India - bank doesn't employ tobacco users and tobacco users must pay more for bank loans...

September 27, 2010 - Gujarat Rajkot People’s Cooperative Bank (RPCBj), with network of five branches in Rajkot district, has 30,000 customers, and total deposits of over Rs 96 crore (100 crore = 1 billion)).

Just educational qualifications and work experience are not enough to get a job at the Rajkot People’s Cooperative Bank (RPCB). There is another criterion: the candidate should not consume tobacco — or should at least be willing to give up the habit.

When it comes to loan seekers too, the bank offers a lower rate of interest for those who don’t consume tobacco. Tobacco addicts are made to pay one per cent more. With the bank offering housing loans at low interest rates, it gets many prospective clients.

The RPCB has been following this no-tobacco rule since it was founded 11 years ago. Khunt says he was inspired by his school teacher, Jayant Acharya, who believed that “any non-addict can be a better performer than an addict. You may be rich and famous, but the money won’t save you if you do not care about your body”.

Reference: In Gujarat bank, a higher loan rate for tobacco addicts, IndiaExpress.com, 9.25.2010

India - some news briefs:
^*India - govt keen to help tobacco farmers grow alternative crops..;
^*Mumba, India - tobacco companies not following the law when advertizing..;
^*PAPER: India community based study - why youth smoke..;
^*India - high court rules in favor of tobacco companies that violated cigarettes with pictorial warnings rule..;
^*India - study emphasizes the need to integrate tobacco control in medical curriculum..;
^*India - more on govt ban on foreign direct investment..;
^*India - Barakat Food will import and distribute Imperial's Davidoff Cigarettes..;
^*India - more on ban on foreign direct investment - more insight on tobacco market..;
^*India - increasing taxes on cigarettes and bidis to save lives..;
^*India - cabinet decided to bar foreign direct investment in cigarette manufacturing..;
^*India - captions with pictorial warnings should use local languages..;
^*ndia - pictorial warning will appear on every tobacco pack sold from June 1 , 2010..;
^*India - government set to ban foreign direct investment in tobacco..;
^*India - despite tobacco control measure in place - tobacco sales increase..;
^*India - still confusion pictorial warnings on cigarette packs..;
^*Mumbai, India - NGO activists want closure of hookah bars..;
^*India - gutkha and bidi companies NOT pictorial warnings..;
^*India - cigarette packs with pictorial warnings are here..; ^*ndia - NO graphic pictorial warnings yet..;
^*India - Still no pictorial warnings on cigarette packs..;
^*India - pictorial warning on cigarettes and tobacco products effective May 31, 2009..;
^*India - pictorial warning on cigarettes and tobacco products will be implemented from May 31 - no doubts about it..;
^*India - will pictorial or graphic health warnings be implemented from May 30, 2009..;
^*India - placing pictorial warnings on tobacco products delayed again..