India's first indigenously built ASW Corvette ready for battle

 A dab of paint here and a bit of polish there. There is hectic activity at the Fitting Out Jetty (FOJ) of the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata. The country's oldest defence shipyard is all set to sail out India's first indigenously-built and most advanced submarine hunter-killer. The INS Kamorta, the first Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Corvette under the Navy's Project-28 will be formally handed over to the navy on Saturday. After sailing from Kolkata in the next few days, with commissioning captain commander Manoj Jha in charge, the lethal platform will join the navy's Eastern Fleet at Visakhapatnam where a formal commissioning ceremony will be held in the last week of July, sources revealed.

"This is a great achievement for GRSE and the country as a whole. The ship has major indigenous content and is technologically advanced. We have used indigenously built steel for the INS Kamorta. The next three ships of the Kamorta class are also being built at GRSE and will have more advanced features," said rear admiral (retd) A K Verma, chairman cum managing director, GRSE.

To enhance its stealth capabilities, the Kamorta's full-beam superstructure features the contemporary X-form. Its surfaces are optimally-sloped to reduce Radar Cross Section signature. The ship is 109 meters long and 13 metres wide and its hull form has been made highly efficient for excellent sea-keeping and maneuverability. With an approximate displacement of 3,400 tonnes, the ship has a maximum speed of 25 knots. It is powered by four indigenously designed 3,888 KW diesel engines at 1,050 rpm and can cover nearly 3,500 nautical miles at 18 knots.

"Each ship will be manned by 14 officers and 150 sailors. Nearly 90% of the ship is indigenous. The ASW corvette sports a state-of-the-art low-noise CODAD (combined diesel and diesel) propulsion system with hydraulic coupling between main engines and gearbox. This is the first for any ship built in India. The specially designed propellers, gear-boxes and engines prevent detection of the ship by submarines. The indigenously developed IRSS (infrared signature suppression system) devices fitted within the engine exhausts helps it to operate more stealthily. It is also the first naval ship fitted with bow-mounted sonar for enhanced underwater surveillance. Integration of indigenous surveillance radar Revathi is another first for any warship," said Gr Capt T K Singha, CPRO, ministry of defence, Kolkata.

The weapons suite on the ship allows it to engage ships, aircraft and shore targets besides giving it astounding anti-submarine capabilities. It will also be the first warship armed with an indigenous rocket launcher for ASW warfare and the trainable chaff launcher Kavach. The ship also has a medium-range gun system, surface to air missiles, torpedo launchers and close-in weapons systems. The ship is also capable of deploying a helicopter, adding to its punch.

RAS PRE-2013 RESULT CANCELLED

SEE THE DETAILS

http://rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in/pdf_reports_files/PN_detail_Ras_Pre_Detail_2013_100714.pdf

Zohra Sehgal dies at the age of 102

Veteran actress and former dancer Zohra Sehgal died at a hospital in New Delhi today at the age of 102.

The veteran theatre and film actor was last seen in the 2007 hit movie Cheeni Kum as Amitabh Bachchan’s mother.  Sehgal, born on April 27, 1912, started her career in 1935 as a leading dancer with the Uday Shankar Ballet Company and travelled the world over. In 1945, she joined Prithviraj Kapoor’s Prithvi Theatre group as an actor on a monthly salary of Rs 400.

Her sister Uzra Butt too was a popular actor. During this period, she married a fellow dancer, Kameshwar Sehgal. After having acted in several plays, she made her film debut in Indian People’s Theatre Association’s (IPTA) first film, Dharti Ke Lal (1946), which was directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. She followed it up with another IPTA film, Neecha Nagar.

The actress was also seen in movies like ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ and ‘Saawariya’. She was also seen in ‘Bhaji on the Beach’(1992), ‘The Mystic Masseur’(2001), ‘Bend It Like Beckham’(2002), ‘Dil Se’ (1998).

Zohra Sehgal was residing in  Delhi with her daughter, Kiran Sehgal, and, as her friends said, the sprightly actor’s zest for life was still intact.

Zohra Sehgal had also received the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.

Budget Estimates for 2014-15 Project Fiscal Deficit of 4.1% and Revenue Deficit of 2.9% of GDP Gross Tax Receipts of Rs. 13,64,524 Crore Estimated Rs. 5,75,000 Crore Plan Expenditure – An Increase of 26.9 Per cent Over Actuals of 2013-14

The Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley said that the Modi Government has mandate to fulfill for the people provision for the essential items without compromising fiscal consolidation. Making his maiden Budget Speech in Lok Sabha today, the Finance Minister Shri Jaitley announced the Budget estimates with Non-plan Expenditure for the financial year estimated at Rs. 12,19,892 crore with additional provision for fertilizer subsidy and capital expenditure for Armed forces. Rs.5,75,000 crore have been allocated towards Plan expenditure, marking an increase of 26.9 per cent over actuals of 2013-14 (Rs. 4,53,085 crore). Plan increase is targeted towards agriculture, capacity creation in health and education, rural roads and National Highways Infrastructure, railways network expansion, clean energy initiatives, development of water resources and river conservation plans, the Finance Minister added. Total expenditure estimates thus stands at Rs.17,94,892 crore. To finance this expenditure, Gross Tax receipts of Rs. 13,64,524 crore have been estimated. In his maiden Budget Speech Shri Jaitley said that the net share of centre will be Rs. 9,77,258 crore. Non Tax Revenue for the current financial year will be Rs. 2,12,505 crore and capital receipts other than borrowings will be Rs. 73,952 crore. Thus, Fiscal deficit will be 4.1 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Revenue deficit will be 2.9 per cent of GDP, Shri Jaitley added. The Finance Minister recalled in his Budget Speech that the previous NDA Government under Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had initiated a compulsory non-lapsable 10 per cent allocation of plan funds for North Eastern Region. Shri Arun Jaitley said that from the current Budget a New Statement will separately show plan allocation made for North Eastern Region. In the current financial year, an allocation of Rs. 53,706 crore has been made for North Eastern Region. He announced an allocation of Rs. 98,030 crore for women and of Rs. 81,075 crore for children welfare in General Budget 2014-15 presented in Lok Sabha today.

