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Objective
With the changing pattern of IAS and preparation methodology,
now the aspirant is facing the issue of information overload. The
proper articulation of information is important for penning down
ones thoughts in the Mains answer.
Thus GSSCORE is coming up with CURRENT ANALYST a
magazine that provides material on contemporary issues with
complete analysis.
The material has been designed in lucid and QnA format so
that an aspirant can develop thinking process from Basic to
Advance while reading the topic.
This will enhance the informative and analytical knowledge
of aspirants.
Current
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August (16 to 31), 2016 Current ANALYST
Current ANALYST
Contents
COVER STORY
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August (16 to 31), 2016 Current ANALYST
COVER STORY
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Current ANALYST August (16 to 31), 2016
an intensively heightened sex drive often lead to center for games. They admit boys and girls for
high risk taking and sexual experimentation. Despite necessary training to become future athletes,
the resulting need for information on sex and sexual gymnasts and sportsman.
and reproductive health, youth, particularly unmarried Sports in Society
youth, face many social barriers to obtaining accurate
and complete information on these subjects. As a Sports occur in a given cultural environment and
result, much preventable reproductive health related are socially structured. Human individual is a social
problems, including unwanted teenage pregnancies being and he evolves in a society. An individual
and sexually transmitted diseases (STD), persist. perform any physical activity or sports within the
society only.
Malnourished youth unlikely to contribute to
Following are some importance of physical
their full potential to the economic growth of the
education and sports in society:
nation, but their malnourishment can also threaten
the health of the next generation. Another issue of Sports Ethics: Sports develop social values
grave concern among youth is substance abuse. Drug in individuals, which directly or indirectly
use, smoking and irresponsible alcohol consumption enhances social ethics in an athlete. In the
is common problems associated with youth. field of sports, ethics (fair play, respect, etc.)
Substance abuse has many negative effects on the is highly required.
health of youth as well as on their educational Role Play: The process of physical education
attainment and productivity. teaches us Role play as an important aspect.
Sports and games have always been seen as Realization and understanding the
an integral component in the all-round development responsibilities by an individual makes the
of the human personality. Apart from being a means society healthy and more progressive.
of entertainment and physical fitness, sports have Cooperation and Competition: Cooperation
also played a great role in generation of the spirit of and competition are two important
healthy competition and bonding within the characteristics of sports. Social interaction
community. The achievements in sports at the gives importance to both aspects and in sports
international level have always been a source of both exist together. Sports teach us that
national pride and prestige. cooperation is as important as competition.
With modern sports being highly competitive, Self-Discipline: Field of sports make the
the use of modern infrastructure, equipment and individual more disciplined and determined. This
advanced scientific support has changed the scenario trait makes the individual an asset to society.
at the national and international level. Team Work & Group Dynamics: To work
Keeping in line with the growing demands for in same team or group and putting all effort
advanced infrastructure, equipment and scientific collectively to gain good performance as a
support, Government of India has taken several team/or group require group dynamics.
initiatives and is providing the necessary assistance
to sportspersons by way of training and exposure in What is the status of Sports in India?
international competitions backed up with scientific History of sports in India
and equipment support.
In India,sports is defined as one of the ways to
Why do we need sports? full realisation. In the day and age of theRig-
Veda, Ramayana andMahabharata,men of
Sports in personal life: stature were expected to be competent in chariot-
The chief object of sports is, of course, bodily racing, archery, horsemanship, military tactics,
exercise. It is a famous quote, A sound body has wrestling, weight-lifting, swimming and hunting.
a sound mind. The health of the body is essential The Guru-Shishya (teacher-pupil) relationship has
for success in life. To keep healthy, one must always been an integral part of Indian sport from
take an active interest in sports and games. time immemorial. The present scenario of coaches
Sports are no less important than foodgrains, fresh is also a part of traditional sports. The gurus
water and knowledge. The countries like England, would take their shishyas under their mentorship
Germany, France, USA, China and Japan etc. have and introduce them to sports and military tactics.
made games as an essential part of education at The weapons of war, for instance, the javelin
school level. It is interesting to note that in some (toran) and the discus (chakra), were frequently
countries there are many nurseries and training used in sports.
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August (16 to 31), 2016 Current ANALYST
It is more than likely that many of today's Olympic women Kunjarani Devi and Karnam Malleswari
disciplines are sophisticated versions of the games are currently rated among the world's best. Gopi
of strength and speed that flourished in ancient Chand and Aparna Popat in badminton, Jaspal
India. Chess, wrestling, polo, archery and hockey Rana and Mansher Singh in shooting, Chetan P.
(possibly a fall-out from polo) are some of the Baboor in table tennis, Narain Karthikeyan in
games believed to have originated in India. motor racing, Jeev Milkha Singh in golf, Baichung
Yoga was an integral part of ancient Indian culture. Bhutia in football, Dhanraj Pillay in hockey and
Yoga was practiced by almost every school of A.Maria Irudayam in carrom are some of the other
thought to achieve spiritual and mental peace. contemporary Indians who have created waves
The people forgot it but now people have once with their exceptional skills to make their
again realized the importance of yoga. presence felt at the international level. All these
sportspersons and many others brought prestige
Chess originated in ancient India and was known
as Chatur- anga meaning four limbs. It and splendour to the Indian sports.
represents four-fold division on the ancient Indian From the legendary era of Major Dhyanchand of
army infantry, war elephants, cavalry and his winning the 3 Olympics gold medals in the Indias
chariots. Chaturanga is the direct ancestor of national sports i.e. in Hockey consecutively from
shatranj, which was played by the Pandavas and the 1928-1932-1936, to the Abhinav Bindras first
the Kauravas. individual gold medal of sport in 2008 Olympics
shooting and this years one silver medal in
Ancient India claims to have been the origin of
Badminton and one bronze medal in wrestling
judo and karate. Keralas martial art form
proven the Indian sport caliber in the most
Kalaripayattu is similar to karate. Those who
prestigious form of the sport i. e. Olympics.
practice it have to develop acrobatic capabilities,
when using swords or knives to attack their
adversaries, and even an unarmed exponent who Awards to coaches and sportspersons
can be a force to reckon with. RAJIV GANDHI KHEL RATNA
Achievements Pre-Independence AWARD:
With hardly any infrastructure, promotional efforts, Instituted in 1991-92 consists of medallion
training or coaching facilities, sports in the pre- and a cash award Rs. 7.5 lakh given to
Independence era were mere fledglings. the most spectacular and outstanding sport
The success at the international level was limited Persons.
only to hockey in the form of three precious
ARJUNA AWARD:
Olympic gold medals and to some extent polo.
Some of the rulers of the erstwhile princely states Instituted in 1961, given to players who
were keen followers of polo and cricket and have exhibited good performance
alongside them also patronised professional consistently for the previous three years
wrestlers. Another striking feature of India's at the international level and have shown
sporting scenario is that a large number of sports qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and
are played in the country ranging from as different sense of discipline.
games as cricket to carrom, polo to billiards,
hockey to chess besides traditional indigenous DRONACHARYA AWARD:
games like kho-kho and kabaddi. Only a few Instituted in 1985, it honors eminent
countries can boast of such a sporting diversity. coaches who have assisted national
Achievement Post-Independence athletes and team in achieving outstanding
results at international competitions.
One notable feature of the Indian sports culture
is that, their organised and systematic RASHTRIYA KHEL PROTSAHAN
development took place only during the post- PURUSKAR:
Independence period.
For community sports development,
India's sportspersons have generally performed Promotion of sports academies of
well only at the Asian and Commonwealth levels excellence, support to elite sportspersons
and in quite a few cases at the world level as and employment to Sportspersons. It
well. India's sporting icons such as chess wizard recognizes the contribution made to sports
Viswanathan Anand, cricket legend Sachin development by entities other than
Tendulkar, billiards maestro Geet Sethi, tennis duo sportspersons and coaches.
Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi and iron
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Current ANALYST August (16 to 31), 2016
Institutional Framework:
PADMA AWARDS AND BHARAT Ministry of Youth Af fairs and Sports-
RATNA: (MYAS) is responsible - to determine the
Many Indian players are honorned and eligibility conditions for recognition of National
awarded with the Padmabhushan, Sports Foundations (NSFs), to determine scale
and Padmashree. of assistance to NSFs and to lay down
conditionalties which NSFs will have to fulfill if
they wish to avail themselves of Government
Constitutional, Legal, Policy and Institutional support.
Framework National Sports Federations NSFs are fully
Sports development is a national priority, as it responsible and accountable for the overall
promotes active lifestyle, child and youth management, direction, control, regulation,
development, social inclusiveness, employment promotion, development and sponsorship of the
opportunities, peace and development, and above discipline for which they are recognized by the
all a sense of belongingness and national pride. The concerned International Federation. They are
Constitutional, Legal, Policy and Institutional expected to discharge these responsibilities in
provisions related to sports are: consonance with the principles laid down in the
Olympic Charter or in the charter of the Indian
Constitutional Framework: According to the Olympic Association.
Constitution of India, sport is a state subject. The Sports Authority of India provides the
state governments in India allocate funds for necessary support to NSF for the identification,
developing sports and sports infrastructure as per training and coaching of sportspersons,
their priority list. While being state subject, sports including provision of infrastructure, equipment
development comes within the purview of the and such other assistance. Further SAI will also
States up to the state level, at the national and be responsible to release funds to NSFs
international level, (including meeting international against proposals approved by the
treaty obligations), it falls within the realm and Government. Release of funds to IOA shall,
remit of the Union Government under its residuary however continue to be made by the Ministry.
powers and within the ambit of Entries 10 and National Olympic Committee (NOC), i.e.,
13 of the Union List in the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is the body
the Constitution of India. responsible for selecting athletes to represent
Legal Framework: Globally, countries across the India at the Olympic Games, Asian Games and
world have enacted laws or enunciated guidelines other international athletic meets and for
for the regulation of sports in public interest and in managing the Indian teams at the events. It
national interest. The need to regulate sports arises also acts as the Indian Commonwealth Games
out of several considerations such as the need to Association, responsible for selecting athletes
prevent racism in sports, eradicate doping in to represent India at the Commonwealth
Games.
sports, prevent age fraud in sports, protect
athletes rights, prevent child abuse and sexual National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) is
harassment in sports, protect gender equality in responsible for promoting, and monitoring the
sports, prevent betting and gambling in sports, ban doping control programme in sports in the
dangerous sports, promote professional country- this is compliant with the Anti Doping
Code of World Anti Doping Agency (WADA).
management and managerial and financial
accountability in sports, address anti-trust and Initiatives taken by government
competition policy issues related to sports, regulate
sports broadcasting rights, regulate the price and Creation of Regional Sports Federation and
their recognition, categorization of sports
entry to sports events, etc.
disciplines to make them eligible for assistance
Policy Framework: Government of India has based on their performance, categorization of
been, from time to time, took various steps and sports disciplines and recognition of yoga as a
initiatives to promote good governance practices sport discipline.
in the management of sports at the national level Special Area Games aims at scouting natural
in pursuance of successive National Sports talent for modern competitive sports and games
Policies. from inaccessible tribal, cash award rural and
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August (16 to 31), 2016 Current ANALYST
coastal areas of the country and nurturing them Integration of sports in educational curriculum in
scientifically for achieving excellence in sports. schools, colleges and universities, Welfare
Centers of Excellence government runs measures for sportspersons; issues and matters
schemes to identify and train outstanding specifically referred to the Council by the Ministry
sportspersons who are medal prospects for the of Youth Affairs & Sports.
country in international competitions. Khelo India
Laksmibai National University of Physical Khelo India Scheme has three components viz.,
Education is a nodal institute provides the competitions, talent and sports infrastructure.
graduate, post graduate and Doctorate Degree Objectives of the scheme are mass participation
courses in Physical education. of youth in annual sports competitions through a
Government of India provides assistance to structured competition, Identification of talent,
National Sports Federations (NSFs) for guidance and nurturing of the talent through
conducting National Championships and existing sports academies and new set up either
International Tournaments in India, participation by the central Government or State Government
in international tournaments abroad, organizing or in PPP mode and creation of Sports
coaching camps, procuring sports equipment, Infrastructure at mofussil, Tehsil, District, State
engagement of foreign coaches and disbursement levels, etc.
of salaries of the paid Joint/Assistant Secretaries The competitions above the age group of 36 are
through the scheme of assistance to national also proposed keeping in mind the general health
sports federations and other schemes. and well-being of adult population so that overall
economy of the country gets a boost due to
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has
reduction of lifestyle and other diseases like
revised the existing Scheme relating to Talent
obesity, diabetes, etc. by adopting the physical
Search and Training and renamed it as Scheme
activities and participation in these sports
of Human Resources Development in
competitions.
Sports. Under the revised Scheme, the
Government intends to focus on developing There shall be a separate set of competitions for
human resources in sports sciences and sports physically challenged candidates. The competitions
medicine, sports coaching/umpires for the overall will be 100% funded by Centre and it will be
Central Sector Scheme.
development of sports and games in the country.
This will help the country be self reliant in these Initiative for disabled
fields over a period of time in general and meet Persons with the disabilities are encourage and
the requirements of the proposed National trained under the various schemes run by the
Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine in government. India has achieved an exceptional
particular. laurels in this field at the national and international
The National Sports Development Fund levels in different fields. Government gives
(NSDF) was instituted by the Central Government assurance of their employment in the government
with a view to mobilise resources from the jobs like, Indian railways, ONGC, etc.
Government as well as non-governmental National playing fields association of India
sources, including the private/corporate sector
The main objectives of NPFAI are to protect,
and non-resident Indians, for promotion of sports
preserve, promote, develop and improve playing
and games in the country. To make contributions fields and open spaces and other facilities for
to the fund attractive, 100 per cent exemption sports and games; and to evolve a national policy
from income tax is available on all contributions. on playing fields, playgrounds, play pitches, parks
Further, Government contribution is on matching and open spaces.
basis to the contributions received from other
sources. What are the current achievements at
All India Council of sports International forum?
