The Government is actively considering to provide affiliate private Hotel Management Institutes with National Council of Hotel Management so that higher standards in the area of Hospitality could be maintained. Minimum norms and standards in this regard have already been laid out and inspection committee has been set up in the Council to scrutinize proposals for affiliation. Disclosing this at the Annual General Meeting of National Council of Hotel Management and Catering Technology here today, Minister of Tourism, Shri Madan Lal Khurana said this step was aimed at standardizing the teaching facilities in the private sector and also discourage the mushrooming of "teaching shops", providing inferior quality of education without proper facility for conducting practicals, and that too at an exhorbitant cost. Shri Khurana said that efforts were being made to make all the Government Hotel Management Institute self sufficient in the area of financial matters. Out of 18 institutes, 7 institutes have already achieved this objective. He called upon the Hotel and Hospitality Industry to contribute to human resource development to a larger extent by setting up training -2- institutions,as well as by contributing to the existing Government Institutions. The Government would welcome the private sector participation in running the institutes of Hotel Management more professionally so that the trainees turning out were well equipped to fulfil the requirements of the industry, he said. Shri Khurana said that the Government sponsored Tourism will not achieve the objective of prosperity through Tourism until the private industry comes forward to participate and sponsor tourism activities. Highlighting the economic potential of Tourism, the Minister observed that all over the world around 10 per cent of GDP is coming from Tourism and 10 per cent of the jobs have been created in the Tourism and affiliated area. In every 30 seconds a new job was being created in this area but in India only 2-3 per cent GDP and jobs have been created in this area which shows a lot is to be done to tap the potential of Tourism. He said that Hospitality Industry shall have to gear itself to upgrade its standards upto world level so that more visitors could be attracted towards India. NCJ:LK www.nic.in/India-Image/PIB
 
 

    The Union Minister of State for Urban Affairs and Employment Shri Bandaru Dattatreya gave away prizes to various categories of persons to mark the World Habitat Day and raise awareness of the people about the need for Safer Cities here today. Ninteen awards were given to children of various schools organised by National Bal Bhavan. Of these prizes, ten were first prizes and nine second prizes, each carrying Rs.400/- and Rs.300/- respectively with a citation certificate each. In the category of Slogan Writing Competition on the theme of Safer Cities which was organised by the National Bal Bhavan, two prizes were given, the first prize of Rs.400/- and second prize of Rs.300/- and a citation certificate each. In the area of Design Idea Competition for Safer urban settlements, which was organised by the School of Planning and Architecture, 12 prizes were given away including two second prizes, three third prizes and seven merit prizes to students of Architecture and Town Planning from various parts of the country. .In the category of Poster Competition on Disaster Mitigation Techniques for Safer Cities organised by the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC), Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) bagged first prize of Rs.25,000, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, got second prize for two of its students of Rs.20,000 and third prize of Rs. 7,500/- each was shared by HUDCO and a student of School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. Commendation prize of Rs.5000/- was shared by a Chennai based person, Auroville (Pondicherry) based two persons and one student of School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi.

    In the Essay Competition organised by National Housing Bank, first prize of Rs.10,000/- was bagged by one functionary of HUDCO, second prize of Rs.7,500/- by another functionary of HUDCO and third prize of Rs.5000/- by yet another employee of HUDCO, and third prize of Rs.5000/- by two employees of National Housing Bank. Three Consolation prizes of Rs.25,00/- each were bagged by one employee of NCHF, HUDCO and two employees of NHB.

    Speaking on the occasion, the Minister of State for Urban Affairs and Employment Shri Bandaru Dattatreya congratulated the awardees. He hoped that the recipient of prizes would spread the message of Safer Cities and Safer Human Habitat to raise public awareness in this regard.

    Earlier, the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Urban Affairs and Employment Shri Hamendra Kumar welcomed the Minister and the delegates. The Special Secretary in the Ministry Shri S.S. Chattopadhya, who also spoke on the occasion, said that the system of awards to mark the World Habitat Day evolved by the Ministry of Urban Affairs and Employment was designed to inform, educate and create awareness among the people towards Safer Human Habitats and Cities as postulated by the United Nations Commission on Human Settlements.
 
 

    The Rs.861.30 crore (US $ 240 million) National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP) was launched by the Minister of State for Agriculture Shri Sompal here today. The World Bank, the International Development Agency (IDA) and the Government of India are jointly funding the project. This five-year project will be operational from 20th November this year.

