Munitions India Ltd
Six of the seven new Defence companies report provisional
profits during first six months of their business
Six of the seven new defence
companies, which were dedicated to the Nation on the occasion of Vijayadashmi
on October 15, 2021, have reported provisional profits during the initial six
months of their business, i.e., October 01, 2021 to March 31, 2022.
Why is it in news?
The companies achieve turnover of
more than Rs 8,400 crore, and secure over Rs 3,000 crore worth of domestic
contracts & Rs 600 crore export orders. Munitions India Limited bags one of
the biggest ever export order of ammunition of Rs 500 crore.
These new entities have also
initiated various measures towards optimal utilisation of their resources and
cost reduction. With focused attention on cost reduction, these companies have
been able to make cumulative savings of about 9.48% in the areas like overtime
and non-production activities during the initial six months itself.
The performance of the new companies
is being monitored regularly by the Department for timely interventions, if
any, so that the objectives of corporatisation of OFB are fully met.
It may be recalled that the
Government had, on June 16, 2021, taken a major decision to bring in a
long-awaited and major reform in defence manufacturing by converting Ordnance
Factory Board, a subordinate office of the Ministry of Defence, into seven
Government-owned corporate entities with professional management.
Highlights
·
Except Yantra India Limited (YIL),
all other companies - Munitions India Limited (MIL); Armoured Vehicles Nigam
Limited (AVANI); Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWE India);
Troop Comforts Limited (TCL); India Optel Limited (IOL) and Gliders India Limited
(GIL) have reported provisional
profits.
·
Following their dedication to the
Nation, the Government has taken various steps to initially handhold and
support these new defence companies in starting their business as corporate
entities.
·
Outstanding indents with erstwhile
OFB were grandfathered and converted into deemed contracts valuing about Rs
70,776 crore.
·
Against the targets for Financial
Year 2021-22, Rs 7,765 crore were credited to the new defence companies as 60%
mobilisation advance before the commencement of business date.
·
An amount of Rs 2,765.95 crore has
been released to the seven new companies during the current financial year for
capital expenditure and equity.
·
With the functional and financial
autonomy provided to these new corporate entities, coupled with handholding by
the Government, a turnaround has been brought in the functioning of the
Ordnance Factories.
·
Within the first six months, these
new companies have achieved the turnover of more than Rs 8,400 crore, which is
significant considering the Value of Issue of erstwhile OFB during the previous
financial years.
·
From the day one itself, these
companies have started exploring new markets and expanding their business,
including exports. Within a short time since their inception, these companies
have been able to secure domestic contracts and export orders valuing more than
Rs 3,000 crore and Rs 600 crore respectively.
·
The MIL has bagged one of the
biggest ever export order of ammunition of Rs 500 crore. These companies are
also taking measures for developing new products through in-house as well as
collaborative efforts. The YIL has bagged orders of about Rs 251 crore from
Indian Railways for Axles.
Bijli Utsav
'Bijli Utsav' organized by
REC in three states as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav
As
part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ – to celebrate 75 years of
India's Independence, Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, a public
infrastructure finance company under the Ministry of Power organized a ‘Bijli Utsav’ in the states of Manipur, Odisha and Chattisgarh.
Why is it in news?
The
date of the event was specifically chosen as 28th April 2022
since it marks the four years anniversary of successfully providing access to
electricity infrastructure to all villages under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY).
Given
the large gathering, it was ensured that all Covid safety protocols such as
social distancing and wearing of masks were adhered to. In addition, masks were
also distributed to all the attendees.
Highlights
· As a mark of the occasion,
Leisang Village of Manipur was one of the villages where the event was held
since it was the last village to be connected to the grid under the DDUGJY
Scheme on 28th April 2018.
· The village electrification
drive of the country was also recognized as one of the greatest success stories
by the International Energy Agency.
· Numerous dignitaries graced
the occasion, which saw large turnouts of crowds from nearby villages and
districts.
· The dignitaries highlighted
the benefits of electricity, the challenges faced during electrification in
rural areas and how the quality of life improved with access to power.
· The events also witnessed
several beneficiaries of the DDUGJY
Scheme who were invited on stage to share their experience.
· To engage with the
villagers, various cultural programmes such as dance and Lok Gayan were held to spread awareness about the usage of
electricity, billing, energy efficiency etc. and a quiz on various Government
programmes was also conducted to impart knowledge to the public. The event
concluded with the distribution of LED bulbs as prizes to the winners of the
competitions.
Jal Shakti
Union Jal Shakti Minister Reviews
Implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in Rajasthan with 17 MPs & PHED
Minister, Officials
Shri Shekhawat Urges State Government to Ensure Participation of All MPs to
Make JJM A ‘Jan Andolan’, A People’s Movement
“Community Participation & Empowerment is the Soul Of JJM Which Will Lead to
its Success”
The Union Jal Shakti Minister, Shri
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat chaired a review meeting on Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) today in Jaipur with 17 Members of
Parliament (MPs) of Rajasthan and PHED officials to expedite the implementation
of the mission in the State.
