miscellaneous · · 2015-06-01unlawful activities (prevention) act, besides clauses of the...

(Days/ Dates; Anniversaries,

31 May: World No Tobacco Day

World No Tobacco Day reminds us of the harms associated

reaffirm our commitment to reduce this menace. The World Health Organization's focus on stopping illicit

trade of tobacco products is a laudatory effort that will help in minimizing tobacco consumption.

ref: http://pib.nic.in;

(Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World, Gender Issues and Society

EXPLAINED: Sleeping off racial and gender

Preconceptions about other people can

attitudes explicitly has decreased, but social biases may play out implicitly or unconsciously, regardless of

intentions or efforts to avoid bias. Participants processed counter

sound for each type of bias.

During slow-wave sleep later, one sound was unobtrusively presented to each participant, repeatedly, to

reactivate one type of training. Corresponding bias reductions were fortified in comparison with the

social bias not externally reactivated. A week later, the advantage stayed. Memory reactivation during

sleep tended to enhance counter

dependent.

ref: http://indianexpress.com/article/explained/paper

(Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and

EXPLAINED: One Rank One Pension (OROP)

One rank one pension (OROP) for military veterans was one of the first public promises made by

Narendra Modi in September 2013 after being declared the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. Although

Congress party followed with its promise of implementing the

immediately won him the support of the majority of 2.8 million veterans in the country.

The UPA government even allotted Rs 500 crore for OROP in the interim budget last year but not many

trusted its intentions by then.

of 12

Miscellaneous

Anniversaries, Persons in news, New Appointments, Sports related

31 May: World No Tobacco Day

World No Tobacco Day reminds us of the harms associated with tobacco consumption and a day to



General Studies-1

Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World, Gender Issues and Society

EXPLAINED: Sleeping off racial and gender biases

about other people can influence behaviour. The tendency to endorse racist or sexist


intentions or efforts to avoid bias. Participants processed counter-stereotype information paired with one

wave sleep later, one sound was unobtrusively presented to each participant, repeatedly, to



sleep tended to enhance counter-stereotype training. Maintaining bias reduction seemed sleep

http://indianexpress.com/article/explained/paper-clip-sleeping-off-racial-and-gender-biases/;

General Studies-2

(Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and Indian Diaspora

EXPLAINED: One Rank One Pension (OROP)



Congress party followed with its promise of implementing the OROP, Modi’s announcement at Rewari



Sports related, etc)

with tobacco consumption and a day to



Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World, Gender Issues and Society)

influence behaviour. The tendency to endorse racist or sexist


mation paired with one

wave sleep later, one sound was unobtrusively presented to each participant, repeatedly, to



stereotype training. Maintaining bias reduction seemed sleep-

Indian Diaspora)



OROP, Modi’s announcement at Rewari



http://pib.nic.in/

of 12

Despite many assurances by various BJP ministers over past one year, the government has still not issued

orders for implementation of OROP. Based on off the record briefings from senior ministers, most

veterans expected PM Modi to formally announce it during the first anniversary rally at Mathura last

week. His silence on OROP has caused much anguish among the veterans. The emotions are running high

as some war heroes refused to attend a function at Pune on Thursday where the defence minister

felicitated the veterans. An ex-servicemen organisation has announced a public protest rally, including a

hunger strike, in Delhi on 14 June.

Put simply, OROP means that every soldier who retires in the same rank gets the same pension,

irrespective of his date of retirement. As of now, soldiers who retired more recently receive more pension

than those who did earlier, because pensions are dependent on the last salary drawn — and successive

pay commissions have hiked salaries. Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence and Rajya Sabha

Committee on petitions have recommended holistic implementation of OROP. In his first full budget last

July, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reaffirmed his party’s commitment by allotting Rs 1,000 crore towards

OROP. That allotment has lapsed and no such allotment was made in this year’s budget.

