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Business Standard
15 hours ago
- General
- Business Standard
What Drove UPSC CSE AIR 2 Animesh Pradhan to Mentor Aspirants Post Selection
'In the beginning, I struggled not because I lacked knowledge, but because I couldn't translate that knowledge into structured, time-bound answers that met the demand of UPSC Mains questions,' recalls Animesh Pradhan, who secured AIR 2 in UPSC CSE 2024. Working full-time at Indian Oil Corporation while preparing for the exam, Animesh had to master the art of writing crisp, well-argued answers under strict word and time limits. To refine this critical skill, he followed a disciplined routine—writing answers during his off hours, scanning and uploading them for review, and receiving detailed feedback from his mentors. For Animesh, the preparation journey was one filled with challenges. Reflecting on his journey, he acknowledges that many factors contributed to his success—his upbringing, schooling, college, peers, family, and most importantly, the mentors whose consistent feedback helped him improve step by step to emerge as a topper. Navigating Challenges Even with a fixed study routine, Animesh struggled to improve where it mattered most. Without regular feedback or someone to keep him accountable, he often fell into the trap of revising what he already knew—while ignoring the tougher, high-scoring areas that needed his focus the most. He knew he needed more than just motivation—he needed someone to help him spot the blind spots in his preparation, push him in the right direction, and course-correct before it was too late. This search for structured fault-finding and empathetic mentorship led him to the Ultimate Assessment Program at Civilsdaily IAS. There, he was paired with mentors who had recently been through the grind of UPSC themselves. They reviewed his weekly progress, helped him prioritize from the vast syllabus, and provided real-time course correction—ensuring he stayed on track. With just 5–6 hours of daily study while continuing his full-time job at Indian Oil Corporation, Animesh cleared the exam in his first attempt. Animesh's preparation journey became all the more challenging as he grappled with the profound personal loss of his mother during this time. Preparing alone was mentally draining for him and his peers couldn't understand what he was going through. Attributing his success to his mentor Animesh mentioned that Civilsdaily IAS supported him not just academically but also emotionally. His journey is a testament to the power of personalized mentorship in achieving success. From Mentee to Mentor Animesh always aspired to work at the grassroots level and give back to the future aspirants by helping them with a correct approach. Guidance plays a key role in an aspirant's preparation, especially from people who've already been through it all. It serves as a tool for fault-finding, course correction and moral support, ensuring steady improvement till the day of the final exam. Many aspirants get lost in the sea of preparation material, in this case, who is guiding the journey becomes a key pillar. It is for this reason that before joining LBSNAA, Animesh chose to give back by becoming a mentor in the very same program that had guided him to success. Having experienced firsthand the impact of personalized mentorship, he saw this as an opportunity to help other aspirants find clarity in their preparation, refine their strategies, and avoid the common pitfalls that delay success. Clearing the UPSC exam isn't just about putting in long hours—it's about building a strategy tailored to each individual candidate. While most aspirants have access to the same reading materials, the real difference lies in knowing how to study, not just what to study.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Soon, a policy to help position UP as hub of sustainable aviation fuel
Lucknow: Finding potential in the evolving Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) sector, which is emerging as a key solution in the global effort to decarbonise aviation, the Uttar Pradesh govt is set to come up with a SAF manufacturing policy. A draft version of the policy, which will be effective for a period of five years from the date of promulgation, is now up for comments and suggestions. "The policy aims to position UP as a leading hub for SAF manufacturing in India, enhance energy security, support decarbonisation of the aviation sector, and generate green employment opportunities through innovation, investment, and public-private partnership," said a senior officer in the state govt. The officer informed that Invest UP will be the nodal agency for sanction and disbursement of fiscal incentives to SAF units that come up under the policy. As per the draft, in addition to the primary goals, the policy also aims to support research, innovation, and technology partnerships in SAF feedstock processing and fuel conversion. It seeks to create rural and urban green employment opportunities through feedstock supply chains and processing facilities, contribute to national climate goals and India's SAF blending targets, while enhancing energy security, among others. To achieve the goals, the state govt would roll out several fiscal and non-fiscal benefits to willing investors. For this, the draft policy first describes large and mega SAF units based on minimum capital investment. While those with a minimum investment of Rs 50 crore and up to Rs 199 crore will be called large, those with an investment of Rs 200 crore or more would be called mega. The incentive framework also spells out eligibility criteria to elaborate on the fiscal benefits the state govt would extend. The list includes a front-end land subsidy of 50% to units that come up in Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad and 75% in the rest of western UP and central UP districts. For districts in the eastern UP and Bundelkhand region, the incentive would be 80%. The list also includes stamp duty exemptions, waiver for land use conversion, exemption from developmental charges, capital subsidy, state GST reimbursement, interest subsidy, skill development subsidy, and reimbursement of patent registration fees, among others. The non-fiscal benefits include the development of aggregated feedstock procurement platforms to ensure a steady and quality supply of biomass, used cooking oil, and municipal waste. It will facilitate linkages with farmers, waste management bodies, and industries for feedstock supply contracts, and the development of dedicated SAF storage, blending, and distribution infrastructure at airports and fuel depots at strategic locations having high biowaste production in proximity to aviation zones. The state govt will promote feedstock certification and sustainability standards to ensure compliance and market acceptance, among others. Companies like Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum are actively exploring partnerships and pilot projects to commercialise SAF technologies. Moreover, global players like Boeing and Airbus have entered collaborations with Indian institutions to develop indigenous SAF solutions.
