The revenue model feud between the ICC and the BCCI continued on Tuesday with the Indian cricket body outrightly rejecting the world body's offer of an additional $100 million in the proposed format.

"Yes, ICC chairman Shashank Manohar gave us an offer of an additional $100 million in the new financial model. In fact, he gave us a deadline to get back to him. From our end, we won't get back to him as we don't even consider it an offer," a senior BCCI source present in Dubai, told PTI on Tuesday.

Asked why the offer is not even being considered, the official blamed it on the trust deficit between Manohar and the BCCI.

"The offer came from Manohar. He is the chairman but ICC is a members' body and the chairman doesn't decide who gets what share of the pie. It's the members who decide. We are still working on the formula with all nations. They are receptive. Mr Manohar doesn't decide what should be BCCI's share," the official added.

The BCCI has been at loggerheads with the ICC on the proposed revenue model which considerably cuts down India's share.

In the existing revenue distribution model, BCCI gets $579 million from the ICC.

If Manohar's proposal is passed by the ICC, then BCCI's share comes down drastically to $290 million which even the Committee of Administrators (COA) had found unacceptable.

In fact, Vikram Limaye, after attending the last ICC Board Meeting, had objected to the model terming it as something based on good faith and equity.

When asked what will be the BCCI's stand on the issue, the official explained how they plan to work it out.

"Let us take the example that BCCI were being paid Rs.500 and others are being paid Rs.100. Now these member nations have been promised Rs.175 Or let's say Rs.200. What Mr Manohar is trying do is to reduce BCCI's share to Rs.300 in order to increase their share," he said.

Asked what's the solution, he said, "We are assuring the member nations that even if our share remains Rs.500, we promise to create a model to increase their share to Rs.200. But please have faith that we can propose a revenue generation model."

The BCCI is also not announcing the squad for Champions Trophy on Tuesday, which is the ICC deadline.

However, the ICC constitution allows countries to name their squads post the deadline under certain circumstances.

With atleast 14 of the 15 members of the Indian team more or less known, the Indian officials are in no tearing hurry.

"Tell me one thing, if we name the squad, say for example on May 5, will ICC bar us from participation. We have a settled squad and naming it is a mere formality," he concluded.

Himachal Pradesh board has declared the HPBOSE Class 12 result 2017 on the official website www.hpbose.org

Candidates trying to get the HPBOSE class XII result 2017 have to visit the official website and enter the asked information in the blank space including roll number, registration number, date of birth to get the exam result on the computer screen.

As per the reports, around 6 last candidates have appeared for the Himachal Board 2017 examination. 

Due to the huge load on the HPBOSE result official website candidates may face technical issue, in relation to this official said that the candidate should stay calm and refresh the result page in a short interval of time.

Celebrated Indian goalkeeper Subrata Paul is staring at a career-threatening four-year ban after failing a dope test but has vowed to prove himself innocent by going for the confirmatory 'B' sample test.

All India Football Federation General Secretary Kushal Das said Paul, an Arjuna Awardee, flunked an out-of- competition test in March.

"Yes, Subrata Paul's 'A' sample has returned positive for a banned substance and he can be banned for four years if his 'B' sample also tests positive. The urine sample was taken by NADA on March 18 when the Indian team was in the national camp in Mumbai. All the players were tested during that camp," Das said.

"Actually, I am shocked at this development. Not many football players have failed dope tests. I never thought a player of his stature would fail a dope test," he added.

Under WADA rules, the National Anti-Doping Agency will have to inform the player as well as the federation about the dope result. The player has the right to request for a confirmatory 'B' sample test. He will be put under provisional suspension pending his 'B' sample test.

Under new WADA rules, a first-time dope offender will serve a maximum period of four-years.

The 30-year-old Paul said he will go for the 'B' sample test and claimed that he will prove his innocence.

"I am shocked at this news that I failed a dope test. I have not got any official communication from the NADA or the AIFF. I am getting to know about this from the media. I will prove my innocence as I have played the game with honesty and integrity in my career of more than 10 years now," Pal said.

