Weekly 03 June To 09 June 2013

WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS BULLETIN
03RD JUNE 2013 TO 09TH JUNE 2013
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CHRONICLE IAS ACADEMY GS MAINS UPGRADATION PROGRAMME A SOLUTION TO 1250 MARKS
NATIONAL
The Agricultural Biosecurity Bill 2013 The Agricultural Biosecurity Bill 2013 is a Bill to provide for establishment of an Authority for prevention, control, eradication and management of pests and diseases of plants and animals and unwanted organisms for ensuring agricultural biosecurity and to meet international obligations of India for facilitating imports and exports of plants, plant products, animals, animal products, aquatic organisms and regulation of agriculturally important micro organisms and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. The salient features of the Bill are: a) integration of plant and quarantine services; b) establishment of an Authority for prevention, control, eradication and management of pests and diseases of plants and animals and unwanted organisms for ensuring agricultural biosecurity; c) to meet international obligations or India for facilitating imports and exports of plants, plant products, animals, animal products, aquatic organisms and regulation of agriculturally important micro-organisms; d) prevention and control of pest infestation or infection, including declaration of an area as "controlled area" for this purpose and measures for control of such infestation or infection; e) provision for infection, taking samples, entry and search of premises, checking of conveyances to ensure compliance of phytosanitary and sanitary measures and also seizure, treatment and disposal of plants, animals and their products to prevent spread of pests by designated officers; f) declaration of biosecurity emergency in case of outbreak of organisms threatening biosecurity and actions and procedures to deal with it; g) Removal of plant, animals, their products and other objects imported in violation of the provisions of the proposed legislation. Extension of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana to other occupational groups rikshaw pullers, rag pickers, mine workers, sanitation workers and auto rickshaw drivers and taxi drivers. The total financial implications for extension of RSBY to rikshaw pullers, rag pickers, mine workers, sanitation workers and auto rickshaw drivers and taxi drivers, would be around Rs.210 crore approximately for the year 2013-14 and Rs.419.89 crore from the year 2014-15 onwards. The exact amount will be determined on the basis of persons identified and registered under these categories during each preceding year and actual premium rates. The projected benefit would facilitates health insurance cover to rickshaw pullers, rag pickers, mine workers, sanitation workers and auto rickshaw drivers and taxi drivers. RSBY is being implemented in 28 States/Union Territories and more than 3.44 crore smart cards have been issued as on 31st March, 2013. The target for the year 2013-14 is to cover 3.60 crore Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The Ministry of Labour and Employment is implementing the health insurance scheme, RSBY, which provides for smart card based cashless health insurance cover of Rs.30, 000 per annum to BPL families (a unit of five persons) in the unorganized sector. The scheme became operational w.e.f. 1.4.2008. During the course of implementation, RSBY has been extended to street vendors, beedi workers, domestic workers, building and other construction workers, and MGNREGA workers, who have worked more than 15 days during the previous year. Restructuring of Multi-sectoral Development Programme approved
The Union Cabinet has approved the extension of the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) to
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MsDP, an area development programme, is a Centrally Sponsored flagship scheme launched in the 2008-09 in the 90 identified Minority Concentrations Districts falling in 20 States/UTs. The programme aims to address development deficit in Minority Concentrations Districts by creating socio-economic infrastructure and providing basic amenities.
Weekly Current Affairs 03rd June to 09th June, 2013
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Minority Affairs for restructuring and its implementation of the Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) during 12th Five Year Plan according to the following modifications: a) The unit of planning for implementation of MsDP has been changed to Block, instead of District at present to sharpen the focus on minorities. b) Further, the programme would be extended to cover other deserving areas like towns/cities also. The cluster of minority concentration villages would also be covered by the programme. c) Constitution of Block Level Committee would be constituted to ensure grass root planning and involvement of members of Panchayati Raj Institutions in a bigger way. The Block Level Committee, would prepare the plan for the Block, and also monitor the implementation of the programme at their level. d) Delegation of powers to approve projects to States to expedite the approval process. Total outlay of Rs. 5,775 crore has been allocated for this programme for the 12th Five Year Plan. The restructuring would sharpen the focus of the programme on minority concentration areas. Further, the programme would be expanded to other deserving areas including towns/cities. Thus the programme would be able to address development issues of the minorities in a more effective way. After restructuring, the MsDP would be implemented in 710 identified Minority Concentration Blocks (MCBs) and 66 towns/cities falling in 196 districts of 26 States/UTs of the country, against 90 Minority Concentrations Districts (MCDs) at present in 20 States. Thus, 6 more States namely Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tripura will also be covered. Also, 165 blocks and 66 towns/cities would come under the fold of this programme for the first time. In addition to these blocks and towns, it would be implemented in identified clusters of villages outside the MCBs which would be identified by State Governments. Government Sets-Up the National Skill Development Agency
Prime Minister's National Council on Skill Development (PMNCSD), the National Skill Development Coordination Board (NSDCB) and the Office of the Adviser to the PM on Skill Development. The NSDA will coordinate and harmonize the skill development efforts of the Government of India and the private sector to achieve the skilling targets of the 12th Plan and beyond. It will endeavour to bridge the social, regional, gender and economic divide by ensuring that the skilling needs of the disadvantaged and marginalized groups like SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities, women and differently-abled persons are taken care of through the various skill development programmes. While the Central Ministries and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) will continue to implement schemes in their remit, the NSDA will develop and monitor an overarching framework for skill development, anchor the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) and facilitate the setting-up of professional certifying bodies in addition to the existing ones. NSDA will be an autonomous body chaired by a person of the rank and status of a Cabinet Minister supported by a Director General and other support staff. National Ambulance Code Approved by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
Pursuant to the Union Cabinet approval, the Government has constituted the National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) by subsuming the
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In a major step towards improving the quality and safety of ambulances on Indian roads, National Ambulance Code AIS:125 (Automotive Industry Standard) recommended by Central Motor Vehicles Rules-Technical Standing Committee (CMVR-TSC) has been approved by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. This 'Code' puts in place minimum standards and guidelines regarding the constructional and functional requirements of road ambulances in India. Drafted in line with the global best practices in the field of ambulance design, the code has been suitably adapted to factor in the special requirements of the Indian sub-continent, including traffic conditions, need for economy and industry maturity. The National Ambulance Code classifies road ambulances into four types (A, B, C & D) that is First Responder, Patient Transport, Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support, respectively. The category of First Responder, which also includes two wheeled ambulances, has been specially introduced for the first time in India to
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Centre launches skill dev and job placement scheme
Centre launches skill development and job placement scheme 'Roshini' for rural youth and women in maoist affected 24 districts in 9 states. It will train and provide placements to 50,000 rural men and women, mostly tribals. At least 50 per cent of the beneficiaries will be women and special efforts will be made to proactively cover Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) on a priority basis. The scheme will be implemented through training partners from the private and public sectors as well as non-profit organisations. Beneficiaries aged between 18-35 years with requisite aptitude depending upon the trade or job requirements are to be selected as per the Participatory Identification of Poor. The new programme drew lessons from a similar scheme being implemented in two critical Left-wing Extremism affected districts West Singhbhum in Jharkhand and Sukma in Chhattisgarh and Himayat programme launched to address the needs and aspirations of the youth in Jammu and Kashmir. ASI revises national conservation policy
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has revised the century-old national conservation policy and presented a draft that it hopes would help
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cater to the need for providing prompt medical care in congested by-lanes and high traffic areas. Special care has been given to Care Ergonomics, Patient Safety, Oxygen System Design, Infection Control, Crash Rescue, etc. in the Code. Once implemented, this Code will ensure uniformity and standardization in ambulance design and a minimum level of patient care as per the ambulance designation when appropriately staffed and equipped. So far no guidelines were available for hospitals and other procuring agencies for floating tenders and for industry outlining required specifications. The Government would now consider bringing the Ambulance Code within the mandatory framework of Central Motor Vehicles Rules. Time frame for mandatory adoption of the Ambulance Code will be decided by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways in consultation with the manufacturers and other stakeholders. Meanwhile, the standard may be adopted by Government and other procurement agencies for procurement of ambulances on a voluntary basis.
protect more structures and take care of monuments better. The ASI, established in 1861, takes care of about 3,670 nationally important monuments. An estimated 75,000 monuments remain unprotected, and some notified by the ASI have gone "missing." Unregulated development activity around monuments, lack of public participation and poor visitor experience are major complaints about the present approach. Presented in the form of 15 articles, the draft policy tries to address these issues. It acknowledges the need to broadbase the definition of monuments to include industrial sites, cultural routes and rural heritage. If the policy finds fruition, the government would be compelled to estimate the carrying capacity of each monument in terms of the number of tourists it can accommodate and regulate visitors. It recognises different ways of conserving buildings, including retrofitting and reconstruction. There is an emphasis on making monuments accessible to the differently abled. Special modes of access will have to be built, and where that is not possible, special areas have to be created within or around a monument to provide maximum view. The policy requires that only ancillary structures, and not the main monument, be put for "sympathetic and compatible" reuse. It advises against reconstructing damaged sculptures and inscriptions, but permits reconstructing of geometric patterns and interiors of heritage structures. Communities that are traditionally associated with monuments would be encouraged to continue their "intrinsic relationship," in order to strengthen conservation efforts and improve community participation. Political parties are under the RTI Act: CIC
Setting a new bench mark in transparency in politics, the Central Information Commission (CIC) held political parties are answerable under the Right to Information Act. A Full Bench of the Commission comprising Chief Information Commissioner Satyananda Mishra and Information Commissioner M L Sharma and Annapurna Dixit held six parties--Congress, BJP, CPI-M, CPI, NCP and BSP--to whom RTI queries were directed, fulfill the criteria of being public authorities under the Right to Information Act. After the order of the full bench of CIC, the parties will be answerable to the citizens regarding their source of funding, how they spend money and choice of candidates for elections, among other issues.