This is the advisory body for the Ministry of Youth Olympics Recent Updates
Affairs and Sports working in the field of Sakshi Malik (freestyle wrestler) won the bronze
popularizing sports among the youth as a way of medal in the 58 kg category, becoming the first
life, increasing outreach of sports to rural and Indian female wrestler to win a medal at the
tribal areas, areas affected by Left Wing Extremism Olympics and the fourth female Olympic medalist
(LWE), North East and Jammu and Kashmir. from the country.
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Fig. 1
Paralympics Recent Updates Fig. 3
The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games got India two In light of recent achievements, we should not
golds, a silver and a bronze medal four medals just be celebrating and awarding those accolades,
but looking at where we fell short in the treatment
in all.
of our athletes, and making sure that we do better
Devendra Jhajharia The gold medallist in javelin next time, that we prepare better, and give them
this year, had won a gold medal at the 2004 the kind of treatment they deserve.
Summer Olympics in Athens too.
Mariyappan Thangavelu created history by winning What are the issues and challenges
a gold medal in the men's high jump T-42 event, involved in Indian Sports?
with a leap of 1.89 metres, thereby putting his Sports in a democratic country cannot thrive
Periyavadagampatti village in Tamil Nadu's Salem merely with State help. The role of the sports
district on the world map. bodies is crucial in this regard as it is only they
Varun Singh Bhati, who jumped a personal best who have to plan, promote, propagate and
of 1.86 metres to clinch bronze in the men's high develop their respective games.
jump T-42 event, faced a lot of hardships before Though the detractors of the Indian sportspersons
achieving the historic feat. usually attribute their below par performances to
poor stamina, lack of killer instinct and motivation,
Deepa Malik - A historic silver medal ensured
there are several other factors, too such as lack
Deepa Malik scripted history; she won second of adequate knowledge, about the latest
place in the women's shotput event at the Rio developments in the sports medicine and
Paralympics with a personal best throw of 4.61m. technology, non-availability of modern sports
equipment at affordable prices and absence of
innovative coaching methods.
Poor Sports Infrastructure, Facilities and
Amenities
Sports infrastructure plays a crucial role in
achieving excellence in the global arena of sports.
It not only helps in producing sportspersons of
international repute, but also encourages the
youth population of a country to participate in
sporting activities to create a culture of sports. In
India, the standard of sports infrastructure is not
at a satisfactory level for a number of reasons
such as
a) The state governments in India allocate funds
for developing sports and sports infrastructure
as per their priority list. There is no unique
approach in developing sports infrastructure
Fig. 2 throughout the country.
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August (16 to 31), 2016 Current ANALYST
b) Although, India is having a few world class Cricketers in India are given so much attention
stadiums and the availability of sport coaches by the media and the advertising companies. Even
in the country still India is lacking to cope up in terms of incentives, the other sportsmen lag
with the international standards and availability far behind the cricketers.
of the best sport amenities. Coaches are not well paid
c) Hockey is Indias national sport but the way it
The Indian sportspersons are really eager to learn
has lost its importance in the field of its
- the technical, the physical and mental aspects
emergence in grassroots levels and the
of the game everyday but they lack guidance as
spreads across the every part makes it
the coaches are not well paid by the government
forbidden in some sort. Hockey is performing
of India.
very poor play at the international levels. It is
the fact which is lacking through the Doping issues
infrastructure and proper training facilities. No Recently, Inderjeet Singh has been tested positive
sport in India except cricket is well managed. with his A sample testing positive for two weak
Spend More on Athletes & Less on steroids used to build muscular strength and
Comforts for Ministers energy whereas in sample B, he was tested
negative. Also, Narsingh Yadavs both A and B
While there were cases of Indian athletes having
dope samples have returned positive. He has
to travel in economy class, and arrive at Rio
been placed under provisional suspension.
without much aid from the IOC, the ministers and
bureaucrats all came to the Olympics in their Harassment of women in sports
traditional luxurious way. Sexual harassment and abuse happen in all
Sportspeople Deserve Better Treatment sports and at all levels. Prevalence appears to be
higher in elite sport. Members of the athletes
A number of sportspeople are forgotten by the
entourage who are in positions of power and
ministry and media once the games are over
authority appear to be the primary perpetrators.
unless they have won a medal, in which case
Peer athletes have also been identified as
they get to stay in the limelight for longer. For
perpetrators.
true development of sports, India needs to start
caring better for its sportspeople and their What should be the future strategy to
families, a number of whom come from poverty. become sports superpower?
Flight tickets, accommodation, world class
training, stability and help for their family is the Administrative Effectiveness
least they deserve. Clear role delineation between NSFs, SAI and the
Population Does Not Equate To Medals & Government.
Su c c es s Detailed guidelines for preparation of Long Term
This is for all those who say India does not win Development Plans (4-year cycle). Provision made
despite having such a large population. for annual sanction budgets of development
Achievements will not come until there is a proper plans.
strategy in place for developing sports and helping An emphasis on professionalizing and upgrading
aspiring sportspeople grow in the nation. the administrative and financial management of
Sports Divide Federations.
An emphasis on systems to handle players
grievance.
Grouping of sport disciplines into priority, general
and others for the purpose of determining the
entitlement for government assistance.
Recognition of the role of sports promoters,
particularly in event management.
Prevention of sexual harassment of women in
sports, etc.
Guidelines for efficient management of Coaching
Camps.
Better procedures for Selection of Coaches,
Fig. 4 Selection of Athletes, etc.
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August (16 to 31), 2016 Current ANALYST
Anju Bobby George, Anjum Chopra, Mary kom,
P.T. Usha and Sania Mirza. The fact is that, all the It has also demanded that a grievance
girl players enthusiastic and concerned with redressal system be put in place so that
sports. They wanted not only to work but also to children, and in particular girls, do not
see a career in sports. Empowerment in this sense encounter abuse.
refers to the surgical procedure through which It has recommended for creation of more
women gain the self-confidence, strength, and in sports academies. These academies should
some contexts the information and skills, needed provide a platform for sub-junior, junior and
to clear strategic choices to improve their spirits. senior players to get expert guidance on
all aspects related to their physical and
Niti Aayog draft action plan for psychological training under one roof, it
improving Indias performance at said.
Olympics It has recommended heavy investments in
With an aim to improve Indias medal prospects marketing and advertising tournaments,
in the future and to ensure that the country encouraging movie stars to endorse sports
wins at least 50 medals at the 2024 Olympics, leagues in priority sports, allowing private
Niti Aayog has come out with a 20-point plan companies or PSUs to acquire naming
of action. rights and making leagues more spectator
friendly
The action plan has been divided into short term
and long term initiatives. These are: Niti Aayog has also spoken extensively in
favour of encouraging development of
Prioritise 10 sports and develop an outcome sports infrastructure through private or
oriented action plan for each of these sports public private partnership mode (PPP).
similar to countries like Kenya and Jamaica
participate in only two Olympics sports but
have managed to get a medal tally of 100 Conclusion
and 78 respectively. The 10 priority sports
should be ones with high winning potential, Current status of sports is just the start and the
as well as those in which India has won work has to be carried further to promote sports
medals in the past. in every field of discipline. We need to promote
sports, not just as a good career but as a good
There is a need for scouting natural sports business proposition too.
talent from inaccessible tribal, rural and
coastal areas of the country and nurturing People often cite lack of government support,
it to excel. With the funding being very training and infrastructure. But one thing we often
low at Rs 12,000 per annum, it has forget is personal passion, dedication and years
demanded that rigorous efforts be made of hard work. India has talent and all that is
to increase the pool of financial resources required is motivation, appropriate conditions and
for these players to attract more people quality training and of course, recognition and
from remote areas. appreciation after the victory. But above all those
keen on winning gold in Olympics must have fire
It has recommended for hiring more
national and international coaches per sport inside along with dedication and persistent hard
and putting in place a well-defined and work. After all ultimately it is human body which
transparent selection criteria. wins gold.
Improvement of these three things- Infrastructure,
It has also suggested implementing a sports
injury insurance scheme which should be knowledge and awareness and incentives can be
open to all categories of sportspersons and the starter steps for making India a sporting
provide them with life time insurance superpower.
between the ages of 5 to 35 years in A simple and systematic approach can resolve
addition to providing families compensation, many problems. Overnight we can't become a
in case of loss of life. superpower. But yes better government
Niti Aayog has also called for strengthening assistance, slow steady and honest system will
and scaling up of the 56 existing Sports be a major factor in ensuring that India becomes
Authority of India (SAI) training centres. a super power in the sports by 2020.
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Current ANALYST August (16 to 31), 2016
SPECIAL ISSUES
The appointment of judges to the Supreme Under the DPSP, Article 50 states that, The
Court of India and the High Court has over the years State shall take steps to separate the judiciary from
been a subject of intense conflict between the the executive in the public services of the State.
judiciary and the executive due to the opaque system
of appointment. Means separation of judiciary and executive and
excluded any executive interference in the matter of
What are the Constitutional provisions appointment to safeguard the Independence of
related to the appointed of judges? Judiciary.
Article 124(2) and 217(1) provide procedure for What is Collegiums System?
appointment of judges in higher judiciary.
In India, the system of appointment of judges is a
Article 124(2) reads inter alia thus: 22 years old Court framed Collegium system. The
Every Judge of the Supreme Court shall be Collegium system of appointment of judges is
appointed by the President by warrant under his hand popularly referred to as Judges-Selecting-Judges.
and seal after consultation with such of the Judges The Collegium system was created by two
of the Supreme Court and of the High Courts in the judgements of the Supreme Court in 1990s in
states as the President may deem necessary for the which a body of senior apex court judges headed
purpose and shall hold office until he attains the by the Chief Justice of India selected persons
age of sixty-five years: and recommended their names for appointment
Provided that in the case of appointment of a as judges.
Judge other than the Chief Justice, the Chief Justice Under the Collegium system of appointment and
of India shall always be consulted. transfer of judges of high courts and the Supreme
Court, the chief justice of the respective high
Article 217(1) provides that every Judge of a
courts and two other senior-most judges of the
High Court shall be appointed by the President by
court comprise a Collegium empowered by virtue
warrant under his hand and seal after consultation
with the Chief Justice of India, the Governor of the of a 1993 judgment of the Supreme Court to
State, and, in the case of appointment of a Judge identify suitable candidates, do due diligence and
other than the Chief Justice, the Chief Justice of the recommend for appointment as judges of the
High Court, and shall hold office, in the case of an court.
additional or acting Judge, as provided in article 224, The shortlisted candidates are scrutinized by
and in any other case, until he attains the age of collegiums of five senior-most judges of the apex
sixty-two years. court headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) before
Article 124(2) talks about two type of being cleared for appointment. The same
consultation. One, being discretionary on the part of collegium of the apex court identify serving judges
the President and the other being mandatory under and chief justices of high courts for elevation to
the provision. Under Article 217(1) the process of the Supreme Court.
consultation by the President is mandatory and this There is no mention of the Collegium either in the
clause does not speak of any discretionary original Constitution of India or in successive
consultation. amendments.
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August (16 to 31), 2016 Current ANALYST
According to the collegiums, the upper age limit The collegium system has failed to create an
should be pegged at 55 years for elevation. The unbiased system for making the appointments of
government is of the view that while deciding to the judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts
make additional judges of the HC the collegiums and many voices from the legal fraternity have been
is not strictly complying with the existing demanding its replacement.
procedure.
Justice A K Patnaik, who stepped down as a
Supreme Court judge a couple of years ago after
serving as a judge in various capacities for two
decades, had this to say: Many competent persons
have often been ignored and those who were close
to members of the SC Collegium were chosen
because there was no objective assessment
whatsoever while making the selections.
In the year 2013, The Public interest litigation
(PIL) was filled by one NGO to challenge the
Collegiums system of appointment of the judges.
Later the Chief justice of India P. Sathasivam was
against any attempt to change the collegiums system.
In May 2013, the judges of the Punjab and
Haryana High Court protested the elevation of nine
advocates as judges of the High Court. They alleged
Fig. 6 that the independence and integrity of the judiciary
has been put at stake by the Collegiums while giving
Impor tant cases in the vir tue of the
recommendations, because the decisions of the
collegial system
Collegiums seem to have been based on
In the judges transfer case, S. P. Gupta vs. Union considerations other than merit and integrity of the
of India 1981, Record Association vs. Union of candidate. These judges further wrote that it has
India-1993 and Special Reference 1 of 1998 are now become a matter of practice and convenience
the three cases which unfold the principle of to recommend advocates who are the sons,
judicial independence. daughters, relatives and juniors of former judges and
It laid down the norms that no other branch of Chief Justice.
the State apart from the Judiciary that is The implications of such degradation are that
Legislatives and the Executives, predominate the the judges are selected on criteria such as caste,
authority in the appointment of the judges. religion, office affiliations, political considerations and
Based on the judgment in the second judges case even personal interests and quid pro quo. The result
1993, the Supreme court then created the of this is the poor quality of judges and judgments.
collegiums system which continue till today. The It resulted in delay in the judgment delivery, lack of
third judges case of 1998 is an opinion delivered clarity and clear reasoning in judgments, lack of
by the Supreme Court of India responding to the knowledge of even basic principles of law and lack
question of law regarding the collegiums system of ability and willingness to learn and ghost writing
raised by former president of India K.R. Narayanan of judgments.
under the presidential constitutional power. The Collegiums system of the appointments also
raises demands for transparency and openness in
What are the issues and their implications?
the appointment process because of the secrecy
The mode of selecting the judges or the shrouding the appointments. The issue is not who
Collegiums system is neither mentioned in the original appoints the judges but how they are appointed. As
Constitution of India nor in the successive course of long as the process is opaque and appointments
the Amendments. This back stage system resulted are made on personal considerations, there will be
into the conflicts between the Parliament and problems of favoritism, corruption, nepotism and
Judiciary and termed as controversial by legal scholars appointments on criteria other than merit and
and jurist within/out India. capacity.
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Fig. 8
Recently the petition, moved by the National There has to be fixed criteria to be followed by
Lawyers Campaign for Judicial Transparency and each High Court while recommending names of
Reforms, had sought a fair, open and non- lawyers and sessions judges for elevation to the
discriminatory selection process for the appointment HC bench.
of judges from a wider pool of candidates and not New recommendations seeks HC collegiums to
from an elite group. consider 15 years record of each sessions judge
while considering his case, so that performance
But the Supreme Court dismissed a plea seeking as a judicial officer is considered as the main
an independent panel - independent of its collegiums criteria while making the recommendation,
and the government - to select judges for whereas the SC Collegiums wants to focus on
appointment to the higher judiciary. seniority.
