General Affairs
250-Year-Old Indian Defence Service Seeks Change Of Name
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NEW DELHI: The Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS), a 270-year-old service, has asked the government to change its name to Defence Finance Service, keeping in view the changing nature of the department.
"The nature of functioning of the department has changed over the last so many years. Time has come to change the name of the department from Defence Accounts Department to Defence Finance Department.
"We have sent the proposal finally (to the government) to change the name of the Defence Accounts Service to Defence Finance Service," Sunil Kohli, Controller General of Defence Accounts, said.
He was speaking at an event to mark the 270th Defence Accounts Service Day which was also attended by Defence Secretary G Mohan Kumar.
IDAS officers are group 'A' defence civilian officers. The department serves the three defence services, DRDO, Border Roads Organisation and ordnance factories. It renders service in areas like financial advise, payments, accounting and audit.
It traces its history to 1747, from the days of the British East India Company, and is one of the oldest civil services in the country.
The IDAS played a critical role in the implementation of the One Rank One Pension (OROP).
Mr Kohli said the department has also sent another proposal to earmark budget which could be used for carrying out digitilisation and computerisation of the department in order to implement pensions in a better way.
Defence Secretary Kumar also emphasised on the need to undertake complete digitilisation and reduce paperwork.
Mr Kohli said the service has evolved over the years and the demand for change of name was to convey the "right kind of job" done by the department.
"The nature of functioning of the department has changed over the last so many years. Time has come to change the name of the department from Defence Accounts Department to Defence Finance Department.
"We have sent the proposal finally (to the government) to change the name of the Defence Accounts Service to Defence Finance Service," Sunil Kohli, Controller General of Defence Accounts, said.
IDAS officers are group 'A' defence civilian officers. The department serves the three defence services, DRDO, Border Roads Organisation and ordnance factories. It renders service in areas like financial advise, payments, accounting and audit.
The IDAS played a critical role in the implementation of the One Rank One Pension (OROP).
Mr Kohli said the department has also sent another proposal to earmark budget which could be used for carrying out digitilisation and computerisation of the department in order to implement pensions in a better way.
Defence Secretary Kumar also emphasised on the need to undertake complete digitilisation and reduce paperwork.
Mr Kohli said the service has evolved over the years and the demand for change of name was to convey the "right kind of job" done by the department.
Vice President Hamid Ansari Returns Home After Concluding 2-Nation Africa Visit
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NEW DELHI: Vice President Hamid Ansari today returned to New Delhi after wrapping up a five-day visit to Nigeria and Mali during which he held talks with the top leadership of the two countries on an entire gamut of issues including terrorism, defence and connectivity.
He described the visit to the African countries as "very satisfying" and said it was a follow-up on many ideas discussed during the India-Africa Summit in New Delhi last year. Nigeria was the first stop for Vice President Ansari.
In capital Abuja, he held talks with President Muhammadu Buhari and his counterpart Yemi Osinbajo, addressed members of the Nigerian and Indian industry and also the Indian community besides delivering a speech at the National College of Defence.
From Abuja, he went to Nigeria's largest city of Lagos where he met members of the Indian community and also delivered a speech at the University of Lagos.
An agreement was signed on standards in Nigeria. Besides a letter of intent on agreements on health, customs, transfer of sentenced persons, and new and renewable energy was signed.
The two countries held discussions on a range of issues including cooperation in the field of security, defence, ICT, culture, oil and gas, concessional credits, bilateral air services agreements, power, IT, telecom, infrastructure and fight against terrorism.
Vice President Ansari then went to Mali, the first high-level visit by any Indian leader.
In Malian capital Bamako, he addressed the National Assembly, Parliament of Mali, and met President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Prime Minister Modibo Keita, CEOs of Indian origin and Indian companies and also Indians posted in the West African country under United Nations Mission.
He also participated in the Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque with the prime minister and hundreds of other devout.
Two MoUs were also signed between India and Mali, one on standards and the other on cultural exchange.
The vice president was accompanied by his wife Salma Ansari, Minister of State for Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal, lawmakers from Bhubaneshwar Kalita, Dilip Kumar Tirkey and Mohammad Salim besides senior officials.
He described the visit to the African countries as "very satisfying" and said it was a follow-up on many ideas discussed during the India-Africa Summit in New Delhi last year. Nigeria was the first stop for Vice President Ansari.
In capital Abuja, he held talks with President Muhammadu Buhari and his counterpart Yemi Osinbajo, addressed members of the Nigerian and Indian industry and also the Indian community besides delivering a speech at the National College of Defence.
An agreement was signed on standards in Nigeria. Besides a letter of intent on agreements on health, customs, transfer of sentenced persons, and new and renewable energy was signed.
The two countries held discussions on a range of issues including cooperation in the field of security, defence, ICT, culture, oil and gas, concessional credits, bilateral air services agreements, power, IT, telecom, infrastructure and fight against terrorism.
