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IAS EXPRESS
JANUARY вЂ“ FEBRUARY 2014 ISSUE
JAN-FEB 2014
Compiled by: CrackingIAS.com
CONTENTS
INDEX
P.No.
National
International
India and World
Science and Technology
Economics
Sports & Awards and Honors
Social issues & Development
Political issues, Human Rights & Governance
Monthly Special Focus
1
7
10
13
22
26
27
30
32
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IAS EXPRESS
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IAS EXPRESS
JANUARY вЂ“ FEBRUARY 2014
had recommended setting up of the Commission.
NATIONAL - NEWS
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
*Aranmula project will affect the wetlands: The
(CCEA) also gave its nod to the proposal to set up
Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) has warned
coal regulator. The coal regulator would be Set up
against conversion of wetlands for the Aranmula
through an executive order.
airport project, as it will have serious environmental
Empowered
and ecological implications.
methodology for determination of price of raw
to
specify
the
principles
and
A report prepared by a KSBB team, categorizes
coal and washed coal and any other by-product
the land identified for the airport as a biodiversity-
generated during washing.
rich wetland.
Also regulate methods for testing for declaration of
It says 400 of the 500 acres identified for the
grades or quality of coal, specify procedure for
project is part of the 3,500-acre Aranmula
automatic coal sampling and adjudicate upon
Puncha (paddy field). The report says the
disputes between the parties. The bill for setting up
Aranmula Puncha remains waterlogged throughout
a regulator for the sector is pending before
the year. The paddy field serves as a water storage
Parliament.
area of the wetland and land conversion will hit
water availability.
* Now explore Taj Mahal in 360 degrees on Google
Street View: Enthusiasts can now explore 360 degree
* Cabinet nod for Equal Opportunity Commission
online imagery of 30 Indian heritage sites, including
& Coal Regulator: The Union Cabinet approved the
the Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar and Red Fort, which
creation of Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC), to
were released by the Archaeological Survey of India
check discrimination of minority communities in jobs
(ASI) and Google.
and education.
STREET VIEW TREKKER TECHNOLOGY is
Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC)
a Street View camera platform, with 15 cameras on
Exclusively for minorities.
board that capture a 360-degree view of the area
вЂў To ensure that no minority community is
around. It is mounted on a wearable backpack and
discriminated against on religious grounds by
the total unit weighs around 20 kg. The operator
redressing complaints.
walks through pedestrian routes and is designed to
вЂў Deal
with
grievances
viz.
denial
of
reach places that can be accessed by foot.
accommodation or buying rights to minorities in
The launch was the result of Google and ASI's
housing societies.
joint initiative to make 100 of India's most
вЂў Has to make binding recommendations that
important heritage sites more accessible for the
people from minority communities find adequate
world to experience. With this, Google intends to
representation in government employment or
help share India's culture and heritage with people
educational institutions.
at home and abroad.
вЂў The Justice Sachar Committee that went into
the socio-economic backwardness of Muslims
* Odia - 6th classical language: The linguistic
committee of the Sahitya Akademi had accepted the
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NATIONAL - News
1
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IAS EXPRESS
JANUARY вЂ“ FEBRUARY 2014
Odisha governmentвЂ™s claim in this regard and
increasingly becoming an important buying
forwarded the proposal to the ministry of culture in
decision.
July last.
This initiative attempts to educate apparel
Languages thus far declared to be Classical are:-
exporting members on a code of ethics that
вЂў
Tamil (2004)
covers all critical social and environmental
вЂў
Sanskrit (2005)
concerns like child labour, health and industrial
вЂў
Kannada (2008)
safety.
вЂў
Telugu (2008)
DISHA will not only give the opportunity for the
вЂў
Malayalam (2013)
industry to negate international claims against
вЂў
Odia (2014)
child labour promotion in the garment
Odia is now in the same league with Tamil,
Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam. It is
the first language from the Indo-Aryan group of
industry.
The move comes in the backdrop of the concerns
raised by a few western countries like the US
regarding usage of child labour in production of
languages to get the classical tag.
garments by some domestic units.
*CCEA gives nod for converting 7,200 km of state
roads into national highways: The Government
decided to convert 7,200 km of state highways into
national highways.
With this, the total length of the state highways
converted into national highways during the UPA
regime would reach about 17,000 km.
About 10,000 km of state highways were declared
national highways during the last 10 years.
These roads, sources said, are spread across states,
including Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar
and Uttar Pradesh, besides bordering areas like
Leh and Laddakh regions.
The present length of the national highways in the
country is about 80,000 km.
The US and the European Union together account
for 80 per cent of IndiaвЂ™s total apparel exports.
*Government
Introduces
вЂњKnow
India
ProgrammeвЂќ for NRI and PIO Youth: The
Government has introduced a programme named
вЂњKnow India ProgrammeвЂќ for young persons of
Overseas Indians with a view to provide them an
exposure to the country of their origin so that they can
understand it better and more intimately.
Under the programme, 20 young persons of
Indian origin in the age group of 18 to 24 from
different countries visit India extensively every
year, which will provide them an opportunity to
have a deeper insight into Indian people and
*DISHA- Driving industry Towards Sustainable
society.
Human Capital Advancement: It is the initiative of
*India gets historic whistleblowers protection bill:
Ministry of Textiles.
textile
The Indian Parliament has passed the Whistleblower
manufacturers and exporters to follow better
Protection Bill on the last day of the last
social and work practices.
parliamentary session of the incumbent government.
The
scheme
is
to
encourage
the
This will give them a competitive edge in the
This is one of the six anti-graft bills that have been
global markets where social compliance is
billed by the government as possible effective
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NATIONAL - News
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IAS EXPRESS
JANUARY вЂ“ FEBRUARY 2014
tools against corruption.
addressed with the launching of e-wallet scheme,
The bill, pending in the Indian Parliament for
he said.
several years, provides for protection of Indian
Since the customer's money is already deposited
whistleblowers eager to uncover corruption. India
with the IRCTC, he is not transferred to the bank's
is among the 140 countries who have signed the
server for payment. This way precious time is
UN Convention against Corruption.
saved and the chances of money deduction and not
Indian RTI (Right to Information) activists have
getting ticket are also nullified.
been campaigning for the passage of this
Only PAN card verified users can register this
legislature even as 40 Indian whistleblowers have
scheme and in case of ticket cancellation, the due
been killed in the past 5 years. In recent years,
refund will be credited to the e-wallet account next
incidents of harassment, intimidation and violence
day.
have also been reported by whistleblowers across
the country.
*Lakshmi Swaminathan is first Indian to become
The void in fighting corruption has been sorely
ADB
felt, say analysts. For activists like Nikhil Dey who
Swaminathan
has helped draft the historic Right to Information
Administrative Tribunal of the Asian Development
in India, the implementation of this bill is a critical
Bank (ADB) for three years.
Admin
Tribunal
has
been
president:
elected
Lakshmi
president
of
step, who says, over time, this would radically
Swaminathan is the 7th president of the Tribunal.
expand the notion of the whistle blower.
She is the first Indian to become the president of
When implemented, the bill would create a legal
the Tribunal.
framework to investigate and prosecute cases of
Of the previous six presidents, two had been from
corruption involving government officials.
the US, two from Philippines, one from Sri Lanka
and one from the UK.
*IRCTC launches e-wallet scheme for booking
She was appointed as member of the Tribunal in
tickets: Indian Railway Catering and Tourism
2010 and has been its acting president since
Corporation has launched e-wallet, a user-friendly
August 2013.
scheme aimed at making purchase of e-tickets easier.
ADB
board
of
directors
established
the
The e-wallet is a rolling deposit scheme wherein
Administrative Tribunal in 1991 as an external
the customers will have an account with the
mechanism to review personnel decisions by
IRCTC and deposit money to be used in future for
Management.
booking e-tickets from its website (irctc.co.in),
The other judges of this Tribunal are from the UK,
said a senior IRCTC official involved with the
Australia, the US and Japan.
project.
Manila headquartered ADB consists of 64 member
There have been instances when customer's login,
countries, including India.
in the IRCTC site, expires during this process and
money is deducted from his bank account but he
*Mr.
fails to get the ticket. The problem is being
Parliamentarian retired after serving seven decades:
CrackingIAS.com
Rishang
Keishing:
NATIONAL - News
IndiaвЂ™s
oldest
3
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IAS EXPRESS
JANUARY вЂ“ FEBRUARY 2014
IndiaвЂ™s oldest parliamentarian, Mr. Rishang Keishing
exploration
(94) decided to retire after serving the nation for
hydrocarbons.
seven decades. His term at Rajya Sabha (the Upper
Under NELP, 360 exploration blocks have been
House of Parliament) ends on April 9, 2014.
offered so far and 254 blocks have been awarded.
and
production
(E&P)
of
Mr. Keishing started his political career as a
Presently 148 blocks are active and 106 have been
socialist and became the member of the first Lok
relinquished.
Sabha in 1952 after being elected from Socialist
India is the 7th largest energy producer in the
Party; he joined the Congress in 1962. He had
world and the 4th largest energy consumer.
served as Chief Minister of Manipur four times.
This means that, it has to triple or quadraple its
energy production to ensure energy security and
*National Mission on Libraries launched: Aproved
economic growth.
by the government in November last year, NML was
set up in pursuance of a report of the National
*Prokash Karmakar, eminent painter, dead:
Knowledge Commission, which recommended a total
Influenced by the works of Picasso and the classic
revamp of the Library and Information Service sector
impressionists, he had won many prestigious awards
to serve the changing needs and expectations of the
including the Lalit Kala Akademi National Award in
users and give a fillip to the library movement in the
1968. His paintings reflected the degenerating society
country.
and the confusion that prevails in modern India.
Kolkata-based Raja Rammohun Roy Library
Foundation (RRRLF) is the nodal agency for
*SANKIRTANA: Sankirtana is a ritual singing,
the implementation of NML, a 10-member body
dancing and drumming of Manipur. UNESCO has
headed by Prof. Deepak Pental, former Vice
recently inscribed Sankirtana on the Representative
Chancellor of Delhi University.
List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of
Humanity, UNESCO for the year 2013.
*Petroleum Ministry Showcases 46 oil and gas
Sankirtana encompasses an array of arts performed
exploration blocks for offer in NELP-10:
The
to mark religious occasions and various stages in
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas today
the life of the Vaishnava people of the Manipur
showcased 46 onshore and offshore hydrocarbon
plains.
exploration blocks which have so far been finalized
Lord Krishna is the theme of Sankirtana.
for auction in the 10th round of the New Exploration
This is the 10th element which has been so
Licensing Policy (NELP-X).
inscribed on UNESCOвЂ™s Representative List and
The New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) for
25 more elements are awaiting inscription by the
exploration & production of oil & natural gas and
IGC as only one element is taken up every year for
the Coal Bed Methane (CBM) Policy for CBM
inscription.
was formulated by the Government of India during
1997-98 to provide a level playing field to both
*Southern grid connected to the national grid: The
the Public and Private sector companies in
Southern Grid has been synchronously connected to
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NATIONAL - News
4
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IAS EXPRESS
JANUARY вЂ“ FEBRUARY 2014
conflicted opinions on euthanasia, the apex court
the rest of the Grid in the country.
With this, the mission of вЂ�One Nation вЂ“ One Grid
stated that the Constitution bench will go into all
вЂ“
aspects of the issue and take a final decision on
One
FrequencyвЂ™
has
been
successfully
framing guidelines.
accomplished.
The southern grid connectivity was achieved on
The PIL filed by NGO вЂњCommon CauseвЂќ had
the evening of
December 31, 2013 through
contended that a person whose life was ebbing out
commissioning of Raichur-Solapur transmission
should be allowed to die, as the continuance of the
line by Power Grid Corporation of India
life with the support system was an unnatural
Limited, the Central Transmission Utility of the
extension of the natural life span. The Centre had
country.
vociferously opposed the plea terming it as
With this interconnection, Indian power system has
вЂњsuicideвЂќ which could not be allowed in the
entered into a new era and become one of the largest
country.
operating synchronous grids in the world with
As of 2002, euthanasia is only legal in the
about 232GW of installed power generation capacity.
Netherlands,
Synchronous integration of Southern Grid with rest
Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland, Germany,
of the national power Grid shall not only augment the
Albania, Colombia, and Japan and in the US states
inter-regional power transfer capacity of Southern
region but also relieve the congestion being
experienced in few transmission corridors as well as
enable optimal utilization of power.
Belgium,
and
Luxembourg.
of Washington, Oregon, Vermont, Texas and
Montana.
Euthanasia is decriminalized in Mexico, Thailand,
Estonia, the Australian State of Northern Territory
India will need a total installed capacity of 400
GW by 2022 to meet the power demand, which is a
and the US State of California.
huge challenge for the country.
Ensuring availability, adequacy, and affordability
have to be the crux of power sector strategy in India.
For this, the emphasis of power sector development
should be on capacity addition, transmission and
*Surajkund crafts mela off to a flying start: The
28th Surajkund International Crafts Mela, which has
Goa as its theme State this year, got off to a flying
start.
last mile connectivity.
Every year one state is identified as the theme
The Minister admitted that the shortage of gas supply
state. The mela showcases the richness and
has become a matter of concern since nearly 20 GW
diversity of handicrafts, handloom works and
of capacity is tied up in gas based power projects.
cultural heritage of India every year.
*Supreme Court refers 'euthanasia' issue to larger
*Swarna Vaidehi-First Ever Variety of Makhana
Constitution bench: The Supreme Court of India
Released in India: The variety of makhana (Euryale
referred the issue of legalizing euthanasia in the
ferox Salisb.) has been developed and released by
country
ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region,
to
a
five-judge
Constitution
bench.
Euthanasia is the practice of intentionally ending a
life in order to relieve pain and suffering. Due to
CrackingIAS.com
Patna, for the first time in India.
This variety developed through pure line selection
NATIONAL - News
5
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IAS EXPRESS
JANUARY вЂ“ FEBRUARY 2014
has the production potential of 2.8 вЂ“ 3.0 t/ha. in
The Vice President of India, Mr. Hamid Ansari
farmersвЂ™ field which is almost two fold higher than
released a book entitled вЂњPublic Issues before
the productivity of traditional cultivars.
ParliamentвЂќ authored by Mr. Vijay Darda (MP) in
Euryale ferox Salisb is an important aquatic crop,
New Delhi.
commonly known as Makhana, Gorgon nut or
To revise the salary structure of Union government
Fox nut.
employees from both civil and military services,
It is grown in stagnant perennial water bodies like
the Union Government constituted the 7th Central
ponds, land depressions, oxbow lakes, swamps and
Pay Commission under the chairmanship of Mr.
ditches.
Ashok Kumar Mathur, a retired Supreme Court
Its commercial cultivation is limited to North Bihar,
judge and retired chairman of Armed Forces
Manipur, parts of West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.
*UMSPP
set
to
increase
the
solar
power
generation in the country: An Ultra Mega Solar
Power Project (UMSPP) with a cumulative capacity
of 4,000 MW will be set up in Rajasthan near Jaipur,
close to Sambhar Lake.
Significantly, with the commissioning of this plant
and commercial utilisation of the harvested energy
therein, this would become the largest single
location solar electricity generation project in
the world.
PRELIMS 2014
Batch вЂ“ Postal &
Classroom Available
вЂў Wide Extensive coverage.
вЂў Special Focus on Science & Tech вЂ“ Current and
Applications.
вЂў Socio-Economic Issues.
вЂў Free Entry to Test Batch.
вЂў Focused attention.
вЂў Exam oriented syllabus coverage.
вЂў Highly potential questions to be covered.
вЂў More than 70 questions in GS PRELIMS 2013.
вЂў PRELIMS CUM MAINS BATCH AVAILABLE
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*What is the Paryaya system in Udipi? - Paryaya is
a system in which the eight pontiffs of Udupi
Tribunal.
undertake the responsibility of worshipping Lord
ICGS ABHINAV: It is the recently commissioned
Krishna and manage the temple by turn for a fixed
Indian Coast Guard's Fast Patrol Ship. It was
period of time. The swamiji who is in charge of the
built by the Kochi Shipyard limited.
worship and other rituals is known as the paryay
The Vice President of India, Mr. M. Hamid Ansari
swamiji. His Mutt is then known as the Paryaya Mutt.
launched a book titled вЂњWater, Peace and War вЂ“
The duration of the tenure is known as the paryaya
Confronting the Global Water CrisisвЂќ authored by
period. The ceremony of handing over the charge of
Mr. Brahma Chellaney.
Sri Krishna Mutt to the new swamiji is known as the
paryaya festival.
TIT BITS:
Radio Mewat: India`s first community radio
based consumer helpline launched at Nuh, Mewat,
Haryana.
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NATIONAL - News
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IAS EXPRESS
JANUARY вЂ“ FEBRUARY 2014
INTERNATIONAL - News
* Facebook announces purchase of WhatsApp
for $19bn: The social media giant, Facebook
announced purchased popular mobile messaging
company WhatsApp for a whopping $19 billion.
To date, it is the largest acquisition by the Mark
Zuckerberg-led firm, which will give it a
stronghold in the market for messaging. (Facebook
HQ:Menlo Park, California, US).
The acquisition of WhatsApp by Facebook is to
speed up the companyвЂ™s ability to bring
connectivity and utility around the world. As
part of the deal, the WhatsApp co-founder and
CEO Jan Koum would join the Facebook board.
WhatsApp would complement the existing chat
and messaging services to provide new tools for
Facebook community.
WhatsAppвЂ™s core messaging product and
FacebookвЂ™s existing messenger app will
continue to operate as standalone applications.
The acquisition will not impact the WhatsAppвЂ™s
brand and the companyвЂ™s headquarters will
remain in CaliforniaвЂ™s Mountain View.
*Angela Merkel awarded Israel's highest honor
by President Shimon Peres: German chancellor
awarded medal for 'standing by' Israel and her fight
against anti-Semitism and racism.
Merkel was given the award вЂ“ comparable to
France's Legion d'Honneur or Washington's
Presidential Medal of Freedom вЂ“ for "standing
by" Israel and her fight against anti-Semitism
and racism.
The medal features the North Star (to
symbolize the "right path") and a sevenbranched menorah or Jewish candelabrum - the
symbol of Israel - inscribed with the phrase
"From his shoulders and upward," from the
Book of Samuel 9:2.
*Mount Kelud Volcano Erupts in Indonesia:
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
declared a state of emergency on the main island of
Java because of a major volcanic eruption. Mount
Kelud in the east Java erupted and sends a cloud of
ash 30 km into the sky and blanketed villages up to
CrackingIAS.com
500 km away.
*Ms. Hillary R Clinton launched a new global
review of data on women empowerment: Ms.
Hillary Rodham Clinton launched a new global
review of data to analyze the advancement of
women and girls around the world since the mid1990s.
To promote female participation in education,
politics and the economy around the world.
Ms. Clinton publicized the new partnership at
New YorkUniversity between the Clinton
Foundation and the Gates Foundation. The
project is part of her вЂњNo CeilingsвЂќ initiative
that aims to empower women in the 21st
century and will collect and review data on the
progress of women since the 1995 United
Nations Beijing conference.
*Belgium has right-to-die for children: Belgium
has become the first country to allow euthanasia
for terminally ill children of all ages.
Belgium became the second country after
Netherlands to allow mercy-killing for children
and the first to lift all age restrictions.
Forms of euthanasia
Active euthanasia: when the medical
professionals, or another person, deliberately do
something that causes the patient to die.
Passive euthanasia: when the patient dies
because the medical professionals either donвЂ™t
do something necessary to keep the patient alive,
or when they stop doing something that is
keeping the patient alive.
Jurisdictions where euthanasia or assisted
suicide is legal: the Netherlands, Belgium,
Luxembourg, Switzerland, Estonia, Albania, and
the US states of Washington, Oregon and
Montana.
Other European countries that allows active
euthanasia are:Luxembourg: Permits active euthanasia for
over 18 years in age.
Switzerland: Doctors help adult patients to
commit suicide.
INTERNATIONAL - News
7
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*Ibrahim Mahlab sworn in as Prime Minister of
Egypt: Ibrahim Mahlab was sworn in as new
Egypt Prime Minister on 25 February 2014. He is a
former member of Hosni Mubarak's political party.
Mahlab was the housing minister in the
previous administration. He will head Egypt's
sixth government since the 2011 uprising that
toppled the autocratic Mubarak.
*International Mother Language Day - 21
February 2014: International Mother Language
Day (Bhasha Divas) was observed across the
world, with Bangladesh leading on 21 February
2014. This day is observed with an aim to promote
awareness of linguistic, multilingualism and
cultural diversity.
International Mother Language Day was
announced by UNESCO on 17 November 1999
and was formally recognised by the United
Nations General Assembly in its resolution
establishing 2008 as the International Year of
Languages.
It
celebrates
cultural
diversity
and
commemorates the вЂњlanguage martyrвЂќ students
of 1952 Bangladesh. In 1952 four students were
killed on 21 February 1952 because they
campaigned to officially use Bengali as their
mother language in Bangladesh instead of Urdu.
These students are honored by the
encouragement of multiculturalism and the
promotion of protective measures for
endangered languages.
*Matteo Renzi sworn-in as PM of Italy: Renzi,
39 is the ItalyвЂ™s youngest Prime Minister and he is
the third prime minister to reach office without
winning an election. Renzi belongs to the
Democratic Party, who was the former mayor of
the Florence.
The RenziвЂ™s 16-member cabinet is the smallest
cabinet of the country. This cabinet is also the
youngest one with an average age of 48. Half of
the cabinet ministers are women in Italian
history.
ItalyвЂ™s new Finance Minister is Pier Carlo
Padoan who is a deputy secretary-general and
chief economist of the Organisation for
CrackingIAS.com
IAS EXPRESS
Economic
(OECD).
JANUARY вЂ“ FEBRUARY 2014
Co-operation
and
Development
*Sri Lanka rejected the call of UNHRC for
International Inquiry: Sri Lanka rejected the call
by United Nations Human Rights Council
(UNHRC) for an international inquiry on 25
February 2014. The call for international inquiry
was made by the UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights Navi Pillay in her report on postcivil war scenario in Sri Lanka.
PillayвЂ™s draft report says that Sri Lanka is facing
mounting international failing to investigate
allegations of war crimes. The report
recommended for an independent, credible
criminal and forensic investigation to conduct
with international assistance into all alleged
violations of human rights and humanitarian
law.
The report also suggested for establishing a
truth-seeking process and urged Sri Lankan
Government to take more steps to demilitarize
the former war zone. Those perpetrators of
attacks on minorities, media and human rights
defenders be arrested and punished.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's
administration
rejected
PillayвЂ™s
report
expressing the recommendations as arbitrary,
intrusive and of a political nature.
In another development the US is planning to
propose a third resolution at the UNHCR over
SrilankaвЂ™s failure to properly investigate alleged
atrocities and wars crimes committed during the
civil war. The US earlier had successfully
carried out two resolutions urging Sri Lanka to
conduct its own investigation into allegations
against Sri Lankan government troops.
*UNSC unanimously approves Syria aid access
resolution: The United Nations Security Council
(UNSC) unanimously adopted a resolution on 22
February 2014 to boost humanitarian aid access in
Syria to ease some civilian suffering.
In the 15-member UNSC, the resolution was coauthored by Australia and Luxembourg calling
for an immediate end to all forms of violence in
the country and strongly condemned the rise of
INTERNATIONAL - News
8
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IAS EXPRESS
JANUARY вЂ“ FEBRUARY 2014
Al Qaida-affiliated terror.
Highlights of Resolution
The Resolution demanded that all parties (in
particular the Syrian authorities) will promptly
allow rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian
access for UN humanitarian agencies and their
implementing partners, including across conflict
lines and across borders.
It strongly condemned the widespread
violations of human rights and international
humanitarian law by the Syrian authorities. And
also urged all parties involved in the conflict to
lift sieges of populated areas including in
Aleppo, Damascus and Rural Damascus, and
Homs.
It also stressed the importance of medical
neutrality and demanded the demilitarization of
medical facilities, schools and other civilian
facilities.
The general secretary will submit a report to the
members every 30 days from the adaption of
resolution specifying progress made towards the
resolutionвЂ™s implementation.
The
resolution
emphasized
that
the
humanitarian situation will continue to
deteriorate in the absence of a political solution
and expressed support for the UN-sponsored
direct talks between Government and opposition
representatives.
*WorldвЂ™s first academic pornography journal
launched at London. The journal will focus on
developing knowledge of pornographies past and
present, in all their variations and around the
world.
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INDIA & WORLD
*Bangladesh's political crisis and India: The
recently concluded elections in Bangladesh saw the
Awami League (AL)party, led by Sheikh Hasina,
retuening to power. However, the election process
was not a smooth one.
It saw a low-level of voter turnout in the wake of
the boycott call given the opposition 18 party
alliance led by Khaleda Zia.
The anti-AL political forces, particularly the core
Islamists of the Jamaat Party are apprehensive that
a gradual political transformation of
Bangladesh to a more secular political-social
orientation will damage their fundamental
political interests of Islamising the nation.
The UN and the US have condemend Bangladesh
for its failure to conduct a transparent and a
democratic election.
In midst of all the chaos, India has officially
taken a prudent stance that it is ready to do
business with any government in Dacca including
a military-backed government.
The political, economic and even social
conditions in Bangladesh have not really been
stable over the years. The continuing political
instability does not augur well for its citizens as
well as for the neighbouring countries
particularly India. The socio-political and
security of the eastern and north-eastern
India, will invariably get affected in different
ways as a fall-out of the turmoil in
Bangladesh.
India needs to take adequate efforts to strengthen
the democratic forces in Bangladesh. Without
taking efforts to reign in the communal forces,
which have an anti-India stance, in Bangladesh,
India cannot ensure a social and political
stability-cum-security in its north-eastern
borders.
*Erlan Abdyldaev, the Foreign Minister of Kyrgyz
Republic visited India: Erlan Abdyldaev, the Foreign
Minister of Kyrgyz Republic was on an official visit
to India from 13 to 15 February 2014. During this
India visit of Abdyldaev, the two sides also
exchanged documents to make functional a bilateral
CrackingIAS.com
IAS EXPRESS
JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2014
treaty on mutual legal assistance and an agreement on
visa free travel for diplomatic, official and service
passport holders.
In recent years the Kyrgyz Republic has chosen a
political path of parliamentary democracy that is
similar to India's. In this context the two sides
agreed to intensify parliamentary exchanges and
the Indian side welcomed the proposed visit of a
Kyrgyz Parliamentary delegation to India later in
2014.
During the meeting, the two sides also expressed
satisfaction with the progress on the
implementation of the protocol of the 6th IndiaKyrgyz Republic Inter-Governmental Commission
on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and
Cultural Cooperation held in Bishkek in July 2013.
The two sides also discussed and agreed to take
new steps to stimulate bilateral trades and they
observed that the trade levels between the two
countries were below potential. Kyrgyz Republic
and India also noted the scope of cooperation in
fields of pharmaceuticals, transport and
communication, mining, education, textiles and
garment industries, health and tourism as priority
sectors for promotion of bilateral investments.
Some examples of partnership of India with
Kyrgyz Republic are
Commissioning of a potato processing plant in
Talas
Implementation of the IT Centre of Excellence
in Bishkek that has been planned for pan
Central Asia e-network
Kyrgyz side proposed a joint theatrical
production of the epic Manas and also discussed
cooperation in the field of film making. The two
sides also agreed to continue their close
cooperation in the UN. In the context of UN
reform, the Kyrgyz side supported permanent
membership for India in the United Nations
Security Council. The Kyrgyz side also
supported full membership for India in the
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
*Ethnic strife in South Sudan and the INPKF:
India will conduct an on-ground assessment of its
interests in South Sudan, especially the well being of
its 2,000 soldiers who are part of a United Nations
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stablisation team.
Bor, the capital of Jonglei State, is the current
centre of ethnically-based violence.
India as one of the three biggest contributors of
soldiers to U.N. peacekeeping missions has been
unhappy about not being consulted on some of
the ways in which operations are now being
carried out.
India, along with some other nations, has also
urged the U.N. Security Council to take steps for
going after people responsible for the killing of
their troops.
But IndiaвЂ™s interests are also political and
economic and their furtherance depends on
peaceful ties not only within South Sudan but
stable ties with Sudan from which it was carved
out in 2011.
Indian companies have 25 per cent stake in a South
Sudan oil company whose crude is sent across
Sudan by an India-built pipe.
It is to be noted that South Sudan is rich in crude
oil reserves, whereas the pipelines for shipping the
reserves lies in Sudan.
*India and Canada inked 3 pacts to enhance
business and cultural ties: India and Canada signed
3 pacts for cooperation in health sector, audio-visual
co-production and skill development. Currently, the
Governor General of Canada, Mr. David Johnston is
on a 9 day visit to India.
MoUs signed between India and Canada:
The Grand Challenges Canada and Department of
Biotechnology will work together to address the
global health challenges especially for women and
child healthcare.
The secretary of information and broadcasting, Mr.
Bimal Julka and Mr. Stewart Beck (High
Commissioner of Canada to India) signed an
agreement on the audio visual cooperation. This
MoU will enable Indian and Canadian film
producers to utilize a platform for collaboration on
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IAS EXPRESS
JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2014
various facets of film making. The agreement is
expected to deepen the engagement between the
critical sectors of the film industries of both
countries there by, providing a new chapter of
collaboration.
National Skill Development Corporation from
India and Association of Canadian Community
College from Canada will work in skill
development segment and to cooperate and share
the information and learning on this aspect.
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Science & Technology
Defence & Environment - News
*Thorium and the dream of clean nuclear power:
Thorium is a shiny, slightly radioactive metal. In its
natural form, thorium isn't fissile - meaning that, in
contrast to uranium, it can't split to sustain a nuclear
chain reaction.
вЂў But if thorium is bombarded with neutrons from a
small amount of fissile nuclear fuel acting as a
starter, either uranium-235 or plutonium-239, it is
converted to uranium-233 - a form of uranium that
is a first-rate nuclear fuel. Once started in a
reactor, the process is self-sustaining, with
subsequent fissions of uranium-233 in turn
converting more thorium to nuclear fuel.
вЂў In the kind of molten-salt cooled reactor favored
by many thorium proponents, the uranium-233 fuel
would be dissolved in a coolant of liquid fluoride
salts contained in a graphite core. Surrounding the
core would be a blanket of thorium, also dissolved
in liquid fluoride salts.
