General Knowledge #15 | Study Material::General Studies | IAS Help

CIVIL AVIATION IN INDIA

Overview

  • India is the 9th largest civil aviation market in the world
  • The Indian civil aviation sector handles about 414,000 passengers every month. Annual passenger traffic growth is about 20%
  • Civil aviation in India falls under the purview of the Ministry of Civil Aviation
  • Civil aviation is regulated under the Aircraft Act 1934 and Aircraft Rules 1937
  • The oldest airport in the country is the Nagpur airport
  • The oldest airline in India was Tata Airlines, founded in 1932. It was re-named as Air India in 1946
  • The first airline service in India was by Tata Airlines in 1932, flying mail from Karachi to Bombay
  • The first international air service was by Air India in 1948, between Bombay and London

All governmental bodies listed below function under the Ministry of Civil Aviation

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)

  • Headquarters New Delhi
  • The DGCA is the governmental body that regulates civil aviation in India
  • The DGCA is the nodal agency for implementing the 1944 Chicago Convention on civil aviation. The Chicago Convention established the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), an agency of UN in charge of regulating international air travel
  • Its functions include
    • Registration of civil aircraft
    • Licensing of pilots and air traffic controllers
    • Formulation of standards of air worthiness for civil aircraft
    • Certification of aerodromes
    • Conducting investigations into accidents/incidents involving civil aviation
    • Coordination of ICAO matters
    • Supervision of flying schools
    • Keeping a check on aircraft noise and engine emissions
    • Promoting indigenous design and manufacture of aircraft

Bureau of Civil Aviation Safety (BCAS)

  • Established 1978, headquarters New Delhi
  • The BCAS was formed to coordinate, monitor, inspect and train personnel in civil aviation security matters
  • The primary function of the BCAS is to establish the standards and measures with respect to civil aviation security at domestic and international airports in the country

Commission on Railway Safety (CRS)

  • The erstwhile Railway Inspectorate (formed in 1883) was re-named the Commission on Railway Safety in 1961
  • Headquarters Lucknow
  • The functions of the CRS include
    • Inspect new railways and determine their fitness for public carriage of passengers
    • Make periodical and other inspections of railway and rolling stock
    • Investigate accidents/incidents related to the Railways
  • The Commission on Railway Safety functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation because of the desire to have a railways inspection authority independent of the Railway Board

National Aviation Company of India Ltd (NACIL)

  • Established 2007. Headquarters Delhi/Mumbai
  • The NACIL was formed as a holding company for the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines
  • It is currently the largest airline operator in India

Airports Authority of India (AAI)

  • Formed in 1995, headquarters New Delhi
  • The AAI was formed by merging the International Airports Authority of India and the National Airports Authority
  • The AAI operates and manages 126 airports in India. These include 12 international airports, 89 domestic airports and 26 civil enclaves
  • The main functions of the AAI include
    • Control and management of Indian airspace
    • Development and operation of international and domestic airports and civil enclaves
    • Provision of communication, navigational and visual aids for flying (like Radar, ILS etc)

Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA)

  • Established 1985, located Raebareli (Uttar Pradesh)
  • The main objective of the IGRUA is to improve flight training standard in civil aviation and to provide flight training to selected candidates

LAST WEEK: RAILWAYS ~~~~~ NEXT WEEK: SHIPPING

27 February 2010 | Tags: | No Comments »

General Knowledge #14 | Study Material::General Studies | IAS Help

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  General Knowledge #14 (604.8 KiB, 9,866 hits)

RAILWAYS IN INDIA

Overview

  • The railway network in India is the fourth largest in the world
  • India’s railway network transports over 6 billion passengers and 350 million tonnes of freight annually
  • Railways in India traverse the length and breadth of the country, with about 7000 stations and total route length of over 63,000 km. About 28% of the route length has been electrified

History of railways in India

Extent of the railway network in India in 1909

Extent of the railway network in India in 1909

  • The first railway line in the Indian subcontinent was established in Madras in 1836. The first line was established near Chintadripet Bridge on an experimental basis. In 1837, a 3.5 mile line was commissioned between Red Hills and the stone quarries at St Thomas Mount
  • The regular first train in India was operationalised in 1851 for localised hauling of canal construction material in Roorkee
  • Two railways companies – the Great Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR) and the East Indian Railway (EIR) were created in 1853 to construct and operate experimental railway lines near Bombay and Calcutta respectively
  • The first passenger train service in India was inaugurated between Bombay (Bori Bundar) and Thane in 1853
  • In 1923, both the GIPR and the EIR were nationalised
  • Upon Independence in 1947, forty two separate railway systems in India were amalgamated into a single unit christened the Indian Railways. The Indian Railways thus became one of the largest railway networks in the world
  • Railway zones were established in 1951

The Indian Railways

  • The Indian Railways is the state-owned railway company of India, which owns and operates most of India’s rail transport
  • The Indian Railways was formed in 1947 by the amalgamation of 42 disparate railway networks
  • The Indian Railways functions under the Ministry of Railways
  • The Indian Railways is one of the world’s largest commercial employers with over 1.4 million employees
  • The Indian Railways operates both long distance and suburban rail services

Railway zones

  • The Indian Railways is divided into 16 zones, which are further subdivided into divisions
  • The Kolkata Metro, although owned and operated by the Indian Railways, is part of any zone
  • Each of the 16 zones is headed by a General Manager. Divisions are headed by Divisional Railway Managers
  • The oldest railway zone is the Southern Railways, established in Apr 1951

Technical details of railways in India

Comparison of the different railway gauges used in India. The Standard Gauge, which is used internationally, is not used in India

Comparison of the different railway gauges used in India. The Standard Gauge, which is used internationally, is not used in India

  • The Indian Railways uses four gauges
    • Indian Broad Gauge: 1676 mm (5ft 6in). This is the most widely used gauge in India. It is broader than the international Standard Gauge (1435 mm i.e. 4ft 8.5in)
    • Meter Gauge: 1000 mm (3ft 3.5in)
    • Narrow Gauge: 762 mm (2ft 6in)
    • Narrow Gauge: 610 mm (2ft)
  • Project Unigauge was launched in 1980 to convert all portions of track to broad gauge
  • Narrow gauge is presently used on Kalka-Simla Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
  • Almost all electrified sections of track use 25,000 V AC traction through overhead catenaries
  • Exceptions to this include
    • Mumbai section, which uses 1500 V DC traction
    • Kolkata Metro which uses 750 V DC, delivered via third rail

Suburban railways

  • Suburban railways are currently operational in Mumbai, Kolkata, New Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune and Lucknow-Kanpur
  • The New Delhi Metro, Kolkata Metro and Chennai MRTS have their own dedicated track
  • Suburban trains handling passenger traffic usually use Electric Multiple Units (EMU)
  • The oldest underground railway network in India is the Kolkata Metro, commissioned in 1984. The second underground network, the Delhi Metro, started operations in 2002

Special railways in India

  • There are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites on the Indian Railways
    • Chatrapathi Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus), Mumbai
    • Mountain railways of India
  • The Mountain Railways of India consists of three separate railway systems i.e. the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway and the Kalka-Simla Railway
  • Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
    • It is a 2ft narrow gauge railway
    • Operates between Siliguri and Darjeeling in West Bengal
    • Built 1889-1891. Added to UNESCO World Heritage List 1999
  • Nilgiri Mountain Railway

    The rack and pinion system on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway

    The rack and pinion system on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway

    • Uses a 3ft 3 3/8 in metre gauge
    • Connects Mettupalayam with Ooty in Tamil Nadu
    • Only railway in India to use rack-and-pinion system
    • Has the highest railway gradient in India (average of 4%, at places as high as 8%)
    • Added to UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005
  • Kalka-Simla Railway
    • It is a 2ft 6in narrow gauge railway
    • Operates between Kalka in Haryana and Shimla in Himachal Pradesh
    • Added to UNESCO World Heritage List 2008
  • Konkan Railway
    • The Konkan Railway runs along the Konkan coast of India, between Mangalore in Karnataka and Mumbai in Maharashtra. It was opened in 1998
    • The Konkan Railway introduced India’s first Roll on Roll off (RORO) freight service in 1999, which allows trucks to be transported on flatbed trailers
  • Kashmir Railway
    • The Kashmir Railway, also known as Jammu Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link (JUSBRL) is intended to connect to Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country by means of railways
    • Currently under construction, the project is expected to complete in 2017. The first phase of the project, between Jammu and Udhampur was completed in 2005
    • When completed the Kashmir Railway will connect Jammu with Baramulla, a distance of 345 km
    • The entire project has been divided in four legs or phases
      • Leg 0: Jammu-Udhampur (53 km). Completed Apr 2005
      • Leg 1: Udhampur-Katra (25 km). Expected completion 2012
      • Leg 2: Katra-Qazigund (148 km). Expected completion 2017
      • Leg 3: Qazigund-Baramulla (119 km). Completed Oct 2009
    • The route crosses major earthquake zones, and is subject to extreme temperatures and inhospitable terrain
    • The Kashmir Railway has the highest railway bridge in India: 77m over the Tawi river in the Jammu-Udhampur section.
    • When the Kashmir Railway is completed, the Chenab Bridge will be the highest railway structure in the world (359 m above river bed), making it taller than the Eiffel Tower