After taking over as the defence minister, Manohar Parrikar spoke of 80 percent satisfaction levels for

pensioners with his model of OROP. The debate over what constitutes OROP – and the formula to fix the

OROP pension – has exercised the defence services and defence ministry. Even soldiers who retire in the

same rank do not usually draw the same last salary. This is because one Brigadier could spend more time

in the rank of Brigadier while another Brigadier may take longer to get promoted, thus getting less pay as

Brigadier — or one could reach retirement age earlier than the other.

The formula prepared by the defence ministry, with the concurrence of the three defence services,

overcame the problem of variations in rank and last pay drawn by creating standardised slabs for each

rank with a certain length of service. This proposal was sent to the finance ministry for approval.

In a recent interview, however, PM Modi said “that there are too many definitions [of OROP] going around

yet, and we are looking for one on which all stakeholders agree”. This means that an OROP formula has

been finalized by the government. It also raises questions about Defence Minister’s statement to The

Indian Express that 8,400 crore is confirmed as the outgo for implementing OROP.

In any case, whether 8,400 crore or 14,000 crore, that will be only the current expenditure. It is bound to

increase every year and with every successive pay commission – a constant escalation of the implicit

pension debt on the government. Moreover, as military personnel retire at a younger age compared to

their civilian counterparts, defence pensions are paid for a much longer period. This fear of an

increasingly unsustainable defence pensions bill – which is already at 54,500 crore this year without

OROP – is perhaps holding the government back.

The government also seems worried that OROP could lead to a similar demand from civilian pensioners,

which, if fulfilled, would spell a fiscal doom for the central and state governments. Conscious of its

ballooning pensions bill, the government had moved its civilian employees to a contributory pension

scheme in 2004. The demand of these employees to revert to the old fixed pensions regime will be

bolstered by grant of OROP.

Notwithstanding the merits of these arguments, OROP is a demand supported by all political parties. It

remains a very emotive issue for veterans and soldiers. PM Modi has assured the veterans that he is

“absolutely committed” to OROP and his “government is here for five years”. While this almost rules out

any immediate announcement, it also provides his government ample time to work towards containing

the fallouts of implementing the OROP.

ref: http://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-orop-emotive-issue-but-reasons-for-caution/;

of 12

Explained: Just ‘being a Maoist’ is not illegal, there is a difference

between believing and acting

Kerala High Court last month freed Shyam Balakrishnan, who had been picked up in 2014 on suspicion of

being a Maoist, saying “being a Maoist is not a crime”. The court said that although the political ideology of

the Maoists ran counter to India’s constitutional polity, a person could be prosecuted only if it could be

proved that he had acted unlawfully as a result of his adherence to this ideology.

The HC said it was “a basic human right for people to have aspirations”, and reproached the state for

“disguised aberration of law in the cloth of uniform” where “protectors become aggressors.”

So, is it legal to be a Maoist as long as no laws are broken?

This is not the first time that the question of adherence to the ideology of a banned outfit such as the

Communist Party of India (Maoist) has come before a court of law. The Supreme Court and High Courts

have earlier made a distinction between having a particular ideology, and acting in furtherance of it.

The prosecution has traditionally sought justification in Section 124A of the IPC, and Section 20 of the

Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, besides clauses of the now-repealed TADA and POTA. Sec 124A

makes words, either spoken or written, signs, and pictures punishable if they attempt to bring hatred or

contempt against the government. Sec 20 says any person who is a member of a terrorist gang or

organisation can be prosecuted. Both charges can fetch a life term.

In 1962, the Supreme Court ruled that 124A was constitutional if a balance could be struck between a

citizen’s fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression, and the interest of public order. The SC

held that disloyalty to government, or a criticism of its measures or acts of public officials, could not be

penalised. It upheld the section as valid, for it would penalise only attempts to disrupt public order and

disturb law and order.

In 2011, the Kerala government challenged the bail for Dr Raneef, whom the police had accused of being a

member of the alleged terrorist organization Popular Front of India, and booked under UAPA. Declining to

interfere with the High Court’s order, the SC borrowed from a US Supreme Court verdict to reject the

theory of “guilt by association”. It said that a law that applied to membership without a specific intent to

further the illegal aims of an organisation, infringed unnecessarily on protected freedoms.

