September 20, 2012 Regular Monthly Board Meeting: Fill & Download for Free

Why Sunil Mittal is unfazed by Airtel’s shrinking profits in the battle with Reliance JioSunny SenOctober 23, 201713 min“Everyone was taken by surprise,” says an executive with a ringside view of the bruising fight between Bharti Airtel, India’s largest telecom company, and newcomer Reliance Jio, arguably the fastest growing telco in the world. “What was perhaps supposed to happen in the next three years happened in six months.”The Airtel-Jio slugfest could as well be the battle for supremacy in the Indian telecom sweepstakes between Sunil Bharti Mittal and Mukesh Ambani, and the executive is talking about how the Airtel camp was taken by surprise by the pace at which the Ambani-led Jio captured market share. The executive asked to stay anonymous because Airtel’s strategy to counter Jio is just playing out.The background of the chat which the executive – among India’s earliest champions of telecoms in India – is having with FactorDaily is this: Jio is commercially launched on September 5, 2016, offering free calls and free internet services over a fully fourth-generation (4G) network. The freebies result in a massive rise in data usage, from 20 crore GB a month to 120 crore GB monthly, in India as millions sign up for Jio. At last count, Jio’s customer base was inching towards 140 million.Clearly, the bosses at Airtel had underestimated their newest rival and erred in thinking that it would take at least three to four years for this shift to happen.Ambani’s move led to a broadband tariff being slashed to one-tenth the price in the pre-Jio days. Airtel and other incumbent operators also mimicked Jio in offering free voice. Airtel’s profit fell drastically (72% in the quarter to March 31, 2017). Others such as Idea Cellular, controlled by the Aditya Birla Group, too, reported losses in the quarters after Jio’s launch.What followed at Airtel’s headquarters in Gurugram and at the south Delhi office of its holding company, Bharti Enterprises were a series of meetings between Mittal, Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal and the rest of Airtel’s leadership team to counter Ambani’s every move – both on the regulatory and the consumer front.“It is phenomenal the way Airtel has made a comeback… Airtel is the only company that has withstood Reliance’s onslaught,” said an executive with a rival incumbent telecom operator, requesting anonymity.The Airtel stock has reflected this comeback. Shares of Airtel are at a nine-year high. Ahead of the Jio launch, the stock started shedding value to touch Rs 295 each in December after Ambani extended Jio’s free services with the New Year Offer. It is currently at Rs 473 riding a bull market (the Bombay Stock Exchange’s benchmark sensitive index is at an all-time).Airtel declined comment for this story as the company is in its so-called silent period ahead of the announcement of its quarterly results on October 31. Airtel will likely post losses for at least two consecutive quarters – largely due to the impact of lower interconnect user charges (IUC), increased spending in the deployment of new networks, and low tariff plans.Choosing Mittal over AmbaniWith cutthroat tariff plans, Jio was vacuuming subscribers from smaller telecom operators. The writing on the wall was clear for them: sell out. Mittal had to move fast — acquire the small companies and consolidate the market to retain subscribers and, more importantly, spectrum allocated to the companies.To be sure, Airtel had started its recent spree of acquisitions in March 2016 with Videocon Telecommunications. In April, 2016, it bought spectrum from Aircel, which gave Airtel a larger play in Tamil Nadu (including Chennai), Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal, Assam, North East, Orissa, and Andhra Pradesh. In February 2017, it bought Telenor and followed it in May with a buyout of broadband provider Tikona Digital Network. In May 2012, it had acquired Qualcomm’s India broadband business and in August 2015, Augere Wireless Broadband India.Between 1999 and 2004, Airtel bought four companies to consolidate its position of leadership in the market – JT Mobile (promoted by Raj Mohan Rao and Raghu Kataria), Chennai-based SkyCell, Spice Cell (owned by Modicorp and Distacom) and Rajasthan’s Hexacom.But the big one was last fortnight’s deal to acquire Tata Teleservices for a bargain price of Rs 2,000 crore, Airtel’s seventh acquisition in five years. As a result, India’s telecom market is closer to becoming a three-player market: Idea-Vodafone, Airtel, and Jio. State-owned BSNL and MTNL are increasingly not considered serious players in the market by analysts.According to Credit Suisse, “…this deal boosts Bharti’s position significantly, taking it neck-to-neck with Vodafone-Idea in terms of spectrum holding, revenues, subscribers, etc. Our analysis suggests there are no significant spectrum cap breaches to be worried about (like in the Idea-Vodafone deal). The minor revenue share breaches may get addressed when Jio starts reporting revenues.”Jio had a preliminary discussion to buy the Tata unit but the talks didn’t reach closure. When N. Chandrasekaran took over as chairperson of the Tata Sons board, selling the telecom business was one of his three top priorities along with fixing the group’s steel business in Europe and getting Tata Motors back on track.“The seller’s (Tata Teleservices) only options were to shut operations or sell the business to Airtel,” said Kunal Vora, an analyst with French-banking group BNP Paribas. Idea and Vodafone are still in the process of a merger and Jio is a 4G-only network. The Tata Mobile franchise was not growing, it was bleeding cash, and carried a debt of Rs 31,000 crore.Chandrasekaran met Mittal at his house in New Delhi. “The initial deal revolved around the whole of Tata’s telecom and media business, including telecom, direct-to-home (DTH), overseas cable and enterprise business,” said a third source with knowledge of the talks.A large deal with multiple businesses had its own complexities and the best thing to do was to take one step at a time. Getting the telecom business off the hook was the best way to do that. “The acquisition of additional spectrum made an attractive business proposition. It will further strengthen our already solid portfolio and create substantial long-term value for our shareholders given the significant synergies,” Mittal hinted of future