Sunday Special-The Mystery of Soul

All living beings in this world have a soul. It is the self aware essence which generates life positive feelings. The essence of soul is a reflection of your own identity. A human may die but his soul is immortal and will continue living. The journey of the soul is endless. A body may wear and tear or get tired, but the soul continues its journey through al difficulties to reveal the reality of love, power, wisdom and peace.

The consciousness of the soulTo be conscious of thy soul- that is the essence of life. This birth is useless unless you realize your true sense. That is only in the soul. Our body experiences several incidents in life. This in return helps us to analyze our true self and distinguish our goal and objectives. Every human has two parts: the eternal or the soul and the ego. The latter is an embodiment of our habits, moods, natures, and concepts in life. Whereas the former is the real self. We must take steps in realizing our true self as early as possible.

Meditation, Self helpAwakening of the soul helps in finding who we really are and where do we have to go. It might be difficult but patience through meditation help in surpassing all the hindrance of self realization. A body completely in charge of ego is always restless, hungry, moody, vindictive, jealous, and unhappy but leaves it in charge of soul then it experience freedom from all negativities and plunges in a pool of satisfaction and is creative, clear, sensible and complete.

The Odyssey, A challengeThe journey of the enlightenment of the soul is a very tedious tack since the destructive habits always seem to lure you back to where you started. Even pent up emotions and personal attachments can cause a huge hindrance in our path. But as we slowly progress towards our path, we feel closer to God.
The soul is like a mother's lap which is abiding with calm, clarity, safety and security. Living today. life is like a warrior fighting in amidst terror, blood shed and hatred. Whereas soul is like comfort and security one would get in his mother's lap. A person who has realized his soul is the most blessed man on earth who is unaffected by the humdrums of daily life.

ConclusionGod has sent us here on a mission. It is not for you to decide what should you do. We do not have the right to judge or criticize others but we should sit still and watch whatever goes on inside and outside us. We work, play, read, dance and talk to people yet once when we finish the task we must return to our actual self. We must therefore realize that we should be alert of each and every action and opinions and to completely delete any negative thing which resides in our mind.

PM’s Speech in the Conference on Economic Growth in Asia

PM’s Speech in the Conference on Economic Growth in Asia and Changes of Corporate Environment

