‘Initiatives in Exploration Regime’ and ‘Mine Safety in Coal Mines’
Shri Piyush Goyal Chairs Meeting of Parliamentary Consultative Committee of Ministry of Mines and Ministry of Coal on ‘Initiatives in Exploration Regime’ and ‘Mine Safety in Coal Mines’
New Delhi: February 10, 2017
Magha 21, Saka 1938
Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines chaired a meeting of the parliamentary consultative committee attached to the Ministry of Coal and the Ministry of Mines on the issues of “mines safety in coal mines’ and ‘initiatives in exploration regime’ respectively in New Delhi last evening. The Secretary Mines Shri Balvinder Kumar and the Secretary Coal Shri Susheel Kumar presented their reports for the information of the members on the respective subjects of their ministries.
The Members of the Committee were apprised of the ‘Initiatives in Exploration Regime’ in the Mines Ministry after it brought about far reaching changes in the mining sector since January 2015 when the Amendment Act of 2015 made the amendments to the MMDR Act 1957. The most important feature of this amendment is the grant of Mining Leases (ML) and Prospecting License-cum-Mining Lease (PL-cum-ML) only through an auction process. The Rule also specifies that for auction of mining lease, at least general exploration (G2) is required to be completed and for auction of composite license, at least preliminary exploration (G3) is to be completed. The Amendment Act removed the earlier provision of Reconnaissance Permit (RP) and provided for Non-Exclusive Reconnaissance Permits (NERP). The holder of such NERP would not be entitled to make any claim for the grant of any PL-cum-ML or a ML. To encourage exploration, the amended Act abolished the restriction on lease transferability and allowed the transfer of mineral concessions held by leaseholders to any person eligible to hold such lease.
Further, amended MMDR Act has established National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) and the holder of a Mining Lease or PL-cum-ML would pay to the Trust, a sum equivalent to 2% of the royalty paid in terms of the second schedule. The Trust is aimed to support regional and detailed exploration and related activities for development of exploration. The Act also has provisions for notifying organizations by the Central Government for exploration without licences. As of today, 13 such organizations and PSUs have been notified under this provision. The Act further has provisions for easy transferability of concessions obtained through auctions so as to attract private investment and FDI.
The compelling need to provide an impetus to exploration activity in the country at this juncture has prompted a thorough review of the Government’s Exploration Policy and strategy. Keeping in view the immense untapped mineral potential of the country, it was realised that there are many areas that need further facilitation and added emphasis is required for attracting investments and private exploration agencies in regional exploration. Accordingly, the new National Mineral Exploration Policy has been notified in July 2016 with a view to provide a new set of objectives, sense of purpose and direction within the amended legal framework. It is aimed at attracting private exploration agencies, and has the following main features:
(i) The Government will make available pre-competitive baseline geoscientific data free of charge. Geological, geochemical and geophysical data and maps on 1:50K will be provided in public domain.
(ii) Aero-geophysical survey of the country with a flight height of 80m and line spacing of 300m will be carried out in a mission mode under the National Aerogeophysical Mapping Project (NAGMP). Initially, the potential areas will be covered in three years and the data placed in public domain.
(iii) A National Geoscientific Data Repository (NGDR) will be set up. It will comprise all baseline and mineral exploration information generated by diverse exploration agencies.
(iv) Regional exploration of identified blocks by private exploration agencies through competitive bidding on an attractive revenue sharing basis.
(v) Government will launch a special initiative to probe deep-seated/concealed mineral deposits in the country aimed at characterizing India’s geological cover, resolving the metallogenic evolution, and detecting the distal footprints of deep-seated ore deposits.
The organizations under the Ministry of Mines engaged in mineral exploration viz. the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd. (MECL) are actively working towards fulfilling these objectives.
