Wednesday, 20 April 2011

Bihar News, Latest News from Bihar, News of Bihar, Biharprabha News

Bihar News, Latest News from Bihar, News of Bihar, Biharprabha News

Patna University introduces Semester System

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 06:02 PM PDT

PATNA: Patna University (PU) is all set to introduce semester system from the next academic session (2011-12). Initially, this new system would be started at the post-graduation (PG) level.

The university has already directed all its PG departments to reconstitute their statutory boards of courses and studies at the earliest so that the syllabi of courses based on semester system may be approved by them. The board of studies consists of a maximum of seven internal members (teachers of the department) and two external subject experts. After their formal approval by the board of studies, the syllabi would be placed before the Academic Council of PU for its nod.

PU has made necessary arrangement for meeting the travel expenses of external subject experts visiting the university for attending the board meeting. The examination section has reportedly agreed to provide the funds.

However, several PG departments of PU are facing difficulties in introducing the semester system due to acute dearth of faculty members. In semester system, sufficient number of teachers would be required to ensure regular teaching and constant internal assessment of students. Besides, PU examination section, which is already facing acute dearth of staff, will have a tough task ensuring regular conduct of examinations and publication of results under the new semester system. At present, the university holds annual examinations. But, with the introduction of semester system, it will have to hold examinations every six months. Each PG course to be divided into four semesters would have 30 percent marks for internal assessment, said PU science faculty dean A K Sinha.

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Biomass and thermal plants to come up in Bihar

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 07:58 AM PDT

PATNA: Electricity-starved Bihar is setting up five thermal power plants of 7,000 MW capacity and others based on gas and biomass, say officials adding the sector has attracted private investment worth hundreds of crores of rupees.

“More than anything, Bihar attracted private investment in the power sector till March 31,” said an official of the Bihar State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB).

The thermal power plants, of 1,320 MW each, will be set up at Kajra in Lakhisarai, Piparpainti in Bhagalpur, Areraj in East Champaran and one in Banka district. Besides, a plant of 2,640 MW will be set up at Rajauli in Nawada district.

“The proposal for establishing five new thermal power plants has been approved by the government,” an official said.

According to official sources, the plant in Lakhisarai is estimated to cost Rs.8,343 crore, Piparpainti Rs.7,374 crore, Areraj Rs.7,300 crore, Banka Rs.7,960 crore and Rajauli power plant Rs.14,800 crore.

SIPB officials said investment proposals to set up gas- and biomass-based power plants in Rohtas, Gaya and Kaimur districts have also been cleared.

Industry Minister Renu Kumari Kushwaha said changing Bihar had attracted private investors.

“Big and small industrialists are showing a keen interest in Bihar after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar initiated measures to develop infrastructure, including power,” she said.

After fulfilling the dream of good roads in Bihar in his first term as chief minister, Nitish Kumar now wants to make a difference in the power sector during his second stint.

The government has started pushing major investment projects from January 2006. An official at the chief minister’s office said the government was now regularly receiving new investment proposals from industrialists.

“After roads, the power sector is a priority of Nitish Kumar for the development of Bihar,” an official in the chief minister’s office said.

In view of the shortage of power, Nitish Kumar has also asked top officials to review progress in procuring power from unconventional energy sources.

During the election campaign for the October-November assembly polls last year, Nitish Kumar had promised to light up every village of the power-starved state by 2015.

Millions in Bihar are still living in the lantern age as electricity has become a luxury for people in most parts. Capital Patna is an exception of sorts, but most small towns and district headquarters are badly hit by the power shortage.

Protests against acute power shortage have broken out in Bihar since last month, with reports of hundreds of people blocking roads, ransacking electricity board offices and burning tyres.

While the state has a daily requirement of 2,200-2,500 MW, it produces only 45-50 MW of power. The central government supplies around 750 to 900 MW. The state is facing a power deficit of around 1,000-1,200 MW a day, officials said.

Energy Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav has said time and again the power situation cannot improve unless Bihar’s own generation and central allocation is increased substantially.

 

 

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Bihar registers hike in Revenue collection

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 06:01 AM PDT

PATNA: The state netted Rs 9,906.69 crore from its four major revenue yielding departments during the 2010-11 fiscal that ended on March 31 this year. The total amount that went into the state`s coffers during the period is more than the last fiscal, as the revenue earning of the respective departments registered an increase over the 2009-10 fiscal.

