NO FDI IN INDIAN NUKE SECTOR

The Indian government on Wednesday, 19th August categorically said no to the foreign direct investment in its nuclear power sector. However, it gave a nodding yes for FDI in carrying out manufacturing of nuke equipments and construction plants by foreign private companies in India. As per the chairman, Mr. Anil Kakodkar, of Atomic Energy Commission (ACE) India aims to become a technological leader in building thorium based Fast Breeder reactors (FBRs) , so the sector wants to go alone without any help of foreign companies in developing new designs. Moreover, the chairman is also against Economic Survey which suggested for greater private participation including the sensitive sectors like nuke. The survey called for allowing FDI upto 49 percent in the nuclear power sector and amending the Atomic Energy Act to allow private companies to participate in this sector

AAI to be converted into a public company

The Civil Aviation Ministry of India plans to convert Airport Authority of Indian (AAI) into a public company for raising fund. This will take place by amending the laws contained in Airport Authority of India Act which is the principal Act governing various airports in India. By converting AAI into a public company the funding will become easier and the AAI can raise money from the primary and subsequently from secondary market. The amendment is expected to be placed before the parliament by the year 2010. At present AAI is modernizing major airports in Kolkata and Chennai and 35 non metro airports within the country and has a huge property which includes land and other assets across the country. The authority is also planning to spend INR 12,434 crore for modernizing airports and air traffic services during the Eleventh Plan period (2007-12) and the financing for these developments will be done through internal resources and borrowings by AAI. Out of 125 airports managed by AAI only 86 are operational but only 15 airports in India are profit making one for the year 2007-08. By converting AAI into a public company the government plans to bring a major up-gradation through public money.
Source – Business Standard.

Amendment in Copyright Law

India to amend copyright laws
The government plans to amend the copyright laws under which software piracy will be an offence and punishable with up to two years imprisonment or monetary penalty. The bill to amend the 50 year old Copyright Act was proposed by the HRD ministry and copyright office and is like to be tabled in Parliament soon. It is projected that due to the software piracy the country makes a loss of $ 2 billion every year. Another major proposed change in the Act is on erasing or altering information about “rights management information” also called as ownership rights which will attract monetary penalty and imprisonment upto two years