The CIC has directed the parties to appoint Public Information Officers within six weeks to respond to RTI queries and adhere to all the legal provisions. The case relates to RTI queries from activist Subhash Agrawal and Anil Bairwal of Assosication of Democratic Reforms who had sought to know the finances of, voluntary financial contributions received by these six parties and the names and addresses of the donors besides other details which were refused as the political parties claimed they do not come under the RTI Act. During the hearing, association raised three principal points justifying his arguments that parties were under the RTI Act--indirect substantial financing by the central government, performance of public duty and Constitutional and legal provisions vesting them with rights and liabilities.
The Bill seeks to make it mandatory for developers to maintain a separate bank account for every project to ensure that money raised for a project is not diverted. It provides for a clear definition of carpet area and prohibits developers from selling houses or flats on the basis of ambiguous 'super area.' Developers will be barred from collecting money from buyers before receiving all permits to start construction. All clearances will have to be submitted to the regulator and displayed online before construction begins. The measure lays out strict provisions to deter builders or developers from putting misleading advertisements related to the projects by carrying photographs of an actual site. If a developer fails to comply with rules for the first time, he will attract a fine of up to 10 per cent of the project cost. A repeat offence can land him in jail. Developers will be required to keep aside 70 per cent or less of the buyer's funds in a separate account to ensure timely completion of projects. Buyers are entitled to full refund, with interest, in case of delay in the completion of projects. Registration of projects with the regulatory authority is a must. They will not be allowed to take more than 10 per cent in advance payment without a written agreement with buyers. The Bill also provides for setting up of a real estate appellate tribunal for adjudicating disputes. GOI cleared amendments the century-old Registration Act
Finally the Bench held the income tax exemptions granted to the parties and free air time given by All India Radio and Doordarshan at the time of elections also substantially contribute to indirect financing from the government therefore they are held to be public authorities under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act," the Bench ordered. They affect the lives of the citizens, directly or indirectly in every conceivable way and are continuously engaged in performing public duty. It is, therefore, important that they become accountable to public. On the third point of Constitutional provisions vesting political Parties with rights and liabilities, the CIC said political parties come into existence only after registering with the Election Commission which awards symbols under given legal provisions. ECI is vested with the superintendence, direction and control of elections under Article 324 of the Constitution. ECI is also vested with the authorities to suspend or withdraw recognition of a political party in certain contingencies. It said political parties can recommend disqualification of members of the House in certain contingencies under the Tenth Schedule. Thus the constitution/statutory powers of political parties bring them in the ambit of Section 2(h) of the RTI Act. Cabinet clears real estate bill
The Cabinet has cleared the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill that provides for the creation of a regulator for the sector and tighter norms for selling housing projects. The bill, once passed by Parliament, is expected to help protect buyers from erring developers and usher in an era of transparency.
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In a move that would benefit land owners, the Union Cabinet on Tuesday cleared the Rural Development Ministry's proposal to amend the century-old Registration Act to ensure greater accuracy in calculating land values. The amendment has been brought to the Registration Act, 1908 to "update and record" the market value of the land in the changed scenario so that farmers, whose land is acquired for various projects, get "real market value" under the proposed Land Acquisition Bill. The key feature of the proposed Land Bill is the greatly enhanced amount of compensation that is guaranteed to displaced families. However, to calculate this amount, the formula relies on the current market values in place -- the registered value. Registered values are notoriously opaque and often outdated. Furthermore, land titles are often subject to dispute because of the unprofessional and ad hoc way in which they are recorded.
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Thus these new amendments to the Registration Act will ensure greater accuracy in arriving at land values and in helping determine beneficiaries (through clear titles). The new measure proposes compulsory registration of power of attorney. This has been brought as the Registration Act, 1908 does not make it mandatory for registration of a power of
attorney and this has been exploited by individuals to transfer property without getting it registered. It has resulted in enormous loss to the state exchequer and has given rise to numerous disputes. The measure also proposes to define the term "lease" more comprehensively "so as to make leases for periods below one year (but above a specified amount) compulsory registrable".
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INTERNATIONAL
62 countries sign Arms Trade Treaty 62 countries have formally signed the landmark Arms Trade Treaty. The Obama administration played a critical role in pushing the treaty to adoption on April 2 and that support is needed for the treaty to have the impact to save lives worldwide." The treaty would prohibit states from transferring conventional weapons to countries when they know those weapons would be used to commit or facilitate genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes, such as to Syria. The concept of a global treaty to stop the flow of weapons to dictators, war lords, and gangs was first raised 20 years ago by Amnesty International campaigners and a handful of partners. The idea was initially met with skepticism, but as years went by and campaigners drew support from luminaries like Desmond Tutu and Oscar Arias, the idea gained wider acceptance. It was finally adopted at the U.N. General Assembly on April 2, by a vote of 156-3, with 22 abstentions. Roughly half a million people are killed every year with firearms - on battlefields and also by repressive regimes and criminal gangs. In addition, millions of civilians die trapped without food, water, or medical treatment in conflict zones fuelled by the illicit arms trade. The treaty asserts the principle - already enshrined in U.S. law - that governments have an obligation to weigh whether human rights will be violated before they ship weapons to another country. Countries from every region in the world signed the historic treaty at the first opportunity- including France U.K., Germany- three of the world's major arms exporters. The three nations which are against the treaty are Iran, North Korea, and Syria. The Arms Trade Treaty now requires ratification by fifty states before it enters into force. The Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe ruled that treating the two forms of partnership differently for tax purposes violates the country's guarantee of equal rights. Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right government has long resisted granting homosexual couples in civil unions the same tax benefits. Married couples in Germany are able to jointly declare their taxable incomes, which can significantly lower their overall tax burden especially when one partner has higher pay. The court ordered the government to retroactively amend the relevant laws dating back to 2001, when civil union status was first introduced. Bangladesh Hindu charitable endowments law given final approval
German court grants gay civil unions same tax benefits A German high court has granted homosexual civil unions the same tax benefits as heterosexual married couples, a victory for gay rights campaigners and a defeat for the government.
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The Sheikh Hasina Cabinet gave final approval to a draft law to ensure proper development and management of the "Devottar property" (Hindu Charitable Endowments) and make the transfer of those property, donated to Hindu places of worship, completely illegal. Once the law comes into effect all such properties will come under effective control and opportunities will be created for their development, bringing benefit for the members of the Hindu community. Till now, such properties are managed by committees constituted locally. The government would make a list of the properties of charitable endowment of the Hindu community with the constitution of a management board. A central board would be constituted to regulate management of the properties. The vicechairman of the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust would be the ex-officio chairman of the board while a new post of an administrator equivalent to the rank of a joint secretary would be created to run it. The administrator from the Hindu community would act as the member-secretary. The proposed law provides for fines upto Tk 5,000 or imprisonment for a year for irregularities in managing these endowed properties. But for misleading the Board with wrong information about these properties, the fines could be upto TK 50,000 or a year in prison.
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U.S. sanctions target Iran's currency
The Obama administration imposed new sanctions on Iran and its nuclear programme, targeting the country's currency and auto industry and seeking to render Iranian money useless outside the country. The U.S. Treasury has also identified and blacklisted what it called a "major network of front companies" serving Iran's leadership. The executive order from President Barack Obama has broadened a sanctions campaign aimed at crippling Iran's economy, to force it to comply with international demands that it prove its nuclear programme is peaceful. The sanctions apply to foreign financial institutions that buy or sell significant amounts of the rial, as well as to those who hold significant amounts of the currency in accounts outside Iran. The hope is that banks and businesses holding Iranian currency will dump the funds, making the rial weaker. Its value has dropped by half since the start of 2012. Another set of sanctions ban the sale or transfer of goods or services to be used in Iran's auto manufacturing sector. Officials said the auto sector is a key source of revenue for the regime. Many of the auto parts and components from subsidiaries are dual-use and can be used in centrifuges or missiles.
