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India Signs Tax Information Exchange Agreement with Monaco Government of India and Government of Principality of Monaco have signed a Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA) yesterday. The agreement was signed by the Minister of State for Finance, Shri S S Palanimanickam from Indian side and Counsellor of Government for Finances and Economy, Mr. Marco Piccinini from Monaco side. This is the ninth TIEA being signed by India. Salient features of this agreement are

- It is based on international standard of transparency and exchange of information. - Information must be foreseeably relevant to the administration and enforcement of the domestic laws of the Contracting Parties concerning taxes and tax matters covered by the agreement. - The requesting State has to provide some minimum details about the information requested in order to justify the foreseeably relevance criteria. - Information is to be treated as secret and can be disclosed to only specified person or authorities, which are tax authorities or the authorities concerned with the determination of tax appeal. - It also provides for disclosure of information to any other person or entity or authority or any other jurisdiction (including foreign Governments) with the written consent of the competent authority of the requested Party. - There is a specific provision that the requested Party shall provide upon request the information even though that Party may not need such information for its own tax purposes. - There is a specific provision for providing banking and ownership information. - There is a specific provision for Tax Examination Abroad where authorities of one State can present in the tax examination of taxpayer in the other State. - Upon entry into force, the Agreement allows exchange of information forthwith.

Largest Solar Telescope in the World

FEATURE Science

Kalpana Palkhiwala*

The sun’s atmosphere is an ideal place to study and test many magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) processes controlling turbulent plasma. Some of the finest solar features can be resolved with state-of-the-art telescope. Ladakh, the cold desert in the country, will have the world’s largest state-of-the-art solar telescope on the earth soon for this purpose. This National Largest Solar Telescope (NLST) will be set up at high altitude Pongong Tso Lake Merak near Line of Actual Control on the Sino-Indian divide. It will be unique globally because the largest solar telescope, the Mc-Math-Pierce Solar Telescope, in the world at present is 1.6 meters. It is situated in Kitt Peak national Observatory at Arizona in the United States. The NLST will have the reputation of being the world’s largest telescope till 2020. It is expected that a larger telescope may become operational in the US by 2020-2021. NLST is a Gregorian multi-purpose open telescope. It will be on-axis with the provision of carrying out night time stellar observations using a spectrograph. It will be able to study particles spread across 50 kilometers of the sun. It is expected to resolve features on the sun of the size of about 0.1 arcsec. The focal plane instruments are to include a high resolution polarimetric package to measure polarization with an accuracy of 0.01 %, a high spectral resolution spectrograph to obtain spectra in 5 widely separated absorption lines simultaneously and high spatial resolution narrow band image in various lines. Modalities The telescope will be fitted with a 2 meter reflector which will enable scientists to carry out cutting edge research to understand the fundamental processes taking place on the earth. The design is by an international company which also designed the 1.5 meter telescope located at Tenarife Island in Spain. All the telescope’s instruments will be developed by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) and will be remotely operated through the master control facility at Bangalore. The link will be through a satellite which

will be provided by the Indian Satellite Research Organisation (ISRO). Night-time observations will be made using an instrument which will be built in collaboration with the University of Hamburg, Germany.

Scientific Objectives
Scientists will study the sun’s microscopic structure, and long term changes in the earth’s climate and environment. This will provide useful data to carry out research in order to minimize or remove disruptions to communication network and satellite due to periodic solar-winds. The telescope will address the fundamental question about the nature of solar magnetism. It will aim to resolve flux tubes and measure their strength; address the development of magnetic fields on the sun which are responsible for almost all the observation phenomena on the sun. They include solar dynamo, solar cycle and solar variability that determine and control space weather. Other scientific observations are: – Magnetohydrodynamics(MHD) waves by resolving small structures and determining periods of oscillations which may be responsible to transport the energy to upper atmosphere of the sun: • Dynamic evolution of small scale structures by making high cadence observations; • Evolution of active regions and their role in triggering solar flare, prominences filament eruptions, CMEs, etc; • Thermodynamics of the chromospheres by making the observations in the infrared wavelengths; and • Weak and turbulent magnetic field measurements using Hanle effect which are as important as strong magnetic fields. All these data will be gathered by making observations with high spatial resolution using adaptive optics, high spectral resolution, high temporal resolutions, multi-wave length capability of imaging and spectroscopy focal plane instruments, high photon flux and sensitivity of the detectors and using the infrared part of the spectrum for observations. The telescope will utilize an innovative design with a low number of reflections to obtain a high throughput and low instrumental polarization. High order adaptive optics is integrated into the design that works with a modest Fried’s parameter of 7 cm to give diffraction limited performance. The telescope will be equipped with a suit of post focus instruments including a high resolution spectrograph and a polarimeter. Selection of the Site To install the telescope, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics studied two other sites-Hanle, Leh and Devasthal near Nainital in Uttarakhand but eventually opted for Merak in Ladakh.The cloudless skies and low atmospheric water vapour have made it one of the best sites in the world for optical, submilimeter and millimeter wavelengths. The site has been selected after carefully studying various scientific and environmental aspects. The site characterization has been done using the sun photometer, S-DIMM and SHABAR techniques to determine the seeing condition. SHABAR or Shadow Band Radiometer is a simple yet elegant way to probe the turbulence profile of the lower

atmosphere. It observes scintillation of an extended object such as the sun or the Moon with an array of photo detectors. S-DIMM is Solar Differential Image Motion Monitor. The Himalayan regions provide certain atmospheric conditions required for such telescope functioning. It provides a large number of clear hours for making observations with very good visibility. The water vapour in the field is also low which helps making observations in infrared wavelength for high accuracy of magnetic field and velocity measurements. The lake side provides better seeing condition. Because of lake water, there is extremely low water vapor content and this is unaffected by the monsoon. The NLST project is a major multi-party initiative involving IIA, ISRO, Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and Inter University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA). The project will involve an investment of over Rs 250 crore, most of which will go in procuring equipment.

Viewpoint: G4S and the echoes of the East India Company

Continue reading the main story

In today's Magazine
• • • • Should Scrabble letter values change? Is Garibaldi in his tomb? Where vegetarianism is an exotic illness The quest for the real El Dorado

The recent discussions around the G4S Olympic security scandal highlighted two jaw-dropping facts, writes historian Michael Wood. The first was that Britain still has the fourth largest military budget in the world, behind the USA, China and Russia. In these days of gloomy introspection about the decline of the UK's military might, it was to say the least, a surprise. But the second was no less amazing - that the personnel of G4S, a private British security company, is four times larger than the British Army. Chief executive Nick Buckles has outlined a potential loss of at least £30m on its £284m contract for the Olympics but it soon became apparent that this was a drop in the ocean. The company's revenue in 2011 was about £7.5bn - and is rising. G4S has a primary listing on London Stock Exchange, a former home secretary as "group consultant", and operations in over 125 countries - not bad for a security firm founded in 2004 and based in

Crawley. This is a company whose previously accident-prone record - as Group 4 Securicor - in running prisons and providing military security, had been criticised in parliament and provoked global protests about its employment practices. Continue reading the main story

Find out more

• Watch Michael Wood's The Great British Story: A People's History on Friday 03 August on BBC Two at 21:00 BST • Read Michael Wood's blog • Discover your place in history through Great British Story activities • Your Paintings: Industry and Empire • Or catch up later via iPlayer • The British in India in the 18th Century And now the cash-strapped and resource-starved British Army has had to provide thousands of troops for the Olympics to fill the gap left by the failures of a private army. It all set me thinking about history. Where had I heard such stories before? The private army of the Honourable East India Company, that's where. The mother of all global multinationals, the story of the East India Company uncannily echoes that of modern giants, who trade in natural resources, make their profits and gain new spheres of influence through economic intervention. Founded in 1600 to exploit the trade with India, the company's shareholders were wealthy merchants and aristocrats and the keys to its success were both commercial and military. The shareholders of the East India Company were making huge profits from their commercial operations in India, operations that were secured and guarded by private armies working for the company and paid for by Indian taxpayers. And when things went horribly wrong it was the Indian and British taxpayers who suffered and the British government and British armed forces that had to step in to sort out the disaster. In the 17th Century India was not a single entity - it was divided between many different states. It was beset by internal divisions and Mughal power in the north was collapsing, which made it easier for the company to divide and rule. As always in history, where there is a vacuum the go-getters and money makers move in to fill it.

There was a gold rush as the company began trading in Bengal under a permit from Shah Jehan, establishing textile factories in villages on the Hooghly River. They processed material from the village-based hand loom industry, and drew in hundreds of thousands of highly skilled weavers, dyers and washers, to manufacture a product now aimed at specific markets around Asia and in Britain.

The East India Company had its own currency A crucial step came in 1717 when the increasingly powerless Mughal emperor in Delhi, acknowledging the facts on the ground, gave the company a grant of 38 villages near Calcutta, in what turned out to be a Faustian pact. Now other European powers, particularly the French, began to smell the sweet aroma of profit so the company had to swell its private army to protect its interests. At first the numbers were small - 2,200 Europeans and a similar number of native troops won the decisive battle at Plassey in Bengal in 1757 against the last independent Nawab of Bengal, who also had a tiny force from the French East India Company. A similar size force gained victory at Wandiwash in the south where, between the 1740s and the 1760s, the British and the French fought out another part of their global confrontation. Then in 1765 in Delhi, the Mughal Shah Alam formally awarded the British the "diwan" of Bengal - that is, the right to raise revenues. With that, the entrepreneurs were able to partly finance themselves with Indian taxpayers' money. Now the people of Bengal were paying their taxes to fund a private army to police them. What had begun as a speculative piece of Elizabethan merchant-venturing had entered a new phase. And the recruitment of security forces accelerated, especially of local personnel, fighting in company uniforms, and trained in British military discipline. A private army making profit for the company's shareholders with very little control from either the British or the Indian governments. Does this sound familiar? In the south between the 1760s and 1799 the company fought four wars with the Muslim rulers of Mysore who were French allies, ending in the siege of the island fortress of Seringapatam in 1799 in which Sultan Tipu was killed. The numbers of the armed forces at the disposal of the company had now soared to meet the new "security" opportunities.

Extra troops were deployed to the games after security provider G4S admitted it was short of staff At Seringapatam their forces were 50,000 strong, the size of a big European army of the time. Investment grew, just as it would today, and in the next few years company profits rose astronomically. Their accounts registered with the British parliament show revenues rose from over £8m in 1794 to £13.5m in 1803. Continue reading the main story

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You could say this is the moment that English starts to become the international means of communication and power” The value of this today is very difficult to calculate, whether you go for value in wages, prices, or real income, but that 1803 profit could be calculated as high as £48bn in today's money - a reasonable guess might be £20bn. G4S, Halliburton and Blackwater would be green with envy. This changing situation is revealed in the vast archive of the company now preserved in the British Library on a staggering 11 miles of subterranean shelving. In the aftermath of the victory over Tipu the governor-general Richard Wellesley, brother of the future victor of Waterloo, wrote: "I shall retain full sovereignty of Seringapatam, for the company as being a tower of strength from which we may at any time shake Hindostan to its centre, if any combination should ever be formed against our interests. "I shall not at present enlarge upon the advantages which are likely to be derived to the British interests from this settlement, they are too obvious to require any detailed explanation." The conquest had happened piecemeal and opportunistically. It was effected by mercenaries, picking off regional threats one by one, establishing themselves on the ground as the local power, employing local security personnel with powers of coercion, employment and imprisonment. By the 1830s the company archives reveal a shift from trade in textiles to the ownership of land, and at this point the colonial project acquired a new ideological tone, exemplified in Lord Macaulay's 1835 edict on Indian education, announcing the replacement of Persian by English as the new language of government and commerce.

You could say this was the moment that English started to become the international means of communication and power. These interventionist attitudes form the background to the 1857 mutiny - the greatest rising against any colonial power in the Age of Empire, far surpassing in scale the other great revolts in Asia, Africa and the New World.

Sir James Lancaster was the East India Company’s first director By now the company depended on huge numbers of local troops, and there were many strands to native discontent. The spark of the revolt was a protest in the native army ranks against British insensitivity to Hindu religion, especially in the alleged use of rifle cartridges greased with cow fat. But it rapidly spread as a rebellion against foreign rule in which even Muslim jihadists made common cause with Hindus. As rebellion spread like wildfire up and down the Grand Trunk Road from Bengal to the Punjab, the very presence of Britain in India hung in the balance. The war that followed was conducted with horrific violence and savage reprisals by both sides. Both Hindu and Muslim rebels expressed their loyalty to the ageing Mughal Emperor in Delhi - Bahadur Shah - who after the defeat was exiled to Burma. His sons were killed in cold blood by the British who were shockingly merciless in their revenge. So the company's extraordinary rise to global power ended in catastrophe both for the shareholders and for the country in which they were operating. The rising of 1857 was a disaster for India, wrecking Mughal Delhi and its refined cultural life, and bringing devastation on its population, many of whose adult males were summarily massacred. But the rising was also a terrible shock to the British establishment, as it opened up to public gaze the workings of company rule. In the aftermath, in 1858 the British parliament stepped in to take direct control of its Indian possessions, nationalised the private army of the company and put an end to its

258-year existence in India. The company left behind a memory of corporate abuse, colonialism, exploitation and monopoly power, but as always there are many sides to any story in history. When the company was finally dissolved in 1874, the Times's judgement was that "the company had accomplished a work such as in the whole history of the human race no other company ever attempted, and as such is ever likely to attempt in the years to come". Given the events of the last few weeks, indeed of the last few years, it seems unlikely that G4S, Halliburton or Blackwater will be remembered in quite the same way.