On the issue of ‘Mines Safety in Coal Mines’, Mines Act 1952 is the mother Act to ensure regulation of labour and safety in mines. To match the pace of technological advancement in various aspects of mining and related safety issues the Directorate General of Mine Safety (DGMS) takes care by issuing circulars and emphasising incorporation of Risk Management process in the mining activity. The members were informed about the measures taken by the Coal Ministry after the recent accident in Rajmahal Open Cast project of Eastern Coalfields Limited on 29.12.2016. A number of issues concerning safety in coalmines were deliberated upon and members contributed their useful suggestions.
The Members of Lok Sabha who participated in the meeting included Shri Hari Manjhi, Shri Kaushlendra Kumar, Shri Lakhan Lal Sahu, Shri Laxmi Narayan Yadav, Shri Midhun Reddy, Shri Ram Tahal Choudhary, Shri Ramchandra Paswan, Shri Ravindra Kumar Pandey, Shri Santosh Kumar and Shri Vishnu Dayal Ram. The Members of Rajya Sabha present in the meeting were Dr. Anil Kumar Sahani , Dr. Bhushan Lal Jangde, Smt. Chhaya Verma and Smt. M.C. Mary Kom.
AIRASIA X SAYS ‘ALOHA’ TO HAWAII!
Fly from Kuala Lumpur to Honolulu from as low as RM499*
OSAKA, 10 February 2017 – AirAsia X continues to lead the way with the launch today of its Hawaii route, the airline’s maiden service to the US.
The long-haul low-cost pioneer will operate a four times weekly service from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to Honolulu, Hawaii via Osaka, Japan starting 28 June 2017.
To celebrate the launch, AirAsia X will be offering fares from as low asRM499* from 11 to 26 February 2017 for travel from 28 June 2017 to 6 February 2018. During this offer period, guests wanting to travel in greater comfort can experience AirAsia X’s award-winning Premium Flatbed from RM2,999* – one of the lowest fares to Hawaii from Asia.
Find these special introductory fares on airasia.com. Offer not available on AirAsia mobile app.
AirAsia X Group CEO Datuk Kamarudin Meranun said, “This is the game-changing destination we have all been waiting for. By connecting Asean and North Asia to the US with our world-class low fares offering, we will make it possible for those who could only dream of a vacation across the Pacific to take that trip.”
“We wish to thank all relevant authorities and governments for their support. Their vote of confidence made today’s unique route launch possible and we will continue to work closely with all parties to ensure we can connect more people through this flagship intercontinental route.”
Also present at the press conference today were AirAsia X Berhad CEO Benyamin Ismail,Representative Director and Co-CEO of Kansai Airports Emmanuel Menanteau, Hawaii Tourism Japan Vice President Mitsue Varley and the incumbent Miss Hawaii Allison Chu.
Guests transiting in Osaka do not require a Japanese visa during the two-hour stopover, and can return to their seats on the flight after clearing security with any carry-on luggage or belongings.
Guests can also make use of AirAsia’s Fly-Thru service to connect seamlessly to Honolulu from other cities within AirAsia and AirAsia X’s extensive flight network with just one additional stop.
Alternatively, guests who want greater flexibility in travel planning can opt for the Multi-City option, which allows them to spend a few days in Osaka (Japanese visa required) before travelling onwards to Honolulu.
Hawaii, nicknamed the Paradise of the Pacific, is formed by eight islands located right at the heart of the Pacific Ocean. Famed for its stunning natural beauty and unique indigenous culture, this tropical paradise is the only US state located in the Oceania. Honolulu, the capital city, located on the most populous island O’ahu, is a modern city that boasts island charms, including the world-renowned Waikiki Beach, once the site of vacation homes for the kings and queens of Hawaii.
Keep up-to-date with AirAsia’s latest promotions and activities via Facebook (facebook.com/AirAsia) and Twitter (twitter.com/AirAsia).
* One-way all-in fare inclusive of taxes and fees. Terms and conditions apply. Subject to Japanese government approval.
Flight Schedule for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (KUL) to Honolulu, Hawaii (HNL) via Osaka, Japan (KIX)
Flight No.
