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Doesn't the winding up of the Integrated Guided Missile Programme launched under Dr Kalam in 1983 signify its terminal crisis? Why doesn't India have a reliable intermediate-range missile barring the Agni-I? If the Defence Research and Development Organisation is a grand success, then why hasn't it completed a major project without obscene delays and cost overruns—including the Main Battle Tank (launched in 1974, not ready despite a 10-fold bloating of costs), and the Light Combat Aircraft (started in 1983, but still lacking an engine)? Why has the nuclear submarine's cost risen 30-fold? And why did the Department of Atomic Energy have to get critical Russian designs and equipment for its reactor despite working on it for 34 years?

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is supporting Viet Nam's efforts to bolster its domestic economy and ensure social stability through a short-term $500 million fiscal stimulus loan.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Local currency bond markets in emerging East Asia grew rapidly in the first half of 2009 as governments continued to fund economic stimulus packages. Notably, corporate bonds have become a significant driver of overall market growth as the region recovers from global recession, according to the latest issue of the Asia Bond Monitor from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

G20 Governments have refrained from extensive use of restrictive trade and investment measures in recent months but have continued, in a limited way, to apply tariffs and non-tariff instruments that have hindered trade flows, the heads of the OECD, UNCTAD and the WTO indicated in a joint report to G-20 leaders meeting in Pittsburgh later this month.

Pakistan's dithering on prosecuting the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks apart, two latest Jammu and Kashmir-related developments expose the Pakistani rulers insincerity about resumption of the stalled Indo-Pakistan composite dialogue (including Kashmir) for which they have lately, with the US nod, started pressuring India. One, revival, obviously with ISI connivance, of cross-LoC infiltrations leading to a spurt in terrorist violence which along with infiltrations had sharply declined over the past few years. Two, issuing of the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-governance Order.

NEW DELHI: India is not agreeable, at the moment, to grant market economy status to China despite continuing requests by the Chinese Government to this effect.A thorough appraisal by the Commerce Ministry has come to the conclusion that the issue can be considered only towards the end of Regional Trading Arrangement(RTA) negotiations after securing concessions from China on issues of interest.

With the introduction of swanky indigenously built German Linked Hoffman Buschk (LHB) coaches in Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains, Indian Railways have since set in motion a process of switching over completely to manufacture of stainless steel coaches hereafter to replace the existing Integral Coach Factory (ICF) coaches. The complete switch over to manufacture of stainless coaches forms part of the Government resolve in the Eleventh Five Year Plan document.

New York: Around 1 million people die of suicide every year, more than by any other type of violence, including armed conflict, an official from the United Nations health agency has noted, stressing the need for greater efforts to tackle this preventable cause of death.

The ruling elite in India has been methodically pushed by their counterparts in developed countries into a high-technology trap. The UPA government-I was led to believe by these countries that their latest technologies alone would put India on the high-growth track to help it become a developed country and world power without an arduous course of development which the Indian elite does not seem to be able or willing to go through. It has not been fortuitous either that negotiations were started with the US administration at once after the UPA formed the government in 2004 for import of high technology, in particular from the USA, for application in all frontier areas of economic growth and modernisation. UPA-II is now in the process of completing this process.

Bamboo traders of the North-East have never had it so good. They are getting several crores worth orders for graded bamboos to be delivered at Delhi well before the start of the Commonwealth games. The bamboos will be painted and put up miles and miles around the city's sprawling slum clusters and unauthorized colonies. This is to conceal the dirty spots, where millions of ill-clad and famished live, from the foreign visitors during the games.