From: gnreddy@cbnewsf.att.com (Narotham Reddy Gaddam)
Newsgroups: misc.news.southasia
Subject: India: AIR News - "Padma" Awards Presented
Date: 6 Apr 92 23:57:06 GMT



Source	: The Delhi Station of All India Radio
Date	: April 7, 1992, 03:30 IST
Country	: India

			* * *

News by Gunmaala Kapoor

The Information and Broadcasting minister has called upon the print 
media and electronic media to work together to evolve better guidelines
for defending themselves against the outside attacks.  Inaugurating 
a seminar organized by the National Union of Journalists in Calcutta,
the minister said, foreign news agencies will not permitted to 
open freely in the country while PTI and UNI will have to improve 
their standards particularly in reporting business news.

About fifty environmentalists from SAARC countries have met in Calcutta 
to draft a common program for the UN sponsored earth summit to be
held in Brazil in June this year.  The draft among other things include
comprehensive negotiating strategy, common action, new initiative and
environmental ethics of the SAARC countries.  The summit is to be held
after two decades since the Stockholm conference on environment.

The President Mr.Ramaswamy Venkataramn today presented the "Padma" awards
to 67 eminent personalities.  The five "Padma Vibhushan" recepients 
included Mr.Atal Bihari Vajpayee, veteran freedom fighter Mr.Kaloji 
Narayan Rao, noted vocalist Mr.Mallikarjun Mansoor and Dr.Padmavathi. 
	Veteran film maker V.Shanta Ram has been awarded the Padma
Vibhushan posthumously.  The President also awarded the Padma Bhushan
awards to 13 eminent persons.

The Prime  Minister Mr.Narasimha Rao has expressed the hope that
consensus will be reached for the election of the next president.
Speaking to newsmen after the investiture ceremony at the Rashtrapathi
Bhavan today, the prime minister said, he has not yet started any 
effort in this regard.  Replying to questions regarding the possibility
of the new president belonging to  SC/ST, the Prime Minister said, he
has taken notes of the feelings of a large section of people.  The Prime 
Minister assured that a candidate acceptable to all will be found.

The Home minister Mr.S.B.Chavan held discussions with representatives of 
four political parties in an effort to find an amicable solution to the
Jharkand issue.  It was attended by the leaders from the Janata Dal, the
BJP, the Cong(I) and the CPI.  Most of the participants stated to have
requested the home minister that they wanted more time to study the
reports of the committe on the Jharkand matters before coming to the
deliberations.

The government will soon evolve a legal frame work to deal with problems
of dumping of goods from abroad.  The commerce secretary Mr.A.V.Ganesan
told newsmen that previously the licensing system acted as a check on
dumping.  He said there is a need for anti-dumping measures as trade has
become virtually free barring a short list of items.

The estimate committe has recommended the creation of the National 
Police Agency under the union home ministry to investigate national
and trans-national offenses and matters affecting the unity and 
integrity of the country.  In its reports on the CBI presented to 
the Lok Sabha, the committe pointed out that the agency will be helpless
if permission is not granted or later withdrawn by the states to 
investigate crimes committed within their territories. The report
added that the constitution should be amended to make CBI a statutory
body and to define its legal powers.

The Supreme Court has directed the Union Cabide, Bhopal plant to file
an affidavit within three weeks on a complaint filed by the workers 
union of the plant alleging that the company was using its employees
as 'guinea pigs' for testing toxic chemicals.  The directive was
passed by the division bench comprising of Justice Venkatachalaiah
and Justice Patnaik on a petition filed by the union carbide workers
union.

The defense minister Mr.Sharad Pawar will hold official level talks with
Pentagon next week.  Mr.Pawar is the first defense minister to visit
Washington in about three years.  During his visit, the defense minister
will hold talks with the U.S Defense secretary Mr.Dick Cheney and other 
officials.

			   * End *



The govt has decided to allow duty free import of cotton yarn upto two
lakh bales to facilitate the handloom sector.