New Delhi. A conference of Chief Ministers to discuss the issues relating to prices of essential commodities was convened by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution here today. The conference was attended by the Prime Minister, Finance Minister, Minister for Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, members of the Cabinet Committee on Prices, Chief Ministers/Food Ministers from several states as well as senior officers from the Government of India and State Governments.

It was recognised that the prime concern of the Governments was the insulation of the poor and the vulnerable from adverse price movements. This responsibility has to be shared by the Government at the Centre and in the States as a coordinated approach has to be adopted to tackle the issue. The deliberations of the conference focused on short term measures and long term strategies to ensure food security by increasing production and productivity of foodgrains so as to meet the demand in the context of the growing economy and rising income, particularly in rural areas in view of implementation of schemes like NREGS, as well as on the need to foster a dynamic relationship between Centre and the States. It was noted that the wide gap between the crop yields obtained in frontline demonstrations on the farmers fields and the average yields at farmers’ field in almost all the States, as well as inter-state differences in the yield gap can be bridged by proper implementation and monitoring of the Central and State Government schemes.

 

With the year 2009 recording the worst monsoon that India has had since 1972, the price rise of key essential commodities, such as rice, wheat, pulses, vegetables and sugar, the reasons for the same as well as the measures initiated by Central and State Governments to contain the price rise were important issues that were deliberated in the conference. The reasons for the price rise were identified as being due to hikes in MSP, supply constraints of certain commodities, increase in the international prices, increase in demand on account of increase in the purchasing power, more liquidity in the system, in addition to inefficiencies in agricultural marketing and the high cost of intermediation.

It was acknowledged that the increase in prices on account of the hikes in Minimum Support Prices (MSP) is desirable as it has translated into higher production, procurement and domestic stocks of wheat and rice. The highest ever procurement since Independence, has led to a comfortable stock position and no shortage of foodgrains in the country. In this context while the excellent support from the state governments in reaching this landmark was acknowledged, the need for continued effective enforcement of the Minimum Support Price mechanism for agricultural produce by organizing procurement operations in time was highlighted. The Government of India would use the large stocks of wheat and rice available with it to ensure supplies to the Public Distribution System as well as for open market operations wherever appropriate.

 

While it was recognised that India cannot remain immune to the global price situation, the conference underscored the need to understand better the nature of the problems and the respective roles to be played by the Government of India and the State Governments in containing the price increase. Government of India has taken fiscal, administrative as well as monetary measures to counter inflation. The RBI has been changing its policy from easy to tight monetary policy, in keeping with the prevailing situation, without endangering growth of the economy. Apart from the short terms measures to contain this increase in prices it is also important to take steps for the longer term perspective of increasing production especially of edible oil and pulses.

 

In order to achieve the targeted agricultural growth, it was agreed that convergence among ongoing Central and State Government Schemes for development of agriculture and allied sector, strengthening implementation of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), organizing compensatory seed production programmes in Rabi/Summer season 2009-10, gearing up the administrative machinery to prepare alternative cropping plans for the contingency scenarios of normal, high and low rainfall situations during Kharif 2010 season as well as improving access of small and marginal farmers to the institutional credit had to be ensured by all stakeholders.

 

The State Governments’ role in ensuring that food articles imported or distributed through the Public Distribution System quickly reach the intended beneficiaries was highlighted. Thus better targeting and strengthening of PDS, better procurement, better offtake of the commodities which are offered is the need of the hour. There was consensus that timely and accurate data from the states was essential for proper policy interventions at the national level. It was also felt that there is a need to implement agricultural market reforms so as to improve marketing opportunities for farmers and minimize the cost of intermediation in the supply chain by using co-operatives and other institutions to and reduce the gap between wholesale and retail prices and to stabilise prices. In this context the States agreed to give this subject the highest priority in the coming months. Government of India would give the State Governments all requisite support in this task.

 

At this critical juncture, the conference advocated a paradigm shift by bringing back ‘agriculture’ to the centre of the agenda. The role of state governments in enhancing productivity levels by using improved technology, through dovetailing the state schemes with the Government of India schemes as well by strategising for the next agricultural revolution was highlighted.

 

The conference recommended the constitution of a Standing Core Group of State Chief Ministers and concerned Central Ministers. This Core Group will deliberate on and recommend measures to

 Increase agricultural production and productivity(including long term policies for

The Government of India has agreed to constitute the Core Group.

Nalanda (Bihar). The Union Tourism and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Kumari Selja has said that it is an accepted fact that Religious Tourism has proven resilience to the pressures of Global Recession. Speaking at the inaugural session of the International Buddhist heritage Conference-2010, at Nalanda today she said, not being viewed as a luxury, but as travel with a purpose, its (religious tourism) elasticity and strength has withered the storm in the current economic scenario. She said, this has given the hope and courage and her Ministry strives to help millions of followers to achieve their life long desire to visit India and walk in the footsteps of the Great Buddha.

She said, Buddhism is a world religion today. We are proud that it arose in and around ancient Magadha (Modern Bihar). Buddhism and the numerous sites related to the life and enlightenment of Lord Buddha are spread all over India forming a set of destinations by themselves. The UNESCO World Heritage site of Ajanta & Ellora, the Sanchi monuments, the Mahabodhi Temple, along with equally stunning sites like the Amaravati, Nagarjunakonda, Sarnath, Bhagalpur, Udaigiri & Ratnagiri are great attractions for the Tourist.

