'17'
BAKHT INAUGURATES FIRST INTERACTIVE SESSION ON PATENT LAW
    In a major initiative to seek views and suggestions of interested sectors of public, the Ministry of Industry through the Department of Industrial Development launched the First Interactive Session on "Indian Patent Law-Approaches" today. Inaugurating the well attended session this morning, the Union Industry Minister, Shri Sikander Bakht emphasized that Industrial Property related laws could not remain static in a world where economic development was becoming increasingly technology based. Stressing that a modern and well enforced Industrial Property system was integral to the liberalizing of the economy, he called this the ‘compulsions of the future and the requirements of posterity’.

    Admitting that the issue of patents was a sensitive one, he expressed the hope that the outcome of the discussions would be guided by a vision of India as a proactive factor in the march to the next millenium. Recalling that Japan has amended its legislation over 45 times between 1945 to 1995, and the recent efforts of progressive developing countries like China and Brazil in this direction, he called upon the gathering to make constructive suggestions that would provide constructive inputs for policy formulation and legislative changes.

    Shri Bakht also recalled the efforts of the present Government to enact amendments to the Patents Act, 1970 and referred to the recently concluded disputes with the USA and the EC on this legislation which had been resolved in India’s favour. Significantly, these amendments were also in consonance with Indian concerns of public interest and national security and in line with the TRIPS Agreement. He also underscored the need for regional cooperation in the documentation of traditional database, protection of regional bio-diversity from bio-piracy and protection of the rights of traditional communities through the proposed SAARC Intellectual Property Forum and the SAARC Intellectual Property

    Information Network (SAIP Net). The Minister also said that the Government would be go ahead with the decision to set up a full-fledged patent office in Delhi.

    The interactive sessions are being organized in association with apex organizations like FICCI, CII, ASSOCHAM, and others and are designed to result in an aggregation of views on all aspects critical to the changes which may be necessary in the Indian Patent law. There are 15-20 such Interactive Sessions planned in different parts of the country with the objective of broad-basing consultations on this sensitive issue of Patent Law. The Department of Industrial Development has also welcomed suggestions on its recently opened website at did@ub.nic.in through Email.

    Speaking on the occasion, Dr.Mashelkar, Secretary (DSIR) and representatives of FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM welcomed the initiative which would make the process transparent and expressed the hope that amendments would take into account the concerns and suggestions of users and associations present.

    Over 100 experts including eminent scientists, academicians, NGOs, journalists and representatives of the private and the public sector are participating in the discussions today which include key issues like Patentability, Compulsory Licensing and Enforcement Laws.
 
 

'24'
DOT DECIDES TO GIVE STD/ISD PCO'S TO WAR WIDOWS AND DISABLED SOLDIERS ON OUT-OF-TURN BASIS
SEVEN MORE MINI-M INMARSAT TERMINALS TO BE RUSHED TO KARGIL
    The Department of Telecommunications(DoT) has decided to allot STD/ISD Public Call Offices(PCOs) to war widows and disabled soldiers on an out-of-turn basis for a period of one year. This liberalised proposal has been cleared by the Minister of State for Communications, Shri Kabindra Purkayastha keeping in view the sacrifice made by our soldiers fighting for the country and the hardship faced by their family members. The policy will be applicable to any one of the dependents of the disabled soldiers and of soldiers in captivity or missing. The same guidelines will also be applicable for the members of the Para Military Forces.

    Shri Purkayastha has also decided that the decision to grant STD/ISD PCO connection could be made by the officer Heading a Secondary Switching Area(SSA). The education criteria of the applicants have also been relaxed. In case of war widows, the minimum educational qualification to be a franchisee of STD/ISD PCO has been relaxed to 5th standard instead of the matriculation certificate demanded at present.

    To strengthen the communication facilities at Kargil, DoT has made arrangements to import seven Mini-m INMARSAT terminals which would be available in the forward areas shortly. To cope up with the increased traffic in Kargil area and to ease the congestion of communication traffic, additional Multi Channel Per Carrier(MCPC) V-SAT equipment have been installed at Kargil. This has added seven more channels to the existing ones, thereby resulting in easier communication to that area. Similar augmentation of circuits have also been done for Leh by installing Intermediate Data Rate(IDR) Satellite equipment.
 
 

'19'
TEXINFOTECH-99 TO BOOST USE OF 'IT' IN TEXTILE SECTOR
STRESS ON COST EFFECTIVE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
    In an endeavour to promote awareness about the use of Information Technology (IT) in the Indian Textile Industry, the Ministry of Textiles has decided to organise a series of national level seminars on the subject all over the country, the first of which will be held in the capital on the third of next month. The conference - cum - exhibition is being called TEXINFOTECH - 99 and the theme for deliberations would be 'Textiles Information Technology in the new Millennium'. With a view to synergise the work being done in this direction by various organisations, the conferences will have participants from the industry, experts from machinery manufacturers, research associations and academic institutions such as the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).

    The Ministry has already decided to observe the year 1999 as the Year of Information Technology for the Textile Industry under which all possible effort is being done to enable our domestic textile industry to embrace latest equipment in the field of IT. The series of seminars also forms a part of this initiative.

    This initiative of the Ministry forms a part of its on going efforts to modernise and upgrade the Indian Textile Industry to enable it to face the imperatives of international competition in the post MFA (Multi Fibre Agreement ) liberalised trade regime. It may be recalled that the Ministry had recently launched the much awaited Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) which aims at providing capital at international cost to new as well as existing industrial units in the textile sector for the purpose of acquiring state-of-the-art technology.

