General Affairs
Sad To See States Fight Over Water: Andhra Chief Minister
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VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today expressed grave concern over the violence in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over Cauvery water sharing.
"It is sad that people of these states grew restive over water. The violent incidents in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are an example of the ill-effects of water crisis," Mr Naidu said.
The Andhra Pradesh government has launched a water conservation program by the name 'Water and Progress' to help overcome water scarcity in the state.
"If we can overcome water crisis, we can ensure progress. Not only in agriculture sector but also industrial and other sectors as well. Improving ground water levels, restoring village tanks and effectively managing water resources hold the key to staving off crisis," Mr Naidu said.
Ground water levels across Andhra Pradesh increased by 1.31m since May 1, which is equal to about 119 million cubic feet of water.
The state also recorded a 13 per cent deficit in rainfall this season, but the current spell of rain in Prakasan, Kadapa and Kurnool districts was encouraging, Mr Naidu said.
The state government has reached out to engineering students to help with water conservation measures. A project involving a cascade of tanks to conserve water is likely to involve students
Under the Panta Sanjeevani programme 73,970 farm ponds have been dug so far while work on 2,69,964 ponds is under progress. Mr Naidu also directed officials to step-up water auditing in all districts of the state.
"It is sad that people of these states grew restive over water. The violent incidents in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are an example of the ill-effects of water crisis," Mr Naidu said.
"If we can overcome water crisis, we can ensure progress. Not only in agriculture sector but also industrial and other sectors as well. Improving ground water levels, restoring village tanks and effectively managing water resources hold the key to staving off crisis," Mr Naidu said.
Ground water levels across Andhra Pradesh increased by 1.31m since May 1, which is equal to about 119 million cubic feet of water.
The state also recorded a 13 per cent deficit in rainfall this season, but the current spell of rain in Prakasan, Kadapa and Kurnool districts was encouraging, Mr Naidu said.
The state government has reached out to engineering students to help with water conservation measures. A project involving a cascade of tanks to conserve water is likely to involve students
Under the Panta Sanjeevani programme 73,970 farm ponds have been dug so far while work on 2,69,964 ponds is under progress. Mr Naidu also directed officials to step-up water auditing in all districts of the state.
President's Rule In Arunachal Was Imposed Not Just On Governor's Report: JP Rajkhowa
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ITANAGAR: Outgoing Arunachal Pradesh Governor JP Rajkhowa today asserted that the brief spell of the President's Rule in the state from January 26 to February 19 was not imposed on the Governor's report only.
"The Central rule was imposed only after proper assessment and due application of mind by the President," he said in a message before leaving the state.
Mr Rajkhowa, who had refused to quit after being nudged by the centre to do so in the wake of the Supreme Court's judgement against him, was dismissed on Monday from the Governor's post.
On the advancement of the Assembly session and the July 13 judgement by a five-member constitutional bench of the Supreme Court holding that as "un-constitutional" and ordering restoration of the status-quo, the Governor said he would not like to comment.
"I would not like to go into the merit or otherwise of the judgement and order of the Supreme Court, because the High Courts and the highest judiciary have the authority under the Constitution to interpret the constitutional provisions and pass their verdicts," he said.
"It was a great opportunity for me to serve all of you, to the best of my abilities, with honesty, integrity, utmost sincerity, full commitment and dedication with the objective of ushering in good governance," the outgoing Governor said.
Mr Rajkhowa said in his message he was happy that most of the people of the state, particularly the young generation, wanted Arunachal Pradesh to be developed in all fronts in a corruption-free and balanced manner.
"Most of you have realised that without fair, transparent and corruption-free governance, people continue to suffer, economic development takes a back stage and unemployment level goes up.
"The Central rule was imposed only after proper assessment and due application of mind by the President," he said in a message before leaving the state.
Mr Rajkhowa, who had refused to quit after being nudged by the centre to do so in the wake of the Supreme Court's judgement against him, was dismissed on Monday from the Governor's post.
On the advancement of the Assembly session and the July 13 judgement by a five-member constitutional bench of the Supreme Court holding that as "un-constitutional" and ordering restoration of the status-quo, the Governor said he would not like to comment.
"I would not like to go into the merit or otherwise of the judgement and order of the Supreme Court, because the High Courts and the highest judiciary have the authority under the Constitution to interpret the constitutional provisions and pass their verdicts," he said.
"It was a great opportunity for me to serve all of you, to the best of my abilities, with honesty, integrity, utmost sincerity, full commitment and dedication with the objective of ushering in good governance," the outgoing Governor said.
Mr Rajkhowa said in his message he was happy that most of the people of the state, particularly the young generation, wanted Arunachal Pradesh to be developed in all fronts in a corruption-free and balanced manner.
"Most of you have realised that without fair, transparent and corruption-free governance, people continue to suffer, economic development takes a back stage and unemployment level goes up.
Bengaluru Protests Hit Amazon, Flipkart; IT Companies Fear 'Mammoth Losses'
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Reflecting the economic impact of the violent Cauvery protests in Karnataka's Bengaluru, many companies based in the city known as India's Silicon Valley put their operations on hold or advised employees to work from home on Tuesday, having had to close early on Monday.
Companies like Amazon and Flipkart said their operations had been affected by the protests in the IT hub against a Supreme Court order on the sharing of river Cauvery waters with Tamil Nadu.
"Owing to the situation in Bangalore currently, the delivery of products is temporarily impacted. We will resume all deliveries at the earliest," said Amazon, the world's top online retailer.
Flipkart also said it was stalling operations today as the safety of delivery staff is its priority. "As we hope the situation to get better soon, we are trying to mitigate all customer impact by keeping them informed about expected delays," said Neeraj Aggarwal, a senior Flipkart executive.
Indian software giants Infosys and Wipro were among the big employers to stay shut on Tuesday. Some firms were closed for Eid.
