Monday, February 28, 2011

REDD and REDD+


Deforestation and forest degradation, through agricultural expansion, conversion to pastureland, infrastructure development, destructive logging, fires etc., account for nearly 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than the entire global transportation sector and second only to the energy sector. It is now clear that in order to constrain the impacts of climate change within limits that society will reasonably be able to tolerate, the global average temperatures must be stabilized within two degrees Celsius. This will be practically impossible to achieve without reducing emissions from the forest sector, in addition to other mitigation actions.

REDD:

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) is an effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests, offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development.

The Programme was launched in September 2008 to assist developing countries prepare and implement national REDD+ strategies, and builds on the convening power and expertise of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

REDD is presented as an "offset" scheme of the carbon markets and thus, will produce carbon credits. Carbon offsets are “emissions-saving projects” that in theory “compensate” for the polluters’ emissions. Offsets allow polluting governments and corporations, which have the historical responsibility to clean up the atmosphere, to buy their way out of the problem with cheap projects that exacerbate social and environmental conflicts in the South. Moreover, it delays any real domestic action where a historical responsibility lies and allows the expansion of more fossil fuel explorations and extractions. The “carbon credits” generated by these projects can be used by industrialised governments and corporations to meet their targets and/or to be traded within the carbon markets.

REDD+:

“REDD+” goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation, and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

REDD-plus calls for activities with serious implications directed towards the local communities, indigenous people and forests which relate to reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation. Therefore this will involve enhancing existing forests and increasing forest cover. In order to meet these objectives, policies need to address enhancement of carbon stocks by providing funding and investments in these areas.

Ladakh council drops J&K logo


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28 FEB, 2011, 05.01AM IST,PTI 


Ladakh council drops J&K logo, adopts new emblem

LEH: The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) has decided to adopt an insignia similar to the national emblem by replacing the Jammu & Kashmir's logo, drawing a sharp reaction from Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) which said it was "unfortunate". 

In a unanimous resolution in this regard passed last week, the council adopted the symbol with the Ashoka pillar which almost resembles the national emblem. 

An LAHDC councillor said the decision was taken so as to give the emblem a more national look. Jammu & Kashmir has its own flag and emblem. The councillor said the inclusion of the new logo will help in promoting the hill council as a unique political dispensation for the people of Ladakh. 

Reacting to the issue, CM Omar Abdullah said his government will take a decision after examining the matter. "We are examining the issue. After all, it is a local municipality. Even the Srinagar municipality has a different emblem. We will examine the manner and take a decision," Omar said. 

Opposition PDP termed the move to discard the state emblem by LAHDC as "unfortunate". "PDP will fight any attempt to dilute the special status of Jammu & Kashmir under the Constitution. Leh is part of the state. The emblem controversy is unfortunate," PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said. She claimed ruling National Conference has bartered away all the state's financial resources and institutions and there was need "to protect the unique identity of the state". 

Mehbooba also said the PDP is fully behind the Private Member's bill planned to be tabled by party MLA from Bandipora Nizamuddin Bhat for hoisting the state flag alongside the tricolour. The 32-member LAHDC also passed a resolution for inclusion of Bodhi language in the Eight Schedule of the Constitution without any opposition.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER...

LETTER OF THE EDITOR OF "THE TIMES OF INDIA" TO THE PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA

Dear Mr. Prime Minister, 


I am a typical mouse from Mumbai. In the local train compartment which has capacity of 100 persons, I travel with 500 more mice. Mouse at least squeaks, but we don't even do that. 


Today I heard your speech, in which you said, 'NO BODY WOULD BE SPARED'. I would like to remind you that fourteen years have passed since serial bomb blasts in Mumbai took place. Dawood was the main conspirator. Till today he is not caught. All our Bollywood actors, our builders, our Gutka king keep meeting him, but your Government can not catch him. Reason is simple; all your ministers are hand in glove with him. If any attempt is made to catch him, everybody will be exposed. Your statement 'NOBODY WOULD BE SPARED' is nothing but a cruel joke on these unfortunate people of India. 

Enough is enough. As such, after seeing terrorist attack carried out by about a dozen young boys, I realize that if same thing continues, days are not far away when terrorists will attack by air, destroy our nuclear reactors and there will be one more Hiroshima. 

I am born and brought up in Mumbai for last fifty eight years. Believe me, corruption in Maharashtra is worse than that in Bihar. Look at all the politicians, Sharad Pawar, Chagan Bhujbal, Narayan Rane, Bal Thackray , Gopinath Munde, Raj Thackray, Vilasrao Deshmukh all are rolling in money. Vilasrao Deshmukh is one of the worst Chief ministers I have seen. His only business is to increase the FSI every other day, make money and send it to Delhi, so Congress can fight next election. Now the clown has found new way and will increase FSI for fishermen, so they can build concrete houses right on sea shore. Next time terrorists can comfortably live in those houses, enjoy the beauty of the sea and then attack our Mumbai at their will. 


