Thursday, August 18, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Science Research must have End Goal as Service to Mankind: Vilasrao Deshmukh
Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh, Union Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, said, “We expect to see an exponential growth in the area of desalination plants in the coming years. Addressing the Earth Sciences Day Celebration here today the Minister said, “The greatest challenge before both urban, and rural populations is that of drinking water. The Ministry of Earth Sciences has developed low temperature Desalination technology for converting sea water into drinking water. We have a plan to cover all coastal power plants in the country under this facility following success of a one and half lakh litre desalination plant set up in Chennai at a coastal power plant. In Lakhsdweep islands 2 plants have been set up, each of which is producing one lakh litres of water per day and other 7 islands of Lakshadweep are also being covered with this technology. This technology has stabilised and the first plant at Kavaratti in Lakshadweep is running without closure for the last 6 years.”
Shri Deshmukh said that every pure science research must have its end goal as service to mankind. Shri Deshmukh explained that the world of science is challenging which should not lie in merely discoveries. Referring to the Food Security Mission, launched under the aegis of the Planning Commission,- he elaborated that India’s total demand for food grains is projected to touch 280 million tonnes by the year 2020-21.For this improved monsoon rainfall predictions and associated enhancements to the agro-advisory services have been identified as priority activities. The Ministry of Earth Sciences’ role is very crucial here. The MoES has plans to establish the National Monsoon Mission to address these challenging issues relating to the monsoon rainfall in India. They not only provide fairly accurate monsoon forecasts but also issue weather related agro advisories to farmers so that the ‘kisan’ can plan his farming and increase the productivity of his soil.”
Talking about another priority area of the Ministry he said Science Ministries will facilitate the building of joint projects with Indian research groups and global research community, both of Indian origin or otherwise, to address critical and priority issues so that advances of S & T can contribute to national development.
Delivering his keynote address on Energy Technologies, Energy Securities and Climate Chang, Dr R Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Adviser to Government of India and DAE-Homi Bhabha Professor, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, said, “ BARC has established a 6300 m3/day (6.3 MLD) Nuclear Desalination Demonstration Plant using hybrid Multi-Stage Flash-Reverse Osmosis (MSF-RO) technology integrated to existing PHWR at MAPS (Kalpakkam). It is the largest nuclear desalination plant in the world based on hybrid technology.”
Dr R. Chidambaramsaid, “ The Human Development Index (HDI) is directly dependent on two main parameters: Per Capita Electricity Consumption and Female Literacy. For India to become a ‘developed’ country, the per capita electricity consumption has to increase manifold. Nuclear has to play an important role in this increase as India looks for a low-carbon path for its electricity production growth. There should not be any fear related to nuclear energy. Lessons will be learnt from the recent Fukushima accident and more stringent security measures are being taken in the country and all over the world.”
Explaining the Indian Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR-Pu) and other aspects of it he said, “ Closing the nuclear fuel cycle is essential if nuclear is to be a sustainable mitigating technology in the context of the climate change threat. This is in coherence with India’s three-stage nuclear programme. ‘
Referring to Eight Missions outlined in the National Action Plan on Climate Change, he clarified that Nuclear Energy is not in the group of eight missions because the Department of Atomic Energy is itself a Mission – oriented Agency. He disclosed that a new, 9th Mission on Clean Coal (Carbon) Technologies is being considered.
Referring to The Prime Minister’s announcement of the present decade as the ‘Decade of Innovation” and the year 2012-13 as the year of Science, Dr Chidambaram said, research and innovation are strengthened by collaboration, particularly between scientists who have mutual respect. Also any international collaboration is sustainable only if it is mutually beneficial. We need connectivity – both physical and electronic. Today’s India seeks international scientific and technological collaboration on an ‘equal partner’ basis e.g. LHC, ITER.