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What are the current water management Poor Irrigation Facilities: Recent instances
challenges? of droughts and farmers suicides underscored
the gravity of the poor situation. India has invested
The CWC and CGWB were created in an era Rs.4 trillion in major and medium irrigation projects
when India faced a very different set of challenges. since Independence. This had created an irrigation
Then it was crucial to build irrigation capacity to potential of 113 million hectares, which was
ensure food self-sufficiency. actually utilized by 89 million hectares. However
Current Challenges are - the gap between created potential and utilisation
Stored water: While big dams played a big role is growing by the year.
in creating a huge irrigation potential, today the Extreme climatic conditions: Climate change
challenge is to effectively utilize this potential, as poses fresh challenges as more extreme rates of
the water that lies stored in our dams is not precipitation and evapo-transpiration exacerbate
reaching the farmers for whom it is meant. impacts of floods and droughts.
Groundwater level: Groundwater, which truly Disproportionate Water Usage: If the current
powered the Green Revolution, faces a crisis of pattern of water usage continues, about half of
sustainability. Water levels and water quality have the demand for water will be unmet by 2030.
both fallen creating a new kind of crisis, where
the solution to a problem has become part of the
problem itself. The new challenge is to manage
our aquifers sustainably. Data from the agriculture
ministry shows that nearly half of Indias farm
lands are un-irrigated and groundwater is the
major source of water for irrigated holdings. For
instance, for 45% of irrigated land the source of
water is tube wells drawing groundwater
resources. In comparison, canals irrigate just 26%
of irrigated land, and tanks and wells only 22% of
irrigated land.
Water Table falling: Water tables were getting
depleted in most parts of India.
Groundwater Pollution: As much as 60% of
Indias districts faces groundwater over-
exploitation and serious quality issues. The
contamination by fluoride, arsenic, mercury, and Fig. 10
even uranium are another major challenge. What is the provision for human resource
working in CWC?
Committee has suggested that all existing
functions and personnel of the CWC find their
appropriate place in the eight divisions of the NWC,
which include Irrigation Reform, River Rejuvenation,
Participatory Groundwater Management, Urban and
Industrial Water, Water Security (including droughts,
floods and climate change) and Water Quality.
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Current ANALYST August (16 to 31), 2016
NWC is not going to be monolithic. The NWC less time, avoiding all inter-State conflicts, land
will be a knowledge institution providing solutions to acquisition problems, as also corruption that has
water problems faced by State governments, farmers become a big issue in irrigation projects over the
and other stakeholders, on demand, in a truly user- years.
friendly manner.
Conclusion
What is the committees stand on river
This is the third time since 2000 that reports
interlinking? have been placed for restructuring the CWC and it
The report contains a summary of all the is still unclear how seriously the government is likely
scholarly work available on interlinking of rivers (ILR). to go ahead with restructuring. However the recent
This work negates the engineering myth that water water crises in the face of droughts in 2014 and
must not be allowed to flow wastefully into the 2015 and growing concerns with groundwater
sea. contamination have provided a fresh trigger.
Scientists fear that the humongous River The committee is of the view that these reforms
Interlinking project could even endanger the integrity will be the equivalent of the 1991 reforms in water
of Indias monsoon cycle, which depends crucially sector that weve never had. The idea behind the
on fresh river water flowing into the sea. organizational restructuring is to ensure that all water
resources in the country are managed in a holistic
The report is much more concerned with the
manner and not separately as surface water, ground
challenge of ensuring that the water stored in dams
water or river water. NWC will bring groundwater
actually reaches the farmers. This dam storage is
management on par with surface water. An effort is
low-hanging fruit that can give us an increase of
also being made to move away from engineering
millions of hectares of irrigated area at much less
solutions like construction of large irrigation projects
than the cost of the river interlinking and in much
and towards more sustainable ways of water use.
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What is DTAA? for the same income. A DTAA applies in cases where
a tax-payer resides in one country and earns income
It stands for Double Taxation Avoidance
in another. DTAAs can either be comprehensive to
Agreement. A DTAA is a tax treaty signed between
cover all sources of income or be limited to certain
two or more countries. Its key objective is that tax-
areas such as taxing of income from shipping, air
payers in these countries can avoid being taxed twice
transport, inheritance, etc.
Fig. 11
India has DTAAs with which nations? from home, income may sometimes be subject to
tax in both the countries. The person can claim relief
India has DTAAs with more than eighty countries,
of which comprehensive agreements include those when filing tax return for that financial year, if there
with Australia, Canada, Germany, Mauritius, is an applicable DTAA. Similarly, if the person is an
Singapore, UAE, UK and USA. NRI having investments in India, DTAA provisions may
also be applicable to income from these investments
What are the benefits of DTAA? or from their sale.
DTAAs are intended to make a country an DTAAs also provide for concessional rates of
attractive investment destination by providing relief tax in some cases. For instance, interest on NRI
on dual taxation. Such relief is provided by exempting bank deposits attract 30 per cent TDS (tax deduction
income earned abroad from tax in the resident at source) here. But under the DTAAs that India has
country or providing credit to the extent taxes have signed with several countries, tax is deducted at
already been paid abroad. only 10 to 15 per cent. Many of Indias DTAAs also
For example, if a person is sent on deputation have lower tax rates for royalty, fee for technical
abroad and receive emoluments during stint away services, etc.
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Current ANALYST August (16 to 31), 2016
Example citing the working of DTAA: afford a tax regime that allows big fish to completely
evade the tax net, citing a DTAA.
An NRI individual living in X country maintains
an NRO account with a bank based in India. The Hence, the ongoing drive to revise the treaties
interest income on the balance amount in the NRO is to plug loopholes in these agreements. India has
account is deemed as income that originates in India recently revised DTAAs with Mauritius and Cyprus
and hence is taxable in India. and is also in process of revisiting its treaty with
Singapore.
In case, India and X nation are contracted under
the DTAA, this income will have tax implications in Indias DTAA with Cyprus
accordance with the rate specified in the agreement.
Otherwise, the interest income will attract tax @ India and Cyprus have a DTAA since 1994.
30.90 % i.e. the current withholding tax. Also, NRI is Cyprus is a major source of foreign funds flows into
entitled to avail the benefits under the provisions of the country. From April 2000 till March 2016, India
DTAA between India and his country of residence received foreign direct investment to the tune of Rs
with respect to interest income on government 42,680.76 crore from Cyprus.
securities, company fixed deposits, dividend and Cyprus used to have a DTAA with India but was
loans. blacklisted on November 1, 2013, by the Indian
government for non-cooperation.
Benefits to India from existing DTAAs
There were negotiations ongoing. The
For India to prosper, the economy has to grow. completion of negotiation on avoidance of double
And for growth in todays globalised world, foreign taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion has paved
investments are inevitable. DTAAs basically provide the way for removal of Cyprus from the list of 'Notified
clarity on how certain cross-border transactions will Jurisdictional Areas' retrospectively from November
be taxed and this encourages foreign investors to 2013.
take the plunge.
Favourable tax treatments for capital gains
Significance of Revised DTAA with Cyprus
under certain DTAAs such as the one with Mauritius It is a move that gives India the right to tax
have encouraged a lot of foreign investment into capital gains on investments routed through Cyprus
India. Mauritius accounted for $93.65 billion or one- prospectively from April 1, 2017. The fresh DTAA with
third of the total FDI flows into India between April Cyprus, which is considered a haven for money
2000 and December 2015. It has also remained a laundering, round-tripping, and profit-shifting,
favoured route for foreign portfolio investors. assumes significance coming soon after the signing
of the revised pact with Mauritius.
Why there is a need to revise existing As in the case of Mauritius, the treaty with
DTAAs? Cyprus had provided for residence-based taxation of
It is a major step in the fight against tax evasion, capital gains. With the revision of the treaty now
round tripping and base erosion/profit shifting, approved by the Cabinet, capital gains will be taxed
as the countries like Mauritius, Cyprus and Singapore in India for entities resident in Cyprus, subject to
are considered a haven for money laundering, round- double tax relief. In other words, India will have the
tripping, and profit-shifting. India faces tax loss in right to tax capital gains arising in India.
such situation. Money laundering can happen from anywhere
India recently amended its Double Taxation and obviously low-tax jurisdictions (such as Cyprus)
Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with Mauritius and help in money laundering. Cyprus is basically used
Cyprus to plug certain loopholes. Now, a Mauritian for structuring debt instruments. The revision of
entity will have to pay capital gains tax here while agreements with Mauritius and Cyprus could see this
selling shares in a company in India from April 2017. debt-restructuring business moving from the latter
Earlier, the company could avoid tax as it was not a to the former.
resident in India. It could get away from the taxman In the Mauritius revised DTAA, the rate for
in Mauritius too, due to non-taxation of capital gains withholding of debt instruments was reduced to 7.5
for its residents. As a result, many shell entities per cent. In Cyprus, this rate was 10 per cent. It is
sprang up in Mauritius to profit from investments in not clear whether the rate has been revised in the
India and get away without paying taxes anywhere. new DTAA. If it has not, then a lot of that business
However, given Indias narrow tax base, it can ill- will now shift to Mauritius where the rate is lower.
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August (16 to 31), 2016 Current ANALYST
Excessive taxes paid by way of higher Mauritius and was always there in the agreement
withholding taxes from November 1, 2013 being the with Singapore.
date from when Cyprus was notified as a non-
The Cyprus DTAA also includes a provision for
cooperative jurisdiction could possibly be claimed as
assistance in collection of taxes. It also has a revised
refunds given if the withdrawal of the notification
provision for the exchange of information that would
with retrospective effect.
enable the use of information exchanged for other
Another difference between the Cyprus and purposes.
Mauritius treaty is the limitation of benefit clause. A
limitation of benefit clause is meant to prevent the Conclusion
misuse of treaties in which they have threshold DTAA is an effective financial agreement that is
saying if you invest a particular amount in a country beneficial to both the taxpayer as well as the
then you are not a shell or paper company. There is respective tax collection authorities in various
no limitation of benefit clause in the Cyprus treaty countries.
although there is one in the revised treaty with
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Senior government functionaries have arrived a less dangerous weapon for defence even at short
at this conclusion after extensive consultations with range.
security forces and examining the ground realities in
Kashmir Valley. The committee also analysed and is Do we really need such weapons to control
understood to have recommended the supply of few protest?
other non-lethal/less-lethal munition to security
The police have a duty to protect lives and safety
forces personnel deployed for crowd control and
and prevent violent crime. However in carrying out
counter-protests in the Kashmir valley and other
this duty they must as far as possible use non-violent
similar situations elsewhere.
means. When the use of force is unavoidable
because of compelling reasons, it should be only
What is PAVA?
what is strictly necessary and to the extent required.
The name PAVA stands for Pelargonic Acid Vanillyl
Hence, in case of Jammu and Kashmir there
Amide, also called Nonivamide, and is a organic
should be stricter implementation of a standard
compound found characteristically in natural chilli
operating procedure that is followed in such
pepper.
situations, and police should fire the pellet guns from
On the Scoville scale (the degree to measure a safe distance, whenever it is extremely necessary.
the power of chilli), PAVA is categorised as "above
In policing protests, the police must also
peak" meaning it will severely irritate and paralyse
distinguish between persons engaging in violence and
humans, but in a temporary fashion. It is also used
peaceful demonstrators or bystanders. Any force
as a food additive to add pungency, flavouring and
used should be only against those acting violently,
spicy effect to food.
and the police should always ensure that uninvolved
Why PAVA is a better option? persons are protected from injury.
When the police are trying to contain violent
The committee found that PAVA can be
persons, it is important that they should focus on
categorized in the less-lethal munitions category and
use of force accurately at those individuals. However,
once fired, the shells bursts out to temporarily stun,
pellet guns cannot ensure well-targeted shots and
immobilize and paralyse the target (protestors) in a
causes serious injury even to bystanders or other
more effective way than a tear gas shell or pepper
protesters not engaging in violence. These risks are
sprays.
almost impossible to control. Because of this high
Further the panel noted that the PAVA is "bio potential to cause unwarranted injury, even to
safe, better than chili grenade or tear smoke shell bystanders and others, pellet guns should have no
and can also be used in combination with stun and place in law enforcement.
tear shells" by security forces facing unruly protestors
The use of pellet guns is not in line with
in place of pellet guns.
international standards on the use of force. The
It is also called as pepper shots, used in many objectives of the police should be achieved in a less
countries across the world as an effective tool for harmful way with other devices which can be more
riot control. Unlike pellets, chili pepper balls do not accurately aimed, and where the risk of harm can
penetrate skin or pose ricochet hazards, making it be better controlled.
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Economic factors also lie behind the civil-military Third, the document formally states that the future
convergence over maritime security. With higher fleet will be based on the development of three
economic growth fuelled by greater energy carrier battle groups, each centred on an aircraft
consumption, India is dependent on the Indian Ocean carrier, as well as the development of an
for both trade and energy. Over 90% of Indias foreign operational capability of two carrier task forces,
trade by volume and 70% in value terms is seaborne, each comprising one or more carrier battle
accounting for 42% of Indias GDP. Its oil imports groups.
have increased to nearly 80% of total demand. Most
Fourth, as the sea trials of Indias first Arihant-
major international shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean
class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine
are located close to Indias island territories.
take place, the new strategy emphasises the
Threats and concerns in Indian Ocean assurance of punitive retaliation in accordance
Region (IOR) with Indias no first use and non-use against
non-nuclear weapon states policy. Importantly, it
The navys primary driver towards increasing its notes that SSBN deployments also counter an
capabilities is Chinas assertive policy towards India adversarys strategy of seeking advantage from
and the expansion of Chinese influence in the Indian nuclear posturing or escalation.
Ocean, which it perceives as possible encirclement.