Bangladesh orders charities to stop aid to Rohingyas

Tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled from the violence in Burma to neighbouring Bangladesh Continue reading the main story

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• 'Campaign of violence' in Rakhine • UN calls for Burma abuses inquiry • Muslims 'abused' in Burmese state Three international aid agencies in Bangladesh have been told to stop providing aid to Muslim Rohingya refugees from neighbouring Burma. Bangladeshi authorities say the agencies are operating beyond their mandate by giving aid to refugees who are in the country illegally. Aid workers say an abrupt withdrawal of services will worsen humanitarian conditions in camps along the border. Thousands have fled communal violence in Burma's Rakhine state since May. The French aid agencies Doctors Without Borders and Action Against Hunger and the British agency Muslim Aid are those who have received the order. The charities were providing health care, food and water to thousands of refugees in the Cox's Bazaar district of Bangladesh. Bangladesh recognises only 29,000 as refugees, whereas the total number of those who have crossed the border is estimated at 300,000. Hundreds have been turned away at the border by Bangladeshi authorities. Continue reading the main story

Background: Burma unrest
What sparked the violence in June? The rape and murder of a young Buddhist woman in Rakhine in May set off a chain of deadly religious clashes Why was a state of emergency declared? To allow the military to take over administrative control of the region Who are the Rohingyas? The UN describes them as a persecuted religious and linguistic minority from western Burma. The Burmese government says they are relatively recent migrants from the Indian sub-continent • Q&A: Rakhine unrest • Rohingyas recount terror • Burma profile A senior Bangladeshi official said the charities' actions in providing aid was encouraging more to cross the border illegally, reports the BBC's Anbarasan Ethirajan in Dhaka. A state of emergency was declared in Rakhine in June after deadly clashes between Buddhists and Muslims. Violence flared after the rape and murder of a Buddhist woman in May, followed by an attack on a bus carrying Muslims. Communal unrest continued for weeks as Muslims and Buddhists engaged in attacks and reprisals, leaving many dead and forcing thousands of people on both sides to flee their homes. There have been long-standing tensions between Rakhine people, who are Buddhist and make up the majority of the state's population, and Muslims, many of whom are Rohingya. This week campaign group Human Rights Watch issued a report accusing Burmese government forces of failing to contain the initial unrest and themselves persecuting Muslims in Rakhine state, including incidents of rape and killing, as well as making hundreds of arrests. Burma denies its security forces are guilty of human rights abuses in Rakhine.

London 2012: Why India is upbeat
By V Krishnaswamy Sports journalist, London

MC Mary Kom has won five world titles in boxing Continue reading the main story

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• Why Indian boxers could shine at Olympics • London 2012: India boxing hopeful Watch • Against the Odds: Vijender Kumar There is a marked changed in the psyche of the Indian sportsmen and women who are participating in the London Olympic Games. Gone are the days when the Indians made up the numbers and were content with making a trip to the Olympics. The word "Olympian" figuring in their business cards was not uncommon. But the mindset has now changed from wanting to be an Olympian to wanting to be a medallist. This current contingent of 81 athletes - 58 men and 23 women - includes a clutch of world-class athletes, who have either won medals at previous Olympics, Asian or Commonwealth Games, World Championships or World Cups or at the highest level in their respective sport, be it Grand Slams in tennis or Super Series events in badminton. At London, India has medal prospects in at least six disciplines - archery, boxing, badminton, shooting, tennis and wrestling. There is also hockey, but that is more of an emotional attachment, than a medal hope. Medal drought This is indeed a marked change for India compared with previous Olympic Games. Apart from the eight gold, one silver and two bronze in hockey between 1928 and 1980, India had just one other medal at the Olympics - a bronze in wrestling in 1952. Then from 1984 to 1992, there were NO medals.

From 1996 to 2004, there was one medal at each Games - a tennis bronze from Leander Paes in 1996, a weightlifting bronze from Karnam Malleswari in 2000 and a shooting silver from Rajyavardhan Rathore in 2004.

Saina Nehwal is one of the world's top badminton players Things however changed dramatically in Beijing in 2008. There were not only three medals - a gold from Abhinav Bindra in shooting and bronze from Vijender Singh in boxing and Sushil Kumar in wrestling - but a whole lot of others came within hand-shaking distance of medals. As heartening as the medals was the performance of the two boxers, Jitender Kumar and Akhil Kumar, who reached the quarters, as did Saina Nehwal in women's badminton and the Leander Paes-Mahesh Bhupathi combine in men's tennis. Wrestler Yogeshwar Datt, too, also lost in the quarters. Each one of them was capable of winning a medal. Continue reading the main story

Olympics coverage online

• • • • • • • •

From the BBC: London 2012: All Olympics news Sport: Reports, reaction, news Weather: UK five-day forecast Official Olympic travel links: Traffic and travel in London Travel info for other Games locations Traffic updates via Twitter @GAOTG

So, how did things change? For one, there is a change in mindset. Two, the government has been more liberal with foreign exposure trips - though they are misused sometimes - and there is definitely more federal funding for sports. 'Sign of confidence' Shooter Bindra, for example, refuses to live in the past. "The past has no bearing. I won a gold four years ago in two hours of shooting. That is over and done with. What happened in the past is past," he says, clearly indicating he wants one more here. Vijender Singh, one of the most popular non-cricketing sports stars in India, says: "Boxers and others talking about medals are not boasting or bragging. It is a sign of their confidence." But most importantly there has been exponential growth in private organisations and foundations backing Indian sport. The Olympic Gold Quest was started by legendary billiards player Geet Sethi and badminton star Prakash Padukone, and now has Paes and world chess champion Viswanathan Anand on its board of directors.

Wrestler Sushil Kumar is a top medal prospect and team flag-bearer in London Then there are organisations like the Mittal Sports Foundation (started by steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal), which has supported Indian boxers, archers and shooters among others. Other well-known organisations include Go Sports Foundation and Lakshya. Add to them sponsors like Monnet, Tatas, Sahara and Samsung who have had the courage to look beyond cricket. Together, they have helped Olympic sports in India. Sure there will still be no torrent of medals. But the results from London 2012 will certainly be better than 2008. In the end, there is very little difference between the medallists and the next two or three athletes, but if current form and world rankings are any indicators, there will be a lot of Indians in the top six at these Games. Archer Deepika Kumari, for one, is world number one among women and the Indian team holds the number two ranking, though the Koreans and the Americans start as favourites.

Champions In badminton, Saina Nehwal, world number four has been as high as number two once, and has recently won two big events in the presence of Chinese world-beaters. And Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa won a women's double bronze in the World Championships in London in 2011. Moving into boxing, welterweight Vikas Krishan, world number four until a few weeks ago, is a World Championships bronze medallist, while two other boxers figure in the world's top 12 in their weight category.

Deepika Kumari, left, is the world's top woman archer Vijender Singh, bronze medallist in Beijing, has also won gold medals in the Asian and Commonwealth Games and a bronze in 2009 World Championships, and he was ranked number one in the world in his weight until a couple of years ago. India's lone woman boxing representative, MC Mary Kom, has the most impressive resume in world boxing with five world titles and she comes to London as women's boxing makes it debut this year. Shooting hopes include the 2008 Olympic gold medallist, Bindra; multiple medallist at Asian and Commonwealth Games and World Cup winner, Gagan Narang, besides double trap shooter, Ronjan Sodhi, who still has a share of the world record in his event. Manavjit Sandhu, trap shooter, is also a former world champion. They have all been ranked in world's top three at various times. Wrestler Sushil Kumar is a former World Champion besides winning Asian and Commonwealth Games gold. He also has an Olympic bronze from 2008. The other wrestlers, Yogeshwar Datt, Amit Kumar and Narsingh Yadav, too, have medals at Asian and Commonwealth Games. Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, have both been number one in tennis doubles rankings separately and together. They may now seem a bit past their best, but are still capable of pulling off a stunner. Paes' pairing with Sania Mirza in the 16-team mixed doubles offers India the best hope of a tennis medal. The Olympic spirit continues, but now India has a desire and hunger greater than ever before for medals too.

Mangrove conservation is 'economic' CO2 fix
By Nick Crumpton BBC News

Conserving mangroves could be an economic way of mitigating greenhouse gases Continue reading the main story

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• Global decline in mangrove forest • Coral, mangroves good for economy Protecting mangroves to lock carbon away in trees may be an economic way to curb climate change, research suggests. Carbon credit schemes already exist for rainforests; the new work suggests mangroves could be included too. But other researchers say the economics depend on the global carbon price. Presenting their results in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the US-based team emphasises that protecting mangroves has important benefits for wildlife as well. Continue reading the main story

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We can preserve important habitats critical to coastal fisheries, rich in biodiversity, and home to hundreds of species of plants and animals” Dr Juha Siikamaki Resources for the Future Mangrove habitats comprise less than 1% of all forest areas across the world. But for the biodiversity they support, and the benefits they bring to communities in the form of fishing habitats and storm protection barriers, they are extremely important. They are also being lost at a greater rate than tropical rainforests.

Similar to rainforests, they store carbon within their "biomass", which is released when the habitat is destroyed. Their ability to capture carbon may be on average five times that of tropical rainforests, so they have become of interest to carbon-focused conservation strategists. Now, Dr Juha Siikamaki of the think tank Resources for the Future and his US colleagues have shown that protecting mangroves and thereby reducing the amount of CO2 released may be an affordable way for countries to mitigate their carbon emissions.

Mangroves are being re-planted in some places, for shore protection and nature "We make the surprising finding that in most places, preserving mangroves is justified solely based on the avoided emissions, without any regard for the many other ecological and economic benefits mangroves are particularly well known for," Dr Siikamaki told BBC News. The research, which used new high resolution surveys of global mangrove biomass, suggests that protecting these habitats could be a viable means for reducing emissions in comparison to other "carbon offset" methods. "The bonus is that in doing so, we can preserve important habitats critical to coastal fisheries, rich in biodiversity, and home to hundreds of species of plants and animals, many of them endangered," coauthor Professor James Sanchirico, from the University of California, Davis, said in a press statement. But Freya Roberts, a researcher at fact-checking service The Carbon Brief, told BBC News that the price of carbon quoted - on which this research is based - might be out-dated. "Since [the research was conducted], carbon prices have dropped due to an over-supply of permits," she

said. "With too many permits available, and poor economic conditions meaning big businesses are emitting less carbon dioxide, competition isn't forcing the carbon price up." Other incentive programs are available, such as the EU's Emission Trading Scheme (ETS). The authors report that the preservation of mangroves is cheaper than these other schemes; but Ms Roberts remained cautious. "Carbon permits now cost roughly $8-10, which is at the lower end of the price range where the majority of emissions from mangroves could be avoided." Financial incentives The recommendations of the researchers to protect mangroves in order to store "blue" carbon as part of climate policy frameworks resembles current REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) strategies. Continue reading the main story Climate change glossary Select a term to learn more: Adaptation Adaptation Action that helps cope with the effects of climate change - for example construction of barriers to protect against rising sea levels, or conversion to crops capable of surviving high temperatures and drought. Glossary in full REDD enables nations to receive financial incentives for reducing deforestation, leading to decreases in carbon emissions. "Projects that involve and respect local people and that use the market for carbon offsets to fund development and conservation are beginning to emerge," Professor Mark Huxham of Edinburgh Napier University, who was not involved with the study, told BBC News. "This paper is further encouragement for them to succeed," he said. Dr. Siikamaki said that "institutional" barriers, although still remaining, should not hinder mangrove conservation. "Developing programmes to compensate for the CO2 benefits of mangrove conservation could provide an important step towards this goal," he said.

India allows Pakistan investment

Pakistan's decision on most favoured nation status will liberalise trade over the border Continue reading the main story

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• India minister in Pakistan trip • Growing trade ties • India and Pakistan in trade deal India has announced that it will allow investment from Pakistan in what is seen as a boost for bilateral economic ties. The commerce ministry said a citizen or a company of Pakistan is permitted to make investments in India. However, no such investments can be made in defence, space or atomic energy, the ministry said. India and Pakistan resumed formal peace talks last year after they were broken off following the 2008 Mumbai attacks. India blamed the attacks on Pakistan-based militants. A commerce ministry release on Wednesday said all foreign direct investment proposals from Pakistan would need the clearance of the country's Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). "It is a great decision... Now Pakistan should also implement the most favoured nation (MFN) trading status to India," Rajiv Kumar of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) was quoted as saying by the state-run Doordarshan news channel. Earlier this year, Pakistan indicated that it would offer India MFN trading status, which India has already extended to Pakistan. The move is part of a pledge made last year to liberalise trade with India. Formal trade between the countries is worth $2.7bn a year, while informal trade, by way of smuggling, is believed to be three times that, experts say.

Uganda's Yoweri Museveni warns of Ebola threat

Up to 90% of those who contract Ebola die from the virus Continue reading the main story

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• Progress towards Ebola vaccine • Mystery Ugandan illness kills 38 • Scientists 'closer to Ebola drug' Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has urged people to avoid physical contact, after the deadly Ebola virus claimed one life in the capital, Kampala. Fourteen people have now died since the outbreak began in western Uganda three weeks ago, he said in a broadcast. There have been no confirmed cases of the infection spreading in Kampala. Ebola, one of the most virulent diseases in the world, is spread by close personal contact. Mr Museveni said health officials were trying to trace everyone who had had contact with victims so that they could be quarantined. People should avoid shaking hands, kissing or having sex to prevent the disease from spreading, he added. Mr Museveni said relatives and friends should not bury anyone who is suspected to have died of Ebola. "Instead call health workers because they know how to do it," he said. Shocked Mr Museveni said seven doctors and 13 health workers at Mulago hospital - the main referral hospital in Kampala - were in quarantine after "at least one or two cases" were taken there from Kibaale district, about 170km (100 miles) west of Kampala. One victim - a health worker who had been transferred to the capital - later died. "I wish you good luck, and may God rest the souls of those who died in eternal peace," Mr Museveni said as he ended his address to the nation. The BBC's Ignatius Bahizi in Kampala says that some people have not yet heard about the latest

outbreak of Ebola and are shocked when they find out. At a bus station in the city centre, our correspondent saw officials warning passengers about the virus and telling them to avoid physical contact. The first victim of the latest outbreak was a pregnant woman. It then spread at a funeral, Mr Museveni said. Uganda has seen three major Ebola outbreaks over the past 12 years. The deadliest was in 2000 when 425 people were infected. More than half of them died. There is no vaccine for the virus. Symptoms include sudden onset of fever, weakness, headache, vomiting and kidney problems.

