EDITORIAL DISCUSSION CLASSES – 2018...Shreya Singhal vs. Union of India case, 2015 All three...

ED CLASS – 31 LUKMAAN IAS

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EDITORIAL DISCUSSION CLASSES – 2018 ED CLASS – 31 (25 AUG - 31 AUG.)

GS PAPER II: POLITY, GOVERNANCE & SOCIAL JUSTICE

TOPIC 1: MEDIA REGULATION: PRINT, ELECTRONIC AND SOCIAL MEDIA 02

TOPIC 2: DECRIMINALIZING BEGGING 08

TOPIC 3: UNOPPOSED ELECTION: AN ANALYSIS 12

GS PAPER II: INTERNATIONAL RELATION TOPIC 4: INDIA’ NEW FORWARD POLICY IN THE BAY OF BENGAL AND SUB-REGIONALISM IN BIMSTEC 16

TOPIC 5: INDIA’ BACK UP OPTIONS TO CONNECT WITH CENTRAL ASIA VIA PAKISTAN LAND ROUTE 22

TOPIC 6: HYDRO-POLITICS IN SOUTH ASIA 27

TOPIC 7: SHOULD FOREIGN AID BE TAKEN OR NOT 32

GS PAPER III: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY, SCI. & TECH. AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT

TOPIC 8: RESOURCE EFFICIENCY REPORT BY NITI AAYOG 34

TOPIC 9: KERALA FLOOD: LACK OF DAM SAFETY MANAGEMENT IN INDIA 39

TOPIC 10: URBAN NAXALS: THE ‘INVISIBLE ENEMIES’ OF INDIA 47


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TOPIC 1: MEDIA REGULATION: PRINT, ELECTRONIC AND SOCIAL MEDIA

THE CONTEXT: With the advent of new forms of technology, media has also adopted them and manifested itself in multiple formats ranging from print, electronic and social media. Although, the diversity of media has made it more accessible to the general population, it has created new challenges in terms of regulation. Today from paid news to fake news, media is full of its basket of criticism and ever decreasing faith of people in this fourth pillar of democracy. PRESS FREEDOM AS ENSHRINED IN CONSTITUTION: The freedom of speech and expression has been characterized as “the very life of civil liberty” in the Constituent Assembly Debates. The freedom of the press, while not recognised as a separate freedom under Fundamental Rights, is folded into the freedom of speech and expression. The Supreme Court has described this freedom as the “ark of the covenant of democracy”. WHY NOT EXPLICIT IN CONSTITUTION: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar explained this in Constitutent assembly as no special mention of the freedom of press was necessary at all as the press and an individual or a citizen were the same as far as their right of expression was concerned. SUPREME COURT VERDICTS ON PRESS FREEDOM:

CASE SUPREME COURT VERDICT

Printers (Mysore) Ltd v.Astt Commercial Tax

Officer

The press is not immune from the general law of liability for defamation (Civil and criminal).

Romesh Thapper v. State of Madras

The Court Held that that there can be no doubt that freedom of speech and expression includes freedom of propagation of ideas, and that freedom is ensured by the freedom of circulation .A law which authorises imposition of restrictions on grounds of ‘public safety or the ‘maintenance of public order’ falls outside the scope of the authorised restrictions under clause (2) and therefore void and unconstitutional.

R.Rajagopal v. State of Tamil Nadu

Supreme Court has held that the government has no authority in law to impose a prior – restrain upon publication of defamatory material against its officials. The court held that no actions could be initiated against the press if the publications were based on public records including court records.

Shreya Singhal vs. Union of India case, 2015

All three sections of Media cater to different sections of the population with different levels of understanding. Also, the level of reach of the three mediums varies to a great extent as identified by the Supreme Court in Shreya Singhal vs. Union of India case, 2015. Thus, with the difference in target population and difference in reach, it needs different standards of regulation.

LIMITATIONS THAT CAN BE IMPOSED ON FREEDOM OF PRESS: The limitations on freedom of press are same as that on the Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression as enshrined under Article 19(2) of the Indian Constitution. The limitations are: 1. Sovereignty and integrity of the State 2. Security of the State 3. Friendly relations with foreign countries 4. Public order


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5. Decency and morality 6. Contempt of court 7. Defamation 8. Incitement to an offence

MEDIA AS THE FOURTH PILLAR OF DEMOCRACY: This picture represents the media emerging as the fourth pillar of democracy when it framed black editorials to represent censorship by the Indira Gandhi government in the name of Emergency. Media as the fourth pillar of democracy, keeps the legislature, executive and even judiciary accountable to the people. Although Constitution adopted the Montesquieu’s conception of Separation of power, it is the media which has maintained that separation and implemented the theorem of checks and balances on all the branches of governance. It has helped people make informed choices and thus played an important role in the democratic elections of Independent India. INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON FREEDOM OF PRESS:

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference, and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers”.

UNESCO UNESCO sees Rights to Freedom of Press and of Speech and Expression as crucial foundations of democracy, development and dialogue, and as preconditions for protecting and promoting all other human rights.

Article 19 of the International Covenant on

Civil and Political Rights

1. Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference.

2. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art or through any other media of his choice….”


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STATE OF FREEDOM OF PRESS IN INDIA: As per the Report of “Reporters without Borders”, India ranks at 138 place out of 180 countries with a meagre score of 43.24 in the World Press Freedom Index, 2018. The major findings of the Index are: 1. Four journalists were killed in 2018. 2. Self-censorship is growing in the mainstream media

and journalists are increasingly the targets of online smear campaigns by the most radical nationalists, who vilify them and even threaten physical reprisals. The recent proclaiming of citizens as “anti-national” by Hindu nationalists had a chilling effect on freedom of press.

3. The death of Gauri Lankesh and the lack of conviction till date has been a glaring example of the challenge faced by press in India.

4. Sedition charges under Article 124A of the penal code, has been utilised by the government to silence journalists. No journalist has so far been convicted of sedition but the threat encourages self-censorship.

5. Coverage of regions that the authorities regard as sensitive, such as Kashmir, continues to be very difficult. Foreign reporters are barred from the region and the Internet is often disconnected there.

CURRENT MEDIA REGULATION PRACTICES: Sl.No Media Regulatory Body/Act 1 Print Media Press Council Act, 1978; Press Council of India

Press & Registration of Books Act 1867 Registrar of Newspaper/Magazine for India

2 Electronic Media News Broadcasting Standards Authority Terms of the Programmes and Advertisement code under the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 Indian Telegraph Act, 1855/The Wireless Telegraph Act Private regulators such as: 1. Indian Broadcasters Federation (IBF), 2. News Broadcasters Association (NBA), 3. Indian Media Group (IMG), 4. Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA), 5. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), 6. Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), 7. Press Trust of India (PTI),

3 Social Media 1. Information Technology Act, 2000. 2. Framework & Guideslines for Use of Social Media for

Government Organisations - Department of Electronics and Information Technology

3. Government has created a 10-member committee to regulate online portals, including news websites, entertainment sites and media aggregators


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RECENT CASES OF MISUSE OF MEDIA PRINT MEDIA ELECTRONIC MEDIA SOCIAL MEDIA Various cases against the Blitz magazine and Debonair which are still sub judice show that sex has been used for marketing even though it has the potential to corrupt the mindset of individuals.

The recent Cobrapost Operation 136 showed the biases of media houses towards certain political parties.

Social media has been used to spread fake propagandas which caused violence in states such as Assam and also affect the migration patterns which affect the availability of labour and thus productivity which finally hampers the nation’s growth.

Even print media houses are alleged to be biased towards certain ideologies. For example: the famous newspaper “The HIndu” is alleged to be favouring the leftist parties.

The race for TRP’s has led to media houses especially electronic media to reveal sensitive information as seen during Pathankot attack or the Kathua rape case where media houses revealed the identity of the victim. Even Media houses accepted their mistake and later apologised in front of Delhi High Court.

Punjab and Haryana High Court recently held that Inciting People On Social Media Might Also Amount To Attempting To Wage War Against The Government. Thus, social media can be utilised to create disharmony in the nation.

“Trial by media” has emerged as one of the biggest concern for the survival of rule of law in India. The recent case of Media houses linking the missing JNU state Najeeb Ahmed to ISIS is a case of media trial.

It is observed that fake headings and fraud sites are used to increase the viewer base in social media. This, goes against the basic motive behind social media of providing free and accessible information to everyone.

The recent case of banning of conspiracy theorist “Alex Jones” by multiple media platforms show the might and nexus between the media platforms. If this remains unchecked, then the information will become a pet of media houses.

The case of use of personal data of individuals by Cambridge Analytica firm which affected the US Presidential election is a clear example of misuse of social media which might affect democracy across the world


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CASE FOR SELF REGULATION

Advantages Disadvantages 1. It will ensure that the media continues to work

independently and thus keep the government and its bureaucratic institutions accountable to the public.

2. Media have its role models in journalists such as Ramnath Goenka and thus can work independently. It doesn’t need a heavy hand of the government to guide it in the right direction.

3. It has always been seen that the government has attempted to control the media as seen from the one day ban on NDTV. The solution lies in keeping the government and media separate and see media as the voice of civil society.

1. Self regulation of media can help with ensuring the freedom of press, but similar to any self-regulating institution, it becomes vulnerable to be self centred and fail to ensure accountability and transparency in its working.

2. The corporate media nexus may continue to thrive unrestricted due to self-regulation.

3. It stops the acceptance of new innovations in media due to the absence of competition.

CASE FOR GOVERNMENT REGULATION

Advantages Disadvantages 1. It will create uniformity and legally applicable rules for

regulation of media and thus, the unregulated media can be controlled to work for the benefit of the society and not for revenue generation as its primary aim.

2. Government regulation can ensure acceptance of worldwide best practices and thus make Indian media as competitive and efficient as the media of developed nations.

3. Government regulation can help stopping meaningless debates on news channels and can help with the emergence of socially relevant debates. This can be seen with the difference in the quality of Rajya Sabha TV debates and the debates of other private news channels.

4. Media also plays the role of an information provider to the common public. With government regulation, people can be better informed of the developments across the world which at present are sometimes cloaked by sensational news. For example: the death of Bollywood star, Sridevi cloaked the news of cease fire violation by Pakistan in Kashmir.

1. While media might provide better information with government regulation, it might fail to become critical of government choices and policies. Thus, media can lose its freedom and instead of becoming the fourth pillar of democracy, it might end up as another department of the government.

2. The government-media nexus can prove harmful for the survival of democracy as people may fail to develop informed choices for their voting which can be influenced by the wrong views through the media houses.

3. The proposed hub for monitoring social media has been dropped by the government as creating a “surveillance state” amounts to “intrusion into privacy”.


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KIND OF REGULATION: SIMILAR REGULATION FOR ALL OR DIFFERENT?

SIMILAR REGULATION FOR ALL THREE DIFFERENT REGULATION FOR ALL THREE 1. Even though the press, electronic

and social media form three different limbs of the Media but they all need to be guided by the limitations imposed under Article 19(2) of the constitution and thus need to have similar standards in line with the constitutional and statutory provisions. Also, no matter the form of media, they all need to uphold an individual’s privacy.

2. No media house has actually limited itself to one sphere only. Press is present in electronic media and social media and vice versa. Thus, the media body needs to be regulated by some form of similar framework.

3. We need to carve out some minimum standards for all as they have quite high level of convergence.

4. All the forms of media work for audience and base their revenue system on advertisements. Since the basic function and lifeline is the same, so the regulation too need to be similar.

1. All three cater to different sections of the population with different levels of understanding. Also, the level of reach of the three mediums varies to a great extent as identified by the Supreme Court in Shreya Singhal vs. Union of India case, 2015. Thus, with the difference in target population and difference in reach, it needs different standards of regulation.

2. Press has been largely a formal and organised institution which upholds the the norms of unbiasedness. However, we see a deterioration of values in Electronic and Social media as is evident from there focus on increasing their television ratings and visitors respectively. This, deterioration of values demand separate regulations to arrest the decline of values.

3. While Press and electronic media can be regulated simply through a single institution due to their formal structure, social media cannot be regulated by a sole authority. For example: regulation of dissemination of fake news through social media bodies like WhatsApp or Facebook needs the help of government machinery along with the corporate bodies. Thus, for regulation of social media, government needs a multi pronged approach with the help of corporate houses, civil societies etc.

CASE STUDY OF GERMANY: Our system should follow the policies of German Press Council. There, nearly half of all issues were dealt with at an early stage through conciliations devoid of any formal decision by the complaints commission. Only in the next stage, the Press Council of Germany intervenes between the parties concerned. The German Press Council has its own complaints commission that looks into the issues related to editorial pages of news papers to see if it infringes any norms, if so, they take suo moto actions. The unique quality about the commission in Germany is that they have another branch evaluating the public’s complaints even if it is anonymous. This procedure compelled most media establishments in Germany to voluntarily accept the press code as the ethical guideline which eventually compelled them to publish the reprimands from readers. Similar, regulation can be ensured in India too for all the three formats of media so that an independent institution with the


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support of people can ensure the freedom of press and acceptance of the media ethics by the media houses. WAY FORWARD: 1. As of now, the regulation of any form of media is not as effective. Due to diversification in media

on the one hand and their tremendous growth on the other, media which is supposed to defend the freedom and liberty of people, is itself becoming threat. The news and views no longer seems to be free and fair. Be it the issues of fake news or paid news both are serious threat to democracy.

2. A sectoral approach of regulation may create problems and today regulation is guided by ‘whole-of-the government’ approach, therefore it very imperative the there should be a new mechanism (both of self regulation and regulation by government) which incorporates such standards in regulation. Already, there are issues of cross-holding, commercialisation, online new media like the wire, the quint, etc.

3. The PCI, in 2012 also recommended that electronic and social media be brought within its regulatory framework and the institution renamed Media Council.

4. We need to establish new ethical and regulatory standards for both ensuring independence of media and free and fair news. The recent events related to the news media, such as the proliferation and subsequent curbing of social media, the paid news phenomenon, fake sting operations, trial by media, breach of privacy, rumours through whatsapp, mob lynching behavior, etc. pose a set of anxieties.

CONCLUSION: It seems that print, electronic and social media needs to be regulated by both similar as well as differential regulations. Similar regulations are needed to uphold the constitutional values and limitations while differential regulations are required due to the different institutional framework of the media subsidiaries. We may not need a Meta-Media Regulator but certainly a meta-policy on media regulation.

