Ministry of steel in partnership with CII and JPC is organising the launch of Purvodaya-Accelerated Development of Eastern Region through an Integrated Steel hub, in line with Prime Minister's Vision for focused development of the Eastern States. Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minster for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel will launch the Purvodaya on 11th January 2020 at The Oberoi Grand Kolkata. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has highlighted the need for focused development of the Eastern states in order to unleash their untapped potential thereby ensuring the growth of the region as a whole and the country at large.

Creation of such a world-class steel hub would significantly contribute to Purvodaya by propelling socio-economic development in the Eastern region. Steel capacity addition as envisioned in the hub would entail capital investments of >70 Bn. $ and lead to an incremental GSDP of >35 Bn. $ through steel alone. Growth of steel industry through such a hub would lead to significant employment opportunities across the entire value chain, creating over 2.5 Million jobs in the region. Creation of world-class logistics and utilities infrastructure would also spur development of other manufacturing industries across sectors. This would also be accompanied by social infrastructure in the form of cities, schools, hospitals, skilling centres etc. Such development, especially in the most under-developed regions in these states, will play a significant role in overall socio-economic growth of Eastern India, thus reducing the disparity between the East and other regions of the country.

Background The Eastern region of India, though extremely rich in resources, lags behind other states in terms of development. Eastern states of India (Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Northern Andhra Pradesh) collectively hold ~80% of the country’s iron ore, ~100% of coking coal and significant portion of chromite, bauxite and dolomite reserves. In addition to its rich mineral reserves, these states also have a significant locational advantage. There is a presence of major ports such as Paradip, Haldia, Vizag, Kolkata etc. with >30% of India’s major port capacity, 3 major National Waterways as well as strong road, rail connectivity to most parts of the country. Despite these advantages, these states are currently behind many other Indian states in terms of economic and development indicators such as GSDP per capita and Human Development Index (HDI).

In India’s march towards a $5 trillion economy, the 5 Eastern states can play a major role where steel sector can become the catalyst. The presence of natural resources, coupled with an already established steel industry, presents an excellent opportunity for Eastern India to spearhead the expected growth in the domestic steel industry, the region at large and the country as a whole. This Eastern belt has the potential to add more than 75% of the country’s incremental steel capacity envisioned by the National Steel Policy. It is expected that out of the 300 MT capacity by 2030-31, over 200 MT can come from this region alone, driven by Industry 4.0.Rs.100 lakh crore infrastructure investment announced by the Government in the next 5 years will result in additional boost to construction and infrastructure through various initiatives such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, Sagarmala, Bharatmala, etc. Steel industry has a multiplier effect in the GDP as well as in employment. These States would march ahead on the development index because of which the Ministry of Steel has envisioned an Integrated Steel Hub in this region, which will serve as a catalyst in the transformation of Eastern India by developing a vibrant steel industry.

Integrated Steel Hub The proposed Integrated Steel Hub, encompassing Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Northern Andhra Pradesh, would serve as a torchbearer for socio-economic growth of Eastern India. The objective of this hub would be to enable swift capacity addition and improve overall competitiveness of steel producers both in terms of cost and quality. In addition to increased steel capacity, this hub would also help enhance best-in- class value addition capabilities. The Integrated Steel Hub would focus on 3 key elements:

Capacity addition through easing the setup of greenfield steel plants Development of steel clusters near integrated steel plants as well as demand centres Transformation of logistics and utilities infrastructure which would change the socio-economic landscape in the East These elements would be supported through additional enablers such as ensured availability of raw materials, presence of supporting industries such as capital goods and well-established avenues for skill development.

Steps Taken by Ministry of Steel Various steps to make this hub a reality are already being taken by the Ministry. The Central Ministries, the State Governments and Private Players across the spectrum are allied to the cause of Purvodaya. The following actions have already been initiated by the Ministry of Steel, in co-ordination with the various stakeholders:

A policy facilitating the creation and upgradation of steel clusters has been put up after due consultation with Central Ministries, State Governments and industry. Kalinganagar and Bokaro have been identified as pilot locations for steel clusters around ISPs.

