Management Committee to meet on declining gas output from KG basin

Worried by the continued decline in the output of gas from the KG-D6 fields of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry has convened an urgent meeting next week to review the situation in light of the failure of RIL to meet its production targets.The decision to convene the meeting comes close on the heels of the decision of the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons to despatch a team to assess and probe the decline of gas production from the Kg basin fields and give a ``correct’’ feedback on the issue. The Petroleum Ministry has already asked RIL to stop supply of gas to non-core sectors. 

National Sports Development Bill to be tabled in monsoon session

Union minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, Ajay Makan has said that the National Sports Development Bill will be tabled in the Monsoon session of Parliament. The objective of this bill is to bring transparency in sports related matters in the country.

India developing 5,000 km-range Agni missile: Antony

India is developing a 5,000 km-range Agni ballistic missile, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said on Friday. “India has reached an appreciable level of competence in missile technologies, with a reach capability of 3,500 kilometres. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is developing Agni missile with a capacity to reach 5000 kilometres,” he said here. The Defence Minister was addressing a conference of heads of DRDO laboratories.

WHO says it will assist India in superbug study

The World Health Organisation (WHO) today said it will assist India in its study to check the presence of multi-drug resistant superbug and whether it is a health hazard. “We will be assisting Indian government in the research on whether the superbug is a health threat or not,” Nata Menabde, WHO Country Representative, said. Menabe said one has to confront science through science. “Whether or not it’s a public heath threat needs to be established through research,” she said.

ICMR invites research proposals on superbug

The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has invited research proposals from scientists across the country to study the superbug or the drug resistant bacteria. The announcement comes soon after the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced a national anti-microbial policy to help address the issue of superbug which became international news after the presence of such bacteria (NDM-1) was reported in the British medical journal The Lancet.

Resourcesat-2 to transmit pictures from April 28

The three cameras on board Resourcesat-2 will be switched on when the satellite passes over 3,000 km of the Indian landmass from Joshimutt in Uttarakhand to Kannur in Kerala on April 28 and they will transmit pictures to earth. The cameras have been oriented. As soon as the satellite was put into orbit, its two solar panels unfolded themselves. All operations and checking the health of Resourcesat-2, that were required to be done before the cameras are switched on, have been completed. The National Remote-Sensing Centre at Shadnagar, near Hyderabad, has been geared to receive pictures of the earth from the satellite. 

Stockholm convention: is India thawing?

India on Tuesday raised objections to the “absence of alternatives” in the recommendation for a global ban on endosulfan at the conference of parties to the Stockholm Convention meeting in Geneva. However, C. Jayakumar, observer from Kerala, that there was softening in India's approach compared to its position at the previous meetings.

Operating Software Ubuntu’s new version launch on Apr 28

IT company Canonical has announced that new version of Operating system (OS) software Ubuntu will be released on April 28 and it will be available for free download by public.Ubuntu OS is developed by members of Open Source community and is competitor to software products like Window OS of Microsoft or Chrome OS of Google.The concept of Open Source is to eliminate access costs of technology for consumers and reduce the restriction of copyright to encourage further development of technology for social benefit.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing refers to running applications online through a web browser and, often, storing the files that that you create with those applications on a remote server rather than on your PC or handheld device.Cloud computing is becoming increasingly attractive and popular because of the proliferation of internet-connected devices. Also, in a cloud-based model, you no longer have to worry about installing applications, storing files, or synchronising them if you regularly work on more than one computer. The disadvantage of cloud computing is that an internet connection is required, so you have to remember to download files that you want to work on offline.

Courtesy : The Hindu (Read More)

Leading by example with Endosulfan-free produce - Tea, coffee, and cashew nuts from Kerala too at Geneva ‘cafe'

Health and community organisers from across the globe, including Kerala, are serving Endosulfan-free organic coffee, cashew nuts and chocolate to the delegates to the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in Geneva.