TOPIC 2: DECRIMINALIZING BEGGING THE CONTEXT: Recently, The Delhi High Court has decriminalized begging in the national capital, striking down several provisions of the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act as unconstitutional. This article deals with the beggary and its challenges faced by the society and reasons for decriminalize beggary. DEFINING GEGGARY:

• According to Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959 defines beggary as- Soliciting or receiving alms in a public place, whether or not under any presence

such as singing etc. Entering on any private premises for the purpose of soliciting or receiving alms Having no visible means of subsistence and, wandering about or remaining in any

public place in such condition or manner, as makes it likely that the person doing so exists by soliciting or receiving alms

Allowing oneself to be used as an exhibit for the purpose of soliciting or receiving alms

• The act of begging is a crime in 20 states and 2 union territories of India, but recently Delhi high court has struck the beggary as crime in Delhi.

• Presently, there is no central law on begging & destitution and most states their own or have adopted the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959.


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Challenges of Beggary

• Professional beggars In present time, many of the professional beggars included in our country. Mainly in metro cities poor children’s are indulge in the professional

beggary and also forcing them to various ill practices like theft etc. • Unemployment

It is one of the prominent reason due to which poor people indulge in the beggary for the survival.

Lack of employment or less wages for poor people leads to the life of beggar. • Other challenges

Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959

• The Act was adopted by the Union Territory of Delhi in 1960. • Aim is to remove beggars from their current illegal profession so that they may be

detained, trained and eventually employed elsewhere • The Act, criminalizes begging. They can be sentenced to jail without trial or may be

sent to shelter homes/certified institutions • Penalty for employing or causing persons to beg or using them for purposes of

begging. • Court may order detention of persons wholly dependent on beggar and tenure of

punishment for beggary ranges from 3-10 yr in jail. • Provision for the teaching of agricultural, industrial and other pursuits, and for

general education and medical care of the inmates of the Receiving Centres/Certified Institutions

• Every person detained in certified institutions “shall at any time allow his finger prints to be taken”. This is violation of fundamental right.

• Acc. to act, if any beggar detained in a Certified Institution is found to be of unsound mind or a leper, She/he can be ordered to be removed to a mental hospital or leper asylum as per provisions of the Indian Lunacy Act, 1912 and of the Lepers Act, 1898.

Loopholes • The definition of “begging” under the Act violated Article 14, as it does not make

Challenges

Economic Burden

Drug Abuse

Trafficking

Organized Crime

Child Related Crimes

Prostitution


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in Act any distinction between persons who solicit or receive money for authorized purposes and those who are singing, dancing, or engaged in similar activities.

• The Act provide discretionary power to state government to arrest the beggars. • Do not provide any base for training purposes and rehabilitation centre. • Article 21 of Indian Constitution, beggar has a fundamental right to live. It is state

responsibility to provide an alternative for earning to them. Case

dealing with anti-Begging

law

• The Delhi High Court moved away from the judicial practice of castigating begging and upheld its legitimacy through a comparative discourse on the common law doctrines of necessity and duress, as well as on the principles of equality and liberty embodied in the Constitution.

• Significant aspect of Ram Lakhan case is that it addresses the issue of begging from the touchstone of Article 19(1)(a), with Article 21 of the Constitution, and asserts that unreasonable prohibitions on begging are unconstitutional in that they invariably deprive beggars of two fundamental rights.

Delhi High court

Judgement

• The Court opined that criminalizing begging is the “wrong approach to deal with the underlying causes of the problem”, asserting. It ignores the reality that people who beg are the poorest of the poor and marginalized in society.

• Criminalizing begging violates the most fundamental rights of some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

• People in this stratum do not have access to basic necessities such as food, shelter and health, and in addition criminalizing them denies them the basic fundamental right to communicate and seek to deal with their plight.

• Delhi HC, then struck down the provisions as unconstitutional, while clarifying that the inevitable consequence of the decision would be that the prosecutions under the Act against persons alleged to have committed the offence of begging would be liable to be struck down.

Issues with

the decriminali

-sing Beggary

• The recent judgement sends a message in the rest of the country, where begging is a criminal offence, that there will be no penalty for begging in Delhi. It will not only encourage beggars in other states to move to the capital but also promote begging in the national capital region which already has an estimated one lakh beggars.

• Begging is not a completely ‘last-resort’ practice. It is well established that in India, organised rackets force poor people to beg and in some instances amputate them for drawing attention and sympathy of donors.

• Delhi government, which favoured decriminalization of begging in the capital, has failed to address basic essentials of life like food and work coupons to the beggars,


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who are mostly poor people. • It will lead to other ill practices like organ trade, trafficking, prostitution, etc.

Condition of Beggary

in other states

• The law in West Bengal uses language similar to early colonial laws, such as the term “vagrants”. Some laws date back to pre-Independence times (Tamil Nadu), some are as recent as 2004 (Sikkim), but the classification of begging as a criminal activity remains unchanged.

• In Karnataka and Assam, an exception has been carved out for religious mendicants who seek alms to fulfil religious obligations or beg in temples and mosques. These laws effectively sanction begging in the name of religion.

• In Tamil Nadu, the law exempts “street artists and performers in the oral tradition, bards, jugglers and street magicians” from the definition of a beggar.

• Under most laws (with the exception of Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar and West Bengal), the court can also order the detention of people who are dependent on the person arrested for begging. So if a man is arrested for begging, his wife and children can be detained.

CASE STUDY: GLOBAL PRACTICES

Some countries where begging is banned by law and is punishable: China, Finland, South Australia etc. However, in UK, France and some other countries, begging is banned by not punishable by law. The most recent case that can be compared with India is Norway, where begging was decriminalized but municipal government again imposed banned owing to increased inflow of beggars from other European state. Similarly, in Singapore if any person being a habitual beggar found begging in a public place in such a way as to cause or be likely to cause annoyance to persons frequenting the place or otherwise to create a nuisance shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment. WAY FORWARD Begging is a problem for society in as much as a large number of beggars means non utilization of available human resources and drag upon the existing resources of the society. There are some suggestions to overcome the challenges of beggary are as follows- Mainstreaming of beggars in the society by providing them vocational training and

employing them in the unorganized/organized sector, Rehabilitating them Providing legal support Reintegrating them with their families.

CONCLUSION: In order to end the practice of beggary, active participation of the state as well as that of the society is required. It's a pity that the anti-poor prejudice is so deeply rooted in our country that the beggars are most of the times treated as nuisance and are offer criminalized. So, the idea of

Hyderabad to Become 'Beggar Free' City

The Telangana Prisons Department has announced a reward of Rs 500 to anyone who can spot a beggars in Hyderabad and inform the officials. This step has been taken to make the city beggar free. The city has initiated 'vidyadanam programme' under which they would be providing education and employment to the beggars. With the help of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and Police department, so, far 741 male beggars and 311 female beggars have been rescued from the roads. Out of which 476 male beggars and 241 female beggars have been released on personal undertaking not to resort to begging again.


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ending beggary has to start with ending the causes of beggary. Keeping the fact in mind that it is one of the methods of survival for people who don't have enough, to go to those who have enough, when they are hungry. Thus it is wrong to criminalize beggary, provided it is voluntary and not forced by organised syndicate.

TOPIC 3: UNOPPOSED ELECTION: AN ANALYSIS THE CONTEXT: Community-driven development and local electoral reforms have become central tenets of policy across the developing country landscape. Many states in India including Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Punjab & Haryana have tried to meld these two approaches together by incentivising the election of local politicians via community consensus.

UNOPPOSED ELECTION BENEFITS UNOPPOSED ELECTION BENEFITS

Trend of unopposed elections may lead to reduce the election violence, booth capturing, election criminalization, flow of liquor, money and vote sharing unhealthy trends at the time of elections and election expenditure etc. Unopposed elections are the reflection of matured democratic trend in local governance process. So, such special grant decision which is taken by the state Government not only saves the candidate money but also preserves the social unity, promote Bhaichara culture, avoid court disputes, develop the positive thinking in the village community and reduce the administrative work also

THE PREDICAMENT OF UNOPPOSED ELECTIONS The Unopposed election scheme is seen as undemocratic, as it seeks to maintain domination

of caste, feudal and patriarchal practices, it is non-participatory and non-representative, it is an attempt to silence the dissent, and thus a threat to democracy for local governance, it promotes ‘moneycracy’ rather than democracy, populist measures are encouraged to entice financially deprived village panchayats.

Lack of election also needs to be seen as leadership crisis or no change in leadership, i.e. continuity of domination of ‘traditional occupiers’ of the seats who are not challenged through election.

CONSEQUENCES OF UNOPPOSED ELECTION IN THE LONG RUN when a democratic process is being compromised, it may have a negative impact in the long

run. But as the term for a panchayat is for five years, long-term planning and development are not given much importance. People think in short term and short gains.

The domination is maintained on caste and patriarchal identities and the voice of the marginalised communities remains inaudible.

Illusionary yet populist moves of the ruling political party keep people away from more pertinent problems like democratic rights, participatory democracy and top-down development approach, lack of devolution of power in terms of funds, functions and functionaries, which actually make them dependent on red-tapism.

UNOPPOSED ELECTION: A CASE STUDY OF GUJARAT Since 2001, Gujarat has incentivised the election of local politicians via public consensus under its samras (consensus) Panchayat scheme. Village residents are encouraged to deliberate amongst themselves and reach a consensus on who their political representatives should be.The policy has been fairly successful. In the 2011 elections, one out of every seven Gram Panchayatsin Gujarat were elected by consensus. That is, each council seat in these councils was filled by a candidate that faced no formal opposition. Incentive provided by the state govt for unopposed election is in the form untied grants, which increases with number of unopposed terms and on the population. For instance, for the 2nd and 3rd


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continuous consensus-based election, attracts higher grant from state Govt. (Grant also increases with all women Gram panchayat) IMPACT OF FINANCIAL INCENTIVES

Political Competition

samras grantincentivise village residents to choose their political representatives without official elections. Average number of candidates per seat is around 2.5. The number of seats won without any formal opposition also increases by 2.3

Political selection

Those elected without samaras grant, generally held some kind of political office.

Samara grant facilitated public deliberation amongst village residents or the nomination and support of candidates by the local elite.

Even thehigher grant clause for all women GP, doesn’t increased women participation.

Samaras crowded in younger, more educated politicians for two reasons. First, the majority of rural residents may consider these characteristics to be desirable for an effective political leader, and public deliberation helps shift candidates with these characteristics into political office.

local elitesnominated younger, inexperienced candidates that serve as political figureheads

Governance

Expenditure categories that are directly controlled by the elected council, such as programme expenses of the agriculture, education, and health departments, as well as salaries and other administrative expenses felled by 50 %.

Expense categories that are chosen by and tied to grants received from the state and central government do not fall, which is consistent with the elected council having less control over these decisions.

The samras grant does not appear to affect how much employment is generated. MGNREGS grant under SC/ST decreased.MNREGA employment was targeted more regressively

Women empowerment

(all women panchayat)

The visibility of women in all-women samaras panchayats cannot be labelled as women empowerment; in fact, a bias due to the perceived inability of women to perform effectively might be a factor which excludes them from various activities. In fact, one can see ‘proxy functioning’ in most of such panchayats. Often, as the performance of a woman sarpanch depends on many factors, the inability and non-performance of a woman sarpanch is used against her in case of conflict and ‘no-confidence motion’.

Analysis: politicians that rely on the support of local elites, who have a greater say in elections based on community consensus, are not incentivised to appease village residents in order to get re-elected THE CASE OF UNCONTENSTED ELECTION IN BENGAL As per the data released by the West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) 20,076 of the 58,692 seats were gone uncontested (2018). The Supreme Court termed it shocking but, this has generally been trend in West Bengal.


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REASONS FOR HIGH NUMBER OF UNCONTESTED ELECTION IN BENGAL SOCIO-POLITICAL STRUCTURE: The party-society: In Bengal “party” is elementary institution of rural life not family or

kinship. It is the institution that mediates every single sphere of social activity, whereas in old day landlords, caste-councils, religious assembly, sectarian foundations were used to be mediate in social life, now it has been eliminated, marginalized or subordinated to the ‘party’.

Origin of party system: when the left govt launched “operation Berga” the power structure changed from landlords to village peasant based on party affiliation. In 1988, for example, 58% of panchayat members were poor peasants or agricultural labourers, this lead to party members dictating local governments.

Violence as a strategic recourse: As against the established notion of monopoly of state on violence, in Bengal, violence is a mechanism, driven by identity of the local party to control other opposing faction.

ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE Decentralized structure: When the panchayat systems started functioning, it has been

decentralised much more due to left govt. Zillaparishad, panchayat samity and gram panchayat, all have politically elected representatives, unlike most parts of India where only zilla parishads are being elected politically and local sarpanch or panchayats are full with elected representatives who are apolitical.

Power of Panchayat: Each of the panchayat has the power of granting projects worth Rs 3 to Rs 5 crore. The money is deposited into the panchayat’s account and they can sign in the cheques as well. Well trained administrative official does not have any say in this, the power has been taken away slowly but steadily in the name of decentralisation.

Joblessness and ruling party: Lack of jobs in rural Bengal has made posts like panchayat pradhan most lucrative in Bengal. There are around 46,000 panchyats each of which elect a body of around 20 members. The ruling groups have all the power to spend crores of rupees per year. That has led to clash over dominance as ruling party would like to have their own


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men in order to check the growing dissatisfaction in its ranks. Also, rampant poverty and unemployment in rural backyards made government adapt such a rule in which considerable number of people earn money in the name of “self-governance” resulting in massive misuse of government resources.

Impartiality of officials: Administration generally lacks impartiality. The annual confidential report (ACR) of the senior administrative officers is done by the chief minister instead of chief secretary. Administrative cadres in Bengal are most likely beunder pressure and very loyal to ruling dispensation. This has led to a situation where state could not get an election commission which could act independently. The line between executives and governments have been blurred.