alliances in the press statement.What was kept out was Tata Teleservices’ enterprise business (likely to be folded into Tata Communications) and its retail fixed line and broadband business that could be merged with Tata Sky.Mittal got a sweet deal. Airtel acquired all of Tata’s spectrum and customers (Tata retains its stake in Viom, the tower business). “We estimate the proposed acquisition adds roughly 40 million subscribers and 4% revenue market share, while also giving the company access to 71.3 MHz liberalised spectrum at a discounted price… which can be deployed for 4G,” writes Navin Killa, a telecom analyst with Swiss securities house UBS in his report. He estimates Airtel gained four percentage points in revenue market share.Analysts also feel that with the Tata Teleservices deal Mittal has consolidated Airtel’s leadership in India’s telecom market. “With this merger and the recent Telenor and Aircel transactions, Bharti Airtel may make it difficult for Jio to continue with its disruptive pricing for long, which has been our concern so far,” writes Rajiv Sharma, analyst, India telecoms, media and internet, HSBC Securities and Capital Markets.The spectrum that Airtel got from the acquisition of Tata Teleservices will “smoothen and accelerate Airtel’s ability to migrate the present three-layer network to pure 4G without disrupting the 2G business… Bharti is clearly demonstrating that it is focussed on taking all the necessary steps to consolidate its market leadership,” Sharma said. Jio has increased user tariffs recently and Airtel will likely be the gainer.Fortifying the networkSoon after Jio’s launch, Mittal lost a couple of battles from the regulatory side, especially when the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India allowed Jio to continue with its free pricing model. The second blow was evident when TRAI reduced IUC from 14 paise a minute to six paise – a move that benefits Reliance Jio. IUC is the money one operator gives to the other when a call lands from one network to the other.Mittal was unhappy with Jio’s free services and he made it very evident. In January, he said at a conference, “It is unfair competition… It is a problem if anything is given for free… The revenue and the margins of the industry are impacted.”There is little Airtel could do about a rival’s tariffs driven by deep pockets or the regulator’s IUC decisions. But, what Mittal could do is build moats around his business.Part of that strategy is Project Leap – an ongoing initiative to strengthen the network and build for the future. Airtel is investing Rs 20,000 crore in building a VoLTE network, work for which started a little over two months ago, said a fourth source, again wanting to stay anonymous. (VoLTE is short for voice over long-term evolution, an internet protocol based standard in telecommunications.)“Every week, roll outs are happening… Mumbai, Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh are already done. This network is very efficient for voice as only 5-10% of the network is utilised for that,” the source said.Airtel’s VoLTE network is similar to what Jio has. It allows voice to travel in form of data packets, increasing the utilisation of the network. “A large part of the network is free to distribute high-quality data,” the first source said. To be sure, it was already transmitting some of its traffic on IP networks but the idea is to shift to one on a higher speed.Until Jio was commercially launched in September last year, Airtel’s leadership including Mittal thought that 3G would stay for long in India. “Until Reliance Jio got launched we never thought that we would see such a sudden shift towards 4G… Overnight the market changed,” Rahul Sharma, co-founder of phone brand Micromax, had told this reporter a few months ago.In the next two years, Airtel hopes to shift all its 3G users to the 4G platform. A fifth source close to the company said that Airtel will shut down its 3G services in the next couple of years. “The process has already started… every base station roll out is happening with the 4G technology,” said the source.Mittal doesn’t want to lose another battle to Ambani, especially in the wireless broadband data space. Airtel has already started deployment of what is called Massive Mimo, which is a pre-5G technology. “It is a step towards 5G… It will help Airtel deliver faster speeds and higher efficiencies than what it can on a 4G network,” said a senior executive with one of the telecom network equipment makers, insisting his or his employer’s name not be taken.Airtel has already started rolling out Massive Mimo in Bengaluru and Kolkata. “It enhances capacity by five to seven times, and is particularly helpful in high-density zones or congested areas,” said the first source.In a recent development, Airtel has partnered with Korean telecom company SK Telecom to build networks that improve network planning based on every customer’s device experience. This is done with the help of machine learning, big data analytics and building customised tools. When deployed, Airtel will be the only player in the country to do this. “With SK Telecom’s clear and undisputed leadership in technology, this is one partnership that will decisively change the game in India and put the country at par with the most advanced broadband nations in the world,” said Mittal in a press statement.Bets on 2G, Airtel stores, cheap phonesEven as Airtel hopes to do away with 3G in two years, it will continue with 2G technology for a while. “The ecosystem is not yet completely ready. More than 70% of the handsets are not VoLTE ready… That is why Jio is finding it difficult to add customers despite free data,” said the fourth source.He added that having the 2G network in place helps. To Airtel’s point, more than half of the country’s mobile phone users use the phone only to make calls. “If someone doesn’t use data why would he pay Rs 150 for data,” the source asked, in reference to Jio’s cheapest monthly data plan of Rs 153.Airtel has tariff plans for as less as Rs 20 for an entire month for non-data users. Internal surveys of Airtel also show that an average Indian uses the mobile phone for about two to two-and-half years. That means there is some time left before millions buy a new 4G-enabled device. “Even in 2022, 20% to 30% of the network will be a 2G network,” said the source.Mittal wants to serve the people in rural India, too, where the ARPU is as low Rs 30 or Rs 40. According to TRAI, more than half of Airtel’s user base is in rural India. Mittal cannot afford to abandon the user if he or she isn’t willing to pay Rs 150 for data.But, what about the lead Jio has over Airtel is data consumption?