River Runs Through It
by SYED IQBAL HASNAIN, Aug 17, 2010
From 1911 to 1950, Tibet was an independent nation possessing all the attributes of statehood. Strategist Mao Zedong had repeatedly stated his objective about that territory: "There are two winds in the world, the east wind and west wind...I think the characteristic of the current situation is that the east wind prevails over the west wind; that is, the strength of socialism exceeds the strength of imperialism."
These words were pronounced in 1957, but by 1950 there had been no question that China would not allow the west wind prevail as China's People's Liberation Army set out to 'liberate' the roof of the world. Mao knew that he who holds Tibet dominates the Himalayan piedmont and, thereby, the Asian water towers. The government of India, having inherited past treaties signed by the British with Tibet, should have gained an advantage over control of these water towers. But India failed to do so and gave no serious thought to the consequences.
The Indians were not only shocked at China's unprovoked military action in Tibet, they were also offended by how the Chinese government had disregarded its explicit assurances to India that Tibet would be left alone. In a sharp note to the Chinese government, the Indian foreign ministry expressed deep regret and surprise at the decision to send troops into Tibet just after the Tibetans had initiated negotiations with China's ambassador in New Delhi. The US and British governments expressed their support for the Indian position, and the US state department informed New Delhi of its desire to help Tibet by whatever means possible.
The Americans recognised that, in view of geographic and historical factors, India's cooperation was needed in any attempt to effectively help Tibet. But India's foreign ministry dissuaded the US from supplying military aid to Tibet. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru even requested that Washington refrain from publicly condemning China. India's attitude of washing its hand of Tibet deeply hurt and humiliated the Tibetan people and put India at a permanent disadvantage.
Tibet's strategic position has become obvious in recent years: scientists and policymakers have begun to recognise how climate change has the potential to reduce snowpack and glacier mass in the Tibetan plateau, altering one of the world's most crucial hydrological systems. Thanks to its control over Tibet, China can claim sovereign right to control the world's largest freshwater resources outside the polar regions. These water resources, vulnerable to global and regional warming, are critical for sustaining South Asia's food and water security. Should China be the lone arbiter of the fate of Tibet's waters? What happens to downstream nations that depend heavily on these rivers?
China possesses a robust glaciological programme and knows fairly well how long Tibet's snow and ice resources will last. It has embarked on integrated water resource management of all rivers emanating from Tibetan plateau. And it has completed dam construction and water diversion projects on the Salween and Mekong rivers, despite regional and global criticism that these will be socially and economically devastating downstream.
China plans to build 59 reservoirs on rivers flowing out of the Tibetan plateau to save glacier run-off. Construction is in full swing at Zangmu for a 540 MW run of the river power project and feasibility studies have been completed for five more such projects further upstream on the Yarlung Tsangpo. Tapping the power of the river Tsangpo (Brahmaputra for Indians) as it bends and plunges down towards Indian and Bangladeshi floodplains has long been a dream of Chinese politicians and hydro-engineers. Metog will be the site of the mega project at the huge bend inside a giant canyon approximately 3.1 miles deep and 198 miles long. This will involve construction of a series of tunnels, pipes, reservoirs and turbines that will generate 40,000 MW of power and exploit the spectacular 2,000-metre fall of the river as it winds down towards India.
This water diversion project an essential part of China's 10th five-year plan will cost $62 billion. The entire staff responsible for constructing the Lhasa- Beijing railway line has been assigned to executing this mega project quickly. The project is ominous for millions of Indians and Bangladeshis. Chinese conservationists have admitted that the canyon is home to more than 60 per cent of the Tibetan plateau's biological resources and many indigenous communities. Yet China officially denies it is constructing any reservoirs or dams on the Brahmaputra. Surprisingly, India accepts these official denials (an attitude much like Nehru's in 1950 prior to Tibet's annexation).
China has emerged as the world's second largest economy and a formidable military and nuclear power. Accordingly, the world's great powers treat it with respect and caution. Control over Tibet's water resources in a world that is warming has provided it with strategic edge over its neighbours. India should recalibrate its Tibet policy and start negotiating a legally binding international treaty on the Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers. As of now, both countries have no legal and policy architecture in place to deal with a looming water dispute. They only have a couple of MoUs in sharing flood-season hydrological data on these rivers. This, despite the fact China has already started exploiting Tibetan rivers for their strategic advantage.
The writer is senior visiting fellow, Stimson Centre, Washington DC.
source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/River-Runs-Through-It/articleshow/6320762.cms#ixzz13rowsd8t
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Asia’s Growing Crisis of Floods and Droughts
Event Details
Speakers:
David Breashears, Executive Director, GlacierWorks
Syed Iqbal Hasnain, Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Stimson Center
Orville Schell, Arthur Ross Director, Center on U.S.-China Relations, Asia Society
The Greater Himalayas, whose glaciers supply crucial seasonal water flows to some 40 percent of the world's population, are a climate change hot spot. The Tibetan Plateau has experienced a 1 degree Celsius temperature rise in the past decade alone and the 40,000+ glaciers in these mountains are in rapid retreat, posing grave environmental and human health threats. The prospect of catastrophic changes in normal season flows (sometimes too much, and at others times too little) from this Tibetan “water tower” is real. China's foremost glacier scientist, Yao Tandong, predicts that many of China's glaciers will disappear by 2050. This rapid melting due to climate change is altering the lifestyle and livelihood of the local population by threatening to bring more flood and drought to downstream users.
The three speakers at this co-sponsored Asia Society-China Environment Forum event will address the many threats that melting glaciers pose to Asia. They will also discuss some of the challenges in collecting data and promoting cooperation to mitigate threats to the melting glaciers.
Mountaineer, photographer, and filmmaker, David Breashears, has climbed the Himalayan Mountains 5 times in the last 3 years. His photographs have shown the catastrophic loss of ice during the intervening years, and provide a visual warning of the impacts to downstream communities throughout Asia that rely on waters from these mountains.
Syed Iqbal Hasnaina is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Stimson Center. He currently serves as Chairman of the Glacier and Climate Change Commission established by the State Government of Sikkim (India). As a top Indian glaciologist, he has long advocated the impact of long-lived carbon dioxide and short-lived climate on the Himalayan-Tibetan glaciers.
Orville Schell is director of the Center on U.S.- China Relations at the Asia Society. He is the author of fourteen books, nine of them about China. His most recent books are, Virtual Tibet, the China Readers; The reform Years, and Mandate of Heaven: the Legacy of Tiananmen Square and the Next Generation of China’s Leaders.
Event Details
Speakers:
David Breashears, Executive Director, GlacierWorks
Syed Iqbal Hasnain, Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Stimson Center
Orville Schell, Arthur Ross Director, Center on U.S.-China Relations, Asia Society
The Greater Himalayas, whose glaciers supply crucial seasonal water flows to some 40 percent of the world's population, are a climate change hot spot. The Tibetan Plateau has experienced a 1 degree Celsius temperature rise in the past decade alone and the 40,000+ glaciers in these mountains are in rapid retreat, posing grave environmental and human health threats. The prospect of catastrophic changes in normal season flows (sometimes too much, and at others times too little) from this Tibetan “water tower” is real. China's foremost glacier scientist, Yao Tandong, predicts that many of China's glaciers will disappear by 2050. This rapid melting due to climate change is altering the lifestyle and livelihood of the local population by threatening to bring more flood and drought to downstream users.
The three speakers at this co-sponsored Asia Society-China Environment Forum event will address the many threats that melting glaciers pose to Asia. They will also discuss some of the challenges in collecting data and promoting cooperation to mitigate threats to the melting glaciers.
Mountaineer, photographer, and filmmaker, David Breashears, has climbed the Himalayan Mountains 5 times in the last 3 years. His photographs have shown the catastrophic loss of ice during the intervening years, and provide a visual warning of the impacts to downstream communities throughout Asia that rely on waters from these mountains.
Syed Iqbal Hasnaina is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Stimson Center. He currently serves as Chairman of the Glacier and Climate Change Commission established by the State Government of Sikkim (India). As a top Indian glaciologist, he has long advocated the impact of long-lived carbon dioxide and short-lived climate on the Himalayan-Tibetan glaciers.
Orville Schell is director of the Center on U.S.- China Relations at the Asia Society. He is the author of fourteen books, nine of them about China. His most recent books are, Virtual Tibet, the China Readers; The reform Years, and Mandate of Heaven: the Legacy of Tiananmen Square and the Next Generation of China’s Leaders.
Meditation in motion
The Hindu Activating vital functions: Participants at the Chennai workshop. Photo: M. Karunakaran
The ancient art of Tai Chi is a path to holistic well being, but it requires patience and dedication, says Fabien Bastin.
“Tai Chi Chuan, the great ultimate, strengthens the weak, raises the sick, invigorates the debilitated, and encourages the timid.”
Cheng Man Ching, Master of Five Excellences.
Literally translated, tai chi chuan means “Supreme Ultimate Fist”. This Chinese martial art is practiced not only for defence but also for health. However, a student who wishes to use this form for defence requires a lot of understanding since it is not so much using force to fight that matters as being able to estimate the opponent's force. This requires a lot of training.
Connected to Nature
Characterised by slow dance-like movements with graceful steps and gently swinging hands, tai chi is beautiful to watch. The names of the forms are all connected to nature; so you have names like ‘wave hands like moving clouds', ‘parting the wild horse's mane', ‘grasping the peacock's tail' and so on. At the end of the session, the practitioner feels rejuvenated, energised and at peace with oneself. Practising tai chi is a spiritual journey, transporting one to a different plane.
Fabien Bastin, a teacher with the Inner Way School based in Provence, France, recently demonstrated the power of this ancient art at a workshop organised by Prakriti Foundation, Chennai. The School was founded in 1988 by Vlady Stevanovitch, a Master of Chi. In India, the centre is located in Auroville, Puducherry.
A practitioner for 23 years, Bastin says, “Tai chi is working with the chi. It is an inner way to increase the flow of chi in the body. When the chi in the body is blocked, then you begin to feel uncomfortable or even ill. By practising tai chi the chi begins to flow. Well being is one of the by products of the art.”