With the stagnating agriculture income, when the left govt tried to bring industries in Bengal, it resulted in alienation of lower and middle peasantry towards left govt. this created a void, which was filled by Trinamool congress. But now the competing tussle over political hegemony, is resulting in a large countryside violence in Bengal, manifested in a large number of uncontested polls in Bengal COMPARISON OF POWER OF ELECTION COMMISSION (EC) AND STATE ELECTION COMMISSION (SEC) How SEC are different from EC: The SECs, which were appointed in each state more

than four decades after the EC was set up, supervise municipal and panchayat elections. Although the two authorities have a similar mandate, they are independent of each other and draw powers from different laws. The SEC in Bengal draws it powers from the West Bengal State Election Commission Act, 1994. It has nothing to do with the Representation of the People Act, which lays down the EC’s powers. Each SEC is governed by a separate state Act.

Power of both the ECs: The provisions of Article 243K of the Constitution, which provides for setting up of SECs, are almost identical to those of Article 324 related to the EC. In other words, the SECs enjoy the same status as the EC.

• In 2006, the Supreme Court emphasised the two constitutional authorities enjoy the same powers. In Kishan Singh Tomar vs Municipal Corporation of the City of Ahmedabad, the Supreme Court directed that state governments should abide by orders of the SECs during the conduct of the panchayat and municipal elections, just like they follow the instructions of the EC during Assembly and Parliament polls.

Are the SECs as independent as the EC: Although state election commissioners are appointed by the state governors and can only be removed by impeachment, in the last two decades many have struggled to assert their independence.

• One of the most widely remembered cases of confrontation happened in Maharashtra in 2008.State election commissioner was arrested and sent to jail for two days in March 2008 after the Assembly found him guilty of breach of privilege in an alleged conflict over his jurisdiction and powers.

POWER OF COURTS ON HEARING ELECTION PETITION Courts cannot interfere in the conduct of polls to local bodies and self-government

institutions once the electoral process has been set in motion. Article 243-O of the Constitution bars interference in poll matters set in motion by the SECs; Article 329 bars interference in such matters set in motion by the EC. Only after the polls are over can the SECs’ decisions or conduct be questioned through an election petition. This power enjoyed by the SECs is the same as those by the EC.

CONCLUSION: Consensus based election is generally associated with mature democracy. A society where there is so much divide, based on so many parochial identities, such type of election disempowers majority of the subaltern.


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TOPIC 4: INDIA’ NEW FORWARD POLICY IN THE BAY OF BENGAL AND SUB-REGIONALISM IN BIMSTEC

THE CONTEXT: In the BRICS summit in Goa that was held in 2016, India invited BIMSTEC members. India also attended BIMSTEC meeting on August 2018.The question is why does India attach so much importance to BIMSTEC? The following article will try to answer these questions ABOUT BIMSTEC • The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)

is an international organization of seven nations of South Asia and South East Asia. • The BIMSTEC member states—Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, and

Nepal are among the countries dependent on the Bay of Bengal. • BIMSTEC Permanent Secretariat is at Dhaka was opened in 2014 and India provides 33% (65%

of region's population) of its expenditure. • Although established in 1997 with the efforts of Thailand, it was not vibrant until 2014 after

the failure of SAARC platform. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN BIMSTEC • India attended BIMSTEC meeting in March 2014. After the failure of SAARC summit post

attacks on Pathankot and Uri arm camp, India invited BIMSTEC members in the Goa summit of BRICS.

• Later on, India hosted the first BIMSTEC national-security advisers’ meet during March 2017. This was followed by New Delhi hosting the first meeting of the BIMSTEC Task Force on Traditional Medicine, resulting immediately in India’s Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research launching the BIMSTEC Tele-Medicine Network to provide quick and effective medical relief across seven-member countries.

• The most recent BIMSTEC summit was organized on August 30 and 31, 2018 on Kathmandu. Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in it. The theme of this summit was ‘Towards a peaceful, prosperous and Sustainable Bay of Bengal Region’.

• This summit added two more sector, further in the existing list of fourteen Priority sectors: Blue economy and Mountain Economy.

• During this summit, India tried to push for an early ratification of the BIMSTEC Convention on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism and the Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters that were adopted after the 2008 New Delhi BIMSTEC summit.

• India tried to push for early adoption of the BIMSTEC coastal shipping and motor-vehicles agreements. The countries are also trying to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement under the Customs Cooperation agreement.

• India is also trying to host a BIMSTEC disaster-management exercise to evolve quick, coordinated and comprehensive responses.

• India proposed BIMSTEC as a “common security space” in its Kathmandu Declaration that could even outline a broad frame of “common responses” to various exigencies of insecurity.

• In coming months, India has decided to host the first BIMSTEC army exercises in Pune, where the closing ceremonies will see their army chiefs holding an inaugural meeting. (Neither SAARC nor the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have had any military component like this… SCO does have it. Does India, under PM Modi want to send a message to Shanghai?)

IMPORTANCE OF BAY OF BENGAL SUB REGION AND BIMSTEC Bridge between

South Asia and South East Asia

• Nearly 1.5 billion people or 21% of the world’s population live along its coastline.

• 25% of the world’s traded goods cross the Bay of Bengal every year. • 80% of Chinese, 90% of South Korea’s and Japan’s energy imports pass


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through the Bay of Bengal. Market • The seven countries situated immediately on and around the bay

(Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand) have a combined GDP of approximately US$ 2.7 trillion and an impressive average rate of economic growth of around 5.5%.

• The region has countries with the fastest-growing economies in the world.

• Bay of Bengal is now the new fulcrum of South East Asian economy. Major Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) are now developing in this region.

Resources • As the world’s largest bay, it is also rich in untapped natural resources, with some of the world’s largest fishing stocks, reserves of gas and other sea bed minerals.

Geostrategic • BIMSTEC community gives a tacit recognition to India as a major power in Indo-Pacific by facilitating India to take a leading position.

• India is now playing a leading role in Counter terrorism and transnational crime, Transport and communication, Tourism and environment and Disaster Management in BIMSTEC.

Countering the influence of China

• As the Belt and Road Initiative increases China’s North-South access routes to the Indian Ocean, especially via Myanmar, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, New Delhi is accelerating alternative East-West connectivity plans across the Bay of Bengal.

• BIMSTEC could allow India to push a constructive agenda to counter Chinese investments, and instead follow best practices for connectivity projects based on recognised international norms. The Chinese projects are widely seen as violating these norms.

• Again, the Bay of Bengal can be showcased as open and peaceful, contrasting it with China’s behaviour in South China Sea

Role in Indo-Pacific • Bay of Bengal acts as a funnel to the Strait of Malacca linking the Indian and Pacific oceans. It is a major maritime choke up point for China, Japan and most East and Southeast Asian states.

• Any act of China to block Freedom of Navigation in South China Sea can be countered by a forward presence in the Bay of Bengal Region, provided India develops a strong naval force to restrict China on the East of Malacca.

• China wants to create an artificial canal in Thailand known as ‘Isthmus of Kra’. This route eventually bypasses the strait of Malacca (China’ neck) and the leverage, Indonesia and Singapore get by allowing transit through that route. Both these nations want to maintain the status quo. India is therefore, undergoing discussions with Indonesia on allowing port facilities at Sabang.

Role in Act East Policy • Regional cooperation under the umbrella of BIMSTEC aligns with India’s Act East policy.

• India’ Act East policy has a strategic outlook compared to its earlier Look East Policy.

• While Look East Policy was more economic and commercial, India uses AEP as a spring board to exert its influence in the Indian Ocean Region.

Role in India’ Neighborhood first

policy

• Currently India faces challenges in its relations with its neighbours. In Sri Lanka, Maldives and Nepal, domestic political developments are turning against India


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• China’s clout, meanwhile, is growing markedly around India’s periphery, further constraining India’s ability to push its regional agenda.

• BIMSTEC allows India to break through traditional identity of a country in South Asia and leverage its Bay of Bengal identity to engage with its neighbours.

• The trilateral highway project, Kaladanmultimodal transport project, Mekong Ganga Cooperation, BBIN Motor vehicles agreement, the FTA under negotiation in BIMSTEC, Motor Vehicles agreement and Coastal Shipping agreement to use each other’s waterways etc. are few projects that India is trying to promote through this identity.

Pakistan factor • BIMSTEC allows India to engage with its neighbors, bypassing Pakistan. • Due to rivalry between India and Pakistan, SAARC has failed multiple

times in last few years. Every other member of SAARC (excluding Pakistan) are members of BIMSTEC. BIMSTEC contains Myanmar and Thailand which are not members of SAARC

• After the failure of SAARC, India can’t lose to keep this space empty in light of China’ increasing engagement with South Asian countries.

Development of Coastal states

• One quarter of its population lives on states bordering the Bay of Bengal. Their growth and development are increasingly seen to hinge on the degree of connectivity with the Southeast Asian markets.

• Andhra Pradesh has already showed its interest in Big-B initiative launched by JICA.

CHALLENGES TO BIMSTEC

Poor record • The very first meeting of BIMSTEC was held in Bangkok in June 1997 and the second meeting followed in 2008. Then the third summit came in 2014 in Myanmar after a gap of six years and now the fourth one has taken place in 2018.

• Thus there have been only four meetings in last 20 years. • The future of BIMSTEC lies in India’s newfound enthusiasm under the Act

East Policy of Narendra Modi and to overcome constraints offered by SAARC.

poor trade infrastructure and

suboptimal logistics

• Little or no sea connectivity is available between littoral member nations and air connectivity remains abysmal

• Indian ports are highly inefficient and the ships face a higher turn-around time on Indian ports compared to China, Singapore, Japan, UAE, Korea and Taiwan.

• These inefficiencies are compounded by trade facilitation bottlenecks (e.g. customs procedures, invoicing of commodities), which are important determinants of cost competitiveness of businesses, particularly exporters, and impinge on abilities of domestic firms to participate in regional and global production networks.

• Among the member countries, Myanmar’s intra-BIMSTEC trade is around 36.14 percent of its total trade. As a neighbor to India, any trade of India with South East Asia and BIMSTEC will pass through Myanmar. India-Myanmar border still faces a lot of bottlenecks

Lack of any comprehensive

RTA

• Rules and standards of regional trade agreements (RTAs) are instrumental in shaping production networks by indicating to multinational firms the ideal locations for housing various activities in the supply chains, from among the member countries of the agreements.


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• In Bay of Bengal region, India has FTA only with ASEAN, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

• Members are at different stages of development with competing economies. All the member countries of BIMSTEC, except Thailand, suffering negative balance of trade and budgetary deficits

Conflicting interests

• All the member countries of BIMSTEC do not attach the same order of priority as does India. SAARC was proposed by Bangladesh and therefore it attaches more value to SAARC. Similarly, all the member countries are also the signatories to China’s OBOR/BRI.

• For Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the rising centrality of the Bay of Bengal helps to realize their economic interests in the emerging markets of South Asia and to reduce their dependence on India.

• For Nepal and Bhutan, both landlocked between India and China, growth prospects will increase dramatically by giving their Himalayan hinterland economies a stronger maritime link.

Lack of a stronger institutional framework

• BIMSTEC doesn’t even have its own charter. Thus, it is difficult for BIMSTEC to pursue its mandate due to the absence of clear cut framework

Lack of investment to propel growth

• There is very little interest in the private sector to be engaged in regional investments particularly because domestic business climate is poor, there is no capital convertibility, except in Thailand, for private sector to even think of doing business sub regionally.

• India as the largest and most powerful country has a below average per capita income -- $ 1701 compared to BIMSTEC average of $ 1831 creating doubts over its financial capacity to lead with projects, the essence of regional cooperation

Political conflicts • All BIMSTEC nations face internal political and security challenges.

ROLE OF SAGARMALA PROJECT IN REGIONAL INTEGRATION. • In order to improve its maritime capabilities, effectiveness and presence in the IOR, India has

launched two projects: Sagarmala in 2015, with an inward orientation; and the Mausam project, with an outward orientation.

• The Sagarmala project aims to develop infrastructure to improve and increase the performance and effectiveness of existing ports from their present under-performance level to the optimum level by modernizing and improving infrastructure around ports.

• It has three interrelated and interdependent dimensions: 1. Supporting port-driven development with proactive policy measures 2. Modernizing and upgrading the port infrastructure; and, 3. Developing integrated transport infrastructure in order to connect the ports/coast to the

hinterland WHAT IS COASTAL SHIPPING AGREEMENT?

• Under this agreement, the countries will allow each other’s territory to be used for transporting goods via waterways, roadways and railways, both for commerce and trans-shipment. This will help in further integration of each other’ economy that will increase the influence of India.

• For example, Garment cargo from Bangladesh is currently sent to the UK via the transshipment hubs of Colombo or Singapore. However, after signing Coastal Shipping agreement between two nations, the container shipping lines and port operators permit transshipment of Bangladesh cargo from Indian ports.

• Chennai Customs has already given green signal to sea-air transshipment of cargo from Chennai to West Asia based on a proposal from Orient Shipping Line. Besides, the Chennai


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Customs is evaluating the possibility of allowing transloading (re-stuffing into new containers) of Bangladesh garment cargo for an exporter who wants to transship the cargo to UK via Chennai instead of Singapore.

• India is also planning to invest in the development of Chittagong and Mongla ports, which will provide access for goods from Nepal and Bhutan to these ports, furthering regional economic integration. India is already pushing for BBIN motor vehicle agreement and a railway line till Kathmandu.

• India too has been asking for a direct access to the Chittagong Port for nearly five years. Once approved, this will help Indian industry and exporters save millions of dollars by sending direct shipments to Bangladesh and by using the Chittagong port as a transit hub to access other Southeast Asian destinations.

• Both, India and Bangladesh are working towards renewal of Protocol Inland Waterways Transit and Trade (PIWTT). First signed in 1972, the PIWTT outlines mutually beneficial arrangements for the use of both countries’ waterways for commercial purposes and for the passage of goods between two places in one country and to third countries through the territory of the other.

WHY IS INDIA PUSHING FOR A COASTAL SHIPPING AGREEMENT IN BIMSTEC? • If India manages to push the BIMSTEC nations for a Coastal Shipping agreement, it can use

its SAGARMALA initiative as a template for a major regional connectivity project to rival Maritime leg of China’ OBOR project.

• India has already launched the initiative SAGAR (Security and Growth for all), however no significant work to improve connectivity has been done yet. In this case, India can use this agreement as a model template to show, how integration of this region will benefit every other country.

