E-Commerce Portal of NSIC

        To boost the business of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in retail sector, the National Small Industries Corporation Limited (NSIC), the Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of MSME has launched e-commerce portal, viz. www.msmeshopping.com on 31^st July, 2014. The salient features of this portal includes online registration, web store management, online buying and selling, multiple payment options, popular products section, multi product cart, customer support through Call Centre, attractive range of products, payment gateway for membership subscription and enhanced security features. As reported, there are 253 registered suppliers having 2473 products in 103 categories and 279 orders have so far been placed after launching of this portal.

To promote its usages, several steps have been taken viz., awareness programmes in MSME clusters, search engine optimization, participation in exhibitions, road shows and seminars to sensitize MSMEs, email marketing, institutional networking, advertisement in industrial association’s journals, advertisements in print media and national dailies, press releases, radio advertisements (Pan India) and television advertisements.

ICT in Universities/Colleges Across the Country

Under the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT), it is envisaged to provide 15-20 broadband connections of 512 Kbps speed each to over 25000+ colleges including 2000 polytechnics in the country and 1 Gbps optical fibre connectivity to 419 universities/ university level institutions. The other components of the NMEICT Mission include provision of e-books and e-journals free to the learners, support for generation of e-contents for Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate level, creation of web and video courses under NPTEL (National Programme in Technology Enhanced Learning) in all branches of engineering and physical sciences, development of virtual laboratory, development of vocational education modules etc. 

Under the NMEICT scheme, no financial assistance has been provided by the Central Government directly to States to implement the scheme/ project. For connectivity to universities and colleges, central share of 75% of the cost is directly released to the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)/ Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) (implementing agency for connectivity) with the stipulation that the balance 25% of the cost would be deposited by the concerned institution directly to BSNL/ MTNL. The ratio in case of North Eastern Region (NER) is 90:10. However, as provided in the Mission document, funds have been released to universities/university level institutions of the country for various projects. Using computer infrastructure and connectivity, the reach of these facilities is ensured to the academic community. 

Decriminalisation of Section 309

The Law Commission of India, in its 210th Report, had recommended that Section 309 (attempt to Commit suicide) of IPC needs to be effacted from the statute book. As law and order is the State subject, views of States/UTs were requested on the recommendations of the Law Commission. 18 States and 4 Union Territory Administrations have supported that Section 309 of the IPC may be deleted. Keeping in view the responses from the States/UTs, it has been decided to delete Section 309 of IPC from the Statute book. 

Use of Led Lamps

For large scale adoption of LEDs for lighting, Ministry of Power had prepared a roadmap, in close cooperation with the lighting industry, in 2009 which sought to: (a) ensure the quality and reliability of LED lamps; (b) reduce the price of LED lamps, initially through large scale public procurement and then through a labelling programme; and (c) facilitate awareness and demonstration of this lighting through LED technology. Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power, simultaneously promoted demand for LED bulbs and LED streetlights by providing financial support to all states to set up demonstration projects to highlight the lighting quality and energy savings of LED technology. This was stated by Sh. Piyush Goyal, Minister of state for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy (Independent Charge) in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today. 

Shri Goyal further stated that the Ministry of Power has also written to all Ministries/Departments to procure LEDs in place of Compact Florescent Lamps (CFLs) and Incandescent Lamps (ICLs) and also requested the Directorate General of Supplies & Dsiposals (DGS&D) to include LEDs in the rate contract list. Ministry of Finance has been requested to issue directives to all Central Ministries/Departments to procure LED bulbs instead of CFLs/ICLs. Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) has stopped giving license to produce incandescent bulbs of wattage more than 100W. 

The efficacy of the lamp (assembly of LED chip, diffuser, driver and heat sink which makes up the bulb or tubelight) currently ranges from 80-120 lumen/watt. Hence, LED lamps available in the market consume about 1/10th of power as compared to incandescent lamp and close to 1/2 of CFLs, to provide equivalent light output. The production of 300 lumen per watt is only under lab conditions and that too only of the LED chip as claimed by some manufacturers. 

Under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY), Ministry of Power in 2013 has issued guidelines that LED bulbs would be provided with free electricity connection to eligible Below Poverty Line Households, Shri Goyal added. 

As per a report of ASSOCHAM published in 2011, it is estimated that with wide spread use of efficient lighting devices such as CFLs and LEDs can save around 34,743 MW of generation capacity. Given that our total generation capacity is 254649.49 MW (Oct. 2014), the saving is of the tune of 13% of installed capacity. 

Indian Trusts (Amendment) Bill, 2014

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today approved the introduction of the Indian Trusts (Amendment) Bill, 2014 in the current session of Parliament to amend section 20 and 20A of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882. 