Also in 2011, the SC set aside the conviction of Arup Bhuyan and Indra Das, who were held guilty under

TADA for being members of ULFA — saying that mere membership of a banned organisation would not

incriminate a person unless he resorted to violence or incited people to violence, or did an act intended to

create disorder or disturbance of public peace. The Centre has challenged the order, which remains

pending.

That same year, Gujarat High Court released on bail five members of the Janashakti organisation, which

worked with the CPI (Maoist). Surat police had found documents such as agenda of a meeting and

literature on revolution and lessons, including one on the guerrilla warfare of the CPI (Maoist). The court

held mere possession of such literature without actual execution of the ideas in them would not amount

to an offence.

While granting bail to Binayak Sen in April 2011, the SC said that the paediatrician and human rights

activist may be a Maoist sympathiser and possessed come material on that ideology, but that could not

automatically make him guilty of sedition. If the state could not prove that Sen had propagated the

ideology or acted in collusion with Naxalites, even meeting a hardcore Naxalite such as Narayan Sanyal in

jail was not enough to prosecute him, the court said. Could a person be called a Gandhian merely for

possessing a biography of Gandhi, the SC asked.

of 12

In April 2012, Bombay High Court gave bail to alleged CPI (Maoist) members Jyoti Babasaheb Chorge and

Sushma Hemant Ramteke, from whom some publicity material of the outfit had allegedly been recovered.

The HC held that these individuals could not be said to be CPI (Maoist) members — even less as a reason

to attach penal liability — even if they were impressed by the philosophy and ideology of the group.

Another question pending before the SC is on whether Maoists can be considered “political prisoners”. In

2013, the court stayed a Calcutta HC order that had declared the CPI (Marxist-Leninist) a “political

movement”, and directed the West Bengal government to treat arrested members of the group under the

WB Correctional Services Act, 1992. Nudged by the Centre, the state amended the Act in 2013 to keep

Maoists out of its ambit.

Last year, the SC granted permanent bail to Chhattisgarh schoolteacher Soni Sori, who had been arrested

in October 2011 for allegedly helping Maoists to extort ‘protection money’ from steel giant Essar.

***

The test consistently applied by the higher judiciary is of the one laid down under Article 19 of the

Constitution, which protects the rights to freedom of speech and expression, to assemble peaceably and

without arms, and to form associations or unions. Article 19(2) empowers Parliament to impose, by law,

reasonable restrictions on these rights in the interests of sovereignty and integrity of India. Provisions

such as Sec 124A of the IPC and Sec 20 of the UAP Act have been construed as reasonable restrictions.

The higher judiciary has held that the interpretation of these stern provisions must be in consonance with

constitutional values and principles, and the concept of “membership” ought to be read in the light of

freedoms and rights. Hence, “membership” of a banned outfit has to be active — not passive — to attract

penal provisions. The verdict of the Kerala High Court sits perfectly with this understanding.

ref: http://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-just-being-a-maoist-is-not-illegal-there-is-a-difference-between-believing-

and-acting/;

A promise to redeem

The issue of implementing the One Rank One Pension (OROP) principle for the veterans of the defence

services continues to be in the news for all the wrong reasons, with a final announcement nowhere in

sight. With the Modi government in its second year, its major poll promise of OROP remains unfulfilled.

While PM Modi and his Ministers have reiterated the government’s commitment to the scheme, that by

itself does little to contain the growing unhappiness in the community of ex-servicemen that has been

waiting for years for a fair deal.

Their demand goes back over three decades. Successive governments have intermittently raised hopes on

it according to political convenience, but the feeling has grown that the soldier who puts the nation ahead

of his own life in the line of duty faces political apathy after retirement. The previous UPA government

cleared the deal in principle and allocated Rs.500 crore, but there was no progress beyond that. In the

run-up to the Lok Sabha election last year, the Congress once again brought the issue to the limelight.

