ContentPM MODI'S VISION

Salient points of PM Modi's address at International FleetReview 2016Salient points of PM Modi’s speech at Economic TimesGlobal Business Summit 29th January 2016Salient points of PM Modi’s address at the 6th convocationof Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, LucknowSalient points of PM Modi's address at Akhil BharatiyaPrachaarya Sammelan

PARTY PRESIDENT

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POLITICAL THOUGHT

Marx & Deendayal— the Two Approaches D.B. Thengdi

SPECIAL ARTICLE

Modi, India and France Claude ArpiTowards a New Defence Procurement Procedure in 2016

Amit CowshishJapan rising: Civilizational ally that should be the mostenduring partnership in Asia Rajeev Srinivasan

POLICY ANALYSIS

Revolutionizing the Power Sector through a ComprehensiveUDAY Scheme Siddharth Singh

NATIONAL AGENDA

Modi’s dream of Smart Cities: A hub of 21st CenturyCommerce Siddharth SinghModi Government’s efforts for Sustainable AgricultureDevelopment and Promotion of Entrepreneurship in Rural areas

POLITICAL COMMENTARIES

The Decline of West Bengal Dr. Anirban Ganguly

INDIA'S WORLD OF DIPLOMACY

India-UAE relation on the trajectory of ComprehensiveStrategic ties Siddharth Singh

INDIA@POSITIVE

For First Time In 10 Years, Haryana’s Sex Ratio Crosses900 Mark!!Highway construction set to cross record 6000 km this fiscal year

EVENT@SPMRF

Report of program India-France relationship on 22nd January2016 by Amb Dr Mohan Kumar

Editorial Advisors :Shakti Sinha, IAS (Rtd)

Former Power & FinanceSecretary Govt. of Delhi

Dr. Anirban GangulyDirector, SPMRF

Dr. Shiv Shakti BakshiExecutive Editor, Kamal Sandesh

Dr. Vijay ChauthaiwaleIn-Charge BJP Foreign Affairs Department& Convener, Overseas Friends of BJP

Professor Santishree D.PanditProfessorSavitribai Phule Pune University&Vice- President- Indian Political Science Association

Dr. Amit SinghAssistant Professor ARSD College,Delhi University

Amit MalviyaNational In-charge, IT & SocialMedia Vibhag, BJP

Research Team :

Siddharth Singh Shubhendu Anand

Ajit Jha Pradip Bhandari

Shailendra Kumar Shukla

Layout :Vikas Saini

Published by :Dr. Syama Prasad MookerjeeResearch Foundation,9, Ashoka Road New Delhi- 110001E-mail : office@spmrf.org,Telephone : 011-48005850

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Those preaching 'constitutional patriotism'whatever that means have generally andalways kept silent when the actual idea ofIndia has been challenged, threatened andattacked. Having built careers in thesanitinised confines of Ivy-league institutionsand having survived on political doles thrownto them by patrons who expect to be shieldedand eulogised for the stupidest or unkindestmoves, these 'finest public intellectuals' liveon obfuscation, intellectual subterfuge andhermeneutical dishonesty.

Those using their letter-power and hollowlogic to 'support' the celebration of terroristsin the hallowed precincts of a leadingeducational institution in the country andthereby encourage the further replication ofthese acts across the land, those justifying theabuse of the constitutional institutions of theland and the incitement to violence againstthese institutions "Afzal, your killers are stillat large" is not an innocent cry but a blood-thirsty howl to eliminate all those who workto uphold the unity and sovereignty of Indiaalso fall in the league of anti-nationals, anti-national intellectuals who owe allegiance notto the all-encompassing and inspiring idea ofIndia but rather to themselves first, to India-haters next, to a section of their politicalpatrons who have only the interest andwelfare of a particular dynasty or family inmind, a welfare and benefit to be accrued atthe cost of India, at the cost of her well-being,at the cost of the security of her millions ofordinary citizens.

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Such an 'avant garde' intellectualaction by these 'free-thinkers' hasgenerated a peculiar spectacle whereworshippers of Mao and Stalin - thetwo crudest genocidal leaders in thehistory of mankind and members ofa family which, following AdolfHitler, blacked out democracy inIndia in 1975 and allowed a mass-killer of Indians, Warren Anderson,to escape India with impunity afterhaving committed his genocide,articulate definitions of nationalismand patriotism. It was thus a hugelyironical spectacle to see comradeSitaram Yechury, whose ideologicalancestors had opposed India'sfreedom movement and were activein subverting that freedom once itwas achieved. speak of freedom, freeexpression and democratic rights. Orwas it ironical, comrade Yechury wasjust loyally following the footsteps ofthese ancestors of his by remainingtrue to his ideological indoctrinationwhich has taught him to see India notas a nation but as a sub-continentwhere a ceaseless clash of classcontinues and which needsdismemberment at the first instanceso that there could be 'true liberation'.Weren't the communists the oneswho cried in 1947: "Ye azadi jhuta hai(this freedom is false)" and took uparms to oppose free India?

No column space or ink is spilledon asking a few fundamentalquestions; the Ivy-league and world-certified intellectuals are busyjustifying why it is necessary to allowa group to create unrest and celebrate

the 'martyrdom' of those elementswho worked, in collusion with forcesinimical to India, to wrack her apart.Ironically these intellectuals, many ofwhom have survived over the yearson doles from the nodal IndianCouncil for Social Science Research,the Reserve Bank of India and othersuch 'hated state' institutions, haverisen to support the breaking of India,"tukde tukde", the dissolution of India,the severance from India and freedomfor Jammu & Kashmir the azadi thatthe JNU sloganeers demanded forKashmir was the azadi as defined bythe actions of "Maqbool, Afzal andHurriyat" the first two terrorists whoconspired to dismember India andthe other a discredited self-styledpeople's front supported by Pakistanand dreaded terrorists outfits. Anysane and impartial observer woulddiscern that the sloganeers havehoned their skills elsewhere andwhere not the usual 'made in JNU'types who stick posters and take outmarches in support of some far-offrevolution.

The appeal to join the 'culturalevening' on February 9 in support ofterrorists said, "We appeal to you tojoin a cultural evening in rage againstthe occupation of Kashmir by theIndian state, and in solidarity withthe valiant struggle of the people ofKashmir for their inalienable right toself-determination." The appeal alsocited with certain aplomb, "ComradeCharu Mazumdar" (CM), anideological relic from a hoary past,and his call for dismembering India,

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Editorial"The slogan, 'Kashmir is aninalienable part of India', is given bythe ruling class in the interest ofplundering. No Marxist can supportthis slogan. It is the essential duty ofMarxists to accept the right of self-determination by every nationality.On questions of Kashmir, Nagas etc,the Marxists should express theirsupport in favour of the fighters."Comrade Karat, comrade Sita andthe hordes of Marxists thus, both,expelled and liberated, strove hard tostay true to the vision of 'CM' andhave also accepted in that act thatKashmir was an 'occupied state'.

It was this evening that graduallymanifested itself through slogansthat demanded the not only the'liberation' of Kashmir but also ofAssam, 'Nagalim', Manipur and ,ofall places, the Indian state of Kerala.In no other democratic nation,whose leading lights had toiled sohard to give the people a stellarConstitution, would one witness thevulture-like convergence of politicalleaders and Members of Parliamentwho have taken oath on theConstitution of India, in support ofthose who have essentially andunequivocally called for thedissolution of India. Thus comradesYechury, Sudhakar Reddy, D Rajaand that lost and confused scion ofthe Congress first family, himself a'comrade' of sorts, Mr Rahul Gandhiunder whose grandmother'spremiership Maqbool was hangedand under whose party's rule laterAfzal was tried and hanged had

essentially converged to support the'vision' of Charu Mazumdar andpresent-day terrorists whose soleobjective is to see India broken andfragmented. For them nothing issacrosanct in the Indianconstitutional set-up, the SupremeCourt of India hich had passed thejudgements least of all. No one asks,for example, how is it thatparliament member and CommunistParty of India leader D Raja'sdaughter was an active and leadingpart of a demonstration that calledfor India's destruction. Hasn't MrRaja owed his allegiance to theConstitution while taking oath asmember of Parliament? Or is thattoo a diversionary tactics for theadoption of revolutionary methodsto dupe the Indian constitutionalframework?The 'constitutionalpatriotism' oozing intellectuals andhistorians who have only tried tounderstand India either 'before' or'after' Mahatma Gandhi, areconsciously pushing forth agendasthat aim to destabilise India and halther march towards self-reliance. Theargument for freedom of expressionis just a smokescreen.

