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New Delhi: The Cabinet today approved the proposal for revival of National Jute Manufactures Corporation (NJMC) Ltd. The decision consists of running of three mills of NJMC out of total six closed mills under the Corporation. This will lead to an additional production of jute products and value addition. The mills approved for revival are, viz. Kinnison & Khardah in West Bengal and Rai Bahadur Hadrut Mill, Katihar, Bihar. Remaining three mills (National, Union and Alexendra) are proposed to be closed.

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet today approved the scheme for creation of National Population Register (NPR) of usual residents of the country. The project would cover an estimated population of 1.2 billion and the total cost of the scheme is Rs.3539.24 crores.

After the boom and bust of the first decade of the 21st century, the world economy is struggling to recover from the Great Recession with little promise of a strong rebound in 2010. What dampens the prospects for advanced economies is continuing lack of business confidence and weak consumer buying in the first quarter while the hesitant recovery is getting overshadowed by geo-political factors and troubles at home for the Obama Presidency.

The Union Cabinet's decision to allow foreign universities and institutions to set up campuses in India could not have come at a more appropriate time. Although it may take some time before it is implemented — this will require enactment of a legislation by Parliament, for which the bill is ready — the presence of foreign universities and reputable institutions will certainly help improve the country's technical and higher education standards and stop exploitation of rich Indian students by those overseas entities. Indian students will have access to global-standard education sitting in India and at much lower cost than what they will have to spend otherwise in overseas campuses.

LUCKNOW: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo and UP Chief Minister Mayawati is heading for a confrontation with the Congress on the one hand and the UPA government at the Centre on the other.

New York: Welcoming the recognition by Sierra Leone's President Ernest Bai Koroma that corruption poses a serious threat to the West African country, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says that while he is encouraged by some improvements in its political climate, challenges to fostering political tolerance and promoting non-violence remain.

New York: Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is now at record levels with Asia bearing the brunt of the epidemic, says the United Nations World Health Organization in a report that also calls for better diagnosis of the disease.

New York: A United Nations tribunal has affirmed the conviction and 15-year sentence of a famous Rwandan singer and composer for his role during the mass killings that engulfed the country in 1994, and reduced the sentence handed down against a top official after reversing a number of his convictions.

New York: While more than 200 million slum dwellers worldwide have escaped their conditions in the past decade, the overall population of slums has swelled by nearly 60 million in the same period, a new United Nations report finds.

Brazil and India told the WTO Committee on Trade and Development on 18 March 2010 that they are pushing ahead with commitments to provide duty-free, quota-free treatment of imports from the least-developed countries (LDCs). The Committee elected Amb. Erwidodo (Indonesia) as its chair for 2010 and re-elected Amb. Jean Feyder (Luxembourg) as chair of the Sub-Committee on Least-Developed Countries.