D. Raja upset with PM’s statement on coal blocks

New Delhi, Aug 28 (ANI): Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D. Raja on Tuesday expressed disappointment over Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s statement on coal blocks allocation issue, and said that the former should admit who should be held responsible for such a huge loot. Raja said the Prime Minister’s statement is just a […]

New Delhi, Aug 28 (ANI): Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D. Raja on Tuesday expressed disappointment over Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s statement on coal blocks allocation issue, and said that the former should admit who should be held responsible for such a huge loot.
Raja said the Prime Minister’s statement is just a cover up and doesn’t answer to several questions.
“The CAG has said it clearly, the natural resources were looted, private companies have gained to the tune of 1.86 lakh cores.
The Prime Minister on one hand says I take full responsibility, but the next sentence the Prime Minister says that the allegations are false. Then he goes on to question the CAG, the calculations can be disputed. Then he goes on to blame all state governments,” said Raja.
“So, somewhere down the line, some accountability has to be fixed, responsibility has to be fixed. The Prime Minister should admit who should be held responsible and accountable for such a huge loot, plunder of our natural resources,” he added.
Raja further accused the ruling Congress Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of adopting a rigid attitude and not allowing the Parliament to function smoothly.
“There is stalemate. To run the Parliament is the primary responsibility of the government. It is also the equal responsibility of the principal opposition party. Both are taking rigid stands,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla said the government is trying its best to end the deadlock in Parliament.
” Both Speaker of the Lok Sabha and chairman (presiding officer of the Rajya Sabha) are trying. But it seems that the BJP has decided not to let Parliament function. They are running away from discussion. They are running away from debate because their chief ministers are involved,” he said.
Proceedings in both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the sixth day today on the coal blocks allocation issue.
Prime Minister Dr. Singh, who is facing sharp criticism from the opposition over the CAG report on coal block allocations, earlier on Monday said that his ‘silence is better than a thousand answers, as it keeps intact the honour of innumerable questions’
“Hazaron jawabo se achchi hai khamoshi meri, na jaane kitne sawalo ki aabru rakhe,” said Dr. Singh, asserting this has been his ‘general attitude’.
“It has been my general practice not to respond to motivated criticism directed personally at me,” he added
The Prime Minister also rejected the CAG’s observations as ‘misleading’ and ‘flawed’, and blamed the opposition parties for thwarting the efforts of his government to bring a policy of competitive bidding.
Dr. Singh, who spoke both inside Parliament as well as outside, took ‘full responsibility’ for the decisions taken by the Coal Ministry whose charge he directly held for some time and asserted that at ‘any allegation of impropriety is without any basis and unsupported by facts’.
The BJP has held the Prime Minister, who then held direct charge of the coal ministry, responsible for what has been estimated as a notional loss of Rs 1.86 lakh crores by the CAG in coal block allocations, and demanded his resignation.
The CAG report on coal block allocations states that nearly 150 coalfields were allotted to private and state-run firms without transparency and objectivity between 2005 and 2009.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/d-raja-upset-with-pms-statement-on-coal-blocks/

Agripreneurs and Producer Organizations

Dr. K. Parameswaran, Assistant Director, PIB, Madurai. The concept of an “Agripreneur” is slowly gaining ground in the agriculture sector in the country. The term entrepreneur is quite familiar; so is the term agriculturist. The agripreneur is one who plays the role of an entrepreneur in the field of agriculture.The National Bank for Agriculture and […]