"I will request for the 'B' sample test as I believe that I have not done anything to fail a dope test. All the players were tested during the Mumbai national camp and I never thought that my sample will return positive," he added.

Paul, who made his India debut in 2007 and went onto represent the country 64 times till 2015, said he has achieved most of whatever he had set out for in his career. And there is no reason for him to do cheat and risk tarnishing his reputation.

"The AIFF officials, the fans, fellow players and the media knew that I have been an honest player throughout my career. I have built up a reputation and I have achieved a lot in my career, for my clubs and for my country. At this point in time of my career, I do not need anything like taking a banned drug to enhance my performance.

"So, I am shocked at this development. My reputation is at stake and I want to clear my name. That is why I will go for the 'B' sample test," he said.

Paul, from West Bengal, has been one of India's finest goalkeepers. He was the number one goalkeeper during the time Englishman Bob Houghton was at the helm of affairs as India coach and Bhaichung Bhutia was the captain.

He played a major role in India winning the Nehru Cup international tournament in 2007 and 2009.

Paul's heroic performances under the bar were also instrumental in India winning the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup in Hyderabad, which led to the qualification for the AFC Asian Cup held in Doha in 2011.

In that tournament, he was referred to by the media as the 'Indian spiderman' due to a series of spectacular saves he made in the three group matches, especially against South Korea.

In the last couple of years, Paul has not been India's No.1 goalkeeper as that position has gone to Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who currently plays for a Norwegian first division club.

Paul was part of the Indian squad which played against Cambodia in an international friendly (March 22) and against Myanmar (March 28) for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, but did not make it to the playing eleven.

He played for NorthEast United in the 2016 Indian Super League season and he is currently playing for DSK Shivajians in the I-League. He was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2016.

Doping in Indian football is rare. Before Paul, former Mahindra United defender Arun Malhotra was perhaps the first high-profile footballer in the country to be banned after he failed a dope test in 2002. He was stopped from joining the team for the Asian Games in Busan.

In 2011, Nishant Mehra tested positive for a banned substance and was banned by NADA for two years. Later in 2015, Mumbai FC's Dane Pereira tested positive for a banned substance taken by NADA after an I-League match against Royal Wahingdoh at the Cooperage stadium in Mumbai.

China has banned Islamic names for babies in Muslim-majority Xinjiang region, home to the Muslim Uighur ethnic minority, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Tuesday.

According to the move, children with the banned names like Saddam or Midina will not be able to get a residence permit called "hukou", which is required for access to medical and educational services, it said in a statement.

"This is just the latest in a slew of new regulations restricting religious freedom in the name of countering religious extremism," the HRW said.

The Xinjiang government claims the names were banned because of their religious connotation, which can "exaggerate religious fervour", Efe news reported.

On April 1, the authorities in Xinjiang had also imposed new rules banning "abnormal" beards or a full veil and warned people of punishments for refusing to watch state TV or radio programmes.

Conflicts between the Uighur and the Han, the majority ethnic group in China and who also control the government, are common.

Beijing usually attributes the violence to Islamist groups and secessionists whereas Uighur groups in exile consider the conflict to be a result of repression by the Communist regime.

"Violent incidents and ethnic tensions in Xinjiang have been on the rise in recent years, but the government's farcically repressive policies and punishments are hardly solutions," said HRW.

"They are only going to deepen resentment among the Uighurs," it added. 

The standardisation of official names for six places in Arunachal Pradesh shows that China is less likely to make "concessions" in the protracted border negotiations with India, a Chinese expert said today.

An article in the Global Times, written by Long Xingchun, a research fellow at the Charhar Institute and director of the Center for Indian Studies at China West Normal University, noted that China announced earlier this month that it has "standardised" the names of six places in Arunachal Pradesh.

It quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang as saying at the time that the move was "legitimate and appropriate".

Indian media outlets believe the move is China's "revenge" against the 14th Dalai Lama's visit to the "disputed region" on the China-India border, said the article titled 'New Delhi must avoid turning Sino-Indian ties into confrontation'.