Yes indeed, the struggle and 'jung'shall continue but not until "India isdestroyed"; until India triumphs andthe enemies of her civilisational soulare relegated and dissolved forperpetuity.

— Dr. Anirban Ganguly,Director, SPMRF

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PM MODI'S VISION

The oceans and world'swaterways are globalcommons. VasudhaivaKutumbakam- the concept ofwhole world as a family - isperhaps most vividlywitnessed on the oceans of theplanet that connect us all.

" The world of 2016 is vastlydifferent. Its politics isturbulent, and its challengescomplex. At the same time, theoceans are the lifelines of globalprosperity. They present uswith great economicopportunities to build ournations.Over 90% of globalmerchandise trade is carried on

Salient points of PM Modi'saddress at International

Fleet Review 2016

the oceans. Over the last 15years, its value has grown fromabout 6 trillion dollars to about20 trillion dollars.Oceans are critical for theglobal energy security as over60% of world's oil productionmoves through sea routes.Our ability to reap economicbenefits from the oceans restson our capacity to respond tothe challenges in the maritimedomain.The threat of sea borne terror,of which India has been a directvictim, continues to endangerthe regional and global peaceand stability. Piracy tooremains a strong challenge.

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The threat of natural disasterslike tsunamis and cyclones isever present.Manmade problems such as oilspills, climate change continueto risk the stability of themaritime domain.A peaceful and stablemaritime environment is,therefore, critical for theregional and global security. Itis also a must to harvest theriches of the oceanicecosystems.Given the scale and complexityof modern day challenges, theinternational maritime stabilitycannot be the preserve of asingle nation. It has to be ashared goal and responsibilityof all the seafaring countries. Tothis end, the Navies andmaritime agencies of the worldneed to work together, andengineer virtuous cycles ofcooperation.I believe that if oceans were topropel our economies, then wemust:Use seas to build peace,friendship and trust, and curbconflict;Respect and ensure freedom ofnavigation; andCooperate, not compete inresponding to the challenges inthe seas.The large presence of foreignNavies at this Fleet Review is a

confirmation of our sharedurge to walk the pathways ofpeace and cooperation to keepthe maritime domain safe andsecure.India as a maritime Nation:India is, and has always been,a maritime nation. India'sancient Sanskrit texts alsorefer to the oceans as thestorehouse ofChaturdashanam Ratnanam,the 14 gems. Surrounded by seafrom three sides, India has along coastline of over 7500kilometres. We have beenblessed with a rich maritimeheritage ever since. Lothal inGujarat became one of theearliest sea ports of the world.India's central location in theIndian Ocean has connected uswith other cultures, shapedour maritime trade routes,influenced India's strategicthought, and defined ourmaritime character. Since thedays of the Indus ValleyCivilization, India hasmaintained an extensivenetwork of maritime links,including with Africa,Western Asia, theMediterranean region, theWest, South East Asia and theFar East. In modern times too,the oceans, especially theIndian Ocean, occupy a vitalplace in India's nationalsecurity and economicprosperity. The waters of the

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Indian Ocean touch the shoresof over 40 countries. Abouthalf of world's containertraffic; and close to one-thirdof world's cargo traffic passesthrough this region. India's1200 island territories, and ourhuge Exclusive Economic Zoneof 2.4 million squarekilometres makes clear theeconomic significance of theIndian Ocean. For us, it alsoserves as a strategic bridgewith the nations in ourimmediate and extendedmaritime neighbourhood.Our Vision of SAGAR: TheIndian Ocean Region is one ofmy foremost policy priorities.Our approach is evident in ourvision of "Sagar", which means"Ocean" and stands for -Security And Growth for All inthe Region. We would continueto actively pursue and promoteour geo-political, strategic andeconomic interests on the seas,in particular the Indian Ocean.To this end, India's modernand multi-dimensional Navyleads from the front. It is a forcefor peace and good.A network of growing politicaland economic maritimepartnerships, andstrengthening of regionalframeworks also helps uspursue our goals.India's quest for economicprosperity through oceans is a

part of our larger efforts totransform India.We are not just a bright spot inthe global economy. Regionallyand internationally, we are apillar of stability and animportant growth centre.India's rise is in harmony withthe goal of maintaining theregional and global peace andsecurity.Vision of Blue Economy: Animportant part of India'stransformation is my vision of"Blue Economy" in its widestsense. The Blue Chakra - or thewheel - in our National Flag,represents the potential of theBlue Economy. An essentialpart of this pursuit is thedevelopment of India's coastaland island territories: but, notjust for tourism. We want tobuild new pillars of economicactivity in the coastal areas andin linked hinterlands throughsustainable tapping of oceanicresources. Strengthening ourmarine research, developmentof eco-friendly, marineindustrial and technology base,and fisheries are other elementsof our goal. In this endeavour, Isee youth in the coastal areas asour true assets. They have anatural and deepunderstanding of the Oceans.They could lead the way in thedevelopment of blue economyin India.

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Our Goal: Reform to TransformFirstly, we have to improve the

use of our natural and humanresources, to increase the valueaddition we can get from them. Thismeans increasing the efficiency inallocation of resources. It meansgreater managerial efficiency. Itmeans removing unnecessarycontrols and distortions.

Secondly, we should create newopportunities for citizens to progress

Salient points of PM Modi’s speech atEconomic Times Global Business Summit

29th January 2016

and also give them a choice ofopportunities. Opportunity is likeoxygen to the aspirational citizenand we are keen that this is never inshort supply. In simple terms, itmeans Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.

Thirdly, we have to increase thequality of life of the commoncitizen and even more so, thequality of life of the poor. Qualityof life may have an economicaspect, but it is not economics

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alone. If a government isprogressive, and runs an honestand efficient administration, thebiggest beneficiaries are the poor. Iknow from my experience, thatpoor governance hurts the poormore than it hurts others.Therefore, improved governance isas important as economic reform.India: A bright spot in the time ofGlobal Economic Stagnation

Many of you are aware of thecontribution India can make to theglobal economy at a time ofeconomic stagnation in many parts.For the last four quarters, India hasbeen the fastest growing largeeconomy in the world. In 2014-15,India contributed 7.4% of globalGDP in purchasing power terms. Butit contributed 12.5% of globalgrowth. Thus its contribution togrowth is 68% higher than its shareof the global economy. FDI in Indiahas increased by 39% in the last 18months, at a time when global FDIhas fallen.Some Facts

India’s highest ever ureafertiliser production wasachieved in 2015.India’s highest everproduction of ethanol asblended fuel, benefiting sugarcane farmers, was in 2015.The highest number of newcooking gas connections to therural poor was achieved in

2015.India’s highest ever output ofcoal was achieved in 2015.India’s highest evergeneration of electricity wasachieved in 2015India’s highest ever quantityof cargo handled by majorports was in 2015.India’s fastest averageturnaround time in ports wasin 2015.India’s highest ever increasein railway capital expenditurewas achieved in 2015.India’s highest ever numberof new highway kilometresawarded was in 2015.India’s highest everproduction of motor vehicleswas achieved in 2015.India’s highest ever softwareexports were achieved in2015.India’s highest ever rank inWorld Bank Doing Businessindicators, was achieved in2015.India’s highest ever foreignexchange reserves wereachieved in 2015.

Enhancing India’sEntrepreneurship Zeal

Entrepreneurship is one of India’straditional strengths. It was sad tosee it neglected in the last few years.

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“Business” and “profits” hadbecome bad words. We havechanged that. We need to valueenterprise and hard work, notwealth. Our programs ranging fromMUDRA to Start Up India andStand-Up India provide opportunityto the hard working and to theenterprising. In so doing, we haveplaced special emphasis onScheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes,Other Backward Classes andwomen. We are empowering them tobecome masters of their owndestinies.The Big Picture: Our dream

Like all long journeys, there maybe obstacles on the way, but I amconfident we will reach ourdestination. We have created aplatform for a new future and for anew India:

An India where every child isborn safely and maternal andinfant mortality are belowworld averages,An India where no person ishouseless,An India where every townand every village, every schooland every train, every streetand every house, are clean andsanitary,An India where every citizenhas access to good health care,An India where every villagehas 24×7 electricity,

An India where every city isvibrant and livable,An India where girls areeducated and empowered,An India where every boy andevery girl is skilled and readyfor productive employment,An India where agriculture,industry and services providewell-paying jobs to all whoneed them,An India where farmers knowthe nature of their soil, havethe best inputs and reachglobal levels of productivity,An India where enterprises,large and small, have access tocapital and credit,An India where start-ups andother businesses provideinnovative solutions,An India which is at theforefront of a global digitaleconomy,An India which leads theworld in clean energy,An India where every citizenhas basic social security and apension in old age,An India where citizens trustGovernment and are trustedby Government.And above all, a transformedIndia where all citizens havethe opportunity to reach theirfull potential.

