Foreign Secretary-level talks will be held on Jan. 15, Aziz tells Pak Parliament

Pakistan Prime Minister’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.

Amidst of uncertainty in the wake of the Pathankot terror attack, Pakistan Prime Minister’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has said Foreign Secretary-level talks with India are scheduled to take place on January 15, 2016.

In reply to a question in the National Assembly, Pakistan's Parliament, Mr. Aziz on Friday said Pakistan and India’s Foreign Secretaries are scheduled to meet on January 15.

He said the two Foreign Secretaries will decide the time schedule of various meetings under the newly agreed “Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue”.

Mr. Aziz said Kashmir will be part of the talks between the two countries along with several other issues.

Mr. Aziz’s response came to a query by Pakistan Tekreek-e-Insaf party’s Shireen Mazari, who wanted to know the status of dialogue after India’s outgoing envoy T.C.A. Raghavan’s reported remarks that his country will only discuss PoK in talks.

Putting the ball squarely in Pakistan’s court, India has linked the Foreign Secretary-level talks to Islamabad’s “prompt and decisive” action on the Pathankot terror attack for which it has provided “actionable intelligence”.

Uncertainty prevails on talks scheduled for January 15 in Islamabad between Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry following the terror strike on the Pathankot air base which originated from Pakistan.

Amidst of uncertainty in the wake of the Pathankot terror attack, Pakistan Prime Minister’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has said Foreign Secretary-level talks with India are scheduled to take place on January 15, 2016.

In reply to a question in the National Assembly, Pakistan's Parliament, Mr. Aziz on Friday said Pakistan and India’s Foreign Secretaries are scheduled to meet on January 15.

He said the two Foreign Secretaries will decide the time schedule of various meetings under the newly agreed “Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue”.

Mr. Aziz said Kashmir will be part of the talks between the two countries along with several other issues.

Mr. Aziz’s response came to a query by Pakistan Tekreek-e-Insaf party’s Shireen Mazari, who wanted to know the status of dialogue after India’s outgoing envoy T.C.A. Raghavan’s reported remarks that his country will only discuss PoK in talks.

Putting the ball squarely in Pakistan’s court, India has linked the Foreign Secretary-level talks to Islamabad’s “prompt and decisive” action on the Pathankot terror attack for which it has provided “actionable intelligence”.

Uncertainty prevails on talks scheduled for January 15 in Islamabad between Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry following the terror strike on the Pathankot air base which originated from Pakistan.

Seeking support for actions on gun control, Obama tears into gun lobby

Obama’s broadside against the NRA came two days after unveiling a package of executive actions aimed at keeping guns from people who shouldn’t have them.

President Barack Obama tore into the nation’s largest gun lobby on Thursday as he sought support for his actions on gun control, accusing the powerful lobby group of peddling an “imaginary fiction” that he said has distorted the national debate about gun violence.

In a prime—time, televised forum, Mr. Obama dismissed what he called a “conspiracy” alleging that the federal government and Mr. Obama in particular wants to seize all firearms as a precursor to imposing martial law. He blamed that notion on the National Rifle Association and like—minded groups that convince its members that “somebody’s going to come grab your guns.”

“Yes, that is a conspiracy,” Mr.Obama said. “I’m only going to be here for another year. When would I have started on this enterprise?”

Mr. Obama defended his support for the constitutional right to gun ownership while arguing it was consistent with his efforts to curb violence and mass shootings. He said the NRA was refusing to acknowledge the government’s responsibility to make legal products safer, citing seatbelts and child-proof medicine bottles as examples.

Mr. Obama, taking the stage at George Mason University, said he’s always been willing to meet with the NRA if they’re willing to address the facts. He said the NRA was invited to the forum but declined to participate. Several NRA members were in the audience for the forum, which was organised and hosted by CNN.

U.S. President Barack Obama participates in a live town hall event on reducing gun violence hosted by CNN’s Anderson Cooper (R) at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia on Thursday.

“There’s a reason why the NRA’s not here. They’re just down the street,” Mr. Obama said, referring to the group’s nearby headquarters. “Since this is a main reason they exist, you’d think that they’d be prepared to have a debate with the President.”

The White House has sought to portray the NRA, the nation’s largest gun group, as possessing a disproportionate influence over lawmakers that has prevented new gun laws despite polls that show broad U.S. support for measures like universal background checks. Last year, following a series of mass shootings, Mr. Obama pledged to “politicize” the issue in an attempt to level the playing field for gun control supporters.

NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said ahead of the event that the group saw “no reason to participate in a public relations spectacle orchestrated by the White House.” Still, the group pushed back on Mr. Obama in real time on Twitter, noting in one tweet that “none of the President’s orders would have stopped any of the recent mass shootings.”

The American Firearms Retailers Association, another lobby group that represents gun dealers, did participate. Asked how business had been since Mr. Obama took office, Kris Jacob replied- “It’s been busy.”

“There’s a very serious concern in this country about personal security,” he added.

Mr. Obama’s actions on guns have drawn major attention in the presidential campaign, with the Democratic candidates backing Mr. Obama and the Republicans unanimously voicing opposition. Donald Trump, addressing a rally in Vermont just as Mr. Obama was holding the town hall, said he would eliminate gun-free zones in schools on his first day if elected to the White House.

“You know what a gun—free zone is for a sicko? That’s bait,” Mr. Trump told the crowd.

Mr. Obama’s broadside against the NRA came two days after unveiling a package of executive actions aimed at keeping guns from people who shouldn’t have them. The centerpiece is new federal guidance that seeks to clarify who is “in the business” of selling firearms, triggering a requirement to get a license and conduct background checks on all prospective buyers.

The plan has drawn intense criticism from gun rights groups that have accused the President of trampling on the Second Amendment and railroading Congress by taking action on his own without new laws. Just after his 2012 re-election, Mr. Obama pushed hard for a bipartisan gun control bill that collapsed in the Senate, ending any realistic prospects for a legislative solution in the near term.

