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Important Facts
Important point of Energy Security
With the domestically available uranium and without any additional import beyond
Kundankulam I and II lants under construction we can set up no more than 48,000 MW of nuclear
plants by 2031 and only about 2,08,000 MW by 2051. With additional import of 30,000 MW of
uranium based plants by 2020, we can reach 4,70,000 MW of nuclear capacity by 2050 if the three-
stage programme is fully developed.
Since India is short of Uranium, the first phase plants cannot exceed 10,000 MW unless imported
uranium is available.
Facts Regarding Energy Security
• Some 600 million Indians do not have access to electricity and about 700 million Indians use
biomass as their primary energy resource for cooking and ensuring life line.
• A sustained economic growth of at least 9 Percent over the next 25 years is necessary for India
need to eradicate poverty and meet its larger human development goals.
Guiding principles of the integrated energy policy:
• Energy markets should be competitive wherever possible for economic efficiency and for
promoting optimal investment in energy.
• Given the need to expand supplies of energy public sector investment in energy must be
supplemented by private investors.
• Subsidies are relevant but they must be transparent and targeted. Consideration should be given
to alternative means of achieving the social objectives sought to be achieved by energy
subsidies, through different methods including direct transfers to eligible households.
• Energy efficiency is extremely important and can be promoted by setting appropriate prices and
this is particularly important where energy prices are rising.
• Public Sector Undertakings operating in the energy sector must operate with autonomy and also
full accountability to ensure incentives for adequate investment through their own "resources
and improvements in efficiency in energy production and distribution.
• For the second stage of India nuclear programme, India has already developed fast breeder
reactors and a 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is under construction at
Kalpakam. It is expected to attain critically in 2011.
Growth in India's energy demand:
• Various projections indicate that by 2031, India's energy requirements may increase to about 5
to 7 times at of 2001 levels. The Integrated energy Policy report brought out by the Planning
Commission estimates that in an 8% GDP growth scenario, India's total commercial energy
requirements would be in the range of 1514 mtoe (million tonnes of oil equivalent) to 1856
mtoe by 2031 under alternative scenarios (Planning Commission, 2006)
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• TERI estimates indicate an import dependency of 78% for coal. 91% for oil and 34% for gas by
year 2031 with current estimates future availability of indigenous energy.
Lighting A Billion Lives
• Over 1.6 6illion people in the world lac access to electricity; roughly 25% are in India alone.
• Recognizing the need to change the existing scenario, TERI, with its version to work for global
sustainable development and its commitment towards creating innovative solutions for a better
tomorrow, has undertaken an initiative of Lighting a Billion Lives' (LaBL) through the use of
solar lighting devices.
• The Campaign aims to bring light into the live of one billion rural people by replacing the
kerosene and paraffin lanterns with solar lighting devices. This wife facilitate education of
children; provide better illumination and kerosene smoke –free environment for environment
for women to do household chores; and provide opportunities for livelihoods both at the
individual revel and at village level .
The RGGVY was launched in 2005 with the following goals.
(a) Provide access to electricity to remaining un-electrified households.
(b) Electrification of about 1.15 lakh un-electrified villages.
(c) Free electricity connection to 2.34 Below Poverty Household (BPL)
The target year of achieving these targets is 2009 and under this scheme capital subsidy was
given on basis of 90% grants and 10% loan. Rs. 33000 crore as capital subsidy would be
provided by Government of India for projects.
BIOFUELS In India
• Biofuel , or fuel derived from non-fossil plant sources is being seen today as a cleaner
alternative to diesel. Biofuel development in India centers mainly around the cultivation and
processing of Jatropha plant seeds to give biodiesel and producing ethanol from sugarcane.
Ethanol can be blended with petrol for automobiles. Similarly, bio-diesel can be blended with
high speed diesel for transport vehicles, generators, railway engines, irrigation pumps, etc.
