Centre frees up space equal to four Rashtrapati Bhavans; earns Rs 40 crore from scrap sale

The government has freed up space equivalent to four Rashtrapati Bhavans in the massive cleanliness drive that ended on 31 October, News18 has learnt.

Around 8.06 lakh square feet of space has been freed by weeding out 13.73 lakh files between 2-31 October, as part of the special drive directed by the prime minister last month. The floor space of the Rashtrapati Bhavan is around two lakh square feet. The government has sold scrap worth nearly Rs 40 crore from the entire exercise.

The result is much cleaner and roomier government offices and buildings, senior government officials told News18.

“The implementation phase of the exercise ended 31 October. Figures will be updated by ministries till 8 November. These figures are massive,” a senior government official told News18. The total target of files to be weeded out is 15.23 lakh files and the same could be achieved when the figures are updated by 8 November.

The government has also disposed of 2.92 lakh public grievances in the said period out of the nearly 3.28 lakh which are overdue, along with disposing nearly 18,000 appeals filed with higher authorities.

Nearly 8,300 pending references from MPs have been cleared and over 950 parliamentary assurances have been responded to in the drive. Around 940 state government references from chief ministers have also been responded to.

The government also carried out close to 5,000 cleanliness drives in the said period and eased out 685 rules or processes as part of simplification of the rules.

News18 had first reported the progress of this drive on 27 October. The prime minister had ordered the drive from 2 October to weed out all non-necessary government files and free up office space, as well as clear pendency of public grievances and references from MPs.

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Unpacking fine print of fuel pricing, why blaming Modi government for rising energy cost is unfair

The current discourse on the issue of fuel prices holds the Narendra Modi government as the one responsible for the recent increasing trend. The question here is if this is fair? Conclusions are being drawn and responsibilities are being fixed without any objective assessment of the complexities related to the petroleum products pricing in India. This article is an attempt to unpack the fine-print behind the mechanics of fuel pricing and perhaps appreciate the limitations and compulsions of various stakeholders in this entire scheme of things.

So, how are fuel products priced? The price build-up of domestic petroleum products (such as petrol, diesel etc.) essentially includes three major components: a) base price of the product; b) taxes / duties levied by the Center and c) the taxes/duties levied by state governments (states). There is a fourth component as well – commission paid to dealers, but that’s relatively smaller compared to the other three components and hence not material for this discussion.

The first component, the base price reflects the cost of production incurred by Indian refineries. This component is a function of global crude prices; higher the price of crude oil, higher will the base price of the product be. The Central government taxes/duties are levied as central excise duties while state government taxes/duties as VAT/sales tax.

On 16 October 2021, the retail selling price of petrol in Mumbai was Rs 111.43/litre. Price buildup data shows that base price accounted for around 40 percent of this, central excise 30 percent and VAT/Sales tax levied by the government of Maharashtra 27 percent. Balance 3 percent was dealer commissions.

Note two observations here: a) Central and state governments together contributed to around 60 percent share of the petrol price stack, the balance 40 percent was beyond the control of either and b) Central Government contributes to only 30 percent share of the price buildup, the balance 70 percent continues to be beyond its control. If one accounts for the fact that 42 percent of a portion of the Central fuel excise is shared back with states per Finance Commission recommendations, the Centre’s effective contribution to price buildup will reduce even further.

The pertinent issue to ponder here is why are fuel prices increasing daily? A fast-paced uptick in global oil demand is putting upward pressure on crude oil prices lately. The price of Brent, the global benchmark for crude oil prices, recently breached US$ 85 / bbl, a level it has not seen since October 2018. Brent prices have more than doubled in the last year with a more than 30 percent jump within the last two months itself.

India imports 85 percent of its crude oil requirement and hence an increase in global oil prices naturally pushes the base price component of petroleum fuel. Given that both Central and state level duties have not changed much lately, domestic petroleum product prices are increasing mainly due to the ongoing volatility in global oil markets.