We the people are left with only one mantra. Womb to Bomb to Tomb. You promised Mumbaikar Shanghai; what you have given us is Jalianwala Baug.
Today only your home minister resigned. What took you so long to kick out this joker? Only reason was that he was loyal to Gandhi family. Loyalty to Gandhi family is more important than blood of innocent people, isn't it? 

Recently, I had to purchase a house in Mumbai. I met about two dozen builders. Everybody wanted about 30% in black. A common person like me knows this and with all your intelligent agency & CBI, you and your finance ministers are not aware of it. Where all the black money goes? To the underworld isn't it? Our politicians take help of these goondas to vacate people by force. I myself was victim of it. If you have time please come to me, I will tell you everything. 

If this has been a land of fools, idiots, then I would not have ever cared to write to you this letter. Just see the tragedy. On one side we are reaching moon, people are so intelligent; and on the other side, you politicians have converted nectar into deadly poison. I am everything Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Schedule caste, OBC, Muslim OBC, Christian Schedule caste, and Creamy Schedule caste; only what I am not is INDIAN. You politicians have raped every part of Mother India by your policy of divide and rule. 

Take example of our Former President Abdul Kalam. Such an intelligent person; such a fine human being. But you politician didn't even spare him and instead choose a worthless lady who had corruption charges and insignificant local polititian of Jalgaon WHO'S NAME ENTIRE COUNTRY HAD NOT HEARD BEFORE. Its simple logic your party just wanted a rubber stamp in the name of president. Imagine SHE IS SUPREME COMMANDAR OF INDIA'S THREE DEFENCE FORCES. what moral you will expect from our defence forces ? Your party along with opposition joined hands, because politicians feel they are supreme and there is no place for good person. 

Dear Mr Prime minister, you are one of the most intelligent persons, a most learned person. Just wake up, be a real SARDAR. First and foremost, expose all selfish politicians.Ask Swiss banks to give names of all Indian account holders. Give reins of CBI to independent agency. Let them find wolves among us. There will be political upheaval, but that will be better than dance of death which we are witnessing every day. Just give us ambience where we can work honestly and without fear. Let there be rule of law. Everything else will be taken care of. 


Choice is yours Mr. Prime Minister. Do you want to be lead by one person, or you want to lead the nation of 100 Crore people?

Prakash B. Bajaj 
Editor Mumbai-Times of India


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Indian Policy wishes to share this letter with as many as possible. Corruption, no wonder, is the biggest threat to democracy. Its high time that the "son of the spoil"..oops.."soil" rises and makes a difference...

Monday, February 21, 2011

India unveils new CPI...


Consumer Price Index (CPI) : A measure that examines the weighted average of prices of a basket of consumer goods and services, such as transportation, food and medical care. The CPI is calculated by taking price changes for each item in the predetermined basket of goods and averaging them; the goods are weighted according to their importance. Changes in CPI are used to assess price changes associated with the cost of living.

Sometimes referred to as "headline inflation". 

Consumer Price Index (CPI) in India comprises multiple series classified based on different economic groups. There are four series, viz : 

CPI UNME (Urban Non-Manual Employee), 
CPI AL (Agricultural Labourer), 
CPI RL (Rural Labourer) and 
CPI IW (Industrial Worker). 

While the CPI UNME series is published by the Central Statistical Organisation, the others are published by the Department of Labour.

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India has unveiled a new CPI. Please refer to the inks below for further details. Pasting contents here for your quick reference:


In a move that could better reflect actual price increases borne by the general population, India will on 18 February introduce a national consumer price index (CPI) that is expected to eventually replace the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) as a benchmark for inflation.

Although the widely-used WPI showed the inflation in food articles at 13.55% for December, consumers may have been facing greater rate increases, indicates a recent letter finance minister Pranab Mukherjee wrote to state governments.

“While there are some weather-induced supply constraints on some of these items, which go against the seasonal decline normally seen at this time of the year, a large part of price rise is due to widening gap between the wholesale and retail prices and the growing demand for these products due to rising income levels,” he wrote earlier this month.

The new index has the potential to become the single index of reference for inflation, saidD.K. Joshi, chief economist at ratings firm Crisil.

“The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) needs one inflation index to rely upon,” Joshi said. “As the CPI will consist of service sector data, it should become the key indicator.”

Central banks across the world rely mostly on CPI data to decide monetary policy, unlike RBI, which uses WPI as the key inflation index.

G.M. Boopathy, deputy director general at the Central Statistical Office (CSO), which is in charge of the task, said the first set of the new consumer indices, which also includes CPI urban and CPI rural, will be released on 18 February.

“We will also simultaneously release state and Union territory-level CPIs,” he said.

The statistics and programme implementation ministry, which administers CSO, had promised the standing parliamentary committee on finance headed by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Murli Manohar Joshi in April that the indices will be released before 20 February.

The new indices will temporarily have calendar 2010 as the base year, which will be shifted to 2011-12 once the 68th round of consumer expenditure survey is completed, Boopathy said.

The National Sample Survey Organisation is collecting data for urban centres and the statistics ministry has roped in the postal department to collect price data from villages.

