Youth affairs & sports

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  A District Advisory Committee (DAC) conceptualized in every district to oversee the implementation of renewable energy programmes.
  

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  A total of 403 remote villages/hamlets electrified under Remote Villages Electrification Programme during 2004-05.
  

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  A programme for providing “energy security” in villages through biomass and other renewable energy sources formulated.
  

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  20^th August – to be observed as ‘Rajiv Gandhi Akshya Urja Diwas’ every year to focus attention on the deployment of renewable energy systems and devices in rural and urban areas.
  

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  Out of a target of 3075 MW grid-interactive renewable power capacity addition during the 10^th Plan period, over 1200 MW capacity added through wind, small hydro and biomass power in the country in last one year.
  

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  The first 2 MW wind turbine installed at Chettikulam, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu.
  

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  About 1,00,000 biogas plants installed during 2004-05.
  

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  Around 16,530 solar photovoltaic lighting systems and 59.4 kWp solar photovoltaic power plants installed.
  

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  Biomass power projects aggregating to 140 MW capacity installed creating fresh employment and income generation opportunities specially in rural areas.
  

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  Over 1,50,000 m² of collector area installed in the country for solar water heating in domestic, industrial and commercial sectors making the cumulative installed collector area over one million m².
  

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  A solar steam cooking system consisting of 20 dishes of 12.6 m² area each and producing 1200 kg. of steam everyday commissioned at Global Hospital and Research Centre, Mount Abu.
  

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  Two plants, first time in India, commissioned for Energy Recovery from Urban and Industrial Wastes.
  

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  Bi-monthly News Letter “Akshay Urja” released in Hindi & English for widely popularizing renewable energy throughout the country.
  

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RAILWAYS

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  With advancements in railway technology, Indian Railways grown to a national net work of 63,221 route kilometers, moving on an average 1.58 million tons of freight and 14 million passengers per day.
  

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  A total of 1211 kms of Broad Gauge lines comprising of 150 kms of new lines, 779 kms of Gauge Conversions and 282 kms of Double Lines added during 2004-05.
  

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  An outlay of Rs 493 crore provided to Rail Vikas Yojna during 2005-06 to execute 34 projects which form part of the Golden Quadrilateral and Port connectivity routes.
  

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  Several innovative taken to provide World class infrastructure in the Railways which include bridge improvement and rehabilitation, 5566 kms. of track renewal, development of RORO (Roll on Roll of) wagons for transportation of trucks, trial of corrosion resistant aluminum body wagons, introduction of crew friendly cabs and new initiatives to develop guard friendly brake-vans.
  

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  Safety standards recorded a phenomenal improvement as consequential train accidents come down to 234 during the year.
  

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  A proposal to set up Rail Land Development Authority through an amendment to the Railway Act 1989 approved by the Cabinet and a bill to this effect introduced in Rajya Sabha.
  

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  No increase in passenger fare in the Rail Budget 2005-06.
  

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  Integrated Train Enquiry System as well as National Train Enquiry System established to provide updated position of trains to the passengers.
  

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  The Railways being reoriented to work for the advantage of the poor and common man with the introduction of Kulhar, the earthen pot, milk products in the form of Lassi, Matha (buttermilk), transportation of farm products from green growing areas to the major consumption centres by refrigerated vans and handloom and khadi in the Railways.
  

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  Uttar Sampark Kranti Express flagged off by Prime Minister and the Jammu Tawi-Udhampur Rail line dedicated to the nation at Udhampur.
  

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  The Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal declared as World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This is the only Railway station in the world that has been bestowed this honour.
  

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  Indian Remote Sensing Satellite CARTOSAT-1 and HAMSAT successfully launched by PSLV –C6 from Sriharikota.
  
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  A state-of-the-art Second Launch Pad (SLP) established at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR at Sriharikota.
  
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  First educational satellite ‘EDUSAT’ launched in September 2004 by indigenous Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
  
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  The airdrop test of the instrumented Space-capsule Recovery Equipment (SRE) successfully conducted on August 2004 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC).
  
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  The first cluster of three satellite based Village Resource Centres (VRC) inaugurated and would provide information related to land records, natural resources, interactive farmers’ advisory etc.
  
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  A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the French Space agency, CNES, for the development and launch of an atmospheric satelliteMegh-Tropiques
  
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  A project to design and launch a satellite, ASTROSAT approved.
  
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  The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) with the participation of Indian Industry, successfully developed Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) to be deployed in various parts of the country.