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The other four accords were: agreement on transfer of sentenced prisoners; MOU on cooperation in
small-scale industry between the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and the Iranian
Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organisation (ISIPO); programme of cooperation on science
and technology; and MOU on cooperation between the Central Pulp and Paper Research Institute
(CPPRI) of India and the Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources
(GUASNR).The signing of the agreements clearly reflected New Delhi’s intention that it would pursue
an independent policy on Iran, notwithstanding the American pressure on it not to enlarge the area
of its engagement with Tehran.Although it is committed to abide by the UN sanctions on Tehran,
New Delhi maintains that the Iranian nuclear issue must be resolved through negotiations since the
sanctions would only hurt the common Iranian people. While recognising Iran’s right to develop
nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, it has also advised Iran to strictly abide by the IAEA
guidelines while pursuing its nuclear programme.The two sides also discussed the situation in
Afghanistan at length with both of them expressing their common stakes in the stability of the
violence-torn country. New Delhi is believed to have pressed for structured and regular
consultations with Tehran on defeating terrorists in Afghanistan and in the
Visit of Myanmar’s military ruler
Ignoring worldwide concerns over human rights violations in Myanmar, New Delhi rolled out a red
carpet welcome for Myanmar military ruler General Than Shwe on July 27, 2010. Top Indian leaders
held wide-ranging talks with him on a plethora of issues, including bilateral ties as well as
international developments.The increasing Chinese influence in the South East Asian nation is
apparently weighing heavily in the mind of the Indian leadership as it seeks to increase its
engagement with Myanmar, particularly in the vital energy sector and in fighting Indian insurgents
operating along the India-Myanmar border.The two countries signed five accords after talks
between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the 77-year-old leader of the military ‘junta’.
Simultaneously, the EXIM Bank of India extended a line of credit of $60 million to the Myanmar
Foreign Trade Bank.The treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters is expected to help the
two countries combat transnational organised crimes, terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering
and smuggling of arms and explosives. The MoU on Indian grant assistance for implementation of
small development projects is aimed at boosting Indian investments in energy, transport and
infrastructure sectors.Strategic observers say the change in India’s policy towards Myanmar was
prompted by China wooing the military ‘junta’ to make deep inroads into virtually every sphere of
Myanmar’s economic activity. Though China has its own strategic interests in engaging the ‘junta’ in
Myanmar, the military rulers are worried that their image outside the country is sullied because of
its poor record in protecting human rights.The military ruler wants to correct this image by
introducing some kind of democracy. His visit to India was also aimed at gaining global
respectability.
Visit of British Prime Minister
British Prime Minister David Cameron came visiting India in July 2010. Talking on terrorism affecting
the region, he said that Pakistan could not be allowed to harbour militants and promote terror
against India, Afghanistan and the rest of the world. On his first visit to India after becoming Prime
Minister in May 2010, he laid out the basis for a new “enhanced relationship” with India. Apart from
Cameron’s own tough talk on terrorism, his business minister Vince Cable announced the UK was
prepared to export civil nuclear technology to India, bringing Britain in line with the stance taken by
the United States, Russia and France.Travelling to Bangalore and then to Delhi, Cameron signed a
Rs 5,082 crore agreement for the Indian Air Force and Navy to buy an additional 57 Hawk Advanced
Jet Trainer aircraft from British Aerospace Systems. India and the UK also made announcements in
the field of immigration, education and signed an agreement on cultural cooperation.Cameron
welcomed India’s support to Afghanistan, Nepal and Bhutan, its “intellectual leadership” at the G20,
and said the time was ripe for India to find a place in the UN Security Council.
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
India trails in Global Hunger Index
The IFPRI’s Global Hunger index ranks India in the “alarming” group (the categories: moderate, serious, alarming and extremely
alarming), below many failed States ruled by tyrants and despots. The ranking considers the number of children under five who
are underweight, malnourished or wind up dead, particularly girls.In Asia, everyone, except Bangladesh, which is just one rank
below India, is doing better. China is at number nine, Pakistan at 59, Nepal at 56. India is bested by a host of tottering States,
including Guinea-Bissau, Togo, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Rwanda and Zimbabwe.India’s approach to hunger has been to throw a
programme at every failing. There is the world’s largest programme for nutritional, health and school needs of children under six,
the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), which runs 1.4 million centres nationwide with a budget of Rs 7,806 crore for
2020-11. Then, there is the world’s biggest cooked-meal programme, covering 119 million children in government schools up to
class VIII with a budget of Rs 9,440 crore. India also has the world’s largest public distribution system (PDS) for subsidised food,
with a budget of Rs 55,578 crore, and the world’s biggest cash-for-work programme, the National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act (NREGA), with a budget of Rs 40,100 crore. Hunger in India is definitely not a problem of resources. However, hunger
persists despite spectacular economic expansion, and it is disproportionate to rising incomes. Behind every story of hunger and
malnutrition is a collective national apathy towards the poor, an unreformed, struggling agriculture sector, the low status of
women and collapsing administration. In addressing hunger, the biggest question remains: who’s in charge? Evidence abounds in
leaky multi-billion dollar, anti-hunger programmes: a quarter of the money spent on mid-day meals never reaches the poor, a third
in the NREGA and more than half on the PDS. The failures of the PDS are especially acute. Only 36 per cent of its poor have
below-poverty-line (BPL) cards to access cheap food. Nearly 60 per cent of these cards are with people who are not officially
poor.
National Green Tribunal Notified
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) was officially notified on October 19, 2010 with its Chairperson, Justice Lokeshwar Singh
Panta taking charge of his office. The tribunal is exclusively dedicated to environmental issues. Established by an Act of
Parliament (the National Green Tribunal Act of 2010), it will have circuit benches across the country to try all matters related to
and arising out of environmental issues. The tribunal, which shall also consist of other members, who are experts in the field of
environmental and related sciences, has been empowered to issue directions for the compensation and restitution of damage
caused from actions of environmental negligence.This is the first body of its kind that is required by its parent statute to apply the
“polluter pays” principle and the principle of sustainable development.The erstwhile National Environment Appellate Authority
had ceased to exist with the launch of the NGT.
Tobacco India Report
Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) for India, 2009-10, conducted on 99.9 per cent of India’s population in 29 States, UTs of
Chandigarh and Puducherry has submitted its report. According to it, India’s obsession with tobacco continues despite laws to tell
the users of its lethal consequences. Though 64 per cent of all adults believe tobacco leads to heart attacks, 35 per cent (one-third)
continue to consume tobacco in some form or the other.
Highlights of the report are:
—52 percent adults exposed to second hand smoke at home, highest in J&K (68%), lowest in Chandigarh (15%); 29 percent
exposed in public places.—Cigarette smokers’ monthly expense is Rs 400, as against Rs 94 for bidi smokers.—Monthly cigarette
expenditure is highest in Arunachal (Rs 1,265), lowest in Jharkhand (Rs 181.70).—Mizoram has highest tobacco use (67%), while
Goa (9%), Punjab (12%), and Chandigarh (14%) have lowest.—Mizo women are most addicted (62% use tobacco) as against
least addicted in Punjab (under 1%), Chandigarh, Himachal and Goa (under 5%).—Most tobacco use is in East (45%), Northeast
(44%), and lowest use is in North (19%).
India signs Convention on Supplementary Compensation at IAEA
On October 27, 2010, India signed the Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC) at the IAEA in Vienna that will
enable the country to undertake nuclear commerce.
The convention sets parameters on a nuclear operator’s financial liability in the event of a nuclear accident.The convention was
adopted in September 1997 and opened for signature at Vienna a few days later at the 41st General Conference of the IAEA. The
convention provides for compensation in case of transnational implications of a nuclear accident and has been signed by 14
countries. However, only four countries—USA, Argentina, Morocco and Romania—have ratified it so far.Upon entry into force,
the convention would establish a uniform global regime for compensation to victims in the event of a nuclear accident. The CSC
provides for the establishment of an international fund to increase the amount available to compensate victims and allows for
compensating civil damage occurring within a State’s exclusive economic zone, including the loss of tourism and fisheries-related
income.It also sets parameters on a nuclear operator’s financial liability, time limits governing possible legal action, requires that
nuclear operators maintain insurance or other financial security measures and provides for a single competent court to hear
claims.All States are free to participate in the convention regardless of their involvement in existing nuclear liability conventions
or the presence of nuclear installations on their territories. Notably, India is the only country to have such a provision, which was
added after wide political pressure.
ASEAN-India Summit
The 8th ASEAN-India Summit was held at Hanoi, Vietnam on October 30, 2010. Addressing the heads of the state of ASEAN
countries, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the conclusion of a “services and investment agreement” between India and
ASEAN would be an important step in “our goal of comprehensive economic cooperation”.With an aim to play a more significant
role in the growing economies of the region, India has been pushing its case for having a bilateral pact in services and investment
at the earliest. Through this pact, India wants to get a foothold in all ASEAN countries for its growing pharmaceutical industry,
besides allowing ease in visa regimes for its IT professionals, healthcare workers and teachers in Brunei, Cambodia, Laos,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand (ASEAN nations). With an agreement in place for
free trade in services and investment, India can offer a bigger share of the pie to these countries in its infrastructure sector that is
poised for a major growth. Addressing the other leaders at the summit, which came out with a five-year ‘Plan of Action’ outlining
a roadmap for enhanced multi-faceted cooperation, Manmohan Singh said: “India’s economy is expected to witness a sustained
growth rate of 9-10 per cent in the coming years, which would offer many opportunities for trade and investment. Our experience
of implementation shows that we need to work very hard at all levels if we have to accelerate the pace of engagement as outlined
in the plan of action”.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Japan visit
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Japan on October 25, 2010. The visit ended with the successful conclusion of
negotiations for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). As a first step in realising CEPA, both countries
agreed to a “sweeping” liberalisation of their bilateral visa regime.The successful conclusion of CEPA is expected to elevate trade
and economic relations between the two countries to the next level. Though the trade between the two nations remained almost
stagnant for decades, it has been growing rapidly since past three years. The agreement will foster new business opportunities,
enhance competitiveness of private sectors, and encourage closer partnership between the private sectors in India’s teeming SMEs
and Japan’s infrastructure and hi-technology enterprises.India is hoping that the CEPA coming into place will also balance out the
trade imbalance between the two countries. As of now, trade between the two countries is strongly in favour of Japan. India is
also hoping that its generic pharmaceutical and IT sectors will benefit largely as this agreement opens up the Japanese market for
India. While Japan exports marine products, iron ore and petroleum products to India, electrical and electronic goods, iron and
steel products, chemicals and auto components are exported by India.Since India-Japan CEPA is truly comprehensive for trade in
goods, investment and services, besides allowing movement of natural persons, it will improve the India-Japan partnership and
enhance their global partnership. This will also mean that goods being traded will become cheaper, with the lifting of trade
barriers.
Visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Malaysia
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Kaula Lumpur on October 27, 2010. The highlight of the visit was agreement between
India and Malaysia to forge new ties on two of the most important issues for their economies—sealing the Comprehensive
Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and contain the threat of terrorism through establishment of a Joint Working Group
on Counter Terrorism, besides collaboration in defence.The two leaders said that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will be signed
by January 31, 2011 and this will be implemented by July 1, 2011.Taking into account the India-ASEAN trade in goods
agreement, that came into effect from January 1, 2010, both sides have offered ASEAN plus market access in goods. India and
Malaysia have also agreed to provide access of each others’ services market across all modes and various sectors. The two
countries will now finalize areas of economic cooperation in infrastructure development, creative industries, tourism, SMEs,
business facilitation, science and technology and human resource development.Malaysia is the second largest trading partner for
India within ASEAN, and India is the largest trading partner for Malaysia in South Asia, excluding China. Bilateral trade between
the two countries is now estimated at $ 10.5 billion, and this has doubled in the past five years. The two leaders, while
condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, agreed to enhance cooperation in counter terrorism, through information
sharing and setting up a Joint Working Group on counter-terrorism. This is of great importance for India as Malaysia is
understood to be emerging as a logistics, regrouping and fund raising hub for three militant groups—militants from Punjab, Tamil
Tigers and Al-Qaeda. Jamia Islamia, based in Indonesia, is an Al Qaeda affiliate, and is helping the latter in logistics and fund
raising there. India and Malaysia have also agreed to enhance defence exchanges and cooperation through regular exchanges
between the defence ministers and senior defence officials, chiefs of armed forces and regular service to service staff talks and
regular ship visits.The two sides also signed as many as five agreements. These include MoU on cooperation in field of traditional
systems of medicine; MoU on Cooperation in Terrorism; MoU for Cooperation in IT sector; Agreement between CSIR and UNIK
of Malaysia on Research and Development Collaboration; and, Cultural Exchange Programme.
India-Russia to jointly develop advance stealth jet
India and its old military partner Russia will soon ink a deal to jointly develop an advance stealth fighter. Defence Minister A.K.