Notable facts about the Indian Railways

Map of the Kashmir Railway. Leg 0 (black line) and Leg 3 (red line) are currently operational. Leg 1 (blue line) and Leg 2 (green line) are under construction

Map of the Kashmir Railway. Leg 0 (black line) and Leg 3 (red line) are currently operational. Leg 1 (blue line) and Leg 2 (green line) are under construction

  • The
    Palace on Wheels is India’s first luxury train. It was launched in 1962. It travels from New Delhi to Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Sawai Madhopur, Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, Bharatpur and Agra
  • The Fairy Queen, built in 1855, is the world’s oldest steam engine still in active use. It currently operates a special tourist service from New Delhi to Alwar in Rajasthan, to the Sariska Tiger Reserve
  • The Lifeline Express, commissioned in 1991, is India’s mobile hospital train run by the Impact India Foundation, in collaboration with the Indian Railways and the Ministry of Health
  • The Himsagar Express, between Kanyakumari and Jammu Tawi, has the longest run in terms of distance and time in the Indian Railways. It covers a distance of 3745 km about 75 hours
  • The Bhopal Shatabdi Express is the fastest train in India, having a maximum operating speed of 150 kmph
  • The Kharagpur Railways Station has the world’s longest railway platform (1072 m)

International rail links

  • India has rail links with Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh
  • India-Pakistan rail links
    • Samjhauta Express: Amritsar (Punjab, India) – Lahore (Punjab, Pakistan)
    • Thar Express:
      Munabao (Rajasthan, India) – Khokhrapar (Sindh, Pakistan)
  • India-Bangladesh rail links
    • There are two freight links between India and Bangladesh. However there is no passenger rail link
    • Mahishasan (West Bengal, India) – Shahbazpur (Bangladesh)
    • Radhikapur (West Bengal, India) – Birol (Bangladesh)
  • India-Nepal rail links
    • Raxaul (Bihar, India) – Sirsiya (Parsa, Nepal)
    • Jaynagar (Bihar, India) – Khajuri (Dhanusa, Nepal)

Private railways in India

  • Although the Indian Railways enjoys a near monopoly on rail transport in India, a few private railways do exist
  • Private railways are also owned and operated by companies for their own purposes such as harbours, ports, steel mills, mines etc
  • Private railways in India are principally for freight and not for passenger transport
  • The Bombay Port Trust, Madras Port Trust and Calcutta Port Trust all run their own broad gauge lines
  • The Tatas operate furnicular railways (inclined railways) at Bhira and Bhivpuri Road in Maharashtra
  • The Kutch Railway Company, a joint venture between the Gujarat government and private companies is in the process of building a Gandhidham-Palanpur railway line

LAST WEEK: ROADS
~~~~~ NEXT WEEK: CIVIL AVIATION

20 February 2010 | Tags: | 1 Comment »

General Knowledge #13 | Study Material::General Studies | IAS Help

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ROAD NETWORKS IN INDIA

Overview

  • With over 3.3 million km of roadways, India has the third largest road network in the world (behind USA and China)
  • India has about 65,500 km of National Highways, 130,000 km of State Highways and 4.67 million km of District Roads and 2.65 million km of rural and urban roads
  • India has the highest density of highways in the world (0.66 km of highway per sq km of territory)
  • India’s road networks carry nearly 65% of freight traffic and 85% of passenger traffic in the country
  • Traffic on roads is growing at about 7-10% per annum while number of vehicles is growing about 12% per annum

Grand Trunk Road

  • The Grand Trunk Road (GT Road) is one of the oldest and longest roads in the Indian subcontinent
  • It runs from Sonargaon (near Dhaka) in Bangladesh to Peshawar in Pakistan, covering a distance of 2500 km
  • In India, it runs through Kolkata, Kanpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Delhi, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar
  • The stretch between Kolkata and Kanpur is designated NH-2, the stretch between Kanpur and Delhi NH-91, and between Delhi and Wagah NH-1
  • The Grand Trunk road was commissioned by Sher Shah Suri in the 16th century to connect Agra with Sasaram (Bihar). It was later expanded by the British to run from Bengal to Peshawar
  • The Grand Trunk Road is now part of the Golden Quadrilateral project
TYPES OF ROAD NETWORKS

National Highways

  • The National Highways are the primary long distance roadways in India
  • There is about 65,500 km of National Highways in India, of which about 200 km have been designated as Expressways
  • The National Highways constitute only 2% of total roadways in India, but carry about 40% of the total traffic
  • The longest National Highway in NH-7, which runs from Varanasi to Kanyakumari (about 2369 km). The shortest National Highway is NH-47A, which runs from Ernakulam to Kochi Port (about 6 km)
  • The Leh-Manali Highway is the highest highway in the world (average elevation of about 5000 m). It connects Leh in Ladakh (Jammu and Kashmir) with Manali in Himachal Pradesh. The Highway passes through some of the highest mountain passes in the world including Rohtang La, Baralacha La, Lachulung La and Tagland La

National Expressways

  • National Expressways make up about 200 km of the National Highways network
  • The major difference between Highways and Expressways in India, is that the latter have controlled access (i.e. entry and exit only at certain specific locations)
Expressway Connected cities Length Notes
Western Expressway Mumbai suburbs 25 km
Eastern Expressway Mumbai-Thane 23 km
Sion Panvel Expressway Mumbai suburbs 25 km 12 lanes expressway

(6 in each direction)
National Expressway 1 Ahmadabad-Vadodara 90 km First Expressway in India

Part of Golden Quadrilateral
Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway Delhi-Gurgaon 28 km Part of Golden Quadrilateral
Mumbai-Pune Expressway Mumbai-Pune 93 km Part of Golden Quadrilateral

India’s first 6 lane, concrete, high-speed, tolled, access controlled Expressway

State Highways

  • State Highways refers to the highways laid and maintained by the state governments
  • These State Highways usually connect important cities, towns, district headquarters within the State, and with important places in other states
  • They also link important cities of a state with the National Highways and State Highways of neighbouring states
  • There is about 130,000 km of State Highways in India
  • State Highways are designated SH

District Roads

  • District Roads are important roads within a district connecting areas of production with their markets
  • They also connect the towns with each other and with State and National Highways
  • District Roads also connect Taluka headquarters with District headquarters in various regions of a state
  • There is about 4.7 million km of District Roads in India
  • District Roads are administered by the state governments

Rural and urban roads

  • Rural and urban roads (especially rural) form the largest chunk of road networks in India: about 2.65 million km
  • Rural roads are essential for transporting agricultural produce and products of small scale industries to their markets in villages, towns and cities
  • In order to facilitate the development of rural roads, the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has been established
  • Rural and urban roads are administered by the concerned local governments (Panchayats, Municipal Corporations etc)
POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES

National Highways Development Project (NHDP)

  • The NHDP is a project to upgrade, rehabilitate and widen major highways in India to a higher standard
  • The project was commissioned in 1998
  • The NHDP builds on existing National Highways and improves them to better standards
  • The NHDP is being implemented in a phased manner consisting of seven phases.
  • The NHDP consists of two important components
    • Golden Quadrilateral: This is Phase I of the NHDP. The Golden Quadrilateral connects New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai. Total length is 5846 km. It was completed (to a large extent) in 2003
    • North-South East-West Corridor: This is Phase II of the NHDP. The NSEW Corridor connects Srinagar with Kanyakumari and Silchar (Assam) with Porbandar (Gujarat). Total length is 7300 km. It is currently under construction. The North-South and East-West corridors meet at Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh)
  • The NHDP is implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)

Special Accelerated Road Development Programme in the North East Region

  • Programme approved in 2009
  • Implemented by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
  • The programme aims to provide connectivity to all state capitals and district headquarters in the North East region
  • The programme includes upgrading of other stretches of National Highways and state highways considered critical for economic development

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)

  • Launched 2000
  • Implemented by Ministry of Rural Development
  • The PMGSY is a nationwide plan to provide good all-weather road connectivity to unconnected villages
  • The goal of the PMGSY is to provide connectivity to all villages
    • With a population of at least 1000 by 2003
    • With a population of at least 500 by 2007
    • In hill states, tribal and desert area villages with population of at least 500 by 2003
    • In hill states, tribal and desert area villages with population of at least 250 by 2007
  • In order to monitor the implementation of the programme, the Centre for Development of Advance Computing (CDAC) developed the Online Management, Monitoring and Accounting Scheme (OMMAS), which has grown to become one of the largest computer database in India

Central Road Fund

  • Established in 1998
  • The primary objective of the Fund is to provide financing to meet the challenges of accelerated funding requirement of road development projects
  • To support the Fund, an additional duty of Rs 0.50 per litre was levied on petrol and high speed diesel
  • Of this revenue, 50% goes for development of rural roads, and the other 50% for development of National Highways and other roads
GOVERNMENTAL BODIES

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)

  • Established 1988, headquarters New Delhi
  • The NHAI is responsible for the development, maintenance and management of National Highways in India
  • The NHAI is currently implementing the NHDP
  • Functions under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways

National Institute for Training of Highway Engineers (NITHE)

  • Established 1983, located Noida
  • The NITHE is the apex training institute for training highways and bridge engineers in the country
  • The objectives of the NITHE include
    • Impart training to engineers
    • Assist other organisations in developing their own training institutions
    • Promote cooperation and knowledge exchange in the field of highway engineering between engineers in India and abroad
  • The NITHE also conducts training programmes for engineers from other Central and state government departments, PSUs and private enterprises
  • Functions under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways

Central Road Research Institute (CRRI)

  • Established 1948, location New Delhi
  • Functions under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science of Technology
  • The primary objective of the Institute is to provide research, technical and consultancy services in the areas of highways engineering, bridge engineering, geotechnical engineering, and traffic and transport planning

Sources: National Highways Authority of India, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways

LAST WEEK: HYDRO POWER
~~~~~
NEXT WEEK: RAILWAYS

