IndIa PrePares

Volume 1 Issue 8 June 2012

rNi No.-dElENg/2011/39748 Owner, Printer and Publisher: Atul Kumar Garg Editor: Sonal Vats Senior Advisor : Neelam Nandan Editorial Team : Dr Jayant Rai Dr S.K. Gupta Kuldeep Singh Amit Shankar Raghunath Panigrahi Surendra Pandey Fidel Castro Sushant Singh S.K. Jahiruddin designing and graphics Ranvir Singh - 09818972982 Place of Publication: A-3/6, 2nd floor, Mianwali Nagar Paschim Vihar, New Delhi-110087 Ph. nos : 09810949873, 9899751545, 9873304730 Email: indiaprepares@gmail.com Printing Press: M/S Rolleract Press Services C-163, Ground Floor, Naraina Industrial Area Phase - I, New Delhi-110028 for Advertisement Enquiry, Contact Atul Garg : 09810949873 or Mail : atulmodernite@gmail.com hElP MAil SErviCE iphelpmail@gmail.com

CONTENTS
1. ThE uNfOldiNg Rethinking Social Sector ......................................................... 3

2. iNTErviEwdr. Shantanu Meeting the Stars .................................................................... 17 3. NATiONAl BullETiN The abc of RTE ....................................................................... 19 National News.......................................................................... 22 4. iNTErNATiONAl BullETiN International News................................................................... 30 5. BilATErAl BullETiN Indo-Bangladesh Relations...................................................... 36 Pratibha Patils visit to African Continent ................................ 37 Bilateral News......................................................................... 39 6. ECONOMY@ iP General Anti Avoidance Rules (GAAR) ................................. 44 alancing Inflation and Growth in India: Need of the Hour.... 46 B Economy News........................................................................ 48 7. SCiENCE SPECTruM ndias Deterrence Comes a Full Circle: Agni-V..................... 53 I RISAT -I .................................................................................. 54 Science News........................................................................... 56 8. hEAlTh iSSuE Family Planning in India......................................................... 63 1

9. ENvirONMENT ANd ECOlOgY ndian River Linking Project: Recent Judgment and I its Implication ......................................................................... 65 10. PErSPECTivES Debating National Security of the NCTC?.............................. 68 11. iNSPirATiONS@iP The Peoples President, Dr. Abdul Kalam ............................... 71 12. MOSAiC Re-Igniting The Past- Celebrating 150th Anniversary f Tagore, Vivekanand and Malviya........................................ 73 o 13. KNOw iT All .................................................................... 76 14. QuESTiONS@ iP PT-2012 analysis and solutions ............................................. 85

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Editors Note
Dear Readers
The first stage of the civil services exam 2012 is over and now it is time to concentrate and plan for the second stage. The four months of June, July, August and September happen to be the most crucial months in civil services preparation. It is precisely ones mains score that matters the most in the final list. So, hit the floor right away. Many of the students, especially those who are not very sure of their PT stage performance are in a dilemma whether to start preparing for the next stage in June or wait for the results due in August. Honestly speaking, waiting for the results can be the biggest mistake. The syllabus for Mains stage is huge and cannot be covered in 2 months. This is for sure that those who waste June and July have very little chance of clearing the mains stage. In fact, June is the month when there is no pressure on the candidates and they can really work on new things to improve the quality of their studies. One can experiment in June but not later. It is a time when students can work on their weak points and rectify the mistakes they have done in the earlier attempts. It has been observed that most of the successful candidates finish one of their subjects and atleast one paper of the GS before the announcement of the results. So it is advisable for the students that they start with one of their subjects in the first week of June itself. This way you will have ample time to revise the syllabus in September. Another trend that is observed is that candidates leave their current affairs part for the last one month of preparation. This can actually prove to be disastrous. Current affairs are something which should always remain the part of your studies. In the last month, there are many more things to do, so try toto keep it simple and easy for then. Well keep you updated with all the latest news and buzz to help you prepare best. Till then, keep reading and keep enjoying. Best of luck Sonal Vats (Editor)

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THE uNfOLDING...

RETHINKING SOCIAL SECTOR

G.S Mains examination forms the core of the Mains stage of Civil Services examination. Over the years, the general perception developing is that exam is becoming more and more unpredictable, extensive and quite exhaustive, with students being left baffled as to what to study and from where? A closer view, however presents a different reality. The examination is no doubt becoming ever extensive but the issues and questions asked are very much based on our everyday happenings. When earlier the focus was on observant knowledge, the focus now is on analytical understanding, a paradigm shift from what is to why it is and how it is. The examiner not only wants to know how much we know but also how much have we thought it through. There are four critical areas in G.S. Mains apart from the conventional bit about history, polity, geography, and statistics. These are Social Issues( which in major part includes various Government sponsored welfare schemes), Bilateral and Multilateral relations, Indias Foreign Policy and Science and Technology. India Prepares will be delving into each of these core areas in its coming four issues starting with Social sector analysis in this very copy. We would be providing you with in-depth analysis of all the major flagship programmes of the government, various revamped schemes, the proposed changes, renewed targets and achievements, so on and so forth. We would also look into the issue as to why the budgetary allocations to social sectors are growing but without any commensurate increase in welfare benets to the masses. The ethos of planning in India has always been people centric. When India became independent in 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru stressed the importance of the task that lay ahead of ending poverty, ignorance, disease and inequality of opportunity. As the 1st Five Year Plan (FYP) was launched, it however did not spell out any specic planning strategy linking sectoral investment proposals to the objective of the plan. But in the 2nd FYP, the principles of socialistic pattern of society underlay the planning strategy and emphasised social gain. It put stress on raising standards of living by raising national income through a rapid industrialisation process with focus on heavy industry. This was expected to generate employment opportunities and reduce inequalities in society through trickling down to the poorer sections in society. The plan also placed emphasis on comprehensive village planning, taking the more vulnerable parts of the population, such as landless farmers and artisans into account. It was, in addition, pointed out that national planning should always be carried out in a manner, which takes the programmes of the national, State and district plans into consideration. During the 60s, 70s and 80s, most of the focus was, however, put on accelerating economic growth, savings and investments. This was nothing unique to India, but was the dominating approach to development in most developing countries, as the belief in the trickle-down effect to solve the issue of poverty was strong. The inadequacy of tackling poverty through this strategy was recognised by the Government of India: The equity objective was sought to be pursued through redistribution of assets. But, land reforms could not be implemented effectively. The problem of poverty could not be tackled through growth, which itself was slow over a long period of time. During the 1990s, India introduced economic reforms, aiming at liberalising the economy through various initiatives. As stated in the 8th FYP (1992-1997): The Eighth Plan is being launched at a time, which marks a turning point in both international and domestic economic environment. Centralised economies are disintegrating all over the world. On the other hand, economies of several regions are integrating under a common philosophy of growth, guided by the market forces and liberal policies. The emphasis is on autonomy and effciency induced by competition. We cannot remain untouched by these trends. We have to draw lessons from the development experience of other nations during the last four decades. Inspired by the publication of the rst Global HDR, it was at the same time recognised that these liberalisation efforts should be combined with a more direct focus on human development: Human development will be the ultimate goal of the Eighth Plan. It is towards this that employment generation, population control, literacy, education, health, drinking water and provision of adequate food and basic infrastructure are listed as the priorities. Beginning with the 8th FYP, the Five Year Plans continue to be rmly set within the human development paradigm. Addressing human development in India is of vital importance since a large portion of the population is living below the poverty line, and income inequalities are rising by the day. This articulation which was essential in 1990s in India as the country was opening up its economy, is extremely relevant today for policy planners to continue focussing on

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people who may be excluded from market oriented growth. Social sector of the economy provides various social services, such as Education, scientic research, urban development, health & medical facilities, family welfare, housing, labour & employment, welfare of backward castes and others.

POVERTY AND uNEMPLOYMENT

Whatever the denition, poverty remains massive. While ofcial gures give credence to the claim that economic growth necessarily leads to poverty reduction, a careful look at them tells a different story about the impact of structural adjustment and liberalisation. After two decade of liberalisation, the promise of economic growth with justice seems eternally postponed. There is increasing inequality between rich and poor and urban and rural people. Dalits and tribals are increasingly marginalised. Poverty in terms of total numbers has not decreased, employment opportunities have decreased, and more people are being pushed into the informal sector without any legislative protection or safety nets. Human rights violations against the tribal and Dalit communities have increased. Government commitments to the right to justice, equality and liberty enshrined in the Constitution are laudable but not sufcient. They must be put into practice. The State faces a major challenge in formulating and implementing public policies that promote the accessibility, affordability and availability (the three As) of basic social services to tens of millions of citizens still living below the poverty line.

For growth to be inclusive it must create adequate livelihood opportunities and add to decent employment commensurate with the expectations of a growing labour force. The Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-12) aimed at generation of 58 million work opportunities. The NSSO quinquennial survey has reported an increase in work opportunities to the tune of 18 million under the current daily status (CDS) between 2004-5 and 200910. The MGNREGA This flagship programme of the Government of India aims at enhancing livelihood security of households in rural areas of the country by providing at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in a nancial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. It also mandates 1/3 participation for women. The primary objective of the scheme is to augment wage employment. This is to be done while also focusing on strengthening natural resource management through works that address causes of chronic poverty like drought, deforestation, and soil erosion and thus encourage sustainable development. The MGNREGA was notied in 200 districts in the rst phase with effect from 2 February 2006 and then extended to an additional 130 districts in the nancial year 2007-8. The remaining districts with rural areas were brought under the Act with effect from 1 April 2008. About 3.80 crore households have been provided employment under the programme. During the same period, 122.37 crore person days employment has been generated across the country out of

which 60.45 crore were women (49.40 per cent), 27.27 crore (22.62 per cent) SCs, and 20.97 crore (17.13 per cent) STs. At national level, the average wage paid under the MGNREGA has increased from ` 65 in FY 2006-7 to `120 in FY 2011-12 (up to November 2011). This has led to substantial increase in purchasing power leading to strengthening of the livelihood resource base of the rural poor in India. The MGNREGA has successfully raised the bargaining power of agricultural labour, resulting in higher agricultural wages, improved economic outcomes, and reduction in distress migration. However, with better planning of project design and capacity building of the panchayati raj institutions (PRIs), pitfalls in implementation could be plugged to a great extent and the assets so created could make a much larger contribution to increasing land productivity. While the overall performance of the MGNREGA has been good, there is scope for improvements like focused planning, shifting to permanent asset and infrastructure building activities, skill upgradation for enhanced employability, reducing transaction costs, better monitoring, avoiding peak seasons in agriculture, and extension to urban areas. Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana The Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) is a self-employment programme with the objective of helping poor rural families cross the poverty line by assisting them to take up incomegenerating economic activities through a mix of bank credit and government subsidy. The SGSY specially focuses on vulnerable sections among the rural poor with SCs/STs to account for at least 50

New initiatives in MGNREGA(a) To strengthen transparency and accountability in the implementation of the MGNREGA, the government has initiated a service delivery project for information and communications technology (ICT) and biometrics-related works of the MGNREGA on public-private partnership (PPP) basis. (b)Wage rate: In pursuance of the announcement in Budget 2009-10 to provide a real wage of Rs 100 per day as an entitlement under the MGNREGA, the Government of India had set up a committee for developing an index for xing MGNREGA wage rates and their periodic revision. Its report is awaited. Till such time a satisfactory index is proposed by the committee and accepted by the government, the Government of India has taken a decision to index wage rates notied under MGNREGA to the consumer price index for agricultural labour. Accordingly, the revised wage rates under sub-section (1) of Section (6) of the MGNREGA 2005 have been notied on 14 January 2011.

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per cent and women 40 per cent of the swarozgaris. From its inception in April 1999 up to September 2011, 42.05 lakh self-help groups (SHGs) have been formed under the SGSY, of which 29.38 lakh SHGs passed Grade I and 14.16 lakh passed Grade II with women SHGs accounting for about 60 per cent of the total. During this period, a total of about 168.46 lakh swarojgaris have been assisted with bank credit and subsidy. Under the special project component of the SGSY, a placement-linked skill development programme has been taken up with 148 projects sanctioned/approved so far. About 4 lakh youth have already been trained / are under training and 3 lakh placed so far. In each district of the country, one Rural Self Employment Training Institute (RSETI) has to be set up for basic and skill development training of rural below poverty line (BPL) youth to enable them to undertake micro-enterprise and wage employment. The SGSY has now been restructured as the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM). The NRLM aims at reducing poverty by enabling poor households to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities. This should result in appreciable improvement in their livelihoods on a sustainable basis through building strong and sustainable grassroots institutions. The salient features of the NRLM are: (a) At least one member from each identied rural poor household, preferably a woman, to be brought under the SHG network in a timebound manner, the ultimate target being100 per cent coverage of BPL families; (b) Setting up of strong institutions of the poor such as SHGs for reducing dependence on external agencies; (c) a multi-pronged approach envisaged for continuous capacity building of the targeted families, SHGs, their federations, government

functionaries, bankers, NGOs, and other key stakeholders; (d) Subsidy to be available in the form of revolving fund and capital subsidy as an incentive for inculcating the habit of thrift and accumulation of their own funds towards meeting their credit needs in the long run and immediate consumption needs in the short run; (e) To work towards universal nancial inclusion beyond basic banking services to all poor households, SHGs, and their federations on both the demand and supply sides of nancial inclusion; (f) In order to ensure affordable credit, the NRLM has a provision for subsidy on interest rates above 7 per cent per annum for all eligible SHGs who have availed of loans from mainstream nancial institutions, based on prompt loan repayment; (g) To look at stabilizing and enhancing existing livelihoods and subsequently diversifying them; (h) To develop backward and forward linkages and support business plans; (i) to pursue skill upgradation and placement projects through partnership mode, with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) being one of the leading partners in this effort and 15 per cent of the central allocation under the NRLM earmarked for this purpose; and (j) 5 per cent of the central allocation to be earmarked for innovations. Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana The Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) was launched by the Government of India on 1 December 1997 to provide gainful employment to the urban unemployed and underemployed by encouraging the setting up of self-employment ventures or provision of wage employment. This scheme subsumed the earlier three urban poverty-alleviation programmes and was also revamped with effect from

April 2009 to include the Urban Self Employment Programme (USEP), Urban Women Self-help Programme (UWSP), Skill Training for Employment Promotion amongst Urban Poor (STEP-UP), Urban Wage Employment Programme (UWEP), and Urban Community Development Network (UCDN). Aam Admi Bima Yojana (AABY): Under this scheme launched on 2 October 2007, insurance is provided against natural as well as accidental and partial /permanent disability of the head of the family of rural landless households in the country. Under the scheme, the head of the family or an earning member is eligible for receiving the benet of ` 30,000 in case of natural death, 75,000 for accidental death, ` 75,000 for total permanent disability, and ` 37,500 for partial permanent disability. Janashree Bima Yojana (JBY): The JBY was launched on 10 August 2000 to provide life insurance protection to rural and urban persons living below and marginally above the poverty line. Persons between ages 18 and 59 years and who are the members of the 45 identied occupational groups are eligible for participation in this policy. The scheme provides coverage of 30,000 in case of natural death, ` 75,000 in case of death or total permanent disability due to accident, and ` 37,500 in case of partial permanent disability. Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY): The RSBY was launched on 01 October 2007 to provide smart card-based cashless health insurance cover of ` 30,000 per family per annum on a family floater basis to BPL families (a unit of ve) in the unorganized sector. The scheme became operational from 01 April 2008. The premium is shared on 75:25 basis by the centre and state governments. In the case of the northeastern states and Jammu and Kashmir, the premium is shared in a 90:10 ratio. The scheme provides for portability of smart cards by splitting the card value for migrant workers.

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The unorganized Workers Social Security Act 2008: The Act came into force from 16 May 2009 with the objective of providing social security to unorganized workers. The Unorganized Workers Social Security Rules 2009 have also been framed. Constitution of the National Social Security Board in 2009 was another signicant step. The Board recommended that social security schemes, namely the RSBY providing health insurance, JBY providing death and disability cover and Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) providing old age pension be extended to building and other construction workers, MGNREGA workers, Asha workers, Anganwadi workers and helpers, porters/coolies/ gangmen, and casual and daily wagers. National Social Security fund: A National Social Security Fund for Unorganized Sector Workers with initial allocation of ` 1000 crore has been set up. This Fund will support schemes for weavers, toddy tappers, rickshaw pullers, bidi workers, etc Bilateral Social Security Agreements: Bilateral social security agreements have been signed with Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway to protect the interests of expatriate workers and companies on a reciprocal basis. These agreements help workers by providing exemption from social security contribution in case of posting, totalization of contribution period, and exportability of pension in case of relocation to the home country or any third country.

Programmes for achieving this include the following: Bharat Nirman This programme, launched in 20056 for building infrastructure and basic amenities in rural areas, has six components, namely rural housing, irrigation potential, drinking water, rural roads, electrication, and rural telephony. A goal has been set to provide connectivity to all villages with a population of 1000 (500 in hilly or tribal areas) with all-weather roads. New connectivity is proposed to a total of 63,940 habitations under Bharat Nirman. This will involve construction of 189,897 km of rural roads. In addition, Bharat Nirman envisages upgradation / renewal of 194,130 km of existing rural roads. Under the rural roads component of Bharat Nirman, 42,249 habitations have been provided all-weather road connectivity up to December 2011 and projects for connecting 16,126 habitations are at different stages of implementation. Indira Awaas Yojana( IAY): The IAY is one of the six components of the Bharat Nirman programme. During 2010-11, as against the target of 29.09 lakh houses, 27.15 lakh houses were constructed. Since the inception of the scheme, 271 lakh houses have been completed till September 2011. The unit assistance provided to rural BPL households for construction of a dwelling unit under the IAY has been revised with effect from 1 April 2010 from ` 35,000 to ` 45,000 for plain areas and from ` 38,500 to ` 48,500 for hilly/ difcult areas Rural drinking water: Drinking water supply is one of the components of Bharat Nirman. The present status of provision of safe drinking water in rural areas as measured by habitations where the population is fully covered, as per information reported by the states is that about 72 per cent of rural habitations are fully covered. The rest are either partially covered or have chemically contaminated drinking water sources.

In order to give effect to the policy initiatives mentioned in the Eleventh Five Year Plan document, the guidelines for the Rural Water Supply Programme were revised in 2009 and renamed the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP). The Jalmani programme, a scheme to provide 100 per cent assistance to states for installing stand-alone water purication systems in schools in rural areas was launched in 2008-9. In pursuance of the same, ` 200 crore was released to states in 2008-9 and 2009-10 to cover 1 lakh schools. So far about 65,503 schools have been covered under this scheme. Rural SanitationTotal Sanitation Campaign (TSC): The TSC is one of the flagship programmes of the government. The TSC follows a community-led and people-centric approach, laying emphasis on information, education, and communication (IEC) for demand generation for sanitation facilities. To motivate the community towards creating sustainable sanitation facilities and their usage, the incentive for Individual household latrines for BPL households has been increased from `2200 (`2700 for hilly and difcult areas) to `3200 (`3700 for hilly and difcult areas) with effect from 1 June 2011. With the scaling up of the TSC, combined with higher resource allocation, programme implementation has improved substantially. A signicant achievement has also been the construction of 11.64 lakh school toilet units and 3.94 lakh Anganwadi toilets. This has led to substantial increase in rural sanitation coverage from 21.9 per cent in 2001 to about 85.95 per cent as of January 2012 as per the progress reported by states. The TSC has now turned into an inclusive programme, with participation of all sections of society. Provision of earmarked funds has been made for SCs and STs for inclusive growth of all sections of society. The active participation of women and adolescent

INfRASTRuCTuRE DEVELPOMENT
The Government of India has been according high priority over the years to building rural infrastructure with the objective of facilitating a higher degree of rural-urban integration and for achieving an even pattern of growth and opportunities for the poor and disadvantaged sections of society.

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girls in the sanitation programme has been encouraged with special components for them. The Nirmal Gram Puraskar (NGP) incentive scheme has been launched to encourage PRIs to take up sanitation promotion. The award is given to those PRIs that attain a 100 per cent open defecation-free environment. A total of 25,145 gram panchayats, 166 intermediate panchayats, and 10 district panchayats have received the award in the last six years. Sikkim has become the rst state to receive the award. Jawahar Lal Nehru National urban Renewal Mission (JNNuRM): The JNNURM has two of its four components devoted to shelter and basic service needs of the poor. These are: Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) for 65 select cities and Integrated Housing & Slum Development Programme (IHSDP) for other cities and towns. All states are covered under the BSUP and all states and UTs except Lakshadweep under the IHSDP. Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY): RAY is to provide support for shelter and redevelopment and creation of affordable housing stock to states that are willing to assign property rights to slum dwellers. RAY is to be implemented in two phases: Phase I, which will be for two years from the date of approval of the scheme (2011-13) and Phase II which will be for the remaining period of the Twelfth Five Year Plan (2013-17 ). The preparatory phase of RAY, called the Slum Free City Planning Scheme, has been implemented. In order to address the credit enablement of economically weaker section (EWS) and lower income group (LIG) households, the government has agreed to establish a Credit Risk Guarantee fund under RAY. The government has also approved the establishment of a Credit Risk Guarantee Fund Trust for low income housing (CGFT) to administer and oversee the operations of the scheme. The fund will have an initial corpus of` 1000 crore from the central government and ` 200

crore from the state governments who draw on it. Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHIP): The government has launched the AHIP for construction of one million houses for EWS/LIG/MIG with at least 25 per cent reserved for the EWS category. The scheme aims at partnership between various agencies/ government/ parastatals/ urban local bodies/ developers for realizing the goal of affordable housing for all. Interest Subsidy Scheme for Housing the urban Poor (ISHuP): The ISHUP seeks to supplement the efforts of the government through the JNNURM to comprehensively address the housing shortage. Cumulatively, till December 2011, 8734 beneciaries in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala have been covered under the scheme. Integrated Low Cost Sanitation Scheme (ILCS): The ILCS aims at conversion of individual dry latrines into pour flush latrines, thereby liberating manual scavengers from the age-old, obnoxious practice of manually carrying night soil. The guidelines were revised with effect from 17 January 2008. The scheme is on an all-town coverage basis irrespective of the population criterion and is limited to EWS households. The scheme is funded on a sharing basis, i.e. central subsidy 75 per cent, state subsidy 15 per cent, and beneciary share 10 per cent.

A new strategic framework for skill development for early school leavers and existing workers has been developed since May 2007 in close consultation with industry, state governments, and experts.

EDuCATION
India is now graduating to an economy with middle- heavy population. To reap the benets of this demographic dividend to the full, India has to provide education to its population and that too quality education. Trends in education have been quite encouraging. The Government is building new primary and upper primary schools. Female literacy has also jumped up. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)/Right to Education (RTE): Free education for all children between the ages of 6 and 14 years has been made a fundamental right under the RTE Act 2009. It mandates that every child has a right to elementary education of satisfactory and equitable quality in a formal school which satises certain essential norms and standards. Note: separate article is there on RTE act. National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL): This is a focused intervention for reaching out to the hardest to reach girls. It provides additional support for enhancing girls education over and above the investments for girls education under the SSA, including gender sensitization of teachers, development of gender sensitive material, and provision of need-based incentives. The scheme is implemented in educationally backward blocks (EBB) where rural female literacy is low. National Programme of Mid Day Meals in schools: Under the National Programme of Mid Day Meals in schools, cooked midday meals are provided to all children attending Classes I-VIII in government, local body, government-aided, and National Child Labour Project schools. EGCs/alternate

SKILL DEVELOPMENT
In addition to constituting a three-tier institutional structure on Coordinated Action on Skill Development consisting of (i) the Prime Ministers National Council on Skill Development(NCSD), (ii) National Skill Development Coordination Board (NSDCB), and (iii) National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), the NCSD appointed an adviser to the Prime Minister in the NCSD in January 2011.

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and innovative education centres including madarsas/ maqtabs supported under the SSA across the country are also covered under this programme. At present the cooked midday meal provides an energy content of 450 calories and protein content of 12 grams at primary stage and an energy content of 700 calories and protein content of 20 grams at upper primary stage. Adequate quantity of micro-nutrients like iron, folic acid, and vitamin A are also recommended for convergence with the NRHM. Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA): The RMSA was launched in March 2009 with the objective of enhancing access to secondary education and improving its quality. In addition to ensuring access, the quality interventions include ensuring all secondary schools conform to prescribed norms, removing gender, socio-economic and disability barriers, providing universal access to secondary level education by 2017, i.e. by the end of the Twelfth Five Year Plan, and achieving universal retention by 2020. The central and state governments bear 75 per cent and 25 per cent of the project expenditure respectively during the Eleventh Five Year Plan. The funding pattern is in the ratio of 90:10 for the north-eastern states. Model Schools Scheme: A scheme for setting up 6000 model schools as benchmarks of excellence at block level with one school per block was launched in November 2008 with a view to providing quality education to talented rural children. The scheme has two modes of implementation: (i) 3500 schools are to be set up in as many Educationally Backward Blocks(EBBs) through state/UT governments and (ii) the remaining 2500 schools are to be set up under PPP mode in blocks that are not educationally backward. At present, only the rst component is being implemented. The implementation of the PPP component will start from Twelfth Five Year Plan.

Inclusive Education for the Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS): The IEDSS scheme was launched in 2009-10 replacing the earlier Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC) scheme. While inclusive education for disabled children at elementary level is being provided under the SSA, this scheme provides 100 per cent central assistance for inclusive education of disabled children studying in Classes IX-XII in mainstream government, local body, and government-aided schools. The aim of the scheme is to facilitate continuation of education of children with special needs up to higher secondary level. The scheme provides for personal requirements of the children in the form of assistive devices, helpers, transport, hostel, learning material, and scholarship for the girl child up to ` 3000 per disabled child per annum. In addition, assistance is also provided for salary of special teachers, capacity building of teachers, making schools barrier free, establishment of resource rooms, and awareness and orientation. Vocational Education: The revised centrally sponsored Vocationalisation of Secondary Education scheme aims to address the weaknesses of the earlier scheme to strengthen vocational education in Classes XI-XII. Saakshar Bharat (SB)/Adult Education: The National Literacy Mission, recast as Saakshar Bharat (SB) launched by the Prime Minister on 8 September 2009, reflects the enhanced focus on female literacy. The literacy rate according to the 2001 census was 64.83 per cent, improving to 74.04 per cent in 2011. The literacy rate improved sharply among females as compared to males. Literacy levels remain uneven across states, districts, social groups, and minorities. The government has taken positive measures to reduce the disparities by focusing on backward areas and target groups. Since the Mission has been envisaged as a peoples programme, stakeholders, especially at

grassroots level, have due say and role in its planning and implementation. The decentralized model of the Mission provides PRIs a pivotal role in implementation of the programme at district level. Despite the efforts of the government in providing primary and elementary education, there is a lot more to be done. The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) by Pratham, an NGO, in its seventh annual survey of rural children since 2005 conducted in 558 districts, 16,017 villages, 327,372 households, and 633,465 children highlights many positives as well as negatives. Higher Education Higher education is of vital importance for the country, as it is a powerful tool for building a knowledge-based twenty-rst-century society. The Indian higher education system is one of the largest in the world. To prepare for the challenges of the twenty-rst century, the government has taken a number of initiatives during the Eleventh Plan period focusing on improvement of access along with equity and excellence, adoption of state-specic strategies, enhancement of the relevance of higher education through curriculum reforms, vocationalization, networking, and use of information technology and distance education along with reforms in governance in higher education. A large-scale expansion in university education has been initiated during the Eleventh Five Year Plan by setting up new educational institutions comprising 30 central universities, 8 new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), 8 new Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), 10 new National Institutes of Technology (NITs), 20 new Indian Institutes of information Technology (IIITs), 3 new Indian Institutes of Science education and Research (IISERs), 2 new Schools of Planning and Architecture (SPAs), 374 model colleges, and 1000 polytechnics. The National Mission in Education through ICT (Content generation and

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ASER 2011
Positives
Enrollment : In 2011, 96.7 per cent of all 6-14 year olds in rural India are enrolled in schools. This number has held steady since 2010. States that had a high proportion (over 10 per cent) of 11-14 year old girls out of school in 2006 have made signicant progress. Substantial numbers of ve year old children are enrolled in schools. The All India gure stands at 57.8 per cent for 2011. This proportion varies across states, ranging from 87.1 per cent in Nagaland to 18.8 per cent in Karnataka. Private school enrollment is rising in most states : Nationally, private school enrollment has risen year after year for the 6-14 age group, increasing from 18.7 per cent in 2006 to 25.6 per cent in 2011. These increases are visible in all states except Bihar. Better provision of girls toilets : The proportion of schools where there was no separate girls toilet has declined from 31.2 per cent in 2010 to 22.6 percent in 2011. Also, there has been a substantial improvement in the proportion of schools that have separate girls toilets that are useable. This gure has risen nationally from 32.9 percent in 2010 to 43.8 per cent in 2011. More libraries in schools, and more children using them : The proportion of schools without libraries has declined from 37.5 per cent in 2010 to 28.6 per cent in 2011. Children were seen using the library in more schools as well - up from 37.9 percent in 2010 to 42.3 per cent in 2011. Schools get their grants, but not on time : The data suggest that schools tend to get their grants during the second half of the scal year. Not much change in compliance on Pupil-teacher ratio and Classroom-teacher ratio : At the All India level, there has been a marginal improvement in the proportion of schools complying with RTE norms on pupil-teacher ratio, from 38.9 per cent in 2010 to 40.7 per cent in 2011. No major changes in buildings, playgrounds, boundary walls or drinking water : All India gures for 2011 show no signicant improvement in the proportion of schools with an ofce cum store. This gure remains at 74 per cent. Similarly, for the country as a whole, about 62 per cent of visited schools had a playground, both in 2010 and in 2011. However, there has been an increase in the proportion of all schools that have a boundary wall, from 50.9 per cent in 2010 to 54.1 per cent in 2011. Nationally, the proportion of schools with no provision for drinking water remained almost the same at 17 per cent in 2010 and 16.6 per cent in 2011. The proportion of schools with a useable drinking water facility has remained steady at about 73 per cent. Kerala has the best record with 93.8 per cent schools that have a useable drinking water facility.

Negatives
Basic reading levels showing decline in many states : Nationally, reading levels are estimated to have declined in many states across North India. The All India gure for the proportion of children in Std V able to read a Std 2 level text has dropped from 53.7 per cent in 2010 to 48.2 per cent in 2011. Such declines are not visible in the southern states. Arithmetic levels also show a decline across most states : Basic arithmetic levels estimated in ASER 2011 show a decline. Nationally, the proportion of Std III children able to solve a 2 digit subtraction problem with borrowing has dropped from 36.3 per cent in 2010 to 29.9 per cent in 2011. Among Std V children, the ability to do similar subtraction problems has dropped from 70.9 per cent in 2010 to 61.0 per cent in 2011. Childrens attendance has declined : At all India level, childrens attendance shows a decline from 73.4 per cent in 2007 to 70.9 per cent in 2011 in rural primary schools. More than half of all Std 2 and Std 4 classes sit together with another class : Nationally, for rural government primary schools, over half of all classes visited are multigrade. For example, at the all India level Std 2 children were sitting with one or more other classes in 58.3 per cent of Std 2 classes in primary schools. This gure was 53 per cent for Std 4.

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connectivity along with provision for access devices for institutions and learners are the major components of the Mission. So far nearly 400 universities have been provided 1 Gbps connectivity or have been congured under the scheme and more than 14,000 colleges have also been provided VPN connectivity.), which aims at providing high speed broadband connectivity to universities and colleges and development of e-content in various disciplines, is under implementation. Open and distance learning is encouraged for increasing access to and making quality education available at any time, any place.

facilities and manpower. The government has launched a large number of programmes and schemes to address major concerns and bridge the gaps in existing health infrastructure and provide accessible, affordable, equitable health care. These include the NRHM, National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE), National Mental Health Programme, NPCDCS, Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), upgradation/strengthening of state government medical colleges, development of paramedical services and the Programmes of AYUSH. The details of major programmes are as follows: National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) The NRHM launched in 2005 aims to improve accessibility to quality health care for the rural population, bridge gaps in health care, facilitate decentralized planning in the health sector and bring about inter-sectoral convergence. The NRHM provided an overarching umbrella to the existing health and family welfare programmes including Reproductive and Child Health (RCH-II) and various programmes for control of diseases, including tuberculosis, leprosy, vectorborne diseases and blindness. The effort is to integrate all vertical programmes. All the programmes have now been brought under the District Health Society at district level and State Health Society at state level. Accredited social health activists (ASHAs) are engaged in each village / large habitation in the ratio of one per 1000 population. Further, 7.41 lakh ASHAs have been provided

with drug kits. So far over 8330 primary health centres (PHCs), accounting for nearly 35 per cent of total PHCs, have been made functional as 24x7 services across the country. Further, 442 districts in the country are equipped with mobile medical units under the NRHM. Under the NRHM, emphasis has been laid on prevention and promotion aspects of health care. At village level, village health sanitation and nutrition committees (VHSNCs) have been constituted to create awareness about disease prevention and take preventive measures. Some of the weaknesses identied in the health delivery system in the public sector are poor upkeep and maintenance and high absenteeism of manpower in rural areas. The NRHM seeks to strengthen the public health delivery system at all levels. Reproductive and Child Health (RCH): The RCH Programme was launched in 1997-8 as a separate entity up to the year 2004-5 as a part of the Family Welfare Programme and was brought under the ambit of the NRHM during the Eleventh Plan. It has components such as pulse polio immunization and routine immunization for protection of children from life threatening conditions that are preventable such as tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, and measles. Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY): The JSY was launched with focus on demand promotion for institutional deliveries in states and regions where these are low. It integrates cash

HEALTH
The National Health Policy of 2002 and the priorities set in the successive Five year Plans provide the framework for the implementation of policies and programmes for health care. The National Health Policy seeks to provide prophylactic and curative health-care services and aims at achieving an acceptable standard of good health amongst the general population in the country by increasing access to the decentralized public health system. Access to the decentralized public health system is sought to be increased through establishment of new infrastructure in decient areas and upgrading of existing infrastructure. Despite progress made on many fronts, there are areas of concern as progress has been quite uneven across regions with large-scale inter-state variations and rural and remote areas continue to have decit in health

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Income Contingent Loan ( ICL)

An ICL is essentially a loan given to anyone who wants to invest in higher education and the repayment, which starts once the individual gets a job, is denominated in terms of a certain percentage of the income to be paid for a stipulated time period. Such loans are usually given directly to the educational institution and then recovered from the student once she gains employment. The distinguishing feature of an ICL is insurance against unfavourable outcomes, since the repayment amount is positively linked to income and could even be zero below a certain threshold income level. Australia was the rst country to institute a broadly based income-contingent charging system for higher education called Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) in 1973. New Zealand, South Africa with its National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) introduced in 1991, the UK, Israel and the US also have similar schemes. All these schemes have the basic flavour of the ICL but other ingredients vary.

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assistance with delivery and postdelivery care. It targets lowering of MMR by ensuring that deliveries are conducted by skilled birth attendants. The issues of governance, transparency, and grievance redressal mechanisms are now the thrust areas for the JSY. Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK): The JSSK is a new initiative launched on 1 June 2011 to give free entitlements to pregnant women and sick new borns for cashless delivery, C-Section, drugs and consumables, diagnostics, diet during stay in the health institutions, provision of blood, exemption from user charges, transport from home to health referral, and drop back from Institutions to home. In order to reach out to difcult, inaccessible, backward and underserved areas with poor health indicators, 264 high focus districts in 21 states have been identied based on concentration of SC/ST population and presence of left wing extremism for focused attention. A Mother and Child Tracking System has been introduced, which provides complete data of the mothers with their addresses, telephone numbers, etc. for effective monitoring of ante-natal and post-natal check-up of mothers and immunization services. National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme: This Programme is being implemented for prevention and control of vector-borne diseases such as malaria, lariasis, kalaazar, Japanese encephalitis, dengue, and chikungunya. The government has taken various steps for tackling of vectorborne diseases including dengue and chikungunya by the states. There are 250 laria endemic districts in 20 states /UTs in the country. The National Health Policy (2002) aims at elimination of lymphatic lariasis in country by 2015. Kala-azar is endemic in four states, namely Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh. The disease has been targeted for elimination by 2015 as per a tripartite

agreement between India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Under the elimination programme, the centre provides 100 per cent operational cost to the states, besides anti kala-azar medicines, drugs, and insecticides. Revised National Tuberculosis Control programme (RNTCP): The RNTCP, a centrally sponsored ongoing scheme, is an application in India of the WHO-recommended directly observed treatment short course popularly known as DOTS. Under the programme, quality diagnosis and treatment facilities including a supply of anti-TB drugs are provided free of cost to all TB patients. National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP): The NLEP was started in 1983 with the objective of eradication of the disease. In 2005, the dreaded disease after 22 years recorded a case load less than 1 per 10,000 population at national level. The recorded prevalence further came down to 0.69 per 10,000 in March 2011. National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB): The NPCB, launched in the year 1976 as a 100 per cent centrally sponsored scheme with the goal of reducing the prevalence of blindness to 0.3 per cent by 2020, showed reduction in the prevalence rate of blindness from 1.1 per cent (2001-2) to 1 per cent (2006-7). National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE): The NPHCE aims to provide separate and specialized comprehensive health care to senior citizens at various levels of the state healthcare delivery system including outreach services. Some of the strategies include preventive and promotive care, management of illness, health manpower development for geriatric services, medical rehabilitation, and therapeutic intervention and Information Education and Communication (IEC) activities. The National Programme for

Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS): The NPCDCS was launched during the Eleventh Five year plan. It envisages health promotion and health education advocacy, early detection of persons with high levels of risk factors through opportunistic screening and strengthening of health systems at all levels to tackle Non Communicable Disease (NCDs), and improvement of quality of care. Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Surakha Yojana (PMSSY): The PMSSY has been launched with the objectives of correcting regional imbalances in the availability of affordable/reliable tertiary health-care services and augmenting facilities for quality medical education in the country. These are sought to be achieved through establishing AIIMSlike Institutions and upgrading existing medical college institutions. The PMSSY aims at (i) construction of 6 AIIMS like institutions in the rst phase at Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur, and Rishikesh and in the second phase in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, ii) upgradation of 13 medical college institutions in the rst phase and 6 in the second phase. The upgradation programmes broadly envisages improving health infrastructure through construction of super speciality blocks/ trauma centres, etc. and procurement of medical equipment for existing as well as new facilities. Seven more medical colleges are proposed to be upgraded, one each in Kerala, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh and two each in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in the third phase. Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYuSH): Mainstreaming of AYUSH in national health care delivery is an important goal under the NRHM for which the government has sanctioned ` 42.19 crore upto December 31, during the current nancial year. A new component of upgradation of AYUSH dispensaries has been incorporated in the centrally sponsored scheme of Development of

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AYUSH Hospitals and Dispensaries in July 2010. Besides, a component of setting up of 50/10 bedded integrated AYUSH hospitals for North Eastern and other hilly states has been introduced in 2011.

WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

The government has started several schemes and initiated many new policy initiatives for the welfare and development of women and children which also include initiatives for economic and social empowerment of women and securing gender equality in various aspects of social, economic, and political life. Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS): The scheme was launched in 1975 for holistic development of children below 6 years of age and proper nutritional and health education of pregnant and lactating mothers with 33 projects and 4,891 anganwadi centres (AWCs). It has now been universalized with the government cumulatively approving 7,076 projects and 14 lakh AWCs including 20,000 anganwadis on demand. Apart from universalizing the ICDS scheme, the government has taken various other initiatives such as revision in nancial norms of existing interventions including the Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP), revision in nutritional and feeding norms of supplementary nutrition and introduction of new WHO growth standards. In addition, the government has also changed the cost sharing between the centre and states from 2009-10 from 50:50 to 90:10 for all components including the SNP for the north-east and 50:50 for the SNP and 90:10 for all other components for all states. Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG): This scheme was launched on 19 November 2010 with the objective of empowering adolescent girls in the age group 1118 years by bringing improvement in

their nutritional and health status and upgrading various skills like home skills, life skills, and vocational skills. To start with, it is being implemented in 200 selected districts across the country on a pilot basis. The RGSEAG is being implemented through state governments / UT administrations with 100 per cent nancial assistance from the central government for all inputs other than nutrition provision for which 50 per cent central assistance is provided. AWCs are the focal points for delivery of services. Nearly 100 lakh adolescent girls in 200 districts are expected to be beneted per annum under the scheme. In these 200 districts, the Kishori Shakti Yojana (KSY) and Nutrition Programme for Adolescent Girls (NPAG) have been merged in the RGSEAG. The Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme for Children of Working Mothers: This scheme provides for day-care facilities to 0-6 year-old children of working mothers by opening crches and development services, i.e. supplementary nutrition, health-care inputs like immunization, polio drops, basic health monitoring, and recreation. The combined monthly income of both the parents should not exceed ` 12,000 for availing of the facilities. Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS): This centrally sponsored scheme implemented through states was launched in 2009-10 with the objective of providing a safe and secure environment for comprehensive development of children in the country who are in need of care and protection as well as children in conflict with the law. The ICPS provides preventive and statutory care and rehabilitation services to any vulnerable child including, but not limited to, children of potentially vulnerable families and families at risk, children of socially excluded groups like migrant families, families living in extreme poverty, families subjected

to or affected by discrimination and minority families, children infected and / or affected by HIV / AIDS, orphans, child drug abusers, children of substance abusers, child beggars, trafcked or sexually exploited children, children of prisoners, and street and working children. All the states/UTs except Jammu & Kashmir have signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) for implementation of this scheme and the states are at various stage of preparation of their implementation plans and nancial proposals Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women (STEP) Scheme : This scheme seeks to provide updated skills and new knowledge to poor women in 10 traditional sectors of agriculture, animal husbandry, dairy, sheries, handlooms, handicrafts, khadi and village industries, sericulture, social forestry, and wasteland development so as to enhance their productivity and income generation. For expanding the reach of the programme and further strengthening it, implementation of the scheme was revised in November 2009. The scheme aims at introduction of locally appropriate sectors. The number of beneciaries in each project may now vary from 200 to 10,000 with the funding ceiling at ` 16,000 per beneciary up to a period of ve years. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK): The RMK (National Credit Fund for Women) was created in 1993 with a corpus fund of ` 31crore. The initial corpus has now grown to over ` 180 crore including reserves and surplus due to credit, investment and recovery management, and an additional budgetary allocation of ` 69 crore. Since its creation, the RMK has established itself as a premier advocacy organization for the development of the micro-nance sector at national and international levels to enhance the flow of micro credit in the unorganized sector for

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poor women. It focuses on poor women and their empowerment through the provision of credit for livelihood-related activities. The RMK provides microcredit in a quasi-informal manner, lending to intermediate micro-credit organizations (IMOs) across states. The RMK has taken a number of promotional measures through micro-nancing, thrift and credit, formation and stabilization of SHGs, and also enterprise development for poor women. Other Schemes Some other schemes related to Women and Child Development,are as follows: (i) Ujjawala launched on 4 December 2007 aims at prevention of trafcking with ve specic componentsprevention, rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration, and repatriation of victims. (ii) Bal Bandhu Scheme for protection of children in areas of civil unrest is being implemented through the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) with the grant sanctioned from the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund. (iii) Swadhar Greh Scheme: Two existing schemes, i.e. Swadhar and Short Stay Home, being implemented with similar objectives and for the same target group have been merged into the Swadhar Greh scheme in order to reach out to those women who are victims of unfortunate circumstances and are in need of institutional support for rehabilitation, so that they can lead their lives with dignity. Under the new scheme, women are provided emotional support and

counselling to enable them to become self-reliant and get rehabilitated socially and economically through education, skill upgradation, and personality development. The envisaged coverage of the proposed scheme is all 641 districts of the country.

nancial assistance to students pursuing masters-level courses and PhD/postdoctoral courses abroad. The Scheme of Top Class Education for SCs provides nancial assistance for quality education to SC students up to degree/post-degree level. SC students who secure admission in notied institutions are awarded scholarships. Under the revised Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojna a centrally sponsored scheme for hostels for SC boys and girls, assistance for the construction of girls hostels has been raised from 50 per cent to 100 per cent. During 2011-12, the physical target is 4,750 seats for girls and 5,000 seats for boys. The SCA( Special Central Assistance) to the TSP( Tribal Sub-plan) is a 100 per cent grant extended to states as additional funding to their TSPs for family-oriented income-generating schemes, creation of incidental infrastructure, extending nancial assistance to SHGs, community-based activities, and development of forest villages. The Scheme for Post- Matric Scholarship with 100 per cent nancial assistance to ST students whose family income is less than or equal to ` 2 lakh per annum for pursuing post-matriclevel education including professional, graduate, and postgraduate courses in recognized institutions, the Scheme for Top Class Education for STs providing nancial assistance for quality education to 625 ST students per annum to pursue studies at degree and post-degree levels in any of the 183 identied institutes, the National Overseas Scholarship Scheme with nancial assistance to

SCS, STS, OBCS, AND OTHER WEAKER SECTIONS DEVELOPMENT

A number of schemes to encourage SC students to continue their studies from school to higher education level as well as for the economic advancement of needy SC families are under implementation. During 2011-12, the physical target under the Scheme for Pre-Matric Scholarship for those students whose parents are engaged in unclean occupations was 8 lakh. The Post-Matric scheme has been revised with effect from 1 July 2010 so as to (i) raise the parental annual income ceiling for eligibility from ` 1 lakh to ` 2 lakh, (ii) rationalize the grouping of courses, and (iii) upwardly revise maintenance and other allowances by 60 per cent. Under the Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship Scheme which aims at providing nancial assistance to SC students pursuing M Phil and PhD courses, the number of scholarships has been increased from 1,333 to 2,000 with effect from 1 April 2010. The specied subjects under National Overseas Scholarships have been revised for the selection year 2010-11 and new subjects, namely medicine, pure sciences, engineering, agricultural sciences, and management have been specied for providing

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National Mission for Empowerment of Women (NMEW)

The NMEW, an umbrella mission to strengthen inter-sectoral convergence and facilitate the process of coordination of all the womens welfare and socio-economic development programmes across ministries and departments, was launched on 8 March 2010 to ensure economic and social empowerment of women. The NMEW is piloting the convergence model across the country in 32 select districts with the aim of bridging the gap between demand and supply of women-related services by undertaking realistic estimates of the demand, creating greater awareness about women-based schemes and programmes of the government, augmenting the demand for various services/ schemes for women, and connecting them with the service providers. The model includes introduction of convergence-cumfacilitation centres for women at district, tehsil / block and village levels. The rst such pilot convergence project was launched in Pali district in Rajasthan on 16 September 2011 with the opening of 150 village-level centres.

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15 eligible ST students for pursuing higher studies abroad in specied elds and the Scheme for Strengthening of Education among ST Girls in low literacy districts are some other schemes for the development of STs. Some measures for economic empowerment of STs include extension of nancial support through the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) in the form of loans and micro- credit at concessional rates of interest for income- generating activities and in market development of tribal products and their retail marketing through its sales outlets by the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED). Five communities-Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Parsisnotied by the government as minority communities constitute 18.42 per cent of total population as per the 2001 Census. Over the Eleventh Five Year Plan, with an outlay of ` 7,000 crore, a three pronged strategy including (a) educational empowerment, (b) area development, and (c) economic empowerment of minority communities was adopted. Educational empowerment was sought through three scholarship schemes, namely, Pre-matric, Post-matric, and Merit-cum-means based, with more than 1 crore scholarships given at a cost of ` 2,129.29 crore. These schemes were supplemented by the activities of the Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF), the corpus of which was enhanced from ` 100 crore in 2005-6 to ` 700 crore. Besides the MSDP, the Prime Ministers New 15 Point Programme for Welfare of Minorities earmarks 15 per cent of the outlays and targets in most flagship programmes of the government for areas with substantial minority population. Persons with Disabilities A number of schemes are being implemented for the empowerment and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. These schemes aim to

promote physical, psychological, social, educational, and economic rehabilitation and development of persons with disabilities to enhance their quality of life and enable them to lead their lives with dignity. There are seven autonomous National Institutes working in different elds of disabilities. These institutes are engaged in human resource development in the eld of disability, providing rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities and undertaking research and development in their respective areas of specializations Under the Scheme of Assistance to the Disabled for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP), approximately 2 lakh persons with disabilities are provided assistive devices every year Under the Deen Dayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS), ` 31.27 crore had been sanctioned for release up to December 2011 against an allocation of ` 120 crore during 2011-12 to voluntary organizations for running special schools for children with hearing, visual, and mental disability and vocational rehabilitation centers for persons with disabilities and for manpower development in the eld of mental retardation and cerebral palsy. Social Defence Under the social defence sector, schemes/ programmes are implemented for senior citizens and for victims of substance (drug) abuse. Programmes for senior citizens aim at the welfare and maintenance especially of indigent senior citizens. For victims of substance abuse, drug demand reduction is achieved through awareness campaigns and treatment of addicts and their detoxication so that they may join the mainstream. Under the Integrated Programme for Older Persons (IPOP), grants-in-aid are given to NGOs for running old age homes (OAH), day care centres (DCCs), and mobile medical units (MMUs) The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007 was enacted in order to ensure need-based maintenance for parents and welfare

measures for senior citizens. States/ UTs are required to implement the Act by notifying the same in the ofcial gazette.

ARE WE DOING ENOuGH?

The key headline in the India Economic Survey 2011-12 was that expenditure on social services as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has increased from 5.57% in 2006-7 to 7.34% in 201011. The survey, presented in Parliament by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, said India had faced the global economic crisis without much impact on the social sector. This claim needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, as studies have revealed that food price rise has hit the poor urban and rural hard and has pushed many further into hunger. Importantly, the union government expenditure on social services and rural development, both plan and nonplanned has consistently gone up over the years and had increased from 13.38% in 2006-7 to 18.47 percent in 2011-12. If that is the case then why is it that we are still aiming at inclusive development? India ranks 134 out of worlds 187 countries in terms of human development. The so called success story- standing strong against the tide of global economic downturn- is also slowly zzing out. The budgetary allocations to social sectors might be growing but without any commensurate increase in welfare benets to the masses. The National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) of the last United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime reflected the governments commitment to rapid and more inclusive growth through higher and targeted investments aimed at the poorest of the poor. The NCMP outlined ambitious public expenditure targets on key social services public spending on education and health at elevated levels of six and two-three percent of gross domestic product (GDP) respectively. However, there seems to be a gap between plans on paper and actual practice. Though

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budgetary allocations to the social sector have been rising, outcomes are not encouraging. In the context of the objective of sustained inclusive growth, it is important to analyse various issues relating to budgetary allocations for the social sector and related implementation modalities. If we examine nancing of social sector development by the government in India as reflected in its spending activities, we see that Governments Total Expenditure has grown at the signicant rate of 20% per annum in the post reforms period. But growth in Total Expenditure is not a sufcient indicator of performance of the government directed towards socioeconomic development of the country. It is essential to take into consideration composition of Total Expenditure of the government divided into Revenue Expenditure and Capital Expenditure.( Expenditure which does not result in creation assets is Revenue Expenditure. And expenditure undertaken for creation of assets is Capital Expenditure.) The average share of Revenue Expenditure in Total Expenditure of government is nearly 85% , which is excessive one. So far as long Term development of the economy through government efforts is concerned, Capital Expenditure should be given weightage than the revenue expenditure. Social sector of the economy provides various social services, such as Education, scientic research, urban development, health & medical facilities, family welfare, housing, labour & employment, welfare of backward castes and others. The study of composition of social sector development expenditure of the government is interesting, which indicates the priorities and importance given by the government to provide different social services that directly influence social welfare of the society. The data results reveal that the government in India has given priorities and importance to a few social services namely Education (53%), Health & Medical Facilities (20%) and Urban

Development (15%) only, all other heads such as Housing (3%), Labour and Employment (4%) and Family Welfare are comparatively neglected services, which are also very much important that enable social welfare maximization. Even though, the heads namely Housing (25% CGR), Family Welfare (24% CGR) have shown considerable growth, those are recently attention paid social sector development activities by the government. Labour and Employment is a too much neglected item of social

sector development by the government in India. Social sector development should be the long term objective of scal operations, especially of Public Expenditure in the socialistic pattern of society goal having country like India. This we can identify by examining relative importance of Revenue social sector development expenditure and Capital social sector development expenditure in Total social sector development expenditure of the government.

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indicators have fallen short of expectations, especially as far as the poor are concerned. Indias ranking in terms of health performance indicators continues to be unsatisfactory even in comparison to some of its poorer neighbours. A country like India, where the incidence of poverty is very high, needs to have extensive health safety nets. The health network has expanded rapidly but remains widely skewed. The irony is that medical tourism in India is becoming popular with patients coming from overseas, but our own citizens do not have proper access to basic healthcare services. Public expenditure on social services hardly benets the needy because of leakages and wastage. Only well targeted expenditures coupled with sound implementation can benet the poor. Equity in healthcare and education is measured by attributes such as access and universality, efciency, quality and subsidy. Investments in these sectors without any progress in mentioned attributes would imply a lack of enhancement in benets for the poor from such services. Budgetary allocations should be used to enhance the values of these parameters. The state has the responsibility of ensuring proper healthcare. Thus, it not only has an important role to play as an agency that nances and facilitates but as one that sets standards, regulates, and ensures that contradictions within the overall system are minimised. In India, besides there are various non-nancial constraints impeding progress in all sectors. Removing such constraints entails improving the quality of governance. Experience all over the world suggests that it is not so much the size of the government budget but how it is spent that determines the efcacy of the system.

16
Education empowers the poor to participate in the growth process. Rising budgetary allocations have increased the number of schools but the quality of education offered is still sub-standard mainly because of supply side constraints. The introduction of schemes, such as MDMS and SSA has helped in increasing enrolment but dropout rates before completion of primary education are still high, and also the quality of education provided is not to the par. There is a need to emphasise quality over quantity, i.e. it is important to have good infrastructure, spacious and hygienic surroundings and regularity in attendance by teachers and students even at the expense of numbers. There has been an increase in public health investment in the country. The combined revenue and capital expenditure of the centre and states on medical and public health, water supply and sanitation, and family welfare has increased from `53,057.80 crore in 2006-7 to ` 96,672.79 crore in 201011. In addition to increasing resource allocation for the health sector the government is also playing a critical role in facilitating access to health care delivery channels, public and private, through subsidized health insurance schemes like the RSBY for providing basic health care to poor and marginal workers. The RSBY has been extended to cover MGNREGA beneciaries and beedi workers. Despite efforts by the government to provide affordable access to the decentralized public health system, the expenditure of the government on public health as a percentage of GDP is low. There has been some improvement in the quality of healthcare over time, but wide inter-state, male-female and ruralurban disparities in outcomes continue to persist. Achievements in health

INDIA PREPARES

Interview

Vol.1 Issue 8 June 2012

INtERvIEW...

MEEtINg tHE StARS

Dr. Shantanu Kumar Agrahari, a Medical officer from Uttar Pradesh got 78th rank in Civil Services examination, 2011. This was Dr Kumars fourth attempt. This interview is important to us as Dr. Shantanu was associated with India Prepares as the head of our Science and Tech section. We wish him all the success in life and hope for his continued assistance in any form in the coming years. Q1. How did you hear the good news? Ans. One of my friend called me to give me the news which came quite as a shock. To really believe it, I confirmed it myself after a while. It all looked like a dream then. Q2. Why did you opt for civil services? Medicine is considered a noble profession. What prompted you to move out of it? Ans. Being a doctor, I was pretty satisfied with my work. However, over a period of time, I felt that more needs to be done around me and this society. Civil Services give one a bigger canvas to work upon. As a doctor, I could just look into the secondary causes of problems. It was more of a cure based approach, Civil Services, on the other hand give you an opportunity to work on primary level itself. Besides Civil services was a more diverse and challenging option. Q3. Four attempts sound taxing! How did you prepare? How difficult it was to maintain the tempo? Ans. It was difficult at times but not really taxing. I enjoyed the process. You actually grow a lot in the process; the reading is voracious. I look upon it as a way of life and not much has changed even today. I still read a lot, keep abreast

- Interview with Dr. Shantanu Kumar Agrahari, Rank-78

of whats happening in the world, in the country, in my state. Q4. Which subjects did you chose during the mains and why? What are the factors which one should look into while deciding for the subjects? Ans. Zoology and Anthropology. Having done medicine, which is Advanced Biology, I wanted to go back to my basics and study Zoology, which is Basic Biology. Also I was keenly interested in Anthropology, so the two served as ideal choices. Q5. But you changed your optional from Zoology to Pub ad in the last attempt. Reasons for it and Is it good to change your subject? Ans. I wasnt scoring marks in Zoology. Neither did I see any improvement in my score. Initially, I believed its not good to change ones subject but having realized that I have exhausted all my efforts in Zoology, the change in optional was imminent. Thankfully it worked for me. Q6. How did you prepare for the exam? Ans. My focus was to complete the syllabus and revise as many times as I could before the exam. Reference books were numerous; more than 50. I distributed my time among various topics and made monthly, weekly and daily plans. I would devote six to eight hours a day, but more than the number of hours, it is the quality and consistency of your studies that matter. I used to be very consistent with my reading. Q7. How was the interview? Can you recall any questions from the board members? Any interview tips for IAS aspirants. Ans. It was Madam Mrs Alka Sirohi board. There were four other male members along with the chairwoman. Interview happened in a cordial atmosphere. Most of the questions were related to my present job of medical officer. They asked

about the ongoing CBI investigation of NRHM scam in Uttar Pradesh. They also asked about the problems being faced by present doctors in relation to provision of affordable health services and I answered confidently regarding scarcity of essential drugs. Some questions were related with issues of generic drugs and ongoing irregular drug trials. One of the member asked a factual question that the community health centres caters how much population. The most interesting question was related to my hobby which was mentioned as interacting with senior citizen. They asked lot of questions regarding it. The interview lasted for 45 minutes and the last question was Mr. Shantanu , in the rural India, according to you who are the main sufferers of air pollution- males or females? Q9. How good are coaching institutes? How was your experience of these coaching institutes? Ans. Coaching institutes are a guiding light but it all ultimately comes down to your individual effort. I believe that hard work and a thorough study of the syllabus is the key to success. You must enjoy whatever you do. Attending mock tests would help a lot to ascertain where we stand. Choosing the right centre would have to be made cautiously. Q10. What are your views regarding the changes that UPSC has made at the preliminary stage? Ans. As the name itself suggests, the exam has now become an aptitude test. The emphasis is on testing the aptitude of the candidate for the demanding life in the civil service and on the ethical and moral dimensions of decisionmaking. Also the new pattern has made the playfield more even and level. Q11. You have worked with INDIA PREPARES. How was your experience? Ans. Working with India Prepares was very much part of my Civil Services

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preparation. Writing is an expression of ones personality. Also, it gives you an opportunity to see things in a broader perspective and to improve on ones writing skills. Having an association with this magazine which has brought a fresh perspective of analytical and comprehensive study to civil services was indeed an honour. Q12. What was your strategy for optionals, gS and Essay? Ans. There is no one model fits all kind of thing here. Everyone has to make his or her own strategy. For G.S and essay, it is not about how much one knows but how informed you are which is the key. Also there is no need of special preparation for essay. Preparation for general studies help in writing the essay paper. Newspaper reading builds ideas which helps in essay. I chose subjects I was keenly interested in, and it helped me to enjoy studies a bit more. Q13. How did you prepare for this exam selective, intensive or extensive studies?

Ans. A little bit of all. I prepared to the best of my ability Q14. What were you strong points which enabled you to achieve this success? Ans. In my case, I will say Patience was the crucial factor. Besides there is no substitute for hardwork and perseverance. Q15. How did you prepare for the interview? Ans. Just be yourself! The more artificial you are, the more you will struggle. While preparing, studying newspapers is the ultimate thing. I read The Hindu, which is by far the best newspaper when preparing for the Civil Services Exam. While preparing, dont merely read the newspaper, study the newspaper, just like you would a textbook. Underline, make notes, analyse, draw some conclusions, discuss. Q16. What is your impression about the Interview Board? Ans. As interview is only a personality

test, so the objective of the interview board is just to bring out your personality and not to judge your mental level. So the atmosphere in the interview room is friendly and supportive. Be confident, be honest and be clever, all the interview boards will definitely help you to perform at your optimum level. Q17. Do you have any priority areas where you would like to see you making a difference in the administrative services? Ans. Rural health and education. These two areas require lot of honest efforts. Q18. Your message to future CSE aspirants Ans. I would like to wish them all the very best for the exam. Its a way to go forward with confidence and belief in yourself. Its not too easy but neither too hard. Right amount of effort would pay good results. Be honest to yourself, and back your potential to the fullest! The only thing that can overcome Hard Luck is Hard Work!!

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NATIoNAl BullETIN...

ThE abc of RTE

Morality cannot be legislated but behavior can be regulated. Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless. The recent Supreme Court judgment in April 2012 on the educational rights of children compels one to agree with these words of the great Martin Luther King Jr. The apex court by a majority of 2:1 upheld the constitutional validity of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, which provides for free and compulsory education to children between the age of 6 and 14 years and mandates government/aided/and nonand Compulsory Education Act, 2009 is constitutionally valid and shall apply to a school established, owned or controlled by the appropriate Government or a local authority; an aided school including aided minority school(s) receiving aid or grants to meet whole or part of its expenses from the appropriate Government or the local authority; a school belonging to specified category; and an unaided non-minority school not receiving any kind of aid or grants to meet its expenses from the appropriate Government or the local authority. The CJI who wrote the judgment said: It will operate from today. In other words, this will apply from the academic year 2012-13. However, admissions given by unaided minority schools prior to the pronouncement of this judgment shall not be reopened. By judicial decisions, right to education has been read into right to life in Article 21. A child who is denied right to access education is not only deprived of his right to live with dignity, he is also deprived of his right to freedom of speech and expression enshrined in Article 19(1) (a). The 2009 Act seeks to remove all those barriers including financial and psychological barriers which a child belonging to the weaker section and disadvantaged group has to face while seeking admission. Though the above judgment is a breakthrough for educational reforms in India, yet it has been criticized for the blanket exclusion of minority unaided schools from the Act. Even if minority unaided schools were excluded from quota provision, the other provisions of the Act, relating to standards, quality, curricula and infrastructure, could be made applicable to them. Moreover, the 25 per cent intake could be interpreted in tune with the freedom of choice of minorities. Properly construed, the Act does not mandate that the 25 per cent quota should be taken from non-minority students. If linguistic and religious minority educational institutions are directed to give representation to children belonging to the weaker sections in their own communities, it will enhance their rights and not violate them. Many private schools had opposed the move saying that since they did not take any grants from the government, they could not be legally bound to reserve the seats and also the per-child cost as suggested by the government was very low. The government spends between Rs.6,000 and Rs.18,000 a child annually on elementary education and this will form the broad basis for reimbursement under the RTE, though the final amount will vary from State to State.

The Right To Education Act

The Right to Education Act (RTE) describes the modalities of the provision of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 in India under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution. India became one of 135 countries to make education a fundamental right of every child when the act came into force on 1 April 2010.

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A cartoon which appeared in The Hindu a year ago.

minority unaided schools to reserve 25 per cent of the seats for these children. The verdict reiterated the principle that the activity of imparting education should remain charitable even by unaided institutions. It also held that unaided schools should share the obligation to provide free and compulsory education to children under Article 21A of the Constitution, thus supplementing the primary obligation of the state.

history
The present Act has its history in the drafting of the Indian constitution at the time of Independence but is more specifically to the 86th Constitutional Amendment act 2002 that included Article 21A in the Indian constitution making Education a fundamental Right. This amendment, however, specified the need for a legislation to describe the mode of implementation of the same which necessitated the drafting of a separate Education Bill. The rough draft of the bill was composed in year 2005. It received much opposition due to its mandatory provision to provide 25% reservation for disadvantaged children in private schools.

The Judgment
A Bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia and Justice Swatanter Kumar while upholding the law, however, held that it would not be applicable to unaided minority schools. Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan, gave a dissenting judgment. The majority judgment said: We hold that the Right of Children to Free

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The sub-committee of the Central Advisory Board of Education which prepared the draft Bill held this provision as a significant prerequisite for creating a democratic and egalitarian society. Indian Law commission had initially proposed 50% reservation for disadvantaged students in private schools.

Passage
The bill was approved by the cabinet on 2 July 2009 and was notified as law on 3 Sept 2009 as The Childrens Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act. The law came into effect in the whole of India except the state of Jammu and Kashmir from 1 April 2010, the first time in the history of India when a law was brought into force by a speech by the Prime Minister

considering the quality of education, infringing on the rights of private and religious minority schools to administer their system, and for excluding children under six years of age. Many of the ideas are seen as continuing the policies of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan of the last decade, and the World Bank funded District Primary Education Programme DPEP of the 90s, both of which, while having set up a number of schools in rural areas, have been criticized for being ineffective and corruption-ridden.

Significance and Challenges

As it stands on the threshold of the Twelfth Plan, India has a historic opportunity to elevate education and healthcare as the strongest pillars of its future development. Yearning for lifebuilding education is unprecedented today. Yet, as Amartya Sen pointed out last year, the system remains deeply unjust. Access to excellence is open to those who can afford it, while the less-affluent majority has been left behind without even full schooling. That injustice is evident in the low figure of mean years of schooling for the national working age population: 5.12 years in 2010, compared to Chinas 8.17 years, and Brazils 7.54 years. In a full decade from 2000, India could not raise the mean substantially from 4.2 years. With continued economic growth, it should not be difficult to allocate the Rs. 4.50 lakh crore that the Planning Commission thinks is needed for the implementation of the RTE Act over the

next five years. The task will primarily be led by the States, but only a few, notably in the South, have the capacity to take on the challenge. The others must use the opportunity that presents itself to improve facilities and raise standards. Government and municipal schools have a long history of neglect and lack of investment in infrastructure, while affluent private schools use the most modern educational tools and teaching methods. It is worth pointing out here that the RTE rules have provisions to help bridge this asymmetry, in the form of perspective plans to be drawn up by individual schools. Tragically, political parties, which see education as too distant an issue to produce electoral victories, have shown little anxiety to improve the countrys standing. It is time to change this sorry legacy. Going by Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs affirmation, more funds will be devoted for the two key Twelfth Plan priorities, education and health. The UPA has been augmenting the resource base for some years now, using a 3 per cent cess for education, of which 2 per cent is earmarked for elementary education. That effort has raised significant funding, averaging Rs.11,000 crore a year since 2008 and it deserves to be strengthened. The challenge is to spend the funds in a manner that produces tangible, measurable outcomes. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act

Status of Implementation
A report on the status of implementation of the Act was released by the Ministry of Human Resource Development on the one year anniversary of the Act. The report admits that 8.1 million children in the age group six-14 remain out of school and theres a shortage of 508,000 teachers country-wide. The Supreme Court of India has also intervened to demand implementation of the Act in the Northeast . It has also provided the legal basis for ensuring pay parity between teachers in government and government aided schools.

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Criticism
The act has been criticized for being hastily-drafted, not consulting many groups active in education, not

The Right of Children to free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2010
The Bill amends the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. It expands the definition of child belonging to disadvantaged group to include children with disability. Child with disability is defined as a child who is blind, leprosy cured, hearing impaired, locomotor disabled, and mentally ill. It also includes children suffering from autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities. A child suffering from autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities has the same right to pursue free and compulsory elementary education which children with disability have under the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. The Act provides for establishing School Management Committees to prepare school development plan. Article 30 of the Constitution provides that all minorities, whether based on religion or language, shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. Thus, the Bill states that School Management Committees of minority institutions shall function only in an advisory capacity.

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Proposed National Mission for Quality Teaching

Worried over the quality of teaching, the government has proposed to set up a National Mission on Teachers and Teaching that would address the entire gamut of issues relating to teachers including teacher education and quality of teaching. The broader policy of teacher/faculty shortages and vacancies, recruitment policies, capacity building of teachers for improvement in qualification, pedagogic skills, technology enabled teaching; continuous training and retraining, and pre-service and in-service training will be brought under the purview of the Mission that will be discussed at the Education Secretarys meeting scheduled later this month. holistic manner The Mission will look at teacher education in a holistic manner and in a single continuum covering school to universities and suggest ways to strengthen the institutional mechanisms at all levels so that there are vertical and lateral linkages. The challenges of technology interventions to enhance effectiveness of classroom transactions and how to equip teachers in its use, will be clearly spelt out. Given the total intake capacity in the teacher education institutions for the elementary and secondary teacher education courses, there is a need to expand the capacity for preparing teacher educators, from the present 28,957 to around 40,000. The University Grants Commission is taking steps to ensure that, to start with, all Central Universities take steps for developing institutional capacity to prepare teacher educators. However, even State Universities need to be requested to take action in this regard. The proposal is to establish Schools of Education (SoE) in select Universities to institute linkages between universities, teacher education institutions and schools. The proposed strategy is to identify 40 University Departments based in Central Universities, selected State Universities, Deemed Universities and other Centres of Higher Education, including the Regional Colleges of Education of the NCERT to establish Schools of Education. untrained teachers Recent analysis made by the Department of Education shows that there are 5.23 lakh vacancies of school teachers at the elementary level and there would be additional requirement of around 5.1 lakh teachers to fulfill the provisions of Pupil Teacher Ratio specified in the Right to Education (RTE) Act. Moreover, around 7.74 lakh teachers are untrained, that is, they do not possess the prescribed qualifications. Under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), 1.79 lakh additional teachers need to be appointed in secondary schools. Focus on English, Mathematics and Science teachers in secondary schools is also necessary. In Central Universities, as per data is available in respect of 24 universities across 16 States on an average nearly 35 per cent faculty position are lying vacant. As regards, State Universities, UGC has provided data in respect of faculty positions for 77 State Universities spread across 23 States. Of these, 19 universities have more than 50 per cent posts lying vacant, whereas another 14 have over 40 per cent posts vacant. In technical education also, there is a faculty deficit of around one lakh.

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empowers all children to demand eight years of schooling, and everything must be done to encourage people to exercise this fundamental right. Meaningful use of the law requires new infrastructure. But that is the easier part. It is the lack of human resources that is more worrying. The Planning Commission identifies the twin problems of half a million existing teacher-vacancies, and the need to have another half a million teachers with requisite qualifications to meet the RTE Acts pupil-teacher ratio. Priority must therefore be accorded to start as many accredited teacher training institutions as necessary. Such a measure can improve learning outcomes, which are far below desirable levels now. Raising the gross enrolment ratio at the secondary school level from 60 per cent should be the other priority. Expansion of both primary and secondary schooling should remain

the responsibility of the state. But Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the main vehicle for universalisation of elementary education, can tap non-profit initiatives for speedy infrastructure building. Strong commitment towards rising outlays for education alone can determine Indias long-term development. The RTE Act has assigned the monitoring of implementation to the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). Currently, this fragile agency has hardly any institutional capacity to look after the millions of children whose right to education and dignity has been recognised for the first time in the nations history. Help from NGOs can hardly substitute a workforce of academic and legal specialists that NCPCR and its State units across the country require. Let us note that the Supreme Courts verdict puts the onus

for the execution of RTE on the entire society and the apparatus of the state.

Conclusion
Overall, one can hope that this verdict is a harbinger of the change in the subtle policy of segregation engrafted into the education system of India. A change that would no longer mean: Education for us, literacy for them; Convent schools for us, under the tree one teacher schools for them; English medium for us, vernacular for them; Trained teachers for our children, para teachers for theirs; Unaided institutions for government ones for theirs. ours,

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NATIONAL NEwS...
LEGAL / CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES
Cabinet Clears Presidential Reference on 2G Ruling
Two months after the Supreme Court cancelled all 122 telecom licences issued illegally in 2008 by the then Telecom Minister, A. Raja, the Union Cabinet decided to make a presidential reference to the court, seeking clarity on several key issues relating to the other licences issued before 2008 on a first come, first served basis, and also on the allocation of natural resources across all sectors. Notably, the court had found serious faults in the government policy of not allocating natural resources through a marketdriven mechanism. In matters involving award of contracts or grant of licence or permission to use public property, the invocation of the first come, first served principle has inherently dangerous implications, it said in its judgment. The government would also seek clarity on investments made by the foreign companies affected by the ruling. These firms, such as Telenor and Sistema, did not participate in the auction, but later bought stake in Indian firms and then invested heavily in network rollouts and operations. The government is under diplomatic pressure from Norway and Russia, whose companies, after having invested in the Indian telecom sector, now find the licences issued to their Indian partners cancelled following the historic judgment. The presidential reference would ask about the status of licences granted during 1994, 2001, 2003 and 2007 on a first come, first served basis, and also the dual licences given to the CDMA players by Mr. Raja in 2008. It would seek clarity on charging of spectrum with retrospective effect and ask about the status of operators who got 3G licences through a highly competitive bidding process but whose 2G licences were cancelled. decided to look into the legality of the governments policy on granting subsidies to Haj pilgrims. During the hearing in the case, the Centre had defended the policy of giving subsidies to the Haj pilgrims and had said it had framed guidelines so that people get subsidies only once in their lifetime. In an affidavit, the Centre had told the court that it has decided to restrict Haj pilgrimage at government subsidy to Muslims only as a once in a lifetime affair as against the existing policy of once in five years. It had said the new guidelines have been framed to ensure that priority is given to those applicants who have never performed Haj. The apex court had earlier expressed its dismay at the practice of sending official delegations to accompany the pilgrims and had asked the Centre to furnish entire details regarding Haj subsidy, as also about the criteria adopted. These goodwill delegations need to be scrapped altogether. They are no longer relevant. Even a team of 9 to 10 persons is not required, the bench had observed.

SC upholds Election Commission Criteria for Recognition of Political Parties

The Supreme Court has upheld the Election Commission rule mandating a State political party to garner at least six per cent of votes in an Assembly election and win at least two seats for getting recognition. By a majority 2-1 verdict, a three-judge bench said the benchmark laid down by the Commission is not unreasonable and dismissed a bunch of petitions filed by various unrecognised political parties in several States. Justice Jasti Chelameswar, however, disagreed and gave a dissenting verdict saying that there is no rational nexus between the classification of recognised and unrecognised political parties. In my opinion, this Court failed to appreciate that in a democratic set-up, while the majorities rule, minorities are entitled to protection. Otherwise the mandate of Article 14 would be meaningless.

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Supreme Court Strikes Down Haj Subsidy

The Supreme Court on 8th May struck down the governments policy of giving subsidies to Haj pilgrims and directed that it be progressively eliminated within a period of 10 years. A bench of justices Altamas Kabir and Ranjana Prakash Desai also directed the government to reduce to two the number of its representatives in the Prime Ministers goodwill delegation. It said it will look into the functioning of Haj Committee of India and it process for selecting people for Haj pilgrimage. The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by the Centre challenging a Bombay High Court judgement which had directed the Ministry of External Affairs to allow certain private operators to handle 800 of the 11,000 pilgrims earmarked under the VIP quota subsidised by the government. The bench while hearing the plea of the Centre had expanded the purview of the plea and

Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill, 2011

The Union Cabinet has approved tabling afresh in Parliament the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill, 2011, which would make sexual contact with a girl below the age of 18 a criminal offence, even if it is consensual. The Bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha in March last year, and sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee, which suggested some amendments, including making consensual sexual relationship with a girl under 18 a serious, criminal offence, punishable with life imprisonment. Section Seven of the original draft of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill, 2010, did not provide for any punishment if consent for the sexual act was secured from a person aged between 16 and 18.

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The Parliamentary Standing Committee suggested that the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000, on media reporting, be incorporated in the Bill, in addition to making the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights the monitoring authority during trial. The law aims at protecting children against sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography, and provides for establishment of special courts for trying such offences. It provides for treating sexual assault as an aggravated offence when committed by a person in a position of trust or authority, including a member of the security forces, a police officer, a public servant, and a member of the management or staff of a childrens home, hospital or educational institution. The original Bill provided for hefty monetary fines for the offenders, while the revised measure has left the decision on the quantum of fine to court discretion.

The Bill states that the expenditure for setting up the separate high courts shall be borne by the respective states. The Bill also amends the Advocates Act, 1961 to provide that there shall be a separate state bar council for the three states. An advocate on the rolls of the Bar Council of the states of Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura has been given an option to transfer his name on to the rolls of the new high courts. The advocate has to exercise this option within one year of the commencement of the Act.

The Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2011

The Institute of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2010 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 30, 2010. The Bill seeks to amend the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961, which declares certain Institutes of Technology to be institutions of national importance. The Bill seeks to add eight new Indian Institutes of Technology in Bhubaneshwar, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Indore, Jodhour, Mandi, Patna, Ropar. It also seeks to integrate the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University within the ambit of the Act. All these institutions shall be declared as institutions of national importance. The Bill allows the central government to notify zones in the country. Each institute has the duty to support and collaborate with technical education institutions that fall within its respective zone to enhance their quality. It shall also advise the state government and the Union Territory in the matter of technical education within its zone.

Registration of Marriages to be Made Compulsory

The government will amend the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, to include registration of marriages under the purview of this law. The amendment bill to be introduced in Parliament during this session. This will provide legal protection to couples, especially in cases of inter-religious matrimony. The Union Cabinet has also approved amendment to the Anand Marriage Act, 1909, to provide for registration of marriages of Sikhs that has been a long-standing demand of the community. The proposed Bills will be beneficial to women, protecting them from unnecessary harassment in matrimonial and maintenance cases. It will also provide evidentiary value in matters of custody of children, right of children born from wedlock of two persons whose marriage is registered and the age of the parties to the marriage. While marriages of Sikhs along with those of Buddhists and Jains are currently registered under the Hindu Marriage Act, Muslims, Parsis, Christians and Jews have separate Acts for registration. Necessary provisions have also been made to avoid duplication of registration both under the proposed central legislation and State laws. The registration of marriages under the proposed amendment would, however, not affect any right recognised or acquired by any party to marriage under any law, custom or usage.

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ISSUES ON GOVERNANCE
Mission to Improve Monsoon Forecast
The Union Cabinets Committee on Economic Affairs has given its nod for a national mission to improve the accuracy of monsoon forecasts. The mission, estimated to cost Rs. 400 crore over five years, is designed to improve the current dynamic numerical models through better insight of the highly complex phenomenon of monsoon. Under the project, scientists will work on two models already available from the United Kingdoms Met Office and the United States National Centres for Environment Prediction. The mission will have two components on two different time scales medium-range forecast, up to 15 days on the one hand and seasonal and extended range prediction (16 days to one season). Once the mission is implemented, the India Meteorology Department can come out with predictions based on a dynamic forecasting system for all time scales at appropriate spatial scales and with improved prediction skills. At present, the IMD makes its forecasts based on a statistical model. The statistical system has several shortcomings. Dynamic numerical models, on the other hand, are expected to come out with better forecasts. Since India does not have a dynamic numerical

The North Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) and other Related Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2012
The North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) and other Related Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2012 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on April 26, 2012 and was passed by Parliament on May 16, 2012. The Bill proposes to amend the Act to provide for the setting up of separate high courts for the three states of Tripura, Meghalaya and Manipur. After the commencement of the Act, the Gauhati High Court shall have no jurisdiction in respect of the states of Tripura, Meghalaya and Mizoram. The cases before the Gauhati High Court relating to these three states shall be transferred to the respective new high courts.

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model of its own, the project will seek to use those available from the U.K. and the U.S. and try and adapt them to Indian conditions. The goal is to develop within five years a model that will be India-specific.

PMs Rural Development Fellowship Scheme Gets Underway

Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh has launched the Prime Ministers Rural Development Fellowship (PMRDF) programme. Under the programme, 156 youth selected for the fellowship would work in 78 Left-wing extremism (LWE)-affected districts covered in the integrated action plan (IAP) in nine States Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand for two years. The programme would involve committed young people to facilitate development and welfare schemes in challenging rural areas. After two-month training, they would work closely with local elected bodies and women self-help groups to improve the implementation of government schemes, due to lack of which the areas remained underdeveloped, Mr. Jairam Ramesh said. They would work directly under district Collectors and Chief Executive Officers of Zilla Parishads.

agencies will help in conversion of insanitary latrines into sanitary ones within nine months of the notification of the Act, but non-receipt of assistance for the purpose will be no reason for continuation of insanitary latrines, failing which the local authorities will demolish the structure and the occupier will have to bear the cost, in a manner which will be prescribed in the Rules. The offences will be cognisable and non-bailable and tried by an Executive Magistrate. The National Commission of Safai Karmacharis will monitor the implementation of the Act, while district magistrates will be responsible for implementing and ensuring that there are no insanitary latrines in their jurisdiction. The municipalities and panchayats will conduct a survey of the manual scavengers to ascertain the number of persons involved in this profession and bring them under a rehabilitation scheme. Once identified as a manual scavenger, he or she will be given a photo identity card with details of dependent family members; there will be an initial one-time financial assistance and scholarships for children under relevant government schemes; the government will provide a residential plot and financial assistance to construct a house or provide a built house under the scheme run by the Centre or State government, or even local authorities. Sanitary workers or one family member will be imparted training in skill development and entitled to a stipend of Rs. 3,000 during the training period. They will also be eligible for subsidy and concessional loans to start their own alternative occupation on a sustainable basis.

SOCIAL ISSUES
24 Bill Prohibiting Manual Scavenging is Coming Soon
Employing people for manual scavenging and cleaning of septic tanks and sewers will attract a hefty penalty once the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Bill, 2012 is passed. The Bill that seeks to prohibit employment as sanitary workers is to be tabled in Parliament in the monsoon session. The proposed law suggests that every insanitary latrine will have to be demolished or converted into sanitary latrines within nine months of the notification of the law. It prohibits any agency or individual from employing manual scavengers and those already in this kind of job directly or indirectly will have to be discharged irrespective of any contract, agreement, custom or traditional commitments. Insanitary latrine is defined where excreta is cleaned or manually handled before complete decomposition either in situ or in an open drain or a pit into which excreta is discharged or flushed. Though there is no accurate data available on the number of people involved in this kind of work, manual scavenging in India is prevalent and even municipalities do hire people for cleaning septic tanks. Employing or hiring people for the hazardous job of cleaning of septic tanks and sewers from within one year of the day the Act is notified can attract imprisonment of up to two years and a fine of Rs. 2 lakh for first violation; subsequent violations will attract imprisonment of up to five years and Rs. 5 lakh. As per the draft of the Bill, the governments or the local

Fresh Look at Poverty Line Planned

After facing a barrage of criticism on the issue of poverty line during the last few months, the Planning Commission has decided to appoint a technical committee to look into the whole issue afresh. Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia has said that the committee of experts would be appointed soon. The terms of reference were being worked out and the commission would notify it once the exercise was completed. The Suresh Tendulkar Committee had put the people below poverty line (BPL) at slightly lesser than 30 per cent (360 million) in 2009-10, down from 37.2 per cent in 2004-05. The strategy of inclusive growth during the United Progressive Alliance rule had brought down poverty by 1.5 percentage points every year after 2004-05, while it had come down only by 0.74 percentage points during 1993-94 and 2004-05, Mr. Ahluwalia stated. On the much debated figures of Rs. 32 per capita income per day in urban areas and Rs. 26 per capita income per day in rural areas to decide the status of poverty, the Plan panel deputy chief said the numbers were arrived at by social activists and not by the Planning Commission. What we told the Supreme Court was that Rs. 4,800 income per family per month in urban areas and Rs. 3,900 in rural areas is the line of poverty, he said.

