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V

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Y

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Railway Revenue Earnings up by 19.78 per cent during April- September 2012

Press Information Bureau: Oct 10, 2012The total approximate earnings of Indian Railways on originating basis during first six months of the financial year 2012-13 i.e. 1st April to 30th September 2012 were Rs. 58649.83 crore compared to Rs. 48963.19 crore during the same period last year, registering an increase of 19.78 per cent.

The total goods earnings have gone up from Rs. 32425.41 crore during 1st April – 30th September 2011 to Rs. 40303.85 crore during 1st April – 30th September 2012, registering an increase of 24.30 per cent.

The total passenger revenue earnings during first six months of the financial year 2012-13 were Rs. 15581.44 crore compared to Rs. 14017.76 crore during the same period last year, registering an increase of 11.15 per cent.

The revenue earnings from other coaching amounted to Rs. 1510.38 crore during April-September 2012 compared to Rs. 1377.58 crore during the same period last year, an increase of 9.64 per cent.

The total approximate numbers of passengers booked during 1st April - 30th September 2012 were 4274.87 million compared to 4121.99 million during the same period last year, showing an increase of 3.71 per cent. In the suburban and non-suburban sectors, the numbers of passengers booked during April-September 2012 were 2215.51 million and 2059.36 million compared to 2154 million and 1967.71 million during the same period last year, showing an increase of 2.84 per cent and 4.86 per cent respectively.

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JNNURM Triggers Investments in Urban Infrastructure Sector

Press Information Bureau: Oct 12, 2012The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) has attempted to trigger investment in the urban infrastructure sector and undertake reforms to sustain these investments. As on June 30, 2012, Five Hundred Fifty Four projects at a total cost of Rs 62,253 crore have been sanctioned under the urban infrastructure section & Governance sub-mission of JNNURM. The Additional Central Assistance (ACA) committed by the Government of India towards meeting the central share of the total project cost for these 554 projects is Rs 28,779 crore, out of which an amount of Rs. 17,853 crore has been released to the Mission Cities. In addition an amount of Rs. 2,089 crore, had been sanctioned as Central Share for Buses under stimulus package, out of which Rs. 1,342 crore has been released till date. Thus, total release till date is Rs. 19,195 crore. This has been stated in the Compendium of Projects & Reforms under JNNURM (Volume-I) released by the Ministry of Urban Development. Under the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT), 807 projects at a total cost of Rs 14,021 crore have been sanctioned. The Additional Central Assistance committed by the Government of India towards meeting the central share of the total project cost for these 807 projects is Rs 11,358 crore, out of which an amount of Rs 8,915 crore has been released to 672 small & medium towns.

JNNURM was launched by the Government of India on 3rd December 2005, envisaging an investment of more than Rs. 1,00,000 crore during a period of 7 years from 2005-06 to 2011-12 with a committed Central Government share of Rs. 66,000 crore. JNNURM is a reform driven, fast track programme to ensure planned development of identified cities with focus on efficiency in urban infrastructure/service delivery mechanisms, and through community participation and enhanced accountability of ULBs/parastatal agencies towards citizens. The programme was planned to operate on a mission mode by facilitating large scale investments in the urban sector, policy and institutional reforms, leading to sustainable socio-economic growth in the cities.

The compendium further states that the Programme focuses, higher level of resources and management attention to 65 select cities across the country. 35 cities with million plus population, other State capitals and cities of heritage and tourism importance comprise the 65 Mission cities under Urban Infrastructure & Governance (UIG). The other towns of 31 States/UTs are eligible for funding under UIDSSMT.

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Cargill India, Kutch bags CII National Award for Food Safety 2012 in the Large Businesses Sector

CII: Oct 15, 2012Cargill India Pvt Ltd , Kutch, Gujarat has bagged the CII National Award for Food Safety 2012 forOutstanding Performance in Food Safety Excellence – Manufacturing Business: Large. The Award was given away by Mr K Chandramouli, Chairman, FSSAI at the Food Safety and Quality Summit organized by CII in the capital.Addressing the Session Mr Chandramouli called on Industry bodies and industries to partner in the implementation agenda of FSSAI across the country through a collaborative effort and drew attention to the fact that Safety in Street Food was a concern and needed focussed attention. Mr Chandramouli lauded the CII FACE initiative on the proposal of moving the industry towards self regulation by efforts towards institutionalising a Quality Mark.

On this occasion, Mr Chandramouli launched the CII-FACE & IIT Certified Food Professional Course at the Awards function by releasing the brochure.

Ms Meetu Kapur, Executive Director CII - FACE elaborated on the course saying that it was a proud moment for CII FACE to launch this novel program where CII FACE and IIT Kharagpur have come together to raise the standards of the Indian Food & Agriculture industry to global standards. The existing lacunae and the growing demand of Food safety and quality professionals by Small and Medium Enterprises, with first-hand knowledge on benchmark practical laboratory techniques, food science, manufacturing hygiene and quality and food safety systems were identified through the CII FACE surveys and interactions with the SME Food sector . This All in One Course for Facilitators was designed with 3 weeks Residential course at the state of art technology environment of IIT Kharagpur, 5 weeks e- learning and 1 month industry project.

Earlier , in his Welcome address, Mr Rakesh Bharti Mittal stated that the Award program was an endeavour by CII towards capacity building of the Food Sector by involving the Industry in the assessment process. With the aim of encouraging participation from various food sectors and sizes, customised assessment criteria, catering to Small, Medium and Large scale industries in Food Manufacturing , Hotels, Restaurants, Eateries, Canteens and Food Retail Stores have been made available under the specific models of assessment. Apart from an opportunity to receive national recognition, the take aways for each Applicant unit is an external perspective on their practices and performance in the form of a detailed feedback report . Therefore, organizations at different levels of implementation can benefit from participating in the award process to understand where they currently stand on these practices and identify improvement opportunities and benchmarks. Mr Mittal pointed out that despite the challenging and stringent demands of the model, there has been 100% increase in participation in the Award applications this year with about 50% applications coming from the SMB sector. He hoped that industry would come forward to enhance participation and take part in this capacity building initiatives to raise their standards to world class levels.

The Food Safety Award program has helped CII-FACE reach out to organisations, their suppliers and co-packers across the 4 regions in cities and far flung locations like Vemagiri, New Jalpaiguri, Zaheerabad, Kandla, Haldwani, Sonepat, Bidadi, Haridwar, Gandhinagar, Bangalore Rural and many others.

Summarised below are the Recognition Winners in different levels of CII National Award for Food Safety 2012.

Award for Outstanding Performance in Food Safety Excellence

Cargill India Pvt Ltd , Kutch, Gujarat for Manufacturing Business: Large.

