Issue Based Database January, 2015

Home , Manju Sharma (biologist), Radha Mohan Singh, Rohini Godbole, Vasant Gowarikar

Ministry of Agriculture

Title: Union Agriculture Minister holds discussion with State Agriculture Ministers on Draft Farm Income Insurance Scheme Date: 27th January, 2015

• Union Agriculture Minister Shri Radha Mohan Singh today had discussion with State Agriculture Ministers on Draft Farm Income Insurance Scheme in Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi. Briefing the media faternity, he said that there was broad consensus on the following points:

• Shri Singh said that the Draft Farm Income Insurance Scheme will have two components, that is, the price based insurance and the yield based insurance. A committee consisting of senior agriculture officials and representatives from state governments will be formed to look into the suggestions from the State Government’s during the meeting today. In the morning, he also had discussion with farmer organisation on this issue. He further said that ongoing insurance schemes will continue.

• During the discussion, the representatives from the states suggested to implement income insurance scheme in consonance with their local needs which include climatic, geographical conditions and crop pattern. Shri Singh said that there has been a consensus from representatives from various States on this aspect.

• Shri Singh informed that as a pilot project, the schemes suggested by States will be implemented with the approval of Central Government.

Shri Ashish Bahuguna, Secretary Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture was also present on this occasion.

GG:SB:CP/ 27.01.2015

Title: Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries & Forests, Fiji calls on Shri Radha Mohan Singh Today Date: 27th January, 2015

A delegation from Fiji led by,Mr.Inia Seruiratu Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries & Forests Minister for Rural & Maritime Development and National Disaster Management called on Union Agriculture Minister Sh. Radha Mohan Singh in Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi today.

Fiji has proposed to enter into MoUs in the following generic areas:

(1) Development of the Animal Husbandry Industry. (2) Cooperation in areas of Fisheries and Aqua-culture. (3) Horticulture Industry Development. (4) Revamping of the Rice Industry. (5) Cooperation in Root Crop Diversification.

It may be mentioned that MoU on Development Cooperation was signed with Fiji by Ministry of External Affairs in 2006 which included Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests sectors as an item.

Shri Radha Mohan Singh assured the delegation that Agriculture Ministry will look into the points mentioned by them. Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that India looks forward to strengthening the bilateral relation to a new height.

Shri Radha Mohan Singh also showed keen interest on the point of in training of Agriculture student of Fiji at ICAR Institutes.

GG:SB:CP/Fiji 27.01.2015

Title: Concerted Efforts Needed to Produce Clean Spices at Competitive Prices says Radha Mohan Singh Date: 27th January, 2015

Union Agriculture Minister Shri Radha Mohan Singh while inaugurating National Conference on Development and Export of Spices in Pusa campus, New Delhi today, said that concerted efforts are needed to produce clean spices at competitive prices in order to sustain India’s share in world market speaking on the occasion he said that. Spices farmers have been facing the problem of low productivity, fluctuating prices coupled with biotic and abiotic stress resulting in low farm income. However, efforts of diversification, unfolding of nutraceutical and health benefit of spices and farming system models have provided better opportunity for improving income from spices, he added.

Shri Singh said that ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research Calicut and National Research Centre on Seed Spices Ajmer have pioneered in developing a number of high yielding varieties and production technologies.

Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that Spices Board under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry has been spearheading activities for excellence of Indian spices with respect to quality and hygiene of high level. The Board functions as an important link between the Indian exporters and the importers abroad and supports Indian spices brand building amongst the importing countries which is really needed to realize the slogan of Brand India and Make in India, he added.

Referring to India’s status in World Spice Trade, Shri Singh said that the export earnings showed a spectacular growth during the period from 2005-06 to 2013-14 as the earning increased from 592.9 million US $ to 2267.67 million US $. The volume of spices exported increased from 350,363 metric tons in 2005-06 to 817,250 metric tons in 2013-14.

Shri Singh said that Spices have been playing an important role in the Indian agrarian economy as it accounts for 5% of the agriculture GDP of the country. The agro-climatic conditions in the country provide an ideal habitat for the natural growth of various spices. There is a long list of 75 spices grown in India but chillies, black pepper, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, coriander, saffron and cumin are commercially more important. Shri Singh said that today, India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices in the world.

GG:SB:CP/Spices 27.01.2015

Title: Area Coverage under Rabi Crops Date: 23rd January, 2015

As per Rabi Crops data released by Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture, total area coverage as on today under Rabi crops moves to 586.05 lakh hectares while last year’s sowing area was at 624.82 lakh hectare. Wheat`s sowing area is at 305.6 lakh hectares as compared to last year’s 313.69 lakh hectares. The area under sowing of total Coarse cereals is at 56.43 lakh hectares as compared to last year’s 59.61 lakh hectares. The area under sowing of Gram is at 81.97 lakh hectares this year while the last year’s figure was 98.68 lakh hectares. Area coverage under Total Pulses is at 133.55 lakh hectares while the last year’s sowing area coverage was 150.00 lakh hectares. Similarly sowing area under total oilseeds is at 78.47 lakh hectares as compared to 86.92 lakh hectares last year.

GG:SB:CP weather watch (23.01.2015)

Title: Shri Radha Mohan Singh to Visit Patna, Bihar on 25th of this Month Date: 22nd January, 2015

Union Agriculture Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh, will visit Patna, Bihar on 25-01-2015 to address the issue of establishing a Central Agriculture University in Pusa named Rajendra Central Agriculture University. An MOU in this regard will be signed by Agriculture Education and Research Department of Government of Bihar and ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research), Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture.

Shri Singh expressed his happiness and complimented Bihar Government for responding positively to his letter dated 19-01-2015. In his communication vide letter dated today, addressed to Shri Jitan Ram Manjhi, Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Singh mentioned that Bihar is considered to be storehouse of knowledge in various sectors including Science and Agriculture from ancient times.

Since long, demand for establishing a full fledged Central Agricultural University in Bihar was being made and present Rajendra Agriculture University, Pusa was identified for making it into Central Agriculture University. Planning Commission had provided in-principle approval in 2009 to State Government’s proposal. During 12th Five year plan, an amount of Rs 400 cr has been proposed in this regard.

Title: European Commission Lifts Ban on Import of Mangoes from India Date: 21st January, 2015

The European Commission having paid due cognizance to the audit findings in its meeting in Brussels on 20.01.2015 decided to lift the ban on import of mangoes from India. This news has been widely welcomed by farmers and exporters in the country as well as mango lovers in Europe, particularly in U.K.

Specifying the efforts of senior officials of Ministry of Agriculture, Union Agriculture Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that the system of inspection and certification of fresh fruits and vegetables destined for the EU market was subjected to a complete overhaul. The phytosanitary inspectors, exporters, pack house operators, etc. were given intensive training by officials of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Senior officials visited pack houses located in all parts of the country to enforce necessary changes in infrastructure and in the procedures adopted for preparation of export consignments. State Governments, APEDA, exporters and perishable cargo handling facilities at international airports provided full support to the initiative lead by the Ministry of Agriculture.

The Union Agriculture Minister raised India’s concern over the ban with representatives from Germany, EU, the Netherlands and UK.

All deficiencies pointed out by the EU were removed by August, 2014. An Audit Team of the EU visited India on Government’s invitation in September, 2014. The EU auditors were briefed about the steps taken by India by a team led by Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture. This technical Audit Team spent 10 days in the country to carry out a detailed evaluation of the entire phytosanitary control chain. The audit report submitted by this team has recognized the significant improvements carried out in India in the phytosanitary control system.

India has been exporting various fresh fruits and vegetables, prominent among them being mangoes, to countries of the European Union. In May, 2014 a ban was imposed by the European Commission on imports of mangoes, bitter gourd, egg plant, snake gourd and taro leaves from India on grounds of interceptions of harmful organisms leading to fears on account of biosecurity of the region.

This decision of the European Commission led to adverse impact on farmers and exporters in India. The Ministry of Agriculture therefore initiated purposeful steps to address the concern of farmers.

GG:SB Fruits and vegetables 21.01.2015

Title: “E-Book of Ministry of Agriculture” Lists the Achievement/Initiatives of Ministry of Agriculture Date: 21st January, 2015

E-book of Ministry of Agriculture lists the various initiatives/achievements of the Agriculture Ministry for the 3 departments, that is, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, and DARE/ICAR. http://agricoop.nic.in/documentreport.html (Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture) http://dahd.nic.in/dahd/reports.aspx (Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture) http://www.icar.org.in/E-Book/index.html (DARE/ICAR, Ministry of Agriculture)

The details in PIB Webpage: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/mainpage.aspx (Press Information Bureau, PIB)

Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries has also listed the annual reports of their department.

GG:SB Achievements Ministry of Agriculture 21.01.2015

Title: Union Agriculture Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh says that Cooperative Leadership and Training are Essential for Stable Economy and Inclusive Development Date: 20th January, 2015

Union Agriculture Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that cooperative leadership and training are essential for stable economy and inclusive development in the present age of globalisation when the Indian economy is passing through an era of competitiveness. He was speaking at a function organised in New Delhi today, titled ’National Conference on Strengthening of Cooperative Education and Training’. Efficient management of human resources are the bedrocks for the development of cooperatives. For this, the training training programmes of cooperatives have to be dove-tailed to the hour of the day, he said.

Government have received proposals for opening cooperative management institutes from North Eastern Region like Sikkim, Mizoram, Tripura and states of Chattisgarh and Jharkhand, he said. Union Agriculture Minister mentioned that Government is keen to strenthen cooperative education and training in these states and all efforts will be made to provide sufficient funds and other resources in this regard.

Shri Singh said that in North East region, Government is implementing cooperative programme through NCUI. NCUI have established 8 field projects in North Eastern region which include Aizawl (Mizoram), Thoubal and Imphal (Manipur), Magalbara (Sikkim, Shillong(Meghalaya), Kohima(Nagaland), Morigaon and Jorhat (Assam).

Shri Singh said that National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) provides encouragement and financial assistance to cooperatives from primary level to national level and also provides them with technical guidance including computerisation skills. So far, NCDC have sanctioned Rs 269.15 cr to 352 cooperative committees/banks and have released Rs 202.15 cr. He said that NCDC implements ICDP (Integrated Cooperative Development Projects) in selected districts. NCDC released Rs 405.70 cr for 19 projects in Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. NCDC have released a total amount of Rs 3126.23 cr to least developed states as against sanctioned amount of Rs 5535.05 cr.

Shri Singh said that NABARD is playing an important role as an advisor to provide core banking solution to cooperative banks. NABARD also gives technical/technological infrasture and Human Resources training to state and district level cooperative banks. Recently, Government have decided to provide Rs 23.75 cr as special package to 23 district cooperative banks (16 from Uttar Pradesh) to revive them.

Mentioning Cooperative movement of India as World’s largest one, Shri Singh said that there are about 5.89 lakh cooperative committees spread across from village to national level. These Committees have a membership of 25 crore people covering 97% villages and 71% total rural families. Agriculture cooperative credit contributes 16.9%, fertiliser production 29%, weaver cooperatives 54% and sugar production 40% towards the Indian economy.

Mentioning Dairy cooperatives, Shri Singh complimented Amul model of Gujarat and said that it has played an important role.

GG:SB Strengthening of Cooperative Education and Training20.01.2015

Title: Union Agriculture Minister Emphasises that Proper Marketing is Essential for Ensuring Increase in the Income of the Farmers Date: 16th January, 2015

Shri Radha Mohan Singh, Union Minister for Agriculture, stressed the need for strengthening the marketing of the agricultural produce on priority to ensure that agriculture becomes beneficial for the farmers of the country. In his valedictory address at 4th India International Potato Expo 2015 today at Chandigarh the Minister said that allied sectors of the agriculture like horticulture, diary, and fisheries be promoted and diversification of the crops especially their proper marketing is essential to ensure to increase the income of the farmers. He said that Haryana Horticulture University will be opened soon in consultation with the State Government.

He informed the gathering that the final draft of Irrigation Policy has been prepared and the same will be implemented in all the states. This policy will be able to provide water to every district and work for everybody.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Om Prakash Dhankar, Minister of Agriculture & Horticulture Development, Government of Haryana mentioned that Excellency Centres in every districts for horticulture in Haryana will be opened to provide better marketing.

Dr. Sanjeev Chopra, Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Agriculture said that market linkage is the only solution for the potato farmers in India. Hence, effort should be made to develop better market for the farmers domestically and internationally.

Government officials, scientists and industry experts deliberated on the problems being faced by potato industry including lower potential yield, early harvesting, uneconomic landholdings, requirement of capital that is mostly unavailable with farmers, shortage of farm labour, wrong dose of fertilizer, inadequate and inefficient transport infrastructure, enhanced pest resistance, global warming, and inefficient cold storage facility. It was felt that the selection of seed, water and pesticides are very important to generate good quality potato. This will help the farmers to get better market domestically and internationally.

The 4th India International Potato Expo 2015 was supported by Ministry of Food Processing Industry, Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), Ministry of Agriculture, NABARD, Food and Agriculture Organization, Department of Horticulture, Government of Haryana, Government of Bihar, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Government of Uttrakhand, Government of Meghalaya and National Horticulture Board.

GG:SB Central Potato Research Institute 16.01.2015

Title: Area Coverage under Rabi Crops Date: 16th January, 2015

As per Rabi Crops data released by Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture, total area coverage as on today under Rabi crops moves to 576.73 lakh hectares while last year’s sowing area was at 618.20 lakh hectare. Wheat`s sowing area is at 303.51 lakh hectares as compared to last year’s 313.69 lakh hectares. The area under sowing of total Coarse cereals is at 54.34 lakh hectares as compared to last year’s 58.42 lakh hectares. The area under sowing of Gram is at 81.98 lakh hectares this year while the last year’s figure was 98.16 lakh hectares. Area coverage under Total Pulses is at 133.41 lakh hectares while the last year’s sowing area coverage was 149.17 lakh hectares. Similarly sowing area under total oilseeds is at 77.45 lakh hectares as compared to 86.53 lakh hectares last year.

GG:SB:CP weather watch (16.01.2015)

Title: Union Agriculture Minister Inaugurates Brain Storming Programme to Search Best Talent in Agriculture at ICAR-NDRI, Karnal Date: 16th January, 2015

Union Minister for Agriculture, Shri Radha Mohan Singh, inaugurated a two day brain storming programme “Optimizing talent search for the National Agricultural Research & Education System” at ICAR-NDRI, Karnal on January 16, 2015. The brain storming programme is being organized by Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB) – an apex body involved in the recruitment of scientists in the country.

While addressing the gathering, Union Agriculture Minister stressed upon the need to attract youth to agriculture and to make the scientist selection process more effective. On this occasion, he also emphasized the role of local and need based research and said that it should be the integral part of the career development process of scientists. He also stressed the need of crop diversification to make the agriculture more remunerative to farmers. He informed that Agriculture Ministry has a plan to introduce soil health card to farmers for improving the agricultural production. He also indicated that the policies are being framed to increase the availability of water for irrigation purpose, especially for small farmers. He said that in the changing climate, the local breeds of dairy animals are more resilient and thus, more research should be done in this direction. He also announced the setup of two National Breeding Centers – one in southern India and another in Northern India to augment the breeding of dairy animals in the country. He informed that the infrastructure available at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) would be strengthened further, as KVKs have important role in the extension of agricultural technologies. He also interacted with the students of ICAR- NDRI.

Minister of State for Agriculture, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, stressed upon the need of attracting researchers/ scientists of Indian origin working in the premier foreign laboratories to the national agricultural research & education system. The ASRB should frame policies to attract such talent as part of the brain gain. He also called upon the policy makers to raise the standards of education and research in state agriculture universities at par with ICAR institutes. He encouraged the ICAR-NDRI scientists to work in the Sex Semen Technology to further boost the breeding of elite animals in the country.

Speaking on this occasion, Dr. S. Ayyappan, Director General, ICAR complimented Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board. Prof. D.P. Agarwal, former Chairman, UPSC also presented his views on the present education system and emphasized that we should all work together to find ways to bring in structured reforms in the education system.

While speaking on the occasion, Dr. Gurbachan Singh, Chairman, ASRB said that the present two day brainstorming–cum-workshop is an attempt by the ASRB to frame the policies to bring the best talent in the National Agriculture Research System. He also emphasized that agriculture growth in the country has to go in tandem with development in other areas as more than 60% population depends directly or indirectly on agriculture. In this direction, more efforts would be made to make the recruitment process more transparent.

Dr. A.K Srivastava, Director and Vice-chancellor, ICAR-NDRI, Karnal informed the gathering about the recent achievements of ICAR-NDRI in cloning of dairy animals, ovum pick-up technique, starting of farmers’ school and success of women self-help group supported by the research of ICAR-NDRI.

GG:SB/ ICAR function 16.01.2015

Title: Union Agriculture Minister Urges Students and Scientists of Agriculture Faternity to Adopt one Village for Creating Awareness among Farmers Date: 15th January, 2015

Union Agriculture Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh underlined the importance of fundamentals of agricultural growth for the development of country as he mentioned improved soil health, high productive seeds, modern agriculture practces and best practices, effective irrigation facilities, water to every agricultural land, apt marketing facility for agricultural produce are essential points for development of agriculture as a whole.

Union Agriculture Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh was presenting his views on the occasion of a function titled “Agri@8%- Challanges and Way out” in New Delhi today.

Various discussion points during the programme included Efficient system of Agricultural production and agricultural productivity, Storage and distributon of food products, Soil Mapping, Efficient water management, increasing yield and variety of crops, tradiitional farming, awareness building among farmers, balanced use of fertilisers, organic farming among a number of prespectives presented by the presenters.

Union Agriculture Minister, Shri Singh complimented ASSOCHAM for organising this function. Union Agriculture Minister, Shri Singh emphasised the need to create awareness among farmers about best practices in the agriculture sector. He urged students and scientist faternity from agriculture to create awareness among farmers of atleast one village of their hometown about various inititives in agriculture with the theme of “Mera Gaon, Mera Gaurav”. He also mentioned that there are approximately 20,000 scientist and 50,000 students from agriculture,who are graduate or PhD’s of agriculture.

The function was jointly organised by Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Food processing industries, Government of India, Department of Science & Techonlogy, Government of India, Department of Biotechnology, Government of Bihar and NABARD.

Mentioning about Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, Shri Singh said that the programme will play a vital roile in bringing water to every agricultural land in the country. He added that Soil Health Card provided to farmers will be a tool to identify the nutritional requirement of the soil and apt laboratory analysis for increasing the agriculture production and productivity. He emphasised about organic fertiliser and traditional farming practices during his discussion.

He said that with the setting up of the Price stabilisation fund, farmers will be able to get renumerative prices for their agriculture products.

Shri Singh spoke about e-Marketing of agriculture products especially horticulture produce like lichi, mango, gauva and emphasised that horticulture, dairy and fishery has potential to generate huge employment for farmers, especially youth.

He mentioned that Government has made inititives for development of Animal Husbandary, Dairy and Fisheries sector. He said the indigenous cows have a high tolerance towards the climate change and breeding of indigenous cows is essential for long term prespective of growth and productivity in agriculture output. He also mentioned that there is a need for adopting scientific attitude towards agriculture production to achieve the goal of higher growth in agriculture as a whole.

Present on the occasion were Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Shri Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundariya, Agriculture Minister of Bihar, Shri Narendra Singh, Shri Anil Jain, Shri Babulal Jain, Shri Tripurari Sharan among others.

GG:SB Agri@8% function 15.01.2015

Title: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister calls on Union Agriculture Minister Date: 14th January, 2015

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan today met Union Agriculture Minister Shri Radha Mohan Singh in New Delhi. The issues which were discussed included increased allocation of fertilizer to Madhya Pradesh, levelling of ravines and their development for cultivation, vision document for agriculture prepared by Government of Madhya Pradesh and release of balanced relief package as per norms.

Addressing the issues, Shri Radha Mohan Singh assured that Central Government will look into the issues put forward by Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan at the earliest. Shri Singh said that demand of state government for increased allocation of fertilisers of all varieties to the tune of 68 lakh tonnes, will be examined expeditiously. He also asked Shri Chauhan to send proposal for development of ravines for agriculture purpose and Krishi Bima Yojana. Shri Singh further said that the vision document prepared by Madhya Pradesh Government should also include benefits covered under fisheries and dairy sector as per the existing programmes of National Fisheries development board and National Dairy Development Board. Shri Chauhan expressed his gratitude to Union Agriculture minister for taking keen interest in the development of agriculture in Madhya Pradesh. Shri Chauhan also expressed optimism that Madhya Pradesh will not lag behind in production of wheat and aspire to be one of the leading states in wheat production in the country. Senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and State Government were also present on the occasion.

GG:SB Madhya Pradesh CM visit 14.01.2015

Title: Union Agriculture Minister Emphasises On Efficient Water Management Through Convergance Of Resources Of Various Ministries Date: 13th January, 2015

Union Agriculture Minister Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that efficient water management of water resources can be achieved through the convergence of resources/programmes of various Ministries/Departments. He was speaking in “India Water Week 2015” function organized by Ministry of Water Resources in New Delhi today. He said further that water conservation, groundwater re-charge and rainwater harvesting by adopting appropriate technologies and funding mechanisms, have to be undertaken in and outside watershed development projects, with the resources of Ministries of Rural Development, Agriculture, Water Resources, Urban Development and Power etc. Enhancing productivity of water using micro-irrigation, supplemental and deficit irrigation is possible only through combined efforts of the Ministries of Agriculture, Water Resources and Power, he added.

Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that marginal changes in irrigation practices will not be enough to increase productivity. To increase growth in irrigated agriculture, efficiency of the existing systems is to be enhanced; water so saved should be utilized to increase irrigation intensity and farming practices improved with modern inputs and technologies.

Shri Singh said that adverse effects of climate change on freshwater systems will aggravate the impacts of other stresses, such as population growth, changing economic activity, land use change and urbanization. Since the supply is projected to be limited and erratic the only way to balance the water demand-supply gap is through management of the resource in an efficient, equitable and sustainable manner.

Shri Singh said that heavy subsidies in electricity consumed for agriculture have tended to encourage wasteful use of energy and also wasteful use of water. This has also encouraged farmers to overdraw water from deep aquifers, thus causing water quality deterioration in many cases. Despite huge significance of ground water in agriculture growth, it is heading for crisis and needs urgent understanding and attention, he added.

Shri Singh said that food security is of supreme national importance for maintaining social harmony, equity and national integrity of India. Given the growing population and income of the country, the challenge is to manage the competitive demands on water for industrial, household and energy purposes while meeting the food security targets, he added.

GG:SB:CP/Efficient Water Management 13.01.2015

Title: Union Agriculture Minister calls upon the farmers to use modern techniques and machinery Date: 9th January, 2015

Union Agriculture Minister Shri Radha Mohan Singh called upon the horticulture farmers to use modern techniques and machinery as per international standards to produce horticultural products. He spoke about showcasing imported moden equipments and machinery and promoting their use by providing subsidy for this purpose. He was speaking during a function titled ‘Horticulture Sangam’ jointly organised by National Horticulture Board and Horticulture Department of Government of Karnataka at Lalbagh, Bengaluru today.

Shri Singh said that organisation of such events gives inspiration to horticulture fraternity to work together and facilitates the availability of horticulture products of various states at single place. The ethos behind organising this event is in consonance with Integral part of Indian culture ie, ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’. Attributing, horticultural production at 275 million tonnes during 2014-15 (as per initial estimates) to the efforts of farmers, Shri Singh said that Government has intergrated all horticulture programme into Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), so that farmers and entrepreneurs are benefitted. Indian horticulture products such as, mango, lichi, grapes, saffron, have their disctinct identity in global market. By exporting horticulture products, farmers have contributed in increasing the country’s foreign exchange, he added.

Shri Singh said that Government is facilitating the use of advanced horticulture techniques through its Horticulture Central Programmes so that farmers can achieve high productivity with quality and efficiency in cultivation of horticulture products. Government is also promoting chain of cold storage across the country so as to avoid wastage of horticulture products. In this ‘Horticulture Sangam’ business groups such as Mother Dairy, Reliance, Walmart, Big Bazaar, Spencer are participating so that farmers can directly sell their products to them, he said.

The programme was inaugurated by Union Minister of Fertilisers and Chemicals, Shri Ananth Kumar. Diginitaries present on this occasion included State Government Ministers, MLAs, MD (National Horticulture Board, Ministry of Agriculture) and Senior officials of State Government.