“Data is being collected from 1,183 villages and 310 towns across India for the all-India CPI,” Boopathy said.

There is still some concern regarding the flow of data, which is being sorted out, said India’s chief statistician T.C.A. Anant.

Boopathy said any new index will take time to stabilize.

India currently has three consumer price indices besides WPI that include gauges for industrial workers, agricultural labourers and rural labourers.

Work for a comprehensive CPI started in 2008 when the country saw an inflationary surge as measured by WPI. The finance ministry instructed the statistics ministry to hasten the process for releasing an all-India CPI as it was of the view that WPI-based inflation overstated the level of the price rise in the economy.

R. Radhakrishna, chairman, National Statistical Commission, the apex body on core statistics, said the body had earlier cleared the methodology for calculating the new CPI.

To be sure, it is unlikely that RBI will move in haste to adopt the new CPI as a benchmark.

In a 2009 report of a committee on financial sector assessment, chaired by then deputy governor Rakesh Mohan, the central bank had said switching over to CPI as the only inflation indicator is not an immediate imperative.

“Given the economic and demographic diversity that exists in India, a combination of different measures of inflation gives useful information on diverse aspects that is found to be meaningful in formulating an appropriate policy,” it said. “Relying on a single index might result in loss of information on some crucial sectors and might be less useful in tackling the diversity of issues.”

The divergences in alternative inflation measures complicate the conduct of monetary policy in India, RBI governor D. Subbarao said in August 2009. “The Reserve Bank looks at all the measures of inflation, both overall and disaggregated components, in conjunction with other economic and financial indicators, to assess the underlying inflationary pressures.”

In an interview on 29 August, Anant had argued against using CPI for monetary policy purposes.
Former RBI governor and chairman of the Prime Minister’s economic advisory council C. Rangarajan said the new index will give a better picture of consumer price movement across the country. “We need to test the new index for some time before using it for (monetary) policy purposes,” he added. Rangarajan was the first chairman of NSC, which had recommended establishing an all-India CPI.

National Institute of Public Finance and Policy professor N.R. Bhanumurthy said the new CPI will add value to the process of monetary policymaking. “It might also reduce the huge divergence between WPI and CPI inflation, which is common now,” he said.

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References:


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Wholesale Price Index (WPI) : WPI first published in 1902, and was one of the more economic indicators available to policy makers until it was replaced by most developed countries by the Consumer Price Index in the 1970s. WPI is the index that is used to measure the change in the average price level of goods traded in wholesale market. In India, a total of 676 commodities data on price level is tracked through WPI which is an indicator of movement in prices of commodities in all trade and transactions. It is also the price index which is available on a weekly basis with the shortest possible time lag only two weeks.

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Indian Policy actively follows issues related to Indian Economy as well. To enrich the article, mail at indianpolicy2010@gmail.com

New Unit Conversion Scale developed by India :-)


100 Crore = 1 Yeddi
100 Yeddi = 1 Reddy



100 Reddy = 1 Radia
100 Radia = 1 Kalmadi




100 Kalmadi = 1 Pawar
100 Pawar =  1 Raja
 

100 Raja = 1 Sonia
100 Sonia = 1 Karunanidhi and family


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Indian Policy finds this to be an interesting parallel. The largest democracy of the world is perforated by a series of unending scams. Is there an end to it ?

Sunday, February 20, 2011

A Zillion Brilliant Blooms of Tahrir: Egypt’s Tryst with Destiny


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This write up has been published in News Central Asia as well:
http://www.newscentralasia.net/moreNews.php?nID=677
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Egypt is magic, the land of stories, memories, and the exotic. She never failed to mesmerize the world, and as the present shows, she continues to. Observing and admiring, like the world is, I was reminded of Shakespeare’s moving dramatization of a similar node in Egypt’s remarkable past. In Antony and Cleopatra, a romantic and sybaritic Antony, ever forgetful of his magisterial duties cries out: ‘Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch/ Of the ranged empire fall! Here is my space./ Kingdoms are clay’.

A similar and perhaps more romantic node now haunt Egypt. After three decades of unrelenting despotism and undemocratic governance, a people are rising up against it and finding themselves strong, while the President Hosni Mubarak finally stages a late exit.

The geopolitics of post World War II is the consequence and the culmination of a systemic and systematic trend and an accident. The accident being the war itself, the trend is the addiction and selective adherence of the West to the idea of self determination and democracy. The geopolitics of the Middle East have been formulated this selective adherence: innumerable wars have been fought, Eisenhower onwards doctrines have been formulated, arms given and denied, until the single most important constituents have been forgotten; the people. It is interesting to observe how Egyptian democracy (or even the semblance of it) took to the plunge pool even as she slowly but ever more surely undertook her journey into the ranged arch of US’s strategic interest. The Mubarak government is one of the closest allies of US, regularly replenished by USAID, In early 1950’s Middle East was transformed by the war in Korea and the Cold War, British reluctance to evacuate the Canal base, and subsequently by the American, British, French and Turkish plans for a Middle East Defense Organisation (MEDO) based on Egypt and the canal base. In 2009 Egypt was only the second largest arms buyer from US.