Kumari Selja said, the Union Ministry of Tourism, with active involvement of concerned State Governments and Industry stakeholders, has taken up a number of initiatives to promote Tourism in these Buddhist sites steeped in culture and heritage. One of the promotional initiatives has been the launch of a special tourist train, ‘The Mahaparinirvana’ by the Indian Railways. The train, with an eight–day package, starts from Delhi and covers the important Buddhist sites of Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, Rajgir, Varanasi, Kushinagar and Sravasti.

She said, her Ministry has till date identified 29 mega destinations and circuits including Bodh Gaya–Nalanda–Rajgir circuit. She said, the Ministry intends to channelise quality investment in all the Mega Destinations and Circuits. Kumari Selja said that the Ajanta Ellora Conservation and Tourism Development Project is in an advanced stage of implementation. This project covers various cities with Buddhist sites in Maharashtra. It was undertaken with assistance from Japan Bank of International Cooperation. In addition to this, projects related to development of Buddhist Circuits in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with active assistance from Japan Bank of International Cooperation, are also in formulation.

The Minister said, while the efforts to promote tourism are doubled, we must not lose sight of the impact of unorganised and uncontrolled growth of tourism on the environment and the ecology of the destinations. She said, the true potential of tourism lies in responsible practices, enabling an effective response to climate change. This is closely interlinked with inclusive growth through sustainable community participation. India, with its abundance of bio–diversity and natural locales, is an ideal destination for eco and rural tourism. She said, our endeavour has been to formulate such policy that encourages sustainable tourism while underlining creation of environmental, social, economic and climate responsiveness. Kumari Selja said, the Ministry has adopted the ‘sustainable’ tourism route in the innovative Rural Tourism Projects by strengthening the skilled rural communities in association with United Nations Development Programme. Another step in the direction of sustainable tourism would be adoption of ‘Green Mission Initiative’ as has been done in some States. She urged all the stakeholders in tourism sector to give a thought to emulating this novel idea in their respective domains.

The Minister said, the relationship between sustainable tourism and economic growth is very intimate and delicate and requires immediate attention. She said, safety and security of tourists is an area of primary concern. Any adverse perception about safety and security of tourists would seriously affect tourist arrivals in the country. She said, she is of the firm view that security and safety of tourists is of paramount importance for sustained growth of the sector. The tourist inflow could be ensured only in a safe and secure environment. Kumari Selja said, in the Ministry of Tourism, all out efforts are being made to address this issue. The Minister announced that the centre will soon launch an all India help line for tourists. She said, tourists in distress will also be able to use it.

The Minister said, while many destinations across the world reduced their marketing spends during recession, India continued with its promotional and marketing activities aggressively. The ‘Incredible India’ brand campaign and innovative programmes like “Visit India” campaign have contributed to revival of international tourism in the country. During December 2009, the foreign tourist arrivals in India saw a 21% increase over the same period in 2008. She said, the future looks bright and we expect buoyancy to return to the sector soon.

The Minister said, introduction of “Visa on Arrival” for tourists coming from potentially source market countries free from security concerns has come into force from 1st January 2010 and presently, the Scheme is applicable for tourists from five countries, viz., Singapore, Finland, New Zealand, Luxembourg and Japan on a pilot basis for a period of one year. She said, we expect that this move will send positive signals to source markets and give a tremendous boost to inbound tourism.

Kumari Selja said, tourism works in synergy. All components of the Sector have to work together harmoniously to deliver positive experiences to the travellers. She said, an integrated balanced growth of the Sector is essential to ensure India the pedestal that it deserves on the global tourism map.

The Deputy Chief Minister, Bihar Shri Sushil Kumar Modi asked the Union Tourism Ministry to provide more funds for tourism projects in the state. He assured that such funds will be utilized properly.

The two-day conference is being organized by ministry of tourism in collaboration with the state government of Bihar with an aim to promote Buddhist Circuits in India. The theme for the conference is “experience buddhism in the land of origin”

More than 110 eminent monks and erudite scholars, reputed academicians, tour operators as well as Media representatives (mainstream media and travel journalists) from the relevant markets overseas are participating in the Conference through the Indiatourism Offices Overseas. The delegates have come from 18 countries including China, Japan, Malayasia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Korea, France, USA and UK. Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh are also being represented at the conference.

The systematic development of forestry education and training in India is, perhaps, one of the oldest in the world. After the appointment of Dr. Dietrich Brandis, as the first inspector General of Forests of India, there was steady progress towards scientific management of forests. Dr. Brandis recognized the need for qualified and well trained personnel for forestry Management and administration in the country and took steps for their recruitment and training. By 1870, the foundation of a forest department was well laid and a regular forests service came into existence.

Background

Initially from 1867 till 1926, the officers of the Imperial Forest Service were trained in France, Germany and United Kingdom. In India, this training began in 1878. A small Central Forest School at Dehradun was established by the then North-Western Province for training of Forest Range Officers (FROs), which was later taken over by the Government during 1884. Realizing the increasing demand of trained personnel, a proposal was made during 1891 for starting a Provincial Forest Service (PFS). After its establishment in 1906, the Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun, started one year course recruitment to PFS. Later in 1912, a separate two years’ course was started for training science graduates for appointment to the PFS. During 1926 training for Imperial Forest Service commenced at Indian Forest College (IFC), Dehradun and the course for PFS was abolished.