Complimenting the Ministry of Earth Sciences Family on the occasion of celebrating 31st Foundation Day, Dr. Ashwani Kumar, Minister of State for Earth Sciences, Science & Technology & Planning said India is now venturing to make Tsunami Warning Service to generate street-level inundation maps with the details of depth, duration and extent of inundation all along the vast Indian coastline of about 7500kms. A world class Tsunami Warning System is successfully being operated in a globally competitive real time Tsunami Warning System fully customized to meet the tsunami requirements of the Indian Ocean region.Referring to global outreach Dr Ashwani Kumar said, “ The Ministry has started working towards establishment of an India-Africa Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting. The proposed institution will harness satellite technology for the agriculture and fisheries sectors as well as contribute towards disaster preparedness and management of natural resources of the African region.”
The Ministry is working on priority basis to generate all necessary spatial, topographic and thematic data infrastructure.The designated dedicated team set has successfully completed a pilot phase proof of concept initiative for the Nagapattinam District of Tamil Nadu, where up to locality/street level people can be evacuated. This will now be extending cover the entire coastline of India. He gave details of indigenously built research stations –Dakshin Gangotri, in Antarctica, Maitri, and the Arctic Station HIMADRI at the Norwegian location of Svelbard. To meet high performance computing (HPC) requirements for the Earth System Science Modeling, MoES has developed a strategic plan that outlines a roadmap for its institutions to become leaders in the field of weather and climate forecasting in the next 10 years. HPC infrastructural upgradation is strategized to be accomplished in two stages. The short term plan is to upgrade the total HPC capacity to 1-3 petaflops level within next 5 years together with appropriate storage and archival. The long term plan is to increase this capacity to exaflop range in next 10 years.
National Awards for Ocean Science and Technology and Atmospheric science and Technology were given today to Dr Bulusu Lakshman Deekshatulu and Prof R N Keshava Murthy respectively. Certificate of Merit were also conferred.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
HARMONY-July-2011(An In-House Bulletin on Service & Related Issues )
Starting from this month , this blog will share our own In-House Bulletin on Service & Related Issues "HARMONY" (A Valuable creation of the Team led by Shri.Ch. Srinivasa Rao). I feel obliged that he gives me permission to host this on my Blog. I am well aware of the kind of authenticity this publication holds in our organization. Feel free to give your suggestions.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Green Tips
Green your daily routine! Say no to plastic bags when you shop. Use cloth bags instead.
Conserve energy! Turn off the lights to brighten our environment.
Use rainwater for your indoor plants – they love it, and you’ll save water at the same time.
Choose public transport. It reduces your carbon emissions.
Don’t keep the water running while brushing your teeth. You will save as much as 11 litres (3 gallons) every time!
Green your office: print double-sided, turn off monitors, start an office recycling program.
Host a World Environment Day celebration. Clean up your neighbourhood, carpool with friends, have a vegan (no animal products) dinner party! And don’t forget to register your activity on the WED website!
Jog outside and save the energy you would have used on the treadmill!
Mobilise your friends to celebrate World Environment Day! Use Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, SMS, text, email – it doesn’t matter how, just get the word out!
Plant a tree this year! This is the International Year of Forests so why not celebrate by planting a tree with friends or family.
Courtesy :UNEP
Conserve energy! Turn off the lights to brighten our environment.
Use rainwater for your indoor plants – they love it, and you’ll save water at the same time.
Choose public transport. It reduces your carbon emissions.
Don’t keep the water running while brushing your teeth. You will save as much as 11 litres (3 gallons) every time!
Green your office: print double-sided, turn off monitors, start an office recycling program.
Host a World Environment Day celebration. Clean up your neighbourhood, carpool with friends, have a vegan (no animal products) dinner party! And don’t forget to register your activity on the WED website!
Jog outside and save the energy you would have used on the treadmill!
Mobilise your friends to celebrate World Environment Day! Use Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, SMS, text, email – it doesn’t matter how, just get the word out!
Plant a tree this year! This is the International Year of Forests so why not celebrate by planting a tree with friends or family.
Courtesy :UNEP
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Keep your loved ones alive : Donate organs
Life begins from the womb of a mother since eternity . Being a mother is the most wonderful feeling as giving birth to a life is the ultimate sense of creation . Creating a life is motherly and giving life to a person who needs it the most is well equivalent to being a mother . Giving life through organ donation . A mother creates life and technically we can all mother someone as we all have one chance to do so . Through organ donation , one last chance to be a mother, a life giver .
