INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL AND MEDIUM TOWNS
    Since the Centrally sponsored Integrated Development of Small and Medium Towns (IDSMT) was launched in 1979-80, projects costing Rs. 1460.62 crores in 902 towns including 387 towns covered during Eighth Plan have been covered under the Scheme from 25 States and five Union Territories. Of the total cost, the Central assistance released was Rs.309.95 crores.

    The Ministry of Urban Affairs and Employment has provided Rs.55 crores for IDSMT during 1998-99. In the current financial year, priority will be accorded for funding ongoing projects. Besides, new projects in 35 towns are intended to be covered under IDSMT during 1998-99.

    IDSMT is in operation in all the States. It aims at the development of selected regional growth centres with infrastructure and service facilities to enable such towns to emerge as regional centres of economic growth and employment opportunities. The projects intend to arrest migration from rural areas and small towns to large and metropolitan cities.

    Towns and Country Planning Organisation (TCPO) of the Ministry of Urban Affairs and Employment is monitoring and evaluating IDSMT projects at the Central level.
    IDSMT projects cover small and medium towns upto population of five lakhs. The number of small and medium towns in the country according to 1991 census is 3643.

 
ALL INDIA CONFERENCE ON BENCHMARKING INAUGURATED
 
    The first ever 'All India Conference on Benchmarking' under the aegis of National Productivity Council and the Asian Productivity Council Organisation was inaugurated here today by Shri Nitish Kumar, Union Minister of Railways. The Minister said that benchmarking contributes to change in the mind-set in every organisation whether it is private or public sector. He added that every Indian organisation needs to practice benchmarking and to insist, motivate and facilitate its employees to look for innovative ideas to be incorporated in its method of working. In this context, Shri Nitish Kumar referred to global organisations like General Electric, IBM, Xerox, Soni, ICI etc., who have extensively used benchmarking to achieve the kind of business success and reputation for excellence that they have. "In such highly successful organisations benchmarking process has been institutionalised to the extent that every activity is relentlessly moving towards world class practices", the Minister added.

    In his key-note address, Shri N.Vittal, Chief Vigilance Commissioner said that benchmarking can be traced to the fantastic success of Japan in the 1960's right up to the 1990's. What Japan did, Shri Vittal said, was to look at the products and techniques developed elsewhere and then improve upon the pioneers. The Japanese method of success, he added, could be a very effective strategy that India can follow when it internalises benchmarking on a nation-wide scale ably, hopefully assisted by the National Productivity Council(NPC). He lauded the efforts of NPC to set up a benchmarking clearing house having data base on best practices and launch the country forward in this critical area.

    The 2-day All India Conference is being co-sponsored by Railway Board, Planning Commission, LIC, SAIL etc., and a good number of leading Indian and multinational consultancy organisations and industry experts will share their experience and expertise in this field with the participants
 
 

IRCON AND RITES PRESENT DIVIDEND CHEQUES TO RAILWAY MINISTER

    The Railway Minister Shri Nitish Kumar received yesterday a cheque of Rs.8.64 crore from Managing Director of IRCON International Limited, towards the dividend for the year 1997-98. He also received a cheque of Rs.1.3 crore from the Chairman, Rail India Technical and Economic Services Limited (RITES) towards dividend for the year. The Minister of State for Railways,Shri Ram Naik, Senior Officials of Railway Board, IRCON and RITES were present at the function.

    IRCON so far has paid total dividend of Rs.22.95 crores on the paid up capital of Rs.4.95 crores to the Ministry of Railways. It recorded a significant turnover of Rs.459.4 crores and profit before tax of Rs.50.3 crores during 1997-98. IRCON has recently been declared Mini Ratna by the Railway Ministry.

    RITES, a Government of India Enterprise under the Ministry of Railways has declared 100% dividend in the year 1997-98. It achieved a turnover of Rs.133 crore during 1997-98 against the previous year's performance of Rs.135 crores. Profit before tax of Rs.20 crores has been attained. For the sixth consecutive year, RITES has been adjudged "Excellent", the highest level of rating under the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Ministry of Railways.
 
 

WORKSHOP ON MASS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEMS
    A two-day workshop on Emerging Trends in"Mass Rapid Transit Systems" will begin here tomorrow to deliberate on various key issues on the system and to identify technically and financially innovative options. It also aims at evolving strategies for execution of new MRTS projects.
    The Railway Minister Shri Nitish Kumar will inaugurate the Workshop and the Minister of State for Railways Shri Ram Naik will preside over the function. It is being organised by the Institution of Electrical Engineers. Railways, particularly its electrical engineers have a very rich and long association in managing large scale suburban systems.

    The number of million plus cities is expected to be more than 50 by 2001. The cities of Mumbai, Delhi and Calcutta are projected to cross 12 million level and Chennai and Bangalore will cross 7 million mark. Picture beyond 2001 is much more acute. The explosion in urban population will perhaps be one of the biggest challenges and would have important bearing on the quality of life of the inhabitants. So, there is a crying need for developing "Mass Rapid Transit Systems"(MRTS) and other rail based systems in various cities.

 
 
CBSE TO ORGANISE COUNTRYWIDE MATHEMATICS WORKSHOPS
    NThe Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will organise 20 mathematics workshops throughout the country as part of "Operation Mathematics" which was launched by the Minister of Human Resource Development, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi in September. This is for teachers teaching math in classes IX and X. These will focus on transactional strategies for difficult concepts related to different content areas of the syllabus. Through these programmes the teachers will be made aware to common errors and mistakes committed by the students so that remedial measures can be taken.

The participants of the workshops will also be facilitated with the use of marking schemes devised by the CBSE to achieve optimum objectivity in evaluation.

"Operation Mathematics" is a multi-dimensional countrywide programme for creating awareness and interest in students for math and the orientation of mathematics teachers in CBSE affiliated schools. It is aimed at sensitising the teachers to the need for demystification of the subject, creating awareness amongst the institutions about the necessary steps to be taken to enhance academic achievement of math learners, empowering the participants for improved curricular transaction in math and enhancing the quality of evaluation.