"The standardisation of names demonstrates China is less likely to make concessions in border negotiations with India," Long's article said.

Border disputes are core conflicts between Beijing and New Delhi, the article said.

"Some radical Indians believe India's military strength has seen rapid growth and are eager to triumph over China in potential armed clashes," it said.

"In fact, India had more advantages in 1962, and it should learn from its erroneous strategic judgements and carefully evaluate the current international situation," said the article.

Both sides need to have more strategic communications to promote cooperation, maintain regional peace and stability, it said.

"New Delhi has arranged the Dalai Lama to visit the disputed area several times, attempting to strengthen control over South Tibet (Arunachal Pradesh). Beijing, for the sake of friendly ties with New Delhi, only lodged diplomatic representations rather than taking retaliatory measures against India's provocations," it said.

The article stated that the Beijing-New Delhi relationship has encountered two "friction points" since 2016 — India's Nuclear Suppliers Group bid and blocking of Jaish- e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar's banning by the UN.

However, the article said the Chinese government attaches great importance to its relationship with India.

"Beijing wants to work together with New Delhi to keep the conflicts under control, stabilise the bilateral relations, enhance economic cooperation and encourage more Chinese enterprises to invest in India. These are beneficial to Modi's 'Made in India' ambition and the country's economic development," the article said.

Some Indian scholars understand China's stance on the issues of NSG and Azhar, and believe that India is free to express its dissatisfaction but it was not necessary to deteriorate its relations with China, the article said.

"A few other Indian observers argue that the Modi government is utilising the two issues to instigate domestic nationalist sentiments so as to win more support in the next election," it said.

Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday announced a solatium of Rs.20 lakh each to families of four slain CRPF personnel hailing from the state.

The four were among the 25 CRPF personnel killed in the Naxal attack in Chattisgarh yesterday.

Chief Minister K Palaniswamy condoled the death of M Padmanaban, N Senthil Kumar, N Thirumurugan and P Azhagupandi and expressed his sympathies with their families.

"I have directed providing a sum of Rs 20 lakh to the families," of the four deceased CRPF personnel, he said in a statement.
 

A consortium of British companies on April 24 unveiled a plan to test driverless cars on UK roads and motorways in 2019, the media reported.

The Driven consortium led by Oxbotica, which makes software for driverless vehicles, also plans to try out a fleet of autonomous vehicles between London and Oxford, the BBC reported.

The cars will communicate with one another about any hazards and should operate with almost full autonomy — but will have a human on board as well.

Previous tests of driverless vehicles in the UK have mainly taken place at slow speeds and not on public roads.

"We're moving from the singleton autonomous vehicle to fleets of autonomous vehicles — and what's interesting is what data the vehicles share with one another, when, and why," the BBC quoted founder Paul Newman, a professor from Oxford University, as saying. 

The project is backed by a government grant of 8.6 million pounds ($11 million) and involves an insurance company which will assess the risks involved at each stage of the journey.

The government is aiming to achieve an all-time high 273 million tonnes of foodgrain production in the 2017-18 crop year beginning July, anticipating good monsoon.

Foodgrain production is estimated to touch a record 271.98 million tonnes in the current year (July-June), as per the second estimate of the agriculture ministry.

"Foodgrain production target for next year is set at record 273 million tonnes," Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said while addressing a national event that aims to chalk out sowing strategy for the coming kharif season.

Monsoon is expected to be normal which will help achieving the desired target, he said.

According to the agriculture ministry, there is sufficient supply of seeds for the forthcoming kharif season.

For instance, about 83.46 lakh quintals of paddy seeds and 3.75 lakh quintals of tur dal seeds are available.

Fertiliser requirement is estimated to be 28.99 million tonnes for the season, it added.

To ensure smooth sowing during the coming kharif season, Singh said that the state governments should plan to procure high quality seeds of various types of crops and fertilisers for farmers.

The state governments should also ensure that there is no scarcity of inputs during the cropping season, he added.

Singh urged the state governments to make efforts for smooth and timely implementation of all schemes like Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, so that farmers get funds on time to start their work.