DST - Lockheed Martin India Innovation Growth Programme 2011 Innovators’ Competition and Awards Function

NCT: Winners of the India Innovation Growth Programme 2011 will receive medals, certificates, and cash awards here tomorrow by Department of Science and Technology and Lockheed Martin. They will be given under the DST-Lockheed Martin India Innovation Growth Programme, which supports the commercialization of selected innovative technologies. It has resulted in significant business development for Indian start-ups, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts. Based on the feedback received to date from IIGP selected technology participants of 2007-09, they generated cumulative revenue of more than Rs. 350 crores during 2010. For 2011, the same entities are expecting revenues of more than Rs. 490 crore.   The innovators were selected for their unique technology ideas that can be converted to commercial ventures in diverse fields such as environment, power, telecommunications, etc. 

Everest hero Nawang Gombu passes away

Nawang Gombu, the first person to climb Mt Everest twice, died in Darjeeling at his residence Monday morning after a brief illness, family sources said.Being the youngest Sherpa to reach South Col during the first successful expedition in 1953, Gombu first climbed Mt Everest along with Jim Whittaker during American Everest Expedition in 1963.He then set a new record when he scaled the world's highest peak again in 1965 along with Capt Awarae Singh Cheema as members of Indian Everest Expedition.

India to provide grant assistance of 2.5 crore Nepali Rupees to Nepal

India is to provide grant assistance of two crore and fifty lakhs Nepali rupees for the construction of a three storied school building in Kapilvastu district of Nepal. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Tuesday by the Embassy of India in Kathmandu, District Development Committee, Kapilvastu and Shree Janaki Higher Secondary School, Maharajgunj, Kapilvastu for providing Government of India grant assistance under Nepal-India Economic Cooperation Programme. This is the third development project in the Kapilvastu District being undertaken with the assistance of Government of India under Small Development Projects.

The new infrastructure being constructed would cater to the educational needs of over 2000 students, and create an improved environment for learning and contribute to the development of education in the area. A press release said, India recognizes the importance of accelerating economic rehabilitation and development in Nepal and remains committed to rendering all possible assistance in that direction. India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Programme has an outlay over 5800 crores Nepali rupees with more than 390 large and small projects completed or currently being implemented in all districts of Nepal.

Courtesy : AIR

An alternative to nuclear power - Natural gas, the lesser evil among fossil fuels, is an attractive choice. (Opinion)

The Fukushima crisis could not have come at a worse time for the global energy industry. With China looking to add several atomic reactors to augment its generation capacity and India planning to switch to light water reactors after the agreement with the United States, nuclear power was poised to make a big comeback. That possibility may have melted along with the fuel rods at Fukushima. Globally, there is bound to be a slow-down in the nuclear power industry, at least for a couple of decades, if we go by the earlier experience of two accidents. No doubt, the situation today is a bit different — Asia is poised on an energy-intensive growth trajectory and is competing with the developed economies for access to adequate fuel. Conventional fuels are scarce, are depleting or are controversial. It is indeed tempting to believe that we no longer have the luxury of rejecting nuclear power.

Abu Dhabi becomes the first capital city to have complete fibre optic network

Abu Dhabi is now the first capital city in the world to be entirely covered with a fibre optic network, UAE telecom giant Etisalat has announced.The completion of this project has contributed to the UAE being ranked amongst the top five countries in the Arab world in the Network Readiness Index (NRI) and ranked 24th in the world according to the Global Information Technology Report 2011 issued by the World Economic Forum, outperforming many countries, an Etisalat statement said.

Duncan Fletcher named India's new cricket coach

Former Zimbabwean all-rounder and England coach Duncan Fletcher was on Wednesday appointed as Team India's new cricket coach for a two-year term,after World Cup winning coach Gary Kirsten's quit the post, Board secretary N Srinivasan said.Fletcher bagged the top job in the Indian team ahead of names like former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming and former Zimbabwe player Andy Flower.India are scheduled to visit West Indies from June 4 to July 10 which will be immediately followed by a much longer tour of England involving four Tests, a T20 game and five one-dayers.

Courtesy : DDN

Minister of MSME asks KVIC to be more Vigilant to Ensure Purity of Khadi

A review meeting of Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC) was chaired by Shri Virbhadra Singh, Union Minister for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises here today.The Minister in his address, said that Khadi and Village Industries (KVI) is a very important programme for the rural economy of our country and is interwoven with its ethos. He stressed that transparency and working ethics should be encouraged and institutions producing spurious Khadi should be identified and weeded out to maintain quality and genuineness of Khadi.