So what can be done to mitigate this? Critics and opposition parties want the Modi government to intervene and bring the prices down. The gvernment has two potential options. First, to simply cut excise duties levied on petroleum products and forgo share of revenues it has been raising through this. This could provide some immediate short term relief, but it will reduce the fiscal resources available with the government to finance the ambitious national development agenda that it is currently working on.

The fact is that excise duty is an important contributor to the revenue kitty of the Central government. Data shows that excise duty collection on crude and petroleum products contributed as much as Rs 3.72 lakh crore in 2020-21, around 23 percent of the total tax revenues of the Central government (net of state’s share) for that year.

Where was this precious money spent? The Central government judiciously utilised the fiscal space created by fuel duties to accelerate capital investments and implement various socio-economic development initiatives. More than 60 percent of fuel duties are specifically earmarked for capital investments (in the form of road and infrastructure cess and agriculture infrastructure and development cess). These resources helped Modi government realise substantial jump in its annual capital expenditure - almost 3X  increase from INR 1.87 lakh crore in 2013-14 to Rs 5.53 lakh crore in BE of 2021-22.

This spend financed rapid creation of social and economic infrastructure, due to which all Indians are now able to access clean toilets, electricity, clean cooking fuel, a large network of modern highways, expressways, metros, railways, water supply and sewerage treatment infrastructure etc. A portion of these resources were also utilized to finance various relief and response measures during the COVID pandemic. The government could thus provide free foodgrains, LPG refills, cash and other support to all needy and vulnerable people for an extended period of time so that everyone could continue living a dignified life during this difficult period.

It also launched world’s largest free vaccination drive. Fuel duties provided the Centre much-needed space to fund such stimulus without compromising the path of fiscal prudence and without increasing personal and corporate taxes.

The second option is to intervene through mechanisms such as oil bonds. Under this, the government can smartly push the onus of paying the subsidy costs to future governments. That’s exactly what was done in the past. While this is smart politics, it is irresponsible economics. A recent statement by the finance minister suggests that the oil bond policies of the previous governments ended up adding an interest burden of more than Rs. 1 lakh crore on the incumbent government, a prohibitive cost which is ultimately being paid by taxpayers only, albeit years later.

While one can’t do much about international oil prices, what is important to note is that the central and state governments more or less equally contribute to the fuel price buildup; each contributing approximately 30 percent. Still, curiously enough, states are never questioned over fuel prices. It is in fact the state-level taxes that explain the wide variations in petrol and diesel prices across the country. For instance, the current petrol prices in Lucknow are lower by almost Rs 10/litre than that in Mumbai. That’s because Maharashtra charges much higher fuel taxes than Uttar Pradesh.

Moreover, while Central excise duties are fixed, VAT portion of state taxes are ad-valorem. What this means is that state taxes automatically go up as fuel prices increase and so does the share of states in fuel price buildup. For instance, because of various reasons including the ad-valorem nature of state duties, tax incidence on petrol and diesel in states like West Bengal increased by Rs. 5.92 / litre and Rs. 3.86 / litre respectively in the last year itself as compared to the increase in prices in states like Assam, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand etc. that levy much lesser ad-valorem fuel taxes.

Like the Centre, states also need financial resources to fund their development programs and fuel taxes are an important source for them as well. Hence, instead of using fuel prices as political rhetoric, it is time to develop a more informed policy discourse on this issue and appreciate the fiscal limitations that both states and Centre face while reducing these duties. The only long-term solution is to reduce our crude oil consumption. The ongoing impetus to push adoption of e-vehicles, increase ethanol blending in fuel and promote alternate fuels such as Green H2 etc. should be seen in this strategic context.

Amita Malviya is National Head of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Information and Technology cell and also the Co-incharge of Bengal. Kishore Desai is a public policy professional. All views are personal.

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Banks to be closed for 17 days in November 2021; check complete list here

Banks will remain closed for a total of 17 days this month, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) holiday calendar list.

In the list, the RBI has mentioned the dates when the banking operations will remain shut, while online banking services and activities will continue to function. Meanwhile, banking customers should note that the bank holidays will differ in various states and will not be observed by all the banking companies. Furthermore, banking holidays also depend on the festivals that are being observed in specific states.