Following is the text of the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh’s address at the Conference on Economic Growth in Asia and Changes of Corporate Environment in Delhi today. “It is indeed a privilege to address this distinguished gathering of legal experts and scholars from fourteen countries of Asia that all share common aspirations for improving the lives of their citizens. I extend a very warm welcome to guests from other countries. I hope you have a rewarding visit and use this opportunity not just for the conference but also to see a little bit of our country, which is a country of great diversity. The 21st century is rightly spoken of as the Asian century. Economic growth in Asia in the last decade has positioned the region as the growth engine of the world. At a time when industrialised countries’ growth has greatly slowed down, GDP of Asian countries is estimated to grow by 6.9 percent in 2012 and 7.3 percent in 2013. The Asian region is thus expected to play a very crucial role in driving and stabilizing global recovery process. This is part of a longer term recovery of the position Asia had two hundred and fifty years ago. If everything goes right, Asia’s share in the world economy could be greater than half by the year 2050, as against the present level of about 27 percent. The dramatic modernization of the Asian economies is acknowledged as one of the most important developments in the economic history of the world. Asia’s corporate sector deserves a great deal of the credit for this massive transformation of Asia. It faces many challenges in the years ahead. We need modern, efficient and innovative companies, capable of competing with the best in the world and living up to the highest standards of corporate governance. As Asian governments, we in the government have the responsibility to ensure that corporate laws match up to international standards, that the regulation of our stock exchanges comes up to the expectations of global investors and that our banking and financial sectors are exemplars of both efficiency and stability. We must build a climate that attracts investment and encourages and rewards innovation, and establish fair and effective regulatory institutions and also legal processes. Above all, we have the responsibility to ensure probity, transparency and accountability in processes of governance. Asian countries are not all the same. There is a wide range of diversity among our countries in culture, history, geography, legal systems and institutions. But we do share a common humanity and destiny and I do believe we can learn greatly from each other even as we do things differently in many ways. I believe that we have much to learn from each other in terms of the institutions and methods that we have developed to address the formidable social and economic concerns of our respective societies and of our people. The last century which has left behind a bitter legacy of the consequences of strife and conflict has also taught us about the immense benefits that could be gained from peace and from cooperation between countries. India was fortunate to have the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi who gave us the concept of Satyagraha to overcome formidable political opponents in pursuit of our Independence. His prescription of a just society based on commitment to truth and his concept of trusteeship of the nation’s wealth have guided us as India’s democracy, economy and society have evolved over the years. Morality as an intrinsic part of enterprise has been the basis of our development efforts and also our relations with the rest of the world. Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister was the architect of modern India who spoke of the factories and dams as the new temples of secular India. He had a clear vision of the need to transform a rural and agricultural economy to a rapidly expanding modern economy, with an impressive manufacturing base. Since then we have seen new areas of transformation in modern services and a growing urban profile of our country. As efforts are made the world over to redesign and reengineer business corporations to make them compatible with the aspirations of modern democratic societies, India can benefit from looking to its own traditions in several important respects. As I have said earlier, the concept of trusteeship of resources and wealth for the common citizen was articulated by Mahatma Gandhi based on traditional Indian thought. Similarly, the Indian philosophy of life which views man as a part of nature and one of the many living creatures, puts us in the mainstream of current thinking about concerns of environment and ecology. Corporate governance including responsible conduct towards all the stakeholders, within the corporation as well as outside is also seen as good economics besides desired moral behaviour. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is therefore increasingly being seen as a fundamental dimension of the Social Contract between human beings and therefore sought to be subject to public disclosure and scrutiny. The contours and foot print of CSR are widely debated but there is today a growing consensus that it is intrinsically linked with the concept of sustainable development. A seamless structure is thus emerging that combines elements such as best practices in business, sustainable and equitable development strategies, as also redistribution of incomes and proper regulation of markets. The evolving economic space has to be addressed by all organs of the government: the executive, legislature and the judiciary. Separation of powers has been the classical guarantee of constitutional government and the rule of law. The balance between the three organs may appear to get unsettled at times but ultimately it has stood the test of time. Whilst Parliament has endeavoured to give expression to the aspirations of the people, the higher judiciary in India has made the most remarkable innovations in the field of public law using instruments like Judicial Review of Administrative action and Public Interest or Social Action Litigation to both enforce constitutional mandates as well as to amplify the Constitution’s philosophy in a meaningful manner. But as the judges have themselves stated, in contemporary times conventional common law wisdom and the doctrine of stare decisis need to be fortified with knowledge of modern challenges and the response of applied sciences, including economics, as the Honourable Chief Justice of India just mentioned. The ability for economic analysis of law is now as much of an imperative as familiarity with Information Technology and the world of computers. Certain schools of jurisprudence have for long been rooted in economic analysis and have seen the pattern of rights and duties primarily in those terms. There are other schools of thought as well including some rooted in ancient Indian traditions. But as recent judgements have shown the adjudication of rights and claims between parties including between State actors and non-State parties has wide implications for the economy and can no longer be viewed in isolation. Judicial decisions may at times have transnational impact since the global financial and trade systems are also becoming closely integrated. Therefore, Judges of the 21st century therefore have to be social scientists, economists, political thinkers and philosophers. We in India can justifiably feel proud that we are blessed with some of the finest judicial minds of the world, including some who are present here today, including some who are present here today in this distinguished gathering. In response to transformational changes of this century, we are examining many of our commercial and corporate laws to make them relevant to the challenges that lie ahead, particularly for ensuring distributive equities and empowerment of the marginalised sections of our society. Increasing use of this word ‘inclusive’ is indication of this new emphasis on equity in economic and social processes. New laws in areas such as regulation of securities market, competition and limited liability partnerships have been put in place. We will soon bring before Parliament the new Companies Bill that has been in the making for quite some time now. Examples of progressive legislation in the past and proposed for the future abound. It has been an enchanting journey for our country from controls to regulation, from the time when business was to be kept at a distance to the present when government seeks a complementary and partnership role with the private sector to expand our economic base and to empower the disadvantaged groups through inclusive, faster and sustainable development. There has been a learning curve in all this but at the end of the day a silent revolution has given us the ability to allow the private sector to explore its potential to the maximum and at the same time to empower the disadvantaged sections of our society to seek a place in the sun. The collaborative efforts of the Indian Law Institute and Korea Legislation Research Institute to build the Asia Legal Information Network is indeed a welcome development in the field of legal research that would vastly benefit the Asian legal community, judges and scholars. Your deliberations and sharing of experience with each other at the conference will enrich our understanding of the challenges of contemporary times and strengthen our efforts to formulate ideas and strategies for the future. It will also bring us all closer together in bonds of friendship and shared aspirations. I pray that you return from New Delhi with fond memories of a friendly city and its history and with greater determination to work for peace and prosperity in all countries of Asia.”

Housing Shortage in India

The earlier concern regarding a mis-match between the people from whom the houses are being built and those who need them is clearly underlined in the following distribution of the estimated shortage across different economic categories. It exhibits that the maximum shortage exists for the EWS/LIG Section of society whose need is unable to get translated into demand due to issues of affordability.

Economic Category %	Distribution of 2012  Housing shortage  among Economic categories (in Millions)
56.2 (EWS)	10.55
39.5 (LIG)	7.41
4.3 (MIG +)	0.82
TOTAL	18.78

It is Chidambaram, with his unique powers of persuasion, who is now going to act as the channel of communication between 10 Janpath and the PMO-Aditi Phadnis / New Delhi Sep 22, 2012

Ms Banerjee delivered on her threat to withdraw support to the UPA. She deserves applause, if only for being one of the few politicians to stick to her stand even at the cost of surrendering her share of power in Delhi.