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Salient points of PM Modi’s address at the6th convocation of Babasaheb Bhimrao

Ambedkar University, Lucknow

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gksrk gS tc ge f'kf{kr gks vkSj mUgksakusvius ea= ds igys 'kCnks Hkh f'kf{kr cuksdgk FkkA

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ckck lkgsc vEcsMdj jkg pquh ladVksa lslkeuk djus dh] lkjs vojksèkksa dks ikjdjus dh] mis{kk ds chp Hkh] vieku ds

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chp Hkh vius Hk; Hkhrj ds chp tks ladYi'kfä Fkh mldks fopfyr ugha gksus fn;kvkSj vkf[kj rd mUgksa us djds fn[kk;kAcgqr de yksxksa dks ekywe gksxk] geT;kgnkrj rks tkurs gSa fd oks lafoèkku dsfuekZrk Fks] ysfdu vesfjdk esa oks igysHkkjrh; Fks ftlus vFkZ'kkL= esa ih,pMhçkIr dh FkhA nqfu;k ds gj ns'k esa mudkLokksxr vkSj lEekuu FkkA mUgksajus lcdqN ikus ds ckn ;s lc lefiZr dj fn;kbl Hkkjr ekrk dksA okfil vk, vkSjmlesa Hkh mUgksasus r; fd;k fd eSa viusthou dky esa nfyr] ihfM+r] 'kksf"kr] oafprmuds fy, esjh ftUndxh dke vk,] eSa[kik nwaxk vkSj oks thou Hkj ;s djrs jgsA

ge tgka Hkh gSa] tks dqN Hkh gSa] tks Hkh cuustk jgs gSa] vius dkj.k ugha curs gSa] ;s iwjklekt gS] ftlds NksVs ls NksVs O;fä dkgekjs fy, dksbZ u dksbZ ;ksxnku gS rctkdj ds gekjh ftanxh curh gSA

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eSa vkt tc ukStokuksa ds chp esa [kM+k gwa rc,d rjQ esjs thou esa bruk cM+k vkuan gSD;ksafd eSa vuqHko djrk gwa fd 21oha lnhfganqLrku dk lnh gS vkSj 21oha lnh fgUnqLrkudh lnh blfy, gS fd Hkkjr nqfu;k dklcls toku ns'k gSA 65 çfr'kr ukStoku35 lky ls de mez ds gSA ;g ns'k tokugS] bl ns'k ds lius Hkh toku gSA bl ns'kds ladYi Hkh toku gS vkSj bl ns'k dsfy, ej&feVus okys Hkh toku gSA ;s ;qok'kfä gekjh fdruh cM+h èkjksgj gS] ;s gekjsfy, vueksy gSA ysfdu mlh le; tc ;s[kcj feyrh gS fd esjs bl ns'k ds ukStokucsVs jksfgr dks vkRegR;k djus ds fy,etcwj gksuk iM+k gSA mlds ifjokj is D;kchrh gksxhA ek¡ Hkkjrh us viuk ,d yky[kks;kA dkj.k viuh txg ij gksaxs] jktuhrhviuh txg ij gksxh] ysfdu lPpkbZ ;ghgS fd ek¡ us ,d yky [kks;kA bldh ihM+k eSaHkyh&Hkkafr eglwl djrk gw¡A

ge bl ns'k dks bl fn'kk esa ys tkukpkgrs gSa] tgk¡ u;k meax gks] u;k ladYigks] u;k vkRe&fo'okl gks] ladVksa ls tw>usokyk ukStoku gks vkSj ckck lkgsc vEcsMdjds tks lius Fks] mu liuksa dks iwjk djusdk gekjk vfojr ç;kl gSA ml ç;kldks vkxs ysdj ds vkxs pyuk gSA

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Salient points of PM Modi'saddress at Akhil Bharatiya

Prachaarya Sammelan

lekt esa ifjorZu ykus dk ç;kl tks fdlhdks djuk gS] tks f'k{kk vkSj laLdkj nksuksadks feykuk pkgrs gSa] lkFk&lkFk pysa ,slkpkgrs gSa] muds fy, ftEesokjh cgqr c<+tkrh gSA

vkt fganqLrku esa fdlh Hkh O;fä dks geiwNs] fdruk gh cM+k èkuh D;ksa u gks] fdrukxjhc D;ksa u gks vxj mls iwNs fd vkidhD;k bPNk gS] ,d bPNk egRoiw.kZ D;k gS rksvehj ls vehj ls O;fä gksxk ;k xjhc lsxjhc O;fä ;s dgsxk fd esjs cPpksa dh vPNhf'k{kk gksA vki Mªkboj dks Hkh iwN yhft, fdHkbZ cPpksa dks vPNk i<+kuk gS] geus rks ;sftanxh Mªkbojh esa fudky nh] mldks mllsckgj fudkyuk gSA gj fdlh ds eu dkdksbZ ,d vtsaMk viuk gS rks vius larkuksa

dh f'k{kk gSA vxj ;s djksM+ksa&djksM+ksa yksxksads eu esa gSA vPNh f'k{kk dk eryc ;s ughafd mldks Ldwy miyCèk ugha gS] vPNhf'k{kk dk eryc ;s ugha fd Qhl nsus lsdksbZ c<f?;k Ldwy feyus okyh ugha gSAvPNh f'k{kk dk eryc mlds fnekx esa lkQgS fd vPNs f'k{kd dgka gksA esjs ckyd dhftanxh esa cnyko ykus esa dksbZ #fp ys] ,slhO;oLFkk dgka gksA

geus gekjs y{; cnyus dh t#jr gS] eq>s,slk yxrk gSA ge ns'k dks ,slk] gj {ks= esa,slk usr`Ro dSls ns ldrs gSa fd tks xoZ djsafd bl ijaijk us eq>s cuk;k gS] bl laLdkjksaus eq>s ltk;k gS vkSj vkt eSa ns'k dh ;gkacSBdj lsok dj jgk gwa] bldk xkSjoxkudjus dk volj dSls vk,A

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ge oks yksx gSa tks bl ckr dks ekurs gSa fdKku pkjksa fn'kk ls vkus nks] geus dHkh Kkuds njokts can ugha fd, gSa] ge dHkh fdlhds Kku ds çokg ls Hk;Hkhr ugha gq, gSa]fopfyr ugha gq, gSaA D;ksafd osndky ls gesa;s rRo Kku rks feyk gS fd pkjksa rjQ lsfopkjksa dks vkus nks] Kku dks vkus nksAosndky ls ge dg jgs gSaA ge oks yksx gSatks dgrs gSa& ÞolqnSo dqVqacde~ß Avxj ;siwjk fo'o esjk ifjokj gS rks dkSu] D;k] dgkajgrk gS] dSls jgrk gS] fdl voLFkk esa jgrkgS] D;k jax gS] oks esjs fy, eryc gh ughaj[krk gS D;ksafd lexz fo'o dks eSaus ifjokjekuk gSA eSa ml çdkj ls mlds thou dsfodkl esa dksbZ Hkwfedk vnk dj ldrk gwa]vxj eSa mlds thou ds fodkl esa Hkwfedkvnk dj ldrk gwa rks eq>s esjs ml ifjlj dsekgkSy dks Hkh mlh çdkj ls cukuk iM+sxkA

bu fnuksa ns'k esa vkSj nqfu;k esa ,d ppkZ pyjgh gS Climate change, Global warming, gekjscPpksa dks ge o{kkjksi.k] ikSèks yxkuk ;s rkslky esa ,dkèk ckj dk;ZØe djrs gSa ysfduD;k 12 gtkj Ldwyksa dks ,d fe'ku culdrk gS] tks LFkkuh; O;oLFkkvksa dks dgs fdgesa] gekjh Ldwy 100 isM+ xksn ysuk pkgrs gSa]gesa txg nks ge 100 isM+ bl uxj dks ns nsaxs]5 lky esa ns nsaxs] gekjh ;s contribution gksxkAQk;nk ;s gksxk gekjs lkjs cPpksa dks environmentdh f'k{kk vius vki feysxh vkSj lekt dslkFk gekjk tqM+uk cgqr LokHkkfod cusxkApkgs gekjk ifjlj cM+k gks] ogka djs ugha rkstks O;oLFkk gS] mls ge ekaxs fd ge vkidks]gesa txg nhft,] ge 100 isM+ yxkdj nsukpkgrs gSa vkidksA ge lekt&thou esa fdlçdkj ls cnyko yk,axs

