Wdnesday, February 27, 2013
SUMMARY OF ECONOMIC SURVEY 2012-13
Indian economy is likely to grow between 6.1% to 6.7% in 2013-14
as the downturn is more or less over and the economy is looking up.
Following the slowdown induced by the global financial crisis in
2008-09, the Indian economy responded strongly to fiscal and monetary
stimulus and achieved a growth rate of 8.6 per cent and 9.3 per cent
respectively in 2009-10 and 2010-11, but due to a combination of both
external and domestic factors, the economy decelerated growing at 6.2%
and an estimated 5% in 2011-12 and 2012-13 respectively. The Economic
Survey 2012-13, presented by the Finance Minister Shri P. Chidambaram in the Lok Sabha predicts
that the global economy is also likely to recover in 2013 and various
government measures will help in improving the Indian economy’s outlook
for 2013-14. While India’s recent slowdown is partly rooted in external
causes, domestic causes are also important. The slowdown in the rate of
growth of services in 2011-12 at 8.2%, and particularly in 2012-13 to
6.6 percent from the double-digit growth of the previous six years,
contributed significantly to slowdown in the overall growth of the
economy, while some slowdown could also be attributed to the lower
growth in agriculture and industrial activities. But despite the
slowdown, the services sector has shown more resilience to worsening
external conditions than agriculture and industry. For improved
agricultural growth, the survey underlines the need for stable and
consistent policies where markets play an appropriate role, private
investment in infrastructure is stepped up, food price, food stock
management and food distribution improves, and a predictable trade
policy is adopted for agriculture. FDI in retail allowed by the
government can pave the way for investment in new technology and
marketing of agricultural produce in India. Fast agricultural growth
remains vital for jobs, incomes and food security.
The
survey points out that the priority for the Government will be to fight
high inflation by reducing the fiscal impetus to demand as well as by
focusing on incentivizing food production through measures other than
price supports. But unlike the previous year, when food inflation was
mainly driven by higher protein food prices, this year the pressure has
been coming mainly from cereals. On the Balance of Payments and External
Position, the survey highlights that with net exports declining,
India’s balance of payments has come under pressure. Moreover, in the
current fiscal, foreign exchange reserves have fluctuated between US$
286 billion and US$ 295.6 billion, while the rupee remained volatile in
the range of Rs 53.02 to Rs 54.78 per US dollar during October 2012 to
January 2013.
The
survey had a special chapter focusing on jobs. The future holds promise
for India provided we can seize the “demographic dividend” as nearly
half the additions to the Indian labour force
over the period 2011-30 will be in the age group 30-49. India is
creating jobs in industry but mainly in low productivity construction
and not enough formal jobs in manufacturing, which typically are higher
productivity. The high productivity service sector is also not creating
enough jobs. As the number of people looking for jobs rises,
both because of the population dividend and because share of
agriculture shrinks, these vulnerabilities will become important.
Because good jobs are both the pathway to growth as well as the best
form of inclusion, India has to think of ways of enabling their
creation.
The survey calls for a widening of the tax base, and
prioritization of expenditure as key ingredients of a credible medium
term fiscal consolidation plan. This along with demand compression and
augmented agricultural production should lead to lower inflation, giving
the RBI the requisite flexibility to reduce policy rates. Lower
interest rates could provide an additional fillip to investment activity
for the industry and services sectors, especially if some of the
regulatory, bureaucratic, and financial impediments to investment are
eased. On financial sector reform, it takes note of the high level of
gross NPAs (non-performing assets) of the banking sector which increased
from 2.36 percent of the total credit advanced in March 2011 to 3.57
percent of total credit advanced in September 2012. The survey suggests
that revival of growth will help contain NPAs, but more attention will
have to be paid to whether projects are adequately capitalized up front
given the risks. Expenditure on social services also increased
considerably in the 12th Plan, with the education sector accounting for the largest share, followed by health. In the 11th Plan period nearly 7 lakh crore rupees has been spent on the 15 major flagshipprogrammes.
A number of legislative steps have also been taken to secure the rights
of people, like the RTI, MGNREGA, the Forest Rights Act, AND THE Right
to Education. However, the survey notes that there are pressing
governance issues like programme leakages
and funds not reaching the targeted beneficiaries that need to be
addressed. Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) with the help of the Unique
Identification Number (Aadhaar) can help plug some of these leakages. With the 12thPlan’s
focus on ‘environmental sustainability’, India is on the right track.
However, the challenge for India is to make the key drivers and enablers
of growth-be it infrastructure, the transportation sector, housing, or
sustainable agriculture-grow sustainably.
Dr. Raghuram G. Rajan,
Chief Economic Adviser, Ministry of Finance writes in an introduction
to the Survey that these are difficult times, but India has navigated
such times before, and with good policies it will come through stronger.