Antony said during the visit of his Russian counter-part A.E. Serdyukov on October 7, 2010, that he has sorted out all issues
regarding the joint development of the fifth generation of fighter aircraft (FGFA).Apart from this, the joint development of the
multi-role transport aircraft (MTA) will be the other major military programme between the two nations over the next ten
years.Notably, the announcement balances out the “perceived” tilt in India’s decision to buy a series of aircrafts from the US. This
includes medium haul transporters, the C-130-J, long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft, the P8-I, and some VVIP jets from
Boeing.The FGFA will be the IAF’s frontline fighter from 2016-2017 onwards and will cost the nation $25 billion, dwarfing the
much-hyped $11-billion deal for the purchase of another 126 fighters. With stealth technology, super manoeuvrability and
supersonic speed, it will match the F-22 raptor produced by the US.In case of the MTA, the two nations formed a $600 million
joint enterprise in September 2010, for designing and producing it. The planes will be designed at carrying load of around 20
tonne, with speeds in the region of 900 km, and will be an asset on shorter runways in Ladakh and the North East. Design
specialists from Ilyushin, maker of best-selling transport plane, IL-76, will be on board.
N-deal with South Korea
India and South Korea have struck a deal to finalise an agreement on civil uses of nuclear energy. This was a major success for
India during the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Asia tour.The issue came up for discussion during the bilateral meeting of the
Prime Minister with the President of the Republic of Korea, Lee Myung-bak, at Hanoi, on the sidelines of the 17th ASEAN
Summit. The Korean President has invited the Prime Minister to Korea in 2011 and the deal is likely to be signed then.With this,
Korea becomes the ninth country with which India will be signing the nuclear agreement. Ever since the Nuclear Suppliers Group
(NSG) ended India’s isolation from global nuclear commerce mainstream in 2008, India has signed civil nuclear pacts with
U.S.A, France, Russia, Canada, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Argentina and Namibia.
India strengthens ties with Vietnam
India has enlarged its scope of cooperation and relations with Vietnam—another “not-so-happy” neighbour of China. Defence
Minister A.K. Antony, during his visit to Vietnam, announced a slew of measures to expand cooperation as part of the nation’s
“look east policy” aimed at engaging key countries situated east of India. Under an arrangement, New Delhi will provide support
to Vietnam to enhance and upgrade the capabilities of its services in general and Navy in particular. Apart from capacity building
for repair and maintenance of its equipment, most of which are of Russian origin, the armies of the two countries will also
cooperate in areas like IT and English training of Vietnamese Army personnel.In return, Hanoi has offered maintenance and
repair facilities at Vietnamese ports and called for more ships of the Indian Navy to visit them. The navies of the two nations often
exercise together.To take their ties to the next level, both the armies will also have joint training in mountain and jungle warfare in
India in 2011 and will also work towards developing cooperation among defence institutes.
CWG Corruption probe
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has appointed a high-level committee headed by a former Comptroller and Auditor General,
V.K. Shunglu, to go into allegations of corruption related to the Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi in October 2010.
The developments came as opposition parties, which had held their fire during the 12-day event, stepped up their demand for
thorough probe into corruption charges so that those guilty can be brought to book.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
EU bows to German call for debt mechanism
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has won European Union backing for a rewrite of EU treaties to
create a permanent debt-crisis mechanism by 2013, to prevent a repeat of the Greece-led shock
that jolted the Euro. As the biggest contributor to Euro 860 billion ($1.2 trillion) in loans and
pledges to stem 2010-s debt crisis, Germany wants to spare taxpayers the costs of any future
operations to rescue financially distressed States.Bonds in Greece, saved from the brink of default
by EU and International Monetary Fund loans in May, led a decline by so- called peripheral European
securities as Germany’s triumph spurred concern that the EU mechanism will force bond holders to
bear the costs of future bailouts. The extra yield investors demand to hold Greek 10-year debt over
German equivalents rose to 813 basis points. German bonds advanced as investors sought safer
assets, paring their weekly drop.
G-20 raises developing nations’ quota in IMF
The Group of 20 Finance leaders struck a landmark deal on October 22, 2010, to boost developing
countries’ power in the International Monetary Fund, even as they failed to set targets for a wide-
ranging global economic rebalancing. The IMF deal was hailed by fund MD Dominique Strauss-Kahn
as a ‘historical’ moment that will see Europeans give up two seats on its 24-strong board to
powerful developing countries and transfer 6 percent of votes to them.
India is world’s third largest carbon emitter
India is now world’s third biggest carbon dioxide emitting nation after China and the US. The new
emission data from the United Nations was a cause of worry for India’s climate negotiators at the
next round of talks in Tianjin in China, held in October 2010.China, in 2009, moved to the top
position while contributing 23 per cent of the total global emissions and India, in 2010, surpassed
Russia to take the third position with five percent.The saving grace is that the difference in total
carbon emissions between the US (22 per cent) and India is still huge. Russia's emissions have
been falling because of economic slowdown.India's per-capita carbon emission is still lowest in the
world (about 4.5 tonnes) but the demand for energy is rising, especially among the middle-
class.The pressure on India and China to reduce emissions is rising. US chief climate negotiator
Todd Stern told a meeting of major economies forum that a legally binding climate treaty was not
possible until India and China take “obligation” to reduce emissions.
ASEAN Summit
The 17th ASEAN Summit was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, on October 28-30, 2010. The meeting was
considered a success, with all members agreeing to cooperate with one another in solving the
region’s economic downturn.The 17th ASEAN Summit focused on the contents of building the
community and implementing the ASEAN Charter, external relations and key role of the body,
sustainable development and coping with global challenges.
Business News
After three decades and more than 220 million units, Sony has stopped selling itsWalkman cassette player in Japan, admitting the
gadget could not keep up in the digital age. Cherished by a generation of joggers, school children and music fans since its launch in
1979, the Walkman evolutionised the way people listened to music but has since been overtaken by another icon of the modern era
—the iPod. The July 1, 1979, roll-out of the portable cassette player helped transform Sony into a global electronics powerhouse.
The Japanese giant sold 30,000 Walkmans in the first two months after its launch, and 50 million within a decade.
Eurocopter, a company owned by European consortium, European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. NV (EADS), has become the
first global chopper company to open an office in India.
Pfizer Inc has decided to acquire King Pharmaceuticals, a move that will bolster the pharma major’s presence in the pain treatment
segment.
Hewlett-Packard has appointed former SAP AG CEO Leo Apotheker as its CEO and President.
Bharti Airtel will partner telecom equipment suppliers Ericsson and Huawei to expand and manage its mobile network in
Bangladesh.
Business News
Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), a Chandigarh based biotechnology laboratory, has signed a $150-million
licensing agreement with Nostrum Pharmaceuticals, a US company, for new-generation clot busters developed by it.
According to a scheme approved by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), the union government will provide
financial incentive for each electric vehicle sold in India during the remaining part of the 11th Plan—2010-11 and 2011-12.
The scheme envisages incentives of up to 20 per cent on ex-factory prices of the vehicles, subject to a cap of Rs 4000 for low-
speed electric two-wheelers, Rs 5000 for high-speed electric two-wheelers, Rs 60,000 for seven-seater three-wheeler and Rs
one lakh for an electric car.
Axis Bank has acquired investment banking arm of Enam securities for Rs 2,067 crore. Asset Management Company and
insurance broking arm of Enam are not part of the deal.
State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has surpassed Reliance Industries to regain its position as India’s biggest refiner.
This was achieved after completion of expansion of its Panipat refinery.
Tatas have launched first indigenously manufactured helicopter cabin from the aero-space special economic zone near
Hyderabad. The TAS project for the cabin was conceived in collaboration with US-based Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, a
subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., USA.
On November 1, 2010, the Reserve Bank of India raised the repo and reverse repo rates by 25 basis points (100 basis points
equals one per cent), reflecting the continued government and RBI concerns over inflationary pressures. Repo rate is the rate at
which RBI lends to banks and that now stands at 6.25%. Reverse repo is the rate at which RBI borrows from banks and that
now stands at 5.25%.
Paris-based BNP Paribas has become the world’s biggest bank, with assets rising 34 per cent in last three years, reaching
$3.23 trillion.
AGRICULTURE
Scientists slam study behind Bt Brinjal ban
A vital study cited by Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh to justify his decision to
disallow the commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal in India is flawed, claim top European
scientists. Mr Ramesh had referred to the findings of France-based Caen University
professor Gilles-Eric Séralini and his team, which had branded Bt brinjal—India’s first
genetically modified (GM) food crop—“unsafe”. Experts claim that Séralini was unduly
influenced by the renowned international NGO Greenpeace—with its aggressive green
agenda—which sponsored the study, and never carried out a peer-reviewed laboratory
study on GM crops he called hazardous, including Bt maize and Bt brinjal, its gene or
seeds.The European Food Safety Association, a risk assessment body, has trashed
Séralini’s findings on Monsanto’s MON 863, a variety of Bt maize.
Bt Brinjal is a genetically modified vegetable that is infused with Cry1Ac gene from a
bacterium, bacillus thuringiensis, to make the plant resistant to fruit and shoot borers and
certain pests.
EDUCATION
Uniform Math and Science content for Class 11 and 12
From the 2011 academic session, students of Classes XI and XII across the country will
study a uniform science and math curriculum. Currently, course content of these critical
subjects varies with the State school board an institution is affiliated to.
The idea is to have for every student a level playing field for entry to professional
colleges. The government has also received the approval of all school boards—including
State boards—to work towards a single, national-level entrance exam for all engineering
and medical courses in India from 2013. Gradually, such an exam would be extended for
entry to colleges of other disciplines, such as law.
One test would mean the end of plenty like IIT-JEE, AIEEE and State exams for
engineering colleges and various State-level PMTs, beside national level PMT, which the
CBSE conducts. This, the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry believes,
would lessen the burden on students, who have to prepare for different exams, which
bring their own levels of stress.
ENVIRONMENT
India to launch mission to cut emissions
India will spare no efforts to contribute to the success of post-Copenhagen process, Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh declared on February 6, 2010, as he announced the launch of a
National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency, aimed at cutting carbon emissions by
99 million tonnes. Within the ambit of our National Action Plan on Climate Change, India
has already unveiled one of the world's most ambitious plans for promoting solar energy,
targeting an installed capacity of 20,000 MW by the year 2022. The initiative is expected
to lead to avoidance of capacity addition of nearly 20,000 MW and reduce carbon dioxide
emissions of almost 99 million tonnes.
LAW POINT
Courts do not need nod for CBI probe: SC
On February 17, 2010, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of courts’
powers to order CBI probe without the consent of State governments but with a rider: the
powers should be used cautiously and sparingly. The five-judge Constitution Bench,
headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, said that such powers have to be used
sparingly in exceptional and extraordinary circumstances in cases having national and
international ramifications. Otherwise, the CBI will be flooded with such directions in
routine cases. Such powers are vested with the apex court and High courts to ensure
protection of fundamental rights of citizens under Article 21 of the Constitution, it said.
LEGISLATION
Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill
The proposed Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, which will replace the four
decade-old Judges Inquiry Act, has laid down 14 guidelines for judges. These guidelines
will be called judicial standards.
• No judge shall give an interview to the media in relation to any of his judgement
delivered, or order made, or direction issued, by him in any case adjudicated by him.
• No judge shall enter into a public debate or express his views in public on political
matters, except views expressed by a judge in his individual capacity on issues of public
interest, other than as a judge during a private discussion or at an academic forum.
• The Bill bars the judges from allowing any member of his family, who is a practising
lawyer, from using the residence in which the judge actually resides or use of any other
facilities provided to the judge, for professional work of any family member.
• The proposed law expects judges not to delay delivering a judgement beyond three
months after conclusion of arguments and have bias in judicial work or judgements on
the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.
• Any wilful breach of judicial standards could be treated as misbehaviour and lead to a
disciplinary panel initiating proceedings against the erring judge.
• A complaint alleging misbehaviour or corruption would be referred to a scrutiny panel
comprising three judges. If the panel finds merit in any complaint, it would be
forwarded to an Oversight Committee, which after investigating the matter can refer it
to the President for initiating action against the judge.
N-liabilities Bill
In an important step towards the implementation of the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, the Union
government is to introduce a Bill to facilitate the entry of American companies in the nuclear
sector. The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, 2009 is commonly known as the nuclear
liability Bill.
The Bill aims at limiting the liability of a nuclear plant operator to Rs 300 crore in the
eventuality of an accident and provides for appointing a claims commissioner with powers of a
civil court to arbitrate such cases. It also provides for the penalty to be paid by the operator
and not the supplier companies, which would mainly be American in this case.
The operator would not be liable for any nuclear damages if the incident is caused by “grave
national disaster of exceptional character”, armed conflict or an act of terrorism and is
suffered by the person on account of his own negligence.
The Bill also provides for the establishment of the Nuclear Damage Claims Commission, which
will have one or more claims commissioners for a specified area. The claims commissioner shall
have all the powers of a civil court for the purpose of taking evidence on oath, enforcing
attendance of witnesses, compelling the discovery and production of documents and other
material objects.
Environment activists have described the attempt to cap the level of compensation for victims
of a nuclear accident as a violation of fundamental rights. Currently, the Atomic Energy Act,
1962, allows the government-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India to operate nuclear
power plants in the country.
Highlights:
54 new trains, including 10 Durantos, were announced. The Minister also promised to construct
over 1,000 km of new rail lines over next one year.
The operating ratio, proportion of expenses to earnings, which was a healthy 75 per cent in
2007-08, was up to 94.7 per cent in 2009-10. The Railways hope to bring it down to 92.3 per
cent in 2010-11. Though the budget proposes to raise net surplus from Rs 951.03 crore in 2009-
10 to Rs 3,173 crore in 2010-11, these figures were called “peanuts” by experts when compared
to the figures of some years ago.
