CONTENTS

1. ThE uNfOldiNg Deliberations and Consensus Building for the New World Order Analysing CHOGM, G-20 & APEC-2011 .......................................................................... 3 2. NATiONAl BullETiN Manipur Mess: Another Economic Blockade ................................................................... 12 National News.................................................................................................................... 14 3. iNTERNATiONAl BullETiN The Seven Billion Question .............................................................................................. 22 IOR-ARC 2011 ................................................................................................................. 24 International News............................................................................................................. 25 4. BilATERAl BullETiN India-Japan: Strategic and Global Partners ...................................................................... India-Nepal: Strengthening the Foundation ...................................................................... IBSA: A Tirangle of Great Promise ................................................................................... SAARC-A Renewed Hope ................................................................................................ Bilateral News................................................................................................................... 28 31 33 35 37

5. ECONOMY@ iP Oil Pricing in India: The Real Picture .............................................................................. 40 Abc Of Credit Rating Agency .......................................................................................... 44 Economy News................................................................................................................. 46 6. SCiENCE SPECTRuM Viral Encephalities ........................................................................................................... 51 Science News.................................................................................................................... 53 7. PERSPECTiVES AFSPA: 53 Years of Darkness and Despair ...................................................................... 57 8. iNSPiRATiON@iP The Story of Abraham Lincoln ......................................................................................... 60 9. ThiNKERS ARENA The Monsoon Asia Diplomacy: India and the Indian Ocean Region ............................ 62 10. MOSAiC Dance Forms of India ....................................................................................................... 65 11. KNOW iT All............................................................................................................... 70 12. QuESTiONS@ iP Current Affairs Questions................................................................................................. 79 CSAT Model Paper........................................................................................................... 84

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IndIa PrePares
Volume 1 Issue 3 December 2011 Title Code : DELENG18052
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EDITORS NOTE
Dear readers, The team of India Prepares was overwhelmed by your response for our first two issues. Thanks to all our readers. Many aspirants mailed us their valuable suggestions and we promise to work along the lines. Our help mail was inundated with your queries and I hope our expert advisors answered all your problems to your satisfaction. We were also happy to see the immense response for our sections Perspectives and Thinkers Arena. Many readers asked us to increase the number of such essays. We hope the subsequent issues will have your concerns sorted. We, at India Prepares, try to bring diverse and informed perspectives on the most seminal issues which emerge from the immediate context of public discourse, flux of events and developments, and wanderings in the unending realms of ideas factoring in that nothing relevant should miss our eyes and ears. Many students also asked for the subscription offer. It will be there from the next issue. Your feedback is highly appreciated. Enjoy reading

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thE uNfolDINg...

DElIbERAtIoNS AND coNSENSuS buIlDINg

foR thE NEw woRlD oRDER ANAlySINg chogM, g-20 & APEc-2011
A spate of International Summits against the backdrop of fears of another world recession, challenges of food security, governance, climate change and sustainable development took place in last one month. However, when one looks at the outcomes, there is little to feel good about. The G-20 summit was supposed to solidify and clarify the Eurozone crisis management deal and get the world economy back on the right track. What came out were only some vague offers to increase the firepower of the International Monetary Fund at some later date. Looking at the G-20, the grouping, which accounts for 85 per cent of the worlds output, the picture you get is of several people trying to steer a car in different directions, with one hand tied behind their backs, and their eyes looking not at the road ahead, but sideways. What manoeuvring is possible with such driving is an open question. During this crisis, the G-20 has missed a golden opportunity to demonstrate its effectiveness and enhance its legitimacy. There will probably be some action on illicit tax havens, some tepid measures on financial regulation, calls for rebalancing, but no real credible movement on global coordination. As far as CHOGM is concerned, Danny Sriskandarjah from Commonwealth Foundation said: It has been a bit of both. It has been a success in the sense that the Commonwealth is talking about itself and how it can get relevant. But many of us, especially after the week weve had, feel a bit depressed that this iconic new measure an independent Commissioner on Human Rights has been kicked into the long grass. He added: History alone is not going to keep the Commonwealth alive. History is the thing that binds the Commonwealth but history alone is not going to be a sufficient reason. However, we have to realize that we live in a multi-polar world in which there are no tall leaders who can guide the rest. That sort of world requires democratic procedures to arrive at consensus and that takes time. Here is a look at the three International Summits - CHOGM, G-20 AND APEC that took place over last one month without offering anything concrete to the world order. Yet they signify the importance of dialogue and provide food for thought to the optimists.

1. chogM: think big, start small and upscale fast

Leaders from the 54 member nations gathered in Perth (Australia) from October 28 to 30 for their biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) against the backdrop of a deepening global financial crisis, on the one hand, and a crisis of governance in several member-nations Pakistan, Fiji, which is currently suspended from the Commonwealth, and Zimbabwe ,along with issues ranging from the challenges of food security, sustainable development and natural resource development to financial turmoil and climate changeon the other. These were discussed under the overarching theme: Building National Resilience, Building Global Resilience. Efforts were also underway to enhance the Commonwealths role in international fora, particularly the G20 process, the 17th Conference of Parties (COP-17), and the Rio+20 meeting on sustainable development scheduled in Brazil next year. It was preceded by the Pre CHOGM Foreign Ministers Meeting on 26th and 27th October, 2011. This is the third CHOGM to be held in Australia (after Melbourne in 1981 and Coolum in 2002) and is billed as the largest Commonwealth gathering. Vice-President of India, Hamid Ansari led the official Indian delegation to the Summit. The External Affairs Minister headed the Indian delegation to the PreCHOGM Foreign Ministers meeting. There was also an Indian business delegation at Perth which was headed by the CII President Designate Mr. Adi Godrej. Trinidad and Tobago, and chaired by former Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, to suggest ways to reform various Commonwealth institutions in order to bring the Commonwealths many institutions into a stronger and more effective framework of cooperation and partnership was discussed during the meet. The member nations agreed to adopt one third of the 106 recommendations. On the much-talked about recommendations of the EPG, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said that the CHOGM had agreed to a third of their suggestions, including having a charter of values which will contain values, principles and aspirations of commonwealth in one clear and powerful statement. She said the leaders also decided to adopt without reservation 30 recommendations of the EPG and another

commonwealth reforms and EPg recommendations

The report of the Eminent Persons Group, set up at the 2009 CHOGM in Port of Spain,

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12 recommendations would be adopted subject to consideration of financial implications. While leaders rejected 11 recommendations of the EPG, 43 others, including the proposal for a human rights commissioner, were sent to a taskforce of ministers for detailed advice. The rights commissioner would have the power to investigate rights abuses, develop earlywarning strategies and develop capacitybuilding measures to prevent abuses. India is also among the nations which have opposed the establishment of a human rights commissioner on the grounds that it would duplicate the work of the United Nations, risk international intervention on many issues that should be handled domestically, and would cost too much. The responsibilities spelt out in this seemed to undermine the role of both the Secretary-General and the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group itself which is actually dealing with precisely those issues. And at a time when the organisation is facing budgetary difficulties whether it should really go that direction, is not quite clear. According to the Indian view, the real focus of the Commonwealth should be once again on the development challenges which are uppermost in the minds of the vast majority of the members. Commonwealth should focus on strengthening the existing institutions rather than trying to create new ones. Meanwhile, states did agree to strengthen the existing Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), empowering it to act when a country is veering off course in terms of democratic values and the rule of law, than waiting until a country has gone to a grossly unacceptable stage and leaders only having options of suspension or expulsion in front of them, said Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. A set of objective criteria have been developed to trigger CMAG involvement, she added.

nations of which Queen Elizabeth II is a constitutional monarch. In practical terms, this means that the eldest child of Prince William -- now second-in-line to the throne -- will inherit the crown, regardless of its own gender, or that of younger siblings. Put simply, if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were to have a little girl, that girl would one day be our queen, said UK Prime Minister David Cameron. In contrast, Queen Elizabeth only succeeded to the throne because she had no younger brothers. The decision also impacts the current order of succession, with Princess Anne, the only daughter of the Queen, moving from the tenth to fourth position. The 16 nations also agreed to scrap the law barring anyone married to a Roman Catholic from inheriting the throne, although the monarch must still be a member of the Church of England which he or she will head. Some major issues, however, are still unaddressed. To start with, Mr. Cameron appears not to plan large changes to the Act of Settlement despite the fact that it is so hostile to Catholicism that it could not be drafted today Catholics will still be banned from holding the monarchy. Secondly, the Bill of Rights is not a statement of citizens rights. It transfers almost all power from the monarch to the British parliament, and such rights as are given specifically to United Kingdom nationals are potentially revocable.

on sustainable development and the need for legally binding outcomes on climate change mitigation efforts.

commonwealth vows to fight terror, piracy

Commonwealth nations collectively pledged to fight terrorism by preventing the use of their territories for terrorist acts or financing and also vowed to accelerate efforts to combat piracy and strengthening maritime security in the Indian Ocean. They also committed to accelerate efforts to conclude negotiations on a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. On the international security front, piracy was another issue that figured prominently in the communiqu as the group maintained their commitment to a stable and secure national and international environment. Enhancing the capacity of coastal states, the communiqu also urged the international community to recognise that the menace of piracy in the Indian Ocean cannot be effectively tackled in the absence of political stability and security in Somalia. It also called for encouraging the international community to mobilise additional funding for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) as also combating proliferation and trafficking of illicit small arms and light weapons. The Commonwealth leaders advocated the embracing of moderation as an important value to overcome all forms of extremism, as called for in the Global Movement of the Moderates and improving legislation and capacity in tackling cyber crime and other cyber space security threats, including through the Commonwealth Internet Governance Forums Cyber Crime Initiative. The group also affirmed support to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and its Seventh Review Conference in December 2011 and pledged to continue tackling the root causes of conflict, including through the promotion of democracy, development and strong legitimate institutions.

Perth Declaration on food Security

The Commonwealth issued a Perth Declaration on Food Security, calling for global efforts to deliver food aid and strengthen agriculture in countries facing serious food crises. Half of the worlds one billion hungry people live in Commonwealth nations. The Declaration also committed to improving international market access for food producers, including smallholders and women, through trade liberalisation measures such as the elimination of tariff and non-tariff trade barriers and avoidance of restrictions on food exports.Discussions were also held

change in royal succession rules

The royal daughters of the United Kingdom will soon get an equal right to rule, thanks to a historic decision to repeal centuries-old male primogeniture succession rules approved by the 16

Vow to eradicate polio

Pakistan Premier Yusuf Raza Gilani blamed

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an influx of Afghan refugees for persistence of polio in his country as Commonwealth leaders pledged to eradicate the crippling disease by announcing measures like a new 50-million-dollar funding. The funds would be used to help purchase vaccines, monitor outbreaks and respond when and where needed. Mr. British Premier David Cameron mentioned that polio remains an endemic in three Commonwealth countries -- India, Nigeria and Pakistan. He noted that India has not reported any fresh case of polio since January this year. Microsoft founder Bill Gates also joined the leaders via video to announce a new USD 40 million contribution to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative on behalf of the Gates Foundation and in support of the Commonwealth commitments. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is a public-private partnership led by national governments in partnership with the World Health Organisation, Rotary International, the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the United Nations Childrens Fund, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The leaders also agreed to reduce the cost of remittance transfers by removing barriers to remitting and encouraging greater competition in the transfer market, by endorsing the World Banks General Principles for International Remittance Services. The leaders agreed to intensify efforts to promote womens decisionmaking roles at all levels and continuing to improve advocacy for womens leadership and the empowerment of women as leaders. The leaders also agreed to combat people smuggling and human trafficking by clamping down on illicit criminal organisations and bringing the perpetrators of these crimes to justice, while protecting and supporting the victims of trafficking.

and capacity-building to its developing member states. India has consistently, constructively and significantly contributed to various Commonwealth activities and has stepped up its engagement with the organization in recent times. During the last CHOGM in 2009 in Port of Spain, the Honble Prime Minister had announced several initiatives to support Commonwealth activities, including enhanced training slots, contributions to the Media Development Fund and the Commonwealth Partnership Platform Portal, and support for the new Commonwealth Small States Office in Geneva. All these commitments have been fulfilled and they demonstrate Indias continuing commitment to the Commonwealth. Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs decision to pull out of the CHOGM reportedly because it would have clashed with a conference of Governors called by the President caused both disappointment and surprise. According to western media reports, the organisers were stunned by the decision, especially as his would have been the first visit to Australia by an Indian Prime Minister in 25 years. It was like the Best Man at a wedding pulling out of the event. There is speculation whether it is a sign of India starting to lose interest in Commonwealth with its sights set on bigger things as it emerges as a global power. The view fits in with the wider concern that there is often a lack of strong political commitment from bigger member-states. Ensuring unwavering commitment by larger members is seen as one of the challenges facing the Commonwealth. However Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma dismisses such suggestions in relation to India and insists that it remains fully engaged. If anything, Indias engagement with the Commonwealth has deepened under the Manmohan Singh government with New Delhi playing an increasingly active role in its activities. Dr. Singhs personal absence in Perth will, in no way, diminish Indias visibility as a major player; he says. Some of the Commonwealths most

other key issues

The Commonwealth leaders advocated the embracing of moderation as an important value to overcome all forms of extremism, as called for in the Global Movement of the Moderates and improving legislation and capacity in tackling cyber crime and other cyber space security threats, including through the Commonwealth Internet Governance Forums Cyber Crime Initiative. The group also affirmed support to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and its Seventh Review Conference in December 2011 and pledged to continue tackling the root causes of conflict, including through the promotion of democracy, development and strong legitimate institutions.

climate change
With many of the Commonwealth nations being low-lying islands, the CHOGM agreed on a slew of measures to promote action on climate change, including a push to find better ways to fund mitigation and adaptation projects. Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed said a number of the EPG recommendations touched upon the issue of climate change and all have been accepted by the Heads. He appreciated the Australian initiative to impose carbon tax as a measure to tackle climate change.

Indias engagement with commonwealth in recent times:

India is the largest member of the Commonwealth and has nearly 60 per cent of its total population. A number of Commonwealth countries also have sizeable numbers of Persons of Indian Origin in their population. India is presently the fourth largest contributor to the Commonwealths assessed budgets and the fifth largest contributor to the voluntary Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC), which is used for providing technical assistance

Economy
The final CHOGM communiqu noted the impasse in the Doha round and urged the trade ministers World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting in December to make substantive progress as well as make a formal anti-protectionist pledge.

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cherished projects would not have been possible without inputs from India. One of the big-ticket initiatives in which India is heavily involved is the creation of a network of election management bodies which will establish a gold standard for elections that all democratic member-states will be expected to follow. India, with its long experience of running a credible election system, is actively helping in setting up the network. The India International Institute of Democracy and Election

Management, launched by the Election Commission of India in New Delhi recently, will train election commissioners from other Commonwealth countries. India is also helping with several youth development projects. Other initiatives include an offer by the Indian Institute of Mass Communication to train journalists from Commonwealth countries, and a move to reserve 250 seats for Commonwealth students in IT institutes. According to Mr. Sharma, the Prime

Mahinda Rajapakse had been the target of protesters, and some nations, led by Canada, had expressed unease over Colombo hosting the next CHOGM summit. Sri Lanka had faced an attack by media and rights activists groups on allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses during the war against LTTE. Bandula Jayasekara, the Sri Lankan Presidents spokesman, viewed. There has been a very biased and unfair campaign against Sri Lanka on this whole issue. He added that India had been very supportive of Sri Lankas position, both at CHOGM and earlier. Even as some groups and countries opposed Colombos hosting of the next CHOGM in 2013, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa pitched hard for his country to be chosen as the venue of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Kamalesh Sharma reappointed commonwealth Secretary general

Seasoned Indian diplomat Kamlesh Sharma was re-appointed Secretary General of the Commonwealth grouping for a four-year term beginning April 2012.India proposed 70-year-old Sharmas name for a second term to the coveted post at the concluding session of the 21st CHOGM. The proposal was accepted unanimously by everybody. Mr. Sharma, a former Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, was elected as Commonwealth Secretary General at the 19th CHOGM in Uganda over Michael Frendo, the Foreign Minister of Malta. Minister is taking a personal interest in many of these initiatives a proof of his unwavering commitment to the Commonwealth. We contribute over a 1.1 million pounds for CFTC(Commonwealth Fund For Technical Corporation), there is a separate contribution we make for the running of the Commonwealth Secretariat. And there are also some individual programmes we run. For example, the ICCR handles the scholarship programme which is totally different.

chogM summit in 2013

In a communiqu issued at the end of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth, the Commonwealth announced that Sri Lanka would host its next summit in 2013. Finally, to reaffirm their decisions to meet next in Sri Lanka in 2013 and thereafter in Mauritius in 2015, as well as to welcome the offer by Malaysia to host the 2019 CHOGM, the communiqu said. Earlier, Sri Lankan president

how relevant is the commonwealth today?

The general perception is that the Commonwealth is an anachronistic and fusty organisation with no clear aims or direction. It lacks drive and innovation and had failed to live up to its values and principles. In its current state, it had neither the clout nor the resources to fulfil its state. Many have criticise the Commonwealth bureaucracy for thriving on lengthy communiqus and statements that appear unfocused and unattainable.

India lobbies for Australian uranium

Informal, behind-the-scenes diplomacy is a key part of the CHOGM summits, and India used the opportunity to lobby for a change in Australias uranium exports policy banning sales to India, which is not a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The issue reportedly came up at Mr. Ansaris meeting with Australian Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott. Mr. Abbott heads the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia, which favours allowing Australia which has the worlds largest reserves of uranium to export the mineral to India. The ruling Labour party is split on the issue, which is expected to be a subject of hot debate at the party conference this December. Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd argued that Indias civil nuclear power programme was not dependent on Australian uranium. Both Indian officials and businessmen have been raising the issue on the sidelines of the CHOGM. There is no problem in terms of global supply, lets just be very, very blunt about this. However, Resources Minister Martin Ferguson who supports uranium exports to India, said he was eager to debate the issue at the party conference, which could turn out to be pivotal for Indias hopes of accessing Australian uranium. Mr. Ferguson also told Australian journalists that talks were on for a large Indian investment in the Galilee coal basin in Queensland. India-Australia relations have grown in strength and importance since Indias economic reforms in the Nineties. Australia is Indias eighth largest trading partner and India is Australias fifth largest. Indias ranking among Australias export destinations has risen from 12th to 4th place in 2003-04 to 2009-10. Trade has grown from A$ 6.54 billion in 2003-04 to A$ 22.40 billion in 2009-10.

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One of its most profound failures, according to critics, has been not involving people in decision-making processes. The Commonwealth operates mostly in an insular environment with peoples voices not getting a hearing. The disconnect between the Commonwealths high level goals and ideals agreed at the intergovernmental level and the lack of follow through at the national level severely hamper effective action and the ability of the Commonwealth to be a meaningful vehicle for change. They believe that in a bid to raise its international profile, it is spreading itself too thin by jumping on every passing bandwagon and, in the process, losing its focus. Thus, even after 60 years, the Commonwealth is seen, at best, to be muddling through; and its failure to develop a distinct identity means many ordinary people dont even know what it is about except that it has something to do with former British colonies.

But according to the supporters, the Commonwealth is as much, if not more, an association of 2 billion people as it is a group of 54 governments. It still retains its relevance. It has evolved considerably since 1949 when it came into existence. The fact that it has been a particularly useful grouping for assistance particularly of a technical and economic nature has been actually appreciated globally. Just to mention an example, there have been in the last few years countries which are otherwise not associated with Britain have chosen to join it. The Commonwealth when it started became a voluntary association of States which had this special connection with Britain. But even other developing countries which have no such connection have chosen to join it. To give examples, Mozambique joined the Commonwealth in 1995, Cameroon followed a few months later, and Rwanda joined the Commonwealth in 2009. India has a natural partnership with the organisation. It is after all a community of English speaking nations

all of whom have a common law system. The focus on South-South cooperation through the Commonwealth has been very effectively managed and used. It also deals with values of democracy, good governance, and others. Commonwealth has the ability to provide a natural platform for direct interaction, political dialogue in an informal setting and a forum for economic cooperation and technical assistance to many of the small States, particularly the small States from the Pacific islands and the Caribbean. What the Commonwealth really needed is stronger leadership to give it a meaningful voice in world affairs. The Commonwealth must: show demonstrable action; develop a clear identity; reorganise its priorities by playing to its strength; and become less insular by reaching out to the world beyond narrow Commonwealth circles. It is understandable that the Commonwealth, a grouping of former British colonies, is striving to remain relevant in the present day.

2. cannes g 20- A Note of Disappointment

Since our last meeting, global recovery has weakened, particularly in advanced countries, leaving unemployment at unacceptable levels tensions in the financial markets have increased due mostly to sovereign risks in Europe there are also clear signs of a slowing in growth in the emerging markets Commodity price swings have put growth at riskGlobal imbalances persist. This was the grim overview of the global situation offered by world leaders in the concluding document of G 20 Cannes Summit which ended on a note of disappointment. There were three clear-cut expectations from the G-20 summit. One, strong decisions by governments to stimulate growth each leader was suppose to submit an action plan with precise commitments. Two, reform of the international monetary system. It is clear that we need today a system that is more representative of the current balance of powers. Big emerging countries such as China are not playing a role consistent with their economic power. High volatility in exchange rates and currency wars will destabilise financial markets and hurt innocent bystanders such as India, Brazil and even the Eurozone lot. Three, implementing pledges relating to beefing up of bank capital and strengthening financial regulation made in earlier summits. Much more needs to be done to ensure regulation of financial activities that are under the radar and of over-the-counter products and derivatives. However, in the end, only vague offers to increase the firepower of the International Monetary Fund at some later date were all the euro zone leaders were able to take home after two days of tumultuous talks. The centre of action moved away from Cannes in southern France to the Greek capital, where a revolt within the ruling socialist Pasok party placed Mr. Papandreou in a more than delicate position. The G-20 summit ended in disarray without additional outside money to ease Europes debt crisis and new jitters about Italy clouding a plan to prevent Greece from defaulting. In Athens, Greeces prime minister survived a confidence vote in parliament, calming a revolt in his Socialist party with a pledge to seek an interim government that would secure a vital new European debt deal. The only concrete measure to emerge from the summit was that debtridden Italy has agreed to place itself under the trimestrial supervision of the International Monetary Fund. Other than that, weary delegates here admitted that the results of the meeting that brought together leaders of the worlds largest economies were meagre when compared to earlier encounters marked by a real sense of progress and international cooperation.

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following are the main achievements of the group of 20 heads of state summit in cannes, france, on November 3-4. IMf/Eu SuPERVISIoN of ItAly EcoNoMIc REfoRMS: Italy agreed to have the International Monetary Fund monitor its progress on a quarterly basis. IMf RESouRcES: Broad agreement to ramp up the IMFs warchest to help stop euro zone contagion plunging the world back into recession. No numbers were fixed, but countries such as Britain, China and Australia said they were ready to inject new funds into the IMF, either through bigger quotas or through additional money for the IMFs New Agreements to Borrow (NAB) crisis fund. foREIgN EXchANgE PolIcy: Agreement to move more rapidly toward market-determined exchange rate systems and enhance forex flexibility to reflect underlying fundamentals and avoid competitive devaluations. cAPItAl coNtRolS: Agreement on guidance for the management of capital flows with the aim of preventing and controlling risks that could undermine financial stability and sustainable growth. ActIoN PlAN foR JobS, gRowth: Under a package to reinvigorate growth and employment, the United States commits to timely near-term measures to sustain economic recovery. Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany South Korea and Indonesia agree to let automatic fiscal stabilizers work and support domestic demand. Italy pledges to bring its budget close to balance in 2013. fINANcIAl REgulAtIoN: Agreement to strengthen regulation and oversight of the shadow banking system, endorse the Financial Stability Boards initial 11 recommendations and develop them in 2012. bANKS: The G20 named 29 banks as being so important to the global financial system that they are likely to need to hold more capital than rivals and must put in place a plan to let them be wound up without taxpayer help were they to hit trouble. Of the list of so-called SIFIs, 17 are from Europe, eight are U.S. banks, including Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Citigroup, and four are from Asia, including Bank of China. EffoRt to cuRb coMMoDIty PRIcE VolAtIlIty: Agreement to boost agricultural output and tackle food price volatility to meet growing demand from a world population expected to reach 9 billion people by 2050.

tAX oN fINANcIAl tRANSActIoNS: No agreement on the creation of a global tax on financial transactions, although France will now push the idea of a pan-European tax via the European Commission. tAX hAVENS: Agreement to a multilateral convention to tackle tax evasion more effectively that includes automatic exchange of information and tax collection assistance. The convention also imposes safeguards to protect confidentiality of information. SDR: Agreement that the IMFs SDR basket composition should be adjusted over time to reflect the changing nature of currencies, with a review of the basket set for 2015 and a request made to the IMF to further clarify current entry criteria. INtERNAtIoNAl MoNEtARy SyStEM: No tangible progress on a long-term G20 goal to work toward a more stable and resilient IMF that would better reflect the increased weight of emerging markets, but the group affirmed a will to take concrete steps on this front. French President Nicolas Sarkozy tried to put a brave face on it saying: We have come up with an Action Plan for Growth and Employment that will reduce certain weaknesses and strengthen the fundamentals of long term growth. Countries like China or Germany whose public finances remain strong have agreed to address themselves to increase internal demand and to act as stabilising agents. Countries that are today relatively inflexible will become rapidly more flexible and that includes China, he said echoing the final document of the conference. However, observers remained sceptical about the real extent of concessions wrenched from China, especially on the upward re-evaluation of the Yuan. It is very easy to come out with fine words but extremely difficult to translate them into action, said investment analyst Nathalie Rioux. While Mr. Sarkozy was keen to emphasise the progress made on social issues, especially through the Business Summit and the Labour Summit (meetings of Business leaders and trade union representatives) held simultaneously, it became clear that no concrete commitments were made by developing countries to counteract social dumping (low salaries determined by the fact that employers paid little professional taxes for worker protection). The West blames developing countries and their social dumping for increased delocalisation and outsourcing with a consequent increase of unemployment in developed economies. World leaders also failed to agree on how to strengthen the IMF to reverse the European debt crisis. They struggled to reach concrete resolutions and the Summit was completely overshadowed by Greeces political turmoil and worries about Italy. The G-20 can be seen in two frames. One is the classic frame of intergovernmental negotiations with all the compromises and fudging that entails. The second hope for the G-20 was that it would help move global governance out

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of the obdurate nationalist frames that are producing deadlocks at the global level. It would represent an institution that could rise up to the challenges of an interdependent world. While individual governments may find it difficult to tell unpalatable truths to their populations, collectively the G-20 could at least frame the issues candidly. A mode of socialisation of this group of countries would help create a better common understanding of our common predicament. The G-20 has proved to be a failure at the second function for several reasons. It failed to directly confront many significant challenges. It failed to send a signal that it understood the depth of the crisis, and particularly the fact that a paradigm shift was needed in the role on

finance. Second, the advanced economies still have not fully faced the implications of the current crisis. There are important short-term issues, like the stabilisation of the banking system and the appropriate size of stimulus packages. The G20 has not been much of a success in the four years they have been meeting. In London, Gordon Brown pretended that the G20 had rustled up a $1trillion recovery package but he was only adding up what had already been committed. He had a habit of doing that all the time, reinventing old packages as new. But even so, that was the high point. No other summit has made any impact. The US and China still quarrel about the RMB undervaluation and no solution was found to that problem at Seoul. Nor to

the problem of global imbalancesaka the battle between China and US about trade deficits. It is unlikely that a new growth strategy will be launched. India has a small but important role. It has never had great power pretensions and is a small player in terms of its forex balances. So it can play the internationalist and get the G20 to behave themselves in a rule-bound way. Let the IMF be strengthened and put in charge of the Eurozone and any other future rescues. It botched the job in 1997 when Asian crisis took place but that was because of European arrogance. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, we need not rub it in. Let the IMF become the heart of the G20 in economic matters. The rest will be easy.

g-20 fact file

The Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (also known as the G-20, G20, and Group of Twenty) is a group of finance ministers and central bank governors from 20 major economies: 19 countries plus the European Union, which is represented by the President of the European Council and by the European Central Bank. Their heads of government or heads of state have also periodically conferred at summits since their initial meeting in 2008. Collectively, the G-20 economies account for more than 80 percent of the global gross national product (GDP), 80 percent of world trade (including EU intra-trade) and two-thirds of the world population. The G-20 was proposed by former Canadian Finance Minister Paul Martin (later, Prime Minister) for cooperation and consultation on matters pertaining to the international financial system. It studies, reviews, and promotes discussion (among key industrial and emerging market countries) of policy issues pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability, and seeks to address issues that go beyond the responsibilities of any one organization. With the G-20 growing in stature since the 2008 Washington summit, its leaders announced on September 25, 2009, that the group will replace the G8 as the main economic council of wealthy nations. The heads of the G-20 nations met semi-annually at G-20 summits between 2008 and 2011. Following the most recent summit, all future G-20 summits will be held annually. The G-20, which superseded the G33 (which had itself superseded the G22), was foreshadowed at the Cologne Summit of the G7 in June 1999, but was only formally established at the G7 Finance Ministers meeting on 26 September 1999. The inaugural meeting took place on 1516 December 1999 in Berlin.

3. APEc Summit-2011
APEC Summit, 2011 were conducted from November 10 12 at Sheraton Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii. The results were important as the member economies constitute of some of the most developed nations and some of the fastest growing nations around the Pacific Ocean. The outcomes were even more relevant as they were to decide the course of future geo-strategy for many countries including India. Some major issues and landmarks achieved during the summit have been summed up as follows: (P3-CEP), its negotiations launched on the sidelines of the 2002 APEC Leaders Meeting in Los Cabos, Mexico, by Chilean President Ricardo Lagos and Prime Ministers Goh Chok Tong of Singapore and Helen Clark of New Zealand. Brunei first took part as a full negotiating party in the fifth round of talks in April 2005, after which the trade bloc became the Pacific-4 (P4). The objective of the original agreement was to eliminate 90 percent

trans-Pacific partnership (tPP):

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), also known as the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement, is a multilateral free trade agreement that aims to further liberalize the economies of the Asia-Pacific region. The TPP was previously known as the Pacific Three Closer Economic Partnership

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of all tariffs between member countries by January 1, 2006, and reduce all trade tariffs to zero by the year 2015. China has been critical of APEC efforts to form the TPP free trade zone, suggesting it is a form of trade protectionism. The Chinese president called for more communication and cooperation, and said Beijing and Washington need to respect each others major concerns and appropriately manage sensitive issues. BOX

referred to as the Bogor Goals of free and open trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific by 2010 for industrialized economies and 2020 for developing economies. These goals were adopted by Leaders at their 1994 meeting in Bogor, Indonesia. APEC also works to create an environment for the safe and efficient movement of goods, services and people across borders in the region through policy alignment and economic and technical cooperation.

Cultivate public private partnerships that are open to flexible and innovative ways of working together to build business and community resilience to disasters. Apart from this the nations agreed to reduce energy intensity by 45 percent by 2035. Thus APEC, through its strong networks with the business sector, has shown a comparative advantage in encouraging greater private sector participation in disaster preparedness and resiliency efforts.

Asia-Pacific Economic cooperation

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, established in 1989, is the premier forum for facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region. APEC is the only inter governmental grouping in the world operating on the basis of non-binding commitments, open dialogue and equal respect for the views of all participants. Unlike the WTO or other multilateral trade bodies, APEC has no treaty obligations required of its participants. Decisions made within APEC are reached by consensus and commitments are undertaken on a voluntary basis. APEC has 21 members - referred to as member economies - which account for approximately 40 percent of the worlds population, approximately 54 percent of world GDP and about 44 percent of world trade. APECs 21 Member Economies are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Peoples Republic of China, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, The Republic of the Philippines, The Russian Federation, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United States of America, and Vietnam.

APEc high level policy dialogue on disaster resiliency:

The APEC ministers and senior government officials, along with private sector leaders participated in the High Level Policy Dialogue on Disaster Resiliency, under the chairmanship of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. It is quite well-known that geographically, the Asia-Pacific region is highly prone to the impacts of natural disasters. The earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11 along with additional earthquakes, floods, wildfires, typhoons and tornadoes among other events in the region, as well as the recent floods impacting Thailand, all are merely the evidences of this not-so-oblivious fact.

APEc high level policy dialogue on open governance and economic growth
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton chaired another High Level Policy Dialogue on Open Governance and Economic Growth in which the efforts of APEC members to enhance public trust by combating corruption and by committing to transparent, fair, and accountable governance were welcomed.

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Purpose and goals

Since its inception, APEC has worked to reduce tariffs and other trade barriers across the Asia-Pacific region, creating efficient domestic economies and dramatically increasing exports. Key to achieving APECs vision are what are

Promoting Open Governance: The ongoing work of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to introduce recommendations to its membership regarding key measures to improve regulatory policy and governance was appreciated. Those measures draw upon the APEC-OECD Integrated With these challenges in mind, and Checklist on Regulatory Reform and its recalling the commitments made under recommendations regarding regulatory the Hyogo Framework for Action as well quality, competition policy, and market as the APEC Trade Recovery Guidelines, a openness. The commitment to APECs call was made on officials to adopt and Transparency Standards agreed to in 2002, as well as the nine sectoral implement the following objectives: Promote standards and indicators for standards agreed to in 2003 and 2004 measuring the effectiveness of disaster was recalled. Encouraging Ethical Business risk reduction and improve quality and Practices: The decision of the APEC consistency in implementation; Promote financial instruments that SME Ministers at Big Sky, Montana in help to respond and recover from May 2011 to endorse the Kuala Lumpur Principles for Medical Device Sector Codes disasters, as well as to transfer risk; of Business Ethics was applauded. This Recognize the importance of the set of principles for the regions medical supply chain and related infrastructure devices industry is the first of its kind, in the delivery of goods and services and will improve the quality of patient following a disaster; care, encourage innovation, and promote Develop mechanisms for tracking private sector resources and capabilities;

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the growth of SMEs that produce medical devices.

potential for regional commerce and economic growth.

APEc policy partnership on food security

APEC Senior Officials agreed to create a Policy Partnership on Food Security (PPFS). The long term goal of the PPFS shall be the attainment of a food system structure by 2020 sufficient to provide lasting food security to APEC member economies. The PPFS should look to further define the elements of a food system structure as part of its objectives.

APEc travel facilitation initiative

With the APEC Travel Facilitation Initiative, the APEC has set forth a vision and general action plan for expediting the movement of travelers across the Asia-Pacific region, with the goal of enabling more efficient, more secure, and less stressful travel. Travel facilitation activities by APEC will benefit travelers, the private sector, and governments while enhancing the

is just a matter of time and judicious consideration before the present members For travelers, it would mean an easier, induct India within the realm of this more efficient, and less stressful travel exclusive regional forum. It is clear that Indias inclusion in the APEC club will experience. help diversify global economic risks for For the private sector, including its members, while further integrating transportation providers such as India into the Asia-Pacific cooperation airlines, it would mean operational framework. and cost efficiencies, streamlined India had requested for APECs procedures, and a better environment for providing travelers an enjoyable membership and received initial support travel experience. For facility from Japan, the United States, and operators such as airports, it means Australia. Reflecting its close ties with reducing passenger wait times, as well India, Russia is pushing for the countrys as more efficient and cost effective inclusion in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation to enhance the effectiveness use of infrastructure. of the regional grouping. But, the For governments, it would mean decision was made in 2007 not to admit enhanced ability to manage the flow more members until 2010. However, of travelers, while simultaneously India has been invited to be an observer ensuring high-levels of security and for the first time in November 2011. Now border integrity in a more efficient, that the moratorium of 2010 is over, it cost-effective way. is expected that fresh negotiations would be initiated for Indias inclusion in this India and APEc pan- Pacific endeavour. New Delhi is a strong contender for the portfolio of APEC membership and it

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NAtIoNAl BUllEtIN...

MANIPUR MESS: Another Economic Blockade

A meek government, an insensitive tribal leadership, and nearly 2.7 million Manipuris are having to bear the brunt of the agitation, the black marketers and high prices. The battle between the two warring tribal groups has led to the people of Manipur suffering for more than 100 days with no signs of an end to the hardship, turning the state into a lawless region - a state literally on the throes of a complete breakdown. in acute shortage of food, medicine, petroleum products, and other essential commodities in the state and very soon the entire life support system in the state would collapse, said T Singh, a civil rights leader. People are forced to buy a litre of petrol for Rs 200, while a cooking gas cylinder is being sold at Rs.2,000, a kilogram of potato at Rs.40 to 45, he added. What is most saddening is the fact that there is little or no intervention from the government, both from the state and the centre, making the situation of the state a sad plight. And this is another reason why the count of the number of blockade days could go on increasing. The Centres apathy aside, the inflexible positions taken by the protesters, and their political vision stretching no further than the narrow confines of their ethno-nationalism, are the main reason for the mess in Manipur, and in some other parts of the Northeast as well. The Meities, who form the majority ethnic group, are not blameless in this saga of exclusivist politics; the tussle between the Kukis and the Nagas cannot be separated from the larger confrontation between the nationalisms of the Meitei and the Naga. . For a state where the Meiteis are the majority of the ethnic group in a population of 2.7 million, (they form about 60 percent of the total population) they would never ever give in to the demands of the Nagas (they occupy about 60-70 percent of the total land area but form just about 20-30 percent of the population) for a Greater Nagaland or Nagalim as it would mean a major chunk of their homeland attached to Nagaland.

Demand for Sadr Hill District

Just a year after suffering two months of road blockade by Naga groups, Manipur was gripped by a similar crisis again last august. Then the blockade was a reaction to the Manipur state governments refusal to allow Thuingaleng Muivah, the General Secretary of the National Socialist Council of NagalimIsak-MuivahNSCN (IM) to visit his native village. This time, the Kuki groups blocked NH 39Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati and NH 53Imphal-Jiribam-Silchar since August 1 in order to generate pressure to establish a Kuki district in the Sadr hills area (where they are the dominant tribe) of Manipurs Senapati district [please refer to Sixth Schedule (Articles 244 and 275) of Indian constitution which contains the Provisions for the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram]. However, tribal Nagas inhabiting the area were opposed to creation of a Sadar Hills district. The Nagas have since then launched a counter-blocakde on the two highways opposing the demand by the Kuki people for a separate district. The Naga counterblockade is being spearheaded by the United Naga Council (UNC). Its a near-anarchy-like situation with hospitals running out of oxygen cylinders and life saving drugs, while stocks of all essentials, baby food and petroleum products are almost drying up. The ongoing blockade has resulted

Unrelenting UNC
While the Sadar Hills Districthood Demand Committee (SHDDC), which started the blockade of NHs 53 and 39 in their demand for a Kuki majority district, might have called off the blockade after a written assurance from the Ibobi Singh led Manipur government, the Nagas of the state under the aegis of the United Naga Council (UNC) and All Naga Students` Association of Manipur (ANSAM) have only intensified their counter blockade. The Nagas feel that their demand for a Greater Nagaland or Nagalim has been ignored while the government has conceded to the demand for a Sadar Hills District which would cut out a major chunk of Naga occupied districts in the state. Perhaps, this action of the Ibobi Singh government of favouring the SHDDC over the UNC and ANSAM has only worsened the situation in the region. The Kukis and the Nagas in the state have a history of ethnic violence that dates back to the early nineties, and this act of the state government could just add fuel to it. This also means that the blockade could go on unless the Manipur government finds a better solution or handles it better.

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Catch-22 situation
The Nagas, who are demanding a Greater Nagaland state which include chunks from three neighbouring states, are also angry at the home ministers statement in parliament ruling out division of Manipur. And therein lies the catch-22 situation for the central government. The Nagas, who say they have never accepted Indias constitution after independence from the British, claim the right to integrate all areas inhabited by the tribe. But any sign the Centre is giving way on the issue of a states territorial integrity could evoke violent protests, something that has been seen in Kashmir and Telangana. This represents the crux of the problems plaguing the northeast, home to more than 300 ethnic groups living side by side in eight states, each competing to carve out an identity.

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The lack of development and the geographical and cultural isolation of the region from the rest of the country may also further stoke unrest. Even the media and public from the rest of the country are sporadic in their interest in the region, which is rarely in the public imagination due to its relative political and economic insignificance. Hence, one does not see a possible or easy solution to the problems of the Nagas and the Kukis in the state. Reconciling these competing visions is not an easy task; there are no quick answers. It calls for a leadership that is prepared to think big and re-imagine the State, and the region, in progressive inclusivist fashion. More immediately, the blockades on the highways must end. They have caused immense suffering to the poorest of Manipurs 2.7 million people who cannot afford to pay black market rates for their daily essentials. The blockaders must realise that they cannot use blackmail to gain their political ends. The blockade has had very grave consequences for the state. Not only are the local people living in a state of physical siege, but there is the growth of a creeping emotional dissonance with the idea of India as a vibrant and functioning democracy. A local scholar from Manipur posted: why is it that such inhuman blockades by militant groups meted out to the citizens of India from Manipur are ignored by the larger Indian community? Why is it that our human sufferings, year after year, are tolerated by democratic India, its state and civil society? One can empathize with such expressions of sheer anguish.

Conclusion
It is rather ironic that while democratic India enjoys freedom of movement and expression, Manipur is blocked off from the rest of India by militant groups and radical civil society activists for months together and few are disturbed by it. The truth is that most common Kukis and Nagas are tired of bandhs yet the politicization of ethnic divides forces them to support exclusivist narratives for fear of violent retribution by militant groups. While many suggest that Presidents Rule is a solution to the crisis, it will, at best, be a stop gap arrangement, that will ward off a crisis momentarily only for it to recur another time in the near future. What Manipur is in desperate need of is a resolution of the crisis. A few ideas that could perhaps help in resolving ethnic tensions in Manipur are the following:-

State Assembly and District Councils must be made truly representative of tribes and communities so that their grievances can be addressed. Fifth, besides the political tensions, there is ethnic distrust and hatred between the Nagas and the Kukis. Efforts should be made to create constituencies of young people who are progressive and are wedded to the idea of pluralistic living. However, this atmosphere will only be created if the state is able to provide basic security to people. One cannot think of inclusive living when ones physical existence is threatened by non-state violence.

Finally, while issues like the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, amended in 1972 (AFSPA) provoke an emotional rather than a rational reaction among the people, it is not First, ensure that NH 150 connecting the core issue at present in Manipur. Manipur with Mizoram is in good Instead the core issue in Manipur is condition so that when blockade bitter ethnic divide, parochial attitudes occurs on the other two highways, and distrust of the other which this can be utilized. has created conditions for violence Second, open the Moreh-Myanmar between tribes and communities border for trade in commodities like thereby creating conditions for the rice and cereals, oil and gas from AFSPA to be imposed. Once interMyanmar to Manipur so that militant ethnic trust is built, the AFSPA will groups cannot hold the state hostage be automatically removed. for months altogether. Hence, the solution for the future lies Third, the centre should ensure, with in bridging ethnic gaps, establishing the use of the army and paramilitary, inter-ethnic dialogues for political that road blockades do not continue representation, a just political system for so long. ensuring fair representation to the Fourth, institutions of governance are various tribes and communities and poor in Manipur. As a result, people last but not the least, in bringing feel neglected and take resort to means about a convergence in their such as this. Institutions like the worldviews.