performance to increased susceptibility to infectious disease. While the adverse effects of premature birth on a child's survival and development are wellestablished, the study reveals new findings which show that children born too small for their gestational age - over a quarter (27 per cent) of births in low-and middle-income countries - are also at substantially increased risk of dying. Restricted growth in the womb, due to maternal under-nutrition, is estimated to be responsible for more than a quarter of all newborn deaths. Children born too small are considerably more likely to be stunted a year later, and are also at greater risk of some types of illness as adults. In addition to the enormous burden of illness and disease resulting from maternal and child undernutrition, changing diets and patterns of physical activity mean that obesity and overweight are now increasingly affecting many of the countries already suffering the adverse consequences of undernutrition, resulting in a 'double burden' of maternal and child disease and illness. The authors, led by Professor Robert Black, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA, performed a comprehensive new analysis of the different causes of maternal and childhood malnutrition to arrive at these conclusions. Studies were done on breastfeeding practices and deficiencies of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, zinc, iron and calcium. They also analysed the consequences of malnutrition, including stunting, wasting and underweight (low weight for age), all of which result in increased risk of death and illness for both pregnant women and children. Deficiencies of vitamin A and zinc result in deaths; deficiencies of iodine and iron, together with stunting, can contribute to children not reaching their developmental potential. Maternal undernutrition contributes to foetal growth restriction, which increases the risk of neonatal deaths and, for survivors, of stunting by 2 years of age. Suboptimum breastfeeding results in an increased risk for mortality in the first 2 years of life. Maternal overweight and obesity result in increased maternal morbidity and infant mortality. Childhood overweight is becoming an increasingly important contributor to adult obesity, diabetes, and
Also subject to penalties will be anyone who provides material support to Iranians and others who have been blacklisted under previous U.S. sanctions. An exception will be made for some activities related to a pipeline project to move natural gas from Azerbaijan to Europe and Turkey. Malnutrition causes 45 per cent of deaths of under-five children: report
According to the new research report published as part of The Lancet Series on maternal and child nutrition, malnutrition has been stated as the major reason for nearly 45 per cent of deaths in children under-five. i.e. around 3.1 million deaths in children under five annually. Results estimate that stunting (reduced growth) affected at least 165 million children worldwide in 2011 while at least 52 million children were affected by wasting (low weight for height), and 100 million children were underweight. Over 90 per cent of these were in Asia or Africa, with Africa the only major world region where the number of children with stunting increased. Undernutrition affects development of a child, with consequences ranging from poorer school
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non-communicable diseases. The high present and future disease burden caused by malnutrition in women of reproductive age, pregnancy, and children in the first 2 years of life should lead to interventions focused on these groups. The Lancet reports that undernutrition reduces a nation's economic advancement by at least eight per cent because of direct productivity losses, losses via poorer cognition and losses via reduced schooling. U.K. to pay 20 million for Mau Mau atrocity
World of Work Report 2013: ILO
According to the latest report of the International Labour Organization - Five years after the global financial crisis, the world employment situation remains uneven with emerging and developing economies recovering much faster than most advanced countries. Income inequalities have increased in advanced economies over the past two years, against the backdrop of increasing global unemployment predicted to rise from the current 200 million to nearly 208 million by 2015. Over 30 million jobs are still needed to return employment to the pre-crisis levels, while an additional 16.7 million positions are needed for the young people who will reach working age this year. This is a particular challenge for the numerous college graduates. Young people and women almost globally find it difficult to find jobs that match their skills and aspirations. Some advanced economies managed to recover some of the jobs lost as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea, with positive signs of recovery also in Japan and the United States. But Europe, in contrast, still faces significant challenges to its labour marked and its social outlook continues to deteriorate. However the majority of emerging and developing economies have posted positive employment gains over the past three years. In addition, they have managed to reduce income inequalities somewhat - albeit from relatively high levels. The result is a growing middle-income group, with particularly encouraging progress in some Latin American and Caribbean countries, as well as in parts of Asia and some sub Saharan countries. Further in the world's richest countries, investments fell from 21.6 per cent of gross domestic product in 2007 to just 18.5 per cent of GDP last year. At the same time, cash-holdings by companies in these countries grew from 11.8 per cent of total assets in 2008 to 12.4 per cent in 2011. And at a global level, publicly listed companies increased their cash holdings from USD 2.3 trillion in 2000 to USD 5.2 trillion in 2008 to USD 6.5 trillion in 2011. In parallel, "executive compensation has returned to, and in some cases exceeded prerecession levels. In Germany and Hong Kong, average chief executive pay among the largest firms for instance swelled 25 per cent from 2007 to 2011, pushing
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It has also acknowledged for the first time that Kenyans were "subject to torture, and other forms of ill-treatment at the hands of the colonial administration", and apologised for the abuses. According to the government 5,228 victims would receive 19.9 million but Britain was not legally liable for the actions of the local colonial administration. Egypt court rules upper house of parliament elected illegally
In a major setback to Egypt's ruling Islamists, the country's apex court has struck down two laws as unconstitutional - by which upper house of Parliament and the Constituent Assembly which drafted the first post-revolution Constitution will be declared illegal. The Supreme Constitutional Court also ruled that the Shura Council i.e. upper house of the Parliament would not be dissolved until a new parliament is elected. As a result of the ruling, the Shura Council will be dissolved after a new House of Representatives or the lower house of parliament is elected. The court also ruled that the emergency law, that gives many powers to President Mohamed Mursi, is not constitutional as well. The rulings are the latest in a series of challenges between the government and Egypt's judiciary. Last year, the same court ruled to dissolve the lower house, a move that led to the upper house (Shura council) legislating in their absence. The upper house, widely regarded as a consultative body, was elected on a seven-percent turnout last year.
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Britain is to pay 20 million in compensation to Kenyans tortured by its colonial forces for alleged role in the Mau Mau rebellion in the 1950s and 1960s opening the door for similar payouts to victims of the "raj".
the salaries of Germany's top bosses for instance from 150 to 190 times that of the average worker. In the United States, meanwhile, the top CEO's earned 508 times the wages of the average American worker in 2011. Risk of unrest also increased among Central and South-Eastern European (non-EU) and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, as well as those in South Asia. In the Middle East and North Africa the risk of social unrest peaked in 2008 and has remained elevated compares with the pres-crisis period. Meanwhile, the risk of social unrest declined in Sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific. Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in particular experienced a relatively swift recovery from the global crisis, in large part due to the combination of expansionary fiscal policies and the increase in commodity prices, according to the report. Countries like Brazil, mentioned earlier, Costa Rica, India were able to utilize productive investment, minimum wages and social protection to consolidate economic progress and reduce poverty and inequality.
given their growing food demand, potential for production expansion and comparative advantages in many global markets. However, production shortfalls, price volatility and trade disruption remain a threat to global food security. The report high;ighted the situation of China. According to it, China, with one-fifth of the world's population, high income growth and a rapidly expanding agri-food sector, will have a major influence on world markets. China is projected to remain self-sufficient in the main food crops, although output is anticipated to slow in the next decade due to land, water and rural labour constraints. While China's production has expanded and food security has improved, resource and environmental issues need more attention. Growth in livestock production could also face a number of challenges. Situation of Developing countries Driven by growing populations, higher incomes, urbanization and changing diets, consumption of the main agricultural commodities will increase most rapidly in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, followed by Latin America and other Asian economies. The share of global production from developing countries will continue to increase as investment in their agricultural sectors narrows the productivity gap with advanced economies. Developing countries, for example, are expected to account for 80 percent of the growth in global meat production and capture much of the trade growth over the next 10 years. They will account for the majority of world exports of coarse grains, rice, oilseeds, vegetable oil, sugar, beef, poultry and fish by 2022. To capture a share of these economic benefits, governments will need to invest in their agricultural sectors to encourage innovation, increase productivity and improve integration in global value chains. Agricultural policies need to address the inherent volatility of commodity markets with improved tools for risk management while ensuring the sustainable use of land and water resources and reducing food loss and waste.
The ILO urges countries to adopt a more sustainable approach to fiscal consolidation, to pay more attention to the employment and social impact of different macroeconomic policies. OECD - FAO Agricultural Outlook 2013-2022
According to the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2013-2022 Global agricultural production is expected to grow 1.5% a year on average over the coming decade, compared with annual growth of 2.1% between 2003 and 2012. Limited expansion of agricultural land, rising production costs, growing resource constraints and increasing environmental pressures are the main factors behind the trend. But the report argues that farm commodity supply should keep pace with global demand.
The report expects prices to remain above historical averages over the medium term for both crop and livestock products due to a combination of slower production growth and stronger demand, including for biofuels. The report argued that agriculture has been turned into an increasingly market-driven sector, as opposed to policy-driven as it was in the past, thus offering developing countries important investment opportunities and economic benefits,
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China, Vietnam setup naval hotline to ease South China Sea tensions
China and Vietnam have agreed to set up a Hotline between their navies amid escalating maritime tensions over the disputed South China Sea islands.
China currently has hotline facilities with India, the US, South Korea and Japan. The hotline between India and China is established between the Prime Ministers of the two sides. The move came at time when the two countries experienced tensions over the disputed islands in South China Sea over which China has already started exercising its control with heavy deployment of its maritime vessels. Recently Vietnam has
complained that one of its boats was driven away by Chinese naval vessels, which Beijing denied. Vietnam along with Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan has serious disputes with China over South China Sea. According to the analysts said the move signals a stronger will for communication and cooperation between the two neighbours, whose ties have been strained by maritime disputes.
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ECONOMY
A Standing Council of Experts Constituted to Assess the International Competitiveness of the Indian Financial Sector In accordance with the announcement made by the Union Finance Minister Shri P.Chidambaram in his Budget Speech 2013, a Standing Council of Experts is constituted by the Government in the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance with a view to assess the international competitiveness of the Indian financial sector. The Council will be headed by the Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, and Ministry of Finance. d) To examine possibilities for and suggest reform measures aimed at enhancing transparency, promoting development of and strengthening governance in the Indian capital markets / financial sector while ensuring that risks are contained and investor interests are protected; e) To deliberate and advise on any other matter related to the above objectives that may be referred to it with the approval of the Chairperson. The Government would have the right to reconstitute / discontinue the Council at any time, without any notice or attribution of any reasons. IMG constituted for Amritsar - Delhi Kolkata Industrial Corridor
The Council will examine various pecuniary and non-pecuniary transaction costs/ burden of doing business in the Indian market and make recommendations for enhancing its competitiveness. The Council composition: shall have the following
a. Secretary, Department of Economic AffairsChairperson b. Chief Economic Adviser (CEA)- Member and Alternate Chair c. Joint Secretary (Capital Markets), DEA: Convener - Member Secretary to the Council.
The terms of reference of the Council are:
a) To analyze the international competitiveness of the Indian financial sector;
b) To comprehensively examine various pecuniary and non-pecuniary costs of doing business through Indian capital / financial markets, like transactions costs including brokerage fee, applicable tax rates, documentation requirements etc. vis-a-vis other competing destinations, and make recommendations aimed at achieving competitiveness; c) To examine related policy / operating frameworks and the performance of various segments of Indian capital / financial markets and make recommendations aimed at improving their competitiveness and efficiency, as also the completeness of these markets in terms of fully meeting client needs as per global standards through provision of requisite services and financial instruments;
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In order to give a boost to industrial development in the densely populated states of Northern India, the Prime Minister has approved the commencement of preparatory work on creating an Amritsar - Delhi - Kolkata Industrial Corridor. The Amritsar - Kolkata Industrial Corridor is patterned on the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). The DMIC uses the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor as the backbone and is one of the most significant developments taking place in the sphere of industrialization. The DMIC has financial support from the Japanese Government and is expected to attract large investments leading to rapid industrial growth in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Maharashtra through the development of new cities, industrial zones, and world-class infrastructure. In a similar manner, the Amritsar - Delhi Kolkata Industrial Corridor will use the Eastern dedicated Freight Corridor as the backbone. The Eastern DFC extends from Ludhiana in Punjab to Dankuni near Kolkata. Therefore, the Amritsar Delhi - Kolkata Industrial Corridor will be structured around the Eastern DFC and also the Highway system that exists on this route. It will also leverage the Inland Waterway System being developed along National Waterway - 1 which extends from Allahabad to Haldia.