In tai chi, the chi or prana is the energy principle. So you will find that the movements are not forced by the muscles but activated by the chi. Thus, the chi moves through the body relaxing your muscles and joints and helping your breathing. A deep sense of peace pervades your body and mind. This is because all the vital functions are being subtly activated. It is a meditation in motion. But, though you are meditating, you are continuously aware of the present; the here and now.
Tai chi is not only about balancing the yin and the yang but also the fusion of the two. The art is said to have evolved from the many Chinese philosophical principles; Taoism and Confucianism among them. Tai chi movements or the forms can be either defence techniques or response moves.
Health benefits
Tai chi movements can also be done with weapons: sword or sabre. There are also exercises, known as ‘push hands', where two people work together. This is to increase sensitivity and awareness among the practitioners. The more you do this, the more tuned you are with the other person's energy and can slowly begin to anticipate their moves.
People the world over have acknowledged the health benefits offered by the regular practise of tai chi. Besides the benefits to health that it offers, tai chi is a great way to bust stress.
Since tai chi is easy to learn and practice, anyone can learn this martial art. A person who is highly stressed may find it difficult to concentrate and relax initially. But as you keep practising, you will find your muscles beginning to relax and the level of stress decreasing.
Tai chi, though a martial art, is also a meditation. It is through the meditation that one develops calmness.
Regular practice of tai chi also ensures that your posture is good at all times, your balance is better and your overall awareness of being in the present is very high. As a form of defence it uses the opponent's movements and centre of gravity to guide your own moves. In tai chi force is never used. It is this gentleness that helps you calm yourself.
At the Inner Way School, they have a short session of preparing oneself. Bastin says that people in most European countries have a low capacity of feeling. Despite doing tai chi for many years they still do not feel the chi. So the Inner Way School has devised a short meditation before the practise to awaken the chi.
Tai chi is a long process. It requires patience and dedication. It is an effective path to meditation and regulating the flow of chi, ultimately leading to holistic well being. The ultimate secret to reap the benefits of tai chi is to practise…practise and practise.
Quick facts
Bust stress. A highly stressed person may find it difficult initially. But keep practicing and slowly your muscles relax and your stress levels decrease.
Regular practice also ensures that your posture is good at all times and your balance is better.
Your overall awareness of being in the present is very high.
The gentleness that helps you calm yourself.
source: the hindu
Friday, October 29, 2010
October 29, 2010
The Inside Story — Centuries-old saga
MAGICAL MOMENTS: At Ranka Monastery. Photo: Lakshmi Sharath
There's something magical about a monastery. Spinning the prayer wheels, we enter the Lingdum or Ranka Monastery near Gangtok. While the lamas are in the midst of their evening chants, some of the younger boys are practising their ritualistic dances in the courtyard. As they swirl around, their movements synchronise with the sonorous music from the monastery.
Watching them perform, I recall some of my earlier trips to Sikkim when I visited a couple of monasteries. Steeped in myriad myths, they had a mystical aura about them.
Our first stop is at Enchey Monastery, built atop a ridge near Gangtok. We are admiring the views of the city, when we hear this story from our guide. The 19th Century Gompa was home to a flying saint who had built his hermitage here. Lama Drutob Karpo, a tantric who could levitate, is believed to have flown in here from South Sikkim and blessed this site. Even today, people from Gangtok believe that the Gompa (known as the Solitary Temple) contains and preserves the spirits of protective deities that take care of them.
A little further from Gangtok is the older Rumtek Monastery, one of the largest in Sikkim. We are awed, not by just the sheer size of the monastery, but also by the heavy security. The silence, however, is all-pervading, as we walk around the Dharma Chakra complex, the Institute of Buddhist Studies and the Golden Stupa.
Our guide explains that the monastery was the seat of the Karmapas, who belonged to Karma Kagyu, one of the schools of Buddhism. Rebuilt by the 16th Karmapa in the 1960s, who took refuge here after his exile from Tibet, it was founded in the 16th Century. Even today, precious relics along with the remains of the Karmapa are preserved in the Golden Stupa.
The Karmapas are also called the Black Hat Lamas, on account of the Black Crown that symbolises their power. Legend has it that the first Karmapa was visited by several dakinis or the Buddhist versions of fairies, and each of them gave him a strand of their hair as a gift. These strands were later woven together into a black hat, and the hat handed down by one Karmapa to another. My guide explains that the black hat is at Rumtek Monastery, and has to be either worn by the Karmapa or tucked safely in a box, for they believe that otherwise, it will fly away.
The monastery was mired in controversy and sectarian violence over the selection of the 17th Karmapa, which led to heavy security. As the guide finishes the narration, I look around at the peaceful monastery set amidst the mountains, and find it ironic that it has to be protected by men with guns!
source; the hindu
The Biotech Century
bY JEREMY RIFKIN
Rifkin notes that after more than forty years of running on parallel tracks, the information and life sciences are fusing into a single powerful technological and economic force that is laying the foundation for the Biotech Century. The computer is increasingly being used to decipher, manage, and organize the vast genetic information that is the raw resource of the new global economy. Already, transnational corporations are creating giant life-sciences complexes from which to fashion a bio-industrial world.
Our way of life, says Rifkin, is likely to be transformed more fundamentally in the next few decades than in the previous thousand years. Food and fiber may be grown indoors in giant bacteria baths, partially eliminating the farmer and the soil for the first time in history. Animal and human cloning could be commonplace, with "replication" increasingly replacing "reproduction". Millions of people could obtain a detailed genetic readout of themselves, allowing them to gaze into their own biological futures and predict and plan their lives in ways never before possible. Parents may choose to have their children gestated in artificial wombs outside the human body. Genetic changes could be made in human fetuses to correct deadly diseases and disorders and enhance mood, behavior, intelligence, and physical traits.
The Biotech Century promises a cornucopia of genetically engineered plants and animals to feed a hungry world; genetically derived sources of energy and fiber to propel commerce and build a "renewable" society; wonder drugs and genetic therapies to produce healthier babies, eliminate human suffering, and extend the human life span. But with every step we take into this brave new world, the nagging question will haunt us: "At what cost?"
The new genetic commerce raises more troubling questions than any other economic revolution in history. Will the artificial creation of cloned, chimeric, and transgenic animals mean the end of nature and the substitution of a "bio-industrial" world? Will the mass release of thousands of genetically engineered life forms into the environment cause catastrophic genetic pollution and irreversible damage to the biosphere? What are the consequences-for both the global economy and society-of reducing the world's gene pool to patented intellectual property controlled exclusively by a handful of life-science corporations? What will it mean to live in a world where babies are genetically engineered and customized in the womb, and where people are increasingly identified, stereotyped, and discriminated against on the basis of their genotype? What are the risks we take in attempting to design more "perfect" human beings? Rifkin explores these and many other critical issues in this ground-breaking book about the coming era.
The biotech revolution will force each of us to put a mirror to our most deeply held values, making us ponder the ultimate question of the purpose and meaning of existence. This, Rifkin maintains, may turn out to be its most important contribution.
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Beijing, October 31, 2010
Genetically engineered monkey could lead to Alzheimer's cure
IANS
The first genetically modified rhesus monkey ANDi. File Photo
Scientists in China have bred the country’s first genetically engineered rhesus monkey, a step that could speed up the development of cures for diseases ranging from cancer to Alzheimer’s.
Scientists used green fluorescent protein (GFP), a substance originally isolated from a jellyfish and now commonly used as a biotech marker, and implanted transgenic embryos in the uteri of surrogate mother monkeys, said Ji Weizhi, a researcher with the Kunming Institute of Zoology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Two transgenic monkeys -- that contained artificially planted genetic material -- were born in June 2008, both carrying the GFP gene.
An animal tagged with GFP glows green when exposed to ultraviolet light, proving that a key gene sequence has been switched on, the China Daily reported.
One of the two monkeys is still alive, making China the third country to have genetically engineered a monkey, after the US in 2001 and Japan last year.
The success could eventually lead to the cultivation of lab monkeys that can be infected with human diseases and studied, said Niu Yuyu, a member of the research team.
“The work is important because medical researchers have wanted an animal model that is closer to the human anatomy than rodents,” said Niu.
Mice that are genetically engineered to have the symptoms of certain human diseases have been the mainstay of lab work and allowed scientists to test their theories before trying them out on human volunteers.
Monkey tests, however, are controversial, as experts have warned of the potential for an ethics storm, brewed by fears that technology used on primates could be used to create genetically engineered humans.
The End of Work
The End of Work
BY JEREMY RIFKINIn this compelling, disturbing, and ultimately hopeful book, Jeremy Rifkin argues that we are entering a new phase of history — one characterized by the steady and inevitable decline of jobs. Worldwide unemployment is now at the highest level since the great depression of the 1930s. The number of people underemployed or without work is rising sharply as millions of new entrants into the workforce find themselves victims of an extraordinary high-technology revolution. Sophisticated computers, robotics, telecommunications, and other cutting-edge technologies are fast replacing human beings in virtually every sector and industry-from manufacturing, retail, and financial services, to transportation, agriculture, and government.
Many jobs are never coming back. Blue collar workers, secretaries, receptionists, clerical workers, sales clerks, bank tellers, telephone operators, librarians, wholesalers, and middle managers are just a few of the many occupations destined for virtual extinction. While some new jobs are being created, they are, for the most part, low paying and generally temporary employment. More than fifteen percent of the American people are currently living below the poverty line. The world, says Rifkin, is fast polarizing into two potentially irreconcilable forces: on one side, an information elite that controls and manages the high-tech global economy; and on the other, the growing numbers of permanently displaced workers, who have few prospects and little hope for meaningful employment in an increasingly automated world.
Rifkin suggests that we move beyond the delusion of retraining for nonexistent jobs. He urges us to begin to ponder the unthinkable-to prepare ourselves and our institutions for a world that is phasing out mass employment in the production and marketing of goods and services. Redefining the role of the individual in a near workerless society is likely to be the single most pressing issue in the decades to come.
