Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) has enrolled 4,219 contract workers into the industrial cooperative service society (Indcoserve) after a gap of 16 years facilitating the process of regularising their services in a phased manner. The corporation until 1996, had enrolled more than 5,000 contract workers and regularised the services of more than 4,000 of them in a phased manner as and when vacancies arose.
It might be recalled that the Supreme Court in April this year upheld a Madras High Court order directing the corporation to evolve a common seniority list of the workers enrolled through Indcoserve and workers enrolled through private contractors while regularising their services. The corporation too submitted a petition to the court conveying that it had evolved a common seniority list of more than 4,000-odd workers following which the court disposed the case paving the way for the regularisation process.
In July this year, more than 25,000 regular and contract workers went on an indefinite strike to protest against the Union government’s decision to disinvest 5% of the shares of the corporation. The workers called off the strike on July 15 after the Centre accepted Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s proposal to buy the stakes through the state public sector undertakings.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai> Seniority List / TNN / September 03rd, 2013
India will continue to be the leading beef exporter this year despite slower growth in cattle, calf production and higher domestic consumption.
In the Indian context, beef export is shipment of buffalo meat which is also known as carabeef in the global market. Shipment of cow meat from the country is banned.
Last year, India overtook Brazil as the top exporter of beef, mainly due to growing acceptance of its buffalo meat by South-East Asia, West Asia and African countries.
Buffalo meat exports this year from India could rise to 1.7 million tonnes (mt) against 1.41 mt last year.
Initially, the USDA has estimated that beef exports this year could top 2.1 mt.
“Our buffalo meat exports are giving a tough competition to other countries due to our competitive pricing and quality,” said Tarun Bajaj, General Manager (Livestock products), Agricultural and Processed Foods Export Development Authority (Apeda).
Buffalo makes up one-third of the bovine population in the country.
It is preferred to cow due to its adaptability to climatic conditions and high milk fat content as dairy production is fuelling the bovine sector.
Since slaughter of cow is banned, beef production is driven by buffalo slaughter which is allowed.
However, the slaughter is restricted to males and unproductive females.
According to Apeda, exports of meat and its products increased to $3.29 billion in 2012-13 against $2.91 billion the previous year.
Since 2008, when India exported 672,000 tonnes, shipments of buffalo meat have almost trebled.
BRAZIL’S EXPORTS
Indian exports have made inroads into West Asia, North Africa and South-East Asia, a key market for Brazil, as buffalo meat is cheaper in these price-sensitive markets.
It is produced according to halal standards (meat prepared as prescribed by Islamic law).
Brazil has been witnessing a constant decline in beef exports due to shrinking land availability, but this year its shipments are expected to rise to 1.6 mt from 1.52 mt last year.
Currently, there is renewed interest in livestock farming as the Brazil Government is providing support for pasture management and genetic improvement of cattle.
“The other reason for our exports rising is our quality. Some of our exporters have excellent processing units. This is really helping,” said Bajaj.
DOMESTIC MARKET
On the other hand, domestic consumption is also likely to increase this year. It could increase to 2.1 mt from 2.04 mt last year. Since 2008, domestic consumption has not gained as much as exports.
This is because people are shifting to lamb and other meats in view of increasing income in the country. Poultry meat, in particular, has increased sharply in the last few years.
According to the USDA, cattle heads could increase by four million tonnes to 327 mt, while nearly 64.3 mt calf could be produced this year against 63.4 mt last year.
The USDA also projected a lower export of 8.6 mt this year.
source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Industry> Agri-Biz / by M. R. Subramanai subramani.mancombu@thehindu.co.in / Chennai – June 12th, 2013
Fish being fried at the Kaani Women Self Help Group eatery near Papanasam Dam /. Photo: A. Shaikmohideen / The Hindu
Kaani tribal women’s small eatery near Papanasam dam has food aficionados raving
After enjoying a delicious lunch at a roadside eatery under a thatched shed near Papanasam dam in a salubrious climate, one of the customers, wife of a leading hotelier here, asked the woman serving the food to give her packed ‘meen kuzhambu’ (fish curry) sufficient for three servings.
Within a couple of minutes, mouth-watering hot fish curry with a few pieces of fish is packed in a hot-pack and handed over to the customer even as a few more tourists await to get the curry packed after enjoying their lunch.
This has become an everyday affair at the small eatery ever since the Kaani Tribal women self-help group started this business venture 15 months ago with the help of Kalakkad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) administration. They serve lip-smacking quality lunch at a nominal price but with limited resources.
