India politics thread

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has announced that the ‘surplus rice’ available with the Food Corporation of India will be “allowed to be converted to ethanol for utilisation in making alcohol-based hand-sanitizers”.

The announcement came after a meeting of the National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC) chaired by petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan. It cited the National Policy on Biofuels 2018, which says that if in a particular year there is projected to be excess supply of food grains, these surplus quantities can be converted into ethanol.

The ministry has so far not clarified what it means by ‘surplus quantities of rice’, at what price it intends to buy the rice from FCI and when.

“I am surprised that at this time we are talking about converting rice into sanitisers. Millions who are outside PDS are on the brink of starvation. We are already getting reports of hunger deaths from so many states across the country. At this time, the focus of the government should be on finding ways to ensure that the excess grain is distributed to those who need them and not on making sanitisers,” said politician and social scientist Yogendra Yadav.

Several hundreds of million who are outside the public distribution system net also face food insecurity, particularly now when incomes of several have been brought either to zero or close to zero.
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https://thewire.in/government/pds-rice-ethanol-sanitiser
 
berbatrick said:
https://thewire.in/government/pds-rice-ethanol-sanitiser
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I found this weird as well. Something isn't quite adding up, irrespective of how inefficient a government is, they won't use rice fit for human consumption for making Hand Sanitizers.

When they mean surplus, is it after accounting for the rice that's distributed through the PDS. I.e Difference between Minimum reserve and current balance?

Not sure if its the most tone sensitive given the time. But unless they can find a way to send some of that rice to the people, I'd rather they use it for something rather than let it rot in the reserves.

The government on Monday approved that surplus rice available with Food Corporation of India (FCI) can be converted into ethanol in order to manufacture alcohol-based hand sanitisers and also for blending with petrol.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC).

"A meeting of NBCC was held today under the Chairmanship of the Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan, wherein it was approved that the surplus rice available with FCI may be converted to ethanol for utilization in making alcohol-based hand-sanitizers and in blending for Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme," the petroleum ministry said in a statement.

National Policy on Biofuels, 2018 envisages that during an agriculture crop year when there is projected over supply of food grains, the policy will allow conversion of these surplus quantities of food grains to ethanol, based on the approval of NBCC, it added.

Recently, the government allowed sugar companies and distilleries to make hand sanitizers using ethanol. Sugar companies supply ethanol to oil marketing companies for blending with petrol.

Sugar industry body had said last week said that a majority of sugar companies decided to make hand sanitizers to supply to hospitals and institutions by using a part of the ethanol/ENA production.

"Some of them are supplying the sanitizers at cost price or even free of cost. With the State Excise department and State Drug Controllers giving full cooperation, this new segment of production of hand sanitizers has been successfully launched very quickly by most of the sugar companies," ISMA added.

According to an official data, the government has a total of 58.49 million tonne of foodgrains in the FCI godowns.

Out of this, rice is 30.97 million tonnes and wheat 27.52 million tonnes.

The foodgrains stock is much higher than the required norm of maintaining a reserve of about 21 million tonnes as on April 1.

Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the government is supplying 5 kg of foodgrains per month to over 80 crore people at a highly subsidised price of Rs 2-3 per kg.

That apart, the Centre has decided to distribute 5 kg of foodgrains per person free of cost for the next three months to provide relief to poor people during the ongoing lockdown period
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Link

https://www.outlookindia.com/newssc...onvert-fcis-surplus-rice-into-ethanol/1809178


Adding a more detailed brief

The government on Monday allowed the conversion of surplus rice, available with the Food Corporation of India (FCI), to ethanol. The development comes at a time when loopholes in the Public Distribution System (PDS) are keeping people away from getting free or subsidised grains.

This will lead to utilisation of part of a huge stockpile of 30.57 million tonnes (mt) of rice (as of March 10) —almost 128 per cent more than the buffer stock and strategic requirement norms. Ethanol produced from this will be used for utilisation in making alcohol-based hand sanitizers and blending in petrol.

The decision was taken by a group of experts under the National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC), chaired by Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, on Monday. The National Policy on Biofuels, 2018, states that during an agriculture crop year, when there is projected oversupply of food grains as anticipated by the ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare, the policy will allow conversion of these surplus quantities of food grains to ethanol.

At present, the government is saddled with huge rice stock from previous years. The stock does not include the 19.23 mt of unmilled paddy lying with millers on behalf of FCI.

