Across Eastern Europe, memorials to those died fighting the Nazi’s are being dismantled and the far right rehabilitated.
Eg-Estonia, Latvia, Poland etc
Estonians who have worked in German SS divisions are described as fighters for Estonia’s independence and on the retirement record being added.
In Poland names of streets, Soviet memorials are being removed.
May be an added factor in the present stand off between Russia and NATO on the location of interceptors and radars in Poland..
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
DRDO-Look who’s talking:
Balasaheb Vikhe Patil haeded parliamentary standing committee on defence has noted that many of DRDO’s difficulties are caused by the changing of the QR (qualitative requirements ) by the services midstream ,and the long and extended trails by them.
For imported items ,a DRDO scientist noted that”the services are willing to dilute their QR if the supplier can bring down the price.Why cant they extend the same concessions to systems developed by our scientists”
Committee also noted that the indigenously developed systems are subjected to prolonged and exhaustive trials and evaluation
Most of the problems are with IAF.Navy has an excellent co opration with the DRDO.
Navy is very much satisfied with the capabilities of the DRDO.Sangraha,Varunastra,Mareech projects were completed successfully with no cost over run.
Not enough design engineers in DRDO ,and the rate of the attrition is also high.
For imported items ,a DRDO scientist noted that”the services are willing to dilute their QR if the supplier can bring down the price.Why cant they extend the same concessions to systems developed by our scientists”
Committee also noted that the indigenously developed systems are subjected to prolonged and exhaustive trials and evaluation
Most of the problems are with IAF.Navy has an excellent co opration with the DRDO.
Navy is very much satisfied with the capabilities of the DRDO.Sangraha,Varunastra,Mareech projects were completed successfully with no cost over run.
Not enough design engineers in DRDO ,and the rate of the attrition is also high.
Pollution,traffic could have cost Delhi the Asian games:
Evaluation committee of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) listed the 2 areas of concern in its report following its visit to Delhi to assess its readiness to host the games
The bidding committee had assured a separate lane to avoid traffic congestion
Also small counties may have ditched India during the secret ballot voting
New Delhi also banked on the fact that it is hosting the 2010 Commonwealth games and most of the infrastructure would be ready for the Asian games.
India hosted the 1951 and 1982 games.
The bidding committee had assured a separate lane to avoid traffic congestion
Also small counties may have ditched India during the secret ballot voting
New Delhi also banked on the fact that it is hosting the 2010 Commonwealth games and most of the infrastructure would be ready for the Asian games.
India hosted the 1951 and 1982 games.
Smuggling rampant on Tamil Nadu coast:
State is witnessing an influx of Sri Lankan –Tamil refugees and also smuggling.
Fuels, medicines, calipers, components for explosive manufacture are being smuggled from several “landing points” along Ramanathapuram coast.
Loads of ball bearings and aluminium ingots were found in raids.
LTTE in possession of high speed boats. Couriers and crew members are either fishermen or refugees already staying in southern districts.
Smuggling done for cash and liquor from Sri Lankan side.
Thousand of Indian boats entering sea and cross IMBL (International Maritime Boundary Line) freely across Palk Strait and Mannar.
LTTE is under pressure with depleting financial resources and increasing war excpenditures.India offers the only easy access to essential supplies.
Consignments being routed from AP, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu
Fuels, medicines, calipers, components for explosive manufacture are being smuggled from several “landing points” along Ramanathapuram coast.
Loads of ball bearings and aluminium ingots were found in raids.
LTTE in possession of high speed boats. Couriers and crew members are either fishermen or refugees already staying in southern districts.
Smuggling done for cash and liquor from Sri Lankan side.
Thousand of Indian boats entering sea and cross IMBL (International Maritime Boundary Line) freely across Palk Strait and Mannar.
LTTE is under pressure with depleting financial resources and increasing war excpenditures.India offers the only easy access to essential supplies.
Consignments being routed from AP, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu
Village service for doctors:
Govt to make it mandatory from 2008-09 for all new MBBS graduates to serve in a rural area for one year as a pre condition for being granted permanent registration is commendable.