New flu virus found in seals concerns scientists
By Matt McGrath Science reporter, BBC World Service

Harbour seals in New England were found to be infected with the new strain Continue reading the main story

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• Harbour seals 'pupping earlier' • Harbour seals' decline 'alarming' • Seal whiskers sense fattest fish Scientists in the United States have identified a new strain of influenza in harbour seals that could potentially impact human and animal health. The H3N8 flu has been associated with the deaths of harbour seals in New England last year. Researchers say the virus may have evolved from a type that had been circulating in birds. They say the discovery highlights the potential for pandemic flu to emerge from unexpected sources. Continue reading the main story

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We need to be very nimble in our ability to identify and understand the potential risks posed by new viruses from unexpected source” Dr Anne Moscona Weill Cornell Medical College Researchers were puzzled by the mysterious deaths from pneumonia of 162 harbour seals around the coast of New England last year. Autopsies on five of the marine mammals indicate that they died from a type of H3N8 influenza A virus that is closely related to a strain circulating in North American birds since 2002. One of authors of the research paper is Prof Ian Lipkin, from Columbia University in the US. He is a celebrated virus hunter who in the past has helped identify West Nile virus and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). He told the BBC that finding this flu virus in seals was an interesting "new jump". "It's something that's been circulating for a while in birds, but we've not had this sort of die off relating to this virus in the past. As we've looked at it in some detail, we've found there have been mutations in

this virus which enable it to bind to both bird receptors for flu as well as mammalian receptors for flu." Cause for concern As well as mutating to live in both mammals and birds the scientists say this flu has evolved to make it more likely to cause severe symptoms. The virus also has the ability to target a protein found in the human respiratory tract. Dr Anne Moscona of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City edited the report and says that the new virus is a worry. "There is a concern that we have a new mammalian-transmissible virus to which humans haven't yet been exposed. It's a combination we haven't seen in disease before." One of the big concerns for Prof Lipkin is that seals are acting as a mixing vessel for viruses in a way that has previously happened in pigs. "What was interesting about this is the seals are acting as an intermediary - they have receptors for both bird flu viruses and well as mammalian flu viruses, so you have a host in which this virus can adapt, evolve and become more mammalian in phenotype and more capable of causing disease in mammals. "That's when we really need to be concerned that it's going to be spreading into humans." The scientists who examined the dead seals had not suspected that an influenza virus was the cause of the die off. The finding surprised them and they argue that it highlights the fact that a pandemic influenza could emerge from a number of different routes. "Flu could emerge from anywhere," said Dr Moscona, "and our readiness has to be much better than we previously realised. We need to be very nimble in our ability to identify and understand the potential risks posed by new viruses from unexpected sources." The report is published in the journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

Interlinking of Rivers

The Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) (erstwhile Ministry of Irrigation) had formulated a National Perspective Plan (NPP) for Water Resources Development as early as 1980 envisaging inter-basin transfer of water from surplus basins to deficit basins/areas which comprises two components, namely, Himalayan Rivers Development Component and Peninsular Rivers Development Component. The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) was set up under the Ministry of Irrigation in 1982 for carrying out various technical studies to establish the feasibility of the proposals of NPP and to give concrete shape to it. NWDA has already identified 14 links under Himalayan Component and 16 links under Peninsular Rivers Component. Out of these, Feasibility Reports of 14 links under Peninsular Component and 2 links under Himalayan Component (Indian portion) has been prepared. The present status of links identified for preparation of Feasibility Reports is given below:Peninsular Rivers Development Component

1.

Mahanadi (Manibhadra) - Godavari (Dowlaiswaram) link

- FR completed

3. 4. 5.

2. Godavari (Polavaram) - Krishna (Vijayawada) link * -FR completed (Taken by the state as per their own proposal) Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna ( Pulichintala)link - FR completed Godavari (Inchampalli ) - Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) link Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar (Somasila ) link link - FR completed - FR completed - FR

6. Krishna (Srisailam) - Pennar completed 7. 8. 9. 10. Krishna (Almatti) - Pennar link

- FR completed - FR completed - FR completed - FR completed - FR completed & DPR

Pennar (Somasila) - Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link Cauvery (Kattalai) – Vaigai – Gundar link Parbati – Kalisindh – Chambal link*

11. Damanganga – Pinjal link* started 12. Par – Tapi – Narmada link*

- FR completed & DPR

started 13. Ken – Betwa link* Completed Pamba – Achankovil – Vaippar link Netravati - Hemavati Link Bedti - Varda link - DPR (Phase-I) - FR completed. - PFR completed - FR work taken up

14. 15. 16.

Himalayan Rivers Development Component 1. 2. 3. 4. Kosi-Mechi link Kosi-Ghaghra link Gandak-Ganga link Ghaghra-Yamuna link - Entirely lies in Nepal - S&I works taken up - S&I works completed - FR completed (for Indian portion) - FR completed (for Indian portion) 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Yamuna-Rajasthan link Rajasthan-Sabarmati link Chunar(at Ganga)-Sone Barrage link Sone Dam - Southern Tributaries of Ganga link Manas-Sankosh-Tista-Ganga (M-S-T-G) link Jogighopa(at Brahmaputra)-Tista-Ganga at Farakka (Alternate to M-S-T-G) link 12. Ganga (Farakka)-Sunderbans link completed 13. Ganga-Damodar-Subernarekha link completed Subernarekha-Mahanadi link - S&I works taken up - S&I works S&I works - S&I works completed - S&I works completed - S&I works completed - S&I works taken up - S&I works taken up

5.

Sarda-Yamuna link

14.

- S&I works completed

*

Priority links

PFR- Pre-Feasibility Report; FR- Feasibility Report; DPR- Detailed Project Report S&I - Survey & Investigation in Indian portion

The Implementation of Inter Linking of Rivers (ILR) involves various steps such as preparation of FRs of links, negotiation and consensus among concerned States, agreement with neighbouring countries if link involve area lying in other countries, preparation of DPRs of the projects and structures identified for the link, clearance from appraisal agencies which include clearance by Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), clearance by Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), techno-economic clearance by Technical Advisory Committee of MoWR, investment clearance by Planning Commission and funding of the project

The initial cost of the Inter Linking projects as per PFR/FR was 5.60 Lakh crore at 2002 Price Level. Costs of individual project have not yet been finalized. The present cost including the cost of land required to be acquired for the project can be estimated only after the completion of DPR of the projects. The State Government of Bihar has submitted six Intra state link proposals 1. Kosi – Mechi [entirely lie in India] 2. Barh – Nawada 3. Kohra – Chandravat (now Kohra-Lalbegi) 4. Burhi Gandak – None – Baya – Ganga 5. Burhi Gandak – Bagmati [Belwadhar] 6. Kosi – Ganga The PFRs of all six links have been completed and sent to State Government of Bihar. On the request of Bihar Government the preparation of DPR of two links i.e. 1. Kosi – Mechi, 2. Burhi Gandak – None – Baya – Ganga is under preparation. As desired by Govt. of Bihar, NWDA has completed the Preliminary Project Report (PPR) of Burhi Gandak-None-Baya –Ganga link and sent the same to Govt. of Bihar and CWC on 31.05.2012. Preparation of Preliminary Project Report (PPR) of Kosi – Mechi link is under progress. Further 3 additional proposals ,viz. i) Development of Bagmati Irrigation & Drainage Project – Phase-II (Barrage near Kataunjha in Muzaffarpur District) and Adhwara Multipurpose Project with Kosi-Adhwara-Bagmati link, ii) Transfer of Ganga water to South Bihar through Pump Canal Scheme at Buxer & iii) Development of Badua-Chandan Basin, from Bihar have also been received. These are being examined for their suitability for further studies. The State Government of Rajasthan has submitted two Intra state link proposals i.e. 1. Mahi – Luni link 2. Wakal – Sabarmati – Sei – West Banas – Kameri link. PFR of Intra-State link of Rajasthan viz. Wakal – Sabarmati – Sei – West Banas – Kameri link have been prepared and sent to Govt. of Rajasthan. The PFR of Mahi-Luni is in

progress. The report on interlinking of rivers was submitted by National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) in April, 2008. The conclusions/recommendations given by NCAER in its report mention various benefits of Interlinking of river programme such as additional benefits of Irrigation & Power, increase in growth rate of agriculture, growth of direct & indirect employment, improvement in the quality of life of people in rural areas and mitigation of floods & drought. The recommendations also include certain action points like setting up National Commission for Basin Management, improving cost recovery from irrigation projects & formation of Water Users Association. At present, no interlinking project under National Perspective Plan is under implementation. Therefore, the stage has not come for taking decision on the action points suggested in the report. This information was given by the Minister of State for Water Resources and Minority Affairs Shri Vincent H. Pala in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

Implementation of Water Policy National Water Policy is finalised and adopted by National Water Resources Council. Several States have formulated their State Water Policies, by and large as per the provisions of National Water Policy. The States implement these policies as per their requirement and priorities. The third Minor Irrigation Census has counted 5.56 lakh tanks and storages in India. The storage capacity of these tanks and storages was not surveyed. The average annual water availability for the country has been assessed as 1869 billion cubic meters (BCM). Due to topographic, hydrological and other constraints, the utilizable water has been estimated to be about 1123 BCM comprising 690 BCM of surface water and 433 BCM of replenishable ground water. The National Commission for Integrated Water Resources Development (NCIWRD), in its report in 1999, had assessed that the annual water requirement by the year 2025 and 2050 will be about 843 BCM and 1180 BCM respectively. This information was given by the Minister of State for Water Resources and Minority Affairs Shri Vincent H. Pala in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

Attacks on RTI Activists There have been reports in the media that some persons have been killed or attacked allegedly for exercising their right under the RTI Act, 2005. Data is not centrally maintained. However, media has reported that Sh. Ramesh Agrawal, a green activist, who was exercising right to information, was shot at on 7th July, 2012 in Chhattisgarh. The framework of existing laws such as Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code etc. is considered adequate to provide for safety and security to all citizens, including RTI activists. Further, RTI Activists and whistle blowers will also get protection under the “Whistle Blowers Protection Bill, 2011” passed by the Lok Sabha on 27.12.2011 and is presently in the Rajya Sabha. Maintenance of law and order and providing safety and security for all citizens is primarily the subject matter of State Government concerned. Government of India has drawn the attention of State Governments to the reports appearing in the media about the victimization of people, who use RTI to expose corruption and irregularities in administration. The States have been requested that if any such instance comes to their notice, it should be promptly inquired into and action taken against the offenders. This was stated by Sh. V. Narayanasamy, Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office in the Rajya Sabha today.

New Scheme for Life Saving Drugs The Pharmaceutical Policy as amended from time to time also envisages making available quality medicines at affordable price to the masses. For fulfilment of this goal, a Campaign in the name of ‘Jan Aushadhi’ has been launched in 2008. The aim of this campaign is to make available quality medicines at affordable prices for all, especially the poor and the disadvantaged. Under this campaign, less priced quality unbranded generic medicines will be made available through Jan Aushadhi stores which inherently are less priced but are of same and equivalent quality, efficacy and safety as compared to branded generic medicines. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has informed that they have taken the initiative for Free Supply of Essential Medicines in Public Health Facilities in the country. Some of the salient features of this scheme is as under: • Government proposes to start an Initiative for Free Supply of Essential Medicines in Public Health Facilities in the country aiming to provide affordable health care to the people by reducing out of pocket expenses of medicines. • The initiative aims to increase share of public health in health care from a current level of 25-30% to around 50%. • This initiative will promote rational use of medicines and reduce the consumption of inessential, unscientific and hazardous medicines. • The initiative is based on the Tamil Nadu model where free medicines procured in bulk by the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC), in generic name, directly from the manufacturers is supplied through an IT enabled supply chain management system to the public. • An MoU would be signed with the States which will involve the following:o State would be encouraged to set up TNMSC like institutions or use any existing institution with sufficient autonomy for bulk procurement of essential drugs in generic names directly from the manufacturers in generic names. Strict instructions shall be issued to Medical Officers in Public Health facilities to prescribe generic medicines. o The drugs would be supplied by the district ware houses through an IT enabled supply chain management system. o States will involve Rogi Kalyan Samitis to ensure that free supply of medicines in public health facilities is properly and effectively implemented. This information was given by the Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers, Shri Srikant Kumar Jena in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

International Conference on Chronic HYPOXIA : an Overview A large number of native population in India live in high altitudes. Pilgrims visit different shrines located in the upper reaches of Himalayas. Besides the mountaineers and soldiers also sojourn different high altitude location as part of their duty. One common health problem that afflicts the people visiting or living in these high altitude locations are dramatic fall in blood pressure combined with physical tendencies of mental giddiness, vomiting, nausea, acute bleeding problems, insomnia etc. because of lack of sufficient supply of oxygen for cellular respiration. These high altitude illness which can be life threatening becomes more acute as one ascends to high altitude areas. Similarly, our jawans and officers who operate in different geographical and topographical areas need to be protected from these high altitude illness, which in medical parlance is called ‘Hypoxia’. Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS), one of the premier institute of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), from its inception in 1962 is engaged in research into enhancing human capabilities and responses. It has made substantial contribution by successfully devising many pathbreaking inter-disciplinary studies/projects in different areas of life sciences in general and control of chronic hypoxia in particular. DIPAS which now celebrates its golden jubilee is organizing a Global Hypoxia Summit and 4th International Conference on Chronic Hypoxia from 09-12 August, 2012 in Delhi. The summit will lead to assemblage of worldwide known experts and eminent researchers working in the field of Hypoxia/high altitude illness. The conference will provide the participants an opportunity to discuss the most recent advances in high altitude research, chronic hypoxia, oxygen sensing and transnational research. The synergy of the research efforts amongst biologist, physiologists and clinicians will provide the wind under the wings to this flight of research into the frontiers of hypoxia. Last but not the least this meeting will also provide a great opportunity for scientific exchanges, personal and institutional contacts thus, facilitating a more efficient scientific collaboration worldwide. About 350 delegates from National Institutes and Universities and more than 70 delegates from countries like USA, UK, Japan, China, Russia, Germany, Canada, Finland, Bolivia, Australia, Ukraine, Nepal etc will participate and present their papers in the conference on various aspects of High altitude research, Chronic Hypoxia, Oxygen Sensing and Translational Research. In this global hypoxia summit, DIPAS has planned one symposium dedicated in memory of late "Sukhamay Lahiri" who is known across the world for his research contribution in oxygen sensing and homeostasis. There will also be a popular session on Health and Adventure at High Altitude. The seminar which will be held at VP Patel Chest Institute, Delhi University will be inaugurated tomorrow by Minister of State for Defence Dr. MM Pallam Raju where he will also distribute several awards for best papers, oral and poster presentations and travel fellowships to young researchers.

