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Politics Business Expressions General Sports Leisure States 29 January 1998   Re sinks again; call rates fall Foreign exchange and money markets went into a tizzy yesterday as the spot rupee weakened by 40 paise against the dollar and interest rates in the inter-bank call money market crashed to close at 11%. Six-month forward dollars fell by 200 basis points. The spot rupee which has been strengthening against the dollar lost ground by 40 paise to close at 38.78.   RBI may relax hire purchase norms The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) might relax some of the norms under the new regulatory framework for equipment-leasing and hire-purchase firms if they face "genuine difficulties". The central bank indicated this at a meeting with representatives of various hire-purchase and leasing companies held on January 27. SBI MF to launch five-year assured return scheme SBI Mutual Fund is launching a five-year, close-ended, assured return income scheme known as the Magnum Monthly Income Scheme 98 (1), on February 3. Addressing a press meet to announce the launch of the scheme yesterday, the managing director of SBI Funds Management Niamatullah said that the asset management company will offer an assurance for the return as well as the principal amount. Government backtracks on PSU vacancies The Government has decided not to implement its order aimed at reducing vacancies in top slots of central public sector units (PSU). The Department of Personnel and Training had issued a notification through the Establishment Officer (EO) in May 1997 putting a time limit on the selection of top PSU executrives by administrative ministries.   MRF Ltd announces 90 pc dividend Leading tyre manufacturer MRF has announced a net profit of Rs 50.90 crore for the year ended September 1997. This is a 19% growth over previous year's net profit of Rs 42.86 crore. Pepsi not worried by anti-MNC talk Despite the loud-talk by Samta Party leader George Fernandes wanting to get multinationals such as Coke out of the country, PepsiCo Inc's chief executive officer Roger Enrico isn't too worried. This is mainly due to the fact that times have changed and most parties now favour liberalisation.     Bizbits   BSE declares two brokers as defaulters   Sensex below 52-wk low   Sensex approaches 3000   CCI downgraded, 4 NBFCs' rating suspended   ANZ not to be affected by Asian crisis