The rural posting will underpin NRHM (promise made in CMP)
Today upto 40% of doctors posted in primary and community health centers fail to turn up
This will decrease quackery which is flourishing due to lack of enough number of doctors in rural areas
In contrast to urban presence of allopath , 60% of 5.5 lakh practitioners of traditional medicals systems are in rural areas
Lot of other challenges many rural health centers lack infrastructure, diagnostic tools, drugs etc.
A move to make it mandatory for doctors to attend periodic CME-continuing medical education is highly laudable.
Some 70% of India’s 4.5 lakh + doctors and 80% of 6 lakh hospitals are in the urban areas.
The rural posting will underpin NRHM (promise made in CMP)
Today upto 40% of doctors posted in primary and community health centers fail to turn up
This will decrease quackery which is flourishing due to lack of enough number of doctors in rural areas
In contrast to urban presence of allopath , 60% of 5.5 lakh practitioners of traditional medicals systems are in rural areas
Lot of other challenges many rural health centers lack infrastructure, diagnostic tools, drugs etc.
A move to make it mandatory for doctors to attend periodic CME-continuing medical education is highly laudable.
Some 70% of India’s 4.5 lakh + doctors and 80% of 6 lakh hospitals are in the urban areas.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Is Contract farming the answer to the current woes confronting the nation’s farmers ?
Amendment of agricultural produce marketing committee (APMC)act in 14 states allows farmers to sell their produce in the open markets.
ITC,Reliance,Pepsico involved.Pepsico started the trend with tomatoes in Punjab
Good prices for the farmers, all technical know-how, guaranteed buying, no middlemen involved.
Farmers need to give only the land, and the labour.
Contract farming has come at a time when farmers are suffering because of high fertilizer, insecticide and power costs.
It generally involves: a pre agreed price between the company and the farmer, alongwith measures of quality, quantity, acreage to be farmed, duration of the contract.
Cash crops, crops for food processing industry will replace staple food like rice and wheat, so we lose food security.
But income from exports to increase a lot.
70% of the population dependent on agriculture, it is not just a trade, it is a way of life.
Agriculture to agribusiness………………………and it is a form of capitalist penetration
Corporate will dictate, what crops to be grown which will result in loss of natural seeds.
Incidence of pre-determined prices being rejected on pretext of inferior quality of crops.
Corporate can integrate the supply chain by ensuring timely availability of quality and quantity of materials.
ITC,Reliance,Pepsico involved.Pepsico started the trend with tomatoes in Punjab
Good prices for the farmers, all technical know-how, guaranteed buying, no middlemen involved.
Farmers need to give only the land, and the labour.
Contract farming has come at a time when farmers are suffering because of high fertilizer, insecticide and power costs.
It generally involves: a pre agreed price between the company and the farmer, alongwith measures of quality, quantity, acreage to be farmed, duration of the contract.
Cash crops, crops for food processing industry will replace staple food like rice and wheat, so we lose food security.
But income from exports to increase a lot.
70% of the population dependent on agriculture, it is not just a trade, it is a way of life.
Agriculture to agribusiness………………………and it is a form of capitalist penetration
Corporate will dictate, what crops to be grown which will result in loss of natural seeds.
Incidence of pre-determined prices being rejected on pretext of inferior quality of crops.
Corporate can integrate the supply chain by ensuring timely availability of quality and quantity of materials.
SEZ :Lessons from China
China’s record economic growth fuelled by SEZ is often advocated as the reason for India to adopt this approach.
China’s SEZ policy driven only to achieve growth since 1980’s incurring huge resources and environmental costs.
It is home to 26 million poor, adding 10 million mouths to be fed each year. Even with this daunting target between 1996-2005 “development” caused diversion of more than 21% of arable lands to non-agricultural uses, highways, industries, and SEZ’s .20 million farmers were laid off agriculture due to land acquisition.