• This will foster a sense of common belonging in countries across the region and towards reestablishing a Bay of Bengal community.

CAN BIMSTEC FILL THE VACUUM CREATED BY THE FAILURE OF SAARC? Critics argue that if India wants to prove itself as a regional power, as the largest country in South Asia, India cannot escape its responsibilities under SAARC. The following points explain the differences between SAARC and BIMSTEC. In the end, it can be seen that none of them can substitute each other. Rather they can complement each other’s role. Parameter BIMSTEC SAARC

Vibrancy and

dynamism

• BIMSTEC meetings have been held only four times in last twenty years.

• BIMSTEC meetings are rather considered to be retreats for the leaders of the member nations and there are hardly any talks on policy.

• As of now, BIMSTEC finds vibrancy since India is using it to promote its Act East Policy that aligns with Look West Policy of Thailand.

• It is argued that India also uses BIMSTEC platform to substitute SAARC. However, the success of BIMSTEC does not render SAARC pointless; it only adds a new chapter in regional cooperation in South Asia.

• SAARC on the other side is a more active group. Over the last 32 years, ignoring the annual SAARC summits have been postponed 11 times for political reasons, SAARC has been assiduously nurtured through a multitude of meetings and initiatives, including 18 summits.

• This has seen it evolve a whole set of conventions, organs and mechanisms and a network of more than a dozen regional centers and other institutions, with a secretariat in Kathmandu.

• Since the SAARC summit has only been postponed, not cancelled, the possibility of revival remains.


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Goals

• BIMSTEC role is more restricted to economy and regional integration only.

• SAARC has broader goals compared to BIMSTEC.

• SAARC is aimed at promoting the welfare of the people; accelerating economic growth, social progress and culture development; and strengthening collective self-reliance.

• Other objectives include strengthening cooperation with other developing countries, and cooperating with international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes.

Intra-trade • Trade among the BIMSTEC member

countries reached six percent in just a decade

• In SAARC, it has remained around five percent since its inception.

Capacity of the

secretariat

• the BIMSTEC secretariat faces a severe resource crunch, both in terms of money and manpower, which has adversely affected its performance.

• SAARC secretariat has more resources. This can used when SAARC meetings are held

Coverage

• BIMSTEC is interregional and connects both South Asia and ASEAN.

• BIMSTEC provides SAARC countries a unique opportunity to connect with ASEAN.

• SAARC is a purely regional organization.

• Thus, it is also possible that both the regional organizations can thrive together and even prove complementary on geographically overlapping regions.

WAY FORWARD • India can’t afford to remain isolated in the light of recent forays by China in South Asia that

India exerts as its own sphere of influence. By facilitating trade and economy through BIMSTEC, India can integrate the economies of surrounding countries. For e.g., India can integrate BIG-B initiative of Bangladesh with its own SAGARMALA project

• To build this as a sustainable platform, India should also focus on maintaining consistency in the frequency of the summits to ensure regularity in decision making;

• It should also fund it more to improve the capacity of the secretariat, both in terms of manpower and funding. In the short term, since India lacks the resources, India should use its clout to derive funds from JICA, World Bank or ADB.

• Ensuring tangible results/benefits, which will add to the motivation of the countries to concentrate on BIMSTEC

• To prevent this platform, fall apart like SAARC, India needs to give teeth to it. This can be done by empowering BIMSTEC to be a platform for dispute resolution among member 24 countries. This will require debates and discussions among the BIMSTEC countries to reach consensus. India should also go ahead of its reservations on certain issues that neighboring countries opine as big brotherly nature to improve their confidence.

CONCLUSION: BIMSTEC is not an alternative to SAARC. India as the largest country in South Asia should take the initiative to use both the platforms to build better relations with its neighbors.


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TOPIC 5: INDIA’ BACK-UP OPTIONS TO CONNECT WITH CENTRAL ASIA VIA PAKISTAN LAND ROUTE

THE CONTEXT: July 2018, Iran warned India that access to Chabahar comes with conditions. In such a situation once the sanctions kick in, can India use CPEC as a hedge to retain relations with Central Asia and Afghanistan? The article explains the issue from the lens of all the major players. WHY IRAN IS PRESSURIZING INDIA?

• Iran is getting increasingly isolated by the international community due to the sanctions laid by USA.

• Iran’ economy is dependent too much on oil and USA wants India to reduce oil purchases from Iran to zero.

• Iran wants India, to act as a buffer to protect its economy. It wants India to maintain its purchase of crude oil from Iran.

• The veiled warning that Iran gave to India in June 2018, was to indicate that if India imports oil from countries like Saudi Arabia or USA, to compensate the reduction in oil supply from Iran under US led sanctions, India may lose special privileges provided by Iran

• In this case, India will lose the prospects of connecting with Central Asia through Chabahar. INDIA PRESENT OPTIONS TO CONNECT WITH CENTRAL ASIA

• At a 2007 event, Manmohan Singh had said “I dream of a day when, while retaining our respective national identities, one can have breakfast in Amritsar, lunch in Lahore and dinner in Kabul.” More than 10 years later, this dream is far from being realized.

• India has also launched initiatives like ‘Look North’ and ‘Connect Central Asia’ to improve its relations with Central Asian neighbors.

• To realize this India has built Chabahar port in Iran and is also investing in INSCTC via Bandar-e-Abbas port.

SCOPE FOR REGIONAL INTEGRATION BETWEEN SOUTH ASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA • The Central Asia-South Asia Regional Electricity Market (CASAREM) is based on the premise

that Central and South Asia are, or can become, a single integrated unit committed to economic activity and growth.

• The countries of the region, and particularly India as the leading force of South Asia, have deep cultural and historical ties. India now wants to revive its linkages with the region.

• While India wants to get its concerns addressed such as against terrorism, India may also find outlets for energy supplies, achieving prosperity through economic cooperation, and moving towards enhanced security and stability.

IMPORTANCE OF CENTRAL ASIA FOR INDIA

Gateway to Europe • Central Asia is strategically positioned as an access point between Europe and Asia. India and EU are trying to sign a Free Trade Agreement.

Energy Security • The energy resources of Central Asia, including the Caspian Sea region, can play an important role in India’s energy strategy.

• Central Asian oil and gas are of high quality and largely untapped. The investment environment is open and friendly.

• In addition, Central Asia is relatively more stable than the Middle East and African energy-rich countries.

• Central Asia states esp. Uzbekistan and Tajikistan hold sizeable uranium reserves and have the potential for its enrichment.

Large market • With rising prosperity due to BRI project, it has extensive potential for trade, investment, and growth. Indian goods may find larger markets in Central Asia.


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• Energy: power generation and transmission, oil refining, petrochemicals.

Security • Afghanistan has been the largest opium producer of the world, according to the World Drug Report, 2011. This drug trafficking is used for funding of extremist Islamist terror networks which in turn are used against India.

• Increased engagement with Central Asian republics will facilitate India to counter Pakistan’s anti-India propaganda and guarantee its economic participation with the greater Central Asian region.

Rivalling SCO • The SCO has now emerged as a major geo-strategic, security and economic initiative in entire Eurasia. India’s has recently become a full member state in the Ufa Summit of the SCO in July, 2017 in Russia.

• Membership in the Organization will not merely help India in getting entry into the region but would also enable to propel its interests vis-à-vis China in Central Asia.

Quest for ‘P’ membership of

UNSC

• India as a major regional and global power cannot leapfrog to the global high table without demonstrating effective and timely initiatives at the regional level

• Central Asia is an important constituent of this region. INDIA’S CONNECT CENTRAL ASIA POLICY • The ‘Connect Central Asia Policy’ (CCAP) of India was first unveiled by the Minister of State for

External Affairs, E. Ahmed, at the first meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue, a Track II initiative, organisedin June 2012 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

• The purpose of this policy is to fast-track India’s relations with the Central Asian Republics. This is based on 4Cs ‘commerce, connectivity, consular and community’.

• The policy calls for setting up universities, hospitals, information technology (IT) centres, an e-network in telemedicine connecting India to the CARs, joint commercial ventures, improving air connectivity to boost trade and tourism, joint scientific research and strategic partnerships in defence and security affairs.

• This policy initiative, if properly channelised, would enable India to attain the centre-stage in Central Asia and this would further help India to achieve its basic objectives of engagement in the greater Central Asian region.

CHALLENGES FOR INDIA Security Challenges • Due to the landlocked nature of Central Asian states, there is no direct

sea route between India and the region. For India to reach Central Asia, the shortest route goes via Pakistan and Afghanistan. However, both Pakistan and Afghanistan are not secure and stable.

• This region has witnessed the greatest number of the people who left to join IS. Hence the route via Central Asia is not safe and reliable: safety of goods and transport of energy resources is extremely crucial as the stakes of both the governmental and private players in terms of investments are very high.

Weak regional connectivity

• Connectivity is very feeble in this region due to neglect of investment in infrastructure.

• This is particularly due to the socialist economy followed by the erstwhile Soviet Union.

The great game • The US, Russia and China are the three major strategic players in Central Asia. All of them have conflicting interests

Russian interests Backyard • All the Central Asian Republics (CARs) were earlier part of Soviet Union. Russia behaves like a big


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brother and wants to stay that way Security • Moscow is perceived by the secular Central Asian

leadership as a reliable ally against terrorist Islamic groups, and has been working actively on this issue with them

• Russia thereby wants to contain the terrorist activities by Chechnya rebels

Economic • The “hub and spokes” economic ties that prevailed in the Soviet period left a powerful legacy.

• Most economic ties of CARs are still with or through Russia, and trade with other countries is correspondingly less important.

• Most foreign direct investment continues to come from Russia.

Diaspora • A lot of Russians work in Central Asia.

Russia' stand on CPEC

• Russia is silent on India’ objection of CPEC passing through PoK. • It is believed that this is due to the fact, that Russia wants to connect its

own resource rich Siberia to the warm waters of the Persian Gulf and West Asia through CPEC to boost its exports.

• Similarly, Russia is vying to increase its influence through its multilateral initiative ‘the Eurasian Economic Union’. All the EEU members share consensus with Russia to benefit from the transit between Russia and West Asia.

• Thus, If India fails to join CPEC, it will further strengthen Russia-China-Pakistan axis

China Interests Backyard • China shares a 3500 km of border with Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

Security • China wants to contain the problem of East Turkestan movement in Xinjiang

Geostrategic • China wants to loosen the hold of the US and Russian Federation in the region. This explains China’ recent boost to its diplomacy in Central Asia.

• It initiated in 1996 the formation of the Shanghai Five with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Russia to promote peace and cooperation in the region

• Uzbekistan joined the Organisation in 2001, when it was renamed as Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

Energy • China is now the second-largest consumer of oil in the world after America.

• China has great interest in gaining access to the rich deposits of hydrocarbon and hydroelectric resources of the region

US INTERESTS IN CENTRAL ASIA AND

STRATEGIC CONVERGENCE WITH INDIAN

INTERESTS

Energy • USA interests are largely concerned on the oil and natural resources of the region

• It wants to administer and control the pipelines originating from Central Asia.

• India is energy hungry and the U.S. prefers to see India develop its energy supplies through Central


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Asia rather than through Iran. Security • The main objective then was to also take care of the

nuclear instability that could emerge if Iran or Pakistan gained access to the Central Asian uranium mines.

• The other US objectives were to save the region from the threat of Islamic fundamentalism, strengthen the role of Turkey and block Russian influence in the area.

• The U.S. shares India’s interest in a stable Afghanistan. Rising influence of Russia in Northern part of Afghanistan, is risky for India since that will embolden Taliban. India has major stakes in deciding the future of Afghanistan

Geostrategic • USA wants to maintain a balance of power by countering China and Russian influence.

• It wants to sustain the viability of the independent Central Asian states and restrict the Russian and Chinese influence.

• Stronger economic ties of CARs with India would help reduce these countries’ dependence on Moscow and Beijing.

• The U.S. would also like to see expanding cultural and educational ties between Central Asia and India

India’ garland to encircle

China and US interests

• The USA wants to retain its access to Afghanistan from the north and west. The U.S. base in Uzbekistan was closed in 2005 after a joint declaration by all SCO member states asked that the U.S. withdraw its troops and dismantles military bases in Central Asia.

• However, an important air facility still remains in Kyrgyzstan, along with refueling arrangements and overflight privileges in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

• India already has air force base in Ayni and Farkhour in Tajikistan. Further growth of Indian economic and political relationships are compatible with these interests.

Pakistan’s interests • Having access to the sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean, Pakistan would like to become the main connective route of Central Asia via China Pakistan Economic Corridor than allowing Indian funded North South Transport Corridor & Chabahar-Nimruz-Delaram-Zaranj Highway.

• To contain the influence of Iran, both the countries viz Pakistan and Uzbekistan, would like the Turkmenistan gas pipeline (TAPI) to go to Pakistan via Afghanistan.

• Pakistan also has a strategic depth in Central Asia. It tries to gain solidarity from CARs on the basis of its Muslims identity.

• Since Pakistan is hostile to India, it cooperates with China to restrict the increasing influence of India

India’ relations with • Since, India does not want to upset its relations with USA, India should


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USA have a backup plan to secure its interests due to recent turmoil in relations between USA and Iran.

OPTIONS FOR INDIA • Strategically, India needs to be cautious about joining CPEC as it passes through the China-

annexed parts of Jammu and Kashmir, and joining it can weaken India’s claim over these territories. India can open itself to certain projects of CPEC (and not to CPEC as the whole) to retain connectivity with central Asia and to mitigate the impact of USA-Iran rivalry

• In this way, India will maintain its objections to the initiative that violates its sovereignty but still deepen trade relations with Central Asia, and in the process implicitly be utilizing CPEC infrastructure, energy projects, industrial zones and more.

• Iran, Afghanistan and various Central Asian countries have already showed their willingness to join CPEC.

WAY FORWARD: • With Pakistan trapped in rising Current Account Deficit, India should capitalize on this

opportunity to offer a deal to Pakistan. This deal should be to allow access to Central Asia via land route in return for India paying transit fees to Pakistan for offering security along the land route.

• The harvesting of potential of relationship between India and Central Asia will be realized in all its mentioned forms, provided there are improvements in cross-border connectivity

• This can be done only when the Indian leadership expresses its political willingness and economic desire to be engaged in the region while simultaneously strengthening its border security.