вЂў When the fuel in the core fissions, it produces heat
and a barrage of neutrons that pass through the
graphite and convert some of the thorium in the
blanket to uranium-233. This is then removed from
the blanket and fed into the core, while fresh
thorium is supplied to the blanket. The coolant and
fuel mixture from the reactor core is circulated
through a heat exchanger, so that the energy can be
extracted to power a turbine and generate
electricity.
вЂў One advantage of this system is that the fluoride
salt coolant has an extremely high boiling point of
1,400 degrees Celsius, far higher than the reactor's
operating temperature of about 750 degrees
Celsius. That means the whole system can operate
at close to normal atmospheric pressure.
вЂў In a conventional water-cooled reactor, the cooling
system must be designed to withstand high
pressure. That means reactors also must have
massive, heavily engineered and expensive
containment structures to minimize the danger
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IAS EXPRESS
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2014
from leaks or pressure explosions.
вЂў Because the core in a thorium molten-salt reactor
is already liquid, it can't melt down. The design
calls for a plug of frozen salt at the bottom of the
system. If the reactor overheats, the plug would
melt and the fuel and coolant would drain into a
containment vessel below, where it would rapidly
solidify and could be recovered for future use,
proponents say.
вЂў These reactors could be much more efficient than
most current nuclear plants, which extract between
three and five percent of the energy in uranium
fuel rods. In a molten salt reactor, almost all the
fuel is consumed.
вЂў One metric ton of thorium fuel would deliver the
same amount of energy as 250 metric tons of
uranium in a pressurized water reactor, according
to a briefing paper published by the United
Kingdom All Party Parliamentary Group on
Thorium, a group of UK lawmakers who advocate
adoption of the alternative fuel.
вЂў Also, because most of the fuel is consumed,
thorium yields little waste and is much less
radioactive, proponents say. Most of the residue
will become inert within 30 years, with about 17
per cent needing secure storage for about 300
years.
вЂў The most dangerous waste from current generation
reactors requires storage for 10,000 years.
вЂў The molten-salt reactor may have one further
benefit. Some advocates believe they can be used
to burn off existing nuclear waste.
* Prithvi II missile test fired: The Prithvi missiles
are the indigenously developed missiles, under the
IGMDP, and are capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
The Prithvi II missile is a surface to surface
missile capable of carrying upto 500 kg nuclear
warheads.
DHANUSH is the naval variant of the Prithvi II
and has a range of 250km.
* Quadri-cycles to ply from October 1: A new
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category of four-wheelers - quadricycle - will be
allowed to ply in cities across the country from
October 1, largely replacing the auto-rickshaws. As a
safety measure, it will be mandatory for such vehicles
to have seatbelts for both the occupants in the front
and two in the rear seat.
After the law ministry vetted the notification for
the vehicle, powered by clean fuel and battery, the
road transport ministry has sent it for gazette
notification. A ministry official said safety
concerns of quadricycle have been addressed by
introducing the provision of seatbelts and braking
system like that of cars, which falls under M1
category of vehicles. These features are
significant since there is no provision for carrying
out crash tests for these vehicles. Several
automobile manufacturers had called the vehicle
"unsafe", forcing the introduction of the changes.
The ministry official said that the emission norms
of these vehicles will be better than autorickshaws. Quadricycles will have hard top and
doors.
The new category of vehicles will have a
maximum speed of 70 kmph and won't be allowed
to ply on highways.
Enforcement authorities can challan quadricycles
found plying on highways. These can be easily
identified since there will be a big 'Q' mark on
these vehicles.
The vehicle, manufactured by Bajaj Autio, is
expected to run 35 km on a litre of fuel. Piaggio
and Mahindras are also keen on the segment.
* Stephen hawking rejects the 'event horizon'
phenomena in black holes: Acclaimed theoretical
physicist Stephen Hawking, one of the creators of
modern theory on black holes, has now questioned the
existence of the phenomenon known as event horizon
around them.
In a paper posted online on University of
Cambridge, Britain, Prof. Hawking has proposed a
new theory called вЂ�apparent horizon' which is
much less tyrannical and only temporarily
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IAS EXPRESS
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2014
prevents matter and energy from escaping.
"The absence of event horizons mean that there are
no black holes вЂ” in the sense of regimes from
which light can not escape to infinity,вЂќ Prof.
Hawking, director of research at the centre for
theoretical cosmology, was quoted as saying in a
report by the journal Nature.
According to Nature, Hawking's paper is an
"attempt to solve the so-called black-hole
firewall paradox, which has been vexing
physicists for almost two years". This paradox
works like this: Einstein's theory predicts that if a
space traveler were to fall into a black hole, he or
she would just shoot through the event horizon
with nary a ruffle and accelerate towards the black
hole's infinitely dense core, all the time getting
stretched longer and longer like a noodle. But
quantum mechanics predicts that the event horizon
should be a highly energetic region - a 'firewall' as
Nature puts it - and the space traveler would be
burnt to a cinder instantaneously. Hawking's paper
is the solution - a third way out of this paradox. He
does away with the event horizon, saving both
general relativity and quantum mechanics.
According to Einstein's theory, a black hole is an
entity in which matter has collapsed to a single
point creating gigantic gravitational force, and
trapping all energy or matter from ever escaping
its clutches. Since light or any radiation cannot
escape from a black hole, humans or their
instruments can never directly 'see' a black hole
although its existence is inferred from other
symptoms nearby like high energy radiation
emitted by matter just before falling into the black
hole.
The event horizon of a black hole is the
boundary (вЂ�horizonвЂ™) between its вЂ�outsideвЂ™ and
its вЂ�insideвЂ™; those outside cannot know anything
about things (вЂ�eventsвЂ™) which happen inside.
* World's longest free Wi-Fi zone in Patna: The
state's free Wi-Fi zone is the longest in the world
since China's 3.5km zone was treated as the longest so
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IAS EXPRESS
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2014
far. The 'city surveillance and dial 100' project is first
of its kind in the country as it integrates the
surveillance of the city, vehicle tracking and dial 100
control centre schemes.
An automated number plate recognition system
has been installed on 11 roads, which will
automatically note the registration number of the
vehicles entering and exiting the city.
system known as Email Miles uses GPS and internet
tracking to determine where a message was sent from
and where it was received.
It then calculates the total distance between the
two and displays it on the screen alongside a map.
The creator of the system, Jonah Brucker-Cohen, a
design lecturer, said he hoped it would remind
people how quickly they can communicate today
in a digital world.
*вЂњAsteroid 2000 Em26вЂќ: Potentially hazardous
space rock safely passed by Earth: The space rock,
known as 2000 EM26, poses no threat and passed the
Earth at just under nine times the distance to the
moon. Though, it is defined as a potentially hazardous
Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) that was large enough to
cause significant damage in the event of an impact.
The system shows how indirect the route of emails
can be. An email sent from New York to Dakar,
Senegal, shows how this works. It travelled 790
miles (1,271km) to a server in Chicago Illinois,
and went 2,163 miles (3,481km) to Mountain
View, California; 1,699 miles (2,734km) to Dallas;
4,745 miles (7,636km) to London; and 2,718 miles
(4,374km) to its destination - 12,115 miles (19,497
km) in all.
NasaвЂ™s Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM)
First-ever mission to identify, capture and
redirect an asteroid.
Plans to use capabilities of the new Orion
spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket and
high-power solar electric propulsion to capture
an asteroid in the near future.
This was subtle reminder of the dangers of the
asteroid impacts just one year after historic event
took place on February, 2013.
An asteroid is coined a Near Earth Asteroid
(NEA) when its trajectory brings it within 1.3 AU
from the Sun and hence within 0.3 AU of the
Earth's orbit. A NEA is said to be a Potentially
Hazardous Asteroid (PHA) when its orbit comes to
within 0.05 AU (= 19.5 LD [Lunar Distance] = 7.5
million km) of the Earth's orbit, the so-called Earth
Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance (MOID)
A previous-unknown discovered asteroid exploded
over Chelyabinsk, Russia and injured 1200 people
and sent shock waves shattering windows and
damaging buildings in Chelyabinsk.
*вЂњEmail MilesвЂќ- Tracks how far our email has
travelled: A system that uses GPS technology to
calculate the number of miles an email has travelled
before reaching an inbox has been developed. The
CrackingIAS.com
*Achievements of Ministry of Science and Tech in
2013: Following are the salient features of the
initiatives taken by the Unnion Ministry of Science &
Technology during the year 2013:
1) PM Unveils New Science, Technology and
Innovation Policy at Centenary Session of Indian
Science Congress:
вЂў The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh,
unveiled the Science, Technology and Innovation
Policy (STI) 2013 at the inaugural session of the
Centenary session of the Indian Science Congress
at Kolkatta on 3rd January, 2013.
вЂў The STI Policy sought to send a signal to the
Indian scientific community that science,
technology and innovation should focus on faster,
sustainable and inclusive development of the
people.
вЂў The policy seeks to focus on both STI for people
and people for STI.
вЂў It seeks the right sizing of the gross expenditure on
research and development
вЂў Encouraging and incentivizing private sector
participation in R & D, technology and
innovation activities.
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IAS EXPRESS
вЂў It also seeks to bring in mechanisms for achieving
gender parity in STI activities
вЂў Gaining global competitiveness in select
technological
areas
through
international
cooperation and alliances.
вЂў The policy goal is to accelerate the pace of
discovery, diffusion and delivery of science led
solutions.
вЂў A Strong and viable Science, Research and
Innovation system for High Technology led path
for India (SRISHTI) are the goal for the STI
policy.
2) CSIR-OSDD Collaborates with the Royal
Society of Chemistry
in
Cheminformatics for Novel DrugsвЂќ:
вЂў To
raise
awareness
of the
вЂњAdvancing
importance
of
Cheminformatics to accelerate the discovery of
novel therapies for neglected diseases like TB
and Malaria, the Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR) signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) between its Open Source
Drug Discovery (OSDD) initiative and the Royal
Society of Chemistry (RSC).
вЂў The MoU, spanning three years, aims to address
the objective of finding novel, faster acting, and
more effective regimens for TB and Malaria by
advancing the discipline of Cheminformatics.
3)DBT Announces Phase III Clinical Trial Results
of Rotavirus Vaccine Developed in India Say
Vaccine Demonstrates Strong Efficacy:
вЂў ROTAVAC is the indigenous rota virus vaccine
developed by the Department of Biotechnology in
collaboration with Bharath Biotech.
вЂў ROTAVAC significantly reduced severe rotavirus
diarrhoea by more than half.
*Fungal infections no less lethal: Fungal infections
kill close to 1.3 million people globally every year,
matching the mortality rate of AIDS, cancer, malaria
and tuberculosis, and also cause blindness to 300
million people annually.
The magnitude of the problem is particularly
serious in India because of overcrowding in
CrackingIAS.com
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2014
hospitals, malnutrition and unhygienic
tropical environs.
From the limited data available in India, among
the three major fungal infections in hospitals, the
prevalence of candidemia(300-500 cases per
year) at any tertiary care institute (with 1,500
beds) is more than what obtains in the whole of
Australia.
A fungal infection is also known as mycosis.
Although most fungi are harmless to humans,
some of them are capable of causing disease
under specific conditions.
Fungi reproduce by releasing spores that can
be picked up by direct contact or even inhaled.
ThatвЂ™s why fungal infections often affect the
lungs, skin, or nails.
Fungi can also penetrate the skin to affect your
organs and cause a whole body systemic
infection.
Some common fungal infections include:
Athlete's foot, Ringworm, candidemia etc.
*GENE THERAPY cures CHOROIDEREMIA:
Two men with progressive blindness have partially
regained their vision after taking part in the first
clinical trial of a certain gene therapy. The men were
among six patients to have experimental treatment for
a rare, inherited, disorder called choroideremia,
which steadily destroys eyesight and leaves people
blind in middle age.
Choroideremia is caused by a faulty gene,
called CHM, on the X chromosome. The disease
mostly affects men because they have only one
copy of the X chromosome. Women have two
copies of the X chromosome, so a healthy version
of the gene on one chromosome can largely make
up for any defects on the other.
The therapy uses a genetically modified virus to
smuggle healthy copies of the CHM gene into
light-sensitive cells in the retina and supporting
tissue called retinal pigment epithelium. Surgeons
injected modified virus particles behind the retinas
of the patients in an operation that could be
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completed in an hour under general anaesthetic.
*GSLV D5 launch propels India to an elite club:
The GSLV D5, with an indigenously built cryogenic
engine, put the 1982kg GSAT-14 communication
satellite in the orbit.
This is the first time that the ISRO has gained
succes with an indigenously built cryogenic
technology.
The missionвЂ™s success means India now has the
IAS EXPRESS
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2014
programme (IGMDP). In operation from 1983
to 2007, the programme developed a range of
missiles, including the Nag, Agni and Trishul
missiles and the Prithvi ballistic missile.
The strike range of Akash is 30 Kilometer and it
has the capability of targeting a aircraft in the
range.
Experts of defence compare Akash with the
American MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air
missile system.
ability to put satellites weighing more than two
tonnes in orbit, joining the elite club of the U.S.,
Russia, France, Japan and China who have
mastered this perilous technology of using
cryogenic propellants -- liquid oxygen at minus
Trial session of Akash was conducted last time on
6 June 2012 from the same base and it is possible
that some more trials will be conducted within
next couple of days.
183 degrees Celsius and liquid hydrogen at
minus 253 degreesвЂ™ Celsius.
Cryogenic engines form the third stage of the
GSLV. The advantage of using the liquid
*ISRO: Experimental launch of GLSV Mark III in
May/June: The Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) would carry out an experimental launch of
GSLV Mark III in May/ June. The national space
agency, ISRO is also set to send its next satellite
IRNSS-1B on board rocket PSLV C24 from Satish
Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in March/April
2014.
The indigenous development of the GSLV Mk-III
will facilitate launching of four ton class of
communication satellites to Geo-synchronous
Transfer Orbit, benefiting all sections of the
society, including remote and far-flung areas of the
country.
The GSLV Mark III (GSLV Mk-III) project was
approved in 2002 with an outlay of Rs 2,498 crore.
The programme will be a major leap in
technological complexity as compared to the
ongoing Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
and GSLV programmes.
The Experimental flight of GSLV Mk-III (LVM3X) with flight versions of Solid Stages (S200),
Liquid Stage (L110) and a passive cryogenic stage
(C25) is planned this year to validate some of the
new systems and flight sequences, hitherto not
demonstrated in PSLV/GSLV flights.
The first development flight (GSLV Mk-III D1)
with an operational cryogenic stage is planned
propellents is that, they occupy a lesser
volume, when compared to gaseous propellants,
apart from offering greater stability to the
vehicle.
*India successfully test-fired Akash missile from
ITR Complex in Chandipur: India on 21 February
2014 successfully test-fired indigenously developed
surface-to-air Akash Missile from the Integrated Test
Range (ITR) launch complex-3 at Chandipur in
Odisha coast.
The missile that was launched targeted a floating
object that was supported by Pilotless Target
Aircraft (PTA) Lakshya. The intercepting floating
object PTA Lakshya aircraft was flown from
launch complex-2 at a definite altitude over the
sea.
Akash Missile
The Akash (sky) is an all-weather mediumrange Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) system
developed in India. It provides multidirectional
and multi-target area defence. The missile
system was indigenously developed as part of
the integrated guided-missile development
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between 2016 to 2017. The second development
flight (GSLV Mk-III D2) is planned after one year
of GSLV Mk-III D1 flight in 2017 to 2018.
*Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant leaks
radioactive water: Tokyo Electric Power Company
(TEPCO) on 20 February 2014 said that around 100
tonnes of highly radioactive water have leaked from a
storage tank at JapanвЂ™s Fukushima nuclear plant. The
leakage of the highly contaminated water was
discovered on 19 February 2014 and it happened after
a valve was left open.
This is the latest leak reported at the Fukushima
Plant that has seen huge volumes of radioactive
water since 2011 quake-tsunami disaster. This leak
of the contaminated water will affect waters across
the pacific in the foreseeable future.
The tests indicated that in the groundwater at the
Fukushima nuclear plant, Strontium-90 was found
at 30 times more than the legal rate. The
radioactive isotope tritium was also found at the
elevated levels.
Strontium-90 is formed in the form of byproduct of the nuclear fission. The tests
conducted by Tepco unveiled that levels of
Strontium-90 at Fukushima plant increased 100
times since end of 2012. Tepco believed that the
increased levels of Strontium-90 were a result of
leak of contaminated water in April 2011 from one
of the reactors of this nuclear plant.
On the other hand, Tritium was present at eight
times more than the allowed level. Tritium is used
in the glow watches. Toxic radioactive in the
groundwater leads to ill effects on health as well as
environment.
*Mangroves shifting poleward in Florida: The
expansion is due to decrease in extreme cold events
in the pole regions, an indication of accelerating
climate change.
Adding to the growing evidence of climate
change-induced poleward migration and/or
expansion of many fish and terrestrial plant
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JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2014
species, a paper published recently in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
(PNAS) journal has found a massive expansion of
mangroves in Florida.
By default, mangroves are restricted to the
tropical areas as they cannot tolerate the extreme
cold events that are so very typical of the
temperate zone.
Therefore, the massive expansion of mangroves in
the temperate zone of Florida during the last three
decades is proof of climate changeвЂ™s role.
The region north of 26.75 degree N latitude had
registered an increase in coverage as there was a
вЂњsignificant decreaseвЂќ in the frequency of extreme
cold events during the last three decades, they
note.
*MeCP2 protein and RETT SYNDROME: The
RETT SYNDROME is a neuro degenerative genetic
disorder that most often affect the females. It is
caused due to mutations induced in the gene that
encodes for a protein called MeCP2.
*MIT
scientist
Sangeeta
Bhatia
invents
inexpensive cancer detection method: paper test:
The Indian-American scientist, Ms. Sangeeta Bhatia
developed a simple, cheap, paper test that could
improve cancer diagnosis rates and help people to get
treated earlier. Ms. Bhatia is professor at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and
Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
The diagnostic, which works much like a
pregnancy test, could reveal within minutes,
based on a urine sample, whether a person has
cancer. The synthetic biomarker technology relies
on nano-particles that interact with tumour
proteins called proteases, each of which can trigger
release of hundreds of biomarkers that are then
easily detectable in a patientвЂ™s urine.
Synthetic biomarker technology: To amplify
signals from tumor proteins (that would be hard to
detect on their own) by injecting special
nanoparticles into the body.
Science & Technology + Defence & Environment + Health Issues - News
18
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These proteins are known as Matrix Metallo
Proteinase (MMP) that help cancer cells to escape
from their original locations by cutting through
proteins of the extra cellular matrix, which
normally holds cells in place.
These nanoparticles, coated with peptides (short
protein fragments), can interact with tumour
proteins called proteases. In a patientвЂ™s body, these
particles congregate at tumour sites, where cancer
proteases cleave the peptides, which then
accumulate in the kidneys and are excreted in the
patientвЂ™s urine.
As per the current version of the technology,
patients would first receive an injection of the
nanoparticles, and then urinate onto the paper test
strip. To make the process more convenient, the
researchers are now working on a nanoparticle
formulation that could be implanted under the skin
for longer-term monitoring.
These biomarkers are easily detectable using an
approach known as a lateral flow assay, the same
technology used in pregnancy tests. In tests in
mice, the researchers were able to accurately
identify colon tumours, as well as blood clots.
*MOEF compromises on forest clearance
guidelines: Several project proposals which were
taken off the list for forest clearance as they fell
within wildlife zones or were awaiting comprehensive
assessment will be considered afresh by the Forest
Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Environment
and Forests in January.
The proposals include exploration for coal in
Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh, in zones that were
earlier identified by the ministry as being part of
a wildlife corridor. There is also a proposal to
permit iron ore excavation in Saranda, Jharkhand,
where permission for mining was blocked after
the area had been identified as an elephant
reserve.
Yet another proposal is for the 700 MW Tato-II
Hydroelectric Project on the Siyom in Arunachal
Pradesh without a cumulative assessment study
CrackingIAS.com
IAS EXPRESS
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2014
the ministry earlier mandated for the river basin.
The Forest Advisory Committee is the
statutory authority under the Forest
Conservation Act.
It is headed by the seniormost forest officer,
Director-General of Forests, and comprises
several senior forest officials and some nonofficial experts.
All proposals for forest clearance are assessed
by this committee, and the Environment
Minister takes the final call on the projects based
on its reviews. Rarely does the Minister go
against the committeeвЂ™s views and the listing of
projects on the agenda for the panel is done with
the MinisterвЂ™s knowledge.
*Molecule that protects brain from cannabis
intoxication found: Researchers discovered that
PREGNENOLONE prevents THC, the main active
ingredient in cannabis, from fully activating its brain
receptor which causes the intoxicating effects of
cannabis.
Scientists have found a brain molecule which
acts as a natural defence mechanism against
the harmful effects of cannabis.
THC acts on the brain through CB1
cannabinoid receptors located in the neurons.
THC binds to these receptors diverting them from
their physiological roles.
*PM inaugurates Indira Paryavaran Bhawan: This
Bhawan will house the Ministry of Environment and
Forest and has a provision to accommodate its 600
officials.
On the terrace are huge solar panels. This is where
the building generates almost 1 MW of power for
its needs. The panels, imported from the US, have
a high efficiency conversion rate of 18 percent.
The building also has three levels of automated
underground parking which can house 300 cars.
Another feature of the building is the use of Geo
thermal heat exchange system to cut down the
power needed to run air conditioners.
Science & Technology + Defence & Environment + Health Issues - News
19
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The building also recycles all of its water.
The Bhawan is IndiaвЂ™s first on site Net Zero
Building built by the adoption of Solar Passive
design and energy efficient building material.
This has been designed as the highest-green rated
building i.e., GRIHA 5-Star and LEED India
Platinum.
*Samsung unveils a pair of new Gear smart
watches, both powered by Tizen: Samsung launched
second generation Gear smart watches powered by
Tizen operating system to break the iOS and Android
duopoly in the mobile market.
Tizen
It is a project within the Linux Foundation and
is governed by a Technical Steering Group
(TSG) composed of Samsung and Intel among
others.
Open-source Linux powered operating system.
Standards-based software platform supported by
leading mobile operators, device manufacturers,
and silicon suppliers for multiple device
categories viz. smartphones, tablets, netbooks,
in-vehicle infotainment devices, smart TVs,
smart cameras, etc.
Objective: To offer a consistent user experience
across devices.
Offers an innovative operating system,
applications, and a user experience that
consumers can take from device to device.
Available programming languages: HTML5, C,
C++.
Provides application development tools based
on the JavaScript libraries jQuery and jQuery
Mobile.
Provides a robust and flexible environment for
application developers, based on HTML5. With
HTML5вЂІs robust capabilities and cross platform
flexibility, it is rapidly becoming the preferred
development environment for mobile apps and
services.
The Tizen SDK and API allow developers to
use HTML5 and related web technologies to
CrackingIAS.com
IAS EXPRESS
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2014
write applications that run across multiple
device segments.
SamsungвЂ™s NX300M smart camera was the first
device to run on Tizen, and the Gear 2 paves the
way for what Samsung calls the вЂњTizen based
wearable platform.вЂќ
*Study found that Fertilization destabilizes Global
Grassland Ecosystems: A new research study named
Nutrient Network (NutNet) published in the third
week of February 2014 says that use of fertilizers in
farming and industries have destabilizing effects on
global grassland ecosystems. The study was carried
out by an international team of researchers and
scientists from Lancaster University and University of
Minnesota, who found that the natural ecosystem
creates more stable ecosystems overtime, because of
less synchronized growth of pants.
The conclusion on the study was compiled, when
the team was exploring the theory that whether
spread of fertilizer by farmers when coupled with
the atmospheric nitrogen is brought back to the
ground through rainfall has an effect on the
grassland. The team found destabilization of the
natural eco-system as a result.
The team discovered that the balance output of the
ecological safety net on addition of fertilizer was
upset across diverse grassland as the various
organisms in those disappeared.
The team
assessed the effect of fertilizer on 41 sites across 5
continents. The experimental network included
eco-systems from alpine areas of China to
Serengeti in Tanzania.
This study was the first international experiment of
this size with the use of naturally occurring sites.
This study was made possible following a grassroots campaign named NutNet (Nutrient Network)
and supported by scientists to carry out an ecology
research. This study was published in the
international journal Nature.
*Target AcceleratorвЂ™s First Batch In India Bets
Big On Social Commerce, Mobile And Analytics:
Science & Technology + Defence & Environment + Health Issues - News
20
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The Indian arm of US retailer Target, Target India
launched its Target Accelerator Programme in
Bangalore to incubate and provide mentoring to its
first batch of five technology start-ups. Target will
provide funding of up to $30,000 in cash and
operational expenses to each of its incubated ventures.
Target Accelerator Programme (TAP): TargetвЂ™s
program is designed to help early-stage startups to
develop ideas that could improve the retail giantвЂ™s
business and the broader retail industry.
On incubating startups operating in the areas of
mobile, content, social, search, data and analytics.
Runs for four-months in Target IndiaвЂ™s Bangalore
office and will annually incubate four to five
startups in the mobile, social media and big data
analytics segment.
The selected startups will also be mentored and
provided with business tools and operational
support.
*Venom GT, worldвЂ™s fastest car recorded 435
kilometer per hour: Engineers of US firm
Hennessey have developed the worldвЂ™s fastest car
Venom GT with a top speed of a speed of 435
kilometers per hour. The firm set a new record for the
fastest car in the world during a test run at the
Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on 25 February
2014 by beating the previous best record of 431
kilometer per hour set by the Bugatti Veyron Super
Sport.
*Vizag Zoo: Soon, IndiaвЂ™s first breeding centre for
wild dogs (Dhole): The Indira Gandhi Zoological
Park (IGZP) or Vizag Zoo will be the first zoo in
India to have a conservation breeding centre for the
endangered wild dog or вЂ�Dhole.вЂ™ The Central Zoo
Authority selected IGZP to have a breeding centre for
Dholes.
Dhole
Also called the Asiatic wild dog or Indian wild
dog.
Highly social and cooperative animal lives in
large clans which occasionally split up into
CrackingIAS.com
IAS EXPRESS
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2014
small packs to hunt.
Highest number of wild dogs in captivity in
India: 22.
Classified as an endangered species by the
IUCN: Due to ongoing habitat loss, depletion of
its prey base, competition from other predators,
persecution and possibly diseases from domestic
and feral dogs.
In India, the Dholes are protected under Schedule
2 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. (As per
the schedule 2 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act,
1972, permission is required to kill any individual
unless in self-defense or if an individual is a man
killer.
PRELIMS
2014
Crash Course
From
APRIL 5,
2014
вЂў Wide Extensive coverage.
вЂў Special Focus on Science & Tech вЂ“
Current and Applications.
вЂў Socio-Economic Issues.
вЂў Free Entry to Test Batch.
вЂў Focused attention.
вЂў Exam oriented syllabus coverage.
вЂў Highly potential questions to be
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ECONOMICS - News
* Government launches the CPI Indexed National
Savings Certificate: These will be open for
subscription from December 23, 2013.
Interest rate on these securities will comprise two
parts: a fixed rate (1.5%) and the inflation rate
based on the final Combined Consumer Price
Index.
The interest rate will be compounded on halfyearly basis and paid on maturity.
Eligible investors include individuals, Hindu
Undivided Family, charitable institutions and
universities. Investment can range from Rs 5,000
to Rs 5,00,000 per applicant per annum.
* Govt favours the continuation of 100%FDI in
Pharma sector: The government will continue with
the policy of allowing 100 per cent foreign direct
investment in existing pharmaceutical firms.
In a Press Note, the Department of Industrial Policy
and Promotion (DIPP), under the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry, also said the Foreign
Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) would decide
on the contentious non-compete clause in special
cases.
The department had earlier proposed strict norms to
tighten the FDI policy for the sector amid concern
that takeovers of Indian companies by
multinationals have led to non-availability of
affordable drugs in the country.
Foreign
investors buying stake in Indian pharmaceutical
companies will not be able to enter into a noncompete agreement with promoters of these
companies.
Under the current policy, 100 per cent foreign
direct investment (FDI) is allowed in both the
greenfield and brownfield pharma projects through
automatic and approval route respectively.
However, the government can incorporate
conditions for FDI in brownfield cases at the
time of granting approvals.
The press note issued by the department of
CrackingIAS.com
IAS EXPRESS
January - February 2014
industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) retained
the the existing FDI policy in the pharmaceutical
sector, but has decided that the вЂњnon-compete
clause would not be allowed except in special
circumstances with the approval of the Foreign
Investment Promotion BoardвЂќ.
Non-compete clause is a usual provision in any
merger and acquisition agreement which restricts
the promoters of the acquisitioned company from
entering into the same line of business for a fixed
period of time.
For example: In 2010 when the US based Abbot
laboratories staked its claim in the domestic
Piramal helathcare, a 8 year non-compete clause
was signed. That means, the promoters of piramal
healthcare cannot enter the same line of business
for 8 years.
*Bangladesh rejects India's request: Bangladesh has
rejected India's request to notify it as a country from
where it imports cotton yarn as input for textile
products it exports to the European Union (EU).
India had been requesting Bangladesh for more
than a year now to extend the EU's Generalized
Scheme of Preferences (GSP) benefits to yarn
exporters. If Bangladesh had notified India as a
source country for its inputs, under the EU's
revised rules of origin, the tariff concession
benefits of EU's GSP would have been available
to Indian fabric and yarn exporters to Bangladesh.
The import of textiles and clothing by the EU
from Bangladesh has grown by 29 per cent in
2011 from 2010, according to data by the
European Commission.
In 2011, India allowed zero-duty access to
Bangladesh except for 25 products which are kept
under the sensitive list under the South Asian Free
Trade Area Agreement from 480 products.
Under the EU's GSP, developing countries get
preferential access to the EU market through
reduced tariffs. The EU grants Bangladesh and
47 least-developed countries duty-free and
quota-free access to the EU market for all
products under this scheme.
ECONOMICS - News
22
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After a recent revision of the scheme in October
2012, the EU has permitted these countries to
extend the benefits to those countries also which
are involved in supplying raw materials to the
country exporting the final product.