After the promulgation of the Government of India Act of 1935, the subject of ‘forest’ was transferred to the provinces and princely states and the Imperial Forest Service was replaced by the Superior Forest Service (SFS). The level of training was upgraded in 1940 and it was kept similar to the imperial Forest Service Officers, with an all India outlook to manage these national assets. The course was termed as the Superior Forest Service course which offered a Diploma in “Associate of India Forests College (AIFC)”. In order to cope up with increasing demand from the states for training the SFS officers, three SFS Colleges were established at Burnihat, Coimbatore and Dehradun during the period from 1976 to 1981.

In order to maintain high standards in forestry administration and management and to provide senior personnel to man all posts carrying higher duties and responsibilities, the Indian Forest Service (IFS) was created on 1st July 1966, as an All India Service under the All Indian Services Act, 1951. The Government, upgraded the IFC to the level of a national academy in May 1987. It is known as Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), Dehradun.

The cadre of Forest Range Officers (FROs) was evolved out of the need to have a link between IFS officers at the higher administrative level and the lower subordinate filed staff. To meet the high demand for rangers, nine Forest Rangers Colleges (FRCs) were established from 1912 to 1982. Over the years, the cadre of FROs emerged as one of the most important executive functionaries in the State Forests Department (SFDs).Over the years the Central Government run Ranger colleges were gradually closed and handed over to the respective State Governments where they were located except the one at Kurseong which is still with the Central Government.

The Forestry Personnel’s Training is guided, overall by the National Training Policy, 1996 through a three tier approach to include all administrative levels from the lowest to the highest level that “Interface” with the public at large. The salient recommendations of the policy include identification of organizational training needs through in-house exercises, participatory training programme, action based training methods which are custom made, interaction among faculty, visits, in-service training at the cutting-edge levels, up-gradation of knowledge and skill of the trainers, need based overseas training.

The training of the Forestry Personnel is organised in such a way that, they get initial i.e. “Induction” training as well as refresher trainings - “In-service trainings”. These trainings are mostly handled by the Government for the top three levels of Forestry Personnel i.e. Indian Forest Service (IFS) Officers, State Forest Service (SFS) Officers and Range Forest Officers (RFOs). For the Balance of the Forestry Personnel i.e. Deputy Rangers, Forester and Forest Guards, the Induction as well as In-service trainings are taken care of by respective State/UT Governments.

Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy at Dehradun is mandated to conduct Professional training courses for IFS officers. The State Forest Service (SFS) for which recruitment is made by respective States is the second front line service of forest administration in the States. Mandate for imparting induction training to the SFS officers is given to the Directorate of Forests Education (DFE), Dehradun to maintain uniform standards of training in the country. These SFS trainings are imparted by DFE through its three SFS colleges at Burnihat, Dehradun and Coimbatore. The training of the Range Forest Officers is also conducted by DFE utilising the SFS College’s infrastructure as well as at Eastern Forest Rangers College (EFRC), Kurseong.

The inductions as well as in-service training of the frontline staff (deputy range officers, forester and forest guards) are the responsibility of the State/UTs concerned. There are 63 State Training Institutes /Colleges/Schools in the entire country.

As an attempt to improve the training infrastructure and training methodologies in the country, the project titled “Capacity Development for Forest Management and Training of Personal” is to be implemented in a project mode. The thrust of the project will be to strengthen the infrastructure of the Forestry Training School of State Forest departments and to strengthen the training modules of the frontline forestry personnel trainings.

The Academy is again in the process of renovation with advanced scientific and technological developments. Based on the findings of the study and input of national and regional level meetings a concept paper was revised to incorporate the comments of the Planning Commission. The concept is funding, through Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), to the External DoNER Agencies. The Ministry is in the advance stages of starting a Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) funded project for the sector.

The “Capacity Building in Forestry Sector” scheme will cover the whole gamut of the Forestry Sector Training needs and attempts to address the HRD needs at all levels of the forestry administration. This will be in addition to the components “Training of Personnel of other services” and “Training of other stakeholders”. It aims to acquaint the members of the civil society and the non-forestry service who have an interface with the forestry sector, to the realities, needs and challenges of the forestry & wildlife sector.

New Delhi. Teen-agers who have two or fewer family meals weekly are twice as likely to smoke and drink as teens eating five such dinners a week, according to a study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia, said Dr. K K Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India and Editor eMedinewS. Eating together always provides a grounding for family members.

A national study of kids between 3 and 12 has shown that more meal time at home is the single strongest predictor of better achievement scores, ahead of time studying or in church. Researchers has shown a strong link between eating at least five dinners a week with a parent and children who are less likely to use drugs and develop good eating habits.

Best meals are enjoyed at home with the television off and that children should be encouraged to chat, not badgered to eat broccoli or explain poor grades.

My hearty kudos to the State Government of Karnataka and its Chief Minister Shri Yediyurappa for organizing last week the 500th Anniversary of the coronation of Samrat Krishna Deva Raya at Hampi in a really befitting manner.

Every year a three day utsav is celebrated at Hampi, a colorful procession organized through the city, but not many in the country outside this region are really familiar with the glorious history of this great kingdom, aptly known as Vijaynagar (the city of Victory). Last year I had occasion to visit Hampi for the first time, and participated in this procession.