Kishore Chandra Deo Inaugurates Silver Jubilee Celebration TRIFED Shri V. Kishore Chandra Deo, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs and Panchayati Raj inaugurated the Silver Jubilee celebration of the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) here today. In his inaugural address, Sheri Deo said there is a need to concentrate on Minor Forest Produce, termed as Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) by TRIFED. The NTFP has significant economic and social value for the forest dwellers. He said that Central Government has enacted two major legislations, namely PESA and FRA to empower the forest dwellers. He further that said the Minimum Support Price Scheme for NTFPs is in the offing and Central Government will provide financial support for procurement, creation of enabling infrastructure, training for sustainable harvesting and also provide subsidy to State level agencies in case they incur any loss in the transaction so that they do not hesitate from procurement of NTFPs from tribals, a major source of income for tribals. The TRIFED has an important role as the nodal agency for implementation of this scheme, in order to translate the objectives of these Acts into reality. He said Central Govt. will provide financial support for procurement, creation of enabling infrastructure, training for sustainable harvesting and also provide subsidy to State level agencies in case they incur any loss in the transaction so that they do not hesitate from procurement of NTFPs from tribals, a major source of income for tribals. The Minister said the Silver Jubilee function of TRIFED’ provides us an opportunity to take stock of the situation, ponder over the future challenges and redefine the role for the organization in the rapidly changing environment. He said that TRIFED was started in August1987 with the main objective of providing marketing support for the tribal products so that remunerative prices can be ensured to the tribals for the products collected/cultivated by them. TRIFED’s effort to build “TRIBES INDIA” as a brand needs special mention as it provided tribal handicrafts and textile products a distinct identity in the market. The TRIFED has been consistently growing in terms of sales and from a single store in 1999 at Delhi now TRIBES India network has covered 16 States with 26 stores and still expanding. The Minister expressed his support to TRIFED and expressed the hope that TRIFED would emerge as a big and successful organization. Shri Mahadeo Singh Khandela, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Dr. Rameswar Oraon, Chairman, ST Comission, Smt. Vibha Puri Das, Secretary of the Ministry and Jiji Thomson, MD, TRIFED were also present in the function. Eminent Gandhian, Dr. Abhay Basng delivered a lecture on tribal issue on the occasion.

Tourism - Providing Inclusive Growth and Promoting Employment
FEATURE TOURISM

Tourism has been recognized as one of the major engines for inclusive growth and employment. It has been universally acknowledged that the Travel and Tourism Sector contributes substantially to reducing poverty and empowering women, youth and migrant workers with new employment opportunities. The Ministry of Tourism, is the nodal agency for the formulation of national policies and programmes and for the co-ordination of activities of various Central Government Agencies, State Governments/UTs and the Private Sector for the development and promotion of tourism in the country. The Ministry has focused on holistic development of Tourism in the country with the objective of promoting employment and inclusive growth along with active participation and support of the private sector. The importance of Tourism as a growth engine has been underlined in the recent declaration of the G-20 Leaders of Nations Summit held in Mexico in June 2012 which reads: “We recognize the role of travel and tourism as a vehicle for job creation, economic growth and development, and, while recognizing the sovereign rights of States to control the entry of foreign nationals, we will work towards developing travel facilitation initiatives in support of job creation, quality work, poverty reduction and global growth.” Growth of Tourism The benchmark for the sector is the growth in the number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals and generating valuable Foreign Exchange. The Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTA) in India in 2011 were 6.29 million with a growth of 8.9%, as compared to the FTAs of 5.78 million with a growth of 11.8% during the year 2010. The growth rate of 8.9% in 2011 for India is better than UNWTO’s projected growth rate of 4% to 5% for the world in 2011 and 7% to 9% for Asia and the Pacific. The number of domestic tourist visits increased from 740.21 million in 2010 as compared to 668.80 million in 2009 showing a growth of 10.7 percent. Thus, the domestic tourism witnessed impressive growth during this period. Foreign Exchange Earnings from tourism during 2011 were Rs. 77591 crore with a growth of 19.6 %, as compared to the Foreign Exchange Earnings of Rs. 64889 crore with a growth of 18.1% during the year 2010 over 2009. The objective of the Ministry is to increase India’s share in world tourist arrivals to 1% from the present 0.6 % by the end of the 12th Five Year Plan. This would result in achieving 11.37 million Foreign Tourist Arrivals by 2016. Also, the Ministry has targeted 1495.82 million Domestic Tourism Visits by 2016. For achieving this objective, the Ministry has stepped up its promotional activities in important as well as potential source markets overseas and is taking several initiatives for overall growth in the sector.
Infrastructure Development

Infrastructure development holds the key to the sustained growth in India’s tourism sector.

Therefore, the Ministry has been making efforts to develop quality tourism infrastructure at tourist destinations and circuits. A scheme for development of nationally and internationally important destinations and circuits through Mega Projects has been initiated. So far, 47 mega projects have been identified out of which 32 projects have already been sanctioned. The mega projects are a judicious mix of culture, heritage, spiritual and ecotourism in order to give tourists a holistic perspective. Tourism development depends on synergy and convergence between various sectors and the Ministry is continuing in its efforts to achieve such synergy. Due to its efforts, an Interministerial Coordination Committee for the Tourism Sector has been set up under the chairmanship of the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister. The Committee will facilitate resolution of inter-ministerial issues involved in the development of tourism in the country, as well as issues raised by industry associations in the tourism sector. The first meeting of this Committee was held on 19th January 2012 in which various issues were taken up. Hunar Se Rozgar Hunar Se Rozgar (HSR) is an important means to achieve the goal of the 12th Plan – of promoting faster, sustainable and more inclusive economic growth. .The programme aims at creation of employable skills amongst youth in the age group of 18 to 28 years with a minimum qualification of passing Class 8 and provides training in programmes ranging from 6 to 8 weeks covering Food and Beverage service and Food Production, Housekeeping Utility and Bakery and Patisserie as well as acquiring driving skills. This programme has been recognized as a key central initiative for skill development. The Ministry has been working tirelessly towards broad-basing the implementation of this initiative so as to reach youth in a much larger number all across the country. The approach in this has been both conventional and innovative. One of the innovative approaches for this Hunar Se Rozgar scheme is the tie up with the Indian Army entitled- ‘Hunar Se Rozgar- Sena Ke Sahyog Se’ in which Army units will provide training infrastructure free of cost and also administer the programmes. The trainees will be expected to imbibe the spirit of military discipline and hardiness. The academic support will be provided by the Institutes of Hotel Management designated for the purpose. The first training programme within this sub-initiative is already underway since 14th June at the Army Unit at Uri. The Institute of Hotel management at Srinagar is the partner Institute. Campaign Clean India One aspect that has adversely impacted tourism in our country, both international and domestic, relates to unsatisfactory hygiene and cleanliness at important tourist destinations. This factor has emerged as a major road-block to full realization of our tourism potential. The Ministry of Tourism has taken the initiative to put in place a comprehensive strategy to effect cleanliness at tourist destinations under the “Campaign Clean India”. The Campaign will employ a balance of persuasion, education, sensitization, training, demonstration and regulation for achieving its goal and will be implemented in collaboration with Central and State Governments, Ministries, the Corporate Sector, Travel Trade, NGOs, Educational Institutions, Media and Stakeholders.

The Campaign was launched with a Workshop organized in New Delhi which was attended by dignitaries including Former President of India Shri A P J Abdul Kalam, Government Ministers, Members of Parliament, Media Luminaries as well as stars from the Film world in addition to members of the Travel and Hospitality trade NGOs, Corporate Sector and Media houses. Very useful suggestions were obtained from the participants in the workshop which would be taken in to account while detailing the strategy for taking the campaign forward. The entire exercise aims to undertake both sensitization and action at the sites to create an acceptable level of cleanliness and hygiene. The objective is also to ensure that these levels are sustained through ownership and involvement of private and public sector stakeholders. The Ministry would also sign MoUs with 14 ministries seeking their intervention for synergy of efforts. Thirty six monuments have been identified by ASI for the pilot project and ten of these have already been adopted by Institute of Hotel Management/IITTM. Schools and institutes will undertake 'Shramdan' at the destination. They would also critically analyze the solid waste management system and propose improvements. The Pilot Project of the Campaign Clean India was launched at Qutub Minar in Delhi on 19th June 2012 by Shri Subodh Kant Sahai, Minister for Tourism along with Kumar Selja, Minister for Culture and Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Shri Shankersinh Vaghela, Chairman of India Tourism Development Corporation. The project has been undertaken by ITDC in cooperation with the various stakeholder associations and the ASI. The event also saw the release of the publicity material for the campaign including posters, slogans and Radio Commercials. The innovative Radio Commercials of this campaign are being run of the major FM channels in the country. The Ministry of Tourism is thus committed to the development of tourism in the country so as to benefit the common man and to provide employment opportunities to the youth in all corners of our country.

Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana
FEATURE OIA

L.C. Ponnumon*

An estimated 5 million Indian Nationals with ECR (Emigration Check Required) passports are working on temporary employment/contract visas in the Gulf Countries. It is observed that a majority of the earnings periodically remitted by overseas Indian workers to their families in India are rarely accumulated as savings and often cause only a temporary improvement in the consumption expenditure of their families. As a result majority of overseas Indian workers face the risk of poverty when they return to India and when they are too old to work. Overseas Indian workers are largely excluded from formal social security benefits available to residents of ECR countries. The Government of India has demonstrated a sustained and deep commitment to inclusive growth and has taken a number of important steps to improve income and provide employment opportunities and equal access to social security for its citizens. However there has been no mechanism as yet to overseas Indian workers to benefit from such policy initiatives. In this context the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA), has introduced a special social security scheme named Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana (MGPSY) for overseas India workers in ECR Countries. The scheme named after Mahatma Gandhi, is a voluntary scheme aims to encourage and enable the workers to meet their three major needs. It helps them to save for their pension in old age through NPS-Lite (National Pension Scheme); save for their return and resettlement and obtain free cost of life insurance cover, Ministry will also co-contribute under this scheme for a period of five years or till the return of workers to India, whichever is earlier.

Pension in Old Age
The scheme will help the worker to save for their old age. Old age savings will be managed by credible public sector pension funds. While a worker save between Rs.1000 to Rs.12000 in his/her pension account they will get a co-contribution of Rs.1000 in case of male and Rs.2000 in case of female in the NPS-Lite account from Ministry.

Return and Resettlement (R&R ) Saving

To address the immediate monitory need of the worker on his return back to India, the scheme provides an option in the form of R&R saving. The scheme will help to save money over a period of time to cover the resettlement expenses in the short term. While the worker invest Rs.4000 in this scheme they will also get a Ministry co-contribution of Rs.900 in their R&R account.

Insurance Cover
An overseas Indian worker enrolled in this scheme would be provided with a free cost life insurance cover and applicable as long as they are working in ECR country.

Ministry’s Co-contribution to MGPSY
If a worker contribute Rs.5000 per year, then the Ministry’s Co-contribution will be Rs.3000 in case of female worker and Rs.2000 in case of male worker for the whole scheme. Ministry co-contribution is subjected to subscriber making necessary contribution to the scheme. This co-contribution will be applicable for a minimum period of 5 years or for the period of employment whichever is earlier. Overseas Indian workers with ECR passports and aged between 18 and 50 years on an employment/contract visa are eligible to join the scheme. The Ministry has authorized the Life Insurance Corporation of India and Bank of Baroda to deliver the scheme to eligible overseas Indian workers. Bank of Baroda and LIC will assist eligible to open MGPSY accounts and will deliver a range of services to subscribers. A secure and well regulated institutional framework has been designed to encourage, enable and assist overseas Indian workers to participate in this Scheme. In order to motivate broad-based voluntary enrolments, encourage regular savings and pension accumulations of overseas Indian Workers. Eligible workers will be able to open an MGPSY account at the office of the Protector Of Emigrants (POE) in India or at special help desks located at the office of the authorized aggregators in ECR countries. In order to enable Indian workers in the ECR countries to join the scheme the Ministry is shortly going to start Pravasi Suraksha Yojana enrolment centers starting with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). More information and details about the scheme can be available at toll free number 1800-113-090 and also at Ministry website http://www.moia.gov.in.