Slowdown is a wake-up call for increasing the pace of actions and
reforms. The way out lies in shifting national
spending from consumption to investment, removing the bottlenecks to
investment, growth, and job creation, in part through structural
reforms, combating inflation both through monetary and supply side
measures, reducing the costs for borrowers of raising finances and
increasing the opportunities for savers to get strong real investment
returns.
Railway Budget 2013: Highlights
Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has announced the Union Railway Budget for 2013-14 in Parliament. Here are the highlights :
● No increase in passenger fares
● Railways will absorb Rs. 850 crore on account of no hike in passenger fare
● Marginal increase in reservation charges, cancellation charges
● Supplementary charges for superfast trains and tatkal booking
● 26 new passenger trains to be launched
● 67 express trains to be launched
● 9 Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains to be introduced
● 500-km new lines to be completed in 2013-14
● Concessional fare for sportspersons
● 5 per cent average increase in freight
● Diesel price hike added Rs. 3,300 crore to fuel bill of Railways
● Railways hopes to end 2013-14 with a balance of Rs. 12,506 crore
● 5.2 per cent growth in passenger traffic expected in 2013-14
● Railways' freight loading traffic scaled down by 100 million tonnes from 1025 million tonnes because of economic slowdown
● Railways to set up a Debt Service Fund
● Rs. 3,000 crore loan from Finance Ministry re-paid with interest by Railways this financial year
●
New coach manufacturing and maintenance facilities to be set up in
various places including Rae Bareli, Bhilwara, Sonepat, Kalahandi,
Kolar, Palakkad and Pratapgarh
● Five fellowships to be announced to motivate students
● Centralised training institute to be set up in Secunderabad
● Will provide better living conditions for Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel
●
Seek to fill 1.52 lakh vacancies in railways this year. 47,000
vacancies for weaker sections and physically challenged to be filled up
soon
● Target of Rs. 4,000 crore for railway production units in 2014
● Trying to connect Manipur through railways
● Investment of Rs. 3800 crore for port connectivity projects
●
Target of Rs. 1000 crore each for Indian Railways Land Development
Authority and Indian Railways Station Development authority
● Toll free 1800111321 number to address grievance. Introduced from February 2013
● Labs to test food provided in trains. ISO certification for all rail kitchens
● Advance fraud control will be used for ticket sale
● Induction of e-ticketing through mobile phones, SMS alerts to passengers
● Next-generation e-ticketing system to improve end user experience. The system will support 7200 users per minute
● Wheelchairs and escalators to be made to make stations and trains friendlier for the differently-abled.
● Rs. 100 crore to be spent to augment facilities at Delhi, New Delhi and Nizamuddin railway stations
● Special attention to stations in NCR.
● Free wi-fi facilities in select trains. 60 more 'adarsh' stations
● Safety measures including new coaches with anti-climb features to be brought in
● More ladies specials in metros and a helpline number to be implemented
● Railways meets need of consumers while adhering to sound economic principles. Need to expand at a much faster growth rate
● I am committed to improving passenger amenities
● Resource crunch cannot be a reason for substandard services
● Elimination of over 10,000 level crossings
● 17 bridges sanctioned for rehabilitation
● Enhancement of the track capacity and the Train Protection Warning System (TPWS)
● Indigenously developed collision avoidance system to be put to trial
● Induction of self-propelled accident relief trains along with fast and reliable disaster management system
●
Railway passengers deserve safe and comfortable travel. Safety is a
mandate in running trains. There has been a significant reduction in
accidents - .41 per million kms in 2003-04 to .13 in 2011- 12. We will
strive to work towards a zero accident situation.
● Our targets need to be higher
● Mounting scarcity of resources, thin spread of funds continue to be a problem
●
The number of passenger trains has increased from 8000 in 2001 to over
12000 in 2012 - yet losses continue to mount. It is estimated to be Rs.
24,000 cr in 2012-13
● Indian railways must remain financially viable
● Indian Railways plays an unparalleled growth in integrating the nation
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
OSCAR AWARDS 2013
Ben Affleck's Iranian hostage drama 'Argo' won the Best Picture Oscar
while Ang Lee pulled off a big surprise by taking home the Best Director
trophy for 'Life of Pi' at the 85th Academy Awards.
British actor Daniel Day-Lewis, 55, scored a historic third Best Actor Oscar for his turn as the 16th US President Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's civil-war set drama 'Lincoln'.
He has become the
first actor to win the most number of Best Actor Oscars. His previous
Oscars were for 'My Left Foot' in 1989 and 'There Will Be Blood' in
2007.
22-year-old
Jennifer Lawrence emerged a winner for 'Silver Linings Playbook' in a
tight best actress race by tripping strong contenders like Jessica
Chastain, Emmanuelle Riva, Naomi Watts and Quvenzhane Wallis.
'Argo' saw off tough competition from eight other films --including 'Lincoln', 'Life of Pi', 'Amour', 'Django Unchained' and 'Zero Dark Thirty'-- to walk away with the top award.
'Argo' was declared
a winner by Jack Nicholson and First Lady Michelle Obama, who tuned in
through a videolink, making an unprecedented appearance from White House in a shimmery silver gown.
