Day: October 22, 2012

MNS:- Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has notified new pictorial health warnings vide G.S.R. 724(E) dated 27th September, 2012 to be depicted on tobacco product packs. Three sets of warnings each have been notified for smoking as well as smokeless forms of tobacco product packages.
The new warnings shall come into effect from 1st April, 2013.
The following are the new additions in these rules
• Insertion of the word “warning” in red font.
• Provision of maintaining a ratio (075:1) between the vertical length and horizontal length of the health warning so as to ensure that pictures are not distorted with change in size of packs.
Well-designed health warnings and messages are part of a range of measures to communicate health risks due to tobacco use. Pictorial health warnings communicate health risks in a visible way, provoke a greater emotional response and increase the motivation of tobacco users to quit and to decrease their tobacco consumption.
Graphic warning labels have a greater impact than text-only labels and can be recognized by low-literacy audiences and children.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/warnings-on-tobacco-product-packs/

MNS:- Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today issued “The Telecom Consumer Protection (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2012”, permitting access service providers to offer Combo Vouchers. The Telecom Consumer Protection Regulation, 2012 (TCPR) permitted only three categories of vouchers– Plan Vouchers, Top-ups and STVs. There were demands from several service providers and Cellular Operators Association of India to allow a fourth category of vouchers–Combo Vouchers—which would provide monetary value and tariff concessions through a single voucher.
Such vouchers would provide more flexibility to the service providers to offer innovative bundling of the products based on market segmentation. Further, use of Combo Vouchers afford the subscriber convenience of purchasing additional monetary value as well as well as getting benefit of special tariffs through a single transaction.
Keeping in view these facts, the Authority has decided, through the Fourth Amendment to the TCPR, to permit the Combo Vouchers as a fourth category of vouchers with certain safeguards to ensure that Top Up Vouchers are clearly distinguishable to subscribers. Top-Up Vouchers will be exclusively available in denomination of Rs.10 and multiples thereof. The Combo Vouchers will be available only in denomination other than Rs.10 and multiples thereof. The Combo Vouchers which are in physical form will bear a blue colour band whereas the Top-Up Vouchers will bear a green colour band. The Combo Vouchers will also clearly mention the terms and conditions of offer so that consumers can make an informed choice. In addition, service providers will also mention the availability of standalone top up vouchers whenever combo vouchers are publicised.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/trai-allows-service-providers-to-offer-combo-vouchers/

MNS:- The Union Finance Minister Shri P. Chidambaram said that the major challenges before the Non Life Insurance sector is how to increase its reach to the maximum number of people along with growth of investment in this sector. He asked the participating CEOs of both Public Sector and Private Sector Non Life Insurance companies to express their concerns about various factors hindering growth of this sector as well as give suggestions to overcome the same. There is significant room for growth as the penetration in non life insurance sector (premium to GDP) is only 0.71 % in 2011 which is far below the international bench marks and much geography in the country are still untapped.
The Union Finance Minister, Shri P. Chindambram was addressing a meeting of CMDs, CEOs and MDs of both the public and private sector Non Life Insurance Companies here today. Along with the Finance Minister, Shri P. Chidambram, the Minister of State for Finance, Shri Namo Narain Meena, Secretary, Financial Services Shri D.K. Mittal, Additional Secretary, Financial Services Shri Sunil Soni, Members of IRDA, Shri M. Ram Prasad and Shri R.K. Nair, Secretary General, General Insurance Council Shri R. Chandra Sekaran, CMDs of public sector Non-Life Insurance Companies and MDs and CEOs of private sector Non Life Insurance Companies were also present among others during the aforesaid meeting.
The participating CEOs of public and private sector companies expressed various difficulties being faced by this sector especially in the field of motor car insurance including third party insurance, health insurance, home, fire and group insurance among others. It was informed that motor vehicle insurance, which has 41% share in the non-life insurance sector, faces major challenges because of regulated tariff, unlimited liability, non-jurisdiction restriction for filing the claim and underinsurance among others. The participating CEOs of the insurance companies suggested de-tariffing of motor TP premium and cap on liabilities etc among others.
As regards health insurance, it was suggested that a proper mechanism be put in place whereby an appropriate pricing mechanism for group health insurance is adopted which takes into consideration the existing ICR (Incurred Claims Ratio), management expenses, medical inflation, cost of under-writing the business and other associated problems. Some of the participating CEOs raised tax related issues including non-applicability of MAT for non-life insurance sector at par with life insurance companies and zero rated service sector on crop insurance, tools, senior citizen policy, RSBY and other exempt categories.
Suggestions were also made to further improve the penetration in home insurance sector and to resolve agents and regulator related matters.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/chidambaram-calls-for-improving-growth-and-penetration-of-non-life-insurance-sector/

MNS:- Following is the text of the speech of the Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Ashwani Kumar on the occasion of IInd National Level Exhibition and Project Competition (NLEPC) in New Delhi today.
“Globally, it is recognized that Science and Technology plays a critical role in improving the livelihoods of people and the modernization of society. There is no country in the world that has developed or is rapidly developing without applying the principles and practices of science and technology as the drivers of socio-economic. Science and Technology help in the achievement of operational efficiency through continuous improvement of products and services as well as upgrading performance by providing a work environment that stimulates creativity.
Science and Technology policy and strategy which provides a framework for a harmonized and coordinated approach to harness country’s collective talents and creativity, promote capacity building in Science and Technology, human, financial and infrastructure development and effective networks and linkages for knowledge generation and sharing. We are committed to facilitate the identification, acquisition, transfer, diffusion and application of relevant Science and Technology knowledge in all sectors of the economy.
We must have policies especially on Education and Science and Technology which promote the employability of the youth and facilitate knowledge-based innovation, development and sustainable growth. We must invest again in Science and Technology and support knowledge-based industries to improve our competitiveness in the technology market in order to reduce the out-migration of our human capital.
The Ministry of Science and Technology is promoting innovations through various schemes such as Technopreneur Promotion Programme (TePP); technology business incubators under Science and Technology entrepreneurship Development scheme; Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Research; Innovation Clusters; Small Business Innovative Research Imitative (SBIRI); Biotechnology Industrial partnership Programme (BIPP); open source drug discovery (OSDD) projects and grass root innovations through National Innovation Foundation.
Department of Science and Technology established on 3 May 1971 has played a catalytic role in the promotion of research and development in Science and Technology and has served the function of a nodal department organizing, coordinating and promoting S&T activities in the country. INSPIRE (Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research) is one of such programs developed by the Department of Science and Technology. The basic objective of “INSPIRE” is to attract talent at an early stage to study science and help to build the required critical human resource pool for strengthening and expanding the Science and Technology system and R&D base. It’s a program with long term foresight.
The INSPIRE program covers students in the age group of 10-32 years, and has five components: INSPIRE Award (for 10-15 age group), INSPIRE Internship at a science camp with opportunity for interaction with global science leaders (for 16-17 age group), INSPIRE Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) @ Rs 80,000 per year for continuing education at B.Sc and M.Sc. levels (for 17-22 age group), INSPIRE fellowship for doctoral research ( for 22-27 age group ) and INSPIRE faculty for assures career opportunity ( For 27-32 age group).

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/ashwani-kumar-at-the-nlepc-competition/