Only Rs 373.09 crore was provided for new projects. Many projects come with riders: they’re
either proposed in the public-private partnership (PPP) mode or are “subject to sanction by the
Finance Ministry and Planning Commission”.
Highlights:
The Commission has told governments at the Centre and States to set their fiscal house in
order, even as it raised the share of taxes that the States would be entitled to receive over the
next five years by 1.5 percentage points.
In addition, the Commission, a Constitutional body that is appointed every five years to
recommend a tax-sharing formula between the Centre and States, has suggested a roadmap for
the introduction of a single-rate goods and services tax (GST), the key indirect tax reform to
create a common market in India.
Its stringent new roadmap for fiscal responsibility suggests, among other things, that the overall
debt of the Centre and States be capped at 68 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) from
the current 82 per cent, and 75 per cent recommended by the Twelfth Finance Commission.
The Finance Commission has recommended that the Centre reduce debt to 45 per cent of GDP
by March 2015, against 54.2 per cent at present. For States the reduction in debt is
recommended at 2 percentage points to 25 per cent. The relatively less stringent condition for
States comes with the rider that the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act allows
the Centre to borrow on behalf of the States to help them counter macro-economic shocks.
During the financial crisis, the Centre had relaxed the cap on the fiscal deficit.
The Finance Commission has said the Centre should transfer 32 per cent of the taxes it collects
to States, against 30.5 per cent at present. The overall ceiling— including transfers to local
bodies—on transfers from the Centre’s gross revenue has been raised from 38 to 39.5 per cent.
Among proposals that provide a thrust to fiscal federalism, the commission has recommended
that local bodies receive up to 2.5 per cent of the divisible tax pool. Of this, up to 1 per cent
can be incentive-linked.
While there is more reason for the States to cheer since the commission proposes an increase in
grants, much of it is tied to specific spending programmes such as those for elementary
education and environment. There is, however, a performance incentive of Rs 1,500 crore for
Assam, Sikkim and Uttarakhand and a grant of Rs 51,800 crore to meet the deficits of Jammu &
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and the north-eastern States (excluding Assam).
Like its predecessor, the Thirteenth Finance Commission has recommended a debt relief
scheme for the States. The first element is to cap the interest rate on a part of the loans from
the National Small Savings Fund at 9 per cent from up to 10.5 per cent. This will translate into a
benefit of Rs 28,360 crore to the States. In addition, there is a Rs 4,506 crore benefit with the
government accepting the suggestion to write off central loans that are not administered by the
finance ministry but were outstanding at the end of 2009-10.
Including the higher grants-in-aid, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra would be
the biggest beneficiaries in terms of share of transfers. Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and
Jammu and Kashmir would be the top losers.
The Finance Commission has projected that tax receipts would see a compounded annual
growth rate of over 17 per cent between March 2010 and March 2015, while nominal GDP
growth is estimated at 13.2 per cent.
Prescribing a zero revenue deficit as the golden rule, the Commission has recommended that
the endeavour for all States should be to reach that level by 2014-15.
The decision, to take effect from April 1, 2010, will help the government reduce its fertiliser
subsidy bill, estimated at Rs 50,000 crore for 2009-10. But, the move will hit farmers, even as
fertiliser companies will stand to gain. The latest decision does away with the practice of
government fixing a maximum retail price and aims at replacing the current system of giving
subsidy to the industry with direct assistance to farmers.
The switch to the nutrient-based fertiliser plan is significant as companies will now be able to
change retail prices of only nutrient-based fertilisers (nitrogen, phosphorus, potash and
sulphur), which will help the government cap the subsidy on these fertilisers. The move is also
expected to attract fresh investment in the fertiliser industry.
The government’s annual subsidy bill on fertilisers in 2008-09 was estimated at Rs 75,849 crore,
which was expected to be brought down to Rs 49,980 crore in 2009-10. The bulk of the increase
in the fertiliser subsidy is on account of the sale of decontrolled fertiliser with concession to
farmers. Urea accounts for about 30 per cent of the total fertiliser subsidy burden.
POLITICAL
Justice Srikrishna committee to look into formation of Telangana
The Union government has set-up a five-member committee headed by Justice B.N. Srikrishna
to look into the modalities of forming the separate State of Telangana. The committee has been
given time till December 31, 2010 to consult all sections of the society and submit report. The
terms of reference of the committee are:
• Examine the situation in Andhra Pradesh with reference to demand for separate
Telangana State, as well as the demand for maintaining the present status of a united
Andhra Pradesh.
• Review developments in the State since its formation and their impact on the progress
and development of different regions of the State.
• Examine the impact of recent developments in the State on different sections of people
such as women, children, students, minorities, OBCs, SC and STs.
• Consult all sections of people, especially political parties and elicit their views on a
range of solutions that would resolve the present difficult situation.
• Identify the key issues that must be addressed.
• Consult organisations of other civil societies such as industries, trade unions, farmer
organisations, women students.
• Make any other suggestion and recommendations that the committee may deem
appropriate.
• The protagonists of separate State, however, rejected the terms of reference of the
Justice Srikrishna committee and vowed to intensify their agitation. The Telangana
Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which has been spearheading the statehood agitation, struck a
belligerent note and announced that its MPs, MLAs and MLCs would resign in protest.
• Rejecting the terms of reference and the ten-month time frame given for the
committee, the TRS chief said the Centre had once again cheated the people of
Telangana by backtracking on its December 9, 2009 statement announcing initiation of
the process for formation of separate State.
Taking serious objection to the inclusion of the demand for continuation of united Andhra
Pradesh among the terms of reference, he said: “what is the point in looking into the demand
for united Andhra Pradesh when it already exists now? There is only one popular movement
going on in the State and that is for separate Telangana State.”
However, the leaders from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions found comfort in the open-
ended nature of the panel’s terms. “We welcome the terms of reference, which are fairly
balanced. It will give an opportunity for a thorough assessment of the ground situation,” a
ruling Congress MP from coastal Andhra region said.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Asian group endorses seat to India in UN Council
India's candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the Security Council has been endorsed by all 53
member States of the Asian group in the UN General Assembly. Nineteen countries, including
Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, spoke in favour of giving India a slot on the
Security Council table from January 2011.
In January 2010, India's path to a non-permanent seat got cleared after its sole competitor from
Asia, Kazakhstan, backed out of the race.
The Security Council is made up of 15 States—five permanent members who have the veto
power and 15 non-permanent members elected for a two-year term. To win, India needs two-
thirds of the General Assembly vote, which adds up to about 128 counties saying yes to India's
presence in the Council.
Running after more than a decade, India orchestrated a year-long campaign led by India’s envoy
to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri, who campaigned in New York and at multilateral events at the
United Nations.
The last time India had a seat at the Council was in 1992. In 1996, Japan won with India trailing
behind with approximately 40 votes.
India also offered to supply 50,000 tonne of wheat, 20,000 tonne of rice and 10,000 tonne of
yellow peas to its neighbour. An additional 2,000 tonne of wheat would be provided to Nepal, if
required.
The four accords signed by the two countries are: new air services agreement, MOU on
development of railway infrastructure at five border points, MOU on development of India-
Nepal friendship polytechnic at Hetavda in Makwanpur district of Nepal; and MOU on
establishment of India-Nepal friendship convention centre at Birgunj in Nepal.
During the delegation-level talks, the Indian Prime Minister hoped that the peace process and
drafting of the constitution would be completed in Nepal as per the schedule. Sixty-two-year-
old India-educated Yadav expressed his gratitude to the Indian leadership for assisting his
country in its economic development.
The Presidential visit came on the eve of a new constitution the Nepal government has pledged
to promulgate in May 2010. Nepal's fragile peace process that began after a decade of
insurgency is expected to be consolidated by the new statute. However, hiccups continue, with
the Maoists now saying they will agree to the rehabilitation of their guerrilla army, the People's
Liberation Army (PLA), only after the new statute came into effect.
At the first official dialogue between the two countries after a 14-month hiatus, on February
25, 2010, India focused on terrorism emanating from the Pakistani territory, while Pakistan
raised the Kashmir, water and Baluchistan issues.
The three-hour talks, seen by diplomatic observers more as an exercise in scoring brownie
points by the two sides, ended with Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani
counterpart Salman Bashir announcing at separate press briefings that they would remain in
touch and continue endeavours to restore trust in the relationship. However, it was quite clear
from the statements of the two top diplomats that they would have to cover a lot of distance in
putting the peace process between the two neighbours back on track.
Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, who had a discussion with Singh, later spoke of the
“dangerous trend” of extremism in Pakistan and made it clear that Riyadh had nothing to do
with the Taliban. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were among the few countries that had recognised
the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
The Saudi minister said, “Pakistan is a friendly country. Therefore, any time one does see
dangerous trends in a friendly country, one is not only sorry but worried. And it is indeed the
duty of all political leaders in Pakistan to unite to see that extremism does not find a way to
achieve its aim in the country and this can only happen with united political leadership in
Pakistan. This, we hope, Pakistan will possibly achieve.”
India sees Saudi Arabia as a strategic partner for promoting peace, stability and economic
development. Such a partnership will bring benefits not only to the two countries but to the
region. After discussions between Mr Singh and King Abduallah, the two sides signed the Riyadh
declaration.
The Delhi Declaration, signed during the historic visit of King Abdullah to India in 2006 as the
chief guest on India's Republic Day, had charted out a new path of cooperation between India
and Saudi Arabia across a range of fields including security, bilateral trade and investment,
culture, science and technology. According to the new declaration, keeping in view the
development of relations between the two countries, and the potential for their further growth,
the two leaders decided to raise their cooperation to a strategic partnership covering security,
economic, defence and political areas.
Days after keeping New Delhi out of the Istanbul conference on Afghanistan at the instance of
Pakistan, Turkish President Abdullah Gul sought to placate India by strongly endorsing its
position on the issue of terrorism.
Turkey is the first Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) member to support India’s call for
early conclusion of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism, which finds a
mention in the joint declaration on terrorism. Turkey’s position is being seen as a major
departure from that of OIC, which is not willing to exclude armed forces from the purview of
the convention.
On Afghanistan, the Turkish President praised the role being played by India in the
reconstruction plan in the embattled nation.
The pact is expected to provide legal framework to British companies to export components and
products.
RESERVATIONS
Andhra HC quashes quota for Muslims
In a major setback to the Andhra Pradesh government’s Muslim reservation policy, the High
Court, on February 8, 2010, struck down a legislation providing four per cent quota for the
minority community in jobs and educational institutions.
A seven-member constitutional bench headed by Chief Justice A.R. Dave found fault with the
way the survey was conducted by the Backward Classes Commission, whose recommendations
had formed the basis for quota policy.
The State Assembly had passed the legislation in July 2007 providing four per cent reservation
for socially and educationally backward Muslims by including them among backward classes. The
quota was made applicable to 15 Muslim groups identified by the Andhra Pradesh Backward
Classes Commission as socially and educationally backward. These were categorised as BC-E
Group for the purpose of providing reservation.
Acting on a bunch of writ petitions filed by several individuals and organisations challenging the
legislation, the court—in a majority verdict—termed the commission’s survey as “irrational and
unscientific” and held the legislation as “unsustainable”.
The Centre earmarked Rs 1,230 crore for 2009-10 for the scheme for modernisation of the State
police forces (MPF), which is meant primarily to equip State governments to deal with emerging
challenges to internal security like terrorism and naxal violence.
The poor performing States have outdated and obsolete weapons and even the extremist-prone
police stations are often not supplied with modern weapons, and even when it is supplied police
personnel are not trained to use them. Their police communication network does not function
efficiently, they do not have enough vehicles and their forensic laboratories lack proper
infrastructure.
DISASTER
Chile hit by 8.8 magnitude earthquake
On February 27, 2010, more than two million people were affected in some way and more than
300 people were killed as an 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit coastal Chile. Santiago, capital of
Chile, is 200 325 km northeast of the epicentre.
The quake was 700 to 800 times stronger, but at a greater depth—35 km—compared to the
shallow 14 km depth of the Haiti quake, which contributed towards much of the damage there.
Coastal Chile has a history of deadly earthquakes, with 13 quakes of magnitude 7.0 or higher
since 1973. As a result, experts said that newer buildings are constructed to help withstand the
shocks. Still, the damage from Chile's earthquake was widespread. A 15-story high rise near the
southern city of Concepción collapsed; the country's major north-south highway was severed at
multiple points; and the capital city's airport was closed after its terminal sustained major
damage.
The epicentre was just a few kilometres north of the largest earthquake recorded in the world:
a magnitude 9.5 quake in May 1960 that killed 1,655 and unleashed a tsunami that crossed the
Pacific.
WORLD ECONOMY
US Fed signals end to emergency liquidity
On February 20, 2010, the US Federal Reserve Board sent its most explicit signal yet that the
emergency supply of liquidity to financial markets is done and the most aggressive monetary
policy easing in its 96-year history will eventually reverse. Chairman Ben S Bernanke and his
colleagues at the Board of Governors raised the rate charged to banks for direct loans by a
quarter-point to 0.75 per cent. It was the first increase in the discount rate since June 2006.
The Fed portrayed the decision as a “normalization” of lending that would have no impact on
monetary policy. The assurances didn’t stop investors from increasing bets that the Fed would
tighten policy in the fourth quarter. The dollar rose and US stock futures fell after the
announcement.
