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Centre reviewed&nbsp;COVID-19 situation in 10 states showing a surge in COVID Cases and positivity.&nbsp;In districts with more than 10% positivity, strict restrictions advised to prevent crowds and intermingling of people. Testing to be ramped up along with vaccination saturation in targeted districts for vulnerable groups. 2nd vaccine dose coverage to be given on priority.&nbsp; 
It was also decided that effective and regular monitoring of home Isolated persons need to be done to prevent spread of infection, while encourage private hospitals to set up oxygen PSA Plants.&nbsp; In districts with more than 10% positivity, strict restrictions advised to prevent crowds and intermingling of people 
&nbsp;

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Union Health Secretary chaired a high-level meeting today to review the COVID-19 situation in 10 states of Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Manipur. The public health measures taken for surveillance, containment and management of COVID19 by the health authorities in these states were also reviewed.&nbsp; 
 
These States are either reporting a rise in new daily COVID cases or a rise in positivity.&nbsp;Dr Balram Bhargava, DG ICMR and Secretary (DHR) was also present. Principal Secretary (Health), Mission Director (NHM), State Surveillance Officer of all these states participated in the review meeting. 
 
Health Secretary underlined the critical COVID control and management strategies as below:

1. All districts reporting positivity rate more than 10% in the last few weeks need to consider strict restrictions to prevent/curtail movement of people, formation of crowds and intermingling of people to prevent spread of infection. It was forcefully underlined that any laxity at this stage will result in deterioration of the situation in these districts.

2. More than 80% active cases in these states are reported to be in home isolation. There is need to effectively and strictly monitor these cases so that they are not intermingling and circulating in their neighborhoods, community, village, mohalla, ward etc., and spreading the infection.

3. The people in home isolation should be effectively monitored in such a manner to ensure that those who require hospitalization are seamlessly transferred for timely clinical treatment. Detailed SOPs covering various facets of effective clinical management of COVID19 patients in hospitals have been earlier shared with the States for prompt shifting and effective hospital management.

4. States also to focus on those districts where the positivity rate is less than 10%, so as to protect these districts and the populations by focusing on saturation of vaccination in these districts. Union Health Ministry provides advance visibility on a fortnightly basis to enable the states to plan their vaccination schedules in an effective manner. States were again informed that this quantum of vaccine doses indicates the minimum possible allocation by the Centre to the States; quantum &nbsp;more than this is usually delivered by the Union Health Ministry to States based on their consumption.

5. In the last two months, the Union Government has been supporting States by providing oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders and PSA plants. In addition to this, States are using their own resources to put up PSA plants in government hospitals. States were advised to direct private hospitals to put up hospital-based PSA plants. States have been advised earlier regarding this in the past two months. Provisions under the Clinical Establishment Act enable States to issue such direction to the private hospitals. For states which have already issued such directions, they were advised to review the status and facilitate the private hospitals further.

DG, ICMR warned against any complacency with around 40,000 cases being reported daily since the preceding weeks. Highlighting the fact that 46 districts are showing more than 10% positivity while another 53 districts are showing a positivity between 5%-10%, he urged the States to ramp up their testing.&nbsp;

States have been advised to conduct their own state level sero-surveys for district-wise disease prevalence data, as the national level sero-prevalence survey was heterogeneous in nature, in collaboration with ICMR to ensure the same sturdy protocols of survey. He advised the States to ramp up vaccination in the 60+ and 45-60 age categories as evidence shows near 80% of the mortality is from these vulnerable age-groups. Regarding enforcement measures, he advised the State authorities for avoiding all non-essential travel and to discourage all large gatherings of crowds.

Through a detailed presentation, a granular analysis of the highly affected districts (Districts of Concern) in these states, COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage, Status of Ventilators, PSA Plants, Oxygen Cylinders and Concentrators along with some key statistics was presented. 
States were asked to use the INSACOG laboratory network for genomic surveillance to screen International Travelers (for the entry of new variants/mutants in India from other countries), monitor ongoing surveillance through Sentinel Sites (RT-PCR labs or secondary &amp; tertiary care hospitals managing COVID cases) and surge surveillance.

States were advised to: 
• Undertake intensive containment and active surveillance in clusters reporting higher cases. 
• Define containment zones, based on mapping of cases and contacts traced. 
• Undertake regular reviews and follow-up for implementation of ECRP-II with a focus on augmentation of existing health infrastructure particularly in rural areas and paediatric cases. 
• Report death count as per ICMR guidelines. 
 
