The Hindu : Opinion / News Analysis : Corrections and clarifications

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Wednesday, Nov 05, 2008
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Opinion - News Analysis

Corrections and clarifications

* In the article, “Behind The Triple Global Crisis” (Editorial page, November 4, 2008), Utsa Patnaik had written in the original text thus: “… A demand projection to 2020 by Bhalla, Hazell and Kerr, assuming 1993 income distribution gives us a total net cereal demand by 2007 in India of 219 million tonne (m.t.). But actual demand by 2005 was a massive 62 m.t. lower owing to loss of purchasing power.

“The trigger which has made the global grain shortage explicit through sharp inflation from 2006 is the subsidised diversion of grain to ethanol production in the North. The U.S. will quadruple its maize conversion to ethanol to 110 m.t. by 2009 compared to 2003 ….”

While editing, the contraction m.t. was assumed to be metric tonne. The word tonne is only in the metric system. In the printed version, it became “219 million metric tonnes”, adding an unnecessary “metric”. The other figures became 62 tonnes (instead of 62 million tonnes) and 110 tonnes (instead of 110 million tonnes). The correct original version has been published here to rectify the wrong impression, as requested by Utsa Patnaik.

* The caption of the accompanying AP photograph in a report “Avoid knee-jerk reactions, Manmohan tells industry” (November 4, 2008, page 1) identified one of the corporate honchos in the picture (extreme right) to be H.T. Parekh. It should have been Deepak S. Parekh, Executive Chairman, HDFC. (H.T. Parekh, founder and Chairman-Emeritus, HDFC, passed away on November 18, 1994. Mr. Deepak Parekh succeeded him.)

* The fourth paragraph of a PTI report “Historic presidential election in U.S. today” (Early editions, November 4, 2008, page 1) was “But if a series of national opinion polls are anything to go by, even Republicans privately admit that this Tuesday could be a blowout — not on the scales of what was witnessed in 1980 when Ronald Reagan trounced Walter Mondale, but something in the vicinity.” The 1980 presidential campaign was between Ronald Reagan and incumbent President Jimmy Carter. The 1984 election was between Reagan and former Vice-President Walter F. Mondale.

* An item “EID Parry second quarter net at Rs. 612 crore” (“Corporate Dossier — Business” page, October 31, 2008) said, in the first paragraph, that “EID Parry (India) has reported a turnover of Rs. 251.45 crore in the quarter ended September 30, 2008 ….” A few readers felt the heading was incorrect as the text quoted a lower figure as the turnover. The Business Desk clarifies that the net profit was arrived at after taking into account other income of Rs. 45 crore and an exceptional item of Rs. 750 crore, according to a company release.

* With reference to an article “How Chandrayaan-1 is raised to higher orbits” (“Science & Technology” page, October 30, 2008), an entry in the first of two accompanying tables titled “Multi-stage firing of Chandrayaan-1” was “Lunar Orbit – Perigee – Apogee”. A reader points out that the equivalent of apogee in the case of the moon is apolune, and in the case of perigee is perilune.

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