Science Express- Biodiversity Special

FEATURE Env. & Forests

India is recognised as one of the mega-diverse countries, rich in biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge. With just 2.4% of the land area, India accounts for nearly 7% of the recorded species even while supporting almost 18% of human population. India has a long history of conservation and sustainable use of natural resources and is a party to many international environmental conventions including UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The current decade (2011-2020) has been declared as United Nations Decade on Biodiversity and United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification. With India hosting the 11th meeting of Conference of the Parties (CoP-11) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), during 8-19 October 2012 in Hyderabad, it is an opportune time to showcase the wide array of biodiversity in the country, the threats to this rich biodiversity and the conservation measures adopted thereof. This CoP-11 assumes immense importance considering that it is being held in the 40th anniversary year of Stockholm Conference, 20th anniversary year of Rio Earth Summit and 10th anniversary year of World Sustainable Summit held in 2002. This would also be the first CoP in the UN Decade on Biodiversity. Science Express – Biodiversity Special (SEBS) In an effort to create widespread awareness on the unique biodiversity of the country, Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), in a unique partnership with Department of Science & Technology (DST) has launched a special exhibition train- ‘Science Express Biodiversity Special (SEBS)’ that will cover over 100 stations in two years of running across the country in two phases.

‘Science Express’, a train rake with 16 air-conditioned coaches was originally custom-made for DST by Indian Railways. Since 30 October 2007, when it was flagged off by the Prime Minister of India and German Chancellor, DST organised four tours across India, the last one culminating on 16 June 2011.
Of the 16 coaches of the Science Express- Biodiversity Special, eight are solely dedicated to showcasing the myriad biodiversity spread across the bio-geographical zones. These include the Trans-Himalaya & the Himalayas, the Gangetic Plains, North East India, the Desert & Semi-Arid Zone, the Western Ghats, the Deccan Peninsula, the Coasts & Islands. These eight coaches also focus on range of Biological diversity, critically endangered species (IUCN Red list), biodiversity hotspots, domesticated biodiversity (agriculture, animal husbandry), biodiversity & livelihoods, bio-culture; threats/challenges (climate change, other anthropogenic), conservation measures, success stories & unique experiences. The exhibition

also covers various other facets like marine, coastal, forest, microbial, agro biodiversity and their linkage with livelihoods besides challenges of conservation. In the rest of the rake, three coaches have exhibits on Climate Change, Energy and Water conservation. The legacy of ‘Science Express’ showcasing the most popular exhibits from the previous four phases has been exhibited in another coach. A conference room-cumtraining facility is also provided in that coach, primarily for the purpose of capacity building of teachers. Science Express- Biodiversity Special (SEBS) was flagged off on 5 June 2012 from Delhi Safdarjung by Smt. Sheila Dixit, Chief Minister of Delhi and Smt. Jayanti Natarajan, Minister of State (I/C), (MoEF). The ongoing phase will culminate in Gandhinagar on 22 December 2012. During this tour, the train will be stationed at Secunderabad during 9-19 October 2012 so that the COP delegates and dignitaries from about 190 countries are able to experience the rich biodiversity of our country. The Journey Since its launch on 5 June 2012 and till 31 July 2012, this only-of-its-kind train has made halts of 3-4 days duration each at 16 locations in the Eastern and North Eastern India and over 6 lakh visitors, mostly students and teachers have been able to enjoy the interesting and informative exhibits. The SEBS has got overwhelming response, and the purpose of creating wide spread awaress on Biodiversity issue is being served quite well. The train is now on its onward journey to Southern, Western and Northern India and will eventually travel almost 18,000 km in the first phase to cover 52 locations. The exhibition is expected to be visited by more than 15 lakh visitors but indirectly it is likely to engage over 50 lakh people. Reaching Out Wherever the train travels, activities have been planned before hand to engage visitors across different age groups to reinforce the message of SEBS and specific Outreach Programme are conducted at local schools and institutions associated with the National Environment Awareness Programme (NEAC) and National Green Corps (NGC) of MoEF and associate & partners of DST. In addition, a variety of informative take-away material is made available for wider distribution among visitors. Partners The train reflects the dedication, diligence and dynamism of the knowledge partners who have contributed immensely to bring forth the essence of ‘biodiversity’ and conservation practices as well as issues of ‘climate change’ in our country. Vikram A Sarabhai Community Science Centre (VASCSC) and Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Ahmedabad along with the lead knowledge partners. Bombay Natural History Society, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, G. B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, National Museum of Natural History, Wildlife Institute of India and Wildlife Trust of India, and several others have contributed to give final touches to this unique exhibition on wheel. HSBC, the Swiss Embassy, Nestle, PCRA and Indus Towers have supported some of the exhibits and complementary activities.

Mars mission: Demonstrating India's technology

India plans to send an unmanned satellite to Mars in November 2013 Continue reading the main story

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• India's growing strides in space • Is India star-crossed in Asian space race? • Nasa science boss in cash 'fight' Four years after launching its maiden Moon mission, India has plans to launch a small unmanned satellite to Mars. Science writer Pallava Bagla reflects on what this means for India and the world. After its successful unmanned Chandrayaan mission to the Moon in 2008 that brought back the firstever clinching evidence of the presence of water there, India is headed for the Red Planet. India's mission to Mars will be launched in November 2013 from its space port at Sriharikota on the coast of the Bay of Bengal using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket, which has undertaken 21 successful flights, including the Chandrayaan and Moon Impactor lunar probes. The government has allocated about $41m for the mission - the total cost of the mission will be more than $100m. Critics of the mission believe the government is being profligate at a time when the country is recovering from two massive power failures and is facing a drought due to weak monsoon rains. A top government official who prefers anonymity said: "We have heard these arguments since the

1960s about India being a poor country not needing or affording a space program. "If we can't dare dream big it would leave us as hewers of wood and drawers of water! India is today too big to be just living on the fringes of high technology." The government says the satellite which will be placed in an orbit around Mars will be able to carry nearly 25kg of scientific payload on board. The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) suggests that the tentative objectives of the mission will be to focus on remotely assessing "life, climate, geology, origin and evolution and sustainability of life on the planet". "This is technology demonstration project, a mission that will announce to the world India has the capability to reach as far away as Mars," an Isro official said. Since 1960, there have been 44 missions to Mars with just about half of them being successful; attempts have been made by the former USSR and Russia, the US, Europe, Japan and China. On Monday, the $2.5bn American spacecraft, Mars Science Laboratory - or Curiosity - is scheduled to touch down on the Red Planet. The first Chinese mission to Mars called Yinghuo-1 failed last year alongside the Russian PhobosGrunt mission with which it was launched - so some believe that India is trying to march ahead in what has been described as the "Asian Space Race". But the global community is getting excited. "I think there would be considerable interest among internationals to submit instruments to the mission… as this may be the only near-term opportunity," says Jeffrey Plescia, a Mars researcher at the Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, US. Pallava Bagla is a correspondent for Science and science editor for New Delhi Television.

US starts Agent Orange clean-up in Vietnam

Millions suffered deformities as a result of the herbicide sprayed over Vietnam Continue reading the main story

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• In pictures: Agent Orange legacy • Agent Orange campaign in Vietnam • Canada to get Agent Orange probe The US has begun a project to help clean up Agent Orange contamination at one area in Vietnam - the first such move since the war ended in 1975. The work is taking place at the airport in the central city of Danang. The US sprayed millions of gallons of the toxic defoliant over jungle areas to destroy enemy cover. Vietnam says several million people have been affected by Agent Orange, including 150,000 children born with severe birth defects. 'Injustice' Agent Orange Victims Association Vice Chairman Tran Xuan Thu told the BBC that although the clean-up activities were "a little late", they were "greatly appreciated". "They show that the US government now is taking the responsibility to assist us. I hope these efforts will be multiplied in future," he said. "However we consider that the clean-up is separate from the issue of compensating Vietnamese Agent Orange victims, who are still suffering from injustice. These victims will carry on with their lawsuits, no matter what." A lawsuit brought by a group of Vietnamese nationals against US manufacturers was dismissed in 2007. On Thursday, a ceremony was held at the Danang airport where the defoliant was stored before being sprayed over forests hiding fighters from the Viet Cong, guerrillas backed by the Communist government of North Vietnam.

The US sprayed Vietnam's jungles to deprive the enemy of places to hide Continue reading the main story • In pictures: Agent Orange legacy The US government is providing $41m (£26m) to the clean-up project, which is being carried out by two American companies in co-operation with the Vietnamese defence ministry. The US has in the past helped fund some social services in Vietnam, but this is its first direct involvement in clean-up work. The contaminated soil and sediment is to be excavated and then heated to a high temperature to destroy the dioxins, a US embassy statement said. Frank Donovan of USAID told Radio Australia the project would last until 2016. "We expect it will be cleaned up to rid the contaminated areas of dioxins down to harmless levels that are accepted both by the government of the US and the government of Vietnam, and so safe for industrial, commercial or residential use," he said. There are dozens of other contamination hotspots where the defoliant was stored, including two more airports. The US and Vietnam resumed full diplomatic ties in 1995 and have grown closer in recent years amid concerns over China's assertiveness over disputed territories in the South China Sea. The US compensates its veterans exposed to the defoliant, but does not compensate Vietnamese nationals. Nga Pham, of the BBC's Vietnamese service, says Agent Orange is a very bitter legacy of the war, and most Vietnamese think the US should do more to help.

Loss of Forest Cover As per the India State of Forest Report 2011 there is a net loss of 367 Km2 of forest cover between the 2011 assessment (data period pertaining to 2008-2009) and 2009 assessment (data period pertaining to 2006-2007). The implementation of afforestation and conservation programmes for expanding green cover has in fact contributed towards increase in the forest cover. Hence, 15 States have registered aggregate increase of 500 Km2 in their forest cover with Punjab leading with increase of 100 Km2. However, the decline of forest cover to the extent of 867 Km2 in States such as Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram etc. is due to various reasons like shifting cultivation, rotational harvesting, biotic pressures etc. The above information was laid in the Parliament by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests Shrimati Jayanthi Natarajan.

Policy to Check Incidents of Crimes and Sexual Abuse in Children’s Homes The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 [JJ Act] is the primary law to deal with the children in need of care and protection as well as children in conflict with law. Section 34 (3) of the JJ Act provides for mandatory registration of all Child Care Institutions (CCIs) housing children in need of care and protection with the intent of enforcing minimum standards of care, under the Act and Rules there-under, for the services provided for children in these Homes. The JJ Act and Central Model Rules there-under provide for mechanisms for stringent monitoring of quality of services through Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) and Inspection Committees set up by the State Government at State, district and city levels. Further, the Rules provide for setting up of Children’s Committees in every institution which are, inter-alia, also encouraged to report incidents of abuse and exploitation, if any. Besides, Rule 60 of the Model Rules framed under the JJ Act also prescribes comprehensive measures to respond in case any kind of abuse, including sexual abuse, neglect and maltreatment is noticed in the CCI. To ensure that children in all the Homes receive the best of care, and are not subject to abuse and neglect, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has been strongly urging the State Governments/UT Administrations from time to time to identify and register all CCIs under the JJ Act and set up functional inspection committees, where not available. Further, the recently notified ‘The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012’ provides for stringent punishment for persons who, being on the management or staff of a Home, commit sexual assault on such child. This was stated by Smt. Krishna Tirath, Minister for Women and Child Development in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha today.

1,81,353 Children Benefitted Under ICPS Since 2009-10 A total of 1,81,353 children have benefitted under various components of Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) since 2009-10. Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) for creation and management of infrastructure and human resources necessary for establishing a safe and secure environment for children, especially children in difficult circumstances. The centrally sponsored Scheme is being implemented through the State Governments/UT Administrations, which in turn, are implementing the scheme either by themselves or through Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). Financial assistance is provided to State Governments/UT Administrations for improving, setting up and maintenance of Homes, Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAAs) and Open Shelters for children in need of care and protection. Financial assistance is also provided for setting up of dedicated service delivery structures at State and District levels, with staff exclusively engaged for providing services to children including inter-alia need assessment, training and sensitization, awareness generation etc. The Scheme also focuses on non-institutional care through adoption, foster-care and after-care. All States except Jammu & Kashmir have signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry for implementation of the Scheme. Moreover, the Childline service, which is a 24-hour telephone helpline for children in distress, is also being implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development through the Childline India Foundation (CIF), Mumbai, a registered Society, under Government-Civil Society Partnership. This was stated by Smt. Krishna Tirath, Minister for Women and Child Development in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha today.