Protests against land acquisition and deprivation have become a common feature in rural China. Some 74,000 riots were reported in 2004.
SEZ like Shenzen which clocked 28% growth for 25 years has become a hotspot of crime, corruption, prostitution.
UNEP has designated Shenzen as a “global environmental hotspot” meaning a region had suffered rapid environmental destruction.
High input, high consumption are the mantras of development in China. Most of the companies violate emission rules. And China has officially admitted that pollution costs it 10% of GDP.
Income gap is widening.GINI coefficient –a measure of income destruction where 0 means perfect inequality and 1 means maximum inequality. For China it is 0.496,wherea for India it is 0.33.
In case of a country with a a sizeable domestic market, the choice lies with the producer to export or supply to domestic market.
Indian consumption is 68% GDP, Chinese consumption is only 35% GDP.
The good point are: New insurance policy for farmers, medical services,$ 1.5 billion dollars as subsidies ,More selling price for the crops.
So it is for India to decide whether to follow the “Chinese model”.
China’s SEZ policy driven only to achieve growth since 1980’s incurring huge resources and environmental costs.
It is home to 26 million poor, adding 10 million mouths to be fed each year. Even with this daunting target between 1996-2005 “development” caused diversion of more than 21% of arable lands to non-agricultural uses, highways, industries, and SEZ’s .20 million farmers were laid off agriculture due to land acquisition.
Protests against land acquisition and deprivation have become a common feature in rural China. Some 74,000 riots were reported in 2004.
SEZ like Shenzen which clocked 28% growth for 25 years has become a hotspot of crime, corruption, prostitution.
UNEP has designated Shenzen as a “global environmental hotspot” meaning a region had suffered rapid environmental destruction.
High input, high consumption are the mantras of development in China. Most of the companies violate emission rules. And China has officially admitted that pollution costs it 10% of GDP.
Income gap is widening.GINI coefficient –a measure of income destruction where 0 means perfect inequality and 1 means maximum inequality. For China it is 0.496,wherea for India it is 0.33.
In case of a country with a a sizeable domestic market, the choice lies with the producer to export or supply to domestic market.
Indian consumption is 68% GDP, Chinese consumption is only 35% GDP.
The good point are: New insurance policy for farmers, medical services,$ 1.5 billion dollars as subsidies ,More selling price for the crops.
So it is for India to decide whether to follow the “Chinese model”.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Demilitarisation of J&K
1)Discussion on whether the perfect time has come.
2)Political motives should be discouraged
3)Except Congress and BJP all other parties-both secessionists and unionists have supported the idea.
4)Fearing that the All Party Hurriyat Conference will fight the next elections,the PDP and National Conference are seeking for getting the demilitaristaion done as part of their struggle.Mufti Mohammed seems to have gained some advantage by getting promised from the centre to set up a panel for studying the demilitarization.
5)A steady decline in violence from 2002 in J&K gives a seeding for this demand
6)The Jihadi terrorists are moving their concentration from J&K to other cities og economic and strategic importance.
7)Army withdrawal and the deployment of CRPF is not clearly defined
8)In 1999,58,000 Army personnels were withdrawn for fighting the Kargil war,terrorists cashed on this situation and the disruption of the security grid ,and it tokk one whole year and a few hundred deaths to contain the damage.
9)Islamists forces are constantly on the sie in Islamabad and the Pakistanai govt has failed to contain the damage.
10)But the idea cannot be put back into the shelves for a long time.Policy makers have to think on the demilitaristaion with a view of the security and civil liberty of the people in mind.
2)Political motives should be discouraged
3)Except Congress and BJP all other parties-both secessionists and unionists have supported the idea.
4)Fearing that the All Party Hurriyat Conference will fight the next elections,the PDP and National Conference are seeking for getting the demilitaristaion done as part of their struggle.Mufti Mohammed seems to have gained some advantage by getting promised from the centre to set up a panel for studying the demilitarization.
5)A steady decline in violence from 2002 in J&K gives a seeding for this demand
6)The Jihadi terrorists are moving their concentration from J&K to other cities og economic and strategic importance.