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NATIONAL NEWS
Hindu Woman has Equal Property Rights: Supreme Court
A Supreme Court bench of justices R. M. Lodha and Jagdish Singh Khehar has ruled that a Hindu woman or girl will have equal property rights along with other male relatives for any partition made in intestate succession after September 2005. The bench clarified that under the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005; the daughters are entitled to equal inheritance rights along with other male siblings, which was not available to them prior to the amendment. The apex court said the female inheritors would not only have the succession rights but also the same liabilities fastened on the property along with the male members. The new Section 6 of the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005, provides for parity of rights in the coparcenary property among male and female members of a joint Hindu family on and from September 9, 2005. (The term coparcener refers to the equal inheritance right of a person in a property). The apex court passed the ruling while upholding the appeal filed by Ganduri Koteshwaramma, daughter of late Chakiri Venkata Swamy, challenging the Andhra Pradesh High Courts decision not to recognise equal property rights of women along with their male siblings. undergone by a convict must be taken into account by the State government while considering remission, notwithstanding his being out on bail for a while. A Bench of Justices A.K. Ganguly and Gyan Sudha Misra did not agree with the Madras High Courts reasoning that remission could not be considered if, on the date of issuance of any notification by the State government, the prisoner was on bail. Senior counsel A.L. Somayajee and V. Padmanabhan argued that the appellant D. Ethiraj had suffered in jail more than 17 months (out of the three-year sentence awarded by the trial court and confirmed by the High Court and the Supreme Court). Hence he would be covered within the ambit of the 1992 remission notification. Allowing the appeal, the Bench agreed with this contention, and pointed out that the 1992 G.O. did not say that for getting the benefit of remission the prisoner must actually be in jail on the day the notification was issued. The Bench asked Ethiraj to make a representation to the government afresh, attaching a copy of this judgment.

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High Court Quashes Greater Noida Land Acquisition

In a setback to the Mayawati government the Allahabad High Court has set aside land acquisition in three villages in Greater Noida in Gautam Buddha Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh. The Court also ordered that an additional compensation of 64.70 per cent be paid to the farmers of Noida extension areas. The farmers should also be allotted developed land measuring up to 10 per cent of the land acquired from them. In the three villages where acquisition proceedings were quashed, the land should be restored to the petitioners (villagers), subject to their depositing the compensation already paid to them. A special Bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, S.U. Khan and V.K. Shukla directed the Greater Noida Development Authority and its allottees not to carry out any development work and the Master Plan 2021 would not be implemented till the observations and directions of the National Capital Region Planning Board are incorporated. More importantly, the court directed the Chief Secretary to order a probe by officers not below the rank of Principal Secretary into the decision to change the land use pattern; the allotments made to builders; and the land acquisition proposals. The farmers of Noida extension areas, of about 4,000 acres, alleged that their land had been acquired at throwaway prices

Supreme Court Draws Flak of Centres Haj Policy

The Supreme Court bench of Justice Aftab Alam and Ranjana Prakash Desai has criticised the current Haj Policy of the central government and direct the Union to lay down properly the Haj policy for 2012. While hearing a petition by the Central government challenging the Bombay High Courts order of October 5, 2011 which directed the Centre to give a quota of 800 Haj pilgrims to private operators from its discretionary quota, the Supreme Court observed that keeping a VIP quota for Haj pilgrimage is a religiously bad practice. When the Saudi Arabian government offers India about 1.75 lakh Haj visas for free, the Indian government takes responsibility of 1.25 lakh pilgrims through its Haj Committee, leaving nearly half-a-lakh pilgrims to private tour operators, who make huge business out of it, the court said Even when 47,000 Haj seats are given to private tour operators, the Central government has retained 11,000 seats as its discretionary quota. This quota has been popular by many names, including MP quota, said the court.

Convict being out on Bail is no Ground to Reject Remission: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has held that the actual period of sentence

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by the government invoking the urgency clause of the Land Acquisition Act for industrial development. But the same land was allotted to builders at higher prices, they complained. Land acquisition and subsequent protests by the farmers put the government on the back foot. The issue gradually assumed political overtones following the police-farmers clash at Tappal and Bhatta-Parsaul villages. And the government resorted to firefighting, including the announcement of the new Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Policy, albeit with retrospective effect.

The EC rejected her contention that she did not authorise or incur Rs.21,250 for the publication of the advertisement or paid news on April 17, 2007. Quoting various Supreme Court verdicts, the EC maintained that the amount ought to have been included in her expenditure under Section 78 of the Act. The Commission heard the case following a reference made by the Press Council of India (PCI) on March 31, 2010, after going through a complaint against the two dailies that they published paid news in favour of Ms. Yadav during the April 2007 Assembly elections. The PCI rejected the contention of the newspapers that what were published were only advertisements and not news items.

EC Allows Common Symbol to Registered Unrecognised Parties

The Election Commission of India headed by Chief Election Commissioner S. Y. Quraishi has allowed registered unrecognized political parties to have a common symbol as a one-time offer during general elections. Hitherto such parties were given symbols by draw of lots in individual constituencies if more than one candidate claimed a particular symbol. Due to this such parties were unable to get a uniform symbol in all the constituencies contested by them. To avail of the concession in the symbol allotment under the revised provisions of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, such parties will have to contest the general election from at least 10 per cent of the constituencies in a State subject to a minimum of five Assembly constituencies in a State having less than 50 Assembly constituencies, and two Parliamentary Constituencies in a State having less than 20 Parliamentary constituencies. The intimation of such constituencies should be given to the EC at least three clear days before the date of issue of election notification along with the choice of 10 symbols from the list of free symbols. This concession will be only as a onetime facility at the time of general elections for the Lok Sabha or a State Legislative Assembly. A political party which was a recognised party earlier and which is not entitled now to the facility of allotment of any particular symbol to its candidates will also be accorded this concession.

Centre for Merger of Rural and Urban Health Missions

In its proposals to the Planning Commission the Centre has proposed to merge the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the yet-to-be-launched National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) in the 13th Five-Year-Plan period. The two ambitious Missions will be separate entities in the upcoming 12th FiveYear-Plan period after the launch of the urban health mission, but subsequently merged. The Union has said that the NUHM would be taken up as a thrust area for the 12th Plan and launched as a separate mission for urban areas with focus on slums and urban poor. It will cover all cities and towns with a population of more than 50,000, broadly covering 779 cities and towns including seven mega cities - Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. The budget allocation for the mission is envisaged to be Rs. 30,000 crore and the programme will be implemented by investing in health professionals, creating new and upgradation of existing infrastructure, and strengthening the existing health care service delivery system. The NUHM will cover the entire urban areas irrespective of the dwelling status (including general population, listed and unlisted slums) but outreach services will be targeted for slum/slum like areas and other homeless people, street vendors, railway and bus station coolies, homeless people and street children, construction site workers who may be in slums or on sites. Inter-sectoral convergence will be planned between the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, Rajiv Awas Yojana and the NUHM. The urban health mission will ensure adequate resources for addressing the health problems in urban areas and address the need-based city specific urban health care system to meet the diverse health needs of the urban population with focus on the urban poor and other vulnerable sections. The institutional mechanism and management systems will be in place to meet the health-related challenges of a rapidly growing urban population and join hands with community for a more proactive involvement in planning, implementation and monitoring of health activities. At the primary care level, one Urban Primary Health Centre

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EC Disqualifies UP MLA for Paid News

Delivering a historic judgment against the trend of paid news, the Election Commission has disqualified Umlesh Yadav, the Rashtriya Parivartan Dal MLA from Bisauli, Uttar Pradesh from contesting any election for three years. The ECs decision came as Ms Yadav did not include in her poll expenditure the money spent on advertisements which were masqueraded as news items in the Hindi dailies Dainik Jagran and Amar Ujala. The full Commission Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi and Election Commissioners V.S. Sampath and H.S. Brahma held that Ms. Yadav was disqualified, under Section 10A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, from contesting any poll to Parliament or the State Assemblies or Councils for three years from October 20, 2011 for suppressing an expenditure of Rs.21,250.

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will be established for every 50-60,000. At the community level, outreach services will be provided to the urban poor slums with the help of Urban Social Health Activist (USHA) (200-500 households) and Mahila Aarogya Samiti (50-100 households).

to spread the scope of sports and games to cover all the tribals but also to wean them away from being tapped by the Naxalite outfits in these districts.

Center Chalks out Multi-winged Plan to Tackle Naxalism

The UPA government has chalked out its first multi-winged operation to tackle the problem of Naxalism through development programmes, implemented under the protection of Central security forces. Union Rural Development Ministry has finalized the action plan for Saranda forest area in Jharkhand, considered to be the second stronghold of the Maoists in the country. Technical help from the Army has also been sought for the plan. The objective of the Plan was to consolidate the logistic gains registered by the CRPF in the Saranda region and achieve demonstrable success not only to gain experience but also to showcase what could be rolled out in other areas in phases. The role of the Army, which has taken up development work in 11 villages of Narainpur and Bijapur, is to just help the paramilitary forces as it does not want to make its presence felt on a large scale. The Central action plan entails an expenditure of about Rs.325 crore, besides the budgetary allocation under various heads covering the 56 villages of six panchayats of Saranda to benefit a population of about 36,000 tribals. It includes free distribution of solar lantern, bicycles, and transistors to 7,000 families at an estimated cost of Rs.5.2 crore and 200 hand pumps at a cost of Rs.1.2 crore. The Jharkhand government would undertake a survey to bring all the families under the BPL list, to include them under the Indira Aawas Yojana, give them pattas for up to four hectares of land, and provide old age pension to those eligible. The Centre has decided to deploy three battalions of the CRPF and set up 20 camps in the core area. The CRPF will give protection during construction of roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

Slums in India A statistical compendium 2011

Every eighth urban child in India in the age-group of 0-6 years stays in slums, according to Slums in India A statistical compendium 2011 published by the Union government. According to the Report, about 7.6 million children are living in slums in India and they constitute 13.1 per cent of the total child population of the urban areas of the 26 States/ Union Territories reporting slums. The report is compiled by the National Buildings Organisation (NBO) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation. According to the data, Maharashtra has the highest slum child population with around 1.7 million children (between 0-6 years) staying in slums followed by Uttar Pradesh (0.97 million), Andhra Pradesh (0.83 million), Madhya Pradesh (0.6 million), West Bengal (0.53 million) and Tamil Nadu (0.51 million). Chandigarh has the highest proportion of slum child population. It has a whopping 20.9 per cent proportion of the 0-6 age group population stays in slums.

GoM Accepts Ashok Chawla Committee Report

The GoM also accepted most of the recommendations of an expert Committee chaired by Ashok Chawla on actions required for enhancing transparency and sustainability in utilization of natural resources. The Chawla Expert Committee on Allocation of Natural Resources had identified natural resources such as coal, minerals, petroleum, natural gas, spectrum, forests, water and land where the government has a major role to play in articulating the policy framework or otherwise influencing the manner of their allocation. Among the key recommendations of the Committee include standardizing the format of minutes for all Standing Linkage Committee (Long-Term) meetings, particularly for meetings where allocation decisions are made; the creation of a National Data Repository for petroleum exploration; future telecom licenses as unified licenses and spectrum de-linked from the license and improving the predictability and reducing the time taken for clearances. It has recommended a comprehensive national legislation to deal with all water-related issues; inventory of the land available with the Union government and all dealings through competitive and transparent e-auctions.

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Govt. to Construct Playground in Naxal-hit Districts

The Ministry of Rural Development has cleared a proposal to construct one playground for tribal boys and girls in each village in the 60 left-wing extremist-affected districts where the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) has been implemented. The proposed playground will be constructed under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS works. The playground would be used for games like football, volleyball, hockey and kabbadi. It will be the responsibility of the gram panchayat to provide the land and execute the construction of the playground. Underlining that tribal youth have excelled at the international level in hockey and archery bringing glory to the country, Rural Development Minister said the idea was not just

Center Sets up an Expert Group on Kudankulam Nuclear Project

The Centre has set up a 15-member experts group for interaction with the local people in and around the Kudankulam nuclear power plant project as part of an exercise to allay their apprehensions about the project. The panel consists of experts from a range of disciplines, including radiation safety, reactor safety, oncology, fisheries and nuclear waste management. Three of its members, W. Stephen Aruldoss Kanthiah S.K. Mehta, and K. Balu, are former officials of the Department of

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Atomic Energy. Three other well-known nuclear experts - M.R. Iyer, S.K. Sharma and S.M. Lee are also part of the committee. In addition, two cancer experts V. Shantha and C.S. Pramesh and two experts in the field of fisheries N. Sukumaran and A.K. Pai figure in the panel. The Department of Atomic Energy said the panel would interact with officials of the State government as also representatives of the people in the neighbourhood of the project. The group will explain the factual position on various aspects of the project and dispel apprehensions of some sections of the local people. The plant, which is in an advanced stage of completion, ran into trouble following protests from people in the area over concerns regarding its environmental impact and fears of radiation leakages, in the wake of the Fukushima incident in Japan earlier this year. The stalemate over the plant continues despite hectic efforts by the Centre to convince the people in and around Kudankulam on the safety of the project.

to time shall be applicable and binding upon all National Sports Federation and the National Olympic Committee. Provided where the International Federation is not subject to rules/ Code of the World Anti-Doping Agency or part thereof then the National Anti-Doping Agency shall not administer the rules/ Code or part thereof as the case may be of WADA for that sport. The last portion of the clause is the addition, and it should provide some comfort to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that the proposed law is not trying to bring international cricketers under the WADA Code through the backdoor as has been the popular perception. An impression had been created that the cricketers, who had earlier objected to the WADA whereabouts rules, would be brought under those rules once the Bill was passed since every National federation would be expected to follow the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) rules and thereby the WADA Code. The draft National Sports Bill was tabled before a Cabinet meeting in August last, but following objections from several ministers, the Sports Ministry was asked to redraft the Bill. To bring clarity to a question that has been bothering the sports fraternity with regard to the Right to Information (RTI) Act 2005 and its application on sports bodies, the ministry has brought in a fresh clause that will allow a federation to refuse information about selection of players/ athletes and selection and appointment of coaches. It will also allow federations to avoid giving answers to queries regarding injuries to athletes; medical health, fitness and whereabouts of an athlete and questions relating to test results and information that is confidential under the NADA rules. The idea of a 25-member National Sports Development Council has been dropped. It was dubbed as another version of the All India Council of Sports (AICS), which used to be the sports advisory body for the government till the 80s. The Council was expected to advise the Government on all sports matters and grant certificates of registration to National federations. As had been the practice with recognition in the past, the Government will grant such registration in the proposed set-up.

Raju Ramachandrans Report Blames Modis Role in Gujarat Riot

The report of Raju Ramachandran, the amicus curiae in the Zakia Jafri case, has laid the ground for Narendra Modi to be charge-sheeted for his alleged role in the 2002 anti-Muslim Gujarat riots. The report has now been shared with the Special Investigation Team set up by the Supreme Court to investigate and prosecute cases stemming from the 2002 violence. The report strongly disagrees with the SITs view that no case against the Gujarat Chief Minister was made out. It says that only the cross-examination of senior Gujarat police officers, including Sanjiv Bhatt who stated that he was present when Mr. Modi instructed police officials to allow Hindus to vent their anger could establish whether the Chief Minister was innocent or guilty. Significantly, the report also says that Mr. Bhatts statement was made probable by the presence of two Ministers in the Ahmedabad Police Control Room (PCR) at the time Muslims were being attacked. If the trial court accepts Mr. Ramachandrans view, the sources said, the stage will have been set for the prosecution of the Chief Minister under various sections of the IPC. The sources said the SIT recommended closing the case against Mr. Modi on the grounds that police officer Bhatt, who was vital to fixing blame on the Chief Minister, was a controversial and unreliable witness.

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Indias Longest Tunnel will be ready by 2012

The rail link between Kashmir valley and the rest of the country will be completed by December 2012 once Indias longest tunnel at 11 km connecting Qazigund with Banihal is constructed within a year. The tunnel, one of the worlds largest and deepest, will pierce through the Pir Panjal range below snowline, which stands like a wall between the Valley and Jammu. Named T80, the tunnel is strategically important for the country since the only road link via the Jawahar Tunnel, which connects both the regions in the border state, is often blocked due to heavy snowfall. The Banihal-Qazigund project is part of the Katra-Qazigund

Doping Clause Amended in Draft National Sports Bill

The Union Sports Ministry has brought in a new clause in the revised draft of the National Sports Bill and cleard the air that no federation being forced to come under the National AntiDoping Agency (NADA), against its wishes and rules. The amended clause reads: The National Anti-Doping Agency shall function as the apex body to implement anti-doping measures in sports in India and its code as amended from time

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(129 km) venture, passing through hostile terrain of young Himalayas that are routinely posing geological surprises to the engineers. The inhospitable terrain has forced IRCON to construct 67.5km of access road to reach the project site, which has also helped in providing connectivity to around 35 villages. In 2002, then NDA government had announced a 345-km Jammu-Udhampur-Katra-Qazigund-Baramulla railway line, the biggest mountain rail project since the Independence. The 53km Jammu-Udhampur section was opened to the public in 2005, and the 119-km Qazigund-Baramulla route has been operational since 2009. At present, the 6.5km Karbude tunnel of the Konkan Railway is the longest tunnel in India.

Phase I of the project. The proposed gauge was standard gauge unlike the broad gauge on the Delhi Metro network.

J&K Amends Public Safety Act

The Jammu and Kashmir government has approved amendments in the Public Safety Act (PSA), which had come under criticism for being arbitrary and infringing upon the civil liberties of the people. The amended Bill would prevent the slapping of the PSA on below 18-year-old State subjects. According to the new law, the imprisonment period has been fixed for just three months. The detention, however, would be subject to review and can be extended from three months to six months. However, the detention period for timber smugglers would be one year. For militants, the period will be six months. The law will not be applicable to foreigners. At present, the PSA means two years imprisonment without any trial. The new law also paved the way for a regular review of cases. The PSA was enacted in 1978 by the then government, headed by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. However, used excessively during the last 21 years of turmoil in the State, it had been criticised for being arbitrary. Amnesty International, in a recent report termed it a Lawless Law and called for its withdrawal.

Delhi University Purges Ramayana Essay from Syllabus

The Academic Council of Delhi University has dropped a celebrated essay by the late scholar and linguist A. K. Ramanujan on the Ramayana from the history syllabus, despite intense opposition from the history department. The essay, Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five examples and three thoughts on translations, which forms part of the B.A. History (Honours) course, had attracted the ire of Hindutva activists because it talks about 300 different versions of the Ramayana that abound in our country and beyond. And when the decision to scrap the course was put to vote at the Academic Council meeting, only nine of the 120 members present dissented. A writ petition had been filed in the High Court on the grounds that the essay hurt religious sentiments. The matter was then taken up by the Supreme Court, which directed the university to seek the opinion of experts and place it before the Academic Council.

Nalanda University Project

China has reiterated its backing to the initiative to rebuild Nalanda University during a meeting with the Governing Board of the University led by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen. The Governing Board was invited to hold a board meeting in China by Premier Wen Jiabao following last years meeting of the East Asia Summit, which had earlier declared its support to the project. China has already announced it would donate U.S. $1 million to the project.

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Bangalore Metro Rail

Nearly three decades after it was first mooted, Bangalores mass rapid transit system, Namma Metro, become operational on 20th October. The inaugural service on Reach 1 between Mahatma Gandhi Road and Byappanahalli was flagged off by Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath Although mass transit for Bangalore had been in consideration for over two decades, the final approval on a scheme that incorporated the expertise of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the Indian Government-owned RITE infrastructure and transport consultancy did not come until April 2006. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for Namma Metro on June 24, 2006. Work on the viaduct on Reach 1 was completed in September 2010 and The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety gave clearance for the commercial operation on September 23, 2011. A detailed project report prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and RITES envisaged a 33 km (21 mi) elevated and underground rail network with 32 stations for

Assam Ranked 1st in Rice Production

Assam has been ranked 1st in rice production in 2010-11 by the Union Agriculture Ministry. A statement released by the state Agriculture department said that the State scored 93 points out of one hundred to get the first rank. The department also said that the state has produced around 51 lakh Metric ton rice in 2010-2011 which is 15.4 percent higher than the year-ago period. The productivity of rice has also risen to 1969 Kg per hectare in this period as compared to earlier record of 1765 kg per hectare. Assam has made the progress in the production of rice due to proper implementation of different schemes like Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana, National Food Security Mission along with proper irrigation and mechanization programme and increase of fertilizer consumption. The state Agriculture department has increased the irrigation potentiality to 6.15 lakh hectares of land through installation of 2 lakh 85 thousand Shallow Tube Wells and 22 thousand Low Lift Pump sets. Along with rice production, Assam has also witnessed considerable increase in production of food grains. The state produced 53 lakh Metric ton

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food grains in the year 2010-2011 which was also 15 percent higher than that of the previous year.

on Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India since 1967. N.K. Tripathi is the present Director-General of NCRB.

CCSHAU is the New Centre of Excellence for Bajra

The Union Agriculture Ministry has approved Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, as a Centre of Excellence for bajra. Rs. 1 crore has been sanctioned to popularize bajra , known as the primary food of the poor. Since bajra has high nutritive value, its popularization as a food grain and regular crop would ensure food security for the people. Due to the low demand for bajra , farmers are not inclined to take up its production.

National Crime Records Bureau Report: Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India
National Crime Records Bureaus latest report on Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India places the number for 2010 at 15,964. That brings the cumulative16-year total from 1995 when the NCRB started recording farm suicide data to 2, 56,913, the worst-ever recorded wave of suicides of this kind in human history. Maharashtra posts a dismal picture with over 50,000 farmers killing themselves in the countrys richest state in that period. It also remains the worst state for such deaths for a decade now. Close to two-thirds of all farm suicides have occurred in five states: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. While the total number of farmers who took their own life in 2010 showed a dip from the preceding year, the share of the Big 5, in fact, rose to 66.49 per cent of all farm suicides in 2010. It was 62 per cent in 2009. As per the publication, as many as 3,84, 649 lives were lost in accidents in 2010. In 2009, this figure stood at 3, 57,021 indicating an increase of 7.7 per cent in 2010. Road accidents alone claimed 1.33 lakh lives last year, an increase of 5.5 per cent over 2009 that saw 1.26 lakh deaths.

Govt. Nods for GSI Restructuring

The Union Cabinet has approved the restructuring of the Geological Survey of India (GSI), which includes rightsizing its strength by filling up posts over a 10-year period. It approved constitution of geophysics, chemistry and engineering science, and technology streams as organised services so as to bring them at par with the geology stream. The recommendations, when implemented, would immensely enhance the GSIs capacity and capability in addressing emerging challenges, especially in augmenting the resource base, both for essential and strategic minerals. It will also facilitate the GSI to undertake issues having immediate societal relevance like climate change, glacial retreats, desertification and coastline changes as well as geogenic issues.

Centre Takes Action against 25 Goa Mines

The Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) has taken action against 25 mines from Goa in terms of the provisions of the Mineral Conservation and Development Rules, 1988 for exceeding the production limits. A letter from the Union Ministry of Mines to the Goa government has said that a total of 44 mines from Goa have exceeded extraction limits in the last four years. Action had earlier been taken against 19 of these mines. In the letter addressed to Goa Govt., the Ministry of Mines pointed out that in its analysis of aggregate production in 114 iron ore mines, it has been noticed that in the last four years the actual aggregate production has exceeded by 15 per cent of the targeted run-of-mines (RoM) production as per the approved mining plan (which does not include production from dumps as reported by the State government.) The letter assumes significance in the wake of the ongoing controversy over illegal mining, including excess extraction beyond environmental clearance limit, questions raised over movement of dumps without environment clearance and failure of the State to regulate various areas of mining, including ore sourced illegally, and exports through mechanisms for checks and balances. The Ministry pointed out in the letter that as per the records it has been noticed that for the last four years approximately 10.89 million tonnes of waste sub-grade iron ore mined in earlier years and apparently lying in dumps was removed and dispatched.

National Crime Records Bureau Report: Crime in India 2010

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has released its recent publication Crime in India 2010 according to which cases of crime under various categories in the country increased by about 5 per in 2010 as compared to 2009. The Crime in India 2010 says a total of 22,24,831 crimes were reported under the Indian Penal Code as against 21,21,345 cases in 2009. Murder cases during the year (33,335) went up by 3 per cent against 32,369 cases in 2009. Cases under the following heads showed an increasing trend attempt to murder increased by 1.3 per cent, rape cases increased by 3.6 per cent, kidnapping and abduction cases increased by 13.5 per cent, robbery rose by 4.4 per cent, and dowry deaths went up marginally by 0.1 per cent. Crime against women during 2010 (2, 13,585) went up by 4.8 per cent compared to 2, 03,804 cases recorded in 2009. Crime against children went up by 10.3 per cent (26,694) as against 24,201 cases in 2009. However, crime against the Scheduled Castes (SC) declined by 2.6 per cent in 2010 (32,712) compared to 33,594 cases in 2009. Those against the Scheduled Tribes (ST) during the last year was put at 5885 case, an increase of 8.5 per cent compared to 5425 cases in 2009. The NCRB has been publishing such figures since 1953. The Bureau has also been annually bringing out publication

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Delhi as World Heritage City

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Delhi, in the centenary year of its designation as a capital city, has taken the first serious step towards seeking World Heritage City status from UNESCO. Three years after initiating the exercise, the State government has commenced its active campaign by launching Delhi: A Heritage City project and preparing a dossier to back its credentials. Aside from honouring the city in a historical sense and enhancing tourism, the much-soughtafter designation could significantly improve the conservation of priceless heritage. If the campaign succeeds, Delhi will become the first Indian city to receive world heritage status.

and the UN system and effectively implement the provisions of the consultative relationship.

CAG to Audit All Rural Ministry Schemes

Union Minister Jairam Ramesh has announced that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) will now scrutinise all the schemes of Rural Development Ministry and Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. The two Ministries annually spend Rs 88,000 crore which is the single largest amount of public expenditure other than Defence and it is very important to have CAG audit in the Ministry schemes for ensuring accountability and transparency. Describing CAG as a body that is empowered by the Constitution, Mr. Ramesh said the Accountant Generals in different states will be empowered to carry out the audit of Rural Development Ministry expenditure for various schemes including MGNREGA. The CAG may conduct not only financial audit and compliance audit, but also performance audits with regard to these schemes. To begin with performance audits of MGNREGA in 12 states will be taken up. These states are Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh. Both the Ministries have also taken the initiative to prepare a common accounting format for all rural schemes in consultation with the CAG which will lend itself not only to internal check and monitoring by the two Ministries but also audit by the CAG and eventually accountability to Parliament. A committee is being set up under the chairmanship of Arvind Mayaram, Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor to both the Ministries, to examine modifications needed in already existing accounting procedures of DRDAs and suggest principles and policies of accounting at the level of implementing agency, which in the case of the Rural Development Ministry are mainly panchayat institutions. The committee will also identify appropriate standards for financial reporting and disclosure, including suggest changes in present format of utilisation certificates (UCs) and recommend how the accounting and financial statements can be made ITenabled.

CAT Quashes T.C.A. Anants Appointment as Chief Statistician of India

The Central Administrative Tribunal has set aside the appointment of T.C.A. Anant as Chief Statistician of India (CSI) on the ground that he did not satisfy the eligibility criteria prescribed for the post. He was appointed in June last year. Upholding the contention of Director-General of the Central Statistical Organisation Swapan Kumar Das, the Principal Bench of the CAT, Delhi, said the search committee, set up by the government to recommend candidates for the post, should not have even included Prof. Anant in its recommendation, which led to his appointment. Pointing out that the government notification categorically mentioned that a person appointed to the CSI post should have statistical and managerial experience in a large statistical organisation, the Bench said the argument that Prof. Anant was a distinguished economist and in that capacity satisfied the condition does not hold water.

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Sulabh International Gets Highest Consultative Status from UN

Recognising its innovation and social service, the United Nations has accorded its highest consultative status to Indias Sulabh International, the non-governmental organisation known for pioneering low cost public toilet system. The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) recently adopted the recommendation of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), for upgradation of consultative status of Sulabh International from Special to General. This is supposed to be the highest status available to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) within the UN system. With this recognition, now Sulabh founded by Dr Bindeshwar Pathak has become a member of 142 elite global groups of NGOs having General Consultative status. General Consultative status is reserved for large international NGOs whose area of work covers most of the issues on the agenda of ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies. This new status opens the door for Sulabh International to actively engage with ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies, as well as with United Nations Secretariat, programmes, funds and agencies and to actively participate in the work of the Council, which will allow organisation to consult with Member States

New Draft National Policy for Senior Citizens

A new National Policy on Older Persons, incorporating a range of welfare measures and an institutional framework for effective implementation, is expected to be unveiled soon. The policy will be based mostly on the Draft National Policy on Senior Citizens, 2011 headed by V. Mohini Giri. As of now, the policy announced in 1999 is in vogue. The Dr. Giri committee recommendations include extension of the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme to all senior citizens living Below the Poverty Line and enhancing the monthly pension to Rs.1, 000, to be revised at intervals to prevent its deflation due to higher cost of purchase. Senior citizens would be given an additional pension in case of

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disability and loss of adult children. The Public Distribution system would reach out to all BPL senior citizens. Taxation policies would reflect sensitivity to the senior citizens financial problems which are aggravated by very high costs of medical and nursing care, transportation and support services needed at homes. The draft policy envisages the Ministry establishing a Department of Senior Citizens, which will be the nodal agency for implementing programmes and services, and the National Policy on Senior Citizens, 2011. Besides, a national commission for senior citizens at the Centre and similar bodies at the State level will be constituted.

ranks 18th in child rights and 27th in the provision of health care, next only to Jharkhand. Surprising facts that the indexing has thrown up are that Mizoram is doing badly in controlling child labour, while crimes against children are the highest in Nagaland (in proportion to the number of children), and Manipur is the worst performer in crimes by children and Bihar is the best. The ranking has a regional pattern: four of the five best performing States Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh are from the southern region. Maharashtra alone is from the west. On the other hand, all the worst performing States are in the Northeast: Sikkim, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. In fact, of the five States falling in the not-so-well performing States category, Tripura, Assam and Mizoram are from the Northeast. They are performing badly in almost indicators. A significant proportion of the population of the worst performing States, which are performing badly in education, are tribals: Jharkhand and Arunachal Pradesh are tribal-dominated, with indigenous groups constituting 26.3 per cent and 64.2 per cent of the population. This is also true of health, wherein the five worst performing State are Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. All among them are essentially tribal States, except Uttar Pradesh. Maharashtra, though ranking third in child rights, has not been able to address the falling sex ratio and child marriage. In fact, all the five best performing States are not doing well in early childhood care and preventing child marriage. Kerala and Goa, the two best performing States in health, are performing poorly in the provision of health infrastructure. Himachal Pradesh, one of the five best States in health care, ranks among the last five in HIV/AIDS intervention.

Child Right Index

Kerala has topped the national child rights index, followed by Karnataka. Arunachal Pradesh is the worst performer in protecting the rights of children. Strangely, Keralas child marriage indicator is the lowest, and the States performance is far from satisfactory in early childhood care and crimes against children. One point that stands out in the indexing the first of its kind in the country is that economic growth does not necessarily improve the wellbeing of children. Jharkhand is the only State whose economic status matches its child rights rank both standing at 17. Kerala, which ranks first in the national child rights, stands ninth in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) status, whereas Maharashtra, which ranks first in the GDP, is standing third in child rights. Maharashtra does badly in sex ratio and child marriage, which points to the lack of attention to children. Arunachal Pradesh has performed fairly well in sex ratio, child marriage and early childhood care. This composite index, brought out by the HAQ-Centre for Child Rights, looks into all aspects of child wellbeing in all sectors and indicators for realisation of child rights as a whole. With the second highest GDP in the country, Uttar Pradesh

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Orissa Becomes Odisha

The name of Orissa has been officially changed to Odisha and its language from Oriya to Odia following Presidential assent to the bill passed by Parliament and issuance of a notification.

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International Bulletin...

ThE SEvEN BIllIoN QuESTIoN

Some say our planet is too crowded. I say we are 7 billion strong. said Ban Ki Moon, U.N. Secretary-General welcoming the seven billionth baby on October 31st. As the worlds population touched the landmark seven billion mark, celebrations across the world were tempered by worries over the strain that humanitys population explosion is putting on our fragile planet. Environmentalists are arguing in circles about whom or what is to blame: the total number of people; or the amount of water, food, mineral ores or clean air each demands. In Western Europe, Japan and Russia, it was an ironic milestone amid worries about low birthrates and aging populations. In China and India, the two most populous nations, the occasion demanded a reassessment of policies that have already slowed once-rapid growth. But in Burundi, Uganda and the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, the demographic news is mostly sobering as the region staggers under the double burden of the worlds highest birthrates and deepest poverty. The regional population of nearly 900 million could reach 2 billion in 40 years. Is catastrophe inevitable? Not necessarily. But experts say most of Africa and other high-growth developing nations such as Afghanistan and Pakistan will be hard-pressed to furnish enough food, water and jobs for their people, especially without major new familyplanning initiatives. Extreme poverty and large families tend to reinforce each other, says Lester Brown, the environmental analyst who heads the Earth Policy Institute in Washington. The challenge is to intervene in that cycle and accelerate the shift to smaller families. UN Population Funds (UNFPA) Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin said actions taken now will decide whether the future of the seventh billion baby will be healthy, sustainable and prosperous or marked by inequalities, environmental decline and economic setbacks. The world must seize the opportunity to invest in the health and education of its youth to reap the full benefits of future economic development or else face a continuation of the sorry state of disparities in which hundreds of millions of people in developing nations lack the most basic ingredients for a decent life, Mr. Osotimehin said. Mounting concern over humanitys environmental impact and fears that we may not be able to feed ourselves 100 years had casted a cautionary tone over the buildup to the demographic milestone. There is renewed debate on the impact of a growing number of humans on the planets finite resources. Neo-Malthusian arguments, centred mostly on environmental concerns, are pitted against the optimistic view that economic development will safely stabilise birth rates. The population question is complex and there is no panacea for the travails of hundreds of millions of deprived citizens who need food, shelter, safe water, and energy. It is distressing that more than 800 million people live in slums and a similar number, mostly women, are not literate. In the popular imagination, growing populations can only have a negative outcome, depleting scarce resources faster more so in an era of economic uncertainty. The dilemma therefore is whether to enlarge the pie or reduce the number of hands competing for a share. Empirical evidence supports the humane answer, which is simply to have more development. Crucially, this demands sharing the fruits of economic growth with the less privileged through access to education, health care, and welfare, besides redistribution of wealth. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, concurred with the view and called for unity of purpose among people across nations to address problems of climate change, economic crisis and inequality. Some say our planet is too crowded. I say we are seven billion strong. But we will only be able to use that strength for the benefit of all if our societies are built on mutual respect and understanding, Mr. Moon said. He further added that while the world has made remarkable progress as it has aged, with more of its children surviving and more people living under democratic rule of law, the progress cannot be taken for granted. The world is under threat from climate change, economic crisis, joblessness, inequality and intolerance. Around the world, too many people live in fear. Too many people believe their governments and the global economy can no longer deliver for them, he said. The answer to the current turbulent times is unity of purpose. Global problems demand global solutions. They compel all nations to unite in action on an agenda for the worlds people. Since the 1950s, average life expectancy around the world has jumped an astonishing 20 years, going from 48 to 68 thanks to improved health and nutrition. Infant mortality has dropped like a stone, from 133 deaths per 1,000 births in the 1950s to todays rate of 46 per 1,000. Fertility has also decreased, the UN Population Fund reported recently. The world average in the 1950s was six births per woman. Today, it is 2.5, though that is a figure that masks extreme regional differences. In some African countries, the average fertility rate reaches five births per woman, whereas in countries like Japan and Germany, the birthrate has already fallen below the replacement level of 2.1. Japans population is expected to decrease by the turn of the next century, dropping by nearly a third. But as good as a lot of this news is, the uN warns theres also bad.

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Unchecked, Africas birthrates will lead to unsustainable population growth. The population of Tanzania, for example, increased by 486 per cent between 1950, when its population was 7.7 million, and 2010, when it reached 45 million. Unless Tanzanians take action, the UN predicts the countrys population will reach more than 314 million by 2100, an increase of 600 per cent. Three billion more people will be added by the end of this century, many of them in countries that face crushing poverty. That reality presents governments, NGOs and international organizations like the UN and the World Bank with a diabolical dilemma. In a time of diminishing returns, when governments and funding institutions continue to cut back on their contributions to foreign aid and international development, a global crisis of poverty is staring us in the face. It is proving to be a direct challenge, not only to global prosperity, but to the survival of the human race. Almost half of the world lives on less than $2 a day. Food insecurity is now growing at an alarming pace, with almost one billion people suffering from such a challenge every day. Clearly, as

long as poverty remains, or even grows, our ability to limit the explosion of population becomes more limited year by year. The United Nations Population Division expects eight billion people by 2025, nine billion by 2043, and, finally, 10 billion by 2083. India will have more people than China sometime around 2020. And what to do about sub-Saharan Africa? By 2040 it is expected to have more people than India, while a great many of the Africans living in abject poverty. The world community is quickly becoming aware of the heavy challenge this will provide to all of us. Why then are we cutting back on international development? Why the reticence to assist the over 40 sub-Saharan nations to expand their educational, health, productivity and economic potential to stave off the crisis? Countries like Canada have either frozen or reduced their development dollars in an effort to cut deficits, but this is merely a shortsighted response. Unless a more robust global effort is amassed to the assist the sub-Saharan region, our own fragile economic recovery and hoped-for future

prosperity will eventually be swallowed up by that one global force we refused to competently address -- abject poverty. We are reminded that there is enough food to feed this planet and that there can be a necessary amount of water for all, should we start living more responsibly. By cutting aid and development, however, we have failed to marshal the worlds political, environmental, humanitarian and economic forces in a manner that can responsibly guarantee necessary results. By ignoring Africa, we are denying ourselves a more prosperous future. The two are linked and the growing crisis requires visionary and intelligent leadership rather than the numbing selfpreservation ideologies running through the western world at present. On the plus side, we know what to do to bring population growth under control, without resorting to bizarre methods of coercion. Better health, education and reproductive services for women and girls are a key part of the answer, as the UN reminds us, again. Countries need to break free of a vicious circle of extreme poverty that leads to high death rates that in turn lead to higher birthrates the only answer that families fearful for their very survival can figure out.

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Key points from the discussions about the growing world population are:
The focus should not be on population control, but on addressing the fact that more than 215 million women worldwide who do not want to become pregnant have no access to modern methods of contraception. A growing world population does not mean more starvation. Hunger is mainly a political problem, and as Professor Conway argues in this excellent article, 80% of African farmers are smallholders with less than two hectares of land. They can only be innovative if they have access to inputs, either subsidised or at a cheap cost, and if they get a fair price for their products in the local or regional markets. If we want to increase global food production, technology is the last place to start looking for solutions. We should start with enabling the many small farmers. The world does produce enough food for everyone. As Bryan Walsh writes in Time Magazine: We could feed 7 billion, 8 billion, 9 billion and probably more if we chose to do so. Hunger is not caused by a lack of food, but by the fact that poor people cannot access sufficient, or sufficiently nutritious, food. The threat to human survival lies not in the shortage of space on our planet but in the shortage of justice in our political and economic systems.

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Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation-2011

The Member States of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC), met for the 11th Meeting of the Council of Ministers at Bengaluru, India, on 15 November 2011. This is the first time that the IOR - ARC meeting was held in India at the apex level. India would be chairing the Association for the next two years. Thereafter Australia would assume chairmanship for a further period of two years in 2013. Seychelles was welcomed back into the Associations fold; taking its number to 19 (Seychelles joined in March 1999 but withdrew in July 2003). Adopting the Bengaluru Communiqu, the group said it identified sectors of common and contemporary interest. Every matter of mutual concern among the member states was discussed in the Communiqu in detail. Expressing concern at the growing level of piracy, off the Horn of Africa, the IORARC said it fully supported the efforts of the United Nations (UN). The group has encouraged member-countries to actively take part in international conferences, regional symposia, and workshops on piracy. Minister for External Affairs S M Krishna said the group discussed ways and means to consolidate co-operation in such areas as maritime security, combating piracy, natural disaster management, education, fisheries and marine resources management, trade and investment promotion, capacity building and tourism. To combat illegal fishing and damaging of fishing techniques, the group said its Fisheries Support Unit set up under the aegis of the Sultanate of Oman could function as a nodal institution to address the members interests and requirements. Trade among the IOR-ARC countries amounts to 24 per cent of the global trade. The group has urged its members to reach out to the business and commercial enterprise in the region. The group also discussed the possibility of initiating a comprehensive study on the feasibility of preferential trading arrangements for the region including in a variable geometry. Meteorology and the study of monsoons, marine biology, and management of coastal zones, energy efficiency and renewal energy technologies, capacity-building in Information and Communications Technology (ICT), analytical studies on investment promotion, etc, will be some of the areas relevant to the membernations. Besides, the group will pay attention to cross-fertilisation of ideas between the academic and business fora and the working group on trade and investment. We are convinced that educational mobility and academic exchanges have the potential to contribute to in this respect, the Communiqu said. The group also stressed the importance of exploiting the enormous interesting possibilities in intra-regional tourism. It has suggested to the member countries to target the said sector for growth. The body looked forward to the second phase of Tourism Feasibility Study being undertaken by the Sultanate of Oman. Developing people-to-people contacts and cultural exchanges, and making full use of capacity-building programming will also be high on the members agenda.

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Fact File
The Indian Ocean Rim-Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC), initially known as the Indian Ocean Rim Initiative was first established in Mauritius on March 1995 and formally launched on 67 March 1997. IOR-ARC activities include several on-going topical projects and work programs conducted by member countries with shared interests, all of which are under the umbrella of 3 separate working groups. These are the Working Group on Trade and Investment (WGTI), the Indian Ocean Rim Business Forum (IORBF), and the Indian Ocean Rim Academic Group (IORAG). The Association holds a Council of Ministers meeting once every two years. The working groups have business and academic representatives to ensure that different points of view and interests are fully reflected in IOR-ARCs work program. Full members: Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Seychelles. Dialogue Partners: China, Egypt, France, Japan and United Kingdom Turkey has applied for dialogue partner status. This application was deferred pending clarification on the criteria for such participation. The Indian Ocean Tourism Organisation also has observer status.

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Vol.1 Issue 3 December 2011

INTERNATIONAL NEwS...
Tibetan Plateaus Glaciers Melting Rapidly: Chinese Researcher
Glaciers in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, the source of many rivers that sustain China and the Indian subcontinent, are melting faster than ever, according to a five-year study by Chinese researchers. The study found that a large area of glaciers had melted across the 2,400-square-kilometre region. The researchers had focused their study on glaciers and wetlands near the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers. According to researchers around 5.3 per cent, or 70 sq.km., of the glaciers in the Yangtze rivers headwaters had melted in the past three decades, according to the researchers. Seventy per cent of the glaciers in the headwaters of the Lancang had disappeared, while another group of 80 glaciers near the source of the Yellow river was shrinking. Researcher said that data from three meteorological stations over the past 50 years showed a continued rise in the average temperature in the region, with last year touching a five-decade high. The study is the latest from Chinese researchers to document a rapid retreat of glaciers in Qinghai and in Tibet. While the government has in the past downplayed threats to Tibets glaciers as being overly alarmist, scientists and some officials have begun to increasing warn of danger to the countrys longterm water security because of the glacial melt. The U.S. military presence in Iraq stands at just under 40,000. All U.S. troops are to exit the country in accordance with a deal struck between the countries in 2008 when George W. Bush was President. Mr. Obama, an opponent of the war from the start, took office and accelerated the end of the conflict. In August 2010, he declared the U.S. combat mission over.

Tunisias First Free Elections

Tunisians have voted in the countrys first ever free elections, nine months after a revolution that forced out the countrys dictator, setting an example for the entire Arab world. Around 11,000 candidates are competing in the election of a 217member constituent assembly, which will draw up a new constitution, under which presidential and parliamentary elections will be held. The election is expected to be dominated by the few parties that have a national profile: the moderate Islamist party Ennahda, the secular Progressive Democratic Party and the Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties, Ettakatol. Polls show Ennahda, which was banned by ousted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, likely to top the poll, with between 20 and 30 per cent of the vote. Only around 55 per cent of around 7 million eligible voters are registered to vote. The election commission has said the remainder will be allowed to vote with their ID card. Tunisias month-long Jasmine Revolution, which was driven by frustration over State repression, corruption and unemployment, culminated in Ben Alis flight into exile in Saudi Arabia. Around 200 people were killed during the uprising, mostly unarmed demonstrators.