On Monday, many offices were forced to shut down early, as were schools and colleges, when protesters vandalized shops and burnt Tamil Nadu registered buses and trucks. Accounting giant Ernst & Young asked its workers to leave early and avoid travelling in vehicles with Tamil Nadu plates in Karnataka.
"The impact is that people are scared and not spending too much time at work. Productivity has been hit badly, we haven't been able to work for the last several days," said Harshit Mathur of online payment company Razorpay.
Two persons have been killed in the protests described by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "distressful".
Besides major IT companies including Infosys and Mphasis, Bengaluru is home to start-ups like Ola besides Flipkart. Multinationals like Samsung Electronics and Oracle also have offices there.
Industry body Assocham said in a press release that Karnataka, especially Bengaluru, is estimated to have suffered losses worth Rs. 22,000 to 25,000 crore. "The losses will be mammoth but we can't quantify," an official of recruitment company TeamLease told.
Businesses in Bengaluru have faced four days of disruption this month because of protests linked to the water dispute and an unrelated trade union strike on September 2.
Companies like Amazon and Flipkart said their operations had been affected by the protests in the IT hub against a Supreme Court order on the sharing of river Cauvery waters with Tamil Nadu.
Flipkart also said it was stalling operations today as the safety of delivery staff is its priority. "As we hope the situation to get better soon, we are trying to mitigate all customer impact by keeping them informed about expected delays," said Neeraj Aggarwal, a senior Flipkart executive.
Indian software giants Infosys and Wipro were among the big employers to stay shut on Tuesday. Some firms were closed for Eid.
On Monday, many offices were forced to shut down early, as were schools and colleges, when protesters vandalized shops and burnt Tamil Nadu registered buses and trucks. Accounting giant Ernst & Young asked its workers to leave early and avoid travelling in vehicles with Tamil Nadu plates in Karnataka.
"The impact is that people are scared and not spending too much time at work. Productivity has been hit badly, we haven't been able to work for the last several days," said Harshit Mathur of online payment company Razorpay.
Two persons have been killed in the protests described by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "distressful".
Besides major IT companies including Infosys and Mphasis, Bengaluru is home to start-ups like Ola besides Flipkart. Multinationals like Samsung Electronics and Oracle also have offices there.
Industry body Assocham said in a press release that Karnataka, especially Bengaluru, is estimated to have suffered losses worth Rs. 22,000 to 25,000 crore. "The losses will be mammoth but we can't quantify," an official of recruitment company TeamLease told.
Businesses in Bengaluru have faced four days of disruption this month because of protests linked to the water dispute and an unrelated trade union strike on September 2.
'Feel Free To Leave,' Congress To Lalu After His Party's Attack On Nitish
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PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, attacked by members of ally Lalu Yadav's RJD, has found support from the Congress, the third partner in their alliance.
"The RJD is free to leave the government if it does not like Nitish Kumar's leadership," said Bihar's education minister and the Congress' state chief Ashok Chaudhury today, chastising Lalu Yadav's party for attacking Mr Kumar from within.
That, Mr Choudhury said, was "sending the wrong signal."
Former RJD lawmaker Mohammad Shahabuddin's scathing comment on Nitish Kumar being a "circumstantial chief minister" was closely followed by a very senior leader of the party Raghuvansh Prasad Singh grumbling about having had to accept Mr Kumar in the top post as part of a coalition formula.
Their attack laid bare fault lines in a partnership between once bitter rivals Lalu and Nitish, scripted solely to defeat the BJP in last year's assembly elections. The RJD had opposed naming Mr Kumar as presumptive chief minister for their Grand Alliance, suggesting that a leader be picked only after the elections.
The Congress' Rahul Gandhi had intervened at the time and ensured that Nitish Kumar led the alliance. The RJD is clearly still smarting, especially after it won more seats than Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) in the assembly elections.
Lalu Yadav, meanwhile, returned to Patna today and pronounced that all was well with the ruling alliance. He blamed the media for creating differences and also said, "I don't know why Raghuvansh Prasad Singh keeps issuing statements despite my advising him not to".
But the RJD chief also took a dig at the JDU for the press conference its top leaders held yesterday in a counter attack on the RJD. "I will talk to all the leaders why they keep on issuing press statements against each other," he said.
Lalu Yadav cannot contest elections or hold an official position because he was convicted in a corruption case. His son Tejaswi is Nitish Kumar's deputy in Bihar and the other son Tej Pratap a minister.
"The RJD is free to leave the government if it does not like Nitish Kumar's leadership," said Bihar's education minister and the Congress' state chief Ashok Chaudhury today, chastising Lalu Yadav's party for attacking Mr Kumar from within.
That, Mr Choudhury said, was "sending the wrong signal."
Their attack laid bare fault lines in a partnership between once bitter rivals Lalu and Nitish, scripted solely to defeat the BJP in last year's assembly elections. The RJD had opposed naming Mr Kumar as presumptive chief minister for their Grand Alliance, suggesting that a leader be picked only after the elections.
The Congress' Rahul Gandhi had intervened at the time and ensured that Nitish Kumar led the alliance. The RJD is clearly still smarting, especially after it won more seats than Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) in the assembly elections.
Lalu Yadav, meanwhile, returned to Patna today and pronounced that all was well with the ruling alliance. He blamed the media for creating differences and also said, "I don't know why Raghuvansh Prasad Singh keeps issuing statements despite my advising him not to".
But the RJD chief also took a dig at the JDU for the press conference its top leaders held yesterday in a counter attack on the RJD. "I will talk to all the leaders why they keep on issuing press statements against each other," he said.
Lalu Yadav cannot contest elections or hold an official position because he was convicted in a corruption case. His son Tejaswi is Nitish Kumar's deputy in Bihar and the other son Tej Pratap a minister.
Environment Ministers Of BRICS Countries To Meet In Goa This Week
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NEW DELHI: Environment Ministers of BRICS countries will meet later this week in Goa to prioritise actions for cooperation in critical areas, including air and water pollution and climate change.
