• Date of Notification for 2011 TNPSC Combined Subordinate Services Examination is on 30-12-2010
• Last date for receipt of applications for 2011 TNPSC Combined Subordinate Services Examination is on 11-02-2011 5.45 P.M
• Date of Written Examination for 2011 TNPSC Combined Subordinate Services Examination is on 12-06-2011 between 10.00 A.M to 1.00 P.M

As 2010 draws to a close, we reflect on the year that was and the years that will be—who came to our attention this year (or who continued in our gaze) and will be making an impact on our lives in the years to come. The list of potential figures to make our group of 10 was long, and in the end we fudged, selecting seven individuals and three pairs for a total of 13 people. Still, left off the list are some people who will raise an eyebrow, we’re sure—and that’s the fun of it for both our readers and us. (Who know who they are) But, in this list we’ve drawn from various walks of life—some people who you know very well and who were in the media glare and others that perhaps are lesser known but who you should know. Creating lists such as these is entirely subjective, of course, and we invite you to offer your voice in the comment below on who we missed. Maybe they’ll make the class of 2011.

Julian Assange

Born July 3, 1971, in Townsville, Queensland, Australian computer programmer Julian Assange, the founder and public face of media organization and Web site WikiLeaks, made a splash earlier this year with the publication of almost half a million documents related to the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Last month, the clearinghouse for classified information began publishing secret U.S. diplomatic cables that covered, among other issues, U.S. policy toward Iran and detailed observations by U.S. diplomats of world leaders, including Vladimir Putin, Silvio Berlusconi, and Muammar al-Qaddafi. Some in the United States called him a terrorist and sought his extradition for criminal prosecution, but efforts to thwart WikiLeaks boomeranged, as his supporters began cyberattacks against credit card companies and Web sites that moved against Assange. Today, Assange is wanted by Swedish authorities for questioning in connection with sexual assault charges, and he was arrested in Britain earlier this month. What’s in store for Assange in the future—prison or freedom—may well be answered in 2011.

Kathryn Bigelow

Born on November 27, 1951, in San Carlos, California, the American film director and screenwriter Kathryn Bigelow became in March the first woman to win an Academy Award for best director, for her 2008 film The Hurt Locker, which won despite just an $11 million budget and a cast mostly devoid of stars. In winning the award, she beat out James Cameron, her ex-husband, who had been nominated for the special-effects extravaganza Avatar. Her previous credits included Point Break (1991), The Weight of Water (2000), and The Widowmaker (2002). Will she be able to follow-up this success with another? Possibly, since in 2011 she’ll be busy at work directing Triple Frontier, which will be starring Tom Hanks and possibly Johnny Depp and even Leo DiCaprio.

John Boehner

Some of his critics might deride him as the “weeper of the House,” because of his tendency to break into tears, and his “hell no you can’t” rant (about 3:30 into the video) on the House floor this past year was a YouTube sensation, but next year the Republican congressman, born on November 17, 1949, in Cincinnati, Ohio, will take the speaker’s gavel from Nancy Pelosi for the start of the 112th Congress. Two years ago, the Republicans looked like a spent force, as the Democrat had taken the White House and decisive majorities in the U.S. House and Senate, but behind the leadership of Boehner and others, the Republicans scored major victories in 2010, capturing a net of more than 60 seats in the House and winning back control. Boehner served as majority leader in the House in 2006 and as minority leader since 2007 and was previously perhaps best known for his role in passing No Child Left Behind in 2001 and for handing out checks from tobacco lobbyists on the House floor. Now, emboldened by Tea Party activists and sworn to try to repeal health care reform and to stop Barack Obama’s agenda, what’s next for American politics largely rests on the decisions that Boehner will make in 2011 and 2012.

Ursula Burns

Born on September 20, 1958, in New York, Ursula Burns made history in 2010 when she was appointed CEO of Xerox Corporation, thus becoming the first African American woman to serve as CEO of a Fortune 500 company and the first female to accede to the position of CEO of such a company from another female (Anne Mulcahy). Earlier in 2010 Burns had been appointed by U.S. Pres. Barack Obama to serve as vice-chair of the President’s Export Council (PEC), a group of labour, business, and government leaders who advise the president on methods to promote the growth of American exports. Burns was widely credited with increasing the company’s development, production, and sales of colour-capable devices. Whether the Columbia University-educated Burns will continue to lift Xerox’s fortunes in 2011 will be something worth watching.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg

For those observers predicting a hung Parliament in Great Britain for the May 6 general election, it was considered most likely that Conservative leader David Cameron would lead a minority government or perhaps Labour might cling to power as a minority government with support from Nick Clegg and his Liberal Democrats—or perhaps try to form a center-left coalition. When Nick Clegg and David Cameron emerged to announce that they would create a formal coalition government, with Clegg as deputy prime minister, the political establishment was stunned. While Cameron and Clegg appear to be getting on quite well, tensions have begun to become apparent, especially recently over the rise in tuition fees, and in 2011 the government will begin implementing its austerity budget, potentially fraying Clegg’s support among his own backbenchers. Indeed, 2011 may prove pivotal for the future of the Liberal Democrats and whether they will be able to retain their seats and position at the next election or whether they will fall back to where they were in the 1980s. For Cameron and his budget chief George Osborne, this is the year when they might see themselves solidify the position of the Conservatives or lose ground to Ed Miliband’s Labour Party.

Sylvie Kauffmann

Newspapers, like most traditional print publishers, have been going through a period of transition the past decades, and in France Sylvie Kauffmann was tapped in 2010 to leader the country’s leading newspaper, Le Monde, through its next period of transformation. Born in Marseilles on October 30, 1955, in 2010 Kauffmann became the first woman to lead Le Monde in the papers 66-year history. This decade, Le Monde suffered a series of woes, including a drop in sales, internal struggles, and the threat of recapitalization, which ultimately ended journalists’ long-standing majority ownership (2010). In 1987 she joined Le Monde, and in 1993 she was transferred to the United States, where she served as Washington correspondent and then New York bureau chief (1996–2001). She was widely noted for her objective reporting on American affairs, and in 2002 she wrote a prizewinning series of articles about life in the U.S. following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. After serving as deputy executive editor (2004–06), Kauffmann worked as a senior correspondent covering Southeast Asia.

Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Eun

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula boiled over in 2010, when North Korea began shelling a South Korean island following the commencement of South Korean military exercises. Reading North Korea is as much an art as a science, and some observers saw in that move an attempt by ailing North Korean leader Kim Jong Il to strengthen the position of his youngest son and chosen successor Kim Jong Eun (also spelled Kim Jung Un). Not much is known of the younger Kim, who is thought to have been born in 1983, but by mid-2009 it became clear that he was being groomed to replace his father, being referred to within the country by the title “Brilliant Comrade.” In September 2010 Kim Jong-un was given the rank of four-star general, even though he was not known to have had any previous military experience. The timing of the appointment was considered significant, as it came shortly before the first general meeting of the ruling Korean Workers’ Party since the session in 1980 at which his father had been named Kim Il-sung’s successor. With North Korea’s nuclear program still under scrutiny from the outside, and after last year’s artillery shelling by the North and its torpedoing of a South Korean naval vessel—not to mention North Korea revealing a vast facility for the enrichment of uranium in November 2010 and the continued economic disaster in the North—the world will be reading the runes in North Korea to see how the transition is going.

Lady Gaga

On January 31, 2010, the now-24-year-old Lady Gaga opened the Grammy Awards telecast with an explosive production of her hit single “Poker Face” followed by a more subdued two-piano duet with Sir Elton John of a fusion of her “Speechless” and his “Your Song.” From her two Grammy wins (for best electronic/dance album and best dance recording [for “Poker Face”]) to her three Brit Awards in February, her eight wins at the Video Music Awards in September, her triumph as favorite female artist at the American Music Awards in November, and her selection as Billboard’s Artist of the Year in December, 2010 was in many ways the year of Gaga. With her sold-out concert tour, her headlining of Lollapalooza, and her concert in front of 20,000 of her “little monsters” on the Today show, it was almost inevitable that the flashy singer-songwriter would be named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People for the year and as one of the world’s most powerful women by Forbes magazine. Will her string of fortune continue in February 2011, when she’s up for six Grammys.

Liu Xiaobao and Xi Jinping

In October 2010 Liu Xiaobao, a Chinese literary critic, professor, and human rights activist who had helped draft Charter 08, a 19-point program that called for greater political freedoms in China, was selected as the recipient of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize (the first Chinese citizen to win the award), setting off a firestorm in China, which condemned the Nobel committee’s decision. When the award was presented on December 10, Liu was absent from the ceremony, as he is serving 11 years in a Chinese prison on charges of subversion. In his absence, Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann read a statement that Liu had made to a Chinese court in 2009. It read, in part, “I have no enemies and no hatred. Hatred can rot away at a person’s intelligence and conscience. Enemy mentality will poison the spirit of a nation, incite cruel mortal struggles, destroy a society’s tolerance and humanity, and hinder a nation’s progress toward freedom and democracy.” That transition that Liu hopes for might be in the hands of Xi Jinping in the future. Little known in the West, Xi has been vice president of China since 2008 and was named in october vice chairman of the Central Military Commission. His elevation to the powerful Commission was widely seen as one of the last stepping stones on his path to the presidency of China when Pres. Hu Jintao leaves office in 2012.

Manny Pacquiao

Born on December 17, 1978, in Kibawe in Mindanao, Philippines, Manny Pacquiao is perhaps the most dynamic figure in the Philippines and in boxing today. He left home as a teen and stowed away on a ship bound for Manila where he became a boxer and made his boxing debut 15 years ago as a junior flyweight. Now, 15 years later, he has won world boxing titles in a record eight weight classes, having defeated WBC super welterweight champion Antonio Margarito on November 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas (Pacquiao weighed in at the opening bell 17 pounds lighter than the champion). In 2007 Pacquiao had run unsuccessfully for a seat in the Philippines legislature, but in May 2010 he entered the political fray once again, this time winning a legislative seat for a district in Mindanao by an overwhelming majority. All eyes in the boxing world continue to be directed at a possible Pacquiao/Floyd Mayweather fight, but perhaps more important for Filipinos will be what he does in the political ring and whether he might one day make it to the presidency.

Dream Dare Win

www.jeywin.com

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• Date of Preliminary Exam for 2011 TNPSC Group I Prelim  is on 22.05.2011

• Last date for receipt of applications for 2011 TNPSC Group I Prelim Exam is on 28.01.2011
• Date of Preliminary Exam for 2011 TNPSC Group I Prelim  is on 22.05.2011

• 2011 TNPSC Group I Prelim Exam for the Posts of Deputy Collector (29), Deputy Superintendents of Police (28) etc,  is notified on 29.12.2010
• Last date for receipt of applications for 2011 TNPSC Group I Prelim Exam is on 28.01.2011
• Date of Preliminary Exam for 2011 TNPSC Group I Prelim  is on 22.05.2011

Aqueenas Annlin

Union Law Ministry and the Election Commission started nation-wide consultations on 12.12.2010 with political parties, NGOs and other stakeholders on a proposal for making comprehensive reforms to electoral laws in India.

The consultations cover issues such as criminalisation of politics, financing of elections, conduct and better management of elections, regulating political parties, auditing and financing of political parties, adjudication of election disputes and review of the anti-defection law.

As the general elections in India are a mammoth exercise, with over 700 million voters, and about one million polling booths in the country, the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India, felt the need for a Committee on Electoral Reforms and constituted it.  The main purpose of the Committee is to recommend to the government concrete ways in which our electoral system can be strengthened. The Committee will take into account the opinions of political leaders, Government servants, legal experts, NGOs, scholars, academics, journalists, and other stakeholders.

The topic of electoral reforms has been taken up by numerous government committees in the recent past. They include Goswami Committee on Electoral Reforms (1990), Vohra Committee Report (1993), Indrajit Gupta Committee on State Funding of Elections (1998), Law Commission Report on Reform of the Electoral Laws (1999), National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (2001), Election Commission of India – Proposed Electoral Reforms (2004), The Second Administrative Reforms Commission (2008).

Civil society groups, journalists, and other observers of the process have been playing an important role in identifying a number of the weaknesses of our existing system. There have been efforts to use the courts to seek to push reform on this important issue. The widely known practice of every candidate having to declare their assets, liabilities and pending criminal cases came about as a result of a landmark court judgement.

Criminalisation of Politics

The Vohra Committee Report on Criminalisation of Politics was constituted to identify the extent of the politician-criminal nexus and recommend ways in which the menace can be combated. In Chapter 4 of the report of the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution, cites the Vohra report as follows: “The nexus between the criminal gangs, police, bureaucracy and politicians has come out clearly in various parts of the country” and that “some political leaders become the leaders of these gangs/armed senas and over the years get themselves elected to local bodies, State assemblies, and national parliament.” This point becomes self evident when one looks at the number of elected representatives with pending criminal cases against them at all levels in our federal system.

Both the Election Commission and Law Commission of India recommend that a negative or neutral voting option be created. Negative/ neutral voting means allowing voters to reject all of the candidates on the ballot by selection of a “none of the above” option instead of the name of a candidate on the ballot. In such a system there could be a provision whereas if a certain percentage of the vote is negative/neutral, then the election results could be nullified and a new election conducted.

Financing of Elections

A Consultation Paper to the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution, 2001, noted that “the campaign expenditure by candidates is in the range of about twenty to thirty times the legal limits”.

There are many negative social impacts of this high cost. Chapter 4 of the Report of the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution, 2001, notes that the high cost of elections “creates a high degree of compulsion for corruption in the public arena” and that “the sources of some of the election funds are believed to be unaccounted criminal money in return for protection, unaccounted funds from business groups who expect a high return on this investment, kickbacks or commissions on contracts, etc.” It also states that “Electoral compulsions for funds become the foundation of the whole super structure of corruption”.

The Election Commission, however, is also not in favour of state funding as it will not be possible to prohibit or check candidate’s own expenditure or expenditure by others over and above that which is provided by the State. The Election Commission’s view is that for addressing the real issues, there have to be radical changes in the provisions regarding receipts of funds by political parties and the manner in which such funds are spent by them so as to provide for complete transparency in the matter.

Conduct and better management of Elections

According to the Election Commission of India, the size of the electorate for the 2009 elections to the 15th Lok Sabha was more than 714 million. The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution, 2001, noted in its report that “the holding of general elections in India is equal to holding them for Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia all put together.” Successful administration of the electoral process requires more than 50 lakh personnel and almost 1 million (10 lakh) polling booths. Millions of security personnel are required to promote a peaceful and incident-free voting experience. The Election Commission recommends that the Secretariat of the Election Commission, consisting of officers and staff at various levels is also insulated from the interference of the Executive in the matter of their appointments, promotions, etc., and all such functions are exclusively vested in the Election Commission on the lines of the Secretariats of the Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha, Registries of the Supreme Court and High Courts etc.

The Election Commission recommends that there should be a provision for penal action against those making any false declarations in connection with an election. Such a provision would provide for a similar punishment for false declarations in connection with conduct of elections, such as false complaints of booth capturing or false complaints about the conduct of election officials.

Section 10A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Election Commission may disqualify a candidate for three years for failure to lodge the account of election expenses as per the requirement of the law. Thus, the period of disqualification may end by the time of the next general election to that House. Therefore, no effective purpose is served by the disqualification (except that the person cannot contest in the odd bye-election that may be held during the 3 year period).

The Election Commission recommends that the period of disqualification under Section 10A should be increased to 5 years, so that the disqualified person does not become a candidate at the next general election to the House concerned.

Regulating Political Parties

Proliferation of political parties is stated as a major concern by many previous committees. Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, allows for small groups of people to form political parties by making only a simple declaration.

In its 2001 report, the National Committee to Review the Working of the Constitution states that “it is a desirable objective to promote the progressive polarisation of political ideologies and to reduce less serious political activity.”

According to the Election Commission, a large number of non-serious parties create excessive load on the electoral system. Of the more than 1100 parties registered with the Election Commission in 2009, only about 360 actually contested the general election that year. The Commission also states that part of the problem is that there is no specific provision to de-register a party.

The Election Commission proposes that an amendment be made to Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, adding a clause “authorising the Election Commission to issue necessary orders regulating registration and de-registration of political parties.”

Auditing of finances of Political Parties

The high cost of elections provides logic for corruption in the public arena. This affects not only candidates, but parties as well.

In order to further transparency in the funding of political parties, the Election Commission recommends the following measures: (i) any receipt by a political party either directly or through the executives or the party functionaries should be deposited in the Bank Accounts of such parties, (ii) all payments by the political party exceeding Rs.20,000/- to a person should be made by crossed account payee cheque and (iii) all contributions or donations or gifts by any person to a party functionary other than those by his/her relative(s) shall be deemed as receipts of the political party and it will be accounted for by the political party.

Adjudication of Election Disputes

In practice, cases involving election petitions are rarely resolved in a timely manner. According to the report “Ethics in Governance” of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission, “such petitions remain pending for years and in the meanwhile, even the full term of the house expires thus rendering the election petition in fructuous.

The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution recommended that special election benches designated for election petitions only should be formed in the High Court.

The Election Commission has also made a similar recommendation.

Review of Anti-defection Law

In the report “Ethics in Governance” of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission, it is noted that “Defection has long been a malaise of Indian political life. It represents manipulation of the political system for furthering private interests, and has been a potent source of political corruption.” The report further notes that “there is no doubt that permitting defection in any form or context is a travesty of ethics in politics.”

The Anti-Defection provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, enacted in 1985, fixed a certain number above which group defections were permitted. The National Committee to Review the Working of the Constitution noted that although individual defections became rare after this, group defection were “permitted, promoted and amply rewarded.”

The 91st Amendment to the Constitution, 2003, changed this by making it mandatory for defectors to resign their positions regardless of whether they defected as an individual or as part of a group.

Currently the issue of disqualification of members of Parliament or a State Legislature is decided by the Speaker or Chairman of the concerned House. Aside from those concerning the Tenth Schedule all other matters of post-election disqualification are decided by the President/Governor, on the advice of the Election Commission.

The Election Commission, in its 2004 report, noted that “all political parties are aware of some of the decisions of the Hon’ble Speakers, leading to controversies and further litigation in courts of law.” The National Committee to Review the Working of the Constitution noted that “some of the Speakers have tended to act in a partisan manner and without a proper appreciation – deliberate or otherwise – of the provisions of the Tenth Schedule.”

The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution recommend that “the power to decide on questions as to disqualification on ground of defection should vest in the Election Commission instead of in the Chairman or Speaker of the House concerned.”

The Election Commission and “Ethics in Governance” report of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission also both recommended that the issue of disqualification on grounds of defection should be decided by the President/Governor concerned under the advice of the Election Commission, instead of relying on the objectivity of the decision from the Speaker.

Regional Consultations

The consultation starting on 12.12.2010 will be a starting point to renew a national dialogue on the important changes that need to be brought about to strengthen our electoral system.

There would be a total of seven regional consultations from December 12, 2010 to February 5, 2011 followed by national-level consultations on April 2 and 3, 2011.

The first of a series of regional consultations was in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. One of the suggestions by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan during the consultation was that the Rajya Sabha should be abolished since huge sums of money were being spent to become members, making the upper House like a “market.”

“Those who give funds make a sort of investment and seek to earn out of it later,” the BJP Chief Minister said.

“In my opinion the time has come to do away with the Rajya Sabha elections. In place of it, a quota should be reserved in the Lok Sabha for Rajya Sabha members,” Mr. Chouhan said at the regional consultation on electoral reforms organised in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly.

“There is open selling of tickets. It is a shame,” he added.

He stressed the need for conducting Lok Sabha and Assembly elections simultaneously and once in five years. Concerns over the use of “black money” during elections were also expressed during the consultations.

Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi said opinion polls should be banned because of the paid news problem. The need for check on advertisements that appear in the print media on the day of the polls to prevent influence on voters was also discussed. Saying that opinion polls seemed to be an interference with free and fair elections, Mr. Quraishi also pleaded for stringent punishment for malpractices in elections.

He said the commission had also received complaints that envelopes containing money were distributed among voters by the candidates after the campaigning was over.

According to him a system should be developed to ensure that votes of different areas are mixed before being counted. During the manual counting of the ballots earlier, the votes were mixed to ensure that the mandate in a given area was kept secret.

Union Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily said elections should be the festivals of democracy.

The ensuing consultations would be held in 2011 in Kolkata on January 9, Bangalore (January 16), Guwahati (January 21), Mumbai (January 22), Lucknow (January 30), and Chandigarh (February 5).

A nine-member core committee, headed by Additional Solicitor-General Vivek K. Tankha, has prepared the background paper, which form the basis of the discussions. This is the first time an attempt was being made to bring in a comprehensive reform of electoral laws and rules since the Constitution came into force.

The consultation would also cover issues such as whether a person should be restricted to contest from one seat, and whether, whenever a general election was due there should be a total ban on Central and State governments issuing advertisements in any manner for six months prior to the date of expiry of the term of the Lok Sabha.

Amendments made earlier were all piecemeal responses to contingencies. But, a comprehensive reform is being attempted for the first time in the country.

Dream Dare Win

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1. Interpersonal Skills Including Communication Skills

Interpersonal skills are the skills that a person uses to interact with other people. It is also sometimes called communication skills. Positive interpersonal skills increase the productivity of the organization since the numbers of conflicts are reduced. It also allows communication to be easy and comfortable.

Some ways to improve interpersonal skills are:

• Think positive and maintain good relationship.
• Do not criticize others or yourself and be patient.
• Develop the practice of listening; 80% listening and 20% talking is excellent.
• Be sensitive to others and treat others and their experience with respect.
• Praise and compliment the people and subordinates when they deserve it.
• Be cheerful and make the people smile.
• Do not complain and look for solutions.
• Treat your team members and colleagues as friends and not as strangers or subordinates.

Communication:

Communication is the transfer of information from a sender to a receiver. Communication is generally understood as spoken or written words. But in reality, it is more than that. It is the sum total of directly or indirectly, unconsciously or consciously transmitted words, attitudes, feelings, actions, gestures and tones. A slight lift in the brow is often more expressive disapproval than hundreds of words put together.

The importance of communication in administration can be judged from the following points:

• Communication is required to disseminate the goals and the objectives of the organization.
• It helps the administration in arriving at vital decisions.
• Communication helps in planning and coordination.
• It is a tool of supervision and control.
• It is a basic tool for motivation and an increase in the morale of the employees.
• It bolsters the maintenance of good human relations in the organization.

Sample Questions

Q1. Communication is commonly cited as being at the root of practically all the problems in administration. Which among the following is the most important after-effects of poor communication.

(a) Wrong decisions

(b) Poor policy formulation

(c) Isolation of the people at top

(d) Goals of the organization not properly served.

Q2. Communication is administration can be improved by:

(a) Compulsory training of personnel’s.

(b) Motivation of the work force.

(c) Asking for the feedback.

(d) Simplification of the language of communication.

Q3. Important factor for communication is:

(a) Communication should be in bold and assertive manner.

(b) It should be authenticated.

(c) It should be drafted by Senior officer himself.

(d) Communication should have all the details.

2. Decision Making and Problem Solving

No organization can be run without taking decisions. In every organization, decisions are made by persons and hence decision making in Govt. is a plural activity. One individual may have pronounced the decision, but many contribute to the process of reaching the decision. Seven factors have been thought to be important factors while taking the decisions.

• Legal limitations
• Budget
• Mores (Conventions)
• Facts
• History
• Internal programme and
• Subordinates

Problems in decision making:

• Involvement in routine
• Priority of the problem
• Bias

Bias is linked with:

• Discretion
• Public Interest
• Strict adherence to rules may lead to red tape.
• Caste, class, community, religion, language, profession, region, pressure group etc.

Decision making is linked with leadership quality. According to Barnard’s theory, four leadership qualities in order of priority are:

• Vitality and endurance
• Decisiveness
• Persuasiveness and
• Responsibility and intellectual capacity

Problem analysis must be done first, then the information gathered in that process may be used towards decisions making.

Problem Analysis:

• Problem must be precisely identified and described.
• Cause of the problem must be analyzed.
• Whether such type of problem occurred previously and what was the solution.
• People who were affected due to that problem can be approached for proper analysis.

Decision Making:

• Objectives must be established first and placed in order of preference.
• Alternative actions must be developed.
• The alternative that is able to achieve all the objectives is the tentative decision.
• The tentative decision is evaluated for more possible consequences.

Decision making steps:

1^st Step: Outline your goal and outcome.

2^nd Step: Gather data. This will help the decision makers having actual evidence to help them come up with a solution.

3^rd Step: Brainstorm to develop alternatives. Coming up with more than one solution enables you to see which one can actually work.

4^th Step: List pros and cons of each alternative, with the help of which, you can eliminate the solutions that have more cons than pros, making your decision easier.

5^th Step: Make the decision by picking the one that has many pros, and the one that everyone can agree with.

6^th Step: Immediately take action. Once the decision is picked, you should implement it right away.

7^th Step: Learn from and reflect on the decision making. This step allows you to gauge where you were right or wrong while implementing the decision.

Sample Questions:

Q1: Land is acquired under the Land Acquisition Act 1894, the law provides for a reasonable compensation to be paid to the land loser. The present system of payment of compensation has come under criticism. What is the best alternative?

(a) Allocating a percentage of benefit to the development of area and to the individual who has been displaced.

(b) Provision of equity participation in the project which has come in the acquired land.

(c) Enactment of a new law with provision of people’s sustainable resettlement.

(d) Principle of land leasing designed to keep revenue accruing to the affected people for a long period rather than to make only a one time compensation payment and dislocate them.

Q2: In order to make the effective use of Acts regarding atrocities against S.C. & S.T. What is the most important step one can take as a D.M. of the Distt. ?

(a) Printing and distribution of booklets in local languages highlighting the theme of combating atrocities against S.C./S.T.

(b) Training of Police officers about the sensitivity of the issue and relating legal provision.

(c) Review of cases which are pending for disposal so as to ensure award of exemplary punishment.

(d) As majority of S.C. and S.T. population are wage labourers, the Minimum Wages Act be strictly enforced.

3. General Mental Ability

The other day, someone was asking me how IAS exam is changing from previous years. And how is this new version different from the previous versions. Most importantly, how should we prepare for this new avatar? I personally believe that this time, UPSC is forcing all its applicants for doing something which was always important but no one cared about it i.e. General Mental Abilities, Reasoning and command over English Language. If we look at last 5-6 years papers then we can easily realize that number of questions on these topics was always increasing but even then students never focused on these areas. And probably now, they have done something to ensure that each and every one start working on them.

Talking particularly about General Mental Ability, it is something which is feared by all the IAS aspirants. But, in the current scenario, one needs to master the art of General Mental Ability for cracking any good competition. We get good number of questions on Mental Ability in exams of Public Sector, Bank PO, big B-School entrance and now in IAS as well.

For mastering General Mental Ability, firstly we should know that what are the types of questions and what are the basics of the same. In mental ability, the prime thing which is being tested is your familiarity with the numbers. The commonly asked questions are the basics of Number Theory, basic Arithmetic, basic Algebraic formulas, Permutation and Combination and Probability. Now, if we look at these topics, all of us have read and practiced these topics in good length at high school level. But because of our habit and obligations of using calculator after that has forced us to forget all those basic concepts of arithmetic and has deviated us from the basics of mathematics. I am pretty sure that many of us who used to solve the same questions at tenth level will not be able to solve the same set of question now.

Regarding how to improve this, there is a very basic thing that we were taught by our parents was “practice makes a man perfect”. This is very true about the Mental Ability at this stage. We just need to practice these basic concepts religiously to master these concepts. And believe me, there is no other way to success. In this article, we will discuss all the areas which are tested by General Mental Ability.

Primarily, we will discuss about Number Theory. The concepts of Number Theory are the basic which we have studied in class 3^rd to class 7^th. This includes different types of number and most importantly prime-composite numbers and even-odd numbers. Other topic of number theory is LCM and HCF and their applications which mean one should not only know what is HCF-LCM but should also know how to use and in what type of questions, we should calculate them. Last but not the least; it includes divisibility rules, which means how can we identify that which number is divisible by 2, 3, 5, 8 and so on. These are the basics which are taught to everyone in our initial classes. But with time, we have forgotten all those basics.

Next thing to discuss is Arithmetic which includes basics of percentage, profit-loss and discount, ratio proportion, time speed and distance and time and work. These topics form and most of the class tenth syllabus. And if I am not wrong, many of us used to cherish these topics and used to solve these topics with a good amount of ease. The reason for our success in solving these questions at that point of time was our practice to do these questions at that time.

Talking about Algebra, it includes some basic formulas, different types of progressions, quadratic equations and simultaneous equations. Again, we have studied these topics again and again from class 6^th to class 10^th. And we all know the basics of these topics. It is just that we need to practice these topics a bit more and need to revise all these topics once again. But if we can practice these questions then Algebra can easily be solved.

And most important topic of General Mental Ability is Permutation and Combination and Probability. Talking about this particular topic, this is very interesting and conceptual where in most of the questions talk about the number of ways of doing some particular job or arranging certain number of things. And if we think about this topic, it can even check your ability to identify the different options and evaluation of the same. But again, it also requires some good clarity of the topic which can be earned only and only through practice and understanding of the basics.

To sum up all, if we want to ensure a good score in mental ability and a better second paper of IAS this year then probably, we need to start practicing today and we need to clear all our basics and concepts. NCERT class sixth to tenth is the best books suited for these preparation. Last but not the least, practice as many sample papers as you can along with a proper feedback and doubt clearing of each and every paper.

Sample Questions for General Mental Ability:

Q1. A managing committee of 7 members is to be constituted from a group comprising 8 gentlemen and 5 ladies. What is the probability that the committee would comprise 2 ladies?

(a) 10/249

(b) 56/429

(c) 392/429

(d) 140/429

Q2. One junior student is asked to divide half a number by 6 and the other half by 4 and then add the quantities. Instead of doing so, the student divides the given number by 5. If the answer is 4 short of the correct answer, then the actual number is?

(a) 320

(b) 360

(c) 480

(d) 400

Q3. There are 6 tickets to the theater, four of which are for seats in the front row. 3 tickets are selected at random. What is the probability that two of them are for the front row?

(a) 0.6

(b) 0.7

(c) 0.9

(d) 1/3

Q4. In how many ways 8 boys can be divided into two groups of 4 each?

(a) 280

(b) 140

(c) 70

(d) 35

Q5. 128 players start in the men’s singles at a tennis tournament, where this number reduces to half on every succeeding round. How many matches are played totally in the event?

(a) 63

(b) 48

(c) 127

(d) 144

Q6. When a heap of pebbles is grouped in 32, 40 or 72 it is left with remainders of 10, 18 or 50 respectively. What is the minimum number of pebbles that the heap contains?

(a) 1416

(b) 1418

(c) 1412

(d) 1420

Q7. A five digit number is formed by using 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 without repetition. What is the probability that this number will not be divisible by 4?

(a) 4/5

(b) 1/6

(c) 1/5

(d) None of the above

Q8. In how many ways letters of the word MISSISSIPPI can be arranged such that all the vowels always remain together?

(a) 28

(b) 56

(c) 84

(d) 112

Q9. How many 5 digit numbers are there which have 5 of the given digits: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

(a) 120

(b) 600

(c) 720

(d) None of the above

Q10. ‘A’ can run a circular track in 6 hours and ‘B’ can run the same circular track in 8 hours. If both of them start running together from the same point in the same direction, then after how much time, they will meet for the first time?

(a) 12 hours

(b) 24 hours

(c) 48 hours

(d) None of the above

Q11. A certain sum of money increases to 5 times in 5 years at certain rate of Simple Interest. At the same rate of simple interest the money will increase to 25 times in how many years?

(a) 10 years

(b) 25 years

(c) 30 years

(d) None of the above

Q12. What will be total number of terms in the expansion of (a+b+c)10?

(a) 45

(b) 66

(c) 310

(d) 120

Q13. Sixteen thousand men die of AIDS every day. How many men die of AIDS every minute?

(a) 11

(b) 9

(c) 7

(d) 5

Q14. A black and white photo contains 80% black and 20% white. Now if this photo is enlarged to double the size, then what percentage of the photo will be black?

(a) 64%

(b) 80%

(c) 84%

(d) None of the above

Q15. You are selecting 10 numbers randomly out of the first 100 add numbers. Sum of these 10 odd numbers is A. How many different values of A are possible?

(a) 100C10

(b) 1801

(c) 1800

(d) 901

Q16. The pages of a book are continuously numbered and it took 1200 digits (with repetitions) to write them. The number of pages in the book is:

(a) 425

(b) 433

(c) 436

(d) None of these

Q17. In how many ways 8 boys can be seated on 8 chairs put on a square table (2 chairs on all the 4 sides)?

(a) 7!

(b) 2 × 7!

(c) 8! / 2

(d) None of the above

Q18. If 38 people dig 38 trenches in 38 days, how long will 35 people take to dig 70 trenches?

(a) 19 days

(b) 35 days

(c) 70 days

(d) 76 days

Q19. Pooja buys 7 pencils for Rs. 6 and sells them. What should be the price marked on a pencil, if she gives 10% discount on it so that after discount there is no loss or gain?

(a) Re. 0.950

(b) Re. 0.935

(c) Re. 0.945

(d) Re. 0.855

Q20. Ramu went to market to buy 6 chairs and 3 tables and consumed all the money he had in the transaction. If he had to purchase 3 chairs and 6 tables then he would have been fallen short by 20%. Find the ratio of price of one chair and one table.

(a) 3 : 4

(b) 1 : 2

(c) 2 : 5

(d) Cannot be determined

4. Basic Numeracy & Data Interpretation:

One definition of numeracy is ‘to use mathematics effectively to meet the general demands of life at home, in paid work, and for participation in community and civic life’.

Basic numeracy could be defined as being able to count and to calculate with numbers.

Mathematics is the science that deals with numbers, quantities, shapes, patterns, measurements, concepts related to them and their numerous relationships. It includes arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, etc., where as quantitative techniques section in CSAT would be more of an application of the fundamental rules of mathematics in real life situations. The following illustration can help us understand the real facet of Quantitative techniques.

Suppose you watch a light flashing every 2 seconds, and another light flashing every 3 seconds, how would you calculate when the two lights would flash together? For someone devoid of the basic weapons of mathematics, this would be a labyrinth. But is it really? To unravel this enigma all we need to do is use simple logic. Let’s see how – the first light flashes after an interval of every 2 seconds, this implies that it would flash at the intervals of 2, i.e., after 2 seconds, 4 seconds, 6 seconds, 8 seconds and so on…. Likewise, the second light will flash after 3 seconds, 6 seconds, 9 seconds, and so on…. We, thus, observe that the two flash together after every 6 seconds. Now this is a direct application of a very simple concept the LCM, i.e., Least Common Multiple (LCM of 2 & 3 is 6), a concept which all of us have studied in our junior school. Obviously, as a CSAT aspirant you shouldn’t expect a direct question to calculate the LCM of 2 & 3. The questions would be application based, and therefore, be asked in a disguised manner. The real test is of one’s analytical skill to fathom what is being asked. There are similar illustrations of most basic concepts, which we have studied till our X^th grade and these questions check our ability to apply the concepts, which we have learnt to real life situations.

Preparation for CSAT will be an eye-opener for oneself. So many myths and prejudices about oneself just whisk away after a year-long preparation. One gets clarity about one self as to what he/she actually wants in life. So all it requires is smartness and aptitude.

Most of us tend to forget the concepts we have studied till X^th. So the real preparation starts with concept building. Once thorough with the concepts or the accuracy part; start practicing different type of questions on these topics.

Questions in this section can be from the following topics:

Arithmetic: Ratio & Proportion, Percentage, Profit & Loss, averages, Time Speed & Distance, HCF – LCM, Simple Interest etc.

Algebra: Quadratic Equation, Functions, Mensuration.

Geometry: Triangles, Circles and Co – ordinate Geometry.

Other topics of Maths like – permutation & combination, binomial equation etc.

Numerical ability tests can be divided into tests of simple numeracy, where you are told which arithmetic operations to apply, and numerical reasoning tests where you are presented with some data and questions but the methods required to answer the questions are not specified. In all cases you need to prepare by practicing your mental arithmetic until you are both quick and confident. Your score in the simple speed tests will be very much influenced by your ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide quickly and accurately.

Even though you will need to do fewer arithmetic operations in the reasoning tests, there is no point in working out how to arrive at the answer if you make a simple mistake when calculating it. You should make a habit of mentally estimating your answers as a way of checking them.

Numerical Reasoning questions assess your ability to use numbers in a logical and rational way. The questions require a basic level of education in order to successfully complete and are therefore measuring numerical ability rather than educational achievement. The questions measure your understanding of such things as number series, numerical transformations, the relationships between numbers and your ability to perform numerical calculation.

Data Interpretation: In these questions data is presented either in the form of a table or a bar chart or a pie-chart or a line graph or as a combination of one of these formats. Following each of these data presentations, there will be 4 to 6 questions. You are expected to answer the questions by interpreting the data given in the table or graph.

The Data Interpretation section of C-SAT is probably closest in resemblance to the kind of problems one will be dealing in real life situations. It tests one’s decision-making ability and speed using limited input. Start off with topical tests in the initial stage of preparation.

This is the calculation intensive portion of the section. It consists of a myriad of graphs, charts and tables from which you will have to glean and analyze data. The key to cracking this area is to quickly identify the key pieces of data that you will require to work on the questions asked. Sometimes questions are formed to try and bewilder students with a large amount of data, most of it unnecessary. As a rule, the more the data presented, the easier the questions that follow, so don’t lose heart if you see a table with 10 columns occupying one whole page. On the other hand, several seemingly innocuous questions may trip you up.

Another interesting feature of DI that you as a student can use to your advantage is that, usually, not all questions in a set are of equal difficulty. Specifically, most sets have a ‘counting’ type of question (How many companies have profits more than x%, how many people have incomes less than Rs. Y etc.). Most of these questions can be solved without calculation but by close inspection of the data presented. These I would categorize as ‘gift’ questions designed to test a student’s presence of mind, and should never be missed out on. There are other similarly easy questions in most sets, and you should practice identifying the level of difficulty of questions so you know immediately would ones to attempt and which to avoid.

Information is provided that requires you to interpret it and then apply the appropriate logic to answer the questions. Sometimes the questions are designed to approximate the type of reasoning required in the workplace. These data interpretation questions will often use very specific illustrations, for example the question may present financial data or use information technology jargon. However, an understanding of these areas is not required to answer the question.

Below are some figures for agricultural imports from January to May. Answer the following questions using the data provided.

Q1. Which month showed the largest total decrease in imports over the previous month?

(a) March

(b) April

(c) May

(d) July

Q2. What percentage of rice was imported in April?

(a) 17%

(b) 19%

(c) 21%

(d) 18%

Q3. What was the total cost of wheat imports in the 5 month period?

(a) 27,500

(b) 25,000

(c) 22,000

(d) 29,000

5. COMPREHENSION:

Comprehension is the classic entry in CSAT syllabus as it is not to test your language skill, but to test your moral and ethical aptitude, understanding of government programmes and policies, social problems, ability to comprehend boring reports etc. However, language will play a bigger role in deciphering the hidden message of the text. Language is a very complex blend of nature. We have been brought up with a language usually our mother tongue and then we come across other language, dialects and versions of language as we grow in age, stature and maturity. A word can have innumerable connotations with respect to tone, context and reference, which impinge on comprehension and understanding infinitely.

Comprehension is an element of your exposure to different type of usage the kind of books you read or whether reading even features in your scheme of things on a regular day. As an IAS aspirant you are expected to read, assimilate reason, draw inferences and apply your learning to different situations. As administrator you will have to read reports, infer, make strategies and plan. As the time you spend on these documents impacts the efficiency and productivity of your division, you must find a way to work speedily and clear the tasks as per requirements and not be the bottleneck where work comes to a standstill.

You wonder how you can enhance your competence and reduce time spent, whether on deciphering reports, documents etc. the way to improve your reading comprehension is evidently making a habit of reading at least a few pages of editorials in daily newspapers such as the Hindu, the Economist or any other daily. Sift through them every day and watch your efficiency with paperwork improve exponentially.

In oral communication, individuals face one another, through which they can perceive the communication better due to: Facial expression, Context, Body language, Physical tone, pitch and voice variation, Verbal emphasis etc….

Comprehension, however, lacks the above aids and does not assist and the reader for an understanding have to go beyond the superficial aspect of mere words. Therefore, the reader has to learn to decipher the unspoken aspects such as the ideas, inferences, assumptions, opinions, etc to comprehend the passage’s real intent. The length and complexity of the passage also varies depending on the tests. To understand better we are giving few exercises:

Exercise -1

Homo sapiens may not have been responsible for the five distinct spasms of extinctions in geological time that began an estimated 440 million years ago, but humans are centrally implicated in the ongoing sixth wave of severe biodiversity loss. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was drafted in 1992 to stem the decline. It entered into force a year later with the avowed aim of significantly reducing loss of species and even using them where compatible to alleviate poverty. But nearly two decades later, the treaty has largely failed to meet its targets. There is now another opportunity available to make it work. The parties to the CBD are holding their 10^th conference in the Japanese city of Nagoya and with sufficient political will they can reverse the tide of species losses. The member-countries have done well to acknowledge the all-round disappointment that their renewed commitment, made in 2002 to reduce biodiversity loss, remains a dead letter. They are now challenged to deliver on their assurances and act more intelligently on climate change, habitat loss and degradation, excessive exploitation, spread of invasive alien species, and pollution, all of which affect plant and animal survival. What provides some hope is the persistence of a large amount of biological diversity.

The key to conservation is to recognize the role of nature in providing ecosystem goods such as fodder, fibre, genetic resources, fresh water and services such as cleansing of air, nutrient flow, erosion prevention, flood control, pollination and disease regulation. That this economic dimension of nature is being increasingly accepted the world over is heartening. At the Nagoya conference, the Group of 77 and China have made the forward-looking suggestion that countries of the South should forge closer cooperation to protect biodiversity, and use financial resources available from developed-country partners. In particular, fast-developing China’s focus on protecting 35 priority conservation areas making up 23 per cent of the country is extremely promising. India is also focused on growth, but it needs to do more for ecosystems facing the onslaught of poorly planned development. It must begin by showing genuine recognition of nature’s value. National development policy cannot afford t ignore the central role played by biodiversity. At the global level, the CBD has the opportunity once again to arrive at a consensus on sustainable use of plant diversity. Such an agreement will help local communities access and benefit from use of invaluable genetic resources. The ethical imperative to save the world’s species is to restrict consumption of all natural resources to a sustainable level and allow for natural renewal.

Q1. Which of the following statements about the Convention on Biological Diversity is/are NOT correct?

(i).        It is not legally binding.

(ii).       The Convention entered into force on 29 December 1993.

(iii).      It covers the field of biotechnology.

(a) (i) only

(b) (ii) only

(c) (ii) and (iii)

(d)     (i), (ii) and (iii)

Now, the complexity of this section lies not in the passage alone (unfamiliar vocabulary etc) but also the manner in which the

questions and the options are framed. Therefore, no matter how simple the passage may appear to be, you might face a difficult situation, if the options have been framed in a complicated manner.

Exercise-2

The first-ever census of Marine Life (CoML), a mammoth decade-long exercise involving more than 2,700 scientists from over 80 countries, has been successfully completed. The painstaking research has unearthed nearly 250,000 marine species of an estimated one million. About 6,000 new species have also been discovered. The landmark exercise marks a remarkable beginning in identifying and mapping the diversity, distribution, and abundance of marine organisms. Though long-distance migration of many predators like tuna and sharks was tracked, large areas of the oceans, mainly the Indian Ocean, have not been fully explored. While ten marine hotspots were identified, including one in the Indian Ocean, many biodiversity hotspots await detailed investigation. This is because the oceans cover 75 per cent of the earth’s surface, and investigating their surface and depths requires tremendous scientific expertise and huge investments. The good news is that even though the census has been completed, several national and regional initiatives started during the CoML programme will continue to operate with support from government and non-government agencies. Unlike other major projects such as the mapping of the human genome, the scope of this study is undefined. Thus the CoML provides an ideal platform for incorporating diverse inputs from future studies to help us understand the big picture. It will also serve as the baseline for evaluating the future impact of human intervention on sea animals.

The CoML facilitated the use of diverse technologies on a large scale, technologies that are of continuing use. For instance, there are special sonar devices which allow us to see how marine life assemble in shoals and move both vertically and laterally over thousands of square kilometers. Thanks to the use of modern techniques, scientists were also able to have a glimpse of the hitherto unknown world of marine animals. One finding of the study which is a cause for concern is that the fate of many animals living in easily accessible habitats appears gloomy. Large fishes and marine mammals like sea turtles and tuna have declined by 90 per cent on an average due to over-fishing and/or pollution. Apart from being an invaluable source of food, the oceans produce 70 per cent of oxygen present in the atmosphere, and also absorb one-third of global carbon dioxide emissions. All these are warning signs that oceans, the lifeline for all things living on earth, may well turn into a watery grave if damage to marine life continues unabated.

Q2. Which of the following is/are true about the first census of marine life published in 2010?

(i).        The Census used DNA bar-coding for the identification of marine life.

(ii).       Coastal species showed maximum diversity in the tropical Western Pacific.

(iii).      The Census database still has no records of for more than 20 percent of the ocean volume.

(iv).      The census was an endeavour of scientists from USA and Japan only.

(a) (i) only

(b) (i) and (ii) only

(c) (i), (ii) and (iii) only

(d) (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv)

Unlike mathematical and computational skills, comprehension is not a core component of any program/course. Nevertheless,

The presence of comprehension is found in most aptitude tests. Any student, who is familiar with the section on comprehension in any aptitude test, will tell you the importance of active reading. You gradually realize that the emphasis is now linking new information to your previous knowledge base, having a mental dialogue with the text so as to ensure comprehension, questioning, critically evaluating the text etc.

