Ref: Confdn/Genl/2016-19                                                                                        Dated - 20.03.2018

To

Shri Narendra Singh Tomar

Hon’ble Minister of Mines

Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India

Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi – 110001

Sir,

Sub: -  Proposed move to outsource the printing activities of IBM press at IBM Headquarters – request to drop the move – reg.

It is learnt that action on the part of the Ministry is being taken to outsource the printing activities of IBM Press at IBM Headquarters.

Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) being a custodian of data/information on mines and minerals that emenate from various quarters of the country and in-addition to its functioning as repository of all data that have been generated in the past and in the current have been bestowed with privilege of having its own printing facility so that all processed data that have been generated in the past and in the current have been bestowed with privilege of having its own printing facility so that all processed data that are brought our could be comprised in the publication of various titles that have repeated periodically. It would be highly non-viable and infeasible to depend upon external resources, be its outsourcing or other means to undertake this onerous and prestigious task of producing composite data publications.

Printing activities that are currently operational at IBM’s Press functioned as an integral unit of Indian Bureau of Mines under publication section. This unit came into existence in 1950s and has been in continuous operation in effective and impeccable manner serving department’s objective of dissemination of information as enshrined in Charter of Functions of IBM and catering to the interest and causes of needy and interested customers connected with mining and mineral industry.

Printing of technical publications is one of the important activities among many in the chain towards publishing many IBM’s technical Publications/Titles and technical jobs relating to IBM.

In IBM, all activities from authoring chapters to their editing, DTP activity i.e; formatting and design, proof checking, preparation of Camera Ready Copy (CRC), pre-press activity i.e.; form – setting, plate making and finally printing and binding go on simultaneously. Further, for release of any technical publication, there is massive co-ordination of efforts of division, particularly Mining & Mineral statistic to Mineral Economic to Publication Section. Several teams of experts hand co-ordinate, consult and integrate with each other specially in Publication section. Efforts of editorial personnel, Production and Printing Staff get involved in joint operations to produce final bound copy in minimum possible time by maximizing efforts.

Information presented in IBM Publications in useful to everyone connected with mineral development activity. IBM is effectively a Data (Mines and Minerals) Processing organisation. Data on mines and minerals generated across the country are collected, collated, analysed and processed so as to present them in a rightful form for public consumption and this prime objective up IBM is reflected in its Charter of Functions. If organisation such as IBM that does data crunching to such humongous levels for evolvement of mine/mineral information is not allowed to keep its own printing facility, then there could not be more an unfortunate happening such as this that could befall IBM.

On all rational parameters, cost-wise, economy-wise, if the matter is viewed dispassionately anyone would come to comprehend that retention of printing activity at IBM is more beneficial to IBM and the Government rather than winding and disposing it of.

In the light of the above facts, it may be seen that it is not viable nor feasible to outsource the printing of technical publications that are being brought out in house printing facilities that are available in IBMs printing unit under publication cell.

Hence, your kind intervention is solicited to stop the proposed move to outsource the printing activities of IBM and retain the printing activity in IBM rather than closing it down. It is requested to view the matter objectively, dispassionately and rationally and see the real merits for continuing printing activities at IBM Head Quarters.

A line in reply from your en will be highly appreciated.

Yours faithfully,

(M. Krishnan)

General Secretary)

& Member, Standing Committee

National Council JCM

Mob: 09447068125

Email: mkrishnan6854@gmail.com