*BRICS Development Bank and India's position:
The Finance Ministry has caused ripples in economic
diplomacy circles by asking Reliance-supported thinktank Observer Research Foundation (ORF) to draft
strategy papers for IndiaвЂ™s position in the G20 on the
BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India China, and South Africa)
Development Bank.
At the Durban Summit in March 2013, the
BRICS countries had decided to set up a
Development Bank for funding infrastructure
projects.
The BRICS Development Bank will also create a
Contingency Reserve Arrangement worth $100
billion that member countries will be able to tap
should they have to counteract financial shocks in
future such as the one caused by the Lehman
Brothers collapse.
*Committee moots more powers to RBI in setting
financial benchmarks: A Committee on Financial
IAS EXPRESS
January - February 2014
relating to financial benchmarks in India, and to
submit the report by December 31, 2013.
*Domestic Systemically Important Banks: (DSIBs): The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on
December 2, 2013, released a draft framework for
dealing with Domestic Systemically Important Banks
(D-SIBs).
A few banks assume systemic importance due
to their size and level of activity.
The disorderly failure of these banks has the
propensity to cause significant disruption to the
essential services provided by the banking system.
Banks classified as D-SIBs will be subjected to
additional reserve capital requirements.
These requirements will be applicable from April
1, 2016 in a phased manner and would become
fully effective from April 1, 2019.
Background:
As a response to the recent global financial crisis,
the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision
(BCBS) unveiled a series of reforms known as
Basel III norms. In addition, in November, 2011,
BCBS released a framework for identifying
Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBs).
Subsequently, BCBS finalised its framework for
dealing with D-SIBs in October 2012, which was
based on assessment by national authorities.
Benchmarks, headed by Reserve Bank of India
Executive Director P. Vijaya Bhaskar, has
suggested increased role for the apex bank for the
oversight of the benchmark setting process.
The committee has recommended a change in the
way of determining the money market
benchmarks so as to remove any possible scope
*Government announces uniform tax rates charges
for FPI's: In a major boost for overseas entities, the
government has said that foreign portfolio investors
(FPIs) will attract uniform tax rate across categories.
for manipulation.
The draft report has recommended that the
overnight Mumbai Inter-bank Bid Rate-Mumbai
Inter-bank Offered Rate (Mibid-Mibor) fixing be
based on вЂњthe volume-based weighted average of
traded rates from 9 to 10 in the morning.вЂ™вЂ™
The committee was set up in the aftermath of
FPIs bring together all the three investment
categories вЂ” foreign institutional investors
(FIIs), their sub-accounts and qualified foreign
investors (QFIs).
Besides, the tax rate for FPIs would be the same
as that extended to FIIs. The new system would
be especially beneficial for QFIs, who were
revelations regarding manipulations of several
key global benchmark rates, namely, LIBOR,
EURIBOR and TIBOR. It was set up on June 28,
2013, with a mandate to study various issues
subjected to higher tax rate earlier.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes has notified
that the new class of investors, FPIs, would be
treated as FIIs under the Income Tax Act, 1961.
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Category I FPIs, classified as entities with lowest
risk, would include foreign governments and
government related foreign investors.
Category II would cover appropriately regulated
broad based funds,
Those who are not eligible to be in the first and
second set of classifications would be considered
under Category III.
Economic Affairs Secretary Arvind Mayaram
has sought to bring in more clarity in the foreign
investment rules by clearly outlining what would
be considered as foreign direct investment (FDI)
and what will be termed as Foreign Portfolio
Investor (FPI).
A draft report prepared by a committee under his
Chairmanship has stated that foreign investment
of more than 10 per cent in a listed company
will be considered as foreign direct investment.
Any investment less than 10 per cent will be
termed as FPI.
For unlisted companies all foreign investment
will be seen as FDI.
The Committee has favored to maintain the status
quo except change in some nomenclature.
Draft report recommends minimum composite cap
for FPI and FDI should be 49 per cent for sectors
falling under вЂ�automaticвЂ™ route.
This route facilitates the foreign investor to put
money without taking approval from the Foreign
Investment Promotion Board.
The committee is in favour of the list of
prohibited sectors of FDI to continue. This list
includes sectors such as atomic energy, railway
transport, cigarettes, and lottery and chit funds.
*HSUI LAUNCHED: The Housing Start Up Index is
a joint initiative, of the Ministry of Housing and Urban
Poverty Alleviation (MoHUPA) through its integral
arm, the National Building Organization and the
Reserve Bank of India.
The HSUI is an index that tracks the, number of
houses being constructed every year across the
country.
The Housing and Construction related activities, in
CrackingIAS.com
IAS EXPRESS
January - February 2014
our country, with its backward and forward
linkages, with nearly 254 ancillary industries, have
huge multiplier effects on the economy.
Also a web based MIS system вЂњIntegrated
Urban Poverty Monitoring SystemвЂќ (IPoMS) for
JnNURM & Rajiv Awas Yojana was launched.
*Import duty on refined oil increased: The
government, on Thursday, increased the import duty
on refined edible oil to 10 per cent from 7.5 per cent at
present to protect the domestic processing industry
and farmers.
The increased duty was approved by the Cabinet
Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
India imports more than 10 million tonnes of
vegetable oils every year, which is almost 50 per
cent of the domestic need.
Local refiners are now operating below capacity,
which affects farmers as well, because importing
refined edible oil has become more viable than
buying crude edible oil from overseas.
*RBI eases FDI norms to give foreign investors exit
option: Relaxing the foreign direct investment (FDI)
norms, the Reserve Bank of India, gave foreign
investors an option to exit their investments by selling
their holdings of
equity or debt. "It is expected that this relaxation will
facilitate greater FDI flows into the country,вЂќ the
RBI said in a statement.
According to the modified norms, FDI contracts
can now have optionality clauses, which allow
investors to exit, subject to the conditions of
minimum lock-in period and without any assured
returns.
Meanwhile, Deputy Governor H. R. Khan said the
RBI might postpone its Rs.50,000 crore debtswitch programme to next fiscal.
Under the debt switch plan of Rs.50,000 crore
stated in the Budget 2013-14, the government
announced a plan to buy short-dated debt, and,
in turn, sell longer-dated bonds. This is aimed at
spreading out redemptions of debt to later years.
ECONOMICS - News
24
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*RBI panel moots credit access to all by 2016: The
RBI panel, led by Nachiket Mor, has recommended
sweeping changes in the banking sector:
All citizens above 18 years of age should have
access to an Universal Electronic Bank Account.
The low-income and the small businesses should
be brought under the regulated formal lending
system.
Every district, and every sector, should have a
credit to GDP ratio of atleast 10 percent.
Everyone should have access to insurance and risk
management instruments.
The Priority sector lending targets for scheduled
commercial banks be increased from the current
40 % to 50%.
Creation of state finance regulatory commission
(SFRC).
IAS EXPRESS
January - February 2014
PRELIMS 2014
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From
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вЂў Exam oriented syllabus coverage.
вЂў Highly potential questions to be
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вЂў More than 70 questions in GS
PRELIMS 2013.
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IAS EXPRESS
SPORTS & AWARDS
*Sochi 2014: Russia topped medal table in Winter
Olympics: The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially
known as the XXII Olympic Winter Games, held in
Sochi, Russia. Host nation Russia finished on top of
the medal table by winning 33 medals in the
tournament.
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
Country
Russia (RUS)*
Norway (NOR)
Canada (CAN)
United
States
(USA)
Netherlands (NED)
Gold
13
11
10
9
Silver
11
5
10
7
Bronze
9
10
5
12
8
7
9
*
Cricketer
Cheteshwar
Pujara:
Brand
ambassador of Gujarat Election Commission:
IndiaвЂ™s middle order batsman, Cheteshwar Pujara has
been appointed as the brand ambassador of the
Gujarat state Election Commission for the upcoming
Lok Sabha elections.
* Sikkim Bags National Tourism Award: Union
Minister for Human Resource Development Dr.
Shashi Tharoor,presented the National Tourism
Award 2012-13 to Sikkim tourism minister Sh Bhim
Dhungel in a function in vigyan bhawan New Delhi.
According to union tourism ministry Sikkim is the
perfect destination to experience warm hospitality,
rich culture and scenic splendour of natural beauty.
Sikkim tourism Minister Sh Bhim Dhungel said
that Chief Minister Sh Pawan Chamling has
launched an ambitious Rs 140 crore Project for
developing various tourism convenience facilities,
view points, halting points, conferences, retiring
units and other infrastructural facilities project in
the state.
*Football Legend вЂњSir Tom FinneyвЂќ: Former
Preston and England winger passed away: Former
Preston and England winger, Sir Tom Finney (91)
passed away. Mr. Finney was one of the EnglandвЂ™s
greatest footballers and the ultimate one-club man. He
was famous for his loyalty to his league club, Preston
North End for which he made 569 first-class
appearances.
CrackingIAS.com
JANUARY вЂ“ FEBRUARY 2014
*Killa, a Marathi film bagged Crystal Bear award
at 64th Berlin International Film Festival: Killa, a
Marathi film on 17 February 2014 won the Crystal
Bear (Glasernen Bar) for the best film award by the
ChildrenвЂ™s jury in Generation K - plus section at the
64th Berlin International Film Festival. The film has
been directed by AVINASH ARUN.
Killa is a film that deals with the universal conflict
of migration and the process, how this migration
impacts the lives of people, mainly children. The
story of the film revolves around a young boy
named Chinu who finds it difficult to adjust to the
new surroundings after he migrated following
death of his father.
*VV Dongre and Guocheng Zhang won
International Gandhi Award 2013: Pranab
Mukherjee, the President of India on 15 February
2014 presented the International Gandhi Award for
the year 2013 to Dr. Vijaykumar Vinayak Dongre
(VV Dongre) and Prof. Guocheng Zhang at
Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi.
The International Gandhi Award was instituted
by the Gandhi Memorial Leprosy Foundation
that was established in 1950 to commemorate
Mahatma GandhiвЂ™s service and scientific
approach towards leprosy. It recognizes the
commendable contributions of individuals and
institutions in ameliorating the quality of life of
people afflicted with leprosy. Every alternate
year,
two
awards
are
given
to
individuals/institutions for making outstanding
contribution in the field of leprosy.
They were awarded for making outstanding
contributions in the field of leprosy to eradicate the
disease through treatment, training and research.
Prelims 2014 вЂ“ Batch
From APRIL 5, 2014
вЂў Wide Extensive coverage.
вЂў Special Focus on Science & Tech вЂ“ Current
and Applications.
вЂў Socio-Economic Issues.
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вЂў Focused attention.
вЂў Exam oriented syllabus coverage.
вЂў Highly potential questions to be covered.
вЂў More than 70 questions in GS PRELIMS
2013.
SPORTS & AWARDS - News
26
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IAS EXPRESS
SOCIAL ISSUES & DEVELOPMENT
- News
*Health minister launches the Rashtriya Kishore
Swasthya Karyakram: The Rashtriya Kishore
Swasthya Karyakram(RKSK) has been launched by
the health ministry to take care of the health issues of
the adoscelents.
So far the efforts p address the health issues of
adolescents have been partial, confined to sexual
and reproductive health, that too at select
government facilities.
The Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram
(RKSK) will bring in several new dimensions,
which he listed as- mental health, nutrition,
substance misuse, gender based violence and noncommunicable diseases.
The programme introduces community based
interventions through peer educators..
Speaking at the occasion, Sh K Desiraju, Health
Secretary said that the programme is an effort to
move away from a вЂ�doctor-drivenвЂ™ effort towards a
holistic and participative programme.
The RKSK recognizes that all adolescents need
attention even before the occurrence of any disease
or problem, and in order to make informed
decisions and choices.
The RKSK programme defines an adolescent as a
person within 10-19 years of age, in urban and
rural areas, includes both girls and boys,
married and unmarried, poor and affluent,
whether they are in school or out of school.
New technologies and social media platforms will
form an integral part of the programme.
* India's first Minority Cyber Village inaugurated:
India's first Minority Cyber Village was inaugurated
by the Minister for Minority Affairs K Rehman Khan
on 19 February 2014 in "Chandoli" in Alwar district
of Rajasthan.
Cyber Village
The Cyber village project will provide computer
education to people in the age group of 15 to 59.
Institution under the project will be instituted in the
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villages with substantial population of minority.
* Portal for tribal products: Ministry of Tribal
Affairs launched an online shopping portal for sale of
authentic tribal products that will seek to create a
'niche' market for indigenous artisans.
The e-commerce portal, which features 69 tribal
products like textiles, metal artifacts and jewellery,
was launched by Union Minister of Tribal Affairs
Raj V Kishore Chandra Deo.
By launching the portal, Tribal Cooperative
Marketing Development Federation of India
Limited (TRIFED) also aims to provide branding,
source certification and developing standards for
products.
Shawls, stoles and mufflers will be in available in
Angora, sheep wool and Pashmina material from
states like Orissa, Assam.
Paintings from four states and dokra metal
artifacts and jewellery from states like Nagaland
and Himachal Pradesh will also be available on the
portal.
The online portal will initially be open for only
Indian shoppers and for international buyers later.
Detailed write- ups of the products will also be
available.
The Ministry also plans to launch a new website
for the minor forest produce like honey and
tamarind. The procuring agencies of the states will
update the website with day-to-day rates and the
Minimum Support Price of the product.
*AAJEVIKA-NATIONAL
RURAL
LIVELIHOOD MISSION: NRLM is the flagship
programme of ministry of rural development.
It has set out with an agenda to cover 7 crore rural
poor households across all the 2.5 lakh Gram
Panchayats in the country through 60-70 lakh selfhelp groups (SHGs) and federated institutions of
the rural poor women in a period of 8-10 years and
provide hand-holding support to help them
come out of poverty.
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Aajevika - Interest subvention on the loans taken
from the Banks by the women SHGs is a
significant step in this direction to promote the
livelihoods of rural poor, by making institutional
credit accessible at lower cost.
The interest subvention component was approved
by Govt . of India in May, 2013, and is applicable
for loans availed by women S.H.G s from 1st April
2013.
From 1st Feb 2014, all Banks (PSBs, RRBs,
Cooperative Banks and Private Banks) will lend to
all the women SHGs at upfront 7% interest(for
loans upto Rs. 3 lakhs) in 150 select backward
districts.
These SHGs will get a further 3% subvention on
prompt repayment, thus the effective charge on all
such loans will be 4% only.
*First Braille-signage coach in India to be attached
with Purushottam Express: Purushottam Express
will become the first train in India to be attached with
a Braille-embedded AC coach for visually-challenged
passengers by the end of February 2014. Purushottam
Express is a superfast train running between Delhi
and Puri.
In a first of its kind, the Railways manufactured an
AC three-tier coach with Braille signages as part
of its social commitment to make trains and
stations more-friendly towards specially-abled
passengers.
The first coach with Braille signages has been
manufactured at Integrated Coach Factory in
Chennai with the inputs received from Research
Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO),
Lucknow and in consultation with blind
associations.
The coach costs about 40000 Rupees as Braille
printing are superimposed on the stickers which
can be used by both a person with normal vision as
well as a visually impaired person.
*Government to unveil a new policy for
empowering the youth: The ministry of Youth and
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Sports affairs has said that it would unveil a New
National Youth Policy to empower the youth so as
to realise their potential and thereby to gain from the
Demographic Dividend of India.The new Youth
Policy would focus on
Developing the Youth into a productive work
force,
Developing a strong and healthy generation
through effective healthcare and promotion of a
healthy lifestyle and sports,
Promoting social values and spirit of community
service,
Effectively engaging with the youth and
facilitating their participation in governance
process and
Inclusive policies to take care of disadvantaged
sections of youth and the youth with special needs.
The policy also intends to promote 'social
entrepreneurshipвЂ™ as an attractive employment
proposition and to create an enabling policy
regime for setting up of venture funds and provide
angel investment that the social entrepreneurs
require.
The New Youth Policy would essentially replace
the existing policy of 2003. The new policy
defines the youth as one between the age group
of 15 years to 29 years.
*National Urban Livelihood Mission: NULM is an
improved version of the Swarnajayanti Shahari
Swarojgar Yojana.
The mission is to be implemented by the Ministry
of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
(HUPA).
NULM seeks to ensure livelihood for the urban
poor, whose number is fast increasing owing to
the rapid urbanization in India.
Urban poor, including the homeless, those in
slums, women and street vendors are currently
engaged in menial jobs where there are rampant
exploitation and human rights violations. They
are often paid far below the fixed minimum wages.
The NULM places special emphasis on the
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women, the homeless and the street vendors.
It seeks to build all-weather housing facilities to
the homeless with all in built facilities.
Also urban poor women would be organized
into SHG's and would be given skill development
and entrepreneurial training. Trained women
would also be eligible for securing bank loans at
lesser interest rates, so that can set up their own
enterprise. Organising women into SHG's and
imparting market-oriented training to them has
been a grand success in the rural areas.
The mission is set to change the living standards of
those who are eking out a living in the slums of the
urban centres.
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POLITICAL ISSUES & HUMAN
RIGHTS - News
*Changing socio-economic profile of legislators in
the Parliament:On May 13, 2012 Parliament
completes 60 years since its first sitting. To mark the
occasion, a special sitting of both Houses has been
organised on the day. Recently, there has been much
public scrutiny of the work of MPs and the
functioning of Parliament. This document presents
some information on the changing profile of MPs and
the trends in the working of Parliament over the past
60 years
Fewer under-matriculates and more postgraduatesin Lok Sabha:
The percentage of MPs without secondary
education has decreased from 23% in 1952 to 3%
in 2009.
The percentage of graduates has increased from
58% in 1952 to 79% in 2009 (This includes MPs
with post-graduate and doctorate degrees).
More MPs have post-graduate degrees than in
1952. The percentage of post-graduates has
increased from 18% to 29%.
Fewer MPs under 40 and more MPs above 70 in
Lok Sabha:
There has been a noticeable shift in the age profile
of MPs in Lok Sabha. The percentage of older
MPs has increased significantly.
In 1952, only 20% of MPs were 56 years or older.
In 2009, this figure had increased to 43%. In the
1st Lok Sabha, there was no MP over the age of
70. This number has risen to 7% in the current Lok
Sabha. The number of MPs below 40 has
decreased from 26% in 1952 to 14% in the current
Lok Sabha.
Women MPs are younger than their male
counterparts. At the beginning of the 15th Lok
Sabha, the average age of women MPs was 47
while the average age of male MPs was 54 years.
There were no women MPs over 70 years of age.
The current Lok Sabha has the highest number of
women MPs:
Women constitute 11% of the 15th Lok Sabha. In
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comparison, only 5% of MPs in the 1st Lok Sabha
were women
Of the larger states in Lok Sabha1, Madhya
Pradesh has the highest percentage of women MPs
%), followed by Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
Though the percentage of women MPs has
increased over the years, it is still lower in
comparison to some countries.
The WomenвЂ™s Reservation Bill, passed by Rajya
Sabha in March 2010, is currently pending in Lok
Sabha. The Bill proposes to reserve one-third of
the seats in Lok Sabha and state legislative
assemblies for women.
In the 1950s, Lok Sabha met for an average of
127 days a year; in 2011, it met for 73 days:
Lok Sabha met for an average of 127 days in the
1950s. This has decreased to 73 days for both
Houses in 2011.
However, it must be noted that Departmentally
Related Standing Committees were instituted in
1993. Since then, Parliament refers many Bills/
issues to these committees for detailed analysis.
This work happens outside the scheduled sittings
of Parliament.
The All India Conference of Presiding Officers,
Chief Ministers, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs,
Leaders and Whips of Parties held in 2001 had
called for immediate steps to ensure that
Parliament meet for a minimum of 110 days every
year. It had recommended that this change be
brought in through a constitutional amendment if
necessary.
No Private MembersвЂ™ Bill has been passed by
Parliament since 1970:
Every MP, who is not a Minister, is called a
Private Member. Private MembersвЂ™ Bills are Bills
introduced by these MPs. In Lok Sabha, the last
two and a half hours of a sitting on every friday are
generally allotted for transaction of Private
MembersвЂ™ Business, i.e., Private MembersвЂ™ Bills
and Private MembersвЂ™ Resolutions.
Till date, Parliament has passed 14 Private
MembersвЂ™ Bills. Six of these were passed in 1956
alone.
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The number of Bills passed by Parliament has
declined over the last few decades:
The 1st Lok Sabha passed an average of 72 Bills
each year. This has decreased to 40 Bills a year
in the 15th Lok Sabha.
Parliament passed 118 Bills in 1976. This was
the highest number of Bills passed by
Parliament in a single year.
The lowest number of Bills was passed in 2004.
In this year, only 18 Bills were passed by
Parliament.
*Govt Sets Up Panel To Address Concerns Of
Northeastern People: The panel, led by Bezbaruah, a
member of North-Eastern Council, will submit a
report within two months after examining the causes
behind the attacks/violence and complaints of
discrimination against the people from the Northeast.
The panel, led by Bezbaruah, who is also a
member of North-Eastern Council, will submit a
report within two months after examining the
causes behind the attacks/violence and complaints
of discrimination against the people.
The Chairman of the committee shall co-opt
members, one each from the other Northeastern
states like Tripura, Mizoram and Sikkim.
*Indian-origin doctor claims to have found
solution to preserve donated organs for long: An
Indian origin doctor Hemant Thatte who works as a
senior cardiovascular surgeon at Harvard University
has invented a 21-chemical solution (SOMAH) that
could preserve a donated organ for up to a week
before a transplant.
With the present technology most organs can only
be preserved outside the body for somewhere
between four and 24 hours and generally organs
from cadaver donors be transplanted within a small
window of 4-6 hours.
If the transplant surgery cannot take place within
that time, the available organ cannot be used but
with the use of SOMAH the organ can be
preserved for a week and can also be transported
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JANUARY вЂ“ FEBRUARY 2014
across a large country or half-way across the
globe.
Hemant Thatte was born in Dadar, Mumbai and
was raised in Pune. Dr Thatte has worked in
Harvard for more than two decades.
Over a decade ago, he synthesized a solution
called GALA that could preserve blood vessels
used as bypass channels during heart surgeries.
GALA is in use across the US and France.
ThatteвЂ™s lab at the VA Boston Healthcare System
devised a recipe of 21 chemical compounds that
they believe will slow down the process of cell
deterioration.
*Pepper spray issue referred to House privileges
panel: The 15-member committee is headed by senior
Congress leader P C Chacko. The panel can
recommend
punitive
measures,
including
imprisonment and expulsion from the House.
The Speaker had named 16 people in the wake of
the incidents, who automatically stood suspended
from the House for five consecutive sittings,
February 13, 17, 18, 19 and 20.
The decision to refer the matter to the Privileges
Committee has been taken under Rule 227 of the
Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in
Lok Sabha. The function of the panel is to examine
every question involving breach of privilege or
contempt of the House or of the members of any
Committee thereof referred to it by the House or
by the Speaker.
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INDIA INCLUSIVE INNOVATION FUND
Financial capital вЂ“ its availability, quality, and accessibility вЂ“ defines the innovation success of
countries. The worldвЂ™s most successfully innovative companies owe their existence to being able to access the
right kind of money at the right time. To help create a supporting environment for Indian innovation, the
National Innovation Council has focused on finding ways of funding ideas that will impact people at the bottom
of the socio-economic pyramid. The objective is to drive ideas that will generate social returns, while
simultaneously maintaining commercial viability and profitability.
India Inclusive Innovation Fund (IIIF)
Traditional innovation models have often focused more on addressing the wants of the affluent, rather
than the needs of the deprived: a tendency that directs the best human and financial resources away from
solving more basic developmental needs. A new template is needed: one of inclusive innovation, which will
mobilise and deploy IndiaвЂ™s best creative, human, and financial capital to serve our countryвЂ™s poorer citizens, at
the bottom of the socioeconomic pyramid (BOP).
For inclusive innovation to work, India will need to co-opt the dynamism and energy of its vibrant
private sector. Enterprise and entrepreneurs bring powerful tools to any attack on poverty and deprivation. They
have demonstrated outstanding ability in innovative problem-solving: exploring challenges, experimenting with
responses, and selecting and delivering novel, workable solutions.
Crucially, these solutions are scalable, and self-sustaining: by recycling profits into further
development, enterprises can expand service delivery with just incremental investments of additional resources.
Indian enterprises could help bridge access gaps in core services for millions of disadvantaged Indians,
offering them affordable education, healthcare, energy, and livelihood support. Significantly, some exceptional
Indian companies have already shown the way to doing so: firms like Aravind EyeCare, Narayana Hrudayalaya,
and SELCO use innovatively designed products, business models, and operating processes to bridge service
gaps in healthcare and energy вЂ“ while maintaining their own commercial viability. Enterprises like these can
complement the work of government and aid agencies, expanding support for IndiaвЂ™s inclusive growth agenda.
Inspiring as these examples are, they remain nonetheless isolated вЂ“ too few, in the CouncilвЂ™s view.
IndiaвЂ™s developmental challenges are substantial, diverse, and faced by millions вЂ“ and need thousands
of bottom-of-the-pyramid companies to engage them. We lack, however, a business ecosystem that can support
wider emulation of such examples. IndiaвЂ™s business environment does provide finance and talent to
conventional commercially-focused companies; however, bottom-of-the-pyramid companies find it much
harder to access these same resources вЂ“ in particular, risk funding, with which to seed early-stage ideas and
expand successful ones. If innovative, socially-focused ideas are to make it to market (and to citizens who will
benefit from them) they will require a funding ecosystem to back them.
The India Inclusive Innovation Fund is a step towards addressing this funding need. The Fund will
finance such companies with the capital they need to take their ideas to market. Fund-backed enterprises will
target core sectors (such as education, healthcare, and agriculture, among others), and combine social and
commercial returns. The outcome of the FundвЂ™s work will be a generation of innovative solutions, directing
IndiaвЂ™s most creative thinking towards solving her most significant challenges.
Objectives of IIIF
The India Inclusive Innovation Fund will be guided by four driving objectives.
a. To Focus on IndiaвЂ™s Poor. The India Inclusive Innovation Fund will back enterprises developing
innovative solutions for customers who lie in the вЂ�bottom 500 millionвЂ™ in IndiaвЂ™s society. These customers will
largely reside in under-served rural and semi-urban areas, with limited physical and institutional access to basic
services. The вЂ�pain-pointsвЂ™ these enterprises address will reflect the realities and needs of these customers:
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largely involving service, affordability, and access gaps in education, healthcare, agriculture, water, sanitation,
and other, similar areas.
b. To Combine Social and Commercial Returns. The Fund and its investee enterprises will not only
address developmental needs, but will do so in a commercially viable fashion. The Fund will therefore operate
as a for-profit entity with a social investment focus and seek to provide its investors with reasonable financial
returns. These returns will be lower than those typically provided by conventional, profit-maximizing enterprise
financiers like traditional private equity and venture capital funds. However, in providing these returns, the
Fund will depart sharply from grant-based development aid and philanthropy models that have traditionally
been used to serve deprived citizens.
c. To Drive Employment and Livelihood Generation. Wherever possible, the Fund will back
enterprises that employ IndiaвЂ™s poorer citizens, or enable them with the capacities they need to build successful
livelihoods.
d. To Help Establish a Model for Wider Inclusive Innovation Funding. It is hoped that the Fund, by
investing in BOP-focused enterprise, will establish an example for other Indian funds and financiers to emulate
вЂ“ leading to a new pattern of funding for commercially feasible, socially meaningful innovation.
Amartya SenвЂ™s Concept of Development and Poverty
Development is the process of expanding human freedom. It also means the removal of major sources
of lack of freedoms such as poverty, all types of discrimination and inequalities, neglect of public facilities, lack
of economic opportunities, social exclusion, state policies that limit freedom and so on.
He asserts that development is enhanced by democracy and the promotion of human rights вЂ“ notably
freedom of the press, speech, and assembly вЂ“ because they foster clean, honest and accountable governance.
Citing data he claims that вЂњno famine has ever taken place in the history of the world in a functioning
democracyвЂќ. This is because democratic governments вЂњhave to win elections and face public criticism, and have
strong incentive to undertake measures to avert famines and other catastrophesвЂќ.
Particularly in the context of poor nations, many people view freedom counterproductive to both
political stability and development and recommend restrictions and authoritative rule. However, Sen takes an
entirely opposing view. He sees the rapid transformation of East Asian economies as resulting from the вЂњsocial
opportunitiesвЂќ provided by governments in the form of schooling, basic health care, basic land reform, and
micro-credit. As a result of development, many economies such as Taiwan and Thailand became more
democratic.
Amartya Sen sees political liberties essential for sustainable development and points to the breakdown
of former Soviet Union. In the same vein, he compared the development strategies of India and China and
argued that democratic India holds promise for a long term and sustainable growth.
In his book Development as Freedom, Sen prescribed five types of freedoms that вЂњtend to contribute to
the general capability of a person to live more freely.вЂќ They are interdependent and interconnected. Indeed
these interconnections are central to a fuller understanding of the instrumental role of freedom. These freedoms
are
Political Freedoms: They essentially include functioning democracy, freedom to scrutinize and
criticize actions of authorities, freedom and expression and speech, presence of free press
Economic Facilities: such as PeopleвЂ™s opportunity to have and use economic resources or entitlements
Social opportunities: They include peopleвЂ™s ability to access health and education services,
opportunities to participate in social processes and activities
Transparency guarantees: This concerns transparency in the functioning of authorities so that people
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can trust the information they receive and the system
Protective Security: This pertains to social protections of the vulnerable people so that they donвЂ™t fall
into abject deprivation
Expanding these freedoms constitute not only the means, but also the end in development. The state
must play its role in supporting freedoms by providing infrastructure and easy access to public services, social
safety nets, good macroeconomic policies, and environmental protection.
Freedom Supports Expansion of Capabilities
Freedom means having space to acquire capabilities and using them as one would want to. What people
are вЂњcapableвЂќ of doing (achieving) is influenced by вЂњeconomic opportunities, political liberties and social
powers; health conditions and education level; encouragement, motivation and initiatives; and so onвЂќ.
It is necessary to evaluate the status of freedom enjoyed by the individuals so that effective
developmental policies could be framed. In doing so the individuals need to be seen as вЂњagents of changeвЂќ
rather than вЂњpatientsвЂќ diagnosed with the вЂњillness of povertyвЂќ. It means evaluating their capabilities and
potential rather than just their income levels вЂ“ more precisely, evaluating their deprivation in capability terms,
not in economic terms. In other words, one needs to probe the potentials of the individual and the constraints in
realizing them, as opposed to simply evaluating their income, consumption or expenditure. It will allow the
status of development in terms of freedoms (or their lack) enjoyed by individuals in the societies вЂ“ it will be
something like a Human Freedom Index.