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wHO Calls for Greater Attention to Aging India

The World Health Organisation (WHO) in partnership with the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has called for greater attention to the aging of Indias population, its implications for health policy and for promotion of a society where the elderly can live full, enriching and productive lives. In India, as all around the world, people are living longer. Undoubtedly the population of India is aging and will continue to age steadily in the next few decades. It is estimated that the population aged 60 years and above will grow from 77 million (7.4% of the total population) in 2001 up to 300 million (17%) by 2050, noted a release issued by WHO. With a steady increase in life expectancy and the elderly population, the burden of non-communicable diseases (including heart disease and stroke, cancers, diabetes, mental health problems, vision and hearing impairment) will continue to grow, putting significant additional demands on health services. In the years to come, there will be a need to further improve the access of the elderly population to preventive, curative and rehabilitative services. The launch of the National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE) by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare is an important step in that direction, said WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, Dr. Samlee Plianbangchang.

adults, children and even mentally ill persons. The petitioner brought to the courts notice the menace taking place in various States. The petitioner said that in a large number of cases, multinational corporations were using contract research organisations for carrying out clinical trials which were not even approved. As a consequence of these illegal trials, 1,727 patients had died from 2007 to 2010. These trials are conducted in India either because these trials are not allowed outside India or because such trials are cost-prohibitive in the country of origin. Further, the poor, the illiterate and the vulnerable sections of the society become subjects of these illegal clinical trials. In conducting these trials, the doctors, with the sole aim of making money, grossly compromise with ethical medical practices. The NGO said the manner in which these trials are conducted is grossly illegal and violative of Article 21 of the Constitution. The inaction of the government in not banning/restricting these trials is violative of Article 14. The petitioner said that as per guidelines, the subject should know the nature and purpose of experiment; the method and means by which it was to be conducted; all inconveniences and hazards reasonable to be expected; and the effects upon his health or person which might come from the experiment.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Green Tribunal Suspends Environmental Nod to Posco
The Rs. 51,000 crore Posco steel project in Orissa is back in limbo, with the National Green Tribunal suspending the Environment Ministrys nod to the countrys single largest FDI venture. The government has now been told to conduct a fresh review by specialist experts to recommend new conditions, and ensure compliance before a clear deadline. The Tribunal has told the government to take a policy decision that in similar cases in the future, an EIA must consider the full capacity of the project, rather than granting piecemeal clearances for separate components. It also directed that the Environment Ministry consider a policy to insist that all waterintensive projects find their own sources, rather than diverting water meant for irrigation or drinking. In Poscos case, it said an alternative source could be examined, rather than using water meant for the city of Cuttack.

New Central Scheme to Supply Free Generic Drugs

Moving towards major reforms, the Centre is in the process of rolling out a universal health coverage package in at least one district in each State on an experimental basis. This would include a clearly defined basket of services to those who come to any public health facility for treatment or free supply of generic drugs, doing away with user charges and upgrading public health infrastructure right from the primary to tertiary levels. The private sector would have a role to play only when needed. These recommendations had been made by the High Level Expert Group (HLEG) in its report on universal health coverage. The panel had also recommended against any insurance scheme as a mechanism for health coverage. The HLEG had been set up by the Planning Commission and it submitted its report in November last. The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry will soon write to the States asking them to put in place a professional and transparent mechanism for providing free generic drugs. The scheme will be included as a new initiative under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) at a cost of Rs. 30,000 crore for the next five years. The scheme will be implemented from sub-centres to district hospitals, but not in medical college hospitals. At present, the Ministry is involved in working out a process to implement the scheme by taking States on board, as the scheme has enough potential for misuse. The Centre has already approved a Central Procurement Agency (CPA) for supplying generic drugs to the States right up to the

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HEALTH ISSUES
SC Asks Centre to Take Corrective Steps on Illegal Clinical Trials
The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to take corrective measures on illegal clinical trials. The court was responded on a writ petition filed by the Indore-based Swasthya Adhikar Manch highlighting the alleged illegal clinical trials of untested drugs being conducted by pharmaceutical firms on

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district level, from where the secondary and primary centres will procure these drugs. Importantly, the States will have to draw up standard treatment guidelines as provided under the Clinical Establishment (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2011. This will help in ensuring checking the irrational use of drugs, and encourage use of generic drugs. Maharashtra and Delhi already have such guidelines.

EDUCATIONAL ISSUES
Early Childhood Care and Education Policy Proposed
With the aim of providing integrated services for the holistic development of all children from the prenatal period to six years, the government has proposed a National Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy that lays down the way forward for a comprehensive approach towards ensuring a sound foundation for every child. India has 158.7 million children in the 0-6 age group as per the 2011 Census. Broadly, the policy focuses on re-structuring the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme and integrating early childhood education with the Right to Education Act to ensure a smooth transition into formal schooling. All service providers will have to be registered with the State governments to ensure quality of services provided. Early childhood is acknowledged as the most crucial period in a persons life, when the rate of development is very high and foundations are laid for cumulative lifelong learning and human development. There is growing scientific evidence that the development of the brain in the early years is a pathway that affects physical and mental health, learning and behaviour throughout the life cycle. Despite the existence of multiple service provisions, there is no reliable data available about the actual number of children attending the existing ECCE provisions and their break-up as per the delivery of services. Of the 158.7 million children in the below-six-years category, about 75.7 million children 48 per cent are reported to be covered under the ICDS scheme. Broad estimations indicate that a significant number is also covered by the private sector, besides some limited coverage by the NGO sector, for which there is no data available. This ECCE policy will cover all early childhood care and education programmes and related services in public, private and voluntary sectors in all settings across regions. These services include anganwadis (AWC), crches, play schools, preschools, nursery schools, kindergartens, preparatory schools, balwadis, and home-based care. The policy seeks to universalise the provision of ECCE for all children, mainly through the ICDS scheme in the public sector and other service provisions across systems. The Anganwadi Centre would be repositioned as a vibrant child-friendly Early Childhood Development Centre with adequate infrastructure and resources for ensuring a continuum of the ECCE in a lifecycle approach and child-related outcomes. Conversion of

AWCs into AWCs-cum-crches with a planned early stimulation component and interactive environment for children below 3 years will be piloted. Young children with different abilities would be reached out to. Service-delivery models will be experimented for family, community, and NGOs. To standardise the quality of ECCE available to children, basic quality standards and specifications will be laid down valid across public, private and voluntary sectors. A Regulatory Framework for the ECCE to ensure basic quality inputs and outcomes, across all service providers undertaking such services, will be progressively evolved at the national level and implemented by States in the next five years. A developmentally appropriate National Curriculum Framework for the ECCE will be developed. It will promote play-based, experiential and child-friendly provision for early education and all-round development. To sustain the multi-sectoral and inter-agency collaboration, a thematic ECCE Committee with experts will be formed under the ICDS Mission Steering Group initially and later formed as a National ECCE Council, with corresponding councils at the State level, and later at the district level. The council will be the apex body to guide and oversee the implementation of the policy as well as keep ECCE programmes consistent with the National ECCE Policy.

New Scheme to Raise Higher Education Enrolment

Concerned over the low enrolment ratio in higher education, the government is planning a Central scheme to incentivise the States to improve higher education in the country. The proposed Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) is aimed at increasing enrolment in the higher education institutions to 30 per cent by 2020 as against the present 12.4 per cent. The government intends to subsume the current scheme of setting up model degree colleges in 374 educationally backward districts of the country. The RUSA aims to expand the institutional base of higher education by creating additional capacity in existing institutions, establishing new institutions and incentivising State governments. It will focus on providing higher education opportunities to socially deprived communities, address disparities by promoting inclusion of women, minorities, Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes and differently abled persons. It will also seek to remove regional imbalances in access to higher education by setting up institutions in unserved and underserved areas. The programme will be funded in the ratio of 75:25, with the Centre putting up three-fourths of the cost. For special category States, the funding ratio will be 90:10. To increase fund availability, it has been proposed that as much as 50 per cent of the State share could be mobilised through public private partnerships. The balance funds including recurring cost of the institutions will be met by the State governments. Land for the institution will be provided free of cost by the State governments.

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COMMITTEE / COMMISSIONS
Panel Set up On Corporate Governance
To improve corporate governance, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has constituted a high-level committee, headed by Godrej Group Chairman Adi Godrej. The committee, comprising representatives from the corporate world, industry bodies and government departments, will suggest a comprehensive policy framework to enable corporate governance of highest quality in all classes of companies without impinging on their internal autonomy to order their affairs in their best judgment. The committee is likely to make its recommendations within six months after wide consultations with all stakeholders in the corporate sector, academics and members of the public. The government is keen on bringing in major changes in corporate governance guidelines by including good practices such as tax compliance and asking companies to adopt it voluntarily. Some of the prominent members of the Committee are: Biocon head Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, FICCI Vice-President Sidharth Birla, Asian Centre for Corporate Governance & Sustainability ViceChairman M. K. Chauhan, former chairman of Company Law Board S. Balasubramaniyan, besides former heads of ONGC, R. S. Sharma, and SAIL, S. K. Roongta.

critical infrastructure, Tribal Sub-plan, implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and the Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 and Governors Report. The report also contains recommendations on the role of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and State Tribal Welfare Departments, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes and SCs & STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

REPORTS / SURVEYS
India will see Highest Urban Population Rise in 40 Years
U.N. report says China, India together will account for about third of the increase in urban population in coming decades. India will witness the largest increase in urban population in the next four decades followed by China, a United Nations report has said. India will add another 497 million to its urban population between 2010 and 2050, while China will see 341 million people shifting into cities, followed by Nigeria (200 million), the United States (103 million) and Indonesia (92 million), according to the U.N.s 2011 Revision of the World Urbanisation Prospects report. The projected increase in urban population in India and Nigeria between 2010 and 2050 will be higher than that of the past 40 years. This trend is particularly prominent in Nigeria, where the urban population grew by only 65 million between 1970 and 2010, but is projected to increase by 200 million between 2010 and 2050 the third largest increase in urban population of all countries of the world. In 2025, Tokyo is projected to remain the worlds most populous urban agglomeration, with almost 39 million inhabitants, although the population will scarcely increase. It will be followed by Delhi with 33 million inhabitants and Shanghai in China with 28.4 million inhabitants. Mumbai would come next, with almost 27 million inhabitants. All three cities are expecting important population gains. High rates of growth are expected in Lagos, Dhaka, and Karachi in Pakistan (all having growth rates well above 2 per cent per year). In addition, the megacities in India (Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai) and in China (Shenzhen, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai) plus Manila are expected to grow considerably faster than those in Egypt or Turkey. These trends are consistent with the overall differentials in fertility among the national populations. Between 2000 and 2050, urban growth will be the sole driver of the increase in the urban population of China. In contrast, the urbanisation of the U.S. until 2050 will be still mainly led by an increase in the overall increase of the population. This unprecedented increase in urban population will provide new opportunities to improve education and public services in Africa and Asia, the report said. It, however, warned that the trend would also pose new challenges of providing jobs, housing, energy and infrastructure to mitigate poverty, expansion of slums and deterioration of the urban environment.

Committee Constituted to Examine Drug Approval Procedures

Taking note of the 59th Report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the functioning of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad has constituted a committee of three experts comprising V M Katoch, Secretary and DG, ICMR, P.N Tandon, President, National Brain Research Centre, Department of Biotechnology, Manesar and S S Aggarwal, former Director, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow. The Committee has been asked to: (i) examine the validity of the scientific and statutory basis adopted for approval of new drugs without clinical trials. (ii) outline appropriate measures to bring about systemic improvements in the processing and grant of statutory approvals and (iii) suggest steps to institutionalise improvements in other procedural aspects of functioning of the CDSCO. The Committee has been asked to submit its report within a period of two months.

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Mungekar Committee Report on Administration in Scheduled Areas

The Mungekar Committee Report on Standards of Administration and Governance in the Scheduled Areas submitted by the Standing Committee on Inter-Sectoral Issues relating to Tribal Development under the chairmanship of Dr. Bhalchandra Mungekar contains recommendations on a variety of issues. These include inter-alia reviving institutions of self governance, effective delivery mechanism, creation of

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India will Achieve Sanitation Goals only By 2054

Going by the present pace of progress, India will achieve the millennium development goals (MDGs) on sanitation only by 2054. While some States had already achieved the target and some are close to it, other populous States such as Madhya Pradesh and Orissa will reach the target only in the next century, according to WHO and UNICEFs Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMPWSS). According to the JMPWSS report, which tracks the progress on drinking water and sanitation, 17 States, including Kerala, Haryana, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and most Union Territories, had already achieved the MDG target while Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh will achieve it in the next 10 years. Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh are some States that will meet the MDG target in the coming 25 years, while Madhya Pradesh is expected to achieve the goal in 2105 and Orissa in 2160 unless special strategies are adopted to speed up the progress, the report has said. The world has pledged to reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015 from 1990 figures. Though India has already achieved impressive results on water supply, with 85 per cent of its people having access to safe drinking water, 51 per cent or 626 million people in the country defecate in the open, accounting for 60 per cent of the worlds total open defecations. India has seen an improvement in the sanitation figures from 1990, when 75 per cent people defecated in the open as against 51 per cent in 2010. But this improvement is seen only in the urban settings, where 28 per cent had no access to toilets in 1990 as against 14 per cent in 2010. In the rural areas, 91 per cent had no access to sanitation in 1990 as against 67 per cent in 2010, indicating that it was the rich who had more access to sanitation. Four out of every 10 people who have gained access to improved sanitation since 1990 live in China or India, and more than half of the 2.5 billion people without improved sanitation too live in these two countries. In India, 251 million people gained access to sanitation between 1990 and 2010 but the percentage continues to be low because of the annual increase in the population. Over 1.7 million (22% of the world total) children under five who died in 2010 were Indians, diarrhoea being one among the largest killer diseases and accounting for 13 per cent of the deaths. Worldwide, over 80 per cent of diarrhoeal deaths are due to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.

INSEAD. It ranked 48th in 2011, against 43rd the previous year. China, ranked 51st this year, occupied the 36th place in 2011. The report rates Indias performance as very mixed, with encouraging results in a few areas and a lot of room for improvement elsewhere, notably in the political and regulatory environment and the business and innovation environment. Extensive red tape stands in the way of businesses, and corporate tax is among the highest of all analysed countries. For instance, it typically takes four years and 46 procedures to enforce a contract, the report said, referring to the longer time and more paperwork required to start a business in India than in most other countries. However, India fared better in the availability of new technologies and venture capital, the intensity of local competition and the quality of management schools. Already ICT was having a small transformational impact on the economy, the report stated. The low penetration of ICT was one of Indias weakest aspects, with the country ranked 117th in individual usage. Mobile penetration had to be improved further, as also the percentage of the population that used the Internet. The report suggested skills and infrastructure upgrade. Fierce competition and innovations had made India the leader in ICT affordability. Although penetration is still limited among the population at large, businesses are early and assiduous adopters of new technologies. And the government is placing a great deal of emphasis on ICT as a way of addressing some of the most pressing issues. Whether this vision will translate into a transformation of the economy and society remains to be seen.

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STATE NEwS
west Bengal Frames Right to Education Rules
Nearly two years after the legislation was implemented in the rest of the country on April 1, 2010, the West Bengal Government has now framed rules for implementing the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. In keeping with the provisions of the Act, the age of admissions to Class I across the State has been raised from the existing five years to six years. The notification specifies that the State Government will have to ensure the availability of a primary school (Classes I to IV) to a child within one km in rural areas and within half-a-km in the urban areas. Similarly, every child in rural areas should have access to an upper primary school (Classes IV to VIII) within two km of his/her residence and one km in the urban areas. The notification proposes to set up a Right to Education Protection Authority (REPA) in the State till the Government comes up with State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) to supervise the implementation of the Act in West Bengal. The newly-framed rules also specify that the State Government, through local authorities like the panchayats and municipalities, will keep a record of all children from six years

India Goes Down in Global ICT Ranking

India has been ranked 69th among 142 nations in inherent capacity to leverage information and communication technologies (ICT) for progress, in the latest of a series of Networked Readiness Index reports brought out annually by the World Economic Forum and the business school,

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to 14 years to ensure that they are provided compulsory and free elementary education. With the publication of the Gazette notification, the schools will have to ensure special training for children who have dropped out and are being admitted to a class appropriate to their age. Certain other provisions of the Act, like reimbursement of fees of children belonging to economically weaker sections to the school authorities by the State Government and withdrawal of recognition to schools if they do not abide by the Act, have also been incorporated in the newly-framed rules. National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is the statutory body that monitors the implementation of the Act across the country.

in principle to extend the $200 million loan to Himachal Pradesh for undertaking a carbon-smart growth, said Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. The project aims at sustainable management of natural resources and heritage, with focus on forests, wildlife, wetlands, livestock, mining, fisheries, waste disposal, and architecture and cultural heritage. Himachal Pradesh had signed a pact with the World Bank last year for harnessing carbon credits to generate carbon revenue amounting to Rs. 20crore for 20 years under the Bio Carbon Projects in 10 districts of the State, he said. The Rs. 365-crore Himachal Pradesh Mid-Himalayan Watershed Project, cofunded by the World Bank, is the first Indian project registered for carbon credits.

Ordinance Returned by Manipur Governor to be Madhya Pradesh has pitched in with a plea in the Supreme Introduced as Bill Gujarat, M.P. spar over translocation of lions
Court for translocation of Asiatic lions from Gujarat to its Kuno Palpur sanctuary. Counsel for Madhya Pradesh, Vibha Datta Makhija told a special Forest Bench that Madhya Pradesh has all the necessary infrastructure, expertise and environment for translocating the lions to its own sanctuary. She disputed Gujarats argument that Madhya Pradesh would not be a safe place for the lions as the State had failed to preserve its own tiger population in the Panna reserve forest. She also repudiated Gujarats argument that shifting lions to Madhya Pradesh was not ideal as they cannot co-exist with cheetahs and tigers. She placed before the Court purported findings of experts to establish that these wild animals could co-exist. At the last hearing, Gujarat opposed any effort by the Centre to translocate Asiatic lions from its Gir sanctuary to Kuno Palpur wildlife sanctuary of Madhya Pradesh. Gujarat counsel Shyam Divan had said the State had sufficient infrastructure and will to conserve the lions population and it was not advisable to translocate them and pointed out that tigers have become extinct in Panna reserve. The State said that efforts should be made for translocation of the extinct cheetah from South Africa to Kuno Palpur and only after sufficient time efforts should be made to add lions gradually to that sanctuary. Otherwise lions will not allow the cheetahs to survive in the sanctuary, Mr. Divan said. The Gujarat Government is fighting a legal battle in the Supreme Court against translocation of lions in the wake of a PIL filed by an environment group seeking their translocation to Madhya Pradesh.

The O Ibobi Singh ministry in Manipur will introduce an ordinance as a bill in the assembly after Governor Gurbachan Jagat returned it for reconsideration. The ordinance seeks to appoint parliamentary secretaries in the rank of a minister to accommodate Congress MLAs who could not get ministerial berths. Mr Jagat returned The Manipur Parliamentary Secretary (Allowances, Appointment, Salary and Miscellaneous Provision) Ordinance, 2012, to the cabinet for reconsideration after it was sent to him for assent. Congress sources said at least six to seven MLAs were to be made parliamentary secretaries who would be given the charge to run certain government departments. Manipur with 60-member state assembly can have only 12 ministers following a constitutional amendment which limits the size of the cabinet to 15 per cent of its total seats of the house. The ruling Congress has 42 MLAs.

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Haryanas First LED Village

Shimla Mulana village of Panipat district has become the first village in Haryana to be completely illuminated with Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps. The Renewable Energy Department has provided power and solar energy equipments worth Rs. 13.27 lakh to the village. It has also provided 430 LED bulbs, 466 tube lights and 10 solar street lights.

Third NIA Centre in Uttar Pradesh

With Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav assuring full cooperation, a regional centre of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will be opened soon in Lucknow. It will be the third, after Hyderabad and Guwahati. Rajasthan HC CJ approves Fast Track court on Female Foeticide Chief Justice of the Rajasthan high court Arun Mishra has given an in-principle nod to set up a fast track court for expediting trial in cases of female foeticide.

$200 Million Free Loan for Himachal

The World Bank has agreed to provide a $200 million loan to Himachal Pradesh in order to enable it become the countrys first carbon-neutral State by 2020. The World Bank has agreed

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INTERNATIONAL NEwS...
SOUTH ASIA
Undeterred Pakistan Knocks on Russias Door on Pipeline
Undeterred by the U.S. threat of sanctions on the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, Islamabad has decided to explore the Russian option to render financial services to the project after the state-owned Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) developed cold feet. Delayed by one hiccup after the other, the Iran-Pakistan pipeline stumbled yet again recently with ICBC dragging its feet over signing the contract with InterState Gas Systems to provide financial advisory services to the project. A technical delegation visited Moscow recently to meet relevant authorities and companies, including Gazprom, to seek financial assistance. Russia has offered to fully finance the project estimated to cost $1.5 billion if Pakistan awards it to Gazprom without bidding. This offer was apparently made to Pakistan in February during the visit of Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. Russia has also evinced interest in the TurkmenistanAfghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline and CASA-1000, the Central Asia-South Asia electricity bridge. second could undermine the military effort, but they eventually agreed compromises on both. The main U.S. prison is now in the middle of a six-month handover, and Afghan forces have taken control of night raids, under two separate agreements signed within a month of each other, paving the way for the strategic partnership deal. Both sides agreed to set aside difficult questions about longterm U.S. access to military bases and the status of any U.S. forces that do stay on in Afghanistan. These issues will be negotiated in a separate deal some time before 2014. In the U.S. it will go to the houses of Congress and the president; in Afghanistan the President will consult with national leaders plus both Houses of Parliament. Washington and its allies wanted to have the U.S.-Afghan strategic partnership agreed before May, when a NATO conference in Chicago is expected to pledge long-term help to Kabul with finances and military training. By opening the way for a smaller but longer-term U.S. presence in Afghanistan, the agreement would give western leaders a rationale for supporting Kabul after combat troops are withdrawn in 2014. It also aims to reassure Afghans that the West will not cut and run, and is critical to Afghanistans financial stability. The World Bank forecasts the country will have a $7-billion hole in its annual budget after 2014.

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Pakistan Launches Hatf IV Shaheen-1A

Pakistan has said it had successfully conducted the launch of the Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile Hatf IV Shaheen-1A Weapon System. The missile capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional warheads is billed as an improved version of Shaheen-1, in terms of range and technical parameters. Advance notice was given to India on the test, in accordance with the May 2005 agreement regarding pre-notification of flight testing of ballistic missiles. India had similarly informed Pakistan of its upcoming test of Agni-V recently in advance.

Nepal Army Takes Charge of Maoist Combatants

In what is being considered a major development in Nepals peace process, the Nepal Army (NA) has taken control of the Maoist Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) cantonments, combatants and the weapons stored in containers inside the camps. This is in line with a decision taken by the all-party Special Committee (SC) for the Supervision, Integration and Rehabilitation of Maoist combatants, which was also attended by top political leaders. NA will now be responsible for the security of the 15 remaining Maoist cantonments, including its infrastructure. Around 9,700 combatants who have opted for integration remain in these cantonments, and there are over 3,000 weapons in the containers. A little more than 7,000 former fighters who voluntarily retired with cash packages left the camps in mid-February, while 12 satellite camps were shut down in March. Last week, the SC had decided that there would be another round of regrouping in the cantonments, where combatants would be given a second chance to take voluntary retirement. This was aimed at bringing the numbers of those opting for integration down to 6,500 the agreed maximum limit of those who can join a specially created directorate under the Nepal Army as per a peace agreement. Opposition parties have long demanded that the Maoists hand over the control of cantonments to the Nepal government.

Afghan-U.S. strategic Partnership Pact

Afghanistan and the United States have agreed the contents of a long-awaited deal to define their relationship after most foreign troops leave at the end of 2014. Today Afghanistan and the U.S. initialled and locked the text of the strategic partnership agreement, said Mr. Karzais spokesman, Aimal Faizi in April 2012. This means the text is closed, and both sides will now review the document and do a final consultation. Negotiations on the strategic partnership deal have dragged on for over a year, initially held up by two demands from Afghan President Hamid Karzai that he said were critical to restoring national sovereignty: Afghan control of jails and an end to night raids on Afghan homes. Western officials argued for months that the first demand was not practical and the

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EAST ASIA
China Boosts Trade with Nepal
China will provide Nepal with technology and assistance to build a border land port that will boost trade and serve as a transit point on a proposed railway line. Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Yang Houlan told that China is taking forward plans for a dry port at Tatopani near the border with Tibet, following discussions held during Premier Wen Jiabaos visit to Kathmandu in January. During the visit, both countries also discussed plans for a railway line connecting Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), and agreed to have more frequent high-level visits. Mr. Wens visit was the first highlevel visit since that of the former Premier, Zhu Rongji, in 2001. Last year, China also opened a port of entry at Gyirong in TAR to make it a major passage for land trade with Nepal. China plans to make Gyirong a 44.5-sq.km. cross-border free trade zone with Nepal, with 1.2 billion yuan ($190 million) spent to upgrade its infrastructure. A five-year plan for TARs development announced in January detailed measures to build highways and rail links to boost connectivity to border regions. Part of the plan is upgrade the 318 National Highway, also known as the friendship highway, that runs to Gyirong and to Zhangmu, a border town where much of the trade between China and Nepal takes place. The two countries also discussed extending the Tibet railway line to the Nepal border during Mr. Wens visit. Trade between China and Nepal grew by 61 per cent last year to $1.2 billion. Chinese officials say they see potential for supporting infrastructure and hydropower projects in Nepal with the country facing deficits in both areas. China sees Nepal as crucial to Tibets stability, with the country not only serving as an important transit route for Tibetans travelling to India but also home to a large exiled population. Boosting trade ties and commercial support to the Nepali government, would serve a dual purpose of increasing Chinas presence in the country and also giving Beijing greater strategic weight to press authorities there to cooperate more closely on the Tibetan issue.

willingness to engage in the disputed PoK region, both commercially and politically. China has a long-standing policy of not interfering in the Kashmir dispute, which it describes as an issue for India and Pakistan to resolve. However, some recent Chinese policies to the region have concerned India, including the issuing of stapled visas to Indian citizens from Jammu and Kashmir, even while the PoK residents are issued regular visas, and Chinese investments in infrastructure projects. Chinese officials said recently that Chinas only focus in PoK was boosting the local economy of the region, which borders the far-western Xinjiang autonomous region, and the government would not be judgemental over disputes. India also expressed concerns over the presence of between three and four thousand Chinese military personnel in PoK, although China says the troops are all from engineering and construction corps and stationed there for humanitarian activities in the wake of the 2010 floods.

N. Korean Long-Range Rocket Launch Fails

North Koreas heralded long-range rocket test ended in failure, disintegrating in mid-air soon after blastoff and plunging into the sea in a major embarrassment for the reclusive state. The defiant launch drew condemnation from world leaders who described it as a provocative act that threatened regional security, despite Pyongyang insisting it was intended to put a satellite into orbit for peaceful purposes. Some four hours after the rocket exploded over the Yellow Sea, the North admitted the satellite had failed to enter orbit. The United States and its allies slammed the exercise as a disguised ballistic missile test that contravened U.N. resolutions triggered by Pyongyangs two nuclear tests.

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Japan Foregoes Myanmars $3.7-Billion Debt

Japan has said that it will forgive about 300 billion yen ($3.7 billion) of Myanmars debt and resume development aid as a way to support the countrys democratic and economic reforms. The government made the announcement after a meeting between Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Myanmar President Thein Sein following a summit with leaders from the five nations of the Mekong River region. Myanmars military junta last year handed power to a nominally civilian government that has surprised the world with a series of sweeping political and economic reforms, including releasing prominent political prisoners and allowing democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi to contest recent parliamentary by-elections. The Japanese government said in a statement that it will cancel 127.4 billion yen in loans due after April 2003. It will also forgive 176.1 billion yen in overdue charges accumulated over the past two decades after one years time as the two countries jointly monitor reforms. Japan does not have sanctions on Myanmar.

Chinese Expedition to PoK Glacier

To celebrate its long-term friendship with Pakistan, China has said it will send an expedition to the Baltoro glacier in the Karakoram mountain range, located in the disputed Pakistan- occupied Kashmir (PoK) region. A first of its kind joint mountaineering expedition to this region from China and Pakistan will scale the 7,000 metre-high Mount Spantik peak either in June or July, Chinese officials has said. The expedition has been seen as reflecting Chinas growing

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wEST ASIA & MIDDLE EAST

Syria Accepts Kofi Annans Peace Plan
Syria has accepted a proposal crafted by the United Nations and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan that aims to end bloodshed in the strife-hit country. However, the main opposition coalition is sceptical and has questioned whether the government will honour its pledge. Mr Annans six-point plan calls for Mr Assads government to pull troops and heavy weapons out of population centres, and for all parties to allow for a daily two-hour pause to the fighting in order for humanitarian aid to reach affected areas. The plan also requests that the authorities release those detained in the uprising. However, it does not impose any deadline for Mr Assad, or call for him to leave power. Meanwhile, the UN said over 9,100 people had been killed in Syria over the past year as President Bashar al-Assads regime cracks down on protests, and the plan urges a UN-supervised halt to fighting, bringing hopes the violence will end. The acceptance of the plan was hailed as an important step by US state department. Both China and Russia have also offered their support for Mr Annans strategy. The two countries had been heavily criticised after vetoing two UN Security Council resolutions condemning the violence.

AMERICAS
Bill Against Outsourcing of Call Centre Yobs Gets 106 co-Sponsors
A Congressional Bill that bars U.S. companies outsourcing call centre jobs from receiving federal grants and loans now has over 100 co-sponsors, its promoter has said. The U.S. Call Centre and Consumer Protection Act (HR 3596), introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Tim Bishop, now has as many as 106 lawmakers as its co-sponsors. In a statement, Mr. Bishop hoped this would compel a hearing on the legislation in the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The U.S Call Centre and Consumer Protection Act, if passed by the Congress and signed into law, would require the U.S. Department of Labour to track firms that move call centre jobs overseas; the firms would then become ineligible for any direct or indirect federal loans or loan guarantees for five years. The provision is partially a response to the practice of companies taking millions in incentives from local taxpayers to open call centres in the U.S, only to off-shore their operations a short time later and leave local communities devastated and still paying the bill, Mr. Bishop said. The Bill also requires overseas call centre employees to disclose their location to U.S. consumers and gives customers the right to be transferred to a U.S.-based call centre upon request.

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On 29th March the Arab League also withdrew its advocacy of regime change in Syria and supports the diplomatic initiative of Kofi Annan during its summit hosted by Iraq. Arab leaders urged a peaceful solution to the crisis in Syria at a landmark summit in Baghdad. Only nine visiting leaders of the 22-member Arab League turned up for the summit, the first to be held in the Iraqi capital in more than 20 years. Syria, which has been suspended from the pan-Arab body, was not invited. The meeting was opened by U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon who called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to move swiftly to implement a peace plan crafted by U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan.

Pakistan Terrorism Accountability bill Introduced in U.S. Congress

Alleging that Pakistan has for decades leveraged radical terrorist groups to carry out attacks in India and Afghanistan, a U.S. lawmaker has introduced a bill that proposes to deduct $50 million from the U.S. aid to Islamabad every time an American is killed as a result of actions of ISI. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher has introduced the Pakistan Terrorism Accountability Act of 2012 in Congress. The legislation would require the Department of Defence to list all Americans killed by terrorist groups operating with impunity inside Pakistan and Afghanistan and supported by elements of the Pakistani government. For each person killed, $50 million would be subtracted from U.S. foreign assistance to Pakistan, a requested $2.2 billion, and given to the victims family. Mr. Rohrabacher is Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. According to the legislation Pakistan, through Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), maintains control and influence in Afghanistan through militant Islamic networks, such as the Haqqani Network, in order to secure its strategic position and expand its sphere of influence, not only in Afghanistan, but also in Kashmir and against India.

Kuwait-Iraq Flights to Resume After 20 Years

Iraq has approved a request from Kuwaits Jazeera Airways to operate services to Baghdad and Najaf, more than 20 years after direct flights between the neighbours were halted. Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, after which flights between the Iraq and its small neighbour to the south were suspended. During a visit by Iraqi Premier Nouri al-Maliki in mid-March, Kuwait agreed to a $500 million deal with Baghdad aimed at ending a decades-long debt dispute that saw an Iraqi Airways flight impounded in London. According to Kuwait Airways, Iraqs flag carrier owes it $1.2 billion as a result of the 1990 invasion. Kuwait says 10 of its planes as well as aircraft parts were plundered after its airport was seized during the invasion.

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EUROPE
U.K. Move to Snoop on Private e-mails, Phone calls
In a controversial move dubbed the Big Brothers Charter, the British government proposes to acquire unprecedented powers to snoop on phone calls and online activity of ordinary people irrespective of whether they are suspected of any unlawful action. Currently, intelligence agencies can monitor calls and e-mails of specific individuals who may be under investigation after obtaining ministerial approval. But under plans expected to be announced in the Queens speech to Parliament next month, phone and internet companies will be required to give on demand the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), an arm of Britains intelligence network, access to every phone call, e-mail, text message and website visit by their customers intercepted in real time. The Home Office said such powers were necessary to tackle crime and terrorism. The proposed law will not allow GCHQ to read the contents of such communications without a warrant but it will be able to use the information to trace whom a person or group had contacted, when, for how long and how often. A similar move by the erstwhile Labour government in 2003 was dropped in the face of strong opposition from the very same Tories and the Liberal Democrats who are now pushing it in government.

AFRICA
Malis Rebels Declare Independence
Malis Tuareg rebels, who have seized control of the countrys distant north in the chaotic aftermath of a military coup in the capital, declared independence of their Azawad nation on April 6, 2012. The rebels declared independence in a statement published on the rebel website and proclaimed the irrevocable independence of the state of the Azawad starting from April 6, 2012. The military chiefs of 13 of Malis neighbours met on 5th April in Ivory Coast to hash out plans for a military intervention to push back the rebels in the north, as well as to restore constitutional rule after disgruntled soldiers last month stormed the presidential palace and sent the democratically elected leader into hiding. The confusion in the capital created an opening for the rebels in the north, who have been attempting to claim independence for more than 50 years. The traditionally nomadic Tuareg people have been fighting for independence for the northern half of Mali since at least 1958, when Tuareg elders wrote a letter addressed to the French President asking their colonial rulers to carve out a separate homeland called Azawad in their language. Instead the north, where the lighter-skinned Tuareg people live, was made part of the same country as the south, where the dark-skinned ethnic groups controlled the capital and the nations finances. The Tuaregs accuse the southerners of marginalising the north and of concentrating development, including lucrative aid projects, in the south. They fought numerous rebellions attempting to wrestle the north free, but it wasnt until a March 21 coup in Bamako toppled the nations elected government that the fighters were able to make significant gains. In recent weeks they seized the three largest cities in the north as soldiers dumped their uniforms and retreated.

Socialist Hollande Edges out Sarkozy

Socialist challenger Francois Hollande on 6th May became President of France, ousting Conservative incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy. He won with 51.9 per cent of the votes against Mr. Sarkozys score of 48.1 per cent. This is a major victory for the Socialists who return to power after a gap of 17 years. In the vote in 2002, extreme right leader Jean Marie Le Pen eliminated Socialist candidate Lionel Jospin in the first round. The mobilisation in the Socialist camp has been phenomenal because the left has never digested that humiliation. Mr. Sarkozy now becomes the second President in Frances current Vth Republic (constituted in 1958) to serve just one term. The other President who failed to get a second term was also a Conservative, Valery Giscard Destaing. The 57-year-old Mr. Hollande has been active in Socialist politics for more than 30 years and is a Member of Parliament from the Correze region of France. Although he has no ministerial experience, he served as a close presidential aide to Francois Mitterrand at the Elysee Palace. He also has immense organisational experience as general secretary of the Socialist Party, winning key legislative, municipal, regional and European elections. He was general secretary when his partner Segolene Royal lost to Mr. Sarkozy.

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Row between Sudans Hots Up

South Sudans President has said that the nation will not withdraw its troops that recently entered a disputed border region with Sudan. South Sudan President Salva Kiir spoke to Parliament in the midst of escalating clashes along the border with Sudan. He said the countrys military would also re-enter another disputed area, Abyei, currently occupied by Sudan if the United Nations does not urge Sudan to withdraw. Troops from South Sudan has captured the oil-rich border town of Heglig that is claimed by Sudan, whose troops withdrew under the onslaught. Mr. Kiir said South Sudans military forces, the SPLA, had also advanced past Heglig after occupying it. Fighting erupted in Abyei between Sudan and South Sudan May of last year, just months before South Sudan formally declared independence from Sudan. The region was to hold a referendum in January to decide whether it stays with Sudan or joins a newly independent South. But the vote was postponed

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cleared the way for him to be transferred to The Hague, saying his presence in West Africa was an impediment to stability and a threat to the peace. The court, set up jointly by the Sierra Leone government and the United Nations, has already convicted eight Sierra Leoneans of war crimes and jailed them for between 15 and 52 years after trials in Freetown.

MISCELLANEOUS
Amnesty Report Records Executions worldwide
The breakneck speed of executions in China combined with the sparse data availability has led Amnesty International to say in its annual report on government-sanctioned killings that the thousands of people who were believed to have been executed in China in 2011 could not be included in its study. In its report Death Sentences and Execution 2011 , Amnesty says at least 20 countries are known to have carried out executions. While this is a reduction from 2010, when 23 countries were reported to have implemented death sentences, and from a decade ago when 31 countries were known to have carried out executions, there has been an increase in the number of executions. At least 676 executions have been carried out worldwide in 2011, says Amnesty. This is an increase on the 2010 figure of at least 527 executions worldwide and the increase was in significant measure due to an increase in judicial killings in Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. indefinitely amid disagreements over who would be eligible to vote. Though the use of the death penalty remained in decline at a global level, Amnesty in particular scolded the U.S. for staying in its dubiously bad place on this fundamental human rights issue. The U.S. is the only country in the western hemisphere or the G8 to kill its prisoners, the report notes, and is also responsible for the fifth highest number of known executions in the world behind China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Regarding India, the report notes that for the seventh consecutive year the country did not carry out any execution, though at least 110 new death sentences were imposed in 2011, putting the total number of people believed to be under sentence of death at the end of 2011 between 400 and 500. While India carries out death sentences in the rarest of rare cases, the report suggests that Indian laws are being tightened so that more crimes are becoming punishable by death.

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Charles Taylor Convicted on All Counts

Liberian ex-leader Charles Taylor has been convicted of arming rebels during Sierra Leones civil war in return for blood diamonds. In the first judgment against a former head of state by a world court since the World War II Nuremberg trials, Taylor was found guilty of 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Taylor (64) was convicted on all counts against him including acts of terrorism, murder and rape, committed by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels, who waged a terror campaign during a civil war that claimed 120,000 lives between 1991 and 2001. Taylor was Liberias President from 1997 to 2003. Prosecutors alleged that the RUF paid Taylor with illegally mined so-called blood diamonds worth millions, stuffed into mayonnaise jars. Mr. Justice Lussick said the stones were gathered by the RUF in Sierra Leone, who used slave labour and enlisted child soldiers. Nigerian authorities arrested Taylor in March 2006 when he tried to flee from exile in Nigeria after stepping down as Liberian President three years earlier in a negotiated end to a civil war in his own country. He was transferred to the SCSL in Freetown, but in June 2006 a U.N. Security Council resolution

U.N. Adopts Norms Against Land Grabbing

The U.N. has adopted global guidelines to defend the land rights of poor farmers and recognise informal indigenous claims in a move hailed by aid groups as a step against exploitative land grabbing. The new voluntary rules are the result of three years of negotiations following an outcry from campaigners

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who accuse rich investors and developing world governments of setting up plantations that abuse human rights. This is extremely important, the head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome, Jose Graziano Da Silva, told. Mr. Graziano drew attention in particular to the 40page documents call for private companies to be transparent and consult local populations, as well as the recognition of customary tenure systems by indigenous populations. FAO said in a statement that implementation of the rules would bolster global food security by improving secure access to land, fisheries and forests and protecting the rights of millions of often very poor people. Chief among the guidelines is a call on governments to safeguard legitimate tenure rights against threats and infringements and provide effective and accessible means to resolve tenure disputes. Non-state actors including business enterprises have a responsibility to respect human rights and legitimate tenure rights, it said. It also called on governments to provide appropriate recognition and protection of the legitimate tenure rights of indigenous peoples. On the issue of expropriation, which has caused upheaval in China, the text said governments should ensure a fair valuation and prompt compensation for farmers and expropriate only when the land is needed for a public purpose. Rights groups warn that land grabbing is driving up domestic food prices, forcing the eviction of local farmers and fuelling corruption. There has been a sharp rise in such deals since the food crisis of 2008. Experts estimate 494 million acres an area eight times the size of Britain have been bought or leased between 2000 and 2010, particularly in Africa and Asia, often to the detriment of local populations.

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INDO-BANglADESh RElAtIONS
India Bangladesh relation has all been given a new push when a joint statement is issued by visiting Bangladeshi foreign minister Dr. Dipu moni and Indian external affairs minister S. M. Krishna on May 07th 2012. Their joint statement has touched almost all relevant issues of the mutual relation and reached a mutual consensus to quickly resolve the pending issues like water and extradition treaties. It is true that some stagnancy engulfed the foreign relation of the two countries after the Teesta water treaty failed to be signed because of strong opposition from West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in September 2011 when Prime minster Dr. Manmahon Singh Visited Dhaka. But it seems now that the political leaders have understood the importance of pending issues and are going ahead boldly. Infrastructure development by India attend the closing ceremony of the yearlong joint celebrations of the 150th and assistance in power sector. birth anniversary of Nobel Laureate Prime Ministers visit to BanRabindranath Tagore. But it also turned gladesh in Sep 2011: into a political tour as the two sides Bangladesh and India share a common reviewed the implementation of bilateral history and culture. Some political accords and commitments made in joint commentators stated that the new declarations at New Delhi and Dhaka in country Bangladesh, after getting 2010 and 2011. Developments from Mr. independence from Pakistan by direct Mukherjees visits are military help from India, is going to He has reassured Dhaka that India is be a satellite country of India. But working on to sign the Teesta deal unfortunately political uncertainty quickly. of Bangladesh affected the mutual relationship so much that even a He assured that consensus building process is on to ratify the protocols constant friendship has not been in Indian Parliament to implement achieved. It was much hyped start when the extradition treaty, aiming to Sheikh Hasina regained the post Prime exchange the 162 enclaves of India minster of Bangladesh in early 2009 and Bangladesh, signed earlier. after 8 years. In September 2011 visit of Prime Minister Manmahon Singh to Assured that the Indian river-linking project would not affect Bangladesh Dhaka has achieved some fruitful results as all the rivers originating in the like:Himalayas would be kept outside its Opening of tin bigha corridor for the purview. benefit of two Bangladeshi enclaves

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Why India Bangladesh cooperation is important.

India, on her journey to be an economic super power, needs Bangladeshi market for commodities and services.