Rifkin says we should look toward a new, post-market era. Fresh alternatives to formal work will need to be devised. New approaches to providing income and purchasing power will have to be implemented. Greater reliance will need to be placed on the emerging "third sector" to aid in the restoration of communities and the building of a sustainable culture.
The end of work could mean the demise of civilization as we have come to know it, or signal the beginning of a great social transformation and a rebirth of the human spirit.
The Future of Work
Rethinking Employment in the 21st Century
Lecture Synopsis:Jeremy Rifkin is the author of The End of Work, the international bestseller that has been translated into sixteen languages. The book is widely credited with helping shape the current global debate on technology displacement, corporate downsizing, outsourcing, global labor mobility, and the future of jobs.
Mr. Rifkin's presentation will focus on the vast changes taking place in the nature of employment, as the world makes the shift from mass wage labor to small, highly educated, elite workforces, working side by side with increasingly intelligent, cheap and efficient automated technologies. We are entering a new phase in history - one characterized by the steady and inevitable decline of jobs. Just as the steam engine replaced slave labor in the 19th century, the new intelligent technologies of the IT, biotech, and nanotechnology revolutions are fast replacing mass wage labor in the 21st century. Worldwide unemployment is now at the highest level since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The number of people underemployed or without work is rising sharply as millions of new entrants into the workforce find themselves marginalized by an extraordinary high-technology revolution. Sophisticated computers, robotics, telecommunications, and other cutting-edge technologies are fast replacing human beings in virtually every sector and industry. In the past seven years alone, 14% of all the manufacturing jobs in the world have disappeared, as more and more human labor has been replaced with intelligent, automated technology. Similar technology displacement is occurring in the white collar and service industries.
Many jobs are never coming back. Blue collar workers, secretaries, receptionists, clerical workers, sales clerks, bank tellers, telephone operators, librarians, wholesalers, and middle managers are just a few of the many occupations destined for virtual extinction. While some new jobs are being created, they are, for the most part, either highly conceptual, knowledge-based and boutique, or low paying, and generally temporary in duration. The world is fast polarizing into two potentially irreconcilable forces: on one side, an information elite that controls and manages the high-tech global economy; and on the other, the growing numbers of underemployed or permanently displaced workers, who have few prospects and little hope for meaningful employment in an increasingly automated world.
We need to move beyond the delusion of retraining for a dwindling number of mass wage labor jobs, and begin to ponder the unthinkable - to prepare ourselves and our institutions for a world that is phasing out mass employment in the production and marketing of goods and services. Redefining the role of the individual in a near workerless society is likely to be the most pressing issue in the decades to come.
Fresh alternatives to formal work will need to be devised. New approaches to providing income and purchasing power will have to be implemented. Greater reliance will need to be placed on creating new employment opportunities in the emerging "third sector", or civil society.
The end of mass wage labor could lead to unprecedented social upheaval, or signal the beginning of a great social transformation and rebirth of the human spirit.
Apollo heart unit for Siliguri
Siliguri, Oct. 28: The Apollo Group of Hospitals will set up a heart institute at five places across the state, including one in Siliguri.
One such institute already started functioning in Calcutta last month.
“Apart from Calcutta, we have chosen Siliguri, Asansol, Midnapore, Sreerampur and Howrah to set up Apollo Gleneagles Heart Institutes. The aim is to provide best cardiac care expertise to people in distant places so that they do not have to travel to the metros for treatment,” Rupali Basu, the chief executive officer of Apollo Gleneagles Hospital in Calcutta, said here today.
“Siliguri will be one of our major centres that will cater for not only the six districts in the region but also patients from neighbouring countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal,” she said.
According to Debashish Ghosh, a senior cardiologist at the Calcutta institute, the Siliguri unit will initially have a 50-bed coronary care unit (CCU) for those who have suffered heart attacks and diagnostic facility for other heart diseases.
“The first four hours after a heart attack are crucial and best treatment should be provided during that period. Initially, we plan to establish CCUs with best facilities and experts to give them such care,” he said.
The facility in Calcutta has arrhythmia clinic for treatment of patients with abnormal heart rates, heart failure unit for post cardiac surgery and angioplasty, pacemaker wing for management and maintenance of patients with pacemakers and clinics for expecting mothers with hypertension and cardiac conditions.
“These clinics will be set up in all the five institutes but surgeries and angioplasties will be done only in Calcutta,” said Basu. “Once we find a site in Siliguri, we will probably establish the heart institute in the next six months.”
NASA planning one way mission to colonise Mars
AP-The smooth surface of angular and rounded rocks seen in this image of the martian terrain released by NASA.
NASA is planning a one-way mission to Mars in a programme called ‘Hundred Years Starship’ in which, a manned spacecraft will take astronauts to Mars and leave them there forever.
NASA Ames Director Pete Worden revealed that one of NASA’s main research centres, Ames Research Centre, has received 1 million dollars funding to start work on the project.
Washington State University researchers had said that while technically feasible, a manned mission to Mars and back is unlikely to lift off anytime soon and so, a manned one-way mission to Mars would not only cut the costs by several fold, but also mark the beginning of long-term human colonization of the planet.
Mars is by far the most promising for sustained colonization and development because it is similar in many respects to Earth and, crucially, possesses a moderate surface gravity, an atmosphere, abundant water and carbon dioxide, together with a range of essential minerals.
“One approach could be to send four astronauts initially, two on each of two space craft, each with a lander and sufficient supplies, to stake a single outpost on Mars. A one-way human mission to Mars would be the first step in establishing a permanent human presence on the planet,” said Dirk Schulze-Makuch, a Washington State University associate professor.
Colleague Paul Davies, a physicist and cosmologist from Arizona State University, added that they aren’t suggesting that astronauts simply be abandoned on the Red Planet for the sake of science; in fact they propose a series of missions over time, sufficient to support long-term colonization.
The authors proposed that the astronauts would be re-supplied on a periodic basis from Earth with basic necessities, but otherwise would be expected to become increasingly proficient at harvesting and utilizing resources available on Mars.
Eventually they envision that outpost would reach self-sufficiency, and then it could serve as a hub for a greatly expanded colonization programme.
First, an appropriate site for the colony would be selected, preferentially associated with a cave or some other natural shelter, as well as other nearby resources, such as water, minerals and nutrients.
“Ice caves would go a long way to solving the needs of a settlement for water and oxygen. Mars has no ozone shield and no magnetospheric shielding, and ice caves would also provide shelter from ionizing and ultraviolet radiation,” said Schulze-Makuch.
The added that in addition to offering humanity a “lifeboat” in the event of a mega-catastrophe on Earth, a Mars colony would provide a platform for further scientific research.
Schulze-Makuch and Davies acknowledge that such a project would require not only major international cooperation, but a return to the exploration spirit and risk-taking ethos of the great period of the Earth’s exploration.
“Informal surveys conducted after lectures and conference presentations on our proposal have repeatedly shown that many people are willing to volunteer for a one-way mission, both for reasons of scientific curiosity and in a spirit of adventure and human destiny,” they wrote.
The article is published this month in the “Journal of Cosmology
source;the hindu
Carbon Neutral Sikkim
SIKKIM: “Carbon Neutral Sikkim”, a project conceived by NGO
Gangtok: Environmental Sciences Research Foundation (ESRF), a Haryana based NGO, gave a presentation on Carbon Neutral Sikkim here at Mintokgang on 26th October in presence of O.T.Lepcha, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, K.N.Rai, Political Advisor to Chief Minister, Bhim Dahal, Media Advisor to Chief Minister, Secretary, UD & HD, Secretary, Forest Department and representatives from Food Security and Agriculture and Science and Technology departments. The NGO was headed by its President Rakesh Solanki and the presentation was by Vivek Prakash Pankaj of the NGO. The proposed project Carbon Neutral Sikkim has been conceptualized by ESRF.
In his presentation, Mr. Pankaj said that Carbon neutrality or having a net zero carbon footprint, refers to achieving net zero carbon emission by ‘balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset’. He said that five steps are to be taken to achieve Carbon Neutral State which are, defining the subject, measurement of the carbon footprint, setting the target time line, reducing the emission and to communicate and publish. The programme included discussion during which Mr. Solanki answered queries raised on the proposed project.(With IPR input)
[FROM SIKKIM REPORTER / EDITED ASHOK CHATTERJEE]ESSAY: Nehru and Tibet – Sixty Years After The Abdication Of Responsibility
FROM THE STATESMAN
By BK Bhattacharyya
Tibet was an independent country. Its language, culture, rituals, heritage and ethos were unique and quite different from China’s. Both traditionally and culturally, it was closer to India. Two of the famous religious centres ~ the Mount Kailash and Manas Sarovar of the Hindus have been located in Tibet since time immemorial. Indian pilgrims used to visit these places in large numbers before the Chinese occupation of Tibet in October 1950. Besides, Tibetan scholars maintained regular contact with their Indian counterparts. This has been echoed by Jawaharlal Nehru. “Nalanda University has attracted students from Tibet. Many Indian classics have been preserved in Tibetan translations relating not only to Buddhism but also to Brahminism, astronomy, mathematics, medicines, etc.” (pp 190 & 217, The Discovery of India, London 1967). Tibet was also a great centre for the cultivation of the tantra cult by Indians.
Tibet was a buffer state between India and China. In his Glimpses of World History, Nehru wrote that “Tibet was independent”. It used to issue passport and visa till it was subjugated by China in 1950. As a sovereign country, Tibet participated in the first Asian Relations Conference held in New Delhi in April 1947 under the leadership of Nehru, then the Vice-President and foreign minister of the interim government.
India’s relations with Tibet were regulated by the Indo-Tibetan Convention of 1904. The British established a mission in Lhasa and three trade agencies at Gyantse, Yatung and Gartok. The convention also provided for a trade agreement between the two countries, deployment of two military detachments and maintenance of post and telegraph services in Tibet. India inherited these rights from the British after it became independent on 15 August 1947. The 1904 convention was “formally confirmed” by the 1906 convention (Anglo-Chinese Treaty). It was signed by Britain and China on 27 April 1906.
