Rajasthan Makes Pitch to Pravasi Divas Delegates

JAIPUR , Rajasthan

The Rajasthan Government Jan. 7 utilized the platform of the 10th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to project the desert state before the global delegates as an emerging hub of solar power generation.

Participating in a seminar on solar energy on the opening day of the three-day meet here, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot gave a detailed account of the fast-changing scenario in the solar power sector in the state and his government’s steps for its promotion, while Union Minister of Renewable and Non-Conventional Energy Dr. Farooq Abdullah also hailed the efforts of the state government.

Gehlot said the state is being developed as a solar energy hub which would help it to become a power plus-state by 2013 and also provide energy to the entire country.

He invited overseas Indians to be part of this process and assured them that necessary infrastructure and regulatory mechanisms will be provided for investors.

Gehlot said power generation capacity in the state through non-conventional sources — wind and biomass — had reached 1,891 megawatts. The state government was determined to develop Rajasthan as a leading solar energy producer.

He said there were immense possibilities for solar energy generation in the state, which has large tracts of low cost, flat, undeveloped land and high solar radiation.

Studies have shown that solar radiation in the state is comparable to deserts of California, Nevada, Colorado and Arizona, the chief minister said.

The state also has large amounts of natural resources — zinc and salt — which make conditions ideal for development of solar power, he added.

Gehlot said the state government had taken many important steps in this sector that include formulation of the Solar Energy Policy 2011 with an aim to set up private sector solar projects and achieve maximum production of solar energy under the Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission.

Connectivity will generate economic vibrancy: Bangladesh

South Asian News Agency (SANA)
January 13, 2012 ⋅

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says connectivity between India and Bangladesh, particularly with the north-eastern States, including Tripura, would generate tremendous economic vibrancy, leading to peoples’ empowerment and region’s development.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says the connectivity between India and Bangladesh, particularly with the north-eastern States, including Tripura, would generate tremendous economic vibrancy, leading to peoples’ empowerment and overall development of the region.

Ms. Hasina, who was on a two-day visit to Tripura, urged India, Nepal and Bhutan to make the best use of Chittagong and Mongla ports, which Bangladesh had already opened for these neighbouring countries, to access the sea route for their trade and commercial activities.

“Physical connectivity with countries in the South Asian region and beyond has become a major drive of my foreign policy,” Ms. Hasina said in her speech after being conferred the honorary D. Litt (Honoris Causa) degree at the 9th convocation of Tripura University. The degree was formally handed over to her by Vice-President M. Hamid Ansari.

She expressed confidence that initiative with Tripura, including the Akhaura-Agartala rail link; operation of Ashuganj as a multimodal trans-shipment point under the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade for transportation of Indian goods to Agartala; transportation of Over Dimensional Cargo for the Palatana power project; the bridge over Feni river; use of Chittagong and Mongla Ports by India, Nepal and Bhutan; operation of the Ramgarh-Sabroom Land Custom Station; four new border haats (markets); when implemented would enhance Tripura’s development.

Later at the civic reception accorded to her by the Agartala Municipal Corporation at Assam Rifles ground, Ms. Hasina said Bangladesh was keen to undertake a joint venture project for power generation through utilisation of the vast natural gas reserve in Tripura and that once such projects were realised, her country would also buy power from them. She also said that four new border haats would be set up by India and Bangladesh to facilitate trade.

Identifying poverty as the biggest common enemy of India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan, the Bangladesh Prime Minister said although national efforts to eliminate it were important, it was not possible without regional prosperity and economic development, which in turn was not possible without an excellent network of connectivity of roads, railways, waterways and close people-to-people contact.

In his address at the convocation, Mr. Ansari said Bangladesh provided critical links to the economy, ecology and environment of the north-east region. He said India was committed to fashioning economic and trade arrangements, not only for ensuring closer integration of the region with the national economy, but also with the neighbouring economies.

Vice-Chancellor of Tripura University Professor Arunoday Saha said the conferment of the honorary D. Litt on Ms. Hasina was in acknowledgement of her contribution to peace, development and women empowerment in the sub-continent. The convocation was also addressed by Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, Tripura Governor D.Y. Patil, and Chancellor of Tripura University A.K. Bagchi

MAKAR SANKRANTI Usher spring with joy


BY Swami Tejomayananda

In India, festivals are not only known for the celebrations and festivities of joy, but also for their spiritual significance, inspiring us to raise the standard of our lives. Rather than merely exhausting ourselves physically and mentally, festivals purify the mind, enabling us to face life with more enthusiasm.
As the sun slowly makes its way towards the north, the chill of winter subsides and the warmth of spring is felt by all of nature. There is freshness in the air as flowers bloom, fruits ripen, and the Koel bird sings. It is time to celebrate the coming of spring — Makar Sankranti.
Makar Sankranti, predominantly a harvest festival, is celebrated all over the country in numerous ways and for various reasons. The story goes, that to liberate his ancestors from the curse of Sage Kapila, King Bhagirathi had performed a great penance, appealing to Mother Ganga to liberate them. It is on this day the She descended on Earth from the matted locks of Lord Shiva, washing the ashes of the king’s ancestors. One can infer from this that only by living a noble life of high ideals can we get the requisite knowledge (Ganga) to wash over our acts of ignorance.
In Sanskrit, “makar” means crocodile and sankranti means a “turning” or a “complete revolution”. The crocodile of samsara (rebirth) keeps us firm in its grip. To turn away from its clutches is the way to salvation. The essence of Makar Sankranti is therefore, a revolutionary change in life from the materialistic outlook to a more spiritual and holistic outlook.
Every individual is averse to sorrow and pain, yet we experience it almost always. It is because we tend to seek happiness in material objects. However, one must understand that sorrow and pain are mere projections — though very effective — of the mind. An internal problem cannot be solved by an external solution. The scriptures liken this to the movements of the sun. A man who is living a life of mere materiality, without a sense of higher purpose is compared to the rising and setting of the sun. In reality, the sun neither rises nor sets; it only appears to do so. Similarly, fleeting is our happiness, it will be here today, gone tomorrow. The wise man understands this. He aims to transcend all limitations, to be free and to rejoice in its warmth. The scriptures compare this to the sun’s northern movements — the bringer of warmth, light and with it the freshness of life.
This Makar Sankranti, with our mind focused on the Lord, let us transcend and rise above our own limitations to enjoy the freedom that is ours.

