Today history has written a special event in city beautiful Chandigarh very quietly and gracely.The innovative and creative young minds of India met together to start their journey to make possible “Information 4 all”.ABC MEDIA RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE the research wing of ABC NEWS NETWORK PRIVATE LIMITED is inaugurated in SCF# 36, sector 7c, Chandigarh on 11.45am, 27september 2006.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;  Following were the participants of the event.

1. Dinesh Singh Rawat  (Master in Mass communication)
2. Jatinder Kaur (Mater in Philosophy in Sociology )
3. Satish Bhasin (Master in commerce )
4. Parminder Kaur(Master in Mass communication)
5. Rajeev Sanyal Master in Mass communication)
6. Brijesh Verma (PGJMC)
7. J.K Menon(Technology expert)

“India, home to one-sixth of the world population and having embarked on a rapid economic growth path, has a strong interest in utilizing the full potential of atomic energy for national development. I am confident this will be realized, based on our natural endowment of vast thorium resources and the development of effective technologies for their utilization.” Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh in his message to the 50^th General Conference of IAEA at Vienna Presently, India has sixteen reactor units with a total capacity of 3900 MWe in operation. Unit I of Kakrapar Atomic Power Station had a record continuous operation of 372 days before it was shut down for mandatory inspection. The average duration of outage of biennial shutdown has now been reduced to just 26 days.Major upgrades for ageing management and safety were completed on three Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) units. The safety upgrades at the two Boiling Water Reactors that started commercial operations in 1969, were completed in just four and a half months. The replacement of all reactor feeders of one of our PHWRs was accomplished for the first time in the world. One of our latest 540 MWe PHWRs was offered for pre-start-up peer review by an expert team of World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO). This was the first ever review of its kind in Asia. India is now ready for implementation of the newly designed 700 MWe PHWR units which would enable further significant reduction in the capital cost per MWe of indigenous PHWR units.   

As a part of its development efforts in high level radioactive waste management technologies, India achieved two major landmarks this year namely (i) hot commissioning of Advanced Vitrification System (AVS) which employs Joule-heated ceramic melter and (ii) demonstration of Cold Crucible Vitrification Technology.

Core Objective Thorium utilization is the long-term core objective of the Indian nuclear programme for providing energy independence on a sustainable basis. The advanced stage of the programme is based onThorium-Uranium-233 cycle. India is actively engaged in developing 300 MWe Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR). The design of this reactor incorporates several advanced features to meet the objectives being set out for future advanced nuclear reactor systems. A critical facility to validate physics design of AHWR will be functional this year. The facility is flexible enough to study the physics of advanced systems, including source driven systems, in future. Development of high current proton accelerator and spallation source for Accelerator Driven Sub-Critical Systems (ADS) is also being pursued. Such systems would offer the promise of shorter doubling time, even with Thorium, and incineration of long lived actinides and fission products, thus leading to the possibility of eliminating long-lived radioactive waste. A Compact High Temperature Reactor (CHTR), with 100 kW thermal power rating, is being developed as a demonstrator of technologies relevant for next generation high temperature reactor systems. Such reactor systems will address the needs such as electricity generation in remote places, production of alternative transportation fuel such as hydrogen, and refinement of low–grade coal and oil deposits to recover fossil fluid fuel.

Excellent Safety RecordThe excellent safety record of Indian reactors and other facilities has been achieved through sustained Research and Development programmes. As part of the safety studies on nuclear containment structures, the construction of a 1:4 size containment test model has been initiated at Tarapur.Over the years India has developed advanced capabilities in the utilization of thorium, as a part of its strategy to enhance nuclear capacity through a closed nuclear fuel cycle that would enable timely deployment of its thorium reserves. This is a viable and sustainable strategy for India’s and global long term energy security. Seen in the context of nuclear power becoming a significant fraction of energy supply in a world where everyone is assured of a minimum of 5000 KWh of energy in a year, entire global uranium if used in once through mode would last only a few tens of years. Even with a shorter term perspective of deployment of a proliferation resistant nuclear energy system that could address the need for incineration of available surplus plutonium, the use of thorium, in reactors using proven technologies, presents a vastly superior option as compared to other options based on fast reactors.

Delhi region under Yamuna Action Plan-II will cost Rs.387 crores which is highest among all five Reaches.During this phase Cleaning Operations and installation of Sewerage Pumping Stations – SPS and Sewerage Treatment Plants- STP will be taken up Wazirabad to Okhla Barrage which is most polluted. The activities will be carried out under five sections, namely, Physical Work Implementation, Preparation of Master Plan, Feasibility Study, Detailed Project Report for YAP-III, Public Participation and Awareness, Public Relations and Institutional Strengthening.
Under Physical works, Okhla and Keshopur sewage treatment plants will have few new process units.At Okhla, one new STP module of 135MLD capacity will be constructed along with a power generation plant. With this, the total flow would be 765MLD. The earlier three modules with total capacity of 324 MLD will be rehabilitated with new process units because they were not functioning properly. A power generation plant utilizing biogas also will be installed. Three trunk sewers namely Bela Road, Wazirabad and Ring Road Trunk Sewers will be installed with more than 30kms length.
Under Preparation of Master Plan, decentralized waste water collection and treatment of water bodies will be carried out.This scheme will see installation of decentralized wastewater collection,its treatment and affluent reuse systems to intercept polluting wastewater flow in water bodies of lakes and ponds, not served by the centralized sewage system will be studied supported by pilot implementation. This will revitalize the water bodies of Delhi, enabling the public open spaces to provide the environmental benefits including potential ground water recharge.
n the Delhi phase, Dairy Farm Waste Management, Dobhi Ghat Sudhar Yojna, Slaughter Modernization and Waste Management, Antim Niwas Sudhar Yojna and Slum Rehabilitation Study will also be carried out.The project is to be completed by the year 2009.
The YAP project commenced on Dec1, 2004 and will be completed by 2009. Delhi Jal Board is the executing agency for this project.