Nehru was obsessed with Communism and, therefore, did not entertain any future apprehension from the Chinese Communists. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, however, had anticipated China’s sinister designs on Tibet even before the Communists gained full control over the country. On 4 June 1949, Patel wrote to Nehru: “We have to strengthen our position in Sikkim as well as in Tibet … Tibet has long been detached from China. I anticipate that, as soon as the Communists have established themselves in the rest of China, they will try to destroy its autonomous existence. You have to consider carefully your policy towards Tibet in such circumstances and prepare from now for that eventuality” (p 136, Sardar Patel’s Correspondence 1945-1950, vol 8 edited by Durga Das, Ahmedabad 1973). The Communists, even before acquiring control over the whole of China, had started an anti-India campaign. In September 1949, “a Chinese magazine accused the Prime Minister of India of aiding imperialist designs for the annexation of Tibet and charged him with the beastly ambition of aggression”. (p 76, With Nehru in The Foreign Office by Subimal Dutta, Calcutta 1977).
Again in September 1949, “the Communist Radio asserted that Tibet was a part of China and that the British and American imperialists and their running dog, Nehru, are now plotting a coup in Lhasa for the annexation to Tibet”. (pp 294-295), India from Curzon to Nehru and After by Durga Das, New Delhi 1969). Sardar Patel and Dr Rajendra Prasad were annoyed with Nehru’s policy on Tibet and felt that “the Communist Radio comment was a danger signal which New Delhi must heed” (p 295 ibid)
In October 1950, China occupied Tibet. Since then, it has been a source of our anxiety, angst and apprehension. On 2 November 1950, the Union cabinet met ostensibly to accord post facto approval as the surrender of Tibet was a fait accompli. Five days later, Patel wrote to Nehru, highlighting the grave danger that India would face consequent to the surrender of Tibet to China. The letter is a very valuable historical document and I quote: “I have carefully gone through the correspondence between the external affairs ministry and our Ambassador in Peking and through him the Chinese government … I regret to say that … the Chinese government has tried to delude us by professions of peaceful intentions … At a crucial period they managed to instil into our Ambassador a false sense of confidence in their so-called desire to settle the Tibetan problem by peaceful means … The final action of the Chinese, in my judgment, is little short of perfidy.”
In the same letter Patel told Nehru: “The tragedy of it is that the Tibetans put faith in us; they chose to be guided by us; and we have been unable to get them out of the meshes … of Chinese malevolence … It appears that we shall not be able to rescue the Dalai Lama. Our Ambassador has been at great pains to find an explanation or justification for Chinese policy and actions … There was a lack of firmness and unnecessary apology in one or two representations that he (our Ambassador in Peking) made to the Chinese government on our behalf …”
Drawing Nehru’s attention to China’s long-term objective, Patel wrote: “Even though we regard ourselves as friends of China, the Chinese do not regard us as their friends”. The surrender of Tibet was the Himalayan blunder and Patel had warned Nehru that China has come “almost up to our gates”. He anticipated the danger from China to “our Northern or north-eastern approaches consisting of Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Darjeeling and the tribal areas in Assam”. He suggested an early discussion with Nehru with a view to meeting the “Chinese irredentism and Communist imperialism” (pp 335-341, Sardar Patel’s Correspondence 1945-50 vol 10 edited by Durga Das, Ahmedabad 1974). The meeting did not take place.
On 9 November 1950, Patel told a public meeting in Delhi, “A peaceful country like Tibet has been invaded and it may not survive. There has been no aggression from its side. The whole border becomes exposed to danger. We should, therefore, be vigilant” (p 148, For a Unified India: Speeches of Sardar Patel 1947-1950, New Delhi 1982).
KM Panikkar was India’s Ambassador to China during the crucial period. His role was not commendable. On 14 September 1950 a complacent Nehru in his letter to Vijayalakshmi Pandit (then our Ambassador to the USA) stated that the Chinese “listen to us”. In the same letter he praised Panikkar, saying that he “gets on very well with the Chinese Government” (p 510, Patel: A Life by Rajmohan Gandhi, Ahmedabad 1992). Sir Girija Shankar Bajpai, who was the Foreign Secretary at that point of time “complained to Nehru that Panikkar had been influenced more by the Chinese point of view, by Chinese claims, by Chinese maps and by regard for Chinese susceptibilities than by his instructions or by India’s interests” (P 511, ibid).
India should not have abdicated its authority, power and responsibility which devolved on her on 15 August 1947 under the 1904 Indo-Tibetan convention. It should have asserted itself instead of meekly surrendering Tibet at the nation’s peril.
Nehru believed China. He never imagined that “Peking represented a threat to Indian interests in the foreseeable future” (p 83 of Subimal Dutt’s book). Brigadier JP Dalvi in his book, Himalayan Blunder, has written that in 1954, Nehru revealed his mind when he said: “What right does India have to keep a part of its Army in Tibet, whether Tibet is independent or part of China?” (p 22). Nehru also told Durga Das that “he would not quarrel with China over Tibet. He would not take over Curzon’s role and establish Indian influence in Lhasa” (p 295, India from Curzon to Nehru and After).
Patel had been able to see through the Chinese games, motives, machinations and manoeuvres whereas Nehru did not. He ignored Patel’s warning and brought China “almost up to our gates” endangering the country’s security perpetually. The net result was that India was humiliated by China in November 1962, when it invaded NEFA, now Arunachal Pradesh. A shocked Nehru had to describe it as “a perfidy”.
The writer is a former Joint Secretary, Assam government
Thursday, October 28, 2010
An Excerpt from
Goals...The 10 Rules for Achieving Success
by Gary Ryan BlairSuccess is the intentional, pre-meditated use of choice and decision. Unless you choose-with certainty-what it is you want, you accept table scraps by default!The world is plump with opportunity. With boldness and conviction, stick a fork into the goals you want by being decisive.You are born with great capabilities, but you will not achieve your potential until you call upon yourself to fulfill it. You will rise to the occasion when it presents itself; yet, to assure self-fulfillment, you must provide occasions to rise to. Clearly defined goals allow you to travel toward another horizon that represents the end of one experience and the transition to a new and better existence. The objective is to choose the right goals, and then to create the necessary causes-the effects will follow!The difference between what one person and another achieves depends more on goal choices than on abilities.The profound differences between successful people and others are the goals they choose to pursue. Individuals with similar talents, intelligence, and abilities will achieve different results because they select and pursue different goals.Each decision affects what you become. We form our decisions and our decisions form us.There is no escaping this; the smallest choices are important because-over time-their cumulative effect is enormous.Never overlook the obvious: The nature and direction of your life change the instant you decide what goals you want to pursue.Once you make a decision you start down a path to a new destination. At the moment the decision is made, your decision to pursue a goal alters what you are becoming. A single choice can alter your life, your destiny, your legacy.Think about it-your goal decisions represent and express your individuality. You seal your fate with the choices you make.You define yourself by your decisions.Your dialog with success is ultimately a solo one. Decisions and goals made must be your own if you are to call your life a success.Always establish the best goals you can. Goals are the seeds of success-you become only what you plant. The quality of your harvest is a direct reflection of the quality of your seeds...your decisions!Indecision is the big eraser of opportunity and potential. Risks and costs accompany every decision; however, the price of decision is far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction. When it comes to decisiveness, squatters have no rights.Everyone has an official wish list of things they think are "reasonable." What about the unofficial wish list? The one that common sense tells you to ignore? The list that exists deep in your mind, the list that keeps you up at night, the that makes your toes wiggle when you think of it? Why not choose that list for a change?How long have you dreamed of being, having, and doing what you really want? Think big, as when it comes to your goals, the size of your ambition does matter.A decision to lose weight and keep it off must be remade every time you feel hungry.A decision is never made only once.
RTI Logo & Portal Launched
The Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Shri Prithviraj Chavan launched the Logo on RTI and the RTI portal today in the presence of Shri. A N. Tiwari, Chief Information Commission and Shri. Shantanu Consul, Secretary, DoPT.
It is a simple and iconic logo depicting a sheet of paper with information on it, and the public authority – providing the information. This represents people’s empowerment through transfer and accountability in Governance. The logo’s shape and structure make it easy to remember, recall and replicate with minimal distortion.
In the last five years the RTI regime has heralded a regime of transparency and accountability and strengthened the democratic structure of the country. Success stories of citizens using the RTI Act abound. The Act has achieved great success in empowering the citizens of India. However it was felt that the core values of the RTI regime – Empowerment, Transparency and Accountability- need to be given a shape in the form of a logo. The logo would be displayed at all public authorities and will be used in various communications related to RTI.
The Right to Information Portal – A Gateway on RTI – was also formally launched on this occasion. The portal is one stop knowledge bank for information seekers, information providers, trainers, Information Commissions, students and academicians. It provides for a digital library, discussion fora, e- newsletter and a blog. Latest judgments of the High Courts and Information Commissions; reports, articles, guides, manuals, handbooks for various stakeholders; online certificate course are also available on this portal. There is facility for stakeholders to interact through dedicated and open discussion forum and register as resource persons. The web URL for the Portal is www.rtigateway.org.in.
Click here to see Logo
***
RS/SR
(Release ID :66648)
The Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Shri Prithviraj Chavan launched the Logo on RTI and the RTI portal today in the presence of Shri. A N. Tiwari, Chief Information Commission and Shri. Shantanu Consul, Secretary, DoPT.
It is a simple and iconic logo depicting a sheet of paper with information on it, and the public authority – providing the information. This represents people’s empowerment through transfer and accountability in Governance. The logo’s shape and structure make it easy to remember, recall and replicate with minimal distortion.
In the last five years the RTI regime has heralded a regime of transparency and accountability and strengthened the democratic structure of the country. Success stories of citizens using the RTI Act abound. The Act has achieved great success in empowering the citizens of India. However it was felt that the core values of the RTI regime – Empowerment, Transparency and Accountability- need to be given a shape in the form of a logo. The logo would be displayed at all public authorities and will be used in various communications related to RTI.