Large volumes of such oils can also substitute imported oil for making soap. In its National
Biofuel Policy the Government of India has set a target of a minimum 20 per cent ethanol-
blended petrol and diesel across the country by 2017. Bio-diesel plantations would be
encouraged only on waste community / government / forest lands, and not on fertile land.
Minimum Support Price (MSP) would be announced to provide fair price to the growers.
Minimum Purchase Price (MPP) for the purchase of bio-ethanol by the Oil Marketing
Companies (OMCs) would be based on the actual cost of production and import price of bio-
ethanol. In case of bio-diesel, the MPP would be linked to the prevailing retail diesel price. The
National Biofuel Policy also envisages bringing bio-diesel and bio-ethanol under the ambit of
"Declared Goods" by the Government to ensure their unrestricted movement.
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• This is equivalent to offsetting 100% emissions from all energy in residential and transport
sectors; or 40% of total emissions from the agriculture sector. Clearly, India's forest and tree
cover is serving as a major mode of carbon mitigation for India and the world.
Carbon Stocks in the Future:-
• India is one of the few developing countries in the world that is making a net addition to its
forest and tree cover over the last two decades. Based on actual and projected trends of
investments in the forestry sector, we present three scenarios of the future carbon stocks in the
forest and tree cover of India.
• In the first scenario, the carbon stocks in India's forest and tree cover decrease at the rate of the
world average and the total carbon stored in India's forests in 2015 will decrease to 6,504 mt.
• In the second scenario, the carbon stocks continue to increase at the historical rate of the last
decade (0.6% p.a.). And the total carbon stored in India's forests in 2015 will increase to 6,998
mt.
• In the third scenario, the carbon stocks increase at a rate higher than the historical rate of
increase and the total carbon stored in 2015 will increase to 7,283 mt. This is the path that we
intend to tread in India.
• Computations for the third scenario are based on a series policy initiatives on Sustainable
Management of Forests (SMF) and A forestation and Reforestation (A&R), additional resources
like Forest Restitution Fund5 with US$ 2.5b , a policy to include forestry related activities in
the flagship employment scheme of the country and introducing new forestry related schemes
on components such as capacity building in the forestry sector ..
Value of Mitigation
• Putting a conservative value of US$ 5 per tonne of CO2 locked in our forests; this huge sink of
about 24,000 mt of CO2 is worth US$ 120b, or Rs 6, 00,000 crores. Incremental carbon under
scenario three will add a value of around US$ 1.2b, or Rs 6,000 cores every year to India's
treasury of forest sink, assuming a value of US$ 7 per tonne.
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13. 3rd largest producer of edible oilseeds (25 million tones), accounting for nearly 7% of the
global oilseed production
14. Largest livestock population
15. India produces 6.3 million tones offish (3rd largest in the world) Meat production is estimated
at 2.3 million tones.
Progress under the national horticulture Mission
• Between 2005-06 to 2009-10, 2199 new nurseries were setup, additional area of about 16.56
lakh hectares was brought under new gardens of various horticultural crops and 2.78 lakh
hectare of old and senile orchards was rejuvenated under the national Horticulture Mission. An
area of 1.37 lakh hectare was covered under organic farming. Integrated Nutrient Management
(INM) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) were adopted in an area of 7.48 lakh hectares
apart from setting up of 307 INM/IPM infrastructure which include 66 disease forecasting units,
78 bio control labs, 95 plant health clinics and 68 leaf/tissue analysis labs. Under Post Harvest
Management Component, funds have been provided for setting up of 1328 pack houses, 343
cold storage units, 5 CA storage, 30 refrigerated vans, and 346 mobile/primary processing units.
To ensure proper handling and marketing of horticulture produce, funds have been provided for
setting up 32 whole sale markets and 298 rural markets. 7.74lakh farmers have been trained
under various horticultural activities.