This admission from the father strengthened my view about promoting organ donation . Organ donation per se , is not new as an option to live on , and to support life . The promising options have lead to emergence of new technologies in this field during the last couple of decades . At the same time technology advancement is not enough towards making organ donation a promising option of life saving . A change in the mind set and a better conditioning of our value system can work wonders , towards our readiness to donate our organs . We often think about organ donation as a life saving technology when we ourselves or a loved one is waiting for an organ .Otherwise we simply overlook the fact that God has given us a chance to save life and we should act pro-actively ourselves .
Being a parent who lost a child , my daughter who was an angel to me , I know that it is not easy to think of organ donation at the time when it needs to be done , that is when your are grief struck by the huge unimaginable loss . At the same time something like organ donation is not necessarily a decision made at the spur of the moment like instant coffee . I feel that the pledge to donate our organs should be so inculcated in our value system that it becomes as important as the other last rites we perform after loosing someone. It becomes all the more important because , as a matter of fact , organs of young and healthy deceased are most valuable for transplant and sadly , the deaths of the young and healthy individuals are the most shocking and grief striking for the families . The feeling that we can make our loved ones live on through their organs needs to be understood and needs to be spread as awareness . One young and healthy body can live on through many bodies as different organs can be transplanted to many waiting transplant aspirants . Isn't it satisfying to be able to give life to someone , not necessarily through birthing ?
Societal values also play a big role . As an organised entity , doctors , priests who perform the last rites and the parents of young healthy deceased who have already donated organs of their loved ones , can come together to bring awareness . Soon there will be many friends and family who can work in close coordination to counsel wherever and whenever it is needed . Here I would like to say we may form a formal group of doctors, parents and priests at strategic places i.e. Hospitals, funeral ground, along with suitable speciality (facility to conduct quick donation). This group will be able to give right counselling to decision makers. This is also important because timing of organ donation is very much crucial for any organ transplantation.
We have to understand that by donating organs we are giving another shot of life to deceased person. This is like giving true meaning to life continuum .
So friends come forward and take a pledge for organ donation .
The pledge form will take you to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Organ Donation Registry site, however you can pledge at any suitable registry.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Public procurement needs an overarching framework to be fair
Public procurement is a multi-step process of established procedures to acquire goods, works and services by a government entity. It involves the full cycle through need assessments, process design and bid-document preparation to the awarding and execution of contracts and the final accounting and auditing of a completed contract.
Since public procurement forms a core part of a government programme, various international bodies - including the United Nations Commission for International Trade Law (Uncitral), World Bank (WB) and World Trade Organization (WTO) - have drafted laws, guidelines and agreements aimed at promoting the integrity of, and public confidence in, the procurement system.
The objective is to create a system founded on transparency, competition and objective criteria in decision-making that is effective in preventing corruption. They clearly spell out that the cornerstone principles of open, transparent and non-discriminatory procurement based on open competitive bidding are the best tools to achieve value for money and quality benefits as it optimises fair and equal competition.
Constituting a core area of public policy programming and implementation, government procurement and contracting in India forms 13% of the national budgets and over 20% of GDP as highlighted in the World Bank India Country Procurement Assessment Report, 2003. The ministry of finance, in 2005, drafted the General Financial Rules (GFR), wherein it formally established yardsticks of fairness, integrity and transparency through competition, efficiency and economy to achieve the best results in public procurement.
However, there is no national law exclusively governing the public procurement of goods. Public procurement is regulated through a series of executive directives, mainly instructive in nature. Instructions issued by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) also supplement the regulations. The practices are administered by government agencies, who may issue more detailed instructions in conformity with the GFR.
Recognising that government procurement constitutes a key area of public policy programming and intervention, the ruling party has flagged the issue of transparency in public procurement and contracts as part of its five-point action plan to tackle corruption.
An overarching framework will provide government agencies with a yardstick to review procurement norms and it would do well to take into consideration the following recommendations.