    Stressing the importance of the agricultural sector in the economy, Shri Sompal said market monitoring should also be included as a component of this project. He said a Geographical Information System (GIS) should be developed to provide reliable data.

    Under NATP, programmes will be focussed on improving the efficiency of public institutions, reorienting organization and management of public research and technology assessment and transfer of services. Introducing competitive funding mechanisms for location specific research and expanding public/private sector partnerships in agricultural research and development.

    The project has three components viz. Development of the Indian Council of Agricultural research (ICAR) Organization and Management, support for Agro-eco Systems Research, and Innovations in Technology Dissemination.

    Of the total NATP cost of Rs. 861.30 crore (US$ 240 million), the World Bank will reimburse approximately 82% comprising US$ 100 million as IDA credit and US$ 96.8 million as International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loan. The balance 18% will be funded from Government sources.
 
 
 

    The Department of Electronics (DOE) has formulated a scheme to cover all backward regions of the country under its employment generation programme by the end of the Ninth Plan. Under it computer training in various courses will be imparted to all candidates belonging to SC/ST/OBC and from these regions including the North East. Rs.40 crore has been allocated for this and the training is given free of charge. This was stated by the Secretary, Department of Electronics, Shri Rabindra Gupta while inaugurating the programme here today. The candidates will be given training by the Electronics Trade and Technology Development Corporation, a unit of the DOE. He said, the overall objective of the scheme is to harness the potential of electronics and information technology in generating employment for the educated unemployed youth from the backward communities. He pointed out that the need for globalisation is being felt more now than ever and we should be prepared to face the challenges that might be brought about by the revolution in electronics and information technology.

    The Chairman of the Electronics Trade and Technology Development Corporation, Shri S.N. Zindal said the employment generation scheme of the DOE will go a long way in helping these candidates in not only getting employment but also becoming useful citizens contributing to the progress of the nation. At present there are 120 training centres all over the country, out of which 25 alone, are within and around Delhi, he added.
 

    Shri Ram Naik, Minister of State for Railways, Parliamentary Affairs, Planning and Programme Implementation has urged the World Bank to expedite finalisation of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project-II (MUTP-II). Further delay will add to the inconvenience to 59 lac suburban railway commuters of Mumbai, he said. Shri Naik alongwith the Chairman Railway Board Shri V.K. Agarwal had a detailed discussion with the WB team led by Shri Harold Hansen here yesterday.

    Shri Naik informed that the WB loan for MUTP-II is being discussed for the last ten years. After the new Government took over special attention is being paid to the serious problem in order to improve the lot of Mumbai suburban commuters. To give relief to the commuters, a Memorandum of Undertaking (MOU) has been signed by the Ministry of Railways and the Government of Maharashtra (GOM) on May 26, 1998 to form Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC). The WB team arrived at Mumbai and held discussions with the Indian Railways (IR) and the GOM last week.

    A broad understanding has been reached to include 12 sub-projects, which would approximately cost Rs.5376 crore, instead of Rs.4741 crore as anticipated earlier. Two new sub-projects, which have been agreed, to be included are conversion from DC to AC and remanufacture/retrofitment/reengineering electrical multiple unit coaches (EMU). The WB team was informed that formation of MRVC is in the final stage and the IR would set up a special task force to finalise the specifications of EMUs.

    The team appreciated the hard work done by the IR in achieving the present status of preparedness and hoped that all efforts will be made to achieve the milestones.
 
 

“Co-operation in the field of information is essential for cementing the age old ties and the strategic partnership between India and South Africa”, said Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting.

    Shri Naqvi was talking to Dr. Essop Pahad, Dy. Minister in the Office of Deputy President, South Africa and Mr. Joel Netshitenzhe, Chief Executive Officer, Government Communications and Information Service of South Africa. The South African dignitaries called on Shri Naqvi, during the course of their stay in India, where they have come to learn about the Government-media interface, as it exists in India today. Shri Naqvi recounted the ancient relationship that the two countries have shared, as also the fact that the largest concentration of Non-Resident Indians outside the country are in South Africa. He mentioned about the strong bilateral trade between the two countries, which is in the region of nearly Rs. 3000 crores. Shri Naqvi also talked of the partnership between the two countries in the Indian Ocean Rim Association, where, alongwith 14 other nations, India and South Africa are members.

    The Principal Information Officer, Government of India, who was also present on the occasion, gave a small presentation on the manner in which the media units have been structured in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, for the purpose of giving adeqauate publicity in regard to Government programmes, and handling other public relation functions of the Government of India.
 

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