The procession used to start from the main temple of the town – the Virupakasha temple. When my family visited the temple last year the Head Priest welcomed me and my family and informed us that for Hampi the coming year would be very significant. It would mark the 500th anniversary of the coronation of Shri Krishna Deva Raya, the greatest king of the Vijaya Nagar Empire. I promised to visit again in 2010, and so I did.

This year several lakhs of citizens from all parts of the State flocked to Hampi and participated in the celebrations with great gusto and joy. Pujya Shri Shri Ravi Shankar, Head of the Art of Living Organisation also attended. He addressed the nearly one lakh strong gathering that had assembled at the concluding function where the piece-de-resistance was a musical extravaganza depicting Krishna Deva Raya’s coronation. The music programme was created by the leading music maestros of the Kannadda film world. More than six hundred boys and girls participated in this programme. Earlier, during the day, the foundation stone of a theme park was laid where visitors would be enlightened about the glory that was Krishna Deva Raya’s empire.

At the evening function, I was asked to release a beautiful and well researched volume titled “HAMPI : a story in stone” produced by two American scholars, John M. Fritz and George Michell. The two scholars had worked on this Vijaynagar Research Project for twenty years and their brilliant book had been embellished by an outstanding photographer from Mumbai, Noshir Gobhai.

The founding of Vijaya Nagar Empire some time in the 14th Century was an epoch making event in the history of our country. Shri Krishna Deva Raya was a formidable warrior and a brilliant military strategist. The empire of this great king spread over large parts of India from coast to coast covering the present day Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala as well as Goa and Orissa. These parts of the country were earlier ruled by feuding chieftains, the four prominent among them being the Kakatiyas of Warangal, the Hoysalas of the Central Deccan plateau, the Yadavas of Devagiri and the Pandyas in the deep south. What Shri Krishna Deva Raya achieved puts him in the ranks of mighty emperors like Ashoka, Secundragupta and Harswhavardhan. In the 21 years of his rule (1509-1530) he had to wage 14 major wars and he won all of them. His most notable war was the war against the combined armies of the three Sultans of Bijapur, Ahmednagar and Golkanda.

Historians who have analysed the events of those times say that the outstanding military successes of Krishna Deva Raya were due not only to his ability as a great general, but also because of the reforms he brought about in his administration.

At a time these days when we are witnessing manifestations of pettiness and narrow mindedness in the matter of use of languages, here was a great leader born in the Kannada speaking region whose celebrated literary composition by name Amuktamaalyada was in Telugu. In the administrative reforms which he adopted, he drew heavily from the traditional principles of Hindu polity which were in turn based on the teachings of Kautilya, Shukra, Bhishma, Vidura and others. He himself as king was head of the Government but he was guided by a group of ministers headed by the Prime Minister at that time one Salva Timma. The book by the American scholars which I released at Hampi carries this remarkable passage which bears testimony to the wisdom of this greater ruler :

“ A question often asked by visitors to Hampi today is why such a city, the capital of a great empire, was located in what appears now to be a remote wilderness. Several explanations may be offered. To begin with, the sheer ruggedness of the site offered essential defences to the first rulers of Vijayanagara. It is still difficult to approach Hampi from the north, the direction in which were located the sultans of the Deccan kingdoms, Vijayanagara’s most persistent enemies. The site served as a natural citadel, requiring only supplementary ramparts where the landscape leveled off towards the south and east. Another advantage of the site was that it was well watered. The Tungabhadra river, the largest in this part of Karnataka, flows directly across the site. As it does so the water loses height, gathering speed and flowing violently in times of flood. This loss of height offered the Vijayanagara rulers a valuable chance to develop a complex hydraulic system that permitted the cultivation of rice and other essential grains and crops. Only in this way could the city be self sufficient in terms of food, supporting a population of several hundreds of thousands of inhabitants. Canals were created that ran off the river at an upper level, transporting water across the site, feeding channels that cultivated fields at a lower level. Remnants of this hydraulic system are still in operation today, permitting extensive plantations of sugarcane and bananas. It is surely no coincidence that the Tungabhadra Hydroelectric Dam is situated near to Hampi, for this is where the river flows through a narrow pass between two hills. That such dams were erected in the past is apparent from the remnants of stone-faced earthen walls known as ‘bunds’ built across valleys all over the site. Some of these ancient waterworks are still in operation, collecting water in monsoonal times, as in the tank on the outskirts of Kamalapura.”

The nucleus of the research in coir was laid at Alleppey with the appointment of a coir technologist way back in 1955, and the Central Coir Research Institute( CCRI) was established in the year, 1959. Today the Institute has an array of advanced machineries and facilities to carry out the frontier research activities. The contribution of this Institute for the development of coir industry ever since its inception has earned many a laurels from many national and international research organizations. The Institute is recognized by International Agencies like Australian Quarantine Inspection Service [AQIS] for testing of coir pith and listed on the online Directory of testing laboratories of American Society of Testing Materials [ASTM].

Coir has been playing an important role in the economy of Kerala, especially the coastal districts of the State. The social life of people across these districts is closely knit with the warp and weft of the products manufactured in the coir units. Of late, the industry has begun to make its presence felt in other coconut producing States of the country as well. The State of Tamil Nadu has gone much ahead in this respect and in fact large quantities of coir fibre required by the export oriented production units located in Alleppey source their raw material from the State. In the case of mechanization also, the State of Tamil Nadu has been making rapid strides and a large number of entrepreneurs are currently entering into the industry. Similarly, the proliferation of this industry in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa and in some non-traditional States like Gujarat has been quite encouraging.