The film, based on real incidents, narrates the near impossible escape story when CIA pulled out six US diplomats from Iranin 1979 by posing as a fake film crew.
List of Oscar Winners from the 2013 Academy Awards:
1. Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained."
2. Animated Short Film: "Paperman."
3. Animated Feature Film: "Brave."
4. Cinematography: "Life of Pi."
5. Visual Effects: "Life of Pi."
6. Costume: "Anna Karenina."
7. Makeup and Hairstyling: "Les Miserables."
8. Live Action Short Film: "Curfew."
9. Documentary (short subject): "Inocente."
10. Documentary: "Searching For Sugar Man."
11. Foreign Language Film: "Amour."
12. Sound Mixing: "Les Miserables."
13. Sound Editing (TIE): "Skyfall," "Zero Dark Thirty."
14. Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway, "Les Miserables."
15. Editing: "Argo."
16. Production Design: "Lincoln."
17. Score: "Life of Pi."
18. Song: Adele, "Skyfall."
19. Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio, "Argo."
20. Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino, "Django Unchained."
21. Director: Ang Lee, "Life of Pi."
22. Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook."
23. Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln."
24. Picture: "Argo."
Friday, February 22, 2013
Ratan Tata Awarded the Life Time Achievement Award 2012 by Ernst & Young
Ratan Tata, the former head of Tata Group was awarded the life time
achievement award 2012 by Ernst & Young on 21 February 2013. He was
given away the award for displaying great role for the Indian
businessmen on global business level.
The entrepreneur of the year (2012) award was given away to Adi Godrej, Godrej Group Chairman. It is important to note that entrepreneur of the year award is an only business award which is based on self-nomination. Also, Ernst & Young announced names of successful entrepreneurs in various categories and these awards were given away to TT Jagannathan, Chairman, TTK Group; Francisco D’Souza, Chief Executive Officer, Cognizant Technology Solutions; Cyrus S Poonawalla, Managing Director, Serum Institute of India and Onkar S Kanwar, Chairman and Managing Director, Apollo Tyres.
The entrepreneur of the year (2012) award was given away to Adi Godrej, Godrej Group Chairman. It is important to note that entrepreneur of the year award is an only business award which is based on self-nomination. Also, Ernst & Young announced names of successful entrepreneurs in various categories and these awards were given away to TT Jagannathan, Chairman, TTK Group; Francisco D’Souza, Chief Executive Officer, Cognizant Technology Solutions; Cyrus S Poonawalla, Managing Director, Serum Institute of India and Onkar S Kanwar, Chairman and Managing Director, Apollo Tyres.
Monday, February 18, 2013
India’s External Affairs Minister visited Bangladesh to Co-Chair the 2nd Meeting of JCC
External Affairs Minister of India, Salman Khurshid paid an official
visit to Bangladesh on 16-17 February 2013 to co-chair the second
meeting of theIndia-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission (JCC).
Both nations reviewed the progress of initiatives taken under the
Framework Agreement since the last meeting and hold discussions on the
entire gamut of bilateral relations including power, water resources,
security, border management, people-to-people exchanges, trade,
connectivity, culture, development cooperation, environment and
education.
The JCC was constituted under the Framework Agreement on Cooperation for
Development signed during the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to
Bangladesh in September 2011. The first meeting of the JCC was held in
New Delhi in May 2012.
India’s External Affairs Minister visited Bangladesh to Co-Chair the 2nd Meeting of JCC
External Affairs Minister of India, Salman Khurshid paid an official
visit to Bangladesh on 16-17 February 2013 to co-chair the second
meeting of theIndia-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission (JCC).
Both nations reviewed the progress of initiatives taken under the
Framework Agreement since the last meeting and hold discussions on the
entire gamut of bilateral relations including power, water resources,
security, border management, people-to-people exchanges, trade,
connectivity, culture, development cooperation, environment and
education.
The JCC was constituted under the Framework Agreement on Cooperation for
Development signed during the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to
Bangladesh in September 2011. The first meeting of the JCC was held in
New Delhi in May 2012.
India-US Joint Working Group held its 10th Meeting in Washington
The India-U.S.Joint Working Group on UN Peacekeeping held its 10th
meeting in Washington on 13 February 2013. At the meeting, India and the
United States advanced a number of goals laid out in the Declaration of
Principles the Joint Working Group agreed upon in 2011. The Joint
Working Group also continued in-depth consultations on UN peacekeeping
issues, and explored an agreement on a set of Principles of India-U.S.
Cooperation in the Area of Training UN Peacekeepers and institutional
arrangements between their peacekeeping institutions.
India and USA welcomed the open and comprehensive nature of the
discussions, and agreed the talks helped advance their shared commitment
to supporting and strengthening United Nations peacekeeping operations,
and their mutual interest in assuring the success of UN peacekeeping
missions. Both nations agreed that the 11th meeting of the Working Group
will be held in New Delhi in 2014.
