[The Big Picture] Investment meets : Promises and outcomes

Summary: 

• Investment summits have become the buzzword for many of the states in the country.

• Every year some of the summits have grown larger and larger.

• The recent Gujarat summit is touted as the biggest ever with the chief minister claiming that 21000 MoUs have been signed worth Rs.25 lac crore along with 1205 strategic partnerships also being signed. In the past also several such MoUs have been signed in Gujarat.

• Other states including Karnataka, MP, Tamilnadu, Westbengal have held or planning to hold similar summits this year.

• One common criticism about these summits is that it promises more than it actually delivers. Outcomes do not really reach the promises made.

• Its supporters feel that such summits help the states to showcase their strengths and attract investors and also allay some of their concerns and fears.

• The rationale for holding these investment summits is not entirely a bad one.

• These summits also create much hype and exaggerations.

• Several people are saying that the Prime Minister should not have participated in the Gujarat summit.

• These summits bring in lot of positive competition awareness in the whole arena.

• The success of these summits depends on local infrastructure and administrative laws.

• These summits also serve as the image building exercise for the present government.

• Industrial promotion is good but competitive populism should be discouraged.

• Some see it as a task of image building.

• Investment summits also spur the competition among the states.

Source : RajyaSabhaTV

J&K wins National e-Governance award 2014-15 for best district-level initiative

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has been selected for National e-Governance award 2014-15 for its best district level initiative in the country.

J&K state has been selected for this award by Department of Administrative Reforms for its e-Panchayat project.

This award will be presented during 18th National Conference on e-Governance to be held at Gandhinagar, Gujarat on January 30-31, 2015.

Background:

• J&K’s e-Panchayat project was shortlisted among 53 nominees for spot study which was done by PriceWater Coopers Ltd and officers of Department of Administrative Reforms of PMO in November-December 2014.

• Finally it was is selected by the by jury headed by Secretary Administrative Reforms and conferred after approval of Prime Minister who heads Ministry of Personnel, Department of Administrative Reforms.

J&K’s e-Panchayat project:

• It was launched in 2013-14 for strengthening 147 panchayats in the state.

• This project provided platform for a decentralized regime of panchayats in the state by shifting the service delivery from block level to panchayat level.

National e-Governance award:

• It was instituted in 1997. It is given by Department of Administrative Reforms.

Purpose of the award:

• It recognizes the achievements in the area of e-Governance.

• It seeks to disseminate knowledge on effective methods of designing and implementing sustainable e-Governance initiatives.

• Encourage incremental innovations in successful e-Governance solutions.

• Promote and exchange experiences in solving problems, Mitigating risks, resolving issues and planning for success.

It should be noted that J&K state has bagged this award for first time in 18 years since award was instituted.

Leela Samson resigns as Chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification

Chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)Leela Samson has resigned.
She resigned after Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) cleared the controversial film Messenger of God featuring Dera Saccha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in lead role.

The Censor Board headed by Ms. Samson had earlier denied the clearance certificate to the film saying that the movie depicts Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh as a God.

Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT):

• FCAT is a statutory body. It has been constituted under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act, 1952.

• It comes under the aegis of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

• Headquarters: New Delhi.

• The Tribunal has a Secretary to look after its day to day affairs.

• Function: It hears the appeals filed as per provisions of Cinematography Act. Any applicant can file an appeal before the tribunal for a certificate in respect of a film who is aggrieved by an order of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Leela Samson:

• She is a Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, instructor and writer.

• She is recipient of the many awards for her contributions to Bharatanatyam. It includes Padma Shri (1990), Kalaimamani (2005) given by Government of Tamil Nadu, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1999–2000).

Behind her IAS success story, is her school drop-out husband

Twenty-nine-year-old Rashmi Siddharth Zagade, a housewife from Warje Malwadi, is the only woman IAS officer from Pune city this year, holding 169th rank among over 800 candidates. But her success story has been scripted by her husband Siddharth Zagade who is a school drop out.

Rashmi's IAS saga began in 2003. Though she could not make it in four attempts, she never thought of giving up. "That is because I had my husband's support," she says. After four consecutive unsuccessful attempts — the fourth time she reached the interview stage — Rashmi decided to take a break for a year. This time when she reappeared, she opted for history instaed of geography.

Till she graduated in BSc (Zoology), Rashmi had no clue what an IAS exam was all about. "It was my husband who prodded me to appear for the exam," she says. "My father expired when I was a child. My mother was not educated and our family had to struggle to make ends meet. So I could not continue my education. I always wanted to become an IAS officer. And now my dream has ben realised through my wife," says Siddharth.

To convert their dream into reality, the couple sold their flat, 5-acre land in their native place and Siddharth even gave up his retail business in Tulshibaug. "I decided to concentrate fully on Rashmi's preparations for IAS exam. We bought books and other study material, she joined IAS coaching classes nearer home. We even changed the school of our daughter so that we could save time. I spent hours discussing national and international issues with Rashmi," says Siddharth. "My husband is Class IX pass, but his general awareness and knowledge is better than mine," says Rashmi. A former student of HHCP high school, Huzurpaga, Rashmi took her written exam and interview in Marathi. "Since my schooling was in Marathi, I opted for Marathi which comes naturally to me," she says.

Now moving a step further Rashmi, wants to help out those who dream of becoming an officer but don't have the wherewithal for it. "I will guide, provide books and study material to all IAS aspirants in the city. There are several students like me who have a dream, but no support or guidance to make it big. I am there for them," says Rashmi.

Draft Bill moots heavy fine for smoking in restricted areas

The Centre has cracked the whip on consumption of cigarettes and tobacco products by proposing a slew of amendments to the (COTPA) Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) (Amendment) Bill 2015.

Details of the Draft Bill:

• It proposes to do away with on-site advertising of tobacco products. Which means kiosks and shops selling cigarettes and other tobacco products will no longer be able to display the brand names.

• To prevent exposure of non-smokers to harmful emissions, the Health Ministry has proposed scrapping designated smoking areas from hotels, restaurants and airports; making an exception only for international airports.

• The penalty for smoking in restricted areas has been upped from Rs. 200 to Rs. 1000.

• Anyone found producing tobacco products without the specified warning will be liable for imprisonment for up to two years for the first offence or fine up to Rs. 50,000 or both. For the second and subsequent offences the imprisonment can be up to five years with a fine of up to Rs. 1 lakh.

• Selling products without warning will incur a fine of up to Rs. 10,000 or a jail term of up to one year or both; subsequent offence will draw a fine of up to Rs. 25,000 and a jail term of two years.

• Tobacco products and cigarettes in approved packaging (which have pictorial warnings across the designated area of the pack) will now be sold only to those above 21 years of age. The proposed age limit will be revised to 23 and 25 in two phases after evaluating the impact of raising the minimum age.

About COTPA Act:

• It is an Act of Parliament of India enacted in 2003 to prohibit advertisement and regulation of tobacco business in India. The Act put restriction on tobacco products including cigarettes, gutka, panmasala (containing tobacco), cigar, cheerot, Beedi, Snuff, chewing tobacco, hookah, tooth powder containing tobacco.

• It was enacted mainly to discourage the consumption of Cigarettes and other Tobacco products through imposing progressive restrictions and to protect non-smokers from second hand smoke.

The Key provisions under the Act include :

• Prohibition of smoking in public places

• Prohibition on all forms of direct / indirect advertisement, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products

• Prohibition and sale of tobacco products to minors (any person who is under eighteen years of age)

• Prohibition and sale of tobacco products in an area within a radius of one hundred yards of any educational institution

• Mandatory depiction of specified health warnings on all tobacco products