The Right to Information Portal – A Gateway on RTI – was also formally launched on this occasion. The portal is one stop knowledge bank for information seekers, information providers, trainers, Information Commissions, students and academicians. It provides for a digital library, discussion fora, e- newsletter and a blog. Latest judgments of the High Courts and Information Commissions; reports, articles, guides, manuals, handbooks for various stakeholders; online certificate course are also available on this portal. There is facility for stakeholders to interact through dedicated and open discussion forum and register as resource persons. The web URL for the Portal is www.rtigateway.org.in.
Click here to see Logo
***
RS/SR
(Release ID :66648)
RARE EARTH POLITICS-China has in producing 97% of the world's supply of rare earths
Rare earths not a bargaining tool, says China
China said on Thursday that it will not use exports of rare earths -- exotic minerals required by high-tech industry -- as a diplomatic “bargaining tool” while Washington pressed Beijing to clarify its policy following its de facto ban on supplies to Japan.
China accounts for most rare earths production and global manufacturers that need them to produce mobile phones and other goods were alarmed when Beijing blocked shipments to Japan last month amid a squabble over disputed islands.
China has about 30 percent of rare earths deposits but accounts for about 97 percent of production. The United States, Canada and Australia have rare earths but stopped mining them in the 1990s as lower-cost Chinese supplies became available.
Rare earths are both “commercially and strategically” essential. “The entire world has to seek additional supplies in order to protect the important production needs that these materials serve,” she said.
Japan is expected to need 32,000 tons of rare earths next year and could face a shortfall of 10,000 tons, assuming the same quota is allowed by China and additional shipments come from outside China, a spokesman for rare earth importer Sojitz Corp. said this month.
China’s Commerce Ministry has said it will limit rare earths exports to protect the environment but denied a report shipments will be cut by up to 30 percent next year. This year’s export quota is 24,280 tons, down 30 percent from 2009.
Mr Zhu insisted a reduction in exports was in line with China’s free-trade commitments under the World Trade Organization. “China has exercised orderly management over the exploitation, production and export of rare earths. This is in line with relevant regulations of the World Trade Organization,” he said. “Our production, use and export of rare earths are based on our considerations for economic development and environmental protection.
The European Union and the US said on Tuesday that they were pressing for solutions to concerns that China may be exploiting its stranglehold on rare earth metals, crucial in the making of everything from portable phones to wind turbines.
Officials and industry executives in Berlin and Washington warned of severe repercussions from a scarcity of the minerals with magnetic, luminescent and other properties which go into products such as hybrid cars, solar panels and windmills.
The near monopoly China has in producing 97% of the world's supply of rare earths has been well known among industrial users for years, but came under the international spotlight after reports that Beijing halted shipments to Japan over a territorial dispute with Tokyo last month
The use of rare earth elements in modern technology has increased dramatically over the past years.
Rare earth elements are now incorporated into many technological devices, including superconductors, samarium-cobalt and neodymium-iron-boron high-flux rare-earth magnets, electronic polishers, refining catalysts and hybrid car components (primarily batteries and magnets).[7] Rare earth ions are used as the active ions in luminescent materials used in optoelectronics applications, most notably the Nd:YAG laser. Erbium-doped fiber amplifiers are significant devices in optical-fiber communication systems. Phosphors with rare earth dopants are also widely used in cathode ray tube technology such as television sets. The earliest color television CRTs had a poor-quality red; europium as a phosphor dopant made good red phosphors possible. Yttrium iron garnet (YIG) spheres have been useful as tunable microwave resonators. Rare earth oxides are mixed with tungsten to improve its high temperature properties for welding, replacing thorium, which was mildly hazardous to work with. Many defense-related products also use rare earth elements as enhancers. For instance, night vision goggles, rangefinders, the SPY-1 radar used in some Aegis equipped warships, and the propulsion system of Arleigh Burke class destroyers all use rare earth elements in critical capacities.[8]
India aims to restart production of rare earths late next year for the first time since 2004, a top government official said on Wednesday.
The Indian government is spending 1.4 billion rupees ($32 million) on a 5,000 metric ton capacity plant in Orissa, amid global concerns China may be taking advantage of its dominance of resources to squeeze export supply.
R.N. Patra, chairman and managing director of state-run Indian Rare Earths Limited, told Reuters his firm has environmental clearance to produce the hi-tech minerals at a plant under construction in eastern state Orissa.
"India had stopped producing rare earths in 2004 due to lack of market competitiveness, but now we have improved in-house technology to be more competitive," Patra told Reuters.
"Going by our domestic demand there should be enough for exports," he said.
A major consuming market is Japan, where Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Japanese counterpart Naoto Kan agreed this week to cooperate on minerals and metals.
The near-monopoly China has in producing 97 percent of the world's supply of rare earths has long been known among industrial users, but it came under the international spotlight after reports Beijing halted shipments to Japan over a territorial dispute with Tokyo last month.
China also rocked the hi-tech industry and boosted metals prices in July when it announced it would reduce export quotas for rare earth minerals by 72 percent for the second half of 2010, extending a trend of cutting rare earth exports since 2008.
India and Japan are also trying to agree a civilian nuclear deal which will allow the use of Japanese technology and investment in developing India's nuclear power sector.
"Demand for rare earths is mostly in developed countries such as the United States, Japan, Europe and Canada. There is great demand in Canada," Patra said.
"Indian domestic demand was about 200 (metric) tons a year in 2004. That may have gone up somewhat but we still think we will have a lot to export," he said.
Rare earths can be used for both civilian and military purposes, including in nuclear applications.
Beijing has denied any plans to choke off shipments of the minerals. Chinese state media have criticized foreigners for making "unreasonable" demands on resources China needs for its own industrial development.
The European Union and the US said on Tuesday that they were pressing for solutions to concerns that China may be exploiting its stranglehold on rare earth metals, crucial in the making of everything from portable phones to wind turbines.
Officials and industry executives in Berlin and Washington warned of severe repercussions from a scarcity of the minerals with magnetic, luminescent and other properties which go into products such as hybrid cars, solar panels and windmills.
The near monopoly China has in producing 97% of the world's supply of rare earths has been well known among industrial users for years, but came under the international spotlight after reports that Beijing halted shipments to Japan over a territorial dispute with Tokyo last month
The use of rare earth elements in modern technology has increased dramatically over the past years.
Rare earth elements are now incorporated into many technological devices, including superconductors, samarium-cobalt and neodymium-iron-boron high-flux rare-earth magnets, electronic polishers, refining catalysts and hybrid car components (primarily batteries and magnets).[7] Rare earth ions are used as the active ions in luminescent materials used in optoelectronics applications, most notably the Nd:YAG laser. Erbium-doped fiber amplifiers are significant devices in optical-fiber communication systems. Phosphors with rare earth dopants are also widely used in cathode ray tube technology such as television sets. The earliest color television CRTs had a poor-quality red; europium as a phosphor dopant made good red phosphors possible. Yttrium iron garnet (YIG) spheres have been useful as tunable microwave resonators. Rare earth oxides are mixed with tungsten to improve its high temperature properties for welding, replacing thorium, which was mildly hazardous to work with. Many defense-related products also use rare earth elements as enhancers. For instance, night vision goggles, rangefinders, the SPY-1 radar used in some Aegis equipped warships, and the propulsion system of Arleigh Burke class destroyers all use rare earth elements in critical capacities.[8]
India aims to restart production of rare earths late next year for the first time since 2004, a top government official said on Wednesday.
The Indian government is spending 1.4 billion rupees ($32 million) on a 5,000 metric ton capacity plant in Orissa, amid global concerns China may be taking advantage of its dominance of resources to squeeze export supply.
R.N. Patra, chairman and managing director of state-run Indian Rare Earths Limited, told Reuters his firm has environmental clearance to produce the hi-tech minerals at a plant under construction in eastern state Orissa.
"India had stopped producing rare earths in 2004 due to lack of market competitiveness, but now we have improved in-house technology to be more competitive," Patra told Reuters.
"Going by our domestic demand there should be enough for exports," he said.
A major consuming market is Japan, where Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Japanese counterpart Naoto Kan agreed this week to cooperate on minerals and metals.
The near-monopoly China has in producing 97 percent of the world's supply of rare earths has long been known among industrial users, but it came under the international spotlight after reports Beijing halted shipments to Japan over a territorial dispute with Tokyo last month.
China also rocked the hi-tech industry and boosted metals prices in July when it announced it would reduce export quotas for rare earth minerals by 72 percent for the second half of 2010, extending a trend of cutting rare earth exports since 2008.
India and Japan are also trying to agree a civilian nuclear deal which will allow the use of Japanese technology and investment in developing India's nuclear power sector.
"Demand for rare earths is mostly in developed countries such as the United States, Japan, Europe and Canada. There is great demand in Canada," Patra said.
"Indian domestic demand was about 200 (metric) tons a year in 2004. That may have gone up somewhat but we still think we will have a lot to export," he said.
Rare earths can be used for both civilian and military purposes, including in nuclear applications.
Beijing has denied any plans to choke off shipments of the minerals. Chinese state media have criticized foreigners for making "unreasonable" demands on resources China needs for its own industrial development.
Desperate to re-order and modernise
AP "Standards and values have changed for the worse and the army is not impervious to the overall environment," admits a retired Lieutenant General. File photo shows Indian Army soldiers participating in R-Day parade rehearsal.
A large number of military officers concur that the Indian army, with an inordinately high teeth-to-tail ratio, faces a serious crisis of confidence.
An alarming rise in the number of Indian military officers charged with corruption, senior ranks quitting due to frustrating service conditions, and increasing instances of ‘fragging' in which disgruntled soldiers shoot dead their seniors, are severely damaging the image of the country's defence forces.
Few want to join the once-favoured military with the shortage of officers in the army never having fallen below 11,000 for over a decade against a sanctioned strength of 46,615 personnel. The navy and the air force too face officer shortage but it is not as severe as in the 1.2 million strong army.