Metro/Mono Rail Projects in the Country The details of ongoing Metro Rail projects including those which have been sanctioned recently by Government of India and their total estimated completion cost in the National Capital Region (NCR) and other cities of the country are given below: State City Name of the Project and Corridor Delhi MRTS Phase III Extension of Delhi Metro from Dwarka to Najafgarh Extension of Delhi Metro from Yamuna Vihar to Shiv Vihar Extension of Delhi Metro from Mundka to Bahadurgarh (Haryana) Extension of Delhi Metro to YMCA Chowk, Faridabad Bangalore Metro Hesaraghatta Cross to Puttenahalli and Bayappanahalli to Mysore Road Terminal. Kolkata East – West Metro Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector-V Chennai Metro Washermanpet to Chennai Airport and Chennai Central to St. Thomas Mount Mumbai Metro Line-1 Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Hyderabad Metro Miyapur- LB Nagar, JBS – Falaknuma and Nagole – Shilparamam Jaipur Metro Stage-I Mansarovar to Chandpole Kochi Metro Length (KM) 103.05 5.5 2.717 11.5 Total Estimated Completion Cost (Rs. in crore) 35,242 1070 281.78 1991

Delhi

Delhi

Haryana Karnataka

Faridabad Bangalore

13.875 42.3

2494 11609

West Bengal Tamil Nadu

Kolkata

14.58

4874.58

Chennai

45.046

14600

Maharast hra Andhra Pradesh

Mumbai

11.4 71

2356 14132

Hyderabad

Rajasthan Kerala

Jaipur Kochi

9.25 25.612

1250 5181.79

Alwaye to Petta (Tripunithura)

The Central Government has not sanctioned any proposal for Mono Rail in the country so far. This information was given by the Minister of State for Urban Development Shri Saugata Roy in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

MG/J – PQ3 – usq 758

Metro Rail Projects in Gujarat The Ministry of Urban Development is yet to receive a formal proposal along with the Detailed Project Report from the State Government for Metro Rail Project between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar in Gujarat. However, the Government of Gujarat has informed that they have taken an “In Principle” decision to adopt the framework of 50:50 joint ownership Special Purpose Vehicle of Government of Gujarat and Government of India. Presently, the Metro Rail Projects are under execution in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai and Kochi. The Ministry of Railway has no direct role in funding and implementation of the project except for the approval of technical aspects like schedule of dimensions, track structure etc. This information was given by the Minister of Urban Development Shri Kamal Nath in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

Radiation from Mobile Towers Department of Telecommunications had adopted the international EMF norms in the year 2008 in respect of mobile towers prescribed by International Commission on non Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). The ICNIRP guidelines are being followed by a number of countries in the world. Many Countries, mostly developed Countries have developed their own health based precautionary guidelines where the exposure limit of these radiations is very low. As per the recommendations of Inter Ministerial Committee on EMF Radiation, the radio frequency emission level exposure limits have been revised to 1/10th of the existing prescribed base station emission level which will be effective from 01.09.2012. This information was given by the Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

Action Plan to Increase Renewable Energy The Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Dr. Farooq Abdulla, informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply that the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has formulated a Plan for increased exploitation of various renewable energy sources in the country during the 12th Plan period. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission has been initiated with a view to increase utilization of solar energy in the country. The 12th Plan proposals envisage 29,800 MW grid-interactive and 3267 MW off-grid power generation capacity addition from various renewable energy sources and deployment of 7 lakh biogas plants, 35 lakh cook stoves, 8.5 lakh solar cookers and 80.5 lakh solar thermal energy systems in the country during the plan period. Besides, stepped up support for sector specific resource assessment and R&D activities, etc. Under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, deployment of 20,000 MW of grid-interactive solar power, 2000 MW off-grid applications, including 20 million solar lighting systems and 20 million sq. solar thermal collector area is envisaged by 2022. The Minister further said that such systems are to be developed and put in place by respective State and District level authorities taking into account their existing electricity demand, available supply options and resources and other local factors. UM/ska

Indira Awaas Yojana – Fulfilling the Need for Rural Housing
FEATURE Rural Development

Shelter is a basic need of a citizen which is critical for determining the quality of human life. A roof over the head endows a shelterless person, with an essential asset and improves his physical and mental well being. Hence, fulfilling the need for rural housing and tackling housing shortage particularly for the poorest is an important task to be undertaken as part of the poverty alleviation efforts of the Government. The Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Rural Development. Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) households in the rural areas for construction of dwelling units. It has been in operation since 1985-86.

The funding of IAY is shared between the Centre and States in the ratio of 75:25. In the case of Union Territories, entire funds of IAY are provided by the Centre. In case of North East States, the funding ratio between the Centre and States is 90:10. The ceiling on construction assistance under IAY is Rs. 45,000 per unit in the plain areas and Rs. 48,500 in hilly/difficult areas/IAP districts. For upgradation of kutcha house, the financial assistance is Rs. 15,000 per unit. In addition to the unit assistance availed, a beneficiary can also borrow a top-up loan upto Rs. 20,000/- from any nationalized Bank at 4% interest per annum under Differential Rate of Interest (DRI) Scheme.

The criteria for allocation of IAY funds to the States and UTs involve assigning 75% weightage to housing shortage and 25% to poverty ratio. The allocation amongst districts is based on 75% weightage to housing shortage and 25% weightage to SC/ST component. Further, 60% of the IAY allocation is meant for benefiting SC/ST families, 3% for physically handicapped and 15% for minorities. Also the IAY houses are expected to be invariably allotted in the name of women. In addition, 5% of the central allocation can be utilized for meeting exigencies arising out of natural calamities and

other emergent situations like riot, arson, fire, rehabilitation etc.

In order to introduce transparency in selection of beneficiaries, permanent IAY waitlists have to be prepared gram panchayat wise by the States/UTs. These lists contain the name of deserving BPL families who need IAY houses in order of their poverty status based on the BPL list 2002. Gram Sabha select the beneficiaries from the list of eligible BPL households/Permanent IAY waitlist wherever it has been prepared.

Construction of an IAY house is the sole responsibility of the beneficiary. Engagement of contractors is prohibited and no specific type, design has been stipulated for an IAY house. However, sanitary latrine and smokless chullah are required to be constructed alongwith each IAY house. For construction of a sanitary latrine, the beneficiary can avail of financial assistance as admissible under the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC).

Bharat Nirman Programme
Rural Housing is one of the six components of Bharat Nirman Programme. Under Bharat Nirman Programme Phase-I, 60 lakh houses were envisaged to be constructed through Indira Awaas Yojana all over the country during the four years i.e. from 200506 to 2008-2009. Against this target, 71.76 lakh houses were constructed with an expenditure of Rs. 21720.39 crore. The target for the next five years period starting from the year 2009-10, has been doubled to 120 lakh houses. During the last three years of the Bharat Nirman Programme Period-Phase-II approximate 85 lakh houses have already been constructed. Since inception of the IAY scheme about 286.88 lakh houses have been constructed with an expenditure of Rs. 85141.13 crore. Convergence of Various Centrally Sponsored Schemes with IAY Under Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) each IAY beneficiary can get a free electricity connection to his house, under Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) an IAY beneficiary who will construct a sanitary latrine can get TSC funds in addition to the unit assistance he has got under IAY, all willing IAY beneficiaries can get the benefits available under Janshree Bima and Aam Aadmi Bima policies, under DRI, an IAY beneficiary can borrow up to Rs. 20,000/- from any Nationalized Bank at 4% interest per annum to top up the unit assistance he has got under IAY.

Allotment of Homestead Plot

A scheme was launched on 24th August, 2009 as part of IAY, for providing homestead sites to those rural BPL households whose names are included in the permanent IAY waitlists but who have neither agricultural land nor a house site. Since inception of the scheme, funds amounting to Rs. 347.46 crore have been released to States namely Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra for purchase of land and Rs. 1367.31 crore have been released to Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, West Bengal, Rajastan, Maharashtra and Jharkand as incentive for additional houses for providing homestead sites.

Monitoring Mechanism
The Indira Awaas Yojana is being continuously reviewed through Monthly and Annual Reports received from the States/UTs. Senior officers at the level of Deputy Secretaries and above in the Ministry are appointed as Area Officers for different States/UTs. These Area Officers visit the allotted States/UTs from time to time and inspect the actual implementation of the programme in the field. They also participate in the State Level Coordination Committee Meetings providing thereby, a source of effective link between the policy makers, i.e., the Government and the implementing agencies (States /UT Governments). The programme is also reviewed at the meeting with the State Secretaries of Rural Development and with the Project Directors of DRDAs in the workshops held every year. From April 2007 onwards, an online monitoring mechanism has been put in place to enable DRDAs to upload their monthly progress reports into the website of the Ministry.

The web-based local language MIS Programme ‘AWAASsoft’ was launched, this software captures beneficiary-wise data and is accessible to all the stake holders, beneficiaries and citizens at large.

During the last year 2011-12, Rs. 9991.20 crore (including Rs. 500.00 crore for Homestead Component) were allocated for Rural Housing for construction of 27.27 lakh houses under Indira Awaas Yojana, against the physical target of construction of 27.27 lakh houses, 24.66 lakh houses were constructed after utilization of Rs. 12814.88 crore and 26.95 lakh houses were under construction.

In the current financial year 2012-13, the total budgetary outlay for Rural Housing is Rs. 11075.00 crore. Out of which Rs. 10513.20 crore has been earmarked under Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) for construction of 30.09 lakh houses and Rs. 553.00 crore for Homestead Component. Rs. 4783.70 crore has already been released as first installment of funds. Against the physical target, 3.83 lakh houses have been constructed so far.

Brazilian court halts Belo Monte hydro-electric dam project

The project has angered local indigenous communities Continue reading the main story

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• Judge revokes Amazon dam work ban • Campaigners occupy Belo Monte dam A federal court in Brazil has ordered the immediate suspension of work on the huge Belo Monte hydroelectric dam in the Amazon. The court says local indigenous people have not been properly consulted. Officials point out that the builders of the dam will be able to appeal against the decision. Once completed, the 11,000-megawatt dam, in Brazil's Para state, would be the third largest hydroelectric dam in the world Belo Monte would only be smaller than the Three Gorges in China, and Itaipu which is jointly run by Brazil and Paraguay. The project, which has been heavily criticised by environmentalists, was approved by the Brazilian Congress in 2005. It is expected to flood a vast area of tropical forest. 'Flawed legislation' The government says the dam would make Brazil more self-sufficient in energy, especially in the Amazon region, which relies on fossil fuels for much of its needs. Opponents of Belo Monte say that the dam will also displace thousands of indigenous people along the Xingu river. The court says local communities should have had the right to voice their opinion on the environmental

impact of the project before the Congress vote. "A study on the environmental impact of the project was required before, not after, work on the dam started. The legislation is flawed," Judge Souza Prudente told O Globo newspaper. "The Brazilian Congress must take into account the decisions taken by the indigenous communities. Legislators can only give the go-ahead if the indigenous communities agree with the project," he said. The building consortium in charge of Belo Monte, Norte Energy, faces a daily fine of $250,000 (£160,000) if it carries on with the work. The Brazilian authorities say they plan to invest more than $1bn (£640,000) to assist the communities who will be forced to move to make way for the dam.

Vast volcanic 'raft' found in Pacific, near New Zealand

A navy officer described the floating spectacle as the "weirdest thing" he had seen at sea Continue reading the main story

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• Rise and fall of marine volcano • Rock rafts 'life origin' floated • Thera eruption was bigger still A vast "raft" of volcanic rocks covering 10,000 sq miles (26,000 sq km) of ocean has been spotted by a New Zealand military aircraft. A naval ship was forced to change course in order to avoid the cluster of buoyant rocks, located 1,000 miles off the New Zealand coast. The unusual phenomenon was probably the result of pumice being released from an underwater volcano, experts said. One navy officer described it as the "weirdest thing" he had seen at sea. Lieutenant Tim Oscar told the AFP news agency: "As far ahead as I could observe was a raft of pumice moving up and down with the swell. "The [top of the] rock looked to be sitting two feet above the surface of the waves and lit up a brilliant white colour. It looked exactly like the edge of an ice shelf," the officer said. Researchers aboard the ship, HMNZS Canterbury, suggest that the source of the pumice was an underwater volcano (seamount) known as Monowai, located to the north of New Zealand. The pumice is likely to have been formed when lava from the seamount came into contact with seawater, and as it is less dense than water it quickly rises to the surface of the ocean.

Vicky Hards from the British Geological Survey said the raft of volcanic rocks on this scale was a "relatively unusual occurrence". "Some 50-60 volcanic eruptions are reported per year in total, and out of these only a very small proportion are submarine," she told BBC News. "Nevertheless, submarine volcanic eruptions are a relatively common phenomena, in fact many probably go unrecorded in the deep marine environment. Dr Hards added that a previous example was close to Tristan da Cunha, a small group of small volcanic islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean. "A small eruption occurred in 2004 and rafts of pumice were observed about a mile offshore, washing up on the beaches for the next weeks" she explained.