Exercise-3

News 1

Jaipur: The beauty of the Aravali-flanked Sariska Reserve may soon be a thing of the past, with the Rajasthan government granting 40 new mining leases in the eco-sensitive zone, something that’ll leave the area pock-marked with quarries and pose a threat to an ambitious tiger reintroduction project.

The government sanctioned the leases on Tuesday on the plea that the Aravali range, where stone mining had been sanctioned, is less than 100m in height, which is not considered a hill as per state government norms.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court banned quarrying for stone in the Aravalis of neighbouring Haryana, holding mining companies guilty of violating zoning laws and not filling up excavated craters. Later it said some mining may be allowed but only when the Haryana government adopts a mining policy based on an SC-appointed panel’s guidelines.

While Rajasthan authorities have interpreted norms to their convenience to sanction fresh leases, mining could damage the ecology of the region and jeopardize survival of the big cats. Five tigers have already been relocated to Sariska from Ranthambore and forest officials plan to shift more in the coming months.

Leases cornered by Haryana Cos:

Reports suggest the new mining leases issued in the Aravalli flanked Sariska Reserve have gone to a few Haryana-based companies at villages like Jaisinghpura, Malana, Goverdhanpura, Palpura and Jamwa Ramgarh, in the vicinity of Sariska sanctuary. On October 12, TOI had carried a report about illegal mining in these areas.

“This shows how powerful and manipulative the mining lobby is. Even if the justification the department of mines and geology and forests is giving is that the hills are less than 100m in height, they should know that there is no such classification by the Supreme Court. This is the department’s own creation and a gross violation of Forest (Conservation) Act 1980,” said Y K Singh Chauhan, conservator of forests, ministry of environment and forests. However, V S Singh, principal secretary, forests and environment, who heads the special committee on Aravalli notification in Alwar, says, “These are all fresh case in Ramgarh area screened by a committee and don’t have the Aravalli hills portion. Based on the state government 100 meter yardstick and complying with the Supreme Court and MoEF guidelines, these leases will have to follow environmental norms.” He claimed new leases will not disturb forest areas and are not any water body.

News 2

Mumbai: Miners have been getting away with murder without either refilling the toxic craters or afforesting dead mining sites as prescribed under the law and according to environmentalists, this is one of the reasons why leases for mining in dense green zones, such as the Western Ghats, should not be given the nod.

The National Mineral Policy, 2008 rules that any abandoned mine should be made richer than what it was before through refilling the craters and afforestation. But most miners leave the dead mines in a state of decay. According to the data available with the Ministries and Indian Bureau of Mines, there are 297 abandoned mines across the country and most of them are yet to be rehabilitated.

With such carelessness on the part of miners, environmentalists do not seem to be too happy about the state sanctioning 49 mining leases in the eco-sensitive Sindhudurg district, where three are already operational. When TOI visited Kalane village, where mining has been on for the past nine months, the hills around the place resemble a half-eaten cake and the landscape has been stripped of its green cover. A few hundred meters downhill, the Kalane river flows through the forest and provides water to the neighbouring Goa. It is anybody’s guess what will happen when this hill is left like a dead crater and the river turns toxic, says D Stalin, project director of Vanashakti.

People of the Kalane even have an example of the environment horror close at hand. A part of Redi mines, situated about 20 km from Kalane, was abandoned more than two decades ago after extraction of iron ore. But even after so many years, not a single sapling has taken root here. The once green hillocks, that overlooked the pristine Sawantwadi beach, have given way to two huge craters one of them being filled with murky water and the other has turned into a rocky, dry stretch, with just one casuarinas plant standing in the barren pit.

Given the large scale destruction of flora and fauna around, a zero mining policy should be advocated in the Western Ghats, said Sumaira Abdulali of Awaaz foundation who has written to the Union Minister of environment and forests Jairam Ramesh.

Adds Claude Alvaris, an environmentalist from Goa, according to the agreement, all that miners have to do is deposit Rs. 25,000 per hectares and the amount is deducted it they do not comply with the rules. Mining firms make huge profits and the deposit amount is a pittance for them.

Issues Involved:

• Project Tiger
• Tiger Census
• Regulations e.g. Protected areas, Reserved areas etc.
• Desertification
• Environmental Degradation

MCQs

Q1. Which of the following statements about the Forest (Conservation) Act is/are correct?

i. It extends to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

ii. “non-forest purpose” includes the clearing of any forest land for the cultivation of medicinal plants.

iii. It came into force on the 25^th October, 1982.

iv. State governments can issue orders for the clearance of forests for the purpose of using it for reafforestation.

(a) (i) and (ii) only

(b) (i) and (iii) only

(c) (ii) and (iii) only

(d) (ii) and (iv) only

Q2. Read the following statements:

(i).        Desertification has encroached upto the borders of New Delhi.

(ii).       Aravali foothills have high instances of deforestation for mining purposes.

(a) Both are true and (ii) is the correct explanation of (i).

(b) Both are true and (ii) is not the correct explanation of (i).

(c) (i) is true and (ii) is false.

(d) (i) is false and (ii) is true.

Exercise-4

The earth receives short wave radiation from the sun, one-third of which is absorbed by the atmosphere, ocean, ice, land and living organisms. The energy absorbed from solar radiation is balanced, in the long term, by the outgoing radiation from the earth and atmosphere.

While short wave radiation from the sun can easily pass through the atmosphere, the long wave radiation emitted by the warm surface of the earth is partially absorbed by trace gases in the atmosphere called greenhouse gases (GHGs). The main natural greenhouse gases are water vapour (H2O), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), and Methane (CH4). In absence of these gases the temperature of the Earth would have been 33°C lower than it is today.

In the late 1980s, scientists began to suggest that the earth’s energy flux was no longer in balance. Earth’s surface was getting warmer, affecting the elements of the climate system. The climate itself was changing.

The problem is that human activity is making the blanket of gases “thicker” – or enhancing the greenhouse effect. By 1995, research concluded that the main culprit was CO2 emissions, produced by the burning of fossil fuels (coal, gas, and oil) in factories and power stations, and cars. When we burn coal, oil, and natural gas, we spew huge amounts of CO2, into the earth’s atmosphere filling it up with large amounts of greenhouse gases, much more than what is okay. When we destroy forests, the carbon stored in the trees escape to the atmosphere. Other basic activities, such as raising cattle and planting rice, emit methane, nitrous oxide, and other greenhouse gases.

If emissions continue to grow at current rates, it is almost certain that atmospheric level of CO2 will double from pre-industrial levels during 21^st century.

If no steps are taken to slow greenhouse gas emissions, it is quite possible that levels will triple by the year 2100.

Poor developing nations, particularly small island nation states will be the worst hit. A 15-95 cm rise in sea level could turn these people into environmental refugees. Besides, poor countries are least prepared to face the wrath of floods and hurricanes. The lifestyles of future generations shall be compromised. Plants and animals around the world will be severely affected by changing weather patterns.

Industrialized countries are mainly responsible for the mess. They owe their present prosperity to years of ‘historical’ emissions that have accumulated in the atmosphere since the start of the industrial revolution and an extremely high level of current emissions. Developing countries, mean while, have only recently set out on the path of industrialization, and their per capital emissions are still comparatively low, though increasing.

In 1990, out of the 21 billion tones of emissions globally, 14 billion tones were emitted by rich developed countries, home to only one-fifth of world’s population. Of these 14 billion tones, the US alone contributed 5 billion tons of carbon. This is only 10 per cent of the US emissions (1,511 million tons) despite a population nearly four times over.

Scientists cannot prove what they say will eventually happen, argue some. Responding to the threat is expected to be expensive, complicated, and difficult, they add. Yet, if the nations of the world wait for the perfect science, until the consequences and victims are clear, it will probably be too late to act.

The issue is no longer whether or not climate change is a potentially serious problem. Rather, it is how the problem will develop and what its effects will be. The science will never be perfect when dealing with something as complicated as the planet’s climate system. But there is general agreement in scientific circles that climate change is indeed happening and that we have to act, and fast.

165 nations signed the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. It is one of the series of recent environmental agreements through which countries around the world are putting their head together to meet this challenge.

Solving the problem of climatic change is going to be the biggest cooperative effort of nations and people around the world. Are we up to it?

According to scientists, the only way to escape the disastrous consequences associated with climate change is to reduce emissions by 50-70 per cent below 1990 levels. The use of fossil fuels, hence carbon emissions are closely linked to economic growth and lifestyle. The richer you are the more you emit. So someone has to put limits to their emissions, hence the way they live. Someone has to stop driving fuel guzzling sports utility vehicle. But few are willing to change the way they live.

The much awaited trip to the CoP-8 meeting finally came about on October 24, 2002. We headed straight to get our passes made. This barely took a few seconds, but out “photogenic” material!

When they split into three groups, our group of CT reporters had to focus on the conference, and tried to interview the various delegates that were “loitering” around the main hall, however finally, all of us ended up doing exactly that!

As we were scurrying around everywhere, we realized that this place had been really spruced up, beautiful art on the walls, and a giant sculpture outside hall five, where a conference was taking place between delegates from all countries, under the UN police’s strict scrutiny, of course! All the floors were carpeted in a beige shade, and the escalators and staircases were squeaky clean. People are everywhere people from every possible nation, of every possible colour and creed, and yet everyone was assembled in one hall to discuss this issue of global magnitude! Now it is over, it seems pretty overwhelming that this event was held right here, in apna New Delhi doesn’t it?

Q1. Large portion of Bangladesh will be submerged by the end of this century itself. Which is the direct reason of environmental refugee?

1. Frequently hit by Cyclone

2. Climate itself is changing

3. Melting of ice will lead to sea level change

4. Poor will migrate

Answer:

(a) 1, 2, 3

(b) 1, 3

(c) 1, 2

(d) 2, 3, 4

(e) None of the above

Q2. The problem of environmental refuge for the poor countries is like ‘ecological-time-bomb’. Why poor country will not be able to cope with any such crisis?

1. A 15-19 cm rise in sea level could give birth to the problem of environmental refuge

2. Appropriate alternate technologies are not sufficiently available

3. Industrialized countries are mainly responsible for the mess

Answer:

(a) 1,2, 3

(b) 1, 2

(c) None of the above

Q3. What are the possible limitations of India in mitigating the global warming at present and in the immediate future?

1. Appropriate alternated technologies are not sufficiently available.

2. India cannot invest huge funds in research and development.

3. Many developed countries have already set up their polluting industries in India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Q4. Assertion  : As we go up the atmosphere, temperature decreases.

Reason     : Atmosphere gets heated by long wave radiation.

Q5. Assertion  : Developed countries follow more mechanized life style.

Reason     : Developed countries contribute more to the climate change.

Q6. Which of the following gases has the largest contribution in greenhouse effects?

(a) CO₂

(b) Methane

(c) Ozone

(d)     Water vapour

Q7. Statement I: Greenhouse effects are necessary for supporting life.

Statement II: Climate change can be controlled by sustainable development measures.

(a) I is true, II is false

(b) I is false, II is true

(c) Both are true

(d) Both are false
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Thangai VS Annan

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in New Delhi on a three day visit on December 15, 2010 at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, but his official engagements began only the following day, which include delegation-level talks with the Indian government and a lunch with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He is scheduled to give a major policy speech at the Indian Council for World Affairs (ICWA). The Chinese side has billed it as an important outreach event, and it will be attended by the movers and shakers of Delhi’s international circuit.

Promising a new atmosphere in India-China relations, Wen Jiabao, who will follow Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy to India, will attempt to signal that bilateral relations with India are more than stapled visas and boundary disputes. Or, even India’s attendance at Nobel ceremonies for Chinese human rights activists.

Let’s be sensitive to each other’s concerns

The “stapled visa” issue could not be unstapled during the two rounds of talks Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao held in New Delhi on 15.12.2010 night and 16.12.2010 morning but India and China — which reiterated their desire to cooperate and set an ambitious trade target of $100 billion by 2015 — have agreed on a mechanism to address the matter. They also agreed to address the pause in high-level defence exchanges — suspended as a result of the Chinese policy of issuing distinctive visas to Indian citizens domiciled in Jammu and Kashmir — by creating a basis for them to “continue without constraints.”

The main “constraint” is the stapled visa, which India says challenges its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Pending resolution of this issue, therefore, it refused to include in the joint statement issued on Thursday references to Chinese sovereignty in Tibet and ‘One China’ that have been part of the past three summit-level declarations.

Briefing journalists, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said the visa issue was raised by Mr. Wen himself, who said China took India’s concerns very seriously. “He suggested that officials from both sides should have in-depth consultations so that the issue can be resolved satisfactorily,” Ms. Rao said, adding, “The ball is in their court.”

There was forward movement on security cooperation, trans-border rivers and in addressing the imbalance in trade.

On the issue of dams on rivers, China changed its position slightly. Both sides agreed to further discuss India’s suggestion for increased cooperation on trans-border river issues over and above the expert level mechanism for the Brahmaputra and the Sutlej.

Delivering a lecture at the Indian Council of World Affairs later, Mr. Wen said China would pursue only those upstream river projects which had a proper scientific foundation and that it would take the interest of people in both the upper and lower riparian regions into consideration. He said the boundary issue was a historical problem and that it would take time to resolve.

Wen backs greater international role for India

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on 16.12.2010 said Beijing and New Delhi should seize opportunities to expand converging interests and backed India for greater role in international affairs.

“As a fast growing big country with over a billion people, India should and can play an increasingly important role in international affairs,” he said addressing the Indian Council of World Affairs. “China and India have shared interests and common views on the issue of U.N. Security Council reform. We both maintain that priority should be given to increasing the representation of developing countries,” he said.

Terming the boundary dispute between the two countries as a “historical legacy”, Mr. Wen said, “It would not be easy to completely resolve this question. “It requires patience and will take a fairly long period of time. Only with sincerity, mutual trust and perseverance can we eventually find a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution,” he said.

The two countries declared that next year would be the Year of China-India exchange which would see 500 Indian youths visiting the nation.

Dragon and elephant should tango: Wen

“The dragon and the elephant should tango,” Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao suggested on 17.12.2010.Mr. Wen came up with this quip to emphasise the need for the two Asian giants, whose rivalry has been compared to that between the dragon (China) and elephant (India), to come closer.

It’s for India, Pakistan to resolve terrorism, Kashmir: China

The Chinese government on 16.12.2010 indicated it would play no role in pressuring Pakistan to crack down on terrorist groups operating on its soil, reiterating its position that cross-border terrorism and Kashmir were issues for India and Pakistan to resolve.

Asked if China would be willing to work with India to combat terrorism as well as to pressure Pakistan to crack down on terrorist groups, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said: “Both India and Pakistan are important neighbours to China, and China’s friends. We hope India and Pakistan can strengthen cooperation and exchanges so as to improve relations, which is of great importance to peace and stability in South Asia.”

Asked if this meant China believed it had no role to play, Ms. Jiang said China’s position was that “the two sides should engage in friendly consultations and resolve the issues,” including Kashmir.

“We hope the two countries can co-exist in a friendly manner and jointly contribute to regional peace and development,” she said.

China’s official policy is that Kashmir is an issue for India and Pakistan to resolve and it would maintain a position of neutrality over the dispute. Indian officials have, however, expressed concern that China was recently recalibrating its position, citing its issuing of stapled visas to Indian citizens from Jammu and Kashmir and its increasing investments in infrastructure projects in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Chinese officials had reportedly told their Indian counterparts in recent talks that issuing stapled visas was an “administrative” problem and not a political statement. But Indian officials say by doing so, China has questioned Indian sovereignty, and effectively moved away from its stated position of neutrality on Kashmir.

India, China can propel global pharma market to $1.1 trillion

India and China should join hands for bidding of global tenders for pharma export orders and play on each other’s strengths, China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicines and health Products (CCCMHPIE) Vice President Liu Zhanglin said in New Delhi on 15.12.2010.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) would be signed between the Indian Drug Manufacturer’s Association (IDMA) and the China Pharmaceutical Industry Association (CPIA) in Mumbai on January 7, 2011.

IDMA Secretary General Daara Patel said the aim was to provide information, data and guidance to each other’s members. This is for registration, importation, distribution, marketing and administration of drugs and medicines besides information on statutory regulations.

“The collaboration between the two will give an edge over the developed countries. Together we can meet the generic drug requirements of the world,” he said. India and China were expected to propel the global pharma market to $1.1 trillion by 2014. India and China have reported trade worth $3.1 billion in the pharmaceutical sector, including medical devices, in the first ten months of the current fiscal. Trade during last fiscal stood at $2.8 billion.

India, China agree to raise bilateral trade to $100 billion

India and China agreed to raise the bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2015, step up investments and permit banks of other countries to open branches and representative offices.

The two sides also decided to reduce the trade deficit, which is in favour of China, said a joint communiqué issued after talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

“Set a new bilateral trade target of USD 100 billion by 2015. The two sides agreed to take measures to promote greater Indian exports to China with a view to reduce India’s trade deficit,” it said. The bilateral trade between India and China is expected to be around USD 60 billion in 2010. The bilateral trade imbalance was against India to the extent of USD 19 billion during 2009—10.

China agreed to support Indian participation in its national and regional trade fairs, enhance exchange and cooperation of pharmaceutical supervision and expedite completion of phytosanitary negotiations on agro products.

The two sides decided to grant permission to the banks of the other countries to open branches and representative offices, it said.

Earlier, RBI Deputy Governor Shyamala Gopinath and Vice Chairman of China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance cooperation in the banking and financial sectors between the two countries.

On the economic front, Mr. Wen said China understood India’s concerns on bilateral trade imbalance and was ready to take measures to facilitate access of Indian IT products, pharmaceuticals and farm produce to the Chinese market.

Mr. Wen announced that China would provide $1 million for the reconstruction of Nalanda University, the ancient seat of learning in Bihar which was a favourite of visiting Chinese scholars.

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Thangai VS Annan

Kosovo held its first parliamentary election on 12.12.2010 since declaring unilateral independence from Serbia in 2008.

Profile:

POPULATION: Around 2.2 million people live in Kosovo, according to estimates by the statistics office, but the figures are unreliable as the last census was conducted 30 years ago. Albanians make up an estimated 92 percent of the population, Serbs 5.3 percent and other ethnic groups 2.7 percent. A fresh census is scheduled next year.

AREA: 10,908 sq km. Kosovo borders Serbia in the north and east, Macedonia in the southeast, Albania in the southwest and Montenegro to the west.

CAPITAL: Pristina.

LANGUAGE: Official languages are Albanian and Serbian.

RELIGION: Around 90 percent are Muslims. Two of the largest other religions include Orthodox Christians and Roman Catholics.

HISTORY & PEOPLE:

– Kosovo became part of the Kingdom of Serbia in the early 13th century, with a mixed population of Serbs, Albanians and Vlachs. The Nemanjic dynasty made it the spiritual heartland of Serbia, giving lands to the Orthodox Church and building monasteries that still stand today.

– Many Serbs left in the five centuries after the Ottoman Empire defeated the Serbs at the 1389 Battle of Kosovo, while Albanians grew in number. Mutual expulsions and migrations to and from Albania in the early 20th century changed Kosovo’s ethnic makeup.

VIOLENCE & WAR:

– Ethnic tensions escalated in the 1980s as federal Yugoslavia began to crumble and conditions deteriorated. Populist Slobodan Milosevic stoked Serbian nationalism as a springboard to power in 1989, rescinding Kosovo’s autonomy and restricting Albanian rights in education and local government.

– After years of passive resistance, Kosovo Liberation Army guerrillas launched an armed rebellion in the late 1990s, prompting a brutal crackdown by the Serbian-led Yugoslav army and police.

– The Western powers warned Milosevic they would not tolerate another wave of “ethnic cleansing” in the Balkans. Peace talks in France failed and in March 1999 NATO started bombing Serbia to force it to withdraw its forces from Kosovo.

– Some 800,000 Albanians fled or were expelled to Macedonia and Albania proper before Milosevic gave in, 78 days later. As his forces pulled out and NATO took over, up to 200,000 Serbs and other ethnic minorities left as well.

Following are brief profiles of the main parties. Advance opinion polls suggested no single party would win enough votes to form a government alone.

Voters were electing 120 members of parliament from 26 political parties and three movements. Eight parties are from the Albanian majority, nine from the Serb minority and the rest from other ethnic groups.

The constitution reserves 20 seats for minorities — 10 for Serbs, the biggest minority, and 10 for others. The threshold for parties to enter parliament is 5 percent of the vote.

Kosovo has around 1.6 million voters.

Main Parties

* DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF KOSOVO (PDK), led by Hashim Thaci

The PDK was the main party to emerge from the ethnic Albanian guerrilla units that battled Serbian forces in 1998-99. Thaci led the Kosovo delegation at the Rambouillet talks in France ahead of NATO’s 1999 air war that halted Serbia’s military crackdown. The PDK won the 2007 general election and he became prime minister in January 2008.

* DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE OF KOSOVO (LDK), led by Isa Mustafa

Founded by Kosovo’s pacifist president Ibrahim Rugova, the LDK dominated the drive for independence through the 1990s, before passive resistance gave way to guerrilla conflict. It has split into rival factions since Rugova’s death in 2006, when Fatmir Sejdiu, who recently resigned as Kosovo’s president, took over.

* SELF-DETERMINATION, led by Albin Kurti

Kurti led a nationalist student movement and mass protests against Serbian rule in the late 1990s. He was arrested by Serbian forces during the 1998-99 conflict and by Kosovo and U.N. police after it, in connection with violent unrest. His party wants to reduce international controls over Kosovo and to work for the unification of Kosovo with Albania.

* NEW KOSOVO ALLIANCE (AKR), led by Behgjet Pacolli

AKR founder Behgjet Pacolli is a Kosovo-born, Swiss-based construction millionaire. His party has a technocratic program promising investment and jobs for Kosovo’s many poor. Known as the man who renovated the Kremlin, Pacolli, 56, appears untarnished by his close business ties with Russia, which backs Serbia in opposing Kosovo’s independence.

* ALLIANCE FOR THE FUTURE OF KOSOVO (AAK), led by Ramush Haradinaj

Haradinaj is a former guerrilla commander on trial for war crimes at the U.N. tribunal in The Hague. He was prime minister for 100 days until he resigned in March 2005 when he was first indicted by the tribunal. The AAK has since struggled to make an impact in Kosovo politics. Haradinaj heads the party’s list of candidates, but his trial is expected to resume in early 2011.

Exit poll

An exit poll gave Mr Thaci’s Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) 31% of the vote.

Its main rival and ex-junior coalition partner, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), was second with 25%.

If the results are confirmed, Mr Thaci will need support from other parties to form a government.

Kosovo’s election results to be published next week – 21/12/2010

The Central Election Commission (CEC) will not publish the final results of the December 12th general elections before the end of next week as the majority of polling stations are undergoing a recount. Chief Executive of the CEC Secretariat Xhemajl Peqani said on December 20^th 2010 that based on the recount findings, further decisions will be made. Problems surfaced at 745 polling stations, where miss-matches occurred between the voting material and votes in ballot boxes. (Zeri, Koha Ditore, Epoka e Re, Kosova Sot – 21/12/10)

To Continue ……

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Medical Council of India (MCI) on 13.12.2010 got the go ahead from the Supreme Court for holding a combined entrance test for All India Medical examinations. The apex court said that the MCI can frame rules for holding a combined medical entrance examination and that there was no case pending before it that had anything to do with MCI framing rules and regulations for conducting combined medical entrance exams for MBBS courses in India.

The MCI has already come out with a scheme for a common all India examination for MBBS. But many state governments have been opposing the move by MCI.

So the MCI went to the Supreme Court pleading that the court should give an approval for new policy.

The newly-constituted Board of Governors of MCI had on July 29, 2010, said it had approached the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to work out modalities for introduction of a common entrance exam system from 2011.

The Board, which was reconstituted after dissolution of the corruption-hit MCI, has also approached private medical colleges with the proposal which in turn have agreed to it.

Admission tests are conducted yearly for nearly 32,000 undergraduate seats and 13,000 post graduate seats in medical colleges across the country.

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Aqueenas Annlin

As the United Kingdom launched its first permanent hydrogen bus on a popular tourist route in London on 10.12.2010, efforts towards conceptual, fundamental and applied research in new combustion technologies in India is also gaining momentum.

Two centres of excellence being developed at IISc Bangalore and IIT Chennai would undertake research in new combustion technologies including those pertaining to hydrogen energy.

The future of aerospace, automobile and energy sectors will revolve around hydrogen fuel, as concerns of environmental pollution will put curbs on emissions and replenishment of fossil fuels is not possible, according to G. Madhavan Nair, former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at the 8th Asia Pacific Conference on Combustion (ASPACC) organised by the Combustion Institute Indian Section (CIIS) in Hyderabad on 11.12.2010

Some facts about hydrogen:

Hydrogen is the lightest   and   the most abundant element in the universe and makes up about 90% of the universe by weight. Hydrogen as water (H₂O) is absolutely essential to life and it is present in all organic compounds.

Hydrogen best fulfils the requirements of a surface transport fuel -lightness, highest energy density, versatility, clean and inexhaustible.

International covenant on Hydrogen element:

International Partnership on Hydrogen Economy was set up in Washington D.C. in November, 2003 and India is one of the 16 founder member countries of IPHE. China, India and Brazil are the three developing countries along with 13 advanced countries, including USA, UK and Japan. Large areas in India do not have access to electricity which can be provided decentralized power based on hydrogen energy.

Hydrogen and fuel cells vehicles can progressively replace petroleum based vehicles. Hydrogen holds major promise for ensuring sustainable energy security in India.

A lot of research has to be undertaken to master development and handling of hydrogen fuel before it is put to mass use. High-efficient combustion of fuels available now and development of new-age fuels are necessary to take up missions to Mars and Moon successfully.

The initiative in London has been described as a ‘stepping stone’ to rolling out the technology across the UK. The launch will also coincide with the opening of the UK’s largest hydrogen refuelling station in Leyton, east London.

The new bus produces water vapour from its tailpipe and can operate for more than 18 hours without needing to refuel.

The hydrogen buses are part of Cleaner Urban Transport for Europe project in 2003. The new buses were designed by the consortium of businesses that furnished Vancouver with a fleet of 39 buses in 2009.

More than 4,300 deaths are caused in London by air pollution every year, costing around £2bn a year. The new buses will go some way towards tackling this dire problem also.

The buses would emit water vapour instead of the nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides and particulate matter that diesel buses pump out into the air.

The buses may also reduce carbon emissions – but only if the hydrogen they run on is generated using renewable electricity rather than electricity produced by burning coal.

One key hurdle to rolling out the buses in India is the high cost as the technology is very new.

In May 2003, Madrid became the first city in the world to run a regular hydrogen bus service. Hamburg, Perth and Reykjavik are other cities. Berlin aims to put 14 hydrogen buses and 40 hydrogen cars on the road by 2016. The largest hydrogen project in the world – the Hydrogen Highway is based in California and has built 30 refuelling stations.

In December 2009, Amsterdam also launched Nemo H2, a hydrogen powered tour boat.

President Barack Obama in April 2010 signed the ‘Nationwide Hydrogen Highway Initiative’ into law.

The new initiative would mandate that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Department of Energy (DOE) build up to 200,000 hydrogen fuelling stations across the U.S., not more than 5 miles apart in most regions.

The mandate will give subsidies of up to $2 million for building hydrogen fuelling station and $300,000 for adding a hydrogen pump to an existing gas station.

More public-private partnerships are required to speed up innovation and development of new technologies in India, as hydrogen is widely billed as the fuel of the future. For this to be a reality there is a pressing need for a safe, economic and reliable way to transport hydrogen, particularly for automotive applications. This has prompted a world-wide effort to develop novel materials that are re-usable and capable of storing and releasing significant quantities of hydrogen. Many companies are working hard to develop technologies that can exploit the potential of hydrogen energy.

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The Notification for the 2011 UPSC Civil Services Prelim Exam based on the New CSAT syllabus will be issued on 19.02.2011. The Last date for receipt of Applications is on 21.03.2011 Monday. The Preliminary Examination for the year 2011 will be conducted for one day on 12.06.2011.

Please watch for the Notifications and other informations.

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1712 – British ironmonger Thomas Newcomen invents the first widely used steam engine, paving the way for the Industrial Revolution and industrial scale use of coal.

1800 – World population reaches one billion.

1824 – French physicist Joseph Fourier describes the Earth’s natural “greenhouse effect”. He writes: “The temperature [of the Earth] can be augmented by the interposition of the atmosphere, because heat in the state of light finds less resistance in penetrating the air, than in re-passing into the air when converted into non-luminous heat.”

1861 – Irish physicist John Tyndall shows that water vapour and certain other gases create the greenhouse effect. “This aqueous vapour is a blanket more necessary to the vegetable life of England than clothing is to man,” he concludes. More than a century later, he is honoured by having a prominent UK climate research organisation – the Tyndall Centre – named after him.

1886 - Karl Benz unveils the Motorwagen, often regarded as the first true automobile.

1896 – Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius concludes that industrial-age coal burning will enhance the natural greenhouse effect. He suggests this might be beneficial for future generations. His conclusions on the likely size of the “man-made greenhouse” are in the same ballpark – a few degrees Celsius for a doubling of CO2 – as modern-day climate models.

1900 – Another Swede, Knut Angstrom, discovers that even at the tiny concentrations found in the atmosphere, CO2 strongly absorbs parts of the infrared spectrum. Although he does not realise the significance, Angstrom has shown that a trace gas can produce greenhouse warming.

1927 - Carbon emissions from fossil fuel burning and industry reach one billion tonnes per year.

1930 – Human population reaches two billion.

1938 – Using records from 147 weather stations around the world, British engineer Guy Callendar shows that temperatures had risen over the previous century. He also shows that CO2 concentrations had increased over the same period, and suggests this caused the warming. The “Callendar effect” is widely dismissed by meteorologists.

1955 – Using a new generation of equipment including early computers, US researcher Gilbert Plass analyses in detail the infrared absorption of various gases. He concludes that doubling CO2 concentrations would increase temperatures by 3-4C.

1957 – US oceanographer Roger Revelle and chemist Hans Suess show that seawater will not absorb all the additional CO2 entering the atmosphere, as many had assumed. Revelle writes: “Human beings are now carrying out a large scale geophysical experiment…”

1958 – Using equipment he had developed himself, Charles David (Dave) Keeling begins systematic measurements of atmospheric CO2 at Mauna Loa in Hawaii and in Antarctica. Within four years, the project – which continues today – provides the first unequivocal proof that CO2 concentrations are rising.

1960 – Human population reaches three billion.

1965 – A US President’s Advisory Committee panel warns that the greenhouse effect is a matter of “real concern”.

1972 – First UN environment conference, in Stockholm. Climate change hardly registers on the agenda, which centres on issues such as chemical pollution, atomic bomb testing and whaling. The United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) is formed as a result.

1975 – Human population reaches four billion.

1975 – US scientist Wallace Broecker puts the term “global warming” into the public domain in the title of a scientific paper.

1987 – Human population reaches five billion

1987 - Montreal Protocol agreed, restricting chemicals that damage the ozone layer. Although not established with climate change in mind, it has had a greater impact on greenhouse gas emissions than the Kyoto Protocol.

1988 – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) formed to collate and assess evidence on climate change.

1989 - UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher – possessor of a chemistry degree – warns in a speech to the UN that “We are seeing a vast increase in the amount of carbon dioxide reaching the atmosphere… The result is that change in future is likely to be more fundamental and more widespread than anything we have known hitherto.” She calls for a global treaty on climate change.

1989 - Carbon emissions from fossil fuel burning and industry reach six billion tonnes per year.

1990 – IPCC produces First Assessment Report. It concludes that temperatures have risen by 0.3-0.6C over the last century, that humanity’s emissions are adding to the atmosphere’s natural complement of greenhouse gases, and that the addition would be expected to result in warming.

1992 – At the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, governments agree the United Framework Convention on Climate Change. Its key objective is “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system”. Developed countries agree to return their emissions to 1990 levels.

1995 – IPCC Second Assessment Report concludes that the balance of evidence suggests “a discernible human influence” on the Earth’s climate. This has been called the first definitive statement that humans are responsible for climate change.

1997 – Kyoto Protocol agreed. Developed nations pledge to reduce emissions by an average of 5% by the period 2008-2012, with wide variations on targets for individual countries. US Senate immediately declares it will not ratify the treaty.

1998 - Strong El Nino conditions combine with global warming to produce the warmest year on record. The average global temperature reached 0.52C above the mean for the period 1961-1990 (a commonly-used baseline).

1998 - Publication of the controversial “hockey stick” graph indicating that modern-day temperature rise in the northern hemisphere is unusual compared with the last 1,000 years. The work would later be the subject of two enquiries instigated by the US Congress.

1999 – Human population reaches six billion.

2001 – President George W Bush removes the US from the Kyoto process.

2001 - IPCC Third Assessment Report finds “new and stronger evidence” that humanity’s emissions of greenhouse gases are the main cause of the warming seen in the second half of the 20th Century.

2005 – The Kyoto Protocol becomes international law for those countries still inside it.

2005 – UK Prime Minister Tony Blair selects climate change as a priority for his terms as chair of the G8 and president of the EU.

2006 - The Stern Review concludes that climate change could damage global GDP by up to 20% if left unchecked – but curbing it would cost about 1% of global GDP.

2006 - Carbon emissions from fossil fuel burning and industry reach eight billion tonnes per year.

2007 – The IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report concludes it is more than 90% likely that humanity’s emissions of greenhouse gases are responsible for modern-day climate change.

2007 - The IPCC and former US vice-president Al Gore receive the Nobel Peace Prize “for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change”.

2007 – At UN negotiations in Bali, governments agree the two-year “Bali roadmap” aimed at hammering out a new global treaty by the end of 2009.

2008 – half a century after beginning observations at Mauna Loa, the Keeling project shows that CO2 concentrations have risen from 315 parts per million (ppm) in 1958 to 380ppm in 2008.

2008 – two months before taking office, incoming US president Barack Obama pledges to “engage vigorously” with the rest of the world on climate change.

2009 - China overtakes the US as the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter – although the US remains well ahead on a per-capita basis.

2009 - 192 governments convene for the UN climate summit in Copenhagen.

2010 – The United Nations Climate Change Conference took place in Cancun, Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December 2010. It encompassed the sixteenth Conference of the Parties (COP) and the sixth Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP), as well as the thirty-third sessions of both the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), and the fifteenth session of the AWG-KP and thirteenth session of the AWG-LCA.

2011 - The seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties and the seventh session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol shall be held in Durban, South Africa, from 28 November to 9 December 2011

By Richard Black – Courtesy: BBC

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India and the World/International Affairs & Institutes:

• India (national year book from Publication Division) – Relevant chapters.
• One major national daily – The Hindu or The Times of India preferably.
• Frontline (fortnightly from the Hindu) – selected news analysis and articles.
• ‘Yojana’, ‘Kurukshetra’ and Employment News (from Publication Division) – news and relevant articles.
• All India Radio (new and analysis) and RBC (news and analysis).
• World Focus – a journal on international affairs (selected issues)
• Seminar – a monthly symposium on national current and socio-political issues.
• Down to Earth – a fortnightly on science and environment.
• One career magazine – preferably the Civil Services Chronicle (English and Hindi editions).

Indian Polity:

• Organs of  Government (NCERT) – IX^th Std.
• Society, State and Government (NCERT) – XI^th Std.
• Major Concepts of  Political Science (NCERT) – XII^th Std.
• India: Constitution and Government (NCERT) – IX^th & X^th Stds.
• The Constitution of India – from Publication Division (Pocket book size i.e. English-Hindi combined edition).
• Introduction to the Constitution of India – D.D. Basu.
• Our Parliament and Our Constitution (separate books) – S.C. Kashyap (NBT)
• Perspective on the Constitution of India – S.C. Kashyap (Edited).
• Citizens and the Constitution – S.C. Kashyap (Pub. Div.).
• Democracy – An Analytical Survey – Jean Baechler (NBT).
• Democracy in India (NCERT) – Prof. Rashidudeen Khan (XII^th STd.).
• India (Pub. Div.) – relevant chapters.
• Gazetteer of India (Pub. Div.) – Vol. I
• Public Administration in India – Padma Ramachandran (NBT).
• Relevant notes to be made from newspapers and magazines on the contemporary political issues.

Indian Economy:

• Micro & Macro-economics (NCERT) – XII^th Std. (2 vols.)
• Indian Economic Development (NCERT) – XI^th Std.
• Indian Economy – Dutt and Sundharam or Mishra and Puri.
• Economic Survey – Ministry of Finance, GoI.
• India (Pub. Div.) – relevant chapters.
• ‘Yojana’ & ‘Kurikshetra’ – monthlies by Pub. Div.
• Gazetter of India (Pub. Div.) – Vol. 1.
• Relevant notes from magazines and newspapers.

History:

• NCERT (All books related to Indian History)
• Modern India – B.L. Grover.
• Social background of Indian nationalism – A.R. Desai
• Freedom Struggle – Bipin Chandra
• For cultural questions, candidates can take the help of books of NBT. For example – Indian Music, Dance, Drama, Painting etc.

Geography:

• Principles of Geography (NCERT) – Part I & II for XII^th Std. (Old editions).
• Geography of India (NCERT) – X^th Std.
• General Geography of India (NCERT) – XII ^th Std.
• Land and the People (NCERT) – VI ^th, VII ^th & VIII ^th Std.
• Certificate Physical and Human Geography (Oxford) – Goh Cheng Leong.
• Physical Geography of India (NBT) – C.S. Pichamuthu.
• Intermediate Bhoogol (Bharti Bhavan, Hindi medium) – Suresh Prasad (vol. 1& 2).
• Gazetteer of India (Pub. Div.) – Vol. 1
• Bhoogol Paribhasha Kosh – Delhi University.
• India (Pub. Div.) – Relevant chapters.
• A standard Dictionary of Geography – preferably of the Penguin.
• Khullar’s Geography
• Suresh Prasad’s Intermediate Geography
• One Atlas – T.T.K. or Orient Longman.
• Census Report
• Down to Earth (fortnightly magazine)
• Yojana and Kurukshetra

Important areas of Life Science For Preliminary Test:

• The cell: Shapes and size, cell structure, cell organelles, Difference between animal and plant cells.
• Plant Physiology – Roots, Photo synthesis, Respiration in plants.
• Circulatory system – Blood, The Heart, Lymphatic systems.
• Respiratory system – Respiratory system of man, Mechanism of respiration, respiratory disorders.
• Excretory system – Organ of excretion, internal structure of Kidney and Functions, Regulation of Urine formation, Artificial Kidney.
• Nervous system – Structure of neuron, various nervous system, Reflex action, the eye – structure, function working and common defects of eye, the ear – structure and function, tongue, skin etc.
• Reproductive system – Human reproductive system, fertilization, artificial inseminations, parturition.
• Endocrine system – Endocrine glands in man and function of hormones.
• Fundamental of Genetics.
• Health organizations.
• Nutrition – carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins etc. and deficiency diseases.
• Muscles and joints.
• Health and Disease – Cancer, T.B., Polio, Leprosy, Acids, Hepatitis, Dengue etc.
• Animal Husbandry

General Science:

• Science (NCERT) – VI ^th Std. of X ^th Std.
• Applications of Biology (NCERT) – a chapter of XII ^th Std. Biology section.
• History of Science – Ray & Moser, 5 vols. (University Press).
• How? What? Why? – 3 Books by NSC, CSIR, Govt. of India.
• The Human Machine (NBT) – Bijlani & Manchanda.
• Life: From Cell to Cell (Pub. Div.) – Bal Phondke
• His Master’s Slave (Pub. Div.) – Japan Bhattacharya.
• Ek Se Bhale Do (CSIR, GoI) – N.S.K. Prasad (Hindi medium).
• Marching Ahead with Science (NBT)
• India (Pub. Div.) – Scientific & Technological Development, Environment and Defence chapters only.
• Science Reporter (CSIR) – selected issues (English monthly).
• Vigyan (Pragati (CSIR) – selected issues (Hindi monthly).
• A standard ‘Dictionary of Science and Technology’.
• Current development from news papers.

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David Cutler

Here are details about the process of uranium enrichment as world powers began talks with Iran on 6.12.2010, hoping the meeting will lead to new negotiations over a nuclear program the West believes is for making atomic bombs.

Western powers want Iran to suspend uranium enrichment activity, which can produce fuel for nuclear power reactors or provide material for bombs if refined to a higher degree.

What is enrichment?

• Enrichment is a process of increasing the proportion of fissile isotope found in uranium ore (represented by the symbol ‘U’) to make it usable as nuclear fuel or the compressed, explosive core of nuclear weapons.

Why uranium must be enriched?

• Uranium is found naturally in a variety of forms but only a particular adapted form of the mineral can be used to generate electricity or create explosives.
• This type, called U-235 to represent its mass, is present in only about 0.7 percent of mined ore while most of the rest is U-238, which has a slightly heavier mass.
• To generate electricity, the concentration of U-235 must be increased to between 3 and 5 percent. It must be refined to levels over 80 percent to create the core of an atom bomb.

Technologies:

• The two most popular production techniques require uranium ore, known as “yellow cake,” to be converted into a gas called uranium hexafluoride (UF-6) before enrichment.

Diffusion method:

• When gaseous uranium is pumped through a porous barrier, the lighter U-235 atoms traverse the pores at a quicker rate than U-238. This is like smaller grains of sand passing through a sieve quicker than the bigger ones. The process has to be repeated about 1,400 times to get U-235 at a concentration of 3 percent of the UF-6.

Centrifuge method:

• Like the diffusion process, the centrifuge method exploits the slight difference in mass between U-235 and U-238. Uranium gas is fed into a cylindrical centrifuge. It spins at supersonic speeds, causing the heavier U-238 to move toward the cylinder’s outer edge while U-235 collects around the center. Enriched U-235 is removed and put through the same process many times to raise its concentration.
• Around 1,500 centrifuges running non-stop for months would be needed to make the 20 kg (45 pounds) of highly-enriched uranium needed for one crude warhead.
• According to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s last report in November, 2010  Iran temporarily halted low-level enrichment work at Natanz in mid-November, without giving a reason, but the number of centrifuge sets — cascades — in operation had still increased in the last few months.

According to the report Iran started producing small batches of 20 percent enriched uranium with 164 centrifuges at Natanz in February, 2010 fuelling Western fears that Iran aims to develop nuclear bombs.

In August, 2010 the IAEA said Iran had begun using a second cascade of centrifuge machines to make the work more efficient.

Sources: Reuters/ Uranium Information Center www.uic.com/ Nuclear Policy Research Institute www.nuclearpolicy.org.

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Aqeenas Annlin

The protest against the 9900-MWe Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project, the largest engineering project ever conceived in Maharashtra, India, is gathering momentum. But the Rs.1 lakh-crore project is likely to be implemented as it has already received environmental clearance and the Union government is determined to double nuclear energy generating capacity by 2020. As part of the commitment to climate change, the government plans to change the proportion of energy mix. At present, nuclear energy accounts for nearly three per cent of our electricity generating capacity.

Today, 38 per cent of India’s greenhouse gas emission comes from the power sector and the government feels a pressing need for cleaner energy options.

Even though nuclear energy option reduces greenhouse gas emissions, the protest is mainly on account of other concerns.

The Jaitapur project will come up in collaboration with French giant Areva, which will supply uranium and reactor units, according to the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited.

On 26.11.2010, the Ministry of Environment & Forests accorded environmental clearance for the 6×1650 MWe nuclear power project in Jaitapur, Maharashtra. Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh announced the environmental clearance with 35 conditions and safeguards.

Extensive opposition to the project, particularly from the Konkan Bachao Samiti (KBS), was overruled by the government in granting this clearance.

The Environment minister however clarified that it could take on board only the ecological objections raised by the protesters. It has asked the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited and its partner Areva to address the other economic, commercial, safety and technological issues. Areva is a predominantly state-owned nuclear power company in France, which has developed the 1650 MWe European Pressurised Reactor (EPR), based on the French N4 and the German Konvoi reactor   types.

But concerns have been raised on the maturity of the EPR technology as no EPR has been constructed and commissioned for operation anywhere in the world. Four EPRs are in different stages of construction and two of them are facing serious problems. The construction of the first EPR to Finland started in 2005 and construction   and design problems have delayed the start-up of this plant to the second half of 2013 which is a delay of 3.5 years and a cost escalation of 50 per cent.

The second EPR construction in France was in December 2007.  Similar construction and safety issues have led to a 50 per cent cost increase and a delay of commissioning to 2014.

China bought two EPRs for which the completion dates are 2013 and 2014.

As the EPR is allegedly in trouble, the French government asked Francois Roussely, a former chairman of the Electricite de France (EDF), in October 2009 to evaluate the status of the EPR and the French nuclear industry. The Roussely Report of July 2010 has concluded that the credibility of the EPR has been seriously damaged by the problems of the two reactors under construction.

According to the report, the complexity of the EPR comes from (questionable) design choices, notably of the power level, containment, core-catcher, and redundancy of systems.

The first of the six units of 1650 MWe capacity each is expected to be commissioned by 2017-18. It will help Maharashtra reduce its energy deficit. Nearly 1000 hectares of land has already been acquired for the project.

To address the grievances of the local community, the State government had formed an Empowered Group of Ministers to enhance the compensation.

The process of environmental clearance by the union ministry of environment   has tried to balance four objectives: the amount of energy required to sustain a growth rate of nine per cent; the proportion of fuel mix; strategic diplomacy, especially after the Civilian Nuclear Deal; and the environmental concerns raised by a large number of groups.

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US military unveils ‘Airburst Smart Gun- XM-25’

A new gun, the US military hopes will help take on the Taliban, has been unveiled.

This is the XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System, aka XM-25 Airburst weapon, otherwise known as a smart gun or smart grenade launcher, designed by Heckler and Koch, is what the US army expects to be a “game-changer” in Afghanistan. Program manager for the XM25 Lieutenant Colonel Chris Lehner had the following to say about this weapons epic abilities: “You get behind something when someone is shooting at you, and that sort of cover has protected people for thousands of years, … Now we’re taking that away from the enemy forever.”

It uses a laser guidance system and specially developed 25mm high explosive rounds which can be programmed to detonate over a target.