The two-day long national conference is deliberating on how to increase foodgrain production in the next year and implement technology and new innovations in the farm sector.

Amid spiralling student protests in Kashmir, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday discussed the security situation in the Valley with top brass of army, police and other agencies.

The chief minister chaired the meeting of Unified Headquarters, the multi-agency security body, here, officials said.

Top officials of administration, paramilitary and intelligence agencies also attended the meeting which came a day after Mehbooba met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi and discussed the prevailing situation in the state with them.

Kashmir is in the grip of increased violence since the April 9 by-poll for the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency. The security forces are under intense pressure as they are faced with almost daily protests and stone-pelting, especially by students.

The army and the CRPF have received some praise for showing restraint under provocation, but there has also been criticism, especially after a video showed a civilian tied to a jeep as a human shield to avoid attack on a convoy that drove through the streets.

Mehbooba yesterday said that the prime minister appears amenable to holding dialogue with stake holders but a right atmosphere needs to be created as "talks cannot happen amid stone pelting and firing of bullets".
 

High-end travellers to Shimla are all set to take off with the launching of a regular flight from New Delhi after being grounded for almost over four years, the hospitality industry said on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his day-long visit to the "Queen of Hills" will launch the central government's subsidised air regional connectivity scheme UDAN, or "Ude Desh ka Har Nagarik", building efficient regional air connectivity, from Shimla's airport at Jubbarhatti on April 27.

Members of the tourism industry are elated as they are hopeful that high-end tourists, especially foreigners and business travellers, will return to the state capital and its nearby destinations with the plying of regular flights after a long break.

Kingfisher was the only airline that operated regular flights between Delhi and Shimla till September 6, 2012. 

"We are very much hopeful that regular operation of flights from Shimla will give boost to the tourism industry," D.P. Bhatia, liaison officer with Shimla-based Oberoi Group of hotels, told IANS.

He said closure of the Shimla airport had affected the hotel industry badly.

"The regular flights are now restoring ahead of the peak (summer) season, which is good for the hospitality industry. Otherwise, this time again we are going lose business travellers to Srinagar," Bhatia added.

Except regular flights, some unscheduled chartered flights were coming every month to Shimla.

Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corp (HPTDC) General Manager Vijay Sharma said regular plying of flights would give a big boost to the tourism industry.

"There was more negative publicity earlier by travel agents that Shimla and its nearby destinations were not connected by air. This was somehow discouraging the high-end tourists. Now once again you will see noticeable spike in business tourists," he added.

The annual tourist arrival in Himachal Pradesh crossed 1.8 crore (18 million) in 2016. The tourism sector contributes approximately seven per cent of the State Gross Domestic Product.

According to Economic Survey report of 2016-17, a total of 2,604 hotels having bed capacity of 70,869 are registered with the state tourism department.

State Chief Secretary V.C. Pharka said necessary arrangements, including repair of 300 feet of sunken portion of the runway and providing refueling facility, for have been completed at the Jubbarhatti airport the operation of flights.

State Commissioner of Tourism and Civil Aviation Dinesh Malhotra said all the 10 tickets, each costing Rs 1,920, for the inaugural flight to Delhi from Shimla have been sold out at the HPTDC office at Shimla's Scandal Point.

A regular flight, which will operate five days in a week from Wednesday, will depart at 6.10 a.m. from Delhi and will arrive here at 7.25 a.m.

On the same day, it will depart at 7.45 a.m. from Shimla and will return to Delhi at 8.45 a.m.

State Chief Minister Virbhadra Siingh and state Tourism Development Board Vice Chairman Vijai Singh Mankotia had raised the issue with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) a number of times to restart the regular flight and to explore the possibility of expanding the Shimla airstrip to facilitate landing of bigger aircraft.

The state high court, while hearing a public interest litigation on resumption of flights to Shimla, had issued notices to the state and central governments a number of times on poor air connectivity in the state.