OROP was one of the top election promises of the BJP that helped garner the support of the large

community of ex-servicemen and their families. And the huge mandate the BJP received had convinced

them that at long last the scheme would see the light of day.

While the government has given in-principle clearance to the proposal, the process of completing the

administrative procedures across different departments seems to be an unending one. Defence Minister

Manohar Parrikar had on several occasions said his Ministry had finished its part of the work and that the

file was with the Finance Ministry. He has promised 80-90 % satisfaction for the service personnel.

of 12

OROP essentially seeks parity for all service personnel retiring on the same rank and tenure irrespective

of when they retire, and is expected to benefit two and a half million ex-servicemen and women

immediately. That said, the exercise of calculating the dues is a complicated process in itself. In Budget

2015 an initial allocation of Rs.1,000 crore was made but it has been estimated that the cost could come

to about Rs.8,300 crore.

There is the view that it would still go up by substantial measure depending on the method and criteria

adopted. It has to be seen how the government makes the financial provision for such a recurring outgo.

But the early implementation of the scheme has now become an imperative: mere rhetoric and

assurances will not suffice. It is high time the government came out with a clear road map and a firm date

for its implementation, and then adhere to it. This country owes its defence forces as much.

ref: The Hindu;

Website to trace missing children

With 11 children disappearing every hour in the country, the government will on June 2 roll out a web

platform for people to directly report, track and upload information on missing children. The first—of—

its—kind web portal will be launched by the Women and Child Development Ministry.

It will serve as a platform for people to not only report a missing child but also track the efforts towards

his or her recovery. The website, www.khoyapaya.gov.in, will answer all queries as to what action is to be

taken when a child goes missing.

ref: The Hindu;

Corporates ignore Clean School call

Modi government has been facing accusations of being “corporate-friendly,” but it seems to be a one-way

street when it comes to the corporates loosening their purse strings to contribute to the Swachh

Vidyalaya (Clean School) campaign.

According to the progress report card of the Swachh Vidyalaya, Swachh Bharat (Clean School, Clean India)

campaign, prepared by the Union HRD Ministry, only 16 corporates, big and small, have shown some

interest in the endeavour. Between them, they have taken up the responsibility of 5,134 toilets, building

them or repairing dysfunctional ones.

Some corporate funding could have gone into the Swachh Bharat Kosh, as the guidelines provide the

option of indirectly financing the endeavour through the fund. But the corporate involvement in the

campaign is small given that the Kosh is supporting only 5,345 of the 4,19,092 toilets which need to be

built or repaired. This, despite Mr. Modi making an appeal in his first Independence Day address last year

to corporates to dip into their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funds to help the national campaign.

The corporates’ involvement is in sharp contrast to the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). In all, 69 PSUs

have taken up the responsibility of 1,66,255 toilets across the country. The completion rate in both cases

is way off the mark; given that the PM had set this year’s Independence Day as the target for ensuring that

no school in India is without separate functional toilets for boys and girls.

Of the 5,134 toilets that the corporates have pledged money for, only 242 have been completed.

ref: The Hindu;

of 12

Plan to curb tobacco use coming: Nadda

The Health Ministry is set to roll out a comprehensive plan to tackle tobacco use, which will incorporate

preventive measures. May 31 was observed as World No Tobacco Day. The Ministry will launch a

comprehensive programme using a three-pronged strategy of information, education and

communication. This holistic approach will target new tobacco consumers as well as tobacco addicts.

Laparoscopic surgery:

We need to popularize the method, and see that a maximum number of doctors are trained in

laparoscopy. The patient-to-bed ratio in India is a problem and laparoscopy was a meaningful

intervention as it helped reduce stay in the hospital, post-operative case and was less painful. The

procedures should be made accessible and affordable without compromising on quality.

ref: The Hindu;

General Studies-3

(Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security & Disaster Management)

A deadly wave

Over 2,000 deaths due to the heat wave have been reported across the country, most of them from the

states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where summer has peaked with temperatures rising four to five

degrees above normal. Many of these deaths could have been avoided if the state governments had

contingency plans to face the summer heat. Barring Ahmedabad, no Indian city — or state — has a heat

wave action plan (HWAP), or a system of protocols and procedures to initiate administrative action in the

event of a heat wave as well as to facilitate long-term planning.