Press Statement on Meeting to Review Status of Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project and Safety Concerns

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh held a meeting here today with the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Minister of State for Environment & Forests, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy. Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, National Security Advisor, Chairman Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) and other senior officials were present.

Clusters Development – a Tool for Sustainable Growth of Micro and Small Enterprises

Clusters are regional agglomerations of Micro and Small Enterprises including other stakeholders, having common challenges, common bottlenecks, common opportunities, common developmental agenda, in a specific area of business activity, related to each other through knowledge & other economic linkages. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), has adopted the cluster development approach as a key strategy for enhancing the productivity and competitiveness as well as capacity building of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) and their collectives in the country. The cluster development initiatives have evolved over a period of time and are now being implemented under “Micro and Small Enterprises – Cluster Development Programme” (MSE-CDP) scheme.

Tension at Stockholm Convention meeting over endosulfan

Endosulfan, which caused more than 500 deaths and maimed more than 4000 persons in Kerala according to Kerala government, has become a test case for the Stockholm Convention according to some of the delegates.

Corporate Social Responsibility - Feature

The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility was first mentioned in 1953 in the publication ‘Social Responsibilities of the Businessman’ by William J. Bowen. But, the term CSR became popular only in the 1990s.  The term is still imprecise and its application differs widely. Worldwide, honouring of a triple bottom line - people, planet, profit has gained universal acceptance.   An approach to CSR that is becoming more widely accepted is community-based development . In this approach, corporations work with local communities to better themselves.   Philanthropy, where corporates give monetary donations and aid to local organizations and impoverished communities, continues to dominate CSR, though it faces serious criticism.  Progressive organizations do not support this form of CSR as it creates a dependence syndrome amongst its recipients rather than developing long-term capabilities.  Another approach that is garnering support is deliberate inclusion of ‘public interest’ and ‘fair trade’ in corporate decision making.

Impact of Black Carbon on Climate

Aerosols influence climate indirectly by changing cloud properties and precipitation and hence can have a profound impact on the hydrological cycle. Among the various aerosol types, black carbon aerosols have greater impact because of the high absorption of solar radiation. Hence it is essential that measurements of black carbon aerosols from ground, aircraft and space are necessary to answer crucial questions related to the impact of black carbon on climate. Several studies have suggested that aerosols may modify global warming by changing the planetary albedo, but the magnitude of the impact of aerosol on climate is still uncertain says IPCC 2007. 

Japan Appreciates NDRF Team’s Search and Rescue Efforts

A 46 member team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reached Japan on March 28, 2011 to provide disaster relief and rescue assistance in the tsunami struck town of Onagawa. The NDRF team led by Shri Alok Avasthy, Commandant, comprised of 4 officers including a medical officer, 6 subordinate officers and 36 other ranks. The team was equipped with the latest state-of-the art gear for radiation monitoring, detection and personal safety equipments and were self contained in terms of nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) suits, emergency rations and essential medicines. The team carried with it Satellite phones for international calls and other communication equipments for the purpose of squad to squad communication during deployment.

Green India Mission – A Way to Enhance ECO-Systems

The National Mission for a Green India is one of the eight Missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. The Green India Mission recognizes that climate change phenomena will seriously affect and alter the distribution, type and quality of natural resources of the country and the associated livelihoods of the people. GIM acknowledges the influences that the forestry sector has on environmental amelioration though climate mitigation, food security, water security, biodiversity conservation and livelihood security of forest dependent communities. The Key Innovations are the focus on quality of forests, ecosystem services, democratic decentralization, creating a new cadre of Community Youth as Foresters, Adoption of Landscape-based Approach and Reform Agenda as conditionality. Total Mission Cost is Rs 46,000 crore for a period of 10 years covering both Centre and States.