For the unversed, RBI decides its holidays under three acts including Holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act and Real Time Gross Settlement Holiday, Holiday under Negotiable Instruments Act and Banks’ Closing of Accounts. Below is the complete list of bank holidays for the month of November 2021:

• 1 November- Banks to remain closed in Bengaluru and Imphal on account of Kannada Rajyostsava/Kut.
• 3 November- Banks to remain closed in Bengaluru only due to Naraka Chaturdashi.
• 4 November- Banks will remain closed in all the cities except Bengaluru due to Deepavali/Kali Puja/ Diwali Amavasaya (Laxmi Pujan).
• 5 November- Banks will remain closed in Bengaluru, Dehradun, Ahmedabad, Belapur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Mumbai, Gangtok, Jaipur and Nagpur on the occasion of Vikram Samvant New Year Day/Govardhan Puja/ Diwali (Bali Pratipada).
• 6 November- Lenders to remain shut in Kanpur, Lucknow, Gangtok, Imphal and Shimla due to Laxmi Puja/Deepavali/Ningol Chakkouba/ Bhai Duj/Chitragupt Jayanti.
• 7 November- Bank will remain shut on account of the day being a Sunday.
• 10 November- Banks will remain closed in Patna and Ranchi on account of Chhath Puja/ Surya Pashti Dala Chhath (Sayan ardhya).
• 11 November- Banks will remain closed in Patna on the occasion of Chhath Puja.
• 12 November- Lenders will remain closed in Shillong due to the Wangala festival.
  13 November- Banks will be closed as it is the second Saturday of the month.
  14 November- Banks will remain shut as it is a Sunday.
• 19 November- Banks will remain shut in Dehradun, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Aizawl, Belapur, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Jammu, Kanpur, Kolkata, New Delhi, Raipur, Ranchi, Shimla and Srinagar on the occasion of Karthika Purnima/ Guru Nanak Jayanti.
• 21 November- Lenders will remain closed as it is a Sunday.
• 22 November- Banks will remain shut in Bengaluru due to Kanakadasa Jayanthi.
• 23 November: Banks to remain closed in Shillong for Seng Kutsnem.
• 27 November- Lenders will remain closed as it is the fourth Saturday of the month.
• 28 November: Banks will remain closed as it is a Sunday.

If you’re planning to visit your bank branch in the month of November for any important work, then make sure you know the list of important days during which banks will remain closed.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi in UK for COP26 summit; here's what to expect

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Glasgow on Sunday to participate in the crucial 26th session of the Conference of Parties (COP-26) on climate change.

PM @narendramodi landed in Glasgow to take part in the @COP26 Summit. pic.twitter.com/tDQbTSaU0U

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 31, 2021

The prime minister will be in the city for two-day visit to participate in COP-26, where he will meet UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and discuss bilateral ties. This will be the first in-person meeting between Modi and Johnson after the UK prime minister cancelled his visit to India twice earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The prime minister was received to the tune of Scottish bagpipes as he arrived at his hotel in Glasgow, where he was greeted by a large group of Indian diaspora representatives with chants of Bharat Mata Ki Jai. People also sang ‘Modi hai Bharat ka gehna’.

#WATCH | Glasgow, UK | Indian community sings 'Modi Hai Bharat Ka Gehna' during interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his arrival at the hotel. pic.twitter.com/Hq2y7bSWEd

— ANI (@ANI) October 31, 2021

The agenda

The prime minister, who flew to Glasgow from the G20 Summit in Italy, is scheduled to begin the UK leg of his European tour with a meeting with community leaders and Indologists based in Scotland on Monday morning.

He will then proceed for the opening ceremony of the World Leaders' Summit (WLS) at the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow, where he is set to address the summit plenary session. This will be followed by a meet between Modi and Johnson.

It will be followed by a leader-level COP26 event entitled Action and Solidarity: The Critical Decade, with Modi set to deliver India's national statement on the country's climate action to the delegates soon after.

