Laissez Faire - Government Sits Back, Carmakers Make Hay
Government sits back, carmakers make hay
No one knows where to place the ultra-low-cost cars in the overall paradigm shift in technology in India. Small cars and downsizing have begun to find favour to achieve greater fuel efficiency in a world increasingly threatened by energy insecurity and global warming, because they are more energy-efficient than oil-guzzling SUVs. The main concern about the new small car is abnormally low prices linked to what is on offer in terms of emissions performance, durability and safety.
The Tata car will jam cities before Euro IV standards are enforced in 2010. It will thus meet abysmally backward Euro II standards in smaller cities that are 10 years behind Europe and Euro III norms in 11 major cities that lag by five years. Should Tata Motors have waited for Euro iv to kick in? “Why Euro iv, someone may even ask for Euro V. We will meet the standards we have to meet,’ was MD Ravi Kant’s reaction, knowing the government is sitting on more stringent standards. Continue reading »
Filed under Environment, News, Pollution | Comment (0)
New Void in the Cosmos
The surprise discovery of a vast void in the universe will give a new dimension to the study of the development of the universe. Cosmology probes how cosmic structures developed in the universe after the Big Bang. The discovery raises questions about the current understanding of the development of the universe since the void is much larger than expected.
The spot lying about 10 billion light years away contains no stars, planets or dark matter. It is thousand times bigger than any other known void. It has been under observation for the last three years. The gigantic void was spotted by researchers from the University of Minnesota, US. The team was studying data from a survey carried out by a Very Large Array radio telescope in New Mexico. Continue reading »
Filed under Astronomy, India | Comment (0)
EU Bans Indian Guar Gum
The guar gum trade in India has suffered a setback after the European Union (EU) banned import of non-certified guar gum from India. The move came after dioxins and pentachlorophenols were found in a consignment delivered by India Glycol, a Delhi-based exporter.
India is the leading exporter of guar gum, constituting about 80 per cent of the global production. It is being exported to other countries since 1956. Guar gum is derived from guar seeds (cluster beans), a legume crop that grows in semi-arid regions of the subcontinent. It is used as a thickening agent and as an additive in food products. Continue reading »
Filed under Agriculture, India, News | Comment (0)