Even the Supreme Court last year had asked the central government to ensure that every airline had flights to uneconomical sectors such as Delhi-Shimla, instead of opting only for profitable sectors.

Government officials said that landing aircraft at the Shimla airport is a challenge, as it is one of the three tabletop airports in the country.

It is called tabletop because of the deep gorges surrounding the runway.
 

Actress Kritika Kamra, who is all set to play a warrior princess in the fantasy drama Prem Ya Paheli Chandrakanta, says the show has been a great learning experience for her.

"It's not every day that you get to play a character with so many shades, especially on television. Chandrakanta has been a great learning experience so far," Kritika said in a statement.

The actress said that she wanted to do something challenging.

"When I decided to do this show, I was looking to do something new, something challenging. I'm glad it has turned out to be all that and a lot more", she added.

The show's makers have given Kritika a bold and feminist touch this time as she will be seen fighting wars and taking the throne.

Chandrakanta, the princess of Vijaygarh, has taken the responsibility of her kingdom in absence of her father Jai Singh (Harsh Vashishtha) and has turned into a warrior princess.

 At least 14 human foetuses were found in Jharkhand's Deoghar district, police said on Tuesday.

Twelve foetuses were recovered in a sack on Monday near roadside bushes at Dumarthar village. While two were earlier found at the same spot on Sunday, police said. The majority of the foetuses were of females.

The bodies have now been kept in sealed jars. Police suspect the role of nursing homes.

"There could be two reason. One, a case of female foeticide as majority of foetuses are of girls or illegal abortion of babies as two of the foetuses were male. The role of private hospitals cannot be ruled out," a police officer told IANS.
 

Mumbai Indians off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Tuesday said his captain Rohit Sharma, who has been fined for showing dissent to the umpire, didn't misbehave with the official and was only trying to clarify rules.

Sharma was at the crease when Mumbai needed 17 off the last over to win against Rising Pune Supergiant.

After losing Hardik Pandya in the first ball, Sharma hit a six in the second but Jaydev Unadkat pushed the third delivery wide after seeing Sharma shuffle across the stumps.

Realising that the ball was veering away from the guideline for wide deliveries, Sharma left it alone. However, umpire S Ravi didn't call it a wide.

Disappointed with the decision, Sharma walked up to the umpire and protested even as the square-leg umpire A Nand Kishore intervened. He was fined 50 per cent of his match fee after the incident.

"The ball was too far outside, to be honest, but I don't really know whether it was wide or not," Harbhajan told reporters at the post match conference.

"If both the batsman's leg move, then bowler should get the margin, but Rohit's one leg had moved and as per me it should have been a wide. But we have to move on with the umpire's decision and they played better than us and it was great game of cricket.

"He (Rohit) wanted to check what is the rule then, where he need to stand, he did not shout at the umpire and asked him why did he not call a wide, he was asking where should I stand so that it is called a wide, if the bowl so outside, the more you move, the bowler will get the margin," he explained.

Harbhajan also differed that because of that particular ball, the hosts and specially Sharma lost the momentum.

"I don't know whether momentum was lost (because of the wide not being called), Rohit was hitting nicely but unfortunately he ended up hitting the ball straight in the air. That's what happens, cricket is game, anything can happen," he said.

"Just before that he hit a six and a similar ball went up in the air. I don't think momentum would have lost, at that time (you need to do) as a batter, just see and hit the ball, Rohit was batting on 50 odd, so don't think there were chances to lose the momentum," he added.

Harbhajan, however, admitted that the 19th over of their innings bowled by Englishman Ben Stokes brought Pune back into contention.

Strokes, the costliest buy of this IPL, conceded only 7 runs, and Mumbai eventually lost by three runs at the Wankhede stadium last night.

"That over was actually very crucial over for them. We didn't get any boundary in that over. That over actually changed the scenario for them, they were in the game. 17 to win (in the final over), they were in the game," Harbhajan said.

"Obviously, if one odd boundary would have been hit in that over, then we would have required 12-13 runs, then the match is open and there would have been a more pressure on the bowler," he added.

The off spinner took his 200th T20 wicket last night.