&nbsp;

Testing to be ramped up along with vaccination saturation in targeted districts for vulnerable groups.&nbsp;


Centre advises for strict restrictions in 10 states showing spike in COVID 19 cases

To boost up the morale of Railway Sportspersons, Ministry of Railways has announced a basket of incentives for the Railway athletes viz. their promotions, increments &amp; special cash awards over and above existing policy as per following details:

For medal winning Athletes:

1. Gold Medal: Rs 3 Crore

2. Silver Medal: Rs 2 Crore

&nbsp;

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3. Bronze Medal: Rs 1 Crore

4. Up to 8th Participants: Rs 35 Lakh

5. Participants: Rs 7.5 Lakh

6. Coach of Gold medalist athlete: Rs 25 Lakh

7. Coach of Silver medalist athlete: Rs 20 Lakh

8. Coach of Bronze Medalist athlete: Rs 15 Lakh

9. Other coaches of Participant athletes: Rs 7.5 Lakh.

This liberalized promotion policy will act as an incentive to the country’s elite sportspersons/coaches and reaffirms Railways commitment to the promotion of sports in the country.

Indian Railways is one of the biggest contributing organisation in the Tokyo Olympic Games with approx 20% of the total athletes, 25 athletes and 5 Coaches and 1 Physio from Railway Sports Promotion Board are representing Indian contingent in Tokyo Olympic Games being held from 23rd July to 8th August, 2021. In fact, almost the entire Indian women hockey team comprises of Railway players.

Ministry of Railways has announced a basket of incentives for the Railway athletes viz. their promotions, increments and special cash awards over and above existing policy.


From Rs 3 crores to big promotions - Railway Ministry announces big incentives, promotions for RAILWAY athletes participating in Tokyo Olympics

Delhi Metro Corporation has clarified&nbsp;that from Monday 26 July, Delhi Metro will operate with 100 per cent seating capacity only and&nbsp;no standing travel will be allowed. Only 50 passengers per Metro coach will be allowed to travel.&nbsp;DMRC will continue to regulate passengers entry to the metro stations, it has said. Earlier only 25 persons (50 per cent seating capacity) was allowed to travel, where no standing travel was allowed. 
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has allowed Delhi Metro and DTC buses to operate at 100 per cent capacity from July 26 (Monday), officials said. Till now, operations were allowed with 50 per cent capacity in view of the Covid pandemic. However, with the fall in the number of cases, the restrictions have been eased. 
 
Officials said on Saturday that even as Delhi Metro has been allowed to run at 100 per cent capacity, no standing passenger will be allowed.

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Besides, it has also been decided to open cinemas, theatres and multiplexes in the national capital with 50 per cent capacity. 
 
Also, instead of 20, 100 people will be able to attend the funeral. Similarly, 100 people will be able to attend the wedding ceremonies instead of 50. 
 
Permission was also given to open spas in Delhi but some rules have been fixed. Now, only those employees will be able to work in the spas who have received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. 
 
Also, people who would visit the spa would be given a form through which information regarding their infection and history of Covid (if any) would be collected. 
 
The Delhi government, however, has not yet considered opening schools and colleges.

With inputs from IANS

In a big move the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has allowed Delhi Metro and DTC buses to operate at 100 per cent capacity from July 26 (Monday). In&nbsp;the wake of Covid-19 restrictions,&nbsp;operations were allowed with 50 per cent capacity. The&nbsp;restrictions have been eased&nbsp;amid the fall in the number of cases in the national capital&nbsp;


Covid-19: Delhi Metro, DTC buses  Alert - to operate at 100% capacity from MONDAY; No standing allowed in Metro; cinemas, theatres, multiplexes to open with 50% capacity

Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Ltd. (IRSDC) has invited Requests for Qualification (RFQ) to redevelop Udaipur City Railway Station.

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The station will be redeveloped on a Design-Build Finance Operate Transfer (DBFOT) model using principles of Transit Oriented Development (TOD).&nbsp;

The objective of redevelopment is to offer state-of-the-art amenities to passengers and improve their travel experience

Total mandatory cost for the redevelopment of Udaipur Railway Station is Rs. 132 crores, timeframe three- years for completion after award of work.