GG:SB: Horticulture 09.01.2015

Title: Area Coverage under Rabi Crops Date: 9th January, 2015

As per Rabi Crops data released by Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture, total area coverage as on today under Rabi crops moves to 566.18 lakh hectares while last year’s sowing area was at 597.15 lakh hectare. Wheat`s sowing area is at 299.33 lakh hectares as compared to last year’s 304.25 lakh hectares. The area under sowing of total Coarse cereals is at 52.60 lakh hectares as compared to last year’s 57.17 lakh hectares. The area under sowing of Gram is at 81.01 lakh hectares this year while the last year’s figure was 95.81 lakh hectares. Area coverage under Total Pulses is at 131.34 lakh hectares while the last year’s sowing area coverage was 145.86 lakh hectares. Similarly sowing area under total oilseeds is at 76.91 lakh hectares as compared to 83.87 lakh hectares last year.

GG: SB:weather watch (09.01.2015)

Title: Union Agriculture Minister emphasises about the potential of ‘neem’ coated urea Date: 9th January, 2015

Union Agriculture Minister Shri Radha Mohan Singh while addressing farmers in a function at the launching of ‘Neem’ coated urea organised by KRIBHCO, Hebbal, Bengaluru today, emphasised on the maximum use of neem coated urea for increase of production and reduction in production cost. He further said that ‘neem’ coated urea is helpful in reducing the pollution of water, soil and air. Shri Singh said that India have to import about 70 lakh ton of urea every year, which affects the foreign exchange. He further said that plants cannot absorb nitrogen found in urea to its maximum extent as a result a large component of it goes waste. By increasing the utility factor of nitrogen (through ‘neem’ coated urea), the consumption of urea can be reduced, he added.

India has been using neem over the centuries in one way or the other. ‘Neem’ is a true friend of farmers from ancient times. KRIBHCO has developed neem coated urea, by mixing ‘neem’ oil in urea, which is being used by various farmers across the country and they are benefitted by it. Shri Singh further said that by using neem coated urea the utility capacity of nitrogen can be increased by 10 to 15%. By balanced use of fertilizers, the health of soil can be sustained over a long period, he said.

GG:SB: Neem coated urea 09.01.2015

Title: Union Agriculture Minister urges ICAR to have programme to improve indigenous breeds of cattle Date: 9th January, 2015

GG:SB: Neem coated urea 09.01.2015

Title: Union Agriculture Minister urges ICAR to have programme to improve indigenous breeds of cattle Date: 9th January, 2015

Union Agriculture Minister Shri Radha Mohan Singh while addressing a programme at National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (NIVEDI) in Bengaluru today, urged upon ICAR to have major programs to improve the indigenous breeds as the products from the indigenous cattle also have health attributes to humans. He said that empirical evidence suggests that our indigenous breeds of cattle are relatively less prone to diseases as compared to exotic and cross-bred. He further said that the efforts should be made to improve indigenous stock in terms of production and productivity. He mentioned that the best indigenous breeds like Gir, Tharparkar, Rathi, Sahiwal etc. have better heat tolerance, feed conversion efficiency and disease resistance.

Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that in the XII Five Year Plan, the institute was renamed as the National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics to expand its research activities with 32 AICRP centers covering all states and union territories of the country. Shri Singh mentioned that the role of scientists of NIVEDI continues to be in the prevention, control and eradication of diseases to help maximize animal production and safeguarding human health from those diseases transmitted by animals and their products using risk analysis data and precise diagnostics. He urged the institute to research and study the aspects which make the indigenous breeds resistant to diseases.

Shri Singh complimented NIVEDI for developing excellence in several frontier areas in veterinary and animal sciences in terms of specialized laboratories, human resource development, technology generation and dissemination. He said that as the role of animal health and production has an important place for sustainable livestock production systems in improving the country’s economy, NIVEDI has a role to play in this direction.

Shri Singh congratulated the Indian Council of Agricultural Research for setting up of a world class facility for research on epidemiology of animal diseases at National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (NIVEDI) in Bengaluru.

In addition to development of diagnositics, Shri Radha Mohan Singh said research partnership between the public and private sector is also essential to achieve faster progress and dissemination of technology to the end-users. Thus, there is a need to link these two sectors to have their activities complemented in a “Public Private Partnership” mode. He expressed hope that the institute will make use of the new opportunities to give a new direction to their R&D and other service sector activities in a huge way.

Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, Union Agriculture Minister told “ The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” He urged all to join hands to provide quality health to the animals.

GG:SB: Indigenous breeds of cattle 09.01.2015

Title: No Shortage of Seeds in Kharif Season 2015 Date: 28th January, 2015

A Zonal Conference of all the State Departments of Agriculture was held on 20th – 21st January, 2015 at NASC Complex, Pusa Campus, New Delhi. The meeting was held to review agriculture seeds availability, plan of the states for next kharif season and future seed rolling plan of the states. An assessment of availability of agriculture seeds in various states has been made and is satisfactory. In kharif 2015 approximately 137.27 lakh qtl. seed is required against which 140.69 lakh qtl. seed is available. There is no shortage of seeds except soyabean seeds. All the states were requested to take maximum benefit of central assistance under “submission on seed and planting material” and send the Annual Action Plan of 2015-16 by mid March positively.

A book on all the varieties of crops released in 2012 and its package and practices were released in the zonal conference and a copy of it was presented to all the states for operationalising it into the field. The states were requested and stress were given to adhere to quality and certified seeds to increase the productivity of agriculture in their respective areas.

A short representation on Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority was made in zonal conference to make the states aware about the farmers’ rights and existing legislation so that more and more farmers of their states can avail the benefit from it.

GG:SB:CP/Seeds 28.01.2015

Ministry of Cabinet

Title: Direct sale of bio-diesel by manufacturers/suppliers other than OMCs Date: 16th January, 2015

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today gave its approval for amending the Motor Spirit (MS) and High Speed Diesel (HSD) control order for Regulation of Supply, Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices dated 19.12.2005. The amendment will allow private biodiesel manufacturers, their authorised dealers and Joint Ventures (JVs) of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) authorized by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoP&NG) as dealers and give marketing/ distribution functions to them for the limited purpose of supply of bio-diesel to consumers. Further, the investment and production conditions (as applicable) specified in the Marketing Resolution dated 08.03.2002 of MoP&NG will also be relaxed and a new clause added to give marketing rights for Bio-diesel (B100) to the private biodiesel manufacturers, their authorised dealers and JVs of OMCs authorized by the MoP&NG for direct sales to consumers.

The Cabinet has also decided to suitably amend Para 5.11 and 5.12 of the National Policy on Bio-fuels for facilitating consumers of diesel in procuring bio-diesel directly from private bio-diesel manufacturers, their authorized dealers and JVs of OMCs authorized by the MoP&NG. This decision will encourage the production and use of bio-diesel in the country.

Background MoP&NG announced a Bio-diesel Purchase Policy, effective from 1.1.2006, to encourage production of bio-diesel in the country for blending it with diesel with the objective of increasing energy security and meeting other emission and environment objectives. Under this Policy, OMCs are to buy Bio-diesel (B100), meeting fuel quality standard prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), at a uniform price, as decided by the OMCs from time to time, for blending with HSD to the extent of five percent, at identified purchase centres across the country.

PSU OMCs under the MoP&NG have been actively pursuing the bio-diesel programme and entered into MoUs and formed JVs for cultivation of bio-fuels species on revenue wasteland and degraded lands in the State. These JV companies have been formed with the objective of increasing production and marketing of Bio-diesel in the country. They have sought permission to undertake activities like sourcing, trading, supply, distribution, marketing etc. of Bio-diesel to consumers.

As the price of diesel is already deregulated and determined by the market, there is no economic justification in preventing private biodiesel manufacturers, their authorised dealers and JVs of OMCs authorized by the MoP&NG from selling biodiesel directly to consumers subject to their product meeting prescribed BIS standards.

Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers

Title: Data about the supply and availability of Urea in the country Date: 27th January, 2015

For the Rabi crop 2014-15, the all-India requirement of Urea for January, 2015 has been assessed as 2941.54 thousand Metric tonnes. Against this, there is a supply plan of 2959.20 thousand Metric tonnes in the country. Total despatches have been 2259.19 thousand Metric tonnes upto 26.01.2015, while the availability of Urea, including the opening stock as on 26.01.2015, is 2402.61 thousand Metric tonnes. The State wise break-up is given .

http://pib.nic.in/archieve/others/2015/jan/d2015012701.pdf

Title: Number of CIPETs to be increased to 100 in next 5 years, says Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister; Shri Ananth Kumar lays foundation stone of Hostels in CIPET, Murthal Date: 20th January, 2015

The Union Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Sh. Ananth Kumar has said that the government plans to increase the number of Central Institute for Plastic Engineering and Technology (CIPET) from the current 23 to 100 in next 5 years. Addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of boys and girls hostels of CIPET in Murthal, Haryana today, he said that this will help in honing the skills of about 4 lakh students every year in the upcoming sector of plastics and polymers. He said that the government is working to improve skill development and fulfill the PM’s dream of “Make in India”. He said Make in India and skill development are not to be confined to certain pockets but will be spread out throughout the country.

Sh. Ananth Kumar said that CIPET, Murthal will be upgraded to Higher Learning Centre which would give the degrees of B.Tech, M.Tech and PhD. He said the government is committed to provide one more CIPET in Haryana. Stressing on “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” mantra for Plastic Waste Management, he said specialized courses for such waste management will be started in the country. The Minister said the plastic industry is having a capacity of 12 million tons at present, which is likely to go up to 20 million tons by the end of this decade. Referring to the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative of the Haryana Government, he said more girls should be encouraged to join the technical courses.

On the issue of Fertilizer availability in the country, Shri Ananth Kumar said that there is no shortage of fertizers in the country. He said fertilizer security is the basis of food security, and the Government is ensuring timely and adequate availability of fertilizer. He said that better distribution systems can help the farmers.

CIPET, Murthal was set up in 2005. It has about 1000 students which are being given various diplomas and certificate courses. The campus is spread out over 10 acre land provided by Government of Haryana. The additional hostel facilities for which the foundation stone was laid today will help to develop 600 more skilled manpower from this campus every year. The Haryana Agriculture Minister, Sh. O.P. Dhankad, and secretary, department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Shri Surjit K. Chauhary was also present during the foundation stone laying ceremony today.

CIPET is an ISO 9001:2008 QMS, NABL, ISO/IEC 17020 accredited premier national Institution devoted to Academic, Technology Support & Research (ATR) activities for the growth of Polymer & allied industries in the country. CIPET operates on hub & spokes model with 23 locations spread across the length & breadth of the country.

Title:Agreement signed to revive Ramagundam Fertilizer Plant; Date: 14th January, 2015

Rs 40,000 crore to be invested in the country for revival of old fertilizer plants and setting up new units.

National fertilizers Limited NFL), Engineers India Limited (EIL) and Fertilizer Corporation of India (FCIL) have signed an agreement to form a joint venture company (JVC) for setting up new Ammonia and Urea plants at the existing site of Ramagundam Fertilizer plant in District Karimnagar in Telengana. The joint Venture agreement for the new company named “Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited” was signed today at NOIDA in the presence of Shri Ananth Kumar, Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, and Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Ananth Kumar said that in next four years, about Rs 40,000 crore will be invested in the country for revival of the old fertilizer plants, and setting up of new units. He said there is going to be a fertilizer revolution in the country that will make India self-reliant in fertilizer, particularly Urea production. Shri Ananth Kumar said that the initiatives are being taken in pursuance of two mantras of the Government- Make In India, and Good Governance. He said large investments are being made in the sector, and with coordinated efforts and political will, the Government will take steps in a time bound manner that will help our people, and the farmers. He said that steps are also being taken to check the imbalance in usage of fertilizers in the country. On the personal front, the Minister announced that he would forego the subsidized gas cylinder connection henceforth.

Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan said that with the setting up of new plants and revival of old plants, the supply gap in fertilizers will be reduced. He said that Agriculture is the prime stay of our country, and the interest of the farmers will be safeguarded. Shri Pradhan said that the new plant at Ramagundam will be a boon for the farmers of newly created state of Telengana. He said that the Government will set up a gas grid in the country. The Petroleum Minister also talked about the impressive response of the Governments’ scheme Pahal, the largest subsidiary distribution mechanism in the world. He appealed to the affluent and people belonging to well to do sections of society to give up subsidized LPG connection.

In order to augment the domestic urea capacity, revival of closed fertilizer units of Fertilizer Corporation of India Ltd. (FCIL) and Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation (HFC) has been on the top priority agenda of the Government of India. In this direction, Joint Venture Agreements have been signed on 24.12.2014 amongst GAIL, RCF, CIL & FCIL for the revival of Talcher unit of FCIL. Govt. of India has nominated FCIL’s unit located at Ramagundam to the consortium of three state run companies NFL, EIL and FCIL for revival. The Joint Venture (JV) signed today will be primarily responsible for setting up Gas based Ammonia-Urea plants. NFL and EIL will each have 26% equity in the JV. EIL would take up the project construction under EPC model. Pre-project activities have been started. NFL’s expertise would be utilised for the operation and maintenance of the plant

The project comprises of 2200 MTPD Ammonia plant and 3850 MTPD Urea plant. FCIL shall hold a stake in the JV, being the provider of existing infrastructure of Ramagundam Project. Total investment in the project by the PSU promoters is estimated to be in the range of Rs. 5000 crore.

The revival of the Ramagundam unit will trigger a great economic boom in the new born State of Telangana in the southern part of the country, as it will generate opportunities in the form of direct and indirect employment for the people in the region. Execution of construction activities is expected to start in early 2016.

Title: Restriction on production of Neem coated Urea removed Date: 7th January, 2015

Chemcials and Fertilizers Minister says there would neither be increase in Urea price nor change in subsidy

The Government has taken steps to encourage production and availability of fortified and coated urea in the country. In this regard, the cap / restrictions to produce Neem coated urea has been removed. The Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Sh. Ananth Kumar today said that a notification in this regard has been issued. Addressing a press conference here today, he said that using neem coated urea will not only increase crop yields but also lower input cost to farmers. He said it will also reduce imports of precious fertilizers as well as reduce ground and soil pollution.

Shri Ananth Kumar said that presently India is using only 60 lakh mt neem coated urea which can be increased to full demand of 310 lakh MT in the country. He said that neem coated urea is costly by 5% compared to plain prilled urea but it reduces Nitrogen loss by more than 10%, thereby incurring a net savings of Rs. 13.5 per bag for farmers. Due to higher nitrogen use efficiency, the use of nitrogen coated urea can also eliminate import of urea resulting in huge foreign exchange savings. Presently, India is importing about 71 lakh MT urea. He said that, additionally, farmers will also get advantage of better yield, less pest attack due to less use of urea which will also ensure better NPK use ratio and balanced use of fertilizers.

Shri Ananth Kumar informed that there is adequate availability of fertilizers in the country and there is no shortage anywhere. He said that in December 2014, 1706 rakes were used for supply of fertilizers as compared to 1488 in December 2013. He said, in future also, there will be no dearth of urea. The Minister clarified that there would neither be increase in urea price nor change in subsidy.

The Minister also informed that for 3 fertilizers plants, viz., Mangalore fertilizers, Madras fertilizers and SPIC Tuticorin plants which were running on naphtha, the Government has decided to give subsidy on naphtha for next 100 days and these 3 plants will soon restart. He further informed that the issue of Right of Way for laying the gas pipeline from Kochi to Mangaluru has been resolved.

Ministry of Communications & Information Technology

Title: Commemorative Postage Stamp on Swachh Bharat Released Date: 31st January, 2015

Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications & IT has come out with a set of Commemorative Postage Stamps on the theme Swachh Bharat. The Union Minister of Communications &IT, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad released a set of Commemorative Postage stamps on Swachh Bharat.

Speaking on the occasion, the MOC&IT said that cleanliness was close to the heart of Mahatma Gandhi and to realise his cherished ideal there is a strong need to observe Swachhagraha just as Gandhiji had launched Satyagraha. He also exhorted all citizens to participate whole heartedly in the Clean India campaign and to work strenuously to develop the culture of cleanliness and hygiene.

The MOC&IT was hopeful that the stamp on Swachh Bharat will provide impetus and momentum to the Clean India campaign started by Hon ble Prime Minister on 2nd October, 2014 with the target of achieving the Clean India goal by 2019,when the nation will celebrate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Title: Commemorative Postage Stamp on Swachh Bharat Date: 30th January, 2015

The Minister for Communications & Information Technology, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad along with the Minister for Urban Development & Parliamentary Affairs Shri Venkaiah Naidu and the Minister for Rural Development Shri Chaudhary Birender Singh released Commemorative Postage stamps on the theme of Swachh Bharat to mark the Martyrdom Day of Mahatma Gandhi today..

Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad speaking on the occasion said the Government intends to make cleanliness a part culture of this country under the leadership of Shri Narendra Modi . He pointed out that the design for the stamps were selected through a competition among the children on the theme. The Minister for Urban Development Shri Venkaiah Naidu also appreciating the idea said that if the practice of cleanliness catches with our children, it would spread as a mass movement in the country. He hoped that Swachhatha will become a Jan Andholan. Shri Chaudhary Birender Singh said the release of the stamps on the Martyrdom Day on this subject of cleanliness, which is very close to the heart of the Father of the Nation, is an apt tribute to him.

The Department of Posts, at a function this morning issued a set of these three Commemorative Postage Stamps on the theme of Swachh Bharat.

Swachh Bharat Mission was launched by the Prime Minister on the 2nd October, 2014 on the occasion of Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. This all encompassing Mission covering our surroundings seeks to achieve “Clean India” and aims to provide access to toilets to all households in the country, and making adequate arrangements for Solid and Liquid Waste Management.

Release of a set of three stamps and a miniature sheet on the theme Swachh Bharat is a part of this effort to achieve the vision of Clean and Healthy India.

Title: Idukki in Kerala Becomes the First District of India with Complete Rural Broadband Coverage Date: 13th January, 2015

The Minister for Communications and IT Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad inaugurated the launch of the high speed broadband for the entire Idukki district of Kerala.

With the commissioning of the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN), the Idukki district of Kerala has become the first in India to be connected with the high speed broadband for all the areas of the district. Currently the District has a total of eight (8) Block Offices & 53 Gram Panchayats of which 8 Block Offices & 52 Gram Panchayats have been connected on Optical Fibre and one Gram Panchayat, namely Edamalakudy, is connected through VSAT. Edamalakudy, is a Tribal Gram Panchayat consisting of 26 Tribal villages with around 2200 people. It is remotely located around 18 Kms from Pettimudi which is last point one can go in a vehicle. BSNL has made exceptional efforts in connecting this Gram Panchayat and now Broadband Internet as well as Mobile services are also available here. For the first time all villages under this Panchayat would be connected through Mobile phones and internet.

The establishment of NOFN would open up new avenues for Access service providers such as Telecom Service Providers, Internet Service Providers, and Cable TV operators, Content Providers etc. to launch next generation services and spur creation of local employment opportunities in a big way.

The Kerala Chief Minister Shri Oommen Chandy, the Minister for Industry and IT, Govt. of Kerala Shri P. K. Kunhalikutty and Secretary Telecom Shri Rakesh Garg were present on this occasion.

Ministry of Earth Science

Title: Agreement for Commercializing Novel Superabsorbent Hydrogels Technology Signed Date: 14th January, 2015

National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) an enterprise under the Department of Scientific & Industrial Research, Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India and M/s Reliance Industries Limited, Mumbai executed an agreement for commercialization of “A Novel Superabsorbent Hydrogels” technology. This involves a novel hydrophilic super absorbent polymer indigenously developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to meet the requirements of water productivity in Agriculture. The scientists had successfully demonstrated the potential of resolving the problem of poor water use efficiency in agricultural crops. Besides, improved nutrient use efficiency, an array of other benefits have been achieved by using this product.

NRDC is about to execute another agreement with a Chennai based company for the transfer of the same technology. NRDC has already executed agreements with five companies.

Hydrogel absorbs a minimum of 350 times its weight of pure water at 500C. It exhibits absorbency at high temperatures suitable for semi-arid and arid regions. Besides, low rate of application it also improves physical properties of soil such as porosity, aggregate stability and hydraulic conductivity.

Key Characteristics:

 Less affected by the presence of salts in its immediate environment  Improves physical properties of soils and the soil less media  Improves seed germination and the rate of seedling emergence  Improves root growth and density  Helps plants withstand prolonged moisture stress  Reduces nursery establishment period  Reduces irrigation and fertilization requirements of crops with improved input use efficiency

No undesirable effect on the crops raised in the fields treated with hydrogel has ever been observed or reported by the experimenters or the end users, the farmers

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Title: India committed to pursue and practice clean and sustainable development – Shri Prakash Javadekar Date: 28th January, 2015

Indo- German Working Groups on Water Management & Circular Economy to be set up

The Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar has said that Government’s initiatives to tap cleaner sources of energy reflected India’s commitment to pursue and practice clean and sustainable development. As a fast developing economy, climate adaptation measures along with mitigation formed the defining factor in India’s approach towards development. He also emphasized the need to alter the energy mix in favour of renewable energy sources so that a balanced approach towards development and environment conservation could be evolved. Shri Javadekar stated this while giving a joint statement with Dr. Barbara Hendricks, Minister for Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, of Germany here today.

Also speaking on the occasion, Dr. Barbara Hendricks has said that Indian and German governments held similar positions for the Post-2015 agenda on Climate Change. Both Countries needed sustainable development goals that address all three dimensions of sustainability – economic, ecological and social aspects – equally. Germany was ready to share with India its experience in adapting to sustainable development models, the German Minister said.

In a Bilateral Meeting held here, both the countries have decided to set up two Working Groups - One on Circular Economy and the other on Water Management. The Ministers stated that the focus of the working group would be restoration of water bodies, waste management, and more efficient use of water resources.

Both the Ministers emphasized that the UN Climate Summit in Lima had laid the foundations for negotiations on a new global climate agreement which would be adopted in the Climate Change Conference to be held in Paris later this year.

Title: Government initiatives on Tiger Conservation & Forest Management yield impressive results – Shri Prakash Javadekar Date: 20th January, 2015

Tiger Population in India increases to 2226; increase by 30.5% since the last estimate

Minister releases Status of Tigers in India Report 2014

Shri Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Environment, Forests& Climate Change has said that Government initiatives to streamline Tiger Conservation along with effective Forest Management and Community Participation had led to increase in the number of tigers.All around involvement of all stakeholders had helped enhance the number of tigers from 1706 in 2010 to 2226 in the latest estimates. This increase in Tiger Population was a testimony of the success of various measures adopted by the Government. These measures related to Special Tiger Protection Force, Special Programme for Orphan Tiger cubs, efforts to control poaching and initiatives to minimize Human-Animal conflict and encroachment. India was willing to donate Tiger cubs to international community and play a key role in the global Tiger Conservation efforts.The Minister stated this while inaugurating the two day meeting of the Chief Wildlife Wardens of Tiger States and Field Directors of Tiger Reserves, here today.

Shri Javadekar further stated that the successful Tiger Conservation practices in the country could be adopted and practiced by the international community as a step towards sustainable forest management.Shri Javadekar lauded the efforts of the Tiger ReservesManagement and Project Tiger Team for the achievement.

The Third Round of country-level Tiger Assessment employing refined technology of double sampling using camera traps hadrecorded an increase in tiger population. The midvalue of the snapshot assessment using the same methodologyin 2006 was 1411. In 2010 the Tiger population was 1706 and in 2014 it stood at 2226 with an increase 30.5 % since the last estimate. A total of 3,78,118 sq.kms of Forest Area in 18 Tiger States was surveyed, with total of 1540 unique Tiger Photo captures. As per the survey, Tiger population has increased in Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. The third round of independent Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Tiger Reserves has shown an overall improvement in the score of 43 Tiger Reserves from 65% in 2010-11 to 69 in 2014.

The Economic Valuation of 6 Tiger Reserves carried out for the first time provided qualitative and quantitative estimates of benefits accruing from tiger reserves. These included ecological, economic, social and cultural services. The assessment of Forest Cover Change in Tiger Landscape of Shivalik-Gangetic Plain has indicated an improvement of forest cover in core areas of Tiger Reserves.

The Minister released various Reports on the status of Tiger population in India namely Report on All India Tiger Estimation 2014, Report on Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Tiger Reserves -2014, Compendium on Status of Tiger Reserves, Report on Economic Valuation of Tiger Reserves, Report on Assessment of Changes Forest Cover in Tiger Reserves (Shivalik- Gangetic Plain Landscape), and Report on Corridors: Connecting Tiger Population for Long term Conservation. Shri Javadekar also distributed NTCA awards for Excellence in various categories.