Why is it in news?
All Executive Engineers/Superintendent
Engineers were connected virtually. The meeting began with a welcome address by
ACS, PHED, Rajasthan followed by a brief presentation by Additional Secretary
and Mission Director, National Jal Jeevan Mission, who shared the mission
overview and status of implementation of works in the various districts of the
State in comparison with the national average. He also explained about the
status of planning as well as the role of Members of Parliament in the
implementation of the mission.
Highlights
·
Thanking all the Members of
Parliament of Rajasthan for their active participation in the day-long review
meeting, the Union Minister, Jal Shakti appreciated their concerns as well as
valuable suggestions to bring improvement in the pace of implementation of
mission along with ensuring the quality of works.
·
Mentioning about various life
changing initiatives of the Government of India to improve the lives of the
people especially the poor & marginalized communities ensuring ‘no one is
left out’, he underscored the importance of Jal Jeevan Mission in the context
of a State like Rajasthan.
·
Shri Shekhawat mentioned that the
community participation and empowerment is the soul of the mission which will
lead to its success. Therefore, the State must make all out efforts to involve
the local village community in the mission works starting from preparation of Village Action Plan (VAP). He urged the
State Government to ensure the participation of all the Members of Parliament
to make Jal Jeevan Mission a ‘Jan
Andolan’, a people’s movement.
·
Shri Shekhawat appealed to all
senior officers to give primacy to the quality of works by ensuring regular
inspection and taking corrective measures.
·
He assured there will be no dearth
of fund from Government of India and extended all assistance to ensure the
State becomes ‘Har Ghar Jal’ in a
time-bound manner.
·
He further invited the State PHED Minister and senior officers
to approach him whenever required regarding resolving any issue pertaining to
drinking water supply in the State.
·
Lastly, he focused on improving the
drinking water sources so that water supply to rural households is not
disrupted. He stressed on exploring convergence by dovetailing various schemes
at village level for source sustainability, viz. MGNREGS, 15th FC
tied grants, DMDF, etc.
·
In his remarks, Minister, PHED,
Rajasthan mentioned about the geographical challenge faced by the State in
ensuring sustainable tap water supply and the remoteness of several habitations
called ‘dhaanis’, which are smaller in size.
·
He further told that the State needs
to improve the pace of implementation of the mission while ensuring the quality
of works.
·
Out of 105.69 lakh rural households
in the State, only 11.74 lakh had provision of tap water supply in their homes
during the launch of the mission in August, 2019, which has increased to 25.61
lakh HHs (24.23%) so far. About Rs. 11,000 Crore has been allocated as Central
grant to the State under Jal Jeevan Mission in 2022-23. Further, Rs. 1,774
Crore is available to the State as 15th Finance Commission tied
grant to RLBs/ PRIs for drinking water and sanitation. The State plans to
provide tap water connections to 32.64 lakh rural households in 2022-23, for
which the Annual Action Plan has been approved by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
·
The MPs shared their views and
concerns about the progress of works in their respective constituencies,
quality of works which needs immediate attention, quality of water supply to be
improved, regular water supply, involvement of local community especially Gram
Panchayat/ Village Water & Sanitation Committees starting from planning,
implementation and monitoring to ensure the quality of works, topmost
priorities to be accorded for sustainability of the source for smaller schemes,
proper water allocation for multi village schemes/ major projects, etc. In
addition, they also highlighted issues like mismatch between number of households
in the plan vs field, work not initiated in most of the villages,
non-finalization of district action plans, speedy planning for the inaccessible
areas where individual tap connections seem to be very difficult especially in
desert areas of Jaisalmer, Barmer, Jodhpur, Pali, etc.
·
The MPs also urged the State
Government to ensure participation of all Members of Parliament starting from
planning to monitoring for effective and quality implementation of mission so
that the goal of this ambitious programme is achieved. It was also unanimously
shared that every work site must have display board at conspicuous locations
giving details of the water supply work including the cost estimate, no. of tap
connections to be provided, contact details of the vendor, PHED engineer, GP/
VWSC chairperson, etc. It was also suggested that both for running as well as
final bill payment, joint inspection to be made by the third party agency along
with the representative of GP/ VWSC. There was a demand for making provision
of water supply for livestock as Rajasthan has the highest cattle population in
the country. They also emphasized the need for certification of ‘Har Ghar Jal’
villages by convening Gram Sabhas and taking resolution that every household as
well as the public institution of the village has been provided with tap water
supply.
·
Additional Chief Secretary, PHED,
Rajasthan thanked all the participants for their valuable suggestions and
assured that the State team will work with renewed energy and enthusiasm to ensure
every rural household in the State is provided tap water supply.
Explosions in Kyiv
Kiev, Ukrain’s capital bombarded hardly an hour after
the conference between the UN Secretary General and Ukrain’s President
Highlights
·
The bombardment came barely an
hour after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a news conference with
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, who said Ukraine has become “an
epicenter of unbearable heartache and pain.” A spokesperson said Mr Guterres
and his team were safe.