The concession period shall be 60 years and the concessionaire shall have the obligation to redevelop and maintain the station for 60 years along with the right to collect revenue from station users and commercial development.&nbsp;

The total area for mandatory development is 49, 8115 sq.m and the built-up area for station estate development is up to 1,0,1374 sqm.&nbsp;

The pre-bid meeting will be held on 6th August 2021, and the deadline for bid submission is 31st August 2021*.&nbsp; 
 
"Udaipur City is a tourist destination of global repute. The redevelopment of the railway station will position the station as a fitting gateway to the city of Udaipur and have a multiplier effect on the local economy in terms of the generation of employment opportunities and subsequent commercial development," said S.K. Lohia, MD &amp; CEO, IRSDC.&nbsp; 
 
Redevelopment envisages a new east-side entry station building, with plans for new East-West Road connectivity through Railway Under-Bridges, connectivity with ISBT through commercial land via a network of pedestrian walkways, segregation of entry/exit in the station and easy signage for all types of passengers.

Udaipur City Railway Station redevelopment salient features

• Architectural style of Udaipur and the heritage of Rajasthan reflects in Proposed Railway Station Buildings.

• An airport-like concourse for departing passengers and world-class facilities.

• Provide better passenger amenities, convenience and experience

• Station building to have segregated movement for arriving and departing passengers at different levels.

• Provide superior road connectivity between city and Railway station, including the bus station

• Multi-modal access, drop-off and parking

• Sheltered drop-off zone and meet &amp; greet zone

• Covered parking linked to the station building

• Station building to be independent and phased for quick completion and commissioning.

• 100 % Divyang accessible with lifts/ramps at all locations.

The total area for mandatory development is 49, 8115 sq.m and the built-up area for station estate development is up to 1,0,1374 sqm.&nbsp;


Udaipur Railway Station Revamp: Rs 132 cr PROJECT! IRSDC invites Requests for Qualification (RFQ) 

Indian Railways has opened bids (RFPs) for Private Train Project from today, July 23, 2021.&nbsp; This is part of the Indian government's plan to privatise certain section of the railways.&nbsp;

The railways has received bids for three Clusters - Mumbai 2, Delhi 1, and Delhi 2.

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The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Megha Engineering &amp; Infrastructures (MEIL) are bidding for the Railways private player project.&nbsp;

These three clusters would entail around 30 pairs of train services and an investment of around Rs 7,200 crore.&nbsp;

According to sources, about 30 pairs of private train services (60 trains) will be started in three clusters.

Tejas, the first private train in the country, was started in 2019. The first Tejas Express was started on the New Delhi-Lucknow route. Tejas is operated by the subsidiary of the Railways, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). &nbsp;

Indian Railways had extended the last date for submission of financial bids in the Rs 30,000-crore private train operation project from 30 March 2021 to 30 June 2021. This was after it witnessed the demand of the private players.&nbsp;

This extension by the railways was for the second time, as earlier it extended the submission date from January 31 to March 30 in the first-of-its-kind rail project in the country.

The railways has received bids for three Clusters - Mumbai 2, Delhi 1, and Delhi 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;


Rs 7200 crore project! Railways opens bid for private players; IRCTC, MEIL participate in the bidding process 

Indian Port Rail and Ropeway Corporation Ltd (IPRCL) has prepared a Detailed Project Report or DPR for the pod taxi service between Noida Airport at Jewar and Film City. This is a 14 km stretch. Zee Business’ Sameer Dixit Reports.

IPRCL&nbsp;has prepared a Detailed Project Report or DPR for the pod taxi service between Noida Airport at Jewar and Film City, Dixit says. This is a 14 km stretch, he adds.

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There are plans to run a driverless taxi between the two destination.

Indian Port Rail and Ropeway Corporation Ltd (IPRCL) has prepared a final draft for the DPR for the 14 km taxi pod line and has submitted it to the Yamuna Authority. This will be India’s first pod taxi service. &nbsp;

Now Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) board will discuss about the final DPR and if everything goes well, the DPR will be approved. The final approval has to come from the Uttar Pradesh Government. &nbsp;

The pod taxi is expected to ply between the Jewar Airport and Noida Film city covering YEIDA sectors 21, 28, 29, 32 and 33.

BIG! India’s first pod taxi to operate between Jewar Airport and Noida Film City; Get full details here

Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) has invited bids for the leasing a vacant land parcel for residential-cum-commercial development at Ambari chowk in Guwahati, Assam. The site spans 9,488.22 sq. m. and is situated in the heart of Guwahati, at a prominent corner location of Ambari Chowk, which is just about 1.30 km from Guwahati Railway Station. The land parcel falls in Lumding division of the North East Frontier Railway.