Title: Green building of the Environment Ministry showcased to the UN Secretary General Date: 13th January, 2015

Shri Prakash Javadekar meets UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

The Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar today met the UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon at the New Paryavarn Bhavan Building. Shri Javadekar showcased to the Secretary General salient features of the Green Building and highlighted that the design philosophy of the New Paryavaran Bhavan focused on increasing the efficiency of resource usage i.e. energy, water and materials while minimizing the impact of the building on Human Habitat and the Environment.

Shri Javadekar further said that this had been achieved through careful site planning, most appropriate building form and very low effluent disposal and energy production on-site. The objective was to have a ‘Green Building’ with a state of art modern amenities and comfort with Intelligent Building Management System which optimizes the energy consumption.

The basic design concept of the project was to have a NET ZERO ENERGY consuming green building. It was expected to be the flag bearer for ‘Green Buildings’. The building has the highest green building rating of ‘5star’ of GRIHA of Ministry of New & Renewable Energy and also ‘Platinum’ rating of LEED India of Indian Green Building Council.

The architectural design of the building is primarily based on following concepts.

 Preservation of maximum possible number of trees standing over the site  Solar Passive Architecture with proper orientation and shading of Fenestrations  Appropriate building envelope design with envelope insulation to reduce heat intake.  Use of permanent, durable and local materials such as sand stone on exterior face, low heat transmission glass, reflective roofing, etc.  Priority for pedestrians in the front, with vehicular access on the sides of the building  Reduction of conventional lighting load by ensuring 75% day-light use  Natural ventilation due to stack effect  The building is designed in such a way that there is free ventilation across the entire building.

Energy Conservation Measures

 Many energy conservation measures have been adopted to optimize the overall design load.  Utilization of High Efficiency Solar Panels to achieve Net Zero criteria. Energy efficient T-5 and LED fixtures  Innovative chilled beam system for cooling  Pre-cooling of fresh air from exhaust using heat recovery wheel in order to reduce load on chiller plant  Water cooled chillers  Double skin air handling units with variable frequency drives  Geo thermal heat exchange technology used for heat rejection from Air-conditioning system.  Innovative energy saving regenerative lifts which have been installed for the first time in government institutional building.

Mr Ban Ki-moon also planted a sapling at the premises jointly with Shri Prakash Javadekar to mark the occasion.

Title: Prakash Javdekar Announces “Water Literacy Mission” for Water Conservation” Date: 12th January, 2015

Union Minister of Environment Mr. Prakash Javdekar today announced that Government is going to launch “Water Literacy Mission” to ensure Water Conservation. Speaking on “Water Security, Climate Change and Sustainable Development” in a seminar at Vibrant Gujarat Global Investor’s Summit at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar today, he said that public awareness is most needed for water conservation and for protection of natural resources. He added that no act or law could ensure this target if not taken up by people as a mass movement.

He said that rejuvenation of Ganga is a step ahead towards cleanliness and added that we should emphasize on pollution free rivers in addition to expand concept of linking of rivers. He advocated linking of paralleled rivers Godavari and Krishna of South India too.

Mr. Javdekar assured to take decision on schemes regarding providing water to areas in draught prone areas in which farmers are inspired for suicide. These schemes will be low-cost, eco friendly and long- termed, he added. Minister of Denmark, Mr. Morgen Jension and Minister of Gujarat Shri Vijay Rupani also spoke on the occasion. Experts like Prof. Asit Kumar Biswas and Mr. Bundi Lohani participated in the penal discussion.

Ministry of Home Affairs

Title: Rajnath Singh approves rehabilitation of flood victims and the restoration of public infrastructure in Jammu & Kashmir Date: 30th January, 2015

The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh has approved the rehabilitation of flood victims and the restoration of the public infrastructure in J&K, consequent to the devastation caused by the September 2014 floods. The decision was taken after the Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Shri N.N. Vohra met Shri Rajnath Singh, here today.

After the HM-Governor discussions, the Union Home Secretary disclosed that the following decisions have been taken:

(i) Rs. 1102.56 crore has been sanctioned from the National Disaster Response Fund to meet expenditures incurred by the State Government for the immediate restoration of public infrastructure consequent of the devastation caused by the floods.

(ii) Rs.20 crore has been sanctioned from the National Rural Drinking Water Programme for the restoration of drinking water system.

(iii) Rs.634.99 crore, has been already spent to provide immediate rehabilitation in the wake of floods as per the following details:

(a) Rs.144.85 crore towards food subsidy.

(b) Rs.35.67 crore towards restoration of national highways and roads.

(d) Rs.2.52 crore for milk products

(e) Rs.1.54 crore for medicines

During the course of his visit to Jammu & Kashmir on last Diwali, the Prime Minister had announced a grant of Rs.765 crore from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund and a further Rs.1,000 crore as Special Assistance for the reconstruction of damaged public infrastructure. The Home Minister and Governor discussed the to-date status of the utilisation of these funds.

During the course of today’s discussions, it was decided that for final decisions in regard to Special Package of over Rs.41,000 crore which has been submitted by the Jammu & Kashmir Government, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs shall be the nodal authority for all further decisions in regard to the schemes proposed by the State Government. In furtherance of today’s decision, the State Government shall forward detailed proposals/DPRs to the concerned Central Ministries with copies to the Home Ministry which shall exercise overall coordination. As regards the grant of Rs.570 crore which the Prime Minister had announced during the course of his visit to Srinagar on last Diwali, it was noted that after disbursing compensation at Rs.1 lakh and Rs.50,000 respectively, for fully damaged pucca and katcha houses, certain funds out of this grant would remain for utilisation. After hearing the difficulties voiced by the Governor, the Home Minister readily agreed to discuss this matter with the Prime Minister and get an early concurrence for the entire available funds being utilized to also suitably compensate the owners of severely and partially damaged pacca and katcha houses.

The utilisation of the Special Plan Assistance of Rs.1,000 crore announced by the Prime Minister was also reviewed. The Governor informed the Home Minister that well-considered project reports were being prepared and funds were being promptly released for the execution of the approved projects. He also mentioned that this entire activity was being closely monitored by him.

The Home Minister and the Governor also had an extensive discussion on issues relating to Border Management and consequent thereto, the Home Minister desired the Home Secretary to visit Jammu next week for a comprehensive review of all the border development related schemes.

Title: Union Home Minister chairs High Level Committee meeting for Central assistance to states affected by natural disasters Date: 30th January, 2015

The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting here today of the High Level Committee (HLC) for Central Assistance to States under the National Disaster Response Fund. Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley, Agriculture Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh and senior officers of the Ministries of Agriculture, Finance and Home participated in the discussions.

The Committee examined the proposals, based on the visits of the Central Team to the States affected by severe Natural Disasters during the last year. The HLC decided the assistance from NDRF in respect of Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana.

Title: 10th Raising Day Celebration of National Disaster Response Force Date: 20th January, 2015

The 10th Raising Day celebration of National Disaster Response Force is going to be held on January 21, 2015.

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest. The Raising Day function will be held at Kothari Auditorium, DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi. During the occasion, Dr. P. K. Mishra, Additional Principal Secretary, PMO is going to deliver a lecture on “Disaster Preparedness and Response: Some Insights”.

The NDRF has also arranged a live demonstration to create awareness about the disaster management/response at Hamsadhwani Open Air Theatre at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home Affairs will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest of this programme.

The NDRF raised on January 19, 2006, is a specialised force capable of responding to any type of disaster in the country and abroad. It is strategically deployed across the nation as per the vulnerability profile of the country. The Ministry of Home Affairs has sanctioned 23 field locations for deployment of NDRF teams as Regional Resource Centres to ensure quick response in the event of a disaster. NDRF provided relief and rescue operations in a number of disasters including floods, train accidents, building collapse incidents, landslides in various parts of the country during the last year.

Apart from rescue and relief operations, NDRF is also active in community capacity building for disaster response and imparting training to State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). One Urban Search and Rescue Team of the NDRF is slated to get International External Classification from International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) by mid-2016 under the guidance of Swiss Development Corporation, Switzerland.

Title: National Disaster Response Force Raising Day Celebration Date: 12th January, 2015

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is celebrating its 10th Raising Day on January 21, 2015.

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest. The Raising Day function will be held at Kothari Auditorium, DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi.

The NDRF has also arranged a live demonstration to create awareness about the disaster related issues. The demonstration would be organised at Hamsadhwani Open Air Theatre at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi in the afternoon. Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home Affairs will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest at the NDRF awareness programme.

KSD/PK/RS

Ministry of Mines

Title: MMDR Ordinance will prove to be a milestone in the revolution for transparency –Shri Narendra Singh Tomar Date: 19th January, 2015

Minister meets states to prepare implementation roadmap

Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Steel and Mines has said that the MINES AND MINERALS (DEVELOPMENT AND REGULATION), (MMDR) Ordinance is a revolutionary step in revival of mining sector in the country, hitherto stagnated due to various reasons. Addressing a meeting of mines ministers and secretaries from across the country here today, the minister said that auction will bring in greater transparency and higher revenue for the states. Simultaneously simplification and transferability will also attract private investment. He added that the classification of minerals will lead to their better scientific exploration and with more power to the states mining process will be expedite. The meeting was organised for preparing a roadmap for implementation of Ordinance was attended by the Minister of State for Mines and Steel, Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, mining ministers from 11 states, Secretary (Mines) Shri Anup K Pujari, Additional Secretary (Mines) Shri R Sridharan, and senior officials from the Ministry of Mines.

Pressing upon the need for developing a sound database for minerals in India, Shri Tomar averred that detailed exploration is the first step in mining and to set realistic goals and make workable plans, it is imperative to know the true measure of our resource base. He stated that as per preliminary assessment, 199 cases of various states would be ready for auction with some effort. But such auctions would also depend on the finalisation of modalities for conducting auction and subordinate rules therein. The Minister pointed out other provisions of the Ordinance, such as, stricter penalties for illegal mining, establishment of National Minerals Exploration Trust (NMET) to give impetus to exploration, removal of prior approval of the centre to eliminate delays, and provision for District Mineral Foundation (DMF) to address the concerns of mining-affected people. Citing the example of falling levels of iron ore production in the country, Shri Tomar urged states to revive mining in all earnestness. Acknowledging the uniqueness of different minerals and different regions, Shri Tomar solicited opinions and suggestions of state representatives for firming up a holistic implementation plan to further strengthen the ‘Make in India’ vision of the government.

Mining ministers and secretaries from different states expressed optimism over the amendments, and offered constructive suggestions for its implementation on the ground level. It was agreed that delays in environment and forest clearances had to be resolved by MoEF for providing unhindered support in growth of mining.

Following are the key features of the Ordinance:

· Removal of discretion; auction to be sole method of allotment: The amendment seeks to bring in utmost transparency by introducing auction mechanism for the grant of mineral concessions {Section 10 B &11}. The tenure of the mineral concession have been increased from the existing 30 years to 50 years {Section 8 A (1), (2), (3) and (4)}.

· Impetus to the mining sector: The mining industry has been aggrieved due to the second and subsequent renewals remaining pending. In fact, this has led to closure of a large number of mines. The Ordinance also addresses this issue. Sub-Section 5 and 6 of Section 8(a) of the Ordinance provides that the Mining Leases would be deemed to be extended from the date of their last renewal to 31st March, 2030 (in the captive miners) and till 31st March, 2020 (for the merchant miners) or till the completion of the renewal already granted, if any, whichever is later.

 Safeguarding interest of affected persons: There is provision to establish District Mineral Foundation (DMF) in the districts affected by mining related activities {Section 9 (B)}.  Encouraging exploration and investment: Further, the Ordinance proposes to setup a National Mineral Exploration Trust created out of contribution from the mining lease holders, to have a dedicated fund for encouraging exploration in the country {Section 9 (C)}.

 Simplification of procedures and removal of delay: The amendment removes the need for “previous approval” from the Central Government for important minerals like iron ore, bauxite, mangese, etc., thereby making the process quicker and simpler. Similarly, under Section 5(2)(b), the State Governments to devise a system for filing of a mining plan obviating need for approval by the Central Government. The Ordinance also provides that the tenure of any Mining Lease would now be 50 years in place of 30 years in the existing Act.  Stronger provisions for checking illegal mining: In order to address the escalating problem of illegal mining, the penal provisions have been made further stringent- Higher penalties up to 5 lakh rupees and imprisonment up to 5 years. 

Title: Government Promulgates the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015 Date: 13th January, 2015

The Government has promulgated an Ordinance on Monday, the 12th January, 2015 (MMDR Amendment Ordinance, 2015) under Article 123(1) of the Constitution. This amends certain provisions of MMDR Act, 1957.

The promulgation of Ordinance became necessary to address the emergent problems in the mining industry. In the last few years, the number of new Mining Leases granted in the country have fallen substantially. In addition, second and subsequent renewals have also been affected by Court judgements. As a result, the output in the mining sector has come down drastically, leading to import of minerals by users of those minerals. The salient provisions of the Ordinance are listed separately in a page placed below.

Removal of discretion; auction to be sole method of allotment

Essentially, Government intended to remove discretion in grant of mineral concessions. All mineral concessions are granted by the respective State Governments. They will continue to do so but all grant of mineral concessions would be through auctions, thereby bringing in greater transparency and removing of discretion. This should also mean that the Government will get an increased share from the mining sector. Unlike in the 1957 Act, there would be no renewal of any mining concession. The tenure of the mineral concession have been increased from the existing 30 years to 50 years. Thereafter, the Mining Lease would be put up for auction (and not for renewal as in the earlier system).

Impetus to the mining sector

The mining industry have been aggrieved due to the second and subsequent renewals remaining pending. In fact, this has led to closure of large number of mines. The Ordinance addresses this issue also. Government has kept in mind that interest of Mining Lease holders should not be adversely affected. Therefore, Sub-Section 5 and 6 of Section 8(a) of the Ordinance provides that the Mining Leases would be deemed to be extended from the date of their last renewal to 31st March, 2030 (in the captive miners) and till 31st March, 2020 (for the merchant miners) or till the completion of the renewal already granted, if any, whichever is later. Thus, no Mining Lease holder is likely to be put into any disadvantaged condition. It is expected that this would immediately permit such closed mines to start their operations.

Safeguarding interest of affected persons

There is provision to establish District Mineral Foundation (DMF) in the districts where mining takes place. This is designed to address the long time grievance of the civil society with people affected by mining are not cared for. There is seprate provision for contribution to the DMF not exceeding 1/3rd of the royalty rate in the respective minerals.

Encouraging exploration and investment

Indian mining industry has not seen the type of exploration as in other countries. To address this, the Ordinance proposes to setup a National Mineral Exploration Trust created out of contribution from the mining lease holders. This would allow the Government to have a dedicated fund for undertaking exploration. In addition, the transferability provision (in respect of Mining Leases to be granted through auction) would permit flow of greater investment to the sector and increasing the efficiency in mining.

Simplification of procedure and removal of delay

In respect of ten minerals in Part C of First Schedule (like iron ore, manganese, bauxite, copper, gold, etc.), State Government needed to obtain the prior approval of the Central Government before grant of mineral concession. The amendment removes the need for such “prior approval” from the Central Government, thereby making the process quicker and simpler. Similarly, approval of mining plan by the Government would no longer be mandatory as a provision has been added under 5(2)(b) permitting the State Governments to devise a system for filing of a mining plan obviating need for approval by the Government. The Ordinance also provides that the tenure of any Mining Lease would now be 50 years in place of 30 years in the existing Act. Further, central government has been given powers to intervene where state governments do not pass orders within prescribed timelines. This will eliminate delay.

Stronger provisions for checking illegal mining

In order to bring a check on illegal mining, the penal provisions have been made further stringent. Higher penalties and jail terms have been provided in the ordinance. Further, a provision has been made for constitution of special courts by the state govt. for fast-track trial of cases related to illegal mining.

The salient provisions of the Ordinance are as follows:

 All mineral concessions will be granted only through auction {Section 10 B &11}.  Direct auction for mining leases for bulk minerals; auction of prospecting licences-cum-mining leases for deep-seated minerals {Section 10 B & 11}.  Uniform lease period of 50 years; no renewals; auction at the end of lease period; will solve issues arising out of all SC judgments on second and subsequent renewals {Section 8 A (1), (2), (3) and (4)}.  Transition period of minimum 15 years for captive mines and 5 years for other mines; no sudden stoppage as a result of amendment {Section 8 A (5) and 8 A (6)}. Central Government empowered to prescribe deadlines for various processes and to issue binding directions to States {Section 20 A}.  Central Government to frame separate rules for atomic minerals {Amendment to Section 11 (B)}.  The previous approval of the Central Government will not be required for grant of mineral concession except for Atomic Minerals, Coal and Lignite {Amendment to Section 5(1)}.  Enabling powers for reservation for the public sector to continue {Section 17 A (2A)}.  Higher penalties and jail terms for offences; special courts may be constituted, if necessary {Amendment to Section 21(1) & (2)}. .  District Mineral Foundation to take care of people and areas affected by mining {Section 9 (B)}.  National Mineral Exploration Trust to be set up for impetus to exploration {Section 9 (C)}.  Easy transferability of concessions obtained through auctions so as to attract private investment and FDI {Section 12 (A)}.  Powers to Central Government to intervene even where State Governments do not pass orders within prescribed time lines; this will eliminate delay {Amendment to Section 30}.

Title: Australian delegation congratulates Indian Government for bringing in forward looking and progressive changes in Mining Sector Date: 13th January, 2015

An Australian delegation led by Mr. Andrew Robb, Trade and Investment Minister, Australia met Union Minister of Steel & Mines Shri Narendra Singh Tomar at Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi yesterday. Senior officials from the governments of India and Australia and CEOs from the companies in both the countries were present during the meeting.

Shri Tomar remarked that such bilateral meetings contribute significantly in strengthening the political and economic relations between the two countries. He invited the mining companies from Australia to be a partner in developing the mining sector in India. While highlighting the issues of concern, he mentioned reducing the high waiting time for ships at the coal loading ports in Australia, improving availability of rail and port capacities for transporting coking coal to port and creating opportunities for sale or investments in the equity of good coking coal assets in Australia. Terming the deliberations fruitful, Shri Tomar assured the delegation that their concerns will be addressed and expressed confidence that bilateral relations will become better and stronger, paving way for progress on both sides.

Mr. Andrew Robb pointed out that around one-third members in the 450-strong delegation that has come to India, represent mining sector. He expressed the desire of Australian government to take the relations between the two countries to a higher level. Mr. Robb complimented the new government for bringing in forward-looking and progressive changes in the mining sector. The meeting, like other meetings they had in India, has been frank and fruitful, marked by a genuine constructive approach and infectious energy and momentum, he added. Mr. Robb commended the stable policy regime, which is sure to attract investors to India and agreed with the general perception that red tape is being transformed to red carpet.

Ministry of Power

Title: Shri Piyush Goyal Launches Updated Websites of Ministries of Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy Date: 20th January, 2015

Inspired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji’s vision of “Digital India”, Ministries of Power, Coal & New & Renewable Energy have re-designed their websites to make them user-friendly, mobile/tablet responsiveand engaging. These websites will continue to be further improved in the days to come to make them even more communicative and easy to navigate.The URLs are as follows:

 Ministry of Power: http://www.powermin.nic.in  Ministry of Coal: http://www.coal.nic.in  Ministry of New & Renewable Energy: http://www.mnre.nic.in

In addition, Minister Piyush Goyal’s own website http://www.piyushgoyal.inhas been updated with latest videos, talks (including Parliamentary speeches) and achievements/initiatives undertaken by the government.

Speaking to the media persons after launching websites, Shri Goyal said that “Digital India” is a mission for this government. In the words of Hon’ble Prime Minister himself, “E-governance is easy, economical and effective governance”, and departments are taking great strides towards this endeavour. The Minister further stated that the new websites launched on the eve of the World Economic Forum at Davos will also help showcase India’s energy sector to the international business community in a professional manner, which will attract investments and aid in fulfilling our targets particularly in developing renewable energy.

Giving details of features of new websites, Shri Goyal said that the websites have been designed with user requirements in mind with categorizations by industry type (e.g. power generation, transmission, distribution, coal mining, coal linkages, coal auction etc.). In this way a specific user interested in coal auction can directly see all information related to the initiative with one click. Additionally, the initiatives and achievements of the first 200 days have been compiled into e-books in Hindi and English, which are featured prominently on the sites.The websites have been updated with all the recent schemes and latest news. Moreover, with the proliferation of mobile devices, the critical sites / sections have also been designed to provide a seamless experience on mobile devices, Shri Goyal added.

Title: Modi Government is committed to Provide Affordable and Clean Power 24x7 for all Date: 12th January, 2015

Speaking at a seminar “Sustainable Energy for All ” on the sidelines of Vibrant Gujarat, in Gandhinagar today, the Union Minister of State for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy, Shri Piyush Goyal said that his government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is committed to delivering 24x7 power for all. This requires significant augmentation of energy generation, effective transmission and distribution system and finally efficient consumption. At the same time, he reiterated that commitment to economic development and concern for environment, go hand in hand.

Energy for all is at the centre of all plans. India is enormously energy starved, since average per capita consumption is just a tinge over 900 units per year versus Gujarat at 1,800 units and developed countries at 15,000 a year. 280 million people in 56 million homes are bereft of any electricity whatsoever. Further, a large number of people who are connected to the grid, receive sporadic and inconsistent electricity in many states of India. He hoped to make a long-lasting, transformative impact on the lives of millions of fellow Indians.

In the last 7 months, since assuming office, the govt. has focused on increasing production of key inputs for power generation. The action plan for doubling production of Coal India Limited to 1 billion tons in 5 years is ready. His Ministry is tripling exploration, investing $1 Billion for 250 additional rakes and expediting evacuation (particularly, 3 critical railway lines which can evacuate 200 million tons). Within a month of the Supreme Court`s judgment cancelling 204 coal blocks, the centre promulgated an ordinance and the auction process has already begun in the most transparent e-bidding format. This will help in augmentation of domestic production and go a long way in eliminating the need to import thermal coal, at great cost to the exchequer. The govt. has also initiated a coal linkage rationalization exercise to link plants with their nearest coal mines to ensure minimum transportation of coal, unclog railway network, reduce ash related damage to the environment and pass-on the savings of approx. $1 billion to the consumers. The first swap has already been completed between Gujarat and NTPC-Sipat in Chhattisgarh, saving the consumers, particularly Gujarat, $50 million. This idea was received from Saurabhbhai Patel, Minister for Energy & Petrochemicals & Finance, Government of Gujarat. This govt. was going for compulsory crushing and washing of coal, to further minimize ash transportation, and taking up afforestation programs at scale. Beside initiating studies to ensure that rivers stay perennial, wherever a hydro project has been planned or is already in operation.

The minister said the centre was laying_ unprecedented thrust on renewable sources of energy for the long-term energy security of India to meet our commitment to preserve the environment. Thomas Alva Edison in 1931 in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone said: "We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature`s inexhaustible sources of energy-sun, wind and tide. I`d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don`t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that." The govt. has quintupled the solar energy target to 100,000 MW by 2022 and have a clear roadmap to achieve this ambitious target he said. Of this, 40,000 MW will be rooftop solar, where millions of people will become micro-entrepreneurs and sell to the grid, thereby augmenting their income and reducing power bills, since they will only have to pay the "net" amount. Similarly, the govt. is tripling wind power generation capacity to 60,000 MW. India will become one of the principal markets for renewable energy development in the near future. The Unnatchulhaabhiyaan is an innovative clean cookstove programme, which functions on biomass and renewable fuels, and will save women and children from carcinogenic fumes emanating when traditional fuels are burned.

The govt. foresees an investment of over $150 billion in renewables over the next few years. A Renewable Energy Investment Summit (RE-Invest 2015) is being hosted in mid-February to attract such large quantum of investments. The ocean of opportunity ahead for India for clean energy is simply enormous. Shri Goyal said India recognizes that its development programme should be dovetailed with its commitment to saving the environment. The Hon`ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has often alluded to our activities causing "zero effect" to the environment. He said Modi is a great proponent of an action-oriented approach to protect the environment as reflected in his book "Convenient Action" penned a few years ago.