The Environment ministers of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) will meet on September 16.
"The meeting is expected to discuss MoU and the Joint Working Group on environment. The BRICS ministers are also expected to discuss thematic areas of mutual interest and prioritise actions for cooperation in critical areas like air and water pollution, liquid and solid waste management, climate change and conservation of biodiversity. This meeting will be preceded by discussions at official level," an official statement said.
As minister of the host nation, Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave will arrive in Goa tomorrow to participate in the meeting.
The meeting assumes significance after the adoption of landmark global environmental agreements like Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris Agreement last year.
During the Paris climate meet last year, more than 190 nations had agreed on setting ambitious goals for capping global warming and funneling trillions of dollars to poor countries facing climate catastrophe.
The pact will come into force after it is ratified by at least 55 countries that account for 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
India has, however, made it clear that no decision to ratify the Paris climate change agreement has been taken so far as its domestic processes in this regard were still underway.
The Environment Ministers' meet in Goa is one in a series of meetings being organized by various central government ministries in the run-up to BRICS Heads of States Summit in October 2016 at Goa after India assumed BRICS Presidency this year from Russia.
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa comprising BRICS block, together accounts for 41.6 per cent of global population, 29.31 per cent of total world's territory and about 22 per cent of world's total GDP.
These nations have rich biodiversity and natural capital and the choices made by the BRICS nations have a global significance, the statement added.
The Environment ministers of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) will meet on September 16.
"The meeting is expected to discuss MoU and the Joint Working Group on environment. The BRICS ministers are also expected to discuss thematic areas of mutual interest and prioritise actions for cooperation in critical areas like air and water pollution, liquid and solid waste management, climate change and conservation of biodiversity. This meeting will be preceded by discussions at official level," an official statement said.
As minister of the host nation, Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave will arrive in Goa tomorrow to participate in the meeting.
The meeting assumes significance after the adoption of landmark global environmental agreements like Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris Agreement last year.
During the Paris climate meet last year, more than 190 nations had agreed on setting ambitious goals for capping global warming and funneling trillions of dollars to poor countries facing climate catastrophe.
The pact will come into force after it is ratified by at least 55 countries that account for 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
India has, however, made it clear that no decision to ratify the Paris climate change agreement has been taken so far as its domestic processes in this regard were still underway.
The Environment Ministers' meet in Goa is one in a series of meetings being organized by various central government ministries in the run-up to BRICS Heads of States Summit in October 2016 at Goa after India assumed BRICS Presidency this year from Russia.
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa comprising BRICS block, together accounts for 41.6 per cent of global population, 29.31 per cent of total world's territory and about 22 per cent of world's total GDP.
These nations have rich biodiversity and natural capital and the choices made by the BRICS nations have a global significance, the statement added.
Business Affairs
Coal India reports 14.8% fall in June quarter profit
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State-run Coal India on Tuesday posted a 14.8 per cent fall in its consolidated net profit.
The coal mining firm posted Rs 3,065.28 crore in net profit after tax for the quarter ended June 30, 2016 compared to Rs 3,596.93 crore for the corresponding quarter of last fiscal.
Total income fell to Rs 19,552.49 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2016 against Rs 20,942.96 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2015.
Total expenses of the firm fell to Rs 14,834 crore in Q1 of the current fiscal against Rs 15,320 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal.
The company said earnings per share stood at Rs 4.85 for the quarter ended June 30, 2016 against Rs 5.69 in Q1 of last fiscal.
Net sales of the company during the quarter declined by 6.1 per cent to Rs 17,796.05 crore, the coal major said.
Its production during the quarter increased by 3.56 per cent to 125.67 million tonnes (MT) compared to 121.35 MT in the same quarter of previous fiscal.
On the standalone basis, the company's net profit for the period plunged to Rs 368 crore in April-June against Rs 487.10 crore in the year-ago period. Its standalone net sales dropped to Rs 22.84 crore in April-June 2016 from Rs 37.22 crore in the corresponding quarter of previous fiscal.
There was no dividend income during the quarter under review as against that of Rs 442.80 crore in the quarter ended on June 2015, the filing said. Coal India accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal production. The government has set a production target of 598 million tonnes for CIL for the ongoing fiscal. The company is looking to double its production to 1 billion tonnes by 2020.
The earnings were announced after market hours. The Coal India stock closed 0.44 per cent lower at Rs 330 on the BSE.
State-run Coal India on Tuesday posted a 14.8 per cent fall in its consolidated net profit.
The coal mining firm posted Rs 3,065.28 crore in net profit after tax for the quarter ended June 30, 2016 compared to Rs 3,596.93 crore for the corresponding quarter of last fiscal.
Total income fell to Rs 19,552.49 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2016 against Rs 20,942.96 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2015.
Total expenses of the firm fell to Rs 14,834 crore in Q1 of the current fiscal against Rs 15,320 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal.
The company said earnings per share stood at Rs 4.85 for the quarter ended June 30, 2016 against Rs 5.69 in Q1 of last fiscal.
Net sales of the company during the quarter declined by 6.1 per cent to Rs 17,796.05 crore, the coal major said.
Its production during the quarter increased by 3.56 per cent to 125.67 million tonnes (MT) compared to 121.35 MT in the same quarter of previous fiscal.
On the standalone basis, the company's net profit for the period plunged to Rs 368 crore in April-June against Rs 487.10 crore in the year-ago period. Its standalone net sales dropped to Rs 22.84 crore in April-June 2016 from Rs 37.22 crore in the corresponding quarter of previous fiscal.
There was no dividend income during the quarter under review as against that of Rs 442.80 crore in the quarter ended on June 2015, the filing said. Coal India accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal production. The government has set a production target of 598 million tonnes for CIL for the ongoing fiscal. The company is looking to double its production to 1 billion tonnes by 2020.
The earnings were announced after market hours. The Coal India stock closed 0.44 per cent lower at Rs 330 on the BSE.