As we all know, the world economy has been reeling under an economic recession and it is emerging out of its clutches slowly. In the aftermath of the onslaught of the recession, one item which stood conspicuous by its steady performance was coir. The depression in the economic world did not affect the exports of coir and it proved its stencil strength against the rapids and currents in the world economy. During the year, 2009-10, the export of coir and coir products is all set to surpass the target of Rs.700/- crores, an all time high export performance from the country. During the year, up to Decembers, 2009, the export of coir and coir products from the country was 1,79,667 MTs valued at Rs.555.03 crores. When compared to the same period of the previous year, there has been an increase to the tune of 30.38% in quantity and 19.44 % in terms of value.

Modern Technology

The intervention of CCRI in the coir industry has been instrumental in making the coir industry in the country a modern sunshine industry. There q1were times when mechanization and modernization were not acceptable terms for the industry since they were supposed to cause reduction in employment opportunities. Now, it has been proved beyond doubt that modern technology is a boon to the industry thanks to the efforts of Coir Board and its Research and Development wing. With the eradication of crude production and processing methods and introduction of modern equipments, more and more units are established in factory set up with higher degree of mechanization. This has resulted in increased productivity, better quality of products and better income both to the entrepreneur and the labourer.

Employment Opportunities

The younger generation which was once averse to take up jobs in the coir industry due to low wages and crude production and processing methods are now coming forward to take up employment opportunities generated in the sector. Earlier, the industry used to offer only seasonal employment opportunities to the workers due to monsoon and demands of the trade. Now, the factory set up provides regular employment to the workers and resultantly, the standard of living of workers has been increasing steadily.

Major Contributions

Some of the contributions of the Central Coir Research Institute have been major milestones in the history of coir industry. The development of “coirret’ by the Institute has revolutionized the production process of “white fibre” by reducing the processing period considerably. This process has also made the job of the workers in the industry easier and hygienic. It is an eco-friendly zero effluent process. Another contribution of the CCRI has been “pithplus” which elevated the status of coir pith from a menacing substance to a “money spinner”, as it found application as a hundred percent natural manure suitable for a host of crops and horticulture applications. The recent invention of the CCRI, the Mobile Fibre Extraction Machine is going to be an epoch making incident in the history of coir industry by eradicating the perennial problem of shortage of coir fibre in the State of Kerala. In addition to the coir industry, the machine will also help the coconut cultivators by providing additional income to the farmers in the form of income from selling coconut husk which was thrown away as a waste material. The fibre extracted through this machine can be further treated by the eco-friendly process of “coirret” or a “conditioner” treatment developed by CCRI recently so as to prepare the best quality of coir fibres for spinning.

The day is not far when the coir fibres blended with other natural fibres will provide new opportunities for development of various value added products like soft luggage, conference bags, shopping bags, curtains and Venetian blinds etc. CCRI has already made a breakthrough in this area of research. The dyeing of such products with natural dyes will add further value to these products in terms of eco-friendliness.

It seems that two factors which are going to be of immense help to the industry are globalization and the growing concern over the degradation of environment. Along with the growing consciousness of people on the need of turning to environment friendly products for their needs, the exposure of such products to the customer is also becoming instant due to the ubiquitous internet access and online facilities. The coir industry is yet to fully utilize these opportunities. Owing to the environment friendly nature of the products of this industry, the industry can play a major role in the new vista of Carbon Trading.

Panchayati Raj Institutions in India are the backbone of our democracy. To promote a decentralized, participative & holistic planning process for the local elected bodies and make then more meaningful a number of initiatives have been taken by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

The Backward Region Grant Fund

This Scheme promotes decentralized, participative & holistic planning process, as an essential condition for getting BRGF grant. It bridges the critical gaps in development and builds capacity of PRIs & official functionaries. The evaluation study done recently shows that BRGF is extremely useful in meeting the local needs and PRIs and States have acquired good experience in planning and implementing the Scheme. Out of the plan outlay of Rs.4670 Cr. for 2009-10 for BRGF, Rs. 3240 Cr has already been released to States by 31st December 2009.

e-Governance Project

e-PRI is identified as one of the Mission Mode Projects (MMPs) under NeGP. It proposes to provide a whole range of IT related services such as Decentralized Database & Planning, PRI Budgeting & Accounting, Implementation & monitoring of Central and State sector schemes, Citizen-centric Services, Unique codes to Panchayats and Individuals, Essential GIS based applications, On-line Self-learning medium for elected representatives and official functionaries. e-PRI has the potential to revolutionize PRIs as the symbol of modernity & efficiency and induce mass ICT culture.

e-PRI envisages providing computing facilities along with connectivity to all the 2.36 lac Panchayats at a tentative cost of Rs. 4500 cr. over 3 years. Panchayats being the basic unit for planning and implementation of Cenral/States programmes & schemes, e-PRI would, in a way, be the umbrella MMP. Government would, therefore, give high priority to e-PRI under NeGP. Information and Service Needs Assessment, Business Process Engineering and Detailed Budget Reports for 27 States has already been done and the Project is ready for roll out.