US central bankers closed four emergency lending facilities in February 2010 and are preparing
to reverse or neutralize the more than $1 trillion in excess bank reserves they have pumped into
the banking system. The discount-rate increase will encourage banks to borrow in private
markets rather than from the Fed. In any case, financial institutions have reduced their reliance
on the Fed window. Banks had borrowed $14.1 billion as of February 17, 2010, representing less
than 1 per cent of the central bank’s $2.28 trillion in total assets. A year ago, borrowing stood
at $65.1 billion.
However, it is the political crisis that is posing a question mark before the very future of the
EU. The result is a monetary union that features a common currency without a matching fiscal
or political union. Thus, although the European Central Bank sets interest rates for the euro-
zone, it does so in a vacuum, with constituent governments retaining control over fiscal and
economic policy.
The large disparities between euro-zone nations have been thrown into sharp relief by the
global economic crisis. On the one hand, you have the unflatteringly named PIGS (Portugal,
Ireland, Greece and Spain), all of whom are finding accruing debt increasingly expensive,
leading to the spectre of State bankruptcy. The worst of the lot is Greece. Its economy shrank
by 1.2 per cent in 2009. Having been found out to be cooking its books for years, Greece’s
public debt is expected to break 120 per cent of output.
The poor economic condition of the PIGS, in particular Greece, has thrown up a conundrum for
the large, surplus economies of the euro-zone like France, Germany and the Netherlands.
There are three options on the table, none of which are finding immediate takers. The first is to
issue a common euro-zone bond, which would be placed at Greece’s disposal. But countries
with good credit, like Germany, are opposed to the idea because of the higher interest rates
that would result.
An alternative is giving bilateral financial aid with economically healthy countries in the euro-
zone taking out loans on the financial market at good rates and passing these on to Greece.
The final option is an old-style IMF bailout, perhaps the most sensible of the choices. But, for
the IMF to come to Greece’s rescue would be a slap in the face of EU, implying that it cannot
take care of its own house and requires an institution that has always been sceptical of the euro
to act as saviour.
The global NGO Social Watch’s index of 130 countries says 100 points defines well-being of the
citizens based on children getting education till primary level, child mortality rate and
percentage of births attended by skilled labourers. The BCI does not use income as an indicator.
According to the index, South Asia, a region with worst BCI in 2004, has been making fast
progress, but the situation is still “extremely critical”. Since 2004, the report said, one-third of
the countries failed to raise their BCI value by more than one per cent and only one out of six
countries showed significant progress.
The index also tells about the increasing gap in living standards of rich and poor in the world.
The highest BCI is 97 of Iran and lowest is 44 of Chad in Africa, followed by Afghanistan,
Ethopia, Bangladesh and Nepal.
China, the fastest-growing large economy, clocked a growth of 10.7 per cent in the December
2009 quarter, bringing it at a sniffing distance to surpass Japan as the second largest economy
in the world.
Japan’s economy, which is primarily exports-driven, rose 1.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of
2009. On an annual basis, GDP expanded a much higher pace at 4.6 per cent. For the whole of
2009, the Japanese economy shrank 5 per cent and is valued at 474.92 trillion yen (about $5.1
trillion). The better-than-expected Japanese growth in the December 2009 quarter was mainly
driven by better exports and effects of stimulus measures. To bolster the recession-hit
economy, Japan had unveiled stimulus measures worth over $130 billion.
NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION
Iranian President declares Iran a nuclear State
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared on February 11, 2010, that Iran had produced
its first batch of 20 per cent enriched uranium, amidst a growing view in the West that Tehran
is bluffing.
“Iran was now a nuclear State,” Ahmadinejad told a huge rally of supporters on the 31st
anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Experts say that once Iran can enrich uranium to 20 per
cent it should move relatively quickly toward 90 per cent purification, weapons-grade fuel.
Former U.S. officials and independent nuclear experts say continued technical problems could
delay—though probably not halt—Iran’s march towards achieving nuclear-weapons capability,
giving the US and its allies more time to press for a diplomatic solution.
While Iran says its nuclear program is entirely peaceful, Western nations suspect that the
country is intent on developing an atomic bomb.
The central bank said the repo rate, or the rate at which banks borrow from RBI, is being increased 25 basis points
to 5 per cent. Similarly, the reverse repo rate, or the rate at which surplus cash is parked with the central bank, was
increased to 3.5 per cent, from 3.25 per cent earlier.
This was the second action since January 2010, when RBI announced a 75-basis point rise in the cash reserve ratio
(CRR) to 5.75 per cent.
But, unlike CRR, which is used to manage liquidity in the system, an increase in the repo and reserve repo rates is
aimed at signalling an increase in interest rates.
RBI joined central banks in Australia and Malaysia, which raised rates in March, while Norway and Israel did so at
the end of 2009. The US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank are among those waiting for evidence of a
more concrete recovery before they unwind record low borrowing costs.
DEFENCE
Delhi High Court orders for Permanent Commission for Women Officers
On March 12, 2010, in a path-breaking judgement, the Delhi High Court has directed the Centre to offer within two
months Permanent Commission (PC) to Short Service Commissioned (SSC) women officers of the Air Force and
the Army at par with male SSC officers with all consequential benefits, including promotion.
At present, the Indian Army offers permanent commission to women after 10 years of SSC. This is applicable to
those who were recruited after March 2009 and that too only in two streams — the Judge Adjutant General (JAG)
branch and the Education corps. Women are also recruited in Signals, Engineers, Ordnance and Air Defence but are
not eligible for PC.
In the IAF, women are offered a permanent option in the Legal, Accounts and Education corps. Women chopper and
transport pilots, engineering corps, Logistics and Meteorological streams are not eligible for permanent commission.
At present, there are about 1,050 and 827 women officers in the Army and the IAF, respectively. Separately, the
Navy has 280 women.
The benefit would be extended to women officers recruited prior to change of policy (March 2009) and the PC shall
be offered to them after completion of five years. However, these benefits would be available only to women
officers in service or who approached the HC but retired when the case was pending in the court, the Bench
clarified.
The court made significant remark on having women in combat roles saying “the claim of absorption in areas of
operation not open for recruitment of women officers cannot be sustained being a policy decision.”
LAW POINT
Live-in not an offence: SC
The Supreme Court has opined that a man and woman living together without marriage cannot be construed as an
offence. “Living together is not an offence. It cannot be an offence,” a three judge bench of Chief Justice K.G.
Balakrishnan, Deepak Verma and B.S. Chauhan observed.
The court said even Lord Krishna and Radha lived together according to mythology. The apex court made the
observation while reserving its judgement on a special leave petition filed by noted south Indian actress Khusboo
seeking to quash 22 criminal cases filed against her after she allegedly endorsed pre-marital sex in interviews to
various magazines in 2005.
The judges grilled the counsel for some of the complainants in the case and repeatedly stressed that the perceived
immoral activities cannot be branded as offence.
The apex court further said the views expressed by Khusboo were personal. “How does it concern you. We are not
bothered. At the most it is a personal view. How is it an offence? Under which provision of the law ?” the bench
asked the counsel.
Khusboo had approached the apex court after the Madras High Court in 2008 dismissed her plea for quashing the
criminal cases filed against her throughout Tamil Nadu.
A Bench comprising Justices R.V. Raveendran and Asok Kumar Ganguly made the clarification while directing the
Centre and the Union Public Service Commission to grant promotion with retrospective effect to members of the
Uttar Pradesh State Civil Service (SSC) who had been affected by a delay of more than two years in the cadre
review following the creation of Uttaranchal (now Uttarakhand) in 2000.
The Centre and the UPSC contended that the statutory mandate of a cadre review exercise every five years “is
qualified by the expression ordinarily” and as such it was not necessary to undertake it every five years. The Bench,
however, did not buy this argument. “We hold that the statutory duty which is cast on the State government and the
Central government to undertake the cadre review exercise every five years is ordinarily mandatory subject to
exceptions which may be justified in the facts of a given case.
“Surely, lethargy, inaction, an absence of a sense of responsibility cannot fall within the category of just
exceptions,” the apex court ruled, obviously indicting the UP government for not responding to the Centre’s
reminders.
The court accepted the government’s arguments that Rule 4(2) did not have retrospective effect, but refused to
interfere with the Delhi HC order which had, by using its special power under Article 142 of the Constitution,
directed the Centre to “mitigate the hardship and denial of legitimate rights of the employees” in view of the “facts
and circumstances of the case.”
LEGISLATION
Foreign Education Bill
After several years of debate, the Union Cabinet, on March 15, 2010, unanimously approved a Bill that would allow
foreign education providers to set up campuses in India and offer degrees. A Bill to this effect was first introduced
in the Rajya Sabha in August 1995. The new one is expected to be introduced in Parliament and be voted into law
by the monsoon session of 2010.
This is a milestone which will enhance choices, increase competition and benchmark quality. A larger revolution
than even in the telecom sector awaits us,” said Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Human Resource Development
(MHRD).
The Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations, Maintenance of Quality and Prevention
of Commercialisation) Bill will allow foreign universities to invest at least 51 per cent of the total capital
expenditure needed to establish the institute in India. Such institutes will be granted deemed university status under
Section 3 of the Universities Grants Commission (UGC) Act, 1956.
The Bill aims to regulate the entry, operation and maintenance of quality assurance and prevention of
commercialisation by foreign educational institutions, besides protecting the interest of the student community from
sub-standard and ‘fly by night’ operators.
The Bill is aimed at not only bringing in investment in the education sector, but also draw in foreign students,
besides helping check the flight of Indians to study (then work and settle) abroad.
The report rings alarm bells for policy makers, warning them against status quo. A rainfall deficit in 1963-66 had
decreased India’s food production by 20 per cent, but a similar drought in 1987-88 had very small impact on food
production due to widespread prevalence of groundwater, which is now declining.
India is the largest groundwater user in the world, exploiting 230 cubic kilometres of groundwater every year—over
a quarter of the global total. Today, groundwater supports 60 per cent of irrigated agriculture and more than 80 per
cent of rural and urban water supplies.
Even though there is a major dependence of many sectors on groundwater and it is being overexploited, there is
little investment in its management. This inaction has arisen mainly because the solutions often proposed for
groundwater management are very controversial, including “command-and-control” regulation of wells and curbing
the supply of free or cheap power for groundwater irrigation.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
India to sign extradition treaties with Iran, Sri Lanka, Brazil, France & Israel
After signing extradition treaties with Saudi Arabia and South Korea, India has finalised draft agreements with five
more nations—Iran, Sri Lanka, Brazil, France and Israel. The government is now working out the dates on which
the treaties can formally be signed.
The treaty with Saudi Arabia was signed in February, during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Riyadh.
Another such treaty was signed with South Korea when its President, Lee Myung-Bak, visited New Delhi in January
2010.
With bilateral cooperation in security and counter-terrorism measures assuming significance, India has stepped up
efforts to formalise agreements with other nations so suspects can be brought back to the country to be tried under
Indian laws. Indian government is giving extradition treaties the utmost importance as intelligence inputs suggest
that some nations could be used as safe heavens by terrorists and the underworld.
India has extradition treaties with several countries, including Nepal, Belgium, Netherlands, Canada, UK,
Switzerland, Bhutan, USA, UAE and the Russian Federation.
Six projects will be covered under the loan, including Sikkim Biodiversity Conservation and Forest Management
Project, Kolkata East-West Metro Project (II) and Rengali Irrigation Project (III). With this, the cumulative
commitment of ODA from Japan has reached Rs 15,5840 crore.
Demonstrating the solidity of their strategic relationship to the world, India and Russia sealed multi-billion dollars
deals in key areas like defence, nuclear energy, diamond, petroleum and aviation as Russian Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Moscow’s support to Delhi in its fight against terrorism.
The visit is noted for the success in taking this vital strategic partnership forward, giving the much needed economic
impetus. A host of steps aimed at scaling up the current $7.5 billion bilateral trade to $20 billion by 2015 were set in
motion.
Besides agreement on nuclear reactors, an MoU for cooperation in Russia’s satellite navigation system was also
agreed upon during the visit.
Russia announced its readiness to build 16 nuclear reactors for power stations in India. An important agreement was
the umbrella pact between the National Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and the Atom Stroy for
Kudankulam III and Kudankulam IV nuclear reactors as part of the nuclear cooperation accord between the two
sides. The agreement on peaceful uses of nuclear energy is expected to open more avenues of nuclear cooperation
between the two countries. The two sides also signed a pact on serial construction of Russian designed nuclear
reactors.
The most significant accords between the two sides were on the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier that was approved
by the Union Cabinet for the purchase of the vessel at $ 2.33 billion and the supply of 29 MIG 29K—the sea variant
of the fighter used by the IAF—valued at $ 1.5 billion.
The talks were wrapped up well before the August deadline. The US statement noted that these arrangements will
enable Indian reprocessing of US-obligated nuclear material under IAEA safeguards. Completion of these
arrangements will facilitate participation by US firms in India’s rapidly expanding civil nuclear energy sector.
The reprocessing arrangements were negotiated pursuant to Article 6 (iii) of the US-India civil nuclear cooperation
agreement, also called the 123 Agreement. Under the 123 Agreement, India will construct new facilities dedicated
for reprocessing the safeguarded nuclear material under IAEA safeguards.