India is among the top countries in the world in terms of installed renewable energy, wind and solar energy capacity. "At the WLS, I will share India's excellent track record on climate action and our achievements", Modi said in a statement ahead of the summit.

"I will also highlight the need to comprehensively address climate change issues including equitable distribution of carbon space, support for mitigation and adaptation and resilience building measures, mobilisation of finance, technology transfer and importance of sustainable lifestyles for green and inclusive growth", he said.

"This will be a very important initiative under the solar alliance. And it is important how we would like the international community to view this," High Commissioner of India to UK Gaitri Issar Kumar told ANI on Sunday.

The idea of "One Sun, One World, One Grid" (henceforth OSOWOG) made its first appearance on a global platform when the idea was floated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the first assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Invest India informed.

The initiative is aimed at constructing a trans-national electricity grid that would supply electricity across the globe in a phased manner. The plan of OSOWOG is a step towards achieving a more sustainable source of electricity generation that uses solar power as a source of continuous renewable energy, taking forward the global goal of sustainable development, it said.

Modi will launch two important initiatives under the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and International Solar Alliance (ISA) at the COP-26, Kumar said.

India's focus at the COP26 Summit will be on the country's ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goals for the post-2020 period under the Paris Agreement. These include a reduction in emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level, as well as achieving 40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030.

Predictable and consistent financing of green technology for developing countries will be another key area of focus for India.

At the end of day one of the World Leaders' Summit on Monday, Modi will join more than 120 heads of government and heads of state at a special VVIP reception at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum one of Scotland's most popular visitor attractions.

The reception will also involve members of the royal family, including Prince Charles and wife Camilla and Prince William and wife Kate Middleton. Queen Elizabeth II was due to attend this special reception but pulled out last week after medical advice against travel.

Day 2

On Tuesday, the final day of Modi's UK visit, the prime minister is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings with leaders of Switzerland, Finland, Israel, Nepal, Malawi, Ukraine, Japan and Argentina, as well as a meeting with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

The launch of the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States initiative and a leader-level event entitled Accelerating Clean Technology Innovation and Deployment are also scheduled for Tuesday before the prime minister flies back to New Delhi in the evening.

The India-led International Solar Alliance (ISA) will launch a new Green Grids Initiative in partnership with the UK, with an ambition to connect different parts of the world with a common solar grid.

Modi-Johnson meeting

Modi's bilateral meeting with Boris Johnson is expected to take place soon after Monday's opening ceremony, which will include cultural performances and a speech by the UK Prime Minister. Johnson has said the summit will be the "world's moment of truth" and has urged world leaders to make the most of it. "The question everyone is asking is whether we seize this moment or let it slip away," he said, ahead of the two-week conference.

His talks with Modi are expected to focus on the UK-India climate partnership as well as a stock-take of the 2030 Roadmap for stronger UK-India Strategic Partnership signed by the two leaders during a virtual summit in May this year. Both governments remain committed to the implementation of the Roadmap, within prescribed timelines.

"Accordingly, we are looking to launch negotiations in November 2021 for an Interim Agreement to be signed in March 2022 and eventually a comprehensive agreement, if all goes according to schedule, by November 2022", India's High Commissioner to the UK said.

COP-26 is being held from 31 October to 12 November under the presidency of the UK partnering with Italy in Glasgow. Meanwhile, COP26 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) kicked off on Sunday in Scotland's Glasgow.

With input from agencies

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At COP-26, PM Modi will launch key initiatives under CDRI, ISA, says Indian envoy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch two important initiatives under the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and International Solar Alliance (ISA) at the upcoming 26th session of the Conference of Parties (COP-26) in Glasgow, India’s High Commissioner to the UK Gaitri Issar Kumar has said.

“These initiatives will make the presence of a very high-level delegation from India led by our prime minister, very very important,” Kumar said on Sunday.

The envoy emphasised that at COP-26 Prime Minister Modi will share India’s commitment to the world and his presence will contribute to the success of COP-26.