Though they have to purchase everything – right from salt to LPG cylinder – from the market either at Ambasamudram or Vickramasingapuram and transport it to their eatery close to one of the prime reservoirs of the district, the rightly priced food items with excellent quality attract a decent crowd everyday and helps to revitalise the lives of two dozen Kaani Tribal women and their families.
This success story has not been realised overnight. The long and sustained efforts put in by a few dedicated officers of the KMTR, especially C.Gurusamy, Deputy Director of KMTR’s Mundanthurai Division, have transformed the lives of these women.
Though the KMTR officials were ready to arrange financial assistance for setting up the eatery, the Kaani Tribal women, the actual beneficiaries, were not prepared for such a business venture as they were not used to it.
“Even in these modern days, the Kaani women don’t interact freely with outsiders, which is essential for successfully running a hotel. So we had to persuade them,” says Jebaz, Ranger of Mundanthurai Range.
Though constant persuasion helped a lot in mentally preparing the women for the business venture, it was the unusual method applied by the forest officials that ultimately yielded results.
“Even though their food is very simple, the Kaani women make it in a delicious manner. So some of us occasionally had lunch in their houses and used to laud their skill in preparing yummy food. We repeatedly asked them to showcase their culinary skill to the tourists visiting Mundanthurai and Papanasam dam, while getting attractive revenue out of it, and this finally encouraged them to test their luck in the venture,” recalls Mr.Jebaz.
Since there is no power in the eatery, the Kaani women prepare the ‘masala’ for the fish curry, fish fry, side dishes, sambar, rasam, etc., manually by using grinding stones, and this is another reason for the special taste which attracts crowds.
While the unlimited fish curry meal is priced at Rs.50, the price of fish fry varies from Rs.10 to Rs.30 depending upon the size. “You can’t get fish fry for this price anywhere in this region,” says V.Valsala, one of the Kaani women running the eatery. As long as the Kaani women were cultivating lemon, jackfruit, banana, etc., in their small farms, the revenue they got was very little.
“After the forest officials encouraged us (Kaani women) to form a women self-help group, they motivated us to start the eatery, which has become a success story now as we have been getting a decent revenue for the past 15 months and this has ensured our economic independence,” proudly says Ms.Valsala.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Madurai / by P. Sudhakar / Tirunelveli – May 31st, 2013
Rohit Sahdev and Rohit Kumar / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Meet Rohit Kumar and Rohit Sahdev who have launched Brush with Bamboo, an eco-friendly alternative to the plastic toothbrush
Rohit Kumar and Rohit Sahdev, both students of UC Berkeley, met when they were doing a semester in India in 2006 at the University of Delhi. As they became friends, they realised what damages plastic waste was doing not just to India but to countries across the world. And so, Kumar and Sahdev decided to give up plastic but realised that there were not many eco-friendly alternatives especially for toothbrushes. In July 2012, after much trial and error, they launched Brush with Bamboo.
About 4.7 billion plastic toothbrushes are manufactured every year, and they all invariably end up polluting our oceans. “With our eco-friendly toothbrush, we felt that we had a unique opportunity to help the planet and make a living at the same time,” says Kumar. Designing the toothbrush was a difficult task. Since Kumar and Sahdev were political science and business graduates, they had to start from scratch. “After some research, we discovered that bamboo would be an ideal material. In terms of sustainability, bamboo is abundant, sturdy and one of the fastest growing plants on Earth. At the same time, it is naturally anti-microbial and anti-fungal, so it does not mould in wet environments,” Kumar explains.
It took about eight months to perfect the first version of the toothbrush but the bristles posed a problem. “We tried using bristles that were made from 30 per cent bamboo but they didn’t last long enough. A year later, we launched a second version in which we improved by switching back to a high grade of pure nylon (certified free of toxic chemicals),” Kumar says. Unfortunately, there is no good alternative to nylon bristles. “The only other alternative is boar or pig hair, and we do not agree with using animal hair,” he adds.
The bamboo toothbrushes / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Brush with Bamboo has so far sold nearly 50,000 toothbrushes across the world and the numbers continue to grow rapidly. “No else had come out with a eco-friendly toothbrush at that time, so we were being purchased and stocked by retailers from around the globe,” Kumar explains. And about six months ago, they introduced bamboo drinking straws. “They are made from a variety of thin bamboo. About one billion plastic straws are used everyday and we wanted to do something there as well. Our focus, though, will be on toothbrushes. Our next product will be a toothbrush that is for children.”
Modular toilets to come up in 14 places at an estimate of Rs.3.6 crore
The Corporation council meeting held here on Friday resolved to set up modular toilets at select 14 places at an estimated outlay of Rs 3.5 crore.
