The Newspapers Editor's Society: 09/03/14

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

100 days of Modi government : Tall claims, but disappointing performance

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The discredited Congress-led UPA government was replaced by the BJP-led NDA government with a resounding mandate. However, if the first 100 days are any indication, its work has been anything but landmark and emphatic.

Given below is the Aam Aadmi Party’s assessment on main points :

Black Money

Prime Minister Narendra Modi';s top priority was to bring back the black money stashed in foreign banks, which he reinforced in every speech during the election campaign. The current Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said that he would bring back the black money from foreign countries within 100 days. BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy had claimed that only two months were needed to bring back the Rs. 120 lakh crore back to the country, and even advocated abolishing the income tax for 40 years, since we';d have enough revenue not to need this tax.

But the actions fall short and are insignificant compared to the promises. 100 days are up. Where is the black money? The government has only set up the cursory SIT on Black Money, that too following the directions of the Supreme Court.

The government has taken no action to fill the huge number of vacancies in the Central Board of Direct Taxes, Excise and Customs, which would thoroughly investigate claims of corruption across the country. The government hasn';t reverted, repealed or even commented upon the double tax avoidance treaties or participatory notes, which are important in smuggling black money away from India. It hasn';t implemented any of the key recommendations of the White Paper on Black Money tabled in Parliament in 2012.

Ache din have arrived but only for those who want to keep their black money.

Price Rise

Another important electoral issue that the BJP and Narendra Modi raised was price rise and its effect on the Aam Aadmi. However, in the first 100 days of the BJP government, the prices of diesel, kerosene, milk, tomatoes, onions, potatoes and nearly every essential commodity went up by astronomical levels. And it';s not as if farmers benefited from this price rise, as they received lower real minimum support prices, adjusted for inflation.

The Union Budget: Arun Jaitley or P. Chidambaram

For those looking for patterns of similarity, the Union Budget was a clear example of how the Modi government represented cosmetic change and not something more fundamental. Spending on education and health remained exactly the same, and so did the expenditure on women, children and the socially disadvantaged. There were tax deduction announcements, disinvestment, FDI allottment increases, PPPs, calls for modernization, but somehow the Aam Aadmi remained under the radar for Shri Arun Jaitley.

Criminalizing Parliament and Making India Corrupt

For all the talk of removing MPs with a criminal record from Parliament, there has been little action to follow it up. Twelve out of the 44 Ministers in the Modi-goverment have serious criminal charges against them. Nihal Chand, a minister of the government is facing rape allegations against him in a 2011 case. Yet, their cases aren';t even close to being solved and have not been fast-tracked. Lok Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath continues to make polarizing statements to flare Hindu-Muslim tensions even as the PM issues a 10 year moratorium on communal hatred. This doublespeak doesn';t go unnoticed. At the same time, the government has shown excessive speed in removing honest officers who fight corruption like Sanjiv Chaturvedi at AIIMS and clipping the powers of institutions that fight corruption like the Delhi Anti-Corruption Bureau. The government may make tall claims about fighting corruption but it has worked only to promote this social and economic evil.

Destroying the Environment

The government has proposed to loosen the regulations and make as many as 19 amendments in the Land Acquisition Act in a bid to please industrialists without taking care of the environment, farmers and the rural poor. The height of the Narmada dam will be raised. Irrigation projects requiring 2,000-10,000 hectares are now exempt from the scrutiny of the Centre and can be cleared by state governments. Those requiring less than 2,000 hectares will require no green clearance at all. The new government has also diluted the Forest Rights Act that requires the consent of the local tribal population for diverting forestland. Instead of gram sabhas (village councils) certifying that their rights had been settled and that they had consented to projects, the district administrations have now been asked to do the same. The process of reviewing the National Green Tribunal Act to reduce the judicial tribunal to an administrative one has been initiated. Slowly and steadily, the government is paving the way for the real backers of the 2014 election, the corrupt businesses of Indian industry to dictate the rules of government and the usage of public goods.