Fifth, the strategy emphasises the importance of
Pakistans naval aviation and expanding submarine
force also present a threat to the Indian navy. The maintaining freedom of navigation and
possibility that nuclear-armed missiles could be strengthening the international legal regime at
deployed aboard four Pakistani surface ships would sea, particularly UNCLOS.
require these ships to be tracked as a priority, thereby The Indian navys operational footprint in the
requiring considerable Indian naval effort and Indian Ocean has also increased in the last eight
resources. years since the publication of its 2007 maritime
strategy. The navy has played an active role in
Strategy counter-piracy operations in the Arabian Sea since
Government has set the Indian Ocean as a 2011 when pirates reached waters near Indias
foreign-policy priority, with maritime dominance Lakshadweep chain of islands. This is in addition to
apparently the goal as India seeks to counter Chinas its much-publicised anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of
expansionist policies and confront maritime terrorism. Aden and the Somali basin since 2008. It has also
Five key dimensions in strategy carried out Non-combatant Evacuation operations in
Libya (2011), Kuwait (2014) and Yemen (2015), as
The strategy expands Indias areas of maritime well as Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief
interest in meaningful ways. These include areas operations such as cyclone relief (in 2007, 2008,
of national interest based on considerations of
2013 and 2014). Navy-to-Navy staff talks now take
Indian Diaspora, overseas investments and
place with over 20 countries and institutional
political reasons. Since the Indian Maritime
bilateral/trilateral exercises with 11 countries. In
Doctrine of 2004, revised in 2009, Indias areas
August 2013, a dedicated communications satellite
of maritime interest have been defined as both
for the navy, GSAT-7, was launched for surveillance
primary and secondary. While the primary area
has broadly encompassed the northern Indian purposes.
Ocean region, the 2015 strategy expands this both
southwards and westwards to include the south-
SUBMARINES Key to Maritime Security
west Indian Ocean and the Red Sea (formerly a The diplomatic activity is matched by changes
secondary area of interest). The secondary area to the Indians navys capabilities and posture.
of interest is also expanded to include the western
Its fleet of 14 submarines and 100 patrol and
coast of Africa and the Mediterranean Sea.
coastal combatants, alongside two squadrons of
Second, it pointedly advances the former maritime patrol aircraft, is to be expanded with the
governments policy of becoming a net security
reported aim of becoming a 200-ship navy in the
provider to island states in the Indian Ocean.
next decade. As a result, India has one of the most
The strategy seeks to shape a favourable and
ambitious warship building programmes in the world,
positive maritime environment for enhancing net
with only the US and Russia significantly more active.
security in Indias areas of maritime interest.
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Current ANALYST August (16 to 31), 2016
Fig. 12
Why are submarines so important? How do submarines operate?
A submarine is the quietest military platform Submarines operate under water. They rely on
and extremely tough to detect. Their main cover is sonar or sound waves for communication and
their ability to move stealthily under water and keep detection. Each class of submarine operates over
an eye on enemy movement of vessels. Submarines specific frequencies which are called as their
are the most potent military platforms currently signature and its highly guarded.
available even ahead of aircraft carriers which need
a large entourage to protect it. What is Stealth technology?
The nations which possess nuclear weapons, Every military platform has a footprint which
base their second strike capability (ability to strike shows up on radar, which is used by adversaries to
back after being hit first by nuclear strike) on nuclear track it. So it is extremely important to minimise the
powered ballistic missile submarines. This footprint to protect our military assets and retain
underscores the importance of Scorpene. the element of surprise in case of an attack.
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August (16 to 31), 2016 Current ANALYST
For a submarine, stealth is the most important
protection. Stealth is a relative concept. It can be Ocean where the salinity of the seas and
increased relatively to varying levels by adopting the presence of thermal zones of variable
several measures right from the platforms design to water temperature, make submarine
operational measures to reduce noise and vibrations detection extremely difficult.
to stay away from prowling radars and sonars.
Submarines make the detection and
What is Kalvari Class Submarine? counter-detection even tougher. Designed
to be extremely silent, the submarines can
The Kalvari class is a class of submarines based
loiter under water for days, scouring the
on the Scorpene-class submarine being built for the
seas through long-range passive sonar
Indian Navy. It is a class of diesel-electric attack
signals, which detect the presence of other
submarine which is designed by French naval defence
submarines and warships in the vicinity.
and energy company DCNS and being manufactured
by Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai.
About Scorpene Submarine
Project 75I-class submarine Scorpene is a conventional powered submarine
The project 75I-class submarine is follow- weighing 1,500 tonnes and can go up to depths of
on of the project 75 Kalvari-class 300m. It is built by DCNS of France.
submarine for the Indian navy. India had signed a USD 3.75 bn deal for six of
Under this project Indian navy intends to submarines to be built by Mazgaon Dock Limited
acquire 6 diesel-electric submarines. (MDL) in Mumbai with transfer of technology from
French shipbuilder DCNS in October 2005.
Submarines in this class will also feature
advanced Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) The first submarine began sea trials in May 2016
System which will enable them to stay and is expected to be commissioned into the Navy
submerged for longer duration and increasing by October. The remaining five submarines are at
its operational range substantially. various stages of construction and MDL has assured
to hand over one submarine every nine months.
Submarines are, in fact, the ultimate stealth
weapons. Despite advances in sonar Scorpene data leak
technology over the decades, detecting,
tracking and targeting submarines remains The manufacturers (French Company DCNS)
extremely difficult, particularly in the Indian manual of 22,400 pages is leaked detailing the
technical specifications of the Scorpene submarine.
Fig. 13
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Current ANALYST August (16 to 31), 2016
Documents detail the combat and stealth The performance deteriorates drastically when
capabilities of the Scorpene, including the they operate in warmer and more saline waters.
frequencies at which they gather intelligence, the Hence even classified and actual figures of
levels of noise they make at various speeds and performance would be vastly different.
their diving depths, range and endurance and so on.
It also discloses magnetic, electromagnetic and infra- Does Scorpene data leak underline the
red data as well as specifications of the submarines hazards of Indias dependence on foreign
torpedo launch system and the combat system. sources for military hardware?
Submarines are generally shrouded in opacity India has the dubious distinction of being the
given the intrinsic nature of the underwater domain worlds largest importer of arms today. Given the
they operate in and the traditional secrecy that serial abortion of every significant Indian defence
surrounds them as a platform. hardware contract, starting with the Bofors 155 mm
gun and HDW submarine contracts in the 1980s,
Australian news report suggested that all the matter deserves greater attention.
significant design parameters of the Indian Scorpene
were now in the public domain. This exigency would Hardly had the Augusta-Westland scandal
compromise the credibility of the Indian submarine receded to the back pages of newspapers when the
and defeats its purpose even before the first revelation in Australian media hit the news. It would
Scorpene is formally inducted into the Indian Navy appear that the huge data dump of over 22,000
by the end of this year. document pages, belonging to French shipbuilder
DCNS, contains information relating not only to Indian
Why Scor pene Data Leak does not Scorpene, but also a Russian amphibious ship and
Compromise Security of Project-75? a Brazilian stealth frigate.
The Australian newspaper reported 22,400 Moving on to the strategic level, as long as
India remains so abjectly dependent on foreign
pages of documents pertaining to Indias Scorpene
sources for military hardware, it will continue to be
submarine programme, called Project-75. After days
vulnerable to sleaze, scandals and scams that not
of deliberations, there is near unanimity that while
only bring a bad name to the country but have
such data being put out publicly was not a good
effectively halted the process of military re-equipment
thing, it did not affect Project-75 in any significant
and upgradation. That this is happening when our
way.
northern and western neighbours are re-arming and
Most of this data is generic and belongs to re-organising their militaries is worrisome.
Naval Staff Qualitative Requirements (NSQR) provided Four issues need to be highlighted
by the Navy to the French company, and binding because they call for the urgent attention of
data for the product. It does not pertain to any our policy makers-
specific submarine, and has limited usage for the
adversary. First, as an industrialised nation and a maritime
power, the lack of submarine design and building
The only thing, which if leaked out from the competence had been a critical lacuna in Indias
supplier that can really compromise the operation of maritime capability. China has been building subs
our submarines is the source code of the Fire since the 1960s and Pakistan since 2002.
Control System. It is a top secret thing which the Second, we must never forget that India has the
DCNS doesnt even share with the company providing dubious distinction of being the worlds largest
the weapons. The Australian hasnt claimed that it is importer of arms today. This is despite our vast
in the possession of the software code, and besides defence-industrial complex, comprising thousands
that, everything else is not really going to matter. of scientists and a network of sophisticated DRDO
Also the technical aspects such as stealth laboratories, backed by production facilities of the
features, noise levels, magnetic/electromagnetic data government-owned ordinance factories and
are something that undergo change over time. A defence public sector undertakings.
submarines noise is a result of its on-board Third, it is time for Indians to face up to a fact that
machinery and propeller configurations. They are is known to every foreign firm that bids for an Indian
different at different speeds, depths, seawater and contract: Arms deals are the golden goose for
saline conditions. They are so distinct that even the election funding. Till such time that we attain a
acoustic signatures for two vessels of the same class modicum of self-sufficiency in military hardware
are not the same. 20 to 30 years hence a consensus needs to be
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August (16 to 31), 2016 Current ANALYST
struck between the major political parties to treat However, the navy remains some way from
defence contracts highly important and exclude possessing the capabilities that would be required
them from the purview of election fund-raising. for the degree of maritime dominance in the Indian
Finally, banning or blacklisting of arms Ocean to which India is now aspiring. The navys
companies alleged to be involved in malpractices fleet is ageing, with an estimated 60% of vessels
may appear to be a dramatic antidote because it reported to have reached various stages of
makes a splash in the media. But in reality, it is obsolescence. Warships under construction are
counter-productive because it harms our security suffering considerable cost and schedule over-runs.
far more than the impugned firm. The Scorpene-class submarine is the first to be
acquired in 16 years, in an attempt to stabilise the
Conclusion fleets fast-dwindling numbers. Scorpene leak has
In the centuries ahead the oceans around us generated an international furore and created gleeful
will undoubtedly have a larger significance both from interest for sure. Apart from India, France and
the point of view of India's security concerns as well Australia, the governments of Malaysia and Chile
as economic development. In a world of growing that have acquired the Scorpene, and Brazil, that is
entanglements, the Navy requires a forward-leaning acquiring this platform, will be studying the security
strategic blue-print for enhanced maritime reach and implications of this leak very closely.
deployment in the Asian littorals.
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Why this was stalled for almost a decade? not typically within its reach. With one aircraft carrier
in operations, Indias capacity to undertake far sea
Talks did not make much progress under the UPA
operations has been fairly limited. Signing LEMOA
government because of the fierce opposition from the
opens up opportunities such as gaining access to
then Defence Minister A.K. Antony. The agreements
US military bases in Djibouti and Diego Garcia.
were perceived too intrusive and would be seen as
compromising on Indias non-aligned stance. Criticism
The UPA government was also cautious about Critics in India have claimed that LEMOA draws
the sensitivities of both Russia and China, though it India into a nascent alliance with the US. But this
was moving closer to the U.S. However, under new is not true as buying diesel and food supply is
government, India has been taking firm steps, hardly the stuff of strategic alignment. Also,
indicating its willingness to forge a closer strategic agreement does not create any obligations on
relationship with US. either Party to carry out any joint activity.
There is a criticism that this agreement would
Why India Agreed to a Logistics Agreement
allow US troops to be based on Indian soil which
with the United States?
is not true. It does not provide for the
Maritime collaboration between India and the establishment of any bases or basing
United States has been increasing. Besides, arrangements.
Indias ties with U.S. allies in the region, like Japan Another view is that India has been so sensitive
and Australia, have also improved by leaps and about what amounts to the military equivalent of
bounds. Hence this will help in improving security buying groceries on credit, which looks absurd
scenario in the South Asia and Asia Pacific. when the US is emerging as Indias number one
Further both India and the United States have source of high end arms, its key overseas source
concerns about Chinas growing aggressiveness for counter-terrorism intelligence and its most
in the South China Sea and beyond. China has common military exercise partner.
put a technical hold on Indias attempts to Another misperception about the LEMOA has
designate the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-
been that signing it will make India a party to
e-Mohammeds chief Maulana Masood Azhar as
Americas conflicts and policies, especially in West
a terrorist at the United Nations. At the same
Asia and East Asia. But this is not true either,
time, China has been going all out to woo
even most countries formally allied with the US
countries in Indias neighborhood like Nepal, Sri
have not been dragged into these wars, let alone
Lanka, and Maldives. Chinas island building
those simply signing the LEMOA.
activities in the South China Sea and its
deployment of missile batteries on Woody Island Conclusion
in the South China Sea have set it on a collision
course with the United States and its allies in the India and US have agreed to expand
region, like Japan and the Philippines. collaboration under the Defence Technology and
Trade Initiative, infuse greater complexity in their
Significance of LEMOA military engagements and maritime exercises,
India will be the main beneficiary. While Indian commence discussions on submarine safety and anti-
naval ships and aircraft increasingly venture submarine warfare, and initiate a bilateral maritime
further away from their home, India has no bases security dialogue that would include diplomats and
and in some cases not even agreements with the defence establishments.
foreign governments along the Atlantic and Pacific. With LEMOA behind them, the United States and
The US navy and air force, on the other hand, India still have a lot to look forward to. The other two
has a global network which is now accessible to foundational agreements aside, India will no doubt be
Indian ships and aircrafts. looking for clarity on where defence technology
US warships and aircraft now have additional sites cooperation will go with its newfound MDP status.
to use in India, but they already have many bases Lastly, it is politically symbolic - a sign signifying
around the region at their disposal. the state of India-US strategic ties. This worries some,
Indian arrangements with the US for such access who argue that India should remain independent of
open up new options in beefing up Indias logistics both lest China take a more antagonistic line with
capacity for missions in the Indian Ocean. India. But Chinas behaviour has been antagonistic
In one of the more concrete benefits, LEMOA even before, and its behaviour is part of the reason
strengthens Indias outreach to areas that were why LEMOA is symbolically important.