Mayor Visalakshi Apukutty said these toilets would be coming up in wards 3,6,18, 21, 31, 32, 35, 36, 38, 52 and 53 under ‘Namma toilet’ scheme.
Corporation Commissioner K. R. Selvaraj said each toilet complex would have five to six seats and would function as community toilets.
The administration plans to obtain grants from the State Government to offset the capital expenditure for the project.
During the meeting, councillors representing CPI, CPI (M) and DMK staged walk out in protest against the move to privatise solid waste management (SWM) project in select 30 wards out of the total 60 wards.
They pointed out that the handing over of the SWM project would only increase the cost of garbage collection.
“The present method of collecting garbage through various women Self Help Groups has been effective. Why then, the need to privatise the project?” they wondered. For the opposition councillors, there was surprise support from the ruling party too.
S. R. Jayakumar of AIADMK said that he could not morally accept the concept of privatising the said SWM project for 30 wards.
K. Marappan of CPI (M) asked why there was a huge delay in filling the vacancies of two councillor posts caused by the death of the incumbents last year.
“The rule clearly asks to conduct by-elections within six months to fill the vacancies,” he pointed out.
S. Ravichandran of CPI expressed dissatisfaction over the inadequate medical infrastructure and manpower in the Corporation-run maternity hospital near Bungalow stop. “It does not even have X-ray,” he said.
Some other major complaints raised by councillors include mosquito menace, poor laying of black top surfaces on the roads which comes off in quick time and lack of adequate drainage.
Deputy Mayor S Gunasekaran was present in the meeting.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Staff Reporter / Tirupur – August 31st, 2013
Justice K.N Basha, a retired judge of the Madras High Court, took charge as the chairman of the Intellectual Property Appellate Tribunal on 28 August 2013. He was appointed by the Director of the Department of Industrial Policy And Promotion of The Union Ministry of Industry And Commerce.
About Justice K.N Basha
• Justice K.N Basha was born in May 1951 and he studied in Madras Christian College and finished his law degree in Madras Law College.
• He enrolled as advocate in 1976 and joined the office of senior advocate N T Vanamamalai.
• In 1985 he established independent practice as a civil and criminal lawyer.
•Justice K.N. Basha was appointed judge of the Madras high court on 10 December 2005, and he retired on 13 May 2013.
About Intellectual Property Appellate Board
Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) was constituted by the Union Government in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on 15 September 2003 to hear appeals against the decisions of the Registrar under the Trade Marks Act, 1999 and the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
The Intellectual Property Appellate Board has its headquarters at Chennai and holds sitting benches at Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Ahmedabad.
source: http://www.jagranjosh.com / Jagran Josh / Home> Current Affairs / August 29th, 2013
Lanco Infratech today said its 120 MW Tanjore power project has received five star rating from the British Safety Council UK for excellence in Health and Safety Management System.
The high rating has been given for Lanco Tanjore Power Company Ltd (LTPCL), operating 120 MW combined cycle power plant in Tamil Nadu.
“We are delighted that our efforts and commitment towards environment, health and safety management has been acknowledged by British Safety Council,” LTPCL’s CEO P Panduranga Rao said in a statement.
source: http://www.articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com / The Economic Times / Home> Power / by PTI / August 26th, 2013
Tamil Nadu lagging behind Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab and Haryana
Mushroom production has tremendous scope in Tamil Nadu.
However, the State does not have the number of entrepreneurs to meet its requirements, laments S.S.T.Rajenthran, who won the “progressive mushroom grower” award in 2011 from the Director of Mushroom Research, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, “for his outstanding contribution to the mushroom industry.”
S.S.T.Rajenthran with milk mushroom. / Photo: R. M. Rajarathinam / The Hindu
Mr.Rajenthran, 46, is an ITI-educated entrepreneur who is into mushroom production for the past over 25 years. He has a unit near Thuraiyur, about 25km from here.
The ICAR has recognised his expertise in milky and oyster mushroom cultivation. He also supplies high quality spawn to mushroom growers.
It has commended his “keen interest in providing support to small and marginal mushroom growers and his efforts in popularising mushroom consumption among common public.”
Mushroom has excellent medicinal properties. It is rich in protein, fibre, and amino acids. Mushroom is a 100 per cent vegetarian food and is good for diabetes and joint pains. Pickles, pappad, soup powder, health powder, capsule, health drinks and pakodas can be made using mushroom. It has no cholesterol and helps in purifying blood. It has low sodium and substantial vitamin and minerals.