First, a public procurement law should be promulgated at the Centre and in each state to cover the objectives of government procurement, substantive procedural requirements to achieve them, debriefing of unsuccessful bidders, publication of contract awards, an appeal or challenge mechanism and post-award contract execution such as bid security, performance security, maintenance contract, advance payment, etc.
This should be complemented by a set of national regulations enshrining the five fundamental principles, namely, open tendering through effective advertisement; non-discriminatory tender conditions and technical specifications; public tender opening; bid evaluation based on pre-disclosed criteria and methodology; and selecting the most advantageous bidder without any negotiation on price or any other term.
The existing procedural framework governing procurement should be streamlined and an independent nodal agency or department should be created to deal with the policies, rules, practices and procedures. Also, there should be internal and external control and auditing bodies, the reports of which should be made accessible to the public.
Also, there should be provisions for institutionalising 'integrity pacts' or any other enforceable integrity condition as a legally-binding ethical code of conduct to govern the procurement cycle. This needs to be buttressed by provisions penalising violations of the pact's terms and conditions. The steps of decision-making on public procurement should be available for public scrutiny.
Platforms like public hearings should be provided for discussion of the procurement design, method and bid documents. At the same time, a social audit must be conducted by the procurement authority for large development projects to ensure accountability. Additionally, the procuring authority, as part of the debriefing procedure, should, upon request, communicate to a supplier or contractor the grounds for its rejection.
It is important that information be provided after the award of the contract on matters such as nature and quantity of products or services in the contract, name and address of the winning tender, value of the winning award and the highest and lowest offer taken into account in the awarding of the contract.
Besides, it should be highlighted in law that alternative methods of procurement such as direct contracting, single-source procurement, limited tendering, etc, can be adopted only where justified, fully explained, documented and, thus, available for public review.
If required, the procuring authority should hold negotiations with suppliers provided this is indicated in the initial tender notice or only when it appears from the tender evaluation that no single tender is the most advantageous, subject, of course, to safeguards ensuring that such negotiations do not discriminate between suppliers.
A domestic bid challenge system should be created, giving aggrieved suppliers a right of recourse to an independent quasi-judicial domestic tribunal like a public procurement tribunal, outside government control, to whom bidders can appeal an award decision.
Such an appeal or challenge mechanism must be time-bound and be applicable for contracts above a certain threshold. At the first stage, review may be sought from the procuring entity itself. Further, a review can be conducted by higher administrative organs of the government and, finally, a judicial review of the proceedings by a designated tribunal might be conducted wherein all suppliers or contractors are notified and are allowed to participate.
Lastly, the procuring authority should legalise e-procurement. Since corruption thrives in the absence of transparency, there should be an emphasis on facilitating information accessibility through modern procurement methods.
Government procurement provides a fertile ground for private distribution of largesse and having credible procedures and practices can significantly reduce corruption. Therefore, it is critical that reforms in the procurement regime are fast-tracked to ensure that principles of integrity, transparency, accountability, fairness, economy and efficiency are vigorously applied in all public investments and purchases.
Since public procurement forms a core part of a government programme, various international bodies - including the United Nations Commission for International Trade Law (Uncitral), World Bank (WB) and World Trade Organization (WTO) - have drafted laws, guidelines and agreements aimed at promoting the integrity of, and public confidence in, the procurement system.
The objective is to create a system founded on transparency, competition and objective criteria in decision-making that is effective in preventing corruption. They clearly spell out that the cornerstone principles of open, transparent and non-discriminatory procurement based on open competitive bidding are the best tools to achieve value for money and quality benefits as it optimises fair and equal competition.
Constituting a core area of public policy programming and implementation, government procurement and contracting in India forms 13% of the national budgets and over 20% of GDP as highlighted in the World Bank India Country Procurement Assessment Report, 2003. The ministry of finance, in 2005, drafted the General Financial Rules (GFR), wherein it formally established yardsticks of fairness, integrity and transparency through competition, efficiency and economy to achieve the best results in public procurement.