The site falls under the Lumding division of the North East Frontier Railway and will be leased for 99 years.&nbsp;

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It has a potential for Built-Up Area (BUA) of 26,092.61 sqm. with FAR of 2.75 and has a reserve price of INR 69.90 crores for a lease term of 99 years.&nbsp;

Online Pre-bid meeting was conducted by RLDA on 25.06.2021 and 13 Local and National Developers participated in the Pre-bid meeting.

The deadline for submission of e-bids is 6th August 2021.

The lessee will be granted the lease rights and right to access the redevelopment land for designing, financing, constructing and vesting of the redevelopment assets. He/she will be entrusted to secure necessary approvals from the local authorities for the construction and will be facilitated to complete the construction of the developer portion as per local building bye-laws within four years.

Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) is a statutory authority under the Ministry of Railways for the development of Railway land. It has four key mandates as a part of its development plan, namely leasing of commercial sites, colony redevelopment, station redevelopment and multi-functional complexes.

Indian Railways has approximately 43,000 hectares of vacant land across India. RLDA is currently handling 84 railway colony redevelopment projects and has recently leased out a railway colony in Guwahati for redevelopment.

Vacant land parcel&nbsp;at Ambari chowk in Guwahati, Assam has a potential for Built-Up Area (BUA) of 26,092.61 sqm. with FAR of 2.75 and has a reserve price of INR 69.90 crores for a lease term of 99 years


RLDA invites e-bids for leasing over 9488 sq. m. land parcel for residential-cum-commercial development at Ambari in Guwahati

Seeking pandemic as opportunity, Lenovo comes up with its Smart Learning Solution ‘Lenovo Aware’ to provide students with superior remote learning experience

The software helps consumers take control of their own digital wellness and better track an at-home student’s engagement

It comes pre-bundled within Lenovo Vantage on IdeaPad Slim 3i and IdeaPad Slim 5i

Lenovo announced its ‘Lenovo Aware’ smart learning solution for consumers, which will come pre-bundled with the latest generation of IdeaPad Slim 3i and IdeaPad Slim 5i laptops.&nbsp;

Lenovo Aware software aims to support a superior remote learning experience by addressing a few of the digital challenges brought to light this past year during lockdown, such as how to keep young students focused and motivated while engaged in online classes and improve their digital well-being.

COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the education sector, by enforcing social distancing and implementing online methods of teaching and evaluation.

Lenovo conducted a survey on virtual education which revealed the main challenges parents face:&nbsp;

Doubts regarding effectiveness of online learning

Constant monitoring required for kids

Excess use of Laptops leading to excessive screen time and body posture issues

Lenovo Aware addresses these issues by using the PC’s built-in camera to detect a person’s body language and eye contact with the device. The software can be activated within Lenovo Vantage and all the features have to be manually activated by opting in through the settings in Lenovo Aware. The software reminds the user to sit back from the screen, straighten up their posture, take a break from the screen to rest their eyes, with the help of pop up notifications and audio alerts.&nbsp;

Some of the key features of the software include:

Break Reminder: Automatically remind the user to take breaks according to the computer usage time settings the user sets.

Distance Reminder: Detect the distance between the user's face and the PC screen to prevent the distance from being too close to affect eyesight.

Posture Reminder: Detect whether the user is sitting correctly and alert the user when there is consistent incorrect sitting posture for a period of time.

Attention Function: This is mainly aimed at children to determine whether they are currently in a state of concentration.

Dinesh Nair, Head of Consumer Business, Lenovo India said, ‘Lenovo Aware’ software is built to help provide parents and guardians with insights into their child’s online engagement, class productivity and digital well-being to help them track wins and areas of improvement.”

Lenovo Aware software provides flexible setting options to meet user-defined needs. This includes different modes for students and general users, with different strictness settings, reminder sensitivity and thresholds, among others. The software also encourages children and facilitates interactions with parents with the help of a Score System that generates easy-to-understand reports, showing cumulative benchmarks of a child’s average PC usage, providing parents and guardians with insights into their child’s online engagement, class productivity and digital well-being to help them track wins and areas of improvement.

&nbsp;

Lenovo Aware software aims to support a superior remote learning experience by addressing a few of the digital challenges brought to light this past year during lockdown, such as how to keep young students focused and motivated while engaged in online classes and improve their digital well-being.


Lenovo launches ‘Lenovo Aware’ smart learning solution to provide students with superior remote learning experience

Vistara has restructured its 'Freedom Fares' program (effective 6 July 2021), offering 'Flexi' fares at an extra fee of INR 499 (per sector) over Standard fares to Economy and Premium Economy customers.&nbsp;

This allows customers 5kg additional check-in baggage allowance as well as the flexibility to make unlimited changes to their flight bookings up to 24 hours before departure - a benefit which was hitherto limited to one change up to 72 hours before departure for Economy class, and two changes up to 48 hours for Premium Economy class.