Vice President Ansari then went to Mali, the first high-level visit by any Indian leader.
In Malian capital Bamako, he addressed the National Assembly, Parliament of Mali, and met President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Prime Minister Modibo Keita, CEOs of Indian origin and Indian companies and also Indians posted in the West African country under United Nations Mission.
He also participated in the Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque with the prime minister and hundreds of other devout.
Two MoUs were also signed between India and Mali, one on standards and the other on cultural exchange.
The vice president was accompanied by his wife Salma Ansari, Minister of State for Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal, lawmakers from Bhubaneshwar Kalita, Dilip Kumar Tirkey and Mohammad Salim besides senior officials.
Cauvery Row: Former PM Deve Gowda On Hunger Strike Seeking 'Justice' For Karnataka
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BENGALURU: Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda today began an "indefinite" hunger strike, seeking "justice" for Karnataka in the ongoing row with Tamil Nadu over release of Cauvery water.
The 83-year-old Janata Dal (Secular) chief is sitting on fast near the Mahatma Gandhi statue next to Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat in Bengaluru.
Mr Gowda's sudden decision comes in the backdrop of the Supreme Court order yesterday, asking Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water till October 6 to Tamil Nadu and the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Water Management Board.
"We want justice. Drinking water is essential for humans to survive," Mr Gowda, a former Chief Minister, told reporters here, as he launched the hunger strike..
Asserting that he would continue his protest till Karnataka gets justice from the Union government, Mr Gowda said he still has "confidence" in the Prime Minister that the issue will be resolved.
Mr Gowda said he would not be attending the all-party meet called by Chief Minister Siddaramaia later today to chalk out the next course of action in the light of the apex court order, which came as a huge setback to the state.
Home Minister G Parameshwara, who visited Mr Gowda, said the former Prime Minister had always fought for the state's interests and added, "I hope it (the hunger strike) will open the eyes of the judiciary."
He said the Attorney General agreeing in the Supreme Court to the formation of the Cauvery Water Management Board also showed that "it (Union government) is also against us". Taking Karnataka to task for its repeated "defiance" by flouting its orders, the top court had yesterday asked it to release 6,000 cusecs water from tomorrow till October 6 to Tamil Nadu, warning "no one would know when the wrath of the law" would fall on it.
A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and U U Lalit had also directed the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Water Management Board by October 4.
Mr Siddaramaiah is also holding a Council of Ministers meeting after the all-party meet.
The 83-year-old Janata Dal (Secular) chief is sitting on fast near the Mahatma Gandhi statue next to Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat in Bengaluru.
Mr Gowda's sudden decision comes in the backdrop of the Supreme Court order yesterday, asking Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water till October 6 to Tamil Nadu and the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Water Management Board.
Asserting that he would continue his protest till Karnataka gets justice from the Union government, Mr Gowda said he still has "confidence" in the Prime Minister that the issue will be resolved.
Home Minister G Parameshwara, who visited Mr Gowda, said the former Prime Minister had always fought for the state's interests and added, "I hope it (the hunger strike) will open the eyes of the judiciary."
He said the Attorney General agreeing in the Supreme Court to the formation of the Cauvery Water Management Board also showed that "it (Union government) is also against us". Taking Karnataka to task for its repeated "defiance" by flouting its orders, the top court had yesterday asked it to release 6,000 cusecs water from tomorrow till October 6 to Tamil Nadu, warning "no one would know when the wrath of the law" would fall on it.
A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and U U Lalit had also directed the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Water Management Board by October 4.
Mr Siddaramaiah is also holding a Council of Ministers meeting after the all-party meet.
Rahul Gandhi Begins His Road Show In Mathura
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MATHURA: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday began his road show and "Kisan Maha Yatra" after offering prayers at the Dwarkadheesh temple of Lord Krishna in Mathura.
Mr Gandhi will later in the day leave for Agra to begin another road show at St Peter's College.
The Congress leader will address a public rally at Etmadpur in Firozabad and hold a "khaat sabha" in Tundla, the native place of Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar.
He will spend the night at the Public Works Department guest house in Firozabad.
The October 2 programme of the Gandhi scion in Farukkhabad has been shelved as a local event -- Ram Baraat -- is held that day.
Mr Gandhi will later in the day leave for Agra to begin another road show at St Peter's College.
The Congress leader will address a public rally at Etmadpur in Firozabad and hold a "khaat sabha" in Tundla, the native place of Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar.
The October 2 programme of the Gandhi scion in Farukkhabad has been shelved as a local event -- Ram Baraat -- is held that day.
Better Targeting Of Kerosene Subsidy Is Government's Next Agenda: Arun Jaitley
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NEW DELHI: After the initial experiment in food and fertiliser, better targeting of kerosene subsidy is next on government agenda to plug diversion and black marketing of the fuel, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.