Importance of Human Diversity
A unique feature of the capability approach is that it recognizes individual differences. Sen accepts this
as вЂ�realismвЂ™ and steers clear of the stereotype idealism, вЂ�all men are equalвЂ™. He takes it as a fundamental aspect
of our interest in equalityвЂќ and does not consider human diversity as a secondary complication.
The capability approach categorically recognizes that there will be variations among people in
conversion of resources into functionings and capabilities. These variations in conversion arise either due to
personal or socio-environmental factors. The diversity will also be seen in the variations in the income-using
ability of individuals, and also in their income-earning ability.
An important consequence of acceptance of diversity among people is that they canвЂ™t be assessed
uniquely in terms of resources; they can only be judged in terms of what they are capable of вЂ�doingвЂ™ or вЂ�beingвЂ™
with the available resources.
Indeed, if people were not diverse, then inequality in one aspect, say income, would more or less be
identical with inequality in another aspect, like capabilities.
Measuring Capabilities and Potentials
If expansion of вЂњhuman freedomвЂќ is going to be the prime goal of development, then the poverty
evaluation procedure needs to be changed. The existing poverty evaluations rely on income surveys which
provide no guidance for effective policy interventions beyond economic growth through top-down approach.
The wider approach to development through ever-expanding freedoms focuses on the capabilities and potentials
rather than on peopleвЂ™s incomes. In fact, it is the capability that needs evaluation in order to determine its
constraints or un-freedoms.
The conditions leading to constraint to freedom are, by nature, subjective. Therefore, the input must
come through a democratic and participatory process following a down-top approach, rather than from
statistics.
Thus, for Sen вЂњcapability deprivationвЂќ is a better measure of poverty than lowness of income. It is
expected that the higher per capita GDP should means better quality of life, but the relationship is not
straightforward. For example, Sri Lanka and the Indian state of Kerala have low per capita GDP but have higher
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life expectancies and literacy rates than richer countries like Brazil and South Africa. Likewise, the African
Americans in the US have lower life expectancy than China or Kerala despite higher average income.
Poverty is Deprivation of Basic Capabilities
Taking an altogether different view from the traditional belief of economists that income is the be all
and end all of development, Sen asserts that poverty should be seen "as a deprivation of basic capabilities,
rather than inadequate income." Questioning a fundamental assumption of development economics, he takes the
view that income poverty alone should not be the focus of development.
Amartya Sen hypothesizes that all individuals are endowed with a certain set of capabilities. It is simply
a matter of realizing these capabilities that will enable people to escape from poverty (or from their state of 'unfreedom'). If in todayвЂ™s world of sheer abundance there are people living in poverty, they are living in a state of
'un-freedom' and hence, are unable to realize their capabilities.
The capability approach has simply revolutionized the approach to development and poverty. It is
taking the thinking into areas never considered relevant before. It also recognizes the presence of poverty in the
economically rich countries, again in terms of deprivation of capabilities. Inequality and social exclusion have
emerged as two most common side effects of the current economic growth model. While it becomes only too
obvious in the poor economies, it remains somewhat camouflaged in the opulence of the rich societies.
Challenges in applying the Capability approach
Difficulty in translating the capability approach into practice is either due to the emphasis on value
judgments with high informational requirement or its multidimensional nature.
In the Capability approach the units of evaluations are not opulence (utilities, goods and resources) but
functionings (doings and beings). People attach varying importance to different functionings; some functionings
can be essential and important, others can be trivial and valueless. But, ideally, it is their freedom.
A personвЂ™s freedom to live the way one would like has intrinsic value вЂ“ it constitutes a personвЂ™s being.
It means not only the achieved functionings are valuable but also the individualsвЂ™ capability to choose and
discriminate among different possible living. Emphasis on freedom or capabilities also brings out the point that
not any choice counts; only those that reflect on expansion of valuable choices which will be different for
different individuals.
In вЂ�Development as FreedomвЂ™, Sen argues that вЂњPeople have to be seen in this perspective, as being
actively involved in shaping their own destiny (given the opportunity). They are not mere passive recipients of
the benefits of the development programs.вЂќ This aspect emphasizes the role of individualвЂ™s initiative and their
social effectiveness.
Now the question is: how to put the capability approach into practice if the capability is a possibility
(exercised or not) and not an actuality?
Since the capabilities denote potential opportunities they are not directly observable. Thus, the
assessment of capabilities has to proceed primarily on the basis of observing the actual functionings; it can be
supplemented by other information. It should work because the valuation of actual functionings is one way of
assessing how a person values his options. A practical way is to combine the information from income data
with social functionings. This should easily work at the macro level and not much difference is expected
between the capability approach and other approaches that also explore development in terms of non income
variables.
However, at the micro level the significant differences are expected where the capability approach (CA)
allows people to express their вЂ�power of discriminationвЂ™ about what is good life for them.
Attempts to Apply the Capability Approach
Despite the challenges, attempts to apply the CA have mushroomed in recent years. Among other things
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the CA has been used to investigate poverty, inequality, well-being, social justice, gender, social exclusion,
health, disability, child poverty and identity. It has also been related to human needs, human rights and human
security as well as development in general.
Numerous attempts have been made to apply the CA to the measurement of poverty and human wellbeing. While most applications focus on functioning, some studies have tried to capture capabilities in terms of
freedom to choose or human talents and skills. Perhaps, the most well known measure is the human
development index of the UNDP, for which a significant contribution was made by Dr Mahbub ul Haq вЂ“ noted
Pakistani economist and SenвЂ™s lifelong buddy who died in 1998.
It was the first major effort to measure the quality of human life, which is clearly not a simple task,
using parameters other than the gross domestic product (GDP). The HDI offers a powerful alternative to mere
per capita income as a summary measure of national development. It combined the average achievement of a
country in three basic dimensions of human development:
в—Џ A long and healthy life, as measured by life expectancy at birth;
в—Џ Knowledge, as measured by the adult literacy rate and the school enrolment rate; and
в—Џ Standard of living, as measured by per capita GDP in purchasing power parity US dollars.
The first Human Development Report of 1990 defined human development as вЂњa process of enlarging
peopleвЂ™s choicesвЂќ and stated that вЂњincome is a means, not an endвЂќ of human development (p. 10). It was a major
shift away from seeing development as mere economic growth and towards sustainable human development. It
underscored that the economic growth is not an end in itself; it is only an important tool to achieve the end goal,
which is human development. Development ought to be people-centric and both socially and environmentally
sensitive. The annual UNDP reports also began a process of questioning the traditional economic wisdom of
'trickle down' economics вЂ“ the only way for the poor to benefit from the economic growth.
Emergence of вЂњCapabilityвЂќ Measures of Poverty
Together the 1996 and 1997 Human Development Reports gave a new direction by defining measures
of human deprivation, the other side of human development. The path-breaking 1996 Human Development
Report introduced the Capability Poverty Measure (CPM), which was the first вЂњmultidimensional index of
poverty focused on capabilitiesвЂќ. It supplemented the income poverty measurements and complemented the
Human Development Index (HDI). It mutated to the human poverty index (HPI) in 1997. The Human
Development Report 2000 focused on 'Human Rights and Human Development' and considerably expanded the
linkage between human freedom and human development. In 2010, the UNDP discarded the HPI and launched
the "Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)" which considers deprivations more comprehensively in a larger set
of capabilities. The MPI further exposed the inadequacy of income poverty lines which are blind towards the
multiple deprivations the poor face.
Conclusion
Evolved in the 1980s, Amartya SenвЂ™s capabilities approach brings together a range of ideas typically
excluded (or inadequately formulated) in the traditional discourse on development and progress. The core focus
in this approach is on what individuals are capable of doing (or able to do) and on freedom of choices. This
approach puts focus on functional capabilities such as the ability to participate in economic processes and
political activities or on having the ability to live long, rather than having mere access to resources or utilities.
Poverty is seen as deprivation of basic capabilities. People may lack capabilities due to many reasons such as
lack of knowledge, lack of financial resources, social exclusion, and government policies. None of these can be
satisfactorily measured in economic terms alone.
Development is seen as expansion of peopleвЂ™s freedom which creates an enabling atmosphere for
building capabilities. Policymakers should ideally aim at creating 'enabling' environments in which people's
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capabilities can be enhanced and their range of choices expanded. It necessarily involves identifying factors that
prevent such enabling environments and contribute to the persistence denial of different types of freedoms.
Armed Rebellion in Ukraine and its Implications
Ukraine, with a troubled history, particularly during the past two decades following the Soviet UnionвЂ™s
dissolution, has witnessed yet another coup engineered by armed ultra-nationalists and fascists. The Supreme
Rada, the parliament of the country, in violation of the Constitution and established procedures, has declared
early elections to be held on May 25, and has appointed the parliamentвЂ™s Speaker, Olexander Torchinov, as the
Acting President. The countryвЂ™s legitimate President, Victor Yanukovich, has fled the national capital
abandoning his electorate, Army, political party and the people who had voted for him, and his whereabouts are
not known. Ukraine, with its unique history, can barely remain as a peaceful and united state that it was during
the past two decades.
The latest round of street battles in Kiev began in November 2013 when UkraineвЂ™s President Victor
Yanukovich and Prime Minister Nikolai Ozarov, after weighing the pros and cons, decided not to sign the
agreement on associated membership with the European Union during the Eastern Partnership summit held at
the Lithunian capital, Vilnius, as the proposed agreement did not promise anything substantial except foreign
trade deficit, strengthening of external control over the country and worsening of relations with Russia, its most
important trading as well as strategic partner. UkraineвЂ™s pro-Western Opposition, arguing that life in Europe
would be more comfortable, flooded the capitalвЂ™s streets with militant protesters who looked determined to
physically fight with the government militia. The governmentвЂ™s attempt to clean the streets of the militant
protesters fuelled anger among the people and led to even bigger protest marches in Kiev. The Opposition used
the peopleвЂ™s anger to take their fight with the government to a new pitch.
Western powers sympathising with the Opposition, taking advantage of the evolving situation, started
playing their geopolitical game against Russia. European leaders, forgetting that Ukraine is a sovereign country,
delivered provocative speeches in KievвЂ™s Euro-Maidan saying the future of European democracy was being
decided in Kiev. Slowly Ukraine turned into a battleground of geopolitical interests of the West and Russia.
Moscow, under President Putin, has launched a serious initiative to integrate the post-Soviet space. The
Customs UnionвЂ”consisting of Russia, Belarus and KazakhstanвЂ”is planning to kick-start the Eurasian
Economic Union in 2015 and would like to have Ukraine in its fold. Moreover, Russia can hardly restore its
global power status without Ukraine being part of its geopolitical space; after all, the history of the Russian
state began with Kiev as its ancient capital in the 10th century and half of UkraineвЂ™s population are native
Russian speakers. Russia has been making huge concessions to the fraternal people of Ukraine ever since
YeltsinвЂ™s rule with the hope of keeping it on its geopolitical orbit. While Russia has been giving serious
concessions to Ukraine, the West is leaving no stone unturned to exclude Ukraine from RussiaвЂ™s geopolitical
space. The West-engineered Orange Revolution in Ukraine, that installed a pro-Western government in Kiev,
launched an alliance called GUUAM, consisting of Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova,
and headed by Kiev, to checkmate Russia. However, the alliance did not take off. Subsequently, the West
launched a new geopolitical project called Eastern Partnership so as to move the former Soviet republics away
from MoscowвЂ™s geopolitical orbit.
Ukraine has been vacillating between the Moscow-led Eurasian integration project and the EU-led
Eastern Partnership over the years. Realising that integration with the European Union would bring disaster to
its economy, the economic loss amounting to billions of dollars, Ukranian President Yanukovich finally decided
not to sign the agreement for associated membership with the EU. That peeved the West, which had since then
been orchestrating the campaign to oust the legitimate President from power. Yanukovich was the good guy for
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the West as long as he was promising to join the European Union as an associate member. But he became an
authoritarian dictator the moment he chose to remain as RussiaвЂ™s strategic partner. While Russia promised to
provide Ukraine 15 billion dollars worth of credit and supply gas with 60 per cent discount in prices that would
provide a new lease of life to the Ukrainian economy, reforms dictated by the European Union would have dealt
a heavy blow to its ailing industry and agriculture. So, YanukovichвЂ™s choice to remain with Russia was rational
and pragmatic but turned out to be a serious blow to the WestвЂ™s geopolitical ambition, which is why they started
extending all assistance to the street protests in Kiev. Washington and Brussels interpreted UkraineвЂ™s move as
the beginning of its transition to the Eurasian integration process led by Russia.
That is why the US and EU worked out a plan to get rid of Yanukovich as UkraineвЂ™s President, and that
is being executed by the radical nationalist Opposition. According to the Russian media sources, thousands of
fascist youth have been trained in the NATO camps to confront the militia and create havoc in KievвЂ™s streets.
Slowly the militant nationalists prevailed over the peaceful demonstrations in Euro-MaidanвЂ”the place of
militant demonstrations in Kiev. According to President PutinвЂ™s advisor, Sergei Glaziyev, US sources spent 20
million dollars a day in order to help sustain the demonstrations on KievвЂ™s streets. Apparently, arming and
providing instructions to militants took place in the US embassy premises in Kiev.
Media reports suggest that a few hundred terrorists fighting in Syria against the Assad Government
have joined the ranks of the militant fascists in the Kiev demonstrations. TV footages clearly demonstrate how
ferocious and well-equipped these militants are and how they were launching attacks on the police forces. These
fascist forces occupied government buildings not only in some district headquarters but also in the capital itself.
A large number of police personnel have been killed and injured in the clashes with the militants.
Finally, the fascist forces have been able to exercise control over the capital, Kiev, bringing about a
coup in the country and forcing President Yanukovich to flee the capital. Though Yanukovich has refused to
resign and claims to be the legitimate President of the country, the Supreme RadaвЂ”the countryвЂ™s parliamentвЂ”
has appointed its Speaker, Olexander Torchinov, as the Acting President.
The developments of the last few days in Ukraine suggest that the country is on the verge of
disintegration or civil war. The southern and eastern parts of the country along with Crimea owe allegiance to
the constitutional authority and the people there are in no mood to recognise the new authority in Kiev.
However, it is not clear how long the local authorities can keep the situation under their control. A Congress of
deputies of all levels, held in UkraineвЂ™s old capital Kharkov on February 22, has declared in its resolution its
loyalty to the constitutional authority denouncing the coup. The elected councils in the south and east are
exercising the real power at the moment. It is not clear how long they can continue to do so as the new authority
has started replacing the administrators at all levels by using force. The people in the southern and eastern parts
of the country are determined to fight against the fascist forces that have captured power by force. People in
several regions like Danetsk, Kharkov, Lugansk etc. are building anti-fascist brigades for self-defence. A
similar situation is prevailing in Crimea where power is being exercised by elected councils, and the entire
population of the region is determined to fight the anti-constitutional authority that has usurped power in Kiev.
The new authority in Kiev has started taking anti-Russian steps including cancelling the status of the
Russian language as the second official language in the country. The Russian Government has expressed
serious concern over the developments in Ukraine and conveyed doubts about the legitimacy of the new
government . Moscow, which has lost this round of the geopolitical battle, but not the war as a whole, is
carefully watching the situation.
Russian experts, comparing the situation in Ukraine with that of Libya and Syria, believe that if the
neo-fascist forces that have captured power in Kiev go ahead with their plans, disintegration of the country is
inevitable . One has to remember that Ukraine, with no history of independent statehood, started existing within
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its present boundary only under Soviet rule. And that too Crimea, an integral part of Russia for hundreds of
years, was gifted to Ukraine by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, himself an Ukrainian, in the year 1954 while
commemorating 300 years of re-unification of Ukraine with Russia. Historically, Ukraine was never an
independent state and its different regions constituted parts of several empires. While the western part of
Ukraine, known as Galicia, was a part of Austro-Hungary and Poland for long periods, the more populated and
developed southern and eastern regions were integral parts of the Russian empire all through. That is why if the
neo-fascists would be permitted to realise their game-plan in connivance with the West, disintegration of the
country is almost inevitable.
Experts believe that the situation in Ukraine is very fluid and the last word about its future is yet to be
pronounced. In the meanwhile, a fresh presidential poll has been announced to be held on May 25 and the
election campaign would start in March. The outcome of the presidential poll would most likely shape the chain
of events in the troubled nation.
Classical Language
A classical language is a language with a literature (art of written work) that is classical. U.C.Berkeley
linguist George L. Hart defined Classical Language as follows:
вЂњIt should be ancient, it should be an independent tradition that arose mostly on its own, not as an
offshoot of another tradition, and it must have a large and extremely rich body of ancient literature.вЂќ
Classical languages are those which are ancient, of an independent nature and not a derivative of any
other tradition. And based on above, Chinese, Sanskrit, Tamil, Hebrew, Greek and Latin are considered as the
Classical Languages of the World. Of these only Chinese and Tamil are used by masses now.
In India, Tamil was the first to gain the Classical Language status, followed by Sanskrit in 2005.
These two languages (Tamil and Sanskrit) are undoubtedly parental sources for many languages belonging to
the Indo-European family and the Dravidian family of linguistic groups.
In 2006, the Union Minister for Tourism and Culture announced in the Rajya Sabha the creation of a
new category of languages as classical languages based on 4 norms:
(i) High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years;
(ii) A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of
speakers;
(iii) The literary tradition should be original and not borrowed from another speech community;
(iv) The classical language and literature being distinct from the modern, there may also be
discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or offshoots.
A committee of linguistic experts followed it up, and based on its recommendation classical status was
conferred on Telugu and Kannada in 2008. Thus, the definition of classical languages has undergone several
changes over the years and the latest criterion too is susceptible to changes.
Benefits of declaring Odia as classical language
Two major annual international awards for scholars of eminence in Odia language.
A вЂ�Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical LanguagesвЂ™ can be set up.
The University Grants Commission can be requested to create, to start with at least in Central Universities, a
certain number of professional chairs for classical languages, for scholars of eminence in Odia language.
COALBED METHANE EXPLORATION IN INDIA
Coalbed Methane (CBM), an unconventional source of natural gas is now considered as an alternative
source for augmenting the countryвЂ™s energy resources. The environmental, technical and economic advantage of
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CBM has made it a global fuel of choice. Having the 4th largest proven coal reserves and being the third largest
coal producer in the world, India holds significant prospects for commercial recovery of CBM. Prior to 1997,
due to absence of proper administrative, fiscal and legal regime, CBM E&P activities were limited to R&D
only. It was only after the formulation of the policy for
exploration and production of CBM by the
Government in July 1997, CBM exploration activity commenced in the country. Ministry of Petroleum &
Natural Gas (MOP & NG) became the administrative Ministry and Directorate General of Hydrocarbons
(DGH) became the implementing agency for CBM policy. DGH functioning under the aegis of MOP & NG
plays a pivotal role in development of CBM resources in India.
Coalbed methane is generated during coalification process which gets adsorbed on coal at higher
pressure. However, it is a mining hazard. Presence of CBM in underground mine not only makes mining works
difficult and risky, but also makes it costly. Even, its ventilation to atmosphere adds green house gas causing
global warming. However, CBM is a remarkably clean fuel if utilized efficiently. CBM is a clean gas having
heating value of approximately 8500 KCal/kg compared to 9000 KCal/kg of natural gas. It is of pipe line
quality; hence can be fed directly to national pipeline grid without much treatment. Production of methane gas
from coalbed would lead to de-methanation of coal beds and avoidance of methane emissions into the
atmosphere, thus turning an environmental hazard into a clean energy resource.
As the third largest coal producer in the world, India has good prospects for commercial production of
coal bed methane. Methane may be a possible alternative to compressed natural gas (CNG) and its use as
automotive fuel will certainly help reducing pollution levels.
India is one of the select countries which have undertaken steps through a transparent policy to harness
domestic CBM resources. The Government of India has received overwhelming responses from prospective
producers with several big players starting operations on exploration and development of CBM in India and set
to become the fourth after US, Australia and China in terms of exploration and production of coal bed methane.
However, in order to fully develop India's CBM potential, delineation of prospective CBM blocks is
necessary. There are other measures like provision of technical training, promotion of research and
development, and transfer of CBM development technologies that can further the growth of the sector.
India lacks in CBM related services which delayed the scheduled production. Efficient production of
CBM is becoming a real challenge to the E & P companies due to lack in detailed reservoir characterization. So
far, the most investigations have been limited to measurement of adsorption isotherms under static conditions
and is deficient in providing information of gas pressure-driven and concentration-driven conditions. More care
should be taken on measurement of porosity and permeability also. To produce more methane from the coal
enhanced technology like CO2 sequestration may be implemented. This process can not only reduce the
emission of this gas to atmosphere, will also help in extra production of methane gas. Though, presently, CO2
is not an implemented much because of high cost. But the necessity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has
provided a dual role for coal-beds - as a source of natural gas and as a repository for CO2.
Development Path of India вЂ” Some Major Policy Issues
In the recent past IndiaвЂ™s economic growth rate went up significantly for some years but the people
continued to experience serious problems of meeting their basic needs and environmental problems went on
rising at a fast pace. Economic inequalities grew sharply and the struggle for survival for those at the bottom
remained a grim one. Small farmers, several categories of artisans, self-employed people and workers faced
increasingly difficult conditions in protecting their livelihoods. In several ways the basic structure of the
economy weakened. There is thus a clear need for making important corrections and removing serious
distortions before it is too late.
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It is with this spirit that major policy issues need to be clearly discussed with an emphasis on what has
gone wrong, what are the risks ahead and what correctives ought to be made. We need mutually consistent
policy-options for various sectors, leading to an overall policy-framework which can work in real life
conditions and is also in conformity with the creation of a better world. The policy-framework for our country
should be in conformity with the pressing needs of the entire world for protecting the environment, checking
climate change, eliminating weapons of mass destruction, disarmament, peace and ensuring the basic needs for
all people. These wider considerations of the entire world should be carefully kept in mind while deciding
various policy-options for our country.
While preparing a policy-framework to some extent we need change but to some extent we also need to
recognise what is of value at present and why we need to protect it.
Basic Economic Polices
The highest priority should be accorded to meeting the basic needs of the people on a sustain-able basis.
To ensure sustainbility, first of all, the environment should be well-protected and resources should be used very
carefully. Also the economy should have a sound base. The basic needs of the people include the followingвЂ”
adequate availability of balanced food satisfying nutrition norms, clean drinking water, satisfactory availability
of clothes and housing to ensure protection from weather extremes as well as dignity, access to education which
opens up opportunities of progress as well as strengthens the basic human values, access to means of protection
of health, medicare and basic hygiene.
The livelihood of small and medium farmers, artisans, workers, other vulnerable employees and selfemployed persons should be protected and linked more closely to meeting the basic needs of all people. Special
skills should be well-protected.
Economic inequalities should be reduced significantly as a matter of policy with emphasis on
improving the prospects of the people in the lowest layers of the economy.
In several critical areas of the economy the public sector should continue to play an important role. The
private sector obviously should also have an important role but subject to the condition that no industrialist or
company can dominate the economy, its one or more important sectors, to acquire monopoly powers and
interfere unduly in the functioning of the democratic system. The corporate sector should be regulated carefully
for responsibilities relating to the environment, workers, consumers (or other end-users of products) and to the
wider society. Multinational and foreign companies should be regulated very carefully. The cooperative sector
should be reformed and strengthened to accept increasing responsibilities. Certain products and areas can be
reserved for small-scale and cottage-scale entrepreneurs, cooperatives and self-help groups with emphasis on
meeting the basic needs of the villages and small towns as well as generation of more diverse livelihoods there.
Economic planning should retain an important role in ensuring the availability of goods and services
which meet the basic needs of the people, reducing economic equalities, protecting livelihoods, keeping
unemployment and inflation at low levels, providing essential infra-structure and avoiding foreign indebtedness.
In foreign trade the drift towards heavy imports of several non-essentials, including gold, should be
avoided. Steps which reduce excessive dependence on imports should be emphasised, while the sovereign
governmentвЂ™s capacity to reduce imports should be reclaimed. Similarly patent laws should be in line with
national interest. Free trade agreements, existing and proposed, should be clearly examined to protect national
interests. Steps should be taken in time to avoid heavy indebtedness, balance of pay-ments problems and heavy
dependence on uncertain вЂ�hot moneyвЂ™ inflows. The type of linkages due to which any wider economic crisis is
absorbed, quickly unsettling our national economy, should be avoided.
There should be a relentless campaign against the substantial вЂ�blackвЂ™ part of the economy so that
illegally held money can be used for the constructive tasks of development. These include efforts to bring back
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black money deposited abroad using various secret devices, taken up in cooperation with other countries.
Budget-making should emphasise raising of adequate resources to meet the basic needs of all people.
Luxury consumption and high profit areas should be taxed adequately, while the tendency to give heavy
concessions to the corporate sector has to be given up.
The government should accept the responsibility for basic needs and services related to the same, and
the tendency towards privatisation of these areas should be not just checked but also reversed.
Well-coordinated efforts should be made with other countries to reform the existing inter-national
finance and trade institutions, or for starting new justice based international institu-tions.
Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Forests, Fisheries and Rural Development
High priority should be given to development of the rural areas. The distorted thinking which
necessarily equates development with urbanisation and migration of displaced villagers to mega-cities should
be rejected. Villages should be the main base of IndiaвЂ™s development. Even though land availability per family
is declining with the passage of time, more diverse livelihoods can be provided in the rural and semi-rural areas
by encouraging village and cottage industries, including khadi, and artisansвЂ™ livelihoods. These can include
traditional improved as well modern industries, subject to the condition that these are not destructive for the
environment and public health. Decentralised mixed renewable energy systems, for example, can be a new area
of growth of rural employment. Field-level protection of traditional seeds and genetic wealth can be another
such area.
Land rights of all small and medium farmers should be well protected. Their land should not be lost due
to indebtedness or related distress conditions. Fertile agricultural land should as far as possible be saved for
agriculture and the chances of displacement of farmers should be minimised. Special care should be taken to
protect the land rights of tribals and to ensure the proper protection of laws enacted for this purpose. If
displacement cannot be avoided in some cases, then as far as possible the efforts should be to provide land in
place of land. High priority should be given to make available land for cultivation to as many landless farm
workers as possible, using either provisions like the land ceiling laws, or reclamation of new land using water
conservation and other steps. Housing land with legal rights should be made available to all rural households
who are still deprived of it.
Ecologically protective, low-cost, location-specific technology, which seeks to make the best use of
local resources and conditions, should be emphasised, an approach which includes organic farming, protection
of traditional seeds and biodiversity, soil and water conservation, increasing green cover and forests. The
farmersвЂ™ seed rights should be well protected and seed-banks of traditional diverse seeds should be set up with
the close involvement of farmers including elderly farmers and women. Rank control of big companies
including multinational companies or their subsidiaries over seeds and other critical areas should be checked.
GM crops and related technology should be strictly banned keeping in view their many-sided, serious and
irreversible adverse impacts and hazards. Use of chemical pesticides and weedicides should be minimised as
much as possible. Protection of various forms of life that play a helpful role in farming should be emphasised.
All subsidies meant for agriculture should be given directly to farmers.
Water conservation as well as protection/regeneration of greenery provide the base for survival in the
form of meeting the basic needs of life and supporting the basic rural livelihoods. Some existing provisions like
rural employment guarantee can be strengthened for this. In terms of resource use, concentrating attention on
smaller watershed programmes as well as proper maintenance of existing canals will yield much better results
instead of various new big and medium projects of dams and canals. Of course, this will also be ecologically
much safer and help to avoid a lot of displacement. The safety of existing dams should be a significant area of
concern. Indigenous mixed tree plantation work which resembles natural forests should be emphasised and
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cutting of existing green trees should be minimised as much as possible. Stess should be laid on indigenous
trees which provide fodder and fruits in addition to trees with better soil and water conservation properties.
Protection and regeneration of the natural mixed forests should get a very high priority. The practice of
raising monoculture plantations of commercial species of trees in place of natural forests should be given up
forever. The forest- based livelihoods of tribals and other communities living in and around forests should be
protected and promoted. Their co-operatives or groups should be the main beneficiaries of minor forest
produce-based sustainable livelihoods, which also promote the protection of trees. These communities should
never be displaced or evicted in the name of protection of wild life and forest; instead they should get
livelihoods in this protection.
Animal husbandry should be encouraged with special emphasis on regeneration of pastures and fodder
trees as well as protection of indigenous species of farm animals. Protection of indigenous breeds of cows and
bullocks should get special attention. Fair price should be ensured to dairy farmers. Their co-operatives should
be strengthened with special emphassis on the poor. Milk powder imports and oilcake exports should be
discouraged. Pastoral groups, particularly nomadic and semi-nomadic groups, facing hard times should be given
a helping hand.
Availability of essential food items in the public distribution network should be linked to the
strengthening of small and medium farmers in all rural areas. All raw food items needed for the public
distribution system as well as various nutrition programmes should be procured from local farmers at a fair
price. As far as possible self-reliance in essential diverse food items at the local, district level should be ensured
with internal trade filling in unavoidable gaps. In this special care should be taken to ensure that the public
distribution system with cheaper food availability is used to strengthen the local farmers and does not weaken
them in any way. The rules of the WTO or any other international rules which stand in the way of strengthening
local food or farming systems should be resisted. However, subsidies as well as overall costs will be
automatically reduced once the long-distance movement of grains, long-term storage and related food-loss are
considerably reduced.
Steps should be taken to free various kinds of produce from the grip of a few big traders and speculators
so that farmers get justice and sudden escalations in the price for consumers are also avoided. Direct contacts
between farmers and city-based consumers for healthy, organic food can be encouraged by allocating space in
specific city markets to clusters of villages, subject to certain conditions so that the weaker, smaller farmers can
also benefit.
Any interference by the international agencies, WTO or others, in a well-organised system of food
security and food self-reliance based on the farmersвЂ™ secure livelihoods should be strongly resisted.
Industrial Development
The country should aim for self-reliance in all essential consumer and capital goods. Only when this is
not possible given our resource constraints, imports should be resorted to.