“The gap will reduce once a large number of customers start paying regularly… In the coming quarters, you will see a de-growth in data usage on the Jio network. There will be data rationalisation,” predicts the fourth source.Airtel is also investing Rs 2,000 crore in Project Next over the next three years, the company’s digital innovation programme.One of the key aims of Project Next is to deliver a differentiated customer experience at the Airtel Stores. Airtel has engaged Eight Inc to design the Next-Gen Airtel Stores. Eight Inc is the original designer of the Apple Store and the company worked closely with Steve Jobs for 12 years before he passed away.Work has started on redesigning over 2,500 Airtel stores with the first two already up in Gurugram.At the stores, which are based on the concept of share, create and experience, there is a social wall that collates customer stories and experiences from across the country and is shared on a digital screen. Then, there is the touch screen table, which allows users to discover Airtel’s services and customise packages. But the main attraction is the experience zone or the digital entertainment hubs that allow customers to explore and experience Airtel’s digital content offerings like movies, music, live TV, and games.Airtel has something called the Wynk family of apps, across music, movies, and games, much like Saavn and Netflix. However, Airtel does not have a content and services ecosystem like Jio does, which has its fingers dug into healthcare and education as well.Part of Project Next is also to have a robust ecosystem of devices. Recently it partnered with Indian handset manufacturer Karbonn to bring out a 4G smartphone at an effective price of Rs 1,399. The phone, without being bundled with Airtel, would cost Rs 3,499.The phone is Airtel’s answer to the JioPhone, which Jio bills as the device that will get half a billion Indians onto the internet. The JioPhone is available at Rs 1,500, which is be fully refunded after three years.Airtel will sell the phone for Rs 2,899 with a Rs 500-cashback in 18 months and another Rs 1,000 after 36 months – taking the total benefit to Rs 1,500. “To bring it at a cost lower than this would mean compromising with the quality of the phone,” the fourth source said, taking a dig at the JioPhone. Airtel is also talking to a dozen phone makers to bring more affordable 4G smartphones to the market. “Unlike the JioPhone, these phones will allow you to download apps and use it like any other smartphone,” said the source.It’s only round one in the battle between Airtel and Jio yet. For now, Airtel has not just defended its turf well but has also taken advantage of the chaos to bulk itself up in preparation for what will be a war for a decade or more.

Eleanor Roosevelt, former President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s wife. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (/ˈɛlᵻnɔːr ˈroʊzəvɛlt/; October 11, 1884 – November 7, 1962) was an American politician, diplomat, and activist. [1]Eleanor Roosevelt was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, having held the post from March 1933 to April 1945 during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four terms in office, [1] and served as United States Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly from 1945 to 1952. [2] [3]President Harry S. Truman later called Eleanor the "First Lady of the World" in tribute to her human rights achievements. [4]Eleanor Roosevelt was a member of the prominent American Roosevelt and Livingston families and a niece of President Theodore Roosevelt. [3]Eleanor had an unhappy childhood, having suffered the deaths of both parents and one of her brothers at a young age. At 15, she attended conferred Academy in London and was deeply influenced by its feminist headmistress Marie Souvestre. Returning to the U.S., she married her fifth cousin once removed, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in 1905. The Roosevelts' marriage was complicated from the beginning by Franklin's controlling mother, Sara, and after Eleanor discovered her husband's affair with Lucy Mercer in 1918, she resolved to seek fulfillment in a public life of her own. Eleanor persuaded Franklin to stay in politics after he was stricken with debilitating polio in 1921, which cost him the normal use of his legs, and Eleanor began giving speeches and appearing at campaign events in Franklin’s place. Following Franklin's election as Governor of New York in 1928, and throughout the remainder of Franklin's public career in government, Eleanor regularly made public appearances on his behalf, and as First Lady while her husband served as President, she significantly reshaped and redefined the role of that office during her own tenure and beyond, for future First Ladies. Her influence as a First Lady has been channeled by many First Ladies—including Jacqueline Kennedy, Betty Ford, Nancy Reagan, H. R. Clinton, Barbara Bush, and Michelle Obama.Though widely respected in her later years, Eleanor was a controversial First Lady at the time for her outspokenness, [women were to be seen and not heard—especially the First Lady] and particularly her stance on racial issues. Eleanor Roosevelt was the front runner on desegregation.Eleanor Roosevelt was the front runner of equality in the workplace with equal pay, status, recognition, and significance for their contributions. To name a few Eleanor had contemporaries in Claire Boothe Luce, (March 10, 1903 – October 9, 1987) was an American author, politician, U.S. Ambassador and public conservative figure. A versatile author, she is best known for her 1936 hit play ‘The Women,’ which had an all-female cast. Frances Perkins, Industrial Commissioner of the State of New York, FDR appointed her to the Department of Labor. Nellie Tayloe Ross (1876-1977) was elected governor of Wyoming, becoming the first woman in the country to hold such a post. She was active in national Democratic politics and was named director of the U.S. Mint by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a position she held for nearly 20 years. Mary McLeod Bethune became the first black American woman to head a federal agency when she was appointed Negro Affairs Director for the National Youth