The Hindu - News 8 Feb 2015

Support growing for Kasturirangan report

‘People misled by vested interests exploiting natural resources in excess’

The Pashchima Ghatta Samrakshana Horata Samithi and Jana Sangrama Parishad on Saturday termed the opposition to the implementation of the Kasturirangan Committee Report on Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) as efforts by vested interests to continue looting natural resources from the Western Ghat region.

K.V. Nagesh Angirasa of the samithi said that the implementation of the report would in no way affect the routine course of life, including agricultural and
plantation activities, of the people in the region.

He told presspersons here on Saturday that those looting the natural resources were making concerted efforts to misguide the residents by terming the Kasturirangan report a “demon”.

No restriction

The March 10, 2014 Union government gazette notifying the report does not restrain agricultural or plantation activities in the region. Even the December 20, 2013 memorandum by the Union government clarifies that day-to-day activities or residents would not be affected, he said and added that no one had come out with the actual contents of the report. With its silence in the matter, the State government too was indirectly aiding those opposing the report, Mr. Angirasa alleged.

The anti-Kasturirangan report movement was aimed at offering on a silver platter the rich natural resources of the Western Ghats to those exploiting the natural resources in excess. The gram sabhas were the real owners of the resources, and people, instead of the mafia of timber, sand and land, should decide about the better utilisation of the resources, he said.

He pointed out that the report restrains starting of mega industries in the ecologically sensitive areas, which people had already been opposing.

The report has prohibited activities such as mining, stone quarrying, sand mining, thermal power station and red-zone industries that cause maximum pollution in the region. Also prohibited are buildings with more than 20,000 sq m floor area and residential layouts on land beyond 50 hectares.

Mr. Angirasa said that people in the region had constantly been opposing such activities and they should naturally welcome the report as it also protects their rights.

Position India in a leading role globally, Modi tells envoys

Indian Ambassadors and High Commissioners posted worldwide will be expected to redouble efforts to draw investments to promote the government’s key initiatives including “Make in India”, “Digital India” and infrastructure development.

Addressing more than 110 heads of missions from around the world at their annual conference, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told them to “use the current global environment to position India in a leading role” and to “adapt to global changes”.

Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj said it was the issues that the Prime Minister has shown a special interest in that served as the focus for the conference, with the theme ‘Diplomacy with Development’. These included the development agenda of the government as well as helping Indians worldwide on consular issues, preparing for the international Yoga Day in June this year, ‘Swachch Bharat’ and the clean Ganga initiatives. The HoMs had been instructed to understand the new policies and identify areas of opportunity in the countries they were posted. She told the Ambassadors to step up efforts to speak to their host governments, as well as local businessmen for investment to facilitate the initiatives. Ms. Swaraj assured the Ambassadors that if Indian laws or bilateral agreements needed to be amended to push ahead with these intiatives, then the government would work on those.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Modi called the Ambassadors “vibrant representatives” of a glorious heritage. He laid emphasis on the fight against climate change, saying India “must lead that fight”.

In the past month, both U.S. President Barack Obama and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius have visited Delhi with enlisting India’s support for the global climate change conference in Paris in November 2015. While India has not yet committed to the protocol, it is in negotiations with several countries, including the BRICS grouping, and Mr. Modi emphasised to the Ambassadors that “a love for nature, or prakriti-prem is part of Indian culture”, something he had addressed in his media conference with President Obama as well.

Speaking broadly about the threat of terror, Mr. Modi said: “India has a great responsibility to help the world counter new threats to global peace”. Heads of Missions have been discussing the issues including the push from many countries for India to join the “global coalition” against ISIS.

Before his address, his first at the Ministry of External Affair’s headquarters in the Jawahar Lal Nehru Bhawan, the Prime Minister dedicated a memorial sculpture for “government officers and personnel who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty while serving abroad”.

Need to make defence products locally: Parrikar

Unfortunately there are bottlenecks in developing capacities, he says

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday called for meeting the essential defence requirements through indigenous production. It was in the interest of the country that ‘critical things’ were produced in India and even exported. “We can export to many countries technologies which may not be latest but adequately hi-tech. Our expertise in rocket science has already generated interest in other countries,” he said.

Inaugurating a seminar on “Self-reliance in defence manufacturing” here, Mr. Parrikar said unfortunately there were bottlenecks in developing capacities. These were not for want of policy or understanding. In the past 10 years, the system had tied itself in knots leading to a web of procedural bottlenecks. “I am trying to undo the knots. It may take a few months as we need to follow procedures despite our impatience,” he said.

DRDO experts, industrialists, serving and retired defence officers are attending the two-day national seminar being organised by the Forum for Integrated National Security (FINS), a non-governmental organisation.