Dr. K. Parameswaran, Assistant Director, PIB, Madurai.
The concept of an “Agripreneur” is slowly gaining ground in the agriculture sector in the country. The term entrepreneur is quite familiar; so is the term agriculturist. The agripreneur is one who plays the role of an entrepreneur in the field of agriculture.The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural development (NABARD) is in the fore front of pioneering this concept. Its Assistant General Manager at Madurai, Sankar Narayan says that NABARD is actively working with farmers federations in Usilampatti and Chellampatti to transform agriculturists into agripreneurs.
Producer Organizations
NABARD has floated another concept also called Producers Organizations, as a first step towards the realization of changing farmers into agricultural entrepreneurs or agripreneurs.
A producer organization comprises of a group of producers who have joined hands for the purpose of either agricultural or non agricultural activities. NABARD has specified that it should be a registered legal body. It has also been specified that only actual producers – especially farmers – should be shareholders in the organization.
NABARD will extend support to the producers’ organizations by providing term loan and working capital, support to capacity building and help in the creation of marketing linkages. Support in terms of loan and grant is available to any registered producer company, cooperatives, registered farmers federations, etc. Under the Financial Intervention schemes of the Government, NABARD will also provide loans directly to the producer organizations. These loans can either be term loans or composite loans comprising of both working capital and term loan requirements.
Since many of these newly formed producer organizations may not be very familiar with processes and procedures of availing loans, subsidies etc., and since many of them may lack the soft skills to become a full fledged Agripreneur, NABARD will also extend grant support for need based skill building, guide business planning and support technological extension through classroom training, exposure visits, agricultural university tie ups, expert meetings, etc., For marketing efforts of the producer organization, NABARD will provide assistance for setting up of marketing infrastructure facilities for sale of produce.
PODF
An Organization Development Fund – a dedicated fund by the name ‘Producers Organization Development Fund (PODF) – has also been set up in this connection by NABARD. The main purpose of this fund is to support comprehensively the various producer organizations in different forms across the country.As Sankar Narayan explains “farmers have not only to adopt latest technological practices, but they should also have access to all the necessary resources. For instance, they should collectively source inputs, own farm implements and give out on hire to fellow farmers and even sell their produce collectively so that they command the best price. All this requires unity and mobilization for which NABARD encourages formation of farmers clubs, joint liability groups and farmers club federations – all of which can eventually take the shape of producer organizations. S.Natarajan, DGM, NABARD, Madurai said that farmers’ federations and NGOs functioning in a transparent manner should take advantage of the support available for producers’ organizations. When the entire farming community is craving for better farm income, this concept will help in empowering them and give them the crucial hold on pricing decisions. However, professional functioning will be a key factor, when the organisations are assessed for support by NABARD. With flexible interest rates and support for capacity building, this product from NABARD will be a win-win.
Views from Some Producers Organizations
Banana Ripening Chambers for the banana growers of Varadarajapuram, Tiruchi, Coffee growers in Dindigul, Drip Irrigation in Tirunelveli Cotton ginning in Ramanathapuram etc. are some of the examples of producers organizations that are on the way to becoming very good agripreneurs.
Perumal from the OPR Federation in Tirunelveli says that “support from NABARD has helped us cover our entire village under the novel DRIP irrigation technology and thereby survive on scarce water. This support also helped us to bring in convergence in the form of subsidy support from the horticulture and other departments.Kanakama and Krishnaveni from Dindugul say confidently that the concept of agripreneurs is indeed a workable and practical one. They have pointed out that even woman’s self help groups have been able to maximize their income in a more efficient manner through the networking with various producers’ organizations. (PIB Features.)

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/agripreneurs-and-producer-organizations/

India’s Gems & Jewellery Industry: A Dazzling Success Story

PIB Mumbai Feature. India’s gems and jewellery industry is a bright star of the economy, and one of the important foundations of the country’s export-led growth. It is a leading foreign exchange earner and one of the fastest growing sectors, which accounted for 14 per cent of India’s total merchandise exports during FY 2011-12. The […]