The advanced consent agreement is only the third of its kind ever undertaken by the US. The US has such
agreements with the European consortium EURATOM and Japan. China, Brazil, Indonesia, South Korea, which
have 123 Agreements with the US, do not have such agreements.
RESERVATIONS
SC okays quota for Andhra Muslims
On March 25, 2010, the Supreme Court okayed religion-based reservation in government jobs and educational
institutes in Andhra Pradesh but referred the matter to a constitution bench to decide on its constitutional validity.
In an interim order, a bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan extended the benefit of four per cent
reservation in jobs and education to 14 other backward classes of Muslims in the State. In the process, it stayed the
February order of the State High Court that had quashed the Andhra Pradesh Reservation for Socially and
Educationally Backward Classes of Muslims Act, 2007.
But the apex court refused to grant quota benefit to a 15th category of Muslims mentioned in the Act as the social
groups were not specified. It also made it clear this was a temporary measure. The constitution bench is expected to
take up the case in August 2010.
According to Andhra government, the reason for giving four per cent quota to backward Muslims was because they
constitute 5-6 per cent of the State's population. The creamy layer—those who earn over Rs 4 lakh annually,
children of class-I officers working with the State/Central governments and those who hold constitutional posts—
are not entitled.
Of the 186 members present in the Rajya Sabha, 185 voted in favour of the Bill. Barring the parties from the Hindi-
belt—Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and BSP—all other parties that included the constituents of Congress-
led UPA and BJP-led NDA supported the Bill that was to carry out the 108th amendment to the Constitution for
enabling reservation.
The Congress-led UPA, the BJP-led NDA and also the Left parties were on the same side as the Parliament authored
the “historic move”, which could upstage several well ensconced politicians but ensure proper representation of
women, which languishes at 11 per cent in Lok Sabha.
SP and RJD MPs walked out even before the discussion began. BSP’s leader in Upper House Satish Chandra Misra
walked out after expressing his party’s point of view: “We support the cause of reservation, however, oppose the
Bill in its present form.”
The proposed legislation to reserve 33.3 percent seats in Parliament and State Legislatures for women was drafted
first by the H D Deve Gowda-led United Front government. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on September
12, 1996. Though it has been introduced in Parliament several times since then, the Bill could not be passed because
of lack of political consensus.
• Seeks to reserve one-third of seats for women in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
• Allocation of reserved seats shall be determined by the authority prescribed by the Parliament.
• One-third of the total seats reserved for SCs and STs shall be reserved for women from these groups in
LS and Assemblies.
• Reserved seats may be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in the State or Union Territory.
• Reservation of seats for women shall cease to exist 15 years after the commencement of the Act.
A cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh approved the amendments to be incorporated in the
existing Act, which at present only provides for life imprisonment and fine.
The anti-hijack policy that was revised and approved by the Cabinet Committee for Security in 2005 could not be
made a law primarily due to lack of consensus on the punishment for the hijacker, having intent of creating terror
strike and caught alive.
The policy also has provision for immobilisation of the plane and disallowing it to take off, if the hijack occurs on
the Indian soil. Notably, during the Kandahar hijack in December 1999, in which passengers and crew members
were exchanged for four dreaded terrorists, security forces had failed to immobilise the plane when it had landed at
the Amritsar airport. The CCS, in August 2005, had cleared the proposal to shoot down a commercial plane if it was
hijacked. It also strictly ruled out any negotiations with hijackers on meeting any of their demands.
According to the policy, if a rogue aircraft paid no heed to ATC warnings and deviated from its specified path or
headed towards any strategic spot, a decision on shooting it down would come into play. In case of an emergency
situation, the shoot down orders could be given by the Prime Minister, the Defence Minister or the Home Minister,
whoever could be contacted first.
USA
Law on healthcare passed
On March 23, 2010, US President Barack Obama signed into law the landmark Health Care Bill that introduces
sweeping reforms in the USA’s healthcare system, capping a historic legislative victory that had eluded several of
his predecessors. It will take four years to implement fully many of the reforms.
Obama said that henceforth insurance companies will no longer be able to drop people's coverage, when they get
sick or they won't be able to place lifetime limits or restrictive annual limits on the amount of care they can receive.
The President said once this reform is implemented, health insurance exchanges will be created, a competitive
marketplace, where uninsured people and small businesses will finally be able to purchase affordable quality
insurance.
Obama said this legislation will also lower costs for families and for businesses and for the federal government,
reducing deficit by over $1 trillion in the next two decades.
WORLD ECONOMY
IMF paints grim picture of fiscal tightening needs
Developed countries with big budget deficits must start now to prepare public opinion for the belt-tightening that
will be needed starting 2011, says John Lipsky, the International Monetary Fund’s first deputy managing director.
He added that the scale of the adjustment required was so vast that it would have to come through less-generous
health and pension benefits, spending cuts and increased tax revenues.
Policy-makers should already be making it clear to their citizens why a return to prudent policies is a necessary
condition for sustained economic health, Lipsky said.
The IMF estimates that, by raising real interest rates, maintaining public debt at its post-crisis levels could reduce
potential growth in advanced economies by as much as half a percentage point annually.
Second, fiscal institutions must be strengthened to withstand adjustment fatigue. Options include reinforcing fiscal
responsibility legislation and improving tax collection.
Third, entitlement reforms such as increases in the retirement age would have favourable long-term fiscal effects but
do little near-term damage to aggregate demand.
The pact is part of the international effort to support IMF’s lending capacity following the decision of the Group of
20 nations at its London Summit (held in April 2009) to treble IMF’s resources to $750 billion.
Generally, IMF will give a five-day notice to RBI about its intention to issues notes, including the amount. It will
restrict issuance to a principal amount not exceeding SDR 500 million in any calendar week.
At the beginning of each quarter, IMF will also provide estimates for the amount for which notes will be issued
during a three-month period.
Permanent increases in IMF’s resources are expected to take place through an increase in quotas and standing
borrowing arrangements currently under negotiation.
ENVIRONMENT
India and China Okay Copenhagen Pact
On March 9, 2010, India and China formally backed the Climate Change Accord hammered out in Copenhagen in
2009, calling for voluntary cut in greenhouse gas emissions. Both the countries submitted official letters to the UN
Climate Change Secretariat saying that they agreed to being listed in the preamble of the Accord, subject to certain
conditions.
India made it clear, however, that the accord is a political document and not a legally binding one.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Google leaves China
Late on March 23, 2010 night, the Internet giant Google shut its Chinese website and shifted its search engine
services to uncensored Hong Kong after two months of confrontation with Beijing over censorship and alleged
hacking attacks. But those re-routed to Hong Kong still couldn’t access sensitive websites as these were blocked by
Chinese filters.
Google’s bold censure of the business environment in the world’s number three economy—and the biggest online
market of 384 million netizens— had left the fate of its future China operations in doubt.
Soon after Google’s announcement, Beijing lashed out by calling the action “totally wrong” and saying it “violated
the written promise” it made four years ago, when it arrived, promising to self-censor online services as required by
Chinese law.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said the exit would not affect Sino-US relations unless someone
politicised the issue.
China believes its citizens need strict censorship. It blocked YouTube after the Tibet riots in March 2008, fearing the
spread of mass unrest through the Internet. Facebook and Twitter were blocked after the Xinjiang riots in July 2009.
Obama met Afghan President Karzai in the palace’s outdoor grounds and stood under a pavilion for a brief
welcoming ceremony. The President spent roughly six hours in the country.
During their meeting the Afghan leader was invited to the White House on May 12, 2010. Mr Obama also tackled
Mr Karzai on his failure to make any meaningful reforms since he narrowly won a second term in fraud-ridden polls
in 2009.
Mr Karzai made grandiose promises in his inauguration speech but so far he has failed to deliver. At the time, US
officials said he had six months to reform or risk losing American support.
Mr Obama also addressed 2,500 US troops at Bagram air force base, nine miles from Kabul. He praised them for
their courage, sacrifice and focus, and warned of tough days ahead.
After months of deadlock and delay, a breakthrough deal on a replacement for the Cold War-era START pact
marked Obama’s most significant foreign policy achievement since taking office and also bolsters his effort to
“reset” ties with Moscow.
Russia made clear, however, that it reserved the right to suspend any strategic arms cuts if it felt threatened by future
US deployment of a proposed Europe-based missile defence system that Moscow bitterly opposes.
The agreement replaces a 1991 pact that expired in December 2009. Each side would have seven years after the
treaty takes effect to reduce stockpiles of their most dangerous weapons—those already deployed—to 1,550, from
the 2,200 now allowed, and also cut their numbers of launchers to half.
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM
Chechen insurgency re-surfaces in Russia
During the six years since the last suicide bomb attack on the Moscow subway, Muscovites came to think of
themselves as insulated from the guerrilla warfare. Terror, however, returned to the heart of Russia on March 30,
2010, with two deadly suicide bombings on the Moscow subway at rush hour, including an attack at the station
beneath the headquarters of the secret police. At least 40 people were killed and more than 60 wounded in the blasts.
Russian police had killed several Islamic militant leaders in the North Caucasus recently, which raised fears of
retaliatory strikes and escalating bloodshed by the militants. The bombings showed that the beleaguered rebels are
still strong enough to inflict harm on an increasingly assertive Russia, and they followed a warning in February 2010
from Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov that “the war is coming to their cities.”
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who built much of his political capital by directing a fierce war against Chechen
separatists a decade ago, promised to track down and kill the organizers of what he called a “disgusting” crime.
Headley (49), who was arrested by FBI's joint terrorism task force on October 3, 2009, told US District Judge Harry
Leinenweber that he wanted to change his plea to guilty, in an apparent bid to get a lighter sentence than the
maximum death penalty.
Headley, son of a Pakistani diplomat and a Philadelphia socialite, admitted to using his friend Tahawwur Rana's
immigration company as a cover for surveillance activities in India and Denmark on behalf of Pakistan-based
terrorist groups, including LeT.
Headley admitted guilty in all six counts of conspiracy involving bombing public places in India, murdering and
maiming persons in India and providing material support to foreign terrorist plots and LeT; and six counts of aiding
and abetting the murder of US citizens in India.
The RBI expected the hike in CRR to absorb Rs 12,500 crore from the banking system. The apex bank said it was tightening
liquidity in a bid to rein in inflation which was hovering in double digits. The RBI, however, expected inflation to remain at 5.5
per cent during FY 11 with the GDP growing at 8 per cent.
FDI on Tobacco banned
On April 8, 2010, the Union government notified the ban on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in cigarette manufacturing.
Manufacturing of cigars, cheroots, cigarillos and cigarettes, of tobacco or of tobacco substitutes have been put under the list of
sectors where FDI is prohibited.
The government took the decision to enhance public accountability towards proliferation of the anti-smoking regime in the
country. The decision to ban FDI is the latest in the government's long-standing drive against smoking. In 2008, the government
had banned smoking at public places and put a curb on tobacco advertisements.
Earlier, 100 per cent FDI was permitted in cigarette manufacturing, but an industrial licence was needed and the proposals
required to be approved by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB).
It will lead to simplification of the policy; greater clarity of understanding of foreign investment rules among foreign investors
and sector regulators, as also predictability of policy direction.
Having a single policy platform that would subsume the 178 press notes would also ease the regulatory burden for government; it
will be updated every six months. This consolidated press note will be superseded by a press note to be issued on September 30,
2010 to ensure that the framework document on FDI policy is kept updated.
Hundreds of documents, including classified files, were stolen, says a Canadian cyber-security team that monitored the ring—the
Shadow Network—for eight months.
The Shadow Network focussed on India, especially its military. The Canadians, in effect, hacked the hackers and saw many
documents themselves.
The Chinese hackers stole foreign ministry reports on India’s policy in West Africa, Russia and West Asia. They got National
Security Council secretariat assessments of security situations in Assam, Nagaland, Tripura and Manipur, as well as the Maoist
problem.
The penetration of India’s defence establishments was remarkable. Three air force bases, two military colleges and an array of
military institutes like the Army Institute of Technology, Pune, were broken into.
The hackers seemed interested in any defence information they could find: from sensitive issues like live fire exercises
and Project Shakti—the army’s artillery command system—to more innocuous material like personnel files.
“This is a very serious, broad spectrum assault,” said strategic technology expert Ajay Lele, whose own agency, the Institute for
Defence and Security Analysis (IDSA), was robbed of 180 documents.
The ring is believed to be based in Chengdu, in China’s Sichuan province. The cyber-sleuths, based at the University of Toronto’s
Munk School of Global Affairs, avoided saying this was government-approved but did say it was “possible”.
The Indian security establishment has little doubt the Shadow Network is cast by Beijing. Says K. Santhanam, former IDSA head:
“These rings are normally consortia in which Chinese academia, intelligence and military work together.”
Education becomes a basic right
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Elementary Education Act came into force in the country from April 1, 2010,
amid an emotional appeal of collective effort by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and loads of applauses for the government
from various parties, including those in the Opposition—the BJP and the Left.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recalled the 100-year old resolve of Gopal Krishna Gokhale, who urged the Imperial Legislative
Assembly to confer on the Indian people the Right to Education.
With the RTE Act coming into force, the fundamental right to education as incorporated in the Constitution under Article 21 A
also became operative.