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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Indian Oil finalises India's largest green hydrogen project at Panipat
State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has finalised the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCoH) for setting up a 10,000 tonnes per annum green hydrogen generation unit at its Panipat refinery and petrochemical complex in Haryana, advancing India's clean energy ambitions. "This marks IOC's entry into the green hydrogen space with India's largest-ever green hydrogen project to date," the firm said in a statement. IOC, however, did not give costing and other financial details. "Slated for commissioning by December 2027, the green hydrogen produced will replace fossil-derived hydrogen in refinery operations, resulting in substantial reduction in carbon emissions," it said. Hydrogen is a fuel that finds vast applications across industries ranging from oil refineries to steel plants and can power cars, trucks, trains, ships, and even industrial processes. It can be produced from a variety of sources. Green hydrogen is hydrogen gas produced by splitting water using renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, or hydropower. On burning, it produces only water. IOC said the Panipat project is fully aligned with the government's vision for National Green Hydrogen Mission and stands as a strategic initiative under the company's decarbonization roadmap. It also marks a major milestone in the company's journey towards achieving its net zero carbon emission target, reinforcing IOC's leadership in India's sustainable energy future, the statement added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Jet fuel price cut by 3% to ₹83,072/kl on softening global oil benchmarks
The price of jet fuel, or ATF, was on Sunday slashed by 3 per cent - the third straight monthly reduction on softening international benchmark prices. The fall in international benchmark oil and gas prices also led to a Rs 24 per 19-kg cylinder cut in rate of commercial LPG used in hotels and restaurants. The price of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) was reduced by Rs 2,414.25 per kilolitre, or 2.82 per cent, to Rs 83,072.55 per kl in the national capital - home to one of the busiest airports in the country, according to state-owned fuel retailers. The price cut follows a 4.4 per cent (Rs 3,954.38 per kl) reduction on May 1 and a steep 6.15 per cent (Rs 5,870.54 per kl) reduction effected from April 1. Together with Sunday's reduction, the price cuts have more than offset the hikes that occurred earlier this year. A reduction in price of ATF will ease the burden on commercial airlines, for whom fuel makes up for almost 40 per cent of the operating cost. No immediate comments could be obtained from the airlines on the price reduction. The ATF price in Mumbai was slashed to Rs 77,602.73 per kl from Rs 79,855.59, while those in Chennai and Kolkata were reduced to Rs 86,103.25 and Rs 86,052.57 per kl, respectively. Oil firms also reduced the price of commercial LPG by Rs 24 per 19-kg cylinder. Commercial LPG now costs Rs 1,723.50 in the national capital and Rs 1,647.50 in Mumbai. This reduction follows a Rs 14.50 cut on May 1 and a Rs 41 per cylinder cut in rate effected on April 1. International oil prices have softened in the last couple of months as global trade war eroded the outlook for fuel demand. Prices of ATF and LPG differ from state to state depending on the incidence of local taxes, including VAT. The rate of cooking gas used in domestic households, however, remained unchanged at Rs 853 per 14.2-kg cylinder. The price of the domestic LPG was hiked by Rs 50 per cylinder in April. State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) revise prices of ATF and cooking gas on the first of every month based on the average price of benchmark international fuel and foreign exchange rate. While international oil prices have softened, domestic rates of petrol and diesel continue to remain frozen. Rates were cut by Rs 2 per litre in mid-March last year, ahead of the general elections. Petrol costs Rs 94.72 a litre in Delhi, while diesel is priced at Rs 87.62.
New Indian Express
30-05-2025
- New Indian Express
No shelter, loo or water; IOC bus terminus in Tondiarpet is a nightmare for public
CHENNAI: For over four decades, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) bus terminus on Ennore High Road near Tondiarpet has been in a state of neglect, lacking amenities. Despite being a vital transport link for residents in and around IOC, the terminus continues to function without a shelter, toilet, drinking water, or seating arrangement. Commuters, including the elderly, schoolchildren, and officegoers, are forced to endure harsh weather conditions year-round. With no seat available, many passengers are left with no choice but to seek shelter under the lone tree at the edge of the vast, open terminus. This limited space is also shared by bus drivers and conductors, who have no designated area to rest between trips. Buses operating from the terminus include Route 44 Cut Service (to Broadway) and the C1 Mini Bus (IOC to IOC). Each of the 10 to 11 buses make around 16 round trips (up and down) per day to these destinations. Hundreds of commuters from the IOC vicinity rely on the terminus to travel to the high court, Beach Station, RSRM and metro stations at Tondiarpet and Washermenpet. To make matters worse, the terminus still lacks proper toilet facilities. As a result, drivers, conductors and even passengers, including women, are often forced to relieve themselves behind nearby bushes, a short distance from the terminus. A bus conductor said, 'During the Covid-19 pandemic, some temporary toilets were set up at the terminus. However, once the pandemic was over, the officials claimed the contractor's term had ended and removed the toilets. We repeatedly requested for the toilets to be retained, but in vain. At least staff heading to Broadway can use the facilities there, but C1 conductors who start from IOC and end the trip here have to use open spaces.' The staff added, 'Even the lights in the time schedule shed are switched on only after 6 pm because they are connected to the street lighting. There is no separate power connection for the shed. We have to buy even drinking water.' A 60-year-old shopkeeper, who regularly witnesses the plight of commuters, said, 'During peak hours several schoolchildren and office goers use the terminus. In the past four decades, we have heard only empty election promises.' A senior corporation official told TNIE, 'Work has been tendered out and will start soon.'