Swami Tejomayananda, head of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide, is an orator, poet, singer, composer and storyteller. To find out more about Chinmaya Mission and Swamiji, visit

www.chinmayamission.com

A jewel in our crown

Hindustan Times

January 12, 2012

Today, India's North-east has everything going right for it. Just as the world is looking at India, India in turn, is looking towards the North-east. The region must cash in on this moment.
Infotech giant IBM has plans to open a regional office in Guwahati by 2013 and the Taj Group of Hotels has already opened its budget hotels (Ginger) in Agartala and Guwahati. There are many other business groups looking for land in Shillong, Gangtok and Guwahati. Local players are also in the race, many running homestay accommodations with passion. Even a place like Manipur, which wears the ugly hat of being 'the most disturbed state in India', now boasts of its first deluxe hotel.

There is no reason why tourists wouldn't want to holiday here. If, for instance, tourists can queue up to see stalactites and stalagmite caves in the Philippines that are roughly 12.6 km long, I have no doubt that tourists would also love the caves in Meghalaya, which are more than 25 km in length and way more spectacular. If tourists enjoy the sunrise at Indonesia's Borobudur temple, they might also enjoy praying in Sikkim's 16th century Rumtek monastery.

Often described as the Gateway to Southeast Asia, the importance of the region becomes pronounced as the government's Look East policy gains momentum. But the region must insist that it should not be used merely as a corridor; the government must invest in developing its infrastructure.

Thailand is looking at the North-east as a new market for investment and at Upper Assam as a part of their Buddhist tourism circuit. Thailand has identified core sectors like tourism, infrastructure and aviation in the North-east for possible investment. Malaysia's budget airlines, Air Asia, may start a service between Thailand and Guwahati soon.

To build on its strength, the North-east must utilise every penny it gets from the Centre. The 2011-12 outlay for the region is R8,000 crore. In addition, there is R1,550 crore for infrastructure development allocated to the ministry of development for northeastern region.

It is also time for peace. For this, the people must stop bickering among themselves. For example, Mizoram's road to prosperity began in 1986 when Mizo leader Pu Laldenga, who led the Mizo National Front, signed the Mizo accord. Other states like Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam and Tripura have fewer internal problems as compared to Manipur, which was termed as a 'land of jewels' by Jawaharlal Nehru. In the coming election, the Manipuris must vote sensibly for a competent leader.

In Nagaland, the Nagas are enjoying 'temporary peace'. The Music Task Force, a brainchild of the present chief minister, encourages the Nagas to sing professionally for peace. But peace and reconciliation must never be at the cost of other. There must be no ultimatum that peace for Nagas can happen only when the demand for Greater Nagaland is granted. There are far too many dangerous consequences if all demands made are met.

And if there is any room for logical argument, would it not be better for the people of North-east to learn to live in harmony?

Hoihnu Hauzel is a Delhi-based writer. The views expressed by the author are person

Marwari mood sombre ahead of Bengal govt's investor summit

BS Reporters / Kolkata January 07, 2012, 0:16 IST

Ahead of the West Bengal government’s investor meet, Bengal Leads, on Monday, the mood among Marwari industrialists here is low. Some will make it to the meet, but most will be “travelling” and have not “prioritised” the event.

A muted response is expected on the back of a general mood of disappointment, defined by the treatment given to the non-executive directors of AMRI who happen to be promoters of the Emami and Shrachi groups and are in jail, vis-a-vis the four directors who happen to be Bengal’s and include the managing director and chairman.The AMRI hospital fire that claimed 90 lives on the morning of December 9 is threatening to engulf chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s much-promised Bengal resurgence.

A city-based businessman, who owns a group exceeding Rs 1,100 crore and was until a while ago a common fixture at Banerjee’s events said he was just not interested in any investment summit.

“The mood is one of gloom and doom. In the middle of all this, who is interested in Bengal Leads? We are still discussing a possibility of a collective action aimed at side-stepping the summit. Many will make themselves scarce,” he said.

Most say the state government’s discrimination in handling the AMRI case is too stark to overlook. Banerjee’s response to a Ficci plea, in favour of a fair trial for the AMRI directors, has made it worse. “A chamber has said that the directors of AMRI should be released. I want to tell them that we want industry here, but we do not want industry that will kill people. Terrorists are terrorists. From this chair, I cannot be a sympathiser. Even I have limits, but the law will take its own course,” Banerjee said a couple of days before.

Most Marwaris have put expansion plans on hold, forget fresh investment. Some are even considering stepping down from the boards of companies where they serve as independent directors.

West Bengal commerce and industry minister Partha Chatterjee is aware of the feeling among the state's largest investor community. "I know why they are feeling like this, But I am in touch with them and have asked them to continue investing in Bengal. As far as AMRI is concerned, the matter is sub judice and law will take its own course," he said.