Right to Education (RTE) Act has, however, come into force amid a whopping shortage of 5.3 lakh school teachers. Add to this,
an additional seven lakh teachers that would be required for proper implementation of the Act that gives a three-year window
period to States to make education a fundamental right of children in 6-14 age group and mandates setting up of neighbourhood
schools with full infrastructure.
Uttar Pradesh tops the list, contributing 32 per cent of all existing teachers’ vacancies in the country. Next is the Left Front-ruled
West Bengal, where 53,000 posts were lying vacant, as per MHRD records. Bihar has 51,000 vacancies, the figure for Chattisgarh
and Orissa, the other educationally backward States, is 37,000.
Single-teacher schools are another big challenge for the RTE law. Currently, 9 per cent (about one lakh) of the total 12 lakh
schools at primary level have only one teacher, whereas the RTE Act specifies that any school with enrollment of up to 60
students must have at least two teachers.
Mukherjee announced these concessions that would cost the exchequer Rs 300-400 crore a year but did not touch the demand for
rolling back the hike in petroleum and fertiliser prices on which the entire opposition walked out before Lok Sabha passed the
Finance Bill, 2010.
Explaining the reasons for his inability to concede the opposition's demand, he said the financial position was such that oil
marketing companies faced an under recovery of Rs 85,000 crore in 2010, apart from heavy outgo on account of subsidies,
interest and other payments.
Rajasthan was adjudged the best performing State among the high-focus areas, while Tamil Nadu claimed the award in the
category of non-focus States.
Claiming credit for arresting the infant mortality rate (down to 53 in 2008 from 58 in 2005 when NRHM started) and maternal
mortality rate (down to 254 in 2004 as against 301 in 2003), Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said the government was in the
process of designing a comprehensive programme on population stabilisation in consultation with the State governments.
For the record, India has missed the goal of reaching 2.1 total fertility rate by 2010, as envisaged in the National Population
Policy of 2000.
For the future, five challenges have been listed for NRHM—transition from curative to preventive health care, human resource
management, setting of output and outcome targets, convergence and inclusive growth and approaches to public health that look
at the different stages of health transition at State and district levels so that appropriate strategies can be adopted.
If Amarinder had committed any irregularities in the allotment of land to a private builder when he was Chief Minister during the
tenure of the 12th House of the Vidhan Sabha, the proper course of action for the State government should have been to move the
criminal law machinery, a five-member Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan held.
Further, the alleged improper exemption of land from the Amritsar Improvement Scheme “was an executive act” in his capacity
as Chief Minister which “did not distort, obstruct or threaten the integrity of legislative proceedings in any manner”, the apex
court ruled.
Also, the exemption had taken place during the 12th term of the Vidhan Sabha, whereas the constitution of the Special Committee
to inquire into it took place during the 13th term. “It was not proper for the Assembly to inquire into actions that took place during
its previous term, especially when there was no relatable business that had lapsed from the previous term.”
The court clarified that its judgment would not act as a hurdle against the investigation, if any, into the alleged role of Amarinder
Singh in the Amritsar Improvement Scheme notified on January 13, 2006.
Karzai indicated that his government would enter into a power-sharing arrangement with those elements of Taliban who had
accepted the country’s constitution and were not part of the Al Qaida.
His meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh came in the backdrop of moves being initiated by the Afghan government to
enter into a power-sharing arrangement with the so-called “moderate” elements of the Taliban. New Delhi is worried that such a
development will lead to the increased influence of Pakistan in Afghanistan.
In a statement issued after the meeting, Karzai said they had discussed the upcoming Afghanistan peace consultative jirga that, he
explained, should “comprise people of Afghanistan, those from all walks of life to advise on how to move forward for
reintegration and reconciliation of those elements of Taliban and others who have accepted the Constitution and are not part of the
Al Qaida or any terrorist network.”
The Afghan President also requested Prime Minister Singh to send representatives to the follow-up to the London conference in
Kabul so that “India can participate once again in Afghanistan’s reconstruction”.
India was forced to backtrack on the Taliban issue after the US and other European countries encouraged Karzai to do business
with the Taliban at the London conference held in early 2010. While the US and NATO countries are looking for an exit route
from war-ravaged Afghanistan, India is worried that that this will have an adverse impact on the security and stability of the
region.
Films produced by Bollywood were banned from cinemas in Bangladesh since the country’s independence in 1972 in a bid to
protect the local movie industry.
The lifting of the ban comes amid warming relations between India and Bangladesh after ties worsened between the neighbours
when an Islamist-allied government was in power in Dhaka from 2001 to 2006.
But not everyone supports the move. “Indian films will completely destroy our film industry and our culture. At least 25,000
people will be jobless,” said Masum Parvez Rubel, a leading star and a co-coordinator of a front against Indian films.
The agreement, under which dedicated phone lines will be set up in the Prime Minister's office of the two countries, was signed
by Krishna and Yang after their talks in Beijing. This would enable Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart
Wen Jiabao to hold direct conversations whenever they want.
This is the first time in recent years that India has established a dedicated hotline facility with any country. The two countries also
decided to strengthen their cooperation in regional forums and on addressing issues like global financial crisis and climate change.
At their hour-long meeting, described as an “exercise in soul searching” by Indian officials, the two leaders decided to upgrade
the bilateral dialogue to the political level, something which Islamabad had been insisting upon for months.
After the Pakistani premier assured Manmohan Singh that his government would not allow the misuse of the Pakistani territory
for launching terror attacks in India, the two PMs instructed their foreign ministers and foreign secretaries to meet “as soon as
possible” to work out the modalities to pave the way for a “substantive dialogue” on all issues of mutual concern to restore trust
and confidence in the relationship.
Political analysts, however, pointed out that this was not the first time that the Pakistani leadership has promised not to allow the
misuse of the country’s soil for anti-India activities. This commitment has been given to India time and again by Islamabad since
January 2004 when Pervez Musharraf was at the helm of affairs.
The two PMs did agree that there was lack of mutual trust that was impeding the normalisation process and it was time to think
afresh on the way to move forward.
“We have reasons to believe that an official at the High Commission of India in Islamabad had been passing information to
Pakistan intelligence agencies. The matter is under investigation. The official is cooperating with our investigations and
inquiries,’’ MEA spokesman Vishnu Prakash.
Fifty three-year-old Madhuri, who is a spinster, was summoned to New Delhi on the pretext of discussions on the SAARC
Summit when she was taken into custody.
Desai and an associate, J.P. Singh, were picked up for allegedly demanding Rs 2 crore for granting recognition to a private
medical college in Punjab. It is the MCI’s responsibility to maintain standards in medical education and in the profession.
Desai is also accused of granting recognition to several colleges that didn’t meet required criteria. In 2001, he had stepped down
as MCI president after the Delhi High Court indicted him on corruption charges.
Sangma, elected as leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), was sworn in as the 25th CM since Meghalaya acquired
Statehood in April 1970.
Political instability in Meghalaya has seen eight CMs coming and going in the past 12 years. Only two CMs have completed five-
year terms since the State was formed.
The Congress-led ruling alliance has a comfortable majority of 44 in the 60-member Assembly, though the Congress has 28
MLAs of its own. Its partners are the United Democratic Party with 10 MLAs and six others, including three Independents.
Sangma, known to be a Lapang loyalist, is a four-time MLA from Ampatigiri Assembly constituency. More importantly, he is
believed to be the counter of Congress to Nationalist Congress Party veteran and former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A. Sangma in
the Garo Hills half of Meghalaya. This Garo tribe-inhabited half has a traditional ambivalent relationship with the other half
dominated by Khasi-Jaintia tribes.
Trouble began for Lapang after some Congress MLAs wanted him to drop three Independents and the lone regional party
(KHNAM) MLA from the Cabinet. Lapang declined, saying he could not betray “friends” who helped him form the Congress-led
Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA) government.
The Independents and some regional party MLAs had broken away from the NCP-backed Meghalaya Progressive Alliance to
help Lapang cobble together the MUA government on March 19, 2008, after voters delivered a fractured verdict in the Assembly
elections that year.
The rebels had meticulously planned the entire operation; inviting security personnel to walk into the trap laid on the Chintalnaar-
Tademetla road, about 100 km from the district headquarters and some 540 km south of the State capital.
The Naxalites, who were reportedly 1,000 in number, had planted landmines and created temporary bunkers on the hilltops to
easily target the jawans. The kaccha road where the incident took place had been surrounded by hilly terrains and dense forests.
The CRPF jawans did not get much time to take position and retaliate. The Naxalites opened indiscriminate fire from the bunkers
located at strategic points and detonated a series of landmines.
A key reason for the CRPF’s dismal response to the Naxal attack has been their lack of training. As CPO units poured into
Chhattisgarh for Operation Green Hunt, 5 battalions of the Border Security Force (BSF), 5 battalions of the Indo-Tibet Border
Police (ITBP) and 2 battalions of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) were all put through jungle warfare orientation courses at
Chhattisgarh’s well-reputed Jungle Warfare College in Kanker. The CRPF, inexplicably, refused to undergo this training.
Training at the Jungle Warfare College, as every organisation except the CRPF seems to have known, has underpinned anti-Naxal
operations in Chhattisgarh since 2005, when the college was set up with the help of the Indian Army. Over the last five years,
Chhattisgarh has trained 12,700 policemen (including 3700 from other States) at this institution. The college’s credo: Fight the
guerrilla like a guerrilla.
Instead of providing adequate training to each battalion that is sent into counter-insurgency operations, the CRPF has relied
heavily for success on “elite” units, like its feared “Naga Battalion” which was based in Bastar for several years before being
pulled out. In 2008, the Home Ministry authorised the CRPF to raise 10 COBRA (Commando Battalions for Resolute Action)
units, for counter-Naxal operations. But the regular battalions remain largely untrained, pushed at will from election duty, to
counter-insurgency, to patrolling riot-affected areas, to anti-Naxal operations. The Home Ministry’s approach has always centred
on getting the CRPF to the trouble-spot. After that, it is left to the harried battalion or company commander to deliver the goods.
The answer clearly lies in carefully training CPOs, especially before they go into counter-insurgency operations.
“Operations will go on…rather they are still on,” said well-placed sources, adding that 10 such battalions had been trained
specially for the “attack first” policy which is the dictum of the Army and the BSF in dealing with adversaries.
The training will include ramping up of infrastructure with firing ranges and also the use of the existing training facilities of the
Army in Jungle warfare. The Army’s jungle warfare expertise is such that even the Chinese Army conducted a joint exercise with
India in 2009.
For effective use, the CRPF—comprising 2.30 lakh personnel—will be segregated into two parts. One will help the State
governments in maintaining law and order duties, while the other, comprising younger men, will deal with insurgents.
The CRPF has also made it clear that the State governments have to start raising special operations groups of its local policemen,
like in Andhra Pradesh and J&K. The local boys know the population and glean out good information from villagers which comes
handy.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Announcing that they would run the turbulent Central Asian nation for six months, Ms Otunbayeva
said the new alliance proposed to hold new elections within this period.
In her first action, Ms Otunbayeva, designated the head of the interim government, said that a US
airbase outside the capital Bishkek, which is seen vital to the NATO campaign in nearby Afghanistan
would remain open despite the shift in power.
The amendment removes the head of State’s power to sack the Prime Minister and dissolve
Parliament. It also removes many of the sweeping powers amassed by military dictators Pervez
Musharraf and Zia-ul-Haq. The Bill also abolishes a clause barring the election of a Prime Minister
for more than two terms. This would allow the Nawaz Sharif, who was toppled by Musharraf in
1999, to become Prime Minister again.
The amendment effectively makes the President of Pakistan a titular head of State who can only
formally appoint heads of the armed forces, dissolve the National Assembly and appoint Provincial
Governors on the advice of the Prime Minister. The law also takes away the President’s power to
appoint and dismiss the heads of the Election Commission and the Public Service Commission.
UPFA returns to power in Sri Lanka
President Mahinda Rajapaksa's UPFA impressively returned to power on April 9, 2010, bagging 117
of 225 seats in the first post-LTTE era Parliamentary polls in Sri Lanka, with its closest rival UNF
securing just 46 and detained ex-army chief Sarath Fonseka's DNA failing to touch even a double
digit mark.
In Sri Lanka, the general elections directly decide 196 seats while the remaining 29 members are
chosen based on the percentage of votes secured by each party.
The UPFA, which campaigned to get a two-third majority in the House, fell short of just six members
to get the magic figure which is needed to bring about constitutional changes that the President
wants to put in place. These changes include the scaling down of the executive powers vested with
the President, as well as a change in the country’s proportional representation (PR) system of
elections.
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) saw much of its voter base eroded in the poll, the
first since the defeat of the Tamil Tigers, winning only 60 seats, down from the 82 it had won in the
2004 general election.
A third party led by detained former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka won seven seats, including
one for the retired general, while the majority of the seats in the north and east were won by the
Tamil National Alliance.
The protests looked like they had ended when Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva became the
Prime Minister in December 2008. But in March, the pro-Thaksin group launched a new wave of
protests to bring down the government.
The tension has escalated in recent months as the protesters laid siege to the capital Bangkok. As
security forces launched a crackdown, violence escalated, leaving many dead.
Apart from the pro-Thaksin angle, the protests are also seen as an initiative to bring in more
participation for the common people—read rural mass—in government formation.
