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NEW SSA FUNDING PATTERN HITS STATES,1 June 2007 Print E-mail

Spotlight

New Delhi, 1 June 2007

NEW SSA FUNDING PATTERN HITS STATES

NEW DELHI, June 2 (INFA): The new funding pattern which the Planning Commission has worked out for funding education under the Centre’s Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) is unlikely to serve the purpose for which the project was intended.

The new pattern of sharing the SSA expenditure on 50-50 basis, against the initial provision of 75-25 (75 per cent by the Centre and 25 per cent by the State) is unacceptable by most of the States in view of the acute funds crunch they are presently facing.

Some of the States have written to the Union Human Resources Minister, Arjun Singh, about their inability to adequately implement the SSA. Arjun Singh, on his part, has taken up the issue with the Planning Commission, reportedly the recommending continuation of the original 50-50 pattern.

The Rajasthan Government, for example, had approached the HRD Ministry for an annual SSA work plan of Rs.2,000 crore which was approved. But then the State said it could at best contribute Rs.800 crore to the kitty. In turn, the HRD Ministry said that the Centre could make a matching contribution of Rs.800 crore. In no time, the State plan was reduced to Rs.1,600 crore.

Though for Rajasthan Rs.1,600 crore is still more than last year’s Rs.1,253 crore, other States would not be so lucky for they do not have the financial wherewithal to withstand the new funding pattern. The States like Bihar, UP, West Bengal and MP are yet to come to the HRD Ministry to get their SSA work plans approved.

The worst sufferers of the new funding pattern are the north-eastern States. Having so far enjoyed a special status with the Centre footing 90% of the SSA bill, these States are now being told that they too will have to share 50% of the SSA cost.

This has resulted in a mini movement of sorts among seven sisters with the Mizoram Education Minister already sending letters to the HRD Ministry protesting against the move. But the Centre appears to be unmoved. It has been nearly three months since the HRD Ministry’s note for retaining the 75-25 funding pattern was sent for the Union Cabinet’s consideration. The note was the result of a communication between the Ministry and the Planning Commission, whereby the latter had said that in case the HRD has an objection to the 50:50 pattern, it can move a Cabinet note.

Officials at the helm of the SSA point out that the repercussions of the new funding pattern would be felt mostly by States like Bihar, west Bengal, UP, MP and Assam.

These States after being at the bottom on the heap for years, had taken tentative steps in the right direction in the past two years. They just do not have the financial resources to make large allocations for SSA.  ---INFA

 

HARYANA TO GENERATE POWER FROM BIOMASS AND WIND, 29 May 2007 Print E-mail

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New Delhi, 29 May 2007                

HARYANA TO GENERATE POWER FROM BIOMASS AND WIND

NEW DELHI, May 30 (INFA): The Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (HAREDA) has signed a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with seven Independent Power Producers (IPPS) to generate 686 MW of power form biomass and wind power.

As per the MoUs, 21 biomass power projects generating a total of 246 MW and four wind power projects producing 440 MW at a total cost of Rs.3300 crore would be set up.

The power generated by these projects would be purchased by the power utilities on the tariff decided by the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission as per provisions in the Electricity Act, 2003. The projects are expected to start generation in 20-26 months.

Renewable energy couple with efficient energy use can deliver half of India’s primary energy needs by 2050, according to a report jointly produced by the European Energy Council: “A Sustainable Energy Out for India”.

The report provides a blueprint for reducing India’s carbon dioxide emissions by four per cent by 2050. It says that the targets can be reached without relying on hazardous nuclear technologies and, at the same time, maintaining study economic development.

The report has already been presented to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.  The Government has been advised to enact a Renewable Energy law by 2010. Pertinently, a model law has already been drafted by the World Council.

India with its multitude of villages still lags behind in rural electrification. Lately, many initiatives like the Remote Village Electrification Programme have been launched to accelerate the process of electrification.

Another noteworthy feature is the contribution of many non-governmental tribal villages, Bairakh in Chhattisgarh became the world’s first village to get power supply through biofuels. The ambitious Rs.40 lakh project was sprearheaded by Winrock International India, a non-governmental organization which successfully completed the project within two years.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) had sanctioned Rs.22 lakh for the project and the rest of the funds were borne by Winrock.

After surveying and drawing out a detailed plan, Winrock supplied about 60,000 saplings of Jatropha to the villagers in 2004. These saplings which have now started yielding oil-bearing seeds are processed in the biofuel plant in the village.----INFA

 

RAJASTHAN WINDS TO BLOW OVER DELHI,28 May 2007 Print E-mail

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New Delhi, 28 May 2007

RAJASTHAN WINDS TO BLOW OVER DELHI

NEW DELHI, May 29 (INFA): With the Union Capital facing a severe power crunch, the Government of Delhi is seriously looking at Rajasthan, a State that is currently using considerable amount of wind power, for meetings its energy needs.

Senior officials in the Power Department of Delhi said that the Government is considering setting up wind turbines in Rajasthan to generate an additional 200 MW to add to Delhi’s current 3000 MW supply. 

Delhi’s own generation of power is limited to approximately 1200 MW, despite the rapidly growing demand.

The Delhi Government is currently working out the possibility of how wind energy can be transmitted to the Capital. It is also looking at a number of private companies to the job. Suzlon Energy Limited has already made its presentation to the Chief Minister.

There are around eight companies across the country which generate wind energy in Rajasthan and other States.  Once implemented, Delhi will be the first State to use wind power for general consumptions i.e. use by industries, households, commercial units and offices.

Wind power conjures up images of large turbines set up on huge tracts of land. However, scientists from the University of Texas Arlington have come with designs that could make small-scale windmills feasible. To convert wind energy into electric energy, they use a piezoelectric structure which requires a very small magnitude of deflection to generate high voltages.