7)Army withdrawal and the deployment of CRPF is not clearly defined
8)In 1999,58,000 Army personnels were withdrawn for fighting the Kargil war,terrorists cashed on this situation and the disruption of the security grid ,and it tokk one whole year and a few hundred deaths to contain the damage.
9)Islamists forces are constantly on the sie in Islamabad and the Pakistanai govt has failed to contain the damage.
10)But the idea cannot be put back into the shelves for a long time.Policy makers have to think on the demilitaristaion with a view of the security and civil liberty of the people in mind.
Decongesting the airports
1) Charges to be levied for landing during peak hours in Delhi,Mumbai and Bangalore
2) Peak hours are 7 am to 10 am and 6 pm to 10 pm
3)An increase of 25000 rupees per landing is estimated
4) But the airlines feel that the rush cannot be avoided in these hours.
5) Work should begin for developing new runways.
6) Flights get delayed, because airports cannot handle so much aircraft movement.
7)Wastage of ATF while the planes circle over airports waiting to land or while taxing long distances from the bay to the runways.
8) The costs are Rs 500/minute for circling and Rs 2000/minute for taxing.
9) Distance before the take off or while coming to a bay for parking can be decreased.
2) Peak hours are 7 am to 10 am and 6 pm to 10 pm
3)An increase of 25000 rupees per landing is estimated
4) But the airlines feel that the rush cannot be avoided in these hours.
5) Work should begin for developing new runways.
6) Flights get delayed, because airports cannot handle so much aircraft movement.
7)Wastage of ATF while the planes circle over airports waiting to land or while taxing long distances from the bay to the runways.
8) The costs are Rs 500/minute for circling and Rs 2000/minute for taxing.
9) Distance before the take off or while coming to a bay for parking can be decreased.
Moving beyond reciprocity-SAARC
1)PM’S announcement at the SAARC summit to allow duty free access to the less developed neighbours in the region has come not a day too soon.
2) Bangladesh,Nepal,Bhutan,Mladives,Afghanistan will benefit from this offer. New Delhi already has an FTA agreement with Sri Lanka
3) Unfortunately it has not taken off between the two large neighbours-India and Pakistan
4)A very responsible move by a more developed nation for the upliftmentb of the neighbours
5)Eventhough we have FTA and Border trade agreements, import from these countries are only ¼ th of export to the region.
6) Indian exports to SAARC countries itself is very low-$5.5 billion
7) SAARC is one of the least integrated trade bloc in the world.
2) Bangladesh,Nepal,Bhutan,Mladives,Afghanistan will benefit from this offer. New Delhi already has an FTA agreement with Sri Lanka
3) Unfortunately it has not taken off between the two large neighbours-India and Pakistan
4)A very responsible move by a more developed nation for the upliftmentb of the neighbours
5)Eventhough we have FTA and Border trade agreements, import from these countries are only ¼ th of export to the region.
6) Indian exports to SAARC countries itself is very low-$5.5 billion
7) SAARC is one of the least integrated trade bloc in the world.
Indian Railways-Operating ratio
1)It has entered an elite group of organizations,who have a good operating ratio. For this year the Indian Railway’s operating ratio is 78.7 which clearly explains how it earned a surplus of Rs 20,000 crore.
2)This shows the capacity of the system to perform well if given the right working environment
3)Earlier political interference and the inability of the railway administration of working with a free will proved a problem.
4)In recent times the operating ratio reached an alarming ratio of 94.
5)Within the framework of social burdens, it has very well increased the performance.
6)An International Railway Strategic Management Institute ,New Delhi is coming up, which will be providing the needed advise in the long term policies.
2)This shows the capacity of the system to perform well if given the right working environment
3)Earlier political interference and the inability of the railway administration of working with a free will proved a problem.
4)In recent times the operating ratio reached an alarming ratio of 94.
5)Within the framework of social burdens, it has very well increased the performance.
