Safe in USA, but not okayed in India ,Lalit Mohan ,Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, March 22

All that is safe and good for the USA need not be good for India. While the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA) of the USA has declared ‘Stevia sweetener’ safe for use in food and beverages and cleared the way for its use by Coca Cola and Pepsi in the USA, Government of India is yet to approve it as a food additive. If scientists at Palampur are to be believed, it is because the sugar daddies of India are not eager to encourage organic alternatives to sugar emerge in the market.

As a result, it is still being used as a herbal product here. Scientists believe it is the resistance from the sugarcane lobby that has prevented the promotion of the leaves which potentially can replace sugar. Curiously, the South American herb is said to be 300 times sweeter than conventional sugar but does not increase glucose level in the blood, making it safe for diabetics.

Institute of Himalayan Bio-resource Technology ( IHBT), a CSIR ( Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) center at Palampur has successfully used the organic product for preparing sweets, bakery products like pastries and ice-cream.

Stevioside, extracted from the leaves of stevia plant, is the first zero-calorie plant-based sweetener developed in the country, claimed scientists at IHBT. Dr. Anil Sood said that the only difference between stevioside and sugar extracted from cane is that the latter is sticky and can be used for making pastes and binding other ingredients. Stevioside cannot do that and hence cannot be used to make jalebi or laddoo, he informed.

IHBT director Dr P S Ahuja informed that the processing technology has already been patented by the institute. Technology has been transferred to three or four companies and the institute has entered into agreements to upgrade technology and set up processing plants.

Non Practicing Allowance @25% of their basic pay to Scientists Gr. IV

DG, CSIR has been pleased to approve to extend the benefit of Non Practicing Allowance @25% of their basic pay to Scientists Gr. IV having the qualification of full time degree in BAMS & MD (Ayurveda), subject to the condition that Basic Pay + NPA does not exceed Rs. 85000/- per month. The benefit will be available with effect from Date of issue of this order.

Departmental inquiry different from criminal proceedings: CAT

New Delhi, Mar 22 : A government employee who has been accused of irregularities cannot claim innocence in a departmental inquiry merely because he or she has already been absolved of the charges in criminal proceedings related to the case, the Central Administrative Tribunal has held.

"The approach and object in a departmental proceeding (against a government employee) is quite different. The preponderance of probability would be sufficient to come to a conclusion. The provisions of the Evidence Act do not strictly apply," CAT Vice-Chairman Justice M Ramachandran said.

The tribunal made the observation while dismissing an appeal filed by a UDC of Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Jagbir Chaudhary, who moved the HC to quash the departmental inquiry initiated against him after a CBI probe found nothing incriminating against him.

"A departmental inquiry is necessary to maintain discipline in the service in public interest, whereas the object of a criminal prosecution is mainly to determine whether a crime has been committed in violation of law," the CAT said while declining to interfere into the departmental inquiry.

The inquiry was initiated against Chaudhary for alleged irregularities, benefiting certain allottees whose documents seemed to be forged.

The irregularities include allegations that Chaudhary was involved in 43 of the 48 cases related to a realtor and a bribe of Rs four lakh was received by him.
Courtesy : Sahara samay