In the December 2007 elections, held 18 months after the coup, Thaksin's vote bank remained
loyal, though he was in exile. His allies came to power but fell following sustained protests by Yellow
Shirts and unfavourable court rulings. In March 2009, Thaksin's supporters in red shirts poured into
the streets of Bangkok, forming the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship.
Though it was mostly made of the rural poor, students and pro-democracy activists joined them.
Claiming that the judiciary was biased against Thaksin, they question the legitimacy and credibility
of the current government. What began as innocuous sit-in protests outside government offices
quickly turned violent when they stormed the venue for ASEAN summit, forcing its cancellation.
The Yellow Shirts, called the Peoples' Alliance for Democracy, who are bitterly opposed to Thaksin,
were behind the street protests that led up to the military coup of September 2006. They were also
instrumental in forcing Thaksin's allies out of power in 2008.
If the Red Shirts are mostly rural poor, the Yellow Shirts comprise royalists, businessmen and the
urban middle-class. They wear yellow because it is the Thai King's colour. Media-baron Sondhi
Limthongkul and General Chamlong Srimuang are seen as the leaders of this outfit. In 2006, as the
Yellow Shirts shut down the capital, the army ousted Thaksin.
The treaty will cut strategic nuclear arsenals deployed by the former Cold War foes by 30 per cent
within seven years, but leave each with enough to destroy the other.
Obama said the agreement had “ended the drift” in relations between Moscow and Washington and
sent a strong signal that the two powers that together possess 90 per cent of all atomic weapons
were taking their disarmament obligations seriously.
SEC has accused Goldman Sachs of “making materially misleading statements and omissions” in
connection with a synthetic collateralised debt obligation (CDO)—Abacus—that the firm structured
and marketed to investors.
Goldman Sachs is said to have created marketing material about Abacus and invited its clients—
investment managers of banks, insurance companies, pension funds, etc—to invest in the CDO. It is
said to have given an impression to the investors that the residential mortgage-backed securities
that made up the CDO were hand-picked by ACA Management—then seen as a reputable fund
manager, looking after dozens of CDOs. Goldman clients invested in the CDO, believing these loans
were of good quality.
SEC claims Goldman deliberately hid from its clients John Paulson’s involvement, which was a huge
conflict of interest. Since Paulson was looking to short the sub-prime market, he was most likely to
have picked the worst possible bonds.
Within a year, 99 per cent of the assets within Abacus were downgraded. Paulson, who was by this
time betting against Abacus by buying $15 million worth of credit default swaps (CDS) on Abacus,
earned around $1 billion from the trade.
The aim of the negotiators was to pick up the broken pieces of the Danish meeting and see what
could be salvaged and turned into a proper global agreement at the next UNFCCC conference, in
Cancun, Mexico in December 2010.
The United States seems to be the only country that still sees the Copenhagen accord as having a
life of its own. Almost all the rest, including countries that have “associated” themselves with the
accord have insisted that the UNFCCC remains the only agreed decision-making forum. Hence the
discussions in Bonn revolved around which bits of the accord could be brought into the UNFCCC and
how.
The Bonn talks were mainly about procedures—for example, which texts to start with, how many
meetings to hold before Cancun, whether to mandate the chair to prepare draft text, and so on—but
there was also much informal stock-taking about which pieces could be put together by Cancun.
While some countries continued to call for an all-or-nothing approach, most feel that it is more
realistic to aim for a number of less ambitious, partial agreements on several elements. These
include ways to transfer climate-friendly technologies and funds for adaptation to climate change
from rich to poorer countries, as well as a deal that would compensate countries for keeping their
forests intact.
This would mean delaying the more difficult decisions on ambitious targets for countries to reduce
their greenhouse gas emissions, and an overall legally binding agreement to the conference in
South Africa at the end of 2011 or beyond.
The list, of countries from Albania to Zambia, helped to end weeks of uncertainty about support for
the deal, agreed at an acrimonious summit in the Danish capital in December 2009. The list was
compiled by the UN Climate Change Secretariat.
The accord, falling short of a binding treaty sought by many nations, sets a goal of limiting global
warming to below 2 degrees Celsius. But, it does not spell out what each nation has to do.
It also promises almost $10 billion a year in aid for poor nations from 2010-12, rising to at least
$100 billion from 2020, to help them slow emissions growth and cope with impacts such as floods,
droughts and rising sea levels. Apart from China and the United States, the list also includes top
emitters such as the European Union, Russia, India and Japan.
The accord was merely “noted” by the 194-nation summit after objections by a handful of
developing nations, including Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and Sudan. The United Nations then
asked all countries to say if they wanted it to be listed. Many big emerging economies were initially
reluctant to sign up after the deal failed to gain universal support, even though the original text was
worked out by President Barack Obama with leaders of China, India, Brazil and South Africa.
Nations not on the list include many Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries nations such as
Saudi Arabia, which fear a loss of oil revenues if the world shifts to renewable energies, and some
small island States which fear rising sea levels.
The third meeting of BASIC ministers concluded in Cape Town April 25, 2010.
The statement also said that the developing countries strongly support international legally-binding
agreements, as the lack of such agreements hurts developing countries more than developed
nations.
The ministers said that negotiations should follow a two-pronged approach. One track is on long-
term cooperative action to combat climate change. The other is for developed countries to commit
to what extent they will reduce their greenhouse gas emissions after 2012, when the current
commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol runs out.
The next BASIC ministerial meeting will be held at the end of July 2010 in Brazil, followed by one
hosted by China at the end of October 2010.
Even as the US was making a strong pitch for further sanctions against Iran, China and Russia, two
permanent members of the UN Security Council, attended the meet. India, another key global
player, was also present at the conference, though it was only represented by the Joint Secretary
(Disarmament) in the External Affairs Ministry.
Iran showcased the two-day event to demonstrate that its nuclear programme was aimed at
meeting its growing energy needs and that it has no military agenda.
Iran moots establishment of independent global group under the UN to plan nuclear disarmament
and suspension of membership of the US and others which from the board of governors.
India opposes sanctions against Iran and feels that Tehran should enjoy all rights to develop N-
energy for peaceful purposes.
The revelation brought a sense of urgency to the Washington summit on nuclear security, where
Barack Obama called on the rest of the world “not simply to talk, but to act” to destroy vulnerable
stockpiles of nuclear material, or to safeguard them against theft by terrorists.
Georgian sources said the highly-enriched uranium HEU was intercepted in a sting operation carried
out by the Tbilisi authorities in March 2010. They said the uranium was more than 70 per cent
enriched and appeared to have been pure enough to use in a crude nuclear weapon.
The amount seized was small, but Georgian officials said the gang was offering the HEU as a sample
of a bigger quantity available for purchase.
“The Georgian ministry of interior has foiled eight attempts of illicit trafficking of enriched uranium
during the last 10 years, including several cases of weapons-grade enrichment. Criminals associated
with these attempts have been detained,” the Georgian President said.
The potentially touchy issue of China’s currency, the yuan, did not appear in either country’s public
account of the chat. Domestic US political pressure has been building on the Obama administration
to label China a “currency manipulator”.
The relationship between Beijing and Washington has been dragged down in recent months by
disputes spanning China’s currency and internet controls, US arms sales to the self-ruled island of
Taiwan, and Obama’s meeting with exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
Both leaders agreed to work hard to ensure positive results at a second round of their Strategic and
Economic Dialogue in May.
The United States welcomed Hu’s decision to attend the nuclear security summit, saying it would
allow them to address a “shared interest in stopping nuclear proliferation and protecting against
nuclear terrorism”.
The Summit ended on April 29, 2010, with leaders adopting the ‘Thimphu statement’ on climate
change, signing an agreement on trade in services and expressing their firm resolve to stamp out
terrorism from the region. The next summit would be held in the Maldives in 2011.
Facing criticism for the slow pace of development in the region, the SAARC leaders reiterated their
commitment to implement the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) in letter and spirit to
boost intra-regional economic cooperation for the prosperity of their people. The closing ceremony
of the summit was attended by leaders from all the eight SAARC countries—India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Representatives of nine
observer countries—Mauritius, South Korea, China, Japan, Iran, the US, the EU, Australia and
Myanmar—were also present.
The seven-page ‘Thimphu Silver Jubilee Declaration-Towards a Green and Happy South Asia’’
emphasised the importance of reducing dependence on high-carbon technologies for economic
growth and hoped promotion of climate resilience will promote both development and poverty
eradication in a sustainable manner.
In line with India’s position, the SAARC countries underlined that global negotiations on climate
change should be guided by the principles of equity, and common but differentiated responsibilities
and respective capabilities as enshrined in the UN framework convention and conducted in an open,
transparent and inclusive manner. They also underscored the need to initiate the process to
formulate a common SAARC position for the Mexico conference on climate change in December.
The SAARC leaders agreed to establish an inter-governmental expert group to develop clear policy
directions for regional cooperation as envisaged in the SAARC Plan of Action on Climate Change.
The leaders directed the SAARC Secretary-General to commission a study aimed at accreditation of
SAARC with the Kyoto Protocol’s Adaptation Fund as a regional entity for undertaking adaptation
projects in South Asia.
IBSA Summit
The 2nd India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Summit was held in Brasilia on April 15, 2010. Speaking at
the Summit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the grouping of leading developing economies
must speak against the protectionist policies, “which are only short-sighted and self-defeating in the
long run”. IBSA can contribute to the shaping of the global agenda and highlighting the issues of
concern to developing countries, he added.
Underlining that the world must ensure that “we do not repeat the mistakes of the past”, the Prime
Minister said for the global economic recovery to be sustainable, it must be anchored in the real
economy.
He also underlined the need for the IBSA to coordinate its positions in the G-20 and continue to
pursue the early conclusion of the Doha round of trade negotiations “because a fair and rule-based
multilateral trading system is in our interest”.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the summit, the leaders emphatically stated: “Nuclear
terrorism is one of the most challenging threats to international security” and agreed that “strong
nuclear security measures are the most effective means to prevent terrorists, criminals or other
unauthorised actors from acquiring nuclear material.” Another summit would be held in 2012 in
South Korea to review the progress.
At a press conference after the summit, US President Barack Obama, under whose initiative the
summit was convened, acknowledged that the task was tough but had to be done. Obama said:
“This is an ambitious goal, and we are under no illusions that it will be easy. But the urgency of the
threat, and the catastrophic consequences of even a single act of nuclear terrorism, demand an
effort that is at once bold and pragmatic. And this is a goal that can be achieved.”
Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said he was satisfied with the outcome of the summit
and that it had endorsed what India had been pressing for at various international forms in the past
several years.
The summit also recognised that even as nations fulfil their national responsibilities these could not
addressed by countries working in isolation. What was needed was a sustained, effective
programme of international cooperation. The leaders agreed that at the international level the need
was for compliance with existing key conventions and initiatives.
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
On May 27, 2010, RBI allowed banks to avail of additional support under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF). Till July 2,
banks have been permitted to avail of support of up to 0.5 per cent of their net demand and time liabilities, which will provide an
additional liquidity support of over Rs 20,000 crore.
In addition, RBI said that as an ad hoc measure, banks can seek a waiver for any shortfall in maintenance of the prescribed 25 per
cent statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) while availing the temporary facility.
To be established at an estimated Rs 300 crore, the institute would come up on an area of about 200 acres. A sum of Rs 100 crore
has been earmarked for land acquisition. The existing defence educational institutions like the National Defence College, New
Delhi, College of Defence Management, Secunderabad, National Staff College, Wellington, and National Defence Academy,
Pune, would also be affiliated to the INDU. At present, these institutions are attached to various universities across the country.
The proposed university, which would be fully autonomous and constituted under an Act of Parliament, would promote policy-
oriented research on all aspects of national security as part of the strategic national policy-making. The university was first
mooted in 1967 and the matter was accorded all seriousness after the 1999 Kargil conflict.
The government had set up a Kargil Review Committee, headed by strategic expert K. Subrahmanyam, which had recommended
establishment of such a university to exclusively deal with defence and strategic matters. It will encourage awareness of national
security issues by reaching out to scholars and an audience beyond the official machinery.
Till now, a law degree from a recognised university or a law institute was the sole eligibility criterion for getting registered as a
lawyer.
The country’s net GHG emissions in 2007 were 1.9 billion tonnes compared to 1.2 billion tonnes in 1994. However against 1.5
tonnes of CO2 per capita in 1994, the per capita GHG emission was estimated to be 1.7 tonnes of CO2 in 2007.
Even though India is ranked fifth in aggregate GHG emissions after US, China, the European Union and Russia in its contribution
to global warming, emissions of US and China are almost four times that of India.
China and the US are the world's top emitters of greenhouse gases and disagreement between the two on slashing their carbon
dioxide output was a major cause of the failure of the UN-sponsored climate change talks in 2009. At the Copenhagen Summit,
India announced its intent to further reduce the emission intensity of the GDP by 20-25 per cent between 2005 and 2020 even as it
pursues the path of inclusive growth.
“Compulsory administration of any of these techniques is an unjustified intrusion into the mental privacy of an individual. It
would also amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment with regard to the language of evolving international human rights
norms,” a Bench comprising Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, R.V. Raveendran and J.M. Panchal held.
Further, placing reliance on the results gathered from these techniques would come into conflict with the right to fair trial.
“Invocations of a compelling public interest cannot justify the dilution of constitutional rights such as the right against self-
incrimination” guaranteed under Article 20(3) of the Constitution, the Bench said in the 251-page verdict.
