NEW DELHI, Feb 3:
Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma is expected to visit Pakistan next week to inaugurate India Show and meet his counterpart Khurram Dastagir Khan to discuss ways to enhance trade and investment between the two countries.
“The Minister is likely to inaugurate an ‘India Show’ in Lahore and will hold bilateral meeting with Pakistani Commerce Minister Khan in Islamabad. He is expected to be in Pakistan from February 14-16,” an official in the commerce ministry told reporters.
Recently, Sharma and Khan met here after a gap of over an year and both sides agreed on a non-discriminatory market access (NDMA) programme in place of the MFN regime, besides opening up the Wagah-Attari border round the clock.
Both the leaders also decided to intensify and accelerate the process of trade normalisation, liberalisation and facilitation and to implement the agreed measures before end of February.
During his likely visit, Sharma will be accompanied by DIPP Secretary Saurabh Chandra and Commerce Secretary Rajeev Kher besides other officials from the ministry.
“CEOs of few big companies are also expected to visit with the Minister. The names are yet to be finalised,” the official added.
About 100 Indian companies would participate in the three-day ‘India Show’ beginning from February 14. It is being organised by industry body Ficci.
“This will be the second edition of the show where about 100 companies from sectors like power, hospitality, textiles and gems and jewellery would showcase their products. About 50 MSME firms would also participate in the show,” a Ficci official said.
The bilateral trade between the countries stood at USD 2.6 billion in 2012-13.
India’s main exports to Pakistan include sugar, man-made filaments and chemicals, while its imports comprise mineral fuels, among others. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Feb 3:
An accused, in the sensational daylight heist in which around Rs 8 crore were looted in south Delhi’s busy Lajpat Nagar area on January 28, was today arrested by the police.
Ajay, who was one of the mastermind of the loot, was arrested this morning, police said.
Ajay is a relative of the juvenile, who had scripted the entire loot. The juvenile has already been detained in the case, while three henchmen were arrested in the case from Chandigarh.
The juvenile, who worked for businessman Rajesh Kalra, had confided to Ajay that his boss deals in large amount of cash and they can rob him to get rich. Ajay had then roped in Shakti Naidu, a seasoned criminal to execute the heist who further constituted the gang for the robbery.
However, Shakti and several others are still at large.
Police have recovered part of the looted amount which is in crores from several places at their instance. However, the exact amount is yet to be ascertained. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Feb 3:
Rahul Gandhi today vowed “very swift action” into the killing of a student from Arunachal Pradesh here and asked Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde to order a judicial probe, as he stepped in to address concerns of people from the northeast in the wake of attacks on them.
The Union Home Ministry, meanwhile, directed Delhi Police to sensitise all police stations in the capital about people from the northeast living in their respective jurisdiction and resolve their grievances.
The Delhi High Court also took suo motu cognisance of the death of the student Nido Tania last week after he was allegedly beaten by some shopkeepers in Lajpat Nagar and asked the Centre to file a report on the incident by Wednesday.
Rahul met protesting student groups from the northeast who had gathered at Jantar Mantar demanding that those involved in the attack on the student be brought to book.
Asserting that “what has happened was unacceptable”, Rahul in his brief address said,”….You can expect a very strict action and detailed study done by a committee on the issues of north-easterners of this country. We are trying to move forward on that.”
Minister of State for Minority Affairs Ninong Ering earlier in the day said that Rahul has asked the Home Minister to order the judicial probe and provide justice to the family.
“Rahulji has called up Shindeji in front of us and requested the probe. Since the Home Minister is out of station, he told Rahulji that he would do the needful once he is back in Delhi tomorrow,” Ering, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, told here.
Rahul’s call to Shinde came after Ering led a delegation of students from northeast seeking the Congress Vice- President’s help for a speedy probe and justice to the family.
The Union Home Ministry directed Delhi Police to adopt zero tolerance approach in cases of attacks on people from northeast and asked it to strictly follow the guidelines in providing security to those hailing from the region.
At a high-level meeting, it also directed Delhi Police to immediately register cases of atrocities on people from northeast, launch probe upon receiving complaints and book the guilty.
The meeting was convened in the wake of a series of attacks on people from the northeast in the capital recently.
A High Court bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Rajiv Sahai Endlaw issued notices to the Union Home Ministry, Delhi Government and Delhi Police seeking a status report on the incident by Wednesday and also details of the steps taken for safety of people from northeast staying in the capital. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Feb 3:
The Delhi High Court today took suo motu cognisance of media reports about the killing of an Arunachal Pradesh student, who was allegedly beaten by some shopkeepers here, and asked the Centre to file a report on the incident.
A bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Rajiv Sahai Endlaw issued notices to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi Government and Delhi Police seeking a status report on the incident by Wednesday and also details of the steps taken for safety of people from North East staying in the capital.
Nido Tania, son of an Arunachal Pradesh MLA, was allegedly thrashed by some shopkeepers in Lajpat Nagar area of south Delhi when he retaliated after they made fun of his hairstyle. He subsequently died on January 30.
The bench said the national capital belongs to everyone and the South Delhi incident highlights the matter of grave concern.
It also suggested that the Government should publish advertisements asking people to be tolerant.
The bench also received complaints from several law researchers from North East in the capital regarding the harassment they have to face at public places.
Tania’s relatives alleged that he was thrashed by some shopkeepers in Lajpat Nagar on January 29 after he got into an altercation with them over their remarks on his hairstyle.
Police had reached the spot and brokered a compromise after which Tania returned to his Safdarjung home with his friends. However, he did not wake up the next morning. When his friends took him to AIIMS, he was declared brought dead.
The death of the youth is being attributed to the thrashing he was subjected to by the accused.
Police have registered a case of murder under section 302 (murder) of IPC and are probing the matter. A magisterial inquiry has also been ordered. (PTI)

PUNE, Feb 3:
Kashmir Valley was not facing any problem at present and what the Kashmiri people needed was an empathetic “understanding”, social activist from Kashmir, Vijay Dhar has said.
“There is no problem in Kashmir now. Terrorism in the State was fought by Kashmiri women and not by the army. The problem is only in a few minds whose mindset has not changed,” he observed after being felicitated at the ‘Heritage of Kashmir’ cultural festival organised here by social organisation ‘Sarhad’ last night.
Dhar, who was honoured by Pune university Vice Chancellor Vasudev Gade, said “There is no problem in the State but if problem is created then there is no solution,” adding that no tourist visiting the Valley had been harmed in the last ten years.
He said Kashmiris are “enterprising” people and lauded the role of ‘Sarhad’ in supporting the youths from the State in making them self-reliant.
Gade said the Pune university was willing to contribute to the development of educational institutions in Kashmir with its expertise.
Renowned filmmaker from Jammu and Kashmir, Bashir Badgami and noted theatre personality M K Raina, too, were felicitated at the festival.
On the occasion, Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhat said wealth and property of a nation were meaningless if there was no “bonding of hearts,” adding that common people and women combated terrorism in Kashmir.
Raina, who praised work of Sanjay Nahar of ‘Sarhad’, said Pune was the first city that helped in educational rehabilitation of youths from the Valley.
Talat Parvez, director, Jammu and Kashmir Tourism, said it was heartening to see the ‘Heritage of Kashmir’ festival being organised at Shanwar Wada, a historical monument of the Peshwa era in Maharashtra.
The highlights of the festival included ‘Band Pather’, a cultural programme of traditional folk dance and music which enthralled the audience.
A telefilm on the life of Kashmiri saint-poetess Habba Khatun was also screened at the festival, inaugurated by city Mayor Chanchala Kodre. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Feb 3:
A day after threatening to withdraw support to the AAP Government, JDU MLA Shoaib Iqbal and Independent MLA Rambeer Shokeen today did a u-turn and said they will not go ahead with their threat.
The two legislators, who had yesterday teamed up with expelled MLA Vinod Kumar Binny and threatened to pull the plug on the Government if their demands were not met, changed their mind after a meeting with the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Iqbal, alongwith Shokeen, met Kejrwal at the Delhi Secretariat and claimed that he has assured them of action on the demands raised by them.
“Today, we met Kejriwal and had a good discussion on the issues raised by us. After Chief Minister’s assurance, we will not withdraw the support to his Government. Hence, we take back our 24-hour ultimatum given to the Government yesterday,” Iqbal told reporters here.
On being asked if expelled MLA Binny was also with him on this decision, Iqbal claimed that Binny has also support us on not withdrawing support to the AAP-led Government.
Asked why Binny did not meet Kerjwial, Iqbal said he would come later.
On whether their threat to withdraw support was only a ploy to blackmail the Government, he replied “if raising public issues was blackmailing, he then would continue blackmailing”.
Iqbal, along with Binny and Shokeen, had yesterday threatened to withdraw support to the Kejriwal Government if their demands were not met.