Part of a concerted White House push to promote the effort, the forum attracted a number of high-profile figured in the gun debate, including former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in 2011. Mr. Obama took questions from Taya Kyle, whose late husband was depicted in the film “American Sniper,” and Cleo Pendleton, whose daughter was shot and killed near Mr. Obama’s Chicago home.

Ahead of the forum, Mr. Obama put political candidates on notice that he would refuse to support or campaign for anyone who “does not support common-sense gun reform” including Democrats.

All the candidates running for the Democratic presidential nomination support stricter gun laws, so Mr. Obama’s declaration in a New York Times op-ed isn’t likely to have an impact on the race to replace him. Instead, it appeared aimed at Democratic congressional candidates from competitive districts who might want Mr. Obama’s support on the campaign trail this year.

North will pay for H-bomb test: S Korea

North Korea said it successfully tested a miniaturised hydrogen nuclear device on Wednesday , claiming a significant advance in its strike capability and setting off alarm bells in Japan and South Korea. The test, the fourth time the isolated state has exploded a nuclear device, was ordered by supreme leader Kim Jongun and successfully conducted at 10am local time, North Korea's official KCNA news agency said. “Let the world look up to the strong, self-reliant nuclear-armed state,“ Kim said in what North Korean state TV showed as a handwritten note.
The test drew condemnation abroad, including from China and Russia, North Korea's two allies. The White House said it could not confirm Pyongyang's claims but added that the US would respond appropriately to provocations. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japan would make a firm response to North Korea's challenge aga inst nuclear non-prolifera tion. “North Korea's nuclear test is a serious threat to our nation's security and we can not tolerate it,“ Abe said. “We strongly denounce it.“
South Korea said it would take all possible measures, including possible UN sanc tions, to ensure Pyongyang paid the price after its fourth nuclear test. China expressed “resolute opposition“ and sa id it would lodge a protest with Pyongyang.
While a fourth nuclear test had been long expected, the claim that it was a hydro gen device, much more po werful than an atomic bomb, came as a surprise, as did the timing.
It ensures that North Ko rea will be a key topic during the US presidential campa ign. North Korea has long coveted diplomatic recogni tion from Washington but se es its nuclear deterrent as crucial to ensuring the survi val of its third-generation dictatorship.
“With Iran being off the table, the North Koreans have placed themselves at the top of the foreign policy agenda as far as nation-states who present a threat to the US,“ sa id Michael Madden, an expert on the country's secretive lea dership. South Korean intel ligence officials and several analysts, however, questio ned whether Wednesday's ex plosion was indeed a full-fled ged test of a hydrogen device.
The device had a yield of about 6 kilotons, according to the office of a South Korean lawmaker on the parliamen tary intelligence committee -roughly the same size as the North's last test, which was equivalent to 6-7 kilotons of TNT.
“Given the scale, it is hard to believe this is a real hydro gen bomb,“ said Yang Uk, a se nior research fellow at the Ko rea Defence and Security Fo rum. “They could have tested some middle stage kind (of device) between an A-bomb and H-bomb, but unless they come up with any clear evi dence, it is difficult to trust their claim.“
Joe Cirincione, a nuclear expert and president of Plo ughshares Fund, a global se curity organisation, said North Korea may have mixed a hydrogen isotope in a nor mal atomic fission bomb.
“Because it is, in fact, hyd rogen, they could claim it is a hydrogen bomb,“ he said.
“But it is not a true fusion bomb capable of the massive multi-megaton yields these bombs produce.“
The US Geological Survey reported a 5.1magnitude qua ke that South Korea said was 49 km from the Punggye-ri si te where the North has con ducted nuclear tests in the past. North Korea's last test of an atomic device, in 2013, also registered at 5.1 on the USGS scale.
The test nevertheless may mark an advance of North Korea's nuclear technology .
The claim of miniaturising, which would allow the device to be adapted as a weapon and placed on a missile, would al so pose a new threat to the US and its regional allies, Japan and South Korea.

Source:- Times Of India, 07-Jan-2016





Whistleblowers must be protected: Apex court

Observing that whistleblowers exposing corruption is a global phenomenon and a reality in the country , the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Centre to put in place an administrative mechanism for their protection as they face threats and harassment for bringing to light irregularities in government departments. With Whistleblowers Protection law still pending in Parliament for years and in the absence of any effective administrative set-up to deal with the issue, a bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justices A K Sikri and R Banumathi said there was “absolute vacuum“ which could not be allowed to go on.
Hailing the role played by whistleblowers in exposing corruption, the bench said the government could not turn a blind eye to the need for their protection and directed the Centre to spell out within a week the steps it intended to take for their protection.
“Take a firm stand on the time-frame within which you will bring administrative set up to protect whistleblowers.This is part of the evolution of system to meet the need of people. The concept of whistleblower is a global phenomenon and has become a reality. They will be there and the government cannot wish it away ,“ the bench said.
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the bench that the bill has been passed in Lok Sabha and is pending in Rajya Sabha. But the bench reminded the Centre that the court had earlier directed it to set up administrative mechanism for whistleblowers' protection, which must be complied with.
It granted a week's time to the AG to take instructions from the Centre on the timeframe within which the government would put in place the mechanism.





Source:- Times Of India, 07-Jan-2016

Top US expert: ISI planned attack on Pathankot base

The assessment in India that the Pathankot terrorist attack was initiated by the Pakistani military (PakMil) establishment was endorsed on Tuesday by Bruce Riedel, a top US author ity on counter-terrorism, who was an analyst with the CIA and has advised several presi dents on security issues in the region. He said the ISI was be hind the attack, aimed at sab otaging the peace process.

“The attack is designed to prevent any detente between India and Pakistan after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surprise Christmas Day visit to Pakistan,“ Riedel a Washington insider who is familiar with the workings of the Pakistani establishment going back to the Kargil invasion, wrote in the Daily Beast, while suggesting that PakMil had used the proscribed and revived Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) for the attack.

