Indian Oil Corporation is country's biggest company: Fortune 500 list

State-run Indian Oil Corporation is the country's largest company in terms of revenue, followed byReliance Industries and Bharat Petroleum in the second and third place respectively, according to the Fortune 500 list of Indian companies for 2014.

Indian Oil Corp (IOC) tops the chart with an annual revenue of Rs 5,00,973 crore, while Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd's (RIL) full-year revenue is Rs 4,44,021 crore.Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) is at the third spot with a revenue of Rs 2,67,718 crore. Hindustan Petroleum's (HPCL) Rs 2,36,797 crore revenue earned the fourth place in the Fortune 500 list.

IOC, RIL, BPCL and HPCL have retained their last year's respective ranks, Fortune India said.

This year's list, compiled by global business magazine Fortune's Indian edition, said there has been a 9.5 per cent annual growth in total revenues, while in terms of profit it is 4.5 per cent.

The government-owned companies, which account for 38 per cent of the total revenue, have seen a 6.6 per cent growth, while private companies with 56.7 per cent share have seen revenue growing by 10.2 per cent.

Foreign-owned companies with 5.3 per cent share have posted a 25.5 per cent revenue growth, Fortune India said.

Others in the top 10 list include Tata Motors (5th in the ranking, with a revenue of Rs 2,36,502 crore. State Bank of India (Rs 2,26,944 crore), ONGC (Rs 1,82,084 crore), Tata Steel (Rs 1,49,663 crore), Essar Oil (Rs 99,473 crore) and Hindalco Industries (Rs 89,175 crore) figure in the list in that order.

A look at this year's Fortune India 500 through 'Make in India' lens revealed that manufacturing with 298 companies has a 67 per cent share of the total revenue, marginally lower than 68.7 per cent in 2013. The revenue share of services companies (143 firms) has increased to 27.7 per cent from 26.3 per cent in 2013.

Profits also show a similar trend, while manufacturing share has fallen to 55.1 per cent from 56.6 per cent, that of services has gone up to 44.1 per cent from 40.9 per cent.

"Manufacturing then, definitely needs a helping hand and 'Make in India' could just be the ticket," the magazine said adding that "the specific pain points that need to be addressed include the issue of retrospective taxation, labour and foreign direct investment".

Inculcating Energy Saving Culture

National Energy Conservation Day

14^th December

“Earlier our electricity bill used to be between three to four hundred rupees now it does not exceed Rs 250,” says Budhram a student of Government Senior Secondary School Rambas in Narnaul district of Haryana.  Budhram is one of the twenty Energy Soldiers   in the schools under Bal Urja Rakshak Mission.  Budh ram says that people in his neighbourhood including his own family would not switch off lights even during the day and when not required but that is not the case now.  Budhram says that they also educate villagers on how the electricity bill can be reduced by adopting various measures to use electricity in an efficient manner. Aum Prakash, Energy teacher in the schools says that many people have now started using   CFL bulbs after they impressed upon how the electricity consumed by these bulbs is much less. He said they educate people on how tube lights give better light and save electricity. He says that as part of the mission they have also been discouraging people to use fire wood as it is polluting and harmful for cook but admits that it is not easy to change the mindset of the people.

     Not very far from  this village  Preeti Verma  of Government  Senior secondary School in Pali village  in Mahendergarh Block says she has been  able to motivate families in her village  not to  use fire wood for cooking but LPG.

“ Some  households  in my neighbourhood are now using solar lighting  system  after  I and my fellow Energy Soldiers started spreading  awareness about renewable energy like solar power and the subsidies available”   Preeti is one of the four Energy leaders in her school.

     Bal Urja Rakshak Mission, BURMS initiated in the state in 2008 as a pilot project, is targeted at Secondary Schools (Class8-10 classes).  Under the scheme, each participating school mobilizes a team of 20 Urja Rakshaks (Energy Soldiers), 4 Energy Leaders & two energy teachers. The 20 Energy Soldiers form an Energy Team to organize different events and competitions to generate awareness and understanding about   energy saving. The programme is being implemented in a phased manner in selected schools in identified districts of the state and will be completed by the end next year.

The mission was initiated with objective of bringing about attitudinal and behavioural changes in children regarding saving energy by sensitizing them about energy efficiency, Renewable Energy, Climate Change and Sustainable Development. Under the mission, the aim was to develop a team of dedicated volunteer students known as Urja Rakshak who would organize activities in their schools, homes and neighborhood and community.The programme is designed to make full use of children’s potential as persuasive and powerful agents of change by reaching out to their family, fellow students and teachers and their immediate community.  

 Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (HAREDA) which is the nodal agency for implementation  of the programme  has developed an elaborate information and promotional kit for the students  including booklets, interactive games and CD, films, posters, and stickers. Apart from celebrating  energy related  days like  National Energy Conservation Day, Akshay Urja Diwas & Urja Utsav, campaigns and rallies  on saving  power for future, visits to renewable energy projects  and competitions in essay writing, slogan and paintings  and  working models and  projects are organized .  Quiz competitions are  also organized  with cash prizes  for motivation  at the school and district in order to inculcate their interest in adopting renewable energy sources, technologies ,devices as well  efficient use of energy, environment  climate change and sustainable development.

      The Prime Minister Narendra Modi During his interaction with children on the Teachers Day this year , also urged the children to save  electricity  and  not waste it . He said that it is expensive to make electricity but cheaper  to save electricity.

      There is no doubt that there is a pressing need   to make the future generation more aware of the issues and options concerning modest and efficient use of energy resources.  Towards that end the government is initiating a programme that is aimed at creating awareness among the school children by reaching out to them through a web portal.  The web portal named  “Energy Savers “ for school children on Energy Conservation  is  now all set to be launched  on the National Energy Conservation Day.

Major Features of Web Portal for school children on Energy Conservation

·        To create mass awareness and outreach among school children across all segments of the society.

·        At the "going live" of the web portal, at-least 1 school in each state of the country will be connected and directly communicate with the school children / teachers.

·        This portal will support the spread of a culture of energy efficiency among members of the school community, and help them in carrying out energy-conservation activities themselves, and to engage with their immediate environment including parents, teachers, friends and neighbors.

·        The portal will enable interaction amongst school children through:

 Creation of Energy Clubs.

Competitions based on Energy Audits and savings in their schools.

Essay Competitions etc.

·        Children who achieve success in the competitions and tasks would be recognized for their achievement and awarded BUSS-labeled products, and assigned titles that recognize their progressive achievements.

·        The portal will be subsequently developed in vernacular languages so as to maximize outreach among children all over the country.

·        The portal will eventually connect with approximately 50,000 schools across the country and create mass awareness on the need for Energy Conservation and Energy Efficiency.

·        A category of best performing schools/high-achieving children could be included in the National Energy Conservation Awards in the subsequent years..

            Energy values and habits  of conserving  energy  in a  country like ours need to be inculcated in the young  generation by encouraging learning through participation and programmes like these that  could  become a  mass movement to save  energy, so very crucial for development  of our country.

Funds under Rajiv Gandhi Adventure Scheme

The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Sarbananda Sonowal has said that Rajiv Gandhi Adventure Scheme (RGAS) was launched as a Programme component under the National Service Scheme (NSS) on 26th June, 2009. Under the Scheme, camps are conducted across the country and the adventure activities undertaken in these camps include trekking (mountain and desert), white water rafting, para-sailing, para gliding and basic skiing. The salient features of RGAS are as under: (i)            To inculcate the spirit of adventure and discipline amongst the youth (ii)          To develop team building, comradeship, character building and national          integration. (iii)        To enhance self-confidence and develop leadership qualities among the volunteers. (iv)        To promote risk taking abilities and creating awareness about India.  (v)    To promote adventure, rural, eco and community tourism and creating self-employment opportunities in adventure tourism.  (vi)   To provide a readily available pool of first responders to facilitate immediate search, rescue and evacuation in case of natural calamities like earthquakes and floods etc. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today Shri Sonowal said, during the financial year 2014-15, Rs. 1.55 Crore have been released for organizing  Adventure Camps for 1500 NSS volunteers and 150 NSS Programme Officers. The details of the funds allocated/released for all States/UTs are given in Annexure- I. He said, the Adventure Courses are conducted in the batches comprising of 40 volunteers each. An annual Action Plan is prepared in the beginning of the financial year giving Schedule for conducting different activities including adventure camps. The implementation of these programmes is regularly monitored at various levels through periodical reports.

