DEVELOP INDIA

By: WWW.UPSCPORTAL.COM
Favorite newspaper of upper class, middle class, intellectual class & competitor class English Weekly
“We are only Indians”

{ “How to make india to develop nation?”

“Mission to make develop to india”
} Regular Issue
Website: developindiagroup.com
Year 2, Vol. 1, Issue - 84th, March 14-21, 2010 Website: www.upscportal.com Rs/-10.00
National & Political Finance & Economics International/Universe Science & Technology Sport Others

3G Will IRAQ Elections Bring

3G is the next generation of mobile communications systems. It enhances the ser-
vices such as multimedia, high speed mobile broadband, internet access with the abil-
ity to view video footage on your mobile handset. With a 3G phone and access to the 3G
network you can make video calls, watch live TV, access the high speed internet, re-
ceive emails and download music tracks, as well as the usual voice call and messaging
services found on a mobile phone, like person to person video, live streaming,
downloadable video of entertainment, news, current affairs and sport content and
video messaging.
2 3GWhere can I view the
demonstration of 3G ?
You can view the demon-
stration of 3G at the CSC (
Customer Care Center ) and
BSNL website
3 Can I get 3G services on
my existing Number?
Yes
4 Will my no. change if I
upgrade to 3G?
No.
5 Will I get remote access
to CCTV footage?
Yes, you can access CCTV
footage or any other similar
application by using 3G ser-
vice as a connecting media
between the CCTV server
and your 3G service enabled
handset.
6 Which all other operators
in India provide 3G services
? vice.
Only BSNL & MTNL are pro-
viding 3G services in India .
7 Is there any tracking fea-
ture available in 3G network
? through BSNLâ•™s vast
NO
8 What is USIM ?
USIM is a SIM card for 3G
services. USIM stand for
Universal Subscriber Identi-
fication Module. USIM is
provided to access 3G ser-
vices.
9 What will be the storage
capacity of 3G SIM ?
128 KB
10 Is the cost of USIM in-
cluded in activation charge
? cloud. It is the internet cloud
Yes, starter pack includes
the charges for USIM.
11 I am an Airtel/Vodafone/
Idea user, can I retain the
same number while sub-
scribing for BSNL 3G ser-
vices ?
No, not yet.
12 I am an Airtel/Vodafone/
Idea user, how can I switch
to BSNL 3G services ?
You have to take a new 3G
connection from BSNL.
13 Will I get any special
benefits if I shift from Airtel/
Vodafone/Idea to BSNL 3G
? available shortly in all state
you will get all those facili-
ties that BSNL is offering on
its 3G services like Video
call facility, Mobile broad-
band, Mobile TV content
available on BSNL 3G Por-
tal etc. For promotional
schemes, visit BSNL
website www.bsnl.co.in .
14 Will I get separate bill for
3G connection ?
NO
15 How can I get duplicate
USIM ?
CSC.( CCN)
16 Do I have to pay for Du-
plicate USIM ?
YES
17 Where will I get techni-
cal support ?
Customer Care Center/
BSNL 3G Experience Cen-
ters.
18 Am I required to replace
my 2G SIM card ?
No
19 Will I be charged differ-
entially for all services ?
Yes, there is different tariff
for various services. For de-
tails, please log on to
www.bsnl.co.in .
20 What is the download
speed in 3G ?
Practically, you are going to
get broadband experience
with speed better than 384
KBPS
21 Will I get GPS in 3G ?
GPS is a handset feature
and is not related to 3G ser-
22 Will bsnl provide USB /
DATA card and what will be
the approximate cost ?
Yes, it will be available
franchisee Network
23 Is my data secure ?
3G network provides con-
nectivity between the hand-
set and the internet cloud
and is fully secure.
24 Will I be able to play
videogames on 3G ?
YES
25 Will I be able to create
videogames through 3G ?
Yes, you can create your
own games on the internet
on which games will be
stored, 3G is a media to
access internet.
26 Will I be able to pay util-
ity bills through 3G ?
Yes, in due course of time.
27 Can I do mobile banking
through 3G ?
Yes, in due course of time.
28 Will I be able to chat
through 3G service?
Yes, in due course of time.
29 Is 3G broadband avail-
able everywhere ?
Presently it is available in
Ambala and is going to be
capitals and other major cit-
ies. For details, please log
on to www.bsnl.co.in.
30 What are the benefits of
mobile broadband ?
You will be able to enjoy
High speed internet and
data service even while on
the move.
31 What are the require-
ments for mobile broadband
? to internet cloud through
You will be able to enjoy
High speed internet and
data service even while on
the move. You require a 3G
handset and subscription
for 3G services to use mo-
bile broadband on your
handset. In case, you want
to connect your laptop or
PDA (personal digital as-
sistant) to 3G network, like
while moving in a vehicle,
you will require to connect
your 3G handset to the
computer through data
cable, infrared or blue tooth.
You may also buy a 3G
data card and use the
same with your computer
to access high speed 3G
network.
32 What is the difference
between wired broadband
and wireless broadband ?
Wired broadband is a fixed
place service requiring a
wired line connectivity upto
the computer. On the con-
trary, wireless broadband is
a wireless service which
enables you to access
internet anywhere, in the
house or while on the move
33 How much data will I
use while viewing video ?
If youâ•™re downloading a
video thatâ•™s meant for
a mobile screen, 1mb per
minute is a good rule of
thumb. Using this rule, a 4
minute video clip would
use around 4MB of your
daily or monthly allowance.
If the video was meant for
a TV or PC Screen, or it is
over 5 min long, we
wouldnâ•™t recommend
downloading it to your
phone, as it may struggle
to play it back And you
may not have enough stor-
age space on your phone.
A better solution for your
mobile is to stream the
Video.
34 Can I get 3G broadband
without plugging a USB
modem or data card ?
Yes, 3G broadband can be
accessed through Handset
supporting 3G.
35 How can I search and
download a specific movie
from a specific site ?
You can log on to the re-
quired website by using 3G
service of BSNL. Alterna-
tively, you can download a
specific movie by surfing
BSNL 3G portal
36 Can I upload any user
generated content through
3G ?
You can upload any thing
3G as 3G is a media to
access internet cloud
37 Maximum file size to
upload
You can upload any file
size.
Stability or More Turmoil?
Iraq's parliamentary elections are widely considered a barometre of the country's
progress and march toward stability, but they could also have a serious destabilising
impact, as the U.S. prepares for a major reduction of its troops by August. A volatile and
divided nation, Iraq is desperately attempting to recover from decades of war and
dictatorship.
Sunni Arabs who held most of the senior jobs in Saddam Hussein's government saw
their regions become the primary battleground of a bloody struggle between insurgents
on the one hand and the Iraqi government and U.S. forces on the other. Central to the
national reconciliation plans in Iraq, as Washington hopes, is the return of more moder-
ate elements of the Baath Party to the current political process.
Since late 2007, major Sunni insurgent groups have abandoned the insurgency in
the hopes of finding a foothold in the country's politics, but their relations with the Shia-
led government in Baghdad remain relatively tense. Severe tensions among political
factions in Baghdad are nothing new, but elections have now heightened tensions in the
country's safest and most stable region as well: Kurdistan. The heightened tensions have
raised fears that there could be an outbreak of violence in Kurdistan. Kurdish political
leaders convened an urgent meeting to discuss the situation, calling on the hostile par-
ties to exercise self-restraint and end the media war. Although Kurds have managed to
spare their region from the bulk of the turmoil that engulfed Iraq following the 2003 U.S.-
led invasion, elections now threaten to bring a new round of instability as incumbent
parties appear reluctant to relinquish power to newcomers like Gorran.
Gorran, a broad coalition of people with diverse political backgrounds, managed to
surprise many in Kurdistan and abroad when it defeated a joint ticket of the PUK and
KDP in Sulaimaniya Province during the Kurdish parliamentary elections last July.
Sulaimaniya is the largest and most populous of the three provinces that make up the
autonomous Kurdistan region. For decades, it has been the power base of Talabani's
PUK. Its longstanding rival and current ally, KDP, dominates the other two and is less
threatened by Gorran.
Often, during these periods of tension, the U.S. has acted as the deal-broker and has
kept the wheels of the political process rolling. The question, as Hiltermann of the ICG
says, is whether in the long term Iraqis will be able to organise fair elections once the U.S.
troops are out.
Our defence spending and
procurement processes
National defence accounts for 13% of the central government expenditure and if
military- and security-related components of other ministries or departments like the
ministry of home affairs, department of atomic energy and department of space are taken
into consideration, the larger national security considerations actually consume more
than 20% of the total expenditure.
Is India spending too much on national defence? If global data are to be believed, the
answer is ‘no’. Consider this: Indian defence expenditure accounts for less than 2% of
the global military expenditure which stood at $1.46 trillion in 2009; its resources alloca-
tions are way behind its counterparts in the West while it is less than half of what China
is spending (although Chinese military budget witnessed a mere 7.8% growth in 2010,
pegged at $78 billion).
Indian defence expenditure accounts for less than 2% of its GDP but 13% of its total
expenditure.
We all know (in fact have been witnessing) the tardy military procurement processes
of our country. What will you suggest to improve the situation?
Many of us know that it is the institutional mechanisms that are largely responsible
for delays in equipment procurement. First, institutional mechanisms on matters related
to national defence are rigidly structured and operate in secrecy. This needs to change —
incremental changes from within through reforms can address this problem.
Second, long-term military planning must be carefully crafted in order to make a fine
balance between aspirations and reality. A look at the last five years acquisition scenario
suggests that most of the weapons procured or in the pipeline are for replenishment
purposes rather than force multiplication.
Third, while right sizing the armed forces in tune with modern times is desirable, the
need to prune further the ‘revenue’ component, which still hovers around 60-62% of the
defence expenditure, must be carefully worked out in order to achieve the objectives of
nurturing a modern flexible fighting force. In every component, there is scope for prun-
ing, whereby more funding could be allocated toward capital purchases. Even capital
expenditure can bring in better value for money if import dependency is reduced through
indigenisation processes.

DEVELOP INDIA English weekly

© WWW.UPSCPORTAL.COM
DEVELOP INDIA Year 2, Vol. 1, Issue - 84th, March 14-21, 2010
India has the second Hockey World
largest number of billion- cups
1971 Barcelona
aires in Asia The inaugural Men's Hockey
World Cup tournament was
This year, India is home to 49 billionaires, up from 24
held at Barcelona in 1971
last year, but a few shy of the 53 billionaires the year be- at Real Polo grounds. The
fore. China stands first with 89 billionaires. tournament commenced on
Last year, there were only 793 billionaires worldwide,
October 15 and was over on
while in 2008, there were 1,125, the highest ever.
October 24. After 30
India has the most number of billionaires after the US, matches and beating 9
China, Russia and Germany. The US is home to 40% of other countries, including
the world’s billionaires, but it is declining. Last year, it the host, Pakistan claimed
was 45%. Pakistan just got its first billionaire — Mian the trophy.
