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com 1





Reference: Current Affairs Material
G.S. Mains 2011 The Hindu PART III

TOPIC/SUMMARY
BRICS works for shared prosperity
International:
The current international situation is undergoing profound and complex changes characterised by the
turbulence in the Middle East and North Africa, and the lingering negative impact of the financial crisis on
world economy. The international community is facing both challenges as well as opportunities.
Against such bacdrop, the leaders of !hina, "ndia, #ussia, $ra%il and &outh Africa gathered in &anya, 'ainan
(rovince of !hina on April 1), *+11 for the Third $#"!& ,eaders Meeting.
The $#"!& is a uni-ue cooperative mechanism of the *1st century. "t came into being in the wae of the
emergence of a group of developing countries.
The accession of &outh Africa and its participation for the first time at the ,eaders Meeting signify an
important development of $#"!&, which made $#"!& a mechanism covering the area of Asia, Africa, Europe
and America and further enhanced its representation and influence.
At present, the five $#"!& countries account for nearly .+ per cent of the world/s land area, )* per cent of
the global population, mae up 10 per cent of the world 12( and 13 per cent of the world total trade
volume. The trade among these five countries experienced a rapid growth at *0 per cent annually from the
year *++1 to *+1+ and reached the amount of 4*.+ billion.
$#"!& countries are amongst the fastest growing economies in the world with tremendous potential. The
cooperation among $#"!& members reflects the development of international situation as well as the desire
and choice of emerging economies.
The members of $#"!& share a lot in common in many senses.
They are in the similar stage of development and face the same historical tas of developing their economies
and improving the well5being of their people. At present, the five countries are also facing similar challenges
or problems in restructuring the economy, maintaining a healthy and sustainable growth and in achieving an
inclusive, e-uitable and green development. The $#"!& countries en6oy highly complementary advantages
and solid foundation for extensive cooperation to promote common development based on e-uality and
mutual benefit.
$#"!& countries also share the same concerns and views in reforming and improving global economic
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governance and relevant institutions. They mae 6oint efforts in meeting the global challenges together to
serve the common interest of their own as well as the international community at large. $#"!& countries are
woring closely in forums such as the 7nited Nations and 1*+, and on issues lie food and energy security,
the 2oha #ound of trade tals, climate change, Millennium 2evelopment 1oals and the reform of
international financial institutions, and striving to increase the voice and representation of emerging
economies and developing countries.
The cooperation of $#"!& is different from many other international and regional mechanisms, such as the
10. "t is neither another new grouping of big powers nor a political alliance. The countries are partners in
development. The cooperation of $#"!& countries diversified the growth of the world economy and became
a driving force for the democratisation of international economic relations. The $#"!& mechanism is not in
competition with other mechanisms. "t is open, transparent and inclusive and will always follow the principle
of consensus building. "t also serves as a bridge of communications and exchanges between the developed
and the developing countries.
The &anya 2eclaration by the heads of state and government of $ra%il5#ussia5"ndia5!hina5&outh Africa
8$#"!&9 mars a strengthening of this emerging country partnership on the world stage in at least two
significant respects.
:irst, $#"! has become $#"!& with &outh Africa ; a rainbow nation of 3+ million people, abundant natural
resources, a middle income economy, and tremendous potential ; 6oining the forum as a full member.
&econdly, the grouping has gained coherence as well as confidence in articulating forward5looing positions
on global economic and, to an extent, political issues. The formulation of an Action (lan at &anya to enhance
existing cooperation programmes, engage in new areas, and explore new proposals for woring together
indicates increased commitment.
'owever, the reality is that each of the five countries regards its ties with the 7nited &tates as its most
important bilateral relationship and is excessively wary of displeasing <ashington.
The $#"!& stance, formulated in the &anya declaration, is disapproval of external military intervention in the
MENA 8Middle East and North Africa9 and <est African region.
$#"!& has made real progress since $ra%il, #ussia, "ndia, and !hina held the grouping/s first summit in =une
*++> at ?eaterinburg in #ussia and issued a declaration calling for the establishment of an e-uitable,
democratic, and multi5polar world order. Now they need to put more sincerity and substance into this very
worthwhile coming together.
New thinkin" on plannin" process
#conomy:
The !entral 1overnment has set in motion the process for formulation of the @"" (lan 8*+1*51A9 starting April
1, *+1*, with a tentative intent to achieve a 12( 8gross domestic product9 growth of about >5>.3 per cent
during the five5year period.
As has been the practice for the past many decades, the exercise involves the firming up of an approach
paper prepared by the (lanning !ommission which lays down the ma6or targets in the economic and social
sectors, the ey challenges and resources that are re-uired in meeting them and the broad strategy that

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must be adopted to achieve these ob6ectives.
Bnce a consensus is reached on the desired ob6ectives and targets in consultation with the ministries and
departments concerned, the approach paper is to be cleared by the 7nion !abinet and placed before the
National 2evelopment !ouncil 8N2!9, comprising the !entre and chief ministers of all &tates, for final
approval to facilitate implementation.
$ut in a radical departure from yesteryears when the targets and ob6ectives of the (lan period were decided
by the !entre and the &tates, the !ommission this time round has sought to develop an inclusive and
participative approach to the entire planning process.
Towards this end, it has evolved a web based consultative process in which all interested citi%ens and
staeholders can participate by giving their views and suggestions on a multi5dimensional strategy matrix
that has been developed indicating some of the ey areas that need to be explored.
Thus, for the first time in the history of "ndia/s policy planning, the inclusive approach has led to
commencement of a wide consultative process on the challenges for the @"" (lan.
According to the !ommission, apart from >++ civil society organisations 8!&B9, industry associations and
thin5tans across the country that have participated in the inclusive planning process, over .*,+++ neti%ens
have left Cmany insightful commentsD following the launch of a dedicated website E1*thplan.gov.inE which is
also lined to :aceboo.
Among the other ey messages from such consultation, while citi%en groups broadly support the stated
ob6ectives of other government programmes, the design and institutional arrangements are wea and
greater devolution and empowerment is needed. $esides, government programmes need a new
architecture which means greater localisation, brea5down of silos, feedbac from citi%ens and mechanism
for learning and sharing of best practices.
Moreover, since a ma6or contribution to economic growth now comes from the private sector, the need is
for a policy environment that supports this dynamism.
"n effect, people want the government to create an environment for nurturing enterprise, improving
marets, supporting innovation, providing access to finance and inculcating respect for common pool
resources.
"n an environment of ongoing investigations into a host of scams ; !<1, *1 and Adarsh 'ousing ; the
malady of corruption has become so all5pervasive that people are seeing deliverance from this deep5rooted
scourge.
departure from conventional approach
#conomy:
The Annual (olicy *+1151* was substantially different from all other recent monetary policies announced by
the #eserve $an of "ndia 8#$"9. <hile it stressed more on the current as well as future inflationary pressures
and the ways and means to mitigate its horrors, the #$" decided to sacrifice the prevailing growth rate and
cut that to 0 per cent for *+1151* from the last year/s 0.F per cent.

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$y dropping its earlier calibrated approaches, the #$" has entered a mission in this financial year to focus on
economic stability by anchoring inflation expectation instead of sustaining growth momentum. "t hied the
repo rate by 3+ basis points from F.A3 per cent to A.*3 per cent, tightened some provisioning norms and
there is also a 3+ basis point increase in the interest rate on savings deposits from ..3 per cent to ) per cent.
The ob6ective or the endeavour of #$" will be to condition an environment to bring inflation down to )5).3
per cent and to bring an environment in the medium term of . per cent inflation consistent with the global
inflation scenario.
Now the #$" has fixed a grace period for the rising prices to tae a reverse trend, by Cthe first5half of the
current yearD. The central ban/s expectation of a growth momentum was based on the assumptions of a
normal monsoon and global crude oil price of 411+ a barrel. Bnce the present socio5political scenario in the
Middle East and North African nations worsens, commodity prices would escalate further.
#$"/s move clearly reflected its concern about rising prices. 'ereafter #$" will have only one single policy
rate, the repo rate, to indicate the rate changes in the baning system.
:urther, the #$" has instituted a new Marginal &tanding :acility 8M&:9. $ans can borrow overnight from the
M&: up to one per cent of their respective net demand and time liabilities or N2T,. The rate of interest on
amounts accessed from this facility will be 1++ basis points above the repo rate. As per the newly introduced
scheme, the revised corridor will have a fixed width of *++ basis points. The repo rate will be in the middle.
The reverse repo rate will be 1++ basis points below it and the M&: rate 1++ basis points above it.
$hree factors have shaped the outlook and monetary policy for %&''('%.
:irst, global commodity prices, which have surged in recent months are, at best, liely to remain firm and
may well increase further over the course of the year. This suggests that higher inflation will persist and may
indeed get worse.
&econd, headline and core inflation have significantly overshot even the most pessimistic pro6ections over
the past few months. This raises concerns about inflation expectations becoming unhinged.
The third factor, one countering the above forces, is the liely moderation in demand, which should help
reduce pricing power and the extent of pass5through of commodity prices. This contra trend cannot be
ignored in the policy calculation. 'owever, a significant factor influencing aggregate demand during the year
will be the Cfiscal situationD.
The latter portion of the third factor is the operative and crucial part which shapes the monetary policy
outloo for the current fiscal. The #$" is in a hurry to pass5through the high oil prices to consumers.
Btherwise, navigating inflation to a soft landing of F per cent at end March *+1* would end up as an
unfinished agenda for the central ban.
The monetary policy tra6ectory that is being initiated in this annual statement is based on the basic premise
that over the long run, high inflation is inimical to sustained growth as it harms investment by creating
uncertainty. !urrent elevated rates of inflation pose significant riss to future growth. $ringing them down,
therefore, even at the cost of some growth in the short5run, Cshould tae precedenceD.



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Speedin" up "overnment
)olitical:
The Electronic &ervice 2elivery $ill, *+11, which aims at delivering all public services to citi%ens in the
electronic mode, is a welcome piece of legislation. $y eliminating paperwor on a massive scale, the new
measure can cut the red tape and corruption that notoriously plague governance in the country. The draft
$ill published by the Ministry of "nformation Technology at its website is similar to the #ight to "nformation
Act, *++3 in that it incorporates a complaints mechanism and prescribes penalties for failure to comply with
the provisions. "mportantly, it sets a five5year deadline for all public services to mae the online transition,
with a further concession of three years in some cases. <hat people can expect in the new dispensation is
electronic submission of forms and applications, issue or grant of any licence, permit, certificate, sanction or
approval, and receipt or payment of money. No time must be lost in enacting the law, given "ndia/s poor
record of delivery of citi%en services. Moreover, services now facing severe bottlenecs, such as passports,
should be prioritised for electronic processing. The draft provisions mae it incumbent on the central and
&tate governments to publish a list within six months of the date of enactment, and they would do well to
pic the worst5performing departments for inclusion first.
"ndia badly needs a ma6or initiative on electronic service delivery and e5governance. That it has done little to
use "nformation and !ommunications Technology to help citi%ens is evident from its 11>th ran among 1>*
countries in the 7nited Nations E51overnment 2evelopment "ndex *+1+. Although there is no standardised
measure of e5governance, the indicators used by the 7.N. ; online service availability, telecom
infrastructure, and human capital ; suggest that "ndia is below the world average for the composite index.
This underscores the need to get the electronic service delivery law in place urgently and to enforce it
seriously. The experience with the #T" Act indicates that public support for modernisation will overwhelm
any resistance from vested interests. <hat must be noted, however, is the continued failure of many
government departments to disclose information pro5actively on the "nternet, as laid down under the #T"
Act. &uccessful e5government re-uires that citi%ens get maximum information, and are able to conduct
online transactions and participate in decision5maing. All this calls for wide access to online services in the
form of ioss and special centres. #ising "ndia must mae progress on each of these metrics, if it hopes to
leave its colonial baggage of red tape behind.
Bi" push to dere"ulate
#conomy:
:reeing savings ban rate is a complex issue in "ndia. The #eserve $an of "ndia 8#$"9 recently launched a
debate on this issue by presenting a discussion paper prior to its Annual Monetary (olicy for *+1151*.
<hile announcing the policy, the #$" has also raised the savings ban rate from ..3 per cent fixed in *++. to
) per cent.
<ith regard to all other interest rates, #$" has moved away from regulation. Almost all interest rates, except
the one on savings ban and N#" deposits which are administered as of now, are deregulated.
Now bans have complete freedom in fixing their domestic deposit rates, except interest rate on savings
deposits, which continues to be regulated.

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&avings accounts are maintained for both transaction and savings purposes mostly by individuals and
households. A savings account, being a hybrid product, provides the convenience of easy withdrawals,
writingGcollection of che-ues and other payment facilities as well as an avenue for paring short5term funds
which earn interest. The maintenance of savings ban deposit accounts, however, entails transaction costs.
"n fact, a term deposit doesn/t involve transaction cost for bans.
&avings deposits are an important component of ban deposits.
The #$"/s view is that savings deposit interest rate could not be regulated for all times to come when all
other interest rates have already been deregulated as it created distortions in the system. "nternational
experience suggests, according to the #$", that in most countries, interest rates on savings ban accounts
are set by the commercial bans based on maret interest rates.
Most countries in Asia experimented with interest rate deregulation to support overall development and
growth policies. These resulted in positive real interest rates, which in turn contributed to an increase in
financial savings.
:urther the #$" argues that deregulation of savings ban deposit interest rate also led to product
innovations.
'owever, unlie many other countries, the "ndian situation is different. A large number of people in "ndia
are from the rural bacground with less saving.
The urban poor, migrated from the remote rural areas of the country too are having small savings.
The urban labourers send their weely earnings through public sector bans 8(&$s9 to their dependants
living in villages.
:urther, with larger presence in rural and semi5urban areas, the (&$s would be having maximum number of
small savings ban account holders. 1enerally, the (&$s were attracting small customers along with other
high value depositors, who trust (&$s compared to other private sector bans.
Maintaining an account with huge balance in savings ban would be cheaper for bans than maintaining an
account with small balances as transaction cost of bans would be higher in the case of small account
holders. "n the case of salaried employees, their salaries would be credited to a particular ban. As the
regulator frees the savings ban rate, the private sector and foreign bans will offer bouti-ue products and
fascinating interest rates to attract these huge accounts from corporates as well as government
organisations.
2eregulation of savings ban rate would wor against financial inclusion as public sector bans saddle with
all un5remunerative accounts and all high value accounts would migrate to the new generation private
sector bans and the foreign bans. Always the small customer is at the receiving end.




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Cele*ratin" Ra*indranath $a"ore+s le"acy
Culture,-istory:
The simultaneous celebration of #abindranath Tagore/s 13+th birth anniversary in "ndia and $angladesh
mared an exceptional move to honour the poet5philosopher. "t also symbolised the deep admiration that
exists in both countries for the man who enriched literature as much as he did humanity as a whole.
'e was the first non5European to receive the Nobel (ri%e for ,iterature, in 1>1..
Tagore was poet, novelist, short story writer, essayist, playwright, educationist, spiritualist, painter, lyricist,
composer and singer H a rare set of distinctions, an unbelievable con6unction of talents. 'is creative wors,
which still influence billions of people globally, are a matter of pride for the people of "ndia and $angladesh.
At critical moments he has been an inspiration for the people of what is now $angladesh. (rotagonists of the
two5nation theory wanted to wipe out his influence. (aistan/s first military ruler, Ayub Ihan, banned his
songs. $ut the poet only became more relevant then before. A strong sense of linguistic nationalism grew
around him. :inally, the people launched a strong cultural and political movement that culminated in the
formation of $angladesh.
<hile "ndia chose his =ana gana mana as the national anthem in 1>)A, $angladesh has had one of his songs
as the national anthem since its birth.
&ri ,ana/s national anthem was also penned by TagoreJ and set to its tune by Tagore.
"ndeed, #abindranath is not only the pre5eminent literary genius of $engal but all of &outh Asia, perhaps the
whole of Asia.
Tagore/s enduring influence on history comes through the many layers of his thoughts. 'e modernised
$angla art by refusing to follow rigid classical forms.
'is lucid, lyrical prose and grasp of the human psychology are uni-ue. 'e is the foremost lyricist of his
language and the most celebrated composer. 'e wrote more than *,+++ songs, and these are widely
considered to be his best creation. 'is songs are an integral part of the $engali culture and collective psyche.
'is novels are also some of the best in $angla. 'e wrote lovely plays. 'e was a painter of note.
Tagore was a committed anti5colonialist. 'e was not a revolutionary in a political sense, but he inflamed his
people by renouncing his nighthood after the colonial army indiscriminately illed "ndians in =allianwala
$agh in 1>1>.
Tagore belongs to "ndia, and $angladesh too. $ut in the truest sense, he belongs to the world. Even after
13+ years of his birth, you feel his presence.