Most heat wave deaths are a result of direct and sustained exposure to the sun and hot winds and the

resultant dehydration. Taking basic precautions during heat wave conditions — keeping away from the

sun and drinking water or liquids like butter milk — and ORS treatment in the event of a crisis, would

help. But a more organised effort may be needed to reach out to vulnerable groups, mostly the elderly, the

malnourished, children and manual labourers. After an unprecedented heat wave in 2003 caught Europe

by surprise and resulted in thousands of deaths — 15,000 people died in France alone — most European

countries have worked out HWAPs to ensure that warnings go out early and the administration is

prepared to deal with the consequences.

of 12

Though HWAPs vary according to local conditions, they focus on three aspects: building public awareness

and community outreach, initiating early warning systems and training healthcare workers to deal with

emergencies. In India, the Met department releases advance data on weather, but in the absence of an

action plan, the import of the data is lost. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where over 1,300 died, did not

have a plan.

Public announcements must be made on radio, TV, newspapers and social networking sites as soon as the

Met department predicts the onset of a heat wave. Police patrols and hospitals must be put on alert to

handle emergencies. Long-term planning aimed at mitigating the impact of climate change by building

green belts, better designed buildings and transport policies should be worked on. In the interim, high

risk areas should be mapped and monitored, and uninterrupted power and water provided to sensitive

zones like hospitals.

ref: http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/a-deadly-wave/;

Explained – Boon at places, bust elsewhere: State of the lottery in India

What is the legal status of traditional and online lotteries in India?

It’s a mixed bag. 12 states — West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala,

Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Sikkim, Goa, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh,

Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland — allow lotteries. Some states

like Kerala permit only their own state lotteries. Tamil Nadu and

Karnataka, that were formerly key centres for the lottery business,

have banned lotteries. Before states began banning them at the

turn of the century, the annual nationwide turnover of the lottery

business was estimated to be Rs 50,000 crore.

Why have some states banned lotteries?

The primary reason has been the social cost they are seen to

extract, with earning members of families getting addicted to

gambling. While many smaller states cite lotteries as a major

source of revenue, the states that have banned them argue that the

social costs are higher.

How have the courts viewed lotteries?

As per item 40 on List I (Union List) and items 34 and 62 on List II (State List) in the Seventh Schedule of

the Constitution, the union government is empowered to frame laws to regulate the conduct of lotteries,

while state governments have the responsibility of authorising/conducting lotteries. The Supreme Court

has permitted states to ban lotteries, pointing out that the right to sell lottery tickets is not a fundamental

right. The court has also ruled that lottery is not a free ‘trade’ like other “trades’, even when authorised by

law.

In the states that have banned lotteries, how effective has the clampdown been?

Underground lotteries thrive in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Lotteries from states where they are not

banned tend to flow into states where they are, especially to border regions. Lottery operators have

introduced the so-called ‘single-digit’ lotteries — declared illegal in all states — where draws are held

daily for single-digit matches fetching small prizes, besides big weekly bumper prizes. Anonymous illegal

lotteries not affiliated to any state or private parties run in states where they have been banned, possibly

by using the lottery infrastructure that existed before the bans came into effect.

http://images.indianexpress.com/2015/06/lottery.jpg

of 12

What is the latest illegal lottery case in Karnataka about?

Karnataka banned lotteries in 2007, and a Lottery Enforcement Wing was created in the state police,

headed by an Inspector-General with over 1,000 policemen in the unit.

In March this year, a local television channel carried out a sting that purported to show an alleged illegal

lottery operator, Pari Rajan, boasting of links to senior officers in the Lottery Wing and those in charge of

regions where he ran his business.