Which brings us to the most important point. A government which holds private interests above public good will end up being the same, even if its declared motives are Nehruvian socialism or Hindu nationalism. The fear with Narendra Modi';s government isn';t that they will do something radically different and crazy, but rather that they will end up being the UPA government. And the first 100 days, an indicator of a government';s priorities and policy goals, exhibit that this government is selling the public old wine in a new bottle, albeit with new leaky holes.

Rather, what we have seen is the same sort of governance or lack thereof, with excellent public relations management and high-definition photographs on Twitter. (ENDS)

Regards,

AAP Media cell

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Meet the Chugal Mughals!

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Great camaraderie amongst the lady-brigade of Jodha Akbar …

Round the clock shoot schedules and a rather long commute from Mumbai take their toll on the actors who’re a part of Zee TV’s historical magnum opus Jodha Akbar. However, the one thing that keeps them going is all the bonding and the fun they have as a team on the sets.

Creating a Whatsapp group by the name of ‘Chugal Mughals’ (gossip queens), the girls on the show have found a new way to stay connected and have fun. Keeping all the men out consciously, the girls are tight-lipped of all the talks that happen on the group. The camaraderie between Paridhi Sharma, Lavina Tandon and four other female co-actors on the sets is such that the six of them always manage to find a lighter moment or a private joke to chuckle over even on the most strenuous, hectic days.

Being the notorious one in the group, Lavina aka Rukaiya Begum is the admin of the group and ensures that she keeps the girls entertained at all times. Staying away from family due to their work, these girls have managed to make a family away from their families.

Talking about the group and all the fun these girls have on the sets, Jodha Begum aka Paridhi Sharma said, “We are a fun bunch of girls and it’s really nice that I’ve found like-minded people on the set. We actors shoot in trying situations, with little access to our loved ones and miss little things like having your family around during your meal time. The six of us make it a point to have lunch together and in fact ensure that the entire cast shares their meals. There are times, when we are shooting for intense episodes, and just one look at these mischievous girls makes me crack up and lighten the mood in general. I love these girls to bits and I hope that we stay the way we are – a mad bunch!”

Do not miss, Jodha Akbar, Monday – Friday at 8:00 PM, Only on Zee TV!

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100 Days Zero Score – Anemic Economy on Iron Folic Acid Dozes

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Ravinder Singh

presidentofindia@rb.nic.in manmohan@sansad.nic.in speakerloksabha@sansad.nic.insupremecourt@nic.in websitemhaweb@nic.in and 33 more…

Sep 2 at 11:59 PM

100 Days Zero Score – Anemic Economy on Iron Folic Acid Dozes

September02, 2014 (C) Ravinder Singh ravinderinvent@gmail.com

There was a film Song profusely used by BJP to hit ruling INC government ‘Sakhi Saiyan Toh Khoob Hi Kamaat Hain Mehangai Dayian Khaye Jaat Hai’, prices of essential Food Items has shot up in 100 days but wages or earnings of 90% Indians have not increased. Therefore microscopic increase in GDP from 5% to 5.7% actually means negative gain for 90% Indians.

‘Hamare PM 18 Ghante Kam Karen Par Desh Mein 60% Log Bhoke Soye Hain.’

PM working 18 hours a day will not benefit 99% of population unless there Productivity & Efficiency Increase in every sector, there is Just & Fair distribution of wealth and there is Technological Improvement in India Products leading to Exports. Government had totally failed so far and actually Going in Negative Direction.

Japanese Technology was desired in building 200,000 MW of Multipurpose Hydro Power Projects in 2-4 years than Lame Duck projects in 10-30 years at huge cost.

Similarly India required Solar PV, Nuclear Power, Battery, LEDs, Smart Phones, Railways in so many FRONTIER Technologies and collaborations.

It was IMPORTANT to have new Railway Technologies one or two notches higher than Bullet Train which shall be White Elephant.

Neglect of Inventors by Companies led to Collapse of Indian Manufacturing. It is not possible to Export High-tech Products Without Patents and R&D.

China’s RAPID growth phase started when it Started INVENTING and creating Improved and Economical products in last ten years.

CSIR 4500 Scientists Earned $3m Annually!!!