Muhammad Mansha of the Nishat Group, which has in- Winner - Pakistan
terests in textiles and banking. Fifty-twoyear-old Mukesh Runner's Up - Spain
Ambani, with an estimated fortune of $29 billion, and 59- Second Runner's Up - India
year-old Mittal, with a net worth of $28.7 billion, rank 1973 Amstelveen
four and five, respectively, in a list of 1,011 billionaires The second instalment of
with an average net worth of $3.5 billion. Apart from Mr Men's Hockey World Cup
Ambani and Mr Laxmi Mittal, only four Indians rank in was held at Netherlands in
the top 50. With a fortune of $17 billion, Wipro’s Azim 1973 at the Wagener Sta-
dium, Amstelveen. This is
Premji ranks 28. Mr Ambani’s estranged younger brother
one of the few tournaments
Anil Ambani ranks 36 with a fortune of $13.7 billion.
where the host country won
India’s 49 billionaires have a combined wealth of
$222.1 billion —about 17% of India’s GDP. They have an
the trophy on its own
grounds after drawing 1-1
average net worth of $4.5 billion. India’s per capita GDP against India and then 4-2
is about Rs 46,000. Mukesh Ambani and Lakshmi Mittal through penalties.
account for 25% of the total Indian billionaire wealth of Winner - Netherlands
$222.1 billion. Runner's Up - India
Incidentally Carlos Slim of Mexico has overtaken Bill Second Runner's Up - West
Gates as the richest person in the world. His net worth is Germany
reportedly $53.5 bn. 1975 Kuala Lumpur
Nepal Par committee for
The Men's Hockey World
Cup of 1975 was held at
scrapping of 1950 treaty Merdeka Stadium, Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia. This
with India was the first time a Hockey
World Cup was hosted at an
Claiming that India encroached 60,000 hectares of the
Asian country and also the
Nepalese territory, a Parliamentary committee has recom-
first time that India won 2-1
mended scrapping of the "unequal" Peace and Friend-
against Pakistan.
ship Treaty with New Delhi inked in 1950 and signing of Winner - India
a new pact in its place. The International Affairs and Runner's Up - Pakistan
Human Rights committee of Nepal's Parliament said a Second Runner's Up - West
new pact needs to be signed, keeping with the changing Germany
pace of time. 1978 Buenos Aires
The committee led by Man Bahadur Bishwokarma, in Held at Campo del Polo,
a report, also alleged encroachment of 60,000 hectares of Buenos Aires, Argentina,
the Nepalese territory by India, after it conducted a in- the Men's Hockey World
spection of the area. Cup of 1978 was yet again
Bishwokarma submitted a memorandum to the 601- dominated by Pakistan with
member Constituent Assembly's Chairman Subhash a 3-2 win against the Neth-
erlands.
Nembang Tuesday, suggesting scrapping of the 1950
Winner - Pakistan
treaty and inking of a new pact with India, according to
Runner's Up - Netherlands
sources in the Parliament. Second Runner's Up - Aus-
After surveying disputed areas in the border from Jhapa tralia
in eastern Nepal to Kanchanpur in the West, the commit-
1982 Bombay
tee emphasised the need to redraw the boundary based
Held at the BHA Stadium,
on old maps, taking into consideration the present situa-
Bombay, India, this is the
tion on the ground.
first time the grand tourna-
It said that in order to maintain friendly relations with ment was held in India. Pa-
India, all "unequal" treaties including the 1950 Peace and kistan grabbed the title af-
Friendship Treaty should be scrapped and new pacts ter mercilessly beating
signed between the two countries. West Germany 3-1 at the
finals.
Fifth Commonwealth Winner - Pakistan
Boxing Championship Runner's Up - West Ger-
World number one Vijender Singh (75kg) fought
many
Second Runner's Up - Aus-
through a bleeding nose to clinch his first international tralia
Fifth Place - India
gold medal in two years as Indian pugilists made a clean
sweep in the finals to win the overall team title at the fifth 1986 London
Commonwealth Boxing Championships in New Delhi on The Hockey World Cup of
1986 was held at Willesden,
17 March, 2010.
London, England. The un-
With Asian champion Suranjoy Singh (52kg), South
derdog, Australia, who has
Asian Games gold medallist Amandeep Singh (49kg),
consecutively taken third
Asian silver medallist Jai Bhagwan (60kg) and Paramjeet place in the previous two
Samota (+91kg) also triumphing in the finals, it turned
tournaments, finally prevailed
out to be an all-win day for the hosts in front of a houseful and claimed their well-de-
crowd.
served trophy after beating
The gold rush started early for the Indians when Olym- host country England 2-1.
pian Dinesh Kumar (81kg) got a walkover against Scot Winner - Australia
Callum Johnson, who was declared medically unfit due Runner's Up - England
to a right wrist injury this morning. Second Runner's Up - West
In the last bout of the day, Olympic and World Cham- Germany
pionship bronze medallist Vijender thrashed England's Twelfth Place - India
Frank Buglioni 13-3 despite a bloodied nose. 1990 Lahore
"I was scared that the bout may be stopped and I would Possibly one of the most
be declared medically unfit. Bleeding was just not stop- exciting tournaments ever
ping. I was constantly looking at the judges to see what with the host country meet-
they might do," said the 24-year-old Haryana boxer, who ing rival team Netherlands
yet again, but unfortunately,
was adjudged the best boxer of the tournament.
history did not repeat itself
"A gold medal after two years (the last being at the
and Pakistan lost 3-1 to the
Chemistry Cup in Germany in 2008) is obviously very
Netherlands this time.
satisfying," he added. Sharp and swift with his move-
Winner - Netherlands
ment, Vijender out-witted his rival. Scoring mostly through Runner's Up - Pakistan
straight right punches and left hooks, the Indian was 3-1
Second Runner's Up - Aus-
up in the opening round and despite being tentative after tralia
DEVELOP INDIA English weekly
© WWW.UPSCPORTAL.COM
2
injuring his nose, Vijender remained ruthless enough to
land some telling jabs on his opponent.
Tenth Place - India
1994 Sydney
Buglioni ran out of steam in the final three minutes Miraculously, the finals con-
sisted of Netherland versus
and Vijender even dared him with an open guard after
taking complete control of the bout. Pakistan for the thid time in
"Vijender is very quick on his feet and that helped him the history of Hockey World
remain in control. As far as the bleeding goes, I would Cup. Held at Homebush
say, god protected him today because the blood was just Stadium, Sydney, Australia,
the final game was a draw
not stopping despite applying ice," said national coach
of 1-1, after penalties, Pa-
Gurbax Singh Sandhu.
kistan claimed the trophy
Earlier, the day started perfectly for the Indians when
with 4-3 win over the Neth-
Samota eked out a hard-fought 7-3 triumph over New erlands.
Zealand's Joseph Parker. Winner - Pakistan
Samota trailed 0-1 in the opening round but came back Runner's Up - Netherlands
strongly with a flurry of straight punches to unsettle his Second Runner's Up - Aus-
rival. tralia
The two boxers were tied 3-3 in the second round but Fifth Place - India
the Indian nosed ahead in the final round as Parker be- 1998 Utrecht
gan to tire out. The Hockey World Cup of
"I tried to settle down in the first round and though I 1998 was again held in
was trailing, I was confident of coming back and the mas- Netherlands, at
sive crowd support also helped me. He began to look tired Galgenwaard Stadium,
after the second round and that's when I attacked him the Utrecht. Team Netherlands
most," said Samota. make a mark in history by
being the only country to
Arctic Geopolitical win a tournament at its
home ground not once, but
President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia must defend twice. The first one was in
its claims to mineral riches of the Arctic in increasing com- 1973 at the Wagener Sta-
petition with other powers. dium, Amstelveen.
''Restrictions on Russia's access to the development Winner - Netherlands
of hydrocarbon fields in the Arctic, which accounts for Runner's Up - Spain
over 25 per cent of global oil and gas reserves, is unac- Second Runner's Up - Ger-
ceptable,'' Mr Medvedev said at the presidential Security many
Council meeting. Ninth Place - India
''Unfortunately, attempts are being made by other na- 2002 Kuala Lumpur
tions near the Arctic to limit Russia's access to the devel- Amazingly, after having en-
dured being at fouth, third
opment and mining of Arctic deposits, which is, of course,
unacceptable from a legal point of view, as well as unfair and second place in the past
three decades, Germany fi-
considering our country's geographical position and his-
nally claimed its glory and
tory,'' he said.
took home the trophy of the
The President stressed that ''polar countries are tak-
2002 Men's Hockey World
ing active steps to expand their economic and even mili-
Cup held at Kuala Lumpur,
tary presence in the Arctic zone.'' Malaysia.
Arctic territories have been at the center of geopoliti- Winner - Germany
cal wrangling between the United States, Russia, Canada, Runner's Up - Australia
Norway, and Denmark as rising temperatures lead to a Second Runner's Up - Neth-
reduction in sea ice and make hydrocarbon deposits un- erlands
der the Arctic Ocean increasingly accessible. Tenth Place - India
Mr Medvedev said global climate changes will likely 2006 Monchengladbach
fuel arguments between nations seeking access to energy The last Hockey World Cup
and other resources. was held at
Under international law, each of the five Arctic Circle M?nchengladbach, Ger-
countries has a 322 km exclusive economic zone in the many from September 6 to
Arctic Ocean. September 17, 2006. Ger-
However, under the United Nations Convention on many won for second con-
the Law of the Sea, if a country can show its continental secutive time after beating
Australia 4-3. Germany's
shelf extends beyond the 200 mile limit, it can claim a
Ulrich Bubolz received the
right to more of the ocean floor.
Best Goalkeeper trophy
Russia has undertaken two Arctic expeditions - to the
and his teammate Christo-
Mendeleyev underwater chain in 2005 and to the
pher Zeller received the
Lomonosov Ridge in the summer of 2007- to support its
Most Promising Player tro-
territorial claims in the region. phy.
It first claimed the territory in 2001, but the United Winner - Germany
Nations demanded more conclusive evidence. Runner's Up - Australia
Russia has said it will invest some 50 million dollar Second Runner's Up - Spain
in defining the extent of its continental shelf in the Arctic Eleventh Place - India
this year. 2010 New Delhi
Moortidevi award for The lastest Hockey World
Cup was held at New Delhi,
Shree Ramayana Winner - Australia
Runner's Up - Germany
Mahanveshanam
Saina Nehwal
Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, President of India will
present the prestigious Moortidevi Award of Bharatiya breaks into top-5
Jnanpith to Dr.M.Veerappa Moily, Union Minister of Law in rankings
and Justice for his outstanding work on Shri Ramayan
India's ace badminton
Mahanveshanam .
player Saina Nehwal has
Dr.M.Veerappa Moily is a rare politician-literary fig- gained her career-best
ure. An established writer in Kannada, he has authored,
rankings after she gained
to date, four novels, three collections of poetry, three plays, the fifth spot following her
collections of essays, besides his five-volume magnum stupendous show in the All
opus "Shri Ramayana Mahanveshanam". He was also England Badminton Cham-
awarded Second Father Kamil Bulke Ramayana Interna- pionships earlier this
tional Award 2007. He is now penning another epic poem month.
on Draupadi titled 'Shrimudi Parikramanam' which is Riding on her fantastic
likely to be published within a year. His two volumes of show, the Indian gained a
'Musings On India' is a collection of essays and lectures couple of spots in the lat-
est list with 58516.7646
on Indian history, culture, and society. He has launched
points in her kitty.
a Magna-Opus-Unleashing India in five Volumes. First
However, the rankings
two volumes 'Road Map for Agrarian Wealth Creation'
are widely dominated by the
and the second the 'Water-Elixir of Life' have already been
published. Chinese players as there
are six shuttlers in top 10.
On of his major novels, 'Kotta', has been produced as
Saina is behind four chinese
a telefilms in both Kannada and Hindi, directed by
players - Yihan Wang (1),
M.S.Sathyu. His novels 'Kotta and 'Tembrare' have been
Wang Lin (2), Xin Wang (3)
translated into Hindi, English, and many other Indian
and Jiang Yanjiao (4).
languages; parts of his ambitious epic have been trans- Saina had become the
lated into Hindi and Tamil. The English translation of the first Indian woman to reach
DEVELOP INDIA Year 2, Vol. 1, Issue - 84th, March 14-21, 2010
entire work is currently in the press. the semi-finals of the pres-
As a writer, Moily is noted for his concern for the tigious All England Open.
marginalized classes, authenticity of depiction, and skil- Although Saina lost in the
ful craftsmanship. His major works are always preceded semi-finals at Birmingham,
by extensive research and discussion with concerned ex- it was something that would
perts. Hence his works have a distinct place of their own give her a lot of confidence
in Kannada. for the upcoming interna-
Many awards and honours have come seeking him, a
few of which are: 'Al Ameen Sadbhavana Award'(2000),
tional tournaments.
