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Certification of boilers simplified

DPIIT
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
New Delhi (NVI): Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has permitted self-certification and third party inspection and certification of boilers with State Governments.
 Specimen notification under section-34(3) of the Boilers Act 1923 have been forwarded to them to ensure safety of boilers and improve Ease of Doing Business (EoDB).
This will benefit a broad spectrum of industries both in the large and small scale sector like power plants, chemical plans, refineries, paper plants, steel mills, sugar mills and other process industries.
Rules and regulations are already in place for third party inspection.
This has resulted in a simplified and more accessible, user – friendly framework for the administration of the Boilers Act and has also protected manufacturers/users’ interests without sacrificing the safety of boilers.
DPIIT has also taken a number of measures to simplify the procedure of inspection of boilers like eleven third party inspecting authorities have been recognized by the Central Boilers Board (CBB) to work in the country employing competent persons to carry out inspection of boilers and boiler components during manufacture and use, in addition to Chief Inspector and Director of Boilers.
Independent Competent Persons have also been authorized to work in individual capacity under section-8 of the Boilers Act, for in-service inspection of boilers.
Simplified registration of boilers including facility for on-line registration and prescribed time limits for all approvals/clearances under the Boilers Act/IBR has also been implemented.
Self-certification of Boilers has been implemented in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Goa, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
National and Regional Level Boiler Workshops are continuously being conducted by DPIIT through the National Productivity Council (NPC) to apprise the owners of boilers and of the steps that may be taken to optimize the efficiency of boilers and to popularize the measures for energy conservation.
In the current year nine workshops have been organized and another four workshops will be organized in future.
A 5thExamination was conducted through NPC in December, 2018 for recognition of Competent Persons (CPs) for undertaking inspection of boilers.
Passing certificates were issued to 61 candidates. 172 CPs have so far qualified for Inspection and Certification of Boilers, on the basis of the 5th examination.
A 6th Examination is proposed to be conducted in February.
DPIIT is the Department responsible for administration of the Boilers Act 1923. Boiler division is headed by the Technical Advisor (Boiler) and its functions are to advice the Central Government in all matters relating to administration of the Boilers Act, 1923 and the Indian Boiler regulations that have been framed under the Act.
 It deals with matters on which direction is to be given to State Governments by the Central Government for carrying out execution of the provisions of the Boilers Act, 1923.
 Apart from that it also deals with work relating to framing or amendment of regulations for laying down the standards for materials, design and construction of boilers and also for regulating the inspection and examination of boilers.
 It also evaluates quality management systems and production facilities of various firms in India and foreign countries as Competent Authorities (CAs).
Steel makers, foundries, forges, tube and pipe makers and material testing laboratories make use of the CAs in order to cut down inspection delays and increased availability of boiler components without sacrificing safety and quality of boilers and its components.
The Boilers Act was enacted in 1923 to provide for safety of life and property from the danger of explosion of boilers and for achieving uniformity in registration and inspection during operation and maintenance of boilers throughout the country.
Up to the year 2007 there had been no major amendments to the Act.
The Indian Boilers (Amendment) Act, 2007 introduced improvements in the provisions of the law to enhance safety norms to keep pace with developments and changes in the technology of fabrication, testing, inspection and operation of boilers and also ensure uniformity in standards of inspection, expediting inspection and reducing bureaucratic delays by decentralization of inspection of boilers during their manufacture, erection and use by allowing inspection and certification by the independent inspecting authorities.
Secretary DPIIT is the Ex-Officio Chairman and Technical Advisor (Boilers) is the Ex-Officio Member Secretary of the Board.

J&K govt asks Bollywood to revive its romance with Kashmir

Mumbai (NVI) : The Jammu and Kashmir government has asked Bollywood to renew its decades-old romance with Kashmir by exploring it with new dynamism and thus help promote it as a cherished tourist destination globally.

Farooq Khan, Advisor to J&K Lieutenant Governor, while addressing a gathering of some top Bollywood stars, producers, directors and singers, said a negative perception has been created about Kashmir.
He invited them to visit Kashmir to see the reality on ground and said, “I am sure you will find it as peaceful as any other part of the country.”
Khan, who was the chief guest at the function organised to present 11th Mohammed Rafi Awards, said that Jammu and Kashmir is a place known not only for its hospitality but also for its serene and picturesque locations.
“It is the right time for reviving that age-old link between Bollywood and Kashmir,” he said.
“This is not a place of terrorism, but a paradise of tourism,” he said and added that unfortunately a negative perception has been created about Kashmir to the outside world while the ground reality is entirely different.
Khan reminded the audience that the film industry had a very cherished and affectionate relationship with Kashmir in eighties and early nineties, adding that due to various reasons that connection was lost from past few years.
“It takes time to change people’s perception. What our government intends to do is to change it,” he said and added that J&K is ideal for high-end tourism with varied areas and products for which the relevant infrastructure is continuously being upgraded.
Khan also appealed media to play their role in presenting a true picture of Kashmir in order to promote it as safe tourist destination to the outside world.
He said the government of the recently-created Union Territory is committed in its endeavour to promote J&K as safest place for tourism and investment.
In this regard, the Advisor said a three-day global Investors Summit is being held next year for the first time in the Union Territory.
He added that the hosting of the JK Investor Summit will provide JK with an opportunity to showcase its strengths, strategies and potential.
He also urged the event organisers that the next edition of Mohammed Rafi Awards should be hosted in J&K in order to promote the place as secure and safe for visitors.

