Latest news with #New-Delhi
Indian Express
14-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Bengaluru civic body to spend over Rs 50 crore on consultancy firms for big-ticket infra projects
Rs 53.7 crore. That is how much the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is set to spend on consultancy firms and financial advisors as part of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's Brand Bengaluru initiatives aimed at decongesting the state capital and streamlining mobility in the city. The BBMP has already spent over Rs 14 crore on preparing a detailed project report (DPR) and a pre-feasibility report for the tunnel road and elevated corridor projects in Bengaluru. This includes Rs 9.5 crore paid to Rodic Consultants for a DPR of the 18-km Hebbal-Silk Board tunnel road and Rs 4.7 crore to Turkey-based Altinok Consulting for the feasibility study, which proposes a 170-km network including the 46-km tunnel roads (North-South and East-West corridors) and 124.7 km of elevated corridors, double-deckers, and underpasses. Additionally, the BBMP is set to spend over Rs 9 crore after shortlisting Rodic Consultants once again for preparing the DPR of the east-west tunnel road connecting KR Puram and Nayandahalli. The BBMP is also set to incur a cost of Rs 22 crore for consultancy services from like Siddhi Consulting Engineers, Nagesh Consultants, and Infra Support for preparing the DPR for four elevated corridors. Further, BBMP has also hired Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as financial advisors for 21 weeks at a cost of Rs 8.5 crore. This comes close on the heels of the state government appointing BCG as financial advisors at a cost of Rs 9.5 crore primarily to address financial pressures and boost revenue to fund its ambitious welfare schemes and infrastructure projects. The mandate was to enhance tax and non-tax revenues, streamline expenditures, plug financial leakages, and explore innovative funding sources like public-private partnerships (PPPs). According to BBMP officials, New-Delhi based Rodic Consultants, which was criticised for its 'shoddy' executive summary of the north-south tunnel road DPR, has once again been shortlisted by the civic agency. In fact, a three-member panel headed by BMRCL executives was also formed to verify the technical and other aspects of the DPR. Meanwhile, the government is yet to officially approve the BBMP's decision to go ahead with the only single bid of Rodic Consultants for preparing the east-west tunnel road DPR. The New Delhi-based consultancy firm came under severe public scrutiny for an alleged 'copy-paste' job of the north-south tunnel road project DPR. The BBMP also slapped a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the firm for a 'compiling error' during preparation of the executive summary of the DPR. The civic agency has shortlisted Siddhi Consulting Engineers for preparing a DPR for an elevated corridor connecting Old Madras Road to Madiwala. Nagesh Consultants will be tasked with a DPR for a flyover/underpass along Kanakapura Road, and Infra Support is shortlisted for preparing a DPR for an elevated corridor connecting Nagawara and Bagalur Junction and a corridor connecting Old Madras Road and Yeshwantpur. 'The objective is to plan for road infrastructure that will last in Bengaluru for the next 25-30 years. We have given the consultants 60 days to prepare the DPR for the four elevated corridor projects. The government is yet to approve it,' said a BBMP official. The consultants have been tasked with developing comprehensive traffic surveys, alignment plans, land acquisition schedules (if any), structural designs and other related detailed field studies. Meanwhile, the Karnataka government has allocated a budget of Rs 7,000 crore for the BBMP in 2025-26. Additionally, the government has stood as a guarantor for Rs 19,000 crore to support the BBMP's Rs 40,000-crore tunnel road projects. Criticising the staggering consultancy expenditure, Satya Arikutharam, an urban mobility expert, said, 'It is becoming clearer that the yet-to-be-established BMLTA's (Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority) oversight is sorely missed by the city. The BBMP's consultancy expedition is not only wasteful, it also severely hurts the cause of sustainable public transport.' 'Expect multiple Ejipuras dotting the city for decades if the government succeeds in pushing these half-baked schemes,' Arikutharam added, referring to the long-delayed construction of a flyover at Ejipura in the city. Sanath Prasad is a senior sub-editor and reporter with the Bengaluru bureau of Indian Express. He covers education, transport, infrastructure and trends and issues integral to Bengaluru. He holds more than two years of reporting experience in Karnataka. His major works include the impact of Hijab ban on Muslim girls in Karnataka, tracing the lives of the victims of Kerala cannibalism, exploring the trends in dairy market of Karnataka in the aftermath of Amul-Nandini controversy, and Karnataka State Elections among others. If he is not writing, he keeps himself engaged with badminton, swimming, and loves exploring. ... Read More
Indian Express
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Karnataka RTE admissions in private schools drop by 98% since 2019: Report