• This should include efforts to create additional direct land routes between the countries into operation and enhancing people-to-people contact.

CONCLUSION: With changing dynamics of relations between Iran and USA and rising influence of China through the three economic corridors of BRI that will pass through Central Asia, India shouldn’t put all the eggs in one basket by remaining completely dependent on Chabahar port to get access to Central Asia. Efforts to get access via Pakistan by opening up to only certain specific projects of CPEC while strengthening border security to reduce the negative fallouts, may reap dividends in future.

JUST ADD TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE WHAT IS CPEC? • CPEC is dubbed as a project ‘Make in Pakistan’ since China is transferring labor intensive

industries to Pakistan. Thus, in a long run, CPEC may become a giant shop floor for China’ industries that are suffering from shortage of labor.

• China is an ageing economy and therefore most of the industries within China are moving towards automation thereby increasing the overall volume of their production. China is willing to export them to new markets in Central Asia, West Asia and South Asia.

• The 3,200 km-long corridor is intended to connect the world’s second-largest economy China to the Indian ocean. It will reduce the sea route distance via the Malacca Straits by 10,000km

• CPEC runs almost parallel to India’ DMIC corridor. It is a conglomeration of various projects like Rail, roads, power house, transmission lines, broadband highways etc.

• CPEC is anticipated to boost Pakistan’s economy, where the GDP is expected to grow by more than five percent by 2020.

• The CPEC is believed to be a catalyst for economic connectivity and integration in Central, South and West Asia. It may be possible that in future, Iran and Afghanistan join CPEC to boost their economies.

INDIA’ RESERVATIONS ON CPEC • India claims that CPEC violates its sovereignty since the road from Kashgar to Gwadar via

Karakoram passes through PoK. No permission has been sought from India


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• China is also building six dams including the Mangla dam and the Diamer-Bhasha dam in PoK. No permission has been sought yet

What if India joins CPEC? What if India doesn’t join CPEC? • CPEC offers a huge potential in terms of

leveraging connectivity due to India’s unique geographical position. Economic development that will be accrued due to regional integration, may improve the prospects of stability in Afghanistan

• India accounts for merely 2 percent of global trade and this share is unlikely to increase much with the ongoing stalemate in WTO.

• India is not invited to join either the TPP or the TTIP. India is looking to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and APEC. Almost all the member countries in these groupings are developed and export oriented. Thus in whichever group India joins, it will have to make some compromises. India should look at CPEC with the same outlook and then decide its approach.

• China’s Iran railway project is one project which will increase connectivity between India and Iran, an initiative which India has been unable to pursue on its own due to resistance from Pakistan.

• Connecting CPEC with the International North South Transport Corridor can further gravitate an economic power shift from the US-EU axis to an Asia-EU axis, which will immensely benefit India. INSCTC connects India to Russia via Iran.

• Even if PoK becomes part of India, it is likely that it will become a liability than an asset for India. Demography has changed a lot since 1947 due to the porous border its shares with Afghanistan. This area is now threatened by Islamic fundamentalists

• India’s gains due to Chabahar are modest, and nowhere comparable to those that would accrue by India having a direct land access to Afghanistan through Pakistan, courtesy a renamed CPEC.

• India can use CPEC to increase its access to the Middle Eastern as well as the Central Asian countries. This access is also vital for the success of two other mega projects that are critical for India’s energy security and accelerated economic growth — the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) and Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipelines.

• India does not have the option to sit in isolation because that will further increase Chinese influence in Pakistan as well as in the Middle East and Central Asia.

TOPIC 6: HYDRO-POLITICS IN SOUTH ASIA THE CONTEXT: In the context of South Asia, water is going to be one of the critical drivers of peace and stability in the next decade of the 21st century. For South Asia region this seems a compelling concern and since the 1990s, it has been more prominent that the conflicts of this century will be about water because it appears increasingly scarce. In present article, we will discuss the issues in detail. WATER RESOURCES OF SOUTH ASIAN SUBCONTINENT

• South Asia is a region of both abundance and scarcity of water. • It is fed by the Hindu Kush and Himalayan mountain system which is one of the largest

storehouses of freshwater in the world. There are 20 rivers originating from this mountain chain.

• Out of the total, the four major rivers are the Indus, the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Barak (Meghna), also known as IGBM basin.

• The Indus River takes a westward course towards the Arabian Sea while the Ganges and the Brahmaputra make a journey towards the Bay of Bengal east of the sub-continent.


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Sharing of South Asian Subcontinent River Basins Basin Name Total basin area ( in sq km) Country name with sharing

area (in sq km) Indus 1138800 Pakistan 5,97,700

China 76,200 Nepal 10 India 3,81,600

Afghanistan 72,100 Chinese

controlled claimed by

India

9,600

Indian controlled claimed by

China

1,600

Ganges- Brahmaputra

Mehgna

16,34,900

Bangladesh 1,07,100 India 9,48,400 China 3,21,300

Bhutan 39,900 Myanmar 80

Nepal 1,47,400 • The IGBM basin has extensive water resources with an overall runoff more than 1500 billion

cubic meters per year. • The Brahmaputra river system carries the highest volume of water with 585 billion cubic

meters per year followed by the Ganges and the Indus with 525 billion cubic meters and 181 billion cubic meters respectively.

THE ISSUE: • The South Asian region is home to one quarter population of the world, but the available

fresh water resources are not ample to meet the need of such huge population. • The amount of water available, for the present as well as future has reduced dramatically. • Water scarcity is a common problem in all South Asian countries, the situation is worse,

particularly in India and Pakistan. • Another two countries, Nepal and Bangladesh of this region, have different issues as far as

water problems are concerned. Both of these countries have relatively better supplies of water, but the lack of capacity to utilise the available water resources results in severe seasonal water scarcity.

• Apart from the agricultural sector, water is also going to be one of the scarcest resources for the growing urban centres and industrial towns of South Asian region.

India concerns: • India has long standing water disputes in South Asian with her neighbours on distribution of

water resources particularly rivers. • These disputes are increasing their intensities gradually; as the demand for fresh water is

increasing. • There is the possibility that if present demographic, economic and environmental challenges

may precede then this tension may lead to crisis like situation and probably wars between India and its neighbours thus threatening regional stability. India is in a much better position than


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WATER DISPUTES BETWEEN SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRIES India and Pakistan Nature of conflict

• Pakistan because of her geographical proximity to Tibet, Kashmir, Himalayas, and the Bay of Bengal.

• However, the demand for water continues outstripping the supply. The basic driver for hydropower is for growing electricity needs in India.

• The push for hydropower in India mainly comes from the need to meet the power demands of the 9% plus annual growth rate.

• Overall for the country, peak power demand in the year 2007- 08 was 108,886 MW, while the peak power demand met was 90,793 MW; there was a shortfall of 18,093 MW or 16.6% of peak demand.

• Pakistan has developed only 12% of 55,000 MW of its hydel potential, while India and China 30% of their potential and rich countries 70%.

• At the time of tension, ‘India’s intent to withdraw from the Indus Water Treaty can severely hurt Pakistan.

• If India walks out, it will trigger serious problems of water shortages in Pakistan as India will be able to divert and use its equitable share of Indus waters which she cannot do due to the existing treaty provisions of the treaty.

Indus water treaty • The Indus Water Treaty (IWT) is a water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan

signed on September 19, 1960. • The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) deals with river Indus and its five tributaries, which are

classified in 2 categories: Eastern rivers:

1. Sutlej 2. Beas 3. Ravi

Western rivers: 1. Jhelum 2. Chenab 3. Indus

• According to treaty, all the water of eastern rivers shall be available for unrestricted use in India.

• India should let unrestricted flow of water from western rivers to Pakistan. • It doesn’t mean that India can’t use Western River’s water. The treaty says that India can use

the water in western rivers in “non-consumptive” needs. Here non consumptive means we can use it for irrigation, storage and even for electricity production. (But India has not fully utilized this provision so far).

• The treaty allocates 80% of water from the six-river Indus water system to Pakistan. • A Permanent Indus Commission was set up as a bilateral commission to implement and

manage the Treaty. • Though Indus originates from Tibet, China has been kept out of the Treaty.

INDIA AND NEPAL • There are about 6,000 rivers and streams in Nepal but shares with India a total of 264

tributaries and rivers which all form a major part of Ganges system. • The origin of the conflict between the two countries is over the Mahakali River an important

tributary of Ganges River. • The use of the Mahakali River to demarcate the border between the Nepal and India, and is

the source of dispute between the two countries. HISTORY AND FACTORS LEADING TO THE TREATY

• The recorded history of a water dispute between India and Nepal became active since British time over the sharing of Mahakali River.


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• Mahakali is not just a tributary of Ganges but also demarcates the boundary line between India and Nepal.

• It was resolved by the signing of Sugauli Treaty between two countries. At the time of this treaty, Mahakali River was officially declared as a border river between India and Nepal.

The Mahakali Integrated Treaty, 1996 • The treaty (signed on 12 February 1996) deals with Thanakpur barrage controversy and

Panchswar project. • It is a great achievement for development of principle over sharing water. • As a result of this treaty Nepal water rights were recognized for the first time; furthermore,

it also gave equal status to Nepal over sharing of water with India. The main provisions of this treaty The treaty recognizes the Mahakali as a boundary river on the major stretch between the two countries.

• Sarada Barrage: Nepal to have the right to the supply of 1,000 cusecs of water from the Sarada Barrage.

• Thanakpur Barrage: Nepal has, free of cost, 1,000 cusecs of water in the wet season and 300 cusecs in the dry season, and 70 million Kwhrs of electricity. There is provision for the supply of 350 cusecs of water for the irrigation of Dodhara Chandni area.

• Panchswar Project: A joint Indo-Nepal hydroelectric project on Mahakali River by a 50:50 cost-benefit split, which remains the most controversial part of the treat Water dispute between India and Bangladesh

INDIA AND BANGLADESH • Bangladesh shares 54 rivers with India. • It is a lower riparian include three major rivers, Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna.

Bangladesh major is too much water in the monsoon and drought in the dry season. • The dispute over the waters flowing naturally into Bangladesh erupted on India’s running

plan to divert the water of Ganges River to augment its Hugli River, which Bangladesh vehemently opposed and demanded an equal share of Ganges River water.

Attempts to settle the dispute • In 1972, both countries agreed to establish a joint river commission and several rounds of

negotiations were held but all in vain. • Failure by the two nations to resolve the issue peacefully led Bangladesh to raise the issue of

Ganges water sharing in the United Nations General Assembly session in 1976. • Confronting adverse international opinion, India finally signed an ad-hoc agreement for five

years on Ganges water sharing in 1977. • The 1977 Agreement expired in 1982 and India refused to extend it.

Ganges Water Sharing Treaty • A new formula for sharing the Ganges water at Faraka Barrage during the dry season was

established. • It was guaranteed that below Faraka Barrage the water is not to be reduced further except

for “reasonable use” in a limited quantity. • This was also determined that the amount of water to be released by India to Bangladesh at

Faraka would be for 30 years. • 50,000 cusecs both countries will enter into immediate consultation to adjust on an

emergency basis. Water allocation in the 1996 Ganges Treaty

Flow at Faraka barrage Share of India Share of Bangladesh 75,000 cusecs 40,000 cusecs Balance of flow

70,000 to 75,000 cusecs Balance of flow 35,000 cusecs 50,000 to 70,000 cusecs 50% 50%


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Teesta Disputes between India and Bangladesh • Teesta is the most important river in the northeast of Bangladesh and is the 4th largest river

of the country. • It originates in the Sikkim Valley of the Himalayan Range within India. • Sikkim reportedly has built five dams and is building 31 more on the upper region of the

Teesta River. • The flow comes down to West Bengal where India has built a barrage at Gazaldoba

reportedly to draw 85% percent of water to irrigate. • India is reported to have increased withdrawal of water from the Teesta at a huge rate

which will further deplete water for Bangladesh. • The plan adversely affects about 21 million Bangladeshi people who live in the basin of river

Teesta, while only 8 million live in the basin in West Bengal and half a million in Sikkim state. • The population ratio is 70 for Bangladesh 30 for India. When Bangladesh needs water in the

dry season, it does not get it, but when it does not need water during summer and monsoon, it gets enough to the point of flooding, which destroys houses, roads and river banks and embankments. Accordingly, sharing of water of the rivers is necessary for Bangladesh in the dry season.

India-Bhutan • India’s water relations are stress-free and unproblematic with Bhutan. • Bhutan’s water abundance contributes to the country’s hydropower production. • Bhutan’s dams have been developed with foreign aid, primarily from India, and India is the

largest customer of Bhutanese hydropower. • India is connected to the Bhutanese through Chukha project, Kurichu project, 2nd Chukha

stage projects, and Tala Dam. HOW INDIA CAN SOLVE THE CROSS BORDER WATER RELATED ISSUES?

1. Resolve issue by talk: The Dialog is the most effective way in which the dispute over water can be resolved. It is imperative that the issue is sorted soon in order to prevent further conflict. Treaties which are based on dialog have settled many fired disputes over water in South Asia like the Indus Water Treaty and Mahakali Treaty.

2. Mutual understanding between stakeholders: All countries within South Asian region should implement the policies which favour their mutual use of rivers. These countries should not use rivers which complement its goal as long as national interests are not affected. For, example, when both countries are constructing dams, mutual consultation will enable then to draft policies which favour countries.

3. New treaties: The establishment of a new treaty is another way in which the conflict may be resolved. The already existing treaties should be re-negotiated to clearly explain how the water maybe used by countries to achieve, mutual benefits. New treaty should project future trends as far as water consumption is concerned to avoid other further conflicts relating to water use. New water sharing treaties should be more integrative in scope than they have been in the past, covering domains such as flood control and irrigation.

4. Implementation of present doctrine: The parties to every treaty should be more careful about properly implementing doctrine, as the Indo-Pakistan Indus Treaty (1960), the Indo-Nepal treaties regarding the Kosi (1954), the Gandaki (1959), and the Mahakali Rivers (1996), and the Indo-Bangladesh Ganges Treaty (1996) have markedly suffered during implementation.

5. Public awareness: The governments of all South Asian Countries should take necessary steps to enhance public awareness about water issues. Neglect of water issues could lead tension and conflict in the future not only within India but also with neighbouring countries. In particular, there should be challenges faced by India and the salience of water in India’s bilateral relations.