Riedel told TOI, “The history of Jaish-e-Muhammed is very clear. It was created by the ISI and its activities are protected by them as well.That was true in 2001 and remains so today“. Riedel attributed his assessment to “knowledgeable sources“.

Riedel has warned that the “Pakistani intelligence service has the capability to launch more attacks with little notice, at some point prompting a vigorous Indian response“. JEM founder Maulana Ma sood Azhar kept a low pro file for several years after LET's 2008 attack on Mumbai, but he reappeared publicly in 2014, giving fiery calls for more attacks on India and the United States. His group is technically illegal in Pakistan but enjoys the continuing patronage of the ISI,“ former White House official Bruce Riedel has revealed in an article in the Daily Beast.

The reason for PakMil's continued show of hostility against India is well-known and well-chronicled ­ the posture allows it to loot billions of dollars even from the depleted national treasury , leaving the occasional civilian government to carry the can, begging and borrowing from rest of the world.

“The ISI is under the generals' command and is composed of army officers, so the spies are controlled by the Pakistani army , which justifies its large budget and nuclear weapons program by citing the Indian menace,“ Riedel wrote. “Any diminution in tensions with India might risk the army's lock on its control of Pakistan's national security policy .“

The army continues to distinguish between ''good'' terrorists like JEM and LET and ''bad'' terrorists like the Pakistani Taliban, despite decades of lectures from American leaders.

But the same duplicitous Pakistani policy has also made suckers of Americans, Riedel acknowledged, saying although Washington put JEM on the terrorist sanctions list years ago, ''it continues to coddle the Pakistani army .'' He also pointed out how General Raheel Sharif got a warm embrace from Pentagon last fall ''despite the ISI's support for the Afghan Taliban's offensive against the Kabul government and despite the Pakistani military's backing of terror groups like JEM.'' To put it bluntly , the United States backs a terrorist entity , but few people in Washington say it directly or publicly . Georgetown University scholar C Christine Fair came closest over the weekend, tweeting, ''I don't understand why my country keeps coddling this terrorist state.'' 

Source:- Times Of India, 07-Jan-2016

The way forward in Nepal

While media attention has been focussed on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise Christmas rendezvous in Lahore with Nawaz Sharif and the terrorist attack at the Pathankot airbase, significant developments on the Nepal front have been taking place. Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Oli telephoned Mr. Modi on New Year’s Eve to convey his greetings for 2016 and informed him about his government’s plans to move forward with the three-point package while undertaking negotiations with the agitating Madhesi leaders of the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM). In response, Mr. Modi reiterated the need to find durable solutions to Nepal’s political problems on the basis of “consensus” and conveyed his greetings to the Nepali people for 2016.

Shift or drift?

However, there are subtle changes of position underway. The first sign came on December 21 following the decisions taken by the Nepali cabinet to address the demands of the SLMM. The three-point package consists of constitutional amendments on participation in the state organs on the basis of “proportionate inclusiveness” and delineation of electoral constituencies on the basis of population. Demarcation of provinces was to be undertaken in a three-month period through a political mechanism on the basis of consensus, and other demands — including those pertaining to “citizenship” — are to be resolved through negotiation and appropriate notification. Nepal’s Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa had already briefed External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj about this road map during his visit to Delhi last month.

In an official statement, India’s Ministry of External Affairs welcomed these developments as “positive steps that help create the basis for a resolution of the current impasse in Nepal”. The statement further urged “all Nepali political forces to now demonstrate the necessary maturity and flexibility” so that a resolution to the current crisis could be found. The formal Indian statement has been followed by an informal easing of supplies, particularly fuel and LPG, by using border-crossing points other than the Raxaul-Birgunj crossing which remains blocked.

According to the Nepal Oil Corporation, the sole petroleum importing agency, its monthly imports were usually in the order of NPR 7 billion; these went down to NPR 1.5 billion during October-November but have picked up again and could reach NPR 4.5 billion during December-January. This would imply that more than 50 per cent of the fuel supplies are now going through legally, in addition to the cross-border smuggling activity which has also picked up.

Growing list of demands

However, the SLMM rejected the Oli government’s three-point package as “inadequate” and declared that it fell far short of their 11-point charter of demands. Originally, there were four principal demands — demarcation of provinces which related to five districts, Sunsari, Jhapa and Morang in the east and Kanchanpur and Kailali in the west; restoring population as the primary criteria for electoral constituency delimitation; proportional representation in government jobs; and issues relating to citizenship. With rising political polarisation over recent months and the inflexible approach adopted by the three principal parties — Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) or UML and the Maoists — the list of demands has grown. It now includes democratisation of the army and other security agencies; restructuring of the judiciary; declaring Nepal a multi-national state; equal status to other languages like Hindi and Bhojpuri; a reference to the principle of “proportional representation” in the section on Fundamental Rights and the establishment of a constitutionally empowered Inclusion Commission to monitor implementation of the proportional representation principle.

In December, the four SLMM leaders — Mahant Thakur, Rajendra Mahato, Upendra Yadav and Mahendra Rai Yadav — visited Delhi and cautioned that the agitation was taking the shape of a movement. Unless their demands were addressed in a timely manner, the movement could take a violent turn and the demand for separatism would grow. Their feeling was that the Oli government was not serious about reaching out and was keen to push through the amendments and postpone resolution of other issues. The import of this message was not lost on Delhi. The SLMM thought that this would make Delhi tighten the screws and push the Nepali government towards a comprehensive settlement; instead, worried about greater violence in the Terai with an 1,800-km-long open border, Delhi reacted differently, and as a result, differences have now emerged within the SLMM. Mr. Mahato would like to continue with the agitation while others are uncertain.

Division in the ranks

On December 26, Mr. Mahato decided to do a dharna at the Jogbani-Biratnagar crossing where truck movement had picked up and was badly beaten up by the Nepal police. He is currently convalescing at Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon. The other three did not join the dharna and Mr. Mahato’s supporters are miffed that a condemnation of the attack on their leader took so long coming.