• A web enabled progress monitoring system has been put in place to monitor progress under
NHM on monthly basis. The system enables online uploading of physical and financial progress
for each of the activities approved for implementation as per the Annual Action Plan at the state
level as well as at the district level on the NHM web site. The System also facilitates the
generation of different types of reports at national, state and district levels for the purpose of
analysis and review.
• AGRICULTURE in India still accounts for 52% of employment .12 % of national export and
17.8% of GDP.
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the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education is 26.7%, the average of the developed countries
is 57.7% and that of the developing countries is 13%. Thus, many more universities and
colleges will need to be opened to improve the Gross Enrolment Ratio to a respectable level.
• In case the GER in higher education is to increase to 30% by 2020, either the capacity of
existing institutions has to be increased by approximately 200% or the number of institutions
has to be increased additionally by double the number of existing institutions
• The Yashpal Committee and also the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) have dealt with
various issues affecting the higher education system in the country and both have suggested
definite framework for improvement by way of institutional as well as policy reforms. One of
the main suggestions is establishment of an overarching regulatory body, namely National
Commission on Higher Education and Research, which would subsume the functions of
existing regulatory institutions like University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council
for Technical Education (AICTE) and National Council for Teacher's Training.
• Based on the recommendations and suggestions of the YCR and NKC, the central government
has initiated the process for (i) establishment of educational tribunals; (ii) to provide for
prohibition of certain unfair practices in technical and medical educational institutions and
universities, (iii) to provide for mandatory accreditation of higher educational institutions and to
create a regulatory authority for the purpose and (iv) to provide for regulation of entry and
operation of foreign educational institutions. In addition, a Task Force constituted by the
Ministry of Human Resource Development has developed a framework for the establishment of
National Commission for Higher Education and Research
• Indian economy in terms of purchasing power parity with an equivalent GDP of US$ 3.666
trillion is the fourth largest economy in the world after USA, China and Japan. In US Dollar
Terms, it is the twelfth largest in the world, with a GDP of US $719.8 billion.
• The Indian economy is expected to expected to grow with more than or about five percent
growth till 2050 as projected by BRIC Report (2003).
• According to the Eleventh Five Year Plan Document, only 2% of existing workforce in India
has skill training, while the corresponding figures are 96%, 80% and 75% respectively for
Korea, Japan and Germany.
• As per the 2001 census India has a BPL population of roughly 260 million and 300 million
school dropouts in the age bracket of 6 to 16.
• In this country with the youngest population, nearly 13 million people enter the market every
year.
Initiatives taken by the government of India:-
Coordinated Action on Skill Development:-
• Coordinated Action on Skill Development is the major initiative for achieving 11 the Plan
objective of inclusive growth through coordination and harmonization of skill development
initiatives of different players. The action aims at creation of a pool of skilled manpower with
adequate skills that meet the employment requirement across various sectors of the l1ational
economy.
The main functions of the Council are:-
• To lay down overall policy objectives, financing and governance models and strategies relating
to skill development.
• To review the progress of schemes, and guide on midcourse corrections, additions and closure
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US dollars in 2008. A sector that is perhaps the fastest growing tourism sector in the world
sector that accounts for 5.92 % of India's GDP, provides employment to 49.8 million of her
people and has the potential to bring prosperity to rural and backward areas.
2. India has over 150000 medical tourists each year and this figure is rising at a high pace.
Currently, the medical tourism market in India is estimated to be worth over US$ 300 million
with approximately. 170,000 foreign patients coming in every year. The reports estimating that
medical tourist to India are growing by 30 per cent a year. This industry is enjoy such a massive
vacation with elective or plastic growth that it is moving into a new area of "medical
outsourcing”.
3. In a developing country like India, alternative medications like Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha
and Homeopathy have an important role to play in alleviating diseases both chronic and acute
Inflation Basics:-
Inflation may be caused due to several economic factors:
• When the government of a country prints money in excess, prices increase as there is too much
money in circulation chasing too few goods.
• Increase in production and labor costs have a direct impact on the price of the final product,
resulting in inflation.