India`s carbon dioxide emissions are 1.64 tons per capita as against 16-17 tons per capita in many countries of the developed world. Considering the large population, in the aggregate the carbon footprint seems quite big. However, one must appreciate that India is at the cusp of its development cycle taking off and has to rapidly expand its infrastructure, home building programes affordable energy generation etc. Millions of people have to be brought out of poverty and access to education, healthcare and equal job opportunities need to be accelerated. Hence it is essential to calibrate the environment protection program to our development needs, the minister said. Renewable energy sources and energy efficient technologies feature prominently are in the agenda, but "energy access for all" is the first step. Also, from a cost perspective, while the trajectory of renewables looks promising, at present, thermal power is indeed the cheapest source of energy generation. For a country whose per-capita GDP is a modest $1,500, it unreasonable to burden the common man with significantly higher costs in the present, considering the large investments required; while major polluters in the world have not done so themselves during their own development period. The Centre believes it is only fair to have a reciprocal and just arrangement inter-se the developed and developing countries of the world.

Shri Piyush Goyal said, while generation is obviously important, a strong infrastructure in transmission and distribution is equally essential. Unfortunately, this sector has remained historically under-invested. The government has launched two flagship schemes - the Deen Daya lUpadhyay Gram JyotiYojana (DDUGJY) and Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS), with central government grants of $18 billion.

He added, DDUGJY was inspired by the pioneering initiative of the Gujarat Government (Jyoti Gram Yojana). It will focus on feeder segregation in rural areas, proper metering of usage and strengthening sub- transmission & distribution infrastructure including replacement of suboptimal and burnt out transformers, so that farmers receive adequate power and rural homes and small-scale industries receive 24x7 power. Moreover, remote villages with small population will also be connected to the grid, where feasible, or will be provided power through off-grid and micro-grid solutions powered by renewable energy.

Title: Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) Signs MOU with South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) for LED Street Lighting Date: 9th January, 2015

All 5 Lakh Street Lights in Delhi Would be Replaced by LED Lights Within 1 Year : Shri Piyush Goyal

All 5 lakh street lights in Delhi would be replaced by LED lights within 1 year, saving over Rs. 1,000 crore over a 7 year period. This was stated by Shri Piyush Goyal , Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy here today, while witnessing the ceremony of signing of MOU between South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) for replacing 2 lakh conventional street lights in the SDMC area with energy efficient and smart LED lights at no upfront capital cost to SDMC.

Inspired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ’s announcement on the national launch of the LED lighting program on 5th January, 2015 that initially 100 cities in India would be covered by LED lighting, Shri Goyal announced that the nationwide rollout will be completed in 3 years. Within 4 days of the Prime Minister’s announcement, EESL and SDMC signed an agreement, Shri Goyal added.

LED lights offer significantly greater luminescence, for the same wattage. For instance, in Ward No. 161 in Adchini Village, a 150W sodium lamp was replaced with a 70W LED luminaire and the luminescence improved from 30 Lux to 312 Lux i.e. over 10 times! SDMC’s street lights today consume 10.7 crore Units today, but the twin features of lesser wattage and higher luminescence, the energy consumed can be reduced by upto 70%, thereby saving over Rs. 500 crores in 7 years i.e. 3 times more than the Rs. 175 crore required to install LEDs.

The repayments to EESL will be out of savings in energy and maintenance cost of SDMC over a 7 year contract period. EESL will also provide free replacements and maintenance of lights at no additional cost. Within just ten days of the LED street programme launch in Delhi on 25th December, 2015, street lights in three wards have been completely replaced by LED at Naraina, Laxmi Nagar and Malaviya Nagar areas.

In addition to this, as part of the pan India home lighting programme, domestic energy efficient lighting program for Delhi shall cover distribution of 1 crore energy efficient bulbs (with 7 year warranty) which shall lead to an overall energy saving of 25 crore units every year translating into a saving of over Rs. 1,000 crore on a 7 year period.

Surveys conducted in Malaviya Nagar, after installation of 1,100 LED street lights in place of conventional lights revealed immense satisfaction particularly for women (better security), small businessmen (increased lighting attracted more customers to their establishments), and the general public at large (sense of safety and lower propensity for road accidents).

Title: PM launches Scheme for LED bulb distribution under domestic efficient lighting programme in Delhi Date: 8th January, 2015

Title: PM launches National Programme for LED-based Home and Street Lighting Date: 8th January, 2015

Excerpts from E-Book on Achievements and Initiatives of Ministries of Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy in the first 200 Days (08-January 2015)

Mission:

 Affordable, 24x7 power for all homes, industrial and commercial establishments and adequate power for the agricultural sector

 Long-term energy security of India

Key takeaways

 5 unions of Coal India Limited have called off the strike after cordial discussions with senior leadership of the company and the Ministry of Coal yesterday.

 After collapse of grid in Delhi in May leading to frequent power cuts, Central government acted decisively to restore power lines and provide power to all homes. From these learnings, we have prepared a short term and medium term plan to ensure such a crisis does not occur again, for which massive investments worth Rs. 7,700 crores are already underway for:

 Upgrading power infrastructure  Bringing more transmission lines to the city  Underground cabling  Smart metering to stop wrong billing  Emergency response systems

 National launch of LED and energy conservation mission by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji: 1 crore bulbs in Delhi will be replaced with LED within one year. Similar replacement program of 500,000 street lights of Delhi in one year too. Nationwide rollout thereafter will see a saving of over Rs. 10,000 crores.  Amendments in the Electricity Act introduced in Parliament for providing choice to consumers in electricity suppliers (just like we have the freedom to choose a mobile phone operator and can change if dissatisfied, so will be the case with electricity suppliers too). This will ensure more competition, affordable power and better customer service.  50% increase in capacity addition in June-Nov 2014 versus June-Nov 2013  Record 15.8% increase in thermal based electricity generation in June-Nov 2014 versus June-Nov 2013  All time high 14.1% increase in coal production in Oct-Nov 2014 versus 1.0% in Oct-Nov 2013 (and 8.4% production growth in June-Nov 2014 over June-Nov 2013)  Central Government grant of Rs. 1.1 lakh crores for comprehensive infrastructure up gradation pan India under two schemes (Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) for rural India and Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) for urban India) towards 24x7 affordable power for all.

 DDUGJY will see feeder separation in rural India giving assured power to the farms, and 24x7 for homes and small scale industries  The Remote villages with small population (e.g., dhanis) will also be covered under DDUGJY.

 Action plan towards doubling Coal India’s production target to 100 crore tons in 5 years is in place, and transformation process has been initiated.  100,000 MW solar and 60,000 MW wind energy capacity installation target by 2022 for long- term energy security of India. This will entail an investment of Rs. 10 lakh crore.

 40,000 MW of rooftop solar  20,000 MW of solar parks

 A world-class Renewable Energy Investment Summit (RE-Invest 2015) is being held in mid- February to show case India’s potential, ease of doing business and to attract such quantum of capital.  Historic coal ordinance was promulgated within a month of cancellation of coal blocks by Hon’ble Supreme Court. Allocation and auction process will be held in a transparent manner exclusively by e-bidding. This will protect the interests of Coal India Limited’s employees and increase domestic production towards 24x7 affordable power for all, and long term energy security of India.  Coal bearing states will receive over Rs. 7 lakh crores from e-auction of coal blocks in future, for socioeconomic development and accelerating economic growth.  Make in India: Rs. 1 lakh crore worth orders being placed by NTPC, Coal India Limited, Energy Efficiency Services Limited, PGCIL etc. to boost manufacturing and kick start the economy.  Long pending transmission projects worth Rs. 35,000 crores cleared and government grant of Rs. 10,000 crores for comprehensive strengthening and up gradation of power systems in 8 North Eastern States  Supply of coal from nearest mines will reduce transportation costs by Rs. 6,000 crores, reducing tariffs:  Already one exchange between NTPC and Gujarat saved Rs. 300 crores for the customers PSUs under the administrative control of the Ministries of Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy are constructing over 100,000 toilets in schools, by 15th August 2015 towards Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan

Title: Shri Nitin Gadkari Lays Foundation of Powergrid 400/220 KV GIS Sub-Station at Tughlakabad in New Delhi Date: 6th January, 2015

Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Shri Nitin Gadkari laid today the foundation of 400/220 kV sub-station with 2000 MVA Capacity of POWERGRID at Tughlakabad, Delhi. The function was presided over by Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of State(IC) for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy. Shri Ramesh Bidhuri, Member of Parliament, senior officials of Ministry of Power, Delhi Power Department and POWERGRID officials were also present at the foundation laying ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping has appreciated the efforts of Ministry of Power for establishment of sub-stations for Delhi with the help of POWERGRID which will prove to be a milestone in strengthening of Delhi power scenario and provide 24hourquality power supply to its residents. It will give great relief to the Delhi people and improve economic growth.

On this occasion, Shri Piyush Goyal said that various projects are being implemented by the Government for strengthening the power system in Delhi. After implementation of these schemes Delhi residents will no longer need to depend on their diesel generators and invertors for power supply. 5 Lac LED lights will be installed in Delhi with an approximate cost of Rs.500 Crores. These schemes will also help Delhi in reducing the overall power consumption. He also added that in the coming time Delhi consumers will be able to select their power service provider as per their suitability in terms of services.

The substation will be built with state-of the-art GIS technology and will cater to the power demand to Delhi. It will improve reliability in power supply to south and southeast Delhi. It will provide connectivity to Masjid mod, Okhla, Mehrauli, Maidangarhi and Badarpur.

Considering the importance of reliable power supply to Delhi, Ministry of Power took the initiative to mitigate the problems in transmission & distribution of electricity it was emphasized that a very strong Inter State Transmission System alongwith 400/220KV Grid Sub-stations in and around Delhi are required to be established to ensure secured transmission network with adequate transformation capacity.

In order to facilitate handling of increasing quantum of power with reliability, four nos. of 400/220kV substations along with associated 400kV transmission network under ISTS are being implemented within the periphery of Delhi to import power from various sources outside Delhi. These ISTS (Inter State Transmission System) 400/220 kV substations are planned to be established at Rajghat, Tughlakabad, Karampura and Papankalan by POWERGRID.

Presently many 220 kV s/s of Delhi are being fed from single source, implementation of above scheme shall provide alternate source, which shall improve reliability of power supply. Thus, with the creation of the above four 400kV S/s planned for commissioning by 2016-17, there would be strong infeed around Delhi which can take care and reliably meet the load demand of Delhi. Besides above, development of intra – state network in Delhi has also been planned and taken up for implementation by DTL for absorption of power in reliable manner.

President's Secretariat

Title: President addresses students and faculty of CUS, IITS, NITS etc on ‘parliament and policymaking’ from Rashtrapati Bhavan Date: 19th January, 2015

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee delivered through Video Conferencing a New Year Message on the topic ‘Parliament and Policymaking’ to Central Universities, IITs, NITs and other Institutions using the National Knowledge Network from Rashtrapati Bhavan today (January 19, 2015).

The President also responded to questions on (1) the remedy to check disruptions in Parliament, (2) way out when ruling party does not have numbers in Rajya Sabha, (3) the Ordinance route to enact legislation and (4) making the budget making process participative.

A webcast of the address and the Q & A session is available on http://webcast.gov.in/president/

Addressing the students and faculty, the President said the year 2014 was an eventful year for India’s polity. After three decades, Indian electorate decided to give a single party the majority to form a stable government. The outcome of the elections to the 16th Lok Sabha provides political stability and gives a mandate to the elected government to fulfill its commitment to the people by using its majority in formulating policies and making laws to implement those policies.

The President said in a democracy, the Parliament has three vital functions – representation, law-making and oversight. The Parliament stands for the will and aspirations of the people. It is the platform where through debate and deliberations, this ‘will’ and ‘aspirations’ have to be prioritized and translated into laws, policies and concrete programmes of action. When that does not happen, an important element in the functioning of a democracy gets compromised to the disadvantage of the people.

The President said law-making or legislation is the exclusive domain of the Parliament and the legislative assemblies in our Parliamentary democracy. In law-making, the easy part is the act of passing a Bill. The harder part is the negotiations for reconciling the interests of different groups for the legislation. A legislature is effective only if it is able to address the differences amongst stakeholders and succeeds in building a consensus for the law to be enacted and enforced. When the Parliament fails in discharging its law-making role or enacts law without discussion, it breaches the trust reposed in it by the people. This is neither good for the democracy nor for the policies anchored in those laws.

The President said policies have to address concerns of different stakeholders in a society in the larger national interest. Policymaking in India’s context is guided by its Constitution. The Parliament having aided policy formulation also ensures that policy and programmes that it has helped define through legislation is implemented in the envisaged manner. It exercises oversight, to ensure that programmes are carried out by the Executive legally, effectively and for the purposes they are intended. Parliamentary oversight extends also to two other important functions. Parliament enjoys exclusive power of total control on money and finance. Every taxation and every receipt and expenditure to and from the Consolidated Fund of India is subject to the approval of the Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha. The other important supervisory power of the Parliament over the Executive is that the highest Executive authority i.e. the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers function as long as they enjoy the confidence of the popularly-elected House and can be removed by a simple majority of the House through a motion of no-confidence.

The President said the Parliament’s role in policy articulation, its implementation and oversight is critical. It is, therefore, incumbent on the Members of the Parliament to discuss and undertake adequate scrutiny of all business transacted in the House. Unfortunately, the time devoted by the Members in Parliament has been gradually declining. The first three Lok Sabhas had 677, 581 and 578 sittings, respectively. Compared to that, the 13th, 14th and 15th Lok Sabhas had 356, 332 and 357 sittings, respectively. We all should hope that the 16th Lok Sabha reverses this trend.

The President said there is a growing tendency to resort to disruption as a means of Parliamentary intervention. Dissent is a recognized democratic expression, but disruption leads to loss of time and resources, and paralyzes policy formulation. The cardinal principle of Parliamentary Democracy is that the majority has the mandate to rule while opposition has the right to oppose, expose, and if the numbers permit, to depose. But, under no circumstances should there be disruption of the proceedings. A noisy minority cannot be allowed to gag a patient majority.

The President said to meet certain exigencies and under compelling circumstances, the framers of the Constitution deemed it necessary to confer limited legislative power upon the Executive by way of promulgation of Ordinances when the legislature is not in session and circumstances justified immediate legislation. The framers also deemed it necessary to impose certain restrictions on this extraordinary legislative power by constitutionally mandating replacement of such Ordinances within a timeframe by the legislators. Article 123 (2) provides that an ordinance must be replaced by a law not later than six weeks from the re-assembly of the two Houses. Article 85 further provides that six months shall not intervene between the last sitting of one session and the first sitting of the next session.

The President said India’s diversity and the magnitude of its problems require that the Parliament becomes a more effective platform to build consensus on public policies and a bulwark of our democratic ideals. The proceedings in Parliament must be conducted in a spirit of cooperation, harmony and purpose. The content and quality of debates should be of a high order. Maintenance of discipline and decorum in the House and observance of etiquette and decency are necessary.

The President cautioned the Parliament to not yield its space for legislating and policymaking to mass mobilization and street-protests, for that may not always provide considered solutions to our problems. To retain the trust and faith of the people, the Parliament must enact laws to put in place policies that address the concerns and aspirations of the people.

Title: New Year address by the President to Higher Educational and Research Institutions on the topic, “Parliament and Policymaking” through video conferencing Date: 19th January, 2015

Vice Chancellors, Directors, Heads of Institutions of higher learning and research institutions, Faculty members, and Dear Students:

1. Let me start by wishing you and your families a very happy and prosperous New Year. I am happy to have the opportunity of sharing some of my thoughts with you at the beginning of the year. I express my appreciation and gratitude to the National Knowledge Network (NKN) team, particularly Prof. S.V. Raghavan, and the NIC team, who have made it possible for me to reach out to you in such large numbers through this video conference. Last year, it was decided that I will address you twice – once at the beginning of the New Year in January and again at the beginning of the new academic session in August.

Friends:

2. The year 2014 was an eventful year for India’s polity. After three decades, Indian electorate decided to give a single party the majority to form a stable government. Outcome of the Elections to the 16th Lok Sabha provides political stability and gives mandate to the elected government to fulfill its commitment to the people by using its majority in formulating policies and making laws to implement those policies.

Distinguished heads of the institutions, faculty members and dear students:

3. In a democratic polity, building and strengthening the nation is the collective responsibility of all the major organs of the government. In Parliamentary Democracy, all three wings - the Executive, the Legislature (Parliament) and the Judiciary - are the most important functional organs. All three derive their authority from the Constitution, which clearly defines their role of policymaking, legislation, implementation of the policies and programmes, and interpreting the law by Judiciary as and when required.

4. Today, I have chosen to speak on the theme of “Parliament and Policymaking” or, more generally, on the relationship between law and policy. You would recognize that by posing the issue on those lines, the Judiciary, along with the Parliament and the Executive, also becomes a relevant player in steering the development process in the country. All three organs are expected to operate within their limits as prescribed by the Constitution without over-stepping them.

Friends:

5. In a democracy, the Parliament has three vital functions – representation, law-making and oversight. Though the formulation of policy and initiation of legislation is mainly the function of the Executive, enactment of legislation or its rejection is within the domain of the legislature. Interpretation of law falls in the domain of the Judiciary.

6. The Parliament stands for the will and aspirations of the people. It is the platform where through debate and deliberations, this ‘will’ and ‘aspirations’ have to be prioritized and translated into laws, policies and concrete programmes of action. When that does not happen, an important element in the functioning of a democracy gets compromised to the disadvantage of the people.

Friends:

7. Law refers to principles and rules, codified or enshrined in customary practices, established for mediation of social relations between people and communities in a society. It serves two important purposes. It gives shape to social values and strengthens their aspirational dimension. It also helps in guiding human behaviour towards desired social ends. Thus, by definition, law provides the normative basis and the architecture for the conduct of public policy.

8. Law-making or legislation is the exclusive domain of the Parliament and the legislative assemblies in our Parliamentary democracy. In law-making, the easy part is the act of passing a Bill (not so easy when you do not have majority!). The harder part is the negotiations for reconciling the interests of different groups for the legislation. A legislature is effective only if it is able to address the differences amongst stakeholders and succeeds in building a consensus for the law to be enacted and enforced. When the Parliament fails in discharging its law- making role or enacts law without discussion, it breaches the trust reposed in it by the people. This is neither good for the democracy nor for the policies anchored in those laws.

Distinguished heads of the institutions, faculty members and dear students:

9. Policy refers to a definite course of action adopted for expediting or facilitating desired results in a given situation. It is normative in nature. These norms come from laws and social practices prevalent in a society, or from international conventions that a state becomes party to. Policies have to essentially address the concerns of different stakeholder in a society, in the larger national interest.

Friends:

10. The policymaking in India’s context is guided by its Constitution. The Directive Principles of State Policy represent affirmative instructions to provide the basis for all executive and legislative action. While these principles are non-justiciable, they are fundamental in the governance of the country. In the landmark 1973 Judgment in Kesavananda Bharati vs. State of Kerala, the Supreme Court observed that both Directive Principles and Fundamental Rights are equally ‘fundamental’ even though Directives are not directly enforceable by the courts. In the past decade, people have been given entitlements for right to information, limited job security in rural areas, education and food through legal guarantees. Each legislative intervention has resulted in a shift in policy towards the objectives laid down in our Constitution and in furthering human well-being.

Friends:

11. The Parliament having aided policy formulation also ensures that policy and programmes that it has helped define through legislation is implemented in the envisaged manner. It exercises oversight, to ensure that programmes are carried out by the Executive legally, effectively and for the purposes they are intended. Parliamentary oversight extends also to two other important functions. Parliament enjoys exclusive power of total control on money and finance. Every taxation and every receipt and expenditure to and from the Consolidated Fund of India is subject to the approval of the Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha. The other important supervisory power of the Parliament over the Executive is that the highest Executive authority i.e. the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers function as long as they enjoy the confidence of the popularly-elected House and can be removed by a simple majority of the House through a motion of no-confidence. According to our Constitution, in certain exceptional circumstances, the Prime Minister can recommend to the President the dissolution of Lok Sabha when composition of the House is fractured and its functioning becomes erratic and in-cohesive. Therefore, these two very important functions of the Executive are subject to the total control of the popularly-elected House.

Friends:

12. The Parliament’s role in policy articulation, its implementation and oversight is critical. It is, therefore, incumbent on the Members of the Parliament to discuss and undertake adequate scrutiny of all business transacted in the House. Unfortunately, the time devoted by the Members in Parliament has been gradually declining. The first three Lok Sabhas had 677, 581 and 578 sittings, respectively. Compared to that, the 13th, 14th and 15th Lok Sabhas had 356, 332 and 357 sittings, respectively. We all should hope that the 16th Lok Sabha reverses this trend.

Friends:

13. There is a growing tendency to resort to disruption as a means of Parliamentary intervention. Dissent is a recognized democratic expression, but disruption leads to loss of time and resources, and paralyzes policy formulation. The cardinal principle of Parliamentary Democracy is that the majority has the mandate to rule while opposition has the right to oppose, expose, and if the numbers permit, to depose. But, under no circumstances should there be disruption of the proceedings. A noisy minority cannot be allowed to gag a patient majority.

My dear students:

14. To meet certain exigencies and under compelling circumstances, the framers of the Constitution deemed it necessary to confer limited legislative power upon the Executive by way of promulgation of Ordinances when the legislature is not in session and circumstances justified immediate legislation. The framers also deemed it necessary to impose certain restrictions on this extraordinary legislative power by constitutionally mandating replacement of such Ordinances within a timeframe by the legislators. Article 123 (2) provides that an ordinance must be replaced by a law not later than six weeks from the re-assembly of the two Houses. Article 85 further provides that six months shall not intervene between the last sitting of one session and the first sitting of the next session.

Distinguished heads of the institutions, faculty members and dear students:

15. India’s diversity and the magnitude of its problems require that the Parliament becomes a more effective platform to build consensus on public policies and a bulwark of our democratic ideals. The proceedings in Parliament must be conducted in a spirit of cooperation, harmony and purpose. The content and quality of debates should be of a high order. Maintenance of discipline and decorum in the House and observance of etiquette and decency are necessary.

16. The Parliament must not yield its space for legislating and policymaking to mass mobilization and street- protests, for that may not always provide considered solutions to our problems. To retain the trust and faith of the people, the Parliament must enact laws to put in place policies that address the concerns and aspirations of the people. Friends:

17. You as educators, researchers, opinion makers and future leaders have a role to play in contributing to improve the quality of policymaking and its implementation. Many amongst you will enter public life to serve the nation. Take time to decide before entering as it is never a short-term option. But having decided once, give your best.

18. I conclude by once again wishing you all a very happy and fulfilling year ahead. Let this be a year of great opportunities and successes in all that you pursue.

Thank you. Jai Hind.

Title: Video message by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee for the function organized by the Infosys Science Foundation to award the Infosys Prize 2014 Date: 6th January, 2015

Good evening, distinguished trustees of the Infosys Science Foundation; esteemed jury chairs, winners of the Infosys Prize 2014 and guests.

I am happy to address this distinguished gathering and I congratulate the Infosys Science Foundation for instituting these awards which recognize and honour outstanding achievements of researchers and scientists across six categories.

India, under the guidance of our first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, adopted science and technology as a priority from the early days of our independence.

The creation of institutions for research and higher education began from 1950 itself. As early as 1951, the country decided to set up an Atomic Energy Commission which has enabled India build her own nuclear reactors. Soon, our space programme started enabling us to launch satellites into space.

At the time of independence, our agriculture sector was under-developed and we were importer of food grains. The excellence of our scientists and toil of our farmers, together led to the Green Revolution of the sixties. Today, we are self-reliant in food and a major exporter of food grains. Such a transition has few parallels in human history.

The years that followed have seen the emergence of strong Information Technology, Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical industries.

A few months ago, we made history with the successful entry of the Mangalyaan into the Mars Orbit. India is the fourth in the world to reach the Mars. It is also the first to attain this goal in its very first attempt and at a cost of US$ 74 million, a fraction of the money spent by others.

While these milestones are a matter of pride for the nation, they also remind us of the distance still left to cover.

Science is one of the creative endeavours of human mind. It plays a vital role in the advancement of human life and is central to technological progress. A scientific culture must determine the choices and decisions made by individuals, societies and nations.

Research endeavours must advance the realms of knowledge and improve the lives of the common man. It must bring about social, environmental and economic betterment of our people.

I am convinced that India’s future is inextricably linked to the progress we can make in establishing strong foundations for scientific research within our country.

I congratulate all the winners of the Infosys Prize 2014 and thank them for their contributions to the world of knowledge.