Saina, who turned 20 on
Wednesday has had a good
'Devaraja Urs Prashasti (2001), 'Aryabhata Award'(2001),
year in 2009 where she was
and 'Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Award (2002). Honorary Doctor-
victorious in the Indonesian
ate Degrees by Mangalore University (2009) and Russian
Open Super Series Tourna-
Academy and National Law School University,
ment and reached the semi-
Hyderabad have been bestowed on him. finals of the World Super
Cabinet approve Bill to set Series Masters Final.
In addition, she reached
up foreign educational the quarter-finals of the
institution campuses in
World Championships, Ma-
laysian Open, Denmark
India Open, French Super Series,
Swiss Open, Indian Open
Government approved a bill to allow foreign educa- and Singapore Open in
tion providers to set up campuses in India and offer de- 2009. She won the
grees. The Foreign Educational Institution (Regulation of Phillippines Open in 2006
Entry and Operation) Bill, was cleared yesterday by the and won the Yonex Chinese
Union Cabinet presided by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Taipei Open in 2008 as well.
Singh . Our correspondent reports that the bill after recti- In the men's rankings,
Chetan Anand dropped a
fication by Parliament will benefit a large number of In-
dian students who head abroad to study. Our correspon-
rung to 10th but P Kashyap
gained one spot to be 29th.
dent reports that
Arvind Bhat remained static
at 36th but Anup Sridhar
The Human Resource Development Minister has
slipped to 40th, a loss of one
rightly put it that it is a milestone which will enhance position.
choices, increase competition and benchmark quality. It In the mixed doubles
provides for an eight month time bound format for grant- rankings, Jwala Gutta and
ing an institute approval to set up a campus in India. V Diju's pair slipped one
Observers point out that this will go along with in ad- spot to 10th in the latest
dressing the deficit of qualified graduates as analysts list.
project shortfall of over half a million graduates over the
next five years. The reforms in higher education sector Baba Ramdev
have been put on fast track in the UPA-2 with Mr. Kapil launches political
Sibla heading the HRD ministry. The Right to Education
has already been notified and setting up of an Accredita-
party named
Bharat
tion Council is on the anvil to further improve the quality
of education at par with the international standards. The Swabhiman
step assumes significance specially after signing of the
Washington Accord which makes Indian degrees inter- Yoga guru Baba
nationally valid. Ramdev on March 16, 2010
announced his entry into
Govt planning to launch politics by naming his party,
Gandhi Heritage Sites the Bharat Swabhiman, but
insisted he won’t contest
Mission elections. “I will join politics
to cleanse the system,”
The Culture Ministry is planning to launch a ‘Gandhi Ramdev said.
Heritage Sites Mission’ under which more than 2,000 Ramdev, whose real
places visited by Mahatma Gandhi will be conserved and name is Ramkishan Yadav,
protected. said his party would field
The over 2,000 lesser-known places across India be- candidates in all the 543
Lok Sabha seats in a bid to
ginning from Aat village in Gujarat to Zulifur in Bihar
will sport a new look and host tourists from across the build a corruption-free India.
“We will have 7-10 lakh
world if the proposal sees the light of the day.
The sites, most of which are in a dilapidated condi- members in every district in
a year or two,” he said, add-
tion, have been identified in a report submitted by a sub-
ing, “I will never contest
group of the Gandhi Heritage Committee headed by
elections and never take up
Gandhi’s grandson and former West Bengal Governor
any political position.” He
Gopalkrishna Gandhi. said the next general elec-
“On the recommendations of the Panel, a proposal is tion would be a watershed
under consideration to establish Gandhi Heritage Sites event, “when all the corrupt
Mission for the tangible and intangible heritage of politicians will be wiped out”
Gandhiji,” the Lok Sabha was informed recently. once the Bharat Swabhiman
“The Mission’s main job will be to renovate the sites, andolan becomes a force to
paint the buildings and put proper signages and lighting reckon with.
arrangements so that visitors can identify the sites.” “One of the main objec-
He said the sites will also be documented for future tives of the movement is to
purpose. end corruption and to bring
The Government moves comes after demand from vari- back more than Rs300 lakh
ous quarters to conserve and protect the sites visited by crore of black money from
abroad for the country’s de-
Mahatma Gandhi.
The committee headed by Gopalkrishna Gandhi has velopment,” he said. Baba
submitted a voluminous book to the Government detail- Ramdev said the recent ar-
ing how and why the sites are associated with the apostle rests of self-claimed spiri-
tual gurus on criminal
of peace.
charges were “a very big
Almost all the sites were visited by Gandhi during the
conspiracy” even if some of
freedom struggle.
them were indeed guilty.
The Culture Ministry appointed the committee in April
2006 for identifying and documenting sites associated Anti-government
with Mahatma Gandhi, with a view to strengthening their
upkeep and conservation for posterity.
‘Red Shirts’ pro-
The official said the sites are located in almost all parts test in Bangkok
of the country, including in north-eastern states, and the Around 100,000 protest-
committee had done extensive research to collect details ers converged in Bangkok
from various sources. to give Thailand’s military-
“Some of the sources are Gandhi Smriti, biographies backed government an ulti-
written by various people on Gandhi. The committee had matum: either call elections
also travelled to some of these places,” he said. or face more pro-democ-
The book has every detail about the sites like how and racy demonstrations over
why Gandhi visited the place and so on, a senior official the coming week. The dem-
said. onstrators, popularly known
DEVELOP INDIA English weekly
© WWW.UPSCPORTAL.COM
3
Some sites in Pakistan and Bangladesh have also been as the ‘Red Shirts,’ want
identified for conservation and preservation, he said. Prime Minister Abhisit
The government will also put up sign boards which Vejjajiva to call new elec-
will educate the tourists about how and why Mahatma tions, which they believe
Gandhi was associated with the place. will allow their political allies
to regain power. They be-
The world’s shortest man, lieve Abhisit came to power
He Pingping, dies illegitimately with the con-
nivance of the military and
The world’s shortest man ‘He Pingping’ has died in other parts of the traditional
Rome. He was born in 1988 in Wulanchabu, China, with Thai ruling class who were
fearful of former Prime Min-
a form of primordial dwarfism, and was officially
ister Thaksin Shinawatra’s
recognised as the world’s shortest man in 2008. He was
popularity while in office
admitted to hospital two weeks ago after suffering a chest from 2001 until he was
complaint and died, but his death has only just been an-
nounced.
ousted in a 2006 coup. The
protesters are demanding
Guinness World Records said he had made a “huge
impact around the world”. “From the moment I laid on
the government give up the
administrative power by dis-
eyes on him I knew he was someone special - he had such solving the Parliament and
a cheeky smile and mischievous personality, you couldn’t
help but be charmed by him,” said Craig Glenday,
returning power to the
people, a protest leader,
Guinness World Records editor-in-chief. He Pingping Veera Musikapong, told a
officially became the world’s shortest man in 2008. “For sea of red-shirted followers.
such a small man, he made a huge impact around the
world,” he added. India-Germany
Mr He was in the Italian capital to take part in the agree to launch
filming of a television programme called The Record Show.
technology centre
According to the TV production company
Europroduzione, he had already filmed two episodes of in New Delhi
the programme when he complained of feeling unwell.
India and Germany have
“He started to feel slightly ill and we decided to take agreed to launch soon a
him to hospital. He entered hospital two weeks ago and technology centre in New
had all kinds of tests, being a very special person he had Delhi for carrying out re-
to go though all sorts of tests. He went into intensive care search development
three days after he was admitted,” said Marco Fernandez projects. The two countries
de Araoz, communications director for Europroduzione. have agreed to provide five
A Nepalese man who is only 56cm (22in) tall is travel- million dollors each annu-
ling to Europe in a bid to be recognised officially as the ally for the centre for five
world’s shortest living person. Khagendra Thapa Magar years. The objective of set-
is flying with his father and a supporter to Italy, where ting up this centre is to
they plan to file a claim with London-based Guinness bring about synergy among
the scientists of the two
World Records. His family initially applied when he was
14, but it was rejected as there was a chance that he might countries in advance re-
grow more. The current record was held by China’s He search.
Pingping, who was 73cm (29in) tall. India suspends
Civil Liability for Nuclear ‘obscene’ Fashion
Damage Bill TV channel
The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill seeks to India suspends Fashion
TV (FTV) for 10 days for
burden the Indian taxpayer and encumber the rights of
victims of any potential radioactive release from a for- showing topless models
eign-built plant. during a show last year. Of-
ficials said that FTV had vio-
The government has finally released the text of its con-
troversial nuclear-accident liability Bill. The text not only lated several provisions of
confirms the concerns expressed earlier over key elements the Cable Television Net-
works rules by showing
of the proposed law, but also raises additional issues of
women in an “obscene”
worry.
manner. In 2007, FTV was
What stands out in the Civil Liability for Nuclear Dam-
age Bill is the extent to which it goes to aid the business suspended for two months
for showing skimpily-clad
interests of the foreign reactor builders. In the process, the
Bill seeks to financially burden the Indian taxpayer and models in the “Midnight Hot”
show. The prohibition was
encumber the rights of victims of any potential radioac-
tive release from a foreign-built plant. revoked less than a month
A special Indian law limiting liability in amount and later after the channel of-
in time has been sought by Washington for its nuclear- fered an apology and prom-
exporting firms, with the largest two, Westinghouse and ised not to broadcast such
General Electric (GE), set to win multibillion-dollar con- material again. The latest
tracts to build several commercial nuclear power reac- ban is for a programme
tors. To forestall lawsuits filed against American suppli- aired in September 2009
ers in U.S. courts by victims of a nuclear catastrophe, when the channel showed
Washington has also pressed for exclusive jurisdiction “women with nude upper
for Indian courts so that there will be no repeat of what body which was offending
happened after the Bhopal gas disaster. The Bill seeks to against good taste and de-
help out the U.S. firms on these counts, going at times cency”, the ministry said in
a statement. “The visuals
even beyond what American law provides.
were found to be obscene,
Under the Bill, the foreign reactor builder — however
denigrating women and
culpable it is for a nuclear accident — will be completely
immune from any victim-initiated civil suit or criminal were not suitable for chil-
proceedings in an Indian court or in a court in its home dren and unrestricted pub-
country. The Bill actually turns the legal liability of a for- lic exhibition,” the statement
eign reactor supplier for an accident into mere financial added.
