India News / Press Releases on February 24, 2009

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Anand Sharma lays foundation of IIT in Mandi
Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Information and Broadcasting on Tuesday laid the foundation stone of Indian Institute of Tenchnology (IIT) at Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. ANI

India reduces excise, service tax to spur slowing economy
The government on Tuesday cut factory gate duties and service taxes in an effort to boost demand and revive growth in economy as it reels under the impact of the global economic crisis. ANI

Bihar students witness State Assembly proceedings
A group of school children on Tuesday opted to witness the proceedings of State Assembly on the special occasion when the State Governor R. L. Bhata was to address the joint session. ANI

Public funding of elections will be BJPs agenda: Advani
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Krishan Advani on Tuesday said that public funding of elections would be part of its agenda for governance, a step towards rooting out corruption from politics. ANI

CPI advocates reservation for lower castes in private sector
Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections the Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary, A. B. Bardhan, on Tuesday said that his party would demand reservation for lower castes in the private sector. ANI

Delhi University students take out streets march for social change
To bring social change, hundreds of students on Tuesday took out a street march to create public awareness bringing a feeling of social change among youngsters and draw governments attention towards important issues concerning the present day youth including student fraternity. ANI

Chennai lawyers demand action against policemen
Protesting Chennai lawyers have demanded immediate action against police officials who carried out Thursdays baton charging on lawyers in the Madras High Court premises. ANI

Police to file chargesheets in Mumbai terror attacks on Wednesday
Mumbai Police will file a 5000-page chargesheet in connection with the Mumbai terror attacks on Wednesday. ANI

Pawar appeals cooperative sectors to ensure benefits to small farmers
Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Tuesday appealed to the cooperative sectors to ensure a fair share of benefits of growth to small and marginal farmers. Pawar assured them that the policy environment will be more supportive of healthy growth and development of cooperatives. ANI

Lalu Yadav releases book titled Disaster Management in the Indian Railways
Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav today released a book, titled Disaster Management in the Indian Railways authored by Minister of State for Railways Dr. R.Velu. ANI

Three-fold salary hike for SC, HC judges
The Parliament on Monday approved a bill facilitating salary hike of the Supreme Court and the High Courts judges. The judges are likely to get a three-fold salary rise. ANI

RJD to contest 2009 elections in Bihar with UPA allies
Union Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Tuesday said his party would contest the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar along with United Progressive Alliance (UPA) allies. ANI

Goa Government orders offshore casinos to shift out
The Government of Goa has given fifteen days notice to casino vessels operating on the Mandovi river to shift further down the Arabian Sea. ANI

RLD ties up with BJP for 2009 elections
Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Ajit Singh has signed a pre-poll alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to wrap up a seat sharing deal for the forthcoming elections. ANI

India, Qatar plan mutual cooperation in energy, fertilizer and investment sectors
Qatars Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Mahmoud on Tuesday met TKA Nair, Principal Secretary to the Indian Prime Minister to discuss bilateral collaboration in the energy and fertilizer sectors. ANI

Joshi to remain CBSE chairman for six more months
The government has decided to give Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Secretary Veenith Joshi additional charge of its chairmanship. ANI

Tourism industry progressing despite recession, Mumbai attacks: Soni
Union Tourism Minister Ambika Soni on Tuesday said that despite global meltdown and the Mumbai terror attacks, tourism industry registered an increase of 5.6 percent foreign tourist arrivals in 2008. ANI

Sudarshan Patnaik commemorates Slumdog Millionaires Oscar win
Sculptures of Oscar trophies appeared on the wide expanse of Puri beach in Orissa, drawing many curious onlookers. ANI

Srinagar protests over mysterious death of youth
Protestants have forced a shutdown in several parts of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, following the mysterious death of a youth in the Parimpora area of Srinagar. ANI

Dharamsalas exiled Tibetans protest against Chinese atrocities
Tibetan exiles today marched through the streets of Dharamsala to express their solidarity with Tibetans who are still suffering under Chinese rule. ANI

Government reduces excise, service tax by two per cent
The government, on Tuesday declared a reduction of two per cent in the excise duty and service tax to decrease pressure on the nations industrial sector in times of economic meltdown. ANI

India asks Sri Lanka to allow evacuation of civilians
India on Tuesday asked Sri Lanka to appropriately work for the evacuation of civilians from war zones and expressed its willingness to help in this direction. ANI

Government to issue multipurpose identity cards:Chidambaram
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram declared in the Lok Sabha, on Tuesday, that the government will issue multipurpose identity cards to all citizens as check against illegal migration into India. ANI

Government to give 50 per cent assistance to tea garden owners
The Government is planning to give 50 per cent assistance to tea garden owners to accelerate their performance in the international market. ANI

Godhra riots: Gujarat HC issues notice to Maya Kodnani
The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday issued notice to state minister Maya Kodnani on an application filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) seeking cancellation of her anticipatory bail. ANI

PGIMER to be inaugurated at R.M. L on Wednesday
Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) will be inaugurated at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here tomorrow. ANI

General Kapoor on a four-day goodwill visit to Indonesia
To enhance growing defence cooperation between India and Indonesia, Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor is on a four day goodwill visit to that country from today. ANI

President Patil to inaugurate conference on higher education on Wednesday
President Pratibha Patil will inaugurate a sub-regional conference of South, South-West and Central Asia on Higher Education here tomorrow. ANI