13 February 2010 | Tags: | No Comments »

General Knowledge #12 | Study Material::General Studies | IAS Help

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HYDRO POWER IN INDIA

Overview

  • India has one of the world’s largest potentials for hydro electric power. The hydro power potential in India is around 84,000 MW at 60% load factor (installed capacity 148,000 MW). However, less than 20% of this has been harnessed so far
  • Currently, hydro power contributes about 24% of total installed generation capacity in the country
  • The oldest hydro electric power plant in Asia is the Sidrapong Hydel Power Station in Darjeeling. Its installed capacity was 130 kW and was commissioned in 1897
  • The largest hydro electric power project in India is the 2000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project (Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border). Located across the Subansiri river, the project is currently under construction and is expected to be commissioned in 2012
  • The Brahmaputra river basin has the largest possible capacity for hydro power in India (66,000 MW)
  • The advantages of hydro power include
    • Non polluting
    • Long life of projects
    • Low cost of operation and maintenance
    • Ability to start and stop quickly to meet load demand
    • Much higher efficiency than thermal power

Possible hydro power generation by river basins

River basin Potential installed capacity (MW)
Indus Basin 33,832
Ganges Basin 20,711
Brahmaputra Basin 66,065
Central Indian River System 4152
Western flowing rivers of peninsular India 9430
Eastern flowing rivers of peninsular India 14,511
Total 148, 701

National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC)

  • Established 1975, headquarters Faridabad
  • The NHPC functions under the Ministry of Power
  • Primary objective of the NHPC is to plan and promote efficient development of hydroelectric power in the country
  • The NHPC has also diversified into other energy sources such as geothermal, wind, tidal etc
  • The NHPC has been conferred Mini Ratna Category I status by the Ministry of Public Enterprises
  • In addition to executing 13 projects in India, the NHPC has also commissioned two projects in Nepal and Bhutan
  • Currently, 11 hyrdo power projects are under construction in India by the NHPC

Important Hydro Power Projects

S. No. Project River State Capacity
1 Baira Siul Baira, Siul, Bhaledh

(all tributaries of Ravi)

 Himachal Pradesh 180 MW
2 Chamera I Ravi Himachal Pradesh 540 MW
3 Chamera II Ravi Himachal Pradesh 300 MW
4 Dhauliganga Dhauliganga

(tributary of Sharda)

 Uttarakhand 280 MW
5 Dulhasti Chandra

(tributary of Chenab)

 Jammu and Kashmir 390 MW
6 Indira Sagar Narmada Madhya Pradesh 1000 MW
7 Loktak Loktak lake Manipur 90 MW
8 Omkareshwar Narmada Madhya Pradesh 520 MW
9 Rangit Rangit Sikkim 60 MW
10 Salal Chenab Jammu and Kashmir 690 MW
11 Tanakpur Sharda Uttarakhand 120 MW
12 Teesta V Teesta Sikkim 510 MW
13 Uri I Jhelum Jammu and Kashmir 480 MW
14 Baglihar Chenab Jammu and Kashmir

(Doda dist.)

 450 MW
15 Nathpa Jhakri Sutlej Himachal Pradesh 1530 MW

Hydro Power Projects under construction

S. No. Project River State Capacity Expected

Commissioning
1 Chamera III Ravi Himachal Pradesh 230 MW 2010
2 Chutuk Suru Jammu and Kashmir

(Kargil dist.)

 44 MW 2011
3 Kishanganga Kishanganga

(tributary of Jhelum)

 Jammu and Kashmir

(Baramullah dist.)

 330 MW 2016
4 Nimmo Bazgo Indus Jammu and Kashmir

(Leh dist.)

 45 MW 2010
5 Parbati II Parbati Himachal Pradesh 800 MW 2013
6 Parbati III Parbati Himachal Pradesh 520 MW 2010
7 Sewa II Sewa

(tributary of Ravi)

 Jammu and Kashmir

(Kathua dist.)

 120 MW 2009
8 Subansiri (Lower) Subansiri Arunchal Pradesh 2000 MW 2012
9 Teesta III Teesta West Bengal

(Darjeeling dist.)

 132 MW 2011
10 Teesta IV Teesta West Bengal

(Darjeeling dist.)

 160 MW 2011
11 Uri II Jhelum Jammu and Kashmir

(Baramullah dist.)

 240 MW 2011

Policy on Hydro Power Development

  • The Policy on Hydro Power Development was launched 1998
  • The main objectives of the Policy include
    • Meeting current targets for capacity addition
    • Accelerating use of hydroelectric potential at a faster pace
    • Promoting small and mini hydro electric projects
    • Strengthening the role of PSUs/SEBs for taking up new hydro projects
    • Increasing private investments
  • The nodal agency for implementing the Policy is the Ministry of Power