This transpired during the review of the revenue collection exercise of the departments that deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi conducted here on Friday. The four major revenue yielding departments of the state are registration, transport, excise and prohibition, and commercial taxes.

However, the revenue collected by the excise and prohibition department during 2010-11 showed that the increase was highest, 40.38 per cent over the revenue collected during the immediate previous fiscal compared to the three other departments. During the last fiscal, the number of licensed outlets selling foreign and country liquor in the state was 5,214. Now, it has been decided not to increase the number of such outlets. Rather, the decision has been taken to keep the number fixed at that.

The new move follows the directive made in this regard by CM Nitish Kumar. Incidentally, during the budget session of the state assembly this year, members of the House, cutting across political parties, including opposition and treasury benches, had expressed serious concern over the unhealthy impact that the opening of liquor outlets across the state had caused on society, including on school and college going youths, due to increased consumption of foreign and country liquor.

As a matter of fact, energy minister Vijendra Prasad Yadav, while giving government`s reply on the matter, had cited statistics regarding consumption of liquor both on the international and national panorama. He showed that the per capita consumption of liquor in Bihar was far less than not only the national average, but also what existed in other states, including Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. Nonetheless, the CM, later, decided to keep the number of licensed liquor outlets fixed at 5,214. During the review meeting on Friday, officials of the excise and prohibition department told Modi that the number would not be increased for the next few years as per the decision of the CM.

This department netted Rs 1,542.25 crore during the 2010-11 fiscal. Similarly, revenue collection by the commercial taxes department during the same period was over Rs 6,673 crore, which was an increase by 20.62 per cent over the sum collected in the previous fiscal. On the other hand, the revenue collected by the transport department was a little over Rs 444 crore — an increase of 19.10 per cent. Finally, the collections made by the registration department was over Rs 1,246 crore.

Modi fixed new revenue targets for the three departments other than excise and prohibition department for the current fiscal — Rs 8,700 crore for the commercial taxes department, Rs 550 crore for the transport department, and Rs 1,600 crore for the registration department.

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CIMP salary peaks to 12 lakhs per year

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 03:56 AM PDT

PATNA: Bihar’s premier management institute, the Chandragupta Institute of Management Patna, (CIMP) achieved new heights in placements of its management products of the 2009-11 batch with the maximum salary touching a whopping Rs 12 lakh per annum. This feat has been achieved in its second-year of placement.

CM Nitish Kumar`s NDA-1 government has accorded priority to the CIMP to elevate it to the status of the Indian institutes of managements (IIMs). His vision seems to be gradually bearing fruits. The maximum salary of Rs 12 lakh is said to be a commanding salary to a management institute like the CIMP.

According to a CIMP release, the general salary of its products through campus placement had kept moving and it has reached from Rs 4 lakh per annum to Rs 10 lakh per annum. The percentage of multinational companies (MNCs) holding campus interview and selection has gone up significantly this year. The companies holding campus selection included advertising and media, banking and finance, consultancy, FMCG companies, IT and Telecom and manufacturing companies.

Apart from its campus activities and learning opportunities provided to its MBA students, the CIMP has been holding national and international level seminars and other activities providing its students ample opportunities to develop their persona. The off-campus activities had made its products bold enough to face the interview boards of big companies during placements.

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Bihar demands greater share of Ganga water

Posted: 19 Apr 2011 11:36 PM PDT

Ranchi, April 16 (PTI) Bihar Health Minister Ashwini Chowbey today demanded review of Ganga water share as the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government was making efforts to become self-sufficient in hydel power generation and irrigation.”Our government is determined to become self-sufficient in the power sector involving private sectors in hydel/thermal projects within the next five years.”Therefore, it’s time the Centre initiated steps to review to increase our share of Ganga water…Bihar should also get coal linkage without any hindrance,” Chowbey said at a press conference here.”The review of Ganga water sharing is all the more necessary to give more water to our farmers for irrigation,” he added.On distribution of assets between Bihar and Jharkhand, he assured that all the pending points of contention would be settled at the earliest.Chowbey said the Nitish Kumar government has laid out a broad outline to develop among other sectors health, education, agriculture, road and electricity.”Infant mortality has reduced drastically since 2004…our focus is also on eradicating polio by 2012…and giving medical aid to patients from Jharkhand residing on the borders of Bihar,” he added.

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