Richard Audette helped develop it for the US Army and says it’s a big leap forward because it’s the first small arms weapon to use smart technology.

Full solution

“The way a soldier operates this is basically find your target, then laze (laser) to it, which gives the range, then you get an adjusted aim point, adjust the fire and pull the trigger.

“Say you’ve lazed out to 543 metres… When you pull the trigger it arms the round and fires it 543 metres plus or minus one, two or three metres.”

The XM-25 is already being used by US soldiers in Afghanistan

It means the weapon can be used to target insurgents hiding behind walls or in ditches without the need to call in air strikes. “That makes it a full solution fire control weapon”.

It’s already been issued to soldiers in the US military serving in Afghanistan and could be used by British Special Forces too.

In a statement the MOD wouldn’t comment on the new gun but said it is committed to provide front line troops in Afghanistan with the best possible equipment. In addition it said it is always interested in evaluating emerging technology.

The Pentagon plans on purchasing a total of at least 12,500 of these guns at around $25,000 to $30,000 a piece, enough for one per Infrantry squad and Special Forces team in Afghanistan. According to GearDiary, each round fired from the gun costs around $25. Is it worth it? Very possibly. What this weapon is capable of is firing a 25mm High Explosive round at a target, knowing how far it has to be away from the target before it should explode. This ability to explode before or after a target (such as a covered position) allows much more accuracy for the troop and much less collateral damage for the area surrounding the target.

At the moment, troops are only able to basically blast through targets should their enemy high behind them. This weapon has a laser range finder that automatically finds “distance to target” and tells the warhead it launches when to blow. This weapon will be carried in addition to a soldier’s assault rifle, weighing in at around 14lbs in addition to ammunition. GearDiary reports additional features to be a 2X optical sight as well as a 4X thermal sight that’ll allow troops to view heat signatures. God help us if these become mainstream enough to find their way to both sides of these forever wars.

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As delegates struggle to arrive at a consensus on key climate change issues at the 2010 Annual Climate Change Conference in Cancun, the World Meteorological Organization has released a report which says 2010 is the hottest year ever recorded.

“The year 2010 is almost certain to rank in the top 3 warmest years since the beginning of instrumental climate records in 1850,” WMO said in a report.

WMO, however, cannot make a final ranking for 2010 until the organization has factored in the date for November and December. Over the ten years from 2001 to 2010, global temperatures have averaged 0.46 C (0.82 F) above the 1961-1990 average, the report said.

According to WMO, the recent warming has been especially strong in Africa, parts of Asia, and parts of the Arctic.

The report also pointed out several instances of extreme weather conditions in the summer during which Pakistan, experienced the worst flooding in its history as a result of exceptionally heavy monsoon rains.

“The event principally responsible for the floods occurred from 26-29 July, 2010 when four-day rainfall totals exceeded 300 millimetres over a large area of northern Pakistan centred on Peshawar,” the report said.

“The most extreme heat was centred over western Russia, with the peak extending from early July to mid-August, 2010″ it said.

Meanwhile, no breakthroughs emerged after day 3 of negotiations in Cancun where negotiators are seeking a “balanced” set of outcomes, which should include progress on divisive issues like mitigation and financing.

The contentious climate meeting in Denmark, in 2009, yielded the non-binding Copenhagen Accord, which called on all countries to reduce greenhouse gases, 100 billion dollars in long term finance to developing countries and 30 billion dollars to short-term finance to the poorest and most vulnerable countries.

In 2010, 37 industrialised nations and 42 developing countries submitted mitigation targets and voluntary actions to reduce their carbon emissions.

Developed countries have already announced pledges of USD 28 billion for the fast track funding, according to the UN So far, delegates here indicated that progress is being made on issues like technology transfer and adaptation.

Meanwhile, the future of the Kyoto Protocol remains uncertain. Japan has already said that it opposes the extension of the Kyoto Protocol, which was signed in 1997.

“Japan will not inscribe its target under the Kyoto Protocol on any conditions or under any circumstances,” its delegate, said in an open meeting of all the countries on Wednesday.

While developing countries want to extend the only treaty that binds industrialised countries to reduce carbon emissions, Japan wants one treaty that should include legal obligations for emerging economies like China and India.

The first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012 by which rich nations committed to cut emissions by an average 5 per cent over 1990 levels.

However, US is not part of the Kyoto Protocol, which means that it would not have obligations to reduce emissions in the second commitment period, which is could potentially begin in 2013.

China and US are the largest emitters of greenhouse gases.

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Pankajam

French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Bangalore on 4.12.2010 on the first leg of his four—day visit that will seek to strengthen bilateral ties in key areas of space and civil nuclear cooperation.

Mr. Sarkozy is accompanied by his singer-model wife Carla Bruni and a high-level delegation, including several key ministers of his Cabinet and senior officials. Mr. Sarkozy, Carla Bruni and the delegation later drove to the nearby Leela Palace Hotel for a brief stay.

The highlight of his visit to the city will be his address to scientists at the India’s space research agency ISRO. During Mr. Sarkozy’s visit to ISRO, the focus is expected to be on Indo-French space collaborative projects, the Megha Tropiques and SARAL.

Megha—Tropiques (Megha meaning cloud in Sanskrit and Tropiques in French meaning Tropics), being jointly developed by ISRO and French National Space Agency (CNES), is expected to be launched by 2011 to study tropical climate.

Another ISRO-CNES mission to be launched next year is SARAL (Satellite for Argos and Altika) for seasonal forecast, oceanography and climate studies.

Mr. Sarkozy is likely to have a brief interaction with top officials of ISRO, who are expected to take him on a short visit around the ISRO facility.

The French President will visit Agra, Delhi and Mumbai during his India visit.

A 50—member business delegation and a 100—member team of journalists from France have already arrived in India for the President’s visit.

Sarkozy supports India’s UNSC bid

During his first stopover on his four-day visit to India in Bangalore on 4.12.2010, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called for a permanent seat for India in the U.N. Security Council.

It was “unthinkable” that a country of a billion people should have no representation in the Security Council, he said in his address at the Indian Space Research Organisation, where he arrived with his wife Carla Bruni and a large contingent of French ministers and executives.

India’s recent election to the Security Council for two years “must serve as the prelude to a permanent Indian presence within the UNSC,” Mr. Sarkozy said.

The UNSC must be expanded to include new permanent members — India, Brazil, Germany and Japan — and it must have representation from Africa and the Middle-East, he said, adding India should join the Security Council as a permanent member so that it could assume its full role in the G20.

Sarkozy, who is accompanied by his wife Carla Bruni said that terrorism emanating from Pakistan and Afghanistan is a major source of instability in the world.

Sarkozy is seeking to drum up business for French firms, with a deal expected on building nuclear plants India’s energy needs. He also said, “We need India to regulate the world monetary order; I believe Indian currency will be counted as one of major currencies”.

He expressed his happiness on N-plant in India. He said that France is delighted to set up nuclear plant in Jaitapur that will produce 10,000 MW of clean energy.

The French leader will hold talks on 6.12.2010 with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, after a private visit on 5.12.2010 with First Lady Carla Bruni to the Taj Mahal, the famed white marble monument to love in Agra.

His trip comes amid a rash of visits by world leaders to India. President Barak Obama visited in November 2010and the leaders of Russia and China are due by 2010 end.

Sarkozy is accompanied by his defense, foreign and finance ministers and nearly 60 CEOs of French companies. Although no defense agreements are expected during the visit, he is expected to push for French firms to win contracts to supply military hardware. French companies are negotiating to upgrade 51 Mirage-2000 jet fighters of the Indian air force. India is also in the market to buy 126 fighter jets, a deal worth $11 billion, and nearly 200 helicopters worth another $4 billion.

India, France sign nuclear power deal – 6.12.2010

India and France signed a multibillion agreement on 6.12.2010 to build two nuclear power plants in India as French President Nicolas Sarkozy worked to drum up business for his nation during his four-day visit in India.

Areva SA, one of France’s main nuclear power companies, will build two European pressurized reactors of 1,650 megawatts each at Jaitapur in Maharashtra.

The agreement, valued at about $9.3 billion, was signed in the presence of Mr. Sarkozy and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The deal marked the first two of 20 nuclear reactors the country wants to build to meet its soaring energy demand.

The talks were also expected to touch on plans for the structural reform of the international monetary system through the Group of 20 countries, currently headed by France.

Defence sales

No defence agreements are expected during the visit, but Mr. Sarkozy is likely to push for French companies to win contracts to supply military hardware.

French companies are negotiating to upgrade 51 Mirage-2000 jet fighters in the Indian air force. India is also in the market to buy 126 fighter jets, a deal worth $11 billion, and about 200 helicopters worth another $4 billion.

According to defence experts, India is expected to spend $80 billion between 2012 and 2022 to upgrade its military.

Bilateral trade

Mr. Sarkozy’s visit also coincides with at least two important meetings with Indian business leaders. The French president is keen to attract Indian companies to invest in France, even as French companies are seeking a slice of India’s booming economy.

Bilateral trade declined in 2009 due to global economic woes, but was on the upswing this year, said Vishnu Prakash, External Affairs ministry spokesman. The two countries have set a trade target of 12 billion euros for 2012.

France to invest Eur 10 billion in India by 2012 – Christine Lagarde

French companies are committed to invest euro 10 billion ($ 13.37 billion) in India by 2012, the country’s Minister of Economy and Finance Christine Lagarde said on 6.12.2010.

“This is not just a figure (Euro 10 billion). It is the commitment by French companies between 2008-2012,” Ms. Lagarde said while addressing India-France Business Forum at Ficci.

Adding that everything (business) worked on ‘give and take’ principle, she said, India has to reciprocate to its (France’s) interests in the country.

She emphasised on opening up sectors like insurance and retail, particularly, multi-brand retail, so that French companies can invest in these sectors.

Responding to the concern expressed by French minister, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said removing foreign direct investment (FDI) cap on insurance and multi-brand retail was very much on the government agenda.

Government is in the process of amending the insurance legislation to pave the way for allowing 49 per cent FDI in the sector, Mr. Ahluwalia said.

For opening up FDI in retail, particularly the multi-brand retail, several ministries have supported the idea, but the decision has to be taken by the government, he said.

France joins India in pressing Pak to prosecute 26/11 perpetrators – 6.12.2010

France on 6.12.2010 joined India in pressing Pakistan to actively prosecute the “authors” and their accomplices of Mumbai terror attacks expeditiously.

Terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and Pakistan was among the issues that were discussed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and French President Nicolas Sarkozy with both expressing concern over the continuing existence of safe havens and sanctuaries for terror groups in these countries. “With the tragic losses suffered in the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai particularly in mind, we call for the active prosecution of the authors of such crimes and their accomplices, and urge that they be brought to justice expeditiously,” a joint statement, issued after the meeting, said in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

Addressing a joint media interaction with Dr. Singh, Mr. Sarkozy said Pakistan should fight terrorism “determinedly“.

Terrorism strikes not only the people and the interests of our two countries but also imperils peace and stability of our respective regions and the world. We reaffirm our irrevocable condemnation of this scourge in all its forms and our will to intensify our cooperation to counter it, the statement said.

“Since our Joint Statement of 25 January 2008, we have aimed at intensifying bilateral consultations and exchanges with the objective of better assessing these threats and sharing relevant information. “Today, we have decided to make this cooperation a priority of the Indo—French security relationship,” it said.

The two leaders affirmed to continue enhanced bilateral operational cooperation as far as possible and ensure that the widest possible measure of mutual legal assistance is rendered, and that extradition requests are processed expeditiously.

The two governments will coordinate their endeavours in international bodies such as the Financial Action Task Force in order to define common positions and promote concrete initiative, the statement said.

“In the pursuance of our efforts to strengthen the international legal framework against terrorism, we resolve to intensify our efforts to urgently conclude the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism at the United Nations,” it said.

“France and India call on all countries to become part, as a matter of urgency, of all international counter- terrorism conventions,” it added.

Both sides also reiterated the importance of adhering to sanctions regime against Al Qaeda and Taliban as established by UNSCR 1267 and subsequent resolutions and the need to preserve its credibility.

India, France ink 2 MoUs on higher education

India and France on 6.12.2010 signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on higher education, and also decided to take forward 2009 `Plan of Action for IIT-Rajasthan’ by setting up a French consortium that will help the institute gain expertise in areas like health technology, solar energy, aerospace, quantum computing and several other fields.

The MoUs were signed in the presence of Valerie Pecresse, French minister for higher education and research, and HRD minister Kapil Sibal. The first MoU proposes to set up an International Joint Laboratory, which will be called Cellule Franco-Indienne de Recherche en Sciences de l’Eau (CEFIRSE), or Indo-French Cell for Water Sciences (IFCWS). It will be developed by Institut De Recherche Pour Le Development of France and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. The laboratory could enter into partnerships with other research structures and organisations in India, France and abroad.

The second one relates to academic collaboration between seven IITs and ParisTech — Paris Institute of Science and Technology, Paris. The seven IITs are located in Kharagpur, Bombay, Madras, Kanpur, Delhi, Guwahati and Roorkee. AgroParisTech, Arts et Mitiers ParisTech, Chimie ParisTech and a few others come under ParisTech. The MoU seeks to promote institutional exchanges; student exchanges, organising symposia, conferences, short courses and meetings on research issues; joint research and continuing education programmes; and exchange information pertaining to developments in teaching, student development and research at each institution. The IITs and ParisTech may collaborate to participate in the European Commission initiatives such as Erasmus Mundus, External Cooperation Window by partnering with other interested institutions.

In case of IIT-Rajasthan, the French consortium will help it in gaining expertise in systems integration and design; mechanical engineering; technologies for art, conservation and heritage; as well as any other areas to be decided by mutual consent. French higher education, research institutions and universities will all be a part of the consortium. When applicable, it will have French and Indian industrial partners.

Members of the consortium will be sending to the Institute faculty members/ experts for research or teaching purposes for a tenure of at least half a semester per faculty member. On a reciprocity basis, the Institute will also send Indian faculty members/research staff/students to the universities/ institutes/industries of the French consortium.

To Continue ….

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Thangai VS Annan

To his fans, Julian Paul Assange is a valiant campaigner for truth. To his critics, though, he is a publicity-seeker, who has endangered lives by putting a mass of sensitive information into the public domain.

Mr Assange is described by those who have worked with him as intense, driven and highly intelligent – with an exceptional ability to crack computer codes.

He is often on the move, running Wikileaks from temporary, shifting locations.

He can go long stretches without eating, and focus on work with very little sleep, according to Raffi Khatchadourian, a reporter for the New Yorker magazine who spent several weeks travelling with him.

Julian Paul Assange

Born on 3 July 1971 (1971-07-03) (age 39)

Birth Place: Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Nationality: Australian

Occupation: Editor-in-chief and spokesperson for WikiLeaks

Julian Paul Assange is an Australian journalist, publisher and internet activist. He is best known as the spokesperson and editor-in-chief for WikiLeaks, a whistleblower website. Before working with the website, he was a physics and mathematics student as well as a computer programmer. He has lived in several countries and has told reporters he is constantly on the move. He makes irregular public appearances to speak about freedom of the press, censorship, and investigative reporting; he has also won several journalism awards for his work with WikiLeaks.

Early Life

Assange was born in Townsville, Queensland, and spent much of his youth living on Magnetic Island. Assange’s parents ran a touring theatre company. In 1979, his mother, Christine, remarried; her new husband was a musician who belonged to a controversial New Age group led by Anne Hamilton-Byrne. The couple had a son, but broke up in 1982 and engaged in a custody struggle for Assange’s half-brother. His mother then took both children into hiding for the next five years. Assange moved several dozen times during his childhood, attending many schools, sometimes being home schooled, and later attending several universities at various times in Australia.

Hacking

The development of the internet gave him a chance to use his early promise at maths, though this, too, led to difficulties. In 1995 he was accused with a friend of dozens of hacking activities.

Though the group of hackers was skilled enough to track detectives tracking them, Mr Assange was eventually caught and pleaded guilty. He was fined several thousand Australian dollars – only escaping prison on the condition that he did not reoffend.

He then spent three years working with an academic, Suelette Dreyfus, who was researching the emerging, subversive side of the internet, writing a book with her, Underground, that became a bestseller in the computing fraternity.

Ms Dreyfus described Mr Assange as a “very skilled researcher” who was “quite interested in the concept of ethics, concepts of justice, what governments should and shouldn’t do”.

This was followed by a course in physics and maths at Melbourne University, where he became a prominent member of a mathematics society, inventing an elaborate maths puzzle that contemporaries said he excelled at.

In 1987, after turning 16, Assange began hacking under the name “Mendax” (derived from a phrase of Horace: “splendide mendax,” or “nobly untruthful”). He and two other hackers joined to form a group which they named the International Subversives. Assange wrote down the early rules of the subculture: “Don’t damage computer systems you break into (including crashing them); don’t change the information in those systems (except for altering logs to cover your tracks); and share information”.

In response to the hacking, the Australian Federal Police raided his Melbourne home in 1991. He was reported to have accessed computers belonging to an Australian university, the Canadian telecommunications company Nortel, and other organisations, via modem. In 1992, he pled guilty to 24 charges of hacking and was released on bond for good conduct after being fined AU$2100. The prosecutor said “there is just no evidence that there was anything other than sort of intelligent inquisitiveness and the pleasure of being able to—what’s the expression—surf through these various computers”.

Assange later commented, “It’s a bit annoying, actually. Because I cowrote a book about [being a hacker], there are documentaries about that, people talk about that a lot. They can cut and paste. But that was 20 years ago. It’s very annoying to see modern day articles calling me a computer hacker. I’m not ashamed of it, I’m quite proud of it. But I understand the reason they suggest I’m a computer hacker now. There’s a very specific reason.”

Child Custody Issues

In 1989, Assange started living with his girlfriend and soon they had a son. She separated from him after the 1991 police raid and took their son.^] They engaged in a lengthy custody struggle, and did not agree on a custody arrangement until 1999. The entire process prompted Assange and his mother to form Parent Inquiry Into Child Protection, an activist group centered on creating a “central databank” for otherwise inaccessible legal records related to child custody issues in Australia.

WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks was founded in 2006. That year, Assange wrote two essays setting out the philosophy behind WikiLeaks: “To radically shift regime behavior we must think clearly and boldly for if we have learned anything, it is that regimes do not want to be changed. We must think beyond those who have gone before us and discover technological changes that embolden us with ways to act in which our forebears could not.” In his blog he wrote, “the more secretive or unjust an organisation is, the more leaks induce fear and paranoia in its leadership and planning coterie. … Since unjust systems, by their nature induce opponents, and in many places barely have the upper hand, mass leaking leaves them exquisitely vulnerable to those who seek to replace them with more open forms of governance.”

Assange sits on Wikileaks’s nine-member advisory board, and is a prominent media spokesman on its behalf. While newspapers have described him as a “director” or “founder”^[ of Wikileaks, Assange has said, "I don't call myself a founder"; he does describe himself as the editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, and has stated that he has the final decision in the process of vetting documents submitted to the site. Like all others working for the site, Assange is an unpaid volunteer. Assange says that Wikileaks has released more classified documents than the rest of the world press combined: "That's not something I say as a way of saying how successful we are – rather, that shows you the parlous state of the rest of the media. How is it that a team of five people has managed to release to the public more suppressed information, at that level, than the rest of the world press combined? It's disgraceful."  Assange advocates a "transparent" and "scientific" approach to journalism, saying that "you can't publish a paper on physics without the full experimental data and results; that should be the standard in journalism."

In 2006, CounterPunch called him "Australia's most infamous former computer hacker."  The Age has called him "one of the most intriguing people in the world" and "internet's freedom fighter." Assange has called himself "extremely cynical". The Personal Democracy Forum said that as a teenager he was "Australia's most famous ethical computer hacker."  He has been described as being largely self-taught and widely read on science and mathematics,^[25] and as thriving on intellectual battle. WikiLeaks has been involved in the publication of material documenting extrajudicial killings in Kenya, a report of toxic waste dumping on the African coast, Church of Scientology manuals, Guantánamo Bay procedures, the July 12, 2007 Baghdad airstrikes video, and material involving large banks such as Kaupthing and Julius Baer among other documents.

He has been involved in the publication of material documenting extrajudicial killings in Kenya, a report of toxic waste dumping on the African coast, Church of Scientology manuals, Guantánamo Bay procedures, and material involving large banks such as Kaupthing and Julius Baer among other documents. He has recently received widespread public attention for the publication of classified material from WikiLeaks documenting details about the involvement of the United States in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. On 28 November 2010, WikiLeaks and its five media partners began publishing the United States diplomatic cables leak. According to The Guardian, this has placed Assange “at the centre of intense media speculation and a hate campaign against him in America”.

On 30 November 2010, Interpol placed Assange on its red notice list of wanted persons;  concomitantly, a European Arrest Warrant was issued for him. He is wanted for questioning on suspicion of “sex crimes”; this does not refer to suspicion of non-consensual sex, but to a condom breaking during consensual sex. He has not been formally charged with any crime. Mark Stephens, a British legal representative of Assange, said “It is highly irregular and unusual for the Swedish authorities to issue a red notice in the teeth of the undisputed fact that Mr Assange has agreed to meet voluntarily to answer the prosecutor’s questions”.

Wikileaks has published material from a number of different countries, but really hit the headlines in April, 2010 when it released video taken from a US helicopter in Iraq in 2007. The images, carried by media outlets around the world, caused widespread shock.

Mr Assange emerged into the spotlight to promote and defend the video, as well as the massive releases of classified US military documents on the Afghan and Iraq wars, in July and October, 2010.

Awards

Assange was the winner of the 2009 Amnesty International Media Award (New Media), awarded for exposing extrajudicial assassinations in Kenya with the investigation The Cry of Blood – Extra Judicial Killings and Disappearances. In accepting the award, he said: “It is a reflection of the courage and strength of Kenyan civil society that this injustice was documented. Through the tremendous work of organisations such as the Oscar foundation, the KNHCR, Mars Group Kenya and others we had the primary support we needed to expose these murders to the world.” He also won the 2008 Economist Index on Censorship Award.

Assange was awarded the 2010 Sam Adams Award by the Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence. In September 2010, Assange was voted as number 23 among the “The World’s 50 Most Influential Figures 2010″ by the British magazine New Statesman. In their November/December issue, Utne Reader magazine named Assange as one of the “25 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World”.

On 12 November he was leading in the poll for Time magazine’s “Person of the Year, 2010″.

Swedish “Sex Crime” investigation and arrest warrant

On 20 August 2010, an investigation was opened against Assange in Sweden in connection with an allegation that he had raped a woman in Enköping on the weekend of 14 August, 2010 after a seminar, and two days later had sexually harassed a second woman he had been staying with in Stockholm. Shortly after the investigation opened, however, chief prosecutor Eva Finné overruled the prosecutor on call the night the report was filed, withdrawing the warrant to arrest Assange and saying “I don’t think there is reason to suspect that he has committed rape.” He was still being investigated for harassment, which covers reckless conduct or inappropriate physical contact. The second woman was a member of the Swedish Association of Christian Social Democrats, a Christian affiliate of the Swedish Social Democratic Party, who organized a seminar and news conference in Sweden for Assange. She was acting as Assange’s spokeswoman and hosting him as a guest in her home during his stay in Sweden.  Assange said “the charges are without basis and their issue at this moment is deeply disturbing”; his supporters say he is the victim of a smear campaign. Assange denies any wrongdoing but admits to having had unprotected but, he says, consensual encounters with two women during a visit to Sweden in August. He was questioned by police for an hour on 31 August, and on 1 September a senior Swedish prosecutor re-opened the investigation saying new information had come in. The women’s lawyer, Claes Borgström, a Swedish politician, had earlier appealed against the decision not to proceed. Assange has said that the accusation against him is a “set-up” arranged by the enemies of WikiLeaks.

In late October, 2010 Sweden denied Assange’s application for a Swedish residency and work permit. Subsequently, on 4 November, Assange said that he is considering a formal request for political asylum in Switzerland as “a real possibility.” He would also move the WikiLeaks servers to Switzerland in order to “operate in safety.” However, according to the Swiss Refugee Council (Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe), his chances of obtaining asylum there are small. Assange would first need to claim protection from his native Australia, and then make a credible argument that Australia could not protect him. This would be extremely difficult, according to the organisation.

On 18 November, 2010 Stockholm District Court approved a request to detain Assange for questioning on suspicion of rape, sexual molestation, and unlawful coercion. Director of Public Prosecutions Marianne Ny, who had reopened the investigation in September, said she had requested the warrant because, “so far, we have not been able to meet with him to accomplish the interrogation.” Assange’s British legal counsel, Mark Stephens, disputed this, saying “we were willing to meet at the Swedish embassy or Scotland Yard or via video link” and that “all of these offers have been flatly refused by a prosecutor who is abusing her powers by insisting that he return to Sweden at his own expense to be subjected to another media circus that she will orchestrate.” On 20 November, Sweden’s National Criminal Police force issued an international arrest warrant for Assange via Interpol; an EU arrest warrant was issued through the Schengen Information System. “We made sure that all the police forces in the world would see it”, a spokesman for the National Criminal Police said.

Stephens dismissed the charges, issuing a statement in which he called the allegations “false and without basis” and said “even the substance of the allegations, as revealed to the press through unauthorized disclosures do not constitute what any advanced legal system considers to be rape.”

Assange’s Swedish lawyer, Björn Hurtig, stated that the evidence against Assange was “very meager. It’s not enough to get him convicted for crime.”

On 24 November 2010, Assange lost an appeal against his detention, and thus remains under arrest in absentia and under an arrest warrant. The Svea Court of Appeal rejected his appeal and upheld the decision to remand him by the Stockholm district court. In late November, Assange escalated the process by appealing to the Supreme Court of Sweden, but the Court refused to hear the appeal.

On 30 November 2010, Interpol issued a red notice against Assange on behalf of Sweden for questioning on allegations of “sex crimes.” Interpol’s spokesman clarified, “if it wasn’t for a request from Sweden, we would not have changed the status of his warrant.”  Initially the notice was marked “restricted” but made public only after Sweden said they should. British police rejected the arrest warrant. A spokeswoman for the Swedish National Police Board told the BBC that Britain’s Serious Organised Crime Agency had requested a new order as the original one had listed only the maximum penalty for the most serious crime alleged, rather than for all of the crimes. Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny admitted the procedural fault and immediately filed a new detention order.

Stephens argued that the Swedish attempts to extradite Assange have no legal force because so far he has not been charged. Formal charges are an essential precondition for a valid European Arrest Warrant. Stephens said, “Julian Assange has never been charged by Swedish prosecutors. He is formally wanted as a witness.”

WikiLeaks’ Acquisition of the Cables

It was reported in June, 2010 that the U.S. State Department and embassy personnel were concerned that Bradley Manning, who had been charged with the unauthorized download of classified material while he was stationed in Iraq, had leaked diplomatic cables. The report, written by Wired, was rejected as inaccurate by WikiLeaks: “Allegations in Wired that we have been sent 260,000 classified U.S. embassy cables are, as far as we can tell, incorrect”. Manning was suspected to have uploaded all of what he obtained to WikiLeaks, which chose to release the material in stages so as to have the greatest possible impact.

On 22 November, an announcement was made by WikiLeaks’ Twitter feed that the next release would be “7× the size of the Iraq War Logs”. U.S. authorities and the media had speculated, at the time, that they could contain diplomatic cables. Prior to the expected leak, the government of the United Kingdom (UK) sent a DA-Notice to UK newspapers, which requested advance notice from newspapers regarding the expected publication. According to the Index on Censorship, “there is no obligation on [the] media to comply”. Under the terms of a DA-Notice, “Newspaper editors would speak to Defence, Press and Broadcasting Advisory Committee prior to publication”.

The Guardian was then revealed to have been the source of the copy of the documents given to The New York Times in order to prevent the British government from obtaining any injunction against its publication. The Pakistani newspaper Dawn stated that the U.S. newspapers The New York Times and The Washington Post were expected to publish parts of the diplomatic cables on 28 November, including 94 Pakistan-related documents.

On 26 November, 2010 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange sent a letter to the U.S. Department of State, via his lawyer Jennifer Robinson, inviting them to “privately nominate any specific instances (record numbers or names) where it considers the publication of information would put individual persons at significant risk of harm that has not already been addressed”. Harold Koh, the Legal Adviser of the Department of State, rejected the proposal, stating: “We will not engage in a negotiation regarding the further release or dissemination of illegally obtained U.S. Government classified materials”. Assange responded in turn by writing back to the State Department that “you have chosen to respond in a manner which leads me to conclude that the supposed risks are entirely fanciful and you are instead concerned to suppress evidence of human rights abuse and other criminal behaviour”.

Ahead of the leak of the documents, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton contacted officials in Afghanistan, Britain, the People’s Republic of China, France, Saudi Arabia, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates about the impending release, while other diplomats apparently spoke with the leaders in India, Iraq, Turkey, Canada, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Pakistan, Denmark, Russia, Norway, Iceland, Colombia and Sweden.

WikiLeaks Release

On 28 November 2010, WikiLeaks began the release of the cables on its site, stating that “The embassy cables will be released in stages over the next few months. The subject matter of these cables is of such importance, and the geographical spread so broad, that to do otherwise would not do this material justice”.

WikiLeaks  Contents by region

Information in the tranche of cables released by WikiLeaks on 28 November 2010 and subsequent days included the following:

• Commonwealth Political Director Amitav Banerji said a Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) could recommend a full suspension of Fiji; he also suggested a constitutional crisis could have followed the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua; he further noted a succession question for the Head of the Commonwealth Queen Elizabeth II, though it was on the back burner while she was alive, as there was no rule that stipulated the British monarch must be the head of the body.

United Nations

• Directives from the State Department ordered U.S. diplomats to gather intelligence on the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, and top UN officials, including biometric information, passwords, and personal encryption keys used in private and commercial networks for official communications.
• At a meeting in 2006 between the US Legal Advisor to the Secretary of State John B. Bellinger III and legal advisors of the European Member states, Bellinger warned European states that supporting a Cuba-sponsored resolution at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights against U.S. actions in Guantanamo Bay, would be a “serious setback to U.S.-EU cooperation against terrorism, and give the unacceptable impression that the EU was aligned with Cuba against the U.S.”

Afghanistan

• According to a cable from the American Embassy in Kabul, Ahmad Zia Massoud, Vice President of Afghanistan, was found carrying $52 million in cash that he “was ultimately allowed to keep without revealing the money’s origin or destination”. The discovery was made in the United Arab Emirates by local authorities working with the Drug Enforcement Agency.
• Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan, was described in one cable as having a paranoid world-view.
• A cable recounting meetings between American officials and Ahmed Wali Karzai, in September 2009 and February 2010, offered the following warning: “Note: While we must deal with AWK as the head of the Provincial Council, he is widely understood to be corrupt and a narcotics trafficker”. Noting several of Karzai’s statements known to be false, the cables explain that “He appears not to understand the level of our knowledge of his activities. We will need to monitor his activity closely, and deliver a recurring, transparent message to him”.

Albania

• After accepting five Chinese Muslims of Guantánamo Bay in 2006, Sali Berisha offered to take three to six detainees extra. American diplomats portrayed his offer as “gracious, but probably extravagant. As always, the Albanians are willing to go the extra mile to assist with one of our key foreign policy priorities,” a cable said.

Armenia

• The 2010 diplomatic cable leaks revealed US anger against Armenia for allegedly shipping arms to Iran. In late 2008, US diplomats came to the conclusion that the government of Armenia had supplied Iran with rockets and machine guns in 2003, which were subsequently sent by Iran to insurgents in Iraq and used to kill American soldiers there. The allegation was denied by Armenian President Serge Sargsyan. The cables contain an angry letter from John D. Negroponte to Sargsyan.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

• The French government pushed for the closure of the Office of the High Representative despite conditions not being met, in opposition to the US.
• US and Turkish officials pressured Haris Silajdžić, a former member of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to ease his rhetoric and desist from using the word “genocide” in relation to Serbs.
• Milorad Dodik, then prime minister of the Republika Srpska entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, supported the Ahtisaari plan for the independence of Kosovo.

Brazil

• Samuel Pinheiro Guimarães, Brazil’s Former Deputy Foreign Ministry was described as an “opponent” which adopts an “anti-American slant”.
• The American Embassy in Brasília said that Brazil frames suspected terrorists on narcotics charges. High-level Brazilian officials “will vigorously reject any statements implying” that insurgents have a presence in Brazil.
• Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim confirmed an earlier rumor that the President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, is suffering from a serious sinus tumor.
• Activities of organizations at the Amazon Rainforest and protection of oil reserves were considered “paranoia”, since there were “no international threats” over them.

Canada

• Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Director Jim Judd complained about Canada’s courts and general public to U.S. Counselor of the State Department Eliot A. Cohen in Ottawa on 2 July 2008. He ascribed an “Alice in Wonderland” worldview to Canadians and their courts, whose judges have tied CSIS “in knots”, making it ever more difficult to detect and prevent terror attacks in Canada and abroad.
• Judd commented that cherry-picked sections of the court-ordered release of a DVD of Guantanamo detainee and Canadian citizen Omar Khadr would likely show three Canadian adults interrogating a kid who breaks down in tears. He observed that the images would no doubt trigger “knee-jerk anti-Americanism” and “paroxysms of moral outrage, a Canadian specialty”, as well as lead to a new round of heightened pressure on the government to press for Khadr’s return to Canada. He predicted that Harper’s government would nonetheless continue to resist this pressure.
• Judd is quoted as telling Cohen that Canadian spies had prior warning that an explosion at Sarpoza Prison in Kandahar, Afghanistan was being planned by the Taliban. However, Judd stated that the spies “could not get a handle on the timing”. An investigation headed by Foreign Affairs Minister David Emerson, into intelligence failures leading to the prison break, claimed Canada did not suspect an attack. Former Chief of Defence Staff Rick Hillier stated in a committee hearing that “Obviously we would have liked to have known so we could have pre-empted or helped, more accurately, the Afghans pre-empt that kind of thing”.
• CSIS officers have been “vigorously harassing” known Hezbollah members in Canada.
• U.S. diplomats in Ottawa wrote to Washington that the CBC pushes “insidious negative popular stereotyping” with “anti-American melodrama” in its entertainment television programs, according to documents to be released by the website WikiLeaks.

People’s Republic of China

• A Chinese official revealed that both public opinion in China and the government are “increasingly critical” of North Korea, stating that “China’s influence with the North was frequently overestimated”. The Chinese mentioned that they do not “like” North Korea, but “they are a neighbour”.
• A Chinese contact told the U.S. Embassy in Beijing that the Politburo of the Communist Party of China was responsible for instigating the January 2010 Google hacking incident which was part of a wider “coordinated campaign of computer sabotage carried out by government operatives, private security experts and Internet outlaws recruited by the Chinese government” targeting the U.S. and its Western allies.
• In February 2009, the US ambassador to Kyrgyzstan spoke to her Chinese counterpart, Zhang Yannian, after being notified that China had offered Kyrgyzstan $3 billion in return for the closure of Manas Air Base—an important US base in Bishkek handling flights into and out of Afghanistan. “Visibly flustered, Zhang temporarily lost the ability to speak Russian and began spluttering in Chinese.” He proceeded to ridicule the claim—avoiding a straightforward denial—and offered his own advice to the US on dealing with the Kyrgyz to keep the base open, during which his aide remarked: “Or maybe you should give them $5 billion and buy both us and the Russians out”.

Germany

• A number of cables from the Berlin embassy reveal the U.S. concern on Germany’s position in the SWIFT-, TFTP- and the bilateral US-Germany data sharing agreement. A revealing cable from December 2009 (09BERLIN1528) describes how German Minister of the Interior Thomas de Maizière overruled Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger and abstained from voting at the November 30 COREPER vote in Brussels on an interim U.S.-EU agreement to continue the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program (TFTP).
• US embassy personnel were very critical of German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle. He is regarded as incompetent and one cable ends with the comment “he’s no Genscher”. An embassy cable sent from Berlin on 22 September 2009 describes Mr. Westerwelle as having an “exuberant personality” and calling him an “enigma” who “remains sceptical about the US”.
• American officials sharply warned Germany in 2007 not to enforce arrest warrants for CIA officers involved in a bungled operation in which Khalid El-Masri, an innocent German citizen with the same name as a suspected militant, was mistakenly kidnapped and held for months in Afghanistan.^[
• It is revealed that the US had an informant in the coalition talks between the CDU and FDP for Cabinet Merkel II.
• German chancellor Angela Merkel is called Angela "Teflon" Merkel and it is said that she avoids risk and is uncreative.

Honduras

• A cable from the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, definitively characterizes the June 2009 ousting of President Manuel Zelaya as "an illegal and unconstitutional coup". The decisiveness of the cable was not reflected in US Secretary of State Clinton's reluctance to use such terminology in public statements and the US State Department's failure to cut off all aid save "democracy assistance", as required by law in the case of a coup.  The cable is also seemingly at odds with relatively rapid moves by the U.S., the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank to normalize relations with Honduras.

India

• A State Department cable called India a "self-appointed frontrunner for permanent UNSC seat".
• The State Department solicited "Biographical and biometric information on key NAM/G-77/OIC Permanent Representatives, particularly India, China".
• The U.S. conducted its own secret analysis of India's military contingency plans, which are codenamed Cold Start. India has said that if sufficiently provoked, it would mount a rapid invasion of Pakistan. The U.S. said in a cable that it doubted the Indian Army was capable of doing so: "It is the collective judgment of the mission that India would likely encounter very mixed results. Indian forces could have significant problems consolidating initial gains due to logistical difficulties and slow reinforcement".  However, U.S. Ambassador to India Tim Roemer warned that for India to launch the Cold Start doctrine, would be to "roll the nuclear dice". It could trigger the world's first use of nuclear weapons since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki^. Indian leaders no doubt realize that, although Cold Start is designed to punish Pakistan in a limited manner without triggering a nuclear response, the Indians cannot be sure whether Pakistani leaders will in fact refrain from such a response".  To counter the Indian doctrine, U.S. diplomats in Islamabad were told Pakistan was working on producing smaller, tactical nuclear weapons such as nuclear artillery that could be used on the battlefield against Indian troops.

Iran

• The cables reveal some Arab distrust for Iran, and encouragement from pro-US Arab leaders for a military strike on the nuclear facilities in Iran. Saudi King Abdullah has repeatedly urged the U.S. to attack Iran's nuclear facilities. In one diplomatic cable, King Abdullah said it was necessary to "cut the head of the snake", in reference to Iran's nuclear program.
• Muhammad bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, urged the U.S. not to appease Tehran and said, "Ahmadinejad is Hitler".
• King Hamad of Bahrain was quoted in 2009 as saying, "That program [the Iranian nuclear program] must be stopped. The danger of letting it go on is greater than the danger of stopping it”.
• Maj-Gen. Muhammad al-Assar, assistant to the Egyptian defense minister, was quoted in 2009 saying that “Egypt views Iran as a threat to the region”.
• U.S. intelligence has assessed that Iran obtained from North Korea advanced missiles (derived from a Soviet design) that are more powerful than publicly admitted by the U.S. to be in Iran’s possession.  These missiles, designated the BM-25, have a range of up to 2,000 miles (3,200 km). However, another cable that has received less attention from mainstream press describes a meeting of US and Russian officials, where the latter dismissed the former’s claims, pointing out technical flaws in the evidence presented and inconsistencies in the story.
• An unidentified ally of former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani stated that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has terminal leukemia and is expected to die in months, and Rafsanjani’s unwillingness to act after the disputed Presidential election in 2009 comes from his wish to succeed Khamenei and annul Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s election afterwards.
• Reports that the Iranian Red Crescent was actively controlled by the government and was involved in illicit arms smuggling and intelligence gathering on behalf of Iran.
• A cable from the U.S. State Department indicated that the U.S. was pushing for co-operation from its allies to impose further sanctions on Iran in response to its nuclear program.
• Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and National Security in communication with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service agreed to “help” on Afghan issues, including sharing information regarding potential attacks. CSIS director Jim Judd had confided however that he had not “figured out what they are up to”, since it is clear that the “Iranians want ISAF to bleed…slowly”.
• According to a cable sent from the U.S. embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2009, there is a “widespread rumor” that many Iranians in Baku conduct in illicit activities and that these activities are tied to the Iranian regime. These activities include sanctions-busting, money laundering, obtaining spare parts, equipment and revenue generation for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and management of narcotics trafficking originating from Iran. The cable mentions that many Iranians residing in Baku from different backgrounds, including students, business figures, and human rights activists are involved in these activities.

Ireland

• A 2006 memo on Ireland featured when on 1 December 2010 it was revealed that American diplomats discussed the Irish Government’s attempts to oppose American use of Shannon Airport before the 2007 general election. After this release Amnesty International asked the Irish Government to tighten its legislation to counter use of Irish airspace by the Americans. Colm O’Gorman, the organisation’s executive director in Ireland, observed that concerns expressed by Irish citizens over the misuse of the airport by the Americans was “a problem to be managed rather than something to be taken seriously”.
• According to a 2006 diplomatic cable sent from the US embassy in Ireland, “the Irish Government has informally begun to place constraints on US military transits” at Shannon Airport. The Irish government attempted to limit the transfer from weapons from the US to Israel via the Shannon Airport. James C. Kenny, US ambassador to Ireland at the time, said Irish officials were warned that the US would use other airports if the policy continued.

Israel

• Israel was ready to attack a nuclear-armed Iran, and saw 2010 as a pivotal year.
• In August 2007, Israeli Mossad chief Meir Dagan suggested to the U.S. to make use of local fringe groups to try and topple the Iranian regime. WikiLeaks documents also suggest that Dagan denied plans to attack a Syrian nuclear facility, just two months before an attack actually happened.
• Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak consulted with Fatah of the Palestinian Authority and asked if they could take over control of Gaza Strip after expected Israeli victory during Operation Cast Lead, but met with refusal.
• In a conversation with Congressman Gary Ackerman in 2007, Netanyahu said Shimon Peres had admitted to him that the Oslo peace process he helped initiate was based on a mistaken premise. Netanyahu said Peres had told him the European and US assistance to the Palestinian Authority had established a “bloated bureaucracy, with PA employees looking to the international community to meet their payroll”.
• In the same document, Netanyahu described Kadima as a “fake party” and referred to the Second Lebanon War as “stupid” and criticized the approach of Ehud Olmert’s policies towards the conflict.
• In one document from April 2007, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was opposition leader at the time, describes the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as a “nice man who means well” and urges Washington to focus on toppling Hamas through an “economic squeeze” saying it would be “easier to weaken Hamas than to strengthen Abbas”.
• In 2008, U.S. diplomats in the Middle East to secretly collect personal information on Palestinian leaders, and closely monitor Israeli military and telecommunication capabilities. One State Department directive orders U.S. diplomats to report on Israeli Military tactics, techniques, and procedures dealing with conventional and unconventional counterinsurgency operations.^[
• According to a cable from the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv, Benjamin Netanyahu supports the concept of land-swaps with the Palestinian Authority and does not want to govern the West Bank and Gaza but rather to stop attacks from being launched from there.
• Netanyahu was described by Luis G. Moreno in one cable: "Netanyahu warned that when Israel left Lebanon it created a first Iranian base, that when it left Gaza it created a second Iranian base, and if Israel "promised" a third retreat from the West Bank it would see the same results. There were three options, according to Netanyahu - withdrawing to the 1967 borders (that would "get terror, not peace"); doing nothing ("just as bad"); or "rapidly building a pyramid from the ground up". Netanyahu suggested a rapid move to develop the West Bank economically, including "unclogging" bureaucratic "bottlenecks
• Mossad director Meir Dagan told American diplomat Frances Fragos Townsend that "nothing will be achieved" in the peace process according to a secret cable the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv sent to the State Department. During a two-hour meeting, Dagan told Townsend that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas would "likely move to Qatar and join his mysteriously wealthy son there" in the event Hamas took over the West Bank. In the same cable, Dagan was recorded accusing Saudi Foreign Minister Saud bin Faisal of playing a "very negative role" and characterized Qatar as "a real problem", accusing its leader Sheikh Hamid bin Khalifa al-Thani of "annoying everyone". He also suggested the US should move its bases out of Qatar.
• In 2007 Tzipi Livni said she "doubted that a final status agreement could be reached with Abbas, and therefore the emphasis should be on reforming Fatah so that it could beat Hamas at the polls

Italy

• American officials voiced concerns over Berlusconi's extraordinary closeness to Putin, "including 'lavish gifts,' lucrative energy contracts and a 'shadowy' Russian-speaking Italian go-between". Diplomats consider him "to be the mouthpiece of Putin" in Europe.
• The Georgian ambassador in Rome has told to the American officials that Georgia believes Putin has promised Berlusconi a percentage of profits from any pipelines developed by Gazprom in coordination with Eni S.p.A.

Jordan

• A document dated from April 2, 2009 shows then-president of the Jordanian Senate, Zeid Rifai, saying “Bomb Iran, or live with an Iranian bomb. Sanctions, carrots, incentives won’t matter" in a conversation with US ambassador David Hale. According to the cable, “while Rifai judged a military strike would have ‘catastrophic impact on the region,’ he nonetheless thought preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons would pay enough dividends to make it worth the risks.”

Koreas

• North Korea was behaving like a "spoiled child", according to Chinese officials, who were prepared to accept Korean reunification under South Korean leadership. They estimated they could cope with an influx of 300,000 North Korean refugees in the event of instability on the peninsula.
• The U.S. and South Korea are planning to reunite the two Koreas, should the North ultimately collapse.

Kuwait

• Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah referring to Kuwaiti Guantanamo detainees said "You know better than I that we cannot deal with these people (the Guantanamo detainees). I can't detain them. If I take their passports, they will sue to get them back. I can talk to you into next week about building a rehabilitation center, but it won't happen. We are not Saudi Arabia; we cannot isolate these people in desert camps or somewhere on an island. We cannot compel them to stay. If they are rotten, they are rotten and the best thing to do is get rid of them. You picked them up in Afghanistan; you should drop them off in Afghanistan, in the middle of the war zone".