"Kerosene in some parts of the country is used as fuel, and in many parts... is misused. There is a huge amount of diversion... So, states are making efforts to become kerosene free because of a lot of diversion taking place," he said at an event of the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi today.
He specifically made a mention of Union Territory of Chandigarh and Haryana trying to become kerosene free.
"That's one of the next items which is on the agenda as far as rationalisation is concerned, but there is still a section of society which uses kerosene as a fuel and therefore, you have to find a mechanism (as to) how to deal with the kerosene problem," he said.
With an aim to take PDS kerosene to the targeted beneficiary, it has been decided to implement the direct benefit transfer in kerosene (DBTK) in 39 districts in 2016-17. The districts spread across nine states have been identified in consultation with local governments, including Punjab, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Giving examples of on-boarding of various government schemes on DBT, he said the government is now experimenting in various areas.
"Somewhere fertiliser is being experimented, somewhere food... One of the the great advantages would be to plug leakages, eliminate corruption and duplicacy and better targeting of subsidy," Mr Jaitley added.
It helps the government reach the targeted section more effectively and save money in the process that can be used for social programmes or alternatively, other developmental activities, he said.
"We are in the initial stages of various areas of implementation and I think the apprehensions which existed a couple of years ago have been to a large extent adequately addressed. Direct payment through this whole process of identification is slowly going to become the rule and not resorting to it would be an exception," he said.
"The whole idea is that in reaching the weakest section, the leakages takes place and only a small fraction reaches the targeted entity, and I think we will be able to get over that curse."
"Kerosene in some parts of the country is used as fuel, and in many parts... is misused. There is a huge amount of diversion... So, states are making efforts to become kerosene free because of a lot of diversion taking place," he said at an event of the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi today.
He specifically made a mention of Union Territory of Chandigarh and Haryana trying to become kerosene free.
With an aim to take PDS kerosene to the targeted beneficiary, it has been decided to implement the direct benefit transfer in kerosene (DBTK) in 39 districts in 2016-17. The districts spread across nine states have been identified in consultation with local governments, including Punjab, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
"Somewhere fertiliser is being experimented, somewhere food... One of the the great advantages would be to plug leakages, eliminate corruption and duplicacy and better targeting of subsidy," Mr Jaitley added.
It helps the government reach the targeted section more effectively and save money in the process that can be used for social programmes or alternatively, other developmental activities, he said.
"We are in the initial stages of various areas of implementation and I think the apprehensions which existed a couple of years ago have been to a large extent adequately addressed. Direct payment through this whole process of identification is slowly going to become the rule and not resorting to it would be an exception," he said.
"The whole idea is that in reaching the weakest section, the leakages takes place and only a small fraction reaches the targeted entity, and I think we will be able to get over that curse."
Business Affairs
Second round of mega spectrum auction gets under way
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Telecom operators have started bidding for airwaves in the country's largest spectrum auction in which airwaves worth Rs 5.63 lakh crore have been put up for sale.
According to sources, the second round of bidding for airwaves is under way and all participants placed bids in the first round.
Industry players have called the base price of airwaves in the auction as "unreasonably priced".
As much as 2,354.55 megahertz of frequencies are being put up for auction in seven bands -- 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz and 2500 MHz. The radiowaves can be used for 2G, 3G and high-speed 4G mobile services.
Reliance Jio, Vodafone, Idea Cellular and Bharti Airtel are in the fray for frequencies that are crucial for next-generation telecom services.
There is no end limit set by the government for the auction, but the bidding will be between 9 am to 7 pm everyday except on Day 1 when it started at 10 am.
Tata Teleservices, Reliance Communications and Aircel are also in the race. The department of telecom will release results of daily bidding at the end of every day.
While Jio, Airtel and RCom have pan-India 4G spectrum, Vodafone and Idea Cellular have an opportunity to bid for airwaves in the auction to expand their 4G service footprint for competitive advantage in the market.
Idea has 4G spectrum in 10 out of 22 telecom circles in the country. Vodafone, which has just brought in Rs 47,700 crore equity investment from its parent firm, has spectrum for 4G services in 9 telecom circles.
The government has fixed a pan-India reserve price of Rs 2,873 crore for spectrum in 1,800 MHz band; Rs 3,341 crore for 900 MHz; Rs 5,819 crore for 800 MHz; Rs 3,746 crore for 2,100 MHz; Rs 11,485 crore for 700 MHz and Rs 817 crore each for 2,300 MHz and 2,500 MHz bands.
The premium 700 MHz band is to be auctioned at a reserve or base price of Rs 11,485 crore per Mhz. The cost of delivering mobile services in this band is estimated to be around 70 per cent lower than 2100 MHz band used for providing 3G services.