Welfare of Andaman Island Jarawas Tribal

Some objectionable video footage of Jarawas tribes were shown in the electronic media in January, 2012. According to the information received from the A&N Islands Administration, case has been filed under Section 292 IPC r.w.s 67 IT Act, 2000, 3 (I) (iii) of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and 7/8 of A&N Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956 (PAT). Four persons including 2 policemen were arrested. The two policemen were placed under suspension and departmental proceedings were started against them. The A&N Islands Administration is making every effort to ensure proper implementation of the PAT Regulation for protection and preservation of Jarawas and their reserve habitat. No separate budgetary allocation for Andaman and Nicobar Islands tribals has been made by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. As per information received from the A&N Islands Administration, funds spent for the welfare of Jarawas tribe during 2008-2009, 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 are as under:S. No. 1. 2. 3. Year 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 Amount (Rupees in lakhs) 32.64 49.03 72.17

This information was given by the Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Shri Mahadeo Singh Khandela in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

New Uranium Mines The Government proposes to acquire uranium mines in other countries with a view to ensure continuous supply of uranium to nuclear reactors in the country. A proposal to form a Joint Venture Company between Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL), two Public Sector Undertakings under the administrative control of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) to explore the possibility of acquiring uranium assets abroad has been recommended by the Atomic Energy Commission. Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), a constituent unit of DAE is engaged in activities for establishing uranium resources in the country required for the Nuclear Power Programme, through multi-disciplinary survey and exploration, which include heliborne geophysical surveys also. Important areas which are currently under survey and exploration include TummalapelleRachakuntapalle in Cuddapah District; Koppunuru in Guntur District & Chitrial in Nalgonda District of Andhra Pradesh; Rohil in Sikar District of Rajasthan; Wahkut and Umthongkut areas of west Khasi Hills of Meghalaya; Gogi in Yadgir District of Karnataka; Singridungri-Banadungri in East Singhbhum District and Bandurdih, Seraikela-Kharaswan District of Jharkhand. The above information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions and in the Prime Minister’s Office, Shri V. Narayanasamy in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

Cheapest Nuclear Reactors from India India can develop world’s cheapest nuclear reactors with an amount of US $ 1700 per unit for a 700 MW reactor when compared to an average US $ 2,500 and US $ 3,000 in the world. The completion cost of the indigenous 700 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) presently under construction is about 1700 USD/kWe. The overnight costs of South Korean reactors OPR-1000 and APR 1400 are 1876 USD/kWe and 1556 USD/kWe respectively, as per the International Energy Agency’s publication “Projected Costs of Generating Electricity” 2010 Edition. The overnight cost of Indian 700 MW PHWRs is about 1150 USD/kWe at 2008 prices. The quality of Indian nuclear power reactors is comparable to those in other countries of the world including South Korea. The above information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions and in the Prime Minister’s Office, Shri V. Narayanasamy in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

Essential Medicines Under Price Control The essential medicines are not defined in the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 1995 (DPCO, 95). However, the drugs are classified as “essential” under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 under which DPCO, 1995 is issued. Under DPCO, 95, 74 bulk drugs are listed in the First Schedule, which are termed as the scheduled drugs. As per the provisions of the DPCO, 1995, NPPA fixes or revises prices of scheduled drugs and formulations containing these scheduled drugs. The Department of Pharmaceuticals has prepared a draft National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy, 2011 (NPPP-2011) based on the criteria of essentiality and requirements as stipulated by the Ministry of Health & Family welfare. The draft National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy, 2011 was circulated among the concerned Ministries/Stakeholders. The draft policy was also available for comments of any other interested person on the Department’s website www.pharmaceuticals.gov.in till 30.11.2011. The view/inputs received on the draft NPPP, 2011 were examined and the matter was placed before the Group of Ministers (GoM) which met on 25.4.2012. Subsequent to this two meeting have been held by the GoM. This information was given by the Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers, Shri Srikant Kumar Jena in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

Cloning of Sim Cards The mobile subscribers in the country are facing threat of SIM card cloning. Licence Service Area wise details of number of cases reported so far regarding SIM cloning is S.NoLicence Service Area 1 2 3 4 5 Gujarat Delhi Karnataka Mumbai Punjab 1 18547 16 11 1738 Number of cases reported regarding SIM cloning so far

No such incidence has been reported so far indicating SIM card cloning is possible with the help of a single missed call. This was stated by Shri Milind Deora, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology in response to a written question in Lok Sabha today.

Kashmiri Pandits

There are 808 families residing in the Kashmir Valley and 59442 registered migrant families continue to reside outside the Valley of Kashmir as informed by State Government. The status of temples in Kashmir Valley as informed by the State Government, is given below: Temples existing before migration Temples intact Temples damaged Temples renovated 430 260 170 90

In order to mitigate the hardship faced by the Kashmiri Migrants, a Cash relief @ Rs. 1250/per head per month subject to maximum of Rs. 5000/- per family per month is being provided to the eligible families in Jammu and Delhi. This scale is effective from 1.7.2009. Other State/UT’s are providing reliefs to migrants in accordance with the scale fixed by them.

The return of the migrants to the Valley is voluntary and no roadmap is possible. To facilitate their return, for those willing to return to the Valley, a comprehensive Package amounting to Rs. 1618.40 crore has been announced by the Hon’ble PM in 2008, which provides for a provision of assistance for repair/renovation and damaged houses, transit accommodation, continuance of cash and rations relief, students’ scholarship, employment in Government and financial assistance for self employment, financial assistance to agriculturists and horticulturists and waiver of interest on loans. This was stated by Shri Jitendra Singh, Minister of State of Home Affairs in written reply to a question by Dr. Gyan Prakash Pilania in the Rajya Sabha today.

Thorium Reserve in the Country Exploration activities carried out by Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), a constituent unit of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), has resulted in establishing 3.74 million tones of Monazite in Andhra Pradesh which contains about 3,36,600 tonnes of thorium oxide equivalent to 2,96,000 tonnes of thorium metal. These reserves are explored and established.

Indian three stage nuclear power programme is aimed at long term energy independence including use of thorium resources in the third stage. In order to realize this goal, presently, the first stage of programme is accomplished through the nuclear reactors based on natural uranium fuel. The second stage envisages setting up of Fast Breeder Reactors. A Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor is planned at Kalpakkam. The utilization of thorium would be technically possible only in the third stage. Since the country is still in the first stage of the nuclear power programme, the requirement of Thorium by 2020 is quite modest. The above information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions and in the Prime Minister’s Office, Shri V. Narayanasamy in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

Notices under BIPA The Government of India has received notices, under the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (BIPAs), from foreign investors such as Sistema Joint Stock Financial Corporation, Vodafone International Holdings BV, Devas Employee Mauritius Pvt. Limited, Children’s investment Fund Management (U.K.) LLP etc. The notices are handled under the provisions of the applicable BIPAs, including, inter-alia, through negotiations with the foreign investors for an amicable settlement of the issues. This information was given by the Minister of State of Commerce and Industry, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

Special Tiger Protection Force
Karnataka is the first State to create the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve. Under the ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Project Tiger, 100% central assistance is provided to tiger States for raising, arming and deploying the STPF in sensitive tiger reserves. The details of central assistance provided to States and spent in this regard are: S. No. Name of the Tiger State Reserve Year Central assistance provided (Rs. in lakhs) 93.00 93.00 93.00 30.00 240.00 Amount spent by States (Rs. in lakhs) ---30.00 --

1 2 3 4

Corbett Dudhwa Ranthambhore Similipal

Uttarakhand Uttar Pradesh Rajasthan Odisha

2008-09 2008-09 2008-09 2010-11 2011-12

Based on tiger abundance and vulnerability, 13 Tiger Reserves in the country have been identified for raising, arming and deploying the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF). The details are: S. No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Name of Tiger Reserve Dudhwa Corbett Ranthambhore Pench Kanha Bandhavgarh Pakke Bandipur Pench Tadoba-Andhari Mudumalai Kaziranga Similipal State Uttar Pradesh Uttarakhand Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Karnataka Maharashtra Maharashtra Tamil Nadu Assam Odisha

However, under the ongoing Centrally Sponsored scheme of Project Tiger, central assistance is provided to all the tiger reserves, including those in Andhra Pradesh, for antipoaching measures. This, interalia, includes deployment of local people as well in protection to complement the field staff. The above information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests Shrimati Jayanthi Natarajan in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

Impact of Merger of Air India and Indian Airlines The erstwhile Air India had registered profit of Rs. 65.14 crores and Rs. 12.43 crores in 2004-05 and 2005-06 respectively. During the same period, the erstwhile Indian Airlines had also registered profit of Rs. 71.61 crore and Rs.63.00 crores. However, erstwhile Air India suffered a loss of Rs. 541.30 crore and the erstwhile Indian Airlines suffered a loss of Rs. 320.97 crore during 2006-07. The merged Air India has also suffered loss of Rs. 2226.16 crore in 2007-08, Rs. 5548.26 crore in 2008-09, Rs. 5552.44 crore in 2009-10, Rs. 6865.17 crore in 2010-11 and the estimated loss for 2011-12 is Rs. 7853 crore. Air India has completed integration of 74% processes and integration of 23% processes is in progress. The remaining 3% processes are yet to be initiated. The manpower integration is one of the important processes which is yet to be completed. This information was given by the Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Ajit Singh in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

Energy Efficiency The Union Minister of State for Power, Shri K.C.Venugopal, informed Lok Sabha today in a written reply that the Government has undertaken several initiatives to improve energy efficiency and conservation in the country. These include Energy Efficiency in Commercial Buildings; Standards & Labeling of Appliances (S&L); Bachat Lamp Yojana (BLY); Demand Side Management in Agriculture /Municipalities (AgMuDSM); Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Large Industries; Capacity Building of State Designated Agencies (SDAs); and National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE). The scheme on providing financial assistance to the SDAs for strengthening their institutional capacities and capabilities was taken up during the Eleventh Plan. The major activities for which financial support was provided included: • Annual Action Plan which includes creation of database for Energy Managers / Energy Auditors / Designated Consumers, organizing training programmes / workshops, awareness campaigns etc. • Demonstration projects on energy efficient street lighting, revamping of drinking water pumping system and energy efficiency in SME cluster. • Investment Grade Energy Audit of Government Buildings.

• Converting the existing incandescent bulbs of households and street lights of a village into LED. The above scheme was further supplemented by Contribution to State Energy Conservation Fund (SECF) Scheme, under which the following activities were undertaken:• Preparation of sector specific energy savings plan of the State.

• Preparation of Detailed Project Report on Waste Heat Recovery for identified 20 industries including SMEs & large industries in the State. • Implementation of one or two demonstration projects on Waste Heat Recovery. The Minister further said that all the schemes being implemented by Bureau of Energy Efficiency are regularly monitored by Ministry of Power (MoP) and the various Committees attached to it, namely, Management Advisory Committee and Governing Council. The schemes are also monitored through quarterly/yearly report by the MoP. The energy savings are also verified by the third party i.e. National Productivity Council. Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme has been launched recently. Under this Scheme, in the 8 industrial sectors, 478 designated consumers (DCs) have been notified on 30th March, 2012. These DCs are required to get the energy audit conducted on mandatory basis under Section 14(i) of the Energy Conservation Act which is yet to be notified.

Allocation of Gas

The Union Minister of State for Power, Shri K.C.Venugopal, informed Lok Sabha today in a written reply that the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has received a number of proposals from various State Governments including Rajasthan Government, for setting up new gas based power plants during 12th Plan (2012-17). The details of gas based power projects from State Government of Rajasthan, received in CEA for gas linkages for 12th Plan are as under:

Sl No. Name of Power Station /Agency

STATUS (Expansion/ Greenfield)

Total Capacity (MW)

Gas Requirement at 70% PLF (MMSCMD)

1 2 3 4

Chabra CCPP by RRVUNL Dholpur CCPP by RRVUNL Kota CCPP by RRVUNL Keshorai Patan CCGT by RRVUNL Total

Greenfield Expansion Greenfield Green Field

330 330 330 1000

1.23 1.23 1.23 3.73

1990

7.42

The Minister further said that due to the reduced availability of domestic gas, no allocation could be made to any new plants proposed for 12th Plan. Ministry of Power (MOP) /CEA has issued an advisory to all the developers of gas based power plants not to plan for any gas based power plants till 2015-16, as there is no certainty of availability of the same.

UM/ska

Agripreneurs and Producer Organizations

FEATURE Agriculture

Dr. K. Parameswaran*

The concept of an “Agripreneur” is slowly gaining ground in the agriculture sector in the country. The term entrepreneur is quite familiar; so is the term agriculturist. The agripreneur is one who plays the role of an entrepreneur in the field of agriculture. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural development (NABARD) is in the fore front of pioneering this concept. Its Assistant General Manager at Madurai, Sankar Narayan says that NABARD is actively working with farmers federations in Usilampatti and Chellampatti to transform agriculturists into agripreneurs. Producer Organizations NABARD has floated another concept also called Producers Organizations, as a first step towards the realization of changing farmers into agricultural entrepreneurs or agripreneurs. A producer organization comprises of a group of producers who have joined hands for the purpose of either agricultural or non agricultural activities. NABARD has specified that it should be a registered legal body. It has also been specified that only actual producers – especially farmers – should be shareholders in the organization. NABARD will extend support to the producers’ organizations by providing term loan and working capital, support to capacity building and help in the creation of marketing linkages. Support in terms of loan and grant is available to any registered producer company, cooperatives, registered farmers federations, etc. Under the Financial Intervention schemes of the Government, NABARD will also provide loans directly to the producer organizations. These loans can either be term loans or composite loans comprising of both working capital and term loan requirements. Since many of these newly formed producer organizations may not be very familiar with processes and procedures of availing loans, subsidies etc., and since many of them may lack the soft skills to become a full fledged Agripreneur, NABARD will also extend grant support for need based skill building, guide business planning and support technological extension through

classroom training, exposure visits, agricultural university tie ups, expert meetings, etc., For marketing efforts of the producer organization, NABARD will provide assistance for setting up of marketing infrastructure facilities for sale of produce. PODF An Organization Development Fund - a dedicated fund by the name ‘Producers Organization Development Fund (PODF) – has also been set up in this connection by NABARD. The main purpose of this fund is to support comprehensively the various producer organizations in different forms across the country. As Sankar Narayan explains “farmers have not only to adopt latest technological practices, but they should also have access to all the necessary resources. For instance, they should collectively source inputs, own farm implements and give out on hire to fellow farmers and even sell their produce collectively so that they command the best price. All this requires unity and mobilization for which NABARD encourages formation of farmers clubs, joint liability groups and farmers club federations – all of which can eventually take the shape of producer organizations. S.Natarajan, DGM, NABARD, Madurai said that farmers’ federations and NGOs functioning in a transparent manner should take advantage of the support available for producers’ organizations. When the entire farming community is craving for better farm income, this concept will help in empowering them and give them the crucial hold on pricing decisions. However, professional functioning will be a key factor, when the organisations are assessed for support by NABARD. With flexible interest rates and support for capacity building, this product from NABARD will be a win-win. Views from Some Producers Organizations Banana Ripening Chambers for the banana growers of Varadarajapuram, Tiruchi, Coffee growers in Dindigul, Drip Irrigation in Tirunelveli Cotton ginning in Ramanathapuram etc. are some of the examples of producers organizations that are on the way to becoming very good agripreneurs. Perumal from the OPR Federation in Tirunelveli says that “support from NABARD has helped us cover our entire village under the novel DRIP irrigation technology and thereby survive on scarce water. This support also helped us to bring in convergence in the form of subsidy support from the horticulture and other departments. Kanakama and Krishnaveni from Dindugul say confidently that the concept of agripreneurs is indeed a workable and practical one. They have pointed out that even woman’s self help groups have been able to maximize their income in a more efficient manner through the networking with various producers’ organizations.