• When countries borrow money they have to cope with the interest burden. This interest burden
may result in inflation.
• High taxes on consumer products can also lead to inflation.
• Demand pull inflation is when the economy demands more goods and services than what is
produced.
• Cost push inflation or supply shock inflation is when non availability of a commodity would
lead to increase in prices.
The problems due to inflation would be:
• When the balance between supply and demand goes out of control, consumers could change
their buying habits forcing manufacturers to cut down production.
• Inflation can create major problems in the economy. Price increase can worsen poverty,
affecting low income household,
• Inflation creates economic uncertainty and is a dampener to the investment climate, slowing
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• Even after years of work on Ganga and Yamuna Action Plans, and crores of rupees spent, we
have not managed to clean up these rivers.
• The average annual rainfall in the country has been estimated about 1170 millimeters (mm).
This, along with the, total snowfall and glacier melt in terms of Volume works out to about 4000
bil1ion cubic meters (bcm). However due to losses through evaporation and evapo-
transpiration, the water availability in the country has been assessed to be about 1869 bcm.
• Even this available water cannot be fully utilized due to topographical constrainta and
hydrological features and utilizable water has been estimated to be about 1123 bcm comprising
of 690 bcm of surface water and 433 bcm of replenishable ground water.
Irrigation:-
• Only about 62 million hectare (mha) or about 44% of the cropped area in the country is
reporteed as irrgated todya
Drinking water supply:
• The access to safe drinking water sources in urban areas of India was about 90% in the year
1990 and 93 % in the year 2000 and this has improved ed to about % by the year 200 ' n rural
India access to safe drinking water sources has increased from about 58% in 1990 to about 73%
in the year 2008
Hydropower:-
• India is endowed with estimated hydropower potential of more. Than 1500 mega watts.
However, only about 21 % of the potential been developed so far and a further 10% being
developed.
Flood Management:-
• The total flood prone area in the country has been estimated to be about 46 million hectares.
• A network of 175 flood forecast station is also maintained which provide reasonably accurate
forecast to help in warning and advance actions to reduce the damages from incoming flood.
Challenges in Water Sector:-
• The per capita availability of water in 1951 was assessed to be 5177 cubic meter. Due to
increase in population, urbanization and industrialization this has come down to about 1650
cubic meter.
The five goals identified for the National Water Mission are:-
• Comprehensive data base in public domain and assessment of impact of climate change on
water resources.
• Promotion of citizen and state action for water conservation and augmentation.
• Focused attention to vulnerable areas including over-exploited areas.
• Increasing water use efficiency by 20%;
• Promotion of basin level integrated water resources management.
• The Ministry of Water Resources has taken up the development of a web-enabled Water
Resources Information System in cooperation with the National Remote Sensing Centre of
Department of Space
Improved Management:-
• 13th Finance Commossion has provided special water sector management grant of RS 5000
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crore for four years i.e., from 2011-12 to 2014-15, which is subject to setting up of a Regulatory
Autority and avhieved the normatively assessed state-specific recovery of water chages.
Improving the efficiency of the Water facilites:-
• The National Commission for Integrated Water Resources Development has assessed that
irrigation efficiencies from surface water in India can be improved from the present level of 35
to 40% to about 65% to about 75%. With the improvement in efficiency – both through
efficient end water use as well as by improving the efficiency of facilities created for irrigation.
Two Scheme Of RRR Of Water Bodies Approved
• Two state sector schemes for Repair, Renovation and Restoration RRR) of water body have
been approved by the government of India, the first one with external assistance with an outlay
of Rs. 1500 crore and another with domestic support with an outlay of RS. 1250 core for
implementation during the XI Plan period.
• Under the scheme with external assistance, the Union Government provides central assistance
to the extent of 25% of the project cost whereas 75% state share is to be borrowed from the
World bank by the concerned states)
The main objectives of the scheme are:
I. Comprehensive Improvement of water bodies including restoration.
II. Improvement of catchments area of water bodies.'
III. Community participation and self-supporting system for sustainable management for water
bodies covered by the program.