Sensing an opportunity, the Oli government reached out to the SLMM leadership for a meeting in Kathmandu on January 3. Mr. Thakur, accompanied by relatively junior leaders, attended. On his side, Mr. Oli was accompanied by Nepali Congress president and former PM Sushil Koirala, Maoist leader and former PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and others. Upendra Yadav and Mahendra Rai Yadav happened to be out of town. A week earlier, the Oli government had set the wheels in motion for the constitutional amendment process by formally tabling it in the Assembly. At this stage, no dialogue was underway with the SLMM to get them on board and in the debates that followed, Madhesi parties boycotted the proceedings. On January 4, the Assembly concluded its deliberations and after the mandated period of 72 hours for amendments to be tabled, will begin voting on the amendments. PM Oli has proposed the setting up of a task force to arrive at an agreed language for the amendments. Defence Minister Bhim Rawal (UML), K.B. Mahara of the Maoists and Mahesh Acharya (Nepali Congress) have been nominated by the three main parties; with the clock ticking, the SLMM may fracture if individual leaders try to go it alone in the task force.

Mending fences

PM Oli has been adept at flaunting the China card. In October last year, there was much fanfare about China supplying 1,000 metric tonnes of petroleum products to alleviate the shortage. Considering that the annual requirement is closer to a million tonnes, this is a tiny amount. Also the infrastructure in terms of roads and bridges to the Tibet border does not permit movement of heavy tankers and LPG bullets. Nepal’s attempts at negotiating long-term agreements with China have not gone very far. However, Nepali media had carried stories that Mr. Oli, in a departure from past practice, would undertake his first foreign trip to China instead of India. The only Nepali prime minister to have done so was Mr. Prachanda in 2008. He, however, insisted that it was not a bilateral visit as he was going to attend the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics and his first official bilateral visit would be to India. Apparently, in the telephone conversation on December 31, Mr. Modi reiterated his invitation to Mr. Oli to visit India and the missions have been directed to work out mutually convenient dates at the earliest. However, Mr. Oli will find it difficult to visit Delhi unless the border situation has returned to normal and movement of goods and supplies has been restored. If the SLMM agitation is called off, he can then claim with some justification that his nationalistic posture, together with the anti-India rhetoric, has paid off. Given the strain Mr. Modi’s “neighbourhood first” policy is under on the Pakistan front, it is understandable that he would like Mr. Oli to stick to tradition.

How did things reach such an impasse? The fact is that nobody thought that the Madhesi agitation and the consequent restrictions on cross-border movement of goods would last this long. As a result, nobody had a Plan B and rhetoric replaced communication. With the key players losing control, the situation went into a tailspin. The Oli government found it convenient to stoke Nepali nationalism and deflect attention away from its own incompetence by blaming India. The SLMM’s demands continued to grow with no negotiations in sight and rising anti-Indianism hardly sat well with Mr. Modi’s “neighbourhood first” diplomacy.

The supply situation has now eased but the Oli government needs to offer a healing hand to the Madhesis to get them on board. If he fails, he may find it difficult to deal with the ensuing instability. The Madhesis need to reach out to the Tharus and Janajatis, the other marginalised groups. For India, the challenge is to give greater political content to its engagement, rebuild trust with the Oli government, and revive the positive sentiments generated by Prime Minister Modi’s visits in 2014.

Source:-The Hindu, 07-Jan-2016

Time for questions on Pathankot

There is much relief as quiet finally returns to Pathankot. However, the immediate questions that need to be asked are about the way the security operation was carried out from the moment a specific intelligence alert came to the Centre about the possible targeting of the Pathankot airbase. This newspaper has already reported that by Christmas, a foreign intelligence agency had passed on a tip-off about terrorists planning to attack the base. Was that not treated with seriousness because most intelligence alerts do not mean anything? Is the response a reflection of the poor quality of general intelligence alerts? On January 1, early morning, the abducted Superintendent of Police, Salwinder Singh, reported to the local police that his vehicle had been snatched. By afternoon, the government at the Centre had confirmation about the presence of terrorists in Pathankot. What the security establishment did from that moment raises several questions. A meeting chaired by the National Security Adviser and attended by, among others, the chiefs of the Army and the Air Force, decided to rush NSG commandos from Delhi. How did they take that decision, when it was clear that an airbase had to be protected and terrorists could be anywhere in the district? Does this reflect the poor thinking of senior members of the security establishment? Or does it hint at autocratic decision-making in New Delhi without professional participation?

Over the last few days, the government has been making a desperate effort to defend the course of action that was followed in fighting terrorists. From informal briefings in New Delhi to the formal briefing on Wednesday evening by Lt. Gen. K.J. Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, the government has been putting up a spirited defence of the operations. Gen. Singh admitted that the first to react to the terrorists were the DSC (Defence Security Corps) and Garuds, but added that the second contact was the Army columns. As Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar did on Tuesday, Gen. Singh claimed that there was total operational synergy, and he justified the time taken by saying that forces had to be applied sequentially, and not simultaneously, and they were also careful to avoid a hostage situation and other eventualities. However, all this does not answer the basic criticism by military veterans and security experts: despite the Pathankot airbase being at shouting distance from thousands of Army soldiers trained to deal with terrorists, why were they not even called in to provide perimeter security to the base? What was the need to send the NSG into a military installation where the Army’s para commandos and quick reaction teams would have been more familiar with the terrain? Why was the operational command not handed over to the senior-most Army commander on the ground? The answers should not only inform decisions to hold those responsible accountable for the mis-step in operations, but also lead to an upgrade of existing protocols.

Source:- The Hindu, 07-Jan-2016

HC puts question mark on continuing with odd-even

Taking note of the inconvenience caused to the public at large by the odd-even rule for restricting vehicles on the roads, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Aam Aadmi Party government if the experiment could be discontinued after a week instead of the 15 days as originally stipulated.

Hearing a bunch of public interest writ petitions challenging the December 28, 2015, notification, a Division Bench of the court directed the Delhi government to submit the data indicating changes in pollution levels in the city since January 1, when the scheme was launched on an experimental basis.