compensation — that too, pegged at a pittance and routed
World Consumer
through the Indian state operator of the plant. Foreign
suppliers will have no direct accident-related liability. Rights Day
The foreign builders will bask under legal immunity
This year’s theme is
because the Bill channels all legal liability to the Central “Our Money, Our Rights.” In
Government. Clause 7 states the “Central Government 1983, the Consumers Inter-
shall be liable for nuclear damage in respect of a nuclear national set March 15 the
incident” when such liability exceeds the Rs.500-crore World Consumer Rights
liability limit of the operator or where the accident occurs Day, stipulating that con-
“in a nuclear installation owned by it [the Indian govern- sumers are entitled to en-
ment].” The Union government will own all foreign-built joy the rights of safety pro-
reactors. tection, obtaining correct
Indeed, the Bill creates a specious distinction between data of products, free deci-
the operator and the government when both are fused in sion to choose and the right
the Indian context. After all, it is the Indian state which to claim for compensation
will run all foreign-built plants through its operator, the and the right to have a sound
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). Yet, healthy environment. Since
DEVELOP INDIA Year 2, Vol. 1, Issue - 84th, March 14-21, 2010 4
President Mikheil Saakashvili Laos President Hifikepunye Singapore
Head of state and head of Prime Minister Nikoloz Gilauri
President Choummaly
Pohamba
Prime Minister Nahas Angula
President Sellapan Ramanathan

government
Germany Sayasone Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Prime Minister Bouasone Nauru
President Horst Köhler Slovakia
Bouphavanh
Chad Chancellor Angela Merkel President Marcus Stephen
Afghanistan President Ivan Gašparovic
Latvia
President Idriss Déby Ghana Nepal Prime Minister Robert Fico
President Hamid Karzai President Valdis Zatlers
Prime Minister Youssouf Saleh President John Atta Mills President Ram Baran Yadav Slovenia
Albania Abbas Prime Minister Valdis
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar
Greece Dombrovskis President Danilo Türk
President Bamir Topi Chile Nepal
Prime Minister Borut Pahor
Prime Minister Sali Berisha President Karolos Papoulias Lebanon
President Michelle Bachelet Netherlands
Prime Minister George Somalia
Algeria President-elect Sebastián Piñera President Michel Sleiman
Papandreou Queen Beatrix
Prime Minister Saad Hariri President Sharif Ahmed
President Abdelaziz Bouteflika China Prime Minister Jan Peter
Guatemala Prime Minister Omar
Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia Lesotho Balkenende
President Hu Jintao Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke
President Álvaro Colom
Angola Premier Wen Jiabao King Letsie III New Zealand
South Africa
Guinea Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili
President José Eduardo dos Colombia Queen Elizabeth II
President Jacob Zuma
Santos Acting President Sékouba Liberia Governor General Anand
President Álvaro Uribe Konaté Satyanand South Korea
Argentina President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Comoros Prime Minister Jean-Marie Doré Prime Minister John Key President Lee Myung-bak
President Cristina Fernández de Libya Prime Minister Chung Un-chan
President Ahmed Abdallah Guinea-Bissau Nicaragua
Kirchner Guide of the Revolution
Sambi President Malam Bacai Sanhá President Daniel Ortega Spain
Armenia Muammar al-Gaddafi
Congo-Brazzaville Prime Minister Carlos Gomes King Juan Carlos I
Secretary General of the General Niger
President Serzh Sargsyan Guyana People's Congress Mohamed Prime Minister José Luis
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan President Denis Sassou- President Tandja Mamadou Rodríguez Zapatero
Nguesso Abdul Quasim al-Zwai
President Bharrat Jagdeo Prime Minister Ali Badjo
Australia Prime Minister Baghdadi Sri Lanka
Congo-Kinshasa Prime Minister Sam Hinds Gamatié
Mahmudi
Queen Elizabeth II Nigeria President Mahinda Rajapaksa
President Joseph Kabila Haiti
Governor General Quentin Bryce Liechtenstein Prime Minister Ratnasiri
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito President René Préval President Umaru Yar'Adua Wickremanayake
Prince Hans-Adam II
Costa Rica Prime Minister Jean-Max Acting President Goodluck
Austria Prince-Regent Alois Sudan
Bellerive Jonathan
Prime Minister Klaus
President Heinz Fischer President Óscar Arias President Omar al-Bashir
Honduras Tschütscher North Korea
Chancellor Werner Faymann President-elect Laura Chinchilla
Suriname
President Porfirio Lobo Sosa Lithuania Chairman of the National De-
Azerbaijan Croatia
fence Commission Kim Jong-il President Ronald Venetiaan
Hungary President Dalia Grybauskaite
President Ilham Aliyev President Stjepan Mesic Chairman of the Presidium of
Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius Swaziland
Prime Minister Artur Rasizade President-elect Ivo Josipovic President László Sólyom the Supreme People's Assembly
Luxembourg King Mswati III
Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai Kim Yong-nam
Bahrain Grand Duke Henri Prime Minister Barnabas
Eternal President Kim Il-sung
Cuba Iceland Prime Minister Jean-Claude Sibusiso Dlamini
King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah Premier Kim Yong-il
Juncker
Prime Minister Khalifah ibn President Raúl Castro President Ólafur Ragnar Sweden
Norway
Sulman Al Khalifah Grímsson Macedonia
Cyprus King Carl XVI Gustaf
Prime Minister Jóhanna King Harald V
Bangladesh President Gjorge Ivanov Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt
President Dimitris Christofias Sigurðardóttir Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg
Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski
President Zillur Rahman Czech Republic Switzerland
India Oman
Prime Minister Hasina Wazed Madagascar
Federal Council: Doris Leuthard
President Václav Klaus President Pratibha Patil Sultan Qaboos
Belarus President of the High Authority (Pres.)
Prime Minister Jan Fischer Prime Minister Manmohan
of Transition Andry Rajoelina Pakistan
President Alexander Singh Syria
Denmark Prime Minister Albert Camille
Lukashenko President Asif Ali Zardari President Bashar al-Assad
Indonesia Vital
Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky Queen Margrethe II Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Prime Minister Muhammad
Prime Minister Lars Løkke President Susilo Bambang Malawi Gillani Naji al-Otari
Belgium Rasmussen Yudhoyono
President Bingu wa Mutharika Tajikistan
King Albert II Palau
Djibouti Iran
Prime Minister Yves Leterme Malaysia President Johnson Toribiong President Emomalii Rahmon
Belize President Ismail Omar Guelleh Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Mizan
Queen Elizabeth II Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed President Mahmoud Panama
Zainal Abidin Tanzania
Governor General Colville Young Dileita Ahmadinejad President Ricardo Martinelli
Prime Minister Najib Razak
Prime Minister Dean Barrow Dominica Papua New Guinea President Jakaya Kikwete
Iraq
Maldives Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda
Benin President Nicholas Liverpool Queen Elizabeth II Thailand
Presidency Council: Jalal
President Mohamed Nasheed
President Yayi Boni Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit Talabani (Pres.), Adil Abdul Governor General Paulias King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Mahdi (VP), Tariq al-Hashimi Mali Matane Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva
Bhutan Dominican Republic
(VP) Prime Minister Michael Somare
President Amadou Toumani Togo
King Jigme Khesar Namgyal President Leonel Fernández Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
Touré Paraguay President Faure Gnassingbé
Wangchuck East Timor Ireland Prime Minister Modibo Sidibé
Prime Minister Jigme Thinley President Fernando Lugo Prime Minister Gilbert Houngbo
President José Ramos-Horta President Mary McAleese Malta Tonga
Bolivia Peru
Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão Taoiseach Brian Cowen
President George Abela King George Tupou V
President Evo Morales President Alan García
Ecuador Israel Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi Prime Minister Feleti Sevele
Prime Minister Javier Velásquez
Bosnia and Herzegovina President Rafael Correa President Shimon Peres Marshall Islands
Philippines Trinidad and Tobago
Chairman of the Presidency Prime Minister Benjamin
Egypt President Jurelang Zedkaia President George Maxwell
•eljko Komšic Netanyahu President Gloria Macapagal-Ar-
Richards
Presidency Member Nebojša President Hosni Mubarak Mauritania royo
Italy Prime Minister Patrick Manning
Radmanovic Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif
President Mohamed Ould Abdel Poland
Presidency Member Haris President Giorgio Napolitano Tunisia
El Salvador Aziz
Silajd•ic Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi President Lech Kaczynski
Prime Minister Moulaye Ould President Zine El Abidine Ben
Prime Minister Nikola Špiric President Mauricio Funes Prime Minister Donald Tusk Ali
Ivory Coast Mohamed Laghdaf
Botswana Equatorial Guinea Portugal Prime Minister Mohamed
President Laurent Gbagbo Ghannouchi
President Ian Khama President Teodoro Obiang Prime Minister Guillaume Soro Mauritius President Aníbal Cavaco Silva
Nguema Mbasogo Prime Minister José Sócrates Turkey
Brazil Jamaica President Anerood Jugnauth
Prime Minister Ignacio Milam President Abdullah Gül
Prime Minister Navin Qatar
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Tang Queen Elizabeth II Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Ramgoolam
Silva Governor General Patrick Allen Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Erdogan
Eritrea
Prime Minister Bruce Golding Mexico Prime Minister Hamad ibn Jaber
Brunei Turkmenistan
President Isaias Afewerki Al Thani
Japan President Felipe Calderón
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah President Gurbanguly
Estonia Romania Berdimuhamedow
Emperor Akihito Micronesia
Bulgaria President Toomas Hendrik Ilves Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama President Traian Basescu
President Manny Mori Ukraine
President Georgi Parvanov Prime Minister Andrus Ansip Prime Minister Emil Boc
Jordan President Viktor Yushchenko
Prime Minister Boyko Borisov Moldova
Ethiopia Russia President-elect Victor
King Abdullah II
Burkina Faso Acting President Mihai Ghimpu Yanukovych
President Girma Wolde-Giorgis Prime Minister Samir Rifai President Dmitry Medvedev
Prime Minister Vlad Filat Prime Minister Yulia
President Blaise Compaoré Prime Minister Meles Zenawi Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Tymoshenko
Kazakhstan
Prime Minister Tertius Zongo Monaco
Fiji Rwanda United Arab Emirates
President Nursultan
Myanmar (Burma) Prince Albert II
President Epeli Nailatikau Nazarbayev President Paul Kagame President Khalifa bin Zayed Al
Minister of State Jean-Paul
Chairman of the State Peace and Interim Prime Minister Frank Prime Minister Karim Massimov Prime Minister Bernard Makuza Nahyan
Proust
Development Council Than Bainimarama Prime Minister Mohammed bin
Kenya Saudi Arabia
Shwe Mongolia Rashid Al Maktoum
Finland
Prime Minister Thein Sein President Mwai Kibaki King Abdullah
President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj United Kingdom
President Tarja Halonen Prime Minister Raila Odinga
Burundi Prime Minister Sükhbaataryn Senegal Queen Elizabeth II
Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen
Kiribati Batbold Prime Minister Gordon Brown
President Pierre Nkurunziza President Abdoulaye Wade
France
President Anote Tong Montenegro Prime Minister Souleymane United States
Cambodia President Nicolas Sarkozy Ndéné Ndiaye
Kuwait President Filip Vujanovic President Barack Obama
King Norodom Sihamoni Prime Minister François Fillon
Prime Minister Milo Ðukanovic Serbia
Prime Minister Hun Sen Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Uruguay
Gabon
Al-Sabah Morocco President Boris Tadic
Cameroon President Tabaré Vázquez
President Ali Bongo Ondimba Prime Minister Nasser Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic
King Muhammad VI President-elect José Mujica
President Paul Biya Prime Minister Paul Biyoghé Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed
Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi Seychelles Uzbekistan
Prime Minister Philémon Yang Mba Al-Sabah
Mozambique President James Michel President Islam Karimov
Canada Gambia Kyrgyzstan
President Armando Guebuza Sierra Leone Prime Minister Shavkat
Queen Elizabeth II President Yahya Jammeh President Kurmanbek Bakiyev Mirziyoyev
Prime Minister Aires Ali
Governor General Michaëlle Jean Prime Minister Daniar Usenov President Ernest Bai Koroma (Note: Please keep update it from
Georgia
Prime Minister Stephen Harper Namibia Feb, 2010)

DEVELOP INDIA English weekly

© WWW.UPSCPORTAL.COM
DEVELOP INDIA Year 2, Vol. 1, Issue - 84th, March 14-21, 2010
India first country in the world to
have specialized Environment
Courts
Chitra Singh Rajput
In the context of envi-
ronmental Audit, the Min-
istry of Environment and
Forests is engaged with
looking at innovation in
governance since the past
few months. Two very im-
portant initiatives are ongo-
ing, namely the National
Green Tribunal (NGT) with
a network of specialized
Environment Courts and
National Environment Pro-
tection Authority (NEPA).
Delivering a key note ad-
dress at the two day con-
ference on a 'Environment
Audit - Concerns about
Water Pollution in India'
organized by the Comp-
troller and Auditor-Gen-
eral of India here today, Shri
Jairam Ramesh, Minister of
State for Environment and
Forests (I/C) said the NGT
will give the Indian citizen
first time judicial remedy as
far as environmental dam-
ages are concerned. India
would be the first country
in the world to have such
an extensive network of
specialized environment
courts. Shri Jairam ex-
pressed the view that envi-
ronment is still seen not as
an essential function such
as economic activity, but as
an additional cost that has
to be borne. Unless and un-
til, we internalize issues re-
lating to environment as
part of normal process of
economic decision making,
we will not get the kind of
seriousness on matters re-
lating to environments.