The government ordered a probe by the state CID, which found that two senior officers, including an IGP-

rank IPS officer, had been in frequent touch with Rajan. The IPS officer was also accused of attempting to

thwart the arrest of Rajan. The two officers were suspended. Rajan has claimed to be associated with as

many as 23 police officers of the rank of Inspector and higher, and to be working for the notorious lottery

kingpin Santiago Martin, who faces dozens of cases in southern states.

JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy has alleged that two IPS officers who earlier headed the Lottery Wing had

collected bribes to the tune of Rs 1 crore from Martin to facilitate the illegal lottery business. Continous

speculation on the involvement of policemen and politicians in the alleged racket has resulted in the

government deciding to hand over the investigation of the case against Pari Rajan to CBI.

ref: http://indianexpress.com/article/explained/boon-at-places-bust-elsewhere-state-of-the-lottery-in-india-explained/99/;

Like Tripura

Tripura has turned a crucial corner. Eighteen years after it was imposed in the state, the Armed Forces

(Special Powers) Act, 1958, will be withdrawn from the 26 police station areas where it was in force.

Announcing the decision, CM Manik Sarkar said the law was no longer required since the insurgency in

Tripura had waned.

Indeed, Tripura’s effort to contain militancy has been one of the finer moments of counter-insurgency in

this country. The state adopted a multi-dimensional approach, factoring in the need to fight the

psychological hold of the militancy, provide jobs and basic services for people in affected areas and

opportunities for surrendered militants to return to the mainstream.

Most importantly, counter-insurgency was driven by a trained and reorganised state police rather than

the army. As the police fanned into remote areas, establishing state presence, it was watched closely by

government. As a result, there have reportedly been fewer complaints of human rights violation. Other

states struggling with insurgency have good reason to go the Tripura way.

A counter-insurgency led by the police means the lines of accountability will not disappear into the

opaque folds of the armed forces. Civilian oversight could act as a check on excesses by security forces.

Afspa, on the other hand, gives army personnel powers to open fire if deemed necessary for “the

maintenance of public order”, to conduct searches and make arrests without a warrant, and to do so with

a degree of legal protection.

The licence and immunity granted by Afspa have been held responsible for thousands of alleged extra-

judicial killings, enforced disappearances and other human rights abuses. The Santosh Hegde

commission, set up by the Supreme Court in 2013 to look into six cases of alleged extra-judicial killing in

Manipur, found the use of disproportionate force in encounters that were “not genuine”. It also observed

that while Afspa gave the armed forces “sweeping powers”, it did not grant “protection to the citizens

against its possible misuse”.

of 12

A draconian law enforced in exceptional circumstances does not, in many cases, speak to changing ground

realities. Across states, insurgencies seem to be winding down, registering lower levels of violence and

fewer fatalities in recent years. In J&K, reports indicate the toll has come down from 4,507 in 2001 to 42

till May 2015.

Militancies across the Northeast claimed 717 lives in 2005, a number which has reduced to 122 in 2015.

Areas once notified as “disturbed” have seen relative calm for years now. Meanwhile, civil society disquiet

over Afspa has only grown. Unless the government scales down military presence, it risks alienating the

large number of people who must live daily with Afspa.

ref: http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/like-tripura/;

Week-long events to push Digital India

As the government readies to formally launch the ‘Digital India Program’, PM Modi has called a meeting of

ministers entrusted with creating a road map for the week-long campaign. The launch of Digital India, one

of the pet projects of the government, that just completed its one year in power, is expected to be a big-

ticket event.

The idea is total digitization of society. During the week-long event that will be held across the country, a

number of new applications/portals will be launched to bring government services to citizens digitally.

The aim is to ensure that people see a visible change in governance by the end of the year.

The campaign will involve multiple partners and stakeholders, including ministries and government

departments, industry, school and academic institutions, gram panchayats and civic bodies. These

applications include tele-medicine and e-hospital applications for delivering healthcare services and e-

schoolbags application for education services, among others.