Source: NHPC

LAST WEEK: RENEWABLE ENERGY
~~~~~
NEXT WEEK: ROADS

6 February 2010 | Tags: | 1 Comment »

General Knowledge #11 | Study Material::General Studies | IAS Help

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RENEWABLE ENERGY IN INDIA

Overview

  • Renewable energy in India currently contributes around 7.7% of total electricity generation in the country. The installed capacity is around 13,000 MW
  • India was one of the first countries in the world to establish a separate ministry for non-conventional energy resources (1980s). however, progress has been slow
  • Renewable energy in India comes under the purview of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
  • The largest contributor to renewable energy in India is Tamil Nadu (about 33%), largely from wind power
  • India ranks first in the world (along with USA) in annual solar power generation. It also ranks fifth in wind power generation

SOLAR POWER IN INDIA

Overview

  • India (along with USA) ranks number one in solar power generation in the world. However, it still only contributes about 0.4% of total electricity generation in the country
  • India’s high population density and high solar insolation provide an ideal combination for solar power in India.
  • Solar insolation is a measure of the solar energy received on a given surface area in a given time. It is usually expressed in W/sq.m
  • In 2009, the Government unveiled a plan to generate 20,000 MW of solar power by 2020. Under the plan solar powered equipment and applications would be mandatory in all government buildings
  • Presently, solar power is primarily advocated in villages for water pumps, replacing the millions of diesel powered water pumps. Since the villages are not integrated into the power grids, stand-alone solar units are especially helpful
  • About 35,000 sq km of the Thar Desert has been set aside for solar power projects

Annual insolation

  • With about 300 clear sunny days per year, India has among the highest solar insolations in the world
  • India receives about 600 TW of solar energy on its land area every year.
  • The daily average solar insolation is 4-7 kWh/sq m, which is far more than current total energy consumption
  • With such a high solar insolation, even with just 10% conversion efficiency, solar energy will be thousand times greater than electricity demand by 2015
  • Rajasthan receives the highest annual solar radiation and the north eastern states receive the least
  • 35,000 sq km of Thar Desert has been set aside for solar energy. The first solar power project in the area is under construction by Astonfield Solar Pvt Ltd. It is expected to be commissioned in 2010

Applications and Challenges

  • Solar power is primarily used in stand-alone applications in rural areas, which are not connect to the power grid
  • Solar power is used for rural electrification, for water pumping, harvest processing, refrigeration of produce, water heaters etc
  • The biggest challenges to the growth of solar power in India include
    • Prohibitive cost: solar power is still prohibitively expensive, especially the manufacture of photovoltaic cells that convert light energy into electrical energy.
    • Land scarcity: large scale solar energy generation requires large areas of land dedicated to the installation of solar photovoltaic panels. This could be challenging in urban areas with high population densities

WIND POWER IN INDIA

Overview

  • India has the fifth largest installed wind power generation capacity in the world
  • Wind power accounts for about 6% of total electricity generation in the country (about 11,000 MW). It is expected that a further 6000 MW of installed capacity will be added by 2012
  • Tamil Nadu contributes the maximum wind power generation (about 4000 MW)
  • Suzlon Energy, based in Pune, is the largest wind turbine manufacturer in Asia and the fifth largest worldwide
  • Among the advantages of wind power include the short gestation periods and increasing reliability and performance of wind turbines

Wind power in various states

State Capacity Main wind farms Notes
Tamil Nadu 4301 MW Tirunelveli Dist. Muppandal wind farm is largest in Asia

Tamil Nadu generates maximum wind power in India

Maharashtra 1942 MW Satara Dist.
Gujarat 1565 MW Kutch dist.

Rajkot dist.

Karnataka 1340 MW Chitradurga dist

Gadag dist

Challenges

  • Challenges faced by wind power include greater capital cost than conventional energy sources, noise produced by rotor blades, television interference etc
  • Wind power is also restricted geographically and is not usually feasible in urban areas

BIOFUELS IN INDIA

Overview

  • Biofuel development in India is primarily focused on Jatropa plant seeds
  • The Jatropa curcas is a flowering plant whose seeds contain about 35% oil. This oil can be processed to obtain high quality biodiesel for use in regular diesel engines
  • The use of Jatropa for biodiesel generation has multiple benefits
    • Jatropa is easily grown in dry and non-agricultural lands, thereby allowing villagers to use non-farmland for income generation
    • It reduces the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels. This is especially important because India needs to import a vast majority of fossil fuels from abroad
    • Since Jatropa is carbon-neutral is helps the country achieve better carbon emissions targets
    • Since no producing farmland is needed for Jatropa (unlike corn or sugarcane ethanol or palm oil diesel), it is considered the best option for biodiesel generation
    • Jatropa has no known negative impact on the production of food crops. Other biodiesel crops (like corn ethanol) have caused serious price increases in basic food crops since they take up valuable agricultural land

Application of biodiesel

  • Biodiesel based on Jatropa already meets EU norms for biodiesel quality, without any extra processing
  • Jatropa biodiesel has been used as aviation fuel on an experimental basis by Air New Zealand in 2008
  • The Indian Railways has started using Jatropa biodiesel to power its diesel engines on an experimental basis. Currently, the diesel locomotives in the Tanjore-Nagore, Trichy-Lalgudi-Dindigul-Karur sections run on a blend of Jatropa and diesel oil

GOVERNMENT BODIES IN RENEWABLE ENERGY

All bodies function under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy unless otherwise noted

Solar Energy Centre (SEC)

  • Established 1982, located Delhi
  • The SEC serves as an interface between the Government and institutions and industries for the development of solar energy
  • Functions of the SEC include
    • Research and development
    • Technology evaluation, testing and standardisation
    • Advisory and consultancy services

Centre for Wind Energy Technology (C-WET)

  • Established 1998, location Chennai
  • The C-WET serves as the technical focal point for wind power development
  • Functions of the C-WET include
    • Offer services and solutions for wind power harnessing
    • Research and development
    • Testing and evaluation

Sardar Swaran Singh National Institute of Renewable Energy (SSS-NIRE)

  • Currently under construction
  • Location Kapurthala (Punjab)

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA)

  • Established 1987, located New Delhi
  • The main objective of the IREDA is to provide financial support to projects and schemes for electricity generation using renewable sources

POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES

All schemes implemented by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy unless otherwise noted

National Policy on Biofuels

  • Approved in Dec 2009
  • Implemented by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
  • Salient features of the policy include
    • By 2017, 20% of diesel consumption to be met by biofuel blends (includes bioethanol and biodiesel)
    • Biodiesel production to be taken up in waste/non-agricultural lands
    • Biodiesel plantations on community/government waste lands to be encouraged. Plantations on agricultural lands to not be encouraged
    • Minimum Support Price (MSP) to be announced for biodiesel oil seeds
    • No taxes or duties to be levied on biodiesel
    • National Biofuel Coordination Committee chaired by the Prime Minister to be created. Biofuel Steering Committee to be chaired by Cabinet Secretary to also be created

Remote Village Electrification Programme (RVEP)

  • The RVEP is a programme that aims to provide electricity for remote villages through renewable sources
  • The programme covers those remote villages and hamlets which are not covered under the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY). These are usually remote areas where grid connectivity is either not feasible or not cost effective
  • The RVEP is a component of the Rural Electrification Policy, which seeks to provide electricity to all households by 2009
  • The scheme covers multiple technologies for electrification of these remote areas
    • Small hydro power plants
    • Biomass power generation
    • Vegetable oil based engines
    • Biogas based engines
    • Solar energy

National Biogas and Manure Management Programme (NBMMP)

  • Established in 1982
  • Aims to facilitate setting up of family type biogas plants
  • The objectives of the NBMMP include
    • Provide fuel for cooking purposes and organic manure to rural households through family type biogas plants
    • To mitigate drudgery of women and reduce pressure on forest resources
    • To improve sanitation in villages by linking sanitary toilets with biogas plants
  • The programme is implemented by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) in conjunction with state governments
  • A total of 3.93 million family type biogas plants have been set up in the country against an estimated potential of 12 million

Akshay Urja Shops

  • The Akshay Urja Shops is a programme to establish commercial shops for sales and service of renewable energy devices and systems
  • So far 297 Akshay Urja Shops have been established in various states
  • The programme initially started as the Aditya Solar Shops and covered only solar power but has now been expanded to include all renewable energy (and name change accordingly)
  • The primary objective of the scheme is to make renewable energy products easily available and provide after sales service and repair
  • The scheme provides financial assistance to entrepreneurs for establishment of shops by means of loans and grants

Source: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

LAST WEEK: NUCLEAR ENERGY
~~~~~
NEXT WEEK: HYDRO ENERGY

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NUCLEAR ENERGY IN INDIA

Overview

  • Nuclear energy contributes about 4.1% of power generation in India. The share of nuclear energy is expected to reach 9% by 2035
  • Currently, there are 6 nuclear power plants generating about 4120 MW
  • The largest nuclear power station in India is located in Tarapur, Maharasthra. The largest research reactor is the Dhruva at the Babha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Mumbai
  • Currently India uses two types of reactors for power production: Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR), Boiling Water Reactor (BWR). Additionally the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor is under experiments at the Madras Kalpakkam
  • The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) is the sole company authorised to set up nuclear power plants in India

Nuclear power plants in India

Power station State Type Capacity

(MW)
Kaiga Karnataka PHWR 660
Kakrapar Gujarat PHWR 440
Kalpakkam Tamil Nadu PHWR 440
Narora Uttar Pradesh PHWR 440
Rawatbhata Rajasthan PHWR 740
Tarapur Maharashtra BWR, PHWR 1400

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Nuclear power projects under construction

Power station State Type Capacity

(MW)
Kaiga Karnataka PHWR 220
Rawatbhata Rajasthan PHWR 440
Kudankulam Tamil Nadu WER 2000
Kalpakkam Tamil Nadu FBR 500

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Availability of nuclear materials