PIB Mumbai Feature.
India’s gems and jewellery industry is a bright star of the economy, and one of the important foundations of the country’s export-led growth. It is a leading foreign exchange earner and one of the fastest growing sectors, which accounted for 14 per cent of India’s total merchandise exports during FY 2011-12. The industry has registered a remarkable growth over the last four decades, with exports growing from US$ 28 million in 1966-67 when the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council ( GJEPC) was established, to US$ 42.84 billion in FY 2011-12.
Diamonds account for 54 per cent of the total export basket of the industry, with gold jewellery contributing 38 per cent and coloured gemstones and others contributing 1 per cent each, whereas rough diamond contributes 4 per cent of the total share. The industry is a truly global one, with both suppliers and buyers from many different countries.
The UAE ( 44 per cent), Hong Kong ( 25 per cent) and USA ( 12 per cent) are among the major buyers, while Belgium, which accounts for 21.55 per cent of all imports of raw materials, is by far the major supplier.Diamonds : Undisputed Leadership A major contributor to the creditable performance of the industry is the massive diamond manufacturing sector, which employs nearly one million people across the country. India exported cut and polished diamonds worth US$ 23.30 billion in 2011-12.
The industry has grown from its small origins in the ‘50s and has established itself as the world’s largest manufacturing centre of cut and polished diamonds for the last many years, contributing 60 per cent of the world’s supply in terms of value, 85 per cent in terms of volume. Eleven out of every 12 diamonds set in jewellery worldwide, are processed in India, mainly around Mumbai, Surat and Jaipur. This feat has been possible due to various factors.
At the forefront is the skill of the Indian artisan. The relentless efforts of Indian entrepreneurs, who took on the daunting task of setting up this industry, has contributed to its growth in no small measure. Indian diamantaires have gone on to create a marketing network worldwide, which is truly mind-boggling. Added to this is the strong financial base of the industry and support of financial institutions of the country.
Today, after creating a niche for itself in the diamond world with small diamonds, India is developing skills for cutting and polishing larger stones and fancy cuts. Indian diamond polishing factories are on a par with the world’s best and are at the cutting edge of technology using laser machines, computerized yield planning machines, advanced bruiting lathes, etc.
Jewellery: Brilliant Impact
In the recent past, it is in the jewellery sector that India has made a brilliant impact, emerging as the fastest growing jewellery exporter in the world, averaging a growth of nearly 15-20 per cent each year over the last decade. Exports of gold jewellery in 2011-12 touched US$ 16.5 billion from just US$ 486 million in 1994-95.
However, the development of the branded jewellery segment is still in its rudimentary stage, mainly because the traditional jewellery has been dominated by home grown retail enterprises or the concept of the family jeweller.
The Hall Marking of jewellery introduced by the Bureau of Indian Standards to institutionalize global bench marking in quality assurance and to prevent against frauds will go a long way in building a reliable Brand India.
A few Indian jewellery brands are marking their global footprints, having entrenched themselves in the domestic market.
The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council
The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council, set up by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in 1966, has played a significant role in the evolution of the industry to its present stature by effectively moulding the scattered efforts of individual exporters into a powerful engine driving the country’s export-led growth. Today, the Council has 5,300 members spread all over the country.
The Council undertakes direct promotional activities such as organizing joint participation in international jewellery shows, sending and hosting trade delegations, and sustained image building exercise through advertisements abroad, publications, audio visuals/corporate literature, members’ directory, etc.
It also directly aids intra-regional investments by encouraging co-operation and joint ventures in jewellery manufacturing, especially in the various EPZs/SEZs created by the Ministry of Commerce which offer special facilities for Foreign Direct Investments in Jewellery units through foreign collaborations and partnerships.
The Government, recognizing the the inherent strengths of this sector in terms of its employability potential has taken major initiatives to strengthen institutional linkages. Enhancing the skill levels of the workers commensurate with the requirement of the industry tops the agenda and two such centres are being set up at Domjur in West
Bengal and Khambat in Gujarat.
The Government is also encouraging global partnerships and collaborative ventures for adopting a diversified approach in the jewellery sector. A collaboration with the Antwerp World Diamond Centre has also been sought to strengthen skills in diamond and gem stones grading, certification, research and development, cutting and polishing and setting up state-of-the –art training centres in India.
India International Jewellery Week & India International Jewellery Show
The Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council, in its endeavour to promote India as the “Innovation & Design Destination” for jewellery, presents the India International Jewellery week (IIJW). It is a five day extravaganza of 32 shows brought together major jewellery designers of India. IIJW is an initiative to showcase India’s finest in jewellery, be it design or innovation supported by top of the line craftsmanship, technology and quality, to customers around the globe.
The Jewellery week is followed by the India International Jewellery Show, which has grown significantly to become the second largest Jewellery Expo in the Asia –Pacific region.
It has acquired the reputation of being the most prominent sourcing show in India, evincing great participation from exhibiters, exporters, buyers and trade visitors.
The 29th edition of the India International Jewellery Show, which was inaugurated by the Union Minister for Commerce & Industry, Mr.Anand Sharma on August 23, has attracted participation of over 800 exhibitors with 1800 stalls, with exclusive country pavilions of Thailand, Israel, Turkey, Belgium and UAE.
The India International Jewellery Show represents an amalgam of the ingenuity of handcraft, skill, technology, innovation and creativity of our brilliant minds truly making India.