Welcoming CAG's
move, Shri Jairam said, "It
is an encouraging move of
CAG from credit transac-
tion audit to a performance
audit. CAG is looking at
performance audit not just
Next Generation Fuel: Bio Diesel
Suraj S. Rajput
Centre for Jatropha Promo-
tion & Biodiesel (CJP) is the
Global authority for scientific
commercialization of Jatro-
pha & other non-food biofuel
crops and designs and imple-
ments the growing of non-
food biofuel crops worldwide
in a structured Agri-Supply
chain, Value additions and
research activities thereon &
provides technology and ser-
vices from "Soil to Oil" for the
breeding, development,
planting and harvesting of
next-generation commercial
biofuel crops
CJP has been engaged in pro-
moting sustainable farming
for biodiesel production since
last one decade and its re-
search findings and on-hand
field experiences in respect of
various technical,
agronomical/silvicultural
aspects of plantations of Jat-
ropha have resulted in signifi-
cant improvements in knowl-
edge and technical back-
ground related to Productiv-
ity, profitability and
sustainability of commercial
production of Jatropha oil
crop. The CJP has focused on
the development of Jatropha
Curcas and other non-food
Opinion Editorials
from the point of view of
expenditure, but also trying
to rope in non-governmen-
tal organisations to provide
a larger perspective on is-
sue of social audit."
Regarding NEPA he
said, "We are taking steps
to establish a National En-
vironment Protection Au-
thority (NEPA). NEPA's
core mandate will be to en-
sure that the standards and
stipulation under which
environmental approvals
are granted are actually
adhered to. CPCB and
SPCBs will work under one
umbrella of NEPA. Soon all
the licensing functions of
the Ministry will be trans-
ferred to NEPA. So MOEF
becomes a policy making
body, and the actual ap-
provals or rejections, even
of clearances, would be the
responsibility of this inde-
pendent professional orga-
nization. It will have pow-
ers to ensure compliance. It
will also have the mecha-
nism for monitoring com-
pliance. The NEPA will
work on the 'polluter-pays'
and 'precautionary' prin-
ciples on all matters related
to environment in India,
essentially project clear-
ances and enforcement of
environment laws. The
Central Pollution Control
Board and the state regula-
tors will report to the au-
thority. While NEPA will
carry out monitoring and
compliance, the NGT will
settle disputes.
Giving details of river
cleaning programmes of the
Ministry, Shri Jairam said,
"We have water pollution
control programmes, Cess
laws are in existence for
over 30 years and we have
biodiesel crops. Our primary
goal is to discover and de-
velop high-yielding crops
that generate the most bio-
energy per hectare of land.
We have identified and de-
veloped new elite varieties of
feedstock crops optimized
for production under differ-
ent agro-climatic conditions,
economic and social param-
eters. CJP has also identified,
experimented and developed
following other oil seed bear-
ing trees [OSBT] and non-
food oil crops and working
on further development and
cultivation of the same:
Alage
Jojoba (Simmondsia
chinesis)
Karanja (Pongamia pinnata)
Kokum (Garcinia indica)
Mahua (Madhuca indica)
Neem (Azadirachta indica)
Simarouba (Simarouba
glauca)
Moringa oleifera
Tumba (Citrullus
colocynthis),
Jerusalem artichoke
(Helianthus tuberosus L.)
Ricinus communis
Camelina
As India is deficient in edible
oils, non-edible oil is the
DEVELOP INDIA English weekly
taken River cleaning
programme. CAG has done
the expenditure Audit of
the First and Second Ganga
Action Plan (GAP-I and
GAP-II) audits in the mid
1980s.Despite this, we see
a patch between Kannauj to
Varanasi in the river Ganga
which is very dirty. Now
we have established Na-
tional Ganga River Basin
Authority. This is a struc-
ture to ensure cleaning river
Ganga. Considering three
points, population pres-
sure, experience of GAP I
and GAP II and usage of
water for irrigation and
hydel power projects, we
will be able to ensure imple-
mentation of cleaning
programmes effectively
with aviral and nirmal
dhara.
Inviting CAG to carry
out performance audit of
major programmes of the
Ministry like water man-
agement programmes, river
conservation programme,
the Minister said, "We need
concurrent audit. Audit
should go along the pro-
cesses of implementation so
that there is real chance to
redesign programmes at
appropriate time and their
implementation can be
made very effective. The util-
ity will certainly be en-
hanced by this step. The
performance audit is much
more complicated than just
looking at project mile-
stones, original project ap-
proach and what is being
actual achievement. You
are getting into certain ba-
sic issues how you value
environmental costs and
environmental benefit. This
main choice for producing
biodiesel. According to In-
dian government policy and
Indian technology effects.
Some development works
have been carried out with
regards to the production of
transesterfied non edible oil
and its use in biodiesel by
units such as Indian Institute
of Science, Bangalore,
Tamilnadu Agriculture Uni-
versity Coimbatore and
Kumaraguru College of Tech-
nology in association with
Pan horti consultants.
Coimbatore. Generally a
Blend of 5% to 20% is used in
India (B5 to B20). Indian Oil
Corporation has taken up Re-
search and development
work to establish the param-
eters of the production of
tranesterified Jatropha Veg-
etable oil and use of bio die-
sel in its R&D center at
Faridabad. Research is carried
out in Kumaraguru College
of Technology for marginally
altering the engine param-
eters to suit the Indian Jatro-
pha seeds and to minimize
the cost of transesterification.
Initially 5% of the bio diesel
was blended with High-
speed diesel and later in-
creased to 20%. The railway
© WWW.UPSCPORTAL.COM
is relatively new field, in
India. We need to pay
greater attention to than we
paid in the past." This will
be a very innovative exer-
cise on opening up of the
audit process.
Earlier Shri Vinod Rai,
C&AG of India said, "The
world today faces diverse
challenges to environment.
In India particularly, the
concerns fan across our
natural resources. Major
portion of India's surface
water and groundwater re-
serves are contaminated
thus impinging on our wa-
ter security. Violation of
National Ambient Air Qual-
ity Standards is a concern
with high levels of concen-
trations of carbon dioxide
and methane in the air. Our
rich bio-diversity is being
threatened as 44 plant spe-
cies and 18 animal species
stand critically endangered.
These statistics serve as a
wake-up call to us. Our
ways and patterns of living
are degrading the environ-
ment with serious long term
consequences. It is time that
we collectively took action
to address this concern and
move towards patterns of
consumption which are
more environmentally re-
sponsible. We feel that gov-
ernmental interventions
can slow or even reverse
these ominous trends. I
recognise the fact that we as
public auditors have to also
play an important role not
only with timely, relevant
and evidenced reporting
but also with constructive
suggestions which enable
public administration."
and Indian oil corporation has
successfully used 10% blended
biodiesel fuel in train running
between Amritsar and New
Delhi in the month of Feb
2003. At Kumaraguru College
of Technology an auto rick-
shaw was run on pure
biodiesel (B100) prepared
from Jatropha oil.
In future, it should also serve
to reduce and maintain the
price of automobile fuel. The
under exploited and un ex-
ploited vegetable oils are
good sources of biofuel. Our
country is endowed with
many such plants. Research is
being carried out now to con-
vert vegetable oils into
biodiesel through biotech-
nological processes using
biodiesel. With a concentrated
and coordinated effort. Wide
use of bio diesel in our coun-
try is going to be a reality in
the days to come.
A national mission on Bio-
Diesel has already been pro-
posed by the committee com-
prising six micro missions
covering all aspects of plan-
tation, procurement of seed,
extraction of oil, trans-esterifi-
cation, blending & trade,
and research and develop-
ment.
5
Editorial E-mail- developindia2009@gmail.com
DEVELOP INDIA
Year 2, Vol. 1, Issue - 84th, March 14-21, 2010
(Sunday)
Cartagena Protocol on
Biosafety
The Earth's biological resources are vital to humanity's
economic and social development. As a result, there is a
growing recognition that biological diversity is a global as-
set of tremendous value to present and future generations.
At the same time, the threat to species and ecosystems
has never been so great as it is today. Species extinction
caused by human activities continues at an alarming rate.
In response, the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) convened the Ad Hoc Working Group
of Experts on Biological Diversity in November 1988 to ex-
plore the need for an international convention on biological
diversity. Soon after, in May 1989, it established the Ad Hoc
Working Group of Technical and Legal Experts to prepare
an international legal instrument for the conservation and
sustainable use of biological diversity. The experts were to
take into account "the need to share costs and benefits
between developed and developing countries" as well as
"ways and means to support innovation by local people".
By February 1991, the Ad Hoc Working Group had be-
come known as the Intergovernmental Negotiating Com-
mittee. Its work culminated on 22 May 1992 with the Nairobi
Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Con-
vention on Biological Diversity.
The Convention was opened for signature on 5 June
1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development (the Rio "Earth Summit"). It remained
open for signature until 4 June 1993, by which time it had
received 168 signatures.
On 29 January 2000, the Conference of the Parties to
the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted a supple-
mentary agreement to the Convention known as the
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The Protocol seeks to
protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed
by living modified organisms resulting from modern bio-
technology. It establishes an advance informed agreement
(AIA) procedure for ensuring that countries are provided
with the information necessary to make informed decisions
before agreeing to the import of such organisms into their
territory. The Protocol contains reference to aprecautionary
approach and reaffirms the precaution language in Prin-
ciple 15 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Devel-
opment. The Protocol also establishes a Biosafety Clear-
ing-House to facilitate the exchange of information on liv-
ing modified organisms and to assist countries in the
implementation of the Protocol.
To date, 157 instruments of ratification or accession
have been deposited with the UN Secretary-General from
the following Parties to the Convention on Biological Diver-
sity:
Africa (AFR): Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso,
Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Repub-
lic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia,
Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab
Jamahiriya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda,
Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Togo,
Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia,
Zimbabwe (45 Countries)
Asia and Pacific (AP): Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambo-
dia, China, Cyprus, Democratic People's Republic of Ko-
rea, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Ja-
pan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's
Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands,
Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Niue, Oman, Pakistan, Palau,
Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Korea,
Samoa, Solomon Islands, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syrian
Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tonga, Turkmenistan,
Viet Nam, Yemen (41 Countries)
Central and Eastern Europe (CEE): Albania, Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Ro-
mania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine (22 Countries)
Latin America and Caribbean (GRULAC): Antigua and
Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Co-
lombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Repub-
lic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana,
Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,
Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela
(28 Countries)
Western Europe and Other Groups (WEOG): Austria,
Belgium, Denmark, European Community, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Neth-
erlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland (21 Countries)
The list below contains the latest information concern-
ing dates of signature, ratification, and entry into force re-
ceived from the Depositary of the Protocol - the Secretary-
General of the United Nations. The column entitled 'Ratifi-
cation' indicates the dates when the instrument of ratifica-
tion (rtf), acceptance (acs), approval (apv) or accession
(acs) is deposited with the Depositary. The column entitled
'Entry into force' indicates the dates when the Protocol en-
ters into force for respective State or regional economic
integration organization, i.e. ninety days after it deposits
instrument of ratification, approval, acceptance or acces-
sion.
DEVELOP INDIA Year 2, Vol. 1, Issue - 84th, March 14-21, 2010 6
throughout the Bill, the pretence of a U.S.-style separation then, consumers all over the insurance for a mere Rs. 500 crore. What is more, the for- pany aims to support its
between the operator and the government is maintained. world and related organiza- eign builders are being freed from the task of producing growing number of users,
Under Clause 6, the maximum liability of the operator tions hold various kinds of electricity at marketable rates. The NPCIL will run the advertisers and developers
and the government combined has been set at “the rupee activities to mark the World foreign-built reactors, with the state subsidising the high- in the country and across
equivalent of 300 million special drawing rights (SDRs),” Consumer Rights Da priced electricity generated. the world. Facebook’s
or Rs.2,087 crore ($458 million) — 23 times lower than the India is under no international obligation to pass such Hyderabad office, like the
private-sector funds available under the equivalent U.S.
