The Central Government has ordered to delete objectionable reference to Maharishi Valmiki in the film "JORU KA GHULAM". The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had received representations objecting to a reference made to Maharishi Valmiki. The Ministry referred the film to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for re-examination. Based on the Board’s recommendations, the Central Government decided to delete the said reference and accordingly, issued necessary orders.

    Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. C.P.Thakur has flagged off the Population Race at National Sports Stadium, here today marking the occasion of ‘World Population Day’. After flagging off the race, in his address to the student participants, Dr. Thakur has said that every year on July 11 the ‘World Population Day’ is being observed all over the world, to remind the people of the need to ensure stabilisation and development of the population.

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    Government has constituted a Special Group under the chairmanship of the Wireless Advisor to the Government of India, Shri R.N.Agarwal to interact with Industry Associations to identify issues regarding frequency clearances and submit the same to the competent authority for speedy resolution. The six-Member Group include the Chairman and senior officers from the licensing wing of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Ministry of Information Technology. The Special Group was formed in pursuance to the decision of the Group on Telecom and IT Convergence (GOT-IT) under the chairmanship of the Finance Minister.

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    During the first quarter of the financial year 2000-01, India produced 69.75 lakh tonnes of finished steel, 9.3 per cent more than 63.83 lakh tonnes produced during the same period last year. Out of this 29.50 lakh tonnes was produced by main producers and 40.25 lakh tonnes by the secondary producers. Steel majors in secondary steel sector have registered a growth of 28.3 per cent and have produced 7.25 lakh tonnes of finished steel during the quarter in place of 5.65 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year. Main producers have also shown appreciable growth of 12.9 per cent during this period.

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    The Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, has expressed deep grief over the passing away of Begum Akbar Jehan, patron of National Conference and mother of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah.

    Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. C.P.Thakur has said that the National Population Policy 2000 envisages a paradigm shift both in programme management and in programme implementation, as well as in the quality of health care to be provided henceforth in Government’s efforts to stablise population. This itself is a major opportunity for the private sector to demonstrate its commitment, and for public private participation. In his speech at seminar on Population and Development: Prospects for Private – Public Partnership, here today, Dr. Thakur has said that Population Policy requires the setting up of a Technology Mission within the Department of Family Welfare to provide focussed attention to the six States of Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa which continue to struggle with below average socio-demographic indices. The pace at which these States achieve demographic transition will determine the timing and size of population at which India achieves population stabilisation.

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    The Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa has said that the proposed new sports policy seeks to substantially enhance rehabilitation and incentive provisions so that sports become attractive for youth. He was addressing the members of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to his ministry here today. Shri Dhindsa said employment opportunities will also be provided as a part of package of incentives.

    The Minister said once the sports policy is finalised it will be equally important for the Government to formulate an Action Plan to operationalise the intents of the policy. He said, there have been great technological changes and innovations in the field of sports and we have to recognise the global changes and take steps to develop sports on modern and scientific lines. Shri Dhindsa said that steps have to be taken to broad base sports ensuring adequate support to scouting of talent, holding of competitions and training and grooming of sports persons. He said reliance on foreign coaches has to be reduced by developing the skills of Indian coaches.

    Reflecting on the need for balance between the rights and obligations of sports persons and sports bodies, Shri Dhindsa said this can be secured by evolving suitable structural mechanism and formulation of a Code of Conduct. He said efforts will be made to formulate strict guidelines for selection of national teams. The Minister said, sports persons and sports bodies seeking to represent India in any manner abroad will be subject to scrutiny to ascertain the desirability of their participation abroad.

    Addressing the meeting, the Minister of State for Youth affairs and Sports Shri Syed Shahnawaz Hussein said, the Government is actively considering setting up of sports academies and centres of excellence in various sports. He said, the Government is making efforts to have a dialogue with the Chambers of Industry to come forward with liberal contributions to the National Sports Development Fund. He said, contributions to the Indian Olympic Association and other recognised National Sports Federations by individuals and industries will be exempt from Income Tax.

    Members expressed concern over the lack of infrastructure and multiplicity of sports bodies for the same discipline resulting in mutual rivalry and consequent damage to the game. Some of the members also emphasised the need for paying adequate attention to the development of sports at the primary school level and also to develop sports facilities at the Block level. Members drew the Ministers attention to the vast potential of sports in specific disciplines like football, archery and wrestling. The Minister assured the members that their views will be given due consideration while finalising the policy.

    Members of Parliament who attended today's meeting are: Shri Vanlal Zawma, Shri Ramdas Athawale, Prof. I.G.Sanadi and Shri Daud Ahmed from the Lok Sabha and Shri C Apok Jamir from the Rajya Sabha.

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    Shri Murasoli Maran, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, has said that the government is resolved to provide an economic environment which would make it possible for the country to achieve a growth rate of 7 to 8 per cent annually. Quoting the Asian Development Bank, which has said that India is poised to be one of the fastest growing economies in the world and the International Monetary Fund which believes that India is the country of the future, Shri Maran has said that in the coming years the government's role would be that of a catalyst and "the responsibility for an aggressive push in this field will rest on the shoulders of the managers in the corporate sector, who would help us regain the status India had centuries ago as a major trading nation, known for the quality and diversity of its products". Addressing the 34^th Annual Convocation of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) at the IIFT campus, here today, the Minister emphasised his belief that business and ethics go together, even though the operative global economic and political system was unfair and often did not treat countries or individuals equitably. Development, he said, was to be seen not only in terms of trade expansion or GNP growth, but also in terms of expanding real freedom. "But what is the meaning of freedom and equity in a world, where the richest 20 per cent, monopolise 86 per cent of world GDP, and the poorest 20 per cent toil to get the miniscule share of one per cent?", he asked.