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From
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To
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Departure
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Arrival
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Flight Schedule
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D7 001
|
KUL
|
KIX
|
1400 hrs
|
2125 hrs
|
Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat
|
D7 001
|
KIX
|
HNL
|
2325 hrs
|
1230 hrs
|
Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat
|
D7 002
|
HNL
|
KIX
|
1600 hrs
|
2025 hrs
|
Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat
|
D7 002
|
KIX
|
KUL
|
2200 hrs
|
0400 hrs
|
Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun
|
Note: All times listed are local unless otherwise stated.
***ENDS***
Launch of IQAir Products in India
SWISS company the IQAir excel in air cleaning system its Chair and Breathe Easy Chair Barun launched products of air purifier and cleaning air in Swiss-embassy.
IQAIR SWiSS brand with Breathe Easy launched their products to ease homes with health hazard air pollutants encompassing our atmosphere.
IQAIR products were launched by the Chair in presence of HH Ambassador of Switzerland in India and many businessmen, professional and media.
IQAIR and Breathe Easy presented air Q products in Indian market by Barun.August meet has the presence of important officials of other embassy
Lombardi SWISS name were also present by its high officials along with other SWISS brands Singaporean tech Eubiq India Media official were also present on the occasion.
Shankar Das keeps his lead, enjoys one-shot advantage
Shankar Das keeps his lead, enjoys one-shot advantage ahead of final round
Shamim Khan on the leader’s tail
Noida, February 9, 2017: Shankar Das will look to regain his winning touch come the final round of the PGTI Players Championship at Noida Golf Course. The Kolkata pro fired a rock-solid three-under-69 in the penultimate round on Thursday to lead the tournament by one stroke at 12-under-204.
He will be chased by Delhi’s Shamim Khan on the final day, a two-time winner at the Noida Golf Course. Shamim shot the day’s best four-under-68 to lie second at 11-under-205.
While Shankar and Shamim will be the top contenders in the last round, Delhi’s Honey Baisoya (69) in third at 10-under-206 and Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu (70) in fourth at nine-under-207 will also be in the reckoning.
Shankar Das (67-68-69), the overnight leader by two strokes, retained his lead on the third day thus raising his hopes of a long-awaited title. Shankar, who last won in November 2015, had early breakthroughs as he birdied the first and third holes for the second day in succession making a long putt on the latter.
The 33-year-old, a winner of six professional titles, looked in total control when he produced an extraordinary tee shot on the par-3 10th to tap-in for his third birdie. He then suffered a minor blip, bogeying the 12th, but soon recovered ground with another birdie on the 14th.
“It was a steady round. I performed well with the 3-wood and hit it close on a number of occasions. The 3-wood has been my strong point this week. But those long eagle conversions continued to elude me. I need some luck for those putts to roll in.
“It’s going to be a tight contest in round four as there are three players within three strokes of the lead. Shamim in particular will be very competitive as he knows this course well. I will have to plan my round well. It’s been a long time since I last won and I’m now really eager to win another trophy,” said Shankar.
Shamim Khan (66-71-68), who was overnight tied second, two behind Das, reduced the latter’s lead to one shot with a determined effort of 68 on day three. Shamim sank three long birdie putts and landed his tee shot within three feet for another birdie on the par-3 fifth.
Shamim said, “It’ll be an interesting final day as Shankar and me are playing together for the third time this week. We both know each other’s game well and are equally experienced.
“I feel the fact that I have won twice here at the Noida Golf Course is a big plus for me. I have also enjoyed success very recently with a victory in Mumbai in November. That adds to my confidence. However, I need to improve on my tee shots to have a chance.”
Honey Baisoya (70-67-69) and Ajeetesh Sandhu (68-69-70), two and three shots off the lead respectively, will also be among the contenders on Friday.
Panchkula’s Angad Cheema lies fifth at six-under-210 while Chandigarh’s Harendra Gupta is a further shot back in sixth.