Assured that the any decision - Dahagram and Angarporta, controversial Tipaimukh hydraulic its Opening of border haat in Meghalaya, project which is being examined by Duty free access of Bangladeshi a sub-committee with a powerful The connectivity through Bangladesh textiles in Indian market, mandate under the Joint River to connect India with vibrant ASEAN Cultural and environmental coCommission (JRC) will be taken by economies. operations etc. mutual consensus. Bangladesh should not become the But the visit also failed to sign Announced $200 million as grant out safe heaven of insurgent activities Teesta water treaty and consequentially of the $1billion credit line that India bringing political turmoil in norththe issue of transit of Indian goods has given Bangladesh and assured east through Bangladesh and the permit to to decrease the interest rate on the Cultural and economic cooperation use Chittagong port for importing and remaining $800 million. which can innovate new activities, exporting of Indian goods especially for Bangladeshi Foreign Ministers both cultural and economic. the benefit of land locked North East was visit to India: Effective Water resource management. put on hold. Bangladesh on the other hand, being a Note: one can read complete article On the day of May 07th a joint statement small country will definitely like to on PMs visit to Bangladesh in October has been issued by Bangladeshi foreign minister Dr. Dipu moni and Indian Good and healthy relation with the 2011 issue of India Prepares. external affairs minister S. M. Krishna neighboring giant. Pranab Mukherjees visit to in New Delhi. Without merely assuring Being a lower riparian state, water Dhaka: the previous commitment, the statement resource management is very After many months Indian finance mentioned some progressive steps to important to Bangladesh. minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee has resolve the pending issues and has also The huge textile market of India. visited Dhaka on May 05-06th to mainly taken some new ventures in economic

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up efforts for connectivity with India welcomed the participation early finalization of the MoU for of Bangladesh in power projects construction of Akhaura-Agartala in India, particularly in the North The signing of the India-Bangladesh railway link. Eastern states of India. boundary strip maps is almost complete, except for a few which Both sides welcomed the recent They also agreed that necessary formalities for use of Chittagong exchange of data on the flow of the are also likely to be completed very and Mongla seaports in Bangladesh Teesta River at the technical level. soon. for movement of goods to and from They reiterated their commitment to The Coordinated Border Management India through water, rail and road the early finalization of agreements Plan is now in operation, and will would be completed urgently. for water-sharing of Teesta and Feni help to reduce incidents on the rivers. They welcomed the agreement to border, including illegal and criminal commence a bus service on the Dhakaactivities. The Indian side reiterated its Shillong-Guwahati sector and it was commitment that it would not Following the positive experience in agreed to expeditiously conclude take any unilateral decision on Meghalaya, new border haats along the Motor Vehicles Agreement for the Himalayan component of the the International Border in the regulation of passenger and cargo proposed River Interlinking Project States of Tripura and Mizoram have traffic. which may affect Bangladesh. been agreed to commence. and political cooperation. The outcomes from the visit are India has agreed to supply 500 MW Both sides agreed to constitute a sub-group under the Joint River power to Bangladesh during the Commission (JRC) that would go summer of 2013. A thermal power into all aspects of the Tipaimukh plant project of 1320 MW capacity Hydroelectric Project. has been agreed to build jointly and it is expected to be commissioned by The two countries agreed to step 2016. The initiatives taken by the leaders of both sides are very much commendable. The implementation of outstanding issues and new projects will depend on how efficiently the leaders can handle the domestic political obstacles.

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PRAtIBhA PAtIlS VISIt tO AFRIcAN cONtINENt

The rising global profile of India on account of its dynamic economy, strategic importance, democratic governance and ancient civilisation links has led to enhanced engagements with countries across the world. As part of these engagements, President Pratibha Patil embarked on a nine day visit to Seychelles and South Africa. It was her last foreign tour before her tenure comes to an end on July 25. at both bilateral and regional levels. Given the progress in the relationship, both sides expressed the desire to work together towards elevating the bilateral relations to a strategic partnership for mutual benefit. In a bid to further forge economic and strategic ties with this island nation in the Indian Ocean, India extended a $50-million line of credit and a $25-million grant to Seychelles during President Pratibha Patils visit. India would also promote infrastructure and public transport by conducting a feasibility study for a mono rail system on the main island of Mahe. Both sides also recognised the importance of peace and security as a pre-condition for development and agreed to curb the acts of violence, conflicts and terrorism, especially posed by piracy in the region. India reiterated its commitment to provide assistance to Seychelles in the defence sector, including training and deputation of experts and signed an MOU on cooperation on training of police personnel of the island republic by Indias Bureau of Police Research and Development. India had in February 2012 offered to provide one more Dornier aircraft. It would also be setting up a Coastal Surveillance Radar System with the Automatic Identification System through Bharat Electronics Limited within the next six to eight months. This would help track unidentified vessels in the seas and help curb piracy. An MOU was also signed on Cooperation in the field of Youth Affairs and Sports which will go a long way in enhancing people-to-people exchanges also. In the field of environment

Visit to Seychelles
Seychelles has ethnic links with three continents Asia, Africa and Europe. It is uniquely placed to play a role in Indias efforts to achieve better integration of its policies with Africa. Diplomatic ties with Seychelles were established on its Independence in June 1976. India and Seychelles have, over the past few decades, developed a strong and mutually beneficial cooperation

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People to people contacts are at the heart of vibrant and robust relationship. Trade and economic relations India during the Presidents visit showed between India and Seychelles has not interest in working closely with the Government of South Africa to develop realised its full potential. Bilateral trade in 2010-11 was US$ 40.44 million India was in the forefront of the Gandhi heritage sites in South Africa. with Indias exports to Seychelles being anti-apartheid struggle. It was the As a part of this interest, the President US$ 31.14 million and imports US$ first country to sever trade relations unveiled a bust of the Mahatma Gandhi 9.29 million. However, considerable with South Africa in 1946, even before at the historic Number Four cell of the opportunities still exist for further it became independent. Relations Old Fort prison in Johannesburg where he expansion, particularly in the areas between India and South Africa were had served four terms of imprisonment of trade and economic cooperation. restored in 1993, and the Indian between 1908 and 1913, including his The Presidents visit has further push High Commission in Pretoria opened very first sentence in South Africa. She bilateral relations in the economic and in 1994. The ANC had maintained a also visited the Pietermaritzburg Station commercial fields. representative office in India since the which has a historic link to India wherein Both the sides also agreed to 1960s which was thereafter upgraded to Mahatma Gandhi had been thrown out further enhance exchanges in the a High Commission following the end of of a First Class compartment onto the platform by the then apartheid regime. fields of higher education, manpower apartheid. Both the sides also agreed to development, health, Information and In her discussion with the South Communications Technology, Science African President Jacob Zuma, both closely monitor the implementation and Technology, hydrographic surveys, the sides expressed satisfaction over of various agreements that exist and monorail, tourism, hospitality and the current state of bilateral relations expand co-operation in the fields of culture. and agreed to explore considerable power including renewable energy, opportunities existing between the health, Information Technology, Science Visit to South Africa two nations, particularly in the area of and Technology, tourism, hospitality, In the second leg of the tour President trade and economic cooperation. Indian infrastructure development and culture. Pratibha Patil visited the rainbow nation companies are investing in capacity -- a term coined by Archbishop Desmond building by systematic training of South conclusion Tutu to describe post-apartheid South Africans, creating jobs and playing an As in all visits of Heads of State or Africa after this countrys first fully important role in the development and Government, the visit by the Hon. democratic election in 1994. The visit economic growth of South Africa. President of India to Seychelles and South is another indication of New Delhis Africa has provided a greater momentum Bilateral trade between India and growing ties with Pretoria. and impetus in the further consolidation South Africa was US$ 11.125 billion in Indias relations with South Africa 2010-11 of which imports were US$ 7.14 and development of comprehensive, are close and friendly enjoined by a billion and exports US$ 3.98 billion. multifaceted engagement with these strategic partnership. In fact South During the state visit of President Zuma two countries. The visits has naturally Africa is one of the closest strategic in 2010, agreed to work towards a targ provide greater content and meaning to partners in the developing world and et of US$ 10 billion in trade turnover by Indias partnership with both Seychelles and South Africa.

protection and renewable energy, India would be setting up a solar power cluster. Besides, for promoting human resource development, it would reserve 41 slots or seats in various graduate, post-graduate and other programmes for students of Seychelles.

in the African continent. Both the countries have worked together in various international fora, including the United Nations Security Council, G-20, IBSA, BRICS, IOR-ARC and others. India also shares common perceptions with South Africa on trade issues and is closely coordinating on the Doha round of negotiations at the World trade Organisation.

2012. But since it has been crossed well before the time, therefore both the sides at the Indo-SA business council meeting agreed to revise it to US$ 15 billion by 2015.

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Bilateral/Multilateral News...
INDIA AND MAJOR POWERS
U.S. moves WTO against Indias Import Ban
The U.S. has approached the World Trade Organization (WTO), seeking a dispute settlement panel to decide American claims that Indian restrictions on imports of various U.S. agricultural products, including poultry meat and chicken eggs, were discriminatory. The U.S. has approached the WTO after its talks with India failed to resolve the dispute between the two countries. India asserts that its measures are aimed at preventing entry of avian influenza, but U.S. officials argue that the measures are inconsistent with the relevant science, international guidelines, and the standards India has set for its own domestic industry. The U.S. requested formal consultations with India on March 7. The two countries and India held consultations on April 16-17, without resolution of the matter. USTR officials said India was asserting that it had the right to impose import restrictions on countries whenever they reported outbreaks of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI), the only kind of avian influenza found in the United States since 2004. The relevant international guidelines as well as the relevant science did not support the imposition of measures of the type India was maintaining on account of LPAI, they said. leaving the country on the pretext of higher studies and eventually settling down there. According to the directive any student travelling for further medical education to the U.S. will have to give us a bond that he will return after completing the studies. In the last three years, 3,000 doctors went abroad for studies and didnt return. If a student doesnt return from the U.S., he wont be allowed to practise there. From this year onwards, the United States is insisting on a government NOC from every student enrolling with an American institute.

Roerich Museum Controversy with Russia

Russian Ambassador Alexander Kadakin has said he felt heartbroken over the controversy surrounding the Roerich Memorial Museum in the Naggar Valley of Himachal Pradesh. Mr. Kadakin has approached the Trusts ex-officio chairman and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal, and plans to seek Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs intervention against the district administrations oversight of the museum and removal of long-time curator-cum-executive director Alena Adamkova. Mr. Kadakin is a founder- member of the trust that was set up in 1992. Set up in memory of painter and thinker Nicholas Roerich, both Russia and India were keen to refurbish the museum, which is a must-visit destination to tourists headed for the Kullu-Manali Valley.

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India Allocates $5 m. for USAID-FICCI Initiative

The Union government has announced a contribution of $5 million for a joint initiative of the United States Agency for international Development (USAID) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) to invest in innovations that could benefit vulnerable populations across the world. Called Millennium Alliance: An India - U.S. Innovation Partnership for Global Development, the partnership is designed to promote cost-effective and rigorously tested solutions for critical development challenges that have the potential for sustained global impact. The aim is to seek proposals from innovators in India who may have novel solutions that can be scaled to other countries in the core sectors of health, food security, climate change, energy and education. The initiative was launched in December last with the FICCI and the USAID pledging to provide $7.5 million each and setting a goal to raise a total of $50 million, which will include contributions from corporations, foundations, other governments and donors.

Sign Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: says Japan

Japan has asked India to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) even as the two sides decided to reopen talks on a bilateral civil nuclear agreement. During the sixth Foreign Minister-level strategic dialogue, the two sides agreed to prepare a master plan for the industrial development of south India, especially areas around Chennai and Bangalore, and accelerate talks on export of rare earths to Japan. Another decision was to extend their dialogue to a code of conduct in outer space, cyber security and maritime issues, including security and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. The talks also covered Japanese investment in high speed trains, the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor and the Dedicated Freight Corridor. While agreeing to step up interaction between the Coast Guards, India and Japan decided to hold their firstever maritime exercises towards the middle of the year. New Delhi and Tokyo agreed to resume their dialogue on a civil nuclear agreement. But the initial reaction was that both sides were sticking to their earlier positions India insisting that its non-proliferation behaviour was impeccable enough to warrant the inking of the pact and Japan wanting India to comply with its promise of a ban on further nuclear testing made in the run-up to a clearance by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). A joint statement, after the Fifth Energy dialogue held recently, indicated that despite the sentiments expressed

Indian Doctors to Sign Return Bond for Higher Study in US

Any doctor travelling to the U.S. for higher medical studies from this year onward will have to sign a bond with the Government promising to return to India after completing his/her studies. This has been done to prevent doctors from

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by the Foreign Ministers, both sides were maintaining positions that were some distance from being reconciled. Japanese companies have a virtual monopoly on supplying reactor vessels, a critical component of civil nuclear plants. Officials in the past said that without an India-Japan civil nuclear agreement, Japanese origin firms might not be able to supply components to French and American companies which had won orders to install nuclear plants in India. On the trade front, India has extended the validity of an earlier agreement to supply two million tonnes of iron ore per year. It will thus retain its foothold in the Japanese market despite supply disruptions due to court rulings and higher taxes. There is also domestic unease over exporting primary commodities that has led to India slipping from its position as the worlds top iron exporter to the third place.

that has been in the production mode for a decade. But China is suspicious of India having taken up exploration activity in an area that is much closer to Hainan where it has built a nuclear submarine base. Vietnam is firm in its assertion that the new block to India is in its territorial waters.

China to Learn Indian Mangroves Success Story

Chinese environmentalists want to learn from Indias experience in protecting mangrove forests even as they face an uphill struggle to save their countrys wetlands from increasing developmental pressures. In the tropical southern Chinese island province of Hainan, which boasts one of Chinas most pristine mangrove forest wetland reserves, environmentalists are fighting off a tourism push and new development plans to protect the islands rich and unique ecosystem. At Dongzhaigang Bay, Chinas first mangrove nature reserve which lies on the outskirts of the bustling provincial capital of Haikou on Hainan islands northern coast, acres of pristine mangrove forests sit beside quiet fishing villages. The 3,300 hectare wetlands here are home to 25 mangrove species besides 194 species of birds, including rare and nationally protected Chinese egrets and black-faced spoonbills. The Hainan governments plans to develop the island province into a world-class tourism destination ,Chinas Hawaii.

Rs. 7.2-crore Japanese Grant for Polio Eradication

Japan has given United Nations childrens fund UNICEF a grant of 120 million Yen, the equivalent to Rs. 7.2 crore, for buying vaccines, supplies, equipment and services in 2012 to ensure India remains free of polio virus. Japans Ambassador to India Akitaka Saiki and UNICEF India Representative Karin Hulshof signed the Exchange of Note. Mr. Saiki lauded the concerted efforts of the Centre, the State governments and international partner agencies spearheaded by the UNICEF and WHO, in Indias fight against polio.

China Allows Indian Basmati Import

China has allowed imports of basmati rice from India. It had banned the import because of issues of pest control. China has allowed import of Indian basmati rice although it might hurt exports of the same product from its close allay Pakistan. This is a politically sensitive move, suggesting that Beijing would no more walk the extra mile to protect Pakistans interests. China has been importing Pakistani Basmati for last few years. Islamabad is known to have been persuading China not to allow Indian Basmati as it will affect its export basket. Pakistan is pushing China to buy more of its cotton yarn after New Delhi slapped a ban on cotton exports.

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INDIA AND ITS NEIGHBOURS

China Slams Krishnas Comments on South China Sea
Chinese officials and the State media have taken exception to S.M. Krishnas recent comments that the disputed South China Sea was the property of the world, describing the External Affairs Ministers remarks as a mistake. Other countries cant denote one countrys territory as global property, said the Chinese newspaper. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has also issued a response to Mr. Krishna, who had also stressed that the seas trade-ways must be free from any national interference. A Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson pointed out that the unfettered robust economic development of the region had demonstrated that freedom of navigation on the South China Sea was unaffected by the dispute. China has claimed its indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha [Spratly] Islands, which are also contested by Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines and other countries. In its response India later clarified that Mr. Krishnas comments were made in the context of freedom of navigation and unfettered shipping links in the area and that there was no intention to weigh in on overlapping claims of suzerainty by littoral states. The South Block has interpreted China to mean that activity by countries from outside the region should not lead them to prejudge claims by a specific littoral state. India has inked oil and gas exploration agreements with the Philippines and Vietnam. Indias preoccupation is with the block in the portion of the sea claimed by Vietnam. There is no issue with a well

India Prefers International Arbitration for Tulbul Row

India has indicated to Pakistan that it is no longer willing to indefinitely discuss the Tulbul navigation/Wullar lake project in Kashmir and may seek international arbitration to resolve the two decades-old dispute. This message was conveyed at the two-day Water Resources Secretary-level talks that concluded on 28th March. The two sides are already in arbitration over the Kishenganga project in Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, Pakistan sought arbitration by a neutral expert on Indias Baglihar hydel project in the State. Keen to resolve the long-pending Tulbul dispute, India has agreed to provide Pakistan additional technical data. The project, planned on the Jhelum, has been suspended since 1986 after Pakistan raised objections. The issue now forms part of the Composite Dialogue between the two countries. During the talk, India said if no solution was forthcoming, would prefer to go in for arbitration. New Delhi maintains that the Tulbul navigation project, located just before the exit of

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the Wullar lake on the Jhelum, is within its rights under the Indus Water Treaty of 1960. A joint statement emphasised the need for an early and amicable resolution of the issue within the ambit of the Treaty was released. India proposes regulated release of water from the Wullar lake during the lean-season period of October-February to facilitate year-round navigation for trade and tourism. New Delhi maintains that regulating depletion of naturally stored waters for non-consumptive use of navigation is permissible under the Treaty. There is no pondage or storage involved. Pakistan, however, raises objection, saying it is a storage project that will allow India to control the waters. This, Islamabad claims, is violation of the Treaty.

Rs.150 crore, was dedicated to the nation and India-Pakistan peace and harmony. India and Pakistan have agreed to draw a road map for allowing a whole spectrum of items for trade through the land route Attari-Wagah. The products include pharmaceuticals and related products, cement, livestock, newsprint, petrochemicals, fabric and raw jute. At present, 150-odd items are allowed to be exported to Pakistan through the land route and by truck. After the pruning of the negative list by Pakistan last month, the number of items India could export has gone up to nearly 7,800. In a joint statement issued recently after talks between Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and Pakistan Trade Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim, both sides agreed to take all further action to encourage greater trade through the newly inaugurated Integrated Checkpost (ICP). It was agreed that Pakistan will take necessary steps to remove extant restrictions on items permitted to be imported through the land route. The aim is to permit all items not in the Negative List to be traded across the land border at Attari-Wagah. The Pakistan side has stated that through a Cabinet decision in 2009, the flow of items is linked to provision of adequate infrastructure at the checkpost and it would take the case to the Cabinet on the basis of the additional capacity created through the new ICP. This could possibly pave way for allowing cement import from Pakistan, and export of pharma products, an expanded list of fruits and vegetables, livestock, petrochemicals, petroleum products, raw jute and fabrics to and from Pakistan. As per the Pakistan Governments March 20 order, a Negative List of 1209 tariff lines has been announced. In accordance with the Pakistan Cabinet decision, complete phasing out of the Negative List by December 2012 is subject to further negotiations. Both sides have agreed that the modalities would be discussed at the next meeting of the Commerce Secretaries.

India Opens FDI Gate to Pakistan

India has decided in principle to allow foreign direct investment from Pakistan, as part of the road map to enhance economic engagement, a development that is expected to boost bilateral trade. The decision was taken after a meeting of Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Pakistan Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim. Both countries have also agreed in principle to allow opening of bank branches to guarantee smooth trade. This is the upshot of several rounds of talks between the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the State Bank of Pakistan. Encouraged by the pro-active steps taken by Pakistan, India would carry out a review of 30 per cent of the sensitive list in the next four months as a confidence-building measure, Mr. Sharma said. Pakistani banks and businesses are keen on setting up shop in India, and the decision could pave the way for their entry into the country. Mr. Sharma also announced that an India-Pakistan business council would be set up soon. It would be co-chaired by both countries. It was decided that a Joint Business Council be constituted with 10 prominent business persons to be nominated by each country. This Council shall provide an additional institutional framework for regular and sustained dialogue between the business communities. It is expected to meet at least once in six months and recommend further steps that could be taken to improve bilateral economic relations. The Ministers expressed their wish that the business visa regime needed to be liberalised at the earliest. During the discussions, both sides agreed to draw a road map for further reductions in the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) sensitive lists. While reducing the SAFTA lists, both sides would appropriately consider requests received for tariff lines to be removed. Both sides welcomed these rapid developments on the business front and the businessto-business and business-to-consumer contact for promoting both commerce and people-to-people understanding.

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RIC Opposes New Sanctions on N. Korea

Meeting in trilateral format at Moscow in April 2012, Russia, India and China (RIC) have taken a common stand on a range of international issues, including North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, terrorism and regional security in Asia. The Foreign Ministers of the three countries voiced regret over North Koreas rocket launch but opposed new sanctions on Pyongyang and called for restraint from neighbouring countries and the U.N. Security Council. The U.N. Security Council should take a stand on the violation by North Korea of earlier sanctions, but its reaction must be calibrated and serve the main goal a resumption of the six-party talks, Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. The three Ministers voiced serious concern over the situation involving Irans nuclear programme. They recognised Irans right to peaceful use of nuclear energy and called for exclusively peaceful resolution of the problem on the basis of the available decisions of the IAEA and the Security Council. Russia, India and China backed Afghanistans request to join as observer in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and described the group as the optimal platform for regional

New Integrated Checkpost Inaguraged at Attari

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has inaugurated the Integrated Checkpost at Attari, 33 km from Amritsar. The state-of-the-art facility, established on 118 acres at a cost of

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cooperation on Afghanistan. The Ministers condemned terrorism in all its forms and stressed there could be no justification for any act of terrorism on any ground. It is understood that they agreed action must be taken against those who commit terrorist attacks and also those who abet and sponsor terrorism. Mr. Lavrov said the Ministers attached priority to building up a security and cooperation architecture in the Asia-Pacific region based on the universally agreed principles of international law and giving due consideration to the legitimate interests of all states. The meeting reaffirmed the relevance of trilateral dialogue and vowed to deepen three-sided cooperation.

Russia. Playing on its strengths, India, too, is keen to widen the bilateral agenda. The joint statement issued at the end of a meeting on 25th March between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Lee Myung-Bak envisages cooperation in space activities, including the Indian launch of Korean satellites, as well maritime security. Dr. Singh also asked Mr. Lee to back Indian membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Missile Technology Control Regime. But it is the Korean pitch for military and nuclear cooperation that is likely to be noticed in world capitals. India said it would post a defence attach in Seoul and explore joint ventures in the manufacture and R&D of military equipment. President Lee underscored that the ROK side wanted to increase cooperation with India in military and defence industry includingnaval ships, aircraft and ship-building, the joint statement said. On the nuclear side, it notes: President Lee requested that the Indian government allocate a site for Korean nuclear reactors. Sites have already been set aside for Russia, France and the U.S. India and the Republic of Korea signed a nuclear cooperation agreement last year. Since a similar agreement with Japan is still some distance away, Korean capabilities in building reactor vessels would be of use not just for bilateral projects but also for third-country suppliers like Areva who normally source components from Japanese firms. The joint statement backed ASEANs leadership of the East Asia Summit (EAS) process and welcomed the U.S. and Russian membership of the EAS. The two leaders also welcomed the idea of a trilateral dialogue between India, ROK and Japan at the Track-II level. With bilateral trade volumes especially after the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement kicked in two years back-up nearly 70 per cent to $20 billion, the two leaders set a target of $40 billion by 2015. An agreement on simplification of visa procedures was also signed.

Sushma Swaraj Hands Over Railway Line to Sri Lanka

The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, who has led an Indian parliamentary delegation to Sri Lanka, handed over a railway project built with Indian assistance. The upgraded coastal railway line, costing $167.4 million, was completed ahead of schedule by an Indian public sector company, IRCON. Ms. Swaraj earlier visited the Kankasanthurai harbour, where India has completed a $22-million wreck removal project. As many as 10 shipwrecks were removed from the harbour.

INDIA AND REST OF THE WORLD

Indonesia to Sign Sister-State Pact with Tamil Nadu 42
Indonesia is interested in signing a sister-state agreement with the Tamil Nadu Government and explore the business and investment potential with regard to coal mining and other sectors. Tourism was accorded highest priority in investment and business promotion. Last year, 1.80 lakh Indians visited Indonesia and it was likely to go up to 2.40 lakh this year. Garuda would start operating direct flights from Jakarta to four Indian metros. The bilateral trade between the two countries touched $20 billion last month and it was growing. In January 2011 when Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited India, he and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed to increase the volume of bilateral trade to $ 25 billion by 2015. But, in view of the spurt in trade volume, the target was now revised to $ 45 billion. During the visit of Mr. Yudhoyono, 32 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) were signed, covering (Government to Government, Government to Business and Business to Business). The two-way trade was heavily loaded in favour of Indonesia, with the former doing a business of $11 billion and India about $9 billion. Indonesia supplied coal, wood, rubber and palm oil among other things. India exported machinery, electronics and textiles.

Indian Authorities Clearance, Must For Work Contract in UAE

Indians seeking to migrate to the United Arab Emirates for employment can now expect an assured salary package and better work environment with both countries introducing a system under which work contracts of prospective employees will have to be endorsed by Indian authorities. Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi and Minister of Labour of the UAE Saqr Ghobash signed a protocol to this effect in Abu Dhabi to streamline the employment process of Indian workers through an electronic contract registration and validation system. The setting up of the new mechanism comes amid rising complaints of exploitation of Indian workers by recruitment agencies and employers in the Gulf region. The UAE has been a favourite destination for employment for skilled and unskilled Indian workers whose number has grown to approximately 1.7 million in the country.

India and Korea Push Strategic Side to Ties

South Korea one of the first countries to grab the opportunities provided by Indian economic reforms two decades ago is now looking to add strategic depth to its relationship with India, pushing for the sale of nuclear reactors and big-ticket arms exports that have until now been the preserve of major powers like the United States, France and

India, UAE Draw up Road Map to Bolster Relations

India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has sketched out the

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outlines of a road map, centred on a new partnership rooted in energy security and investments, to firm up their ties. Official sources said India was looking for larger volumes of crude imports from the UAE to meet its growing needs. Going beyond a buyer-seller relationship, India is looking for avenues in oil exploration in the UAE. In line with the stratospheric rise in trade, which is now $67 billion, the India-UAE avoidance of double taxation agreement was updated and brought on a par with international standards. The article on exchange of information was amended to bring within its purview exchange of information related to the banking sectors. The two sides also proposed the establishment of a joint committee to address consular issues related to birth or death registration, travel documents, and quasi-judicial matters involving the detention or arrest of nationals of both countries.

taken over by Iraq.

Switzerland Agrees to Ease Secret Account Disclosure Norms

In a step that is expected to make tracking down tax evaders easier and effectively combat the black money menace, the government has announced that Switzerland had agreed to provide details of secret bank accounts of individuals sought by India even on the basis of limited information, under a mutual agreement inked on April 20 this year. This marks a significant easing of disclosure norms, as under the existing revised bilateral treaty signed under the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA), the requesting State has to compulsorily provide the name of the person under examination and the name of the foreign holder of the information as part of the identity requirements without which the information will not be shared by the other country. This was a restrictive provision and not in line with the international standards, the Ministry statement said.

India, Qatar Agrees to Take Steps in Mutual Investments

India and Qatar have taken a leap forward in the area of mutual investments. At a meeting in New Delhi in April 2012, the Emir of Qatar, Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took forward the initiatives on mutual investments agreed upon during their previous detailed interaction in 2008. Four pacts, including one setting in place the framework for a more intensive partnership in the hydrocarbons sector, were signed. Building on a previous agreement to set up a $100-million fund to indicate their genuineness and credibility in investing in Indias infrastructure sector, the sources said $5.5 billion of investments could be expected from Qatar. Qatar in turn welcomed Indian companies bidding for projects and requested support for facilitating its investments.

India Germany to Collaborate in Electric Mobility

India has sought German expertise and participation in developing green technologies. Indian Minister of Commerce Industry and Textiles Anand Sharma, who met German Federal Minister for Transport, Building And Urban Development, Peter Ramsauer in Berlin told, that India and Germany are both committed to reducing carbon emissions and sustainable mobility is one of the highlights of our cooperation in the automotive sector. We are also seeking a common approach to implement targets for Indias National Mission for Electric Mobility. Germany is a strong supporter of electric mobility. There are about 1,500 electric vehicles operating on German roads. By 2020, Germany aims to put at least one million electric vehicles on the roads. Germany is also a world leader in logistics and in the construction of infrastructure, as well as in energy-efficient technologies in the transportation sector. Indo-German Joint Working Group (JWG) on Automotive Sector has helped to intensify bilateral cooperation in the development of efficient automotive technologies and alternate fuels and drives. Both countries are exploring areas of cooperation including in future road map for Indias Auto Fuel Policy, Electric Mobility Plan in India. The extension of the JWG on Automotives for another two years is indicative of the progress being made. Sharma also sought German Participation in seven National Manufacturing Investment Zones (NMIZs) that have been notified along the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) and the project envisages development of Industrial Townships on a PPP model. India has committed US$ 4.5 billion for development of trunk infrastructure. The bilateral trade between India and Germany has more than doubled over the last 5 years to reach nearly US$ 23.64 billion last year. Both countries expressed confidence that the trade target of Euro 20 Billion by 2012 will be surpassed.

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India, Iran Work to Boost Trade in Non-Oil Products

Business persons from India and Iran have hold talks to boost trade between the two countries. Tehran signalled its interest in purchasing an estimated Rs.25, 000 - 30,000-crore worth of Indian goods every year by having a former Cabinet Minister to head the delegation. India and Iran have been forced to turn to this system because most financial institutions are wary of dealing with Tehran due to the threat of being locked out by western countries. The Iran-India business meetings focussed on agro and allied products, pharmaceuticals, engineering, shipping, banking, petroleum products polymer, textile, as well as e-commerce. Pharmaceuticals and agro products are free from pre-existing United Nations sanctions, which India already complies with. The United States is pushing India to cut back its imports of crude oil from Iran, and has warned that Indian banks could be cut off from its financial system in June unless significant progress is made. Indian exporters to Iran are also seeking clarity on a recent tightening of United States laws that target those helping Iran avoid the full effect of sanctions by barring them access to its banking system. Iran was Indias secondbiggest crude oil supplier after Saudi Arabia, meeting about 12 per cent of the countrys needs, but the position has been

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EcoNomy@IP...

GENERAl ANtI-AvoIDANcE RulES

Tax avoidance like tax evasion seriously undermines the objectives of tax revenues. Tax revenues are an indispensable source of funding of a governments development initiatives in an era in which governments often lament the lack of resources to secure for all its citizens the right to an adequate means of livelihood and to minimize the inequalities in income.

The introduction of General AntiAvoidance Rule (GAAR) in the Union Budget 2012-13 by the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to tackle the challenge of tax evasion has created a much furor among the foreign institutional investors (FIIs). This has led to the postponement of the GAAR by a year by our finance minister Pranab Mukherjee bringing much needed relief to the foreign institutional investors. In order to have a complete understanding of the issue lets look what GAAR is? General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR) was first introduced in Brazil in 2006 to counter tax avoidance as a residual measure and Indian GAAR is based on the Brazilian model. GAAR is tax regulation which sets out to tackle highly abusive, contrived and artificial tax schemes and tax structures. It is generally intended as a catch-all to close loopholes in the income and profit tax laws.

considering or looking through an arrangement by disregarding any result in the misuse or abuse of the corporate structure provisions of the Act in any way, or clacks commercial substance either For the above purposes, following recharacterization may be done wholly or in part, or entered or carried out in a manner any equity into debt or vice versa; which would not be employed for any accrual, or receipt, of a capital bonafide purposes or revenue nature; or While, the principle condition for invalidating a transaction might be triggered at the assessment stage itself, the burden to refute the same shall rest with the tax payer. Further, once the tax benefit test is satisfied, the arrangement also has to satisfy at least one out of four additional tests discussed above. The tax authorities upon satisfaction of aforesaid conditions shall seek to: any expenditure, deduction, relief or rebate. Furthermore, it has been provided by the provisions of GAAR that the reason that a structure provides an exit route would not be considered in determining commercial substance. This is in contrast to what was held in Vodafone Judgment.

dealing at arms length, or

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Scope of GAAR Provisions

The scope of Indian GAAR is very wide disregard, combine or re-characterize as it seeks to cover within its ambit any step, part or whole of a nearly all the arrangements (the term transaction; arrangement is very widely worded to treat the transaction as if it had not cover almost every transaction scheme, Note: meaning of certain technical been entered into; understanding etc.) which have an terms is given in the end of the article. disregard any accommodating party element of tax benefit accruing to the Salient Features of GAAR in or treating any accommodating party taxpayer. In other words, the principle India and any other party as one and the condition along with the four additional tests could have the effect of bringing same person; The Indian tax law has always had specific anti avoidance rules to target deeming connected persons in each and every transaction resulting in a lower tax liability for the taxpayer under known arrangements of tax avoidance, relation to each other as one; whereas GAAR seeks to completely reallocating, amongst the parties to the purview of GAAR. Further, while a transaction as a redefine this concept. GAAR as the arrangement whole may be a bonafide one, however envisaged under the Finance Bill 2012 any accrual, or receipt, of a the tax authorities can invoke GAAR is a broad set of provisions which seek capital or revenue nature; or provisions if any of the steps on a to tax an impermissible avoidance any expenditure, deduction, standalone basis are undertaken to arrangement(which may be a step, a relief or rebate; or obtain a tax benefit. Consequently, even part or whole of an arrangement and hereinafter referred to as Transaction) relocating place of residence of a genuine business transactions might fall whose main purpose is to obtain a tax party or location of a transaction on the wrong side of GAAR. In fact, it benefit by: or situs of an asset to a place other seems that while taking all commercial than provided in the arrangement; decisions and determining the manner creating rights or obligation which of their implementation, the tax and wouldnt arise between persons

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Salient features/provisions of GAAR

classification of Avoidance Rules
Avoidance Rules can be classified into following: Measures based on general principles in the law This refers to principles which are not codified in the legislation (non-statutory) They include a range of philosophies and approaches including substance over form abuse of law General Anti Avoidance rules It has same meaning as anti avoidance rules based on general principles in law except that it is codified and included in the legislation Specific Anti Avoidance rules These are the specific anti-avoidance rules which applies to the specific situations-CFC, Thin Capitalization rules, Exit Tax etc. implications of these provisions would play a pivotal role. the revenue authorities to establish the presence of at least one tainted element to invoke GAAR. Therefore, in order to Burden of Proof avoid abuse of this provision, the burden The GAAR provisions in India call for of proof should be shifted to the revenue the taxpayer to prove the underlying authorities and an opportunity might be purpose of a transaction, once it gets given to taxpayer to provide the facts questioned. The tax authorities on the and evidences and prove legitimacy of other hand are given power to invoke transactions. GAAR by using any one of the criterions which seem to be vast as well as conclusion ambiguous. However, in other countries Both the scope of the proposed GAAR such as South Africa, the onus lies with provisions and the powers given to the tax authorities in case of GAAR being invoked are inordinately wide and clearly not in line with international best practices. That coupled with the sort of rulings that are passed by tax authorities (particularly at lower levels), is likely to result in misuse of the GAAR provisions. One can only hope that specific and objective criteria are introduced with respect to applicability of these provisions.

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meaning of some of the terms used in GAAR

1. Accommodating Party: Accommodating party means a party to an arrangement whose main purpose for direct or indirect participation in an arrangement (in whole or in part) is to secure benefits whether directly or indirectly to a person to whom it may be connected or not. 2. An arrangement will mean any transaction, conduit, event, trust, grant, operation, scheme, covenant, disposition, agreement or understanding, including all steps therein or parts thereof, whether enforceable or not. 3. Tax benefit means a reduction, avoidance or deferral of, or an increase in a refund of tax under the Income Tax Act (ITA or the Act) or a reduction, avoidance or deferral of, or an increase in a refund of tax for a Tax Treaty or a reduction in tax bases including increase in loss. 4. Arms length price means a price applied or proposed to be applied in a transaction between persons or enterprises other than associated enterprises in uncontrolled, unrelated or independent conditions. 6. Lacks commercial substance includes situations where there is a Significant tax benefit without a significant effect upon on business risk or net cash flow Legal substance or effect differs from legal form It involves or includes 4 Round tripping financing 4 An accommodating or tax indifferent party 4 Any element that has the effect of offsetting or cancelling each other 4 A transaction which is conducted through one or more persons and disguises the nature, location, source, ownership or control of funds 7. Round trip financing includes financing in which funds are transferred among the parties to the arrangement in a manner which would result, directly or indirectly, in a tax benefit; or significantly reduce, offset or eliminate any business risk incurred by any party to the arrangement

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EcONOmy@IP...

BAlANcING INflATION AND GROwTh IN INDIA: NEED Of ThE hOuR

Growth-inflation trade-off1 acquired centre stage of policy debate in India in 2011, as persistent high inflation coexisted with robust growth. From March 2010 through October 2011, RBI has increased interest rates by a record 13 times to batten down high inflation which hovered around 10 per cent for over a year during this time. RBI since then has soften its anti-inflationary stance and amidst the fear expressed by the industrialists over declining investment and slackening growth, RBI in the monetary policy announcement of April 2012 reduced the policy rates. The repo and reverse repo rate were reduced from 8.5% and 7.5% to 8% and 7% respectively. However, the inflationgrowth trade-off does not seem to rest in peace. The recent release of the lower Index of Industrial Numbers (IIP) of 5.6% has once again put the RBI in a dilemma whether to pursue tightening monetary policy or pursue its growth objective. appropriate steps to minimize the ill effects of inflation to a certain extent. Apart from affecting the common man through reduction in the purchasing power of the money, inflation also adversely affects growth. Inflation and economic growth are parallel lines and can never meet. Inflation and economic growth are incompatible, that is, there exists a negative relationship between inflation and growth albeit only in the short run. The adverse impact of inflation on growth could operate and manifest through multiple channels. Some of the important ones are presented here in brief. External Sector: Higher inflation and the resultant higher inflation differential relative to the inflation in rest of the world could cause the real effective exchange rate (REER) to appreciate, which in turn could weaken export growth. Moreover, domestic firms may find it difficult to pass on the rising input costs to consumers in the face of competition from cheaper imports, which may increase pressure on margins. Margin pressures could alter investment plans as well as cost of financing for firms. Private Investment: The most significant adverse impact of inflation could be on private investment and even productivity of investment. First, firms have to spend time and money to understand and manage the effects of inflation on their business. Second, higher noise in the information embodied in prices could lead to over investment in some sectors and underinvestment in others. Third, inflation could cause misallocation of financial resources -from productive investment to speculative activities. Fourth, it may discourage domestic savings. Borrowers benefit at the expense of creditors in a rising inflation scenario. More debt than more savings could become the norm in a high inflation regime. Fifth, inflation could discourage capital inflows. fiscal Imbalance: Even if inflation is seen as a tax, fiscal imbalances may actually increase in a high inflation environment. First, because of specific fiscal measures taken to contain inflation (such as tax cuts and higher subsidies), which in turn could delay fiscal consolidation. In the case of India, suppressed inflation could be significant, going by the magnitude of food, fertilizer and petroleum products subsidies. Second, expenditure growth at times may match inflation, given the indexation of wages and expected demands for compensation matching the rate of inflation. Revenue collection, however, may lag behind, due to lags in pricing of public utilities as well as incentives to underreport income to escape the inflation tax. Fiscal imbalance is a risk to both inflation and growth in the medium-run. Asset Prices: Stock markets may react adversely to high inflation, leading to negative wealth and income effects, as well as higher cost of funds, both of which could adversely impact growth. At times, however, asset price bubbles and associated positive wealth effect could become a source of inflationary pressures. Interest Rate: Anti inflationary monetary policy stance pursued in response to inflation could raise the cost of financing for investment and consumption activities, and thereby compress aggregate demand. Interest rate channel, however, may not be very effective when input cost pressures are passed on to consumers in the form of higher output prices, and consumers in general get wage increases matching the rate of inflation. Input costs: When supply shocks increase input costs that automatically raises headline inflation while simultaneously reducing growth. Supply

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Risks to Growth from Inflation Some Obvious Triggers

Inflation means rise in the price level in an economy. Essentially it is a situation where in the supply of money is too high in the economy. The high supply of money in essence means that demand in the economy is too high. The inflationary situation also exists when there is presence of structural bottlenecks (or supply-side constraints) as in agriculture sector in India. Though inflation is a less dreaded situation than depression, however, inflation has never done well to the economy. Moreover, in a developing country like India where structural bottlenecks exists and more than onethird of population is below the poverty line, the inflationary situation becomes a major challenge to tackle. Therefore, whenever there is expected inflation, governments around the world take

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shocks by their very nature lead to large relative price changes, which in turn may depress demand on the one hand while raising input costs on the other. The overall impact becomes visible in terms of low growth and high inflation. When repeated adverse supply shocks drive the inflation path, lower growth would co-exist with high headline inflation. Stagflationary possibilities could yield a growth-inflation relationship contrary to what the conventional Phillips Curve relationship suggests. unemployment: Growth of a nation depends to a large extent on employment. If rate of inflation is high, unemployment rate is low and vice versa. This theory is propounded by economist William Philips and this gave rise to the Philips Curve.

uncertainties in decision making. Rising prices adversely affect savings even as they make speculative investments more attractive. These apart, there is a crucial social dimension, particularly in developing countries. Inflation adversely affects those who have no hedges against it and that include all the poorer sections of the community. This is a very strong argument in favour of maintaining price stability by the RBI. The other view is that, the fact that inflation is triggered primarily by supply-side shocks and less by demandpull factors, the RBI can less do about controlling the inflation and therefore, in absence of fiscal policy, it would be better for the RBI to focus on growth and easing the monetary policy. However, that does not mean that monetary policy has no role to play in such conditions. Food price inflation, if it persists long enough, gets generalised. It becomes a cost-push factor as far as the manufacturing sector is concerned. Thus, monetary policy and, at one step removed, fiscal policy have to play their part in containing the overall demand pressures. Therefore, in the above context, it is of utmost important that potential growth of the economy is determined first. Since the investment rate now exceeds 36 per cent and can realistically be expected to rise to 38 per cent under favourable investment conditions, even with an incremental capital-output ratio of 4:1, we should be able to grow at 9 to 9.5 per cent comfortably. This rate of growth may be regarded as the potential of the economy. As RBI Deputy Governor Subir Gokaran said, We are not raising interest rates to bring growth down. We are raising interest rates to bring growth down to a level that is consistent with a steady rate of inflation. And if the potential (growth) is 8.5 per cent, then we are in recession and clearly there is an argument for a reversal, but then the inflation number should reflect that. This, however, has not been the case in the last two years when the inflation rate remained at double-digit levels for

several months. Supply constraints have been the main trigger for inflation. In fact, what we need to watch out for is the impact of high inflation on growth. Persistent high inflation can distort the motives for investment, thereby undermining growth. There has been considerable debate on what an acceptable level of inflation is. Prof. C Rangarajan has given the term threshold level of inflation, defining it as the level beyond which inflation costs begin to rise sharply. The Chakravarty Committee regarded four per cent as the acceptable rise in prices. This, according to the Committee, will reflect changes in relative prices necessary to attract resources to growth sectors. Growth is not uniform in all the sectors. Thus, maintaining an absolute price stability, meaning a zero rate of increase in prices, may not be possible. Nor is it desirable. Obviously, there is a certain amount of judgement involved in determining the acceptable or threshold level of inflation. One has to factor in not only the impact on output but also distributional implications.