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Reco"nisin" tri*al ri"hts
#nvironment,Social:
A bright future for conservation in "ndia depends on providing improved protection for flora and fauna in
different habitats. At the same time, the imperative is to safeguard the livelihoods of millions of people who
traditionally rely on forests. "n a ma6or step towards reconciliation of these ey goals, the Ministry of
Environment and :orests has come up with a new draft implementation protocol for the determination and
notification of !ritical <ildlife 'abitats 8!<'9. The guidelines in the protocol will help the MoE: meet its
obligations under the :orest #ights Act, *++F 8:#A9. <hat maes the protocol important is the due process it
proposes to institute for resettling forest dwellers. &ignificantly, it provides for participation of gram sabhas,
social scientists, and ecologists in the panel responsible for identifying critical habitat in a national par or
sanctuary. This decision is consistent with the provisions of the :#A that re-uire prior recognition and
vesting of forest rights. The Act also re-uires the &tates to prove the lielihood of irreversible damage to
species and habitat from the exercise of forest rights, and to demonstrate availability of a resettlement
pacage. :inally, those who are to be resettled must give free and informed consent. The MoE: protocol will
create a tangible, transparent legal framewor to implement these provisions.
"n the new draft of the protocol, the MoE: has done well to address the issues raised by conservation
experts and social activists, primarily the need for better protection of forest communities. These concerns
will now be handled by a National &teering !ommittee and &tate5level Expert !ommittees, giving all
staeholders a say in the process. <hat needs to be emphasised is that creation of !ritical <ildlife 'abitats
is an achievable goal. :or only a small part of the land is to be notified as off5limit to people. A flagship
species such as the tiger can be expected to survive in only about one per cent of the country/s land which is
effectively protected. "t is eminently feasible, therefore, to handsomely compensate forest dwellers who are
ready to be resettled elsewhere. The Nagarahole tiger reserve in Iarnataa convinced tribals that they
would benefit from voluntary relocation, and they have. The pacage of land and incentives provided to
them, including education opportunities, could serve as a model for other &tates. :inally, &tates need to gear
up administratively, and the 7nion Ministry of Tribal Affairs needs to develop its infrastructure rapidly, to
implement the :orest #ights Act in a way that harmonises the goals of conservation and livelihood support.
India+s stake in frica+s future
International, #conomy:
Thus far, "ndia/s engagement with Africa has operated at two levels.
The first level is official, where the government has grafted on to the political goodwill built up over
several decades some real financial heft. After pursuing regional and pan5African initiatives lie the
Team5> framewor for cooperation in <est Africa and the e5networ pro6ect, the first Africa5"ndia
summit in *++0 envisaged a line of credit worth 43.F billion to be spent on development and capacity
building pro6ects. ,east5developed African nations were to get preferential access to the "ndian maret
and "ndia also committed itself to establishing 1> centres of excellence and training institutions in
different fields across Africa.
&ide by side with this official thrust, the "ndian private sector has also shown a willingness to invest
billions of dollars in Africa. The &econd Africa5"ndia summit to be held in Ethiopia this wee is liely to

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increase the pace of this engagement. There is tal of pushing bilateral trade with Africa to 4A+ billion
by *+13, up from the current level of 4)F billion. !umulative "ndian investments in Africa stood at 4>+
billion in *+1+ and are liely to rise dramatically in the years ahead.
At the same time, there are several steps "ndia needs to tae to ensure the current momentum is
maintained and even intensified.
:irst, "ndia must ramp up its diplomatic presence in Africa. "ndian companies and citi%ens will be more
liely to wor in countries where "ndia maintains an embassy. And it would help if these embassies
were robustly staffed by young diplomats anxious to mae a mar rather than by those at the fag end
of their career who see a tour of duty in Africa as a punishment posting and who have little or no
interest in African culture and society.
&econd, the government should consider establishing a special purpose vehicle 8&(K9 to pursue
strategic investments and business opportunities in Africa, especially in sectors such as mining,
infrastructure and agriculture. &uch an &(K could harness the talent and resources that the "ndian
public and private sectors have to offer but which their managements are often unable to utilise in
overseas pro6ects in a timely manner for a variety of reasons.
Third, the &(K or some other official entity must pay attention to corporate social responsibility issues
connected to all "ndian :2" pro6ects in Africa, especially since many of them might be in countries
where domestic regulatory framewors for worers/ rights and environmental protection are
inade-uate or dysfunctional. As public pressure in "ndia maes it less easy for "ndian companies to cut
corners at home, some of the motivation to invest in Africa might be lined to their belief that they can
get away with dodgy business practices there. "ndia has a strategic interest in ensuring that "ndian
companies operating abroad act responsibly and must come up with an appropriate monitoring
mechanism.
:ourth, there must be a strict audit of all monies disbursed through the ,ines of !redit for Africa. Two
years ago, there were reports of -uestionable dealings in the subsidised export of rice to a number of
sub5&aharan African countries. <ith "ndian credit lines now running into several billion dollars ; the
eventual beneficiaries of which will be "ndian companies and suppliers to whom recipient governments
are obliged to buy from ; there must be complete transparency in the process from start to finish.
:ifth, a greater effort should be made to build on the domain nowledge and cultural e-uity that the
"ndian diaspora across Africa has in abundance about local business conditions and customs. "t is
estimated that there are as many as two million people of "ndian origin living in Africa. Though the bul
of the diaspora is in countries lie &outh Africa, Ienya, Tan%ania and Nigeria, "ndian businessmen and
even teachers and professionals can be found in virtually every African country. :or a variety of
reasons, these communities are not so well integrated within the political and cultural milieu of their
host countries. $ut the more economic and cultural interaction there is between "ndia and Africa, that
could well change.
&ixth, the Ccommerce of ideasD that Mahatma 1andhi envisaged the future relationship between "ndia
and Africa to revolve around should be made a central element of "ndian policy. The *.* billion people
of "ndia and Africa share many problems and could learn from each other/s experiences in resolving
these. (romoting partnerships between the media and academic communities might be one way to do
this. "nnovative wor in the field of handicrafts has 6ust started and the rich field of cultural interaction

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has remained practically unexplored. As much if not more than business deals and lines of credit, it is
this commerce of ideas which will provide true depth to the emerging partnership between Africa and
"ndia.
India in frica
International:
The second "ndia5Africa summit at Addis Ababa has set the stage for a comprehensive re5engagement
between the world/s largest democracy and an emerging continent. The Africa5"ndia :ramewor for
Enhanced !ooperation and the Addis Ababa 2eclaration adopted at the summit envisage economic and
political cooperation, and also cooperation in a host of other areas including science and technology,
social and infrastructure development, tourism, culture, and sports. Africa and "ndia recognise the
opportunities they bring to the table for each otherL both are now better positioned to use these
opportunities in ways that can give substance to the old political slogan of M&outh5&outh cooperation./
As a leading player in the global economy, it is natural for "ndia to see participation in a resource5rich
continent that (rime Minister Manmohan &ingh has described as the Cnew economic growth story.D 'is
announcement of a 43 billion credit line over the next three years was the eye5catcher of the summit,
but clearly, African nations are interested in enhancing their own sills and capabilities. "ndia, with its
substantial technology nowledge pool, is well placed to contribute to such capacity5building. This will
also help in better utilisation of "ndian financial assistance ; of the committed credit line, unused
funds from a previous financial pacage comprise 4..) billion.
:ollowing the first summit in *++0, "ndia initiated several such efforts, including the (an5African e5
Networ (ro6ect across ). countries, which drew appreciation from the beneficiary countries. That new
proposals for capacity5building discussed at this summit cover fields as diverse as information
technology, textiles, food processing, and weather forecasting underscores the needs of a continent
seeing to stabilise itself economically and politically. As important, it highlights Africa/s recognition of
rising "ndia/s capabilities to assist other developing countries. The "ndia5Africa relationship is not newL it
draws on a long, shared history of struggle against European colonialism, and a determination to
ensure e-uality in the post5colonial world order. Africa has played host to a large "ndian diaspora, and
independent "ndia was among the first to tae a firm stand against apartheid in &outh Africa. #educing
"ndia/s ties with Africa to a Mrivalry/ with !hina is to tae a narrow view of history. 1iven the realities, it
is also meaningless ; !hina/s 41*F billion trade with Africa is way ahead of "ndia/s 4 )F billion. "t is best
for New 2elhi to use the present momentum to build its relationship with Africa in ways that will be of
optimal benefit to both sides.
.ainstreamin" /0Cs: Istan*ul and *eyond
International:
&ince the international community recognised the special category of ,east 2eveloped !ountries 8,2!s9
in 1>A1 and started extending special benefits to them, their number has increased from *3 in 1>A1 to
)0 in *+11. "n )+ years, only $otswana, !ape Kerde and Maldives have moved up. Meanwhile, *F
countries were added. !learly, the development strategy for ,2!s needs a course correction. This was

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the perception at the :ourth 7.N. !onference on ,east 2eveloped !ountries 8"K ,2!9 held in "stanbul
from May > to 1., *+11.
"stanbul was the fourth in a series. The first conference was organised in 1>0+ in (arisL the second in
1>>+ was also in (aris. The third was in *++1 in $russels, which adopted the $(BA.
Another perception was that the $russels (rogrammme of Action 8$(BA9 adopted at the Third ,2!
conference in *++1 could not achieve full success, though it had a positive impact. The conference
participants were convinced that the world should do more for ,2!s. The )0 ,2!s account for 00+
million people. $ut their share in global trade is one per cent. Their 'uman 2evelopment "ndex is lowL
half the people live on less than 41.*3 a day.
The "stanbul conference adopted the "stanbul (rogramme of Action 8"(BA5*+1+5*+*19 and the "stanbul
2eclaration. There were parleys among staeholders. ,2! <atch, the umbrella civil society
organisation, and private sector delegates adopted separate declarations.
The overarching goal is to overcome the structural challenges faced by the ,2!s to eradicate poverty
and move up. The "(BA target is for half of the ,2!s to move up by the end of decade ; a tall order.
The other five ob6ectives within this broad goal areJ to achieve sustained, e-uitable and inclusive
economic growthL to build human capacities and foster social developmentL to reduce economic and
natural vulnerabilitiesL to ensure enhanced financial resources, including larger B2A and their effective
useL and to enhance good governance.
The eight principles underlying the development strategy areJ country ownership and leadership of the
development processL integrated and holistic approach to the processL genuine partnership between
,2!s and their development partners, result orientation with effective monitoring and assessmentL
ensuring peace, security and human rightsL e-uity at all levels in the development processL effective
voice and representation of concerns of ,2!s in the international economic systemL and balanced role
of state and maret considerations.
The "(BA also lists eight priority areasJ productive capacity with special focus on infrastructure, energy,
science and technology, and private sector developmentL agriculture, food security and rural
developmentL commoditiesL human and social developmentL emerging challenges lie economic shocs
and climate changeL mobilising financial resourcesL and good governance at all levels.
$esides, actions to be taen by ,2!s and their development partners in the implementation of "(BA in
each priority area are elaborated. The last section highlights, for the first time, the complementary role
of &outh5&outh cooperation in "(BA implementation. 'owever, it added that &outh5&outh cooperation
is not a substitute for, but rather a complement to, North5&outh cooperation.
This appears to be a victory for "ndian diplomacy. "ndia organised an "ndia5,2! Ministerial conference
at 2elhi in :ebruary. "ts declared purpose was to harness the positive contribution of &outh5&outh
cooperation for ,2! development and to strengthen the mutually reinforcing development partnership
with them.
Though the "(BA tried to address the new challenges of climate change, food and energy security and
the global financial crisis, two elements may hamper ,2!s/ capacity to face them. :irst, the climate
change negotiations are not maing headway. The new financial commitments made by developed

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countries for mitigation and adaptation are not additional funds, but funds diverted from B2A. The
2oha #ound of trade negotiations is stalled.
Bne big hurdle in the implementation of the "(BA will be the non5realisation of B2A commitments
made by developed countries. The experience of B2A flow during the last decade is instructive. 7nder
the $(BA, developed countries agreed to give between +.13 and +.* per cent of their 1N( as B2A by
*+1+. 'owever, only nine countries have met the targets. "n "stanbul, the developed countries were
less than willing to enhance their percentage. Moreover, defaulters have the liberty to enhance their
contribution from +.13 to +.* per cent after *+13.
$oth $(BA and "(BA claim to adopt a comprehensive and holistic strategy for ,2!s/ development.
'owever, this does not tae into account the nature of domestic factors and glosses over the socio5
ethnic conflicts and political instabilities and lac of democracy in many ,2!s under the rubric of
achieving good governance.
2evelopment and mobilisation of human resources and their conversion into agents of change rather
than the recipients of development benefits may do the tric by reducing the space for social and
political conflicts and tensions. The relationship between democracy and development needs better
appreciation. "n spite of these apprehensions, the "(BA breas fresh ground by focussing on the
productive capacity of ,2!s, larger private sector involvement, &outh5&outh cooperation and
monitoring of the implementation process.
1rowth with social 2ustice

Socio(economic:
2iscontent worldwide is reaching dangerous levels. "n three5-uarters of the 0* countries with available
information, a ma6ority of individuals are getting increasingly pessimistic about their future -uality of
life and standard of living. This all points in one directionJ mounting frustration with a lac of 6obs and
decent wor.
More than *++ million people are officially unemployed worldwide, including nearly 0+ million young
women and men eager to secure their first 6ob. $oth figures are at their highest points ever, but this is
only the tip of the iceberg. The number of worers in vulnerable employment ; 1.3 billion 8around half
of the world/s labour force9 ; and persons woring but surviving on less than 7&4*.++ per day ; 1.*
billion ; is on the rise again.
The bottom line is thisJ the current growth model that has evolved since the early 1>0+s has become
economically inefficient, socially unstable, environmentally damaging and politically unsustainable. "t
no longer commands legitimacy. (eople are rightly demanding more fairness in every aspect of their
lives. This no doubt contributed to mass uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East as well as
significant protests in a number of industrialised countries and other regions.
1lobal productive investment as a percentage of 12( ; the source of 6ob creation ; has stagnated.
"nstead, we have a continuously rising share of profits coming from financial operations with negligible

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employment creation. 1lobal wage growth has been cut in half, trailing productivity increases. "ncome
gaps between the top 1+ per cent and the bottom >+ per cent are widening, with the middle class
s-uee%ed in between.
There are limits to how much ine-uality a society/s social fabric can bear. There are many signs that the
limits are fast approaching or have been breached.
There is an urgent need to improve on the maret outcomes and gains from international trade and
investment. This can be achieved through increased integration between macroeconomic policies and
labour maret and social policies ; for example, by maing employment creation a targeted
macroeconomic ob6ective alongside low inflation and sustainable public budgets.
"n short, we need a new era of growth with social 6ustice inspired by a practical vision of sustainable
development ; an era where people/s needs are at the heart of policy5maing, the benefits of
globalisation are shared e-uitably, and voice, participation and democracy can flourish. At the 1++th
&ession of the ",B/s tripartite "nternational ,abour !onference which began this wee 8=une 151A, *+119,
government, employer and worer delegates will consider how they, as representatives of the real
economy, can assume their responsibility in meeting these challenges.
*etter land ac3uisition *ill
)olitical:
The longstanding demand to correct anomalies in the ,and Ac-uisition Act 810>)9 and chec its misuse,
and the impending 7ttar (radesh Assembly election have compelled the 7nited (rogressive Alliance
government to come up with a much5improved piece of legislation. "n speedily reshaping the proposed
,and Ac-uisition, #ehabilitation and #esettlement $ill, which has been placed in the public domain as
part of a pre5legislative consultative process, =airam #amesh, the new !abinet Minster for #ural
2evelopment, has wisely departed from his predecessor/s approach by integrating ac-uisition with
rehabilitation and resettlement measures. :ollowing the National Advisory !ouncil/s recommendations,
the bill has commendably increased the compensation amount and enhanced the solatium to 1++ per
cent. "t rightly prohibits the ac-uisition of irrigated multi5crop agricultural land. A pre5notification
discussion with local bodies is a procedural innovation that should help reduce litigation and speed up
the process of 6ust ac-uisition. $y maing it mandatory to obtain consent from 0+ per cent of the
affected people before the ac-uisition notice is issued, the proposed legislation sees to ensure that
consultations are held with those affected.
An unambiguous definition of public purpose is critical. 7nfortunately, the draft bill misses out on this.
Bf the four categories of public purpose mentioned in the final draft, two ; especially the section on
ac-uiring land for private companies ; are the most debatable. The bill does not clarify how private
and public purpose in a private pro6ect will be evaluated. To argue that private pro6ects contribute to
economic growth and improve employment is to resort to specious 6ustification. As witnessed in the
past, vague definitions tend to be grossly misused. The state can extend its help when small parcels of
land, for reasons of legality in property title, hold up a large pro6ect, but it must not intervene
wholesale. To mae up for the rampant undervaluing of land transactions, the bill proposes to triple the
value of rural properties identified for ac-uisition. $ut it ignores similar problems that plague urban
areas and deny fair valuation. Bn the other hand, the proposal to loo at alternative forms of