In order to do the preparatory work for setting up an Amritsar - Delhi - Kolkata Industrial Corridor, the Prime Minister has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Group.
This Inter Ministerial Group will examine the feasibility of setting up the Amritsar - Delhi Kolkata Industrial Corridor along with the structural and financing arrangements that would be required to operationalise it at the earliest. The IMG will give its report within a month. DIPP comes out with group company definition
In a bid to check foreign whole-sellers from selling more than 25 per cent of goods to affiliated firms, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) came out with the definition of 'group company', similar to the one in the foreign trade policy. According to the DIPP "two or more enterprises, which directly or indirectly are in a position to exercise 26 per cent or more voting rights in the other enterprise, and can appoint more than 50 per cent of members of the board of directors in the other enterprise," will be termed as group company. The DIPP said the decision would take immediate effect. U.S. retail giant Walmart and its Indian cashand-carry partner Bharti Enterprises had sought clarity from DIPP after questions were raised over the amount of sales of their joint venture - 50:50 Bharti-Walmart - to Bharti Retail, a wholly-owned arm of the Indian firm. As per a rule introduced in 2010, the DIPP had restricted cash-and-carry companies from selling more than 25 per cent goods to 'group companies'
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The Amritsar - Delhi - Kolkata Industrial Corridor will cover the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. This is one of the most densely populated regions in the world and houses about 40% of India`s population. This is a region which needs a major push for industrialization and jobcreation and the Amritsar - Delhi - Kolkata Industrial Corridor will act as a catalyst for this growth. The corridor will cover the cities of Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Ambala, Saharanpur, Delhi, Roorkee, Moradabad, Bareilly, Aligarh, Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Hazaribagh, Dhanbad, Asansol, Durgapur and Kolkata.
in an attempt to prevent foreign firms from indirectly selling in domestic multi-brand retail outlets as FDI was not permitted in the segment then. The rule had said trade should not exceed 25 per cent of the total turnover of the wholesale venture and the wholesale made to the group firms should be for their internal use only. RBI directed banks to Periodically Audit Documents of Credits of 5 Crore and Above
In order to contain frauds, RBI has directed banks to periodically audit and re-verify documents of all credit exposures of Rs 5 crore and above till the loan is fully repaid. Banks are presently required to put in place a system of concurrent auditors to look into and report genuineness of the documents especially of large value loans. It said banks, on quarterly intervals, may give information of such audit, how many accounts covered, list of deficiencies observed by auditors, steps taken to rectify the deficiencies. Besides, they should also report about number of accounts in which rectification could take place, course of action to safeguard the interest of bank in such cases as well as action taken on issues pending from earlier quarters. Finance Ministry asked Indian Bank Association to set up Oversight Mechanism
To restrict the use of loan restructuring mechanism only to deserving cases, the Finance Ministry has asked bankers to have an independent oversight committee that will vet the corporate debt restructuring (CDR) applications. The committee will consist of an expert from the legal field, investigative agencies and finance professional. It will not have any government representative or any serving banker. The proposal comes amidst allegations of banks using CDR mechanism - under which the repayment tenor of a loan is delayed - to take care of a borrower's temporary needs in times of stress. CDR cases have more than doubled in the past fiscal and are set to increase further this fiscal year. According to the CDR cell, as on March 31, 2013, loans worth Rs.2,29,013 crore, or 401 companies' loans, were restructured, which is more than double the amount from FY12. Last week, the RBI had increased provisioning for the recast loans massively and also made loan recasts tougher by increasing promoters' contribution.
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Under the new rules, from June 1, banks must set aside provisioning for 5 per cent of the value of a loan that is newly restructured, from 2 per cent previously. Further loans classified as sub-standard would attract a provision of 15 per cent, against the current 10 per cent. For unsecured loans classified
as sub-standard assets, an additional 10 per cent provision would have to be made over the current 15 per cent. Thus, total provisioning for sub-standard unsecured loans would now be 25 per cent, against 20 per cent earlier.
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INDIA AND THE WORLD

MOU Signed Between CCI and ACCC Competition Commission of India (CCI) and Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation at Canberra, Australia. The MOU provides for sharing information on significant developments in competition policy and enforcement developments in the respective jurisdictions. It is recognized that it may be in common interest of both the parties to work together in technical cooperation activities as well as cooperate in appropriate cases, consistent with the respective enforcement interests, legal constraints, and available resources. It is planned to evaluate the effectiveness of the cooperation under the Memorandum on a regular basis to ensure that the expectations and needs are being met. MOU is expected to further strengthen existing cooperation between CCI and ACCC. India and Singapore signed agreement on military training to discuss shared strategic and security interests, including maritime security and bilateral defence cooperation. The two Ministers exchanged ideas concerning regional and international security as well as defence cooperation and exchanges between Australia and India. During the meet India and Australia have agreed to hold a joint Naval exercise in 2015 to raise their defence cooperation initiatives to a higher level and strengthen their strategic partnership.. Both sides acknowledged that maritime security and freedom of navigation in accordance with principles of international law is critical for the growth and prosperity of the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean regions. They agreed to continue consultations and cooperation on issues concerning the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions both bilaterally and multilaterally, including through the East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC). The Ministers noted both countries are already cooperating through the IONS, which Australia will Chair next year, along with hosting the IONS Conclave of Chiefs in Perth in March 2014, and the IOR-ARC of which India is currently Chair and Australia the next Chair. Both sides recalled the contributions made by the Indian and ANZAC forces during the Gallipoli campaign and agreed to commemorate their contributions by launching a publication during the Gallipoli Centenary celebrations in 2015. Further the Ministers agreed that efforts to promote cooperation between the defence establishments should continue. In this regard, both Ministers agreed to the following activities: I. to continue to have regular bilateral Defence Ministers' Meetings; II. to promote exchanges between the defence establishments and the Armed Forces of both sides, including through the regular conduct of the Defence Policy Dialogue, Armed Forces Staff Talks and professional military exchanges;
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India and Singapore has signed a fresh agreement to extend the use of training and exercise facilities in India by the Singapore Army for a further period of five years from August 2013. The agreement was signed by the Indian Defence Secretary Mr Radha Krishna Mathur and the Singaporean Permanent Secretary of Defence Mr Chiang Chie Foo in the presence of the Defence Ministers of the two countries, Mr AK Antony and Dr Ng Eng Hen. Bilateral agreements for utilization of facilities in India by the Singapore Air Force and Army were first signed in October 2007 and August 2008 respectively. The agreement for training and exercises of Singapore Air Force in India was extended up to October 2017 during the visit of Singapore's permanent secretary of defence to India in July last year. Singapore, a city state which has space constraints to train its armed forces, is the only country to which India has offered such facilities. India and Australia meet on defence issue
The Defence Minister Mr. A K Antony and the Australian Minister for Defence Mr. Stephen Smith
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III. to continue ongoing bilateral Naval exchanges to build confidence and familiarity between our Navies and work towards a bilateral maritime exercise in 2015; IV. to continue to cooperate in the Asia-Pacific region bilaterally and through various multilateral fora including the EAS, ARF and ADMM-Plus; V. to enhance Indian Ocean cooperation, including through the framework and priorities of the IONS and the IOR-ARC; and VI. to promote the sharing and exchange of professional knowledge and experiences through participation in training courses in each other's military training institutions. US exempts India from sanctions for Iranian oil
United States has exempted India and eight other countries China, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Taiwan from sanctions for importing oil from Iran under America's Iran Sanctions Act, noting that these countries have significantly reduced their dependence on Iranian oil in the last six months. Under a law passed in late 2011, the U.S. can sanction any firms that buy Iranian crude, but it can also grant exemptions from sanctions to countries which have made a "significant reduction" in imports from Iran. The U.S. hasn't defined what "significant reduction" means. In March, the U.S. gave exceptions to Japan and 10 European countries, and now gave exceptions, good for six months, to nine others that have reduced or eliminated Iranian imports. Since the oil sanctions were introduced, Iran's oil exports have fallen by more than one million barrels per day. That has roughly cut Iran's oil exports in half compared with 2011, when there were no sanctions, costing Tehran between $3 billion and $5 billion per month. United States and the international community is standing shoulder to shoulder in maintaining pressure on the Iranian regime until it fully addresses concerns about its nuclear program. India Offers Collaboration in Defence Production to Thailand
China has in the recent past used its naval ships and aircraft to intimidate neighbouring countries including Japan which are in dispute with Beijing over maritime rights. China has also increased presence of its maritime forces, including submarines and warships, in the Indian Ocean Region.
