No decision on Bt Brinjal without consultation: Minister

October 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's agriculture ministry will not "blindly oppose" the introduction of Bt brinjal, a genetically modified variety of the vegetable, after its commercialisation was approved by the government's Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), Minister of State for Agriculture K.V. Thomas said here Thursday.

October 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's environment and forests ministry should not clear any genetically modified (GM) food crop without strict provisions for labelling, the NGO Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said Thursday, a day after the biotechnology regulator gave its nod to Bt Brinjal. Clearance of Bt Brinjal requires the authorities to practice extreme caution.

October 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The agriculture ministry would not "blindly oppose" the introduction of Bt brinjal, a genetically modified variety of the vegetable, after its commercialisation was approved by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), Minister of State for Agriculture K.V. Thomas said here Thursday.

October 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh Wednesday slammed Greenpeace, a voluntary organisation, for spreading "wrong information" about the commercialisation of genetically modified Bt brinjal. Opposing the introduction of Bt brinjal in India, Greenpeace has said India is the centre of origin and diversity of brinjal and if Bt brinjal is approved, this would be the first time in the world that a genetically modified crop is allowed in its centre of origin/diversity, risking bio-diversity.

October 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), the biotechnology regulator, Wednesday approved the commercialisation of genetically modified Bt brinjal. Bt Brinjal still needs the government's nod before its release in the market.

October 13th, 2009 BANGALORE - The genetic engineering approval committee (GEAC) under the environment and forests ministry will meet Wednesday to evaluate the safety and environment data on Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt) brinjal for commercial release of the transgenic (GM) seed, a senior official said Tuesday. "A meeting has been convened Wednesday to discuss the report of the sub-committee and experts' views on the health safety and environmental issues of Bt brinjal," GEAC chairman B.S.

October 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government should consult the church and the Missionaries of Charity before taking a decision on the Albanian government's request for Mother Teresa's remains, the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) said Monday. "As and when such a request comes to us, we will take a considered decision in consultation with the Missionaries of Charity," said CBCI spokesperson Rev Babu Joseph.

August 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni has said that a regulatory mechanism would be formed for broadcasting only after consultations with stakeholders Soni assured the broadcasters that the industry's larger interests would be taken into consideration while forming the mechanism. " Some ground rules are needed.

July 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The country's telecom watchdog has sought the views of the industry stakeholders on mobile number portability (MNP) charges that will help decide what service providers and a customer should pay for switching operators. MNP once implemented will allow subscribers to retain their existing mobile number when they switch from one service provider to another or from one technology to another of the same service provider.

May 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Opposing a plea for release of one of the assassins of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, the Tamil Nadu government has told the Supreme Court that he may rejoin the Tamil Tigers if freed. 'The current fight between LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) and the Sri Lanka government may again infuse passion in him to act against the law,' said the state government, replying to the plea from P.R.

May 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Opposing any external interference in Nepal affairs, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury Tuesday said crisis in that country was 'not unnatural' as such 'hiccups' occur in a 'nascent democracy'. Nepal has a 'nascent democracy in which many hiccups can develop, which is not unnatural', Yechury said in a statement.

January 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, recovering after a coronary bypass surgery last week, is expected to 'return home soon' after pre-discharge tests Saturday, an official said. Manmohan Singh had a comfortable night and was going through an active daytime programme of exercise and physiotherapy, the official of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.

January 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who underwent coronary bypass surgery last week, is 'fit to be discharged anytime soon', his personal physician K. Srinath Reddy said Saturday.

January 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Tuesday issued a consultation paper on next generation networks (NGN), seeking the views of the industry stakeholders on migrating to the new platform. NGN enables telecom operators to offer a range of new services from lower tariffs to high-speed broadband and intensive services including, internet protocol television (IPTV), high definition television (HDTV), videoconferencing, voice over internet protocol (VoIP), instant messaging and e-mail.

January 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Congress Friday said that the decision on the fate of Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren, who lost a crucial by-election, would be taken after consultation with its allies in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). 'It is the people's verdict which should be respected.