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compensation, such as allocation of a share of the developed land, is confined to urban pro6ects. The
proposal to return unused land five years after its ac-uisition is to be welcomed, but allowing the
government to transfer the unused land from one public purpose to another, as suggested by the draft,
will abet misuse. The shortcomings of the -ualitatively improved bill must be removed without delay.
Sound policy shift
4) land ac3uisition:
The 7ttar (radesh government/s new land ac-uisition policy, announced in the face of farmers/
protests and impending elections, is a significant improvement over existing practices. "t is sounder
than the amendments to the central Act proposed by the 7(A government, which have been awaiting
enactment since *++A. (oor compensation calculated on rates based on the pre5development phase, a
lac of consultation, and cumbersome procedures have marred the whole business of land ac-uisition
across "ndia. 7nlie land ac-uired for public pro6ects such as construction of roads, the state5enabled
forcible taeover of farmland to promote private development has been strongly and rightfully
challenged. The Mayawati government has commendably attempted to address some of these issues.
:irst, the government will henceforth not directly involve itself in ac-uiring land for private developers.
&econdly, the ac-uisition will not proceed without A+ per cent of the farmers consenting to the pro6ect.
Thirdly, on top of the cash compensation, 1F per cent of the developed land will be given to them. "n
the case of land ac-uired for roads and canals, each affected family will be provided with a 6ob, along
with shares in the development company. These new measures are to be implemented prospectively.
This means, the farmers of $hatta5(arsaul villages who started the agitation will, unfortunately, not
benefit from them.
The new policy, which sensitively integrates compensation with rehabilitation, paves the way for
consensus5building. 'owever, there is scope for improvement. :or instance, the percentage of
allotment of developed land need not be a fixed figureL it can be related to the extent of the impact of
a pro6ect and the scale of ac-uisition involved. &mall farmers may find it difficult to handle complicated
share transactions, so simplified procedures must be put in place. Alternatives to land ac-uisition also
need to be encouraged. :or example, a study of international land ac-uisition practices has shown that
land read6ustment followed in countries such as =apan and &outh Iorea is an alternative worth
considering. This system encourages landowners to collectively negotiate land transfers and see either
land5for5land exchange or other forms of stae5holding and compensation. "n "ndia, land and
development are &tate sub6ects but ac-uisition of land falls under the !oncurrent ,ist. The central ,and
Ac-uisition Act, 10>) is the legal instrument that is widely used by many &tate governments. The
Mayawati government/s change of course is a reminder to the 7(A that the central Act needs
comprehensive and urgent change ; placing e-uity and 6ustice at the centre of the process.
$he nation state and its territory

)olitical,#ssay:
The nation state and its territory are symbiotically bound together, inseparable and inviolable. The

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diminishment of one leads inescapably to the diminishment of the other. This, the classic 8and idealised9
view of what constitutes the nation state, has remained more or less unchanged since the middle of the
1Ath century, despite the constant internal and external challenges to the supposedly inviolable territoriality
of many sovereign nations, the changes that have come about in Munalterable borders,/ and the emergence
of new nation states.
The series of treaties nown as the <estphalia treaties, which ended the Thirty ?ears <ar 81F105)09, are the
basis of the modern nation states in Europe. This concept has, over the years, ac-uired universal
applicability and is now the foundational basis for modern nation states everywhere, including "ndia. Bver
and above this is the "ndian nationalist view that from times immemorial, "ndia has been a civilisational
state, $harat Mata, mystically transcending the narrow legal definitions of European theorists of what
constitutes the modern nation state.
This is not uni-ue to "ndia. Every nation state, whether it formally came into being within living memory or
has been a stable polity for centuries, views itself as a uni-ue and inviolable territorial entity. Many also
evoe the image of the nation state as the Eternal Mother, especially in periods of national crisis.
The struggles for sovereignty going on in Assam and its neighbourhood in northeast "ndia are a case in point.
"n popular perception, the whole region comprising seven &tates 8with the artificial addition of &iim to the
Northeastern !ouncil, eight &tates9 is aflame with violent separatist insurgencies. "n reality, serious
separatist or sovereignty struggles with some political and organisational substance to them, and a cadre
trained in the use of arms to tae forward such sovereignty aspirations, are a reality in only three &tates of
the region ; Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.
<hile the leaders of the dominant separatist outfits in Assam and Nagaland are engaged in discussions with
the 1overnment of "ndia ; for over a decade in Nagaland ; the situation in Manipur is rather more
complicated. The prospect of such outfits in Manipur coming on board and taling to the government is now
lined, in the view of the insurgent leaders ; not all of whom are clear about their ob6ectives or even their
readiness to tal ; to the 1overnment of "ndia accepting some preconditions. The most important of these
is that the government must agree to hold Ca plebiscite under international supervisionD to ascertain the will
of the people of Manipur on sovereignty and independence.
Bn the face of it, such a demand is unrealistic. "t is also deeply flawed in its apparent perception that the
Cpeople of Manipur,D even those who have sovereignty aspirations, have a common perspective on
sovereignty and independence. The fact is, the Cpeople of ManipurD comprising three distinct communities
do not share a common vision of their past or their future aspirations. The point hardly needs to be
laboured.
'owever, this is not the place to discuss the nuances of sovereignty narratives of the region, every one of
whose seven &tates, while uni-ue, also shares a commonality of history and memories, and a measure of
resentment against M"ndia./ #ather, in all &tates, the insurgencies have serious issues with others of their own
ind, outfits that too are fighting the "ndian state, on what constitutes the existing territory, and the
territory of the putative sovereign and independent state that they aim to attain. "n other words, while their
principal contradiction is with the "ndian state, there are serious problems over the territorial imagination of
the mutually contending outfits.
The most striing of such contradictions prevails in Nagaland and Manipur. Nagaland is now one of the
&tates of the "ndian 7nion under the !onstitution. "t has all the formal appurtenances of a constituent &tate
; executive, legislature, and 6udiciary, with Iohima having a $ench of the 1uwahati high !ourt. 'owever,
the territorial imagination of the Nagaland government ; its vision of what its territory should be ; or of

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the political parties of Nagaland, including the !ongress and the $=( 8which had two Ministers in the
previous National 2emocratic Alliance government9, is no different from that of the three outfits fighting for
or committed to Naga sovereignty. Each one of these claims nearly two5thirds of the territory of Manipur, to
whose inviolability the government of Manipur is as fervently committed as the most uncompromising of
separatist outfits fighting to secure Manipur/s sovereignty and independence.
"n other words, territoriality is as central to established nation states that define themselves in terms of their
territory, traced to the history and memories of the people, as to the organised or disorganised groups
within the territories of a nation state seeing to challenge the territoriality of the larger structure, and carve
out a separate territory for themselves. "n turn, those who challenge the territoriality and lay claims on the
territory of Mexisting nation states/ themselves have serious contradictions with others mounting similar
challenges and, when these are wea, press hard on them.
1reenin" India
#nvironment:
The National Mission for a 1reen "ndia with a planned investment of 41+.. billion over the next 1+ years can
have a ma6or developmental impact in more ways than one. &uch a massive exercise can raise fresh natural
capital that is so vital for the tens of millions of people who depend on degraded forests. "t can meet the
twin ob6ectives of assigning forest land to tribal and other forest5dwelling communities to enable
livelihoods, and relieving extractive pressures on core dense forests to aid conservation of wildlife and
biodiversity. The overarching benefit to the environment will be in the form of carbon se-uestration to
combat climate change. The Ministry of Environment and :orests, which has grasped the imperative to
balance these concerns, aims to add an impressive five million hectares of forest cover, and also improve
the -uality of forests over a similar area. The experience gained from the =oint :orest Management 8=:M9
programmes of the past will be invaluable. The =:M measures did not live up to their promise in most &tates
and, in some cases, existed only on paper. "n the main, they left forest communities feeling alienated. That
nearly )+ per cent of open forest remains degraded today reinforces the need for a vastly improved
management system.
A central role for local communities in forest restoration and expansion is envisaged under the new plan.
This can help correct the historical imbalance in their role in managing the commons. "t must be
emphasised, however, that the whole exercise needs to be rooted in scientific practices. &everal dedicated
young scientists have been woring in degraded areas of the <estern 1hats to re5introduce endemic plants.
These conservation groves, often sitting chee5by56owl with plantations and habitations, shelter a lot of
endangered animals and birds. This shows that many more eroded ecosystems can harbour the biodiversity
that is under pressure. The potential to expand horticulture in these sites, including disused mines, through
fruit tree cultivation is worth exploring. ,ocal communities can also be involved in the campaign to control
invasive plant species that have been unthiningly introduced into the environment. These plants suppress
indigenous varieties and have overrun vast tracts of forests, reducing their productivity. Bverall, the 1reen
"ndia plan, which is expected to provide a higher forest5based livelihood income to three million households,
is significant for its attempt to give people a central role in restoring forest health. The legacy of mistrust
between the :orest departments and tribal communities must give way to a 6oint management framewor
that is grounded in good conservation science.

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Natural "as is no climate chan"e panacea
#NVIRON.#N$:
Natural gas is not the CpanaceaD to solve climate change that fossil fuel industry lobbyists have been
claiming, according to new research from the "nternational Energy Agency 8"EA9.
#eliance on gas would lead the world to a ..3N! temperature rise, according to the "EA. At such a level,
global warming could run out of control, deserts would tae over in southern Africa, Australia and the
western 7.&., and sea level rises could engulf small island states.
Nobuo Tanaa, executive director of the "EA, told a press conference in ,ondonJ C<hile natural gas is the
cleanest fossil fuel, it is still a fossil fuel. "ts increased use could muscle out low5carbon fuels such as
renewables and nuclear, particularly in the wae of :uushima. An expansion of gas use alone is no panacea
for climate change.D
The "EA also warned that gas could push out renewables, if governments come under pressure to reduce
renewables subsidies and opt for gas instead, as gas companies have been urging.
"ndustry lobbying
The 1uardian recently revealed the extent of lobbying by the gas industry, which senses a uni-ue
opportunity to rebrand itself as green. (reviously inaccessible sources of gas are predicted to create a
Cgolden age of gasD with lower prices and plentiful supply.
<hen burned for power, gas produces half the carbon of coal.
C1as is a fortunate fuel because all its competitors have some problems,D said :atih $irol, chief economist of
the "EA and one of the world/s foremost authorities on energy and climate.
!oal suffers high emissions, renewables can be expensive, and there are safety fears over nuclear after the
:uushima disaster in =apan.
$he ethanol imperative
#ner"y:
"ndia/s ethanol blending programme 8E$(9 for petrol has remained in limbo for too long. The government
mandated 3 per cent blending in &eptember *++FL raised the level to 1+ per cent in Bctober *++AL and made
such blending compulsory in Bctober *++0. :urther, in *++0, the !abinet approved the National (olicy on
$iofuel, which envisaged blending of biofuels with petrol and diesel to a level of *+ per cent by *+1A. ?et,
owing to conflicting views among the Ministries of !hemicals and :ertili%ers, Agriculture, and (etroleum and
Natural 1as, and the reluctance of some &tate governments to re-uire sugar units to mae available
ade-uate -uantities of ethanol for the fuel industry ; given the more lucrative options offered by the li-uor
industry ; the oil mareting companies have failed to achieve even 3 per cent blending countrywide. Now,
adding to the ha%e, the (rime Minister/s Economic Advisory !ouncil has reportedly -uestioned the rationale
behind mandatory blending. #eopening the debate on ethanol blending will amount to undermining a
progressive policy decision that conforms to the way much of the world is going as fossil fuel options shrin.
That the E$( can improve the country/s energy security and reduce its carbon footprint needs no restating.

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That there is enough ethanol to go round is also clear. The challenge is to manage and change the sectoral
allocations of ethanol. The sugar industry should be encouraged to balance the needs of the fuel industry
with those of the potable alcohol and chemical sectors.
The Economic Advisory !ouncil seems to have concluded that the main advantage derived from the E$(
would be to the sugar industry, and this could not be a credible ob6ective for the government to push
through the blending programme. "n "ndia, a large proportion of available ethanol comes as a byproduct
from cane molasses during sugar production. $ut over the longer term, if ethanol derived from a cash crop
such as sugarcane does not seem a viable option in terms of price and availability, other sources should be
tapped. "ndia/s agri5diversity and wasteland availability offer several options. There have been worthwhile
initiatives, including processes using 6atropha, seaweed, and cellulose waste from agri5forestryL these should
be supported by investment in #O2. "f feedstoc rationalisation is made possible, the blending programme
will be a success. #e6ecting retrogressive counsel from no5changers, the government must push ahead with
a programme that has been found to be virtuous wherever it has been tried earnestly.
One *illion people disa*led
Social:
The proportion of disabled people is rising and now stands at one billion, or 13 per cent of the global
population, according to the first official global report on disability.
An ageing population and an increase in chronic health conditions, such as cardiovascular and respiratory
diseases, mean the proportion has grown from an estimated 1+ per cent in the 1>A+s.
$ut, despite a robust disability rights movement and a shift towards inclusion, disabled people remain
second5class citi%ens, according to the report by the <orld 'ealth Brganisation and the <orld $an. Bne in
five experience Csignificant difficultiesD.
"n developed countries, disabled people are three times more liely to be denied healthcare than other
people. !hildren with disabilities are less liely to start or stay in school than other children, while
employment rates are at )) per cent, compared with A3 per cent for people without disabilities in BE!2
countries, the report found.
$arriers include stigma, discrimination, lac of ade-uate healthcare and rehabilitation services, and
inaccessible transport, buildings and information. "n developing countries the picture is even worse. The
clear message from the report is that there is no country that has got it right. "taly is a world leader in terms
of inclusive education and de5institutionalisation of people with mental health problems but in other areas it
is not. "n the 7.&. the access is phenomenal ; it is a civil rights issue. 'owever, if you are looing at poverty
and employment it is not good.
The <'B report, which did not compare countries directly but highlighted best practice, singled out the
7.I./s 2isability 2iscrimination Act *++3, which places a duty on public bodies to promote e-uality and its
direct payment policies for disabled people as an example of good practice.
The 7.I. has done very well, due to its direct payment mechanisms, and benefits lie independent living
allowance and access to wor. "t appears that many of these developments are under threat. The axing of
the independent living fund and other changes to benefit appear to move away from what was a good
situation.The 7I has made some real progress and it/s good to be reminded that there/s something to

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celebrate, but the employment rate of disabled people has crept up by only six per cent in recent years to )A
per cent. $ut it is still only )A per cent and many people are woring below their potential.
)akistan+s kashmiri pro*lem
5)akistan+s 6ashmir 7 wa8iristan9
International:
,ong before >G11, the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan brought about seismic political changes in north5
west (aistan/s political landscape. "nspired by the example of the "slamist insurgents they had fought with,
young commanders who had participated in the Afghan 6ihad began to displace the traditional tribal
leadership. "n some cases, local "slamist militia were set up. North <a%iristan/s 2awar tribe, for example,
formed its own Taliban as early as 1>>051>>>.
$ac in *++*, under intense pressure from the 7nited &tates to mop up 6ihadists fleeing Afghanistan,
1eneral (erve% Musharraf ordered the (aistan army into the :ederally5Administered Tribal Areas, the site
of these contestations. Bperation Mee%an, or $alance, was the army/s first intervention in the region since
independence in 1>)A. "n *++), a further offensive targeted 6ihadist strongholds around <ana, in &outh
<a%iristan.
,ess than prepared for the rigours of a counter5insurgency campaign, (aistan/s army was mauled.
,ieutenant51eneral &afdar 'usain, the commander of the (eshwar5based @" corps, persuaded 1eneral
Musharraf to bac down, and see negotiated deals with the 6ihadists.
"n April *++), the pro5Taliban legislators Maulana Mera6uddin Pureshi and Maulana Abdul Mali <a%ir
secured a peace deal with 1+ commanders of the "slamist insurgency in North <a%iristan ; an arrangement
called the &haai Agreement. "n essence, the commanders promised not to target (aistan, if the army
called off its offensive and let foreign 6ihadists live in peace.
,ess than seven wees later, though, the deal fell apart, after the two sides failed to agree on the
registration of foreign 6ihadists ; in the main, 7%bes, !hechens and Arabs. Even though Ne Muhammad,
the ey signatory to the &haai deal, was illed in a missile attac, the "slamist insurgency went from
strength to strengthJ North <a%iristan is now the most important hub for 6ihadists fighting the (aistani
state, as well as North Atlantic Treaty Brganisation 8NATB9 forces in Afghanistan.
The :ebruary, *++3, the &rarogha deal went much the same way. :acilitated by the =amiat 7llema5e5"slam
leader Maulana :a%l5ur5#ehman ; whose abiding relationship with the (aistani state has led to his twice
being targeted in suicide5bombings this year ; the deal saw the 6ihad commander $aitullah Mehsud agree
to expel foreigners from &outh <a%iristan.