"It is nice to be taking those 200 wickets and still going strong. It is nice to be achieving these milestones and my job is to keep playing," said Harbhajan, who has been with Mumbai for past 10 years.

Harbhajan also backed out of sorts Sri Lankan seamer Lasith Malinga. "Mali has been a champion bowler for us, not just us but if you see his record in international career, he is champion bowler.

"He has gone for couple of overs, which can happen to any bowler. He is still the number one bowler in this format, no matter whether he is playing for us or Sri Lanka.

"It was his call that he needed a break and wanted to work something out for his own bowling."

 Politician-actress Hema Malini is overjoyed as her daughter Esha Deol is expecting her first baby.

"Deols and Takhtanis are overjoyed to announce that Esha Deol and Bharat Takhtani are expecting their first baby. We thank you all for all your good wishes," Hema tweeted on Tuesday.

Esha got married to the businessman on 29 June, 2012.

The 35-year-old has acted in films like LOC Kargil, Yuva, Dhoom, Dus, Ankahee and Cash. She was last seen on the big screen in 2015 in Kannada film Care of Footpath 2 and Hindi film Kill Them Young.

New research has found that the seeds of jackfruit-a large fruit found in many tropical countries — are a potentially low-cost substitute for cocoa beans, the primary ingredient of chocolate.

Considering that the worldwide demand for chocolate is outstripping the production of cocoa beans, the finding reported in the American Chemical Society Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry would be welcome news for chocolate lovers.

While in some countries, the sweet-smelling jackfruit seeds are boiled, steamed and roasted before eating, providing a cheap source of fibre, protein and minerals, they are mostly thrown away as waste. 

Globally, farmers produce about 3.7 million tonnes of cocoa annually, but estimates suggest that demand for these beans will grow to 4.5 million tonnes by 2020.

Researchers at the University of São Paulo who were looking to put the waste jackfruit seeds to better use discovered that compounds found in them produce many of the same aromas as processed cocoa beans and therefore could potentially be a cheap substitute for use in chocolate manufacturing.

The Brazilian researchers made jackfruit seed flours by acidifying or fermenting the seeds prior to drying. They roasted these flours for various times and temperatures using processes similar to those used to enhance the chocolaty flavor of cocoa beans.

Using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, the team identified several compounds from the jackfruit flours that give chocolate its distinctive aromas — such as caramel, hazelnut or fruity.

While there are several reports on the use of waste jackfruit seeds to produce starch, "for the first time we found that after roasting, jackfruit seeds imparted an aroma similar to that of chocolate", the researchers say.

They conclude that the cheap and abundant jackfruit seeds are thus "a potential replacement" for cocoa beans for the manufacture of chocolate.

Indian Grandmaster Pentala Harikrishna fought hard before going down against World No 4 Vladimir Kramnik Russia in fourth round of the Shamkir Chess tournament, here.

The Russian took 42 moves to finish the game against the World No.14 Indian Grandmaster, who tried all tricks up his sleeves but failed to save the game on Monday.

Earlier on Sunday, Harikrishna played an interesting game against local Grandmaster Teimour Radjabov.

The Hyderabadi used Ragozin defense but to his dismay his opponent surprised him with counter moves in the third round game. Harikrishna was quick enough to display his meticulous skills and turned the game into a half point in quick 28 moves.

With two draws and two losses so far in the tournament, Harikrishna is currently placed in the 10th position with one point.

The Hyderabadi will take on World No.10 and local favourite, Grand Master Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in round five later on Tuesday.

Mamedyarov is currently enjoying pole position with three points.

Despite muted demand from consumers, downgrading of mines and challenges from the renewable energy sector, the sales outlook of Coal India, the country's largest miner, for 2017-18 looks positive with an expected growth of around 4-6 per cent, analysts and stakeholders say.

They also hold the miner, now contributing 84 per cent of the country's coal production, is better placed to meet the summer demand that is likely to pick up along with power demand.

"Coal India ended the last financial year with around year-on-year 1.6 per cent growth in sales, but in February and March, this was around 5-6 per cent. This indicates sales are picking up.