    The Textile Ministry realises that due to a paradigm shift in the industrial environment world over, the Indian textile industry, presently at cross-roads, needs to gear up to gain competitive advantage. At a time when the application of IT at various levels of industrial operations starting from the use of Micro Technology and Micro Electronic related innovations in sensing, collection of information and control action to over all Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) at global level has enabled the textile industry in develop countries to achieve high levels of productivity and quality, the Indian textile industry, specially in the decentralised sector, continues to languish with obsolete machinery which renders us a distinct disadvantage vis-à-vis the developed countries.

    Realising the fact that the replacement of these machines with those equipped with state- of- the- art controls, instrumentation and automation systems will face financial constraints, especially in the decentralised sector, a cost effective solution in the form of retrofit automation of micro processor based electronic system in the existing production machine is seen as viable for our domestic textile industry. It is believe that the selective adoption of advance technology in certain specific areas will restore the competitive edge of Indian textiles in the world market. Keeping these factors in view, the Ministry has decided to organise these conferences and IT exhibitions all over the country so as to high light the latest trends of uses of Information Technology in the textile industry. The seminar will also focus on other vital areas in the field such as E-Commerce and E-Trade which are an impending reality and we can remain ignorant about these at our own peril only.
 
 

'34'
ENGINEERING SERVICES EXAMINATION, 1999 AS SCHEDULED
    The Union Public Service Commission will hold the Engineering Services Examination, 1999 from July 2, 1999 to July 4, 1999 as scheduled. There is no change in the Schedule of the examination.
 
 
'19'
COTTON YARN EXPORTS CEILING RAISED TO 300Mn Kgs
EXPORT RELAXATIONS EXTENDED TO EPCG UNITS
COTTON WASTE EXPORT NORMS EASED
DEEMED EXPORTS EXEMPTED FROM HANK YARN OBLIGATION
    In a bid to boost the exports of cotton yarn further, the Ministry of Textiles has decided that the ceiling 200 million kgs. in respect of cotton yarn exports shall be increased to 300 million kgs. for the calendar year 1999. It may be recalled that the exports of cotton yarn, after having struggled for the major part of the financial year 1998-1999 primarily due to the crisis in the South-East Asian economies, have finally turned around with exports notching up an impressive growth 9.5 per cent during the first month of the current financial year. The exports of cotton yarn during April 1999 were recorded at Rs. 586.39 crores as against Rs. 535.55 crores during April 1998. The exports in terms of US dollars stood at US$ 137.2 million for the month of April 1999.

    As informed by Shri Shyamal Ghosh, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, here today -- subsequent to the meeting of Empowered Committee which has representatives from Ministry of Commerce, Department of Industrial Promotion and Policy and Ministry of Agriculture -- it was also decided that EPCG (Export Promotion Capital Goods) units will also be given the same relaxation as 100% EOUs for the year 1999 i.e., to export cotton yarn without any restrictions pertaining to count/sourcing of domestic cotton, as long as such exports are within the prescribed ceiling.

    It has also been decided that there would be no restrictions on export of cotton waste by 100% EOUs. However, the quantity of such exports will be as per the norms to be determined in this regard and also the exporters would be required to register with the Textile Commissioner as prescribed in Exim Policy.

    Another significant decision taken is to exempt the deemed exports from the Hank Yarn Obligation as buyers under the deemed export category are otherwise eligible for import of yarn on which there is no requirement of Hank Yarn Obligation. The Ministry of Textiles would be asking the Textile Commission to amend its notification No.8/TDRO/8/2/95 dated March 20, 1995 in this regard.
 
 

'39'

MEASURES TO STRENGTHEN TPDS
FOOD MINISTRY’S GUIDELINES TO STATE GOVERNMENTS
    Food and Civil Supplies Department of the Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs has formulated certain guidelines for strengthening the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).It was felt that a more transparent and accountable system with provision for social audit would help eliminate most of the ills of the system. These guidelines are for State Governments to ensure greater transparency and involvement of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the functioning of TPDS.

    It has now been suggested to the states that the list of BPL( Below Poverty Line)beneficiaries should be displayed on the Fair Price Shops and the office of the Gram panchayat for public scrutiny. Publicity regarding issue prices and entitlement of PDS commodities should be given through local newspapers or a notice to be pasted in the office of the Gram Panchayats, Blocks, Tehsils etc. Another important suggestion made to the states is that the ration card register, stock register and the sales register maintained by the Fair Price Shops should have a tear-off page, so that when entries are made a copy is easily and automatically made on that page by inserting carbon. This page should be available for inspection in the premises of the panchayat and copies made available to the interested persons by charging a nominal fee. The Gram Panchayat should be encouraged to form FPS Committees which will have the right to inspect the records of the fair price shops. The FPS committee reports will be reviewed in the meetings of the Gram Sabha. If the Gram Sabha does not find the functioning of the FPS satisfactory, a report to that effect shall be made to Government functionary prescribed by the State Government. If the charges preferred by the Gram Sabha are found to contain substance, the licence of the FPS shall be suspended forthwith and he will be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the law, again within a stipulated time frame to be prescribed by the State Government

    It has also been suggested that some basic information needed by the consumer should be printed of the last page of ration card, which include the entitlement per unit of PDS items, their price at the time of issue of the ration card and also the name and the address of the authority to whom a complaint with regard to the FPS may be addressed to.