New Delhi, Feb 13: Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today said that in the last five years, there has been a significant improvement in railway safety and a steep reduction in the number of railway accidents.

Presenting the Interim Railway Budget 2009-10 in the Lok Sabha today, he informed that the number of consequential accidents had come down to 194 in 2007-08, as against 325 in 2003-04.

The newspaper and magazine publishing industry has reason to smile as Union Government has announced to provide custom duty exemption on newsprint with immediate effect.

Uncoated paper, used for printing of newspapers, and light weight coated paper, used for printing magazines, has also been exempted from duty.

On Thursday, Engineering firm Siemens Ltd received Rs 212 crore order from Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) in order to offer a power distribution package at the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) in Orissa.

In a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange, the company confirmed, "The scope of work for Siemens' industrial solution division, which has bagged the Rs 212-crore order, includes designing, engineering, supply, civil work, erection, testing and commissioning of transmission lines and substations."

New Delhi, Feb 12, : Hundreds of models thronged the auditions of upcoming fashion extravaganza Delhi Fashion Week-2009 on Thursday.

The Delhi Fashion Week-2009 will take place from February 19 to February 24 and will be organised by Fashion Foundation of India (FFI).

This all India model hunt was spearheaded by an eminent jury comprising of designers Rohit Bal, Malini Ramani, Atsu Sekhose and Alpana Mittal, adman Prahlad Kakkar, leading models Fleur Xavier and Neha Kapoor and fashion photographer Tarun Khiwal.

Panaji, Feb 12: A two-day National Conference on e-Governance will begin in Goa today.

The conference is being organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances in association with the Department of Information Technology and the Government of Goa.

Senior Officers from the Government, industry, academicians, technical experts and NGOs will participate in the event.

New Delhi, Feb 12: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath will inaugurate the 14th India Carpet Expo here today.

Shankersinh Vaghela, Union Minister for Textiles; G. K. Pillai, Commerce Secretary and Rita Menon, Textiles Secretary will also attend the function.

The four-day expo is being organised by the Carpet Export Promotion Council.

The expo is world acclaimed established fair on handmade carpets and other floor coverings in South East Asia, envisaging unique business oriented platform to the importers and exporters.