Six reasons behind Ramdev, Balkrishna and Patanjali's success
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In 1995, Ramdev was a little known yoga teacher in Haridwar when his close associate, Acharya Balkrishna, and him set up Divya Pharmacy - under the aegis of Ramdev 's guru, Swami Shankar Dev's, ashram - to make Ayurvedic and herbal medicines. The medicines proved so popular that Ramdev and Balkrishna sought to scale and diversify into other products. But that proved difficult since Divya Pharmacy was registered under a trust.
At the same time, with Ramdev's popularity soaring, substantial funds began to come in - sizeable loans from the likes of NRIs Sarwan and Sunita Poddar, as well as locals such as Govind Agarwal - which in turn helped to get bank loans. Thus was born Patanjali Ayurved as a private company in 2006, which has since rolled out a range of products - in healthcare, hair care, dental care, toiletries, food and more - at breathtaking speed.
"When Divya Pharmacy was set up, we hardly had the money to pay for the registration," Ramdev told Business Today last year. "For the first three years, till 1998, we distributed the medicines free. From buying the raw materials to grinding and mixing, we did everything ourselves," he added.
Today, Balkrishna stands among the richest men in India and Patanjali as one of the main players in the Indian fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector . While Ramdev is busy propagating Yoga and Ayurveda to create a market for the products, Balkrishna is creating the products. Their partnership has been phenomenal, but there are also many other reasons behind the success story:
Media attention: Ramdev rose to national fame as a yoga guru through his programmes on TV channels - Sanskar in 2001 and Aastha from 2003. He readily acknowledges the role of the media in his rise. "Patanjali ko bananey mein ek se 10 per cent humara role hai, baaki role media ka hai (My own role in the rise of Patanjali is just one to 10 per cent, the rest of the credit goes to the media)," he told Business Today website.
Smart pricing: Yet another reason for Patanjali's success is the thrift it practices. "Our profit margins are miniscule because the main aim is not to make profit," said Ramdev. "Profiting from patients is against the philosophy of Ayurveda, so we aim at minimum profit from our health products. Our input costs are low because we source directly from farmers, avoiding middlemen." Salaries are also modest. "Humare yahaan crore ki salary paane waala koi vyakti nahee hai, (There is no one in our company who is paid crores as salary)," he added. "Most companies have administrative costs of around 10 per cent of their revenue, but in our case it is just two per cent."
Retail outlets: Initially, Patanjali shunned the conventional distribution network, preferring to rely on its own channels of super distributors, distributors, Chikitsalayas (franchise dispensaries) and Arogya Kendras (health centres which sell Ayurvedic remedies). Once it turned to retail outlets from 2011, revenue began to multiply manifold.
Variety of products: Already, a few Patanjali products have made major inroads - apart from desi ghee, its toothpaste Dant Kranti, for instance, launched in March 2010, brought in revenues of Rs 200 crore in 2014/15. Patanjali has also ventured out to produce many other new items that were mostly produced by foreign companies in recent months. Patanjali also sells toothpastes, unpolished pulses and detergents.
Swadeshi factor: Patanjali is happy to co-exist with indigenous companies, multinational ones are a different matter. "Humara ek simple funda hai: MNCs ko replace karna (We have a simple principle: we want to replace MNCs)," said Ramdev.
"We don't want to put anyone down, but we would like to instil swadeshi pride so that Indian money does not go out of the country." He is aware that the competition is gunning for him.
"The MNC mindset is such that whenever an Indian does anything, MNCs think we are competing with them," he said. "MNCs are creating special war rooms to combat Patanjali. We are not into any such war rooms. We don't analyse other companies' strategies or conduct market surveys and feasibility studies. It is only when people ask for cheap and healthy options that we try to respond."
Advertising: Patanjali's own advertising was limited in the past, but has increased considerably of late, with ads appearing on general entertainment TV channels (GECs) such as Star and Zee. The company has also reached out to regional Southern channels.
In 1995, Ramdev was a little known yoga teacher in Haridwar when his close associate, Acharya Balkrishna, and him set up Divya Pharmacy - under the aegis of Ramdev 's guru, Swami Shankar Dev's, ashram - to make Ayurvedic and herbal medicines. The medicines proved so popular that Ramdev and Balkrishna sought to scale and diversify into other products. But that proved difficult since Divya Pharmacy was registered under a trust.
At the same time, with Ramdev's popularity soaring, substantial funds began to come in - sizeable loans from the likes of NRIs Sarwan and Sunita Poddar, as well as locals such as Govind Agarwal - which in turn helped to get bank loans. Thus was born Patanjali Ayurved as a private company in 2006, which has since rolled out a range of products - in healthcare, hair care, dental care, toiletries, food and more - at breathtaking speed.
"When Divya Pharmacy was set up, we hardly had the money to pay for the registration," Ramdev told Business Today last year. "For the first three years, till 1998, we distributed the medicines free. From buying the raw materials to grinding and mixing, we did everything ourselves," he added.
Today, Balkrishna stands among the richest men in India and Patanjali as one of the main players in the Indian fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector . While Ramdev is busy propagating Yoga and Ayurveda to create a market for the products, Balkrishna is creating the products. Their partnership has been phenomenal, but there are also many other reasons behind the success story:
Media attention: Ramdev rose to national fame as a yoga guru through his programmes on TV channels - Sanskar in 2001 and Aastha from 2003. He readily acknowledges the role of the media in his rise. "Patanjali ko bananey mein ek se 10 per cent humara role hai, baaki role media ka hai (My own role in the rise of Patanjali is just one to 10 per cent, the rest of the credit goes to the media)," he told Business Today website.
Smart pricing: Yet another reason for Patanjali's success is the thrift it practices. "Our profit margins are miniscule because the main aim is not to make profit," said Ramdev. "Profiting from patients is against the philosophy of Ayurveda, so we aim at minimum profit from our health products. Our input costs are low because we source directly from farmers, avoiding middlemen." Salaries are also modest. "Humare yahaan crore ki salary paane waala koi vyakti nahee hai, (There is no one in our company who is paid crores as salary)," he added. "Most companies have administrative costs of around 10 per cent of their revenue, but in our case it is just two per cent."