  • Australia has the largest reserves of Uranium in the world. Canada, which has the second largest reserves, is the largest exporter of Uranium
  • India has limited availability of Uranium reserves in the country (about 1% of world availability)
  • The primary source of Uranium in India are the Jaduguda mines in Jharkhand. Uranium is extracted in the form of “Yellow Cake”
  • However, Thorium is widely available in the world. Worldwide, Thorium is about three times as abundant as Uranium
  • India has about 25% of the world’s reserves of Thorium
  • In India, Thorium is commonly found in the form of the mineral Monazite in the beach sands of Kerala and Tamil Nadu
  • The waiver of restrictions on nuclear fuel supply by the Nuclear Suppliers Group in Sep 2008 has increased India’s opportunities for importing nuclear fuel (esp. Uranium)
  • India now has nuclear supply agreements with France (Sep 2008), the US (Sep 2008), the EU (Nov 2009), Canada (Nov 2009) and Russia (Dec 2009)

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Department of Atomic Energy

  • The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) functions directly under the Prime Minister. The Department was established in 1958
  • The DAE is responsible for all nuclear technology in India, including nuclear power and nuclear research
  • The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) functions under the DAE. The Commission was established in 1948, but moved to the Dept. of Atomic Energy in 1958
  • The Secretary, Dept. of Atomic Energy is the ex-officio Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. Other members of the AEC include the Foreign Secretary and the Cabinet Secretary

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India’s three-stage nuclear power programme

  • Due to limited availability of Uranium and the restrictions on nuclear fuel export, India has had to develop ingenious technologies to make optimal use of available minerals
  • Subsequently, India has developed a three-stage programme to make use of uranium as well as thorium
  • Stage I Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor: the PHWR uses Uranium as fuel and produces Plutonium-239 as a by-product
  • Stage II Fast Breeder Reactor: uses Plutonium-239 and Thorium-232 as fuel and produces Uranium-233
  • Stage III Advanced Heavy Water Reactor: would use Thorium-232 and Uranium-233 as fuels. Currently under development at the BARC

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GOVERNMENTAL BODIES IN NUCLEAR ENERGY

All bodies listed below function under the Department of Atomic Energy unless otherwise noted

Heavy Water Board

  • Established 1969, headquarters Mumbai
  • Responsible for production of heavy water (D2O)
  • Operates six heavy water plants in the country:
    • Kota (Rajasthan)
    • Baroda (Gujarat)
    • Hazira (Gujarat)
    • Thal (Maharashtra)
    • Talcher (Orissa)
    • Manuguru (Andhra Pradesh)
    • Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu)
  • India is the world’s largest manufacturer of heavy water
  • India has exported heavy water to South Korea in 2002-2003

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Nuclear Fuel Complex

  • Established 1971, location Hyderabad
  • Responsible for enrichment and supply of nuclear fuel for all nuclear power plants in the country
  • Also responsible for manufacture of reactor core components
  • The NFC processes both Uranium concentrates (for nuclear fuel) and Zirconium (for reactor components)

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Uranium Corporation of India Ltd

  • Established 1967, headquarters Singhbhum (Jharkhand)
  • Responsible for extraction and processing of uranium
  • Operates five uranium mines and two processing plants
  • All five uranium mines are located in Singhbhum district of Jharkhand
    • Jaduguda mine – oldest mine, commissioned 1967
    • Bhatin mine
    • Narwapahar mine – latest mine, commissioned 1995
    • Turamdih mine
    • Banduhurang mine – only open pit uranium mine
  • India produces about 300 tonnes a year of uranium

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Indian Rare Earths Ltd

  • Established 1950, headquarters Mumbai
  • Responsible for extraction of minerals from beach sands
  • It primary responsibility is the extraction of Thorium (in the form of monazite) for use in nuclear industry
  • Operates four mineral extraction units
    • Aluva (Kerala)
    • Chavara (Kerala)
    • Manavalakurichi (Tamil Nadu)
    • Chatrapur (Orissa)

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Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)

  • Established as the Atomic Energy Establishment Trombay in 1957. Located in Mumbai
  • It is India’s first and primary nuclear research facility
  • Site of CIRUS reactor (Canada-India-US Research)
  • Developed Dhruva reactor (1985) – largest research reactor in the country

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Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR)

  • Established 1971, located at Kalpakkam (near Chennai)
  • Site of Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR), the first reactor in the world to use Plutonium (70%) Uranium (30%) Carbide fuel. The Plutonium for the reactor comes from spent fuel from the power plant on site
  • Developed KAMINI (Kalpakkam Mini) reactor in 1996, the only reactor in the world that uses Uranium-233 as fuel
  • Currently, construction of 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor is under progress

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Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC)

  • Established 1977, located Kolkata
  • Operates the first cyclotron in India
  • Provides protons, deuterons, alpha particles and heavy ion beams to other institutions in the country

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Institute for Plasma Research

  • Established 1986, located in Gandhinagar, Gujarat
  • Functions under the Department of Atomic Energy
  • The IPR is involved in research of various aspects of plasma science
  • It is the biggest plasma physics organisation in India
  • The IPR was responsible for developing the ADITYA tokamak in 1989. A tokamak is a magnetic confinement fusion device used for thermonuclear fusion power
  • The IPR is a major contributor to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in Cadarache, France. Expected to be operational by 2016, the ITER is the first large scale research incentive on nuclear fusion based power plants

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TYPES OF NUCLEAR POWER REACTORS
Reactor Fuel Moderator Coolant Notes
Pressurised water reactor (PWR) Enriched uranium Light water

(demineralised water)

 Light water PWR, BWR and Supercritical water reactors are 3 types of Light Water Reactors

PWR is compact and high power and so used commonly in

aircraft carriers, submarines etc

PWR is the oldest, most widely used reactor for power generation

In PWR, the water is maintained at high pressure such that it

does not boil even at high temperatures
Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) Natural uranium Heavy water

(D2O)

 Heavy water Uses natural unenriched uranium

Lower fuel costs

No enrichment required

Needs large quantities of fuel
Boiling water reactor (BWR) Enriched uranium Light water Light water Second most common type of reactor for power plants (after PWR)

Water is allowed to boil

Simple, uncomplicated design

Lower risk, longer lifetime than PWR
Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) Enriched Uranium,

Plutonium

Also, non-fissile

Uranium-238

 No moderator Liquid metal

(usually liquid

Sodium)

 Breeds fuel by producing more fissile material than it consumes

Reactor core consists of Plutonium and Uranium

Reactor core is surrounded by non-fissile Uranium-238 which gets

converted into fissile Pu-239 by capturing fast neutrons

Since fast neutrons are specifically desired to bombard the U-238,

no moderator is required
Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) Thorium Heavy water,