fo|k Hkkjrh us tks ;s bruk cM+k vkanksyu [kM+kfd;k gS ftlesa laLdkj loksZifj gSA ftlesa ns'kHkfäyckyc Hkjh gqbZ gSA ftldh ok.kh esa] orZu esa]

mins'k esa] fl)karksa esa lknxh lgt gSA ;s ,slhphts gSa tks vkt lgtrk ls çkIr ugha gSA tksvkius 50 lky dh yach riL;k ls bls dek;k gSA

f'k{kk vkSj laLdkj] eSa ugha ekurk gwa fd ;gvfHkHkkodksa dk fo"k; gS vkSj laLdkj dh esjhcM+h simple definition gSA ç;RuiwoZd dhgqbZ] develop dh xbZ vPNh vknrA oks laLdkjgS vkSj D;k gS\ vkSj blfy, vkids ikl mlvk;q ds cPps gksrs gS] ftlesa ,slh vknrsafodflr gksrh gS tks vius vki esa laLdkjcu tkrh gSA ftlds dkj.k laHko thou] ;gfo|k Hkkjrh dk LoHkko gSA lkewfgdrk dksegRo fn;k tkrk gSA ;g vius vki esa vktds ;qx esa cgqr cM+h vko';drk gS] ojuk gjdksbZ ,d Island curk pyk tk jgk gSAvxj balku Island cu tk,xk rks D;k gkstk,xk\ lkewfgdrk cgqr vko';d gSA

,dy fo|ky; dk vfHk;ku] cgqr de yksxksadks vanktk gksxk fd 50&52 gtkj ,dyfo|ky; dqy&feykdj ds] fo|k Hkkjrh lsvyx ckdh yksxksa ds }kjk py jgs gSaAnwj&lqnwj tgka f'k{kd tkus dks rS;kj ugha]tgka ljdkj igqapus dks rS;kj ugha] ogka ij,dy fo|ky; tkdj ds dke dj jgk gSAlekt thou esa cnyko yk jgk gSA cgqryksx gksrs gSa tks thou esa flQZ ,d volj<wa<rs gSa] dqN pkgrs gSaA ;g volj nsus dkdke vkSj T;knkrj fo|k Hkkjrh dk dkexjhc cfLr;ksa esa 'kq: gq,] lekt ds ncs&dqpysyksxksa ds chp esa 'kq: gq, gSaA ysfdu f'k{kk ds}kjk muds thou esa ifjorZu ykus dk ç;klgqvk gSA vkSj ml vFkZ esa fo|k Hkkjrh us cgqrcM+h lsok dh gSA vki lc ds ekè;e ls ns'kdh vis{kk,a Hkh cgqr gSaA vki lHkh çkpk;Z]vkids ;gka tks f'k{kk mÙke pyrh gksxh rksmldk rks ,d cjkcj mechanism cu x;kgksxk] ysfdu vkidk viuk Ldwy] ftldksvki laHkky jgs gS oks V‚i ij vk, dSls\ mlij vki y{; ns] ;gh esjh vis{kk gSA

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PARTY PRESIDENT

Uæ esa çèkkuea=h ujsaæ

eksnh ljdkj dhlQyrk ls fujk'k vkSj grk'kdkaxzsl xgjs volkn ls xzLrgSA ikVhZ vkSj mlds usrk;g le> ugha ik jgs gSa fdbl volkn dh voLFkk esaoks ns'k ds le{k dSls ,dftEesnkj jktuhfrd ny dhHkwfedk fuHkk;saA

dkaxzsl mikè;{k jkgqyxkaèkh rks bl grk'kk esa ns'kfojksèkh vkSj ns'k fgr dk varjrd ugha le> ik jgs gSaAtokgj yky u sg:fo'ofo|ky; ¼ts,u;w½ esa tksdqN Hkh gqvk mls dgha ls Hkhns'k fgr ds nk;js esa j[kdjugha ns[kk tk ldrk gSAn s ' k d s ,d çfrf "Brfo'ofo|ky; esa ns'k fojksèkhukjs yxsa vkSj vkradokfn;ksadh [kqyh fgek;r gks] blsdksbZ Hkh ukxfjd Lohdkj ugha dj ldrkA ysfdudkaxzsl mikè;{k vkSj mudh ikVhZ ds vU; usrkvksaus ts,u;w tkdj tks c;ku fn, gSa mUgksaus ,dckj fQj lkfcr dj fn;k gS fd mudh lksp esajk"Vªfgr tSlh Hkkouk dk dksbZ LFkku ugha gSA

ts,u;w esa okeiaFkh fopkjèkkjk ls çsfjr dqNeqëhHkj Nk=ksa us fuEufyf[kr jk"Vªfojksèkh ukjsyxk,%

D;k ;gh gS dkaxzsl dh jk"VªHkfä dhubZ ifjHkk"kk\

vfer 'kkg vfer 'kkg vfer 'kkg vfer 'kkg vfer 'kkg

ÞikfdLrku ftankcknß

Þxks bafM;k xks cSdß

ÞHkkjr dh cjcknh rd tax jgsxh tkjhß

Þd'ehj dh vktknh rd tax jgsxhtkjhß

ÞvQty ge 'kfeZUnk gS rsjs dkfryftank gSaß

ds

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Þrqe fdrus vQty ekjksxs] gj ?kj lsvQty fudysxkß

ÞvQty rsjs [kwu ls bUdykc vk;sxkß

bu Nk=ksa dks lgh Bgjkdj jkgqy xkaèkh fdlyksdrkaf=d O;oLFkk dh odkyr dj jgs gSaA D;kjkgqy xkaèkh ds fy, jk"VªHkfä dh ifjHkk"kk ;gh gS\ns'kæksg dks Nk= ØkfUr vkSj ns'kæksg ds f[kykQdk;Zokgh dks vfHkO;fä dh Lora=rk ij dqBkjk?kkrdk uke nsdj mUgksaus jk"Vª dh v[k.Mrk ds çfrlaosnughurk dk ifjp; fn;k gSA eSa muls iwNukpkgrk gw¡ fd bu ukjksa dk leFkZu djds D;kmUgksaus ns'k dh vyxkooknh 'kfä;ksa ls gkFk feykfy;k gS\ D;k og Lora=rk dh vfHkO;fä dh vkM+esa ns'k esa vyxkookfn;ksa dks NwV nsdj ns'k dk ,dvkSj cVokjk djokuk pkgrs gSa\

ns'k dh jktèkkuh esa fLFkr ,d vxz.kh fo'ofo|ky;ds ifjlj dks vkradokn vkSj vyxkookn dks c<+koknsus dk dsaæ cuk dj bl f'k{kk ds dsaæ dks cnukedjus dh lkft'k dh x;h| eSa jkgqy xkaèkh ls iwNukpkgrk gw¡ fd D;k dsaæ ljdkj dk gkFk ij gkFk èkjscSBs jguk jk"Vªfgr esa gksrk\ D;k vki ,sls jk"Vªfojksfèk;ksads leFkZu esa èkjuk nsdj ns'kæksgh 'kfä;ksa dks c<+kokugha ns jgs gSa\

ts,u;w esa jkgqy xkaèkh us orZ~reku Hkkjr dhrqyuk fgVyj dh teZuh ls dj MkyhA bruhvksNh ckr djus ls igys og Hkwy tkrs gSa fdLora= Hkkjr dh fgVyj dh teZuh ls lclsfudV ifjdYiuk flQZ Jherh bafnjk xkaèkh }kjkyxk, x, 1975 ds vkikrdky ls dh tk ldrhgSA Lora=rk dh vfHkO;fä rks nwj] vkikrdky esafojksfèk;ksa dks fueZerk ds lkFk tsy esa Bwal fn;kx;k FkkA okenyksa ds usrk ftudh og vktfgek;r djrs ?kwe jgs gSa] og Hkh bl ccZjrk dsf'kdkj gq, FksA fgVyjokn flQZ dkaxzsl ds Mh-,u-,- esa gS] Hkktik dks jk"Vªokn vkSj çtkra= dsewY;ksa dh f'k{kk dkaxzsl ikVhZ ls ysus dh t:jrugha gSA gekjs jktuSfrd ewY; Hkkjro"kZ dh le`)

laLd`fr ls çsfjr gS vkSj Hkkjr dk lafoèkku gekjsfy, 'kklu dh funsZf'kdk gSA eSa jkgqy xkaèkh lstkuuk pkgrk gw¡ fd 1975 dk vkikrdky D;kmudh ikVhZ ds çtkrkaf=d ewY;ksa dks ifjHkkf"krdjrk gS vkSj D;k og Jherh bafnjk xkaèkh dhekufldrk dks fgVyjh ekufldrk ugha ekurs\

ns'k dh lhekvksa dh j{kk vkSj d'ehj esavyxkookn dks fu;af=r djrs gq, gekjs vla[;lSfud ohjxfr dks çkIr gks pqds gSaA 2001 esa ns'kdh laln esa gq, vkradoknh geys esa fnYyh iqfylds 6 toku] 2 laln lqj{kkdehZ vkSj ,d ekyh'kghn gq, FksA blh vkradh geys ds nks"kh vQtyxq: dk efgekeaMu djus okyksa vkSj d'ehj esavyxkookn ds ukjs yxkus okyksa dks leFkZu nsdjjkgqy xkaèkh viuh fdl jk"VªHkfä dk ifjp; ns jgsgSa\ eSa muls iwNuk pkgrk gw¡ fd vHkh gky esafl;kfpu esa ns'k dh lhek ds çgjh 10 lSfudksaftues ykal uk;d guqeaFkIik ,d Fks ds cfynkudks D;k og bl rjg dh J)katyh nsaxs\