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6. Enhance resources: The government needs to allocate adequate human and technical resources for water data collection and dissemination. The realization of the importance of cooperation is obvious in the treaties concluded so far and in the ongoing discussions for agreements on other shared rivers as well. And although treaties and other legal instruments over international rivers will not, by themselves, solve all the problems in such rivers; it is equally true that there can be no resolution of water disputes and conflicts without them.

7. Corporation: Such instruments are indeed the only means for translating cooperative political will into applicable and enforceable action. Since multi-purpose water projects are reasons for most of the water related conflicts between India and its neighbours, there is a need to establish cooperation over such projects or to promote demand-side management of water to manage the bilateral water conflicts.

CONCLUSION: Trans-boundary disputes are playing important role in disputes about water. Retreat of glaciers and water scarcity are the new growing challenges. Environmental cooperation may offer pathways to confidence building. The passable will can help to resolve the future contestations over water in the region. There is a dire need to develop a regional cooperative approach to resolve the problems like glaciers retreat and water management along with the environmental degradation.

TOPIC 7: SHOULD FOREIGN AID BE TAKEN OR NOT THE CONTEXT: During Kerala flood, India refused the foreign aid offered by UAE. This development started the new debate about the foreign aid. In this article, we will discuss the issue in details, that is, whether India should accept the foreign aid or not and what should be the strategy in this regard.

WHAT WAS THE PROPOSAL? • Kerala has gone through one of the worst floods in recent times with loses estimated up

to 20000 Crores rupees. According to new sources this may go up to 40000 Crores rupees. The state has demanded 2600 crores extra for the MGNREGA programme.

• Kerala needs 2600 crore immediate to provide the relief to the affected peoples of the states and state demanded by the centre but centre government release just 600 crore, which is not an adequate amount.

• At this time, the gulf country UAE came forward (veracity is under question) and offered the help of 700 crores but centre government refused to approve state government for the help.

Why government refused the help? The government policy about the foreign aid

• This policy evolved over a time and was put in place for the first time by the Manmohan Singh government during the December 2004 tsunami that affected the Indian Ocean coast, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and other parts of the country. There is no written rule but since 2004 India has followed the policy that it would rather be a donor than a recipient.

• Over the past 14 years, India had declined financial assistance from countries like the USA, Japan and Russia during the Kashmir earthquake of 2005, Uttarakhand floods of 2013, and Kashmir floods in 2014. Reportedly, Indian missions abroad have been asked to politely inform their host countries that no assistance is required and express gratitude as well.

The previous record: • Until the 2004 tsunami, the Indian government had accepted financial assistance from

foreign governments during the Uttarkashi earthquake (1991), Latur earthquake (1993), Gujarat earthquake (2001), Bengal cyclone (2002) and even the Bihar floods (July 2004).

• Interestingly, the last time India accepted monetary aid from foreign countries was during the tenure of an NDA government. In the aftermath of the earthquake in Bhuj, more than a hundred countries had come forward to help with direct monetary aid, medical aid, rescue and relief teams and aid routed through UN and other international bodies.


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• However, India’s change in stance has widely been viewed as a proclamation of the country’s self-worth. It is also an indication of India’s economic clout as the country has been providing aids to others.

But the rejection is reflect more about the policy • India perhaps fears that accepting financial aid could compromise its independence in

decision making. This apprehension is misplaced in the present situation, as it cannot be anyone’s case that India of today would be vulnerable to undesirable pressures if it accepts humanitarian aid.

• Opposing aid is that India has purportedly become a large economic power today, growing at a blistering pace and can afford to reject foreign aid without consequence.

Should government accept foreign aid or not? There can be several reasons for not to accept foreign aid:

• We don’t need their money. That we have enough resources in India to take care of our citizens in the long term when they are affected.

• We do not want to take money from some specific countries (for example China and Pakistan) and because of this we cannot take it from anyone, to be consistent.

• Taking assistance dents the national honour and it in some way diminishes the way we are seen by the outside world because we are aid-takers and not aid-givers.

But India should accept foreign aid because • Although, India is the sixth largest economy but in term of per capita income India is among

the poorest in the world and rank 140th. Especially during human disasters, there is no room for vainglory.

• It should be the person and the community that is affected by disaster that should determine whether their honour is dented in accepting assistance. An individual has feelings, not a nation. There is no real thing as national pride. It is imaginary, while the aid and assistance is real.

• During the Cold War many nations, including India, relied heavily on the largesse of the major donor nations. Today the situation is very different. Cold War is history, India is not the India of yesteryear and the aid in question is purely humanitarian assistance.

• Providing speedy and effective mitigation during natural disasters is also an issue of human rights, besides being an economic imperative in an increasingly borderless world.

• After the establishment of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), extension of international assistance during disasters with the help of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has become the norm.

• The aid offer of UAE need not even be seen as an offer from a nation to another, rather from a group of nearly 10 million (population of UAE) of which 3.3 million are Indians, 50% of whom are Keralites contributing substantially to the host nation’s economy and growth.

• Even the most advanced nations do not let their economic power hinder the acceptance of humanitarian aid in calamities and India should behave no differently.

• In 2011, when Japan (the world’s second largest economy at that time) was struck by earthquake, accepted foreign aid from 179 countries and territories. Both men and material poured into the country.

• Japan even accepted aid from China a nation with which it has several disputes and assistance of $7 million from Thailand, whose per capita income was then only 11.4% of Japan’s.

WAY FORWARD:

• India should adopt a clear policy regarding foreign aid. • This is not the case of a foreign pride this is the case of a relief to the people and

government should look from this angle.


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• This can be an opportunity to improve foreign relation and man to man development. • In any case, we would do well to keep politics, whether international or national, out of

human disasters. CONCLUSION: After accepting foreign aid it can be role model for future strategy that the fear of the government that accepting humanitarian aid would compromise India’s independence in policy is exaggerated. In today’s interdependent world, nations are moving towards a paradigm where natural calamity in one nation is seen as a calamity everywhere, with human lives as the rallying cause and lesser importance ascribed to nationalities.

TOPIC 8: RESOURCE EFFICIENCY REPORT BY NITI AAYOG THE CONTEXT: Since the Economic reforms of 1991, India has experienced dynamic transformation with rapid economic growth, an expanding industrial and service related production, rise in average income, a thriving middle class, rapid urbanisation and a growing population. These changes have been underpinned by increased scale and intensity of resource use leading to manifold increase in demand for natural resources, especially materials. Thus, causing concerns over resource depletion and constraints manifesting in resource supply constraints, price shocks and rapid degradation of natural resource base which have larger economic, social, political and environmental consequences. Coupled with Climate change, the consequences may be even more drastic and may affect poor disproportionately. Therefore, judicious use of resources through a combination of conservation and efficiency measures for economic, social and environmental sustainability is in every society‟s interest.

DEFINITION: Resource efficiency or resource productivity, is the ratio between a given benefit or result and the natural resource use required for it I.e. using the Earth's limited resources in a sustainable manner while minimising impacts on the environment. It allows us to create more with less and to deliver greater value with less input.

INCREASING RESOURCE UTILISATION IN THE WORLD World-wide, the use of natural resources has been growing remarkably over the last several decades; the extraction of primary materials increased by a factor of three from 24 billion tonnes in 1970 to 70 billion tonnes in 2010.The extraction of both biomass and fossil fuels has doubled, while extraction of metal ores has tripled and the extraction of non-metal minerals has nearly quadrupled during the period. Regionally, the highest increase can be found in Asia, where the extraction of primary materials more than quintupled in just 40 years, particularly after 1990.


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CHALLENGE FOR INDIA: India needs to find a balance between the developmental needs and minimising the negative impacts associated with resource use. While developed countries need to reduce their overall resource footprint gradually, a rapidly developing country like India will need to increase its overall resource consumption in the short-to-medium term in order to meet its developmental goals. Therefore, efficient use of resources is essential for India in order to achieve sustainable development and is unavoidable policy priority.

INDIAN STRATEGY ON RESOURCE EFFICIENCY: Although government has been following waste recycling policies since years but to develop a comprehensive strategy, Indian government has established the Indian Resource Panel (InRP) – an advisory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) – through the support of Indo-German bilateral cooperation, to assess resource-related issues facing India and advice the government on a comprehensive strategy for RE.

RESOURCE EFFICIENCY STRATEGY

PROMOTION

The active promotion of resource efficiency in all sectors of the national economy is an essential step in order for India to initiate policy formulation in the sphere of natural resources. 1. The strategy should firstly focus on designing cross-cutting policy instruments

such as sustainable public procurement, standards, eco-labelling and certification for promoting resource efficiency in the use of critical materials in the hotspot sectors (key industrial and strategic sectors) of the economy.

2. An independent body should develop criteria and standards and oversee certification and eco-labelling of products.

3. Government agencies should be encouraged for green procurement with mandatory targets.

4. Any standard created by the government should be through a consultative process involving stakeholders including Urban local bodies, industry, civil society, registered consumer forums and academia.

5. There needs to be a timely review mechanism to analyse the applicability and success of standards by an independent body of scientific experts.

6. There is need for further enhancing funding for resource efficiency projects. 7. To increase demand and consumption of green products, four factors need to be

addressed: 1. Strengthen awareness regarding green products 2. Improve availability of green products in the markets 3. Clear certification for green claims made by producers 4. Lowering costs of green products


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REGULATION

Regulation and economic instruments facilitate viable ways to decouple economic development from material consumption, through improving resource efficiency. 1. Viability gap funding should be provided to companies to overcome the barriers

and become competitive over time by building scale and upgradation of technology.

2. Business models that are based on sharing services as opposed to owning resources can further aid the shift towards a resource efficient economy

3. There need to be policy reforms across life cycle stages to ensure resource efficiency at all stages.

4. There is a need to promote voluntary standards, like Green Reporting Initiative and ISO 14062:200219 to develop and strengthen design initiatives for improving resource efficiency and promoting use of secondary raw materials across sectors.

5. There is a need to mobilise funding or cost of treatment for waste through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Polluter Pays Principle.

6. There is a need for a unifying framework that brings together these different sources of secondary raw materials for effective closed-loop recycling.

7. To effectively manage the dispersed waste steams there is also a need to involve the informal sector by providing them with technical capacity building and financial support.

INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

While the government has come up with multiple policies for resource efficiency over time, they suffer from lack of awareness and adequate implementation.This problem is especially true with respect to recycling of resources which happens mostly at the local municipal level and is undertaken by MSMEs. 1. Capacity development should be targeted at these “weak links” and include

technological, financial as well as managerial components. 2. State government agencies such as Pollution Control Boards or Departments of

Urban Developments can take up the responsibility for capacity development of local governments while that for MSMEs should be vested with industry associations.

3. Technical or Administrative Training Institutes can act as hubs for such capacity development, and Centres of Excellence/Innovation may be created for this purpose in existing institutions.

4. The creation of an institution with a strong mandate similar to the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is recommended that works in coordination with BIS and other related government bodies. The functions of this institution could include the following:

1. Development of resource efficiency measures. 2. Assessment of resource efficiency measures. 3. Providing best practices and business models. 4. Developing indicators to measure resource efficiency in India. 5. Development of statistical models for data generation, analysis and

interpretation reflecting on indicator values for environmental, social and economic development

6. Regularly bringing out reports discussing the state of affairs, and ensuring their wider dissemination.


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BENEFITS OF RESOURCE EFFICIENCY:

ECONOMIC BENEFITS SOCIAL BENEFITS ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

1. With increasing resource efficiency, GDP per tonne of material used will be increased.

Mining of materials contributes to land degradation and loss due to open cast mining, excavation, stacking of waste dumps, discharge from workshops and construction of tailing ponds. This creates troubles between the government and the tribals. With resource efficiency, this conflict can be avoided

Reduced extraction pressures due to adoption of RE strategies will help to reduce ecological degradation and pollution associated with mining. Reduced pressures from mining will provide further opportunities for undertaking landscape restoration and regeneration of degraded mined areas.

2. By using resources more efficiently, or by utilizing secondary resources, industries can improve competitiveness and profitability, since material cost is typically the largest cost for the manufacturing sector.

Resource Efficiency can contribute to improved affordability of and access to resources critical for poverty reduction and human development. For example, the use of recycled aggregates and other secondary raw materials can help protect the soil by reducing impetus for land use conversion from agriculture to soil mining.

Reduced waste generation will not only reduce pollution associated with disposal but also save related costs.

RE-based innovations can also give industries an edge in the export market, as the experience of global leaders such as Germany and Japan has shown.

Resource Efficiency has enormous potential for job creation, not only in the recycling sectors, but also high skilled jobs in innovative design and manufacturing

resource extraction and use is highly energy intensive; and since our energy system is dominated by fossil fuels, it contributes to significant GHG emissions. Resource efficiency can bring down these GHG emissions

New industries can be created including those in the recycling sector, as well as in innovative design and manufacturing, and India can aspire to become a key innovation hub for RE. This can help generate employment too.

Resource Efficiency strategies contribute towards preserving resources for future generations.

It is unlikely that global climate change mitigation goals can be met without a strong commitment to RE in extraction and manufacturing.

Reduced import dependence for critical minerals helps to improve the country‟s trade balance and promote economic stability.


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CHALLENGES TO ADOPTION OF RESOURCE EFFICIENCY IN INDIA:

Cost

Adoption of new technologies is a herculean task for medium and small scale industries which dominate the Indian economy. Thus, there needs to be governmental support to incentivise and support these industries for adoption of resource efficient technologies.

Implementation

While the government has time and again came up with standards but due to poor implementation of the standards, we are still unable to become a resource efficient economy. Thus, there needs to be proper implementation of these standards through community participation.

Top-down Approach

The strategy followed by the government has largely been top-down with government developing standards and ensuring their implementation. However, no nation wide strategy can succeed without community participation and without understanding the multiple characteristics of the society. Thus, there needs to be a consultation process and the strategy needs to be developed by the society itself along with government.

Specificity The schemes for resource efficiency need to have specific mandate and targets for having any real effect.

Awareness Reuse and Recycling can only be promoted with the citizen awareness. With low awareness, products which can be recycled are found lying in dust bins and land fills.