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PANT CALLS FOR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS FOR HASTENING POPULATION STABILIZATION AND SUSTAINABLE IMPROVEMENT IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

    The Planners, Programme Implementers and the people need to make collective efforts during the next two decades for achieving synergy between the on-going demographic, educational, economic and technological transitions. This would help India in hastening population stabilization, achieve rapid and sustainable improvement in economic, social and human development. Releasing two Fact Sheets on Population and Human & Social Development outlining the past achievements, opportunities and challenges ahead in the next two decades, the Deputy Chairman, Planning commission, Shri K.C. Pant, who is also Vice Chairman of the National Commission on Population, said that the technological advances coupled with improved quality and coverage of health care had resulted in a rapid fall in crude death rate, but the reduction in the crude birth rate has been slower.

Shri Pant said that the population in the country will increase from 100 crores in 2000 to 126 crores in 2016. He said for India the current phase of demographic transitions was both challenging and full of opportunities. During the next two decades the population growth will be mainly among the adolescents and young adults, more literate and aware, who are likely to make optimal use of available facilities. He said the challenge was to ensure skill development, appropriate employment with adequate emoluments.

Shri Pant pointed out that in-spite of uniform national norms set under the 100 per cent centrally funded and Centrally Sponsored Schemes of Family Welfare, there were substantial differences in fertility and mortality between States. He said while State like Kerala had mortality and fertility rates comparable to some of the developed countries, there were States like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Orissa having substantially high mortality and fertility rates.

He said contrary to the Southern and Western States, the entire North-Eastern States along with U.P., M.P., Bihar, Rajasthan and Orissa are yet to fully utilize excellent human mineral and agricultural potential. He said steps need to be taken to ensure that these States achieve full potential in the shortest possible time through planned and coordinated efforts from all sectors.

On the occasion Shri Pant also launched web site (http://populationcommission.nic.in) of the newly constituted National Commission on Population.

Later speaking at a Seminar on Population and Development : Prospects for Public, Private partnership, Shri Pant said that the organized sector in India was well positioned to take a lead in accelerating population stabilization. He said private and public sector had the means and special responsibility to the society for accelerating population stablization.

Shri Pant pointed out that the organized sector employed nearly 28 million people representing 7.2 per cent of the total labour force which can provide a good starting point for accelerating population stabilization since nearly 80 per cent of these workers were in the prime reproductive age group.

He said population stabilization was a phenomenal task and required efforts from all segments of the society including Government, NGOs, private sector and the people themselves.

He said the first meeting of the National Population Commission was being held under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister on the 22^nd of this month and both the Planning Commission and the Department of Family Welfare have held a number of preparatory meetings with the concerned ministries of Government of India and State Governments, professional medical associations and medical experts, NGOs and media representatives.

Calling on the corporate sector to contribute in the realization of goals, Shri Pant said the sector had generic knowledge of management practices, management information systems and operations research which can be put to use for the benefit of population and development of programmes and strategies. He said the corporate sector should involve trade unions in these activities so that the partnership could become a model for other group in society to follow.

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    The Minister of Communications, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan has expressed grief at the sad demise of Begum Akbar Jehan, mother of the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah. In a condolence message, Shri Paswan said that Begum Akbar Jehan worked shoulder to shoulder with her husband Sheikh Abdullah for the progress of Kashmir and played a significant role in building our nation.

    The Union Finance Minister, Shri Yashwant Sinha today called on the visiting Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. John Howard and apprised him of the state of India's economy.

    Under the policy of private participation in port sector, Government of India invited proposals from the three top world class container terminal developers/operators who had expressed their interest for the development and management of container handling facilities at Chennai Port. With a view to safeguard the interests of the port, a set of non-negotiable terms and conditions and a package of guarantees to be provided by the bidder were finalised and issued to the bidders in response to which two parties submitted their financial bids. The non-negotiable conditions, inter-alia included the minimum traffic to be guaranteed by the operator over the license period of 30 years, commitment to bring in mainline vessels within three years of operation, the minimum level of investment to be made, taking over the existing terminal along with the equipment and the labour, replacement of the existing equipment with new ones at appropriate times etc.

    Government of India has announced a new Scheme of Open sale of Wheat from Punjab. Under the new Scheme, the issue prices of wheat ex-Punjab godowns have been fixed at Rs. 700/-, Rs. 750/- and Rs. 800/- per quintal respectively for the months of July, August and September, 2000. This was approved by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution in pursuance of the CCP decision in June this year and as per the proposal of the High Level Committee chaired by the Chairman of Food Corporation of India. While fixing the rates, the economic cost of wheat ex-Punjab was taken into account, and carrying costs that would be saved in the current year were adjusted. Under the Scheme, any category of trader/buyer can purchase any quantity of wheat subject to a minimum of one truck-load, i.e. 10 metric tonnes, on first-come-first-serve basis. State Governments have also been advised to avail of this Scheme to augment supplies of wheat under PDS in their States. The existing Open Market Sale Scheme under which issue prices were fixed at Rs. 900/- per quintal will continue as usual in States other than Punjab.