Pakistan

• Grave fears in the U.S. and the U.K. over the security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme. Since 2007, the U.S. has mounted a highly secret effort, so far unsuccessful, to remove from a Pakistani research reactor highly enriched uranium that American officials fear could be diverted for use in an illicit nuclear device. In the words of U.S. ambassador to Pakistan Anne W. Patterson, Pakistan had refused visits from American experts, while an official told her "If the local media got word of the fuel removal, they would certainly portray it as the United States taking Pakistan's nuclear weapons".
• In July 2009, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and de facto defence chief, said Zardari was "dirty but not dangerous" and that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was "dangerous but not dirty -- this is Pakistan".
• Saudi King Abdullah called President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan the greatest obstacle to the country's progress. "When the head is rotten", he said, "it affects the whole body".
• The Saudi Government is concerned about Pakistan's political fragility, and has worked hard through its embassy in Islamabad, to bring the Pakistani factions together. Saudi relations with Pakistan have been strained because the Saudis do not trust Zardari and see him and other leading Pakistani politicians as corrupt.
• A new rail link between Pakistan and Iran would be delayed for the time being, owing to poor conditions, low freight-carrying capacity and unrest from Baloch insurgents in the Balochistan region of both countries.
• Likewise, a natural gas pipeline agreement was also not expected to be fruitful because "the Pakistanis don't have the money to pay for either the pipeline, or the gas.
• According to the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel was concerned for the well-being of former president Pervez Musharraf and wanted him to stay in power in 2007. The director of Mossad, Meir Dagan, remarked: "...he is facing a serious problem with the militants. Pakistan’s nuclear capability could end up in the hands of an Islamic regime.
• Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak described Pakistan as his "private nightmare". He said that a potential Islamic extremist threat in Pakistan could wake up the world "with everything changed". Barak also dismissed the idea of using force on Iran as backfiring upon moderate Muslims in Pakistan, saying that while the two countries were interconnected, such a causal chain could not be established.
• In February 2010, a Turkish expert on South Asian Affairs, Engin Soysal, told U.S. Undersecretary for Political Affairs William J. Burns that the Pakistani military was unhappy with Zardari, though it was not leaning to intervene. Soysal added that the "senior officers' patience may not be infinite", and that "Zardari needs to increase the democratic legitimacy of parliament".
• Jasmine Zerinini, a French specialist on Afghanistan-Pakistan affairs, said that Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani had "learnt his lesson from Musharraf" by staying behind the scenes and not interceding in the country's political situation. At the same time, Zerinini claimed that Kayani was manipulating the government into preventing policy change on Pakistan's war-ridden tribal belt and he had a role in provoking controversy surrounding the contentious Kerry-Lugar bill. She also added that the West had not adequately targeted Pakistan's military to take on the Afghan Taliban hiding in Pakistan, saying militant leaders had been allowed to create networks funded by Gulf donors which were difficult to be defeated.
• The cables reveal that Vice President Biden told British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in March 2009 that Mr. Zardari had told him he feared an army coup and that the “ISI director and Kayani will take me out.
• In a conversation with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said he found it "astonishing" that President Zardari was still in power in 2010 and that the Pakistani military's operations against militants along the Afghan border had been striking. Kouchner concurred and added that political and military changes in Pakistan were "nothing short of a miracle." Gates and Kouchner also discussed the improving image of the Pakistan Army after its "aggressive campaign against the insurgency.
• Fearing attempts on his life, Zardari told ambassador Anne W. Patterson that in the event he were to be assassinated, he had instructed his son Bilawal Zardari Bhutto (who along with Zardari is the co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party) to appoint his sister Faryal Talpur as President  and he had informed the United Arab Emirates of his intent to allow the family to continue living there.
• In November 2007, Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman, a politician and leader of the Islamist party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, invited Patterson to a dinner in which he sought her support in becoming Prime Minister and expressed a desire to visit America. According to Rehman's personal aide, "All important parties in Pakistan had to get the approval" of the US. Referring to Rehman, Patterson mentioned "He has made it clear that....his still significant number of votes are up for sale. The cables also highlighted the contradictions of other prominent figures. Amin Fahim, a Bhutto follower hoping to run for Prime Minister, led an Islamic religious party "while enjoying an occasional bloody mary.
• According to a document from October 2009, head of Pakistan's intelligence agency Ahmad Shuja Pasha provided intelligence on potential terrorist attacks in India to Israel. According to the cable, "He had been in direct touch with the Israelis on possible threats against Israeli targets in India
• Kayani is described in American interactions as "direct, frank, and thoughtful" and has "fond memories" of time spent on a military training course in the US. He also "smokes heavily and can be difficult to understand as he tends to mumble." ISI chief Ahmad Shuja Pasha was said to be "usually more emotional" than Kayani.
• In February 2009, Zardari's spokesperson Farahnaz Ispahani said the president was "very unhappy" with the way Prime Minister Gillani had "gone off the reservation" (in relation to Gillani's talks with Shahbaz Sharif that the government would not try to remove the Sharifs from power in Punjab). In 2008, Zardari also commented on Fahim, saying he "had spent most of the [ election ] campaign in Dubai (with his latest 22 year-old wife) and was simply too lazy to be prime minister”.
• In 2008, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani personally consented American drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas along the Afghan border to combat the Taliban. When Interior Minister Rehman Malik recommended the US to hold back “alleged Predator attacks until after the Bajaur operation,” Gillani dismissed the remarks and was heard saying: “I don’t care if they do it as long as they get the right people. We’ll protest in the National Assembly and then ignore it.
• There are revelations that small teams of elite US special forces may have been dispatched in the tribal belt to help coordinate the Pakistani military’s operations. One record indicates that up to 16 US soldiers had been deployed to help Pakistani troops in 2009. Their role is primarily training-oriented and to provide “intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance” support – ISR in military jargon – “general operational advice” and set up live satellite feed from presumably CIA-operated American drones flying overhead.

Russia

• Alleged links between the Russian government and organised crime.  Russia was labelled as a Mafia-state.

• Russian president Dmitry Medvedev often acts under the influence of former Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and “plays Robin to Putin’s Batman.

Saudi Arabia

• Saudi donors remain chief financiers of militant groups like Al-Qaeda.
• Saudi King Abdullah has repeatedly urged the U.S. to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.  In one diplomatic cable, King Abdullah said it was necessary to “cut the head of the snake”, in reference to Iran’s nuclear program.
• King Abdullah proposed that Guantanamo detainees could be monitored through the use of “electronic chips”.

Serbia and Kosovo

• In 2009, French diplomat Jean-David Levitte said that EULEX has diplomatic issues with the Kosovo government and public, and that Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić “makes promises that he never keeps”. He also criticised Jeremić for inaction in encouraging “Serb return or participation in the Kosovo government”.
• The Guardian suggested that cables regarding Serbia awaiting publication could refer to reasons why Ratko Mladić has not yet been arrested.

Slovenia

• According to the cables the State Department ordered to spy on people connected with Slovenia, that includes gaining their credit card numbers and phonebooks. It was also ordered to research the diplomacy of Slovenia, including various agreements and projects connected to Russia, U.S. also wanted to gain information on money laundring, organised criminal, etc. U.S. were also searching for information about locations of various chemical factories, secret underground military bases, evacuation plans of hospitals and buildings of the goverment and how much really is Slovenia interested in cooperating in War in Afghanistan.

Spain

• U.S. officials tried to pressure Spain into dropping court investigations into the CIA’s extraordinary rendition, torture at Guantanamo Bay, and the 2003 killing of José Couso, a Spanish journalist, in Iraq by American troops.

Sri Lanka

• Secretary of State of United Kingdom David Miliband directed much of his attention on the final stages of Sri Lankan Civil War to win votes of Tamils in UK stated Tim Waite, a Foreign Office team leader on Sri Lanka, quoted in one US embassy cable. “He [Tim Waite] said that with UK elections on the horizon and many Tamils living in Labour constituencies with slim majorities, the government is paying particular attention to Sri Lanka, with Miliband recently remarking to Waite that he was spending 60 per cent of his time at the moment on Sri Lanka” the cable revealed.
• Verifying the accountability for alleged crimes in the final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War has been very difficult. “There are no examples we know of a regime undertaking wholesale investigations of its own troops or senior officials for war crimes while that regime or government remained in power”. “Most Tamils in Sri Lanka appear to think it is both unrealistic and counter-productive to push the issue too aggressively”.

Syria

• Increased Syrian arms shipments to Hezbollah despite their claims that new shipments have ceased.
• A Syrian foreign minister was alleged to have fallen for a “tabloid-like story” regarding the death of Princess Diana. An American ambassador stated that this displayed the Syrian government’s “’stark ignorance’ of the outside world”.

Turkey

• Turkey deliberately did not invite India for a meeting on Afghanistan to appease Pakistan, reflecting Islamabad’s insistence at every international forum that India be kept out of any meeting on Afghanistan.
• Former Danish prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, during a meeting with Turkish Foreign ministry undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu, promised to shut down the controversial Denmark-based Kurdish TV-station Roj TV, in order to prevent Turkish obstruction to his appointment as Secretary General of NATO.
• Turkey complained to British diplomats that Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, wanted to ruin Turkey’s chances to join the European Union by filming a documentary revealing the plight of disabled children in Turkey. The UK foreign secretary responded by saying that “as a private citizen, her activities could not ‘be controlled’.
• Turkish military officials have pressured the U.S. for Predator B drones, to use against the Kurdistan Workers Party in Iraq. Due to American concerns over a potential rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Turkey, the “State Department has warned that the purchasing process promises to be ‘long and complex.
• Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is no fan of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the ruling Justice and Development Party despite both countries maintaining fraternal relations publicly. Aliyev criticised Turkish foreign policy by calling it ‘naive’. He also revealed that he had sold gas to Russia in order to impede Turkey’s ability to “create a gas distribution hub”^.

United Arab Emirates

• Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates, referred to as MBZ in the cables, urged the US not to appease Iran and said, “Ahmadinejad is Hitler”.
• Muhammad bin Zayed supported the U.S. decision to sell F-16 aircraft to Pakistan to strengthen the Musharraf government, saying the sale would not alter the balance of strength between India and Pakistan.
• Diplomats in the UAE revealed that Muhammad bin Zayed, Abdullah II of Jordan and the UK’s Prince Andrew, Duke of York, are “close friends” that “frequently hunt – in Morocco and Tanzania”.
• UAE military officials have pressured the U.S. for Predator B drones, to be used in countering Iran. As Iran is known to be developing its own drones, a UAE general stated “That’s why we need it first…give me Predator B”.
• Muhammad bin Zayed believes that an Israeli strike will not be successful in stopping Iran’s nuclear programme, and therefore a new plan is required. He also believes that Israel will strike Iran, causing Iran to launch missile attacks including hits on the UAE and to unleash attacks worldwide. In his view, the map of the Middle East would change
• Muhammad bin Zayed apparently runs the United Arab Emirates. While he is officially only the Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and his only federal title is Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, he is said to be the key decision maker on national security issues. He was observed to be unlike his elder half-brother President Khalifa, who is reported to be a distant and uncharismatic personage. ‘MBZ’ has authority in all matters except for final decisions on oil policy and major state expenditures.^[
• MBZ described a nuclear armed Iran as absolutely untenable. He believes that ‘all hell will break loose’ if Iran attains the bomb, with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey developing their own nuclear weapons capability and Iran instigating Sunni-Shia conflict.
• MBZ said Iran is surrounding Israel driven by ideological conviction and will threaten Israel’s existence should it go nuclear. At the same time, he described Iran’s ambitions as reflecting a desire to restore Persia’s great-power status, rather than driven by religious convictions.
• MBZ suggested that the key to containing Iran revolves around progress on the Israel–Palestinian conflict. He argued that it will be essential to bring Arab public opinion in line with the leadership in any conflict with Iran and that roughly 80% of the public is amenable to persuasion. To win them over, the U.S. would have to quickly bring about a two state solution over the objections of the Netanyahu government. He suggested working with moderate Palestinians that support the road map, and forget about the others as there is no time to waste.

United Kingdom

• Foreign Office officials concealed from Parliament a loophole in the ban on use and storage of cluster bombs, allowing the US to store the munitions on UK territory
• The Ministry of Defence’s director general for security policy told US under-secretary of state Ellen Tauscher that the UK government had “put measures in place to protect your interests during the UK inquiry into the causes of the Iraq war”.
• Prince Andrew, Duke of York, was noted as saying “The Americans don’t understand geography. Never have. In the U.K., we have the best geography teachers in the world!”^[

Venezuela

• A cable sent from the U.S. embassy in Brasilia on 13 November 2009 reported that Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim “all but acknowledged presence of the FARC in Venezuela”.
• Spanish newspaper El País released some information about the remaining Venezuelan cables, not released yet at the WikiLeaks webpage. These cables supposedly deal with issues related to Cuban intelligence in Venezuela working together with the Venezuelan government.
• A cable sent from the US embassy in Caracas on 14 December 2009 explains what the embassy considers to be the situation of Venezuelan public health system and the government actions related to the public health sector. This in the context of raised protests in private and public hospitals with motivation in the alleged failure of Barrio Adentro, a social welfare program, with support of Cuban doctors, that seeks to provide comprehensive publicly-funded health care, dental care, and sports training to poor and marginalized communities in Venezuela.

Yemen

• Yemen’s deputy Prime Minister Abdulkarim Al-Arhabi said if the U.S. attacks Al-Qaida bases in Yemen, he will tell the people of Yemen that it was the Yemeni military that has carried out the attacks rather than the U.S. He also joked about lying to Parliament on U.S. involvement of bombings.

Other issues

• A rogue shipment of enriched uranium was nearly the cause of an environmental disaster in 2009.
• The U.S. used bargaining to move prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp to other countries. In one case, U.S. officials allegedly offered to Slovenia a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama, if the country accepts one of the Guantanamo Bay detainees. Offers to other countries include economic incentives or a visit from Obama.

December 3rd 2010

Guardian

• The British military was criticised for failing to establish security in Sangin by the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, and the US commander of Nato troops, according to diplomatic cables.
• Rampant government corruption in Afghanistan is revealed by the cables, including an incident last year when the then vice-president, Ahmad Zia Massoud, was stopped and questioned in Dubai when he flew into the emirate with $52m in cash.
• Gordon Brown was written off as prime minister by the US embassy in London a year into his premiership. It concluded that an “abysmal track record” had left him lurching from “political disaster to disaster”, according to cables released by WikiLeaks. He briefly earned some praise when he led the recapitalising of banks after the collapse of Lehman Brothers but within months his government was deemed a “sinking ship”. Brown’s international initiatives, from food summits to global disarmament and a UK national security council, were treated with indifference bordering on disdain by the Americans, according to US embassy cables.
• The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, is erratic, emotional and prone to believing paranoid conspiracy theories, according to frustrated diplomats and foreign statesmen. He has also been accused by his own ministers of complicity in criminal activity, including ordering the physical intimidation of the top official in charge of leading negotiations with the Taliban.
• US diplomats have reported suspicions that Silvio Berlusconi could be “profiting personally and handsomely” from secret deals with the Russian prime minister, Vladimir Putin, according to cables released by WikiLeaks. They centre on allegations that the Italian leader has been promised a cut of huge energy contracts. Another memo quoted a friend of Berlusconi saying the Italian prime minister’s fondness for partying had taken a physical and political toll on him.
• American officials dismissed British protests about secret US spy flights taking place from the UK’s Cyprus airbase, amid concerns from Labour ministers, upset about rendition flights going on behind their backs, that the UK would be an unwitting accomplice to torture.
• The British Foreign Office misled parliament over the plight of thousands of islanders who were expelled from their Indian Ocean homeland – the British colony of Diego Garcia – to make way for a large US military base, according to secret US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks. It has privately admitted its latest plan to declare the islands the world’s largest marine protection zone will end any chance of them being repatriated. Publicly ministers have claimed the proposed park would have no effect on the islanders’ right of return.
• The cables reveal Washington’s opinion on Gordon Brown’s potential successors. David Miliband was deemed “too brainy”, Alan Johnson had a “lack of killer instinct” and Harriet Harman was a “policy lightweight but an adept interparty operator”.
• A scandal involving foreign contractors employed to train Afghan policemen who took drugs and paid for young “dancing boys” to entertain them in northern Afghanistan caused such panic that the interior minister begged the US embassy to try to “quash” the story, according a US embassy cable. The Afghan government feared the story, if published, would “endanger lives” and was particularly concerned that a video of the incident might be made public.
• The US military has been charging its allies a 15% handling fee on hundreds of millions of dollars being raised internationally to build up the Afghan army. Germany has threatened to cancel contributions, raising concerns that money is going to the US treasury.
• Iran is financing a range of Afghan religious and political leaders, grooming Afghan religious scholars, training Taliban militants and even seeking to influence MPs, according to cables from the US embassy in Kabul.
• The US has lost faith in the Mexican army’s ability to win the country’s drugs war, branding it slow, clumsy and no match for “sophisticated” narco-traffickers.
• The US is convinced that Ahmed Wali Karzai, the Afghan president’s younger half-brother and a senior figure in Kandahar, is corrupt, according to embassy cables. He is described as dominating access to “economic resources, patronage and protection”. Two of Hamid Karzai’s brothers planned to ask for asylum in the US, while other family members stayed away and kept their money out of Afghanistan – so anxious were they that the Afghan president would lose last year’s election.
• The Obama administration and Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, are determined to reject talks with Mullah Omar, the Taliban leader, and have consistently worked to split his movement, according to US diplomatic cables. Karzai has sometimes publicly floated the idea of dialogue with Omar and other top Taliban, but the cables show his private position is the opposite.
• Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez and Colombia’s Álvaro Uribe “almost came to blows” at a Latin America unity summit, according to a US memo, which described it as “the worst expression of banana republic discourse”.
• A Kremlin campaign to airbrush Stalin’s role in Russian history by dictating how academics write about the past is only half-hearted, US diplomats believe. They also feel there are enough Russians striving to remember the purge victims to combat any rewrite. The cable concerns the so-called “history wars”, a nationalist campaign to defend Russia’s honour.
• Turkmenistan’s president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, is “vain, suspicious, guarded, strict, very conservative”, a “micro-manager” and “a practised liar”, US diplomats say.
• Four months before his death the Nobel-prize winning writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn offered qualified praise for Vladimir Putin, arguing that he was doing a better job as Russia’s leader than Boris Yeltsin or Mikhail Gorbachev. Solzhenitsyn was exiled from the Soviet Union in 1974 and returned to Russia 20 years later.
• Moldova’s president offered a $10m (£6.4m) bribe to a political rival in a desperate bid to keep his defeated communist government in power, according to a secret US diplomatic cable.

New York Times

• Afghanistan emerges as a land where bribery, extortion and embezzlement are the norm. Describing the likely lineup of Afghanistan’s new cabinet last January, the US embassy noted that the agriculture minister, Asif Rahimi, “appears to be the only minister that was confirmed about whom no allegations of bribery exist”.

Der Spiegel

• Berlin was irritated by a 15% administration fee the US sought to charge Germany on a €50m donation made to a trust fund set up to improve the Afghan army. A top German diplomat complained the fee would be a tough sell to taxpayers.
• Mistrust between the US and the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, is very deep. Karzai is convinced the US has thrown its backing behind his rival Abdullah Abdullah.
• The close relationship between Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi and Russia’s Vladimir Putin is a source of unease for the US state department. The leaked cables contain allegations of personal business interests that both politicians deny.
• US diplomats are concerned about the growing power of Russian organised crime and believe it has contacts with the highest levels of government in Moscow.

Le Monde

• France is committed to staying the course in Afghanistan even though public opposition to the war and electoral considerations have weighed heavily on Nicolas Sarkozy. Amid concerns that the French president was trying to distance himself from the US to improve his popularity, Barack Obama was advised that a phone call to him could have a decisive impact. The US president was told: “Flattery would lead very far.”
• Iran is extending its influence in Afghanistan in the same way it did in Iraq. It has been supporting insurgent groups as well as financially backing politicians.

Following the Wikileaks release of thousands of classified US diplomatic cables, the deputy foreign minister of Ecuador – a strong opponent of US policy – said it would offer Mr Assange residency “without any conditions”.

However, Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa later said the offer had “not been approved by Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino – or the president”.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested in U.K – 7.12.2010

Police Said WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has surrendered to British police as part of a Swedish sex-crimes investigation, the latest blow to the secret-spilling website that faces legal, financial and security challenges.

Mr. Assange was arrested at 9.30 a.m. (930 GMT) on 7.12.2010 and was due to appear at Westminster Magistrate’s Court later in the day.

The founder of the whistle-blower website, Mr. Assange, has been hiding out at an undisclosed location in Britain since WikiLeaks began publishing hundreds of U.S. diplomatic cables on the Internet last week.

The organisation’s room for manoeuvre is narrowing by the day. It has been battered by web attacks, cut off by Internet service providers and is the subject of a criminal investigation in the U.S., where officials say the release jeopardised national security and diplomatic efforts around the world.

Dream Dare Win

www.jeywin.com

*****

US-based Indian origin researcher Shuvo Roy has created the world’s first implantable artificial kidney. What’s sensational about Roy’s creation is that the organ, no larger than a coffee cup, will be able to mimic the kidney’s most vital functions like filtering toxins out of the bloodstream, regulate blood pressure and produce the all- important vitamin D.

The artificial kidney has been tested successfully on a small number of animals. Large-scale trials on animals and humans are expected over the next five years. Once available, and if affordable, this creation by the Roy-led team at University of California will do away with the need for kidney dialysis.

This will be a boon for all patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). At present in India, of the 1.5 lakh new patients who suffer from end-stage renal failure annually, only 3,500 get kidney transplants and 6,000-10,000 undergo dialysis. The rest perish due to an acute shortage of dialysis centres and nephrologists to man them.

CKD is rising at a rapid pace in India and the majority of those who perish are either unable to find a suitable organ for transplantation or are unable to pay for the high dialysis costs.

According to Roy, the device has a filtration section to remove toxins from the blood, alongside a compartment with renal cells to conduct other functions of a kidney. He believes the artificial kidney could last for decades and require no pumps or batteries. Patients wouldn’t require anti-rejection drugs (as is required after transplants) either because there would be no exposed natural tissues for the immune system to attack.

The University of California team is awaiting approval to conduct larger scale animal and human trials. Already, it has successfully tested the implant in a few rats and pigs.

“The payoff to the patient community is tremendous,” said Roy. “It could have a transformative impact on their lives…With the right financial support, I think we could reach clinical trials in five years. But it’s hard to say how long after that it becomes commercially available due to the uncertainties of the FDA and commercialization prospects.”

So what would this artificial kidney mean for India? ”It will be a real boon,” said Dr S C Tiwari, director of nephrology and renal transplantation medicine at Fortis health care. He added: ”The biggest problem with CKD patients in India is that majority of them are diagnosed in the final stages where they would either require constant dialysis or a transplant. They would require dialysis three times week. However, of the two lakh CKD patients requiring dialysis, only 10,000 get it, mainly because they can’t afford it. Maybe only 1,000 such patients get it for free or at a subsidized rate in government hospitals. The artificial kidney, when available and if affordable, will be a miracle.” Dr Madan Bahadur, nephrologist with Mumbai’s Jaslok Hospital added, ”Work on creating tubular cells (that perform the biochemical work of the kidney) began a decade back. But bio-chemical engineering has so far not managed to replicate the kidney.”

According to Dr Jitendra Kumar, head of nephrology at Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, the main reason why this artificial kidney will be a real breakthrough is because it will be able to mimic the vital functions of a kidney like regulate BP and produce vitamin D — things a dialysis can’t do.

Dream Dare Win

www.jeywin.com

*****

Thangai VS Annan

The United Nations Climate Change Conference is taking place in Cancun, Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December 2010. The opening day of the conference laid great emphasis on achieving a package of decisions at the end of the 10-day deliberations. Currently, there are 194 Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and 193 Parties to its Kyoto Protocol.

The Cancun summit encompasses the sixteenth COP and the sixth CMP, as well as the thirty-third sessions of both the SBI and the SBSTA, and the fifteenth session of the AWG-KP and thirteenth session of the AWG-LCA.

COP (Conference of the Parties), is the supreme body of the UNFCCC (United National Framework Convention on Climate Change). COP currently meets once a year to review the Convention’s progress. The word ‘conference’ is not used here in the sense of ‘meeting’ but rather of ‘association.’

CMP is the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol.

The sessions of the COP and the CMP are held during the same period to reduce costs and improve coordination between the Convention and the Protocol. The major distinction between the Protocol and the Convention is that while the Convention encouraged industrialised countries to stabilize GHG emissions, the Protocol commits them to do so.

The UNFCCC was one of three conventions adopted at the 1992 ‘Rio Earth Summit.’

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The most important aspect of the Kyoto Protocol is that it sets binding targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European community for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions .These amount to an average of five per cent against 1990 levels over the five-year period 2008-2012.

SBI is the Subsidiary Body for Implementation. It makes recommendations on policy and implementation issues to the COP and, if requested, to other bodies.
SBSTA is the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice. The SBSTA serves as a link between information and assessments provided by expert sources (such as the IPCC) and the COP, which focuses on setting policy.
AWG-KP is the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments Parties under the Kyoto Protocol. The AWG-KP was established by Parties to the Protocol in Montreal in 2005 to consider further commitments of industrialized countries under the Kyoto Protocol for the period beyond 2012.

AWG-LCA is the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention. The AWG-LCA was established in Bali in 2007 to conduct negotiations on a strengthened international deal on climate change. At its fifteenth session In Copenhagen, the COP extended the mandate of the AWG-LCA to enable it to continue its work with a view to presenting the outcome to COP 16 for adoption.
The real task, worldwide economic progress combined with reduced emissions, has yet to be accomplished. It will be challenging.

Recognizing that developed countries are principally responsible for the current high levels of GHG emissions in the atmosphere as a result of more than 150 years of industrial activity, the Kyoto Protocol places a heavier burden on developed nations under the principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities.’

Under the Treaty, countries must meet their targets primarily through national measures. However, the Kyoto Protocol offers them an additional means of meeting their targets by way of three market-based mechanisms.

The Kyoto mechanisms are: Emissions trading (carbon market), Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI).

The mechanisms help stimulate green investment and help Parties meet their emission targets in a cost-effective way.

Under the Protocol, countries’ actual emissions have to be monitored and precise records have to be kept of the trades carried out.

The UN Climate Change Secretariat, based in Bonn, Germany, keeps an international transaction log to verify that transactions are consistent with the rules of the Protocol.

The Kyoto Protocol is generally seen as an important first step towards a truly global emission reduction regime that will stabilize GHG emissions, and provides the essential architecture for any future international agreement on climate change.

By the end of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012, a new international framework needs to have been negotiated and ratified that can deliver the stringent emission reductions indicated by the intergovernmental panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The Cancun talks, from Nov. 29 to Dec. 10, are aimed at finding solutions to global climate change. It has attracted thousands of participants from governments, businesses, nongovernmental organizations and research institutions in almost 200 countries.

The result of the summit may not be significant in terms of emission reduction agreements; but focus could be on forestry issues and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD).

Cancun Agreements signed by 193 Nations

Delegates from 193 nations agreed 11.12.2010 on a new global framework to help developing countries curb their carbon output and cope with the effects of climate change, but they postponed the harder question of precisely how industrialized and major emerging economies will share the task of making deeper greenhouse-gas emission cuts in the coming decade.

The package known as the Cancun Agreements has salvaged a U.N.-backed process that was close to failure, delivering a diplomatic victory to the talks’ Mexican hosts. But it also highlighted the obstacles that await as countries continue to grapple with climate change through broad international negotiations.

After an all-night session that included a face-off between Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa and Bolivia’s U.N. ambassador, Pablo Solon, members of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) agreed to create a “Green Climate Fund” that will transfer money from rich countries to poor ones; research centers that will ease the transfer of clean-energy technology; and a system in which developing nations can be compensated for keeping rain forests intact.

The outcome left some gaping holes, including spelling out exactly how the new pot of international aid will be funded and whether the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the current global climate pact, will be extended once its first commitment period expires in 2012. Signatories such as Japan and Russia oppose an extension because the United States, China and India are not bound to mandatory emission reductions under Kyoto.

Akira Yamada, Japan’s deputy director general for global issues, said the current Kyoto framework amounted to having big emitters act as “spectators” while the rest of the industrialized world played a soccer match. “We would hope they would come down to the field to play with us, to score against global warming,” Yamada said.

The new framework encapsulates the current commitments that both industrialized and developing nations have made to cut their carbon emissions over the next decade, though it notes that these will not meet the agreed-upon goal of keeping the rise in global temperatures from exceeding 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, above preindustrial levels. To achieve that, industrialized countries would have cut their emissions between 25 and 40 percent compared with 1990 levels in the next decade, as opposed to the 16 percent they have promised.

Still, the agreement cemented and fleshed out key elements of the Copenhagen Accord, the controversial deal brokered among President Obama and the leaders of China, India, Brazil and South Africa in a closed meeting last year. That pact was not formally adopted by the U.N. body after a handful of Latin American countries raised objections, but it established the idea that major developing countries would subject voluntary emissions cuts to international scrutiny while the industrialized world would mobilize $100 billion in climate aid for poor nations by 2020.

Michael Levi, senior follow for energy and the environment at the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote in an e-mail that while “most of the important work of cutting emissions will be driven outside the U.N. process,” the Cancun agreement “should be applauded not because it solves everything, but because it chooses not to: it focuses on those areas where the U.N. process has the most potential to be useful, and avoids others where the U.N. process is a dead end.”

Some elements of the deal, including one known as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, could have an immediate impact on curbing carbon emissions. The new language establishes rules for calculating how much carbon is stored in forest stocks vulnerable to logging or burning, along with safeguards for rain-forest dwellers and biodiversity.

In the end, Mexico was able to pull off what the president of the Center for Clean Air Policy, Ned Helme, called a negotiating “tour de force” by asking delegates what was most important to them and what they could compromise on. The Mexicans finally won over everyone – except Solon, who complained about everything from future climate targets to his treatment by checkpoint security guards.

Cancun ends with a comma

The UN climate conference in Cancun (COP16) concluded on December 11, 2010.

The decisions reached included those on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), technology transfer, a climate fund and adaptation. Bolivia refused to endorse any document without binding emission cuts. COP president Patricia Espinosa called the agreements a landmark outcome. The agreements will enable the UNFCCC negotiations to continue working towards a binding climate deal in South Africa next year. Many groups described the outcome as progress but underlined the need for a speed-up of global climate diplomacy. The agreement is clearly better than what had seemed possible earlier during the conference but clearly falls far short of what is necessary to prevent climate change. The decisions acknowledge some of the measures to be taken to prevent an increase of global temperature of 2°C or more. However, there remains a major gap between the pledged climate action of UNFCCC parties and the 2°C goal. The slow pace at which the UN climate talks are progressing is a matter of concern.

India’s role and view on Cancun summit

Union Environment minister Jairam Ramesh has been appreciated for his role as a bridge-builder on contentious issues at the UN climate conference in cancun.

“The minister (Ramesh) has been instrumental in bridging gaps,” Moamed Aslam, the environment minister of Maldives, said.

“He has been reaching out to the AOSIS nations as well as to developed countries,” he added.

AOSIS means Alliance of Small Island States, are most vulnerable to climate change and want developed countries as well as emerging economies, especially China and India, to take on hefty legally binding emission cuts.

The major emerging economies — Brazil, South Africa, India and China (BASIC) — had welcomed the decision.

Agreements reached on Cancun summit

UN climate conference on Dec 11, 2010 reached a package titled “Cancun Agreements” to set up a $100 billion ‘Green Fund’ to fight global warming, a decision India described as a “crucial step forward”, but there was no agreement on extending the landmark Kyoto Protocol on emissions cuts beyond 2012.

This is not the end, but it is a new beginning. It is not what is ultimately required but it is the essential foundation on which to build greater, collective ambition, said Ms. Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC.

Industrialised country targets are officially recognised under the multilateral process and these countries are to develop low-carbon development plans and strategies and assess how best to meet them, including through market mechanisms, and to report their inventories annually.

The responsibility for this piecemeal progress lies with the politicians and not the process. Particularly those countries who are serial offenders in blocking progress, the US and some emerging economies, are to be blamed.

A new beginning – Editorial by The Hindu

The United Nations Climate Conference at Cancun has done well to strengthen the multilateral process and restore much-needed momentum to negotiations on one of the biggest challenges faced by all countries. The preceding summit at Copenhagen dealt a severe blow to consensus-building by allowing rich countries to dominate the proceedings but Mexico has commendably steered the discussions at Cancun, providing an opportunity to the developing world to articulate its concerns.

No major breakthrough was expected but the outcome of the conference is forward-looking. Two important decisions set the stage for measures to be taken beyond 2012, when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol ends. Under the Cancun Agreements, the targets set by industrialised countries for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions are recognised as part of the multilateral process. They must now draw up low-carbon development plans and strategies and  also report their inventories annually. In the case of developing countries, actions for emissions reduction will be recognised officially; a registry will record and match their mitigation actions to finance and technology support from rich countries; and they will report their progress every two years. These form a good preamble for target-setting for all member-countries under an agreed framework at Durban next year.

India’s Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh has suggested at the Cancun conference, apparently taking the long view, that some form of binding cuts on carbon emissions would have to be accepted by all countries in legal form. It would be wrong to read too much into this statement, since India has not acceded to any agreement. Both India and China have responsibly recognised their absolute carbon emissions and pledged voluntarily to transit to a green development path. India wants to cut its intensity of emissions relative to GDP. There is a grand national solar power generation plan for 2022 and a goal to double the share of nuclear power in a decade. That is positive — but much more has to be done in policy terms to raise efficiency and reduce emissions in, say, building and transport. China backs up climate goals with active support for low carbon technology development. Beijing recognises quite rightly that carbon cannot be cheap and that the bar for efficiency must rise constantly.

For perspective, it needs to be borne in mind that by one measure, the United States is responsible for 27 per cent of historical emissions and China for 9.5 per cent. This underscores the point that the U.S. must lead the developed world in technology transfer and funding through the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. Only then will big players such as Japan and Russia, which have misgivings about a future role for the Kyoto Protocol, remain in the fold.

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Aqueenas Annlin

The elections on 28.11.2010 for the People’s Assembly (Parliament) of the Arab Republic of Egypt are not likely to bring any major change. The elections had a very low turnout. According to print media reports, analysts point out President Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party (NDP) is expected to win with a wide margin. This is likely to be a move that could strengthen the hands of present administration in conducting the more important presidential elections in 2011.

Description of Government Structure:

• Chief of State: President Mohamed Hosni MUBARAK
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Ahmed NAZIF
• Assembly: Egypt has a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Advisory Council (Majilis Al-Shura) with 264 seats and the People’s Assembly (Majlis Al-Sha’b) with 454 seats.

Population:

Population: 80,471,869 (July 2010 est.)

The People’s Assembly exercises the legislative power and approves the State’s general policy.

A total of 41 million registered voters were eligible to vote for candidates running for 508 seats in parliament. In the 2005 elections, the turnout was 22 per cent, according to the official records. The election campaign saw clashes between the opposition and security forces and indications suggest victory for ruling NDP party.

Questions on the likelihood of the officially banned Muslim Brotherhood retaining its position as the biggest opposition grouping seem to be the most crucial for observers. In 2005, its supporters won about a fifth of the seats, standing as independent candidates.

Voting took place under heavy security cover in anticipation of possible violence. Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif stated, in a press conference, the importance of the national participation in elections. In this concern, Dr.Nazif expressed his longing for intensive participation by all categories in the electoral process to show the world that Egypt is able to undergo free and fair elections.

The Prime Minister wished that elections would lead to strong People’s Assembly Council working for Egypt’s internal and external interest, noting that woman will play important role in the new parliament.

Regarding the legislative agenda of the new parliament, the Prime Minister clarified that the government would present a number of legislations to the Council towards achieving economic and social development; topped by the health insurance draft law, investment facilitation legislation as well as public jobs legislation.

However, human rights groups have alleged that the current elections have been deeply flawed. The government has rejected the presence of international monitors to supervise the elections, citing the request as an infringement on national sovereignty. Further, the government has severely restricted presence of local observers, according to civil society groups.

The outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, whose candidates contesting as independents had won over 20 per cent of the seats in the 2005 elections, is allegedly the target of the government clampdown. At least 1200 supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood were arrested in the run-up to the polls.

According to media reports, its leaders acknowledge that on account of the prevailing circumstances, their candidates during the current elections are unlikely to match their 2005 performance.

According to a government portal, the assembly’s current term involves 454 members, 10 of whom are appointed by the Egyptian President. The elected members to The People’s Assembly must be at least 350 members. At least half of the Assembly’s members must belong to workers and peasants. The duration of the People’s Assembly term is five years starting from the date of its first meeting. Elections for the renewal of the Assembly shall take place within the sixty days preceding the termination of its term. During the latest parliamentary elections in October/November 2004, Egypt has applied judicial supervision on all polling stations throughout the three stages of the elections. The People’s Assembly carries out its legislative and supervisory missions through 18 committees which are: Constitutional and Legislative, Planning and Budgeting, Economic Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Arab Affairs, Defence and National Security, Suggestions and Complaint, Man Power, Industry and Energy, Agriculture and Irrigation, Education and Scientific Research, Religious, Social and Waqfs (Endowments), Culture, Media and Tourism, Health and Environment Affairs, Transport and Communication, Housing, Public Utilities and Construction, Local Government and Public Organization and Youth Committees.
The Central Auditing Agency (CAA), as an independent public corporate body ensuring control over governmental funds and those of other public bodies, assists The People’s Assembly in financial monitoring at both the legal and auditing levels.

Egypt’s permanent constitution (issued in September 1971and later amended on May 22 1980) regulates the State’s political system and determines general authorities and reference terms. The Egyptian constitution hereby enforces the pillars of the democratic, parliamentary system, stresses the supremacy of the law and the independence of judicial authorities based on the basic fundamentals of Islamic Sharia’a (Islamic laws) and Arabic as the official language of Egypt. The Egyptian political system entails six authorities: legislative, executive, judiciary, press, political parties, local administration and civil society organizations.

The new assembly will have 518 after 64 women-only seats were added. Women can and do run for seats outside the quota. Only 508 seats will be contested. The president appoints the remaining 10.

In the last elections, the Brotherhood’s candidates, who had to run as independents, won 88 seats (20% of the total) to form the largest opposition. Its leader Mohammed Badie said he wanted to encourage civic duty and confront unfairness.

One of the main obstacles to the Egyptian economy is the trickle down of the wealth to the average population, many Egyptians criticise their Government for higher prices of basic goods while their purchasing power remains stagnant. Corruption is often cited by Egyptians as the main impediment to further economic development.

Outcome of this election will certainly be a stepping stone for appropriate policy making.

Parliamentary Elections : Stage Two – December 5, 2010

To continue ……

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Aqueenas Annlin

The Bihar legislative assembly election, 2010 has established that people of the State have started to support development and economic growth by overcoming other impediments. The Janata Dal (United)-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance overcame constraints such as region, caste and gender to post the biggest-ever victory in an Assembly election in Bihar.

The weak Opposition was no match for the colossal wave in favour of the development orientation of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the leader of the Opposition Rabri Devi lost both Raghopur and Sonepur seats.

The mandate is likely to give an impetus to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s works towards growth and development of the backward state.

Although exit polls had predicted a landslide for the ruling combine and a second innings for the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the magnitude of victory exceeded the most optimistic estimates, with the JD (U) and the BJP together capturing four-fifths of the seats (206) in the 243-member Legislature. The ruling alliance fought on the issues of development and rule of law. The Chief Minister was projected as the mascot of a ‘modern, forward-looking Bihar.’

The JD(U) won 115 of the 141 seats it contested, while the BJP was relatively more successful, bagging 91 of the 102 seats it contested. The BJP’s performance in the State is said to be its best since independence. The Rashtriya Janata Dal-Lok Jan Shakti Party alliance finished second with 25 seats (RJD 22; LJP 3).

The Congress bagged four seats, five less than that of the previous assembly. The Congress campaign was spearheaded by Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi. Winning the Chakai seat, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha opened its account in the State. The Communist Party won one seat and independents/others won six seats.

The JD(U)-BJP combine retained its traditional strongholds in the Magadh-Bhojpur regions and breached the RJD-LJP strongholds both in the Kosi-Seemanchal belt and the Naxal-plagued districts in Buxar, Kaimur and Rohtas.

The ‘caste-religion factor,’ once a crucial aspect in the backward State’s elections, was discounted, judging from the ruling alliance’s successes in regions dominated by the so-called RJD votebank of Muslims and Yadavs. Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar’s programmes to uplift depressed communities from the backward castes appeared to work in the ruling alliance’s favour. The chunk of 26 per cent votes brought in by over 100 communities which collectively form the Extremely Backward Castes (EBCs) was also said to be the reason for the success. The Dalits also contributed towards the JD(U)-BJP combine, in support of initiatives such as the Maha Dalit Commission.

Voter surge and a 10 per cent increase in the number of women voters went in favour of the ruling alliance, which introduced progressive measures in the rural hinterland. One among them is 50 per cent reservation for women in panchayats and the ‘Chief Minister’s bicycle scheme.’

Most of the leaders of national parties agree that the politics of development has worked in the State and people have braved Naxal violence with the high turnout in the Naxal-afflicted districts.

The Bihar elections result has shown a positive sign for the Tami Nadu and other states which are going to conduct assembly elections within a short span of time.

Political Analysts say that, the prospect of ruling parties getting reelected in Tamil Nadu and other states which are going to face the assembly elections are bright, provided the election agenda of the ruling parties focus on development and inclusive growth.

2010 Bihar Result Status

A Profile of Shri Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar

Countries visited, widely traveled in various capacities:

Other Information

Hon’ble Cabinet Ministers of Bihar

1. Sushil Kumar Modi
   Deputy Chief Minister,
   Finance, Commercial Taxes and Forest
   0612-2227894(O) 0612-2674629(R)
2. Vijay Kumar Chaudhary
   Water Resources
3. Bijendra Prasad Yadav
   Power, Parliamentary Affairs, Registration & Prohibition
4. Nand Kishor Yadav
   Road Construction
5. Narendra Singh
   Agriculture
6. Brishen Patel
   Transport, Information & Public Relations
7. Ramai Ram
   Revenue & Land Reform
   9431019462 (M)
8. Chandra Mohan Rai
   Public Health and Engineering Department
   9431085441 (M)
9. Ashwini Kumar Choubey
   Health, 9431441339 (M)
10. Hari Prasad Sah
    Panchayati Raj & Welfare(Bacward & Economically Backward Classes)
11. Bhim Singh
    Rural Works, 9431244111 (M)
12. Dr. Renu Kumari Kushwaha, Industry & Disaster Management
13. Jitan Ram Manjhi, SC & ST Welfare
14. Damodar Raut, Building Construction
15. Prem Kumar, Urban Development and Hiusing
16. Narendra Narayan Yadav, Law, Planning & Development
17. P K Shahi, Human Resource Development
18. Shahid Ali Khan, Information Technology & Minority Welfare
19. Shyam Rajak, Food and Civil Supplies
20. Parveen Amanullah, Social Welfare
21. Nitish Mishra, Rural Development
22. Awadhesh Prasad Kushwaha, Minor Irrigation, Sugarcane
23. Gautam Singh, Science & Technology
24. Janardan Singh Sigriwal, Labour Resources
25. Giriraj Singh, Animal Husbandary & Fisheries
26. Satyadeo Narayan Arya, Mines & Geology
27. Ramadhar Singh, Co-operative
28. Prof. Sukhda Pandey, Art, Culture & Youth Affair
29. Sunil Kumar ” Pintu”, Tourism

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The CBSE-conducted AIEEE examination would be for the first time held online on a limited scale in 2011 for admission to various NITs, IIITs, deemed universities and a few state institutions.

While the regular pen-and-paper test will be held on April 24, 2011, the online version of the examination will be held from May 1 to May 15, 2011 for a maximum of one lakh candidates on “first come first served” basis, said CBSE sources.

More than 11 lakh candidates are expected to appear for AIEEE examination in its 10th edition seeking admission to courses like B.E./B.Tech and B.Arch. and B. Planning courses. Sale of Information Bulletin will start from 15th December, 2010 onwards.

According to sources, the online format would be conducted on a pilot scale in 20 selected cities, with a maximum of 5000 candidates appearing for the test in each city.

Students will be informed about the dates on which they could sit for the online test, they added.

The success of the online format could see AIEEE going completely online in the coming years making it the largest online examination in the world.

Last year, the Common Admission Test (CAT) had also gone online.

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1. Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2010

Thangai VS Annan

Europe is now in the grip of an old superbug that seems to have become more potent. The deadly drug-resistant superbug Clostridium difficile (C-diff) is causing an increasing number of infections across Europe.

Earlier in 2010, scientists warned that a new so-called superbug from India known as New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM-1) could spread around the world.

In an Europe-wide study, scientists have found infections due to C-diff being widespread. Incidence in hospitals has risen to 4.1 per 10,000 patient days in 2008 from 2.45 per 10,000 patient days in 2005.

Overuse and misuse of antibiotics in recent decades have fueled a rise in drug-resistant “superbug” infections like C-difficile, a bacterial infection in the gut, and methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA).

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said that up to 400,000 patients in the region suffer multi-drug resistant infections and antibiotic resistance remains a major public health problem.

Kuijper’s study, which was published in The Lancet medical journal found C-difficile infection rates were high in countries such as Finland, Poland and Britain, which had rates of 19.1, 12.5 and 10.4 per 10,000 patient days respectively, and lower in places such as France and Hungary, which had incidences of 2.1 and 2.0 per 10,000 patient days.

“This is the most important hospital-acquired infection in Europe, because if you look at the outcomes, there is a high mortality rate,” Kuijper said in a telephone interview. “There should be European-wide guidelines for hospitals to monitor this disease more carefully using uniform standards.”