Prime Minister's Address to the Nation

Prime Minister's Address to the Nation

Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh addressed the nation today. Following is the text of the Prime Minister’s address: “My dear brothers and sisters, I am speaking to you tonight to explain the reasons for some important economic policy decisions the government has recently taken. Some political parties have opposed them. You have a right to know the truth about why we have taken these decisions. No government likes to impose burdens on the common man. Our Government has been voted to office twice to protect the interests of the aam admi. At the same time, it is the responsibility of the government to defend the national interest, and protect the long term future of our people.  This means that we must ensure that the economy grows rapidly, and that this generates enough productive jobs for the youth of our country.  Rapid  growth is also necessary to raise the revenues we need to finance our programmes in education, health care, housing and rural employment. The challenge is that we have to do this at a time when  the world economy is experiencing great difficulty.  The United States and Europe are struggling to deal with an economic slowdown and financial crisis. Even China is slowing down. We too have been affected, though I believe we have been able to limit the effect of the global crisis. We are at a point where we can reverse the slowdown in our growth.  We need a revival in investor confidence domestically and globally.  The decisions we have taken recently are necessary for this purpose. Let me begin with the rise in diesel prices and the cap on LPG cylinders.  We import almost 80% of our oil, and oil prices in the world market have increased sharply in the past four years. We did not pass on most of this price rise to you, so that we could protect you from hardship to the maximum extent possible. As a result, the subsidy on petroleum products has grown enormously.  It was Rs. 1 lakh 40 thousand crores last year.  If we had not acted, it would have been over Rs. 200,000 crores this year. Where would the money for this have come from? Money does not grow on trees. If we had not acted, it would have meant a higher fiscal deficit, that is, an unsustainable increase in government expenditure vis-a-vis government income. If unchecked, this would  lead to a further steep rise in prices and a loss of confidence in our economy.  The prices of essential commodities would rise faster.  Both domestic as well as foreign investors would be reluctant to invest in our economy. Interest rates would rise.  Our companies would not be able to borrow abroad.  Unemployment would increase.  The last time we faced this problem was in 1991.  Nobody was willing to lend us even small amounts of money then.  We came out of that crisis by taking strong, resolute steps. You can see the positive results of those steps. We are not in that situation today, but we must act before people lose confidence in our economy.  I know what happened in 1991 and I would be failing in my duty as Prime Minister of this great country if I did not take strong preventive action. The world is not kind to those who do not tackle their own problems.  Many European countries are in this position today.  They cannot pay their bills and are looking to others for help.  They are having to cut wages or pensions to satisfy potential lenders. I am determined to see that India will not be pushed into that situation.  But I can succeed only if I can persuade you to understand why we had to act.   We raised the price of diesel by just Rs. 5 per litre instead of the Rs 17 that was needed to cut all losses on diesel. Much of diesel is used by big cars and SUVs owned by the rich and by factories and businesses.  Should government run large fiscal deficits to subsidise them? We reduced taxes on petrol by Rs. 5 per litre to prevent a rise in petrol prices. We did this so that the crores of middle class people who drive scooters and motorcycles are not hit further.  On LPG, we put a cap of 6 subsidised cylinders per year. Almost half of our people, who need our help the most, actually use only 6 cylinders or less. We have ensured they are not affected. Others will still get 6 subsidised cylinders, but they must pay a higher price for more. We did not touch the price of kerosene which is consumed by the poor. My Dear Brothers and Sisters, You should know that even after the price increase, the prices of diesel and LPG in Indiaare lower than those in Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The total subsidy on petroleum products will still be Rs. 160 thousand  crores. This is more than what we spend on Health and Education together. We held back from raising prices further because I hoped that oil prices would decline. Let me now turn to the decision to allow foreign investment in retail trade.  Some think it will hurt small traders. This is not true. Organised, modern retailing is already present in our country and is growing. All our major cities have large retail chains. Our national capital, Delhi, has many new shopping centres. But it has also seen a three-fold increase in small shops in recent years. In a growing economy, there is enough space for big and small to grow.  The fear that small retailers will be wiped out is completely baseless.  We should also remember that the opening of organised retail to foreign investment will benefit our farmers. According to the regulations we have introduced, those who bring FDI have to invest 50% of their money in building new warehouses, cold-storages, and modern transport systems.   This will help to ensure that a third of our fruits and vegetables, which at present are wasted because of storage and transit losses, actually reach the consumer. Wastage will go down; prices paid to farmers will go up; and prices paid by consumers will go down. The growth of organised retail trade will also create millions of good quality new jobs. We recognise that some political parties are opposed to this step.  That is why State governments have been allowed to decide whether foreign investment in retail can come into their state. But one state should not stop another state from seeking a better life for its farmers, for its youth and for its consumers. In 1991, when we opened India to foreign investment in manufacturing, many were worried. But today, Indian companies are competing effectively both at home and abroad, and they are investing around the world. More importantly, foreign companies are creating jobs for our youth -- in Information Technology, in steel, and in the auto industry. I am sure this will happen in retail trade as well. My Dear Brothers and Sisters, The UPA Government is the government of the aam aadmi. In the past 8 years our economy has grown at a record annual rate of 8.2 per cent.  We have ensured that poverty has declined much faster, agriculture has grown faster, and rural consumption per person has also grown faster.  We need to do more, and we will do more. But to achieve inclusiveness we need more growth. And we must avoid high fiscal deficits which cause a loss of confidence in our economy.   I promise you that I will do what everything necessary to put our country back on the path of high and inclusive growth.  But I need your support.  Please do not be misled by those who want to confuse you by spreading fear and false information. The same tactics were adopted in 1991. They did not succeed then. They will not succeed now. I have full faith in the wisdom of the people of India. We have much to do to protect the interests of our nation, and we must do it now.  At times, we need to say "No" to the easy option and say "Yes" to the more difficult one. This happens to be one such occasion. The time has come for hard decisions. For this I need your trust, your understanding, and your cooperation. As Prime Minister of this great country, I ask each one of you to strengthen my hands so that we can take our country forward and build a better and more prosperous future for ourselves and for the generations to come. Jai Hind.”