IV. Ground Water Recharge.
V. Increase in storage capacity of water bodies.
VI. Improvement in agriculture/horticulture productivity.
VII. Environmental benefits through improved water use efficiency.
VIII. Irrigation benefits through restoration of water bodies
IX. (X) Promotion of conjunctive use of surface and ground water/
X. (XI) Development of tourism, cultural activities, etc.
XI. (XII) Increased availability of drinking water.
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He used zya for sine, kotizya for cosine, and otkram zya for inverse sine, and also introduced
the versine.
• The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas numbers as big as 10
to the power of 53 with specific names were used in ancient India.
• The Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were .developed in India in 1 00 B.C.
The Peace Loving Country
• India never invaded any in her last 1000 years of history.India provides safety for more than
300,000 refugees originally from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who
escaped to flee religious and political persecution.
Iindia's Sporting Spirit
• The game of Snakes & Ladders was create in Industry the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It
was originally called 'Mokshapat'. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes
indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. In time, the game
underwent several modifications, but its meaning remained the same, i.e. good deeds take
people to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births. It is also widely believed that some forms of
Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries. Yoga
has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.
Challenges To India,s Democracy
Divisive tendencies:-
• In a country of over a billion people, Indian nationalism has for long survived the divisive
tendencies of caste, crass, religion and languages. But recent past growing violence in the name
of religion and sub nationalism has posed a great threat to the smooth functioning democracy in
India.
Extremism:-
• There is an organized attempt by forces inimical to freedom and peace in our region to destroy
Indian democracy by striking at the every roots of our nationhood. Over a period of time there
has been a systematic effort to spread communal disharmony and conflict in India
• Unemployment The employment growth in organized sector, public and private combined has
declined during the period between and 2006 and the situation has got aggravated during the
last year due to the global financial crisis.
Regionalism:-
• This is the main weakness of Indian democracy today. A large part of the Indian politics has
been reduced to 'Identity politics, be it caste, religious or regional identities, ~ and this brings
divisive forces to play.
Illiteracy:-
• Literacy in India, says UNESCO, is an indispensable means for effective social and economic
participation, contributing to human development and poverty India is one of the countries
(along with the Arab states and sub-Saharan Africa) where the literacy levels are still below the
threshold level of75% hut gigantic efforts a on to achieve that level. Without literate and well
inform 'Citizens, no democracy can be participative in the true sense.
Corruption and nepotism:-
This is another major problem in our country today. Many of us have simply accepted it as sad
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reality. But unless we are able to fight corruption, the benefits of development can never be
shared equitably and democratically.
Important Persons Who Drafted Our Constitution
Some names feature prominently when we talk about the framers of our Constitution. There are others
who may not be remembered as widely, but their contribution to the entire process was immense. A
brief on some such personalities:
• K M Munshi: Was one of the most prominent members of the Assembly. He was a member of
several committees including the rules, steering and advisory committees. Went on to become a
minister in the government and then the governor of UP.
• M A Ayyangar: A prominent member of the steering committee. Went on to become the
speaker of the Lok Sabha.
• N Gopalswami Ayyangar: A member of the rules, business, drafting and several other
committees
• Benegal Narsing Rau: Not a member of the Assembly, he assisted the assembly with his
knowledge and erudition and also enabled the other members to perform their duties with
thoroughness and intelligence by supplying them with the material on which they could work.'
He represented India at the United Nations.
• N Madhava Rau: Was a member of the drafting committee.
• Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar: A was a member of the rules, drafting, union powers and several
other committees. I
• Jairamdas Daulatram: Was a member of the advisory, union subjects, and provincial
constitution committees. Went on to become the governor of Assam.
• Shankarrao Dattatraya Deo: Was a member of the minorities, and the fundamental rights sub-
committees; besides, he actively participated in several other advisory committees.
