The First Session in the series will be held in Delhi in association with apex organizations such as FICCI, CII, ASSOCHAM and others. Shri Sikander Bakht, Union Minister of Industry will inaugurate the first session on Monday, the 28^th June, 1999.

    The focus of the Session will be on issues relating to Patentability, Compulsory Licensing and Enforcement.

    The Session is expected to elicit views and opinions from a cross section of the society including eminent scientists, academicians, representatives of industry/Chambers of Commerce, media persons, NGOs etc.
 
 

    Speaking on the occasion, Shri Patil said that even though the overall credit for Integrated Rural Development Programme as well as the per family investment was increasing over the years, there is a perception that bankers are becoming increasingly impervious to the credit needs of the rural poor. The problem perhaps lies in being unable to communicate our vision to the grass root level, particularly the Branch Managers who are the cutting edge of the Banks, he said. The Minister stressed that the message should be clearly understood by each and every Branch manager from the commercial or the Cooperative Banks and even the Regional Rural Banks. "We need to send out a clear signal that the mindset of the bankers is in favour of the poor", he added. He also said that this of course cannot be an excuse for inefficient lending nor can it be an excuse for indiscipline in the form of poor loan repayment.

    The Minister stated that the selection of activities is very important and it is necessary to ensure activities are taken up in a project mode so that not only is the objective clear but it is also capable of being properly monitored. Secondly, it is necessary that the products have markets. We should move away from finding markets for products to producing what the market needs, he said. The banks and District Rural Development Agencies(DRDAs) must develop at different levels the ability to seize the market opportunities.

    Shri Patil further said that there is a need to identify the credit needs and meet them fully. It is better not to give a loan rather than give insuffcient amounts which would only make the poor further indebted, the Minister said. It is necessary not only to communicate knowledge to the rural poor but it should be constantly acquired by the implementing agencies. The training institutions of the State Governments as well as banks should run training programmes on SGSY and also take up research for identifying potential activities. The Minister stressed on the monitoring of the programme. Most of the information on IRDP used to come from Government channels earlier. This should change under Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana. Information available with DRDAs and banks should be mutually exchanged, treating it as a common pool of information.Banks and State Governments should constantly monitor the information and take corrective measures, the Minister added.

    Under SGSY, financial discipline and interests of bankers are properly protected and at the same time community interests are given their due place in terms of selection of Swarozgaris, the provision for weaker sections as well as the role of Panchayati Raj Institutions. A programme such as this, therefore, needs to be implemented by us together, the Minister urged the bankers.

    The Governor, Reserve Bank of India, Dr. Bimal Jalan, Secretary(Rural Development), Shri P.R. Dasgupta and other senior officials also addressed the meeting.
 
 

    Similarly, priority in the allotment of plots is 12 per cent for Retired Persons Scheme, 25 per cent for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, 1 per cent for physically handicapped, 1 per cent for ex-servicemen, 1 per cent for war widows and 12 per cent for Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) registrants.

    However, there is no proposal for priority reservation for writers and journalists, at present.
 
 

    The initiative by an industry in the private sector to take up large-scale production of forest tree species is very encouraging. This will help in promoting the afforestation and social forestry programmes with improved quality of planting material. The major mandate of the micropropagation technology parks is to serve as a platform for the transfer of indigenous technology to the industry. In addition to providing the complete know-how, they will ensure quality testing of the mother plants and tissue culture raised planting material before it is transferred to the field. Once the industry take up these technologies for commercial production, employment opportunities open up especially for the farming community.

    Mass production technology of Mycorrhiza, a biofertilizer has also been transferred to CADILA, Ahmedabad. Supported both by the Department of Biotechnology and the Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI), this biofertilizer is very important as it can be used with annuals and perennials including plantation crops and forest trees. The production of Mycorrhizal biofertilizer would start within three months at Ahmedabad and will be marketed within six months. This is an eco-friendly technology, which supplements the chemical fertilizers. It is cost-effective and helps in the retention of soil fertility and increases the bioavailability of the nutrients to the plant.
 
 

    The delegation was informed that cases relating to the office memoranda dated January 30 and August 13, 1997 have already been pending in the Supreme Court, the Learned Attorney General was requested to take appropriate steps for having hearing of the cases expedited. These cases were mentioned before the Learned Chief Justice of India by the Additional Government Advocate for early date of listing before a Five-Judge constitutional Bench. The Learned Chief Justice was pleased to pass an order to list the same after summer vacations. As regards the other 3 office memoranda, the Prime Minister assured that the Government has been examining such legislative steps including Constitutional amendments, as may be necessary.
 
 

    Shri R.D. Kapoor, Special Secretary (NE) in the Ministry of Home Affairs, inaugurated the blood donation camp. He also donated blood on the occasion.

    The camp was organised to support our valiant soldiers fighting for the country at Kargil front, in line with our moral and financial help extended to them. Over four hundred persons volunteered to donate on this occasion.
 
 
 

    The Paper, issued on December 3, 1996, was prepared for seeking comments from operators and other interested agencies through open consultations before finalising the regulations in the matter.
 
 

    The number of vacancies is intimated by the Government is 20.

Roll No.             Name

029318             JOY BOSE
000151             DIVYA MISHRA
039860             UTKARSH
038440             S.ARUN
000551             RAJDEEP SINGH
026103             AMIT KUMAR JHA
005119             SAURABH GUPTA
004243             VINAMRA MISHRA
063787             VIVEK KUMAR MISHRA
001741             ASHISH SHARMA
013119             GAURAV SHARMA
009840             RAJNEESH KUMAR
038473             T.G. KRISHNA PRASAD
026148             RAJESH KUMAR
063229             GAURAV KUMAR
031005             PARIVESH SAHU
021350             RAMANA ALLA
046245             HARIKESHWAR KUSHWAHA
067708             PRASHANT KUMAR
077248             VIDYA BHUSHAN

    The candidature of Roll Nos. 029318, 038440, 038473, 026148, 031005, 021350 and 067708 are provisional.

    UPSC have facilitation Center near "C" gate of its campus. Candidates may obtain any information/clarification regarding their examinations/recruitment's on working days between 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. in person or over telephone No. 3385271 from this center.