UPA-2 Government is comfortably placed

UPA-2 Government is comfortably placed

Composition of the UPA and its outside supporting parties
Party Seats

Composition of the UPA 247

Indian National Congress 205
Dravidra Munnetra Kazhagam 18
Nationalist Congress Party 9
Rashtriya Lok Dal 5
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference 3
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha 2
Indian Union Muslim League 2
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen 1
Kerala Congress (Mani)  1
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi 1

Outside support 56

Samajwadi Party 22
Bahujan Samaj Party 21
Rashtriya Janata Dal 4
Janata Dal (Secular) 3
Nagaland People's Front 1
Bodoland People's Front 1
Swabhimani Paksha 1
Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi 1
All India United Democratic Front 1
Sikkim Democratic Front 1

Total support (without Trinamool Congress) 303

Halfway mark 273

Source: Kotak

Bharat Bandh by a United Opposition

new scholarships initiatited by the government as announced by the Sikkim Chief Minister

Gangtok 20^th September: A press conference was held at the Conference Hall of HRDD today wherein the Secretary HRDD briefed the media about the various new scholarships initiatited by the government as announced by the Chief Minister in his review meeting with the HRDD officials and teaching fraternity recently held.

He informed that the government had announced a cash award of Rs. 1, 00,000(Rupees One Lakh) to the students who secure first position, 75,000 (seventy five thousand) for second position and Rs. 50,000 (fifty thousand) in class twelve to the students of all the four streams viz. Science , Commerce, Humanities and vocational streams in the CBSE affiliated Government Schools of the state. Similarly, such cash award in same ratio will also be given to the students of class ten. He also informed the media about the scheme initiated for the local graduates of coaching facilities  for preparation to Union Public Commission and Staff Service Selection Commission Examination. He further informed that the application forms for the said courses can be downloaded from the official website www.sikkimhrdd.org and the last date for submission of application is 29^th October, 2012.

 The Secretary also informed about the government scholarship to the student for PhD Courses who would like to and enroll themselves for research courses in Sikkim related subjects like Education, Health, Food, Habit, Social Science, Culture, Religion, Economics, Politics, Trade, Tourism, Environment, Ecology, Wildlife, Flora/Fauna, Foreign Relations etc. The candidates shall be paid a fellowship grant at the rate of Rs. 6,000/ (Six thousand) only per month plus a contingency grant of Rs. 15000/ (fifteen thousand) per annum for a maximum period of three years or the completion of research study whichever is earlier, the secretary mentioned. Mr. Rao also informed that the department has cleared all pending bills regarding scholarship and is working out to release the pending amount shortly.  He said that the objective of these facilities of the government is to provide opportunities to the students to bring the spirit of knowledge which would be helpful for making their carrier.

