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New Delhi, Apr 19 () India, the world's second-largest wheat producer, has so far harvested crop in 67 per cent of the sown area of 310 lakh hectare in the country, taking safety precautions against COVID-19. "Amidst the uncertainty prevailing today, the one activity giving hope is agricultural activity, which is also providing the reassurance of food security. All throughout India, numerous farmers and agriculture labour are sweating and toiling against all adversities," the agriculture ministry said in a statement. Farmers' silent efforts, coupled with timely intervention by the central and state governments, have ensured that there is minimal or no disruption to harvesting activities and the continued sowing of summer crops, it added. As per the latest data, wheat, the main rabi (summer) crop, has been completed 90-95 per cent in Madhya Pradesh, 80-85 per cent in Rajasthan, 60-65 per cent in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, so far, it said in a statement. Harvesting is at peak in key wheat-growing states of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh and is likely to be completed in the current month, the ministry said. Punjab has deployed 18,000 combine harvesting machines, while Haryana has deployed 5,000 combine machines for harvesting and threshing. Meanwhile, harvesting of winter-sown pulses such as gram, lentil, urad, moong and pea has been completed in 161 lakh hectare. However, in the case of sugarcane sown in 54.29 lakh hectare, the crop has been harvested in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Punjab. In states of Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Haryana and Uttarakhand, 92-99 per cent harvesting has been completed. In Uttar Pradesh, 75-80 per cent has been completed and this will continue till mid-May, the ministry added. With regard to oilseed crops, rape mustard seed sown in 69 lakh hectare has been harvested in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Punjab, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Whereas groundnut has been harvested in almost 90 per cent of the sown area of 4.7 lakh hectare. However, harvesting of rabi rice, cultivated in 28 lakh hectare, is in initial stages in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura and West Bengal. This is because the grain is still in the filling stage and harvesting time would vary, it added. Wherever the harvesting has been completed, farmers are preparing the field for sowing of kharif (summer) crops. So far, farmers have sown kharif crops in 15 per cent more area at 52.78 lakh hectare from the year-ago period. The ministry said while the Ministry of Home Affairs issued the consolidated guidelines on the measures to be taken for containment of COVID-19, it also ensured smooth functioning of agricultural operations. Stating that timely interventions and exemptions have resulted in optimistic results, the ministry said the standard operating procedures have been communicated to farmers for their safety and keeping social distancing while undertaking farm-related activities, it said. As a result of the proactive steps taken, both harvesting activities of the rabi crop and sowing activities of summer crops are being undertaken in a systematic manner, it added. LUX HRS

67 pc of wheat area harvested amid fight against COVID-19

<ul><li>The Supreme Court passed a new verdict on the purchase of electricity that includes shifting the burden of higher tariffs onto the consumer. </li><li>The burden amounts residents shelling out an additional ₹129,000 more for electricity in the coming 30 years. </li><li>As a result, residents of Haryana, Rajasthan, <keyword id="6354766" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gujarat">Gujarat</keyword>, Punjab and Maharashtra will most likely have to pay higher prices for their electricity consumption. </li></ul>India’s energy demands are the second largest in Asia, and petrol prices already surging in the country. And, after the Supreme Court’s decision enabling power producers to negotiate tariffs, <a href="https://thewire.in/energy/consumer-groups-set-to-oppose-gujarat-govt-bailout-of-private-power-plants-in-sc">electricity is set to get more expensive</a> in Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab and Maharashtra. The big-wigs in the electricity sector, <keyword id="45008" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-Power">Tata Power</keyword> and <keyword id="76451" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Adani">Adani</keyword> demanded higher tariffs to balance their losses worth ₹220 billion owing to an increase in prices of coal by Indonesia. The price hike will only kick in once the power purchasing agreement is signed by Central Electricity Regulatory commission (CPEC). All the power consumers will then have to pay ₹129,000 more for their electricity bills spanned out over the next 30 years. The reason only five states will be hit by higher tariffs is because power distribution companies in those states have signed a long-term agreements. So excess burden will be shifted from Tata Power and Adani to these power distributors. If both companies manage to pass on the burden of their losses through negotiating terms and tariffs, their power plants can go back to functioning at full capacity. The burden imposed on Gujarat (₹900 billion) is the highest among all the five states, while people in Haryana will bear an additional cost of ₹180 billion against their electricity bills. Meanwhile consumers in Maharashtra and Rajasthan will have to pay up ₹100 billion and ₹50 billion respectively, according a recent media <a href="https://thewire.in/energy/consumer-groups-set-to-oppose-gujarat-govt-bailout-of-private-power-plants-in-sc">report</a> by The Wire. The controversy The Supreme Court recently approved the recommendation made by a high-powered panel <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Companies/4H6pXdHODnFBlBrWKaDojO/SC-asks-CERC-to-decide-changes-in-PPAs-for-Tata-Adani-Essa.html">seeking changes in the power purchasing agreement</a>. The changes requested included shifting burden of higher tariffs on to consumers rather than the suppliers. So even though the decision by the Indian apex court is a relief for energy producers, it isn’t the best news for consumers. The electricity regulatory body CPEC has the new amendments to come into effect within two months. Challenging the Indian Supreme Court’s ruling, two consumer rights groups – Energy Watchdog and Prayas – <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/power-companies-to-get-1-9-lakh-crore-benefit-from-gujarat-bailout/articleshow/66407727.cms">filed a petition</a> with suggests of alternative solutions that the court could implement instead. The plants of Adani, Essar and Tata demanded to pass on burden of accumulated losses to power distributing companies after extending losses.