The President in her Address to the Parliament on 4.6.09 had mentioned the intent to provide fifty percent reservation for women in Panchayats as women suffer multiple deprivations of class, caste and gender and enhancing reservation in Panchayats will lead to more women entering the public sphere.

Accordingly, on 27.08.2009, the Cabinet approved the proposal to amend Articles 243 D to provide 50% reservation for women in seats and also offices of Chairpersons in all 3 tiers of Panchayats. Minister of Panchayati Raj introduced the Constitutional (One Hundred and Tenth) Amendment Bill, 2009 in the Lok Sabha on 26.11.2009.

Presently, out of approx 28.18 Lakhs elected representatives of Panchayats, 36.87% are women. With the proposed Constitutional Amendment, the number of elected women representatives is expected to rise to more than 14 lakhs.

Panchayats are the grassroot democratic institutions and need to be further empowered through effective devolution of functions, finances and functionaries (3Fs) following the principles of subsidiarity and centrality of Panchayats. This would also ensure convergence of plethora of schemes and pooling of resources through holistic planning by Panchayats. Panchayat Empowerment and Accountability Incentive Scheme, which aims at incentivising States to devolve 3Fs to Panchayats and Panchayats to be more transparent and accountable, would be given higher allocation based on a devolution index.

50 years of Panchayati Raj was commemorated on 2nd Oct.09. Given the criticality of Gram Sabhas in self-governance and transparent and accountable functioning of the Gram Panchayats. 2.10.2009 to 2.10.2010 is being observed as ‘Year of the Gram Sabha’. Apart from making all efforts to ensure effective functioning of the Gram Sabhas, following action are being taken; legal, policy and programme changes required for empowering the Panchayats particularly the Gram Sabhas; building systems & processes for ensuring greater efficiency, transparency & accountability of the Panchayats, and launching mass awareness of and specific activities by the Gram Sabhas & Panchayats.

The current justice delivery system is perceived as expensive, time-consuming, procedure-ridden, technical and difficult to comprehend, which prevents the poor from approaching the legal system with their grievances. To mitigate such hardships, the Ministry has proposed a Nyaya Panchayats Bill. The Nyaya Panchayats will ensure participatory and people-oriented system of justice with greater scope for mediation, conciliation and compromise. Being closer to the people geographically and psychologically, the Nyaya Panchayats would be the ideal forum to save time, trouble and expenses of parties and witnesses. It would also reduce the workload of judiciary.

Panchayat Mahila Shakti Abhiyan

It is a scheme for the Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) to build their confidence and capacity so that they get over the institutional, societal and political constraints that prevent them from active participation in rural local self government. 22 States have formed the Core Committee and organized the State Level Sammelans. 9 State Support Centres have been established under the scheme. (Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Sikkim, Kerala, West Bengal and Andaman & Nicobar Island). 11 States have been conducted training sensitization programme under the scheme. (Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Kerala, Assam, Andaman & Nicobar Island and Sikkim)

47 Divisional Level Sammelans have been organized in 11 States. (Chhattisgarh, Goa, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Manipur, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Andaman & Nicobar Island). State Level Association of EWRs/EYRs has been formed in the States of Goa and Sikkim.

The RBH scheme has been started in 2007, to spread the benefits of India’s rapid economic development to the rural areas through the medium of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). RBH is a participatory development model for the rural areas of the country that is built on the platform of 4 P, i.e. Public-Private-Panchayat-Partnership. The RBH initiative is aimed at moving from mere livelihood support to promoting rural prosperity, increasing rural non-farm incomes and augmenting rural employment.

35 districts have been identified for focused RBH intervention in consultation with State Governments. Services of reputed organizations have been enlisted as Gateway Agencies for supporting Panchayats in identification of potential RBHs and their development. Financial assistance to 49 projects has been extended for establishment of RBH. Also,RBH is being evaluated for possible upscaling in the future.

Surajkund complex, near Delhi in Faridabad district of Haryana derives its name from ancient amphitheatre, Sun Pool. It dates back to the 10th Century A.D. This was the time when tribal Chieftains were gaining supremacy. One clan that struck out in the chronicles of history, was that of the Tomars. They were sun worshipers. Fascinated by the surrounding of this terrain, Raja Suraj Pal, one of the Chieftains, chose to build his stronghold here. A Sun Temple and a Sun Pool were designed. But times changed, and the clan vanished. The temple fell into disarray. But, the amphitheatre Sun Pool built as the sun careering westwards, continued to stand as it does even today. It is after this Sun Pool that the complex came to be christened as Surajkund. Surajkund has been identified as an ideal suburban retreat because of the natural beauty of the Aravalli ranges. The open basalt outcrop in one section, cupped a vast water body. The fact that Surajkund lay close to Delhi in dimension that attracted the Tourism Organization of the Haryana State. It covers 40 hectares. While providing urban attractions for the holiday maker, it retains its suburban serenity.

Keeping the Sun Pool as the centre, a large number of tourist facilities have been developed in the vicinity of Surajkund. To the left of the Sun Pool alongside the ruins of the temple stands Hotel Raj Hans. Adjacent to this property lies Sunbird Motel another property with accommodation wings. Between the Sun Pool and Mela grounds lies the Natyashala, an open-air-theatre. A path leads to the Hermitage. On the farthest end of the main road, lie the Crafts Mela ground. The Surajkund Crafts Mela was first held in 1987 and over the years, the Organizers have introduced several new features though the duration of the Mela remained same from 1st to 15th February every year. Most of the States of India have participated in the Mela as Theme States. The replicas of all the Theme States have been set up in Surajkund Mela ground reminding the visitors of the diversity of India and thus converting the Mela ground as ‘Mini India’.