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Against the backdrop of growing Chinese assertion in the Asia-Pacific region, India has offered collaboration in Defence production to Thailand. Along with it both countries held discussions on a wide range of issues including regional security and peace and stability in Asia-Pacific. The development is significant as India and Australia had also decided to upgrade their Defence and maritime security cooperation particularly in the Asia-Pacific region and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), stressing that maritime security and freedom of navigation in accordance with international law was critical for growth and prosperity of the two regions. Defence Minister A K Antony is on a visit to three-nation tour to Singapore, Australia and Thailand. New Delhi is also looking to expand bilateral ties with Beijing. Antony will be visiting China in the last week of June to discuss de-escalatory mechanisms along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to prevent military face-offs. The visit will be an effort to ensure the fledgling bilateral military ties with China are stepped up with joint military exercises, defence exchanges and confidencebuilding measures along the unresolved LAC. The joint "Hand-in-Hand" counter-terrorism exercises between the Indian and Chinese armies, for instance, are all set to be resumed later this year after they got derailed with just the first two editions being held at Kunming in China in 2007 and Belgaum in 2008. India, Germany sign umbrella pact on energy, environment
Seeking to further strengthen bilateral ties, India and Germany has signed an umbrella agreement on financial and technical cooperation in the field of energy, environment and management of natural resources. The agreement was signed by German Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission Cord MeierKlodt and Joint Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs Rajesh Khullar. Germany has committed to support expansion of renewable energy in India with one billion euros. The Agreement on Financial and Technical Cooperation generally contains priority areas such as energy, environmental issues and management of natural resources. India and Germany had negotiated about 723 million euros worth projects in 2012 as part of a pact on development cooperation between them.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Pig disease virus detected in India for first time For the first time in Mizoram and perhaps in the country, virus of a pandemic disease which causes reproductive failure in breeding stock and respiratory tract illness in young pigs has been detected in the samples of sick swines sent to laboratories for testing. The samples of the sick swines were tested at the laboratories in the Veterinary College in Selesih, Mizoram and at ICAR Research Complex, Borapani in Meghalaya which detected the presence of 'artevirus', the virus that carries the disease porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRSS). According to the scientists the efficacy of the process for treating wastewater and producing biohydrogen in the 50 litre capacity reactor has already been demonstrated. Now the plan was to scale up the process for producing bio-hydrogen in a 10,000 litre capacity reactor. Once that was achieved, the ETPs could replace anaerobic reactors to produce the environmentally sustainable bio-hydrogen instead of methane. Currently, bio-methane was being produced by treatment plants of most distilleries and other industries. The sludge that gets generated in the process was being used as fertilizer. The volatile fatty acids produced along with hydrogen were used as a substrate for bio-plastics synthesis. The value-added bio-plastics at present were being produced at a lab scale. These bioplastics could replace to some extent synthetic plastics in future. During the process bio-electricity was also being produced from anaerobic bacterial metabolism using microbial fuel cell. The organic form of pollutants in waste water was a good substrate for bacterial growth. Significantly, besides generating bio-electricity, the waste treatment efficiency improved vastly through this method, especially with respect to toxicity, carbon and salts removal. Great Nicobar included in UNESCO world network
The PRRS has never been detected earlier in the state and the country but was prevalent in some Asian countries including neighbouring Myanmar with which the state shares 404-km-long border.
Tackling the full blown pandemic PRRS would be extremely tough as the vaccine was yet to be manufactured in India. Following the detection of the PRRS virus, the current ban on import of pigs from Myanmar would be in place for a longer time in the state, Sailo said. District Magistrates of Mizoram's districts adjoining Myanmar had issued prohibitory orders banning import of pigs. Bio-energy and bio-plastics produced by novel methods
In the quest for alternative, renewable and ecofriendly fuels, scientists have developed a novel method to produce bio-energy and value-added products through wastewater treatment. Senior scientist, Dr. S. Venkata Mohan and his group at IICT, Hyderabad have adopted a biorefinery approach and produced futuristic green fuels, bio-hydrogen and bio-electricity. In the process a value added product bio-plastics was also produced. The scientists have operated a 50-litre capacity reactor to produce bio-hydrogen and bio-plastics under a project funded by the Ministry of NonRenewable Energy. It aimed at treating water, producing energy as well as value-added products.
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The Great Nicobar Biosphere island reserve, whose tropical wet evergreen forest hosts a wealth of animal species and medicinal plants, joins a global list of places named by UNESCO for promoting sustainable development based on local community efforts and science. The International Coordinating Council of Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB-ICC) under the United Nations Organisation for Education, Science and Culture designated the 103,870 hectares Great Nicobar reserve as protected, in its meeting in Paris. The reserve which encompasses a large part of the island of Great Nicobar is home to indigenous Shompen people, semi-nomadic hunters living inland, and the Nicobarese, who are coastal
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dwellers dependent on fishing and horticulture. The 6,381 inhabitants of the region derive a wide variety of biological resources from their environment such as medicinal plants and other non-timber forest products. The bioreserve is home to 1,800 animal species, including 200 species of meiofauna in the coastal zone. Biosphere Reserves are sites chosen by the MAB program to experiment with different approaches to the management of terrestrial, marine and coastal resources as well as fresh water. They also serve as in situ laboratories for sustainable development. The designation is not binding under any law but is aimed at building and promoting a network of places where people are attempting to mesh human activity with biological and scenic assets.
Great Nicobar joins the reserves at Simplipal (Orissa), Nokrek (Meghalaya), Pachmarhi (Madhya
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Pradesh), Nilgiri (Tamil Nadu), the Gulf of Mannar (Tamil Nadu), Sunderban (West Bengal) Nanda Devi (Uttarakhand) and Achanakmar-Amarkantak (Madhyapradesh and Chhatisgarh) which are already on UNESCO's list. Among the other 11 global sites included in the new batch of UNESCO bioreserve is the reserve in Alakol Kazakhstan, which includes wetlands of world significance. It is an important Indian bird migration route, a water bird habitat and aggregation site. The other sites are Gochang (Republic of Korea) Macizo de Cajas (Ecuador), Marais Audomarois (France), Marinas Corunesas e Terras do Mandeo (Spain), Mont-Viso (France), Monteviso Area della Biosfera del Monviso (Italy), Real Sitio de San Ildefonso-El Espinar (Spain), Snake Island, Laotie Mountain, (China), Terres de l' Ebre, Catalonia (Spain), Ziarat Juniper Forest (Pakistan) and OrdesaVinamala (Spain).
2 - MARKERS
8th Telecom Centre of Excellence (TCOE) set up in India India got its 8th Telecom Centre of Excellence with RailTel Corrporation signing an MoU with IIT Roorkee for establishing RailTel IIT Roorkee Centre of Excellence in Telecom (RICET). RailTel shall fund the TCOE through 100% budgetary support over 5 year period for doing Research & Development in the field of 'ICT & Broadband Applications'. of nearby areas who are mostly nomads and rear pashmina goats. This region is extremely cold and dry and therefore, it is a challenge to promote stable agriculture there. The KVK will seek to improve fodder production, provide health care to the roaming animals, introduce vegetable production under protected environment and impart training to women on animal care, etc. ONGC to maintain cleanliness at tourist destinations
RailTel Corporation, which is a Mini Ratna (Category I) PSU of the Ministry of Railways, is one of the largest telecom infrastructure providers in the country having country wide optic fiber network along Railway right of way. Already 7 TCOEs are working in the country established by all major Telecom operators in partnership with premier institutions like IITs & IIMs. Over 28 innovations and products have been developed in various fields of telecommunication by existing TCOEs which are available for commercial roll out. With the establishment of the 8th TCOE, north India also got its first TCOE in the region.
RICET will work upon R&D in the field of development of applications, services and technology in the domain of broadband & ICT for providing affordable services to the citizens with high network availability. This shall include in-house development of applications, customizing applications for specific use as per local requirements or through collaboration with national/international organizations and for promoting affordable broadband infrastructure in the country. Some of the probable areas for Broadband Applications and Innovations shall be Development of Vernacular Language Tools to convert content into local language; Development of Cloud based e-gov, e-agri, and other e-services etc. Highest Krishi Vigyan Kendra to be Opened at Nyoma, Leh
Nation's highest Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) will be set up at Nyoma, Leh district of Jammu & Kashmir at a height of about 14000 feet. The Nyoma Krishi Vigyan Kendra is likely to bring about substantial change in the lives of people
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The Tourism Ministry has roped in ONGC to maintain cleanliness and hygiene at six tourist destinations across the country, as part of its Clean India campaign. ONGC is adopting these six monuments as part of its corporate social responsibilities. According to the action plan finalised by the Ministry, ONGC will adopt six monuments - Taj Mahal at Agra, Ellora Caves and Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, Red Fort in Delhi, Golkonda Fort in Hyderabad and Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu. The 'Campaign Clean India' is aimed at undertaking sensitisation and action at field-level for bringing tourism destinations and their surroundings to an acceptable level of cleanliness and hygiene. It will be part of the government's strategy of the 12th Five-Year Plan for improving the quality of services and environs in and around tourist destinations across India. World Environment Day observed
World Environment Day ('WED') is celebrated every year on 5 June to raise global awareness of the need to take positive environmental action. The theme for this year's World Environment Day celebrations is Think.Eat.Save. Think.Eat.Save is an anti-food waste and food loss campaign that encourages people to reduce their foodprint. This year's campaign rallies to take collective decisions to reduce food waste, save money, minimise the environmental impact of food production and force food production processes to become more efficient. If food is wasted, it means
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that all the resources and inputs used in the production of all the food are also lost. In fact, the global food production occupies 25% of all habitable land and is responsible for 70% of fresh water consumption, 80% of deforestation, and 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. It is the largest single driver of biodiversity loss and land-use change. Making informed decision therefore means, for example, that one purposefully select foods that have less of an environmental impact, such as organic foods that do not use chemicals in the production process. World Oceans Day observed
President of Venezuela, was posthumously awarded the Journalism prize after a unanimous vote as he had given voice to "the oppressed of the world" and fought a "constant battle against media lies." Several international organizations, including Human Rights Watch and the Inter American Press Association, have stirred a debate in Venezuela, accusing the Chavez government of threatening the press freedom. The foundation jury comprised journalists and academics, seen as government supporters. First all-women Police Station opens in Arunachal
World Oceans Day was observed to honour oceans as an essential part of food security, health and survival of all life forms as well as to raise awareness about the current challenges faced by it. In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly decided that 8thJune would be devoted to oceans and will be designated as the 'World Oceans Day.' The theme for this year and 2014 is: Together we have the power to protect the ocean. Oceans not only power climate but these are a critical part of the biosphere we live in. This day marks respect for the world's oceans and celebrates its intrinsic value. However global pollution and overconsumption of marine life have resulted in the drastic decline of a majority of species. It is imperative for global citizens to realize the significance of these water bodies before irreparable damage is done. Oceans must be protected for future generations. The Ocean Project, in partnership with the World Ocean Network, has been promoting this day since 2003 with its network of over 1,600 organizations and others throughout the world. They work to create greater awareness of the crucial role that oceans play in our lives and the important ways in which people can help to preserve it. Janet Jackson chosen as New UNICEF campaigner
UNICEF has announced singer Janet Jackson as the new face of their campaign in a move to eliminate starvation in Africa. Jackson, in the hope of bringing about a change, has urged fans to contribute to the ongoing efforts to fight malnutrition in West and Central Africa's Sahel region. Huga Chavez awarded Venezuela journalism prize
Despite being accused of persecuting the press during his 14 year reign Hugo Chavez, former
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Tomas Brunegrd
The first all-women police station in Arunachal Pradesh has started functioning to specifically deal with crimes against women. The plan to set up the maiden all-women police station was mooted by the state government days after the Delhi gangrape incident and the proposal was approved by the state cabinet on 6th February. The cabinet had also approved for creation of separate cells in all 17 district headquarters as well as at the Police Headquarters here to tackle crimes against women. Devanand Sharma
A 37-year-old Indian-origin Australian diplomat has made history by becoming the country's youngest Ambassador after he was appointed Canberra's envoy to Israel. Devanand Sharma, popularly known as Dave Sharma, Australia's new envoy to Israel, is only the second Australian-Indian to be appointed Ambassador, the other being Peter Varghese who was Australia's Ambassador to India. Mr. Varghese was born in Kenya to Malayali parents. Mr. Devanand Sharma would replace Andrew Faulkner as the country's Ambassador to Israel in June.