I am confident that their achievements will inspire our youth to dedicate themselves to the service of science and society.

Thank you,

Jai Hind.

Prime Minister's Office

Title: PM chairs meeting of the Council on Climate Change Date: 19th January, 2015

• PM calls for a paradigm shift in global attitudes towards climate change, from "carbon credit", towards "green credit"

• PM: Global awareness on climate change is an opportunity to improve quality of life of citizens

• PM calls for consortium of nations with greatest solar energy potential

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today called for a paradigm shift in global attitudes towards climate change, from "carbon credit", towards "green credit." Chairing a meeting of the Prime Minister`s Council on Climate Change, Shri Narendra Modi said that instead of focusing on emissions and cuts alone, focus should shift on what we have done for clean energy generation, energy conservation and energy efficiency, and what more can be done in these areas. Shri Narendra Modi called for a careful evaluation of all the initiatives that have been taken by India in this regard. These include, to mention some: initiatives in solar energy, wind energy, biomass energy, and transportation projects that have reduced distances or travel times.

The Prime Minister said India looks at the global concern and awareness on Climate Change, as a great opportunity for working towards improving the quality of life of its citizens, and making a positive contribution for mankind.

The Prime Minister emphasized India`s "sanskar" (traditions) and "soch" (thinking), where "prakriti prem" (love of nature) was imbibed among people from childhood. The Prime Minister recalled his meeting with leaders of Pacific island nations in Fiji in November 2014, and the apprehension they had over the issue of climate change.

The Prime Minister called for a consortium of all nations who have the greatest solar energy potential. He called upon them to join hands with India for innovation and cutting-edge research that would reduce the cost of solar energy, making it more accessible to people.

The Prime Minister called for a review of curricula in architecture and civil engineering colleges, to include energy efficient design in a big way.

The meeting was attended by Union Ministers Smt. Sushma Swaraj, Shri Arun Jaitley, Shri Venkaiah Naidu, Ms. Uma Bharti, Shri Radha Mohan Singh, Shri Prakash Javadekar, and Shri Piyush Goyal. The meeting was also attended by Shri R.K Pachauri, Shri Nitin Desai, Shri Ajay Mathur, Shri J.M. Mauskar, Shri Chandrashekhar Dasgupta and other members of the Council.

Title: PM calls for swift action to stop pollution of River Ganga Date: 6th January, 2015

The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has called for time-bound, swift action and single-minded focus to stop pollution of the River Ganga. He was chairing a high-level meeting on the ‘Namaami Gange’ project today.

The Prime Minister reiterated that the ‘Namaami Gange’ vision should focus primarily on two main areas to check pollution at the source. These include: urban sewage and industrial effluents. “Ganga ko ganda na karen,” the PM emphasized.

The Prime Minister was briefed extensively on critical hotspots along the stretch of the river, which generate the most pollution. The existing gaps in sewage treatment capacity were highlighted. A total of 764 grossly polluting industrial units have been identified along the stretch of the Ganga. Tanneries, pulp and paper and sugar industries account for over three-fourth of this number.

The Prime Minister also emphasized the need to promote recycling of industrial waste water. He said industrial units should be motivated suitably to stop pollution, failing which action should be initiated within the framework of existing laws.

The Prime Minister also called for exploring the possibility of setting up modern, environment-friendly crematoria along the River Ganga, through private initiative and enterprise.

The concept of a network of volunteers to help end pollution of the river – ‘Ganga Vahini’ – has been approved. Steps are being taken to operationalize this network. 118 Urban Local Bodies have been identified to be covered within five years, in a targeted attempt to control pollution.

The Prime Minister was also briefed on ongoing sewerage and river front development projects.

The meeting was attended by Union Ministers Shri Venkaiah Naidu, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Ms. Uma Bharati, Shri Prakash Javdekar and top Government officials.

Title: PM’s remarks at the 102nd Indian Science Congress Date: 3rd January, 2015

PM calls for efforts to ensure that science, technology and innovation reach the poorest, the remotest and the most vulnerable person PM: We must restore the pride and prestige of science and scientists in our nation

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, has called for efforts to ensure that science, technology and innovation reach the poorest, the remotest and the most vulnerable person. He said that for a prosperous future for India, we need to put science, technology and innovation at the top of national priorities. In his address to the 102nd Indian Science Congress in Mumbai today, the Prime Minister said more resilient agriculture, appropriate and affordable technologies for rural areas, improving healthcare, making clean technology affordable, and making India a leading manufacturing nation and a hub for knowledge and technology-intensive industries, were some of the key objectives before Indian scientists.

The Prime Minister said a nation`s progress and its human development are linked to science and technology. He added that China`s emergence as the second biggest global economy is in parallel to its rise to the second place in science and technology activities.

The Prime Minister said, that a discussion on science and human development, cannot be divorced from the questions of political decisions; social choices; and of equity, ethics and access. He said human development has been the larger purpose and the driving force of India`s scientific pursuits, and science has helped shape modern India.

The Prime Minister appreciated Indian scientists for rising to the occasion “whenever the world shut its door on us.” He said that when the world sought our collaboration, they reached out with the openness that is inherent in our society. He also lauded Indian scientists for putting Mangalyaan in the Mars orbit in the first attempt, and saving thousands of lives through their accurate prediction of Cyclone Hudhud.

The Prime Minister said that when he speaks of ease of doing business in India, he also wants to pay equal attention to the ease of doing research and development in India. He said funding proposals must not take too long to clear, and scientific departments must have flexibility of funding decisions based on the uncertainties inherent in research activities. He also called for clear regulatory policies for research and development in areas like biotechnology, nanoscience, agriculture and clinical research.

The Prime Minister said each government department should have an officer focusing on science and technology relating to its area of work; and, allocate a percentage of its budget for such activities. “We have to place the university system at the cutting edge of the research and development activities in the country,” he added. He said universities must be freed from the clutches of excessive regulation and cumbersome procedures.

The Prime Minister called upon Indian industry to step up investments in science and technology in its own interest. He said India`s own pharmaceutical industry has carved out a place for itself in the world, because it invests significantly in research.

He welcomed the initiatives of Department of Science and Technology for involving thousands of children and youth in science and technology.

The Prime Minister said India must “restore the pride and prestige of science and scientists in our nation; revive the romance for science in society; rekindle the love for it in our children; and, encourage our scientists - to dream, imagine and explore.”

The Prime Minister began his address by paying homage to eminent scientist Vasant Gowarikar, who passed away recently.

Ministry of Science & Technology

Title: Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata contributes towards Jammu and Kashmir flood victims - PM National Relief Fund Date: 13th January, 2015

The faculty and staff of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata (IISER) responded to the appeal of the Prime Minister made in the aftermath of severe floods in Jammu and Kashmir by making a contribution of one day of their salary. In their letter attaching the draft they said they are moved by the appeal of the Prime Minister to contribute to the PM National Relief Fund, posted on the PIB website- http://pib.nic.in/newsite/printrelease.aspx?relid=109611 on 12th September 2014. They made a contribution of Rs. 3, 63,592/-.

Title: Scientific Research to be the Engine for ‘Make In India’ in Years to Come Date: 8th January, 2015

The Minister for Science & Technology (S&T) Dr. Harsh Vardhan, has said that scientific research in the country is to made the engine for ‘MAKE IN INDIA’ in years to come. Addressing a press conference along with Shri Y.S. Chowdary, the Minister of State for S&T in Hyderabad today, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said he was optimistic that all scientists of Indian origin would respond positively to the Narendra Modi government’s invitation to participate and bring an S&T-based industrial renaissance in our country. He said the focus of the present government will be to take scientific research to the field for implementation, for industrial progress.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that India today is definitely a more happening place in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) than the West. The Prime Minister’s confidence is definitely having an effect, he added.

The Modi government has already announced a package of incentives to Indian-origin STEM researchers so that they could get competitive salaries in India. Many private sector companies have already succeeded in wooing back to India talented scientists. This is reflecting well on India’s image as a country with innovation and STEM-based entrepreneurship.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that “Ministry of Science & Technology (BIRAC and CSIR) would work with State Industry Development Corporations for enabling deployment of technology benefitting SMEs”.

The spurt in the number of India’s intellectually talented students turning to the pure sciences has been noticed worldwide. Recently, the widely respected US think tank, Brookings Institution, has revealed in a report that 8 of the top10 cities worldwide in terms of sending STEM scholars to the United States on F-1 visas are in India. These cities are: Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata and Pune.

The Minister said that falling world oil prices will not distract India’s commitment to seeking breakthroughs in making renewable energy harnessing and its affordable adoption in everyday lif

Solar power

The Minister said that he would drive the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to push the frontiers of research into renewable energy research, particularly solar power.

“World oil prices have fallen from $ 115 a barrel in June to less than $ 50 this week. But Prime Minister Modi, himself a great backer of solar energy research, development and adoption in everyday life, has instructed me not to be distracted from the pursuit of the ultimate goal of having a fossil fuel free economy. This is definitely good news for the Environment as the present dependence on non-renewable forms of energy is killing us all and would be disastrous for the future generations”the Minister said.

The total renewable energy potential from various sources is conservatively estimated at 2.5 lakh MW. According to United Nations, India has achieved less than 12.5 percent of the potential. As for solar power, he said, the potential is “unlimited”.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan said, “In solar power the present trend is to think in terms of Gigawatts and not Megawatts because that would lead to prices dropping. In Germany, the government is encouraging house owners to rent out their rooftops so that more and more solar power can be harnessed for feeding into the grid. This policy needs to be incorporated into our national policy”.

Milestones: 2014-15

Extending his warm New Year’s greetings to the media representatives, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that the Ministries of S&T and Earth Sciences, which he heads, have had a most fruitful 2014. He congratulated all scientists, researchers, technicians and administrative staff of government laboratories and foundations who have made “Mangalyaan”and other milestones possible.

“The Indian private sector should also be congratulated because it is functioning in many start up fields and competing with established players in the West. In the past 20 years many Indian companies based on biotechnology, biological sciences and other fields have attracted world recognition “the Minister said. Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that India a large youth are now expected to take the country to its glory through the scientific path.

He listed the following achievements of the Department of Science and Technology at the Press Conference.

 Cutting-edge Technology: Make in India. India is a partner in the Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) project at Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA at a total cost of ₹1,299.8 Crore from 2014-23. 70% of India’s contribution will be in kind, in the making of quality mirrors and engineering in India. Partners: USA, Japan, Canada, China and India.  High performance computing resource of 800 TFLOPS has been commissioned for weather and climate modeling. Most powerful machine in the SE Asia.  Supercomputing for the future: India has mounted an ambitious “National Supercomputing Mission (NSM): Building Capacity and Capability “with the aim of building Exascale computing with a total budget outlay of ₹4,500 Crore over 7 years (jointly with Department of Information Technology).  Understanding Climate Change and Saving the Himalayan Ecosystem: National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem. National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change.  Tsunami Early Warning System at ESSO-INCOIS designated as Regional Tsunami Service Provider (RTSP) for providing advisories to all Indian Ocean Rim countries. India only country capable of providing advisories for both tsunamigenic zones: Makran coast and Andaman-Sumatra sub-duction zone.  Cyclone Prediction. Remarkable improvements: Recent events such as Thane, Phailin, and Helen and Hudhud.  Modeling Monsoon: A dynamic model employed to predict quantitative precipitation associated with the southwest monsoon.  Helping Recovery of Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) heavy weight torpedo ‘VARUNASTRA’. The support and participation by Vessel Management Cell of MoES ESSO-NIOT and crew of Sagar-Nidhi vital.  Make in India in High-end S&T: Deployed first Sub-surface Ocean Moored Observatory in the Arctic. ESSO-NCAOR and the ESSO-NIOT successfully deployed IndARC, the country’s first multi-sensor moored observatory in the Kongsfjorden fjord of the Arctic, roughly half way between Norway and the North Pole. This is a testimony to the capabilities of India in designing, developing and installing underwater observatories.  Investing for our future talent:, New thrust in Human Resource Development. Indian Scientists teach and train in Scale. International Scientists to teach in India. Opportunities for attracting Overseas Indian Scientists to return to India.  Enhanced Innovation Ecosystem: Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council now supports nearly 300 companies, 100 young entrepreneurs. Biotechnology Translational research and industry academia partnership are being promoted through 3 Biotech clusters, 8 Biotech Parks and 13 Bioincubators.  Rotavirus vaccine indigenously developed. The developed Rotavirus Vaccine at $1 per dose has been cleared for market license.  Decoding the Wheat Genome: 15 countries joined hands to complete this huge task of decoding 17,000 million bases. Indian Scientists participated in Decoding Chromosome 2A.  The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) provides significant technological interventions in many areas of economic and social importance which include environment, health, drinking water, food, housing, energy, farm and non-farm sectors.  CSIR has 90% of US patents granted to any Indian publicly funded R&D organization. CSIR licenses 13.86% of its patents - above global average.  National Capacity Building and in some areas, global leadership. Example: CSIR technology provides gasoline with less than 0.3% benzene. A 0.60 MMTPA plant is being constructed at Reliance Refinery in Jamnagar. First in world.  Novel Broad Spectrum Confocal Microscope: Under CSIR-CGCRI and NMITLI programme a Broad Spectrum Confocal Microscope, world class ‘Made in India’High-end Product based on Supercontinuum Light Source. Paved the way for India’s presence in global photonics research.  Strategic Sector: DHVANI, a state-of-the-art marksmanship training system and Drishti Systems, airport visibility measuring tools.  KrishiShakti, an indigenous diesel engine tractor.  Just Announced: Indian Neutrino Observatory. A major high-tech Make in India initiative and a new-thrust in High-Energy Experimental Physics. Collaboration with Department of Atomic Energy.

Title: 102ND Science Congress Culminates Date: 7th January, 2015

Shri Ram Naik Calls Upon Scientists Devise New Methods for Increasing Agricultural Praoduction, Better and Economic use of Water Resources as well as Cost Effective Energy Consumption

Knowledge of the Past should be with The Modern Concept

Dr. A.K.Saksena Nominated as President Elect For 103rd Indian Science Congress to be held at Mysore

The five days long sojourn of 102nd Indian Science Congress today came to an end with a call from Uttar Pradesh Governer and Chief Guest of the event Shri Ram Nayak to the Scientist Community to devise new methods for increasing Agricultural Praoduction, better and economic use of water resources as well as cost effective energy consumption. He said it is a challange for us as he have an ever indreasing population and scienists need to evolve solution for it.

Shri Ram Naik first talked of Late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s slogan “Jai Jawan Jai Kisaan” and linked it with the slogan given by former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratn Nominee Shri Atal Bihari Vajpeyee “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan aur Jai Vigyan”. He said our current Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is rightly working to promote Scientific Environment in the Country with a firm resolution.

Referring to the Ancient scriptures Shri Naik said what ever knowledge we have should be associated with the modern concept and there should be a thorough research in this regard. He said we must have proud on our past achievements as one who forgets past fails to design future.

Shri Naik also referred to Swami Viveka Nanda’s words ‘awake, move aheadtill you reach at the destination’ and said we should keep in mind the Ved Mantra “Chaieveti-Chaireveti” in all our ventures.

Shri Naik also released a Sovenier for the Indian Scince Congress on this Occasion. He also felicitated winners of Young Scientists Awards for the Year 2014-15 in the field of Agricultural & Forestry Science, Animal Husbandry, Embryology, Chemical Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Mineral Sciences, Medical Sciences, New Biology, Physical and Plant Sciences. The Award carried a Citation with Rs. 25,000/-each. The Pwards for poster competion were also given on the occasion. In addition all the departments participating in the “Pride of India Expo” were also felicitated.

The Guest of Honour Union Railway Minister Shri Suresh Prabhu in his address said he is addressing Scientists of today and tomorrow. He said emphasis be laid on how to use Science and Technology to achieve the targets and fulfill the aspirations of people. He said in coping with the developmental needs of our county anfd humanity at large Science and Scintifis fraternity has to play a pivotal role. He also emphasised the need to address the Climatic Changes concerns, conservation of our Ecological resources. He said we have to think that “To solve a problem we should not create another problem” and Science and Technology should be used for it. He called upon to prepare a national agenda for devising a long term vision in this regard.

The other guest of honour, the Maharashtra Minister of Technical & Higher Education Shri Vinod Tavde said that suggestions during Science Congress will be duly considered by a Task Force set up by the State Government.

Earlier in his Welcome Address Dr. Naresh Chandra, Pro-Vice Chanceller of Mumbai University informed of the Participation of 15,000 plus delegates and 06 Nobel Laureates and o4 other Laureates in the Conference.

In his Address Prof. Rajan Welukar, Vice Chanceler of Mumbai University while expressing gratitude to all the collaborates announced the dedication of University based Nano Science Cell and Nano Technology department to the Nation for open research. He said any one desirrous of doing research work can come here for hie persuits.

Dr,. S.B.Nimse, Vice Chancellor Lucknow University and President of the Indian Science Congress in his address also expressed gratitute to all concerned for making this mega event a grand success.

Earlier in the General Body Meeting of Indian Science Congress held to day Mr. A.K. Saksena was nominated as new President elect for the 103rd Indian Science Congress to be held in Mysore in January, 2015.

Title: India to Join Global High¬ End Scientific Club Soon Date: 6th January, 2015

INO, India now on a threshhold to join the global high-end scientific Neutrino club and its way has been cleared with the Union Cabinet clearing the Neutrino Observatory, INO last month. According to Prof. Naba K. Mondal, Project Director of the India-based Neutrino Observatory and Inter Institutional Centre for High Energy Physics it would open up avenues for experiments in high energy physics.

It may be noted that the Cabinet Committee on Security had cleared the project on December 26 last year, at an investment of Rs. 1,500 crores. It will be funded jointly by Department of Science and Technology and Atomic Energy, while the Infrastructure will be creatted with the help of Tamil Nadu government. Prof. Mondal, said on the sidelines of the ongoing Indian Science Congress in Mumbai.

He said , India will also seek international participation in the project, so that it turns out to be an international hub for high-end research like the CERN in Geneva. He however, said, Indian participation in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project will continue.

Dr. Mondal said with the closure of the Kolar Gold Field project this kind of high-end physics projects were not undertaken here in the past. Hence the global community had to be convinced that India is sincere in this regard. “Now with the formal approval for the project we will really want to open the space for the international community, to come and participate in the experiments or even propose new experiments. The experiment that we are doing is only the first experiment. There can be other experiments like on the dark matters. So India would like to invite the international community to come here and join us and participate so that this centre becomes a global hub for such things.”

The underground project, which will come up near Pottipuram village in Theni district on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border will comprise a complex of caverns – the main cavern, which will house the current detector will be 130 meters long, 26 meters wide and 30 meter high. There will be two smaller caverns to be used for setting up experiments for neutrino double detector and dark matters, said Prof. Mondal. The complex will be approached by a 2-kms long tunnel. The Inter Institutional Centre for High Energy Physics will come up in Madurai, about 110 kilometers from the Observatory.

“The Neutrino that we are going to detect is there anyway. We will only detect and study its properties. Light from the Sun, stars and galaxies are there always. When you put a telescope, you detect it. Here also the Neutrinos are coming, we are only putting the detector underground,” he said. “We have to put it underground, because in the surface, there are other interactions, which will completely submerge the Neutrino event. That’s why we have to go deep underground, where other particles get absorbed and we can measure the Neutrino.”

Prof. Mondal said, any apprehensions about the project’s impact on habitation in or around the village was unfounded.

Title: 102nd Indian Science Congress Date: 5th January, 2015

Day 2 of the 8th Science Communicators’ Meet

The second day of the 8th Science Communicators’ Meet held on 5th January, 2015 witnessed an equivalent enthusiastic turnout as the first day. The meet commenced with the technical session (Theme: Innovations in Technology : A Must for Human Development). Dr. Rohini Sivabalan, Retired Head, Department of Biological Sciences, Ruia College, Mumbai and Dr. Gauhar Raza, NISCAIR – CSIR, New Delhi, being the chaired the session for oral presentations and Mr.Suhas B Naik-Satam, General Secretary, National Centre for Science and Communicators and Programme Coordinator (Scientific), Nehru Planetarium and Dr. Biman Basu, Former Editor, Science Reporter, New Delhi chaired the session for poster presentations. The coordinators were Mrs. Ujjwala Tirkey, DST, New Delhi for poster presentations and Dr. Indrani Banerjee, Academy of Clinical Excellence, Mumbai for oral presentations.

Dr. Rohini gave her credible inputs and suggestions on the presentations of the participants stating the need to bridge the gap between the young and the old.

Dr. Raza remarked that science communication is a cultural, political and social activity besides being a scientific activity particularly when it is being communicated to the public and pressed on the point that science by intrinsic character keeps on changing and that the ways of communicating the facts are as important as the facts communicated.

The technical session was concluded by felicitation of Dr. Raza and Dr. Sivabalan by Dr. Banerjee and of Dr. Naik- Satam and Dr. Basu by Mrs. Tirkey. The technical session was proceeded by interesting and intriguing lectures on various facets ranging from ‘use of online tools’ to ‘mass communication’ to ‘the Mars Orbiter Mission’ by the invited speakers.

Mr. Charusudan Kasturi, Assistant Editor, The Telegraph, New Delhi, was the first to come to address the gathering after a brief introduction by Dr. B. P. Singh. He spoke on ‘The Untapped Possibilities for Indian Science Communication using Online Tools’ talking primarily about the key challenges that a science communicator faces and the complications involved in handling them and the need to decode technical terminologies and simplifying complex concepts without diluting the scientific content or oversimplifying the researcher’s work.

The stage was then taken over by Mr. Hans Desale, Associate Scientist II, Receptors Inc, USA, who elucidated on Mass communication and its effects on Scientific Innovation and the dangers which hover when science meets media exemplifying it with the anti-vaccination movement that took place in the UK.

It was Mr. Srinivas Laxman’s speech on The Indian Mars Orbiters Mission that kept the audience hooked to their seats. Mr. Laxman, a Space Journalist, Formerly with the Times of India, Mumbai stated the challenges which were encountered while communicating the record breaking accomplishment of MOM to the public as it had to be conveyed in a way which would trigger curiosity and interest among them, particularly among school children. He concluded by saying that the success of MOM which involved risk of first order, can be well attributed to a policy of transparency adopted by ISRO throughout the mission. The first half was concluded by felicitation of the invited speakers by the chairpersons before breaking in for lunch.

Dr. Anuradha Majumdar was the coordinator for the invited lectures in the post lunch session. Chairperson Dr. Gauhar Raza introduced Mr. S. K. Malhotra, Head, Public Awareness Division, Department of Atomic Energy, Mumbai, who spoke on Role of Communication in Managing Public Perception about Atomic Energy. Dr. Asad Rahmani, Director, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Mumbai cited the importance of Science Communication for Conservation using a few case studies. He remarked on the various means of communication that BNHS uses and whole strata of the society that it targets. He also tagged Dr. Kalam as perhaps Indias’s best communicator.

Dr. Raza introduced Dr. Rohit Srivastava, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering Group, IIT, Mumbai. In his phenomenal presentation on Affordable Point of Care Diagnostics he gave a terse introduction to the various technologies developed at IIT – Bombay, particularly mentioning about U - chek and Su - chek devices. The lecture series was concluded with a Q&A session and was succeeded by felicitation of the speakers by the chairpersons.

The valedictory session of the meet was graced by the presence Nobel Laureate, 2013 (Physiology and Medicine) and the Guest of Honour, Dr. Randy Schekman who threw light on the dissemination of scientific research through publication in journals. He was of the view that mere publication of a research paper in a journal of a high impact factor doesn’t indicate the quality of the research. Moreover there are elements of artificial barriers that the publishers impose to restrict the number of publications. He preferred the online journals to the printed ones as these reduce time in publication and are optimally accessible to the readers.

Dr. Anuradha Ghosh Majumdar felicitated Dr. Schekman and the Chief Guest of the valedictory session, Hon’ble Shri Vinod Tawde, Minister for School Education, Sports and Youth Welfare, Higher and Technical Education, Medical Education, Marathi Bhasha and Cultural Affairs, Maharashtra State. The convener, Dr. Majumdar summarized the two day meet. The Chief Guest then addressed the audience by pressing the point that propagation of science is the most imperative, so that it reaches the common man from the lab to land.

The meet thus came to the tail end with a Vote of Thanks by the Convener and acknowledged all the people who extended their support and helped the event become a grand success.