While the private, public and cooperative sectors all have important roles, domination by any
industrialist or the use of unfair means to surge ahead in one or more sectors should not be allowed. The public
sector should be strengthened and reformed to fulfil its wider social responsibility while maintaining high
standards of efficiency and entrepreneurial ability.
All industrial units need to abide by properly framed regulations related to pollution, environ-ment,
displacement, health, safety, workersвЂ™ welfare, standards and consumersвЂ™ concerns.
Special protective steps, including reservation of certain items in production and procurement, need to
be provided for cottage and small-scale units with special emphasis on khadi and handlooms.
The activities of multinational and foreign companies should be regulated carefully.
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Banking and Insurance
The important role of nationalised or public sector banks and insurance companies (mainly the Life
Insurance Corporation of India) should continue. These should be reformed and strengthened to improve their
efficiency, basic financial soundness and social responsibility. Private and foreign banks and insurance
companies can have only a limited role, and should not be allowed to damage the special position of national
institutes like the Life Insurance Corporation of India. The accentuating problems of the so-called вЂ�nonperforming assetsвЂ™ should be sorted out by ensuring due payment of enormous sums owed by influential
borrowers.
Infrastructure, Energy, Minerals
The public sector companies should continue to have an important role in the creation of strong and
adequate infrastructure for development of the country. While infrastructure should be adequate, unnecessarily
expensive and grand projects should be avoided. Care should be taken to minimise the problems relating to
environment and displacement.
Special care is essential to reconcile the objectives of development and environment protection in the
area of energy, as the worldwide responsibility of keeping the GHG emissions at low levels must be respected.
For the rural areas in particular, decentralised mixed renewable energy systems can play an important role.
The mineral wealth should be used in the wider interests of the people with special emphasis on the
rights and welfare of communities living in the mineral-rich areas. Instead of trying to take out minerals as
quickly as possible or maximising corporate profits, various middle-level options and technologies, which
protect communities and environment, should be explored and underlined. Domination of decision-making by
corporate interests should be strongly resisted. Foreign and multinational companies should not have any
leading role in the development of minerals. Minor minerals should be extracted in consultation with gram
sabhas, minimising any harm to the environment, while the mining mafias should be kept away and resisted to
prevent any criminalisation of mining work.
Health
A strong foundation of good health can be established only by good nutrition and fulfilment of other
basic needs. In addition, essential health services, medicines, vaccines and investigations should be accessible
to all. Adequate budgetary provisions should be provided for this, which can be around four to five per cent of
the GDP. But to utilise this properly, tendencies of extracting very high and unethical profits in the supply of
medicines and medicare (including investigations) should be strictly curbed, or else the higher budget would be
gobbled up by the profiteers. Important changes in the medicines policy are needed to make available all
essential medicines at a fair price with special emphasis on supply of generic medicines, while irrational
medicines and vaccines should be discarded. The public sector should fulfil an important role in this. The
government should accept the responsibility of health care, medicines and vaccines. As far as possible all
medicines should be provided free in the primary health centres and all government hospitals, perhaps
excluding the very rich patients.
Special medical courses designed to ensure adequate and satisfactory availability of doctors and
paramedical workers in the rural areas should be taken up.
Excessive allocations in a few favoured areas should be re-examined so that integrated and balanced
health planning, which is linked to the real needs of the country, can emerge in place of artificial priorities
thrust upon by vested interests.
While indigenous medical practices should be encouraged, there is a need to ensure rationality and
standards so that undesirable trends (like mass marketing based on dubious rationality) can be checked.
Doctors and other medical personnel coming forward with the objective of serving the poor people,
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particularly in remote villages, should get necessary encouragement from the government. Irrational rules
unfavourable to serving in real-life rural conditions, such as the ban on UDBT, should be changed.
Tendencies towards unjust patent laws, domination by multinational companies and excessive
privatisation should be resisted at a wider level.
Education
While emphasising the right to education for all, the education budget should be raised to about six to
seven per cent of the GDP. At the same time the tendencies of rapid privatisation and extraction of high profits
should be checked. Improvement of government schools should get the highest priority. Children of the weakest
and vulnerable households (like migrant workers and nomadic groups) should also be included with a system of
evening schools/bridge courses and later integration with the mainstream.
Tendencies of communalisation of education should be curbed. Instead, a secular approach to
moral/ethical education should be introduced with emphassis on universal values such as equality of all human
beings, rejection of all kinds of discrimination, compassion for all forms of life, honesty, hard work and a spirit
of service. Cooperation, and not competition, should be emphasised in studies, sports (team-spirit) and other
activities. Health education, including a firm message against all intoxicants and also emphasising the
importance of physical work, should get due importance, Education should provide a balanced view of realities
and the real needs of the country.
Child labour and all forms of exploitation of children should be eliminated. Trafficking of children
should be curbed strongly and missing children should be traced with a sense of urgency. Trafficked and
exploited children, when rescued, should be rehabilitated properly. Creative programmes for street children
should be implemented and various homes for disadvantaged children should be improved.
Special care should be given to ending discrimination against the girl child and improving the
opportunities for her education.
Youth should have adequate opportunities for livelihoods linked to creating a better world and they
should be adequately informed about such opportunities of employment as well as self-employment.
Higher education and research should be linked to the countryвЂ™s real needs and careful use should be
made of scarce resources to take the advantages of higher education to those who are more deserving.
Science and Technology
The progress in science and technology should be linked closely to the countryвЂ™s real needs. Technical
skills not only in institutions of higher learning but also in the rural areas, in farms and workshops and factories
should be recognised, encouraged and provided adequate avenues. Technology and engineering skills should
not be narrowly linked to any vested interests but instead should be directed towards serving the countryвЂ™s high
priority needs.
Old Age, Disability and Pensions
Senior citizens should have a place of respect and dignity and to facilitate this better social security,
particularly pensions, are very necessary. Extensive pension reforms should be taken up to create a system of
universal and adequate pensions.
Disability-related discrimination should end. Adequate care should be given to meeting the special
education, health and other needs of the disabled persons, providing them access to all social places and
facilities, apart from arranging adequate pensions. вЂ�DisabilityвЂ™ as well as вЂ�old ageвЂ™ should be defined in a
comprehensive way so that no deserving and needy person is left out of such rights like social security.
Prevention of and early treatment for accidents, injuries and diseases likely to result in disabilities should be
emphasised.
Society and Religion
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All forms of discrimination based on caste, religion, gender, colour, ethnicity etc. should be curbed
strictly in keeping with the constitutional obligations. Apart from implementing legal provisions this should
also be taken up in the form of public campaigns.
Continuing efforts should be made, and not just at the time of tensions, to maintain communal
harmony. Strict action should be taken against those responsible for spreading communal hatred and tensions.
Everyone has a well-established constitutional right to follow his or her religion, but definitely not to
insult other religions. All religions are equal in the eyes of the state, and governments should carefully follow
secular precepts avoiding any discrimination.
However, there should be adequate room for social reforms and narrow thinking should not stand in the
way of changing or removing those customs or traditions which clearly harm society and cause distress. Social
reform movements against child marriage, the dowry system, discriminatory practices, liquor and intoxicants,
violent pornography, superstitions, various exploitative practices under the influence of superstitions etc. should
be encouraged.
Community and family ties at all levels should be strengthened and social cooperation for creative,
philanthropic and reformist work should be encouraged.
Harmful practices in the celebration of festivals should be curbed by public campaigns and legislation
where necessary.
All efforts should be made to protect good traditions while fighting the harmful ones.
A campaign against the increasing consumption of liquor and tobacco products in various forms as well
as against drug addiction should be a major component of the social reform effort. The increasing auctions of
liquor shops in villages have to be checked in substantial measure.
Social reforms should seek to involve most sections of the community and as far as possible avoid
creating new conflicts.
Scheduled Castes, Tribes, Nomads and OBCs
The existing reservations should continue till such time as real equality in all important respects is
achieved. A big effort should be made to provide some land to the large number of Dalit landless farm workers
and provide other assistance to help them emerge as small farmers cultivating their own land. The ban on
manual scavenging must be backed by adequate rehabilitation opportunities. The artisansвЂ™ work relating to
bamboo, leather etc. should be improved so that new opportunities emerge and better, cleaner work-conditions
are available.
The land rights of tribals should be carefully protected and the land allocated earlier illegally should be
restored under the due process of law. The implementation of the recent Forest Rights Act needs to be
substantially improved and any possibilities of large-scale displacement should be checked. The rights of those
engaged in minor forest produce should be strengthened and new opportunities opened up in processing work.
Livelihoods based on protecting forest and wild life can be substantially expanded. The PESA law for
decentralisation should be implemented in the right spirit.
Nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes and groups deserve sympathetic understanding. Both options of
improving their present life pattern and satisfactory rehabilitation are open. Denotified tribes need to be helped
to come out of various kinds of stigmas and problems, and new opportunities must be opened up for them.
In all categories the most oppressed and neglected groups deserve special attention and help.
Particularly among OBCs there is a need to be careful so that the genuinely oppressed, left-out and neglected
castes get more help.
Women/Gender
There is a clear need to provide equal opportunities to women and end all gender-based discrimination.
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A system of 33 per cent reservation for women in the State and national legislatures and 50 per cent reservation
in the decentralised system should be in place in the near future. The ban on female foeticide and infanticide
should be strictly implemented. Apart from providing essential facilities, special incentives should be offered to
encourage girl students. The security of girls and women should get high priority and urgent steps have to be
taken at several levels to ensure secure living and working conditions for women. Strong laws to protect women
are needed, but at the same time any misuse of these laws should be checked.
Land and property rights should be jointly in the name of the wife and husband, and the rights of single
women should also be ensured, but inheritance laws should not be such as to transfer ownership of a villageвЂ™s
land for cultivation outside the village.
Efforts for a better understanding of womenвЂ™s perceptions of various development issues should be
made.
Other Forms of Life
It is important to avoid an excessively human-centric view of life as life forms other than human beings
also need care and compassion. Many of these are today endangered due to the absence of this care. Most of the
life forms that have been the farmersвЂ™ friendsвЂ”ranging from indigenous species of cattle and camels to
earthworms and sparrowsвЂ”are also in dire need of protection today. Indigenous species of cows and bullocks
deserve special care due to their many-sided utility, but other farm animals should also not be neglected.
Communities living near forests should get strong livelihood support in activities relating to protection of wild
life and their habitats. Similarly communities like fisherfolk, boatmen can be involved in the protection of fish
habitats and all aquatic life, while snake charmers can be useful in the protection of reptiles due to their special
knowledge. Use of chemical pesticides and weedicides should be minimised while GM crops should be banned.
Stray dogs and other stray animals also need better care and cruelty to animals in the name of laboratory
experiments should be reduced as much as possible.
Protection of Environment
Protection of the environment is of the highest importance not only for preparing the base of sustainable
development but increasingly for sheer survival of various life-forms including human beings. Protection of the
environment and reduction of pollution should get priority at all levels, including reduction of air and water
pollution, soil and water conservation, protection of forests, reducing the spread of various toxic products and
wastes etc. Newer forms of pollution such as the threat of radiation from nuclear plants, or the threat from
mobile phone towers, or the irreversible risk of genetic pollution should be given adequate importance in the
environment protection agenda. While a strong legal base is certainly needed for protecting the environment,
peopleвЂ™s movements and their close involvement with environment protection are equally important. It is
important to evolve environment policies which involve the people instead of alienating them. The environment
protection work should provide new livelihoods to people, instead of displacing them or taking away their
livelihoods. A ban on destructive mining at any place, for example, should at the same time provide for
protective and regenerative work at the site which will also offer employment. Special care should be taken for
protection of the eco-sensitive areas of special importance like those in the Himalayas or in coastal areas.
While the task of environment protection has always been important, its importance has greatly
increased in times of extremely serious global threats like those of climate change and ozone depletion. India,
like all countries, needs to give adequate importance to reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions as well as to
adaptive steps to cope with the climate change related problems. These can become issues of topmost
importance in the near future. Also India should contribute adequately to the world-level justice-based efforts to
check climate change which should persuade the developed countries to contribute substantially to efforts to
check climate change, accepting their historical responsibility for their high greenhouse gas emissions.
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Protection from Disasters
Increasing harm from several natural disasters is already a matter of serious concern, while the threat
from disasters can increase substantially in times of climate change. Therefore according much higher priority
to protection from natural disasters has to be a very important part of the policy-framework now and in times to
come. To be effective this has to learn from past experience and be willing to correct serious mistakes made
earlier, as is evident from the increasing damage even after vast amounts had been invested in protection. So
both increasing budgets and correction of distorted policies are important for protection from disasters.
Protection from Accidents
The damage and threats from transport (particularly road), worksite, and domestic accidents as well as
new threats from high-hazard projects have been increasing. Preventive and immediate response action can
reduce the damage, including loss of human life, to a substantial extent. So a nationwide network of protection
and quick response for all kinds of accidents in an integrated way has to be created.
Displacement
Efforts should be made to reduce displacement at all levels as much as possible. At the level of policyformulation it is necessary to keep in view the need to minimise displacement. To the extent displacement
cannot be avoided, there should be all-out endeavours for satisfactory rehabilitation including land in place of
land and protection of community ties. Cases of those victims of displacement who suffered injustice in much
earlier times should also be considered sympathetically so that they can get justice even though belatedly.
Justice, Police and Crime
The long-pending police reforms should not be delayed any longer. These reforms should be aimed at
not only increasing the efficiency of the police but also their sensitivity and humanity. The dignity of policemen
at the lower levels should be protected.
Reducing crimes should have a multi-dimensional approach with special emphasis on reducing the
social causes of crimes as well as breaking the nexus between crime and corruption and political power at the
higher levels.
Efforts to combat terrorism should be much better organised and all support-systems of terrorists,
whether in the country or abroad, should be opposed and challenged on a continuing basis at various levels.
Social conditions and grievances which fuel terrorism should be tackled effectively.
The justice system should give special attention to ensuring that innocent people are not implicated in
crimes. Special efforts should be made to provide legal aid to the poor and needy, as also to help undertrials.
Undertrials who have already served a jail sentence, that is equal to the punishment of the offence for which
they have been charged, should be released.
The justice system is breaking down particularly in the rural areas because of the long- pending cases
and repeated visits to courts from long distances which only lead to further dates thereby delaying the process
of delivery of justice. Therefore rural decentralisation should include some judicial provisions for settling
disputes locally but with suitable safeguards.
Jails need extensive reforms to create more humane and reformist conditions, with special provisions
firmly in place for human treatment of political prisoners.
Housing and Homeless People
Ensuring legal rights to housing, land to all households and improvements in housing programmes for
the weaker sections (such as the Indira Awas) should get high priority in the rural areas, as also meeting the
special housing needs in disaster-prone areas.
The housing needs of the urban areas cannot be solved by high profit-oriented builders. The
government should accept the responsibility for large-scale construction of houses to meet the needs of the poor
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as well as middle class. The needs of the homeless people should get priority and construction of adequate
shelters should be guaranteed. Slums should not be destroyed and the slum-dwellers evicted arbitrarily and
instead the thrust should be on improving the various facilities in slums.
Political Parties, Governance and Corruption
Efforts to significantly reduce the role of big money, illegal вЂ�blackвЂ™ money and criminals in elections
and the functioning of political parties should get high priority. Political parties should maintain complete
records of income, expenditure and all donors; the transactions should be transparent and accessible under the
right to information law. Election expenses should be kept low, rules should be carefully followed but routine
work should not be interrupted at election time.
Right to information should be protected and strengthened, with additional protection for those who
expose corruption using the RTI route or in other ways. However, suggestions for preventing any misuse of the
RTI Act can also be considered. Anti-corruption laws and organisations need to be strengthened and improved,
while new laws should be introduced in the areas where these are needed.
An effective grievance redressal system which provides for time-bound actions, issues receipts for
complaints received and fixes responsibilities (as well as penalties for non-action) should be in place as soon as
possible.
Exemplary strong action should be taken once allegations of corruption have been confirmed.
Excessive protection provided to some sections of officials from anti-corruption action should be withdrawn but
at the same time tendencies towards witch-hunt without conclusive evidence as well as motivated targeting of
innocent persons should be checked.
Stringent action should be taken particularly in cases of illegal transfer of money earned by corrupt
practices outside the country, in tax havens or secret accounts.
Decentralisation and Panchayat Raj
Decentralisation should be strengthened in the rural as well as urban areas. Gram sabhas and ward
sabhas in the rural areas (assemblies of all adult villagers) as well as equivalent units in the urban areas should
be strengthened as a base where the peopleвЂ™s real needs can be articulated, discussed and also documented. It is
important to strengthen ward sabhas particularly in villages where gram sabhas can be too large to give
everyone a proper hearing.
Some weaknesses of the panchayats need to be corrected. The tendency of one or two persons to
concentrate most powers of the panchayati raj can be corrected by the strengthening of gram sabhas, a more
active role for the panchayat samitis as well as for all elected ward members and the possible rotation of the
main head-personвЂ™s post among all ward members. Decentralisation at the district level should be strengthened
significantly so that the concept of a district-level governmentвЂ”which is much closer to the day-to-day
problems and livelihood issues of the peopleвЂ”can emerge.
Decentralisation needs to progress rapidly within the basic constitutional principles of equality and nondiscrimination, integrity and unity of the country, secularism and socialism (interpreted in this context as
reduction of inequalities and justice to the weaker sections).
Urban Development
Urban life should emphasise environment-friendly and secure conditions for all sections of people, with
special emphasis on reduction of pollution, access to satisfactory housing for the weaker sections as well as the
middle class, and significant reduction of crime (particularly crime against women and children).
Instead of high concentration of population in the big cities, balanced development of smaller towns,
including kasbas or semi-urban settle-ments close to the rural areas, should be prioritised. Satisfactory essential
facilities should be provided in all these urban and semi-urban settlements.
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Scarce resources should be used carefully to provide essentials to all people instead of squandering such
resources on grand and expensive projects.
National Security and Unity
National security is based not just on armed strength but even more so on the unity and determination
of the people to defend national interests. Hence continuing efforts should be made to strengthen the unity of
the people at all levels. Special attention should be given to justice-based unity in the border areas, with a
willingness to provide all democratic rights (except perhaps for brief periods of special security concerns) and
an effective system for redressal of all grievances. Special care should also be taken to ensure such community
participation so that any victimisation of innocent persons at the time of security operations can be avoided.
Apart from the overall improvement of the anti-terror operations, efforts to break the higher-level
linkages with terror, whether external or internal, should be emphasised.
A high level of preparedness to defend the national borders should be maintained, while at the same
time improving negotiations with neighbouring countries to resolve border issues and ease tensions. Corruption
and commissions in arms purchases should be strictly curbed, while self-reliance and indigenous R and D
should be strengthened.
Priority should be given to solving the most expensive border disputes like the one related to the
Siachin glacier. The Kashmir issue can be resolved by strengthening the democratic processes on both sides of
the border, initiating dialogues and exchanges, gradually opening up the borders and recognition of these as the
legitimate borders by all sides. But all this is possible only if the disruptive forces of violence can be restrained.
Foreign Policy and International Affairs
There should be a deep commitment to friendly relations and peace with all neighbouring countries
without sacrificing national security interests and compromising on the protection of our borders.
The world is passing through difficult times with the growing threat of irreversible climate change and
life-endangering conditions on the one hand, and the stockpiling and proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction on the other. India should play a leading and responsible role to see that effective solutions for these
life-threatening problems can get the highest priority and effective, justice-based solutions can emerge before it
is too late.
The narrow viewpoints of the developed countries on these issues should be challenged by a broader
unity of the developing and least developed countries. In addition, the tendency of the developed countries to go
on trying to extend their special privileged position and dominate the world economy and trade should be
challenged and resisted. International trade and finance institutions should be substantially reformed, or what
may be more practical ultimately, new international trade and financial institutions should be created that are
more suitable to evolve a new international economic order based on justice and equality.
India should participate actively, inside and outside the United Nations, for justice-based peace and
minimising the possibilities of war and internal strife. Unity and cooperation of all countries should be
established to strongly curb all forms of terrorism and their promoters and to eliminate their causes.
India should support disarmament with renewed vigour so that substantial savings from arms
expenditure can be diverted to the development needs.
Minorities
Security and equal opportunities of all minorities should be protected and promoted. Communal
harmony and national unity should be actively defended and reinforced on a continuing basis so that such
conditions are created that minimise the possibilities of communal violence. Those guilty of obstructing this
path of peace, goodwill and security should face strict action.
Although minorities are generally taken to be religious minorities, the reasons for being identified on
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other basis (such as region or caste) exist and any effort at violence against any kind of minority must face strict
action and all such tendencies should be curbed.
Sexual minorities should also be protected from injustice, discrimination and stigma.
Social Activists and Organisations
Social activists, who seek to help the weaker sections, oppressed people and reform society in other
creative ways, should get encouragement and protection from governments. Any move to harass or repress
social activists and organisations should be checked and protection should be available against such efforts.
Media
The media should be close to the realities and needs of the country, and should be in tune with the basic
precepts and values enshrined in our ConstitutionвЂ”equality, secularism, special concern for the weaker
sections, national integration and unity. The freedom of the media is very important and this is also a basic
constitutional safeguard; but it should not be misdirected to justify increasing corporate control to an extent that
the media is alienated from the genuine concerns of the people and instead promotes the narrow interests and
viewpoints of a select few to the detriment of those of the larger sections. Cooperatives of journalists should be
encouraged. The socially responsible behaviour of the new social media should be ensured and new
technologies should not be misused.
Transport and Tourism
The importance of railways and public transport keeping in view the needs of the ordinary travellers
should get high priority. Roads should be safe and in good condition, but overspending of scarce resources on
non-essential expansion and widening should be discouraged. Safety in all forms of transport should get high
priority.
Safety, hygiene and essential facilities at all places of huge gatherings, including pilgrimages, festivals
and fairs etc., should be emphasised. Economy tourism and the safety of tourists should also get high priority.
Tourism should be linked to the better livelihoods of the ordinary people.
Culture, Art and Literature
Rich cultural activities and folk arts in various communities should be preserved and encouraged, as
well as protected from the onslaught of the corporate-controlled media, вЂ�cultural imperialismвЂ™ and pornography.
Highly deserving but neglected talent among the ordinary folk should be assisted and helped to realise their full
potential. Special efforts should be made to protect the endangered languages.
ETHNIC VIOLENCE IN ASSAM
In the last quarter of 2013, in fact, soon after the announcement of the formation of a separate
Telangana state, violence erupted in several regions of Assam with significant tribal populations, almost as if on
cue. In the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) area, thousands of tribal youth вЂ“ both men and women вЂ“ decked
out in warpaint and Apache haircuts, sat down on rail tracks threatening to cut off communications with the rest
of the country unless their demand for a separate state was met. Almost all organised Bodo groups supported
them vocally.
The All Koch-Rajbangshi StudentsвЂ™ Union (AKRSU), the militant studentsвЂ™ organisation of the KochRajbangshis, who have nursed a long grievance for having been cut out of a deal between the government and
the Bodos in the accord forming the BTC, in spite of being as indubitably autochthonous as the Bodos, also
began to breathe fire and raise vehement demands for a separate state of their own, scissored out of areas of
West Bengal and Assam, not excluding the BTC. Panicking at their own prospects, immigrant Muslims,
adivasis transplanted in the 19th century from Chota Nagpur by the British, and the Assamese (new settlers or
people who had been there for ages), banded together on a common platform to voice their own opposition to
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such demands.
In the Karbi Anglong Autonomous District, furious Karbis too blocked roads and shouted angry
slogans, with women in an equally war-like mood, insisting that their long-standing demand for a Karbi
autonomous state be met at once, and then went on to burn down, one after another, government offices that
were rumoured to have been stacked with files containing massive evidence of corruption by the Karbi political
elite in association largely with Assamese officials. The local Assamese residents of Diphu were in a state of
shock, and curfew had to be declared and maintained for days to bring the situation under control.
The air was thick with accusations and counter-accusations, with the tribals growling against longstanding oppression and deprivation by the Assamese ruling class, and the Assamese bitterly denouncing the
political ambitions and greed for lucre among the emerging tribal elite, forgetful of their own record. There are
a few sane voices pleading for reason, a democratic attitude and accommodation, but their voices seem lost in
this wilderness. History, genuine and mythical, is quarried selectively to prop up each sideвЂ™s argument, though
it is difficult to understand what relevance events from two millennia ago can have on what is happening today.
The Assam chief minister has deployed the army and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Karbi
Anglong, but did not care (dare?) to take a tough line with the tough-talking Bodos and Koch-Rajbangshis, who
have not yet resorted to violent methods, but have broadly hinted that that option was not closed. In reaction,
the long-suffering and now desperate non-Bodos also murmured about resisting violence to the bitter end. The
chief minister had a series of talks with leaders of these movements and assured them that he would convey
their views to the centre. What is the centreвЂ™s outlook on these contentious issues?
To the central leaders, tribal demands for autonomy and Assamese anxieties about dissolution of a
historic nationality with its rich culture and literature are mere law and order issues, and not matters of crucial
moment to Indian democracy. They are given to finding stopgap solutions that carry in their wake dangers that
become full-blown later on. The new ideal of вЂњleast governmentвЂќ that came in with neo-liberalism has allowed
them to scatter inadvertently seeds of further tensions and conflicts. All that matters now for their friends, big
multinationals and national monopoly capital, is a reasonably stable condition with various ethnic groups
hostile to one another, but not engaging in internecine feuds, so that rich natural resources of the region, like
precious minerals, oil, natural gas, hydropower and rare medicinal plants can be plundered in a matter of a few
decades, leaving the indigenous tribes and later immigrants to fight it out among themselves in the end.
The Karbi Agitation
When Meghalaya was formed, initially by amending the Constitution to insert Article 244A in 1969,
the Karbi leaders clearly said that they did not want any such arrangement and were quite happy to remain in
Assam. But the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution had been drawn up with a primitive tribe in mind, and when
education and consciousness spread, however slowly, the new educated Karbi elite realised the rudimentary
nature of powers conferred for self-government and started agitating for a separate state, which received
extensive support among the Karbis. But, the Congress, with its own Karbi leaders and their following,
succeeded in keeping things within control. Over the years, however, more and more powers were delegated to
the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council in order to mollify the restless ones; but that dream never quite
disappeared. One of the grievances of the Karbis was that even the annual budget of the autonomous council
was prepared in Dispur, capital of Assam. Under Jayanta RangpiвЂ™s leadership, the movement, though massive,
never slid into violence against non-Karbis. But, as things have dragged on, Jayanta Rangpi fell out of favour
and more militant and reckless leaders took over, and inter-community relationships have suffered a serious
setback. It became common wisdom that only such вЂњdirect actionвЂќ could yield results. Such misadventures were
not dealt with a firm hand by the centre, the ultimate centre of power.
A ghastly incident took place on 15 July 2013 at Diphu, headquarters of the Karbi Anglong
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Autonomous District, which many consider a prelude to the later outbreaks of violence. An Assamese resident
of Diphu had hired an autorickshaw driven by a Karbi youth, perhaps representing a more impatient and
intolerant Karbi generation, to take him and his young son to the market. Upon arrival at the destination an
altercation ensued over the fare, a minor everyday occurrence. Suddenly, the driver shouted in rage: вЂњAre you
Karbi or Assamese?вЂќ. At this, several other young men among the bystanders drew near and started belabouring
the Assamese youth who had just reached 20 years.
The father, who had been in Diphu for a long 23 years, tried desperately to save him, but to no avail. He
phoned the nearby police station and a police jeep arrived soon after. By that time, passions had been inflamed,
and the police also lost their nerve in the presence of a huge gathering on the spot, and left the place in a hurry.
The fatherвЂ™s wails had no effect. His young son, Jhankar Saikia, was beaten to death before his eyes, and
nobody intervened to save him. Yet, he was a familiar figure in the market and called every shopkeeper by his
name. Condemnation by the press and public in Assam reached such a pitch that the chief minister of Assam
was forced to order stricter management of law and order. But the culprits were not brought to book.
The Bodo Case
The Bodo case has its own history. From the early 20th century, educated Bodos led other tribal
communities against the dominant castes of Assam (not the colonial masters who backed the privileged castes),
accusing them of caste-based discrimination, mistreatment, and suppression of their rights. In 1933, under the
banner of the Tribal League, the Bodos, the most numerous and advanced among the indigenous tribals, fought
to wrest from an apathetic government the guarantee of land rights to people accustomed to shifting cultivation,
facilities for education of their children, and reservation of jobs in government service.
The fight against colonialism became a little obscure as caste Hindu Assamese, backward castes,
scheduled castes and tribals fought among one another for a share in the pittance offered by the colonial rulers
in the name of public welfare. The caste Hindu leaders of the freedom struggle promised action on such matters
once Independence was attained, but the tribal leaders openly expressed doubt, that it was but a ploy to delay
and deny them the right to a decent and dignified life, and condemn them forever to poverty and backwardness.
However, just before Independence, a deal was struck between Bhimbar Deuri, charismatic leader of the Tribal
League, and Gopinath Bordoloi, the undisputed leader of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, which
assured tribals of reservation of land under tribal belts and blocks, reservation of seats in educational
institutions and government service, and reservation of certain assembly seats.
Accordingly, the Assam state assembly passed certain Acts creating such belts and blocks where land
will be inalienable, save under certain conditions. However, even though after Independence the tribals could
take a few steps forward, and some progressed far enough to form a small middle class, implementation of these
Acts was insincere and patchy. Parts of such belts and blocks were de-reserved for settling refugees from
Pakistan and immigrant Muslims left high and dry by erosion of riverbanks and chars, and starting industrial
projects without consent of tribals.
The tribal elite now reviewed the earlier decision of the Tribal League and formed a Plains Tribal
Council of Assam (PTCA) to mobilise people for pressing their demands and eliminate injustices. Started in the
late 1960s, it soon assumed a stormy character, with demand for a separate tribal state in the plains filling the
Assamese elite and their compatriots with anxiety. But, soon, dissension among leaders of various communities
heading the PTCA left the Bodos as the predominant group in the council. They demanded and won the right to
teach their children in the Bodo language instead of the prevalent Assamese. In 1973, they raised the demand
that the textbooks should be in the Roman script as Assamese phonetics could not properly articulate Bodo
sounds. It was a plausible scientific theory, though, as is well known, a script and its sound system may vary
widely. The real intention was to insulate the Bodos from Assamese influence.