The Bench, comprising Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath, observed that the government should pay attention to the “great inconvenience” caused due to the inadequate public transport system in the city as well as practical difficulties with implementing the odd-even scheme.

The Bench said the status report submitted by the government on Wednesday was vague and sought information about the pollution caused by taxis running on diesel and CNG, which have been kept out of the purview.

The court's directions came on the PILs by various individuals on different grounds, such as the legislative competence of the government to issue a notification fixing a fine of Rs.2,000 for violating the rule and exemption granted to women drivers and two-wheelers.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on Friday, while asking the government to file a status report with data on the pollution levels in different parts of the city till Thursday.

“Government must have collected data on pollution for six days. We think it is sufficient”.

Source:- The Hindu, 07-Jan-2016

North Korea claims to have tested hydrogen bomb

North Korea declared on Tuesday that it had detonated its first hydrogen bomb.

The assertion, if true, would dramatically escalate the nuclear challenge from one of the world’s most isolated states.

In an announcement on Central Television, the state-run network, North Korea said the test was a “complete success”. But it was difficult to tell whether the statement was true. North Korea has made repeated claims about its nuclear capabilities that analysts elsewhere have greeted with scepticism.

“This is the self-defensive measure we have to take to defend our right to live in the face of the nuclear threats and blackmail by the United States and to guarantee the security of the Korean Peninsula,” the television announcer said, reading a statement.

The North’s announcement came about an hour after detection devices around the world had picked up a 5.1 seismic event along the country’s northeast coast.

It may be weeks or longer before detectors sent aloft by the U.S. and other powers can determine what kind of test was conducted.

A spokesman for the White House National Security Council said in a statement that U.S. officials “cannot confirm these claims at this time”.

But he said the White House expected “North Korea to abide by its international obligations and commitments”. — New York Times News Service

Source:- The Hindu, 07-Jan-2016 

MVD e-Seva kendras to keep touts away

The Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) has roped in Kudumbasree to commence 72 e-Seva Kendras to provide hassle-free service to motorists and to keep touts and middlemen away from its offices.

The e-Seva Kendras, to be manned by Kudumbasree volunteers, will function from the premises of 17 Regional Transport Offices (RTO) and 55 Joint RTOs in the State from February 1. The motorists will get all services related to payment of fee and motor vehicle tax at these kendras on payment of a nominal fee.

“The aim is to ensure hassle-free service to the motorists stepping into the MVD offices and to keep the touts and middlemen away. We have seen that they fleece those who do not have access to the online facility extended,” State Transport Commissioner Tomin J. Thachankary said.

The e-Seva Kendras will function under the direct supervision of the RTO and Joint RTO. The MVD has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for smooth functioning.

Internet connectivity

Two computers, printer, scanner, photocopier, and Internet connectivity will be made available by the MVD.

The applications submitted will be accorded top priority after the ones received through fast-track counters.

The RTOs and Joint RTOs have been asked to ensure that the touts and middlemen do not get service from these kendras, the Transport Commissioner said.

Data that may be helpful:

Important Points:

• Kudumbashree :- Launched by the Government of Kerala in 1998 for wiping out absolute poverty from the State through concerted community action under the leadership of Local Self Governments, Kudumbashree is today one of the largest women-empowering projects in the country.

Source:- The Hindu, 07-Jan-2016

Big boost to big ticket land development projects

Stalled for years due to legal and other reasons, two crucial development projects for Mumbai – the Dharavi redevelopment and Salt Pan development – have been set in motion by the Devendra Fadnavis government. While the Chief Minister on Wednesday cleared the bid document for Dharavi redevelopment in central Mumbai, the State is likely to submit to Centre the master plan for development of salt pan land spreading over 13,000 acres across the State.

Mr Fadnavis on Wednesday chaired a crucial meeting to discuss the Rs 15,000-crore Dharavi Redevelopment Project, and cleared the bid structuring for the project, paving the way for the tendering process within next two months. The BJP-led government has increased the size of the tenements under the project from 300 to 350 square feet. The ambitious project which will redevelop prime piece of land adjoining the Bandra Kurla Complex had been stalled since 2004 over contentious issue of the size of tenements and appointment of project consultants.

Similarly, the plan to open up stretches of Salt Pan land for development in landlocked Mumbai has also been stuck in complex litigation. The government had appointed the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to prepare a master plan to enable development of mass housing projects. The MMRDA is giving finishing touches to a master plan, which is likely to be submitted to the Centre within the next one month, sources said.

In August 2015, the Fadnavis government had initiated the process of using these land pockets of salt pan land to build mass housing projects, primarily for Economically Weaker Sections and Lower Income Groups. The master plan will map the land and provide an estimate of how much of this land can be developed.

The salt pan land pockets are located on Mumbai’s eastern water front, far suburbs of Vasai, Virar and Palghar districts and are estimated to be around 5,300 acres.

Source:- The Hindu, 07-Jan-2016

Is government not a polluter, asks SC

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought parity from the government, asking why it should not dump its fleet of five to 10-year-old diesel vehicles and join forces with the citizen who is forgoing his personal comfort to fight pollution in the National Capital. In a day-long hearing before a Bench led by Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur, who himself opted to car pool with a fellow Supreme Court judge to curb pollution, the Supreme Court asked why the government apparatus required differential treatment from the citizen.

“How can the government be a polluter? Is the Government of India willing to phase out five to 10-year-old vehicles running on diesel?” the apex court asked.

Further tightening its grip on the pollutant traffic inflow into Delhi from outside, the apex court ordered that entry points at National Highways 2, 10, 58 and State Highway 57 should be shut down for heavy commercial traffic not meant for Delhi. The next hearing is scheduled for January 20.

Source:- The Hindu, 06-Jan-2015

A disaster that nearly was

If there is one lesson from the recent floods, it probably is not to obstruct the path of a water course.

If the State government goes ahead with its planned satellite township at Tirumazhisai, it will come up in the path of a furious rain run-off zone, putting not only the town in danger, but also Chennai, just over 30 km away.