Australia clinched its ICC Women’s World Cup
Australia
won the ICC Women’s World Cup Trophy after defeating West-Indies by
114-runs on 17 February 2013 at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Australia
clinched the title for the sixth time in the history of women’s cricket
World Cup it last won the title in 2005.
Australia scored 259 runs (this is the highest score in Women’s World Cup Final) at the loss of 7 wickets in 50 overs and West Indies lost all its wickets at the score of 145.
Scorecard of Finals
• Australia: 7/259
i. J Cameron scored 75runs in the finals
ii. R Haynes scored 52 runs in the finals
iii. S Quintyne took 3 wickets for 27 runs
• West Indies 10/145
i. KA Knight scored 21* in the finals
ii. MR Aguilleria scored 23 runs in the finals
iii. E Perry took 3 wickets for 19 runs
Tournament Report
• Player of the tournament - New Zealand’s Suzie Bates for scoring 407 runs with three half-centuries and a ton at an average of 67.83 in the series.
Australia scored 259 runs (this is the highest score in Women’s World Cup Final) at the loss of 7 wickets in 50 overs and West Indies lost all its wickets at the score of 145.
Scorecard of Finals
• Australia: 7/259
i. J Cameron scored 75runs in the finals
ii. R Haynes scored 52 runs in the finals
iii. S Quintyne took 3 wickets for 27 runs
• West Indies 10/145
i. KA Knight scored 21* in the finals
ii. MR Aguilleria scored 23 runs in the finals
iii. E Perry took 3 wickets for 19 runs
Tournament Report
• Player of the tournament - New Zealand’s Suzie Bates for scoring 407 runs with three half-centuries and a ton at an average of 67.83 in the series.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
RGESS (Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme)
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has expressed the need revisit theRajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme (RGESS) to
make its provisions more retail investor-friendly. It was felt by the
minister that the in current form the scheme is too complex for the
small investor to understand and that complying would be difficult. He
is expected to bring necessary changes to in the coming Budget.
The finance ministry is set to notify the Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme (RGESS).
- Finance Minister P Chidambaram had approved the RGESS on September 21, 2012.
- Implementation delayed due to the deliberations on inclusion of Mutual Funds (MF) in it. Thus, further consultations with the RBI, SEBI and the law ministry on the coverage of RGESS.
- It might be so that only MFs fitting in specific conditions would be allowed.
- Tax benefits for investing up to Rs 50,000 in the capital markets for first-time retail investors with an annual income of Rs 10 lakh.
- The scheme initially announced in Budget 2012 had allowed tax benefits for investments in stocks. Later, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and MFs were included under its ambit.
- Open to retail investors who have opened demat accounts but have not made any transactions in equity or derivatives till the notification of the scheme.
- All those opening fresh accounts would also be eligible to participate in RGESS.
- Investments can be made in various installments during a year,
- Total lock-in period: 3 years, including an initial lock-in of one year in the stock/ETF/MF in which the money has been invested.
- Stocks listed under BSE 100 or CNX 100 or those of PSUs which are Navratnas, Maharatnas and Miniratnas would be eligible.
- Investment in follow-on offers of these companies would also be eligible for tax deduction.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Second Meeting of Joint Committee Of Business Development Cooperation Between India And Colombia
The Second Meeting
of Joint Committee of Business Development Cooperation between India
and Colombia was held on 11th February, 2013 in New Delhi. Mr. Carlos
Andres de Hart Pinto, Vice Minister of Entrepreneurial Development,
Colombia and Commerce Secretary Shri S R Rao, Govt. Of India met to
discuss issues of concern of both sides.
A lot of emphasis was made on improving bilateral trade and investment between the two countries. Specific sectors such as Mines and Minerals, textiles, engineering, automobile, pharmaceuticals and Biotech, transport sector, infrastructure development, strengthening human capital, cluster development of certain sectors, knowledge transfer, services trade (IT, software engineers, BPOs) have been identified for enhancing collaboration and co-operation .
It was decided to constitute Joint Working Group (JWG) in five sectors viz pharma/biotech, IT, FMCG, Auto, engineering & transport, textiles to formalize the structure and follow up enhancement in value chains in these sectors. Both sides decided to consider flexibility in Visa issues. Cooperation in tourism sector was also explored.
It has been decided to set up a CEO forum for discussion on various issues at the level of B2B which will be co-chaired by business stalwarts from both sides.
A lot of emphasis was made on improving bilateral trade and investment between the two countries. Specific sectors such as Mines and Minerals, textiles, engineering, automobile, pharmaceuticals and Biotech, transport sector, infrastructure development, strengthening human capital, cluster development of certain sectors, knowledge transfer, services trade (IT, software engineers, BPOs) have been identified for enhancing collaboration and co-operation .
It was decided to constitute Joint Working Group (JWG) in five sectors viz pharma/biotech, IT, FMCG, Auto, engineering & transport, textiles to formalize the structure and follow up enhancement in value chains in these sectors. Both sides decided to consider flexibility in Visa issues. Cooperation in tourism sector was also explored.