Commendation Certificate for Significant Achievement in Food Safety

Perfetti Van Melle India Pvt Ltd, Chennai : Manufacturing Business: Large Sri Sarvaraya Sugars Ltd, Bottling Unit (Vemagiri) :Manufacturing Business: Medium Commendation Certificate for Strong Commitment to Excel in Food Safety

Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd, Atmakuru : Manufacturing Business: Large Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd, Bidadi : Manufacturing Business: Large ITC Ltd, Haridwar – Foods Plant : Manufacturing Business: Large Global Green Company, Zaheerabad : Manufacturing Business: Medium Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd, Raninagar : Manufacturing Business: Medium Jubilant Food Works Ltd, Domino’s Pizza - Kailash Colony: Food Service: Small Eateries Jubilant Food Works Ltd, Domino’s Pizza – Rajouri Gardens: Food Service: Small Eateries Letter of Appreciation

ACME Foods, Haldwani : Category Rising Star (Less than 3 years in business)

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India and Bulgaria to Explore Cooperation in Tourism Sector

Press Information Bureau: Oct 16, 2012India and Bulgaria will explore the possibilities of cooperation in Tourism Sector. This was decided at a meeting held between Tourism Minister of Bulgaria Mr. Delian Dobrev and Union Tourism Minister Shri Subodh Kant Sahai here today.

It was decided in the meeting that both the countries will identify areas for working together and explore new opportunities in Tourism sector especially in the field of Hospitality Training, Promotion, Marketing, Development and management of Tourist destinations. Both sides gave an overview of the “Tourism Sector” in their respective countries and re-emphasised on its potential for employment generation and economic growth. It was also agreed that increased tourist traffic between the two countries could strengthen the bilateral relations at people to people level. Both sides also exchanged views to explore the possibilities of promoting investment in the field of hotel industry tourism and infrastructural development. India allows 100% FDI in Hotel sector on automated basis.

India and the Bulgaria emphasised upon the need of exchange of visits of tour operators and opinion makers to promote tourism between the two countries. The importance of interaction between the tour operators and destination managers of the two countries was stressed upon to develop better packages for tourists. The information about investment of opportunities in the tourism sector in both the countries was also shared. Both the countries agreed that growing opportunities in tourism sector should be showcased to attracts investments from the private stake-holders of the two countries. It was also agreed to explore the possibilities of enhancing air-connectivity between both the countries as lack of direct air connectivity between India and Bulgaria is one of the major reasons for small number of tourists traveling between the two countries.

Erlier in his welcome address Shri Sahai said that India and Bulgaria have enjoyed traditionally close and cordial bilateral relations sustained through regular high level political contacts.

Mr. Delian Dobrev in his address appreciated the friendly relations between the two countries and emphasised upon the importance of pursuing a closer relationship based on the emerging potential in the tourism sector in the two countries. He said Bulgaria with its beautiful mountains, the Black-Sea coast boasting of cities like Varna has become an attractive destination for Indian film Industry.

Mr. Delian Dobrev is on a visit to India in connection with the 17th session of the Indo-Bulgarian Joint Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation of which he is the co-chairman.

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India Germany Discuss Cooperation in Shipping Sector

Press Information Bureau: Oct 17, 2012Mr. Olaf Scholz, First Mayor (Chief Minister) of Hamburg, Federal Republic of Germany called on the Minister of Shipping, Shri G.K.Vasan today in New Delhi.

During the meeting, the Minister recalled the long association with Germany in maritime sector and informed that an Agreement between India and the Federal Republic of Germany on Maritime Transport Relations was signed on 15 June, 1966 in New Delhi.

The Minister said that India values its strategic partnership with Germany and stands ready to broaden and deepen it in all its aspects. The Minister enquired about the strengths of Hamburg City in logistics and maritime industry sector. Possible areas of cooperation were discussed during the meeting. India would like to seek German expertise in areas in areas such as decongestion of ports; information technology for the movement of container traffic and maritime training.

The Minister recalled that the India participated at the Hamburg Port Festival 2012 held between 11-13 May, 2012, as partner country and featured a variety of activities dealing with Indian culture and provided visitors with information on the country's culture, cuisine and ways to travel to India. Senior officials from the Directorate General of Light houses and Lightships, Inland Waterways Authority of India, Indian Ports Association, Shipping Corporation of India, Cochin Port, New Mangalore Port and Mumbai Port Trust also took part in the Festival to highlight the recent developments in the logistics sector in India and highlighted the investment opportunities in the port sector in India. The Minister also thanked Mr. Scholz for his extensive support for a successful participation by India in the Hamburg Port Festival which signaled the launching of Days of India in Germany.

The Minister stated that the areas identified could be explored further by a team of officers from respective sides who could draw up the plan for further cooperation. The Minister expressed hope that since 100% FDI is allowed in the shipping sector in India and keeping in view that India is emerging as a logistics hub and cruise destination, investments in maritime sector from German companies would be mutually beneficial for both the countries.

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Four laning of Rajsamand - Bhilwara section of National Highway NH- 758 in Rajasthan under NHDP Phase IV

Press Information Bureau: Oct 11, 2012The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure today approved the investment proposal for the implementation of the project for the development of four laning of 'Rajsamand - Bhilwara' section of National Highway NH-758 in Rajasthan under National Highway Development Programme (NHDP) Phase IV on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis in BOT (Toll) mode of delivery. The total project cost (TPC) estimated of the project for implementing under DBFOT pattern will be Rs.899.24 crore out of which Rs.221.45 crore will be for the land acquisition, rehabilitation, resettlement and pre-construction cost.

The total length of the project will be 87.250 kms is covered in the Districts of Rajsamand and Bhilwara in Rajasthan.

The main object of the project is to expedite the improvement of infrastructure in the state of Rajasthan, and also in reducing the time and cost of travel for traffic, particularly heavy traffic, plying between Rajsamand and Bhilwara. National Highway NH - 758 is an important corridor which links major cities of Rajasthan. It will also increase employment potential for the local labourers for project activities.

Background:The Cabinet, in its meeting held in July 2008 approved the proposal for up-gradation of 5,000 km under NHDP Phase IV-A. The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) constituted to finalize the Financing Plan for the entire NHDP, while deliberating on the Note for the up-gradation / strengthening of projects under NHDP Phase IV, in the 4th meeting of EGoM, held in March, 2010, decided that keeping in view of traffic justification, about 2,000 kms may be undertaken as four-laned stretches, out of total 20,000 kms under NHDP Phase-IV. Further, in the 5th meeting of EGoM, held in May, 2010, the EGoM also approved the provision of Rs.4,000 crores during the 11th plan period for the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for such stretches.