Going by the map sourced from the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board, the township sits literally in the mouth of the Chembarambakkam reservoir, one of the key waterbodies supplying drinking water to the city.

It is also poised at the cusp of water run-off courses from nearly 22 water bodies in the north of Chennai draining into the reservoir, and the Nemam reservoir.

Days after the flood waters receded from the rest of the areas in the city, the entire zone was under a sheet of water, indicating the reality of the water run-off and the great danger it poses to the region it sits on during high floods.

Among the first few announcements when the AIADMK government came to power in 2011, it said about 300-odd acres at Tirumazhisai had been acquired to be developed into a township.

The Chief Minister made a suo motu statement in the Assembly: the Rs. 2,160-crore satellite township would come up on 311.05 acres owned by the TNHB.

It would include Chembarambakkam, Kuthambakkam, Parvatharajapuram, Narasingapuram and Vellavedu villages.

A total of 12,000 flats will be constructed and made available to the economically weaker section and low and middle income groups, she added.

The Chief Minister said the government would negotiate with land owners to acquire 12.87 acres to create an approach road to the satellite town, which would have all basic amenities, including drinking water, facilities for disposal of sewage, storm water pipes, streetlights, schools, hospitals, community halls, parks, play grounds and a bus stand.

Data that may be helpful:

Important Points:

• Chembarambakkam lake, is a lake located near Chennai in Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu

Source:- The Hindu, 06-Jan-2016 

Sharif dials Modi after NSAs confer

On a day of high-level diplomatic activity over the attack on the Pathankot airbase, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi, assuring him of Islamabad’s support in investigating the leads provided by New Delhi, hours after their National Security Advisors spoke to each other.

Acknowledging the urgency of the situation, Mr. Sharif placed the call from Colombo, during his state visit there, and the conversation indicated that both Prime Ministers were in favour of continuing the recently renewed diplomatic engagement.

In the call that lasted about 15 minutes, Mr. Modi reportedly made it clear that the evidence from the attack on the air force base in Punjab led directly to a group in Pakistan. “Prime Minister Modi strongly emphasised the need for Pakistan to take firm and immediate action against the organisations and individuals responsible for and linked to the Pathankot terrorist attack. Specific and actionable information in this regard has been provided to Pakistan,” the statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs shortly after the telephone call on Tuesday afternoon, said.

Mr. Sharif assured Mr. Modi that his government was investigating the leads provided by India to Pakistan’s National Security Adviser, Gen. (retd.) Janjua. According to Mr. Sharif’s spokesperson, the Pakistan Prime Minister said his government was “working on the leads and information provided by the Indian government.”

It is the first time the two leaders have spoken since they met on December 25 when Mr. Modi made a surprise visit to Lahore, and comes in sharply contrasting circumstances, as the attack on the airbase has thrown a cloud over the future of India-Pakistan engagement.

The spokesperson told The Hindu Mr. Sharif also pointed out that “whenever a serious effort to bring peace between two countries was under way, terrorists try to derail the process,” adding: “Both the Prime Ministers agreed that a cordial and cooperative relationship between two countries would be the most appropriate response to the nefarious designs of the terrorists.”

Source: The Hindu, 06-Jan-2016

Monsoon claimed 421 lives in TN

A total of 421 persons died in rain-related incidents, including floods that severely affected Chennai and the northern districts, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said on Monday.

From October 1, as many as 49 lives were lost before the arrival of the north-east monsoon. Between October 28, when the monsoon set in, and December 31, 421 persons died, she said in a statement.

While the families of 245 deceased have already been granted a solatium(a thing given to someone as a compensation or consolation) of Rs. four lakh each, the remaining would be covered in the next few days.

The rains affected crops cultivated over 3.82 lakh hectares. A total of 68,350 farmers were granted compensation of Rs 29.48 crore and the rest would be covered soon, Ms. Jayalalithaa said.

Nearly a lakh cattle goats and pigs died during the monsoon and a compensation of Rs 7.78 crore was disbursed to owners. Another Rs. 12.82 crore was granted towards loss in the fisheries sector.

So far, relief to the tune of Rs. 700 crore was disbursed and the rest would be covered by January 11, the Chief Minister added.

She recalled the efforts taken by the State government towards rescue and relief measures for the affected persons.

The large-scale damage following the rains, which was later declared a ‘Calamity of Severe Nature’ severely affected Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Cuddalore, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli districts

 

Data that may be helpful:
Meanings:-

• solatium :- a thing given to someone as a compensation or consolation

 

Source:-The Hindu, 05-Jan-2015

Temporary capital: Amaravati to be the focal point

The State government is contemplating(think deeply and at length) constructing temporary capital in 29 villages which are centrally located in the capital region.

The government chalked out plans to construct six lakh square feet of office space to shift the Secretariat and the Assembly. Six blocks, each with a floor space of one lakh sq. ft, will come up in the next six months.

The government is considering all possibilities, including pre-fabricated, RCC and steel structures to construct the temporary capital, according to Municipal Administration Minister P. Narayaana.

G plus one

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Mr. Naarayana said that the government was planning to construct G plus one building, each floor with a space of 50,000 sq.ft.

However, foundation would be constructed for six floors. The AP Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) would use it for commercial purposes in future, he said.

Only 3 villages likely

to be affected

The State government was determined to shift the darbar in the next six months. Ministers, secretaries and a few HODs would be seated at the temporary capital. The proposal to utilise the office space at Medha Towers at Gannarvaram near here was also under consideration, he said.

The Minister allayed fears that ‘expressway’ and ‘aerial roads’ would pass through the villages. Only three villages -- Mandadam and Kistayaplaem --were likely to be affected. (The Minister did not disclose the name of the third village.)

The CRDA officials were also to ensure minimum possible damage to properties and land acquisition. The government would compensate land for land and pay double compensation even if portion of some buildings were to be demolished, he said.