A company interested in buying spectrum in 700 MHz band will need to shell out a minimum of Rs 57,425 crore for a block of 5 Mhz on a pan-India basis. This band alone has the potential to fetch bids worth over Rs 4 lakh crore.
Jio is the only company in this auction which is eligible to bid for pan-India spectrum in 700 MHz band. The total value of spectrum at the base price is more than double the gross revenue of the telecom service industry. Telecom service providers had a gross revenue of Rs 2.54 lakh crore in 2014-15.
Telecom operators have started bidding for airwaves in the country's largest spectrum auction in which airwaves worth Rs 5.63 lakh crore have been put up for sale.
According to sources, the second round of bidding for airwaves is under way and all participants placed bids in the first round.
Industry players have called the base price of airwaves in the auction as "unreasonably priced".
As much as 2,354.55 megahertz of frequencies are being put up for auction in seven bands -- 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz and 2500 MHz. The radiowaves can be used for 2G, 3G and high-speed 4G mobile services.
Reliance Jio, Vodafone, Idea Cellular and Bharti Airtel are in the fray for frequencies that are crucial for next-generation telecom services.
There is no end limit set by the government for the auction, but the bidding will be between 9 am to 7 pm everyday except on Day 1 when it started at 10 am.
Tata Teleservices, Reliance Communications and Aircel are also in the race. The department of telecom will release results of daily bidding at the end of every day.
While Jio, Airtel and RCom have pan-India 4G spectrum, Vodafone and Idea Cellular have an opportunity to bid for airwaves in the auction to expand their 4G service footprint for competitive advantage in the market.
Idea has 4G spectrum in 10 out of 22 telecom circles in the country. Vodafone, which has just brought in Rs 47,700 crore equity investment from its parent firm, has spectrum for 4G services in 9 telecom circles.
The government has fixed a pan-India reserve price of Rs 2,873 crore for spectrum in 1,800 MHz band; Rs 3,341 crore for 900 MHz; Rs 5,819 crore for 800 MHz; Rs 3,746 crore for 2,100 MHz; Rs 11,485 crore for 700 MHz and Rs 817 crore each for 2,300 MHz and 2,500 MHz bands.
The premium 700 MHz band is to be auctioned at a reserve or base price of Rs 11,485 crore per Mhz. The cost of delivering mobile services in this band is estimated to be around 70 per cent lower than 2100 MHz band used for providing 3G services.
A company interested in buying spectrum in 700 MHz band will need to shell out a minimum of Rs 57,425 crore for a block of 5 Mhz on a pan-India basis. This band alone has the potential to fetch bids worth over Rs 4 lakh crore.
Jio is the only company in this auction which is eligible to bid for pan-India spectrum in 700 MHz band. The total value of spectrum at the base price is more than double the gross revenue of the telecom service industry. Telecom service providers had a gross revenue of Rs 2.54 lakh crore in 2014-15.
Gas price for industrial use cut by 18%
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Price of natural gas, used for generating power, making fertiliser and supplying CNG, was on Friday cut by 18 per cent to $2.5 per million British thermal unit, fourth reduction in 18 months.
Rate of natural gas produced from existing fields of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and Reliance Industries has been cut to $2.5 per mmBtu for a 6-month period from October 1, from $3.06 per mmBtu currently.
As per the new gas pricing formula approved by the NDA- government in October 2014, gas prices are to be revised every six months and the next change is due on April 1.
The reduction in natural gas prices would mean lower raw material cost for compressed natural gas (CNG) and natural gas piped to households (PNG) and would translate into reduction in retail prices. It would also mean lower feedstock cost for power generation and manufacturing of fertilisers.
Rates were last cut by 20 per cent to $3.06 from April 1. The price of gas between October 1, 2015 and March 31, 2016 was $3.81 per mmBtu and $4.66 in prior six month period.
"The price of domestic natural gas for the period October 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017 is $2.50 per mmBtu on Gross Calorific Value (GCV) basis," said a notification issued by the Oil Ministry's Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell.
The reduction will hit producers like state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) as well as central government whose earnings from royalty and income tax will dip by about Rs 800 crore during the remainder of the fiscal, according to industry estimates.
Every dollar dip in gas price results in Rs 4,000 crore hit in revenue of ONGC on an annual basis. The current price reduction would hit its revenue by about Rs 1,000 crore.
Government also announced a sharp reduction in cap price based on alternate fuels for undeveloped gas finds in difficult areas like deepsea which are unviable to develop as per the existing pricing formula.
The cap for October 1, 2016 top March 31, 2017 will be $5.3 per mmBtu, down from $6.61 in April 1 to September 30 period, PPAC notification said.
ONGC is the country's biggest gas producer, accounting for some 60 per cent of the 90 million standard cubic meters per day current output.