Keeping in view of traffic justification, additional 2,000 kms will be undertaken as four-laned stretches, in addition to the already approved by EGoM for 2000 km of four-laning under NHDP Phase-IV, permitting maximum of 4000 kms for four-laning. The CCI approved in February, 2012 a unified NHDP Phase - IV, for a length of 20,000 Km, subsuming within it the 5000 km already approved under NHDP Phase -1V-A.

The Rajsamand – Bhilwara project is one of the projects approved for 4-laning, included under NHDP Phase - IV, and within the ceiling of 4000 kms for four-laning.

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India and New Zealand Sign “Arrangement for Cooperation on Civil Aviation”

Press Information Bureau: Oct 18, 2012India and New Zealand today signed the “Arrangement for Cooperation on Civil Aviation”. The document was signed in the presence of Union Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Ajit Singh and Minister of Economic Development and Tertiary Education Mr. Steven Joyce of New Zealand by Secretary Civil Aviation Shri K.N, Shrivastava and High Commissioner of New Zealand to India Ms. Jan Henderson.

Under the Arrangement the two countries will promote and support the development of training and technical cooperation in the field of Civil Aviation. The type of cooperative activities will include civil aviation programmes; sending and receiving experts or instructors for training purposes; acceptance of licenses; acceptance of aeronautical products including but not limited to aircraft, engines, propellers and parts, and aviation services; organization of seminars; exchanging information on activities, policies, practices and laws and regulations concerning civil aviation, including but not limited to safety and environmental matters; and visits and exchanges of technical personnel or other experts. A Joint committee of the two countries will be formed to determine and oversee mutually acceptable cooperation activities. The committee will also develop a Programme of Cooperation.

Speaking on the occasion Shri Singh said the designated airlines of both sides are entitled to seven services per week in each direction, however, neither side is operating at present. Underlining that a sizeable population of Indian origin stays in New Zealand, Shri Singh added that the growth of air services between the two countries will greatly facilitate in enhancing cordial relationship, connectivity, trade and tourism.

Later the business delegations of two countries interacted on possible areas of cooperation in civil aviation sector between the two countries.

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India and Brunei to Have Joint Investment in Hotel Sector

Press Information Bureau: Oct 19, 2012India and Brunei will explore the possibilities of joint venture investment in the field of hotel industry and infrastructural development. Brunei will also consider investing in India’s hotel sector, which has been opened up for 100% foreign direct investment. This was decided at a meeting between Minister of Industry and Primary Resources of Brunei, Mr. Pehin Dato Yahya and Union Tourism Minister Shri Subodh Kant Sahai held here today.

It was also decided in the meeting that Tour Operators and Travel agents of both the countries may cooperate and explore the possibilities for promoting package tours in either of the countries. Both the countries will also cooperate in exchanging information and know-how for development of tourism in their respective countries. India also offered to sponsor a visit by a team of tour operators / travel media from Brunei to India on a familiarization tour under Ministry of Tourism’s hospitality scheme.

Earlier in his welcome address Shri Sahai said that India and Brunei have enjoyed traditionally close and cordial bilateral relations sustained through regular high level political contacts.

Mr. Yahya in his address appreciated the friendly relations between the two countries and emphasised upon the importance of pursuing a closer relationship based on the emerging potential in the tourism sector in the two countries.

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Prime Minister launches Aadhaar Enabled Service Delivery

Press Information Bureau: Oct 22, 2012Highlights: 21 crore Aadhaar numbers have been generated in 2 years: The 21st crore Aadhaar number was handed over to Smt. Vali, a resident of Meghwalon ka Mohalla, Kurawar, District Udaipur. UIDAI has generated 21 crore Aadhaar numbers since the issuance of the first Aadhaar number on Sep 29, 2010. Aadhaar Enabled Service Delivery launched from Rajasthan: Lali Devi, Meera Devi, Banwari Lal and Birda Ram were among the first few beneficiaries in Rajasthan to get their entitlement using the Aadhaar Enabled Service Delivery. Aadhaar Governance Awards: Prime Minister presented Aadhaar Governance awards to Amitabh Kaushal, Deputy Commissioner Ramgarh District, Jharkhand; Neetu Kumari Prasad, District Collector & A Babu, Joint Collector East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh and Kunal Kumar, District Collector, Aurangabad District, Maharashtra. Dudu (Rajasthan), October 20: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today launched Aadhaar Enabled Service Delivery in Dudu, Rajasthan, to mark the 2nd anniversary of Aadhaar.

“Today we will be giving the 21st crore Aadhaar number to a resident of Dudu here in Rajasthan and also launch the Aadhaar Enabled Service Delivery across the country so that benefits of various schemes reach residents. I would like to compliment UIDAI Chairman Shri Nandan Nilekani and his team for achieving so much in such a short duration,” said the Prime Minister.

On the occasion, the 21st crore Aadhaar number was given to Smt. Vali, Meghwalon ka Mohalla, Kurawar, District Udaipur.

Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson UPA, who was the Chief Guest at the launch ceremony, commended UIDAI on its achievements. “Aadhaar is the world’s largest social inclusion programme. It was the dream of Rajivji the power of technology be used for the benefit of Aam Admi . The Aadhaar programme is the next step of this dream,” said Smt. Gandhi.

Aadhaar Enabled Service Delivery is the usage of the Aadhaar identity platform to identify and authenticate residents for delivery of benefits/services by various government or private agencies.

“It is our aim that every resident should have an Aadhaar number. The poor will benefit the most from Aadhaar as the Government will be able to correctly identify beneficiaries of various social sector schemes based on the Aadhaar number. The ongoing pilots have also proved that Aadhaar is like a boon to beneficiaries,” Finance Minister Shri P.Chidambaram said.

There are many benefits associated with such integration for various stakeholders, ranging from better compliance management to reduced leakages and increased efficiency and accountability in service delivery.

“I wish to take this opportunity to personally thank the Prime Minister and UPA Chairperson for their continued support and guidance in the implementation of the Aadhaar project. The Finance Minister has also been very supportive of using Aadhaar to benefit the Aam Aadmi. India is well known for advancements in the field of technology. The government is using state of the art technology in Aadhaar for the benefit of people. We intend to cover about 60 crore residents with Aadhaar numbers by 2014,” said Shri Nandan Nilekani, Chairman, UIDAI.

Also present at the launch event were Chief Minister of Rajasthan Shri Ashok Gehlot; Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Railways Dr. C.P. Joshi; Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment Shri Mukul Wasnik; Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Shri Montek Singh Ahluwalia; Minister of State for Finance Shri Namo Narain Meena; Minister of State for Planning, Science & Technology, Earth Sciences Dr. Ashwani Kumar and Minister of State for Communications & Information Technology Shri Sachin Pilot.