Administration (NYA) in 1936. Hallie Flanagan was appointed the head of the Federal Theatre Project (FTP) in 1935. The FTP was part of the massive work relief program, the Works Progress Administration, which President Roosevelt launched a key part of the Second New Deal. Mary Williams (Molly) Dewson (1874–1962) director, Women’s Division of the Democratic National Committee, adviser to the National Recovery Administration (NRA), adviser to the Committee on Economic Security (set the parameters for the Social Security Act), and member of the Social Security Board [7]. She became one of the most influential figures of the New Deal. Ellen S. Woodward, (1887-1971) Assistant PWA Administrator was appointed to the Social Security Board to replace Mary Dewson. She was touted as Roosevelt's second most powerful women’s advocate.As First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt championed many social justice causes. In the 1930s she joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), pressuring her husband to pass anti-lynching laws, and gave up her membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution after that organization denied black singer Marion Anderson the right to use their segregated concert hall. She was present at the founding meeting of the Southern Conference on Human Welfare in 1938 and defied Bull Connor’s orders when she sat in the aisle rather than submit to segregated seating in the Birmingham, Alabama, auditorium. Eleanor advocated against the poll tax and, as World War II began, campaigned to end racial discrimination in the armed forces. Following her husband, Franklin’s death in 1945, Eleanor joined the board of directors of both the NAACP and the Congress of Racial Equality. That same year, President Harry S. Truman appointed her one of five delegates to the first United Nations (UN) General Assembly. Eleanor became the chair of the UN Human Rights Commission, and was critical to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.Eleanor Roosevelt met Montgomery NAACP activists Rosa Parks and E. D. Nixon during the Montgomery bus boycott, and also sent King a telegram inviting him to meet with her. She wrote about the bus boycott in her column, saying, ‘‘There must be great pride, not only among the Negroes but among white people all over the country, in the remarkable restraint and courage shown by the Negroes in their struggle for their rights in Montgomery, Ala., and other places in the South." King’s ‘‘insistence that there be no hatred in this struggle,’’ in Eleanor Roosevelt’s view, was "almost more than human beings can achieve’’ (Roosevelt, 22 March 1957).For the next several years, Eleanor Roosevelt and King enjoyed frequent correspondence. When King was arrested for perjury on his income taxes in February 1960, Eleanor joined the Committee to Defend Martin Luther King and the Struggle for Freedom in the South. Several months later, in October 1960, King was again arrested for his participation in a sit-in in downtown Atlanta. Of King’s arrest Eleanor wrote: ‘‘The people of the world will condemn—not Georgia, unfortunately—the United States for treating as a criminal a man who is looked upon with respect’’ (Eleanor Roosevelt, 28 October 1960). In her column, she continued to write in support of the sit-ins, commending the students’ ‘‘determination to do away with inequality between races and to have real democracy in the United States’’ (Eleanor Roosevelt, 6 February 1961). King expressed his appreciation, writing: ‘‘Once again, for all you have done, and I’m sure will continue to do to help extend the fruits of Democracy to our southern brothers, please accept my deep and lasting gratitude’’ (Papers 5:517).Eleanor Roosevelt was the first presidential spouse to hold regular press conferences, write a daily newspaper column, write a monthly magazine column, host a weekly radio show, and speak at a national party convention. On a few occasions, she publicly disagreed with her husband's policies.She launched an experimental community at conferred, West Virginia, for the families of unemployed miners, later widely regarded as a failure. She advocated for expanded roles for women in the workplace, the civil rights of African Americans and Asian Americans, and the rights of World War II refugees.Following her husband's death in 1945, Eleanor Roosevelt remained active in politics for the remaining 17 years of her life. She pressed the United States to join and support the United Nations and became its first delegate.She served as the first chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights, and oversaw the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Later she chaired the John F. Kennedy administration's Presidential Commission on the Status of Women. At the time of her death, Eleanor Roosevelt was regarded as "one of the most esteemed women in the world:" she was called "the object of almost universal respect" in her New York Times obituary. [5]In 1999, she was ranked ninth in the top ten of Gallup's List of Most Widely Admired People of the 20th Century. [6]Moore, Frazier (September 10, 2014). "PBS' 'The Roosevelts' portrays an epic threesome". Associated Press. Retrieved September 10, 2014.Rowley 2010, p. 294."Eleanor Roosevelt Biography: Diplomat, U.S. First Lady (1884–1962)", bio., Famous Biographies & TV Shows., A&E Television Networks. Retrieved December 13, 2015"First Lady of the World: Eleanor Roosevelt at Val-Kill". National Park Service. Archived from the original on November 21, 2012. Retrieved May 20, 2008."Mrs. Roosevelt, First Lady 12 Years, Often Called 'World's Most Admired Woman'". The New York Times. November 8, 1962. Archived from the original on December 7, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2012."Mother Teresa Voted by American People as Most Admired Person of the Century". The Gallup Organization. December 31, 1999. Archived from the original on November 21, 2012. Retrieved May 20, 2008.See, e.g., “Mary W. Dewson, Member 1937-1938,” Social Security Administration, http://www.ssa.gov/history/dewson2.html, accessed February 3, 2016. (2) Susan Ware, Partner and I: Molly Dewson, Feminism, and New Deal Politics, New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1987, p. 3-11. (3) Ibid., pp. 14-15. (4) “Mary W. Dewson, Politician, Dead,” New York Times, October 25, 1962. (5) See note 2, p. 204. (6) Ibid., pp. 176-179 and 189. (7) Ibid., p. 194. (8) Ibid., p. 257. (9) Ibid., p. 261, and note 4. (10) See note 2, p. 193.Reading Eleanor Roosevelt’s column in Lady’s Home Journal, listening to her radio show, her many speeches, interviews and news reports, she become my role model at age 9. I often channel her when the going gets tough. She firmly believed there are no limits except the ones we create in our heads. And her statement, “'No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.' is frequently quoted by many people.