Hkktik ds dsaæ dh lÙkk esa vkus vkSj çèkkuea=hujsaæ eksnh ds ç;klksa ls d'ehj esa Hkh ns'k fojksèkhHkkoukvksa dks fu;af=r djus esa lQyrk fey jghgSA ysfdu çeq[k foi{kh ny gksus ds ckotwndkaxzsl bl dke esa ljdkj dks lg;ksx djus dsctk, ts,u;w esa ?kfVr 'keZukd ?kVuk dks gok nsjgh gSA çxfr'khyrk ds uke ij okeiaFkh fopkjèkkjkdk jk"Vªfojksèkh ukjksa dks leFkZu fdlh Hkh :i esaLohdkj ugha fd;k tk ldrkA

eSa dkaxzsl vè;{kk Jherh lksfu;k xk¡èkh vkSjmikè;{k jkgqy xk¡èkh ls Åij mYysf[kr lokyksadk 125 djksM+ ns'kokfl;ksa dh vksj ls tokcekaxrk gw¡ vkSj ;g Hkh ekax djrk gw¡ fd jkgqyxk¡èkh vius bl d`R; ds fy, ns'k ls ekaQhekaxsA

vfer 'kkg Hkkjrh; turk ikVhZ dsvfer 'kkg Hkkjrh; turk ikVhZ dsvfer 'kkg Hkkjrh; turk ikVhZ dsvfer 'kkg Hkkjrh; turk ikVhZ dsvfer 'kkg Hkkjrh; turk ikVhZ dsjk"Vªh; vè;{k gSajk"Vªh; vè;{k gSajk"Vªh; vè;{k gSajk"Vªh; vè;{k gSajk"Vªh; vè;{k gSa

lkStU;% vfer 'kkg ds fnukad 15lkStU;% vfer 'kkg ds fnukad 15lkStU;% vfer 'kkg ds fnukad 15lkStU;% vfer 'kkg ds fnukad 15lkStU;% vfer 'kkg ds fnukad 15Qjojh 2016 ds CykWx lQjojh 2016 ds CykWx lQjojh 2016 ds CykWx lQjojh 2016 ds CykWx lQjojh 2016 ds CykWx l s

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I MARXLike Deendayal

Upadhyaya, Karl Marxwas also a great basicthinker. Though like anyother thinker, he alsoborrowed from diversesources. He utilizedfindings of Newton andDarwin for constructinghis cosmology, though herejected the latter’s law ofnatural selection. Besidesthe theories of Plato, he wasinfluenced by the medieval heretics,Niklas Storch, Thomas More,Campanella, Winstanley, Vesras,Fontenelle, Meslier, Morelly, Diderotand Deschamps in his views onmarriage, family, religion and privateproperty. He used Hegelian dialecticsand turned it upside down.Feuerbach’s method of‘transformational criticism’ wasadopted by him for invertingHegelianism. Moreover, the idea ofeconomic interpretation of politics,linkage of the state with class interestsand property system coming “througha long line of heritage from Aristotleto Machiavelli, Locke and JamesMedis” were his arsenals forsubstantiating his verdict against

Marx & Deendayal—the Two Approaches

D.B. Thengdicapitalism. Lassalle’seconomic view of historycame handy for hisscientific formulation,Freud’s concept ofalienation andexistentialism inpsychology for elevatinghis economicdeterminism to the statusof a collective socio-economic problem. Hecollected the facts of

contemporary British economy toattack both the ‘Laissez Faire’ systemand the tenets of Adam Smith’s TheWealth of Nations’.

However, he was not a blindborrower. Marx’s genius transformedideas. Nothing on which he workedwas left in its original form. Thougheconomics, sociology, political theory,history and philosophy are all used inhis sweeping analysis, he synthesizedall these disciplines into his own basicthought-structure. Englishutilitarianism, French socialistthought and the beginning of Germanradicalism were suitably incorporatedinto his basic framework. All up-to-date knowledge was pressed intoservice of a single cause.

To be fair, one should not identify

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Marx with his more fanatic followerswho carved a religion out of histhought-system. They have gone sofar as to assert that real science mustflow from, and further substantiatethe Marxian dialecticism. They aremaking a ridiculous attempt toprove that all scientists areunconscious adherents of dialecticalmaterialism.

According to orthodox Marxists,Faraday’s discovery ofelectromagnetic induction, vonMayer’s discovery of the law of theconservation of energy, Einstein’sformulation of the theory of relativity,or the construction of quantummechanics as a physical theory, couldnot have been possible had Marx notformulated his theory of dialecticism.These fanatics trace the source of thetheory of relativity and quantumtheory to ‘Das Capital’.

But generally, the westernscientists either ignore Marxism orpositively reject DialecticalMaterialism as the philosophy ofmodern science; some of them evenactually oppose dialecticalmaterialism which has not yet led toany major scientific discovery. Suchassertions are certainly not in keepingwith the scientific way of Mar’sthinking. What we are concerned withis original Marxian thinking and notits interpretation as presented by hisdogmatic followers.

Nevertheless, any thinker can basehis thought-system only on the

contemporary level of humanknowledge. But the frontiers of humanknowledge are ever-expanding.Consequently, an absolute truth oftoday becomes a relative truth oftomorrow. For example, conclusionsdrawn on the basis of the nineteenthcentury science are bound to appearoutmoded in the light of the twentiethcentury science.II DEENDAYAL

Long back Arnold Toynbee hadobserved: “On the surface, thoseHindus who have adopted one, tothem, extremely alien WesternCulture on the planes of technologyand science, language and literatureadministration and law, appear tohave been more successful than theRussians in harmonizing with theirnative ways of life a Western way thatis intrinsically more alien to themthan it is to the Russians. Yet thetension in Hindu souls must beextreme, and sooner or later it mustfind some means of dischargingitself.”

“Whatever may be the relief thatHindu souls are going to find forthemselves eventually, it seems clearthat, for them, there can be no relieffrom the impact of our Westerncivilization by opening themselves tothe influence of Communism; forCommunism—a Western heresyadopted by an ex-orthodox ChristianRussia—is just as much part andparcel of the Graeco-Judiac heritageas the Western way of life is, and the

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whole of this cultural tradition is aliento the Hindu spirit.

It must, however, be noted thatDeendayal ji was well conversantwith all the thought-currents of theWest.

Apart from Marxism, (anddifferent versions of revisionists—from Edward Berstein to Tito) he wasvery well acquainted with the director indirect social experiments ofRobert Owen, Fourier and Cabet;theories of Saint Simon: socialistmilitancy of Gracchus Babeuf;agrarian socialism of O’ Connor;proletarian socialism of O’ Brien,‘minority conscience’ theory ofBlauqui; evolutionary socialism ofLouis Blanc: the ‘self-help’ doctrine ofSchulze- Delitzsch; and ‘truesocialism’ of the German trio, BrunoBauer, Moses Hess, and Karl Grun. Hehad also studied Lassalle, Sismondi,Lamennais and Proudhon. He hadcritically analysed all the pre and post-Marxian European thought-systemsranging from capitalism to anarchismand including all the varieties of‘Socialism’

Deendayal ji had an additionaladvantage of being closely acquaintedwith different streams of traditionalIndian thought. He had fully graspedthe implications of the term ‘Dharma’which is the characteristic gift ofHindu seers to humanity. The claim ofShri Dange and Shri Bani Deshpandethat most of the basic tenets of

Marxism were anticipated byVedanta may be controversial; butthere can be no difference of opinionabout the fact that Marxian thought-system would have been considerablyaltered had Marx been conversantwith the Hindu view of life anduniverse.