As a part of the Digital India initiative, the government will also be launching a portal to exchange

information on missing and found children.

ref: The Hindu;

India and the World

(International Relations)

Modi to be first Indian PM in Israel

Wider global outreach planned but no decision yet on taking part in NAM summit. Modi will travel to

Israel, making him the first Indian Premier to visit the country. Modi’s planned visit to Israel did not

indicate any shift in the Indian position. But it will in fact be a break with the past.

No Indian PM has visited Israel, despite India setting up full relations with the country more than two

decades ago. It was during the previous NDA tenure in 2000 that Jaswant Singh became the first Indian

foreign minister to visit Israel, and PM Ariel Sharon the first Israeli PM to visit India (2003).

Mr. Modi had also made a marked break from precedent when he met Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu

during his visit to New York for the UN General Assembly in 2014. At the time, despite the fact that

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was in New York on the same dates, the government had not

sought any meeting between him and Mr. Modi.

ref: The Hindu;

of 12

Stapled visa issue with China still unresolved

The issue of China granting stapled visas to Indians from Arunachal Pradesh remains “unresolved.” This

issue, along with the pending ones of land border agreement, recognition of the Line of Actual Control and

of sharing hydrological data, had been taken up by PM Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Beijing.

E-visa not a concession:

E-visa is not a concession, it has been done to promote tourism and it is only allowed for 30 days after

proper verification. Much to India’s chagrin, China continued to grant stapled visas to residents of

Arunachal Pradesh, claiming it to be a part of its territory. The issue continued to hang fire despite

successive governments taking up the matter with the Chinese and registering their protest.

In 2012, during the UPA government’s tenure, China agreed to stop stapling visas of Jammu and Kashmir

residents. For its part, India announced the decision to grant e-visa to Chinese tourists during Mr. Modi’s

recent visit to China.

India’s objection:

India had objections to the Pakistan-China economic corridor only if it involved activities in Pakistan-

occupied Kashmir. New Delhi had conveyed to Beijing that terrorism was an issue that concerned them as

well and that should be borne in mind when they vote [at the UNSC]. India had also told China that there

should be freedom of navigation and trade in the South China sea and use of threat was not good.

ref: The Hindu;

Regional leaders on foreign policy

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s journey to Bangladesh with Prime Minister Narendra

Modi will mark a decisive turn in Indian diplomacy. For the first time, perhaps, the leader of a state — and

one ruled by an opposition party — has been acknowledged to have a place in the making and execution

of foreign policy.

It’s tempting to dismiss the decision as an ego-assuaging concession to a leader who has earned a

reputation for being obstructive, by a prime minister whose party is not so comfortably situated in the

Rajya Sabha. Banerjee had, after all, sabotaged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s hope of settling the

Teesta waters dispute and signing the Land Boundary Agreement. To thus read the prime minister’s

decision to take Banerjee with him to Dhaka, however, could be to miss the point.

There is something important at play here — the federalisation of Indian foreign policy, a process once

little influenced by happenings outside Lutyens Delhi, let alone the states. From Tamil Nadu Chief

Minister J. Jayalalithaa’s aggressive lobbying on Sri Lanka, to the multitude of voices on Bangladesh that

have emerged from Assam and Tripura on Bangladesh, to Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir’s engagements

with Pakistan — states are demanding a direct say in how foreign policy is made and conducted.

It doesn’t take a lot to see the perils that could lie ahead. For one, chief ministers have a record of putting

chauvinist concerns ahead of strategic imperatives, something that has increasingly complicated India’s

dealings with Sri Lanka. Then, the interests of states in dealings with foreign countries might not always

converge, which could render decisionmaking fraught. Issues of national security might, conceivably,

conflict with state interests in trade. And worse, states could blackmail the Centre on foreign policy

decisions, demanding concessions in return for their consent.

of 12

For all these dangers, though, the federalisation of foreign policy is inevitable, even desirable. Though

New Delhi cannot afford to give regional leaders a veto over the conduct of foreign policy, it has to take on

board the fact that many states now have economic and diasporic relationships across the world. Foreign

missions in New Delhi are devoting growing resources to cultivating relationships with state-level

leaders, recognising that they — not the Central government — are key to making and delivering deals.