Inflation vs Growth and the RBIs Dilemma

The inflation certainly affects growth as can be revealed by the slowing down of Indian economy on account of decline in the investments. The decline in investment has been the result of, in Indian context, due to consistent monetary tightening since March 2010 and the consequent lag effect. Though there are other very valid reasons for the slowdown of the economy like eurozone crisis, high fiscal deficit and current account deficit and policy inertia within the government, however, monetary tightening has been the most important reasons. This has put the central bank in a dilemma whether to follow the objective of price stability or the objective of economic growth, that also, at a time when the coordinating policy, that is, fiscal policy of the government seems to be haywire on account of missing of the targets of fiscal consolidation. An environment of reasonable price stability is considered conducive to economic growth. Many people would regard price stability as a necessary condition for long-run growth. The case of price stability as a major objective of economic policy rests on the assumption that price volatility creates

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conclusion
In the early decades after Indias Independence, the argument that inflation was endemic in economic growth led to a very steep increases in prices. We should not let that happen in the years of high growth. We must remain committed to maintaining inflation at a low level. High growth does not warrant a higher level of inflation. We must use all our policy instruments to bring down the current inflation and re-anchor the inflationary expectations to the four- or five-per cent comfort zone.

References
1. Balancing inflation and growth by C Rangrajan, Business Standard 2. Why Persistent High Inflation Impedes Growth? An Empirical Assessment of Threshold Level of Inflation for India by Sitikantha Pattanaik and G V Nadhanael, RBI Working Papers 3. Economic Times and Times of India issues on Inflation

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Economy News...
MONEY & BANKING
Credit Quality to Stay Under Pressure: Crisil
Credit quality pressures for Indias corporates, which intensified in 2011-12, are expected to continue given the slowdown in demand, says credit rating agency Crisil. Instances of default by Crisil-rated entities last fiscal increased to 188, the highest in any year. The annual default rate for such entities hit a ten-year high of 3.4 per cent in 2011-12, according to a release from the agency. An indicator of the pressures was the increase in banks gross non-performing assets (to 2.9 per cent of advances from 2.3 per cent) and in the quantum of debt restructured (to 3.3 per cent of advances from 2.5 per cent) between March 31 and December 31 of 2011, it says. Crisil downgraded 292 ratings and upgraded 266 ratings in the second-half of 2011-12 as against upgrading of 313 ratings and downgrading of 207 in the first-half. The downgrades were driven by liquidity pressures and weakening demand. One-third of the downgrades were to the default category (Crisil D). Roopa Kudva, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Crisil, says: Weak liquidity caused by elongation of working capital cycles is the primary reason for the defaults. This trend is likely to persist with slowing demand. Highly indebted industries, including textiles, steel, construction and engineering, accounted for a fourth of the defaults. Textile exports have been hampered by weak demand, especially in the eurozone. Steel manufacturers had to contend with higher input prices. Industries dependent on investment demand such as construction and engineering, and industrial machinery have been affected by weak domestic demand, stretched working capital cycles, and high interest rates. opt for direct bank transfer. However, all other payments above Rs.25,000, as also towards settlement of retirement/terminal benefits shall be directly credited to their bank accounts, says the statement. A Government e-payment gateway, set up by the Controller General of Accounts recently, will be used by the PAOs (Pay & Accounts Officers) of various civil ministries and departments, to start with. At a later stage, the ControllerGeneral of Defence Accounts will also progressively move towards making payments through this gateway. The measure is expected to streamline the payment process and minimise payees interface with government offices, and thereby enhance transparency and accountability.

Centre Clears Banking Bill

The Union Cabinet has decided to retain the voting rights in the private sector banks at 10 per cent and felt it could be raised progressively to 26 per cent as suggested by the Standing Committee. The decision was taken by the Cabinet while approving changes in the proposed the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2011. It has been decided that the cap on voting rights in the private sectors, which is now at 10 per cent, could be raised to 26 per cent in a phased manner. In December last, the Parliamentary Standing on Finance had recommended raising voting rights of investors in private sector banks but with a cap of 26 per cent with a view to maintaining a balance between economic control and promoting corporate democracy. The Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2011, introduced in the Lok Sabha in March, 2011, had proposed providing voting rights to investors commensurate with their shareholding in the private sector banks. The Committee in its report on the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2011, tabled in the Lok Sabha had suggested the RBI must ensure that regulatory mechanism is adequate and strictly complied with to prevent any misuse of the provision of increasing the limit.

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Centre to Credit Payments above Rs. 25,000 into Bank Accounts

In a unique move to usher in green banking and enhance transparency and accountability in public dealings of the Centre, all payments above Rs. 25,000 will be credited directly to the bank accounts of payees from this fiscal. The green banking facility is also being extended to payments to government servants, including for settlement of retirement and terminal benefits. According to an official statement, the Finance Ministry has amended rules to enable all ministries and departments to credit payments directly to the bank accounts of payees as part of the governments commitment to good governance and elimination of corruption. Even as government servants will continue to have the option of receiving their salaries by cash or cheque, they could also

PUBLIC FINANCE
Centre Sets Up study Team to Evolve Common Tax Code
The government has set up a Study Team, headed by M. K. Gupta, former Vice-Chairman of the Customs and Central Excise Settlement Commission, to look into the possibility of evolving a common tax code for service tax and Central excise duty, which could be adopted to harmonise the two legislations under the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST). The team is to submit its report to the Finance Minister by September 30. The Study Team has also been directed to address issues relating to input tax credits so as to simplify the existing scheme and mitigate the cascading impact of levies to the

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extent possible. At the same time, another prime objective is to harmonise the existing procedures and processes and make them more trade-friendly. The Study Team may also suggest any other measure that will help in reducing the cost of compliance for business or transition towards a comprehensive GST, the statement said.

SPV Approved for Smooth Roll-out of GST

In a step towards facilitating implementation of the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST), possibly from next fiscal, the Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to provide the IT infrastructure and services for smooth roll-out of the new indirect tax regime. According to an official statement, the GSTN SPV, with an equity capital of Rs. 10 crore, would be incorporated as a Section 25 (not-for-profit), non-government, private limited company in which the government is to retain strategic control. While the Centre and the states would hold equal stakes of 24.5 per cent each in the SPV, non-government institutions together would have the majority equity stake of 51 per cent. However, although no single institution would hold more that 10 per cent equity, there would be the possibility of one private institution holding a maximum of 21 per cent equity, the statement said. GTSN SPV would have a self-sustaining revenue model, based on levy of user charges on tax payers and tax authorities availing its services, the statement said and noted that while the SPVs services would be critical to actual roll-out of GST at a future date, it is also expected to render valuable services to the Centre/State tax administrations prior to the GST implementation.

bank said that not furnishing a copy of the loan agreement or enclosures quoted in the loan agreement was an unfair practice and this could lead to disputes between the NBFC and the borrower with regard to the terms and conditions on which the loan was granted. In loan recovery, the NBFCs should not resort to undue harassment such as persistently bothering the borrowers at odd hours and use of muscle power, said the RBI. It said, though interest rates are not regulated by the Bank, rates of interest beyond a certain level may be seen to be excessive and can neither be sustainable nor be conforming to normal financial practice.

No Tax on Investments Made via P-Notes

With confusion over the applicability of taxation provisions proposed in the Budget for the new fiscal beginning April 1, which has led to sell-off on the bourses during the week, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has sought to assure overseas investors that entities investing in stock markets through P-Notes (participatory notes) would not be required to pay taxes in India. In a bid to set at rest the prevailing uncertainty over tax dues of overseas investors, Mr. Mukherjee said: Indian tax authority would not go beyond financial investor [FIIs] to check the details about the P-Note holders. Accordingly, a question of liability for tax in India of the P-Note holder would not arise. Under the P-Note mechanism, even those foreign institutional investors who are not registered with the market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) are permitted to invest in the Indian equity market. Mr. Mukherjee pointed out that as P-Note holders make their investment in stock market through FIIs, the Income-tax Department would examine the tax liability of the FIIs. The Finance Ministers detailed clarification to the media has ostensibly come in the wake of a written communication to him by the Asia Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association (ASIFMA) and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) which pointed out that such onerous taxation or even the risk of such taxation could threaten this important source of capital for Indias businesses.

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CAPITAL MARKETS
Reserve Bank Tightens Fair Practices Code for NBFCs
The Reserve Bank of India, on 26th March, revamped the fair practices code (FPC) to be adopted by non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) while doing lending business. The guidelines covered general principles on adequate disclosures on the terms and conditions of a loan and also adopting a non-coercive recovery method. A review of the guidelines is made in view of the creation of a new category of NBFCs, NBFC-MFIs and also rapid growth in NBFCs lending against gold jewellery, said the RBI. The RBI said that the modified FPC should be put in place by all NBFCs with the approval of their boards within one month from the date of issue of this circular. However, it said, NBFCs would have the freedom of drafting the FPC, enhancing the scope of the guidelines but in no way sacrificing the spirit underlying the above guidelines. The RBI said that NBFCs should mention the penal interest charged for late repayment in bold in the loan agreement. The apex

SEBI Norms for Automated Trading

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has issued broad guidelines on Algorithmic Trading, that is, any order that is generated using automated execution. The market regulator has asked stock exchanges to undertake system upgradation, including periodic upgradation of its surveillance system, in order to keep pace with the speed of trade and volume of data that may arise through algorithmic trading. Further, the stock exchanges were asked to put in place monitoring systems to identify and initiate measures to impede any possible instances of order flooding through this system. The stock exchange shall ensure that all algorithmic orders are necessarily routed through broker servers located in India and the stock exchange has appropriate risk controls mechanism to

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address the risk emanating from algorithmic orders and trades. The SEBI said the minimum order-level risk controls include: Price check the price quoted by the order shall not violate the price bands defined by the exchange for the security. For securities that do not have price bands, dummy filters shall be brought into effective use to serve as an early warning system to detect sudden surge in prices; Quantity limit check The quantity quoted in the order shall not violate the maximum permissible quantity per order as defined by the exchange for the security.

of banks, which may enable the ailing carrier save several hundred crore in the first year itself. As part of the FRP, Air India has signed four agreements with the SBI-led consortium. These were Master Restructuring Agreement, Working Capital Facility Agreement, Appointment of Facility Agent Agreement and Appointment of Trustee Agreement. One of the major highlights of the agreements is conversion of about Rs.10,500 crore of the airlines working capital in to long-term loan, carrying an annual interest of 11 per cent. The first year interest would accumulate in a funded interest term plan. These would lead to substantial savings of about Rs.1,000 crore in 2012-13 itself. In addition, non-convertible debentures (NCDs), guaranteed by the government, worth Rs.7,400 crore would be issued. The proceeds from the NCDs would be used to repay the lenders. The financial restructuring exercise began in May 2010 with SBI Caps being appointed financial advisors to the transaction. The FRP is based on the airlines overall turnaround plan aimed at providing immediate relief to Air India through provisions such as funded interest term plan, repayment moratorium of long term loans and upfront equity infusion by the government.

INFRASTRUCTURE
Presidential Fiat to CIL on Fuel Supply Pact
With Coal India Ltd. (CIL) not following Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs directive to commit coal deliveries to power companies, the Centre, has issued a Presidential directive, asking CIL to immediately sign fuel supply agreements (FSAs) with power producers. The government decided to sign the FSAs with 80 per cent commitment. The move comes after CIL failed to meet the March 31 deadline set by the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) for signing of the FSAs for all projects commissioned before December, 2011. In February, the PMO had issued these directions to CIL after the heads of top power companies, including Tata Sons Chairman Ratan Tata and Reliance Power Chairman Anil Ambani, met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking assurance on coal supply. They had informed Dr. Singh that CIL had been insisting on signing the FSAs with the assurance of only 50 per cent of the required quantity. As a result, no FSAs had been signed since April, 2009.

Nod for RINL to Become Public Limited Company

Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, has been made a public limited company. The decision was taken at the extraordinary general meeting of RINL. RINL, being fully owned by the President of India, was registered as a private company as per Companies Act, 1956. At the EGM, the shareholders approved its conversion in to a public limited company.

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India Inks Pacts with ADB

India, on 30th March, inked three loan agreements worth $826 million with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to shore up the countrys power transmission systems for efficient transfer of electricity from surplus regions to deficit regions. According to an official statement, a $500-million sovereign-guaranteed loan along with a $250-million non-sovereign corporate loan will help establish a more than 1,300-kilometre interregional transmission link to allow bulk transfer of electricity from independent power producers in Chhattisgarh to high power demand areas in the north, including the National Capital Territory (NCR) region of Delhi. The third agreement for a sovereign loan of $76 million is aimed at connecting the western power grid to the Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli. The tripartite agreements were signed by the representatives of Union Government, ADB and PowerGrid Corporation.

AGRICULTURE
Tea to be Declared National Drink
Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia has said that tea would be declared the national drink by next year. It would be accorded the national drink status by April 17 next year to coincide with the 212th birth anniversary of the first Assamese tea planter and Sepoy Mutiny leader Maniram Dewan. The other important reason is that half of the labour in the tea industry comprises women and it is the largest employer in the organised sector, said Mr. Ahluwalia. India is the largest producer and consumer of black tea in the world. According to ORG-India Tea Consumption Study, 83 per cent households in India consume tea and it is the cheapest beverage in the world after water. Mr. Ahluwalia urged tea planters and producers to emulate coffee planters and produce more varieties. There are more than 20 varieties of coffee in the market but there are only two varieties of tea. CTC and Orthodox and there was an urgent need to bring in more varieties, he said

Air Indias Financial Revamp Plan Cleared

Grappling with a fragile financial position, Air Indias financial restructuring plan (FRP) has been approved by a consortium

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INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Trade Deficit Records New High at $185 b
Braving the downturn in the United States and the economic slowdown in the eurozone, India, has announced that it had surpassed the export target of $300 billion for 2011-12. The rising trade deficit, touching $184.9 billion mark, was a worrying factor. Exports surged by 21 per cent to $303.7 billion in 2011-12 powered by a strong growth in petroleum, pharmaceuticals and engineering products. India managed to go past the export target by adopting product and market diversification strategy. However, imports surged by 32.1 per cent to $488.6 billion, leaving the highest-ever trade deficit of $184.9 billion. Interestingly, the government had set a target of $150 billion trade deficit. Owing to the huge trade deficit, the current account deficit (CAD) is likely to be close to an uncomfortable 4 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011-12. A country runs a CAD when its total import of goods, services and transfers are more than its total export of goods, services and transfers, in turn, making it a net debtor to the world. For the first time since September 2011, exports increased on a monthon-month basis in March 2012. On imports, gold imports were expected to come down due to the duties imposed in the recent Union Budget. Engineering exports grew by 16.9 per cent to $58.2 billion. Exports of petroleum and oil products surged by 38.5 per cent to $57.5 billion and gems and jewellery exports increased to $45.9 billion, which is 13.3 per cent higher than in the previous year. Other sectors which showed healthy performance included drugs and pharmaceuticals up 21.9 per cent at $13.1 billion; leather (up 22.5 per cent) at $4.2 billion; electronics (up 9.2 per cent) at $9 billion; cotton yarn and fabric madeup (up 17.4 per cent) at $7.2 billion, readymade garments yarns and fabrics (up 18 per cent) at $13.7 billion and marine products (up 31.4 per cent) at $3.4 billion. Imports also registered a huge surge with petroleum, oil and lubricants going up by a steep 46.9 per cent to $155.6 billion largely due to increased prices in international markets. This has also been the main reason for widening deficit. Imports of gold and silver jumped by 44.4 per cent to $61.5 billion; while that of coal surged by 80.3 per cent to $17.6 billion. Imports of machinery increased by 27.7 per cent to $35.4 billion; electronics goods by 23 per cent to $32.7 billion; iron and steel by 15 per cent to $11.9 billion; vegetable oil by 47.5 per cent to $9.7 billion; and fertilizer by 59 per cent to $11 billion. However, imports of gems and jewellery fell by 10.6 per cent to $31 billion.

up mineral processing units for iron ore and coal, besides steel making units there. The MoU envisages exploration of opportunities for investments to be made by SAIL either individually or in consortium with other entities to develop mineral processing/steel manufacturing facility in Mongolia, a statement by SAIL said. SAIL has been trying to diversify its coal requirements from the expensive Australian coal to other destinations, including Mangolia and Africa. The MoU was signed between SAIL and Ministry of Mineral Resource and Energy (MMRE), Government of Mongolia, at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. As per the MoU, MMRE will provide information on iron ore and coal deposits in Mongolia to SAIL and will offer options of locations and size of steel manufacturing facility for pre-feasibility study, the statement said. The official announcement said a joint pre-feasibility study for setting up a mineral processing facility for iron ore and coal, both coking and thermal, in Mongolia, and downstream steel making facilities for domestic consumption and trade, will be taken up by MMRE and SAIL. SAIL, on the other hand, will select the best available technology to treat Mongolian iron ore and coal deposits based on the feasibility study. This is the first attempt by India to break away from the excessive dependence of Australian coking coal, which has become too costly in recent years pushing up the cost of steel production to very high level in India. India is importing 35 MT of coking coal every year about 60 to 70 per cent from Australia which is close to India and the rest from US and New Zealand.

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Pakistan to Double Tea Imports from India by 2015

Pakistan is targeting to double its tea imports from India by 2015 from 24 million kg in 2011 to 50 million kg. A memorandum of understanding to this effect has been signed between the Indian Tea Association and the Pakistan Tea Association (PTA) recently. Pakistan is one of the top three tea importing nations with a consumption of 220 million kg and an official import of 120 million kg. Its main supplier is Kenya.

GLOBAL ECONOMY
World Trade to Slow Down to 3.7 % in 2012
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has projected a further slowdown in world trade, pegging the growth at 3.7 per cent for 2012. World trade expanded in 2011 by 5 per cent, a sharp deceleration from the 2010 rebound of 13.8 per cent. It attributed the slowdown to the global economy losing momentum due to a number of shocks, including the European sovereign debt crisis. Multiple economic setbacks during 2011 dampened growth beyond expectations and led to a stronger than anticipated easing in the fourth quarter, according a report released by the WTO. The preliminary figure of 5 per cent for world merchandise trade growth in 2011 is down 0.8

SAIL Goes Mine Hunting in Mangolia

Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) on 11th May inked a major agreement with Mangolian Government for the allocation of coking coal mines, exploring opportunity for setting

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points from its most recent forecast in September 2011. It said India recorded exports growth of 16 per cent in 2011, the fastest in the world in volume terms last year. India had the fastest export growth among major traders in 2011, with shipments rising 16.1 per cent. China had the second-fastest export growth of many major economies at 9.3 per cent, the report said. India also emerged as the second-fastest importer after China growing at 6 per cent in 2011. While, Indian exports increased the fastest in the world in volume terms, in terms of dollar realisation, the growth has been slowing sharply since August 2011, according to Commerce Ministry data. WTO economists said the weak import demand from the Europe and the U.S. would adversely affect the emerging and developing countries such as India. The U.S. and the European Union together account for nearly 35 per cent of Indias exports of $245.9 billion in 2010-11, as per Indias trade data.

energy development; develop policy framework for offshore wind resource assessment through public/private entities; and guidelines for awarding the sites to private sector for establishing offshore wind power projects.

CORPORATE WORLD
Rs.950-Crore Package for Reviving HMT
The Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises (BRPSE) has recommended a Rs.950-crore package to nurse HMT back to health. The package is aimed at financial restructuring, upgrading technology, upgrading of plant and machinery and modernisation. The sick public sector unit (PSU) would also garner about Rs.400 crore from sale of its surplus land. HMT, which is under the Department of Heavy Industries, has been engaged in the business of manufacturing tractors and watches. During 2010-11, HMTs loss rose to Rs.79.24 crore from Rs.52.91 crore in the year-ago period.

COMMITTEE/COMMISSION
Panel set up to Give Thrust to Offshore Wind Energy Projects
The Union Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has constituted an Offshore Wind Energy Steering Committee (OWESC) under the chairmanship of Secretary, MNRE, to steer the offshore wind power development in a focussed manner, especially in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat. The committee will work out a road map for offshore wind power development in the country. A Technical Committee has already been constituted to analyse the available data with various agencies for preliminary assessment of potential, including identification of pockets for offshore wind power development. According to the terms and reference of OWESC, it will provide policy guidance for tapping offshore wind energy potential on a sustained basis; approve plans and proposals relating to offshore wind

Zee TV is First Indian Channel to Land in China

Zee TV has become the first Indian television channel to be granted landing rights in China, following a long six year wait. Chinas State Administration for Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), gave the green light for Zee TV Asia Pacific to sign a landing agreement with the countrys only agent that is allowed to distribute foreign channels, CTV-STVP, on March 27. Zee TV, which has already been selling to Chinese television channels its popular Mandarin-dubbed Indian dramas which have garnered wide following, will begin by broadcasting in three star-plus hotels all over China.

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U.K.s FTSE 100 Debuts on NSE

From May 3rd Indian investors are able to hedge and gain exposure to the London Stock Exchange, through derivative contracts of U.K.s FTSE 100 index on the National Stock Exchange.

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SCIENCE SPECtRum...

INDIAS DEtERRENCE ComES A FuLL CIRCLE: AGNI-V

Continuing with its greater quest for in depth deterrence in the region surrounded by two nuclear capable countries, i.e., China and Pakistan and with whom India has a chequered history, India flexing its muscle test-fired its longest nuclear capable missile so far- Agni V on 20th April 2012 from missile testing range Wheeler Island in Odisha. The three-stage solid fuelled, 17-metre tall Agni-V, weighing 50 tonnes, with a range of 5000 km is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead of 1.1 tonnes. It has been designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Agni V is the most important addition to the family of Agni group of missiles, namely, Agni-I, Agni-II, AgniIII and Agni-IV. The Agni missiles form the bulwark of Indias nuclear deterrence strategy, which is based on the no-firstuse of nuclear weapons policy. The test fire of Agni V in itself has attained greater significance for Indias security and increased Indias diplomatic maneouvres in the region. India already has nuclear-capable missiles that can reach all of Pakistan and Agni V is clearly intended to provide a similar deterrent capability with respect to China. Although it is of the class of an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM), the success of the mission will enable India join a select band of nations with capability to design, develop and produce Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs). The countries with ICBM capabilities at present are the U.S., Russia, France and China. The spin-off benefit of Agni-V is that the booster technology gives the country the ability to launch satellites on demand that may be required in war theatre situations when existing satellites are affected requiring rapid deployment of mini or micro satellites in low-orbit for navigation and communication purposes. Another benefit is in making the missile an anti-satellite weapon. Agni-V could give the boosting capacity to deliver a kill vehicle that could home in on a satellite with the help of ground-based radars. thought to be equipped with single warheads, not MIRVs. This suggests that developing an operational MIRV capability is not easy and will take time for both countries. Which is just as well because mutual security as the superpowers discovered during the Cold War does not lie in going down that path. Both China and Pakistan possess formidable nuclear-armed missiles of their own. The former is in the process of replacing its liquid-fuelled ballistic missiles with more modern solid propellant ones. From bases in Qinghai and Yunnan provinces, these missiles can reach all of India. In addition, in 2004, China launched the first of its second-generation Type 094 Jin-class nuclear-powered submarines that will carry JL-2 solid-propellant ballistic missiles. Islamabad too has a number of long-range missiles in its armoury. An assessment carried out by an Indian strategic studies group found that Pakistan had a credible deterrent structure organised around the solid-propellant Shaheen-1 and -2 missiles. However, responsible possession of nuclear-armed missiles for the purposes of deterrence also requires working assiduously to remove sources of friction that can erupt into open conflict. It is also important that India and China start talking to each other on nuclear matters.

A Giant Leap
From a single-stage, liquid-propelled, surface-to-surface Prithvi missile with a 150-km range, which was first launched in 1988, to a three-stage Agni-V that can take out targets 5,000 km away, it has been a giant leap for India in less than 25 years. From the first generation anti-tank missiles in the 1960s to Prithvi, Agni, Akash, Trishul and Nag, the DRDO has designed and developed a variety of missiles that could be launched from different platforms, including a canister. The missiles that have been inducted into the armed forces include Prithvi-1, Prithvi-II, anti-ship Dhanush, surface-toair Akash and surface-to-surface Agni-1 (700 km), Agni-II (2,500 km) and Agni-III (3,500 km). With the test of Agni V, India now has a complete range of missiles that can take care of various threats from different quarters. The focus of the new generation of missiles is on weight reduction and improvement in velocities with high payload fractions. A Game Changer The Agni V missile is touted by Indian defence analysts as a game-changer that can perform different roles, from carrying multiple warheads to providing anti-satellite capability and even launching tiny satellites into orbit. Like its progenitor, Agni III, this missile has a two-metre diameter (as compared to the one-metre diameter of Agni I and II). Agni III and V are therefore the first Indian missiles that can potentially be equipped with several warheads each (known as Multiple Independently Targeted Re-entry Vehicles or MIRV). MIRVs, however, pose their own technological challenges, especially the need to considerably shrink the size and weight of nuclear warheads. Despite Chinas earlier start, its ballistic missiles are still

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Conclusion
The test of Agni V has led to mixed responses from various quarters as it comes hot on the heels of the failed North Korean Unha-3 launch. On the one hand the US has asked for restraint and on the other Chinese press has expressed the caution that it will give rise to rise to arms race in the region. However, with its policy of No First Use, India only wants deterrence and not stockpiles. The country had technical parity in missiles with the most developed countries. Agni-V is a 21st century missile.

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ScIENcE SPEcTRum...

RISAT-1
After the ISRO launched IRS-1A in 1988, it sent up well over a dozen earth-viewing satellites bearing a variety of optical imaging cameras. These satellites have created a large user community within the country. Their data is also being received and utilised in several countries. An important reason for the ISROs initial emphasis on optical imaging was the far greater complexity of a radar satellite. With RISAT-1, ISRO scientists and engineers have demonstrated their mastery of that difficult and closely guarded technology. If the satellite works as its creators hope, it will match and perhaps in some respects even surpass Canadas second-generation RADARSAT-2 that is now operational. The RISAT-1 will, however, be the countrys second radar imaging satellite. India already operates the Israeli-built RISAT-2, which was launched in April 2009 and appears to have been quickly procured to meet security requirements. The launch of RISAT-1 came few years after that of RISAT-2, which carried an Israeli-built x-band radar. The RISAT-2 mission was prioritised over RISAT-1 following the 2008 Mumbai attacks, since the indigenous C-band SAR to be used for RISAT-1 was not ready. This resulted in RISAT-1 being delayed by few years. RISAT-1, weighing 1,858 kg and the heaviest satellite launched yet by the PSLV, is a state-of-the-art Active Microwave1 Remote Sensing Satellite carrying a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)2 that will operate in the C-band3. The satellite is equipped with a 160 x 4 Mbps data handling system, 50 Newton-metre-second reaction wheels, and a phased array antenna with dual polarisation. Its synthetic aperture radar has a resolution of 3m-50m. It also supports a spotlight mode for prolonged focus on a given geographical area at a resolution of 1m. According to ISRO scientists, once the satellite onboard propulsion system will raise the orbital altitude to 536 km with orbital inclination of approximately 97 degrees to place the RISAT-1 into a polar sun-synchronous orbit, the satellite will begin its daily routine of 14 orbits. The RISAT-1 uses the synthetic aperture radar technique. It carries out complex processing of the radar echoes received from the same place on the ground so as to simulate a much bigger antenna than it actually carries. Doing so greatly increases the image resolution that is possible. Radar images from the satellite will have a resolution that can be varied from 50 metres down to 3 metres. However, as resolution increases, less of the ground can be imaged as the

Indias first indigenously built allweather Radar Imaging Satellite, RISAT-1, is now in polar orbit after its carrier, the PSLV-C19, was launched with clinical precision from the Sriharikota spaceport of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 26th April 2012.

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The perfect launch of the satellite catapulted India into a select band of countries having indigenous radar imaging technology. Only the US, Canada, Japan and the European consortium have the technology so far. The approved cost of the mission was Rs. 488 crore the assembling of the satellite involved Rs. 378 crore and the rocket Rs.110 crore.

History
The RISAT series are the first all-weather earth observation satellites from ISRO. Previous Indian observation satellites relied primarily on optical and spectral sensors which were hampered by cloud cover.

Various inputs

1. Microwaves are radio waves with wavelengths ranging from as long as one meter to as short as one millimetre, or equivalently, with frequencies between 300 MHz (0.3 GHz) and 300 GHz. 2. Synthetic-aperture radar is a form of radar whose defining characteristic is its use of relative motion, between an antenna and its target region, to provide distinctive long-term coherent-signal variations that are exploited to obtain finer spatial resolution than is possible with conventional beam-scanning means. 3. The C band is a name given to certain portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, including wavelengths of microwaves that are used for long-distance radio telecommunications. The C-band (4 GHz to 8 GHz) - and its slight variations - contains frequency ranges that are used for many satellite communications transmissions, some Wi-Fi devices, some cordless telephones, and some weather radar systems. For satellite communications, the microwave frequencies of the C-band perform better under adverse weather conditions in comparison with Ku band (11.2 GHz to 14.5 GHz) microwave frequencies, which are used by another large set of communication satellites. The adverse weather conditions, collectively referred to as rain fade, all have to do with moisture in the air, including rain now.

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satellite passes overhead. In a special spotlight mode, where the satellite will keep looking at a small region on the ground, it will be capable of providing one-metre resolution images. The satellite is equipped with an advanced active phased array antenna. Instead of a single device generating the microwave signals, the antenna has a large number of modules that collectively produce the radar beam. By suitably adjusting the signals generated by various modules, the beam can be electronically moved around. Even if a few modules fail, the satellite can continue to function albeit perhaps with some degradation in performance.

for natural resources management, primarily agriculture planning and forestry surveys, as well as to predict and prevent flooding. It will be used for monitoring paddy plantations and yields in the kharif season and to assist Indias food security planning. Pictures from RISAT-1 can also be used to estimate the number of hectares being farmed in India, to assess crop health and predict total yield. Also they can help identify wreckage from aircraft which go down in forested areas. RISAT-1 was not designed as a surveillance satellite, given its reliance on the C-band.

Future launches
Buoyed by the successful launch of RISAT-1, ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan has announced that ISRO will launch two GSLVs and a PSLV this fiscal and the second Indian moon mission of Chandrayaan- 2 in 2014 on board a GSLV. On launch of two Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLVs) and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) this fiscal, Radhakrishnan said ISRO has studied the reasons for the failure in 2010. Now GSLV will undergo an endurance test of 1,000 seconds and a vacuum test at a special facility at the Liquid Propellant System Centre at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu, where a Rs 300 crore facility for vacuum test has been made, he said. PSLV C-20 with Indo French satellite SARAL and four small satellites would be launched in October, 2012 and PSLV C-21 with a commercial payload SPOT, a French satellite on earth observation this August, he said. On GSLV Mark III, he said various subsystems of engines are being tested and it would take two years for it to be completed. After all the tests, the experimental flight without cryogenic engines could be in 2012-13, he said. Radhakrishnan also said ISRO had spent over Rs 20,000 crore in 29 missions in the 11th five year plan against Rs 13,000 crore in 20 missions in the 10th five year plan. Much of the amount was spent on procuring six to eight Russian cryogenic engines and equipment for remote sensing programmes, he said.

Launching vehicle
A powerful PSLV-XL is being used to put RISAT-1 in polar orbit at an altitude of 480 km. The satellites propulsion system will then be used to take it to the final orbit at an altitude of 536 km. The PSLV C-19 is the 21st flight in the PSLV series of satellite launches, the 20th consecutive successful launch and the third to involve the high-end version (PSLV-XL) The rocket is called PSLV-XL (XL stands for extra-large) because it uses six more powerful strap-on motors than those used in the standard PSLV version. If the normal PSLV versions six strap-on motors each use nine tonnes of solid propellants, each of them in the PSLV-XL use 12 tonnes of propellants. This is the third time the ISRO is using a PSLV-XL version. It was first used in October 2008 to put Chandrayaan-1 in orbit and again in July 2011 to during the GSAT-12 launch.

Applications
The RISAT-1 can beam back imaging of the earth surface features at day and night and under all imagined weather conditions. SAR, which gives the RISAT-1 its magical roving eyes, also makes it superior to the generation of optical remote sensing satellites in clearer imaging at all times and under any condition. During its mission life of five years, the RISAT-1 will use its active microwave remote sensing capability for cloud penetration and day-night imaging of the earth surface and provide critical data inputs for a range of agricultural and soil moisture studies and forestry applications. Synthetic aperture radar allows RISAT-1 to collect data during both day and night and in all weather conditions. The satellite is intended to be used

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Science News...
SPAcE tEchNology
ISRo to launch french satellite
An advanced French remote sensing satellite SPOT-6 weighing close to 800 kg will be launched by ISROs Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from Sriharikota during the second half of 2012. An agreement was signed recently between ISROs commercial wing Antrix Corporation Limited and Astrium SAS, a company under European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), France, for the commercial launch of the satellite. Along with SPOT-6, the PSLV will also carry other co-passenger payloads. This launch services agreement signed between Antrix and Astrium is part of a long-term agreement signed between the two agencies in September 2008. In November 2010, under a commercial contract between Antrix and Astrium, an advanced communication satellite Hylas was built for a European customer. Meanwhile INSAT-2E, the last of the five satellites in the INSAT-2 series, has completed its mission life after 13 years in orbit. Launched on April 3,1999 by the European Ariane-5 launcher, INSAT-2E carried 14 C-band and 5 lower extended C-band transponders for various communication services. The satellite also carried a very high resolution radiometer and a charge-coupled device camera for meteorological observation. Eleven communication transponders of 36 MHz bandwidth onboard INSAT-2E satellite were leased to the International Telecommunication Satellite Organisation, the first such lease from an Indian satellite. Data returned by NASAs Dawn spacecraft shows that the giant asteroid Vesta more closely resembles a small planet or the moon than other asteroids. Images taken by the Dawn, which has been orbiting Vesta since last year, provide key clues into the early universe when the asteroid formed and show it began its life as a planetary building block. Results of the report appeared in the journal Science . The 4.56-billion-year-old asteroid has a rare iron core, and a crust and mantle like a planet, forming in a similar way to the Earth and its moon. It likely once harboured a sub-surface magma ocean, a feature that often leads to the formation of layers that form planets. Vesta is also the largest source of meteorites that reach Earth, providing scientists with the first up-close look of the source of such space rocks. The meteorites composition matches that of Vesta, which scientists said provides 6 per cent of Earths meteorites. Dawn, which was launched in 2007 by the U.S. space agency, is to offer insights into the beginning of the universe by examining rocky objects that date to the time when planets were forming in the solar system. After examining Vesta, Dawn will continue on to the dwarf planet Ceres elsewhere in the asteroid belt.

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INfoRmAtIoN tEchNology
National Art Now in Super high gigapixels
In a unique experiment, Google has joined hands with two leading Indian institutions -- National Museum and National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) providing them an online platform to showcase their artworks globally. Called the Art Project, Googles initiative will enable art-lovers to discover and view more than a thousand artworks of Indian and global artists in both the museums, online. Googles tie up with the two renowned museums under the Ministry of Culture will help people stroll through the galleries themselves using the technology from Google Street View, and save specific views of artwork to create a personalised online collection.

AStRoNomy
Solar Radius measured Precisely
A group of scientists from Hawaii, Brazil and California has measured the diameter of the Sun with unprecedented accuracy by using a spacecraft to time the transits of the planet Mercury across the face of the Sun in 2003 and 2006. They measured the Suns radius as 696,342 km (432,687 miles) with an uncertainty of only 65 km. This was achieved by using the solar telescope aboard a NASA satellite, thereby bypassing the blurring caused by Earths atmosphere that occurs when observations are made from the ground, notes a University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy Press Release. The measurements of the Suns size were made by University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy scientists. They used the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) aboard NASAs Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) to make the measurements. Giant Vesta Asteroid like Small Planet: NASA

open access to government Data

The way has been cleared for public access to the data collected by Union government ministries and departments, with official approval being accorded to the National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP). Following its recent approval by the Union Cabinet, the policy has been notified and is in the process of being gazetted. The use of open data as a tool for promoting governmental transparency and efficiency has been gaining ground in some parts of the world. An Open Government Partnership was launched last year by the United States and seven other governments. Forty-three other governments have joined the partnership, which has endorsed

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an Open Government Declaration, expressing a commitment to better efforts to systematically collect and publish data on government spending and performance for essential public services and activities. It acknowledges the right of citizens to seek information on governmental activities. India has not joined the partnership, but is collaborating with the U.S. in developing an open source version of software for a data portal. The NDSAP states that at least five high value data sets should be uploaded to a newly created portal, in three months of the notification of the policy. Uploading of the remaining data sets should be completed within a year. The Department of Science and Technology will co-ordinate the effort and create the portal through the National Informatics Centre. The Department of Information Technology will work out the implementation guidelines, including those related to technology and data standards. The NDSAP seeks to provide an enabling provision and platform for providing proactive and open access to the data generated through public funds available with various departments/organisations of the government of India. However, the Ministries and Departments can draw up, within six months of the notification of the policy, a negative list of data-sets that will not be shared, subject to periodic review by an oversight committee. The policy also provides for pricing, with the Ministries and Departments being asked to formulate their norms for data in the registered and restricted access categories within three months of the notification of the policy.

sourced hybrid delivery solution that spans traditional IT as well as private, managed and public clouds, a press release from the firm stated. Built on HP Converged Infrastructure and HP software, with a developer-friendly integration of OpenStack technology, HP Cloud Services deliver an Open Source-based public cloud infrastructure with business-oriented features. These address developer needs and meet organisational requirements for workload availability, manageability and portability, while eliminating the constraints of a closed operating environment and vendor lock-in, the release added.

DEfENcE tEchNology
Boeing transonic Wind tunnel facility in hyderabad
Global aircraft major, Boeing will be setting up a Transonic Wind Tunnel, which is estimated to cost Rs .450 crore, in Hyderabad under the offset clause obligation. As per offset policy of the Defence Ministry, foreign companies entering into a major contract would have to source a minimum of 30 per cent of its value from India. The Transonic Wind Tunnel would be utilised by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for conducting tests relating to missiles and aircraft projects. Right now, DRDO was depending on the only such facility in the country at National Aerospace Limited (NAL). Besides, for hypersonic wind tunnel facility, the tests were being carried out abroad, either in Israel or Russia. As a result, lot of projects were in queue. With the proposed Transonic Wind Tunnel facility and another Rs.350crore Hypersonic Wind Tunnel, also being set up at Hyderabad by DRDO, the pace of the R & D projects would get hastened.

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tablets that support 23 Indian languages launched

Wishtel, a Mumbai-based company, last week launched two tablet PCs, Ira and Ira Thing, which support 23 Indian languages. The seven-inch portable devices run on Taiwanese chipmaker VIA Technologys 800 MHz processor and operate on the Google Android ecosystem. While Ira sports a TFT LCD resistive touch screen, 256 MB RAM and 2GB of storage, the top-of-line Ira Thing features a capacitive touch screen, 215 MB RAM with 4 GB of storage. The low-price tablet segment is booming in India ever since the Union government announced Aakash Tablet in October 2011. Ira was designed as per the specifications of the Indian Institute of Technology Rajasthan, as part of the low-cost computing devices project under the National Mission of Education through the ICT and sponsored by the Ministry of Human Resources. They are made in factories in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Navy commissions full-scale Station in lakshadweep

As part of its efforts to augment the security of the strategically significant Lakshadweep archipelago, the Navy has commissioned a full-scale naval base, INS Dweeprakshak, at Kavaratti. The establishment of the station on the western maritime frontiers of the country is a milestone indicative of the forces commitment to maintain effective coastal surveillance and defence capability. The Navy has put in place radar stations and other surveillance measures across the island chain to monitor shipping traffic and gather operational intelligence. The Navy has been operating a detachment at Kavaratti since the 1980s. With the commissioning of INS Dweeprakshak, the island territories will witness calibrated strengthening of assets in tandem with their growing relevance to the security calculus of the nation. A firmer footing on the islands, which are spread out astride some of the busiest shipping lanes of the world, would provide the necessary wherewithal to the Navy to discharge its responsibilities suitably. Indian warships on patrol would now extend their reach farther with base support from INS Dweeprakshak, said a Defence press release.

hP Enters Public cloud Services Arena

Global IT major Hewlett-Packard announced the beta release of its first public cloud services that will enable developers to build the next generation of Web applications. Starting May 10, HP Cloud Services would provide its first generation of cloud infrastructure, platform services and cloud solutions for developers, independent software vendors and enterprises of all sizes. The company now offers organisations a single-

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Navy commissions UAV squadron at Uchipuli

As part of stepping up surveillance, the Uchipuli naval base in Ramanathpuram, Tamil Nadu has commissioned an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle squadron. The objective of the UAV squadron was to strengthen surveillance and reconnaissance in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk strait and Palk bay, which were strategic locations. The new squadron INAS 344 is operated from INS Parundu, the Naval air station at Uchipuli. This is the Navys third UAV squadron. The others are at Kochi and Porbandar in Gujarat. The UAV squadron comprises four units of two Israelibuilt Searcher and Heron UAVs.

laboratory in Bangalore. It is the primary sensor for the AEW&C System. It can look 240 degrees within a short time and has a range of 350 km. It can track more than 500 targets simultaneously. Two radiating planar arrays, assembled back-to-back and mounted on the fuselage will provide 120 degrees coverage on either side of the AAAU. The secondary surveillance sensor is the Identification of Friend or Foe (IFF) system. It is developed by CABS.

