*🚩 श्री शारदा सर्वज्ञ पीठम 🚩*

*जय सत्य सनातन*

* युगाब्द-५१२५*

* विक्रमसंवत-२०८०*

* तिथि - षष्ठी दोपहर 02:03 तक तत्पश्चात सप्तमी*

*दिनांक - 01 फरवरी 2024*

*दिन - गुरूवार*

*अयन - उत्तरायण*

*ऋतु - शिशिर*

*मास - माघ*

*पक्ष - कृष्ण*

*नक्षत्र - चित्रा 02 फरवरी प्रातः 03:49 तक तत्पश्चात स्वाती*

*योग - धृति दोपहर 12:28 तक तत्पश्चात शूल*

*राहु काल - दोपहर 02:17 से 03:40 तक*

*सूर्योदय - 07:20*

*सूर्यास्त - 06:27*

*दिशा शूल - दक्षिण*

*ब्राह्ममुहूर्त - प्रातः 05:37 से 06:28 तक*

*निशिता मुहूर्त - रात्रि 12:27 से 01:19 तक*

*व्रत पर्व विवरण -*

*विशेष - नीम का फल या दातुन मुँह में डालने से नीच योनियों की प्राप्ति होती है । सप्तमी को ताड़ का फल खाया जाय तो वह रोग बढ़ानेवाला तथा शरीर का नाशक होता है । (ब्रह्मवैवर्त पुराण, ब्रह्म खंडः 27.29-34)*

*फरवरी मास की योगों व तिथियाँ*

* २ फरवरी : स्वामी विवेकानंद जयंती (ति. अ), स्वामी रामानंदाचार्य जयंती*

* ६ फरवरी : ष‌ट्तिला एकादशी (इस दिन स्नान, उबटन, जलपान, भोजन, दान व होम में तिल का उपयोग पापों का नाश करता है ।)*

* ७ फरवरी : प्रदोष व्रत*

* ८ फरवरी : मासिक शिवरात्रि, व्यतीपात योग (रात्रि ११:१० से ९ फरवरी रात्रि ७:०७ तक)*

* ९ फरवरी : माघ अमावस्या, मौनी-त्रिवेणी अमावस्या*

* १० फरवरी : पंचक आरम्भ ( सुबह १०:०२)*

* ११ फरवरी : चन्द्र दर्शन (शाम ६::२० से ०७:५५ तक)*

* १२ फरवरी : तीलकुन्द चतुर्थी*

* १३ फरवरी : मंगलवारी चतुर्थी (सूर्योदय से दोपहर २-४१ तक), विष्णुपदी संक्रांति (पुण्यकाल : सुबह ९-५१ से दोपहर ३-५४ तक) (इस दिन किये गये ध्यान, जप व पुण्यकर्म का फल लाख गुना होता है । - पद्म पुराण)*

* १४ फरवरी : मातृपितृ पूजन दिवस, वसंत पंचमी (इस दिन सारस्वत्य मंत्र का अधिक-से-अधिक जप करना चाहिए ।)*

* १६ फरवरी : माघ शुक्ल सप्तमी (इस दिन प्रातः पुण्यस्नान, व्रत करके गुरु का पूजन करनेवाला सम्पूर्ण माघ मास के स्नान का फल व वर्षभर के रविवार व्रत का पुण्य पा लेता है । यह सम्पूर्ण पापों को हरनेवाली व सुख-सौभाग्य की वृद्धि करनेवाली है ।)*

* १९ फरवरी : छत्रपति शिवाजी महाराज जयन्ती (दि. अ), भक्त पुंडलिक उत्सव (पंढरपुर), वसंत ऋतु प्रारम्भ*

* २० फरवरी : जया एकादशी*

* २१ फरवरी : श्री वराह द्वादशी, श्री भीष्म द्वादशी, प्रदोष व्रत*

* २२ फरवरी : माघ शुक्ल त्रयोदशी (इस दिन से माघी पूर्णिमा (२४ फरवरी) तक प्रातः पुण्यस्नान तथा दान, व्रतादि पुण्यकर्म करने से सम्पूर्ण माघ- स्नान का फल मिलता है । - पद्म पुराण), गुरुपुष्यामृत योग (सूर्योदय से शाम ४-४३ तक)*

* २४ फरवरी : माघी पूर्णिमा, माघ स्नान समाप्त, संत रविदास जयंती*

* २८ फरवरी : संकष्ट चतुर्थी (चंद्रोदय : रात्रि ९-४२), राष्ट्रीय विज्ञान दिवस*

*गुरुवार विशेष *

*हर गुरुवार को तुलसी के पौधे में शुद्ध कच्चा दूध गाय का थोड़ा-सा ही डाले तो, उस घर में लक्ष्मी स्थायी होती है और गुरूवार को व्रत उपवास करके गुरु की पूजा करने वाले के दिल में गुरु की भक्ति स्थायी हो जाती है ।*

*गुरुवार के दिन देवगुरु बृहस्पति के प्रतीक आम के पेड़ की निम्न प्रकार से पूजा करें :*