On March 26, the government had decided to give 5 kg wheat or rice and 1 kg of preferred pulses free of cost to 800 million people, under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

The 5 kg grains are over and above the regular PDS allotment. This will, according to estimates, absorb close to 11 mt more rice from the Centre’s pool.


However, many poor people are unable to get the benefit out of it, due to loopholes in the PDS network. For example, in several states, a large chunk of ration card holders may not be eligible for the free grains, as they are not covered under the food security act.

Other than this, the National Food Security Act implemented in 2013 based on the Census of 2011, had not factored in the population increase in over nine years, leaving a large chunk of people out of the government sop.

The government had already clarified that the disposal would be strictly monitored to allay any misconception that food stock was wasted for fuel, when millions of children remain malnourished.

Using surplus rice for ethanol will address the concern of about 750 million litres of grain-based distillery capacities lying idle, due to lack of feedstock, to some extent. Further, this would absorb some of the surplus rice lying with the FCI, which is estimated to be several times the required quantity.

The total capacity of grain-based distilleries in the country is close to 2 billion litres, of which around 38 per cent (750 million litres) was lying unused a few months back on account of lack of feedstock availability.
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Source: https://www.business-standard.com/article/printer-friendly-version?article_id=120042001529_1
 
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Clique said:
I found this weird as well. Something isn't quite adding up, irrespective of how inefficient a government is, they won't use rice fit for human consumption for making Hand Sanitizers.

When they mean surplus, is it after accounting for the rice that's distributed through the PDS. I.e Difference between Minimum reserve and current balance?

Not sure if its the most tone sensitive given the time. But unless they can find a way to send some of that rice to the people, I'd rather they use it for something rather than let it rot in the reserves.



Link

https://www.outlookindia.com/newssc...onvert-fcis-surplus-rice-into-ethanol/1809178


Adding a more detailed brief



Source: https://www.business-standard.com/article/printer-friendly-version?article_id=120042001529_1
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> However, many poor people are unable to get the benefit out of it, due to loopholes in the PDS network. For example, in several states, a large chunk of ration card holders may not be eligible for the free grains, as they are not covered under the food security act.
(from the outlook article you quoted).

As I said above, our PDS is a dysfunctional system, and we have the stored grains to distribute without using a BPL cards, using any ID at all will be ok.
 
India is in danger of beginning a cultist country like the US. I'm already starting to sense support for BJP from my Indian (Hindu) on site friends here. Nothing major, just certain eye brow raising supportive comments justifying BJP behaviour which Trump was getting pre his election from my American work colleagues. I fully understand the pain India has gone through with terrorists, etc, but the way to respond to them isn't to take India down the US route.

Worrying times for India, and the world if we're all headed in this direction.
 
Top members of BJP IT Cell






"How dare we can't spew Islamophobic venom while staying in gulf, how dare they can arrest us!"
 
Dumbstar said:
India is in danger of beginning a cultist country like the US. I'm already starting to sense support for BJP from my Indian (Hindu) on site friends here. Nothing major, just certain eye brow raising supportive comments justifying BJP behaviour which Trump was getting pre his election from my American work colleagues. I fully understand the pain India has gone through with terrorists, etc, but the way to respond to them isn't to take India down the US route.

Worrying times for India, and the world if we're all headed in this direction.
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:confused:

We're not in danger of becoming like the US. We're already much further down the communal/right winged shithole than the US.
 
milemuncher777 said:
Top members of BJP IT Cell






"How dare we can't spew Islamophobic venom while staying in gulf, how dare they can arrest us!"
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Ya I think this is a twitter thing only. At least right now, there are no substitutes for Modi. Shah doesn't have the charisma (plus he has to do organisational work) and Yogi is still new. Long term probably Yogi or somebody who made their name in the Delhi riots.
 
berbatrick said:
Ya I think this is a twitter thing only. At least right now, there are no substitutes for Modi. Shah doesn't have the charisma (plus he has to do organisational work) and Yogi is still new. Long term probably Yogi or somebody who made their name in the Delhi riots.
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Shah definitely won't be a PM candidate in near future. He lacks that oratory skill to make people buy all the BS. Yogi, he can be a contender, but don't think he has that pull among the urban population yet.
 
