Dreadnought of Dedicated Freight corridors shaping up; Rs 81,459 Crore approval perk up work

Goods laden rakes running on dedicated corridors, sparing over burdened tracks for back-to-back swanky passenger trains filing fast solar energy-lit Swachch  stations and smart cities in large swathes of the populous nation within next  four years sounds like castles in air.

But many people are fairly sanguine that green shoots are sprouted. Rs 15,500 crore contracts were given in the past few months by the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation Limited  (DFCCL), and heavy machineries in large numbers are being moved on the ground to  expedite the gigantic task which, for an example, is guzzling Rs 100 crore per  month on the Khurja –Kanpur section alone against earlier investment of Rs.30  crore per month.

As deadlines loom, the fourth floor of five-storey  building next to Pragati Maidan appears peaceful, but massive churning is  underway with pre-bidding conferences notices on display boards and bureaucrats  collating data from ground as the Rail Bhawan mounts continued surveillance on  the progress. The building and the Corporation logo do not draw attention which  is more focused on attractive stalls of sprawling exhibition ground but on  ground locals say development is palpable.

“An analysis of the  ordering progress by DFCCIL in the recent months reveal that the total value of  contracts awarded since November is a whopping Rs 15,485 crore which is more than  total works awarded by the sameorganisation in the past six years, that stands  at Rs.13,125 crore” said officials flipping through piles of data sheets and  browsing on computers.

Most of these contracts are for the construction of track and structures and electrical and  signalling installations on the Western and Eastern Freight  corridors. During the past few months, major contracts issued comprise civil contracts from Kanpur-Mughalsarai ( 402 kms) and Vadodara to Vaitarna  ( 320 kms), electrical and signallingcontracts on western DFC from Rewari to  Vadodara ( 950 kms).

 Officials feel that the two DFCs would free up 70 per cent of railways cargo carrying capacity, but land acquisition challenges face the iconic project.This is despite the fact that 84 per cent of land  acquisitions have been completed in both the corridors-including 88 per cent in  the Western corridor and 79 per cent in the eastern corridor. Sixteen per cent is hanging fire, awaiting the new land laws.

 According to DFCCIL  sources, there are 1,042 court cases and 3,391 arbitration disputes pending as  land losers have knocked courts' doors.As a consequence, land is not available  in 144 patches, affecting length of 245kms in eastern corridor and 296  stretches impacting 113 kms in the western corridor. These patches are mainly in UP, Bihar, Maharashtra , Haryana and Gujarat.

DFCCIL's Adesh  Sharma says work is underway in full swing and now per day 80,000 cubic meter  earth work is done against earlier data of 5000 cubic meter per day. Contractors,  he said, had been directed to deploy two times in volumes the mandatory  machineries ,More than 100 excavators are working in each corridor. December 2019 is the date line for completion based on the land acquisition status and contracts position.

 Officials feel the Khurja-Kanpur will be ready by March 2018; Durgawati- Sasaram during the current fiscal, Mughalsarai-Sonnagar by 2017 and Kanpur-Mughalsarai by December 2018.   Likewise in the Western corridorRewari-Iqbalgar has been planned for June 2018, Iqbalgarh-Vadodara by March 2019. The revenue will start trickling due to phased commissioning of corridors as the access charges will be levied. Mr Sharma has told media that multi-modal logistic parks and private freight terminals, to be developed along the DFCs, will impart additional income track access charges which are being calculated by an expert committee.

Flagging big ticket procurements finalised by the DFCCIL, officials claim that after a long period stagnation, riddled with procurement snags and procedural delays, both the corridors, being built by the corporation, an SPV ( Special Purpose Vehicle) of Railway Ministry have now started gathering momentum.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, last week, approved the revised cost estimate (RCE) of Rs.81,459 crore for both the corridors and the  much awaited sanction has perked up things in the infra project. Of this  amount, construction cost accounts for Rs.26,674 crores for the EDFC and  Rs.46,718 crores for the WDFC and land acquisition cost of Rs.8,067  crore.