Source: Wealthx.com

His Eminence Ven. Lachen Gomchen Rinpoche passed away

 

Rongpo 19th Sept: The mortal remains of His Eminence Ven. Lachen Gomchen Rinpoche was received at Bagdogra today by Hon’ble Minister, Mr. D.N. Thakarpa, Hon’ble Sangha MLA, Mr. Pheetok Tshering Bhutia and Mr.T.T. Dorjee, Ex-Chief Secretary and Chairman of the State Power Regulatory Authority along with Mr.Tenzing Gelek, Secretary, Ecclesiastical Affairs Department, Government of Sikkim. The late Ven. Lachen Gomchen Rinpoche was born in Yangang, South Sikkim and is known to be one of the few Sikkimese Rinpoches.  His demise has been deeply condoled by Shri Pawan Chamling, Chief Minister of Sikkim who remembers  him as a friend and colleague hailing from same village of Yangang .  It is well known  that Shri Chamling had the highest regard for late Rinpoche, who was renowned for his knowledge in Buddhism.  The Chief Minister has expressed his deep respect for the  departed soul as one of the most knowledgeable Buddhist practitioner of Sikkim .  Shri Chamling has reiterated that the passing away of the holy Rinpoche will leave a deep void not only amongst the Buddhist but also amongst  all the Sikkimese society.

            It is reported that the body lay at rest at Gangtok for the benefit of the devotees before being taken to  Lachen.

SINGAPORE: towards Seamless city

By 2015, Singapore will have over 300 km of cycling paths no destination would be more than 60 minutes from home

Singapore is trying to evolve into a city where no destination would be more than 60 minutes from home even during peak hours

by Barun Roy / Sep 20, 2012, 00:36 IST

Source Business Standard

When Singapore first set out, in the early 1970s, to reshape its urban future, its desire was to become a Garden City. And having eminently achieved that goal – through sustained efforts to create lush, landscaped spaces, parks, nature reserves and well-groomed roadside greeneries, covering any surface that appeared harsh or uninviting – it now has a new ambition: becoming a Global City.
The ingredients are all there: a clean and healthy living environment; advanced and highly efficient services; an increasingly cosmopolitan population; a large presence of international service firms and conglomerates; an expanding nodal role in the global economic system; superior communications and connectivity; and, of course, highly developed infrastructure. But the authorities aren’t happy. Since the reputation of a city is directly proportionate to the degree of mobility it allows its citizens, they want to raise Singapore to a level where moving around town would be like taking a walk in the neighbourhood.
New York wouldn’t have been the great city it is – or London, Tokyo, or Paris, for that matter – if, say, its museums, restaurants, music halls or business locations weren’t reachable by its citizens with the least waste of time and no pressure on one’s patience. Business doesn’t thrive in a city that’s not trip-friendly, where venturing out is a tiresome hassle and people feel better off staying at home, like they do, for example, in that nightmare of a city, Kolkata.
Singapore is trying to evolve into a city where no destination would be more than 60 minutes from home even during morning peak hours, public transport would be like having an extra car at one’s disposal, walking would be a fun alternative and no one would undertake a journey feeling harassed or pressed for time. Since private travel by car has its limits, the aim is to develop a pervasive public system in the next 10 to 15 years to support economic growth, a bigger population, higher expectations and more diverse lifestyles. The logic is simple: the more people are on the move – for work, shopping, eating or pleasure – the better it is for an economy, especially one that’s heavily dependent on services.

By 2020, when travel demand is expected to swell from 8.9 million journeys a day now to 14.3 million a day, the authorities wish public transportation to capture 70 per cent of all peak-hour journeys, up from 63 per cent at present. This means public transport choices will have to be competitive with private cars, and waiting and transit times must be pruned to the minimum. This means, buses and rapid transit railways must form a well-knit, unified system and complement each other in a seamless manner, while no one should spend more than five minutes to walk from home to a bus or railway station.
While a new, largely underground, north-south expressway – with 16 entrances and 17 exits along its 21 km stretch – goes into advanced preparation next year, three more metro corridors are on the anvil. Together, they will add 68 new train stations by 2020 to the 89 already in operation, doubling the metro network to 278 km from 138 km now. One of these, the Downtown Line, Singapore’s fifth after the recently completed Circle Line, will open in phases between 2013 and 2017, connecting the north-western and central-eastern regions to Singapore’s new downtown, Marina Bay. By 2019, a sixth line, the Thomson MRT, will come into service, linking neighbourhoods in the north, while a seventh, the Eastern Region Line, is to follow a year later to link up Marina Bay with the Changi Point Ferry Terminal.
Thus, the density of Singapore’s mass rapid transit network will jump from 31 km per million residents today to 51 km per million in 2020, surpassing what Hong Kong and Tokyo have at present and comparable to New York and London. All the new lines will be fully driverless and subterranean.
Along with massive new railway development, more transport hubs will be put in place, all fully air-conditioned, where trains and buses will converge seamlessly. According to the transport master plan, all these interchanges will have retail, commercial and service facilities so people can transact business on the run. The whole idea is to make journeys more fruitful and not simply an enforced waste of time. That’s why the emphasis also is on expanding the network of underground walkways for people to move around downtown without having to cross barriers.
As an initial exercise, seven districts have been marked as cycling towns, where residential areas will have special cycling paths and bicycle parking lots. By 2015, Singapore will have over 300 km of cycling paths, providing citizens with another commuting alternative. That will be another important step towards offering its residents and visitors a vibrant, refreshing and inviting urban experience.