Gaurav Pratap Singh in tied seventh at four-under-212 is the highest-placed Noida golfer. He shares seventh place with Gaurav Ghei of Delhi, the first round joint leader, and Gurgaon-based Pranav Kaul.
5 PLAYS PERFORMED TODAY DURING NATIONAL SCHOOL OF DRAMA’S 19th EDITION OF BHARAT RANG MAHOTSAV
New Delhi, 8th February, 2017: Today during the 19th edition of National School of Drama’s International Drama Festival Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2017, 5 Plays were performed including Rajkumar Raikwar’s hindi play Panchali ki Shapath, Amitava Dutta’s bengali play Tomar Ami, Dharmik Pandya’s gujarati play Mannbhat Aakhyan, Aditi Desai’s gujarati play Samundramanthan, and S I Samarakkodi’s non-verbal play of University of the Visual and Performing Arts, Sri Lanka – Love & Life. All the plays were well appreciated by students, theatre aficionados, litterateurs and theatre lovers. As part of Advitiya 2017, 3 teams from various Institutes & Colleges out of the total 53 enacted Street Plays at NSD Lawns under Ambience Performance.
Today, during the Meet the Director – face to face at National School of Drama, renowned theatre personality Sunil Shanbag, Director ofLoretta explained about why he chose 1970’s as the backdrop for his play “70’s was the period of many faces for example the hippie movement and many other around the world but I wanted to look at 1970’s more objectively and present a Goan point of view because of the revolution taking place in terms of theatre in that period. We don’t have much about Goa in the history of theatre even though it had a strong identity at that time.”
Shyamal Chakraborty, Director of Shekal Chhenra Hater Khonjie commented “the production process took more than 2 years in this time we gave an extensive thought to the relevance of the content and how can we communicate and exchange our views on the leftist politics at that time to the audience in an easier way.” D. Elumalai, Director of Draupadi Vasthirabaranam on the choice of open space for the performance he said “the style of Proscenium theatre is more prevalent in southern parts of India that’s why we choose open spaces for our performances and because the audience is more interactive in that region, it is just not a play there it a religious and a cultural celebration back in Tamil Nadu.” Y. Sadananda Singh, Director of Love Your Nature answered on why he chose this particular art form and how did he prepare for it said “I love the non-verbal form of theater I find it very communicative even without language, but the process is not easy as it seems, it took around 5 years for the preparation for this play and the actors went through vigorous training for body movements and facial expressions.”
Debora Merola, the Nepali Director of Anna In The Tropics on the question on the multiculturalism and difficulties faced from it she said “I as an American who lives in California find multiculturalism very interesting and homely because of the strong Latino presence there. I think we theatre artists are courageous and fool hardy and not afraid to improvise, if I was afraid of difficulties I wouldn’t be in theater.”
Katha Workshop Series in Performance & Craft of 19th Bharat Rang Mahotsav today had its 5th workshop on Keerthan. It was participated by its experts Mr. Charu Datta Aphale, Mr. Vijay Upadhye, Mr. Manoj Bhandwalkar. Marathi Kirtan is spiritual teaching through story-telling. It is typically performed by a main performer, the Kirtankar with musicians accompanying on tabla and harmonium. Incorporating singing, dancing, and story-telling it is the glorification of God. There are different types of Kirtans such as the Naradiya, Rashtriya, Varkari, etc. Usually a core text, an abhang, is interlaced with other scripted material, such as songs of saints, and also with improvised verse, all alternating between song, narrative, storytelling and humour. The Kirtan essentially has two parts – The Purvaranga, as the Natyashastra explains, is the prelude where the performer introduces a religious or philosophical problem. In the Uttararanga, which follows, the performer expands and elaborates, and illustrates his answer through a story. The first part displays the erudition of the performer and the second his dramatic talent. The performance begins with prayers to different deities and concludes again with prayers and an Arti.
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