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Pakistan Gets UNSC Non-Permanent Seat

Pakistan has been elected to the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2012. It won 129 votes in the 193-member General Assembly. India has welcomed Pakistans winning a nonpermanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for 2012-13. Pointing out that Kyrgyzstan, the sole rival, was no match for Pakistan, the sources drew attention to Pakistans Permanent Representative Hussain Haroon publicly thanking his Indian counterpart Hardeep Puri for New Delhis backing. Indias two-year term as non-permanent member of the UNSC began in January this year while Pakistan will begin its term from January 1, 2012. It would be the fourth time both countries were simultaneously on the UNSC.

Transitional Leader Declares Libyan Liberation

Libyas transitional government leader Mustafa Abdul-Jalil has declared his countrys liberation after an eight-month civil war and set out plans for the future with an Islamist tone. The uprising against Qadhafi erupted in February as part of antigovernment revolts spreading across the Middle East. In August, rebel forces engaged in a coastal offensive and took most of their lost territory, and captured the capital city of Tripoli, while Gaddafi evaded capture and loyalists engaged in a rearguard campaign. On 16 September 2011, the National Transitional Council was recognised by the United Nations as the legal representative of Libya, replacing the Gaddafi government. Muammar Gaddafi remained at large until 20 October 2011, when he was captured and killed attempting to escape from Sirte.

U.S. Troops will be Out of Iraq by Year-end

President Barack Obama has declared an end to the Iraq war, one of the longest and most divisive conflicts in U.S. history, announcing that all American troops would be withdrawn from the country by years end. Mr. Obamas statement put an end to months of wrangling over whether the U.S. would maintain a force in Iraq beyond 2011. He never mentioned the tense and ultimately fruitless negotiations with Iraq over whether to keep several thousand U.S. forces in Iraq as a training force and a hedge against meddling from Iran or other outside forces.

CIS Countries Signs Free Trade Pact

Russia and seven other Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) nations have signed a free trade agreement to promote closer economic integration across the erstwhile Soviet Union. The agreement was signed at a summit of the CIS countries

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held in St. Petersburg on October 18-19. Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and Tajikistan joined Russia in the deal. Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan took time out to study its pros and cons. CIS is a loose union of 11 out of the 15 former Soviet republics. The pact would make CIS member-states economies more competitive by scrapping export and import duties on a whole range of goods. Ukraine stands to benefit most as the biggest exporter to the large Russian market among the CIS countries. The free trade zone is seen as a move reflecting Moscows effort to get Ukraine join the customs union, a closer economic group Russia set up last year with Kazakhstan and Belarus. At the St. Petersburg summit, Kyrgyzstan was also invited to join the customs union. The St. Petersburg agreements are in line with Mr. Putins goal of creating a Eurasian Union of former Soviet nations.

Occupy wall Street Movement Goes Global

Occupy Wall Street Movement that started in New York City of U.S., has gone global as protesters protested in Rome and London in a worldwide demonstrations against corporate greed and government cutbacks. These protests are inspired by Americas Occupy Wall Street and Spains Indignants, targeting 951 cities in 82 countries across the planet. Occupy Wall Street (OWS) is an ongoing series of demonstrations in New York City based in Zuccotti Park in the Wall Street financial district. The protests were initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters. They are mainly protesting social and economic inequality, corporate greed, corruption and influence over governmentparticularly from the financial services sectorand lobbyists. The protesters slogan, We are the 99%, refers to the difference in wealth in the U.S. between the wealthiest 1% and the rest of the population. The first protest was on September 17, 2011. By October 9 similar demonstrations were either ongoing or had been held in 70 major cities and over 600 communities in the U.S . Other Occupy protests modeled after Occupy Wall Street have occurred in over 900 cities worldwide. Other cities where people protested were Madrid, Johannesburg, Zurich, Geneva, Athens, Brussels and Sarajevo. Hong Kong Sydney. Organizers of the worldwide protest, relying heavily on Facebook and Twitter, said demonstrations would be held in 951 cities across 82 countries in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and Africa.

Plan for New Global Body to Oversee Internet Governance

India has joined hands with Brazil and South Africa to explore ways and means of taking forward a proposal to establish a new global body, within the United Nations framework, to oversee global Internet governance. The move was spelt out by officials of IBSA (India- Brazil-South Africa) at a seminar on global Internet governance in Rio de Janeiro in September. The joint declaration issued in the recently concluded fifth IBSA summit in Pretoria took note of the recommendations of the Rio de Janeiro seminar and resolved to jointly undertake necessary follow-up action.

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UNSC Adopts India-co-sponsored Resolution on The Rio meet felt that a body was urgently required within the Piracy
UN Security Council has unanimously adopted an India-cosponsored resolution on piracy in Somalia. At Indias initiative, the UNSC resolution took on board the issue of prosecution of convicted pirates not only for acts of piracy but also for hostage taking. The resolution was co-sponsored by India and 10 other UNSC members. The resolution calls for international cooperation in sharing information for the purpose of law enforcement and effective prosecution. It recognizes the increasing scope of piracy beyond the coast of Somalia, which affects not only the states in the region but also those far beyond. India, supported by other members, incorporated in the resolution provisions dealing with persons who intentionally facilitate piracy operations, including key figures of criminal networks involved in piracy. The resolution calls for prosecution of those who illicitly plan, organize, facilitate, or finance and profit from such attacks. In the resolution, the 15-member body urged countries that have not already done so to criminalise piracy under their domestic laws and to implement prosecution methods in accordance with international human rights law. The resolution also emphasized the need to establish specialized anti-piracy courts in Somalia and other countries in the region.

U.N. system to coordinate and evolve coherent and integrated global public policies pertaining to the Internet. It also called for ensuring that Internet governance was transparent, democratic, with multiple stakeholders and multilateral. The Indian position, enunciated at a meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) last month, was that the Rio recommendation was only a starting point for discussions. It was yet to be fleshed out by the IBSA. The IGF is a forum for multi-stakeholder dialogue on the Internet, constituted to help the U.N. Secretary-General carry out the mandate set by the World Summit on Information Society. However, the official Indian representative made it clear at the IGF meeting that the existing Internet governance processes and mechanisms needed to be made more inclusive and more sensitive to the requirements of developing nations. Some observers see the proposal as undermining the multi-stakeholder model that is now followed for managing the Internet. One argument heard at the IGF meeting was that there was no need for a new global body. Organisations like the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which oversee the functioning of the global Internet address system, had shown the capability to respond to the concerns of developing nations.

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Euro-zone Agrees on Plan to Solve Euro Crisis

Leaders of the 17 Euro-zone nations have agreed on a three pronged approach to solving the Euro crisis: wipe off 50 per cent of the Greek debt, recapitalise European banks and strengthen the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) to leverage up to a trillion Euros in order to prevent Italy or Spain from collapsing. The key point of discord which the Euro-zone leaders had to overcome was the resistance by banks to wipe of 50 per cent of the Greek debt. Under the accord, banks will now wipe of 100 billion from a sovereign debt of 350 billion, reducing it from 160 per cent of GDP to 120 per cent by 2020. Athens will receive a fresh injection of 100 billion Euros by 2014 in the form of loans from Europe and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This will effectively replace the earlier pledge of 109 billion decided in July 2011 whereby banks had agreed to wipe off 21 per cent of Greeces debt. As part of the plan to increase the clout of the bailout fund, the 440-billion ($610 billion) European Financial Stability Facility will be used to insure some of the potential losses on the debt of shaky Euro-zone countries like Italy and Spain, allowing it to leverage around 1 trillion.

Assembly Election in Tunisia

Tunisias moderate Islamists have triumphed in the first elections held after the onset of the Arab Spring, setting the tone for the electoral contests that are in the offing in a region where blazing uprisings over the last 10 months have toppled entrenched dictatorships. The Islamist Ennahda party won 90 seats in the 217member Assembly, which will write a new Constitution, appoint an interim government and prepare for fresh parliamentary and presidential elections, probably within a year. The leftist Congress for the Republic (CPR) won 30 seats and the centreleft Ettakatol won 21 seats. These elections held recently, where 90 per of the registered voters polled, followed a popular uprising which ended decades of authoritarian rule led by Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. Despite its strong showing, the Ennahda would be seeking an alliance to establish a stable coalition a condition unlikely to allow it to foist a sectarian agenda. Neither the CPR nor the Ettakatol, which have trailed Ennahda, has opposed participation with the Islamists in a broader coalition. Even before the final results were out, the Ennahda had declared its intent to form an inclusive interim government.

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Bilateral/Multilateral Bulletin... INDIA JAPAN: STRATEGIC AND GLOBAL PARTNERS

India and Japan recently concluded fifth round of the Strategic Dialogue in Tokyo. This ministerial level talk was started in 2006 with the signing of the Strategic and Global Partnership agreement. This year summit got added attention as it was held just a few weak ahead of the East Asia Summit. The highlight of the summit was emerging regional dynamism and the role that both countries are going to play in it. Apart from all regional and global issues, issue of civil nuclear deal was also raised by India. New Delhi made a renewed pitch to seek Tokyos support for its membership of top multilateral nuclear regimes like the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Australia Group1, and the Wassenaar Arrangement2. Asian as well as South-East Asian region. The importance that both countries are giving to the bilateral ties is evident from the regular high level meetings both at official level and ministerial level. The new dialogue process is being carried forward under 2+2 consultation, in which foreign secretary and defense secretary participated. The Japan-India Foreign Ministers Strategic Dialogue has been held in Japan and India alternately each year since 2007. Last year, the dialogue was held in Delhi in August. The importance that Japan is giving to tie with India is evident from the fact that Japan has cut down its overseas ODA (Official Development Assistant) after tsunami and the Fukushima except that of India (India is the highest recipient of Japans ODA since 2003). This is a sign of high priority that Japan gives to India.

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The present upswing in the India -Japan relationship is the logical conclusion of the long standing cultural and economic ties. India and Japan had long cultural ties spanning for centuries, modern diplomatic relationship were established on April 28, 1952. In 2012 both countries are going to celebrate 60 years of diplomatic ties. The earlier cultural and economic tie was elevated to new level when New Delhi and Tokyo upgraded bilateral relation to strategic level by establishing Strategic and Global Partnership in Dec. 2006. Since then both countries are trying to synergies their policy to play greater role in the emerging world order. Indo- Japan ties have become all the more important given the current geopolitical dynamism of the East

Strategic Relations
The establishment of the Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan in December 2006 elevated relations to a new level. This Partnership is based on five pillars of cooperation viz,

During the visit of PM Abe to India in August 2007, a Roadmap for New Dimensions to the Strategic and Global Partnership was unveiled. A Joint Statement on the Advancement of the Strategic and Global Partnership and a Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation were issued during PMs visit to Japan from 22-23 October 2008. During Prime Minister Hatoyamas visit, the two sides released a Joint Statement on the New Stage of India-Japan Strategic and Global Partnership and an Action Plan to advance India-Japan Security Cooperation. A Joint Statement on Vision for India -Japan Strategic and Global Partnership in the Next Decade was signed during the Annual Summit of 2010 in Japan.

These political documents provide Political, Defence and Security the basis for all-round development of Cooperation; India-Japan partnership. Within this Comprehensive Economic Partnership; framework, both countries is trying Science & Technology Initiative; to develop vision in the Asian region by promoting concrete cooperation in People-to-People exchanges and the maritime security- security of busy Cooperation in Regional/Multilateral oceanic trade route, synergizing counter fora piracy measures.

1. Australia Group: is an informal group of countries established in 1985 (after the use of chemical weapons by Iraq in 1984) to help member countries to identify those of their exports which need to be controlled so as not to contribute to the spread of chemical and biological weapons . The group, initially consisting of 15 members, held its first meeting in Brussels in September 1989. It now has 41 members, including all Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) members except Mexico, the European Commission, all 27 Member States of the European Union, Croatia, Ukraine and Argentina. The name comes from Australias initiative to create the group. Australia manages the secretariat. 2. Wassenaar Arrangement: is a multilateral export control regime (MECR) with 40 participating states is the successor to the Cold war-era Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (COCOM), and was established on July 12, 1996, in the Dutch town of Wassenaar, near The Hague. The Wassenaar Arrangement is considerably less strict than COCOM, focusing primarily on the transparency of national export control regimes and not granting veto power to individual members over organizational decisions. A Secretariat for administrating the agreement is located in Vienna, Austria.

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Defense Relations

economic issues of cross-cutting nature. Economic ties will remain vital cog for Though India and Japan never had Indo-Japan even though both sides concrete defense ties as India mainly continue to coordinate their position on sourced its defense hardware from Russia the security and civil nuclear issues. The and west European nation but cooperation bilateral economic relation got shot in in the defense field started with the arm with the signing of Comprehensive naval exercise- Malabar (trilateral naval Economic Partnership Agreement in exercise among India, U.S. and Japan). 2011. The CEPA is one of the most Till now Japan has refused to export comprehensive of all such agreements weapons, military equipment and duel concluded by India in so far as it covers use technology to India. But this policy more than 90% of the trade, a vast gamut is changing now as Japanese industry of services, rules of origin, investment, has lobbying for long for a change in this intellectual property rights, customs and policy of self denial. An active arms export other trade related issues. will not only increase Japans regional According to Japanese statistics, influence but also open a multi- million $ arms market. India too is looking for bilateral trade during FY2008-09 reached new suppliers to diversify its defense US$12.18 bn. However, in FY2009-10, it procurement and Japans prowess in high declined 14.3% to US$11.3 billion. In technology will help India to gear up for the first 11 months of the Calendar Year 2010, trade reached US$13.3 billion. era of electronic and cyber warfare. Japans exports to India during this period In the recently concluded talks increased 44% over the corresponding between the defense ministers of both period last year to US$8.08 billion, while sides, issue of cooperation between the Japans imports from India rose 57% to armed forces in rendering humanitarian US$5.22 billion. The major items of Indias assistance and disaster relief, training export to Japan are petroleum crude and and co-operation in U.N. peace-keeping products, gems and jewellery, marine operations and bilateral exchanges were products, iron ore etc. Indias import discussed. Cooperation through regional basket consists of machinery other than and multilateral fora (like the ASEAN electric, electronic goods, iron & steel, (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) transport equipment and machine tools. in Defence Ministers Meeting Plus Japan currently ranks sixth largest (ADMM+) were also be discussed. in cumulative FDI flows into India. Early 2012 will see both sides Japanese companies have made actual implement the Japan-India Defense investments of US$ 4.63 billion (4% of Policy Dialogue in Tokyo, and staff talks total FDI inflows) between April 2000 between Ground Self Defense Force and and November 2010. According to latest Indian Army, staff exchanges between Air available statistics, a total of 1049 Self Defense Force and Indian Air Force. Japanese companies have representative Both sides will carry out mutual offices in India and 627 have business visits of vessels and aircraft and conduct operations in India. The sectors attracting bilateral exercise between Maritime Self Japanese investment are automobile Defence Force (MSDF) and Indian Navy. industry, electrical equipment, trading, In 2012, vessels of both sides will make service sector (financial & non-financial), mutual visits and MSDF aircraft will visit and telecommunications. India, during which bilateral exercise As part of India-Japan Strategic and would be held. Global Partnership, the two sides have Economic Relations launched a Special Economic Partnership During the Annual Summit of 2010, it has Initiative (SEPI), which has several highbeen decided to establish a Ministerial- visibility flagship projects like Western level Economic Dialogue to give strategic Corridor of the Dedicated Freight Corridor and long-term orientation to the bilateral (DFC) to be partially funded by Japanese economic engagement and to coordinate soft ODA loan and the Delhi-Mumbai

Industrial Corridor (DMIC), whose project development is to be partially funded by Japan. DMIC is projected to attract foreign investment worth about US$92 billion and will be built around DFC. A consortium of Japanese private sector companies is collaborating with the DMIC Development Corporation as well as the Governments of the concerned states, in developing eco-friendly townships in the DMIC zone using Japans best practices. The two sides have launched an Energy Dialogue to promote cooperation in the energy sector in a comprehensive manner. The areas of cooperation include oil and natural gas, coal, electric power, renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and other relevant sectors. The two sides have also decided to exchange views of respective nuclear energy policy under the Energy Dialogue. In June 2010, the two sides commenced negotiations on an Inter-Governmental Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.

Cooperation in Civil Nuclear Energy

Being the only country to face the devastating nuclear holocaust, Japan is the strict adherent of non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament. So even after Indo-U.S Civil nuclear agreement it will be difficult for India to clinch civil nuclear deal with Japan. While Japan wants Indias commitment not to conduct nuclear tests to be reflected in the proposed civil nuclear agreement, India maintains that its unilateral moratorium was stated unequivocally during the process that ended its isolation from global civil nuclear commerce. Japan wants that India should demonstrate some sort of commitment to signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) which it has described as a building block to ratifying the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). In some section of Japans strategic circle the view is that Japan should not leave behind $150 billion civil nuclear energy market in India. Such a deal will play vital role in rejuvenating Japans ailing economy. Though proper pact on civil nuclear is

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still far, Japan has moved a step forward by starting cooperation in mining of rare earth with India. Japan has removed seven Indian entities from its Foreign End User List this year. India Rare Earth1 being one of the seven entities, this step provides way for cooperation in mining of rare earth. Presently more than 90 % of the world supply of rare earth is being controlled by China. Regular supply of rare earth metal is vital for the high technology industry of Japan. In the fifth round of Strategic dialogue, India and Japan reached an aggreement regarding the joint development of rare earths, the Ministers agreed to provide government support to move forward with joint ventures between Japanese companies and Indian Rare Earths.

greenfield IIT at Hyderabad. The India Cultural Centre in Tokyo was formally inaugurated in September 2009. The ICCR has set up two Chairs on Indian studies at the University of Tokyo and Ryokoku University, Kyoto. The two sides have agreed to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Japan in 2012 in a befitting manner. UN Reform: Both India and Japan wants a comprehensive reform in the world body to reflect the reality of the present world. As a member of G-41 (alliance among Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan for the purpose of supporting each others bids for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council), India and Japan wants expansion of the Security Council and seek permanent membership in the expended council. Climate Change: Though Japan and India do not share similar views towards steps to counter climate change, but both countries are trying to synchronize their steps at bilateral level.

recent years, propelled by successful regular summit level exchange. But all said and done, India has to keep in mind that its growing nearness to Japan is not perceived as threat by China. In the given geopolitical dynamics of east and southeast Asia where countries are ganging up to contain China, India should keep itself distant from the regional containment policy and follow an independent foreign policy towards its largest neighbor. Apart from the ongoing bilateral deepening of relationship, India should also think in the line of trilateral relationship involving U.S and Japan. This will be a step toward the crossPacific partnership, which will not only enhance trilateral economic relation but also ensure greater role to India in the South China Sea and the pacific realm. Japan and India are both in the process of globalizing, each of course in their own way, and responding to their compulsions. Ultimately, what is important is that the underlying sentiment is one of convergence rather than of competition. Healthy bilateral relations have a natural downstream flow in terms of international cooperation and in creating a positive ambience in the continent and beyond.

Other Areas of Co-operation

Culture: Government of India introduced a visa on arrival scheme for tourists from Japan on an experimental basis from 1st January 2010. A Memorandum on Visa Simplification was signed during the Summit of October 2010 to facilitate visits by nationals of each other. Both sides are collaborating for the development of a

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Conclusion
India Japan relation have under-gone a significant and qualitative shift in

1. Rare earth elements: or rare earth metals are a set of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, specifically the fifteen lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium. Despite their name, rare earth elements (with the exception of the radioactive promethium) are relatively plentiful in the Earths crust, with cerium being the 25th most abundant element at 68 parts per million (similar to copper). However, because of their geochemical properties, rare earth elements are typically dispersed and not often found in concentrated and economically exploitable forms. The few economically exploitable deposits are known as rare earth minerals.

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INDIA AND NEPAl: StRENgthENINg thE FouNDAtIoN

Traditionally, India had special relations with Nepal, which spanned to centuries. With the political change in Katmandu in 2006; transition from monarchy to parliamentary democracy; the bilateral relation needed new orientation to adjust with the changed political scenario in Nepal. With coming of Maoist led coalition into power the bilateral relations received some setback as the new government looked towards India with skepticism. But, gradually Nepal has acknowledged Indias role in solving political crisis and assistance in socio-economic arena. Thus after two years of a publically acrimonious relationship, relation between India and the Maoist party are on the mend. To solicit Indias support and goodwill to complete the peace process and write a new constitution and to forge stronger relation, Prime Minister of Nepal, Mr. Baburam Bhattarai visited India in the last week of October 2011. The importance that Nepal is giving to tie with India is evident from the fact that this was the first bilateral visit abroad by the Nepals PM. India too showed change in its stand as New Delhi did not advise the Madhesi parties against joining the ruling coalition. India is keen to have deeper ties with the new political elites in Katmandu in the wake of increasing Chinese influence in the Nepal. Though Nepal had always been a buffer between two big countries and historically Nepal has shown tilt towards New Delhi. But with the change of regime in Katmandu there was reorientation in Nepals policy, which veered towards the northern neighbor. Wary of increasing Chinese influence in the Indias traditional area of influence India was looking forward to mend the mutual conflicts. As both New Delhi and Katmandu were looking forward to reinvigorate the bilateral ties, the latest summit was significant one. The outcome of the summit was considered fruitful by both the parties.

Economic ties
Two third of Nepals trade is with India which has historically tilted towards India. To make balance of trade more equitable Nepal is looking for more favourable policy from Indias side. To increase investment by Indian companies in Nepal, the two sides formalised the long pending Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA), which commits one State to providing compensation to commercial entities, whose country of origin is the other. This applies particularly in cases of wars, national emergency, and armed conflict. Investments from either country in the territory of the other country are to be accorded National Treatment and Most Favoured Nation treatment. It also provides for elaborate dispute resolution mechanisms between investors and the government concerned, and between governments, including international arbitration. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Nepals Industries Minister Anil Jha, signed the pact in the presence of the two PMs. The agreements overall objective is to promote investment flows between the two countries. Nepal had asked for soft loans of $1 billion as financial assistance, but the final pact provided a $250-million line of credit to Nepal to finance infrastructure projects, at the concessional rate of interest of 1.75 per cent annually. A MoU in this regard was signed by Indias EXIM Bank and Nepals Finance Ministry. India also provided grant assistance for a goitre control programme in Nepal. Despite extensive negotiations, the two sides failed to agree on a double taxation avoidance agreement which was on the agenda. Making a strong pitch to investors, Mr. Bhattarai highlighted Nepals potentialities in infrastructure, hydropower, tourism, agro-processing,

mining, finance, education, health, information and communication sectors. Mr. Bhattarai also added that Nepal had simplified tax structures, and got preferential treatment in international trade due to its status as a Least Developed Country. The Nepali side assured that they would take further measures for creating and promoting an investor friendly and enabling business environment to encourage Indian public and private sector investments in Nepal. The inter Government Committee of Commerce Secretaries would look into all trade and transit related issues, including trade imbalance and Nepals request for waiver of 4% additional customs duty. With regard to the issue of Duty Refund Procedure (DRP) under the new Treaty of Trade, the Indian side assured that the necessary notification in this regard will be issued very soon. The two sides directed the relevant officials to hold comprehensive review of the Rail Services Agreement at the earliest to enhance cooperation in the field of railways. The two sides agreed to expeditiously complete procedural requirements for operationalisation of rail transit facility through Rohanpur Singhabad and transit between Vishakhapatnam and Nepal.

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health
Apart from the pacts on economic issues, both countries also signed bilateral agreement in health sector. MoU was signed regarding Indian grant assistance for the Goitre Control Programme in Nepal. Under the MoU, government of India will provide Rs. 1.875 crores (Nepali Rs. 3 Crores) to Government of Nepal for the control of goitre and other iodine deficiency diseases in Nepal under the heads of Re-iodisation Subsidy, Packaging Subsidy, Transportation Subsidy and Advocacy Subsidy. The Government of

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Nepal shall procure iodised salt from India for distribution in the remote and inaccessible regions of Nepal. Iodine Deficiency Diseases are a major health problem and it is hoped that this assistance will help reduce incidence of Goitre and other Iodine deficiency diseases in Nepal.

Challenges in Bilateral Relation

Given the political instability and unfinished political transition in Nepal, it will be unrealistic to think that all outstanding issues of mistrust will be solved in one go. Of late mutual mistrust has arisen between two neighbours out of some genuine issues while some has been born out of scepticism. The concerns have two aspects; political and security aspect and economic aspect. With the change

in regime and coming of Maoist in power under Pushpa Kumar Dhal Prachanda, New Delhi was politically hostile towards the Maoists. Indias main concern has been about reluctance of Maoist to abide by the terms of peace process by dismantling their arms. Regarding the issues of regional security and geopolitics, New Delhi is worried about the growing Chinese influence in its periphery. With the perceived Maoist tilt towards China, this concern has become all the more important. The Maoists have long denounced 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship between India and Nepal as unequal and hegemonic. Even Mr.Bhattarai has called for an eminent persons group to reconsider the treaty. To stop use of Nepals soil for antiIndia activity by terrorist organisation

and ISI, India wants to have long pending extradition treaty, the mutual legal assistance treaty, mapping of border strip and wants Nepal to allow deployment of sky marshals on Indian aircraft. This would be possible only when a stable government is in place in Kathmandu. Thus India too had stack at the peaceful transition in Nepal and New Delhi is ready to extend whatever supported required overcome the political impasse and in writing of new constitution. Peaceful and friendly Nepal is always is in the interest of India. And supportive India is essential for economic prosperity in Nepal. The recent Indo-Nepal summit has gone long way in taking bilateral relation one notch up.

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IBSA: A tRIANglE of gREAt PRomISE

October 2011 saw the completion of 5th round of IBSA summit in Pretoria (South Africa). The leaders of India, Brazil and South Africa discussed wide ranging issues of mutual importance along with the global issues. The four area of focus in summit were global-politics, social aspect of globalization, south-south cooperation, and intra IBSA trade. Security aspect, particularly maritime security in the wake of increasing piracy, was also taken up by the leaders. The leaders also discussed issue of Security Council expansion as all the three countries are hopeful of becoming member of the expanded Security Council. Issues related to climate change were also taken up and the leaders looked forward towards adopting common approach in the forth coming UNFCCC and the Rio + 20 (2012) summit. The summit was all the more important in the wake of euro-zone economic crisis and the political crisis in the middle-east and North Africa. As all the three countries are currently non-permanent member of the Security Council, they have been playing bigger role in solving global issues. The IBSA Dialogue Forum was formalized through the adoption of the Brasilia Declaration in 2003. The main objectives of the IBSA Dialogue Forum could be summarized as follows: To promote South-South dialogue, cooperation and common positions on issues of international importance To promote trade and investment opportunities between the three regions of which they are part To promote international poverty alleviation and social development To promote the trilateral exchange of information, international best practices, technologies and skills, as well as to compliment each others competitive strengths into collective synergies To promote cooperation in a broad range of areas, namely agriculture, climate change, culture, defence, education, energy, health, information society, science and technology, social development, trade and investment, of a credible plan of macroeconomic tourism and transport. With the view to take forward the goal and financial policies and structural adopted in the previous summits, the reforms by the Euro-zone countries, leaders of India, Brazil and South as a necessary step to prevent further Africa met at Pretoria. The leaders negative shocks to the world economy. issued Tshwane Declaration. The They also highlighted the importance of Leaders noted that the India-Brazil- complementary measures by other key South Africa(IBSA) Dialogue Forum developed economies to boost recovery brings together three large pluralistic, and help the global economy as a whole. multi-cultural and societies from three They emphasized that domestic policy continents, as a purely South South responses and structural reforms alone grouping of like minded countries remain insufficient to restore growth committed to inclusive sustainable in many developed and developing development, in pursuit of well- countries. being for their peoples. The leaders underscored the importance of the of the principles, norms and values underpinning the IBSA Dialogue Forum, i.e. participatory democracy, respect for human rights, and the Rule of Law.

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Economic
The current intra IBSA trade is about $20 billion and it is expected to meet the target of $25 billon by 2015. Apart from the ways and means to achieve the foreseen target of intra IBSA trade the leaders also expressed concern at the ongoing deterioration of the global economic scenario, which presents particular challenges for the economic policy and growth prospects of developing and low-income countries. They stressed the importance of the implementation

The three Leaders emphasized the need to increase policy coordination amongst G-20 nations, with a view to avert a new recession and to promote a robust recovery in order to ensure strong, sustainable and balanced growth of the global economy in the medium term. They pointed out that this required carefully calibrated fiscal consolidation in countries with high debt levels. They pointed out that Brazil, India and South Africa were doing their part to promote growth while containing inflationary pressure and ensuring fiscal discipline. They stressed the importance of implementing the current international commitments of financial regulatory reform, with a view to improving oversight and supervision, towards a more resilient financial system. They also renewed their commitment to the timely implementation of the Basel

BASEL III: is a new global regulatory standard on bank capital adequacy and liquidity agreed upon by the members of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. The third of the Basel Accords was developed in a response to the deficiencies in financial regulation revealed by the global financial crisis. Basel III strengthens bank capital requirements and introduces new regulatory requirements on bank liquidity and bank leverage.

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III agreement1. The leaders emphasized the importance of a more stable and resilient International Monetary System and coherent management of capital flow.

Reform in World organization

The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to increase the participation of developing countries in the decision-making bodies of multilateral institutions; they underscored the need for urgent reform of the United Nations (UN) to render it more democratic and consistent with the current geopolitical reality. They particularly emphasized that no reform of the United Nations will be complete without a reform of the UN Security Council (UNSC), including an expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories of its membership, with increased participation of developing countries in both. The members of IBSA have joined hands in sponsoring a proposal known in the U.N. jargon as document L.69 which essentially calls for an expansion in both categories, without mentioning any country by name. All the three countries are hopeful of getting permanent seat in the expanded Security Council. Also they committed themselves to continue to work together in relevant multilateral fora to enhance macroeconomic policy coordination for sustainable recovery and continued growth. As members of the G-20, IBSA Countries reaffirmed their support for the Group as the premier forum for international economic cooperation. The Leaders stressed the importance of sustaining long term capital flow to the developing countries to stimulate investment, especially in infrastructure and called upon Multilateral Development Banks and Regional Development Banks to mobilize more resources and to find ways to expand their lending capacity to developing countries. The Leaders emphasized the importance of the G 20 development agenda, with its focus on the contribution to sustainable growth in developing and low income countries.

security and development, the leaders reiterated their view that peacekeeping operations have a contribution to make in early peace building activities and in providing an environment conducive to the implementation of development strategies, as a means to bring immediate peace dividend to afflicted areas and to contribute to the cooperative atmosphere for UN missions. The leaders noted that the UN Security Council should work in close cooperation with the Peace building Commission, with a view to develop a stronger synergy between the two organs.

Sustainable Development
India and South Africa pledged their support for Brazils hosting of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in June 2012 in Rio de Jenerio (Rio+20 Summit). The leaders acknowledged the relevance of the main themes for summit namely the Green Economy in context of Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development and the Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development in implementing the Sustainable development agenda. The leader agreed that Rio+20 should renew political commitment to accelerate the implementation of the sustainable development agenda as defined by the Rio Principles and taken forward through the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation in pursuit of global sustainable development.

the millennium Development goals (mDg)

The three countries noted that 2015 remains a fundamental target date, by which MDBs must be met. The leaders reaffirmed that with just four years to go for the target year, global efforts for attaining the MDGs must see accelerated action. In this regard they called upon developed countries to urgently meet their official development assistance (ODA) commitments and to take steps to strengthen global partnership including technology transfer. The leaders acknowledged that the successful achievement of the MDGs requires strong political will and commitment; adequate funding at the national, regional and international levels; and strengthened international cooperation.

Climate Change
Also they leaders took up the issue of climate change as South Africa will be hosting 17th Conference of Parties (COP 17) to UNFCCC in Durban from 28 November to 9 December 2011. The leaders said that the outcome of Durban should be comprehensive, balance and ambitious, within the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and in accordance with the provision and principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities. All the leaders called for second commitment period for Kyoto Protocol as well as early operationalisation of all the institutions agreed to at COP16 in Cancun last year, the Adaptation committee; the Technology Executive Committee, the Technology center and Network; the Standing Committee on Finance and the Green Climate Fund, which must provide significant means of implementation for immediate action to tackle climate change.

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International trade (Wto-DDR)

The leaders at the summit reiterated their view that the demands of the current negotiation at the Doha Development Round (DDR) is imbalance in the sense that there is too much accommodation of the sensitivities of developed countries in agriculture, alongside unjust demands on developing countries to open their markets in the service and industrial sector. To overcome the current impasse and to bring the Round to successful conclusion, the leaders reiterated the need to re-affirm the integrity of the mandate that launched the Round, and to build on the convergence already achieved.

global food Security

The leaders also expressed their concern about the continuing challenges that developing countries are facing regarding food and nutritional security, such as negative consequences of food inflation and food price volatility. Regarding the

Peace building Commission (PBC)

Recalling the interdependence between

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ongoing famine in the Horne of Africa, particularly in Somalia, the leaders renewed their appeal for countries to deliver on commitments made to provide funding to address issues of food and nutrition security. Further they expressed their support for the UN food based institution in Rome, and other regional organizations that could increase the capacity of developing countries to deal with the issues of increased agricultural production, food security and nutritional feeding to ensure that they eradicate extreme poverty and hunger and attain MGD-1.

countries of the south- a partnership among the equals. This cooperation is guided by the principle of respect for national sovereignty, national ownership and independence, equality, non-conditionality, non-interference in domestic affairs and mutual benefit. The leaders affirmed that south-south cooperation is complementary and not a substitute for north-south cooperation.

Conclusion
Of all the foreign policy endeavours India has embarked upon in the last decade, the trans-continental partnership with Brazil and South Africa is surely one of the most innovative. IBSA is unique because the link between the three countries is not geographical but situational. Each finds itself occupying a similar position with the other two in the global matrix

South South Co-operation

The leaders undertook to continue to advance the agreed principles underlying South-South Cooperation, which is a common endeavor of peoples and

of economic, political, and strategic attributes. As large developing nations with dynamic, multi-branched economies, the IBSA trios have emerged as key players at the international level. As social democracies, they share a political culture that sees openness and the fulfilment of social obligations as key ingredients of governance. And as countries that have been denied their rightful place in global institutions, they share not just the goal of democratising international bodies but also an approach to international politics that values dialogue and diplomacy over coercion and the use of force. That is why the IBSA forum has slowly expanded its agenda and sphere of activities. The Tshwane declaration issued at the summit in Pretoria offers a good indication of where the grouping is headed.

SAARC A Renewed Hope

Over the last 26 years of its existence, SAARC has established itself as the leading mechanism for regional cooperation in South Asia. It has enabled enhanced cooperation within the region in a wide range of areas such as trade, connectivity, poverty alleviation, food security, women and child development, combating organized crime and terrorism, among others. It has also created new institutions to promote regional integration such as the South Asian Regional Standards Organization, the South Asian Development Fund and the South Asian University which is based in New Delhi. While the Thimphu Declaration (made during 16th summit at Thimpu, Bhutan in 2010) had disappointed over a number of initiatives not translating into tangible and meaningful benefits to the people, the latest one at Addu, Maldives in November 2011 welcomed the summit recognising the importance of bridging differences, playing on this summits theme of Building Bridges. In this respect, the eight leaders at the 17th summit decided to finalise a Regional Railways Agreement and complete the preparatory work on an Indian Ocean Cargo and Passenger Ferry Service by the end of this year. The declaration also decided on early demonstration run of a BangladeshIndia-Nepal container train. On the trade front, emphasis was on effective implementation of the free trade pact, paring the sensitive lists, eliminating non-tariff barriers and harmonising standards and customs procedures. All these factors have limited the SAARC trade to 10 per cent of its actual potential. With consensus eluding the SAARC on climate change, the declaration made a bland one-line reference to the issue. The mention of terrorism in the declaration was briefer than earlier. But it touched most of the points with the regional grouping steering clear from mentioning terrorist sanctuaries, a staple in Indias joint statements with other countries. PM Manmohan Singh called the summit a success. According to him SAARC has still miles to go before its full potential is realized. But there is a growing awareness among all countries of the region about the importance of regional cooperation. The fact that the global economy is not doing too well is a further incentive for countries of the SAARC region to learn to cooperate with one another. And there is a growing realization that a country like India, with its vast market, with its strong growth rate performance, can help other countries in the region to raise their sights for economic development. Thats a hopeful development. four agreements were signed at the Summit: SAARC Agreement on Rapid Responses to Natural Disaster; SAARC Agreement on Multilateral Arrangements on Recognition of Conformity Assessment; SAARC Agreement on Implementation of Regional Standards; and SAARC Seed Bank Agreement. Already the South Asian University is now a functioning entity. SAARC Development Fund is a functioning entity. So, bit by bit SAARC is moving forward to promote the cause of regional integration

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and regional cooperation. The number of meetings that are taking place at various Ministers level, creates a climate where there is growing mutual awareness of each others potential, of each others limitation, and that itself is conducive to the promotion of regional cooperation. However, what added spark and a renewed hope to the current summit werent these developments but the changed and relaxed attitudes of India and Pakistan towards each other. The importance of this positive energy was underscored by Maldives PM mention of the same in his inaugural speech-: In February, India and Pakistan agreed to restart peace talks on all issues. In May, Indian parliamentarians visited Islamabad to advance the cause of peace. In July, [Pakistani] Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar visited New Delhi. A month later, MPs from both countries met in India to continue deliberations. In September, Pakistani and Indian railway officials met to help boost connectivity and trade. And in the past few days, Pakistan improved trade links by deciding to grant India the status of Most Favoured Nation. Today, the Pakistani and Indian Prime Ministers

met in the lovely setting of the Shangri La in the Maldives. These developments are extremely welcome. I hope all political parties in India and Pakistan applaud these encouraging moves. I hope this summit will be enthused with optimism. And I hope both countries can work to resolve their core issues, he said. The 17th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Maldives happened at a rather opportune moment for India. For the first time in years, Delhis bilateral relations with most of its immediate neighbours are on the mend and have set a very different stage for annual regional consultations. Indias unending tension with Pakistan has cast a shadow over the proceedings of the annual South Asian summitry in recent years, much to the irritation of the rest of the subcontinent. In a break from that tradition, it was good news about Indo-Pakistan relations that dominated the headlines from Maldives. The current thaw in Indo-Pakistan relations and Islamabads proposal to normalise trade relations with India was welcomed by other members of SAARC.

Even more significant has been the dramatic transformation of Indias relations with Bangladesh in the time since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came to India in January 2010. While Delhis engagement with Islamabad is based on hope, ties with Dhaka are now driven by a shared commitment to resolve all outstanding bilateral political issues, deepen economic cooperation and build an enduring partnership. Indian PM concluded his statement at the inaugural session by saying that the destiny of South Asia lies in our own hands. SAARC provides a platform for us to put aside our differences and work towards a higher calling. We have a long way to go, but I am confident that we can realize our true potential through sustained effort. We have to learn to trust each other and to learn from each other. The security and stability of our countries are closely interlinked. None of us can prosper in isolation to each other. We cannot afford to allow the many problems we face to stand in the way of our ambitions and dreams.

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INDIA and mAlDIVES

India and Maldives decided to put security and development at the heart of their bilateral ties by signing a Framework Agreement of Cooperation and Development and a memorandum of understanding which will provide the bedrock for joint cooperation in safeguarding each others security interests. In a meeting with Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed a day after the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also announced a $ 100 million credit facility to help the island nation stabilise its fiscal position. The Maldives faces a serious credit crunch and had to allow its currency, the Rufiyaa, to float in a limited band to tide over the crisis. Also the two countries signed agreements relating to combating terrorism, drug trafficking, disaster management and coastal security; on transfer of sentenced prisoners; on cooperation in the field of culture for 2012-2015; construction of 10,000 houses costing $ 40 million; on developing a police training academy; on enhancing ferry services and port development and on upgradation of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Male, which is the referral hospital in The Maldives. The renovation work is expected to be completed in 2013.

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Bilateral/Multilateral News...
Foreign Ministers Regional Conference on Afghanistan
Representatives of 27 countries have held a major brainstorming exercise in Turkey ahead of the expected withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan, to evolve a consensus based mechanism that will ensure stability and prosperity in the wartorn country. The Istanbul conference , which has a core regional component that includes Presidents of Afghanistan and Turkey as well as foreign ministers from India, Pakistan and Iran, was the first major step to draw a road map for completing a peaceful transition in Afghanistan, notwithstanding the slated pull out of foreign troops by 2014-end. A string of international meetings are in the offing which will culminate in a megaconference in Bonn that Afghanistan alone would host in December this year. Going beyond the New Silk Road vision unveiled by the United States during the conference, India has proposed economically linking Central Asia with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as that would act as a critical confidence building measure in a region affected by a decade of violence in Afghanistan. Speaking at the Turkey Foreign Ministers regional conference on Afghanistan, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said that he was confident that these countries would be able to assist Kabul as the NATO-ISAF prepared to drawdown its combat role by 2014 end. India was well placed to assist Afghanistan, argued Mr. Krishna, because it was involved in all three critical requirements of that nation security, good governance and development. But to achieve this, there must be an end to external interference in its internal affairs. Mr. Krishna drew attention to the continuation of safe havens and sanctuaries beyond its borders. Expanding the U.S.-led Silk Road initiative, Mr. Krishna highlighted the potential of the SAARC market and felt the cooperation linking the Indian subcontinent with Central Asia through Afghanistan could be a critical confidence building measure. Indian companies are frontrunners in the bid for Hajigak iron ore deposit, said to be the largest untapped mine in this part of the world. Its strategic pact also envisaged joint exploration in minerals and hydrocarbons. He endorsed the meets aims and objectives to bring regional countries on an inclusive platform to address the common challenges facing the region, and working towards cooperative confidence-building measures and solutions. The Silk Road or Silk Route refers to a network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa. The land routes were supplemented by sea routes which extended from the Red Sea to East Africa, India, China, and Southeast Asia. China traded silk, spices, teas, and porcelain; while India traded ivory, textiles, precious stones, and pepper; and the Roman Empire exported gold, silver, fine glassware, wine, carpets, and jewels. In recent years, both the maritime and overland Silk Routes are again being used, often closely following the ancient routes. The Silk Routes (collectively known as the Silk Road) were important trade routes for goods of all kinds between merchants, pilgrims, missionaries, soldiers, nomads and urban dwellers from Ancient China, Ancient India, Ancient Tibet, the Persian Empire and Mediterranean countries for almost 3,000 years. It gets its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade, which began during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE 220 CE).

Bhutan Kings Visit to India

Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck along with Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck has undertaken the first foreign visit after their marriage to India and held bilateral talks with Indian leadership. During his talks with the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, both the leaders exchanged views and held discussions on bilateral relations and economic cooperation as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest. They recalled the strong historical ties of friendship and understanding that exist between the two countries. Both leaders expressed satisfaction at the excellent state of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen these exemplary relations. Bhutanese King conveyed appreciation for the invaluable support that the Government of India provides for Bhutans socio-economic development. The two sides expressed satisfaction at the cooperation in the hydropower sector and reiterated their commitment to achieve the target of 10,000 MW of power generation in Bhutan by 2020. This was the first visit abroad of the King after the Royal Wedding on October 13 and the fourth visit to India since his Coronation in November 2008. During their nine-day visit the royal couple visited Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur.