It has been decided to set up a CEO forum for discussion on various issues at the level of B2B which will be co-chaired by business stalwarts from both sides.
The Environment Ministry Constituted Committee to Examine Legal Cover for Elephant Habitats
The
Environment Ministry in the third week of February 2013 constituted a
committee that will review better legal protection to elephant reserves
as well as the corridors in India under the green laws which are already
present. The committee was constituted after National Board for Wildlife raised concerns about absence of any legal cover for the elephant corridors and reserves.
The central government has already identified two-third elephant reserves which cover 69582 sq km of area. The size of these reserves varies from 450-6724 sq km. These reserves not just include the forest patches of various kinds but also the tea plantations, revenue land, agricultural land, villages and townships.
As of now, these elephant reserves are identified as the programme of the environment ministry for facilitating more funds under Project Elephant central scheme. However, it does not facilitate better legal protection against the changes to demarcated landscape like that is case of tiger reserves. The government does not face many difficulties in safeguarding the tiger reserves, national parks and sanctuaries, but in case of elephant reserves, there are certain difficulties faced by the government.
This is so because the elephants travel hundreds of kilometres in a year and they run through the forest and, cities and villages as well.
Members of the committee
•The committee which was set up by the environment ministry will be headed over by retired senior forest officer, Vinod Rishi.
•The director of Project Tiger will be the member convener of the committee.
•Other members will include Member of National Board for Wildlife M D Madhusudan, elephant conservation expert Ajay Desai, chief wildlife warden of Odisha J D Sharma and Supreme Court lawyer Sanjay Upadhayaya.
Purpose of the committee
•The committee will have a one year time for examining the existing networks of elephant corridors and reserves. The committee will inspect whether these reserves and corridors sufficiently cover the habitat of elephants and that what other legal cover can be provided to these reserves and corridors under the green laws recommended by Elephant Task Force.
•The committee will also assess impact of wildlife protection regulations on the population that lives on or uses the land that falls inside elephant corridors and reserves.
The central government has already identified two-third elephant reserves which cover 69582 sq km of area. The size of these reserves varies from 450-6724 sq km. These reserves not just include the forest patches of various kinds but also the tea plantations, revenue land, agricultural land, villages and townships.
As of now, these elephant reserves are identified as the programme of the environment ministry for facilitating more funds under Project Elephant central scheme. However, it does not facilitate better legal protection against the changes to demarcated landscape like that is case of tiger reserves. The government does not face many difficulties in safeguarding the tiger reserves, national parks and sanctuaries, but in case of elephant reserves, there are certain difficulties faced by the government.
This is so because the elephants travel hundreds of kilometres in a year and they run through the forest and, cities and villages as well.
Members of the committee
•The committee which was set up by the environment ministry will be headed over by retired senior forest officer, Vinod Rishi.
•The director of Project Tiger will be the member convener of the committee.
•Other members will include Member of National Board for Wildlife M D Madhusudan, elephant conservation expert Ajay Desai, chief wildlife warden of Odisha J D Sharma and Supreme Court lawyer Sanjay Upadhayaya.
Purpose of the committee
•The committee will have a one year time for examining the existing networks of elephant corridors and reserves. The committee will inspect whether these reserves and corridors sufficiently cover the habitat of elephants and that what other legal cover can be provided to these reserves and corridors under the green laws recommended by Elephant Task Force.
•The committee will also assess impact of wildlife protection regulations on the population that lives on or uses the land that falls inside elephant corridors and reserves.
Afzal Guru’s Secret Hanging Was Called Operation Three Star
Operation Three Star: Code name given to secret plan for executing Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist Afzal Guru in Tihar Jail on 9 February 2013.
Operation Three Star started on 4 February 2013, just a day after the President of India Pranab Mukherjee rejected mercy plea of Afzal Guru. A few top officials of Home Ministry were aware about secret Operation Three Star.
Afzal Guru was hanged on 9 February 2013 at 8 AM in Tihar Jail, New Delhi. Afzal Guru was guilty of conspiring as well as providing shelter to terrorists who attacked Indian Parliament on 13 December 2001.
Hanging of Mumbai terror attack militant Ajmal Kasab was called Operation X. he was hanged at Yerwada Central Jail on 21 November 2012.
Operation Three Star started on 4 February 2013, just a day after the President of India Pranab Mukherjee rejected mercy plea of Afzal Guru. A few top officials of Home Ministry were aware about secret Operation Three Star.
Afzal Guru was hanged on 9 February 2013 at 8 AM in Tihar Jail, New Delhi. Afzal Guru was guilty of conspiring as well as providing shelter to terrorists who attacked Indian Parliament on 13 December 2001.
Hanging of Mumbai terror attack militant Ajmal Kasab was called Operation X. he was hanged at Yerwada Central Jail on 21 November 2012.