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Solar power on every rooftop

Mahesh P. Bhave

Debashis Chatterjee

source:The Hindubusinessline 

5

The aim should be personal power just as we have personal computers. — M.A. Sriram

A solar panel atop every house should be the model for providing electricity to all. The grid should merely serve as a back-up.

With will and vision, India’s energy prospects can be changed from grim to green, and the world will benefit as a result.

The failure of the country’s electricity grid on July 30 and 31 highlights its vulnerabilities and underscores a larger national need: about 400 million Indians are not connected to the grid at all, and those who are have unreliable access. At 571 kWh per capita, India’s electricity consumption is one-fifth of China’s (2,631 kWh) and less than one-twentieth of the US’ (12,914 kWh). India’s electricity demand will only grow.

Burning coal for electricity is increasingly expensive, causes global warming, and jeopardises the planet’s health. In any case, India has ash-rich coal, limited oil, unknown amounts of gas, poor mining productivity and inadequate transport. Power plants struggle to get reliable fuel supplies. Solar electricity today at Rs 7.50 a kWh is economical compared with subsidised diesel-generated power at roughly Rs 15 a unit, but more expensive than coal-based electricity at about Rs 6. What, however, is the true cost of coal-based power? Prices are distorted by subsidies, State boundaries, vote-bank politics, and uncharged carbon-emission costs. Average prices matter less than peak prices. When India sheds load to manage peaks, customers use expensive diesel power.

Universal access

How do we come out of this energy and infrastructure bind? Nothing short of a fundamental re-imagining, starting from first principles, of all energy solutions is essential to address India’s energy needs. Can India leapfrog into a clean-energy future rather than extend the conventional grid with fossil fuels at its core? In a nation blessed with abundant sunlight, to what extent should electricity be a networking service at all? Could India tap ambient solar energy for most of its needs?

India’s single-minded focus should be massive and rapid solar deployment, not only through utility-scale solar plants, but also through distributed generation, household-by-household, nationwide. Electricity in Indian homes should be rooftop-to-room and solar based with energy self-sufficiency as the goal; the grid can complement and serve as back-up where available. Much as TV antennas once sprouted on rooftops, so should solar panels.

Public policy should have a singular aim: universal electricity access.

By implication, policies aimed at encouraging domestic manufacturing, local content requirements, or favouring one technology over another should be put aside as tertiary.

The aim should be personal power just as we have personal computers. Slowly, we will get there. In the meanwhile, solar electricity is poised to become a friendly, industrial scale, cottage industry, like vegetable patches in home gardens. Photovoltaic technologies have matured sufficiently and present us with simple, affordable electricity alternatives to the traditional grid.

Enabling public policy can unfetter entrepreneurial energies and give birth to millions of small and large solar-related businesses, and thereby generate employment. Distributed solar generation can spawn innovations. Standardised 1-kW solar kits, for instance, can be mass produced and installed easily. The household deployments can extend to communities and neighbourhoods resulting in self-sufficient micro-grids.

Partnership with China

Community micro-grids for tens and hundreds of households in villages, towns and cities should be India’s preferred electricity infrastructure. Anchored with solar, the solutions may include combinations with bio-diesel, batteries, wind, biogas, micro-hydro, etc. At night or when the sun is behind clouds, alternative yet local sources can assure electricity. Once solar energy takes root, India will need less of the colossal and wasteful transmission, distribution and generation infrastructure except for industrial operations such as running factories and trains.

China has recognised the importance of solar energy and invested in numerous solar-panel factories. Taiwan is doing the same. Due to the manufacturing excess, prices have dropped by over 70 per cent in the past three years, and the fall continues. India presents a ready market for that production. The formula, ‘China produces, India deploys’, makes for a winning partnership.

Moral Imperative

Among competing national priorities, what can be more catalytic of overall welfare than universal electricity? It can extend working hours, reduce pollution and diseases, and help prevent food waste. Beyond lighting homes, solar solutions allow for the spread of the Internet and therefore education, e-governance kiosks and ATM machines.

Solar panels facilitate a parallel infrastructure for clean transport — charging batteries for electric bicycles, scooters and cars. Solar energy aids cooking, powers streetlights, operates irrigation pump sets and substitutes diesel burning for cellular towers. Stubborn problems such as efficient battery storage persist, but they can be dealt with as the market evolves.

The grid failure has crystallized the solar market. There has never been an India-sized market for solar electricity, with relentlessly rising demand, talented people, old infrastructure and plentiful sunlight. The scale can establish new low-price benchmarks and thereby aid the entire world. Unfavourable economics has been the primary barrier to the spread of solar energy until recently, but no longer.

Universal electrification is a human-rights, inter-generational-justice and human-capital-growth issue all in one. For how many decades should a third of India’s citizens use kerosene for light and cooking, children study by smoky, unhealthy flames, and income-earning opportunities fade with sunset?