The global market for Gems and Jewellery today is over USD 100 billion with jewellery manufacturing dominated by a handful of countries, namely- Italy, China, Thailand, USA and India. Although India is the global factory of cutting and polishing diamonds, the trading hubs are located in the bye lanes of Antwerp and Belgium where this trade is shared by Jews and Gujarati’s. The setting up of the Diamond Bourse in Mumbai –amongst the largest bourses in the world, at par with international standards is expected to ensure India’s strategic shift as a leading diamond trading market in Asia. The vision is to make India the Global Jewellery Hub and world’s one stop destination for diamonds, gems, gold and jewellery, in the years to come.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/indias-gems-jewellery-industry-a-dazzling-success-story/

Hail them they know how to strengthen sports movement

These days we hear the story of success and of accomplishing mission. Rs 20,00000 to Kothajit should be seen as giving impetus to development of sports. Finding a berth in the national team for participation in the Olympic Games is not a mean achievement. He had got what he deserved. The question whether an extra […]

These days we hear the story of success and of accomplishing mission. Rs 20,00000 to Kothajit should be seen as giving impetus to development of sports. Finding a berth in the national team for participation in the Olympic Games is not a mean achievement. He had got what he deserved. The question whether an extra player should be treated as an Olympian or not had been settled. He is an Olympian that had been proved by the gesture shown to him by the state Government. When four other Olympians were honoured by the state Government he was excluded. That was a mistake for which the Chief Minister himself had offered apology. The officials of the concerned department were ill-advised when they decided not to include Kothajit in the list of Olympians. That was one mistake not to be committed again. By honouring the Olympians we encourage the budding talents to emulate with the performance of these successful sports stars. We are confident in future Manipuris will win more and more medals be in Olympic Games or other international level meet. This confidence is derived from the wonderful performance shown by the sports stars of the state. Devendro missed the glittering medal by sheer luck in London Olympic having been deprived of some points for a fault committed in the second round. But he could garner eight against six points in the last round revealed he had more fights in his hand. Like a true fighter he revealed after the end of Olympic that he could not talk to anybody for six days after his dismal fight. Perhaps he was in the dark not finding the clue as to why he lost. Devendro knew he could beat the rival easily. But luck did not favour him that day. He is still too young. He is now experienced. In the Rio Olympic he will be the true champion with the yellowish medal adorning his neck. That however is little far off. So he will concentrate in other international level meet like Asian Games and Commonwealth games. The stories of heroic performance by these sports stars invigorate in our blood the sense of belongingness to the state in particular and the nation as a whole. Understanding the role played by sports stars in instilling the sense of belongingness to the nation the Governments both at the centre and the state should continue to play a great role to bring the youths to the national mainstream. It could be done by taking up policies and programmes to drag the youths to sports. No stone should be left unturned to see to it that almost all the youths are dragged to this field. By encouraging sports movement two goals are achieved. The youths will be desisted from taking up arms and drugs. Focus should be paid on talent search. Young lad who would have done wonderful in boxing arena remains as street fighter. Likewise youths who would have done well in medium distance race end up driving rickshaw. Patience and endurance are the hallmark of success in games and sports. A defeat in one event should not be taken as lifetime defeat. Hail Manipur Government for giving financial help to sports stars.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/hail-them-they-know-how-to-strengthen-sports-movement/