indians have had access to another investment avenue to plan for retirement in the New Pension Scheme (NPS). The scheme had been in the pipeline for at least five years but it finally took shape in 2007-08. Although the government was pushing for the scheme after a law providing statutory backing to the regulator was enacted, the Left parties, which were supporting the UPA government, did not allow the passage of the Bill. So, last year, the government decided to go ahead by allowing the NPS Trust to enter management agreements with fund managers. What benefits does the NPS offer? Who is eligible? Business Standard provides a ready-reckoner. Who can join the New Pension Scheme? Any Indian citizen between 18 and 55 years. At present, only tier-I of the scheme, involving a contribution to a non-withd...

The Indian tour and travel industry is by and large unaffected by the global economic downturn _________________________________ MoneyLIFE Bureau & Surajit Dasgupta _________________________________ H as the economic slowdown decided to leave the tourism industry alone? Or are things looking good because, as the song says, everybody wants a summer holiday? It is a bit of both. Outbound tourism is booming. The worldwide economic slowdown has seen many countries offering never-before discounts and incentives to attract international tourists; this has meant a big increase in foreign travel. Ashwini Kakkar, executive vice chairman of Mercury Travels says, “Actually, outbound travel is doing even better than last year. Because of the fall in prices internationally, a holiday in Bangkok is cheaper than a holiday in Kulu. So where would you go? You can get a great five-star property at Bangkok for $40 a night, while in Kulu, you can’t get it even at $200 a night because of limited avail...