The 10 years of UPA was a turning point in Indian history. In those 10 years, the govt got more people out of poverty, created more infrastructure than ever before, improved the condition of our cities, opened up the economy and many more. to put it correctly, the country moved forward on all fronts.The secret was in how financial resources were put at the bottom of the pyramid at this was clearly shown in this report Consumption in rural India growing faster than urban areas: CRISILThe impact was that everyone benefited from the growth as the rural growth engines power the rest of the economy. This is something that the current government can learn.There are lots of people who laud the UPA for bringing close to 14 crore people out of poverty but that happened mainly because it was the first time in the history of the country that we had the resources to fight poverty and take the benefits of development and growth to the masses. This was backed by a solid political will to back these initiatives.So what happens when people escape poverty? They start consuming more http://www.crisil.com/Ratings/Brochureware/News/CRISIL-Research-proteins-inflation-pr_221012.pdf?cn=null . You create an aspirational class which wants more and that is where Shri Modi's narrative fitting in, during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.The following are the list of 150 things that the UPA did. It would be good to see how the present government is performing on these: These are not difficult to find on the net.India’s national growth rate of GDP dipped from 6.52% to 5.93% during NDA rule and recovered to 8.47% thereafterIndia’s Per Capita Income in 2004-05 was Rs 24,143. It is now increased to Rs 68,747 in 2012-1312.70 Crore Job Cards Have Been Issues under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA in 2012-13. In 2006-07 3.7 Crore Job Cards were issued.Actual expenditure on Minority Schemes have been increased from Rs 143.53 Crores in 2006-07 to Rs. 1593.23 in 2012-13The Expenditure on Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan was Rs 2,730 Crores (2003-04) to Rs 20, 841 Crores (2011-12)The Gross Enrolment Ratio in Primary School has increased from 98.3 % in 2003-04 to 116% in 2010-11The Gross Enrolment Ratio in Secondary School has increased from 62.5 % in 2003-04 to 85.5% in 2010-11The Expenditure on Health Sector has gone up from Rs 7500 Crores in 2003-04 to Rs 27,000 Crores in 2011-2012The Expenditure on Country’s Defence has consistently increased, Now,it is over 2 Lakh crore.Expenditure on Mid-Day Meal was Rs 1,325 Crore in 2003-04, It is now Rs 9,890 Crore in 2011-12 (Inflation Adjusted Figures)India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has come down from 2.9 in 2004 to 2.5 in 2010More than 2 lakh kilometers of new roads have been added to the rural road network in 9 yearsThe annual passengers originating for Indian Railways have increased from 5.1 Crore in 2003-04 to 8.2 Crores in 2011-12Indian exports in drugs and pharmaceuticals increased to all time high figure of Rs 63,347 Crore in 2011-12, while they were Rs 15,213 crores in 2003-04The Rate of Unemployment has come down to 6.6% in 2009-10, which was 8.2% in 2003-04India’s Infant Mortality Rate (per 1000 live births ) has come down to 44 in 2011, which was 58 in the year 2004India ratified the United Nations Convention Against Corruption in May, 2011. The Convention has entered into force for India on 8th June 2011The Lokpal and the Lokayukta Bill has been already introduced in the Parliament.The Public Procurement Bill, 2012 already introduced in ParliamentGrievances Redressal Bill already introduced in ParliamentForeign Bribery Bill already introduced in ParliamentJudicial Accountability Bill already introduced in ParliamentThe Whistle Blowers Protection Bill, 2011 already introduced in ParliamentThe Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2011 already introduced in ParliamentThe Prevention of Money Laundering (Amendment) Act passed by UPAThe Electronic Delivery of Services Bill already introduced in ParliamentIPRs of Group ‘A’ Central Officers placed in public domainAadhaar- Direct Benefits Transfer- Institutional architecture to facilitate a shift to a system in which benefits from the government would get transferred directly to the bank accounts of individual beneficiaries of various social sector schemesBenami Transaction (Prohibition) Bill 2011 introduced in Parliament. The Bill elaborately covers definition of ‘benami’ property and transaction, and prohibits benami transactions.UPA is the Only Government in Modern India to pass the Historic Right to Information Act, 2005 to usher in transparency in governance through citizen participation.RTI Act has empowered lakhs of individuals and have made the state responsible. A revolution has taken place ever since, and people have become more aware of their rights and proceduresUPA Government is the first Government in India to present a White Paper on “Black Money” in May 2011The Cabinet has approved a proposal to set up a special purpose vehicle -GSTN (GSTN SPV) for providing shared IT infrastructure and services to central and state governments, taxpayers, and other stakeholders for implementation of the goods and services tax (GST), both before and after the rollout of GST.The Government had constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) in January, 2011,to consider measures that can be taken by the Government to tackle corruption. Government has accepted the recommendations of the Group with minor modifications.E-Governance- A network of more than 100,000 Common Service Centres for electronic delivery of public services to citizens in rural areas has been rolled out.Black Money – In the last few years, more than 12,500 pieces of information regarding details of assets and payments received by Indian citizens in several countries including banking information have been obtained and are now under different stages of processing and investigation.Black Money- In search and