Mr.Rajenthran calls it an “agri-based industry.” But officially it has been classified as horticulture. India is so gifted that it could grow temperate, sub-tropical, and tropical mushrooms.
During 1989-92, marketing of mushroom was a problem in Tamil Nadu. “It is no more so. Chennai alone gets five tonnes of mushroom a day at present from various parts of the country.”
“However, Tamil Nadu is now nowhere in the national map and it is Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana which are doing well in this sector.” It has good export potential for countries such as China, Singapore, Dubai, and Europe.”
“It is quite remunerative and fetches at least Rs.200 a kg at present. The profit margin is 30 to 40 per cent.”
Mr.Rajenthran, who is now concentrating on milky mushroom cultivation, says that its shelf life could be five days as against one day of button mushroom. If kept refrigerated, milky mushroom could be kept for 10-15 days.
With respect to reports that mushroom could be cultivated at low cost – even as low as Rs.50, 000 to Rs.1lakh, he says, “Whenever you use timber for the production chamber, there is every possibility fungus might affect the timber which in turn would hurt the mushroom in due course,” he contends. Hence, investment is a major problem for the entrepreneurs, he adds.
According to him, mushroom production requires a temperature of 28 deg C to 35 deg C and a humidity of 75-80 per cent. Hence a humidifier is a must. Besides CO2 should be totally removed from the chamber and there should be fresh air.
For a production unit of 30 X 15 ft, a minimum of Rs.9 lakh would be required. A crop requires 45 days and at least 1.5 tonnes could be harvested per crop. “On an average, 10 tonnes per unit is possible per annum.”
Besides, he suggests that one set up a spawn and compost unit at Rs.25 lakh so that he could supply spawn and compost ready to produce mushroom within a radius of 50 to 100 km.
Mr.Rajenthran, who advocates organic farming of mushroom, suggests that the State government introduce mushroom in the noon meal scheme to serve nutritional food to children and promote mushroom industry. Self-help groups could produce the same and supply, he adds.
Mushroom production requires very little land and can be a good source of employment for educated youth. The two primary inputs for mushroom production – agro-waste and labour are easily available. Integrated mushroom production in existing farming system will supplement the income of rural masses and will lead to inclusive growth, he adds.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Tiruchirapalli / by G. Sathyamoorthi / Tiruchi – February 03rd, 2013
The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) has elected an Indian-American as its zonal Secretary/treasurer.
Sockalingam Sam Kannappan, Chairman of Enforcement Committee of Texas PE Board, was elected Secretary and Treasurer of Southern Zone (SZ). South Zone has 18 boards under its control.
NCEES is the American National Professional Engineers (PE) Board coordinating 50 national PE Boards, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands. Engineering organisations from Canada , Mexico, Japan and other countries work with NCEES.
NCEES conducts examination for fundamental (FE) and Professional Examination (PE) through four zones.
Kannappan is a registered Professional Engineer in Texas with 25 years of experience in design, analysis, and software development for the petrochemical, refinery, and pipeline industries. He graduated with Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
Kannappan is a native of Nattarasankottai in Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu.
source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> PTI Stories> International> News / by Press Trust of India / New York – August 28th, 2013
Former president APJ Abdul Kalam Tuesday highlighted the critical importance of manufacturing and technology in transforming India into a developed nation.
India is witnessing a wave of growth in manufacturing after its decline in the late 1990s. The current surge in the sector is touted to be much more promising than the first wave. But as this is slated to be more skills-intensive, technology and innovation would play a crucial role, Kalam said.
He was speaking before engineers and industry leaders on the role of manufacturing in India’s transformation to a developed nation at the Rockwell Automation On the Move 2013 (RAOTM-2013) exposition-cum-conference here.
Kalam outlined how the phenomenon of sustainable competitiveness, convergence of technologies and culture of excellence had assumed a pivotal role and stressed the need for creative leadership and ethical practices.
Industry leaders like Dilip Sawhney, regional director of Rockwell, said India was well poised to take advantage of this shift.
Frank Kulaszewicz, senior vice president, RA Global Operations, said Rockwell was focused on the biggest emerging markets such as India where there was a rapid growth due to the increased rate of urbanization and this had opened huge prospects for Rockwell’s products and solutions.
“Rockwell expects 60 per cent of its global revenues to flow from non-US markets, especially the emerging markets, by 2013-14,” he said.
Tom O’ Reilly, president, Asia-Pacific, Rockwell Automation, said the US-based company planned to put in some investments in the Research and Development sector and expand its tie-up with partners as India has “an immense potential in the industrial automation market”.
