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Presented by Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey
October 6, 2009
3-4 p.m.
Room 4-192A EE/CS
Host: Shashi Shekhar
Abstract: Electricity is extremely vital for the growth of any developing country, and that growth itself fuels electricity demand. If this demand, along with the growth of the economy, is not properly forecasted, this cycle collapses in a situation where the demand exceeds the supply and further growth becomes unsustainable. Capacity addition has a high gestation period and other problems such as fuel linkage, environment, and land and water availability issues. Moreover a developing country is often saddled with dilapidated distribution infrastructure, high distribution losses, and financial hardships. Therefore, along with capacity addition plans, it is also imperative to make distribution systems more efficient, so that existing generation capacities can be maximally utilized and electricity gaps can be reduced.
Maharashtra, the second largest state in India, in terms of area as well as population, consumes almost 12% of India’s electricity. Maharashtra showed economic growth rate of 8.4% from 2002 onwards which spurred the demand for electricity. As a result, the state was pushed into an acute power crisis in 2005 with peak power shortages of around 5000 MW. A large part of the state had to undergo power cuts ranging from 6 hours to 14 hours every day. Even at other times, the power supply was not reliable because of old and outdated distribution infrastructure. People were also burdened with huge electricity bills because of very high distribution and commercial losses, which were around 35%.
D.r Ajay Bhushan Pandey, an alumnus of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, who was CEO and Managing Director of Maharashtra State electricity Distribution company will discuss these issues and elaborate on how a series of reforms in the power distribution to reduce distribution losses, shift load to non-peak hours, and conserve energy improved the power situation and helped turn around the Distribution company from loss making to a profitable entity in a short span of two years.
Bio: Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey is an officer of Indian Administrative Service with over 20 years experience of working in senior positions in the Government of India and the State Government of Maharashtra.
Dr. Pandey is a graduate of Electrical Engineering from IIT Kanpur. In 1998 he went on to join the University of Minnesota where he obtained his MS and PhD degrees in Computer Science. In 2009, he has been awarded the Distinguished Leadership Award for Internationals by the University of Minnesota for his outstanding leadership accomplishments in his professional career.
Over the past 29 years, IMSOM has played a unique role in enriching the cultural life of the Twin Cities by presenting Indian classical music performances by visiting professional artists of international reputation.
More information about IMSOM events: http://www.imsom.org
August 9, 2009
6 p.m.
Radisson Hotel, Roseville
India Association of Minnesota (IAM) is excited to invite you to participate in the upcoming visit to Minneapolis by Ambassador Arun Singh. IAM is honored to partner with TiE to host Ambassador Singh for remarks followed by a question-and-answer session.
Ambassador Singh served as Ambassador of India to Israel from April 2005 to September 2008 and currently serves as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India in Washington, DC. (MORE)
Sponsored by the India Association of Minnesota and TiE
July 22, 2009
7-8:30 p.m.
25 Mondale Hall
A viewing and discussion of the film, "This Hard Ground: Remembering the Displaced."
Sponsored by the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Human Rights Center at the University of Minnesota, and the Genocide Intervention Network-Minnesota.
Lecture by Dr. Sukhadeo Thorat, Chairman of the University Grants Commission in New Delhi, India
April 23, 2009
12-1:10 p.m.
Room 186 Humphrey Center
Bring your lunch; refreshments will be provided.
Social exclusion of certain social and cultural groups due to their group identity – race, color, social origin, gender, ethnicity, and others – is something seen in many nations under diverse social, economic, and political systems. National governments are concerned about the wellbeing of groups which suffer the denial of equal rights due to social exclusion and discrimination. Several countries have developed policies to overcome the consequences of past and continuing exclusion and discrimination in the form of equal opportunity policies, including legal safeguards. The lecture will discuss the concepts of social exclusion and economic discrimination in an international context, thinking over the consequences and remedies of social exclusion and discrimination drawing from current literature and the experiences of some countries.
Dr. Sukhadeo Thorat is Chairman of the University Grants Commission in New Delhi, India. His research areas include agricultural development, rural poverty, institutions and economic growth, problems of marginalized groups, and the economics of the caste system. Dr. Thorat has held academic positions in India and the United States. He was Director of the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies, and Professor in Economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. In the United States, he was a research associate of the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington, D.C., and visiting faculty at the Department of Economics at Iowa State University.
Sponsored by the Roy Wilkins Center for Human Relations and Social Justice and the India Center Initiative.
Internet-based Seminar by Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey, former CEO and Managing Director of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company
April 23, 2009
1-2:15 p.m.
Presented via internet (LINK)
Electricity is extremely vital for the growth of any developing country, and that growth itself fuels electricity demand. If this demand, along with the growth of the economy, is not properly
forecasted, this cycle collapses in a situation where the demand exceeds the supply and further growth becomes unsustainable. Capacity addition has a high gestation period and other problems
such as fuel linkage, environment, and land and water availability issues. Moreover a developing country is often saddled with dilapidated distribution infrastructure, high distribution losses, and
financial hardships. Therefore, along with capacity addition plans, it is also imperative to make distribution systems more efficient, so that existing generation capacities can be maximally utilized
and electricity gaps can be reduced.
Maharashtra, the second largest state in India, in terms of area as well as population, consumes almost 12% of India’s electricity. Maharashtra showed economic growth rate of 8.4% from 2002 onwards which spurred the demand for electricity. As a result, the state was pushed into an acute power crisis in 2005 with peak power shortages of around 5000 MW. A large part of the state had to undergo power cuts ranging from 6 hours to 14 hours every day. Even at other times, the power supply was not reliable because of old and outdated distribution infrastructure. People were also burdened with huge electricity bills because of very high distribution and commercial losses, which were around 35%. Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey, who was CEO and Managing Director of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution company will discuss these issues and elaborate on how a series of reforms in the power distribution to reduce distribution losses, shift load to non-peak hours, and conserve energy improved the power situation and helped turn around the Distribution company from loss making to a profitable entity in a short span of two years. (Link to longer bio)
Sponsored by the Center for Reforming Education in Electric Energy Systems in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
April 26-29, 2009
Mayo Auditorium (note location change)
University of Minnesota
Sponsored by: Indo- US Science and Technology Forum; New Delhi, India
Organized by: Center for Orphan Drug Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota; and the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology Hyderabad
This conference will serve as a forum to address current scientific research in India and the U.S. pertaining to global development of drugs and biologics for rare diseases. Experts across academia and regulatory agencies will convene to present drug discovery, global clinical research and scientific working groups. (MORE)
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