33 www.iasscore.in
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August (16 to 31), 2016 Current ANALYST
whereas in corporate bonds the investor only gets sound banking system in providing an alternative
the interest rather than profit, reduces the risk of source of finance to the real sector for its long-term
investors. investment needs. An active corporate bond market
also helps in the diversification of risks in the financial
Why India needs development of Corporate system. In order to enable public and private sector
Bond Market? firms to borrow for longer maturity periods in local
Recently, a report released by Crisil (Credit currency to meet their investment needs and avoid
Rating Information Services of India Limited), balance sheet mismatches and foreign currency
suggested that a deep corporate bond market was exposures, there is a need to accelerate the
desirable in India because of the following reasons: development of local currency bond market. An
active corporate bond market could also provide
India needs around Rs 43 lakh crore ($650 bn) institutional investors such as insurance companies
for infrastructure build-out over five fiscals to and provident and pension funds with quality long
2020. At a time when major public sector banks term financial assets, helping them in matching their
are stressed with rising non-performing assets and assets and liabilities.
mounting losses, many feel that relying
predominantly on banks to fund infrastructure Gover nment initiatives to strengthen
development in the country will not be prudent Corporate Bond Market in India
and the country must look beyond the banks.
Such constraints mean the corporate bond India is making efforts to become most
market has become crucial to Indias growth story. advantageous tax jurisdiction with regard to
Thus steps are necessary to attract investors and investment in infrastructure sector.
issuers. These may include policy impetus for A number of measures in the Budget 2016-17
issuers to tap bond markets, and offering has been taken to boost corporate bond market
protection through innovative credit-enhancement
including setting up of a dedicated fund to provide
mechanisms such as a bond guarantee fund,
credit enhancement to infrastructure projects by Life
which will draw a larger set of issuers and
Insurance Corporation; encouraging large borrowers
investors.
to access a certain portion of their financing needs
CRISIL also highlighted on the need for multiple through market mechanism instead of the banks;
modes of raising funds. For growth-finance to be expansion of investment basket of foreign portfolio
structurally de-risked there is a need for new investors to include unlisted debt securities;
innovative structures and vehicles. This need more
introduction of electronic auction platform for private
issuers beyond the financial sector, which means
placement market in corporate bonds.
mandating large companies to raise a portion of
their funding requirement through bonds and Even the RBI and SEBI are jointly planning to
commercial papers. set up a complete information repository for
Corporate bond issuance in India is currently corporate bonds, covering both primary and
dominated by private placements with institutions, secondary market segments.
which accounts for over 95 per cent of the total
issuance of corporate debt. The HR Khan Committee Report
The CRISIL report believes that there are several The Financial Stability and Development Council
positives in the economy that favour development Sub-committee (FSDC-SC) in its meeting held in 2015
of corporate bond market in India. A conducive decided to constitute a Working Group on Corporate
macro-economic milieu, elevated stress at public Bonds with representation from the Ministry of
sector banks, the imperatives of financing large Finance, Government of India and all the regulators
infrastructure build-outs, favourable regulations, with the remit to guide the implementation of the
ongoing innovations in bond structures, and the recommendations made by all the earlier committees
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 are all and suggest further measures that may be taken to
positives for Indias corporate bond market. develop the corporate debt market in the light of
evolving macroeconomic and financial market
Benefits of Corporate Bond Market
conditions within a specific time span. Accordingly, a
It has been well recognized that a well- Working Group was constituted under the
developed corporate bond market complements a chairmanship of HR Khan.
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August (16 to 31), 2016 Current ANALYST
The panel also wants necessary amendments in 85,000 crore by way of issuance of AT-1
FEMA regulations to allow investment by FPIs in instruments, there is an implicit need to broaden
unlisted debt securities and pass through securities the investor base and make these instruments
issued by securitizations. more attractive to the investors.
A centralized database for corporate bonds "Insurance companies and EPFO (Employees'
markets may be established expeditiously in two Provident Fund Organization) may be allowed to
phases, for secondary market trades by the end invest in AT-1 bonds of banks subject to prudential
of August 2016 and for both primary and limits with credit rating up to investment grade.
secondary markets by the end of October 2016. The panel also said regulated entities like banks,
In order to standardize bond issuance, it said, PDs, in addition to brokers, may be encouraged
"...SEBI may have a re-look at the guidelines by the regulators to act as market makers in
issued in October 2013 so as to clarify on day corporate bond market subject to appropriate risk
count convention, shut period, basis for yield management framework.
calculation, calculation of coupon interest and The panel suggested the credit rating agencies
redemption with intervening holidays with may be mandated to strictly adhere to the
illustrations." regulatory norms with regard to timely disclosure
The report said given that the public sector banks of defaults on the stock exchanges and their own
would be required to raise around Rs. 80,000- website.
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What is Surrogacy? (in which case, the embryo would have been a
donated embryo). The surrogate mother may be
Surrogacy is a method of reproduction whereby
called a gestational carrier.
a woman (referred to as surrogate) agrees to carry
a pregnancy and give birth as a substitute for the On the Basis of Arrangement
contracted parties. Commercial Surrogacy: Commercial Surrogacy
is a form of surrogacy in which a gestational
What are the types of Surrogacy? carrier is paid to carry a child to maturity in her
Some types of surrogacy refer to the genetic womb and is usually resorted to by higher income
circumstances and others types refer to the types infertile couples who can afford the cost involved
of arrangement (whether money involved or not). On or people who save or borrow in order to complete
the basis of genetic circumstances Surrogacy may their dream of being parents. This procedure is
be Natural (traditional / Straight) or Gestational. On legal in several countries including India.
the basis of types of arrangement it can be Altruistic Commercial surrogacy is also known as wombs
or Commercial. for rent, outsourced pregnancies or baby farms.
On the Basis of Genetic Circumstances Altruistic Surrogacy: Altruistic surrogacy is a
situation where the surrogate receives no financial
Natural (Traditional/ Straight) Surrogacy:
reward for her pregnancy or the relinquishment
It may be partial or total surrogacy. In traditional
of the child (although usually all expenses related
surrogacy the surrogate is pregnant with her own
to the pregnancy and birth are paid by the
biological child, but this child was conceived with
intended parents such as medical expenses,
the intention of relinquishing the child to be raised
by others such as the biological father and maternity clothing, accommodation, diet and other
possibly his spouse or partner and thus the child related expenses).
that results is genetically related to the Surrogate
Why Surrogacy needed?
mother. The child may be conceived via sexual
intercourse, home artificial insemination using The ever-rising prevalence of infertility world over
fresh or frozen sperm or impregnated via IUI has led to advancement of assisted reproductive
(Intrauterine Insemination), or ICI (Intracervical techniques (ART). The intended parents/
Insemination), which is performed at a fertility Commissioning Couple may enter into a surrogacy
clinic. Sperm from the male partner of the arrangement because of:
commissioning couple may be used, or Infertility: Female infertility, or other medical
alternatively, sperm from a sperm donor can be issues, which may make the pregnancy or delivery
used. Donor sperm will, for example, be used if
risky.
the 'commissioning couple' are both females or
where the child is commissioned by a single Risky pregnancy: The intended mother could
woman. also be fertile and healthy, and prefer the
convenience of someone else undergoing
Gestational Surrogacy: In gestational
pregnancy and labor for her.
surrogacy, a surrogate is only a carrier/female
host and is not genetically or biologically related Same sex couple: Surrogacy can help the same
to the child. The Surrogate is implanted with an sex couples realize their dream of having their
embryo that is not her own, and becomes own child which is otherwise not possible for them
pregnant with a child to which she is not the to have a child of their own by natural way.
biological mother. After birth, the surrogate Single parent: For those who want to fulfill
relinquishes the child to the biological mother their desire of having a child sans a partner,
and/or father to raise, or to the adoptive parent(s) surrogacy is a ray of hope.
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August (16 to 31), 2016 Current ANALYST
Is Surrogacy a new concept? countries including India. The surrogacy debate
started with the Baby Manji Yamada case in which
It is only in the last 20 years that surrogate
the commissioning parents divorced during the
motherhood has increasingly become an issue of
pregnancy and the commissioning mother refused
national and international public debate, after the
to accept the baby. The court finally granted custody
ART such as IVF etc was started, but Surrogacy has
to the babys grandmother. In 2008, another case,
also been seen around a long time and dates back
on the citizenship of surrogate babies, led the Gujarat
to biblical times, even around 4000 years ago. In
High Court to state that there is extreme urgency
ancient Hindu society there existed a practice known
to push through legislation which addresses issues
as Niyogpratha, wherein a woman who was childless
that arise out of surrogacy.
because her husband was impotent was allowed to
conceive through her brother-in-law. Niyogpratha was How did the provisions of draft ART Bill
surrogate fatherhood. The scholars of Islam have
2010 try to solve the issues?
pronounced a Fatwa regarding surrogacy; it is
considered illegal and immoral for a woman to carry The Indian government has drafted legislation,
the child of any man other than the husbands. The earlier floated in 2008, finally framed as ART
bible promotes the idea of surrogate motherhood. Regulation Draft Bill 2010. Some of the features
However, as far as earlier law of Christians is of proposed bill were:
concerned it promotes surrogate fatherhood. An authority at national and state level should be
In America, in the late 1970s to early 1980s constituted to register and regulate the I.V.F.
a lawyer named Noel Keane created the very first clinics and A.R.T centers, and a forum should be
surrogacy agency. In India it is just 20 years back created to file complaints for grievances against
that commercial surrogacy was allowed. clinics and ART centers.
The age of the surrogate mother should be
Why India is a surrogacy hub? 21-35 years, and she should not have delivered
India has become a favorite destination of more than 5 times including her own children.
fertility tourism. Each year, couples from abroad are Surrogate mother would not be allowed to
attracted to India by so-called surrogacy agencies undergo embryo transfer more than 3 times for
because cost of the whole procedure in India is as the same couple.
less as one third of what it is in United States and If the surrogate is a married woman, the consent
United Kingdom (10-20 lakhs). Indian clinics are at of her spouse would be required before she may
the same time becoming more competitive, not just act as surrogate to prevent any legal or marital
in the pricing, but in the hiring and retention of Indian dispute.
females as surrogates. Legal environment is
favorable. Therefore, it has emerged as an A surrogate should be screened for STD,
International Hub. communicable diseases and should not have
received blood transfusion in last 6 month as
What are the issues with present these may have an adverse bearing on the
regulation? pregnancy outcome.
All the expenses including insurance of surrogate
India has emerged as a surrogacy hub for
medical bill and other reasonable expenses
couples from different countries and there have
related to pregnancy and childbirth should be
been reported incidents concerning unethical
borne by intended parents.
practices, exploitation of surrogate mothers,
abandonment of children born out of surrogacy and A surrogacy contract should include life insurance
rackets of intermediaries importing human embryos cover for surrogate mother.
and gametes, highlighting the need to prohibit The surrogate mother may also receive monetary
commercial surrogacy and allow ethical altruistic compensation from the couple or individual as
surrogacy. the case may be for agreeing to act as such
The 228th report of the Law Commission of surrogate.
India has also recommended for prohibiting It is felt that to save poor surrogate mothers
commercial surrogacy and allowing ethical altruistic from exploitation, banks should directly deal with
surrogacy to the needy Indian citizens by enacting a surrogate mother, and minimal remuneration to
suitable legislation. The Supreme Court (2008) called be paid to the surrogate mother should be fixed
surrogacy a medical procedure legal in several by law.
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Current ANALYST August (16 to 31), 2016
The surrogacy arrangement should also provide What are the provisions of the Surrogacy
for financial support for the surrogate child in Bill 2016?
case the commissioning couple dies before
delivery of the child, or divorce between the A copy of the draft Bill has not been placed in
intended parents and subsequent willingness of the public domain. According to news reports, the
none to take delivery of the child so as to avoid features of the Bill include:
injustice to the child. Ban on commercial surrogacy: The Bill bans
A surrogate mother should not have any parental commercial surrogacy. Altruistic surrogacy would
rights over the child, and the birth certificate of be permitted on the fulfilment of certain
the baby should bear the names of intended conditions.
parents as parents in order to avoid any legal Regulation of surrogacy: The parentage of
complications. children born out of surrogacy should be legal
Guidelines dealing with legitimacy of the child born and transparent. Surrogacy Boards would be
through ART state that the child shall be established at the central level and state levels,
presumed to be the legitimate child of the and appropriate authorities in the union territories.
married/unmarried couple/single parent with all These bodies would regulate surrogacy services
the attendant rights of parentage, support, and in the country.
inheritance.
Eligibility to opt for surrogacy: Only childless
The ART clinics should not be allowed to advertise couples who have been married for at least five
for surrogacy for its clients, and couples should years would be eligible to go for altruistic surrogacy,
directly seek facilities of ART Bank.
provided that at least one of them is proven to
The intended parents should be legally bound to have fertility related issues.
accept the custody of the child/children
Married couples who have biological or adopted
irrespective of any abnormality in the child/
children, single people, live-in partners and
children.
homosexual persons would not be eligible to
Confidentiality should always be maintained, and opt for surrogacy. Foreign nationals would not
the right to privacy of the donor as well as
be allowed to commission surrogacies in India.
surrogate mother should be protected.
Surrogate mothers: Childless or unmarried
If a foreigner or NRI is seeking surrogacy, they
women would not be allowed to be surrogate
should enter an agreement with written guarantee
mothers. Surrogate mothers may only be close
of citizenship for the child from their government,
and they should also appoint a local guardian relatives, and would be permitted to be a
who would be legally responsible for taking care surrogate only once.
of the surrogate during and after the pregnancy Establishment of National Surrogacy Board
till the child is delivered to the foreigner couple or at the central level and State Surrogacy
reaches their country. Boards and Appropriate Authorities in the State
Sex-selective surrogacy should be prohibited, and and Union Territories.
abortions should be governed by the Medical
Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971. Why the new bill is getting opposition?
The Bill is still pending with Government and Economic impact: Economically poor women
has not been presented in the Parliament. The earn more than 10 years' worth of their regular
government has recently launched the draft salary for being surrogate, they are opposing
Surrogacy Bill, 2016. because their right to livelihood is being
hampered. It fulfills the deep seated wish for a
What is the aim of the Surrogacy Bill, 2016? family.