ACTION AGENDA AS DECIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT:

Category Recommendations Action Agenda 2017-2018

Institutional

1. Inter-departmental coordinating agency is formed.

In order to drive overall goals of Resource Efficiency an inter- departmental committee under Niti Aayog may be setup to guide policy and programme actions.

2. Setup a task force of experts under NITI Aayog who will prepare the backgrounder and will operate as a secretariat for the proposed committee

Constitute the task force of experts with coordinating support from NITI Aayog.

3. Build awareness about resource efficiency programmes, policies and best practices.

A portal is created to share relevant information in an organised manner


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Data and Indicators

4. Baseline data collection and development of indicators.

Prepare a pilot project to showcase the development of indicators, data and analysis. A study is initiated under auspices of NITI Aayog to prepare baseline data and indicators for monitoring progress. Capacity building of the State government stakeholders

CONCLUSION: “The world has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed.” - Mahatama Gandhi. This quote of Gandhiji shows the limited capacity of the world and thus for fulfilling everyones aspiration and needs, it is imperative for the world to come together and use resource optimally so as to minimise wastage and maximise utility. For a country like India with widespread poverty and hunger, resource efficiency becomes even more important for the nations growth.

TOPIC 9: KERALA FLOOD: LACK OF DAM SAFETY MANAGEMENT IN INDIA

THE CONTEXT: The Kerala flood in August 2018 was one of the worst flood that India has witnessed in recent history. The severity of the flood can be assumed by the score of deaths caused by it and displaced millions of people from their home. The tragedy exposes the unpreparedness of the authorities concerned with the dam safety. This article discusses about the issues of flood, dam safety management in India and Gadgil Committee recommendation. THE ISSUE: Kerala received 758.6 millimeters of rain between 1 and 19 August — 2.6 times the average for that time of year. The unusually heavy downpours caused rivers to overflow. However, flooding is not just about rainfall. Flooding is rainfall+. “The rainfall+ factors include: Flood Planning and Preparation, Sudden Release of Large Quantities of Water from Dams/ Water Reservoirs; Breach/Damage In Major Reservoirs/ Dams; Limited Holding Capacity And Urbanization.

The analysis of rainfall+ Flood Planning and Preparation

India has constructed 35,000 Km of embankment, but these embankment are often breached of poor maintenance (Kosi in Bihar:2008 floods) or inappropriate dam management( Hirakud in Orissa)

Poor policy and designing of embankments and canal:embankments reduce the flow carrying capacity of the channel and cause aggradations of channel bed, thereby increasing flood intensity and frequency. Increasing height of embankments only aggravates these problems.The problem with embankments is also that they undermine the ecological and economic functions of floodplain, including groundwater recharge, water quality improvement For example: In North Bihar, despite the continued construction of embankments, the flood-prone area has increased 200 percent since independence, at times because embankments end up obstructing natural drainages and impede the natural building up of river deltas and flood plains.

The existing flood forecasting network of Central Water Commission (CWC) is not sufficient to cover the entire country adequately.Moreover, a majority of the flood warning systems in India are not timely, primarily due to poor transmission. Delays cause enormous damage to property and lives every year. Models used for flood forecasting and its influence zones are not rigorous enough due to lack of integration of hydrology and the weather forecasting systems


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Release of water Unscientific Reservoir Management: Authorities often allow reservoirs to fill completely early in the monsoon season, and do not release water slowly at regular intervals to prevent overfilling later in the season.Computer models and meteorological forecasts are used in Europe and the United States to predict the rate at which water flows into reservoirs and how much water needs to be stored, such system is not used in India. • Resultantly in Kerala & TamilNadu (2016), the severity of flooding can be

contributed to this factor.Water experts are saying that the intensity of Kerala floods could have been reduced if the water from 35 big dams in Kerala was released much earlier. According to AK Gosain (expert IIT Delhi)“dam management in India works on the principle that at end of the monsoon the reservoirs should be full. “The tendency is not to release water till the last go and this is what has happened in Kerala”

Unscientific Flood management: According to CAG report (2017), of the 219 proposed new telemetry stations, used to forecast floods, only a quarter were set-up till August 2016. Of the 375 existing stations, almost 60% were non-functional after installation. • Flood forecasting data was used in the formulation of flood forecast only

after comparing the telemetry data with manually observed data; and in the case of mismatch between the two sets of data, manual data was adopted.

Flood management

There is an emergency action plan for only 7% of the dams in India. For the 61 in Kerala, there is none. In eight out of 17 flood-prone states, the integrated flood management plans for entire river/basin have not been taken up. According to Madhavan Nair Rajeevan, secretary in the ministry of earth sciences”no big reservoir has a decision support system. So, we don’t know when to open gates and how to open them…There is a common perception that in India most of the flood management systems are not supported by science”

Mismanagement by the state

Flooding in downstream areas can be better managed if the India Meteorological Department’s 72-hour forecast is used to create simulation models for water release. Gujarat and Odisha governments use the IMD’s forecast to release water slowing from the dams on Tapi and Mahanadi rivers respectively, helping the two states manage floods. But in case of Kerala, according Composite Water Management Index, with 42 points, it was ranked number 12. The top three states were Gujarat in the west, Madhya Pradesh in the center and Andhra Pradesh in the south, with scores of 79, 69 and 68 respectively.

THE DYNAMICS OF KERALAFLOOD THE ISSUE • Out of 38.90 lakh hectares of geographical area in Kerala, 8.70 lakh hectares

as flood prone area. • Kerala built more than 61 dams to tame the flood with a collective capacity of

nearly 7 trillion litres. • On the onset of Monsoon and heavy downpour, the already filled dams were

forced to release the water in flooded downstream. • More than 57 percent of the Dams are meant for hydro-electric projects and

rest are irrigation department. For both entities, the amount of water to store is motivated by demand for electricity and irrigation, rather than flood control measures.


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WHOM TO BLAME?

o Weak dam safety management o Inter-state dam management o Unplanned urban plan and querying o Due to location on ecologically sensitive zone

CAG FINDINGS

ON KERALA PREPAREDNES

S

Measures to Check Dam Safety o Under XI Plan, ‘Dam Safety Studies and Planning’ was made a provision of

Rs 10 crore but expenditure of Rs 4.22 crore was incurred during the Plan. o This scheme was subsumed in another scheme titled Dam Rehabilitation

and Improvement Project (DRIP). o DRIP envisaged rehabilitation of 223 existing dams and institutional

strengthening on the front of dam safety in four states, namely Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Tamil Nadu.

State Governments Preparedness on Emergency Action Plan o National Committee on Dam Safety ask State Government in 2011 to

come out with Emergency Action Plan for each of its large dams. o CAG in its report find that, out of 61 dams of Kerala, none had Emergency

Action Plan (EAP) and Operation & Maintenance (O&M) manual. Kerala’s share of Central assistance under Flood Management Programme

o During XI Plan, the state got Rs 63.68 crore against Rs 279.74 crore and another Rs 55.22 crore during the XII Plan.

Deficiencies in project proposals for Flood Management Programme in Kerala o The same audit reports were submitted for the flood Management

Programme for different year that show the non- serious attitude of the audit agencies.

Quality Checks for Flood management Programme o The CAG in its audit report observed that the prescribed quality checks

were not conducted by monitoring agencies in 77 projects of seven states examined including four projects of the Kerala.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN KERALA FLOOD AND ECOLOGY OF THE REGION Though, Kerala flood is not the result of a single act, but lack of Dam safety management and

ecological exploitation of the Western Ghats were the main contributor toward this tragedy. The recent floods have brought conservation of the Western Ghats back into focus. States

along the Western Ghats have succumbed to vested interests and allowed mining,


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quarrying, unsustainable farming practices and real estate development along the hills ignoring sustainable development and protection of the ecology.

India has a system of rapid response units to rescue and mitigate loss of lives in situations like this but our mechanism to mitigate disasters in the first place is still underdeveloped and therefore, our country requires a sound policy that identifies, assesses and reduces risk of disasters.

KERALA FLOODS: THE PRESCRIPTIONS FOR THE WESTERN GHATS In 2011, the Union government set-up a Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panelto make an

assessment of the ecology and biodiversity of the Western Ghats and suggest measures to conserve, protect and rejuvenate the entire range of Western Ghat lies in six states under an Environmentalist Madhav Gadgil. The important points related to Gadgil report including:

Objective The Panel was asked to perform the following functions: To assess the current status of ecology of the Western Ghats region. To demarcate areas which need to be notified as ecologically sensitive

and to recommend for notification of such areas as ecologically sensitive zones under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

To make recommendations for the conservation, protection and rejuvenation of the Western Ghats Region.

To suggest measures for effective implementation for declaring specific areas in the Western Ghats Region as eco-sensitive zones under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Recommendations The Madhav Gadgil Panel recommendations can be summarized in the following: • Entire zone with area of 1,29,037 sq. km, be designated as ecologically

sensitive area (ESA) and based on their existing condition and nature of threat divided into ESA I, II, III.

• A Western Ghats Ecology Authority (WGEA) should be established as a statutory authority appointed by the Ministry of Environment and Forestto focus on promoting transparency, openness and participation in every way for development and sustainability of these areas.

• Ban on cultivation of genetically modified in entire area • Plastic bags to be phased out in three years • No new special economic zones or hill stations to be allowed • Ban on conversion of public lands to private lands, and on diversion of

forest land for non-forest purposes in ESZ I and II • No new mining licenses, No new polluting industries, No new railway

lines in ESZ I and II area and No new dams and No new thermal power plants in ESZ I.

• Cumulative impact assessment for all new projects like dams, mines, tourism, housing and Phase-out of all chemical pesticides within five to eight years in ESZ I and ESZ II

The status of the Gadgil Committee Recommendation

The Gadgil Report faces severe protest from the all the six concerned states state governments especially from Kerala had objected to the proposed ban on sand mining and quarrying, restrictions on transport infrastructure and wind energy projects, embargos on hydroelectric projects, and inter-basin transfer of river waters, and also the complete ban on new polluting industries.

The Kasturirangan Committee

The Central Environment Ministry constituted a High-Level Working Group on Western Ghats under KKasturirangan to “examine” the Gadgil Committee Report in a “holistic and multidisciplinary fashion in the light of responses received” from states, central ministries and others. The


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Committee submitted its report in 2013. The kasturirangan Committee broadened the definition of Western Ghats

and included a total of 1,64,280 square km and divided it into; • Cultural landscape: covering 60 percent area, where human

settlements, agriculture and plantations existed. • Natural landscape: Biologically rich area covering only 37 percent

and only this part to be classified as ecologically sensitive area (ESA).

The Kasturirangan Committee’s main recommendations for ESA are: • Ban on mining, quarrying and sand mining • No new thermal power projects, but hydro power projects allowed

with restrictions • Ban on new polluting industries • Building and construction projects up to 20,000 sq. m was to be

allowed but townships were to be banned • Strengthening the existing framework of environmental clearances

and setting up of a state-of-the-art monitoring agency. The Current Status The Central Environment Ministry issued a draft notification,

demarcating an area of 56,285 sq. km in the Western Ghats as ESA. On the insistence of Kerala Government, the ESA was brought down to

9993.7 sp. Km against the Kasturirangan Committee’s proposal of 13,108 sq. km.

OVERVIEW OF DAM SAFETY ACTIVITIES IN INDIA Dams have played a key role in fostering rapid and sustained agricultural and rural growth

and development in India. In India, 5254 large Dams have been completed and another 447 under construction with

Storage capacity created by these large infrastures is 253 BCM. Another 51 BCM storage under construction stages.

In India, the first dam failure incident was Tigra Dam in Madhya Pradeshwhich is failed due to overtopping and worst was Machu Dam in Gujrat in 1979.In India, 36 reported failures cases of dams taken so far.Some other examples of dam failures are: Jamunia dam in Madhya Pradesh (2002), Lawa-ka-bas dam in Rajasthan (2003), Panchat and Khadakwasala dams (1961), Nanak Sagar (1967) and Chikkahole (1972).

DAM SAFETY-WHY A PRIORITY CONCERN FOR INDIA ‘Dam Safety’ is important for:

o Safeguarding huge investments in infrastructure o Safeguarding human life, and properties of the people living downstream of the

dams. With increasing number of dams becoming older and older, the likelihood of dam failures in

India is expected to be an ascending path. Around 80 percent of country’s 5000 dams are over 25 years old and are confronted with

grave safety challenges. Apart from ageing, unabated wear and tear and sub-par maintenance are also disrupting the safety of the dams.About 170 dams in the country are more than 100 years old and are basically earthen structures that have been built with obsolete technologies.

Many dams have varied structural deficiencies and shortcomings in operation and monitoring facilities, while few do not meet the present design standard- both structurally and hydrologically.


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States being the custodians of the damsave been failing to provide sufficient budgets for maintenance and repair of the dam. Many States also lack the institutional and technical capacities for addressing dam safety issues.

To develop uniform, countrywide procedures for ensuring the safety of dams, the Union government came out with Dam Safety Bill, 2018.The provisions of the Dam Safety Bill 2018 will empower the dam safety institutional set-ups in both the Centre and States and will also help in standardizing and improving dam safety practices across the country. It lays the onus of dam safety on the dam owner and provides for penal provisions for commission and omission of certain acts.

The Dam Safety Bill, 2018 has given institutional framework for dam safety including strengthening the existing framework including NCDS, CDSO, SDSO and apart from this:

• Creation of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA)as a regulatory body which shall discharge functions to implement the policy, guidelines and standards for dam safety in the country.

• SAFETY INSPECTION & DATA COLLECTION: o For each dam, owner has to establish within his O&M setup a ‘dam safety

unit’. o Dam owner to undertake, through dam safety unit, pre-monsoon and post-

monsoon inspections of dam. o Special inspections during & after floods, after earthquake, on sign of

distress/ unusual behaviour. o Engineers, as agreed by SDSO, to be stationed at dam site throughout

monsoon period, and during period of emergency following earth-quake/ hazard.

• EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN & DISASTER MANAGEMENT: Every owner in respect of each dam to is required to:

o Establish hydro-meteorological network and inflow forecasting system; o Establish an emergency flood warning system o Render cooperation to NDSA in running of early warning system. o Prepare emergency action plan within 5 years; and for new dams, before

the initial filling. o Emergency Action Plan to include type of emergencies likely to occur; likely

flood in the event of dam failure, along with probable areas, population, structures and installations likely to be affected.