The 15-Day Mela this year has participating craftsmen with exquisite talents not only from the length and breadth of the Country, but even from countries like Tajikistan, Thailand and Egypt besides the neighbouring SAARC Nations. State of Rajasthan is the theme State this time.

One of the main objectives of this Mela is to project the sensitivity of the rich Indian art, culture, music and folk art under one single banner and at one single venue for the benefit of its visitors besides providing the young generation an opportunity to have a first hand feel of the extraordinary variety of the tradition and rural ambience that happens to be the hallmark of our country. It would be a bonanza for the foreign and domestic tourists in educating themselves about the diversity of Indian traditions and culture besides enjoying the vibrant ambiance created typically to represent the entire ethos of rural India in miniature. The Mela also offers the participating craftsmen a direct opportunity and exposure to market their products to both the customers and end users.

Organized primarily under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Tourism, the Mela is a collective and concerted effort of agencies like Development Commissioners of Handicrafts, Handlooms and Union Ministries of Culture and External Affairs, Haryana Tourism and the Tourism Department of the theme State as they jointly conduct and coordinate the arrangements of the Mela. The Mela happens to be one amongst the most important and popular event in the annual national calendar organised in and around Delhi. The number of visitors that stood at over 7 lakhs last year is expected to increase substantially this time.

More than 400 craftsmen will showcase their skills and products to the visitors this year. Over 200 day performers of folk dance, drama and other performing arts, including Octave dance group from North-East will perform to entertain the masses thronging the Mela. They include Kaal Belia (Rajasthan), Siddi Goma (Gujarat), Brij Ki Holi & Charkula (U.P.), Bhangra (Punjab), Been Sapera & Banchari (Haryana), ‘Tajik Dances’, “Egyptian Tannoura Dance” and “Thai Traditional Dances”. In the evening there would be daily cultural performances from 6 p.m. onwards in the Open Air Theatre named Natyashala. The food court within the Mela premises shall have the cuisine from across the country. Yielding to the popular suggestion, an extensive amusement park has been set up next to the Shekhawati gate for the benefit of children. Shekhawati gate has been built by the theme State Rajasthan as an added attraction this year. The Mela shall have a number of competitions for school/college students such as Rangoli, Face Painting competition, Essay Writing competition, Mehandi competition, Drawing competition, Kite Flying competition and Photography competition for amateurs.

Amongst the main items and skill on display, folk painting, paper machie items, terracotta, iron craft, bamboo and cane crafts, wood crafts, stone crafts, lac bangles, dhokra crafts, patola sarees, chanderi sarees, smabalpuri sarees, ikkat and pashmina shawls, etc, are prominent. An exclusive gallery of exhibition and sale for Gems and Jewellery and other craftwork of exquisite worth from Rajathan has also been planned. In addition, 40-45 craftspersons from countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand and Egypt are also participating in the 24th Surajkund Crafts Mela. The Handicrafts and painting, furniture, leather goods, pottery, terracotta, stone artefacts from Rajasthan would fill the area with their exceptional presence.

Surajkund crafts Mela brings together cultures and crafts of the entire country at one place and is becoming a model for other countries to follow. This year a high level team of Sri Lanka consisting of 25 persons is visiting Surajkund Crafts Mela to study the aspects of its conduct in totality with a view to replicate it.

Chandigarh. Union Ministry of Environment and Forests in collaboration with the Centre for Environment Education organized an open interaction on National Consultations on Bt Brinjal at Chandigarh today. Union Minister of State for Environment & Forests (Independent Charge), Shri Jairam Ramesh interacted with the farmers, scientists, doctors, environmentalists, NGOs and representatives of other section of society to take public perception on the introduction of the Bt Brinjal in India. As many as 500 participants took part in the open session and expressed their views on pros and cons of the Bt. Brinjal.

Speaking on the occasion Shri Ramesh informed that his Ministry, before taking a final decision on bringing the Bt Brinjal, has planned to make a common consensus on the basis of public consultations across the country. He informed that such consultations are being conducted at seven locations in the country and this is the fifth one, which is being conducted in the Chandigarh. He said that these consultations will help the government to implement the decision in a transparent and democratic way, in which all aspects including the reactions of the people in favour or against the Bt Brinjal will be taken into consideration. The viewpoints of the stakeholder groups including agriculturists, scientists, health experts, consumer groups, citizen forums, NGOs, media and legal experts will also be considered.

The Minister said that the statutory body of the Ministry known as Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), has recommended the environmental release of Bt Brinjal in India on the basis of recommendations of the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation constituted earlier. He said that these consultations will provide appropriate inputs to the Ministry regarding deciding about the Bt Brinjal.