Data that may be helpful:
Meanings:-

• contemplating :- think deeply and at length

Source:- The Hindu, 05-Jan-2016

9 killed as 6.7 magnitude quake jolts Northeast

Nine persons were killed and over 120 seriously injured as an earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale hit Manipur early on Monday, damaging several buildings, including government offices, schools and hospitals.

The epicentre of the quake which struck at 4.30 a.m., was at Kabui Kjulen, 10 km from Noney sub-division of Manipur’s Tamenglong district, officials said.

People were jolted by the quake across the northeastern and eastern States including Assam, Tripura, West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand.

While seven persons, including a teenaged girl, were killed in Manipur, one person each died in Bihar and West Bengal.

Two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were deployed in Manipur and rapid action squads of the State Health Department were despatched to the affected areas. Another NDRF team was sent to Assam.

Source:-The Hindu, 05-Jan-2016

ITBP commandos save the day in Afghanistan

Two alert constables of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force thwarted(prevent (someone) from accomplishing something) an attempt by terrorists to storm the Indian Consulate building at Mazar-i-Sharif in Northern Afghanistan, which came under attack on Sunday night, a senior government official said.

The two terrorists were either injured or killed by the ITBP commandos as the jawans saw the bodies being dragged away by other members of the group.

Three bodies were recovered outside the consulate on Monday, though an unknown number of terrorists engaged in a fierce(having or displaying a violent or ferocious aggressiveness) gun battle with the Afghan forces till late on Monday night. “The role of the ITBP was to secure the premises when it was attacked during the night. Our men performed that duty quite well. Their morale is high and it is because of their alertness, the attack could be averted,” said Krishna Chowdhury, DG, ITBP.

Though the Ministry of External Affairs initially said the consulate building could not have been the target, ground reports and analysis of the grenade fired from the rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launcher establish that the terrorists wanted to attack the building. The RPG burst missed the consulate but hit another building behind, which led the MEA to believe initially that they were not the target, a senior government official explained.

The first attempt to storm the consulate was made at 9.15 p.m. on Sunday, when the terrorists fired thrice from the RPG. This alerted the ITBP commandos who stopped them at least 150 metres away from the main entrance.

More commandos joined in and they held fort for more than two-and-a-half hours till the Afghan National Police took over from them. Late on Monday night, the Afghan authorities declared that the gun battle had ended and all terrorists had been killed.

Data that may be helpful:
Meanings:-

• thwarted :- prevent (someone) from accomplishing something
• fierce:- having or displaying a violent or ferocious aggressiveness

Source: The Hindu,  05-Jan-2016

Only 33% of Muslims work, lowest among all religions

Muslims have the lowest share of working people -about 33% -among all religious communities in India. This is lower than the nationwide average work participation rate of 40%.

The figure for Jains and Sikhs stands at 36% each. Buddhists, comprising mostly Dalits who embraced Buddhism in the 20th century , have a high working population share at 43%. For Hindus, the figure is 41%. Drawn from the Census 2011 data, the statistics show a faith-based profile of India's 482 million strong workforce.The figures haven't changed much from the 2001 Census, indicating a stasis in the economic status of communities.

The key reason behind low work participation rates in some communities seems to be the low work participation of women. Women's participation is just 15% for Muslims and Sikhs, and even lower at 12% among Jains. Among Hindus, there are 27% working women, while it is 31% for Christians and 33% for Buddhists. Several smaller faiths fall under `Other Religions'. These are mostly tribal communities from peninsular India and the northeastern states. Their work participation rates are markedly different from other communities. Nearly 48% of members of this section work, more than any of the country's six major religious communities. Women's work participation is also highest in tribal communities, at nearly 44%.

Census data also provides a picture of how many are engaged in what kind of work. For the country , 55% of workforce is in agriculture, as cultivators or as agricultural workers. The Census classifies all occupations in industry and services as `Other', a convention since British times. This makes up 41% of all workers.Only 13% of Jains are involved in agriculture, the lowest for any community .

While 41% of Muslims and Christians work in agriculture, this goes up to 47% among Sikhs and to 54% for Buddhists. The highest share of workers involved in agriculture is among Hindus, at 57%.

The Jain community is predominantly working in industry and services. Muslims too are largely concen trated in these sectors as are Christians. Muslims are also notably more involved in the `Household Industry' category which is mainly artisanal work like carpentry , black-smithing etc.

Among tribal communities classified under `Other Religions', over 80% of their members are working in agriculture, indicating their poor economic status. 

Source:- Time Of India, 04-Jan-2015

Stay the course after Pathankot

Within the short space of a month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government have gone through the entire cycle of India-Pakistan ties, as they have played for the past two decades ever since the two countries agreed to a composite, structured dialogue between them. There has been talks about talks, talks about terror, a brief moment of euphoria with gestures of renewing ties from the leaders, followed by an attack. While Mr. Modi’s Lahore landing was certainly bold, it has not yet proven to be the game-changer that perhaps he too hoped it would be. Instead, the same kind of terrorist attack that has always accompanied India-Pakistan engagement hit Pathankot in the early hours of Saturday. As with similar attacks in the past, it should not surprise anyone if the terrorists came from Pakistan, and belonged to an anti-India group the Pakistani army has neatly sidestepped in its otherwise fairly successful crackdown on terrorists in the past year. Frustrated by their inability to hurt India, the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and others have tried to retain their relevance by instead targeting the India-Pakistan dialogue process time and again. By not calling off talks immediately after the attack, the Modi government seems to have indicated it will not allow these groups the satisfaction of achieving those aims. A sustained dialogue is the only fitting answer to terrorist groups and to their handlers inside the Pakistan establishment who wish to destabilise the peace process. In fact, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told Parliament last month that India would not “be provoked by saboteurs who want to stop the dialogue process in one way or another”.