Today is the moment of Egypt’s tryst with destiny, but as is the case with history, a few such moments revisited earlier; that of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. The titular leader of the 1952 revolution was General Muhammad Neguib, but the prime mover of the denouement was Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser; Prime Minister in 1954, he was one of the few Egyptian head of states since the days of Alexander the Great in Egypt’s intriguing history, an interblend of sublime and subordination. Nasser’s rule itself was the culmination of a different brand of Arab self fashioning that Egypt stood for long before the revolution, something that perceived the country as a socialist republic in a region dominated by traditional monarchies, some lasting even to this day. She became wedded to non-alignment in 1955, in a region dominated by clashing strategic interests of two restless power blocks. Nasser’s rule was by no means elixir vitae in a newly liberated third world nation trying to map its baby foot in routes of progress, but it was a healthy compromise. Egypt fought two wars, lost them, but came out just in time to save her face. Fidgeting spasmodically between ideas, ideologies, she changed sides in want of both guns and butter until settling for neutrality. And neutrality gifted her too; Egypt completed the Aswan High dam with Russian financial help without having to either join the Soviet camp, or to beg before Eisenhower Doctrine or PL480. Egypt was just about to shape for herself and for the Arab League a worldview and politics untasted till then by the directional pulls of Islamic identity. The dream’s torrid end in the Six Day’s war is now a story beyond compare. Nasser prodded on, his prestige and promise greatly declined, and Egypt came to be sucked deeper into the vortex of the defined parameters of Arab identity and feudal society.

Anwar Sadat, succeeding Nasser in 1970, had the daunting task of melding the directional pulls of Islamic identity, socialist republicanism, external debt, as well as securing his domestic political base. Failing to affect a harmonious solution Sadat took to force in May 1971, purging the government and the Arab Socialist Union of his rivals in what was the first physical ramifications of dictatorship. Meantime Egypt remained in a state of active hostility with Israel and the prospects of a much relieving revenue generation from tourism, foreign investment, Suez Canal tolls remained an abstraction. His proclamation of political and economic liberation, Al Intifah and the slogan of ‘the revolution of rectification’ remained elusive and ineffectual, but it laid the seeds of a new geopolitical orientation of Egypt’s international alliances. Egypt wanted an end to hostilities with Israel, at least for the time being, and assumed that only the United States had the power to force Israel to the negotiating table. In July 1972, Sadat abruptly expelled most of the 20000 members of Soviet military mission to Egypt but with little resolve. Sadat had neither Nasser’s power of international engagement, nor a will for independent policy. His continued vacillation, both in domestic and international polity resulted internally in student demonstrations in 1972 and in early 1973 against failed policies, and externally in an ill prepared war effort against Israeli positions on the Golan Heights on October 6, 1973. As the initial stunning success melted down Egypt was once again forced to diplomatic table, but this time with even lesser confidence and conviction and Egypt’s journey under the ranged arch of US strategic interests began. The unmodified Marxist socialist polity of Nasser was foreign to Egypt’s agrarian economy, as was the uncomplimentary economic liberalism and capitalism of Sadat, but together they made the perfect concoction for disaster. As Sadat shelved the program of subsidization of essential commodities in January 1977 Egypt witnessed another mass upheaval; police stations, ASU headquarters and other symbols of the state’s control. At least 150 Egyptians were killed to contain the surge, and Sadat restored the subsidies. The structural economic and political problematic could find the only out in a reinvigorated assertion of Islamic identity and ideology. In an Egypt gripped by social malaise and yearning for guidance and hope, Islamic values provided social and political dynamism. Muslim Brotherhood became highly active. But such dynamism always contained the possibility of being redirected and hijacked into Islamic fundamentalism and militancy, as has been the case with so many African nations, and as was indeed proved by the assassination of Sadat on October 6, 1981.

Hosni Mubarak, succeeding Sadat, at least initially started playing with the idea of a more democratic system; permitting the Wafd Party to field candidates in the 1984 elections, but the initial promise was once again systematically dampened by the regime’s calculated retreat from political liberalisation. Egypt continued to be frozen in time and space and public vitality and dynamism was sucked out of public polity through a repressive policing that intended to maintain a perennial status quo. Egypt’s foreign policy and internationalism was reoriented by Mubarak’s peace treaty with Israel, and ever more friendly relations with US. As US continued with careful practice her selective adherence to the idea of liberation and democracy, the dictatorial regime of Mubarak found ever growing acceptability in Western world. Egypt’s foreign policy through the 50’s to the present could therefore only be defined as continued vacillation between power blocks with only a brief period of internationalism, regional leadership and non-alignment. Aid came in the way of Egypt, but peace and progress could not have been developed around either foreign money or ideology. A nation must find the solid bedrocks of peace and progress within and not without, and post Camp David even a yearly $2.2 billion economic assistance from US (second only to the amount US provided to Israel) through the 1980’s could not work a structural solution to Egypt’s politico-economical gangrene. Egypt continued to be fashioned in America’s image, but that could only have been a distortion and an imperfection. Reintegrating the diverging strands of Islam, democracy, and economy has always been one of the greatest problematic of Middle East and the Arab world, and Egypt proved to be no exception. The disparate and multidirectional pulls engendered nothing but a quagmire that immobilised national life. The regime maintained power through a systematic practise of oppression, espionage, arbitrary arrests and detention, censorship etc., but the underbelly of Egypt’s public life continued to boil, always in quest of a crack to erupt.