Amorphous carbon

 Boiling water Currently under development at BARC

Designed to use Thorium as fuel

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PREVIOUS WEEK: CONVENTIONAL ENERGY
~~~~~
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CONVENTIONAL ENERGY IN INDIA

Overview

  • Conventional sources of energy contribute about 67% of India’s power production
  • Conventional sources include coal, oil and natural gas
  • Thermal energy (coal, oil, gas) is the largest energy source in India
COAL ENERGY IN INDIA

Overview

  • India has the fourth largest reserves of coal in the world (behind USA, Russia and China)
  • India is the world’s third largest consumer and fourth largest producer of coal
  • Coal mining in India began at the initiative of Governor General Warren Hastings at Raniganj (West Bengal) in 1774
  • The East India Company set up M/s Sumner and Heatly for coal mining purpose
  • Coal mining was nationalised in 1971 (coking coal) and 1973 (non-coking coal). Only the Tata Iron and Steel Company and Indian Iron and Steel Company were exempt
  • Coal in India is under the purview of the Ministry of Coal

Important coal mines

Coal mine Location Operator Notes
Singareni Pranahita-Godavari valley

(Andhra Pradesh)

 Singareni Collieries Company Ltd Jointly owned by AP govt. (51%) and Union govt. (49%)
Neyveli Tamil Nadu Neyveli Lignite Corporation
Raniganj West Bengal Bharat Coking Coal Limited
Jharia Jharkhand Bharat Coking Coal Ltd Produces bituminous coal suitable for coke

Most of India’s coal comes from Jharia

Largest supplier of prime coke coal used in blast furnaces in India

Jharia is famous for a coal field fire that has burnt underground for nearly a century
Talcher Orissa Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd
IB Valley Sambalpur, Orissa Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd
Korba Chattisgarh Southeastern Coalfields Ltd
Wardah Maharashtra Western Coalfields Ltd

Ultra Mega Power Projects

  • Scheme launched by the government to meet National Electricity Policy stipulation of ‘Power for All by 2012′
  • The Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPP) scheme envisions adding 100,000 MW of installed capacity by 2012
  • This involves construction of super large power plants each of capacity 4000 MW or more. The UMPP power plants will use coal as fuel
  • The nodal agency for implementing the UMPP scheme is the Power Finance Corporation Ltd

List of UMPP projects

Project location State Type of project (coal source) Awarded to
Sasan Madhya Pradesh Pit-head (local) Reliance Power
Akaltara Chhattisgarh Pit-head (local)
Tilaiya Jharkhand Pit-head (local) Reliance Power
Mundra Gujarat Coastal (imported) Tata Power
Krishnapatnam Andhra Pradesh Coastal (imported) Reliance Power
Girye Maharashtra Coastal (imported)
Tadri Karnataka Coastal (imported)

Coal India Ltd. (CIL)

  • Established 1975, headquarters Kolkata
  • CIL is the largest coal miner in the world. It contributes about 85% of India’s coal production
  • Largest corporate employer and second largest employer in India (after Indian Railways)
  • Second largest owner of land in India (after the Indian Railways)
  • Functions under the Ministry of Coal
  • CIL is a Navaratna company
  • CIL has successfully bid for two coal mines in Mozambique and is in the process of formalising the process
  • CIL has eight subsidiaries:
    • Central Mine Planning & Design Institute, Ranchi
    • Eastern Coalfield Ltd, Asansol (West Bengal)
    • Northern Coalfields Ltd., Singrauli (Madhya Pradesh)
    • Southeastern Coalfields Ltd, Bilaspur (Chattisgarh)
    • Western Coalfields Ltd, Nagpur
    • Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd, Sambalpur (Orissa)
    • Central Coalfields Ltd, Ranchi
    • Bharat Coking Coal Ltd, Dhanbad (Jharkhand)

    Neyveli Lignite Coporation Ltd. (NLC)

  • Established in 1956, headquarters Chennai
  • Functions under the Ministry of Coal
  • Lignite has only about 70% carbon and so produces less energy, but burns without coking and has low ash content
  • The NLC operates the nation’s largest open pit lignite mines
  • NLC operates thermal power plants in addition to three large mines. The Neyveli Thermal Power Stations are India’s first and only lignite fired thermal power stations
  • The Neyveli mines are located on a huge ground water aquifer. The NLC supplies this sweet water is supplied to Chennai city
OIL AND NATURAL GAS IN INDIA

Overview

  Petroleum Statistics (381.6 KiB, 2,152 hits)
  • India has total crude oil reserves of 775 million metric tonnes and natural gas reserves of 1074 billion cubic metres
  • The primary sources of natural gas in India are the offshore platforms on the western coast. Other sources include onshore fields in Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and lesser quantities in Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Rajasthan
  • The largest oil fields in India are the Bombay High offshore fields. Bombay High contributes about 38% of domestic production and 14% of national consumption
  • The largest natural gas reserves have been found to be in the Krishna-Godavari basin. This discovery was made by Reliance Industries in 2002
  • The largest petroleum refinery in India is located at Jamnagar (Gujarat). It is owned by Reliance Petroleum Ltd
  • The oldest petroleum refinery is at Guwahati. It was established in 1962 with assistance from Romania
  • Part of the natural gas produced in Maharashtra is fed into the HBJ national pipeline. Gas from other sources is usually used locally
  • The primary markets for petroleum and natural gas in India include power generation, industrial and domestic fuels, tea plantations, and non-energy applications such as manufacture of fertilizers and petrochemicals
  • The first discovery of oil in India was in Digboi, Assam in 1889
  • Oil and natural gas comes under the purview of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas

Strategic petroleum reserves

  • Government has decided to set up 5 million metric tonnes of crude oil reserves to ensure energy security. These strategic reserves will be in addition to existing storages at the oil companies
  • These storage facilities are to be established at Mangalore, Vishakapatnam and Padur (near Udipi, Karnataka)
  • Proposed strategic reserves to be under Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL), a Special Purpose Vehicle under the Oil Industry Development Board
  • The proposed sites are located in the east and west coasts so that they are readily accessible to refineries through marine route
  • The strategic reserves are to be in underground rock caverns, which are considered to be the safest means of storing hydrocarbons
  • The strategic crude oil reserves are expected to be operational by 2012

Important foreign exploration & production projects of Indian companies

Project Location Type Executor
Rakhine Myanmar Natural gas ONGC, GAIL
Sakhalin Far east Russia Oil, gas ONGC
Tomsk Western Siberia, Russia Oil ONGC
Lan Tay Vietnam Gas ONGC
Farsi Iran Gas ONGC, OIL, IOCL
Western Desert Iraq Oil ONGC (contract to be renegotiated)
Eastern Syria Syria Oil ONGC
MTPN Congo Oil ONGC
North Ramadan Egypt Oil ONGC
North East Mediterranean Deepwater Concession (NEMED) Egypt Gas ONGC
Campos Basin Brazil Oil ONGC
Mansarovar Energy Project Colombia Oil ONGC
San Cristobal Project Venezuela Oil ONGC
Muglad Basin Sudan Oil ONGC
Greater Nile Oil Project Sudan Oil ONGC
Block Shakti Gabon OIL, IOCL
Sirte Basin Libya OIL, ONGC, IOCL
Ghadames Basin Libya OIL, IOCL
Niger Delta Nigeria OIL, IOCL
Messila Basin Yemen OIL, IOCL

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)

  • Established 1956, headquarters Dehradun
  • The ONGC contributes 77% of India’s oil production and 81% of natural gas production
  • The ONGC is the highest profit making corporation in India (USD 5 billion). It is also the largest Indian company in oil exploration
  • ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) has a presence in 16 countries esp. in Latin America, Africa, Middle East, CIS and the Far East
  • OVL’s first overseas oil exploration project was the Rostam and Raksh oil fields in Iran
  • OVL’s first major oil find was the LanTay and LanDo oil fields in Vietnam
  • Functions under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas

Oil India Ltd (OIL)

  • OIL is Asia’s oldest petroleum and natural gas company
  • Established 1889, incorporated 1959. Headquarters Noida
  • The predecessor of OIL made the first oil discovery in India 1889
  • OIL’s operations are mostly concentrated in the northeast
  • Functions under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas

Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL)

  • It is India’s largest natural gas company
  • Established 1984, headquarters New Delhi
  • GAIL commissioned the 2800 km Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishpur (HVJ) natural gas pipeline in 1991
  • GAIL set up north India’s only petrochemical at Pata (Uttar Pradesh) in 1999
  • Functions under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas

Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH)

  • Established in 1993, office in New Delhi
  • Acts as an advisory and regulatory body for oil and gas exploration and production in India
  • Objectives of the DGH include
    • Promote sound management of oil and natural gas resources
    • Develop balanced regard for environment, safety, technology and R&D
  • The DGH is responsible for implementation of New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP), production sharing contracts for oil and gas discoveries, and monitoring and review of reservoir performance of producing fields
  • Functions under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas

Petroleum refinement

  • There are three public sector enterprises and two private enterprises in petroleum refinement: Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum, Reliance Petroleum and Essar Oil
  • Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) is the largest in petroleum refinement and distribution. It accounts for 47% of petroleum products and 40% of refining capacity
  • The IOCL is also the largest commercial enterprise in India
Refinery State Operator Notes
Digboi Assam Indian Oil India’s oldest refinery (1901)
Guwahati Assam Indian Oil First public sector refinery
Barauni Bihar Indian Oil
Koyali Gujarat Indian Oil
Haldia West Bengal Indian Oil
Mathura Uttar Pradesh Indian Oil
Panipat Haryana Indian Oil
Jamnagar Gujarat Reliance Largest refining complex in the world
Manali Tamil Nadu Indian Oil (Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd)
Bombay High Maharashtra Bharat Petroleum
Kochi Kerala Bharat Petroleum
Vishakapatnam Andhra Pradesh Hindustan Petroleum
Vadinagar Gujarat Essar Oil

Sources: Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas,

PREVIOUS WEEK: POWER
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General Knowledge #8 | Study Material :: General Studies | IAS Help

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ELECTRICITY/POWER IN INDIA

Overview