The Bill will regulate surrogacy in India by Adoption is not that easy: Contrary to sensible
establishing National Surrogacy Board at the central logic (there are many children in need of a home
level and State Surrogacy Boards and Appropriate - so adoption should be easy), being allowed to
Authorities in the State and Union Territories. The adopt a child is difficult and takes a long time.
legislation will ensure effective regulation of The whole paperwork process along with
surrogacy, prohibit commercial surrogacy and allow psychological evaluations and waiting list etc. may
ethical surrogacy to the needy infertile couples. take many years.
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August (16 to 31), 2016 Current ANALYST
Surrogate mothers are conscious of their Conclusion
choice: Under normal circumstances surrogate There is a strong need to modify and make the
mothers are very conscious of their decision to adoption procedure simple for all. This will bring down
carry someone else's child. They are well informed the rates of surrogacy. Altruistic and not commercial
and well paid. Most of these women have a surrogacy should be promoted. Laws should be
positive experience and feel satisfied in what they framed and implemented to cover the grey areas
perceive as an altruistic gesture (even though they and to protect the rights of women and children.
are getting paid). All the parties involved i.e There is a need to move for ethical surrogacy.
Intended Parents, Surrogate, Fertility specialists, Ethical Surrogacy includes a set of guidelines that
Lawyers, and Surrogacy agencies are benefitted. ensure that the welfare of the surrogate mother is
It also gives foreign currency to the country. given fundamental importance.
Following the law, the surrogacy will become a The components of Ethical Surrogacy are:
black market and more the exploitation will be. It is Providing the surrogate mother with 24/7 medical
against Human rights and fundamental right of care.
women to reproduce under Article 21. The High Court Providing clean and safe housing for the
of Madhya Pradesh has passed a landmark final surrogate.
judgment in the case of Sandesh Bansal v. Union of Continuing medical care and housing even after
India in 2008, recognizing that a womans right to the delivery.
survive pregnancy and childbirth is a fundamental Providing emotional and psychological support.
right protected under Article 21 of the Indian Respecting the surrogates rights to privacy.
Constitution. Indian medical practitioners are moving Offering the excellent compensation, including
from India to other fertility hubs such as Cambodia. non-cash options.
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What are Drones? UAVs with 3-D mapping technology had been
involved in Haitian relief efforts after Hurricane
Drones are unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) either
Sandy. They are in demand by farmers seeking to
controlled by pilots from the ground or increasingly,
manage far-flung crops and fields, by mining
autonomously following a pre-programmed mission.
companies monitoring changes to open pit mines,
Drones basically fall into two categories: those that
and by festivals to monitor crowd size for security
are used for reconnaissance and surveillance
purposes and those that are armed with missiles reasons. UAVs could also be useful in the delivery
and bombs. The use of drones has grown quickly in of small medical supplies, such as getting vaccines
recent years because unlike manned aircraft they to remote or hard to access areas.
can stay aloft for many hours; they are much cheaper Remote sensing: UAV remote sensing functions
than military aircraft and they are flown remotely so include electromagnetic spectrum sensors,
there is no danger to the flight crew. gamma ray sensors, biological sensors, and
chemical sensors. Biological sensors are sensors
The first tangible use of drones came to the
capable of detecting the airborne presence of
fore in 1998 when Bill Clinton's government lost
various microorganisms and other biological
precious manpower and money as it was trying to
factors. Chemical sensors use laser spectroscopy
trace al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Three years
to analyze the concentrations of each element in
later, in November 2001, the first assault using armed
the air.
drones was carried out when the US government
tracked and killed al-Qaeda military chief Mohammed Commercial aerial surveillance: Aerial
Atef in the rocky stretches of Afghanistan. surveillance of large areas is made possible with
low cost UAV systems. Surveillance applications
UAVs typically fall into one of six functional include livestock monitoring, wildfire mapping,
categories (although multi-role airframe platforms are pipeline security, home security, road patrol, and
becoming more prevalent): anti-piracy. Wildlife conservation, including tracking
Target and decoy providing ground and aerial Orangutans in Sumatra and monitoring several
gunnery a target that simulates an enemy aircraft endangered species. Namibia has teamed up with
or missile the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) to fly drones over
Reconnaissance providing battlefield intelligence national parks, in hope of spotting poachers, as
Combat providing attack capability for high-risk well as monitoring animals.
missions Infrastructure project monitoring: Real-time
Logistics UAVs specifically designed for cargo awareness and accuracy have always been
and logistics operation challenges on construction sites, and even if we
are only at the beginning of understanding what
Research and development used to further
can be automated, it seems that drones are able
develop UAV technologies to be integrated into
field deployed UAV aircraft to provide the data required at each phase of
the construction process. During the pre-
Civil and Commercial UAVs UAVs specifically construction phase, by providing better field data,
designed for civil and commercial applications drones can significantly improve the speed and
Societal applications of Drones quality of the design process. They are able to
capture high-resolution videos and images,
Drones are a rapidly growing form of technology, enabling 3D modelling and providing data about
used for numerous purposes outside the military. a sites initial status for investors and property.
Humanitarian projects: UAVs have increasingly Aerial shooting: The primary functionality of
been utilized for search and rescue operations drones for the media and entertainment industry
as well as for hurricane hunting. is aerial photography and filming. Drones can shoot
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August (16 to 31), 2016 Current ANALYST
commercials and movies; some prominent used satellite imagery. The main limitation was
examples of the latter in which drones were used that images had to be ordered in advance, could
are Skyfall, The Wolf of Wall Street and Harry Potter. be taken only once a day and were not very
They can prove useful in reporting events by precise. In addition, the services were extremely
capturing footage for news broadcasts, the BBC expensive and gave no guarantee of quality, which
being one company that has its own in-house drone could easily drop on a cloudy day. Today, drone
team; at sports competitions, for which they were technology offers a large variety of crop monitoring
already used during such prestigious events as the possibilities at a lower cost. Furthermore, drones
2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi; and for wildlife can be integrated at every stage of the crop
documentaries, including National Geographics use lifecycle, from soil analysis and seed planting to
of UAVs to film lions in Africa. Drones can also be choosing the right moment for harvesting.
used to shoot private events: Many video and Drones will allow farming to become a highly data-
photography companies now offer drones to driven industry, which eventually will lead to an
capture footage of special occasions. Using drones increase in productivity and yields. Due to their
can have numerous advantages over other ease of use and low cost, drones can be used
methods of capturing images. One is their lower for producing time series animations showing the
cost compared to planes or helicopters. Drones precise development of a crop. Such analysis
can also improve the quality of films and photos, could reveal production inefficiencies and lead to
in particular as the miniaturisation of technology better crop management.
makes it possible to place 4K cameras on these
devices. Drones can take shots from very close, Applications of Drones specific to India
as they make little noise, for example approaching Monitoring of naxal areas
athletes during sporting events without distracting
For a thickly populated country like India with
them. They can also take photos or videos at
tough terrains like the Himalayas, the use of drones,
unique angles, operating at a greater height than
also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or UAVs,
a crane but lower than a helicopter. Finally, they
can be many. Armed forces have been using drones
can capture footage that would otherwise not be
to counter insurgency in areas where human
available, by reaching remote locations: for
monitoring is a huge challenge due to rough weather
example, filming birds in the topmost branches of
conditions. Since the 1999 Kargil War against
a tree for a wildlife documentary.
insurgency attempts by neighbouring Pakistan and
Oil, gas and mineral exploration and the subsequent storming of the Indian Parliament in
production: UAVs can be used to perform Delhi in 2001, the Indian Army has acquired over
geophysical surveys, particular geomagnetic 100 UAVs.
surveys where the processed measurements of
the Earth's differential magnetic field strength are India has already stated its intent to get more
UAVs as combat weapon distributing vehicles for
used to calculate the nature of the underlying
border areas where road connectivity is a challenge.
magnetic rock structure. A knowledge of the
Interestingly, India accounts for 7% of global arms
underlying rock structure helps trained
imports over the past 7 years.
geophysicists to predict the location of mineral
deposits. The production side of oil and gas With Naxal/Maoist insurgency showing no signs
exploration and production entails the monitoring of letting up, the government is under huge pressure
of the integrity of oil and gas pipelines and related to deal with Naxal violence, which is threatening to
installations. For above-ground pipelines, this disrupt normal life in quite a few states. As the
monitoring activity could be performed using digital insurgents mostly operate under the green cover
cameras mounted on one or more UAVs. The (dense forests) or from other remote areas, drones
InView UAV is an example of a UAV developed for can send in crucial data related to people movement
use in oil, gas, and mineral exploration and and alert government agencies. This, in turn, can
production activities. save lives and resources deployed to remote areas
Crop supervision: Until now, the main obstacle to fight insurgency.
in farming has been the large area of farmed The data collected by drones can go straight to
land and low efficiency in crop monitoring. This the experts, without any human interference. It is
problem is exacerbated by increasingly no wonder, therefore, that the Panna National Park
unpredictable weather conditions, which increase in Madhya Pradesh had deployed these drones to
farming risk and field maintenance costs. Until capture tiger movement and also for tracking
recently, the most advanced form of monitoring poachers too.
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Current ANALYST August (16 to 31), 2016
Algal Bloom in India These blooms then spread into the central
Arabian Sea along with a whirling motion of waters
Harmful algal blooms (HAB), lethal for human
and currents. The blooms reach its peak spatial
beings and marine ecosystems alike, are steadily
distribution between November and February and
increasing in intensity in the Indian waters.
minimum in June to September.
Researchers have found out that the toxic blooms
had increased by around 15 per cent over the last Factors responsible for initiation and growth of
12 years in Indian seas. algal blooms are:
There were 80 harmful blooms between 1998 Enhanced cooling,
and 2010 in the Indian seas against the 38 that Vertical mixing,
took place between 1958 and 1997. The number of Favourable winds,
such blooms was just 12 between 1917 and 1957, Atmospheric deposition of the mineral aerosols
according to scientists. from surrounding deserts.
The blooms turn lethal for human beings when The Bay of Bengal is relatively free of algal
they consume marine organisms that feed on such blooms except off the GangesBrahmaputra
algae. Incidents of paralytic shell fish poisoning, Estuarine Frontal system and estuarine and coastal
following an algal bloom, was reported in 1981 from regions where nutrients are abundant supply.
Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Three
persons lost their lives and 85 were hospitalised in What is the Recent Development for
Tamil Nadu. detecting algal bloom?
In a similar incident at Vizhinjam in Kerala in An integrated optical system capable of
1997, seven persons died and around 500 were detecting and monitoring algal (or phytoplankton)
hospitalised. These people had consumed a mussel, blooms both spatially and temporally in coastal and
which had fed on toxic algae. Another bloom that hit open ocean waters has been developed by a team
Kerala in 2004 resulted in nauseating smell of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology
emanating from the coastal waters extending from (IIT), Madras.
Kollam to Vizhinjam. More than 200 persons suffered
The optical system provides an array of optical
from nausea and breathlessness for short duration
parameters and spatial information regarding algal
due to the foul smell. The bloom also resulted in
bloom density (chlorophyll) and their causative
massive death in the region.
algal species that are commonly seen in coastal
Upwelling, formation of mud banks, nutrient and oceanic waters around India, particularly in the
discharges from estuaries and run-off from the land Arabian Sea.
during southwest and northeast monsoons cause The limitations of the field-based techniques
some algae blooms in coastal waters. for studying algal blooms are:
The changing patterns of nutrient ratio of the Techniques are limited in time and space.
coastal and the open ocean waters due to
Being labour intensive.
anthropogenic activities, increased aquaculture
operations leading to enrichment of coastal waters, Time-consuming and expensive.
dispersal of toxic species through currents, storms, They cannot be used for monitoring large water
ship ballast waters and shell fish seeding activities bodies.
were some of the factors triggering the blooms. Thus the optical-detection system uses:
The ocean colour satellite data.
Why Algal Bloom Are Rising Especially In
the Arabian Sea? In situ measurements.
Underwater light field data collected from the field.
All the major algal blooms are predominantly
found to be associated with the cooler water masses Hence, the optical system is capable of detecting
of the western coast in the northern Arabian Sea. and classifying blooms present under water.
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JUVENILE JUSTICE
Context
Recently for the first time the Juvenile Justice Board has asked a child in conflict
with law (CCL) to face trial as an adult for allegedly kidnapping and gang-raping a
minor along with his friends in March this year.
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Some of the key provisions include: change in Several rehabilitation and social reintegration
nomenclature from juvenile to child or child in measures have been provided for children in
conflict with law, across the Act to remove the conflict with law and those in need of care and
negative connotation associated with the word protection. Under the institutional care, children
juvenile; inclusion of several new definitions such are provided with various services including
as orphaned, abandoned and surrendered education, health, nutrition, de-addiction,
children; and petty, serious and heinous offences treatment of diseases, vocational training, skill
committed by children; clarity in powers, function development, life skill education, counselling, etc
and responsibilities of Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) to help them assume a constructive role in the
and Child Welfare Committee (CWC); clear society. The variety of non-institutional options
timelines for inquiry by Juvenile Justice Board (JJB); include: sponsorship and foster care including
special provisions for heinous offences committed group foster care for placing children in a family
by children above the age of sixteen year; environment which is other than childs biological
separate new chapter on Adoption to streamline family, which is to be selected, qualified, approved
adoption of orphan, abandoned and surrendered and supervised for providing care to children.
children; inclusion of new offences committed
Several new offences committed against children,
against children; and mandatory registration of
Child Care Institutions. which are so far not adequately covered under
any other law, are included in the Act. These
Under Section 15, special provisions have been
include: sale and procurement of children for any
made to tackle child offenders committing heinous
purpose including illegal adoption, corporal
offences in the age group of 16-18 years. The
punishment in child care institutions, use of child
Juvenile Justice Board is given the option to
by militant groups, offences against disabled
transfer cases of heinous offences by such
children and, kidnapping and abduction of children.
children to a Childrens Court (Court of Session)
after conducting preliminary assessment. Since All child care institutions, whether run by State
this assessment will take place by the Board which Government or by voluntary or non-governmental
will have psychologists and social experts, it will organisations, which are meant, either wholly or
ensure that the rights of the juvenile are duly partially for housing children, regardless of whether
protected if he has committed the crime as a they receive grants from the Government, are to
child. The trial of the case will accordingly take be mandatorily registered under the Act within 6
place as a juvenile or as an adult on the basis of months from the date of commencement of the
this assessment. Preliminary assessment will be Act. Stringent penalty is provided in the law in
for a period of three months. The child will not case of non-compliance.
suffer from any disqualification that arises from
any conviction under the Act. Implications what if, juvenile has started
As per the provision, the records of any conviction count as adolescent in India?
will be destroyed after the expiry period of appeal, Many people worry about the brim- what
except in the case of heinous crimes. distinguishes a person who is 17 years and 11
The provisions provide for placing children in a months old and another who is 18 years and one
place of safety both during and after the trial till month old? 80 per cent of the juveniles who are
they attain the age of 21 years after which an released from adult prisons go on to commit more
evaluation of the child shall be conducted by the serious offences.