Referring to the blanket ban on Tatra, Mr. Parrikar said 7,000 trucks manufactured by the company were being used by the Army. But 10 per cent of them were not in working condition for want of spares. What was more important — blacklisting a firm which committed a crime or country’s interests? “While punishing a wrong-doer is necessary, defence interest of the country should take precedence,” he said.

Mr. Parrikar spoke of an imaginary situation where cutting down options by indiscriminate blacklisting might put the country in a spot. Depending on other countries for supply of armaments meant letting our security remain in some other country’s hands. Therefore, it was paramount that India manufactured critical things locally and even exported them.

Despite high maternal mortality, India records drop in fertility

India, which is unlikely to achieve the fifth Millennium Development Goals (MDG-5) of reducing maternal mortality to 109 per 1,00,000 live births by 2015, is however, confident of meeting the target for lowering the total fertility rate (TFR) by the end of the 12th Plan.

A reduction in the TFR rates in nine of the 11 high-focus States has given Health Ministry officials reason to believe that the family planning programmes are on the right track and that the unmet need for contraception is also declining.

Maternal mortality

“The goal for maternal mortality rate may or may not be achieved by December 31, 2015, even though India has shown a reasonable decline in the numbers, but as far as TFR goes, we are on track to achieve the targets set for the 12th Five Year Plan which ends in 2017,” a senior official of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry said.

India hopes to bring down the TFR to 2.1 by the end of 2017 with nine of the 11 high-focus States registering a decline of 0.05 per cent. As per the data collected by the Ministry, 24 States and Union Territories have already achieved the replacement fertility level of 2.1 or less.

Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Mizoram and Punjab already have a TFR of less than 2.0; only Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have a higher TFR of 3.1 and 3.3 respectively.

“It will take about four years for the TFR to go down to 2.1, which is already around 2.3, there is a momentum towards reduction and we are hopeful of meeting the targets. There has been a 0.2 per cent reduction in TFR in the high-focus State of Uttar Pradesh alone, which is very encouraging,” the official said.

The Ministry is also focussing on meeting the unmet contraception needs; unmet contraception in India is about 21.3 per cent as per the District Level Household and Facility Survey- 3(DLHS 3).

India has committed to spend $2 billion to provide family planning services to 48 million additional women and sustain the current coverage of over 100 million users till 2020.

“While we are concerned about reducing the TFR, there is more stress on fixing the gaps in contraception — there are States like Bihar that have an unmet contraception need of 33.5 per cent, Meghalaya has 32.7 per cent and Nagaland 33.8 per cent. We need to expand the bouquet of choice there and allow women more control over the reproductive rights. In the long run, this helps bring down MMR and infant mortality rates as well,” the official said.

Family planning programmes on the right track, feels Health Ministry

Onus now on Centre to help AP: Naidu

Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday said it was the responsibility of the Centre to come to the rescue of Andhra Pradesh, as the ill-planned bifurcation had left it without a capital and empty coffers.

Mr. Naidu is believed to have told the weekly meeting of senior party leaders, Ministers and MLAs that he would impress upon the Centre during his visit to Delhi on Sunday to be liberal in granting funds to the State, as it was meted out injustice on every front.

The State had 52 per cent of then united AP, but it was allotted only 47 per cent of the income, he said.

The UPA government went about the entire bifurcation process in a haphazard and hurried manner, leaving the residual AP in misery, he said and recalled that what he had predicted before bifurcation had now come true.

The CM added he was hopeful that the NDA government would honour all promises made by its predecessor and implement the provisions of the AP State Reorganisation Act.

On the proposed power tariff hike, he said no final decision had been taken. The proposals were made by power distribution companies to the AP Electricity Regulatory Commission, and the government is studying them.

But, he asked Ministers, MLAs and party leaders to convey to the people how the government had ensured 24-hour power supply to the domestic sector, even if it meant purchasing power from other States despite the difficult financial situation. Within eight months of assuming power, the TDP government has revived the sector, which was totally neglected by the previous Congress government.

The CM said he had instructed the Energy Department to ensure that transmission and distribution losses were brought down from 13 per cent to 7 per cent. It is important, as one per cent saving would mean a saving of Rs. 250 crore, he added.

LCA Navy fighter version makes debut flight

LCA-NP2, the fighter version of the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas being made for the Navy, flew for the first time on Saturday.

The second naval LCA aircraft prototype took off from the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. runway at 12.27 p.m. and flew for about 35 minutes, said HAL, the production partner in the indigenous fighter plane programme.

The flight of NP-2, customised from the version meant for the Air Force, signifies a step in readying the first fighter for the Navy, according to P.S. Subramanyam, Programme Director of developer Aeronautical Development Agency. NP-1 is a trainer.