Electricity prices set to surge in these five Indian states after the Supreme Court’s verdict on power purchasing agreements

After Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> announced de-monetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes, tax evaders went into a tizzy and turned towards <keyword id="6355629" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Google">Google</keyword> for help. 
 
The not-so-honest people asked Google “How to convert black money into white money”. The topic was trending on Google with various other queries. 
 
<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-11-10/google-shows-what-many-indians-want-to-know-how-to-launder-cash">Bloomberg</a> reported most of the searches on Google were from Modi's home state of Gujarat, <keyword id="605620" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google-Trends">Google Trends</keyword> showed. 
 
Gujarat is a state full with people having entrepreneurial ambitions, small traders and jewelers. Second was India’s financial hub Maharashtra, followed by Haryana, which is dotted with controversial real estate deals. 
 
The real estate sector is going to be the worst hit due to de-monetisation. 
 
Meanwhile, amending the Google Trends query to "how to convert black money," Haryana topped the list with Gujarat close behind. 
 
Even Punjab asked the same question, which is due for polls next year.

‘How to convert black money’ was trending on Google soon after PM Modi scraped Rs 500/Rs 1000 notes

The mega spectrum auction may be short-lived and may wrap up within two-three days. As expected, telecom companies have been bidding in full steam with <keyword id="15492" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone">Vodafone</keyword> and <keyword id="6354924" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Idea-Cellular">Idea Cellular</keyword> concentrating on 4G bands of 2300 and 1800 MHz. 
 <keyword id="6354287" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharti-Airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword> and <keyword id="6354504" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword> Infocomm are augmenting their data airwaves holdings. 
 
Also, this time the government is helping the telecom companies with finances and has allowed them to use spectrum as collateral against loans. 
 
Meanwhile, during the first day of spectrum sale, telecom companies made bids of Rs 53,531 crore, though they gave the coveted 700 MHz a pass, thanks to the high base price. 
 
"We should see some intensity over the next day or so and closure of the auction within the week," Prashant Singhal, global telecom leader at consultancy firm EY, told ET. 
 
As per reports, the fight may escalate in the 1800 and 2300 MHz bands, with 2100 Mhz (3G) and 800 MHz and 2500 MHz (4G) having largely settled. 
 
"There just may be surprising interest in 700 MHz should someone like Jio have some gas left in the tank, but only in the cheaper Category C circles where the base price is below that of the 900 MHz band,” one of the analysts told ET. 
 
During the bidding, Vodafone and Idea were aggressive about 2300 MHz spectrum. This spectrum is important for both the players to compete with Airtel and Reliance Jio’s 4G coverage. 
 
"Idea is doubtless targetting such capacity spectrum (2300 MHz) in all its eight leadership circles, and in the markets where it already has 4G spectrum in the 1800 band. Vodafone India is likely chasing a minimum 20 MHz pan-India block of 23002500 MHz airwaves, besides in the 1800 MHz band," one of the analysts told ET. 
 
Meanwhile, all eyes are set on Gujarat and Kerala band. 
 
A telecom department official told ET the 2300 MHz will get sold out and that the bids are locked. 
 
The band drew bids worth Rs 15,390 crore, which was just over a third of the total bid value on day one. 
 
The 1800 MHz band saw maximum bidding for Mumbai -where Tata Telesevices is looking to renew its permits and spectrum -besides Haryana, Kolkata, Rajasthan, UP(E). 
 
The other 4G band, 800 MHz, saw bids in only four circles -Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh East. But Rajasthan, where Reliance Jio is believed to be interested, will start the next round at a higher price, given the excess demand. 
 
"Reliance Jio is looking to pick up Gujarat, UP East, Rajasthan in the 800 MHz band, where it would look to fill gaps in its network, and will also take some circles like Punjab, UPEast, Rajasthan, Bihar and J&amp;K in 1800 MHz," Pankaj Agarwal, director at advisory firm Capitel Partners, told ET.

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67 pc of wheat area harvested amid fight against COVID-19

PTI

Electricity prices set to surge in these five Indian states after the Supreme Court’s verdict on power purchasing agreements

BI India Bureau

‘How to convert black money’ was trending on Google soon after PM Modi scraped Rs 500/Rs 1000 notes

BI India Bureau

India’s biggest ever spectrum auction may wrap up early as Govt puts mobile airwaves worth Rs 5.6 lakh crore on sale

BI India Bureau

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