:inally, in *++F, the (aistan army signed a third peace deal with the 7thman%ai <a%irs of North <a%iristan,
hoping to stave off the prospect that low5level attacs would escalate into an insurgency. The agreement, in
effect, handed power to "slamistsL their flag was flown at the function where the deal was signed. ,ess than
a year on, the two sides were at war, once again.
1eneral Musharraf/s desperate peacemaing needs to be understood in the context of the crisis (aistan

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was confronted with after *++1. 'e was faced with multiple lobbies calling for dismantling the army/s
historical clients, the 6ihadistsJ "ndia threatened war, following the attac on (arliament 'ouse in New 2elhiL
the 7nited &tates was ired by the support 6ihadists in (aistan/s cities offered al5PaedaL military insiders
lie former "&" chief =aved Pa%i argued that the military5mullah alliance made attracting desperately5needed
investment impossible.
:ighting in North <a%iristan, without doubt, degrades the 6ihadist movement/s capabilities, but large5scale
terrorism will not -uicly end. :or that, (aistan needs political resources ; a commitment to
democratisation and development, and parties that can deliver them ; that it simply does not possess.
:or the foreseeable future, (aistan/s descent into the abyss seems inevitableJ war or no war in <a%iristan.
Radiation and thyroid cancer
-ealth:
The fre-uency of papillary thyroid carcinoma occurrence in young people is about 1.3 per million a year. $ut
following the 1>0F !hernobyl calamity a sudden 1++5fold increase was seen in its occurrence in 7raine,
$elarus, and #ussia. "n all, nearly F,+++ people developed thyroid cancerL about ),+++ of them had been
children or adolescents at the time of the accident. $ut how does one distinguish naturally occurring thyroid
cancer from that caused by radiationQ A paper published recently in the (roceedings of the National
Academy of &ciences 8C1ain of chromosome band A-11 in papillary thyroid carcinomas of young patients is
associated with exposure to low5dose radiation,D by =ulia 'eb et al.9 provides the answer. #adiation5specific
signature in a particular region of chromosome A was found in people who were exposed to radioactive
"odine51.1 due to the !hernobyl accident. !hanges in the number or structure of chromosome A were found
to be associated with human cancers. <hile five genes have been identified as tumour5associated
candidates, over5expression of one gene serves as a signature of radiation5induced tumour. <hile none of
the patients from the control groups showed any change in the specific region on chromosome A, .> per
cent of those exposed to radiation carried the signature. The study, which used samples obtained from the
!hernobyl Tissue $an, covered a cohort of 3* radiation5exposed patients and a validation cohort of *0
radiation5exposed patients. The age5matched control groups had no exposure to radiation. &ince only a
subgroup of those exposed to radiation carried the signature, the scientists postulate the existence of other
typical genetic marers.
7nlie other cancers, radiation5induced papillary thyroid carcinoma is easily preventable. #adioisotope
"odine51.1, which has a half5life of eight days and the same physical properties as stable iodine, competes
with it, and the thyroid gland has no way of telling them apart. &aturating the gland with stable iodine drugs
taen as a prophylactic and avoiding the consumption of mil can prevent "odine51.1 from entering the
gland. &uch preventive steps are extremely important in the case of children. These measures, which were
unfortunately not taen after the !hernobyl accident, have been adopted post5:uushima. The new study
should serve as a warning to people running nuclear plants that in the light of what we now now about
radiation exposure and thyroid cancer, any delay in taing preventive steps will be extremely costly in terms
of human lives and well5being.



Source: www.thehindu.com www.visionias.wordpress.com *1

#mpowerin" slum dwellers
Social:
The 7nited (rogressive Alliance government has come up with legislation that might enable progress
towards this goal. The model (roperty #ights to &lum 2wellers Act circulated recently by the 7nion Ministry
of 'ousing and 7rban (overty Alleviation aims to improve the conditions of an estimated >. million slum
dwellers. The legislation would entitle every CeligibleD slum dweller living in a slum to receive a dwelling
place of *3 s-uare metres of carpet area or its e-uivalent land area at CaffordableD cost. "t would confer
property rights in the name of the female head of the household or in the 6oint name of the male head and
his wife. This is a progressive course correction meant to chec the prevalent male bias in determining
housing rights. The proposed Act lays down a seven5year loc5in period to prevent the sale or lease of the
allotted property but sensibly maes provision for mortgaging the dwelling units to raise loans for improving
them.
There are some serious shortcomings in the model Act. The proposal to fix a cut5off date to identify
CeligibleD slum dwellers and provide the CineligibleD ones only with an Call weatherD space for rent and not a
proper dwelling needs to be rethought. Arbitrary cut5off dates and a rigid -uota system are impractical to
implement. ,essons should be learnt from the failed government schemes to regulate urban street vendors.
"f the social ob6ective is to create slum5free cities, an inclusive definition that maximises the number of
beneficiaries is an imperative. "t is ironical that this model legislation, which is meant to stop forced
evictions, has provisions to imprison and fine people who have constructed CillegalD structures on
government land. &ecuring government property is a separate issue. 'ousing is a &tate sub6ect and the
success of the recommended legislation will depend on how well it is implemented by the various &tate
governments. "n *++A, the 7nion Ministry through its national housing policy recommended that *+5*3 per
cent of the built5up area should be reserved for low5income groups in all housing pro6ects, including those
built by private developers. This is yet to be implemented in many cities. <hat is critical is ade-uate supply
of housing for the poor. "f the vision of slum5free cities is to be realised, the stoc of social housing must be
vastly increased.
India+s a"enda at the SCO
International:
&ince its formation in *++1, the &hanghai !ooperation Brganisation has slowly begun to establish itself as an
important forum for the Eurasian region. As a club that has !hina and #ussia and most !entral Asian states
as members, there is an obvious strategic dimension to the &!B. "n the initial years, Moscow and, to a lesser
extent, $ei6ing used the forum to re5in6ect a dose of !old <ar politics into the region. At its *++3 summit, for
example, the &!B ased the 7nited &tates to set a date for the eventual withdrawal of its troops from
Afghanistan. A lot of water has flowed down the Bxus since then. Now that the 7.&. has said it hopes to end
all offensive operations in that country by *+1), the &hanghai grouping realises it needs to step up to the
plate to ensure Iabul has the capacity to deal with those who challenge its authority. Terrorism and "slamist
extremism pose a critical challenge to #ussia and !hina and both now the conse-uences of instability in
their wider region. This is where the &!B has an important role to play. The regional format allows its
members to involve themselves in economic and even security5oriented initiatives without reviving
uncomfortable memories, as in the case of #ussia, or triggering unnecessary rivalries, as in the case of !hina,
"ndia, and (aistan.

Source: www.thehindu.com www.visionias.wordpress.com **

"f the &!B can be faulted, it is on its excessively cautious approach to membership. Most groupings go
through three stagesJ a rush of recruits, followed by brief consolidation, and then further expansion. $ut the
&hanghai club closed its doors too soon, holding "ndia, (aistan, "ran and Mongolia as observers for the
better part of a decade. "ndia/s attitude, of course, did not help matters. <hether for fear of offending the
7.&. or out of a misplaced sense of grandeur, (rime Minister Manmohan &ingh preferred to eep his
distance from the &!B. The ?eaterinburg summit of *++>, which he attended personally, mared a change.
This was also the time &outh $loc realised it needed to get serious about the organisation. ,ast year, a
formal expression of interest was made and now that the &!B, in its summit this wee in Astana, has
reached agreement on the criteria for membership, "ndia is liely to 6oin soon. "t is crucial, though, that New
2elhi taes a constructive and long5sighted view of the opportunities the &!B provides for integration of
&outh and !entral Asia rather than looing forward to pushing an agenda narrowly focussed on terrorism.
&!B members do not need to be reminded at every meeting about the safe haven (aistan provides to
extremism. "ndia/s agenda for the grouping must be broader than that.
di"ital #SIC
Social:
The (anchdeep pro6ect of the Employees/ &tate "nsurance !orporation to provide health and social security
services to millions of contributor5members through a national digital networ from =uly 1 is a laudable
initiative. <orers have been waiting for some measure that ensures they do not lose their welfare benefits
simply because they have to relocate. 'appily, they will now be able to use their identity cards to access the
services in any networed institution. Achieving such scale is no easy tas, considering that the membership
base of the E&"! stands at 3F million, and the number of hospitals, dispensaries, and offices is *,**+.
Networing will also bring about another significant advanceJ the families of the insured can get health care
without the insured member having to accompany them. These are overdue measures, and they lend
belated impetus to "ndia/s efforts to provide low5cost health insurance and welfare support to worers. Bver
the decades, the agenda has made only fitful progress. Bften, the huge cash reserves with the E&"! have
contrasted sadly with the less5than5average -uality of its services. Against this bacdrop, the *+1+
amendment to the Employees/ &tate "nsurance Act, 1>)0 to widen its reach was welcome. The new
provisions enabled extension of coverage to any institution with a manufacturing process, and employing 1+
or more people, irrespective of the use of power.
"mpressive as the networing achievement is, the E&" system now has to turn its focus on strengthening its
core purpose ; to safeguard employee health. There are acnowledged problems starting with the sheer
demand for facilities, inefficiency, official indifference, corruption, and a lac of accountability. "mproving
medical infrastructure is a ey priority, as is an administrative revamp. A legitimate -uestion is whether the
'ospital 2evelopment !ommittees constituted by the E&"! have brought about any perceptible change.
(olicy concerns at the &tate level also remain. :or example, a liberal approach would facilitate the inclusion
of more shops and establishments. The !entre has been appealing to the &tates to invoe the powers under
the Act and lower the threshold for coverage from *+ employees to 1+. $ut not all &tates have acted. ,abour
Minister Malliar6un Iharge told (arliament recently that only $ihar, (un6ab, #a6asthan, and <est $engal
had issued the necessary notifications. The decision of the E&"! to start 10 medical colleges Cin phasesD to
provide the human resources for its expanding hospital operations is a step forward. At a time of rising costs
and debilitating out5of5pocet health expenditure, it is vital that governments widen social security.



Source: www.thehindu.com www.visionias.wordpress.com *.

Should water *e moved to concurrent list:
)olitical:
The Asho !hawla committee, which was primarily concerned with the -uestion of rationalising the
allocation of natural resources with a view to reducing the scope for corruption, was reported by the media
to have recommended inter alia the shifting of water to the !oncurrent ,ist.
The general impression is that in "ndia water is a &tate sub6ect, but the position is not -uite so simple. The
primary entry in the !onstitution relating to water is indeed Entry 1A in the &tate ,ist, but it is explicitly
made sub6ect to the provisions of Entry 3F in the 7nion ,ist which enables the 7nion to deal with inter5&tate
rivers if (arliament legislates for the purpose. This means that if (arliament considers it Cexpedient in the
public interestD that the Cregulation and developmentD of an inter5&tate river, say the 1anga or ?amuna or
Narmada, should be Cunder the control of the 7nionD, it can enact a law to that effect, and that law will give
the 7nion legislative 8and therefore executive9 powers over that river. That enabling provision has not been
used by (arliament. No law has been passed bringing any river under the control of the 7nion. 7nder Entry
3F, (arliament did enact the #iver $oards Act 1>3F providing for the establishment of #iver $oards for inter5
&tate rivers, but no such board has been established under the Act. That Act is virtually a dead letter. The
reasons are political, i.e., strong resistance by &tate governments to any enhancement of the role of the
!entral government.
,et us ignore political and practical considerations, and asJ if the !onstitution were being drafted for the
first time now, where would one put waterQ The obvious and incontrovertible answer isJ in the !oncurrent
,ist. There are several reasons for saying so.
:irst, it appears that to the !onstitution5maers Mwater/ meant essentially river waters and irrigation. This is
-uite evident from the wording of the entries. "n that context, it might have appeared appropriate to assign
the primary role to the &tates, and provide a specific role for the !entre in relation to inter5&tate rivers.
'owever, even from that limited perspective, a primary rather than a secondary or exceptional role for the
!entre might well have been warrantedJ most of our important rivers are in fact inter5&tate, and inter5&tate
8or inter5provincial9 river water disputes were an old and vexed problem even at the time of drafting the
!onstitution.
&econdly, that limited perspective is in fact inade-uate. <ater as a sub6ect is larger than riversL ponds and
laes, springs, groundwater a-uifers, glaciers, soil and atmospheric moisture, wetlands, and so on, are all
forms of water and constitute a hydrological unityL and there is more to water than irrigation. "f the
environmental, ecological, socialGhuman, and rights concerns relating to water had been as sharply present
to the maers of the !onstitution as they are to us, it seems very probable that the entries in the
!onstitution would have been different. 8"ncidentally, there are serious concerns now relating to
groundwater ; rapid depletion of a-uifers in many parts of the country, the emergence of arsenic and
fluoride in many &tates, etc. ; and it is interesting that there is no explicit reference to groundwater or
a-uifers in the !onstitution.9
Thirdly, the !onstitution5maers could not have anticipated the sense of water scarcity and crisis that now
looms large. "t is clear that while action will be called for at the &tate and local levels, the perception of a
crisis casts a great responsibility on the !entreJ national initiatives will definitely be called for.
:ourthly, a new factor not foreseen even a few decades ago is climate change and its impact on water
resources. This is a sub6ect which is still under study and research, but it is clear that coordinated action will

Source: www.thehindu.com www.visionias.wordpress.com *)

be called for not only at the national level but also at the regional and international levels. The !entral
government has necessarily to play a lead role in this regard.
The theoretical case for water being in the !oncurrent ,ist is thus unassailable. Bf all the sub6ects that are or
ought to be in the !oncurrent ,ist, water rans higher than any other. The practical and political difficulties
of shifting it there remain, but these would need to be overcome.
'owever, if those difficulties prove insuperable, then we have to settle for the second best course 8a modest
one9 of greater use by the !entre of the legislative powers relating to inter5&tate rivers provided for in Entry
3F in the 7nion ,ist, and re5activation of the dormant #iver $oards Act 1>3F. "t would further have to be
supplemented by recourse to the wide5ranging provisions of the Environment 8(rotection9 Act 1>0F 8E(A9. "t
is of course possible for (arliament to legislate on a &tate sub6ect if a certain number of &tate assemblies
pass resolutions to that effectJ that was the route followed in the case of the <ater 8!ontrol and (revention
of (ollution9 Act 1>A).
At present, the E(A is being extensively used by the !entre for water5related action. :or instance, the
!entral 1roundwater Authority was set up in 1>>0 by a notification under the E(A. More recently, when it
was considered necessary to set up a National 1anga #iver $asin Authority this was done under the E(A,
instead of following the right but difficult course of enacting legislation under Entry 3F.
:inally, putting water into the !oncurrent ,ist is not necessarily an act of centralisation, though it could lead
to such a development. That danger is real and needs to be avoided. ,egislation and executive action must
continue to be undertaen at the appropriate level 8!entral, &tate or local9 in each case. The subsidiarity
principle, i.e., the principle that decisions must be taen at the lowest appropriate level, will continue to be
valid.
Is ra* sprin" wishful thinkin":
International,#ssay:
5;ust "ive a casually read to "et the essence9
The expectations and hopes engendered by the events in Tunisia and Egypt at the beginning of the second
decade of this century for an Arab &pring sprouting in the Arab world have turned out to be based on
wishful thining rather than on a careful assessment of the specific characteristics of each Arab country as
well as of the vested interests of some external powers which wish to see change in a particular direction.
Bnly Tunisia and Egypt have succeeded in overthrowing the previous regimes but even there, we have to
wait to see what exactly will tae their place. &o far, the military in both countries remains all powerfulL
however, there is reason to hope that eventually, governments with the genuine participation of the
peoples will emerge, at least in the short term. "f the new governments in Tunis and !airo, especially the
latter given Egypt/s crucial role in the Arab world, do not manage to tacle at least some of the problems
such as corruption, high prices, and unemployment, the fate of democracy will hang in the balance.
"n the rest of the Arab world, churning is on, but an extremely violent one, not at all ideal for preparing the
soil for the seeds of democracy. Three countries ; ,ibya, &yria and ?emen ; seem to be competing with
one another in terms of the blood of civilians that is being shed in the name of change and reform. "n all
three, extra5regional powers are significantly involved militarily as well as diplomatically, though the nature
and extent of such interference vary. Economic, strategic and energy interests are at stae.
,ibya has turned out to be the cry of despair for those who have committed their armed personnel, scarce

Source: www.thehindu.com www.visionias.wordpress.com *3

financial resources and, more importantly, prestige in the outcome of the situation there. The conflict has
gone on for longer than anyone expected and is costing the western nations more than they would really
care to spend. 'aving pushed through #esolution 1>A. with the help of the Arab ,eague, they had
calculated a -uic and low5cost operation. ,ie in Afghanistan, Nato cannot afford to pull out without being
able to claim victory. Two or three factors have frustrated their plans ; Muammar Padhafi/s stubborn
refusal to disappear from the scene, the absence of an identifiable and credible alternative leadership, and
the continued loyalty of many African states to Mr. Padhafi. Mr. Padhafi is no doubt counting on the fatigue
; financial and military ; factor weaening public support for the Nato operation. Nato stries illing
civilians will further erode support and provide more propaganda ammunition to Mr. Padhafi.
According to the present reconing, the civil war and the de facto division of the country, with massive
external involvement, are liely to continue well beyond the three5month extension that Nato has given to
its operation. "t is also noteworthy that the western media which, at one time, were worried about al5Paeda
having resurfaced in ,ibya, have now completely ignored this phenomenon ; one wonders why. The
Africans have become ever more sceptical of western countries since the latter have given up even the
pretence of their motivation in intervening in ,ibya and have made it clear, in words and deeds, that what
they are after is regime change in Tripoli. <hile many countries may not be fond of Mr. Padhafi, very few
would want to associate themselves openly with the goal of regime change anywhere. The international
community at large also finds it difficult to understand the need for Nato to destroy the entire infrastructure
of ,ibya, since the &ecurity !ouncil had authorised use of force only to protect civilian lives.
&yria is a much more important regional power. A lot rides on the outcome of what is going on there ; the
strategic relationship between &yria and "ran, the situation in ,ebanon including in particular the status of
the 'i%bullah, the fate of 'amas whose leadership is based in 2amascus as well as the larger -uestion of
&hia5&unni tensions. 8The ruling Alawites are a sub5sect of &hias whereas the ma6ority population is &unni.9
Most important, there is the "sraeli5&yria -uestion. "srael is reportedly not in favour of toppling the Assad
regime. "t is not clear why. (erhaps because the alternative could be a fundamentalist Muslim $rotherhood
government. Bn the whole, however, the western powers would welcome a change in 2amascus, though its
leaders have refrained from admitting it publiclyL breaing the &yria5"ran axis would be a tremendous
achievement. Again, it is precisely this barely concealed desire for regime change which most non5western
countries find difficult to reconcile with. There are credible reports suggesting that the Assad regime en6oys
considerable support among the people. The protesters in &yria, taing a cue from the rebels in ,ibya, have
formed a Mnational/ committee which is the best way to get political and financial support from the <est.
?emen, in many ways, is the most complicated situation. "t is infested with the maximum external
interference ; &audi Arabia, 7.&., "ran, 1!! and assorted countries. At one time, its long5serving (resident
had accepted the principle of resigning and leaving, but since seems to have changed his mind. The in6uries
he suffered in an attac on his compound and conse-uent flight to &audi Arabia have paradoxically given
him time to consolidate his position and strengthen his support base in ?emen. The south wants to secede
and parts of north want to merge with the big northern neighbour, but the latter is not interested, it seems.
The &hia5&unni act is also being played out there. Al5Paeda was reported to have captured a town, Rin6ibar,
in the south, but it was suspected to be a diabolical move of the (resident who, thereby, calculated to win
the sympathy of the Americans. The latter are exploiting the situation and relentlessly bombing suspected
concentrations of the al5Paeda, hoping to eliminate its leadership.
No one is saying a word about the most important country in the region. (resident Bbama exercised
admirable sill in avoiding the mention of &audi Arabia in his speech on the Arab world a few wees ago. The
'ouse of &aud is unhappy with Mr. Bbama because he did not defend vigorously enough his, and &audi,