On the occasion of the launch, ongoing Aadhaar Enabled Service Delivery initiatives were shown via a live telecast at the venue. The Prime Minister also presented the Aadhaar Governance Awards to District Collectors of Aurangabad, East Godavari and Ramgarh.

The dignitaries present applauded the ease with which residents were able to conduct the transactions.

Aadhaar Service Delivery initiatives that were showcasedFrom Dudu, Rajasthan, residents were seen taking their benefits under various welfare programmes such as Chief Minister’s BPL Housing Scheme, Chief Minister's Higher Education Scholarship Scheme and MNREGA.

Beneficiaries from Andhra Pradesh were shown taking their quota of ration from Fair Price Shops under the Public Distribution System in Kakinada, East Godavari district, after using the Aadhaar Online Authentication System.

In Aurangabad, Maharashtra, payments under the Scholarship and Old Age Pension Social Security Welfare Scheme were made via the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System, with beneficiaries getting their dues after authenticating their identity via a micro-ATM device.

LPG cylinders were delivered to residents of Mysore, Karnataka using the Aadhaar Enabled Service Delivery mechanism, which involved authenticating the identity of the resident through a hand-held device.

In Ramgarh district of Jharkhand, money which was transferred by Jharkhand Government directly to the beneficiaries’ Aadhaar-linked bank accounts under the MNREGS program, was withdrawn by residents through a microATM device operated by a Business Correspondent.

Similarly, the residents of West Tripura district in Tripura were paid their dues under the Old Age Pension Scheme, using the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System.

The government will roll out Aadhaar Enabled Service Delivery initiatives in 51 districts across the country. These services will be linked to various government schemes such as MNREGA wage payments, PDS distribution, payment of social security benefits such as old-age payments, distribution of LPG cylinders, etc. A number of state governments are already ready to roll out these initiatives.

Currently 23 crore residents have enrolled for an Aadhaar number, while 21 crore Aadhaar numbers have been issued.

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Approval of National Policy on Electronics 2012

Press Information Bureau: Oct 26, 2012The Union Cabinet today approved the National Policy on Electronics 2012. The draft National Policy on Electronics was released for public consultation and it has now been finalized based on comments from various stakeholders.

India is one of the fastest growing markets of electronics in the world. There is potential to develop the Electronic System and Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) sector to meet our domestic demand as well as to use the capabilities so created to successfully export ESDM products from the country. The National Policy on Electronics aims to address the issue with the explicit goal of transforming India into a premier ESDM hub.

The strategies include setting up of a National Electronics Mission with industry participation and renaming the Department of Information Technology as Department of Electronics and Information Technology (Deity). The Department has since been renamed on February 26, 2012.

The policy is expected to create an indigenous manufacturing eco-system for electronics in the country. It will foster the manufacturing of indigenously designed and manufactured chips creating a more cyber secure ecosystem in the country. It will enable India to tap the great economic potential that this knowledge sector offers. The increased development and manufacturing in the sector will lead to greater economic growth through more manufacturing and consequently greater employment in the sector.

The Policy envisages that a turnover of USD 400 billion will create an employment for two million people.

ESDM is of strategic importance as well. Not only in internal security and defence, the pervasive deployment of electronics in civilian domains such as telecom, power, railways, civil aviation, etc. can have serious consequences of disruption of service. This renders tremendous strategic importance to the sector. The country, therefore, cannot be totally dependent on imported electronic components and products.

The key objectives of the Policy are:

To create an eco-system for a globally competitive Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) sector in the country to achieve a turnover of about USD 400 billion by 2020 involving investment of about USD 100 billion and employment to around 28 million people at various levels. To build on the emerging chip design and embedded software industry to achieve global leadership in Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI), chip design and other frontier technical areas and to achieve a turnover of USD 55 billion by 2020. To build a strong supply chain of raw materials, parts and electronic components to raise the indigenous availability of these inputs from the present 20-25 per cent to over 60 per cent by 2020. To increase the export in ESDM sector from USD 5.5 billion to USD 80 billion by 2020. To significantly enhance availability of skilled manpower in the ESDM sector. Special focus for augmenting postgraduate education and to produce about 2500 PhDs annually by 2020. To create an institutional mechanism for developing and mandating standards and certification for electronic products and services to strengthen quality assessment infrastructure nationwide. To develop an appropriate security ecosystem in ESDM. To create long-term partnerships between ESDM and strategic and core infrastructure sectors - Defence, Atomic Energy, Space, Railways, Power, Telecommunications, etc. To become a global leader in creating Intellectual Property (IP) in the ESDM sector by increasing fund flow for R&D, seed capital and venture capital for start-ups in the ESDM and nanoelectronics sectors. To develop core competencies in strategic and core infrastructure sectors like telecommunications, automotive, avionics, industrial, medical, solar, Information and Broadcasting, Railways, etc through use of ESDM in these sectors. To use technology to develop electronic products catering to domestic needs, including rural needs and conditions, as well as international needs at affordable price points. To become a global leader in the Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) segment by promoting progressive higher value addition in manufacturing and product development. To expedite adoption of best practices in e-waste management. To source, stockpile and promote indigenous exploration and mining of rare earth metals required for manufacture of electronic components. To achieve these objectives, the policy proposes the following strategies:

Creating eco-system for globally competitive ESDM sector: The strategies include provision of fiscal incentives for investment, setting up of electronic manufacturing clusters, preferential market access to domestically manufactured electronic products, setting up of semiconductor wafer fabrication facilities, industry friendly and stable tax regime. Based on Cabinet approval, a high level Empowered committee has been constituted to identify and shortlist technology and investors for setting up two semiconductor wafer manufacturing fabrication facilities. Based on another Cabinet approval a policy for providing preference to domestically manufactured electronic goods has been announced. Separate proposals have also been considered by the Cabinet for approval of Modified Special Incentive Package for the ESDM Sector and for setting up of Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMCs). Promotion of Exports: The strategies include aggressive marketing of India as an investment destination and providing incentives for export, Human Resource Development: The strategies include involvement of private sector, universities and institutions of learning for scaling up of requisite capacities at all levels for the projected manpower demand. A specialized Institute for semiconductor chip design is also proposed. Developing and mandating standards to curb inflow of sub-standard and unsafe electronic products by mandating technical and safety standards which conform to international standards. Cyber security: To create a complete secure cyber eco-system in the country, through suitable design and development of indigenous appropriate products through frontier technology/product oriented research, testing and validation of security of products. Strategic electronics: The strategies include creating long-term partnerships between domestic ESDM industry and strategic sectors for sourcing products domestically and providing Defense Offset obligations for electronic procurements through ESDM products. Creating ecosystem for vibrant innovation and R&D in the ESDM sector including nanoelectronics. The strategy includes creation of an Electronic Development Fund. Electronics in other sectors: The strategy includes supporting and : developing expertise in the electronics in the following sectors of economy: automotive, avionics, Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), Industrial, medical, solar photovoltaics, Information and Broadcasting, Telecommunications, Railways, Intelligent Transport Systems, and Games and Toys. Handling e-waste: The strategy includes various initiatives to facilitate environment friendly e-waste handling policies. Background:The Electronics industry reported at USD 1.75 trillion is the largest and fastest growing manufacturing industry in the world. It is expected to reach USD 2.4 trillion by 2020. The demand in the Indian market was USD 45 billion in 2008-09 and is expected to reach USD 400 billion by 2020. Domestic demand is expected to be driven by growth in income levels leading to higher off-take of electronics products, automation demands of corporate sector and the government's focus on e-governance. The domestic production in 2008-09 was about USD 20 billion. However, the actual value-addition in the domestically produced electronic product is very low, ranging between 5 to 10 percent in most cases. At the current rate of growth, domestic production can cater to a demand of USD 100 billion in 2020 as against a demand of USD 400 billion and the rest would have to be met by imports. This aggregates to a demand supply gap of nearly USD 300 billion by 2020. Unless the situation is corrected, it is likely that by 2020, electronics import may far exceed oil imports. This fact goes unnoticed because electronics, as a "meta resource" forms a significant part of all machines and equipment imported, which are classified in their final sectoral forms, for example, automobiles, aviation, health equipment, media and broadcasting, defence armaments, etc.

Electronics is characterized by high velocity of technological change. Consequently the life cycle of products is declining. As a result, the value of design and development in the product has increased quite significantly. Given India's growing strength in chip design and embedded software, the increasing importance of design in product development has potential to make India a favoured destination for ESDM.

Electronic components, which are the basis of an electronic product, are low volume-low weight, cheap and easy to transport across the globe. Moreover, under the Information Technology Agreement-1 (ITA-1) of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which came into force in 1997, a large number of electronic components and products are bound with zero tariffs making trade unrestricted across international borders. Under the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) with various countries, the import of electronics hardware from these countries is allowed either at zero duty or at a duty which is lower than the normal duty rate.

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India and Spain Sign MOU on Technical Co-Operation in the Field of Railway Sector

Press Information Bureau: Oct 29, 2012Memorandum of Understanding between the Indian Railways and RENFE-Operadora and ADIF (Spanish Railways Infrastructure Manager) of Spain on technical cooperation in the field of Railway sector was signed by the Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Minister of Railways, Dr. C.P.Joshi and visiting Spain Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ms. Ana Pastor Julián, here today.

Under this MOU, both the countries are to promote cooperation and information exchange in the areas of High Speed Railway, upgradation of speed of passenger trains on existing lines, improving safety of train operations, modernization of Rolling Stock, construction and maintenance technologies for fixed infrastructure – Track, Bridges, Tunnels, OHE, Power Supply Systems, Signaling and Telecommunications and other cooperation in railway related technology developments.

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Broadband Penetration to Reach 600 Million by 2020 : R Chandrasekhar at CII Media n Entertainment Summit

CII: Oct 30, 2012The government is taking proactive steps for enhancing the broadband penetration in the country from the present level of 20 million to 600 million by 2020 so as to cover the entire breadth and length of the country.

While mentioning this at the CII-Media Entertainment Summit 2012 titled India-The Big Picture, Mr R Chandrasekhar, Secretary, Information Technology and Chairman Telecom Commission said that the government was investing Rs 20,000 crore over the next few years for strengthening the broadband network in the country. In its wake, such massive investment would give a boost to the digitization, cloud based services and convergence to reach out to the common man in the far flung areas. The government’s role, he stressed, would be that of a facilitator and the last mile movers would be cable and telecom service providers.

Mr Chandrasekhar opined that the digital space would undergo a radical change and the spin-offs to the common man would be substantial in terms of toning up health services, education, and entertainment. Also, availing the cost of such services would be much reduced on account of convergence. There will be emergence of different type of new services. The phenomenal growth of digitization in tier 3 and tier 4 for towns amplifies the potential of the digital landscape that can encompass the whole of India.

Mr Chandrasekhar pointed out some of the concerns in the digital space, which have to be addressed at the earliest. Regulation of carriage fee, protection of IPR and copy rights, piracy etc remains to be grey areas. Legislation is needed for regulating the carriage fee. Yet another challenge is to make available digital equipment at affordable prices to the common man.

Speaking at the Session on Policy Conundrum, Dr Rahul Khullar, Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India(TRAI) stressed the need for having a separate regulator for content instead of having separate institutions to regulate them, which leads to a lot of confusion. Answering a volley of questions from the audience, he said that all stakeholders in the media should come together to sort out the problems before coming to the regulator. Once the government seizes up with the issues and problems every aspect has to be looked into, consultations have to be made among various nodal ministries, court cases have to be taken into cognizance before arriving at a decision, which he said was time consuming.

Responding to a query from the floor that documentary segment was, by and large, ignored by the government and incentives should be extend to this fragile segment, Dr Khullar said that it was a matter of policy and the aggrieved should approach the government and not the regulator. Regarding pricing of content, which a section complaint was heavily lauded against them, he said that once the carriage issue was being sorted out, pricing also could be resolved. However, he pointed out that it would be better the industry sort out the issue on their own and leave the regulator for sorting out other vexatious issues.

The industry leaders, who participated at the session titled “The Game Changers: Taking M&E industry to US$ 100 billion” concurred that the target set by CII-PWC study that the M&E sector could gross at US$ 100 billion was achievable. They had given their differing perceptions as to how these could be achievable. Mr Manjit Singh, CEO, Sony Entertainment television maintained that advertisement and subscription income from media business should be at a 50:50 basis and a business model based on these parameters would help penetration of broadband, inflow of more FDI and the government would stand to gain from realization of more taxes. The ratio of TV advertisement to GDP in India is abysmally poor as compared to developed countries and hoped that the stress on subscription would give a sustainable and healthy revenue stream to the media business.

Mr Bharat N Anand, professor, Harvard Business School in his presentation stressed that digitization per se would not guarantee steady and healthy revenue scheme and innovative packages have to be drawn up to bolster revenue such as offering complementarities along with subscriptions etc. as is the practice in some of the western countries. He also stressed the need for strict action against piracy, sincee it accounted for close to 20 per cent losses to the industry.