*एक लोटा जल लेकर उसमें चने की दाल, गुड़, कुमकुम, हल्दी व चावल डालकर निम्नलिखित मंत्र बोलते हुए आम के पेड़ की जड़ में चढ़ाएं ।* 

  

*ॐ ऐं क्लीं बृहस्पतये नमः ।*

* फिर उपरोक्त मंत्र बोलते हुए आम के वृक्ष की पांच परिक्रमा करें और गुरुभक्ति, गुरुप्रीति बढ़े ऐसी प्रार्थना करें । थोड़ा सा गुड़ या बेसन की मिठाई चींटियों को डाल दें ।*

*गुरुवार को बाल कटवाने से लक्ष्मी और मान की हानि होती है ।* 

*गुरुवार के दिन तेल मालिश हानि करती है । यदि निषिद्ध दिनों में मालिश करनी ही है तो ऋषियों ने उसकी भी व्यवस्था दी है । तेल में दूर्वा डाल के मालिश करें तो वह दोष चला जायेगा ।*

Oil & Gas: Pre Budget Reflections

Oil & Gas Best Sellers!

During the course of last Budget presentation there was much brouhaha on Capital Investment Outlay. It was pegged at Rs 10 Lakh Crore, a whopping increase of 33%, being 3.3% of GDP. This allocation was to galvanize economic growth and create employment opportunities. The final acts of Annual Budget ritual, for 2024-25, are on. Halwa has already been partaken(sic). As expected, a number of analysis, projections and expectations are doing the rounds. Although, the road shows of publicly ruminating before the Finance Minister, on Live Television, seem to be absent, this time round. For those, who are somewhat parochially involved in a particular sector, a few quick insights, are simply unmissable.

As per information available in public domain, for 23-24, GDP at current rates is expected to be Rs 296.58 Lakhs, indicating a growth rate of 8.9%. This is substantially lower than 16.1% growth in the previous year. While employment generated data for 23-24 is not readily available on a consolidated basis, Forbes has cited that in year 2023 unemployment rate is to be 10.05% (in Oct) which is higher than 7.33% in 2022. Well statistics can be damn lies. Some news, has been circulating recently, in the Energy Circles that the Government is thinking of withdrawing its benevolent hand from backing up PSU Oil & Gas companies on Capital Expenditure. This, indeed is worrying. In fact, a sum of Rs 35,000 Crore had been kept for priority capital investments regarding energy transitions and net zero objectives. Rs 30,000 Crore was earmarked for State Owned Fuel Retailers and rest for Strategic Petroleum Reserves. Now interestingly, due to shortfalls in revenue and lower receipts from Sale of PSUs, the Government is reconsidering capital investment allocations. The sales of PSUs was to fetch Rs 51,000 Crores but got only Rs10,050 Crores. The Government has yet to declare its intentions publicly. However, PSUs like the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. which was poised for rights issues worth 2200 Billion Rupees and Bharat Petroleum Ltd. for rights issue of 180 Billion Rupees to be backed by the Central Government have been asked to reduce them by almost half. When the Budget of 23-24 was being made with the lofty ambition of rocketing the economy through capital expenditure, skeptics had voiced serious concerns which seems to have come to pass. .

One is reminded of the famous Yiddish proverb -“God laughs when Man plans.” Policy makers and planners especially in India, rarely have an alternate or well thought out mid level course correction syatem. Every Indian budget seems to have one lynch pin which most times comes undone. Capital Expenditure was the one for 23-24. Now with the government looking to cut down on the promised support for Capex, OMCs have been left twiddling their thumbs. The much flaunted economic growth through capital expenditure seems to have flown out of the window. Such turnabouts are becoming all too common in the economic planning process. ONGC is said to have obtained government clearance for a subsidiary company, tentatively named "ONGC Green Limited";. ONGC had last year entered into an agreement with NTPC Green Energy Limited for an offshore wind projects and exploring opportunities in storage, e-mobility, carbon credits, green credits, nuclear, green hydrogen and derivatives , green ammonia & green methanol. Now the company will have to totally fend for itself as far as finances are concerned. India has been pitching for renewables and alternate fuels for some time now. There is also talk of replacing Petrol/Diesel run automobiles by cleaner energy, read Electric Vehicles by Year 2030 which is not very far off. At the same time, West Coast Refinery has not been shelved. In any case, industry circles believe that Oil & Gas will remain as a potent source of energy for next couple of decades. Bodies like the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and McKinsey, have suggested that conventional fossil fuels, including oil, are likely to remain in the energy mix right up to 2050s. Interestingly,  energy consultants like Wood Mackenzie have said that if global fuel consumption aligns with emission targets to limit global warming, Oil price projections in 2030 could fall as low as $40 per barrel. While Oil is expected to remain relevant, its future trajectory will depend on interplay of economic, environmental, and geopolitical factors. India is admittedly very comfortable when the Crude prices are around $60 a barrel. Today, despite two raging wars and attack on ships in the Red Sea Oil routes, Brent is at $83.55 while as of January 24, 2024, the Indian Crude Basket price stands at $78.34 per barrel! This is not bad at all.