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India-France: Partnership for the Future

French Senior Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Alain Jupp made a state-visit to India and met Indias Foreign Minister M. Krishna. Both the leaders signed an India-France Joint Statement on Progress in India-France: Partnership for

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the Future. The two Ministers recalled the target set in December 2010 of increasing bilateral trade to 12 billion by 2012 and reiterated their commitment to achieving it. They also welcomed the increase in foreign direct investment flows in both directions and agreed to address the genuine concerns of investors. India and France have identified energy efficiency, renewable energy, preservation of biodiversity, urban services and infrastructure as promising fields of cooperation. Both ministers welcomed the successful launch of MeghaTropiques satellite, a joint contribution to the global scientific community engaged in research on climate and weather systems. The forthcoming launch of SARAL, a joint satellite to study sea surface altitude would be another milestone in space cooperation. India and France encouraged Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the French National Space Agency (CNES) to pursue further cooperation in Earth System Science and Climate within the framework of the MoU signed in December 2010 and to explore new fields of cooperation in the future. India and France reaffirmed their continued interest in enhancing bilateral cooperation in Defence. They welcomed the success of the first joint exercise between the two Armies (Shakti, in October 2011), and also the exercises between their Navies (Varuna in January 2011) and Air Forces (Garuda in 2010).

They share a long term ambition for bilateral cooperation at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Rajasthan. France will finance scholarships for Indian students at the PhD level, depute professors to IIT Rajasthan and substantially contribute to the establishment of Joint Centres of Excellence/ research laboratories in the next five years.

Russias Simplified Visa Rules for Indians

President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a bilateral visa simplification agreement that would simplify visa rules for Indians travelling to Russia. The rules became effective on 25th November. The agreement was signed last year and the law was published in the official gazette. With coming into force of the agreement, it has scrapped the need to prove ones good-faith intentions and allowing for long-term multi-entry visas. Individuals and organisations are no more required to produce an invitation or a tourist voucher to obtain a six-month visa for a 90-day stay. The agreement also provides for the issuance of multi-entry one-year and five-year visas subject to certain conditions that are yet to be spelled out. Multi-entry visas will allow Indian and Russian citizens holding valid national passports to stay on the territory of the other country for up to 90 days within a period of 180 days from their first entry. The simplified visa rules apply to tourists, students, official delegations, businessmen, persons involved in scientific, cultural and creative professions, and sister city exchanges. Those Indians and Russians who lose their travel documents will now find it easier to return to their home country. The Indian embassy in Russia liberalised visa rules for Russian citizens in June when it started issuing multi-entry business visas valid for one year against six months in the past and tourist visas valid for six months with multiple entries.

38 for modernisation of Indian Air Forces Mirage 2000 aircraft

The two countries welcomed the finalisation of the project

and noted ongoing efforts to finalise joint defence research and development programmes, namely the SRSAM and Kaveri programmes. They reiterated their desire to cooperate in other high technology programmes and projects in the defence sector in the future. In addition, the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) is negotiating with French engine manufacturer Snecma to co-develop high-end technology for the Kabini, which forms the core part of Kaveri engine, being developed for the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas. The negotiation is at an advanced stage and the DRDO hopes to work with the French so that the engine provides required thrust without affecting the size and weight. India and France agreed to an early entry into force of the agreement on intellectual property rights on the development of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. They agreed to strengthen the cooperation between the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board of India and the Autorit de Suret Nuclaire of France, and their technical support organizations. They welcomed the progress in the discussions between AREVA and NPCIL, aiming at finalizing the contract on the construction of two EPR reactors at Jaitapur(Maharashtra) and look forward to its early implementation. They look forward to the conclusion of an agreement between ALSTOM, NPCIL and BHEL for supplying the Indian nuclear power program with the most recent technology for manufacturing turbo-generators

NIFT Ties up with New York College

The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has tied up with the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, for a dual degree under-graduate programmes. Now, all selected students from NIFT would avail of the opportunity to obtain a joint degree awarded by NIFT and FIT. The objective of forging a strong global connect and offering international academic exposure to its students has been instrumental in NIFT undertaking a commendable initiative of establishing academic linkages with the New York-based fashion institute in the form of dual degree. In fact, NIFT was established in 1986 in collaboration with FIT with the assistance of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). At the initial stage, NIFT entered into a decade-long agreement for academic and infrastructural support. Since then, NIFT has seen tremendous growth with 15 centres and the expansion of international and domestic linkages.

India- Pakistan Liberal Visa Regime

A Joint Working Group of India and Pakistan has given finishing

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touches to the draft agreement, which seeks to ease restrictions on travel across the border and streamline the lengthy and cumbersome procedures that have often been characterized by suspicion. Senior officials from both the sides approved the draft pending formal approval of the governments. The new regime has proposed issue of six-month visas for social visits, and not for a maximum of three weeks as of now, and a one-year visa with multiple entries for senior citizens, eminent persons, women of one country married to men in the other country and their children aged below 18. It has been proposed that senior citizens aged above 65 will be given visa on arrival if they choose to travel by road. Businessmen certified by the national trade organisations will be entitled to multiple visas for one year. Both sides will also allow transit visa for 36 hours to their respective citizens. The meeting also favoured group visits by tourists, proposing a new category of group tourism for up to 30 days, but with a condition that such travel be conducted by registered travel agents and the group comprise over 10 persons. The agents will register the group on arrival and departure with police stations of places to be visited. Hitherto, the two countries have been issuing visas restricted to social visits and pilgrimage and, that too, for travelling to the specified place and not anywhere else.

cooperatives, for the purpose of verifying applicants maintenance funds. Under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system, all applicants are required to submit a financial statement as a proof that they have enough funds to support themselves and pay for their course in Britain.

India Seeks More Crude Oil and LNG from Qatar

Petroleum and National Gas Minister Jaipal Reddy has sought additional quantities of crude oil and LNG from Qatar. He also sought investments from Qatar in the upcoming petrochemical projects being executed by public sector companies. Mr. Reddy was speaking at a meeting with Minister for Industry and Energy of Qatar Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada. He emphasised that such investments from Qatar would be a win-win proposition for both countries as India was looking for strategic investors for some of these project that included petrochemical complexes at Dahej and Manglore and LNG import terminal at Ennore. Dr. Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Saba reiterated Qatars commitment to India not only to supply LNG under the existing contracts but also to provide additional quantities. He offered to supply LPG and crude oil condensates, which could be processed to produce white fuels such as petrol, kerosene, ATF and naphtha. The two ministers stressed the need for expediting the process of evaluating the present opportunities for mutual cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector.

U.K. Tightens Visa Norms for Indian Students

In a move that is likely to affect thousands of Indian students applying for visa to study in Britain, the British government has banned nearly 1,900 Indian banks, mostly small regional

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OIl PRIcINg IN INDIA: thE REAl PIctuRE

The issue of oil pricing in India has been a very critical policy decision on account of the impact on the government, oil companies and consumers. It is a well known fact that India is a significant oil consumer in the world. In 2009 India was the worlds fifth largest consumer of crude oil and petroleum products with product consumption growing by over 5 per cent. It is forecasted that India will become the fourth largest consumer by 2025. Further almost 80 per cent of the oil is imported and with rising oil prices along with volatility in the international oil market it gives rise to large oil import bill leading to a large hole in the governments pocket on the one hand and on the other it is resulting in under recoveries for the Oil Marketing Companies. These under recoveries, are whether notional or real losses to the OMCs, is a matter of debate. Irrespective of this, it is a truth that these under recoveries leaves a large deficit in the national budget in the form of issuance of oil bonds by the government which are counted as subsidy. The government dismantled the administered price mechanism in 2002 and allowed oil companies to charge import parity prices that included custom duties, insurance and freight charges apart from actual product cost. In 2006, government on the recommendation of the Kirit Parikh Committee brought a further change. The pricing mechanism of oil was shifted from import parity pricing model to trade parity pricing model. Under the trade parity pricing model, the weighted average of the import and export parity prices is taken into the ratio 80:20. In trade parity, pricing is lower than the import parity to the extent of freight cost and other taxes and duties. Despite the changes in the oil pricing mechanism, the issue of under recoveries was not resolved. Therefore, the government set up three committees at regular intervals, viz.., C Rangrajan Committee, B K Chaturvedi Committee and lastly Kirit Parikh Committee. It was on the recommendation of the Parikh Committee; the government of India (GOI) on 25 June, 2010 announced the full deregulation of the prices of two crucial petroleum products: petrol and diesel. Henceforth, prices of these two products will be determined by the unfettered play of market forces and government subsidies on these products, which worsen the fiscal situation, will be completely removed. In one deft move, therefore, government control over the determination of the prices of these key commodities was willingly ceded to the magic of the market, presumably to rationalize prices and to wipe away losses of state-run Oil Market Companies (OMCs). the government as another reason to hike the oil prices. The average price of the Indian basket of crude, which was $85.09 a barrel in 2010-11, has now increased by 30% and the average price in the current financial year is around $110. To make matters worse, the rupee has depreciated from Rs.45/$ to over Rs.49/$ in the recent months. The under-recoveries of the OMCs increase by about Rs. 8,000 crore annually on account of depreciation of every Re.1. Though the government later reduced the prices of petrol but it becomes pertinent to discuss the issue and structure of pricing of oil products irrespective of why government reduced the prices.

Recent Development
Since then government has raised prices of petrol at regular interval. The raising of the prices of petrol this year in November was the exercise for the fourth time. This has sparked protests from both the party in opposition and the alliances of UPA government besides burdening the common man who is already reeling under high food prices. The prognosis for the hike once again is the lame excuse, i.e., under-recoveries of the Oil Marketing Companies. According to the government officials that despite the recent hikes in the prices of the three sensitive petroleum products and reduction in customs and excise duties, the OMCs were incurring an under-recovery of Rs.8.58 a litre on diesel, Rs. 25.66 on kerosene and Rs. 260.50 a cylinder on domestic LPG. The total under-recovery of the PSUs on sale of the three products for the year is expected to be around Rs.1, 32,000 crore compared to Rs.78, 190 crore last year. The crisis faced by the OMCs is evident from the unprecedented borrowings of Rs. 1, 29, 989 crore for working capital and dollar requirements for payment for crude import. The depreciation of rupee in the foreign exchange market is being cited by

Oil Industry: Structure and Prices

To understand the issue of oil pricing in India, it would help to familiarize oneself with the structure of the oil industry in India. The industry starts at what analysts call the upstream end, the site of exploration and production of the primary component that gives all varieties of petroleum products: crude oil. The major state-owned players in the upstream sector are Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (ONGC), and Oil India Ltd. (OIL); the major private sector players are Reliance, Cairn Energy, Hindustan Oil Exploration Company Ltd. (HOEC), and Premier Oil. The output of the upstream sector is crude oil, which feeds into the downstream sector: the sector responsible for refining the crude oil to get petroleum products (like petrol, diesel, kerosene and LPG), marketing the final products, and development and maintenance of pipelines. The major state-owned entities in the downstream sector are Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL), and Mangalore Refinery and Petroleum Ltd. (MRPL); the major private sector players are Reliance, Essar and Shell.

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It is the distinction between the upstream and downstream sectors that gives rise to several important prices existing in oil sector. These are the price of crude oil, and the refinery gate price of petroleum products. The first is the price that refiners pay to purchase the crude oil (either from domestic or foreign producers), and the second is the price at which the refiners sell the petroleum products to the next stage of the industry. Since 80 per cent of Indias crude requirement is met through imports, thus, it is this primary channel through which international prices of crude oil affects the Indian economy. The final sector of the industry is that which maintains an interface with the consumers, the sector which takes care of transportation and distribution of the petroleum products to the retail outlets. The major state-owned players in this sector are GAIL (India) Ltd., and IOCL; the main private sector player is Petronet India Ltd., though Reliance, Essar and Shell have also entered into the fray. This brings us to the third important price in oil industry analysis, the pre-tax price: this price can be arrived at by adding marketing, storage and transportation costs to the refinery gate price of the relevant petroleum product. Adding excise duty (a form of tax levied by the Central Government) and sales tax (levied by State Governments) to the pre-tax price gives the final retail price of petroleum products, the price, for instance, that you or any of us pay at the petrol pump.

to summarize: the retail price of petroleum products (like petrol, diesel, kerosene and LPG) equals the sum of the price of crude oil, refining cost plus profit, marketing & storage cost plus profit, distribution cost plus dealer profit, and taxes & duties.

government pricing of petro products

The government policy approach on pricing petroleum products since 1970s has moved between cost-based pricing and import parity pricing (IPP). But, since 2004, the government has been setting consumer prices of petrol, diesel, domestic LPG and PDS kerosene on ad hoc basis so as to ensure petroleum price stability in the country in the face of extreme volatility in international oil markets. Yet, each policy regime gave rise to serious imbalances and change was called for. In order to establish a viable and sustainable price system for the petroleum products, it is important to assess the earlier pricing systems and draw some lessons. In the past, the first major policy shift in pricing of petroleum products occurred in 1976, when the Government replaced IPP of the 1960s by costplus pricing. This came to be known as Administered Pricing Mechanism (APM), which was applied to the entire oil sector. The objective of the government was to shield the Indian economy from the high and volatile oil prices generated

by the first Oil Shock in 1973-74. APM ran its course for three decades and was completely abandoned in April 2002. The major weakness of APM was that it did not induce competition in the marketplace, so it did not fulfill the consumers interest for better products and services. Nor did it enable domestic oil companies to generate adequate financial resources for project development and capacity addition in this crucial sector. Moreover, the self-balancing nature of the Oil Pool mechanism was based on the premise that any increase in the cost was required to be fully passed on to the consumer prices. In1990s, the government did not permit full pass through. It resulted in a huge Oil Pool deficit, which weakened the financial position of the public sector oil companies. It also placed a heavy financial burden on the Government by way of issuing oil bonds to PSU oil companies. In 1995, Government appointed a Strategic Planning Group on Restructuring of the oil industry (R Group) under Vijay Kelkar to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the oil industry and develop a strategic plan for reform. The Group found major deficiencies of APM in making the domestic petroleum sector viable and globally competitive. According to the Group, APM could not generate sufficient financial resources for oil companies to make the required investment for energy security. APM did not provide incentive either for cost minimization or for technological improvement. Since

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Important Definitions
Import Parity Price
Import parity price is the price which domestic refineries pay for importing crude oil. It is the summation of production cost, insurance and freight (CIF) which is incurred while importing a product. In essence import parity price can be taken as the international competitive price that sets the ceiling for the domestic price.

under Recovery
Under recovery = import parity price realized price. Realized price is something on which the government exercised some control. If this is fixed at a lower rate than the import parity price then under recovery shows up.

Export Parity Price

It is the price at which domestic refineries can supply petroleum products. It is arrived at by deducting freight and insurance cost from the CIF price that will prevail in the importing country. The value arrived is then converted into local price in the exporting country by multiplying net CIF price with the prevailing exchange rate. In this price then an exporter add export subsidies and deduct port handling charges. The final price arrived is called export parity price.

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(a) First, the Government devised a price band mechanism in July 2004. The Government gave limited freedom to oil marketing companies to revise retail prices within a band of +/-10% of the mean of rolling average of last 12 months and last 3 months of international C&F prices. In case The process of dismantling of APM and of international prices breaching operationalisation of market determined this band, the matter would be pricing mechanism was notified in two taken up with Ministry of Finance successive Government resolutions in for modulation in excise duty rates. 1997 and in 2002. The 1997 resolution The above price band was operated provided the four year phasing out of only once effective 1st August 2004 APM and the 2002 resolution completed when prices of petrol and diesel the process. The approach to pricing in were increased by Rs.1.10 per litre this new policy framework was based on and Rs.1.42 per litre, respectively. four distinct considerations. However, as oil prices rose sharply and The price of indigenous crude oil there was uncertainty in international would be market determined oil markets, the price band mechanism The prices of petroleum products was abandoned. produced by the refineries will be (b) In October 2005, the Government based on import parity price. constituted the Rangarajan all costs were reimbursed there was no incentive to make profitable investments. The subsidies and cross subsidies built in the APM resulted in wide distortions in consumer prices. In view of these serious infirmities, APM was finally dismantled in March 2002. The consumer prices of all other products except domestic LPG and PDS kerosene will be market determined.

PDS Kerosene fixed by the Government remained below their TPP levels. (d) As PSU oil marketing companies (OMCs) kept selling these products below their TPP based costs, the Government devised a burden sharing mechanism to meet OMCs under-recoveries. This mechanism involved PSU upstream oil companies (viz., ONGC, OIL and GAIL) which extended hefty price discounts on their sale of crude oil to the OMCs, and the government which issued bonds every year. Continuance of such an arrangement, year after year, became unsustainable. It lacked transparency and thereby gave rise to financial uncertainty. It was fraught with administrative delays and thereby did not help the oil companies either. Moreover, it only facilitated transferring the present problem to the future.

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(e) As international oil prices kept rising Committee to examine the pricing and since June 2006, the Government taxation of petroleum products with did not increase the retail prices of a view to stabilizing their prices and petrol and diesel till June 2008. As a establishing transparent mechanism There would be flat rate subsidies on result, the under-recoveries of PSU oil for autonomous adjustment of prices PDS kerosene and domestic LPG. marketing companies (OMCs) reached by the oil companies. The Committee unsustainable levels in 2008. At that Mechanism to mitigate recommended a formula of trade stage the Government appointed the volatility in oil prices parity pricing (TPP) for petrol and Chaturvedi Committee to look into the diesel at refinery level as well as The petroleum pricing reforms analysed financial conditions of the companies, at retail level. The formula was a above, except APM, did not have any review the concept of under-recoveries weighted average of import parity mechanism to manage extreme volatility and examine the available options for and export parity prices, in which the in oil prices. Even the effectiveness of burden sharing by all stakeholders. percentage share of import/export of APM as a self-balancing mechanism was these products provided the weights. (f) The Chaturvedi Committee concluded based on the premise that any increase that as long as there are price restraints The Committee suggested that these in the costs of PSU oil companies on there will have to be a formula. TPP prices should serve as indicative account of crude oil production, import, However, the formula for refinery gate ceilings within which the marketing refining and marketing based on the prices of petrol, diesel, domestic LPG companies would have flexibility to predetermined formula should be fully and PDS kerosene should be based on fix the actual retail prices of petrol reflected in the consumer prices. FOB export prices (and not on TPP). and diesel. As regards subsidies, the During April 2002 to January 2004 The full price adjustments should be Committee recommended elimination oil companies changed the domestic made within a period of 9 months of subsidy on LPG and its restriction consumer prices of petrol and diesel and for petrol and 24 months for diesel. of kerosene subsidy to BPL families. domestic LPG based on market factors. Once these price adjustments are Government implemented However, kerosene price was not changed. (c) The completed the Government should switching over to TPP and rationalised As oil prices started moving upward in disengage from the process of pricing taxes on crude oil, petrol and 2004, the question of smoothing the of petroleum products and allow price diesel, but could not implement volatility in international prices assumed to be an outcome of a competitive rationalization of subsidies and importance. process. other changes recommended by the The period from 2004 to 2008 Committee. Even TPP was confined to (g) The Chaturvedi Committee reiterated witnessed three distinct policy phases to the views of the Rangarajan Committee the refinery level and the retail prices address oil price volatility: thatsubsidies should be given to BPL of petrol, diesel, domestic LPG and

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on Integrated Energy Policy (August instabilities in the demand-supply 2006) as one which reflects the conditions in the country, competitive opportunity costs of a consumer or a functioning of oil companies, and producer. According to the Integrated fiscal soundness of the government. Energy Policy, IPP is to be used for (d) A viable and sustainable pricing a product for which the country is a system for petroleum products is a net importer and EPP for a product key requirement of stable, long-term for which it is a net exporter. As long growth of the economy. Similarly, (h) The pricing mechanism recommended as the country exports a particular a financially strong and globally by the Chaturvedi Committee was product, EPP equals TPP, as suggested competitive oil industry provides an primarily meant to address the by the Integrated Energy Policy enduring platform to strengthen energy financial challenges associated with security of the country. It is therefore very high and unsustainable level conclusion important that oil companies should of under-recoveries of oil marketing The foregoing analysis of the Government have the freedom to set prices based companies who were not permitted to policies on pricing of four sensitive on competitive market conditions. The pass the rise in oil prices on to the petroleum products leads to the following government needs to extend subsidy consumer prices. Once oil prices in the conclusions: to the targeted consumers in such a international market slumped in the (a) Explicit formula-based pricing manner which does not impinge on second half of 2008, the magnitude mechanism of petroleum products is the freedom of oil companies to set of under-recovery burden came down not conducive to establishing a longprices in the market place. significantly. term viable and globally competitive (i) The integrated energy policy based on References oil industry in the country. the recommendations of Expert group 1. Surya sethi 2010 EPW article headed by Kirit Parikh, were approved (b) As more than 3/4th of the current Analysing the Parikh Committee domestic crude oil requirements is met by the Cabinet in December 2008. It Report on Pricing of Petroleum by imports and is expected to go upto recommended Trade parity pricing as Products. Economic and Political further in the future, the domestic one which reflects the opportunity Weekly, March 27, 2010. consumer prices of petroleum products costs of a consumer or a producer. It should be increasingly aligned with 2. Ruchi Mishra, Government moves further stipulates that IPP is to be used movements in international oil from import to trade parity price for a product for which the country is markets. regime. The Businessline. a net importer and EPP for a product for which it is a net exporter. As long (c) Any ad hoc system of price fixation 3. Kirit Parikh Committee Report: http:// as the country exports a particular by the government may provide a petroleum.nic.in/reportprice.pdf product, EPP equals TPP. semblance of domestic price stability 4. The political economy of oil pricing, in the immediate-to-short term, (j) The Trade parity pricing was also Sanhati but give rise to serious long-term recommended by the Parikh Committee family only. Such subsidies should be disbursed through Smart Cards or cash transfers and not through supply of products much below their market prices. The existing subsidy on LPG should be eliminated in a period of three years.

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ABC of CREDIt RAtINg AgENCy

Recently Moody, a credit rating agency- downgraded the credit rating of the SBI, Indias largest bank, and later it downgraded the credit rating of the Indian financial system. This has created uproar among the policy makers and businessmen alike as Indias macroeconomic fundamentals are strong though in the short-run, inflation and interest rate is a major issue. As per the report of the IMF, the credit rating agencies are speculative in nature and hence cannot be relied upon. In this scenario lets see what and how of credit rating agencies. score to estimate the probability that the individual will pay back loan or will pay back charges on a credit card. However, in recent years, credit scores have also been used to adjust insurance premiums, determine employment eligibility, as a factor considered in obtaining security clearances and establish the amount of a utility or leasing deposit. A poor credit rating indicates a credit rating agencys opinion that the company or government has a high risk of defaulting, based on the agencys analysis of the entitys history and analysis of long term economic prospects. A poor credit score indicates that in the past, other individuals with similar credit reports defaulted on loans at a high rate. The credit score does not take into account future prospects or changed circumstances. For example, if an individual received a credit score of 400 on Monday because he had a history of defaults, and then won the lottery on Tuesday, his credit score would remain 400 on Tuesday because his credit report does not take into account his improved future prospects. An individuals credit score, along with his credit report, affects his or her ability to borrow money through financial institutions such as banks. rating of a sovereign entity, i.e., a national government. The sovereign credit rating indicates the risk level of the investing environment of a country and is used by investors looking to invest abroad. It takes political risk into account. Ratings are further broken down into components including political risk and economic risk. Euromoneys bi-annual country risk index monitors the political and economic stability of 185 sovereign countries. Results focus foremost on economics, specifically sovereign default risk and/or payment default risk for exporters (a.k.a. trade credit risk). Country risk is defined as the risk that country-specific factors could adversely affect an insurers ability to meet its financial obligations.

What is credit rating?

A credit rating evaluates the credit worthiness of an issuer of specific types of debt, specifically, debt issued by a business enterprise such as a corporation or a government. It is an evaluation made by a credit rating agency of the debt issuers1 likelihood of default. Credit ratings are determined by credit ratings agencies. Credit ratings are not based on mathematical formulas. Instead, credit rating agencies use their judgment and experience in determining what public and private information should be considered in giving a rating to a particular company or government. The credit rating is used by individuals and entities that purchase the bonds issued by companies and governments to determine the likelihood that the government will pay its bond obligations.

Short-term rating
A short-term rating is a probability factor of an individual going into default within a year. This is in contrast to long-term rating which is evaluated over a long timeframe. In the past institutional investors preferred to consider longterm ratings. Nowadays, short-term ratings are commonly used. First, the Basel II agreement requires banks to report their one-year probability if they applied internal-ratings-based approach for capital requirements. Second, many institutional investors can easily manage their credit/bond portfolios with derivatives on monthly or quarterly basis. Therefore, some rating agencies simply report short-term ratings.

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Credit Rating Agencies and Credit rating

The three major credit rating agencies in the world are, namely, Standard & Poors, Moody and Fitch. Table on the next page shows the rating scale of these three agencies. Anything lower than a BBBrating in S& P rating scale is considered as speculative or junk bond. The Moodys rating system is similar in concept but the naming is a little different.

Credit ratings vs Credit scores

Credit ratings are often confused with credit scores. Credit scores are the output of mathematical algorithms that assign numerical values to information in an individuals credit report. The credit report contains information regarding the financial history and current assets and liabilities of an individual. A bank or credit card company will use the credit

Credit bureaus and credit rating agencies

Credit scores for individuals are assigned by credit bureaus (US; UK: credit reference agencies). Credit ratings for corporations and sovereign debt are assigned by credit rating agencies. In the United States, the main credit

Sovereign credit ratings

A sovereign credit rating is the credit

1. Debt issue: refers to any fixed corporate obligations, as bonds or debentures. A bond is like a loan: the holder of the bond is the lender (creditor) and the issuer of the bond is the borrower (debtor). Bonds provide the borrower with external funds to finance long-term investments, or, in the case of government bonds, to finance current expenditure. A debenture is a document that either creates a debt or acknowledges it. In corporate finance, the term is used for a medium- to long-term debt instrument used by large companies to borrow money.

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bureaus are Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. A relatively new credit bureau in the US is Innovis. In the United Kingdom, the main credit reference agencies for individuals are Experian, Equifax, and Callcredit. There is no universal credit score as such, rather each individual lender credit scores based on its own wish-list of a perfect customer. In Canada, the main credit bureaus for individuals are Equifax and TransUnion. In Hong Kong, the locally-based credit rating agency is CTRISKS. The firm offers sovereign ratings on major economies, bank ratings on banks in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, obligor ratings on 4000 listed companies in Greater China, bonds ratings on 1000+ bonds in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong and product risk ratings on 1000+ investment products. The largest credit rating agencies (which tend to operate worldwide) are Dun & Bradstreet, Moodys, Standard & Poors and Fitch Ratings. In India, commercial credit rating agencies include CRISIL, CARE, ICRA and Brickwork Ratings.

The credit bureaus for individuals in India are Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited (CIBIL) and Credit Registration Office (CRO). Credit Rating and Information Services of India Ltd. (CRISIL) is the largest credit rating agency in India. Its majority shareholder is Standard and Poors. Credit Analysis & Research Ltd. (CAREs) Ratings are recognized by regulatory agencies in India and Maldives. CARE is registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India. CARE Ratings are also recognized by RBI, NABARD, NHB and NSIC in India. RBI has also recognized CARE Ratings as an eligible external credit rating agency for the purpose of Basel II implementation in India. CARE is an independent rating agency promoted by major banks and financial institutions in India. The three largest shareholders of CARE are IDBI Bank, Canara Bank and State Bank of India. ICRA Limited (ICRA) is one of Indias premier financial information services company. It offers credit rating information and professional financial consulting services across India, as well as in the Asia-Pacific region through its subsidiaries. ICRA Limited, was established in 1991, and was originally named Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency of India Limited (IICRA India). It was a joint-venture between Moodys and various Indian commercial banks and financial services companies. The company changed its name to ICRA Limited, and went public on 13 April 1997, with a listing on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange. Moodys continues to be the largest single shareholder in ICRA.

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Economy News...
Govt.s Rs.900-crore Package for Exporters
Union Government has announced a Rs. 900-crore package for exporters in a bid to cushion exporters from slowdown in the U.S. and Europe. The package was announced as part of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP). The benefits will largely accrue to exporters of engineering goods, pharmaceuticals and chemicals. This announcement comes close on the heels of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) notifying the interest subsidy of 2 per cent for labour-intensive industries such as handicrafts, handlooms, carpets and small and medium exporters. The policy clearly states that those scouting for markets in Latin America, Africa and CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) will stand rewarded. The new measures will be incorporated in the annual supplement of the Foreign Trade Policy (2009-14). Around 50 products in engineering, pharmaceuticals and chemicals would get special bonus of additional one per cent of export value between October and March this fiscal. Shipments to Latin America, Africa and CIS regions will also be eligible for additional one per cent duty credit besides three per cent already being given. This is in sync with the export diversification strategy in the wake of demand sluggishness in the U.S. and European markets. These two markets account for about 30 per cent of Indias total exports. As per the Policy, the apparel sector was also given duty credit under Market Linked Focus Product Scheme (MLFPS) for export to the U.S. and Europe. The 2 per cent duty credit would be available to exports made during 2011-12. It has been decided to extend MLFPS benefit for exports of agricultural tractors (over 1800 cc capacity) to Turkey. The list of items under FPS has been expanded to include 130 additional items mainly in the chemical, pharmaceutical, textiles, handicrafts, engineering and electronics sectors. The products covered under FPS are entitled for 2 per cent duty credit scrip. Government also declared Firozabad for glassware, Bhubaneswar for marine products and Agartala for bamboo and cane products as town of export excellence to boost shipments from these areas. chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, handicrafts, engineering and electronics sector which will get 2 per cent duty credit under the scheme. Chemicals such as soda ash, textile items like polyester yarn, woven cotton fabric denim, unbleached or bleached cotton fabrics, knitted and dyed cotton fabrics will stand covered under the scheme.

Center Gives Nod for 15 More Mega Food Parks

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the setting up of 15 new mega food park projects in addition to the 15 ongoing projects under the Infrastructure Development Scheme involving a government grant of Rs.787.50 crore. The setting up of the new mega food parks is expected to facilitate state-of-the-art infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlets. The projects are meant to bring about substantial reduction of wastage, value addition, employment generation and increased income for farmers. The scheme is tailored to be implemented in a market-driven manner commensurate with global and national demand. Innovative supply chain management will be the key to implementation of this scheme. Under the guidelines, each mega food park must benefit at least 6,000 farmers / producers directly and 25,000-30,000 farmers indirectly and generate about 40,000 direct and indirect jobs. The estimated investment in each project will be about Rs.100 crore in common facilities is expected to leverage an additional investment of about of Rs.250 crore. The annual turnover of each project should be Rs.500 crore. In each project, an estimated number of 30-40 food processing industries must be set up. The scheme is expected to operate in hub and spoke model under which there will be farm proximate Collection Centres (CC) and Primary Processing Centres (PPC) which will set up cleaning, grading, sorting and packing facilities, dry warehouses, specialised cold stores, including pre-cooling chambers, ripening chambers, mobile pre-coolers and mobile collection vans.

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Payment on Shrink-Wrapped software is Royalty: High Court

A division bench of Karnataka High Court has ruled that payments made by information technology companies in India to their foreign software suppliers would amount to royalty and the companies had an obligation to deduct tax at source from the amount that they paid. This order enables the Income Tax Department to recover tax dues from major IT companies from 2000 onwards, which may run into crores of rupees. The bench comprising Justice V.G. Sabhahit and Justice Ravi Malimath, passed the order while allowing an appeal by the I-T Department, challenging the 2005 order of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal. The tribunal, on appeals by major IT

Govt. Announces Sops for Textile Sector

Union Government has announced a slew of sops for textile sector including extending the Market Linked Focus Product Scheme (MLFPS) for exports and 2 per cent duty credit for exports to the U.S. and European Union from April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012. In addition, subvention of 2 per cent on rupee export credit has been extended till March 2012 for handlooms, handicrafts, carpets and all small and medium enterprises. In order to extend the coverage of products under the Focus Product Scheme, it had been decided to include 130 new items, covering 10 product sectors, specifically including

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companies, including Wipro, Infosys, HP, Samsung, Sonata, GE India and others, had said that the payment did not attract tax in India as there was no permanent establishment of nonresident foreign suppliers here. The IT companies, which had purchased software from Microsoft and other foreign companies, claimed that the software imported by them were shrink-wrapped products and the same was not customized. Hence no tax was deducted on the payment made to the foreign suppliers as it was not taxable in India. Shrink Wrapped Software is a term often used to describe software that is sold as a commodity. While a great deal of software is bespoke and only intended to be used by a limited audience, shrink wrapped software often has a broader appeal to a wider user base, be it industry specific, a niche market, or for general usage.

that holds six billion tonnes of coal reserves. The Rs. 8,000 crore NTPC project has been hanging fire for almost a decade due to a controversy over its location. The North Karanpura project, situated in Chatra district of Jharkhand, was supposed to be implemented during the current Five-Year Plan.

Chaturvedi Committee to Revive Power Distribution

The Planning Commission has set up a committee headed by B K Chaturvedi to help restore the financial health of countrys power distribution sector that is reeling under huge losses. The Committee also comprises representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank of India and officials from the state governments. The committee would suggest measures to improve the financial health of power distribution utilities. It would prepare a report in the next 6 months, before the start of the 12th Five Year Plan Period (2012-17), so that the suggestions can be incorporated in it. Power distribution utilities are facing difficulty in raising fund from banks on account of poor balance sheets. Some of the distribution firms have not raised tariffs for 10 years and their total losses are estimated to be Rs 70,000 crore.

SAT Orders Sahara to Refund Money to Investors

Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) has asked Sahara Group companies to refund the money raised through the optionally fully convertible debentures (OFCDs) to investors. SAT has given the two companies Sahara India Real Estate Corporation (now known as Sahara Commodity Services Corporation Ltd.) and Sahara Housing Investment Corporation six weeks to return the money. While dismissing the appeal filed by Sahara Group companies against the SEBI order, it held that the market regulator had jurisdiction over such fund raising schemes. SEBI had in June asked the two Sahara Group entities to return the money collected from millions of investors through the financial instrument OFCD along with 15 per cent interest, citing violation of regulatory norms. The companies had failed to apply for and obtain listing permission from recognized stock exchanges, SEBI had said. A Debenture is a debt security issued by a company, which offers to pay interest in lieu of the money borrowed for a certain period. In convertible Debentures, the investor has the option to either convert these debentures into shares at price decided by the issuer/agreed upon at the time of issue.

R&D in Central Public Sector Enterprises

The Union government has made research and development (R&D) mandatory for all profit-making Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs). The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), under the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, has, in a memorandum, directed that Maharatna companies set aside at least 1 per cent of their profit after tax (PAT) for expenditure on R&D and other Navratna status undertakings earmark 0.5 per cent of their PAT for the purpose. Loss-making, sick and those on revival package have been exempted from this. To make their operations R&D-driven and brace up to compete with low-cost products of emerging markets, the Maharatna PSUs have been assigned to take up at least five R&D projects while the Navratna companies will necessarily undertake three R&D jobs. The DPE will set up a National R&D Hub to compile and document their activities, organise national and international seminars and collaborate with external agencies to set up a think-tank on R&D. It intends to set up a corpus fund with the twin purpose of financing these activities and receiving funds too from various agencies. The CPSEs have been directed to draft an R&D policy, appoint a director or committee to plan the R&D project, approve the budget for the next three years and specify the objectives and targets and the monitoring process.

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Panel on NTPCs Karanpura Power Plant

The Union Government has constituted a three-member panel headed by Planning Commission member, B.K. Chaturvedi to look into proposed relocation of NTPCs 1,980-MW North Karanpura plant in Jharkhand. The development comes after a Group of Ministers (GoM) on Coal headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, decided to refer the North Karanpura power project issue to the B.K. Chaturvedi Committee. The three-member panel, which includes Coal Secretary, Alok Perti and Power Secretary, P. Uma Shankar, will submit its report within a month. The issue of relocating the proposed power plant of NTPC has been a major bone of contention between the ministries of coal and power, as the plant is planned in an area

World Banks Report on Investor-friendly Reforms

The World Bank has virtually congratulated India and 29 other

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countries for significant strides in making their regulatory environments more business-friendly. In a report titled Doing Business 2012: Doing Business in a More Transparent World the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation said that between June 2010 and May 2011, there were 245 business regulatory reforms worldwide, which were 13 per cent more reforms than in the previous year. Among these China, India, and Russia are among the 30 economies that improved the most over time, the report said, adding that Singapore led on the overall ease of doing business, followed by Hong Kong, New Zealand, the U.S. and Denmark. South Korea was said to be a new entrant to the top ten. However, India still ranks low overall in the Doing Business assessment, with its rank improving marginally from 139 to 132 between the 2011 and 2012 reports. On the reform undertaken in India, the 2012 report said, When India dismantled a strict licensing regime controlling business entry and production, the benefits were greater in states that had more flexible labour regulations. Specifically the report noted that the progressive elimination of the licence raj led to a 6 per cent increase in new firm registrations in India, and highly productive firms entering the market saw larger increases in real output than less productive firms. Yet a country such as Nigeria appeared to have made more progress towards the frontier of maximum business-friendly reforms than India has between 2005 and 2011, according to data in the 2012 report. As a key development in an increasingly networked economy the Bank report also noted that e-government initiatives were on the rise. More than 100 economies use electronic systems for services ranging from business registration to customs clearance to court filings, the Report said.

arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, has signed an agreement to take a 25 per cent stake in Kazakhstans Satpayev offshore exploration block. The OVL had on April 16 signed a Joint Operating Agreement and Participation Share Agreement/ Assignment Agreement with Kazakhstans KazMunaiGas Exploration Production to buy a quarter of the Satpayev block. However, this agreement makes the Kazakh government to formally become a part of the concession. Till now, the Exploration and Production Agreement for the Satpayev block was only between KazMunaiGas and the Kazakhstan government. This agreement was amended to include OVL as a 25 per cent partner. The Satpayev block is located in the North Caspian Sea having an estimated 256 million tonnes of oil and natural gas resources. With its entry into the Satpayev block, OVL now has stakes in 33 projects in 14 countries like Vietnam, Myanmar, Russia, Syria, Egypt, Libya, Nigeria, Sudan, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Cuba. OVL has been seeking access to Kazakhstan since 1995 and signed an initial agreement with KazMunaiGas in February, 2005, for cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector.

Moser Baer GEs Solar Project in Italy

IT and electronics product manufacturer Moser Baers Italian subsidiary Moser Baer Clean Energy (MBCEL) and GE have decided to join hands to set up a solar power project at Sardinia in Italy with an investment of Rs 300 crore. The first phase of the project will have 20 MW capacity. With its greenhouse operations, the project will support employment and agriculture by adding up to 90 jobs, the statement added. The project will generate enough electricity to power about 10,000 Italian homes, and it will avoid more than 25,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year from coal- and oil-fired power plants.

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Indias Contribution to IMF Increased

The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to increase Indias contribution to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 2.44 per cent to 2.75 per cent to make it the eighth largest shareholder in the multilateral lending agency. The decision was taken after Fourteenth General Review of Quotas of the IMF. Significantly, while Indias gain in terms of quota share is the seventh largest in the 14th round of quota review, in absolute terms it will mean an increase from SDR (special drawing rights) 5,821.5 million to SDR 13,114.4 million. When the 14th round of quota review came into force it would result in a major realignment of quota shares among members and thereby reflect the global realities better. In keeping with the demand of emerging nations, including India, for a greater say in the IMF following their increased economic clout after the global meltdown in 2008, all the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) nations will now figure among the 10 largest quota shareholders in the IMF.

Bharti & Japans Softbank Joint Venture

Bharti Enterprises, the parent company of Airtel, has floated a new joint venture with Japanese internet firm SoftBank Corp for offering mobile internet services in India. The joint venture, called Bharti Softbank Holdings Pvt. Ltd, will be a 50:50 joint venture.

PNB Buys Stake in MetLife

Punjab National Bank (PNB) has made a foray into the insurance sector by acquiring a 30 per cent stake in MetLife India, a life insurance company.

US Senate Passes Bill Punishing China for Undervalued Currency

The United States Senate has passed the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2011 which aims at punishing China for allegedly manipulating its currency and holding it at an artificially low level. The Bill 1619 was passed by a majority of 63-35 in the Democrat-controlled Senate. However, it faces stiff opposition in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and also from the White House.

OVL Takes 25% Stake in Kazakh Oil Block

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Videsh Ltd (OVL), the overseas

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Under the Bills proposals, the administration would be required to identify fundamentally misaligned currencies on a semi-annual basis. As a preliminary step, the Bill would task the Secretary of the U.S. Treasury to seek to consult bilaterally with the country that issues such currency in order to facilitate the adoption of appropriate policies to address the fundamental misalignment. If the misalignment were not corrected at that point the bill would then start introducing penalties, initially via multilateral platforms including the International Monetary Fund and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. If there was no remedial action taken 360 days after the currency in question was identified as misaligned, Congress would then authorise the administration to take action at the World Trade Organisation. It would also permit the U.S. government to directly attack the price misalignment in the export sector by adjusting the calculation of the export price under the U.S. current antidumping laws, a move towards subsidies and trade protectionism. While China was nowhere named directly in the bill, a bitter brew of contention between China and the U.S. over the currency issue has been simmering for several years now. Responding to the passage of the Senate bill Chinese Foreign Ministry said, China calls on the U.S. government, its Congress and various communities to oppose the pressure put on the RMB exchange rate by domestic legislation and to tackle trade protectionism.

intellectual property rights. Only around 10 million kg of this premium agricultural produce is grown on the slopes of the eastern Himalayas in some 87 gardens spread over 17,500 acres. Some gardens are located 5,000 metres above sea level. The plucking of leaves is done mostly by women.

World Bank to Finance Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor

The World Bank has committed to finance the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor by signing a $975 million loan agreement with Ministry of Finance and Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL). The World Bank has decided to finance 1,130 km out of the 1,839 km length of the EDFC in three phases and the agreement covers the construction of 343 km of the section between Khurja and Kanpur, which would not only raise the axle load limit but also enable the freight trains to gain speeds upto 100 km an hour. The loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a maturity period of 22 years, including a seven-year grace period. The EDFC along with the Western DFC, when completed, will decongest the present routes allowing for faster movement of passenger trains, besides speeding up goods trains in these regions which account for the countrys 50 per cent of rail freight. The DFCs are not only expected to increase the railways freight market share but also help the country in progressively extending the network to cover other important freight routes. Since the DFC is expected to be operated entirely through electric locomotives, a reduction in green house gas emission is expected, according to studies conducted by the DFCCIL.

Darjeeling Tea Gets Protected Geographical Indication Certificate

Export of Darjeeling tea is likely to get a boost following its registration as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) product from India. The registration was received recently, according to Union Commerce Ministry. The EU had also made the formal announcement in this regard. As per the new registration regime, the teas sold in EU henceforth would have to be 100 per cent Darjeeling tea, the official said. Tea Board was pursuing its case and had applied for the registration in 2007. The EU website says the term Darjeeling has been formally registered as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) product, and has been added to a list of more than 1000 names of agricultural products and foodstuffs protected as PGI or PDO (Protected Designation of Origin). It is the seventh nonEU product receiving the protected status, following on from Columbian coffee and 5 Chinese products. For existing blends that mix Darjeeling tea with non-Darjeeling tea, the Regulation foresees a five-year transitional period during which the term can continue to be used. After this period these blends have to change their name. The unique muscatel flavour of Darjeeling tea is preferred by tea drinkers across Europe, which now accounts for 60 per cent of exports of Darjeeling tea. It is regarded as one of Indias best-known commodity exports. The GI protection tag for Darjeeling tea is already in force in India. The Tea Board has also developed a Darjeeling Tea logo as it is the owner of all

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Centre Sanctions 21 New Textiles Parks

The Centre has sanctioned Rs.2, 100 crore for setting up 21 new integrated textiles parks with world-class infrastructure in nine States. The new textiles parks, to be set up under publicprivate-partnership, will attract an overall industry investment of over Rs.9, 000 crore generating employment of four lakh workers. The scheme for the textile parks would be implemented within 36 months. The government would finance common infrastructure with a subsidy of up to Rs.40 crore for each of the textiles enclaves. The sanction of new textiles parks would catalyse significant additional investments with industry utilising the benefits under the scheme for integrated textiles parks and Technology Upgradation Funds Scheme (TUFS). Six of the parks would come up in Maharashtra, four in Rajasthan, two each in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, one each in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmir and West Bengal.