(Mahesh Bhave is Visiting Professor, Strategy, and Debashis Chatterjee Director, IIM Kozhikode.) 

300 freight trains idling in yards for want of cargo

 

About 300 freight trains are parked in sheds because they have no cargo to carry. This is despite the over 20 per cent growth in freight earnings in the first five months of this fiscal. Usually, only 150 rakes are parked during the July-September quarter, the “lean season”.

Hit by slowdown, the growth rate of cargo volume has dipped or fallen sharply for items such as cement, pig iron and finished steel, and petroleum products. In August, cement loading saw a 12 per cent fall, while pig iron and finished steel movement dipped over 2 per cent. Fertiliser movement slid by over 3 per cent

HAPPY GANESH CHATURTHITI

source: Indian Express

Adequate sleep is important for person to lose weight

Adequate sleep is important for person to lose weight, and it should be added to the recommended mix of diet and exercise, a new study suggests. Although calorie restriction and increased physical activity are recommended for weight loss, there is significant evidence that inadequate sleep is contributing to obesity. Lack of sleep increases the stimulus to consume more food and increases appetite-regulating hormones.

“The solution [to weight loss] is not as simple as ‘eat less, move more, sleep more’,” Drs. Jean-Phillippe Chaput, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario and Angelo Tremblay, Laval University, Quebec, Quebec, wrote. “However, an accumulating body of evidence suggests that sleeping habits should not be overlooked when prescribing a weight-reduction program to a patient with obesity. Sleep should be included as part of the lifestyle package that traditionally has focused on diet and physical activity,” Chaput said.

The authors’ recently published research found that total sleep time and quality of sleep predicted the loss of fat in people enrolled in a weight loss programme.

The Canadian Obesity Network has included adequate sleep in its new set of obesity management tools for physicians.

The study is published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Reform announced is to misunderstand the idea of reform

A K Bhattacharya: Are these reforms? To describe the diesel price increase or disinvestment of government equity in PSUs as reform is to misunderstand the idea of reform A K Bhattacharya / New Delhi Sep 19, 2012, 00:32 IST source: Business Standard Reform, according to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, is a “change that is made to a social system, an organisation, etc. in order to improve or correct it”. Going by this definition, much of what the Manmohan Singh government announced last week cannot really be called reform. Yes, they are decisions by a government that had long ceased to take decisions, which in itself brings some relief. But are they reforms? Take, for instance, the decision to raise the price of diesel by Rs 5 a litre. Before the price was raised, the under-recovery – or the difference between the regulated price and what ought to have been the market price – had risen to an unsustainably high level of Rs 17 a litre. So, did the government decision reduce the oil marketing companies’ total under-recovery by 30 per cent? Not really. This is because along with the price increase, the government also raised excise duty on diesel from Rs 2 to Rs 3.50 a litre. The gain for the oil marketing companies was much less and the combination of duty rejig and price increase brought the government’s subsidy burden on account of diesel down marginally to Rs 1 lakh crore in the current year. What reform was there in such tinkering with diesel duty and prices? Note that the government continues to maintain its tight control over diesel prices. The oil marketing companies are not free to raise them and will have to depend on government dole to meet their losses. There is no indication so far from anyone in the government that it is even contemplating giving such pricing freedom to the oil marketing companies. Remember that the process for dismantling the administered pricing regime for the oil sector had begun in 2002, which had led to the oil marketing companies gaining freedom to fix prices for several petroleum products including petrol and diesel. That was reform (which, unfortunately, got rolled back). But not what happened last week. What about the decision allowing disinvestment of the government’s equity stake in nine public sector companies? The idea of disinvestment, when it was started in 1991-92, was to initiate the gradual process of the government divesting its control by dilution of its equity to below 51 per cent in a public sector company. With a few exceptions during the six-year-long regime of the National Democratic Alliance, when some public sector units were privatised through strategic sale of equity, all that has happened in the last 20 years is disinvestment. The Manmohan Singh government, too, has only sold its shares in a clutch of public sector companies without losing control. The only purpose the entire disinvestment exercise has served in the last eight years is to reduce the government’s fiscal deficit. Clearly, that is no reform. Allowing foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail or permitting foreign airlines to invest in the civil aviation sector could be seen as reform. But these are incremental changes in a policy reform on allowing foreign investment that was started more than 20 years ago. One could argue that what the government did last week was something that should have been done long ago in keeping with the overall spirit of the policy on foreign direct investment. And overcoming the opposition of political parties on allowing foreign capital in retail is more about political management and less about reform. It is only in respect of the decision to cap supply of subsidised cooking gas to customers at six cylinders a year that the government can claim to have introduced significant reforms. Not only has the government capped subsidies on cooking gas, but it has also given partial freedom to oil marketing companies to revise prices of cooking gas. This is reform, since it lays the foundation for cleaning up the messy subsidies system over a period of time. But to describe the diesel price increase or disinvestment of government equity in public sector companies as reform is to misunderstand the idea of reform. It would perhaps be naïve to expect reforms from the Manmohan Singh government, given the current political troubles it is faced with. The introduction of the goods and services tax is unlikely in the near future. If the government could get the states to sign on this major change in the indirect taxes regime, it would have been hailed as a major tax reform. Similarly, the introduction of the General Anti-Avoidance Rules for taxation would have been a significant reform, but that too has been postponed by about three years. The Manmohan Singh government may still come up with a fresh agenda for what would qualify as genuine economic reform. But so far the government seems to be busy taking only those decisions that have a limited objective — to shore up investors’ confidence in the economy and help the government limit the slippage in the fiscal deficit target of 5.1 per cent of gross domestic product. This is, of course, needed. If the business mood lifts as a result, investment might pick up and then the government may look at reforms. So, you may still have an opportunity to celebrate India’s new reforms initiative. But for that you may have to wait a little longer.