NATIONAL DESK

ABC NEWS NETWORK 

The Ministry of Rural Development has changed the criteria for awarding the Nirmal Gram Puraskar to Gram Panchayats. The slabs for classification of population and amount of award money have been revised. Under the revised criteria Gram Panchayats having less than 1000 population will receive Rs. 50,000/- as award money. Gram Panchayats having population of 1000 or more but less than 2000 will receive Rs. 1 lakh while Gram Panchayats having population of 2000 or more but less than 5000 will receive Rs. 2 lakh as award money. Gram Panchayats having population of 5000 or more but less than 10,000 will be entitled to Rs. 4 lakh while those having population more than 10,000 would be given Rs. 5 lakh award money.
However, there is no change in the award scheme for other Panchayati Raj Institutions and individual organisations who play a key role in elimination of practice of open defecation and promote sanitation and hygiene. Under the existing guidelines Gram Panchayats with population up to 5000 are eligible for an award money of Rs. 2 lakh and those with more than 5000 population would receive Rs. 4 lakh. The change has been effected in view of the suggestions made at the Conference of State Ministers for Drinking Water and Sanitation held early this year. Many State Governments had suggested for change in existing guidelines in respect of population classification in Gram Panchayats. It was stated that States where Panchayats are having less population were receiving more money compared to States with larger population in each Panchayat. The Minister for Rural Development, Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh had assured the State Ministers that their suggestions would be considered and anomalies, if any, removed.
The Ministry of Rural Development has launched Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) in 560 districts of the country to promote sanitation and hygiene. The scheme of giving Nirmal Gram Puraskarsby the President, for achieving 100 per cent open defecation free environment, has generated a great enthusiasm among the PRIs in promoting full sanitation coverage in rural areas. Since 2005 Nirmal Gram Puraskar has been awarded to 809 Panchayati Raj Institutions.

DINESH SINGH RAWAT

MANAGING EDITOR

ABC NEWS NETWORK 

Government of the Republic of Uganda is keen on getting technical assistance from India for development of its fisheries and aquaculture. The assistance is sought for modernization of aquaculture through development of hatcheries and processing and marketing of aquaculture products. The preliminary discussion on cooperation between India and Uganda was held when a delegation led by Mr. Fred Mukisa, Ugandan Minister of State for Fisheries called on Shri Kanti Lal Bhuria, Minister of State for Agriculture here today. The delegation included senior officials of the department of fisheries and aquaculture of the Ugandan Government. Shri Bhuria assured the delegation that India would examine the possibility of technical cooperation between the two countries on receipt of a formal proposal for this purpose from the Government of Uganda.

Shri Kanti Lal Bhuria extended a warm welcome to the delegation led by Mr. Mukisa which is participating in the five day FAO Sub Committee Meeting on Aquaculture. The Minister expressed satisfaction that the relation between India and Uganda has been cordial and the country is receiving full support for its views from Uganda on various issues on international level.

Dinesh Singh Rawat

Managing Editor

ABC NEWS NETWORK

he government has approved a provision of budgetary support of Rs.124.37 crore for pending payments of salary/wages and statutory dues from 1st January 2006 to 30th June 2006 in case of 15 Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) under the Department of Heavy Industry. Announcing this at a press conference here today, Shri Sontosh Mohan Dev, Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, said that the budgetary support to sick PSEs had been provided on last four occasions in October 2004, June 2005, October 2005 and in May 2006 amounting to a total of Rs.901.38 crore. The Minister said that funds were being provided pending consideration/approval on the future of these CPSEs by the government so that operations of the companies were not affected in the interim period and smooth transition to revival could be achieved. Non-settlement of these liabilities had been causing serious hardships to the employees as also adversely affecting the day-to-day activities of the companies resulting in further deterioration of performance, the minister added. Shri Dev also informed that since the release of first budgetary support in October 2004, some of the sick PSEs started paying wages/salaries on their own. Overall performance of the PSEs improved considerably and for the first time since liberalisation, aggregate profit of Rs.825 crore was reported in 2005-06 (provisional), the Minister stated.

National Desk

ABC NEWS NETWORK 

India today signed an agreement with China to strengthen cooperation in Science and Technology. Under the MoU signed by Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Mr. Kapil Sibal and his Chinese counterpart Mr.Xu Guanhua in Beijing today there will be a Joint Steering Committee at the Ministerial level which will prepare a road map within 3 months for future S&T cooperation. It will review the multiplicity of agreements and arrangements that are already in place with a view to strengthen those which are going on and reactivate those which have not been fully utilized.

Later, interacting with the Indian media persons in Beijing Shri Sibal said there has been a broad agreement on evolving a strategic relationship based on foundation of the synergy of India’s software and China’s hardware. Out of the four pillars, two he said would be for hitech and two for public good. Terming his discussions with the Chinese side as frank and open, he said that as two large developing countries both attach great importance to the role of science and technology in their national development. There is a lot to learn from each other’s experiences.

On India-China cooperation Shri Sibal said the positive trends in our ties are most vividly manifest in our growing trade and economic relations. The significant growth in our bilateral trade seen in recent years is a pointer to this. From a meager few hundred million dollars in beginning of nineteen-nineties, our trade surpassed US$18 billion last year and is likely to cross US$20 billion this year.

The Minister who is on a five day visit to China also visited the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the National center for Nanoscience and Technology.

National Desk

ABC NEWS NETWORK