First Commercial Flight of Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Boeing Cos 787 Dreamliner has taken its first commercial flight, departing on a route operated by All Nippon Airways Co (ANA) from Tokyo to Hong Kong. The 56.7-metre, twin-engine jet with

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a capacity of 260 passengers took off from Narita International Airport as a chartered flight. Boeing sees the Dreamliner as the backbone of its airplane programmes for the next three decades. The 787 is 20 per cent more fuel efficient than conventional models. Boeing has orders for more than 820 of the planes from airlines around the world, including 55 from ANA. Japans largest domestic airline has taken delivery of two of the aircraft since late September. Boeing was expected to deliver the remainder by March 2018.

step in world trade liberalisation since China joined in 10 years ago. The World Bank has estimated WTO membership could add 3 per cent to Russias economy in the medium term and up to 11 per cent in the long term. However, many economists warn that Russian agriculture and manufacturing industries may not be able to compete with cheaper imports. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said last month the costs and benefits of WTO membership were 50-50, but over all there are probably more pluses than minuses. The breakthrough announcement came after Georgia, which lost its breakaway territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in a five-day war with Russia in 2008, dropped its demand that the Russian border with two now independent regions be referred to the Georgian-Russian border. Under a compromise arrangement Russia for its part agreed to have international monitors deployed on trade crossings of its border with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russias entry into the WTO will open the way for India and Russia to sign a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), a free trade pact the two countries have long finalised but could not seal because Russia was not a WTO member. The CECA pact is expected to give a boost to bilateral trade between India and Russia by providing a greater market access for the partners. Indo-Russian trade touched $8.5 billion last year, growing three-fold since 2005, but falling short of the $10-billion target the two countries had set for 2010. New Delhi and Moscow now hope to increase bilateral trade to $20 billion by the year 2015.

Center Approves New Manufacturing Policy

The Union Cabinet has approved the new manufacturing policy which aims to create hundred million jobs in next 10 years. The policy paves the way for building industrial zones and beefing up manufacturing with world class infrastructure and softer labour laws. The government had set up a Group of Ministers headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to iron out inter ministerial differences on some of the issues.

Russia Clears Barrier to Join WTO

Russia has cleared the last barrier on its 18-year-long road to join the World Trade Organisation after reaching a bilateral trade deal with Georgia. Russia and Georgia are expected to sign a formal agreement soon paving the way to Russias accession to the WTO at the groups ministerial meeting in December.

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Russia, with a GDP of $1.9-trillion, is by far the largest economy outside the WTO and its entry would mark the biggest

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Science Spectrum...

VIRAL ENCEPHALITIS: FROM JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS TO ENTEROVIRAL ENCEPHALITIS

It is a strange paradox that a country who aspires to be a superpower and boasts of rapid economic growth, 488 children in Uttar Pradesh and around 200 children in six district of Bihar died this year from encephalitis, a rare condition that causes inflammation of the brain. It is nothing less than a national shame and tragedy. These are deaths that occurred in hospitals and hence were reported; the actual toll could be far higher. Most of the deaths have been due to viral encephalitis caused by an enterovirus1, but a few cases have been attributed to Japanese encephalitis (JE), too, which has once again raised the demand for mass JE vaccination. The hospitals had broadly classified these patients as cases of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES). Encephalitis is most often caused by a viral infection from eating or drinking contaminated food or water, from mosquito or other insect bites, or through breathing in respiratory droplets from an infected person. Acute Encephalitis Syndrome has two types of infections Japanese Encephalitis, which occurs due to mosquitoes and Entro-viral Encephalitis, which is caused due to unsafe drinking water. Now days the clamour for the JE vaccine is justifiable, and the fact is that it is much needed despite its high production costs, and the Central government needs to ensure its universal availability. But what has brought matter to such a pass is the abject lack of simple preventive measures, coupled with a total absence of affordable, timely and accessible health care. It is also not a coincidence that most of the children admitted to hospitals were severely malnourished and already in what is called an immune-compromised state. This implies that the enterovirus outbreaks mainly affected the poor. headache, stiff neck and back, stiffness of joints, vomiting, and confusion and in severe cases seizures, mental retardation, paralysis and coma. Infants and elderly people are particularly at risk of severe illness. In JE cases, the patient dies within a week or is permanently disabled. In enteroviral cases, it takes a longer time for the progression of the disease but the side effects are equally debilitating and devastating. There can even be an organ failure or an unpredictable heart failure. There is also a new chimeric vaccine based on the yellow fever 17D vaccine that is currently under development.

Viral Encephalitis and aggravating Factors:

Water contamination: Officials said the main areas where the outbreak of the virus has been noticed have been poor, flood-hit areas of the region, where this years monsoons have left pools of stagnant water that have allowed mosquitoes to breed and infect villagers. The flood have also led to the contamination of clean water sources such as wells, leaving many people with no option but to use the same dirty water for both drinking and sanitation. The region of Gorakhpur and adjoining districts such as Kushinagar, Deoria, Maharajganj are floodplain areas (called terai), where water levels are rather high. Contamination of this source is very easy. Therefore, it is generally advised that for drinking water, handpumps or wells need to be dug at not less than 80 feet so as to prevent contamination from the upper reaches. But most villages have very few government-installed handpumps for drinking water. A cheaper alternative that people use is the khinchwa, a shallow handpump that does not go beyond 10 to 20 feet and is used for drinking water, washing and cleaning. People defecate in the fields and then wash their hands and feet at the handpump. Often, no soap is used. The night soil of little children is often rubbed into the soil, especially if it is at home. It is not disposed of anywhere as there are no toilets or even a handy water source to wash them properly. Gorakhpur region experiences an outbreak of encephalitis every year but this year the strain is not the common JE, but a virus being blamed on contaminated water. Malnutrition: The Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre being run by the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) at various

Treatment
There is no specific treatment for encephalitis and treatment is supportive; with assistance given for feeding, breathing or seizure control as required. Raised intracranial pressure may be managed with mannitol. In JE cases there is no transmission from person to person and therefore patients do not need to be isolated. However in enteroviral encephalitis cases sanitation is more emphasized because it spreads by contaminated water .Proper and balanced nutrition imparts better immunity to fight with this infection. Infection with JE confers life-long immunity. All current vaccines are based on the genotype III virus. The high cost of the vaccine, which is grown in live mice, means that poorer countries have not been able to afford to give it as part of a routine immunisation programme. JE-vaccine requires three doses given at 0, 714 and 2830 days. The dose is 1ml for children and adult, and 0.5ml for infants under 36 months of age. IXIARO, the new vaccine requires only 2 doses, and is currently licensed in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Australia. Because there is no firm evidence for protection beyond three years, boosters are recommended every three years for people who remain at risk. There are a number of new vaccines under development. The mouse-brain derived vaccine is likely to be replaced by a cell-culture derived vaccine that is both safer and cheaper to produce.

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Signs and Symptoms

Viral encephalitis causes high fever,

1. Enterovirus: are members of the picornavirus family, a large and diverse group of small RNA viruses characterized by a single positive-strand genomic RNA. All enteroviruses contain a genome of approximately 7,500 bases and are known to have a high mutation rate due to low-fidelity replication and frequent recombination. Enteroviruses affect millions of people worldwide each year, and are often found in the respiratory secretions (e.g., saliva, sputum, or nasal mucus) and stool of an infected person. Historically, poliomyelitis was the most significant disease caused by an enterovirus, Poliovirus.

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hospitals reported that most of the children affected by AES were severely malnourished. They belong to families where the stove is lit only once, that is, they eat only once a day. The staff at these centres explained to parents the kind of food that was required, but experience told them that only a handful of the families could afford even the minimum. Nearly 80 per cent of the children with encephalitis who were referred to hospitals were severely malnourished .Mothers explained that they dont have the resources to feed their children. The resources at the ICDS centres were also not enough. Children with AES can recover with the help of a good diet. A six-month infant needs thick dal soup. All that the families can afford is starch or rice water. Poor health infrastructure: Government hospitals are the only hope for the poor. Meanwhile, people coming to the overburdened and ill-equipped government hospitals, travelling as far as 300 kilometres, to get their children treated, some of whom are critically ill, see them dying a slow death. The level of infrastructure can be detected from the seens at the epidemic wards of Baba Raghav Das Medical College and Hospital in Gorakhpur. Designated as one of the sentinel sites for surveillance, the hospital is considered one among the best in eastern

Uttar Pradesh. Doctors at the hospital had to struggle hard to get the facilities upgraded to tackle the epidemic. It was because of their consistent and dedicated efforts that more beds were added to the paediatric ward, including the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) wards. In fact, the hospital had been managing with only one PICU three years ago. Now it has three PICUs, but even these are inadequate. The hospital is in need of at least 50 ventilators but has only 20. And clearly, there is an overwhelming feeling of helplessness among the medical staff as they find the facilities and the manpower hugely outpaced by the number of patients coming in every day. There is no separate staff, medical and non medical, for encephalitis patients. The hospital does not have enough doctors and so medical students are being roped in to help out. Deaths due to Encephalitis can be reduced by 50% if people follow basic hygiene and then take their child to the nearest hospital quickly, but the families of many of those affected say thats quite hard to do. There are no proper hospitals in nearby village .This is one of Indias most neglected regions and those affected are among the poorest.

Conclusion
During last years Commonwealth Games

in Delhi, many commentators wondered if Indias priorities were misplaced. Why hosting a major sporting event when, a staggering number of the countrys population continues to live in poverty, children go hungry and people die of preventable diseases. Shouldnt the national budget be directed to worthier causes, such as providing better schools, hospitals, housing and infrastructure, instead of pouring money into stadiums, synthetic tracks, fancy courts, and the like? Almost exactly a year later, similar questions were asked ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix, which was recently held in Noida, to the east of Delhi in Uttar Pradesh state. Unlike most sports, such as football or cricket, F1 is considered to be a rich mans game. The cheapest ticket for the Indian Grand Prix was 2,500 rupees ($50). This in a country where the official poverty line is 32 rupees a day in urban areas and 26 rupees a day in rural areas, according to a new poverty line proposed by the Planning Commission. But it would be reasonable to suggest that the generous revenues the state government has earned through the land acquisition process are deployed to socially productive ends. That way Uttar Pradesh can have its F1 track and fight encephalitis at the same time.

EPIDEMIOLOGY OF JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS

Japanese encephalitis previously known as Japanese B encephalitis is a disease caused by the mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis virus. The Japanese encephalitis virus is a virus from the family Flaviviridae. Domestic pigs and wild birds (herons) are reservoirs of the virus; transmission to humans may cause severe symptoms. One of the most important vectors of this disease is the mosquito Culex tritaeniorhynchus. This disease is most prevalent in Southeast Asia and the Far East Asia. Japanese encephalitis has an incubation period of 5 to 15 days and the vast majority of infections are asymptomatic: only 1 in 250 infections develop into encephalitis. Japanese encephalitis (JE) is the leading cause of viral encephalitis in Asia, with 30,00050,000 cases reported annually. Case-fatality rates range from 0.3% to 60% and depends on the population and on age. Rare outbreaks in U.S. territories in Western Pacific have occurred. Residents of rural areas in endemic locations are at highest risk; Japanese encephalitis does not usually occur in urban areas. Countries which have had major epidemics in the past, but which have controlled the disease primarily by vaccination, include China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand. Other countries that still have periodic epidemics include Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, India, Nepal, and Malaysia. The spread of the virus in Australia is of particular concern to Australian health officials due to the unplanned introduction of Culex gelidus, a potential vector of the virus, from Asia. However, the current presence on mainland Australia is minimal. Human, cattle and horses are dead-end hosts and disease manifests as fatal encephalitis. Swine acts as amplifying host and has very important role in epidemiology of the disease. Infection in swine is asymptomatic, except in pregnant sows, when abortion and fetal abnormalities are common sequelae. The most important vector is Culex tritaeniorhynchus, which feeds on cattle in preference to humans; it has been proposed that moving swine away from human habitation can divert the mosquito away from humans and swine. The natural host of the Japanese encephalitis virus is bird, not human, and many believe the virus will therefore never be completely eliminated. It was in 1978 in India that Japanese encephalitis was reported for the first time. The particular strain of the virus was isolated with much difficulty as virus research was in an early stage at that point. It was called GP78 after Gorakhpur and the year of its isolation. The previous major outbreak before 2011 occurred in 2005, in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. On August 15 that year, six children died, and the news got national prominence. Mosquitoes that had bitten pigs were the main purveyors of the virus. Until 2009, mass vaccination campaigns continued and they are still on in 109 endemic districts. The general thrust was on containing JE through vaccination, and that bore results. From 1,100 JE cases in 2005, the number has dipped to 190 this year. But encephalitis deaths continued. On October 11 this year, taking serious note of the deaths, the Allahabad High Court ordered that a meeting of experts from the State and the Centre be held within a fortnight.

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Science News...
Mock Tsunami Drill Exercise IO Wave11
India and 23 other Indian Ocean Rim nations have conducted a 12-hour mock tsunami drill codenamed Exercise IO Wave11. During the exercise, the events of December 26, 2004, tsunamigenic earthquake off the North West coast of Sumatra followed by an ocean-wide tsunami were re-enacted and the operational efficacy of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWS) was tested. Virgin Galactic is a company within Bransons Virgin Group which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public, along with suborbital space science missions and orbital launches of small satellites. Further in the future Virgin Galactic hopes to offer orbital human spaceflights as well. The spacecraft, SpaceShipTwo, is projected to be a six passenger, two pilot craft. Its planned trajectory will overlap the Earths atmosphere at 21,000 m, which will make it a suborbital journey with a short period of weightlessness. The spacecraft will be carried to about 16 kilometers by a carrier aircraft, White Knight II. At that point, when the carrier aircraft reaches its maximum height, the SpaceShipTwo vehicle will separate and continue to over 100 km (the Krmn line, a common definition of where space begins).

India France Joint War Games Shakti

India and France have concluded their first-ever joint army war game with platoon-sized forces from each side undertaking counter-terrorism operations at Chaubatia in Uttarakhand. The Shakti-2011 exercise is aimed at enhancing various combat skills, promoting mutual understanding and inter-operability between the two armies. Shakti-2011 is a sign of growing military-to-military relations between the two strategic partners in geopolitics, with France being a staunch supporter of Indias candidature for a permanent seat in an expanded UN Security Council, apart from being a partner in the civilian nuclear power sector. India has recently short-listed the French Rafale fighter jet for the USD 10.4 billion tender for 126 combat aircraft for its air force. Rafale is pitted against European consortium EADS Eurofighter Typhoon. India had in July also signed a deal with French defense firms Thales and Dassault for upgrade of its 51 Mirage-2000 fighter jets of the 1980s vintage at a cost of USD 2.4 billion.

First Two Satellites of Galileo GPS Launched

A Soyuz rocket lifted off on 21st October on its maiden flight from Europes space base in Kourou, French Guiana, carrying the first two satellites in the Galileo geo-positioning system. This was the first space mission by Soyuz rocket beyond Russias historic bases at Plesetsk and Baikonur. Soyuz traces its lineage to 1957 with Sputnik, the first satellite and to the first manned flight by Yuri Gagarin, in 1961. Launch from Kourou was the 1,777th in the Soyuz saga. It has a success rate of 94.4 per cent. The rocket was deployed at a specially-built pad at Kourou under a 2003 deal intended to complete Arianespaces marketing range. Arianespace says it has orders for 14 Soyuz launches from Kourou, including the third and fourth satellites in the Galileo constellation next year. Galileo is intended to give Europe independence in satellite navigation from the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS). When completed in 2020, it will comprise 27 satellites and provide accuracy to within a metre, compared to three to eight metres for the GPS.

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India Helps Three Eurasian Nations to Upgrade IT Infrastructure

India has offered help to three Eurasian nations Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Armenia with strengthening their information technology and telecom infrastructure by sharing expertise and setting up centres of excellence in these nations. In Uzbekistan, India is setting up a Centre of Information Technology, besides strengthening cooperation in the field of software development and production and also in information and communication technology (ICT). Similarly in Turkmenistan and Armenia, India is setting up exclusive IT centres for the government as well as prestigious universities. Union Minister of State for Communications & IT Sachin Pilot, during a visit to the three former Soviet Republics, has signed a joint agreement with Uzbek Agency of Communication & Information in Tashkent. His visit is aimed at implementing understandings reached during Uzbek President Islam Karimovs visit to India in May this year.

Defunct Roentgen Satellite Hits Earth

A bus-sized defunct German satellite has plunged to earth after languishing in dead orbit for more than a decade. The 2.7tonne Roentgen Satellite, or ROSAT, slammed into the earths atmosphere on 23rd October, but there is no information if its debris fell on the planet, the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) said in a statement.

BATL to Make BrahMos Engines

BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Limited (BATL) has embarked on its second phase of development to put in place a full-fledged missile integration complex. The company, a whollyowned subsidiary of BrahMos Aerospace that caters to product requirements in the countrys defence, aerospace and nuclear sectors, is set to land orders for production of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles liquid ramjet engine, thus making it the first Indian company to manufacture BrahMos engines. BATL will make the entire BrahMos missile, including the nose cap, the whole of F3 [the missile section comprising airframe and fuel tank] and the ramjet engine. In effect, it will be the

Worlds First Commercial Spaceport

British billionaire Richard Branson has dedicated the worlds first built-from-scratch commercial spaceport. In a remote patch of desert in southern New Mexico, Spaceport America is where Bransons Virgin Galactic will stage its commercial space tourism venture. He said he hoped enough powered test flights of Virgin Galactics sleek spacecraft could be done by the end of 2012 to start commercial suborbital flights from the spaceport.

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complete missile except the composite part and warhead. BATL is already making some critical airframe components of the missile such as the front docking unit and the shutter assembly. The BrahMos being an India-Russian joint venture, a transfer of technology agreement would soon be signed between the two sides to manufacture the engine in India. At present, the BrahMos engines are produced at Orenburg in Russia. Recently BATL had received a go-ahead from the ISRO for manufacturing cryogenic engines for the GSLVs. BATL is a subsidiary of BrahMos Aerospace, in the business of defence and aerospace production.

DoT, MoD Agree on Specific Defence Band

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has reached an agreement with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for determining a specific frequency band that will be used exclusively by the defence forces for communication purposes. This will help the defence forces in vacating additional spectrum they are holding in various bands, thus making the scarce radio waves available for various civil communication purposes. Various technical and procedural issues relating to the State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) for rolling out a secure communication network for defence forces has also been settled. Notably, the defence services had vacated 3G spectrum in August last after they were assured by the Centre that DoT would roll out an alternative communication network by the end of 2012.

cells on the grounds that it represents an immoral industrial use of human embryos. Medical researchers around the world use stem cells from stores created from surplus In vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos. These embryos are donated by couples who have completed their fertility treatment and would otherwise be routinely destroyed by clinics. The unique ability of embryonic stem cells to grow into almost any tissue in the body has led scientists to investigate whether they can regenerate damaged and diseased organs, and treat serious conditions ranging from blindness and dementia to paralysis. The court was asked to clarify three issues arising from vague phrasing in the EU biotechnology directive. These included the definition of an embryo, whether scientific research constituted industrial or commercial purposes, and whether procedures that indirectly involved embryonic stem cells were patentable. While the decision may lead to less funding from venture capitalists for embryonic stem cell research in Europe, the impact may not be as damaging as many scientists fear. Embryonic stem cells make up only a small portion of all stem cell research. Of more than 2,000 clinical trials under way into cell-based therapies, only two involve stem cells derived from embryos.

Hwang Woo-Suk Clones Coyotes

Disgraced South Korean stem cell scientist Hwang Woo-Suk has unveiled eight cloned coyotes in a project sponsored by a provincial government. Hwang delivered the clones to a wild animal shelter at Pyeongtaek, 50 kilometres south of Seoul. Hwang was a national hero until some of his research into creating human stem cells from a cloned embryo was found to be faked. But his work in creating Snuppy, the worlds first cloned dog, in 2005 has been verified by experts and authorities. Under a joint project with the province to clone wild animals, Hwang took cells from the skin of a coyote. He transplanted their nuclei into a dogs eggs from which the canine nucleus had been removed.

Analogue Cable TV to be phased out by 2014 54

Union Cabinet has approved the Information and Broadcasting Ministrys proposal to promulgate the Digitalization of Analogue Cable Systems Ordinance to make the digitalization of cable services mandatory by 2014. With this promulgation, analogue cable television will become obsolete within next three years. The Cabinet has sent the proposal to the President. The shift would mean that all customers must have a set top box whether they want to receive free-to-air or pay channels. They will be able to watch high quality channels of their choice on an a la carte (according to the menu) basis, and are likely to have access to internet and telephone through the same digital cable. The ordinance aims at complete digitalization of cable television in the four metros by March 31, 2012. The next target will be cities with over 10 lakh population. By the end of 2014, the entire country is expected to have phased out analogue cable TV. India is thus becoming part of a global transition towards digitalization. While the U.S. completed its shift in 2009, China has given itself a deadline of 2015 to phase out analogue transmission.

Centre Bans Letrozole

The Centre has suspended the manufacture, sale and distribution of Letrozole for induction of ovulation in anovulatory infertility with immediate effect. The suspension has been ordered under Section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940 (23 of 1940) after the government decided that it was necessary and expedient to regulate distribution of the drug in public interest. The government is satisfied that the use of letrozole for induction of ovulation in anovulatory infertility is likely to involve risk to human beings and safer alternatives to the drugs are available.

European Court Outlaws Embryonic Stem Cell Techniques

A European Court has ruled that procedures that use embryonic stem cells cannot be patented as it involves the destruction of embryos. The decision from the European Court of Justice is a legal clarification for a court case brought by Greenpeace against a German scientist Oliver Brustle who patented a way to turn stem cells into healthy brain cells. The environmental group argued that Mr. Brustles work was contrary to public order because embryos were destroyed to gather the stem cells used. The judgment effectively supports the Greenpeace view and imposes a ban on patenting work that uses embryonic stem

FAO to Study Alternatives to Endosulfan Pesticide

The Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee of the Stockholm Convention has decided to invite the Food and Agriculture Organisation to undertake studies on integrated pest management alternatives to endosulfan. The decision was taken as a follow up to the decision of the Conference of Parties to the Convention in April to list endosulfan and its isomers for elimination with exemptions for specified crop-pest complexes. It had requested the review committee to assess alternatives to endosulfan.

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The committee, which met in Geneva recently, resolved to establish an ad hoc working group to review and identify information gaps on alternatives to endosulfan and to assess endosulfan alternatives, review of information and assessment of alternatives. The meeting was attended by 29 of the 31 committee members.

Humanoid Robots
Humanoid robots are making an entry into classrooms in academic and research institutions in the Middle East. This will revolutionize the teaching process especially in the fields of science and mathematics. French company Aldebaran Robotics, in partnership with Intel, has showcased the power of humanoid Nao robots in the teaching process in the classrooms of Middle East educational institutions. Powered by Intel Atom technology, Nao is the first versatile and programmable humanoid robot to be used as a standard research platform and an educational tool for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students. Naos user-friendly programming environment, used by beginners and experts, includes visual programming software Choreography and a 3D simulator along with numerous application programming interfaces (APIs). A step-by-step guide helps both students and teachers to easily master Nao, thus rapidly energizing science and engineering classes.

was required raise funds to the tune of $140 m to build the infrastructure (including vacuum systems) and human resource and meet the operational cost over 10 years (about $60 m) through domestic resources as well as international collaboration with countries such as India, China, Germany, France and Italy. Direct detection GWs that Einsteins theory of gravitation predicts has been a major challenge for physics and at present there is only indirect evidence for their existence. The effect of GWs on instruments on the Earth is very feeble and decades of efforts have failed to pick up the signals. But with vast improvements in technology, current detectors have now reached the sensitivity close to the detection threshold and the time is right for the Indian research community to seize the opportunity.

First Stainless Steel Electrical Multiple Unit Flagged Off

Union Railway Ministry has flagged off the countrys first stainless steel electrical multiple unit (EMU) and 100 tonne stainless steel wagon, designed and manufactured by the Bharat Earth Movers Limited in Bangalore.

Cabinet Approves National Optical Fibre Network

The Union Cabinet has approved a scheme for the creation of a National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) for providing broadband connectivity to panchayats at an initial cost of over Rs.20,000 crore, which will facilitate implementation of various e-governance initiatives such as e-health, e-banking and e-education, thereby facilitating inclusive growth. The project aims to extend the existing optical fibre network, which is available up to district and block levels, to the gram panchayat level, by utilising Rs.20,000 crore from the Universal Service Obligation (USO) Fund. A similar amount of investment is likely to be made by the private sector complementing the NOFN infrastructure while providing services to individual users. As per a study conducted by the World Bank, with every 10 per cent increase in broadband penetration, there is a 1.4 per cent increase in GDP growth. The proposed NOFN will enable effective and faster implementation of various mission mode e-governance projects amounting to around Rs.50,000 crore initiated by the Department of Information Technology as well as the delivery of a whole range of electronic services in the above areas by the private sector those in rural areas.

United States Gravitational Wave Detection Experiment

In a boost to the steadily growing Indian gravitational wave (GW) research community, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) at Caltech, U.S.A., has recently identified India as a potential site for locating its third interferometer. GW research in India is coordinated by the Indian Initiative for Gravitational-wave Observations (IndIGO), a consortium of researchers from 11 institutions, including the Inter-University for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Raman Research Institute (RRI), the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT) and the Institute for Plasma Research (IPR). IndIGO has accordingly drawn up a roadmap for a phased Indian strategy towards building a third generation GW detector in India, as part of which building a 3 m prototype detector has already been initiated by the TIFR. LIGO Laboratory already has two 4-km long baseline interferometer detectors in the U.S., one at Livingston and one at Hanford. The third interferometer was originally proposed to be part of the LIGO Laboratory itself by co-locating it in the same tunnel as the Hanford detector. However, in a reworked strategy in 2010, the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) proposed to its funding agency, the National Science Foundation (NSF), to locate it in foreign soil, such as Australia or India, to enhance the sky coverage and greatly enhancing the scientific returns from the experiment. The latest development comes in the wake of LIGO Laboratorys assessment at the recent review of the LIGO project on October 7 that the original proposal of locating the third interferometer in Australia is unlikely to fructify because the Australian government is almost certain not to fund the project. According to the original proposal, LIGO was to ship all the equipment that is already ready to Australia and Australia

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ICFOSS to Launch R&D on Android

The Technopark-based International Centre for Free and Open Source Software (ICFOSS) is set to commence research and development on the popular smart-device platform Android through a project awarded to it by the Union Department of Information Technology (DIT). Android is a FOSS-based generic operating-system platform for mobile phones, pads, slates, tablets, and a variety of other emerging devices. It is promoted by the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 84 IT and telecom firms led by Google, which originally owned the platform. The components of the DIT project include supporting Indian language localisation, standardising hardware extensions to Android devices, exploring 3D gesturebased User Interfaces, creating a context-aware framework for Android, developing multipurpose applications on the platform,

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and providing policy recommendations for open hardware architecture in view of the rapid obsolescence of these devices.

INS Kadmatt
The Indian Navy has launched the second indigenous AntiSubmarine Warfare Corvette INS Kadmatt. Built by the Garden Reach Ship Builders Engineers Ltd., INS Kadmatt is the second in a series of four Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvettes commissioned into the Navys fleet. The first in the series, INS Karmota, which was launched last year, is expected to be delivered to the Navy in June 2012 followed by INS Kadmatt in March 2013. The vessel is 109 metres long, 12.8 metres wide and can achieve a speed of 25 knots. Named after an island in Lakshadweep, the ship can accommodate 17 officers, 106 sailors and will also carry a helicopter onboard. The ship had high-stealth features making her more or less invisible to the enemy above and below the waters. This ships main role is to protect other ships in the convoy and sea ports against submarine attack and to neutralise the enemy submarines using her weapons like torpedoes, rocket launchers and helicopter. The approximate cost of building an Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette was Rs. 1,700 crore.

emergency monitors to better prepare the public for severe weather events, between five and seven days in advance, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. The NPP which will circle the Earth at a height of 820 km in a polar orbit will help fill in data gaps left by European weather observatories.

Apollo Launches Robot Technology for Stroke Treatment

Apollo Hospitals Hyderabad has launched RP-7i Remote Presence Robot for treatment of stroke patients by expert doctors away in other locations with the help of the robot. Chairman of the Apollo Hospitals Group Prathap C. Reddy claimed that such technology was introduced outside the US for the first time. Apart from its applications in the area of neurosciences, it could be used for other critical care areas in future, he said. The machine (robot) and its network creation in Hyderabad had cost Rs. 1.5 crore and plans were afoot to introduce the same technology in six other Apollo centres soon at a cost of another Rs. 9 crore. The robot machine would enable access to scarce expertise of neuro-physicians in the country, who hardly number over 800. A neuro-physician in a faraway location can examine the stroke patient, go through scans (reports) and suggest treatment by operating the robot with the help of his internet-connected laptop or notebook pc. The facility will help an expert in a faraway location examine the patient and suggest treatment.

New Amphibian Ichthyophis davidi Discovered

Researchers from the Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghat Regional Centre, Kozhikode has discovered a new species of limbless amphibian from Western Ghats. The new species, Ichthyophis davidi, a yellow striped caecilian, has been discovered from the Belgaum district of Karnataka, which is part of the Western Ghat. The discovery has been published in the latest issue of Current Science. The new species Ichthyophis davidi is one of the largest known yellow striped caecilians from Western Ghats and is named in honour of David Gower, Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, London, in recognition of his contributions to Indian caecilian studies. It has been systematically placed under the genus Ichthyophis of the Ichthyophiidae family. The members of the genus Ichthyophis include both striped and non-striped caecilians. These animals are nocturnal and are found in forests and plantations. Western Ghats, one of the global biodiversity hot spots, support 25 species of legless amphibians (the caecilians). Among the 25 species, only 5 are yellow striped forms, which are limited in distribution.

Chinas First Supercomputer Sunway BlueLight MPP

China has made its first supercomputer based on Chinese microprocessor chips, an advance that surprised highperformance U.S. computing specialists. The announcement was made recently at a technical meeting held in Jinan, China, organised by industry and government organisations. The new machine, the Sunway BlueLight MPP, was installed in September at the National Supercomputer Center in Jinan, the capital of Shandong province in eastern China. The Sunway system, which can perform about 1,000 trillion calculations per second a petaflop will probably rank among the 20 fastest computers in the world. More significantly, it is composed of 8,700 ShenWei SW1600 microprocessors, designed at a Chinese computer institute and manufactured in Shanghai. Currently, the Chinese are about three generations behind the state-of-art chip making technologies used by world leaders such as the United States, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Last fall, another Chinese based supercomputer, the Tianhe-1A, created an international sensation when it was briefly ranked as the worlds fastest, before it was displaced in the spring by a rival Japanese machine, the K Computer, designed by Fujitsu. But the Tianhe was built from processor chips made by U.S. companies, Intel and Nvidia, though its internal switching system was designed by Chinese computer engineers. Similarly, the K computer was based on Sparc chips, originally designed at Sun Microsystems in Silicon Valley. The Sunways theoretical peak performance was about 74 per cent as fast as the fastest U.S. computer the Jaguar supercomputer at the Department of Energy facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, made by Cray Inc. That machine is currently the third fastest on the list.

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NASA Launches First-of-its-kind Weather Satellite

The U.S. space agency NASA has launched a first-of-its kind satellite that will send back data on weather and climate to help forecasters predict major storms and other changes in the environment. The $1.5-billion National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project (NPP) took off aboard a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The satellite will carry five instruments to study temperature and water in the atmosphere, how clouds and aerosols affect temperature, and how plants on land and in the ocean respond to environmental changes. It is one of 14 Earth observation missions currently being managed by NASA. Project managers said they hope it will operate for about five years. The satellite should help forecasters and

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PERSPEcTIvES...

AFSPA- 53 YEARS OF DARKNESS AND DESPAIR

TIME FOR REDEMPTION
On May 22, 1958, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act was passed by Parliament. After three hours of discussion in the Lok Sabha and four hours in the Rajya Sabha, the AFSPA was approved even though several Members of Parliament opposed the Act on the ground that it would lead to violations of Fundamental Rights and that it would circumvent the Indian Constitution by effectively imposing an Emergency, without actually declaring one. Fifty three years later, the Act continues to be under constant opposition and the peoples voices demanding its repeal has only strengthened. Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah recently re-ignited this debate over AFSPA when he called for a roll back of the tyrannical law from few parts of the state. Under this Act, all security forces are given unrestricted and unaccounted power to carry out their operations, once an area is declared disturbed. Even a noncommissioned officer is granted the right to shoot to kill based on mere suspicion that it is necessary to do so in order to maintain the public order. contravention of any law against assembly of five or more persons or possession of deadly weapons. 2. To arrest without a warrant and with the use of necessary force anyone who has committed certain offenses or is suspected of having done so 3. To enter and search any premise in order to make such arrests. It gives Army officers legal immunity for their actions. There can be no prosecution, suit or any other legal proceeding against anyone acting under that law. For declaring an area as a disturbed area there must be a grave situation of law and order on the basis of which Governor/Administrator can form opinion that an area is in such a disturbed or dangerous condition that use of Armed Forces in aid of civil power is necessary. The enforcement of the AFSPA has resulted in innumerable incidents of arbitrary detention, torture, rape, and looting by security personnel. The AFSPA is a mutation of another ordinance, Armed Forces Special Powers Ordinance, promulgated by the colonial British on August 15, 1942, to contain the uprising of the Quit India Movement. The Indian Parliament subsequently converted the British ordinance into the AFSPA on August 18, 1958, and assented September 11, 1958.The AFSPA concedes extraordinary powers to the armed forces Draconian in letter, the Act has been even more draconian in spirit. Since it was imposed, by official admission, thousands of people have been killed by State forces in Manipur and the North-East. (In 2009, the officially admitted number stood at 265. Human rights activists said it was above 300, which averages out at one or two extrajudicial killings every day.) Rather than curb insurgent groups, the Act has engendered a seething resentment across the land, and fostered new militancies. When the Act came into force in 1980, there were only four insurgent groups in Manipur. Today, there are 40. And Manipur has become a macabre society, a mess of corruptions: insurgents, cops and politicians all hand in glove, and innocent citizens in between. General Secretary of the Naga Hoho, Neingulo Krome calls these years as years of darkness. There has been nothing but suffering; thousands of lives have been lost in the NE and Kashmir the General Secretary stated. He also said that it is the Indian military that does not want to back down to engaged unlimited owners just to be in control. We dont need one (Act) he added reiterating the Naga Hohos stance against AFSPA. With the inception of the Act, state terrorism was unleashed on the people of North East. The people of Punjab state experienced the inhumanity of the black law during the uprisings in the 1980s and Kashmir remains under it since 1990. Comparatively, however, it is the northeastern people who have been the AFSPAs favorite victims for the last 50 years.

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Armed Forces Special Powers Act

The AFSPA gives the armed forces wide powers to shoot, arrest and search, all in the name of aiding civil power. It was first applied to the North Eastern states of Assam and Manipur and was amended in 1972 to extend to all the seven states in the north- eastern region of India. It was later extended to Jammu and Kashmir as The Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990 in July 1990. According to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), in an area that is proclaimed as disturbed, an officer of the armed forces has powers to: 1. Fire upon or otherwise use force, even to the causing of death, against any person who is acting in

Justice Jeevan Reddy committee

Every commission set up by the government only added to the injuries. The report of the Justice Upendra Commission, instituted after the Manorama killing, was never made public. In November 2004, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh set up the Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee to review the AFSPA. Its recommendations came in a dangerously forked tongue. While it suggested the repeal of the AFSPA, it also suggested transferring its most draconian powers to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Every official response is marked with this determination to be uncreative. The then Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee had rejected the withdrawal or significant dilution

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of the Act on the grounds that it is not possible for the armed forces to function in disturbed areas without such powers. Despite all this, member of the Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee, Sanjoy Hazrika, demanded nothing more than total repeal of the act. It is an act that should be scrapped without any further ado he said. He reiterated that atrocities and inhumanity had direct sanction under the AFSPA against the people of the north east, and Nagaland and Kashmir in particular. He said the reason behind several highcommittee recommendations for repeal being rejected was the government of India not having the courage to implement the recommendations. The government of India does not have the courage to implement the reports. The military must also have the courage to step back, Hazrika said remarking that lawlessness has been created in the name of law, courtesy of the AFSPA. According to a senior journalist, the Act has only been counter-productive for India, rather, it is only worsening the situation. India should realize the dynamics involved in handing over a region to the military. It is not the solution. It has only been counterproductive. Rather, the government should take the approach of dialogue and confidence-building measures. He also blamed the Indian military for rejecting all recommendations saying it has been specified overriding powers which the forces cannot give up. The military and state police forces cannot give these powers up, he said. He also took exception at Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singhs all rhetoric and no action.- You cannot push economic reforms without settling the political issues in a land. North east and especially Manipur has seen repeated protests and pleas to New Delhi to repeal this act and tallest and biggest among them has been the superhuman fast of Irom Sharmila protesting the indefensible Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). Irom Sharmila has not eaten anything, or drunk a single drop of water for past eleven years just to give back to her people the most essential aspect of human life- dignity.

She has been forcibly kept alive by a drip thrust down her nose by the Indian State all these years. Unfortunately and shamefully Indias one billion people has so far only betrayed her. Sharmilas fast reaffirms the idea of a just and civilized society. It refuses to be brutalized in the face of grave and relentless brutality. Her plea is simple: repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. It is unworthy of the idea of the Indian State the founding fathers bequeathed us. It is anti-human.

interpretation that procedure established by law means a fair, just and reasonable law has been part of Indian jurisprudence since the 1978 case of Maneka Gandhi. Under section 4(a) of the AFSPA, which grants armed forces personnel the power to shoot to kill, the constitutional right to life is violated. This law is not fair, just or reasonable because it allows the armed forces to use an excessive amount of force. The offenses under section 4(a) are: acting in contravention of any law or order for the time being in force in the disturbed area prohibiting the assembly of five or more persons or the carrying of weapons or of things capable of being used as weapons or fire-arms, ammunition or explosive substances. None of these offences necessarily involve the use of force. The armed forces are thus allowed to retaliate with powers which are grossly out of proportion with the offence. Several incidents show how the Border Security Force (BSF) and army personnel abuse their powers in the North East. In April 1995, a villager in West Tripura was riding near a border outpost when a soldier asked him to stop. The villager did not stop and the soldier shot him dead. Even more grotesque were the killings in Kohima on 5 March 1995. The Rastriya Rifles (National Rifles) mistook the sound of a tyre burst from their own convoy as a bomb attack and began firing indiscriminately in the town. This act contradicts even Article 14 of the Indian Constitution which guarantees equality before the law. This article guarantees that the State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India. The AFSPA is in place in limited parts of India. Since the people residing in areas declared disturbed are denied the protection of the right to life, denied the protections of the Criminal Procedure Code and prohibited from seeking judicial redress, they are also denied equality before the law.

Legal Analysis
The Armed Forces Special Powers Act contravenes both Indian and International law standards. This was exemplified when India presented its second periodic report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee in 1991. Members of the UNHRC asked numerous questions about the validity of the AFSPA, questioning how the AFSPA could be deemed constitutional under Indian law and how it could be justified in light of Article 4 of the ICCPR. The Attorney General of India relied on the sole argument that the AFSPA is a necessary measure to prevent the secession of the North Eastern states. He said that a response to this agitation for secession in the North East had to be done on a war footing. He argued that the Indian Constitution, in Article 355, made it the duty of the Central Government to protect the states from internal disturbance, and that there is no duty under international law to allow secession. This reasoning exemplifies the vicious cycle which has been instituted in the North East due to the AFSPA. The use of the AFSPA pushes the demand for more autonomy, giving the peoples of the North East more reason to want to secede from a state which enacts such powers and the agitation which ensues continues to justify the use of the AFSPA from the point of view of the Indian Government.

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violation of Article 21 - Right to life and Article 14

Article 21 of the Indian Constitution guarantees the right to life to all people. It reads, No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law. Judicial

International Law
Under relevant international human rights and humanitarian law standards there is no justification for such an act

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as the AFSPA. The AFSPA, by its form and in its application, violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (the UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (the ICCPR), the Convention Against Torture, the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials, the UN Body of Principles for Protection of All Persons Under any form of Detention, and the UN Principles on Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra- legal and summary executions. A UDHR argument would just be repetitive with ICCPR so SAHRDC has not done it but the UDHR articles which the AFSPA violates are the following: 1 - Free and Equal Dignity and rights, 2 Non- discrimination, 3 - Life, 4- liberty, 5- security of person, 6 - no torture, 7 - equality before the law, 8 - effective remedy, 9 - no arbitrary arrest, 10 property. It is true Manipur is a fractured and violent society today. But the solution to that can only lie in another inspired, unilateral act of leadership: this time on the part of the State. Eschew pragmatism, embrace the moral act: repeal AFSPA. There will be space beyond to untangle the rest.

go. After over two decades, we have a chance to try and bring a painful and unfortunate chapter in our history to a close. Militancy has dwindled. Figures published by the Union government recently show that Jammu and Kashmir residents are significantly less likely to die in a violent crime than their counterparts in many other States data which lends weight to an incremental movement towards reducing the Armys footprint. A few months ago, the state successfully conducted panchayat elections with record turn-out. First three quarters of the year saw more tourists in the valley than in last 25 years. What has not reduced, however, is the affective divide between those Kashmiris hurt by the consequences of insurgency and the rest of the nation. It is important to start bridging that now. Continuing to neglect this psychological aspect of strategy risks undermining hard-won successes in the military and the political battles. A careful, judicious and step by step revocation of the Armed forces Special powers act can set off the virtuous cycle that will send a positive signal to the people of the state, strengthen the desirable political forces, put separatists on the backfoot, and take New Delhi a few moral notches higher. The defence ministry has opposed it on the grounds that we cannot expect our army to fight with its hands tied behind its back. Other thoughtful analysts have argued that it is better to err on the side of caution and wait a few more years before considering lifting AFSPA. Three things need to be factored in here. First, it is important to recognise that while the defence ministrys opinion must be considered with the greatest seriousness, the final decision vests with the Union cabinet. No ministry or arm of government ought to be entitled to a veto. We might already have arrived at the point where further application of military force in populated areas of Kashmir will yield negative returns. Sure, the army must remain deployed along the Line of Control to prevent infiltration and keep a watchful eye on Pakistan, but

its visibility in towns and villages where there is no militancy will only deepen resentment. Second, revoking AFSPA does not mean the armys hands are tied in the whole state. Rather, the provision can be lifted prudently in surgically chosen geographical areas which can be smaller than districts with an explicit caveat that it will be reimposed if violence rises. If the situation holds, the revocation can be extended to the next set of locations. If it gets worse, the Central and state governments can declare the areas disturbed and employ security forces as they do now. Third, a number of steps have to be taken in tandem to manage the risks of an escalation in violence. The army and the security forces must be employed in a manner such that militants and malefactors cannot treat areas where AFSPA has been lifted as safe havens. State police and intelligence agencies must gear up to contain militant mobilisation and activity in such areas. Politically, the UPA and the Omar Abdullah governments must engage their respective opposition parties meaningfully to achieve a measure of bipartisanship.

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Jammu and Kashmir

AFSPA was extended to J&K in 1990 as a counter-insurgency measure. Ever since 2009, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has been advocating the withdrawal of the controversial Act from parts of the State, as a first step towards an incremental rollback of the Armys presence in civilianinhabited areas a source of everyday friction with civilians. Even though Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has backed the idea, and a report by three government interlocutors has endorsed it, New Delhi has proved unwilling to act, in part because of bitter resistance by the Indian Army. Jammu & Kashmir has been battling on three fronts- military, political and psychological for past two decades. Militarily and politically things have improved to a significant extent, however psychologically, there is a long way to

conclusion
So there are risks to making a carefully calibrated move towards the endgame now, but these can be managed. Our policy discourse is ill-served by framing the issue as AFSPA vs no-AFSPA and rehashing standard arguments. We would be much better off asking what the Central government, the army and the state government ought to do to ensure that lifting the AFSPA leads to the desired results. Why not wait and see? Waiting has risks too. If the current window of opportunity closes, the UPA government might find itself with its back to the wall, compelled to revoke the AFSPA as a concession to separatists. Surely Kashmir has taught us that yielding from a position of weakness is a very bad idea.