Ms SmithaJha, Leader, Entertainment & Media practice, PWC India, quoting from the report prepared for the CII summit observed that the game changers in the media industry would be advertisement, subscription and infrastructure and policy framework. In India, she said that the consumer spends only US $ 7 per month as subscription as against US$ 500 in the US. Also, to help industry to achieve the potential, infrastructure has to be toned up, such as rolling out of 3G and 4 G coupled with strengthening broadband net -work.

Mr Anil Kapoor, Actor stressed need for focusing on content export, a sector, which had received only minimal attention. He said that India had a repertoire of artists and content writers, who can focus on global market and cater to them.

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Digitization reaches 93% in Metro cities. Ministry monitors digital switchover preparedness.

Press Information Bureau: Oct 31, 2012Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has released data about achievement of Digitization in the 4 metro cities as on 30th October 2012.The data shows that in Delhi the Cable TV digitization has touched 92% and with DTH the percentage of digitization has gone upto 95%. For Mumbai the percentage of digitization is 100% whereas for Kolkata Cable TV digitization alone has crossed 82%, along with DTH the percentage of digitization goes upto 85%. In Chennai the Cable TV digitization has reached 62% and with DTH it goes upto 86%. The overall percentage of achievement in 4 metro cities, therefore, is 89% as far as the Cable TV is concerned and with DTH, the percentage goes upto 93%.

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has sent teams comprising of Technical Experts to visit various Headends of National level Multi System Operators (MSOs) as well as independent MSOs in the four metro cities of Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. The Technical teams will collect on site data regarding preparedness of MSOs for analogue switch over to DAS i.e., Digital Addressable System. The teams would also look at details of Subscriber Management System and Call Centre facility etc. The teams would also look at the system available with the MSOs to ensure that no analogue signals are fed in the Cable networks after the 31st October 2012 deadline.

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had launched an aggressive public awareness campaign for creating awareness among the masses about the need for Set Top Box for their Cable TV system. In addition to video and audio spots on several television channels, Ministry had also embarked on a very aggressive SMS campaign. Six round of SMS Campaign have already been undertaken reaching out to millions of subscribers in the 4 metro cities. As a further step towards digitization, Ministry has also been exhibiting slides in cinema theaters. Hoardings have also been placed at bus shelters and toilet blocks in the city of Delhi.

A review of the daily installation of STBs shows that the rate of installation has touched an all time high. On 29th October, 2012 about 88,000 set top boxes were installed out of which more than 61000 boxes were installed in Delhi alone.

The Control Room set up by the Ministry has been receiving on a average around 400 calls per day since 15th October, 2012. Ministry has positioned MSO representatives also to sit in the Control Room to reply to the queries of people from 8.00 am to 10.00 pm every day. This has provided a platform for common people to address their concerns/queries on the digitization process.

Digitization would usher in a regime of addressability and transparency, bringing a host of exciting benefits to the consumers. Digitization of the Cable TV Network would open up several opportunities for the consumers to get access to Movies and Games on Demand as well as internet.

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30% Scheme Funds being Allocated for Development of Women Farmers: Shri Pawar Consultative Committee on Agriculture meets

Press Information Bureau: Nov 01, 2012Union Minister of Agriculture and Food Processing Industries Shri Sharad Pawar today informed Members of Parliament that “in order to ensure that funds get adequately devolved for women specific needs, 30% funds are being allocated for development of women farmers under various schemes/programmes with a focus on formation of Women Self Help Groups.”

Speaking at the Meeting of the Consultative Committee on “Women in Agriculture”, he expressed that rural women play a pivotal role in the entire gamut of agricultural operations ranging from land preparation to post-harvesting operations. He said, “Their access to productive assets like seed, water, credit, subsidy needs to be enhanced. Women are often not recognized as farmers for want of ownership of land and are not considered as beneficiaries under various government programmes / services. Due to wage differentials between men and women in some parts of the country, the situation gets further aggravated.”

He elaborated on the steps taken by the Ministry of Agriculture to improve the lot of women farmers and said, “Currently, there are number of schemes being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, wherein there is a provision for women-specific activities. These include Gramin Bhandaran Yojana, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, ATMA Scheme, National Food Security Mission National Horticulture Mission etc.”

Shri Pawar stated that various Ministries in the Government have been working towards empowering women farmers and efforts are being to bring about convergence and synergy. Developing gender disaggregated data and gender budgeting are other key activities which have been taken up to bridge gender inequalities.

The meeting was attended by Ministers of State for Agriculture and FPI, Shri Charan Das Mahant and Shri Tariq Anwar and other members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The members who attended the meeting were: S/Shri A.Ganeshamurthi, Sharief-ud-din Sharif, Dhruva Narayana Rangaswamy, M. Krishnaswamy, K. Sugumar, K.P. Dhanapalan, Gobinda Chandra Naskar, Sardar Sher Singh Ghubaya, Kunvarjibhai Bavalia, Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, Dr. K.P. Ramalingam, Smt. Mohsina Kidwai, Renubala Pradhan and special invitee Smt. Santosh Chowdhary.

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India-Germany to Achieve Trade Target of 20 Billion Euro this Year: Anand Sharma

Press Information Bureau: Nov 02, 2012India Proposes Incremental Approach in India –EU BTIA NegotiationsThe Union Minister of Commerce Industry and Textiles Shri Anand Sharma has said that India and Germany will achieve the trade target of Euro 20 billion (USD 26.16 billion) this year. The trade between the two countries stood at USD 23.566 in 2011. “India and Germany have set a trade target of Euro 20 billion (US$ 26.16 billion) to be achieved by 2012 and I am sure that we will be able to reach this target if not cross it with efforts from both sides,” said Shri Sharma after the meeting with Dr. Phillipp Roesler, Minister of Economic and Technology and Vice Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, here today.

Both the leaders also reviewed the progress of India EU BTIA and expressed the desire that it a balanced and ambitious agreement be reached soon. The Chief negotiators are meeting in Brussels on 8th November and a delegation is coming to this month to pursue the issue of declaring India Data Secure which is an important demand from Indian side. "We have proposed the principal of incremental approach so that what may not happen now can be included later. But what we have on the table from both the sides, it is fairly robust. We will now leave it to negotiators to bring it to its early conclusion .... We will have a ministerial scheduled either for December or January, depends on how fast they (Chief Negotiators) work. That time, hopefully, we will announce the conclusion of the negotiations," Minister Sharma told reporters after the meeting.

Dr Roseler underlined the concerns of their Pharmaceutical industry in the wake of granting of compulsory licence of a cancer medicine to Natco recently. Shri Sharma assured the visiting Minister that India’s action was well within the parameters of TRIPS commitments and the flexibility of compulsory licensing has been used more than 50 times by the developed countries while this was the first time India resorted to this. He said India’s IP structure is fully compliant with its international commitments.