Senior defence officials cite expanding employment opportunities as the reason behind the shortage. But serving and retired officers say this is only part of the cause. The Services too have to take responsibility for lowering the military's image and overall standing in the country's order of precedence and preference, they point out.
“Standards and values have changed for the worse and the army is not impervious to the overall environment,” admits a retired Lieutenant General. Like the rest of society, India's military too is in the turbulent and unsettling throes of transition, he adds.
Serving army officers say the ‘rot' in service ethics has been steadily creeping into the Services. Till the 1980s, military officers were considered upright men, respected in society and eagerly sought after by parents as suitable match for their daughters. Retired military men talk nostalgically of the days when a mere note from the commanding officer on behalf of a jawan to the local authorities back in his village carried weight.
Those were the times when the esprit d' corps in the apolitical service was strong and invitations to riotous, albeit swinging, regimental officers' messes were much sought after. Salaries were low but the lifestyle was lavish in what was largely a gentleman's army.
Many officers were, in reality, eager boys trapped inside adult bodies seeking to indulge in passions like shikar, riding, polo and outdoor living and danger at state expense as expansive colonial traditions made military service not only respectable but attractive. From Independence till the third war with Pakistan in 1971, there was ample opportunity for such expansiveness.
And it was adequately vindicated, except for the disastrous 1962 war with China in which India came off badly. But in this instance, it was widely acknowledged that it was the political and not the military establishment that forced ignominy upon the country.
The flamboyance, bravery and tactical brilliance of all ranks in the three wars with Pakistan are well recorded and the subject of study in combat institutions around the world. It is rarely acknowledged even at home that in 1971, the Indian army single-handedly achieved what even the United States with all its mite and technical wizardry has not managed since World War II — it liberated a nation.
Politics was rarely, if at all, discussed by officers who, if passed over for promotion, retired gracefully, confident of their status in society. Promotions, the bane of the Services today, were merit-based and, by and large, fair with undeserving candidates, adhering to the Peter Principle and rarely ever crossing their limits of incompetence.
Army chiefs and senior commanders brooked no political interference in operational matters and were listened to with respect by the establishment. Asked by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to move into East Pakistan — later Bangladesh — in early 1971, General Sam Manekshaw — later Field Marshal — firmly told her that it would take at least 10 months before his force would be ready for combat.
“That” he declared, referring to Indira Gandhi's scheme of launching operations earlier “would present me with problems far more complex than what had been the bane of the German general staff for more than 50 years across two world wars. It would be unwise to rely on diplomatic assurances that the Chinese would not react in support of Pakistan. We must wait for the snow to block the northern passes.” Indira Gandhi listened and Bangladesh came into being in December that year.
In short, the olive green uniform enjoyed an exalted status it was soon to lose. Its professionalism and apolitical stance began to slowly unravel after the Third Pay Commission in the late 1970s when officer ranks were diluted, ostensibly to enhance career prospects, but their responsibilities reduced in inverse proportion to their promotions.
Periodic cadre reviews further led to a lopsided rank structure creating a situation where Lieutenant Generals among the seniormost army officers, and their equivalents in the navy and the air force, discharged duties previously performed by middle-ranking Colonels and half-colonels and similar ranks in the other two services.
Currently there are over 900 Brigadiers, some 290 Major Generals and 85-odd Lieutenant Generals, roughly around a third of who were replaced every two-three years due to retirement, promotion and other reasons.
Pressure on promotions in the pyramid-like structure also meant that most served between 12-18 months in these higher ranks leaving them little time to effect any meaningful change in the overall command and control structure.
The cadre re-assessment was the moment for which politicians and civil servants had long been waiting. Having always looked upon the military with suspicion after independence and gazing nervously at Pakistan's experience, they were simply waiting for an opportunity to gain ascendancy over the Services.
Incidentally, this inherent misgiving and fear of the military persists, adversely manifesting itself in the non-appointment of a Chief of Defence staff, despite ministerial commissions and review and parliamentary committees stressing the need for such an officer in a nuclear weapon state and for an expanding military power with possible out-of-area responsibilities.
Sadly, many senior officers actively contributed to this negative state of affairs by seeking political and bureaucratic patronage for career enhancement whilst in service and for lucrative sinecures after retirement. Consequently, over years the military's standing deteriorated, reaching the unbelievable stage where it was selectively included in the “security loop.”
The Service chiefs, for instance, were told about the multiple 1998 Shakti tests at Pokhran just hours before they occurred; and that too as insurance against any “adverse reaction” from neighbouring Pakistan. In the intervening period thereafter, the military has been dealt a limited hand in maintaining India's strategic deterrence.
In another shocker, the military, particularly the army, was also unaware of India's cache of chemical weapons stored at various Defence Research and Development Organisation laboratories across the country that were destroyed under the global Chemicals Weapon Convention some years ago.
In conclusion, a large number of military officers concur that India's Mughal-like army, with an inordinately high teeth-to-tail ratio, faces a serious crisis of confidence which simply refuses to abate even as it is increasingly employed not only in counter-insurgency operations, flood and drought relief but also to battle mosquitoes threatening the Commonwealth Games athletes' village.
For, besides struggling against the slew of corruption charges, lopsided promotions and un-equitable pensions, the military also faces ad hoc equipping policies determined and dominated by ill-informed politicians and civil servants, as it grapples desperately to reorder and modernise itself within a nuclear weapon state. But that, as they say, is a far longer and complex saga.
(Rahul Bedi is New Delhi-based defence analyst.)
source: The Hindu
Learn from India, says Chinese think-tank
source:The Hindu
China is fast outpacing India in terms of national competitiveness, but needs to learn from India's legal system and protection of “vulnerable” groups, the country's top think-tank has said in a report.
A report on “national competitiveness” released by the official Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), which is China's leading think-tank, also forecast that China would become the world's second-most powerful nation after the United States by 2050, and overtake the U.S. to become the largest economy in 2030.
CASS publishes “blue books” ranking countries in terms of national power, which are widely read by academics and officials here. Many CASS scholars advise the government on policy issues.
The findings of this report, which measured economic factors, were published in many official newspapers on Tuesday. While the rankings are a subjective assessment by Chinese scholars, who assigned points on criteria ranging from progress in science and culture to technology and workforce talent, they are a reflection of how academics here view their country's position with respect to other nations.
The report ranked China 17th overall in terms of national competitiveness in 2008. India was ranked at 42, one spot below Bulgaria and ahead of Kazakhstan.
“China's overall national competitiveness is slightly stronger than India, but India is ahead of China in some areas,” said Ni Pengfei, the editor of the report.
The report pointed to the rule of law, protection of vulnerable groups and the preservation of traditional culture as areas where China ranked lower than India.
The study featured a detailed comparison of China's and India's respective advantages. It said before the year 2000, the two countries were “at a similar level,” but in the last decade China made “quick adjustments” that had resulted in a widening gap in competitiveness, since 2004.
India had “obvious advantages” in industrial structure, the report said, pointing to a services sector which accounted for 52.94 per cent of economic growth, compared with China's 41.89 per cent. It forecast “a more intense level of competition” for resources between “the world's two fastest growing countries.”
“China's comprehensive competitiveness has seen a leapfrog promotion over the past two decades, and it has huge potential and strong capability to catch up with and surpass developed nations in the future,” said Mr. Ni.
China, however, lagged behind the U.S. and Europe when it came to higher education, technological talent and cultural appeal. The report particularly stressed that China needed to do more to boost its soft power, amid increasingly negative perceptions of China's rise both in the West and among its neighbours.
“We should think of a country's cultural power when talking about its national competitiveness,” Chen Shaofeng, a scholar at Peking University, told the China Daily
Dr Madhavan appeals Scientists to Translate Research in Practical Purpose to Solve Problems of Pollution
Dr. G. Madhavan Nair, former Chairman, ISRO appealed scientists and engineers to translate good research in practical purpose and solve problems of pollution, climate change and health not only at national level, but also at small, local levels. Releasing the Compendium titled ‘Studies on Pollution Mitigation’ here today, he said for local problems the situations are different and there is need to develop proper system which can be applied at various small places to give them developmental boost. Local material should be used to solve their problem. He appealed scientists and engineers to take more interest to do intense research for pollution control and climate change in timely manner. Dr. Nair also suggested controlling solid waste, kitchen waste, reuse of water and saving energy by applying innovative measures at local levels. Regarding the Compendium, Dr Nair said we should publish our own journals in the field of science and give credit to our own scientists who perform world class works. He said this compendium will be useful to user community in a big way. Regarding monitoring the environment, especially of forests, water bodies, oceans, dams etc, this will give key inputs for planning. The technology is available to use Geographic Information System-Global positioning System (GIS-GPS) system without much expenditure and this will provide proper observation system, he added.
Earlier in his welcome address, Prof. S. P. Gautam, Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), informed that the Compendium has been prepared under the Leadership of Prof. G. Madhavan Nair as President, Indian Science Congress of 97th Session. For the first time in India, Central Pollution Control Board and other State Boards published research papers in large number. Prof Gautam also gave details of CPCB’s plan to develop Environmental Information System on GIS- GPS platform. This is an ambitious but very significant programme with a complete package of solutions which will enable the Ministry of Environment and Forests to act on inter sectoral basis and pollution control regime to prevent and abatement of pollution load of industrial and domestic sector. Prof Gautam expressed the hope that this system will facilitate Planning Commission and other policy makers to get the environmental policy in the national developmental programmes.
The Chairman, CPCB, also informed about new initiatives underway to control pollution which include co-processing of Hazardous Waste in the Cement Kiln/Thermal Power Plants/Iron furnaces, eradication of Tannery Pollution and removal of salt (5000 tonnes/day) from hide presentation using refrigerated – vaccumization (Lyophilization), clearance of sewage by Microbial Technology (in situ bio-remediation ) also addressing faecal coli through bacteriophage technology, complete recycling of Municipal Solid Wastes, implementation of Common Chrome Recovery Plants in agro based Pulp and Paper industries and elimination of distillery pollution by co-processing in Cement Kiln.