Priority Sector Lending (PSL) to Minorities Crossed 15 Percent Mark in 2012-2013
Priority Sector Lending (PSL) to Minorities increased considerably from
10.60 percent of total PSL in 2007-2008 to 15.01 percent in 2012-2013.
Priority Sector Lending (PSL) to minorities belongs to one of the
schemes which are covered under the Prime Minister’s New 15 Point
Programme for Welfare of Minorities.
An increase was observed because of lending of 171960.71crore Rupees as on September 2012 to the minorities. Self-employment initiatives were created and sustained because of bank credit. The increase was observed because of sustained efforts of government of India.
In order to increase credit flow to the minorities, various steps were undertaken by the Government. These included:
•Reserve Bank of India issued directions on Priority Sector Lending in order to improve credit facilities to the minorities.
•From 2007-2008 to 2011-2012, 5954 branches of bank were opened in those areas where there was substantial minority population.
•Regular monitoring of Public Sector Banks was done for checking disposal of loan applications for the minorities.
•14244 awareness campaigns were organised by Public Sector Banks in 15466 towns and blocks which covered minority population.
Priority Sector Lending (PSL) to Minorities in the absolute terms increased from 58662.67 crore Rupees in 2007-2008 to 171960.71crore Rupees as of September 2012.
Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme for Welfare of Minorities
The President on 25 February 2005 announced that Government of India would recast the 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities for including certain programme specific interventions.
The objectives of this programme were as follows:
An increase was observed because of lending of 171960.71crore Rupees as on September 2012 to the minorities. Self-employment initiatives were created and sustained because of bank credit. The increase was observed because of sustained efforts of government of India.
In order to increase credit flow to the minorities, various steps were undertaken by the Government. These included:
•Reserve Bank of India issued directions on Priority Sector Lending in order to improve credit facilities to the minorities.
•From 2007-2008 to 2011-2012, 5954 branches of bank were opened in those areas where there was substantial minority population.
•Regular monitoring of Public Sector Banks was done for checking disposal of loan applications for the minorities.
•14244 awareness campaigns were organised by Public Sector Banks in 15466 towns and blocks which covered minority population.
Priority Sector Lending (PSL) to Minorities in the absolute terms increased from 58662.67 crore Rupees in 2007-2008 to 171960.71crore Rupees as of September 2012.
Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme for Welfare of Minorities
The President on 25 February 2005 announced that Government of India would recast the 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities for including certain programme specific interventions.
The objectives of this programme were as follows:
•Enhancing opportunities for education.
•Ensuring an equitable share for minorities in economic activities and employment, through existing and new schemes, enhanced credit support for self-employment, and recruitment to State and Central Government jobs.
•Improving the conditions of living of minorities by ensuring an appropriate share for them in infrastructure development schemes.
•Prevention and control of communal disharmony and violence.
•Ensuring an equitable share for minorities in economic activities and employment, through existing and new schemes, enhanced credit support for self-employment, and recruitment to State and Central Government jobs.
•Improving the conditions of living of minorities by ensuring an appropriate share for them in infrastructure development schemes.
•Prevention and control of communal disharmony and violence.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
National Conference on e-Governance at Jaipur
The Department of Administrative Reforms and
Public Grievances, Government of India, in association with the Department of Electronics
& Information Technology, Government of India and the Department of
Information Technology & Communication, Government of Rajasthan, is
organizing 16th National Conference on e-Governance on 11-12 February, 2013 in Jaipur. Senior Officers from the Government, industry,
academicians, technical experts and NGOs will participate in the Event.
Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Shri Ashok Gehlot will inaugurate the Conference on 11th February,
2013. Other dignitaries who will be present on the occasion include, Minister
of State in the Prime Minister Office and Personnel, Shri V. Narayanasamy;
Minister of State in the Ministry of Communication and IT, Dr.(Smt.) Kruparani Killi, Secretary,
Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Government of India,
Shri Sanjay Kothari and Chief Secretary, Rajasthan Shri C.K. Mathew.
During the Conference, the National Awards on
e-Governance for the year 2012-13 will be presented. These awards are given in
seven different categories concerning various aspects of e-Governance. The Awards
distinguish some of the best Government to Government (G2G), Government of
Citizen (G2C), Government to Business (G2B)
initiatives by various government departments and public sector units. The
Conference along with the Exhibition is a forum to showcase best practices,
innovative technologies and ICT solutions.
The objective of these awards is
to recognize and promote excellence in implementation of e-Governance
initiatives. These awards recognize achievements in the area of e-Governance;
disseminate knowledge on effective methods of designing and implementing
sustainable e-Governance initiatives; encourage horizontal transfer of
successful e-Governance solutions; promote and exchange experiences in solving
problems, mitigating risks, resolving issues and planning for success.