Source: www.thehindu.com www.visionias.wordpress.com *F

friend Mubara. The Iing was also annoyed when the Americans expressed, admittedly not too strongly,
reservations about the &audi intervention in $ahrain. "t must be acnowledged that the entire international
community has a stae in the stability of the most important oil price stabiliser in the world and that is why
nobody, not 6ust the Americans, is saying anything about that country. The people of &audi Arabia might also
be somewhat less enthusiastic about change or reform in their country in view of what is happening in their
immediate neighbourhood. 'owever, if genuine democratic movement taes root in the rest of the Arab
world ; a big Mif/; the &audi regime will have to reform at however slow a pace. "n the meanwhile,
Morocco and =ordan are reported to have been invited to become members of 1!!. 1!! will have to change
its name.
"n $ahrain, the ing, with &audi help, has managed to suppress the ma6ority &hia community, at least for the
time being, but it has not been silenced forever. The reform movement is alive, though not icing, at the
moment. &ince the 7.&. has such an enormous stae in and around $ahrain, it will mae sure that the ing
and his entourage, especially the crown prince, will respond positively at least to some of the demands of
the protesters if that is the only way to protect its interests. $ahrain presents a fascinating case study where
the interests of the dominant regional power, &audi Arabia, are to some extent in conflict with the interests
of the most powerful country in the world, 7nited &tates.
Bverall, the prospects of a meaningful Arab spring do not loo bright as of now.
"n the circumstances, it maes sense for "ndia to maintain relative silence on the events in <est Asia and
North Africa and not to identify itself with one or the other side in multilateral institutions. <e have
substantial interests in the region, going beyond energy sources. The fate of five million "ndians employed
there is a matter of great importance and concern to us. At the same time, we must tae steps to protect
our present and future interests in the region. "t would be in order for us to express serious concern and
distress at the loss of life and property, for example in ,ibya and &yria. The latter must scrupulously abide by
its commitments under the N(T, and we should express hope that at least some aspirations of the people
for reform would be satisfied. <e must not assume that no change will ever tae place in &yria or any other
country. At the same time, we should establish contact with the so5called transitional council based in
$engha%i. "t is more than probable that that group might become better organised under western diplomatic
and military guidance and come to at least share power in Tripoli at some time in future. !ontacts with them
now will stand us in good stead then. <e could also activate $#"!& andGor "$&A and issue common
statements agreed through diplomatic channels.
Renewin" e(waste
Sc < $ech:
The e5waste 8Management and 'andling9 #ules, *+11, notified by the Ministry of Environment and :orests,
have the potential to turn a growing problem into a development opportunity. <ith almost a year to go
before the rules tae effect, there is enough time to create the necessary infrastructure for collection,
dismantling, and recycling of electronic waste. The focus must be on sincere and efficient implementation.
Bnly decisive action can eliminate the scandalous pollution and health costs associated with "ndia/s
ha%ardous waste recycling industry. "f "ndia can achieve a transformation, it will be creating a whole new
employment sector that provides good wages and woring conditions for tens of thousands. The legacy
response of the &tates to even the basic law on urban waste, the Municipal &olid <astes 8Management and
'andling9 #ules, has been one of indifferenceL many cities continue to simply burn the garbage or dump it in
laes. <ith the emphasis now on segregation of waste at source and recovery of materials, it should be

Source: www.thehindu.com www.visionias.wordpress.com *A

feasible to implement both sets of rules efficiently. A welcome feature of the new e5waste rules is the
emphasis on extended producer responsibility. "n other words, producers must tae responsibility for the
disposal of end5of5life products. :or this provision to wor, they must ensure that consumers who sell scrap
get some form of financial incentive.
The e5waste rules, which derive from those pertaining to ha%ardous waste, are scheduled to come into force
on May 1, *+1*. &ound as they are, the tas of scientifically disposing of a few hundred thousand tonnes of
trash electronics annually depends heavily on a system of oversight by &tate (ollution !ontrol $oards.
7nfortunately, most (!$s remain unaccountable and often lac the resources for active enforcement. "t
must be pointed out that, although agencies handling e5waste must obtain environmental clearances and be
authorised and registered by the (!$s even under the 'a%ardous <astes 8Management, 'andling and
Transboundary Movement9 #ules, *++0, there has been little practical impact. Bver >3 per cent of electronic
waste is collected and recycled by the informal sector. The way forward is for the (!$s to be made
accountable for enforcement of the e5waste rules, and the levy of penalties under environmental laws.
!learly, the first order priority is to create a system that will absorb the 0+,+++5strong worforce in the
informal sector into the proposed scheme for scientific recycling. :acilities must be created to upgrade the
sills of these worers through training and their occupational health must be ensured.
Ban"ladesh: restorin" secular constitution
International:
:or the first time after 1>A3, $angladesh has got the opportunity to correct calculated distortions to its
original !onstitution framed in 1>A*, following independence of former East (aistan. The ruling grand
alliance, led by (rime Minister &heih 'asina, holds a three5fourths ma6ority in (arliament, more than the
two5thirds re-uired for bringing changes to the !onstitution.
2eclaring military rule unconstitutional, the supreme court has restored the four basic principles ;
democracy, nationalism, socialism and secularism ; which were the pillars of the state.
The Awami ,eague5led alliance, bound by its promise to restore the lost state principles, formed a special
parliamentary committee for recommending suitable amendments. The committee, after a year5long
exercise, placed its recommendations before (arliament. These recommendations will be included in the
upcoming !onstitution bill, to be endorsed by (arliament.
"ndiscriminate amendments were made to the !onstitution by the first military regime led by 1en Riaur
#ahman, founder of the $N(, following the assassination of $angladesh/s founding father &heih Mu6ibur
#ahman in 1>A3 . The amendments not only changed the fundamental principles of the state but also
destroyed its secular character, allowed politics based on religion, and provided political rights to the anti5
,iberation <ar forces, even the war criminals. $esides, the secular M$engali nationalism,/ on the basis of
which the $angladesh war was fought, was replaced with M$angladeshi nationalism/.
1rabbing state power in 1>0*, 1eneral Ershad made "slam the state religion. This gross deviation from the
original !onstitution radically altered the political landscape, helping in the rise of religion5based political
parties, which had been banned on charges of war crimes.
Now, for the first time, $angladesh is set to give constitutional recognition to Mu6ibur #ahman, and
incorporate the historical facts of the C2eclaration of "ndependenceD on March *F, 1>A1 by Mu6ib, his March
A, 1>A1 public speech that led to the armed struggle, and the C(roclamation of "ndependenceD by the
elected representatives who formed the provisional government to lead the war in April 1>A1.

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Nonetheless, there are apprehensions among the liberals that if the non5secular provisions, including the
right to religion5based politics, are not removed, fanatics would become more desperate to turn $angladesh
into a state similar to (aistan. This compromise may alienate a vast ma6ority of young generation voters
who, under a new ethical awaening, voted overwhelmingly for the Awami ,eague in the crucial *++0
elections.
The &upreme !ourt has paved the way for preventing a military taeover in future and restored the secular
spirit of the original !onstitution. "slam, however, shall remain state religion as it was not covered by the
6udgment. The court vehemently denounced military rule and the suspension of the !onstitution by a
martial law proclamation.
There are a few important amendments suggested by the special committee, which includes a new Article. "t
says any unconstitutional sei%ure of state power should be considered treason and persons involved tried on
the charge of sedition. The committee has also recommended a new Article to ensure preservation of the
heritage of the ethnic minorities and their development.
According to the recommendations, war criminals, now undergoing trial, cannot contest the national
election. $esides, the committee recommended women/s empowerment, and protection of bio5diversity
and environment.
The secularists have also pointed out that the independence of $angladesh means independence from the
dreadful practices of categorisation by the professed faiths. They hope that (arliament will do its part to
preserve the !onstitution that represents the nation/s heroic struggle for independence from a false
statehood on the basis of religion.
RBI+s nuanced approach to inflation
#conomy:
The #eserve $an of "ndia/s annual monetary policy statement in May and its mid5-uarter review last wee,
by many yardstics, are seen as a brea from the past. That only few observers have commented on the new
loo policy is most certainly due to the fact that the monetary policy, unlie the fiscal policy 8the 7nion
budget9, hardly evoes the ind of widespread scrutiny or excitement. That remains so despite recent
attempts to mae the monetary policy more accessible to the common man.
The annual policy statement and the mid5-uarter review that followed it fit into the recent mould of policy
announcements that strive for transparency and reach out to the common man. Bne outstanding example is
the dissemination of information on what has become one of the core topics in today/s public policy
discourse, namely, inflation.
The deleterious conse-uences of inflation are well nown. "t will impact adversely on the growth prospects.
"ndia/s poor with already low living standards will suffer the most. The #$" in its monetary statements has
devoted considerable space not 6ust to inflation but also to inflation expectations. The connection between
the two has once again been well brought out in the annual policy statement.
'igh inflation is being driven by global commodity prices which have surged in recent months. There is every
possibility that they may increase further even in the short5term. &o there is a real possibility of inflation
getting even worse.

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Even the most pessimistic inflation pro6ections of recent months have been exceeded, there are serious
concerns that inflation expectations may become unhinged.
The monetary policy should have a clear and stated inflation ob6ective. &econd, the central ban must have
the appropriate instruments and have the freedom to use them. :inally, there should be an effective
transmission of monetary policy.
The #$" has recently taen some bold stepsJ
a9 a +.A3 percentage point increase in the repo rate over two policy statements 8in contrast to the small
Mbaby/ steps of previous policiesL
b9 maing the repo rate the sole policy rateL and
c9 the creation of the Marginal &tanding :acility from which bans can borrow at the repo rate plus one
percentage point.
Not only will the #$" be able to manage li-uidity better, but it effectively assumes the traditional role as a
lender of last resort. Monetary transmission should improve as a result of these changes.
4r*an partnerships for a sustaina*le future
Social Infrastructure,#ssay:
7rbanisation, well5managed, is a chance to put our development paradigm on the right trac H on a trac
that will result in inclusive and sustainable development.
Managing and maing the region/s cities liveable for all was at the heart of discussions at the :ifth Asia5
(acific 7rban :orum in $ango 8=une **5*), *+119, organised by 7N E&!A(. The :orum brought together
government ministers, mayors and city officials from across Asia and the (acific together with
representatives from .+ 7nited Nations agencies and international organisations to discuss emerging urban
issues and exchange innovative policies.
There are four ey urban challenges in Asia and the (acific.
The first challenge is the sheer scope and pace of urbanisation. Bur cities are already home to 1.F billion
people. $y *+*3, the urban population in Asia and the (acific will be *.. billion people. To put this figure in
perspectiveJ we need to provide 6obs, housing, water, energy, transport, education and health infrastructure
for a city the si%e of Melbourne ; almost every month ; for the next 13 years is an enormous challenge.
The second challenge facing our cities is unsustainable development. As a region, Asia and the (acific have
achieved spectacular economic growth and poverty reduction. (roducing over 0+ per cent of the region/s
12(, cities have been at the forefront of this economic growth. 'owever, this /growth first/ strategy has
come at a cost. !ities account for FA per cent of all our energy use, A1 per cent of all our green house gas
emissions and generate .++ million tons of solid wastes per year. Bur people suffer from congested roads,
energy and water shortages, and air and water pollution.
<hile coping with the impacts of unsustainable development, we are faced with the third challengeJ that of
climate change. Bver 3+ per cent of Asia5(acific/s urban residents live in low lying areas and are at ris from
extreme weather events such as floods and typhoons. The fre-uency and intensity of climate related

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disasters will increase ; affecting our economic, energy, water and food security. <hile natural disasters
affect both the rich and the poor, it is the poor who suffer most because they do not have the assets to cope
with riss and vulnerabilities.
The fourth challenge is most dauntingJ the urbanisation of poverty, manifested by slums and s-uatter
settlements. Thirty5five per cent of urban residents of the region live in slums. 7rban Asia includes persistent
disparities in income as well as in access to services and opportunities. <ithout addressing this, the
grievances that stem from these disparities will sap the hope we presently hold for our urban future.
2espite these challenges, our vision for the future is one where cities are socially 6ust and inclusive,
environmentally sustainable, and increasingly, resilient to climate change and other shocs, while being the
engines of economic growth.
To get there, we need to reform urban planning and infrastructure design to mae our cities compact and
eco5efficient. <e need to maximise the benefits of mass transit and transport systems. <e need to invest in
eco5efficient buildings and infrastructure, clean water, sanitation, waste management and smart energy
grids.
&econdly, we need to engage civil society and businesses to promote more sustainable life5styles. The
private sector needs to embrace the well5being of our people and our planet, while generating profits. Bur
prosperity must be shared.
Moreover, up5scaling of innovative solutions, green infrastructure technology and services will not only
improve the lives of the poor, it could also turn them into pioneers of a low5carbon and sustainable future.
,astly, we need to ensure that the poor have access to more secure housing and strengthen their ability to
recover from disasters through community5based finance, micro5insurance schemes and social protection.
Adopting inclusive and sustainable development strategies will not be easy. "t will re-uire transforming the
way we plan, manage and govern our cities. The governments of Asia and the (acific, at both the national
and local levels, can wor to promote integrated approaches to urban governance and development.
<e can mae our cities liveable places of shared prosperity, social progress, cultural vibrancy and nowledge
and ecological sustainability. "f we get it right in Asia (acific, we get it right for two5thirds of humanity. And
our children will inherit a promising future.
$he *est CB. yet
International:
"ndia and (aistan have taen their re5engagement another commendable step forward with the meeting
between the two :oreign &ecretaries. !onsidering the difficulties in relations since the Mumbai *++0
attacs, each official interaction must be seen as an important incremental step in the rebuilding of bilateral
relations, to which there is no alternative. As :oreign &ecretary Nirupama #ao rightly said, it is time that Ca
vocabulary of peace,D rather than an ideology of military conflict, determined the way the two countries
view each other. These tals capped a series of meetings between officials held since March, following the
pattern of the !omposite 2ialogue process but without calling it that. That these discussions were able to
pic up threads abandoned after the Mumbai attacs, including those on relaxing the visa regime and
concessions to improve bilateral trade, is encouraging. The :oreign &ecretaries discussed the possibilities of