India to review a law. In fact, efforts to create common international stan- others, will house online
law, the controversial Price-Anderson Act (labelled “Half- economy stimulus dards on liability and compensation since the Chernobyl advertising and developer
support teams. The centre
Price Anderson” by critics). Of this, the total liability of The government says disaster have made exceedingly slow progress. Yet the
will add to the company’s
the operator has been limited to Rs.500 crore ($109 mil- the challenge is to return to Bill’s accompanying “Statement of Objects and Reasons”
existing operations in Palo
lion). The Central government will be liable for damages 9% growth creates the deceptive impression that the proposed law
Alto, California; Dublin, Ire-
in excess of Rs.500 crore but only up to Rs.2,087 crore. Stimulus measures in- aims to bring India in line internationally. If anything, the land; and Austin, Texas.
In actual fact, all liability falls on the Indian taxpayer, troduced to boost the Indian Bill seeks to set a wrong international precedent by its Don Faul, Director of Glo-
whether it is the operator’s slice or the Central economy during the down- mollycoddling of foreign suppliers. bal Online Operations,
government’s portion. In contrast, the Price-Anderson turn will be reviewed, the To be sure, technological improvements in reactor- Facebook, said, “People in
system is without cost to the American taxpayer. In fact, government said as it un- safety systems have significantly lowered the risks of a India and around the world
the U.S., like Germany or Finland, has no cap on accident veiled its annual budget. In- major nuclear accident. Yet nuclear technology remains are using Facebook to do
liability, with the U.S. Congress serving as the insurer of dian federal finance minis- intrinsically dangerous, and a single catastrophe any- everything from voicing their
last resort. ter Pranab Mukherjee said where in the world will impose colossal, long-term costs opinions on national issues,
The Indian state operator, the NPCIL, through a con- the measures had helped to nationally and have a chilling effect on the global appeal to connecting with fellow
struction contract, can make the foreign builder legally maintain strong growth, but of nuclear power. Given the nuclear safety and security cricket and hockey fans, to
responsible to pay compensation for an accident. But the inflation must now be con- issues that have been highlighted by recent incidents in sharing photos with their
amount payable by a foreign builder can only be up to the trolled. The government also India, accident liability is a matter demanding serious friends and family. We ex-
pledged to cut debt levels pect our new office in
state operator’s own liability ceiling, which is a trifling consideration.
and review public spending. Hyderabad to tap into the
Rs.500 crore ($109 million). The Bill attempts to set a new principle in interna-
The Indian economy is region’s strong pool of tal-
So, even if the accident were triggered by wilful negli- tional law: Profits are private, accident-related liabilities
expected to grow by 8.7% ented people who under-
gence on the part of the foreign supplier and the conse- in the current fiscal year, Mr are all public. The government must answer the central
stand operations and tech-
quences were catastrophic, all claims would have to be Mukherjee added. “The In- question: In seeking to invite U.S. reactor builders, should
nology, and help us more
filed against the Indian state — with the NPCIL required dian economy now, is in a a poor country rush to pass a special law that skews the
effectively serve the needs
to disburse the first Rs. 500 crore and the Central govern- far better position than it business terms in their favour, gratuitously burdens the
of our users, advertisers,
ment the second portion up to Rs. 2,087 crore. The NPCIL was a year ago,” he said. Indian taxpayer and ignores the lessons of the Bhopal and developers around the
could, in turn, try to recover its Rs. 500 crore from the “The first challenge be- gas disaster? world.”
foreign supplier. But for the Indian taxpayer, this is a lose- fore us is to quickly revert Environmentalists and antinuclear activists say the Facebook is a social
lose proposition. to the high GDP growth Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill (2009) which ex- networking website that is
That raises a fundamental question: What will it do to path of 9%.” India’s empts foreign companies from legal liabilities in case of a operated and privately
nuclear safety to grant foreign suppliers legal immunity economy is recovering nuclear accident and proposes a low cap of Rs 500 crores owned by Facebook, Inc.
upfront and to shift the liability to the Indian taxpayer? faster than expected - it is unconstitutional and undermines public safety. Since September 2006,
Another key issue relates to the rights of victims. The grew at an annual rate of “The Bill to be tabled in the parliament not only al- anyone over the age of 13
Bill ensures that victims of a disaster involving a foreign- 7.9% in the three months to lows US companies to go scot free in case of a nuclear with a valid e-mail address
built reactor will not be able to sue the builder in its home the end of September 2009, mishap but also uses Indian taxpayers money to pay for (and not residing in one of
country. Worse still, the Bill blocks the victims from suing after growing 6.7% in the the damages,” said Karuna, Anti Nuclear Campaigner, the countries where it is
the foreign supplier even in Indian courts. year to the end of March Greenpeace India. banned) can become a
Only the “operator shall have a right of recourse,” 2009. Strong growth in Leo Saldhana of Environment Support Group points Facebook user.
India’s manufacturing sec- Mark Zuckerberg
according to Clause 17. The state operator can sue the to an MOU signed between the Ministry of Environment
tor is also helping to com- founded Facebook with his
foreign supplier where “such right is expressly provided and Forests (MoEF) and the United States Environment
pensate for falling agricul- college roommates and fel-
for in a contract in writing” and “the nuclear incident has tural output. The govern- Protection Agency (EPA) on 16 January 2002, and renewed
low computer science stu-
resulted from the wilful act or gross negligence on the ment stressed the need to in 2007.
dents Eduardo Saverin,
part of the supplier of the material, equipment or services, cut India’s fiscal deficit, as In August 2009, the EPA issued a Request for Pro-
Dustin Moskovitz and Chris
or of his employee.” But such a right of recourse can only well as cut public debt and posal to any international non-profit organisation to bid
Hughes while he was a stu-
be to meet the operator’s own small liability of Rs. 500 spending. The budget defi- for a grant amounting to $500,000. The organisation re- dent at Harvard University.
crore. cit has grown to its highest ceiving the grant would work with MoEF to make “spe- The website’s membership
In fact, the Bill seriously shackles Indian courts. All level in more than 15 years, cific recommended changes to the Indian Constitution or was initially limited by the
nuclear-damage claims will be dealt with by a Claims at 6.9% of GDP. The plan is environmental statues (sic)/regulations” with the clear founders to Harvard stu-
Commissioner or a Nuclear Damage Claims Commission, to cut this to 5.5% next intent of establishing “civil judicial authorities,” he said. dents, but was expanded to
and any award made “shall be final” and cannot be ap- year. Economists have This amounts to interference with the sovereignty of other colleges in the Bos-
pealed in any court. “No civil court shall have jurisdic- backed the government’s India as changes in Indian legal system are being initi- ton area, the Ivy League,
tion to entertain any suit or proceedings in respect of any focus on the threat of infla- ated at the instance of a foreign entity and are being spon- and Stanford University. It
matter which the Claims Commissioner or the Commis- tion, however. sored with foreign funds, Saldanha said. later expanded further to in-
sion, as the case may be, is empowered to adjudicate un- In December last year, “A clear and present danger by such financing is that clude (potentially) any uni-
der this Act and no injunction shall be granted by any prices rose by more than it proposes to clear the way for substitution of criminal versity student, then high
court or other authority in respect of any action taken or to 15% compared with a year liability for environmental damage, with civil liability. If school students, and, fi-
earlier - the highest rate of nally, to anyone aged 13
be taken in pursuance of any power conferred by or under this is read along with the proposed Bill, it appears that
inflation for 11 years.. and over. The website cur-
this Act,” according to Clause 35. the MOU may have formed a basis for the proposed whit-
By contrast, the Price-Anderson Act permits economic tling down of India’s strong liability regime, the benefi- rently has more than 400
Colloboration million active users world-
(but not legal) channelling of liability, thereby allowing ciaries of which can only be transnational corporations
lawsuits and criminal proceedings against the reactor between India and and their host governments,” Saldanha said.
wide.
The original concept for
builder or any other party in U.S. courts. That is a key Germany The Bill seeks to alter the existing legal principles of
Facebook was borrowed
reason why the U.S. has not joined the Vienna or Paris polluterpays, precautionary principles and also the prin- from a product produced by
The colloboration be-
convention — the two main international liability instru- ciple of absolute liability as laid down in various Supreme Zuckerberg’s prep school
tween India and Germany in
ments. But the U.S. has become party to another conven- Court judgments, he added. Phillips Exeter Academy
the area of Science and
tion it helped draft under the auspices of the IAEA — the Technology has increased The limiting of liability to Rs 500 crores as proposed which for decades pub-
Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC), in the last five years. Last in the Civil Liability of Nuclear Damage Bill seeks to do lished and distributed a
which is still not in force. The CSC, as the name suggests, year alone seventeen hun- away with the extraordinary protection that the Supreme printed manual of all stu-
is about compensation through an international fund, to dred scientists moved be- Court has provided to people of India and the environ- dents and faculty, unoffi-
be paid “supplementary” to the liability limit. tween the two countries, ment in cases of nuclear disasters and other accidents, cially called the “face book”.
The Bill also limits liability in time, with Clause 18 marking an increase of 35 such as the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, he said. Facebook has met with
stating: “The right to claim compensation for any nuclear per cent over the previous “The clause to cap the liability of the operator to 2,087 some controversy. It has
damage caused by a nuclear incident shall extinguish if year. With greater synergy crore ($458 million), when in the US the liability is $10 been blocked intermittently
such claim is not made within a period of 10 years from between the scientific com- billion is glaring and should be struck down,” said in several countries includ-
the date of incident…” That provision was retained de- munity of the two countries, Karuna. ing Syria, China, Vietnam,
spite the Environment Ministry’s note of caution — re- it has been focussing on “The Bill is ridiculous considering that in case of and Iran. It has also been
vealed by this newspaper — that the 10-year time limit sustainable development, nuclear disaster, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India banned at many places of
was untenable because damage to human health from a energy and water. With the Limited (NPCIL) will be liable for the damages but not work to discourage employ-
serious radioactive release “involves changes in DNAs, launch of the new initiative, any foreign companies,” said Uday Kumar, India Coordi- ees from wasting time us-
it is expected that scien- ing the service.
resulting in mutagenic and teratogenic changes, which nator of National Alliance of Anti- Nuclear Movement
tists will discover new fron- Privacy has also been
take a long time to manifest.” NAAM.
tiers and in partnership with an issue, and it has been
And although the Finance Ministry, in its comments
on the Bill, had warned the proposed law would “expose
industry will give boost to
growth momentum in the
BJP announces list of new compromised several
times. Facebook settled a
the government to substantial liabilities for the failings of
the private sector,” the Bill essentially seeks to give for-
two countries. office bearers lawsuit regarding claims
over source code and intel-
eign reactor builders a free ride at the Indian taxpayer’s Facebook is all set BJP has announced the list of new office bearers with lectual property. The site
expense. a blend of youth and experience. The party also an- has also been involved in
The Indian Bill, in effect, amounts to a huge hidden
to start its opera- nounced a national executive of 121 members and a 12 controversy over the sale of
subsidy by protecting foreign reactor builders from the tions in India member Parliamentary board. 33 per cent posts have been fans and friends.
weight of the financial consequences of accidents. If the given to women in the office bearers list.Shanta Kumar, A January 2009
The world’s no. 1 social
Bill is passed, the costs of doing business in India for Kalraj Mishra, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Hema Malini and Compete.com study ranked
network is opening its offi
foreign suppliers will be low but the assured profits will Najma Heptulla are among the 11 vice- presidents. Facebook as the most used
ce in Hyderabad. With its
be high. To cover the maximum potential compensation India operations, the com- Anant Kumar, Vasundhara Raje, Vijay Goyal and social network by worldwide
payable for an accident, a foreign builder will need to take Ramlal are among 12 general secretaries while Varun monthly active users, fol-

DEVELOP INDIA English weekly

© WWW.UPSCPORTAL.COM
DEVELOP INDIA Year 2, Vol. 1, Issue - 84th, March 14-21, 2010 7
Gandhi, Smriti Irani, Navjot Singh Siddhu, Aarti Mehra lowed by MySpace. Enter- tion in Switzerland. the emergence of a strong
and Santosh Gangwar are among 15 new Shahnawaz tainment Weekly put it on French authorities subsequently seized the data, and retail sector. Predictably,
Hussain and Tarun Vijay are among new spokespersons its end-of-the-decade ‘best- then passed it to the Swiss Federal Prosecutor. foreign companies domi-
along with Prakash Javadekar, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and of’ list, saying, “How on Switzerland’s financial and banking regulator said it nate Taiwanese retail today.