In 2011 Indian export to Germany stood at USD 8.25 billion and import were USD 15.31 billion. FDI inflows from Germany into India is around US$ 4.9 billion and it ranks 8th among investors in India. FDI flow from India into Germany is US $ 5.9 billion in 2011.

The German Minister is participating in 13th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business which is being held in Gurgaon during 1-3 November, 2012.

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India and ASEAN to Explore Areas of Cooperation in New and Renewable Energy

Press Information Bureau: Nov 05, 2012The Government of India is hosting a meeting of the Ministers of Renewable Energy of ASEAN countries and India in New Delhi on 7th November 2012. In the meeting, the Ministers in-charge of Renewable Energy of ASEAN member countries and India would deliberate upon and discuss policy and regulatory framework for promotion of renewable energy in ASEAN member countries and INDIA. Financing of renewable energy, cooperation in research and development, technology transfer and resource assessment would be specific issues that would engage their attention.

Prior to the Ministerial level meeting, a two-day workshop on renewable energy of experts and policy planners from ASEAN countries and India is being organized by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Global Innovation Technology Alliance (GITA) and is scheduled in New Delhi on 5-6 November 2012. The workshop aims at sharing of experience among participating countries on the development and deployment of renewable energy, and also identifies institutions for establishing long term cooperation between institutions in India and ASEAN countries. The workshop would also discuss technological strengths and manufacturing base of the participating countries in order to forge useful partnership. The workshop would have the benefit of discussing possible topics/projects for industrial R&D to be considered under ASEAN-India S&T Development Fund (AISTDF) which is jointly created by DST and Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and managed by “Global Innovation and Technology Alliance” (GITA)-A Section 25 Company.

Discussion on Global Technology trends in Renewable Energy Technologies, Renewable Energy Technologies and manufacturing base in ASEAN countries and India, development and deployment of renewable energy, identification of areas of co-operation in R&D and technology transfer, identification of institutions for establishing long term cooperation, Focus on cooperation in resource assessment of renewable energy sources, identification of industrial R & D projects for support under ASEAN-India S&T Development Fund are the major objectives of the Workshop.

About 250 participants including Policy makers and senior officials responsible for renewable energy activities in ASEAN member countries, Technology and Industry experts, from the participating ASEAN countries are expected to participate. The eminent speakers from Government, Industry and Experts will share their knowledge and expertise through presentations, panel discussions and case studies. Experts from GITA and International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Abu Dhabi would make presentations on their activities.

The two day Workshop will include a Technical Session covering the following themes

Trends in Renewable Energy Technologies: Wind Power, Solar, Biomass. Assessment of Potential and identification of potential locations. Possible areas of cooperation in R&D and Technology Transfer. Identification of industrial R&D projects for support under ASEAN-India S& T Development Fund. Future Areas of cooperation in Renewable Energy. The Programme will be inaugurated by Shri Gireesh B.Pradhan, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The resolution for cooperation in Renewable Energy among the ASEAN countries will be adopted in the Ministerial Meeting on 7th November, 2012.

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Foreign Tourist Arrivals and Foreign Exchange Earnings in October 2012

Press Information Bureau: Nov 07, 2012Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) during the Month of October, 2012 were 5.76 lakh as compared to FTAs of 5.60 lakh during the month of October 2011 and 5.07 lakh in October 2010. There has been a growth of 3 % in October 2012 over October 2011 as compared to a growth of 10.4 % registered in October 2011 over October 2010. FTAs during the period January-October 2012 were 52.19 lakh with a growth of 6.2% over the same period in 2011, as compared to the FTAs of 49.03 lakh with a growth of 9.3 % during January-October 2011 over the corresponding period of 2010.

Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEE) during the month of October 2012 were Rs. 8154 crore as compared to Rs. 7019 crore in October 2011 and Rs 5219 crore in October 2010. The growth rate in FEE in rupee terms in October 2012 over October 2011 was 16.2 % as compared to 34.5 % in October 2011 over October 2010. FEEs from tourism in rupee terms during January- October 2012 were Rs. 74215 crore with a growth of 22.1 %, as compared to the FEEs of Rs. 60780 crore with a growth of 18.4 % during January- October 2011 over the corresponding period of 2010.

FEEs in US$ terms during the month of October 2012 were US$ 1538 million as compared to FEEs of US$ 1424 million during the month of October 2011 and US$ 1175 milion in October 2010. The growth rate in FEEs in US$ terms in October 2012 over October 2011 was 8 % as compared to the growth of 21.2 % in October 2011 over October 2010. FEEs from tourism in terms of US$ during January- October 2012 were US$ 14030 million with a growth of 5.4%, as compared to US$ 13310 million with a growth of 19 % during January- October 2011 over the corresponding period of 2010.

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Shri Jaipal Reddy Inaugurates International Bioenergy Summit

Press Information Bureau: Nov 06, 2012Releases “The Bioenergy Road-Map –Vision 2020” of the Department of BiotechnologyIn an endeavor to create a roadmap for the next five years for innovative technologies and policies for biofuels development in India, the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India along with The Energy and Resources Institute(TERI) launched a two day International Summit on ‘Bioenergy: Algae Biofuel & Synthetic Biology 2012’ here yesterday. Shri Jaipal Reddy, Minister of Science and Technology & Earth Sciences inaugurated the Summit.

During the two day summit, experts and policymakers are aiming to identify the primary tasks that must be undertaken to accelerate the sustainable deployment of biofuels in India. The summit is witnessing the participation from renowned scientists from over 7 countries, including India, USA, France, Belgium, Malaysia, and South Africa along with 10 eminent international speakers.

Delivering the inaugural address, Shri. Jaipal Reddy, Minister, Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, opined “There is no denying the fact that the country is facing some serious challenges in food and nutrition, healthcare, energy and environment. To meet these mounting challenges, Science and Technology can play a crucial role in developing an instrumental framework both nationally and internationally. Innovation requires institutional framework and adequate human resources, in order to succeed we need to strengthen and redesign to move towards progress in product development” .He further added, “We need to accelerate our global efforts that will immensely help us in the economic and social development of our country. The best of modern technology should be harnessed for a sustainable future and ensuring some tangible outcome”. The Minister also released “The Bioenergy Road-Map – Vision 2020” of Department of Biotechnology.

Dr. M. K. Bhan, Secretary, DBT and Chairman, BIRAC said “We should use our science and engineering base and our industry strength to create an innovation nation for bioenergy for sustainable future”. He emphasized on the need for redesign new Institutional mechanisms for forthcoming innovation and Public Private Partnership. Dr. Bhan further said “I am hopeful this summit will witness some intelligent discussions, feedback and chalk out the way forward for cutting edge research in the field of algae and synthetic biology for biofuels”.