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Business class customers opting for 'Flexi' fares at no extra fee will be able to make unlimited changes to their bookings up to 12 hours before departure.

Vistara's 'Freedom Fares’ program is an intuitive, menu-based pricing model that was launched in July 2018, offering&nbsp;services on a pay-for-what-you-value basis. It is&nbsp;designed to empower today's travellers with the freedom to choose the kind of fare and services that suit them best.

Vistara restructures 'Freedom Fares' program; offers 'Flexi' fares at extra fee of Rs 499 (per sector)

In a consistent effort to crackdown on prices of essential commodities like pulses, Government of India has issued a landmark order where it has imposed stock limits on pulses applicable to wholesales, retailers, millers and importers. The Removal of Licensing Requirements, Stock Limits and Movement Restrictions on Specified Foodstuffs (Amendment) Order, 2021 has been issued with immediate effect from today i.e. 2nd July 2021.

Under this order, stock limits have been prescribed for all pulses except Moong until 31st October 2021 for all States/UTs. Stock limit will be 200 MT (provided there should not be more than 100 MT of one variety) for wholesalers, 5 MT for retailers and it will be the last 3 months of production or 25% of annual installed capacity, whichever is higher, for the millers. Lastly, for importers, the stock limit will be the same as that of wholesaler for stocks held/imported prior to 15th May 2021 and for stocks imported after 15th May 2021, stock limit applicable on wholesalers will apply after 45 days from date of customs clearance. It has also been stated that if the stocks of entities exceed the prescribed limits, they have to be declared on the online portal (fcainfoweb.nic.in) of Department of Consumer Affairs and have to be brought within the prescribed limit within 30 days of the notification of this order.

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As a result of a series of consistent actions taken by the Government of India, a declining trend in the prices of pulses and edible oils is being witnessed. Additionally, in the past 6 years, the highest ever total production of major pulses amounting to 255.8 LMT took place in 2020-21 with Gram (126.1 LMT) and Moong Dal (26.4 LMT) particularly breaking all of their past records of production. Since the entire country has been reeling under the impact of the pandemic, the Government has been committed to adopting timely measures and has substantially alleviated the concerns and anguish of the common man. This development has been received with widespread relief by all the sections of the society.

Taking its vision for an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ forward, the Government of India has formulated a multi-pronged strategy to ensure that the prices of essential commodities like pulses remain controlled. As a part of the Price Monitoring Scheme under which the central government assists the state/UT governments in setting up price monitoring centres, there has been a 50% increase (57 centres in 2014 to 114 centres in 2020) in the number of such price monitoring centres. Incidentally, within the first three months of 2021 itself, 22 more centres have been added. This step will ensure that the reporting of data on prices from all across the country becomes more representative.

As a part of a large-scale digitisation effort, with a commitment to improve the quality of price data, a mobile app was launched by the government on 1st January 2021 to report on prices on a daily basis from the price monitoring centres while showing an actual market location and a dashboard has been developed to generate analysis of price trends and projections. Also, the services of a marketing agency are being utilised to assess the ground level situation.

A mechanism for retail intervention was introduced in 2020-21 to enhance the immediate impact of released pulses from the buffer to cool down retail prices. Moong, Urad and Tur Dal were offered to the States/UTs for supply through retail outlets such as FPS, Consumer Cooperative Society outlets etc. Costs related to milling/processing, transportation, packaging &amp; service charge of NAFED were borne by the Department itself. Additionally, during October, 2020 and January, 2021, 2 LMT of Tur Dal was disposed of through Open Market Sales to control the prices. Furthermore, pulses have also been supplied for welfare and nutrition programmes at MSP for Tur and at 5% discount on MSP in case of Chana.

More recently, guided by the principle that buffer should be built through increased procurement from farmers during bumper production and released to cool down during periods of volatility, effective interventions in the form of increased procurement and increased buffer stock targets were made for price stabilisation. Targeted size of pulses buffer to be maintained in FY 2021-22 under the Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) has been raised to 23 LMT and chana buffer has been increased to 10 LMT. Also, under the PSF, procurement of 1 LMT of summer moong at MSP is being undertaken in Madhya Pradesh as the quantity offered by the state for procurement under Price Support Scheme (PSS) exceeded the quantity approved for it. This move will increase the income of the farmers as they will receive remunerative prices for their produce and ensure that they do not reduce their area of cultivation for that crop during next season.

