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PCRA's efforts

	Latest in PCRA

PCRA's efforts in development of bio fuels in the country

Planning Commission has formed a committee on development of bio fuels in the country. Planning Commission has also published a report of this committee in April'03.

PCRA, under Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, was created about twenty-five years back, to formulate strategies and promote measures for accelerating conservation of petroleum products. One of its main objectives is to support and facilitate efforts for adoption and dissemination of fuel-efficient technologies and substitution of petroleum products with alternate and renewable fuels. We are also actively pursuing R&D activities in this field.

Bio-diesel is also a renewable fuel made from edible or non-edible vegetable oil and has been proved to be good substitute for petroleum diesel.

PCRA has been contributing enormously towards the activities for petroleum conservation, which include development of bio fuels. Efforts of PCRA have been recognized in the report of the committee also on page no. 160, 164 and between page no. 130 and 131 in carrying out studies, collecting data spreading mass awareness throughout the country & also in compiling this report.

A very important aspect of these efforts has been the awareness and education campaigns organized for creating mass awareness among the public and also specific target groups about the need for switching over to renewable sources of energy from conventional exhaustible ones. These activities fulfill two main objectives:

Firstly, it provides information to decision-makers, economic agents, networking organizations and consumers and thus enables them to actively participate in implementation of such sustainable development programs.

Secondly, it increases general awareness of the value of such programs to help orient economic and social development towards an environment friendly society.

PCRA has undertaken several innovative activities for spreading mass awareness, developing mass contacts and effectively interacting with them. The extensive reach of PCRA has been utilized for spreading awareness & promoting use of bio fuels as an alternate to petro-fuels for conservation of petroleum products.

Some of such activities are as under:

1. Electronic Media :

Conception, production & telecast of 30 minute edutainment TV Program 'Khel Khel Mein Badlo Duniya" at DD-1- weekly. 70 episodes of TV Program have already been telecast & another 60 are planned. Topics related to bio-fuels have been extensively covered.

Episodes of TV programs:

S. No.	Title	Date of telecast
1.	Bio-gas	July. 13, 2003
2.	Bio-diesel	Sept. 28, 2003

Radio programme "Boond Boond ki Baat" at AIR FM GOLD in Delhi - every Monday

Radio Programs:

S. No.	Title	Date of broadcast	Expert
1.	Bio-fuel and Bio-gas	Feb 24, 03	Sh. S. Behuria CMD, BPCL
2.	Bio-mass and Gasifier	Oct 06, 03	Sh. JBS Giridhar, Dir (Biomass), MNES
3.	Energy from Wastes	Nov 03, 03	Sh. A. K. Singhal, Dir (Energy), MNES
4.	Energy Conservation in Agriculture Sector	Dec 22, 03	Dr. Pitam Chandra, Addl. Dir. ICAR
5.	PCRA's activities in Agriculture Sectors	June 02, 03
6.	Jatropha & Bio-diesel	May 17, 04	Dr. Prakash Kumar, ED

Radio Program is also being repeat-broadcast in 6 different languages on 37 Radio Stations.

We have shot two films on production & usage of bio-diesel by small farmers.

A third film has been shot on easy methodology for esterification of bio-diesel. These films are extensively screened in our campaign programs and also in our TV programs to instil a feeling of belongingness & capacity building among farmers. Films provide details on methodology & economics of Jatropha cultivation, oil extraction & its multiple usage.

Yet one more film is produced by PCRA to highlight the effort & methodology used by SHGs in Udaritharai (Distt. Coimbatore) to generate electricity from bio waste for electrification of villages. A film is shot to capture the efforts of another SHG in Distt. Coimbatore to run water lift pumps from bio waste.

2. Print Media activities :

Monthly magazine 'Sanrakshan Chetna' (in Hindi / other regional languages)

Monthly Hindi magazine:

S. No.	Topic	Issue
1.	Use of Ethanol - "The need of the hour"	December, 02
2.	Bio-diesel and Indian Railways	March, 03
3.	Bio-diesel can change India	April, 03
4.	Ethanol import to Maharashtra	June, 03
5.	Planning for Jatropha Plantation	Sept, 03
6.	Bio-diesel from Jatropha	October, 03
7.	Bio-diesel from Rapeseed	November, 03
8.	Uses of Bio-gas	December' 04
9.	2004 - Year of Bio-trade	February' 04
10.	Bio-diesel - Journey from Green, White to Black Revolution	March' 04

Quarterly Technical Journal in English - "Active Conservation Technique (ACT)"

Quarterly Technical Journal:

S. No.	Topic	Issue
1.	Substituting Fossil Fuel by bio-gas	Oct - Dec, 2003
2.	Usage spectrum of Jatropha plantations in India	Jan - Mar, 2003
3.	Bio-fuels - the beginning of a new revolution	Apr-June' 04

March, 04 issue of 'Sanrakshan Chetna' and April - June, 04 issue of 'ACT' have been dedicated to bio-fuel in India apart from regular coverage of it.

Conception, Designing & printing of two brochures on Bio-diesel; one in Hindi and other in English.
Brochures on Bio-diesel.

One brochure in Hindi
One brochure in English

3. Field Activities:
	Seminars, Workshops and Networking:
a.	Holding Kisan Melas, Exhibitions, seminars / technical meets, Driver Training Programmes, Emission Awareness programmes etc. These fora are being used for spreading awareness among masses on bio fuels. Films developed by PCRA are screened in these exhibitions.

b.	Co-sponsored a Seminar on Ethanol (Bio-fuel) during September 18-19, 2002. This was inaugurated by Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas at India Habitat Center.

c.	We have also initiated a program for development of bio-fuels at small scale through the participation of Self Help Groups. In this program; technical know-how for bio-diesel production & esterifications will be provided by experts from Delhi College of Engineering to 20 women of an SHG from Orissa through the initiatives & cooperation by PCRA.

d.	Attended an International Workshop on Bio-fuels organized by Winrock International during May 19 -20,2003 at Hotel Le Meridien.

4. R&D Activities:
	We have also been promoting R&D in bio-fuels by sponsoring related projects on reputed R&D institutes of India. Some of such projects are:
a.	Development of petrol-alcohol-water micro-emulsion fuel as a substitute for petrol and ethanol-blended petrol. It has been sponsored on IIT, Delhi.

b.	Production of Biogas from non edible seeds as alternative to LPG/Kerosene. It has been sponsored on Shivsadan Renewable Energy Research Institute, Sangli.

5. Others:
a.	Apart from these activities; we have developed institutional linkages for R&D in the field of bio-diesel with Delhi College of Engineering, which has developed simple technology & equipment for production & esterification of bio-diesel at small and large scale. This technical know-how is being spread to small farmers.

b.	To take mantra of energy conservation & promote biofuels PCRA utilizes various media of effective mass communication including electronic & print media. Both these media are very powerful & PCRA has been using them with resounding success. PCRA also has been producing short interesting & informative film on biofuels covering its various aspects eg. Production, usage, popularity & advantages etc. These films are shown on TV & screened in various kisan melas & other mass contact programs organised by PCRA to obtain wide spread reach. PCRA produces, telecasts & broadcasts its weekly programms on TV & Radio which are immensely popular. 3000 SMS, are received with in 2 hrs of telecast of each episodes. PCRA also has been using direct mass contact program by organising Kisan Mela, Seminars, Exhibitions, School programs, Technical meets. Some CDs & few issue of magazines developed, screened & extensively distributed by PCRA are also enclosed for your appreciation.