“The focus will be on economic revival and how to do this in a sustainable way. For this, climate action is very relevant,” Kumar said.

PM Modi – who is in Rome – will be visiting Glasgow for the COP-26. He is slated to meet UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson there.

Modi's bilateral meeting with Boris Johnson is expected to take place soon after Monday's opening ceremony, which will include cultural performances and a speech by the UK Prime Minister. Johnson has said the summit will be the "world's moment of truth" and has urged world leaders to make the most of it.
"The question everyone is asking is whether we seize this moment or let it slip away," he said, ahead of the two-week conference.

COP-26 is being held from October 31 to November 12 under the Presidency of the UK partnering with Italy in Glasgow.

A high-level segment of COP-26, titled the World Leaders’ Summit (WLS), will be held on November 1-2. The Summit will be attended by Heads of State/Government of more than 120 countries.

With inputs from agencies 

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Diwali 2021: History, significance, and everything you need to know about the festival of lights

Diwali is one of India’s most popular festivals which is celebrated with much grandeur and enthusiasm. The five-day-long festival of lights will begin with Dhanteras and end with Bhai Dooj. Diwali is celebrated on the 15th day of the waning moon (Krishna Paksha) in the Hindu lunar month of Kartik. This year, the festival will be celebrated in India on 4 November.

The Amavasya Tithi for this year’s Diwali will begin at 6.03 am on 4 November and end at 02.44 am on 5 November.

On the first day of the festival, celebrated as Dhanteras, people buy valuable ornaments as it is considered auspicious. On the second day, known as Choti Diwali, people wake up early, bathe with natural oils and pray. On the third day, Diwali is celebrated with Lakshmi Puja and by exchanging sweets with family members. The day after Diwali is dedicated to worshipping Lord Krishna and the festival culminates the next day with Bhai Dooj, celebrated by siblings.

Diwali symbolizes the victory of good over evil and of light over darkness. On this day, people light up their houses with diyas and various colourful lights.

History and significance:

According to Hindu mythology, Diwali is observed on the day when Lord Rama completed his exile of fourteen years and returned to Ayodhya. This day holds utmost importance in the Hindu tradition because Lord Rama returned with his wife Sita and Hanuman after defeating Ravana. Hence, the festival symbolizes the victory of good over evil.

Lord Rama had put an end to Ravan’s rule in Lanka on the day of Vijaya Dashami, also known as Dussehra. After the defeat, Lord Rama returned to his kingdom in a period of 20 days. The people of Ayodhya celebrated the return of their ruler by lighting up the way to his home with diyas. The entire city was illuminated with lights in order to welcome the ruler and his wife.

Another popular belief around Diwali is also that Goddess Lakshmi, during Samudra Manthan (the churning of the sea) in Satyuga, emerged from the cosmic ocean. It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi came out with a pot of gold during the churning of the ocean. Hence, she is worshipped as the deity of wealth and prosperity during Diwali and Dhanteras.

Diwali is also related to the Dhanvantari, the Lord of Medicines who gave the wisdom of Ayurveda. This day is celebrated as his birth anniversary for imparting the wisdom of medicine to people.

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Dhanteras 2021: Messages and wishes to share on this auspicious day with your loved ones

Diwali is round the corner and everyone is excited to celebrate the festival of lights. The festival begins with Dhanteras which will be marked on 2 November this year. Dhanteras comes from the Sanskrit language where the word ‘dhan’ means wealth and ‘teras’ refers to the 13th-day of the Hindu lunar calendar.

Dhanteras, also known as Dhantrayodashi, is celebrated on the thirteenth lunar day of the dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha) in the Hindu month of Kartik. Dhanteras marks the beginning of the 5-day long festival, Diwali. The deity of wealth, Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped on this day. Devotees also pray to Lord Kuber on this day. Legend has it that on this day, Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Kuber came out with a pot of gold from an ocean of milk which was churning itself.

Dhanteras is considered as an auspicious day to buy valuable products such as gold, silver, gemstones, ornaments, and metal household products made of brass, silver, and copper. People purchase jewellary and valuable items on this day in order to bring good luck, ward-off negative energy, and prosperity.