Certainly, no one intends to do anything in the healthcare sector in a long time. Some trusts have already closed hospitals not subscribing to the fire safety rules. At least half a dozen hospitals in the old northern part of Kolkata have paused operations due to fear of ramifications in case of an AMRI-like tragedy. Some like Vishudanand have opened their doors again under pressure from the government, which has promised support for upgradation to conform to the fire norms.

According to Pushkarlal Kedia, president of the Marwari Relief Society, a trust which manages at least a couple of hospitals, the management is scared of a disaster that might occur on the premises. “We are all scared of what will happen to us in case anything untoward were to happen,” he said.

Most hospitals like these are run by charitable trusts, on an upkeep of Rs 40-50 lakh a month. All this money is raised through donations, most coming from the Marwari community. Among the hospitals which have already expressed concern to the government in this regard are the Marwari Relief Society Hospital, Vishudhanand Hospital, Vishuddhananda Saraswati Marwari Hospital, Matri Mangal Hospital, Lohia Hospital and Ashram Bhiwaniwala Hospital.

“I know traditional Marwari families who are selling properties in Bengal, at any price. People don’t want to take risks. At the end of the day, we now know where we stand,” a businessman said.

Teesta water issue: A few hard facts

Barrister Harun Ur Rashid
Pakistan Observer

The Indian prime minister’s visit to Bangladesh is considered a failure in public perception in Bangladesh because it was much hyped as one that would resolve the long-standing water-sharing issue on the Teesta River.

Although there were many productive agreements signed during the visit they were overshadowed by failure to sign a promised deal on water-sharing of the Teesta River.For the people of Bangladesh, water-sharing of trans-boundary rivers is very important as 54 major rivers flow from India to Bangladesh.

India reportedly withdraws water from 43 common rivers through artificial structures, which is against good neighbourliness.Out of 54 major rivers, water-sharing agreement of only one riverthe Gangeswas signed in 1996 for a period of thirty years.Teesta is the most important river in northeast of Bangladesh.

It originates in the Sikkim Valley of the Himalayan Range within India. The entire rainfall runoff of this valley accumulates near Kalimpong of Darjeeling district in Paschimbanga (West Bengal).

The river enters Bangladesh near Tin Bigha of Lalmonirhat district and, according to one river expert, the total length is about 315 km (some say 400 km), out of which 129 km (some say 172 km) is in Bangladesh.Its summer flow, according to one estimate, is reportedly about 280,000 cusecs and minimum flow is about 10,000 cusecs.

At Kaunia road bridge in Rangpur district in Bangladesh, there is a water level and discharge measuring station for the Teesta River.

About 21 million Bangladeshi people live in the basin of river Teesta while only 8 million live in West Bengal and half a million live in Sikkim state. The population ration is 70 for Bangladesh and 30 for India.India has built a barrage at Gazaldoba from which 85% of water flow is diverted from Teesta River without Bangladesh’s consent.

When Bangladesh needs water in dry season it does not get it, but when it does not need water during summer and monsoon it gets enough of it to the point of flooding, destroying houses, roads and riverbanks and embankments.

Accordingly, sharing of water of the rivers is necessary in the dry season.Bangladesh has to irrigate 632, 000 hectares of farming land with water from the Teesta and during the dry season. Since Sikkim and West Bengal withdraw water from the Teesta, the flow has been drastically reduced to the detriment of the Bangladeshi farmers.

Initially, Dhaka proposed equal sharing of Teesta water, keeping 20% for river flow. This means the sharing would be out of 80% and Bangladesh would get 40% and India 40%. But India wanted 55%. Furthermore, India wanted a 15-year agreement on water-sharing of the Teesta River.It was reported in the media in June 2011 that the two sides agreed that India would get 42.5% and Bangladesh 37.5%.

The Teesta river accord could not be signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Dhaka visit last September due to last-minute opposition from Paschimbanga Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.It is reported that when India’s National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon provided the water division figure during a meeting to West Bengal Congress lawmaker Abu Hashem Khan Chowdhury, he was opposed to the figure and wrote a letter to the Indian PM conveying his fear that the water-sharing agreement might affect the agriculture of West Bengal “adversely.”Lawmaker Chowdhury told the BBC in early September that India would retain 75% of Teesta river water while Bangladesh would receive 25%.

He reportedly said: “Presently, we are taking only 39% of Teesta water. But after the agreement we will get 75%. So, it will be very beneficial.”Ms. Mamata Banerjee reportedly had said after meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni in November last year that she had appointed an expert committee to study the Teesta water-sharing issue. West Bengal River expert Kalyan Rudra, who heads the committee set up by the West Bengal government on November 15, 2011 to find an acceptable solution to the Teesta water issue, was scheduled to submit his report by December 2011, but he reportedly failed to submit it and wanted more time.

It is not known when Rudra will submit the report.In recent times, tension has increased between Congress Party and Trinimool Congress.

The survival of Manmohan Singh’s 20-party coalition government depends on the support of 19 MPs from the Trinimool Congress. Therefore, New Delhi cannot afford to politically annoy Ms. Banerjee.

Coalition governments everywhere suffer conflicting pressures from different party components, and the Teesta water-sharing appears to have become a victim of political maneuvering between New Delhi and Kolkata. Interestingly, records tell us that Bangladesh could not sign any water agreement either with the Congress or BJP-led government in New Delhi.—Agencies

Meet the Lamas

by Bhupesh Bhandari

New Delhi January 12, 2012, 0:31 IST

My favourite story of the Dalai Lama concerns the 13th incarnate: in 1907, two British soldiers posted on Sikkim’s border with Tibet woke up one night when a couple of ragtag men banged at the door of their chowki. It was the Dalai Lama, on the run from Lhasa, which had been taken over by Chinese imperial troops. The Tibetan party was reassured at the sight of the two British rifles at the outpost, and the Dalai Lama slept peacefully in the thought that these were good enough to engage Chinese bounty hunters. The next morning, the two British soldiers slung their rifles over their shoulders and escorted the Dalai Lama to a safe place. They never told the Dalai Lama that they didn’t have any ammunition for the rifles. “Thank heaven we have got the Boss of Tibet off our bally hands safe and sound,” one of the two remarked.