What’s worse, when the team of scientists followed the patients up with infection after three months, they found that 22% had died, and C-diff infection had played a part in 40% of those deaths. The study has been published in the British medical journal, The Lancet, on 16.11.2010.

Clostridium difficile is a spore-forming, gram-positive anaerobic bacillus, which was discovered in 1978 and it produces two exotoxins: toxin A and toxin B. It is a common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) and colitis. It accounts for 15-25% of all episodes of AAD.

The recent study revealed that C-diff infection rates were high in Finland, Poland and Britain, which had rates of 19.1, 12.5 and 10.4 per 10,000 patient days, respectively. It is lower in France and Hungary, which had incidences of 2.1 and 2.0 per 10,000 patient days, respectively.

When the normal bacteria that live in the colon are disturbed — usually due to antibiotic treatment — and a patient ingests C-diff spores, the bacteria can multiply and release the toxins.
Some experts claim it now rivals the superbug MRSA as one of the leading threats to humans. Since its discovery, C-diff has grown increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

Experts told that though younger people are more susceptible to younger people — 65-year olds and above face a greater risk of developing infection from it and even higher death rates.

Ed Kuijper of Leiden University Medical Center in The Netherlands, who led the study with his colleague Martijn Bauer, said, “It is clearly on the rise. There is also a huge variation of incidence in different European countries. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics in recent decades have fuelled a rise in drug-resistant superbugs like C-diff.”
“Antibiotic resistance remains a serious threat to patient safety, reducing options for treatment and increasing lengths of hospital stay, as well as patient morbidity and mortality,” said Marc Sprenger, director of European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

The study was collaboration among 106 laboratories in 34 European countries. Each hospital tested stool samples of patients with suspected C-diff infection that developed three or more days after being admitted to hospital.
A case was defined when, subsequently, toxins were identified in stool samples. Detailed clinical data and stool isolates were collected for the first 10 cases in each hospital. After three months, the clinical data was followed up.
“Decreasing antibiotic use in hospitals has shown decreasing incidence of infections,” said Dr Dominique Monnet of ECDC.

Symptoms of C-diff include profuse diarrhoea and abdominal pain and distention of the abdomen. An infection is also frequently accompanied by fever, nausea and dehydration. In some rare cases, blood may be present in the stool. The infection is spread by spores that contaminate the hospital environment and hands of health care workers who can transmit the spores to patients.

What diseases result from Clostridium difficile infection?
• pseudomembranous colitis (PMC)
• toxic megacolon
• perforations of the colon
• sepsis
• death (rarely)

What are the main clinical symptoms of Clostridium difficile infection?
Clinical symptoms include:
• watery diarrhea
• fever
• loss of appetite
• nausea
• abdominal pain/tenderness

Which patients are at increased risk for Clostridium difficile infection?
The risk for disease increases in patients with:
• antibiotic exposure
• gastrointestinal surgery/manipulation
• long length of stay in healthcare settings
• a serious underlying illness
• immunocompromising conditions
• advanced age

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Thangai VS Annan

Like the South African leader Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi has become an international symbol of heroic and peaceful resistance in the face of oppression.

Aung San Suu Kyi was the recipient of the Rafto Prize and the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1990 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. In 1992 she was awarded the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding by the Government of India.

Family

Aung San Suu Kyi (now 65), was born on June 19, 1945, Rangoon, Burma [now Yangon, Myanmar]), Myanmar, is the opposition leader and daughter of Aung San (a martyred national hero of independent Burma) and Khin Kyi (a prominent Burmese diplomat).

Aung San Suu Kyi is the third child and only daughter of Aung San, considered to be the father of modern-day Burma.

In 1960 she went to India with her mother Daw Khin Kyi, who had been appointed Burma’s ambassador to Delhi.

Four years later she went to Oxford University in the UK, where she studied philosophy, politics and economics. There she met her future husband.

After stints of living and working in Japan and Bhutan, she settled down to be an English don’s housewife and raise their two children, Alexander and Kim.

Her husband, the British academic Michael Aris, died in 1999 of cancer. She could not visit him while he was dying without risking being exiled from her country forever, and the junta refused him an entry visa to Myanmar.

She has not seen her two sons in more than 10 years. She has never met her grandchildren. Every year her sons apply for visas, every year they are rejected without explanation. In Bangkok on November 10, her youngest son, Kim Aris, got permission to enter Myanmar; it is not known when he will get to the country.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s final appeal against her sentence was rejected by the Supreme Court and her legal team has been assessing what it means for her liberty. The court’s decision is a moot point though; she has almost completed this last sentence.

Political Beginnings

Aung San Suu Kyi returned to Burma in 1988 to take care of her ailing mother. By coincidence, in the same year, the long-time leader of the Socialist ruling party, General Ne Win, stepped down, leading to mass demonstrations for democracy on 8 August 1988 (8-8-88, a day seen as auspicious), which were violently suppressed in what came to be known as the 8888 Uprising. On 26 August 1988, she addressed half a million people at a mass rally in front of the Shwedagon Pagoda in the capital, calling for a democratic government. However in September, a new military junta took power. Later the same month, the National League for Democracy (NLD) was formed, with Suu Kyi as general secretary.

Influenced by both Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence and by more specifically Buddhist concepts, Aung San Suu Kyi entered politics to work for democratization, helped found the National League for Democracy on 27 September 1988, and was put under house arrest on 20 July 1989. She was offered freedom if she left the country, but she refused.

One of her most famous speeches is the “Freedom From Fear” speech, which begins: “It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.”

She also believes fear spurs many world leaders to lose sight of their purpose. “Government leaders are amazing”, she once said. “So often it seems they are the last to know what the people want.”

The Struggle

Aung San Suu Kyi was two years old when her father, then the de facto prime minister of what would shortly become independent Burma, was assassinated. She attended schools in Burma until 1960, when her mother was appointed ambassador to India. After further study in India, she attended the University of Oxford, where she met her future husband. She had two children and lived a rather quiet life until 1988, when she returned to Burma to nurse her dying mother. There the mass slaughter of protesters against the brutal and unresponsive rule of the military strongman U Ne Win led her to speak out against him and to begin a nonviolent struggle for democracy and human rights. In July 1989 the military government of the newly named Union of Myanmar placed Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest and held her incommunicado. The military offered to free her if she agreed to leave Myanmar, but she refused to do so until the country was returned to civilian government and political prisoners were freed. The newly formed group with which she became affiliated, the National League for Democracy (NLD), won more than 80 percent of the parliamentary seats that were contested in 1990, but the results of that election were ignored by the military government (in 2010 the military government formally annulled the results of the 1990 election).

Aung San Suu Kyi was freed from house arrest in July 1995. The following year she attended the NLD party congress, but the military government continued to harass both her and her party. In 1998 she announced the formation of a representative committee that she declared was the country’s legitimate ruling parliament. The military junta once again placed her under house arrest from September 2000 to May 2002. Following clashes between the NLD and pro-government demonstrators in 2003, the government returned her to house arrest. Calls for her release continued throughout the international community in the face of her sentence’s annual renewal, and in 2009 a United Nations body declared her detention illegal under Myanmar’s own law. In 2008 the conditions of her house arrest were somewhat loosened, allowing her to receive some magazines as well as letters from her children.

In May 2009, shortly before her most recent sentence was to be completed, Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested and charged with breaching the terms of her house arrest after an intruder (a U.S. citizen) entered her house compound and spent two nights there. In August she was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison, though the sentence immediately was reduced to 18 months, and she was allowed to serve it while remaining under house arrest. At the time of her conviction, the belief was widespread both within and outside of Myanmar that this latest ruling was designed to prevent Aung from participating in multiparty elections scheduled for 2010. This suspicion became reality through a series of new election laws enacted in March 2010: one prohibited individuals from any participation in elections if they had been convicted of a crime (as she had been in 2009), and another disqualified anyone who was married to a foreign national from running for office (her husband was British).

Periods under detention

• 20 July 1989: Placed under house arrest in Rangoon under martial law that allows for detention without charge or trial for three years.
• 10 July 1995: Released from house arrest.
• 23 September 2000: Placed under house arrest.
• 6 May 2002: Released after 19 months.
• 30 May 2003: Arrested following the Depayin massacre, she was held in secret detention for more than three months before being returned to house arrest.
• 25 May 2007: House arrest extended by one year despite a direct appeal from U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to General Than Shwe.
• 24 October 2007: Reached 12 years under house arrest, solidarity protests held at 12 cities around the world.
• 27 May 2008: House arrest extended for another year, which is illegal under both international law and Burma’s own law.
• 11 August 2009: House arrest extended for 18 more months because of “violation” arising from the May 2009 trespass incident.
• 13 November 2010: Released from house arrest.

Release from House Arrest

Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s celebrated pro-democracy leader and a political prisoner of global stature, was set free from house arrest in Yangon on 13.11.2010.

The 65-year-old Ms. Suu Kyi’s release was greeted by cheering supporters who gathered outside her house in a show of defiance against Myanmar’s military government. Hundreds of other supporters waited for her at the Yangon headquarters of the recently-derecognised National League for Democracy (NLD), which she still leads.

Several world leaders hailed her in comments on the release, which was ordered before the junta, the State Peace and Development Council could transfer power to an ostensibly “civilian” government in the wake of the November 7, 2010 general election.

Myanmar’s military establishments have subjected Ms. Suu Kyi to several terms of house arrest and a few spells in prison, for about 15 years in all since 1989. She led the NLD to a landslide victory in the country’s free elections in 1990 but was not allowed to lead a civilian government.

Walking free for the first time since 2003, Ms. Suu Kyi covered the distance from her old lakeside bungalow to the gate to acknowledge the greetings of her supporters. As she smiled and waved at them from across the gate, an enthusiast tossed up a bunch of flowers for her. The video-footage of her first public appearance in several years showed her accepting the flowers in a typical oriental style. She appeared to be in good spirit.

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Ammulu Rajan

October 2010

Indonesian authorities have launched two rescue operations after a tsunami crashed into an island chain and a volcano erupted less than 24 hours later, leaving at least 300 people dead and thousands more homeless.

Entire villages were washed away Monday the 25^th October 2010 when a 7.7-magnitude earthquake split the ocean floor near the Mentawai islands, 80 miles off Sumatra’s west coast. The 10-foot waves generated by that rupture have killed at least 272 people claim officials.

The 7.7 magnitude quake hit 78 km west of South Pagai, one of the Mentawai islands. Most buildings in the coastal village of Betu Monga were destroyed.

“Of the 200 people living in that village, only 40 have been found. 160 are still missing, mostly women and children,” West Sumatra provincial disaster management head Harmensyah told Reuters by phone. “We have people reporting to the security post here that they could not hold on to their children, that they were swept away. A lot of people are crying.”

80 percent of the houses in the area were damaged and food supplies were low. A tourist boat carrying between eight and 10 Australians has been out of radio contact since the quake, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement.

The Macaronis surfing resort on North Pagai island was also hit. In an official press release, World Surfaris said Macaronis had “experienced a level of devastation that has rendered the resort inoperable.”

Indonesia implemented an early-warning system designed to warn locals of incoming mega-waves after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed 230,000 people across East Asia. However, officials have said that a fault with the system meant Mentawai islanders weren’t informed about the coming deluge

A day later, another natural disaster hit the central island of Java, when Indonesia’s most active volcano, Mount Merapi, erupted and spewed out clouds of searing gas and lava. At least 28 people are believed to have died so far, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported, although that death toll is expected to rise, as 14 people are being treated for burns over 80 percent of their bodies at the nearby Sardjito Hospital.

Surf Resorts

Reports via Facebook from a surfer at the resort suggested that all villas had been “wiped out” by the tsunami.

A report posted on the Surfaid website by one of the aid organization’s staff members described a three-meter-high tsunami crashing through the resort and boats knocking together, then bursting into flames.

Guests and crew from one boat were washed into the jungle and took more than an hour to find their way back to the beach, the staff member, Tom Plummer, said.

Satoko, head of the regional government in the affected area, told Metro TV that some of the missing may have taken refuge on higher ground.

Local police on the Mentawai islands were searching for missing people and setting up emergency posts, said Ronald, a police officer at Sikakap district police station.

Mudjiarto, the head of the disaster response unit at the Health Ministry, told Reuters that two bodies had been found near Sipora island and that several people were still missing.

In South Pagai island, waves penetrated about 600 meters into coastal villages, while in North Pagai island, waves reached to the roof of local houses.

In December 2004, a tsunami caused by an earthquake of more than 9 magnitude off Sumatra killed more than 226,000 people. It was the deadliest tsunami on record.

Mentawai islands, Indonesia

Hundreds were still missing after the 10-foot wave spawned by a massive quake struck the remote Mentawi islands off western Sumatra, where rescue officials — kept away for days because of stormy seas and bad weather — started arriving at the scene to chart the scope of the devastation.

Some wore face masks as they wrapped swollen corpses littering roads and beaches in black body bags. Huge swaths of land were underwater and houses lay crumpled with tires and slabs of concrete piled up on the surrounding sand.

At least 311 people died as the tsunami washed away hundreds of wooden and bamboo homes in 20 villages, displacing more than 20,000 people, said Ade Edward, a government disaster official.

About 800 miles to the east in central Java, the Mount Merapi volcano was mostly quiet but still a threat the 26^th October 2010 eruption that sent searing ash clouds into the air, killing at least 33 people and injuring 17, said Agustinus, a doctor at the local health department who like many Indonesians goes by one name. A mass burial was planned for later.

Among the dead was a revered elder who had refused to leave his ceremonial post as caretaker of the mountain’s spirits.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono rushed home from a state visit to Vietnam to deal with the catastrophes, which struck within 24 hours along different points of the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a series of fault lines prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity.

The first cargo plane loaded with tents, medicine, food and clothes landed in the tsunami-hit area, Edward said.

Vice President Boediono toured devastated villages on hardest hit Pagai Utara island and met with survivors and local officials, his office said. At one point, he paused solemnly in front of several corpses in body bags.

The islands lie close to the epicenter of the 7.7-magnitude quake that struck beneath the ocean floor. The fault line on Sumatra island’s coast is the same one that caused the 2004 quake and tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries around the Indian Ocean.

After that monster wave, many countries set up early warning systems in their waters hoping to give people time to flee to higher ground before a tsunami — which can travel hundreds of miles — crashed ashore.

Indonesia’s version, completed in 2008 with German aid, has since fallen into such disrepair that it effectively stopped working about a month ago, according to the head of the Meteorology and Geophysic Agency.

The system, which uses buoys to electronically detect sudden changes in water level, worked when it was completed, but by 2009 routine tests of it were showing problems, said the agency chief. By last month, he said, the entire system was broken because of inexperienced operators.

“We do not have the expertise to monitor the buoys to function as intended,” he said.

As a result, he said, not a single siren sounded after the quake. It was unclear if any sirens could have made a difference, since the islands worst affected were so close to the epicenter that the tsunami would have reached them within minutes.

The group that set up the system, the Germany-Indonesia agency Tsunami Early Warning System (GITEWS), could not be reached for comment, but the questions Fauzi raised highlighted the difficulty for a poor country such as Indonesia in disaster prevention and response.

On the ash-covered slopes of Mount Merapi, authorities continued a search for more victims.

The eruption sent thousands streaming into makeshift emergency shelters, although the ash did not disrupt flights over Indonesia. About 36,000 people have been evacuated, according to the Indonesian Red Cross.

Some defied authorities and returned home to check on crops and possessions left behind. More than 11,000 people live on Merapi’s fertile slopes.

The blast eased pressure that had been building behind a lava dome on the crater. Experts warned that the dome could still collapse, causing an avalanche of the blistering gas and debris trapped beneath it.

The volcano, whose name means “Fire Mountain,” has erupted many times in the last 200 years. In 1994, 60 people were killed, while in 1930 more than a dozen villages were incinerated, leaving up to 1,300 dead.

Among the dead from the eruption was an 83-year-old man named Maridjan, who was entrusted by a late king from the nearby city of Yogyakarta to watch over the mountain’s unpredictable spirits. He had refused to leave his house high on its slopes.

The discovery of his ash-covered body, reportedly found in a position of Islamic prayer, kneeling face-down on the floor, rattled residents who for years joined his ceremonies to appease the rumbling giant by throwing rice, clothes and chickens into the crater.

Many Indonesians paid tribute to Maridjan on Facebook and Twitter.

The 2010 Floods

The 2010 West Papua floods occurred on 6 October 2010 in the eastern Indonesian Province of West Papua. The floods, which have centered around the town of Wasior in West Papua, resulted from heavy rains resulted in a river overflowing its banks, causing landslides. At least 145 people have reported to have been killed in the floods, as of October 12, 2010.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited the area on October 12, 2010. Many survivors have been evaucated to the city of Manokwari . Large amounts of aid had been mistakenly sent to the town of Wasior in the aftermath of the flooding, despite the mass relocation of the relocation of its residents to Manokwari, Officials and NGOs blamed miscommunications for the mistake.  The government of Indonesia has blamed heavy rains for the severe flooding, rather than illegal logging and deforestation.

Seventy-five bodies have been pulled from the mud and the wreckage of crumpled homes, according to Dortheis Sawaki, who heads local relief operation. Several others are reported missing.

Another 90 people were hospitalised, many with broken bones. Some had to be evacuated by helicopter and, as nearby hospitals became overwhelmed, others were taken by ship to neighbouring provinces.

“There are just too many injuries,” Sawaki said, adding that some medical facilities have been hit by power outages. “We can’t handle it alone.”

Thousands affected

More than 2,000 people were seeking shelter in government buildings and makeshift camps.

Days of torrential downpours have triggered the floods which submerged hundreds of houses in thigh-high water and destroyed roads and bridges.

A navy warship has been deployed to deliver medical supplies, tents and other relief items but the thick mud is hindering the overland delivery of supplies to victims.

Worst hit was the village of Wasior, where a landslide was followed minutes later by a river that burst its banks, sweeping away residents in a fast-moving deluge of water, heavy logs and debris.

Indonesia’s climatology agency said that most parts of the country are currently experiencing torrential rains, strong winds, high waves and flooding due to extreme weather this year.

President Barack Obama, who spent some of his childhood years in Indonesia and is set to visit the country next month, said that he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of life. “At the same time, I am heartened and encouraged by the remarkable resiliency of the Indonesian people and the commitment of their government to rapidly assist the victims,” he said in a statement. “As a friend of Indonesia, the United States stands ready to help in any way.”

Getting aid to the remote and sparsely developed Mentawai islands is proving a challenge for Indonesian authorities, as rough seas are slowing the delivery of aid from Padang, the nearest major port on Sumatra. It’s also difficult for local officials to accurately assess the devastation from the tsunami because there are few roads and functioning telephone lines on the archipelago.

Dream Dare Win

www.jeywin.com

*****

Shanthi Rajagopal

Introduction

China and Japan, the giants of Asia, account for nearly three-quarters of the region’s economic activity and more than half of the region’s military spending. Despite their deep economic ties and a doubling of their bilateral trade in the past five years, their relationship is increasingly strained, with dangerous implications for the United States and the world at large.

Historically, relations between Japan and China were clearly structured. One country was always more prosperous or powerful than the other. Before the nineteenth century, China was usually dominant; since the Meiji Restoration, in 1868, Japan has generally been preeminent. The prospect that China and Japan could both be powerful and affluent at the same time has only recently emerged, largely because while China’s economy and influence have grown rapidly, Japan’s have remained stagnant. China has nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles, and its military budget has grown by double-digit rates for 17 consecutive years. Although Japan has a relatively low military profile, with its “no-war” constitution and strong alliance with the United States, its defense-relevant technology is sophisticated and it has recently become more proactive. The stage is now set for a struggle between a mature power and a rising one.

Some liken current Sino-Japanese relations to the Anglo-German rivalry prior to World War I. As with the United Kingdom and Germany a century ago, the contest for regional leadership between China and Japan today is creating new security dilemmas, prompting concerns over Chinese ambitions in Japan and fears of renewed Japanese militarism in China. Both states are adopting confrontational stances, partly because of rising popular involvement in politics and resurgent nationalism exacerbated by revived memories of World War II; mutually beneficial economic dealings alone are not effectively soothing these tensions. Fluid perceptions of power and fear, Thucydides observed, are the classic causes of war. And they are increasingly present in Northeast Asia today.

Contrary to the historical pattern of the last several centuries China, both economically and militarily, is outpacing Japan, Tensions between the two countries date to the humiliation of China in the 1894-1895 Sino-Japanese War, and more recently Japan’s abusive conduct during the 1931-1945 occupation of China. These hostilities come up in recurring cycles, often involving Chinese anger over Japan’s perceived lack of contrition for wartime crimes. But concrete territorial and economic issues also aggravate the relationship, including Japan’s close alliance with the United States, trade frictions, and ongoing disputes over ownership of various islands in the East China Sea.

Since 1972, Japan has made apologies and issued expressions of regret for its World War II conduct, including statements from past prime ministers and the emperor. China, however, has never fully accepted this contrition because it claims that Japan’s words have conflicted with their deeds.

The 2008 Flare -Up

On January 30, 2008, Japan’s health minister accused China of being responsible for ten people getting food poisoning after eating Chinese-made dumplings. The dumplings were imported by an affiliate of a Japanese company, Japan Tobacco, after being produced by a Tiayang food plant in China. Japanese investigators seized six packets of dumplings from the distributor and discovered traces of methamidophos, a potentially lethal pesticide that is banned in both Japan and, more recently, in China. There was also a suspicious hole in one of the packages. As a result, Japan Tobacco voluntarily recalled all the products that had been made in the same factory as the contaminated dumplings, and it posted an apology on its website.

Chinese investigators collected samples of food, ingredients, and packaging from the original Tiayang plant, but the samples showed no signs of the pesticide. Chinese regulatory officials also explored the factory, but they found no health or safety code violations. After their investigation, Chinese officials concluded that no manufacturing problem caused the contaminations, and also rejected the idea that the dumplings were intentionally contaminated in China. The origin of the contamination remains an unresolved source of tension between China and Japan, but officials on both sides have pledged to cooperate in the ongoing investigation.

Other issues

Yasukuni Shrine

From 2001 to 2006, China bristled when former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi made his annual pilgrimage to Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine to Japan’s war dead, which includes the remains of convicted war criminals enshrined in a secret ceremony in the 1970s. Yasukuni Jinja  is a Shinto shrine that is at the center of an international Asian controversy. It is a shrine to war dead who served the Emperor of Japan during wars from 1867–1951. This eligibility includes civilians in service and government officials. Yasukuni is a shrine to house the actual souls of the dead as Kami, or “spirits/souls” as loosely defined in the English words. Furthermore it is believed that all negative or evil acts committed are absolved when enshrinement occurs. This activity is strictly a religious matter since the religious separation of State Shinto and the Japanese Government. The priesthood at the shrine has complete religious autonomy to decide to whom and how enshrinement may occur. It is thought that enshrinement is permanent and irreversible by the current clergy. Due to the enshrinement of International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE) war criminals and the nationalist approach to the war museum, the Yasukuni Shrine and the Japanese Government have been criticized by China, Korea, and Taiwan as being revisionist and unapologetic about the events of World War II. Japan’s former prime minister, Yasuo Fukuda, has not made an official visit to the controversial site.

UN Security Council:

China has sought to block Japan’s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. In April 2005, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told reporters on a trip to India, “Only a country that respects history, takes responsibility for history, and wins over the trust of peoples in Asia and the world at large can take greater responsibilities in the international community.”

Taiwan: On February 19, 2005, Japan and the United States issued a joint agreement—the first of its kind—which said the status of Taiwan was a matter of mutual concern. Beijing considers Taiwan a renegade territory and objects to outside interference in what it views as a domestic matter.

East China Sea:

On April 13, 2005, Japan  approved a $1 billion project to drill for oil and gas in a disputed stretch of water west of Okinawa that both countries assert is their exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang called Japan’s decision “a serious provocation.” Japan, in response, claims China has repeatedly violated its EEZ around the Ryukyu Islands. In 2003, China began drilling in the Chunxiao and Duangqiao gas fields, which extend into territory claimed by Japan. According to Eric Heginbothem of the RAND corporation, Beijing offered to negotiate the joint exploitation of adjoining oil and gas fields, but Tokyo declined.

The animosities of World War II

The animosities have sort of moved beyond the World War 11.  Economic ties have flourished. Beginning from practically zero as China opened in the early 1980s, trade between the two powers has exploded, reaching $207 billion in 2006. In 2004, in fact, China surpassed the United States to become Japan’s largest trading partner.

But wartime issues have not yet diminished. In April 2005, Tokyo’s Ministry of Education, traditionally a conservative body, approved a history textbook that many non-Japanese historians criticize as a soft-pedaling of Japanese wartime atrocities. Among the events relegated to little or no mention in the new texts are the 1937 Nanking Massacre, the Japanese Army’s use of slave labor, and programs that forced females in occupied countries to act as so-called comfort women—a euphemism for prostitutes—for Japanese troops. After the textbook’s approval, thousands of Chinese demonstrators poured into the streets of Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and other cities, pelting Japanese offices and restaurants with rocks and eggs in the largest anti-Japanese protests in China since the two countries normalized relations in 1972. Protesters also called for a boycott of Japanese goods.

There is no proof that the Chinese government organized the protests.  Still, the fact that Chinese authorities allowed the protests to occur indicates to some experts that the rallies had the tacit approval of the Communist leadership.  Ian Buruma, an author and Bard College professor who has written extensively about Asia, suggested in the Financial Times that sometimes the Chinese “authorities deliberately inflame anti-Japanese passions to deflect attention from their own shortcomings.” But other experts argue that, faced with popular anti-Japanese protests, the government may have felt it had no choice but to allow them to go forward. They observe that the government arrested some of the most violent protestors and made efforts to contain the demonstrations.

Tomohiko Taniguchi, a Japanese scholar, says the Chinese overreacted; only one Japanese junior high school adopted the textbook, he says. Heginbotham says that’s not the point. While many countries shy away from critical examination of national misdeeds, Japanese textbooks, he says, are particularly prone to put the most positive—and historically questionable—spin on Japanese history. The textbook at the center of the controversy, and others as well, he says, represents the Japanese troops who occupied China as if they “were liberating Asia from Western colonialism.”

“There’s a growing sense in Japan that they’ve apologized enough [for the past] and that it’s time to get on with life,” says Alan D. Romberg, distinguished fellow at the Henry L. Stimson Center’s East Asia program. He notes that Chinese textbooks have their share of historical distortions. Japan, for its part, has refused to revise or remove the book and has asked for a formal apology from Beijing for the protests and compensation for damage.

Impact of the dispute on the U.S. foreign policy

Experts claim that the U.S.-Japan alliance remains strong. China views this partnership with increasing suspicion, particularly Washington and Tokyo’s decision to develop a joint missile defense system in 2004.  Still, the United States wants to minimize regional tensions. “It’s not in the U.S. interest to have China and Japan at each other’s throats,” Romberg says. “From a political, economic, and security point of view, it’s in our interest that they get along.” The Chinese-Japanese rift also tends to push South Korea closer to China, experts say. The two countries have found common cause on a number of issues, and the U.S.-South Korea relationship has been strained in recent years.

The United States, with naval bases in Singapore and security agreements with most of China’s neighbors, is the dominant military regional power. It is unlikely that China could push the United States out of the region in the foreseeable future, argue the experts.

Japan’s military ambitions

It’s unclear. Article 9 of Japan’s constitution, written by U.S. occupation authorities in 1946, not only renounces war but forbids Japan from maintaining land, sea, or air forces. Still, the country has a substantial military arsenal. Japan’s annual military budget is over $40 billion, placing it among the world’s largest, yet it accounts for less than 1 percent of Japan’s gross domestic product (GDP). (By comparison, U.S. defense spending is around 4 percent of GDP.) Japan maintains so-called self-defense forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, including six hundred troops on a flotilla based in the Indian Ocean to provide logistical support and fuel to U.S. forces in the region. There is growing support in Japan, including among parliamentarians, to amend Article 9, though there is no consensus about how to do so.

Chinese threat as perceived by Japan

Japan fears China will use its growing economic leverage and military prowers to throw its weight around and dominate the region. Beijing’s efforts to thwart Japan’s U.N. Security Council membership bid exemplify this concern, experts say. China also continues to rapidly expand its military forces. “China is just beginning to look menacing,” says John J. Mearsheimer, who teaches international relations at the University of Chicago, pointing to what he sees as an “Asian version of the Monroe Doctrine.” Still, the Chinese economy, in per-capita terms, lags far behind Japan’s. “The Chinese threat to the United States, Japan, and the world comes from an economically faltering China, not a prosperous, self-confident China,” (PDF) wrote Masaru Tamamoto, an Asia analyst, in a 2005 article in the Far Eastern Economic Review.

Japanese threat as perceived by China

Japan does not pose a direct threat to China militarily, experts say. That said, what is seen as Japan’s historical backsliding, combined with a more assertive diplomatic and military posture, worries China. Beijing is also concerned by Japan’s alliance with the United States, and particularly what it perceives as its increased meddling in China’s dispute with Taiwan.

September 2010

The recent conflict between China and Japan revolves around the arrest of the Chinese captain of a fishing vessel, found to be illegally operating in the Senkaku islands (for the Chinese: the Diaoyu) and consequently arrested (or more precisely placed in police custody). The islands have always been part of Japan and therefore a simple administrative offense should not really make news headlines. Moreover for years now, the two countries have been developing strong trade ties and are linked by a close intertwining of technology and manufacturing. The event itself is even more insignificant when compared to the far more serious episode that occurred many months ago in the same area.

Just six months ago, a deliberate act of war carried out by the armed forces of a country officially in a state of truce, not peace, was completely silenced, both by the governments concerned and, consequently, the international press. The episode in question is the sinking of the South Korea Navy warship, the Cheonan, by North Korea.

Since 1945, and in particular after the Vietnam War, the U.S. hegemony has been based on the control of the seas and its maritime supremacy, rather than on nuclear deterrence, as was the case in Europe in its confrontation with the Soviet Union. American domination of the Pacific has been, until now, guaranteed by its fleet, and by its magnificent aircraft carriers. Recently there has been a lot of discussion about the concentrated development of the Chinese navy and its projection towards the blue seas. In less poetic terms, the Chinese fleet is not only designed to protect the coastline of China and eventually to launch the reconquest of Taiwan – rebel province of the Empire or autonomous state, depending on your point of view. But according to most military observers it will take at least twenty years before crews of the Chinese blue seas fleet will be able to match the level of competence, experience and training of the American stationed in the Pacific. A low cost Chinese rocket, the 21D Dong Feng (DF 21D), is however threatening American supremacy.

According to Anne Gearan, an expert on strategic issues, it is a missile that could be launched from land with enough accuracy, ten times the speed of sound,  to penetrate the defenses of even the most advanced moving aircraft carrier at a distance of more than 1,500 kilometers. Along China’s 18 thousand kilometres of the coastline, a system based on the Dong Feng 21D is enough to keep those carriers which have hitherto been the pride and the key of U.S. Pacific Fleet, since 1945, at bay. It is true that this is a weapon designed for conventional use, although it can not be excluded that it is capable of carrying a nuclear war head. However, even with a conventional use its implications are still clear and very significant for Japan and for Taiwan: in short, within a couple of years at most, the American umbrella could easily no longer be of any use.

23^rd September 2010

China has confirmed it has detained 4 Japanese officials due to “violation of a Chinese law relating to protection of military facilities.” Xinhua reports: “The state security authorities in Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei, have taken measures against the four people according to law after receiving a report about their illegal activities.” It is unclear if the four suggested recommending nuking the 3 Gorges dam for risk of cracks and terminal collapse during the next massive earthquake.

A Japanese foreign ministry spokesman confirmed that four Japanese nationals had been detained in China on suspicion of violating Chinese law regarding the protection of military facilities, as tensions rise between Asia’s two biggest economies.

The two sides are already locked in an increasingly heated dispute triggered by Japan’s detention of a Chinese fishing boat captain whose trawler collided earlier this month with a Japanese patrol boat in waters near islands both sides claim. Analysts say the trawler dispute is largely a row over sovereignty in an area with rich natural gas resources.

The islands are known as the Diaoyu islands in China and the Senkaku islands in Japan.

“We were told the reason for the detention of the four Japanese people is violation of Chinese law relating to protection of military facilities,” said Hidenobu Sobashima, deputy foreign ministry spokesman.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku, commenting on the affair, said it was important for the two countries to foster strategic, mutually beneficial relations — a nod to the deep economic ties that would be at risk if the row worsens.

China’s Xinhua news agency said: “The state security authorities in Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei, have taken measures against the four people according to law after receiving a report about their illegal activities.” It gave no details.

A spokeswoman for Japan’s Fujita Corp, an unlisted construction company, said that five of its employees were missing in China — four Japanese nationals and one Chinese national. But they had no firm information on their whereabouts

With tensions between China and Japan spilling out at an East Asian summit meeting, the United States is trying to defuse an escalating diplomatic row over their competing claims to a cluster of small islands in the East China Sea.

In October 2010, the Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton proposed a three-way meeting with China and Japan to resolve the dispute, which has raged since last month when Japan detained the captain of a Chinese fishing vessel that struck two Japanese patrol boats near the islands.

“We have certainly encouraged both Japan and China to seek peaceful resolution of any disagreements that they have,” Mrs. Clinton said at a news conference after the summit meeting ended. “It is in all of our interest for China and Japan to have stable, peaceful relations.”

In private conversations with Chinese and Japanese diplomats, Mrs. Clinton “made very clear to both sides that we want the temperature to go down on these issues,” a senior official said. American officials said they were troubled by what one called a sudden, drastic increase in tensions.

As the United States, Russia and 16 Asian nations gathered in Hanoi to discuss regional cooperation, China’s aggressive maritime and territorial claims were sowing unease with several of its neighbors.

When Japan reasserted its sovereignty over the islands — which it calls the Senkaku and China calls the Diaoyu — a senior Chinese official accused it of ruining the atmosphere of the summit meeting.

The United States, which had been mostly a bystander in such disputes, has taken a more active role under the Obama administration. Though it has no position on the sovereignty claims, Mrs. Clinton said the United States viewed the islands as protected under the terms of its defense treaty with Japan, which means it will defend them from any foreign attack.

That statement brought a rebuke from the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ma Zhaoxu, who said China “will never accept any word or deed that includes the Diaoyu Islands within the scope” of the treaty.

On another issue that has caused friction lately — China’s halting of shipments of strategically important minerals to the United States, Japan and Europe — the Chinese government seemed eager to reassure.

In a meeting with Mrs. Clinton, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi gave “very clear indications” that China would fulfill its contracts and be a “reliable supplier,” according to an American official.

“While we’re pleased by the clarification received from the Chinese government,” Mrs. Clinton said, “we still think the world as a whole needs to find alternatives” to China as a supplier of the minerals, known as rare earth metals.

China began curtailing shipments to the United States and Europe of these minerals, which are used to make products like cellphones and wind turbines, after the dispute with Japan and a trade investigation by the Obama administration. Then last week, without explanation, Chinese officials said the shipments would resume.

Japan, which released the Chinese captain under heavy pressure from Beijing, had proposed a meeting with Chinese leaders in Hanoi to clear the air. But hopes for that were dashed when Japan’s foreign minister, Seiji Maehara, asserted Japan’s control over the islands.

Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China refused to meet one-on-one with Prime Minister Naoto Kan of Japan, though Mr. Yang said China would consider Mrs. Clinton’s proposed trilateral meeting.

In her formal remarks to the Asian leaders, Mrs. Clinton reiterated that the United States stood ready to help resolve another territorial dispute: one that pits China against Vietnam, the Philippines and other countries over a string of strategically significant islands in the South China Sea.

“The United States has a national interest in the freedom of navigation and unimpeded lawful commerce,” she said. “And when disputes arise over maritime territory, we are committed to resolving them peacefully based on customary international law.”

The administration’s position angers China, which has also sparred with the United States over currency policy and trade. Chinese officials have expressed concern that all the friction could get in the way of a visit to the United States early next year by President Hu Jintao.

At Beijing’s request, Mrs. Clinton added a last-minute China stop to her itinerary, meeting the state councilor for foreign affairs, Dai Bingguo, on Hainan Island, east of Vietnam. She pressed Mr. Dai to use Beijing’s influence on North Korea to discourage it from “provocative” acts before the Group of 20 leaders’ meeting in Seoul in November 2010.

Dream Dare Win

www.jeywin.com

*****

Thangai VS Annan

The 2010 G-20 Seoul Summit is the fifth meeting of the G-20 Heads of Government, to discuss the global financial system and the world economy, which will take place in Seoul, South Korea during November 11–12, 2010. Republic of Korea becomes the first non-G8 nation to host a G-20 Leaders Summit. The theme of the summit will be “G-20’s Role in the Post-Crisis World.”

What is the G-20?

The Group of Twenty (G-20) Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors was established in 1999 to bring together the world’s main industrialized and developing economies for discussion of key issues regarding the global economy. The inaugural meeting of the G-20 took place in Berlin in December 1999, hosted by the German and Canadian finance ministers. The heads of state of the G-20 have held summits since 2008.

The G-20 is a top forum for international economic development that promotes open and constructive discussion on key issues related to global economic stability. By contributing to the strengthening of the international financial system and providing opportunities for dialogue on national policies, international cooperation and international financial institutions, the G-20 helps support growth and development across the globe.

The European Union, which is represented by the current holder of the EU’s rotating presidency and the head of the European Central Bank, is the 20th member of the G-20.

History:

• 1^st Summit: USA (Washington, D.C.), November 2008
• 2^nd Summit: England (London), April 2009
• 3^rd Summit: USA (Pittsburgh), September 2009
• 4^th Summit: Canada (Toronto), June 2010
• 5^th Summit: Republic of Korea (Seoul), November 2010

Member Countries (20)

1.      Argentina

2.      Australia

3.      Brazil

4.      Canada

5.      China

6.      France

7.      Germany

8.      India

9.      Indonesia

10.  Italy

11.  Japan

12.  Republic of Korea

13.  Mexico

14.  Russia

15.  South Arabia

16.  Republic of South Africa

17.  Turkey

18.  United Kingdom

19.  United States of America

20.  European Union

G-20 Seoul Summit 2010

• Date: November 11th~12th, 2010
• Venue: Coex
• Organizer: Presidential Committee for the G-20 Summit
• Preparatory Meetings:
  • Feb. 27-28, 2010 (Incheon): vice finance ministers, vice governors of central banks
  • June (Busan) 2010: finance ministers and governors of central banks
  • Sept. (Gwangju) 2010: vice finance ministers and vice governors of central banks
  • Oct., Nov. (Gyeongju) 2010: finance ministers and governors of central banks

Agenda

1. Ensuring Ongoing Global Economic Recovery

The world economy continues to recover faster than anticipated, but significant challenges remain. The recovery is uneven and fragile and unemployment in many countries remains at unacceptable levels. Moreover, recent events highlight the importance of sustainable public finances.

In June, 2010, at the Toronto Summit, the leaders of the G20 agreed on the importance of safeguarding and strengthening the recovery while laying the foundation for strong, sustainable and balanced growth, and strengthening our financial systems. They committed to working together toward those ends.

2. Framework for Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Growth

At the Pittsburgh Summit, the G20 leaders launched the Framework for Strong, Sustainable, and Balanced Growth to strengthen international cooperation in the interest of future economic growth and stability.

The leaders of the G20 tasked the IMF to support a mutual assessment process for the Framework, in conjunction with other relevant international organizations with expertise on development, finance, labor market, and trade.

At the Toronto Summit, the leaders reviewed the results and agreed on a set of policy options which, if implemented, would bring the world economy closer to the G20’s shared objectives.

At the Seoul Summit, the leaders will agree on a comprehensive policy action plan designed to lead the world toward strong, sustainable and balanced growth. It will include policy commitments made by each country, based on the basket of policy options agreed to at the Toronto Summit, 2010.

3. Strengthening the International Financial Regulatory System

The G20 leaders have committed to strengthening the financial regulatory system both to sustain global growth and to prevent future crises. These efforts toward financial sector reform are largely geared toward restoring the industry’s integrity, transparency and accountability, thereby allowing it to regain the confidence of the general public.

According to the timeline created at the Pittsburgh Summit, more stringent international rules regarding bank capital and liquidity requirements will be created by the end of 2010. They will then be phased in as financial conditions improve and economic recovery is assured, with the aim of implementation by end-2012. In addition, the G20 tasked the Financial Stability Board (FSB) to develop capital and liquidity standards for systemically important financial institutions (SIFI) in order to prevent excessive risk taking. The G20 leaders also asked the FSB to suggest appropriate resolution tools to address the potential failures of SIFIs.

At the Toronto Summit, the G20 Leaders (i) affirmed their intention to reach agreement on a new capital framework by the Seoul Summit and (ii) called on the FSB to consider and develop concrete policy recommendations to deal with SIFIs by the Seoul Summit. In addition, the Leaders called on the FSB, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) and other relevant organizations to report on the progress made, and new reforms required, in the areas of supervision, hedge funds, credit rating agencies and over-the-counter derivatives to the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors at their October, 2010 meeting.

4. Modernizing the International Financial Institutions

“We called for an acceleration of the substantial work still needed for the IMF to complete the quota reform by the Seoul Summit and in parallel deliver on other governance reforms, in line with commitments made in Pittsburgh.” G20 Communique, June 26-27, 2010

For the G20, the crisis has called into question the effectiveness of existing international financial institutions. In Toronto, the G20 Leaders reaffirmed the urgency of IMF reform and called for the reform to be completed by the Seoul Summit.

Those reforms entail a shift in quota share to dynamic emerging market and developing countries of at least 5% from over-represented to under-represented countries. In addition, the Leaders committed to addressing the issue of the size of any increase in quotas, size and composition of the Executive Board, ways of enhancing the Board’s effectiveness, the Fund Governor’s involvement in the strategic oversight of the IMF, staff diversity, and a merit-based selection of heads and senior leadership of all IFIs.

Going forward, the IMF is expected to strengthen its ability to provide even-handed, candid and independent surveillance of the risks facing the global economy and the international financial system. Moreover, in collaboration with the FSB, it is expected to provide advance warning of macroeconomic and financial risks, and offer appropriate recommendations to head them off.

Meanwhile, the World Bank has already reached agreement on shifting 3.13% of voting power to developing and transition countries, delivering on its commitment to reach the agreement by April 2010.

The summit leaders are poised to tackle several mid- and long-term policy issues, including

• Ensuring global economic recovery
• Framework for strong, sustainable, and balanced global growth
• Strengthening the international financial regulatory system
• Modernizing the international financial institutions
• Global financial safety nets
• Development issues
• Currency war

Representatives met in advance of the leaders’ summit. These sherpas were tasked to draft a closing statement for the summit. The debate over currency exchange rates and imbalances was reported to have been “heated.”

Main focus of G20 Seoul Summit: issues sorted by priority

The situation is somewhat different in Seoul as the summit is held in the middle of the ongoing currency dispute among major economies, triggered by the recent monetary easing by the U.S. Federal Reserve.

Having accused some countries of creating trade imbalances by artificially keeping the exchange rate at low level, the U.S. declared another round of quantitative easing, citing a need to boost up its sluggish economy.

The move by the U.S., which is an issuer of the current reserve currency, deteriorated the global financial and economic markets, driving other major economies to step into the exchange rate market and deepening the struggle over currency.

With the outbreak of currency confrontation, South Korea evidently had to make changes to prioritizing the agenda for the Seoul Summit, placing at the top of list issues relevant to currency or trade imbalance.

Accordingly, the discussion session on global economy and the Framework is expected to be heated by fierce debates among leaders, during which the currency issue is sure to be tabled.

Other legacy agenda items, such as modernizing international financial institutions and strengthening regulation on financial institutions, will also be tabled and dedicated separate discussion sessions on, but as basic outlines of the issue have been already agreed during previous lower-level meetings, they will remain less critical compared to other topics, said the organizing committee.

The leaders will also spend time over development and global financial safety nets system, newly presented by South Korea, adding final touches to the issues in order to include new agreements in the communiqué.

China and Germany slam U.S. policy

China kept up a drumbeat of criticism of U.S. easy money policies on 9.11.2010, warning two days before a G20 world economic summit that Washington could destabilize the global economy and inflate asset bubbles.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel dismissed U.S. calls for numerical limits for current account balances but said she hoped to avoid a confrontation at the Seoul summit between China and the United States over trade and currencies.

“I don’t think much of quantified balance of payments targets,” Merkel told Tuesday’s Financial Times, warning that monetary tensions could fuel protectionism.

China’s tight grip on the yuan’s rate means other fast-growing emerging markets such as Brazil end up taking the brunt of the currency adjustment.

Taiwan is only the latest to act to counter that.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick called for a new global currency system, perhaps with gold as a reference point. The idea drew criticism from many policymakers and economists and there was no indication it was on the G20’s agenda this week.

Li Daokui, an academic adviser to China’s central bank, said China wanted a more “reasonable” global monetary system but its objective was not to replace the dollar with the yuan.

India voices concern over currency war

In the midst of a raging war over currency exchange rate between the U.S. and China at the G20 Summit in Seoul, India on 10.11.2010 cautioned against competitive devaluation and resist any resurgence of protectionism.

India also spoke against talk of putting a cap on current account balance, proposed by the U.S. at 4 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), saying it is not easy to reach agreement on what are sustainable current account balances for individual countries given the structural differences across the countries.

India’s forthright views on these and major issues troubling the fifth G20 Summit in Seoul were put forward by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who spoke at the Plenary Session of the Summit that opened on 10.11.2010 morning under South Korean Presidency chaired by President Lee Myung-bak.

U.S. President Barack Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are among a host of world leaders attending the Summit.

“First, we must at all costs avoid competitive devaluation and resist any resurgence of protectionism,” the Prime Minister said on the raging issue.

On the U.S. attempts to cap current account balances at 4 per cent, the Prime Minister said “it is not easy to reach agreement on what are sustainable current account balances for individual countries given the structural differences across countries, the many uncertainties that prevail, and the multiple goals that each country has to balance.”

Despite these difficulties, Dr. Singh said the G20 must persevere to develop a workable mechanism for international coordination.