However, there is no national law exclusively governing the public procurement of goods. Public procurement is regulated through a series of executive directives, mainly instructive in nature. Instructions issued by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) also supplement the regulations. The practices are administered by government agencies, who may issue more detailed instructions in conformity with the GFR.
Recognising that government procurement constitutes a key area of public policy programming and intervention, the ruling party has flagged the issue of transparency in public procurement and contracts as part of its five-point action plan to tackle corruption.
An overarching framework will provide government agencies with a yardstick to review procurement norms and it would do well to take into consideration the following recommendations.
First, a public procurement law should be promulgated at the Centre and in each state to cover the objectives of government procurement, substantive procedural requirements to achieve them, debriefing of unsuccessful bidders, publication of contract awards, an appeal or challenge mechanism and post-award contract execution such as bid security, performance security, maintenance contract, advance payment, etc.
This should be complemented by a set of national regulations enshrining the five fundamental principles, namely, open tendering through effective advertisement; non-discriminatory tender conditions and technical specifications; public tender opening; bid evaluation based on pre-disclosed criteria and methodology; and selecting the most advantageous bidder without any negotiation on price or any other term.
The existing procedural framework governing procurement should be streamlined and an independent nodal agency or department should be created to deal with the policies, rules, practices and procedures. Also, there should be internal and external control and auditing bodies, the reports of which should be made accessible to the public.
Also, there should be provisions for institutionalising 'integrity pacts' or any other enforceable integrity condition as a legally-binding ethical code of conduct to govern the procurement cycle. This needs to be buttressed by provisions penalising violations of the pact's terms and conditions. The steps of decision-making on public procurement should be available for public scrutiny.
Platforms like public hearings should be provided for discussion of the procurement design, method and bid documents. At the same time, a social audit must be conducted by the procurement authority for large development projects to ensure accountability. Additionally, the procuring authority, as part of the debriefing procedure, should, upon request, communicate to a supplier or contractor the grounds for its rejection.
It is important that information be provided after the award of the contract on matters such as nature and quantity of products or services in the contract, name and address of the winning tender, value of the winning award and the highest and lowest offer taken into account in the awarding of the contract.
Besides, it should be highlighted in law that alternative methods of procurement such as direct contracting, single-source procurement, limited tendering, etc, can be adopted only where justified, fully explained, documented and, thus, available for public review.
If required, the procuring authority should hold negotiations with suppliers provided this is indicated in the initial tender notice or only when it appears from the tender evaluation that no single tender is the most advantageous, subject, of course, to safeguards ensuring that such negotiations do not discriminate between suppliers.
A domestic bid challenge system should be created, giving aggrieved suppliers a right of recourse to an independent quasi-judicial domestic tribunal like a public procurement tribunal, outside government control, to whom bidders can appeal an award decision.
Such an appeal or challenge mechanism must be time-bound and be applicable for contracts above a certain threshold. At the first stage, review may be sought from the procuring entity itself. Further, a review can be conducted by higher administrative organs of the government and, finally, a judicial review of the proceedings by a designated tribunal might be conducted wherein all suppliers or contractors are notified and are allowed to participate.
Lastly, the procuring authority should legalise e-procurement. Since corruption thrives in the absence of transparency, there should be an emphasis on facilitating information accessibility through modern procurement methods.
Government procurement provides a fertile ground for private distribution of largesse and having credible procedures and practices can significantly reduce corruption. Therefore, it is critical that reforms in the procurement regime are fast-tracked to ensure that principles of integrity, transparency, accountability, fairness, economy and efficiency are vigorously applied in all public investments and purchases.
(The authors are with Public Interest Foundation)
Courtesy: Economic times
Monday, May 9, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Etiquette rules for banks on way
New Delhi, April 17 (PTI): Bank customers may soon expect better services and speedy redressal of their grievances as the Reserve Bank of India is likely to consider a fresh set of rules to improve customer service practices.
Almost a year after the RBI put in motion a process to improve customer service, a panel set up by the apex bank is ready to submit its recommendations later this month.
Sources said the panel was likely to suggest a tighter vigil by the RBI for banks lacking in customer service, monetary and procedural penalties.