More Services Bought in the Service Tax Net, Indirect Taxes to Yield Rs.7525 Crore

To broaden the tax base in Service Tax, sale of space or time for advertisements in broadcast media has been extended to cover such sales on other segments like online and mobile advertising. Announcing the tax proposals, the Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley said during his maiden budget speech that sale of space for advertisements in print media however would remain excluded from service tax. However services provided by radio-taxis have been brought under service tax. The Finance Minister said that the tax proposals on the indirect taxes side are estimated to yield Rs.7525 crore during 2014-15. The Finance Minister announced that the services by air-conditioned contract carriages and technical testing of newly developed drugs on human participants have been brought under service tax. Services provided by Indian tour operators to foreign tourists in relation to a tour wholly conducted outside India will be taken out of the tax net and Cenvat credit for services of rent-a-cab and tour operators will be allowed to promote tourism. Shri Jaitley said that services provided by the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation for the period prior to 1st July 2012 have been exempted from service tax. Exemption available for specified micro insurance schemes has been expanded to cover all life micro-insurance schemes where the sum assured does not exceed Rs.50, 000 per life insured. 24X7 customs clearance facility will be extended to 13more airports in respect of all export goods and to 14 more sea ports in respect of specified import and export goods to facilitate cargo clearance.‘Indian Customs Single Window Project to facilitate trade will be implemented.

Digital India Programme Launched to Bridge the Divide Between HAVES and HAVE-NOTS

Centre has proposed to launch a pan India Programme called “Digital India” to further bridge the divide between digital “haves” and “have-nots”. This would ensure Broad band connectivity at village level, improved access to services through IT enabled platforms, greater transparency in Government processes and increased indigenous production of IT hardware and software for exports and improved domestic availability. Presenting his Maiden Budget in Parliament here today, the Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley said that special focus would be given on supporting software product startups. The Finance Minister said that the Government has also proposed to set-up A National Rural Internet and Technology Mission for services in villages and schools, training in IT skills and E-Kranti for government service delivery and governance scheme with an initial corpus of Rs. 500 crore.

Agriculture Gets Pride of Place for The First Time in Union Budget: Agriculture Minister

Shri Radha Mohan Singh Specially Lauds Commitment Shown for Technology-Driven Second Green Revolution, Soil Health Card, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana

Agriculture Minister Shri Radha Mohan Singh has thanked the Prime Minister and Finance Minister for giving a very high priority to agriculture in the union budget.  He has said that the budget puts into action the Prime Minister’s commitment and vision to make villages and farmers strong through schemes for agricultural growth, irrigation and connectivity. Till now, agriculture used to be on the sidelines in union budgets but this is the first time that agriculture has been given pride of place in the budget, the Minister said. Shri Singh specially mentioned the commitment shown in the budget to usher in technology-driven second green revolution with focus on higher productivity and protein revolution. Another major area in focus would be promoting organic farming in the north-eastern region of the country where there is immense potential for this. The provision of soil health card to all farmers is a  path-breaking initiative and it will help farmers reap better harvests with lesser investment on inputs, ShriSingh said. PROPOSALS IN BRIEF In short, the proposals in the budget that directly relate to  farming and farmers are: ·        A scheme will be launched to provide a soil health card to every farmer. ·        100  new mobile soil testing laboratories will be set up across the country. ·        Rs. 100 crore have been provided to harness the vast potential of organic farming in the north-eastern region of the country. ·        Agriculture Universities will be established in Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. ·        Horticulture Universities will be set up in Telangana and Haryana. ·        Institutes of excellence will be set up in Assam and Jharkhand. ·        An Agri-tech Infrastructure Fund is being established. ·        A National Adaptation Fund is being established to meet the threat of climate change on agriculture. ·        Budget commits 4% growth in agriculture. It seeks to usher in a technology-driven second green revolution with focus on higher productivity and ‘protein revolution’ as areas of major focus. ·        5 lakh farming groups of landless farmers (Bhoomiheen Kisan) will be formed through NABARD to get them institutional finance. ·        Price Stabilisation Fund is being set up to mitigate uncertainties and hardship due to volatility in prices of farm produce. ·        Centre will work closely with states to re-orient APMC acts to help develop farmers’ markets and other marketing reforms. ·        Funds have been made available in the budget for development of indigenous cattle breed and starting blue revolution in inland fisheries. ·        Flow  of credit to agriculture sector is to be increased; credit target raised to Rs. 8 lakh crore this year. ·        Farmers making timely payment of crop loans will continue getting loan at 4% rate of interest. ·        More funds are made available to NABARD to help creation of rural infrastructure through Rural Infrastructure Development Fund. ·        Rs 5000 crore are being provided to create warehousing infrastructure. ·        Another Rs. 5000 crore have been provided for creating Long Term Rural Credit Fund; it will long-term investment into agriculture. ·        Cooperatives are being provided Rs 50,000 crore through refinance; it will help more credit flow to farmers through cooperatives. ·        2000 producer organizations will be set up across the country in the next two years under  Producers Development and Upliftment Corpus (PRODUCE). ·        Kisan TV, a television channel dedicated to farmers and agriculture, will be launched. ·        Excise duty on food processing and packaging machinery has been reduced. ·        Service tax on loading, unloading  etc of cotton has been removed. ·        A Rs. 1000 crore scheme, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, is to be launched to improve access to irrigation.