Ravi Shankar Prasad. earth did we stalk our exes, had launched “formal administrative proceedings against In contrast, Japan’s distri-
The Parliamentary Board has Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, remember our co-workers’ HSBC” over the security breach, adding that the stolen bution networks and regu-
Mr L K Advani, Mrs Sushma Swaraj and Mr Arun Jaitley birthdays, bug our friends, data was “extensive”. latory environment have
as its members. Mr Anant Kumar will be its secretary. and play a rousing game of HSBC, which first learnt of a data breach in December been inhospitable to foreign
2008, said it had since invested 100m Swiss francs ($93.3m;
Buganda’s royal tombs in Scrabulous
Facebook?”
before
£62.3m) to upgrade and improve the security of its data
retailers and the Japanese
pay today for this absence
Kasubi burnt PepsiCo to stop systems.
Mr Zeller said, however, that it was “still unclear how
of competition with some of
sugared drink the highest retail prices in
KASUBI Tombs were last night burnt by fire, whose Falciani managed to steal the information”.
sales in schools the world.
origin was not immediately established. The Police Fire He said that HSBC had only become aware of the ex-
globally South Korea and China
Brigade rushed to the scene but its efforts to put out the tent of the leak after Swiss authorities received the infor- managed the process of for-
raging fire at the traditional burial grounds of Buganda Pepsi has started plan- mation from France and then alerted the bank on 3 March. eign entry more gradually,
kings were disrupted by a crowd. ning how to pull its sugared HSBC said that the account holders were based in initially encouraging joint
Eyewitnesses said the fire started from behind the huts. soft drinks out of all schools several European countries, including Britain.
ventures between domestic
The main hut was completely destroyed as the surging in India, in line with its com- Tax evasion and foreign retailers before
crowd wailed in disbelief, hampering further the Police mitment to stop sales of the
efforts to stop the inferno from spreading. looser regulations on FDI in
products from primary and retail were brought in. Both
The Police said they could not tell the extent of the secondary schools globally News of the theft comes as the US and some countries
damage to the world famous heritage site since they were in Europe try to crack down on tax evasion through the countries now have the ben-
by 2012. efit of a vibrant domestic
unable to access it, but it was clear that the huts were Pepsi’s ‘Get Active’
use of overseas accounts.
reduced to ash. retail sector, and the com-
programme includes ex- petition between domestic
Situated on a hill within Kampala, the site is an active In recent years there has been pressure on Switzer-
panding physical education and foreign retailers has
religious place in Buganda Kingdom. land and Liechtenstein to become more transparent about
and promoting nutrition edu- yielded low prices and good
As a burial ground for four kings, it is a religious cen- accounts held there.
cation, along with portfolio service.
tre for the royal family, a place where the Kabaka and his
transformation towards India is already following
representatives frequently carry out important rituals. This is thought to have led to some bank employees
more nutritious products. China’s example, initially
It is also an outstanding example of traditional Ganda stealing account data and passing it to tax authorities.
Pepsi and rival Coca- encouraging joint ventures
architecture and an exceptional testimony of the living
Cola adopted guidelines to In Germany, an anonymous informer has offered to between domestic and for-
Ganda traditions.
For Uganda, the site represents an important symbol stop selling sugared bever- sell data stolen from an unnamed Swiss bank to tax offi- eign retailers before allow-
of its history and culture. The tombs were listed as a ages in US schools in 2006. cials. ing 100% FDI in organised
UNESCO world heritage site in 2001. Coca-Cola has said it won’t Previously, Germany bought similar stolen data about multi-brand retail. This
The Baganda date their political civilisation back to sell sugared drinks in pri- clients of a bank in Liechtenstein. Some of this informa- gradual opening up should
the 13th Century AD. Their first Kabaka was Kintu. He is mary schools worldwide tion was handed to tax authorities in the UK, which is preserve a vibrant domestic
said to have come with his wife Nambi, whose hand he unless asked. also thought to have paid for the data. retail sector in the long term,
won by performing heroic deeds at the command of her Coca-Cola does not sell French tax authorities are thought to be investigating and provide India with a
father Gulu. sugary drinks in primary up to 3,000 of its nationals using bank accounts outside solid foundation of domes-
The first Kabaka to be buried at Kasubi tombs was schools in India and it also the country. tic expertise and human
Muteesa I, the 35th king. does not directly market Government authorities have defended paying for sto- capital.
Buganda’s kings built their palaces on strategic hills carbonated drinks in len data as in the public interest. However, the practice What strategies should
to control the major roads to the palace and find easy schools, a company official has been strongly criticised. retailers pursue for long
ways to escape in case of an invasion or rebellion. said. The UK’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) office paid term success in markets
Each Kabaka was buried at a separate site in a royal Sales of aerated soft around £100,000 for information about its taxpayers with like India?
shrine to house his jaw bone, which was believed to con- drinks at schools in India bank accounts in Liechtenstein, according to accountants First, build capabilities
tain his spirit. account for less than 2% of UHY Hacker Young. and backend logistics infra-
Muteesa 1 was born around 1835 and was crowned the sales of the cola-mak- “Paying criminals for data stolen from banks is highly structure. Domestic firms
in 1856. He established his palace at Kasubi in 1882, as ers. questionable,” said the firm’s tax partner, Roy Maugham. should partner with estab-
did his father, Kabaka Suuna 11. “If people know that there is a market for this data,
His son Daudi Chwa succeeded him in 1897. Chwa
Inflation worries they will steal it in expectation that HMRC or another tax
lished foreign firms to capi-
talise on combining foreign
died in 1939 and he was also buried at Kasubi Tombs There is a sharp pickup authority will hand over a six figure sum,” he said.
retail knowhow with domes-
Israel opens Temple
with his two predecessors. in the annual rate of infla-
tic market knowledge. Over
Chwa was succeeded by his son Edward Muteesa 11. tion based on the wholesale
Mount, lifts closure on the
time, these joint ventures
When Uganda attained independence from the British on price index from 8.56% in
will dissolve but both the
October 9, 1962, Muteesa II became the constitutional presi-
West Bank
January to a 16-month high
domestic and foreign firms
dent of Uganda. of 9.99% in February 2010.
will have the capabilities to
However, Apollo Milton Obote stormed his palaces in There is growing evi- Israel on March 17, 2010 lifted its closure on the West
May 1966 and forced him into exile in England. He died establish successful retail
dence that inflation is no Bank and granted open access to Jerusalem’s holiest
in 1969 in London and his remains were brought back businesses independently.
longer confined to primary shrine. The Temple Mount, also known as Mount Moriah
and buried at Kasubi in 1971. While the government is rap-
articles and has spread to and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. It is a religious
It is not known how the tombs will be rebuilt follow- idly investing in transporta-
the two other main groups site in the Old City of Jerusalem. According to Jewish tra-
ing the fire last night. tion infrastructure,
— fuel, power, light and lu- dition, it was from here that the world expanded into its
The Police were alerted about the fire at 8:50pm. How- organised retailers should
bricants and manufactured present form and from where God gathered the dust used
ever, attempts by the fire brigade to reach the site were either invest in their own
products. to create the first man, Adam. It was the place God chose
hampered by a riotous crowd. supply-chain infrastructure
While the index for food to “dwell”, hence the construction of two Jewish Temples
“We could not access the scene because of the rioters, or promote intermediaries
articles declined by 0.1% at the site. Traditionally, it is believed that a Third and
so we could not save the tombs,” Simon Musoke, the chief that develop and invest in
over the previous month, final Temple will also be located here. The Mount is con-
fire officer, explained. cutting-edge supply-chain
that for manufactured ar- sidered the holiest site in Judaism and due to this; many
Musoke said three fire trucks were damaged and a fire infrastructure.
ticles rose by 0.6% and the Jews will not set foot on the Mount itself. Among Mus-
fighter injured by the rioters. Second, learn local and
fuel group index rose by lims, the Mount is widely considered to be the third holi-
regional preferences in de-
HSBC admits huge Swiss 1.5%. est site in Islam. Revered as the Noble Sanctuary and the
destination of Muhammad’s journey to Jerusalem and
veloping the merchandising
Bank data theft Worker
remittances ascent to heaven, the site is also associated with Jewish
mix. ‘One size fits all’ is not
a winning strategy. Mer-
biblical prophets who are also venerated in Islam. The al-
HSBC has offered an unreserved apology to custom- chandising correctly in a
India has been consis- Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock, the oldest extant
ers. About 24,000 clients of HSBC’s private banking op- diverse country such as In-
tently the top recipient of Islamic structure in the world, currently stand on the site.
eration in Switzerland had personal details stolen by a dia takes time, trial and er-
worker remittances for al- In light of the dual claims of both the Islamic and Jew-
former employee, the company has admitted. ror, and is critical for suc-
most a decade now. Accord- ish faiths, it is one of the most contested religious sites in
In December, HSBC said that just 10 account holders cess.
ing to the World Bank fig- the world. Controlled by Israel since 1967, both Israel and
were affected by the theft, which happened three years Third, to deal with the
ures, India received remit- the Palestinian Authority claim sovereignty over the site,
ago. kirana challenge, organised
tances worth $51.6 billion in which remains a major focal point of the Arab-Israeli con-
The information stolen concerns 15,000 accounts that retailers should actively en-
2008. But 2009 is expected flict. A Muslim council, known as the Muslim Waqf, man-
are still active. Another 9,000 accounts have been closed gage customers and local
to record a dip to $47 billion ages the site. The Israeli government enforces a controver-
since the theft. political leaders, to demon-
on account of a lagged re- sial ban on prayer by non-Muslim visitors.
HSBC says that it does not think the data can be used
Global credit markets on
sponse to a weak global strate the value of their re-
to access accounts.
economy. tail enterprise, especially in
“We deeply regret this situation and unreservedly
apologise to our clients for this threat to their privacy,” This superlative perfor- debt row the context of political chal-
said Alexandre Zeller, chief executive of HSBC Private mance is attributed to some lenges from kirana lobby-
2012 is the beginning of a three year period in which ists. For example, Bharti
Bank (Suisse). structural factors.
more than $700 bn in risky, high-yield corporate debt be-
“We are determined to protect our clients’ interests Retail sector has created a retail acad-
gins to come due, an extraordinary surge that some ana-
and are taking every necessary measure to do so, actively emy to train thousands of
Taiwan opened up its lysts fear could create a glut in the debt markets. With
contacting all our clients with Swiss-based accounts,” he huge bills about to hit corporations and the federal gov- people in Punjab. Creating
said. retail sector to foreigners in thousands of jobs over time
the 1980s without creating ernment around the same time, the worry is that some
The former employee, Herve Falciani, who worked in companies will have trouble getting new loans, spurring develops a political constitu-
HSBC’s IT division, fled to France while under investiga- a regulatory environment for
defaults and a wave of bankruptcies. The US government ency of employees.