To celebrate this auspicious occasion with your loved ones, here are some heart-warming wishes and messages that you can share with them:

• Sun glows for a day, candle for an hour, matchstick for a minute, but a wish can glow for days. So here is my wish for a glowing Dhanteras, a glowing life!
• May Goddess Lakshmi bless you and your family with thirteen times Dhan. Happy Dhanteras!
• Warm wishes to you are your family on the auspicious occasion of Dhanteras. May Lord Kuber and Goddess Lakshmi shower you with wealth and prosperity.
• May God’s blessing come as a messenger of wealth and success. May you be blessed beyond what you expect! Shubh Dhanteras to you and your family!
• On this auspicious festival of Dhanteras, may your life Shimmer with Silver; Shine with Gold and Dazzle like Platinum!
• May Almighty bless you with opulence and prosperity. May you have a blessed Dhanteras with your family and friends.
• May this Dhanteras light up new dreams, fresh hopes, undiscovered avenues, different perspectives. Happy Dhanteras to you and your family!
• Adorn our lives else trite - With sparklers that motley skies - As soaring spirits of powder wander - Let us thank the heavenly might in this festive season of lights.

Dhanteras is the birth anniversary of God of Ayurveda. On this day, a lamp for God of death is lit outside the home so that any untimely death of family members can be avoided. We wish you a Happy and Prosperous Dhanteras.

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PM Modi, Angela Merkel hold 'extensive deliberations' on bilateral ties at sidelines of G20 Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met German chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of the G20 Summit and the two leaders held extensive deliberations on the strong bilateral relations and reaffirmed commitment to maintain the close strategic partnership.

Modi, who is here at the invitation of his Italian counterpart Mario Draghi to attend the G20 summit, was accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and other officials during his meeting with Merkel.

"PM @narendramodi and Chancellor Merkel met on the sidelines of the Rome @g20org Summit. There were extensive deliberations on India-Germany relations. The strong friendship between the two nations augurs well for the well-being of our planet," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a tweet.

"Reaffirmed our commitment to maintain the close Strategic Partnership with Germany," it said in another tweet.

On the sidelines of the G20 summit, Prime Minister Modi interacted with several world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and South Korean President Moon Jae-in among others.

Italy has been holding the presidency of the G20 since December last year.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi closed the G20 summit on Sunday saying Italy was proud of the results on climate change, but “we must remember that it’s only the start”. Draghi, who confirmed world leaders at the summit had committed to the key goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, told critical climate activists that the outcome was not just “bla bla bla”.

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Petrol, diesel prices today: Rates hiked again on 01 November, at fresh all-time highs; check rates here

Petrol and diesel prices went up to yet another record level across the country on Monday. In Delhi, petrol costs Rs 109.69 a litre, up by 35 paise while the rate of diesel was Rs 98.42 per litre, also costlier by 35 paise.

In Mumbai, petrol can be bought at Rs 115.50 per litre, higher by 35 paise and diesel costs Rs 106.62 for one litre, which is costlier by 39 paise.

In Chennai, a litre of petrol is priced at Rs 106.35, which is expensive by 31 paise. On Monday, the price of a litre of diesel was Rs 102.59 per litre, up by 34 paise.

Petrol in Kolkata costs Rs 110.15 per litre which is higher by 36 paise while diesel costs Rs 101.56 a litre, expensive by 37 paise.

While petrol can be bought at Rs 118.46 in Bhopal which is costlier by 39 paise and diesel costs Rs 107.90 per litre, up 40 paise.

Petrol and diesel prices are revised by the oil marketing companies including Bharat Petroleum, Indian Oil and Hindustan Petroleum. The new prices are implemented at 6 am every day. States and cities have different fuel prices because of the value-added taxes, local and freight charges which vary depending on the place.

