All stories by Shine Jacob
How fuel prices have risen under Modi regime
Rediff.com13 Jul 2020Despite a massive decline in crude oil prices since 2012 -- Modi has been prime minister in six of these eight years -- petrol in Delhi has become 10 per cent costlier and diesel 97 per cent, as of July 2.
Free LPG reaches only 50% beneficiaries, shows govt data
Rediff.com10 Jul 2020Given that the target was to reach 80.34 million families under PMUY - within three months starting April 1 - the government should have distributed at least 241.02 million cylinders by the end of June. It actually ended up distributing only 119.7 million cylinders.
IOC beats lockdown blues, resumes works on projects
Rediff.com9 Jul 2020These mega projects, worth about Rs 1 trillion, would boost the economy, ensure smooth supply of petroleum products across the nation and also provide the much-needed relief to people looking to get back to work after the lockdown.
IOC launches winter-grade diesel for troops in Ladakh
Rediff.com4 Jul 2020Looking into the current situation on the China boarder, IOC has stocked up enough winter-grade fuel for the region. With army movements increasing, the demand for this fuel is expected to increase multifold from the 350 metric tonnes last winter.
Pinarayi Vijayan: The CM as crisis manager
Rediff.com24 Jun 2020The Kerala chief minister's four years in office may well be remembered for the way he handled Cyclone Ockhi, two floods, Nipah, and now COVID-19, reports Shine Jacob.
ONGC halts operations at two rigs as 54 employees test COVID positive
Rediff.com23 Jun 2020A company official said work stopped temporarily only at two rigs and the remaining 34 in the offshore were operational. He added there was no impact on the company's production.
Experts from US to join efforts to control Assam oil well fire
Rediff.com14 Jun 2020Singapore-based Alert Disaster Control, one of the largest disaster management companies in the oil and gas sector, has already joined the team of experts from ONGC and OIL, reports Shine Jacob.
The flip side of oil companies' digital drive
Rediff.com4 Jun 2020OMCs' Digital India move is likely to have an impact on more than 80.3 million Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana consumers, majority of whom are not exposed to digital transact.
Free LPG: Another 'failed' govt scheme?
Rediff.com1 Jun 2020The scheme for three free refills is currently valid from April to June 30, 2020, with a condition that one refill can be taken in a month. The average annual consumption by PMUY customers is approximately one cylinder in four months. That means most of them would consume only one cylinder during the validity period of the scheme. government should consider extending the validity period of the scheme up to March 2021 to make maximum use of the relief package.
Railways likely to freeze hiring, cut allowances
Rediff.com26 May 2020Railway traffic has dropped 32 per cent to 99.86 mt between April 1 and May 14, compared to the same time last year, while its revenue, too, dipped 41 per cent to Rs 9,094.38 crore.
Low demand pulls down India's April oil refinery output by 29%
Rediff.com24 May 2020According to industry experts, the consumption of petroleum products in the month of April was only 30-40 per cent of what it had been prior to the lockdown. Due to this, refineries were forced to bring down their capacity too.
Mix of relief and fear as rail services start
Rediff.com13 May 2020For many the resumption of trains is a big boon, but some say it doesn't come without confusion and worries
India's first Covid-19 patient speaks up!
Rediff.com28 Apr 2020The survivor from Thrissur, who returned from Wuhan -- the epicentre of the pandemic -- recounts her road to recovery and her future plans. Shine Jacob reports
ONGC seeks new petroleum exploration licence
Rediff.com4 Mar 2020RIL and Shell ceased production from the fields in 2016, and ONGC has already been using Tapti infrastructure for its other fields for better optimisation.
Spike in oil prices a temporary phase
Rediff.com12 Jan 2020Oil prices jumped nearly $3 a barrel and gold and safe-haven bonds rallied on Friday after the killing of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in an airstrike by the US in Baghdad.
Will the West Coast refinery take off?
Rediff.com9 Jan 2020BPCL's impending privatisation and RIL's stake sale to Saudi Aramco raise questions about the future of the West Coast Refinery, once touted as the world's largest.
Will Indian Railways be privatised?
Rediff.com31 Dec 2019Railways to hive off all production units and workshops into new govt-owned company; may invite bids from private players to run passenger trains in next 15 days, with ownership vesting with the government.
Govt to break 150-yr tradition, gives nod to Railway board restructuring
Rediff.com25 Dec 2019The new board will have a leaner structure on functional lines headed by the chairman and four members - covering infrastructure, operations and business development, rolling stock, and finance.
Railways in talks with Reliance Jio on tower use
Rediff.com23 Dec 2019Indian Railways is in talks with Reliance Jio Infocomm to allow the Mukesh Ambani-led telecom major's use of its towers. The aim is seamless mobile and internet connectivity for passengers along the 67,368-km of tracks. The Railway Board has entrusted its RailTel Corporation arm to work on the modalities with Jio. The Jio tie-up is expected to bring down its telecom bill by at least 35 per cent from this financial year.
Subsidy on kerosene likely to go by FY21
Rediff.com15 Oct 2019A major reason for the decline in the consumption of kerosene was an increase in the number of LPG consumers in rural India after the government launched the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. in 2016.