Retail outlets: Initially, Patanjali shunned the conventional distribution network, preferring to rely on its own channels of super distributors, distributors, Chikitsalayas (franchise dispensaries) and Arogya Kendras (health centres which sell Ayurvedic remedies). Once it turned to retail outlets from 2011, revenue began to multiply manifold.
Retail outlets: Initially, Patanjali shunned the conventional distribution network, preferring to rely on its own channels of super distributors, distributors, Chikitsalayas (franchise dispensaries) and Arogya Kendras (health centres which sell Ayurvedic remedies). Once it turned to retail outlets from 2011, revenue began to multiply manifold.
Variety of products: Already, a few Patanjali products have made major inroads - apart from desi ghee, its toothpaste Dant Kranti, for instance, launched in March 2010, brought in revenues of Rs 200 crore in 2014/15. Patanjali has also ventured out to produce many other new items that were mostly produced by foreign companies in recent months. Patanjali also sells toothpastes, unpolished pulses and detergents.
Swadeshi factor: Patanjali is happy to co-exist with indigenous companies, multinational ones are a different matter. "Humara ek simple funda hai: MNCs ko replace karna (We have a simple principle: we want to replace MNCs)," said Ramdev.
Swadeshi factor: Patanjali is happy to co-exist with indigenous companies, multinational ones are a different matter. "Humara ek simple funda hai: MNCs ko replace karna (We have a simple principle: we want to replace MNCs)," said Ramdev.
"We don't want to put anyone down, but we would like to instil swadeshi pride so that Indian money does not go out of the country." He is aware that the competition is gunning for him.
"The MNC mindset is such that whenever an Indian does anything, MNCs think we are competing with them," he said. "MNCs are creating special war rooms to combat Patanjali. We are not into any such war rooms. We don't analyse other companies' strategies or conduct market surveys and feasibility studies. It is only when people ask for cheap and healthy options that we try to respond."
Advertising: Patanjali's own advertising was limited in the past, but has increased considerably of late, with ads appearing on general entertainment TV channels (GECs) such as Star and Zee. The company has also reached out to regional Southern channels.
Advertising: Patanjali's own advertising was limited in the past, but has increased considerably of late, with ads appearing on general entertainment TV channels (GECs) such as Star and Zee. The company has also reached out to regional Southern channels.
Bharti Airtel too offers more interconnect points to Reliance Jio
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After Idea, Bharti Airtel on Tuesday also agreed to provide additional interconnect points to Reliance Jio, saying these ports will be sufficient to support 15 million customers of the new operator.
"Airtel has been providing PoIs to Jio, well ahead of the commencement of its commercial operations. With the latest augmentation, the total number of PoIs will become 3 times the present number of PoIs," Airtel said in a statement.
Reliance Jio-which commercially launched its services on September 5-has accused incumbent players of not releasing sufficient inter-connection ports and had sought legal action against them.
RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani, on September 1, alleged that Jio network had suffered 5 crore call failures in the preceding week due to inter-connectivity issues.
The move comes a day after Idea Cellular offered to provide more points of interconnection (PoIs) to Jio after the the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) intervened to resolve the matter.
Idea on Monday said it has decided to proactively expand capacity with Jio to over 6.5 million subscribers, with the release of 196 additional POIs, shortly.
According to sources, the regulator has said that it will take action against telecom operators found responsible for poor quality of service.
Airtel said it is a responsible organisation committed to complying with the regulations and the interconnect agreements in letter and spirit and will continue to be so.
"Based on the current traffic pattern (on Airtel's network) with all other operators, this capacity is sufficient to serve over 15 million customers, which is significantly higher than Jio's existing customer base," the statement said.
Like Idea, Bharti Airtel also highlighted the issue of "massive asymmetry" in the volume of traffic between the two networks.
The company added that it would need to take cognizance of the situation and ensure that the quality of service for its own customers is not impacted.
Inter-connection is required to enable mobile users to make calls to customers of other telecom networks. A mobile operator levies inter-connection usage charge for each incoming call it gets from subscriber of another network.
Incumbent telecom operators have been demanding higher interconnection charges compared to 14 paise they get for each incoming mobile call on their network.
Airtel, which is the country's largest operator with 255.73 million subscribers, has also extended an invitation to Jio for discussing its requirement of additional PoIs.
Airtel expressed hope that TRAI will look into the issue of asymmetric traffic on an urgent basis and ensure that massive volumes of free calls terminating on Airtel's network do not adversely impact its network.
After Idea, Bharti Airtel on Tuesday also agreed to provide additional interconnect points to Reliance Jio, saying these ports will be sufficient to support 15 million customers of the new operator.
"Airtel has been providing PoIs to Jio, well ahead of the commencement of its commercial operations. With the latest augmentation, the total number of PoIs will become 3 times the present number of PoIs," Airtel said in a statement.
Reliance Jio-which commercially launched its services on September 5-has accused incumbent players of not releasing sufficient inter-connection ports and had sought legal action against them.
RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani, on September 1, alleged that Jio network had suffered 5 crore call failures in the preceding week due to inter-connectivity issues.
The move comes a day after Idea Cellular offered to provide more points of interconnection (PoIs) to Jio after the the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) intervened to resolve the matter.
Idea on Monday said it has decided to proactively expand capacity with Jio to over 6.5 million subscribers, with the release of 196 additional POIs, shortly.
According to sources, the regulator has said that it will take action against telecom operators found responsible for poor quality of service.
Airtel said it is a responsible organisation committed to complying with the regulations and the interconnect agreements in letter and spirit and will continue to be so.
"Based on the current traffic pattern (on Airtel's network) with all other operators, this capacity is sufficient to serve over 15 million customers, which is significantly higher than Jio's existing customer base," the statement said.
