COLUMN
The Narmada dammed
'Whether it was Enron or Narmada, it is the neta-babu cabal that has emerged victorious by deploying an arsenal of lofty slogans to cover up their double speak, fudged facts, and outright lies,' says Sucheta Dalal.

TOP HEADLINES
• Despite surplus, India can't feed the hungry
• Tax task forces to submit reports on Fri
• Tourist traffic on increase, says Jagmohan
• Naik meets FM over excise duty cut
• Govt plans to launch Rs 10 coins
• Naik to represent India at G-15 summit
• India's foodstocks fall 11.7% in 2002
• Baalu seeks accord on climate change issue
- - More I The Divestment Development

YOUR VIEW: READERS' RESPONSE
'As a common man, I am suffering'
'Govt has played a dirty game,' say some. 'Why the hue and cry over the hike?' ask others.
'Must petrol prices change so often?'

CORPORATE HEADLINES
• Tata Chem announces Q2 results
• Colgate Palmolive announces Q2 results
• Infotech Enterprises announces Q2 results
• Vysya Bank announces Q2 results
• CMC announces Q2 results
• ICI India announces Q2 results
- - More

MARKET REPORT
Sensex sheds 17 points
HCL Tech, Infosys, HLL, RIL, Hero Honda Motor are down. ICICI Bank, Satyam, Bajaj Auto are up.

STOCK TALK
'Market could be languid for the next 6 months'
'Looks like the Sensex is headed back to 2930 points. It may be a grim Diwali,' says Ramesh Shrichand Damani.

DAILY TECHNICALS
Trading strategy for October 24, 2002
Sensex, Atlas Copco, Tisco, Zee, Ranbaxy... Check out what you can do on Thursday.

COLUMN
'US must stop moralistic preaching'
'US should stress on global democracy rather than on morality. It is in America's self-interest to help institute global norms of justice, laws and courts,' says Kaushik Basu.

SPECIAL
Are pension fund schemes bad ideas?
Pension schemes have become instruments of government borrowing and are in need of reform, says Ashok V Desai.

PERSONAL FINANCE
Why you need personal accident insurance
These insurance policies are low cost and offer high benefits. A look at what kind of policies are on offer.

SECTOR SKETCH
Oil PSUs: Privatisation can give big boost
Fund managers view HPCL and BPCL as attractive buys, even if the divestment is delayed further.

INTERVIEW
'Cement prices will improve soon'
Non-serious, smaller players are to be blamed for the sliding prices, says Anil Singhvi, MD, Gujarat Ambuja.

PRESS RELEASES
• TechSpan joins Global CMM Elite 15 Club
• 10,000-room, $5-bn casino opens in Las Vegas
• Sunsilk Bridal Asia 2002 concludes
• More...