The real heroes of India’s success story were our farmers. Through their hard work, they ensured “food security” for the country. — Pranab Mukherjee, interim budget speech Feb. 16, 2009

This Budget belongs to ‘Aam Aadmi’. It belongs to the farmer, the agriculturist, the entrepreneur and the investor. — Pranab Mukherjee, budget speech, Feb. 26, 2010

A significant announcement in the budget pertaining to the financial sector is that about setting up a new apex body to strengthen and institutionalise the mechanism for maintaining financial stability. The Financial Stability and Development Council, as it will be called, will monitor macro prudential supervision of the economy, including the functioning of large conglomerates, and address inter-regulatory concerns.

An earthquake is a phenomenon that occurs without warning and involves violent shaking of the ground and everything over it. It results from the release of accumulated stress of the moving lithospheric or crustal plates. The earth’s crust is divided into seven major plates, some 50 miles thick, which move slowly and continuously over the earth’s interior and several minor plates.

Earthquakes are tectonic in origin; that is the moving plates are responsible of the occurrence of the violent shaking. The occurrence of an earthquake in a populated area may cause numerous casualties and injuries and extensive property damage.

A FIVE member Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice of India in a judgement recently asserted that the Supreme Court or a High Court can suo moto ask the CBI to investigate any case irrespective of the permission from the concerned state government. The Supreme Court said for the protection of the democratic rights guaranteed by the Constitution, the Supreme Court or the High Court can ask the CBI to directly investigate any case of national or international importance.

8th February, 2010 is going to be regarded as a red letter day in the socio-economic history of West Bengal. On this very day Sri Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, chief minister of West Bengal, announced 10% reservation in the field of job for minority Muslims who remain economically, educationally and socially backward.

What is the government announcement?

Religion cannot be the basis of this reservation. The sole criterion is backwardness. From now on 10% job is reserved for Muslims who remain economically, educationally and socially backward. Already there is 7% reservation for other backward classes which reaches 17% with the addition of this 10%. This privilege is only for those Muslims who have been lagging behind. The leading Muslim population will not be under the ambit of reservations. Muslims having a yearly income of Rs.4.5 lakh or above are out of this reservation. Presently reservation will be provided in the job sector. The questions of providing reservations for backward Muslims in education are being discussed and will be finalised later.

The primary justification for investment in secondary education lies in its contribution to economic growth and poverty reduction. Most of the economic and employment growth over the past ten years in India has taken place in skilled services (information technology, financial services, telecommunications, tourism and retail) and skill-intensive manufacturing, all of which require, at a minimum, a secondary education degree. However, employer surveys (FICCI 2007) increasingly indicate that shortages of skilled workers constitute constraints to new private sector investment.

India and Saudi Arabia finalized 10 pacts, including an Extradition Treaty and agreements in the economic sphere for signing during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s ongoing visit to this oil-rich country.

Addressing the influential Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Dr Singh invited entrepreneurs from the oil-rich Kingdom to explore investment opportunities in India in construction, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, health, agriculture, energy, telecommunications, tourism and other sectors.

India’s ties with the Arab world go back several millennia. While we recall our historic ties with great pride, we do recognize that relationships have to be constantly nourished and revitalized so that they respond to new realities and aspirations. India and the Arab world are witnessing a rapid modernization of their societies and economies. The India of today is vastly different from what we were at the time of our independence. The same is true of the Arab world.
There is no conflict of interest between us. To the contrary, our destinies are tied together and we have much to gain by intensifying our cooperation with each other. We have a huge stake in each other’s success, and to that extent ours is a relationship that is of strategic importance.

Keeping in view the development of relations between the two countries, and the potential for their further growth, the two leaders, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Prime Minister of the India, Dr. Manmohan Singh decided to raise their cooperation to a strategic partnership covering security, economic, defence and political areas. Both leaders emphasized the importance of developing a broad-based economic partnership that reflects the ongoing transformation of their economies, and the changes such transformation are bringing about in the global economic order, including continuous coordination within the framework of the G-20 process.

I. National Institute of Unani Medicine (NIUM)

In order to promote the formal study of Unani system of medicine the Government of India has set up the National Institute of Unani Medicine (NIUM) at Bangalore in the year 1984. NIUM has a strength of 74 PG students. In addition to the 5 PG courses currently being offered it plans to commence 8 new PG Degree courses in two phases. NIUM also plans to commence PG Diploma Courses in Unani Medicine in Regimental Therapy, Pharmacy and Skin Disorders. In addition collaborative clinical studies on major diseases with other scientific organisations/industries are being undertaken.