The unstable equilibrium of the Arab world was disturbed and disrupted first in Tunisia in the ides of January. Mohammed Bouazizi’s self immolation in desperation conjured the spirit of dynamism, the people rose up in a thousand brilliant blooms; the top heavy dominoes of dictatorial governments found little time or the means to react, and for once, the US vacillated between its choice of democracy and strategic interest. Events in Tunisia were an act of restoration of confidence in the power of people. It is as if a people rising up to a common call and saying, ‘yes, we can!’.

After 18 days of concerted protest by the Muslim Brotherhood, Wafd Party, and most importantly by the people at large Hosni Mubarak quit power and fled to Sharm-el-Saikh. Mobilisation was done through means that the Arab world had never witnessed before; through internet, social networking sites, instant messages, mails and the upsurge turned out to be a curious comingling or rare devices.

The future holds promises, prospects, but there is need for a judicious sense of direction. The unbridled emotions and sensations need to be harvested and if need be, contained, if Egypt has to find her mêlée of Islamic identity, democracy, and buoyant economy in the right proportions. The power, for the moment resides with the Supreme Military Council, but the people need to remind themselves that it is indeed the masses that have willed Egypt to this moment of reckoning. And the solution for the future has to be indigenous, for too long has Egypt vacillated between foreign ideas, and ideologies. There have been suggestions that Egypt could look at Turkey for a solution for the future, and draw lessons how the disparate pulls and demands of Egypt’s polity could be unified for a harmonious future. But Egypt’s tahrir cannot be translated into either a neoliberal or a communist sense of freedom, it needs to be invented, and only then could the thousand blooms in the middle of the night at Tahrir square find their destinies.

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Rajarshi Mitra is keenly following the developments in Egypt. He is optimistic that the events will usher in a new era of democracy in the land of antiquities. Share your views with him at indianpolicy2010@gmail.com

Friday, February 18, 2011

“Green theme and Green productivity”


Agenda 21 addresses the pressing problems of today and also aims at preparing the world for the challenges of the next century. It reflects a global consensus and political commitment at the highest level on development and environment cooperation. Its successful implementation is first and foremost the responsibility of Governments. National strategies, plans, policies and processes are crucial in achieving this. International cooperation should support and supplement such national efforts. In this context, the United Nations system has a key role to play. Other international, regional and sub-regional organizations are also called upon to contribute to this effort. “

The preamble of 1992 Rio Earth summit was the first cooperative initiative of 172 countries towards any visible action against climate change and environment. The 27 principles envisage a world coming together for a single cause. The positive side of the argument was it was benefit for all to agree to the initiative rather disagree the proposal.

A generation has passed , the future predicted during pre 21st century of today’s world is still no where near, we have spent the last 19 years debating about the responsibility of developed nations and developing nations, the world has not yet charted a clear plan of action to create a sustainable environment. The top down approach seems to be unsuitable for this magnanimous problem.

The Delhi Sustainable Development Summit 2011, an annual event by TERI is one of the notable local action towards global challenge, essentially a developing country initiative that stands on the ground of technological, economical ,social and political co-operation.

A similar initiative of focus on “green productivity” has been a new approach in the manufacturing sector .Green Productivity is the well-rounded socio-economic development that emphasizes on sustainable improvement in the quality of human life with minimum or no damage to the environment. It is the combined application of appropriate productivity and environmental management tools, techniques and technologies that reduce the environmental impact of an organization’s activities, products and services while enhancing profitability and competitive advantage.

The challenges of shifting to a pathway of sustainable development embracing the energy & environmental issues are substantial. Improvements in energy management and pollution-reduction technologies will offset some of the problems associated with projected future growth in population. Therefore, Green productivity was launched with the prime objectives to address the issues of increasing profitability, improvement in health and safety, making quality products, promotion of  environmental protection,  regulatory compliance, building up company’s image and raise employees morale which will subsequently lead to holistic growth and development.

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Striking a balance between environment and development is of prime importance for a vibrant economy like India - Abhilash Mohapatra wishes to understand different factors involved in the same.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Antrix - Devas Deal

Dear All,

We must have been reading about Antrix and Devas quite a lot in the last few days. ISRO has explained the S-Band deal in an official note - have pasted the contents here for quick reference. This explains the issue in an extremely lucid manner. For more details, the following may be referred to: 


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Background 

ISRO has a constellation of geo-stationary satellites which provide various services to the country such as telecommunication, television, radio broadcasting as well as various societal applications such as medicine and education. These services are delivered to the customers through transponders that are located on the satellite. These transponders receive and transmit signals using different types of frequency bands that are designated as C-band, extended C-band, Kuband and Ka-band. S-band is another such frequency band.

