Centre to simplify laws for single window clearance
- This would improve the investment climate and send a clear message to foreign investors that they could freely invest in India.
- there was an impression that India was one of the most over-regulated countries in the world and one had to obtain 20 or odd clearances for a project and this affected investment climate. He said he had asked the Law Commission to examine whether so many clearances were needed for approvals.
- Government also asked the Law Commission to examine whether govt can have a process of self-certification from the project proponents that every law had been followed, with a rider that in the event of violation there will be serious punishment
Teesta high on Dhaka’s agenda
Ms. Swaraj will be in Bangladesh for a three-day trip.
No agreements are expected to be signed as the two sides hold talks as Ms. Swaraj is on a “goodwill visit.” Those familiar with the preparations said the trip would see “the first initial contacts between the two governments, and an occasion to convey their thoughts on the future of the relationship.”
Bangladesh would like to speak about the possibility of signing the Teesta river water agreement.
Ms. Swaraj is expected to talk about increasing power supply on the new transmission grid from Tripura to Bangladesh, bettering trade relations, as well as focussing on border management issues. While Indian forces have claimed Bangladeshi forces aren’t doing enough to check illegal infiltration, officials in Dhaka say they are worried about the increase in civilian casualties from alleged firing by the BSF on the India-Bangladesh border.
Ms Swaraj will also meet officials of the Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry. India’s bilateral trade with Bangladesh stands at $6.6 billion, a figure that could double to more than $10 billion by 2018.
Budget to focus on policies to promote growth: Mayaram
The entire report is filled with useless facts and figures. All it said was:
Budget will be growth oriented.
Slow economic growth has affected revenue collection adversely.
Government would deepen the reform process and give boost to manufacturing sector.
Government to roll out National EMF portal
Keen to address the concerns arising out of fears over electromagnetic frequency (EMF) exposure due to installation of base stations receivers (mobile phone towers), the government has decided to launch a National EMF portal, which will provide all the relevant data in this regard along with the location of BTS within a certain locality.
An EMF portal aims at providing the reader with information about EMF and its effects on humans, backed by scientific studies. A similar platform is already available in Europe.
It is now being feared that shortage of towers may hinder India’s overall progress. Mobile phone service providers have been facing problems regarding locating their towers, atop of which the receivers are perched. There is increased hesitancy on getting leases for the towers or renewing them.
Make power distribution reforms a top priority: World Bank
“Power distribution in India needs sweeping reforms if it is to bring back the country to a high growth trajectory and meet its goal of expanding access to electricity to all by 2019,” the Bank report released on Tuesday said.
India’s annual per capita power sector consumption is at around 800 units, which is among the lowest levels in the world.The study has identified electricity distribution to the end consumer as the weak link in the sector.
The report recommends freeing utilities and regulators from external interference, increasing accountability and enhancing competition in the sector to move it to a higher level of service delivery.
Total accumulated losses in the sector stood at $25 billion in 2011. These losses are concentrated among discoms and bundled utilities — State Electricity Boards (SEBs) and the State Power Departments, the report said.
Revitalising the power sector by improving the performance of distribution utilities, and ensuring that players in the sector are subjected to financial discipline is the need of the hour.
India’s annual per capita power sector consumption is at around 800 units, which is among the lowest levels in the world.The study has identified electricity distribution to the end consumer as the weak link in the sector.
The report recommends freeing utilities and regulators from external interference, increasing accountability and enhancing competition in the sector to move it to a higher level of service delivery.
Total accumulated losses in the sector stood at $25 billion in 2011. These losses are concentrated among discoms and bundled utilities — State Electricity Boards (SEBs) and the State Power Departments, the report said.
Revitalising the power sector by improving the performance of distribution utilities, and ensuring that players in the sector are subjected to financial discipline is the need of the hour.
BRT system will save 27,000 lives in India: World Bank
If India built 1,000 kilometres of new, bus rapid transit lanes, over 20 years, that could save more than 27,000 lives by reducing air pollution and accidents and create more than 128,000 jobs. India could also reduce “greenhouse gas emissions by about 42 million tons
According a report named “Climate-Smart Development”, $3-4 billion is needed to develop 1,000 km of BRT corridors in about 20 cities across India within 6-12 years.