Task Forces and Working Groups, with the support of the respective State Governments, have been created. Detailed planning for operationalization of these clusters is currently underway. In an effort to ease capacity addition through greenfield route, a framework policy is being created to address the challenges faced in land acquisition, raw material linkage and obtaining This being done in consultation with Central Government Ministries, State Governments and industry stakeholders.

Critical logistics and infrastructure projects are being identified for expedition across the 12 major steel zones identified in the region (Kalinganagar, Angul, Rourkela, Jharsuguda, Nagarnar, Bhilai, Raipur, Jamshedpur, Bokaro, Durgapur, Kolkata, Vizag). These include major rail, road and port capacity expansion projects to debottleneck existing capacity and create world-class multimodal logistics infrastructure across these zones.

In partnership with NITI Aayog, International Energy Agency (IEA) todayreleased thefirst in-depth review of India’s energy policies. The report highlights the achievements of India’s energy policies and provides recommendations to support the government’s goals of promoting well-functioning energy markets and boosting deployment of renewables.

DrFatih Birol (Executive Director of the IEA) presented the key findings of the reviewin New Delhi in the presence of Shri Pralhad Joshi(Minister of Coal), Shri Dharmendra Pradhan (Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Minister of Steel), Shri RK Singh (Minister for Power and Renewable Energy), Dr Rajiv Kumar (Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog), Shri Amitabh Kant (CEO of NITI Aayog), key energy secretaries, ambassadors and think tanks.

IEA regularly conducts in-depth reviews of energy policies for its member and association countries.This is the first review carried out for India, which has been an IEA-association country since March 2017.

Introducing the report, NITI Aayog Special Secretary Shri RP Gupta welcomed and commended the hard work of the IEA.He said, ‘As India builds on the remarkable growth and development of its energy sector, this in-depth review will help the Government in meeting its energy objectives by setting out a range of recommendations in each energy policy area.’

NITI AayogCEOAmitabh Kant, who had brought up the idea with IEA to conduct the review, said: ‘With clear goals in place, the country is making great strides towards affordable, secure and cleaner energy for all its citizens. India is working hard to move towards its aspirations of transforming the energy sector.’

‘IEA has the privilege of enjoying a close relationship with India. This first in-depth review of the country’s energy policies illustrates the value of our growing collaboration,’ said Dr Birol.

‘The energy choices that India makes will be critical for Indian citizens as well as the future of the planet. This was demonstrated at IEA’s 2019 ministerial meeting, which mandated the Agency to start consultations with India for a strategic partnership that could serve as a path to eventual membership, a game-changer for international energy governance.’

The IEA report congratulates the Indian government on its outstanding achievements in extending citizens’ access to electricity, affordable efficient lighting and clean cooking in record time through historic schemes like SAUBHAGYA, UJALA and UJJWALA,while pursuing energy market reforms and the swift deployment of renewable technologies. The report highlights the strong growth of renewables in India, which now accounts for almost 23% of the country’s total installed capacity. The review also found that energy efficiency improvements in India avoided 15% of additional energy demand, oil and gas imports, and air pollution as well as 300 million tonnes of CO2 emissions between 2000 and 2018.

India is becoming increasingly influential in global energy trends. The country’s demand for energy is set to double by 2040, and its electricity demand may triple, according to the IEA report. Indian oil consumption is expected to grow faster than that of any other major economy. This makes further improvingenergy security a key priority for India’s economy, says the IEA.

IEA welcomes Indian government policies designed to conduct large-scale renewable energy auctions, open up coal mining to private companies, and promote access to oil and gas markets for foreign investors. The report offers a wide range of recommendations for reforms in support of India’s goal of promoting open and well-functioning energy markets in sectors such as coal, gas and electricity. These include building strong regulators to ensure non-discriminatory access, moving from state allocation to market pricing, and further rationalizing energy subsidies.