Childrens Court.
If juveniles in the age group of 16 to 18
After the evaluation, the child is either released years accused of heinous crimes under laws
on probation and if the child is not reformed then for adults.
the child will be sent to a jail for remaining term.
The law will act as a deterrent for child offenders It will create an adverse impact in rehabilitation
committing heinous offences such as rape and of juveniles in conflict with law.
murder and will protect the rights of victim. By approving the Bill, the government has
To streamline adoption procedures for orphan, accepted its failure to ensure rights to the children
abandoned and surrendered children, the existing in this country. The juveniles in the age group of
Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is 16-18 years will be in traumatic situation if they
given the status of a statutory body to enable it are brought before the criminal court for having
to perform its function more effectively. committed serious crimes. The basic premise to
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August (16 to 31), 2016 Current ANALYST
enact such a law is public anger over a recent hardened criminals, repeat offenders. Moreover,
crime pertaining to rape and murder. But such the childs brain at that age is still in its formative
step obviously will lead to retributive justice, not stage, they are not fully mature yet to understand
juvenile justice. the full implications of their action. It also goes
The discretionary powers will be given to Juvenile against the United Nations Convention on Child
Justice Board to transfer such juveniles to criminal Rights which mandates that 18 years is the cut-
court for trial and punishment. Since JJB is off age for children.
presided over by Chief Judicial Magistrate of the Law should include an age-gap provision to
district, one could assume that the chances of ensure there is no misuse against consenting
transfer of adolescents to adult court would adolescents. An age gap provision means that a
apparently be more. pre-determined age is treated as age of consent,
Harsh punishment cannot be a deterrent and this provided the gap in age with the sexual partner
in turn could make the juveniles hardcore is within a prescribed limit.
criminals, the proposed amendment of Juvenile Under Section 16(1), the Act permits juvenile who
Justice Act is retrogressive and would undermine has completed or is above the age of 16, to be
the basic objectives of the Act. tried as adults for heinous offences. This
Children aged between 16 and 18 are forced to particular amendment shook the audience who
commit the crime at the behest of others, the expected a reformatory approach from the
amendment could not be construed as legislature. According to them, it not only violates
reformative in nature. The essence of Juvenile Article-14 of the Constitution, but beats the
Justice Act is to reform but this amendment goes purpose of the Indian justice system with regard
against the spirit of the Act. to juveniles i.e. to bring reformation and
Adolescents are less culpable than adults because rehabilitation. Though around 90% of the brain
adolescent criminal conduct is driven by transitory gets developed by the age of six, but the fine
influences that are constitutive of this tuning and cognitive maturity of the brain
developmental stage. By nature of their psycho- continues breaking the barriers of such age bars.
biological profile, adolescents are greatly Under this new legislation, a preliminary inquiry
influenced by their environment, and too immature will be conducted by the Boards to determine
to weigh the consequences of their actions. whether a juvenile offender is to be sent for
Juveniles are more susceptible to negative rehabilitation or be tried as an adult. Section-
influences and pressure, are less likely to focus 19(3) says that the enquiry will be assisted by
on future outcomes, are less risk-averse than experienced psychologists, psycho-social workers
adults, have poor impulse control, and evaluate and other experts. This provision may affect the
risks and benefits differently all of which pre- presumption of innocence and lead to
dispose them to make poor decisions. Similarly, disproportionate procedure and arbitrariness
the brutality of a juvenile is no indicator that they under the constitution.
cannot be reformed as responsible citizens of Psychologically, researchers have clearly found that
the nation. older adolescents (14-17) are actually more prone
A stringent law against child sexual abuse that to reckless behaviour. In fact, the act of engaging
could end up incarcerating adolescents indulging in such high-risk crimes only points towards a
in consensual sexual experimentation. lack of maturity, rather than an excess of it.
Act can be misused by families or police to Instead of creating an enabling environment for
victimise teenage boys and girls for indulging in our children to grow, as a society we are failing
sexual exploration. Both rape and kidnapping them and punishing them.
charges can lead to a seven-year sentence or Juveniles between the ages of 16 and 18,
more. accused of heinous offences like rape, murder,
It is regressive because all studies show a high acid attack, dacoity, will now be subjected to a
rate of recidivism if you treat juveniles as adults, preliminary assessment to gauge their mental
Indian jails are universities of crime. Such and physical capacity to commit such offence,
legislation would put us on par with countries like ability to understand the consequences of the
Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen. offence, and the circumstances in which the
If a child less than 18 years is subjected to a offences were committed.
normal trial and a normal jail, there remains no The children who are alleged or found to be in
chance of rehabilitation; they often turn into conflict with law, it can be seen that most of
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BIOFORTIFICATION
Context
The recent scientific study has stated that the Machine-polished grains are poorer
in such micronutrients thus biofortification is must to meet the challenge of
malnutrition.
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Conclusion nutrition remains a sufficient and diverse diet for
the worlds population. However, biofortified crops
Biofortified crops, either by conventional
can complement existing micronutrients interventions;
breeding methods or by modern biotechnological
can have a significant impact on the lives and health
tools, are not a panacea. The ultimate aim in global
of millions of people, especially those most in need.
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The Municipal Corporation in India is the highest (ULBs). However, it did not prescribe the manner of
form of municipal government designed for the election, tenure or powers of the Mayors/
administration of civic affairs of top class cities in Chairpersons of ULBs. The bill seeks to alter this
the country. system.
The bill aims to establish strong leadership for
About Municipal Corporation
cities by providing for a directly elected and
The Municipal Corporation consists of a empowered Mayor. It also touches the right notes
committee which includes a Mayor with Councillors. on other key urban governance reforms such as
The Corporations provide necessary community mandating the constitution of Area Sabhas and Ward
services to the Metropolitan Cities. The Mayor heads committees and strengthening the devolution of
the Municipal Corporation. The corporation remains functions to local governments.
under the charge of Municipal Commissioner. The It mandates the direct election of the Mayor,
Executive Officers along with the Mayor and fixes the Mayors term to be coterminous with that
Councillors monitor and implement the programs of the municipality, and makes the Mayor the
related to planning the development of the executive head of the municipality. Vesting the
corporation. The number of Councillors also depends executive powers of the municipality with the Mayor
upon the area and population of the city. In India, would be a very positive move.
the four metropolitan cities; Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata
and Chennai, have the largest corporations. How is the present system of Indirectly
The elections to the Municipal Corporations are elected system of Mayor?
conducted under the guidance, direction, Most Indian cities still follow the
superintendence and control of the State Election Commissionerate system of municipal administration,
Commission. The corporations fall under the State a British legacy, in which the State government-
government jurisdiction, therefore there are no appointed Commissioner is the executive head of
uniform provisions for the election of the municipal the city while the Mayor has a largely ceremonial
bodies. role.
Why there is a debate on directly elected In a democracy, executive power should vest
Mayor? with a person or a body that is democratically
accountable. However, this does not necessitate the
Indian cities have a weak and fragmented Mayor to be directly elected. After all, we do not
institutional architecture in which multiple agencies directly elect the Prime Minster or the Chief Minister.
with different bosses pull the strings of city Still they enjoy wide powers and are democratically
administration. Understandably, the most touted accountable.
urban governance reform is that of having a directly
elected Mayor. Can direcly elected mayors solve the
Mayoral reform has now made its way into problem?
Parliament with Shashi Tharoor introducing a private Mayors do not enjoy similar powers not because
members bill to amend the Constitution for they are not directly elected, but because State
strengthening local governments. governments exercise enormous control over ULBs
politically, administratively and financially.
What can be an Empowered Mayor?
For responsive urban governance, we need a
The passage of the 74th Constitution powerful political executive in the city with
Amendment in 1992 resulted in Urban Local Bodies more autonomy, whether directly or indirectly elected.
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An empowered executive at the city can Essentially, it centralises power in the hands of
also be achieved through an indirectly elected the Mayor and his nominees and creates a political
Mayor-in-Council system in which, much like the executive which neither enjoys the support of the
cabinet system in Parliament, the Mayor has to elected council nor needs its acquiescence for taking
maintain the support of the majority of the council. decisions.
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estimate of average profit of the last three years), Respective Discoms will be provided hand-holding
the capital requirement of extra capital for the next towards enabling early reforms.
four years up to FY 2019 is likely to be about Rs. Strengthening Risk Control Measures and
1,80,000 Crore. NPA Disclosures.
Government estimate that PSBs market Besides the recovery efforts under the DRT &
valuations will improve significantly due to SARFAESI mechanism the following additional steps
Far reaching governance reforms. have been taken to address the issue of NPAs:
Tight NPA management and risk controls. RBI has released guidelines for Early Recognition
Significant operating improvements. of Financial Distress, Prompt Steps for Resolution
and Fair Recovery forLenders: Framework for
Capital allocation from the government.
Revitalizing Distressed Assets in the
Improved valuations coupled with value Economysuggesting various steps for quicker
unlocking from non-core assets as well as recognition and resolution of stressed assets.
improvements in capital productivity, will enable PSBs
Creation of a Central Repository of Information
to raise the remaining Rs. 1,10,000 crore from the on Large Credits (CRILC) by RBI to collect, store,
market. and disseminate credit data to banks on credit
De-Stressing PSBS exposures of Rs. 5 crore and above,
The infrastructure and core sectors have been Flexible Structuring of Loan Term Project Loans
the major recipient of PSBs funding during the past to Infrastructure and Core Industries.
decades. But due to several factors, projects are Wilful Default/Non-Cooperative Borrowers: RBI
increasingly stalled/stressed thus leading to NPA has now came out with new category of borrower
burden on banks. In a recent review, problems called Non-Cooperative borrower. A non-
causing stress in the power, steel and road sectors cooperative borrower is a borrower who does not
were examined. provide information on its finances to the banks.
It was observed that the major reasons affecting Banks will have to do higher provisioning if they
these projects were - give fresh loan to such a borrower.
RBI has tightened the norms for Asset
Delay in obtaining permits / approvals from various
Reconstruction Companies (ARCs). This step will
governmental and regulatory agencies.
increase the cash stake of ARCs in the assets
Land acquisition. purchased bythem. Further, by having more cash
Delaying Commercial Operation Date (COD). up front, the banks will have better incentiveto
Lack of availability of fuel, both coal and gas. clean their balance sheet.
Cancellation of coal blocks. Establishment of six New Debt Recovery Tribunals
Closure of Iron Ore mines affecting project viability. DRTs.
Lack of transmission capacity. Empowerment
Limited off-take of power by Discoms given their The Government has issued a circular that there
reducing purchasing capacity. will be no interference from Government and Banks
are encouraged to take their decision independently
Funding gap faced by limited capacity of
keeping the commercial interest of the organisation
promoters to raise additional equity and
in mind.
reluctance on part of banks to increase their
exposure given the high leverage ratio. A cleaner distinction between interference and
Inability of banks to restructure projects even intervention has been made. With autonomy comes
when found viable due to regulatory constraints. accountability, accordingly Banks have been asked
to build robust Grievances Redressal Mechanism for
Some of the actions proposed / undertaken customers as well as staff so that concerns of the
are as follows:- affected are addressed effectively in time bound
Project Monitoring Group (Cab. Sectt.) / manner.
Respective Ministries will pursue with concerned
The Government intends to provide greater
agencies to facilitate issue of pending approval/
flexibility in hiring manpower to Banks. The
permits expeditiously.
Government is committed to provide required
Ministry of Coal/PNG will evolve policies to address professionals as NoDs to the Board so that well-
long-term availability offuel for these projects. informed and well-discussed decisions are taken.
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The government's push to rework the functioning Other Loopholes
of the five public sector banks where private There is no reference at all to disinvestment, in
sector executives were invited to apply for CEO's any way, shape or form.
post has also not made any headway so far. Only
Bank of Baroda got a CEO from the private sector, Regarding capital infusion, whether the
while the other four - Canara Bank, IDBI Bank, government will infuse money to the PSBs
PNB and Bank of India - had to make do with according to their performance is not mentioned.
public sector executives. The banks have been Rather than giving capital to all the PSBs,
grappling with high NPA levels, leaving them little government should have given it according to the
time to revamp operations. At BoB, there are performance of the PSBs in a year.
murmurs of protest over the entry of private About 80,000 employees are expected to retire
sector executives. in coming two years. And some more are expected
to retire in coming years. So, there is an
opportunity for government to restructure banks,
but such a measure is not mentioned.
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there is one dam that China never managed to get shorter, cheaper trade route to Europe. As an added
built i.e. the Myitsone Dam in Myanmar. benefit, the Myitsone project and, more broadly,
Chinas relationship with Myanmar would advance
The Myitsone Dam was to stand at the
Chinas ambition of challenging Indias advantage
headwaters of the Irrawaddy River, Myanmars
around the Indian Ocean.
lifeline. It was designed as a hydroelectric power
project, which would generate energy for export to But in 2011, just two years after the $3.6 billion
China, at a time when Myanmars economy depended project got underway, Myanmars government
on China. Later Myanmar faced crippling United suddenly suspended the dams construction. Moving
States led sanctions and broad international isolation toward democratic reform, Myanmar government was
in the period when it was under Military Rule. eager to cast off the view of Myanmar as a Chinese
client state.
Myanmars reversal on the Myitsone Dam
became a watershed moment for the countrys
democratic transition. It helped to bring an end to
Myanmars international isolation, and an easing of
the long-standing Western sanctions that made
Myanmar so dependent on China in the first place.