Anti-aircraft carrier Variant of Brahmos Successfully test-fired

BrahMos, the India-Russia joint-venture, has developed an anti-aircraft carrier variant of the supersonic cruise missile and successfully tested it recently. With this the organisation achieved the capability to attack aircraft carriers using the supersonic vertical dive variant of the missile that could travel up to 290 km. The steep dive variant of the missile was done for the Army and after its success, the path for the induction of the fourth regiment for mountain warfare was clear. The Army had plans to deploy the missile regiment in the Northeast along the borders with China and the proposal was accorded sanction in a Defence Acquisition Council meeting last year. Considering that the country was planning to induct a number of new aircraft including the medium multirole combat fighter aircraft and MiG-29K naval fighters, the BrahMos planned to develop smaller version of the missile for them.

INS chakra Inducted into Navy

Nuclear-powered attack submarine INS Chakra has been formally inducted into the Navy, taking India into an elite league of six nations that operate nuclear subs. The Navy will use INS Chakra, commissioned on January 23 this year at Vladivastok in Russia, for training its men in operating such submarines. The Navy began operating submarines in 1967 and within two decades, graduated to operating nuclear submarines by leasing a Soviet Charlie class submarine, also named INS Chakra, between 1988 and 1991. The new INS Chakra has a displacement of over 12,000 tonnes and is manned by a crew of 80. It is powered by a 190-MWe reactor for a maximum submerged speed of 30 knots (55 kmph) and operating depths of over 500 metres. The submarine is equipped with an array of tactical missiles, cutting edge fire control systems, sonars and communication and surveillance systems. It has come to the Indian shores with deadly fire power, tremendous sustained speed and practically unlimited endurance.

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Successful flight of RUStom-I

Indigenously designed and developed RUSTOM-1 made 14th successful. It may be noted that this unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a DRDO lab at Bangalore, had its maiden flight in Nov 2009. This UAV has the potential military missions like Reconnaissance & Surveillance, Target Acquisition, Target Designation, Communications Relay, Battle Damage Assessment and Signal Intelligence. This UAV can attain a maximum altitude of 22,000 ft and endurance of 12-15 Hours with an operating range of 250 Kms when fully developed.

Second Brazilian Plane with Indian AEW&c System flown

The maiden flight of the second fully modified Embraer aircraft for India-developed Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) System took place on April 4 at Sao Jose dos Campos, Sao Paulo in Brazil. This aircraft will be delivered to India in June 2012. The other mission systems will then be integrated and the mission system flight trials may begin from November 2012. The mission systems and components, including the dummy Active Antenna Array Unit (AAAU), were fitted onboard an Embraer EMB 2451. The AEW&C System is mounted on top of the planes fuselage. Indias first AEW&C System, with dummy electronics, made its maiden flight on December 6, 2011 on another modified Embraer from the Sao Jose dos Campos facility. India will receive the third Embraer by the middle of 2013 to be fitted with the AEW&C System. The Centre for Air-borne Systems (CABS) in Bangalore that comes under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is executing the System with other DRDO laboratories as partners. The Active Electronic Scanning Array (AESA), which is the processor part of the AAAU, has been developed by the Electronics and Radar Development Establishment, a DRDO

NUclEAR tEchNology
Nod for loading of Real fuel in Kudankulam
The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has given its approval for the removal of dummy fuel and loading of real fuel (enriched uranium) in the first unit (1000 MW capacity) of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu. The loading of real fuel would begin soon and thereafter, a trial run would go on for approximately 20 days before attaining criticality (commissioning).

Uranium mine commissioned

Atomic Energy Commission chairman Srikumar Banerjee commissioned the Rs. 1,106 crore uranium ore mine and

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processing plant set up by Uranium Corporation of India at Thummalapalle village, Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh on April 20. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had cleared the uranium ore mining and processing plant at Thummapalle in August 2007. The Thummalapalle Project would boost Indias nuclear energy plans and help reduce costs by helping switching over from coal. It would give a fillip to power production from nuclear plants from three per cent in 2011 to over 30 per cent by 2050. About 1.10 million tonnes of ore can be mined annually at Thummalapalle. On processing, the ore can yield 250 tonnes of uranium oxide and, on further processing, can be used as fuel for nuclear reactors. The uranium processing plant has a capacity to treat 3,000 tonnes of ore a day. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has developed an innovative and economically viable process for recovery of lowgrade uranium (less than 0.2 per cent) from Thummalapalle ore mine. The Thummalapalle mine is considered to have worlds largest reserves of 1.50 lakh tonnes of uranium. Most of its water requirements are drawn from Chitravathi River.

by cardiac arrest reprogramming one kind of heart cells into another. A paper published on April 19 in Nature details how the remarkable feat of reprogramming cardiac fibroblasts into adult cardiac muscle-like cells (cardiomyocyte) produced promising results. A few years ago, researchers introduced stem cells directly into the heart and saw some improvement in heart functioning. With further progress, scientists were able to reprogram adult heart cells into pluripotent cells in the lab and inject them into the heart. Deepak Srivastava of the University of California and his team went a step further and reprogrammed cardiac fibroblasts into adult cardiac musclelike cells in the lab. But in the work reported, Dr. Srivastava and his team were able to change (reprogram) the cardiac fibroblasts into adult cardiac muscle-like cells inside the body of mice. This was accomplished by injecting three transcription factors directly into the heart. Behold, the cardiac fibroblasts, which make up nearly 50 per cent of the heart cells, reprogrammed into heart muscle-like cells. Significant changes were seen three months after the researchers induced heart damage in the mice and the transcription factors were introduced.

BIotEchNology
BgI, IcRISAt Join hands on genomics Research
BGI, the worlds largest genomics organisation founded in China and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) have jointly announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a longterm collaboration on applied genomics research and molecular breeding. The partnership aims to enhance precision of breeding programmes for semi-arid tropic crops by using nextgeneration sequencing technologies towards crop improvement for sustainable food production particularly in the dry lands of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The two organisations agreed to enhance their collaboration in agricultural research for development, especially in the genome sequencing and analysis of ICRISAT mandate crops namely, chickpea, finger millet, groundnut, pearl millet, pigeonpea and sorghum, as well as in capacity building and other agreed activities. The collaboration will be crucial in the development of improved varieties that can provide high yields and at the same time meet the challenges of marginal environments and the threat of climate change and scarce natural resources in the drylands, according to a press release. ICRISAT and BGI together with several organisations from the U.S. and Europe, has just completed the de novo genome sequencing of pigeon pea, known as the poor peoples meat, published in the journal Nature Biotechnology in November 2011.

light-powered Bionic Eye Invented to help Restore Sight

A retinal implant - or bionic eye - which is powered by light has been invented by scientists at Stanford University in California. Implants currently used in patients need to be powered by a battery. The new device, described in the journal Nature Photonics, uses a special pair of glasses to beam near infrared light into the eye. This powers the implant and sends the information which could help a patient see. Diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and retinal pigmentosa result in the death of cells which can detect light in the eye. Eventually this leads to blindness. Retinal implants stimulate the nerves in the back of the eye, which has helped some patients to see. Early results of a trial in the UK mean two men have gone from being totally blind to being able to perceive light and even some shapes. However, as well as a fitting a chip behind the retina, a battery needs to be fitted behind the ear and a cable needs to join the two together. The Stanford researchers say their method could be a step forward by eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring. A retinal implant, which works in a similar way to a solar panel, is fitted in the back of the eye. A pair of glasses fitted with a video camera records what is happening before a patients eyes and fires beams of near infrared light on to the retinal chip. This creates an electrical signal which is passed on to nerves. Natural light is 1,000 times too weak to power the implant. The implant has not been tested in people, but has been shown to work in rats.

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Repairing Damaged hearts by healing Affected cells

Scientists have found an easier way of repairing hearts damaged

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Ecology & ENVIRoNmENt

Uranium not Responsible for Dying fish: meghalaya
The Meghalaya government has denied a report that fish in the States Ranikor river were dying due to exploratory drilling for uranium ore and claimed the water had turned toxic from substances used by local people for fishing. Thousands of dead fish have been found floating in the Ranikor since April 13, prompting the government to conduct an inquiry. Geologists K.B. Surong and E. Nongbri submitted their findings after studying the Kynshi and Rilang rivers, the two tributaries of the Ranikor. Kolkata-based Maheshwari Mining Private Limited is currently conducting exploratory drilling for uranium ore near one of the streams that joins the Kynshi river. The Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) has found an estimated 9,500 tonnes of uranium oxide reserves in Meghalaya. The proposed opencast uranium mining project in West Khasi Hills district has been hanging fire since 1992 after several groups cited the ill-effects of radiation on human health and environment. The Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL) proposes to set up an open-cast uranium mine and processing plant in Meghalaya. It has also plans to produce 375,000 tonnes of uranium ore a year and process 1,500 tonnes a day. The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has already given clearance to the UCIL to start mining in the State.

Reliance Plans largest Solar Power hub

Within the next two years Rajasthan will become the worlds solar power hub as Reliance Power plans to take up the generation capacity of its newly-opened 40-MW plant at Dhursar village in Pokhran to 300 MW by 2014. Indias largest solar photovoltaic power plant at Pokhran in Jaisalmer district has been set up at an investment of about Rs.700 crore. The Dhursar plant has been set up in a record time of five months that uses new, efficient technology like thin film. It is estimated that the clean energy generated from the plant will displace over 70,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year that is equivalent to taking 25,000 cars off the road. It will generate more than 70 million kilowatt hours of clean and green energy enough for consumption of 75,000 households. The project is financed with a debt-equity ratio of 75:25 where Reliance Power has put in the entire equity while the debt has been provided by the US Exim Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

E-waste management Rules Kick in

The e-waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011 have come into effect from 1st May. The rules were notified in May 2011 and aim at reduction in the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment by specifying threshold for use of hazardous material including lead, mercury and cadmium. These rules were notified in advance to give the various stakeholders adequate time to prepare themselves and also to put in place the required infrastructure. They will apply to every producer, consumer or bulk consumer, collection centre, dismantler and recycler of e-waste involved in the manufacture, sale, purchase and processing of electrical and electronic equipment or components. The rules place the main responsibility of e-waste management on the producers of the electrical and electronic equipment by introducing the concept of extended producer responsibility (EPR). However, they will not apply to lead acid batteries as covered under the batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001, micro and small enterprises as defined in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 (27 of 2006) and radio-active wastes as covered under the provisions of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 (33 of 1962). Sectors like information and telecommunications equipment and consumer electrical and electronics falling within the specified categories will have to ensure that the products do not contain lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, poly-brominated biphenyls or poly-brominated di-phenyl ethers above a specified threshold. EPR is the main feature of the rules, wherein the producer of electrical and electronic equipment is given the responsibility of managing such equipment after its end of life; thus the producer is responsible for their products once the consumer discards them. Under EPR, the producer is also entrusted with

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cancer Drug Plant to get Protection

Nothapodytes nimmoniana, a plant possessing an anti-cancer alkaloid camptothecin, will soon get protection from overexploitation. The National Biodiversity Authority has asked the Kerala State Biodiversity Board to initiate steps for declaring the plant as a threatened species following reports of its unregulated and unscientific exploitation. The large shrub is found in the moist deciduous, evergreen, and shola forests. It is found in China, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and China. In India, it has been reported from Assam, West Bengal, Goa, Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. The small tree can grow up to a height of eight metres and has smooth grey wrinkled bark. The bisexual and creamy yellow flowers of the plants are foul-smelling. The plants flower from April to June and bear fruits during August-October period. Though the medicinal use of the plant is not reported in any of the codified systems of the Indian medicine or folk traditions, the plant is used in modern medicine for obtaining camptothecin. Wood chips of the species were reportedly exported for extraction of the alkaloid. The species was propagated by seeds and stem cutting. The rare and sparsely distributed plant is found in altitude between 500 metres and 2,300 metres. Despite its known anti-cancer, anti-HIV, and anti-fungal properties, no significant studies have been conducted regarding the propagation and population of the species.

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the responsibility to finance and organise a system to meet the costs involved in complying with EPR.

Supreme court Stays cheetah Reintroduction Project

The Supreme Court has stayed the implementation of the Cheetah Reintroduction Programme by which the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) had proposed to import the African large-sized feline to India. A forest bench comprising justices K.S. Radhakrishan and C.K. Prasad restrained the government from going ahead with the Rs. 300 crore project in the wake of questions being raised that a totally misconceived venture was pushed without consulting that National Board for Wildlife (NBW) which is a statutory body for the enforcement of the wild life law. The issue of relocating Cheetah from Namibia was raised during the hearing of the matter on reintroduction of Asiatic Lions from Gujarats Gir National Park and Sanctuary and surrounding areas to Palpur Kuno Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh pursuant to a decision taken by the NBW.

increased in recent years, they also spread to new geographical areas. In recent years due to unplanned construction activities, life style changes and deficient water management, including improper water storage, have led to proliferation of vector breeding sites. The list of measures suggested by the Centre include enhancing disease surveillance, awareness campaigns, indoor spraying, use of Long-lasting Insecticide Nets and regular monitoring of larval breeding sites.

India contests Who figures for multi-Drug Resistant tB

The government has contested the WHO figures that put the number of Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) cases in India at 63,000, saying there were only 10,267. As many as 38,287 suspected cases were examined till the end of 2011 and of them, 10,267 have been diagnosed with MDR-TB and 6,994 put on treatment, according to TB India-2012 the annual status report of the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNCTP) brought out by the Health Ministry. The World Health Organisation, in its report released on the eve of World TB Day, said India had an estimated 63,000 cases of notified MDR-TB in 2010, the highest in South East Asia. It also put the MDR-TB prevalence estimates at 2.3 per cent among new cases and 12-17 per cent among re-treatment cases. However, due to the size of the population and the number of TB cases reported annually, India ranks second among the 27 MDR-TB high-burden countries worldwide after China.

hEAlth & mEDIcINE

Native Anti-malaria Drug launched
India has launched its first indigenously manufactured antimalaria new-age drug Synriam. The drug, produced by Ranbaxy Laboratories, was formally introduced for marketing. The drug has been developed by the company in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology and supported by the Indian Council for Medical Research. Malaria claims half a million lives every year globally and India contributes to 77 per cent of the 2.5 million cases reported annually from South East Asia. The dual-molecule combination drug conforms to the recommendations of World Health Organisation (WHO) and will be required to be taken only once a day for three days. Synriam will be used to treat uncomplicated plasmodium falciparum malaria in adults. It provides relief from most malaria-related symptoms, including fever, and has a high cure rate of over 95 per cent. After commencing research on the drug in 2003, the company received the Drug Controller General of Indias (DCGI) approval in 2011 to manufacture and market it in India.

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Indias Alarming Share of global New leprosy cases

According to the government about 55.5 per cent of new leprosy cases detected world-wide in 2010 were reported in India. Out of the total 2,28,474 new leprosy cases detected world-wide in 2010, India contributed 1,26,800 cases which is about 55.5 per cent of the global disease burden. The present strategy is to achieve less than one case per 10,000 population. This level was achieved at the national level in 2005 and the Ministry is now concentrating on achieving elimination of leprosy at district level during the 12th Plan (2012-17). It would be done through early case detection and case management and capacity building of medical/ para-medical staff and community workers, besides improved monitoring and supervision. Although Uttar Pradesh registered a reduction of 1,964, the maximum of 25,509 fresh leprosy cases in 2010-11 were reported here. This was followed by 20,547 cases in Bihar and 15,498 in Maharashtra and another 10,321 from West Bengal. Among the states which showed an increase in cases were Maharashtra, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Assam , Jammu & Kashmir , Himachal Pradesh , Dadra and Nagar Haveli and

Vector-Borne Diseases: States Asked to take Preventive Steps

Concerned over the increasing frequency of outbreaks of vectorborne diseases, the Centre has asked the States to undertake effective control activities during the inter-epidemic period. Importantly, it wanted the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) to be trained, along with other programme personnel, so that their services can be utilised when needed. Vectorborne diseases include malaria, dengue, chikungunya and Japanese encephalitis (JE). While their frequency and intensity

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Kerala . Among states which showed a decrease in cases were Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Tamil Nadu among others.

fears of a drug-resistant strain of HIV. There is also concern that the high cost of Truvada could divert limited funding from more cost-effective options.

hIV Prevention Pill truvada Backed by US Experts

A panel of US health experts has for the first time backed a drug to prevent HIV infection in healthy people. The panel recommended US regulators approve the daily pill, Truvada, for use by people considered at high risk of contracting the Aids virus. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is not required to follow the panels advice, but it usually does. Truvada is already approved by the FDA for people who are HIVpositive, and is taken along with existing anti-retroviral drugs. Studies from 2010 showed that Truvada, made by Californiabased Gilead Sciences, reduced the risk of HIV in healthy gay men - and among HIV-negative heterosexual partners of people who are HIV-positive - by between 44% and 73%. Opposition to the prospect of approving the drug is based on concerns that users could gain a false sense of security, and

mIScEllANEoUS
Vast Aquifers Detected in Sahara
Researchers have found vast groundwater reserves in the Sahara, one of the driest places on earth that could help buffer climate change effects for years. Researchers from the British Geological Survey and University College London, who have prepared a map of the aquifers or groundwater in Africa, say the volume of water found beneath the driest parts of the continent is around 0.66 million cubic kilometres 100 times the volume found on the surface. The largest groundwater volumes are found in the large sedimentary aquifers in the North African countries of Libya, Algeria, Egypt and Sudan, said a scientist associated with the research, the journal Environmental Research Letters reports. The research, however, points out that not all these reserves some of which are as deep as 100-250 metres can be accessed.

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hEAlTh ISSuES...

FAmIly PlANNINg IN INDIA

Today, no one can ignore the importance of family planning. According to National Family Health Survey -3(NFHS-3) although more than 98% of population in between 15-49 knows about one or more methods of contraception, less than 60% uses some. So, it may be said that there is still some apathy towards family planning. It is quite normal that the age group of 15-24 normally does not go for sterilization as they would give birth to children in future. In many areas couples dont know about reversible methods which allow them to have child whenever they want. Thats why there is recent policy shift of government which now aims to popularize Intrauterine Contraceptive Device (IUCD) which assures spaces between two birth ensuring less child birth and less maternal mortality rate. true that uncontrolled population growth brings food crisis, job crisis, low human development, political crisis, and environmental crisis, of course. In this stage of Indias economic development, population growth must be synchronized with the growth of jobs, infrastructure development etc. And to achieve that, there arise a need of an efficient family planning programme. Although some of the states have achieved the desired Total Fertility Rate (TFR) which is the measure of the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime at the current agespecific fertility rates, it is a fact of high concern that some heavily populated states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh has very high TFR till now. efforts have resulted in a sharp drop of TFR from 5.7 in 1966 to 3.6 in 1991 and further down to 2.6 in 2009. But India is yet to achieve the replacement level TFR of 2.1 which is desired for a stable sustainable population and human development.

Factors that contribute to high TFR:

It is clear from the data that states having relatively better education and human development have low TFR rate too. Lower level of female education is the most important fact among those which are contributing the increasing population. If the female is educated she is aware of importance of family planning and her education makes her less dependent on the male and her opinion has less chance to be ignored. More education automatically delayed the early marriage and decreases the number of children. The idea of preferring sons than daughters has also roots in female dependency and gender inequality in almost every part of our life. There are also shortages of trained staffs to support government programs to achieve population stabilization.

Indias history of birth control

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Indian government has been pushing family planning programme since As a nation transform from a poor 1952. In 8th plan (1992-97) human country to a developed one, its development has been identified as its population increases first and then main focus and health and population stabilize. As India, along with most of have been enlisted among two of its the countries of South East Asia, Africa six priority objects. Various family and Latin America, is developing first, planning measures have been taken its rising population makes it one of like free female sterilization and free the youngest nation of the world. It distribution of condoms from health awareness development is true that Indias high birth rate and centers, through advertisement, relatively young population is a unique programs opportunity to increase the Gross local governments (panchayat and Domestic Product (GDP) fast, it is equally municipalities), ASHAs etc. All these

Importance of family planning

Fact-file
TFR for the country remained stationery at 2.6 during 2008 to 2009 showing a decline during last few years. Bihar reported the highest TFR (3.9) while Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the lowest (1.7) Replacement level TFR, viz 2.1, has been attained by Andhra Pradesh (1.9), Delhi (1.9), Himachal Pradesh (1.9), Karnataka (2.0), Kerala (1.7), Maharashtra (1.9), Punjab (1.9), Tamil Nadu (1,7) & West Bengal (1.9) At present, a rural woman (having a TFR of 2.9) at the National level would have about one child more than an urban woman (having a TFR of 2.0), on average. TFR for the country declined by 1.2 points (down by more than a child), rural TFR also by 1.2 points and urban TFR by 0.8 point over last 20 years.

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Customs and prejudice in Indian 12.7 per cent jump in IUD insertions, society also deter people in using 17 and 18 per cent hike in condom contraceptive measures. Poor level of use and oral pill use respectively. awareness is also one of the major In some states like Chhattisgarh, factor in high TFR. Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Availability of contraceptive measures and devices like condoms is poor especially in rural areas.

population in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and other highly populated States where women often do not have access to contraceptives.

Family planning methods and recent data: 64

Recent data shows that total number tive family planning Conclusion of family planning acceptors has ecently Government of India has taken R It is true that we have overcome increased to 3.5% between 2010 and steps to make the use Intrauterine 2011. Contraceptive Device (IUCD) more the apathy towards family planning, but we are still far away from population popular. Though the percent of female stabilization. There is a still some lag of sterilization among the family Young mothers will be provided proper understanding of the necessity of planning acceptors is highest, the Suraksha-5 and Surakhsa-10, an family planning and there also exist some number of female sterilization is on assured method. misconceptions of the practiced methods. decline. Suraksha-5 will be recommended If India needs to become an economic Condom is the most preferred for short-term spacing, while superpower it has to have a stable, skilled method of family planning now Suraksha-10 will give women security and educated population. Education, not and the number of condom users is for 10 years. in the mere sense of number of years increasing fast. This will provide relief to young of schooling but in the development Oral pill users come next to the females who dont want to undergo of understanding and awareness, can condom users. sterilization in the early years of achieve the desired goal of family planning along with the broader goal their lives. It is interesting to know that Bihar, one of the most populated states The whole programme will be of human development. Family planning with very high TFR, has shown managed by the trained auxiliary and human development needs proper an unbelievable jump of 92 per nurse midwives (ANMs) and planning and management together with cent between 2010 and 2011 in Accredited Social Health Activists new innovations. The use of IUCD can effectively revolutionize family planning sterilizations, 61 per cent in IUD (ASHAs). users, 49 per cent in condom users The IUCD method is infection free of India. The surprising increase of family planning acceptors in Bihar indicates and 71 per cent in oral pill users. and does not leave any emotional that if properly planned and managed, But simultaneously densely populated trauma which is normally associated we can have a stable population more Uttar Pradesh has indicated only 3.7 with sterilization. quickly than imagined earlier paving the per cent increase in sterilization, The move is expected to help stabilize way of developed and prosperous India.

Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka and This method is getting popular fast- at the national level; the Tamil Nadu the number of family number of IUD insertions during planning acceptors has actually got April-September 2011 has shown an down. increase of 5.1 per cent against the New initiatives to more effecsame period previous year.

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ENvIRoNmENt AND EcoLogy...

INDIAN RIvER LINkINg PRojEct: REcENt juDgmENt AND ItS ImPLIcAtIoNS

The unsustainable equation for the future is staring us starkly in the face - freshwater supply is dwindling at an alarming rate even as the demand for water grows manifold. Of all the social and natural crises we face, water crisis lies at the heart of our survival, Kochiro Matsuura, director general of UNESCO. The Indian River Linking (IRL) Project is back in the news after the Supreme Court asked the Centre and state governments to participate in planning its implementation. The court has also directed the Union government to set up a committee, comprising representatives from various government departments and ministries as well as experts and social activists, to chart out a plan. For decades, several proposals for the project were discussed and studied by a number of high-powered committees. They all recommended early implementation to mitigate the havoc created by recurring floods and droughts. However, not even a single link has been constructed so far. The project is limping from pre-feasibility to feasibility studies and from preliminary to detailed investigations, with the stage of implementation nowhere in sight. The reasons for this state of affairs are not far to seek. While states are busy quarrelling with each other on their water rights, the Centre makes the plea that water is a state subject under the Constitution and hence it would not be able to suo motu intervene in such disputes. Though many high-powered bodies had advised the Centre that Entry 56, List 1 of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution gives ample powers to the Union government to regulate interstate rivers which contribute more than 80 per cent to the annual water resources of the country, the Centre has not taken any initiative to use these provisions to promote projects to generate benefits. land areas that otherwise does not have river water access and reducing the flow of water to sea using this means. It is based on the assumptions that surplus water in some rivers can be diverted to deficit rivers by creating a network of canals to interconnect the rivers. The Indian River-linking Project (RLP) proposes to link 14 Himalayan rivers in the north and 16 peninsular rivers in the south. The Project is designed to ease water shortages in western and southern India while mitigating the impacts of recurrent floods in the eastern parts of the Ganga basin. The NRLP, if and when implemented, will be one of the biggest interbasin water transfer projects in the world. The benefits of such a scheme are obvious - it would add 35-37 million hectares of irrigated land; generate 34,000 million kilowatts of electricity and increase navigational efficiency apart from controlling floods and eliminating chances of drought. National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and by the Standing Committee, the delay has adversely affected the financial benefits that could have accrued to the concerned parties and the people at large, and is in fact now putting a financial strain on all concerned. The Bench said: This is a matter of national benefit and progress. We see no reason why any State should lag behind in contributing its bit to bringing the inter-linking river programme to a success, thus saving the people living in drought-prone zones from hunger and people living in flood-prone areas from the destruction caused by floods.

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Reactions to the judgment

Grappling with the Supreme Court order to set up a special committee for implementation of the rivers interlinking project, the Water Resources Ministry is consulting the Law Ministry on seeking a review of the order. The Ministry, it is reliably learnt, is seeking opinion for review of the mammoth committee that has to be set up under the directions of the court. Not only does it want the numbers pruned but also keep non-official members out so that the secrecy of the decisions can be maintained. Criticising the Supreme Court directive, several concerned citizens have pointed out that the apex court was getting into the domain of the executive in the matter. They urged the court to put its order on hold and undertake careful reconsideration of the entire matter which is controversial and has serious implications.

Recent judgment
The recent judgment of the Supreme Court in a 2002 case relating to networking of rivers has once again brought the issue in the limelight. A Bench of Chief Justice S.J. Kapadia and Justices A.K. Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar directed the Centre to constitute a special committee forthwith for interlinking of rivers for the benefit of the entire nation. The Bench said that the committee should submit a bi-annual report to the Union Cabinet, which must consider the report and take decisions. Writing the judgment, Justice Kumar said: As pointed out in the report by

the project
River Linking involves linking two or more rivers by creating a network of manually created canals, and providing

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By declaring the project in national interest, the apex court not only anticipates the result of examination that is yet to take place, but also makes it difficult for the government to undertake a rigorous and objective examination [of the project], they said and added that by referring to a unanimous view of all experts, the court ignored a substantial body of experts that was highly critical of the project. Several experts associated with the Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India have raised objections. At a two-day national seminar in Pune, the Forum passed a resolution enlisting six objections. The resolution has been sent to the SC and the Government of India. According to K J Joy of the Forum, There are 30 links that will connect the rivers in the country. A feasibility study is being done only on three links (KenBetwa, Damanganga-Pinjal, Par-TapiNarmada have reached the stage of preparation of Detailed Project Reports), while the rest are in conceptual form. The Forum members said instead of starting with identification of the needs of water-scarce areas and finding area-specific answers, the project starts by looking at a map of India and then deciding that rivers should be linked. This is a reckless method of redesigning the geography of the country, Joy said, adding that the design consists of 30 projects involving 80 dams and it is bound to have major environmental and ecological consequences which might even be disastrous. Construction of dams will also mean displacement of people to varying extents. He added that Nepal and Bangladesh have expressed serious apprehensions that should be taken into account.

projects will prove fruitful for the nation as a whole and would serve a greater purpose by allowing higher returns from the agricultural sector for the benefit of the entire economy. Safe drinking water: it may result in reduction of some diseases due to the supply of safe drinking water, and thus serve a greater purpose to India and for humanity at large. Flood prevention: During heavy rainy seasons some areas can experience heavy floods while other areas might be experiencing drought like situations. With network of rivers this problem can be greatly avoided by channeling excess water to areas that are not experiencing a flood or are dry. This works similar to canal system in Netherlands to channel excess water from sea. generation of electricity: With new canals built, feasibility of new DAMS to generate hydroelectric power becomes a possibility. Navigation: Newly created network of canals opens up new routes and ways and routes of water navigation, which is generally more efficient and cheaper compared to road transport. Expanding international role: the project will not only help India but also neighboring countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar, thus improving the bilateral relations. generate employment: the project will create lacs of jobs opportunities for the Indian youth especially in the rural areas.

of fresh water inflows into the seas seriously jeopardizing aquatic life. Indias best known environmentalist Dr. Vandana Shiva and her two colleagues Gunjan Mishra and Kuwar Jalif have done an impact assessment study of the project that unfolds the grave ecological nightmare that could result from this gargantuan exercise. Dr. Shiva says that no serious study seems to have been done on the river linking project. The project is based on the false assumptions that water from surplus rivers can be diverted to deficit rivers. The truth is there are no surplus or deficit rivers. There are only living and dead rivers. Rivers live where river basins have been ecologically managed. Dr. Shivas colleague Gunjan adds that all rivers change their course every 70 to 100 years. This is a natural phenomenon that cant be altered. You may link them today but once the rivers start changing their course after a few decades then the entire project would be in vain. But these arent the only reasons why critics are debunking the governments massive project that is perceived to control floods, reduce incidences of drought, produce huge amounts of hydroelectricity and create long stretches for navigation. They say the scheme has the potential to cause large and irreparable damage on a scale that is unimaginable. There would be loss of biodiversity, reduction in downstream flows, damage to fisheries and wild life, displacement of people, conflicts over water sharing and pressure created on land by cubic tonnes of water that might cause seismic tremors. Studies by Dr. Shivas institute Navdanya reveal that a dam constructed at the Sharda-Yamuna link in Haryana is going to create a load of 500 billion tonnes on the uphill side making the surface tremor-prone due to this load. Elaborating on this Gunjan says, Water-logging is inevitable with dam construction and river linking. This is the breeding ground for water-borne diseases. These constructions disturb the aquatic lifecycles and have adverse effect on

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Issues and concerns

Though votaries of the river linking project say channeling the surplus water to underfed areas will solve the perennial problem of floods and droughts and bring a boom in employment but theres another side to the coin which spoils the rosy picture. A number of leading environmentalists are of the opinion that the project could be an ecological disaster. There would be a decrease in downstream flows resulting in reduction

Proposed benefits of the project

Irrigation: By linking of rivers vast amount of land areas which does not have otherwise irrigated and unusable for agriculture will become fertile. The NCAER report clearly opines that the interlinking of river

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fisheries. Large forestland is submerged and many people get displaced. These are the reasons why river linking can be such an epidemic. Studies reveal that the flora and fauna too will be adversely affected by this project. For example, the Panna Tiger National Park in Madhya Pradesh that falls in the vicinity of the linking of the Ken and Betwa rivers is going to suffer major damages. Over 50 square kilometers of land, which is a habitat to many endangered species that fall under the wild life protection act 1972, will get submerged. Add to this the construction of the dam, which will result in large deforestation in an area where the entry of noise-polluting diesel vehicles is banned. The construction that will take over ten years will virtually kill the ecology in the area. Similarly in Uttar Pradesh the famed Jim Corbett National Park that falls under Shadra-Sahayak Canal Link will bear

irreparable losses with the submergence of the elephant reserve area. Even at the administrative level the project not only holds the potential of generating new inter-State conflicts but has serious international dimensions that need to be considered. Both, Nepal and Bangladesh, have expressed serious apprehensions about Indias rivers linking project

conclusion
So, is the move to link the rivers feasible and desirable? It is quite axiomatic that the project has some serious repercussions. It could be argued that the above criticism is a misrepresentation of what the Supreme Court has done, and that the judges are only concerned at the delay in the implementation of an approved project and asking for early implementation. The learned judges may say that this is precisely what worries them; that by now the projects should have been well under way; that a good project or concept

or whatever it was, announced in 2002, is languishing; and that the judiciary has to step into the vacant space created by non-action by the Executive and issue the necessary direction. This is the gap-filling theory. However, there is a fallacy here. The delay is not the result of executive failure or inefficiency, but a deliberate (though unstated) slowing down of action on the project. The NDA had announced the project in 2002 with fanfare and trumpets. The UPA government which followed in 2004 was not very enthusiastic about the project but at the same time did not want to abandon it; its Common Minimum Programme stated that the project would be comprehensively reassessed in a fully consultative manner. This was a clear indication of reservations about the project. Thereafter the project has been in the doldrums. Unfortunately, the governments attitude towards the project was never made unambiguously clear to either the general public or the Supreme Court.

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PERSPEctIvES...

DEbAtINg NAtIoNAl SEcuRIty oR thE Nctc ?

The National Counter Terrorism Centre that the Union Home Ministry wanted to create will not see the light of day not in the near future at least, and certainly not in the manner it was envisaged. After a majority of key states invoked federalism to reiterate their strong objections to the NCTC, the fate of the body, that was to have come into operation from March 1, is all but sealed. Centre tried hard to reach out to states with a six-step Standard Operating Procedure under which state anti-terror units would have been part of the NCTC and state DGPs included in its council. But this re-working was a non-starter given the deep political trust deficit between the Centre and the states. threw up many questions regarding the effectiveness of our intelligence and security agencies. A quick answer was found in the establishment of National Investigation Agency (NIA). The long lasting and more efficient one however is in limbo as states and centre fight it out over the operation procedures of NCTC. National Counter Terrorism Centre, or NCTC, was proposed by the Home Minister Shri P. Chidambaram after his visit to US, which has a similar body constituted after the 9/11 attacks. NCTC is projected as a top anti-terror body, an umbrella organization, under the Intelligence Bureau, which would analyse intelligence, maintain relevant data and develop appropriate response. Post-mortem inquiries of various cross border as well as internal acts of terror have pointed to intelligence and operational failures and hence the need for a unified assault on terrorism is absolute. NCTC is proposed to set up small offices throughout the states for real time information gathering, to be headed by a Director and report to the home ministry. In words of the Prime Minister, the primary purpose of setting up the NCTC is to coordinate counter-terrorism efforts throughout the country, as the Intelligence Bureau has been doing so far. The NCTC should be a vehicle of our combined efforts to reach the shared goal of curbing terrorism and eradicating militancy.

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Most of the non-Congress Chief Ministers, including Odishas Naveen Patnaik and Tamil Nadus Jayalalithaa, and UPA ally and West Bengals Mamata Banerjee, had opposed the creation of the NCTC, apprehending that the powers to be vested with the centre would violate the federal structure of the country and encroach upon States powers.

threats and thus would enhance their counter-terrorism capability and access to resources to tackle them.

Need of the hour

The Home Ministry has countered that a NCTC is unavoidable because, at present, the Union Government cannot deploy its military and para-military forces suo motu to deal with internal security problems in the States; often the States are unwilling to accept these Central forces due to dubious political compulsions. This has occurred when large-scale communal riots occurred in 1993 (post Babri Masjid) and 1992 (post Godhra). Moreover, the need for a NCTC is justified because the States lack the political will to fight determinedly against terrorism. Often the States have not deployed their police and state armed forces to deal firmly with law and order situations in a timely manner. Neither have they taken credible steps

Mumbai Attacks- the trigger

The need to coordinate the anti-terrorism measures of the Union and State Governments had become apparent after the Mumbai attacks in November 2008 when several intelligence and operational failures came to light. 26/11 Mumbai

The antecedents of the NCTC were derived from the Group of Ministers and the Administrative Reforms Commission, beginning with the lessons learnt in the Kargil conflict, Dr. Singh said, defending the proposal. The NCTC mechanism will give each State agency an ability to see the bigger picture of terrorist

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to professionalize these forces. They have also used their State forces to serve political ends, like the partisan use of the Gujarat police during the post-Godhra riots in 2002. These facts cast serious doubts on the impartiality and integrity of the State law and order apparatus. Unfortunately, the record of the Union Government is equally questionable. The cases launched against those involved in the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 are still lingering, despite some three decades intervening. Besides, the failure of the Union government to deploy the Army in Mumbai during the anti-Muslim riots in 2003, despite their being available, reflected adversely on the impartiality of the government. Ironically, several of those involved in these dubious actions were appointed to high administrative and political positions or continue in them, which was not fortuitous. These blatant instances of partisanship and lack of integrity in the Union government apart, the professional ability of the Central police organizations is also arguable. The loss of 76 CRPF personnel of its 62nd battalion in the Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh in a clinically executed Naxalite ambush, some two years back might be recollected here. Several questions had arisen then about the adequacy of their training, their physical fitness to undertake arduous jungle operations, and their familiarity with the terrain, language and culture of the local population. All this was found wanting in the post-mortem inquiry. Whether remedial steps have been taken to professionalize these forces currently deployed for counter-terrorism and anti- Naxalite operations can only be speculated upon in the absence of any independent evaluation. The limited point being made here is that the Union forces are not much better than the State forces in dealing with terrorists and insurgents; so nave conclusions regarding their natural superiority are quite misplaced. Indeed, a strong argument can be made for strengthening the police stations

and the local police/ armed forces in the States; this would be more relevant to meeting the threat since they have local knowledge of the terrain, language and culture that are of equal, if not greater, significance for counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations.

Indian vs American Model

Indian NCTC differs from the US model in two respects. The US NCTC is an independent institution not coming under the control of any of the existing agencies. In India, it is proposed to be made a wing of the IB and will work under the DIB. In the US, the NCTC is a legal institution set up under a Congressional legislation after bipartisan consultations, but it does not have any legal powers to act on its own in matters such as arrest, detention, interrogation, searches etc. The Indian model has been set up under an executive notification under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act of 1967. This has obviated the need for fresh legislation for its creation and for fresh political consolations at the Centre and with the States. More seriously, the Indian NCTC is sought to be given powers of arrest and searches as part of its preventive operations. Moreover, placing the NCTC within the Intelligence Bureau (IB) would convert the Bureau into an operational body, which would be disastrous for the general polity. It is an open secret that the IB assiduously gathers political intelligence on behalf of the political party in power about rival factions within the party and the Opposition parties. Equipping the IB with powers of arrest and search in the States is, therefore, being resisted by the States. Moreover, the NCTC would also get embroiled in IBs running battle with the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), which is responsible for external intelligence. Terrorism has both international and national aspects; hence, the NCTC must be separated from the IB to maintain equidistance from the IB and the R&AW.

The US established its Department of Homeland Security after 9/11. In India the establishment of a separate Ministry of Internal Security, conceived several years back, continues to languish. Ideally, the NCTC should be placed under this new Ministry, along with the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and relevant sections of the various intelligence agencies, including the National Information Grid (NATGRID), National Threat Reduction Organization (NTRO). The intention would be to integrate the information at all levels relating to terrorist and insurgent organizations for undertaking counter-terrorism and counterinsurgency operations. The granting of these powers to the IB through the NCTC mechanism could have two undesirable consequences. Firstly, allegations of misuse of the IB for harassing political opponents. Secondly, it will affect the role of the IB as a clandestine intelligence collection organisation. It will be preoccupied defending its arrests before the courts and against allegations of human rights violations. Moreover, presently the IB enjoys protection from the Right to Information Act. If it has these powers and starts functioning as an intelligence collection agency cum central police, it may no longer be able to enjoy this protection.

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What is the solution?

Through the tides of history, India has suffered enough terror attacks from all quarters. Strengthening of intelligence agencies is imperative to abate these acts of terror and for this we need to create a nationwide strategy in challenging terrorism. Lack of infrastructural support should not be a cause of violence on our motherland and her children. This requires a strong commitment from everybody involved to uphold the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the country. First, the need for harnessing the joint efforts of the Union and State Government to fight the demon of terrorism is too obvious to need

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iteration. A conjoint expression of their commitment to pooling their intelligence and operational resources should be made in the next meeting of the Inter-State Council as a prelude to establishing the working arrangements. Second, the State Governments must strengthen their own intelligence and operational capabilities to address the menace of terrorism, including Left Wing Extremism. Their need for financial assistance should be considered sympathetically by New Delhi, but the emphasis has to be on agreed solutions being properly implemented. For instance, the additional forces catered for must be raised, training institutions must be upgraded, police stations authorized must be physically established, arms and ammunition sanctioned must be centrally purchased and supplied and so on. In short, a physical, apart from a financial, audit of devolved funds is necessary. third, adequate arrangements are required to ensure a continuing

validation of the professional abilities of the Union and State forces employed in the anti-terrorism and counterinsurgency role. An independent Inspectorate can be suggested for this purpose that would function like an Ombudsman to evaluate the capability of these forces to undertake the challenging tasks confronting them. The need for this outside evaluation is all the more necessary since the intelligence agencies and their activities are not subject to Parliamentary oversightan idea whose time has also come. Fourth, an overall operational strategy needs to be devised. The cluster of questions arising is: How could the States be better enabled to handle anti-terrorism activities more confidently with their own human and material resources? Should the Union para-military forces be deployed only for special operations or routinely in lieu of State Police forces? In what combat or support role can the Indian Army and Air Force be deployed?

Fifth, the underlying governance issues must be tackled to strengthen the anti-terrorism strategy. Obvious candidate are the establishment of special courts to try terrorismrelated offences with celerity, credible programs to ensure witness protection and ensure the anonymity of whistle-blowers, the prosecution of politicians and bureaucrats linked to such activities, an effective rotational postings policy for executive officers in the government, implementation of social services and development programsespecially those relating to education and public health and so on. The imperative need to coordinate the antiterrorism intelligence gathering and joint operational efforts of the Union and State governments needs no emphasis. The mechanics have to be reworked by joint consultations after a decent interval, since the present NCTC proposal can only be described as dead on arrival.

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INSPIRAtIoNS@IP...

The PeoPles PresidenT, dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

I climbed and climbed Where is the peak, my Lord? I ploughed and ploughed, Where is the knowledge treasure, my Lord? I sailed and sailed, Where is the island of peace, my Lord? Almighty, bless my nation With vision and sweat resulting into happiness.
-A.P.J Abdul Kalams favourite poem, The Vision.
Dr. Kalam, world renowned aerospace engineer and the 11th President of Independent India is often referred to as the Peoples President and is admired for his modest and humble nature, not only by Indians but people around the world. He is a man with a vision who took over the responsibility of changing the destiny of India.

