1.   

Switch-on switch-off export policy brings disrepute, says Sharad Pawar

The government will continue to export farm items like cereals, sugar and cotton because the "switch-on and switch-off policy" brings disrepute to the country, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said today. He said the time has come to frame long-term export- import policy for agri-items and the government is moving towards that direction, evident from the fact that the country has not banned shipments of any items during the last two years.

2.   

Farm exports jumped nearly 56% last fiscal, says Pawar

India's farm exports jumped nearly 56% in the last fiscal year through March to hit a record R1,87,000 crore, agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said on Tuesday. “This was primarily on account of higher exports of cotton, rice, sugar, wheat, guar gum meal, maize, ground nut and castor oil," Pawar said at the economic editors conference. world's second-largest producer of grains, sugar and cotton--had shipped farm items worth R1,20,000 crore in 2010-11.

3.   

India, Austria sign agreement on shipping, ports infrastructure sector

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on technology cooperation in the shipping and ports infrastructure was signed between India and Austria here on October 3.Minister of Shipping G. K. Vasan and Austrian Federal Minister for Transport, Innovation and Technology Doris Bures signed the Memorandum of Understanding here. Vasan, who welcomed the Austrian Minister, recalled that traditionally, India-Austria relations have been warm and friendly.

4.   

Meeting of Scientific Advisory Council of PM on Biotechnology and Agriculture

Scientific and technological breakthroughs of a transformational nature relevant to economic and social development happen only once in a while. The emergence of such technologies evokes responses according to a pattern: initial excitement, followed by strong expression of concern and then emergence of a balanced perspective.