The Corporation, recalling previous handicaps, says that the  original estimate prepared by RITES in 2007 had to undergo many major changes as  it had no provision of soft costs ( about Rs.27,381 crore like interest during  construction ,insurance ,escalation and other contingencies. The estimate, they say, had no provision even for the basic electrification of WDFC and was devoid  of the latest specifications already in vogue on word Railways. 

Subsequently, during the revision, the standard of construction was raised from 25 ton axle load to 32.5 ton and a slew of advanced safety features  including Train Protection Warning System (TPWS) have been incorporated. 

Oblivious of these developments, passengers on trains debate on the corridors. A UNI correspondent, travelling on a Shatabdi train to Kanpur recently found travellers discussing large tracks of blanketing near Tundala .  While a few passengers feigned ignorance, others said parallel highway is being  made but other quipped, ”come what may ,something is happening”.

An  informed railway staffer briefed them about the DFC ,but it evoked interesting  comments from sceptics - these announcements of flagship programmes are all  humbug and ”we are being bamboozled for make believe world”.

Twirling  his moustache, a passenger commented that these projects should not be linked  with party politics and such iconic programmes be appreciated– started by the  previous United Progressive Alliance regime and expedited by the NDA  dispensation as finally these will be national assets in a few years. Every project starts like these and one day dreadnoughts emerge in skylines.

The Western DFC is being funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Part of  Eastern DFC (Mughalsarai-Allahabad-Kanpur- Khurja –Ludhiana ) is being  funded by World Bank. Danduni –Sonnagar section of the Eastern DFC will be through PPP. East west Corridor ( Kolkata-Mumbai) 2,330 kms,  North–South corridor, 2343 km, East West Corridor  (  Kharagpur-Vijayawada ) 1,100km and Southern Corridor ( Chennai-Goa) 899 kms are  on slate as future corridors.

DFCCIL appears conceived for the development of dedicated freight line to boost freight transportation in Railways which will spur Railway share in transportation of goods. The dedicate Freight corridors were necessitated after saturation of Golden Quadrilateral (  which had linked four metros Delhi, Chennai, Howarh, Mumbai along with diagonals  Delhi-Chennai and Mumbai–Howrah)-with over 10,000 kms and carrying more than 55  per cent revenue earning freight traffic. In wake of the bulging traffic, the Government planned two Corridors--- the Western DFC ( 1,502 kms) and Eastern DFC (  1,840 km)----sparing a total length of about 3,342 route km.

The EDFC, starting from Dankuni in West Bengal, will pass through the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to terminate at Ludhiana. The Western corridor that will traverse the distance from Dadri(UP) to Mumbai–Jawaharlal Nehru) Port ( JNPT) will traverse the National Capital Region,  Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

 Envisioning paradigm shift in the freight operation , the DFCs envisage long haul operation;trailing  loads per train will increase from 5,000 to 13,000 tonnes. On the  ground, works are on, but the Land Bill passage is all set to play pivotal role  as the land acquisition is caught in legal wrangles. Civil works on Bhaupur-Khurja section is progressing well .The earth work for 150 kms formation  and blanketing has been completed in 55 kms.

Likewise, civil works in Rewari-Iqbalgarh for 625 kms have been started. Work on embankments is in progress in about 150 kms and work on 70 minor bridges also got off. In Mughalsari –Sonnagar section 65 m long bow string girder for new road  overbridge at Bhabua was successfuly launched across three Indian Railway (IR)  tracks a few months ago.

PM's remarks at the Launch of "Skill India"

PM's remarks at the Launch of "Skill India"

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today outlined his vision for "Skill India" as he launched the "National Skill Development Mission" in New Delhi. Asserting that his Government has declared a war on poverty and is determined to win it, the Prime Minister said that each poor, underprivileged youth is a soldier in this war.