• Shrimati G Durgabai: Was a member of the steering and rules committees.
• TT Krishnamachari: Was a member of the drafting committee. A businessman who went on to
become a minister in the government.
• H C Mookerjee: Was vice-president of the assembly and member of the minority rights
subcommittee and provincial constitution committee. Went on to become governor of Bengal.
• Saiyad Mohammed Saadulla: Was a member of the steering and drafting committees.
• Satyanarayan Sinha: Was a member of the steering committee and the provincial constitution
committee. Went on to become the minister of parliamentary affairs.
• B Pattabhi Sitaramayya: Was a member of the rules, states, union subjects and provincial
constitution committees.
BUDGET
Governments Investment For AAM ADMI
• Rs. 40,100 crore for Mahatma Gandhi Nation Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
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• Rs. 48,000 crore allocated for rural infrastructure programmes under Bharat Nirman
• Unit cost under Indira Awas Yojana up to Rs. 45,000 in the plains and to Rs. 48,500 in the hilly
areas.
• Allocation to Backward Region Grant Fund raised by 26% from Rs. 5,800 crore to Rs. 7,300
crore .
• Additional Central assistance of Rs. 1,200 crore for drought mitigation in Bundelkhand region
• Allocation for urban development up by more than 75% from Rs. 3,060 crore to Rs. 5,400 crore
• Allocation for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation raised from Rs. 850 crore to Rs. 1,000
crore
• Scheme for 1 % interest subvention on housing loan up to Rs. 10 lakh, where the cost of the
house does not exceed Rs. 20 lakh, extended up to March 31, 2011
• Plan allocation for school education raised by 16%
• Plan outlay for Women and Child Development stepped up by almost 50%
• National Social Security Fund for unorganized sector workers to be set up with an initial
allocation of Rs. 1,000 crore. This will support schemes for weavers, rickshaw pullers, bidi
workers, etc.
• Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana benefits extended to all MNREGS beneficiaries who have
worked for more than 15 day during preceding financial year
• Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyajana to meet needs of women farmers to be launched with
Rs. 100 crore
• Plan allocation for Minority Affairs up by 50% from Rs. 1,740 crore to Rs. 2,600 crore
• Rs. 16,500 crore provided to ensure that public sector banks attain a minimum 8% Tier-I capital
March 31,2011
• Indian rupee to get a symbol.
Highlights Of Economic Survey 2009-10
• Economy likely to grow by up to 8.7sper cent in 2010-11
• Full recovery; return to 9 per cent growth in 2011-12
• Broad recovery gives scope for gradual stimulus roll back
• High double-digit food inflation in 2009-10 major concern
• Signs of food inflation spreading to other sectors
• Farm & allied sector production falls 0.2 percent in 2009-10
• Serious policy initiatives needed for 4 percent agriculture growth
• Moots direct food subsidy via food coupons to households
• Favours making available food in open market
• Favours monthly ration coupons usable anywhere for poor
• Gross fiscal deficit pegged at 6.5 percent of GDP in 2009-10
• India 10th largest gold holding nation at 557.7 tonnes
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65590 km of NH comprise of
6-lane 6500 km in GQ; 4-lane 6736 km NS-
only 2% of network; carry 40%
Roads/Highways ES; 4-lane 20000 km; 2 lane 20000 km; 1000
of traffic; 12.4% 4-laned; 50%
km Expressway
2-lanes; and 38% single-laned
Indequate berths and rail/road New capacity: 485 m MT in major ports; 345
Ports
connectivity m MT in minor ports.