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The degree of mistrust and hatred reflected in the move revealed the bitterness of the Bodos at the
complacent assumption of the Assamese that they were doing well enough under Assamese tutelage. In the
Mangaldoi subdivision (now a district), the police opened fire on a Bodo demonstration demanding introduction
of the Roman script, killing 13 people and deeply embittering the Bodos. The PTCA movement lost its
momentum by the late 1970s, and its leaders became ministers briefly in a Janata government. Its place was
taken by the All Bodo StudentsвЂ™ Union (ABSU), which, for some time, even came under leftist influence. The
Bodo Sahitya Sabha had also become an influential body, and along with ABSU, it began to echo the demands
and aspirations of the Bodos, especially its middle class.
Anti-Foreigner Assam Movement
The Bodo peasantry was particularly handicapped by the loss of their land to hard-working immigrant
Muslims, better trained to manipulate land-tenure regulations and the officials managing them. Many had been
reduced to being landless labourers. Therefore, they joined en masse in the anti-foreigner Assam movement
(1979-85) in the hope of recovering land. When the leaders of the All Assam Students Union (AASU), with
whom ABSU leaders like Upen Brahma, who had become a charismatic leader in his teens, had collaborated
with zeal, came to power, they let them down by neglecting their concerns. They then raised the slogan for a
separate Bodoland with catchy and stirring sentences like вЂњDivide Assam 50-50вЂќ, вЂњNo Bodoland, No RestвЂќ, and
so on.
Unfortunately, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) government, drunk with the illusion of power and diehard Assamese nationalism, decided to crush the movement by force when small concessions did not satisfy the
Bodos. This period is a little murky. The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) had arisen with a resolve to
carve out an independent Assamese state, and the Government of India (GoI) had reportedly sent experienced
Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officers to Bodo-majority areas to train Bodos in the use of modern arms,
presumably with the hope of countering Assamese chauvinism. The repressive measures taken by the AGP
government were crass and brutal, including indiscriminate shooting, and rape of Bodo women by the police
and the CRPF. A place called Bhumka saw rape and murder of as many as seven women, filling not only
Bodos, but also most Assamese with horror. (The present author wrote about those incidents in his column in
EPW during the 1980s.)
Slowly, Bodos began arming themselves, but turned their guns against other communities in the
neighbourhood. A Bodo Security Force inspired terror among non-Bodos with its intemperate violence. The
Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC) was formed in 1993 by Hiteswar Saikia, then chief minister of Assam,
in precipitate haste. It did not work out as the leaders of the administration of BAC allegedly indulged in
massive corruption, ultimately yielding place to the fearsome Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT), who used terror
tactics on defenceless and helpless common Assamese people of the region to force the governmentвЂ™s hand.
Primary schoolteachers, postal peons, and small businessmen were hunted down. Certain national political
parties in the opposition encouraged Bodo aspirations in the hope of electoral gains. The BLT cadre struck
terror with unimaginable acts of brutality, such as surrounding a family of ordinary Assamese villagers and
their kinsmen, without any interest in politics, as they sat down to an annual Bihu feast in the courtyard of their
house, and mercilessly gunning them down. Many such incidents were a sort of misguided retaliation against
the sufferings of the Bodos at the hands of the Assam Police and the CRPF in the past. But they did not even
spare moderate Bodo leaders if they questioned their methods. Quite a few lost their lives under the BLT fire.
The Population Argument
One serious argument against granting of a separate state to the Bodos was the fact that over the
extensive region where the Bodos demanded their state, there has been since the distant past a mixed
population, with mixed settlements of Bodos and non-Bodos (largely Assamese). In certain villages, Bodos
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were in a majority, but in many other villages their proportion was at best a little over a third. But the Bodos
claimed that they had been reduced to a minority by the influx of outsiders.
In order to empirically test the veracity of this strongly-held idea in the early 1990s, I started examining
the records found in Census Reports from 1901 onwards. To my surprise, I found that if the region was
considered as a whole, the Bodos never could have been a preponderant community there. In most of the police
station areas, they were not in a majority. The situation has not changed much over the decades, though there
has been a spurt in the population, both among Bodos and non-Bodos. Then how did such an idea take such
deep roots among the Bodos? The ABSU, during a phase of militancy, undertook a self-operated census in the
region they claimed as their own, their native land, and showed that it had a 97% Bodo population!
There may be two reasons for such a subjective idea taking a firm hold in their minds as being the truth.
First, it is a fact that Bodos were natives of the region and have identified themselves with it. Second, there
were sizeable numbers of people from outside who had settled there. But, this is no reason to hold that all nonBodos were outsiders who had robbed the Bodos of their inherited land. A few years back, I came to the
conclusion that the reason for the numerically weaker position of the Bodos lay in their way of life. They
depended for their livelihood on shifting cultivation with primitive tools. Production at that level, therefore,
could not support a substantial population. My own memories of a childhood spent close to a Bodo community
were that the incidence of infant mortality was quite high. Modern medicine was also not familiar to them. Now
that they have access to more dependable sources of livelihood and modern medicine, the growth in their
population today is fairly high.1
The CentreвЂ™s Decisions
Now comes the role of the centre as a decisive factor. When Assam, especially western Assam was in
the throes of a campaign of terror by Bodo extremists, the Congress government in Delhi sought a hurried
answer through the mediation of Rajesh Pilot, who then served as the governmentвЂ™s troubleshooter. He initiated
a tripartite conference and offered the Bodos the present dispensation of the BTC with substantive powers and
covering a very large area of three different districts. On 10 February 2003 the Bodo leadership accepted it with
alacrity and declared that, henceforth, they would live in peace and friendship with the Assamese. It was a
package hastily made up, with Bodos being given 30 seats in a council of 46, with only five seats reserved for
the non-Bodos. The then chief minister of Assam, Hiteswar Saikia, pointed out that the arrangement was
patently unrealistic and unfair to the non-Bodo majority, but was overruled. Thus, the BTC was by no means an
extension of democracy, but of Congress realpolitik. The Bodo leadership, however, nursed a grievance that
while the Assamese ministers and officials spent money at will, the expenditure of sums given to BTC was
strictly monitored. There was further a grouch that the home department, and thus control over law and order
and the police, was exclusively in the hands of the state government.
Apart from the Assamese, the Koch-Rajbangshis, who were as indubitably indigenous to the region as
the Bodos, and who had a line of powerful kings there in the late middle ages, were deeply aggrieved. So far,
they were as passionately and patriotically Assamese as any other Assamese community. But, this bitter blow,
which disempowered them in their ancestral land under the very nose of the Assamese rulers, made them turn to
other ways of finding justice, and they also claimed their right to a separate state comprising areas from both
Assam and north Bengal. At first, there was some hope that by gaining the status of scheduled tribe, they would
be able to free themselves from the constraints imposed by the BTC provisions, but the hope faded when on
academic grounds the GoI rejected their demand time after time. The decision of New Delhi to form Telangana
has stiffened their resolve to serve an ultimatum, with the implied threat that they too would take to arms if the
demand is not fulfilled.
The situation is not worrisome to the centre. It is as though this is the concrete exemplification of the theory of
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so-called вЂњcirculation of elitesвЂќ; all very nice and comfortable. Perhaps, the motive is to keep the north-east
permanently on the boil to the advantage of big capital, native and foreign, like certain regions of Africa
haunted by poverty, massive displacement, wars and epidemics. There will also be certain foreign-funded
agencies given a free hand by the GoI to offer their support and assistance to such machinations.
GANDHI-AMBEDKAR INTERFACE
Gandhi and Ambedkar would have agreed an as many issues as they would have disagreed upon. They
could not find much ground for co-operation and collaboration. In popular perception - and in the perception of
many of their followers too-they remained opponents. Both indulged in verbal duels in order to expose the
weaknesses of each other's thought and actions. This legacy could never be abandoned by the Ambedkaiite
political movement even after the 1950s. The disappearance of both personalities from the social scene, and a
change in the political context has not altered the standardised positioning of the two as each other's enemies.
Against this background it is proposed to enquire into the differences in the discourses of Gandhi and
Ambedkar.
Two general points may be noted before we proceed to a discussion of the relationship between the
Gandhian discourse and the Ambedkarian discourse. Movements for social transformation are based on
emancipatory ideologies. At the present juncture in the Indian society we find that movements for social
transformation are weak and localised. Further, the dominant discourse today does not believe in the project of
emancipation. In this context it becomes necessary to tap the possibilities of realignment of emancipatory
ideologies. It would be inadvisable to be persuaded by the exclusivist claims of any ideology to the project of
emancipation.
Secondly, personality clashes need not be the decisive factor in the assessment of thought. Also, we
need to accept that immediate political interests of Gandhi and Ambedkar clashed. Ambedkar began his
political career as leader of the untouchables and continued to claim to be the authentic representative of the
untouchable community. Gandhi, on the other hand, appeared to be denying the existence of separate interests
of untouchables in the context of the freedom struggle. Ambekdar was always suspicious of the social content
of freedom struggle and believed that Gandhi was not adequately sensitive to this. Since Gandhi was at the
helm of the freedom struggle, Ambedkar thought it necessary to position itself against Gandhi. Given these
historical circumstances, is it necessary that we sit in judgment to decide the case in favour of either Gandhi or
Ambedkar?
The present note proceeds with the assumption that Gandhi-Ambedkar clashes resulted from their
personalities, as well as their respective positioning in the contemporary political contexts. However, beyond
these clashes and differences of assessment of contemporary politics, there exists some ground where the
agenda of Gandhi and Ambedkar might actually be complementary. To realise this, it is necessary to throw
away the burden of proving whose political position was correct or incorrect.
The question of separate electorates for untouchables is a case in point. Was Gandhi wrong in opposing
separate electorate for untouchables? Was he wrong in forcing Ambedkar into acquiescence through the fast? I
would tend to argue that such questions are largely irrelevant given the fact that 'separate electorates' do not
form the core of Ambedkar's thought, in other words, Gandhi-Ambedkar relationship needs to be probed in the
context not of personalities or political strategies, but in terms of their respective emancipatory projects.
Caste Question
The centrality of the caste question in Ambedkar's thought cannot be overemphasised. He believed that
untouchability was an expression of caste system. Therefore, Ambedkar chose to study the caste system and
critically analyse the justification it received from Hindu scriptures. His thought does not deal merely with
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removal of untouchability which was but one part of the anti-caste movement. He was also concerned with the
overall annihilation of caste. Gandhi, of course, was in favour of abolition of caste- based discriminations. In
personal conduct too, he did not practise caste. But caste question does not occupy a place of urgency in his
thought. He tended to emphasise untouchability more than the caste question. For Gandhi, untouchability
formed the core of caste system. Once untouchability was removed, there will be no caste system. Gandhi was
right in identifying untouchability as the most abhorring expression of caste-based inequality and attendant
inhumanity. But the crucial question is, would caste disappear if untouchability is not practised? If so, why
should there be internal differentiation and hierarchical separation among the touchable castes? Gandhi would
argue that untouchability stands tor everything ugly in the caste system and therefore, it must go instantly.
Extending this logic he could further claim that untouchability could be fully and finally removed only when
caste-consciousness is removed. Removal of untouchability would thus symbolically bury the caste system. In
the light of development of Gandhi's views on the caste issue, there is no doubt about Gandhi's ultimate
preparedness to abolish caste. And yet, caste question does not become the core of Gandhi's discourse.
Consequently, Gandhi did not extend the scope of satyagraha to caste and caste-based inequality.
Gandhi extended support to temple entry movements but did not allow such movements to occupy centre-stage
in his movement. Similarly, Gandhi undertook fast to convince the Hindus of the sinfulness of practising
untouchability and exhorted people to abolish the practice. But the philosophy of satyagraha does not
adequately answer the question of tackling injustices perpetrated by one's own society and sanc- tioned by
religion. Satyagraha as a political weapon is adequately demonstrated by Gandhi's thought and practice. But it
satyagraha is to become a moral purifier what kind of a struggle is necessary against untouchability and caste?
In the case of untouchability, Gandhi could argue that the responsibility of removing untouchability lies with
the caste Hindus. Hence the reference to sin and penance. However, as Ambedkar put it squarely,
untouchability exists as a stigma on the body of the untouchables. As the ones suffering from injustice, how
should the untouchables fight against their plight in the Gandhian framework? Even it they were to offer
satyagraha, how could this act prick the conscience of caste Hindus who were under the ideological spell of
religious sanction to caste and who were getting material advantages from the caste-based order? Apart from
practising untouchability, the caste society presents a number of other possible sites of injustice where different
caste groups may be located in antagonistic situations. Gandhi' s discourse does not direct intellectual attention
and political energies to the question of waging struggle against the caste system and more importantly against
caste groups deriving advantages from the caste system, instead, Gandhi tends to search possible areas of cooperation and integration of castes. Therefore, he refuses to recognise caste divisions even at the analytical
level.
Gandhi's constant appeals to caste Hindus not to practise untouchability clearly indicate his awareness
that one section of the society was being treated unjustly by another; it was not a 'personal' relationship but a
group relationship. Inspite of this division of society at the empirical level, Gandhi refused to concede separate
political identity to untouchables through separate electorates. He would allow 'reservation of scats' but the
representational character of those elected through reserved seats would not be 'communal', i e, not as
representatives of untouchables but as representatives of the general electorate. Gandhi's relative neglect of
developing satyagraha against caste probably derived from this position of not recognising the political nature
of social divisions.
Although he uses the term 'harijan' for untouchable 'brethren', Gandhi stoutly refused to recognise that
caste-based divisions could actually be analytical categories for understanding the complex network of
structures of injustice in the Hindu society. Ambedkar draws the distinction between untouchables and caste
Hindus; he also suggests the possibility of using the categories of savarna and avarna where the latter would
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include untouchables and tribals, aborigines, etc. Before him, Phule visualised the categorisation in terms of
'dvij' status shudra- atishudra and 'trivarniks'. The logic behind such categorisation is to locate the main
contradiction in the caste-ridden society, either as varna or as 'dvij' status, While Gandhi would accept the
empirical reality of caste, he was not prepared to posit in it the ideological basis of anti-caste struggle. Hence,
his insistence on identifying the untouchables as part of the Hindu fold. The relative unimportance of caste
question in the Gandhian discourse is prominently expressed in the writings of almost all Gandhian intellectuals
who tend to virtually exclude the issue of caste from their expositions of Gandhism.
Bane of Capitalism
The Gandhian discourse evolved through and along with his struggles against racism and colonialism.
These struggles amply acquainted him with the evil side of western society. Yet, Gandhi was not trapped in
formulating anti-west nationalism. He realised that the malady of the west lay in its peculiar production process.
The modern process of production led to commodifica- tion and consequent degradation of human character.
Therefore. Gandhi directed his attention to the modern lifestyle and the artificial generation of false materiality.
The transformation of human beings into consumers from producers was the main step in the degeneration of
human society.
In this sense the Gandhian discourse can be squarely situated in the context of the problematique of
capitalism. Although Gandhi rarely attacked capitalism directly, his analysis of modern civilisation
unmistakably indicts capitalism. His assessment of the exploitative nature of modern process of production,
dehumanising effects of consumerism and his overall assessment of the modern society do not make sense
unless understood as analysis of the capitalist social order. Similarly, were not Gandhi demolishing the claims
of capitalism, he would not have given so much prominence to the 'Daridranarayan'. His entire project hinges
upon the juxtaposition between 'Daridranarayan' and the satanical nature of capitalist enterprise. Gandhi's
advocacy of a simple life, insistence on abnegation of wants, and swadeshi must be seen as counterpoints to
crass materiality and instrumental interdependence nurtured by capitalism. In this sense, Gandhi's swadeshi
calls for redefinition of the scope of material development and an outright rejection of capitalism as the
instrument of development. It must be borne in mind that Gandhi was not opposed to modern civilisation per se
but as a social order based on capitalism.
Where does Ambedkar stand in relation to this Gandhian position, regarding capitalism and modern
civilisation? Two points arc striking in this context. Firstly, for the most part of his political career, Ambedkar
did not employ his expertise in economics to his political agenda. Secondly, his early economic treatises do not
substantially depart from the ideological position and standard wisdom prevalent in economics during his time.
It may be said that the main concern of Ambedkar was to understand sociologically the operation of
caste system and to understand the socio-religious justifications of the same. His political struggles, too
occurred on very different terrain from the economic. Thus, though he was aware of the economic aspects of
caste system he chose to concentrate on the social, cultural, religious and political aspects of caste. Besides,
Ambedkar's writings manifest a constant vacillation on his part as far as assessment of modern capitalist
economy is concerned. For one thing, he was not persuaded by the soundness of communist economics. For
another, Ambedkar was wary of any alternative that would tend to glorify or justify a semblance of the 'old
order' in which caste occupied a pivotal role. Thus, autonomous village communities, small industry, mutual
dependence, etc, were not appreciated by him for fear of indirectly furthering caste interests. He might have
looked upon forces of modernity as cutting at the root of caste society and therefore was not convinced of the
'evils' involved in modernity.
And yet it would be wrong to believe that Ambedkar upheld capitalism uncritically. Not only was he
critical of many aspects of capitalist economy, Ambedkar was even prepared to reject it for a more egalitarian
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and democratic system of production. Ambedkar has noted the political fallout of capitalism, viz, sham
democracy. He was not averse to a search for alternative economic system although he did not devote his
energies to this project. Thus, Ambedkar would have no hesitation in either taking up economic issues to the
centre-stage of popular struggles or in developing a critique of capitalism. But his emphasis on caste question
gave an impression that he had no sympathy for radical economic agenda. Unfortunately, this resulted in many
of his followers literally seeing 'red' at the mention of economic issues! This has led to a false dichotomisation
between caste question and economic question. Ambedkar's speeches and Marathi writings suggest that he did
not subscribe to such dichotomisation. He was aware of the threat to liberty, equality and fraternity not only
from brahminism but from capitalism also.
Perspectives on Tradition
It is interesting to sec how Gandhi and Ambedkar negotiate with tradition. Gandhi engages in a
creative dialogue with tradition. He tries to find out the element of truth in tradition and emphasises it. In many
cases he attaches new meanings to traditional symbols. He gives an impression that he is asking for nothing
new in substance, but for the continuation of the 'old' tradition. The secret of Gandhi's ability to arouse
revolutionary potential among the masses lies partly in this method of not claiming anything revolutionary, and
in the appeal to the conscience of the masses through tradition. For this purpose, he not only chose popular
traditional symbols but those symbols which have been associated with truth and justice. Assuming the role of
interpreter of our 'great tradition' Gandhi takes the liberty of developing his own normative framework on the
basis of tradition.
Ambedkar, on the other hand, was in search of the ideology of exploitation. He felt that tradition was
this ideology. Injustice based on caste could not have continued unless it was legitimised by tradition. He also
believed that the tradition of Hindu society was predominated by brahminical interests. As such, he could not
ignore the role of tradition in situating caste as a moral code of Hindu society. This prompted Ambedkar to take
a critical view of the entire Hindu (brahminical) tradition. It is also possible that Ambedkar realised the role of
tradition in the contemporary context. All reform was stalled throughout the 19th century in the name of 'our
great tradition' and its correctness. Thus, it was not tradition but forces upholding tradition that must have made
Ambedkar a staunch critic of tradition. Yet did he really forsake tradition in its entirety? Much of Ambedkar's
critical attack on tradition was either directed against glorification of brahminical tradition. It is possible to
argue that Ambedkar was engaged in demolishing the tradition of brahminism and rejected the vedic ideological
tradition. But he was not rejecting all traditions or else how could he search in that same tradition the path of the
dhamma? Nor was he opposed to liberating traditions in the form of different sects. He was complaining against
a lack of adequate emancipatory space within the traditional framework.
Tradition in an unequal society will always be caught between crossfire. Inequality will be cogently
placed as part of tradition and tradition will be glorified as 'anadi', 'sanatan' and infallible. The same heritage
will be sought to be condemned for all sins of the society. Gandhi, sensing the emotional power of tradition,
appropriated it in order to save it from chauvinist glorifications. But even an appropriation of tradition requires
a strong critique. Such critique is a constant reminder that tradition may have the potential of aligning with
forces which perpetuate inequality. An all-round criticism of tradition further sensitises us to the fact that in
many cases tradition actually gives credence to the system of exploitation. In other words, the supporters of
inequality are always comfortable under the aegis of tradition. Thus, appropriation of tradition and employing it
for purposes of building a just society requires a strong will to reject large parts of tradition and situating
tradition in a different context from the one historically associated with it. In this sense, Ambedkars critical
assessment of tradition provides a useful counterpoint to the Gandhian attempt of appropriating tradition. And
the Gandhian project too, does not presuppose an uncritical appropriation of all tradition.
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Meeting Ground
In a very general sense both Gandhi and Ambedkar strived to visualise a community based on justice
and fraternity. The Gandhian discourse identities the elements of community in the form of love, non-violence,
dignity of human life and dignity of physical labour and a non-exploitative process of production symbolised by
rejection of greed. From the vantage point of this vision of the community, Gandhian discourse makes an
assessment of colonial and capitalist reality. It develops a trenchant critique of modernity. The Ambedkarian
discourse unfolds in a different manner. It commences from the critical evaluation of Indian social reality.
Therefore, it concentrates on Hindu social order, its religious ideology and Hindu tradition. Thus, Ambedkar's
discourse takes the form of critique of Hindu religion and society. Ambedkar was constantly aware of the need
to situate this critique on a solid basis of communitarian vision. Although liberty, equality and fraternity
beckoned him constantly, Ambedkar transcends liberalism and socialism to finally arrive at the conception of
the dhamma.
The difference in the structures of their discourses notwithstanding, Gandhi and Ambedkar thus came
to share similar visions. Both believed that social transformation could come about only by social action.
Therefore, they relied heavily on mobilising people against injustice. Social action perceived by Gandhi and
Ambedkar was democratic; it was in the form of popular struggles. Gandhi many times appeared to be
favouring compromises and avoiding 'conflict'. Ambedkar, too, is seen by many (even his followers) as a
supporter of non-agitational politics. But the core of their politics as well as their position on social action leave
us in no doubt that Gandhi and Ambedkar not only pursued popular struggles but they valued struggles as
essential and enriching. They did not visualise removal of injustice without struggles and without popular
participation. Further, Gandhi and Ambedkar would have no difficulty in agreeing upon the value of nonviolence.
The discourses of Gandhi and Ambedkar respect the materiality of human life. Fulfilment of material
needs, and a stable and enriched material life are seen by both as forming the basis of human activity.
Therefore, they would not deny the legitimacy of the goal of providing material basis to society. Moreover,
Gandhi and Ambedkar have a striking similarity in their views on morality. They believe moral values to be
eternal and necessary for co-ordinating material social life.
At the root of this similarity is the common conception of secular religion. This conception rejected all
rituals, bypassed the question of existence of god and other world, and brought morality to the centre-stage of
discussion of religion. It is not a mere coincidence that both Gandhi and Ambedkar should be treated as heretic
by religious orthodoxies of Hinduism and Buddhism, respectively. Both claim that religion and scriptures need
to be understood in the light of conscience and morality. Wherever scriptures contradict conscience, religion
demands that conscience should be followed. In this sense they were sceptical not only about scriptures, but
'priestly authorities' deciding the meaning of scriptures. This view cut at the root of any notion of an organised,
closed religion. Gandhi and Ambedkar shift religion from the realm of metaphysics and situate it onto the
terrain of secular matters such as truth, compassion, love, conscience, social responsibility and enlightened
sense of morality. Understood thus, Gandhi's sanatan dharma and Ambedkar's dhamma do not confine to
individual and private pursuits of good life but operate as the moral framework for social action. Religion
becomes secular and part of the 'public' sphere. When the so-called religious people were busy counting
numbers, Gandhi and Ambedkar tried to turn religiosity of common man into a force for social transformation.
Struggle for truth and non-violence has to incorporate caste struggle because caste is a structure of
violence and injustice. Just as Gandhi denounces the satanic culture of the west, Gandhism can be a
denunciation of caste-based injustice. Gandhi does not forbid the use of soul-force against the satanic
tendencies in one's own society. If contemporary Gandhism fights shy of caste struggles, it has lost the core of
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Gandhi's discourse. The restrictive interpretation of Gandhi will have to be rejected in favour of a creative
interpretation. Non-recognition of categories like shudra-atishudra does not form the core of Gandhism. In fact,
use of a term like 'daridranarayan' presupposes readiness to understand social reality on the basis of exploitative
relations. Therefore, political mapping of social forces on caste basis can be incorporated into Gandhian
discourse. Gandhi's strong rejection of religious authority behind untouchability, his later views on intercaste
marriage, his non- orthodox interpretation on varna in early years and loss of interest in varna in later years, and
the constant exhortation to become 'shudra', - to engage in physical labour - all point to the possibility that caste
question can form legitimate concern of the Gandhian discourse. It should be of some interest that Gandhi does
not eulogise the 'trivarniks' or their roles while constantly upholding dignity of labour. His sanatan dharma is
characteristically uninfluenced by brahminism.
Similarly, Ambedkar's position on capitalism and modernity can be extended and reinterpreted. He
located the primary source of exploitation in the caste system in the Indian context. But he never disputed the
exploitative character of capitalism. His espousal of socialism (eg, Independent Labour Party) and state
socialism apart, he tended to take the view that concentration of wealth and exploitation gave rise to 'dukkha',
His conception of dhamma makes it clear that Ambedkar made a distinction between material well-being and
insatiable lust. This is the ground on which critique of modernist life can be figured within his discourse. It is
true that Ambedkar's rejection of tradition and traditional life-style appears to be modernistic. But it must be
conceded that Ambedkar had to take into consideration immediate interests of untouchables. Thus, his plea to
move to cities need not be understood as a modernist project. Also, Gandhi's espousal of village life should not
be seen as justification of existing village life. Grounding Ambedkar's interpretation in his conception of
dhamma can open up the possibility of bridging the distance between Gandhi and Ambedkar.
The discourses of Gandhi and Ambedkar were not antithetical. Therefore, it is possible to think in
terms of common concerns and potential grounds for dialogue between the two discourses. Further, both
Gandhi and Ambedkar were concerned with the question of emancipation. As such, a broadening of the scope
of their discourses is all the more essential. As mentioned earlier, at the present moment, legitimacy of
emancipatory project is being challenged. The dominant discourse today tends to underplay the caste question
and legitimises capitalism. In contrast the movements of social transformation appear to be fragmented or
stagnant. The theoretical strength required to meet this challenge can be gained partly by building bridges
between the two rich discourses of our times.
Keyhole Diplomacy DoesnвЂ™t Suit India
In an era of globalisation, it is simply not possible for any country to consciously stay out and keep
looking in through a keyhole and plunge into selective engagement with the inmates inside the room. That is the
core issue for Indian diplomacy.
Following up from this, what is desirable could be a matching of interests with countries with diverging
priorities. That is what вЂ�mutual interestsвЂ™ and вЂ�equal relationshipsвЂ™ based on вЂ�mutual respectвЂ™ could be all about.
There is no need to be cunning to match oneвЂ™s interests with an interlocutorвЂ™sвЂ”be it the USвЂ™ or ChinaвЂ™s.
Both these countries are wedded to worldly life and Philistinism in a big way and rather shamelessly worship
Mammon, and India can stimulate them accordingly. What is needed on IndiaвЂ™s part is earthy common sense
and some average intelligence.
But the real challenge lies elsewhere insofar as India should also know what it wants to get from its
interlocutor. To an extent this is happening. Maybe, greater efficiency and clarity of mind and prioritisation will
help. IndiaвЂ™s real problem is the ad-hocism of its diplomacy. It may appear India is everywhereвЂ”BRICS,
SAARC, SCO, RICвЂ”but thatвЂ™s actually an illusion. The cumulative sense is of a studied aloofness and an
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almost incomprehensible reluctance to engage coupled with a predilection toward managing problems rather
than trying to solve themвЂ”and has little to do with вЂ�cunningnessвЂ™, or the lack of it. In fact, Indian pundits
usually take recourse to Chanakya as a substitute for original thinking.
Chanakya had a parochial mind and, frankly, one wouldnвЂ™t prescribe him to a young man. Who would
say today: вЂњA good wife is one who serves her husband in the morning like a mother does, loves him in the day
like a sister does and pleases him like a prostitute in the nightвЂќ? Chanakya comes in after corruption and decay
has set, and one nonetheless needs to carry on with the sordid affair of life. Hopefully, India hasnвЂ™t reached that
point yet.
Cunningness may sound a smart thing to have, but as an emerging power with so much resources at its
disposal, there is really no need for India to think small or act like a city state.
Lohia Line on Destruction of the Caste System
Dr Rammanohar Lohia was the theorist of seven revolutions in the context of creating a new world
order on the basis of socialism. The programme of seven revolutions included confrontation with discrimination
and deprivations based upon caste, class, race, gender and nationality. He wanted to give a new direction to the
movement for socialism by giving equal emphasis to the struggles against sexism, class and caste-based
exploitations.
It was a departure from the Marxist line of a class-centric programme for a socialist revolution. It was
also going beyond the Gandhian emphasis on constructive programme of ending untouchability and casteism.
These seven revolutions are suppoed to be simultaneously taking place in the modern world system and it was
presented as the most outstanding feature of the twentieth century. These seven revolutions are:
(1) for equality between man and woman;
(2) against political, economic and other inequalities based upon skin colour;
(3) against the inequalities between higher and backward castes and for preferential opportunities for
the backward sections;
(4) against foreign rules and for freedom and democratic world government;
(5) for economic equality and planned production and against the lust for and system of private
property;
(6) against unjust interference in private life and for democratic methods; and
(7) against arms and weapons and for Satyagraha. It is obvious that nearly half-a-century after this
thesis of Lohia the world has moved closer to these noble aims in different parts of the world.
But the Lohia line of caste-related preferential opportunities has become the most powerful programme
among the backward castes and communities in India. Lohia began conceptu-alising his understanding of the
caste system (jati pratha) as well as his programme for eradication of castes (jati toro) between 1952 and 1967.
The formal programme about prefe-rential opportunities was adopted by his party at the Third Conference of
the Socialist Party in 1959. He also created a manifesto of the Forum for Studying and Destroying Caste in
1960. He further developed his programme against the caste system by 1962 in the form of a seventeen-point
programme. Finally an eleven-point programme was presented by him in a historical essay in 1966вЂ”Samta aur
Sampannata. The Lohia line was first articulated in his famous lectures at Hyderabad in 1952 where he defined
caste as immobile class and class as mobile caste. This was part of his worldview which has been published as
Wheel of History.
