Saarc nations sign energy deal Pact to facilitate integrated operation of the regional power grid

Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries on Thursday managed to salvage their summit by agreeing to a last-minute deal to trade electricity among them after Pakistan torpedoed proposals backed by India and other nations of the bloc for greater regional connectivity.

Before the Saarc Summit concluded here, foreign ministers of all the eight countries signed the framework agreement on cooperation in the power sector which would ensure electricity trading through grid connectivity but the two pacts on motor vehicle and railways could not be inked, following resistance by Pakistan.

Pakistan had opposed the energy pact, citing non-completion of internal process but finally agreed to sign it after heads of states and governments took up the matter with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at a retreat session in Dhulikhel.

Saarc chair and Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koiralaannounced at the concluding session that a timeframe of three months had been fixed for according approval to the connectivity pacts which will encourage people-to-people contact and movement of goods. At the end of the two-day Summit, which took place after a gap of three years, a “Kathmandu Declaration” was also adopted which said the leaders recognised that after 30 years of its existence, it was time to “reinvigorate” Saarc's regional cooperation and “revitalise” the bloc as an effective vehicle to fulfill the developmental aspirations of the people.

 

 

Describing the Summit as “successful”, India’s External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said there were some “difficulties” on Thursday which were resolved in a “graduated” manner.

He said the Indian side returned “satisfied” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's “first successful Saarc Summit”.

The declaration said the leaders unequivocally condemned terrorism and violent extremism and underlined the need for effective cooperation among the member states to combat them.

“They (Saarc leaders) directed respective authorities to ensure full and effective implementation of the Saarc Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism,” the declaration said.

Thanking the leaders for giving the opportunity to host the next Saarc Summit in Islamabad, Pakistan’s Sharif said, “We must adopt a realistic, pragmatic and step-by-step approach towards solution of issues which will open up new channel of cooperation,” he said
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GDP in Science Research

According to the latest available statistics, the Indian investment in science and technology in terms of Gross expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) during 2011-12 has been 36.2 billion US$ Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) whereas China, the US and South Korea invested 205.4, 429.1 and 58.4 billion US$ PPP respectively. However, India’s investment is higher than many countries such as Brazil 27.4, Canada 24.7 and Sweden 13.4, Mexico 8.1and Finland 7.9 billion US$ PPP during 2011-12. In absolute terms, India’s national R&D expenditure during 2011-12 has been estimated to be of the order of Rs.72620.44 crore. India invested 0.88% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) towards Research and Development (R&D) whereas USA and South Korea spent 2.76% and 4.04% respectively during 2011-12. However, the private sector contribution in R&D as percentage of GDP in India is only one-third while two-third is being contributed by the public sector. The private sector participation in India’s R&D has not kept pace with many developed and emerging countries in the world. The Government has desired to invest 2% of its GDP on R&D during the XII plan period and has taken various measures for the promotion and growth of scientific research in the country. These measures include successive increase in plan allocations for Scientific Departments, setting up of new institutions for science education and research, launching of New Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2013, creation of centres of excellence for research and facilities in emerging and frontline S&T areas in academic and national institutes, establishment of new and attractive fellowships, strengthening infrastructure for Research and Development (R&D) in universities, encouraging public-private R&D partnerships, recognition of R&D units, fiscal incentives and support measures for enhancing the participation of industry in R&D.