This incident pretty well sums up the life of the Dalai Lama: hunted, naïve, and often powerless. Tibet has been an easy hunting ground for the Chinese, Mongol, British Indian and Nepalese armies. Is it because of Buddhism, the religion they practise, which makes them inherently non-violent? Yes and no. No because Buddhist Tibet has a violent history. In the middle ages, the Tibetan armies marched all over China. Monastic schools were often at war with each other. Intrigue and murder were common among the rulers, including the highest Lamas. No also because violence was a way of life for a section of Tibetan society: the Khampas, the residents of the province of Kham in the east. They wore long matted hair, moved around with swords and knives, and never thought twice before they waylaid unsuspecting travellers — often Indians on their way to Mansarovar and Kailash.

Sam Van Schaik’s forte is early Tibetan history. He lays out in good detail how Buddhism spread in Tibet. Buddhism, like Hinduism, is a great assimilator. Bon, the ancient religion of Tibet, has thus become a school of Buddhism. Schaik’s understanding of Tibetan Buddhism, and the Indian influences, is deep. But one could argue with his focus on the high Lamas. True, the Lamas, and the various schools, have shaped Tibet’s history. But it would have helped if he had talked about Tibetan society at large. Were they farmer-warriors? What made them daredevil merchants? (In Kumaon, cantankerous grandmothers are often threatened that they’ll be put in a Lama merchant’s bag — you never know where he’ll go next!)

How did excessive monasticism shape Tibetan society? There came a time when more than half the people of Tibet were in monasteries. Homosexuality was rampant in the monasteries, and so was polyandry in the villages. Heinrich Harrer, an Austrian prisoner of war during World War II who had escaped from Dehra Dun and walked all the way to Lhasa and spent seven years there (he died six years ago), found the Lamas soft and plump. They were clearly not used to hard physical work — most of the monasteries had their own agricultural estates and there were farmers who cultivated the fields and harvested the crops. So, was it a serf-and-master relationship? Bits about the aam admi would have helped.

It is perhaps Schaik’s expertise in old Tibet that makes him compress recent (the last 200 years or so) history. The Pundits, or British-Indian spies, who travelled across Tibet, capturing every distance they covered and measuring every height they climbed using ingenious methods, barely get a mention. Nain Singh, the Pundit of Pundits (Pundits because the first few of them were schoolteachers) who travelled to Tibet thrice in disguise, was an avid diary writer. His diaries carry amazing details of life in Tibet. The diaries kept by his nephew, Kishan Singh, are lost. His descendants claim that the diaries are under lock and key in the foreign office malkhana because the Pundit had seen 125 years ago that Tibetan border check posts were manned by the Chinese. This would run counter to India’s claim that Tibet was never a part of China. India has now done a course correction and says Tibet is an autonomous part of China!

Schaik would have also done well to touch upon some recent controversies. For centuries, Tibet was closed to foreigners. Though a few enthusiastic Jesuits reached Lhasa and saw great hope in converting the heathens, most others couldn’t cross the borders. Alexandra David-Neel’s claim that she reached Lhasa dressed as a native was later called a hoax by many. Recent accounts also say that William Moorcroft, the veterinarian (and ladies’ man to boot) who travelled to Mansarovar under disguise (a gosain named Purangiri) and was learnt to have died in Afghanistan, faked his death and was seen in Lhasa!

Still, Schaik does full justice to the infamous 1903 expedition to Lhasa led by explorer and unabashed imperialist Francis Younghusband. Calcutta was alarmed at the growing clout of a Russian monk called Dorjiev (some texts refer to him as Dorjieff) at the Dalai Lama’s Potala palace. Rumours were spread that he was the Czar’s agent and had brought a huge cache of Russian rifles to Lhasa. The Great Game was being played out at the roof of the world. Younghusband did reach Lhasa (via Shigatse), with his Gurkha and Sikh troops and Maxim machine guns, killing hundreds, but found no trace of Russian rifles. An out-of-body experience at Lhasa made him an Orientalist. Was it revelation or guilty conscience in disguise?

TIBET: A HISTORY
Sam Van Schaik
Amaryllis
411 pages; Rs 695

source: Business Standard

North East Food Processing Expo at NEDFi haat, Guwahati from January 16 2012

Times of India | TNN | Jan 10, 2012, 10.54AM IST


With a view to promote the food processing industry of the eight northeastern states, Neramac (North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation), an initiative of the Centre, will organize the North East Food Processing Expo at NEDFi haat at Ambari in the city from January 16.

Leading and upcoming food processing industries from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura have confirmed their participation in the event, sponsored by the ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER). The expo, to be inaugurated by state agriculture minister Nilamani Sen Deka on January 16, will have first generation entrepreneurs on agri-business showcasing and selling their exotic produce and products.

Addressing the media on the four-day expo here on Monday, managing director of Neramac S Bhattacharjee said, "This initiative will provide a platform to the tiny and small food processing units of the northeastern region to showcase their expertise on food processing in the region. We at Neramac are constantly trying to intervene and support these entrepreneurs in providing a good market for their produce and products, and, thereby, earn profits to sustain their operations through value addition in the region."

100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment in single-brand retail trading

New Delhi, Jan 10: The Government, which has been facing flak for ‘policy paralysis’, on Tuesday notified 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment in single-brand retail trading – moving a step forward in opening up of the retail sector.