Dr. Kalam obtained his primary education from a primary school in Ramaeswaran, after which he attended the Schwartz High School at Ramanathpuram. His undergraduate life began when he entered the Saint Josephs College in Tiruchchirapalli to study physics which he later regretted after discovering aerospace engineering lessons in Madras. As a child of God, I am greater than anything that can happen to me. The pivotal moment in his education was when he discovered the opportunity to learn aerospace engineering at the Madras Institute of Technology and graduating as the aerospace scientist in 1960. He started his career by designing a small helicopter for the Indian Army, but remained unconvinced with the choice of his job. Kalam was also part of the INCOSPAR committee working under Vikram Sarabhai. In 1969, Kalam was transferred to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) where he was the project director of Indias first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III) which successfully deployed the Rohini satellite in near earth orbit in July 1980. Joining ISRO was one of Kalams biggest achievements in life and he is said to have found himself when he started to work on the SLV project. The credit of developing indigenous Guided Missiles also goes to Dr. Kalam who was the Chief Executive of Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) in the Defence Research and Development Organization. Moreover, he was the mastermind in operationalising AGNI and PRITHVI Missiles, the first ever missiles of India and from there he got his title as the Missile Man of India for ballistic missile and space rocket technology.

the Writer Within

This scientist has inspired many youth in India through his enticing writing. Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India is his latest book which is highly motivating. As most of Dr. Kalams books are dedicated to an incident, a simple but deep meaning lies behind the concept of this book. Ignited Minds was dedicated to a high school child named Snehal Thakkar whom Dr.Kalam had met at a school. Upon the questioning by the former President as to who is your greatest enemy? this boy had impressed the audience by replying poverty is our enemy. I will not be presumptuous enough to say that my life can be a role model for anybody; but some poor child living in an obscure place in an underprivileged social setting may find a little solace in the way my destiny has been shaped. It could perhaps help such children liberate themselves from the bondage of their illusory backwardness and hopelessness?.. Dr. Kalams other famous writing is India 2020 A Vision for the Millennium, which addresses the issue of strengths and weaknesses of India as a nation and the goal of making India one of the worlds first four economic powers by 2020. Kalam continues to take an active interest in other developments in the field of science and technology. He has proposed a research program for developing bio-implants. He is a supporter of Open Source over

tough Beginnings
Kalam was born on 15 October 1931, at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, the son of Jainulabdeen, a boat owner and Ashimma, a housewife. He came from a poor background and started working at an early age to supplement his familys income. As a child, he had a discipline of starting the day at 4:00 am following the footsteps of his father to do homework before going to school to attend mathematics classes. After completing school, Kalam distributed newspapers in order to financially contribute to his fathers income. In his school years, he had average grades, but was described as a bright and hardworking student who had a strong desire to learn and who spent hours on his studies, especially mathematics. As a child, Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam remembers being fascinated by the flight of seagulls. Kalams interest in flight led to a degree in aeronautical engineering, and eventually to his supervising the development of Indias guided missiles. Along the way, he found time to write Tamil poetry and learned to play the veena, an instrument similar to the sitar.

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proprietary solutions and believes that the use of free software on a large scale will bring the benefits of information technology to more people. A. P. J. Abdul Kalams 79th birthday was recognized as World Students Day by United Nations. He has received honorary doctorates from over 40 universities. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1981 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1990 for his work with ISRO and DRDO and his role as a scientific advisor to the Government. In 1997, Kalam received Indias highest civilian honour, the prestigious Bharat Ratna for his immense and valuable contribution to the scientific research and modernisation of defence technology. He was the second scientist after the late Homi Bhabha to receive this award.

will be the central theme of Dr. Kalams mission, it will also cover a wide array of social, environmental and ethical issues of urgent importance to India. According to the exPresident, his movement is especially for the young students, young officers, young legislators and youth of our nation because corruption and moral turpitude are evils that need to be defeated by the goodness of youth. Never stop fighting until you arrive at your destined place, that is, the unique you. Have an aim in life, continuously acquire knowledge, work hard and have perseverance to realise the great life. These are four essential criteria. This former President is once again in news when his name was proposed for another term as Indias President after Smt Pratibha Patils term ends. There seems to be quite a buzz among people hoping for his re-candidature. One of the tweets on a social networking site speaks volume about this great man- Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for President. Bring honour back. Great dreams of great dreamers are always transcended. Whether he comes back as Indias President or not, it wont affect peoples immense love and respect for him and he will always be remembered as Peoples President.

What Can I Give? Movement

Calling upon the people to defeat the evil of corruption, Dr Kalam announced his mission of propagating the What Can I Give? movement in 2011 to infuse youth with ethics and great families with value system. While the fight against corruption

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SuCCESS DEPENDS uPoN MAtuRIty!

Maturity is many things. It is the ability to base a judgment on the big picture, the long haul. It means being able to resist the urge for immediate gratification and opt for the course of action that will pay off later. One of the characteristics of the young is I want it now. Grown-up people can wait. Maturity is perseverancethe ability to sweat out a project or a situation, in spite of heavy opposition and discouraging setbacks, and stick with it until it is finished. The adult who is constantly changing friends and changing mates is immature. He/she cannot stick it out because he/she has not grown up. Maturity is the ability to control anger and settle differences without violence or destruction. The mature person can face unpleasantness, frustration, discomfort and defeat without collapsing or complaining. He/she knows he cannot have everything his/her own way every time. He/she is able to defer to circumstances, to other people-and to time. He/she knows when to compromise and is not too proud to do so. Maturity is humility. It is being big enough to say, I was wrong. And, when he/she is right, the mature person need not experience the satisfaction of saying, I told you so. Maturity is the ability to live up to your responsibilities, and this means being dependable. It means keeping your word. Dependability is the hallmark of integrity. Do you mean what you say-and do you say what you mean? Unfortunately, the world is filled with people who cannot be counted on. When you need them most, they are among the missing. They never seem to come through in the clutches. They break promises and substitute alibis for performance. They show up late or not at all. They are confused and disorganized. Their lives are a chaotic maze of broken promises, former friends, unfinished business and good intentions that somehow never materialize. They are always a day late and a dollar short. Maturity is the ability to make a decision and stand by it. Immature people spend their lives exploring endless possibilities and then doing nothing. Action requires courage. Without courage, little is accomplished. Maturity is the ability to harness your abilities and your energies and do more than is expected. The mature person refuses to settle for mediocrity. He/she would rather aim high and miss the mark than low-and make it. Maturity is the art of living in peace with that which cannot be changed, the courage to change that which should be changed, no matter what it takes, and the wisdom to know the difference.

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Mosaic...

RE-IGNItING thE PASt- CELEbRAtING 150th ANNIvERSARY oF thREE GREAt MEN

RAbINDRANAth tAGoRE, SWAMI vIvEKANAND AND MADAN MohAN MALvIYA.

The second decade of 21st century began with the 150th anniversary celebrations of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore( 18611941) and a forgotten patriot Pt Madan Mohan Malviya(1861-1946). The year 2012-13 will mark similar celebrations for another visionary of the modern India- Swami Vivekanand(1863-1902). Though these three revered luminaries belong to separate realms of social and public discourse, their anniversary celebrations give us an opportunity to re-visit and re-ignite the flames that enlightened the nineteenth and the twentieth century India.

legacy endures also in the institution he founded, Visva-Bharati University. Tagore was poet, novelist, short story writer, essayist, playwright, educationist, spiritualist, painter, lyricist, composer and singer a rare set of distinctions, an unbelievable conjunction of talents. His creative works, which still influence billions of people globally, are a matter of pride for the people of India. He modernised Bengali art by spurning rigid classical forms and resisting linguistic strictures. His novels, stories, songs, dance-dramas, and essays spoke to topics political and personal. Gitanjali (Song Offerings), Gora (Fair-Faced), and Ghare-Baire(The Home and the World) are his best-known works, and his verse, short stories, and novels were acclaimedor pannedfor their lyricism, colloquialism, naturalism, and unnatural contemplation. His compositions were chosen by two nations as national anthems: the Republic of Indias Jana Gana Mana and Bangladeshs Amar Shonar Bangla. The composer of Sri Lankas national anthem: Sri Lanka Matha was a student of Tagore, and the song is inspired by Tagores style.

GuRuDEv RAbINDRANAth tAGoRE

Tagore was born on May 7, 1861, in Calcutta, and died on August 7, 1941, at 80 years of age. Even a century and a half after his birth, his place in the collective life of India and Bangladesh as also of the world is only getting stronger. The birth anniversary celebration is testimony to a new realisation and awakening. Author of Gitanjali and its profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, he became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. In translation his poetry was viewed as spiritual and mercurial; his seemingly mesmeric personality, flowing hair, and otherworldly dress earned him a prophet-like reputation in the West. A Pirali Brahmin from Calcutta, Tagore wrote poetry as an eight-year-old. As a humanist, Universalist internationalist, and strident anti-nationalist he denounced the Raj and advocated independence from Britain. As an exponent of the Bengal Renaissance, he advanced a vast canon that comprised paintings, sketches and doodles, hundreds of texts, and some two thousand songs; his

stone laid on 24 December 1918 and was inaugurated precisely three years later. Tagore employed a brahmacharya s y s t e m : gurus gave pupils personal guidanceemotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Teaching was often done under trees. He staffed the school, he contributed his Nobel Prize monies, and his duties as stewardmentor at Santiniketan kept him busy. Tagore was more a citizen of the world than an Indian, or more precisely he was a cosmopolitan Indian, because he belonged to the Indian cultural space without being involved with the idea of a particular territory with borders. As a literal translation of his novel Ghare Baire suggests, he was At Home and Outside. Standing between Asia and Europe, without submitting to the idea of a clash among them, Tagore extended the meaning and pragmatic importance of the critical intercultural dialogue as nobody else had done before him. By extending his vision of civilization beyond the bounds of mere particularism, Tagore placed the idea of a whole world as of supreme value. For him, the whole world should be viewed as a single family where different nations are its members, each contributing its quota to the welfare of the whole. Equally important is Tagores assertion that the Mans world is a moral world which would be dangerous for us to ignore. Today in a time when

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schooling: in The Parrots Training, a bird is caged and force-fed textbook pagesto death. Tagore, visiting Santa Barbara in 1917, conceived a new type of university: he sought to make Santiniketan the connecting thread between India and the world [and] a world centre for the study of humanity somewhere beyond the limits of nation and geography. The school, which he named Visva-Bharati, had its foundation

Santiniketan and visvabharati:Tagore despised rote classroom

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mankind is confronted with a grim scenario involving clashes of national self interest and ethnic and racial prejudices, an attempt to engage in an intercultural dialogue can be a well trusted means of laying the groundwork of a new human solidarity in a plural world.

is positive and nothing negative. The 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) will be celebrated all over the world during 2012-13. Government of India has also decided to commemorate the Anniversary and a National Committee has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. You are the makers of your own fortunes. You make yourselves suffer, you make good and evil, and it is you who put your hands before your eyes and say it is dark. Take your hands away and see the light. Vivekanand was an embodiment of divinity in human form, a prophet of his age. Hinduism was in a historic crisis in India during his time. Never before such a sweeping influence of Western Culture could be seen among the educated intellectuals of the country. Bright students left Hinduism for conversion to Christianity. Narendranath was destined to save the oldest religion from the poison of religious fundamentalism and consumeristic materialism. He defined civilization as a manifestation of divinity in man and stated that each soul is potentially divine. The Chicago parliament which was designed to end in victory of Christianity ended with a triumphant victory for Vivekananda and the Hinduism he interpreted. His words struck the West with an unprecedented sense of newness and veneration for the ancient India and her religion. . While all the delegates to the Parliament spoke of their own religion, the Swami spoke of a religion that was vast as the sky and deep as the ocean. The appeal of his simple words of burning sincerity, his great personality

and his bright countenance was so great that next day the newspapers described him as the greatest figure in the Parliament of Religions. The simple monk with a begging bowl had become the man of the hour.

With Ramakrishna
Swami Vivekananda, born as Narendra Nath Datta was the chief disciple of the 19th century saint Ramakrishna and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission. Narendras meeting with Ramakrishna in November 1881 proved to be a turning point in his life. About this first meeting, Narendra said,- Ramakrishna looked just like an ordinary man, with nothing remarkable about him. He used the most simple language and I thought Can this man be a great teacher? I crept near to him and asked him the question which I had been asking others all my life: Do you believe in God, Sir? Yes, he replied. Can you prove it, Sir? Yes. How? Because I see Him just as I see you here, only in a much intenser sense. That impressed me at once. [...] I began to go to that man, day after day, and I actually saw that religion could be given. One touch, one glance, can change a whole life. In course of time Narendranath became the meeting point not only of East and West but also of past and future. He thundered Where seekest Thou, friend, God/ Leaving aside those before you in myriad form?/ He indeed serves God who loves God in all living beings. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose regarded him as the spiritual father of the Nationalist Movement and that since his death at a very young age his influence had been even greater. Swami Vivekananda did a lot to inculcate a national consciousness among the people. His message was universal and based on rationality and righteousness. It was a message that appealed to people of all classes, castes and creeds. His message of unity and brotherhood has far-reaching appeal and relevance even today.

Politics
Tagores political thought was tortuous. He opposed imperialism and supported Indian nationalists, and these views were first revealed in Manast, which was mostly composed in his twenties. Evidence produced during the Hindu German Conspiracy Trial and latter accounts affirm his awareness of the Ghadarites, and stated that he sought the support of Japanese Prime Minister Terauchi Masatake and former Premier kuma Shigenobu. Yet he lampooned the Swadeshi movement; he rebuked it in The Cult of the Charka, an acrid 1925 essay. He urged the masses to avoid victimology and instead seek self-help and education, and he saw the presence of British administration as a political symptom of our social disease. He maintained that, even for those at the extremes of poverty, there can be no question of blind revolution; preferable to it was a steady and purposeful education.

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Repudiation of knighthood
Tagore renounced his knighthood, in response to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919. In the repudiation letter to the Viceroy, Lord Chelmsford, he wroteThe time has come when badges of honour make our shame glaring in the incongruous context of humiliation, and I for my part, wish to stand, shorn, of all special distinctions, by the side of those of my countrymen who, for their so called insignificance, are liable to suffer degradation not fit for human beings.

SWAMI vIvEKANAND
Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore once said- If you want to know India, study Vivekananda. In him everything

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He thought deeply about education and what it meant for Indian society. He conceived of education as the primary means of rebuilding Indian society. For him, education meant secular learning that built character and instilled human values in students. Practice is absolutely necessary. You may sit down and listen to me by the hour every day, but if you do not practice, you will not get one step further.

MAhAMANNA, MADAN MohAN MALvIYA

Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, born in the holy pilgrim city of Prayagraj (later renamed to Allahabad) on 25th December 1861, was a great Scholar, educationist, man of action and a leader of national liberation movement. His ancestors were poor but were known for their Sanskrit scholarship. Malviya graduated from the Calcutta University in 1884 and was appointed as a teacher in his school. He attended the Second Congress Session

held in Calcutta in 1886 and delivered a speech which held the audience spell-bound. After that, he was offered the editorship of the Hindi weekly, the Hindustan. He became popular for his outspoken views about media as a subject of the British, the abject poverty of the masses and the indifference of the British towards them. He studied law and became a High Court lawyer in 1893. He was elected to the Provincial legislative Council in 1902 and later to the Imperial Legislative Council in 1909. He gave up his well established law practise in 1911 for education and social service. He donned the robe again only to fight the case of Chouri Choura freedom fighters. 177 freedom fighters got capital punishment. Mahamana fought their case and was successful in saving 156 freedom fighters. In April 1911, Annie Besant met him and they decided to unite their forces and work for a common Hindu University at Varanasi. Annie and fellow trustees of the Central Hindu College, which she has founded in 1898 also agreed to Government of Indias precondition that the college should become a part of the new University. Thus Banaras Hindu University (BHU) was established in 1916, through under the Parliamentary

legislation, B.H.U. Act 1915, today it remains a prominent institution of learning in India.

A Secular Leader
Many historians saw Malviya as a narrow minded leader of the Hindus. Malaviya was no doubt a strong supporter of Hindi language and moaned that young Hindus seemed to know little about their rich cultural heritage. But he was not communal. Malaviya constantly underlined the importance of both Urdu and Hindi, and favoured Urdu, Persian, Turkish and English words that were easy on the tongue to be part of Hindi. He grew up in a deeply religious family and was heavily influenced by his innately secular grandfather. Malaviya was a hardcore liberal, one who respected all religions and who asked people not to attack each other`s religion. We are Indians first and then Hindus. So much so that many Muslim and Christian groups often invited him to preside over their meetings.

Conclusion
Decades might have passed by but these men of honour, values, ethics and insurmountable knowledge continue to be as relevant and inspiring today as they were then.

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KNOW IT ALL
AWARDS
Arbind Singh
Arbind Singh, a well-known development activist from India, has been given the prestigious Skoll Foundation Social Entrepreneurship Award at a function in Oxford for his work in the informal labour sector. Mr. Singh, heads the National Association of Street Vendors of India. The Foundation, set up by Jeff Skoll, a philanthropist and social entrepreneur, works with local activists to drive social and economic change among the neglected sections of society. The Skoll Award provides a three-year core operating support grant for recipients to extend their already impressive reach, the Foundation said in a statement. prestigious 1.1 million Templeton Prize for his contribution to affirming lifes spiritual dimension. The Prize, in its 40th year, was established in 1972, to honour a living person who affirms lifes spiritual dimension be it through insight, or practical works. Dr. John Templeton, president of the John Templeton Foundation, said the Dalai Lama represented the universal voice of compassion. He was chosen for the prize for encouraging serious scientific investigative reviews of the power of compassion and its potential to address global problems.

Secrets of Wild India Bags International Award

Secrets of Wild India, a three-part series highlighting the diversity of Indian wildlife, has won the Best Television Series award at the International Wildlife Film Festival held at Montana in the US. Secrets of Wild India was commissioned by National Geographic and is currently being shown in India. The three episodes covered three different ecosystems.

Tiger reserve bags award

The 24-year-old Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR), spread over 895 square kilometres on the southern tip of the Western Ghats with rich biodiversity, has bagged the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) award in the Best coexistence and buffer zone management category.

Endre Szemeredi
Endre Szemeredi got Abel Prize, 2012 for his fundamental contributions to discrete mathematics and theoretical computer science. By being named for the Abel Prize, generally regarded as the Mathematicians Nobel, for the year 2012, he has attained the pinnacle of mathematical achievement. Instituted in the year 2001 in honour of the Norwegian mathematical wizard Niels Henrik Abel (1802-1829) on his 200th birth anniversary by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, the Abel Prize has been awarded annually since 2003.

Ratan Tata 76
Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata on 8th May was conferred The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun title by Japan for his contribution in strengthening economic relations between Japan and India.

APPOINTED/ELECTED
B.V. Wanchoo, Aziz Qureshi
The former Special Protection Group (SPG) chief B.V. Wanchoo, has been appointed Goa Governor, and the former Madhya Pradesh Minister, Aziz Qureshi, Governor of Uttarakhand. A release from Rashtrapati Bhavan also said that K. Sankaranarayanan would continue as Governor of Maharashtra, for a fresh term, Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva would be the new Governor of Rajasthan.

Pandit Ravishankar
Sitar maestro Pandit Ravishankar has been nominated for the first Tagore Award, instituted by the government to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, for promoting values of universal brotherhood. The name of Ravishankar, the Varanasiborn, most-famous contemporary Indian musician, was cleared unanimously by a jury under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. On the recommendation of the jury, the award has been renamed as Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony. Singh had last year announced the establishment of the Tagore Award for promoting values of universal brotherhood.

National Environment Management Award

Neyveli Lignite Corporation has bagged the National Environment Management Award (Silver shield) for its Thermal Power Station-I Expansion for the year 2010-2011. It noted that the 420MW capacity TPS-I Expansion plant is a pride and model plant of the NLC and is also known for its environment friendly working atmosphere, apart from awesome performance and production achievements. The lush green surroundings were being nurtured with utmost care.

Sachin Tendulkar, Rekha nominated to RS

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood actor Rekha are among four eminent persons who have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the UPA government. Tendulkar, 39, who has 100 international centuries to his credit, and Rekha, 57, who made a name for herself in the 1980s in the Hindi filmdom through a variety of roles she

Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama has received the

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played with ease and brilliance, will become members under Article 80 of the Constitution, which allows the President to nominate to the Rajya Sabha 12 members having special knowledge of, or practical experience in, literature, science, art and social service.

Ranjan Gogoi
Chief Justice of the Punjab & Haryana High Court, Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who hails from Assam, has been recommended by the Collegium of Judges headed by Chief Justice of India S. H. Kapadia for elevation to the Supreme Court. Justice Gogoi, who became a permanent Judge of the Gauhati High Court on February 28, 2001, was transferred to the Punjab & Haryana High Court on September 9, 2010. He became its Chief Justice on February 12, 2011. He will have a tenure of a little over seven years in the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, President Pratibha Patil has cleared the appointment of Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir High Court F. M. Ibrahim Kalifulla as a Supreme Court judge. Justice Kalifulla, who hails from Tamil Nadu, will be the second judge to represent the Madras High Court, after Justice P. Sathasivam. Justice Kalifulla was transferred to the Jammu & Kashmir High Court in February 2011. He became its acting Chief Justice in April 2011 and regular Chief Justice in September. He will have a tenure of a little over four years in the Supreme Court.

Trombay, has taken over as Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), from Srikumar Banerjee, who retired after 45 years of distinguished service. Before he became Director of the BARC in 2010, Mr. Sinha was Director of the Reactor Design and Development Group and the Manufacturing and Automation Group at the BARC. Along with the former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), Anil Kakodkar, he was one of the key designers of the AHWR.

a two-year term, commencing in January 2013. Dr. Reddy is the president of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), and former Head of Cardiology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

K. Vijaykumar
K. Vijaykumar has been appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sun TV Network. In July last, the company had informed the stock exchanges that Mr. Vijaykumar, COO, had been elevated to the post of CEO with effect from July 12.

Rahul Khullar
Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar has been appointed as the chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). Mr. Khullar, a 1975-batch IAS officer, will take over from J.S. Sarma. He will have a three-year term. Mr. Khullar was personal secretary to Dr. Singh when he was the Finance Minister in the Narasimha Rao government.

Arun Sawhney
Drug major Ranbaxy Laboratories has approved reappointment of Arun Sawhney as CEO and Managing Director of the company for a period of five years. The AGM has also approved the reappointment of Takashi Shoda as the director of the company, it added.

S. Narsing Rao
S. Narsing Rao, former chairman of Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL), has taken charge as the Chairman and Managing Director of Coal India Ltd (CIL).

Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin was sworn in as Russias President for a third term on 7th May. Mr. Putin served two terms as Russian President from 2000 to 2008 and shifted to the post of Prime Minister after ceding power to his hand-picked successor, Dmitry Medvedev. With the presidential term extended from four to six years, Mr. Putin, who turns 60 later this year, will serve till 2018 and will have the option of running for the fourth term. Shortly after taking office Mr. Putin sent to Parliament Mr. Medvedevs nomination as Prime Minister in keeping with his earlier promise.

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M. Anandakrishnan
M. Anandakrishnan, veteran educationist, has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology - Kanpur for the third time. The appointment was made by President Pratibha Patil in her capacity as the Visitor of the IIT-Kanpur.

Goolam E. Vahanvati
President Pratibha Patil has re-appointed Goolam E. Vahanvati Attorney-General for two more years with effect from June 8. Mr. Vahanvati, 63, was appointed to the post in 2009 for three years, and his term ends in the forenoon of June 8. He is thee first Muslim to hold the top law officers post in the past six decades. Mr. Vahanvati was appointed SolicitorGeneral in June 2004.

Dr. Srinath Reddy

Dr. Srinath Reddy has been elected president of the World Heart Federation (WHF), an overarching, global, nongovernmental organisation, and the only body dedicated to the global prevention of heart disease and stroke, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. Dr. Srinath Reddy is the first Indian ever, to be conferred this honour. He succeeds Dr. Sydney Smith of USA, and will serve

Salahuddin Rabbani
Salahuddin Rabbani, son of Afghanistans slain peace negotiator Burhanuddin Rabbani has been appointed the head of the Afghan High Peace Council to lead reconciliation talks with the Taliban, months after his fathers assassination dealt a major blow to the peace efforts. Stepping into his fathers shoes, Mr. Rabbani, who is Ambassador to Istanbul, said in a statement that it was only

R.K. Sinha
Ratan Kumar Sinha, Director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC),

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through peace that stability and security can be ensured in Afghanistan.

Ross Levinsohn
Yahoo says it has appointed Ross Levinsohn as interim CEO and Fred Amoroso as chairman of its board. Yahoo says CEO Scott Thompson has left the company. Mr. Thompson has been under fire for more than a week over mentions in his resume and company filings of a computer science degree he did not earn. Mr. Amoroso was the board member leading the investigation into inaccuracies on Thompsons resume. Mr. Levinsohn is Yahoos head of global media.

allegedly signed without a competitive bidding process.

Jim Yong Kim

Korean-American physician Jim Yong Kim has been selected as new President of the World Bank. The World Bank picked Seoul-born Kim over Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Mr. Kim is president of Dartmouth College. A U.S. national, Mr. Kim is a co-founder of Partners in Health (PIH) and a former director of the Department of HIV/ AIDS at the World Health Organization (WHO). Mr. Kim (52) will take over at the beginning of July, after Robert B Zoellick, steps down at the end of his five-year term.

James Murdoch
James Murdoch has resigned as chairman of the British satellite broadcaster BSkyB (popularly known as Sky TV). This is the second important position Mr. Murdoch has lost recently. Earlier, he was forced to step down as executive chairman of News International, publisher of the defunct News of the World, following fresh allegations of a cover-up.

Antonio Ereditato
An Italian physicist at the head of a team that made a cautious but hugely controversial claim that neutrinos may travel faster than the speed of light has resigned following calls for his dismissal. Antonio Ereditato submitted his resignation before a vote on a motion by some members of his OPERA team that he be removed after tests this month contradicted the claim that the universes speed limit had been broken. OPERA is part of the European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN) and carried out its experiment at the Gran Sasso Laboratory in central Italy.

RESIGNED/SUSPENDED
Yogendra Yadav, Suhas Palshikar
Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar, two eminent political scientists have resigned their positions as advisors to the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) after a furore in Parliament led Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal to withdraw a book on the Constitution because it contained a cartoon some legislators said was offensive. The NCERT textbook includes a cartoon of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar made by the legendary cartoonist K. Shankar Pillai in 1949.

Leung Chun-ying
Hong Kong has appointed as its new Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, a businessman with close ties to China, following a bitter election that brought to the fore growing public anger against corruption and a closed, elite-run political system. Mr. Leung won 689 of the 1,200 votes cast by the committee of businessmen and political insiders who appoint Hong Kongs Chief Executive. His nearest rival was industrialist Henry Tang, who was seen as the favourite before being embroiled in a scandal over allegations of corruption and an extramarital affair.

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Bangaru Laxman
The former BJP president, Bangaru Laxman, sentenced by a Delhi court to four years in jail in a bribery case, has resigned from the partys national executive committee. Laxman, has been sentenced for four years and fined Rs. 1 lakh for accepting a bribe of Rs. 1 lakh in a fake arms deal in 2001.

M.G. Chandrasekhar
M.G. Chandrasekhar has submitted his resignation and stepped down as the Chairman of Devas Multimedia in connection with its controversial S-band spectrum deal with Antrix, commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Dr. Chandrasekhar will be replaced by Lawrence T. Babbio, former Vice Chairman and President of U.S. telecommunications operator Verizon. Under the Antrix-Devas contract signed in 2005, ISRO was to build two satellites GSat 6 and 6A for the Bangalore-based company, which would have been allowed the use of 70 MHz of S-band spectrum over a 20-year period. The Centre scrapped the deal in February 2011, following an investigation into irregularities in the agreement that was

Macky Sall
Macky Sall won the presidential election in Senegal on 26th Mrach. Mr. Sall replaced his former mentor Abdoulaye Wade as President. Mr. Salls political career appeared to have peaked under Mr. Wade, where after serving as Prime Minister he fell from favour. Whereas Mr. Wade had spent 25 years as an opposition leader before finally winning the presidency, Mr. Sall won the top political prize at his first attempt. Joyce Banda Malawis Vice-President Joyce Banda has taken charge of the southern African country under the terms of the constitution following the death of President Bingu wa Mutharika.

DIED/KILLED
Manik Godghate
Celebrated Marathi poet and author Manik Godghate, popularly known as Grace, has passed away. He was 75 years old. Known for his path-breaking work in Marathi literature, Godghate, was a household name owing to his poetry that was used in many popular songs. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi award for his prose Varyane halte raan (The

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forest swings with the wind) in 2011. His works include Churchbell and Mitva in prose, and Sandhyakalchya Kavita , Rajputra and Darling , Sanjbhayachay Saajani andChandramadhaviche Pradesh in poetry.

severely wounded in 1967 and won four major photo awards including the first of his two Pulitzers. Mr. Faas Vietnam coverage earned him the Overseas Press Clubs Robert Capa Award and his first Pulitzer in 1965.

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton. They will spend nearly two years training for the expedition with trips to Arctic Norway, Greenland and Canada. Currently, he is based in Concordia Station a FrenchItalian base in the interior of Antarctica.

Bingu wa Mutharika
Malawis President Bingu wa Mutharika has died after the 78-year-old suffered a heart attack. Mr. Mutharika, a former World Bank economist who first came to power in 2004, was re-elected with a sweeping majority in 2009 as President of the poor southern African country. His Vice-President, Joyce Banda, is next in line to run the country, according to the Constitution.

PEOPLE IN NEWS
Balwant Singh Rajoana

PLACES IN NEWS

J&Ks Nagin is no more out of Three days before his scheduled bounds
execution in connection with killing of the former Punjab Chief Minister, Beant Singh, on August 31, 1995, Balwant Singh Rajoana has got relief, with the Union government staying the capital punishment. The Union Home Ministry, in a letter to the State Government, stated that the execution of 44-year-old Rajoana has been stayed. The decision came after Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal met President Pratibha Patil and submitted a mercy petition. The Presidents office then sent it to the Ministry. The Jammu and Kashmir Government has thrown open to tourists the stunning destination of Nagin, which was sealed off 22 years ago due to its proximity to the Line of Control. It is 10 km from the Gulmarg skiing resort and at an altitude of 9000 ft surrounded by Pir Panjal mountain range. Nagin was declared out of bounds for trekkers, tourists and civilians in 1990 when militancy had erupted in the State.

Govind Narain
Govind Narain, one of the last surviving Indian Civil Service (ICS) officers and Home Secretary during the Bangladesh war, has passed away. Born on May 5, 1916, in Uttar Pradeshs Mainpuri, Oxford-educated Narain joined the ICS in 1939 and went on to become the countrys Home Secretary and Defence Secretary. He was Home Secretary from 1971 to 1973 and one of the top officers instrumental in planning the Bangladesh war and setting up of Mukti Bahini.

Global ICT Conference, Delhi

Delegates from over 30 countries have taken part in the two-day World Information Technology Forum (WITFOR) in New Delhi. India hosted the fifth edition of the coveted event that focused on use of information and communication technology (ICT) in agriculture, education, health and e-governance within the overall theme of ICT for Sustainable Human Development.

Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandelas archivists and Google say their $1.25 million project to digitally preserve a record of the antiapartheid leaders life is now online. Anyone else from around the world now have access to hundreds of documents, photographs and videos. The archive has been launched with more than 1,900 entries.

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Achala Sachdev
Veteran actress Achala Sachdev who featured in the highly popular song Ae Meri Zohra Jabeen. from the much talked about film Waqt , has passed away following a prolonged illness. She was 88. Born in Peshawar, Achala, who acted in around 150 films, made her debut with Fashionable Wife (1938).

Alexander Kumar
Dr. Alexander Kumar, a young doctor, is set to become the first foreign national of Indian origin to walk across Antarctica carrying the Tricolour the South Pole and back. The expedition is scheduled for 2014. Dr. Alexander Kumar has been living in Antarctica since January conducting research for the European Space Agencys human spaceflight programme. Dr. Kumar (28), who has been selected as the Chief Medic and Chief Scientist for the expedition, is among a team of six who will make the crossing retracing the steps of famous British explorers Sir Robert Falcon Scott and

Urn Burial Site Discovered Near Kancheepuram

A vast urn-burial site has been found at Mandapam village, near Aarpakkam intersection, about 14 km from Kancheepuram. The importance of the site, archaeologists say, is that it belongs to a period earlier than the Megalithic Age or Iron Age in Tamil Nadu. They estimate that the site is datable to 1,800 BCE to 1,500 BCE, that is, 3,800 to 3,500 years before the present. The Iron Age and the Megalithic Age are contemporaneous in south India. Archaeologists say the Iron Age in south India was extant from 1,000 BCE to 300 BCE.

Horst Faas
Horst Faas, a Pulitzer Prize-winning combat photographer who carved out new standards for covering war with a camera and became one of the legendary photojournalists in nearly half a century with The Associated Press, has died. He was 79. But he was best known for covering Vietnam, where he was

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Centre for Tagore studies in Edinburgh

A major university Centre dedicated to the life and works of Rabindranath Tagore has opened in Edinburgh, Scotland, to mark the Nobel Laureates 150th birth anniversary. Professor Indra Nath Choudhuri, Academic Director of the Indira Gandhi Institute, will be Scotlands first Chair in Tagore Studies. The Scottish Centre for Tagore Studies (ScoTs) at Edinburgh Napier Universitys Institute of Creative Industries, which has the second largest Indian student population of any Scottish university, will promote Indian culture, education, philosophy, art and literature by highlighting Tagores legacy.

of Bangalore. The Civil Aviation Ministry has accepted the proposal to rename BIA.

UNESCO protection for Titanic wreck

The wreckage of the Titanic, which has remained at the bottom of the North Atlantic for 100 years, will now come under the protection of the United Nations cultural body that seeks to safeguard wrecks, decorated caves and other cultural relics underwater. Till now, remains of the Titanic were not eligible for protection under UNESCOs Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, which applies only to wreckage that has remained submerged for atleast 100 years. As 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, the ships wreckage will now come under the cover of the UNESCO convention. Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage and sank on the night of April 14, 1912. National Crop Forecast Centre Set up The Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre, New Delhi has been set up as an Attached Office under the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation and was inaugurated on 23rd April. The Centre has been set up to inter alia provide satellite imagery based inputs for assessing crop area and yield. These inputs will be used along with econometric & agro-meteorological parameters and ground observations to make crop forecasts in respect of selected crops. The Centre will also use remote sensing techniques to monitor and assess the drought situation in the country.

Daredevils sporting the UNICEF logo. The team will also donate a part of the funds raised from the sale of match tickets and merchandise to UNICEF. The Daredevils association with the United Nations arm for developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries will extend beyond IPL 5.

England Keeps No. 1 Position

England won the second Test against Sri Lanka with a session to spare on the final day, to level the series, and in the process keeping its position as the top team in the ICC Test rankings intact.

FOOTBALL Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi swept holder Barcelona into the Champions League semifinals for the fifth successive year while becoming the competitions most prolific scorer in a single season. The Argentina forward scored a pair of first-half penalty kicks and Andres Iniesta added another goal after the break to give Barcelona a 3-1 victory over AC Milan following a 0-0 draw in Italy. Messis 14th Champions League goal this season surpassed Ruud van Nistelrooys tally in the 2002-03 campaign. His brace also took him to 51 Champions League goals at 24 the youngest player to achieve the half century landmark.

MISCELLANEOUS
Earthquakes in Sumatra
Massive earthquakes hit the north Indian Ocean off Indonesia and triggered a tsunami watch. A tsunami alert was issued to countries all along the rim of the Indian Ocean, from Australia and India to as far off as Africa. In India, tremors were felt almost all along the east coast. Unlike the December 26, 2004 quake caused by a thrust fault, this quake was caused by a strike-slip fault. The fault had moved in a north northwest-south southeast direction. In the case of a strike-slip fault, the fractured crust slides past each other laterally.

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Chelsea lifts FA Cup

Chelsea has won the FA Cup for the fourth time in six years, beating Liverpool 2-1 in the final at Wembley. Ramires got the opener after 11 minutes and Didier Drogba added the second goal seven minutes into the second-half. Andy Carroll pulled one back and Liverpool, after an insipid opening, piled on the pressure in the final minutes. Petr Cech made a superb save to deny Carroll a second as Chelsea hung on.

Khasi Language is Safe Now

The Khasi language of Meghalaya has been withdrawn from UNESCOs Atlas of the Worlds Languages in Danger as it is considered safe now. The language is spoken by some 900,000 people in the State and is no longer in danger, declares UNESCO on its website. Khasi is spoken in the region of the Khasi and Jaintia hills. BIA to be named after Kempe Gowda The Centre has accepted the proposal to name Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) after Kempe Gowda, the founder

SPORTS
CRICKET Daredevils Tie Up With UNICEF
Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket team Delhi Daredevils has inked a partnership with UNICEF India with a special focus on adolescent girl child. The initiative, called Dare to Care will have the

Manchester City Wins English Title

Manchester City staged a dramatic fight back to win the English title for

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the first time in 44 years, with Sergio Aguero scoring the sides second goal in stoppage time to clinch a 3-2 victory over Queens Park Rangers. Agueros goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time snatched the trophy from holder Manchester United on goal difference. The 2010 champions had been top when its game at Sunderland ended in a 1-0 win.

BADMINTON Shon Wan Ho

Indian Open final witnessed the birth of a new mens singles champion from Korea, Wan Ho Shon, who deposed World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei in an epic 66-minute battle at the Siri Fort Complex. The final scores read 21-18, 14-21, 21-19 with the Malayasian ace chasing the tie more often than was expected. It was the Korean shuttlers first Super Series title. He had beaten another former All-England champion - Peter Gade Christensen - in the quarterfinals to earn his Olympic berth.

HOCKEY Adrian DSouza

Former India hockey goalkeeper Adrian DSouza has tested positive for a banned substance in a random test conducted by the National AntiDoping Agency (NADA) during the inaugural World Series Hockey. According to a NADA statement, Adrians A sample, collected on March 21, contained higher concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a metabolite of marijuana. Adrian had played for Mumbai Marines in the World Series Hockey.

0-2 against Pakistan in the summit clash in the 16th Asian Team Squash Championship. National champion Saurav Ghosal went down in five games to Pakistans number one Farhan Mehboob in the first singles. In the second singles Siddharth Suchde lost to Farhan Zaman in five games. The Indias mens team equalled its silver-winning performance in the team championship in the inaugural edition of the tournament held in 1981 in Karachi.

VOLLEYBALL 13th National Beach Volleyball Championship

Proving a point to the critics who had said that the two were over-the-hill, Pradeep John and Mohan clinched the mens title their fourth as a pair and first at home in the 13th National beach volleyball championship at the Marina Beach in Tamil Nadu.

Asian Badminton Championships

Chinas Chen Jin has won the mens singles title at the Asian Championships. Chen, who was seeded third, defeated fellow countryman and fifth seed Du Pengyu 21-12, 21-18 in Chinas eastern city of Qingdao.

Anand Pawar
After a gap of nearly two years, the Mumbai shuttler Anand Pawar won an international title when he emerged champion in the French International Badminton tournament which concluded at Orleans (France). In a well-contested final, third seed Pawar trounced Malaysias Ramdan Mohmed Misbun 2116, 21-10 in 34 minutes.

CHESS Dubai International Open Chess

Grandmaster Sandipan Chanda played out a draw with overnight co-leader Miezis Normunds of Latvia to tie for the first spot in the 14th Dubai International Open chess tournament. Ni Hua of China emerged as the winner with the best tiebreak in a five-way tie that also included the Georgian duo of Baadur Jobava and Mikheil Mchedlishvili. Fast improving Madhurima Shekhar displayed her growing tactical strength as she beat Grandmaster Mysroslava Hrabinska of Ukraine. The victory also ensured a maiden Woman International Master norm for the Delhi girl with a round to spare.

TENNIS Leander Paes

Indian tennis veteran Leander Paes became only the 24th player in the ATP World Tour history to win 50 doubles titles after he and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek clinched the Sony Ericsson Open, their second team trophy of the season. Paes and Stepanek, who were seeded seventh, rallied to upstage second seeds Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor 3-6, 6-1, 10-8.

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SQUASH Asian Team Squash Championship

Indian women squash team has created history by winning its maiden Asian title by defeating top seed Hong Kong 2-0 in the final in Kuwait. In the womens final, Joshna Chinnappa, waged a battle against Joey Chan before winning in 38 minutes to put India 1-0 ahead. Dipika Pallikal then complemented by winning against Annie Au to seal the issue in Indias favour. Indias best performance in the womens team championship was a silver medal at the last championship held in 2010 in Chennai. The mens team, however, went down

Ivan Ljubicic
Croatias Ivan Ljubicic said goodbye to tennis after suffering a 6-0, 6-3 opening defeat to compatriot Ivan Dodig at the Monte Carlo Masters. The first-round loss was the end of the line for the shaven-headed Croatian icon. The Monte Carlo-based veteran, 33, had previously announced that the elite event in the principality which opened the preFrench Open run would be his last hurrah in the sport.

Asian Continental Chess Championship

Grandmaster Parimarjan Negi won the Asian continental chess championship despite losing to A.R. Saleh Salem of UAE in the final round. Negi finished the tournament on seven points and was tied for first place along with Yu Yangyi

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of China. But in their direct encounter earlier in the championship, Negi had beaten Yangyi, which helped him win the gold medal. Mary Ann Gomes spoilt her chances of the gold medal in the womens champion for which a draw was enough against Tan Zhongyi of China. The Kolkata-based girl instead lost and could only finish on second spot with her best tiebreak.

won by Raja Sekar of Tamil Nadu with a leapt of 15.79m.

Saurabh Vij
Shot putter Saurabh Vij struck excellent form in the first meet of the season by reaching 19.80 metres in the Indian Grand Prix meet. Vij opened with a foul and continued with two more fouls before putting to his winning distance with his only legal throw. In the womens 400 metres, M.R. Poovamma expectedly took the title with a 54.60s finish.

record mark of 2:04:40 set by compatriot Emmanuel Mutai in winning last years race. Second place went to Kenyans Martin Lel, who produced a sprint finish to overtake fellow former London champion Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia in the closing 100 yards. In Womens category Mary Keitany successfully defended her London Marathon title as Kenya swept the podium places in the womens race. The 2011 champion went clear in front from a world class field in the closing miles and won in an unofficial time of two hours 18 minutes and 36 seconds, a new Kenyan national record and a personal best.