Noting that India will have a surplus manpower of 4 to 5 crore over the next decade, the Prime Minister emphasized the need to provide this youthful manpower with skills and ability to tackle global challenges, and warned that the demographic dividend would otherwise become a challenge in itself. He said that if the 20th century saw India's foremost technical institutes – the IITs – make a name for themselves globally, the 21st century required that India's ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes), acquire global recognition for producing quality skilled manpower.

The Prime Minister said India can become the world's largest provider of skilled workforce for the world. In order to prepare for this, Shri Narendra Modi said there is a need for mapping of manpower requirements, not just in India, but globally as well.

The Prime Minister called for constant updating of training programmes and syllabi to ensure that the youth is exposed to latest technology and industry environment. He said the Government would work to promote both apprenticeship and entrepreneurs. He said it is important to predict the possibilities of the future, and prepare for them today itself.

The Prime Minister unveiled the Skill logo, launched the National Skill Development Mission, and Released the National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, 2015. He also launched the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana and Skill Loan Scheme. The Prime Minister felicitated the six Indian medal winners of the World Skill Oceania competition. 

A Framework for Ethical Decision Making

A Framework for Ethical Decision Making

Recognize an Ethical Issue

1. Could this decision or situation be damaging to someone or to some group? Does this decision involve a choice between a good and bad alternative, or perhaps between two “goods” or between two “bads”?
2. Is this issue about more than what is legal or what is most efficient? If so, how?

Get the Facts

3. What are the relevant facts of the case? What facts are not known? Can I learn more about the situation? Do I know enough to make a decision?
4. What individuals and groups have an important stake in the outcome? Are some concerns more important? Why?
5. What are the options for acting? Have all the relevant persons and groups been consulted? Have I identified creative options?

Evaluate Alternative Actions

6. Evaluate the options by asking the following questions:

• Which option will produce the most good and do the least harm? (The Utilitarian Approach)
• Which option best respects the rights of all who have a stake? (The Rights Approach)
• Which option treats people equally or proportionately? (The Justice Approach)
• Which option best serves the community
  as a whole, not just some members?
  (The Common Good Approach)
• Which option leads me to act as the sort of person I want to be? (The Virtue Approach)

Make a Decision and Test It

7. Considering all these approaches, which option best addresses the situation?
8. If I told someone I respect-or told a television audience-which option I have chosen, what would they say?

Act and Reflect on the Outcome

9. How can my decision be implemented with the greatest care and attention to the concerns of all stakeholders?
10. How did my decision turn out and what have I learned from this specific situation?

RIMES

The Regional Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems (RIMES) nations recently agreed to share regionally relevant meteorological and oceanographic data between partner institutions, member-states and collaborating countries. This was declared in the 2nd RIMES ministerial conference.

• The RIMES countries have also decided to launch a capacity building programme for enhancing early warning systems for small island states, in collaboration with regional and national institutions.

About RIMES:

• It is an international institution managed by 12 member-states and is presently chaired by India. It was established in April 2009.
• RIMES evolved from the efforts of countries in Africa and Asia in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami to establish a regional early warning system, and capacity building for preparedness and response to trans-boundary hazards.
• There are 19 collaborating countries in RIMES, including Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, and Russia among others.
• RIMES operates from its regional early warning centre located on the campus of Asian Institute of Technology in Pathumthani, Thailand.

India’s population crosses 127-crore mark

India’s population crosses 127-crore mark

On the World Population Day (11^th July), India recorded a population of 127,42,39,769. It is growing at a rate of 1.6% a year, and could make the country the most populous in the world by 2050. This data was released by Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh or National Population Stabilisation Fund (NPSF), an autonomous body under the Union Health Ministry.

Notable observations made:

• India’s population is 17.25% of the global population.
• India’s population is growing at a faster rate than China, which is now the world’s most populous country at around 1.39 billion.
• If current population growth rates continue, India will have 1.63 billion people by 2050 and will surpass China.
• The total fertility rate (TFR) in India has seen a decline and stood at 2.3 in 2013 although the decline is not consistent.
• The data suggests that a high percentage of female (21-26%) are married below 18 years of age in States like Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Bihar.
• The population of India, at 1.21 billion as per the 2011 Census, is almost equal to the combined population of the U.S., Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Japan put together.
• The population of several States match, and in some cases, exceed that of several large countries. For example, the population of U.P. is almost that of Brazil, the fifth most populous country in the world.

About Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh:

• The “Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh” (JSK) (National Population Stabilisation Fund) has been registered as an autonomous Society established under the Societies Registration Act of 1860.
• JSK has to promote and undertake activities aimed at achieving population stabilisation at a level consistent with the needs of sustainable economic growth, social development and environment protection, by 2045.
• The Union Health Minister heads the General Body of JSK and the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Women and Child Development, Department of School Education & Literacy, Rural Development, Planning Commission are represented by their Secretaries on the General Body of JSK.
• All State Governments are members of JSK.
• Besides this the General Body has demographers, representatives of Industry & Trade, NGOs, medical and para-medical associations, general citizens as its members. This enables JSK run as a civil society movement drawing on the strength of its partners.

Khushaal Yadav, Rank – 28, CSE-14

Demystifying the Personality Test

Khushaal Yadav, Rank – 28, CSE-14

The UPSC has finally disclosed the interview and mains marks. More than 775 in mains and over around 175 in PT (Personality Test/Interview) is must for harboring any hopes of getting in the administrative services. Of course, there could be outliers who will defy any sort of analysis.

Mains is straight forward Read and Revise and Presentation (More on MAINS later)

Back in the graduation days we used to have theoretical exams and practicals including viva-voce. It was then that I realised the importance of the ‘Interview Skills’. It goes without saying that one needs to have a respectable knowledge of the content before presenting ones viewpoints, but there are certain skills and a particular attitude that can go a log way into making the PT one of your strong areas.

I did not do great in the content aspect, meaning my answers were not extraordinary but being well prepared mentally and being presentable helped me score 201 and make the cut. It compensated for a below par 782in the Mains that I managed.

State of Mind-

This is perhaps the most important part. Make or break. It would determine your rank, your service , cadre,  everything related to the UPSC CSE

It is the most essential aspect in that you are being tested for your communication, presentation, thinking, reasoning skills which are sine qua non for a prospective Officer.

Get into that frame
Imagine you are already in the job. Say, you are in a meeting with hot-shots , or addressing a Press Conference. How would you act then? This is in brief what your PT is all about. To express yourself directly, soundly, and convincingly.

The Skills take time
One does not become an orator overnight. It requires great deal of patience, practice and proper guidance. It is true for any other field. Getting into a proper shape- physical or mental is time consuming, but its a frame of mind worth getting into.

Simple Exercises–
1)IMAGINE yourself to be into the fabled corridors of the UPSC and being escorted to the interview board. Anticipate it. The walk, the churning of the gut, that rush, that chill down the spine.
2) Mirror, mirror! Tell it all!! 
Practice speaking before a mirror. Write down  questions on a chit and draw them randomly.Think for some time, formulate your thoughts, get the necessary phrases, anticipate the possible counter questions that might follow and respond in a calm, controlled and confident manner.
3) Summarise– after reading say an article of the HIndu or the IE, close your eyes and try to summarize it in say a 100 words, recapitulate the key words. This helps not only in memorisation but also helps to avoid verbosity and brings about brevity in the responses, a desirable trait in an officer.
4) V-LOGS – Alternatively, you could record yourself and analyse the clip later, with or without friends. This helps to identify Gestures( facial/bodily), Slips of tongues, stock-phrases, Beating around the bush, tone, pitch, pace, etcetera.
An indispensable exercise to master the movements of the tongue and make them fluid, seamless and purposeful.
5) Learn from the best– Turn to presenters from the BBC, Al- jazeera, CNN; world leaders- Barack Obama, PM Modi ji, Putin, Cameroon; Speakers who have honed the craft of story telling. This is in short what it is. Telling them a tale and keeping them spell-bounded. Additionally, this helps you to stay abreast with the changes in the world, to say the least.