The Conference will be based on the theme, “Towards
an Open Government” with the sub themes, (i) Leveraging Social Inclusion; (ii) E-Governance Infrastructure-
status and Challenges; and (iii) Social sector Programs. The Conference will explore how use of ICT has
transformed governance from the perspective of the beneficiaries of the
services. It is an attempt at a reality check to ascertain the outcome of the
services rendered and whether it has achieved the intended objectives of
transparent, effective, responsive and accountable system of governance.
Padma Awards 2013
Padma Awards in Arts Discipline
| Sl No. | Name | Discipline | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Shri Raghunath Mohapatra | Art - Sculpting | Padma Vibhushan |
| 2. | Shri S. Haider Raza | Art - Painting | Padma Vibhushan |
| 3. | Dr. Ramanaidu Daggubati | Art - Film-making | Padma Bhushan |
| 4. | Smt Sreeramamurthy Janaki | Art - Singing | Padma Bhushan |
| 5. | Dr. (Smt.) Kanak Rele | Art - Dancing (Mohiniattam) | Padma Bhushan |
| 6. | Smt Sharmila Tagore | Art - Cinema | Padma Bhushan |
| 7. | Dr. (Smt.) Saroja Vaidyanathan | Art - Dancing (Bharat Natyam) | Padma Bhushan |
| 8. | Shri Abdul Rashid Khan | Art - Classical Music (Vocalist) | Padma Bhushan |
| 9. | Late Rajesh Khanna | Art - Cinema | Padma Bhushan |
| 10. | Late Jaspal Singh Bhatti | Art - Cinema | Padma Bhushan |
| 11. | Shri Gajam Anjaiah | Art - Handloom designing | Padma Shri |
| 12. | Swami G.C.D. Bharti alias Bharati Bandhu | Art - Singing (Kabirvani) | Padma Shri |
| 13. | Ms. B. Jayashree | Art - Theatre | Padma Shri |
| 14. | Shri Sridevi Kapoor | Art - Cinema | Padma Shri |
| 15. | Shri Kailash Chandra Meher | Art - Painting | Padma Shri |
| 16. | Shri Brahmdeo Ram Pandit | Art - Geeta and Ved Pravachan | Padma Shri |
| 17. | Shri Vishwanath Dinkar Patekar alias Nana Patekar | Art - Films | Padma Shri |
| 18. | Shri Rekandar Nageswara Rao alias Surabhi Babji | Art - Theatre | Padma Shri |
| 19. | Shri Lakshmi Narayana Sathiraju | Art - Cinema | Padma Shri |
| 20. | Shri Jaymala Shiledar | Art - Singing | Padma Shri |
| 21. | Shri Suresh Dattatray Talwalkar | Art - Tabla | Padma Shri |
| 22. | Shri P. Madhavan Nair alias Madhu | Art - Cinema | Padma Shri |
| 23. | Shri Apurba Kishore Bir | Art - Cinematography | Padma Shri |
| 24. | Shri Ghanakanta Bora Borbayan | Art - Sattriya Dance | Padma Shri |
| 25. | Smt. Hilda Mit Lepcha | Art - Lepcha music | Padma Shri |
| 26. | Smt. Sudha Malhotra | Art - Singing | Padma Shri |
| 27. | Shri Ghulam Mohammad Saznawaz | Art - Kashmiri Sufiyana Music | Padma Shri |
| 28. | Shri Ramesh Gopaldas Sippy | Art - Cinema | Padma Shri |
| 29. | Ms. Mahrukh Tarapor | Art - Museums | Padma Shri |
| 30. | Shri Balwant Thakur | Art - Theatre | Padma Shri |
| 31. | Shri Puran Das Baul | Art - Music (Baul tradition) | Padma Shri |
| 32. | Shri Rajendra Tikku | Art - Sculpting | Padma Shri |
| 33. | Shri Pablo Bartholomew | Art - Photography | Padma Shri |
| 34. | Shri S. Shakir Ali | Art - Painting | Padma Shri |
Padma Awards in Public Affairs
| Sl No. | Name | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Shri Shivajirao Girdhar Patil | Padma Bhushan |
Padma Awards in Science and Engineering
| Sl No. | Name | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Prof. Yash Pal | Padma Vibhushan |
| 2. | Prof. Roddam Narasimha | Padma Vibhushan |
| 3. | Dr. Apathukatha Sivathanu Pillai | Padma Bhushan |
| 4. | Dr. Vijay Kumar Saraswat | Padma Bhushan |
| 5. | Dr. Ashoke Sen | Padma Bhushan |
| 6. | Dr. B.N. Suresh | Padma Bhushan |
| 7. | Prof. Satya N. Atluri | Padma Bhushan |
| 8. | Dr. Jogesh Chandra Pati | Padma Bhushan |
| 9. | Prof. Mustansir Barma | Padma Shri |
| 10. | Shri Avinash Chander | Padma Shri |
| 11. | Prof. Sanjay Govind Dhande | Padma Shri |
| 12. | Prof. (Dr.) Sankar Kumar Pal | Padma Shri |