Lohia interacted with some of the most important anti-caste leaders, movements and organisations of
India in the 1950s with the quest for ending the caste system. He engaged with Dr B.R. Ambedkar in 1955-56
and Periyar Ramasami Naicker in 1958. He did not agree with the anti-Brahminism of both the social
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revolutionaries as it was found to be used for dominance of the middle caste in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. It
generated a split among the poor of India. Lohia also found the necessity to connect the movements for unity
among the non-dwija castes with the socialist movement to strengthen the struggle for equality and prosperity in
India after independence. In LohiaвЂ™s view, the caste system has not created a bi-polar system of forward and
backward castes. In fact there are three layers in the society because of the logic of the caste systemвЂ”the real
upper castes who are affluent, the fake upper castes who are the poor, and the backward shudras. He also
underlined the pathetic condition of all women across caste lines. Thus he wanted unity of all the women,
shudras and the fake upper caste people who are together trapped for centuries in the prison of poverty and
powerlessness. Furthermore, he also wanted to take the anti-caste forces beyond the twin tragedies of jealousy
and sycophancy so that a new age of unity, sacrifice and reconstruction may be inaugurated through struggle
against the caste system.
He was aware of the negative and positive aspects of his caste policy. He used the metaphor of
samudra-manthan where poison (vish) preceded nectar (amrit). He also used the example of Mahabharat to
prepare the socialists of India for his anti-caste programme. He did agree that there will be need of
largeheartedness on the part of the youth of the upper castes as the programme of preferential opportunities may
contain elements of short-term injustices against them. But it has to be tolerated in order to energise the
backward millions of men and women who are arrested in two prisons of caste and gender-based segregation
for centuries. He also warned the victims of caste and gender-based injustices about the possibilities of their
leadership adopting the ways and means of the upper-caste elite and destroy the dream of an egalitarian and
prosperous Indian society through destruction of caste and class-based injustices.
Lohia wanted preferential opportunities for all the backward sections of the Indian society which
included (a) women, (b) the backward castes, (c) the Scheduled Castes, (d) the Scheduled Tribes, and (e) the
backward sections of Muslims and other minorities. These opportunities were in the fields of (i) political
leadership, (ii) government jobs, (iii) army and (iv) economic enterprises. But he was against prevention of the
children of non-backward sections from educational opportunities. He was against any reservations and
discrimination in the field of education as he wanted quality of basic education for all children and open
opportunities for higher education for all students. Therefore, he was only a partial supporter of the
recommendations of the First Backward Classes Commission.
The Lohia line was part of his vision of seven revolutions. He wanted to combine the forces of class
conflict and caste conflict. His dream was partially accepted in the later years in the form of the Mandal
Commission recommen-dations. But there is a fundamental difference between the Lohia line and the Mandal
mindset: Lohia wanted end of the caste system whereas the Mandal movement has only promoted a dominantcaste democracy. It is time to get back to the Lohia line.
MGNREGA and Biodiversity Conservation
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Sch-e-me (MGNREGS)1 was launched in
2005. It aims at enhancing the livelihood security of people in rural areas by -legally guaranteeing at least 100
days of paid employment in every financial year to adult members of any household willing to do unskilled
manual work related to public work. Covering all the 626 -districts of the entire country, benefiting 41 million
households, it is the largest social welfare programme anywhere in the world.
The scheme also seeks to create durable assets to augment land and water -resources, improve rural
connectivity and strengthen the livelihood resource base of the rural poor. MGNREGS works are largely
focused on land and water resources, which include water harvesting and conservation, soil conservation and
protection, irrigation provisioning and improvement, renovation of traditional waterbodies, land development
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and drought-proofing. These MGNREGS works have the potential to generate environmental benefits such as
groundwater recharge, soil, water and biodiversity conservation, sustaining food production, halting land
degradation and building resilience to current climate risks such as moisture stress, delayed rainfall, droughts,
floods, etc (Tiwari et al 2011; MoRD 2012).
Despite being remarked as no more effective than other poverty reduction programmes in India and
beset with controversies (DrГЁze et al 2008) about corrupt officials, deficit financing as the source of funds, poor
quality of infrastructure built under this programme, lacking or insouciant social audit pro-cess, and unintended
counterproductive effects on the rural economy and -inflation, it has succeeded to a significant -extent in raising
the purchasing power of rural poor, reduce distress -migration and create useful assets in -rural India. Its
inclusivity ensured that 23% workers under the scheme are scheduled castes (SCs), 17% scheduled tribes (STs)
and 50% women, fostering social and gender equality.
Environmental Benefits
In contrast to a number of studies, on the impact of MGNREGS on social and economic welfare of the
lesser-privileged sections of the society in the country, the environmental implications of the programme is less
explored. The potentials of the programme in environmental -security are relatively less addressed, perhaps a
reflection of the low concern among the policymakers and think tanks on the environmental security amidst the
larger clamour for economic growth and fetish for numerical expansion of gross domestic product (GDP),
which in fact, вЂњis an inadequate metric to gauge well-being over timeвЂќ (Stiglitz et al 2009). It has been widely
voiced that -excessive emphasis on conventional economic growth does not lead to poverty alleviation (Peng
2009). There are studies, which demonstrate fall in per capita grain consumption (Patnaik 2009, 2012) or real
welfare of the society under the conventional growth economics paradigm, despite unrealistic anchoring of
poverty scales. Poverty alleviation is lin-ked to environmental security more intricately and inclusively, and
therefore, policies and strategies need to reflect the same. The various activities being promoted under
MGNREGS such as water harvesting and soil conservations implicitly could have high positive results on
environmental security and biodiversity and -environmental conservation. In fact, protecting the environment is
men-tio-ned as one of the major activities -conceived in NREGA (IAMR 2009).
A study conducted by the Indian -Institute of Science in four districts of four selected states, namely,
Medak (Andhra Pradesh), Chitradurga (Karnataka), Dhar (Madhya Pradesh) and Bhil-wara (Rajasthan), has
shown that considerable environmental benefits were derived by executing various progra-mmes under the
MGNREGS (IIS 2013). The major benefits identified are the -improvement in water resources (such as water
conservation and harvesting works, drought-proofing, irrigation provisioning and improvement works, and
renovation of traditional waterbodies, improved groundwater levels, increased water availability for irrigation,
incre-ased area irrigated by ground, surface water sources, and finally, improved drin-king water availability for
humans and livestock), environmental benefits and vulnerability reduction, improvement in land resources (land
deve-lop-ment works such as land levelling, conservation bench terracing, contour and graded-bunding, fieldbunding, pasture development, silt application and drought-proofing), contributing to imp-roved soil organic
carbon (SOC) content, reduced surface run-off and soil erosion, enhancement of crop diversity and crop yields
and positive impacts on forests, plantations and fruit orchards.
In Chhattisgarh, under the auspices of MGNREGS, Kabeerdham district has done great deal of work,
plantation and drought-proofing in 2006-07. The MGNREGS work has been recognised by Limca Book of
Records for planting 37 lakh saplings in a single working day, along the sides of national highways, state
highways, and village roads, and degraded forestlands. Community forestry was taken up in some villages. The
species chosen were jatropha, gul-mohar, bamboo, mango, teak wood, guava, etc.2 It would have been more
-appropriate if more of local species were selected for plantation.
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Biodiversity...
Though it has been envisaged under -MGNREGS to take up works related with biodiversity
conservation and enhancement, available information indicates that biodiversity conservation is yet to be
internalised as one of the focal areas of MGNREGS. The priority recommendations, inter alia, for MGNREGS
by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the report entitled вЂњGreening Rural Development in
IndiaвЂќ (UNDP 2012) falls short of giving any concrete action plans for biodiversity conservation to be inclu-ded
in the ongoing programmes related with rural development in India. The greening rural deve-lopment refers to
five categories that do not include conservation of biodiversity as a category. It fails to emphasise in actions the
umbilical linkage among biodiversity conservation, environmental security and rural development. Green
initiatives recommended largely emphasise environmental issues in a wider scale.
... in Kerala
In Kerala, the programme started in 2006 in two districts (Wayanad and -Palakkad, two backward
districts in the state) was extended to all the districts by 2008. KeralaвЂ™s emphasis on decentrali-sation of power
and planning process has ensured that panchayati raj institutions3 play the pivotal role in planning and
implementation of MGNREGS. As of now, the entire implementation is in the hands of village panchayats, and
an -important role is played by womenвЂ™s -self-help groups such as Kudumbashree. Nevertheless, adverse
comments on the execution of the programme in the state were made by the national level monitors in 2010
mentioning, inter alia, that 60% of the work is unsatisfactory or -irrelevant. However, majority of the
-MGNREGS parti-cipants in the state were engaged in works for improving road connectivity (56.4%), flood
control and protection (35.5%), clearing irrigation canals and channels (26.6%), renovation of traditio-nal
waterbodies (22.6%) and water conservation and harvesting (19.4%).4 NREGA in the state is being -extended
to forestry operations, involving Vana Samra-kshana Samithis (VSS), Eco-development Committees (EDC) and
Kudumbashree.
Paucity of community lands for deve-lopmental works in Kerala has led to -local panchayats looking
for new avenues for generating work. The authorities in the state have also extended the MGNREGS works to
private lands for building water harvesting structures and private agriculture, in rice paddies and plantations,
especially for preparing water harvesting systems and providing labour for taking up agricultural operations.
The most appealing and proximate would be the roadsides, while scouting for new -avenues for work. As a
result, clearing all the vegetation, except large trees, on the roadsides has become a major activity under
MGNREGS in the state. While maintenance of the road-shoulders or berms is crucial in highly rainy areas,
where the berm gets seriously eroded, at some locations almost a foot down from the tarmac, it is a common
sight throughout the state that women are actively -engaged in the process of stripping the vegetation several
metres away from the roads. However, roadsides, leaving the berm, almost extending to several -metres in
Kerala are a major repository of -biodiversity, although not much specifically and scientifically is documented.
This uncared-for vegetation, regrettably most of the species considered weeds in common parlance, also
provides habitats for several faunal species such as frogs, reptiles, small mammals and birds. -Although a strong
natural -resource -manage-ment focus has been claimed as given to NREGS in the state it seems that
-biodiversity conservation is yet to get due importance while execu-ting the -programmes.
Although the NREGA takes up green jobs (ILO and Development Alternative 2009) elsewhere in the
country, the green jobs need to be further green integrating direct biodiversity conservation into it rather than
being limited to afforestation, forestry and related operations. The roadsides are biodiversity rich in the state
due to local reasons such as -active monsoon for a longer duration, organically and nutritionally rich soil and
landscape very conducive for plant growth, scarce stray cattle, etc. During one of our rapid surveys recently,
within small quadrates of 10m п‚ґ 3m size at -different locations in Palakkad district, along the roadside, 60 plus
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species of plants were found. Many plants such as Tribulus terrestris, Amorphophalus paeoniifolius
var.companulatus, Gloriosa -superba, Sida spp, Rauvolfia tetraphylla, and several other medicinal herbs were
seen there. Among the plant species -reported, Rauvolfia tetraphylla, Hemidesmus indicus, Gloriosa superba,
Curculigo orchioides, Artocarpus hirsutus, Aegle marmelos, Cayratia pedata var pedata, Kaempferia galanga,
Curcuma angusti-folia and Amorphophalus paeoniifolius -var.companulatus fall in the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list category. Many of these species, which have long since disappeared
from the farmlands of Kerala due to the spread of cash crops, intensive land pre-paration for cultivation and the
recently flourishing construction business diverting the croplands and other natural systems such as wetlands,
are now found only along the roadsides. Nevertheless, they remain under threat by the regular
stripping/cleaning activities.
The wanton clearance of this diversity is a disturbing outcome of the MGNREGS, which otherwise is
resulting in commendable outcomes. It is also seen that such wild growth, if permitted to grow, offer livelihood
to many local lesser privileged families apart from providing quality raw medicinal plants for the traditional
healthcare industry. Enquiries by us in some pockets of the Palakkad district revealed that several households
supplement their income collecting medicinal plants from the roadsides; they do collect such species from other
areas, but roadside growth gives them higher and easier access, and better return on the effort.
Another issue related to MGNREGS programme is the cleaning of waterbodies. Desilting and
deepening, boundary protection and catchment treatment would improve, to an extent, the waterbody and
restore its ecological characteristics and services. However, what normally happens is complete removal of
vegetation within and outside the waterbody. Such a practice in effect, instead of ecological value addition to
the waterbody, does the reverse вЂ“ makes it a mere water tank, dispensing with several of its ecosystem services.
It would be appropriate that the executive agency and the participants are made aware that such actions apart
from the loss of plant biodiversity, lead to losing habitat for several faunal species. Several of the lesser
glamorous (to the public and largely elite nature watchers) creatures, amphibians, lizards, snakes, insects, etc,
are deprived of their habitats and are eliminated; thereby we lose the ecological services derivable from them, if
not being at fault for elimination of a biological entity that had evolved from time immemorial. There are
already studies related to NREGA and water management (Bassi and Kumar 2010) talking about need for finetuning the activities for over all improved -welfare; and the welfare should include other species and the
ecological set-up as well.
It would be appropriate to integrate biodiversity conservation into MGNREGS, and not miss the bushes
for the woods, perhaps through the following. These programmes are eminently possible in the state with
highest literacy in the country.
Preparation of Panchayat-level Bio-diversity Registers: Biodiversity register of panchayats has to be
prepared as a part of the panchayat resource mapping at the earliest and biodiversity hotspots in each panchayat
should be demar-cated. Each of such hotspots is a -valuable germplasm bank and a repository of several
unknown but precious traits. Since gram panchayats have a central role in the implementation of the scheme,
they should take into conside-ration these -local hotspots, while -implementing -MGNREGS. Each panchayat-specific biodiversity register is actually a record of -biological assets, a legacy of the community, and would be
handy for bio--prospecting later on their own terms. Kerala has several such biodiversity registers prepared with
public participation to its credit. This could be done by the help of a standardised questionnaire with a brief
introductory -workshop for MGNREGS mates or group leaders of the team. It is -essential that the -MGNREGS
mates or -leaders at the field and other stakeholders be -fittingly sensitised to the need for saving biodiversity
and about its potential as -resources. Simultaneously, awareness programmes can be taken up among all the
stakeholders to ensure conservation of those precious biodiversity.
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Supporting Individual and Institutional Efforts in Biodiversity Conservation: The Ministry of
Environment and Forests is pivotal in biodiversity conservation being instrumental in the enact-ment and
implementation of laws related to environmental and bio-di--ver-sity conservation. However, the
-environment/conservation movements in the cou-ntry have been spearheaded by non-governmental
organisations (Ker-ala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad, Centre for Science and Environment, ATREE, Kalpa-vriksh,
etc) and several individuals. Pioneers such as Salim Ali were the rallying points for conservation initiatives
from the perspective of science, while social activists such as Sundarlal Bahuguna and Chandiprasad Bhatt were
the fountain heads for such initiatives from a -social, cultural, ethical, and environmental and livelihood security
perspective. There have been instances of a housewife single handedly fighting a lone battle to save mangrove
forests in Kerala, individuals and communities sacrificing time, effort and sometimes even life to save wetlands
and forest patches in different parts of the country.
The Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems, Chennai has been doing -pioneering work in the
conservation of traditional knowledge systems, especially in the field of agriculture. One of their main activities
has been the conservation of traditional rice varieties. They have been cultivating 100 plus -traditional rice
varieties in their farms. -Abhayam, a social service organisation based at Koppam area of Palakkad -district of
Kerala has been cultivating 12 varieties of traditional rice in 30 acres of land with the active support of a group
of interested individuals. Cheruvayal Raman, a traditional farmer from the Kurichiyan tribe of Wayanad is in
the forefront of conservation and popularisation of 36 varieties of traditional rice. Tribal community in the
Koraput district of Odisha has been conserving the traditional rice variety вЂњkalajeeraвЂќ for which they have been
appreciated from many quarters. Kaippadu is a traditional system of rice cultivation evolved in saline soils in
the mangrove areas of Kasargode and Kannur districts of Kerala using -traditional rice varieties, which has
-recently received an entry into the Geographical Indicator (GI) registry.5 There are several more commendable
endeavours such as cultivation of more than 200 traditional varieties of rice, conservation of traditional seeds,
traditional knowledge systems and traditional agricultural practices enriching the -social capital that has evolved
locally. They are precious only if we could realise how these have evolved through time fitting to the local
environment and how scientific they are.
Similarly, there are several individuals and institutions involved in the conservation of the biodiversity
of medicinal plants, cereals and millets, other edible plants, etc. These activities are severely constrained by
adequate resources, mai-nly manpower. Making manpower available through MGNREGA will go a long way
in sustaining these commendable efforts, which would help ensuring preservation of the valuable germplasm
vani-shing at a fast pace, food, health and envi-ron-mental security in the days to come.
Formulation of Appropriate Policies: India being a subcontinent of hetero-geneous socio-economic,
belief systems and cultural milieu with a varied landscape, formulating uniform programmes and policies for
implementation of any programme is fraught with inherent shortfalls. Therefore, concerted efforts need to be
made, ensuring wider involvement of all the stakeholders, academics, professionals and policymakers, to
for-mulate and fine-tune programmes and policies for integrating biodiversity -conservation in a localised
context in MGNREGS activities.
Nepal: A Neighbourhood Story
The Himalayan cultural topography, which sparks out loudly its colours in the society, politics and dayto-day life in Kathmandu valley and around, has returned to the task of drafting a republican Constitution for
the second time.
It was hardly a surprise when the term for the first Constituent Assembly ended in 2012 after four years
of intermittent exercises, yet was not able to settle the ticklish issues and produce a Constitution. The first
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Constituent Assembly had a majority of Maoists; as a result apart from the Constitution-making exercise, the
task of governance was also entrusted to the Maoists. The Nepali Maoists, after the 1949 Chinese Revolution,
were perhaps the first to replicate a вЂ�free Red zoneвЂ™ idea in the western hills of Nepal whose sheer
backwardness, absence of communication line and extreme poverty led the Maoists to build a parallel zone.
This experiment in all likelihood brokered no possibility of being replicated in the Kathmandu valley, Eastern
Nepal and the Terai areas except in the Jhapa area adjoining Naxalbari.
To give sound governance for a population, who were struggling to install a non-feudal, democratic
society and regime, there was little relief after waiting for two centuries by the newly arrived democracy. Yet
the Maoist regime gave some initial relief by abolishing the monarchy, but soon the worn-out formula of
forcefully creating hegemony started boomeran-ging on them. The idea of coalitional advance was lost in the
endless confabulations for replicating the Chinese-style peopleвЂ™s democracy. After years of battering and
fruitless romanticism and rhetoric the Maoists have finally reverted to the meaningful domain of parliamentary
democracy.
The battle for a democratic set-up started early in the 1950s in Nepal. It was an almost impossible task
in this recluse Himalayan kingdom to usher in a more open system. But it goes to the credit of a sensitive leader
like B.P. Koirala who stuck to his guns. BP was enmeshed into the dominant political ideological strands like
democratic socialism, which he had picked up from the Indian experience as he was part of the Indian freedom
struggle, a Nehruvian touch and the impact of the Socialist Party as well as the close comradeship with
Jayaprakash Narayan. BP was equally influenced by Gandhi; though Gandhian praxis had no possibility in
Nepal, he was equally beholden of certain facets of the October Revolution and one of its iconic leaders, Leon
Trotsky. Besides these, BP was equally a trend-setter in Nepalese literature with his deep psycho-analytical
framesвЂ”one could easily keep him in company with the Frankfurt School who have produced a whole lot of
literary criticism with insertion of Freudian/Jung analytics in hitherto prosaic straightfaced Marxism. It was
largely the charisma of BP that transformed the Nepali Congress into a historic instrument to usher in a
democratic society from a feudal order.
The Maoist influence in Nepal was strong from the very beginning; it was spread on both sides of the
fence. King Mahendra courted the PeopleвЂ™s Republic of China to ward off the influence of India, which had
become the bastion for the democratic struggle of the exiled Nepalese democrats and Communists from Nepal
as well as the late version of Maoists who were essentially struggling against the monarchy whereas some
fellow-travellers of the Maoists in Kathmandu were coopted by the monarchy in the early period.
Yet, it has to be admitted that balancing India and China for the small Himalayan kingdom was more
out of compulsion than of choice, though in the long run sans the monarchical autocracy it was a step towards a
relatively potent sovereignty of Nepal as a nation. The Maoists, who were on the other side of the fence, of
course, were experimenting with the given theories of the Chinese Revolution of the past in the troubled thirties
mostly engineered under the domineering leadership of Mao-Zedong who was by then able to purge out all the
serious Marxist ideologues and theoreticians from the party and form his own brand of peasant revolutionism.
The Maoist thesis of semi-colonial, semi-feudal, comprador capitalist categories did not fit into the Nepalese
situation. Nepal was never semi-colonial, albeit it was literally a protectorate of the British Indian Empire and
later on turned into a вЂ�semi-dependencyвЂ™ of India and distant USA as well as laced with the вЂ�cameoвЂ™
performance of the PeopleвЂ™s Republic of China in its hostile design against India, particularly in King
MahendraвЂ™s time. It was a full-fledged feudal society instead of semi-feudal as observed in China. There was no
question of comprador capitalism as Nepal had not entered into the capitalist development phase; it was largely
a growing mercantile economy.
It was in fact a fully feudal state and society, which needed a broad spectrum of anti-feudal forces to
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come under one umbrella. Whenever Maoists as a praxis picked up this position, they clicked, but when they
retreated to the groovy caves of the 1930 model of Maoist praxis, they floundered.
At the moment in front of the second Constituent Assembly is the task of carving out a federal structure
with the mode of election of the President and Prime Minister becoming the bone of contention. The Nepali
Congress has returned with a thumping majority in the second Constituent Assembly. The Nepali Congress and
Prime Minister Sushil Koirala are trying to forge an alliance with a number of small and big parties but
primarily the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), the second largest party, and Unified
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), which is substantially reduced to a rump. The CPN (M), however, has
chosen to sit in the Opposition. The very idea of forming a National Front Government, taken by the Nepali
Congress, shows a mature and realistic step. With the old world of Cold War gone, the differences between the
democratic-socialist creed of the Nepali Congress and a more tempered and realistic Leftism have come down.
It is noteworthy that if IndiaвЂ™s Constituent Assembly had three strong contenders with irreconcilable
ideas, it would have been difficult to smoothly arrive at a republican Constitution in 1950. This makes NepalвЂ™s
transition to a full-fledged democracy more complicated compared to any other attempt in a new Republicmaking exercise in the world. Yet, it goes to the genius of the Nepalese leadership at the moment to build a
large consensus with differing ideological streams.
As the Nepalese call the coalitional exercise across-the-board вЂ�national reconciliationвЂ™, it has a longterm input in the new nation-building exercise. The post-Cold War scenario offers a fresh and healthy ground
for modern democratic nation-building ventures, which was of no avail to B.P. Koirala, yet his grooming up in
the Indian milieu of Socialists and Marxists as well Nehruvians kept him in good stead with Left forces outside
the Nepali Congress too, whenever historically necessary. Then the shift-over to K.P. BhattaraiвЂ™s liberal profile
brought back the idea of the National Front. Now it is the turn of Sushil Koirala, the current Prime Minister,
with his open and flexible overtures, to turn the idea of the National Front and coalition politics into an
immediate possibility. It seems that the long nurtured democratic moves from the 1950 revolution onward are
now ready for harvesting.
The UPA-1 had the opportunity in India to build a sustainable coalition but due to Dr Manmohan
SinghвЂ™s worldview of perpetuating a Cold-War psyche and mechanically following the privatisation and
globalisation path the Gujral doctrine was deprived of offering a congenial framework for South Asian unity.
Nepal has thus a bigger possibility to provide the new model of nation-building in the post-Cold War period.
The political forces in Nepal are very agile and pro-active, internal democracy in parties like the Nepali
Congress and even in the CPN (UML) and CPN (Maoist) is very vibrant compared to India. The presence of
internal party democracy is a pre-requisite for building a sustainable democracy in a new nation like Nepal.
Sometimes one can also see brinkmanship in Nepal where parties come to split and rejoin later. This shows that
democracy is ultimately getting rooted in Nepal.
Nepal has some other hopeful features which augur well for democracy. Its media is quite mature and
keeps an eye on developments within China as well as Pakistan and Bangladesh with much more alracity than
Indian papers, which is the vantage point of Nepal. It naturally becomes a soft reconciliation centre for building
an objective South Asian perspective compared to New Delhi or Islamabad. The SAARC has its headquarters
just in front of the old Rana palace but more than the building of the SAARC, the idea and spirit of the SAARC
may take a leap if we in India as well as Pakistan take a leaf out of the consensus-making spirit of Kathmandu.
South Asian unity may also help Nepal to break away from the vicious circle of migration-mercenary supplymandir-medievalism as the only economic recipe.
It should be noted that a democratic Constitution can be ushered in by a nationalist political class but it
takes centuries to build up true democratic values. In Nepal the four-Varna Hindu caste-system was imported
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and grafted during the Malla regime borrowed from North India, but it could not develop strong roots like the
Indian brand of caste-based Hinduism. The loose social structure, which brings people to cohabitation and
coexistence, has many other dividends. The emerging Nepalese middle class is more cosmopolitan in its
outlook than the disjunctioned expanse of the Indian middle class. The Nepalese middle class is comfortable in
picking up threads from its two giant neighbours, India and China, as well as from the Western world with
much ease. It does not suffer from the duality of the Indian middle class, which has one foot in the cyber world
and another foot in the caste-system. This bodes well as a more cohesive society and makes a better landing
base for democracy. So, in all likelihood democracy in Nepal would have many additional features and an easy
transition from the age-old feudal society. Some Nepalese opinion-makers feel that NepalвЂ™s sovereignty stands
threatened. But prima facie NepalвЂ™s sovereignty is in a healthy state. During King MahendraвЂ™s time the PeopleвЂ™s
Republic of China and to some extent Pakistan had become backseat drivers of the Hindu kingdom of Nepal
due to the KingвЂ™s hostility towards democracy as well as India. Today the Chinese are knocking the door of
each and every political party so that their interests are not hampered. NepalвЂ™s sovereignty depends more on
unity between the democratic forces; any breach in it will rather weaken its sovereignty.
Prakash Man Singh, the General Secretary of the Nepali Congress, feels that the Nepali Congress has
won the trust of the Nepalese people due to its multi-class, multi-ethnic, democratic, consensual approach.
Pradeep Giri, a veteran of the Nepali Congress, is confident that Constitution-making would be completed
within a year.
Sushil Koirala, the current Prime Minister of Nepal, remains, however, the kingpin of this coalitionmaking exercise as he has an amiable profile, which is necessary for coalition-making. His firm faith in
democratic socialism is also a binding force to bring in the forces from the far Left, which have come to a
realistic approach at the moment after years of experimenting with the 1930 vintage recipe of Maoism. This
coalition between the Congress and Marxists in Nepal, if it succeeds, will be a new benchmark in the
experiment of Third World democracy as well as nation-building.
NURTURING ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE AREAS ON WESTERN GHATS
The great mountain chain of Western Ghats is the source of all the major rivers of IndiaвЂ™s southern
peninsula; Godavari, Krishna, Tungbhadra, Kaveri, Tamraparni, and myriads of smaller one, Vaitarana, Kali,
Netravati, Chazhiyar. Its ecological health depend on the livelihoods of millions of people, not only in the six
Western Ghats states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Kerala, but of Andhra Pradesh
as well. Besides, it is one of the worldвЂ™s treasure troves of plant and animal life, with a great wealth of unique
plant and animal species. The mountains also harbour a number of wild relatives of cultivated plants, including
pepper, cardamom, mango, jackfruit and plantain. This biological wealth has paid rich dividends over the years,
including, of course, the dubious dividend of attracting Romans and later other Europeans to trade in pepper,
cardamom, sandal and ivory. The health of this precious eco-region has been on continual decline over the last
couple of centuries with many ecosystem types almost totally eliminated. Recent decades have however seen
serious measures being initiated to conserve some of this fast vanishing biological diversity with the
constitution of wild life sanctuaries, national parks, tiger reserves, and biosphere reserves. More recently a
significant new initiative has been added to these conservation efforts in the form of вЂ�Ecologically Sensitive
AreasвЂ™ (ESAs), such as Dahanu taluka, Matheran and Mahabaleshwar- Panchagani.
As these examples indicate, the concept of вЂ�Ecologically Sensitive AreasвЂ™ is very different from that a
protected area like a national park which is supposed to be entirely free from human interference, though in
reality many management interventions such as creation of water holes and tourism related activities do
continue even in the national parks. вЂ�Ecologically Sensitive AreasвЂ™ are areas under human use, sometimes quite
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intense human use such as generation of thermal power and cultivation of chikoo in Dahanu taluka. Hence,
ESAs are to be viewed as areas where human activities will continue, but be prudently regulated under the
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. ESAs are not at all meant to stop development in ways that would hurt
local people, but to ensure that development is environment friendly and people oriented, as well as serve to
preserve the ecological heritage on a long term basis. There are no set regulations, such as ban on all new
industries, or on conversion of agricultural into commercial land, that would prevail in every Ecologically
Sensitive Area; instead, the regulations will be worked out with due respect to local context. Thus, the total ban
on use of plastics at Ooty could be thought of as a specific regulation appropriate for a busy hill station like
Ooty although Ooty has not been declared an Ecologically Sensitive Area. More importantly, Ecologically
Sensitive Areas are not just about regulation, but about positive promotion of environment-friendly
development as well. Thus areas that opt for the status of an Ecologically Sensitive Area could benefit from
special programmes such as promotion of development of enterprises based on local plant resources like
Garcinia indiaca- kokam, ratambi, muragalu, punampuzhi; whose fruit has been traditionally used in very many
ways, and is now known to be an important source of hydroxycitric acid, or establishment of a green technology
team of youth trained in setting up and maintaining solar panels, biogas plants, rain water harvesting devices,
and so on. Gram panchayats in Ecologically Sensitive Areas could also receive special facilities to add to their
incomes through taking advantage of new legal provisions such as charging вЂ�collection feesвЂ™ for biodiversity
resources to which they are entitled under the Biological Diversity Act. They may also be paid specially for
maintenance of traditional crop cultivars from the National Gene Fund, or for sequestration of soil carbon on
farmlands under organic agriculture as a part of Indian plans for combating climate change.
