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TOI : PUNE: Expressing concern over the slow growth in hardware sector as compared to software, U.P. Phadke, advisor to the department of information and technology said that they are encouraging new schemes to make up for the loss.

Phadke was speaking at annual foundation day of Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET) on Saturday.

T.L. Prakash, executive director of C-MET was present.

Phadke said, “India has failed to maintain high growth rate in hardware manufacturing, which has resulted in higher prices at the retail market as compared to international market.”

Phadke said that several schemes have been mooted to boost hardware manufacturing. “We have received some proposals under the special incentive package scheme (SIPC), which was announced for manufacturing hardware and semi-conductors last year,” he said.

“Taxes on hardware products have been brought down. The excise duty has also been reduced to 14 per cent. This will boost production and sales of hardware products in the domestic market,” he said.

Although they received proposals for solar photo and liquid crystal displays, the department is expecting more proposals for semi-conductors. Print Save EMail Write to Editor Get personalised news s…More

TOI : PUNE: A city-based non-profit organisation working in healthcare segment, Arogya Sena, has opposed the decision of the Union government to allow private hospitals in rural areas on the grounds that they will focus only on profit making than offer services to the needy.

The chairman of Arogya Sena, Abhijit Vaidya said, “The government has offered them tax holiday but will it result in reasonable medical services for the poor? The government has increased its defence expenditure to more than Rs one lakh crore whereas healthcare got just Rs 12,500 crore.

If loan waiver for farmers is possible then why can’t the government allocate sufficient funds for improving the health of the nation.”

The upgradation of government hospitals, provision of new equipment and availability of skilled doctors should be ensured on priority as there is scarcity of quality services in rural areas.

The highly educated doctors can visit rural areas if they get handsome salaries and this is applicable for the primary health service providers too. Healthcare is an essential service and the service providers should earn properly from it, he said.

He also demanded that expenditure on health sector should be two per cent of GDP, which at present is less than one per cent. Print Save EMail Write to Editor Get personalised news s…More

TOI : PUNE: Around 200 workers of the Republican Party of India (RPI), Kasba Peth and Mangalwar Peth divisions, staged an agitation against the district guardian minister Ajit Pawar accusing him of not fulfilling the promises made to slum-dwellers prior to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections.

Led by RPI president of Mangalwar Peth-Kasba Peth division Datta Pol, the agitation was held outside the Shivaji Stadium, where a wrestling competition had been organised. Ajit Pawar was to give away the prizes after the competition.

Pol said, “The slum-dwellers were promised 500 sq.ft. hutments before the PMC elections by Ajit Pawar. Similarly, Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi had also promised 400 sq.ft. hutments for slum dwellers under the Slum Rehabilitation Scheme (SRS). However, all assurances were forgotten, once the elections were over. We want them to fulfil their promises.”

Pol presented a written communication to Pawar, at the wrestling competition, which held a list of demands of the slum dwellers.

In his letter, Pol said that other than the 500 sq ft hutments, “all the hutments built before the year 2000, slums located beside railway lines and rivers should also be included under the SRS. Moreover, slum dwellers, and not corporators, should be part of the government’s decision making team regarding slums.” Print Save EMail Write to Editor Get personalised news s…More

TOI : PUNE: The Bundgarden police have started questioning family members of city-based builder and hotelier Ramkumar Agarwal in an attempt to trace the whereabouts of Agarwal, his son Ajay and three other family members wanted in the case of dowry harassment registered by Agarwal’s daughter-in-law Priya.

Priya Agarwal filed the plaint late on the night of March 6, alleging dowry harassment by the Agarwals. She also accused Ramkumar Agarwal of molesting her and accused her mother-in-law Reeta Agarwal of misappropriating her diamond jewellery.

The Agarwals own construction firm Brahma Builders and are also into the hospitality and leisure industry, controlling the five-star hotel Le Meridien.

On Friday, a fast track court had rejected the interim anticipatory bail plea filed by Ramkumar Agarwal and four others on the grounds that the suspects named in the police complaint ought to have remained present in the court.

The court also observed that the nature of serious allegations levelled by the complainant warranted a custodial interrogation of the suspects.

Additional commissioner of police (north region) Vivek Phansalkar told TOI over the telephone that the police have questioned some family members including V.K. Agarwal, brother of Ramkumar Agarwal, but there has being no breakthrough in the investigations so far.

The police were conducting searches at various places to trace the Agarwals and others involved in the case, he said.

Phansalkar said the suspects, who were reported to have fled in two or three cars after the complaint was registered against them, have switched off their mobile phones.

The police were trying to trace them on the basis of their vehicle numbers, he added. A special squad of four police officers and 10 constables has been formed to track down the suspects. Print Save EMail Write to Editor Get personalised news s…More

TOI : PUNE: Ahmedabad-based Nirma Institute of Technology won the prestigious national robotics contest ‘Robocon India 2008′ hosted in the city.

Results of the contest held at the Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT) here were announced on Sunday evening. The MIT ended up as the runner up in the contest that saw 38 engineering colleges putting their robotics skills to test.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, which had won the national robotics meet last year, was eliminated at the semi-final stage by the MIT while the Nirma Institute beat the Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune to enter the finals.

Nirma Institute had won the event three times in the past in 2002, 2003 and 2006 prior to their present success.

Both Nirma Institute and MIT will now proceed to the Asia Pacific international robotics meet, to be held at MIT, Pune from August 31 under the aegis of the Asia Pacific Broadcasters Union (ABU), a body of 50 broadcasters in the Asia Pacific region.

Since 2002 when the ABU first introduced the robotics meet at the international level, the Robocon contest has grown into significance as is reflected in the growing participation by engineering colleges across the country.

In India, the Doordarshan (Prasar Bharati) took the lead by joining hands with the MIT to promote the concept with a view to provide budding engineers a platform to display their robotics skills.

The manufacturing sector, particularly automotives, has seen rapid progress in the use of robots for various manufacturing processes.

The Nirma Institute won 27 points as against the 21 won by the MIT, to lift the Robocon India 2008 trophy. “Our dedication and efforts have made us win the competition,” Ujwal Shah, a member of the wining team told TOI.

His team-mate Mahesh Rathi pointed out that…More