Like Idea, Bharti Airtel also highlighted the issue of "massive asymmetry" in the volume of traffic between the two networks.
The company added that it would need to take cognizance of the situation and ensure that the quality of service for its own customers is not impacted.
Inter-connection is required to enable mobile users to make calls to customers of other telecom networks. A mobile operator levies inter-connection usage charge for each incoming call it gets from subscriber of another network.
Incumbent telecom operators have been demanding higher interconnection charges compared to 14 paise they get for each incoming mobile call on their network.
Airtel, which is the country's largest operator with 255.73 million subscribers, has also extended an invitation to Jio for discussing its requirement of additional PoIs.
Airtel expressed hope that TRAI will look into the issue of asymmetric traffic on an urgent basis and ensure that massive volumes of free calls terminating on Airtel's network do not adversely impact its network.
Railways to save Rs 10,000 crore after budget merger
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Cash-strapped Railways will save about Rs 10,000 crore annually as it will no longer have to pay dividend if the separate Rail Budget is scrapped, which is likely to happen from next fiscal.
A joint committee set up to finalise the modalities for the merger of Rail Budget with the General Budget has submitted its report to the Finance Ministry recommending various changes including waiving off of payment of dividend by railways though the practice of getting gross budgetary support (GBS) from the exchequer will continue.
Railways pays about Rs 10,000 crore as dividend a year after getting about Rs 40,000 crore.
The General Budget to be presented by the Finance Minister will also have a separate annexure with details of plan and non-plan expenditures to be incurred by the national transporter, according to the recommendations of the joint committee comprising senior officials from Railays and Finance Ministry.
The recommendations will be placed before the Cabinet which has to decide on the subject, the sources said, adding till then, nothing is final.
The report on merger of Rail Budget and General Budget, which was to be submitted by August 31, was delayed due to some "unavoidable reasons" and it was finally submitted to the Finance Ministry on September 8, sources in the railways said.
Though the sources declined to divulge the committee's recommendations on the ground that the "report is now in the Finance Ministry's domain", it is believed that a detailed framework for a way forward has been worked out for merger of two budgets.
The panel is understood to have advocated that the General Budget should have a separate annexure for the rail budget detailing the grant, expenditure and new projects for the next fiscal.
Cash-strapped Railways will save about Rs 10,000 crore annually as it will no longer have to pay dividend if the separate Rail Budget is scrapped, which is likely to happen from next fiscal.
A joint committee set up to finalise the modalities for the merger of Rail Budget with the General Budget has submitted its report to the Finance Ministry recommending various changes including waiving off of payment of dividend by railways though the practice of getting gross budgetary support (GBS) from the exchequer will continue.
Railways pays about Rs 10,000 crore as dividend a year after getting about Rs 40,000 crore.
The General Budget to be presented by the Finance Minister will also have a separate annexure with details of plan and non-plan expenditures to be incurred by the national transporter, according to the recommendations of the joint committee comprising senior officials from Railays and Finance Ministry.
The recommendations will be placed before the Cabinet which has to decide on the subject, the sources said, adding till then, nothing is final.
The report on merger of Rail Budget and General Budget, which was to be submitted by August 31, was delayed due to some "unavoidable reasons" and it was finally submitted to the Finance Ministry on September 8, sources in the railways said.
Though the sources declined to divulge the committee's recommendations on the ground that the "report is now in the Finance Ministry's domain", it is believed that a detailed framework for a way forward has been worked out for merger of two budgets.
The panel is understood to have advocated that the General Budget should have a separate annexure for the rail budget detailing the grant, expenditure and new projects for the next fiscal.
Sri Lanka not to go ahead with coal power plant with NTPC
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Sri Lanka will not go ahead with the joint venture with India's National Thermal Power corporation (NTPC) to build a coal power plant in eastern Trincomalee district, the Supreme court was told on Tuesday, after strong objections from environmentalists and the public.
The decision of the Ministry of Power and Energy not to go ahead with the project in Trincomalee district's Sampur, was informed by the Attorney General.
The Environmental Foundation Limited had filed the rights petition on May 31 objecting to the coal power plant over its environmental impact.
They had highlighted the long term environmental impact from the project and its resultant health effects.
Sri Lanka government's Central Environmental Authority, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the Ministry of Power and Energy were cited as respondents in the case.
There had been protests over the resettlement of people displaced by the war with the LTTE in Sampur. Since the war ended, Sampur had been declared a high security zone due to the proposal to build the coal power plant.
The Sampur Coal Power Plant was proposed as a joint venture between the CEB and National thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) of India and a Memorandum of Agreement was signed between the government, CEB and NTPC in 2006.
Sri Lanka will not go ahead with the joint venture with India's National Thermal Power corporation (NTPC) to build a coal power plant in eastern Trincomalee district, the Supreme court was told on Tuesday, after strong objections from environmentalists and the public.
The decision of the Ministry of Power and Energy not to go ahead with the project in Trincomalee district's Sampur, was informed by the Attorney General.
The Environmental Foundation Limited had filed the rights petition on May 31 objecting to the coal power plant over its environmental impact.
They had highlighted the long term environmental impact from the project and its resultant health effects.
Sri Lanka government's Central Environmental Authority, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the Ministry of Power and Energy were cited as respondents in the case.
There had been protests over the resettlement of people displaced by the war with the LTTE in Sampur. Since the war ended, Sampur had been declared a high security zone due to the proposal to build the coal power plant.
The Sampur Coal Power Plant was proposed as a joint venture between the CEB and National thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) of India and a Memorandum of Agreement was signed between the government, CEB and NTPC in 2006.
General Awareness
Union Cabinet Approvals – September 12 2016
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Union cabinet heaaded by PM Narendra Modi approves MoUs between different countries in different fields on September 12 2016
Cabinet approves Extradition Treaty between India and Afghanistan
The Union Cabinet approved the signing and ratification of an extradition treaty between India and Afghanistan.