Noting that there is considerable agreement on some broad principles, Dr. Singh said advanced deficit countries must follow policies of fiscal consolidation, consistent with their individual circumstances so as to ensure debt sustainability over the medium term.

“This means that fiscal correction need not be front-loaded everywhere… while structural reforms are necessary everywhere, these should increase efficiency and competitiveness in deficit countries, while expanding internal demand in surplus countries. This re-balancing will take time, but it must begin,” he said.

Dr. Singh said exchange rates flexibility is an important instrument for achieving a sustainable current account position and policies must reflect this consideration.

Indian PM’s speech at G20 summit in Seoul

Speech of the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh at the Plenary Session of the G20 Summit in Seoul on 12th November, 2010

Mr. President

I join other colleagues in thanking you for the excellent arrangements made for the Summit and for the warmth of your hospitality.

The G20 has only been in existence for two years.  Yet it can claim several important successes in this short period which has led to its emergence as the premier forum for international economic cooperation.

We acted swiftly to respond to the crisis of 2008 with a massive and coordinated stimulus which almost certainly avoided what could have been a precipitous collapse of the world economy.  We successfully initiated a process of reforms of the World Bank and the IMF which has already yielded good results.  We have launched a much needed reform of financial regulation through a broad based Financial Stability Board (FSB).  And we are currently engaged in an ambitious process of coordinating policies in our countries to achieve a strong and sustainable recovery.

Efforts to achieve a strong recovery in the global economy are particularly important at present.  Our discussion yesterday on the state of the world economy reveals a mixed picture. There is some good news.  Industrialized countries have resumed growth in 2010, although output gaps remain large and unemployment is still at crisis levels.

Emerging market countries have done well on the whole, and especially so in Asia.  I am happy to say that the Indian economy has rebounded fairly well from the crisis.  We grew at 9% in the four years prior to the crisis, but slowed down to 6.7% in the 2008-09.  The economy recovered to 7.4% growth in 2009-10 and is likely to grow at 8.5% in 2010-11.  We hope to achieve 9% in 2011-12.

However, high unemployment in industrialized countries threatens a revival of protectionist sentiment, especially since the use of conventional monetary and fiscal tools to revive the economy has been exhausted. Uncertainty about the prospects of industrialized countries affects the investment climate and dampens the medium term growth prospects of emerging market countries.  All this suggests that much remains to be done to bring our economies back to the path of strong, sustainable and balanced growth.

The problem facing us in rebalancing the global economy is well known.  Major industrialized countries were running unsustainable current account deficits which have to be reduced to manageable levels.  If this is not to have a contractionary impact on the world economy, it must be offset by reducing current account surpluses elsewhere.  This rebalancing requires pursuit of appropriately coordinated policies in our countries.

The Mutual Assessment Process we adopted in Pittsburgh was a unique G20 initiative to achieve such coordination.  We saw the outcome of the first stage in Toronto, at the level of country groupings.  We had expected to move to the second stage of considering country specific recommendations by the time of the Seoul Summit.

We are not there yet, and for good reasons.  It is not easy to reach agreement on what are sustainable current account balances for individual countries given the structural differences across countries, the many uncertainties that prevail, and the multiple goals that each country has to balance.  It is even more difficult to agree on a particular combination of policies to achieve these targets.

Despite these difficulties, we must persevere to develop a workable G20 mechanism for international coordination.  I believe there is considerable agreement on some broad principals.

First, we must at all costs avoid competitive devaluation and resist any resurgence of protectionism.

Second, advanced deficit countries must follow policies of fiscal consolidation, consistent with their individual circumstances so as to ensure debt sustainability over the medium term.  This means that fiscal correction need not be frontloaded everywhere.

Third, while structural reforms are necessary everywhere, these should increase efficiency and competitiveness in deficit countries, while expanding internal demand in surplus countries.  This rebalancing will take time, but it must begin.

Fourth, exchange rates flexibility is an important instrument for achieving a sustainable current account position and our policies must reflect this consideration.  At the same time, reserve currency countries have a special responsibility to ensure that their monetary policies do not lead to destabilizing capital flows, which can put pressure on emerging markets.

To these well known ingredients, I would add another that has not been sufficiently discussed.  Even as we try to avoid a destabilizing surge of volatile capital flows to developing countries, there is a strong case for supporting long term flows to these countries to stimulus investment, especially in infrastructure.  The economic performance of emerging markets, including many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, has improved greatly in recent years.  These countries are now in a position to absorb capital flows aimed at an expansion in investment, which would inject much needed demand into the global economy.  Multilateral Development Banks have an important role to play in this process through recycling of global savings.  Many emerging market countries are also in a position to attract private investment, including into infrastructure.

Recycling surplus savings into investment in developing countries will not only address the immediate demand imbalance, it will also help to address developmental imbalances.  In other words, we should leverage imbalances of one kind to redress imbalances of the other kind.

The G20 would convey a powerful signal to markets if we commit ourselves to a second stage MAP process aimed at coordinating policies in these areas.  Our Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors could be asked to develop these ideas further, with the assistance of the IMF and produce, as quickly as possible, a credible approach to identifying sustainable trajectories for external balances for our countries and to assess the policies proposed by each country to achieve these.

I recognize this is not going to be easy and we must allow considerable flexibility to accommodate learning by doing.  However, if we can actually do this, we will have made a lasting contribution to a new style of global governance.

I would like to compliment the Korean presidency for the initiative it took to include development as an accepted item in the agenda of the G20.  The G20 was borne at the time of a crisis and as such it has been preoccupied with the short term agenda of crisis management and global rebalancing.  However, one of the biggest imbalances facing us the development imbalance and putting development on the G20 agenda fills an important gap.

I have already mentioned that developing countries performed well in the years before the crisis and have also done well in subsequent years.  However, we need to ensure that the global economic environment, including especially the environment for trade, and investment flows remains strongly supportive of development.

The Seoul Development Consensus and the associated Multi- Year Action Plans which are before us provide a comprehensive agenda with timelines which we should pursue in all relevant fora in the months ahead.

I am particularly happy to endorse the focus on facilitating investment in national and regional infrastructure projects and the call for establishing a High Level Panel to recommend measures to mobilize private, semi-public and public resources for infrastructure investment and to review MDB policy in this area.  Infrastructure is a critical constraint to rapid and inclusive growth in most emerging markets and we need to find innovative ways of meeting the enormous costs of infrastructure development.  This should be made a major focus of the MDB agenda.

The emphasis on development of employable skills is also extremely important.  We in India are giving high priority to skill development in our effort to provide access to quality jobs to the large numbers of new entrants’ labour force.

The Seoul Summit is also delivering on the promise of reform of the IMF.  We have agreed to a shift in quota shares of 6% to emerging market countries and the composition of Board is being changed to reduce the European representation.  With the additional resources already provided to the IMF, we have not only provided the IMF with the firepower that it needs to perform its stabilization role, but also moves it in the direction of greater democratization.  Further moves are necessary in this direction and we welcome the decision to comprehensively review the quota formula by 2013 to reflect the growing economic weight of the emerging market countries.

This should be fully reflected in the next quotas review due to be completed by 2014.

Finally, Mr. President, we must ensure that the Doha Development Round of multilateral trade negotiations is brought to a satisfactory conclusion.  We have seen a resurgence of protectionist sentiment in the world in the wake of recessionary trends.  It is commendable that actual protectionist action has been more limited.  The only way to ensure that protectionism does not gain the upper hand is to restore momentum to the trade talks.  I hope the G20 will land in their weight to this objective.

In the end, I would like to say that the G20 was an apt response to an adverse situation that the world faced.  A few years down the line, the world will ask as to what else did G 20 achieve other than averting a total breakdown due to the global financial crisis.  Fortunately, through the dynamic leadership shown by the Korean Presidency the G20 has moved forward and arrived at a rich agenda of things to do.  I would once again like to thank Korea for their tireless efforts.  I am also confident that the G20 will be able to translate this agenda into tangible outcomes under the forthcoming presidency of France and I wish them success in our common endeavour.

THE G20 SEOUL SUMMIT LEADERS’ DECLARATION

NOVEMBER 11 – 12, 2010

1.                   We, the Leaders of the G20, are united in our conviction that by working together we can secure a more prosperous future for the citizens of all countries.

2.                   When we first gathered in November 2008 to address the most severe world recession our generation has ever confronted, we pledged to support and stabilize the global economy, and at the same time, to lay the foundation for reform, to ensure the world would never face such upheaval again.

3.                   Over the past four Summits, we have worked with unprecedented cooperation to break the dramatic fall in the global economy to establish the basis for recovery and renewed growth.

4.                   The concrete steps we have taken will help ensure we are better prepared to prevent and, if necessary, to withstand future crises. We pledge to continue our coordinated efforts and act together to generate strong, sustainable and balanced growth.

5.                   We recognize the importance of addressing the concerns of the most vulnerable. To this end, we are determined to put jobs at the heart of the recovery, to provide social protection, decent work and also to ensure accelerated growth in low income countries (LICs).

6.                   Our relentless and cooperative efforts over the last two years have delivered strong results. However, we must stay vigilant.

7.                   Risks remain. Some of us are experiencing strong growth, while others face high levels of unemployment and sluggish recovery. Uneven growth and widening imbalances are fueling the temptation to diverge from global solutions into uncoordinated actions. However, uncoordinated policy actions will only lead to worse outcomes for all.

8.                   Since 2008, a common view of the challenges of the world economy, the necessary responses and our determination to resist protectionism has enabled us to both address the root causes of the crisis and safeguard the recovery. We are agreed today to develop our common view to meet these new challenges and a path to strong, sustainable and balanced growth beyond the crisis.

9.                   Today, the Seoul Summit delivers:

• the Seoul Action Plan composed of comprehensive, cooperative and country-specific policy actions to move closer to our shared objective. The Plan includes our commitment to: – undertake macroeconomic policies, including fiscal consolidation where necessary, to ensure ongoing recovery and sustainable growth and enhance the stability of financial markets, in particular moving toward more marketdetermined exchange rate systems, enhancing exchange rate flexibility to reflect underlying economic fundamentals, and refraining from competitive devaluation of currencies. Advanced economies, including those with reserve currencies, will be vigilant against excess volatility and disorderly movements in exchange rates. These actions will help mitigate the risk of excessive volatility in capital flows facing some emerging countries; – implement a range of structural reforms that boost and sustain global demand, foster job creation, and increase the potential for growth; and – enhance the Mutual Assessment Process (MAP) to promote external sustainability. We will strengthen multilateral cooperation to promote external sustainability and pursue the full range of policies conducive to reducing excessive imbalances and maintaining current account imbalances at sustainable levels. Persistently large imbalances, assessed against indicative guidelines to be agreed by our Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, warrant an assessment of their nature and the root causes of impediments to adjustment as part of the MAP, recognizing the need to take into account national or regional circumstances, including large commodity producers. These indicative guidelines composed of a range of indicators would serve as a mechanism to facilitate timely identification of large imbalances that require preventive and corrective actions to be taken. To support our efforts toward meeting these commitments, we call on our Framework Working Group, with technical support from the IMF and other international organizations, to develop these indicative guidelines, with progress to be discussed by our Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in the first half of 2011; and, in Gyeongju, our Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors called on the IMF to provide an assessment as part of the MAP on the progress toward external sustainability and the consistency of fiscal, monetary, financial sector, structural, exchange rate and other policies. In light of this, the first such assessment, to be based on the above mentioned indicative guidelines, will be initiated and undertaken in due course under the French Presidency.
• a modernized IMF that better reflects the changes in the world economy through greater representation of dynamic emerging markets and developing countries. These comprehensive quota and governance reforms, as outlined in the Seoul Summit Document, will enhance the IMF’s legitimacy, credibility and effectiveness, making it an even stronger institution for promoting global financial stability and growth.
• instruments to strengthen global financial safety nets, which help countries cope with financial volatility by providing them with practical tools to overcome sudden reversals of international capital flows. core elements of a
• new financial regulatory framework, including bank capital and liquidity standards, as well as measures to better regulate and effectively resolve systemically important financial institutions, complemented by more effective oversight and supervision. This new framework, complemented by other achievements as outlined in the Seoul Summit Document, will ensure a more resilient financial system by reining in the past excesses of the financial sector and better serving the needs of our economies.
• the Seoul Development Consensus for Shared Growth that sets out our commitment to work in partnership with other developing countries, and LICs in particular, to help them build the capacity to achieve and maximize their growth potential, thereby contributing to global rebalancing. The Seoul Consensus complements our commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and focuses on concrete measures as summarized in our Multi-Year Action Plan on Development to make a tangible and significant difference in people’s lives, including in particular through the development of infrastructure in developing countries.
• the Financial Inclusion Action Plan, the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion and a flexible SME Finance Framework, all of which will significantly contribute to improving access to financial services and expanding opportunities for poor households and small and medium enterprises.
• our strong commitment to direct our negotiators to engage in across-the-board negotiations to promptly bring the Doha Development Round to a successful, ambitious, comprehensive, and balanced conclusion consistent with the mandate of the Doha Development Round and built on the progress already achieved. We recognize that 2011 is a critical window of opportunity, albeit narrow, and that engagement among our representatives must intensify and expand. We now need to complete the end game. Once such an outcome is reached, we commit to seek ratification, where necessary, in our respective systems. We are also committed to resisting all forms of protectionist measures.

10.               We will continue to monitor and assess ongoing implementation of the commitments made today and in the past in a transparent and objective way. We hold ourselves accountable. What we promise, we will deliver.

11.               Building on our achievements to date, we have agreed to work further on macroprudential policy frameworks; better reflect the perspective of emerging market economies in financial regulatory reforms; strengthen regulation and oversight of shadow banking; further work on regulation and supervision of commodity derivatives markets; improve market integrity and efficiency; enhance consumer protection; pursue all outstanding governance reform issues at the IMF and World Bank; and build a more stable and resilient international monetary system, including by further strengthening global financial safety nets. We will also expand our MAP based on the indicative guidelines to be agreed.

12.               To promote resilience, job creation and mitigate risks for development, we will prioritize action under the Seoul Consensus on addressing critical bottlenecks, including infrastructure deficits, food market volatility, and exclusion from financial services.

13.               To provide broader, forward-looking leadership in the post-crisis economy, we will also continue our work to prevent and tackle corruption through our Anti-Corruption Action Plan; rationalize and phase-out over the medium term inefficient fossil fuel subsidies; mitigate excessive fossil fuel price volatility; safeguard the global marine environment; and combat the challenges of global climate change.

14.               We reaffirm our resolute commitment to fight climate change, as reflected in the Leaders’ Seoul Summit Document. We appreciate President Felipe Calderón’s briefing on the status of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations, as well as Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s briefing on the report of the High-Level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing submitted to the UN Secretary-General. We will spare no effort to reach a balanced and successful outcome in Cancun.

15.               We welcome the Fourth UN LDC Summit in Turkey and the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Korea, both to be held in 2011.

16.               Recognizing the importance of private sector-led growth and job creation, we welcome the Seoul G20 Business Summit and look forward to continuing the G20 Business Summit in upcoming Summits.

17.               The actions agreed today will help to further strengthen the global economy, accelerate job creation, ensure more stable financial markets, narrow the development gap and promote broadly shared growth beyond crisis.

18.               We look forward to our next meeting in 2011 in France, and subsequent meeting in 2012 in Mexico.

19.               We thank Korea for its G20 Presidency and for hosting the successful Seoul Summit.

20.               The Seoul Summit Document, which we have agreed, follows.

Dream Dare Win

www.jeywin.com

*****

American President Barack Obama addressed the Indian Parliament on Monday, the 8th November, 2010. He is just the second US President to address the House after former US President Bill Clinton.

Here’s the full text of Obama’s address:

Mr. Vice President, Madame Speaker, Mr. Prime Minister, Members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and most of all, the people of India.

I thank you for the great honor of addressing the representatives of more than one billion Indians and the world’s largest democracy.  I bring the greetings and friendship of the world’s oldest democracy – the USA, including nearly three million proud and patriotic Indian Americans.

Over the past three days, my wife Michelle and I have experienced the beauty and dynamism of India and its people. From the majesty of Humayun’s Tomb to the advanced technologies that are empowering farmers and women who are the backbone of Indian society. From a Diwali celebration with schoolchildren to the innovators who are fueling India’s economic rise. From the university students who will chart India’s future, to you – leaders who helped to bring India to this moment of promise.

At every stop, we have been welcomed with the hospitality for which Indians have always been known. So to you and the people of India, on behalf of me, Michelle and the American people, please accept our deepest thanks. Bahoot dhanyavad.

I am not the first American president to visit India. Nor will I be the last. But I am proud to visit India so early in my presidency. It is no coincidence that India is my first stop on a visit to Asia, or that this has been my longest visit to another country since becoming President.

For in Asia and around the world, India is not simply emerging; India has already emerged. And it is my firm belief that the relationship between the United States and India – bound by our shared interests and values – will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century.  This is the partnership I have come here to build.  This is the vision that our nations can realise together.

My confidence in our shared future is grounded in my respect for India’s treasured past – a civilization that has been shaping the world for thousands of years. Indians unlocked the intricacies of the human body and the vastness of our universe. And it is no exaggeration to say that our information age is rooted in Indian innovations – including the number zero.

India not only opened our minds, she expanded our moral imagination. With religious texts that still summon the faithful to lives of dignity and discipline. With poets who imagined a future “where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.” And with a man whose message of love and justice endures – the Father of your Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.

For me and Michelle, this visit has therefore held special meaning. Throughout my life, including my work as a young man on behalf of the urban poor, I have always found inspiration in the life of Gandhiji and in his simple and profound lesson to be the change we seek in the world.  And just as he summoned Indians to seek their destiny, he influenced champions of equality in my own country, including a young Martin Luther King. After making his pilgrimage to India a half century ago, Dr. King called Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violent resistance “the only logical and moral approach” in the struggle for justice and progress.

So we were honoured to visit the residence where Gandhi and King both stayed – Mani Bhavan. We were humbled to pay our respects at Raj Ghat. And I am mindful that I might not be standing before you today, as President of the United States, had it not been for Gandhi and the message he shared with America and the world.

An ancient civilization of science and innovation. A fundamental faith in human progress. This is the sturdy foundation upon which you have built ever since that stroke of midnight when the tricolour was raised over a free and independent India. And despite the skeptics who said that this country was simply too poor, too vast, too diverse to succeed, you surmounted overwhelming odds and became a model to the world.

Instead of slipping into starvation, you launched a Green Revolution that fed millions. Instead of becoming dependent on commodities and exports, you invested in science and technology and in your greatest resource – the Indian people. And the world sees the results, from the supercomputers you build to the Indian flag that you put on the moon.

Instead of resisting the global economy, you became one of its engines – reforming the licensing raj and unleashing an economic marvel that has lifted tens of millions from poverty and created one of the world’s largest middle classes.

Instead of succumbing to division, you have shown that the strength of India – the very idea of India – is its embrace of all colours, castes and creeds. It’s the diversity represented in this chamber today. It’s the richness of faiths celebrated by a visitor to my hometown of Chicago more than a century ago – the renowned Swami Vivekananda. He said that, “holiness, purity and charity are not the exclusive possessions of any church in the world, and that every system has produced men and women of the most exalted character.”

And instead of being lured by the false notion that progress must come at the expense of freedom, you built the institutions upon which true democracy depends – free and fair elections, which enable citizens to choose their own leaders without recourse to arms; an independent judiciary and the rule of law, which allows people to address their grievances; and a thriving free press and vibrant civil society which allows every voice to be heard.  And this year, as India marks 60 years with a strong and democratic constitution, the lesson is clear: India has succeeded, not in spite of democracy; India has succeeded because of democracy.

Just as India has changed, so too has the relationship between our two nations.  In the decades after independence, India advanced its interests as a proud leader of the nonaligned movement. Yet too often, the United States and India found ourselves on opposite sides of a North-South divide and estranged by a long Cold War. Those days are over.

Here in India, two successive governments led by different parties have recognized that deeper partnership with America is both natural and necessary. In the United States, both of my predecessors – one Democrat, one Republican – worked to bring us closer, leading to increased trade and a landmark civil nuclear agreement.

Since then, people in both our countries have asked: what next?  How can we build on this progress and realise the full potential of our partnership? That is what I want to address today – the future that the United States seeks in an interconnected world; why I believe that India is indispensable to this vision; and how we can forge a truly global partnership – not in just one or two areas, but across many; not just for our mutual benefit, but for the world’s.

Of course, only Indians can determine India’s national interests and how to advance them on the world stage.  But I stand before you today because I am convinced that the interests of the United States – and the interests we share with India – are best advanced in partnership.

The United States seeks security – the security of our country, allies and partners. We seek prosperity – a strong and growing economy in an open international economic system. We seek respect for universal values. And we seek a just and sustainable international order that promotes peace and security by meeting global challenges through stronger global cooperation.

To advance these interests, I have committed the United States to comprehensive engagement with the world, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. And a central pillar of this engagement is forging deeper cooperation with 21st century centers of influence – and that includes India.

Now, India is not the only emerging power in the world.  But the relationship between our countries is unique. For we are two strong democracies whose constitutions begin with the same revolutionary words – “We the people.” We are two great Republics dedicated to the liberty, justice and the equality of all people. And we are two free market economies where people have the freedom to pursue ideas and innovations that can change the world. This is why I believe that India and America are indispensable partners in meeting the challenges of our time.

Since taking office, I’ve therefore made our relationship a priority. I was proud to welcome Prime Minister Singh for the first official state visit of my presidency. For the first time ever, our governments are working together across the whole range of common challenges we face. And let me say it as clearly as I can: the United States not only welcomes India as a rising global power, we fervently support it, and we have worked to help make it a reality.

Together with our partners, we have made the G20 the premier forum for international economic cooperation, bringing more voices to the table of global economic decision-making, including India. We have increased the role of emerging economies like India at international financial institutions. We valued India’s important role at Copenhagen, where, for the first time, all major economies committed to take action to confront climate change – and to stand by those actions. We salute India’s long history as a leading contributor to United Nations peacekeeping missions. And we welcome India as it prepares to take its seat on the United Nations Security Council.

In short, with India assuming its rightful place in the world, we have an historic opportunity to make the relationship between our two countries a defining partnership of the century ahead.  And I believe we can do so by working together in three important areas.

First, as global partners we can promote prosperity in both our countries. Together, we can create the high-tech, high-wage jobs of the future. With my visit, we are now ready to begin implementing our civil nuclear agreement. This will help meet India’s growing energy needs and create thousands of jobs in both our countries.

We need to forge partnerships in high-tech sectors like defence and civil space. So we have removed Indian organizations from our so-called “entity list.” And we’ll work to reform our controls on exports. Both of these steps will ensure that Indian companies seeking high-tech trade and technologies from America are treated the same as our closest allies and partners.

We can pursue joint research and development to create green jobs; give Indians more access to cleaner, affordable energy; meet the commitments we made at Copenhagen; and show the possibilities of low-carbon growth.

Together, we can resist the protectionism that stifles growth and innovation. The United States remains – and will continue to remain – one of the most open economies in the world.  And by opening markets and reducing barriers to foreign investment, India can realize its full economic potential as well. As G20 partners, we can make sure the global economic recovery is strong and durable. And we can keep striving for a Doha Round that is ambitious and balanced – with the courage to make the compromises that are necessary so global trade works for all economies.

Together, we can strengthen agriculture. Cooperation between Indian and American researchers and scientists sparked the Green Revolution. Today, India is a leader in using technology to empower farmers, like those I met yesterday who get free updates on market and weather conditions on their cell phones. And the United States is a leader in agricultural productivity and research. Now, as farmers and rural areas face the effects of climate change and drought, we’ll work together to spark a second, more sustainable Evergreen Revolution.

Together, we’re going to improve Indian weather forecasting systems before the next monsoon season.  We aim to help millions of Indian farming households save water and increase productivity; improve food processing so crops don’t spoil on the way to market; and enhance climate and crop forecasting to avoid losses that cripple communities and drive up food prices.

And as part of our food security initiative, we’re going to share India’s expertise with farmers in Africa. This is an indication of India’s rise – that we can now export hard-earned expertise to countries that see India as a model for agricultural development. And that’s another powerful example of how American and Indian partnership can address an urgent global challenge.

Because the wealth of a nation also depends on the health of its people, we’ll continue to support India’s efforts against diseases like tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, and as global partners, we’ll work to improve global health by preventing the spread of pandemic flu. And because knowledge is the currency of the 21st century, we’ll increase exchanges between our students, colleges and universities, which are among the best in the world.

As we work to advance our shared prosperity, we can partner to address a second priority – our shared security. In Mumbai, I met with the courageous families and survivors of that barbaric attack. And here in this Parliament, which was itself targeted because of the democracy it represents, we honor the memory of all those who have been taken from us, including American citizens on 26/11 and Indian citizens on 9/11.

This is the bond we share. It’s why we insist that nothing ever justifies the slaughter of innocent men, women and children. It’s why we’re working together, more closely than ever, to prevent terrorist attacks and to deepen our cooperation even further. And it’s why, as strong and resilient societies, we refuse to live in fear, we will not sacrifice the values and rule of law that defines us, and we will never waver in the defense of our people.

America’s fight against Al-Qaida and its terrorist affiliates is why we persevere in Afghanistan, where major development assistance from India has improved the lives of the Afghan people.  We’re making progress in our mission to break the Taliban’s momentum and to train Afghan forces so they can take the lead for their security. And while I have made it clear that American forces will begin the transition to Afghan responsibility next summer, I have also made it clear that America’s commitment to the Afghan people will endure. The United States will not abandon the people of Afghanistan – or the region – to the violent extremists who threaten us all.

Our strategy to disrupt, dismantle and defeat Al-Qaida and its affiliates has to succeed on both sides of the border. That is why we have worked with the Pakistani government to address the threat of terrorist networks in the border region. The Pakistani government increasingly recognises that these networks are not just a threat outside of Pakistan – they are a threat to the Pakistani people, who have suffered greatly at the hands of violent extremists.

And we will continue to insist to Pakistan’s leaders that terrorist safe-havens within their borders are unacceptable, and that the terrorists behind the Mumbai attacks be brought to justice. We must also recognise that all of us have and interest in both an Afghanistan and a Pakistan that is stable, prosperous and democratic – and none more so than India.

In pursuit of regional security, we will continue to welcome dialogue between India and Pakistan, even as we recognize that disputes between your two countries can only be resolved by the people of your two countries.

More broadly, India and the United States can partner in Asia. Today, the United States is once again playing a leadership role in Asia – strengthening old alliances; deepening relationships, as we are doing with China; and we’re reengaging with regional organizations like ASEAN and joining the East Asia summit – organizations in which India is also a partner.  Like your neighbours in Southeast Asia, we want India to not only “look East,” we want India to “engage East” – because it will increase the security and prosperity of all our nations.

And as two global leaders, the United States and India can partner for global security – especially as India serves on the Security Council over the next two years.  Indeed, the just and sustainable international order that America seeks includes a United Nations that is efficient, effective, credible and legitimate. That is why I can say today – in the years ahead, I look forward to a reformed UN Security Council that includes India as a permanent member.

Now, let me suggest that with increased power comes increased responsibility. The United Nations exists to fulfill its founding ideals of preserving peace and security, promoting global cooperation, and advancing human rights. These are the responsibilities of all nations, but especially those that seek to lead in the 21st century. And so we look forward to working with India – and other nations that aspire to Security Council membership – to ensure that the Security Council is effective; that resolutions are implemented and sanctions are enforced; and that we strengthen the international norms which recognise the rights and responsibilities of all nations and individuals.

This includes our responsibility to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Since I took office, the United States has reduced the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy, and agreed with Russia to reduce our arsenals. We have put preventing nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism at the top of our nuclear agenda, and strengthened the cornerstone of the global non-proliferation regime – the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Together, the United States and India can pursue our goal of securing the world’s vulnerable nuclear materials. We can make it clear that even as every nation has the right to peaceful nuclear energy, every nation must also meet its international obligations – and that includes the Islamic Republic of Iran. And together, we can pursue a vision that Indian leaders have espoused since Independence – a world without nuclear weapons.

This leads me to the final area where our countries can partner – strengthening the foundations of democratic governance, not only at home but abroad.

In the United States, my administration has worked to make government more open and transparent and accountable to the people. Here in India, you’re harnessing technologies to do the same, as I saw yesterday.Your landmark Right to Information Act is empowering citizens with the ability to get the services to which they’re entitled and to hold officials accountable. Voters can get information about candidates by text message. And you’re delivering education and health care services to rural communities, as I saw yesterday when I joined an e-panchayat with villagers in Rajasthan.

Now, in a new collaboration on open government, our two countries are going to share our experience, identify what works, and develop the next-generation of tools to empower citizens. And in another example of how American and Indian partnership can address global challenges, we’re going to share these innovations with civil society groups and countries around the world. We’re going to show that democracy, more than any other form of government, delivers for the common man – and woman.

Likewise, when Indians vote, the whole world watches. Thousands of political parties, hundreds of thousands of polling centres. Millions of candidates and poll workers, and 700 million voters. There’s nothing like it on the planet. There is so much that countries transitioning to democracy could learn from India’s experience; so much expertise that India could share with the world.  That, too, is what’s possible when the world’s largest democracy embraces its role as a global leader.

As the world’s two largest democracies, we must also never forget that the price of our own freedom is standing up for the freedom of others. Indians know this, for it is the story of your nation. Before he ever began his struggle for Indian independence, Gandhi stood up for the rights of Indians in South Africa. Just as others, including the United States, supported Indian Independence, India championed the self-determination of peoples from Africa to Asia as they too broke free from colonialism. And along with the United States, you’ve been a leader in supporting democratic development and civil society groups around the world. This, too, is part of India’s greatness.

Every country will follow its own path. No one nation has a monopoly on wisdom, and no nation should ever try to impose its values on another. But when peaceful democratic movements are suppressed – as in Burma – then the democracies of the world cannot remain silent. For it is unacceptable to gun down peaceful protesters and incarcerate political prisoners decade after decade. It is unacceptable to hold the aspirations of an entire people hostage to the greed and paranoia of a bankrupt regime. It is unacceptable to steal an election, as the regime in Burma has done again for all the world to see.

Faced with such gross violations of human rights, it is the responsibility of the international community – especially leaders like the United States and India – to condemn it. If I can be frank, in international fora, India has often avoided these issues. But speaking up for those who cannot do so for themselves is not interfering in the affairs of other countries. It’s not violating the rights of sovereign nations. It’s staying true to our democratic principles. It’s giving meaning to the human rights that we say are universal. And it sustains the progress that in Asia and around the world has helped turn dictatorships into democracies and ultimately increased our security in the world.

Promoting shared prosperity, preserving peace and security, strengthening democratic governance and human rights – these are the responsibilities of leadership. And, as global partners, this is the leadership that the United States and India can offer in the 21st century. Ultimately, however, this cannot be a relationship only between presidents and prime ministers, or in the halls of this Parliament. Ultimately, this must be a partnership between our peoples. So I want to conclude by speaking directly to the people of India watching today.

In your lives, you have overcome odds that might have overwhelmed a lesser country. In just decades, you have achieved progress and development that took other nations centuries. And now you are assuming your rightful place as a leader among nations. Your parents and grandparents imagined this. Your children and grandchildren will look back on this. But only you – this generation of Indians – can seize the possibility of this moment.

As you carry on with the hard work ahead, I want every Indian citizen to know: The United States of America will not simply be cheering you on from the sidelines. We will be right there with you, shoulder to shoulder. Because we believe in the promise of India. And we believe that the future is what we make it.

We believe that no matter who you are or where you come from, every person can fulfill their God-given potential, just as a Dalit like Dr. Ambedkar could lift himself up and pen the words of the Constitution that protects the rights of all Indians.

We believe that no matter where you live – whether a village in Punjab or the bylanes of Chandni Chowk…an old section of Kolkata or a new high-rise in Bangalore – every person deserves the same chance to live in security and dignity, to get an education, to find work, and to give their children a better future.

And we believe that when countries and cultures put aside old habits and attitudes that keep people apart, when we recognize our common humanity, then we can begin to fulfill the aspirations we share.  It’s a simple lesson contained in that collection of stories which has guided Indians for centuries – the Panchtantra. And it’s the spirit of the inscription seen by all who enter this Great Hall: ‘That one is mine and the other a stranger is the concept of little minds. But to the large-hearted, the world itself is their family.”

This is the story of India; it’s the story of America – that despite their differences, people can see themselves in one another, and work together and succeed together as one proud nation. And it can be the spirit of the partnership between our nations – that even as we honour the histories which in different times kept us apart, even as we preserve what makes us unique in a globalised world, we can recognise how much we can achieve together.

And if we let this simple concept be our guide, if we pursue the vision I have described today – a global partnership to meet global challenges – then I have no doubt that future generations – Indians and Americans – will live in a world that is more prosperous, more secure, and more just because of the bonds that our generation forged today.

Thank you, Jai Hind!, and long live the partnership between India and the United States.

Dream Dare Win

www.jeywin.com

*****

Thangai VS Annan

Barack Obama’s visit to India is a scheduled State visit to India by the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama in November 2010. He is the 6th U.S. President to visit India after Presidents Bush, Clinton, Carter, Nixon and Eisenhower. He is also the first U.S. President to undertake a visit to India in his first term in office and it comes in the wake of the Democrats’ heavy losses in the US mid-term elections, 2010.

Obama’s India visit: 34 warships, 13 aircraft & N-button

President Obama does not believe in travelling light. Long before the Air Force One touch down on 6.11.2010, as many 13 US aircraft and four choppers have already flown in all kinds of equipment and 20-25 swanky cars to facilitate his stay in Mumbai and Delhi.

This is not all. As many as 34 warships, including an aircraft carrier, have taken position in the Arabian sea off the Mumbai coast as part of security arrangements for the presidential visit.

Running the show will be over 500-strong presidential staff comprising Secret Service, Marines and intelligence personnel, who will co-ordinate with the Indian para-military and police forces to make Mr Obama’s visit secure and glitch-free. The equipment being brought in by the US agencies include a communication set up and the nuclear button.

Apart from the air defence for Mr Obama’s visit, business leaders accompanying him are expected to fly in aboard their private jets. Given the air traffic associated with the presidential visit, US authorities had even approached the Centre with an unprecedented request for being allowed to take over the air traffic control towers.

However, Indian authorities turned down the plea while allowing the US personnel to be present inside the towers as ATC personnel manage landings and takeoffs. A four-tiered security will be thrown around the Obamas, the highest level of security extended to a visiting dignitary, in both Mumbai and Delhi. While the outer layer will comprise Delhi police personnel and NSG, the inner layers will be manned by US security agencies.

A full dress rehearsal of Mr Obama’s travel arrangements, featuring both US and Indian personnel, was undertaken in Mumbai on Thursday to get the timing and co-ordination right.

The US president is expected to fly in a helicopter, Marine One, from the Chattrapati Shivaji International airport to the Indian Navy’s helibase INS Shikra at Colaba in South Mumbai. From there, he will drive down in Lincoln Continental, the Presidential limousine, to the nearby Taj Hotel. Around 800 rooms have been booked for the president and his entourage in Taj and Hyatt.

Two jets, armed with advanced communication and security systems, and a fleet of over 40 cars will be part of Mr Obama’s convoy as he moves about in the city. Similar arrangements will be in place in Delhi with Air Force One kept in all readiness throughout Mr Obama’s stay here from Sunday afternoon to Tuesday morning.

Maurya Hotel, where the president will stay, has already been swarmed by American security personnel and protective measures put in place. All shops and establishments in Nizamuddin, located on the presidential route to Humayun’s Tomb, have been asked to down shutters on Sunday. A dry run of the President’s itinerary in Delhi is expected to be undertaken on Friday.

Row over price tag of visit

A day after he admitted to receiving a “shellacking” in mid-term elections, US president Barack Obama has come under attack for the price tag of his India trip, a reported $200 million per day, reports Our Political Bureau from New Delhi. Scathing attacks from a Republican Congresswoman and a number of influential websites forced the White House to issue a statement calling the figure “wildly inflated”.

President Barack Obama’s India schedule

Here is an insight into the schedule of US President Barack Obama when he will be in India:

November 6 , 2010

• Barack Obama’s Air Force One to touch down at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai at 12.50 pm.
• The US President will head to Taj Hotel in Colaba -either by chopper or by the Sea link- where he’ll stay. There, he will deliver a tribute statement for Mumbai terror attack victims.
• He will then visit the historic Mani Bhavan, the museum of Mahatma Gandhi’s memorabilia, to pay homage to Bapu.
• Next on his agenda is the US-India Business Council summit at the Hotel Trident Oberoi. Obama will participate in three events at the meet. A roundtable with entrepreneurs, a meeting with CEOs of US corporations and a speech in which he will address honchos at around 5 pm. Michelle will be interacting with differently-abled children at the library of Mumbai University.

November 7, 2010

• Obamas to visit Holy Name School in south Mumbai’s Colaba to celebrate Diwali, where he will freely interact with the students.
• Next, the President will visit the St. Xavier’s College to interact with university students on Indo-US ties.
• After noon, he will arrive in Delhi at 3.35pm at Air Force Station, Palam and will head to the Roosevelt House, the residence of the US ambassador, to interact with staff of the US embassy
• A cultural excursion is next – a visit to Humayun’s Tomb.
• Thereafter, the US President and First Lady Michelle Obama will have a private dinner with PM Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur.

November 8, 2010

• Obama will be accorded a formal reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan
• Obama will visit Rajghat to lay the wreath at Bapu’s Samadhi at 10.20 am.
• Delegation-level talks will be held between the two sides, led by Obama and Singh at the Hyderabad House. This will be followed by a joint press interaction at 12.45 pm. Meanwhile, Michelle will visit the National Craft Museum, Pragati Maidan.
• Obama will hold meetings with Vice-President Hamid Ansari, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj.
• The US President will address a joint session of Parliament in the evening.
• Later, he will attend the state banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

November 9, 2010

• Obama to take off for Jakarta in the morning.

Range of issues

India’s Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao has said Mr Obama’s visit will expand strategic ties between the two countries leading to a more “productive” partnership.

“We are not at a stage in our relationship perhaps for another big bang but certainly there will be positive outcomes,” Ms Rao said on 3.11.2010.

“We will see concrete and significant steps in wide range of areas that will expand the long-term strategic framework in a way that we can create productive partnership for the mutual benefit and [will be] equally important to give substantive content and shape to the global strategic partnership,” she said.

Arrival of Barack Obama

The U.S. Air Force One touched down at 12:50 p.m. on 6.11.2010 on a visit which Donilon said the President intends to be “a full embrace of India’s rise, a way to develop and deepen the broadest possible relationship with India as a cornerstone of our Asia policy.”

Mr. Obama, the sixth U.S. President to visit India and the third in 10 years, arrived here along with his wife Michelle, cabinet colleagues, National Security Adviser Tom Donilon and 200 business leaders, the largest such delegation ever.

The Presidential couple was warmly received by Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Union Minister Salman Khursheed, who is the minister-in-waiting, U.S. Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer and Indian Ambassador to the U.S Meera Shankar.

After pleasantries, the President and his wife walked across the tarmac to a waiting US Marine One which flew them to the downtown. A smiling President waved to a strong gathering of journalists and photographers.

Stay at Taj is powerful message against terror: Obama

U.S. President Barack Obama on 6.11.2010 said his decision to stay at Taj Hotel is a powerful message against terrorism and demanded that the perpetrators of the horrific Mumbai attacks should be brought to justice.

Accompanied by his wife Michelle Obama, he signed the visitors’ book, looked at the plaque on which the names of 26/11 victims are engraved and delivered a six-minute speech in which he paid tributes to people of Mumbai and India hailing their resolve and resilience.

“There has been a great commentary on our decision to begin our visit here, in this dynamic city at this historic hotel. Those who have asked whether this is intended to send a message, my answer is simply, absolutely,” Mr. Obama told a gathering that included kin of victims and staffers of the hotel who braved the 2008 attack.

After his brief address, Mr. Obama and his wife interacted with the people, shaking hands with some of them and talking to some of the kin of the dead.

Trade Deals

It was the list of trade deals, however, that was likely to make the biggest impact back home in the United States, where there has been concern that much of the job creation for U.S. companies has happened overseas.

Boeing said the C-17 deal with India will support 650 suppliers in U.S. in 44 states and support the company’s own C-17 production facility in Long Beach, California, for an entire year.

Other deals announced 6.11.2010 include a contract for General Electric to provide the Indian Aeronautical Development Agency with 107 F414 engines for the Tejas light-combat aircraft, a deal worth $822 million and supporting 4,440 jobs, the White House said.

Harley-Davidson Motor Company announced it is opening a new plant in India for the assembly of its motorcycles from U.S.-built kits. Besides job creation in both countries, the deal will allow the company to reduce the tariff on its bikes for sale in India, thus driving sales growth for the Wisconsin-based firm.

Boeing also signed a deal to sell 30 of its B737-800 commercial aircraft to Spice Jet, a leading private airline in India. The deal is valued at $2.7 billion and supports nearly 13,000 jobs, the White House said.

Obama’s three-day visit to India, Asia’s third largest economy and one of the world’s few growth markets, also includes meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi and addressing the nation’s parliament.

Obama seeks to finalise exports with India

Underlining the importance of Asia’s fast growing markets for American exports, President Barack Obama said that he will be pushing for billions of dollars in contracts during his trip to India.

“During my first visit to India, I will be joined by hundreds of American business leaders and their Indian counterparts to announce concrete progress toward our export goal — billions of dollars in contracts that will support tens of thousands of American jobs,” Mr. Obama wrote in an op-ed piece published in The New York Times.

“We will also explore ways to reduce barriers to United States exports and increase access to the Indian market,” he said.

“The more we export abroad, the more jobs we create in America. In fact, every $1 billion we export, supports more than 5,000 jobs at home,” the president said.

Obama announces India-U.S. deals worth USD 10 billion

U.S. President Barack Obama on 6.11.2010 announced that “several landmark” deals worth USD 10 billion (nearly Rs 44,000 crore) have been reached between India and US for creating about 50,000 jobs in the United States.

Expressing confidence that he was absolutely sure that relationship between the two countries was going to be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century, he asked India to reduce trade barriers, while committing to reciprocate.

“There is no reason why India cannot be our top trading partner (from 12th position now)… I’m absolutely sure that the relationship between India and the U.S. is going to be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century,” President Obama said addressing the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) meet as he started his three-day maiden visit to India.

“Several landmark deals have been done shortly before my arrival here. Boeing is going to sell dozens of planes to India and GE is going to sell hundreds of electric engines. The deals are worth USD 10 billion and will create more than 50,000 jobs in the U.S.,” he said.

Just before his address at the USIBC, Reliance Power announced power equipment deal for 2,400 MW plants from GE and low-cost carrier Spicejet announced a deal to buy 33 new generation 737 aircraft from Boeing.

On the occasion, Mr. Obama said this was barely scratching the potential and dubbed India as the market of the future where Washington was willing to step up investments, provided uncertainties relating to tariffs and other barriers were taken care of.

Easing of export rules could result in ending the technology denial regime against Indian entities such as DRDO and ISRO.

Outsourcing costing Americans their jobs: Obama

U.S. President Barack Obama on 6.11.2010 said outsourcing work to overseas locations like India has cost Americans their jobs.

In possibly a heartbreaking statement for the Indian IT industry, which gets over 60 per cent of its business from the U.S., Mr. Obama said, ”…there still exists a caricature of India as land of call centres and back offices that costs American jobs. That’s a real perception.”

Addressing a U.S.-India business council meet here, Mr. Obama said, “There are many Americans whose only experience with trade and globalisation has been shuttered factories or jobs being shift overseas.”

The U.S. accounts for about 60 per cent of India’s about USD 60 billion IT and IT-enabled services exports.

A fragile recovery of the economy, coupled with high unemployment levels has seen U.S. taking a number of protectionist measures such as hiking the Visa fees.

Earlier, Mr. Obama had also suggested that tax breaks could be ended for companies outsourcing work overseas.

Welcome India to take its UNSC seat - Obama in Indian Parliament

It was a historic moment, and Barack Obama did not let those watching down. In his address to both Houses of the Indian Parliament on 8.11.2010, the visiting US President made an unambiguous reference to terror and Pakistan and unequivocally endorsed India’s position for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC), though it was a cautious backing, more in principle, with no concrete timelines or processes mentioned.

Obama served a speech with both intellectual and emotional appeal. And also substance. On the UNSC seat Obama said, to much applause from Indian lawmakers assembled in the Central Hall of Parliament that Washington looked forward to a reformed Security Council that reflected current global realities. “Indeed, the just and sustainable international order that America seeks includes a United Nations that is efficient, effective, credible and legitimate…I look forward to a reformed U.N. Security Council that includes India as a permanent member.”

“So we look forward to working with India–and other nations that aspire to Security Council membership–to ensure that the Security Council is effective; that resolutions are implemented and sanctions enforced; and that we strengthen the international norms which recognise the rights and responsibilities of all nations and individuals,” Obama said.

There was applause also when he did not shy away from speaking about terror and, in particular, Pakistan stating that, “we will continue to insist to Pakistan’s leaders that terrorist safe-havens within their borders are unacceptable, and that the terrorists behind the Mumbai attacks be brought to justice.”

Much of this visit has been focused on economic cooperation between the two nations and a shared interest in global prosperity, and Obama spoke at length about forging “a defining partnership with India in the 21st century”. “As you carry on with the hard work ahead, I want every Indian citizen to know: the United States of America will not simply be cheering you on from the sidelines. We will be right there with you, shoulder to shoulder.  Because we believe in the promise of India,” the US President said, speaking almost as it were to the people of India.

“It is no coincidence that India is my first stop on my visit to Asia, for in Asia and around the world, India is simply not emerging, India has emerged,” said Obama, quoting from Tagore’s Geetanjali, and making a reference to the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. President Obama spoke of how he has been influenced by Gandhiji’s principle of ‘be the change you seek in the world.’