Dr. Pachauri, Director General, TERI stated “The significance of this summit is very timely on account of the challenges that the nation has been facing. In order to have a green and sustainable future we need to ensure that our resources are properly exploited. I am extremely sure that algae can play a pivotal role towards ensuring a better future. The future lies in coming up with innovative technologies that will give us a sustainable future”. He further added “With regard to the development and commercialization of technologies, I am very pleased to know that Department of Biotechnology and TERI have come up with an intensive plan of action, I sincerely believe this will set some very high standard’s and will go a long way in creating a sustainable future”.

The two day summit has included plenary talks, invited talks, and panel discussions to deliberate on key issues for next generation fuels. It will provide a unique opportunity for communication and collaboration between academia, industry, and policy-makers and will enable government, industry, and financial partners to identify the steps needed and implement measures to accelerate required technology development.

The summit will highlight on the various scientific themes like Algal Bioengineering, Algae as Production System, Sustainable Algae Mass Cultivation, Synthetic Biology for Advanced Bioenergy, System and Computational Biology in Bioenergy, Synthetic Biology and Industry Potential and Adoption of Bio-energy Solutions in Industry and Other Sectors.

It aims to unite researchers in the field of next generation fuels for exchange of innovative ideas, leading edge concepts, new technologies and ongoing R&D efforts in the field of 'Algal biofuel and Synthetic biology for advanced bioenergy' but will be an unique platform for communication and collaboration between academia, industry, and policy-makers.

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Third Phase of Small Development Projects (SDP-III) in Afghanistan

Press Information Bureau: Nov 08, 2012The Union Cabinet today approved the third phase of the Small Development Projects in Afghanistan. The outlay on the third phase of the Small Development Projects in US$ 100 million.

The outlay for the third Phase of the Small Developmental Projects is US$ 100 Million (approximately Rs.500 crore).

The Small Development Projects directly impact local communities and support social-economic development, provide livelihood, help conserve environmental and cultural heritage, empower women, promote child welfare and facilitate community life through creation of infrastructure in the education, health, agriculture and agro-industry, renewable energy, trade, transport and communication, recreation and community development sectors.

Local communities of Afghanistan would directly benefit from the Small Development Projects. Exact number of beneficiaries cannot be verified. This will cover all 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

The Small Development Projects were earlier implemented in two phases: the first in July 2006 comprising 50 projects worth US$ 11,216,179; and the second in June 2008 comprising 51 projects worth US$ 8,579,537. Most of the projects in the two phases have been completed

Background:The projects will be implemented over a period of four years through local Afghan Government Bodies, Community Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, Charitable Trusts and Education and Vocational Institutions. The expenditure on the projects will be met from the Non-Plan head of 'Aid to Afghanistan’ budget of the Ministry of External Affairs.

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India and Malaysia Agreed to Promote Cooperation in Renewable Energy

Press Information Bureau: Nov 09, 2012India and Malaysia have agreed to promote cooperation in renewable energy, especially in the areas of biomass and biogas, micro hydropower, solar energy and wind power. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed in the capital yesterday. The MoU was signed by Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Minister of New and Renewable Energy and Data’ Sri Peter Chin Fah Kui, Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water, Malaysia.

Both the countries also agreed to form a Joint Working Group for better coordination through joint research on subjects of mutual interest, exchange and training of scientific and technical personnel, exchange of available scientific and technologies information and data, organization of workshops, seminars and working groups, transfer of know-how, technology and equipment, on non-commercial basis etc.

Dr. Farooq Abdullah briefed his Malaysian counterpart on the progress made by India in renewable energy with special reference to the National Solar Mission launched in 2010 under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. He also briefed the visiting Minister on the recently concluded International Seminar on Energy Access and India’s efforts in promoting energy for remote and un-electrified areas.

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Auction for Sale of Government Stocks

Press Information Bureau: Sep 25, 2012Government of India have announced the sale (re-issue) of (i) “8.07 percent Government Stock 2017-JUL” for a notified amount of Rs4,000 crore (nominal) through price based auction, (ii) “8.33 percent Government Stock 2026” for a notified amount of Rs. 6,000 crore (nominal) through price based auction, (iii) “8.97 percent Government Stock 2030” for a notified amount of Rs. 3,000 crore (nominal) through price based auction; and (iv) “8.33 percent Government Stock 2036” for a notified amount of Rs. 2,000 crore (nominal) through price based auction. The auctions will be conducted using uniform price method. The auctions will be conducted by the Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai Office, Fort, Mumbai on September 28, 2012 (Friday).

Up to 5% of the notified amount of the sale of the stocks will be allotted to eligible individuals and Institutions as per the Scheme for Non-Competitive Bidding Facility in the Auction of Government Securities.

Both competitive and non-competitive bids for the auction should be submitted in electronic format on the Negotiated Dealing System (NDS) on September 28, 2012. The non- competitive bids should be submitted between 10.30 a.m. and 11.30 a.m. and the competitive bids should be submitted between 10.30 a.m. and 12.00 noon.

The result of the auctions will be announced on September 28, 2012 and payment by successful bidders will be on October 01, 2012 (Monday).

The Stocks will be eligible for “When Issued” trading in accordance with the guidelines on ‘When Issued transactions in Central Government Securities’ issued by the Reserve Bank of India vide circular No. RBI /2006-07/178 dated November 16, 2006 as amended from time to time.

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President inaugurates the 32nd India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2012

Press Information Bureau: Nov 15, 2012The President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the 32nd edition of the India International Trade Fair today (14.11.2012) at Pragati Maidan. Addressing the function, the President said the fair has been an excellent platform for micro, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs) to showcase their products and penetrate both domestic and international markets at attractive prices. President stressed that MSMEs are a source of rural empowerment, which is one of the key objectives of Government’s agenda of inclusive growth.

The President was happy to note that the theme of the IITF this year is “Skilling India”. He stated that skill building is an integral part of a nation’s economic progress. He said ITPO has done commendable work in bringing all stakeholders together to share their experience at this important event.

Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were Shri Mikhail V Myasnikovich, Prime Minister of Belarus, Shri Anand Sharma, Union Minister of Commerce, Smt. D. Purandeswari, Union Minister of State for Commerce, Ms. Elizabeth Thabethe, Dy. Minister, Trade & Industry, South Africa, Lt Gen (Retd.) Bhopinder Singh, Lt. Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Shri Vijay Bahuguna, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and Smt. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of NCT of Delhi.

At the 32nd IITF, the focus state and country are Andaman Nicobar Islands and South Africa respectively. The partner state and the country are Uttarakhand and the Republic of Belarus respectively. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Thailand have set up their “National Pavilion” at this Trade Fair; and about 480 overseas exhibitors from 22 countries are participating in the event.

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