Piyush Goyal Formally Launches Portal for E-Auction of Coal Mines
25122014
Shri Piyush Goyal , Minister of State ( IC) for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy has formally launched the portal for e-auction of 24 coal mines here today . (www.mstcecommerce.com/auctionhome/coalblock) .With this , the registration process has been started and interested bidders with end use plants could visit MSTC website for the purpose. The registration process will be as per KYC norms and will be available on MSTC website.While speaking on the occasion, Shri Piyush Goyal said that entire auction process will be transparent, efficient and conducted online only. However, 2 documents the Bank Guarantee comprising the bid security and an Undertaking stating that all information submitted is true and correct shall be received in hard copy. The auction process will comprise (i) Techno–commercial bid for qualification and (ii) Financial bid (e-auction) for selection of successful bidder. Only 50% of the qualified bidders from technical stage (subject to a minimum of 5 bidders) will be allowed to participate in the e-auction process.
Mines set aside for iron & steel, cement and CPPs will be auctioned through ‘Ascending Forward Auction’, where qualified bidders will quote incremental bids above the pre-determined floor price. Mines to be allocated for power sector will be auctioned through ‘Descending Reverse Auction’ to minimise impact on power tariffs of end use plants. Last date for receiving technical bids will be January 31, 2015 and list of qualified bidders will be placed on MSTC website on February 12, 2015.
E-auction of coal mines for qualified bidders will be held from February14, 2015 to February 22, 2015.The entire mine allocation process for Schedule II coal mines will be completed by March 23, 2015 with the signing of Coal Mine Development & Production Agreement and the Vesting Order.
The second phase of auction for 32 Schedule III coal mines will commence soon.
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E Governance : Information Technology for Good Governance
25122014
Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY), today organized a mega event and an exhibition in New Delhi to celebrate the Good Governance Day.The event was inaugurated by the Minister of Communications & Information Technology Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, and was attended by officials of central government and its agencies, industry partners, interested netizens, and media personnel.
In his keynote address at the event, the Minister said, that on the pillars of participation, accountability, transparency, responsiveness and efficiency, Good Governance can be effectively achieved through the vision of Digital India. The Minister emphasized that simple and inclusive technology has transformative power and is the source of good Governance.
“In the last six months, Government of India has taken a number of landmark initiatives. The Digital India programme, unveiled by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, is committed to take the cause of Good Governance forward in letter and spirit”, the Minister added.
The Minister in his concluding remarks directed all the officials of the Ministry of Communications and IT that they must ensure that the vision of Digital India becomes a reality! (Digital India Karna Hai).
Shri RS Sharma, Secretary, DeitY said, “The department has taken a number of initiatives like MyGov(Citizen participation platform) , Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System, Jeevan Pramaan, e-Greetings, e-Sampark, National Digital Literacy Mission, e-Governance Competency Framework etc. to promote Good Governance in the country,” as well as to give impetus to the Digital India programme.
“Government officials at all levels should contribute to this cause by ensuring effective planning and implementation of various e-Governance programmes. To make it happen, all government officials need to develop a positive mindset for e-Governance and other Information and communication technology (ICT) programmes. They also need to update their ICT skills on a regular basis”, he emphasized.
The Minister launched a number of Good Governance projects initiated by Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Department of Telecommunication, Department of Posts and their organizations.
Some of the key projects launched at the event were Time Stamping of Digital Signature, Integrated Indian Languages Virtual Keyboard for Android, PARAM Shavak (Super computer in box solution), .bharat domain in Gujarati and Bangla, e-launch of Support International Patent Protection in Electronics & IT scheme (SIP-EIT), Disbursements under Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme(M-SIPS), Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC) disbursement, Gyansetu – an internet based real time ICT system to provide e-Services to the rural population of India, MTNL Apps for Android smart phones and e-Governance Competency Framework (e-GCF).
Additionally e-Books were launched by the three departments namely Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Department of Telecommunications and Department of Posts. Department of Posts also launched a pocket book.
Deity also organized an exhibition for which invitation to general public was done through an online registration process which was set up on National e-Governance Plan website. The event saw a huge participation from about 50 Government and private organisations like National Informatics Centre (NIC), Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) , Ministry of Panchayati Raj, IBM, CISCO, Oracle, Infosys etc. The exhibition offered a glimpse of various projects in the areas of software and hardware development, Networking, Services, Mobile, Geographic information system (GIS), Security and health, which were contributing to the cause of ICT enabled Good Governance.
Today, while celebrating Good Governance Day, the Minister of Communications & IT Shri Ravi Shanker Prasad renewed the commitment of the Department of Telecommunications to deliver good governance through the vision of Digital India. He launched new products and technologies by different agencies of Department of Telecommunications such as Gyansetu – an internet based real time Information and Communications Technology (ICT) system designed by C-DoT primarily to provide e-services to the under-privileged rural population of India, C-DOT‘s Next Generation Solution “MAX-NG”- a cost effective and smooth migration path to Internet Protocol Multimedia Systems (IMS), and new plans of MTNL for its customers. MAX NG will enable smooth transition from Plain Old Telephone System to Voice over Internet protocol, enabling consumers to enjoy voice, data and video services on existing landlines at affordable cost.
The focus of the Department of Telecommunications is to create the communication infrastructure for enabling e-services like e-banking, e-commerce, e-education, e-governance, e-entertainment, e-health etc. across the country which is expected to give a new fillip to the inclusive growth of Indian economy. Presently, the telecom sector’s growth is on the upswing. This growth has to be carried forward with renewed vigour in a sustainable way.