The CPCB brought out this compendium comprising of 133 Research Papers on various facets of pollution related matters. The compendium incorporates the research papers of various Scientists and Engineers pan India from different institutions, IITs, Universities and other R&D Institutes. Aspects covered in the released compendium include Research Papers on various environmental issues such as; Air Quality Management, Bio-chemical studies, Bio-monitoring, Bio-remediation, Environment Impact Assessment, Groundwater Management, Hazardous Waste, Industrial Pollution Control, Municipal Waste Management and Water Quality. The compendium provides the current thrust areas as well as on-going researches in the field of Pollution Control.
KP/LK
(Release ID :66623)
Dr. G. Madhavan Nair, former Chairman, ISRO appealed scientists and engineers to translate good research in practical purpose and solve problems of pollution, climate change and health not only at national level, but also at small, local levels. Releasing the Compendium titled ‘Studies on Pollution Mitigation’ here today, he said for local problems the situations are different and there is need to develop proper system which can be applied at various small places to give them developmental boost. Local material should be used to solve their problem. He appealed scientists and engineers to take more interest to do intense research for pollution control and climate change in timely manner. Dr. Nair also suggested controlling solid waste, kitchen waste, reuse of water and saving energy by applying innovative measures at local levels. Regarding the Compendium, Dr Nair said we should publish our own journals in the field of science and give credit to our own scientists who perform world class works. He said this compendium will be useful to user community in a big way. Regarding monitoring the environment, especially of forests, water bodies, oceans, dams etc, this will give key inputs for planning. The technology is available to use Geographic Information System-Global positioning System (GIS-GPS) system without much expenditure and this will provide proper observation system, he added.
Earlier in his welcome address, Prof. S. P. Gautam, Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), informed that the Compendium has been prepared under the Leadership of Prof. G. Madhavan Nair as President, Indian Science Congress of 97th Session. For the first time in India, Central Pollution Control Board and other State Boards published research papers in large number. Prof Gautam also gave details of CPCB’s plan to develop Environmental Information System on GIS- GPS platform. This is an ambitious but very significant programme with a complete package of solutions which will enable the Ministry of Environment and Forests to act on inter sectoral basis and pollution control regime to prevent and abatement of pollution load of industrial and domestic sector. Prof Gautam expressed the hope that this system will facilitate Planning Commission and other policy makers to get the environmental policy in the national developmental programmes.
The Chairman, CPCB, also informed about new initiatives underway to control pollution which include co-processing of Hazardous Waste in the Cement Kiln/Thermal Power Plants/Iron furnaces, eradication of Tannery Pollution and removal of salt (5000 tonnes/day) from hide presentation using refrigerated – vaccumization (Lyophilization), clearance of sewage by Microbial Technology (in situ bio-remediation ) also addressing faecal coli through bacteriophage technology, complete recycling of Municipal Solid Wastes, implementation of Common Chrome Recovery Plants in agro based Pulp and Paper industries and elimination of distillery pollution by co-processing in Cement Kiln.
The CPCB brought out this compendium comprising of 133 Research Papers on various facets of pollution related matters. The compendium incorporates the research papers of various Scientists and Engineers pan India from different institutions, IITs, Universities and other R&D Institutes. Aspects covered in the released compendium include Research Papers on various environmental issues such as; Air Quality Management, Bio-chemical studies, Bio-monitoring, Bio-remediation, Environment Impact Assessment, Groundwater Management, Hazardous Waste, Industrial Pollution Control, Municipal Waste Management and Water Quality. The compendium provides the current thrust areas as well as on-going researches in the field of Pollution Control.
KP/LK
(Release ID :66623)
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Khazanah Global Lecture Series 2010
PM's address at Khazanah Global Lecture Series 2010
Malaysia, like India, had a prolonged experience of colonial rule. Today, your country is a vibrant, fast-growing economy and a hub of regional integration. The Straits of Malacca today is the world’s busiest shipping corridor. I pay tribute to your leaders who have brought about this transformation since Malaysia’s independence.
After gaining independence in 1947, India’s principal challenge was to fulfill the aspirations of such a large and diverse society and civilisation that is home to all the great religions of the world, and has been so for many centuries.
Our founding fathers worked to build a strong state and the organs of our fledgling democracy. In the process, we built a diversified industrial base. We developed strong scientific capabilities, including high quality technical manpower.
Over time our growth began to lag behind that of other newly industrializing countries of Asia. Our economy got stifled with bureaucratic control. We also fell behind countries like Malaysia in integrating into the global and regional value chains created by post-War industrialization.
Our own policies began to change, gradually at first in the 1980s and much more decisively in the 1990s. We liberalized the domestic economy and opened up to foreign trade and investment. We recognized the need to encourage market forces. The private sector was increasingly freed to get on with its business.
I nitially, these changes met with resistance. But over time they came to be widely accepted, especially after the economy began growing at over 7% per annum from 1994. There has been no fundamental change in the direction of these policies since then and they enjoy broad domestic support regardless of party affiliation.
The economic reforms of the 1990s unleashed the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of Indian industry. Year after year we have seen first generation entrepreneurs taking risks, creating new business opportunities and getting plugged into this borderless world of the global economy. These new entrepreneurs are truly the children of economic liberalisation of the 1990s and have been an important factor behind India’s fast growth in recent times.
India’s growth has combined greater openness with an ability to withstand external turbulence. We were not buffeted by the East Asian crisis in 1997 primarily because our capital account was not as open as in many other countries in East Asia and our banking system had very little exposure to short term debt, which was the main source of volatility in 1997.
More recently, India’s economic performance has shown further improvement. The gross national product of India grew at over 9.5% per annum for three consecutive years starting in 2005. After the global financial crisis exploded in 2008, our growth rate slowed down but India was even then among the three or four fastest growing nations in the world. We took a number of promotional measures to stimulate the economy and we expect 8.5% growth in the current year.
I wish to reflect on some key features of the new phase in India’s economic development.
First, India seeks rapid economic growth that will create wealth for our people and also generate surpluses to fund our ambitious social development programmes, particularly in the areas of health, education and environment protection.
Second, we seek growth that creates employment and development that is socially and regionally balanced and inclusive.
Third, we seek to build a modern, knowledge and science-based economy to complement our agricultural and industrial base.
Fourth, we want our development to be sustainable so that the wealth of our natural resources is conserved for future generations as a matter of trust. Fifth, we seek a cooperative relationship with our neighbours and other partners so that we can prosper and benefit from one another’s development.
Finally, India seeks to realize its development ambitions within the framework of a plural and secular democracy, where each citizen should have equal opportunity for economic, social and cultural advancement.
India’s biggest asset is its people. At a time when the industrialised world is aging rapidly, India has the advantage of a young population. The dependency burden in India is expected to keep falling for at least another 20 years. It is expected that, in 2020, the average age of an Indian will be 29 years, compared to 37 for China and 48 for Japan.
But, a young population is an asset only if it is educated, skilled and finds productive employment. If this were to happen, our objective of realizing India`s potential to grow at 10% or more per annum for a substantial period of time can indeed become a reality. Rapid economic development requires high rates of savings and investment. For a long time it used to be the common wisdom that only an East Asian country could save and invest more than 30% of its national income. If that be true then, geography notwithstanding, India is today an East Asian country! India now saves and invests well over 30% of its GDP. In addition, our financial system – including the banking sector and the capital markets – is strong. This has helped support a boom in domestic investment. Domestic investment is complemented by strong Foreign Direct Investment flows which we greatly welcome.
Over the past few years we have initiated a number of far-reaching programmes that have the potential to change the face of rural India and to make our growth truly more inclusive. These cover rural health, employment guarantee, urban reforms and build up of rural infrastructure and focus on people’s participation and empowerment and the quality of public services.
Inadequate infrastructure is a major constraint on our performance and we are determined to overcome it. In the eleventh Five Year Plan that ends in next year, we had targeted investment in infrastructure at 500 billion US dollars. We hope to step this up to one trillion US dollars in the 12th Five Year Plan. Malaysia has well known strengths in building infrastructure and we welcome greater Malaysian participation in this important sector of our economy.
There are big plans afoot in India to set up special investment funds that can be used to finance long-gestation infrastructure projects. We hope to attract Indian and international funding into these projects.
More than half of our population depends on agriculture for the bulk of their income. We are increasing our investment in agriculture. We hope to use our scientific capabilities to create a new growth momentum in agriculture through a second green revolution. This is vital for our food security and to ensure an inclusive growth process.
The future of the global economy in the 21st century lies in the knowledge economy. We are working to strengthen our competitive advantage in this area. We have increased the expenditure on Science & Technology as a proportion of our GDP. We are investing heavily in both basic and higher education. For the last fifty years, India had seven Indian Institutes of Technology and one Indian Institute of Science. In the last five years we have established eight new IITs and five more Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research. Both higher education and the Information Technology sectors are promising areas for India-Malaysia cooperation.
We would like our development processes to be sustainable. We do not wish to go down the path followed by the highly industrialised countries. We seek a model of sustainable development suited to our own needs, circumstances and genius. This is not an easy task for an emerging economy. We want to strike a careful balance between our needs of today and those of our future generations.
We have formulated an ambitious National Action Plan on Climate Change that is intimately linked to our energy security. We have launched a National Solar Mission that aims to build a capacity of 20,000 MW of solar power by the year 2022. There are national missions on water, green India, energy efficiency and on sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem.
I believe that it is vital for any country to keep its development options open. That is why we worked so hard on a civil nuclear initiative that has opened the doors for India to develop the option of clean nuclear energy as an important plank of our energy security.
Indian thinkers and leaders—names like Rabindranath Tagore and Jawaharalal Nehru easily spring to mind—have always been inspired by a global humanist vision.
As India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru reminded us, the advancement of the nation—important though it is—must be viewed as a step to a better world for all of humanity.