In 2012, Barack Obama became the first US
president ever to visit Myanmar.
Last year, Myanmar elected its first civilian-led
government. The National League for Democracy,
led by the former political prisoner Aung San Suu
Fig. 15 Kyi, won the election with a landslide victory.
Where others saw human-rights violations, Alongside all of this democratic progress,
China saw an opportunity to advance its own however, Myanmars relations with China cooled
strategic and resource interests. When the Myitsone considerably. After work on the Myitsone Dam halted,
Dam project was introduced, China was also several other dam and energy projects were also put
establishing a foothold in Myanmars Kyaukpyu port on hold, though Chinese firms did manage to complete
on the Bay of Bengal, from which it would build multibillion-dollar oil and gas pipelines from Myanmars
energy pipelines to southern China. western coast to southern China in 2013-14.
Aung San SuuKyi government
has already set up an investigation
committee to look for an
appropriate resolution to the
Myitsone dam issue.
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The proposed 2,800-km long economic corridor Linking China to Europe through Central Asia and
will traverse from Kolkata via Benapole/Petrapole on Russia.
the India-Bangladesh border to Dhaka and Sylhet Connecting China with the Middle East through
before again entering India near Silchar in Assam. Central Asia.
After coursing through Imphal, it moves to the Tamu- Bringing together China and Southeast Asia, South
Kalewa friendship road in Myanmar. After crossing Asia and the Indian Ocean.
Mandalay and Tengchong the road will reach Kunming. The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road,
meanwhile, focusses on using Chinese coastal
ports to Link China with Europe through the South
China Sea and Indian Ocean and to connect China
with the South Pacific Ocean through the South
China Sea.
The five major goals of the Belt and Road
Initiative are:
Policy co-ordination,
Facilities connectivity,
Unimpeded trade,
Financial integration,
Fig. 17 Fig: BCIM corridor People-to-people bonds.
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Fig. 18
How the Belt and Road Initiative can as shipping and is a more effective method of
develop Myanmar? moving hi-tech and automotive parts.
New road, rail, and air Infrastructure provides the Myanmar is strategically located between two
central city of Kunming better access, economic giants China and India, and offers
particularly ocean access, to the likes of Myanmar, access to a 2.3 billion consumer base across all
India, and Europe. its neighboring countries. Additionally, in the
domestic market, opportunities abound for
Deep water port facilities and oil & gas
investors in the booming automotive, construction,
pipeline at Kyaukpyu in Myanmar, connecting
and electronic sectors, with demand being largely
Yunnan Province and have already seen the start
met through imports currently.
of shipping direct from China to Kyaukpyu via the
Malacca Straits. This has significantly reduced Conclusion
steam time as they can now bypass Singapore,
but does not address the security and other issues China is expected to play a more constructive
associated with the Straits. role in Myanmars change through its industrial focus
The Kyaukphyu / Yunnan Province pipeline is in Myanmar from energy and minerals to
indicative of how China is using infrastructure infrastructure and labor-intensive agriculture.
development within Myanmar to promote energy Strategic change is also feasible as more education
security. and medical training for local staff from commercial
ventures will boost China's soft power in the country
Dawei port development with related improved and beyond.
infrastructure linking it with Bangkok, again
improving shipping and transport times. Furthermore, the strategic interests of China in
The opening of the Chongqing rail route, the terms of securing its energy future, including the
cheapest of 5 railway routes from China to Europe, new Silk Road and bringing much needed
with this mode of transport being twice as fast development in rural areas, would see Myanmar as
a central and key player.
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Maldives Investment Forum: Besides that the On December 5, 2014, India dispatched water
preparations for the Maldives Investment Forum aid to the Maldivian capital of Male, after a fire
which is to be held in New Delhi later this year destroyed the generator of its biggest water treatment
was discussed. plant.
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Rising religious radicalism and extremism on the nonalignment and the Indian Ocean as a zone of
shores of the ocean and in its hinterland. peace. Malabar exercises have further boosted
The oil wealth of the Persian Gulf, their confidence in each other, where Japan has
The proliferation of conventional military power also now become a regular participant.
and nuclear weapons among the regions states Thirdly, India is also concerned by the threat
and posed by Pakistan which has become the
epicenter of world terrorism. The 26/11 terror
Smooth accessibility of key straits.
attacks on Mumbai had originated from that
A number of countries of this region are afflicted country.
with poverty, backwardness, fundamentalism,
The fourth motive of India in this region is to
terrorism or internal insurgency. There are lingering
ensure its energy security. India is the fourth
territorial and maritime disputes and most of the
largest economy of the world which is almost 70
conflicts since the end of the Cold War have also
percent dependent on foreign oil and this
taken place in or around this region. In this kind of
dependence is only likely to increase in future.
situation, it is only natural that India believes that
Moreover, India also has to protect its offshore
their security would be best guaranteed by enlarging
oil and gas fields.
its security perimeter and by achieving a position of
influence in the Indian Ocean region. Finally, there are also important commercial
reasons to pursue a robust Indian Ocean strategy.
Recommendations for Indian Ocean Strategy Indias other trade and commerce is dependent
Firstly, Indias maritime security perimeter on the Indian Ocean. The maritime arc from the
extends from the Strait of Malacca to the Strait Gulf through the Straits of Malacca to the Sea of
of Hormuz and from the coast of Africa to the Japan is the equivalent of the New Silk Route
western shores of Australia. It would be only and total trade on this arc is U.S. $1,800 billion.
desirable for India that it takes a leadership role Besides, large number of Indians lives in the Gulf
in the region and becomes the predominant and Arab countries. Their remittances play an
influence. important role in the Indian economy.
Secondly, Indias goal in the region could be to
Conclusion
ensure that present and potential role of external
powers in the Indian Ocean does not jeopardize Keeping these interests in view, India is pursuing
Indian security. a variety of policies aimed at improving its strategic
In near future Indias concern about the external situation. It is forging a web of partnerships with
powers seem related to China and the US though Maldives and other littoral states and major external
the recent development in India-US ties has powers to increase its influence in the region. These
moderated Indias sensitivity to the US presence partnerships take the shape of trade agreements,
in the Arabian Sea. India now also seems to have direct investment, military exercises, aid funds, energy
moved away from the traditional rhetoric of cooperation and infrastructure building.
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A. 4-D PRINTING: FUTURE OF SHAPE- with ease and agility. 4D Printing is the first of its
CHANGING MATERIALS kind to offer this exciting capability of being dynamic,
adaptable and tunable for on-demand performance.
What is 4D Printing?
Future application can be in the field of -
4D printing is a term used for self assembling
materials. Self assembly means a material can change Textile Industry: Suppose you are buying a dress
its shape after it is manufactured. For example, a thing online that takes shape in front of your eyes in
is 3D printed and later once it is exposed to heat, the your living room using a scan of the customers
strand of material will become a sphere. body, the dress could be designed to fit perfectly.
A computer model would then compress the design
How does it work? into the smallest possible space to fit inside a
Researchers are combining different types of normal 3D printer. The customer would simply
download the design, print it and unfurl it.
plastics and fibres to create smart materials that
can change shape when they come into contact with Army manoeuvres: The U.S. Army has given a
stimuli such as heat or water. Objects designed in grant to Harvard University explore ways the
this way can expand, fold or unfurl into pre-designed military could use self-assembling objects, raising
forms after being printed. the possibility of shelters or bridges that spring
into shape
How is its different from 3D printing? Further there is possibility of application in
3D printing or additive manufacturing is a Aerospace, automotive, building industries
process of making three dimensional solid objects etc.
from a digital file.
B. BIO CNG
In an additive process an object is created by
laying down successive layers of material until the What is Bio-CNG?
object is created. Each of these layers can be seen CNG generated from agricultural waste is known
as a thinly sliced horizontal cross-section of the as Bio-CNG.
eventual object.
How is it processed?
4D printing is advancement over 3D. 3D printed Biogas is a combustible mixture of gases
materials can be made more flexible and more useful consists mainly of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide
by using structures that can transform over time in (CO2) and is formed from the anaerobic bacteria
a pre-programmed way. decomposition of organic compounds, i.e. without
Who founded the concept of 4D Printing? oxygen. The gases formed are the waste products
of the respiration of these decomposer
Skylar Tibbits, from the Massachusetts Institute microorganisms and the composition of the gases
of Technology (MIT), is pioneering the research in 4D depends on the substance that is being decomposed.
printing with Stratasys, a digital manufacturing The resulting bio-methane is subsequently brought
company. to a high pressure stage. It is then known as bio-
What are its future applications? CNG (compressed natural gas), whose quality is similar
to that of fossil natural gas.
4D printing is not commercially available today
but in the near future self-assembly will bring a whole Why do we need to process Bio-Gas?
innovative world of manufacturing with minimum Earlier, the industries used to flare the biogas
energy. As environmental, economic, human and into the atmosphere by burning it, which releases
other constraints continue to fluctuate, we will some elements like carbon dioxide and hydrogen
eventually need dynamic systems that can respond sulphide into atmosphere harming the environment.
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Current ANALYST August (16 to 31), 2016
The idea of using agricultural residue for It is the greenest vehicle fuel, resulting in
generation of CNG was considered after the problem significant carbon footprint reduction.
of disposal of agricultural waste was surfaced as a
major concern in the country as 600 million tonnes C. DNA PROFILING
of agricultural waste is generated per year in the What is DNA?
country. With very few uses of this waste, most of
it gets wasted. For example, Bagasse which is Every cell of the human body from hair to blood,
generated after crushing of sugarcane is mostly used skin and tears, contains deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
as dry fodder for the mills. DNA contains genetic instructions for the
development and functioning of human beings and
Where is first Bio CNG Plant inaugrated?
it is generally associated with the long-term storage
Recently, Indias first bio-CNG plant is of information. DNA being present in every part of
inaugurated in Pirangut, Pune. Plant is the body provides accurate information while
commissioned by city-based Primove Engineering identification.
Private Limited. The plant has been set up as a
Proof of Concept (PoC) which can be replicated What is DNA profiling?
elsewhere. Scientists developed a technique called DNA
fingerprinting in 1985 which later came to known as
OTHER BIO-CNG Operations the DNA profiling. Modern-day DNA profiling is a very
sensitive technique which only needs a few skin cells,
The Amul Dairy was the first in India's food
a hair root or a tiny amount of blood or saliva to
industry to start a fully automated bio-CNG
identify individuals.
generation and bottling plant to utilize energy
from its plant's waste. Why do we need this technology?
Amul adopted medium pressure swing DNA profiling is especially useful for solving
adsorption (MPSA) technology to convert crimes but can also be used to confirm if people are
biogas into bio-CNG. For every litre of milk related to each other, such as for paternity testing.
that is processed at the dairy, one litre water
(two million litre a day) is used for chemical
DNA Profiling in Pathankot Operations
cleaning of plant and machinery. This water
has residual milk solids which earlier emitted In the Pathankot Operations, NSG blowed away
2,500 cubic metre of methane per day with 60 the building where terrorists were hiding. To
to 65% purity. identify them through their charred remains, the
National Investigation Agency (NIA) attempted
Now, the raw biogas from digesters is first
to determine the DNA profile of the terrorists.
collected in double membrane raw biogas balloon
having capacity 1,000 cubic metre. From raw The charred remains collected were sent for
biogas balloon, it is transferred for purification. forensic examination. The tests conducted at
the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL),
Chandigarh, concluded that the burnt mass
How is the Performance of Bio CNG?
material belonged to two men.
There are examples of use of bio-CNG as
automobile fuel in Europe but this will be the first
time such a technology will be used in India. During What are the recent developments?
the trial run, the Bio-CNG was tested in at least Recently, a study concluded that DNA Profiling
seven different kinds of vehicles which ranged from could be replaced by Hair Proteins. Hair contains
auto rickshaws to buses to test the fuel. Mileage for certain protein (mainly known as keratin) which is
vehicles was the same or better than the ones used for identifying purposes.
achieved by using normal CNG.
Proteins are chemically more stable and
The benefits are:
environmentally persistent than DNA. The hair protein
It is approximately half the cost of gasoline and analysis is proving to be more accurate than the
diesel and less than other types of CNG fuel. DNA profiling tests. This method could be beneficial
It complies with engine manufacturers warrantees. to various archaeologists and even investigators can
Vehicle performance is similar to that of gasoline, more easily trace lineage and solve long-undiscovered
diesel and NG fuels. mysteries.
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August (16 to 31), 2016 Current ANALYST
D. SCRAMJET ENGINE How does it work?
What is Scramjet Engine? Scramjet engine designed by ISRO, uses
hydrogen as fuel and the oxygen from the
A scramjet (supersonic combusting ramjet)
atmospheric air as the oxidiser. The scramjet engine
is a variant of a ramjet air-breathing jet engine in
is used only during the atmospheric phase of the
which combustion takes place in supersonic airflow.
rockets flight.
As in ramjets, a scramjet relies on high vehicle speed
to forcefully compress the incoming air before Why is it useful?
combustion, but a ramjet decelerates the air to Scramjet engines will help bringing down launch
subsonic velocities before combustion, while airflow cost by reducing the amount of oxidiser to be carried
in a scramjet is supersonic throughout the entire along with the fuel. Scramjet engine in flight is an
engine. This allows the scramjet to operate efficiently important milestone in ISROs endeavour towards
at extremely high speeds. its future space transportation system.
Comparative Designs of:
Turbojet Engine Things to know about ISRO's scramjet
Ramjet Engine engine launch
Scramjet Engine With this, India became the fourth country to
demonstrate the flight testing of a scramjet
engines. This mission is a milestone for ISROs
future space transportation system.
India successfully tests its own scramjet engine
in flight on board an Advanced Technology
Vehicle (ATV) rocket. Two scramjet engines
were tested during the flight from Sriharikota.
The ATV rocket weighed 3,277 kg during lift-
off.
The ATV vehicle, which touched down in the
Bay of Bengal approximately 320 km from
Sriharikota after a flight of 300 seconds, was
successfully tracked during its flight from the
ground stations at Sriharikota.
With this, the ISRO had successfully
demonstrated its capabilities in critical
technologies like ignition of air breathing engines
at supersonic speed, air intake mechanism and
fuel injection systems.
Fig. 20
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