"This trend is expected to be intact at least in the first (April-June) quarter of the current fiscal. It is likely to dip in the monsoon season, but overall, around 4-5 per cent sales growth is at least expected," Emkay Global's Research Analyst Gautam Chakraborty told IANS.

According to a report prepared by investment services company Motilal Oswal, apparent coal demand growth has seen a decline of 2.4 per cent in 2016-17 on de-stocking, efficiency gains, substitution (pet coke) and rise in the generation of renewable power. However, the real consumption growth still remains at five per cent in the power sector.

"Coal India's dispatches will see an estimated growth of 6.8 per cent to 580 million tonnes (mt) in 2017-18 and by 6.6 per cent to 618 mt in 2018-19, driven by end of de-stocking and substitution of coal and pet coke imports, despite a rising share of renewable energy in power generation," Motilal Oswal Securities Ltd's Senior Vice President of Institutional Research, Sanjay Jain, told IANS.

Seventy-five per cent of the miner's demand comes from thermal power plants. Therefore, the overall coal demand is largely guided by that. The power demand in India has grown at 6-7 per cent in the last two years, but that includes a handsome contribution from the renewable energy sector.

If the trend continues, thermal power demand would witness a lower demand growth in 2017-18 than the overall power demand growth.

"Coal demand growth from thermal power plants, however, may be even lower, since coal stock at such plants has been increasing, which will affect offtake. Overall, we expect coal demand from thermal power to witness a growth rate of 4-5 per cent in the current fiscal unless demand conditions improve materially," ICRA Ltd's Group Head for Corporate Sector Ratings, Jayanta Roy, told IANS.

Coal India, too, is betting on thermal power generation.

"The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) data suggested that thermal power generation was 5.34 per cent higher during the April-February period of the last fiscal over the same period of the previous year. In the current fiscal, the positive trend will continue and we hope for reasonable growth in our dispatches," a Coal India official told IANS.

During 2016-17, production growth of Coal India was low at around three per cent due to slower offtake caused by both muted demand and stockpiles at power plants.

"However, the miner should be in a position to grow its production at a faster rate if demand condition improves. Therefore meeting higher demand in summer should not be a problem for the company," Roy said.

Echoing Roy, other analysts also said supply should not be a constraint.

"Coal India has proved that it could stretch to over 60 million tonnes of production a month, as it did in March, if required," Chakraborty noted.

Apart from power, the other important demand drivers are the steel and cement sectors.

"Steel production in the last fiscal increased at a healthy double digit rate, but that is unlikely to be repeated in the current year. On the other hand, the cement sector would be able to report healthier growth in 2017-18 than in the last fiscal, when demand was adversely affected by the note ban," Roy said.

Chakraborty noted the capacity utilisation of plants for cement, steel, sponge iron and aluminium is on the higher side, which, in turn, would push up the demand for coal.

"It is difficult to judge real consumption in the non-power sector due to absence of inventory data at the consumer end. However, we don't see reasons for a slowdown. Production of cement, sponge iron, aluminum and the like has all increased. The decline of apparent demand can largely be attributed to destocking," Jain said.

However, the miner is likely to face some challenges on its revenue front after the Coal Controller's Organisation downgraded 40.76 per cent of 871 sidings at the company's 386 mines.

Following the reset of the coal grades, the miner said its impact on revenue could only be assessed after coal sampling and analysis over a reasonable period of time.

The miner's net sales realisation (NSR) on FSA (fuel supply agreement) volumes has been disappointing due to stricter enforcement of GCV (gross calorific value) measurements. Thus, despite a price hike of 6.9 per cent in May 2016, the NSR of FSA volumes were broadly flat in the second and third quarter, said the report cited above.

"E-auction coal prices are inching up due to higher international prices. It will increase the net sales realisation in 2017-18 despite no further price hike," Jain said.

He also said the employee cost would not be an alarming factor as it is expected to increase by less than 2 per cent in 2017-18 after rising 14 per cent in the last fiscal.