We seek to continue this great tradition by being good global citizens. We seek cooperative frameworks that will enable us to be active members of groupings and communities in our neighborhood and region. We will work closely with countries in the regions around us - South Asia, South-East Asia, West Asia, Central Asia and the Indian Ocean littoral.
Our desire for openness has encouraged us to work with ASEAN towards an India-ASEAN comprehensive cooperation agreement. We have also finalised an India-Malaysia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, which will be signed shortly. Going beyond regional openness, we will work with Malaysia and other likeminded nations to strengthen the global multilateral trading system.
The basic objective of our development processes is to realize the values and ideals on which our Republic was founded. Our development efforts reflect and reinforce our ideals of equality, the right to a life of dignity and well being and brotherhood among all nations of the world.
When I was a student, few ever dreamt that India or China or other Asian nations would catch up with the industrialized world. Today, few doubt that a fundamental change in the global economy is underway. Dynamic emerging countries are growing rapidly despite a period of slow growth in the industrialized world. There is also a discernible shift in economic power towards Asia. India and Malaysia are both playing an important role in this process but more can be done.
I see many possibilities of synergy between India and Malaysia in the years ahead. We can learn lessons from each other’s development experience. I am confident that we can greatly accelerate the pace of our bilateral economic engagement to our mutual benefit.
We face similar threats to our prosperity. We have a shared stake in eliminating the threats of extremism and terrorism; in maritime security in our region and the security of the sea-lanes of communication. We can make common cause to promote regional peace, security and stability.
I have spoken today about many things that bring us together and that can continue to keep us together. Indeed, there is no issue that divides us at present.
We seek with Malaysia a relationship of trust, goodwill and mutual interest.
I am convinced that if this and future generations of Indians and Malaysians remain true to the ideals of those who secured our national independence and forged our new nationhood, we will continue to prosper as good neighbours. Together we can and we will contribute to the prosperity of Asia and the world.
I wish the people of Malaysia peace, prosperity and happiness.”
*****
AD/SH/LV
(Release ID :66597)
Malaysia, like India, had a prolonged experience of colonial rule. Today, your country is a vibrant, fast-growing economy and a hub of regional integration. The Straits of Malacca today is the world’s busiest shipping corridor. I pay tribute to your leaders who have brought about this transformation since Malaysia’s independence.
After gaining independence in 1947, India’s principal challenge was to fulfill the aspirations of such a large and diverse society and civilisation that is home to all the great religions of the world, and has been so for many centuries.
Our founding fathers worked to build a strong state and the organs of our fledgling democracy. In the process, we built a diversified industrial base. We developed strong scientific capabilities, including high quality technical manpower.
Over time our growth began to lag behind that of other newly industrializing countries of Asia. Our economy got stifled with bureaucratic control. We also fell behind countries like Malaysia in integrating into the global and regional value chains created by post-War industrialization.
Our own policies began to change, gradually at first in the 1980s and much more decisively in the 1990s. We liberalized the domestic economy and opened up to foreign trade and investment. We recognized the need to encourage market forces. The private sector was increasingly freed to get on with its business.
I nitially, these changes met with resistance. But over time they came to be widely accepted, especially after the economy began growing at over 7% per annum from 1994. There has been no fundamental change in the direction of these policies since then and they enjoy broad domestic support regardless of party affiliation.
The economic reforms of the 1990s unleashed the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of Indian industry. Year after year we have seen first generation entrepreneurs taking risks, creating new business opportunities and getting plugged into this borderless world of the global economy. These new entrepreneurs are truly the children of economic liberalisation of the 1990s and have been an important factor behind India’s fast growth in recent times.
India’s growth has combined greater openness with an ability to withstand external turbulence. We were not buffeted by the East Asian crisis in 1997 primarily because our capital account was not as open as in many other countries in East Asia and our banking system had very little exposure to short term debt, which was the main source of volatility in 1997.
More recently, India’s economic performance has shown further improvement. The gross national product of India grew at over 9.5% per annum for three consecutive years starting in 2005. After the global financial crisis exploded in 2008, our growth rate slowed down but India was even then among the three or four fastest growing nations in the world. We took a number of promotional measures to stimulate the economy and we expect 8.5% growth in the current year.
I wish to reflect on some key features of the new phase in India’s economic development.
First, India seeks rapid economic growth that will create wealth for our people and also generate surpluses to fund our ambitious social development programmes, particularly in the areas of health, education and environment protection.
Second, we seek growth that creates employment and development that is socially and regionally balanced and inclusive.
Third, we seek to build a modern, knowledge and science-based economy to complement our agricultural and industrial base.
Fourth, we want our development to be sustainable so that the wealth of our natural resources is conserved for future generations as a matter of trust. Fifth, we seek a cooperative relationship with our neighbours and other partners so that we can prosper and benefit from one another’s development.
Finally, India seeks to realize its development ambitions within the framework of a plural and secular democracy, where each citizen should have equal opportunity for economic, social and cultural advancement.
India’s biggest asset is its people. At a time when the industrialised world is aging rapidly, India has the advantage of a young population. The dependency burden in India is expected to keep falling for at least another 20 years. It is expected that, in 2020, the average age of an Indian will be 29 years, compared to 37 for China and 48 for Japan.
But, a young population is an asset only if it is educated, skilled and finds productive employment. If this were to happen, our objective of realizing India`s potential to grow at 10% or more per annum for a substantial period of time can indeed become a reality. Rapid economic development requires high rates of savings and investment. For a long time it used to be the common wisdom that only an East Asian country could save and invest more than 30% of its national income. If that be true then, geography notwithstanding, India is today an East Asian country! India now saves and invests well over 30% of its GDP. In addition, our financial system – including the banking sector and the capital markets – is strong. This has helped support a boom in domestic investment. Domestic investment is complemented by strong Foreign Direct Investment flows which we greatly welcome.
Over the past few years we have initiated a number of far-reaching programmes that have the potential to change the face of rural India and to make our growth truly more inclusive. These cover rural health, employment guarantee, urban reforms and build up of rural infrastructure and focus on people’s participation and empowerment and the quality of public services.
Inadequate infrastructure is a major constraint on our performance and we are determined to overcome it. In the eleventh Five Year Plan that ends in next year, we had targeted investment in infrastructure at 500 billion US dollars. We hope to step this up to one trillion US dollars in the 12th Five Year Plan. Malaysia has well known strengths in building infrastructure and we welcome greater Malaysian participation in this important sector of our economy.
There are big plans afoot in India to set up special investment funds that can be used to finance long-gestation infrastructure projects. We hope to attract Indian and international funding into these projects.
More than half of our population depends on agriculture for the bulk of their income. We are increasing our investment in agriculture. We hope to use our scientific capabilities to create a new growth momentum in agriculture through a second green revolution. This is vital for our food security and to ensure an inclusive growth process.
The future of the global economy in the 21st century lies in the knowledge economy. We are working to strengthen our competitive advantage in this area. We have increased the expenditure on Science & Technology as a proportion of our GDP. We are investing heavily in both basic and higher education. For the last fifty years, India had seven Indian Institutes of Technology and one Indian Institute of Science. In the last five years we have established eight new IITs and five more Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research. Both higher education and the Information Technology sectors are promising areas for India-Malaysia cooperation.
We would like our development processes to be sustainable. We do not wish to go down the path followed by the highly industrialised countries. We seek a model of sustainable development suited to our own needs, circumstances and genius. This is not an easy task for an emerging economy. We want to strike a careful balance between our needs of today and those of our future generations.
We have formulated an ambitious National Action Plan on Climate Change that is intimately linked to our energy security. We have launched a National Solar Mission that aims to build a capacity of 20,000 MW of solar power by the year 2022. There are national missions on water, green India, energy efficiency and on sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem.
I believe that it is vital for any country to keep its development options open. That is why we worked so hard on a civil nuclear initiative that has opened the doors for India to develop the option of clean nuclear energy as an important plank of our energy security.
Indian thinkers and leaders—names like Rabindranath Tagore and Jawaharalal Nehru easily spring to mind—have always been inspired by a global humanist vision.
As India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru reminded us, the advancement of the nation—important though it is—must be viewed as a step to a better world for all of humanity.
We seek to continue this great tradition by being good global citizens. We seek cooperative frameworks that will enable us to be active members of groupings and communities in our neighborhood and region. We will work closely with countries in the regions around us - South Asia, South-East Asia, West Asia, Central Asia and the Indian Ocean littoral.
Our desire for openness has encouraged us to work with ASEAN towards an India-ASEAN comprehensive cooperation agreement. We have also finalised an India-Malaysia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, which will be signed shortly. Going beyond regional openness, we will work with Malaysia and other likeminded nations to strengthen the global multilateral trading system.
The basic objective of our development processes is to realize the values and ideals on which our Republic was founded. Our development efforts reflect and reinforce our ideals of equality, the right to a life of dignity and well being and brotherhood among all nations of the world.
When I was a student, few ever dreamt that India or China or other Asian nations would catch up with the industrialized world. Today, few doubt that a fundamental change in the global economy is underway. Dynamic emerging countries are growing rapidly despite a period of slow growth in the industrialized world. There is also a discernible shift in economic power towards Asia. India and Malaysia are both playing an important role in this process but more can be done.
I see many possibilities of synergy between India and Malaysia in the years ahead. We can learn lessons from each other’s development experience. I am confident that we can greatly accelerate the pace of our bilateral economic engagement to our mutual benefit.
We face similar threats to our prosperity. We have a shared stake in eliminating the threats of extremism and terrorism; in maritime security in our region and the security of the sea-lanes of communication. We can make common cause to promote regional peace, security and stability.
I have spoken today about many things that bring us together and that can continue to keep us together. Indeed, there is no issue that divides us at present.
We seek with Malaysia a relationship of trust, goodwill and mutual interest.
I am convinced that if this and future generations of Indians and Malaysians remain true to the ideals of those who secured our national independence and forged our new nationhood, we will continue to prosper as good neighbours. Together we can and we will contribute to the prosperity of Asia and the world.
I wish the people of Malaysia peace, prosperity and happiness.”
*****
AD/SH/LV
(Release ID :66597)
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