In India’s renewables-rich states, the share of variable renewables in electricity generation is already above 15%, a level that calls for dedicated policies to ensure they integrate smoothly into the power system. NITI Aayog can play a strong role in working with the states to implement power sector reforms, advance grid integration, improve flexibility and coordinate energy policy decisions.

The review also strongly encourages India to institutionalise energy policy coordination across government with a national energy policy framework. Power and Renewable Energy Minister RKSingh congratulated IEA and NITI Aayog for the launch of the report: ‘India’s energy policy is a global story. India has the largest unified power grid that operates in a single frequency. India has moved from scarcity to surplus electricity over the past few years, while implementing the largest and the fastest energy access improvement and energy efficiency programmes in the world.’

Coal Minister Joshi said,‘With the support of Amitabh Kant and DrRajiv Kumar, India recently launched commercial mining operations. IEA’s report will be very helpful for designing our future course of action in the energy sector.’

Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Pradhan said:‘NITI Aayog has already started preparing a National Energy Strategy, and I would like to propose an annual event where NITI andIEA can bring together global energy stakeholders to have a structured energy dialogue. We look forward to engaging with IEA on oil security and onhelping India move towards a natural gas-based economy.’

NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Kumar emphasised that India’s energy goals cannot be achieved without a strong coordination of policies and targets between Central and state governments, notably on electricity market design and renewable targets, and thata stronger cooperation istherefore needed on these fronts.

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and State Government of Uttar Pradesh are jointly organizing 23rd National Youth Festival (NYF) 2020 at Indira Pratishthan, Lucknow from 12th to 16th January, 2020. Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath and Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs & Sports, Shri Kiren Rijiju will inaugurate the NYF 2020 on 12th January on the occasion of birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the great Youth icon. The inauguration will be followed by cultural/musical performance by local and renowned artists.

The closing ceremony of the festival on 16th January will be graced by the Governor of Uttar Pradesh and Shri Kiren Rijiju. The Government has been organizing National Youth Festival (NYF) since 1995. The objective of NYF is to provide a platform to bring the youth of the country together in an attempt to provide them opportunity to showcase their talents in various activities. It also provides an arena, by creating a mini-India, where youth interact in formal and informal settings and exchange their social and cultural uniqueness. This blend of diverse socio-cultural milieu proves the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s commitment and belief in ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’.

The theme of the 23rd National Youth Festival 2020 is ‘FIT YOUTH FIT INDIA’ in pursuance of the goal of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi for New India to be a fit India. NYF 2020 would leverage on the knowledge and ideas that Youth of today bring to the table where they are hugely connected and integrated through online and offline communication channels than ever before. The NYF 2020 intends to focus on bringing the attention of the Youth towards dialogue and discussions on selected thematic interfaces so that the outcome feeds into a National Level.

The National Youth Festival is like a mega National Integration Camp. NYF 2020 would have around 6000 participants (volunteers from NYKS, NSS and local youth) from each State of the country. As the theme of 2020 NYF suggests, the youth will inculcate physical activity and sports in their everyday lives which is essential to make new India a Fit India.

From 13th January to 16th January, different Competitive (Folk Dance, One Act Play, Hindustani Vocal Solo, Carnatic Vocal Solo, Elocution, harmonium Light, Tabla, Mridangam, Veena, Flute, Sitar, Guitar, Dances Manipuri, Odissi, Kuchupuri, Bharatnatyam, Kathak) and Non Competitive Events (Young Artist Camp, Yuva Kriti, Food festival, Adventure Camp, Suvichar, Youth Convention) will be organized.

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) organized a one day workshop for Strengthening of Statistical system of States/UTs at The Ashok, New Delhi on 10th January, 2020. Shri Pravin Srivastava, Chief Statistician of India-cum-Secretary (MoSPI) while giving introductory remarks, set the tone for discussions. Shri Vijay Kumar, Director General (Surveys), Shri T. K. Sanyal, Director General (Economic Statistics), Shri A. K. Sadhu, Director General (Social Statistics), National Statistical Office (NSO), other senior officers of MoSPI and representatives of Directorates of Economic and Statistics (DESs) from States/UTs, and World Bank participated in the workshop.