·
Meanwhile, explosions were
reported across the country, in Polonne in the west, Chernihiv near the border
with Belarus, and Fastiv, a large railway hub southwest of the capital. The
mayor of Odesa in southern Ukraine said rockets were intercepted by air
defenses.
·
Ukrainian authorities also
reported intense Russian fire in the Donbas — the eastern industrial heartland
that the Kremlin says is its main objective — and near Kharkiv, a northeastern
city outside the Donbas that is seen as key to the offensive.
·
In the ruined southern port city
of Mariupol, Ukrainian fighters holed up in the steel plant that represents the
last pocket of resistance said concentrated bombing overnight killed and
wounded more people.
·
And authorities warned that a
lack of safe drinking water inside the city could lead to outbreaks of deadly
diseases such as cholera and dysentery.
·
The fresh attacks came as Mr
Guterres surveyed the destruction in small towns outside the capital that saw
some of the worst horrors of the first onslaught of the war. He condemned the
atrocities committed in towns like Bucha, where evidence of mass killings of
civilians was found after Russia withdrew in early April in the face of
unexpectedly stiff resistance. “Wherever there is a war, the highest price is
paid by civilians,” the U.N. chief lamented.
·
Separately, Ukraine’s prosecutor
accused 10 Russian soldiers of being “involved in the torture of peaceful
people” in Bucha. Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova did not say her office
had filed criminal charges, and she appealed to the public for help in gathering
evidence. Russia denies it targets civilians.
·
During his nightly video address,
Mr Zelenskyy renewed a pledge to hold Russian soldiers accountable for crimes
they commit and said about the 10 identified earlier Thursday: “Some of them
may not, after all, live until a trial and fair punishment. But only for one
reason: This Russian brigade has been transferred to the Kharkiv region. There
they’ll receive retribution from our military.”
·
In the attack on Kyiv, explosions
shook the city and flames poured out of windows in at least two buildings —
including one residential one — in the capital, which has been relatively
unscathed in recent weeks. Plumes of smoke could be seen over the city.
·
The explosions in northwest
Kyiv’s Shevchenkivsky district came as residents have been increasingly
returning to the city. Cafes and other businesses have reopened, and a growing
numbers of people have been out and about, enjoying the spring weather.
·
It was not immediately clear how
far away the attack was from Mr Guterres.
·
“I was shocked to be informed
that two rockets have exploded in the city where I am,” the U.N. chief was
quoted as telling the BBC. “So this is a dramatic war, and we absolutely need
to end this war and we absolutely need to have a solution for this war.”
·
Getting a full picture of the
unfolding battle in the east has been difficult because airstrikes and
artillery barrages have made it extremely dangerous for reporters to move
around. Several journalists have been killed in the war, now in its third
month.
·
Also, both Ukraine and the Moscow-backed rebels fighting in the east
have introduced tight restrictions on reporting from the combat zone. Western
officials say the Kremlin’s apparent goal is to take the Donbas by encircling
and crushing Ukrainian forces from the north, south and east.
·
But so far, Russia’s troops and their allied separatist forces appear
to have made only minor gains, taking several small towns as they try to
advance in relatively small groups against staunch Ukrainian resistance.
·
Russian military units were mauled in the abortive bid to storm Kyiv
and had to regroup and refit. Some analysts say the delay in launching a
full-fledged offensive may reflect a decision by Russian President Vladimir
Putin to wait until his forces are ready for a decisive battle, instead of
rushing in and risking another failure that could shake his rule amid worsening
economic conditions at home because of Western sanctions.
·
Many observers suspect Mr Putin wants to be able to claim a big victory
in the east by Victory Day, on May 9, one of the proudest holidays on the
Russian calendar, marking the defeat of Nazi Germany during World War II.
·
Ukraine has urged its allies to send even more military equipment to
fend off the Russians. U.S. President Joe Biden asked Congress for
an additional $33 billion to help Ukraine.
Government Officials to be trained in National Cyber Exercise
Government Officials to be trained in National Cyber
Exercise
To bolster India's cyber posture, the National
Security Council Secretariat is holding a NCX India for government officials
and key sector organisations.
Why is it in news?
Intrusion Detection Techniques, Malware Information
Sharing Platform (MISP), Vulnerability Handling & Penetration Testing,
Network Protocols & Data Flows, and Digital Forensics are
among the topics covered by the attendees.
Highlights
·
The National
Cyber Security Incident Response Exercise was kicked off by National
Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
·
According to a statement from the National Security Council Secretariat, more than 140 officials would be
trained through training sessions, Live Fire, and Strategic exercises.
·
The practise comes in the wake of
recent power grid hacking incidents in Ladakh, as well as a number of incidents
involving ministry Twitter accounts being hacked.
·
A couple of attempted efforts to
breach networks of despatch centres responsible for real-time grid control and
electricity dispatch, according to the Centre, have occurred in the recent
month.