The apex court also observed that the scientific validity of the techniques “has been questioned and it is argued that their results
are not entirely reliable…empirical studies suggest that the drug-induced revelations need not necessarily be true”.
The Bench said that before arriving at the conclusion it also assessed the “tensions between the desirability of efficient
investigation and the preservation of individual liberties” and the reasoning that these techniques “are a softer alternative to the
regrettable and allegedly widespread use of third degree methods by investigators”.
At the end, the apex court made it clear that the eight-point guidelines issued by the National Human Rights Commission in 2000
for conducting narco-analysis tests should be strictly adhered to. Among the guidelines were: No lie detector tests should be
administered except on the basis of consent of the accused. If the accused volunteers for a lie detector test, he should be given
access to a lawyer and the physical, emotional and legal implication of such a test should be explained to him by the police and
his lawyer. The consent should be recorded before a judicial magistrate.
In a global economic outlook report, the Paris-based grouping warned: “With inflation remaining elevated and the recovery
appearing to have taken root, there is a risk that price increases for inputs will flow through to second-round increases and that
inflationary expectations will become destabilised. To mitigate this risk, sizeable further monetary tightening will be required
through 2010 and into 2011.”
OECD projected the inflation rate to be 7.7 per cent in 2010 and 6.1 per cent in 2011. It expected the consumer price index rise to
be at 10.2 per cent in 2010 and still hovering at 6.3 per cent in 2011. The trade deficit has been projected at $80 billion (imports of
$405 billion) in 2010 and going up to $101 billion (imports of $478 billion up 13.1 per cent from 2010) in 2011 and real GDP
growth in 2010 at 8.3 per cent and at 8.5 per cent in 2011.
OECD Chief Economist Pier Carlo Padoan said: “The outlook for inflation remains the main downside risk, especially if
monsoonal rainfall is again deficient. In that case, food inflation would likely begin to risk anew. More generally, the strong state
of domestic demand could lead to persistently higher inflation and an upward drift in inflationary expectations.”
Adding the context of anticipated deficit reduction being underpinned on “expected revenue growth, asset sales and some more
modest tax measures”, Padoan added “the expected rebound in agricultural activity should help limit further increase in food
prices, which have been a major contributor to high inflation. However, underlying inflationary pressures are likely to persist
given the strong outlook for demand. Timely policy action to limit the scope for second-round price increases is, therefore,
required. Monetary policy normalisation is also important in the light of relatively modest fiscal consolidation”.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who chaired the meeting of the Council, highlighted the need to create a general consciousness
of the need to use water in the most sustainable manner in view of its scarcity and assess the impact of climate change on water.
The Council felt that to make the Mission a peoples' movement it was essential to make available all data on water in the public
domain, to be able to mobilise citizens, local bodies and State governments for focused action on water conservation and
augmentation.
Members felt incentives should be provided for using water in a sustainable manner and that the Research and Development
requirements of the mission should be focused upon.
Water Mission is one of the eight missions in the National Action Plan on Climate Change launched by the Prime Minister in
2009 to tackle the threats of global warming.
The government has already launched Energy Efficient and Solar Mission while a draft of Green Mission has been prepared for
public consultation.
The GDP growth rate had slowed to 6.7% in 2008-09 following the global economic crisis, after topping 9% in the previous three
years.
The first quarter growth in the gross domestic product (GDP) is better than expected. In February, the Central Statistical
Organisation (CSO) had estimated that the Indian economy would grow at 7.2% in 2009-10, with growth of 7.7% in the fourth
quarter. But the unexpectedly strong performance in the fourth quarter helped boost the final figure to 7.4%.
The fourth-quarter showing is particularly commendable in the light of a sudden dip in the third quarter to 6.5% from 8.6% in the
second quarter due to the impact of a drought-like situation in the country.
China is the only large economy with a higher growth rate at 11.9% in the January-March quarter. The rest of the world is
witnessing a fragile recovery, which is now under threat due to the brewing Euro-zone crisis. The sixteen developed countries in
the Euro-zone expanded by just 0.2% in the quarter. At the same time, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD)—a grouping of mostly developed countries including Europe that account for over 60% of the global
economy—grew at only 0.7% in the quarter, against 0.9% in the previous quarter. US and Japan grew at 0.8% and 1.2%,
respectively.
The 7.4% growth in 2009-10 also showed that stimulus provided by government yielded results.
During her visit, Patil inaugurated China’s first Indian-style Buddhist temple in Luoyang city in Henan province.
Skirting contentious issues, she held discussions with the top Chinese leadership. Controversial issues such as Chinese border
incursions, stapled visas for Kashmiris, Indian visas for Chinese telecom companies and Sino-Pak ties did not figure in the
discussions. Patil sought Chinese support for New Delhi's permanent membership of the UNSC during talks. The Chinese leaders
supported India's aspirations for UNSC permanent seat and assured the Indian leader that Beijing would back India’s bid in
2011’s election for a non-permanent membership of the UNSC.
The government emerged as the biggest winner. The sale of wireless airwaves would make it richer by at least Rs 67,719 crore,
the double of what it had targeted in the Union Budget 2010 and about 1 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product.
The proceeds from the sale of 3G and BWA spectrum will together help the government plug its fiscal deficit, projected at 5.5 per
cent of GDP in the Budget. The winning operators said if the government allots them spectrum as promised, by September 1, they
will be able to roll out 3G services in four to six months.
Seventy per cent of the revenue for spectrum comes from only six circles, while locations such as West Bengal, Himachal
Pradesh, Assam and Jammu and Kashmir saw licences being awarded at virtually the base price. The surprise package was Bihar
where the bids closed at Rs 203.46 crore, seven times its base price.
“It was not a simple act of murder. It was war,” judge M.L. Tahiliyani said in a summary of the 1,522 page judgement. “This type
of preparation is not made by ordinary criminals. This type of preparation is made by those waging war.”
The court also held 20 other accused, including Lashkar-e-Tayiba founder Hafiz Saeed, its operations chief Zaki-ur-Rehman
Lakhvi and Abu Hamza, guilty of conspiracy.
Pakistan had earlier raised objections over the 240 MW Uri-II project being constructed on Jhelum river in Kashmir valley and
the 44 MW Chutak plant being built on Suru, a tributary of Indus river in Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh
province. Pakistan had claimed that the projects would deprive it of its share of water.
NTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
The Conservatives under David Cameron emerged as the single largest party with 306 seats in the
650-member House of Commons, while Labour bagged 258 and Lib Dems 57.
Eight NRIs won elections, four each from the Labour Party and the Conservatives. Likewise four
Pakistani-origin MPs, Sadik Khan, Khalid Mahmood, Anas Sarwar and a woman lawyer Shabana
Mahmood, were successful on behalf of the Labour Party.
The LibDems play an extremely important role in the formation of the next government, although
they have not been able to attract as many votes as they hoped for. They were expecting to win
more than 100 seats, but they had to be satisfied with less than 60. However, despite the poor
show, they still hold the trump card and are destined to play the role of king-makers.
On May 11, Conservative leader David Cameron (43), who favours a ‘new special relationship’ with
India, took charge as Britain’s youngest Prime Minister in nearly 200 years, heading a coalition with
the support of centrist LibDems, and vowed to put aside party differences and provide a strong and
decisive government. He made Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg Deputy Prime Minister.
The 16 Euro nations agreed in a statement to offer as much as 750 billion Euro ($962 billion),
including International Monetary Fund backing, to countries facing instability and the European
Central Bank said it will buy government and private debt. The rescue package for Europe’s
sovereign debtors came little more than a year after the waning of the last crisis, caused by the US
mortgage-market collapse, which wreaked $1.8 trillion of global credit losses and write-downs.
Under US and Asian pressure to stabilise markets, Europe’s governments bet their show of force
would prevent a sovereign-debt collapse and muffled speculation the 11-year-old Euro might break
apart.
The new war chest would be used for countries like Portugal or Spain in case their finances buckle.
Deficits are set to reach 8.5 percent of gross domestic product in Portugal and 9.8 percent in Spain
in 2010, above the Euro region’s 3 percent limit. Both countries pledged “significant” additional
budget cuts in 2010 and 2011.
The vow to push budget shortfalls below the Euro's 3 percent limit echoes promises that have been
regularly broken ever since governments in 1999 set a three-year deadline for achieving balanced
budgets. The Euro region’s overall deficit is forecast at 6.6 percent of gross domestic product in
2010 and 6.1 percent in 2011.
Britain, the EU’s third-largest economy, won’t contribute to a Euro rescue fund, though it backs
efforts to restore stability.
The coming months could bring far more problems as Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
reforms the country’s labour market, risking national strikes and the loss of support from trade
unions, a core source of his centre-left party’s strength.
Zapatero’s minority government is already running into serious trouble, although there appears to
be no immediate threat of it falling.
A package of austerity measures was passed by only one vote in the Parliament’s lower chamber on
May 27, 2010. Opposition parties have called for new elections.
The austerity package aims to cut spending by Euro 15 billion ($18.4 billion) over two years by
freezing pensions and cutting civil servants’ wages.
But investors and lenders such as the International Monetary Fund are demanding that Spain
reform its labour market, overhauling hiring and firing rules and moving to find jobs for the long-
term unemployed and the young.
Europe’s top job creator only two years ago, Spain now has the highest unemployment rate—just
over 20 per cent—of the 16 nations that share the Euro currency.
The resulting austerity package, nicknamed the “scissors action” by Spanish media, was welcomed
by the European Union and the IMF, which said Spain’s “ambitious fiscal consolidation is under way
to reach the three percent GDP deficit target by 2013”.
China’s decision to sell nuclear reactors to Pakistan, which has not signed the nuclear Non-
Proliferation Treaty, is proving to be a litmus test for President Barack Obama, who has championed
the cause of curbing the spread of nuclear technology.
China has helped Pakistan set up nuclear reactors since 1991 when China National Nuclear
Corporation (CNNC) entered into a contract with the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) to
build Chashma-1, a 325 MW nuclear power reactor. When it joined the NSG in 2004, China cited a
Sino-Pakistan framework agreement that committed it to set up a second reactor, Chashma-2, for
Pakistan.
CNNC and PAEC have also worked out a deal to set up two separate 650 MW reactors—Chashma-3
and Chashma-4.
Analysts say the Obama administration is reluctant to press China on the matter in case Beijing
responds by dropping its tentative support for sanctions on Iran.
NSG rules prohibit the sale of sensitive nuclear technology and materials to nations that have not
joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and do not allow international monitoring of their
nuclear activities.
Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, says the agreement between
China and Pakistan is “deeply troubling because we have China engaging in civil nuclear trade with
a country that does not meet the requirements of the NSG for such trade.” He said the Obama
administration should insist at the NSG that the Chashma -3 and -4 projects be discussed and it be
determined that they not be permitted.
Under the agreement Tehran will ship 1,200 kg of low-enriched uranium (LEU) to Turkey in
exchange for fuel for a research reactor. Turkey will keep Iran’s LEU and the IAEA and Iran can
monitor the fuel.
Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty regime (NPT) which had enabled it to
received nuclear technology for civilian use from other NPT signatories, including the US in return
for committing that it would not be diverted or misused for military purposes. In 2002, Iran was
discovered to have clandestinely set up a uranium enrichment plant and a heavy water unit without
informing the IAEA. Since then major powers led by the US have got the UN to impose severe
sanctions and refuses to lift them till Tehran's comes clean and puts an end to all clandestine use.
Apart from curbs on banking and trade, heavy sanctions had been imposed on some key public
sector enterprises of Iran and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Council, the striking arm of the
current regime.
Currently Iran is estimated to have 1,500 kg of 3.5 per cent (low) enriched uranium. For running
research reactors like the Tehran facility for medical purposes, the uranium needs to be medium
enriched to 20 per cent. According to a deal, Iran would swap 1,200 kg of its stockpile of low-
enriched uranium in exchange for 120 kg of medium-enriched uranium that is to be supplied by the
Vienna Group.
For making weapons grade material, uranium has to be enriched to at least 90 per cent. At least
300 kg of this highly enriched uranium is needed to develop an atom bomb. By keeping Iran’s low
enriched uranium stockpiles to around 3,000 kg, the world hopes that it would prevent it from
crossing the threshold of nuclear material needed to make a bomb.
Reacting to the Iran’s deal with Brazil and Turkey, the US pointed out that Tehran’s decision to
continue with some enrichment of nuclear fuel is a direct violation of UN Security Council and that
the details of the agreement must be conveyed to the International Atomic Energy Agency before it
can be considered by the international community.
UK responded by saying that Iran’s actions remain a serious cause for concern. “There is a need for
a continued effort to impose sanctions.”
EU responded by saying that “this is a right direction but it does not answer all the concerns raised
over Iran’s nuclear programme.
The United States, which backs Seoul, warned that the situation was “highly precarious”. China, the
North’s only major ally, urged calm. The mounting tension followed report by international
investigators accusing the North of torpedoing the Cheonan corvette in March 2010, killing 46
sailors in one of the deadliest clashes between the two since the 1950-53 Korean War.
The United States, which has 28,000 troops on the peninsula, threw its full support behind South
Korea and said it was working hard to stop the situation from escalating.
Few analysts believe either Korea would dare go to war. The North’s military is no match for the
technically superior South Korean and US forces. And for the South, conflict would put investors to
flight.