How would we judge ecological sensitivity?
Scientists view an ecologically sensitive area as an area whose ecological balance, once disturbed, is
very hard to restore. Thus, steep western slopes of Western Ghats, subject to heavy rains and winds, if
deforested, are likely to be quickly stripped of soil cover and for ever lose their pristine vegetation. We do have
a scientific understanding of the environmental attributes that render areas more sensitive; we also have insights
into processes that have resulted in irreversible ecological damage. A Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel,
constituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India is currently engaged in carefully
compiling all available information in this context and preparing maps of levels of ecological sensitivity on the
Western Ghats tract. This exercise is being conducted in a transparent manner.
Ecological sensitivity is not merely a scientific, but very much a human concern. In particular, a great
deal of locality specific understanding of what has been happening and what is desirable is simply not part of
any scientific databases and resides with local communities. The Ministry of Environment and Forests,
Government of India would therefore like to invite all
It is important that concerned people share their own perceptions as to what areas on the Western
Ghats should be identified as being вЂ�Ecologically Sensitive AreasвЂ™, why they feel so, and what set of regulations
tailored to the needs of the locality should be put in place if the area were to be formally declared as being
ecologically sensitive. Alternatively, peopleвЂ™s opinion on some areas on the Western Ghats not to be identified
as being вЂ�Ecologically Sensitive AreasвЂ™ and reasons supporting it and explanation will strengthen this exercise.
On Special Status
A Resolution of the Goa Legislative Assembly and a Memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister last
year seek special status for Goa under Article 371 of the Constitution of India. This special status is sought on
two grounds. As a result of large-scale purchase of land by persons from outside Goa, including foreigners, the
average Goan cannot afford a house or land in Goa. Furthermore, there is large-scale migra-tion into the State
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which may destroy GoaвЂ™s identity.
The special status would require a constitu-tional amendment and this has already been ruled out by the
major national parties both within and outside Parliament. I had recently a meeting with members of the
Planning Commission in New Delhi. At this meeting it was pointed out that by virtue of the Goa Daman and
Diu Reorganisation Act, 1987, Goa became a State and it now enjoys legislative competence on all matters
listed in the State List as well as in the Concurrent List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.
Land is a State subject vide entry 18 of the State List and the State can also legislate on land vide entry
6 of the Concurrent List. In addition, the 74th Amendment to the Constitution provides that the function of
вЂњregulation of land use and construction of buildingsвЂќ is one of the municipal functions. As a result of these
legal provisions a State is competent to enact laws to restrict land transactions so as to protect the interests of
the local people. Such protection may involve restrictions on purchase of agricultural land by non-agriculturists
as well as restrictions on purchase of land and property by outsiders.
Section 118 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972, interdicts nonagriculturists from procuring or purchasing any agricultural land in the State. In Uttara-khand, the Land
Reforms Act 2003 restricts purchase of land by outsiders.
The right to property is no longer a funda-mental right and hence a law by the State Government to
protect the interests of the local population is unlikely to be declared null and void by any Court. At the same
time, it may be borne in mind that any such legislation that restricts the category of buyers has serious adverse
implications for the section of the local population which owns the property.
According to the RBI guidelines, foreigners cannot acquire immovable property in India unless the
concerned individual has established a place of business in this country as per FERA or FEMA, the property is
necessary to carry such business and all applicable laws, rules, regulations and directions have been duly
complied with. It is found that many foreigners evade these requirements.
The National Security Council Secretariat has cautioned that real estate projects by foreigners in Goa
might include drug trafficking, gun running and prostitution and that some foreign drug cartels are attempting to
turn Goa into a base for their activities. The government must scrutinise all land deals by foreigners and if there
is any illegality, confiscate the property and impose punishment on the offender and his local associates, if any.
Another reason for the demand for special status is the large-scale influx of migrants into our State. Goa
needs migrant labour. However, uncontrolled migration into the State can upset its demographic composition
and lead to social and economic problems. There are several laws to control migration into the State but these
laws are not being implemented effectively and remain largely on paper. The Inter-State Migrant Workmen
(Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act of 1979, The Contract Labour (Regulation and
Abolition) Act of 1970 and the Goa, Daman and Diu Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment
and Conditions of Service) Rules 1982 are some such laws. The 1979 Act provides for registration of all
contractors who employed five or more inter-State migrants on any day of the preceding twelve months. The
contractors must furnish details of the workmen, issue a pass book with passport-size photograph to every
workman indicating where he is working and other details. The State Government is required to appoint inspectors to oversee implementation of the Act. The law directs builders and labour contrac-tors to provide
residential accommodation, sanitation and other facilities to the workers engaged by them. Yet, these provisions
are ignored and much of the migrant labour lives in slums under the most unhygienic conditions which pose
major health hazards to the migrants as well as to the local people. The machinery for implementation of the
labour legislation needs to be strengthened urgently and it should not fall prey to inducements from big
employers and contractors.
All migrant workers should be registered compulsorily in the Panchayats and Munici-palities. Aadhar
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cards as well as Public Distribution System (PDS) cards should be issued to them to avoid having to buy
foodgrains and kerosene at high prices. The State Government should hold an yearly audit of all contractors
who employ migrant workers and submit a report to the State Legislature for its scrutiny. It should also open an
Internet portal indicating the contractors and migrant workers in Goa for public information and verification.
The State Government has the required powers. It should fulfil without further delay its responsibility to resolve
the twin issues mentioned in the Resolution of the Legislative Assembly and in the Memorandum to the Prime
Minister.
Ramifications of Domestic Violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and
intimate partner violence (IPV), is defined as a pattern of abusive behaviours by one partner against another in
an intimate relation-ship such as marriage, dating, family or cohabi-tation. Domestic violence, so defined, has
many forms, including physical aggression or assault (hitting, kicking, biting, shoving, restraining, slapping,
throwing objects, battery), or threats thereof; sexual abuse, emotional abuse, con-trolling or domineering,
intimidation, stalking passive/covert abuse and economic deprivation.
Domestic Violence (as per The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005)вЂ”(1) For the
purposes of this Act, any conduct of the respondent shall constitute domestic violence if he (a) habitually
assaults or makes the life of the aggrieved person miserable by cruelty of conduct even if such conduct does not
amount to physical ill-treatment; or (b) forces the aggrieved person to lead an immoral life; or (c) otherwise
injures or harms the aggrieved person. (2) Nothing contained in clause (c) of sub-section (1) shall amount to
domestic violence if the pursuit of course of conduct by the respon-dent was reasonable for his own protection
or for the protection of his or anotherвЂ™s property.
Domestic violence and abuse is not limited to obvious physical violence. Domestic violence can also
mean endangerment, criminal coercion, kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, tres-passing, harassment, and
stalking.
The term вЂњintimate partner violenceвЂќ (IPV) is often used synonymously with domestic abuse/domestic
violence. Family violence is a broader definition, often used to include child abuse, elder abuse, and other
violent acts between family members. Wife abuse, wife beating, and battering are descriptive terms that have
lost popularity recently for several reasons:
вЂў There is acknowledgment that many victims are not actually married to the abuser, but rather
cohabiting or in other arrangements
вЂў Abuse can take other forms than physical abuse. Other forms of abuse may be constantly occurring,
while physical abuse happens occasionally.
вЂў Males as well as females may be victims of domestic violence.
These other forms of abuse have the potential to lead to mental illness, self-harm, and even attempts at
suicide
Forms Of Domestic Violence
All forms of domestic abuse have one purpose: to gain and maintain control over the victim. Abusers
use many tactics to exert power over their spouse or partner:
a) Physical
Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, pain, injury, or
other physical suffering or bodily harm.
Physical abuse includes hitting, slapping, punching, choking, pushing, burning and other types of
contact that result in physical injury to the victim. Physical abuse can also include behaviours such as denying
the victim of medical care when needed, depriving the victim of sleep or other functions necessary to live, or
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forcing the victim to engage in drug/alcohol use against his/her will. If a person is suffering from any physical
harm then they are experiencing physical abuse.
b) Sexual
Sexual abuse is any situation in which force or threat is used to obtain participation in unwanted sexual
activity. Coercing a person to engage in sexual activity against her will, even if that person is a spouse or
intimate partner with whom consensual sex has occurred, is an act of aggression and violence
Categories of sexual abuse include
1. Use of physical force to compel a person to engage in a sexual act against his or her will, whether or
not the act is completed;
2. Attempted or completed sex act involving a person who is unable to understand the nature or
condition of the act, unable to decline participation, or unable to communicate unwillingness to engage in the
sexual act, for example, because of underage immaturity, illness, disability, or the influence of alcohol or other
drugs, or because of intimidation or pressure.
c) Emotional
Emotional abuse (also called psychological abuse or mental abuse) can include humiliating the victim
privately or publicly, controlling what the victim can and cannot do, withholding information from the victim,
deliberately doing something to make the victim feel diminished or embarrassed, isolating the victim from
friends and family, implicitly blackmailing the victim by harming others when the victim expresses
independence or happiness, or denying the victim access to money or other basic resources and necessities.
Degradation in any form can be considered psychological abuse.
d) Verbal
Verbal abuse is a form of emotionally abusive behaviour involving the use of language.
Verbal abuse may include aggressive actions such as name-calling, blaming, ridicule, disrespect, and
criticism, but there are also less obviously aggressive forms of verbal abuse. Statements that may seem benign
on the surface can be thinly veiled attempts to humiliate; falsely accuse; or manipulate others to submit to
undesirable behaviour, make others feel unwanted and unloved, threaten others economically, or isolate victims
from support systems.
e) Economic
Economic abuse is a form of abuse when one intimate partner has control over the other partnerвЂ™s
access to economic resources. Economic abuse may involve preventing a spouse from resource acquisition,
limiting the amount of resources to use by the victim, or by exploiting economic resources of the victim.
Causes
There are many different theories as to the causes of domestic violence. These include psychological
theories that consider personality traits and mental characteristics of the perpetrator, as well as social theories
which consider external factors in the perpetratorвЂ™s environment, such as family structure, stress, social
learning. As with many phenomena regarding human experience, no single approach appears to cover all cases.
1. Biological
These factors include genetics and brain dysfunction and are studied by neuroscience
2. Psychological
Psychological theories focus on personality traits and mental characteristics of the offender. Personality
traits include sudden bursts of anger, poor impulse control, and poor self-esteem. Various theories suggest that
psychopathology and other personality disorders are factors, and that abuse experienced as a child leads some
people to be more violent as adults
3. Marital Conflict Disorder
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A series of new relational disorders which include Marital Conflict Disorder without Violence or
Marital Abuse Disorder (Marital Conflict Disorder with Violence). Couples with marital disorders sometimes
come to clinical attention because the couple recognises long-standing dissatisfaction with their marriage and
come to the clinician on their own initiative or are referred by an astute health care professional. Secondly, there
is serious violence in the marriage which is-вЂќusually the husband battering the wife.
4. Jealousy
Many cases of domestic violence against women occur due to jealousy when one partner is either
suspected of being unfaithful or is planning to leave the relationship
5. Social Stress
Stress may be increased when a person is living in a family situation, with increased pressures. Social
stresses, due to inadequate finances or other such problems in a family may further increase tensions. Violence
is not always caused by stress, but may be one way that some people respond to stress.
Effects
1. On children
A child who is exposed to domestic violence /abuse during their upbringing will suffer in their
development and psychological welfare. Some emotional and behavioural problems can result such as
aggressiveness, anxiety, changes in socialise action with friends, family and authorities. Problem of depression
and self-esteem issues can also arise.
2. Physical
Bruises, broken bones, head injuries and internal bleeding are some of the acute effects of domestic
violence.
3. Psychological
They may include high amount of stress, fear, anxiety, depression, panic, nightmares.
4. Financial
Due to economic abuse and isolation, the victim usually has very little money of their own and few
people on whom they can rely when seeking help. This has been shown to be one of the greatest obstacles
facing victims of DV, and the strongest factor that can discourage them from leaving their perpetrators. In
addition to lacking financial resources, victims of DV often lack specialised skills, education, and training that
are necessary to find gainful employment, and also may have several children to support.
5. Long-term
Domestic violence can trigger many different responses in victims, all of which are very relevant for
any professional working with a victim. Major consequences of domestic violence victimization include
psychological/mental health issues and chronic physical health problems. A victimвЂ™s overwhelming lack of
resources can lead to homelessness and poverty.
Gender Aspect of Abuse
The relationship between gender and domestic violence is a controversial topic. There continues to be
debate about the rates at which each gender is subjected to domestic violence and whether abused men should
be provided the same resources and shelters that exist for female victims. In particular, some studies suggest
that men are less likely to report being victims of domestic violence due to social stigmas. Other sources,
however, argue that the rate of domestic violence against men is often inflated due to the practice of including
self-defence as a form of domestic violence. Both men and women have been arrested and convicted of
assaulting their partners.
Violence against Women
Although the exact rates are widely disputed, there is a large body of cross-cultural evidence that
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women are subjected to domestic violence significantly more often than men. In addition, there is a broad
consensus that women are more often subjected to severe forms of abuse and are more likely to be injured by an
abusive partner. Women are more likely than men to be murdered by an intimate partner. Of those killed by an
intimate partner about three quarters are female and about a quarter are male. The veracity of some domestic
violence has been called into question by a few domestic violence researchers, who argue that most of the
studies coming to such a conclusion suffer from distortion and methodological flaws.
As reported in Hindustan Times, till February 27, 2013, 22 cases of domestic violence were reported in
areas of Gurgaon. Further, Maha-rashtra ranks highest in 2010-11 with a figure of 2433, followed by Andhra
Pradesh (1174), Karnataka (1013), Madhya Pradesh (882) and Kerala (631). (As reported in The Times of
India, January 31,2012) Further, the figures of domestic violence as reported in The Indian Express (Friday,
November 30, 2012) reveal that Tamil Nadu tops in DV (3983 cases), followed by Gujarat (3266 cases) and
West Bengal (1661 cases).
Violence against Men
Determining how many instances of domestic violence actually involve male victims is difficult. Male
domestic violence victims may be reluctant to get help for a number of reasons.
Studies have shown many police officers do not treat domestic violence against men as a serious crime,
and often will view the male victim as a вЂњpathetic figureвЂќ. It is for this reason, and also the view among many
law enforcement officers that men are inherently вЂњstrongerвЂќ than women, that male victims are often less likely
to report domestic violence than female victims. When and if they do, men are often treated as the aggressor in
the situation, and often even placed under arrest
Ramifications
The response to domestic violence is typically a combined effort between law enforcement, social
services and health care. The role of each evolved in domestic violence has been brought more into public view.
Law Enforcement
Domestic violence is serious and pernicious. It ruins lives, breaks up families and has a lasting impact.
Along with protecting the victim, law enforcement have to ensure that the alleged abuserвЂ™s rights are not
violated. When an offence is committed in a domestic context, some steps may be undertaken. They are:
1. National Crime Law Victim Institute: The NCVLI fights for victims through legal advocacy,
training and education, and public policy.
2. Victim Laws: The right to protection from intimidation and harm,
вЂў The right to be informed concerning the criminal justice process.
вЂў The right to reparations.
вЂў The right to preservation of property and employment.
вЂў The right to due process in criminal court proceedings.
вЂў The right to be treated with dignity and compassion.
вЂў The right to counsel.
3. National VictimвЂ™s Constitutional Amendment Project has started an online petition for everyone
to register their support for a Federal VictimвЂ™s Right Amendment.
4. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 was brought into force by the Indian
Government from October 26, 2006. The Act was passed by Parliament in August 2005 and assented to by the
President on September 13, 2005. As of November 2007, it has been ratified by four of twenty-eight state
governments in India; namely, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa. Of about 8,000 criminal
cases registered all over India under this Act, Rajasthan had 3440 cases; Kerala had 1028 cases, while Punjab
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had 172 cases registered.
1) For the purposes of this Act, any conduct of the respondent shall constitute domestic violence if he
(a) habitually assaults or makes the life of the aggrieved person miserable by cruelty of conduct even if such
conduct does not amount to physical ill-treatment; or (b) forces the aggrieved person to lead an immoral life; or
(c) otherwise injures or harms the aggrieved person. (2) Nothing contained in clause (c) of sub-section (1) shall
amount to domestic violence if the pursuit of course of conduct by the respondent was reasonable for his own
protection or for the protection of his or anotherвЂ™s property.
Medical Reponse
Medical professionals can make a difference in the lives of those who experience abuse. Many cases of
spousal abuse are handled solely by physicians and do not involve the police. Sometimes cases of domestic
violence are brought into the emergency room while many other cases are handled by a family physician or
other primary care provider. Sub-specialist physicians are also increasingly playing an important role. Medical
professionals are in a position to empower people, give advice, and refer them to appropriate services. The
health care professional has not always met this role, with uneven quality of care, and in some cases misunderstandings about domestic violence. Thus it may include:
вЂў Remove the blame from the victim and they have made the offender accountable for the abuse.
вЂў Criminal and civil justice systems have created policies to hold offenders accountable and keep the
victims safe.
вЂў Use the experiences and voices from battered women to improve and create policies.
вЂў Court-ordered educational groups are available for the offenders.
вЂў Constantly reviewing and discussing current cases and policies.
Counselling for Affected Person
Due to the extent and prevalence of violence in relationships, counsellors and therapists should assess
every client for domestic violence (both experienced and perpetrated). If the clinician is seeing a couple for
coupleвЂ™s coun-selling, this assessment should be conducted with each individual privately during the initial
interview, in order to increase the victimвЂ™s sense of safety in disclosing DV in the relationship. Some of the
important measures which may be undertaken in this regard are:
Firstly, it is essential that the therapist believe the victimвЂ™s story and validate their feelings. Secondly,
the therapist should emphasize that the abuse they have experienced is not their fault, but should keep their
feelings of ambivalence in mind and refrain from blaming their partner or telling them what to do.
Thirdly, it is unreasonable for the therapist to expect that a victim will leave their perpetrator solely
because they disclosed the abuse, and the therapist should respect the victimвЂ™s autonomy and allow them to
make their own decisions regarding termination of the relationship. Finally, the therapist must explore options
with the client in order to uphold their obligation in order to protect the welfare of client.
Further, lethality assessment is a tool that can assist in determining the best course of treatment for a
client as well as helping the client to recognise dangerous behaviours and more subtle abuse in their
relationship.
Another tool involves safety planning which allows the victim to plan for dangerous situations they
may encounter, and is effective regardless of their decision on whether remain with their perpetrator. Safety
planning begins with determining a course of action if another acute incident occurs in the home. Furthermore
councelling for offenders and prevention and intervention also prove to be a useful method for handing a case
of domestic violence.
Conclusion
From the foregoing analysis it is evident that domestic violence is not limited to physical violence. The
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basic objective behind all forms of domestic abuse is to gain and maintain control over the victim and abusers
use many tactics to exhort power over their spouse or partner.
Domestic violence may be caused due to biological, psychological factors such as mental illness,
mental conflict disorder, jealousy. Family structure, stress, social learning could be other causes. Financial
dependence of women on men also results in tolerating domestic violence. Sometimes when a family passes
through social stress violence may be caused.
Domestic violence has been on an increase throughout the world and has affected the upbringing of
children who are exposed to domestic abuse during their upbringing and suffer in their developmental and
psychological welfare. Many a time domestic violence results in high amount of stress, fear and anxiety which
culminates into depression. Some of the major consequences of domestic violence include psychological/
mental health issues and chronic physical health problem.
Domestic violence has been viewed as a private family matter. However, the modern view is that domestic
violence should be viewed as a public matter. Once the violence is reported, it should be taken seriously and all
criminal authority should be involved. If domestic violence is to be minimised, it is necessary that there should
be combined effort between law enforcement, social services and health care agencies. There is also need for
counselling of the person affected, minimise the offenderвЂ™s risk of future domestic violence and undertaking
education and prevention programmes. A very important measure in this direction is the change in attitude
towards the partner. One should treat oneвЂ™s wife as one expects a man to treat his daughter. Man should show
due care towards his partner and impress upon her that she deserves more. It should be clearly understood that
violence is not the solution to the problem. Instead, it is only fair that due care should be shown towards her.
The Street Vendors Bill - Opportunities and Challenges
The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2013 (hereafter
SVB) was passed by the Lok Sabha on 6 September 2013 and by the Rajya Sabha on 19 February 2014. The
bill which is awaiting assent of the president to be an Act,1 is being treated as a milestone in progressive policy
response to unemployment and economic displacement of the urban poor. However it appears that in seeking to
protect street vendors from mistreatment by the civic agencies and the police, the SVB opens floodgates of a
new set of problems. While the need for regulation of street vending is imperative, equally important is the need
to view and review it critically with the objective of arriving at the best possible practice. This article examines
some of the key features of the SVB with insights provided from interviews with 60 street vendors in Delhi.
Introduction
Street vendors are too prominent to be ignored in Indian cities. The 55th round of the National Sample
Survey Office survey (1999-2000) records the number of street vendors in the range of 17 to 25 lakh. The
National Policy on Urban Street Vendors estimates the number of street vendors in a city as 2% of its
-population (Twenty Third Report, Standing Committee on Urban Development 2012-13). The street vendors
routinely carry out petty transactions in -cities unmindful of vehicular congestion and pedestrian rush. Public
sympathies oscillate between periods of tolerance to anguish and intolerance. The government is seized with the
responsibility of providing opportunities of employment and entrepreneurship, ensuring accessibility of goods
and services widely; and at the same time, protecting people from various forms of disorder. The ruling of the
Supreme Court (SC) in Sodan Singh and Others versus NDMC case in 1989 is pertinent:
If properly regulated according to the exigency of the circumstances, the small traders on the sidewalks
can considerably add to the comfort and convenience of the general public, by making available ordinary
articles of everyday use for a comparatively lesser price. An ordinary person not very affluent, while hurrying
towards his home after a dayвЂ™s work, can pick up these articles without going out of his way to find a regular
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market. The right to carry on trade or business mentioned in Article 19 (1) of the Constitution, on street
pavements, if properly regulated, cannot be denied on the ground that the streets are meant exclusively for
passing or re-passing and no other use (ibid).
The ruling of the SC marked a shift in the perception about street vendors as a nuisance disturbing
public order to one in which they are accepted as contributors to the economic situation and as providers of
goods and services to the people at their convenience. Selling on the streets is a compulsion for some and
choice for others. What irks most of them, however, is the high-handed treatment of the police and civic
authorities. The SVB provides a sense of victory to the vendors as it marks a watershed moment in their
prolonged struggle to secure dignity and freedom from harassment at the hands of civic authorities and the
police. The Congress Party, which steered the bill, hopes to secure the support of street vendors at this
electorally crucial time. All-in-all, it seems to be a win-win situation for both the ruling party and the street
vendors.
Critical Highlights
The SVB is preceded by the National Policy on Urban Street Vendors, 2009 which aimed at creating a
social and economic environment that is conducive to the pursuance of street vendorsвЂ™ livelihood. While the
National Policy on -Urban Street Vendors, 2009 handed out the responsibility for its implementation and
appropriate legislation to the states, the SVB is a response to a long-felt need for central legislation that would
recognise the contribution of street vendors and provide uniformity in legal framework across the country. This
was also a demand of street vendors, both at an individual and the collective level through the National
Association of Street Vendors in India (NASVI).
The SVB provides for setting up a town vending committee (hereafter TVC) in each local authority.2
The TVC would be chaired by the municipal commissioner or the chief executive officer. Street vendors will
comprise at least 40% of the members elected from among -themselves.3 The SVB states that the number of
other members, as may be prescribed, would be nominated by the government representing the medical officer
of the local autho-rity, the local authority, the planning authority, traffic police, association of street vendors,
market associations, traders associations, non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations,
resident welfare associations, banks and such other interests as it deems proper.4
The TVC will be entrusted with tasks of (i) maintaining updated records of registered street vendors,
publishing street vendorsвЂ™ charter, and carrying out social audit of its activities; (ii) conducting survey of all
street vendors once in five years; and (iii) issuing certificates of vending and identity cards to all street vendors
with preference to scheduled castes (SCS), scheduled tribes (STS), Other Backward Classes (OBCS), women,
persons with disabilities, minorities, etc. The certificate of -vending would specify the category of vending,
vending zone, days and timings allotted to a street vendor for carrying out his/her vending activities. The
number of street vendors accommodated in each vending zone would be 2.5% of the population of the ward,
zone, town or city. In case the number of applicants exceeds the holding capacity of a vending zone, the TVC
would call for a draw of lots for issue of certificates. Remaining applicants could be accommodated in an
-adjoining vending zone.
The Other Side
The SVB in its present form is well -intended, particularly in its provision of allocating space to street
vendors so that they are not asked to move away from a congested area and then await an opportunity to get
back. Many of them have had the experience of hastily wrapping up their goods and running away for the fear
of being persecuted by the staff of the municipal corporation or the police for selling on busy streets or
venturing into zones in which street vending is prohibited. The SVBвЂ™s mandate of having at least 40% of the
TVC members elected from among the street vendors seems to be a democratic arrangement, yet it is possible
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that given the low level of -organisation among them, only a select few contest elections, come to dominate and
are co-opted by the State. There are no provisions to impede capture of the SVBs by vested interests even as
concerns of the common vendor on the street are neglected or diluted by the SVBs.
Policies and laws that touch upon the lives of the masses should be obtained, if they are to be successful
in improving their conditions, from an understanding derived from close interaction with the very people they
target. As Bromley (2000: 17) puts it, вЂњRegulating street vendors, or offering promotion and support, requires
interactions between dozens of local officials and thousands of vendors, with enormous potential for
misunderstandings, avoidance and deception.вЂќ In the absence of such a rigorous exercise, attempts at regulating
street vending may not end up benefiting vendors much. The SVB, in fact, may well have put the cart before the
horse in pressing for periodical surveys of street vendors after the Act comes into force when surveys and
studies on street vendors should have informed the SVB in the first -instance; drawing up a baseline for further
studies and action. Subsequent surveys and studies would then serve the purpose of assessing the impact of, and
the pitfalls in, the SVB.
The heterogeneity of street vendors as an occupational group in terms of scale of operation, and nature
and scope of street vending activity hurls a challenge at the twin processes of framing and executing
countrywide, monolithic law(s). While for some, street vending is a part-time activity which they pursue only
for a few hours in a day, for others it is a -day-long activity, and yet others engage with street vending
occasionally. While there are street vendors who have been selling at the same place for a long time and in that
sense are stationary, there are also those who are on the move most of the time following a single route or
changing it occasionally or frequently, as the desire or need to. Additionally, there are a number of them who
sell at one place for a few hours in the day and move around colonies in the remaining working hours (they are
both stationary and mobile). The interchange between being stationary and mobile by a street vendor is
common.
Following the SVB, the issue of certificate of vending under categories of a stationary vendor, a mobile
vendor or any other category specified in the scheme laying down the timings and place of vending category is
likely to curtail the freedom of street vendors. It will foreclose the opportunity of switching from one way of
operating to another and changing place of selling according to oneвЂ™s own will, situation, circumstances and/or
business acumen. These may well create various opportunities for harassment of street vendors by civic
-authorities and the police similar to what they face now. There is every possibility that the gains from this
much-hyped law will be outweighed by the restrictions in it, hitting street vendors hard in the near future.
Additionally, the restrictions imposed by specifying the holding capacity of vending zone may have two
interrelated fallouts. The first is that many street vendors will be forced to abandon their best-suited selling
spaces because they could not make it in the draw of lots. Of them, a few might find that business at their newly
assigned places limit their earnings, forcing them to look for other, more rewarding, alternatives and thus again
opening the door for abuse by civic authorities and the police. This could also render many of them unemployed
and create an army of surplus labour, particularly when one keeps in mind that street vending is one of the main
-absorbers of the urban unemployed вЂ“ old and young, illiterate and literate.
As Bandopadhyay (2011) mentions in the context of the National Policy on -Urban Street Vendors in
India 2009, the state does not have a ready-made plan to deal with the surplus labour in the country, much less
in this sector. He suggests that the National Policy should be linked with a larger employment generation
scheme led by the state, failing which the implementation of spatial restrictions and the registration mechanism,
will make local lobbies and government functionaries extremely powerful and exploitative. Concerns regarding
loss of income and the rise of powerful lobbies that will determine future policies with regard to street vendors
are however not addressed in the SVB. The second fallout is the rent-seeking behaviour of -interest groups
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comprising powerful -lobbies and local-level regime functiona-ries. Licences and permits for street vending
spaces could, despite legal -prohibitions, be lent for a tariff or sold at a premium. Since interest groups tend to
control allocation of benefits and -resource, they could well invest their will in furthering means of
appropriating the rent-generating component of the SVB. This is not surprising since corruption is known to
loom large when power is concentrated in the hands of a few elites.
Conclusions
Street markets have given gainful -employment to the urban poor with low skill sets and to the
displaced (Bhowmik 2010), and in doing so has helped them emerge as important nodes of economic growth.
What makes street markets a viable place to carry out transactions is the informality of work and working
conditions that broadly allow individual street vendors to sell at places of their own choice and schedules of
-selling. The SVB tends to overthrow the benefits of informality as it makes street vending a kind of formal
enterprise by way of regulating it in ways that are detrimental to the vendor. Cross (2000) mentions that such
endeavours entangle informal enterprises in formal rules that they are ill-equipped to deal with. This amounts to
undermining the very factors that make informal enterprises successful and lucrative for those who are unable
to secure a place in the formal sector. More specifically,
From engaging in a flexible and evolving economic activity focused on family subsistence needs (and
often involving the avoidance of control by authorities), they are sucked into a rigid set of rules that they can
barely understand and even less likely to be able to challenge or manipulate. While their businesses would be
more вЂ�accountableвЂ™ they may in fact be less successful.
This does not make a case for a total rejection of the present regulation of street -vending. What it calls
for, however, is a revisit of the rules that make corruption a more lucrative enterprise than profitability in the
business enterprise and a sense of confidence in the policy/law and the officials handling it. In operational
terms, the SVB will benefit largely from loosening the nature and extent of regulation in order to accommodate
-vendorsвЂ™ own choice of the means of -carrying out business at their own pace.
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