In a much-needed move to prevent inadvertent activation of value-added services (VAS) - like hello tunes and call ring-back tone - on the users' phones, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) directed the mobile operators on Monday to seek written consent of users for activation of the services.

The TRAI measure has come in response to the horde of consumer complaints regarding the activation of the aforesaid services without their consent.

A change over to computer-based examination from the 33-year-old paper-based examination system Common Admission Test (CAT), conducted for admissions to the country's seven IIMs, is on the cards this year onwards!

The prestigious management institutes - at Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, Shillong, and Kozhikode, - have arrived at a consensus for changing over to an online Internet-based CAT, which will bring to an end the gargantuan task involving a lot of paper work and logistic arrangements for conducting the test.

Agartala, April 28: A ten-member business delegation comprising of members of India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI) recently met here to discuss the possibilities to explore bilateral trade potential and industrial investment opportunities in the state.

The delegation led by India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI) President Abdul Matlub Ahmad met with business community of Tripura Industrial Development Corporation (TIDC), senior most officials and businessmen.

United Spirits, the largest spirit and liquor company in India, has registered decline of 14.57 per cent in its net profit to Rs 55.62 crore in the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2009.

The company registered a net profit of Rs 65.11 crore in the same quarter ended March 31, 2008.

However, the total income of the company has surged to Rs 922.90 crore for the quarter under review, as against Rs 765.46 crore in the same quarter last fiscal.

For the year ended March 31, 2009, the company has posted a net profit of Rs 297.23 crore against Rs 311.28 crore last fiscal, down 4.51 per cent.

Oil prices fell for the second straight trading session by nearly 3% to $50.14 per barrel on concerns that the swine influenza may affect the travel and hospitality industry resulting in a further delay in the recovery from the global recession. Investors feared a new blow to an already fragile global economy if trade flows are curbed and manufacturing is hit.

Base metals witnessed range bound trading session and ended the day with negative bias, Copper and zinc shed more than 4% discounting the flu to snow ball into a pandemic and derail the global economy's nascent recovery.

Nickel fell by 5.4% on account of heavy selling by traders and speculators in tandem with a weakening global trend. Reduced off take by consuming industries, such as stainless makers also weighed on nickel prices.