View Articles

LUCKNOW: Veteran leader and former chief minister Kalyan Singh told IPA that he would never return to BJP fold.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There is a frighteningly yawning gap between the United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders’ loud protestations of respect for judiciary and their deeds at the ground level. That is the unmistakable conclusion which emerges from L’affaire PC George.

NEW DELHI: Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) is bidding for equity in the consortium that will be set up by the four participating countries Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan and India (TAPI) to construct the gas pipeline for transporting gas to the three countries from Turkmenistan. India is serious in going ahead with the early completion of the TAPI project and it will recommend the case of GAIL as one of the contractors at the next meeting of the participating countries.

LUCKNOW: The battle for wooing Muslim voters who constitute 18 per cent of the total electorate in Uttar Pradesh, has started in right earnest following Chief Minister Mayawati sending a letter to the Prime Minister seeking reservations for the Muslims in the government jobs and in educational institutions.

A session in WTO PUBLIC FORUM: 19—21 SEPTEMBER 2011 discussed in two parts, how to dealing with food prices and subsidies in agriculture, and the future of the WTO.

Chaired by Ahmed Abdel Latif (ICTSD), a session in WTO PUBLIC FORUM: 19—21 SEPTEMBER 2011 discussed the impact of the TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) Agreement 15 years after its coming into force from a legal, economic and institutional perspective and possible lessons for the future of the international intellectual property (IP) regime.

A session in WTO PUBLIC FORUM: 19—21 SEPTEMBER 2011 examined the role of trade in protecting food security and the impact of trade policies and regulations on food price volatility and on the flow of agricultural and food products. Speaking from different perspectives, the panellists shared the view that trade openness can help to ensure food security and moderate price volatility.

A session was organized during WTO PUBLIC FORUM: 19—21 SEPTEMBER 2011 by Medicines Patent Pool and moderated by Mr Antony Taubman, Director of Intellectual Property Division of WTO. The four panellists were: Ms Michelle Childs, Director of Policy and Advocacy, MSF; Professor Carlos Correa, University of Buenos Aires; Mr Nelson Otwoma, National Coordinator/CEO, National Empowerment Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya; and Ms Ellen T Hoen, Executive Director, Medicines Patent Pool.

A session in WTO PUBLIC FORUM: 19—21 SEPTEMBER 2011 discussed the availability of global provisions addressing competition policy, state-owned enterprises and subsidies, and the scope for multilateral rules regulating them. The panellists agreed that more rules were needed. They also recognized that these issues can be better tackled multilaterally rather than at the bilateral level and that the WTO would be the ideal forum.

Panellists in a session in WTO PUBLIC FORUM: 19—21 SEPTEMBER 2011 focused on the G-20’s Action Plan, including the recommendation to strengthen international policy coordination for food security, highlighting new and evolving approaches for improving global governance of food security.