/www.SikkimRising.TV.

In an Industry First, A/V Series Specific Online Channel Launch: SikkimRising.TVPublished: September 18, 2012

 NEW DELHI, India, September 18, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ --Mediakraft announced on 18 September 2012 the launch of Online Channel SikkimRising.TV, made exclusively for the Travelogue Documentary Series "6.9 Sikkim Rising", in which the filmmaker travelled around the hill state of Sikkim, India in October 2011, only three weeks after a devastating earthquake to document the massive destruction that took place there. Though it's a travelogue, which documents the natural disaster that took place on 18 September 2011, it is actually a story of hope and inspiration to billions worldwide. It's a story about how the people of Sikkim, the small Himalayan state in India, is returning to its feet after being devastated by the 6.9 magnitude earthquake last year on that unfortunate day. The series was shot within 22 days of the earthquake hitting Sikkim and carries exclusive footage and stories from the remotest parts of the state, stories and areas that were not covered by the National and International Media.After the official launch of the site today the Travelogue Documentary Series will be made available worldwide on 28 September 2012 via VOD (Video On Demand) at http://www.SikkimRising.TV.

Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/09/18/4272219/in-an-industry-first-av-series.html#storylink=cpy

PANIC ’N REMEMBRANCE

SOURCE:SIKKIM nOW
Many more than expected people poured into MG Marg, Gangtok, on Tuesday evening as the appointed time arrived for the candlelight remembrance of the 2011 Earthquake drew close today. Apart from individuals and organisation who turned up for the vigil, also at the venue were residents scared out of their homes by the 4.1 temblor which coursed through the State at 5:56 pm, minutes before 6:10 p.m. when the 6.9 strong earthquake had hit Sikkim with devastating effect this day last year.

BANKS IN SIKKIM NOT RELEASING COINS TO PUBLIC

GANGTOK, 18 Sept: The secretary general of Sikkim Chamber of Commerce filed a written complaint with the Reserve Bank of India on 14 September against some banks allegedly refusing to issue coins over the counter to the public on demand.
A press release issued by the secretary general, SCC, Kailash Agarwal informs that the Central Bank of India and State Bank of India have been asked to serve an explanation regarding the same by the RBI. The banks have also been asked to provide the position of coin stock at the close of business on 13 September 2012.
As per circular no. DCM (CC) No. G-5/03.39.01/2010-11 dated July 01, 2010 of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) all banks having currency chest are duty bound to issue of coins over the counter to any member of public on demand, the release adds.

From a stone cutter in Puharu village to a sarpanch of Rajasthan’s Harmada gram panchayat, Narouti has waged an unrelenting battle for empowering the marginalised

Minor tremors felt in Sikkim, exactly a year after devastating quake

Edited by Abhinav Bhatt | Updated: September 18, 2012 19:22 IST

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Gangtok: Exactly a year after an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale stuck Sikkim causing widespread devastation and left nearly 80 dead, a moderate tremor measuring 4.1 was again felt in the state today for a few seconds. No casualties or damage to properties have been reported as yet.

Coincidentally, today's tremor was felt within 15 minutes of the time of last year's quake.

The tremor, which lasted for about three seconds, sent people running out of their homes on the roads. Most were reluctant to return fearing aftershocks. 

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Following the tremor, power supply was switched off by authorities for about 20 minutes before it was restored but telecom and internet links were disrupted.

Micro blogging website Twitter was buzzing with tweets about the tremor. "minor earthquake felt in sikkim....almost same time and the same day as last year...you can never predict these things...," tweeted one. 

"after one year sikkim again get the music of earthquake........for friction of second rite..." tweeted another.

Today's tremor came on a day when people across Sikkim performed 'puja' not only to remember those who perished in last year's quake but also praying against a repeat of the same disaster. The 6.8-magnitude tremor last year had killed close to 80 people and left about 350 injured in the state.

(With PTI inputs)