• A grant of US $172,000 for cataract research has been extended by the US-based National Eye Institute to an Indian research group consisting of D Balasubramaniam and Mohan Rao of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad and some other scientists working in related fields.

• The Asiatic lion of Gujarat's Gir forest will now have a second home in the Palpur Kuo sanctuary in Morena district, Madhya Pradesh.

• To contain poaching of marine life in Indian waters along the Andaman islands -- mostly by Thai boatmen -- the Union home ministry has proposed the formation of a marine force, comprising personnel from the Coast Guard, Navy, the Andaman Police and other agencies.

• Japan's Sumitomo-Mitsubishi combine has won the US $1 billion contract to execute the 1,000 megawatt (mw) power project in Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

• Tamil Nadu leads the states in harnessing wind power, with 22 locations having a 4000 mw potential. This was stated by S Krishna Kumar, minister for non-conventional energy resources at a recent meeting in New Delhi to review such projects.

• A cabinet committee on prices meeting on June 26 has decided to reduce the import duty on pulses from 10 per cent to 5 per cent under the Open General License, said the civil supplies and public distribution minister Buta Singh in New Delhi.

• India will get us $61 million (Rs 195 crore) from the UN's World Food Programme under the Integrated Child Development Scheme to enhance nutrition of pre-school children in Assam, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh in the next 3 years.