Opinion
Appeal
The legacy of IPA, founded by Nikhil Chakravartty, the doyen of journalism in India, to keep the flag of independent media flying high, is facing the threat of extinction due to the effect of the Covid pandemic. Only an emergency funding can avert such an eventuality. We appeal to all those who believe in the freedom of expression to contribute to this noble cause.ED Begins Scrutiny Of Devas Deal
BANGALORE: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), entrusted with the probe into the controversial $300 million Antrix-Devas deal last month, has begun scrutinising documents related to the deal. ED officials said, “The focus is on the transactions of the deal more than the other aspects. We have collected documents and are...
Call To Develop Roads, Striking Capability Along Border
There is urgent need for India to develop infrastructure and striking capability along the border with China to face any eventuality, while unfortunately some major proposals for strengthening India’s striking power are pending before the Government for a long time. This was the observation of defence analyst Brig (Retd)...
New ISRO Centre To Control Launch Of Spy Satellite Radar Imaging Satellite
CHENNAI: The Indian rocket that will carry the 1,850 kg indigenous surveillance satellite – Radar Imaging Satellite (Risat-1) – to the skies this month will be controlled by the new mission control centre at Sriharikota, said a senior official of Indian space agency ISRO. “The second mission control centre...
Bukhari -Azam Khan Battle Hots Up
From Pradeep Kapoor LUCKNOW: The fight is on between cabinet minister Mohd Azam Khan and Imam Syed Ahmad Bhukari of Delhi Jama Masjid to emerge as Muslim face of Samajwadi Party. It would be worth mentioning here that Mohd Azam Khan, who had been in and out of Samajwadi...
Defence Ministry Finds China Army Profile & Pakistan's Take On Terrorism As Major Concerns
NEW DELHI: The growing profile of the Chinese army, Beijing’s attempts to expand its influence in India’s neighbourhood and Pakistan’s persistent refusal to crackdown on the terror groups operating from its soil have been identified as major concerns by the defence ministry. The ministry, in its annual report for...
Call For Action Against ‘Coup’ Scaremonger
NEW DELHI: With the government admitting that “mischief” by an insider was responsible for the scare over a routine movement of two Army units, demand for a probe into the matter is gathering momentum amid indications that the Army headquarters itself may seek an inquiry. The issue figured in...
Defence Secretary Says Claim Of Troop Threat Unfounded
NEW DELHI: Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma has told Parliament that troop movements around New Delhi in mid-January — movements which the government is reported to have been “spooked” by — were in fact part of a “routine drill”. In a testimony before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence,...
Oil Ministry Warms Up To RIL's D6 Survey Plan Of Deep-Sea Region
NEW DELHI: The oil ministry has called a crucial meeting of administrators of the KG-D6 block to deliberate upon Reliance Industries’ plan to survey the entire deep-sea region, instead of a piecemeal approach, to accelerate joint development of 16 untapped discoveries and reverse the steep fall in gas production....
India, Qatar Sign Pact To Boost Cooperation In Oil And Gas Exploration
NEW DELHI: A pact to enhance cooperation in the key sector of oil and gas exploration is among the six agreements inked on Monday between India and Qatar, which has the world’s third-largest natural gas reserves after Russia and Iran. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Emir of Qatar Sheikh...
CCEA May Take Up New Urea Investment Policy Soon
NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) may take up the new investment policy for urea soon. This policy is likely to ensure at least 12 per cent return on equity. The proposed policy aims to reduce the subsidy on urea. The Finance Minister in his Budget...
ONGC-Teri JV Bags $1-Billion Kuwait Oil Spill Clean-Up Job
VADODARA: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) says its joint venture (JV) company has won a third of the estimated $3-billion global contract to clean the 60 million cubic metres of Kuwait contaminated by the huge oil spills that were a legacy of the retreating Iraqi armies in 1991....
IGL Gets Rs 1,000-Crore Hit From Regulator
NEW DELHI: Gas board orders cuts in rates, charges for CNG & PNG to Delhi consumers; firm may challenge directive The price of compressed natural gas (CNG) in the capital could come down by 20 per cent and of piped natural gas (PNG) by 10 per cent in the...
BPCL Panel To Examine Cause Of Assam Refinery Fire
MUMBAI: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) has appointed a three-member committee to present a preliminary report, within three days, on the cause of Saturday’s fire at its Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) inAssam. The committee will comprise two company executives from Mumbai and one from Numaligarh. NRL, with an...
ONGC Tripura Power Project To Start Generation By June-End
AGARTALA: The ONGC Tripura Power Project (OTPC) will start power generation by the end of June at Palatana in Gomati district, its Managing Director S K Dubey today said. The first unit of state-owned gas based thermal power project would start generation by June 30 and the other unit...
Petroleum Sector: Rising Crude, Subdued Demand For Petro Products To Keep Companies In A Bind
The quarter to March 2012 was characterised by rising crude oil prices, which in the absence of retail price hikes increased the under-recoveries of state-owned oil companies. Private sector companies had their own set of woes in the form of margin pressure. Several companies increased refining capacity, while most...
Cairn Nod Can Give Govt $15 Billion More
NEW DELHI: After the Union Budget wiped out $1 billion from Cairn India’s market cap by raising the cess on oil production from R2,500 per tonne to R4,500, the government continues to sit on the company’s applications for both increasing production from its existing MBA (Mangala, Bhagyam and Aishwarya)...
GNF In Talks To Buy BG Stake In Gujarat Gas
MUMBAI: Spanish utility Gas Natural Fenosa is in talks with BG Group Plc to buy the UK oil and gas company’s 65 percent stake in India’s Gujarat Gas, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Sunday, in a deal valued at about $900 million. A three-member...
Power Purchase Agreements Term Of Gas-Based Projects May Be Slashed
NEW DELHI: The government is considering reducing the tenure of power purchase agreements (PPAs) for future gas-based projects by 10 years and reviewing the deals every five years on basis of fuel availability, officials said. The move, if implemented, will benefit 9,000-mw plants of companies like Reliance Power, Lanco...