Title: 102ND Indian Science Congress Date: 5th January, 2015

Science and Technology for Human Developement

Good Health: A Key for Sustainable Development

“Injuries and disabilities are going up” said Vijayshil Gautam, Professor and Head, Trauma and Emergency Care, All India Institute of Medical Sciences AIIMS, Patna who presented on the topic “Road safety and Trauma prevention” on the 3rd day’s session, chaired by Manju Sharma, pertaining to the symposium held for Health and Development which took place in the ISC 102nd of Science and Technology for Human development here today in Mumbai University Campus .

Professor Gautam spoke about road accidents which contribute highly to the death rate. Uttar Pradesh is the state which contributes to killing maximum number of people and sadly is recorded under industrial death rather than road accidents. People are unaware or rather not empowered enough to deal with accidents and panic in case they witness one. Society as a whole needs to be empowered with knowledge and information on various health aspects in case of an emergency.

“He who has health has hope: and he who has hope has everything” began Sandeep Kumar, Director, AIIMS, Bhopal, who summarized the session of health and development. According to the world health organization that health indicators can help in the measurement of sustainable development goals and support governance. He further emphasized that healthy people are better able to learn, work and contribute to the economies and societies….sustainable development leads to improvement of health by adopting smart strategies for the reduction of communicable diseases, maternal and child health, nutrition.

Narendra Kumar Arora, Executive Director of the International Clinical Epidemiology Network, India spoke on the topic of “economic development and child health” in which he applauded the government for polio eradication which is one of the most innovative public health achievements. Further he added that the country turned the tide of HIV epidemic, cutting new infections by more than half in just a decade and averting the disaster that had been predicted by many. He emphasized that educating mothers and processing of clean water are two important steps in the development of child health.

“Non-communicable diseases are a threat to the developing and under developing countries” stated K , K Srinath Reddy, President of the Public health foundation of India elaborating on the adverse effects of non-communicable diseases which targets the young population as well. These diseases cause loss of productivity which leads to disabilities. He said that non communicable disease agenda is a core element which leads to sustainable development.

All the speakers shared one view in common that the government should have co-ordination between the various health care departments and each department should come ahead and actively take part in the sanitation and innovation ideas that could help in curbing the non-communicable diseases and that each person is wholly responsible for the society and one should not wait for answers from the government or others.

Title: 8th Science Communicators’ meet held at 102nd Indian Science Congress Date: 4th January, 2015

The 8th Science Communicators’ Meet in its 7th year since inception in the Indian Science Congress held in D.N. Marshall Hall, J.N Library, University of Mumbai was inaugurated today in the august presence of eminent personalities. The event was graced by the Hon’ble Padma Bhushan Dr. R.A Mashelkar as the Chief Guest, Dr. S.B. Nimse, Vice Chancellor, Lucknow University, General President- ISCA; Dr. Rajan Welukar, Vice Chancellor of University of Mumbai; Dr. B.P. Singh, Head of National Council for Science & Technology Communication ,DST; Dr. Naresh Chandra, Pro Vice Chancellor of University of Mumbai and Local Secretary, ISCA; Dr. Arun Kumar, General Secretary, ISCA; Dr. Anuradha Ghosh Majumdar, Convener of the event. The ceremonial lamp was lit by the dignitaries present. Dr. Naresh Chandra welcomed the gathering and addressed the young students present. Dr. Arun Kumar started his speech by praising the Chief Guest and thanked Mumbai University for organizing the Congress in a grand manner and stated that the theme for the year was very much relevant in today’s age.

Dr. R. A. Mashelkar released the Abstract Book of 8th Science Communicators’ Meet as a compilation of the works of scientists and science communicators participating in the conference.

Dr. Anuradha Majumdar, Convener of the event, then broadly outlined the need and objectives of the meet and reiterated that such deliberations were crucial to propagate science to percolate to the grassroots. She added, “It is imperative to dissipate scientific knowledge in layman’s language and should transcend the entire horizon as well as keep pace with the changing paradigm. We have traversed the full circle to fathom the wonders of nature and understand the aberration. The onus is upon the scientific community to infuse the spirit of effective communication. The 8th Science Communicators’ Meet at the ISC 2015, Mumbai is a confluence of invited lectures on Science & Technology and its communication along with oral/poster presentations by scientists and science communicators. Thus, the objective of this meet is to deliberate & ideate on making science communication more lucid, greater coverage in native languages, providing correct perspective and lacking sensationalism. The ultimate aim is to expand the accessibility and outreach of various forms of Science Communication which is the key to greater Human Development and Sustenance.

Dr. B.P. Singh in his remarks backed the need for such a meet and hoped that the sheer presence of personalities like Dr. Kalam and Dr. Mashelkar would encourage communication as a tool to enrich the community and touch lives to a deeper level.

The main attraction of the meet, Padma Bhushan Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar addressed the gathering by praising the efforts involved in bringing together an array of Nobel laureates and equivalent and lauded the ongoing meet. Innovation as an aspect of Science should assume the central position for research in India. Dr. Mashelkar also pointed out the all encompassing speech of Shri Narendra Modiji, which focused upon utilizing the available resources to advance the sciences. He stated,” Social innovation is a must and the power of communication is tremendous but untapped for Science & Technology. The need to couple together government policies and research assumes significance in this aspect.” Dr. Mashelkar also stressed upon the need to eradicate the misconceptions about nuclear energy and thus hoped that Science Communicators’ Meet would achieve this objective. Dr. Mashelkar also hoped that the young innovators would turn towards and stay in the field of science and have scientists as role models. While concluding, Dr. Mashelkar aptly quoted, “I only think of the future, as that is where I am going to stay”.

Dr. Rajan Welukar, in his speech thanked Dr. Mashelkar for gracing the event and urged the gathering to go beyond their disciplines and promote effective communication. He also promised that the entire event and the symposia will be uploaded on YouTube.

Dr. Amit Krishna De, on behalf of Indian Science Congress and University of Mumbai, proposed the Vote of Thanks and expressed his gratitude to Dr. Mashelkar for his encouraging talk. In conclusion he hoped the meet would garner a huge turnout and be a grand success.

Draw upon the knowledge of Ancient Indian science for Modern Applications – Prakash Javadekar (04-January 2015)

Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar has said that we should draw upon the knowledge of ancient Indian Science concepts and explore possibilities of their application in the modern world.

Speaking at a symposium on “Ancient Indian Sciences through Sanskrit,” organized as part of the ongoing 102nd Indian Science Congress in Mumbai, Javdekar said “knowledge is supreme, those who want to pursue the path of knowledge don’t see what is the source, or how old it is, everything that is old may not be gold, but all that is old is also not a waste”.

The Minister said the scientists of ancient India, who lacked sophisticated tools or machines, developed accurate scientific concepts based on minute observations and logic. “Germans were the first to recognize Sanskrit as the language of science and scientific expression and this is one thing that modern Germany acknowledges about India” he added.

Mr. Javadekar said the scientific community gathered at the Congress should pay attention to the source material available in Sanskrit and use it for betterment of humanity. The Minister wondered when Germany could make use of ancient Indian concepts and adapt them to produce cutting edge inventions, what prevents India from doing so.

Speaking about India lacking in innovation and research, Mr. Javadekar said “our education system from primary level itself does not promote questioning the fundamentals. This system of rote learning hinders reasoning and inquisitiveness,” He said there is an urgent need to promote meritocracy, especially in the field of science education to prepare quality scientists, who in turn can contribute to nation’s development and welfare. An ability of a scientist should be measured by his/her ability to innovate rather than the length of his/her service.

Prof. S M Nimse, President, Indian Science Congress , Dr. Rajan Welukar, Vice Chancellor, Mumbai University, Dr. Uma Vaidya , Vice Chancellor, Kavikulguru Kalidas Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Ramtek were among those present.

Title: Shri Narendra Modi to Inaugurate 102nd Indian Science Congress 2015 Tomorrow Date: 2nd January, 2015

The 102nd session of Indian Science Congress at Mumbai University (Maharashtra) will commence from tomorrow (3rd January, 2015) after its formal inauguration by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The 05 day event will see deliberations and presentation of papers by the Scientific fraternity from across the globe.

Evidently this is 45 years after that the Science Congress is returning to Mumbai. Hence the emphasis will be on showcasing Mumbai as a science city as well besides being the financial capital of India”. Mumbai has world renowned institutes like Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bhabha Atomic research Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Tata Memorial Centre among others . All these institutes are actively participating in the Science Congress.

There are now fourteen sections namely Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Animal, Veterinary and Fishery Sciences, Anthropological and Behavioral Sciences (including Archaeology and Psychology and Educational Sciences), Chemical Sciences, Earth System Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Information and Communication Science and Technology (including Computer Sciences), Material Sciences, Mathematical Sciences (including Statistics), Medical Sciences (including Physiology), New Biology (including Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Biotechnology), Physical Sciences, Plant Sciences and one Committee Science and Society.

The Congress Session will bring together Eminent Scientists, Research Scholars to popularize science and foster a scientific temperament among the Scientists and Researchers. The theme for 102nd ISC is "Science and Technology for Human Development”. It is expected that the plenary sessions, symposia, sessions in different sections will be very enriching and fruitful. Several symposia on relevant themes - Women’s Science Congress, Children Science Congress, Science Exhibition, etc will be organized during the session.

More than 12,000 delegates from all over the country are expected to participate in the ISC 2015. Few Nobel Laureates, a number of eminent scientists and Resource Persons from India and abroad are being invited to participate in the Science Congress.

Union Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr.Harshvardhan, Union Human Resource Minister, Ms. Smriti Irani. Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Devenra Fadanwis and Governor of Maharashtra Shri Vidyasagar Rao will be the other dignitaries to become part of this moment.

The Five days the ISC 29015 will witness Public, Plenary, Special Sessions Sectional Programmes. Under it Panel Discussion on subjects like Role of Science, Technology And Innovation in Ensuring Sustainable Inclusive Development will take place.

On day 02 Children Science Congress and Rural Innovator’s exhibition along with Science Communicators Meet will be inaugurated. The day 03 will witness Inauguration of Women’s Science Congress and its different meetings associated by the culmination of Science Communicators meet. The valedictory sessions for the Women’s Science Congress and the Children Science will be the events for Day 4th. Day 05 will see the General Body Meeting of ISCA and the closing function for the 102nd Indian Science Congress.

`The Science and Technology for Women Development`. Women Science congress, a part of 102nd Indian Science Congress, will be inaugurated by the Hon`ble Minister DST Dr. Harshavardhana on 4th January in kalina Campus and chief guest. Dr. Shashi Ahuja Advisor DST will be the guest of honour, The Whole session is stressed to showcase the contribution of women in Science and Technology and renowned women Scientist will be delivering the lectures in this session. Ten key note speakers will share their research in the these two days with the audience which include prof. Rohini Godbole from center for high energy Physics, Bangluru who has worked on Higggs particles along with the Nobel Lauriat. The Indian diplomat appealed to the society for the greater involvement of women in the social sphere of life. "No society can claim to be a part of modern civilisation unless it provides an enabling environment for empowering women and give them equal opportunity. Science and Technology for inclusive innovation, Role of Women, it would arrive at meaningful conclusion which could provide appropraite knowledge for human progress.

A large science exhibition is being organized at the MMRDA Grounds in nearby Bandra-Kurla Complex, which will showcase various science & technology innovations by Indian firms and organizations. ISRO and DRDO will also be participating in this mega exhibition.

The Congress sessions will bring together eminent scientists, research scholars to popularize science and foster a scientific temperament. The sessions will cover a wide variety of topics like agriculture and forestry, veterinary science, earth science, environment, engineering, information & communication, computer sciences, mathematics, medicine, biology, physics and plant sciences among others. Other themes of interest include –science & technology in SAARC countries, biodiversity conservation, space application, GM crops and the use of modern biotechnology in agriculture , clean energy systems for the future.

One of the plenary session will be dedicated to ‘innovation and Make In India’ initiative. A session on ‘ancient Indian sciences’ will be attended by Union Minister for Environment, Prakash Javadekar.

2001 Nobel Prize winner in Medicine Paul Nurse from London, 2002 Chemistry Nobel Prize winner Kurt Wuthrich from Switzerland, 2009 Chemistry Nobel laureate Ada E Yonath from Israel, 2013 Nobel Prize winner in Medicine, Randy Schekman of University of California, Berkeley are notable among the celebrity guests.

2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh will also be present.

Dr. Shailesh Nayak, Secretary M/o Earth Sciences and currently Chairman ISRO, 2013 Nobel Prize winner in Medicine, Randy Schekman of University of California, Berkeley, DG, Indian Council of Medical Research, V M Katoch, eminent nuclear scientist Anil Kakodkar are some of the other big names attending the ISC 2015.

University of Mumbai has made arrangements to web-cast some of the key sessions of the Indian Science Congress. A daily web-bulletin covering various aspects of the Congress will be compiled and published by the students of University’s Mass Communication Department.

Ministry of Tourism

Title: National Steering Committee for new plan schemes of ‘PRASAD’ and ‘Integrated Development of Tourist Circuits’ holds its first meeting Date: 14th January, 2015

Tourism Minister emphasizes synergy among stakeholders for speedy implementation of schemes

The first meeting of National Steering Committee for new plan schemes of PRASAD and Integrated Development of Tourist Circuits of Ministry of Tourism was held in New Delhi today. The meeting was chaired by the Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge), Tourism (Independent Charge) and Civil Aviation, Dr. Mahesh Sharma.

The meeting was attended by the representatives of various ministries like M/o Railways, M/o Water Resources, M/o Rural Development, M/o Urban Development, M/o Power, M/o Transport and Highways and Culture Ministry among others. The various stakeholders gave details of some of the projects to promote Tourism being implemented by them and how they can be dovetailed with PRASAD as well as scheme of Development of Tourist Circuits.

Addressing the participants, the Minister emphasized the need for inter-ministerial cooperation and coordination to create proper synergy for the success of the schemes. Dr. Mahesh Sharma said that there is a need to promote rural tourism since even urban India is not familiar with the rural life. Apart from this, India has rich resources like rivers which can be beneficial for developing Cruise Tourism which is nonexistent in the country at present, he said.

Suggesting the need for speedy implementation of PRASAD and Development of Integrated Circuits, the Minister said that there should be no delay in implementing those portions of the scheme which are within the ambit of the Central Government. He also urged the officials to launch within a week the projects already identified and in which a substantial ground work has already been done.

The representatives of various ministries promised to send their proposals as discussed in the meeting in writing to the Ministry of Tourism. They suggested that there is not only a need to focus on infrastructure but emphasis should also be placed on soft skills like training of guides and generating livelihood and employment among local communities.

Secretary (Culture), Mr Ravindra Singh pointed out that the locations for the Buddhist circuit must be finalized quickly and the Banaras circuit, which will form a good project to be taken up under the scheme, should also be developed. Secretary (Tourism), Dr Lalit Panwar highlighted the importance of Cruise Tourism saying that it comprises a negligible percentage of total tourism in the country and has a great potential.

Ministry of Urban Development

Title: Special Purpose Vehicle to be formed for setting up Sewerage Treatment Plants in Ganga cities Date: 28th January, 2015

Senior Ministers discuss Namami Ganga Action Plans Schedule drawn up for stakeholder consultations

The Ministry of Urban Development has proposed to set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for setting up and maintenance of Sewerage Treatment Plans (STPs) in all the 118 cities and towns located along the River Ganga in a time bound manner to check pollution of the river. The SPV will ensure that demand- supply gap in respect of sewerage treatment in urban areas will be met in line with timeframe for cleaning the River Ganga.

This proposal was made at a review meeting on Namami Ganga today. The meeting held in Nirman Bhawan was attended by Minister of urban Development Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu, Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Ms.Uma Bharati, Minister of Drinking Water & Sanitation Shri Birendra Singh, Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Shri Prakash Javadekar and Minister of Tourism & Culture Dr.Mahesh Sharma and Secretaries of respective ministries.

The Ministers discussed Action Plans for treatment of sewerage with timelines, rehabilitation of dysfunctional and sub-optimal STPs, plans for bridging mismatch between existing treatment capacity and the demand, capacity building of urban local bodies, modernization of existing crematoria, adoption of innovative technologies developed by BARC and IITs etc.

As against the sewerage treatment requirement of 3,847 million litres per day in all the 118 cities and towns in 2015 and the estimated demand of 4,773 MLD in 2030, the present available capacity is only 879 MLD while another 1,263 MLD capacity is under construction. The gap in demand and supply is 1,852 MLD at current demand and 2,664 MLD at 2030 demand.

Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu said that all the six state governments will be consulted and taken on board before going ahead with setting up of STPs as required to treat urban sewerage. To begin with, 56 cities and towns that accounts for about 80% of sewerage generation will be focused in the first phase. He further said that necessary action for setting up SPV will soon be taken. He said that STP capacity would be augmented to meet the 2030 demand.

The Ministers have noted that the provisions of existing Environment Protection Act are not adequate to address the issue of industrial affluents being discharged into Ganga River and the same needs to be revisited.

As a part of stakeholder consultations, a meeting of representatives of all 195 industrial units located alongside Ganga river will be held next month by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change followed by a meeting of Municipal Commissioners of all the 118 cities and towns on 17th February. State-wise consultations will be held in March, 2015.

Today’s meeting was held in pursuance of the suggestion of the PMO to work out time bound action plans focusing on primary components of Ganga pollution viz., liquid waste from urban and rural areas and industrial effluent discharge.

Title: Toilet use shall be promoted as a life style choice of all, says Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu Date: 19th January, 2015

Suggests a three pronged strategy for success of Swachh Bharat Mission

Fresh sanitation based ranking of cities to be done by March this year

Minister of Urban Development Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu has called for ‘making use of toilets as a life style choice by all and particularly, the poor as part of achieving total sanitation in the country’. Addressing the inaugural session of ‘World Toilet Congress’ here today, Shri Naidu elaborated on a three pronged strategy of promoting awareness about the need for cleanliness, ensuring necessary infrastructure and resorting to penal measures to ensure total sanitation in the country.

Reflecting on the sanitation scenario in the country, Shri Venkaiah Naidu noted that none of the 7,135 cities and towns qualifies to be a ‘green city’ in terms of sanitation in the country and only four cities viz., Chandigarh, New Delhi Municipal Council, Surat and Mysore scored 66 as against 90 required for being a green city, when the last ranking was done in 2010. He informed that fresh ranking of cities based on sanitation conditions would be completed by March this year.

The Minister lamented that about US $ 54 billion worth GDP is being lost every every year on account of inadequate sanitation in the country. In urban areas over one crore toilets are required to be built in urban areas alone and the Government would be spending over Rs.2 lakh cr in both urban and rural areas in the country over the next five years to ensure cleanliness. He further noted that about 13% of urban people defecate in the open.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu felt that after generating awareness about cleanliness and providing infrastructure like individual and community and public toilets, penal measures should be introduced for violating sanitation norms.

The two day World Toilet Summit is being organized by the World Toilet Organistion and World Education Foundation under the aegis of the Ministry of Urban Development.

Title: Shri Baba Ramdev meets Shri Venkaiah Naidu and lends support to Swachh Bharat Mission Date: 19th January, 2015

Yoga Guru Shri Baba Ramdev today met Minister of Urban Development Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu and assured of his whole hearted support to the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ launched by Prime Minister Shri Naredra Modi.

Terming the Cleanliness Mission as ‘a very noble initiative by the Government’, Shri Ramadev said that ‘purity of mind and soul are closely linked to a clean environment’ and ensuring total sanitation is a sure way of promoting clean minds. He assured the Minister that he would promote awareness about the need for total sanitation as a part of all his campaigns across the country.

Shri Baba Ramdev also appreciated the Government’s efforts to associates icons from different walks of public life with Swachh Bharat Mission to motivate people. He expressed happiness over the United Nations Organisation declaring June 21 as the ‘International Day of Yoga’ at the behest of the Prime Minister.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu thanked Shri Ramdev for coming forward to support the Cleanliness initiative across the country with the objective of achieving total sanitation by October 2, 2019.

Title: Selection of smart cities to be competition based Date: 16th January, 2015

Shri Venkaiah Naidu says, business as usual approach will not help anymore

Minister calls for rating of cities based on sanitation and credit worthiness; suggests a 10-point charter

Shri Naidu asks Municipal Commissioners of northern states to rise to the occasion

Minister of Urban Development and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu today revealed that ‘It will not be business as usual in the matter of financing of cities and towns under new urban initiatives and instead, it will be based on the ability of urban local bodies to reform urban governance and rise to the new challenges’. He was addressing a ‘Consultative Workshop on Urban Governance’ organized here today for Municipal Commissioners of 130 cities and towns from nine northern states of Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The Workshop has been organized to sensitize municipal commissioners about the demands of new urban initiatives and the implementation issues in the light of the experience of implementation of JNNURM. The Minister did some plain speaking about serious shortcomings in urban planning, execution and management of rapid urbanization and stated that things are in a bad shape on several counts.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu informed that his Ministry is currently working on a ‘City Challenge’ framework with the objective of selecting right city candidates for participation in schemes like building 100 smart cities and development of 500 cities and towns. Elaborating on the new initiative, he said that all cities and towns seeking to participate in these schemes will be profiled based on specific parameters that have a bearing on their ability to address issues of governance reforms, resource mobilization, execution etc. the Minister further said ‘While addressing the issue of geographical spread, only the deserving will be assisted’. The Minister referred to sub-optimal performance in respect of promoting reforms, physical targets and resource mobilization under JNNURM. Shri Naidu stressed that ‘ a radical reorientation of mindsets and methodologies is the need of the hour to convert rapid urbanization into an economic opportunity’.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu referred to the present appalling state of affairs in urban areas which is marked by : weak urban governance structures, uninspiring leadership at the level of both selected and elected urban managers, poor inventory management and resource base, weak urban planning and execution, urban mobility being a nightmarish experience, housing shortage, inadequate water and power supply and despicable management of solid waste and treatment of sewerage etc.

In terms of service parameters, Shri Naidu noted that only 73 litres of water per capita per day is being supplied as against the norm of 135 litres, only 50% of households having water connection, 40% households with toilet facilities, treatment of only 16% of sewerage, collection and disposal of only 23% of solid waste and recycling only 10% of city waste.

Referring to the investment needs for urban initiatives, Shri Naidu said that about Rs.40 lakh crore is required for provision of basic infrastructure besides another Rs.20 lakh crore for Operation & Maintenance of urban utilities over the next 20 years, another Rs.15 lakh crore for meeting housing shortage besides Rs.60,009 cr for sanitation. The total investment needs comes to about US $ 1200 billion, most of which has to come from private sources, said the Minister.

Stating that private investment flows would be dependent on the confidence of investors in urban local bodies including their governance capacities, credit worthiness and city management, Shri Naidu urged the municipal commissioners to rise to the occasion so as to leave a mark of their own on respective cities ‘as was done by Shri S.R.Rao as Municipal Commissioner of Surat’.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu suggested, to begin with, the following 10-point charter to be ensured for each city:

1.City Master Plans wherever due and City Sanitation Plans; 2. Long Term Urban Development Plans for district headquarters focusing on an area of 25 km radius; 3. Long Term City Mobility Plans; 4. City specific strategies for promotion of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, waste to energy etc.; 5.Regulatory bodies for pricing of utilities like water and power and assessment and revision of taxes from time to time to enhance resource base; 6. Taking necessary initiatives for assessing credit worthiness of each city to mobilise resources from appropriate sources; 7.Promotion of water harvesting and water recycling on a large scale through necessary provisions by revising Building Bye-laws in line with emerging needs of cities and aspirations of people; 8.Promoting citizens in urban planning , decision making and management; 9. Capacity building in key disciplines; and 10.Improving urban governance through adoption of ICT platforms to ensure accountability and transparency besides online delivery of various services.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu also expressed concern over inadequate efforts for enhancing skills of urban poor and evolving schemes under the Street Vendors (Regulation of Livelihoods and Street Vending) Act, 2014.

The Minister made it clear that the country can not afford to miss another opportunity to build a new urban India and municipal commissioners have a key role to play and they have come to be as important as District Collectors.

Shri Babul Supriyo, Minister of State for Urban Development and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation who chaired the discussions on various themes urged the states/UTs and urban local bodies to be pro- active in the implementation of new initiatives. He voiced concern over the performance reported under housing, skill development, infrastructure provision under JNNURM.

Title: 130 Municipal Commissioners from 9 Northern states to discuss urban governance on January 16 Date: 15th January, 2015

Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu to flag implementation concerns in respect of new initiatives

City Development Plans, Property Tax Collection, Sanitation Rating of Cities, Cyber Security also to be discussed

As a part of the sensitization exercise in the context of launching of new initiatives in urban sector, the Ministry of Urban Development will hold a day long brain storming workshop with Municipal Commissioners from nine northern states here tomorrow.