Realisation of unity in the midst ofdiversity, on the rock-like basis ofAdvaita Darshana; understanding ofcomplementarity between thematerial and the nonmaterial;comprehension of truth along the lineof ‘Syad-Vada,’ the art of dealing withimmediate human problems in thelight of the eternal universal laws;these, among other things, are some ofthe contributions of Hinduism whichcould have added valuabledimensions to Marxian thought andprobably altered it beyondrecognition. Both these thinkers werehumanists of the first order, thoughtheir humanism assumed apparentlydifferent forms on account ofdifferences in their mentalbackgrounds, sources of inspirationand contemporary world situations.(To be continued)

(This paper is being reproduced fromjournal of Deendayal Research Institute,Manthan, Vol.3, No.4 March 1981. Theauthor was a veteran thinker and aleading social-philosopher, who largelyshaped the Swadeshi narrative in postindependent India)

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The visit ofP r e s i d e n tF r a n c o i s

Hollande of France inIndia between January 24and 26 was a visit with adifference. Let me explain!

In December 2010,when President NicolasSarkozy came to India;after the ritual signaturesof agreements at Hyderabad House,while travelling in the bus taking usback to the press room, a presscounsellor to the President was grilledby the French journalists, they wanted‘figures’. The official took his pen andstarted adding ‘figures’ andtriumphantly announced ’17 billionEuros’.

The bulk of the then total wasrelated to the ‘Jaitapur deal’ for 2 EPRnuclear plants from Areva of France.More than 5 years later, manyprojects, including the EPRs have notyet manifested (though the JointStatement during this present visitmentions the possibility for 6 nuclearplants in Jaitapur).

The moral of the story is that thereis often a gap between ‘signedagreements’ and the reality of a fewyears later. The reason is often thatthere is lack of political will (it can beon both sides) to make the projectsfructify.

Modi, India and France Claude Arpi

What has made thedifference during thepresent visit is the humanwarmth shown by theIndian Prime Ministertowards his guest, whichis bound to help once thefever of the State visit hasdied down. PrimeMinister Modi is a masterin the field of human

relations.Travelling to Chandigarh to

receive the French President or a 20minute-ride in the Metro to Gurgaonwith Hollande and his colleagues (toinaugurate the new building of theSolar Alliance) are seeminglyinnocuous details, but they make adifference; for the French, they makethe visit remembered as ‘special’.

Moreover, the success was not justdue to the long list of MoU andAgreements exchanged after theIndia-France Business Summit inChandigarh on January 24 (mainly onsustainable urban development and‘smart cities’), or even because of aMoU to purchase of 36 Rafale Aircraftsfrom Dassault Aviation or a Letter ofIntent with the CNES (NationalCentre for Space Studies) to jointlyparticiple to ISRO’s next MarsMission, signed the next day atHyderabad House.

The visit will be remembered

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because Prime Minister Modi wentout of his way to make PresidentHollande’s visit different: NarendraModi not only used his personal charmas he received Hollande inChandigarh, but he also invited Frenchtroops, belonging to the 35 InfantryRegiment (RI) to participate in theRepublic Day Parade. It was the firsttime since Independence that foreigntroops walked down Rajpath to IndiaGate.

It was highly symbolic and showed

the interest the Prime Minister has forFrance. And the 35 RI, who hadrecently participated in the Shakti-2016 joint-exercises with the 2Garhwal Rifles of the Indian Army inBikaner, is not an ordinary regiment.Presently associated with the 7Armoured Brigade, it is one of theoldest French regiments, created in1604. During its long history, theregiment was renamed several times,i.e. Anjou (in 1671) and Aquitaine (in1753); later it participated inNapoleon’s campaigns and earnedlaurels for its heroic actions during

the battle of Wagram in 1809 and theRussian campaign in 1812.

The regiment carries four citationson to its flag earned during WWI:Alsace-The Ourcq in 1914,Champagne in 1915, Verdun in 1916and Reims in 1918. More recently, the35 RI was engaged in externaloperations in places like Afghanistan,Lebanon, Ivory Coast, Kosovo, Chador Centre African Republic; the 35 RIhas also been extensively used forinternal security ops in France. It is notonly the best French infantry regiment,but also the best equipped unit withthe latest gadgetry in its armouredvehicles.

Its 1195 members are known as ‘lesgaillards’, which could be translatedas ‘the tough guys’ (though femalejawans also serve in the 35 RI).

The way this small contingent of 76soldiers were cheered by the Indiancrowds on Rajpath on the RepublicDay, was telling.Chandigarh and the Smart Cities

The hors-d’oeuvre (‘appetizer’) inthe French President’s visit was histrip to Chandigarh, one of townshipsselected by the Indian Government tobe a ‘smart city’. Contrary to otherIndian cities, Chandigarh was born‘smart’. In the Indian public’s mind,the Punjab’s capital remainssynonymous with Le Corbusier, theFranco-Swiss architect who had thevision of a city with a difference.

In 1952, in a communication toPlanning Commission, the IndianPrime Minister announced that the

What has made the differenceduring the present visit is thehuman warmth shown by theIndian Prime Minister towardshis guest, which is bound to helponce the fever of the State visithas died down. Prime MinisterModi is a master in the field ofhuman relations.

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Punjab Government had engaged LeCorbusier, as their senior adviser. Itwas the beginning of a long, thoughat times difficult odyssey.

The French architect, as well as theIndian Government, soon learnt thatsmartness does not come in one dayand without intense labour pains.Today, India would like to makeChandigarh ‘smart’ according to thelatest modern norms. Paris has alreadyinformed Delhi of its willingness toparticipate in the ‘smartisation’ ofthree cities: Puducherry, Nagpur andChandigarh. France is ready to offer aline of credit of 2 billion Euros throughits Agence française deDéveloppement (French DevelopmentAgency) and to bring in Frenchcreativity and expertise. The visit toChandigarh confirms that France willbe by India’s side.Fighting Terrorism together

Another important issue discussedduring the visit was terrorism. As theFrench government was recoveringfrom the November 13 horrific attackand paying tribute to severaljournalists killed in the Charlie Hebdoattack, the symbol of the French‘Liberté’ of expression, attackers fromthe other side of the Indian border,stepped into the Pathankot airbaseand created havoc for nearly 3 days.

A Joint Statement on Counter-Terrorism after the meet atHyderabad House noted: “PrimeMinister Narendra Modi andPresident Francois Hollande stronglycondemned the heinous terrorist

attacks that have struck many partsof the world recently and expressedtheir shared anguish and outrage atthe loss of innocent lives in Paris,Bamako, Beirut, Tunis, SanBernardino, N’Djamena and the LakeChad Basin Region, Kabul, Gurdaspur,Istanbul, Pathankot, Jalalabad,Jakarta, Ouagadougou and

Charsadda.”Both leaders affirmedthat such terror attacks were an attackon the whole of humanity andfoundational human values.

But more importantly, for the firsttime, Pakistan was expressly andstrongly named: “Stressing thatterrorism cannot be justified underany circumstance, both leaders askedfor decisive actions to be taken againstLashkar e tayyiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen,Haqqani Network and other terrorist

Another important issuediscussed during the visit wasterrorism. As the Frenchgovernment was recoveringfrom the November 13 horrificattack and paying tribute toseveral journalists killed in theCharlie Hebdo attack, thesymbol of the French ‘Liberté’of expression, attackers fromthe other side of the Indianborder, stepped into thePathankot airbase and createdhavoc for nearly 3 days.

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groups such as Al Qaeda.”The Statement reiterated a call for

Pakistan to bring to justice theperpetrators of the recent events aswell those of the November 2008terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Thisstatement was not appreciated inIslamabad, but it should become thebasis to take the 1998 StrategicPartnership with France to a muchhigher level.The Defence Collaboration

And as on any good cake, thereshould be a cherry on the top, in a fewweeks, the Rafale deal will become thecherry. It is true that PresidentHollande did not come to India onlyto discuss ‘smart cities’ or the changeof climate with Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, though the ParisConference, for which France workedhard for several months, has been anexample of fruitful collaborationbetween the two countries.

Hollande came to India to take thenext step in the Rafale deal. The lastagreement announced at HyderabadHouse (later listed first by the MEA)was the MoU between India andFrance for the purchase of 36 Rafaleaircrafts; it was signed by Jean-YvesLe Drian, the French Defence Ministerand Manohar Parrikar, his Indiancounterpart.

Does this mark the end of thetortuous process for the mega deal?No.