#SolarEnergy plans leap frog; Target spiked five times to one lakh MW in next seven years

 Just when a Swiss pilot 's solar powered aircraft mesmerised the world by setting a record of longest solo flight without a drop of fuel, India’s solar energy ambitious plans are set to leap frog. The Centre has revised cumulative targets under National Solar Mission from 20,000 MW by 2021-22 to 1,00,000 MW- a quantum jump.

        After launching of signature initiatives 'Smart city,' 'Digital India' and 'Make in India,' massive efforts are underway to tap the untapped renewable energy resources-mainly solar power. Official sources said the Ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) currently pushing solar city programme to reduce dependence on fossil fuel based energy has selected 50 cities to be developed as solar centres. Of these, 44 cities have already prepared master plans. Stakeholder committees have been formed in all the 50 selected cities.The programme entails that the selected cities will have to ensure desired level of generation from renewable energy resources .

         India’s huge and vibrant market of 1.25 billion people has triggered interest among foreign players. Union Minister for Power and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal, on completion of one year in office, said that steps were afoot to accomplish Prime Minister Narendra Modi's aim of ensuring 24x7 power to all and RE sector would play a major role. At least a dozen nations have signed MoUs to work with India in the development of renewable energy in past few years.During his recent visit to France, Mr Modi laid thrust on India’s vision towards solar energy. French companies are working in the solar sector here and they aim at contributing in a big way. President Francois Hollande has already conveyed France's commitment to develop clean energy here.

         If the goals set for the solar energy are realised, the country will surpass Germany which is a global leader in solar power generation by producing three times higher energy from the discipline. Though technology is getting cheaper , experts feel that the sector might be a game changer so the government should revisit its policy of financing of projects. They feel that at present India RE projects are financed for 10-12 years with an annual interest rate of 12-13 per cent while in Europe and US, the projects are funded for 17-18 years with an interest rate of 4-5 per cent.

         To make 100 GW ( giga watt )solar energy target a reality, an ambitious scheme of creating sector skills has been launched recently under which 1,00,000-“Surya Mitras” will be trained to help achieve scaled up objectives and service the arena . Experts feel that the RE sector will create one million jobs by 2022 as the government has scaled up the target which includes100 GW from the solar sector and 60 GW from the wind energy by 2022. Various states are coming up with their own plans of regulatory norms and other policies. Almost every day, states are coming up with solar plant announcements as well as commencements.

        The world’s largest solar project is going to be set up in Rewa ,which will have 750 MW capacity plant spread over 1,500 hectares of land. Similarly, M Chinnaswamy stadium in Karnataka has emerged as yet another hallmark of grid connected solar roof top system ,now luring others to follow suit. It has now 400KW of net metered rooftops power plant.About two dozen states have notified net metering policy, laced with incentives to promote the rooftop solar plants connected with grid.The net metering is the process through which discoms will generate bills to solar power plant owners as per consumption and credit will be given to the consumer of contribution to the gird is higher than the consumption.

        In some areas in the national capital,the phenomenon is catching up,say experts ,contesting the perception that solar power is back up in case of regular breakdowns outage and insist that it is going to be hassle free power. Plagued by outages, increasing power tariffs , corruption in power companies, the aam aadmi is evincing keen interest in solar power –technology which was costly a few years back. Even in remote places kiosks selling solar panels can be spotted. Small LED bulbs are emerging another attraction among consumers.

         A retired central government employee, Harish Chandra Bhardwaj, appeared upbeat by spotting such kiosks near his village Samadha in mofussil Unnao in Uttar Pradesh.” Solar power is becoming lucrative among poor people who buy some panels to harness the energy to recharge their mobiles and one or two lights in the house,'' he asserts admitting cost is to be brought down.

         In upscale colonies, RWAs now mull over installation of common solar powered system instead of going for big gen sets.At a number of public meetings, the Prime Minister recently put his government’s approval to step up of solar power capacity target under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) by five times.The target will principally comprise of 40 GW Rooftop and 60 GW through Large and Medium Scale Grid Connected Solar Power Projects. With this ambitious target, India will become one of the largest Green Energy producers in the world, surpassing several developed countries.