Climate change likely to affect 175 mn children every year: UNICEF

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

New Delhi (NVI): Climate change poses a threat to child survival and development, with around 175 million children estimated to be affected every year due to the weather extremes over the next 10 years, according to the UNICEF.

Pointing out that chronic crises and sudden disasters disproportionately affect children, it says that children are at greater risk of injury and especially susceptible to disease when water, sanitation and food security are threatened.

It notes that water and climate change are inextricably linked, as the effects of climate change are first felt through water — through droughts, floods and storms.

“These disasters can destroy water supplies and toilet, or leaving behind contaminated water and putting the lives of millions of children at risk. Without clean water, children are at risk of diseases such as diarrhoea, which already kills over 800 children under five every day,” the UNICEF says.

Many of the regions most at risk of droughts and floods already have very low levels of access to water and sanitation, and the 60 million children living in these areas are extremely vulnerable, it says.

“To tackle climate change, we need to increase equitable access to sustainable water sources and improved sanitation, so that in times of crisis and times of stability, every child is given a chance to survive and grow,” it says.

Quoting the new WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) report, it says that 2.1 billion people worldwide lack access to safe, readily available water at home and 4.4 billion lack safely managed sanitation.

“Clean water, basic toilets and good hygiene practices are essential for the survival and development of children. Today, there are around 2.4 billion people who do not use improved sanitation, and 663 million who do not have access to improved water sources,” it says.

“Without these basic needs, the lives of millions of children are at risk. For children under five, water- and sanitation-related diseases are one of the leading causes of death. Every day, over 800 children die from preventable diseases caused by poor water, and a lack of sanitation and hygiene,” the global body says.

UNICEF’s Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme is already using innovative solutions, such as solar power water pumps and rainwater harvesting, to reduce the impact of climate change on children and help protect their future.

WASH team works in over 100 countries worldwide to improve water and sanitation services, as well as basic hygiene practices.

 Last year, UNICEF’s efforts provided nearly 14 million people with clean water and over 11 million with basic toilets.

“We continue to promote behavior changes toward water conservation and support the creation of environmentally enabling environments. Using new technologies to map water sources, UNICEF is able to drill more effectively for water and adapt to the impacts of climate change,” the UNICEF says.

When animals celebrate Christmas

New Delhi(NVI): In the festivities of Christmas, why should animals be left behind?
This seemed to be the intent of NGO Wildlife SOS which cooked up something really special for the rescued animals at Agra Bear Rescue Facility and Elephant Conservation and Care Centre.
The NGO staff dressed up in shades of bright red and constructed special, innovative enrichments and structures inspired by the colors of Christmas.
Both the centers were decorated with streaming festoons of stars and ribbons.
Christmas stockings were filled with loads of popcorn, a favourite with our pachyderms and sloth bears, and were hung atop platforms and high trees to lure the animals to explore these structures.
Many Christmas ‘gifts’ were also filled with other treats and placed at strategic points to encourage the elephants and bears to sniff around and try to figure out which box held the treats they enjoyed most.
A snow man was also made from gunny bags and stuffed with dates and treats was kept within the bear enclosures and hung atop swings made from tyres.
CEO and Co-founder of Wildlife SOS Kartick Satyanarayan said, “We celebrate Christmas every year with great enthusiasm, especially for our rescued animals.”
Talking about the latest celebration, he said while some animals hurried away with the treats to devour them individually, the others were seen constructively demolishing the gunny snow man and stockings.
“I can safely say that the staff enjoys building these enrichments as much as the animals enjoy digging into them,” he added.
Director Conservation Projects  for Wildlife SOS Baiju Raj M.V said it took the elephants absolutely no time to figure out the enrichments and get their treats out.
“The bears were much more entertaining to watch as they were engaged in a stiff competition with each other,” he said.
“It was educating to notice how each animal tackled its enrichment in a different manner and employed different tactics to get the treats. All of them thoroughly enjoyed themselves during the whole event.”he added.