In March-April, there was a sustained increase in the price of pulses. The need for an urgent policy decision was felt to send the right signal to the market. For the first time ever, a mechanism has been adopted to declare the real time stock of pulses all over the country, for keeping a check on the undesirable practice of hoarding, which leads in turn to artificial scarcity and price escalation. In order to enable real-time monitoring of the prices of the pulses and ensure transparency, a web portal has been developed by the government to declare the stocks held by different stockholders. States/UTs were requested by the government on 14th May 2021 to register and declare the pulses stocks of Millers, importers, dealers and stockists under the EC Act, 1955. This step has received a positive response as so far there have been 7001 registrations and stocks worth 28.31 lakh MT have been declared.

Parallelly, to enhance the domestic availability and smoothen the inflow of pulses import, changes have been made in import policy by shifting Tur, Urad and Moong from restricted category to free category for the period from 15th May 2021 to 31st October 2021. Additionally, 5-year MoUs have been signed with Myanmar for annual import of 2.5 LMT of Urad and 1 LMT of Tur, with Malawi for annual import of 1 LMT of Tur, and MoU with Mozambique for annual import of 2 LMT Tur has been extended by another 5 years. These MoUs will ensure predictability in the quantity of pulses being produced abroad and exported to India, thus benefiting both India and the pulse exporting country.

Moreover, to soften the prices of edible oils, a mechanism has been institutionalized involving nodal offices of the Customs department, FSSAI, Plant Quarantine division to monitor the speedy clearance of food commodities like Crude Palm Oil (CPO) at shipping ports. Also, to protect the interest of consumers, the duty of CPO has been cut by 5% from 30th June 2021 until 30th September 2021. Pertinently, this reduction is only valid until September as the government is committed to protecting the interest of its farmers as well. This reduction will bring down the effective tax rate on CPO to 30.25% from the earlier 35.75% and will, in turn, bring down the retail prices of edible Oils. Further, the duty on Refined palm oil/Palmolein has been reduced to 37.5% from 45%.

A revised import policy for Refined Bleached Deodorized (RBD) Palm Oil and RBD Palmolein has been put in place from 30th June 2021 under which they have been removed from restricted to free category. To further support streamlined and smooth processes at the ports, particularly to speed up clearances delayed due to COVID-19, Standard Operating Procedure for faster clearance of consignments of imports of pulses and edible oils have been prepared. The average dwell time for clearances of consignments has come down to 6.9 days from 10 to 11 days in case of pulses and 3.4 days in case of edible oils.

Despite the disruption of the supply chain and other economic consequences due to the pandemic, the government has proactively taken all possible steps to ensure easy access and uninterrupted supply of essential commodities to all of its citizens across the nation. It will continue to work in mission-mode to cater to the needs of its people and take its vision of ‘Self-reliant India’ forward by not only focusing on building its domestic capability but by aligning its policies like the National Oilseeds Mission with foreign trade.

The Removal of Licensing Requirements, Stock Limits and Movement Restrictions on Specified Foodstuffs (Amendment) Order, 2021 has been issued with immediate effect from today i.e. 2nd July 2021.


BIG ACTION! Crackdown by Modi govt on prices of essential commodities like pulses - LANDMARK ORDER issued

State-run Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC) will redevelop the iconic Andheri Railway Station in Mumbai. The redevelopment will provide world-class amenities to passengers and enhance the travel experience at one of the busiest railway station in Mumbai, Zee Business’ Sameer Dixit reports.

The built-up area of Andheri Railway Station will be 21,843 sq mt and the model adopted for redevelopment will be DBFOT (Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer), Dixit said.

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IRSDC will be redeveloping the Andheri Railway Station in a phased manner. The overall area of redevelopment is 4.31 acres, of which 2.1 acres is for Phase 1 construction, and the rest is for the Phase 2 construction.

The estimated project cost for Phase 1 redevelopment is Rs 218 cr.

IRSDC is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) which is a joint venture company of Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) and Ircon International Limited (IRCON).

A proposal for the same has been processed for in-principle approval of the competent authority. The in-principle approval of the Andheri Master Plan along with Floor Plans has already been received from Western Railways on 21 May 2021. Request for Qualification (RFQ) of Andheri Railway Station for the Phase 1 redevelopment will be issued once the required approvals are accorded.&nbsp;

In addition to Andheri, IRSDC will also be redeveloping Dadar, Kalyan, Thakurli, Bandra, CSMT, Thane and Borivali stations in Mumbai.

IRSDC has said that the work across these projects are at different stages.

