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After countless trips between New Delhi and Odisha over the past five years, Ho-Chan Ryu finally moved base to state capital Bhubaneswar in mid-May. The deputy managing director of Posco had good reason to do so. In the second week of May, a Supreme Court (SC) judgement took the Korean steelmaker one step closer to making the metal in India — a goal it has been steadfastly pursing against significant odds for the past eight years. The SC set aside a 2010 order of the Orissa High Court — triggered by a petition by a rival, Geomin Minerals & Marketing — that had nullified the state's government's recommendation of allotting a prospecting licence for the Khandadhar iron ore mines to Posco. "This [judgement] will significantly help expedite the project. We are happy that it has come at a time when there has been significant progress on the land clearance work," says YW Yoon, chairman and managing director of Posco India. Burning issues Getting rights to a virgin res

KOCHI: India will soon seek the mandatory nod from Jamaica-based International Seabed Authority (ISA) to carry out deep-sea exploration of minerals and metals in central Indian Ocean region. The move is largely seen as a bid to anchor the country's strategic significance in the Indian Ocean region even as it will open up a new possibility to extract valuable metals and minerals including copper, cobalt, nickel and manganese. China has already obtained the go-ahead from ISA, the administrative body established to control all mineral-related activity in international waters beyond the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of respective countries. Korea has applied for rights while Japan is planning to do so soon. Top sources told TOI that India will submit its application by end-July. "We are requesting ISA to grant us permission for exploration of multi-metal sulphites. We will be explaining India's reasons to undertake such a scientific expedition given its growing need for thes

KOLKATA: A sergeant of Kolkata Police went missing after falling into Beas river at Mandi in Himachal Pradesh on Friday afternoon. Francis Minz (40), the sergeant, was posted at the wireless branch of police. His brother said that Minz, who was on a vacation with his family and friends, he had gone to Mandi with his family and friends on leave and went to the river on Friday afternoon. In a sudden current he was drifted away and since then he remained missing. His friend Koushik Biswas alleged that despite repeated requests, local administration did not help them and they had to hire private divers for a search operation. Minz is a resident of Bhairab Dutta Lane at Salkia in Howrah. On Wednesday, he left the city for Himachal Pradesh along with his wife Soni, two children Akash and Jewel. His friend Surajit Gupta, another officer of the city police, was also with Minz. Biswas said that all of them stayed in a hotel close to Beas river. Around 4.30pm on Friday, Gupta and Minz went to t

KOZHIKODE: People from all walks of life have expressed strong discontent over the increase in the rent of Town Hall and Tagore Centenary hall owned by the Kozhikode Corporation. The civic body has hiked the rent of the Town Hall, one of the most popular venues in the city for the art and cultural crowd by over six times and has doubled that of Tagore Hall. The move has invited the wrath of art and cultural associations, who are gearing up for a series of protests. The corporation had recently increased the per day rent of Town Hall to Rs 1,348 from Rs 200. The rental fee of Tagore Centenary Hall has been hiked to Rs 41,829 from Rs 20,378. Till recently, the corporation levied Rs 20,378 for marriage functions and ticket-based programmes at Tagore Hall, inclusive of all taxes. The civic body also levied Rs 7,500 as deposit and electricity charges. The rent for conducting a full day programme at Town Hall was just Rs 200. Based on the new tariff, organisers will have to remit Rs 15,000

MYSORE: Farmers in the region, especially those involved in rain-fed cultivation and who lost crops last year due to drought, are in upbeat this time with pre-monsoon rain raising their hopes. The region, particularly Mysore district, has received good pre-monsoon rain, prompting farmers to take up the sowing of kharif crops. Mysore usually gets pre-monsoon rain in good quantity during April-end and early May. But the delay in getting this rain has left the farmers with bad memories of last year's drought. However, the good spell of rain in the last 3-4 days, particularly on Friday night, has got them set for the sowing season, which has already begun in some parts of the district. According to the agriculture department, all seven taluks of Mysore district and four taluks of Chamarajanagar received good rain on Thursday and Friday. Krishnaiah, joint director of agriculture, said: "Barring T Narasipura, rest of the taluks of the district received good rain on Friday. This is

MYSORE: The delay in monsoon in the region is raising concerns among farmers and Mysoreans due to water scarcity. However, shop owners selling school materials are doing good business, thanks to wary schoolchildren who are expecting rain after their schools reopen. When STOI visited shops selling raincoats, umbrellas and waterproof bags, it found that majority of the customers visiting the shops in the last fortnight had been schoolchildren. According to shopkeepers, their business has picked up since the last two weeks. Heavy rush can be witnessed at shops on DD Urs Road and in commercial streets like Sayyaji Rao Road and Kalidasa Road. According to Naryanamurthy, owner of a shop on DD Urs Road, children started their preparations when the region received its first showers some weeks ago. "As per their age and choice, children pick up schoolbags, lunch bags, raincoats and shoes," he added. "Umbrellas have become quite outdated as per the contemporary fashion -- childre

VISAKHAPATNAM: At a time when provincial, cultural, caste and communal issues are getting highly politicized in the country, here's one place in Vizag where 'mini India' resides in perfect harmony. The Visakhapatnam Steel Plant Township (VSPT), located 30 kilometres from the Port City on around 8,000 acres, that houses employees and their families from almost every Indian state is the epitome of unity in diversity. What's more, the steel township has places of worship belonging to different religious faiths, while it also has a temple marg where temples dedicated to different deities worshipped in various states are placed side by side. Such is the social and cultural integration here that dosas are a preferred breakfast item over puris in most North Indian households while paneer and samosas have become part of the South Indian menu. "People are extremely respectful and tolerant towards one another's religion and take part in each and every festival that is c