There is a difference between terrestrial spectrum as allocated by the Department of Telecommunications for users on the ground and the issue of lease of transponders on satellites which require frequency to operate. The Department of Space is responsible for building, launching and operating satellites in the designated orbits. It leases transponders to customers, whether government or private. These are, for example, Doordarshan or DTH operators in the private sector like TV channels.

The frequency spectrum in the bands required for the satellites are allotted to Department of Space by the Department of Telecommunications based on assignments given by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

S-band

The S-band frequency spectrum has been in use for the INSAT series since 1983 for broadcasting (for Doordarshan) and later for mobile satellite services.

In the 90s the ITU started allocating a segment of S-band for mobile satellite service and land mobiles. The S-band spectrum has acquired prominence in recent years because of the growth of mobile phone services and evolution of the concept of digital multimedia via satellites.

S-Band needs to be utilized in the best national interest both because it is needed for strategic and societal communications and also for conventional communications where the attenuation loss in Ku-band is not acceptable and due to overcrowding in space of C and extended C-band.

World over, including in India, S-band spectrum is shared between terrestrial and space services. Because of the nation-wide reach of satellites, and the limited reach of terrestrial service providers, it is in the country's interest to use space based S-band.

Further, there is an onus on the country to which a particular slot is allocated by ITU to fill that slot with an appropriate satellite within a specified time.

Based on approved allocations by the Department of Telecommunications, Department of Space holds 80 MHz of S-Band spectrum in 3 orbital locations and 70 MHz in 4 orbital locations (operable only at one location at a time) at locations designated by the ITU for India.

Agreement between ANTRIX and DEVAS

Antrix signed an MOU in March 2003 with M/S Forge Advisors, USA to explore opportunities in digital multi-media services. Later, Forge Advisors, USA established an Indian company called DEVAS Multimedia Pvt. Ltd.

The Antrix board on December 24, 2004 approved the Draft agreement between ANTRIX and DEVAS and the agreement was signed on January 28, 2005. This agreement together with the option exercised by DEVAS in June, 2007 provides for leasing of 90% of the space segment capacity by ANTRIX to DEVAS on two satellites for 12 years. This would amount to 70 MHZ at one of the three locations.

The Agreement provides for an up-front capacity reservation fee of US$ 20 million per Satellite and annual lease charges starting at US$ 9 million per satellite. The amount payable by DEVAS is US$ 300 million over a period of 12 years. There are also penalty charges to be paid by ANTRIX in case of late delivery of Satellite or performance failures/service interruptions.

To operationalise this agreement, ANTRIX committed to development and launch of two satellites by ISRO referred to as Primary Satellite-1 (PS-1) and Primary Satellite-2 (PS-2) in the agreement.

DEVAS has so far made a payment of Rs.58.37 crores as upfront capacity reservation fee for the two satellites.

Status of ANTRIX Corporation

ANTRIX Corporation Limited was incorporated as a private limited company owned by Government of India, in September 1992 as a Marketing arm of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for promotion and commercial exploitation of space products, technical consultancy services and transfer of technologies developed by ISRO. Another major objective is to facilitate development of space related industrial capabilities in India.

Chairman ISRO/Secretary, Department of Space is the Chairman of the ANTRIX Board that has six Directors from ISRO and Department of Space and three external Directors, i.e. Shri Ratan Tata, Shri J.N. Godrej and Shri P. Ravindra Reddy (Managing Director, MTAR Technologies Limited).

Actions taken by Department of Space

In December 2005, the Union Cabinet approved building of the GSAT-6 satellite at a cost of Rs. 269 crores, following the approval given by the Space Commission in May 2005.

In October 2009, the Space Commission approved building of the GSAT-6A satellite at a cost of Rs. 147 crores under the Commission's delegated powers.

The launch cost of the Satellites was Rs.350 crores.

The proposals of the Department in both cases did not make any reference to their utilization for the ANTRIX-DEVAS agreement. Accordingly, the Government of India is under no obligation to utilize these satellites for the ANTRIX-DEVAS contract.

On receipt of complaints on the implementation of the Agreement, Chairman ISRO/Secretary, Department of Space set up a Committee in December 2009 chaired by Dr. B.N. Suresh (a former Member of Space Commission). This Committee was mandated to review and examine the legal, commercial, procedural and technical aspects of the ANTRIX-DEVAS Agreement.

Separately, the growth in the requirements for strategic and societal imperatives also became evident. The circumstances since 2005 have undergone a sea change. The last few years have seen a tremendous demand for allocation of space based spectrum, including for the S-band. This includes the needs of defence, paramilitary forces, railways and other societal applications, all of which are dependent on S-band.

It was also observed that the agreement was approved only at the level of the ANTRIX Board and the Department thought it prudent and essential to place the matter before the Space Commission.