All of its gas as well as that of Oil India Ltd and private sector RIL's KG-D6 block are sold at the formula approved in October 2014. This formula however does not cover gas from fields like Panna/Mukta and Tapti in western offshore and Ravva in Bay of Bengal.
The price cut should result in a reduction of Rs 0.5 to Rs 1.5 per standard cubic meter in price of piped natural gas (PNG) for domestic customers and Rs 0.8-1.5 per kg cut in CNG prices.
Retailers like Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) in Delhi are likely to announce a revision in rate tomorrow.
The government had in October 2014 announced a new pricing formula that calculated local rates by using prevailing price in gas surplus nations like the US, Russia and Canada.
While the cut will impact the revenue of producers, it will bring gains for users in the power and fertiliser sector in the form of lower feedstock cost.
As per the mechanism approved in October, 2014, the price of domestically produced natural gas is to be revised every six months using weighted average or rates prevalent in gas- surplus economies of US/Mexico, Canada and Russia.
Indian gas prices are calculated by taking weighted average price at Henry Hub of the US, National Balancing Point of the UK, rates in Alberta (Canada) and Russia with a lag of one quarter.
So, the rates for October 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017 period were based on average price at the international hubs during July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.
Price of natural gas, used for generating power, making fertiliser and supplying CNG, was on Friday cut by 18 per cent to $2.5 per million British thermal unit, fourth reduction in 18 months.
Rate of natural gas produced from existing fields of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and Reliance Industries has been cut to $2.5 per mmBtu for a 6-month period from October 1, from $3.06 per mmBtu currently.
As per the new gas pricing formula approved by the NDA- government in October 2014, gas prices are to be revised every six months and the next change is due on April 1.
The reduction in natural gas prices would mean lower raw material cost for compressed natural gas (CNG) and natural gas piped to households (PNG) and would translate into reduction in retail prices. It would also mean lower feedstock cost for power generation and manufacturing of fertilisers.
Rates were last cut by 20 per cent to $3.06 from April 1. The price of gas between October 1, 2015 and March 31, 2016 was $3.81 per mmBtu and $4.66 in prior six month period.
"The price of domestic natural gas for the period October 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017 is $2.50 per mmBtu on Gross Calorific Value (GCV) basis," said a notification issued by the Oil Ministry's Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell.
The reduction will hit producers like state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) as well as central government whose earnings from royalty and income tax will dip by about Rs 800 crore during the remainder of the fiscal, according to industry estimates.
Every dollar dip in gas price results in Rs 4,000 crore hit in revenue of ONGC on an annual basis. The current price reduction would hit its revenue by about Rs 1,000 crore.
Government also announced a sharp reduction in cap price based on alternate fuels for undeveloped gas finds in difficult areas like deepsea which are unviable to develop as per the existing pricing formula.
The cap for October 1, 2016 top March 31, 2017 will be $5.3 per mmBtu, down from $6.61 in April 1 to September 30 period, PPAC notification said.
ONGC is the country's biggest gas producer, accounting for some 60 per cent of the 90 million standard cubic meters per day current output.
All of its gas as well as that of Oil India Ltd and private sector RIL's KG-D6 block are sold at the formula approved in October 2014. This formula however does not cover gas from fields like Panna/Mukta and Tapti in western offshore and Ravva in Bay of Bengal.
The price cut should result in a reduction of Rs 0.5 to Rs 1.5 per standard cubic meter in price of piped natural gas (PNG) for domestic customers and Rs 0.8-1.5 per kg cut in CNG prices.
Retailers like Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) in Delhi are likely to announce a revision in rate tomorrow.
The government had in October 2014 announced a new pricing formula that calculated local rates by using prevailing price in gas surplus nations like the US, Russia and Canada.
While the cut will impact the revenue of producers, it will bring gains for users in the power and fertiliser sector in the form of lower feedstock cost.
As per the mechanism approved in October, 2014, the price of domestically produced natural gas is to be revised every six months using weighted average or rates prevalent in gas- surplus economies of US/Mexico, Canada and Russia.
Indian gas prices are calculated by taking weighted average price at Henry Hub of the US, National Balancing Point of the UK, rates in Alberta (Canada) and Russia with a lag of one quarter.
So, the rates for October 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017 period were based on average price at the international hubs during July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.
Summit to attract investors for Chabahar likely in India
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A major economic summit will likely be held in India within the next two months to attract investment from across the globe for the strategic Chabahar port in Iran which would give India access to Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan, Afghan Ambassador to New Delhi said on Friday.
Referring to the meeting between Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi and Afghanistan's Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamadullah Batash on Wednesday, Afghan Ambassador to India Shaida Abdali said its purpose was to expedite the implementation of the Chabahar transit and trade agreement and there were some "very good decisions" taken within that framework.
"We are going to address some of the technical issues involved in the Chabahar agreement and within the next two months we will-in India or Iran, but more likely India-call a major economic summit where all the industries will participate from India, Afghanistan, Iran and from beyond," the Abdali in New Delhi at The Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia.