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more Iashmir5specific confidence5building measures, or !$Ms, and the scope for improving those in
existence now. Also taen up were !$Ms to mitigate the nuclear shadow over the subcontinent and the
excessive military build5up on both sides, as was the issue of terrorism. That both sides had to agree through
a 6oint statement to the Ccessation of hostile propagandaD is telling about how far this had gone and should
be cause for introspection in the news media, which often provides a platform for such propaganda. $ut
what was uplifting was the acnowledgment that Cthe people of the two countries are at the heart of the
relationship.D
,ast wee, one (aistani demonstrated that nothing is truer when it comes to "ndia5(aistan relations. Ansar
$urney/s act of mobilising funds to free not 6ust the (aistani sailors held by pirates on the m.v. &ue%, but
also the "ndian ones, has provided exemplary substance to that phrase Mpeople5to people contact./ The
subse-uent mid5sea scuffle between the "ndian and (aistani navies as the rescued ship was being escorted
to Iarachi only reiterated the truth that the peoples are more capable of civilised engagement than the two
states. The human rights activist/s decision to help the "ndian hostages is all the more heart5warming,
considering the hostility he faced from the (aistani media the last time he assisted an "ndian in March
*++0, when his efforts led to the release of the death5row prisoner Iashmir &ingh from a (aistani 6ail after a
.+5year5long incarceration. <orse was the shabby treatment meted out to him by "ndia, which deported
him from the New 2elhi airport in =une *++0 on the unexplained ground of Cinade-uate documentation.D
Evidently, Mr. $urney carried no grudge about this. 'e has shown by deed that humanism is the best !$M.
$he NS1 challen"e
International,#ner"y:
The Nuclear &uppliers 1roup may well have been trying to tighten the general rules for the international
transfer of enrichment and reprocessing e-uipment and technology 8EN#9 but its insistence on membership
of the Nuclear Non5proliferation Treaty as a condition of supply has effectively punched a hole in the historic
waiver "ndia negotiated with the cartel in *++0. This reversal will, of course, politically damage (rime
Minister Manmohan &ingh, who promised (arliament in *++F that his government would start placing
"ndian civil nuclear facilities under international safeguards only after all international restrictions in the
nuclear field had been lifted. $ut a bigger challenge confronts our diplomatic establishment, which now
faces the tas of ensuring that the mutual commitments undertaen by "ndia and its nuclear partners are
implemented in full. Ever since the =uly *++3 6oint statement with the 7nited &tates, official "ndia has
asserted that all the promises and commitments it was maing ; the separation of its military and civilian
nuclear sectors, the acceptance of international safeguards over its civilian facilities, the placing of huge
commercial orders, etc. ; were in exchange for full civil nuclear cooperation. The bilateral agreements
signed with the 7.&., :rance, and #ussia, and the N&1 statement on "ndia that emerged after two bruising
rounds of negotiations in *++0, were all drafted accordingly. "f one side now insists on maing unilateral
changes, this will be a breach of trust.
"ndia/s initial response to last wee/s setbac at the N&1 has been guarded. "t has indicated to the three
ma6or reactor5supplying nations that they must stand by their earlier commitments. $ut if they baul or
prevaricate, New 2elhi will have to exercise the leverage it has. The 7.&., :rance, and #ussia are not doing
"ndia a favour by agreeing to sell nuclear reactors. The bill for this e-uipment will run eventually into tens of
billions of dollars. "ndia has promised to buy 1+,+++ M< worth of reactors from the 7.&. alone. Then there
are the defence purchases the country is slated to mae. &mart diplomacy would have meant leveraging
these assets in advance. The EN# writing has been on the wall since November *++0, when a Mclean text/ of
the new restrictions first emerged in draft form. 7nfortunately, the 7nited (rogressive Alliance regime soft5

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pedalled the issue, preferring to demarche its partners in private rather than maing a big deal out of the
fact that the terms of the nuclear deal were being arbitrarily redrawn. Even today, the EN# issue is not a lost
causeJ lie the nuclear embargo itself, this latest un6ust restriction on "ndia can be reversed. $ut only if the
government has the political stomach to play hardball.
$he C1 mandate
)olitical:
As auditor to a nation whose institutions of oversight are wea and underdeveloped, the !omptroller and
Auditor 1eneral of "ndia is more than 6ust the eeper of our national accounts. "t is, in many ways, a
conscience5eeper and a watchdog, which may not bite but can bar and warn ordinary citi%ens that
something is amiss in the wider affairs of state.
,ie the Election !ommission and the &upreme !ourt, the !A1 has managed to protect its integrity and
independence despite pressure from various arms of the state. "f conducted freely and fairly, a robust audit
can serve as a catalyst for corrective action.
The !A1/s observations may be politically embarrassing to the government but they clearly contribute to the
public good. 2emocratic "ndia must ensure that the government taes the wor of this constitutionally
sanctioned institution very seriously and removes the obstacles placed in the path of a more effective and
efficient audit process.
Aware of the limitations of its mandate, the !A1 has ased the 7nited (rogressive Alliance government to
mae three broad amendments in the 1>A1 Audit Act, which governs the functioning of the audit
authorities.
The first amendment is intended to ensure that government departments reply to audit en-uiries in .+ days
rather than in the open5ended manner as now.
&econdly, the !A1 wants the statute to stipulate a clear timeframe for the tabling of completed audit
reports on the floor of the relevant legislature. The Act, as it stands today, gives the !entral and &tate
governments wide latitude in this regard and it is hardly surprising that this freedom has been abused to
delay maing public the audit reports that contain embarrassing observations.
The third set of proposed amendments is aimed at bringing the !A1/s legal mandate up to speed with the
changes that have taen place in the way public money is spent.
&ince the 1>A1 Act was passed, the A.rd and A)th amendments to the !onstitution have been adopted,
adding a layer of decentralised governance ; and hence expenditure management ; to the institutions of
the state. ,iberalisation has meant public money is increasingly utilised in 6oint ventures and public5private
partnerships. $ecause of ambiguities in its mandate, the !A1 feels unable ade-uately to audit this vast area
of public economic activity. The government should deal with the call for a modernised Audit Act
proactively.



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clean chit for now
#conomy:
The #eserve $an of "ndia/s latest :inancial &tability #eport attempts to assess the health of "ndia/s financial
sector in a holistic manner and pinpoint the incipient riss to stability that may arise in a systemic sense.
The report declares that "ndia/s financial system remains Cstable in the face of some fragilities being
observed in the global macro5financial environment.D
"ndia/s growth momentum has moderated slightly on account of both domestic and global factors, but its
economic fundamentals continue to remain strong despite concerns over inflation and the fiscal situation.
The widening current account deficit also is not a matter of serious concern for now, although a slowdown
in capital inflows could occur as the advanced economies exit from their accommodative policies. 'owever,
government expenditure needs to be more tightly managed as part of a well thought5out process of fiscal
consolidation.
The domestic financial marets remain stress5free and are expected to be so in the near future. There has
been a strong demand for credit and, conse-uently, li-uidity has tightened recently. Bne sub6ect of concern
has been the currency mismatches that have arisen in the wae of domestic companies relying more
extensively than before on external commercial borrowings. A related problem is that many domestic
corporate issuers of foreign currency convertible bonds 8:!!$s9 might face refunding riss by March *+1.,
when it would be time for redemption. The conversion prices on many of these bonds are much higher than
the current prices of the lined e-uity shares, and it is unliely that the gap will narrow. The "ndian baning
system remains well capitalised, with both core capital ade-uacy and leverage ratios ruling at comfortable
levels. Even as credit off5tae has rebounded recently, asset -uality has improved although certain specific
sectors of the economy could pose problems. :or now, a rise in net interest income has boosted the
profitability of bans, but over the near5term rising costs may weigh in. $ans need to be vigilant in facing up
to interest rate riss in the prevailing inflation scenario.
Conditional cash transfers and health
Social:
5content can *e used in essay9
Bver 0+ per cent of the world/s population lives in conditions without any guarantees to manage life/s riss.
The 7nited Nations and other international agencies have argued that only * per cent of the world/s 1ross
2omestic (roduct 812(9 is re-uired to provide basic social security to the world/s poor.
#edistributive transfers are not only desirable but are also hallmars of civilised nations. They have
multiplier effects and create more secure societies. Nevertheless, the philosophy, structures, economics and
impact of these innovations are debated. Are conditional cash transfer programmes a panacea to reduce
poverty and improve healthQ A scheme related to health is discussed here to highlight the complexity of the
issues involved.
The =anani &urasha ?o6ana 8=&?9 scheme is a conditional cash transfer 8!!T9 scheme to incentivise the use of
health services. "t is an intervention for safe motherhood and aims at reducing maternal and neo5natal

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mortality among poor women by encouraging institutional deliveries. "t integrates financial assistance with
delivery and post5delivery care for the mother and baby. The scheme also provides for the identification of
pregnant women, antenatal care, assistance with transport and certification, postnatal care, and support
and counselling services. #ecent additions to these services include the cost of all medication and
treatments, blood transfusions, consumables and diet. "n some &tates, the scheme is complemented by the
provision of public funds to private service providers in rural areas.
<hile the =&? is a path5breaing initiative, its impact, when measured by maternal and child health
outcomes, is dependent on the availability and accessibility of good health care services. The failure to
document health outcomes of mothers and babies allows poor health care standards in many institutions to
be mased by process indicators 8e.g. institutional deliveries9 employed for assessments. 7nless good health
care is provided at health institutions, !!Ts for institutional deliveries will fall short of their goal of reducing
infant and maternal mortality and improving standards of health.
!!Ts as tools to bring about social change, based on a simplistic understanding of issues, are doomed to
failure.
!!Ts are not a panacea for poverty, ill health or for stabilising populations. As related to health, they will
deliver only within the context of an effective health care system. <ithout a good public health delivery
system, the aim of !!Ts to bring people to hospital, to obtain effective health interventions, will be
defeated.
The use of !!Ts as a proxy for the delivery of good health care is fallacious. They may change health5seeing
behaviour, but it re-uires a good health care system to reduce maternal and child mortality rates. &imilarly,
!!Ts for population stabilisation, by rewarding contraception and sterilisation, without a basic social
security net for the poor will not be utilised and will be ineffective.
!!Ts are complex interventions and part solutions within a range of services provided for people. They
cannot be an alternative to good health and social security services. &ocial determinants of health lie clean
water, sanitation, nutrition, housing, education, employment and social security play a ma6or role in
population health and growth. The use of !!Ts should not result in the government abdicating its
responsibility of providing public services to the poor. They should also not be viewed as another business
opportunity for free maret players. <hile recent efforts at improving health care delivery, food security
and employment guarantee have made an impact, they have a long way to go before significantly
influencing maternal and child mortality, family si%es and population numbers. !!Ts are not complete
solutions and call for a nuanced understanding of the strategy, context and issues.
4niversal health care
Social,#ssay:
'ealth is currently a privilege in "ndia. Not a right.
The fundamental reason why our health targets are not achieved is that we set targets without setting
strategiesL without understanding what is preventing progressL and without putting ade-uate human and
financial resources toward achieving targets.
:irst, we e-uate the number of buildings to available health services. The (lanning !ommission and !entral
and &tate governments only count the number of health centres, without bothering to find out what is

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happening at these centres. &urveys have shown the inade-uacy of our health infrastructure and that
health worers are not staying where they are posted. There are good reasons why health staff do not stay
in villages. $ut health departments have not studied this problem or remedy it. Not only are worers not
staying, studies have also shown that they are -uite fre-uently absent without reason. &uch
unaccountability is treated as routine and not discussed in health policy forums.
The second reason for a lac of services is underfunding and poor management of medicines, leading to a
lac of availability. Bften times, the -uality of medicines available from these shops and government health
centres is poor due to the government/s wea oversight on pharmacies and poor procurement policies.
<hile planning and funding are ma6or problems, the root of the health problem in "ndia is the lac of
ade-uate numbers of well5trained managers. Many national health programmes cover millions of
beneficiaries, yet they are managed by 6ust two or three technical managers who are general or specialist
doctors. Most of the time these individuals are without any public health or management training.
2uring the last five years, the government has put in significant resources into the National #ural 'ealth
Mission 8N#'M9. (reparations are underway for the 1*th :ive ?ear (lan 8:?(9, and thus we should be
looing at what radical changes are needed in the public health system.
$udgets for health services will need to increase by a factor of three to five times. The national government
is committed to tae health funding from less than one per cent to two to three per cent of the 12(. This is
critical. The government must chart out how the !entre and &tates will increase these budgets over the next
five years.
'ealth care is provided by humans. Not by buildings or physical infrastructure. <e need to get doctors and
nurses to go to remote and rural areas and wor there. This means paying them better wages, better
housing and other amenities, and maing the woring environment conducive to their lives. Appreciation of
the doctors and nurses who wor in remote areas will ensure that younger doctors go to rural areas and
serve the poor. Another solution could be to contract private providers, where government providers are
unavailable and unwilling to provide services. 1u6arat did 6ust this through its much acclaimed C!hiran6eevi
&cheme.D 'ere, the government pays private doctors a fixed fee for conducting child birth services for poor
women in their private hospitals. C#ashtriya &wasthya $ima ?o6anaD also provides financial access to care in
private and public services to the poor throughout the country. This is truly innovative and revolutionary.
The health department must have a division of technology assessment that is responsible for identifying and
rigorously evaluating potentially useful and cost effective technologies for adoption in national health
programmes in "ndia.
Removin" the *arriers 5disa*led9
Social:
!reating an enabling environment for people with disability should be among the foremost policy concerns
for "ndia, as it maes large investments in infrastructure. The national approach to the -uestion of improved
accessibility and opportunity for the disabled has ; barring a few exceptions such as access to polling
booths ; been one of half5measures. ,ast year, the !entre too the welcome step of constituting a
committee to draft a new law to replace the ineffective (ersons with 2isabilities 8E-ual Bpportunities,
(rotection of #ights and :ull (articipation9 Act, 1>>3 but failed to press ahead. The Ministry of &ocial =ustice
and Empowerment should hasten the framing of this law with emphasis on removing barriers that affect

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people with disabilities of different inds. This is no doubt a demanding tas but the <orld #eport on
2isability by the <orld 'ealth Brganisation offers comprehensive resources for policy5maing. The
overarching goal must be to help the disabled achieve physical mobility, social interaction, and gainful
employment.
7niversal design is the core principle guiding accessibility. :or that to become the norm, "ndia must adopt a
culture of accessibility at all levels of government. "t must also set mandatory standards. The benefits of
changes produced by such measures as friendly footpaths, properly designed toilets, ramp5e-uipped public
buildings, and easy5to5use transport will not be confined to the disabled but will cover a broader range of
citi%ens, including parents with small children and the elderly. Transport access brings new opportunity, and
in the case of people with disability the entire travel chain has to be considered for modification.
Mainstreaming these goals would re-uire a robust law and a regime of audits and certification. :or existing
public facilities, an active retrofitting programme will be necessary. "nformation and !ommunication
Technology has immense potential to assist the disabled, and legal standards would mae many more
gadgets accessibleL the 7nited &tates has laws that lay down such re-uirements for telephones, television,
and information ioss. $eyond physical and systemic barriers, though, there is the attitudinal. A glaring
example of pre6udice is discrimination in employment, which the 7nited Nations !onvention on the #ights of
(ersons with 2isabilities prohibits. These are ma6or challenges, but there is no reason why they cannot be
addressed with sufficient political will, given the assertive national mood seeing measures to benefit
different classes of citi%ens.
$he copyri"ht amendment *ill %&'&

The !opyright 8Amendment9 $ill *+1+, approved by the 7nion !abinet on 2ecember *), *++>, and
introduced in the #a6ya &abha on April 1>, *+1+, spared great controversy for a number of reasons.
:irst, in an unusual departure from the $ritish legal tradition, inspired by :rench and 1erman law, the $ill
proposes guaranteed royalties for lyricistsGcomposers for the commercial exploitation of their songs.
Anticipating that these new rights will force producers to share 3+ per cent of royalties with lyricists and
composers, these proposals were simultaneously welcomed by the former and condemned by the film
industry.
&econd, the $ill introduces the parallel importation of boos in accordance with Article F of the Trade
#elated "ntellectual (roperty #ights 8T#"(&9 Agreement ; a provision intended to provide readers in
developing countries with boos at cheaper prices but which, ironically, in "ndia has been heralded by
publishers as the death of boos or at least the death of "ndian publishing.
The $ill also sees to modernise copyright law in view of the challenges raised by the new digital
environment and the internet which has been described by the <orld "ntellectual (roperty Brganisation
8<"(B9 as Cthe world/s biggest copy machine.D <hile the older technologies of photocopying and taping
were expensive, time5consuming and produced copies of lower -uality than the original, the internet
enables one to mae instantaneously unlimited copies of the same -uality. !opyright law, therefore, has to
rise to the challenge of how to protect the rights of authors of wors published on the internet.
According to the $ill, the answer lies in the <"(B !opyright Treaty 8<!T9 and the <"(B (erformances and
(honograms Treaty 8<((T9 which address the challenge posed to the protection of copyright arising from

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dissemination of wors over the internet. !uriously, even though "ndia is not a signatory to either of these
treaties which entered into force in *++* and also refused <"(B/s call to sign the treaties in =uly *++0, the
$ill sees to conform "ndian law to these C"nternet Treaties.D
The first legal principle enshrined in the <!T and the <((T is that existing rights will continue to apply in
the digital environment. "n other words, copyright holders will continue to be protected by copyright when
their wors are published on the internet. This principle is implicit in section 1) of the existing !opyright Act
while not expressly stated.
The second legal principle of the <!T and <((T is the Canti5circumvention provisionsD which are intended
to ensure that copyright holders can effectively use technology to protect their rights and to license their
wors online by, for example, using encryption technology, access control devices and copy control devices
to protect their copyrighted wors from cyber criminals hacing into passwords and illegally reproducing
their wors.
The main ob6ective of the proposed section F3A in the bill is to enable authors of copyrighted wors to use
encryption techni-ues in order to protect their copyrighted wors against unauthorised dissemination on
the internet. 'owever, "ndian law, in any case, severely restricts the use of encryption technology by
providing that 2oT approval is re-uired for use of encryption levels higher than the outdated )+5ey bit
length. Today, 1*05*3F5ey bit length is re-uired to protect communications from interception.
"n sum, the !opyright Amendment $ill *+1+ bravely taes socially progressive steps intended to ensure that
lyricists and composers get a fair share of royalties and that "ndians will have access to recent editions of
foreign wors at reasonable prices. 'owever, in order to modernise "ndian copyright law, the $ill has to go
beyond only copying the provisions of the <!T and <((T and should incorporate the provisions necessary
to ensure that authors have the access to encryption and other technological means to protect their wors
published on the internet from hacing and can enforce those rights in the courts.
$he property of *lack money
#conomy:
$lac money is generated by the desire to evade taxes and hide assets disproportionate to nown sources of
income but populist political discourse on the sub6ect has paid scant attention to this dynamic.
7nderstandably, the focus is on the more emotional ; but hard to -uantify ; problem of illegal ban
deposits abroad. 7pset by the slow progress made by the government/s 'igh ,evel !ommittee on the return
of blac money, the &upreme !ourt has now 6ustly decided that its wor must be supervised. To the extent
political considerations are undermining the fight against blac money, the &"T could act as a welcome
antidote. $ut the court may also wish to frame the problem more comprehensively. $lac money, after all,
refers to the sum total of unaccounted income, and not 6ust the funds spirited away to &wit%erland,
,ichtenstein, or some other foreign safe haven. The &"T must identify the legal and diplomatic tools the
government can use to pierce this veil of secrecy. $ut unless it comes to grips with the overall pathology of
blac money, the political economy of "ndia is liely to remain vulnerable to corruption.
"n proceeding against unaccounted money, the 6udiciary ; which scores high in public esteem ; must push
for urgent and far5reaching reforms in the way the "ndian property maret functions. !orruption in
government contracts and licensing may generate large individual chuns of blac money but for sheer
overall volume, the top culprit is property. Every day, property transactions up and down the country add to
the national stoc of unaccounted money. &imply put, buyers and sellers collude in under5reporting the true