Based on consultations with the Ministry of Law & Justice and Department of Telecommunications, the Department of Space recommended annulment of the agreement to the Space Commission.

Directions of the Space Commission

The Space Commission in its meeting in 2 July 2010 considered the matter. It, inter alia, noted specifically that the Commission was being apprised on this contractual arrangement for the first time. After deliberations, it gave the following directions:

i) Department, in view of priority to be given to nation's strategic requirements including societal ones may take actions necessary and instruct ANTRIX to annul the ANTRIX-DEVAS contract.

ii) Department may revive the INSAT Coordination Committee mechanism.

iii) Department may evolve a revised utilization plan for GSAT-6 and GSAT-6A satellites, taking into account the strategic and societal imperatives of the country.

iv) Department may also review the working of ANTRIX and restructure it appropriately. Commission agreed to Chairman's suggestion that this could be done by a Committee chaired by Member (Finance), Space Commission.

He will take assistance of DOS Administration, as and when required.

v) Department shall take necessary internal actions on the report to be submitted by Additional Secretary, DOS on Suresh Committee Report and issues arising from therein, and keep the Commission apprised of the same.

Termination provisions

Article 7 of the ANTRIX-DEVAS Agreement provides for termination of agreement. Clause (c) provides for termination for convenience by ANTRIX, and reads as follows:

"ANTRIX may terminate this agreement in the event ANTRIX is unable to obtain the necessary frequency and orbit slot coordination required for operating PS-1 on or before the completion of the pre-shipment review of PS- 1. In the event of such termination, ANTRIX shall immediately reimburse DEVAS all the Upfront Capacity Reservation Fees and corresponding service taxes received by ANTRIX till that date. Upon such termination, neither party shall have any further obligation to the other party under this agreement nor be liable to pay any sum as compensation or damages (by whatever name called)."

The satellites, PS-1 and PS-2 are still being developed by ISRO and have not yet been launched. No transponders have been given on lease to ANTRIX or DEVAS.

The Government of India has taken no decision on allocation of space segment using S-Band spectrum to ANTRIX or DEVAS.

Follow up action by the Department of Space The Department sought legal advice from the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Additional Solicitor General, which were given as follows.

As per Article 3(c) of the Agreement, ANTRIX shall be responsible for obtaining all necessary Governmental and regulatory approvals relating to the orbit slot and frequency clearance. However, it does not mean that orbit slot shall be compulsorily given to ANTRIX by ISRO/Government. The Central Government/ISRO is not duty bound to provide orbit slot to ANTRIX for commercial activities, especially when there are strategic requirements.

The Ministry of Law and Justice opined that as per Article 7(c) of the Agreement, ANTRIX may terminate the Agreement in the event it is unable to obtain necessary orbit slot.

Therefore, the Government in exercise of its sovereign power and function may take a policy decision to the effect that due to strategic requirements, it would not be able to provide orbit slot in S-band for operating PS-1 to ANTRIX for commercial activities. In that event, ANTRIX in terms of Article 7(c) read with Article 11dealing with Force Majeure may terminate the Agreement and inform DEVAS accordingly. However, on such termination ANTRIX shall be required to reimburse DEVAS all the Upfront Capacity Reservation Fees and corresponding service taxes received by ANTRIX till that date.

Additional Solicitor General also opined that the annulment should be done through a policy decision taken at the level of Government of India, acting in its Sovereign capacity.

Accordingly, the Department has prepared a Draft Note for submission to the Cabinet Committee on Security. The Note is under circulation for comments of the concerned Ministries - Law & Justice, Telecom, Finance, Defence, Home Affairs and MEA, and will be placed soon before the CCS for a decision by the Government of India.

C&AG's comments

In its official clarification on February 7, 2011 to media reports, the C&AG has stated the following. The audit of certain activities of the Department of Space is under way. Very preliminary queries have been raised which are yet to be replied by the Department of Space. Since the audit is at very preliminary stage, it can by no stretch of imagination, be concluded that information as given the media reports are findings of the C&AG.

Establishment of a High Powered Review Committee 

The Government has constituted a High Powered Review Committee with the following mandate:
(i) To review the technical, commercial, procedural and financial aspects of the Agreement between ANTRIX and M/s. Devas Multimedia Pvt. Ltd. taking into account the report of internal review conducted by the Department of Space;

(ii) To suggest corrective measures;

(iii) To fix responsibility for lapses, if any; and 2. In the light of the above, to review the adequacy of procedures and approval processes followed by ANTRIX, ISRO and Department of Space, and to suggest improvements and changes, taking into account the review mandated by the Space Commission at its 2 July 2010 meeting.

The Committee has been directed to submit its recommendations to the Prime Minister as Minister-in-charge within one month.

The Committee Members are:

(i) Shri B. K. Chaturvedi, Member Planning Commission and former Cabinet Secretary

(ii) Prof. Roddam Narasimha, Member Space Commission

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Indira Mukherjee feels that the list of never ending scams have plagued India. Its high time that the Government takes a radical step to curb the same. 