- It is noted that Indiaand Afghanistan will soon sign an extradition treaty to hand over each others wanted terrorists and other criminals with the Union Cabinet today giving its nod for the pact.
- The approval for the extradition treaty comes ahead of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s proposed visit to New Delhi for bilateral talks with the Indian leadership.
- The treaty would provide a legal framework for seeking extradition of terrorists, economic offenders and other criminals from and to Afghanistan.
- Extradition treaties define an offence as an extraditable offence if it is punishable under the laws in both the contracting states by imprisonment for a period of at least one year.
- It is also noted that India has extradition treaties in operation with Australia, Bahrain,Bangladesh, Belarus and 3 other countries.
Afghanistan:
- Capital: Kabul
- Currency: Afghan afghani
- President: Ashraf Ghani
Cabinet approves Bilateral Technical Arrangement between India and Switzerland
The Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for signing of the Technical Arrangement between India and Switzerland on the identification and return of Swiss and Indian Nationals and its implementation.
- The conclusion of the BTA has been linked to the visa free agreement for holders of diplomatic passports as a package deal.
- It is noted that if the BTA withSwitzerland is approved as proposed, it would offer an opportunity to use the same as a model template for negotiations on the subject withother EU countries, which have been raising the issue regularly with New Delhi.
- The BTA essentially aims to formalize the existing procedure for cooperation on the return of irregular migrants between the two countries without introducing any additional obligations or exacting time frames.
- This treaty will help to leverage the Readmission Agreement to liberalise visa and work permit regimes for legitimate Indian travelers. This has been envisaged as a key goal in the recently concluded India-EU Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility (CAMM).
Switzerland :
- Capital : Bern
- Currency: Swiss franc
Cabinet approves extension of contract between India and the International Seabed Authority
The Union Cabinet approved extension of a contract between the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the International Seabed Authority for exploration of Polymetallic Nodules upto 2022.
- By extending the contract, India’s exclusive rights for exploration of Polymetallic Nodules in the allotted Area in the Central Indian Ocean Basin will continue and would open up new opportunities for resources of commercial and strategic value in area beyond national jurisdiction. Further, it would provide strategic importance for India in terms of enhanced presence in Indian Ocean where other international: players are also active.
- Poly-metallic nodules (also known as manganese nodules) are potato-shaped, largely porous nodules found in abundance carpeting the sea floor of world oceans in deep sea.Besides manganese and iron, they contain nickel, copper, cobalt, lead, molybdenum, cadmium, vanadium, titanium, of which nickel, cobalt and copper are considered to be of economic and strategic importance.
- India signed a 15 year contract for exploration of poly-metallic nodules (PMN) in Central Indian Ocean Basin with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) on March 25, 2002 with the approval of Cabinet.
- It is noted that India is presently having an area of 75,000 sq.km., located about 2000 km away from her southern tip for exploration of PMN.
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Kenya on cooperation in the field of National Housing Policy
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex post-factoapproval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Kenya on cooperation in the field of National Housing Policy Development and Management (NHPDM).
- It is noted that this MoU was signed on 11th July, 2016 at Nairobi during the visit of the Prime Minister of India.
- This MoU will encourage technical cooperation in facilitating access to affordable housing from locally available building materials. It will also encourage technical cooperation in development of Government/Public employee facilitated housing.
- The cooperation between the two countries will focus on upscaling slum upgradation and prevention initiatives based on the experience and implementation process of each country.
- As per this MoU, both the sides will collaborate on all matters relating to housing and human settlements through various strategies including training of personnel,exchange visits, expos/exhibitions, conferences and workshops
Kenya :
- Capital: Nairobi
- Currency: Kenyan shilling
- President: Uhuru Kenyatta
India, South Africa in ICT cooperation pact
India and South Africa have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for promoting bilateral cooperation in the field of Information and Communication Technologies.
- The MoU will help to establish inter-institutional cooperation and relations between the two parties in order to promote cooperation in the field of
- The agreement will also result in active cooperation and exchanges between the private entities, capacity building institutions, governments and other public organizationsof the two countries in the field of ICT.
- It is noted that the Cabinet has been apprised of the MoU which was signed on July 8, 2016.
South Africa :
- Capitals: Pretoria, Cape Town, Bloemfontein
- Currency: South African rand
- President: Jacob Zuma
Cabinet apprised of the MoU between India and Mozambique on cooperation in the field of Youth Affairs
The UnionCabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been apprised of the MoU signed on July 07, 2016 between India and Mozambique on cooperation in the field of Youth Affairs and Sports during the visit of Prime Minister of India to Mozambique.
- This MoU will help in promotion of sports in the two countries and will promote exchange of ideas, values and culture amongst Youth and in developing friendly relations.
- It will also help in developing international perspective among the Youth and expanding their knowledge and expertise in the areas of Youth Affairs and Sports.
About Mozambique :
- Capital: Maputo
- Currency: Metical
- President: Filipe Nyusi
- Prime minister: Carlos Agostinho do Rosário
Cabinet approves deeper tariff cuts to APTA countries
The Union Cabinet on Monday allowed the government to offer deeper concessions on tariffs while trading with APTA countries comprising Bangladesh, China, India, Lao PDR, Republic of Korea, and Sri Lanka.
- This move will deepen the concessions being offered under this Agreement. Approval was also given to amend the preamble of APTA to effect accession of Mongolia as the 7th APTA Participating State.
- APTA (formerly Bangkok agreement) is the only operational trade agreement linking India and China, two of the fastest-growing markets in the world. The two countries areseparately negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement with 14 others.
- From 570 tariff lines, the numbers of products on which duty concessions will be given have increased to 3,142. The margin of preference (MoP) has been increased from 9% of 33.45%, implying that duties on each of the products will be reduced by a third for the importing countries.