DEVELOP INDIA English weekly

© WWW.UPSCPORTAL.COM
DEVELOP INDIA Year 2, Vol. 1, Issue - 84th, March 14-21, 2010
alone will need to borrow nearly $2 trillion in 2012, to
bridge the projected budget deficit for that year and to
refinance existing debt. Private equity firms and many
nonfinancial companies were able to borrow on easy terms
Transport Initiatives
until the credit crisis hit in 2007, but not until 2012 does The experience of oper-
the long-delayed reckoning begin for a series of leveraged ating berths through PPPs
buyouts and other deals that preceded the crisis. at some of the major ports
That is because the record number of bonds and loans in India has been quite suc-
that were issued to finance those transactions typically cessful. It has, therefore,
come due in 5-7 years. In addition, many companies whose been decided to expand the
debt matured in 2009 and 2010 have been able to extend programme and allocate
their loans, but the extra breathing room is only adding to new berths to be con-
the bill for 2012 and after. The result is a potential finan- structed through PPPs. A
model concession agree-
cial doomsday, or what bond analysts call a maturity wall.
ment is being formulated for
From $21 billion due this year, junk bonds are set to ma-
this purpose.
ture at a rate of $155 billion in 2012, $212 billion in 2013
The Government has
and $338 billion in 2015.
also decided to empower
Foreign Universities may and enable the 12 major
set up shop in India ports to attain world-class
standards. To this end,
each port is preparing a per-
India moved another step closer towards hosting cam-
spective plan for 20 years
puses of foreign universities, with the Cabinet clearing a
and an action plan for
long-pending legislation, which the government described
seven years. International
as a milestone that will enhance choices, increase compe-
experts have been engaged
tition and benchmark quality. The move was welcomed
for assisting the Ports in
by domestic private players in the education sector, and
this exercise, which is likely
foreign universities, too, lauded the effort, but many of
to be completed by Novem-
them said they had no immediate plans to set up cam-
ber, 2006. Recognising that
puses in India. the shipping industry is
Some big US and European B-schools have tapped
moving towards large ves-
overseas markets like Singapore and the Gulf and are
sels, a plan for capital
unlikely to make a major foray into India right now. How-
dredging of channels in
ever, others like pension funds may look at setting up major ports has also been
new institutes here, or investing in existing ones formulated
Some issues such as regulatory framework to look into
A high level committee
dual degrees, portability of credits have not been addressed has finalised the plan for
in the bill in a big way. Hence, some foreign colleges look- improving rail-road con-
ing forward to partnership models will now be forced to nectivity of major ports. The
wait longer for their Indian foray plan is to be implemented
Bill not very clear on globalisation of Indian curricu- within a period of three
lum that would have helped Indian institutions offer more years. Further, changes in
globalised courses. Move will make Indian institutions customs procedures are be-
more competitive and lead to better quality of higher edu- ing carried out with a view
cation in the long term. to reducing the dwell time
and transaction costs. The
FTAs government has also del-
egated powers to the re-
As of 2008, 421 RTAs had been notified to the WTO
spective Port Trusts for fa-
mostly under article XXIV of GATT. If one includes RTAs cilitating speedier decision-
not yet notified, being negotiated or at proposal stage, making and implementa-
about 400 FTAs would come up for implementation in tion. At the same time, sev-
2010. eral measures to simplify
Again, about 90% of RTAs are proposals for free trade and streamline procedure
among members but do not extend to customs unions related to security and cus-
(CUs). The difference is that in CUs at least some country toms are been initiated.
would have to lower its existing global (MFN) tariff lev- The National Maritime
Development Programme is
els. So why FTAs? The failure of the trade negotiations
expected to bring a total in-
after 1995 to promote labour-intensive exports can be
vestment of over Rs.50,000
traced to technical details which very few developing
crore in the port infrastruc-
countries were qualified to understand. This has led to a
ture. Such improvement in
‘trust deficit’ which must first be overcome if multilateral
the scale and quality of In-
negotiations are to come back on track. FTAs seem to be a
dian port infrastructure
defensive response to this. will significantly improve
One more reason is need to firm up international po- India's competitive advan-
litical alliances. This is probably most important for de- tage in an increasingly glo-
veloping countries who feel particularly vulnerable in balized world.
global fora like the WTO. In this context small developing
Size
economies have the greatest fears and are normally quick-
est to get off the block in negotiating FTAs. Indian ports handled
It is important to note that these alliances (FTAs) will cargo of 519 million tonnes
in 2004-05, a 11.8% in-
become even more important as other multilateral fora
crease over 2003-04
(like for climate change) emerge in future. To this extent,
70% of the traffic at ma-
the FTAs are an insurance for future negotiations.
jor ports by volume is dry
Brazilian President and liquid bulk, remaining
Middle East tour 30% is general cargo, in-
cluding containers
- Containerised cargo
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has ar-
has grown at a rate of about
rived in Israel to start his tour of the Middle East that will
14% p.a. over the last 5 years
also include visits to the Palestinian territories and Jor- India has 12 major
dan. He is also set to visit Iran in May. His visit comes at ports and 187 minor ports
a time when Israeli-US relationships are tense over Israel’s along 7,517 km long Indian
plans to build 1,600 homes for Jews in Jerusalem. coastline
- Cargo handled by Ma-
During his time in Israel, Lula will meet with Presi-
jor Ports has increased by
dent Shimon Peres and the Prime Minister Benjamin
9.5% p.a. over last 3 years
Netanyahu. He is planning to visit Israel’s Holocaust
- Major ports handle
Museum and meet with Palestinian Authority President nearly 75% of the total traf-
Mahmoud Abbas, in addition spending a night in fic
Bethlehem.
Of the 12 major ports, 11
Lula will visit Iran later this year. Last year, Iranian are run by Port Trusts while
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became the first Ira- the port at Ennore is a cor-
nian leader to visit the South American nation. poration under the Central
Government. These ports
Through these international tours, Lula is hoping to
handled 383.75 million
expand Brazil’s role in world politics. He is furthermore
tonnes of cargo in 2004-05
campaigning to have a permanent seat on the U.N. Secu-
2 major Government
rity Council.
projects underway: Project
DEVELOP INDIA English weekly
© WWW.UPSCPORTAL.COM
"Sethusamundram": Dredg-
ing of the Palk Strait, in
Southern India to facilitate
maritime trade through it
- National Maritime De-
velopment Programme for
modernisation and expan-
sion of port capacities
Structure
Government of India
dominated maritime activ-
ity in the past. Policy direc-
tion is now oriented to en-
couraging the private sec-
tor to take the lead in port
development activities and
operations
Many Major ports now
operate largely as landlord
ports - International port
operators have been invited
to submit competitive bid
for BOT terminals on a rev-
enue share basis
Significant investment
on BOT basis by foreign
players including Maersk
(JNPT, Mumbai) and P & O
Ports (JNPT, Mumbai and
Chennai), Dubai Ports In-
ternational (Cochin and
Vishakhapatnam) and PSA
Singapore (Tuticorin)
Minor ports are al-
ready being developed by
domestic and international
private investors: Pipavav
Port by Maersk and
Mundra Port by Adani
Group (with a terminal op-
erated by P & O)
Policy
100% FDI under the
automatic route is permit-
ted for port development
projects
100% income tax ex-
emption is available for a
period of 10 years
Tariff Authority for Ma-
jor Ports (TAMP) regulates
the ceiling for tariffs
charged by Major ports/
port operators (not appli-
cable to minor ports)
A comprehensive Na-
tional Maritime Policy is
being formulated to lay
down the vision and strat-
egy for development of the
sector till 2025.
Outlook
Cargo handling at the
major ports is projected to
grow at 7.7% p.a. (CAGR)
till 2011-12
- Traffic estimated to
reach 877 million tonnes by
2011-12
- Containerised cargo is
expected to grow at 15.5%
(CAGR) over the next 7
years
The New Foreign Trade
Policy envisages doubling
of India's share in global ex-
ports in next five years to
$150 billion (Rs.675000
crores)
- A large portion of the
foreign trade to be through
the maritime route: 95% by
volume and 70% by value
Potential
Growth in merchan-
dise exports projected at
over 13% p.a. underlines the
need for large investments
in port infrastructure
Investment need of
$13.5 billion (Rs.60,750
crores) in the major ports
under National Maritime
Development Program
(NMDP) to boost infrastruc-
ture at these ports in the
next 7 years
- Under NMDP, 276
projects have been identi-
fied for the development of
Major ports
- Public-Private part-
nership is seen by the Gov-
ernment as the key to im-
prove Major and Minor
ports
* 64% of the proposed
investment in major ports
envisaged from private
players
The plan proposes an
additional port handling
capacity of 530 MMTA in
Major Ports through:
- Projects related to port
development (construction
of jetties, berths etc.)
- Procurement, replace-
ment and/or up-gradation
of port equipment
- Deepening of chan-
nels to improve draft
- Projects related to port
connectivity
Investment need of $4.5
billion (Rs.20,250 crores) for
improving minor ports
For a country of India's
size, an efficient road net-
work is necessary both for
national integration as well
as for socio-economic de-
velopment. The National
Highways (NH), with a to-
tal length of 66,590 km,
serve as the arterial net-
work across the country.
The ongoing programme of
four-laning the 5846 km
long Golden Quadrilateral
(GQ) connecting Delhi,
Mumbai, Chennai and
Kolkata is nearing comple-
tion. The ongoing four-
laning of the 7,142 km
North-South East-West
(NSEW) corridor is to be
completed by December
2009. In its third meeting
held on 13 January, 2005,
the Committee on Infra-
structure adopted an Ac-
tion Plan for development
of the National Highways
network. An ambitious Na-
tional Highway Develop-
ment Programme (NHDP),
involving a total investment
of Rs.2,20,000 crore upto
2012, has been established.
The main elements of the
programme are as follows:
India has an extensive
road network of 3.3 million
kms - the second largest in
the world
Roads carry about 61%
of the freight and 85% of the
passenger traffic
Highways/Express-
ways constitute about
66,590 kms (2% of all roads)
and carry 40% of the road
traffic
The ambitious Na-
tional Highway Develop-
ment Project (NHDP) of the
Government is at an ad-
vanced stage of implemen-
tation. Key sub-projects un-
der the NHDP include:
- The Golden Quadrilat-
eral (GQ-5846 kms of 4 lane
highways)
- North-South & East-
West Corridors
(NSEW-7142 kms of 4
lane highways)
- Four-laning of 12,109
km under NHDP-III
Program for 6-laning of
6,500 km of National High-
ways under NHDP- V.
Structure
National Highways
Authority of India (NHAI)
is the apex Government
body for implementing the
NHDP. All contracts
whether for construction or
BOT are awarded through
competitive bidding
Private sector participa-
tion is increasing, and is
through:
- Construction con-
tracts
- BOT for some stretches
- based on either the lowest
annuity or the lowest
lumpsum payment from the
Government
* BOT contracts permit
tolling on those stretches of
the NHDP
Policy
100% FDI under the
automatic route is permit-
ted for all road develop-
ment projects
Incentives
- 100% income tax ex-
emption for a period of 10
years
- NHAI agreeable to
provide grants/viability
gap funding for marginal
projects
- Model Concession
Agreement formulated
- IIFCL to provide fund-
ing upto 20% of project cost
The Golden Quadrilat-
eral and NSEW projects
Greenfield international
airports
Greenfield interna-
tional airports at Bangalore
and Hyderabad have been
approved and are currently
under construction. These
are likely to be commis-
sioned by middle of 2008.
Modernisation and expan-
sion of the Delhi and
Mumbai airports through
PPPs has been awarded,
based on a rigorous and
transparent competitive
bidding and evaluation
process. Other major air-
ports such as Chennai and
Kolkata are also proposed
to be taken up for
modernisation through the
PPP route. Similarly, to en-
sure balanced airport devel-
opment around the country,
a comprehensive plan for
the development of other 35
non-metro airports is also
under preparation. These
measures are expected to
bring a total investment of
Rs. 40,000 crore for
modernisation of the air-
port infrastructure.
Editorial & Corporate Office
Sector 15, Nayabans, NOIDA
RNI
UPENG/2008/26617
Publisher, Editor & Owner
D.S.Rajput
Year 2, Vol. 1, Issue - 84th, March 14-21,
2010
Place of Publication & Registerd Office
331/240 A, Stainly road Nayapura,
Allahabad (U.P.)
Printing Press and address
Academy press, Daraganj,
Allahabad (U.P.)
E-mails
developindiamediagroup@gmail.com
developindia2011@gmail.com
civilservicesminerva@gmail.com
Editorial No. - 09289434990