Tomas Brunegrd, chairman of Sweden's Stampen Media Group, has been selected as the new president of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers. He was elected to a two-year term during WAN-IFRA's annual meetings here. He succeeds Jacob Mathew of the Kerala-based Malayala Manorama.
Mr. Brunegrd (50) has been a member of WAN-IFRA's Board since 2003 and chairman of its Press Freedom and Media Development Board. His goals include developing a global innovation hub for the industry; increasing cooperation with media industry stakeholders, including advertisers, broadcasters, and digital players; developing the organisation's services in growing markets; and strengthening its role in Europe and North America.
WAN-IFRA, based in Paris, France, and Darmstadt, Germany, with subsidiaries in Singapore and India, is the global organization of the world's newspapers and news publishers. It represents more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries. Its core mission is to defend and promote press freedom, quality journalism and editorial integrity and the development of prosperous businesses.
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EDITORIALS
Change the climate for India's poor New Delhi should stop its flip-flops and adopt a coherent policy in its negotiations on greenhouse gas emissions If the great Scott Fitzgerald were to have walked into the grand plenary hall of the Durban climate conference in 2011 to announce once again, "show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy," all fingers would have pointed to the tiny Indian contingent in the room. There, Fitzgerald would have caught a glimpse of the feisty Jayanthi Natarajan, Union Minister for Environment and Forests, holding the fort against attempts by developed countries to impose binding emission cuts on the global South. The "greatest tragedy of all time," Ms Natarajan would herself acknowledge, would be for negotiators to abandon the principles of equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR). Two years later, this tragedy is imminent - only India's heroism remains. The first signs of this tragic denouement were visible a few minutes after the Durban plenary closed. Negotiators from the European Union, the United States and the BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) countries simply huddled together and struck a deal to negotiate an international agreement with legal force on,inter alia, emission cuts by 2015. In this arrangement, known now as the 'Durban Platform,' equity and CBDR principles struggled to find relevance. India somehow claimed victory in helping resuscitate the Kyoto Protocol a treaty rendered worthless without its engagement with the world's largest carbon emitters, China and the U.S. Throw in a vacuous institution like the Green Climate Fund to save face, and India's message was clear: we will live to fight another day. That day is nowhere near the horizon. What is, though, is a perfect storm of international and domestic politics that threatens not only to produce an agreement which fails the imperative to tackle climate change, but also derail India's core concerns in the process. 'U.S. INTRANSIGENCE' The news from Bonn, where U.N. climate negotiators met last month to flesh out details of the 2015 agreement, is not reassuring. The U.S.
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has proposed a mechanism by which countries define their own "contribution" to emission cuts. Once such contributions have been agreed upon nationally, a peer review mechanism could be put in place for monitoring and compliance. The U.S. submission, which Washington claims is driven by 'realistic' expectations, is nothing new. In fact, the narrative of "contributions" takes two steps backward from the language of "commitments" that the Durban platform recognises. Even within this minimalist framework, the U.S. has audaciously called for an agreement that lends "flexibility" to countries to "update their contributions." What is worrisome, however, is the international community's surprisingly warm reaction to the U.S. proposal this time round. To some extent, this was inevitable. Negotiators in Bonn were well aware that the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide had neared a staggering 400 parts per million (ppm); a week after their meeting, this threshold was crossed. If the Association of Small Island States (AOSIS), whose very existence hinges on the outcome of these negotiations, had already thrown in the towel for the sake of an(y) agreement, the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) too have joined the chorus. As Sebastian Duyck, an analyst and blogger at the 'Adopt a Negotiator Project', observes: "negotiators of many countries have begun to consider how to accommodate U.S. intransigence." The U.S.'s "bottom-up" proposal, which emphasises national autonomy over multilaterally negotiated commitments, comes too little and too late to achieve any measurable progress in setting the climate clock backwards. The jury is still out on the fate of equity and CBDR principles - what India refers to as 'nonnegotiables.' Over the next two weeks, as negotiators who have returned to Bonn discuss contentious issues relating to reduction targets and technology transfer, differences between the BASIC group and developed countries will be thrown into sharp relief. That said, the European Union's position, which takes off from the Durban consensus, has evolved to be more accommodative. In its submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's Ad Hoc Working Group, the EU calls for
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a 'spectrum of commitments' that is fair and equitable to countries at different levels of growth. Its bottom line is, however, clear: commitments should be comprehensive and legally binding. 'SOVEREIGNTY' CARD India is reluctant to accept either a bottom-up or a top-down model - the former, we have rightly argued, offers little to address climate change. Yet, while discussing the issue of binding commitments, we have stubbornly held up the 'sovereignty' card, saying it is for none to dictate what India should do to mitigate carbon emissions. This is a fair contention, but New Delhi has set no qualitative or quantitative parameters for the equitable distribution it would take to agree on a legal framework. Taken in sum, the U.S. and EU proposals - along with India's established position - set the stage for a head-on collision in Paris two years from now, the result of which has only been too frequently visible at previous Conferences of the Parties (COPs). The emerging strategic framework between India and the U.S. is also likely to prove decisive in future climate change talks. The Obama administration could present a possible deal on shale gas exports to India as a carrot in return for a flexible negotiating posture. Unlike the nuclear deal which served a largely symbolic purpose, shale gas exports - which India has sought desperately, given its rapidly depleting fossil fuel sources - are an effective bargaining chip. What lends credence to this theory is the U.S.'s recent courting of China (India's Man Friday and de facto negotiating partner at COPs) and Japan (which refused to extend its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol after 2012) on climate change. If the U.S.-China Joint Statement on Climate Change, issued during Secretary Kerry's visit to Beijing in April, is any indication, the U.S. is likely to work with major carbon emitters on a bilateral basis than go through the rigours of multilateral agenda-setting. After all, China, Japan and the U.S. have a mutual interest in seeing the Kyoto Protocol off. Arguably, the biggest obstacle that stands in India's way of articulating and achieving its goals at climate change talks is internal politics itself. Much has been said and written about India's lack of a 'coherent' negotiating strategy - there is little doubt that between the COPs at Copenhagen (2009) and Durban (2011), India did a volte face on the issue of emission cuts. That neither Jairam Ramesh, then Environment Minister, nor Ms Natarajan sought to 'tie' India to legally binding
commitments is moot. In 2009, we presented a radically different vision of equity - one that departed from the age-old claim that India has had historically low emissions per capita, and thus shouldered little responsibility vis-a-vis developed countries for the damage caused by greenhouse gases. By 2011, we reverted to square one, pretending that the stance at Copenhagen was a result of 'personality politics.' Without commenting on the merits of Mr. Ramesh's views, one must ask why India's climate change negotiations have lent themselves to internal turf battles between diplomats, bureaucrats and ministers. This question assumes importance as India prepares to elect a new government next year. Thus far, the United Progressive Alliance could have afforded not to institutionalise internal deliberations in India's climate diplomacy. Ultimately, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Union Cabinet were able to paper over differences between negotiators. Since 2007, when the Bali Roadmap was announced, the same handful of policymakers has decided India's negotiating strategy on an ad hoc basis. But the luxury of continuity is shortlived: it is far from certain whether the incumbent will remain in power after 2014. In particular, a fractured mandate, prone to federalist compulsions, can have serious consequences on India's emptyshell position on climate change. Two years stand between the Bonn Conference and COP 21 in Paris, where negotiators are expected to churn out a legal instrument. For now, India's stance runs contradictory to its desire to confront climate change. If our future per capita emissions are likely to be small compared to other industrial economies, of what use are voluntary 'green initiatives' without having major emitters on board? A new report by the International Displacement Monitoring Center has put a number on people displaced by climate-induced disasters in 2012. The tally reads thus: India 8.9 million, European Union 0. Yet India continues to press, almost unconscionably, for "incentives" to be part of a climate deal. We will be one of the worstaffected when the effects of global warming precipitate; our reactive climate diplomacy conveniently ignores this truth. New Delhi would do well to reassess its notion of equity, as other developing nations have rightfully done. When, in 2011, Ethiopia announced its intentions to be 'carbon neutral' by 2025, it effectively abandoned the premise that low emitters can forever point fingers at industrialised countries.