“I am mindful that I may not have been standing before you as the President of United States had it not been for Gandhi and the message that he shared with the world,” said Obama, who is the first African-American President of the United States.

Barack Obama ended his speech on a crescendo,” Jai Hind!, and long live the partnership between India and the United States,” and got a standing ovation.

The US President became the first foreign dignitary to sign the “Golden Book” in Parliament. This is a visitor’s book introduced by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.  He was welcomed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Meira Kumar.

“We admire the tenacity of the American spirit and its capacity for introspection and course correction,” said Ansari, welcoming President Obama.  The Lok Sabha Speaker spoke of the “compulsion of our times to work together to eliminate the scourge terrorism” as she thanked the US President and all those present.

List of accords signed during Obama’s trip to India
The United States and India on Monday signed six agreements besides a plethora of business deals inked separately during US President Barack Obama’s trip to India.Here is a list of the main government-to-government agreements:

• India-US agreement to set up a joint Clean Energy Research and Development Centre. It will be backed by 50 million dollars by both sides over five years and work to complete joint research in solar, biofuels and energy efficiency.
• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership. US will cooperate in India’s plans for a nuclear centre, to promote nuclear security and address threats of nuclear terrorism.
• MOU to establish an India-US Energy Cooperation Programme. It will mobilise private sector expertise and resources to address clean energy-related issues in India and the US.
• Agreement on technical cooperation to study India’s annual monsoon rains. Cooperation on weather forecasting for India’s crucial annual monsoon.
• MOU between India and the US on shale gas resources which will see US technology used to assess shale gas resources in India.
• MOU on establishing and operating a Global Disease Detection Centre in India, which will set up a laboratory in New Delhi designed to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Highlights of India-U.S. trade transactions

Following is the fact sheet released by The White House on India-U.S. trade transactions announced by the U.S. President during his India visit.

FACT SHEET: The National Export Initiative: U.S – India Transactions

As part of the National Export Initiative, President Obama noted that India — with its tremendous economic growth and its large and growing middle class — is a key market for U.S. exports. Those exports are generating jobs in every corner of the United States and across every major sector. These involve some of our country’s largest companies, but also an increasing number of small and medium-sized enterprises.

On the margins of the President’s trip, trade transactions were announced or showcased, exceeding $14.9 billion in total value with $9.5 billion in U.S. export content, supporting an estimated 53,670 U.S. jobs. These cross-border collaborations, both public and private, underpin the expanding U.S.-India strategic partnership, contributing to economic growth and development in both countries. Notable examples include:

• Heavy Transport Aircraft: The Boeing Company and the Indian Air Force have reached preliminary agreement on the purchase of 10 C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft, and are now in the process of finalizing the details of the sale. Once all have been delivered, the Indian Air Force will be the owner and operator of the largest fleet of C-17s outside of the United States. Boeing, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, is the aircraft manufacturer. Boeing reports that each C-17 supports 650 suppliers across 44 U.S. states and that this order will support Boeing’s C-17 production facility in Long Beach, California, for an entire year. This transaction is valued at approximately $4.1 billion, all of which is U.S. export content, supporting an estimated 22,160 jobs.
• Engine Sale for the Light Combat Aircraft: On October 1,the General Electric Company, headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, was declared the lowest bidder and selected to negotiate a contract to provide the Indian Aeronautical Development Agency with 107 F414 engines to be installed on the Tejas light combat aircraft. Upon finalizing the contract, General Electric’s facility in Lynn, Massachusetts, and other sites across the United States will be positioned to export almost one billion dollars in high technology aerospace products. This transaction is tentatively valued at approximately $822 million, all of which is U.S. export content, supporting an estimated 4,440 jobs.
• Commercial Aircraft Sale: Boeing Company, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and SpiceJet, a leading private airline in India, concluded a definitive agreement for the sale of 30 B737-800 commercial aircraft. SpiceJet currently operates 22 Boeing aircraft and has several 737 deliveries remaining from previous agreements. This new agreement will enable SpiceJet to offer more domestic routes and to begin offering international flights to neighboring countries. This transaction is valued at approximately $2.7 billion, based on catalogue prices, with an estimated $2.4 billion in U.S. export content, supporting an estimated 12,970 jobs.
• Gas and Steam Turbine Sale: The General Electric Company, headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, was selected to supply six advanced class 9FA gas turbines and three steam turbines for the 2,500-megawatt Samalkot power plant expansion to be constructed by Reliance Power Ltd., a division of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, one of the largest conglomerates in India. General Electric purchases equipment from 240 suppliers across the United States—an estimated 14 percent of which are small- and medium-sized enterprises—for every 9FA gas-fired turbine, which are assembled in Greenville, South Carolina. The combined equipment and maintenance contracts are valued at approximately $750 million, with an estimated $491 million in U.S. export content, supporting an estimated 2,650 jobs.
• Reliance Power and U.S. Ex-Im Bank Agreement: Reliance Power Ltd., the flagship company of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, and the Export – Import Bank of the United States announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This MOU will indicate Ex-Im Bank’s willingness to provide up to $5 billion in financial support to Reliance Power for the purchase of U.S. goods and services to be used in the development of up to 8,000 megawatts of gas-fired electricity generating units and up to 900 megawatts of renewable (solar and wind) energy facilities.
• Diesel Locomotive Manufacturing Venture: The United States has worldwide leaders in diesel locomotive manufacturing, and the Indian Ministry of Railways announced the prequalification of the sole two bidders—GE Transportation (Erie, Pennsylvania) and Electro-Motive Diesel (LaGrange, Illinois)—for a venture to manufacture and supply of 1,000 diesel locomotives over 10 years. The estimated U.S. content of this contract is expected to exceed $1B.
• Motorcycle Assembly Plant: Harley-Davidson Motor Company, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, announced that preparations are underway to open a new plant in India for the assembly of Harley-Davidson motorcycles from U.S.-built “complete knock-down” kits. This investment by the company entails job creation in both the United States and India, and it will allow the company to reduce the tariff burden on its motorcycles for sale in the Indian market, driving sales growth by making its motorcycles more accessible to Indian consumers.
• Sale of U.S. Mining Equipment and Related Support Equipment: On October 21, the Export – Import Bank of the United States announced the approval of more than $900 million in export finance guarantees to Sasan Power Ltd., a subsidiary of Reliance Power Ltd., supporting the sale of U.S. mining equipment and services from Bucyrus International of South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and other U.S. vendors, in association with the 3,960-megawatt coal-fired Sasan power plant in Madhya Pradesh, India. This financial commitment supports $641 million in U.S. export content, supporting an estimated 3,460 jobs.
• Tunneling Equipment for Underground Water Channel: On July 22,Robbins Company, headquartered in Solon, Ohio, announced an agreement with UNITY-IVRCL, a large infrastructure engineering and construction conglomerate, to provide tunnel-boring machines, conveyer equipment, and associated technical services for the construction of tunnels to convey water for the city of Mumbai. Separately, through a contract signed in 2008 with Jaiprakash Associates, a large infrastructure conglomerate, the Robbins Company is already supplying high technology tunnel-boring machines and technical assistance to bore some of the longest underground tunnels in the world underneath a protected tiger sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh, which will increase irrigation for the production of cotton and other agricultural products. The Mumbai contract alone is valued at $10 million, with $7 million in U.S. export content, supporting an estimated 35 jobs.
• Maharashtra Homeland Security Pilot Projects: Palantir Technologies, a small Silicon Valley software development firm, announced a strategic partnership agreement with the Maharashtra State Police, a law enforcement agency in India, to conduct a pilot program, whereby Palantir’s end-to-end analytical software platform will be used on a trial basis to identify and alert authorities to security threats in order to help keep the citizens of Mumbai and Maharashtra safe.
• Medanta Duke Research Institute (MDRI): Duke Medicine, located in Durham, North Carolina, one of the leading academic health systems in the United States, and Medanta Medicity, located in Gurgaon, Haryana, a hospital and medical research complex, are announcing a joint venture agreement to launch the MDRI, a proof-of-concept clinical research facility within Medanta’s hospital. Duke Medicine will provide scientific and operational leadership, while Medanta will contribute financial resources and clinical and operational services. Duke Medicine also will be partnering with Jubilant Life Sciences, headquartered in Uttar Pradesh, to conduct research studies and co-develop promising discoveries, with significant funding and in-kind support provided by Jubilant. Subsequent commercialization is expected to result in licensing revenue for Duke Medicine.
• Long-range Antenna System for Rural Telecommunications: SPX Communication Technology, a division of SPX Corporation operating out of Raymond, Maine, is in the final phase of the pilot deployment of its long-range antenna system with two leading Indian mobile operators. This innovative technology has been shown to offer a significantly greater coverage area. Once implemented, it is expected to create significant economies of scale, thereby improving the economic viability of rural wireless networks and making wireless communications available for people who either could not afford service or who live in areas that lack coverage. The value of the initial trial equipment is expected to generate approximately $1 million, with 100 percent U.S. export content, supporting an estimated 5 jobs.
• Production Equipment for the Manufacture of Pre-fabricated Housing: Spancrete Machinery Corporation, a family-owned business in Waukesha, Wisconsin, announced the sale of six sets of its hollow core, precast production equipment, including installation, training, and after-sales support, to Hindustan Prefab Limited, a state-owned company within the Indian Ministry of Housing and Poverty Alleviation. The production equipment will be used to manufacture inexpensive, prefabricated housing on a mass scale in India. Spancrete also is working with Somat Engineering, Inc., from Detroit, Michigan, and their affiliate, SP Infrastructure India Ltd., in New Delhi. This transaction is valued at approximately $35 million, all of which is U.S. export content. Based on the company’s estimates, the transaction will support 30 jobs.
• Cell Phone Rollout for Small Indian Businesses: Intuit, a company headquartered in Mountain View, California, which serves millions of small businesses worldwide, will launch a new mobile and web-based marketing service in partnership with Nokia, called “Intuit GoConnect”. This innovative technology will help Indian micro and small businesses grow and thrive by bringing customer management tools to the entrepreneur, improving the way they communicate with their customers in an increasingly mobile world.
• The Unique Identification Project: L-1 Identity Solutions, headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, and another U.S.-headquartered company, lead two of the three vendor consortia, which have been prequalified by the Unique Identity Authority of India for the first phase of an effort to register Indian residents with a 12-digit unique number using biometric identifiers. Unprecedented in scale, seeking to register 1.2 billion Indian residents, the Unique Identification program aims to enhance delivery of government services in India.
• Sale of Precision Measurement Instruments for Fuel Cell Research: Advanced Materials Corporation (AMC), a small, six-person firm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, received an order to supply a specially-designed Pressure-Composition Isotherm Measurement Instrument to the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi, India. BHU will utilize AMC’s instrument to test fuel cell applications, as part of an Indian central government research program.
• Trace Explosive Detection Equipment: Implant Sciences, a small company based in Wilmington, Massachusetts, signed a contract with the Ministry of Defence in January to supply its Quantum Sniffer H-150, trace detection devices to be used by the Indian Army to detect the presence of explosive, bomb-making materials that could be used in a terrorist attack. The company announced that the equipment will be ready for pre-dispatch inspection and delivery in November. The transaction is valued at approximately $6 million, all of which is U.S. export content, supporting an estimated 30 jobs.
• VIP Helicopter Sale: On August 25,Bell Helicopter, based in Hurst, Texas, signed a purchase agreement with Span Air, a private air charter company, for the sale of its first Bell Model 429 corporate VIP helicopter in India. Span Air has a second order slated for delivery in mid-2011. Bell Helicopter recently sold its 100th helicopter in India.
• Sales of Pre-owned Refurbished Healthcare Equipment: Skelley Medical, a rural New Hampshire-based company, sells refurbished medical equipment to Indian hospitals in second and third tier cities through partnerships with various distributors in India. Skelley announced plans to open an after-sales service facility in Mumbai as part of a new venture with Triage Systems, a Mumbai-based Indian medical equipment distributor. This facility will service medical equipment purchased by their Indian hospital customers.
• Monitoring Equipment for Greening Buildings: Noveda Technologies, a small start-up company in Branchburg, New Jersey, is finalizing a new venture with Chennai-based Wysine Technology to jointly develop and market a new solution for web-based, real-time energy monitoring for “greening” buildings.
• Dredges for Maharashtra Maritime Board: Ellicott Dredges, a small company based in Baltimore, Maryland, announced the sale of two cutter suction dredges to the Maharashtra Maritime Board, a Maharashtra government entity. The equipment will be utilized to dredge a fisherman’s port and various tributaries in the state of Maharashtra.

The pace of trade between the United States and India is accelerating. Between 2002 and 2009, U.S. goods exports to India quadrupled, growing from $4.1 billion to more than $16.4 billion. Through the first eight months of 2010, U.S. merchandise exports to India totaled $12.7 billion, up 18 percent from the same period in 2009. With economic growth estimates at about 9.7 percent in 2010, India is a key market for the Obama Administration’s National Export Initiative, which aims to double U.S. exports in five years.

White House Fact Sheets on Obama’s India Visit – 9.11.2010

The White House has issued a series of fact sheets about the US-India “strategic relationship (that) encompasses a range of issues, activities, and programmes that reflect the vision of President (Barack) Obama and Prime Minister (Manmohan) Singh”.

• Export Controls: Manmohan Singh and Obama agreed to take mutual steps to implement a four-part export control reform programme, including: support for India’s membership in the multilateral export control regimes, removing India’s defence and space-related entities from the US “Entity List;” export licensing policy realignment, and export control cooperation.
• Partnership for an Evergreen Revolution: Manmohan Singh and Obama agreed to work together to develop, test, and replicate transformative technologies to extend food security in India as part of an “Evergreen Revolution”.  These efforts will benefit farmers and consumers in India, the US, and around the globe, and will extend food security in India, Africa and globally.
• Counterterrorism Cooperation: Since the first bilateral discussions on counterterrorism in 2000, counterterrorism cooperation has become a pillar of the US-India relationship.  In the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist attacks, the US and India resolved to deepen collaborative efforts, and intensify exchanges, culminating in the signing of the Counterterrorism Cooperation Initiative (CCI) in July 2010.
• Civil Space Cooperation: Obama and Manmohan Singh agreed to scale-up joint US-India civil space collaboration, including space exploration, earth observation, and scientific education.
• Clean Energy and Climate Change: Manmohan Singh and Obama reaffirmed their countries’ strong commitment to taking vigorous action to address climate change, ensure mutual energy security, and build a clean energy economy that will drive investment, job creation, and economic growth throughout the 21st century.
• Cybersecurity: Recognising the importance of cybersecurity, the US and India are advancing efforts to work together to promote a reliable information and communications infrastructure and the goal of free, fair, and secure access to cyberspace.
• CEO Forum: Recognising the vital role bilateral commerce plays in the global strategic partnership, Obama and Manmohan Singh highlighted the importance of the US-India CEO Forum and the progress made in implementing its recommendations.
• Defence Cooperation: The US-India defence relationship has grown from solely military-to-military links into a mature partnership that encompasses dialogues, exercises, defence sales, professional military education exchanges, and practical cooperation.
• US-India Economic and Financial Partnership: Since the launch of the new US-India Economic and Financial Partnership in April 2010, the two governments have institutionalised deeper bilateral relations on economic and financial sector issues.  These efforts include a macroeconomic dialogue and financial sector and infrastructure working groups.
• Education: Obama and Manmohan Singh are committed to an expanding, dynamic, and comprehensive education partnership, including expanding academic exchanges, developing university and school linkages, and holding a US-India Education Summit.
• Entrepreneurs Roundtable: This event introduced the president to the next generation of Indian entrepreneurs and showcased innovative partnerships between US and Indian businesses that are creating new markets for US-manufactured technologies.
• The National Export Initiative: As part of the National Export Initiative, Obama noted that India-with its tremendous economic growth and its large and growing middle class-is a key market for US exports.  On the margins of the president’s trip, trade transactions were announced or showcased, exceeding $14.9 billion in total value with $9.5 billion in US export content, supporting an estimated 53,670 US jobs.
• Indian Investment in the US: As the US-India economic relationship deepens, investment from India contribute to the growth and vibrancy of the American economy and in the creation of jobs in the US.  Over the last decade, investment capital from India grew at an annualised rate of 53 percent reaching an estimated $4.4 billion in 2009.
• Nuclear Security: The US and India signed a memorandum of understanding that provides a general framework for cooperative activities in working with India’s Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership, which India announced at the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit.
• Deepening US-India Strategic Ties: Manmohan Singh and Obama renewed their commitment to expand cooperation on strategic issues facing the US and India and agreed to deepen and broaden strategic consultations on core foreign policy issues of mutual concern.
• US-India Development Collaboration in Afghanistan: Obama and Manmohan Singh agreed to collaborate closely to assist the people of Afghanistan by identifying opportunities to leverage the two countries’ relative strengths, experience and resources.  The collaboration will focus on agricultural development and women’s empowerment, where Afghanistan’s needs are great.
• Securing the Air, Sea, and Space Domains: Obama and Manmohan Singh agreed that in an increasingly interconnected world, it is vital to safeguard areas of the sea, air, and space beyond national jurisdiction to ensure the security and prosperity of nations.

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Aloysius Xavier Lopez

The recent announcement of the new syllabus for Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2011 by the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions is likely to create jitters among aspirants.

A closer look at the syllabus and pattern of the examination mentioned in the text only stresses the need for more focus on general studies and revision of mathematics learned at the secondary school level. Aspirants analyzing recent question papers of other examinations conducted by the UPSC will have a better understanding of the new pattern and syllabus.

According to Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, the Civil Services Preliminary examination will consist of two papers with a total of 400 marks. This is different from the earlier pattern that had one optional subject paper along with a general studies paper.

Hereafter, the civil services aspirants can be much more relaxed in their approach as the need for studying an optional subject has been dispensed with for the preliminary. But they have to complete two optional subjects for the main. So balancing the main and prelims in the coming months will be the challenge before them.

The new pattern has forced coaching institutes to change strategy. The All India Civil Services Coaching Centre run by the State conducted its entrance examination on October 31.

“The selected candidates will have special coaching sessions on comprehension, interpersonal skills, logical reasoning and other similar new topics covered in the new syllabus,” said P. Premkala Rani, principal of the centre. The strategy for the new pattern will be different, she adds.

Paper I is worth 200 marks and has been allotted two hours. Earlier the pattern was 150 marks for the general studies. In paper I, candidates will be tested on their knowledge of current events of national and international importance. Emphasis will be on Indian history, Indian national movement, Indian and world geography, including the physical, social and economic geography of India and the world.

The candidates can start preparation as soon as possible by reading newspapers and other periodicals to enrich their knowledge of current affairs. Questions on current affairs are likely to play a key role in scoring the required marks in the new pattern. Questions will also be asked on Indian polity and governance as well as the Constitution, the political system, panchayati raj, public policy and rights issues.

Apart from NCERT books, the Union government publications that have information on latest developments on these subjects are also important. India 2011 year book published by the Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting may continue to be of use to answer a large number of questions. “The new system is going to identify the comprehensive knowledge of an aspirant and his / her ability to apply it in decision making. The focus will be more on testing the personality of the candidate,” says Nandakumar, a civil servant.

Candidates will have to prepare for questions on economic and social development, sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics and social sector initiatives.

NCERT books will provide a chunk of answers to questions pertaining to general issues on environmental ecology, bio-diversity, climate change and general science.

Candidates are advised to revise the class X English language books for English language comprehension skills of Paper II. Appropriate IGNOU study material on interpersonal skills, including communication skills may be useful.

Study material used by aspirants of banking services are enough to tackle questions on logical reasoning and analytical ability, decision making and problem solving as well as general mental ability.

Class X books of NCERT should be studied in detail for solving questions on basic numeric skills such as numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude and data interpretation.

Solving the paper is likely to be easy for the aspirants who go though the previous questions asked by the UPSC for other examinations such as NDA, particularly those conducted recently.

Spending at least six hours a day for solving such questions is crucial. Analysing the previous questions of examinations conducted by Reserve Bank of India and other banks is also likely to throw light on the new pattern of examination.

Courtesy: The Hindu dt: 1.11.2010

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Sampath

Dilma Rousseff, a 62-year-old grandmother who was jailed in the 1970s for guerrilla activities, was on 31.10.2010 elected Brazil’s first female president, succeeding her mentor and outgoing leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Rousseff beat her rival, former Sao Paulo state governor Jose Serra, in a runoff with 56 per cent of the vote, according to an official tally of 95 per cent of ballots.

The career civil servant, who served as Lula’s cabinet chief before leaving in April, 2010 to contest the election, will take charge of Latin America’s biggest country on January 1, 2011.

Lula, 65, is required to step down then, having completed the maximum two consecutive terms permitted by law.He has not said what he plans to do. He is retiring with a popularity rating above 80 per cent and a high global profile. Speculation was swirling that he might accept an international post, or stand by as an informal adviser to Rousseff as she runs the country, though he has downplayed those scenarios.

“There is no possibility of an ex-president participating in a government,” Lula said when he voted on Sao Paulo’s outskirts, where he started out as a factory metalworker and union leader.

Rousseff will have “to form a government in her image. I only hope that she does more than I did”, he said.

Rousseff has none of Lula’s charisma or negotiating skills. But she does have a such a reputation for fierce determination that Brazil’s media have nicknamed her the “Iron Lady”, in the mould of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. She developed her political spine when she started out as an active militant opposed to the 1964-1985 military dictatorship that ruled Brazil.

She was arrested in January 1970 and sentenced to six years in prison for belonging to a violent underground group responsible for murders and bank robberies. After nearly three years behind bars, during which she said she was tortured by electric shocks, she was released at the end of 1972. She continued her political path and eventually joined Lula’s Workers Party in 1986. In 2000, she divorced her second husband. Their daughter, Paula, made them grandparents in September.

After Lula became president in 2002, he named Rousseff his energy minister and then, in 2005, his cabinet chief — a post analogous to prime minister.

Rousseff has vowed to maintain Lula’s policies, which over the past eight years have brought prosperity and financial stability to Brazil, and lifted 29 million people out of poverty.

Her biggest immediate challenges will be preparing the country to host the 2014 football World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, both awarded under Lula’s deft lobbying.

She will also have to steer Brazil through tricky economic waters. Although Brazil’s economy is booming, expanding by more than seven per cent this year, the currency, the real, has soared so high against the dollar that the country’s vital export sector is starting to sweat.

Lula and other officials have blamed China and the United States for waging an “international currency war” by devaluing their own currencies to help their own exporters at the expense of other countries.

At the same time, Rousseff — who was given a privileged upbringing by her Bulgarian immigrant father and Brazilian mother — does not enjoy the same solid support within the ruling Workers Party that Lula did, which could deal her legislative troubles ahead.

The dull campaign duelling between her and Serra gave some insight into what Brazilians might expect when she becomes head of state.

Both candidates stressed past policy successes but gave few details of new directions they wanted to pursue, and in some later televised debates exchanged insults and ignored the other’s arguments.

Serra, a one-time health minister who started out the favourite in the early days of campaigning, lost ground to Rousseff when Lula stepped in to give her credit for many of his administration’s achievements and rousing speeches on her behalf.

To fix her somewhat lumbering image, Rousseff underwent a cosmetic makeover to get elected, whitening her teeth, re-doing her hair into a helmet-like do, ditching glasses for contact lenses and botoxing her brow. The effect made her look younger — and much healthier than last year, when she wore a wig to cover the hair loss from chemotherapy to treat lymphatic cancer. Doctors said afterward she appeared to be cured.

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Ramya Bharathi

Miss World 2010, the 60th Miss World pageant was held on October 30, 2010, in Sanya, People’s Republic of China, after Vietnam backed out of the hosting contract. Kaiane Aldorino of Gibraltar crowned her successor Alexandria Mills from United States as Miss World 2010.

Blonde, blue-eyed American eighteen-year-old Alexandria Mills won the Miss World crown for 2010 on 30.10.2010, defeating more than 100 other hopefuls at a glittering ceremony in Sanya, southern China. This is the 60th year of the Miss World Competition.

Second place went to Emma Wareus of Botswana, and Adriana Vasini of Venezuela came third.

The host country’s own contestant, Tang Xiao, also was among the final five.

According to a brief biography on the Miss World website, Mills calls Louisville, Kentucky, her hometown, and she recently graduated from high school. She would like to become a teacher. “I’ve never met a stranger and enjoy meeting new people,” she says in the bio.

Mills, an 18-year-old from the southern US state of Kentucky, wept as outgoing Miss World Kaiane Aldorino of Gibraltar placed the tiara on her head and led her to a diamond-shaped throne marking the pageant’s 60th anniversary.

The 1.75-metre (5’9”) beauty in white—a professional model listed with the Elite Models agency—waved to the cheering crowd at the 2,000-capacity Beauty Crown Theatre in the resort town of Sanya on Hainan Island. During the two-hour competition, which annually draws a global television audience of about one billion, Mills said her month spent touring China with the other 114 Miss World hopefuls had made a “big impact” on her life.

Botswana’s Emma Wareus was second, and Venezuela’s Adriana Vasini placed third in the pageant, which was first held in 1951.The pageant got off to a colourful start with a performance by dancers and drummers from China’s Li ethnic minority group, who mainly live on Hainan Island, which was hosting the event for the fifth time in eight years.

Before the contestants whirled in national costume for the “Dances of the World” segment, viewers were treated to a video montage of the women’s whirlwind tour of China — from the Great Wall to the shopping malls.

Early, favourite Mariann Birkedal of Norway, listed by British bookmaker William Hill as the woman to beat ahead of Mills, finished in the top seven. A win for Norway could have caused a stir in Beijing, where the government is furious that the Oslo-based Nobel committee awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo.
Aldorino, 24, said she had enjoyed her year as Miss World, saying that in all the countries she had visited, one thing had remained the same: “The smile on a child’s face, and that’s what has captured the moment”.

The competition emphasises the importance of charity work. Miss “Beauty with a Purpose” — Kenya’s Natasha Metto, who has worked on combatting an epidemic of parasitic Jigger fleas in her country — earned a “fast-track” spot in the final group of 25, but was then eliminated.

Ireland’s violin-playing Emma Waldron, who won the talent contest and finished in the top five, wowed the audience by greeting them in Chinese, while Miss China, Xiao Tang, spoke mostly in English.

The event rivals the Miss Universe pageant owned by US tycoon Donald Trump, which was won by Mexico’s Jimena Navarrete in August, 2010.

In 1951, Sweden’s Kiki Hakansson became the first Miss World. Oscar-winning American actress Halle Berry was a finalist in 1986.

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Vinoth Kumar

North Korea has finally on 30^th September 2010 released video footage and a photograph which appear to show the heir apparent a. It is the world’s first up-to-date glimpse of the young man who appears set to succeed his father, Kim Jong-il, in a gradual transfer of power.

The TV footage shows him in a rare meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party, where he was promoted to top political and military positions. Kim Jong-un, who is thought to be about 26 years old, was named vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party and was appointed to its central committee, state media said.

Mr Kim was also given the rank of a four-star general. Kim Jong-il, thought to be in poor health, was re-elected as leader at the party’s first congress for 30 years. A North Korean delegation has now gone to China, reportedly to brief officials about the meeting.

The official photograph was published on the front page of a state-controlled North Korean newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun. It showed 200 officials at the Workers’ Party convention. Seated in the front row, just two seats along from his father, is Kim Jong-un.

The next leader of North Korea from the only ruling family the isolated nation has ever known made his public debut, clapping and smiling as tanks and long-range missiles rolled past in what was said to be the largest military parade staged by the communist state.

Two weeks after he was made a four-star general and set on the path to succession, Kim Jong Un sat next to his father, current North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, and waved from an observation platform to a raucous crowd cheering below.

Although the caption did not identify him, state media reported that he had attended the photo session. Previously only grainy images from his childhood have been seen in the West.

The BBC’s John Sudworth in Seoul says the family likeness is clear, and North Koreans, seeing the photo for the first time, are unlikely to miss the significance. Kim Jong-un is Kim Jong-il’s third son and had already been identified as the most likely successor to the Communist dynasty started by his grandfather, Kim Il-sung, in 1948.

There can now be little doubt that Swiss-educated Kim Jong-un has been chosen to eventually take over from his ailing father, who is thought to have had a stroke in 2008. Analysts say that, at least, confirms that, although thin and frail, he is well enough to attend and seemingly still in control.

Military Parade

10^th October 2010

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and his son, heir apparent Kim Jong Un, appeared together for a massive military parade described as “the biggest in history” by officials of the reclusive state.

The two Kims stood on a reviewing stand at Pyongyang’s central Kim Il Sung Square, named after the country’s national founder, where goose-stepping military personnel marched by and military hardware, including tanks, passed below.

The festivities – officially to celebrate the foundation of the country’s ruling party – were broadcast on state television, giving the North Korean people one of their first good looks at their future leader, who will succeed his father to carry the communist dynasty into the third generation.

The elder Kim entered the venue to huge cheers from the crowd. He was accompanied by his son and other top officials including Kim Yong Nam, the president of the country’s parliament.

The parade is part of celebrations marking the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the Workers’ Party of Korea. The party last month held a landmark political convention, its most significant gathering in 30 years, at which Kim Jong Un was promoted to vice chairman of the organization’s central military commission.

State TV showed military personnel marching past the reviewing stand and being saluted by Kim Jong Il and later Kim Jong Un, who was not dressed in military uniform as some analysts had expected. He wore the same dark, communist-style outfit he has been seen photographed in recently since making his public debut late last month.

Dressed in a dark blue civilian suit, the younger Kim watched over a plaza named for his grandfather, North Korea’s founder Kim Il Sung, who led his nation during the 1950-53 Korean War.

Thousands of troops from every branch of the 1.2 million-member military goose-stepped to the accompaniment of a military brass band while citizens waved plastic bouquets.

Trucks loaded with katyusha rocket launchers rolled by, but they were dwarfed by a series of missiles, each larger than the last and emblazoned with: “Defeat the U.S. military. U.S. soldiers are the Korean People’s Army’s enemy.”

“If the U.S. imperialists and their followers infringe on our sovereignty and dignity even slightly, we will blow up the stronghold of their aggression with a merciless and righteous retaliatory strike by mobilizing all physical means, including self-defensive nuclear deterrent force, and achieve the historic task of unification,” Ri Yong Ho, chief of the General Staff of the North Korean army, said at the event.

Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that the parade included three never-before-shown types of missiles and launching devices, including one thought to be a new Musudan ballistic missile with a range of up to 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers), capable of hitting Japan and Guam.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry said it could not immediately comment on the report, and a call to South Korea’s top spy agency seeking comment went unanswered Sunday.

The sight of the two Kims side by side, later waving to the crowd above a huge portrait of the late dynastic founder Kim Il Sung, drew cheers of “Hurrah!” and tears from North Koreans attending the parade in the heart of the capital Pyongyang. Some 300,000 people packed the streets to see the parade, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said.

“Kim Jong Il! Protect him to the death!” ”Kim Jong Il, let’s unite to support him!” they chanted as the 68-year-old leader walked the length of the platform, appearing to limp slightly and gripping the banister.

The Kims later also appeared at an evening gala featuring fireworks at Kim Il Sung Plaza, which was transformed into a massive set filled with tens of thousands of dancers with Pyongyang’s iconic Juche Tower as a backdrop.

The theatrical multimedia performance, combining dance with archived footage shown on two huge screens, was designed to remind the people of Kim Il Sung’s role in building the nation from the ashes of the Korean War, and to instill pride in Kim Jong Il’s skill in leading the country and ruling party. Footage was shown off homegrown achievements, including the long-range rocket launch that was widely condemned by international powers in 2009.

“If Kim Il Sung could see us now, he’d be so happy,” one slogan projected onto Juche Tower read.

“Hurrah! Hurrah!” the dancers shouted at the end, all eyes trained on the veranda where Kim Jong Il was watching the performance with his son and top officials. He appeared and waved to the performers, leaving many sobbing with emotion.

‘Historic task of unification’

Earlier, a North Korean flag was raised and military officers in full dress uniform watching as a band played rousing music and the large crowd looked on.

Even in a country known for its elaborately staged displays of military might, the scale and pomp of the weekend festivities — less than two weeks the news that Kim Jong Il’s 20-something son would succeed him and grandfather as leader — suggested something special.

In a radical policy shift by a government typically wary of the international press, foreign reporters and television crews were invited to cover the event.

North Korean minders reminded journalists constantly that the military parade would be “the biggest in history” for the country.

The latest appearance by Kim Jong Un was a heady debut for the mysterious young man who until two weeks ago was a virtual unknown outside North Korea’s inner circle of military and political elite.

Kim Jong Un is the third son of Kim Jong Il but his name never appeared in state media until late last month, and even the exact spelling of his name was unclear.

Nor were they any photos of him as an adult until the state’s main Rodong Sinmun newspaper last week published a group shot of the young man seated with his father and other top party leaders. State television showed still images of father and son watching a military unit carry out live-fire drills.

The Swiss-educated son said to be his 68-year-old father’s favorite emerged in recent months as the rumored front-runner to inherit the mantle of leadership, despite his youth and inexperience.

Odes to ‘Young Commander’

There were reports that children were singing odes to “the Young Commander,” and that his January birthday had been made a national holiday like those of his father and grandfather.

He won his first military post with the promotion to general late last month, and was appointed during the nation’s biggest political convention in 30 years to the Workers’ Party’s central military commission, as well as the party’s Central Committee — strong signs he was being groomed to eventually succeed his father.

The question of who will take over leadership of the nuclear-armed nation of 24 million has been a pressing one since the last big military parade in 2008.

Power struggle

At the parade celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in September 2008, Kim Jong Il was noticeably absent. U.S. and South Korean officials said Kim had suffered a stroke, sparking concerns about a power struggle and social upheaval if he were to die without a clear successor.

Though thinner and grayer, Kim Jong Il has resumed busy rounds of tours to factories and military units. And a surprise trip to China in late August may have been to introduce his son to top officials in the neighboring nation that is North Korea’s most important ally and source of aid.

Kim Il Sung was a former guerrilla who fought against Japan’s colonization of Korea and built a cult of personality around himself and his son. Kim Jong Il took over as leader when his father died in 1994 in what was the communist world’s first hereditary transfer of power.

Kim Jong Il rules under a “songun,” or “military first,” policy with a 1.2 million-member military that is one of the world’s largest. Along with military manpower and weaponry, North Korea under his leadership has been building up its nuclear arsenal, much to the consternation of other nations.

SEOUL, Oct. 26, 2010 (Yonhap)

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and his heir-apparent son, Jong-un, visited a historic building used as the command of the Chinese military during the Korean War, one day after the 60th anniversary of China’s entry into the war, the North’s media reported.

According to the North’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the Kims also visited a tomb of Chinese patriotic martyrs located near the former Chinese military command in Hoechang, north of Pyongyang.

During the 1950-53 Korean War, China sent massive forces to fight alongside North Korea against the U.S.-led allied forces.

After looking around key facilities of the former military command, leader Kim stressed that the baton of North Korea-China friendship should be further developed and relayed to the next generation, the KCNA report said.

Meanwhile, a Chinese high-ranking military delegation led by Col. General Guo Boxiong, vice-chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, left for home after holding talks with North Korea’s National Defense Commission in Pyongyang, the KCNA said in a separate report.

Ri Yong-ho, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of North Korea’s Workers’ Party, who is emerging as a key figure in the communist state’s hereditary power succession, led the North’s delegation at the military talks with China, it noted.

“At the talks, both sides exchanged deep-going views on the issue of boosting the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation between the armies of the two countries and matters of mutual concern. The talks took place in a comradely and friendly atmosphere,” the report said, without elaborating.

Priority of food over weapons

The Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun Monday quoted Kim as saying, “It was okay without food in the past as long as we had guns and bullets, but it`s not okay without food now even if we have guns and bullets.”

The newspaper based its report on sources familiar with the North’s relations with China.

Kim reportedly made this comment late last month while on an inspection tour of Kimchaek, North Hamkyong Province, as the ruling Workers’ Party held a convention in Pyongyang. Documents containing what he said were distributed to senior party officials.

Sources on North Korea-China relations also quoted Kim as saying, “We have a smaller territory and population than other countries. We’re not as rich as other countries in wealth and natural resources. But we have Dear Leader Kim Il Sung (his grandfather and North Korea’s founder) and the General (his father and incumbent leader Kim Jong Il). So we can enjoy happiness and joy for generations to come.”

Kim Jong Un’s comment is seen as trying to justify the power succession of his family.

Kim Jong-Un and his father Kim Jong-Il have paid an inspection visit to the communist state’s secret police agency, official media said.

Father and son, accompanied by top military leaders, inspected the command of the Korean People’s Army Unit 10215, the country’s news agency said. The unit serves as the North’s secret police agency, Seoul’s Yonhap news agency said.

Leader Kim “praised the unit for having prepared its servicemen as fighters strong in ideology by successfully building entertainment and cultural facilities and dynamically conducting diverse political work”, the North’s news agency said.

The son, along with his father, also attended a meeting with the high-level Chinese military delegation, state media reported.

China, the North’s sole major ally and its economic prop, has apparently given its blessing to another dynastic succession.

His Background

Kim Jong-un

Kim Jong Un is the second son of Kim Jong Il’s third wife, Ko Yong Hi, who died five years ago of breast cancer at age 51. At 26, he is seven years younger than his father was when he was designated as the future leader. Kim Jong Il got the nod in 1974, two decades before the death of his father.

Analysts had expected Kim Jong Il to name a successor in 2012, the centenary of the birth of his father. But his health appears to be failing. In recent video clips he has looked gaunt, tired and much older than his 67 years.

He has two other sons. But the eldest, Jong Nam, 38, lost favor in 2001 when he was caught trying to enter Japan on a phony passport. He told Japanese officials he wanted to visit Disneyland in Tokyo.

The middle son, Jong Chol, 28, was regarded by his father as unfit for leadership and too feminine, according to Kenji Fujimoto, a former Japanese sushi chef for the North Korean leader and author of the memoir “I was Kim Jong Il’s Cook.”

His age has never been revealed by North Korean officials, but the South Korean government believes the younger Kim to be 26, born Jan. 8, 1984. On Sunday, he was poised in public, every inch his father’s son in both looks and demeanor as he joined Kim Jong Il in raising a hand to salute the troops parading past.

Kim Jong Un, 26, who attended a Swiss boarding school and reportedly admires basketball great Michael Jordan, is the third son of Kim Jong Il, the “Dear Leader” who suffered a stroke last summer and who has since appeared thin and frail. He is the grandson of the late Kim Il Sung, the “Great Leader” and founding dictator of North Korea.

Kim Jong Un attended the International School of Berne, which is about 15 minutes from the Swiss capital and a few hundred yards from the North Korean Embassy. While Kim was at the English-language school, which has about 280 students from 40 countries, he befriended the children of American diplomats and learned French and German, according to the Swiss weekly L’Hebdo.

Kim attended the school under the false name of Pak Chol, the weekly said, and school officials and his classmates “thought they were dealing with the son of the driver of the embassy.” Friends and staff at the school remembered a shy boy who enjoyed skiing, loved the National Basketball Association and spoke highly of action-movie actor Jean-Claude Van Damme. He reportedly left the school at age 15 to return to North Korea, and little about his life there is known to the outside world.

Link to Military Tension

The younger Kim’s name surfaced about four months ago as his father’s likely successor, but it wasn’t until after last week’s underground nuclear test in the North that Kim Jong Il informed top officials in Pyongyang and diplomats in foreign missions that Jong Un would be his successor, intelligence officials told members of the National Assembly in Seoul.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service declined to confirm the reports. But one of the lawmakers, Hong Jung-wook, a member of the ruling Grand National Party, said intelligence officials think the recent spike in military and political tension on the Korean Peninsula is closely related to the transition underway in Pyongyang. He said in an interview that the South Korean government has created a “special team” to analyze the succession.

New Songs, Slogans

Schoolchildren in Pyongyang have already begun singing the praises of Kim Jong Un, according to a report from Rescue the North Korean People, a relief group in Osaka, Japan, that has informants inside North Korea.

“That fact that schools are teaching students to sing such songs is tantamount to officially declaring the heir,” the report said. “Elementary school children on a street corner in Pyongyang are singing a song about Gen. Kim Jong Un. They said they sing this song all day without doing any other regular classes.”

Soldiers, too, are shouting new slogans, including “With all our hearts, let’s protect Kim Jong Un, the young general, the morning star general who inherits the bloodline of Paektu,” the report said.

Snow-covered Mount Paektu is the highest peak on the Korean Peninsula and a revered place. North Korea claims that Kim Il Sung organized guerrillas to fight Japanese occupation from bases on the mountain and that Kim Jong Il was born there. But records show that the communist resistance and the Dear Leader were born in what was then the Soviet Union.

It has been state policy in North Korea since the 1950s to create cults of personality around the Kim family. Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il were ascribed godlike powers and unlimited knowledge. The practice has been supported by relentless propaganda that dominates school curriculums and by strict government control over access to foreign media or any outside information.

An absolute Monarchy

“North Korea is an absolute monarchy and one of the last in the world. If the new one dies before his son is of age, they will appoint a regent to rule until the child is of legal age. It has no progressive traditions at all and is simply a throwback to centuries past.”  This is the sentiment shared by some critics in the world.

At this point, it has become impossible to miss the rapid and convenient ascendancy of Kim Jong Il’s third son, Kim Jong Un, to power and specifically into a status positioning him to take over the (half) country’s top job at some point down the line. The convention and the lead-up thereto, among other things, saw Kim Jong Un appointed a 4-star general despite having no military experience whatsoever, and saw him made Vice Chairman of the party’s Central Military Commission (the most powerful political organ in the country; Kim Jong Il himself being the chairman thereof), as well as elected to the party’s Central Committee. These were all striking moves especially given his young age. He’s generally believed to be but 27 or 26. More recently, in a rare event, he has been shown with his father to global media. Furthermore, there are likewise reports now that the regime is planning to soon distribute fully 10 million portraits of Kim Jong Un shown alongside his father around the country. There is now, in other words, very strong evidence that reports of a dynastic succession underway in North Korea are, in fact, true. Kim Jong Il ascended to power in a very similar way.

In 1980 the party convened its last congress up to now for the purpose of elevating Kim Jong Il to senior political and military posts, from which he would ultimately be brought into his role as the ruler of the country. So this is now the second consecutive occasion on which the rulership of North Korea will have passed from father to son. In recognizing that, it’s difficult to miss the fact that, just beneath a thin layer of socialist rhetoric, the truth is that North Korea today is a feudal monarchy. (Feudal in the sense that the king owns most everything) So how did things get to this point?

After the Korean War, Kim Il Sung and the Korean Workers’ Party led the country in a broad socialist transformation of the economy, based on the Soviet model. In the middle of this process though, Khrushchev came out with his (in) famous speech denouncing Stalin and revolutionary war and announcing that the USSR was now a “state of the whole people” led by a “party of the whole people” rather than a dictatorship of the proletariat led by the proletariat and its vanguard party, as well as laying out a collection of objectively attractive liberal reforms. To their credit, North Korea at the end of 1955 became the first country to recognize this turn in Soviet politics as revisionist.

North Korea’s leadership, in response to this development, and in denouncing it, now called for what they described as Juche (literally, “self-reliance”). The Chollima Movement that was launched the following year is broadly considered the first application of this principle there. It marked the start of an attempt to pursue a more original approach to socialist development. When Mao in 1958 criticized an array of Stalin’s mistakes while (significantly, in that context!) upholding most of his legacy and launched the Great Leap Forward, in which China would be broadly reorganized into large-scale popular communes, as a means by which to correct the mistakes, North Korea began applying secondary aspects of the Leap domestically. Though they never regarded the communal form of socialism as per se correct, let alone China’s opting to broadly promote moral incentives for production and free supply systems, they did that same year adopt a production approach based on mass mobilization and the concept of conducting economic development in leaps rather than gradual steps. In particular, I refer to the nationwide “speed battles” (motivated by the chance for individual firms to win bonuses) as allegedly a form of “socialist competition” aimed at substantially increasing the rate of production. In 1960, the Chinese Communists were also denouncing the USSR as revisionist. The following year, they were joined by Albania in that regard. The Chollima Movement concluded in 1961 with the inception of the Chongsan-ri Method of state officials providing advice and material incentives to win the peasants back over and the Taean Work System, whereby workplace management was reorganized to a significant degree along the lines of the new work system in China. By the mid-1960s, the Soviet authorities worried that North Korea was “leaning toward China” in the Sino-Soviet Split. Both were escalating the hostility of their rhetoric vis-a-vis the USSR. By 1965, Kim Il Sung had developed Juche into a set of three basic principles: political, economic, and military independence. He was also gradually reshaping the country into a police-state, as the Chinese Communists observed throughout the period from the mid-’50s.

China’s Cultural Revolution, however, marked a souring of relations between the two countries. In 1967, Kim Il Sung denounced the Cultural Revolution as a form of Trotskyism and proposed the revisionist argument that the Korean nation-state would exist forever. This marked the birth of North Korea as a dictatorship, as signified in the publication of a new theory on the inherent role of individual “great leaders” in holding nations together. From this point on, Kim Il Sung’s personality cult would be omnipresent in the (half) country. Amidst bankruptcy (the direct result of Pyongyang’s ongoing dependent relationship to its parasitic patron states), the dictatorship was transformed into a monarchy at the 1980 party congress. No longer would party congresses be held regularly, as officially required. They only occur now to select new monarchs in the lineage, it appears.

On a similar note, Kim Jong Il’s 1996 piece “The Juche Philosophy is an Original Revolutionary Philosophy” puts forward the notion that Juche is not to be understood as simply a domestic application of Leninist Marxism, as it had been traditionally understood, but rather that Juche is an original, non-Marxist school of communism birthed in North Korea but applicable worldwide. The subsequent year, he was officially named ruler. Kim Jong Il’s synthesis of Juche, “Kimilsungism”, adds to the traditional application the Songun ideology, which holds that the military deserves the leading role both in revolutionary war and in socialist society. Thus has North Korea come virtually under martial law.