We have to admit that Mr.Narendra Modi has been extremely lucky for India. He seems to carry the proverbial golden wand. During his watch, Crude has rarely touched $100 per barrel consistently. Imagine the shock which Mr. Manmohan Singh's government must have faced when Crude touched $100 sometime in 2008.The wars and attacks on ships in Red Sea notwithstanding, the current government has had a relatively easy time on the Oil front. In as much as, for the first time in 2022, the government had to introduce a windfall tax, primarily because the private Oil & Gas players were making humongous profits. Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri, Cabinet Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas who also holds the position of Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs recently in a media interview at World Economic Forum Davos, said countries, including some in the Middle East, had told him they want to acquire Indian Oil Companies outright but he said, they are strategic and not for sale. This is a very significant statement however it's in sharp contrast to the avowed policy and intent of the current government to exit all businesses. The Air India Sale, as well as the failed attempt at selling Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. are concrete examples. In fact, the Union Budget factors in proceeds of Sale of PSUs as revenue. Its speculated that in the Interim Budget, to be presented on February 1, government will retain its focus on disinvestment of public sector units. Some sources indicate that the target from disinvestment proceeds is likely to be kept at over Rs 50,000 Crore. A final decision on the disinvestment proceeds will be taken in the full Budget. Now what will actually come to pass, the words of Minister for MoP&NG will hold or what is propounded in the budget is to be seen. 

The continued obsession of the policy makers for disinvestment of PSUs is indeed very intriguing. Despite the setback in the sale of Bharat Petroleum Ltd. and the rather mixed track record of Air India's current performance, the zeal for total annihilation of PSUs does not seem to have abated. But as hinted by the Minister of MoP&N Gat Davos, Oil & Gas is indeed strategic. This is actually true not only for India but most countries. This time round, the attempt for sale of an Oil & Gas company could be on Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.. Many private players in India and abroad have been eyeing it for long. By all standards, IOCL makes for plumb pickings. IOCL has interests in Upstream, Midstream and Downstream sectors. It's a consolidated Oil & Gas company which has been steadily creating value and posting good returns for shareholders. It's assets can be compared to the best in the world. Since all the due diligence and monetization exercises have already been undertaken, not much time would be needed for the change of hands. Another interesting aspect is that, of late, only one of its Divisions i.e. Pipelines is making profits while the other Divisions viz. Refineries and Marketing are posting losses. All that would be required, is divest the Pipelines Division and overnight a profit making Fortune 500 Company will become loss making.. The guiding principle of a natural monopoly to common carrier has already been professed from the tree tops. The Refineries Division would then become a supplier to other Private Refiners and the Marketing Division facilities used to push their MS, Diesel, ATF & Lubes etc. There can always be ways to convince the public that it's not actually a sale but strategic alignment of a PSU for the economic betterment of the nation. The only problem which the citizens and consumers will have to face is the predictable monopoly, which is bound to happen. A few private Oil & Gas Companies will control the entire nation just as the commercial skies are today controlled by few private companies. All have witnessed how the private players in the Aviation Sector, held consumers and the nation to ransom during the recent inclement weather in Northern India. War rooms were set up but could hardly provide solutions. At least, Air India ,in its PSU avatar, never made fliers have dinner in evening chill sitting on the tarmac .What a shocker and spectacle it was for people not only in India but the world over. If IndianOil, which is one of the biggest customer facing organizations in India gets privatized the strangle hold on consumers of the private monopolies will be impossible to shake off. After all, Oil & Gas is a much larger consumer product than Air Services or Hotels, where from PSUs have been totally eradicated. The 2024 elections are going to be crucial for more things than one can imagine. In fact, in its bosom, hide several predestinations', much beyond the free will of common Indian citizens. 

By Sidhartha Mukherjee

(Copyrighted material is for fair use, duly and gratefully acknowledged)

HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY

 

एमिटी कॉलेज के चारों ओर सड़कों पर जाम

नोएडा। सेक्टर 100 स्थित अमेठी कॉलेज के चारों ओर सड़कों पर खड़ी गाड़ियों के कारण हर समय जाम लगा रहता है, जिसके कारण सेक्टर 94 स्थित शमशान गोल चक्कर से लेकर अमेठी कॉलेज तक सुबह से लेकर शाम तक जबरदस्त जाम लगता है। नोएडा- ग्रेटर नोएडा में यातायात कर्मियों की कोई कमी न होने के बावजूद पूरे नोएडा शहर में यातायात की सुगमता एक बड़ी समस्या बनती जा रही है। अक्सर देखा गया है कि शहर की उन सड़कों पर जहां अक्सर जाम लगता है कोई भी पुलिसकर्मी अथवा यातायात कर्मी नजर नहीं आता, लेकिन जहां जाम नहीं लगता वहां पर कई-कई पुलिसकर्मी दिखाई दे जाते हैं। आने वाले समय में नोएडा की तस्वीर अभी से ही लगने वाला जाम दिखा रहा है। 

Maths Day

 

Mangal pandey

 

Tarun Bhardwaj