Gurgaon to get environment friendly electric buses

The government of Haryana plans to set up an environment-friendly transportation system in Gurgaon similar to what is available in Poland. The Urban Local Bodies Minister is in Poland and is believed to be planning to procure around 100 buses in the first instance.
These buses are environment friendly and can reduce carbon emissions to a large extent.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 5 July 2017.

In the first phase, these vehicles would operate in Gurgaon, and it is expected that it will reduce traffic congestion and make available a better public transport system to an average of 50,000 people every day.
The firm of Poland has already established plant for manufacturing of CNG buses in Ballabhgarh near Faridabad and will soon begin manufacturing electric buses under the Make in India program.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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'Make in India' could land in a mess unless child labour laws are strengthened

Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi is of the opinion that 'Make in India' could land in a mess unless child labor laws are suitably strengthened. He has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi undermining the fact that 'Make in India' program will prove to be a "big disaster" if child labor laws are not strengthened.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 13 March 2016.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Satyarthi has indicated that when investors arrive from foreign countries to manufacture in India and if the existing laws are weak in child labor in comparison to international standards then it will become a big disaster because the children would be exploited.
Satyarthi has appreciated the 'Make in India' program but has cautioned that it also exposes a serious weakness of the country because such a program cannot be successful on the toil, miseries and abuses of young children in the manufacturing sector.
The 62-year-old is the founder of 'Bachpan Bachao Andolan' and he quoted the example of Apple. This US-based company faced a lot of criticism after allegations that child labor in China was being used to manufacture their products. Satyarthi has also pointed out that child labor is working because the law allows it and the big brands, in their eagerness to make huge profits, will depend on local producers who are free to employ children.
However, the international media and human rights organizations are not going to remain idle spectators. It may be recalled that Satyarthi is a child rights activist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 along with Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Modi’s first year in office – how America sees it

While the media in India is going gaga over the achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his first year in office, the American media is critical. It describes his accomplishments as saying that his flagship 'Make in India' drive is "so far mostly hype", and job growth in the country remains mostly sluggish amid "outsize expectations".
This has been reported in zeenews.com dated 26 May 2015.

The Wall Stet Journal goes on to say that the Euphoria Phase' of the Modi government is over and challenges loom ahead. WSJ has minced no words when it has said that within one year of a once-in-a-generation mandate for change and economic revival, the messy realities are gradually sinking in. Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' drive, which is aimed at supercharging manufacturing growth, "is so far mostly hype".
New York Times feels that Modi must face the reality that much of his agenda that has been outlined till now is still only potential. It adds that Modi has created a formidable problem for himself by his outsize expectations that he would be able to sweep away constraints to growth in India.
Of course, the NYT analysis has admitted that chief executives feel that ever since Modi has taken over the reins, the business culture in India has "indeed changed". They do not need to notarize all documents submitted to the government and, more importantly, the bureaucrats are easier to find at their desks during the workday.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


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Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

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Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

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From ‘Made in China’ to ‘Make in India’ – the new horizon

#makeinindia #madeinchina #NarendraModi Ever since taking over office on 26 May 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has impressed not only Indians at home and abroad but also the whole world by his visions of a future akin to Utopia, a world in which people live at peace and shun violence. His vision is of an India where outsiders would flock to utilize the vast untapped potentials and begin a new trend of ‘Make in India’ so that the lives of ordinary Indians can improve.
But, that may be a clash on interests with countries like China which has not only perfected their Made in China concept but are now trying to improve upon it so that they can exploit the market better.
It has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 5 May 2015 that goods made in China are being upgraded because they have realized that the market for cheap products cannot last forever.

From data available with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) of around 1,574 items registered with it, the vast majority (around 960) are Chinese goods. These include mobile phones, printers, and power adapters, set top boxes, notebooks, tablets and servers. And, manufacturers of these items are increasingly taking advantage of a self-declaration conformity in order to meet Indian standards.
Manufacturers from other countries like Germany, the US, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore have not tapped the fast-track or Tatkal registration scheme as much.
Incidentally, under the "Make in India" campaign of Modi government, each and every product that would be manufactured and sold in India even by foreign manufacturers must, necessarily, comply with BIS norms. However, those who opt to set up base to only manufacture and export the items need follow the BIS norms since those products would be for overseas market, where the standards may be different.

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub


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‘Papri’ and ‘Barood’ - collection of Bengali short stories published from Nashik

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