The structure consists of bimorphs (thin plastic sheets) aligned in a row, which is made to vibrate via a lever and crankshaft attached to the wind vanes. Since the structure is made entirely of plastic, it is cost-effective.

The scientists’ most promising design involves three five inches fans mounted on a single shaft through an adjustable gear ratio.  At an average wind speed of 10 mph, the windmill can generate 5 MW of continuous power at the rate of 12 volts.

This can power sensors, switches, alarms, and wirelessly transmitted data.

Further, the generated power can be stored in a super-capacitor for delayed use, and it works at wind speeds as low as 5.4 mph.

According to the scientists, small-scale windmills can supply energy for powering weather stations, lighting inside tunnels, etc. ---INFA

 

FARMERS’ PLIGHT IN BUNDELKHAND VILLAGES,26 May 2007 Print E-mail

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New Delhi, 26 May 2007

FARMERS’ PLIGHT IN BUNDELKHAND VILLAGES

NEW DELHI, May 27 (INFA): Several villages in the Bundelkhand region of U.P. are presently facing acute shortage of water for irrigation. The farmers of the region apprehend the emergence of Vidarbha like situation, where a large number of farmers have committed suicides.

Scanty rainfall and water scarcity have rendered Lalitpur, Mahoba and villages around Banda and Bundelkhand virtually barren. Add to this the debt situation, and the cauldron boils.

Four farmers have already committed suicides in villages adjoining Pandui. The financial state of several others is critically bad.

Debt has forced several farmers to switch to daily-wage jobs. Tanti, a 55-year old tiller in Mahoba, has 30 units of land and a loan of Rs.40,000. “I have 12 months to feed and cannot afford to sell my land,” he said.

Impoverished farmers borrowed from banks through kisan credit cards. But with no help forthcoming, many of them committed suicide,” Harisharan Singh, a junior high school teacher in Semra village of Banda said.

The administration is yet to respond to the crisis.  Sanyukta Samaddar, district magistrate, Banda, said, “farmers suffer because of poor crop yield.”

Migration rate is high. Hundreds of farmers have moved to cities in search of work. They have taken loans and cannot repay them. But the administration cannot do much. It has written off their land revenue dues for 2006-07.

Commenting on the high suicide among farmers, Ms Samadhar said, “The suicides are not starvation related. There are other reasons. We are investigation”. ---INFA

CANCER PREDICTION AT CHILDBIRTH

HYDERABAD, May 27 (INFA): Andhra University scientists are working on a project which will enable prediction of cancer onset at childbirth itself.

The research taken up under the Human Genome Diversity Project and conducted in collaboration with the US scientists, involves isolating genetic factors that trigger cancer in humans.

Identifying the markers would enable a person to take preventive steps early.

Meanwhile, new smear positive (NSP) case detection rate in Andhra Pradesh for detection of TB has increased to 74.4 per cent, while the NSP cure has gone up to 84.9 per cent during 2006.

These are some of the highlights of the status of TB cases in the State, released by the Health Department on the recent World TB Day observed in the capital.---INFA

 

 

 

NEW TECHNOLOGY REDUCES BIODIESEL COST,22 May 2007 Print E-mail

 

Spotlight

New Delhi, 22 May 2007

NEW TECHNOLOGY REDUCES BIODIESEL COST

NEW DELHI, May 23 (INFA): Biodiesel, the green transportation fuel, could soon become cheaper with the adoption of a new technique developed by scientists at the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune.

The technique which uses solid fuel catalysts called double metal components, instead of the hydroxide-based catalysts used so far, was patented by the NCL one and half years ago, and licensed to ‘New Century Lubricants’, a US-based biofuels company in November 2006.

The NCL has successfully tested the process using 13 edible and non-edible oils.

The current cost of producing biodiesel is about Rs.27 per litre, and the retail price works out to Rs.40 per litre. The new method cuts the cost by shortening the process of converting unrefined oils such as jatropha, rubber seed, etc. into biodiesel.

The catalyst ensured continuous production of biodiesel and, moreover, can be used with both edible and non-edible oils.

Another benefit of using the catalyst is that glycerol which is obtained as a by-product is easier to dispose off in a solid medium rather than in a liquid state.

A pilot plant, using the technique and having a capacity of one tonne biodiesel per day, is expected to start production in India by 2008. ‘New Century’ is presently involved in talks with prominent petroleum firms in India, who have expressed keen interest in running the plant. ---INFA

A.P.’s  DELIMITATION BLUES

HYDERABAD, MAY 23 (INFA): Although the next general elections to the Lok Sabha and the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly are still two years away, the delimitation blues seem to be chasing at least 15 MPs and 108 MLAs who will be directly impacted by the changes, including the abolition of constituencies and reservation or de-reservation of their seats. 

All the other MPs and MLAs are also affected in varying degrees as their constituencies, even while retaining the original names, are altered with addition or deletion of some areas. At the same time, the formation of new constituencies opens up new opportunities for political leaders.

Sitting MPs and MLAs belonging to forward castes, backward classes, Schedule Caste, Schedules Tribes and minorities are all affected. Those who have been elected for several terms and nurtured their constituencies well are rendered “redundant” overnight, with their constituencies scrapped or earmarked for reserved categories. Simultaneously this delimitation throws up a challenge to political parties to scout for candidates in the new constituencies.

When the Delimitation Commission of India held its sittings in Tirupati, Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad recently to hear the objections and suggestions from the public, many politicians, who are being affected by the current exercise, appeared before the panel and raised a hue and cry over the changes being wrought to alter their constituencies or abolish them altogether. ---INFA

 

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