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Vol.1 Issue 3 December 2011

INSPIRAtIoNS@IP...

The Story of Abraham Lincoin...

partners, Lincoln ran for and won a seat in the Illinois Legislature. He served a four-year term, and he soon developed a reputation as a capable and honest politician. Unfortunately, over the next decade he experienced numerous business and political setbacks. But unlike most people, Lincoln did not let any of these challenges -- including a business and personal bankruptcy -- discourage him from going after his dreams. You can have anything you want - if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose. On November 4, 1842, he married Mary Todd Edwards, and they had four children over the next 12 years. In 1836, Lincoln won an election to Congress. It was during this time that he took an unpopular stand against President James K. Polk regarding the Mexican War. Abraham thought the war was unjust. Because Lincolns viewpoints were so different from many other government officials, he became unpopular among them. After his term ended in 1849, Lincoln took the next five years off from politics and focused on his law practice. Again, he encountered more business setbacks. But again, he persisted, and did not let so-called failures discourage him. In 1854, he returned to the political arena. One of the first things he did was to oppose the Kansas-Nebraska Act,

You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in a one-room log cabin, located on a farm near Hodgenville, Kentucky (a state that permitted slavery at the time). When he was only nine years old, his mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, died. A year later, his father, Thomas Lincoln, remarried a woman named Sarah Bush, who had a tremendous influence on the young Abraham Lincoln. To support his family, Abraham had to work at a neighbouring farm. Working denied him the opportunity to go to school, so the total amount of formal education he received was less than one year. Although his formal education ended very quickly, his self-education was just beginning. An avid reader, he read everything he could get his hands on, studying a variety of subjects, such as mathematics, literature and law. Eventually this self-educated man became a lawyer. Lincoln had a very strong desire to make a difference, so he entered politics. In August, 1832, he finished eighth out of 13 in a race for the Illinois House of Representatives. Abraham believed that the government should be a positive force, whose goal was to serve the people. He reasoned that in order for him to have significant influence and impact on the government, he must achieve a high position in government -- preferably the position of the President of the United States. This goal eventually became his burning desire. In 1834, while practicing law in a firm, he had established with several

which threatened to extend slavery to other states. In 1855, he ran for the Senate but was defeated. The next year he went after the Vice Presidency position, and was also defeated. With so many failures, a lot of people, in Lincolns position, probably would have given up. But because he was determined and committed to make his political dreams come true, he would get up each time he was knocked down. He knew the only way to gain ground, to move forward, to march on, and to turn his goals into reality, was to learn from his setbacks and failures. things may come to those who wait...but only the things left by those who hustle. And He Pressed on! Finally, in 1860, Lincolns years of persistence and hard work paid off when he was elected the 16th President of the United States. Sadly, at this time the states were no longer united. The South depended on

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On his first day in office as president, Abraham Lincoln entered to give his inaugural address.

No One Can Hurt Us Abraham Lincoln

One man stood up. He was a rich aristocrat. He said Mr Lincoln, you should not forget that your father used to make shoes for my family and the whole senate laughed, they thought they had made a fool of Lincoln. But certain people are made of a totally different mettle. Lincoln looked at the man directly in the eyes and said Sir, I know that my father used to make

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shoes for your family, and there will be many others here, because he made shoes the way nobody else can. He was a creator. His shoes were not just shoes, he poured his whole soul into them. I want to ask you, have you any complaint? Because I know how to make shoes myself. If you have any complaint I can make you another pair of shoes. But as far as I know, nobody has ever complained about my fathers shoes. He was a genius, I am proud of my father. The whole senate was struck dumb. They could not understand what kind of man Abraham Lincoln was. He was proud because his father did his job so well that not even a single complaint had ever been heard. Remember no one can hurt us without our consent it is not what happens to us that hurts us, it is our response that hurt us liberty, where everyone is created equal. This speech became known as the Gettysburg Address and it has since shaped the destiny of the United States of America. I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong. By the time the Civil War ended in 1865, after four long years, it had cost the lives of half a million Americans. But the Union was saved, the slaves were freed, and President Lincolns lifelong dream was realized. On April 14, 1865, President Lincoln went with his wife to the Ford Theatre in Washington, DC, to celebrate the end of the Civil War. Halfway through the play, John Wilkes Booth, an actor who resented the northern victory and the liberation of North Americas slaves, shot and killed President Lincoln. Following Lincolns death, the Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton, declared: Now he belongs to the ages. Lincolns story is the story of an incredible human being who started from very meagre beginnings and went on to become, not only one of the greatest U.S. presidents, but also one of the most influential men in history. Abraham Lincoln represents the finest example of persistence. Although he faced countless defeats throughout his life -- many that must have seemed insurmountable -he never gave up on his dreams. He lost eight elections, failed in business many times, and suffered a nervous breakdown. He could have quit many times, but he didnt. Instead, after each defeat he would pick himself up and press forward until he achieved his aspirations. the part was worn and slippery. My foot slipped from under me, knocking the other out of the way, but I recovered and said to myself, Its a slip and not a fallAbraham Lincoln, after losing a senate race,1858.

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slavery for its prosperity, so when the North opposed the extension of slavery into the new western states, the southern states broke away and formed their own union. As the newly elected president, Lincoln decided that the original Union must be saved at all costs -- even if it meant a civil war. In 1861, the Civil War began. On November 19, 1863, on a battle field near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, President Lincoln presented to the people his vision for a nation conceived in

Simple living
The industrialist was horrified to find the fisherman lying beside his boat, smoking his pipe. why arent you fishing?, asked the industrialist. because I have caught enough fish for the day. why dont you catch some more? what would I do with them? earn more money. Then you could have a motor fixed to your boat and go into deeper water and catch more fish. That would bring you money to buy nylon nets, so more fish, more money. Soon you would have enough money to buy two boats, even a fleet of boats. Then you could be rich like me. what would I do then? then you could sit back and enjoy life. what do you think I am doing now? Always bear this in mind that very little indeed is necessary for living a happy life. The attraction of simplicity is mysterious because it draws us in a completely opposite direction from where most of the world seems to be going away from conspicuous display, accumulation, egoism and public visibility- towards a life more silent, humble and transparent.

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ThINkERS ARENA...

The Monsoon Asia Diplomacy: India and the Indian Ocean Region
The Indian Ocean region has emerged on the strategic centrestage and has become an important part of the strategic outlook of the Indian Ocean littoral countries, Asia Pacific countries and major powers of the world. American journalist and strategic affairs commentator Robert Kaplans recent work Monsoon has recognised the importance of the region and he has assessed that the the Indian ocean region may comprise a map as iconic to the new century as Europe was to the last one and will demographically and strategically be a hub of the twenty- first century world.1 He uses the word monsoon to refer to the region, borrowing it from historian C R Boxer who first used the term Monsoon Asia for the Indian ocean region.2 powers today have a vested interest in keeping the sea lanes open given the demands of trade, commerce and energy flows that will only increase in coming years. It is relevant to note that she expressed Indias support for a collective security mechanism in the region , as she observed dialogue and cooperation are thereby essential to evolve a stable transparent maritime security system so as to ensure that a cooperative framework is evolved for the management of the Indian Ocean and its resources. Noted strategic affairs analyst C Raja Mohan is of the view that the Indian ocean region is crucial for India , the entire global economy and the relations between major powers because it is major source of raw materials, the home to some of the worlds most volatile regions, the incubator of violent extremism, the main theatre for the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and location for a large number of failed and failing states.3 He has examined the historical context of Indias strategic profile in the region and in the context of current challenges and prospects in the region, he has suggested a fresh strategic approach to the region. peace in the Indian ocean region.It was because of such dominance that Indian ocean was sometimes called a British lake. Post-IndependenceAfter independence, there was immense pressure on Indias territorial defence as the partition created a hostile neighbour in form of Pakistan, and in coming years the pressure mounted as India had to deal with border tensions with China also. Thus, India adopted a naval strategy which was based on military isolationism and limited itself to the protection of the territorial waters and its large exclusive economic zone. In 1967 India supported Sri Lankas proposal of making the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace (IOZP). India opposed the entry of the United States and Russia into the Indian Ocean after the British withdrawal and argued that the great power naval presence in the Indian Ocean will exacerbate regional insecurity. Post-Economic Liberalisation- The liberalisation of the Indian economy and subsequent integration of India with the world economy which began ,in substantial terms, in the early 1990s introduced economic imperatives in Indias naval strategy. It is relevant to note that nearly 90 per cent of world trade in commodities and goods continues to flow by the seas. So India has realised its economic interest are also at stake and taken account of the need to invest diplomatically and militarily for maintaining order in the Pacific and Indian oceans. The expansion of the geographic scope of Indias maritime interests has been emphasised by Indias political leadership- former Prime Minister A B Vajpayee and the present Prime

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India and the importance of the Indian Ocean Region

India has recognised the growing significance of the region and its own strategic location in the region. In her speech at the Harvard University, Indias then Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao referred to the different aspects of the importance of the Indian Ocean region for India. She took account of the human dimension of the region as millions of people from Saudi Arabia to India to Indonesia, live in close proximity of Indian Ocean and further observed demography of its littoral States and the hydrocarbon energy index associated with that it give the Indian ocean a distinctive identity.The strategic importance of the region, according to her, was due to the vast hydrocarbon resources in West Asia, the connectivity provided by the SuezMalacca route, and the geo-political imperatives flowing from this reality. The Foreign Secretary also articulated the security concerns in the region and referred to the rise of non- state threats to maritime security in form of piracy and smuggling. She remarked, all major

A brief historical look at Indias engagement with the Indian Ocean region
British period- From 18 th to mid20th century, one of the important factors that contributed to the building of the British empire and its as the global hegemon was its unrivalled naval power. During British rule in India, Britain used Indias strategic location in the Indian ocean and the advantage of the enormous resources of an undivided subcontinent continent to exercise control and maintain

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Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. At the Annual Combined Commanders Conference last year, the Prime Minister emphasised the need to assess the security concerns and strategic interests, in the light of the changing patterns of Indias economic interaction with the world, while preserving Indias strategic autonomy.

the new lines of strategic thinking in New Delhi which is trying to extend the scope of its naval action.

other maritime powers like India. One would presume at some point in the future.

Instances of Indian navy seeking to extend its presence from Aden to Malacca or the Suez to the South China Sea
The Indian Navy has made its presence felt in waters as far apart as the North Atlantic and the South Pacific and from the Mediterranean to the Sea of Japan. The anti-piracy activity in the Gulf of Aden (since 2008) and relief operations in the Mediterranean (2006) and the Indian Ocean (2004-05) reflect the growing capacity of the Indian Navy and

There is also a perception that China is building a string of pearls along China is working towards the objective of vital sea lines of communication in what the Chinese establishment call far sea the Indian Ocean. However, Robert defence and there is apparent seriousness Kaplan has challenged the threat in Beijing for working out a comprehensive perception evident in the string of maritime strategy. Chinese President Hu pearls school. He has argued: (a) Jintao has stressed the importance of Chinas plan for the Indian Ocean relationship between the expansion of is still far from clear and open to Chinese global interests and the historic debate(b) Instead of hardened missions of Chinas PLA Navy. military bases of the Cold War and China is asserting its expansive territorial earlier epochs, there will be dualclaims in the South China Sea. use civilian-military facilities where basing arrangements will be implicit China has declared that South China rather than explicit, and completely Sea, connecting the Indian Ocean to dependent on the health of the the Pacific, form a core national bilateral relationship in question.4 interest of China.

The China Factor

The PLA Navy is working on developing anti-access and areadenial strategies for restricting the operations of the United States and

The Challenges and Prospects for India in the Indian Ocean Region
Power Projection , Forward Presence and Necklace of Diamonds There is a perception that India is not keen on power projection and forward presence in the Indian ocean region this perception is based on three trends: (1) India lacks a policy framework to expand capabilities for design, development and production of naval equipment.It has not expanded an indigenous naval production base and whatever exists is not sustainable. (2) Theexpeditionary capabilities of the Indian navy or the navys capability to operate far from our shores remain constrained because of the limitations of Indias military diplomacy as it has failed to create and arrange friendly ports and turnaround

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facilities in other nations that would increase the range, flexibility and sustainability of Indian naval operations. (3) India lacks the physical access and political arrangements for forward presence and having ruled out the idea of building foreign bases , India has limited its options for forward presence in the Indian Ocean. However, some analysts believe that responding to the perceived threats from the Chinese string of pearls, India may resort to its plans of a necklace of diamonds- which implies a ring of bases in the Indian Ocean to secure the country( an idea which was conceived by Sardar K M Panikkar very early) . Any assessment that India is now thinking on such lines is premature. India as Security Provider in the Indian Ocean region The Indian Navy has recognized the significance of assisting the weaker states of the Indian Ocean littoral in building their own capacities. The recent years have witnessed Indias assistance in form of providing training, advisers, and equipment to some of the smaller countries in the Indian Ocean. For instance(a) Indias help to Mauritius in operating the coast guard (b) strengthening Sri Lankas ability to control its waters, (c)improving the ability of Mozambique, Madagascar and Maldives to monitor their maritime domain. But still India has not established itself as a consistent responsible security provider that matches its strategic potential in the region. Some analysts believe that for evolving into a force to reckon with in the security system of the region India needs to (a)develop a comprehensive programme for security assistance ,which entails - development of a range of policy instruments including transfer of arms, financial resources and production

capacities to match the growing demand for military cooperation with India, and devising frameworks for intelligence sharing, and stationing of Indian military personnel in significant numbers (b) try to fill the power vacuum and not repeat mistakes like delaying decision on Sri Lankas invitation to India for building a port at Hambantota(Indias loss was Chinas gain as it responded swiftly to the Sri Lankan invitation). The Debate on the relevance of IOZP as an exclusive zone As discussed earlier, India had supported IOZP as an exclusive zone and viewed the presence of major powers in the Indian Ocean region as threat to regional security. India is persisting with this line of thinking as was evident in Indias initiative of convening the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium in 2008 and insisting on restriction of its membership to the regional states of the littoral. India continued advocacy of keeping out the extra regional power has been criticised for being : (a) flawed and artificial division of the region (b) counterproductive - India itself has been at the receiving end of such divisions on the lines of regional and extra- regional ( for instance, India has been at disadvantage in Malacca Straits because of such divisions) (c) impractical- Irrespective of Indias approach to extra- regional powers, India has to live with the fact of American and Chinese presence in the Indian ocean region. Responsibility of the Maritime Commons and Moving Away from Territorial Conception of the Sea India has to take the responsibility of keeping the maritime commons open for use by all and contribute to the maintenance of good order at sea. As evident in the 2007 maritime military strategy of the Indian Navy, there are two significant developments in Indias maritime thinking concerning this issue:

(a) India is taking a broader view of its responsibility in the Indian Ocean region, and the Indian Navy has made contribution to the public goods as one of its declared goals (for instance, this commitment implies keeping the sea lines of communication open). (b) India is showing signs of a shift in its position that took a territorial view of the maritime commons (Indias earlier stand was close to those countries who supported the extension of the territorial jurisdiction of the coastal states when the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea was being drafted in 1970s). Now the military as well the economic imperatives are revising Indias position and India is beginning to acknowledge the need for open seas in order to facilitate mobility of naval forces and protection of maritime commons as well its own economic interests.

Conclusion
Indian Ocean region has acquired centrality in Indias military diplomacy and maritime thinking. Indias selfperception as a rising naval power and the imperatives of Indias integration into the world economy are playing their part in Indias reassessment of the region. However, New Delhi has a long way to go for realizing its maritime potential and needs to address strategic and infrastructural challenges that it faces in this region or, to end with C R Boxers phrase, Monsoon Asia.

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References
1. Robert D . Kaplan , Monsoon- The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power, Random House, New York , 2010 2. Srinath Raghvan, Indian Ocean Currents , The Indian Express, 29 January, 2011 3. C Raja Mohan , Indias new role in the Indian Ocean, Seminar, January 2011 4. Robert D. Kaplan , op. cit

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mosaic

DANcE foRmS of INDIA

Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting. Dance may also be regarded as a form of nonverbal communication between humans, and is also performed by other animals (bee dance, patterns of behaviour such as a mating dance). Gymnastics, figure skating and synchronized swimming are sports that incorporate dance, while martial arts are often compared to dances. Definitions of what constitutes dance are dependent on social, cultural, aesthetic, artistic and moral constraints and range from functional movement (such as folk dance) to virtuoso techniques such as ballet. Dance can be participatory, social or performed for an audience. It can also be ceremonial, competitive or erotic. Dance movements may be without significance in themselves, such as in ballet or European folk dance, or have a gestural vocabulary/symbolic system as in many Asian dances. Dance can embody or express ideas, emotions or tell a story. in order to prepare themselves for the dangerous combat missions. According to Jordania, this trance-inducing ability of dance comes from human evolutionary past and includes as well a phenomenon of military drill which is also based on shared rhythmic and monotonous group activity. Dance has certainly been an important part of ceremony, rituals, celebrations and entertainment since before the birth of the earliest human civilizations. Archeology delivers traces of dance from prehistoric times such as the 9,000 year old Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka paintings in India and Egyptian tomb paintings depicting dancing figures from c. 3300 BC. Dance is a physical and visual art form, which has an immediate and massive impact on the spectator. The various Indian forms act like a window to Indias rich cultural reservoir. Dance is the form of art, wherein the body is used as a medium of communication. Indian dances have played an influential role in many other realms of art including poetry, sculpture, architecture, literature, music and theatre. The earliest archaeological evidence of Indian dance, which dates back to 6000 BC, depicts a beautiful statuette of a dancing girl. Bharatas Natya Shastra (which was written between the 2nd century B.C. and 2nd century A.D) is the earliest available thesis on dramaturgy. All forms of Indian classical dances owe allegiance to Natya Shastra, which is believed to be the fifth Veda of the Indian culture. According to a popular belief, Brahma, the Creator of the World, combined literature from the Rig Veda, songs from the Sama Veda, abhinaya (expression) from the Yajur Veda and rasa (aesthetic experience) from the Atharva Veda, to form natya (what we today call dance). It explains the nuances of dance, giving stress on mudras (hand formations) and their meanings, the kind of emotions and their categorization. Apart from the abhinaya and the performance of rasa, the audience is amused by the attire and ornaments of the artist. The majority of Indian classical dance forms are focused on the depiction of the nine rasas (Navarasas or the emotions), which includes Hasya (happiness), Krodha (anger), Bhibasta (disgust), Bhaya (fear), Shoka (sorrow), Viram (courage), Karuna (compassion), Adbhuta (wonder) and Shanta (serenity). This is the first part of a three part series on Indian Dance forms which will be covered in the following issues.

Nataraja
Indian dance can be described as an amalgamation of nritta (the rhythmic elements), nritya (the combination of rhythm with expression) and natya (the element of drama). Nritya, when combined with nritta, is featured in most of the stage performances. Nritya comprises of abhinaya that depicts rasa (sentiment) and bhava (mood). To enjoy Indian Dance (Natya or dance drama) thoroughly, one has to understand Indian legends. Indian mythology is predominant amog these dances. The Indian dances also depict the ethos and values of the Indians. One of the popular Indian dance forms is the dance of Nataraja, which is popularly called the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva, the King of Dances, predominantly features in the India dance forms. His cosmic dance conglomerates creation, preservation and destruction. Natarajas dance is the symbolic representation of human life, which depicts that ultimately, the good and the evil are neutralized. In the pose of Nataraja, Lord Shiva holds a small drum (damru) in his upper right hand, while his lower right hand shows the gesture (abhaya), which represents the negation of fear. The upper left hand of Nataraja is in half-moon pose (ardhachandra mudra), which holds a tongue of flame which is the fire (agni) that finally destroys the

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origins and History

Dance does not leave behind clearly identifiable physical artifacts such as stone tools, hunting implements or cave paintings. It is not possible to say when dance became part of human culture. Joseph Jordania (Australian-Georgian ethnomusicologist and evolutionary musicologist) recently suggested, that dance, together with rhythmic music and body painting, was designed by the forces of natural selection at the early stage of hominid evolution as a potent tool to put groups of human ancestors in a battle trance, a specific altered state of consciousness. In this state hominids were losing their individual identity and were acquiring collective identity. Jonathan Pieslaks research shows, that some contemporary military units use loud group singing and dancing

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world and is then quenched in cosmic waters. Natarajas hand, holding the drum and the one holding fire balance the forces of creation and destruction. The second left arm is held gracefully across the chest (gajahasta mudra) with the hand pointing to the uplifted foot, which denotes favor or grace for the devotee. One foot rests on Apasmara or Mauyalka, the embodiment of human cruelty and ignorance. Surrounding Shivas figure an immense aureole of flames emanates from him. The value of wisdom, truth and the mantra om is depicted through the flames. The dances of India demand classical synergy between Nritya and Natya. The sculpture of Lord Nataraja is usually made of bronze, while the wooden variants can also be found. The sculpture depicts Lord Shiva dancing in an aureole of flames. He lifts his left leg to dance, while the right leg is also lifted at times. This is position balanced demon or dwarf (Apasmara), who symbolized ignorance. The dance of Shiva can be divided into two common forms - the Lasya (gentle form of dance), which is related to the creation of the world. The second form is Tandava, a dangerous dance, which is associated with the destruction of the world. Both the types of dances have their own significance in the Hindu mythology, especially the myths related to Lord Shiva. Apart from being a popular art form, the dance of Nataraja is one of the most respected in the Indian culture.

Abhinaya is common to all classical Indian dance forms. In fact, it makes the dance form attractive and meaningful, because without abhinaya, the artist is considered a bad performer. Through abhinaya, the spectator experiences the particular emotions of the character or situations that are portrayed by the dancer performer. As the name suggests, Abhinaya is the expressional aspect of dance, or nritya. Several people have studied the classical art forms and many are adept at delivering the right form of abhinaya, corresponding to the situation depicted in the story of the dance performance. Natya Shastra scrutinizes Abhinaya, which is an inevitable part of the majority of Indian nuances of dances, Abhinaya have been categorized into four types that are given below. Angika Angika is the physical aspect of Abhinaya wherein movements and gestures are used by the performer to convey different meanings. Here, every part of the body is used to convey the meaning. The artist makes use of hastamudras (hand gestures) and mandis (postures) to put across the thoughts to the audience. Angika is one of the important parts of the majority of classical dance forms of India. Vachikabhinaya Vachikabhinaya is the vocal/verbal form of abhinaya. Though not used by the dance performer, Vachikabhinaya forms an important part of the performance. This tool of dance is generally used by the members of the orchestra in the supporting team, typically, the nondancing cast. It is a popular belief that Vachikabhinaya has originated from Rig Veda, the book of Hymns. Aharyabhinaya Aharyabhinaya or the external expression is the mood and background that is conveyed by costume, make-up and accessories of the performer. This is especially important in certain dance forms, wherein the mood of the character or the character itself is figured out by the costume that the artist wears, during the performance. Satvikabhinaya

Satvikabhinaya is the psychological form of abhinaya, which is shown by the eyes (in particular) and as a whole by the entire being of the performer. In order to communicate the thought to the spectator in the best way, the performer should feel the mood, empathize the character that he/she is portraying. In fact, the emotion should emanate from within ones self, not just through the act or practical representation of the character. Navarasas Navarasas, or the nine emotions of dance, gives all the performance the much required completeness. Inclusion of any of the nine rasas is very important in a dance performance, because it allows the dancer and the rasikas (audience) to experience the full beauty and meaning of the lyrics, the movements and the emotions of the character(s) that are portrayed. Eyes and the face are predominantly used by the performer, to express the different rasas. Subtle muscle shifts on the face, the movement of the brow and the slight movement of the body, as a whole, are done to convey the emotion of the character that is depicted in the story of the performance. Actually, it is seldom to see an artist displaying all the nine rasas at the same performance. The navrasas are given below. Hasya (happiness) Krodha (anger) Bhibasta (disgust) Bhayanaka (fear) Shoka (sorrow) Veera (courage) Karuna (compassion) Adbhuta (wonder) Shanta (serenity)

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Elements of Indian Dances

The Indian classical dance forms are dominated by the basic elements of a performance, including abhinaya and rasa. Abhinaya is an inevitable part of the dance, since it conveys the true meaning of the performance. On the other hand, the use of rasa varies from one performance to another. The use of a particular rasa is dependent on the situation or the story of the dance performance. Go through the following lines and check out more information on the basic elements of Indian dance - abhinaya and rasa.

classical Dances of India

The Indian dances are broadly divided into Classical dances and folk dances. The Classical dances of India are usually spiritual in content. Though the folk dances of India are also spiritual and religious in content but the main force behind the folk dances of India is the celebratory mood. Dances are a form of

Indian Dance Elements

Abhinaya

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coherent expression of human feelings. Like the Indian culture, Indian classical dances are equally diverse in nature. In India, dancing is considered to be an age-old tradition. A land of diverse cultures, traditions and languages, the country has given birth to a large number of classical dances, shaped by the influences of a specific period and environment. These dance forms have been preserved through the centuries and become an important part of our present culture. Each and every classical dance of India is regarded as the specialty of a particular region or tribe and follows its own pattern, be it terms of music, steps, costumes or make-up. Indian classical dance forms can be traced back to 400 BC, to the times of Natya Sastra of Bharata Muni. In fact, Bharatas Natya Sastra, considered to be the Bible of Indian aestheticians, is the most important source for establishing the characteristics of the dances. At present, some of the popular classical dances of India are Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniattam and Odissi. These dances have, no doubt, brought about a sensation in the western countries as well. Today, each of the popular Indian classical dances has an identity of its own and crossing all the boundaries, is recognized globally. The national Sangeet Natak Akademi currently confers classical status on nine Indian dance styles: Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu), Gaudiya Nritya (Bengal), Kathak (North India), Kathakali(Kerala), Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh), Manipuri (Manipur), Mohiniyattam (Kerala), Odissi (Orissa), and Sattriya (Assam). Bharata natyam developed over several centuries in the temples of South India. It was handed down as a living tradition from generation to generation under the devadasi system in which women were dedicated to serve the deity as dancers and musicians. Today bharata natyam is one of the most popular and widely performed dance styles and is practiced by men and women. Due to its wide range of movements and postures, and the mix of rhythmic and mimetic aspects, it

lends itself well to experimental and fusion choreography. chhau is indigenous to the eastern part of India. It originated as a martial art and contains vigorous movements and leaps. Some chhau dances use large stylized masks, with the depiction of birds and animals as a distinctive feature. There are also heroic dances with sword, bow or shield. In keeping with the martial origins of chhau, some of the themes include the depiction of mythological heroes. Over time, female characters and more diverse themes have been added. Kathak is a classical North Indian dance, now popular around the world. The word kathak is derived from katha, meaning story. The ancient kathakas, or storytellers, were traveling bards who were the first to employ this dance in order to better communicate their tales to the masses. Kathak is characterized by intricate footwork and precise rhythmic patterns that the dancer articulates by controlling ankle bells. Both men and women dance kathak, which often conveys moods of love. Kathakali originated in the South Indian state of Kerala over 500 years ago. It is a spectacular combination of drama, dance, music and ritual. Characters with vividly painted faces and elaborate costumes re-enact stories from the Hindu epics Mahabharata and Ramayana. The name comes from the roots katha, meaning story, and kali, meaning performance or play. Kuchipudi developed in what is now the state of Andhra Pradesh in southern India. Historically it formed the basis of dance-dramas but today it is performed either as a solo or group presentation. Kuchipudi, which features fast, rhythmic footwork and sculptural body movements, includes singing and occasionally spoken dialogue. As well, stylized mime using hand gestures and subtle facial expression is combined with more realistic acting. This blend of techniques makes it unique among Indian classical dance. Another unique feature is the tarangam, in which the performer dances on the edges of a brass plate, executing complicated rhythmic patterns while sometimes also

balancing a pot of water on the head. manipuri, a smooth and graceful form, is named after Manipur, a mountainous region of northeast India. A legend tells of the gods draining a lake in this area in order to find a place to dance. The lai haroba, a ritualistic dance depicting creation that is still alive today, is considered the precursor of Manipuri. Included in the Manipuri repertoire is the raas leela, which depicts the cosmic dance of Krishna and the cowherd maidens. Dancers wear long embroidered skirts and translucent veils as they perform swaying and gliding movements. A tall crown of peacock feathers characterizes Krishnas costume. Another dance is the pung cholam , or drum dance, in which dancers play fast rhythms on a drum while leaping and spinning. mohiniattam is of similar origin to its traditionally masculine counterpart kathakali, but involves more feminine attributes. The movement is lyrical and very soft with rounded arm and hip movements. odissi dates back to the first century B.C. Odissi, which originated in the temples of the state of Orissa in Eastern India, is characterized by fluidity of the upper torso and graceful gestures and wristwork, juxtaposed with firm footwork. The rhythmic dances are called batu (foundation), pallavi(flowering) and moksha (liberation). The acting dances are called abhinaya. An important feature of this dance is the tribhangi, which divides the body into three parts: head, bust and torso. This concept has created the very characteristic poses, which are more contorted than those founding other classical Indian dances. Sattriya has its origin in the northeastern Indian state of Assam. The subject of sattriya is usually mythological stories, and it is accompanied by classical raga-based compositions called borgeets. Traditionally, sattriya was performed by bhokots (male monks) in monasteries as part of their daily rituals or special festivals. Today, in addition to this practice, men and women who are not part of the monasteries perform sattriya on stage.
Will be continued in the next issue...

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Experts advice
For any first timer, the interview call letter from the UPSC brings immense joy and corresponding apprehensions of what will happen in the interview, what kind of questions will be asked and will he/she be able to answer them confidently and convincingly. There is always an anxiety to identify the sources and areas from which the questions are asked and to prepare for them well in advance. INDIA PREPARES is making a small endeavour in this direction to help students prepare for some basic aspects of interview. Well, the first and the foremost point of reference for the interview panel and from which the questions are most expected is the application form that candidates submit before the mains exam. Therefore, the first thing that the aspirants should work on, is their Mains application form. Every single word- place, person, thing etc mentioned in the application form needs to be well understood and thought out along with the background information. About 60-70 percent of the questions asked in the interview are directly or indirectly linked with the information provided in the application form. One has to be observant and perceptive enough to seek out probable questions from that form. In order to help candidates to identify such questions, INDIA PREPARES has divided the form into four parts. One part will be discussed in each issue starting from December i.e. , all four parts will be covered by March and your form would be prepared just before the results of mains examinations are announced.

Here is the first part... S.NO. INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED IN APPLICATION FORM Roll number Name PROBABLE QUESTIONS WHICH CAN BE RAISED FROM THE DATA PROVIDED Many people forget their roll no. and it will be a pathetic situation in the interview board, so always remember your roll no. Some persons who are having some specific roll no. such as 9999,0420,2611,0911 etc. must be ready to get questions on this matter. What is the meaning of your name? Some people are having Kumar, Chandra, Prasad etc. as their middle name, so they must be knowing the difference among these. Persons must be well aware of their surname eg. In case of Agrawal surname question might be there about Maharaja Agrasen, In case of Murugan surname you must know each and everything about Lord Murugan, people having Raghuvanshi surname must be ready to get questions on Lord Rama etc. If your name matches with any important personality then you must know each and everything about that personality eg. Persons having Akshay name must know all about Akshay kumar. Any important incident occurred on your date of birth. Does your date of birth matches with any day declared as day of national/international importance. Does your date of birth matches with date of birth of any well known personality. What is your sunsign? Do you believe in astrology? If yes then why? The year you born was a leap year or not? Anything important happened in the year you born. For ex. 1984 happens to be the most eventful year after 1947 in Indian history. What is the sex ratio of your state, national sex ratio, steps to improve sex ratio Measures to improve the working conditions in an office regarding sexual discrimination. Views about growing sexual assault-molestations in metropolitans such as Delhi etc. and measures to curb it. What is feminism, its types, your view about it Present role of females in political and economic decision making. Percentage o f females in parliament and various assemblies; which state is having maximum female participation in legislature assembly? View about present women reservation bill in parliament. Reservation of females in local government has improved the status of females or not?

1. 2.

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Date of birth Gender

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Give suggestion to check female foeticides. What steps UPSC can take to improve the involvement of females in the services? Does women must be allowed in combat operations in the defence forces? Many males have made their organisation against atrocities of females...view. Commodification of females by the cosmetic market is spoiling the sacredness of female...view You must be well versed in the issues of gender. If you are facing any problem then consult your friend having sociology as option. Many candidates mention some terms such as enclave, villa, mansion etc in their address of correspondence. So they must be able to differentiate these terms. While mentioning the address many a times roads, marg, park etc are there which are being named on various personalities. Be aware of those personalities. People from rural background and mentioning village as their postal address must be ready to answer about the problems of rural areas, views about rural-urban migration, lack of basic amenities in these regions and measures to handle these problems. In the topic of pin code the probable questions are: What each and every letter in pin code signifies; What is INDIA POST? What is philately? What is the role of postal department in developmental process? Views on the competition on post offices and private courier; Any new scheme launched by government for postal department and its employee. Importance of post office savings and measures to augment them Go through all the information about your district by Wikipedia. Other information about your district can be gathered in relation to performance of your district in various flagship programmes such as MNREGS, NRHM, RSBY, Mid day meal etc. Some district were in national news recently, people belonging to these district must have a firm view regarding these issues. People belonging to hill stations, historical places, religious places must give suggestion regarding promotion of tourism in their district. Candidates must be aware of specific problems of their district such as linguistic issues in Belgavii of Karnataka, problems of weavers in Varanasi etc. Read all the information about your state from Wikipedia, governmental sites, encyclopaedia etc. Other question might be what is the rank of your state in national HDI? What is the growth rate of your state? Some specific programme of your state Political issues of your state for eg creation of various parks and statues by the present CM OF UP, future of West Bengal in the leadership of Mamta Bannerje etc. Views about creation of new state, emerging ethnicity and regionalism in various states Views of states in any national issues such as present communal violence bill, GST etc. Penetration of IT in your state and status of e-governance Role of RTI in your state and its implementation Measures taken by your state for conservation of wild life, natural resources etc Any specific measure taken by your state on an issue eg bihar special courts act 2009 Issue of compulsory voting in Gujarat, appointment of lokayukta in uttarakhand etc., Public service act in various states etc. Disaster management efforts of various states, measures to tackle various organised crime eg. MCOCA act etc, Measures to protect the interest of linguistic minorities in Maharashtra etc Will be continued in the next issue...

5. Address for correspondence

6. 7. 8.

Pin Code District State

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KNoW It ALL
SPoRtS
Football
Steve Darby Mohun Bagans British coach Steve Darby has resigned after the tussle with the club management. Since Mohun Bagan failed to make an impact in the three quarterfinal group league matches of the Federation Cup, the club wanted him to quit. But Darby refused to comply, seeking full compensation as per the contract with the century-old club. Mohun Bagan has named its former player Prasanta Banerjee as the new coach of the team. Karim Bencherifa Karim Bencherifa has been named the best coach for the 2010-11 football season by the All India Football Federation. He was instrumental in Salgaocar winning a rare double, the Federation Cup and I-League. Ryuji Seoka, an attacking midfielder, was adjudged the best player. East Bengals Mehtab Hossaain was the best midfielder and Subrata Paul of Pune FC the best goalkeeper. Dempos Ranty Martins named best striker and East Bengals Uga Okpara was declared the best defender. JCT, was awarded the fair play trophy. The Federation Cup (abbreviated as Fed cup) is an annual knockout style club football tournament in India. It has started in 1977. From its inception till I-League has been started in 1997 (then called NFL), it was the most prestigious national level club football tournament in India. Presently it is the most important club tournament after the I-League, to which it has become a de facto League Cup. The winning club of Federation Cup gets a chance to compete in the continental level in AFC Cup. The I-League is an Indian football league for association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the countrys primary football competition. Contested by 14 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation of two teams each year with the I-League 2nd Division. Seasons run from October to May, with teams playing 26 matches each, totalling 182 matches in the season. Durand Cup Churchill Brothers has lifted the Durand Cup by defeating Prayag United by 5-4 in a tie-breaker at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi. The Durand Football Tournament was started by then, Indias Foreign Secretary, Mortimer Durand at Simla, India, in 1888. The initial matches were played in Dagshai. It was basically initiated, as a recreation for British troops stationed in India. Since Indias independence in 1947, the tournament is hosted by the army and is held at the Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi. After the eclipse of the high profile teams from Hyderabad, the Durand Cup, with rare exceptions since 1970, has been won mostly by teams from Kolkata (Mohun Bagan and East Bengal) or Punjab (Border Security Force & JCT Mills). Despite being the de facto Indian counterpart to the FA Cup in England, its winners do not qualify for Asian Football Confederation tournaments. The I-League and Federation Cup (League Cup) are the only ways to qualify for Asia. Super Cup Football East Bengal has defeated Salgaocar Club by 9-8 to lift up the Super Cup Football tournament at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi. Saikat Saha Roy scored the winning goal via the sudden-death as both teams failed to break the deadlock despite some concerted efforts in the regulation period. The extra time session was done away with and East Bengal emerged triumphant. title Fifteen-year-old Rutuja Bhosale emerged the new womens champion when she beat Isha Lakhani 6-3, 6-3. Shanghai Masters Scottish Andy Murray has defeated David Ferrer after a hard-fought 7-5, 6-4 to win the Shanghai Masters title. Defending champion Murray thus wrapped up his eighth Masters title by coming over the Spaniard Ferrer. It is the third ATP tour title in recent weeks for Murray, who was victorious at the Thailand Open and Japan Open during his 15-match winning streak. He has won 25 of 26 matches since midAugust; his only defeat coming in the US Open semifinals to Rafael Nadal, whom he beat in the Japan Open final. Stockholm open Indias Rohan Bopanna and Pakistans Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi have won the Stockholm Open mens doubles title with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-3 victory over Brazilians Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares in Stockholm. It was top-seeded IndiaPakistan pairs second ATP World Tour title of the season, following victory on grass at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle in June and overall, their third title as a team. Bopanna and Qureshi, ranked seventh in the ATP doubles team rankings, added 250 points after their win and boosted their chances to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour in London next month. ItF Futures tennis tournament Yuki Bhambri has won a double crown in the ITF Futures tennis tournament in Lagos, Nigeria. Bhambri defeated Ruan Roelofse of South Africa 7-5, 7-5 in the singles final. Bhambri and V.M. Ranjeet beat top seeds Karan Rastogi and Vishnu Vardhan 6-2, 7-5 in the doubles final.

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tENNIS
Fenesta National tennis Championship Yuki Bhambri has won the mens title in the Fenesta National Tennis Championship by defeating Vishnu Vardhan. In womens

HoCKEy
Dhanraj Pillay Former India captain Dhanraj Pillay has made a comeback to competitive hockey as he signed up to play the inaugural World Series Hockey (WSH) scheduled to

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begin from December 17. In his decade long career 43yearold Dhanraj had represented India in 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics. He also represented the country in 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002 World Cup. He was conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 1999. Lanco International Hockey tournament Super Series

to be around 150,000. However there are plans to increase the seating capacity to 200,000 later on. The Indian Grand Prix has the potential to generate around $170 million in revenue and employ as many as 10,000 people. The opportunity in advertising tie-ups between manufacturers and F1 are also a consideration. The race also coincides with the important Diwali holiday, when consumer spending is typically at its highest and many people are travelling which further improves economic prospects. New Jersey to Host 2013 F-1 Grand Prix Race New Jersey will host its first-ever Formula One Grand Prix race in 2013 on a course winds along the Hudson River. Auto racing officials and Gov. Chris Christie has announced a ten-year agreement to hold the race at a news conference in front of the Port Imperial ferry terminal, which will serve both as entry point for racegoers coming from New York and as the start-finish line for competitors. Formula One racing returns to the U.S. after a five-year absence next year with a race in Austin, Tex. Indianapolis last hosted a race in 2007; before that, Phoenix hosted three grand prix from 1989 to 1991, while Watkins Glen in upstate New York hosted the F1 from 1961 to 1980. Marco Simoncelli Italian rider Marco Simoncelli has died after he met an accident at the Malaysian MotoGP motorcycle race. He had serious injuries on chest, head and neck after being crashed and hit by two other riders. Simoncellis death comes a week after British racing driver Dan Wheldon was killed in a multicar pileup at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was the first fatality in MotoGP since Japans Daijiro Katoh died from injuries sustained at the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix. It also raised the number of recorded deaths in MotoGP to 47 since it was founded in 1949. Last year, Japanese teenager Shoya Tomizawa died after crashing in a Moto2 race at San Marino.

Amittrajit Ghosh Drives for MRF National Rally champion Amittrajit Ghosh is the only one from eastern India to compete in the support race of the inaugural Formula 1 Airtel Grand Prix at Buddha International Circuit. The 26-year-old two-time National racing champion and the former Red Rooster racing driver turned out in MRF colours in an elite group of 15 people. Korean Grand Prix World champion Sebastian Vettel has won the Korean Grand Prix to help his Red Bull team retain the Formula One constructors title. After cruising to third place in Japan Grand Prix, where Vettel confirmed himself as the 2011 drivers World champion, the 24-year-old German drove to his 10th win this year, and 20th of his career. He came home in a winning time of one hour, 38 minutes and 1.994 seconds, 12.019 ahead of Briton Lewis Hamilton of McLaren. Vettels Red Bull team-mate Australian Mark Webber finished third, ensuring Red Bull clinched its second successive team title. Australian GP Australias Casey Stoner has sealed the MotoGP World title with victory at the Australian GP as his closest rival Jorge Lorenzo pulled out with a sickening finger injury. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a twostroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced by the new Moto2 600cc four-stroke class. Grand Prix motorcycles are purposebuilt racing machines that are neither available for purchase by the general public nor can be ridden legally on public roads. This contrasts with the various production categories of racing, such as the Superbike World Championship, that feature modified versions of road-going motorcycles available to the public. Raid de Himalaya Austrian Helmut Frauwallner and Indias Suresh Rana have won the extreme two-wheeler and extreme-four wheeler

In the mens final Australia edged out traditional rival New Zealand 5-3 to win the four-nation Lanco International super Series Hockey Tournament in Perth. Indian mens hockey team has gone down 1-4 to arch-rivals Pakistan in the bronze medal match. Australian women also have beaten India 4-1 in the final of the tournament. Though India scored the first goal of the match through Soundarya Yendala, it was Australia that lifted the trophy.

MotoR SPoRtS
Sebastian Vettel German Sebastian Vettel has scored a perfect victory in the inaugural Formula One Grand Prix of India at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida. It was the Red Bull drivers 11th victory of the season and the 21st of his career. The Indian Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. The first event took place on 30 October 2011 as the 17th race of the 2011 Formula One season, The new race track was officially homologated on 1 September 2011 by Charlie Whiting (FIA Formula One Race Director, Safety Delegate, Permanent Starter and head of the F1 Technical Department, in which capacities he generally manages the logistics of each F1 Grand Prix, inspects cars in Parc ferm before a race, enforces FIA rules, and controls the lights which start each race). The race was held at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, 24 km from Delhi. The circuit, designed by F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke, is 5.141 kilometres (3.194 mi). The track has spread across an area of 875 acres. The initial seating capacity is speculated

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categories in the 13th Raid de Himalaya motor rally. Brothers Umesh RahejaYogesh Raheja also won the adventure category. The annual rally - an off-road racing spectacle in the rugged, inhospitable Himalayan terrain had begun on October 9 from Shimla before ending at the Royal Springs Golf Course on the banks of the Dal lake in Sri Nagar. The rallyists went via Manali-Leh-Rangdum (Zanskar), which comprises of one of the worlds most dangerous roads.