NP-2 is planned to go into crucial carrier capability or ship-based tests, likely in Goa in June, he toldThe Hindu .

The strength of NP-2’s airframe structure would be tested and the plane kitted out with radar and weapons.

Carrier compatibility technology involves short take-off from and landing on warships.

Goa facility

The unique ‘arrested landing and ski-jump take-offs’ will be initially from ADA’s Shore-Based Test Facility in Goa.

Navy test pilot Captain Shivnath Dahiya of the National Flight Test Centre flew the NP-2. Gp. Capt. Suneet Krishna (retd.) gave chase aircraft cover in a Tejas IAF version.

Officials of HAL, Aeronautical Development Agency which is developing the LCA Tejas for the Air Force and the Navy, safety certifying agency CEMILAC and other DRDO officials watched the flight.

HAL Chairman T. Suvarna Raju said NP-2’s new and complex landing gear was designed by engineers of HAL’s Aircraft Research and Design Centre.

‘Impact investment will make a difference’

Homelessness, lack of sanitation, unemployment and poverty are common problems across the country. While there are a number of people willing to give money for a good cause, not all are interested in impact investing.

Impact investing, or investing in projects that provide a return while also targeting specific social and environmental causes is the need of the hour, Peggy Dulany, founder, Synergos Institute, said in an interview to The Hinduduring her recent trip to Chennai. Synergos Institute is a global non-profit organisation that has been working to solve problems of poverty and inequality through collaborations.

With proper impact investment, it is possible to leverage a large chunk of money from private capital, and encourage more people to take up social initiatives. “To improve impact investment, it is important that both investors and the NGOs are educated on the process,” Ms. Dulany said.

“Untila decade ago, most social ventures were funded by charity from wealthy families. Now, the scenario is changing, and with many people looking to invest their money for returns, socially viable projects are a good place for them to invest,” she said.

Currently, much of the money being used for social projects comes either from grants, with no return on investment, or from microfinance funding. “India has several problems: from women’s rights to water and environmental issues. Impact investment will make a difference,” she said, adding that there is a huge gap in the market between the regular venture capital market and the microfinance market where people find it difficult to find money for their projects.

Synergos has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Dasra, a Mumbai-based foundation that is working with philanthropists and social entrepreneurs to facilitate social change.

Ukraine: Merkel leads push for peace

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday championed last chance efforts to end the Ukraine conflict while warning success was far from certain as Kiev said rebels were massing for a new offensive.

As fresh fighting in eastern Ukraine saw five civilians and five government soldiers reported killed in 24 hours Ms. Merkel insisted that sending more weapons would not resolve the conflict.

“I can’t conceive of a situation where better armaments for the Ukrainian army would so impress President Putin that he believes he will militarily lose,” Ms. Merkel told the Munich Security Conference.

The German leader came to Munich from overnight Moscow talks she and French President Francois Hollande held with Russian President Vladimir Putin to thrash out new peace proposals.

Mr. Hollande for his part said the stakes could not be higher and the new peace plan was “one of the last chances” to halt the 10-month-old conflict.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he believed the new proposals could help end the conflict, all the while charging the United States and the European Union with having escalated the conflict at every turn. — AFP

YouTube blocked ‘indefinitely’ in Pak.

YouTube will remain blocked in Pakistan ‘indefinitely’, an official said on Saturday, as experts have failed to find a way to filter content deemed offensive and blasphemous in the Muslim majority country.

The video-sharing website has been blocked in Pakistan since September 2012 over its hosting of the “Innocence of Muslims” movie that sparked furious protests around the world.

The Supreme Court ruled at the time that the site should be banned until a way was found to block all so-called blasphemous content.

Centre adopts new criteria for capital infusion into banksTo inject a total of Rs. 6,990 cr. into nine PSBs

The Centre has selected nine public sector banks (PSBs) for infusing Rs.6,990 crore out of current year’s Budget. Based on a new criteria that rewards only efficient banks with extra equity capital. State Bank of India is to get Rs.2,970 crore and Bank of Baroda Rs.1,260 crore, according to an official release.
Punjab National Bank will receive Rs.870 crore and Canara Bank Rs.570 crore.

Two parametersThe efficiency parameters is based on the weighted average of return on assets (ROA) for all PSBs for last three years. Banks above the average have been selected for the equity infusion, the release explained. The second parameter used for selecting the banks for capital infusion is return on equity (ROE) for the last financial year.Banks with above average ROE have been rewarded, the release further said.
The Government of India was conscious of the fact that a lot of reforms were required in the PSBs, the statement said adding that for the last few years the Centre was infusing capital into those banks that were suffering equity erosion.
Therefore, this year, the Government had adopted the new criteria in which the banks which were more efficient would only be rewarded with extra capital for their equity so that they could further strengthen their position, the release said.