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New Delhi: Minister of Culture and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja has said that on the basis of the recommendations of the Broad Based Committee of the National School of Drama, it has been proposed to open 5 Regional Schools/Centres of the National School of Drama across the country.

New Delhi: The total area coverage under coarse cereals (millets) in the country has declined from 290.25 lakh hectares during 2004-05 to 270.68 lakh hectares during 2010-11 (2nd Advance Estimates). The decline in the area under coarse cereals has been on account of shift of area to more profitable crops such as wheat, rice, cotton etc.

New Delhi: Government is planning to launch a Vegetable Initiative to meet the demand of vegetables in all State capitals and urban centres with population greater than 10 lakh. Under this initiative, States will be assisted in addressing the entire value chain, right from the stage of pre-production to the consumers table through appropriate measures. State Governments have also been advised to leverage the components of existing schemes under Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan States (HMNEH) and National Horticulture Mission (NHM) to ensure steady supply of quality vegetables to urban areas.

Economic growth of Suriname is estimated to have risen from 3 percent in 2009 to 4.5 percent in 2010, driven by a rebound in prices of Suriname’s main commodity exports (gold, petroleum, and alumina), higher alumina production, and elevated government spending. The mission expects growth to pick up further in 2011, to about 5 percent, supported by continued buoyant commodity prices, and large capital investments in the mineral and energy sectors.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Government of Japan are to help Nepal overhaul its social protection programs, with a key goal of reducing the country's stubbornly high levels of child malnutrition.

HA NOI, VIET NAM - Viet Nam has sharply reduced poverty and improved living standards over the past two decades and progressed towards Middle Income Country status, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) fully supports its drive to create sustainable growth that benefits all, ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda said in Ha Noi today.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did the United Progressive Alliance or himself no favours by holding an interaction with television journalists on February 16. He came through not as a statesman-like leader with a vision, but as a wily run-of-the-mill politician adept at deflecting criticism and blaming others. In fact, Dr Singh did what no Indian Prime Minister has done: plead helplessness in the face of corporate loot of public money, erosion of institutions, inflation, and failure to bring about inclusive growth.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s request to India to help conduct the Egyptian elections whenever they are held shows how the Arabs instinctively seek to replicate Indian democracy in their part of the world. Although nearly all the African and Asian countries followed a path different from that of India’s after shaking off the colonial powers, the success of Indian multicultural democracy has acted as a beacon to both their intelligentsia and the common man.

This was the 3rd budget of the UPA led government and it went on predicted lines excepting it threw up some pleasant surprises. Enhancing exemption limits for individual tax payers was one such and he took it up to rs 1,80,000 from rs 1,60,000. Yes, many would have wanted it to go up to a flat Rs 2, 00,000 at the entry level for direct taxation. And there were obviously there were several other expectations as well. If wishes were horse we could ride them. But one must appreciate the compulsions the Finance Minister had this year while presenting the budget.

New York: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon held talks on Libya with United States President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., today, later stating that Muammar Al-Qadhafi’s regime had declared war on its own people and must be brought to account for possible crimes against humanity.