6)An International Railway Strategic Management Institute ,New Delhi is coming up, which will be providing the needed advise in the long term policies.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Pakistan’s role in middle east:
1)Musharaff talks about a “new Middle East initiative”.Visits several Muslim countries.
2_Last week Paksitan played host to foreign ministers from 6 countries—Egypt,Indonesia,Malayasia,Saudi Arabia,Turkey and a representative from OIC
3)Endeed with a joint declaration calling for immediate establishment of a Plaestinian state and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Syrian and Lebanese capitals.
4)Expressed concern over the Iranian nuclear issue and called for a diplomatic solution.
5)Motive of Musharaff is to put the Kasmir issue again on the top (now which is hardly mentioned)
6)Musharaff fighting Islamic terrorists with the US,and US warned Paksitann to show results.This has bought a hostile response from other Muslim countries eventhough not openly(Saudi and Egypt being close US allies)
7)Paksitan wants to show it is serious ,as it is hardly considered important by Hamas,Hezbollah and countries such as Iran,Syria,Iraq,Palestine and Lebanon.
8)Allegation is there that Pakistan is forming a Sunni bloc against Iran under the pressure of US.
9)Ahmedinijad concerned over the meeting its objectives and goals of the 6+1 meeting in Pakistan..
2_Last week Paksitan played host to foreign ministers from 6 countries—Egypt,Indonesia,Malayasia,Saudi Arabia,Turkey and a representative from OIC
3)Endeed with a joint declaration calling for immediate establishment of a Plaestinian state and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Syrian and Lebanese capitals.
4)Expressed concern over the Iranian nuclear issue and called for a diplomatic solution.
5)Motive of Musharaff is to put the Kasmir issue again on the top (now which is hardly mentioned)
6)Musharaff fighting Islamic terrorists with the US,and US warned Paksitann to show results.This has bought a hostile response from other Muslim countries eventhough not openly(Saudi and Egypt being close US allies)
7)Paksitan wants to show it is serious ,as it is hardly considered important by Hamas,Hezbollah and countries such as Iran,Syria,Iraq,Palestine and Lebanon.
8)Allegation is there that Pakistan is forming a Sunni bloc against Iran under the pressure of US.
9)Ahmedinijad concerned over the meeting its objectives and goals of the 6+1 meeting in Pakistan..
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Last Round in the Indo-US nuclear deal
1)India being trapped by the US in the Hyde act in the areas of reprocessing,enrichment,future tests etc.
2)India needs a secure future,for which US has to provide the green signal for the amendment of the NSG guidelines.NSG,which has almost 45 countries ,of which most of them are easily influenced by US has to give the consent.
3)US MNC's desperate to get the business.They have met with Anil Kakodkar and S K Jain inorder to be in the race and they dont want to loose to their French and Russian counterparts.
4)In the US-Sweden deal,it has allowed Sweden to send the used fuel to UK and France for conversion to MOX and send back to Sweden.India expects a similar approval for reprocessing.
5)India waiting to just pass the NSG test and give orders to the Russian companies who dont have any restrictions on the stockpile of fuel,future tests and will guarantee perpetual fuel supply.
6)Anil Kakaodkar has clearly told that the voluntary moratorium on future tests cannot be converted into a legal instrument.
2)India needs a secure future,for which US has to provide the green signal for the amendment of the NSG guidelines.NSG,which has almost 45 countries ,of which most of them are easily influenced by US has to give the consent.
3)US MNC's desperate to get the business.They have met with Anil Kakodkar and S K Jain inorder to be in the race and they dont want to loose to their French and Russian counterparts.
4)In the US-Sweden deal,it has allowed Sweden to send the used fuel to UK and France for conversion to MOX and send back to Sweden.India expects a similar approval for reprocessing.
5)India waiting to just pass the NSG test and give orders to the Russian companies who dont have any restrictions on the stockpile of fuel,future tests and will guarantee perpetual fuel supply.
6)Anil Kakaodkar has clearly told that the voluntary moratorium on future tests cannot be converted into a legal instrument.
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