Way back in 1980 on the Basis of Award winning Inventions reported in Science Today concluded and reported to Indira Gandhi that CSIR is filing & promoting BOGUS PATENTS and for ten years told Sam Pitroda and petitioned to PM that Pitroda filed BOGUS patents and he doesn’t even know how to file a patent. IITians down load foreign research papers, which are nascent stage or embryonic stage of inventions, file Patents in their names which are WEIRD and useless besides Cheating & Fraud. All Brahamchari Patents were Bogus and useless.

http://innovationdemandsfreedom.com/pdf/report-on-CSIR-by-VA-Shiva.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva_Ayyadurai#CSIR_India_controversy

[CSIR, over its nearly 70-year history, had produced 2,500 patents across its 37 labs and nearly 4,500 scientists; however, it had generated less than 200 million dollars of revenue. Ayyadurai developed a strategy for such spin-offs and published the strategy and his positive and negative criticisms of CSIR. After submitting a draft report critical of the agency's leadership and organization, he was fired and given three days to vacate his accommodations. CSIR claims he was dismissed for "unprofessional conduct", while Ayyadurai claims he was dismissed for the critical report he prepared on CSIR’s governance.]

100 Days of Pushing Pulling and Shunting in NDA-II

FM wanted PSU banks hand over their equity to private companies but PM wants PSU Banks to expand to serve all the households who have no bank account.

Energy Minister wants to promote polluting Coal based power but PM assured Nepal to buy all the surplus power produced in Nepal but EM is only interested in Coal based – even if 200 million tones is to be imported. Solar power too is located in deserts and cost over Rs.25/- unit delivered when long term cost of Solar Power Rooftops is barely Rs.1 per unit. Energy Efficiency too is not supported by Corporate and not GOI priority.

Water Minister was busiest of all – Cleaning Ganga River at Varanasi is her sole passion but was told Ganga Basin has 100,000 MW Hydro, around 200 BCM of water storage, and 25 million hectare flood protection potential.

But after 100 busy days Map of Varanasi is delivered to Kyoto Mayor for Cleaning Varanasi City and Water Minister shall no longer lead Clean Ganga Mission.

Telecom Minister has proposed 5 times Larger Spending Program than UPA-II.

Broadband services are likely to be delayed as most of it is based on Wireless Technology and Wireless Technology needs SPECTRUM which is under Supreme Court monitoring.

DIPP is not RECLAIMING Shut Downed Factories that may avoid waste of Investing in New Green Field projects. Patent Office has been Crippled so High Skilled Engineers and Inventors can’t get IPR protection and research & Developed is crippled.

Agriculture is in crisis – large part of India is experiencing Drought this monsoon season but there is Drought Relief dispersed so far.

Price Rise has hit records – 5-6 Commodities retailed above Rs.100 per kg in Ahmadabad. Some states have Farmers Market but ruling party looks other side.

Conclusion – Anemic Economy on Iron Pills & Folic Acid Dozes

Ravinder Singh, Inventor & Consultant,

INNOVATIVE TECHNONLOGIES AND PROJECTS

Y-77, Hauz Khas, New Delhi-110016, India. Ph; 091- 9718280435, 9650421857

Ravinder Singh* is a WIPO awarded inventor specializing in Power, Transportation, Water, Energy Saving, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Technologies and Projects.

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USDA assists in improving soil and water quality in Lake Champlain

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Use of Passenger and Freight Rail Grows, Impacts Magnified:

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Worldwatch Institute

Sep 2 at 8:08 PM

PRESS RELEASE

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Contact: Gaelle Gourmelon, ggourmelon@worldwatch.org

For more information: Passenger and Freight Rail Trends Mixed, High-Speed Rail Growing

Use of Passenger and Freight Rail Grows, Impact Magnified

New Worldwatch Institute analysis examines global trends

and impacts of rail transport

Washington, D.C.—-According to the International Union of Railways, passenger and freight trains globally traveled 12.7 billion kilometers in 2013, up from 9.7 billion in 2001. This increased use of rail entails environmental and social benefits, but also some risks, writes Worldwatch Institute Senior Researcher Michael Renner in the Institute’s latest Vital Signs Online report.