anant said:
Shah definitely won't be a PM candidate in near future. He lacks that oratory skill to make people buy all the BS. Yogi, he can be a contender, but don't think he has that pull among the urban population yet.
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With the right amount of whatsapp forwards and Congress-o-phobia, anyone can be a candidate with the TINA (There is no alternative) argument. So Yogi/Shah just need to catch hold of rural population which they could do easily in the Hindi belt, especially Yogi. And money and local leaders can ensure a few other states. People of Karnataka are anyways already in.
Also in coming years, I think BJP will push for a reorganisation of the MP seats based on population and thus many South Indian states (who don't vote for BJP) will be punished for their population control in last few decades. So in time,seats from South will become a lesser need, while capturing the Hindi belt will only matter.
 
RedDevil@84 said:
With the right amount of whatsapp forwards and Congress-o-phobia, anyone can be a candidate with the TINA (There is no alternative) argument. So Yogi/Shah just need to catch hold of rural population which they could do easily in the Hindi belt, especially Yogi. And money and local leaders can ensure a few other states. People of Karnataka are anyways already in.
Also in coming years, I think BJP will push for a reorganisation of the MP seats based on population and thus many South Indian states (who don't vote for BJP) will be punished for their population control in last few decades. So in time,seats from South will become a lesser need, while capturing the Hindi belt will only matter.
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Agreed, but what has worked in Modi's favour is that he has managed to create an image that he is incorruptable. I've had hundreds of arguments regarding this with friends, family and all and they believe that since he doesn't have a family, he wouldn't pull off scams. This argument might work for Yogi (and TBF I'm certain he'll become the PM one day unless we have full scale riots before that) but doesn't work for Shah.
 
MDFC Manager said:
Plus, the every increasing middle class numbers will comfortably win them all the elections that matter.
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True.
I don't think my educated, urban living, multi-religion interacting friends and neighbors are going to abandon BJP or its whatsapp universities in near future.
 
anant said:
Agreed, but what has worked in Modi's favour is that he has managed to create an image that he is incorruptable. I've had hundreds of arguments regarding this with friends, family and all and they believe that since he doesn't have a family, he wouldn't pull off scams. This argument might work for Yogi (and TBF I'm certain he'll become the PM one day unless we have full scale riots before that) but doesn't work for Shah.
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Agree. But the roots will be well dug in by the time Modi goes. That should help.
It also helps that Modi/Shah's stooges pretty much work in all departments now. So it is unlikely that the 2G type of thing comes out in near future. Any corruption will be brushed under the carpet for ages.
 
berbatrick said:
Ya I think this is a twitter thing only. At least right now, there are no substitutes for Modi. Shah doesn't have the charisma (plus he has to do organisational work) and Yogi is still new. Long term probably Yogi or somebody who made their name in the Delhi riots.
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Berba, I will gladly donate 50 pounds to charity if Yogi isn't the new BJP PM candidate at the next election. The fact he stayed away from his fathers funeral has bumbed him up in the eyes of Hindutva supporters.
 
RedTiger said:
Berba, I will gladly donate 50 pounds to charity if Yogi isn't the new BJP PM candidate at the next election. The fact he stayed away from his fathers funeral has bumbed him up in the eyes of Hindutva supporters.
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Just tell them how he broke the lockdown rules on Day 1.
 
milemuncher777 said:
Modi and his govt are all full of bigots. Just see the people he follows on twitter to know what kind of man he is. Dilemma for him is he can't repeat what his followers does so openly because he wants to project the image of himself and India as secular democratic nation in the world. But at home he wants to project himself as a leader of Hindutva, that's why the dog whistles every now and then during his speeches here.
Basically he's a wolf in sheep's clothing. His sanghi followers knows it and praise him for the way he seem to have concealed his bigotry outside of India. Don't think there's any chance of anyone from inside BJP toppling him.
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See your own posts below. As ive said previously the extremist always gets out of the hands of its original master. Modi knows this and that is why he stays mum most of the times because otherwise he'll be kicked to the curb in no time.

milemuncher777 said:
Top members of BJP IT Cell






"How dare we can't spew Islamophobic venom while staying in gulf, how dare they can arrest us!"
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Congress people are not helping their cause by giving this much importance to a journalist and asking their youth leaders to take action. If you really are this butthurt that this guy called sonia gandhi by her italian name then take the matter to the court(Imagine wasting court's time).
 
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