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Rajasthan,
Tamil Nadu,
project
and
Karnataka
4000 4000
Cheyyur - - 150 -
(5x800) (5x800)
Total 35960 1500
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• The fixed and WLL connections in rural areas reached 123.51 million in march 2009 85% of
the villages in India have been covered by the Village Public Telephones (VPTs). This is in
addition to more than 3 lakh PCOs in villages and 2772 Mobile Gramin Sanchar Sewak Scheme
(GSS) – a mobile public Call Office (PCO) service- in 12043 villages. Internet service is being
provided by Sanchar Dhabas (Internet Kiosks) in more than 3500 Block Headquarters out of the
total 6337 Blocks in the country. The target of 80 millions rural connections by 2010 has
already been met during year 2008 itself.
3G & Broadband Wireless Services (BWA):-
• The government has decided to auction 3G $ BWA spectrum.Allatment of spectrum has been
planned through simultaneously ascending e-auction process by a specialized agency. New
players would also be able to bid thus leading to technology innovation, more competition,
faster roll out and ultimately greater chice for customers at competitive tariffs. The 3G will
allow telecom companies to offer additional value added services. BWA will become a
predominant platform for broadband roll out services. It ids also an effective tool for
undertaking social initiatives of the Government such as e-education, telemedicine, e-health and
e-Governance.
• BSNL & MTNL have already launched their 3G services.
ENVIRONMENT
Concept of Carbon Footprint:
• Carbon footprint is a measure of-The amount of CO2 emitted through the combustion of fossil
fuels; in case of an organization, business or enterprise as a part of their everyday operation; in
the case of an individual or household as a part of their daily lives; or in case of a product or
commodity in reaching the market. In other words, the total amount of GHG emission caused
directly or indirectly by an individual, organization, events or products is called "Carbon
Footprint" of that entity. A carbon footprint is expressed as tons of carbon dioxide (C02) or tons
of carbon emitted usually on yearly basis. A ton of carbon dioxide is released when we for
example travel 5000 miles in an airplane or drive 2,500 miles in a medium - sized car, or cut
down and burn a tree that was about 1 foot in diameter and 40 foot tall.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Fossil Fuels Burning in
Top Ten Countries, 2006
Share of Global
Country Emissions
Total
Million Tons of Carbon Percent
United States 1,656 19.8
China 1,480 17.7
Russia 437 5.2
India 391 4.7
Japan 342 4.1
Germany 221 2.6
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Networking India
• A country that started off with just 54.63 million telephones in 2003 and a very poor teledensity
of barely 5.N-percent now has the world's second largest telecommunications network. In 1999
the government had set itself a modest target of achieving 4 percent rural teledensity by 2010.
At a present figure of about 26.4 percent, we have far surpassed the target.
• The first and the most talked about one is the spectrum. In the electromagnetic spectrum the
human voice can travel easily only between 500 megahertz and about 3000 megahertz. Some
years ago this seemed a lot of space but as a billion plus people got talking and more, this road
too has got talking and so the government has wisely decided to auction the remaining space
among the bidding companies.
Wireline and Wireless subscriber numbers
Wireline sub-scribers
Year Wireless sub-scribers (milillion)
(million)
March 2005 41.42 52.22
March 2006 41.54 90.14
March 2007 40.75 165.11
March 2008 39.42 261.07
March 2009 37.96 391.76
March 2010 36.96 584.32
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eChoupal:-
• This was established by ITC's Agri Business Division in June 2000. It was specifically designed
to tackle the challenges posed by the unique: features of Indian agriculture, characterized by
fragmented farms, weak infrastructure, and the involvement of intermediaries. In order to
protect agriculture farmers from opportunistic practice of intermediaries, it provides farmers
with information relating to farming equipments, weather, crop, and the like.
TKS (Tata Kisan Sansars):-
• The TKSs, or farm centre, provide end-to-end solutions, right from what crops to grow to how
to sell .Them for the maximum returns in Maharastra unique concept in the Indian countryside,
TKSs are changing the face of Indian agriculture and improving the quality of rural life. TKS
provides farmers with services for optimum util1ization of nutrients, plant protection,
chemicals, water, and seeds. TKS tracks key parameters such -: as soil, ground water, and
weather on a real time basis with the help of Geographic information Systems (GIS) and
satellite mapping technologies. Retail outlets at each Kendra are set u to sell products but are
not made online.