The redevelopment of Railway Stations is a priority agenda of the Government of India that will transform Railway Station Areas into a 'Railopolis’ – a mini-smart city with mixed-use development where one can live, work, play and ride, thus attracting huge investment and business opportunities.

Redevelopment of Andheri station will provide:

<ul>
	<li>A concourse on the east side of the station, which will connect to all FOBs (Foot Over Bridge) and integrate the railway station with the metro station.</li>
	<li>The entry to the station, along with drop-offs/pick-ups, has been planned at the Versova Marg Road to ease the congestion on an existing entry.</li>
	<li>The deck will be fully integrated with the skywalks on Swami Nityananda Marg road.</li>
	<li>The roof is planned above the suburban platforms, similar to the roof at Churchgate and CSMT stations to stop the rainwater and direct sunlight into the platform.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Redeveloped Andheri Railway station shall be 100 per cent divyang-accessible and to be developed on the green building concept.</li>
	<li>To be redeveloped as a smart station with a modern Building Management System integrated with CCTV and other systems.</li>
	<li>The commercial development will be done above the concourse level to provide superior amenities for the passengers.</li>
</ul>

Andheri station is considered as one of the busiest stations on the Western Railway Network serving two major railway lines – the Harbour Line that runs towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus or Panvel and the Western Line which connects Churchgate and Dahanu.

The Varsova – Andheri – Ghatkopar Metro Line Station is situated next to the station on the east side. Andheri is a major station for long-distance trains and handles approximately 4.2 lakh passengers per day.

It has nine platforms with platform numbers 8 and 9 dedicated for long-distance trains, while the remaining for suburban trains.

Indian Railways plans to redevelop 123 station. IRSDC is working on 63 stations while RLDA is working on 60 stations. As per current estimates, the total investment needed for the redevelopment of 123 stations along with real estate development is about Rs 50,000 crore.

State-run Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC) will redevelop the iconic Andheri Railway Station in Mumbai. The redevelopment will provide world-class amenities to passengers and enhance the travel experience at one of the busiest railway station in Mumbai, Zee Business’ Sameer Dixit reports


IRSDC to redevelop Mumbai's Andheri Railway Station in 2 phases; to have modern, swanky look with world class facilities

If you are planning a train journey in the near term, then this news could be of great use to you. You may not require an RTPCR negative report to travel on the train. Zee Business’ Sameer Dixit has this detailed report on this.&nbsp;

Dixit tells that RTPCR negative report may not be required to travel in trains, soon. He tells that if a person has been administered a Covid-19 vaccine and is in possession of the vaccine certificate or if he has the vaccine certificate on Aarogya Setu App, then he or she will be eligible to undertake a train journey without any problems.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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The Indian Railways does not require any other document or a Covid-19 test report, Dixit said.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Ministry of Railways has been getting suggestions on this from various states, he further said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The decision on this is yet to be taken, he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Government may consider this in order to promote vaccination in the country and also make train journey safer, he said. This will serve as an incentive to those who have already got themselves vaccinated. Citing his sources, Dixit said that there will be more clarity on this by 15 June.

If you are planning a train journey in the near term, then this news could be of great use to you. You may not require an RTPCR negative report to travel on the train. Zee Business’ Sameer Dixit has this detailed report on this


Important news for Indian Railways train passengers! Soon this may be allowed

In a major development, Indian Railway has integrated all railway helplines into single number 139 (Rail Madad Helpline) for grievance redressal and enquiry during the journey. As the new helpline number 139 will take over all the existing helpline numbers, it will be easy for the passengers to remember this number and connect with Railways for all their needs during the travel.

Various Railway grievances helplines were discontinued last year. Now, Helpline no. 182 would&nbsp; also be discontinued from 1.4.21, and merged into 139.

The Helpline 139 will be available in twelve languages. Passengers can opt for&nbsp; IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System), or directly&nbsp; connect to call-centre executive by pressing * (asterisk)&nbsp; &nbsp;. There is no need of a smart phone to call on 139, thus, providing easy access to all mobile users.

It may be noted that on an average basis 139 helpline receives enquiry 3,44,513&nbsp; &nbsp;calls / sms per day.

Menu of 139 Helpline (IVRS) is as under:

• For security &amp; medical assistance, passenger has to press 1, which connects immediately to a call center executive

• For enquiry, passenger has to press 2 and in the sub menu, information regarding pnr status, arrival/departure of the train, accommodation, fare enquiry, ticket booking, system ticket cancellation, wake up alarm facility/destination alert, wheel chair booking, meal booking can be obtained.

