Raj Kumar Sahu

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  'Congress, Left Funded Protests Over Rohith Vemula's Death,' Says Student Leader

  A leader of the Left-affiliated student's union SFI at the Hyderabad Central University, has resigned alleging that the agitation over the death of Dalit scholar Rohit Vemula is funded by political parties and has "become opportunistic."

• CCEA clears power projects worth Rs 33,000 crore; coal pool pricing ruled out

  The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) and the Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) cleared a plethora of power sector projects worth Rs 33,000 crore today.

• CCI clears investment worth $2.7 billion in oil and gas sector

  The Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) eased the conditions imposed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in 31 oil and gas blocks. Out of the 31 blocks cleared, 13 blocks belong to Reliance Industries-BP (RIL-BP), 15 blocks are of government-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC). The remaining 3 blocks belong to Australian firm Santos Cairn India.

• Cairn begins gas sale from Rajasthan block, pitches for speedy project approval

  The Cairn-ONGC joint venture (JV) in the Rajasthan oil block has begun commercial gas production. Cairn India pitched for speedy regulatory approval for making the Rajasthan block the largest in the country.

• Export parity pricing unviable for oil firms: Petroleum Minister

  Petroleum Minister M. Veerappa Moily has raised serious concerns over the Finance Ministrys proposal of calculating petroleum subsidy numbers based on the export parity price (EPP) formula. EPP essentially means that petroleum products are priced at the rate that refineries get in the export market.

• HPCL board okays joint venture with Shapoorji Pallonji for LNG terminal

  The board of public sector oil firm Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd (HPCL) has approved the proposed joint venture with infrastructure major Shapoorji Pallonji for building a terminal for importing liquefied natural gas (LNG). According to sources, both companies will hold an equal stake in the joint venture.

• Cairn India readies for gas, after oil, in Rajasthan

  Looks like London-based Indian billionaire Anil Agarwals risk in Cairn India is paying off. When Mr Agarwal bought the majority per cent stake in Cairn India for about $7 billion (approximately Rs 38,244 crore), there were questions on the valuation of the company.

• The jury is still out on the energy sector

  The energy sector, which comprises of the power and petroleum sectors, has not been expecting much from the Union Budget, yet the government has been considerate to make the sector more appealing, both to domestic investors and distribution companies.

• Singapore's Swiber completes India's first ever float-over oil production platform for ONGC

  Public sector Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) today announced the completion on first float-over oil production operations in India in its B-193 oil field off the west coast of India.

• ONGC in talks to buy Videocon's stake in Mozambique gas field

  The deal street in the energy sector is hotting up again and its the cash-rich public sector oil firms that are planning big. ONGC, after making the $5-billion deal to acquire ConocoPhillips 8.4 per cent stake in the Kashagan field off North Caspian Sea, is learnt to be in talks to buy Videocons 10 per cent stake in Mozambique's Rovuma basin.

• Tariff hike should be the last resort: Jyotiraditya Scindia

  Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia today said that a power tariff hike by discoms to ride out the losses they are incurring should be the last resort they should be looking at.

• RIL, BP raise CAG's 'proprietary audit' issue with Oil Minister

  BPs chief executive Bob Dudley and Reliance Industries' chairman Mukesh Ambani today called on Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily, and apprised him of the hurdles the two energy giants face over their intent to boost oil and gas production in the country and invest more in the sector.

• Petrol and diesel prices likely to be hiked this week

  This would be the 20th hike in petrol price since the time the fuel was deregulated. Under deregulation, oil firms are free to decide the quantum and frequency of the price hike.

• Finance Ministry's Rs 25,000 crore largesse could push oil firms into profit

  Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Oil India have a reason to cheer just before they announce their third quarter results this week, courtesy the Finance Ministry.

• Get ready for a phased hike in electricity bills

  Brace up for a phased increase in your electricity bills, as the government seems to be unrelenting on its decision to do away with subsidies, and is leaving no stone unturned to completely phase out the sops it offers on all energy products, be it petroleum, power or coal.