The sad fact is that the initialRequest for Information 126 MMRCAwas issued in 2001, 15 years ago! It was

only six years later that the Requestfor Proposal was published, as thethen Defence Minister wanted to addnew clauses, such as the Total Life-cycle Costs, in the Indian defenceprocurement policy. This is where the‘complications’ started.

Five years later, in January 2012,Dassault Aviation was selected forsupplying to the IAF after a long fiveyears competitive process with theAmerican F/A-18 and F-16, RussianMiG 35, European Eurofighter andSwedish Saab Gripen in the race.Realizing the difficulty with thetransfer of technology to HAL and toavoid going back to the starting blocks,Prime Minister Modi wisely opted for36 ‘off-the-shelf’ planes.

One important factor is that Francehas always been India’s privilegedpartner in the field of defence.Between 1947 and 1962, France,though not an ally (only a ‘friend’ inGeneral de Gaulle’s words) supplieda large quantity of crucial armamentto India. Although the purchase of 150Mirages 2000 was announced inDecember 1981 (in order to counter theAmerican F 16 ordered by Pakistan),the first agreement was for 40 planesonly. On April 17, 1982, according toLe Monde, a preferential credit rate of9,25 % was offered to India. Since Indianeeded the fighter aircraft quickly, thefirst part of an initial batch of 26single-seaters and 4 two-seaters wasshipped in 1985.

Ultimately by 1986, India hadpurchased 51 Mirages and in March

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1998 an agreement was reachedbetween HAL and Dassault Aviationauthorizing HAL to offer over-haulingfacilities for the Mirages.

The tragedy has been that India lost15 years in reaching a decision tofinally buy planes ‘off-the-shelf’, but

with the cost escalation involved.After the joint statement on

January 25, commentators were quickto point that the process had not cometo a conclusion. Prime Minister Modiand President Hollande did not signthe final contract which shouldinclude not only the price of theplanes, the cost of their maintenance,the required armament, the trainingof pilots and mechanics, etc. All thisstill needs to be finalized.

Will it go the way the 2010 EPRframework agreement between Arevaand NTPC went, or will the promises

be kept this time? Though there is stilla gap between the price offered byDassault and what India is ready topay, both sides seem determined tofinalize the project as soon as possible.From the Indian side, the IAFimmediately needs these 2 squadrons(while praying for a third one!)

There is a fact to remember, asFrançois Hollande told PTI as he wasleaving for India: “The Rafale is amajor project for India and France. Itwill pave the way for anunprecedented industrial andtechnological cooperation, including‘Make in India’, for the next 40 years.”From the French side, Dassault wouldlike to conclude the deal as soon aspossible. The big change is that thistime Modi and Hollande are reallydetermined, and this should help tofinalize the price and other technicaldetails, hopefully it will be done duringthe coming months.

What touched me is the fact thatFrance considers Prime Minister Modias ‘different’ from his predecessors. Asenior French minister privatelyadmitted that Modi was a doer,someone ‘with whom we can talk’ andIndia under his leadership is playingat ‘another level’ on the world scene.

It was visible at the recent DavosForum, the person said. This too makesit a visit with a difference.

(The author is a veteran journalist,Indophile, well-know author and haslived in India for over four decades)

What touched me is the fact thatFrance considers Prime MinisterModi as ‘different’ from hispredecessors. A senior Frenchminister privately admitted thatModi was a doer, someone ‘withwhom we can talk’ and Indiaunder his leadership is playing at‘another level’ on the world scene.

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The Ministry ofDefence (MoD)created a flutter

last month when it madepublic the changes beingmade in the existing capitalprocurement procedure,seen by many as toocomplex to facilitateexpeditious procurement ofequipment, weaponsystems and platformsrequired by the armed forces.

Though the revised procedure forcapital procurement is yet to befinalised in its entirety, the preview ofthe things to come has generally beenreceived well by the Indian industrywhich has for long been striving tocome into its own in the monopsonicdefence market in India, dominated sofar by the foreign vendors and theIndian public sector undertakings.

All capital acquisitions areregulated by the Defence ProcurementProcedure (DPP), first promulgated in2002. This document has been revisedseveral times since then butmisgivings about the efficacy of theprocedure persist, largely on accountof the painfully slow pace at which theprocurement proposals move from thestage of initiation to award of thecontract, many of them falling

Towards a New DefenceProcurement Procedure in 2016

Amit Cowshish

through at theintervening stages.

Stagnation inindigenisation hasexacerbated theproblem. Defenceproduction wasopened to theprivate sector in2001 and thes u c c e s s i v egovernments have

reiterated their commitment toindigenisation but India continues todepend on import, with just about 30to 40 per cent of the requirement beingmet through indigenous sources,mostly the public sector.

These factors have had adebilitating effect on India’s militarycapabilities. From artillery guns tofighter aircraft and from night visioncapabilities to ammunition, theinsidious voids in military capabilitieshave only grown over the years, withgrave implications for the nationalsecurity.

Mindful of the need to adopt amulti-pronged approach to fix anindolent procurement system andinvolve the private sector in defenceproduction, the present governmentset up a committee of experts in May2015 to recommend a policy

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framework for promoting ‘Make inIndia’ in the defence sector andsuggest concomitant amendmentsrequired to be made in the existingprocurement procedure. The report,submitted in July 2015, containsseveral recommendations rangingfrom the mundane to theextraordinary.

It has, for example, recommendedthat the term ‘Indian vendor’ beclearly defined, attributes of theexisting procurement categories bespelt out, minor deviations from thequalitative requirements specified inthe Request for Proposal (RFP) bepermitted, retraction of the RFPs insingle-vendor cases be resorted to onlyas an exception, and improvements bemade in the model contractdocument. These, and many othersimilar mundane recommendations,are clearly intended to remove theprocedural glitches that tend to derailprocurement proposals.

At the other end of the spectrum,there are extraordinaryrecommendations, such as setting upof a defence procurement executive,supported by specialist wings andpersonnel, but working outside thestaff-oriented environment of thegovernment of India. The committeehas also recommended an innovativefunding mechanism to channelize theforeign direct investment comingthrough the offsets.

But, arguably, the most significantof all the extraordinaryrecommendations is the one aboutforging strategic partnership with the

private industry to ‘supportsustainability and incrementalimprovements in the capability ofplatforms through technologyinsertions over their lifetime’. Afollow-up committee set up by MoDto recommend the bases for selectionof these partners could also seems tohave submitted its report.

Between these two ends of thespectrum, the committee has madeseveral pragmatic recommendationsconcerning taxation, incentives to theprivate industry, policy on agents indefence and blacklisting of firms,export facilitation, and single-window clearance, to mention a few.These recommendations need to beaccorded priority as they have adirect bearing on ease of doingbusiness.

The idea is not to list out all therecommendations but to point outthat the decisions taken by MoD lastmonth touch only the tip of theiceberg, as it were. There is muchmore to come but, given the natureof some of the recommendations, itwould be unrealistic to expect all thechanges, recommended by thecommittee and acceptable to thegovernment, being effectedimmediately as some of them willrequire inter-ministerialconsultation, while some otherswould require MoD to work out thedetails.

Be that as it may, one thing is quiteclear: the decisions taken so farindicate MoD’s willingness to gobeyond the recommendations of the

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experts’ committee. For example, thecommittee has not recommended anychange in the basic architecture of theprocurement procedure which ispredicated on categorization ofpurchases into five categories – Buy(Indian), Buy and Make (Indian),Make, Buy and Make and Buy (Global)– and a procurement process thatcomprises ten stages from formulationof the Services QualitativeRequirements (SQRs) to the award ofcontract.

However, MoD has gone aheadand approved introduction of a newcategory – Buy (Indian Designed,Developed and Manufactured), or Buy(IDDM). Under this category, theIndian designed equipment will beacceptable to the MoD with just 40 percent indigenous content.Undoubtedly, this category isintended to incentivise the Indiancompanies for designing the defenceequipment but, considering thatunder the existing Buy (Indian)category the equipment to be offeredby the vendors has to have only 30 percent indigenous content,categorization of proposals as Buy(Indian) or Buy (IDDM) may presentsome difficulty. Hopefully, the fineprint of the new DPP will make theposition clear.

Apart from introduction of thisnew category, MoD has also decidedto make the following changes:(a) Essential parameters will be

divided into two categories.Contracts will be signed based oncategory ‘A’ of the essential

parameters. Vendors can thenwork on category ‘B’ of theessential parameters, involvingchanges to the existing productspecifications, on receipt of theassured orders.

(b) Vendors meeting the enhancedperformance parametersspecified in the Request forProposal (RFP) will be givenadditional weightage whileevaluating the cost of theirproduct.