• COMPREHENSIVE DAM SAFETY EVALUATION o The Bill provides for comprehensive safety evaluation by independent

panel of expert. o First CSE within 5 years, and thereafter at regular intervals specified by

NCDS.

DAM SAFETY INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK IN INDIA National Committee on

Dam Safety Constituted by Govt. of India in 1987. Chaired by Chairman, CWC and is represented by all the States

having significant number of large dams and other dam owning organizations.

Suggest ways to bring dam safety activities in line with the latest state-of-art consistent with the Indian conditions.

Acts as a forum for exchange of views on techniques adopted for remedial measures to relieve distress in old dams.

Central Dam Safety Organization (CDSO)

Central Dam Safety Organization was established in 1979. The objective of Central DSO was to: o Assist in identifying causes of potential distress;


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o Perform a coordinative and advisory role for the State Governments;

o Lay down guidelines, compile technical literature, organize trainings, etc.; and create awareness in the states about dam safety.

State Dam Safety Organizations (SDSO)

DSO established in 18 States and 5 dam owning organizations to do: Routine Periodic Inspection- at least twice a year. Comprehensive Dam Safety Evaluation- Once in 10 years

SAFETY INSPECTION OF DAMS

Routine Periodic

Inspection

By trained and experienced engineers from DSO At least twice a year: pre -monsoon and post monsoon Examination of general health of the dam and appurtenant works Preparedness of dam and hydro mechanical structures for handling

expected floods Comprehensive

Dam Safety Evaluation

Once in a 10 year More comprehensive examination Multi-disciplinary team for holistic view May order additional field and laboratory investigations as well as

numerical simulations Constitution of

Dam Safety Review Panel

(DSRP)

One of the essential pre-requisites of DRIP was to constitute the DSRP by each State and get the dam safety inspection of their dams by the DSRP

Dam Safety

Rehabilitation and

Improvement Project (DRIP)

With the financial help of the World Bank, Ministry of Water Resourcestarted six-year DRIP in the year 2012.

Objective: to improve the safety and operational performance of selected existing dams in the territory of the participating states.

Implementing Agencies: o Centre Water Commission (Nodal) o Madhya Pradesh o Tamil Nadu o Kerala o Karnataka o Odisha o Uttarakhand o Damodar valley Corporation

DRIP has three main components: o Rehabilitation and Improvement of dams and associated

appurtenances: Focusing on structural and non-structural measures at around 242 project sites across 7 states.

o Dam Safety Institutional Strengthening in participating States and CWC: focusing on regulatory and technical frameworks for


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dam safety assurance and including targeted national and international training.

o Project Management: DRIP is led by the Dam Safety Rehabilitation Directorate of the Central Water Commission as CPMU

Findings of the DRIP about Indian Dams: • Lack of systematic assessment and monitoring coupled with

inadequate resources is the primary cause of poor maintenance of dams and appurtenant works.

• A review of the hydrology necessitated by factors like updated meteorological knowledge has concluded that some of the existing spillways cannot cater to the revised design floods.

• Review of Design Flood estimates of DRIP dams have indicated that in more than 58 percent cases, the design floods have undergone substantial upward revisions. Such revisions underline the issue of hydrological safety of these dams.

• Revision study of dam hydrology needs to be completed much in advance of any rehabilitation exercise; and this not being the case has led to delays in DRIP implementation.

• Institutional Capacity building needed in design flood estimation and flood routing for most of the states.

• Real time inflow forecasting systems are not in place even in important reservoirs. Such systems can add to dam safety measures besides improving operational efficiencies.

• A well planned monitoring system based on data collection and evaluation using modern instrumentation is the key to early detection of defects and ageing scenarios.

• Dam Safety Organizations (DSO) in states are short of adequate man power and need to be strengthened.

• Siltation of reservoir is a serious issue, though in most cases the extent of siltation continues to remain unknown.

Current status of the DRIP: o It covers only 5% of the unsafe dams spread across of seven states. o Under this project, comprehensive rehabilitation and improvement of

242 large dams are carried out in seven States. What out to be done?

o This scheme needs to be restructures to include all the unsafe dams in the country and it needs to be continued even after its scheduled culmination of 2018.

o A well planned administrative machinery needs to be created in the states with the objective of ensuring dam safety.

DHARMA Dam Health and Rehabilitation Monitoring Application: Is a web-based asset management software to support the effective collection and management of asset and health data for all larger dams in India.

CONCLUSION: What has happened in Kerala poses a bigger question regarding flood management in India considering that around 15% of India’s land mass is prone to floods, with an average of 1,548 people losing their lives and around eight million hectares getting affected, causing loss of about Rs 5,628 crore every year. The havoc that floods have wreaked in Kerala this time has added another dimension to the disaster: danger from dams. If they are not well managed and if rains continue to be erratic, as predicted by climate change scientists, a disaster of this scale is likely to occur more often than once in a century.


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TOPIC 10: URBAN NAXALS: THE ‘INVISIBLE ENEMIES’ OF INDIA

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Pune police raided the homes of 10 human rights activists across the country, arresting five of them. The activists are being investigated in connection with a public meeting held a day before caste-related violence erupted at Bhima Koregaon near Pune on January 1. The Pune police have defended their action by labelling the activists “urban Naxals”. This article deals with the Urban Naxalism and its threat India. BACKGROUND: Naxal or Naxalite is a member of the Communist Party of India (Maoist)[CPI(M)]. The term

Naxal derives from the name of the village Naxalbari in West Bengal, where the movement had its origin.

Naxalites are considered far-left radical communists, supportive of Maoist political sentiment and ideology. Their origin can be traced to the split in 1967 of the CPI(M), leading to the formation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist).

Initially the movement had its centre in West Bengal. In later years, it spread into less developed areas of rural southern and eastern India, such as Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana through the activities of underground groups like the CPI (M).

A BRIEF HISTORY OF NAXAL The Naxal movement has its genesis from the Naxalbari incident that happened on May 1967 at Bengai Jote village in Naxalbari, located in the Siliguri subdivision of the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. Here, a tribal youth, who had a judicial order to plough his land, was attacked by the goons of local landlords. The tribals retaliated and refused to part with the land owner’s share of their produce and lifted the entire stock from his granary. It ignited a violent movement. To maintain law and order, the state government (which was a coalition front called United Front having leaders from CPI, CPI(M), Bangla Congress and eight other parties) ordered police action against the rebellions. Police opened fire on villagers and firing killed 9 adults and 2 children. This uprising was crushed in some two and half months but it gained tremendous support and lead from the ‘communist revolutionaries’ belonging to the state units of the CPI (M) such as Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal. The Naxals support Maoist political sentiment and ideology.

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What is Urban nexalism?

The term, ‘Urban Naxalism’ was coined by filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri based on the following evidences:

o CPI(Maoist) document titled ‘‘Urban Perspective” discussed in 2001 in the Ninth Congress of the organisation.

The term, ‘Urban nexalism’ is not defined, yet based on some novel and essays loosely termed as “people of Naxalite bent of mind who reside in urban areas and work as activists, supporters and protectors of the ideology while the active Naxals battle it out in the jungles and vast swathes of Maoist-dominated areas.”

This is form of war against its own state and was termed as ‘Fourth Generation war’ by famous US Military Strategist William S Lind. It‘primarily relies on creating unrest and fissures within the society in the grab of cultural struggles which ultimately leads to disintegration of the society and state’. In this, one does not need an external force to invade a country to destroy it. It needs to be done from within.

So, Urban Naxalism covers all those urban centers and the persons propagating the violent ultra-left thoughts clandestinely or in the name of liberalism.

Strategy to spread naxal ideology

To accomplish their urban objectives, naxals have employed multi-pronged tactics known as SAARRC which stand for survey, awareness, agitation, recruitment, resistance and control These To recruit or install naxal sympathisers in key public-sector industries. Infiltrate into the enemy camp in critical departments like finance, military,

police, power, IT, defence production and disrupt the activities from within by gaining control over the workers. Slowly, passive protests and continuous grievances lead to a domino effect in an already disgruntled nation.

Create a network of doctors and hospital attendants sympathetic to their cause who shall treat their injured cadres with utmost secrecy.

Create cadres in urban areas who are technically qualified to handle the latest arms and ammunitions.

Create groups of highly motivated individuals who constitute what the naxals call as ‘city action teams’. These members are entrusted with the destruction of high-value targets or the annihilation of individuals of importance. The identity of such members is unknown even to the local urban party structure.

Create cultural unrest with the help of propaganda platforms like Kabir Kala Manch.

Challenges The challenges face by the Urban naxalism are as follows- Influencing through their ideology to urban youth or student who migrated

from rural areas. It is the greatest threat to our internal security through arm andammunition. Promote their own political interest. The urban-based cadres of the party fight

for basic amenities like water, electricity, toilets and sewerage, against corruption and exploitation of ration-shop owners, adulterators and black-marketers, against slum-lords, goonda gangs and other lumpen elements.

Targeting the poverty-racked districts like Bundelkhand region Promoting Social Iniquity and Exploitation Promoting false thoughts against central and state government in Tribals and

Agricultural Labourers. Government initiative

The government has proposed a three-pronged strategy to combat Naxalism: Gain confidence of local people by taking up more welfare related activities. Build up infrastructure in naxal-affected areas and generate employment. Launch joint security operations with neighbouring states to eliminate left wing


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extremists The Jharkhand government is setting up a state industrial security force on the lines

of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to protect industries as the Naxalites (who operate in 18 of the 24 districts in the state) often destroy equipment of business establishments if they are not given extortion money.

The Orissa State government will be getting 10000 extra personnel for fighting the Naxals – long term deployment of two battalions of CRPF in Orissa and an additional five India Reserve Battalions.

In Tamil Nadu, a 10-day guerrilla warfare training programme has begun for 320 cops in the seven districts falling under the Central Zone. The commandos of the elite STF will provide specialised training such as Sophisticated arms training Combing operations in reserve forests Setting up of temporary tents and bunkers to the 320 cops.

Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy, 2007 The main aim of this act is to minimize the displacement of people and to

promote non-displacing or least displacing alternatives. The Government issued a rehabilitation policy on 11 0ctober 2007 for the easy displacement of people who lose their land for industrial growth.

Under this policy land in change for land will be given, job prospective to at least one member of the family, vocational training and housing benefits including houses to people in rural areas and urban areas will be some of the benefits.

Forest Rights Act, 2006 The Scheduled Tribe and Other Traditional Forest dwellers (Recognition of

forest Rights) Act 2006 or the Forest Rights Act recognizes the rights of the scheduled tribes and forest dwellers who have been living in the forests for years but their rights have still not been recognized.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests has also allowed use of 1 hectare of land for non-forest purposes and conversion of kutcha roads into pukka roads.

Chhattisgarh Special Public Securities Act, 2006 This bill provides definition of unlawful activities, declaring an organisation

unlawful, formation of an advisory board wherever the state government feels the need for its establishment, procedure of the formation of the advisory board, action of the advisory board, penalties viz punishments even for not committing a crime,

The power to notify a place being used for unlawful activities and taking occupation of such place thereof and revision/bar against intervention by the courts.

States of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal will share information and coordinate with one another in adjoining border areas (to stop the Naxals from escaping across the borders after launching attacks).

SAMADHAN: • After the deadly Sukhma Attack, the Ministry of Home Affairs came out

with a new security operations doctrine called 'SAMADHAN'. • The acronym SAMADHAN stands for:

o Smart leadership o Aggressive strategy o Motivation and training o Actionable intelligence


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o Dashboard Based KPIs (key performance indicators) o KRAs (key result areas),Harnessing technology, o Action plan for each theatre, o No access to financing.

Development Schemes in the Naxal Affected Districts: • Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana: Under this

scheme, a specialised scheme called ‘ROSHNI’ was launched in June 2013 for training and placement of rural poor youth from 27 Left Wing Extremism affected districts in 09 States.

• “Skill Development in 34 Districts affected by Left Wing Extremism”: o Launched in 2011-12 with main objective to establish 01 ITI and

02 Skill Development Centres each in 34 LWE affected districts of 09 States.

o This scheme meant to run demand driven vocational training courses comprising Long Term training and Short-Term training and Instructor Training courses.

Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF):Ministry of Communication & IT to develop Mobile Services in LWE affected areas in the 10 LWE affected States.

STAND OF UPA GOVERNMENT ON URBAN NAXALISM

• The menace of urban nexalism is not new to the country or related to the NDA Government, but its severity was realised during the UPA government when the then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh termed it as, “the greatest internal security threat to our country”.

• In November 2013, UPA Government in its affidavit in Supreme Court termed these “mass organisations” organically linked to Maoists under the cover of human rights are “in many ways more dangerous than cadres of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army(PLGA).

• The then Home Minister conceded that initiating legal proceedings against these “ideologues, including academicians and activists” often resulted in negative publicity for enforcement agencies due effectiveness of the propaganda machinery of the Maoist.

WHAT INDIA CAN LEARN FROM COLOMBIA PEACE DEAL • After the six decades of the naxal problem in India, the Government still consider it as the

law and order problem. After each attack by the naxals on security forces, the mounting pressure of deployment of security forces pay little dividend.

• The few developmental programs, such as training and placement of tribal youth (under Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana) and skill development centers, are also not able to reduce the spread of Naxalism. The continued immense loss of lives and resources warrants that Indian government and policymakers search for new avenues to end this war.

• The Colombia peace deal can provide a skeleton for developing such an approach. The Colombia peace process was signed between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (FARC-EP).The Colombia peace agreement is based on few underlying provisions:

o Comprehensive rural reform to ensure holistic development of the rural population o Increasing and improving citizen participation in the government through

strengthening democratic and electoral opportunities o Involving the victims of establishment or rebel atrocities in the actual negotiation

process • Thus, it can act as a framework to develop a more efficient strategy to bring India’s own

rebels to the negotiating table. CONCLUSION: There should be special plans to deal with urban Naxalism, which is now spilling into bigger cities from traditional red areas.The socio-economic perspective of Naxalism talks about how


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the rebel movement is shaped due to the failure of the institutional mechanisms and frameworks to deliver socio-economic justice. So, there is a need to tackle very wisely with proper framework.


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EDITORIAL DISCUSSION CLASSES – 2018...Shreya Singhal vs. Union of India case, 2015 All three...

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