Government is committed to improve tele-density, voice and broadband penetration and ensure quality of services to both rural and urban areas to achieve the vision of Digital India. To bridge the rural coverage gap both for voice and broadband penetration, Government has planned to make significant investment for establishing the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) and Government User Network (GUN) to overlay NOFN. The project will connect 2,50,000 Gram Panchayats with 100 mbps speed, provide broadband connectivity to Gram Panchayats, primary schools and health centres and provide community Wi-Fi services at Gram Panchayat level. NOFN will support e-governance services, telemedicine, tele-education, financial services, e-commerce and e-entertainment. Tenders for trenching and pipe laying have been finalized in more than 25% Blocks and Gram Panchayats. About 4,300 Gram Panchayats have been connected and the pace of implementation has been accelerated in recent months.
Government has planned to cover about 55,669 villages as yet uncovered by mobile connectivity all over India in a phased manner by March 2019. The major focus of the new Government is to reach remote areas such as North-Eastern States, Himalayan States, Border States and Islands and more importantly the Left Wing Extremism affected Areas in the country. A comprehensive plan to provide mobile connectivity in the North Eastern Region has been approved by the Government on 10th September, 2014 at a cost of Rs.5336.18 crore. Government has also decided to install and operate 2199 mobile towers to connect key locations in the States affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE) with voice connectivity, at a project cost of Rs.3567.58 crore by September 2015. Provision of secure, reliable, robust, and affordable telecom facilities in Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) and Lakshadweep is of utmost importance for the people living in these islands and from a strategic point of view to the whole country. Telecom Commission has given ‘in principle’ approval on 07.11.2014 for Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan for Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands with the total estimated investment of Rs. 221.05 crore.
Government is committed to expeditiously facilitate provision of Wi-Fi hotspots in all the cities with a population of more than 1 million, important tourist and pilgrimage places in the country.
While Government is making efforts to bridge the urban rural divide for broadband penetration, it is conscious of the low penetration and poor quality of services of broadband in the urban areas as well and is also taking a comprehensive review of regulatory aspects to take care of these concerns.
Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) play an important role in the growth of telecom sector since their outreach is to the remotest areas across the length and breadth of the country. Conscious of the strategic national importance of BSNL, Government is committed to the revival of BSNL and is drawing a plan for its revival that would aim to restore its position as a national telecommunications solutions provider in the years ahead. Similarly, the financial position of MTNL has suffered in recent years impinging on its capacity to invest and consequent impact on quality of service delivered. Government is committed to improving the financial position of MTNL and is taking several steps for its revival.
Government has decided to extend mobile number portability across States. Service providers has been given time till Apr-May 2015 to implement Full Mobile Number Portability, which will benefit the consumers of telecom services by allowing them freedom to change their operator without changing their mobile numbers throughout the length and breadth of the country.
To create a level playing field for the domestic manufacturers, who suffer severe disability due to poor infrastructure and inverted duty structure and to give fillip to domestic telecom electronic manufacturing, the Government has imposed a basic Customs Duty of 10% on these products which are not covered under Information Technology Agreement-1 (ITA-1) of World Trade Organisation (WTO) in the Union Budget 2014-15.
Government is considering several policy initiatives in the telecommunications sector with the aim of creating a stable, growth-oriented policy structure. The Government is confident that these initiatives will lead to transformation of India as a modern technology driven nation through Good Governance initiatives.
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Good Governance Day observed by I&B Ministry
25122014
Ministry to digitize archival material on eminent personalities – Shri Bimal JulkaMultimedia Exhibition on Former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee concludes |
Secretary, I&B, Shri Bimal Julka has said that the rich repository of archival footage on eminent personalities available with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was in the process of being digitized and would be available to the public through Doordarshan, All India Radio and Social Media platforms of the New Media Wing. Shri Julka stated this while speaking on the occasion of the closing ceremony of the Multimedia Exhibition on former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee organized to mark Good Governance Day at the IGNCA complex here today.Shri Julka further added that the Multimedia Exhibition on former Prime Minister Shri Vajpayee was an example of the innovative approaches being adopted towards information dissemination by different Media Units of the Ministry. The Exhibition reiterated the integrated communication approach being practiced for effective outreach and impact. At the closing ceremony, prizes were awarded to children who participated in painting competition organized at the venue during the Exhibition. Shri N.M Ghatade, a close associate of the former Prime Minister Shri Vajpayee distributed prizes to the children along with Secretary, I&B. The theme of the painting competition was ‘Swachhta’ and National unity.The Exhibition also witnessed screening of three films based on the life of Shri Vajpayee provided by the Film Division of the Ministry. Photo Division provided the photos being mounted at the Exhibition. The Song and Drama Division of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting gave cultural performances during the Exhibition. Publication Division organized a Book Exhibition at the venue. Doordarshan provided short-films to highlight the achievements of the former Prime Minister Shri Vajpayee.
Through a display of around 250 photographs, the 6 day Exhibition served as a window to the eventful life and journey of Shri Vajpayee, throwing light upon different facets of his vibrant personality. The rare collection of pictures along with Scrollers, Translites, LED walls, Large Fascia and Title Boards provided a glimpse into the diverse phases of his life as a statesman, poet and visionary leader. People from all walks of life including several eminent personalities visited the Exhibition.
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