- Union cabinet heaaded by PM Narendra Modi approves MoUs between different countries in different fields on September 12 2016
Cabinet approves Extradition Treaty between India and AfghanistanThe Union Cabinet approved the signing and ratification of an extradition treaty between India and Afghanistan.- It is noted that Indiaand Afghanistan will soon sign an extradition treaty to hand over each others wanted terrorists and other criminals with the Union Cabinet today giving its nod for the pact.
- The approval for the extradition treaty comes ahead of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s proposed visit to New Delhi for bilateral talks with the Indian leadership.
- The treaty would provide a legal framework for seeking extradition of terrorists, economic offenders and other criminals from and to Afghanistan.
- Extradition treaties define an offence as an extraditable offence if it is punishable under the laws in both the contracting states by imprisonment for a period of at least one year.
- It is also noted that India has extradition treaties in operation with Australia, Bahrain,Bangladesh, Belarus and 3 other countries.
Afghanistan:- Capital: Kabul
- Currency: Afghan afghani
- President: Ashraf Ghani
Cabinet approves Bilateral Technical Arrangement between India and SwitzerlandThe Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for signing of the Technical Arrangement between India and Switzerland on the identification and return of Swiss and Indian Nationals and its implementation.- The conclusion of the BTA has been linked to the visa free agreement for holders of diplomatic passports as a package deal.
- It is noted that if the BTA withSwitzerland is approved as proposed, it would offer an opportunity to use the same as a model template for negotiations on the subject withother EU countries, which have been raising the issue regularly with New Delhi.
- The BTA essentially aims to formalize the existing procedure for cooperation on the return of irregular migrants between the two countries without introducing any additional obligations or exacting time frames.
- This treaty will help to leverage the Readmission Agreement to liberalise visa and work permit regimes for legitimate Indian travelers. This has been envisaged as a key goal in the recently concluded India-EU Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility (CAMM).
Switzerland :- Capital : Bern
- Currency: Swiss franc
Cabinet approves extension of contract between India and the International Seabed AuthorityThe Union Cabinet approved extension of a contract between the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the International Seabed Authority for exploration of Polymetallic Nodules upto 2022.- By extending the contract, India’s exclusive rights for exploration of Polymetallic Nodules in the allotted Area in the Central Indian Ocean Basin will continue and would open up new opportunities for resources of commercial and strategic value in area beyond national jurisdiction. Further, it would provide strategic importance for India in terms of enhanced presence in Indian Ocean where other international: players are also active.
- Poly-metallic nodules (also known as manganese nodules) are potato-shaped, largely porous nodules found in abundance carpeting the sea floor of world oceans in deep sea.Besides manganese and iron, they contain nickel, copper, cobalt, lead, molybdenum, cadmium, vanadium, titanium, of which nickel, cobalt and copper are considered to be of economic and strategic importance.
- India signed a 15 year contract for exploration of poly-metallic nodules (PMN) in Central Indian Ocean Basin with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) on March 25, 2002 with the approval of Cabinet.
- It is noted that India is presently having an area of 75,000 sq.km., located about 2000 km away from her southern tip for exploration of PMN.
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Kenya on cooperation in the field of National Housing PolicyThe Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex post-factoapproval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Kenya on cooperation in the field of National Housing Policy Development and Management (NHPDM).- It is noted that this MoU was signed on 11th July, 2016 at Nairobi during the visit of the Prime Minister of India.
- This MoU will encourage technical cooperation in facilitating access to affordable housing from locally available building materials. It will also encourage technical cooperation in development of Government/Public employee facilitated housing.
- The cooperation between the two countries will focus on upscaling slum upgradation and prevention initiatives based on the experience and implementation process of each country.
- As per this MoU, both the sides will collaborate on all matters relating to housing and human settlements through various strategies including training of personnel,exchange visits, expos/exhibitions, conferences and workshops
Kenya :- Capital: Nairobi
- Currency: Kenyan shilling
- President: Uhuru Kenyatta
India, South Africa in ICT cooperation pactIndia and South Africa have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for promoting bilateral cooperation in the field of Information and Communication Technologies.- The MoU will help to establish inter-institutional cooperation and relations between the two parties in order to promote cooperation in the field of
- The agreement will also result in active cooperation and exchanges between the private entities, capacity building institutions, governments and other public organizationsof the two countries in the field of ICT.
- It is noted that the Cabinet has been apprised of the MoU which was signed on July 8, 2016.
South Africa :- Capitals: Pretoria, Cape Town, Bloemfontein
- Currency: South African rand
- President: Jacob Zuma
Cabinet apprised of the MoU between India and Mozambique on cooperation in the field of Youth AffairsThe UnionCabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been apprised of the MoU signed on July 07, 2016 between India and Mozambique on cooperation in the field of Youth Affairs and Sports during the visit of Prime Minister of India to Mozambique.- This MoU will help in promotion of sports in the two countries and will promote exchange of ideas, values and culture amongst Youth and in developing friendly relations.
- It will also help in developing international perspective among the Youth and expanding their knowledge and expertise in the areas of Youth Affairs and Sports.
About Mozambique :- Capital: Maputo
- Currency: Metical
- President: Filipe Nyusi
- Prime minister: Carlos Agostinho do Rosário
Cabinet approves deeper tariff cuts to APTA countriesThe Union Cabinet on Monday allowed the government to offer deeper concessions on tariffs while trading with APTA countries comprising Bangladesh, China, India, Lao PDR, Republic of Korea, and Sri Lanka.- This move will deepen the concessions being offered under this Agreement. Approval was also given to amend the preamble of APTA to effect accession of Mongolia as the 7th APTA Participating State.
- APTA (formerly Bangkok agreement) is the only operational trade agreement linking India and China, two of the fastest-growing markets in the world. The two countries areseparately negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement with 14 others.
- From 570 tariff lines, the numbers of products on which duty concessions will be given have increased to 3,142. The margin of preference (MoP) has been increased from 9% of 33.45%, implying that duties on each of the products will be reduced by a third for the importing countries.
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