Saturday, 12 February 2005, 2000 hrs

TOP STORIES
Supreme Court orders 117 private varsities closed
It struck down a Chattisgarh law which had allowed several private universities to thrive all over India. A petition by a distinguished professor had said the universities were commercialising higher education and violating UGC guidelines
 
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Fingerprinting a must for
stock market investors
Large investors in the primary and secondary markets will be fingerprinted by agents of the Securities Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to obtain a unique identification number which has been made mandatory for the purchase of stocks worth more than Rs 1 lakh 

Indian Express
Here’s to Budget 2005
The last time, when Chidambaram was faced with the difficult issue of removing exemptions, he chose to cut rates but let exemptions stay. This time he can’t afford to do that. By ILA PATNAIK


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Outlook
The mob on my back
Your secrets are public, you're accosted by a host of unsolicited calls, even medical records are open. Is legislation the answer? By SANGHAMITRA CHAKRABORTY

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Asia Times
Here's $20 million, just don't 
make me cook Indian curry
With their lifestyle undergoing a sea change, more and more urban Indians are shifting to ready-to-eat packed food. This market is now worth US$20 million and is projected to touch $50 million in three years. Multinationals with the wherewithal to tap the vast rural market could easily add a couple of zeroes to that, says INDRAJIT BASU

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Tribune
Bollywood caters to urban middle class
IN a country as diverse as India, Bollywood films seem to have a universal appeal and following. However, in researching how audiences view recent Bollywood hits, SHAKUNTALA RAO has discovered that the Indian audience was splintered and disconnected, and Hindi films promote an upper-class lifestyle

EDITORIAL PICKS

Growth zones (Tribune)
Breach of trust (Tribune)
Tsunami discoveries (Tribune)
Making a difference (Outlook)
Nuclear north (Pioneer)
Resurrection in education (Pioneer)