Abdali said the ministers met in order to deal with the technical issues that are still left to be addressed and the decision was made that India, Afghanistan and Iran will have a secretariat each to deal with those.
"Within a month, the three secretariats will meet again and we will have a technical team sitting again before the major summit that we have. All issues pending will be resolved. Procedures for others to invest will be made clear. We will be fully ready for foreign investers...to start business," he said.
Abdali's remarks came after Gadkari, following the meeting on Wednesday had said India, Iran and Afghanistan are keen on expediting the tripartite transit agreement on Chabahar port, which will give India access to Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan.
Abdali, while talking about the ambitious project, said, "Our purpose is not to concentrate on the three countries' business and economic relations but to involve and engage all other neighbours, especially the neighbours in Central Asia and South Asia."
"We would like to give this a much more expansion beyond these countries. We need more investments for the Chabahar port and we need international investments. We hope that the major summit that will be called (possibly) in Delhi will have participation from many countries in the region and around the world to attract more investment to the Chabahar port," Abdali said.
Expressing optimism, the Afghan envoy said the conference will be a "major step forward" to making Chabahar agreement a "grand success" for the use of many countries in the region.
"Of course, the three countries will be the biggest beneficiaries, but others will be stakeholders as well in terms of the outcome of the Chabahar agreement. But let me emphasise that the Chabahar agreement... we would like (it) to act as a complementing transit route... for the benefit of everyone," Abdali said.
A "milestone" pact on the strategic Chabahar port in southern Iran was signed in May this year.
Besides the bilateral pact to develop the Chabahar port, in which India will invest $500 million, a trilateral Agreement on Transport and Transit Corridor was also signed by India, Afghanistan and Iran.
A major economic summit will likely be held in India within the next two months to attract investment from across the globe for the strategic Chabahar port in Iran which would give India access to Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan, Afghan Ambassador to New Delhi said on Friday.
Referring to the meeting between Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi and Afghanistan's Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamadullah Batash on Wednesday, Afghan Ambassador to India Shaida Abdali said its purpose was to expedite the implementation of the Chabahar transit and trade agreement and there were some "very good decisions" taken within that framework.
"We are going to address some of the technical issues involved in the Chabahar agreement and within the next two months we will-in India or Iran, but more likely India-call a major economic summit where all the industries will participate from India, Afghanistan, Iran and from beyond," the Abdali in New Delhi at The Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia.
Abdali said the ministers met in order to deal with the technical issues that are still left to be addressed and the decision was made that India, Afghanistan and Iran will have a secretariat each to deal with those.
"Within a month, the three secretariats will meet again and we will have a technical team sitting again before the major summit that we have. All issues pending will be resolved. Procedures for others to invest will be made clear. We will be fully ready for foreign investers...to start business," he said.
Abdali's remarks came after Gadkari, following the meeting on Wednesday had said India, Iran and Afghanistan are keen on expediting the tripartite transit agreement on Chabahar port, which will give India access to Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan.
Abdali, while talking about the ambitious project, said, "Our purpose is not to concentrate on the three countries' business and economic relations but to involve and engage all other neighbours, especially the neighbours in Central Asia and South Asia."
"We would like to give this a much more expansion beyond these countries. We need more investments for the Chabahar port and we need international investments. We hope that the major summit that will be called (possibly) in Delhi will have participation from many countries in the region and around the world to attract more investment to the Chabahar port," Abdali said.
Expressing optimism, the Afghan envoy said the conference will be a "major step forward" to making Chabahar agreement a "grand success" for the use of many countries in the region.
"Of course, the three countries will be the biggest beneficiaries, but others will be stakeholders as well in terms of the outcome of the Chabahar agreement. But let me emphasise that the Chabahar agreement... we would like (it) to act as a complementing transit route... for the benefit of everyone," Abdali said.
A "milestone" pact on the strategic Chabahar port in southern Iran was signed in May this year.
Besides the bilateral pact to develop the Chabahar port, in which India will invest $500 million, a trilateral Agreement on Transport and Transit Corridor was also signed by India, Afghanistan and Iran.
Telcos meet TRAI; allege tariff order violation by Reliance Jio
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Charging new entrant Reliance Jio of violating tariff order, incumbent operators such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone on Friday met regulator Trai on the issue-a new front in the ongoing war between the two sides over the points of interconnection.
"The TRAI Chairman listened to us...he is examining the matter and will get back to us, at the earliest," Vodafone India Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Sunil Sood said.
The operators who met the TRAI Chairman include Vodafone, Bharti Airtel, Telenor among others.
TRAI Chairman RS Sharma had called the meeting as some telecom service companies wrote to the regulator alleging that Reliance Jio has violated some (tariff) order.