Karnataka's implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act has seen a drastic decline in compliance since 2019, with entry-level admissions dropping by 98.87 per cent from 1,16,273 in 2018-19 to just 1,312 in 2023-24, according to a report by Indus Action, a New-Delhi based policy implementation organisation. In recent years, this figure has remained low, hovering just over 1,500 annually, placing Karnataka significantly behind other South Indian states like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in ensuring educational access for disadvantaged children. From 1.16 lakh in 2018-19, the number dropped to 1,795 in 2019-20, 1,713 in 2020-21, and 1,412 in 2021-22, before rising slightly to 1,512 in 2022-23. The decline in RTE admissions coincides with a 2019 amendment to Karnataka's RTE rules, specifically Rule 4, which exempts private unaided schools from admitting RTE quota students if a government or aided school exists in the locality. According to the Indus Action report, this policy change led to a 98 per cent reduction in participating private schools, from 12,165 in 2018-19 to 221 by 2020-21. The report also showed that in Bengaluru, no private schools are covered under the RTE quota for the 2024-25 academic year, effectively barring disadvantaged students from accessing private education in the city. In contrast, Tamil Nadu has maintained robust RTE compliance, with 56,166 to 74,283 admissions annually between 2019 and 2022, supported by over 8,200 participating private schools – approximately 40 times Karnataka's recent figures. Andhra Pradesh, despite delaying RTE implementation until 2022-23, recorded 28,998 admissions in its first full year, with 9,607 private schools participating by 2024-25, surpassing Karnataka's numbers by over 43 times. Telangana is set to begin RTE implementation in 2025-26, while Kerala has opted out of the RTE admission provisions. Despite the sharp decline in admissions and participating schools, Karnataka has maintained annual RTE reimbursement funding at approximately Rs 200 crore from 2019-20 to 2024-25, with a slight dip to Rs 191.81 crore in 2022-23. 'This indicates that while financial commitments remain, the policy shift has severely restricted new admissions, denying an estimated 1.2 lakh children annually access to private school education under the RTE Act,' said Tarun Cherukuri, Founder and CEO, Indus Action. He added, 'Research demonstrates that RTE's benefits extend beyond individual students to create more inclusive learning environments that benefit all children. Parents of RTE beneficiaries have reported significant positive outcomes, including access to English-medium education, greater participation in extracurricular activities, and notably increased confidence in their children.' Cherukuri also recommended, 'Karnataka government should urgently reconsider its approach to RTE implementation by revoking Rule 4 to restore the original intent and scope of RTE Section 12(1)(c); reopen approximately 12,000 private schools to disadvantaged students, extending RTE provisions to grades 9 and 10 and allow students to complete their education in the same school which will potentially benefit up to 1.2 lakh children annually through restored implementation.' An official from the Department of School Education stated, 'The lack of RTE seats in private schools, particularly in Bengaluru, is due to the amendment. Additionally, parents' preference for better private schools over available government or budget private schools has further reduced admissions.'
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Indian mills sign contracts to export 600,000 metric tons of sugar
By Rajendra Jadhav MUMBAI (Reuters) - Indian mills have contracts to export 600,000 metric tons of sugar in the 2024/25 marketing year ending in September, but are reluctant to sign further export deals as local prices have increased, five industry officials told Reuters. The slower pace of shipments from India, the world's second biggest sugar producer, will support global prices, which are trading near their lowest level in three years. After halting exports last year to calm domestic prices, India in January allowed exports of 1 million tons of sugar during the current season to help mills to export surplus stocks. But as domestic sugar prices strengthen and are expected to rise further because of lower production and anticipated summer season demand, a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm said, exports had slowed this month after picking up last month. All the sources declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak to the press. India's sugar output for the 2024/25 marketing year is expected to fall to 25.8 million tons compared to annual consumption of 29 million tons. Consumption of cold drinks and ice cream rises in India during the summer months, roughly from mid-March to mid-June, boosting demand for sugar to sweeten them. Mills have dispatched around 250,000 tons of the 600,000 tons in export contracts signed since January, another New-Delhi based dealer said. Indian prices of low-quality white sugar are hovering nearly $20 per ton above London futures, prompting buyers to source better-quality Brazilian sugar that is available at the same price, said another Mumbai-based dealer with a trade house. India, which sells sugar to countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates, was the world's No. 2 exporter during the five years to 2022-23, with volumes averaging 6.8 million tons annually. Despite the current slowdown, mills will be able to export the entire quota of 1 million tons, said Prakash Naiknavare, managing director of the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Ltd. "Mills have plenty of time. They can export sugar anytime they find a good price until the end of September," Naiknavare said.