ATHLETICS Federation Cup Senior National Athletics Championship

Siddhanth Thingalaya of ONGC clocked an impressive 13.69secs, the fastest by an Indian on home soil, to win mens 110m hurdles gold on the final day of the 16th Federation Cup Senior National Athletics Championship. Tamil Nadu hurdlers J Surendhar and T Balamurugan finished second and third respectively. Khushbir Kaur of Punjab set a National record of 1:37:28 in the womens 20km walk. The 18-year-old walker bettered L. Deepmala Devis 2010 record of 1:37:44 on her way to clinching the top place, nearly seven minutes ahead of the second-placed athlete. Khushbir Kaur set a new national record in womens 20km walk race en route to winning gold. Kaurs 1:37:28 effort betters L Deepmala Devis old national record of 1:37:44 set during the Asian Race Walking Championships at Nomi City, Japan, two years ago. Keralas Jithin Thomas stole the limelight with a personal best effort of 2.20m en route to winning gold in mens high jump. Thomas, however, missed the meet mark of 2.21m held by national record holder Harishankar Roy of Jharkhand who finished second with 2.05m. National record holder Renjith Maheshwari of Tamil Nadu won the triple jump gold with a new meet record. Maheshwaris leapt of 16.85m, which he came up in his fifth and penultimate attempt, erased the old meet record of 16.72m which he himself created in 2007. The silver went to ONGCs Arpinder Singh (16.20m) while the bronze was

Krishna Poonia
Commonwealth Games gold medallist woman discus thrower Krishna Poonia has created a new national record en route to her silver medal winning performance at the Altius Track Crew Throwdown meet in Maui Island, Hawaii. Krishna hurled the discuss to 64.76 meters to not only pocket the silver medal but also break Seema Antils existing national record of 64.64 meters. Reigning Olympic champion Stephanie Brown Trafton of USA won the gold medal, while Gia Lewis-Smallwood pocketed the bronze. Asian Grand Prix Athletics Sajeesh Joseph and M.R. Poovamma have won their races in the opening leg of the Asian Grand Prix athletics meet. Joseph beat Asian Games silver medallist Adnan Taes of Iraq in the mens 800 metres. Poovamma won the event from IranianMaryam Toosi.

Christian Olsson
Swedish triple jumper Christian Olsson has said he was to retire from international athletics due to a new foot injury as he did not want to undergo more operations. The 2004 Olympic champion had three world titles, two of them indoors. In 2006 he won his second European championship title when the competition was held in Gothenburg.

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MOTOR SPORTS Pastor Maldonado

Pastor Maldonado gave Williams a first Formula One race win in almost eight years when he fought off local hero Fernando Alonso in a thrilling Spanish Grand Prix. The Venezuelan lost the start bur rebounded to beat Ferraris Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus for his first career victory.

Om Prakash Singh
Om Prakash Singh bettered the 12-yearold National record in shot put with a throw of 20.69 metres at a meet at Szombathely, Hungary. The 25-year-old Indian, a bronze medallist at the last Asian championships in Kobe, surpassed Shakti Singhs mark of 20.42m set in Chennai in July in the run-up to the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

SHOOTING Gagan Narang

Gagan Narang has clinched the silver medal in the mens 50m rifle 3-position event in the Kuwait international shooting Grand Prix. Narang shot a total of 1165 (prone 395, standing 385, kneeling 385) to become the winner. Sanjeev Rajput, winner of the bronze medal in the mens 50m rifle prone event earlier, finished fourth with 1160.

London Marathon
Kenyas Wilson Kipsang won the mens London Marathon. Kipsangs unofficial time of two hours, four minutes and 44 seconds was just outside the course

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Abhinav Bindra
Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra shot a strong final, but had to settle for the silver with a total of 699 in the International shooting championship in Dortmund, Germany. The former world champion shot 104.0 in the final, which was 0.4 better than the eventual gold medallist Are Hansen of Norway. However, Bindra had shot only 595 in the qualification, following a series of 98, 99, 100, 100, 99 and 99. The Norwegian Hansen had shot 598 in qualification and thus won the gold 2.6 point ahead of the reigning Asian champion.

Promotion Board has won his second national snooker title in a period of six months by outplaying Kamal Chawla 6-2 in the best-of-eleven frame final in the 78th National Championships. Mehta showed the benefits of playing on the pro-circuit, as he dismantled the game of Railways rival Chawla.

Australias Anna Meares claimed her fourth title in the womens 500 metre time trial in a world record time. Meares time of 33.010sec in the 500m beat the previous best time of 33.296sec set by Simona Krupeckaite of Lithuania at the 2009 world championships in Pruszkow, Poland. Frenchman Gregory Bauge reclaimed the coveted mens sprint crown after defeating Great Britains Jason Kenny. Kenny finished second with fellow Briton Sir Chris Hoy winning the bronze. Britains Victoria Pendleton claimed a sixth sprint title after a 2-0 defeat of Simona Krupeckaite of Lithuania.

Manisha National Billiards and Snooker Championship

Pankaj Advani of PSPB scored a 5-0 win over Balachandra Bhaskar of Karnataka to retain the mens billiards title in the Manisha National Billiards and Snooker Championship. With this win Advani claimed his sixth national billiards title. Arantxa Sanchis won the Womens National Billiard trophy for the first time after beating Mumbais Meenal Thakur in a tight five-game all-Maharashtra final.

World Cup Shooting

Sergei Martynov of Belarus has won the 50-meter rifle prone World Cup at the Royal Artillery Barracks. Martynov topped qualifying on a windy day with 595 points then scored a finals-best 104.9 to win his 16th career World Cup with a 699.9 total. South Korean shooter Lee Daemyung earned his first World Cup title with a comfortable win in the 10-meter air pistol at the Royal Artillery Barracks. He scored 100.3 to tally 691.3, beating Vladimir Isakov of Russia with 689.8. Denys Kushnirov of Ukraine came back with a final-best 103 points to win the bronze medal with 688. Meanwhile, Wei Ning of China won the womens skeet for her eighth World Cup triumph. Wei, the 2003 world champion and Athens Olympic silver medalist, came from behind to outshoot Danka Bartekova of Slovakia, a two-time World Cup winner.

WRESTLING Sushil Kumar

Former world champion and Beijing bronze medallist Sushil Kumar won the 66kg gold medal in the World qualifying wrestling tournament in Taiyuan, China, to make the cut for the London Olympics. Sushil became the fourth Indian wrestler to book a berth for the London Games. This will be Sushils third straight appearance in the Olympics. Earlier, three Indian wrestlers, Amit Kumar (55kg) and Yogeshwar Dutt (60kg) in freestyle and Geeta (55kg) in womens section, had made the Olympics from the Astana event.

CYCLING Indian Cyclists Qualify For Worlds

For the first time ever in the history of the sport, India has qualified for the World track cycling championship held in Melbourne. The country was represented by O. Bikram Singh, Amrit Singh and Amarjit Singh in the team sprint event. India earned the qualification because of its fine performance in the Asian cycling championship in Kuala Lumpur in February.

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BOXING Asian Womens Boxing Championship

M.C. Mary Kom and Sarita Devi have won gold medals in the Asian womens boxing championship at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. In the 51kg final, five-time world champion Mary Kom defeated two-time world title winner and 2010 Asian Games gold medallist Ren Cancan ofChina 14-8. Sarita, a world title winner in 2006, tamed defending champion Chorieva Mavzu of Tajikistan 26-15. In the other summit clashes, Pinki Jangra (48kg) went down fighting to Bolortuul Tumurhuyag of Mongolia 22-24, Sonia Lather (54kg) lost to Ke Jia Luu of

Track Cycling World Championships

Hosts Australia set a new national record on their way to stunning team sprint specialists France to win gold in the mens final at the track cycling world championships. Australia won the match in a new national record of 43.266sec. France won silver in 43.267. Britains Chris Hoy won the mens keirin title. Hoy overtook countryman Jason Kenny and swooped between leaders Max Levy of Germany and New Zealander Simon Van Velthooven to claim the inside of the track and the gold medal.

BILLIARDS & SNOOKER R. Umadevi

R Umadevi of India has won her maiden world billiards title in the World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Associationorganised championship in Cambridge. Umadevi dispatched world No 13 Eva Palmius 2-0 in the Seniors final.

Aditya Mehta
Aditya Mehta of Petroleum Sports

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China 8-12, Monica Saun lost to Dong Mei Wang of China 10-13 and Pooja Rani (75kg) fought hard before losing to world champion and Asian Games gold medallist Jinzi Li of China 8-15. The Indian team returned with a rich haul of two gold, four silver and two bronze medals to make a strong statement in the continental championship.

WEIGHTLIFTING Asian Weightlifting Championship

N Soniya Chanu bagged a bronze in womens 48kg category to open Indias medal account in Senior Asian Weightlifting Championships at Pyeongtaek, South Korea. Soniya, who won a silver medal in the Delhi Commonwealth Games, finished third in snatch with an effort of 75kg in the first competition of the championship, which is a London Olympics qualification event.

Shiv Thapa
Shiva Thapa has settled for the silver medal in the 43rd Boxing Grand Prix at st nad Labem, Czech Republic. In the 56kg final, Thapa lost to Italian Vittorio Jahyn Parrinnelo 7-10. The Indian, who was tied 5-5 with his rival after the second round, conceded two crucial points following a warning issued to him in the final round. Earlier, Vikas Krishan (69kg) had managed a bronze.

McDowell. It marked the first PGA Tour victory for Woods in 30 months, ending a drought that coincided with the personal turmoil that followed a 2009 sex scandal. Englands Ian Poulter finished in third seven shots behind Woods. With this win, Tiger Woods has climbed to sixth in the World rankings. Woods last topped the rankings in October 2010, when he was unseated by Englands Lee Westwood and subsequently tumbled out of the World top 50.

Digvijay Singh
Even as the ball travelled around 10 feet, approaching the cup on the 18th hole, Digvijay Singh clenched his fist in anticipation of the biggest moment of his golfing career spanning 12 years. The birdie-putt virtually gave Digvijay the Panasonic Open title his maiden triumph on the Asian Tour as it put him two strokes clear of the nearest challenger Gaganjeet Bhullar, who waited on the fairway of the 18th hole.

GOLF Bubba Watson

American Bubba Watson parred the second sudden-death playoff hole to defeat South Africas Louis Oosthuizen and capture the 76th Masters for his first major golf championship. The 33-yearold U.S left-hander became the eighth first-time Major winner in a row and only the third southpaw to claim the green jacket symbolic of Masters supremacy after three-time winner Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, and bighitting playing partner Watson battled down the final holes of the back nine at Augusta National, each finishing with a four-round total of 10-under par 278. Tiger Woods Tiger Woods has won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at the Bay Hill golf course with a five shot victory over Graeme

L. Devendro Singh
Indian boxer L. Devendro Singh (49kg) has won the silver medal at the International Republic of Kazakhstan Presidents Cup after losing in the finals in Almaty. The 20-year-old was defeated by Cubas top light flyweight boxer Yosvany Veitia. In the semis Devendro defeated 2010 Asian Games silvermedallist Birzhan Zakipov. Earlier, Asian Games silver medallist Manpreet Singh (91kg) and debutant Kanwar Preet Singh (+91kg) had to settle for bronze medals after losing out in the semifinals of their respective weight categories.

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ARCHERY Deepika Kumari

Indias Olympic prospect Deepika Kumari won her first World Cup individual recurve gold medal at Antalya, Turkey. She beat Koreas Lee Sung Jin by six set points to four in the final of the Stage 2 of the championship. Ms. Deepika, who has already qualified for London Olympics, is the current junior world champion and a gold medallist at the Delhi Commonwealth Games. She had also won the Cadet World Title in 2009.

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QuESTIoNS@IP...

PT-2012 ANAlySIS AND SoluTIoNS

Paper 1
The pattern of Paper I has been in-line with the general trend of General Studies over last few years. The questions are designed to check the level of basic understanding of the various subject areas. As such, in general the questions are simple. In most questions, the options have been intelligently created so as to confuse the examinee if there is slightest of lack of understanding of basic concepts. Most of the questions have more than one statement as correct answer. This demands more understanding, more time to decide the best option as answer and also leaves certain uncertainty when the examinee leaves the examination hall. However, it is a welcome feature as rote learning and memory will have less bearing on selection/rejection. The type of questions in Paper I in 2011 and now in 2012 are only enforcing the view for students to focus on basics of all topics that comprise General Studies. It seems that facts and figures are a thing of past, and even if asked, will be of minor value as compared to the rest of the paper. A section-wise distribution of number of questions is as below: Subject Area Environment General Science Economics Indian History Geography Indian Polity Total Number of Questions 20 12 11 20 10 27 100 The logical reasoning questions were predominantly based on Syllogisms. The analytical ability questions covered common areas, e.g. relationships, directs, arrangements, Venn diagrams etc. GMA section covered basic arithmetic concepts like time and distance, averages etc. There were no questions to interpret graphs this year. Overall, the mathematical/reasoning/ analytical part of the paper II constituted about 50% questions, with moderate difficulty. Comparatively, the Comprehension questions required deeper understanding of the passages, more time to read the dense passages and difficult options to choose from, making this area more difficult than last year. It is prudent that the mathematics/ analytics/reasoning area be perfected by students to maximise their marks in Paper II (and overall marks as well). A section-wise distribution of number of questions is as below: Number of Questions 35 8 27 3 7 80

Paper II
The first and a relieving observation is that the level of Maths has been consistently (in 2011 and now in 2012 also) on the average level. The fears of many students not so conversant with Maths have been allayed. There is no need to stress out due to the general fear of Maths (due to topics like Remainder theorem, Permutation and Combination, Probability etc.). The syllabus reads Class X level and it surely does match that in the question paper, with a few give-aways too. Subject Area Comprehension English Language Comprehension

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Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability GMA and Basic Numeracy Decision Making and Interpersonal Skills Total

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QuESTIoN coDE foR All ThE SETS

Set A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Set B 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Set C 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 Set D 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Set A 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 Set B 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 13 14 15 Set C 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 1 2 3 Set D 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 36 37 38 Set A 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 Set B 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 Set C 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 Set D 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80

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SoluTIoNS foR uPSc PRElIMS 2012 PAPER I SET A

1.(b) Statement 3 is not correct because recommendation is needed only for minor minerals and not all minerals. Refer: tribal.nic.in 2.(a) Statement 2 refers to measures like Calling Attention Statement 3 refers to Economy Cut Motion Statement 4: Speaker/Chairman has the power to adjourn the session of the concerned house. Refer: loksabha.nic.in, Polity by Laxmikanth 3.(c) Statement 2: this is the role of GEAC, to be later replaced by National Biotechnology Regulatory Authority (NBRA) Refer: nbaindia.org 4.(a) Refer: moef.nic.in and the mentioned articles in statements 2 and 3. 5.(b) Statement 3 is not part of NWM, it is a separate project under study. Statement 4 contradicts NWM objectives that aim to reduce exploitation of water resources. Refer: National Water Mission Mission Document (india.gov.in) 6.(b) Statement 1 Liberal-Intellectual principle in DPSP Statement 2, 3 Gandhian principles in DPSP Statement 4 Socialistic principle in DPSP Refer: Indian Polity by Laxmikanth 7.(d) Statement 1: UTs are represented in Indian RS (Delhi and Pondicherry) Statement 2: Election disputes can be challenged only before the respective High Courts. Even in the cases where Election Commission exercises quasijudicial powers, it is the Commission as a whole (and not just the CEC, as mentioned in statement) who decide. Statement 3: Article 79 of Constituion of India, President is also part of Parliament of India. Refer: Indian Polity by Laxmikanth 8.(c) Chapter 1 of Consumer Protection Act, 1986 provides that legal heir can file a complaint in case of death. Chapter 3 provides for sampling and a fee while filing a complaint. Refer: ncdrc.nic.in Consumer Disputes Commission) 9.(b) As per article 93 of Constitution of India, Speaker is elected by Lok Sabha members from amongst themselves. This also means the Speaker must be a member at the time of election. As per article 94, resignation is given of Speaker is given to the Deputy Speaker and vice versa. 10. (c) Statement 2: Such cases are under original jurisdiction of High Courts Statement 3: Such disputes do not arise as UTs are under administrative control of Government of India. Refer: Indian Polity by Laxmikanth 11. (d) Refer: US Environment Protection Agency (epa.gov) 12. (a) Statement 2: Carbon Monomxide is also generated. Statement 3: It can be used in (National Redressal internal combustion engines also. Refer: wikipedia.org 13. (a) Statement 2:UV radiation does not improve taste, odour or clarity of water. Statement 3: UV radiations effectiveness decreases with increasing turbidity due to scattering and associated factors. Refer: ultraviolet-light.com 14. (c) Statement 3: Graphene is made up of Carbon. 15. (b) 1. Smelting units of lead cause lead poisoning. 2. Pencils do not have any lead in them. The term bonded lead or lead pencil is due to its association with the stylus made of lead in ancient Roman times. 3. Lead compounds are added in paints to give various colors. 4. Hair oil does not have lead (dyes may contain lead). Some cosmetics (e.g. lipsticks use lead). Refer: wikipedia.org, pencils.com 16. (b) Statement 1: Stem cells are present in all multicellular organisms. Refer: National Institute of Health, USA (stemcells.nih.gov), wikipedia. org 17. (c) Refer: ideo.columbia.edu, wikipedia. org 18. (c) Refer: US Department of Energy, Berkeley Laboratory (ibl.gov), Wikipedia.org 19. (a) Both CMBR (Cosmic Microwave

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Background Radiation) and Redshift phenomena are evidence for an expanding universe. Asteroids do not prove expansion of universe and supernova is a natural stage in the growth of a star. Refer: astro.ucla.edu 20. (a) Charged particles are deflected when they encounter Earths magnetic field and get deflected towards the poles. Refer: hopperinstitute.com/phys_ magnetism.html 21. (c) First human organ transplant was done in 20th century (USA). Works of Sushruta (4th Century BC) and Aryabhatta (5th Century AD) prove the other statements true. 22. (b) Jainism believes in extremity of penance. Both Jainism and Buddhism were against the authority of Vedas and the rituals. Refer: Themes in India History, Part I, Class XII, NCERT 23. (c) NBFCs as institutions are not essential parts of inclusive governance. The NBFC-MFI (Micro Finance Institution) is a latest category of RBI that can be said to be part of inclusive governance as they help in extending credit facilities to rural areas. 24. (c) Nagara Temple architecture style of North India Dravida Temple architecture style of South India Vesara Mixed style 25. (d) The resignation was submitted because British Govt. declared Indias participation in World War II without discussing it with Congress. 26. (a) Accredited Social Health Activists do not conduct delivery of babies.

Refer: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare website (mohfw.nic.in/ NRHM.htm) 27. (c) Separate electorates for Muslims was provided by the Act of 1909. 28. (d) It was started by M G Ranade and Raghunath Rao in 1887. Major focus was on abolition of polygamy and encouraged intercaste marriages. Sometimes referred to as as the social reform cell of INC. 29. (b) Peasants and Workers Party of India was founded as Labour Swaraj Party of Indian National Congress in 1925, by Kazi Nazrul Islam, H K Sarkar, Qutubuddin Ahmad and Shamsuddin Hussain. It was a pro leftist party. 30. (b) a. Such act is done by the Parliament as a whole (in the form of an Act). Refer Article 3 of Constitution. b. Article 249 and 312 provide for these. c. Rajya Sabha alone cannot do this. d. Functions of Election Commission are provided in Constituion itself, and deciding on Number of election Commissioners is an executive action. (refer Article 324) 31. (b) NRLM aims at reducing poverty by enabling poor households to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities (revamped from SGSY) Refer: pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease. aspx?relid=52423, Economic Survey 2011-12 (Chapter 13) 32. (a) MPI identifies deprivations across health, education and living standards, and shows the number of people who are multi-dimensionally poor and the deprivations that they face at the household level. Refer: ophi.org.uk/policy/

multidimensional-poverty-index/ 33. (c) Statement 1 and 2 have been provided for by the TFC. Statement 2 is incorrect as employment generation is beyond the purview of Finance Commission. Refer: Chapter 5 and 10 of the report of TFC, Summary of recommendations given in Economic Survey 2010-11. 34. (d) Refer: commerce.nic.in, Report of PMs group (nmcc.nic.in/pdf/PMGR. pdf) 35. (a) Statement 4: Parliamentary Budget Office is not applicable to India. It is prevalent in countries like Australia. Refer: Indian Polity by Laxmikanth. 36. (c) Gandhi fasted as a response to the communal award, which was followed by Poona Pact between Ambedkar and Gandhi. 37. (c) Ryotwari means settlement with the Ryot (farmer) itself. Registered agreements (Pattas) were given to Ryots to recognise ownership rights. Surveying was also undertaken. 38. (c) Stage 1: High Birth Rate due to religious beliefs etc., high death rate due to poor health facilities. Stage 2: Minor decline in Birth Rate, low death rate due to better health facilities. Stage 3: Low death rate, low birth rate (better education, better health facilities) 39. (c) Refer: indianexpress.com/news/ e ig ht - c o re - i ndu s t r ie s - s e c t o r s grow-2/943540/ 40. (d) Refer: DPSP Article 45, Schedule XI and XII (Rural and Urban LBs) 41. (c)

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Sea buckthorn is a native of Himalayan region, is a shrub and helps control soil erosion. Potential of sea-buckthorn in making biodiesel is still not well established. Little research has been done. The plant is short in height and is basically a shrub, thus no commercial value is there in its timber. Considering these, the best option has been chosen as c. Refer: Wikipedia.org 42. (c) Mixed farming is the combining of two independent agricultural enterprises on the same farm. A typical case of mixed farming is the combination of crop enterprise with dairy farming or in more general terms, crop cultivation with livestock farming. 43. (a) Arunachal Pradesh has more than 80% area under forests. 44. (d) Note: Green manure refers to cover crops grown to add nutrients and organic matter to the soil. Refer: Wikipedia.org 45. (b) Refer: Goh Cheng Leong (Certificate Physical and Human Geography), Page 87 46. (a) Inland wetland area (69%) is higher than coastal wetland area (27%). Refer: moef.nic.in/downloads/ public-information/NWIA_National_ brochure.pdf 47. (d) 48. (d) 1. Deep gorges are caused by antecedent rivers, 2. U-turn due to syntaxial bending of Himalayas (e.g. Brahmaputra) a feature of young fold mountains, 3. parallel mountain ranges are result of the Indo-austral plate compressing

into the eurasian plate (folding), 4. young mountains have steep slopes due to recent upliftment (contrast to older ranges, e.g. Aravalis). Refer: NCERT, Class XI 49. (c) Statement 1: The atmosphere traps majorly the heat which is reflected back from the Earth and not the insolation, so generally, altitude has inverse relation. Statement 2: Altitude has inverse relation with moisture. Statement 3: Less dense air implies less particles to absorb heat. Refer: Goh Cheng Leongs Book, NCERT Fundamentals of Physical Geography 50. (a) The PH of oceanic water has bearing on all the life forms supported by the ocean. High acidity implies threat to calcifying organisms, phytoplanktons and phytoplanktonic larvae, coral reefs etc. Statement 4: Reverse is true. 51. (c) 52. (a) No provision to compensate for wage loss. Refer: mohfw.nic.in/NRHM/RCH/ guidelines/JSY_guidelines_09_06. pdf 53. (a) PMs qualification is same as that of a minister. They can hold office for maximum of 6 months without being member of either houses of Parliament. Refer Articles 75 and 84 of Constitution of India. 54. (c) Article 329 Courts are barred from interfering in the delimitation exercise Refer: Wikipedia.org 55. (d) The Act has been recently (2 May 2012) extended to include private

medical institutions. Refer: esic.nic.in/coverage.php 56. (c) Statement 2: The report of PAC is presented by the Chairman of PAC. 57. (a) Joint sitting is provided for deadlock on ordinary bills. There is no deadlock on money bills as mandate of Lok Sabha prevails (Article 109). The Constitutional Amendment Bill has to be passed by each house separately (Article 368). 58. (b) Statement 1: incorrect DRDAs are not PRIs. because

Statement 2: No such scientific study is undertaken by DRDAs. Statements 3 & 4: These are the roles of DRDAs. 59. (c) Statement 2 is not given under Fundamental Duties (Refer Article 51A). 60. (a) Statement 2: Judges are removed by a special process, by the Parliament. Statement 4: These matters are internal matters of Courts and Government has no role to play here. Refer: Indian Polity by Laxmikanth. 61. (d) Refer: Wikipedia.org 62. (d) The incoming short wavelength IR rays pass through the Carbon Dioxide, but it traps the longer wave IR rays reflected back by the (warm) Earth. 63. (b) The basic constituents of life are Amino Acids (Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen and Nitrogen), so best answer is option b. 64. (b) Statement 1: The gene is from bacteria (Baacillus Thuringiensis) and not fungus.

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Statement 2: Monsanto says that terminator gene (sterile seeds) are not used in India. But, people doubt it. Statement 3: Correct, and one of the reasons for MoEF to impose moratorium to conduct appropriate tests. Statement 4: This is widely accepted, but more research is yet to be undertaken. Considering all the above and the point that question is asking the reason for peoples protest, best answer is option b. Refer: greenpeace.org, moef.gov.in 65. (d) 66. (a) Statement 2: Naoroji did not interpret the ancient texts. Also, moderates generally did not do much to include masses in the struggle. Statement 3: Naoroji did want to eradicate social evils, but not necessarily before anything else. Also, his major contribution was the economic analysis of British rule in India. 67. (b) Statement 1: Dhrupad is believed to have background in Vedic traditions. Refer: spicmacay.com/articles/ dhrupad, dhrupad.info 68. (a) Kuchipudi is a dance-drama. Brass plate is a feature of Kuchipudi and not of Bharatnatyam. 69. (d) Sufism is based on concept of divine love between the soul and almighty. Sufis practice asceticism, meditation, musical sama etc. Refer: Wikipedia.org 70. (b) Refer: NCERT (Modern India), Class XII 71. (a) Statement 2: The rift was resolved at

the 1916 session at Lucknow. Statement 3: The two nation theory came in 1940s, mush later than the session of 1929. 72. (b) The demon Mara was tormenting Buddha. Buddha, in Bhumisparsha Mudra, is calling Goddess Earth to be witness to his purity while Mara was tempting him. Refer: buddhism.about.com/ od/eightauspicioussymbols/a/ earthwitness.htm 73. (c) Bhakti evolved much later (Vallabhacharya, 15th Century AD). Idol worship was also much later (post Mauryan period, 1 Century BC). The Vedic literature mentions Yajnas (e.g. Rajsuya, Ahvamedh in later Vedic period) and Nature Gods (Rain, Fire etc.) 74. (d) Refer: NCERT (Modern India), Class XII 75. (d) RBI is the central bank i.e. bank of the last resort. RBI is the sole authority on deciding the monetary policy. Statement 3 uses the word advises, which may be interpreted as non-authoritative. This will render statement 3 as incorrect. However, in the general spirit of the question, we believe the best option is d. Refer: rbi.org.in 76. (b) Capital gain relates to the increase in the value of an asset (and not sales). 77. (c) Statement 1: Purchase of securities by central bank implies more money with public i.e. increase of money supply in the economy. Statement 2: Deposits in banks means lesser money with public i.e. decrease in money supply. Statement government 3: Borrowing by (deficit financing)

implies expenditure by govt. i.e. more money supply. Statement 4: Sale of securities to public implies mopping up of money by central bank i.e. decrease in money supply. 78. (d) Item 4 is a short term investment in shares of Indian companies, and not a FDI. Refer: Economic (Economics) 79. (b) 1. World Bank has no role to play in the currency prices in international market. 2. Demand of good and services provided by the country is the major reason for price of currency. More exports by a country lead to rising demand of its currency, which leads to strengthening of the currency. 3. Stability of govt. is important as most govts. have a floating exchange rate for their currencies and investors need to be sure about the stability. 4. More economic potential of a country means more investment from outside, which will lead to rise in the price of currency. After eliminating item 1, possible answers are b and c. Since stability of the govt. is a bigger cause and has a bearing on the economic potential, option b is the most suitable answer. 80. (c) Under LBS, each district had been assigned to different banks to act as a consortium leader to coordinate the efforts of all credit institutions expansion of banking facilities and meeting the credit needs of rural economy. It was started in 1969. 81. (d) 1. This was introduced by Sher Shah Suri (later rationalised by Akbar). 2. Babur used the mobile canons first in India. 3. Portugese brought chillies and Survey, NCERT

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tobacco to India. 82. (c) Shrenis were autonomous. The Shrenis made their own rules of work, wages etc. The Shrenis had some judicial powers (some even had an army called Shreni-Bal). 83. (c) The GoI Act 1935 was the first Act to propose a federation. 84. (b) Statement 1: Incorrect. This would mean purposefully increase our import bill, whereas general target is of import-substitution. Statement 2: Infrsatructural bottlenecks of procurement and supply leave a big gap to be filled by imports. Statement 3: 90% of Indias coal is non-coking type. Refer: Economic Survey (Chapter 11) 85. (c) The pole star points to the North. So, walking with polestar to ones left would mean walking towards East. 86. (c) Statement 2: Incorrect. Several other countries have rare earth elements. E.g. Monazite (from which Thorium is extracted) is found abundantly in India. Refer: Wikipedia.org 87. (b) Bhitarkanika National Park in Orissa is not a tiger reserve. It is known for crocodiles. Refer: moef.nic.in/downloads/ public-information/NTCA-booklet.pdf 88. (c) The monsoon winds travel from south to north before the direction reverses, thus the duration and amount of rainfall reduces. Also, Aravalis in the western part are parallel to the direction of monsoon, so lesser rainfall in western parts as compared to eastern parts.

Refer: NCERT Class XI (Physical Geography of India) 89. (d) Savannah is a transition between tropical and dry climates. A definite dry and wet season is characteristic. 90. (b) Buffer Zone of Biosphere reserves allow for limited usage by humans. Similarly, Wildlife sanctuaries and Wetlands under Ramsar convention are allowed restricted access by humans. 91. (d) All are pollinating agents. Refer: Britannica.com, Wikipedia.org 92. (a) Group 2: Cheetal (spotted deer) is under Least Concern (common observation also tells their large numbers). Group 3: Rhesus Monkey (everyday spottable monkeys in cities) are also Least Concern status. Group 4: again includes Cheetal So, by elimination the most suitable answer is a. Refer: iucnredlist.org, Wikipedia.org 93. (b) Capillarity is the ability of liquids to flow in narrow spaces without any external assistance and in opposition to external forces. Consumption of soft drink by using a straw utilises the pressure created by the mouth. In all other activities, given as options, the flow of liquid is natural. Refer: NCERT Books on General Science 94. (c) Refer: maweb.org 95. (a) Oryx are found in Arab, Africa (north and east) and Western USA. Some of these are now extinct. They are adapted to near-desert conditions. Chiru is the name of Tibetan Antelopes that prefer flat and open

terrain. Refer: Wikipedia.org 96. (a) 1. Example: Coral Reefs affected by global warming 2. Example: Tiger population affected due to fragmentation 3. Example: Introduction of water hyacinth in Indian waters cause clogging of water bodies. Vegetarianism is not a threat to biodiversity. 97. (d) 1. Found in J&K 2. Cheetah naturally found in India for very long. It became extinct around 1940s. So, even though not found now, it should be accepted as naturally found in India. This was in news recently due to the plan of GoI to translocate Cheetahs from Africa. 3. Found in Kashmir 4. Found in Himalayas (Project Snow Leopard launched in 2009) Refer: Wikipedia.org 98. (c) 1. Contour bunding protects soil erosion, and thus holds the organic matter together for longer period. 2. Relay cropping means planting a second crop in the same space amidst the first crop before it has been harvested. This practice also helps in holding the organic matter for longer periods within the soil. 3. Zero tilling has carbon sequestration potential through storage of soil organic matter in the soil of crop fields 99. (a) Phytoplanktons act as carbon sink as they produce organic compounds from the carbon dioxide. They are the source of food for aquatic life too. There is no relation with density of water. 100. (b) Diclofenac drug is used, which destroys the digestive system of vultures.

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SoluTIoNS foR uPSc PRElIMS 2012 PAPER II SET A

1.(a) instrumentalist is which serves some purpose. Utilitarian would have meant specifically fulfilling human needs. 2.(c) Last line of the paragraph says it clearly. 3.(c) 4. (c) Resistance has been recorded in every family of arthropod pests. 2nd para. 5.(c) 2nd statement is not true as pesticides cannot be done away with in agriculture. 6.(d) 7.(a) All pests do not possess the ability to detoxify the pesticides. 8.(c) 1st statement is not based on the passage despite being correct. 9.(b) 10. (a) 11. (d) 12. (d) 13. (d) The two statements were given in the passage to support authors argument and not as generalizations. 14. (a) 15. (b) 16. (b) All Artists = Whimsical Some Artists = drug addictso, Some Artists = Not drug addict.. and Some whimsical people = drug addict (because All Artists = Whimsical) Some Frustrated people = drug addict.so, Some frustrated people = no drug addict Based on this analysis, option b is correct. 17. (d) Assuming the ages of the three people as A, B and C, the given statements are: 1. A B 2. D C 3. B > C Since A is at least same age as B, and B is older than C, A is also older than C. (Relate Statement 1s and 3. 18. (b) Statement 1: All members = have binoculars Statement 2: Some members = have cameras Statement 3: Members with camera = take part in contest Option (a) Incorrect. As not all people having binoculars are members. Having binoculars is only a condition for membership. Option (b) Correct. This restatement of statement 1. is 21. (c) 5 out of 5 Sitcoms started are still on air. Total 7 shows are on air. This means 3 shows have been discontinued. Since there were only 2 News Magazines , at least 1 of the discontinued shows has to be a drama. Option (d) is not correct because no such information about viewership has been provided. 22. (c) Givens: 2 Docs, 2 Businessmen 2 Gujarati speaking, 2 Tamil speaking 2 Muslims, 2 Christians One Christian Doc is Tamil Speaking. (Base profile) Now, Same profession persons do not speak same language. No two of same religion are of same profession. Therefore, based on base profile, Doc 2 is Muslim and Gujarati Speaking. Thus Statement 2 is correct. Now, now two of the same religion speak same language too. Therefore, based on base profile, the second Christian person is a businessman and speaks Gujarati. Note that the third color of Pant (yellow) is given only in the options. Now, based on the information that all three wore different color shirts and a person is not wearing both shirt and pants of same color, the table can be filled up as below:

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Option (c) Incorrect because too far-fetched. It nowhere says that only members can participate in the contest. 19. (d) Statement (a): Parents are not mentioned in the information given. Statement (b): Ankits preference is nowhere mentioned. Statement (c): We cannot generalise just based on information of last year and this year. Statement (d): Information says looking forward to sing, dance. Therefore this is correct. 20. (b) Following truth table can be drawn based on the information provided:

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23. (a) Statement (b): The statement is not talking about essential things. Statement (c): Again, no mention of essentiality of TV is there in the statement. Statement (d): This is a direct sentence from the statement, but not an inference. 24. (b) Average speed = 48 kmph. Let us assume distance to office is = d Km Time taken for first 60%, T1 = (0.6 X d) / 48 Hours Time taken for last 40%, T2 = (0.4 X d) / 48 Hours Since, first 60% took 10 minutes more, T1 T2 = 10/60 Hours Solving this gives d = 40 Km 25. (a) Given: Rita > Gita > Sita 26. (a) The family tree can be drawn like this:

also for homogenisation. 29. (d) 10th line, 1st para. 30. (d) 2nd para. 31. (a) Statements 3 and 4 are completely false. 32. (c) Invasion of exotic species can both lead to erosion of endemic species and also change in species composition. (last example in 1st para and 3rd para). 33. (b) Last four lines, 1st para. 34. (d) First three statements talk about measurable indices of development. 35. (c) Last lines of 3rd para. 36. (a) Foreign investment may lead to inflated prices. 37. (b) 38. (c) 39. (d) Option (a) is incorrect because reverse of statement 1 is no true. I watch TV only when I am bored does not imply that I will watch TV when I am bored (I might be doing something else too.

41. (b) Statement 1: Members = students Statement 2: Some members = married Statement 3: All married = dance invitation.So, some members (all those who are married) are invited for dance..ANDSome members are not invited (who are unmarried). Checking the options against these, gives b as correct option. 42. (c) The truth table can be drawn like this for the given information:

Ds status with Parties Y and Z is not explicitly mentioned. But, Cs acceptability by all parties is clear. 43. (b) The options are unambiguously incorrect, except b. A simple read of the statements is sufficient to derive the correct option. 44. (a) Option (a): Statement mentions misuse of nuclear power will trigger. Thus, use of nuclear power in third world war can be inferred. Option (b): The statement mentions possible end of civilisation whereas the option mentions there will be no civilisation this certainty is no there in statement. Option (c): growth of nuclear power is not inferable from statement. Only misuse will trigger the war which may possibly destroy civilisation. Option (d): The statement mentions the possibility of third world war. 45. (d) The triangle is moving anti-clockwise, at corners of the rectangle. So, next position is top left corner.

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27. (d) Statement 1: Rama > Rani Statement 2: Ratna > Rani Statement 3 added with above two: Ratna > Rama > Rani Statement 4: Ratna > Padma > Rama > Rani 28. (d) Introduction of exotic species does not always lead to reduced biodiversity or alterations in native ecosystems. There are other non-human reasons

Similarly, Options (b) and (c) are incorrect. Option (d) is direct corollary of statement 1. 40. (b) Option (a): If P is open, B, C & Q can be open. Thus, not necessarily true. Option (b): In storms, either A or B is open. So, this is true. Option (c): During floods, P is closed. So, in one case A, B, C, Q can be open. So, not true. Option (d): The reasoning of option (b) applies here and thus, not true.

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The line is falling from the right side, and the next appropriate place is bottom of the rectangle. 46. (b) The performance will be best in a test where the average marks are less, the highest mark is also less and the range is also less. A cursory look also tells that the student is closest to the topper (75 marks) in Test 2. 47. (c) Fold the boxes with G as base (or Y as base). First fold: along G-Y Second Fold: along G-B Third Fold: along Y-W Visualisation will give B as opposite W. 48. (a) Intelligent + Honest + Truthful = Intersection of Q, R & S (shade this area)

It is not imperative for transition economies to have agricultural collectivities. 54. (d) 55. (a) 56. (c) Last line of the para. 57. (d) The information given in the question can be tabulated in a truth table as below:

64. (d) Option (a): This can not be concluded. Option (b): Statement 2 clearly states some of those who travel by air fall sick, so incorrect option. Option (c): Only some become sick, refer statement 1 & 2. Option (d): this is a direct conclusion from statement 1. 65. (d) Clearly, Doctor stays on 3rd Floor. As he has to travel equally upwards and downwards.

* Maths class possible only after Eco, and English only before Eco. Since Tuesday is taken for history, only possible days for English, Eco and Maths are Wed, Thu and Fri, respectively. ** The only day left for Stats is Monday. This table is applicable for answering till Q 61. 58. (b) 59. (c) 60. (c) 61. (a) 62. (d) Vessel 1 = Milk + Water Vessel 2 = Milk + Water Rewriting with same Denominator of 4, Vessel 1 = 2/4 Milk + 2/4 Water Adding the two vessels = (2/4 + ) Milk + (2/4 + ) Water = 5/4 Milk + Water So ratio of milk to water after mixing = 5:3 63. (d) Option (a): All machines are run by energy, but Electricity is only one source (Statement 2 does not say that Electricity is the only source) Option (b): Follows explaination above. from the

Engineer goes up to meet MLA above whom lives the IAS. Thus, it is only possible if MLA lives on 4th Floor and IAS on the fifth floor. There is only one option where IAS is on 5th floor. 66. (d) 67. (c) 68. (a) 69. (c) we started pitching the highest camp that has ever been made 70. (b) Fifth line of the para. 71. (a) 8th line of the para. 72. (b) 73. (d) 74. (c) The important point is urgency. All other options will only cause delay. 75. (a) Apt action against unfair treatment is to lodge a complaint first. Withdrawing without listening to the justifications of the committee is in essence assuming that the committee has discriminated against you. A fair chance has to be given so as to understand the situation completely. 76. (b) Since the issue has been identified at a review meeting and it is only an apprehension that delay will occur, there is possibility to bring the project back on track. Options (a),

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Part of this area is also part of P. Removing that would mean not hard working. This area has 6 written inside it. 49. (a) Figure 1 & 2 suggest that either H or M is opposite to A (as the 4 letters adjacent to K are A,B,H,M) If M is opposite A, H will be opposite B. But, from figure 2, H is adjacent to B. So, M is opposite B and H is opposite A. 50. (d) In any row, the shaded quadrant is flipping between opposite quadrants. Or, we can say the shaded part is moving by 180 degrees. 51. (b) All the three are explicitly mentioned in 12th-14th lines of the para. 52. (c) Last line of the paragraph clearly says that women only groups farming have potential for benefitting women. 53. (b)

Option (c): Statement 3 can be inferred as some machines operate on electrical energy, but not as most machines operating on electrical energy. Option (d): Statement 3 & 4 justify this.

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(c) and (d) can be used at a later stage. 77. (b) As chairperson, the first priority after the issue has been noticed is to ask the athlete to return the medal. Screening committees role can be investigated later on. Asking for affidavit wont solve any purpose as it is already established that athlete is over age. Option (d) will only delay the decision process. 78. (d)

Options (a) and (b) are unprofessional. Option (c) will create unfavourable work environment. Option (d) is most appropriate. 79. (d) Option (a): Providing free water will cause losses and create complacent behaviour w.r.t usage of water. Option (b): Similar to above. Option (c): Charging only non-BPL is unfair. Again, a fixed cost will lead to complacent behaviour w.r.t usage. Option (d): Payment based on income levels and consumption is fair to everyone.

80. (d) Option (a): Giving bribe is criminal offence and unethical. Option (b): Illogical option. Option (c): Complaining to higher official about feelers is not the best option. It may or may not result in work being done (depending on the nature of senior officer), but as a citizen (read first few words in the case details) our duty is to ensure eradication of the menace of corruption. Option (d): Writing a formal complaint is a stronger and appropriate action.

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Notes

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