Mumbai’s very first metro line was declared open at 10.16 am when Maharashtra Chief Minister took the first ride from Versova station to Ghatkopar.
The inauguration took place with much uncertainty as Mr Chavan had threatened to boycott it the day before, protesting against Reliance Infrastructure’s decision to unilaterally increase fares. However, he ended up taking the very first metro – decorated with flowers – with much fanfare along with Reliance Chairman Anil Ambani and Tina Ambani.
An agreement for credit of US $ 165 million (equivalent) from World Bank for Maharashtra Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Program was signed here today by Shri Nilaya Mitash, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance on behalf of the Government of India and Mr. Micheal Haney, Acting Director, New Delhi Office, World Bank on behalf of World Bank.
Similarly, the Program Agreement was signed by Mr. Kiran Kumar Dinkarrao Gitte, Deputy Secretary, Water Supply and Sanitation Department on behalf of Government of Maharashtra. The Objective of the program is to improve the performance of Maharashtra`s sector institutions in planning, implementation and monitoring of its Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Program and to improve access to quality and sustainable services in peri-urban villages, and in water-stressed and water quality-affected areas.
Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar will be the next Solicitor-General as Mohan Parasaran resigned following the change of government at the Centre.
Mr. Kumar had been counsel for the Gujarat government and amicus curiae in several cases in the Supreme Court. He had represented Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case pending in a Bangalore court.
Top contenders for Additional Solicitors-General are the outgoing Additional Solicitor-General L. Nageswara Rao, senior advocates Maninder Singh, P.S. Narasimha, Neeraj Kishan Kaul and P.S. Patwalia, and Additional Advocate-General of Gujarat Tushar Mehta.
Indian Aviation Academy (IAA) has been selected this year by the Business Initiative Directives Group (BIDG), Madrid (Spain) for the International Arch of Europe Award for quality and technology in Gold Category. The award was received by Mr. Rajiv Goel, Director, IAA from Mr. Jose E. Prieto, President & CEO, BID Group at a function held in Frankfurt, Germany Later, the award was presented to Mr. Alok Sinha, Chairman, Airports Authority of India .
The Academy has been set up for training and development by pooling resources of the three mainstay organizations of civil aviation namely, Airports Authority of India, Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. It conducts training in airport management, maintenance, airport safety and regulations, HR discipline, etc. The Academy has collaboration with several international agencies such as ICAO, IATA, ACI, FAA, European Union and CATC, Thailand.
Indian Coast Guard Ship Vaibhav, the 3rd in the series of 90 meters class Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) was commissioned today at Tuticorin byVice Admiral Anurag G Thapliyal, Director General Indian Coast Guard. This 90 metres OPV has been designed and built indigenously by M/s GSL and is fitted with the state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment, sensors and machineries. Her features include an Integrated Bridge System(IBS), Integrated Machinery Control System (IMCS), Power Management System (PMS), High Power External Fire Fighting System (ABS Fi-Fi Class-1) and one indigenous Close Range Naval Gun (CRN-91) along with an optical fire control system. The ship is designed to carry one Helicopter and five high speed boats for Search and Rescue, law enforcement and maritime patrol. The ship is also capable of carrying pollution response equipment to combat oil spill at sea. The ship is fitted with advanced Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) making it an apt platform to carryout search and rescue operations in Indian Search and Rescue Region (ISRR).
The ship draws 1940 tons and is propelled by two diesel engines to attain a maximum speed of 26 Knots. At economical speed, it has an endurance of 4500 nautical miles and can stay at sea for 15 days without any replenishment. The sustenance and reach coupled with the latest and modern equipment and systems, provide her with the capability to perform the role of a command platform and accomplish all Coast Guard charter of duties.
The ship on joining Coast Guard Fleet will be deployed extensively for the EEZ surveillance and such other duties as enlisted in Coast Guard Charter. The vessel will be exploited extensively in the Eastern region, more so, in the sensitive Gulf of Mannar and up to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) with Sri Lanka, to safeguard the maritime interests of India.
ICGS Vaibhav, will be manned by 10 Officers and 84 men under the command of Deputy Inspector General Sanjiv Trikha and will be based at Tuticorin under the administrative and operational control of the Commander Coast Guard Region (East).
World Health Organization (WHO) has removed India from the list of countries with active endemic wild polio virus transmission. Polio free is certified for WHO regions by the Regional Certification Commission and not for individual country. The South-East Asia Regional Commission for Polio Eradication (SEA-RCCPE) has examined the data of 31 states/Union Territories of India and has accepted the report of the Indian National Certification Committee for Polio Eradication and has concluded that the wild polio virus is not circulating in these states.
Each region can consider certification only when all countries in the area demonstrate the absence of wild poliovirus transmission for at least three consecutive years in the presence of certification standard surveillance. In addition, all facilities holding wild poliovirus infectious and potentially infectious materials must have implemented bio-containment measures for laboratory containment of wild poliovirus.
A Task Force for Laboratory containment of wild polioviruses has been constituted. The first phase of laboratory containment started by surveying laboratory to identify laboratory with wild poliovirus, infectious materials or potential wild poliovirus infectious materials and encourage them for destruction of all unneeded materials. All States/UTs have been communicated about the successful interruption of wild poliovirus transmission in India and the possible certification in 2014 and requested for political and administrative support required for completion of laboratory containment activities in their respective States.
Support of WHOs National Polio Surveillance Project (NPSP) is also being obtained to survey all laboratories in their database and provide information of the Laboratories to the Task Force. An inventory of laboratories/Institutes of Department of Bio Technology (DBT) / Department of Science & Technology (DST), Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITS)/ National Institute of Information Technology (NIITs), databases of bio-medical laboratories in Department of Health Research (DHR), bio-tech laboratories in Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) database has been prepared for information on storage of potentially infectious material.