Minister of Urban Development and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu will share the government’s concerns about the state of urban governance in these states and implementation issues at the ‘Consultative Workshop on Urban Governance’. Municipal Commissioners of about 130 cities and towns with over one lakh population each from Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan will participate in the day long deliberations on effective implementation of new initiatives in the urban sector. Shri Babul Supriyo, Minister of State for UD and HUPA, senior officials from both the ministries besides Principle Secretaries of Urban Development from the nine states will also participate in the workshop.

Senior officials from the Ministries of Urban Development and HUPA will make detailed presentations to the Commissioners on the broad objectives, methodologies, financial and institutional arrangements in respect of Development of 500 Cities, Swachh Bharat Mission, Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana, Housing for All, Capacity Building and E-governance etc. Lessons learned from the implementation of JNNURM and improvisations to be made for effective implementation of new initiatives would be discussed in detail.

Case studies in respect of Revision of City Development Plan of Shimla, Property Tax Collection in Nagpur and Strategy for Reduction of Non-Water Revenue in Haridwar besides Sanitation Rating of Cities and Cyber Security will also be discussed.

Title: United Nations top energy official discusses Solar Energy with Shri Venkaiah Naidu Date: 14th January, 2015

Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, Under-Secretary-General of United Nations Organization and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All today urged the Minister of Urban Development Shri Venkaiah Naidu to promote Solar Energy Generation in the country. Dr. Yumkella, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Sustainable Energy for All Initiative met Shri Naidu and discussed the issue in detail.

The UN Official stressed on the need for promotion of renewable energy sources to mitigate climate change and its consequences which are emerging as a major threat by the day. He emphasized the need for enhancing solar power generation through collaborative effort of all stake-holders. He has complemented the Government of Gujarat for their initiative in this regard. Dr. Yumkella noted that India has great potential in this regard.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu, while agreeing with the concerns and suggestions of Dr. Yumkella gave an account of the initiatives taken by the Government of India in the matter. Shri Naidu said his ministry has recently come out with a policy of achieving 100 MW of Solar power generation through roof top solar panels to be installed over the buildings owned and managed by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) across the country. He also referred to the initiatives of replacing halogen lamps with LED bulbs which has substantial potential of saving power.

Experts accompanying Dr. Yumkella said that efforts are on to promote increase use of Solar Panels and related equipment by reducing their weight to 20% of the present load per square meter.

Title: USAID, Bill & Milinda Gates Foundation to assist in Swachh Bharat Mission in urban areas Date: 13th January, 2015

Sign Memoranda of Understanding and Cooperation with UD Ministry Model City Sanitation System to be achieved in Visakhapatnam on pilot basis with USAID support Shri Venkaiah Naidu and US Ambassador say, cooperation has exciting opportunities

In a boost to implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission in urban areas, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Bill and Milinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) have agreed to provide assistance in the critical areas of capacity building of implementing agencies including urban local bodies, technology transfer, technical support, sharing of best sanitation practices and implementation and monitoring. To this effect, USAID today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Urban Development while BGMF signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. These Memoranda were signed by Shri Shankar Aggarwal, Secretary(Urban Development) and Shri John Beed, Country Director of USAID and Shri Girindre Beehary, Country Director, BMGF.

Minister of Urban Development Shri Venkaiah Naidu and US Ambassador to India Shri Richard Verma were present on the occasion. These Memoranda were signed in pursuance of the agreements reached during the Summit meeting between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and US President Shri Barak Obama in September last year.

As per the MoU, USAID will assist in:

1.Knowledge exchange and identification and sharing of best practices for water and sanitation services:

This is aimed at effective knowledge transfer enabling more rapid delivery of services. State and City level implementation staff will be provided with necessary skills and incentives to deliver results under Swachh Bharat Mission and National Urban Development Mission for 500 cities and towns.

2.Provision of targeted, demand driven technical assistance:

Under this, performance indicators and city ranking systems will be introduced for incentivizing participation in Swachh Bharat Mission and triggering competition between cities. USAID will provide a broad spectrum technical support to demonstrate a fully functional sanitation system encompassing containment, collection, transport, treatment, reuse and safe disposal of fecal waste in Visakhapatnam.

3.Promoting Public-Private Partnerships:

Under this, USAID will assist in creating a profile consumer behavior and identify behavior changes relating to purchase of toilets and related services besides developing targeted and creative messaging for behavior changes to increase demand for toilets and supply of sanitation products and services. USAID will assist state governments in creating supporting regulatory environment for service providers for operation and maintenance of community and public toilets.

USAID is likely to spend about US $ 2 million per year on these activities.

Under the Memorandum of Cooperation, Bill and Milinda Gates Foundation will:

1.Provide technical and management support and assistance in the implementation of the Mission;

2.Fund National Level Program Management Unit for coordination of decentralized and non-sewered sanitation solutions;

3.Award grants to organisations selected by the Ministry for delivering sanitation services;

4.Release grant funds to grantees like NGOs, public or private organsiations annually, based on satisfactory performance in respect of milestones specified;

5.Assist in capacity building for planning, project preparation, implementation and management through training and skill development focusing on towns with population of one to five lakhs located along the Ganga river at a cost of US $ 2.50 million per year;

6.Support IEC and Behavior change Communications; and

7.Extend Technology and Innovation support for Central Public Health Environmental Engineering Office(CPHEEO) of the Ministry.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Venkaiah Naidu said ‘More than funds, changing mindsets of the people towards safe sanitation practices and capacity building of implementing agencies are the key issues to ensure a Clean India. The Government is committed to Walk the Talk to realise the goals set under cleanliness mission in the next five years. US cooperation will go a long way in this regard.’

US Ambassador Shri Richard Verma said that ‘India-US cooperation has exciting prospects. On the eleventh day of being in India, I am delighted to be associated with this partnership initiative in the area of sanitation which has significant linkages with economic development.’

Title: UD Ministry targets generation of 100 MW of solar power in 2 years Date: 6th January, 2015

CPWD and Solar Power Corporation of India sign MoU to achieve target

629 buildings in 18 states identified for rooftop solar projects

West Bengal leads the list followed by Delhi

The Ministry of Urban Development has launched a mission to generate 100 MW of solar power in the next two years through roof mounted solar panels. Towards achieving this goal, Central Public Works Department (CPWD), the construction major under the Ministry and Solar Power Corporation of India (SPCI) of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Sources today signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The MoU was signed by Shri B.B.Bhatia, Director General of CPWD and Dr.Ashvini Kumar, Managing Director of SECI.

Minister of Urban Development Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu, Minister of Power and NRES Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State for Urban Development Shri Babul Supriyo, Secretary(UD), Shri Shankar Aggarwal and senior officials were present on the occasion.

As per the MoU, CPWD would provide 629 buildings owned and maintained by it in 18 states for installing solar photovoltaic projects on rooftops by the executing agency SECI for generation of power. A total roof area of 16,76,233 sq.mts is available on these buildings out of which 60% would be used for power generation. Solar panels would be connected to the grid.

To begin with, 1 MW capacity solar panels each will installed over central government buildings in New Delhi like Nirman Bhawan, Krishi Bhawan, IP Bhawan, Vidyut Bhawan, Shram Shakti Bhawan etc., within 6 months. CPWD has installed 930 kw capacity on Indira Paryavaran Bhawan and Nirman Bhawan in New Delhi so far.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Venkaiah Naidu and Shri Piyush Goyal have lauded the initiative and said successful implementation of this mission would be a trend setter.

Proposed roof mounted solar power generation in different states is as below:

S.No State Proposed capacity (MW) 1. Delhi 17.00 2. Punjab 0.80 3. J&K 0.90 4. UP 9.30 5. Uttarakhand 1.10 6. West Bengal 43.00 7. Jharkhand 1.00 8. North East 2.50 9. Maharashtra 1.7 10. Gujrat 3.00 11. MP 1.50 12. Tamil Nadu 0.50 13. Andhra Pradesh 2.60 14. Karnataka 3.80 15. Kerala 0.70 16. Telangana 1.40 17. Rajasthan 6.80 18. Bihar 2.70 Total 100.30

Title: Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu insists on regulatory bodies for pricing of urban utilities like water, power Date: 5th January, 2015

Suggests Development Authorities for all district head quarters for long term planning Shri Naidu urges municipal commissioners to rise to the task of urban challenges Cricketer Lakshman says Swachh Bharat Mission launch has been a great success

Minister of Urban Development and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu today urged the municipal commissioners to rise to the task of effectively managing the growing urban challenges through effective governance and resource management. He has outlined the urban challenges and the approached required at a Consultative Workshop of Municipal Commissioners from five southern states and Puducherry at Hyderabad .

The challenges in urban areas outlined by Shri Naidu include: Ensuring 100% household water supply connections as against the present 50%, Ensuring normative water supply of 135 litres per capita per day as against the present 73 litres, 100% sewerage treatment as against the present 16%, Enhancing efficiency of solid waste collection from 23% to 100%, Achieving 80% segregation of waste at source as against the present 18%, Recycling of 80% of waste as against the current 10%, Reliable power supply, Improving physical and social infrastructure and urban governance and meeting the urban housing shortage etc.

Referring to the need for massive investments to convert the rapid urbanization into an opportunity, Shri Naidu stressed on the need for effective recovery of costs of utilities like water and power in urban areas. He said, ‘to begin with at least O&M (Operation & Maintenance) costs need to be recovered by putting in place necessary mechanisms. This is needed to invite large scale private sector participation in urban sector. One certain way of doing it is to set up Regulatory Bodies for deciding on the prices of urban utilities.’

Elaborating on the pace of urbanization in the country, Shri Venkaiah Naidu suggested Development Authorities for each of the district headquarter towns for comprehensive long term planning for an area of 25 km. radius. He also stressed on the need for modification of building bye-laws at the level of urban local bodies to meet the growing aspirations of urban population. The Minister laid special emphasis on ensuring accountability and transparency by improving urban governance through adoption of appropriate technologies. He noted that ‘smart leadership’ capable of taking right decisions at the level of urban local bodies is the need of the hour.

About 70 municipal commissioners from the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana besides the Union Territory of Puducherry participated in the Workshop organized to sensitize them to implementation issues pertaining to the central government’s initiatives like Swachh Bharat Mission, Development of 500 cities/towns, Housing for All by 2022, Skill Development and Self- employment, Capacity Building of Urban Local Bodies etc.

The Municipal Commissioners welcomed the initiative of Shri Venkaiah Naidu to interact with them ahead of the launch of major urban sector initiatives. While agreeing with the concerns voiced by Shri Naidu, they said, under JNNURM, projects were proposed and approved without appreciating the limitations of urban local bodies as a result of which most of them remained unfinished. Suggestions made by them include: reducing the gap between centre’s assistance to toilet construction in urban and rural areas, funding renovation of existing public toilets, assistance for meeting O&M costs for a longer period, flexibility to states in respect of size and cost of housing for urban poor, capacity building of urban local bodies etc. Shri Naidu said, the suggestions will be given due consideration.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu, on this occasion, nominated 18 distinguished persons as Swachh Bharat Ambassodors for the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Sixteen of them attended the programme and in their acceptance speeches have lauded the initiative. Cricketer Shri V V S Lakshman said that the launch of the Mission has been a huge success as it has caught the imagination of the people across the country and his little children were also aware of it. The nonminees said that they would strive sincerely to mobilise peeople’s participation in the cleanliness campaign in both the states.

Title: United Nations top energy official discusses Solar Energy with Shri Venkaiah Naidu Date: 14th January, 2015

Experts accompanying Dr. Yumkella said that efforts are on to promote increase use of Solar Panels and related equipment by reducing their weight to 20% of the present load per square meter.

AAR January 14, 2015

Title: Shri Venkaiah Naidu call for a five pronged strategy to meet water demand Date: 13th January, 2015

Stresses on judicious use and inter-linking of rivers

Minister of Urban Development Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu has expressed serious concern on water scarcity in the country and suggested a five pronged strategy to ensure adequate water for drinking and irrigation needs. Addressing the Plenary Session of ‘India Water Week – 2015’, a four-day international conference organized by the Ministry of Water Resources, here today, Shri Naidu suggested the following strategy for implement it on priority basis.

(1) Create awareness among the people about the need for judicious use of and conservation of water (2) Inter-linking of rivers (Ganga – Cauvery) (3) Recycling and re-use of water (4) Rain water harvesting (5) Desalination plants for use of salt water

Shri Venkaiah Naidu said water is a scarce resource and every drop of available water needs to be conserved. Stressing on the need to make rain water harvesting mandatory, the Minister said, he intended to recommend to the States to make it a mandatory provision while approving construction plans. He highlighted the need to have check dams at various levels in rural areas.

Referring to the possibility of conflicts over water resources across the globe, Shri Naidu called for international cooperation to meet water demand. He said, India has a population of about 17% of the world but only 4% of water resources. In urban areas, while the requirement is 135 litres. per person per day, only about 70 litres are being provided.

Mr. Naidu said that Water Resources Minister Ms. Uma Bharati is very focussed on rejuvenation of Ganga and linking of rivers hoped that these laudable goals of the Government would be realised. He felt that the people have to be educated about the advantages of river linking schemes. He recalled that the inter-linking scheme was enunciated and a task force was set up under Shri Suresh Prabhu’s leadership during the Vajpayeeji’s regime and that the scheme was found technically suitable and financially viable. He said the scheme would take care of the long term needs of the people and also address the issues of floods, droughts and shortage of drinking water.

Title: USAID, Bill & Milinda Gates Foundation to assist in Swachh Bharat Mission in urban areas Date: 13th January, 2015

As per the MoU, USAID will assist in:

1.Knowledge exchange and identification and sharing of best practices for water and sanitation services:

2.Provision of targeted, demand driven technical assistance:

3.Promoting Public-Private Partnerships:

USAID is likely to spend about US $ 2 million per year on these activities.

Under the Memorandum of Cooperation, Bill and Milinda Gates Foundation will:

1.Provide technical and management support and assistance in the implementation of the Mission;

2.Fund National Level Program Management Unit for coordination of decentralized and non-sewered sanitation solutions;

3.Award grants to organisations selected by the Ministry for delivering sanitation services;

4.Release grant funds to grantees like NGOs, public or private organsiations annually, based on satisfactory performance in respect of milestones specified;

6.Support IEC and Behavior change Communications; and

7.Extend Technology and Innovation support for Central Public Health Environmental Engineering Office(CPHEEO) of the Ministry.

Title: UD Ministry targets generation of 100 MW of solar power in 2 years Date: 6th January, 2015

CPWD and Solar Power Corporation of India sign MoU to achieve target

629 buildings in 18 states identified for rooftop solar projects

West Bengal leads the list followed by Delhi

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Venkaiah Naidu and Shri Piyush Goyal have lauded the initiative and said successful implementation of this mission would be a trend setter.

Proposed roof mounted solar power generation in different states is as below:

S. No State Proposed capacity (MW) 1. Delhi 17.00 2. Punjab 0.80 3. J&K 0.90 4. UP 9.30 5. Uttarakhand 1.10 6. West Bengal 43.00 7. Jharkhand 1.00 8. North East 2.50 9. Maharashtra 1.7 10. Gujrat 3.00 11. MP 1.50 12. Tamil Nadu 0.50 13. Andhra Pradesh 2.60 14. Karnataka 3.80 15. Kerala 0.70 16. Telangana 1.40 17. Rajasthan 6.80 18. Bihar 2.70 Total 100.30

Title: Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu insists on regulatory bodies for pricing of urban utilities like water, power Date: 5th January, 2015

Vice President's Secretariat

Title: Vice President Inaugurates World Congress on International Law Date: 9th January, 2015

The Vice President of India Shri M. Hamid Ansari inaugurated the World Congress on International Law on the theme “Relevance of International Law” organised by the Indian Society of International Law (ISIL) at a function here today. He also released online edition of the Journal of ISIL on the occasion.

Following is the text of the Vice President’s inaugural address :

“I deem it an honour to be invited by the Indian Society of International Law to address the World Congress on International Law. This distinguished galaxy of Justices, Judges of the International Court, legal scholars and lawyers constitutes a formidable and learned audience. The relevance of international law in today’s rapidly changing world, and the new challenges we have to collectively address, is a good subject for serious cogitation.

International Law as it is now understood and practiced is of relatively recent origin. It owes its origin primarily to the Westphalian World Order forged in Europe in the 17th century. Its beginnings, modest and limited, coincide with the rise of nation states in Europe, bore its stamp and focused on common values and the reciprocity of interests.

The principles of sovereignty and legal equality of states were first enunciated by the Dutch jurist Hugo Grotius in 1625. The principles of sanctity of agreements entered into, as also the saving conditionality allowing non-compliance, lent balance to the commitments entered into by nation states.

The two World Wars presented fresh challenges to the principles and practices of international law. These related to rectification of boundaries, care of refugees and administration of the territory of the defeated enemy. Efforts to address these and related issues through the creation of the League of Nations were unsuccessful. This failure, and the horrors of World War II, led to appreciation of the necessity of international cooperation and the formation of the United Nations as a body capable of ensuring obedience to international law and maintaining peace. The Preamble of the UN Charter assert this as one of the objectives: “to establish conditions under which justice and respect for obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained.”

The period since 1945 has been highly productive in regard to the growth and evolution of international law. International cooperation was widely accepted, though not universally. The first few decades in particular gave cause for optimism.

The UN assisted the process of decolonization and the effort to end Apartheid. The UN Multilateral system contributed to the enunciation of normative principles to regulate international conduct. Questions such as disarmament, social development, gender equality, population, food and water and a host of problems relevant for the developing world were addressed. Common trans-national services related to civil aviation, maritime regulations, health, telecommunications, postal systems, refugees, world weather and food security were put in place.

193 nations are now members of the UN and subscribe to its Charter. The ambit of rules of international law has widened and includes intergovernmental organizations, corporations, non-governmental organizations as well as individuals.

The founding fathers of India’s Constitution accepted these broad principles and incorporated them in the Directive Principles of State policy. Pursuant to this, the state shall foster respect for international law and treaty obligations of organized people with one another.”

The United Nation has its limitations. It is a voluntary association of sovereign nation States. These States have their own aspirations and had sought membership of the UN in their perceived self-interest.

For this reason, some parts of international law remain highly contested. These relate to the laws of warfare, to the concept of state sovereignty, and to a full range of self serving interests of the powerful who wish to use international law to further their political, economic and security interests. A case in point is the Charter of the International Court of Justice and its Optional clause.

Within the ambit of Public International Law, institutions and organizations have been used to impose unequal treaties and evolve concepts that have encouraged curtailment of sovereignty (Right to Protect), seek intrusive presence within Sovereign States (Peace Keeping and Peace Building). Conflicts of laws in civil law jurisdictions, which constitutes Private International Law, seeks to address disputes between business corporations outside a unified legal framework. This has led to increasing use of commercial arbitration (Under the New York Convention 1958).

There is also the growing application of Supra-National law to address global commons and such international issues relating to new technologies, evolutions in genetic sciences and problems presented by pandemics and catastrophic disaster events.

Globalisation has not only increased the importance of international law but also the complexity of international legal issues. International law has grown to encompass a wide variety of fields including the prohibition of the use of force; human rights; protection of individuals during wars and armed conflicts; fight against terrorism, trafficking in drugs and other serious crimes; environment; trade and development; telecommunication; and transpo

The power structure of the Organization created in 1945 clearly reflected the power realities of the world after the Second World War. It was dominated by the victors of the Second World War who fashioned its modalities to further and facilitate the pursuit of power in political and economic terms.

Much has changed in the world since then, but the underlying realities of the power lesson remain true. If anything the intervening years have eroded the effectiveness of the UN and its institutions, and the need for reforms has never been more urgent. The world has changed, new power realities have emerged, several new regional and trans-regional groupings have come into being, but the United Nation remains largely unaltered.

The need for reforms is widely recognized and several halting efforts have been made to change methods of work, procedures, financing arrangements, delivery mechanisms and accountability criteria, but the outcomes have been less than satisfactory. What is required is structural and systemic reforms and that has still to happen.

There is a growing perception that there has been a decline in multilateralism. Developed countries have begun to look upon the UN and its functioning in terms of their own priorities and objectives. The UN’s Charter functions in the area of money, finance, trade, expenditure, indebtedness and developmental strategies have been transferred to IMF, World Bank and WTO. In these bodies the major economic powers, because of their voting power or the power of retaliation (WTO) have come to dominate the decision making in these vital areas.

In the area of development the focus is on the economic and social problems of developing countries and their internal governance issues. Here too, in the name of globalization, the thrust is on the open market, foreign investment, lowering tariffs and reducing the role of the State.

The UN’s method of functioning has also changed from being a negotiating forum on hard economic issues, where substantive legally bidding commitments were undertaken, it has increasingly become a forum for the exchange of views and where experts are invited to conduct dialogues and analyze global economic and social trends.

Another important, and in some ways a game changing development, relates to the funding of the UN. The UN finds itself starved of adequate and predictable funding. Dues have been withheld, budgetary restrictions have been imposed and assessed contributions today account for a small percentage of the total expenditure of the UN. The proportion of voluntary funding has grown dramatically and today provides a high percentage of the total. This feature has been effectively used by the major powers to impose their own priorities on the UN, by dominating its budgeting, accounting and administrative apparatus. This has resulted in the dilution of the UN’s regulatory and norm setting activities.

Although international laws and the institutions created to further its influence and application have grown significantly over the last six decades, International Law is at a crossroads and needs new direction. Its ambit has grown from interstate relations, to individual rights and now covers civil society and corporations apart from State conduct. It extends to the Global Commons and attempts to address new challenges being posed by new technologies, non-state actors, unhindered information and financial flows. While it is trying to cope with transnational concerns relating to pandemics, narcotics, illegal trafficking in human beings and arms, it cannot escape addressing some fundamental issues. A few of these need to be mentioned here:

1. The nature of the State is being called into question. Today, several parts of the world are engulfed by crises of identity, political control and stability. The nation-state system is under strain, prompted by geo- political, short term strategic compulsions and radicalized non-state actors. Colonial geographies have begun to dismantle. Military interventions in established nation states have led to instability and to the growth of sectarian and ethnic discord. Non-state actors, of different ideological persuasions, have violated borders and sovereignty at will. Some of these transgressions have received support from other powers and nation states.

2. There is a contradiction at the heart of globalization. The international economic system is becoming global, while the political structure of the world is still based on the nation state. Goods and capital seek to flow unhindered across national boundaries. Individual nation states resist global pressures in seeking to protect their national interests. Economic globalization in its essence, as Henry Kissinger has put it, “ignores national frontiers. International policy emphasizes the importance of frontiers, even as it seeks to reconcile conflicting national aims”.

3. Values and state structures, Western in origin and proclaimed as having universal validity, are increasingly being questioned. Concepts such as democracy, human rights and international law are subject to divergent interpretations. In the absence of a consensus and a mechanism for enforcement, international law is increasingly proving ineffective.

4. The logical consequence of the promotion of democracy as a universal value necessitates its induction in the governing structures of the international system. “A theory of legitimate power,” in the words of the political scientist David Held, “is inescapably a theory of democracy in the interlocking processes and structures of the global system.” Reforms aimed at bringing this about are essential to rejuvenate confidence in the international system, accommodate the polarities and induce movement towards a more stable world order.

Here then is the challenge to International Law and the organizations that are responsible for its implementation.

I thank the Indian Society of International Law, and Dr. Natchiappan for inviting me. I wish this conference success in its deliberations.

Jai Hind.”

Sanjay Kumar/VPI (1)/ 09.01.2015

Ministry of Water Resources

Title: German Delegation Calls on Uma Bharti Date: 28th January, 2015

Talks on Ganga Cleaning and Rejuvenation Held

A delegation under the leadership of Dr. (Mrs.) Barbara Hendricks, Minister of Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Federal Republic of Germany today met Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti here in New Delhi. The focus of talks was works related with Ganga Rejuvenation and its cleaning.