In the 1990s, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, upon which Pyongyang had consistently relied, they entered into a perpetual recession. Attempts at escaping this have revolved around finding a new, effective patron state. First South Korea was sought out and a deal was even reached in 2000. (In the early ’80s, coinciding with Kim Jong Il’s initial elevation, North Korea abandoned the objective of the revolutionary reunification of the Korean Peninsula for a new plan to negotiate reunification with the existing regime in the South.) But American and Japanese belligerence throughout the last decade has clearly undermined that effort. Now China is sought out instead. Earlier this year, a deal was concluded whereby China would invest an amount equivalent to 70% of North Korea’s whole present economy into the country. This reveals the rather phony character of the basically Titoist Juche ideology. From the mid-’60s especially, North Korea’s was clearly a Soviet satellite regime in essence and never attempted to rupture with bourgeois commodity-centric relations, either at home or in international relations.

The point here is that North Korea hasn’t been authentically socialist really since the mid-’60s and has continually, and especially since that time, degenerated into more and more authoritarian and even feudal politics and negotiationist strategies, especially as it descended increasingly into perpetual poverty by way of its indefinite dependence on reactionary and imperialist regimes. A great deal of industry may be state owned, but the real point is that the “great leader” at any given time, decided by family lineage, is the embodiment of the state. Hence it is considered a monarchy.

Dream Dare Win

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*****

Girija

22^nd October 2010

Under pressure from the government, the French Senate voted to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62, a victory for President Nicolas Sarkozy after days of street rage, acrimonious debate and strikes that dried up the supply of gasoline across the country. The bill before the French Senate was introduced by President Sarkozy’s government as part of a reform package to move consciously toward a more “American” economic and business structure.

The vote all but sealed passage of the highly unpopular measure, but it was unlikely to end the increasingly radicalized protests. The coming days promised more work stoppages and demonstrations by those who feel changing the retirement age threaten a French birthright.

Sarkozy made overhauling the money-losing pension system a centerpiece of his project to modernize France. Undaunted by weeks of strikes, he ordered measures to unblock fuel depots and refineries to get gas flowing again to desperate motorists.

He declared that history will remember who spoke the truth. With about a quarter of gas stations on empty — down from a third earlier in the week — motorists have been forced to reinvent their lives, particularly at the start of a school vacation period.

The vote came after some 140 hours of debate, with senators casting ballots by hand into a large green urn, approving the bill 177-153. The measure is expected to win final approval by both houses of parliament next week.

Sarkozy’s conservative government cut short the debate via a constitutional article that accelerates the process — and gives the government final word on which of more than 1,000 amendments will get into the bill. He accused strikers of holding the French and their economy “hostage.”

Speaking before the Senate vote, Labor Minister Eric Woerth said the day will come when opponents of the change “will be grateful to the president, to the government and the parliamentary majority for having had the courage to fully assume their responsibilities.”

Impact on fuel

Hours before the retirement vote, riot police forced the reopening of a strategic refinery to help halt crippling fuel shortages.

The impact on the crucial energy sector was an ominous specter for whole sectors of the economy. Employment Minister Laurent Wauquiez said this week that 1,500 jobs have been lost daily since the strikes began in earnest on Oct. 12.

Hours before the Senate vote, helmeted riot police in body armor shoved striking workers aside to force open the gates of the Total SA refinery at Grandpuits, east of Paris, one of four refineries in the Paris region. A bastion of resistance, Grandpuits had been shut down for nine days — one of the nations’ 12 refineries on strike.

“The strikers have opened the valves,” said Franck Monchon, a delegate of the hard-line CGT union. Protesters symbolically burned a coffin after the police intervention.

Despite the government’s efforts to conquer union resistance, Prime Minister Francois Fillon said it would take several days to end gasoline shortages.

The government began unblocking fuel depots days ago and is allowing tanker trucks on the road on a Sunday, when they are normally forbidden. It has ordered oil companies to pool fuel to ensure gas stations are stocked.

The prime minister convened oil industry executives to review the country’s lagging fuel supplies.

The head of the national petroleum industry body, Jean-Louis Schilansky, says it is struggling to import fuel to make up for the shortfall, because strikers are also blockading two key oil terminals, in Le Havre and Marseille. Dozens of tankers remained anchored in the waters off Marseille, unable to unload.

“The problem isn’t so much finding the oil; it is getting it in to the country,” he said. “If the depots and refineries remain blocked, we will not make it.”

Nevertheless, Schilansky insisted that France has weeks or months of fuel reserves.

Marc Touati, head economist for Global Equities, was somber about the consequences of prolonged protests by the fuel sector, saying such a scenario could wipe out between 0.1 and 0.2 percentage points of economic growth. The government predicts economic growth of 2 percent next year, after 1.5 percent in 2010.

Criticism of the vote

Leftist critics called the move a denial of democracy by an increasingly confrontational president.

“No, you haven’t finished with retirement. You haven’t finished with the French,” said Socialist Sen. Jean-Pierre Bel, alluding to an apparently unflagging determination by unions, now joined by students, to keep protests alive — even through the upcoming week of school holidays.

Students planned to block schools, and unions scheduled strikes and protests on Nov. 6 2010.

Sarkozy says overhauling the pension system is vital to ensuring benefits for future generations. Many European governments are making similar choices as populations live longer and government debts soar.

But French unions say the minimum retirement age of 60, in place since 1982, is a hard-earned right and maintain the working class will be unfairly punished. Many fear it is also a first step to dismantling an entire network of benefits, including long vacations and state-subsidized health care, that make France an enviable place to work and live.

Guy Fischer, a Communist senator, denounced the pension overhaul as “brutal, unjust and inefficient.” Like other critics, he said that under the proposal, 85 percent of costs are paid by workers, leaving companies off the hook.

The legislation phases in the new system, with retirement at 62 in force in 2018. It also raises the age for retirement with full benefits from 65 to 67.

Violence around student protests have added a new dimension to the volatile mix.

“It is not troublemakers who will have the last word in a democracy,” Sarkozy told workers at a factory in the Eure-et-Loir region, promising to find and punish rioters. “If we stop companies like you from working, who will pay?”

Disruption in Day-to-day Life

Everyday life in France has been disrupted for the past week as union members, transport workers, students, and concerned citizens demonstrated across the country to protest a plan to raise the retirement age (for partial benefits) to 62 from the current age of 60. Reactions have been strong and onoing: it’s estimated between one and three million French people (of a total population of 62 million) took to the streets this past weekend in a series of protests that continued this week. Nine oil refineries have been blocked, disrupting airline and road travel.  The Guardian reports that up to one-third of French service stations are empty or running low on gas, and sSeveral websites have launched maps designating availability of gas and whether stations are open.

Nicolas Sarkozy was elected on a platform of bringing American-style “reform” to France. However he also ran on a pledge not to increase the retirement age. Protests or no, the bill is expected to pass next week.

Despite the inconvenience, a strong majority of the public supports the actions and opposes the government plan for pension “reform.” A poll conducted this week found that 59% of French people wanted strikes to continue after the contentious Senate vote  This report from Australian TV includes footage of the massive protests…it should be noted that the vast majority of demonstrators were peaceful.

French labor unions vowed to further challenge President Nicolas Sarkozy’s plans to increase the retirement age by organizing more nationwide marches, even after next week, when Parliament is expected to turn a pension bill into law.

A coalition of France’s largest unions called Thursday the 28^th October 2010 for workers to hold at least two more days of nationwide demonstrations, on Oct. 28 and Nov. 6, as rolling strikes by refinery workers continued to cause widespread disruption to gasoline supply on the eve of autumn school holidays.

The common man’s problem

Battling for benefits is a tradition in the Gilly family, passed from generation to generation — as it is for families across the country. And that goes some way toward explaining why the protests against plans to raise France’s retirement age have shown such determination and ferocity.

For Gilly and many other Frenchmen and women, social benefits such as long vacations, state-subsidized health care and early retirement are more than just luxuries: They’re seen as a birthright — an essential part of the identity of today’s France.

The protest against a government plan to raise the retirement age to 62 has special meaning for five members of the Eric Gilly clan who are demonstrating in the streets of Marseille.

“We want to stop working at 60 because it’s something our parents, our grandparents and even our great-grandparents fought for,” says Gilly, 50, a union representative at Saint-Pierre Cemetery, the largest in this bustling Mediterranean port city.

“And over the years … you can see that we’re losing everything they fought for. And that’s unacceptable.”

In Marseille, strikes to protest President Nicolas Sarkozy’s planned retirement reform have shut down docks, left tons of garbage putrefying on sidewalks and drawn tens of thousands into the streets for each of six protest marches since early September.

Gilly, with huge drums strapped over his shoulders, led the parade for the Workers’ Force union Monday. His sister, two daughters and a nephew weren’t far behind.

The nation usually watches with care over its citizens, who for decades have used street power to help shape French policy, sometimes pulling the rug from under politicians’ feet.

Retirement benefits are coveted, by some, perhaps even more than a higher salary, making the issue particularly sensitive. Sarkozy’s plan to raise the retirement age hits a nerve deep in the French psyche.

“France is showing some of its old cultural reflexes,” said Etienne Schweisguth of the Center for European Studies at the Foundation for Political Science. “When there is something we aren’t pleased with we must protest.”

Trying to undo what the state wants dates back to an anarchist tradition of the 19th century, when unions first led a struggle against capitalism and a refusal to align with political parties, said Schweisguth. One wing of the hard-core CGT union, which is leading many of today’s protests, still looks to that tradition.

Despite the anti-government protests, it is the French state that has for centuries been charged with protecting individuals and their rights.

“The state is the guarantor of the moral good,” said Schweisguth, who studies changes in attitudes and values in society.

It was in 1982, under Socialist President Francois Mitterrand, that the minimum age to stop working was lowered from 65 to 60. The measure, emblematic of the 14-year Mitterrand presidency, was adopted by a special ordinance that bypassed parliament.

Sixty has since become a golden number — and the battle cry for entire families fearful of losing benefits bestowed on grandparents, parents or colleagues at work. Including the Gillys.

“This is a family affair because unionism is our big family,” said Stephanie, 22, who is among Marseille’s striking garbage collectors. “Our elders fought for retirement at 60.”

“We have all the generations represented,” she said. “There’s me, my little sister, Dad. There we go. And then there will be our children, too. We will teach them.”

Schweisguth said, that despite the ruckus, strikers represent a minority of the population and that, while polls show backing for such actions, they do not measure the fervor of the backing, which he called “flaccid.”

Sarkozy, a conservative, has made pushing the legal retirement age back up a priority.

“The French are moaners, sometimes grouches. But at the same time they’re lucid, intelligent and responsible,” the daily Le Figaro quoted him as saying in May, when he criticized Mitterrand’s 1982 decision. “They will be able to acknowledge that there is no alternative to our reforms.”

But Sarkozy is increasingly unpopular, and he may be off the mark.

Gilly, a burly man dressed in red from his baseball cap to his Workers’ force union bib, pounds the huge drum hanging from his neck at a street protest against the retirement reform, keeping time to the chorus of voices singing “The International,” the Communist anthem.

“You’re not really going to push up the age of people who retire with this reform,” says his nephew, Mathias Gilly, a retailer. “In reality, it’s going to mean a smaller pension for people when they do retire.”

Gilly packs up his drum for another day, vowing that he and his family will keep up protests — “for as long as it takes.”

October 27, 2010

France’s massive strikes appear to be losing momentum as garbage collectors in the southern city of Marseille went back to work and workers at three oil refineries voted to end their protest.

Striking garbage collectors in Marseille on Tuesday started chipping away at the trash that has piled up in the streets during two weeks of protests over plans to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62. The FO union has voted to end the protest out of concerns over “hygiene and safety.”

Nine oil refineries are still blocked by strikers, but workers at three plants voted to return to the job Monday the 1^st November 2010. It is expected to take a few days to return to normal operation.

About one in four gas stations in France has been shuttered, and trains and schools have also been affected.

Dream Dare Win

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******

Nagesh Prabhu

Law graduates intending to take up legal practice now have to pass an All-India Bar Examination (AIBE) to be conducted by the Bar Council of India on December 5, 2010. Every graduate after enrolment as lawyer in the respective State Bar Council will have to clear this examination, which will test skills and basic knowledge critical for a new entrant to the profession. It is intended to check for eligibility, rather than expertise.

Candidates may apply to appear for the examination only after enrolling as an advocate under Section 24 of the Advocates Act, 1961, and will have to submit suitable proof of such enrolment along with the application form for the AIBE.

Once in six months

The All India Bar Examination is mandatory for all law students graduating from the academic year 2009-2010 onwards. The examination will be held once in six months and anyone failing in the first test can re-appear. AIBE will be conducted in nine languages across 27 cities – Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Kochi, Dehradun, Dharwad, Gangtok, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Panaji, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi, Shillong, Shimla and Vishakapatnam.

The nine languages are Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Oriya and English and the preparatory materials provided to each advocate will be in the language in which they choose to appear for the examination. An advocate will have to pay Rs. 1,300 as fees to appear for the examination, which will include the cost of receiving preparatory materials. Candidates appearing more than once for the examination will be required to pay only Rs.700 which shall not include the cost of receiving preparatory materials.

Candidates will be free to choose an examination centre of their convenience. It will be conducted by the Bar Council of India with the cooperation of the Ministry of Law and Justice.

The last date for submission of application form is October 31, 2010. Preparatory materials in nine languages will be provided to all candidates. Application forms along with an instruction sheet are available with all State Bar Councils and at the Bar Council of India, New Delhi. Candidates can also apply online for the AIBE through www.barexam@barcouncilofindia.org. The Indian legal profession consists of approximately 11 lakh registered advocates, 1,000 law schools and five lakh law students. Every year, approximately 60,000 law graduates join the legal profession.

Opposition

However, final year students strongly opposed the BCI’s decision to introduce examination for fresh graduates to enable them practice in courts. Students’ organisations argued the decision had been taken in haste. They said that for improving any profession, there needs to be systematic planning and consultation. A consensus should be formed before implementing any such important decision, which affects lakhs of law students across the country.

They said that the final year students passing out in June 2010 will be jobless till the Bar examination results are declared. As per the present curriculum, all students have completed the three months’ compulsory internship and secured pre-placement orders. Unfortunately, after the examination was announced, many companies, law firms and offices were revoking their offers, citing the examination and there was no guarantee that they would get back the placement offers after January 2011, they said in a representation to the Union Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily.

The methodology

According to the Bar Council of India, the All India Bar Examination (AIBE) will have 100 multiple-choice questions spread across various subjects. The subjects are taken from the syllabi prescribed by the Bar Council of India for the three-year and five-year LL.B. programmes at law schools in India (as set out under Schedule I to the Bar Council of India Rules).

These subjects are divided into two categories: the first comprises subjects that may be considered ‘foundational’ in nature, those that form the basis for large areas of law; the second comprises other subjects, which a new entrant to the legal profession must also have a basic understanding of. Schedule I to this document contains the list of subjects that will be tested in the AIBE and the weightage ascribed to each of these areas.

The AIBE shall be structured with multiple-choice questions (that is, the correct answer will have to be marked out in the Optical Mark Recognition (‘OMR’) format answer sheet provided, and no writing of an answer will be required.)

These questions will be divided into ‘knowledge-based’ and ‘reasoning’ questions, and advocates will be allowed a maximum of 3 hours 30 minutes to complete the examination. The emphasis throughout is on assessing an advocate’s understanding of an area of law, rather than on the ability to memorise large texts or rules from different areas of law.

The examination will be ‘open-book’, which means that advocates may bring in any reading materials or study aids that they choose, such as the preparatory materials provided, textbooks and treatises, and even handwritten notes. Advocates may not bring any electronic devices such as laptop computers, mobile phones, or any device equipped with a radio transceiver (such as pagers) to the examination centre.

The results generated after the answer scripts are corrected will simply state whether an advocate has or has not qualified for practice (that is, whether the advocate has passed or failed the examination). No percentage, percentile, rankings, or absolute marks will be declared.

Courtesy: The Hindu dated 26.10.2010

Dream Dare Win

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R. Ravikanth Reddy

The rural touch that brings some romanticism to Civil Services with successful candidates springing up from remote villages and poor economic and deprived social backgrounds may be a thing of the past. Making English mandatory in the preliminary test and introduction of mathematical-based testing in the changes announced for Civil Services examinations from next year certainly strengthen the view that it is loaded in favour of urban students.

A vast majority of students in smaller towns see the changes as a big impediment to reach their goal while those hailing from urban areas argue that changes provided a level playing field. However, students who are tuned to management and technology courses will have an upper hand, feels V. Gopalakrisna of Brain Tree that trains Civil Services aspirants.

From next year there will be no optional paper which will be replaced by an aptitude test. The preliminary examination would consist of two papers – Paper-I and Paper-II with 200 marks each. The paper-II will have seven segments including Comprehension, Interpersonal skills including communication skills, · Logical reasoning and analytical ability, Decision making and problem solving, General mental ability, Basic numeracy and Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency. The 33 per cent negative marking, however, continues.

The paper-II looks certainly in favour of students who prepare for management tests and banking examinations.

In fact, coaching institutes say the syllabus has been picked up from management and banking segments. Though the testing style and content may differ but those well-versed with such tests will definitely benefit. “We can see more MBAs and engineers cracking the test now,” feels Hariprasad, a Civil Services aspirant. However, Mr. Gopalakrishna says that instead of jumping to conclusions one should wait for the model papers, which are likely to be released along with UPSC notification.

Though the syllabus prescribed is of 10{+t}{+h} class, trainers express apprehensions that UPSC may not stick to it while preparing the question paper.

They say the paper will be more dynamic with the pattern likely to change every year maintaining the surprise element on the lines of IIT-JEE.

With environment taking centre stage, General Studies paper will have environmental studies that would test candidates for their knowledge in environmental ecology, bio-diversity and climate change.

The changes have paved way to an argument that those memorising subject-based text material and reproducing them in the test will now find it difficult. The modifications will provide a level-playing field to all candidates as they have to answer the same set of questions. Earlier, different cut-off marks were being taken for different optional subjects.

Will the new pattern increase burden on candidates? The opinion is strongly in favour of it. As a teacher at R.C. Reddy Study Circle in Hyderabad feels candidates have to study optional subject from a new angle.

Earlier, candidates used to choose an optional subject right from preliminary and continue it till the Main exam. But now they have to prepare for English and Maths related questions separately for prelims and start afresh for the optional subject after clearing prelims.

Nearly 25,000 students from the State apply every year but only half of them end up taking the test. The number might increase now as employees and those working in the industry feel that they too have a chance with the introduction of English and mathematical-based questions. With State students known for their Maths prowess one can expect more aspirants and more successful candidates from the State in the near future.

Courtesy: The Hindu Dated 26.10.2010

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The 2010 Asian Games (XVI Asiad) are held from November 12 to November 27, 2010 in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. Athletes are scheduled to come from about 45 countries all over Asia to compete in the Asian sports Olympics. They had competed in standard sports like track and field, gymnastics and soccer (football) and in Asian sports like several styles of Asian martial arts. All together, athletes will compete in about 42 different sports. Besides seeing Asian athletes in action, spectators can see the opening and closing ceremonies and see one of China’s relatively prosperous megacity regions.

Guangzhou was awarded the right on July 1, 2004, as the sole bidding city. This came after the withdrawal of several cities, from Amman, Kuala Lumpur and Seoul.

Duration: November 12 to 27, 2010
Host City: Guangzhou, China
Co-Host Cities: Shanwei, Dongguan and Foshan.
Features:

• 42 different sports and athletes from 45 Asian Nations.
• It is an Asian Olympics and the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympics.
• Like the Olympics, the Asian Games are held every four years.

History of Asian Games

• Asian Games, the comprehensive sports competition in Asia, is the biggest sports games in Asia, which is held by the member of Asian Sports Federation by turns. Just like such world-wide sports games as Olympics and World Cup, it is held every four years. Far East Games, the predecessor of the Asian Games, was initiated in 1911 by Philippine Sports Association and since then it was held every two years by turns in Manila (Philippines), Shanghai (China), and Osaka (Japan). It was totally held for 10 times until 1937 when the world war broke out. In 1948, people from Asian sports circles who had taken part in Olympics gathered and suggested to resume the Far East Games in a way that it should be held every four years in a larger scale with a new name “Asian Games”. Then the Asian Games will not clash with Olympics. In March of 1951, the first Asian Games was held in India’s capital New Delhi with only 489 participants. When it came to the eighth Asian Games in 1978, the participants had increased to more than 4000. Nowadays, Asian athletes have become a force to be reckoned with in the world sports world and particularly China is undoubtedly the country with great achievements in Sports and the outstanding one among Asia countries.
• During the 14th Olympics, Summer Olympics in London in July of 1948, people from sports circles in China and Philippines planned to resume Far East Games, gathering the counterparts from other Asian countries for consultation. At that time, Guru Sandy, the leading figure in India believed that Far East Games couldn’t well represent the competition level of Asian sports and the Asian people’s spirit of union, therefore, he put forward a Asian Games belonging to all the Asian countries. He visited every Asian sports delegation for London Olympics and invited the representatives from 13 countries such as South Korea, China, Philippines, etc. for a conference to establish an Asian sports organization. During it, the relative documents and regulations were drafted and the first Asian Games was agreed to be held in New Delhi in February 1949. (Because of the incident within India, the Asian Game delayed and went on in 1951.)
• After the World War II, many Asian countries got rid of colonial domination, regaining independence and liberation and establishing a new regime. As the harm caused by the war faded, people lived a stable life and the sports gradually became popular. Then, the Olympic Games, interrupted for 12 years because of the war, resumed. Under such a historical condition, people in Asian sports circle hoped to set up a unified and authorized Asian sports institution, bringing the Asian sports forward.

XVI Asian Games (Asiad) in Guangzhou, China

Popular sports in China and East Asia include table tennis, soccer, badminton and martial arts. Along with these sports, there will be weightlifting, softball and rugby competitions. Basketball has become very popular among China’s children and young people due to watching American NBA games and Yao Ming.

The competitions will actually be held in four cities of the Guangzhou metropolitan region. These are Guangzhou itself, Foshan, Dongguan and Shanwei. Dongguan is a large and somewhat polluted industrial city that is one of China’s largest exporting areas. It is on the CHR bullet train between the Louhu border in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, so travel there is convenient and quick and takes only about 40 minutes.

As part of the games, there will be opening and closing festivities that can be watched at Haixinsha Island in the Pearl River. People expect a light show, a mysterious lightning show, and the usual choreographed marching and dancing, etc. The opening ceremonies are directed and organized by Chen Weiya who was the assistant director of the 2008 Summer Olympics. He said that the ceremony will “surprise the world.” The show will begin about 8pm and the”mysterious lightning” will be unveiled at 9:42.

This is the second time that China has hosted the games. The first time was in 1990 when Beijing hosted the 11th Asian Games. The Asian Games are the world’s second largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games and are held every four years. Hosting the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou gives southern China a chance to showcase its new economic power and prosperity. Guangzhou is part of one of China’s major megacities. It is in Guangdong Province, which is a major electronics manufacturing area of the world. Tickets are already on sale.

Mascot and Emblem

The mascots of the Asian Games 2010 Guangzhou are five sporty goats, respectively named Xiang, He, Ru, Yi, Le Yangyang which mean harmony, blessings, success and happiness. The mascot design is based on the legend of the Five Goats in Guangzhou. Legend goes like this: in over 2000 years ago, Guangzhou was a barren countryside, and people of Guangzhou were suffering famine. One day, five immortals who took five goats which have an ear of corn in the mouth fly on Guangzhou. The immortals prayed for an end to famine, then flew into the sky as the five goats turned into fossils. Since then Guangzhou became a beautiful and affluent place. The five goats’ fossils become the sign of Guangzhou, and the 2010 Asian Games LOGO design is also based on the fossils. There is a complex historical myth and story associated with these names. But all together, these names actually form a catch phrase with a kaleidoscope of meanings and connotations including “joy” and “foreign.”

The emblem of the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games was announced in 2006. In this emblem, there is the Asiad sun symbol that is the emblem of the Asiads, four tracks and the Olympic flame. There is an unofficial emblem with the biggest goat at the top and the four little goats representing the four tracks.

Participating Countries and Regions

East Asia: China, Hong Kong China, Macao China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea, South Korea, Mongolia

Southeast Asia: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor, Vietnam

South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

West Asia: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, United Arab Republic, Yemen

Sports

Aquatics

• Diving
• Swimming
• Synchronized Swimming
• Water polo

Archery
Athletics
Badminton
Baseball
Basketball
Boxing
Bowling

Cycling

• BMX
• Road
• Track
• Mountain Bike

Canoeing

• Sprint
• Slalom

Chess

• Chess
• Weiqi (Go)
• Xiangqi (Chinese Chess)

Cue Sports
Cricket
Dance
Dragon Boat Racing

Equestrian

• Dressage
• Eventing
• Jumping

Fencing
Football
Golf

Gymnastics

• Rhythmic Gymnastics
• Trampoline

Handball
Hockey
Judo
Kabaddi
Karate
Modern Pentathlon
Roller Sports
Rowing

Rugby Union
Sailing
Sepak Takraw
Softball
Shooting
Squash
Table Tennis
Taekwondo

Tennis

• Tennis
• Soft Tennis

Triathlon

Volleyball

• Beach Volleyball
• Volleyball

Weightlifting
Wrestling
Wushu

Guangzhou is ready to host 2010 Asian Games

Twelve new stadia have been built. Three new subway lines have opened, and six others extended. The athletes’ village has been polished and scrubbed — the bathrooms have already been fitted with shampoo and toilet paper.

There are few signs in this sprawling southern port city of the last-minute scramble to the finish-line that dominated headlines ahead of the Commonwealth Games in India. Several of the 70 stadia that have been readied for the Games — 58 existing venues have also been renovated — have already held test events.

Guangzhou, a city that is often in the shadows of Beijing and Shanghai, is using the Asian Games to undergo an expensive image makeover, transforming an old, crowded port city into a modern business hub.

The city has spent 123 billion yuan ($18.49 billion or Rs. 82,400 crore) for the Games on widening roads, building bridges, expanding the airport and cleaning its famously polluted waterways. Much of this amount — 109 billion yuan (Rs. 73,000 crore) — went towards urban development projects, dwarfing the reported Rs. 28,248 crore New Delhi spent on the Commonwealth Games.

The most ambitious project has been upgrading the metro rail system, which has been lengthened from just one 18 km-line eight years ago to over 236 km.

Eighty per cent of the venues will be connected by new subway lines, which have already opened ahead of the November 12, 2010 inauguration.

A much-publicised clean-up campaign has also had mixed results. Roads and parks are cleaner, and the government has spent millions on new sewage treatment plants, but many are yet to open. Statistics say the air quality during the Games will be markedly improved, but largely because of the vehicle ban and a government order temporarily closing down nearby factories.

The infrastructure overhaul has also seen one of China’s oldest cities lose much of its heritage. Many of Guangzhou’s 138 urban villages — neighbourhoods of narrow alleyways and homes which date back to the 12th century — are being demolished to make way for new apartment complexes as part of the modern makeover. The project, though unrelated to the Games, has been rushed through in recent months.

China to deploy massive 1454 member delegation for Asian Games

Hosts China will be deploying its biggest ever delegation comprising 1,454 members, including 977 athletes, in 2010’s Asian Games to be held in Guangzhou.

Chinese athletes will participate in 41 sports and 447 events to retain its top position in the Asian Games beginning from November 12. The Asian Games feature 28 Olympic sports and 280 Olympic events.

Thirty five former Olympic champions including Chen Yibing, Liu Xiang, Lin Dan, Zhou Suhong, Zhu Qinan and Wang Liqin will take part in the Games besides rising stars such as Feng Zhe, Zhang Chenglong, Liu Shiwen will be part of the Chinese delegation.

Since the ninth Asian Games in 1982, China has dominated the medal rankings. At the last Asiad, in Doha four years ago, China claimed 165 gold medals, 88 silver and 63 bronze.

The Asian Games is believed to be the largest-scale sporting event in the world. Besides the 28 Olympic sports, it also involves 14 non-Olympic sports, including wushu, cricket, rugby and chess.

China all set to floor the world

The stage is set, and China is ready to set the Pearl River on fire. Even as suspense builds up as to who would light the cauldron, and how it would be done, there is no mystery as to who would dominate the 16th edition of the Asian Games that is set to spring to life on Friday.

Once it floors the rest of the world with what promises to be a breathtaking opening ceremony, China will get to the business of scooping the gold medals, and possibly end up with a record haul.

Phenomenal growth

The growth of China in the world of sports has been phenomenal. Beijing Olympics showed the Chinese in fine light as the host collected 51 gold medals to top the table ahead of the super powers, the US and Russia. Japan managed to win 13 gold, and Korea, nine.

Yet, China has already set such an imposing record in the Asian Games that it would need some doing to better its own mark.

The team had won 164 of the 426 gold medals in the last edition in Doha, which pales in comparison to the 183 of 313 gold medals that it had won in Beijing, two decades ago, when it hosted the Games for the first time.

Though Korea and Japan were reduced to clutching 58 and 50 gold medals respectively in 2006, when the Chinese women alone had accounted for 91 gold, it may not be possible for China to crush the former leaders of the region any further and unrealistically set a target of 200 gold medals from a total of 476 that would be on offer.

Launching pad

Though the organisers trumpet that ‘Citizens before gold’ as the motto of the Games, so as to use the opportunity of hosting the mega event to improve the quality of life for its citizens in the region, there is no doubt that the event would serve as the launching pad to elevate China to greater heights two years hence, in the Olympics in London.

China has a string of World and Olympic champions, with the evergreen Liu Xiang looking for a hat-trick in the 110-metre hurdles in the Asian Games.

Badminton stars Lin Dan, Chen Jin, Lu Lan, Cai Yun, Fu Haifeng, divers He Chong, Qin Kai, Luo Yutong, Huo Liang, Wu Minxia, Chen Ruolin, swimmers Wu Peng, Chen Zuo, Chen Huijia, Jiao Liuyang, gymnasts Chen Yibing, Yan Mingyong, Yang Yilin, shooters Cao Yifei, Zhu Qinan, Pang Wei, Liu Yadong, Yi Siling, Guo Wenjun, Li Xueyan, Li Rui, table tennis exponents Ma Lin, Ma Long, Zhang Jike, Guo Yue, lifters Wu Jingbiao, Lu Yong, Wang Mingjuan, Li Ping, Li Xueying, Liu Chunhong, Cao Lei, wrestlers Zhao Shasha, Zhang Lan and Li Dan will be some of the familiar Chinese names, ready to share the responsibility in the gold hunt.

The Koreans will try to beat Japan in the total number of medals as well, apart from the gold tally, after having won 193 to Japan’s 198 in the last edition.

World and Olympic champion, Tae-Hwan Park who had launched his career with gold medals in the 200, 400 and 1500-metre freestyle swimming events in the last edition (apart from 100m silver and three bronze medals in relays) on way to the ‘most valuable player’ award, would once again attempt to spearhead Korea’s assault on the gold medals, with support from the archers, judokas and lifters among others.

Japan’s challenge

Japan with a contingent of 1,078 that includes coaches and officials, will look up to the two-time double Olympic and World champion, swimmer Kosuke Kitajima, apart from two-time Olympic and eight-time World champion, wrestler Saori Yoshida.

Japan was overtaken at the top of the medals table in the 1982 edition by China, and pushed to the third spot in the following edition in Seoul.

Kazakhstan (23 gold), Thailand (13), Iran (11) and Uzbekistan (11) had all finished ahead of India (10) in Doha. The equation may not change much though Chinese Taipei, Malaysia, Qatar and Singapore would attempt to overtake India.

Pakistan will try to show its prowess in cricket and hockey. In short, there will be something for most of the nations to prove, leading to a lively fortnight.

After having given a glimpse of its growing economy with the Beijing Olympics and the Shanghai Expo earlier this year, spending about $90 billion in all, China would take the opportunity to improve its stature, a shade better than the 610-metre tall Canton Tower.

Anti-doping measures

With 1,500 urine and blood tests planned as part of the anti-doping measures, 300 more than Doha, it could lead to the proclamation of another ‘clean Games’, expected to feature 9,704 athletes.

Little drops of water make the mighty ocean. China will start its campaign with a little drop of water, at the opening ceremony, and possibly wind up with a pot of gold at the end of the Games. China is bound to win the heart of the world in the bargain, yet again!

609 Athletes to represent India in Asiad

Indian Olympic Association said that as many as 609 athletes, including 249 women, will represent the country in 35 different disciplines in the 16th Asian Games to be held in Guangzhou, China, from November 12 to 28.

It will be India’s largest ever contingent to take part in the Games.

“We are delighted with the progress made by Indians in a number of Olympic sport in the past few years and are confident that our athletes will do well in the Asian Games as well to sustain the national sports fans’ interest,” said IOA president Suresh Kalmadi.

“Our contingent will draw confidence from India’s wonderful showing in the recently-concluded Commonwealth Games where our athletes won a record 101 medals including 38 gold.

They are aware of the different challenges presented in the Asian Games and are geared up to deliver their best efforts,” he said.

The Indian contingent will include 127 coaches, 44 managers, eight doctors, seven physiotherapists, six masseurs, nine technical officials, 12 contingent officials, six government observers (athletics, cycling, kabaddi, rowing, shooting and wrestling), five nominees of the Sports Authority of India and 10 other officials.

In the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, India sent 432 athletes to compete in 31 disciplines and finished with a total of 53 medals including 10 gold, 17 silver and 26 bronze.

Scintillating start to Asian Games – 12.11.2010

China painted a memorable canvas on the sky, as lithe girls danced on water and strong men jumped around high in the air, in front of four huge sail-boat screens that towered above the arena to mark the opening ceremony of the 16th Asian Games Guangzhou, China on 12.11.2010. The city was lit up beautifully — the Canton tower stood majestically on one side and the skyscrapers with colourful lighting formations provided a brilliant backdrop.

From an arena on the Pearl River that had speed boats whizzing past, spraying water all around and fountains rising into the sky, the stage turned into a platform. White horses galloped across it and eventually it turned into the stage for the athletes to march. And then the cauldron emerged. Gagan Narang carried the flag for India and the contingent was almost in strength to imbibe the energy of the electrifying atmosphere.

Novelty

In another novelty, the cauldron was lighted like a firecracker by Olympic diving champion He Chong. A flower pot threw sparks so high that it lit the cauldron that was 26-metres high. And then it was time for massive fireworks. The 600-metre tall Canton tower, the tallest TV tower in the world, had fireworks from the top to bottom.

The president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah aptly said, “we are proud of the opening ceremony.” It was a ceremony that surpassed everything that has been performed in all the Olympics including the Beijing Games. In taking the opening ceremony away from the limitations of a stadium, Guangzhou turned the whole area into an amphitheatre. It was art and craft at its best.

With 45 floats, depicting 45 Asian countries and regions in a fabulous spectacle on the river, it was time to set sail on the wings of imagination. A boy floated from the sky on a leaf, and poured water from a bottle, and that stretched into the venue.

Then it was time to set the Pearl River on fire at the Haixinsha island. The Chinese did it in great style, in a spell binding programme that did not lose momentum through two-and-a-half hours.

Beautifully painted

It was tough for the 100 television cameras to capture the huge mosaic that was so beautifully painted. Words fail, and one is not ashamed of it, for it was a spectacle that was beyond imagination, let alone description.

The Chinese told the story of the Maritime Silk Road, and a dozen others, with dance and energy. Their energy showed why they win so many gold medals at the Olympics or Asian Games. The dance of the red Kapok petals threw up a charming Canton girl who danced with water. That was followed by 180 girls in light-emitting skirts.

The ship from the ocean made a round in front of the audience with sailors at their robust best, and the fisherwomen bidding them adieu, providing a captivating picture. It set out on a voyage, carrying the red lanterns along with hope. Mermaids then lit up the water with their antics, and eight motorboats swept across the water, enacting difficult stunts to wow the audience into silence.

Another high

Another high point was when 180 performers presented a four-dimensional show on the huge sail-shaped screens, with 1320 operators on the ground moving them into various patterns by pulling the strings. The sight of the gymnast on roman rings, rising from the water and jumping from a height was indeed stunning.

The Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao, declared the Games open. Badminton star Fu Haifeng took the oath of honour on behalf of the athletes while gymnastics referee Yan Ninan took the oath on behalf of the referees.

2006  Asian Games Top Ten Medals Winners

Country (Team)      Position      Number of Medals        Gold      Silver       Bronze

China                     1                 316                             166          87            63

South Korea          2                 193                             58            53            82

Japan                     3                 198                             50            71            77

Kazakhstan            4                 85                               23            20            42

Thailand                 5                 54                               13            15            26

Iran                       6                 48                               11            15            22

Uzbekistan            7                 40                               11            14            15

India                      8                 53                               10            17            26

Qatar                     9                 32                               9             12            11

Chinese Taipei       10               46                               9             10            27

A commendable effort by the Indian contingent
It was a commendable effort by the strong Indian contingent of 626 athletes to come up with a decent performance of 64 medals including 14 gold, to be ranked sixth in the Asian Games.

It may be unfair to compare the fare with the rich show in the Commonwealth Games last month when India won 101 medals including 38 gold, to finish second behind Australia.

It is a good sign that India’s performance did not slump after such a high, as it had more athletes who could rise to the occasion and deliver the results when the heroes struggled to find another peak so soon.

Somdev Devvarman was a glorious exception as he followed the Commonwealth Games individual tennis gold, with the singles and doubles gold medals in the Asian Games. He also became the only Indian athlete to win two gold medals along with A.C. Ashwini who won everyone’s heart with the 400m hurdles gold, apart from her role in the relay triumph.

In fact, the biggest Indian athletics squad also acquitted itself honourably with five gold, two silver and four bronze medals. Preeja Sreedharan, Sudha Singh and Joseph Abraham made the athletics buffs happy though many would not have been able to digest the fact that Tintu Luka only won the bronze.

Back to tennis, Sania Mirza played her part well despite ill health, as she and Vishnu Vardhan made the the mixed doubles final apart from playing her firebrand game in singles till she bowed out in the semifinals to take the bronze.

Pankaj Advani was one of the rare athletes to defend his gold medal won in billiards in Doha in 2006. In fact, he opened the gold count for India.

The hero of Indian sport for the last two years, the charming Vijender Singh, the World and Olympic medallist, helped India finish on a high by beating the two-time World champion Abbos Atoev of Uzbekistan. It was a breakthrough gold for him, after the bronze in Doha.

With Vijender’s admirer, the 18-year-old Vikas Krishan making another breakthrough with gold the previous day, 12 years after the last gold medal in boxing in Asiad by Dingko Singh for India, the future of the sport looked bright.

The 13 boxers returned with nine medals, though it was a disappointment that the five-time World champion Mary Kom had to settle for bronze.

The shooters, at the end of a long season, were unable to gather the energy for a final thrust.
Yet, Ronjan Sodhi was brilliant in silencing the Chinese in their backyard with a stupendous fare in double trap when he won by a four-point margin, after making the final four points behind the leader.
Obviously, a collection of one gold, three silver and four bronze medals was no reflection of the true strength of Indian shooting which has been shining consistently on the big stage.

Bajrang Lal Takhar was another classic case of four years of hard work paying dividends as he graduated from the silver in Doha to a memorable gold. The rowers won three other silver medals and a bronze.
Kabaddi continued to be the foundation for Indian performance, as it delivered a double gold, though the women’s team was given a scare by Iran in the semifinals.

In 1990, India had won a solitary gold medal through kabaddi, in the Asian Games in Beijing.

Virdhawal Khade won the first swimming medal since 1986, after missing another by 0.03 seconds. Ashish Kumar continued to excel in gymnastics though it was a bronze medal in the floor exercise.

Tarundeep Rai winning the individual silver was another breakthrough effort in archery, in which the Indian teams were stopped by the mighty Korea and had to settle for bronze.

Golf and sailing provided precious silver medals, but other sports, to name a few, such as badminton, basketball, table tennis, volleyball and weightlifting drew a blank.

It was disappointment for Indian hockey fans after winning just the bronze medal, but the team was vibrant in defeat and could develop into a strong unit.

The women’s team needs to focus on the game and train harder. World No.3 Saina Nehwal’s early exit in badminton was a blow, and it showed that she still had to put her game together so as to be able to tackle different situations and varied opponents.

Overall, it was a healthy improvement from the 53 medals won in the last edition, and it was the best collection for India, beating the 57 won in Delhi in 1982, when the team had won 13 gold medals. India had won 15 gold medals in 1951 in the inaugural edition that featured 489 athletes from 11 nations.

The Chinese won 199 gold medals in a total of 416 with a contingent of 960. India had many disciplines that were just making the numbers, as it fielded athletes in 37 disciplines but won medals in only 18 of them.
Wushu and roller sports also made the right impact with medals. But, the wrestlers managed only three bronze medals in the absence of world champion Sushil Kumar. Squash was as good as wrestling with three bronze medals. In Indian sports, the problem is not with the numbers but the lack of quality preparation.

Asian Games 2010 Medal Tally and Status (Nations Wise) – Final Day (27.11.2010)

Medals won by India in Asian Games, 2010
Gold Medals
1. Billiard Sports ADVANI Pankaj – Men’s English Billiards Singles Gold medal
2. Rowing TAKHAR Bajrang Lal – Men’s Single Sculls Gold medal
3. Athletics SINGH Sudha – Women’s 3000m Steeplechase Gold medal
4. Athletics SREEDHARAN Preeja – Women’s 10,000m Gold medal
5. Tennis Somdev Devvarman / SINGH – Men’s Doubles Gold Medal
6. Shooting SODHI Ronjan – Men’s Double Trap Gold medal
7. Somdev Devvarman won Gold medal in Tennis Men’s Singles for India
8. Ashwini Chidananda won Gold medal in women’s 400m hurdles event
9. Joseph Abraham won Gold medal in men’s 400m hurdles event
10. Krishan Vikas won Gold medal in Men’s 60kg Boxing
11. India Kabaddi India won the Men’s Gold medal
12. India Kabaddi India won the Women’s Gold medal
13. India Athletics India won the Women’s 4 x 400m Relay Gold medal
14. Vijender Singh Men’s 75kg Boxing Gold medal

Silver Medals
1. Billiard Sports India Men’s Snooker Team Silver medal
2. Shooting Shooting Gagan Narang Silver medal
3. Shooting Women’s 10m Air Pistol Team Silver medal
4. Shooting Men’s 10m Air Rifle Team Silver medal
5. India achieved Silver medal in the Rowing Men’s Four
6. India achieved Silver medal in the Rowing Lightweight Men’s Four
7. India Sandhyarani Wangkhem achieved Silver medal in the Wushu Women’s Sanshou 60kg
8. Golf – Men’s Team – Silver Medal
9. Indian Team won Silver medal in Rowing Men’s Eight
10. Sailing – Open Match Racing – Silver Medal
11. Kavita Raut – Athletics Women’s 10,000m – Silver Medal
12. Tennis Sania Mirza / VARDHAN Mixed Doubles Silver Medal
13. Tarundeep Rai won Silver medal in Archery Men’s Individual
14. Dinesh Kumar won Silver medal in Men’s 81kg Boxing
15. India Boxing VIROTHU Santhosh Kumar won the Men’s 64kg Silver medal
16. India Athletics SREEDHARAN Preeja won the Women’s 5000m Silver medal
17. India Boxing SINGH Manpreet won the Men’s 91kg Silver medal

Bronze Medals
1. Shooting KUMAR Vijay Men’s 10m Air Pistol Bronze medal
2. Billiard Sports KUMAR Alok Men’s 8-Ball Pool Singles Bronze medal
3. Artistic Gymnastics Ashish Kumar Men’s Floor event Bronze medal
4. Chess Dronavalli Harika Women’s Individual Bronze medal
5. Swimming Virdhawal Vikram Men’s 50m Butterfly event Bronze medal
6. Wushu Men’s Sanshou 60kg event Bimoljit Singh Mayanglambam Bronze medal
7. India KUMAR Vijay achieved Bronze medal in the Shooting Men’s 25m Center Fire Pistol
8. India KHADE Virdhawal Vk achieved Bronze medal in the Swimming Men’s 50m Butterfly
9. India Bimoljit Singh Mayanglambam achieved Bronze medal in the Wushu Men’s Sanshou 60kg
10. Billiard Sports – Aditya Snehal Mehta – Men’s Snooker Singles – Bronze Medal
11. Rowing Women’s Pair – Pratima Puhana , Pramila Prava Minz won Bronze medal
12. Shooting Men’s Trap Team – Bronze medal
13. Shooting Men’s Double Trap Team – Bronze medal
14. Squash Saurav Ghosal – Men’s Individual
15. Sania Mirza won Bronze Medal in Tennis Women’s Singles
16. Ravinder Singh won Bronze Medal in Wrestling Men’s Greco-Roman 60 kg
17. Sunilkumar Rana won Bronze Medal in Wrestling Men’s Greco-Roman 66 kg
18. Krishna Poonia won Bronze in Athletics Women’s Discus Throw
19. Pramila Ganapathy Gudandda won Bronze in Athletics Women’s Heptathlon
20. In Boxing Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte Women’s 48-51kg won the Bronze medal
21. In Boxing Suranjoy Singh Mayengbam Men’s 52kg Bronze medal
22. In Boxing Kavita Goyat Women’s 69-75kg Bronze medal
23. In Boxing Paramjeet Samota Men’s +91kg Bronze medal
24. In Squash Men’s Team won Bronze medal
25. In Squash Women’s Team won Bronze medal
26. In Women’s 800m event of Track and Field Tintu Luka won Bronze medal
27. Mausam Khatri won Bronze medal in Wrestling Men’s Freestyle 96 kg
28. India won Bronze medal in Men’s Hockey match
29. India Roller Sports PANCHAL Avani Bhar.. won the Pairs Skating Bronze medal
30. India Athletics RAUT Kavita won the Women’s 5000m Bronze medal
31. India Boxing GOYAT Kavita won the Women’s 69-75kg Bronze medal
32. India Chess India won the Men’s Team Bronze medal
33. India Roller Sports YAMA Anup Kumar won the Men’s Single Free Skating Bronze medal

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