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Just as developed nations bear responsibility to assume more ambitious commitments, India should treat its differentially positioned population in equitable terms. The pernicious effects of climate change will be most acute among India's vulnerable sections. If the West owes a historic obligation to the rest in confronting climate change, so too does India towards its impoverished. Source: The Hindu Political Parties Are Answerable To The People
On the financial side, large tracts of land in Delhi have been allotted to various political parties either free of cost or at concessional rates; accommodation in Delhi has been provided to various political parties on a rental basis at concessional rates; political parties have been granted total tax exemption for all their income; the State has been indirectly financing the parties by way of free air-time during the elections and the recognized ones are issued copies of electoral rolls by the Election Commission, free of cost, at the time of elections. Therefore, the CIC has ruled thus: "In view of the above discussion, we hold that INC, BJP, CPI(M), CPI, NCP and BSP have been substantially financed by the Central Government under Section 2(h)(ii) of the RTI Act. The criticality of the role being played by these political parties in our democratic set-up and the nature of duties performed by them also point towards their public character, bringing them in the ambit of Section 2(h). The constitutional and legal provisions discussed also point towards their character as public authorities..The presidents, general secretaries of these political parties are hereby directed to designate CPIOs and the Appellate Authorities at their headquarters in six weeks' time. The CPIOs so appointed will respond to the RTI applications extracted in this order in four weeks' time. Besides, the presidents/general secretaries of the above-mentioned political parties are also directed to comply with the provisions of Section 4(1) (b) of the RTI Act by way of making voluntary disclosures on the subjects mentioned in the said clause." This set the wolf among the vultures, and the response has been fierce. Political parties have 'ganged up' against the order with the Congress leading the charge. The first response was from the PMO itself through V Narayanaswamy, Minister of State, who unwittingly let the cat out of the bag: "Our party is a private organization. RTI Act is not applicable to us". Later the party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi went for the jugular: "We totally disagree with it. Such an adventurist approach will create a lot of harm and damage to democratic institutions. Getting political parties entangled in such unnecessary things will damage the democratic process. We simply cannot accept it." The CPI-M's 'intellectuals' said they could not accept the order, which was based on a misconception of the role of political parties in a
Do we see a parallel with the Central Information Commission, political parties and the present scenario? Indeed, we should. More than the CIC's categorical order that political parties would come under the purview of the Right To Information Act, the Commission's contention that they are the 'building blocks of a constitutional democracy' seems to have upset them the most. Because obviously they are not. If they really are, they would not have made one whimper against the CIC ruling. Instead, the political cabal has gone to town mocking and screaming at the CIC.
The CIC's ruling is well-reasoned on general, legal and financial grounds. Under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, a political party can have a member of the House disqualified in certain circumstances; that a political party is required to be registered by the Election Commission of India (ECI) under the Representation of People Act, 1951; that under the Act, political parties are required to submit a report for each financial year to the Election Commission in respect of contributions received by it in excess of Rs 20,000; that the Election Commission allots symbols to various political parties; that it can suspend or withdraw recognition of a recognized political party in the event of violations; that political parties are mandated to file regular income-tax returns.
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IN the mid-Sixties there was a popular play titled Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf? a parody of the song "Who's Afraid of Big Bad Wolf?" from Walt Disney's The Three Little Pigs. The story revolves around two couples trying desperately to suppress certain truths, which to their consternation manage to come out leading to thunder and fury. In her writing, Virginia Woolf had attempted to expose the truth: all of the things that the couples in this play try to cover up. When the couples sing the song together, they make a mockery of their own fear of the truth and are attempting to project, a false image.
parliamentary democracy and could harm the integrity and role of parties in a democratic political system. What a warped and skewed discourse on people, political parties, democracy and integrity? The political philosopher, Harold Laski, who had famously said, 'the life of the democratic state is built upon the party system' would be turning in his grave! The BJP as usual is 'neither fish nor fowl'! The party, which initially welcomed the verdict, quickly did a 'course correction'. Its spokesperson, Nirmala Sitharaman, said: "We are finding that there is confusion about the overlapping role of the CIC and the EC. While the BJP wants political parties to be transparent and accountable, and is already responding to the poll panel's orders, the EC will have to clarify." She seems to have got it all wrong. The CIC order is about political parties being answerable to 'We, the People', not responding to Election Commission rules. The overlap that is being talked about is mere red herring!
And he/she has every right to know what his/her creatures ~ politicians and political parties ~ are doing with their vote, their money and in their name. The issue basically is ~ Should the truth about the arbitrary, autocratic and opaque functioning of political parties and leadership brought in the open and made accountable. A la Virginia Woolf, the CIC is for revealing the truth which the political coterie is desperately trying to suppress and cover up. When the Congress, BJP and CPI-M politicos mock the CIC, they are expressing their own fear of the truth and are attempting to project a false image. The CIC has made a path-breaking ruling that could open up many a can of worms and usher in real and transparent democracy. Indeed, the wheeler-dealers and carpetbaggers who masquerade as political masters have every reason to be afraid! Source: The Statesman
The CIC and political parties have raised and responded contrastingly to a critical issue directly related to the people ~ should political parties that run the government and control all levers of power be answerable to the people who are supreme in our constitutional scheme of things? While the CIC is on the side of the people, political parties are totally opposed. Yet, we lotus-eaters still believe that politicians represent the people! What a travesty. If only political parties and their spokespersons had learnt the elementary lessons of democracy, they would have known that it is a political form of government carried out either directly by the people or by means of elected representatives of the people fielded by political parties. The term comes from the Greek demokrata (rule of the people), which was coined from dmos (people) and krtos (power). Democracy, therefore, means 'rule by the people'. This is echoed in the Preamble of our Constitution, which is the charter of India's democratic governance ~ "We the people of India..do hereby adopt enact and give to ourselves this Constitution."
In a democracy there is a vital difference between the people and the politicians who represent them. People are not made by anybody, but a politician (MP or MLA) is made by the people. All the power, pomp and perks that go with the MLA, MP or Ministers are derived from the people. In a true democracy, the highest position is not the President or Prime Minister, but the humble citizen.
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Let's make business greener
Natural-resource based businesses should share benefits with all stakeholders. Water and biodiversity play a significant role in sustaining human life and ensuring welfare. They are essential for securing food, medicines, energy and building materials. Water and biodiversity are mutually dependent; one cannot be sustained without the other. Any impact on the water sector will affect biodiversity and vice versa. Biodiversity provides important services such as natural pest control, water recycling and climate regulation. Water and biodiversity play a vital role in sustaining and promoting business. In the manufacture of many products (such as food, medicines, fertilisers, pesticides, fibres, textiles, cosmetics) bio-resources play a significant role. Sometimes, water itself is an input in industries such as textiles, leather, paper and pulp, and sugar. IMPACT ON BUSINESS Every business depends on water and biodiversity, and also impacts on them. On an average, agriculture accounts for 70 per cent of the water withdrawals. After agriculture, the major users of water are industries and energy (20 per cent of total withdrawal), and the domestic and urban (10 per cent of total withdrawal) sectors. Industrial water uses include processing of raw materials, cooling,
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cleaning, and as central ingredients in the goods produced. Sometimes water is required to use industrial products, such as cement. In the domestic sector too, water plays an important role in businesses such as desalination plants and packaged water supply. Biodiversity refers to the variety of plants, animals and micro-organisms, and the ecosystems in which they occur, and is inherently valuable to humanity. Crops, livestock, forest products and fish are part of biodiversity and are also sources of food. A wide variety of plants, animals and fungi are used for manufacturing medicines and over 60 per cent of the world's population depends on plant medicines for their primary health care. At present, many chemical formulae and about 45 per cent of drugs are based on biodiversity. According to a study, over 70 per cent of the promising anti-cancer drugs come from plants in the tropical rainforests. It is estimated that of the 2,50,000 known plant species, only 5,000 have been researched for possible medical applications. Therefore, there is huge scope for identifying more drugs from nature. Industrial products such as oils, lubricants, perfumes, dyes, paper, wax, rubber, latex, resins, poisons and cork are derived from various plant species. Animals origin products include wool, silk, fur, leather, lubricants and wax. In farming, biopest control and application of bio-fertilisers are environment friendly methods, and are growing industries.
Nowadays various animals are nurtured privately for display and as pets. Ornamental fish culture is a booming business. Biodiversity hotspots (nature reserves, parks and forests with wildlife and plants) are tourist centres, attracting millions of people. Eco-tourism is a growing outdoor recreational activity and business. EMERGING CHALLENGES Population growth and changing life-styles demand more food, energy and other consumer products that encourage mega irrigation, hydropower projects and industrial establishments.
Urban growth and industrial development have pushed cities to look increasingly farther for water and other resources they need. The modifications to water-related development (dams, irrigation schemes, urban extension, aquaculture) are at the cost of biodiversity. According to a recent study, the biodiversity (number of species) in freshwater has declined by
[26]
half since 1970. For developmental activities, biodiversity hotspots such as forests, wetlands, mangroves and coral reefs have been considerably encroached upon. Further, the pollution load discharged into the ecosystem has also multiplied, and in certain locations is beyond nature's carrying capacity. Ecosystem change has accelerated in many areas vulnerable to water-related activities. Further, climate change factors are significantly influenced by water availability and the health of the biodiversity. The huge business potential of water and biodiversity naturally leads to their market possibilities. About 13 per cent (884 million) of the world's population still relies on impoverished sources for drinking water, and 2.4 billion people are still without access to basic sanitation. Therefore, trade-offs among various water users are important. MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES The future of business depends on the sustainability of water and bio-resources. Globally, the per capita availability of freshwater is steadily decreasing and the trend will continue as the world's population grows, emerging economies increase their consumption levels, and climate change prevails. For the global economy, if it needs to carry on expanding at the same pace, the worldwide annual water consumption will rise from 4,500 km{+3} today to 6,900 km{+3} in 2030, that is 40 per cent more than the current supply. The same pressure can be anticipated in biological resources too. Some steps are proposed for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of water and biodiversity, from the business perspective. The "access and benefit sharing" objective of the Convention on Biological Diversity should be operationalised. This would enable local communities (who use their traditional knowledge and efforts in managing water and biodiversity) to obtain a fair and equitable share from the overall benefits of resources-based businesses. The benefit-sharing principle will act as an incentive to local communities for conservation and sustainable use of resources. In this regard, the industries' cooperation is essential. For the conservation and management of water and biodiversity, corporate responsibility is crucial, along with the role played by government departments. They can come up with innovative strategies that can be implemented with stakeholders' participation to minimise water use,
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maximise recycling and sustain natural processes, including the management of biodiversity and the ecosystem. Public-private partnership programmes in water supply, sanitation, and waste-water treatment have ample scope for entrepreneurs to take the lead with a focus on biodiversity. GIFTS OF NATURE Decisions on issues such as the conversion of ecologically sensitive areas for developmental purposes including wetlands and marshes are often taken considering the benefits of the project rather than the overall impact on the ecosystem. In this regard, the economic value of non-marketed goods and services of ecosystem/biodiversity is critical for effective policy decision-making. If we follow these 'Green Business' principles, our water and biodiversity will be protected and we can achieve 'Green Economy' based growth in the country. Source: Business Line
on who might represent the country. In a very lucky year Antony might agree, with great reluctance, to fetch up in Singapore. More often than not, it is the junior minister in the MoD who is dispatched; sometimes it is the National Security Adviser, Shivshankar Menon. This year, Admiral D.K. Joshi, the Chief of Naval Staff, was the top Indian delegate to the SLD. Representation at less than the cabinet level, however, is a protocol handicap when it comes to speaking slots and meetings on the margins of the conference. At this year's SLD, there was no Indian speaker in the prestigious plenary sessions. DEFENCE DIPLOMACY Antony, the minister, might be excused for not seeing the salience of India's defence diplomacy. But shouldn't the MoD bureaucrats be tendering professional advice rather than pandering to the minister's predilections? Why is it so hard for the MoD to decide on sending a substantive delegation led by the defence minister every year to the Shangri-La Dialogue, and touch base with all the Asian security establishments that are so eagerly seeking engagement with India? Our foreign office can get the prime minister to sign up high-sounding declarations on the Look East policy and proclaim "strategic partnerships" with ASEAN nations. But when our southeast Asian interlocutors turn to the MoD for follow-up, they run into a brick wall. In track-two interactions, ASEAN policymakers vent their frustration in dealing with the MoD - at the bilateral as well as the multilateral level. Many bilateral agreements with ASEAN countries on defence cooperation are languishing because of the MoD's inability to implement them. Worse still, the MoD is also very suspicious that our armed forces are keen to develop deeper interaction with Asian militaries and the MEA, which recognises defence diplomacy as a new quiver in its armoury. At a time when China and the United States have dramatically stepped up their defence diplomacy in Asia, the MoD seems out for lunch and a siesta. At the SLD last week, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel invited all the ASEAN defence ministers for an interaction in Hawaii next year. China's People's Liberation Army has been engaging the ASEAN defence establishments, collectively, for many years. No one expects the MoD's current leadership both political and bureaucratic - to take bold new
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Missing Shangri-La
"Eighty per cent of success," Woody Allen famously said, is just "showing up". India's longest serving defence minister, A.K. Antony, however, was a "no-show" at Asia's leading annual defence forum, the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore last week.