Swabhimaan: A Unique Financial Inclusion Initiative

Providing banking facilities across length and breadth of the country, particularly in rural areas, has always been a great challenge for the successive governments since Independence. Nationalisation gave a big boost to expansion of banks in rural areas with Public Sector Banks becoming important instruments for advancement of rural banking and changing lives of rural populace. However, financial inclusion remains one of the biggest challenges before our nation even today as only about 38% of bank branches are in rural areas and only 40% (approx.) of the country’s population have bank accounts. Though strides have been made in expansion of bank branches from around 8700 at the time of bank nationalization in 1969 to around 87,000 presently, only 32,000 (approx.) are in rural areas.  The average population per bank branch is around 13,900.  To address this need the Union Finance Minister in his Budget Speech 2010-11 directed all banks, to provide appropriate banking facilities to habitations having population in excess of 2,000 by March, 2012 using various models and technologies including branchless banking through Business Correspondents. Accordingly, the banks through the forum of State Level Banker Committees (SLBCs), have formulated their roadmaps for Financial Inclusion and have identified approximately 73,000 habitations having a population of over 2,000 for providing banking facilities. These habitations have been allocated to Commercial Banks, Regional Rural Banks and Cooperative Banks for providing banking facilities in a time bound manner. This would provide new bank accounts to around 5 crore rural households.

Feature on Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray – The Father of Indian Chemistry

One often wonders if there is any other manner to start this piece on Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray, more popular as P C Ray. Some years a community or country’s life span is blessed specially. So was the circa 1861 when Bengal and India gave birth to two illustrious sons, Rabindranath Tagore and Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray. Born on 2 August, 1861, P C Ray turned out to be a pioneer of chemical education, chemical research and chemical industries in India.

Introducing e-governance in Panchayats

It is an accepted position that Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) as units of local self government, are the constitutionally mandated third tier of governance and as per Article 243G of Indian Constitution are required to perform the functions of - preparation of plans for economic development and social justice; Implementation  of schemes for economic development and social justice as may be entrusted to them including those in relation to the matters listed in the Eleventh Schedule. In addition to the above, Panchayats are required to levy, collect and appropriate taxes, duties, toll and fees;and manage the grants-in-aid received from Central and State Governments.

Govt gives a big push to nuclear safety

The govt on Tuesday decided to go ahead with the Jaitapur nuclear project with plans of a new compensation package as a decision to this effect was taken in a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Pushing ahead with the controversial Jaitapur atomic power plant, government today said it has decided to have a stand-alone safety system in the designs of each reactors, two of which are expected to be operational by 2019 and announced a bill would be brought to create an autonomous nuclear regulatory body.

Enabling Participative Decentralized Planning at Grass Root Level

Many efforts have been made by the Government to strengthen and decentralize the planning process so that the development funds consumed by the Plans result in effective outcomes. However, the efforts have not sufficiently fructified. Some of the reasons are that the plans are prepared for each scheme separately resulting in lack of convergence of funds and sectoral integration; planning has traditionally been done at the district level, which is physically removed, from the citizens resulting in Plans that do not reflect the needs and aspirations of the people; there is no tight coupling between the Planned outlay and the actual expenditure incurred and there is no integration between plans of different local governments.

Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostics Techniques Act, 1994 - Feature

The Pre-conception & Pre-natal Diagnostics Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act, 1994 was enacted in response to the decline in Sex ratio in India, which deteriorated from 972 in 1901 to 927 in 1991. Female infanticide had been prohibited through legislation in pre-independence period and certain provisions were included in the Indian Penal code, 1860 for punishing causing miscarriages and other such offences but with the advent of diagnostic technology to detect the sex of the foetus very early on in pregnancy, a need was felt for a specific law to prevent the misuse of technology which could lead to female foeticide.

Increase in India’s Tiger Population Needs to be Sustained

It was like a whiff of fresh air to hear about increase in endangered tiger population in India. The latest Census figures put the number at 1,706 against 1411 in the previous census undertaken in 2006- a clean increase of 295. The increase looks more impressive when we take into consideration the fact that this growth has been registered after consistent fall in tiger population. The report suggests that the Tiger population in India is stabilizing and in fact thriving in some areas.

India-Pak trade talks today

On the eve of Indo-Pakistan trade talks, New Delhi on Tuesday said "possible doables" to upgrade bilateral economic engagement would be clear after the Commerce Secretaries complete their discussion in Islamabad. Describing the India-Pakistan commerce secretaries' talks, beginning tomorrow, as "a positive development," Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said that, “after these talks, there would be greater clarity about possible doables on ways to upgrade economic ties".