41 moves to claim his maiden National chess title at the MIT campus, in Aurangabad. Abhijeet, seeded two and a former National junior champion, tallied 9.5 points from 13 rounds to take the coveted title following a flawless display. Close contender Deepan Chakkravarthy settled for the second spot with nine points following a 39-move deadlock with young Vidit Gujarathi. The title for Abhijeet not only meant a place in the National team for the next one year but also gave him a World Cup berth. Besides Abhijeet and Deepan, others who made it to the elite top-six bracket are S.P. Sethuraman, M.R. Venkatesh, Vidit and last years runner-up G.N. Gopal.

Sing prison after being wrongly convicted in 1983 of breaking into the house in 1977 of a 92-year-old woman and killing her. Prosecutors offered him a plea deal at the time that would have reduced the sentence to time served but he refused to admit to something he didnt do. He says he was bicycling miles away at the time. National Womens Championships Boxing

SHootING
Fourth Asian Championship Airgun Shooting

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Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra has won the air rifle silver behind Asian Games champion Zhu Qinan of China in the fourth Asian airgun shooting championship in Kuwait. Bindra, who had reduced Zhu Qinan to tears in the Beijing Olympic Games by grabbing the gold, shot 594 in qualification and 103.6 in the final. He was 2.6 points behind the Chinese who shot 598 in qualification. Satyendra Singh jumped up to grab the bronze. Omkar Singh bagged the mens air pistol bronze medal. Tan Zongliang of China took the silver while Wu Xiao of China captured the gold. The Indian team also had the consolation of winning the team silver, and so did the womens air pistol team. Mampi Das won the youth womens gold medal beating compatriot Shalini Chahar by 0.9 point. India also took the gold medals in junior women and youth womens categories. Vivek Kumar and Diksha Rajput won individual gold medals in air pistol in the youth men and youth women sections as India gathered three gold, five silvers and a bronze in the fourth Asian airgun championship in Kuwait.

BASKEtBALL
Second FIBA Asia under-16 Basketball Championship China has crushed Korea 92-52 and won the FIBA Asian under-16 basketball championship. Zhou Qi, who played a big role in Chinas victory, scored 43 points in the final, finishing second in the top scorers list with an average of 18.1 points per game. Japan beat the Philippines 9481 and won the bronze. Indias Satnam Singh Bhamara has emerged as the top scorer in the FIBA Asian under-16 basketball championship, which concluded in Vietnam recently. The talented youngster from Punjab finished with 154 points from eight games with an average of 19.3 points per game. India lost against Chinese Taipei 60-61 and finished 10th in the championship.

World youth champion Sh. Sarjubala Devi has clinched the 48kg title in the National womens boxing championships. Sarjubala defeated Krishna Thapa by 3634 and claimed her maiden National crown at the senior level. In the closely-fought 51kg final, five-time World champion M.C. Mary Kom defeated Pinky Jangra 13-9. C.V. Aswathi Mol also registered a win over Maya Poudel 29-28.

WEIGHtLIFtING
Commonwealth Championship Weightlifting

Teenager Achyutananda Sahoo, who hails from Orissa, has clinched gold in the Youth Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship in Cape Town, South Africa. The 17-year-old bagged two gold and a silver in the 62kg weight category. Overall, Indian lifters have bagged 110 medals, including 53 gold in the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships, in Cape Town, South Africa.

AtHLEtICS
Krishna Poonia Krishna Poonia has qualified for the London Olympic Games in discus with a gold-winning performance of 61.12 metres at the Fling throws meet at Oregon, USA. The B standard for Olympics qualification is 59.50 metres while the A standard is 62m. Two athletes can participate in the Olympics in an event from a country if both have the A standard. A Commonwealth Games champion and Asian Games bronze medallist, Poonia has a personal best of 63.69m.

BoxING
Dewey Bozella Dewey Bozella, who spent 26 years in jail for a murder he didnt commit, has made his pro boxing debut a successful one by beating Larry Hopkins in a cruiserweight fight. The 52-year-old Bozella won by a unanimous decision despite giving away 22 years in age to Mr. Hopkins, who was competing in his fourth professional fight. Mr. Bozella was sentenced to 20 years to life in New Yorks infamous Sing

CHESS
National Chess tournament Former World junior champion Abhijeet Gupta has drawn with top seed and defending champion Parimarjan Negi in

GoLF
Hero Indian open David Gleeson has won the $1.25 million

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Hero Indian Open Golf Tournament with a tally of 20-under 268. Gleeson eased to a three-shot victory ahead of Chiragh Kumar. This was Taipei-based Australian 33-year-old Gleesons third Asian Tour title that ended a three-year search.

Cup after losing 22-21 to Wales in the play-off for third place at the inaugural 1987 tournament in New Zealand.

Cristina Fernandez Argentine President Cristina Fernandez has been re-elected in a landslide poll, winning with the widest victory margin in the countrys history. Ms. Fernandez had 53 percent of the votes, while her nearest challenger got just 17 percent. Ms. Fernandez is Latin Americas first woman to be re-elected as president, but the victory was personally bittersweet the first without her husband and predecessor, Nestor Kirchner, who died of a heart attack last Oct. 27. Nayef bin Abdel-Aziz al-Saud Saudi Arabia has named Prince Nayef bin Abdel-Aziz al-Saud as heir to the throne following the death of the second-inline, Crown Prince Sultan. Prince Sultan died in New York at the age of 80 after an unspecified illness. The tough-talking Interior Minister, Nayef, is known for cracking down on Islamist militants and resisting moves toward greater openness in the ultraconservative kingdom. Crown Prince Nayef would succeed King Abdullah (87), who is recovering from his third operation to treat back problems in less than a year. Traditionally, the king chooses his heir. But Prince Nayef was chosen by Allegiance Council, a 37-member body composed of his brothers and cousins. King Abdullah created the council as part of his reforms and gave it the mandate to choose the heir. Saudi Arabia has been ruled since 1953 by the sons of its founder, King AbdulAziz, who had over 40 sons by multiple wives. Prince Nayef (78) was also named Vice Prime Minister and will keep his job as Interior Minister. Prince Nayef has earned praise in the West for leading crackdowns on Islamist extremist cells in Saudi Arabia, which was home to 15 of 19 of the September 11 hijackers. Michael D. Higgins A prominent left-wing poet and peace activist who campaigned against the Iraq invasion has become Irelands new President succeeding the incumbent, Mary McAleese, the occupant of the largely ceremonial post since 1997

APPoINtED/ELECtED
Gurbachan Singh Union Agriculture Commissioner Gurbachan Singh has been appointed Chairman of the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board for a seven-year term until further orders or till he attains the age of 65, whichever is earlier. The Board is crucial to recruitment of farm researchers and policy formulation. Dr. Singh, during whose tenure as Agriculture Commissioner the country achieved its highest foodgrain production including a record pulses output, has assumed charge of his new post. He specialises in developing alternate approaches to a sustainable use of soil resources. Recipient of several awards, he is also the founder-President of the Indian Society of Soil Salinity and Water Quality. P.K. Pradhan P.K. Pradhan has taken over as Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Mr. Pradhan, an IAS officer from the West Bengal Cadre (1977 batch), was Special Secretary and Mission Director, National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), in the Department of Health and Family Welfare. He has been looking after the NRHM since the past two years. Bobby Jindal Republican Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has elected to a second term, winning in a landslide election after failing to attract any well-known opposition. The 40-year-old son of Indian immigrants overwhelmed nine competitors in the open primary, where a candidate wins the race outright if he or she receives more than 50 percent of the vote. His win comes amid the virtual collapse of the Democratic Partys clout in the state. In the current term, Republicans have gained control of all seven State-wide elected posts and both chambers of the legislature. He was the first Indian-American governor in the United States.

SquASH
Dread Series 2 Squash tournament Top seed Dipika Pallikal has won her second WISPA title in recent months when she beat Sarah-Jane Perry of the USA in the final of the Dread series 2 squash tournament in Washington. She had won the Orange County tournament earlier.

RoWING
Asian Rowing Championships Shokender Tomar and Sonu Lakshminarain have won the mens lightweight doubles sculls gold in the Asian rowing championships at Hwacheon, South Korea. A 31-member team from India took part and won five silver and two bronze medals.

CANoEING
14th Asian Canoe Sprint Championship Betty Joseph and Bincymol Babychan combined to win the Canoe (C-2) 500m gold in the 14th Asian Canoe Sprint Championship in Tehran. In addition, the Indians won two silver and two bronze medals in the championship.

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Rugby World Cup New Zealand has defeated France by 8-7 in a gripping Rugby World Cup final at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand to become the third two-time champion. Despite being the perennial favorite, New Zealand hadnt won the World Cup since hosting and winning the inaugural tournament (the Webb Ellis Cup) in 1987. Two of its biggest losses in knockout matches in the intervening 24 years were to France. Australia finished third with a 2118 third place play-off win over Wales. This victory meant two-time champion Australia won its first bronze at the World

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having won two successive seven-year terms, the maximum permitted under the Constitution. Ivian Sarcos Venezuelas Ivian Sarcos, a 21-year-old human resource graduate and wannabe social activist, has been crowned Miss World in the Miss World Pageant held in London. Ms Sarcos, who was chosen from among 122 contestants, became the 61st winner of the contest first held in 1951 and apparently conceived as a one-off event to market the Festival of Britain. She will spend a year visiting and endorsing charity projects sponsored by Miss Worlds organisers. Lucas Papademos Senior banker Lucas Papademos has been named as the prime minister of the New Greek interim government, charged with keeping the debt-strapped country out of bankruptcy and firmly in the 17 nation eurozone. After four days of intense political negotiations, the 64-year-old former vice president of the European Central Bank was chosen to lead a coalition backed by both the governing Socialists and opposition conservatives that will operate until early elections in February. He replaces outgoing Socialist Prime Minister George Papandreou midway through his four-year term. Mr. Papademos, a former ECB vice president who is not a member of any party, has been operating lately as an adviser to the prime minister.

Waterman Rajinder Singh from Rajasthan have resigned in protest against the team getting into party politics and Anna Hazares veiled criticism of colleague Prashant Bhushan in a fresh entry on the Kashmir plebiscite issue on his blog. The core committee comprises 25 well-known members of the civil society. In what is seen as his criticism of Mr. Bhushans opinion to hold a plebiscite in Kashmir, Mr. Hazare noted the State was an integral part of India, and that some people talk incoherent things, and do nothing for the ground reality in Kashmir.

civilian award in the Republic of India (2001) Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (2008) Asom Ratna - the highest civilian award in the State of Assam, India (2009) The Government of Bangladesh has honoured him with The Muktijodha award posthumously. Asom Sahitya Sabha has honoured him with the title Biswa Ratna. etc Dennis Ritchie Dennis Ritchie, who has invented computing language C, has passed away at his home in New Jersey in USA. Along with Ken Thompson, Ritchie developed a simpler system for smaller and simpler computing units, called Unix in the seventies. In 1978, Ritchie co-wrote a book on the programming language, The C Programming Language. Ritchie and Thompson were awarded the Turing Award from the Association for Computing Machinery in 1983 and the U.S. National Medal of Technology in 1988. P.K.S. Kutty

DIED/KILLED
Bhupen Hazarika Legendary singer and composer Bhupen Hazarika has passed away at a Mumbai hospital after respiratory and kidney failure. The Dada Saheb Phalke Award winner was undergoing treatment at the hospital since June 29 after he complained of breathlessness. One of the foremost balladeer in the country who composed his own lyrics and music, Hazarika lent his voice to the film Gandhi To Hitler, where he sang Mahatma Gandhis favourite bhajan Vaishnav jan.

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REtIRES/RESIGNED/SuSPENDED
R.V. Raveendran Justice R.V. Raveendran has retired as Supreme Court judge on his attaining the age of superannuation. He was appointed a permanent judge of the Karnataka High Court on February 22, 1993 and Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on July 8, 2004. On September 9, 2005, he became judge of the Supreme Court, where he rendered landmark judgments on issues of the Constitution, reservation, education and human rights. P.V. Rajagopal & Rajinder Singh Team Annas core committee members P.V. Rajagopal of Ekta Parishad and

Renowned cartoonist P.K.S. Kutty, popularly known as Cartoonist Kutty, has passed away in the city of Madison in the A poet, journalist, singer, lyricist, United States. He was 90. Mr. Kutty was musician, filmmaker and writer, Hazarika born in Ottapalam, Kerala in 1921. He was had a genius for weaving a magical trained by cartoonist Shankar and started tapestry out of traditional Assamese music his career with National Herald in 1941, and lyrics and is regarded as one of the and later worked for various newspapers greatest living cultural communicators of during his long career. His work was also South Asia. He was a recipient of many syndicated, first in the Hindustan Times, and later in The Indian Express. He had awards. Some of them are: been staying in the U.S. along with his Award for the Best Regional Film family since 1997. (Chameli Memsaab; music by Bhupen Hazarika) in the 23rd National Film Admiral oscar Stanley Dawson Awards (1975) The former Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Padma Shri - the fourth highest Oscar Stanley Dawson has passed away. He participated in the Second World War. civilian award in India (1977) He had served as Navy Chief and Chiefs of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1987) Staff Committee (COSC). After retirement Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1992) he was also the High Commissioner to First Indian to win Best Music for New Zealand between 1985 and 1987 the film Rudaali at the Asia Pacific and General Manager of Goa Shipyard International Film Festival in Japan Limited. He was the recipient of both Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Param Vishisht (1993) Seva Medal. Padma Bhushan - the third highest

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Moturu tanya A pioneer in womens movement in Andhra Pradesh, Moturu Tanya (70), has died. The daughter of veteran CPI (M) leader Moturu Hanumantha Rao and Moturu Udhayam, Dr. Tanya earned a place in the hearts of poor by providing free treatment to poor pregnant women and by holding medical camps periodically for their benefit. A tireless activist, she had worked relentlessly for building the womens movement in the State. Shrilal Shukla Just days after he was honoured with the Jnanpith award, noted litterateur Shrilal Shukla has died following prolonged illness. He was 86. Author of Raag Darbari, Mr. Shukla was presented the countrys highest literary honour by Uttar Pradesh Governor B. L. Joshi as he lay on his hospital bed on October 18. Mr. Shukla had penned Agyatwaas, Vishrampur Ka Sant and many other novels over his lifetime. His works throw light on the falling moral values of society in post-Independence India. Mr. Shukla and another Hindi author Amar Kant were chosen on September 19 for the Jnanpith award for 2009. He is also a recipient of Vyas Samman and Padma Bhushan.

but entered the Guinness Book of World Records. Silvio Berlusconi Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi has survived a confidence vote in Parliaments lower house with a 316-301 vote. Mr. Berlusconi has been weakened by sex scandals and criticized for his handling of Italys economy. He has been facing repeated calls for his resignation from his political rivals, labour unions and parts of the business community that once considered him their saviour. Three ratings agencies have downgraded Italys public debt, citing the countrys political gridlock and low growth prospects as key reasons.

and the charged atmosphere in the court till the delivery of their judgments. The battle began when the Supreme Court, in the Golak Nath case in 1967, held that fundamental rights could not be amended by Parliament. Parliament and the government were not reconciled to the view by majority in the Kesavananda case and were determined to get it overruled. On the day of the judgment (April 24, 1973), the government superseded three senior-most judges, who had decided against the government and appointed Justice A.N. Ray as the next Chief Justice on the retirement of Chief Justice S.M. Sikri. In 1975, with the help of Mr. Ray, the government tried in vain to reverse the majority view in the case by another Bench of 13 judges. However, during the emergency, the government nullified the Kesavananda case judgment through the 42nd amendment but this was overruled in the Minerva Mills case in 1980, when Y.V. Chandrachud was the Chief Justice.

BooK AutHoR
Looking Back Into the Future: Identity & Insurgency in Northeast India, - M.S. Prabhakara, Pages from the Past -- A journalist looks back - K. P. Srivastava Vroom - Shijo Varghese (the first ever Formula One caricature book) Autumn Raga - Jaskiran Chopra Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson Fierce Focus - Greg Chappell A shot at history - Rohit Brijnath (book of the Olympic champion Abhiinav Bindra) Book on Kesavananda Bharati Case A book on Kesavananda Bharati case (1973) has been written by senior advocate and former Solicitor- General, T.R. Andhyarujina. A 13-judge Bench of the Supreme Court, the largest so far, decided the Kesavananda Bharati case after hearing arguments by eminent lawyers spread over 66 days. The judgment, delivered by a majority of 7:6 on April 24, 1973, held that Parliament could not alter the basic structure of the Constitution by an amendment. The book reveals that prior to the hearing, the government attempted to influence the court by appointing judges who it expected would decide in its favour. It shows the preconceived views of some of the judges on Parliaments power to amend the Constitution, the internal conflicts and factions among the judges,

AWARDS
Sanskriti Awards Kashmiri poet Shahida Shabnam, journalist Rana Ayyub, Bangalore-based Abhishek Hazra, musician Murad Ali and social activist and IIM graduate Vinayak Lohani have been selected for this years Sanskriti Awards. Ms. Shabnam has brought alive the anguish of women in the Valley through words in her native language. Mr. Lohani is an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) graduate who preferred working for under-privileged children to joining a white-collar job. The awards are given every year to young talents in the field of journalism, art, literature, performing arts and social achievement. Dhanvantari Award M.K. Mani, pioneer in nephrology in the country and Chief Nephrologist at Apollo Hospital, Chennai, has been honoured with the 40th Dhanvantari Award. Dr. Mani pioneered innovative techniques and a new regimen in the management of kidney disorders. He is the recipient of the Padma

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PERSoN IN NEWS
Rajat Gupta Former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta has been arrested after he surrendered to the FBI, and charged with six counts of insider trading. Prosecutors allege that Mr. Gupta shared classified information about Goldman, Procter & Gamble, and Berkshire investment with hedge fund billionaire Raj Rajaratnam, the founder of the Galleon group. Fauja Singh Fauja Singh, a 100-year-old runner of Indian-origin, has set a Guinness record of being the oldest person to complete a full-distance 42-kilometre marathon. Mr. Singh took over eight hours to cross the finish line, six hours after Kenyas Kenneth Mungara won the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon for the fourth straight year. Mr. Singh was the last competitor to complete the course

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Bhushan and the Rabindranath Tagore Award. He has been awarded the honorary Doctorate of Science by several universities.

The prestigious award, which recognises contribution in medical science, is awarded annually since 1972. The recipients include Denton A. Cooley

of Houston and pioneer heart transplant surgeon Christiaan Neethling Barnard of South Africa.

MAN BooKER PRIzE

British novelist Julian Barnes has been declared unanimously as the winner of this years 50,000 Man Booker Prize for his novel, The Sense of an Ending. The prize winning novel was hailed as an exquisite meditation on growing old, the nature of memory and relationships. Earlier Mr. Barnes had been shortlisted three times before without ever winning the prize. The Sense of an Ending, is Barness shortest novel but the record for the shortest book ever to win a Booker remains Penelope Fitzgeralds Offshore which won in 1979. The other contenders were: Carol Birch (Jamrachs Menagerie); Patrick deWitt (The Sisters Brothers), Esi Edugyan (Half Blood Blues); and debut authors Stephen Kelman (Pigeon English) and AD Miller (Snowdrops). The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe. The winner of the Man Booker Prize is generally assured of international renown and success; therefore, the prize is of great significance for the book trade. It is also a mark of distinction for authors to be selected for inclusion in the shortlist or even to be nominated for the longlist. The prize was originally known as the Booker-McConnell Prize, after the company Booker-McConnell began sponsoring the event in 1968; it became commonly known as the Booker Prize or simply the Booker. When administration of the prize was transferred to the Booker Prize Foundation in 2002, the title sponsor became the investment company Man Group, which opted to retain Booker as part of the official title of the prize. The foundation is an independent registered charity funded by the entire profits of Booker Prize Trading Ltd., of which it is the sole shareholder. The prize money awarded with the Booker Prize was originally 21,000, and was subsequently raised to 50,000 in 2002 under the sponsorship of the Man Group, making it one of the worlds richest literary prizes.

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The rules of the Booker changed in 1971; previously, it had been awarded retrospectively to books published prior to the year in which the award was given. In 1971 the year of eligibility was changed to the same as the year of the award; in effect, this meant that books published in 1970 were not considered for the Booker in either year. The Booker Prize Foundation announced in January 2010 the creation of a special award called the Lost Man Booker Prize, with the winner chosen from a longlist of 22 novels published in 1970. 2001 was the first year in which the longlist was revealed to the general public. The selection process for the winner of the prize commences with the formation of an advisory committee which includes an author, two publishers, a literary agent, a bookseller, a librarian, and a chairperson appointed by the Booker Prize Foundation. The winner is usually announced at a ceremony in Londons Guildhall, usually in October. In 1993 to mark the 25th anniversary it was decided to choose a Booker of Bookers Prize. Three previous judges of the award, Malcolm Bradbury, David Holloway and WL Webb, met and chose Salman Rushdies Midnights Children (the 1981 winner) as the best novel out of all the winners. A similar prize known as The Best of the Booker was awarded in 2008 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the prize. A short list of six winners was chosen and the decision was left to a public vote. The winner was again Midnights Children. Related awards: A separate prize for which any living author in the world may qualify, the Man Booker International Prize, was inaugurated in 2005 and is awarded biennially. A Russian version of the Booker Prize was created in 1992 called the Booker-Open Russia Literary Prize, also known as the Russian Booker Prize. In 2007, Man Group Plc and the Hong Kong Literary Festival Ltd established the Man Asian Literary Prize, an annual literary award given to the best novel by an Asian writer, either written in English or translated into English, and published in the previous calendar year. Cheltenham Booker Prize: As part of The Times Literature Festival in Cheltenham, a Booker event is held on the last Saturday of the festival. Four guest speakers/judges debate a shortlist of four books from a given year from before the introduction of the Booker prize, and a winner is chosen. Unlike the real Man Booker, authors from outside the Commonwealth are also considered. Rival Man Booker Prize: For more than 30 years, the Booker Prize has enjoyed near cult status in much of the Englishspeaking world but now a group of prominent British writers, literary agents and critics announced a rival prize, The Literature Prize, amid a growing and ill-tempered row over the quality of this years Booker shortlist which has been

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criticized for favouring readability over literary merit. The prize, to be launched next year, promises to recognise the best novel written in the English language and published in the U.K. in a given year regardless of the nationality of the writer unlike the Booker which is restricted to writers from the Commonwealth countries. Winners from India: Aravind Adigas debut novel, The White Tiger, won the 2008 Booker Prize. He is the fourth Indianborn author to win the prize, after Salman Rushdie (Midnights Children), Arundhati Roy (The God of Small Things) and Kiran Desai (The Inheritance of Loss). V. S. Naipaul, another winner for In a Free State, is of Indian origin, but is not an Indian citizen. World Food Prize World Food Prize (WFP) Foundation has chosen John Agyekum Kufuor, former President of Ghana and Luiz Incio Lula da Silva, former President of Brazil, as the winners of the World Food Prize Award, 2011. According to WFP, President Kufuor and President Lula da Silva were honoured for their personal commitment and visionary leadership while serving as the presidents of Ghana and of Brazil, respectively, in creating and implementing government policies to alleviate hunger and poverty in their countries. World Food Prize was created in 1987 by Nobel Peace Prize winner and Green Revolution champion Norman Borlaug, for leading a drastic reduction of hunger and poverty in their respective countries. The WFP noted that under Mr. Kufuors leadership, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to cut in half the proportion of its people who suffer from hunger, and the proportion of people living on less than a dollar per day, on course to meet the Millenium Development Goal for hunger eradication. Mr. da Silva had announced his intention to make fighting hunger and poverty a top priority of his government even before assuming office as President in 2003. In choosing him as a co-laureate for the award, the WFP noted that Mr. da Silva had ensured that more than ten government ministries were focused on the expansive Zero Hunger programmes, which provided greater access to food, strengthened family farms and rural incomes, increased enrolment of primary school children, and empowered the poor. During his time in office, the Millennium Development Goal on hunger eradication was exceeded as Brazil cut in half proportion of its people who were in hunger. International Committee of the Red Cross Award The Hindus Chhattisgarh correspondent, Aman Sethi, has won the International Committee of the Red Cross award for the best Indian print media article on humanitarian issues. Tehelka s Umar Baba took the second place, while the third prize went to Reji Joseph of Rashtra Deepika and the consolation prize to Anup Sharma of The Times of India . Sethis article on three Chhattisgarh villages ruthlessly torched by police commandos in March 2011 was selected as the best of nearly 80 entries from across the country. About 300 homes and granaries were burnt in the five-day police operation which left three men dead, and three women sexually assaulted. Based on interviews with eyewitnesses and police sources, Mr. Sethis coverage spurred the local administration to probe the incident and send aid to the affected villages. u.S. Presidential Citizens Medal U.S. President Barack Obama has honoured Indian-American activist Vijaya Lakshmi Emani posthumously with the Presidential Citizens Medal for her courage in overcoming and speaking out against domestic abuse in the Indian-American community. Presidential Citizens Medal is U.S.s second-highest civilian honour. Ms. Emani, was killed on January 15, 2009 at the age of 51 when she was hit by a truck in Ohio. Swiss Ambassadors Award Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata has been honoured with Swiss Ambassadors Award for Exceptional Leadership, which recognises individuals who have contributed to the promotion of IndoSwiss bilateral relations or have stood out for their exceptional role in the society and industry. the International Press Institute India Award The International Press Institute (IPI) India award for excellence in journalism, 2011, has been awarded jointly to Tehelka and The Week for their outstanding journalistic work in 2010. Tehelka was selected for its expose of the rent a riot tactics of the Sree Rama Sene in Karnataka, which admitted taking money to organise attacks on innocent persons and institutions. An investigation by Pushp Sharma exposed the leadership of Sree Rama Sene, who readily agreed to launch a mob attack and incite a riot in favour of payment. The Week was selected for an investigation by Gunjan Sharma into sham medical and dental colleges that had no doctors, no patients and no facilities and yet were permitted to award medical and dental degrees to thousands of students. India Wins two Global Awards at World tourism Mart India has stolen the limelight at the World Tourism Mart 2011 by winning two global awards Worlds Leading Destination and Worlds Leading Tourist Board. Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahai received the awards from Graham E. Cooke, president and founder of World Travel Awards, at the Excel Exhibition Centre. Mr Sahai said that India has recorded five million tourist arrivals this year and wants to add another five million within the next two to three years which will help create 25 million additional jobs in the country. Tourism Ministry now aims to increase Indias share in the International Tourist Arrivals from the present 0.6 per cent to 1 per cent (of 1 billion travellers) by the end of 2016. Mr. Sahai said India is planning to host the Global Tourism Mart in New Delhi next year.

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Russias order of Friendship Award Russia has announced the presentation of Order of Friendship award to noted Tamil novelist D. Jayakanthan. This is Russias highest civilian award which is presented to foreign nationals who promoted cultural ties between Russia and their countries. Mr. Jayakanthan had translated works of Russian author Pushkin in Tamil. The friendship between the two countries was deep- rooted and he played an important role in people-topeople diplomacy. Similarly, many of his works were translated into Russian and Ukrainian languages.

Initiated by IIME in 2002, the Conference is considered a platform for the mineral industry to brainstorm various mineral processing issues and find a solution in terms of extraction of metals from the mineral resource. This year, Hindustan Zinc, the worlds largest integrated producer of zinc which also governs above 85 per cent of Indian zinc market, is hosting it. The previous year the event was organised in Jamshedpur. First International Coloured Gemstones Conference The Pink City of Jaipur, undisputed leader in coloured stones in the country, has hosted the first international coloured gemstones Mines to Market conference. The Conference was modeled after the existing initiative in diamonds by the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India (GJEPC). The two-day was sponsored by leading gemstone company Gemsfield. The co-sponsors are KGK Diamonds and Gemological Institute of America. The gem and jewellery sector is a major foreign exchange earner for the country and considered among the fastest growing areas with a share of 16.67 per cent in Indias export merchandise in 2010-11. The total exports stood at 43.14 billion US dollars last year. 1st India-u.S. Higher Summit, Washington Education

PLACES IN NEWS
Chennai The first trade office of Brussels has become operational in Chennai. The trade office became operational after it got final approval from the Reserve Bank of India. Kathlijn Fruithof has been designated as the Trade Commissioner, Chennai. Earlier he was India Invest Country Manager. Cambridge university Project on Rare Sanskrit Manuscripts Some 2,000 rare Sanskrit manuscripts detailing momentous political and economic events across south Asia and written on fragile birch bark, palm leaf and paper are to form part of a major project undertaken by Cambridge University to document ancient civilisations by studying the language of the time, officially known as linguistic archaeology. The documents, which belong to Cambridge University Librarys South Asian manuscript collection, will be studied individually and catalogued placing them in their broader historical context. They will also be digitised and put on the librarys new online service. The university said the collection included the oldest dated and illustrated Sanskrit manuscript known worldwide. More than half of the librarys collection of south Asian manuscripts was in Sanskrit which dominated the literary culture of pre-modern South Asia for almost three millennia. The university hopes the project would help to further research on South Asia.

CoNFERENCES
World Steel Conference India has been awarded the right to hold the World Steel Conference in October next year. The governing body of the World Steel Association, representing 170 producers and accounting for 85 per cent of world steel production, has decided to give the rights to hold the World Steel Conference in New Delhi from October 8 to 12 next year. Global Mineral Conference, 2011 The 12th international mineral processing technology conference (MPT-2011) has begun in Udaipur. The conference has Recent advances in processing of nonferrous and industrial minerals as its central theme. MPT2011 was organised jointly by Hindustan Zinc and Indian Institute of Mineral Engineers (IIME).

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The first ever India-United States Higher Education Summit was held at Georgetown University in Washington.

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QuEStIONS@IP...

CuRRENt AffAIRS QuEStIONS@IP

1. According to a recently released report in the USA, the poverty rate in the USA has increased by 20 per cent in last four years. In this context consider the following statements. I. The official poverty line in the USA is $ 22314 and is the highest in last 52 years. D. The Company of the Year Award in NAVARATNA category Company 1. ONGC 2. NTPC 3. CIL 4. NDMC Codes: A (a) 1 (b) 1 (c) 2 (d) 1 B 2 1 1 2 C 3 3 4 4 D 4 4 3 3 (b) 1 (c) 4 (d) 4 2 3 3 3 2 4 4 1 1

6. Consider the following sites: 1. Ruins of Ancient Vaishali (Vaishali, Bihar). 2. Remains of Vikramshila Ancient University (Bhagalpur, Bihar). 3. Budhist remains (Uttar Pradesh). of Kushinagar

II. The main cause of increase in the level of poverty is the sluggishness in growth and high level of unemployment. III. The increase in the poverty level is also reflected in inequality in the distribution of assets in the USA. Which one of the following statement(s) is/are correct? (a) I and II (c) II and III (b) I and III (d) All of the above.

4. Consider the following statements: 1. The 4th SAARC Energy Ministers Meeting was held in Dhaka. 2. Next SAARC Energy Ministers Meeting will be held in 2013. 3. Colombo will host the next meeting of SAARC Energy Ministers. Select the correct statements: (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 and 3 (c) Only 1 and 2 (d) Only 1 and 3 5. Match column A with column B Column A A. Swayamsiddha B. Swadhar C. Integrated Child Protection Scheme D. Ujjawala Column B 1. A scheme for women in difficult circumstances. 2. A comprehensive scheme for prevention of trafficking and Rescue, Rehabilitate on and Reintegration of victims of Trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. 3. Self-Help groups based programme dedicated to womens empowerment 4. Providing children with a protection and safe environment to develop and flourish. Codes: A (a) 3 B 1 C 4 D 2

4. Saravasti (Uttar Pradesh). 5. Kaushambi (Uttar Pradesh). 6. Ahichhatra (Berielly, Uttar Pradesh) 7. Ancient site and Buddhist stupa (Sanghol, Punjab) 8. Arikamedu. Early (Puducherry). Historic site

2. Consider the following statements: 1. The Jnanpith Award is presented by the Bharatiya Jnanpith, a private trust. 2. The award was instituted in 1961 and its first recipient was the Malayalam writer G. Sankara Kurup in 1965. 3. Urdu poet Prof Shaheryar has been presented the Jnanpith Award for the year 2009. 4. Chandrashekara Kambara has been honoured with the Jnanpith Award for the year 2008. (a) Only 1 is correct. (b) Only 1 and 2 are correct. (c) Only 1, 2 and 3 are correct. (d) Only 2, 3 and 4 are correct. 3. Match the following PSUs with the respective prizes awarded by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE): Award A. Best Financial Performance Award in MAHARATNA and NAVARATNA category B. Good Corporate Governance Award in MAHARATNA and NAVARATNA category C. The Company of the Year Award in MAHARATNA category

9. Excavated remains of Kaveripattinum (Nagapattinum, Tamil Nadu). 10. Ancient monastery and stupa together with adjacent land (Harwan), J & K. 11. Mount (Burud Kot), Nalla Sopara stupa, Maharashtra. 12. Indraprastha, Delhi. Which of the above are included in Silk Road sites in India? (a) Only 1, 2, 3, 4 (b) Only 5, 6, 7, 8 (c) Only 9, 10, 11, 12 (d) All of these 7. Consider the following institutions. 1. Indian Institute of Management (IIM). 2. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). 3. Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT). 4. Indian Institute of Technology (IIHT). Handloom

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In which of the following States, all of above are located: (a) West Bengal (c) Uttar Pradesh (b) Tamil Nadu (d) Maharashtra

8. Consider the following statements 1. Aadhaar Scheme was launched on

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Questions@IP September 29, 2010 at Thembali village of Nandurbar district in Maharashtra. 2. All the residents in Thembali were provided UID number and it became the first Aadhaar Gaon. Select the correct answer (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 9. Consider the following statements: 1. Aam Admi Bima Yojana (AABY) was launched on October 3, 2007 to insured the head of the family of rural landless households. 2. Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) was launched on October 1, 2007 to provide smart card based cashiess health insurance cover of Rs. 30000 per family per annum to BPL families in the unorganized sector. 3. Unorganized Workers Social Security Act, 2008 came into force from 16 May 2009 to provide security to unorganized workers. 4. Bilateral Social Security Agreement have been signed with Belgium, Switzerland, Netherlands and Denmark to protect the interests to ex-patriot workers and companies on a reciprocal basis. Select the correct answer: (a) 1 and 2 (c) 3 and 4 1. Social Audit 2. Labour budget 3. State Employment Guarantee Fund 4. Rozgar Sewak Sahayak The initiatives are for effective implementation of (a) Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) (b) Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) (c) Swarna Jayanti Yojana (SJSRY) (d) Bharat Nirman 11. Indian rupee is depreciating continuously since 2009. The possible causes for this is I. The crisis in the eurozone has led to more buying of dollars in the foreign exchange market. Shahari Rozgar (b) 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

II. The rise in the Indian exports vis-vis imports. III. The policy paralysis in the Indian economy on reforms front has led to capital flight. (a) III only (c) I only (b) II only (d) None of these

Vol.1 Issue 3 December 2011 with governments recent effort towards fiscal consolidation. II. With the withdrawal of DEPB Scheme, the total number of items under the Duty Drawback Scheme will increase to 4000. III. Under the DEPB export incentive scheme, the exporter was given a duty entitlement Pass Book Scheme at a pre-determined credit on the CIF (cost, insurance and freight) value. Which is/are correct? (a) I only (c) III only (b) II only (d) None of these

12. The government-run Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) has setup its first overseas campus in which of the following capital city of Africa? (a) Kampala (c) Addis Ababa (b) Kigali (d) Nairobi

13. Consider the following statements: 1. The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) was constituted by Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India in 1982. 2. ICFRE has recently released new plant varieties of Shisham and Eucalyptus. Which of the above is/are correct? (a) 1 Only (b) 2 Only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 14. The Ministry of External Affairs has launched the Passport Seva Project under which the work of collecting the passport applications has been outsourced to which of the following companies? (a) Infosys (b) Wipro c) HCL (d) Tata Consultancy Services 15. Despite bountiful foodgrains production, the spectre of inflation is a big impediment to the high GDP growth. What could be the possible solutions? I. Ushering in the evergreen revolution at the earliest so as to increase the overall foodgrains production.

17. Which of the following statements about Wangari Maathai is/are true? 1. She was the founder of the Green Belt Movement, an organisation which campaigned for environmental conservation and good governance. 2. She had won the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize for her reforestation work in her native Kenya. 3. She was the first environmentalist to receive this honour. (a) 1 Only (c) 1 and 3 (b) 1 and 2 (d) 1, 2 and 3

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18. The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore has introduced Swarna Sub1, a rice variety that can resist (a) Floods (c) Weeds (b) Pests (d) Drought

10. Consider the following:

19. What is Hongqi-16? (a) It is a satellite launch vehicle, indigenously developed by China. (b) It is the satellite destroying rocket/ missile of China. (c) It is the new nuclear reactor of China in the Guangzhou province. (d) It is a land-based mid-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system of China. 20. Match column I with column II and select the correct answer using the codes given below : Column I A. Raghavan committee B. B.K. Chaturvedi committee C. Sachar committee D. Soli Sorabjee committee Column II 1. Police reforms

II. Diversifying the foodgrains production basket from wheat and rice to pulses. III. Banning the forward trading in the commodities altogether so as to check speculative tendencies. IV. An effective fiscal and monetary policy mix. (a) I, II and III (b) I, II and IV (c) II, III and IV (d) All of the above. 16. Consider the following statements. I. Duty Entitlement Passbook Scheme will be withdrawn w.e.f. 30 September 2012 which is in line

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Questions@IP 2. To examine the social, economic and educational status of Muslims 3. Domestic oil pricing policy 4. Ragging. Codes: A (a) 1 (b) 4 (c) 1 (d) 2 B 2 3 4 3 C 3 2 3 4 D 4 1 2 1

(a) I, II and III (b) I, II and IV (c) II, III and IV (d) All of the above 25. India recently inked an Rs 300-crore contract with a ship manufacturer, SOLAS Marine, to build 80 fast-interception craft or high-speed patrol boats to equip the new Sagar Prahari Bal (SPB) being raised by Navy in the aftermath of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. SOLAS Marine is based in which of the following countries? (a) Sri Lanka (c) South Africa (b) France (d) Brazil

Vol.1 Issue 3 December 2011 Which of the above are correct? (a) 1 and 2 (c) 2 and 3 (b) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3

29. Recently, Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas has applied to the UN for its membership. Which of the following regarding this are correct? 1. The Palestine Liberation Organisation was granted observer status at the U.N. on the basis of Resolution 3236. 2. PLO was awarded a permanent mission to the U.N. in 1998, five years after Israel and the Palestinians accepted a road map for peace leading to a two-State solution. 3. The admission of any such State to membership in the United Nations will be effected by a decision of the General Assembly. 4. The willing countries will be considered for membership only on the recommendation of the Security Council. (a) 1, 2 and 3 (c) 1, 3 and 4 (b) 2, 3 and 4 (d) 1, 2 and 4

21. Antrix Corporation Limited, the commercial wing of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), is headquartered in (a) Sriharikota (c) Ahmedabad (b) Bangalore (d) Pune

22. Which of these is the first State in India to develop HIV Stigma Index, which aims to collect Information on stigma, discrimination and the rights of people living with HIV that will help in these advocacy efforts? (a) Tamil nadu (c) Maharashtra (b) Kerala (d) Andhra Pradesh

26. Which of the following African countries have signed the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity? 1. Niger 3. Chad (a) 1 Only (c) 1, 2 and 3 2. Cape Verde 4. Burundi (b) 1 and 2 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Select the correct alternatives:

23. Which one of following statements is/ are incorrect? I. Takeout Finance Scheme was launched on October 12, 2010, with an MoU between IIFCL and PNB, Indian Bank and UCO Bank.

II. The scheme is aimed at removing the bottlenecks in infrastructure financing by addressing asset liability mismatch (ALM) and group exposure issues. III. As per the scheme, IIFCL can take out debt up to 30 per cent of the total project cost with certain limitations. (a) I and II (b) II and III (c) I and III (d) None of the above. 24. As per the 12th Plan Document, infrastructure during the Plan period will require more than US $ 1 trillion. In this direction what could be done? I. Promoting more Partnerships. Public Private

27. The Indian Army has joined hands with The Green Governance Programme of which of the following Banks to implement projects like rainwater harvesting, ground water rejuvenation, construction of check dams and water treatment/de-siltation of water bodies, New & Renewable Energy Initiatives etc. (a) HDFC (b) PNB (c) AXIS (d) ICICI 28. Consider the following statements: 1. India and Bhutan signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a period of five years to facilitate exchange of knowledge and experience, information, material, expertise and technical knowhow, training of personnel and development of human resources in electoral matters and also for taking up joint initiatives and providing assistance to others. 2. The Chief Election Commissioner of India offered to create a SAARC Resource Centre at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management for preserving and nurturing election related documentation in relation to SAARC countries. 3. Bhutan has agreed to train Indias newly inducted officers through the IIDEM platform.

30. Out of the following substances placed on the 2012 Monitoring Program of the World Anti-Doping Agency, which are in the stimulants category? 1. Pipradrol 2. Glucocorticosteroids 3. Hydrocodone 4. Tramadol Choose the correct answer: (a) 1 Only (c) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1 and 2 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

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31. As part of measures to make cities and towns more socially and environmentally sustainable, a working group of experts headed by Joint Secretary in the Ministry in charge of Urban Transport S.K. Lohia, and set up by the Ministry for Urban development, has come out with a strong call to: 1. Decrease the excise duty at the national level. 2. Increase the registration costs at the State and city-levels for dieselpropelled private vehicles. 3. Put ban on hoardings on pedestrian walkways. 4. Increase the taxes on buses and

II. Removing the existing bottlenecks in the form of bureaucratic delays. III. Promoting schemes like take-out financing and special purpose vehicles. IV. Using a part of sovereign wealth fund to finance infrastructure.