Creation of New Department of Disability Affairs

A new Department of Disability Affairs has been set up vide Cabinet Secretariat’s notification dated 12.05.2012. The Department has been allocated twenty five (25) subjects.

SUBJECTS ALLOTTED TO DEPARTMENT OF DISABILITY AFFAIRS

The following subjects which fall within List I – Union List of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution:

1. Indo-US, indo-UK, Indo-German, Indo-Swiss and Indo-Swedish Agreements for Dutyfree import of donated relief goods/supplies and matters connected with the distribution of such supplies. The following subjects which fall within List-III – Concurrent List of the Seventh schedule to the Constitution (as regards legislation only): 2. Social Security and Social Insurance, save to the extent allotted to any other Department 3. For the Union Territories, till the following subjects which fall in List II- State List or List III – Concurrent List of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution, in so far as they exist in regard to such territories: Relief of the Disabled and the unemployable; Social Security and Social Insurance, save to the extent allotted to any other Department. 4. To act as the nodal Department for matters pertaining to Disability and Persons with Disabilities: Note: The Department of Disability Affairs shall be the nodal Department for the overall policy, planning and coordination of programmes for Persons with Disabilities. However, overall management and monitoring etc. of the sectoral programmes in respect of this group shall be the responsibility of the concerned Central Ministries, State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. Each Central Ministry or Department shall discharge nodal responsibility concerning its sector. 5. Special schemes aimed at rehabilitation and social educational and economic empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, e.g. supply of aids and appliances, scholarships, residential schools, skill training, concessional loans and subsidy for self-employment etc. 6. Education and Training of Rehabilitation Professionals 7. International Conventions and Agreements on matters dealt with in the Department. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 8. Awareness generation, research, evaluation and training in regard to subjects allocated to the Department. 9. Charitable and Religious Endowments, and promotion and development of Voluntary

Effort pertaining to subjects allocated to the Department. 10. The Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992 (34 of 1992) 11. The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation ) Act, 1995 (1 of 1996) 12. The National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999 (44 of 1999) 13. The Rehabilitation Council of India. 14. The Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities. 15. The National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities. 1. The National Handicapped and Finance Development Corporation. 2. Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation, Kanpur. 3. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Institute for Physically Handicapped, New Delhi. 4. National Institute for the Orthopaedically Handicapped, Kolkata. 5. National Institute of Visually Handicapped, Dehradun. 6. National Institute of Mentally Handicapped, Secundrabad. 7. Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped, Mumbai. 8. National Institute of Rehabilitation, Training and Research, Cuttack. 9. National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities, Chennai. 10. The Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre, New Delhi. A total budget of Rs.548.10 crore (Rs. 500 crore under Plan Head and Rs.48.10 crore under non-Plan Head) has been provided for the schemes related to disability under the budget of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, for the financial year 2012-13. According to Census 2001, there were 2.19 Crore persons with disabilities in the country which constitutes 2.13 percent of the total population

Creation of a new Department would ensure greater focus on policy matters to effectively address disability issues. Having a separate budget would help in strengthening existing schemes, formulation of new schemes as also promotion of technological innovation in the sector. It would further boost greater coordination among stakeholders, organizations, state governments and related central ministries.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri D. Napoleon in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

Operation of Chandrayaan II Government has approved Chandrayaan-II Project in September 2008. Chandrayaan –II is envisaged as a Indo-Russian joint project consisting of (i) an unmanned Orbiter with scientific instruments to orbit the Moon; (ii) Lander module to be supplied by Russia and a Rover module by India for in-situ scientific exploration of the Moon. The work on Chandrayaan-II is in progress. Chandrayaan-II does not envisage manned lunar expedition. There is no immediate plan for manned mission to Moon.

The above information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions and in the Prime Minister’s Office, Shri V. Narayanasamy to the Parliament.

Recommendations of Arjun Sengupta Committee Report The Government had constituted an Ad-Hoc Group of Experts (AGE) in November, 2004 to consider issues like autonomy, greater delegation of financial powers, corporate governance, Research & Development, technology upgradation, effective functioning in a competitive environment, etc. related to Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs). The Ad-Hoc Group of Experts submitted their report in April, 2005 containing recommendations on broad issues relating of Ownership, Power of CPSEs, Audit of Government Companies, Article 12 of the Constitution of India, Parliamentary Accountability and Vigilance Management in Public Sector Enterprises. The recommendations of AGE relating to enhancing the powers delegated to Navratna, Miniratna and other profit making CPSEs were initially considered and the proposals for enhancing the powers delegated to Navratna, Miniratna and other profit making CPSEs were approved by the Cabinet and orders in this regard were issued on 5 August, 2005. The remaining recommendations which had far reaching implications were considered later and the Cabinet in their meeting held in June, 2006 decided that the matter may, in the first instance, be considered by a Group of Ministers (GoM). The recommendations of AGE were considered by a Group of Ministers, headed by Shri Pranab Mukherjee, the then External Affairs Minister, in their 2 meetings held on 29 November, 2006 and 23 February, 2007 respectively. Based on the recommendations of GoM, the Cabinet Note was formulated which was considered by the Cabinet in their meeting held on 26 April, 2007 and was approved and the orders in this regard were issued in May, 2007. The Government accepted the following recommendations made by AGE.

(i) Empowering the holding companies to transfer assets, floating of fresh equity and divestment of shareholding in subsidiaries subject to certain conditions. (ii) Budgetary support to implement Government sponsored projects of national interest and Government sponsored Research & Development projects should not disqualify CPSEs from retaining Navratna/Miniratna status subject to conditions. (iii) Chief Executive of the CPSE would be a member of the Search Committee for selecting Independent Directors for the concerned CPSE Board of Directors. (iv) Foreign travel of Board level executives in CPSEs within guidelines to be laid down by the respective Boards. (v) Setting up of Internal Committees in CPSEs to examine disciplinary cases before deciding to initiate departmental proceedings; and as in the banking sector, setting up of an Advisory Board to consider CPSE related cases, and (vi) Enhancement of powers delegated to Navratna, Miniratna and other profit making CPSEs. The Government did not accept the recommendations of AGE relating to (i) Board of Directors raising equity from market without the approval of the Government, (ii) Setting up of six Supervisory Bodies and related recommendations, (iii) Role of Government Director, (iv) Issuance of Presidential

Directives, (v) Reviewing the functioning of the company for not more than twice a year, (vi) Negative list of areas, (vii) Powers to approve capital expenditure without the requirement of seeking Public Investment Board/Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approvals, (viii) Performance appraisal of Independent Directors and Government Directors, (ix) Revisit of Article 12 of the Constitution, (x) Appointment of Chief Executives and Functional Directors on the Board of CPSEs till the age of superannuation and (xi) Appointment to Board level posts in joint ventures/subsidiaries. The Government has also decided that the recommendation regarding approval of Parliament for reduction of Government shareholdings to below 51% in Navratna, Miniratna and other profit making CPSEs will be considered later after final outcome of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited/Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited case in the Supreme Court is available. As regards the recommendation that the Ministries should develop CPSE-specific criteria to determine overall performance independent of profitability, it has been decided that the existing performance evaluation parameters will be allowed to operate for 3 years and reviewed after a period of 3 years. The recommendations regarding subsequent investment in successful and profitable JVs and JVs set up by Navratnas without any limit and removal of all restrictions on investment decisions within a period of 3 years would be considered after 3 years. As regards the recommendation of AGE for further modification (including quantum of performance linked payments) in system of performance related payments to Board level and below Board level executives, the Government has issued the guidelines for performance linked payments and incentives and also for constitution of Remuneration Committee as part of the revision of pay scales of CPSE executives. No action was required to be taken on the recommendation of AGE regarding audit of Government companies as the C&AG was taking steps to address the concerns of CPSEs within the limits of its overall constitutional obligations to the Parliament. As regards the recommendation relating to Parliamentary accountability of CPSEs, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has been requested to take up the issue with the Rajya Sabha Secretariat and Lok Sabha Secretariat. The above information was given by the Minister for Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises Shri Praful Patel to the Parliament.

Grid Disturbances on 30th and 31st july, 2012 due to Multiple Factors The Minister of State, Shri K.C. Venugopal, in a written reply informed the Rajya Sabha today that the Enquiry Committee constituted to enquire into the grid disturbances has come to the conclusion that no single factor was responsible for the grid disturbances on 30th and 31st July, 2012. The Committee has concluded that the disturbances were caused by a combination of factors, inter-alia, weak interregional corridors due to multiple outages, high loading on 400 kV Bina-Gwalior-Agra link, inadequate response by State Load Despatch Centres (SLDCs) to the instructions of Regional Load Despatch Centres (RLDCs) to reduce overdraw, loss of 400 kV Bina-Gwalior link. On 31st July, 2012, apart from the aforementioned reasons, the system was weakened by outages of transmission lines in the Eastern Region network near Eastern – Western Region interface. The minister further informed that irrespective of the recent grid collapse, Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has been initiating action under Sections 142 and 143 of the Electricity Act, 2003, against the States for violating the grid discipline by overdrawing more power and not adhering to the drawal of power as per their schedule.

Action Taken by the Government to Check Poaching Activities in the Country (i) Hunting and commercial exploitation of wild animals included in various schedules of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 is prohibited. Offences committed in respect of these species attract punishment prescribed under the Act. (ii) The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, has been amended and made more stringent. The punishments for offences have been enhanced. The Act also provides for forfeiture of any equipment, vehicle or weapon that is used for committing wildlife offence(s). (iii) Protected Areas, viz., National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves covering important wildlife habitats have been created all over the country under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to conserve wild animals and their habitats. (iv) Financial and technical assistance is provided to the State/ Union Territory Governments under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes of ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats', ‘Project Tiger’ and ‘Project Elephant’ for providing better protection to wildlife and improvement of its habitat. (v) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been empowered under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to apprehend and prosecute wildlife offenders. (vi) The State/Union Territory Governments have been requested to strengthen the field formations and intensify patrolling in and around the Protected Areas. (vii) The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has been set up to strengthen the enforcement of law for control of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife and its products. (viii) National Tiger Conservation Authority has been constituted with effect from 4.09.2006, for strengthening tiger conservation by, inter alia, ensuring normative standards in tiger reserve management, preparation of reserve specific tiger conservation plan, laying down annual audit report before Parliament, constituting State level Steering Committees under the Chairmanship of Chief Ministers and establishment of Tiger Conservation Foundation. (ix) India has a bilateral understanding with Nepal on controlling trans-boundary illegal trade in wildlife and conservation, apart from a protocol on tiger conservation with China. A protocol has also been signed in September, 2011 with Bangladesh for conservation of the Royal Bengal Tiger of the Sunderbans. (x) A sub-group on tiger/leopard conservation has been constituted for cooperation with the Russian Federation. (xi) A Global Tiger Forum of Tiger Range Countries has been created for addressing international issues related to tiger conservation. The above information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests, Shrimati Jayanthi Natarajan to the Parliament today.

Four Ultra Mega Power Projects at Different Stages of Development The Minister of State for Power, Shri K.C. Venugopal, informed Lok Sabha in a written reply that so far, four Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPP) namely Sasan in Madhya Pradesh, Mundra in Gujarat, Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Tilaiya in Jharkhand have been awarded to the successful bidders and are at different stages of development. Presently, there is no proposal for setting up of an Ultra Mega Power Project in the state of Haryana. Two units of 800 MW each of Mundra UMPP have been commissioned. The remaining units of Mundra and other awarded UMPPs are expected in 12th Plan (except the last unit of Tilaiya UMPP, which is likely to come in the 13th Plan) as per schedule in the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). The Joint Monitoring Committees (JMCs) consisting of the members of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and Procurers have been set up for regular monitoring of these projects. Under the UMPP initiative launched by the Ministry of Power, no financial allocation has been envisaged from the Government. The projects are given to the bidder with the lowest levellized tariff. Further, the responsibility for achieving financial closure and tying up of funds for meeting the requirement of the project rests with the identified developers, the minister said

Gulab Sagar Irrigation to be Completed by 2013-14 The Planning Commission has agreed to grant extension of time for completion of Mahan (GulabSagar) Irrigation project (Revised Major) of Madhya Pradesh. The Government of Madhya Pradesh has requested for extension of one year time period without any increase in the cost of the project for which investment clearance was accorded. The Scheme may be executed as per the approved outlays in the State Plan and should be completed by 2013-14 i.e. by 31st year March 2014. The State finance department would restrict the expenditure to the approved cost and no addition expenditure beyond the approved cost may be permitted unless the revised estimate is got approved following the prescribed procedure.