Welcoming the delegation the Sushri Uma Bharti said work has to be done with regard to access and analysis of the feasibility and prospects for and Indo-German co-operation for Ganga Rejuvenation. She informed that a Ganga scoping mission was taken up in October last following an approval from the Ministry of External Affairs. As per the report there may be a potential co-operation on the lines of Indo-German Energy forum. It could be : River basin planning, institutional setting and researches etc. in addition, technical co-operation on selected issues like support to river rejuvenation strategies, hot spot definition, prioritization, realistic time frame, basin wide monitoring & evaluation, setting of standards, pollution, Ganga Knowledge Centre, Research etc, can be worked out. There could also be financial co-operation on selected issues as innovative financing models for industrial and urban pollution, assistance to manage funds, selected public and or private investment funds, the Minister said.

The German delegation said they are willing to assists in Ganga Rejuvenation in view of their success in the rejuvenation of Rhine and Denube rivers which involves multi-country and multi-State collaboration. The challenges of managing pollution due to sewage and the industrial effluents have been handled in these efforts which are also critical in the Ganga cleanup programme. Work is already under way on environmental and urban management issues and tool kits as well as other material for standardization and capacity building has also been developed.

It was also mentioned during the meeting that recently a round table on scoping mission report has been conducted. The German government has committed 3 million Euro to support Ganga Rejuvenation during Indo-German negotiations. An appraisal is expected during March 2015 to formulate concrete projects for initial assistance.

Title: Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das calls on Uma Bharti Date: 28th January, 2015

Jharkhand Chief Minister Shri Raghubar Das today called on Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ms Uma Bharati here in New Delhi and sought clearance of pending funds for the speedy implementation of schemes like AIBP launched by the Centre in the state.

Welcoming the Chief Minister Ms. Uma Bharti said her ministry will lend every possible support in this regard. She also requested Shri Raghubar Das to work for the Ganga Cleaning, its rejuvenation by the removal of chemical pollutants and silt from the Ganga river bed and treatment fluoride and Arsenic found in the ground water in the state. She also asked the chief minister to initiate the cleaning of Cchinnmasta River in the state due to its religious importance.

Title: Ministry of Water Resources to celebrate 2015-16 as Jal Kranti Varsh Date: 17th January, 2015

The Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ms Uma Bharati today said that the Year 2015-16 will be celebrated as ‘Jal Kranti Varsh (Year)’ across the country. Delivering the valedictory address at the 3rd India Water Week here, she said the programme will be celebrated in each district of the country and all efforts will be made to conserve and save water. She also informed that all the State Governments are on board in this noble mission. Referring to Prime Minister’s call for making Water Conservation a true Public Movement, She said, Centre and States should make joint efforts in this endeavour.

Making a strong pitch for the revival of Yamuna, Ms Bharati said, inter-linking of rivers has achieved considerable progress and through Yamuna-Sharada link and Pancheswar project of Nepal, more water will flow in the Yamuna in the coming years. She said, Shri Narendra Modi during his Visit to Nepal in the middle of this year took the Pancheshwar issue with the highest authorities in Kathmandu. The Minister expressed confidence that by next year city of Mumbai will also get drinking water through linking of rivers. On Clean Ganga mission, She asserted that power mafia will be crushed and they will not be allowed to kill the holy river.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Prof Sanwar Lal Jat underlined the need for optimum utilisation of water resources for maximum irrigation. He also called upon all the stakeholders and the common man to take steps for recharge of ground water through small conservation methods.

In his address, acting CEO, Australian Water Commission Richard Mcloughlin said, both the countries can cooperate in the areas like Clean Ganga Mission and Water management, besides in the specific areas like water markets, recovering water table, river-basin planning and irrigation water management.

Title: Storage Status of 85 Important Reservoirs of the Country as on January 15, 2015 Date: 16th January, 2015

The Water Storage available in 85 important reservoirs of the country as on January 15, 2015 was 83.458 BCM which is 54% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. This storage is 84% of the storage of corresponding period of last year and 100% of storage of average of last ten years. The present storage position during current year is less than the storage position of last year and is equal to the storage of average of last ten years. Central Water Commission monitors live storage status of 85 important reservoirs of the country on weekly basis. These reservoirs include 37 reservoirs having hydropower benefit with installed capacity of more than 60 MW. The total storage capacity of these reservoirs is 155.046 BCM which is about 61% of the storage capacity of 253.388 BCM which is estimated to have been created in the country.

REGION WISE STORAGE STATUS:

NORTHERN REGION

The northern region includes States of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan. There are 6 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of 18.01 BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 7.93BCM which is 44% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 57% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 48% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the corresponding period of last year and also less than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

EASTERN REGION

The Eastern region includes States of Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Tripura. There are 15 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of 18.83 BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 12.94 BCM which is 69% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 83% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 65% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the corresponding period of last year but better than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

WESTERN REGION

The Western region includes States of Gujarat and Maharashtra. There are 22 reservoirs in this region having total live storage capacity of 24.54 BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 14.25BCM which is 58% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 72% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was64% of live storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the storage of last year and also less than the average storage of last ten years.

CENTRAL REGION

The Central region includes States of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. There are 12 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of 42.30BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 26.70BCM which is 63% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 70% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 44% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the storage of last year but better than the average storage of last ten years.

SOUTHERN REGION

The Southern region includes States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. There are 30 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of 51.37 BCM. The total live storage available in these reservoirs is 21.65BCM which is 42% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 50% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 56% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the corresponding period of last year and also less than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

States having better storage than last year for corresponding period are Uttarakhand , Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. States having lesser storage than last year for corresponding period are Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Tripura, Gujrat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh.

Title: Storage Status of 85 Important Reservoirs of the Country as on January 15, 2015 Date: 16th January, 2015

REGION WISE STORAGE STATUS:

NORTHERN REGION The northern region includes States of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan. There are 6 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of 18.01 BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 7.93BCM which is 44% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 57% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 48% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the corresponding period of last year and also less than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

EASTERN REGION The Eastern region includes States of Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Tripura. There are 15 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of 18.83 BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 12.94 BCM which is 69% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 83% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 65% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the corresponding period of last year but better than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

WESTERN REGION The Western region includes States of Gujarat and Maharashtra. There are 22 reservoirs in this region having total live storage capacity of 24.54 BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 14.25BCM which is 58% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 72% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was64% of live storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the storage of last year and also less than the average storage of last ten years.

CENTRAL REGION The Central region includes States of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. There are 12 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of 42.30BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 26.70BCM which is 63% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 70% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 44% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the storage of last year but better than the average storage of last ten years.

SOUTHERN REGION The Southern region includes States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. There are 30 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of 51.37 BCM. The total live storage available in these reservoirs is 21.65BCM which is 42% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 50% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 56% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the corresponding period of last year and also less than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

Title: Shivraj Singh Chouhan calls on Uma Bharti Date: 15th January, 2015

Water Related issues of Madhya Pradesh Discussed

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan today called on Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti here in New Delhi today.

Shri Chouhan apprised Sushri Uma Bharti of the pending water related issues of the State and sought early disposal of their demands. The water resources Minister assured him of all possible assistance and quick settlement of the issues raised by Madhya Pradesh. The issues discussed were Jal Manthan, help under AIBP programme and beautification of Narmada and Shipra rivers to boost domestic and religious tourism in the State. The meeting was held in a very cordial atmosphere.

Title: Uma Bharti Inaugurates India Water Week Exhibition Date: 14th January, 2015

Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti inaugurated the India Water Week exhibition in Pragati Maidan today. The exhibition will conclude on 17th of this month.

The event is being organized in co-ordination with nodal Ministries of Agriculture, Environment & Forests and Climate Change, Rural Development, Urban Development, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Power and NITI Ayog along with their associated expert organizations and Public Sector Units, key international bodies and private and public business houses.

There exhibition showcases the technologies, latest development and solutions available for the areas of water management for sustainable development in agriculture and irrigation, drinking water supplies in rural and urban, industrial water use. It provides a unique networking opportunity to the exhibitors for exposing their products and services to the practicing water resource professionals from various countries. Exhibitors will also have a unique opportunity to spread their network in this region and find new joint ventures and profit from the growing business in this emerging and technologically important area. Business firms will have the opportunity of direct contact with thousands of potential clients, highly qualified visitors including decision makers, enormous PR and promotional opportunities, to find joint ventures to enable them to expand their business in the rapidly growing India water market and to increase brand visibility/image and free hosting of exhibitors profiles and company website links on event web portal.

Conceptualised and organised for the first time in 2012, the India Water Week is an annual forum where the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India discusses, talks, strategizes with eminent stakeholders through seminars, exhibitions and sessions to build public awareness to get support to implement key strategies for conservation, preservation and optimum use of available water. This is the third event in line with the theme “Water management for sustainable development”. The second event namely India Water Week-2013 with the theme “Efficient Water Management: Challenges and Opportunities” was organised during 8-12 April, 2013 at New Delhi.

Title: Uma Bharti Underlines the Importance of Dissemination of Data on Water Resources in Public Domain Date: 13th January, 2015

India Water Week 2015 Inaugurated

Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti has said that dissemination of data in public domain constitutes the most important aspect of the water resources management for people’s participation and information sharing to increase transparency and public awareness. Inaugurating the India Water Week – 2015 here today she said, “to fulfill this objective the Central Water Commission in collaboration with National Remote Sensing Centre of ISRO has launched the project Generation of database”.

The Minister said India has more than 18% of the world’s population, but has only 4% of world’s renewable water resources. There are further limits on utilizable quantities of water owing to uneven distribution of water over time and space. She said “with a growing population and rising needs of a fast developing nation as well as the given indication of the impact of climate change, availability of utilizable water will be under further strain in future with the possibility of deepening water conflicts among different user groups”.

Sushri Bharti said our country has wide variation in water availability across various river basins. While Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins are well endowed with water, the basins in peninsular India are relatively water scarce and most of the them have already reached the stage of full development. She said it is in this context that the inter basin water transfer programme known as inter linking of river has been conceived for transfer of water from surplus basins to deficit basins. Sushri Bharti said “The program is based on creating relatively large storage to build resilience in the system and also provide an aggregate storage capacity needed for the country in an area where the topography and geology provide favourable condition. We will adopt a win-win strategy for implementation of the programme”.

The Union Minister state for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Sanwar Lal Jat in his address said that increasing population is putting more pressure on the availability of water. He said we will have to adopt new techniques of irrigation based on less usage of water. The Minister said inter-linking of rivers will help in diverting the surplus water of rivers to drought prone areas.

Union Agriculture Minister Shri Radha Mohan Singh, Union Urban Development Minister Shri M Venkaiah Naidu and Union Environment and Forest Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar also addressed the gathering.

The theme of five day water week is “Water Management for Sustainable Development". India Water Week-2015 will address the issues of sustainability of water resources development and management in line with Sustainable Development Goals 2015 being finalized by UN.

Australia is the partner country for this event and 30 Australian companies are participating in the exhibition to showcase the technological advancement in the area of water resources. Maharashtra is associated as partner State. The event is targeted at international and national audience comprising policy planners and technologists involved with water resources management in all key sectors of economy like agriculture, irrigation, energy, industry and drinking water supply.

The IWW-2015 will also have running exhibition enriching the theme and showcasing the technologies and solutions available for the areas under deliberation of the meet.

During the week, Hamara Jal – Hamara Jeewan initiative will be observed in every district of the country. This will be an initiative to engage scientists, engineers, water communities, PRIs, other stakeholders and NGOs to address the issues of water resources planning at the local level and to generate awareness regarding need for water conservation. Participation from school students will be an integral part of the programme for sensitizing the next generation for water conservation. This will also spread awareness regarding need to conserve water in the light of growing water scarcity.

One day workshop will be organized in every district during the week to find indigenous solution for meeting the water related demands and suggest future road map to manage water for growth. During the workshop it is planned to prepare a profile of each district covering its source of water, utilization for various uses and constraint, possible local solutions for meeting the unsatisfied demands and future roadmap to manage water for growth. The States have been asked to submit a report in this regard after the workshop is over. The recommendations received during the deliberations of the workshop will also be used for preparation of an overview of State level recommendations. Such recommendations would enable Ministry to utilize the same for policy making.

Title: Uma Bharti calls PSUS to Join Clean Ganga Mission Date: 10th January, 2015

Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti has called upon PSUs to come forward to join Clean Ganga Mission of the Government . Speaking at the 58th annual day celebrations of National Projects Construction Corporation Limited ( NPCC), a PSU of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation here yesterday she said Companies like NPCC can play a very positive role in Ganga Rejuvination Programme by effectively contributing to it. The Minister complimented the company for the turnaround achieved by it during the past few years and expressed the hope that it would earn more laurels in the years to come

Welcoming the guests CMD, NPCC Sh.HL Chaudhary briefly narrated the achievements of the Corporation. He said during the year 2014, NPCC was able to get Works from new clients viz Ministry of Youth and Sports, Government of India, Container Corporation of India, a PSU under Ministry of Railways etc. Shri Chaudhary said keeping in view the achievements gained by the corporation during the last four-five years it was awarded Turnaround Award and Credit rating of A+ by ICRA. The clients satisfaction Rating had been above 95%. He stated that it was possible only due to collective efforts of the employees of the corporation, cooperation of the clients and stake holders.

National Projects Construction Corporation Limited (NPCC) was established in the year 1957 as a premier construction company to create necessary infrastructure for economic development of the country. It was to provide the necessary manpower and know how for the construction of National Projects and also act as a price deterrent for the Private Sector. In its 56 years of existence the Corporation has successfully associated itself with completion of over 130 National Projects from concept to commissioning stage. Some of them in remote and hazardous location over the country. Besides completion of projects in India and contributing to the socioeconomic growth of country, the corporation has also successfully executed several overseas projects.

Title: Storage Status of 85 Important Reservoirs of the Country as on January 08, 2015 Date: 9th January, 2015

The Water Storage available in 85 important reservoirs of the country as on January 08, 2015 was 86.978 BCM which is 56% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. This storage is 85% of the storage of corresponding period of last year and 100%of storage of average of last ten years. The present storage position during current year is less than the storage position of last year and is equal to the storage of average of last ten years.Central Water Commission monitors live storage status of 85 important reservoirs of the country on weekly basis. These reservoirs include 37 reservoirs having hydropower benefit with installed capacity of more than 60 MW. The total storage capacity of these reservoirs is 155.046 BCM which is about 61% of the storage capacity of 253.388 BCM which is estimated to have been created in the country.

REGION WISE STORAGE STATUS :

NORTHERN REGION The northern region includes States of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan. There are 6 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of 18.01 BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 8.40 BCM which is 47% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 60% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 51% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the corresponding period of last year and also less than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

EASTERN REGION The Eastern region includes States of Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Tripura. There are 15 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of 18.83 BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 13.32 BCM which is 71% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 84% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 67% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the corresponding period of last year but better than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

WESTERN REGION The Western region includes States of Gujarat and Maharashtra. There are 22 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of 24.54 BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 14.36 BCM which is 58% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 73% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 65% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the storage of last year and also less than the average storage of last ten years.

CENTRAL REGION The Central region includes States of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. There are 12 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of 42.30BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 27.66 BCM which is 65% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 72% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 46% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the storage of last year but better than the average storage of last ten years.

SOUTHERN REGION The Southern region includes States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. There are 30 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of 51.37 BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 23.24 BCM which is 45% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 53% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 58% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the corresponding period of last year and also less than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

States having better storage than last year for corresponding period are Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. States having lesser storage than last year for corresponding period are Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Tripura, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh.

Title: India Water Week to be celebrated from 13 to 17 January Date: 9th January, 2015

In an effort to raise awareness, conserve and use water resources in an integrated manner, the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India will be observing India Water Week from 13 to 17th of this month to use it as a platform to elicit ideas and opinions from global level decision makers, politicians, researchers and entrepreneurs in the field of water resources for mutual benefit and goodwill. The theme for water week will be “Water Management for Sustainable Development". India Water Week-2015 will address the issues of sustainability of water resources development and management in line with Sustainable Development Goals 2015 being finalized by UN.

Australia will be the partner country for this event and 30 Australian companies will be participating in the exhibition to showcase the technological advancement in the area of water resources. Maharashtra will be associated as partner State. The main function will be held at New Delhi with a conference cum policy dialogue forum coupled with a Business to Business exhibition organized professionally. The event is targeted at international and national audience comprising of policy planners and technologists involved with water resources management in all key sectors of economy like agriculture, irrigation, energy, industry and drinking water supply.

The IWW-2015 will be celebrated with a multi- disciplinary conference and a concurrently running exhibition enriching the theme and showcasing the technologies and solutions available for the areas under deliberation of the meet. The event will have the following major components:

A multi- disciplinary dialogue in form of a conference discussing issues of water management for sustainable development in, water for sustaining life, agriculture and irrigation, drinking water supplies in rural and urban, industrial water use, energy generation applications. A large group of international and national persons of eminence will be sharing their experiences in the field of water management. In addition, there will be three special sessions involving dignitaries, delegates, politicians, experts on various topics of the event. Expert professional bodies and think tanks are invited to put up side events addressing specific issues under the theme.

There will also be an exhibition running in parallel supporting the theme and showcasing the technologies, latest development and solutions available for the areas of water management for sustainable development in agriculture and irrigation, drinking water supplies in rural and urban, industrial water use. The exhibition will provide a unique networking opportunity to the exhibitors for exposing their products and services to the practicing water resource professionals from various countries. Exhibitors will also have a unique opportunity to spread their network in this region and find new joint ventures and profit from the growing business in this emerging and technologically important area. Business firms will have the opportunity of direct contact with thousands of potential clients, highly qualified visitors including decision makers, enormous PR and promotional opportunities, to find joint ventures to enable them to expand their business in the rapidly growing India water market and to increase brand visibility/image and free hosting of exhibitors profiles and company website links on event web portal.

During the week Hamara Jal – Hamara Jeewan initiative will be observed in every district of the country. This will be an initiative to engage scientists, engineers, water communities, PRIs, other stakeholders and NGOs to address the issues of water resources planning at the local level and to generate awareness regarding need for water conservation. Participation from school students will be an integral part of the programme for sensitizing the next generation for water conservation. This will also spread awareness regarding need to conserve water in the light of growing water scarcity.

Title: Second Meeting of the Special Committee for Inter-Linking of Rivers held Date: 6th January, 2015

Inter-linking of rivers is being supervised by Supreme Court and hence no one should doubt the integrity of centre on this issue. This was stated by Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti here today while presiding over the second meeting of the special committee for Inter-linking of Rivers. Seeking co-operation of various States in this project of national importance, she said States can discuss their apprehensions if any, in the next meeting of the committee. Sushri Bharti said benefits of this project will be immense. Referring to the apprehensions expressed by some environmentalists, the Minister said that the Government will ensure that there is no loss to the environment due to this project. The Minister said she is taking keen interest in the project and will meet concerned Chief Ministers. She informed the meeting that tomorrow she will meet Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Devendra Fadnavis to discuss Damanganga-Pinjal and Par-Tapi-Narmada link projects with him.

It may be recalled that Supreme Court of India vide its Judgment dated February 21, 2012 in WP (C) 512 of 2002 along with WP (C) 668 of 2002 “Networking of Rivers” had directed for setting up a special Committee for inter-linking of Rivers. The Government of India vide its resolution dated December 13, 2002 constituted the “Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers under the chairmanship of Shri Suresh Prabhu, a former Union Minister. An expert group from IIM. Ahmedabad set up by the Task Force submitted in December 2006, a Report on “Organizational Structure for Interlinking of Rivers”. Subsequently, vide Gazetted Notification dated September 23, 2014 the Ministry of Water Resource, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation constituted a special committee for inter-linking of rivers under the chairpersonship for Union Minister for Water Resource, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. The Director General of National Water Development Agency is the Member Secretary of the Committee. The first meeting of the Special Committee for Inter-Linking of Rivers was held on October 17, 2014 in New Delhi.

Title: Storage Status of 85 Important Reservoirs of the Country as on January 01, 2015 Date: 5th January, 2015

The Water Storage available in 85 important reservoirs of the country as on January 01, 2015 was 89.947 BCM which is 58% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. This storage is 85% of the storage of corresponding period of last year and 100% of storage of average of last ten years. The present storage position during current year is less than the storage position of last year but is equal to the storage of average of last ten years.

Central Water Commission monitors live storage status of 85 important reservoirs of the country on weekly basis. These reservoirs include 37 reservoirs having hydropower benefit with installed capacity of more than 60 MW. The total storage capacity of these reservoirs is 155.046 BCM which is about 61% of the storage capacity of 253.388 BCM which is estimated to have been created in the country.

REGION WISE STORAGE STATUS :

NORTHERN REGION The northern region includes States of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan. There are 6 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of 18.01 BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 8.88 BCM which is 49% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 63% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 54% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the corresponding period of last year and also less than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

EASTERN REGION The Eastern region includes States of Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Tripura. There are 15 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of 18.83 BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 13.61 BCM which is 72% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 86% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 68% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the corresponding period of last year but better than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

WESTERN REGION The Western region includes States of Gujarat and Maharashtra. There are 22 reservoirs in this region having total live storage capacity of 24.54 BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 14.48 BCM which is 59% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 75% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 66% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the storage of last year and also less than the average storage of last ten years.

CENTRAL REGION The Central region includes States of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. There are 12 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of 42.30BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 28.64 BCM which is 68% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 74% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 48% of live storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the storage of last year but better than the average storage of last ten years.

SOUTHERN REGION The Southern region includes States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. There are 30 reservoirs in this region having total live storage capacity of 51.37 BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 24.35 BCM which is 47% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 56% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 61% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the corresponding period of last year and also less than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

States having better storage than last year for corresponding period are Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. States having equal storage than last year for corresponding period is Uttarakhand. States having lesser storage than last year for corresponding period are Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Tripura, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh.

Title: Uma Bharti Calls for Active Involvement of Various Agencies in River Development Programme Date: 2nd January, 2015

Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti has called upon agencies like Central Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP) to come forward and actively associate itself with the gigantic task of river development in the country. Speaking at the CBIP day function here last night, the Minister said though government will play its own role, all sections of the society through their active participation should ensure that our rivers are not polluted. Sushri Bharti said that proper dissemination of knowledge required in this regard should be imparted from school level itself.

Referring to the efforts of her Ministry the Minister said that a strategy has to be evolved for better Water Resources Development and Management through wider consultations among various stakeholders. Sushri Bharti said a very important agenda of Water Resources Ministry pertains to Ganga Rejuvenation. She said “We are chalking out programmes to ensure that only treated waste water is released into Ganga so that we are able to maintain its sanctity. With its success the programme will serve as a model to demonstrate the methodology for improving the water quality of other polluted rivers”.

Expressing concern over the pollution levels of river water in the country she said it has become very serious and menacing for human beings and animals as well as for fish and aqua culture existence. Sushri Bharti said “As a result of indiscriminate and indiscrete developmental activities, the clear fresh water, that were our national heritage and precious resources, have become dumping grounds for municipal and industrial wastes”. The Minister said that even though, the Central Government and State Governments have constituted Pollution Control Boards to address the issues, the end results that have been achieved on ground are not encouraging. If the process is allowed to continue like this, a day will definitely come when we will not be able to find any clear water anywhere in the country, the Minister added.

Addressing the gathering the Union Minister of State for Water Resources Prof. Sanwar Lal Jat said that increasing stress on freshwater resources brought by population growth and ever-changing demand of water use, as well as for healthy eco-system, draws attention to the challenges ahead for planning and management of scarce water resources. He said that as a result of population growth, per capita water availability may decline from stressful situation to scarcity level by the year 2050. Prof. Jat said “If we ignore the scarcity now, it will adversely affect our country’s future prospects and well-being. We should judiciously conserve our precious water resources and plan for its optimum utilization”. Referring to inter-linking of rivers the Minister said it will help in overcoming the various problems and shall also help in bringing food security, better livelihoods and more employment generation.

The Minister presented CBIP annual awards to 43 individuals and organizations to recognize the outstanding contribution of the Engineers/Scientists/Administrators, in the field of Water Resources, Power and Renewable Energy sectors.

Central Board of Irrigation & Power (CBIP) is a pioneer organization involved in dissemination of technical knowledge in Water Resources, Power and Renewable Energy Sectors for the past 88 years by way of bringing out technical publications, organizing conferences/ workshops/seminars and imparting training to the professionals & other stakeholders.

Prime Minister's Office

Title: PM calls for swift action to stop pollution of River Ganga Date: 6th January, 2015

The Prime Minister also called for exploring the possibility of setting up modern, environment-friendly crematoria along the River Ganga, through private initiative and enterprise.

The Prime Minister was also briefed on ongoing sewerage and river front development projects.

The meeting was attended by Union Ministers Shri Venkaiah Naidu, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Ms. Uma Bharati, Shri Prakash Javdekar and top Government officials.