There will be no dilution of MGNREGA, Says Birender Singh

Union Minister for Rural Development Shri Birender Singh has reiterated that there will be no dilution of MGNREGA and the rural job scheme will continue to remain as one of the flagship schemes of the NDA Government. Replying to a Calling Attention Motion in the Rajya Sabha on the reported move of the Government to introduce changes in the MGNREGs by reducing the wage component of the fund allocation and restricting the areas of work, the Minister emphasised that the rural job scheme will remain operational in all the 6,500 Blocks and will not be restricted to 2,500 Blocks as being alleged by some of the members. Shri Birender Singh also made it clear that the wage-material ratio of 60:40 will never be allowed to cross and informed the members that during the last 8 years around Rs. 1,80,000 crores have been paid as wages to the workers, which is around 71% of the total expenditure made till date. Besides, in order to have adequate number of technical assistants on the ground to supervise and ensure the creation of quality assets, the Ministry has allowed the States for payment of remuneration of technical assistants/barefoot engineers from the skilled wage (material) component of the work. Moreover, the wage material ratio for works taken up by agencies other than Gram Panchayats would now be counted at the district level (instead of block level) to facilitate taking up more durable assets. He said, 21 States have formulated their State Convergence Plans in consultation with various line departments in this regard. Allaying the apprehensions of the members regarding budgetary cuts, Shri Birender Singh said, the budget provision under the MGNREGS in 2013-14 was Rs. 33000 crores, while in the current financial year 2014-15 the budget provision is Rs. 34000 crores, so there is no question of any financial pruning as far as the rural job scheme is concerned. He also added that this Act has ensured considerable financial inclusion with around 9.76 crore accounts of MGNREGA workers being in Banks and Post Offices. The Minister said, over the last eight years of its implementation, MGNREGA has achieved significant results. On an average around 5 crore households, which is close to 29% of the total rural households, are provided employment under the scheme every year. Around 54% of MGNREGA workers are women and close to 40% are SCs & STs. Shri Birender Singh said, as per recent Performance Audit conducted by the C&AG, around 90% of the beneficiaries were either casual labourers or small or marginal farmers. It is also an important source of income for families susceptible to distress migration in view of limited work opportunities.   Safe Drinking Water to all Rural Habitations by 2022-Birender Singh. The Government today said that providing safe drinking water facilities to all the rural people of the country is its topmost priority and the mission will be accomplished in the next 8 years. Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of Rural Development and Drinking Water and Sanitation Sh Birender Singh said that 17 lakh habitations will be provided with drinking water facilities by 2022. He said, the main goal of the NDA Government is to ensure that every rural Indian will have access to sufficient water for drinking and cooking purposes, besides catering to the demands of the livestock. The Minister said that 78,000 villages in the country face the serious problem of water contamination like fluoride , arsenic and other heavy metals and the priority of the government is to tackle the menace on war footing. A committee of the Secretaries is also looking into this issue and will soon come out with practical and implementable solutions. On the concern raised by a Member from Punjab regarding polluted water leading to cancer, the Minister pointed out that State Governments are free to utilise 67 percent of the budget allocated to tackle such problems of contamination. He also added that 10 percent of budget could also be utilized for any exigency including deficient monsoon. Sh Birender Singh also informed the members that in some of the cases, State Governments don’t come forward to take the funds allocated, besides keeping the unspent balance for long.

Committee on Restructuring of Railways

Ministry of Railways have constituted a committee on 22.09.2014 with a tenure of one year for “Mobilization of resources for major Railway projects and Re-structuring of Railways, Ministry & Railway Board” under the chairmanship of Dr. Bibek Debroy. The terms of reference of the committee are: 1. Re-organising and re-structuring the Board and subsequently the department so that policy making and operations are separated, the department does not work in silos, policy making focuses on long term and medium term planning issues and operations focuses on day to day functioning of the organisation. 2. Promote exchange of officers between the Railways and other departments. 3. Estimate financial needs of the Railways and ensure appropriate frameworks and policies are in place to raise resources, both internally and from outside the Government, to enable Railways to meet the demands of the future. 4. Examine and suggest modalities for implementing the existing Cabinet decisions on setting up a Rail Tariff Authority and give recommendations. The committee has been interacting with a cross section of Railwaymen including Railway Unions and other stakeholders and suitable action on the recommendations can be considered on submission of the report of the committee.

The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy has initiated scheme for setting up of 25 Solar Parks, each with the capacity of 500 MW and above, to be developed in next 5 years in various States. The Ministry has sent scheme for Development of Solar Park to various States along with MOU to all the state Governments against which 12 states have given consent for setting up of Solar Parks. This was stated by Sh. Piyush Goyal, Minister of state for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy (Independent Charge) in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.    States which have sent written request for setting up Solar Power Park/Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects are given below:-   S. No. State Capacity of Solar Park (approximately Land Identified at 1 Gujarat 750 MW Taluka- Vav, Distt.-Banaskantha 2 Madhya Pradesh 750 MW +750 MW Rewa-Distt. 3 Telangana 1000 MW Mehboob Nagar-Distt. 4 Andhra Pradesh 2500 MW Anantpur-Distt, Kadapa and Kurnool 5 Karnataka 1000 MW Mulwar, Bijapur (near Kargi) 6 Uttar Pradesh 600 MW District-Jalaun, Sonbhadra and Allahabad 7 Meghalaya 50 MW University of Science and Technology, 9thMile, near Guwahati, Meghalaya 8 Jammu & Kashmir 7500 MW Leh and Kargil 9 Punjab 1000 MW +1000 MW District-wise land identified 10 Rajasthan i.        Bhadla Phase-II ii.      Bhadla Phase-III iii.    Jaisalmer Park Phase-I iv.     Jaisalmer Park Phase-II 700 MW 1000 MW 1000 MW 1000 MW District - Bhadla and Jaisalmer 11 Tamil Nadu 500 MW Location yet to be identified 12 Odisha 1000 MW Location yet to be identified Total 22,100 MW             The Minister further stated that the estimated cost for development of solar park would be around Rs.0.95 Cr./MW.  Solar Power Plants of various capacities would be set up by Solar Power Developers in the Park.  The developers would be selected through bidding process under Central/State Schemes.  As per tariff determined for the year 2014-15 by Central Electricity Regulatory Commission