  • India has an installed power generation capacity of 155,000 MW
  • The total demand for power is expected to cross 950,000 MW by 2030
  • The government plans to add about 78,000 MW of installed generation capacity by 2012
  • Main sources of power in India include thermal power, hydro power and nuclear power
  • Private sector contributes around 13.5% to total power generation
  • The per capita power consumption in India is 612 kWh
  • Only 44% of rural households have access to electricity
  • The Government of India is working towards the objective of ‘Power for All by 2012′

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Power transmission

  • Transmission of electricity is defined as bulk transfer of power over a long distance at a high voltage, usually 132 kV or more
  • Transmission in the country is divided into five regional transmission systems:
    • Northern region (HQ Delhi): largest in area
    • North eastern region (Shillong): Highest hydro:thermal power ratio (1:1)
    • Eastern region (HQ Kolkata)
    • Southern region (HQ Bangalore)
    • Western region (HQ: Nagpur)
  • The interconnected transmission system within each region is called the Regional Grid. The establishment of a National Grid has been planned
  • Power transmission is handled by the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL)
  • Four of the five Regional Grids now operate as a synchronous grid (western, northern, eastern and north eastern). The Southern Grid is connected to the synchronous grid separately through HVDC links
  • Each Regional Grid functions under a Regional Load Despatch Centre. Additionally, a National Load Despatch Centre has been established in New Delhi to coordinate efforts to establish the National Grid

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Power distribution

  • Transmission and distribution (T&D) losses in India reach 33%
  • Losses include technical losses such as unplanned lines, overloading, and commercial losses such as theft, pilferage etc
  • The Accelerated Power Development and Reform Programme (APDRP) was initiated in 2001 to bring down T&D losses below 15%
  • Power distribution is the responsibility of State Electricity Boards (SEBs)
  • The Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) is the second largest power generating utility in India, after the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)

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GOVERNMENT UNDERTAKINGS IN POWER SECTOR

All entities function under the Ministry of Power unless otherwise noted

National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)

  • The NTPC is the largest power generating utility in India. Its installed generation capacity is around 30,000 MW
  • It was established in 1975 and is headquartered in New Delhi
  • It has 18% of national installed capacity but contributes 28% of national power generation
  • It has 15 coal-based and 7 gas-based power generating plants
  • The largest coal based plant is the Talcher-Kaniha plant in Angul, Orissa (3000 MW)
  • The largest gas based plant is the Dadri plant in Uttar Pradesh (817 MW)
  • The NTPC has forayed into hydro power projects as well. Hydro projects under implementation by the NTPC are
    • Koldam in Himachal Pradesh (800 MW)
    • Loharinag Pala in Uttarakhand (600 MW)
    • Tapovan Vishnugarh in Uttarakhand (520 MW)

Keywords: IAS Help | IAS Exam Study Material, Question Papers | India, Civil Service, UPSC, General Studies, Free, General Knowledge

National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC)

  • The National Hydro Power Corporation Ltd. (NHPC) is a Mini Ratna enterprise responsible for developing hydro power in India
  • It was established in 1975 and is headquartered in Faridabad
  • The NHPC has completed 13 hydro power projects worth installed capacity of 5000 MW and is in the process of implementing 11 more projects
  • The largest hydro plant is the Indira Sagar across the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh (1000 MW).
  • The Subansiri (Lower) project across the Subansiri river in Assam is the largest hydroelectric project undertaken in India. Expected to complete in 2010, it will have an installed capacity of 2000 MW

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Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL)

  • The Nuclear Power Corporation of India is responsible for generation of nuclear power in India. The NPCIL is the only power utility company in India that uses nuclear energy
  • The NPCIL was established in 1987 and is headquartered in Mumbai
  • The NPCIL functions under the Department of Atomic Energy (Ministry of Science and Technology)
  • The NPCIL operates 17 nuclear power plants with an installed capacity of 4120 MW. Additionally it has five reactors under construction with capacity of 2660 MW
  • The NPCIL also operates a 10 MW wind power project at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu (site of upcoming nuclear project)

Keywords: IAS Help | IAS Exam Study Material, Question Papers | India, Civil Service, UPSC, General Studies, Free, General Knowledge

Power Grid Corporation Ltd. (PGCIL)

  • The Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd is one of the largest power transmission utilities in the world
  • It was established in 1989 and is headquartered in New Delhi
  • The PGCIL is a Navaratna enterprise
  • The PGCIL conducts about 45% of India’s electricity on its power lines. It has over 71,500 km of transmission network circuitry
  • The PGCIL operates five Regional Grids (see above). It is also working towards establishing a National Grid in India

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Rural Electrification Corporation Ltd (REC)

  • The Rural Electrification Corporation aims to finance and promote rural electrification projects in the country
  • It was established in 1969 and is headquartered in New Delhi
  • The REC provides loans to SEBs and state power utilities for investment in rural electrification schemes
  • The REC is the nodal agency for the implantation of the RGGVY

Keywords: IAS Help | IAS Exam Study Material, Question Papers | India, Civil Service, UPSC, General Studies, Free, General Knowledge

POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES

All policies and programmes fall under the Ministry of Power unless otherwise noted

Keywords: IAS Help | IAS Exam Study Material, Question Papers | India, Civil Service, UPSC, General Studies, Free, General Knowledge

National Electricity Policy

  • Launched in 2005
  • The objectives of the Policy include
    • Provide access to electricity to all households by 2010
    • Power demand to be fully met by 2012. Energy and peaking shortages to be overcome
    • Supply of reliable and quality power at affordable rates
    • Minimum lifeline consumption of 1 unit per household per day by 2012
    • Per capita availability of electricity to be increased to over 1000 units by 2012
    • Financial turnaround and commercial viability of electricity sector
    • Protection of consumer’s interests
  • The Policy also required the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) to frame a National Electricity Plan every five years, which covered
  • The Policy seeks to address multiple issues including the following
    • Rural electrification
    • Power generation, transmission and distribution
    • Recovery of cost and subsidies
    • Technology development and R&D
    • Power sector reforms including private sector participation
    • Energy conservation
    • Renewable energy sources
  • In order to implement the policy, the RGGVY scheme was launched by the Rural Electrification Corporation
  • See here for full policy document

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Rural Electrification Policy

  • Launched in 2006
  • Objectives include
    • Provision of access to electricity to all households by 2009
    • Quality and reliable power supply at reasonable rates
    • Minimum household consumption of 1 unit per household per day by 2012
  • As per the Policy, all state governments were required to prepare and notify a Rural Electrification Plan to achieve the Policy goals

  Rural Electrification Policy (232.1 KiB, 941 hits)

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Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY)

  • The RGGVY was launched in 2005 to implement the National Electricity Policy
  • The RGGVY is implemented by the REC
  • The RGGVY provides 90% Union Government subsidy for rural electrification projects including
    • Rural Electricity Distribution Backbone (REDB): The REDB is to act as the primary infrastructure for the distribution of electricity in rural areas. Each Block to have at least one 33/11 kV or 66/11 kV substation
    • Village Electrification Infrastructure (VEI): at least one distribution transformer in each village
    • Decentralised Distributed Generation (DDG) Systems: these systems are to act as stand-alone power generation and distribution mechanisms where supply from the grid is not possible or not cost-effective
  • The RGGVY provides for free connection to all households below the poverty line
  • The Scheme says that there shall be no discrimination in the hours of supply between urban and rural areas. This should help in development of rural industries, health care and education facilities
  • The Scheme targets the electrification of 125,000 un-electrified villages

  RGGVY (84.8 KiB, 995 hits)

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Sources: Ministry of Power

PREVIOUS WEEK: NEWS MEDIA
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NEXT WEEK: CONVENTIONAL ENERGY

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NEWS MEDIA IN INDIA

Overview

  • India is the second largest market in the world for newspapers
  • India, along with China and Japan, accounts for 62 of the world’s best selling daily newspapers
  • There are more than 65000 newspapers and periodicals with over 7000 dailies, of which around 400 are in English
  • In addition to English and 22 principal languages enunciated in the Constitution, newspapers in India are published in 81 other languages as well. These include regional dialects of Indian languages and a few foreign languages
  • Print media in India is regulated by the Registrar of Newspapers for India

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, free, general studies, general knowledge

Readership and circulation

  • The largest number of newspapers are published in Hindi
  • The largest circulated daily newspaper in India is the Times of India (English)
  • The largest circulated Hindi daily is the Dainik Bhaskar from Bhopal. It is also the largest circulated multi-edition daily newspaper in any language in India
  • The largest circulated other language daily is the Malayala Manorama from Kottayam
  • The largest circulated periodical is the fortnightly Saras Salil (Hindi, Delhi)
  • The largest number of newspapers are published in Uttar Pradesh
  • The Anandabazar Patrika (Bengali, Calcutta) is the largest single-edition regional language newspaper