Besides, banks may be asked to resolve various grievances within a pre-determined time.
The committee was constituted in June under the chairmanship of former Sebi chief M. Damodaran.
The panel, which comprises representatives from the banking industry, had completed its draft recommendations by January and was expected to submit the report in February. However, the panel decided to redraft the proposals after receiving fresh inputs from various stakeholders and its final recommendations are almost complete.
It will be the first major report on customer services after one in the early 1990s by the M.N. Goiporia committee, headed by the then SBI chairman.
The panel is also said to be in favour of giving more teeth to the banking ombudsman through legal measures. The Banking Ombudsman Scheme was established by the RBI in 1995 to provide speedy solutions to customer grievances.
The RBI will frame its final guidelines after studying the recommendations.
The banks will have to tell the customers beforehand about the expected time they will take to provide the services. The committee may also suggest reviewing the entire system of attending to customers, including the approach, attitude and fair treatment.
Courtesy : The Telegraph
Settling the dues -Bank
The financial difficulties faced by families on account of delayed settlement of life insurance claims are well known. What’s generally not known is the problems that legal heirs run into when it comes to accessing the bank accounts and lockers of deceased depositors
The banking regulator— the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) — is, however, aware of this and has issued detailed instructions to banks on the subject, aimed at reducing the hassles faced by relatives. Yet, all banks don’t follow the regulator’s instructions in letter and spirit, resulting in considerable hardship for the surviving family members.
Firstly, when a customer opens an account or hires a locker, the bank is supposed to advise him or her on the imperative need for nominations. Similarly, term deposits should have nominations and even if the depositor is unaware of its importance or forgets about it, the banks have a responsibility in ensuring that it is done. Banks, however, never take this task seriously.
In fact, the regulator has also advised banks to educate customers on the importance of the “survivorship clause” in case of joint accounts, as otherwise the surviving joint account holder does not automatically get the right to the account.
Similarly, in respect of term deposits, the RBI says that banks should not insist on completion of the term of the deposit and should allow premature termination on the death of the deposit holder. Yet, there are many cases where banks have refused to cut short the term of the deposit and denied the deposit amount to the legal heirs in urgent need of money.
Even where the deceased depositor has not made any nomination, banks should adopt a simple procedure for repayment to the legal heirs, advises the regulator. In fact, on June 9, 2005, the banking regulator issued detailed instructions to banks on how to simplify and expedite claim settlement following the death of a depositor. Even after six years, such simplified procedures elude family members.
In fact, the RBI circular sets a time limit of 15 days for settling the claims in respect of deceased depositors. I wonder how many banks really stick to this time limit?
Well, in order to keep tabs on this, the regulator suggests banks should report to the customer service committee of the bank’s board the details of the number of claims received and the time taken for settlement and if there has been a delay, the reasons for it. It’s time the regulator asked banks to make this information public.
Courtesy : The Telegraph
Sunday, April 17, 2011
CSIR to enter Koraput
| BHUBANESWAR: Aiming to make affordable technologies available to people in backward regions, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is going to open an Outreach Centre at Koraput in the current financial year. “Director General CSIR and Secretary Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Samir K. Brahmachari who was in the State for last two days gave his consent to start the centre,” said B. K. Mishra, director of Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT), here on Saturday. Mr. Mishra said CSIR would enter into agreement with Central University, Orissa to make the centre functional at Koraput. “IMMT would act as a nodal agency in the technology dissemination programme while Central University would be involved in imparting training to prospective entrepreneurs or beneficiaries who would use the technologies,” he said. Mr. Mishra said, “IMMT on its part would coordinate with CSIR sister laboratories in the country to create technology pool which would be relevant for the backward region like KBK.” Initially, Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore, Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP, Lucknow and North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat would collaborate for the Outreach Centre at Koraput. The project is a part of CSIR-800 programme. “Proposal of budgetary requirement to the tune of Rs. 50 crore was placed for the centre. We intend to start the operation with 18 to 20 temporary employees. District Magistrate of Koraput has already promised to provide temporary shed to begin the centre,” IMMT Director said. |
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