Rashtriya Aavishkar Abhiyaan

The Rashtriya Aavishkar Abhiyan (RAA) envisages to motivate and engage children of the age group from 6-18 years in Science, Mathematics and Technology through observation, experimentation, inference drawing, model building, etc. both through inside and outside classroom activities and processes. It seeks to create curiosity, excitement and spirit of innovation and exploration amongst school children, by encouraging higher education institutions to assist secondary and elementary schools in the study of Science and Mathematics. The RAA would conduct activities by using funds of the existing schemes and institutions of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Qualitative Reforms in Higher Education The Ministry of Human Resource Development has constituted a Council for Industry & Higher Education Collaboration (CIHEC) headed by HRD Minister, with representatives from Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIIT) and industry including industry associations such as Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM) and Progress Harmony and Development Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PHDCCI); private industry and Public Sector Undertaking (PSUs). CIHEC is envisioned to serve as a professional stakeholder group and identify issues and opportunities and facilitate development of strategies and innovative instruments of collaboration between Industry and Academia. Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), the overall quality of existing State higher educational institutions is sought to be improved by ensuring their conformity to prescribed norms and standards and adoption of accreditation as a mandatory quality assurance framework. Certain academic, administrative and governance reforms are a precondition for receiving funding under RUSA. Under RUSA, participating States are permitted to mobilize 50% of the State contribution of funding through Public-Private Partnerships, Corporate Social Responsibility funds, philanthropic contributions etc. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has taken various measures for educational reforms, such as the introduction of the semester system, the regular updating of curricula and Choice Based Credit Systems (CBCS), etc. The UGC has issued the UGC Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education, Regulation, 2010 for improving the standard of teaching in Indian universities. It has also issued the Mandatory Assessment and Accreditation of Higher Educational Institutions, Regulations, 2012 whereby all eligible higher Educational institutions are required to get themselves accredited. The All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) has informed that in order to promote quality of technical education, it has introduced various schemes such as Faculty Development Programme, Visiting Professorship, National Faculty in Engineering and Technology with Industrial Collaboration (NAFETIC), Quality Improvement Programme etc. It has also issued the Mandatory Accreditation of all Programs/Courses in Technical Education Institutions, University Departments and Institutions Deemed to be Universities imparting Technical Education Regulations, 2014 which makes it mandatory for each technical education institutions, university departments and institutions Deemed to be Universities imparting technical education to get all its programs/courses accredited. Effective Implementation of Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) The following steps have been taken for effective implementation of the Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS):- i)               The Central Government has issued detailed guidelines to ensure quality, safety and hygiene under Mid Day Meal Scheme to all the States / UTs. These inter-alia include mandatory tasting of the meal by 2-3 adults including one teacher before it is served to children; Safe storage and supply of ingredients to schools; Procurement of pulses and ingredients of branded and Ag-mark quality and supply to schools and testing of food samples by accredited laboratories. ii)             Revision of cooking cost by 7.5%. iii)           Construction of kitchen-cum-stores in the schools to ensure safe storage of ingredients and preparation of meals in a hygienic environment. iv)           Provision of Central assistance @ Rs. 5000/- per school for procurement and replacement of kitchen devices. v)             Social Auditing of the Scheme has been started. VI)     38 Monitoring Institutes and Joint Review Mission also monitor and   suggest measures for improvement in the Scheme. Web enabled Management Information System for Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDM-MIS) at national level for effective monitoring of the Scheme. The food norms for primary as well as upper primary children defined under Mid Day Meal Scheme are as under: S. No. Items Quantity Per Day Primary Upper Primary 1. Food grains (viz. rice, wheat) 100 gms 150 gms 2. Pulses 20 gms 30 gms 3. Vegetables 50 gms 75 gms 4. Oil & fat 5 gms 7.5 gms 5. Salt & Condiments As per need As per need

Drip Irrigation

More area can be irrigated adopting Micro Irrigation including Drip Irrigation using less amount of water in comparison to area that can be irrigated adopting flow irrigation. Studies conducted on the aspect have revealed that (i) irrigated area has increased from same source of water by 8.41% on an average with the use of Micro Irrigation Systems and (ii) the water use efficiency in conventional irrigation ranges from 30% to 50% whereas it is 80% to 95% in the case of Micro Irrigation including Drip Irrigation. The initial investment in Micro Irrigation System including Drip Irrigation is more than flow irrigation. However, water saving, reduction in input costs (like labour, fertilizer, electricity etc), increase in productivity & qualities of produce, early maturity are the motivational factors which drive the farmers to opt for Micro Irrigation Systems. The Government is providing financial assistance under On Farm Water Management (OFWM) component of National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) for promotion of Micro Irrigation. The rate of assistance ranges from 35% to 50% of cost of installation for small & marginal farmers and ranges from 25% to 35% of cost of installation for other farmers. In addition to the central assistance, 10% assistance is required to be provided by the State Governments to the farmers. Crop Insurance             To increase the coverage in terms of farmers/ area and also to create competition in Crop Insurance field, Government had decided to include private general insurance companies alongwith Agriculture Insurance Company of India Ltd. (AIC) for implementation of  National Crop Insurance Programme (NCIP).               With a view to provide insurance coverage & financial support to the farmers in the event of failure of any of the notified crops as a result of non-preventable risks including natural calamities, pests & diseases, adverse weather conditions and to stabilize farm income, Government of India introduced Crop Insurance Schemes since 1985.  Improvement, in existing Crop Insurance Schemes to make the same attractive and farmers’ friendly with a view to extend the scope and coverage in terms of crop area, crops and risk is continuing process.  At present, about 65 crops are covered and more than 25% of cropped area is insured.

What is a 'smart city'? Here are 10 attributes that may well describe a smart city

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has certainly focused India's attention on the urbanisationimperative and got the "smart city" concept buzzing. As things stand, the urbanisation agenda is in three parts:

• urban renewal of 500 cities;
• rejuvenation of heritage cities (like Varanasi), and
• the implementation of 100 smart cities; understood to be both "greenfield" and "brownfield".