Going forward, the talks process must be further insulated from the ‘veto’ of these forces. First, the foreign secretaries must move quickly to set up a timetable of meetings of all the secretaries in the two countries involved in the comprehensive dialogue. The process will receive momentum if India and Pakistan agree to a resolution on what are often called the “low-hanging fruit” of issues such as visas, confidence building measures on the Line of Control, water issues and the Sir Creek dispute. The more issues they are able to agree on, the greater their chances of addressing the single largest issue that holds back ties today, that of terrorism. On this, it is for Pakistan to show its good intentions, by acting against the JeM and LeT, both in court and on the ground in Punjab where they run extensive militias. India must stay the course it has set in the past month, including during the National Security Adviser talks, where it has delivered its message firmly, but quietly, with no hint of the one-upmanship that can hamper engagement. These actions will pave the road that was opened by the two Prime Ministers on Christmas day, allowing them to slice through the proverbial Gordian knot on India-Pakistan ties, rather than having to disentangle the ends that constantly threaten to strangle peace in the subcontinent.

Source:- The Hindu, 04-Jan-2016

In Paris, taking stock of the big challenges

A new year gives us an opportunity to learn from past lessons. Last year, two events made Paris appear on front-page headlines: the terror attacks and the climate deal. Could the Paris agreement be an answer to terrorism as we know it today? Aren’t climate change and terrorism manifestations of the same world process, even though their interconnections might be complicated?

A 2014 U.S. Department of Defense report pointed to climate change being one of the major threats to the country’s national security. In November, when Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders referred to the occurrence of drought in Syria as a push factor for terrorism in that country, most people had rubbished it as an overstretched argument, but retired U.S. Rear Admiral and meteorologist David W. Titley made the same point. The U.S. government reports note how climate change has the potential to create instability and poverty in countries it affects the most, leading to discontent that pushes people to take up arms.

But what voices in the U.S. fail to acknowledge is how both climate change and terror are consequences of the plundering of fossil fuels. The complicity of powerful nations such as the U.S. in creating a situation in which both terrorism and climate change have managed to thrive has not been emphasised by the mainstream discourse.

Gathering evidence

The Nigerian energy activist, Ken Henshaw, while deposing against the U.S.-based international oil and gas company, ExxonMobil, at the People’s Climate Summit on the sidelines of the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, drew linkages between oil extraction activities around the Niger delta and the rise of extremist groups such as Boko Haram. “Nigeria is now called a terrorist country due to Boko Haram insurgency,” he said. “Much of the insurgency exists in the region bordering Lake Chad. In the last ten years, the lake has shrunk 20 times its original size. Livestock cannot breed anymore in the lands around the lake... People have become destitute, [have] joined criminal gangs... insurgency and fundamentalism thrive, as it has become easier to recruit people.” He said that linking climate change to terror is often viewed as an exaggeration, but failing to see the connections between the two would leave us blind to one of the most obvious existential crises in the world.

The “resource curse” phenomenon is very much at work in countries such as Nigeria, where the wealth of natural resources has not empowered the local communities, but has fuelled social conflict instead. Conflict brews among agents of world powers that buy oil, the ruling elites who profit from selling it, and the local population that struggles to maintain control over these resources. This has created an ideal condition for terrorism to thrive. Let’s look at Afghanistan or Iraq. Though terrorist organisations such as the al-Qaeda trace their origins back to the Cold War days, what has exacerbated tensions in the country of its origin today is the struggle over controlling natural resources. The Iraq invasion too was primarily motivated by the U.S.’s own greed for oil. The works of leading intellectuals such as Noam Chomsky and Mahmood Mamdani have exposed how the U.S. “war on terror” is essentially a war for controlling oil resources. While Professor Chomsky’s work has focussed on the U.S.’s actions in Arab nations, Prof. Mamdani has written about the conflict in Darfur, Africa. In his 2003 essay ‘Wars of Terror’, Prof. Chomsky recalls how former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his staff discussed the “campaign of hatred against us [the U.S.]” in the Arab world, “not by the governments but by the people”. The basic reason is the recognition that the U.S. supports corrupt and brutal governments and is “opposing political or economic progress” in order “to protect its interest in Near East oil”, Prof. Chomsky writes. Today, China too has joined this race to plunder, taking major initiatives to develop the Amu Darya basin in Afghanistan, to be able to drill oil from the region. But such exploitation, without addressing the problems of corruption and the lack of government accountability, has directly aided the cause of terror.

Another concern is how revenues from oil are helping to fund terror, as is the case of the Syrian oil fields helping fund the IS. And though the U.S. recently surpassed Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest producer of oil, it continues to depend on oil-rich countries for augmenting its fuel supplies. Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Iraq figure in the top five countries from where the U.S. imports most of its oil. The oil dependency of the world powers is, thus, not only brewing trouble in countries from where the fuel is being extracted, but also making them vulnerable to attack from militant groups. It is this dependency that is also keeping the U.S. from acting decisively against the Saudi government, despite suspicion since the 9/11 days that the country is funding terrorist groups. Realising this, world powers are now switching to alternative sources of fuel such as shale gas, though environmental groups are resisting it, as it involves fracking.

Pact and context

The Paris Agreement has to be, therefore, situated in this broader geopolitical context. It was hardly surprising that in the lead-up to the final day of the UN climate summit, Saudi Arabia, the largest oil supplier in the world until recently, was the one country that opposed the climate deal, as its economic interests were at stake. But it finally budged, as it found itself increasingly sidelined at the negotiating table. Clauses on human rights were dropped from the operative portions of the agreement text, in keeping with Saudi Arabia’s demands, in order to achieve consensus over the agreement. The Paris Agreement is thus nothing but a diplomatic victory for world powers, as they can now mobilise the deal to work towards alternative pathways to energy production. This will help reduce oil dependency in their economies, and also help devise methods to drive down the profitability of oil, which could dry up funding for terror as well. There remain fears that much like the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the Paris agreement too could suffer from a lack of implementation from powerful nations. However, with world powers now compelled to act out of self-interest to keep terror at bay, one hopes things would be different this time. The lesson from Paris 2015 is this: until world powers stop digging black gold from Iraq, Africa and Saudi Arabia, the webs of violence, terror and climate change will continue.



Source:- The Hindu, 04-Jan-2016