India erupts with joy in as Rahman, Pookutty win Oscars
India continued to welcome news of A.R. Rahman and Resul Pookutty winning three Oscars for India as the Slumdog Millionaire juggernaut swept the annual Hollywood awards. ANI

SAD to seek ownership of HT if NDA comes back to power
If the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) returns to power in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will attempt to regain ownership of the prominent newspaper Hindustan Times, which is currently owned by the Birlas, a website has claimed. ANI

Dharvi residents happy at being flashed across the world
Residents of Dharavi in Mumbai, the setting for the Oscar-nominated Slumdog Millionaire, have said they are happy that their place of residence was flashed across the world. ANI

CBI seeks maximum sentence for ex-minister Sukhram
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today pleaded before a Delhi court to give the maximum punishment of seven years to former Union Communications Minister Sukhram in connection with a disproportionate assets case. ANI

Madras HC lawyers boycott talks with government in Chennai
Striking lawyers today boycotted their first round meeting with the Tamil Nadu Government. ANI

Ansari, Chatterjee congratulate Slumdog Millionaire teams
Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today congratulated the Slumdog Millionaire team for winning eight Oscars, including three Oscars to Indians A R Rahman, Gulzar and Rasul Pookutty. ANI

Vaccination drive gains momentum in hepatitis-hit Gujarat
More and more people are turning up for a vaccination drive launched in Modasa town of Gujarat after an outbreak of Hepatitis-B. ANI

Rahul Gandhi woos youth in Gujarat
Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi met aspiring youth leaders during his day-long visit to Ahmedabad in Gujarat on Monday. ANI

Tibetan exiles burn effigies of Chinese leaders
Tibetan exiles burned effigies of Chinese leaders to mark the beginning of their New Year celebrations. ANI

India to respond to Pak action on Mumbai dossier: Pranab Mukherjee
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday said that New Delhi would respond to Pakistani action on Mumbai dossier. ANI

Jammu-Kashmir Highway closed due to fresh snowfall
Jammu-Srinagar National Highway has been closed for vehicular traffic due to heavy snowfall at Jawahar Tunnel area and rains at various places. ANI

Condoleezza Rice inks memoir deal
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has signed a three-book deal with Crown Publishers, starting in 2011 with a memoir of her eight years under former U.S. President George W. Bush, it has emerged. ANI

Court to pronounce quantum of sentence to Sukhram tomorrow
A Delhi court will pronounce the quantum of sentence to former Union Communication Minister Sukhram in connection with a disproportionate assets case on Wednesday. ANI

Curfew relaxed for ten hours in violence-hit Imphal
Curfew has been relaxed for ten hours in Imphal from 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning. ANI

Court to pronounce quantum of sentence to Sukhram
A Delhi court will pronounce the quantum of sentence to former Union Communication Minister Sukhram in connection with a disproportionate assets case. ANI

Patna court to hear Slumdog Millionaire case
A court in Patna will today hear a case filed against Slumdog Millionaire, in which the petitioner has charged that the title is offensive and derogatory. ANI

Arjun Singh to lay foundation stone of IIT Ropar today
Union Minister of Human Resource Development Arjun Singh will lay the foundation stone of the campus of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar, in Punjab today. ANI

Indian Toners and Developers Founder to Receive Hall of Fame Award at Recharger's ReIndia Expo
Business Wire India

Email@Mobile Enables MS-Exchange Access Over Ordinary Nokia Mobile Phones (S40 Series)
Business Wire India

SitaGita.com Launches New Look Site, Partners with Accentium Web and Compare Infobase
Business Wire India

Corporate Raiders: Who is their next victim?
Business Wire India

MyBand - An Advanced Music Community Exclusively for Indian Music Bands
Business Wire India

Brickwork Ratings Assigns "BWR AAA" for Union Bank of India's Proposed Lower Tier II Capital Bonds Issue of INR 6.00 billion
Business Wire India

Wipro Announces the Launch of Insurance Claims Analytics Solution
Business Wire India

Ceat Announces a Fresh Round of Price Cuts
Business Wire India

Also see International News / Press Releases on February 24, 2009

Bullion Market / Gold & Silver Prices on February 24, 2009

Mumbai Bullion Market

99.5 Purity Gold: Rs. 15705
99.9 Purity Gold: Rs. 15780
Silver (Kg): Rs. 23235

Delhi Bullion Market

Bar Silver (Kg): Rs. 23100
24 carat gold (10 grams): Rs. 15785
22 carat gold (10 grams): Rs. 15635

Kolkatta Bullion Market

Gold: Rs. 16025
Silver: Rs. 22900

Chennai Bullion Market

Bar Silver (Kg): Rs. 24800
24 carat gold (10 grams): Rs. 15620
22 carat gold (10 grams): Rs. 14470

Bullion Rates on February 24, 2009 for All Major Indian Cities

Bullion prices presented here are indicative and are for general information only. Please check with your Gold Merchant or a local bank for latest and correct prices. All prices are in Indian National Rupees only.

Forex Rates on February 24, 2009

1 United States Dollar (USD) = 49.89 Indian National Rupees (INR)

1 GBP = 72.6673 Indian National Rupees (INR)

1 Euro = 63.49 Indian National Rupees (INR)

100 Japanese Yens = 52.38 Indian National Rupees (INR)

All Forex Rates of February 2009

Forex Rates presented here are historic data and for indicative purpose only. Please contact your Central Bank, Money Changers, Foreign Exchange Agent or Travel Desk for the correct and accurate convertion rates. Rates here are the closing rates in IST.