The report that focuses on five economies — Brazil, China, India, Mexico, US and EU — shows the potential economic, health and other gains from scaling up climate-smart policies as well as projects already in place in developing countries like Brazil, India and Mexico.
The right policy choices can deliver significant benefits to lives, jobs, crops, energy , and GDP — as well as emissions reductions to combat climate change.
The report says recent work by the World Bank in India finds that the combined cost of outdoor and indoor air pollution is more than $40 billion annually, or more than three per cent of India’s 2009 GDP.
When other environmental degradation is factored in, including crop, water, pasture, and forest damage, the total is closer to 5.7 per cent of India’s GDP affecting mostly the poorest members of society, it added.
The Pimpri-Chinchwad BRT may serve as a model for replication across India.
According a report named “Climate-Smart Development”, $3-4 billion is needed to develop 1,000 km of BRT corridors in about 20 cities across India within 6-12 years.
The report that focuses on five economies — Brazil, China, India, Mexico, US and EU — shows the potential economic, health and other gains from scaling up climate-smart policies as well as projects already in place in developing countries like Brazil, India and Mexico.
The right policy choices can deliver significant benefits to lives, jobs, crops, energy , and GDP — as well as emissions reductions to combat climate change.
The report says recent work by the World Bank in India finds that the combined cost of outdoor and indoor air pollution is more than $40 billion annually, or more than three per cent of India’s 2009 GDP.
When other environmental degradation is factored in, including crop, water, pasture, and forest damage, the total is closer to 5.7 per cent of India’s GDP affecting mostly the poorest members of society, it added.
The Pimpri-Chinchwad BRT may serve as a model for replication across India.
Policies promoting clean development in transport and energy efficiency will lead to global growth.We already know that we need to make smart policy choices to combat climate change. What we didn’t know is that these policies make economic sense, as well.
Objections from judges force rethink on judicial accountability Bill
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the government was having a rethink on the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill in view of objections from judges.
The Bill, pending in Parliament, seeks to lay down enforceable standards of conduct for judges.
- It requires judges to declare details of theirs and their family members’ assets and liabilities
- It creates mechanism to allow any person to complain against judges on grounds of ‘misbehaviour or incapacity.
- It would set up a National Judicial Commission providing for appointment and transfer of judges in the higher judiciary.
When his attention was drawn to a Ghaziabad court’s action in summoning Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-Hee to appear in a cheating case and asked whether such instances would drive away investors, Mr. Prasad said the government had asked the Law Commission to examine whether cases relating to contractual disputes, which were purely civil in nature, could be turned into a criminal case. He said filing of such criminal cases was also affecting investment climate. He wanted the Commission to make the Arbitration Act more effective to make India a hub for international arbitration.
He had asked the Chief Justices and the States to fast-track trial relating to women, children and elderly people. He said another area of concern was pendency of over 22-lakh cheque bouncing cases and 18-20 lakh cases before the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunals. He had asked the Chief Justices of High Courts to suggest measures for speedy disposal of these cases.
Navy must adopt proactive role: Jaitley
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley has pledged to plug holes in the Navy’s fleet of conventional submarines, warships, helicopters and sensors to enable the force to play a blue water role and protect commercial shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean.
He said the Navy must adopt a proactive posture by persisting with its deployments to safeguard the economic and maritime interests.
Mr. Jaitley appeared to echo the message that maritime security was tied to growth story.
The Minister signalled that the government would speed up induction of new platforms in the Navy, based on a renewed thrust on indigenisation. He pointed out that all 44 naval ships and submarines that would join the force were being built in Indian shipyards.
Mr. Jaitley also focused on pro-active naval diplomacy by pointing to overseas deployment and bilateral exercises with regional navies in the South China Sea, Western Pacific and the Persian Gulf.
All efforts would be made to solve manpower shortages in the Navy, which required highly skilled personnel because of its capital intensive nature, he said.
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