This FDI limit is up from the extant ceiling of 51 per cent. Investments will be through the Government approval route.

The move will enable multinational majors such as Louis Vuitton, LLadro, Nike, Adidas, Fendi, Gucci and Toyota to fully own and control their operations in India.

China's Pipeline in Myanmar

 

By Shivananda H

 

January 10, 2012

In order to meet energy demands in its resource-crunched eastern, southern and central parts, China is constructing oil and gas pipelines in Myanmar, almost reaching to the seashores of Bay of Bengal. Currently, the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), in agreement with the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) and the Myanmar state security forces, is engaged in laying a 982 km (620 miles) long crude oil pipeline from Kyaukpyu Port on the western coast of Arakan State linking Kunming after entering the border city of Ruili in Yunnan Province of China at a cost of US $2.5 billion. Concurrently, they are also constructing another gas pipeline, capable of delivering 12 bn cm of natural gas per year, from Shwe Gas off the Arakan coast up to Kunming. At the same time, a deep underwater crude oil unloading port and oil storage facility is being constructed at Maday Island (Arakan Coast) to serve as terminus for the tankers coming from West Asia and Africa.
The tri-project is expected to be completed by March 2012. However, China’s energy infrastructure outside its territory, particularly in Myanmar, is becoming increasingly vulnerable to sabotages and local opposition. The northern part of the Shan State in Myanmar, through which the pipelines are suppose to pass, are insurgency prone areas and yet to be secured by the Myanmar security forces.
Strategically, these pipelines will enable China to bypass the Strait of Malacca and cut the shipping distance by 1200 km. China is planning to bring in 20 million tonnes annually or 240,000 barrels per day of crude oil through Myanmar with tax concessions and customs clearance rights from the Myanmar government. Such developments would also be advantageous to China in terms of reaching out to the Indian Ocean. This may enable China in future to exercise greater influence in the South Asian region, much to the discomfiture of India; and, to counter the US naval presence in the Indian Ocean region.

As per media reports, there has been extensive acquisition of land by force besides violation of human rights and exploitation of locals at the pipeline construction sites. It has rendered the locals jobless, mainly the villagers of Kyaukpyu area, as their main livelihood was agriculture. It has angered the local masses, who have started protesting against the pipeline project. Generally, protestations by locals against initiation of such projects have been a common trend as it causes adjustment problems due to socio-economic changes in addition to displacement. The pipeline projects have become a sensitive issue in view of local resentment over the Chinese-sponsored dam projects in the recent past.
In September 2011, mass public protests had led to the revoking of the Myitsone mega-dam project on the Irrawaddy River at the confluence of the Mali River and the N'Mai River, about 42 km north of Myitkyina, capital of Kachin State, by President Thein Sein. It is understood that repetition of such incidents could be a setback for China’s growing energy interests in the country. As a mitigation measure, the CNPC is planning to give $6 million to Myanmar as aid and has already given $ 1.3 million to build schools in the project affected areas.
Myanmar is expected to earn US $1 billion annually as foreign exchange for three decades by the above project. However, the security of the pipeline remains doubtful. About half of the pipelines pass through insurgency prone areas of the northern Shan State, noted for frequent encounters between the armed ethnic groups and the Tatmadaw Army (Myanmar armed forces). Amongst the various insurgent groups active in northern Myanmar, the United Wa State Army (UWSA), the largest of all with approximate strength of 30,000 troops, and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) with about 10,000 troops, have refused to accept the ceasefire offer of the Myanmar government including the offer to joint the Border Guard Force (BGF) under Tatmadaw command. The confrontation between the UWSA and the Tatmadaw has escalated in the recent past and the Chinese are very concerned since further deadlock between the two could harm the safety of the pipelines. For instance, the Konkan incident of August 2009 in the northern Shan State, when ethnic insurgent groups clashed with the Tatmadaw, had resulted in the destruction of heavy goods and infrastructure and cross-border migration of about 13,000 Myanmarese people in the Yunnan province of China. The Chinese linkages with the UWSA, especially its role in procurement of illegal arms for the insurgent group, are well known. As clashes between the armed militias and the Tatmadaw are likely to continue, the Chinese pipelines would remain vulnerable in times to come.
Furthermore, China is also engaged in constructing 810 km long railway line along the pipeline connecting Ruili in Southwestern Yunnan Province and Kyaukpyu Port along the Irrawaddy River, which is expected to be completed by 2013. Since its commencement from mid-2011, the railway line is half way through, crossing Mandalay towards the north. Building of railway tracks along the pipeline is justified by China as essential to transporting oil and petroleum to mainland China. The prospect of using the same for rapid mobilisation of troops in the name of securing its pipelines cannot be ruled out. It could also facilitate China in reaching out to the Indian Ocean.
The joint Sino-Myanmar military exercises conducted last year and increased cooperation, including frequent bilateral visits by military generals of the two countries, is also worth taking note of. As for India, it needs to keep a close watch on developments in Myanmar, especially pertaining China’s growing footprint in the country; and, accordingly enhance its preparedness to meet with any eventuality on its eastern front.
source:Institue of Defence Studies & Analysis

2011: A Strategic Survey

A. Vinod Kumar

January 4, 2012
The year 2011 will stand out in history as the year of the Arab Spring, when people in Northern Africa and West Asia rose up against tyranny and revolted for political emancipation. The upheaval in the Arab world inspired similar uprisings and outpourings across the world from Russia to China, and even in the world’s largest democracies. The year gone by, which marked the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the US, will also be remembered for Osama bin Laden’s killing, which dealt a severe blow on the al Qaeda terror network, and raised hopes of an impending decline of Islamic Jihad. One immediate fallout of Osama’s killing was the souring of US-Pakistan ties as Pakistan’s duplicity in the War on Terror was exposed. Needless to say, Southern Asia, especially the Af-Pak region, remained volatile with Afghanistan struggling to move towards stability and reconciliation with the Taliban, while Pakistan is simmering in intense civil-military strife. 2011 will be known for the economic crisis which has gripped Western economies and is likely to spread to the economies in Asia. Many of these trends will, in all likelihood, continue in 2012.
source:Institute of defence studies and Analysis

Southern IT, ITeS firms begin flight to Philippines

K. V. Kurmanath



Hyderabad, Jan 10: Worst fears of IT industry have come true. India’s preeminence as an information technology (IT) and IT-enabled services (ITeS) hub is under serious threat.