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value of the transaction. 7sually, more than half the true sale price is paid in cash, depriving the state of
capital gains tax and stamp duty. The cash received is often recycled bac into the property maret, where
the returns are extremely high. <hat this means is that the focus of public activism, political outrage, and
6udicial concern on blac money ought to be as much inward as it is westward. &ei%ing the moment, the &"T
can and must devise a way to bring our wealth bac from abroad. $ut if it can also push for simple reforms
in the property maret to clean up transactions, it could mae a huge contribution towards ending the
problem of blac money.
new nation is *orn
International:
Bn =uly > *+11, the #epublic of &outh &udan will 6oin the community of nations. The birth of the #epublic of
&outh &udan has suffused a conflict5ridden part of the world with euphoria. &outh &udan, whose eight
million people comprise !hristians and followers of other African religions, voted in a referendum in =anuary
*+11 to separate from the Arab5Muslim dominated north &udan. The referendum itself was the culmination
of a *++3 peace treaty that came after a four5decade long armed struggle by the south &udanese, baced by
the 7nited &tates and other western powers, in which more than a million people are estimated to have
been illed. :oreign dignitaries will converge on its capital, =uba, to watch the new country raise its flag and
inaugurate a first (resident, &alva Iiir Mayardit.
Bn the day of its birth, &outh &udan will ran near the bottom of all recognised human development indices.
"t has the world/s highest maternal mortality rate. Estimates of illiteracy among the female population
exceed 0+ per cent. More than half of its people must feed, clothe and shelter themselves on less than a
dollar a day.
At the same time, &outh &udan has remarable potential. <ith substantial oil reserves, huge amounts of
arable land and the Nile flowing through its centre, &outh &udan could grow into a prosperous, self5
sustaining nation capable of providing security, services and employment for its population.
Alone, &outh &udan cannot meet these challenges nor realise its potential. 2oing so will re-uire partnership
; a full 8and on5going9 engagement with the international community and, most especially, &outh &udan/s
neighbours.
:irst and foremost, the new leaders of &outh &udan should reach out to their counterparts in Ihartoum.
&trong, peaceful relations with the North are essential. A priority for both countries is agreement on their
common border, sustainable relations to ensure both states can benefit from the oil revenues in the region,
and cross5border arrangements to continue their strong historical, economic and cultural ties.
"ronical as it seems, having achieved a hard5fought liberation from &udan, Africa/s 3)th nation is now almost
entirely dependent on the good wishes of the parent country for its well5being. This is the big challenge
facing the new country. &outh &udan has inherited the bul of the undivided &udan/s oil wealth, with which
it hopes to transform its present poor economic conditions. "t has already generated investment from the
world/s ma6or economic powers. $ut the oil refineries are located in &udan, as is the seaport from which the
oil is exported. The pipelines that tae the oil to the port are laid across the length of the north.
&outh &udan must also reach out to its other neighbours. Across the globe ; and in Africa, especially ; the
trend is towards regional partnerships. &outh &udan will be strengthened by becoming an active participant
in the regional organisations of East Africa and developing durable trade and political ties throughout the
continent.

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:inally, &outh &udan must reach out to its own people. "t must find strength in diversity and build institutions
that represent the full constellation of its broad geographic and ethnic communities. The basics of any
modern, democratic state must be guaranteedJ free expression, full political rights, inclusive institutions that
extend benefits to citi%ens of rural areas as well as regions affected by conflict.
The 7nited Nations is committed to assisting the government of &outh &udan meet its many responsibilities.
"t has proposed a new 7nited Nations mission in &outh &udanJ to help build the institutions that the country
needs to stand on its own.
.a2or role of technolo"y in financial inclusion
#conomy:
5can *e used in essay9
Technology and financial inclusion are the popular coinage in baning parleys in the country. <hile
technological upgradation and mobile baning are catching up so fast, financial inclusion is tardy.
:inancial inclusion is a ma6or agenda for the #eserve $an of "ndia 8#$"9. <ithout financial inclusion, bans
cannot reach the un5baned. "t is also a ma6or step towards increasing savings and achieving balanced
growth. #ecently two conferences were held in Mumbai highlighting these issuesL The &ixth $aning Tech
&ummit of !onfederation of "ndian "ndustry 8!""9 and another one organised by the &ociety for <orldwide
"nterban :inancial Telecommunication 8&<":T9.
The reach the country is having with technological progress mobile baning has the potential to emerge as a
game changer in terms of costs, convenience, and speed of reach. $usiness models of bans, telecom
operators and other staeholders need to converge.
The first priority for bans is to adopt core baning solution 8!$&9, including all regional rural bans 8##$s9.
Next, a multi5channel approach using handheld devices, mobiles, cards, micro5ATMs, branches and ioss
can be used. 'owever, it should be ensured that the transactions put through such front5end devices should
be seamlessly integrated with the bans/ !$&.
&<":T appreciates National (ayments !ouncil of "ndia/s 8N(!"9 efforts to build a world5class payments
system with global ambitions. The mission of the new N(!" is clearJ Cto build a state5of5the5art, world5class
customer5friendly electronic retail payments system available and affordable to all round5the5clocD.
Today, bans are already offering services over mobile to communities that have been historically
Munbaned/.
"n rural areas, where accessibility is a problem, bans are using the microfinance networ and business
correspondents and facilitators to bring more people under the ambit of baning services. !apitalising on
the huge untapped potential in smaller towns and cities and rendering financial services to this segment of
people poses a big challenge.
Bften a multitude of operational issues are -uoted as reasons for lagging behind in financial inclusion
targets. Till such time complete technology integration taes place on all fronts, there are bound to be areas
where intermediate bric5and5mortar structures need to be in place. Even with $usiness !orrespondents
8$!s9 issues arise regarding their supervision and customer grievance redressal. !ertain accounting issues in
this regard are also being addressed. All these operational issues and many more can be resolved if bans

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begin to loo at financial inclusion as a business opportunity rather than an obligation to fulfil their
corporate social responsibility 8!&#9 ob6ective.
$ans have to realise that for $usiness !orrespondent 8$!9 model to succeed the $!s who are the first level
of contact for customers have to be compensated ade-uately so that they too see this as a business
opportunity. &imilarly, as regards M&(s 8mobile service providers9 acting as $!s reports reaching the central
ban still suggest that the true spirit of cooperation is yet to stabilise with each still trying to destabilise the
other.
China+s am*itious space pro"ram
International,Sc < $ech:
This year, a rocet will carry a boxcar5si%ed module into orbit, the first building bloc for a !hinese space
station. Around *+1., !hina plans to launch a lunar probe that will set a rover loose on the moon. "t wants
to put a man on the moon, sometime after *+*+.
<hile the 7nited &tates is still woring out its next move after the space shuttle program, !hina is forging
ahead. &ome experts worry the 7.&. could slip behind !hina in human spaceflight the realm of space science
with the most prestige.
!hina is still far behind the 7.&. in space technology and experience, but what it doesn/t lac is a plan or
financial resources. <hile 7.&. programs can fall victim to budgetary worries or a change of government,
rapidly growing !hina appears to have no such constraints.
"n *++., !hina became the third country to send an astronaut into space on its own, four decades after the
7nited &tates and #ussia. "n *++F, it sent its first probe to the moon. "n *++0, !hina carried out its first
spacewal.
!hina/s space station is slated to open around *+*+, the same year the "nternational &pace &tation is
scheduled to close. "f the 7.&. and its partners don/t come up with a replacement, !hina could have the only
permanent human presence in the sy.
"ts space laboratory module, due to be launched later this year, will test docing techni-ues for the space
station. !hina/s version will be smaller than the "nternational &pace &tation.
&ome elements of !hina/s program, notably the firing of a ground5based missile into one of its dead
satellites four years ago, have alarmed American officials and others who say such moves could set off a
race to militari%e space. !hina, having orbited the moon and starting collecting data on it, is moving toward
sending a man there and beyond.
"t hopes to launch the rover5releasing moon probe in about two years. !hinese experts believe a moon
landing will happen in *+*3 at the earliest.



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$he pact in 0ar2eelin"
<hether the tripartite agreement signed for setting up an autonomous administrative body for the
2ar6eeling 'ills will pave the way for settling the M1orhaland/ -uestion ; the cause of much bloodshed and
agitation in northern <est $engal ; is uncertain. The 1orhaland Territorial Administration pact was the
culmination of nearly three years of painstaing tals between the 1orha =anamuti Morcha, the central
government, and the ,eft :ront government of <est $engal. :ollowing a forward5looing decision to set up
an alternative to the defunct 2ar6eeling 1orha 'ill !ouncil 821'!9, the breathrough came in 2ecember
*+1+ with the 1=M accepting the &tate government/s condition that the proposed set5up must comprise
elected members, and not nominated ones 8as the 1=M had until then demanded9. The sweep to power of
the Trinamool !ongress in the &tate gave the process a push ; the party/s partnership in the 7(A coalition
at the centre and its friendly ties with the 1=M helped the three sides overcome some obstacles, such as the
name for the proposed body, and the administrative powers that would be devolved to it. The 1TA, to be
created once the agreement gets the legislative sanction, will have substantive financial, administrative, and
executive powers, going far beyond what was devolved to the 21'!L against the .> departments of the
21'!, the new set up is to have 3>. Nevertheless, a discordant note is struc by the text of the agreement
acnowledging that the 1=M, one of the three signatories, has not given up its demand for a separate &tate
while recording the opposition of the other two signatories ; the central and &tate governments ; to that
demand.
A committee is to be constituted to go into the 1=M/s territorial claims in the 2ooars and the Terai and in
&iliguri, despite the re6ection of such claims by the people of these areas. There are apprehensions across
<est $engal that the 1orha leadership will view these concessions as a basis for further agitation. <ithin a
few hours of signing the agreement, $imal 1urung, the 1=M leader, declared that the demand for
1orhaland had not been given up. This may be posturing to win his constituency/s acceptance for the 1TA
agreement but, on the other hand, it might not be. The hope is that the political leadership of the 1orha
community will focus on woring constructively within the scope offered by the 1TA. The !entre/s promised
financial pacage of #s.F++ crore over three years, aside from the normal (lan assistance to the &tate, is a
huge incentive. The -uestion that nobody can answer at this point is whether this opportunity will be sei%ed
to usher in better times for a long5troubled region of the country.
Say no to $B *lood tests
-ealth:
The <orld 'ealth Brganisation recently issued a recommendation against the use of blood tests based on
antibody response for diagnosing active tuberculosis, both pulmonary and extra5pulmonary. "ndia/s #evised
National Tuberculosis !ontrol (rogramme 8#NT!(9 has endorsed <'B/s advice. 7nfortunately, with T$,
unlie diseases lie '"K, the presence or absence of antibodies does not reflect true disease condition. &o
these blood tests lac the necessary sensitivity or specificity or both to be used as an effective diagnostic
tool. <hen the sensitivity is low, many people with active T$ are liely to be wrongly diagnosed and hence
will go untreated 8false negative9L tests with low specificity will result in people with no active T$ getting
treated with toxic drugs 8false positive9. That explains why serological testing based on antibody responses
has so far not been recommended by the 7.&. :ood and 2rug Administration and other reputed regulators.
'owever, considering that in high prevalence settings lie "ndia, while the specificity of sputum smear
microscopy testing is better than >> per cent, the sensitivity is only F+5A+ per cent, finding more reliable and
inexpensive diagnostic blood tests for T$ is a public health imperative.

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The world body/s recommendation is based on a body of evidence, including a study by its special
programme for research O training in tropical diseases 8T2#9, which looed at 1> commercially available
rapid blood tests. The <'B concluded that patient safety is adversely impacted by Ccommercial serological
tests SwhichT provide inconsistent and imprecise findings.D 7nfortunately, notwithstanding the unreliability
and prohibitive cost, the private sector in "ndia uses the blood tests on Cat least 1.3 million people every
year,D according to a report in The ,ancet published in =anuary *+11. These tests appear to have been done
mostly at the expense of sputum examination. :or example, a *++F <'B report, C2iagnostics for
tuberculosis ; global demand and maret potential,D found that in Tamil Nadu and 2elhi, less than one5
third of patients underwent sputum examination despite multiple visits while doctors based in west "ndia
relied solely on chest @5rays for diagnosis. That the government has to curb the availability of serological
antibody tests and undertae awareness5building campaign among doctors and the public on the benefits of
sputum tests cannot be over5emphasised. This is vital to public health ; considering that in "ndia the
incidence rate of T$ is a high 1F0 per 1++,+++ population and the disease ills two people every three
minutes.
Noise *y num*ers
#nvironment:
The ambient noise data coming from real5time monitoring systems in "ndia/s cities indicate that people are
at ris of suffering harmful health conse-uences. !hronic noise in urban centres has been dangerously
increasing mainly because of motorisation. "n March, the 7nion Ministry of Environment and :orests too a
significant step forward to -uantify the problem by setting up real5time monitoring centres in seven cities ;
2elhi, Mumbai, Iolata, ,ucnow, $angalore, !hennai, and 'yderabad. These sites are now putting out data
round the cloc and what they reveal is worrying. The ambient noise in residential and commercial areas is
far in excess not 6ust of a healthy level, but the standards set by law as well. This is unacceptable. There is
robust medical evidence lining exposure to chronic noise of a certain level with harm. The effects include
loss of hearing sensitivity in specific fre-uencies and non5auditory effects lie hypertension, heart rate
disorders, and psychological stress. "t is time the !entre and the &tates too this public health challenge
seriously. The remedies are there in the Noise (ollution 8#egulation and !ontrol9 #ules, *+++, which were
amended last year to incorporate rising pollution concerns. New sources identified for control included
automotive horns, firecracers, and musical instrumentsL public places were defined for enforcement
purposes.
The ma6or problem so far in enforcing the law on noise has been the absence of reliable data. A dramatic
scaling up of the real5time monitoring system, which is a limited pro6ect now with a footprint of only .3
locations in seven cities, can reveal the magnitude of the challenge. "t is welcome that the number of
locations will be doubled in the existing cities and similar facilities extended to 10 others by *+1*. $ut the
data generated by the sensors should be in the public domain on the "nternet, if the system is to serve any
meaningful purpose. #estricting access to those in authority would obviously defeat the ob6ective. According
to the rules, any person can mae a complaint to the 2esignated Authority, such as the police, if the ambient
noise exceeds the prescribed standard by 1+ d$8A9 or more. ?et, without the means to measure the noise
level, citi%en won/t be able to mae a complaint and the authority won/t be able to intervene. "n parallel, the
government must launch a campaign to highlight the rules and the ill5effects. "ndia/s metros are adding
hundreds of new vehicles each day to overcrowded roads. "n the absence of a driving culture and legal
literacy, drivers are trying to hon their way ahead. This harmful cacophony must stop.