| 13. | Prof. Deepak B. Phatak | Padma Shri |
| 14. | Dr. Mudundi Ramakrishna Raju | Padma Shri |
| 15. | Prof. Ajay K. Sood | Padma Shri |
| 16. | Prof. Krishnaswamy Vijayraghavan | Padma Shri |
| 17. | Dr. Manindra Agrawal | Padma Shri |
| 18. | Dr. Jayaraman Gowrishankar | Padma Shri |
| 19. | Prof. Sharad Pandurang Kale | Padma Shri |
Padma Awards in Civil Services
| Sl No. | Name | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Shri Hemendra Singh Panwar | Padma Bhushan |
| 2. | Dr. Maharaj Kishan Bhan | Padma Bhushan |
Padma Awards in Literature and Education
| Sl No. | Name | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Shri Mangesh Padgaonkar | Padma Bhushan |
| 2. | Prof. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak | Padma Bhushan |
| 3. | Prof.(Capt) Dr. Mohammad Sharaf-e-Alam | Padma Shri |
| 4. | Dr. Radhika Herzberger | Padma Shri |
| 5. | Shri J. Malsawma | Padma Shri |
| 6. | Shri Devendra Patel | Padma Shri |
| 7. | Dr. Rama Kant Shukla | Padma Shri |
| 8. | Prof. Akhtarul Wasey | Padma Shri |
| 9. | Prof. Anvita Abbi | Padma Shri |
| 10. | Shri Nida Fazli | Padma Shri |
| 11. | Shri Surender Kumar Sharma | Padma Shri |
| 12. | Dr. Jagdish Prasad Singh | Padma Shri |
| 13. | Late Shaukat Riaz Kapoor Alias Salik Lakhnawi | Padma Shri |
| 14. | Prof. Noboru Karashima | Padma Shri |
| 15. | Shri Christopher Pinney | Padma Shri |
Padma Awards in Trade and Industry
| Sl No. | Name | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Shri Ramamurthy Thyagarajan | Padma Bhushan |
| 2. | Shri Adi Burjor Godrej | Padma Bhushan |
| 3. | Smt. Vandana Luthra | Padma Shri |
| 4. | Ms. Rajshree Pathy | Padma Shri |
| 5. | Shri Hemendra Prasad Barooah | Padma Shri |
| 6. | Shri Milind Kamble | Padma Shri |
| 7. | Ms. Kalpana Saroj | Padma Shri |
Padma Awards in Social Work
| Sl No. | Name | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Shri S.K.M. Maeilanandhan | Padma Shri |
| 2. | Ms. Nileema Mishra | Padma Shri |
| 3. | Ms. Reema Nanavati | Padma Shri |
| 4. | Ms. Jhama Dhara Chowdhury | Padma Shri |
| 5. | Late Dr. Ram Krishan | Padma Shri |
| 6. | Late Manju Bharat Ram | Padma Shri |
Padma Awards in Medicine
| Sl No. | Name | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Dr. Nandkishore Shamrao Laud | Padma Bhushan |
| 2. | Dr. Sudarshan K. Agarwal | Padma Shri |
| 3. | Dr. C Vankara S. RAm alia Chitta Venkata Sundara Ram | Padma Shri |
| 4. | Dr. Rajendra Achyut Badwe | Padma Shri |
| 5. | Dr. Taraprasad Das | Padma Shri |
| 6. | Prof. (Dr.) T.V. Devarajan | Padma Shri |
| 7. | Prof. (Dr.) Saroj Chooramani Gopal | Padma Shri |
| 8. | Dr. Pramod Kumar Julka | Padma Shri |
| 9. | Dr. Gulshan Rai Khatri | Padma Shri |
| 10. | Dr. Ganesh Kumar Mani | Padma Shri |
| 11. | Dr. Amit Prabhakar Maydeo | Padma Shri |
| 12. | Dr. Sundaram Natarajan | Padma Shri |
| 13. | Prof. Krishana Chandra Chunekar | Padma Shri |
| 14. | Dr. Vishwa Kumar Gupta | Padma Shri |
Padma Awards in Sports
| Sl No. | Name | Discipline | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Shri Rahul Dravid | Cricket | Padma Bhushan |
| 2. | Smt. Ms. H. Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom | Boxing | Padma Bhushan |
| 3. | Smt. Premlata Agrawal | Mountaneering | Padma Shri |
| 4. | Shri Yogeshwar Dutt | Wrestling | Padma Shri |
| 5. | Shri Hosanagara Nagarajegowda Girisha | Paralympic High Jumper | Padma Shri |
| 6. | Subedar Major Vijay Kumar | Shooting | Padma Shri |
| 7. | Shri Ngangom Dingko Singh | Boxing | Padma Shri |
| 8. | Naib Subedar Bajrang Lal Takhar | Rowing | Padma Shri |
Padma Awards - Others
| Sl No. | Name | Discipline | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ms. Ritu Kumar | Fashion Designing | Padma Shri |
| 2. | Dr. Ravindra Singh Bisht | Archaeology | Padma Shri |
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