As Asia becomes the cockpit of great power rivalry and regional conflict, the SLD, organised by the International Institute of Strategic Studies, has become the vehicle for formal and informal consultations between the region's top defence policymakers. Running for more than a decade, with the support of the Singapore government, the SLD attracts defence ministers from all major countries in the region; China, which was initially opposed to the forum, now sends a very impressive delegation. The MoD's approach to the SLD has been unprofessional, to say the least. Personal whims rather than a careful consideration of India's interests seem to define New Delhi's decisions. Consider the fact that Antony headed out to Singapore en route to Australia and Thailand on Monday. But he could not schedule participation in the SLD on the weekend that preceded it. While the SLD has become a regular fixture on the calendar of all Asian defence ministries - it takes place on the last weekend of May - the MoD never makes up its mind until the very last minute
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initiatives towards ASEAN. What surprises southeast Asia is the passive incoherence of the MoD's participation in the various defence forums of ASEAN - neither ready to lead nor willing to respond. SECURITY PROVIDER Some tend to dress-up the MoD's feckless defence diplomacy as a deeply felt assertion of India's "strategic autonomy". Nice try. The real problem is the lack of political will in Delhi to take defence diplomacy in Asia seriously. To be fair, Antony has occasionally referred to India's role as a "net security provider" in the Indian Ocean and beyond. What Antony needs is a strong institutional base in the MoD that can effectively collaborate with the armed forces and the foreign office and facilitate India's emergence as a valuable security partner for friendly Asian nations. Source: Indian Express
Forces units have also been deployed; these developments merit serious attention. The stakes are high for Moscow. Besides the Russian naval facility at Tartus, a 30,000-strong Russian population is married to Syrians, and the Russian Orthodox Church has an interest in Christian communities in Syria. But most importantly, the plot to destroy Syria's Shiite leadership involves a sinister design to use Syrian territory for a natural gas pipeline from the Gulf States to the EU, breaking Russia's stranglehold on European energy supplies. Qatar, with the world's largest gas-field, has reportedly invested $1bn to $3bn in the anti-Assad fight. Fiona Hill, senior fellow, Brookings Institution, notes that during the 2009 Chechen crisis, President Basher al-Assad helped President Putin by preventing many groups supporting the Chechens, including a Syrian ethnic group originating in the Russian North Caucasus, from collecting money and sending recruits there. Hence, after the European Union decided on May 27 to lift the arms embargo on Syrian rebels, Russia moved its naval fleets into the Mediterranean. On May 30, President Assad claimed that Russia had delivered the first batch of advanced S-300 missiles to protect his regime. These have a range up to 200 kilometres and the capability to track and strike multiple targets simultaneously; they are expected to limit Israel's ability to strike Syria. Moreover, with Russia's backing, Iran has reportedly brought its military assets close to Israel's borders in Syria and Lebanon. Reuters reported on May 5 that the United Nations independent commission of inquiry had evidence that the Syrian rebels had used chemical weapons (banned under international law), including the nerve gas, sarin, in the combat. There is no evidence that Government forces used chemical weapons, according to a member, Carla Del Ponte. Christopher Phillips, associate fellow, Chatham House, observes that London wrongly believes that ending the arms embargo will compel President Assad to negotiate during the Geneva peace talks in June (which may not be held). Britain feels that 'moderate' rebels are losing ground to radical jihadislike the Al Qaeda-affiliated Jubhat al-Nusra, and must be beefed up. But each time the rebels have made gains, the Assad regime has received arms, financial aid and even fighters from Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. Hence, Mr Assad has no reason to compromise, as his inner circle remains faithful.
NO GOOD PLAYING THE OSTRICH IN SYRIAN WAR
The turmoil in Syria will impact the Western world deeply. Because, when the Muslim citizens of European nations fighting with the radicals there return home, they will take the 'revolution' back with them Amidst confusing, even contradictory, reports coming out of Syria, it is clear that the world is poised on the brink of a greater conflagration than previously envisioned - a regional war distinct from the US-Nato action in Iraq and Libya, with wider ramifications. Major world capitals have decided their standvis--vis Syria, Lebanon, and Iran. New Delhi is playing ostrich, but may again abandon traditional friends for imperialist allies, without factoring in critical national needs like oil and gas, and the impact a possible blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could have on our energy security.
Moscow and Beijing, meanwhile, are preparing to resist Western unilateralism. Reports suggest that on May 29, President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian military forces to move from local war to regional war operational status and be ready to escalate to large-scale war if the United States or the European Union enters the Syrian civil war. On May 24, Moscow undertook. a 'surprise alert exercise' involving four regiments of S-300 troops combining 8,700 personnel, 185 warplanes and 240 armored vehicles, which are now positioned to enter the Syrian war zone if necessary. Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service and Zaslon Special
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American journalist Stephen Lendman points out that lifting the EU arms embargo is a fake, as the rebels have freely received arms since Washington's began its regime-change war on Syria in 2011. The proposed Geneva II peace talks are also a sham. British Special Forces entered Syria in February 2012 to guide the rebels the way Libyan rebels were helped to overthrow Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorists who helped overthrow Gaddafi were airlifted into Syria to topple Mr Assad last November. In fact, Moaz al-Khatib quit as president of the Syrian National Coalition precisely because the group is controlled by outside powers (read Saudi Arabia and Qatar), the frontline Western proxies in the war. The conflict has engulfed large parts of the region and could ultimately impact Europe, for when the Muslim citizens of European nations fighting with the radicals in Syria return home, they will take the 'revolution' back with them. Sociologist Mahdi Nazemroaya says Turkey, Israel, and Jordan are siding with the West. Turkey has done reconnaissance for Nato in Syria, and hosts Nato Patriot missiles aimed at Syria (which can be deployed against Iran and Russia), and helps the anti-Government forces. Israel has sent Mossad into Syria and built facilities in the Golan Heights to aid the insurgency. Both countries repeatedly threaten Syria and push for Nato intervention and no-fly zones. Lebanon is split between the pro-Syrian Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance and the anti-Syrian Hariri-led March 14 alliance. Washington is trying to cripple Hezbollah; hence Hezbollah has joined
the fight on the Syrian side of the Lebanese-Syrian border. The March 14 Alliance has been sending weapons and funds to the insurgents from 2011; in November 2012, evidence surfaced that Hariri party member Okab Sakr was behind weapons' shipments to Syrian insurgents in coordination with Turkish and Qatari intelligence officers. Hezbollah joined the fighting when Syrian rebels began attacking Shiite villages on both sides of the Lebanese-Syrian border and attacking Shiite shrines in Syria. After the mosque where Hujr ibn Adi AlKindi and his son were buried in Syria was defiled, Hezbollah and Iraqi Shia rushed to protect the Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque. Religious minorities have been systematically targeted by the rebels (Druze, Maronite Catholic Christians, Melkite Greek Catholic Christians, Greek Orthodox Christians, Armenian Orthodox Christians, Syriac Orthodox Christians, Alawites, and Twelver Shiites) as also ethnic minorities (Armenians, Assyrians, Kurds, and Turkoman). For Iran, Syria is a "redline". After the fall of Saddam Hussain, Washington said Iran and Syria were its next targets for regime change. So Tehran and Damascus supported all American opponents in Baghdad (Shia or Sunni) to keep the country unstable. Tehran has warned it will intervene militarily if US-Nato attacks Syria. Beijing has been silent, but it is aware that Syria is part of Washington's eventual move against it. New Delhi must study the emerging instability across the entire Gulf region and prepare its responses. Source: The Pioneer
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World of Work Report 2013: ILO

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The terms of reference of the Council are:

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INDIA AND THE WORLD

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Let's make business greener

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NO GOOD PLAYING THE OSTRICH IN SYRIAN WAR

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