Zawya
12-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Indian mills sign contracts to export 600,000 metric tons of sugar
Indian mills have contracts to export 600,000 metric tons of sugar in the 2024/25 marketing year ending in September, but are reluctant to sign further export deals as local prices have increased, five industry officials told Reuters. The slower pace of shipments from India, the world's second biggest sugar producer, will support global prices , which are trading near their lowest level in three years. After halting exports last year to calm domestic prices, India in January allowed exports of 1 million tons of sugar during the current season to help mills to export surplus stocks. But as domestic sugar prices strengthen and are expected to rise further because of lower production and anticipated summer season demand, a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm said, exports had slowed this month after picking up last month. All the sources declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak to the press. India's sugar output for the 2024/25 marketing year is expected to fall to 25.8 million tons compared to annual consumption of 29 million tons. Consumption of cold drinks and ice cream rises in India during the summer months, roughly from mid-March to mid-June, boosting demand for sugar to sweeten them. Mills have dispatched around 250,000 tons of the 600,000 tons in export contracts signed since January, another New-Delhi based dealer said. Indian prices of low-quality white sugar are hovering nearly $20 per ton above London futures, prompting buyers to source better-quality Brazilian sugar that is available at the same price, said another Mumbai-based dealer with a trade house. India, which sells sugar to countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates, was the world's No. 2 exporter during the five years to 2022-23, with volumes averaging 6.8 million tons annually. Despite the current slowdown, mills will be able to export the entire quota of 1 million tons, said Prakash Naiknavare, managing director of the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Ltd. "Mills have plenty of time. They can export sugar anytime they find a good price until the end of September," Naiknavare said. (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; editing by Barbara Lewis)
Reuters
12-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Indian mills sign contracts to export 600,000 metric tons of sugar
MUMBAI, March 12 (Reuters) - Indian mills have contracts to export 600,000 metric tons of sugar in the 2024/25 marketing year ending in September, but are reluctant to sign further export deals as local prices have increased, five industry officials told Reuters. The slower pace of shipments from India, the world's second biggest sugar producer, will support global prices , , which are trading near their lowest level in three years. After halting exports last year to calm domestic prices, India in January allowed exports of 1 million tons of sugar during the current season to help mills to export surplus stocks. But as domestic sugar prices strengthen and are expected to rise further because of lower production and anticipated summer season demand, a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm said, exports had slowed this month after picking up last month. All the sources declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak to the press. India's sugar output for the 2024/25 marketing year is expected to fall to 25.8 million tons compared to annual consumption of 29 million tons. Consumption of cold drinks and ice cream rises in India during the summer months, roughly from mid-March to mid-June, boosting demand for sugar to sweeten them. Mills have dispatched around 250,000 tons of the 600,000 tons in export contracts signed since January, another New-Delhi based dealer said. Indian prices of low-quality white sugar are hovering nearly $20 per ton above London futures, prompting buyers to source better-quality Brazilian sugar that is available at the same price, said another Mumbai-based dealer with a trade house. India, which sells sugar to countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates, was the world's No. 2 exporter during the five years to 2022-23, with volumes averaging 6.8 million tons annually. Despite the current slowdown, mills will be able to export the entire quota of 1 million tons, said Prakash Naiknavare, managing director of the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Ltd. "Mills have plenty of time. They can export sugar anytime they find a good price until the end of September," Naiknavare said. Get a look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets with the Morning Bid U.S. newsletter. Sign up here.