In 2013, people traveled an estimated 2,865 billion passenger-kilometers by intercity rail. Freight rail movements amounted to some 9,789 billion ton-kilometers worldwide. The world’s rail vehicle stock ran to almost 3 million locomotives, railcars, and coaches.

Rail transport offers an energy-efficient way to move people and goods. Although different transportation modes are difficult to compare, available estimates indicate that rail transport generally requires less fuel than movement by road vehicles. In the United States, intercity rail in 2012 required 78 percent of the energy (2,481 British thermal units, or Btu) per passenger mile required by cars (3,193 Btu).

However, rail transport also brings challenges. Freight trains have long helped to maintain the resource-intensive global economy by moving raw materials from countries’ interiors to export terminals. And other negative impacts are growing with the expansion of rail transport.

Rail is being used increasingly to move oil, for example, causing dangers of spills and explosions. In 2013, train shipments resulted in 117 oil spills in the United States, representing a nearly 10-fold increase over 2008. This year, a derailment in the U.S. state of Virginia caused a spill of 114,000 liters (30,000 gallons) of crude oil into a river. In Quebec, Canada, a derailment in 2013 led to an explosion that killed 47 people.

Improved energy efficiencies and other smart choices can help to maximize positive impacts as rail systems grow. Electrification of rail lines, for example, offers a number of advantages, including higher energy efficiency. Worldwide, 28 percent of rail lines are electrified, but the percentage varies enormously among individual countries-from as high as 100 percent of rail lines in Switzerland to as low as 2 percent in Indonesia.

The energy efficiency of freight rail vehicles has also increased massively, reducing by more than half the amount of energy required to haul one ton of freight over one kilometer (from 1,112 Btu in 1970 to 473 Btu in 2012 in the United States) as vehicle capacity increases.

Country and Regional Highlights from the Report:

Three quarters of all passenger-kilometers by rail are traveled in Asia and Oceania.Europe‘s share has declined from 31 percent to 22 percent, while the Americas andAfrica play minor roles.
In freight rail, Asia and Oceania accounts for close to 37 percent of all ton-kilometers, followed by the Americas (33 percent) and Europe (29 percent). Africa, however, has only 1.4 percent.
The United States is second worldwide in freight rail tonnage, but has only limited passenger rail traffic. Japan–the undisputed leader in number of passengers transported–has small amounts of freight tonnage.
Japan and France were the top countries in high-speed rail until recently, but China has built the world’s most extensive network of high-speed lines and grabbed the lead in 2013. High-speed trains now account for 12.5 percent of all passenger rail travel, up from 7.3 percent in 2004.

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Qatar Rail promotes further opportunities within rail tunneling projects

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Qatar Rail promotes further opportunities within rail tunnelling projects

Jamie, Middle East rail 2015

Today at 10:38 AM

If you have trouble viewing this email, read the online version

Dear N.K,

As the Middle East’s trade links have increased, so has the demand for more efficient transportation networks involving tunnels.

Sa’ad Al Muhanadi, CEO of Qatar Rail, has given an overview of the 14-year plan for the construction of Qatar Metro’s complex tunnel design and implementation plans as part of the $38 billion integrated rail project: 125km in length, four lines and 102 stations.

Companies from the following profiles are needed to support regional rail tunnel projects:

Tunneling equipment
Communications/IT
Tunneling boring machines
Maintenance
Engineering/construction
And more…

Want to access these tunnelling projects?

Middle East Rail is the region’s largest rail and tunnelling exhibition attracting government, rail operators, transport authorities and world-class solution providers.

Download sponsorship brochure for more information

As tunnels become more prolific in the region’s rail projects, the 9th annual Middle East Rail event is ideally positioned for buyers, sellers and tunnel experts to learn and do business.

View floorplan and exhibition space available

Enquire now about your tailor-made package. Contact Jamie Hosie at Jamie.hosie@terrapinn.com or +97144402501.

Jamie Hosie
Project Director
Middle East Rail 2015