seizure action under section 132 of Income Tax Act, the Investigation Wing of the CBDT has detected concealed income of Rs 19,938 crore in the last two (2010 and 2011) financial yearsBlack Money – With a success rate of about 48 per cent convictions or fiscal compounding in the last six years, one of the highest amongst all law enforcement agencies in IndiaThe Delhi –Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project being developed on either side of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor as a global manufacturing and investment destination, has made significant strides since inception.Plans for 7 new cities have been finalised and work on 2 new smart industrial cities at Dholera, Gujarat and Shendra Bidkin, Maharashtra will start during 2013-14. This project incorporates 9 Mega Industrial zones of about 200-250 sq. km. High speed freight line, 3 ports, and 6 air portsThe average rate of economic growth during the self-declared India Shining period of the BJP was just 5.8% per year, as compared to 8.5% during the five year tenure of the Congress-led UPA government.The strong post-financial-crisis stimulus led to stronger growth in 2009-10 and 2010-11 However, the boost to consumption, coupled with supply side constraints, led to higher inflation. Monetary policy was tightened, even as external headwinds to growth increasedIn September, 2012, Government accepted the main recommendations of the Dr. Vijay Kelkar Committee. A new fiscal consolidation path was announced. Red lines were drawn for the fiscal deficit at 5.3 percent of GDP this year and 4.8 percent of GDP in 2013-14.The 12th Plan projects an investment of USD 1 trillion or Rs 55,00,000 crore in infrastructure The Plan envisages that the private sector will share 47 % of the investment.In the last two years, a number of institutions were allowed to issue tax free bonds. They raised Rs 30,000 crore in 2011-12 and are expected to raise about Rs 25,000 crore in 2012-13 Budget 2013-14 proposes to allow some institutions to issue tax free bonds strictly based on need and capacity to raise money in the market, upto a total sum of Rs50,000 crore.NABARD operates the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF). RIDF has successfully utilised 18 tranches so far. Budget 2013-14 proposes to raise the corpus of RIDF-XIX in 2013-14 to Rs 20,000 crore.The Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) has been set up to monitor investment proposals as well as projects under implementation, including stalled projects, and guide decision-making in order to remove bottlenecks and quicken the pace of implementationThe next corridor will be the Bengaluru Mumbai Industrial Corridor on which preparatory work has started.Preparatory work has also started for Amritsar-Delhi-Kolkata – Eastern Freight CorridorPetrol has been deregulated under UPAMeasures including the increase in the price of diesel by Rs 5 per litre, allowing oil marketing companies (OMCs) to raise diesel prices by small amounts regularly, and a cap on the number of subsidized LPG cylinders are expected to rein in the fiscal deficit.Subsidies on LPG moderated and has been replaced by cash transfers to the really needy by Aadhaar Based DBTThe battle against inflation must be fought on all fronts. Our efforts in the past few months have brought down headline WPI inflation to about 7.0 % (2012-13) and core inflation to about 4.2 % (Feb 2013)Despite Slowdown Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at factor cost, over the decade ending 2012-13 is 7.9 %Global economic growth slowed from 3.9 percent in 2011 to 3.2 percent in 2012.India is part of the global economy: our exports and imports amount to 43 percent of GDP and two-way external sector transactions have risen to 108 percent of GDP.Between 2004 and 2008, and again in 2009-10 and 2010-11, the growth rate was over 8 percent and, in fact, crossed 9 percent in four of those six yearsAgricultural GDP growth accelerated in the Eleventh Plan, to an average rate of 3.3. per cent, compared with 2.4 per cent in the Tenth Plan, and 2.5 per cent in the Ninth Plan.The percentage of the population below the poverty line declined at the rate of 1.5 percentage points (ppt) per year in the period 2004-05 to 2009-10, twice the rate at which it declined in the previous period 1993-94 to 2004-05The rate of growth of real consumption per capita in rural areas in the period 2004-05 to 2011-12 was 3.4 per cent per year which was four times the rate in the previous period 1993-94 to 2004-05.The rate of unemployment declined from 8.2 per cent in 2004-05 to 6.6 per cent in 2009-10 reversing the trend observed in the earlier period when it had actually increased from 6.1 per cent in 1993-94 to 8.2 per cent in 2004-05.Rural real wages increased 6.8 per cent per year in the Eleventh Plan (2007-08 to 2011-12) compared to an average 1.1. per cent per year in the previous decade, led largely by the government’s rural policies and initiatives.Complete immunization rate increased by 2.1 ppt per year between 2002-04 and 2007-08, compared to a 1.7 ppt fall per year between 1998-99 and 2002-04.Institutional deliveries increased by 1.6 ppt per year between 2002-04 and 2007-08 higher than the 1.3 ppt increase per year between 1998-99 and 2002-04.Net enrolment rate at the primary level rose to a near universal 98.3 per cent in 2009-10. Dropout rate (classes I-VIII) also showed improvements, falling 1.7 ppt per year between 2003-04 and 2009-10, which was twice the 0.8 ppt fall between 1998-99 and 2003-04.UPA Government has launched the flagship ‘Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana’ in 2007 to reorient the agricultural development strategies to meet the needs of farmers.The farmer’s participatory system of seed production was given an impetus under the Seed Village Scheme by organizing more than 65,000 seed villagesAgricultural credit is the driver of agricultural production. India will exceed the target of Rs575,000 crore fixed for 2012-13. Budget 2013-14 proposes to increase the target to Rs700,000 crore.The interest subvention scheme for short-term crop loans started, and a farmer who repays the loan on time will be able to get credit at 4 percent per annumNutrient based subsidy policy for all fertilizers, other than urea, has been introducedProduction of foodgrains is at an all time record level of over 250 million tonnes with production of rice and wheat estimated at all time record levels of 102 million tonnes and 88 million tonnes respectivelyNational e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A) has been launched, which is helping raising farm productivity and income to global levels through provision of relevant information and services to stakeholders.India continues to be the largest milk producing nation in the world The Government has approved the National Dairy Plan Phase-I to be implemented during the period 2011-12 to 2016-17. The scheme is being implemented for increasing productivity of milch animals.The UPA Government has set up a Special Purpose Tea Fund for funding replanting and rejuvenation of old tea bushes for improving the age-profile of tea plantations. Tea has been declared the National DrinkProduction of pulses and oilseeds is estimated at 17.28 million tonnes and 30.53 million tonnes respectively.Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna – States and Union Territories have been provided Rs22408.79 Crore from 2007-08 to 2011-12. A sum of Rs 9,954 crore is proposed for the same in 2013-14A new category of classical languages has been created and Sanskrit,Tamil, Telegu, Kannada and Malyalam have been notified as classical languages.Rs. 20 crore has been sanctioned for the upgradation of Sardar Patel’s memorials at Ahmedabad and Karamsad.Commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore/ Swami Vivekananda- As a part of ongoing commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, Ministry of Culture organized a large number of programmes.For commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math is implementing Vivekananda Value Education Programme for propagating the legacy and philosophy of Swami Vivekananda, for which an amount of Rs100 crore would be provided to the Mission.A capacity of 54,964 MW has been added in the 11th Plan which has a significant contribution from the private sector and the government is making serous efforts to achieve a much higher capacity addition of about 88,000 MW in 12th planUPA has launched Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reform Program (R-APDRP) to strengthen the Power SectorAs a new initiative for improving the power distribution infrastructure in the country,Government of India has approved setting up of a National Electricity Fund that would provide interest subsidy on loans disbursed to the Power Distribution Companies in the public as well as private sectorIn a bold move to remove fuel supplies bottlenecks, the Government has advised the Coal India Limited to sign Fuel Supply Agreements with the thermal power plants that were either commissioned during the 11th Plan or would be getting commissioned in the first three years of the 12th Plan and that have entered into longterm Power Purchase Agreements with power Distribution Companies.From 2004 to 2008 – The Government has awarded 72 explorationblocks in the last four years which has increased area under exploration by 30%.In the First 8 rounds (2000 to 2010) of National Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) , Production Sharing Contracts of 235 exploration blocks have been signed.Under NELP – 104 gas discoveries have been made by pvt/JV companies in 45 blocksThe largest natural gas discovery has been made in Krishna-Godavari basin from where production has already commenced since April 2013. As on March 2012, India’s refinery capacity stands at 213.066 MMTPA.The Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI), in its meeting held on April.2013, cleared 25 NELP blocks for continued exploration of Oil and Gas, out of 31 blocks where work had been stopped on account of security restrictions imposed by the Ministry of DefenceOn 20th October, 2012 , The Prime Minister launched Aadhaar Enabled Service Delivery, thus enabling the beneficiaries to get LPG cylinders by using UID-Aadhaar Card. Deliveries in 18 Districts have started from 1st June, 2013In 2011, Two new refineries came on line at Bina, M.P. and Bhatinda, Punjab.On March 23, 2012, the Prime Minister dedicated GAIL’s 2200 km Dahej-Vijaipur-Dadri-Bawana-Nangal-Bhatinda cross country pipeline to the nation.Following the events at Fukushima in Japan in March 2011, Government directed safety reviews of all nuclear power reactors,whether in operation or under construction The Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority Bill, 2011 was introduced in Parliament. The CivilThe success of the Government’s international civil nuclear initiative was manifest in the highest ever generation of electricity from nuclear power during the year 2011 at 32,455 million units.India, under UPA has signed Civil Nuclear Agreements with record number of countries – Russia France, Germany, UK, US, S. Korea, Mongolia, (Japan in Pipeline)With the discovery of an additional 9620 tonnes of reserves of uranium oxide in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Meghalaya and Jharkhand, the country’s uranium resources increased to about 1,72,400 tones of uranium oxide.Wind Energy – The total installed capacity of grid interactive renewable power has reached about 25,000 MW by the end of 2011-12.Of this, about 5,000 MW generation capacity was added during 2011-12, which is the highest ever renewable capacity addition in any one yearIndia has emerged has emerged as a leader in Asia, and holds 4th rank worldwide in wind power.Nearly 99 % Enrolment at Primary Level by successfully implementing the “Right to Education Act”. Making Education a Fundamental Right to All Citizens guaranteed by the Constitution.Literacy rate in India is now 74 ( Males- 82.1 and Females- 65.5)A substantial increase from the figures , 10 years ago, ushered by Social Revolution by UPAGross enrolment in higher education, which was 12.3 % in 2006-07, has gone up to 18 % in 2011-12.A provision has been made for central assistance for setting up of a model degree college in each of the identified 374 educationally backward districts where Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for higher education is less. Out of 153 proposals received, 78 have been approved and 42 are under process.Massive Expansion in Higher Education – 7 NEW IIM’S , 8 NEW IIT’S, 10 NEW NITs EstablishedSince the RTE Act, 2,14,561 Primary and 1,76,361 Upper Primary schools have been sanctioned under SSA till date , of which 96% are operational479 residential schools/ hostels to cater to 66,181 children have been sanctioned under SSA out of which 432 are functional.Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas for Upper primary girls-3609 sanctioned, 3501 operational with enrolment of 3.2 lakhs girls.19,76,502 teacher posts have been sanctioned under SSA, 12,34,016 have been recruited9.94 crore children were supplied free text books in 2012Uniforms to all girls, SC, ST and BPL children, have been provided for 504.83 lakh children.Special training for Out-of- School children for age appropriate admission in regular schools has been provided for 27.89 lakh children10.54 crore children studying in 12.31 lakh institutions have availed of the Mid Day Meal.Under the scheme for setting up of 6,000 model schools at Block level at the rate of one school per block 1,880 model schools have been sanctioned out of 2,266 which are approvedSaakshar Bharat has been sanctioned in 372 out of 410 targeted eligible districts in 25 statesAbout 15.7 lakh literacy learning centres are functioning in different States of the Country.Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan established its 07 new Regional Offices4752 primary and secondary get IT InfrastructureTeacher Education Scheme – Strengthening of existing institutes of advanced and upgradation of departments of education of universities into institutes of advanced study in education\116. Block institutes of Teacher Education (BITEs) in 196 identified SC/ST/Minority concentration districts16 new Central Universities established10 new National Institutes of Technology (NIT’s) established. 5 new Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER’s) established2 new School of Planning and Architecture established, 6 new Law Universities establishedThe Scheme for setting up of 20 new IIITs in PPP mode. 15 State Governments having identified land for setting up of the Institutes. Bill in this regard already introduced in Lok SabhaA grant was provided to set up 26 new polytechnics during the year 2011-12. In addition, the second and third installments were given to 85 and 92 polytechnics. 148 polytechnics were provided grant for women’s hostels.Under National Mission for Information & Communication Technology (ICT) in Education- Virtual Private Networks and internet connections have been provided to 392 universities and 18,189 colleges/polytechnics across the country.Advanced Version of Aakash-2 Tablet was launched on 11th Nov, 2012. In the first phase 1,00,000 tablets are being distributed for the purpose of testing by users all over India in different climatic and usage conditions.National Knowledge Network, connects all higher education institutes through via high speed broadband networkCommon Admission Examination Process with Weightage to Performance in Class 12th Board from 2013The Government has approved the proposal for Strengthening and Restructuring of ICDS Scheme with an over-all budget allocation of Rs. 1,108,503 crore during 12th Five Year PlanIndia’s Life Expectancy has been increased to 66.1 (2010) from 61.9 (2000)Life Expectation at Birth increased to 69.6 for Females and 67.3 for MalesSince the launch of the National Rural Health Mission, over 1.57 lakh personnel have been added to the health system during 2005-12.Infrastructure has been strengthened by taking up 594 District Hospitals, 2,721 Community Health Centres, 5,459 Primary Health Centres and 31,001 Sub-Centres for new construction or renovation.The Crude Birth Rate (CBR) at the National Level at 22.1 in 2010 declined 1.7 points over 2005-12 The Crude Death Rate during the same period ndeclined by 0.4 points.Infant Mortality Rate has registered a decline from 58 per 1000 live births in 2005 to 44 per 1000 live births in 2011The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) which stood to 2.88 in 2004 declined to 2.5 in 2010The Maternal Mortality Ratio declined from 254 in 2004-06 to 212 in 2007-09Over 8.6 Lakh ASHAs appointed to act as bridge between the communities and the health facilities in villagesA total of 70,000 beds have been increased in government health institutions for provision of essential and emergency services.Scheme for the promotion of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls of rural areas in the age group of 10-19 years covering 1.5 crore girls in 152 districts of 20 states. Girls get sanitary napkins at Rs1 per pack of 6No polio case has been reported in the country since January 2011 owing to immunization drives. The World Health Organisation has taken India out of the list of polio-endemic countries.Mortality due to Kala-Azar has shown a declining trend. The total number of reported Dengue cases was also lower in 2011 as compared to 2010.HIV – The numbers of new annual infections have decreased by 56% over the past decade and the epidemic has begun to stabilize. NACP- III has been acclaimed globally as a successful programme.The Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, came into existence as a separate Ministry with effect from 30 January, 2006.Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 – was passed by Parliament in May, 2012 to address the issue of child sexual abuse,Under Integrated Child Protection Scheme – 548 Child Welfare Committees and 561 Juvenile Justice Boards have now been established.Emergency Outreach Services through Childline 1098 has been expanded to 264 cities/districts of the countryThe National Mission for Empowerment of Women (NMEW) was launched by the Government of India on International Women’s Day in 2010 strengthen the inter-sector convergence . Mission headed by Prime Minister of IndiaGovernment has launched an Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Campaign against malnutrition with pro-bono services from Shri Aamir KhanSexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act was passed by Parliament on February 26, 2013ICDS Scheme has been universalised with effect from 2008-09. There were just 5267 Projects-operational under ICDS in 2004. Now there are 13.71 lakhsA total of 9.72 Crore (9,72,655,22 ) beneficiaries have benefitted through the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) as on January, 2013 out out which 7.46 Crore (7,46,809,32) are children in the age group of 0-6 yearsThere are 13.71 lakhs as on January 2013. The restructured and strengthened ICDS is been Anganwadi centres rolled out in 3 phases with focus on the 200 high burden districts for malnutrition during 2012-13 and additional 200 districts in 2013-14 including districts from the special category States and NER and the remaining districts in 2014-15.