While renewal and rejuvenation are relatively easier to grasp, there appears to be only an evocative imagination in the public mind as to what the contours of a smart city could be.

So, here are 10 suggested attributes that may well describe, and to some extent define a smart city.

(i) Information, communication, and technology (ICT)-enabled governance: The international and domestic big daddies of the information technology (IT) world have, with their aggressive presentations, virtually hijacked the smart city definition to only mean IT-enabled administration and governance. While such a restrictive definition is undesirable, enabling ICT is clearly one of the more important planks. Often referred to as "smart government", the use of integrated technology platforms that are easily accessible across various devices is certainly key to providing access, transparency, speed, participation and redressal in public services. For example, on December 10, 2014, the President launched the Karnataka Mobile One app in Bengaluru that would provide citizens a range of e-governance services over mobile phones.

(ii) Efficient utilities - energy, water, solid waste and effluents: This area is often the most talked about after IT. Smart meters, renewable energy, energy conservation, water harvesting, effluent recycling, scientific solid waste disposal methods et al are all clearly the hallmark of a smart city.

(iii) Meaningful PPPs: The creative use of public-private partnerships (PPPs) is a key attribute of the smart city concept. PPPs are to be used not only as a source of much-needed capital but also for the efficient delivery of utilities with agreed service-level standards. PPPs could range from health care to street lighting; and be used wherever there is a clear connection between the provision of a service and the ability to charge for the same - directly or even indirectly.

 

 

 

(iv) Safety and security: This aspect is high in public consciousness, especially with disconcerting news on the safety of women, road rage, robbery attacks on the elderly and juvenile delinquency. Clearly, networks of video-cameras, brightly lit public areas, intensive patrolling and surveillance, identity-verified access, and rapid response to emergency calls are all on the expectations list.

(v) Financial sustainability: The 74th Amendment to the Constitution (1992) enjoins towns and cities to "take charge of their own destinies". Nowhere is this more important than financial independence. This is only possible with elaborate and extensive tapping of all sources of revenue - property taxes, advertisements et al; coupled with astute collection of user-pay charges across the full range of utilities. It also has to do with the elements of fiscal discipline that would enable the raising of long-term debt like municipal bonds.

(vi) Citizen-participative local government: The enthusiastic participation of citizens in local issues needs careful designing of electoral and participative fora. The current apathy towards civic elections needs comprehensive reversal.

(vii) Sufficient social capital: Smart cities cannot be devoid of the appropriate levels of social infrastructure - like schools, hospitals, public spaces, sporting and recreational grounds and retail and entertainment venues. Along with a brain that works, and hands and legs that move, it must also have a heart that beats to the joys of daily living.

(viii) Transit-oriented habitats: "Walk-to-work" is the dream solution here. Nevertheless, conveniently networked public transportation with first- and last-mile connectivities in place, reduced motivation to use personal vehicles, use of electric cars, and bicycle paths are all in the expectation matrix.

(ix) Green features: Minimising the carbon footprint and eco-friendliness are de rigueur. Parks and verdant open spaces, absence of pollution, use of renewables, conservation and recycling are mandatory.

(x) Minimum population criteria: Towards the end of November 2014, Panasonic Corporation announced the opening of its new business vector - the sustainable smart town (SST) at Fujisawa in Japan. It has rooftop solar energy, electric cars and electric-powered bicycles. However, it comprises only 1,000 homes over 47 acres that will have a population of 3,000 people. This kind of project is at best a smart enclave, and clearly, in the Indian context, cannot be included in the definition of a city. India has 5,545 urban agglomerations. Class 1 towns (called cities) are those with a population of 100,000 and above. This should be the minimum population cut-off for a smart city.

Achieving all the 10 attributes may well be Utopian. So, maybe even if seven out of the 10 attributes are achieved, we should have no hesitation in declaring an urban habitation as a smart city.

Tapi Gas Pipeline

Tapi Gas Pipeline

The Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum & Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply today that the proposed TAPI pipeline will have a length of 1814 kms and the estimated cost of the project as per Penspen Report of 2008, is approximately USD 7.6 billion. The volume of gas likely to be supplied to India is 38 MMSCMD (Million Metric Standard Cubic Metre per Day) for a period of 30 years. Two Government level agreements have been signed for TAPI project namely, Gas Pipeline Framework Agreement and Inter Governmental Agreement among the four member countries. GAIL has signed a bilateral GSPA with Turkmengas for sourcing 38 MMSCMD of natural gas for 30 years which would be transported to India through TAPI Pipeline. The investment in the pipeline project shall be made by all the project proponents, including the Consortium Leader. However, the investment structure would be finalized only after the selection of a Consortium Leader.