       The total investment in setting up 100 GW will be around Rs. 6,00,000 crore. In the first phase, the Government is providing Rs. 15,050 crore as capital subsidy to promote solar capacity addition, official sources say. This capital subsidy will be provided for Rooftop Solar projects in various cities and towns, for Viability Gap Funding (VGF) based projects to be developed through the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and for decentralised generation through small solar projects.

       Official sources said the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) intends to achieve the aim of 1,00,000 MW with targets under the three schemes of 19,200 MW.         Apart from this, solar power projects with investment of about Rs. 90,000 crore would be developed using Bundling mechanism with thermal power. Further investment will come from large Public Sector Undertakings and Independent Power Producers (IPPs). State Governments have also come out with State specific solar policies to promote solar capacity addition.

       JNNSM was launched in 2009 with a target for Grid Connected Solar Projects of 20,000 MW by 2022. In the last two to three years, the sector has witnessed rapid development with installed solar capacity increasing rapidly from 18 MW to about 3800 MW during 2010-15. The price of solar energy has come down significantly from Rs 17.90 per unit in 2010 to under Rs 7 per unit, thereby reducing the need of VGF/ GBI (Generation based incentive) per MW of solar power.

     With technology advancement and market competition, Green Power is expected to reach grid parity by 2017-18. These developments would enable India to achieve its present target of 20,000 MW. But considering its international commitment towards green and climate friendly growth trajectory, New Delhi has taken this path-breaking decision.
Sources said steps are afoot to approach bilateral and international donors as also the Green Climate Fund to achieve this target. Solar power can contribute to the long term energy security of India, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels that put a strain on foreign reserves and the ecology as well. The solar manufacturing sector will get a boost with this long term trajectory of solar capacity addition.

        This will help in creation of technology hubs for manufacturing. The increased manufacturing capacity and installation are expected to pave way for direct and indirect employment opportunities in both the skilled and unskilled sector. The new solar target of 100 GW is expected to abate over 170 million tonnes of CO2 over its life cycle. This Solar Scale-up Plan has a target of 40 GW through Decentralised Solar Power Generation in the form of Grid Connected Rooftop Projects.

       While Decentralised Generation will stabilise the grid, it will minimise investment on power evacuation. To facilitate such a massive target, the Prime Minister’s Office has been pushing various Ministries to initiate supporting interventions, including incorporating changes in land use regulations and tenancy laws to facilitate aggregation and leasing of land by farmers/ developers for solar projects; identification of large chunks of land for solar projects and identification of large government complexes/ buildings for rooftop projects. Other steps include clear survey of wastelands and identification of transmission/ road infrastructure using satellite technology for locating solar parks; development of power transmission network/Green Energy Corridor; setting up of exclusive parks for domestic manufacturing of solar PV modules.

These interventions also  aim at provision of roof top solar and 10 percent renewable energy as  mandatory reform under the new scheme of Ministry of Urban Development;  amendments in building bye-laws for mandatory provision of roof top  solar for new construction or higher FAR and considering infrastructure  status for solar projects.

       These also envisage raising tax free solar  bonds; providing long tenor loans; making roof top solar a part of  housing loan by banks/ NHB and extending IIFCL credit facility to such  projects by the Department of Financial Services; suitable amendments to  the Electricity Act for strong enforcement of Renewable Purchase  Obligation (RPO) and for providing Renewable Generation Obligation  (RGO); incorporating measures in Integrated Power Development Scheme  (IPDS) for encouraging distribution companies and making net-metering  compulsory.

       Official sources said upto December last year,17 Solar Parks  of aggregate capacity of 12759 MW were planned to be set up in 12  States and a grant of Rs 172.50 crore has been released to Solar Energy  Corporation of India (SECI) towards development of solar parks.  Further, proposal for release of Rs 80 crore have been initiated.