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India and World: April 2011

Top SAARC police officers discuss drug trafficking and terrorism

Top police officers from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries discussed terrorism and drug traffic-related problems in the region, among other policing issues, at a two-day conference in Colombo. The fourth meeting of the focal points of SAARC terrorist offences monitoring desk (STOMD) and the fourth meeting of focal points of SAARC drug offences monitoring desk (SDOMD), consumed a major part of the deliberations at the ninth SAARC conference in Police Matters. While SDOMD has made some progress treading on common ground, the terrorist offences monitoring desk is yet to achieve the same amount of success. Since last year, India had been offering training programmes at the National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science.

Jahangir portrait sold for Rs. 10 crore at London auction

A six-foot high, life-size portrait of Mughal emperor Jahangir, billed as one of the rarest and most desirable 17th century paintings ever to go under the hammer, sold for a whopping 1.42 million (Rs. 10 crore) at an auction in London. The portrait, attributed to Abu'l Hasan, Nadir al-Zaman and dated 1617 AD, was one of the top lots at the Indian and Islamic Art Sale at Bonhams.

India signs chemicals test data-sharing pact

India took another step towards quality parity with international standards in the realm of non-clinical chemicals manufacturing when it joined the system for the Mutual Acceptance of Data (MAD) in the Assessment of Chemicals, a multilateral agreement supported by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

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Its decision to join the OECD pact makes India the third key emerging economy to get on board the platform for ensuring that the results of its non-clinical chemical safety testing will be accepted in all other participating countries, the OECD said in a statement. OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurra said: India's engagement in OECD's work on chemical safety and its membership in our MAD system is indicative of the mutual benefit of the ever-closer relationship between OECD and major emerging economies. Ensuring that OECD and partner countries share and trust each other's chemical safety test data would also open the possibility for producers in OECD countries to have safety tests for their chemicals undertaken in adhering partner economies, officials said, noting that provisional adherents to the MAD system are currently Argentina, Brazil, Malaysia and Thailand.

West Asia imparts political colour to BRICS summit

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived at Sanya coastal resort town in China for the first-ever summit of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations. While two summits of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) were held in Russia and Brazil, this summit has South Africa as the new entrant. India will host the next summit.

Chernobyl-like rating for Fukushima accident

The nuclear radiation crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan was reclassified as a major accident with the same worst-case rating as the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. The level of the Fukushima crisis was now provisionally raised from five' to the worst-possible seven' on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES). The previous rating of five', assigned on the basis of radiation readings one week after the March 11 temblor and tsunami, was the same as that of the 1979 civil-nuclear accident in the U.S. The Vienna-based IAEA said a score of seven' under the INES framework would imply the occurrence of a major release of radioactive material, with widespread health and environmental effects, requiring the implementation of planned and extended countermeasures.

BRICS panel to intensify economic links

The Economic and Trade Ministers of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations have decided to set up a liaison group to intensify cooperation and pledged to oppose trade protectionism. This will mean examining the current state of economic cooperation and trade among the five countries and evaluating future trends.

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BRICS nations make the first move with local currencies

The BRICS nations inked a pact to use their own currencies instead of the U.S. dollar in issuing credit or grants among each other and pushed for the early conclusion of an Indiainitiated U.N. comprehensive anti-terror law. Our designated banks have signed a framework agreement on financial cooperation, which envisages grant of credit in local currencies and cooperation in capital markets and other financial services, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said. The decision came after a restricted session that deliberated on the international situation, financial situation, climate and security.

Foothold for India in oil-rich Kazakhstan

India finally got a foothold in the ongoing rush for hydrocarbons in Central Asia with the signing of a clutch of agreements during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's maiden visit to Kazakhstan. A package of three agreements signed between the national companies of both countries will give India access to the North Caspian Sea region which is in close proximity to major discoveries. The block contains two prospective structures Satpayev and Satpayev Vostochni (East) with estimated hydrocarbon reserves of 256 million tonnes. The agreements will enable ONGC Videsh (OVL) to acquire 25 per cent equity from Kazmunaigas (KMG), define how OVL will pay KMG, repayment in case of commercial discovery and development of the discovered fields. Although OVL has been trying to gain a foothold in Kazakhstan for over 15 years, the efforts got a boost only with the inking of an MoU in 2005. Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs Sanjay Singh said the move would add to India's efforts to diversify its sourcing of oil. It imports 67 per cent of oil from the Middle East and North Africa.

India, Kazakhstan sign pact on nuclear cooperation

In restricted and delegation level talks that lasted 100 minutes, Prime Minister Manmohan. Singh and Kazakhstan President Nazarbayev by and large concentrated on bilateral issues by putting flesh on various areas of collaboration, . Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs Sanjay Singh said. With most initiatives having been time consuming so far, Dr. Singh and Kazakhstan President agreed on a three-year Joint Action Plan. It details specific milestones in hydrocarbons, civilian nuclear energy, space, IT & cyber security, high-tech and innovative technology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, agriculture and cultural exchanges. The two countries moved a step towards more intensive collaboration in nuclear energy with the signing of the Agreement on Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy but this is subject to both sides adhering to their existing obligations under multilateral nuclear regimes. They also inked a memorandum in the area of information security and India agreed to set up an Indian-Kazakhstan Centre of Excellence in the Eurasian University in Astana.

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Speaking at a luncheon, Dr. Singh noted that Kazakhstan was one of the first Central Asian States with which India established diplomatic ties. He also pointed out that Mr. Nazarbayev's visit in 2009 (when he was Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations) launched the strategic partnership and paved the way for solid and substantive outcomes in sectors where we have complementary strengths.

TAPI talks deadlocked on gas price, transit fee issues

Talks for putting together the TAPI peace pipeline remained deadlocked as representatives of the four nations Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India could not reach an agreement on the issues of gas price and transit fee. Although the terms of the Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement (GSPA) were agreed at the Ministerial meeting of the TAPI countries, the issues of the price of fuel and the transit fee remained unresolved. All four nations decided to meet next month for further negotiations. Both India and Pakistan did not agree to the price of gas proposed by Turkmenistan. There was also a disagreement on the transit fee that India has to pay to Pakistan and Afghanistan to allow passage of gas.

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