Incumbent operators Airtel, Vodafone and Idea are locked in a battle with Reliance Jio over the issue of network connectivity.
Reliance Jio-a newcomer in the 4G market-has accused incumbent operators, including Airtel, of providing far less than adequate points of interconnection (PoIs) needed for its users to complete a call to a rival network, while the operators have charged the new entrant of unleashing a "tsunami" of free traffic on their networks.
Interconnection enables mobile users to make calls to customers of other telecom networks and is, therefore, crucial for smooth functioning of mobile service.
Jio argues that benefits of superior voice technology is being denied to its customers due to the network congestion and has blamed the "anti-competitive behaviour of incumbent operators" for the "poor experience" on its services.
Following Reliance Jio's complaint of call failures, Trai earlier this week said it will issue showcause notices to operators for call drops that are far exceeding the norm.
Charging new entrant Reliance Jio of violating tariff order, incumbent operators such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone on Friday met regulator Trai on the issue-a new front in the ongoing war between the two sides over the points of interconnection.
"The TRAI Chairman listened to us...he is examining the matter and will get back to us, at the earliest," Vodafone India Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Sunil Sood said.
The operators who met the TRAI Chairman include Vodafone, Bharti Airtel, Telenor among others.
TRAI Chairman RS Sharma had called the meeting as some telecom service companies wrote to the regulator alleging that Reliance Jio has violated some (tariff) order.
Incumbent operators Airtel, Vodafone and Idea are locked in a battle with Reliance Jio over the issue of network connectivity.
Reliance Jio-a newcomer in the 4G market-has accused incumbent operators, including Airtel, of providing far less than adequate points of interconnection (PoIs) needed for its users to complete a call to a rival network, while the operators have charged the new entrant of unleashing a "tsunami" of free traffic on their networks.
Interconnection enables mobile users to make calls to customers of other telecom networks and is, therefore, crucial for smooth functioning of mobile service.
Jio argues that benefits of superior voice technology is being denied to its customers due to the network congestion and has blamed the "anti-competitive behaviour of incumbent operators" for the "poor experience" on its services.
Following Reliance Jio's complaint of call failures, Trai earlier this week said it will issue showcause notices to operators for call drops that are far exceeding the norm.
Japan, India to sign nuclear cooperation deal in November
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Japan and India are likely to sign a civil nuclear cooperation pact during a visit to Japan by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in mid-November, the Mainichi newspaper reported on Saturday.
The governments of Asia's second- and third-largest economies are leaning toward holding a summit meeting between Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, the report said, citing unidentified diplomatic sources from both nations.
The two leaders last December reached a basic agreement for cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, but they stopped short of signing the agreement, citing outstanding technical and legal differences.
Japan, the only country to have suffered a nuclear attack, has been demanding additional non-proliferation guarantees from India, which has a nuclear weapons programme, before exporting nuclear reactors.
India and Japan have been negotiating the nuclear energy deal since Japan's ally, the United States, opened the way for nuclear commerce with India, which has shunned the global Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The two countries have reached a basic agreement during the working level negotiations that Japan would halt cooperation immediately if India conducted a nuclear test, the report added.
A final deal with Japan would benefit U.S. firms. India has already given land for nuclear plants to GE-Hitachi - which is an alliance between the U.S. and Japanese firms - and to Toshiba's Westinghouse Electric Company.
Japan and India are likely to sign a civil nuclear cooperation pact during a visit to Japan by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in mid-November, the Mainichi newspaper reported on Saturday.
The governments of Asia's second- and third-largest economies are leaning toward holding a summit meeting between Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, the report said, citing unidentified diplomatic sources from both nations.
The two leaders last December reached a basic agreement for cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, but they stopped short of signing the agreement, citing outstanding technical and legal differences.
Japan, the only country to have suffered a nuclear attack, has been demanding additional non-proliferation guarantees from India, which has a nuclear weapons programme, before exporting nuclear reactors.
India and Japan have been negotiating the nuclear energy deal since Japan's ally, the United States, opened the way for nuclear commerce with India, which has shunned the global Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The two countries have reached a basic agreement during the working level negotiations that Japan would halt cooperation immediately if India conducted a nuclear test, the report added.
A final deal with Japan would benefit U.S. firms. India has already given land for nuclear plants to GE-Hitachi - which is an alliance between the U.S. and Japanese firms - and to Toshiba's Westinghouse Electric Company.
General Awareness
Guinness Record Set For World’s Largest LEGO Sculpture
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A new Guinness World Record for the largest Lego sculpture has been set in the UK, where a 13-metre high replica of the London’s iconic Tower Bridge was created using an astounding 5,805,846 individual pieces. This huge 13-metre high LEGO version of London’s Tower Bridge created for Land Rover to launch their New Discovery car has set a new world record.
About Lego :
Lego is a line of plastic construction toys that are manufactured by The Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark.