Business chamber Assocham has noticed a major flight of IT and BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) and medium enterprises from Hyderabad and Bangalore to the Philippines.

The industry also faces threat from competing locations such as Vietnam, China, Poland, Hungary, Mexico, Brazil and Egypt.

This trend, however, has not been observed in the National Capital Region and Pune, the other two major IT-ITeS hubs in the country.

“Current developments taking place in the southern part of the nation clearly indicate that India’s prominence as an IT and ITES hub is fast fading away. Numerous firms from Hyderabad are either already in the process of shifting or planning to shift to the Philippines alone. Smaller firms with 15-18 employees are leading this shift,” the chamber has said.

Eco Pulse

In its latest Eco Pulse study on ‘Sustaining India’s IT/ITeS Leadership’, Assocham said multitude of factors have been contributing to this outflow of firms.

Shortage of employees with suitable skill sets, lack of professional ethics, deficient infrastructure, law and order issues and shrinking margins in the light of increasing costs are the major reasons for this trend.

What lures these firms away from India?

“Driving forces are multitude. Ease of doing business, availability of abundant English speaking workforce at lower wages, better infrastructure and government incentives are some of them. It is time for Governments to quickly step in and take remedial measures on war footing to stop the outflow,” Mr D.S. Rawat, Secretary-General of Assocham, said.

The share of IT/ITeS sector in Gross Domestic Product has grown from 1.2 per cent in 1997-1998 to about 6.4 per cent in 2010-2011. Its share of India’s total exports has increased from less than 4 per cent in 1997-1998 to 26 per cent in 2010-2011.

India accounts for 55 per cent of global IT-ITES off-shoring market in 2010 against 49 per cent in 2005.

Look for Plan B

Assocham points out that capacity of Tier-I cities in providing infrastructure has reached its peak. These cities contribute over 90 per cent of all IT revenues. It is high time to develop infrastructure and ecosystem in Tier-II and Tier-III cities to make them alternative locations for the industry.

India is the success story of South Asia — that is a fact: David Miliband

How do you see the India-Pakistan relationship going? You have had discussions with leading political figures in both countries.

Well, India is the success story of South Asia — that is a fact. You can understand why there's huge frustration and pain associated with the way Pakistan has developed, and the sufferings being caused here from there. What I always say in Pakistan, very loudly, is that they have to deal with their own internal enemies, that the historic spectre that their enemy is their neighbour needs to be replaced by a recognition that their enemy is an internal one. And I always use every opportunity to say they still have responsibilities in respect of the Mumbai bombers [the terror attack of 26/11] and the prosecution of those associated with it.

I think from the outside, the recent Indian moves on trade and on support for Pakistan's place in the U.N. Security Council are extremely admirable and thoroughly to be commended. And it's precisely that kind of outreach that the region needs.

A few years ago, your remarks on Kashmir were not particularly welcomed by the Indian Foreign Ministry…

My remarks are always the same, which is that this is something that has to be resolved between the two countries. That's the truth of it.

The final question: you come here, you see, I suppose, two issues. One is you see high growth — and mass deprivation. You've been to some places — the real India — and witnessed it yourself. That's one issue. The other is the issue of corruption, which since your previous visit has assumed very major proportions. How do you react to this?

Anyone who comes to India sees a vibrant economy but also a vibrant political system. That is one of the great things about this country, that it has a vibrant political system, it's a standing testimony to the value that's placed on different opinions expressed often with great force and passion. Every democracy is trying to figure out, how to make its democracy work better. And it's interesting that every autocracy is having to recognise that the bar for accountable government is being raised. The taking into account of legitimate popular opinion is an increasingly important issue even in autocracies. But there are dysfunctions in all the democracies; we have to address them. In the Indian system, you've got your own debate about how best to do that; you don't want people coming from Britain to tell you how to do it!

But I think you probably do recognise that people from outside are passionate about the things written up in the Indian Constitution, such an inspiring document — which is about human rights, but it is about democracy, it is about pluralism, it is about the equal value of all of India's people. I'm sure it's right to take this corruption issue seriously, which obviously all the politicians are now doing. You'll have to figure out a way of doing it structurally — because if people lose faith in democracy, that's a very dangerous thing.

Exercise fifteen minutes a day to extend lifespan

DPA

source:The Hindu  

 Fifteen minutes of exercise a day made a surprising contribution to improving overall health, according to a study.

Taking a minimum of 15 minutes of exercise a day can extend life expectancy by up to three years, according to Germany’s Society of Neurologists and the Stroke Society.

A regular program of exercise can reduce the risk of stroke, cardiovascular illness, cancer and diabetes. The advice is based on a study of over 400,000 participants in Taiwan whose health status was checked regularly over eight years.

The study discovered that 15 minutes of exercise a day made a surprising contribution to improving overall health. The mortality rate for those who took the exercise was 14 per cent lower than the inactive participants.