Later interacting with the media, Shri Ramesh said that Ministry of Environment & Forests is committed to maintain the environmental balance by controlling the pollution in the country. He said that in Punjab a project worth Rs. 190 crore for river cleaning will be started soon, in which the work will be started from Sutlej river falling in Jalandhar and Phillaur cities in Punjab. He further said that state government has been directed to prepare a detailed action plan to deal with the pollution in Ludhiana as it has become 8th critically polluted city in the country. The Minister said that a notification to overcome the problem of pollution has been released to all those cities, which are emitting heavy amount of industrial pollution. He said that the notification of pollution control has also affected the investment plan of Rs. 25000 crore, which is in the pipeline for the industrial development in Ludhiana and Gobindgarh and waiting for appropriate action of the state government to curb pollution. He also said that the state governments must own the responsibility to maintain the environmental standards by checking the increasing rate of municipal and industrial pollution through the Pollution Control Boards.

New Delhi. The President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil has greeted fellow citizens on the occasion of Guru Ravidas Jayanti, which shall be celebrated tomorrow. In her message, the President has said, “On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Guru Ravi Das, I extend my greetings and good wishes to all.

Guru Ravi Das was a great saint who preached that everyone should be treated equally. He considered service to humanity as service to God and his teachings of universal brotherhood are of utmost significance today. May the teachings of Guru Ravi Das inspire us all to strive to remove social inequities in our society.”

New Delhi. The Model Rules for the Right to Education (RTE) Act have been approved by the Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Kapil Sibal. They have been circulated to the State Governments in the meeting of the State Education Secretaries for SSA and School Education, here today. They will shortly be put up on the HRD Ministry Website.

The Model Rules consist of eight PARTS and an appendix. The first part is an introduction and contains relevant definitions. The second part is on Special Training for the purposes of the first proviso to section 4 of the RTE. Part III is on Duties of State government, local authority including Areas or limits for the purposes of section 6 of the RTE. Part IV is on responsibilities of schools and teachers. Part V contains Composition and functions of the School Management Committee for the purposes of section 21 of RTE. Part VI is on teachers, their duties, minimum qualifications, pay allowances, a grievance mechanism for them, maintaining pupil-teacher ratio etc. Part VII is on curriculum and completion of Elementary Education including the setting up of an Academic Authority for the purposes of section 29 and Award of certificate for the purposes of section 30 of the RTE. Part VIII deals with protection of right of children: Performance of functions by the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, for the purposes of section 31, Manner of furnishing complaints before the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and Constitution and Functions of the State Advisory Council for the purpose of section 34 of the RTE.

New Delhi. Union Power Minister, Shri Sushilkumar Shinde today urged the Power Sector Utilities to keep up the good work and continue their contribution in the task of building a strong infrastructure needed to achieve energy security. Speaking after giving away the National Awards for Meritorious Performance in Power Sector at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi today he called upon all concerned to establish new benchmarks for achieving the target of “electricity to all” as expeditiously as possible. He said that the awards have helped in significant improvement in operating performance, however their impact in expeditious completion of ongoing projects needs to be more pronounced in the years to come.

Expressing satisfaction over the fact that Plant Load Factor (PLF) of a number of thermal power stations is reported to be over 90%, the Minister praised the National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd for bagging all the six awards in thermal performance category for Simahdri, Korba, Ramagundam, Vindhyachal, Rihand and Dadri Thermal Power Stations. He also urged new generating stations to leave no stone unturned for emulating the performance of these stations in the years to come.

The Minister also expressed satisfaction that all the 17 transmission systems which participated in the Award Scheme, have reported availability above 99.14% and the Western Region Transmission System – I of PowerGrid Corporation of India Limited has received Gold Shield with availability of 99.91%. He said that PowerGrid also needs special commendation for completing a transmission line of about 400 circuit kilometer and a sub-station in Afghanistan under difficult working conditions, hilly terrain and snow bound area as well as difficult law and order conditions and completing the same ahead of contractual schedule. Shri Shinde said that awards to Rural Distribution Franchisees, started by the Ministry from the year 2007-08, have catalyzed the franchisees and better results would be witnessed from more franchisees in the years to come.

In his Address, Minister of State for Power, Shri Bharatsinh Solanki highlighted the performance of Rural Distribution Franchisees which is being measured in terms of revenue collection, metered services, type of franchise, etc. He observed that India is the first country where women have come in the business of rural franchisees where they are not only engaged in revenue collection but also in maintaining of the networking equipment. Congratulating the Mahila Mandal Samakhya, Seethampeta, a franchisee of Eastern Andhra Pradesh Discom who won the award this time, he wished all such organisations for continued success in the years to come.

Earlier, Shri Anil Kumar, Special Secretary, Ministry of Power addressed the gathering. He called for inclusive growth where electricity would reach out to every nook and corner of the country. Pointing out that India has only 700 units per capita while the world average is about 2700 units, he reminded the players in the power sector of the great expectations in terms of demand which called for capacity addition up to 8,00,000 MW by 2027.

Shri Rakesh Nath, Chairperson,CEA who was also present on the occasion, welcomed the gathering . Shri. Sudhir Kumar, Joint Sectretary in the Ministry of Power, proposed the vote of thanks.

The Comprehensive Awards Scheme was introduced by the Ministry of Power w.e.f the year 2004-05. The objective of this scheme is to develop a spirit of competitiveness among the various power stations / projects / companies in thermal, hydro and nuclear generation, transmission, distribution and rural distribution franchisees for achieving improved performance and early completion of thermal, hydro projects and transmission projects, distribution companies in the power sector. It also aims at encouraging personnel engaged in the power utilities to improve their efficiency & productivity and show better results.