The amendments are intended to provide the trustees greater autonomy and flexibility to take decisions on investment of trust money. This would enable the Central Government to notify securities or class of securities, for investment by trusts and to remove the outdated provisions occurring in section 20 of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882. 

Rooftop Solar System in Power Stations

            Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) has mandated for harnessing of solar energy on the roof of all buildings of new thermal power projects. Accordingly, NTPC is including rooftop solar plants in all its thermal power plant buildings in upcoming NTPC power projects. These shall be installed as and when the buildings are constructed as per the project execution schedule. This was stated by Shri. Piyush Goyal, (Minister of state for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy (Independent Charge) in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.  

Further, year-wise targets for next three years shall be fixed by NTPC after estimating potential of rooftop solar Photo Voltaic systems at its existing thermal power station buildings and after carrying out the detailed feasibility, location-wise, the Minister added.

            The Minister further stated that so far 2970 MW grid connected Solar Power Projects, 364.27 MW equivalent off-grid solar applications including solar lighting & solar pumping and 8.42 million sq. meters solar thermal collectors for solar water heating systems, solar cooking, solar cooling and industrial process heat applications have been set up under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission in the country. 

The major steps taken by the Government to promote the scheme are:

i.                    The cumulative targets of 20,000 MW grid connected solar power, 2,000 MW off-grid solar applications & 20 million sq. meters solar thermal collector area by 2022 set under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) launched on 11th January, 2010. 

ii.                  Provision for Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) for solar has been made in the National Tariff Policy.

iii.                Grant of subsidy on off-grid applications.

iv.                Provision of Concessional Import duty/Excise duty exemption for setting up of solar power plants, accelerated depreciation and tax holiday.

v.                  Generation based incentive; viability gap funding and facility for bundled power for Grid connected Solar Power Projects through various interventions announced from time to time.

vi.                Creation of Solar Energy Corporation of India and National Institute of Solar Energy.

vii.               Awareness programmes such as exhibitions, training workshops etc. are being conducted.

viii.            Several R&D efforts have been initiated for new technologies and improvement in efficiency.

Law and Order in and around Hyderabad under AP Reorganisaiton Act

As per Section 8 (1) of A.P Reorganisation Act, “On and from the appointed day, for the purposes of administration of the common capital area, the Governor shall have special responsibility for the security of life, liberty and property of all those who reside in such area”. 

Business Transaction Rules (BTR) have not been amended by the Government of Telangana. Union Ministry of Home Affairs vide letter dated June 4, 2014 has written to Government of Telangana to furnish its comments on BTRs. Government of Telangana submitted its comments vide its letter dated 5-07-2014. 

The State Government of Telangana overall did not agree with the proposal to amend to the State Business Transactions Rules. The Comments of the State Government are summarised as under:- 

1. The Government of Telangana will furnish periodical reports on Law & Order to the Governor through Council of Ministers. 

2. An Officer will be designated in the O/o DGP to deal with hate crimes and crimes related to extortion or any other specified crime and internal security and security of vital installations. 

3. The common Capital area is an integral part of Telangana State. There cannot be any joint force in the Common Capital area as Law & Order is a State subject and the Police Officers of another State cannot have any jurisdiction. 

This was stated by Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary in a written reply to Shri Palvai Govardhan Reddy in the Rajya Sabha 

Scholarship for Higher Education in Foreign Countries

The Ministry of HRD is implementing the scheme for providing financial assistance to students belonging to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and backward classes to pursue their higher education abroad.viz Central Scheme to provide lnterest Subsidy. Under the scheme full interest subsidy is provided during the period of moratorium i.e., Course Period plus one year or six months after getting job, whichever is earlier, on loans taken by students belonging to Economically Weaker Sections from scheduled banks under the Educational Loan Scheme of the lndian Banks' Association, for pursuing any of the approved courses of studies in technical and professional streams, from recognised institutions in lndia. 

The interest subsidy under the Scheme is available to the eligible students whose annual gross parental family income is not more than Rs. 4.5 lacs per year (from all sources) and is provided only once, either for the first undergraduate degree course or the post graduate degrees / diplomas in lndia. Interest Subsidy is, however, admissible for integrated courses (graduate + post graduate). The scheme is independent of any other schemes which may cater to Economically Weaker Sections. 

This information was given by the Union Human Resource Development Minister, Smt. Smriti Irani in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha question

Team India

The proposal to form “Team India” with the Council of Chief Ministers and the Hon’ble Prime Minister as the chairperson to weave the economic agenda of the country

Shri E Ahamed, Member of Parliament and President of the Indian Union Muslim League, today presented a cheque for Rs 25 lakh rupees to the Prime Minister, towards the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund, for flood relief and rehabilitation.

The Indian Union Muslim League has extended all support for the Prime Minister's relief activities.

The Chairman and CEO, Bank of America, Mr. Brian Moynihan called on PM Narendra Modi.