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

The "Mass" Upheaval


There are some stages which are common to any revolution - first oppression, then realization, followed by demonstration, acts of repression, evolution of strong leaders, vociferous self proclamation and finally liberation. Major events in history i.e. the French Revolution, the Chinese Revolution, the Indian independence etc all mostly fall under this category, with regional and local variations.

However, there are not many revolutions in the modern world, which without a proper leader, fully ripe conditions or foreign intervention/help have managed to create a deep impact. Strangely, the "Jasmine Revolution" is one of them. It was unexpected, unplanned and sudden – in fact, it has left Presidents and kings of more than 5 nations, shaking in their thrones.

From Washington to Manila, leaders are asking themselves how did they not see the coming of the "Jasmine Revolution". The awakening of the Tunisians has mesmerized the entire Middle East, especially because Revolution is rare in the Arab world, which has for the most part remained mostly untouched by democratic movements and economic change. It’s surprising as to how a tiny North African nation could steal so much of attention of the world media.  The Revolution has been nicknamed "Jasmine" as it is the national flower of Tunisia and will add to the existing list of colour revolutions.

The spark

It all started in the town of Sidi Bouzid, where 26 year old Mohammed Bouazizi, a fruit seller was subjected to petty bureaucratic tyranny. A policewoman ordered him to give away his scales. On refusing, Bouazizi was slapped and his scales/produce was taken away. Publically humiliated, he went to the local municipality building and demanded to a meeting with an official. With no official willing to hear his grievances, the young man set himself on fire.

With his death, millions of angry young Tunisians had a martyr. Their frustration with youth unemployment, inflation and the 23 year old corrupt regime of Zine Abedine Ben Ali had been mounting in recent years. Bouazizi's suicide "was the drop of water which made the whole cup overflow".

Violence and Aftermath

Violence later increased and the protests had reached the capital Tunis on 27 December with about 1,000 citizens expressing solidarity with residents of Sidi Bouzid and calling for jobs. Momentum appeared to continue with the protests on 31 December and further demonstrations and public gatherings by lawyers in Tunis and other cities. At a demonstration of 250 people, mostly students, in support of the protesters in Sidi Bouzid, police fired tear gas; one canister landed in a local mosque. In response, the protesters were reported to have set fire to tyres and attacked the office of Constitutional Democratic Rally [RCD].

In response to Tunisian protests, Ben Ali declared a state of emergency, dissolved the government on January 14, 2011, and promised new legislative elections within six months. But on that same day Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi went on state television to say he was assuming power in Tunisia. Unconfirmed news reports, citing unidentified government sources in Tunisia, said that the President had left the country. 

It was soon confirmed that Ben Ali had indeed fled, allegedly taking 1.5 tons of the country's gold with him. On January 26, 2011, INTERPOL confirmed that its National Central Bureau (NCB) in Tunis has issued a global alert via INTERPOL's international network to seek the location and arrest of former Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and six of his relatives.

Ben Ali and US/France

Tunisia achieved independence from France in 1957 led by Habib Bourguiba, who later became the first Tunisian President. In November 1987, doctors declared Bourguiba unfit to rule and, in a bloodless coup d'état, Prime Minister Zine El Abidine Ben Ali assumed the presidency. He and his family subsequently were accused of corruption and plundering the country's money.

The US and France were in love with Ben Ali. They were impressed with his persecution of the Islamists, his economic agenda was touted as a brilliant model that could be replicated in North Africa. and he proved to be a staunch US ally actively involved in the controversial rendition programme. For these reasons, the US tolerated Ben Ali's long record on human rights abuses. and when young people were killed in the recent protests, Washington and Paris chose to stand by their ally.

Dominoes

With high population levels, low educational standards and diminishing economic opportunities, the Arab world is frustrated and is thus trying to come out of its "long silence". Influenced by the Jasmine revolution, winds of change have swept across Egypt, Algeria, Yemen, Syria, Jordan etc. 


After nine days of protests, President Hosni Mubarak announced that he will not stand for re-election. King Abdullah in Jordan ordered new Prime Minister to carry out Political reforms. President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in power for 3 decades said he will stand down when his current term expires in 2013. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad claims the country is undergoing process of political reforms.
Wings of Fire in the Arab World
There is no doubt that the common people have popularized their struggle through Twitter and Face book but a major role in awakening the masses has been played by Al Jazeera which has been fearlessly reporting the true picture of the sorry state of affairs in the Arab world, despite political and monarchical pressure.

The push for change in Tunisia is being led by a large population of young, educated people who no longer accept the trade-off of economic stability in exchange for political repression — they want prosperity as well as democracy and liberty. This is something Western nations need to realize. The way to help democracy blossom is to stop viewing the only alternatives for government in Arab nations as either repressive regimes or Islamist extremists. There's a middle democratic road, and Tunisia may now be on it.

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How long can a change be averted ? Was there any other option left for Tunisia ? Indira Mukherjee is in search of these answers. You can join her by writing at indianpolicy2010@gmail.com