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Questions@IP other public transport vehicles. Select the correct answers: (a) 1, 2 and 3 (c) 2 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4 (d) 1 and 4

Vol.1 Issue 3 December 2011 36. PSLV-C18 has put four satellites in orbitMegha-Tropiques, SRM Sat, Jugnu and VesselSat. VesselSat belongs to which country? (a) Holland (b) Belgium (c) Germany (d) Luxemburg 37. Match the 2011 Nobel Prize winners with their respective streams: Nobel Laureate A. Bruce A. Beutler, Jules A. Hoffmann and Ralph M. Steinman B. Saul Perlmutter, Brian Schmidt and Adam Riess C. Thomas Sargent and Christopher Sims Category A. Biological Sciences B. Chemical Sciences C. Mathematical Sciences D. Medical Sciences Scientist 1. Dr K. N. Balaji 2. Dr Balasubramanian Sundaram 3. Dr Palash Sarkar 4. Dr. Rajan Sankaranarayanan Codes: A (a) 1 (b) 1 (c) 4 (d) 4 B 2 3 3 2 C 3 2 2 3 D 4 4 1 1

32. India has recently successfully testfired Shourya from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur on the Orissa coast. Which of the following statements about Shourya are correct? 1. It is a hypersonic missile. 2. It is the land-variant of Indias K-15 missile. 3. It was designed and developed by the Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. (BEML). 4. It can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads. Codes: (a) 1, 2 and 3 (c) 1, 2 and 4 (b) 2, 3 and 4 (d) 1, 3 and 4

D. Daniel Shechtman Stream 1. Physiology or Medicine 2. Physics 3. Chemistry 4. Economics Codes: A (a) 1 (b) 2 (c) 2 (d) 1 B 2 1 1 2 C 3 3 4 4 D 4 4 3 3

33. Recently the National Stock Exchange (NSE) introduced rupee denominated derivatives trading in which two exchanges? (a) S & P 500 and London Stock Exchange (LSE)

40. Foreigners, excluding citizens from two countries, visiting India on valid visa will not to take special permit to travel to Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland from Jan 2011. The two countries whose citizens are excluded are. (a) Bangladesh, Myanmar (b) Bhutan, China (c) Pakistan, China (d) Malaysia, Indonesia 41. Which of these has become the first district in country where the postmen will distribute the postal stuffs through green vehicles which will run by solar energy? (a) Ajmer (c) Jaipur (b) Bikaner (d) Udaipur

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(b) Dow Jones and LSE (c) S & P 500 and Dow Jones (d) Hangsheng and Nikkei 34. Consider the following statements: 1. China is to launch its first unmanned space module, Tiangong-1 which will be carried by the CZ-F2 rocket. 2. After the United States, Russia and France, China is only the fourth nation to independently launch humans to orbit. Correct option is: (a) Only 1 is correct. (b) Only 2 is correct. (c) Both are correct. (d) Both are wrong. 35. Three new districts have been carved out in Uttar Pradesh in 2011. Which of the following belong to that list? 1. Garhmukteshwar 2. Prabuddhanagar 3. Panchsheel Nagar 4. Bhimnagar Codes: (a) 1, 2 and 3 (c) 1, 3 and 4 (b) 1, 2 and 4 (d) 2, 3 and 4

38. Which of the following statements are true regarding the proposed National Policy on Electronics, 2011? 1. The draft policy sets out to achieve a turnover of about USD 500 Billion by 2020. 2. It aims at ensuring employment to around 40 million in the sector by 2020. 3. The policy proposes to upscale human resource creation to 2500 PhDs annually by 2020 in the sector. 4. It proposes to set up of a National Electronics Mission to advance the implementation of various programmes in this policy. Codes: (a) 1 and 2 (c) 1, 2 and 4 (b) 3 and 4 (d) 1, 2 and 3

42. Which of these northeastern states has launched a special campaign, the Rapid action Total Literacy Campaign (RATLC), to make the fate fully literate by March next year? (a) Mizoram (b) Tripura (c) Assam (d) Manipur 43. India has been increasingly Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the ASEAN member countries. In this context consider the following arguments against FTAs. I. It is leading to increasing trade diversion on account of less complementarities between India and the ASEAN.

39. Match the following scientists with the category in which they received Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology for 2011:

II. It is resulting in the loss of domestic livelihoods on account of resulting inverted duty structure.

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Questions@IP III. It is leading to dismantling multitrade literalism as envisioned by the WTO. Which is/are correct? (a) I and II (c) II and III above. (b) I and III (d) All of the

1. Balaji Ghat, Varanasi 2. The Royal Opera House, Mumbai 3. Safdarjung museum, Hyderabad 4. Juhu Beach, Mumbai Codes: (a) 1 Only (c) 1, 2 and 3 Hurricane/ Cyclone Country A. Hurricane Jova B. Typhoon NESAT C. Typhoon Roke D. Hurricane Donna Codes: A (a) 1 (b) 1 (c) 4 (d) 4 2 3 3 2 B 3 2 2 3 C 4 4 1 1 D (b) 1 and 2 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 A f f e c t e d 1. Cuba 2. Japan 3. China 4. Mexico

Vol.1 Issue 3 December 2011 worlds first commercial space transportation company. Which of the above is/are correct? (a) 1 Only (b) 2 Only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 49. Shakti-11, an Indo-French joint military exercise, aimed at enhancing combat skills, promoting mutual understanding and inter-operability between the two armies, took place at: (a) Ranikhet (c) Mhow (b) Jorhat (d) Bhopal

44. Three Indian-American scientists figured among the 12 scientists named by U.S. President Barack Obama for the countrys top awards in the field of scientific research and innovation-Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers. They are: 1. Srinivasa S.R. Varadhan 2. Rakesh Agrawal 3. B. Jayant Baliga 4. Kiran Seth Select the right alternative: (a) 1, 2 and 3 (c) 1, 3 and 4 (b) 1, 2 and 4 (d) 2, 3 and 4

47. Match the following:

50. The Australian government has cleared carbon tax bill. Which of the following statements regarding the Bill are correct? 1. The carbon tax aims to cut Australias emissions by 5% from year 2000 levels by the year 2020. 2. It aims to bring carbon emissions down 80% by 2025. 3. The tax will be effective from January 2012. 4. Agriculture is exempt from the carbon price. Codes: (a) 1 and 4 (c) 2, 3 and 4 (b) 2 and 3 (d) 1, 3 and 4

45. Sampriti II is a joint army exercise recently held between India and: (a) Sri Lanka (c) Myanmar (b) Bhutan (d) Bangladesh

48. Consider the following statements: 1. The spaceship, called VSS Enterprise, built by Virgin Galactic, is the worlds first manned commercial spacecraft. 2. Arianespace created by the European Space Agency is the

46. Which of the following sites have been recently included among the 100 most endangered heritage sites of the world by the World Monuments Fund?

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ANSWERS
1. (a) I and II 2. (b) Exp: Prof Shaheryar has been presented the Jnanpith Award for the year 2008 and Chandrashekara Kambara for the year 2009 3. (b) 4. (c) Exp: India will host next meeting. 5. (a) 6. (d) All of these Exp. Silk Road Sites in India is part of the Tentative List in order to qualify for inclusion in the World Heritage List. 7. (c) Uttar Pradesh 8. (c) Both 1 and 2 9. (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 10. (a) Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) 11. (c) I only 12. (a) 13. (b) Exp: ICFRE was established in 1986. 14. (d) 15. (b) I, II and IV 16. (b) II only 17. (c) Exp: She won Nobel Peace prize in 2004 18. (a) 19. (d) 20. (b) 21. (b) Bangalore 22. (a) Tamil nadu 23. (c) I and III 24. (d) All of the above 26. (b) 27. (d) 28. (a) Exp: India will provide training to Bhutans newly inducted electoral officers. 29. (c) Exp: PLO was awarded a permanent mission to the U.N. in 2001. 30. (a) Exp: Glucocorticosteroids form a different section while Hydrocodone and Tramadol are narcotics. 31. (c) Exp: Excise duty at the national level is to be increased. Taxes on buses and other public transport vehicles are to be cut down. 32. (c) Exp: It was designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). 25. (a) 33. (c) S & P 500 and Dow Jones 34. (a) Exp: After the United States and Russia, China is only the third nation to independently launch humans to orbit. 35. (d) 36. (d) 37. (d) 38. (b) Exp: The draft policy sets out to achieve a turnover of about USD 400 Billion by 2020 and it aims at ensuring employment to around 28 million in the sector by 2020. 39. (d) 40. (c) Pakistan, China 41. (a) Ajmer 42. (a) Mizoram 43. (a) I and II 44. (a) 45. (d) Exp: It was held at Sylhet. 46. (b) 47. (c) 48. (c) 49. (a) 50. (a) Exp: It aims to bring carbon emissions down 80% by 2050. The tax will be effective from July 2012.

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cSAt moDEl tESt PAPER

Directions for the following 5 (five) items: Read each of the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers to these items should be based on the passages only. Passage (Q. 1 -5 ) In a large country ridden with poverty, unemployment and disparities in income, reservation of government jobs and seats in educational institutions is an effective instrument for ensuring social justice. The Constitution provided for reservation in education and employment for the Scheduled Castes (Dalits) and the Scheduled Tribes in proportion to their share in the population. This provision was made as part of positive discrimination in view of the historical discrimination and social injustice faced by these sections. An amendment to the Constitution in the early years of its operation empowered the States to provide reservation for the educationally and socially backward classes in educational institutions and government service. The Janata Party government led by Morarji Desai appointed a commission headed by the parliamentarian Brindeshwari Prasad Mandal to identify the socially and educationally backward and consider their case for reservation. Although Mandal submitted his report as early as 1980, it gathered dust for nearly a decade. It was Prime Minister V.P. Singh who took the initiative in 1990 to implement the commissions recommendations, as promised by the ruling National Front during its election campaign. He announced in Delhi on December 6, just four days after he was sworn in as Prime Minister, that his government would implement the Mandal Commission recommendations and that both Hindu and non-Hindu Other Backward Classes, together accounting for 52 per cent of the population, would be given 27 per cent reservation. 1. Consider the following statements: (1) Social and economic disparities lead to reservation. (2) Reservation is very important to bring equality. Which of these statements is/are true? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 2. Consider the following statements: (1) Reservation rests on the social principles of Justice and Equality. (2) It is aimed at setting off the historical discrimination and deprivations faced by SCs and STs. Which of these statements is/are true? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 3. Which of the following statements is/are false? 1. Morarji Desai Government rejected Mandal commission report. 2. After 10 years of its submission, the recommendations were implemented by V.P. Singh. 3. The Mandal Commission was set up under A-340 of Constitution. 4. The implementation led to large scale agitation and furore in the country. Correct option is: (a) 2 and 4 (b) 1, 3 and 4 (c) 1 and 3 (d) 1 only 4. Positive discrimination refers to: (1) Policies that take factors including race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination. (2) It is same as concept of affirmative action in US. Correct option is: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 5. Reservation is important because (a) We need to give them what is rightfully theirs. (b) These people need to be recompensed for historical deprivation (c) It can help them come at par with other sections of the society (d) Of political reasons Directions (Questions 6 to 9): Read the following information carefully and answer the questions given below: (i) Jayant, Kamal, Namita, Asha and Tanmay are five members of a family. (ii) They have their birth dates from January to May, each member in one of these months. (iii) Each one likes one particular item for his/her birthday out of Bengali sweets, Chocolates, Pastries, Icecream and Dry fruits. (iv) The one who likes Pastries is born in the month which is exactly in middle of the months given. (v) Asha does not like ice-cream but brings Chocolates for Jayant in February. (vi) Tanmay who is fond of Bengali sweets is born in the next month immediately after Namita. (vii) Namita does not like Dry fruits or Ice-cream. What is the choice of Asha? (a) Pastries (b) Dry fruits (c) Bengali sweets (d) None of these Which combination of month and item is true for Jayant? (a) March-Pastries (b) February-Pastries (c) February-Ice cream (d) None of these What is the choice of Kamal? (a) Ice-cream (b) Bengali sweets (c) Dry fruits (d) None of these In which month was Kamal born? (a) January (b) May (c) January or May (d) None of these Gopal starts from his house towards West. After walking a distance of 30 metres, he turned towards right and walked 20 metres. He then turned left and moving a distance of 10 metres, turned to his left again and walked 40 metres. He now turns to the left and walks 5 metres. Finally he turns to his left. In which direction is he walking now? (a) North (b) South (c) East (d) West Anil wants to divide Rs.lOO into a number of bags so that one can ask for any amount between Rs. l and Rs. l00, he can give the proper amount by giving certain number

6. 7.

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8. 9. 10.

11.

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of these bags without taking out the amount from them. What is the minimum number of bags he will require if each bag has whole number of rupees? (a) 5 (b) 6 (c) 7 (d) 8 12. Three people A, B and C weigh themselves in a particular order. First A, B, C weigh themselves individually and then AB, BC, CA and ABC together respectively. The recorded weight for the last measure is 180 kgs. The average of the 7 measures is. (a) 320 kgs (b) 360/7 kgs (c) 720/7 kgs (d) Cannot be determined 13. In an examination 45% of the total number of candidates were under 15 years of age. Of these, 65% were boys and there were 441 girls. Find the total number of candidates. (a) 3000 (b)2800 (c) 2500 (d) 2400 14. A shopkeeper sells a microwave at a discount on its marked price of Rs.2500. But in a clearance sale he gives an additional discount of 20% thus selling it at Rs.1500. Find the first discount. (a) 20% (b) 25% (c) 12% (d) 30% 15. If no income-tax is charged on the first Rs. 2,000 of the income, how much does a man pay as income tax at 3 paise per rupee, if his total income is Rs. 5,000 (a) Rs. 150 (b) Rs. 90 (c) Rs. 9 (d) None of these 16. In a bag there are 50 paise coins, 25 paise coins and rupees coins, proportional to the number 3, 4 and 2 . If they amount to Rs. 210, find the number of rupee coins. (a) 42 (b) 105 (c) 83 (d) 157 Directions for the following 5 (five) items: Read each of the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers to these items should be based on the passages only. Passage (Q. 17- 21) INSECTS can be vociferous and cacophonic. They need to message each other just like any other life form on the earth. But their communication evokes different kinds of responses from humans. Acoustics is only one of the means of communication in

the insect world. Chemical, mechanical, tactile and visual through mimicry or by emitting lights are the other ways insects share information. In the human world, verbal communication is universal, with everything else being associate means. In the insect world, no one means of communication can be said to be universal or dominant, but the most prevalent, perhaps, is chemical. Of interest are the intriguing non-chemical ways of communication. In terms of structure and process, communication among insects is completely different from what humans are familiar with. There are many insects that produce sounds in bandwidths that are beyond the detecting capacity of the human ear an adaptation we should all be thankful for. Sounds or calls in the insect world are largely for the purpose of finding mates. When insects produce sounds repeatedly for certain periods of time, they are said to be singing. These nuptial calls, therefore, are persistent and loud. Structures for sound production and reception are quite interesting in the insect world. Sounds are produced in five different ways, and sound-producing and -receiving organs differ in different species. 17. Which of the following statement(s) is/are true? (1) Chemical communication is the most common in the insect world. (2) Most of the insects make sounds beyond human audible range. Correct option is: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 18. Which of the following statement(s) is/are true? (1) Different insects use different ways to produce sounds. (2) Insects like Katydids and Crickets use their forewings to produce sounds. Correct option is: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 19. Which of the following statement(s) is/are true? (1) Fireflies use light as a medium of communication. (2) Their light talk is carried on by varying the duration and

intensity of light signals. Correct option is: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 20. Which of the following statement(s) is/are not true? (1) For social insects like bees, ants and termites, chemical secretion and tactile communication are the most essential. (2) Butterflies use their colour as a tool to communicate or scare away their predators. Correct option is: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 21. Insects can communicate by (a) Touching (b)Dancing (c) Light emission (d) All of the above 22. Three bachelors, Amar, Akbar and Anthony rented a house for a year. But, Amar left after 4 months, Akbar stayed for 8 months and only Anthony stayed for the entire year. If the annual rent was Rs. 6000, find the share of Akbar. (a) Rs. 4000 (b) Rs. 2000 (c) Rs. 300 (d) Rs. 2500 23. 400 students took Sim CAT in Delhi. 60% of the boys and 80% of the girls cleared the cut off in the examination. If the total percentage of students qualifying is 65%, how many girls appeared in the examination? (a) 100 (b) 120 (c) 150 (d) 300 24. Nitin Kumar drives his car to his office at a speed of 60 kmph and returns along the same route at a sped of 80 kmph. His average speed for the entire round trip is: (a) 70 kmph (b) 68.6 kmph (c) 54.2 kmph (d) None of these 25. A grocer mixes 26 kg. of tea, which costs Rs. 36 per kg. He sells the mixture at Rs. 30 per kg. What is his gain percentage? (a) 2 (b) 5 (c) 6 (d) None of these 26. In a 100 mtr race A can give B a lead of 5 mtrs. In a 190 mtrs. Race, B can give C a lead of 10 mtrs. Find the lead given by A to C in a 200 mtr5s race (a) 25 (b) 15 (c) 18 (d) 20 Direction (for questions 27 and 28):

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Each question is followed by two statements, I and II. Answer each question using the following instructions: choose a; if the question can be answered by using one of the statements alone, but cannot be answered using the other statement alone. . choose b; if the question can be answered by using either of the statements alone. choose c; if the question can be answered by using both of the statements together, but cannot be answered using either of the statements alone. choose d; if the question cannot be answered even by using both 27. In an election how many votes are cast? I. The winning candidate gets 54% of the total votes. II. The winning candidate wins by 800 votes. 28. In a box of 20 pens, having an average cost of Rs. 22, what is the average cost of green pens? I. There are 9 red pens, having an average cost equal to the average cost of the pens in the box. II. Three are 8 blue pens having an average cost of Rs. 20. 29. There is a general concern being raised against the criminalisation of politics and use of muscle power during elections. In order to curb it:(a) A comprehensive electoral reform law should be made and hands of the Election commission should be strengthened. (b) There should be total ban on entry of people having criminal records. (c) Electorates should be educated enough so that they should not vote for candidates having criminal records. (d) Political parties should be requested that they should not grant tickets to people having criminal records. 30. A superintendent of police could not get promotion whereas entire batch got promoted. The concern officer was very upright and honest. Denial of promotion has demoralised him. His senior officers will (a) Allot him additional important responsibility signalling thereby

that he considers him better than anyone. (b) Take up his case with higher authorities an agitate that grave injustice has been done to him. (c) Call a meeting of the officials and praise him and convey to every one that his contribution should be remembered. (d) Console him that he should not get upset and denial of promotion should be taken in the right spirit. 31. A very high dignitary has come to a school on the occasion of Annual Sports Day. In his inaugural speech he will. .. (a) Call upon the students to develop sportsman spirit and spread the spirit in every sector of society. (b) Remind the students of the position India is occupying in the field of sports and improve the position substantially. (c) Make a call to young students to take sports in right spirit and make the country proud by winning the championship. (d) Impress upon the importance sports is occupying in modern days, and call upon to excel in different disciplines. 32. Coalition governments do not go well with good governance. Which of the following statements offers best support to this idea? (a) Coalition government means more problems in building consensus among the coalition partners and hence slower decisions. (b) Coalition government means timid, short term oriented, please-all, weak decisions rather than decisions based on overall long term interests of the people. (c) Coalition government means the public policy becoming hostage to the whims and fancies of one or more coalition partners. (d) Coalition government means the bureaucracy can take undue advantage of the fact that the minister is already pre-occupied with the job of building consensus, and seize the powers of crucial decision making.

33. The governments of the states or the union: afford to overlook the importance of social sector initiatives in the budgets because:(a) Social sector initiatives are synonymous to populist measures which ensure build-up of political power for the party in power (b) Social sector initiatives are like investments for the future, which any forward looking government cannot afford to ignore (c) Social sector initiatives help dilute of the anger of the people who might resort to extreme measures in form of revolutionary uprisings, in their absence (d) Social sector initiatives are important to bring party in the society. 34. There has been a bank dacoity where entire currency has been looted at gun point by criminals. The bank employees of the district town are demoralized because of the unfortunate incident. In order to restore confidence, the District Police chief will. ..... (a) Appeal to bank officials not to be demoralized and he will see that criminals are brought to justice within very short period. (b) Ask the bank officials to make foolproof security arrangements at the main gate where every outsider is screened properly. (c) Suggest the bank officials to have adequate insurance cover so that in case of any such incident, loss could be suitably compensated. (d) Announce that this is the question of his prestige and criminals will be caught and exemplary punishment will be provided in a very short time period. Directions for the following 6 (six) items: Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers to these items should be based on the passages only. Passage (Q. 35 - 40) Pakistan is a rare instance of being constantly wooed by the two most powerful countries in the world, the

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USA and China. And this very unique situation also colours Moscows policy toward Islamabad. Shortly after the assassination of Osama bin Laden, the Russian and Pakistani Presidents met and reiterated their resolve to continue to be in close collaboration with each other in combating the two menaces their countries were fighting, terrorism and drug trafficking. In several other ways, such as, regional energy projects like the supply of electricity from Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan and the TurkmenistanAfghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, the Russian Government has expressed its interest in seeing these fructify and offered its assistance. And where does the growing relevance of the Pakistani state leave India? To its infinite credit, the UPA-II Government has been steadfast in sticking to its timehonoured policy of cultivating better relations with Pakistan. At the same time, it has sought to pressure Islamabad increasingly to honour its commitments to curb terrorism and, specifically, to eradicate the anti-Indian jihadist outfits from its territory. We can choose our friends but not our neighbours, Indias current Defence Minister A.K. Antony was reported to have quipped in explaining Pakistans relevance for India. (In fact, the phrase he used was used on earlier occasions by several of his predecessors as also by various Prime Ministers.) And that about sums up India s Pakistan policy. However, there are still two other factors that doubly strengthen Pakistans relevance for the region and the world, its nuclear arsenal and Afghanistan. Like the USA and a host of other countries, India is immensely worried by the apparent expansion of Islamist militancy coupled with the continuing weakening of Pakistans state institutions, which also makes it most dangerous country in world. It might sound like a supreme irony but the fact is that it would go against Indias vital interests if the Pakistani military is eventually weakened unless, of course, the democratic institutions like the parliament, judiciary, elected government, and civil society are accorded their rightful place in a democracy. In such a scenario, a weakened and chastened military which

knows its place in a democracy would be an asset for Pakistan and no source of nuisance for its neighbours. Unfortunately, not even the most incorrigible optimist in Pakistan can dream of such a scenario at the present juncture. Almost every option being considered today to ensure an eventual success story in Afghanistan seeks to involve Pakistan, and therefore Islamabads response to them engages the immediate attention of the world. Pakistans continuing recalcitrance enormously worries the US because the Obama Administrations plan to begin a gradual withdrawal from Afghanistan cannot be undertaken without a fully responsible Pakistani participation in the post-withdrawal scenario. Similarly, India is reconciled to its realisation that Pakistan enjoys a special relationship with the Taliban, the very Islamist force that the US and its allies once sought to destroy and now plan to cultivate in order to forge a workable model of governance in Afghanistan so that they can get away without further collateral damage. To sum up, the weaker the Pakistani state grows, the stronger becomes its nuisance value, its capacity to facilitate infliction of mortal harm to its neighbours and to countries far and near. As the Indian Government and every other government that counts have emphasised time and again, an eventually failed Pakistani state would be a Frankenstein that the world can ill-afford and cannot allow to be a reality. 35. Why Pakistan enjoys such a strategic position? (a) because of geographic location (b) because of troubled history with India. (c) because it never had its own independent foreign policy (d) because Pakistan can easily be used by any country for its strategic purposes. 36. Why is Pakistan being wooed by Russia? (a) because Russia is interested in gaining a foot step into south Asia (b) because Pakistan is a important country to Russia

37.

38.

39.

40.

41.

(c) because Russia wants to counters American and Chinese influence there (d) all of the above What makes Pakistan one of the most dangerous country in world? (a) its nuclear arsenal (b) its terrorist outfits (c) a, b & d (d) its political instability Why is Afghanistan so important to Pakistans foreign policy (a) because Pakistan use it as a buffer territory (b) because Pakistan use the territory there to raise its terrorist groups (c) because Afghanistan is the hub of Al - qaida and thus of premier importance (d) because of lucrative opium trade What is most favorable scenario for India in Pakistan? (a) strong democratic institutions and civil society (b) economic development in Pakistan (c) weak military (d) all of the above What is the chief risk involved with USAs withdrawal from Afghanistan? (a) Re-emergence of Taliban (b) Pakistan will once again gain foothold in territory (c) Afghanistan may witness a civil war and communal strife like 1980s once again (d) China may use that opportunity to gain foothold in Afghanistan A senior railway official has decided to find a way to reduce overcrowding in local trains on a particular route. As a part of this exercise, he should:(a) Study carefully the quantum and frequency of crowd and make some additional provisions of extra coach. (b) Allow the passengers to use the services of the regular trains on the route. (c) Make provisions of special trains on peak hours. (d) Plan for additional railway line for running the local trains and till then may take some temporary measures.

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42. A senior official of income tax department notices that collection of taxes in his jurisdiction is far from satisfactory. In order to increase the taxes substantially, he will. . (a) Try to increase tax base by bringing more people into the ambit. (b) Go strictly for collection of taxes and take some coercive action if necessary. (c) Increase the income tax share by making suitable laws. (d) Reduce the income tax slab and have more contact with the income tax payees. 43. A Municipal Corporation has to take some urgent steps for increase of property tax. The corporation should..... (a) Go for door to door verification of assessment and correct its demand. (b) Increase the property tax and realise demands by taking suitable action. (c) Allow the people to have self assessment on the basis of floor area and apply the standard practice in cases of violations. (d) Appoint an assessor and be vested with power of assessment for property tax. 44. A village market has to be made a viable commercial unit. The local Gram Panchayat will (a) Appoint a consultant who will prepare a project report on the basis of which tender will be invited. (b) Call a meeting of stakeholders, thereafter redesign the market using local technology and resources. (c) Make a copy of the village market of the adjoining Panchayat which is in profit. (d) Make a committee of three local traders, delegate the decision making authority to construct a new market complex. 45. A senior govt official has called an yearly review meeting of the field level functionaries. A junior officer has decided to bring into the notice of senior officer, the difficulty, the field level officials are facing. He

should (a) Bring into notice some of the genuine difficulties the field level functionaries are facing while discharging their duties. (b) Tell that it is very difficult to work in the field because here, one has to bring result. (c) Say that senior officers should frequently visit the field to experience the difficulties. (d) Request that field level functions deserve better facilities and resources. 46. There are 5 types of envelopes without stamps and 4 types of envelopes with stamps of the same value. In how many ways can we choose 2 envelopes one with stamps and another without stamp? (a) 9 (b) 20 (c) 25 (d) 16 47. In Final Year BSc., some students have taken Chemistry and Zoology. None who took Math have taken either Physics or Zoology. But some math students have taken both Physics and Chemistry, while some have taken zoology and Physics. There are some students who have taken all Zoology, Chemistry and Physics. Which one of the following diagram represents this? (a) (b) (c)

table so that no two women sit next to each other? (a) 120 (b) 480 (c) 24 (d) 2880 50. A civil officer is on tour to a remote village. People are making complaints against a village level functionary. The official should.. (a) Make the people understand that it is very difficult to serve in the rural area, and they should develop some tolerance. (b) Tell the people that he is going to take some measures that will ensure accountability in the said official. (c) Assure the villagers that he is going to take some strict actions against the official. (d) Ensure that the official be asked to be persecuted before the people and reprimanded. 51. Final score of a football match between Italy and France was 4-3 with Italy winning the game. In how many ways, these goals could have been scored. (a) 7 (b) 35 (c) 128 (d) 210 52. In the figure given below, CD =10, Ad = 6 and AB = 8. What is the length of BC?
D

(d) 48. A person invests Rs. 50 in the first month and increases his monthly investment by Rs. 30 every succeeding month. What will be the total investment at the end of 2 years? (a) Rs. 9480 (b) Rs 740 (c) Rs. 9120 (d) Rs. 8740 49. In how many ways can 5 men and 5 women be seated around a circular

(a) 1200 (b) 128 (c) 72 (d) This is not possible Directions for the following 8 (eight) items: Read each of the following two passages and answer the items that follow. Your answers to these items should be based on the passages only. Passage - 1 (Q. 53 - 56) The role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the countrys health care system is going to be too important in the future to be treated with any levity even as NGOs in other walks of public life are being deemed noisy and nosy to the discomfort of the governing dispensation. Be that as it may, the record of public health maintenance both by the public and private sector in the country

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has been none too satisfactory over the years. This is conceded by the Draft Approach to the 12th Five Year Plan of the Planning Commission when it gravely stated that though the percentage of total expenditure on health in India as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) was around five percent, there was a disproportionately high dependence on private, particularly households out of pocket expenditure. The reasons for this stem from a critical imbalance in the healthcare durably system which arose out of the shortcomings in the public sectors capacity to deliver basic health care. The private sector too was plagued by wide variations. At one end of the spectrum were private hospitals with world class facilities and personnel offering services, which were competitively priced compared to similar services overseas but remained beyond the capacity of most Indians. At the other end there was an unregulated private sector which was more affordable but offered services of varying quality often by ill-equipped or under- qualified practitioners. 53. NGOs are considered third important pillar of service because (1) They play a vital role in shaping and implementation of participatory democracy. (2) They work at grass root level (3) They also help government bodies in policy making. Correct option is: (a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 (c) 1 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 54. Consider following statements: (1) NGOs are often perceived as interfering in government and administrative work. (2) They havent played their role satisfactorily over the years. Which of these statements is/are true? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 55. Which of the following statement(s) is/are true? (1) Public sector health care system suffers from budgetary constraints (2) The recompense differential between public and corporate hospitals leads to lack of qualified

professionals in public sector. Correct option is: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 56. Which of the following statement(s) is/are true? (1) Rapid commercialization of Private sector has led to it being beyond the pockets of most Indians. (2) NGOs can play an important role in bringing low cost and efficacious health care services. Correct option is: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 PASSAGE-2 ( 57-60) THE debate over the justness of capital punishment will continue as long as we have an unequal and dubious criminal justice system on our hands. This is not in the Indian context alone. The world over, and especially in the United States, the regimen of sending crime suspects to jail or to the gallows is viewed either as imperfect or heavily loaded against the poor and the otherwise underprivileged. We know in our own country how the whole drill is often manipulated by the rich and politically powerful. It is gratifying that there are now signs of change as a fallout of the remarkably proactive role of the Supreme Court. It is equally heartening that the lower judiciary has taken its cue from the highest court in the land and has struck terror in those who had, until the other day, thought they were above the law. The accelerated approach to hauling up those in high places for their alleged misdemeanor is, however, no guarantee that the criminal justice system will be totally rid soon of its inconsistencies, biases and corruption. This skepticism is one reason for outrage, particularly in the older and larger democracies such as India, whenever a criminal is sentenced to death. For instance, there is no doubt more than an ounce of politics in the demand for clemency for Rajiv Gandhi killers and Afzal Guru, the man who masterminded the December 2001 attack on Parliament. But beneath it there is the revulsion in many of us at the justification of the state taking the lives of those who themselves may have

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deliberately taken others lives. Civilized and enlightened individuals everywhere in the globe look upon judicial execution as the most heinous and barbaric practice that has no business to continue in the 21st century. 57. Death penalty is (a) Unjust and should be banned (b) Just penalty for atrocious crimes like child murders, serial killings etc. (c) It encourages culture of violence and violates human rights. (d) All of the above 58. Which of the following statement(s) is/are true? (1) Capital punishment is heavily biased against poor and deprived sections of the society. (2) Our criminal justice system is plagued by too many inconsistencies and loopholes (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 59. (1) The debate over the justness of capital punishment is unending and has no clear answers. (2) The demand for clemency in Afzal Guru and Rajiv Gandhis killers cases is based on this premise only. Which of the following statement(s) is/ are true? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 60. Which of the following statement(s) is/are not true? (1) Supreme Court has been increasingly playing a meaningful role in restoring peoples faith in the judicial system. (2) Currently only China, Iran, India, North Korea and US practice death penalty. (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 61. Sonalika goes 12 km towards North from a fixed point and then she goes 8 km towards South from there. In the end she goes 3 km towards East. How far and in what direction is she from her starting point? (a) 7 km East (b) 5 km West (c) 7 km West (d) 5 km North-East

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62. You and a co-worker are working on a complex project that demands a great deal of effort from both of you. Your co-worker is frequently absent as a result of burnout and stress due to his personal problems. You do not know much about the circumstances, nor have you known him for long. Your co-worker contributes very little to the project, and, as a result, you are putting in an excessive amount of overtime in order to keep the project moving ahead. You feel that your health may begin to suffer if you continue to work as many hours. The MOST EFFECTIVE response to this situation would be: (a) Raise the issue with your manager and request additional help to ensure that the project is completed as per schedule. (b) Meet with your co-worker to request that he does his share of the work. (c) Continue to put in overtime to keep the project moving ahead. (d) Offer to help your co-worker deal with his personal problems. 63. We do not advertise, our product speaks for itself. Statement of manufacturer of two-wheeler BJA Ltd. Which of the following, if true, would support and strengthen this statement? I. The prices of BJA two-wheelers are on higher side. II. BJA has won award for Quality Control Systems. III. The BJA two-wheeler is sleeklooking and has good colours. IV. The salaries of BJA employees are better than government services. (a) Only (i) and (ii) (b) Only (ii) and (iii) (c) Only (iii) and (iv) (d) Only (i), (ii) and (iiii) 64. Three men rent a pasture for Rs. 660. The first man uses it for 50 sheep for 4 months, the 2nd man for 40 sheep for 3 months and the 3rd man for 46 sheep for 5 months. How much should the 1st man pay? (a) Rs. 220 (b) Rs. 235

(c) Rs. 240 (d) Rs. 276 65. A contractor undertook to do a piece of work in 9 days. He employed certain number of labourers but 12 of them being absent from the very first day, the rest could finish the work in 15 days. Find the number of men originally employed. (a) 30 (b) 15 (c) 13 (d) None of these 66. In a garden, there are 10 rows and 12 columns of mango trees. The distance between the 2 trees is 2 mtrs. and a distance of 1 mtr. is left from all sides of the boundary of the garden. The length of the garden is. (a) 20 mtr. (b) 22 (c)24 (d) 26 Directions for the following 6 (six) items: Read each of the following two passages and answer the items that follow. Your answers to these items should be based on the passages only. PASSAGE-1 ( 67-68) Why Mumbai again? This question has been asked repeatedly in the aftermath of the July 13 bomb explosions. If there has to be an answer to the question, it will be Why not? For anyone intent on creating chaos, Mumbai is a dream city. Its status as the commercial hub of the country, crush of people, extensive and widely used public transport system, and overwhelmed police force are all reasons why Mumbai has repeatedly been attacked. To a great extent, Mumbais strengths are turning out to be its vulnerabilities. According to the 2011 Census, the population of Mumbai is 12,478,447, but in 2010 the World Gazetteer extrapolated that Mumbai had a population of 13,830,884. That is a population density of about 20,482 persons per square kilometre. The police-citizen ratio is 1:300. For a city that has been attacked 14 times in 18 years this ratio certainly favours the terrorist. 67. Mumbai is repeatedly targeted because (1) It is the financial capital of the country (2) It has one of the worlds most congested and widely used transport system.

(3) Mumbaikars have always shown resilience in the face of terror attack. (4) Policing system of the city is very disorganized. (a) 1, 2 and 4 (b) 1 and 2 (c) 1,2,3,and 4 (d) 1 and 4 68. Which of the following statement is/ are correct? (1) Mumbais high density makes it an easy target for the terrorists. (2) Mumbais polices failings led to the recent blasts. Correct option is: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 PASSAGE-2 (69-72) The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the symbols of the United States of America. It is located in San Francisco, California and spans the Golden Gate strait. The bridge as it is today was designed by architects Irving and Gertrude Morrow. However their art deco project was not the first Golden Gate Bridge. The original plans for the bridge were drawn in 1916 which were very complicated and not something US could be proud of. The bridge was a true experiment in its time; such a long suspension bridge had never been tried before. It had the highest towers, the thickest cables and the largest underwater foundations ever built. The foundations were a real problem because they had to be cast in a depth of more than 100 feet. Extreme depth wasnt the sole problem. The real challenge lay in the sinking of the piers in the violent waves of the open sea. The construction began in 1933 and was finished in 1937, when the bridge was opened to pedestrians. It was open to motor vehicles a year later. 69. The Golden Gate Bridge (a) Spans the San Francisco Bay (b) Is the best known symbol of the United States (c) Spans the Golden Gate Strait (d) Is painted gold at each end 70. The first plans of the bridge (a) Were designed in 1916 but were too complicated (b) Were designed by Irving Morrow but were too complicated (c) Were something US could be

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proud of. (d) Were not designed in art deco style. 71. The construction of the foundations was very complicated because (a) It was thought to be almost impossible (b) The piers had to be sunk in the open sea through violent waves (c) They had to be largest ones ever built (d) The depth was too much 72. Which one is true? (a) The construction of the Golden Gate Bridge took four years (b) The bridge was opened to car traffic in 1939 (c) People were allowed to cross the bridge in 1939 (d) The construction of the bridge started exactly 17 years after the first plans were drawn. Directions (Q. 73 to 75) Read the following information to answer the given questions. I. P, Q, R, S, T and U are six family members.

II. There is one medico, one advocate, one engineer, one teacher, one student and one house wife. III. There are two married coupled in the family. IV. U, is an advocate , is father of P V. Q is a teacher and is mother of R VI. S is grand mother of R and is a house wife VII. T is a father of U and is a medico VIII. R is the brother of P 73. Which of the following statements is definitely true? (a) U is father of engineer (b) P is the engineer (c) T is the teacher (d) R is the brother of student 74. How many females members are there in the family? (a) 3 (b) 2 or 3 (c) 2 only (d) 3 or 4 75. How is P related is to S? (a) Either grand daughter or grand son (b) Grand mother (c) Grand son (d) Grand daughter Directions (Q. 76 to 78) Read the following information to answer

the given questions. Six persons are sitting in a circle. A facing B. B is to the right or E and left of C. C is to the left of D. F is to the right of A. Now, D exchanges his seat with F and E with B. 76. Who will be sitting to the left of D? (a) B (b) D (c) E (d) A 77. Who will be sitting to the left of D? (a) E (b) F (c) A (d) B 78. Who will be sitting opposite of A? (a) E (b) F (c) D (d) B 79. Between two book-ends in your study are displayed your five favourite puzzle books. If you decide to arrange the five books in every possible combination and moved just one book every minute, how long would it take you ? (a) 1 hr. (b) 2 hr. (c) 3 hr. (d) 4 hr. 80. 100 students appeared for two examinations, 60 passed the first, 50 passed the second and 30 passed both. The probability that a student selected at random has failed in both examinations is (a) 0.3 (b) 0.2 (c) 0.4 (d) 0.1

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1. (d) 6. (b) 2. (c) 7. (d) 3. (d) 8. (a) 4. (c) 5. (c) 9. (c) Exp : (I) Choice: Jayant likes Chocolates; Tanmay likes Bengali sweets. Namita does not like Dry fruits or Ice-cream. So, namita likes Pastries. Asha does not like Ice-cream. So, she is fond of Dry fruits. Finally, Kamal likes Icecream. (II) Date of Birth: The one who likes Pastries i.e., Namita is born in the middle of month given i.e. in March. Tanmay is born in next month after Namita i.e. in April. Jayants birthday is in February. a bag with Re.1. For 2 rupees he had two bags with Re.1 each or Rs.2 bag. To have minimum bags he has a bag with Rs.2. Now with the two bags he can give Rs.3. So next he will require a bag with Rs.4. With these three he can give Rs.5, Rs.6 and Rs.7 and next bag will be one containing Rs.8 and so on. Thus he would have bags with Re.I, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32. Sum of which is 63 and remaining 37 can be put in the last bag. So total number of bags is 7. 12. (c) Exp.: The order of measures is A, B, C, A + B + C + B + C, C + A, A + B + C. Given A + B + C = 180. Hence, average of the 7 measures = [{(A) + (B) + (C) + (A+B) + (B+C) + (C + A) + (A + B + C)]}/7, = 4/7 (A + B +C ) = 4/7 X 180 = 720 / 7 kgs. 13. (b) Exp.: 65% of the under 15 are boys. 35% of the under 15 are girls. 35% represents 441 girls. 100% is represented by 441 x100/33 =1260, 45% of the students is represented by 1260. 100% is 1260 x 100= 2800 , Total number of students is 2800. 14. (b)

10. (a) Exp.: The movement of Gopal are as shown in Figure from A to G. Clearly walking in the direction FG i.e., North. 11. (c) Exp.: If Anil has to give 1 rupee he needs

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15. (b) Exp.: Income tax to be paid on Rs. 3000 = 0.03 x 3000 = Rs. 90. 16. (b) Exp.: Let the number of 50p coins be 3x, number of 25 p coins be 4x and number of rupee coin be 2 x, 2 x +1/2 x 3x + x 4x = 210, 5/2 x + 3/2x + x = 210, 5 x = 210 x = 42 Number of rupee coins = 5/2 x 42 = 105 17. (a) 18. (c) 19. (c) 20. (d) 21. (d) 22. (b) Rate in which the rent is to be divided = 4 : 8 : 12, Akbars share of rent = 8/24 x 6000 = Rs. 2000 23. (a) Exp. Ratio = 3 : 1 Number of girls = 1/(3+1) x 400 = 100. 24. (b) Exp.: Average speed = 2x60x80/60+80 = 68.6 kmph. 25. (b) Exp.: Total CP = 26 x 20 + 30 x 36 = Rs. 1600, Total SP = 30 x 56 = Rs. 1680, Gain % = 80/1600 x 100 = 5. 26. (d) Exp.: when A runs 100 mtrs. B runs 95 mtrs. Whem B runs 190 mtrs. C runs 180 mtrs. According to the data given above, when A runs 200 mtrs. B runs 190 mtrs. And C runs 180 mtrs. so in a race of 200 mtrs. A gives C a lead of 20 mtrs.

Vol.1 Issue 3 December 2011 sufficient to answer 2. Cost of blue pens 8x20=160. Alone can not be answered.
Combining of 1 and 2 remaining 3 pens cost 440-198-160=82 Average of 3 pens=82/3=27.33, however we do not know whether all 3 of them are green. They mey also be of some other colours. 29. (a) Exp.: Election Commission is helpless in absence of a law that could help it to discipline the political parties in not fielding criminals. In fact, Second Administrative Reforms Commission has recommended for such a law. 30. (a) Exp.: Assigning additional responsibility motivates a person and raises his stature substantially. 31. (c) Exp.: Development of sportsman spirit is essential but the outcome is winning the matches. 32. (c) Exp: Option (a) and (b) are talking about decisions and decisions are taken visa-vis public policy. Option (d) talks about the usurping role of the bureaucracy which again is undesirable only because its detrimental effects over public policy which happens since the political executive is busy in cajoling its coalition partners. 33. (b) Exp.: All the given alternatives have some degree of truth in them, however the most important reason which makes sense and appears to be at the foundation of social sector initiatives is given by B. D directly describes the purpose of social sector initiatives, however the purpose of striking parity in the society is to take it forward. 34. (a) Exp.: It is unbecoming for a police chief to make anything prestige issue and talk of punishment. 35. (a) 36. (c) 37. (c) 38. (a) 39. (d) 40. (a) 41. (d) 42. (a) 43. (c) 44. (b) 45. (a) 46. (b) Exp. : Number of selections = 5C1 x 4C1 = 5 x 4 = 20. 47. (a) 48. (a) Exp. : a = 50, d = 30, n = 12 x 2 = 24 \ Sn = n/2 = n/2 [2a + (n-1)d] = 24/2 [2 x 50 + (24 -1) 30] =12 [100 + 690] = Rs. 9480. 49. (d) Exp.: Keeping one of the men in a fixed position the rest can be arranged in 4! Ways and the five women can be arranged in 5! Ways. Total number of ways = 4! X 5! = 2880. 50. (b) Exp : This is a very common problem faced by a senior officers upon which his approach should be very balanced. 51. (b) Exp.: (b) Let the 4 goals of Italy be denoted by I,I,I,I and 3 goals of France by F,F,F. These can be arranged in 7!/4!x3! = 35 ways. 52. (b) 56. (c) 60. (b) 53. (d) 57. (d) 61. (d) 54. (a) 58. (c) 62. (a) 55. (c) 59. (a) 63. (b)

64. (c) Exp.: The ratio of the share of their expences =(50x4) : (40x3) : (46x5) =200 : 120 : 230 =20 : 12 : 23 Therefore share of the 1st = 20/22 x 660 = Rs. 240 65. (a) Exp.: Men X X-12 X/X-12 = 15/9 9X = 15X-180 therefore X=30 men 66. (b) Exp.: length= 20 +2 mtrs.= 22 67. (b) 68. (a) 69. (c) 70. (a) 71. (b) 72. (a) 73. (a) Either P or R is engineer, So U is the father of engineer 74. (b) As sex of P is not known so there can be 2 or 3 female members 75. (a) is either granddaughter or grandson of S 76. (d) 77. (a) 78. (a) 79. (b) Exp. 5! = 120, 2 hrs. 80. (b) Exp. Total passed students 30+30+20 = 80, Failed students 100-80 = 20, 0.2 Days 9 15

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27. (d) Exp. We do not know how many votes did the winning candidate get. We only know the percentage of votes the candidates got. Thus, statements 1 is not sufficient We do not know what % of votes the winning candidate and the candidates at the second position got. On combining both 1 & 2, we cannot say for sure that the second candidate got 46% of the total votes, as more than two candidates can be present. Thus, both statements together are also not sufficient. 28. (d) Exp. Total cost= 22x20=440,

1. Cost of red pens 9x22=198. Not

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