Delhi  air remains “very poor”, intense winter chill in north India 

New Delhi(NVI):  The air quality in national capital today remained in the “very poor”category for the fourth consecutive day.
According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR),the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital stood at  369 which falls in the “very poor” category.
The worst affected areas are Dhirpur, Delhi University, Chandni Chowk, Pusa, Lodhi Road, Mathura Road, IGI Terminal 3 and the neighbouring Noida.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that today Delhi records ‘cold day’ as the minimum temperature will be around 6.0 degree Celsius today which is two degree below normal. The maximum temperature will be around 17.2 degree Celsius.
The weatherman stated that Delhi and its neighbouring cities have been facing a prolonged winter chill this December.
“Not just Delhi, but neighbouring Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, and Faridabad are also facing severe cold conditions,” IMD stated.
‘Cold day’ conditions are declared when the day’s maximum temperature is below normal by more than 4.4°C.  A ‘severe cold day’ is when mercury remains more than 6.4°C below normal through the day.

Cabinet approves MoU with Saudi Arabia for cooperation in renewable energy

New Delhi (NVI): The Union Cabinet today approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saudi Arabia for cooperation in the field of renewable energy, which was signed on October 29 in Riyadh.

The MoU aims at setting up a framework for cooperation between the two sides in the field of renewable energy, including upgrading of the level of technologies and their applications in the field of renewable energy.

The pact also aims at contributing to the field of renewable energy to raise its efficiency in the national energy combination in Saudi Arabia.

Developing the renewable energy projects in Solar, Wind, Biogas, Geothermal and other fields of renewable energy will also be a part of the MoU.

It will also involve dvelopment and localization of value chain in the field of renewable energy.D

Developing and boosting uses of solar energy small applications for buildings, homes and others is also included in the MOU.

Cabinet approves signing of MoU with Brazil on Bioenergy Cooperation

New Delhi(NVI): The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Brazil on Bioenergy Cooperation.
The MoU provides a framework to cooperate and promote investment in biofuel, bioelectricity and biogas supply-chains, including feedstock, industrial conversion, distribution and end use sectors.
India and Brazil are major consumers of energy in the world and Brazil is one of the most important trading partners of India in the entire LAC (Latin America and Caribbean) region.
Brazil is currently the world’s second largest producer and consumer of biofuels and biofuels and bioelectricity accounted for 18% of Brazil’s energy mix.
 India also has a strong focus in the area of bio-fuels and has set a target to achieve 20% blending of ethanol in petrol and 5% blending of biodiesel in diesel by 2030 with the announcement of new policy on Biofuels in 2018.
During the meeting between Prime Minister  Narendra Modi and President of Brazil in India in 2016, the two sides had agreed to cooperate on research and development of renewable energies, as well as in the field of second-generation biofuels.

Cabinet approves implementation of Atal Bhujal Yojana

New Delhi (NVI): The Union Cabinet today  approved implementation of the Atal Bhujal Yojana which aims to
improve ground water management through community participation in identified priority areas.
The Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL) is a central sector scheme with a total outlay of Rs.6000 crore to be implemented over a period of 5 years (2020-21 to 2024-25).
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The scheme aims to improve ground water management through community participation in identified priority areas in seven states of Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
 Implementation of the scheme is expected to benefit nearly 8350 gram panchayats in 78 districts in these states.
ATAL JAL will promote panchayat led ground water management and behavioural change with primary focus on demand side management
Out of the total outlay of Rs. 6000 crore, 50% shall be in the form of World Bank loan, and be repaid by the central government. The remaining 50% shall be through central assistance from regular budgetary support.
 The entire World Bank’s loan component and central assistance shall be passed on to the states as grants.

Cabinet clears proposal for creation of CDS post

New Delhi (NVI): The Union Cabinet today gave a go-ahead for creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in the rank of a four-star General with salary and perquisites equivalent to a Service Chief.
The CDS will head the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), to be created within the Ministry of Defence and function as its secretary, according to the decision taken at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The CDS will be the permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.
He will also act as the principal military adviser to Defense Minister on all tri-Services matters.
The three chiefs will continue to advise Defense Minister on matters exclusively concerning their respective services.
CDS will not exercise any military command, including over the three Service Chiefs, so as to be able to provide impartial advice to the political leadership.

Cabinet approves release of funds for projects of Swadesh Darshan Scheme 

New Delhi (NVI): The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today gave its approval to release funds to the tune of Rs. 627.40 crore for the 10 projects sanctioned during 2018-19 and additional Rs. 1854.67 crore for sanctioning of new projects during 2019-20 in Swadesh Darshan Scheme.
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Under Swadesh Darshan Scheme, Ministry of Tourism is developing critical tourism infrastructure in the country in a sustainable and inclusive manner to make India, a world class tourist destination.
The provision of this critical infrastructure will catalyse the private sector investment in revenue generating projects which in turn would lead to positive enhancement of overall experience to the tourist resulting into increased footfalls in the areas, growth of revenue and employment.
Pursuant to the Budget Announcements of 2014-15 the Ministry of Tourism launched the Swadesh Darshan Scheme (Central Sector Scheme) in January, 2015.

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