- The company’s flagship product, Lego, consists of colourfulinterlocking plastic bricks accompanying an array of gears, figurines called minifigures, and various other parts.
- Lego pieces can be assembled and connected in many ways, to construct objects; vehicles, buildings, and working robots. Anything constructed can then be taken apart again, and the pieces used to make other objects.
- The Lego Group began manufacturing the interlocking toy bricks in 1949. Since then a global Lego subculture has developed. Supporting movies, games, competitions, and six Lego land amusement parks have been developed under the brand. As of July 2015, 600 billion Lego parts had been produced.
- In February 2015, Lego replaced Ferrari as Brand Finance’s “world’s most powerful brand”.
- The Lego Group began in the workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen , a carpenter from Billund, Denmark, who began making wooden toys in 1932.
- In 1934, his company came to be called “Lego”, derived from the Danish phrase leg godt, which means “play well”. In 1947, Lego expanded to begin producing plastic toys. In 1949 Lego began producing, among other new products, an early version of the now familiar interlocking bricks, calling them “Automatic Binding Bricks”.
- These bricks were based in part on theKiddicraftSelf-Locking Bricks, which were patented in the United Kingdom in 1939[8] and released in 1947. Lego modified the design of the Kiddicraft brick after examining a sample that they received from the supplier of an injection-molding machine that Lego purchased. The bricks, originally manufactured from cellulose acetate, were a development of the traditional stackable wooden blocks of the time.
- Lego pieces of all varieties constitute a universal system. Despite variation in the design and the purposes of individual pieces over the years, each piece remains compatible in some way with existing pieces.
- Lego bricks from 1958 still interlock with those made in the current time, and Lego sets for young children are compatible with those made for teenagers. Six pieces of 2×4 bricks can be combined in 915,103,765 ways.
About the World record,
The bricks used in the construction would stretch for almost 200 miles – the equivalent distance from Tower Bridge in London to Paris.
- The team led by Duncan Titmarsh, a LEGO Certified Professional, it took five months to construct the Tower Bridge structure.
- The new record beats the previous title holder – a replica of a Star Wars X-wing fighter, built from 5,335,200 bricks in 2013 to promote the Star Wars: Clone Wars cartoon.
A new Guinness World Record for the largest Lego sculpture has been set in the UK, where a 13-metre high replica of the London’s iconic Tower Bridge was created using an astounding 5,805,846 individual pieces. This huge 13-metre high LEGO version of London’s Tower Bridge created for Land Rover to launch their New Discovery car has set a new world record.
About Lego :
Lego is a line of plastic construction toys that are manufactured by The Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark.
- The company’s flagship product, Lego, consists of colourfulinterlocking plastic bricks accompanying an array of gears, figurines called minifigures, and various other parts.
- Lego pieces can be assembled and connected in many ways, to construct objects; vehicles, buildings, and working robots. Anything constructed can then be taken apart again, and the pieces used to make other objects.
- The Lego Group began manufacturing the interlocking toy bricks in 1949. Since then a global Lego subculture has developed. Supporting movies, games, competitions, and six Lego land amusement parks have been developed under the brand. As of July 2015, 600 billion Lego parts had been produced.
- In February 2015, Lego replaced Ferrari as Brand Finance’s “world’s most powerful brand”.
- The Lego Group began in the workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen , a carpenter from Billund, Denmark, who began making wooden toys in 1932.
- In 1934, his company came to be called “Lego”, derived from the Danish phrase leg godt, which means “play well”. In 1947, Lego expanded to begin producing plastic toys. In 1949 Lego began producing, among other new products, an early version of the now familiar interlocking bricks, calling them “Automatic Binding Bricks”.
- These bricks were based in part on theKiddicraftSelf-Locking Bricks, which were patented in the United Kingdom in 1939[8] and released in 1947. Lego modified the design of the Kiddicraft brick after examining a sample that they received from the supplier of an injection-molding machine that Lego purchased. The bricks, originally manufactured from cellulose acetate, were a development of the traditional stackable wooden blocks of the time.
- Lego pieces of all varieties constitute a universal system. Despite variation in the design and the purposes of individual pieces over the years, each piece remains compatible in some way with existing pieces.
- Lego bricks from 1958 still interlock with those made in the current time, and Lego sets for young children are compatible with those made for teenagers. Six pieces of 2×4 bricks can be combined in 915,103,765 ways.
About the World record,
The bricks used in the construction would stretch for almost 200 miles – the equivalent distance from Tower Bridge in London to Paris.
- The team led by Duncan Titmarsh, a LEGO Certified Professional, it took five months to construct the Tower Bridge structure.
- The new record beats the previous title holder – a replica of a Star Wars X-wing fighter, built from 5,335,200 bricks in 2013 to promote the Star Wars: Clone Wars cartoon.
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