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New defence policy to promote local industry
LCA Tejas: Turbulent ride ahead of deadline
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‘Humble’ Shivraj Chauhan, not Modi, impresses Advani
Steep hike in UP power tariff
IPL mess: Mumbai cops get custody of Delhi bookie
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New defence policy to promote local industry
New Delhi, June 1 It will help develop a robust indigenous defence production sector that conforms to the highest standards of transparency, probity and public accountability. Defence Minister AK Antony has expressed the hope that the Defence industry as well as the procurement agencies will find the DPP-2013 to be a “progressive step” aimed at giving impetus to indigenisation, creating a level playing field between private and public sectors and expediting the procurement process as a whole. Antony has set a goal of seeing a ‘made in India’ tag on key equipment. At the annual awards of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on May 29, Antony made it clear “no nation gives cutting edge technology to the other, we have to develop it on our own”. “Today as the DPP-2013 comes into force, the higher preference will be accorded to the category that is ‘Buy Indian’ and ‘Buy and
Make Indian’,” Defence Ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said. Making a key amendment, foreign suppliers will now have the option of nominating an Indian vendor of their choice to give the transfer of technology rights with respect to maintenance of the equipment. The selected Indian partner will be solely given the rights of maintenance, ending the monopoly of government-run public sector undertakings. The DPP will bring clarity in the definition of “indigenous content” and simplify the “buy and make Indian” process. The plan to produce in India and to buy from Indian sources will be the top priority. The option to buy from foreign vendors will be the second option. Also, while opting to buy from foreign suppliers, it will now be necessary to give justification for not considering the Indian options. Checking of indigenous content has been made more stringent and will be extendable up to the lowest tier of the sub-vendor.
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LCA Tejas: Turbulent ride ahead of deadline
New Delhi, June 1 The Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) got the nod in 1983 to build the LCA through the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) set up to develop and manage the programme. Three decades later, its cost runs over Rs 5,600 crore, 10 times the initial estimate, and Tejas is years faraway from reaching the destination. In January 2011, when Tejas was given the IOC, it was anticipated that the journey to the FOC could be covered in about two years but those associated with the project feel the pace of the progress is such that the timelines look unrealistic. The then Air Chief PV Naik did not quite approve with the IOC. The Indian Air Force is coordinating with the ADA and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to fly the Limited Series Production (LSP) 7 and 8 of the delta-wing aircraft and determine whether it can withstand the rigours required of a warplane the IAF sees as a replacement for Russian MiG-21 in its fleet since the 1960s. Tests and problems As of date, the aircraft has to pass through 1,100 test points before it can be ready for certification by the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification. Making matters tough, LSP 7 and LSP 8, closest to the aircraft the IAF will get for user evaluation trials, are facing service problems. LSP 8 flew for the first time in March this year, while LSP 7 took to the skies in March 2012. People associated with the programme say post-IOC, the planes were grounded for nearly four months and last year there was an issue with the ejection system, a crucial safety feature in a combat plane, vis-ŕ-vis the aircraft canopy that took several months to sort out. One of the factors behind delays is that while the ADA is the nodal agency, components designed for the programme are developed by others. After having incorporated the component and see it work, the entity needs additional funds to re-test or re-engineer to set a problem right. Upkeep and technical issues Now that the programme is on the home stretch, maintenance and technical issues add to the drag. One of the issues, sources in the programme testing stressed, is that it takes up to a day for the aircraft to be airborne after a test flight as against the normal turn-around of 30 minutes that the IAF follows. Problems with the brakes, parachute tail or fuel indicators add to it. While Tejas is flown by IAF test pilots, monitoring of onboard equipment
of real-time data is done by a ground support staff, an indicator of the level
of confidence. Besides the several hundred test points, pre-FOC would require air-to-air and air-to-ground integration of weapons. In the run-up, the aircraft’s radar is generating inadequate data and efforts are on to resolve the issue with the foreign supplier. In spite of accent on indigenous development, import component in
the LCA is as high as 40 per cent, flying with a GE 404 engine after Kaveri fell short of expectation. After the initial batch, Tejas will run on a more powerful GE 414. The IAF has placed an order for two squadrons, around 40 planes, and needs around six squadrons besides the tandem trainer and a simulator en route. The Defence Minister reminded the DRDO that it would require concentrated and coordinated efforts by everyone to make Tejas an operational plane and not remain a “mooh dekhai”, as the then Prime Minister, PV Narasimha Rao, commented in 1995 during the LCA roll-out as a technology demonstrator.
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‘Humble’ Shivraj Chauhan, not Modi, impresses Advani
Gwalior, June 1 Advani said that Chauhan had successfully transformed his “BIMARU” (sick) state into a healthy one, which was a far tougher job than what Modi faced in Gujarat. Addressing BJP’s booth-level coordinators in Gwalior, the octogenarian leader went on to compare Chauhan to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. “I often tell Narendra Modi that Gujarat was already an economically healthy state when he became the Chief Minister. He has only made Gujarat a better state. But Madhya Pradesh was a ‘BIMARU’ state, and it underwent a total developmental change and evolved as a healthy state, for which I give full credit to Shivraj Singh Chauhan,” said Advani. “I am from Gujarat. But I want Madhya Pradesh to get its position in the world,” Advani said. Modi was recently made a member of the BJP parliamentary board - the highest decision making body of the party - but Chauhan could not make it despite backing from Advani. Advani said: “Vajpayee did not have any shortcomings. One of his best qualities was his humility. I see the same in Shivraj Singh Chauhan. Vajpayee implemented several schemes, including road network, but he always remained very humble and far away from arrogance.” “Similarly, Chauhan has also formulated a large number of development and welfare schemes like the Ladli Laxmi scheme and Mukya Mantri Teerth Darshan Yojna, and implemented them successfully. Despite all his major work, I have found Chauhan very humble, like Vajpayee,” Advani said. — IANS
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Steep hike in UP power tariff
Lucknow, June 1 The steepest hike in the history of the state was finalised late yesterday
by the State Regulatory Commission. While rural areas, including the farming sector, has to pay 35 per cent more, the urban consumers have to shell out an additional 45 per cent for electricity in a week’s time. The industrial and commercial sector has been spared this time round as a few months ago, they had faced a similar steep hike. With the new tariff
structure coming into force next week, rural connections would come at Rs 180 instead of the present Rs 125.
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IPL mess: Mumbai cops get custody of Delhi bookie
Mumbai, June 1 "Tinku was in touch with one IPL player (Ajit Chandila). We want to find out if there were any other players with whom Tinku was in touch," public prosecutor Wajid Sheikh said. Accepting the plea, Magistrate AA Khan remanded Tinku in crime branch’s custody till June 6. The court today also extended the police custody of Pune-based bookies Dinesh Sharma and Kishore Pablani till June 6. — PTI
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New Delhi, June 1
New Delhi, June 1