2. A number of presentations on various reform initiatives of MoSPI and the experiences in Official Statistics of States namely, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were made during the workshop, highlighting the achievements of Support for Statistical Strengthening (SSS), a sub-scheme of Capacity Development scheme of MoSPI, and the way forward on revamping it. The World Bank team also made a brief presentation on the National Programme for Improving Quality of Statistics in India (NPIQSI), a project under preparation envisaging the assistance of World Bank under Investment Project Financing (IPF) as a first phase. It was also highlighted that the second phase of World Bank assistance under Development Policy Financing (DPF) envisages further improving the National Statistical System with major focus on strengthening of the States/UTs. Specific expectations of the Government of India from States/UTs in this regard were also indicated.

3. The States/UTs were divided into four groups for breakout sessions with the objective to come out a set of suggestions for recasting the SSS sub-scheme in line with the Vision 2024 of MoSPI, aiming at strengthening the National Statistical System with active collaboration of States/UTs.

Shri Raj Kumar Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power and New & Renewable Energy and Honourable Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurshiptoday released here today the ‘State Energy Efficiency Index 2019’, which tracks the progress of Energy Efficiency (EE) initiatives in 36 states and union territories based on 97 significant indicators. The index was released on the occasion of RPM ( Review, Planning and Monitoring) meeting, which is being held on 09-10 Jan 2020 at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra, New Delhi.

The index is developed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in association with Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE). It will help states contribute towards national goals on energy security and climate action byhelping drive EE policies and program implementation at the state and local level, tracking progress in managing the states’ and India’s energy footprint and institutionalising the data capture and monitoring of EE activities by states.

The first such Index, the “State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index 2018”, was launched on August 1, 2018. Taking forward the State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index 2018, the State Energy Efficiency Index 2019 incorporates qualitative, quantitative and outcome-based indicators to assess energy efficiency initiatives, programs and outcomes in five distinct sectors – buildings, industry, municipalities, transport, agriculture, and DISCOMs. New indicators for this year include adoption of Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2017, energy efficiency in MSME clusters, etc.

The required data was collected from the concerned state departments such as DISCOMs, Urban Development departments and other departments with the help of State Designated Agencies (SDAs). This year, a total of 36 states and union territories have been assessed based on their efforts and achievements in policy and regulation, financing mechanisms, institutional capacity, adoption of energy efficiency measures and energy savings achieved.

For rational comparison, States/UTs are grouped into four groups based on aggregated Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES) required to meet the state’s actual energy demand (electricity, coal, oil, gas, etc.) across sectors. TPES grouping shall help states compare performance and share best practices within their peer group. Under four categories based on TPES, Haryana, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashta, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Puducherry and Chandigarh have been evaluated as progressive states/UTs in the State Energy Efficiency Index 2019.

Key Takeaways for States State EE Index 2019 shows that majority of the initiatives taken by states are related to Policies and Regulations. Most of the first-generation energy efficiency policies prepared by BEE under programmes on Standards & Labelling (S&L), ECBC, Perform Achieve & Trade (PAT), etc. are understood by states and as the next steps they should focus on ensuring greater compliance to achieve savings. Based on the analysis of responses submitted by states this year, a three-point agenda is suggested for consideration by state agencies: Proactive role by states in policy formulation and implementation to shift the focus from “policies in place” to “policies successfully implemented”.

Strengthening the mechanism for data capture, management and public availability of data: For this year’s Index, SDAs proactively contacted various state departments to gather data. However, SDAs should further enhance their engagement with state departments and private sector to enable a robust mechanism for Energy Data Management System.

Enhancing the credibility of EE schemes: Ensuring the integrity of programs that have direct or indirect linkages with common consumers is significant to energy efficiency market transformation.States must demonstrate an approach which includes enforcement and compliance checks as well as independent monitoring and verification of savings, which is integral to all EE policies andprograms.