He also said that he alongwith Shokeen and Binny has formed “Delhi Vikas Morcha”, a non-political organisation.
“By forming Delhi Vikas Morcha, we will begin raising public issues. “Delhi Vikas Morch” is a non-political organization and anybody can join it,” Iqbal said. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Feb 3:
Remuneration under MNREGA could be increased with the government mooting a proposal to bring the wages under the rural job scheme at par with the Minimum Wage Act of 1948.
Wages under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) scheme have increased for all states after the government linked it with the Consumer Price Index and the yearly revision was being done.
But despite this exercise, the pay is still below the notified minimum wages in many states.
A day after organising an event to mark the 9th MNREGA Divas, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said his ministry has moved a note to the PMO and the Finance Ministry, urging them to take steps to amend Section 6(2) of the Act, “which will once and for all solve issue of the difference between the two wages.”
Observing that in 14 states the wage under the rural job scheme was lower than the rate stipulated under the Minimum Wages Act, he said an expert group under Prof Mahendra Dev, a noted economist, has also recommended parity between the Minimum Wage Rate of MNREGA and the minimum remuneration of the Minimum Wage Act of 1948.
Ramesh said Chief Ministers of Bihar, Jharkhand and Kerala have also asked the Prime Minister to bring parity between the two wages.
“I am in favour of this. I have already submitted to the government — the Finance Ministry and Prime Minister — amendments to Section 6 (2) of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA 2005. It is now up to the government to decide. But from us, a proposal has been sent and it is now circulated to all ministries for their comments,” he told reporters here.
Ramesh said amending Section 6 (2) of MNREGA will ensure that this disparity in the two wages will not persist. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Feb 3:
CNG prices will be cut by about Rs 15 per kg and cooking gas piped to kitchens by about Rs 5 after Government decided to supply cheaper domestic gas to fuel retailers in cities like Delhi and Ahmedabad.
Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily said the Government has decided to raise allocation of natural gas from domestic fields to city gas entities to 100 per cent from current limit of 80 per cent.
This would be done by cutting supplies to non-core sectors like petrochemicals, steel and refineries.
The decision would help in reduction of prices of compressed natural gas (CNG) retailed to automobiles in cities like Delhi and Ahmedabad.
It will also bring down prices of piped cooking gas to households as cheaper domestic gas will replace costlier imported LNG that entities were using now.
“Our target is common man… We want to give common man a relief and in a way this is an anti-inflationary measure,” the Minister said.
Presently Mumbai sources all of its gas requirement from domestic fields and as such there will be no cut in rates in the city. However, in Delhi, which presently uses as much as 28 per cent of costlier imported LNG, and cities in Gujarat like Ahmedabad which too were heavily reliant on imported fuel, will see a price cut.
“This (move) would lead to reduction in price of CNG and PNG across the country (except in those cities which are already getting 100 per cent domestic gas like Mumbai). The price of CNG in Delhi would be reduced by about Rs 15 per kg (about 30 per cent). There will also be a reduction of about Rs 5 per cubic metres (about 20 per cent) in the price of PNG,” Moily said.
While the orders for increasing domestic gas supply to CNG entities were issued today, the decision would take 2-3 days to take a effect as gas firms tie-up and sign new supply agreements. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Feb 3:
Drug major Mylan Inc today said it has launched breast cancer drug Hertraz Herceptin in India.
The company’s subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd has launched the world’s first trastuzumab biosimilar, which will be marketed by Mylan under the brand name Hertraz Herceptin, a company statement said.
“Mylan is excited to offer Hertraz to the thousands of women in India suffering from metastatic breast cancer who are in need of a high quality, more affordable treatment option,” Mylan CEO Heather Bresch said.
Hertraz, which has been approved by the Drug Controller General of India, is indicated for the treatment of HER2- positive metastatic breast cancer and is available in two strengths, 440 mg and 150 mg.
“The launch of Hertraz not only represents a significant milestone in our biosimilars development programme with Biocon, but more importantly, supports our mission to expand access to high quality medicine around the world and demonstrates our progress against one of Mylan’s key future growth drivers,” Bresch said.
Trastuzumab is one of the five products Mylan is developing in partnership with Biocon for the global markets.
Mylan has exclusive commercialization rights for biosimilar trastuzumab in the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and in the European Union and European Free Trade Association countries and co-exclusive commercialisation rights with Biocon for product in India.
According to IPSOS data, trastuzumab had sales of around USD 21 million (about Rs 131 crore) in India for the 12 months ended December 31, 2012. (PTI)