Extrapolating the results over 30 years resulted in a projected extended life expectancy of three years as well as a reduced chance of developing cancer and diseases of the cardiovascular system. The conclusion was that the more a person exercises the less chance they have of falling ill.

The recommended 15 minutes a day is half what the World Health Organisation advises people to take.

Investing in 2012

By Dhirendra Kumar | Jan 5, 2012

This short article is about investing in 2012.

Actually, that doesn’t define the subject with enough precision. It could be about how investments will do in 2012; or, it could be about where to invest in 2012. Those are two different things.

About how investments will do in 2012, frankly, I don’t think it’s possible to make a prediction with any degree of precision. To anyone who is a knowledgeable and aware, and that would definitely include readers of this newspaper, the business and investment landscape would be familiar. Indian equities are looking decidedly downtrodden, but that’s not to say that they can’t be trodden upon even more. Declining corporate profits, worsening government finances, high interest rates and the constant overhang of further drama in Europe could well make things even more difficult in the coming year.


Indeed, the mood d’jour among the investment and business community is one of extraordinary pessimism. However, it’s entirely possible—I would say even probable—that this pessimism has now moved from being a rational response to real problems to being a sort of an irrational melancholy—the opposite of Alan Greenspan’s much maligned irrational exuberance.

One can only hope that this pessimism does not become self-fulfilling prophecy, which can easily happen. Among business decision makers as well investors, a widespread expectation of bad news will itself become the cause of bad news. My guess is that sooner rather than later—certainly, long before 2012 ends—there will be a change of perspective. Investors will start paying more attention to how reasonably-priced investments

At this juncture, one should step back and take in India’s economic history in large, ten-year swathes. If you select any ten-year period in the last forty years, there has always been a vast improvement. Were things better in 1970 or 1980? The answer is obviously yes. 1990 or 2000? 1984 or 1994? 2000 or 2010? It’s the same answer every time. When you stand back and take a ten-year perspective, the forward surge of Indian economy and businesses is always obvious. Certainly, some ten-year periods are better than others but the situation never regresses. Some might say that a ten-year period is too long, but that’s not much longer than what would qualify as an appropriate period for a long-term equity investment.

Now, it’s possible in theory that the next ten years will be different and the country will be much worse off in 2022 than it is now but I wouldn’t give too much to the chances of this happening.
That’s as far as the general investment environment goes. As far as the actual investment strategy for the individual investor goes, that’s no different for 2012 than it was for 2011 or for any other year. Investors should keep money they might need over about the next two years and keep that in fixed-income options like government small-savings schemes or debt mutual funds. Everything else that is for the longer-term should be invested gradually into equity-backed funds. The best way to do this is to choose a small number of balanced and/or diversified equity funds and invest through monthly SIPs. It’s a simple and effective strategy, and has the advantage of not changing from year to year.

‘India cannot take investments for granted'

by Rasheeda Bhagat

source; the hindubusinessline 

Mr Ram, Shriram, Founding Board Member, Google. Photo: S R Raghunathan

Europe is like one giant Museum… you have so many people over 60 who are unable to contribute to the economy, and very few people under 25-35 who have to pay for them. And nobody is willing to take the stand on cutting back on entitlements and benefits for these people. That in a nutshell is the European problem.

Mr Ram Shriram, a technology industry insider in the US for over 25 years and early investor and founder-director of Google, is the founder and managing partner of Sherpalo Ventures. In Chennai last week, addressing a group of CEOs and later in an interview to Business Line, he commented on how the mobile phone will next take the Internet to a global audience via smart phones, global economy and related issues.

Comments:

In this tough global environment have your criteria changed when it comes to investing in start-ups?

Yes; I have become much more cautious. It is hard to be cavalier in this environment, you have to be fairly calculating about what might work, what has decent prospects. We go through that constant arbitrage process.

Your comments on the global economic scenario in the immediate future.

The European crisis continues to fester. It has been brushed under the carpet, or, like a can, kicked down the road… which is let's postpone the crisis for the next year or the year after. And the US crisis has got worse because of the politics and no bills are getting passed. I don't have any great hopes for much action in 2012. We'll probably see two per cent anaemic growth.

Coming to Europe, think of it as a pension problem. Europe is like one giant Museum… you have so many people over 60 who are unable to contribute to the economy, and very few people under 25-35 who have to pay for them. And nobody is willing to take the stand on cutting back on entitlements and benefits for these people. That in a nutshell is the European problem.

In this context, how important is Asia, particularly India, and which regions will drive growth in the coming years?

The Asian region will definitely see investment coming, but India cannot take this for granted. Businesses are following what consumers are doing. The first part of the story is about the globality of the Internet. The growth markets include a large part of Africa and countries you'd have thought are backward. But the double-digit growth is coming from some of the smaller countries… Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Brazil. These are not countries you would have thought of as large growth countries. 10 years ago.

So that's the headline story, only because in some of the other developed markets the core Web-based Internet is saturated and the future story is about the mobile Internet.

Explain “globaility of the Internet”?

It means that empowerment of people. Even in a country like China… the truth is getting told by the people by various means even if the media is completely suppressed. So, enter the Twitter of China, something called the WiBbo. On it, people talk about train crashes directly reported from the scene of the crash so the Government has no time to manipulate the news and present it in their way.

A kid being run over in a street and the head rolling over three four times and the cars just driving by… which is an image of the real China today because everybody is rushing to their jobs, through their lives and they don't have the time to deal with just somebody dying on the road. That got reported on the WiBbo, which you will not see in the Xinhua news agency.

The other big part of the story is that in most of these developing countries, it's really about mobile Internet. They've bypassed physical Internet and gone straight to mobile Internet and there will be two billion plus mobile smartphone data users worldwide in another year. This is more number of people than are being served by electricity grids. They communicate through the cell phone; that is their computer.

