Business
India misses, China grabs
India has the world’s largest reserves of thorium — a million tonnes — particularly in its monazite-rich coastal sands. As per the three-stage nuclear programme envisioned by nuclear scientist Dr Homi Bhabha, the country would use thorium when it gets to the third stage. After 70 years of Independence, India has still not started on the second stage.“The US left its research publicly available, waiting for the right successor — we were that successor,” Xu Hongjie, a prominent Chinese nuclear physicist at the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, recently told the Guangming Daily. He said this after China revived a long-dormant American nuclear technology — thorium-fuelled molten salt reactor.The reactor — a small, experimental system capable of refuelling while operating — was recently brought online, marking significant progress in reimagining the future of nuclear energy. Though not ready for commercial use, it signals a global shift toward next-generation nuclear technologies.However, China swiftly picked up the technology left on the table by the Americans and created a secret facility in the Gobi Desert, near the Mongolian border. It is a small, 2MW facility, but enough to catapult China into a thorium regime.The US explored thorium reactors, especially molten salt types, back in the 1960s before shelving them in favour of uranium-based designs. Now, as the world confronts the twin challenges of climate change and energy security, thorium is making a comeback. Thorium reactors offer multiple advantages: less radioactive waste, more fuel-efficiency and lower risk of nuclear weapons proliferation.
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Published on May 4, 2025
The US explored thorium reactors, especially molten salt types, back in the 1960s before shelving them in favour of uranium-based designs. Now, as the world confronts the twin challenges of climate change and energy security, thorium is making a comeback. Thorium reactors offer multiple advantages: less radioactive waste, more fuel-efficiency and lower risk of nuclear weapons proliferation.India has the world’s largest reserves of thorium — a million tonnes — particularly in its monazite-rich coastal sands. As per the three-stage nuclear programme envisioned by nuclear scientist Dr Homi Bhabha, the country would use thorium when it gets to the third stage. After 70 years of Independence, India has still not started on the second stage.The reactor — a small, experimental system capable of refuelling while operating — was recently brought online, marking significant progress in reimagining the future of nuclear energy. Though not ready for commercial use, it signals a global shift toward next-generation nuclear technologies.“The US left its research publicly available, waiting for the right successor — we were that successor,” Xu Hongjie, a prominent Chinese nuclear physicist at the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, recently told the Guangming Daily. He said this after China revived a long-dormant American nuclear technology — thorium-fuelled molten salt reactor.Published on May 4, 2025
More Like This
However, China swiftly picked up the technology left on the table by the Americans and created a secret facility in the Gobi Desert, near the Mongolian border. It is a small, 2MW facility, but enough to catapult China into a thorium regime.
Business
Berkshire’s Geico sees turnaround after tech upgrades and job cuts
At Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting, Vice Chairman Ajit Jain said the insurer is now “as good as anyone” in telematics but cautioned that it’s still too early to declare full success, noting continued progress is needed.
The vice chairman said Geico has made “rapid strides in telematics” and now “is as good as anyone.” Jain praised Geico’s CEO Todd Combs for reducing the company’s workforce. Geico cut more than 2,300 jobs last year.”All this has allowed Geico to become a more focused competitor,” he said, adding it is too soon yet to say “mission accomplished. We have achieved a lot, but we have to do a lot more.”Then at Berkshire’s 2024 annual meeting, Jain lamented that Geico was “still behind” but hoped by the end of 2025 to catch rivals in data analytics including pricing for risk, although Geico still enjoyed lower operating costs than “virtually anybody.”Geico posted substantially improved results in 2024, as it curbed its appetite to issue new policies while reducing the percentage of premiums it used to pay accident claims.Published on May 3, 2025 Jain, who has day-to-day oversight of Berkshire’s insurance operations, spoke at the conglomerate’s annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska where he, Chairman Warren Buffett and Vice Chairman Greg Abel fielded shareholder questions. Berkshire Hathaway’s Geico car insurance unit has made progress in upgrading its technology to better match rates with risk, Berkshire Vice Chairman Ajit Jain said on Saturday.At Berkshire’s 2023 annual meeting, Jain lamented that Geico was behind the curve in telematics, where devices installed in vehicles let insurers monitor behavior including speed, braking, mileage and distracted driving including cellphone use.
Business
FSSAI floats consultation paper on making state or central licensing mandatory for certain products
Published on May 2, 2025 The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has floated a consultation paper proposing to restrict permission for manufacturing certain products to food business operators holding state and central licenses only. These products include infant food products, sweetened condensed milk, packaged drinking water , mineral water and milk powders. The Authority has sought comments from stakeholders on the same.In a bid to strengthen the compliance ecosystem, now FSSAI is proposing that existing registered companies that make these products should be transitioned to mandatory licensing. It is also proposing that new players intending to manufacture these high-risk products will need to obtain state or central license to manufacture these products. Therefore, it is proposing to restrict companies that hold FSSAI registration to have permission to make these products. Earlier , manufacturers of products such as infant nutrition, packaged drinking and mineral water and condensed skimmed milk, were required to obtain mandatory certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards besides FSSAI registration or license. However in 2024, the government decided to remove mandatory BIS certification requirements as part of its efforts to ensure ease of doing measures.