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)rioriti8e this scheme
#nvironment:
"f the (ublic $icycle &cheme for 1+ cities envisaged by the Ministry of 7rban 2evelopment can get rolling and
achieve critical mass, it can elevate the humble bicycle to a relaxed, mainstream mode of urban transport.
&hared bicycles have won attention in many European cities, notably in &pain and :rance, and have been
maing inroads in America. There/s nothing novel about using a bicycle as a mobility option in "ndia. $ut
what maes the Ministry/s plans under the Mission for &ustainable 'abitat different is the attempt to move
pedal power up the value chain. "t will feature modern bicycles, "nformation Technology5based operations,
control and management systems, and high visibility. These -ualities can win converts from the users of cars
and motorised two5wheelers. The shift is essential because the outcome can reinforce the principle of e-uity
in the use of roads, ease congestion, and reduce pollution. The benefits will be multi5dimensional. The
biggest hurdle to greater use of bicycles in "ndia/s cities is not lac of popular demand ; but a hostile
external environment. The National 7rban Transport (olicy of *++F addressed the problem of lac of safety
for non5motorised transport but bicycle5inclusive city planning has not followed. "f this does not get priority,
the public bicycle scheme cannot tae off in the first tier of cities.
$icycles are a low5cost, non5polluting means of getting around but the international experience points to
challenges that need to be overcome while implementing shared systems. The Kelib in (aris encountered
high rates of loss and vandalism but ,ondon has fared better and $arcelona/s four5year5old $icing
programme has measurably cut down carbon dioxide emissions. There is little doubt that attracting more
people, including the better5off sections of society, to this mode of transport will mae "ndia/s roads safer
for the thousands of less affluent cyclists who remain virtually invisible to policymaers. A good start can be
made by locating shared bicycle stations in school %ones. This can help build loyalty for the programme and
community support for re5engineering roads around schools. The *++F policy did emphasise building
segregated rights of way for bicycles and pedestrians but most &tate governments have ignored the advice,
favouring car5oriented development instead. The 7rban 2evelopment Ministry/s plan provides the
opportunity to review urban development policies. To advance the egalitarian goal of getting more people
to tae to bicycles in cities, there must be a conscious effort to restrain motorised traffic and reduce speed.
This can be done using road design and policy.
.arvel of .achu )icchu
Culture,-erita"e:
There are very few monuments in the world that are as inspiring and uplifting as Machu (icchu. This 13th
century ensemble of monuments, spectacularly situated at the altitude of *,).+ metres on the Andes
Mountains in (eru, recently celebrated the centenary of its discovery ; an occasion to recall its significance
and to press home the imperative need to vastly improve its conservation. This self5contained city was
abandoned by the "ncas about )3+ years ago and remained unnown to the outside world till 'iram
$ingham, a ?ale 7niversity explorer, spotted it with the help of local people in 1>11. 'is scientific surveys
and writings brought world attention to this magnificent site that includes religious structures, urban
-uarters, pla%as, and terraced farms. Archaeologists, handicapped by a lac of written records, have been
unable precisely to state the functions of this complex. 'owever, it is widely believed to have been a
ceremonial centre and a royal retreat. Machu (icchu is a showpiece of imaginative construction techni-ues,
which ensured the stability of its structuresL intelligent hydraulic engineering principles, which effectively

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drained the site prone to torrential rainsL and creative geotechnical engineering ideas, which protected its
steep slopes from erosion.
Machu (icchu has of course been designated as a <orld 'eritage site, celebrated as the 7NE&!B
assessment report puts it, as Can outstanding example of man/s interaction with his natural environment.D
The American &ociety of !ivil Engineers has recognised it as an "nternational 'istoric !ivil Engineering
,andmar. &adly, this cultural landscape, which brings in a revenue of about 4)+ million a year to (eru, is not
among the best protected. Attention has been paid to the historic ruins, but the area surrounding them is
beset with problems. An area measuring .*,3++ hectares, including the monument %one, has been declared
a protected %oneL two master plans addressing issues of development and heritage protection have long
been readyL and the number of visitors has been restricted to *,3++ a day. 'owever, conservation efforts,
reviewed in *+1+, have not made sufficient progress. "nsensitive development, poor access to the sanctuary,
and the absence of environmental impact assessments continue to tae a toll on civilisational heritage. The
government of (eru has done well in persuading ?ale 7niversity to repatriate thousands of artefacts taen
away by 'iram $ingham from Machu (icchu, but it has not shown the strong and sustained commitment
needed to implement a comprehensive conservation plan. The time to act resolutely is now.
No death penalty
)olitical:
Article 3 of the 7niversal 2eclaration of 'uman #ights puts it simplyJ CNo one shall be sub6ected to torture
or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.D The death penalty is the ultimate cruel
punishment. Abolitionists tend to advance two main reasons why it must goJ it does not deter crimeL and, as
6ustice systems around the world are flawed, there is more than a possibility that someone will be punished
wrongly, and irrevocably. These are sound arguments, baced by statistics. $ut there is no more important
strie against capital punishment than the sheer barbarity of taing another person/s life even under
sanction of law. There is no humane method of execution either. 2eath by hanging, lethal in6ection,
electrocution, beheading, shooting are e-ually repugnant in their intent to tae life, and in the violence they
inflict on the condemned person. (roponents of the death penalty argue that this is the only way to
compensate, or provide 6ustice to, those affected by heinous crimes such as murder or terrorism. $ut an
Meye for an eye/ has no place in a modern, progressive criminal 6ustice system. "nternationally, there is an
increasing trend towards abolition, with >F countries doing away with it and .) countries being abolitionist
in practice by observing official or unofficial moratoria on executions. Each of the three 7nited Nations
resolutions calling for a moratorium has seen more countries bacing it. Bn the other hand, !hina, the
7nited &tates, "ran and other <est Asian countries, and countries in &outh5East Asia buc the trend by
fre-uently using the death penalty.
"n "ndia, there has been no execution since *++) but that is poor consolation considering the swelling
number of those who face the threat of execution. "ndian courts handed down1+3 death sentences last
year, according to Amnesty "nternational. Earlier this wee, (resident (ratibha (atil dismissed the clemency
pleas of Murugan, &anthan, and (erarivalan, on death row for the assassination of #a6iv 1andhi. The 'ome
Ministry has advised (resident (atil to dismiss the plea of Af%al 1uru, sentenced to death in the *++1
(arliament attac case. <ithout going into the possible motives for forefronting these mercy petitions at
this politically difficult time for the 7nited (rogressive Alliance government, it must be recognised that both
were monstrous crimes that deserved the harshest civilised punishment ; an actual lifetime in prison
rather than the seven to 1)5year apology of a life sentence. "ndia must mae a clean brea with a savage
tradition by abolishing capital punishment. An immediate moratorium on executions may be the first step.

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revolution at %&
Information $echnolo"y:
Tim $erners5,ee invented the <orld <ide <eb in 1>>+ and published the first website on August F, 1>>1
with the address httpJGGinfo.cern.ch, giving shape to a single information networ. A common hypertext
language, interconnectivity, and the sea of data it has created in two decades are testimony to its profound
impact. <ith nothing more than access to the "nternet and a web browser, users effortlessly navigate the
online world using hyperlins. Thans to the standardised web, they do this without having to master the
more complicated "nternet technologies in use a generation ago. "n many countries, the www has
unarguably democratised information. <hat is even more significant is that today it enables every individual
to become a creator of content, and to publish it. The user Mpulls/ materials of choice from websites in
contrast to the passive consumer of yesterday, who received content Mpushed/ by television. &ir Tim/s
invention swept the planet because of his laudable decision not to patent it.
As the public web enters its next decade, its immense potential for good stands out. 1oing forward, though,
it should place in the public domain the thousands of terabytes of data held by governments and
institutions. This will help researchers, scientists, economists and other social scientists, to come up with
better solutions to problems. &uch data have already been paid for by citi%ens, and by adopting an open,
lined approach to their dissemination, low5cost answers to issues can be found. No one has reinforced this
thought more vocally than the inventor himself. Tim $erners5,ee forcefully advocates the publication of vast
amounts of data that can be both open and lined, to aid decision5maing. These can, for instance, pertain
to government, enterprise, science, meteorology, and events. Moreover, this is an activity to which the
ordinary citi%en can contribute his or her bit. The only factor that stands in the way of this transformation is
the secretive attitude of established power structures, including opa-ue government. ,et us also recall the
advice given by $erners5,ee against doing away with net5neutrality, the system under which all data on the
"nternet, including web traffic, are treated e-ually. (rivileging one set of high5paying users by giving priority
to their data can only create disparities. The power of good is intrinsic to the free web, now an energetic *+,
and to the "nternet in general.
Investment sans e3uity
#conomy:
The focus of 7N!TA2/s <orld "nvestment #eport *+11 is on a fast growing but less understood facet of
international production and commerce. The term Mcross5border non5e-uity modes/ 8NEMs9 appears to be
an inelegant description of the fairly common activities of transnational corporations 8TN!s9, such as
contract manufacturing, services outsourcing, contract farming, franchising, licensing, and contractual
management. 'owever, it does effectively signify the one common element in themJ the absence of an
e-uity investment while contracting out manufacturing or licensing patents and processes to a firm located
in the host country. "nternational production is not exclusively about foreign direct investment 8:2"9 and
trade. "nvestments that fund mergers and ac-uisitions and greenfield investments involve capital flows
across borders. 'ence it is customary to classify them as Mcross5border :2"/. Bn the other hand, the NEMs
are a mechanism that allows transnational corporations to coordinate activities in their global value chains
and influence the management of host country firms without ac-uiring e-uity staes in those firms.

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The NEMs, which generated at least 4* trillion in sales globally in *+1+, have ac-uired a significant presence
particularly in many developing countries, including "ndia, where governments have tended to put a cap on
:2" in many sectors. 7nder the NEM arrangement, a TN! gains access to the productive capacity of a local
partner without putting money into it. "n some industries, ma6or NEM firms, including those from developing
countries, have become multinationals in their own right. Notable examples from "ndia are software
companies that have carved a niche for themselves in the technology outsourcing space. "n the process of
servicing their clients, they have expanded and established themselves in many countries. 2evelopment
benefits flowing from NEMs are significant. "n many countries, for example, their value addition is as high as
13 per cent of 12(. They employ 105*1 million worers worldwide, a chun of them in developing countries,
aside from boosting entrepreneurial sills and exports. Bn the negative side, the woring conditions are
nown to be poor at least in some of the NEMs in developing countries. "n the <est, consumer groups have
exposed the seamy side of some contract manufacturing units that have sacrificed safety and environmental
standards for short5term profits. "t is imperative for the developing countries to beware of the ris of getting
tied up with low5value activities and adopt policies aimed at maximising benefits from the integration of
domestic firms into global value chains.
Soft power still needs o=y"en of hard power
International Relations:
At the !old <ar/s end, some pundits proclaimed that Egeo5economicsE had replaced geopolitics. Economic
power would become the ey to success in world politics, a change that many people thought would usher
in a world dominated by =apan and 1ermany.
Today, some interpret the rise in !hina/s share of world output as signifying a fundamental shift in the
balance of global power, but without considering military power. They argue that a dominant economic
power soon becomes a dominant military power, forgetting that the 7nited &tates was the world/s largest
economy for A+ years before it became a military superpower.
(olitical observers have long debated whether economic or military power is more fundamental. The
Marxist tradition casts economics as the underlying structure of power, and political institutions as a mere
superstructure, an assumption shared by 1>th century liberals who believed that growing interdependence
in trade and finance would mae war obsolete. $ut, while $ritain and 1ermany were each other/s most
significant trading partners in 1>1), that did not prevent a conflagration that set bac global economic
integration for a half5century.
Military power, which some call the ultimate form of power in world politics, re-uires a thriving economy.
$ut whether economic or military resources produce more power in today/s world depends on the context.
A carrot is more effective than a stic if you wish to lead a mule to water, but agun may be more useful if
your aim is to deprive an opponent of his mule. Many crucial issues, such as financial stability or climate
change, simply are not amenable to military force.
Today,!hina and the 7& are highly interdependent economically, but many analysts misunderstand the
implications of this for power politics. True, !hina could bring the 7& to its nees by threatening to sell its
dollar holdings. $ut doing so would not only reduce the value of its reserves as the dollar weaenedL it
would also 6eopardi%e 7& demand for !hinese imports, leading to 6ob losses and instability in !hina. "n other
words, bringing the 7& to it nees might well mean that !hina would bring itself to its anles.

Source: www.thehindu.com www.visionias.wordpress.com )A




Centre draws up new plan for Na=al areas
)olitical:
"n a ma6or bid to overhaul governance in areas vulnerable to ,eft <ing Extremism, the government is all set
to launch a !entrally5sponsored scheme for nearly .++ blocs across seven states. The scheme, christened
as !entral "ndia Tribal (lan, would be implemented from the next year and executed by hand5piced officers
with an impeccable career profile under the direct monitoring of the "ndependent Evaluation Bffice 8"EB9 to
be set up by the (lanning !ommission.
The !ommission which is firming up the blueprint has suggested re5casting the focus from the districts to
the tribal5dominated blocs where the scheme would be implemented and its execution intensively
monitored. This effectively means that the "ntegrated Action (lan 8"A(9, which was hitherto being executed
in F+ Naxal5hit districts entailing an expenditure of about #s .,3++ crore, is being re5designed to mae it
bloc5oriented to carry out the development wors.
"n the 1*th (lan, 1overnment is going to cover the entire central "ndian tribal belts of Madhya (radesh,
1u6arat, !hhattisgarh, Andhra (radesh, =harhand, $ihar and <est $engal. 1overnment needs to allocate
money in a more focused way by ascertaining which area needs how much money.
To ensure that execution of the scheme doesnUt become a business5as5usual exercise, the !ommission has
suggested that hand5piced officials with an impeccable career profile would be posted as officers
e-uivalent to the ran of $loc 2evelopment Bfficers and would be specifically entrusted to execute the
scheme in a dedicated manner.
There is need to entrust officers with exemplary service record to execute this programme. The execution of
the exercise would be concurrently monitored by the "EB. This is because there is a need to allow them
report independently to the "EB in case they encounter any execution problems.
/ack of faith is destroyin" the panchayat system
Socio()olitical,4seful for #ssay:
The beauty of the gram sabha ; the lowest wrung of governance , is that it never changes, unlie the ,o
&abha. The reason is that the gram sabha is the people themselves.
This gram sabha is today alive in only a few states and that, too, in a few villages. The reason is that the
A.rd amendment, which awarded powers to panchayats, made this transfer optional for the states. Another
reason is that states do not trust the gram sabhas sufficiently.
$ut a miracle is being wrought in almost all of Ierala and Iarnataa, as well as in parts of Madhya (radesh,
Maharashtra, !hattisgarh and $engal, while villages in other states are still waiting for their states to share
their funds, functions and functionaries.

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(anchayats are running schools, inspecting dispensaries, engaging in group farming, harvesting rain and
even setting up power plants in these villages. As per the 11th &chedule of the !onstitution, *> sub6ects are
to be devolved to panchayats. These include agriculture, land reforms, housing, rural electrification,
education, health centres, and the public distribution system. &imilarly, Article *). 1 empowers states to
give panchayats powers to levy taxes. $ut unlie the state list and 7nion list, the list for panchayats is one
that is sub6ect to the whims of the state governments.
2espite the faith in panchayats, the elected representative at the village level is not being trusted to loo
after hisGher own good. The lac of faith is evident not only in the law but also in the slow pace of the
devolution of power in most states.
All *> sub6ects have been transferred to panchayats only in Iarnataa and Ierala while in Maharashtra,
funds functions and functionaries have been transferred in 10 sub6ects. "n $engal, all three :s have been
transferred in 1* sub6ects. The figure is 1+ in both Madhya (radesh and !hattisgarh. "n all the other states
the transfer is yet to tae place.
$ut states alone are not to blame. The !entre is e-ually guilty of obstructing decentralisation. The ministry
for rural development, which is pushing for an amendment in the !onstitution to empower panchayats
further, maes it a point to force various programmes worth #s 13,+++ crore down the throats of various
states irrespective of their needs.
"t has *1 programmes which are supposed to remove poverty and help villages develop. $ut funds either
never reach villages, or do not reach the needy persons. Bne scheme for instance offers five ilos of
foodgrain as wages but in many states this is unacceptable. "n 1u6arat, wheat is being given but is not eaten
by the people, whereas in Ierala people refuse to wor for foodgrain. Thus, despite the good intentions
behind the schemes, the people are unable to benefit from them.
The ministry again insists on building houses for villagers. The number of houses run into crores on paper
but many have been found unoccupied because the state has not pursued the matter. Many states are
forced to forgo crores of rupees every year as they are unable to use the allotted money in the time frame
decided by the !entre. Again much money is lost as the states are unable to generate an e-ual amount, as
desired by the !entre. !onse-uently, many poor states lie $ihar are losing badly needed funds.
Trust ; between the !entre and states and between the states and panchayats ; is what panchayati ra6
needs most of all if it has to achieve its potential.
>es? there is an alternative
There are two broad governance issues that concern every citi%en in this country todayJ
!orruption at different levels in the government, and grievances arising from the governmentUs poor
functioning.
"t is amply clear that the people of "ndia want no one to be above the lawL everyone, irrespective of the
position they hold, should be accountable. E-ually, citi%ens want their day5to5day grievances related to the
government addressed in an effective, time5bound manner.
#ecent events have undoubtedly put these two issues at the centre of public debate, and forced the political
class to pay attention. Now, however, is the time for reasoned debate. A rational solution needs to be

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evolved to address these challenges.
As the (arliament debates the ,opal bill, we very strongly believe that two principles must inform all
discussions on the matter. :irst, too much power and responsibility must not be concentrated in any one
institution ; power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The corruption we see today is a
result of unaccountable and uncheced power. Therefore, the institution set up to tacle corruption must
itself have a proper system of checs and balances, to ensure that it is accountable to the people of the
country. #ather than setting up a single CsuperD5institution which deals with all problems ; corruption at
high levels, corruption in the middle5 and lower5level bureaucracy, 6udicial corruption and public grievances
; multiple institutions, ade-uately empowered, must be set up to loo into each of these issues. &econd,
existing institutions and laws must be strengthened to enable them to tacle corruption effectively, and to
protect those who blow the whistle on corrupt practices. "f democratic institutions falter or weaen, there is
no alternative to repairing and strengthening them. :ailure to address the problems in existing structures
will result in transferring the same problems into any new institution that may be set up.














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