Following are the prices of diesel and petrol in a few metros and Tier-II cities in the country:

1. Mumbai

Petrol - Rs 115.50 per litre
Diesel - Rs 106.62 per litre

2. Delhi

Petrol - Rs 109.69 per litre
Diesel - Rs 98.42 per litre

3. Chennai

Petrol - Rs 106.35 per litre
Diesel - Rs 102.59 per litre

4. Kolkata

Petrol - Rs 110.15 per litre
Diesel - Rs 101.56 per litre

5. Bhopal

Petrol - Rs 118.46 per litre
Diesel - Rs 107.90 per litre

6. Hyderabad

Petrol - Rs 114.12 per litre
Diesel - Rs 107.40 per litre

7. Bangaluru

Petrol - Rs 113.56 per litre
Diesel - Rs 104.50 per litre

8. Guwahati

Petrol - Rs 105.74 per litre
Diesel - Rs 98.36 per litre

9. Lucknow

Petrol - Rs 106.61 per litre
Diesel - Rs 98.91 per litre

10. Gandhinagar

Petrol - Rs 106.53 per litre
Diesel - Rs 106.33 per litre

11. Thiruvananthapuram

Petrol - Rs 112.07 per litre
Diesel - Rs 105.85 per litre

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G20 leaders will strengthen WHO to expedite emergency use authorisation for COVID vaccines, says Piyush Goyal

The G20 leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have agreed that the WHO would be strengthened to fast-track the process for emergency use authorisation for COVID-19 vaccines, India's G20 Sherpa Piyush Goyal said on Sunday.

Briefing the media, Goyal said the Leaders adopted the 'Rome Declaration' at the G20 Summit and the communiqué gives a very strong message under the health section with the countries agreeing that the COVID-19 immunization is a global public good.

It was decided that the recognition of COVID vaccines which are deemed to be safe and efficacious by the World Health Organisation (WHO) will be mutually accepted subject to national and privacy laws that the countries may have, Goyal said.

"The theme of the G20 summit was people planet and prosperity. Truly, within this overarching theme, this G20 has delivered a strong message of recovery from the pandemic, recovery in terms of the economy and across different sectors like health employment education tourism and most significant climate action," Goyal said as per ANI.

"But more importantly it has been agreed that everybody will help to optimize the processes and procedures of the WHO for vaccine approval and emergency use authorisation, and the WHO will be strengthened so that it can do the recognition of vaccines faster," he said.

Prime Minister Modi had told G20 leaders on Saturday that India is ready to produce over 5 billion COVID vaccine doses by the end of next year to help the world in the fight against the pandemic.

He had asserted that it was necessary that the WHO approves Indian vaccines at the earliest.

...the recognition of COVID vaccines which are deemed to be safe and efficacious by WHO will be mutually accepted, subjected to national laws that countries may have: India’s Sherpa to G20 Summit & Union Minister Piyush Goyal in Rome pic.twitter.com/hki5Vds3Hv

— ANI (@ANI) October 31, 2021

A technical advisory group of the UN health agency will meet on November 3 to conduct a final "risk-benefit assessment" for Emergency Use Listing of Covaxin. Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and AstraZeneca and Oxford University's Covishield are the two widely used vaccines in India.

Goyal said Prime Minister Modi's mantra of sustainable lifestyles was reflected in the G20 declaration on sustainable consumption and responsible production patterns.

According to NDTV, Goyal said India has asked developed nations that have "enjoyed the fruits of energy" to reach net zero faster so that emerging economies use some "carbon space" to drive growth. 'Net zero emissions' refers to achieving an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere.

"Developed nations have enjoyed the fruits of energy and they will need to go for net zero faster, so that developing nations have some carbon space. For now there is no adequate technology to absorb large amount of clean energy into grids. There is a need to look at more technology and innovation before we can identify the year (for achieving net zero)," Goyal said.

Livelihoods of small, marginal farmers were among focus areas of India's discussions at the G20 Summit in Rome, Goyal said.

Negotiators for the Group of 20 worked through the night and talks continued Sunday morning in hopes of reaching consensus for a final statement. The Group of 20 leaders also agreed to end public financing for coal-fired power generation abroad, but set no target for phasing out coal domestically -- a clear nod to top carbon polluters China and India. On agriculture, the leaders have agreed that livelihoods for small and marginal farmers were the focus of our discussions, the minister said.