Obtaining registration
The Authority noted that obtaining registration involves fewer compliance obligations compared to licensing. Food business operators that obtain FSSAI registration are not required to submit test reports of product analysis on a mandatorily basis. Unlike license holders, it is also not mandatory for FBOs with registration to submit annual returns, have qualified technical personnel to supervise the production process and conduct third-party audits. They only need to comply with very basic hygiene and sanitary standards compared to licensed FBOs. “Additionally, Registered FBOs may lack the technical, financial and infrastructural capabilities to ensure safe production, especially for technically demanding products like infant foods and packaged drinking water,” FSSAI noted in its consultation paper.Currently, food business operators manufacturing these products are required to obtain either FSSAI registration or license based on their eligibility.The Authority said once finalised a special drive will be conducted to convert existing registered FBOs to license category. It also said that about a six months transition period will be given to allow FBOs to shift to the licensing category. As per its estimates, there are over 11,000 food business operators that make such products and hold FSSAI registration. “ To further strengthen the compliance ecosystem it has been proposed that no new Registrations and renewal of existing registration shall be allowed for manufacturing of the specified products. Only State or Central Licenses shall be permitted,” it stated.
“ To further strengthen the compliance ecosystem it has been proposed that no new Registrations and renewal of existing registration shall be allowed for manufacturing of the specified products. Only State or Central Licenses shall be permitted,” it stated.The Authority said once finalised a special drive will be conducted to convert existing registered FBOs to license category. It also said that about a six months transition period will be given to allow FBOs to shift to the licensing category. As per its estimates, there are over 11,000 food business operators that make such products and hold FSSAI registration. Currently, food business operators manufacturing these products are required to obtain either FSSAI registration or license based on their eligibility.The Authority noted that obtaining registration involves fewer compliance obligations compared to licensing. Food business operators that obtain FSSAI registration are not required to submit test reports of product analysis on a mandatorily basis. Unlike license holders, it is also not mandatory for FBOs with registration to submit annual returns, have qualified technical personnel to supervise the production process and conduct third-party audits. They only need to comply with very basic hygiene and sanitary standards compared to licensed FBOs. “Additionally, Registered FBOs may lack the technical, financial and infrastructural capabilities to ensure safe production, especially for technically demanding products like infant foods and packaged drinking water,” FSSAI noted in its consultation paper.
Obtaining registration
In a bid to strengthen the compliance ecosystem, now FSSAI is proposing that existing registered companies that make these products should be transitioned to mandatory licensing. It is also proposing that new players intending to manufacture these high-risk products will need to obtain state or central license to manufacture these products. Therefore, it is proposing to restrict companies that hold FSSAI registration to have permission to make these products. Published on May 2, 2025 The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has floated a consultation paper proposing to restrict permission for manufacturing certain products to food business operators holding state and central licenses only. These products include infant food products, sweetened condensed milk, packaged drinking water , mineral water and milk powders. The Authority has sought comments from stakeholders on the same.Earlier , manufacturers of products such as infant nutrition, packaged drinking and mineral water and condensed skimmed milk, were required to obtain mandatory certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards besides FSSAI registration or license. However in 2024, the government decided to remove mandatory BIS certification requirements as part of its efforts to ensure ease of doing measures.
Business
Census exercise hinges upon support from Supplementary Demands for Grants
Cost of Census
A much bigger amount will be required to complete the Census exercise and updation of National Population Register (NPR). The Union Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26 has provided a little over ₹500 crore under the head ‘Census Survey and Statistics.’ According to footnotes in the document, it Includes provisions for the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India and various schemes of RGI including National Population Register (NPR) and expenditure on Census, 2021.
SDG is a mechanism through which the government seeks approval from the Lok Sabha for funds towards expenditure exceeding budget estimates. Although, the government can move three SDGs in a financial year (one in monsoon session, second in the winter session and finally in the Budget session of Parliament), but for last many years, there has been just two SDGs (one in winter and second in the budget session) as cash flow and expenditure situation become clear by then. However, considering the political urgency, one SDG could be brought in monsoon session to fund the Census exercise. Though the government has not given a timeline to conduct the Census, it is expected that it would kickstart before the Bihar Assembly elections due at the end of this year and a bigger amount would be required in this fiscal. In 2011 (excluding NPR updation) and 2001 Census cost around ₹2,200 crore and over ₹650 crore, respectively.
Cost of Census
In 2011 (excluding NPR updation) and 2001 Census cost around ₹2,200 crore and over ₹650 crore, respectively.The Union Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26 has provided a little over ₹500 crore under the head ‘Census Survey and Statistics.’ According to footnotes in the document, it Includes provisions for the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India and various schemes of RGI including National Population Register (NPR) and expenditure on Census, 2021.
Six years back, a Cabinet decision dated December 24, 2019, outlined the proposal for conducting Census of India 2021 at a cost of over ₹8,700 crore and updation of NPR at a cost of over ₹3,900 crore. It was decided that house listing and housing Census to take place during April to September 2020 and population enumeration to take place between February 9 and 28 of 2021. The plan was to update the along with house listing and housing Census, except in Assam. Around 30 lakh field functionaries were assigned the entire job. However, due to the pandemic, the entire exercise had to be put on hold.As the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs decided to include caste enumeration in the upcoming Census, the government is expected to provide money for Census in the Supplementary Demands for Grants (SDG).A much bigger amount will be required to complete the Census exercise and updation of National Population Register (NPR).
India misses, China grabs
Berkshire’s Geico sees turnaround after tech upgrades and job cuts
FSSAI floats consultation paper on making state or central licensing mandatory for certain products
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