Author: admin

Why logistics business is failing in Tamil Nadu

India is one of the largest economies in the world and a major emerging market that has a young population, rising investment rates, large domestic demand and globally competitive firm. Even though, the unexpected global crisis has taken its toll on the economy, it is predicted that India will become the third largest economy by the year 2025 after China and the USA and has awakened the interest of significant investors. The transport and logistics sector are fundamental to the development of a country, especially so in India where it is estimated to provide employment for 45 million people.  Multimodal …

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A CONCISE LOOK INTO THE INDIAN SAND MINERALS INDUSTRY

Heavy mineral deposits of Manavalakuruchi in the state of Travancore (now Tamilnadu ) was discovered by Schomberg , a German chemist in 1909 which was proved richer and economical compared to rest of the world . Interestingly, Mineral sands then mined from rich seasonal Beach washings for only one mineral i.e. Monazite, which produce incandescence by infusing the paraffin mantle in a solution of thorium and cerium compounds, lost its worth due to arrival of filament lamp. During World War I, the British seized the German -sponsored company and Schomberg was arrested and sent to Madras. The interest of monazite …

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Ilmenite map of the world

One of the most economically important mineral, Ilmenite is used as a major ore of titanium, a minor ore of iron, and as a flux in blast furnaces. The name Ilmenite comes from its type locality in the Ilmen Mountains, Miask in the southern portion of the Ural Mountains of Russia.  Iron-black or steel-gray, Ilmenite is a titanium-iron oxide mineral. It is most used as an abrasive and as mineral specimens. It is formed as a primary mineral in igneous rocks. Most of the ilmenite is mined for the production of titanium dioxide production. Finely ground titanium dioxide is a …

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Goa Mining Dependent Protest at Delhi

Galaxy of leaders pledge support to mining dependents Rahul, Uddhav, Kejriwal and Pawar likely to join three-day protest in New Delhi – PANJIM: Rahul Gandhi, Usdhav Thackeray Arvind Kejriwal, Sharad Pawar and Prafulla Patel are some of the national leaders likely to join the three-day sit in protest called by mining dependents at Ram Leela Maidan and Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from December 11 We have invited all and they have confirmed their presence, Goa Mining People’s Front (GMPF) leader Puti Gaonkar said. Congress president Gandhi along with AICC secretary and Goa desk incharge Dr Chellakumar State unit president Girish …

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The Curious Case of The Amicus Curiae

An Amicus curiae by definition is a ‘friend of the court’ who assists the court to arrive at an informed decision by offering clear, unbiased, expert opinion about the issue before it. But strangely, in the case against private beach sand mineral miners of TN, the appointed amicus curie’s opinion is grossly deficient in all the three – clarity, neutrality and expertise. The amicus curiae report defeats the very purpose for which it was sought. To understand that purpose, let’s do a quick scan of the background of the case. The chief allegations against the miners are these That illegal …

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Delays Have Dangerous Ends!

Defer no time. Delays have dangerous ends! –  William Shakespeare (Henry VI Part 1) These words of the immortal wordsmith echo in an ominous tone, the doom that awaits Tamilnadu if it doesn’t change its course. Wait. Does that sound too morose and melodramatic? Maybe! But I have my reasons. Read on… Last week, newspapers reported the results of a survey by NewDelhi based Institute of Economic Group on how Indian states fared in specific parameters of ease of doing business. And one of the findings that fix a frown on my face is this – Tamilnadu is one of the worst states when it comes …

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Part 5 Adding ‘Responsibility’ to Mining – Environmental responsibilities

Now finally, we are on to suffixing the last and unarguably the most important set of responsibilities to Mining – the Environmental responsibilities. ‘Environment’ and ‘Mining’ are terms that we generally put on opposite sides of the boxing ring. We are so used to the antithetical posturing of the two, that it seems stilted to string them together for a peaceful and profitable co-existence. But if you brush aside all those negative preconceptions, you will find that mining can be done with a consciousness for the environment and that is precisely what we call responsible mining. The IRMA standards prescribe …

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Ready to fire. Ready to retire.

When I read the review of the book – Ready To Fire: How India and I Survived the ISRO Spy Case by Nambi Narayanan (Author), Arun Ram (Author) I decided to give it a read for its intrigue and plot.  To be honest, I took it as a work of fiction. Personally, I have never been so keen on updating myself on the affairs of the state. So you need to know that I spend a lot of time on the fictional realm indulging my intellectual hunger with the ephemeral and transient. I like the dark unknown realm for it cranks up my …

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A lesson From China – Coastal Economy

Of the many setbacks that the mining industry faces, one was highlighted in a report published in Business Standard last week- steep logistics cost! According to the report, logistics costs is the stone tied to the legs of our mining companies, the load that slows them down in a fiercely competitive global race. India’s logistics cost as a percentage of GDP is 14 %  against the US and Japan’s 10% and EU’s 11%. For the costs to come down, the constraints in infrastructure have to be dealt with. In a country like India where grave issues like poverty, poor health …

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A Carton of Contradictions!

‘“A bundle of Contradictions’ was the end of my previous letter and is the beginning of this one. Can you please tell me exactly what ‘a bundle of contradictions’ is? What does contradiction mean? Like so many words, it can be interpreted in two ways, a contradiction imposed from without and one imposed from within” – Anne Frank   In the last two entries of her now-famous diary, the precocious and courageous 15 year old tells us how people called her a bundle of contradictions and why they were right. Many of us go through that phase of duality on the road …

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