For India’s foreign policy establishment, learning to listen to regional leaders will be a new, and

sometimes painful, experience. But the process cannot be deferred.

The process of taking the State government on board for the Teesta deal was on and the issue of sharing

the waters of 54 rivers was still being discussed. In September 2011, the Teesta water-sharing deal could

not be inked after CM Mamata Banerjee pulled out of the Dhaka visit with the then PM Manmohan Singh.

Following the recent ratification of the India-Bangladesh land boundary agreement, there was speculation

that the long-pending Teesta agreement could be inked during Mr. Modi’s two-day visit to Dhaka

beginning June 6.

ref: http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/with-mamata/;

Pranab in Sweden, key pacts to be signed

President Pranab Mukherjee arrived in Stockholm on the first leg of his fiveday state visit to Sweden and

Belarus, the first ever by any Indian head of State, during which a number of key agreements on

sustainable development, scientific research are likely to be signed.

During his three-day State visit in Sweden, the President will meet PM Stefan Lofven, the Speaker of the

Swedish Parliament, and the Leader of Opposition, Anna Kinberg Batra besides number of meetings with

the King and the Queen.

The visit will focus on innovation, sustainable development, urban development and scientific research

with both countries exploring ways to enhance mutual exchange in the areas of trade and science.

ref: The Hindu;

Explained: A RAW deal – Why Pak now blames Indian spies

for everything

IT’S POLITICS, OF COURSE

For months now, as Pakistan’s anti-jihadist campaign has escalated, Islamists have accused the army of

being apostates, acting at the behest of the US, India and Israel. Propaganda videos circulated by groups

like al-Qaeda are suffused with images of killings carried out by the Pak army. In a society radicalised by

state-backed Islamism, these allegations carry weight. Hitting out at India is an easy way to get the public

together behind nationalism, and the Pak army.

General

Raheel Sharif is a hawk on India. His brother, Rana Shabbir Sharif, was killed in 1971, and is the only

recipient of both the Sitara-e-Jurat and Nishan-e-Haider. Some analysts say Gen Sharif hopes to stake his

own claim to greatness.

of 12

Paranoia

Old Pak army weapon — Pervez Musharraf whipped up Islamist protests to stave off pressure to act

against jihadists; Pervez Kayani claimed Pak had been infiltrated by a US fifth column to undermine Asif

Ali Zardari’s government.

THE BACK STORY

The respectable mainstream newspaper Daily Times on May 5, published an article on its Editorial page,

accusing India’s National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, of running the Islamic State’s networks in the

region.

RAW’s shadow wars

After PM Rajiv Gandhi ordered retaliation against the ISI arming Khalistani terrorists, RAW set up the

covert Counter Intelligence Team-X and Counter Intelligence Team-J to target Pakistan and the

Khalistanis respectively. Each Khalistani terror attack was met with retaliatory attacks in Lahore, Multan

and Karachi through CIT-X.

“The role of our covert action capability in putting an end to the ISI’s interference in Punjab by making

such interference prohibitively costly is little known,” former RAW officer B Raman wrote in 2002. For

reasons that remain unknown, CIT-X and CIT-J were shut down by I K Gujral in 1997. P V Narasimha Rao

is believed to have earlier shut RAW’s eastern operations as part of efforts to build bridges with China

and Myanmar. There is no evidence that India has been fuelling the recent insurgencies inside Pakistan.

Beyond Pakistan

RAW had stellar success in Bangladesh, where it trained covert forces who operated against Pakistani

forces long before the war broke out. General Surjit Singh Uban’s Force 22 crippled Pakistani lines of

communications. But the stories of the spies and secret warriors have never been acknowledged.

ref: http://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-a-raw-deal/;

Was this page Helpful?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/984422978255416/

miscellaneous · · 2015-06-01unlawful activities (prevention) act, besides clauses of the...

Documents