"Everybody has agreed that improving their livelihoods is an important global effort that we'll have to put in," he said. Goyal said that energy and climate was clearly the centre stage of discussion during G20 Summit.

"Energy and climate was clearly the centre stage of our discussion. India and many other developing countries pushed for safeguarding the interest of the developing world. We are also joined by developed countries to increase the ambition from current levels of commitment," he said.

The G20 is a leading global forum that brings together the world's major economies. Its members account for more than 80 percent of the global GDP, 75 percent of global trade and 60 percent of the population of the planet.

In August a bombshell "code red" report from the world's top climate science body warned that Earth's average temperature will hit the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold around 2030, a decade earlier than projected only three years ago.

With inputs from agencies

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Cooperative sector can turn India into $5 trillion economy, make agriculture 'atmanirbhar': Amit Shah

Anand: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the cooperative sector has a potential to turn India into a $5 trillion economy and will also prove crucial in making the agriculture sector self-reliant. He also stressed the need to implement the cooperative model, which is behind the success of milk giant Amul, to uplift agriculture and its allied sectors.

"As we can see today, Lal Bahadur Shastri's dream of white revolution is getting realised. But time has come to see beyond this (milk processing). We need to implement this cooperative model to uplift sectors like agriculture and animal husbandry," Shah said. "The cooperative model will prove crucial in making agriculture 'atmanirbhar' (self-reliant)," he said.

Shah was speaking at an event organised to mark the completion of 75 years of Amul, which was started in 1946 as a cooperative movement in Anand with the guidance of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and cooperative leader Tribhuvandas Patel, the founder of Kheda District Co-operative Milk Producers' Union, popularly knowns as Amul Dairy.

At present, Amul Dairy, along with 17 other district cooperative unions are part of the umbrella body the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, which sells its dairy products under the brand name 'Amul'. There are around 36 lakh farmer families in Gujarat who are associated with Amul.

"Do not limit yourself to 36 lakh. Today, many farmers have turned to organic farming, but they do not have any platform to sell those organic farm produce in India and the world. Can cooperative organisations like Amul help them in doing it? Time has come to think on those lines. This will also increase the farmers' income," Shah said.

"Timely research was not carried out in seeds. Can the cooperative sector take it up? The sector should also take up the task of developing new vegetable varieties. This will ensure that profits reach the farmers, not the private companies. It will also contribute to doubling the farmers' income," he added.

Expressing confidence that the cooperative movement will play an important role in making India a USD 5 trillion economy, Shah said, "Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi firmly believes that the cooperative sector will be crucial in making India 'atmanirbhar'."

Shah also appreciated Amul's role in empowering women.

He told the audience that Amul's turnover has reached Rs 53,000 crore in 2020-21.

"Amul started its journey with the collection of 200 litres of milk in 1946. Today, 3 crore litres of milk is processed daily with the help of around 18,000 cooperative societies across Gujarat. Eighteen district-level dairies and 87 milk processing plants are associated with Amul," Shah added.

He also said that the Ministry of Cooperation, which was created in July this year with the motto of "Sahkar Se Samriddhi", was in the process of preparing a charter of the ministry.

Remembering the cooperative movement started by Sardar Patel and Tribhuvandas Patel, which led to the creation of Amul, Shah, without giving any specific context, said, "The purpose of a movement is to find a solution to a problem, not to aggravate it."

On the occasion, Shah launched a scheme "Dairy Sahakar", with an outlay of Rs 5,000 crore, wherein the dairy sector would get loans through National Cooperative Development Corporation.

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of Amul, Shah released a postal stamp, launched the Amul brand of organic fertilisers and awarded progressive farmers.
The minister also inaugurated an Ethnoveterinary Supplement Plant and cheese storage facility in Gujarat.

Following his address, Shah visited the Amul Dairy premises and then held a meeting with senior officials of the GCMMF, the state government and the leaders of the cooperative sector leaders there.

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