  • The only daily newspaper in Kashmiri is the Koshur Akhbar. It is an online newspaper

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, free, general studies, general knowledge

History of print media in India

  • The first newspaper in India was the Bengal Gazette, established by James Augustus Hicky in Calcutta in 1780. Also known as the Calcutta General Advertise, the Bengal Gazette was a weekly newspaper. James Hicky is considered to the Father of the Indian Press
  • The first newspaper in an Indian language was the Samachar Darpan (Bengali, 1818). It was first published from the Serampore Mission Press
  • The oldest extant newspaper in India is the Bombay Samachar (Gujarati, 1822).
     Published from Bombay, it is also the oldest existing newspaper in Asia
  • The first newspaper in Hindi was the Samachar Sudha Varshan (Calcutta, 1854). It was unique in the sense that it was a two-page newspaper, with one page in Hindi and the other in Bengali

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, free, general studies, general knowledge

NEWS AGENCIES IN INDIA
  1. Press Trust of India (PTI)
    1. The Press Trust of India (PTI) is the largest news agency in India
    2. It is a non-profit cooperative among more than 450 Indian newspapers
    3. It is headquartered in New Delhi
    4. The PTI was incorporated in Madras in Aug 1947. It took over the Indian operations of Reuters and the Associated Press
    5. The PTI is the only news agency in the Indian subcontinent that operates its own communications satellite (an INSAT)
    6. The PTI has full-fledged news bureaux in London and New York, and has news exchange agreements with over 100 news agencies including Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, The New York Times, Bloomberg etc
    7. The PTI launched its Hindi language service PTIBHASHA in 1986
  2. United News of India (UNI)
    1. The United News of India (UNI) is the second largest news agency in India
    2. It was established in 1959 in New Delhi
    3. The UNI is the first news agency to place a stringer (freelance journalist) in Andaman & Nicobar Islands
    4. The UNI was the first Indian news agency to serve subscribers abroad in 1981, selling its wire service to newspapers in the Persian Gulf and Singapore
    5. The UNI launched its Hindi language service UNIVARTA in 1982, and its Urdu service in 1992
    6. The UNI has collaboration agreements with foreign news services like Reuters and DPA
  3. Asian News International (ANI)
    1. It is based in New Delhi
    2. Provides multimedia news to over 50 news outlets in India and abroad
    3. Provides news services across multiple platforms including newspapers, TV, internet and cell phone
  4. Indo-Asian News Service (IANS)
    1. The Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) is India’s largest private news agency
    2. The IANS was established in 1986 in New Delhi
    3. It is the primary news agency that covers the Indian diaspora residing abroad

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, free, general studies, general knowledge

GOVERNMENTAL BODIES RELATED TO NEWS MEDIA

Press Council of India

  • The Press Council of India is a statutory body that governs the conduct of the print and broadcast media in India
  • It is one of the most important bodies that sustain democracy, acting as the watchdog of the press
  • The Press Council of India was established by Parliament in 1966. It presently functions under the Press Council Act 1978
  • The Press Council of India is protected by the Constitution and its actions may not be questioned
  • The Council adjudicates complaints by and against the press on violations of ethics and violations of the Freedom of Speech
  • The Council is headed by a Chairman, who is usually a retired judge of the Supreme Court. The Council contains 28 other members, of whom 20 are nominated by the press, 5 are nominated by Parliament and 3 are nominees of the Sahitya Academy, UGC and the Bar Council of India
  • The members of the Council serve for a period of 3 years

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, free, general studies, general knowledge

Press Information Bureau (PIB)

  • The Press Information Bureau (PIB) is the nodal agency of the Union Government for the dissemination of information regarding its policies, programmes and activities
  • The Bureau is headquartered in New Delhi
  • It functions under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
  • The PIB arranges photo coverage of government activities and distributes press materials to other news organizations
  • The PIB is the implementing agency for exchange of delegations of journalists between India and other countries

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, free, general studies, general knowledge

Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI)

  • The Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI) regulates the registration of newspapers and other print media in India
  • It was established in 1956 and is headquartered in New Delhi
  • It functions under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, free, general studies, general knowledge

PREVIOUS WEEK: RADIO/TV IN INDIA
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NEXT WEEK: POWER IN INDIA

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RADIO AND TELEVISION IN INDIA

Prasar Bharti (Broadcasting Corporation of India)

  • Prasar Bharti is India’s largest broadcaster, comprising of Doordarshan and All India Radio
  • It is an autonomous corporation operating under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
  • Prasar Bharti was established in 1997

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, general knowledge, free

All India Radio

  • Radio broadcasting in India started in 1927 in Bombay and Calcutta with two privately owned transmitters
  • In 1930, the government assumed control of radio broadcasting and established the Indian Broadcasting Service.
  • All India Radio was established in 1936, as a successor to the Indian Broadcasting Service
  • All India Radio is the official radio broadcaster of India
  • It is officially known as Akashvani. The word Akashvani was coined by Prof M V Gopalaswamy for his radio station in Mysore in 1936
  • All India Radio is a division of Prasar Bharti
  • The headquarters of AIR is the Akashvani Bhavan in New Delhi
  • The External Services Division of the AIR broadcasts in 27 languages to foreign countries
  • The AIR also broadcasts a General Overseas Service in English aimed at a general international audience

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, general knowledge, free

Doordarshan

  • Doordarshan is the public television broadcaster of India
  • It is a division of Prasar Bharti
  • Doordarshan was established in 1959.
  • Regular daily transmission started in 1965. National telecasts were introduced in 1982
  • DD India is the international broadcast of Doordarshan available internationally in 146 countries
  • India’s highest TV tower is at Peetambara, New Delhi. At 235 metres, it is three times taller than the Qutub Minar
  • Teletext service known as INTEXT was introduced in New Delhi in 1985 to provide common information such as train timings, stock markets etc
  • Transmission of Question Hour of Parliament was commenced by Doordarshan in 1991. Today the Lok Sabha TV functions as a separate wing under Doordarshan

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, general knowledge, free

Amateur Radio in India

  • Amateur radio is practiced by more than 16000 licensed users in India
  • The first amateur radio operator in India was Amarendra Chandra Gooptu in 1921
  • The first entertainment and public broadcasting station in India (VU6AH) was set up by E H Metcalfe in 1935. He was the Vice-Chancellor of Mysore University
  • The oldest amateur radio organization in India is the Amateur Radio Society of India (ARSI). Established in 1954, it represents India at the International Amateur Radio Union
  • The amateur radio satellite HAMSAT was launched by the ISRO in 2005
  • Amateur radio in India is regulated by the Wireless and Planning Corrdination Wing (WPC) of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology
  • To obtain a license for amateur radio operation, one must clear the Amateur Station Operator’s Certificate examination
  • The call sign prefix for amateur radio stations in India is VU

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, general knowledge, free

CINEMA IN INDIA

Overview

  • India is the world’s largest producer of films
  • The Indian government allows 100% FDI in film production and distribution
  • The largest film studio complex in the world is the Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad
  • Hindi and Telugu films account for 50% of the total films produced in India

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, general knowledge, free

History of Indian cinema

  • The first film to be screened in India was the Auguste and Louis Lumiere moving pictures in Bombay in 1895
  • The first short film made in India was The Flower of Persia, directed by Hiralal Sen in 1898
  • The first full length film in India was Raja Harishchandra, made by Dadasaheb Phalke in 1913
  • The first Indian talking film was Alam Ara, made by Ardeshir Irani in 1931
  • The Bengal Film Journalists’ Association, established in 1937, is the oldest association of film critics in India.
  • The first colour film in India was Kisan Kanya, made by Ardeshir Irani in 1937

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, general knowledge, free

Cinema awards

Award Awarded by Established
National Film Awards Directorate of Film Festivals

(Ministry of I&B, Govt. of India)

 1954
Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards Govt. of West Bengal 1937
Filmfare Awards Filmfare 1954
International Indian Film Academy Awards Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. 2000
Nandi Awards Govt. of Andhra Pradesh 2002

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, general knowledge, free

Awards instituted under the National Film Awards

Award Category Latest recipient
Dadsaheb Phalke Award Lifetime contribution to cinema Manna Dey (singer)
Indira Gandhi Award Best first film of a director Frozen: Shivaji Chandrabhushan (Hindi)
Nargis Dutt Award Best film on national integration Dharm: Bhavna Talwar (HindI)
Best Book on Cinema From Raj to Swaraj: The Non-fiction film in India – B D Garga (English)
Best film critic V K Joseph

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, general knowledge, free

Cinema institutes in India

Institute Location Established
Asian Academy of Film and TV Noida 1993
Film and Television Institute of India Pune 1960
Whistling Woods International Bombay 2006
Mindscreen Film Institute Chennai 2006
Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute Calcutta 1995

Keywords: India, ias, upsc, civil service, study material, general studies, general knowledge, free

PREVIOUS WEEK: POST, TELECOMMUNICATIONS~~~~~
NEXT WEEK: NEWS MEDIA

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