User interface is changing too. It started with Qwerty keyboards and then it sort of went into text-based systems. All of you use SMS here. I still see a lot of SMS use in India.

But noticeably this time I had far less SMS spam than I am used to probably because I don't use my India phone that much.

And SMS spam has also been controlled by law here…

Okay, but what I do see is a movement towards sound- or voice-based interaction with your phone. You'll see more of that as well as movement-based and touch-based interaction. For those of you using androids and iPhones, everything is touch-based. This is the future. User interface is going from the world of text-based and graphical interfaces to sound, touch and movement.

You are from the media and another interesting shift is taking place in content delivery. We are used to a world where the content creator was the content controller. People who created content had the right of ownership. Well, that battle, that power, has shifted. Maybe not in India but in many Western markets and it will not be long before it happens here. And it will shift to the aggregator and he will be the controller of what happens.

The example of an aggregator is someone who collects news from around the world on the Internet and then displays it to you in a format that you need to have. All of us like different things. Some may like cricket, some others Bollywood, or local news or international news. Someone else might want to focus on what's happening in Russia.

That customisation is not possible in a newspaper format. It is only possible in an online format and the aggregator can do that best. So that's why you have two or three large aggregators. This means that the cost of content, which in the real world is the cost of reporters, printing presses, delivery, circulation and all that stuff, will only be marginal. In the digital world the marginal cost tends to move towards zero. I fear for that day because the quality of what we read will go down because we won't have really great journalists. I will miss not having the New York Times ten years from now and that will be a sad day.

How come all great innovations – an Apple, Google or Facebook – have happened only in the US and by non-Indians, when we Indians are such tech-savvy, smart people?

I think that will change. One, it is happening in the US because there is a much bigger market there. You can't expect those companies to be built out of India and serve the US market. But we can expect a company to develop out of India that could be a global-scale company, just like Infosys or Wipro was. That was my dream when I came to India 6-7 years ago, wanting to invest in India and I did, in many companies.

But the challenge has been that the Indian market itself hasn't been able to produce to scale for consumption by people in India. Maybe e-commerce might change that. In the world of advertising, so far the largest of those possibilities for me is a scale company, InMobi, which is growing very nicely with many smart Indians from IITs and my hope is that will become a good scale business.

Cautiously Optimistic for 2012
- By Asad Dossani, Author, The Lucrative Derivative Report

Asad Dossani

For all the doom and gloom that filled the news headlines in the last year, the economic and financial situation is looking better for the upcoming year. Of course, many problems and concerns still remain, but the global economy is in a better situation than it was in one year ago. The best way to describe the outlook for 2012 is cautious optimism.

The world's largest economy is showing signs of a recovery. The most recent US jobs report shows continued gains in private sector employment combined with a falling unemployment rate. The trend has been positive over the last year, despite the debt ceiling problems and continued political paralysis over the last year.

Economic indicators in the US have been more positive than negative recently, and this is a good sign. There is certainly a long way to go before the US economy is in full recovery mode, but the trend is heading that way. Many problems still persist including high unemployment, sluggish growth, and increasing debt levels; all of which may be a drag on overall economy performance.

The Indian Outlook is a bit more mixed. The last year has seen deterioration in economic indicators, rather than an improvement. This includes falling growth rates, a falling currency, and a falling stock market. Much of this is due to political factors and corruption that are dampening investor optimism.

The good news is that the economy is still in a good position despite the falling indicators. Growth remains at a high level, and the rupee has stabilized more recently. In early 2009 growth was falling and bottomed out at around 6% before once again rising above 9%. If the global economic situation continues to improve, then India's growth rate should at least stabilize, if not rise again.

The global economy's biggest risk in 2012 is a continued unfolding of the Eurozone debt crisis. A severe deterioration in global economic prospects may occur if the Eurozone crisis gets severe, and no country will be immune to this. The outlook for Europe is gloomier than anywhere else, as many of the countries are facing rising debt levels and recession at the same time.

The start of the year has seen markets do well, only to be held back by continued Eurozone tensions. The fate of the global economy in 2012 will be determined in large part by how the Eurozone debt crisis plays out. If things stabilize and do not get worse, we should be quite optimistic about 2012, as growth in economies around the world will help the Eurozone at the same time.

However, if things get dramatically worse, Europe will suffer, and growth will be dragged down elsewhere. The overall assessment means that we should be cautiously optimistic for 2012. The risk of a crisis exists and is significant, but economic prospects are generally looking better.

NIT-Sikkim to set up disaster management centre

Jan 8, 2012, 02.12AM IST

ALLAHABAD: The upcoming National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Sikkim will set up a disaster management centre to carry rescue operation in times of natural disasters, revealed the newly appointed director of NIT-Sikkim, Prof AB Samaddar.

Prof Samaddar, who till recently headed the Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, was in the city on Saturday. The decision, he said, has been taken in wake of the powerful earthquake that hit the Himalayan state last year.

He said the Ministry of Human Resource and Development has given nod to the centre and the Sikkim government too has pledged support for it.

The eco-friendly campus of NIT-Sikkim is being developed with an initial budget of Rs 150 crore on an area of 300 acres.

Prof Samaddar said Sikkim has immense potential for tourism and in the wake of this MHRD will try to develop NIT-Sikkim on Education -Tourism policy. This would pave the way to attract foreign students vying to get admission in NITs, he added.

Prof Samaddar said the institute would focus on inter-disciplinary studies along with special emphasis on research activities.

Besides, the institute is also planning to set up an Intellectual Property Cell to help locals and tribes preserve and safeguard their traditional knowledge in the field of medicines and other crafts.