TNCDW (Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development Of Women Ltd.):-
• The project IS aimed at social and economic empowerment of women m Tamil Nadu state.
TNCDW maintains a database containing the details of citizens, births and deaths, land and
revenue records.
Drishtee:-
• Drishtee is present in over 12 states including the north eastern states of Assam, Meghalaya,
• anipur, Arunachal Pradesh, .and Bihar, Orissa. UttarPradesh, Uttarakhand, Harvana, Tamil
Nadu. It has also started to work in Africa along with partners. Drishtee is a revenue-generating
platform for rural networking and marketing services that enable e-governance', education, and
health service. The project provides online buying and selling facilities citizens through its e-
commerce and agri-business services. It maintains the database of people as It Issues ration
cards. The system tries to Jedress the grievances raised by the public and enhances customer
relationship.
Gyandoot:-
• Gyandoot is an Intranet based Government to Citizen (G2C) service delivery portal
commissioned in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh in January 2000.Gyandoot aims to create a
cost-effective, replicable, economically self-reliant and financially viable model for taking the
benefits of Information and Communication 'technology (ICT) to the rural masses. The goal of
the project was'
• to establish community-owned, technologically innovative and sustainable information kiosks
in a poverty-stricken, tribal dominated rural area of Madhya Pradesh. Kiosks have been
established in the village Panchayat buildings.
Jagriti E-Sewa:-
• Jagriti E-Sewa was inaugurated in March 2003. It touches the rural life with activities from
agriculture, financial, travel, and e-Government to communication services. The whole system
can be adopted to any language in the least possible time. Jagriti is a platform for application of
Information technology for the masses, with special focus on the needs of rural areas. Its
activities, named as d-commerce (desi commerce), include both physical and electronic mode
involvement.
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Lokmitra:-
• Developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in Himachal Pradesh State, in order to
make people aware of government policies an programmers, and also providing an interface to
interact with various government functionaries and solicit their active and direct contribution in
the process governance. Lokmitra maintains a database with details on public, such as address,
contact number, age, driver license, etc.
Bellandur:-
• Develop by COMPUSOL, it is the India's first ICT enabled Gram Panchayat e-Government
solution. Bellandur is situated about 20 km from Bangalore. All district offices, taluka offices,
and gram panchayats are connected. Committee meetings
• are aired on cable television. The software handles records of property, tax collection, birth and
'death certificates, and other financial..
Janmitra:-
• Janmitra was launched in March 2Q.Q2_It is an Integrated e-platform that was implemented ill
the Jhalawar district rajasthan and is replicated in the state of Uttaranchal. All sections and
departments of collect orate are connected through Local Area Network (LAN) The main
objective of the Jan Mitra project is to provide a single- window facility
• to citizens to access government work, various government procedures through computerization
and use information and communication direct communication between the administration and
the people to ensure transparent, accountable and responsive governance and make the right to
information an effective tool in the hands of the rural masses.
eUttaranchal:-
• The project is aimed at bringing people of Uttarakhand state closer; with the purpose of
enabling native’s to share their culture, tradition, news, and other thoughts from generation to
generation. The Web site allows meetings and sessions in big cities' to small villages, with
"general awareness meetings" in remote villages.
Telemedicine:-
• Apollo Hospitals provide super specialty healthcare to millions of rural Indians through this
project. Telemedicine is the use of ICT to facilitate healthcare when patients and doctors are
separated by distance. Using the software Med- Integra, patients and specialists can interact
visually. It presently operates more then telemedicine centers in several states.
Lokvani:-
• Lokvani was conceptualized by District Magistrate Sitapur in September 2004. The project is a
public12rivate partnership program that was implemented within the Sitapur district (88% rural
population a1d 39% literacy rate) of Uttar Pradesh state.
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