Rajya Sabha passes NID Bill

The government pushed through the ‘National Institute of Design Bill, 2013’ in the Rajya Sabha on the first day of the budget session of Parliament. The BJP-led NDA government, which is a minority in the Upper House, managed to pass the Bill with help from the Congress. The Bill originally drafted by the UPA government is not contentious and was introduced in the Rajya Sabha last year by former Commerce Minister Anand Sharma. Minister of State for Commerce & Industry Nirmala Sitharaman, who moved the Bill for consideration and passage, explained its provisions seeking to declare the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, as an institution of national importance. Currently, the NID is registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and as an autonomous institution under the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950. Now, the NID can establish institute campuses anywhere within or outside India.

Srinivasan becomes first ICC chairman

N. Srinivasan was on Thursday formally appointed the first chairman of the ICC after its 52-member council approved a controversial revamp of the body’s administrative structure.

The full council approved the amendments to the ICC’s Memorandum and Articles of Association at the Annual Conference, in Melbourne.

As was widely known before the conference, Srinivasan was elected the chairman despite being barred by the Supreme Court of India from carrying out his duties as BCCI president due to ongoing investigations into the match-fixing allegations relating to the 2013 edition of the IPL.

Kedarnath Singh chosen for Jnanpith

Noted Hindi poet Kedarnath Singh has been chosen for the prestigious Jnanpith award for 2013. He is the 10th Hindi writer to receive the honour and joins the likes of Sumitra Nandan Pant, Ramdhari Singh Dinkar among others.

Eighty-year-old Singh, who has also written essays and stories, was born in Balia, Uttar Pradesh. ‘Abhi bilkul abhi’ and ‘Yahan se dekho’ are among his prominent works. The award includes. Rs 11 lakh and a citation, a release from the Jnanpith award committee said.

Sanjaya Rajaram chosen for World Food Prize

Sanjaya Rajaram, veteran plant scientist, has been chosen for this year’s World Food Prize for his "scientific research that led to a prodigious increase in world wheat production."

Announcing this, M.S. Swaminathan, founder of the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and chairman, global jury for selection of the Food Prize Laureate, told reporters on Wednesday that Dr Rajaram, now settled in Mexico, was selected for his "outstanding work in the improvement of wheat crop and wheat production in the world."

Dr. Swaminathan, the first recipient of the Prize in 1987, said the selection of Dr. Rajaram was significant as this year marked the centenary year of Dr. Borlaug as well as the international year of family farming.

Regarded as the most prestigious award in the area of food and agriculture, the Prize, carrying a cash prize of $ 250,000, would be presented during the U.N. World Food Day on October 16.

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Kolkata Airport Bags Service Quality Award

Kolkata Airport has won the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Award by Airport Council International (ACI) in the category of the best improved airport in Asia Pacific Region. This category includes airports which have experienced the biggest improvement in ASQ rating between 2012 and 2013 in their region. The ASQ Awards are presented in four categories: best airport by region, best airport by size, best small airport and best improvement.

The award was received by Dr. B.P. Sharma, Airport Director, Kolkata at the 9th ACI Asia Pacific Regional Assembly meeting in Seoul, Korea. He handed over the award to Shri Alok Sinha, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Chairman, Airports Authority of India (AAI) in the presence of Shri G.K. Chaukiyal, Member (Operations) in New Delhi.

Airport Service Quality survey is conducted at 11 major airports of AAI by Airport Council International including Ahmedabad, Calicut, Chennai, Goa, Guwahati, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Pune, Srinagar, Trivandrum. In respect of customer satisfaction airports managed by AAI scored an average ASQ rating of 4.14 which is above world average of 4.04 between 1st January and 31st March, this year.

Prithviraj Chavan launches Mumbai metro services

Mumbai’s very first metro line was declared open at 10.16 am when Maharashtra Chief Minister took the first ride from Versova station to Ghatkopar.

The inauguration took place with much uncertainty as Mr Chavan had threatened to boycott it the day before, protesting against Reliance Infrastructure’s decision to unilaterally increase fares. However, he ended up taking the very first metro – decorated with flowers – with much fanfare along with Reliance Chairman Anil Ambani and Tina Ambani.

India Signs Credit Agreement Worth US $ 165 Million with World Bank for Maharashtra

An agreement for credit of US $ 165 million (equivalent) from World Bank for Maharashtra Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Program was signed here today by Shri Nilaya Mitash, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance on behalf of the Government of India and Mr. Micheal Haney, Acting Director, New Delhi Office, World Bank on behalf of World Bank.

Similarly, the Program Agreement was signed by Mr. Kiran Kumar Dinkarrao Gitte, Deputy Secretary, Water Supply and Sanitation Department on behalf of Government of Maharashtra. The Objective of the program is to improve the performance of Maharashtra`s sector institutions in planning, implementation and monitoring of its Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Program and to improve access to quality and sustainable services in peri-urban villages, and in water-stressed and water quality-affected areas.