• For general complaints, passenger has to press 4 
• For vigilance related complaints, passenger has to press&nbsp; 5 
• For Parcel &amp; goods related queries, passenger has to press 6 
• For IRCTC operated trains queries, passenger has to press 7 
• For status of complaints, passenger has to press 9 
• For talking to call center executive, passenger has to press *( asterisk)

Ministry of Railways has also launched Social Media campaign #OneRailOneHelpline139 to inform and educate the passengers.

In a major development, Indian Railway has integrated all railway helplines into single number 139 (Rail Madad Helpline) for grievance redressal and enquiry during the journey.&nbsp;


Indian Railways integrates Rail Madad Helpline number 139 for all type of queries, complaints /assistance during travel

In order to decongest ticket booking counters &amp; to ensure smooth compliance of social distancing norms, facility to book unreserved tickets through UTS ON MOBILE app is being reactivated by Indian Railways.

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Indian Railways decides to reactivate the facility of UTS ON MOBILE App in zones where unreserved train services are reintroduced. 
 
To avoid rush at counters and ensure social distancing, UTS ON MOBILE App facility is being introduced. 
 
Zonal Railways have been instructed that whenever unreserved train services are introduced on any zonal Railway, the zonal Railway concerned may accordingly enable UTS ON MOBILE app for issuing unreserved tickets 
 
To decongest ticket booking counters &amp; to ensure smooth compliance of social distancing norms, facility to book unreserved tickets through UTS ON MOBILE app is being reactivated by Indian Railways. 
&nbsp; 
On Indian Railways unreserved train services are being introduced in a phased manner. In order to avoid any &nbsp;inconvenience to passengers in booking unreserved tickets and to ensure norms of social distancing at booking counters while purchasing the tickets, It has been decided that in addition to UTS ON MOBILE App facility available on suburban sections, this facility may also be reintroduced on non-suburban sections of zonal Railways. Zonal Railways have been instructed that whenever unreserved train services are introduced on any zonal Railway, the zonal Railway concerned may accordingly enable UTS ON MOBILE app for issuing unreserved tickets. 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Indian Railways UTS ON MOBILE App facility: In order to decongest ticket booking counters &amp; to ensure smooth compliance of social distancing norms, facility to book unreserved tickets through UTS ON MOBILE app is being reactivated by Indian Railways.


Indian Railways reactivates UTS ON MOBILE App in these zones 

In a big relief, Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2020 have been streamlined relating to requirements of filing of Form 27 and submission of verified English translation of priority documents.

Patentee would get flexibility to file a single Form-27 in respect of a single or multiple related patents. This will ease compliance burden and boost innovation

Authorized agents would be able to submit Form-27 on behalf of patentee. This will lead to greater ‘Ease of Doing Business’ for innovators

For filing Form-27, patentees would get 6 months, instead of current 3 months

If the priority document is available in WIPO's digital library, the applicant would not be required to submit the same in the Indian Patent Office

Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2020, which came into effect on 19 October 2020, have further been streamlined the requirements related to filing of Form 27 and submission of verified English translation of priority documents, which is not in English language. 
 
Important changes with reference to Form-27 and Rule 131(2) are as follows: 
1. Patentee would get flexibility to file a single Form-27 in respect of a single or multiple related patents 
2. Where a patent is granted to two or more persons, such persons may file a joint Form-27 
3. The patentee would be required to provide ‘approximate revenue / value accrued' 
4. Authorized agents would be able to submit Form-27 on behalf of patentees 
5. For filing Form-27, patentees would get six months, instead of current three months, from expiry of financial year 
6. Patentee will not be required to file Form-27 in respect of a part or fraction of the financial year 
7. While on one hand the requirements in Form-27 regarding submission of information by patentees have been eased, it may be noted that Section 146(1) of the Patents Act, 1970 empowers the Controller to seek information from the patentee, as may be deemed appropriate. 
Important changes with reference to Rule 21 are as follows: 
1. If the priority document is available in WIPO's digital library, the applicant would not be required to submit the same in the Indian Patent Office 
2. Applicant would be required to submit verified English translation of a priority document, where the validity of the priority claim is relevant to the determination of whether the invention concerned is patentable or not 
These changes will streamline the requirements related to submission of statement regarding the working of a patented invention on a commercial scale in India (Form 27) and the submission of verified English translation of priority documents.

In a big relief, Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2020 have been streamlined relating to requirements of filing of Form 27 and submission of verified English translation of priority documents


Sameer Dixit