Sapna Dogra Singh &Amp; Sreelatha Menon In New Delhi

Stories by Sapna Dogra Singh &Amp; Sreelatha Menon In New Delhi

Good demand for certified wood

Good demand for certified wood

Rediff.com   13 Jul 2009

Global demand for certified wood has prompted Indian companies to get their logging vetted by monitoring agencies.

Why a village wall is to be copied everywhere

Why a village wall is to be copied everywhere

Rediff.com   9 Jul 2009

A wall in Vijaypura is an example of what a single positive example can do for a large programme like the National Rrural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Moral victory for homosexuals? It is hardly one

Moral victory for homosexuals? It is hardly one

Rediff.com   6 Jul 2009

Section 377, which banned gay relations, also used to be invoked to protect minors against sexual abuse

'We pay lip service to environment protection'

'We pay lip service to environment protection'

Rediff.com   5 Jul 2009

The conflict between development and environment should not cause unnecessary delays, says Union Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh.

Piramal to be first pvt company to process opium

Piramal to be first pvt company to process opium

Rediff.com   2 Jul 2009

The Mumbai-based Piramal Healthcare is preparing to become the first private sector company to process opium for use in pharmaceutical products.

Budget to carry special 'monsoon' package

Budget to carry special 'monsoon' package

Rediff.com   26 Jun 2009

Experts agree with the assessment that the Budget next month would respond to the predictions of deficient monsoon rains with a policy package. According to them, rain-fed areas, which are likely to be affected by a 'below normal' monsoon, could see increase in allocation in terms of higher spending through the public distribution system and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Competition watchdog operational from today

Competition watchdog operational from today

Rediff.com   20 May 2009

Two sections of the Competition Act still to be notified.

Only 10 firms board LLP bus

Only 10 firms board LLP bus

Rediff.com   19 May 2009

A month after the government allowed registration of Limited Liability Partnerships, only 10 firms have availed this new form of doing business that provides advantages of a partnership firm and also a corporation. This is because the government is yet to notify key sections (Sections 55 to 58) of the law that would enable conversion of a partnership firm, private company or unlisted public company into an LLP.

Follow the manifesto, don't forget the CMP

Follow the manifesto, don't forget the CMP

Rediff.com   18 May 2009

This meant targets set for primary school admissions, assured income for every family and roads, water, housing and electricity. And yearly spending of over Rs 1,20,000 crore (Rs 1,200 billion), up from Rs 36,000 crore (Rs 360 billion) in the last year of the National Democratic Alliance government.

CAs beat slowdown blues with high placements

CAs beat slowdown blues with high placements

Rediff.com   6 May 2009

Beating the slowdown, chartered accountants (CAs) have bagged jobs with top-notch companies in the latest campus placement drive, which has also seen more newly qualified professionals get jobs.

Maytas Infra to raise Rs 800-1,000 crore

Maytas Infra to raise Rs 800-1,000 crore

Rediff.com   6 May 2009

Maytas Infrastructure Ltd, the listed company floated by the promoters of Satyam Computer Services, plans to raise Rs 800 crore to Rs 1,000 crore through asset sales plus loan and guarantees from banks to complete various projects, including the prestigious Hyderabad Metro, and to bid for some new projects that are coming up for auction.

The success story of rural BPOs

The success story of rural BPOs

Rediff.com   27 Apr 2009

A district collector's experiment in Tamil Nadu is showing the way for more rural BPOs even in times of recession.

Net direct tax receipts likely to post 10% growth

Net direct tax receipts likely to post 10% growth

Rediff.com   24 Apr 2009

"Since December last year, we started focusing on TDS and regular assessment to increase tax collections, and it has paid off," said a senior revenue department official. According to the latest data, TDS collections increased by 25 per cent to Rs 1,304.56 billion in fiscal 2009, compared to Rs 1,046.95 billion in the previous fiscal. However, advance tax collections under two major heads -- corporation tax and income tax -- dipped by 7 per cent to around Rs 1,680 billion.

Maytas has no land bank, claims government

Maytas has no land bank, claims government

Rediff.com   18 Apr 2009

He went on to explain that it is standard practice for developers to have development agreements under which the land-owner cannot sell his land to any other entity or individual.

Satyam: Serious fraud investigation report in

Satyam: Serious fraud investigation report in

Rediff.com   15 Apr 2009

The government, on January 13, had initiated an SFIO probe into various corporate aspects of the fraud under Section 235 of the Companies Act after getting a report from the registrar of companies, Andhra Pradesh. "The report was submitted to the government on Monday night," said a senior corporate affairs ministry official who declined to reveal the contents of the report.

Satyam still among top 5 software firms: MCA

Satyam still among top 5 software firms: MCA

Rediff.com   10 Apr 2009

In the three months since the scam, Satyam's employee strength has reduced from 53,000 to 50,000, said a senior ministry of corporate affairs official. "Satyam continues to have strong revenues. The difference between its turnover and the next highest is around 10-15 per cent," he said. He did not disclose his idea of the revenue and net profit, saying it would interfere with the ongoing process for selling a strategic stake in Satyam.

Why this eye hospital is a case study at Harvard

Why this eye hospital is a case study at Harvard

Rediff.com   6 Apr 2009

Sanskara Eye Care's model of charging fee from only 20 per cent of the patients is sufficient to make each hospital self-sustaining in three to five years. But is not the only source of its sustenance. In the US, children are donating their pocket money towards eye surgery in these hospitals. It is $30 for a surgery, says founder R V Ramani.

Govt releases ad for CCI vacancies

Govt releases ad for CCI vacancies

Rediff.com   24 Mar 2009

The government has initiated the process to recruit the remaining two members of the Competition Commission of India (CCI), with an aim to make the anti-trust body fully functional by June 2009.

Govt may widen cost audit scope

Govt may widen cost audit scope

Rediff.com   23 Mar 2009

This would bring between 20,000 and 25,000 firms under the ambit of cost audit. At present, only 44 industries and specific products within an industry come under cost audit. This covers around 6,000 firms but cost audits are conducted in only about 2,200 of these. The proposed change will have a major positive impact on the profession because more firms will have to mandatorily appoint a cost auditor and have cost accounting records audited on an annual basis.

Textile industry may see 1 mn job losses

Textile industry may see 1 mn job losses

Rediff.com   20 Mar 2009

The government's estimate that 300,000 to 500,000 people will lose their jobs -- is well below the projections of industry lobby groups, which put the number at around 1 million. The textiles and garments industry is the second-largest employer in India after agriculture. It directly employs 35 million people and indirectly provides livelihood to about 88 million people.