(c) Offset obligations will beapplicable only in those caseswhere the acquisition costexceeds INR 2,000 crore. Thethreshold for technicaloversight is also being increasedfrom INR 300 crore to INR 2,000crore.

(d) Private industry will be involvedas production agency andtechnology transfer partner.

(e) RFPs will not be retracted as amatter of course if only a singlevendor is left in the fray at thestage of submission of bids orafter the technical/staffevaluation.

(f) ‘Make’ procedure will have threesub-categories. For Make Ig o v e r n m e n t - f u n d e ddevelopmental projects, the costof development of the prototypeswill be increased from theexisting 80 per cent to 90 per centand the remaining 10 per centwill also be reimbursed if the RFPis not issued within 24 months of

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the successful development of theprototype. There will be aprovision for mobilizationadvance of 20 per cent.

(g) The development cost of Make IIcategory projects, which areinitially self-funded by theindustry, will also be reimbursedin full if the RFP is not issuedwithin two years of successfuldevelopment of the prototype.

(h) Make III projects, where theestimated cost of development isless than INR 3 crore, will besimilar to Make II projects butthese will be reserved for theMicro, Small, MediumEnterprises (MSMEs).

These decisions may not amount todoing away with any of the ten stagesthat constitute the procurement cyclebut they should go a long way in easingthe rigours of doing business with theMoD. This is extremely importantfrom the point of view of improvingthe eco-system which is a sine qua nonfor galvanizing the private industryand making it a partner in thegovernment’s quest for making Indiaa manufacturing hub.

Defence manufacturing is one ofthe 25 sectors identified by thegovernment under its Make in Indiainitiative. This sector has a greatpotential, both for the growth of theIndian industry as well as for theforeign companies to do business inIndia, especially as technologypartners. Resurgence of defenceproduction in India would not only

attract foreign investment and spawnskill development but also give a fillipto technological innovation.

The ministry has taken some verydecisive steps in that direction butmajor challenges lie ahead. To startwith the MoD must carefully selectthe recommendations which can beimplemented immediately and makesure that the decisions it takes on thoserecommendations are incorporated inthe DPP in unambiguous terms that donot lend themselves to varyinginterpretations.

The temptation to address largerpolicy issues, such as creation of aprocurement executive, may perhapsbe avoided at this stage. These issuescannot be resolved immediately andfurther delay in promulgation of thenew DPP will rob the government ofthe opportunity to claim the credit forbringing about a paradigm shift in thearea of defence production andprocurement as it is bound to taketwo to three years for the newprovisions to start showing sometangible results.

(The author is a former FinancialAdvisor (Acquisition), Ministry of

Defence and retired from the IndianDefence Accounts Service in 2012 and

is presently associated with theInstitute for Defence Studies and

Analyses as a Distinguished Fellow. Hewrites regularly on matters concerning

financial management in defence,procurement policy and procedures,defence budget, planning and other

related issues.)

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There is clearly oneissue that bringsIndia and Japan

together, and that is theconcern both have about anoverbearing, militarilyambitious and imperialisticChina that views itself asAsia’s hegemon. As thethree biggest economic andmilitary powers in Asia, thethree will increasinglyengage in a dance ofcollaboration and confrontation asthey jockey for position. And it isusually not a bad idea for the #2 and#3 powers to gang up against #1. Thatmuch is obvious.

But there is much more to an Indo-Japanese waltz. For, there are culturaland civilizational links that go back amillennium or two. Most apparently,India is the Holy Land for piousBuddhist Japanese, and many of themdo come to India on pilgrimage. TheIndian monk, Bodhidharma, known asDaruma, created the Zen school ofBuddhism, circa 450 CE, and he is stillrevered as the preceptor. In addition,there are many Hindu deities in theBuddhist canon with Japanizednames, for instance Sarasvati asBenzaiten.

The two nations are both old, living

Japan rising: Civilizational ally thatshould be the most enduring

partnership in Asia Rajeev Srinivasan

civilizations thathave resisted beingerased by the west.Over the centuries,from the time of theYokugawa shogunIeyasu, Japanattempted to keepforeign influences atbay. They succeededin keeping outmissionaries andtraders from the

west until American CommodorePerry and his ‘black ships’ forced opentheir markets in the 19th century. Thewestern intrusion had a profoundinfluence on Japan, which, under theMeiji Restoration, resolved to makeitself a major power, and proceeded todo so.

Nevertheless, beneath a thinsurface veneer of westernization –despite the ubiquitous navy blue suitsand the kimono now being trotted outonly on ceremonial occasions –traditional Japan lives on. Putting theneeds of society above individualneeds (in stark contrast with the west),they demonstrated remarkablefortitude in the aftermath ofFukushima: nobody rioted or looted. Iam reminded of the powerful film TheBallad of Narayama where the

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individual is sacrificed (literally) forthe good of the community.

India, despite its demonstrablyolder civilization, has been less able tofend off pernicious western influences,partly because of the baleful influenceof – who else – Nehru, whose idea ofmodernity was the demolition ofeverything traditional in India, andthe aping of anything from abroad,especially ruinous and whollyinappropriate fads like socialism.Reading the astonishingly prescientinsights of Japanese scholars, it is clearthey decided to only absorb the goodaspects of the west and reject the rest.India should study them and followsuit.

We need to engage each othermore. On my travels, I often cameacross surprising little culturalartifacts that showed a certain affinitywith India. Individually they may notmean much, but collectively theyshow parallels and maybe even directborrowing of ideas. For instance, theclassical dance-drama forms ofKathakali and Kabuki. The torii thatare torana; Samurai and the chaverwarriors of Malabar. The water-trough outside a Shinto temple withits wooden ladle to wash your feet. Thelegend that it’s a fox’s wedding whenthere is simultaneous sunshine andrain is common in Japan and in India.

I happened to read a great deal ofJapanese literature (which endearedme to Japanese acquaintances!) whenI was a child, translated intoMalayalam: the classic Tale of Genji,Kawabata, Tanizaki, et al. And later I

read many modern writers in Englishtranslation: Mishima, Murakami, et al.While Japanese literature – and byextension its culture – is unique, I stillsee an underlying thread of empathythat we need to enhance.

Most of all, there is no record ofanimosity and conflict between thetwo. Partly because of distance, therehave been no direct relations betweenthe two civilizations. There is ahistorical bond between the twocountries from the time of theIndependence movement and theIndian National Army (INA). Besides,there is the memory of Justice RadhaBinod Pal, the lone Asian member ofthe War Crimes Tribunal after theJapanese surrender in 1945. Hisdissenting opinion that the trial wasflawed and that it was in essencevictors’ revenge endeared him to theJapanese: there is an honoured statueof his at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.

India, as a rising power aspiring tobe the third pole in a global G3, needsallies. In Asia, there is none betterthan Japan,though others such asVietnam and Indonesia should also betargeted and cultivated. Some others,such as Malaysia, Cambodia, andThailand, are perhaps not quite asliable to align with India as their tiesto other powers are too great. ButJapan is the prize.PM Abe and PM Modi share warmrelations

The recent visit by Japanese PrimeMinister Shinzo Abe to India wasperhaps the most upbeat news in awhile. There have been no major

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issues between the two nations inhundreds of years, and there iscomplementarity between theireconomies: one rich but slowing, theother poor but accelerating.

But there has been a history ofbenign neglect between the twonations since the end of the SecondWorld War. This was mostly due to theAmericanization of Japan on the onehand, and India’s obsession with theUK and Fabian socialism on the other.But the time has come for both toabandon these alien influences.

Japan set out to be even moreAmerican than America itself.Conversely, India did not “Look East”until recently, because Nehruvianswere fascinated with the UK; andparadoxically repelled by capitalism.Thus Japan’s rise to global economicpower was ignored by India, whichwas busy pontificating as thechampion of the ill-conceived Non-Aligned Movement.

But those days are behind us, andthe aggressive rise of China hasconcentrated minds wonderfully. Thefear of China has at last drawn Japanand India together. Theannouncement that Japan wouldhenceforth be a permanent member ofthe annual Malabar naval exercisesbetween the US and India had theChinese huffing and puffing, but it isonly the latest example of a possibleAsian alliance to contain therampaging dragon. Australia andVietnam are other possible partners.

Thus, the agreements signed onnuclear cooperation, the possible sale

and manufacture of Shinmaywa US-2 amphibious aircraft, and the bullettrain are all solid indicators of apossible convergence of interests. Theoptics of the meeting was highlyatmospheric: the Ganga arati beingheld in Varanasi with deep culturalsignificance for India, as much assister city Kyoto holds for Japan.

The deal on nuclear cooperation isparticularly interesting, because Japanhas a moral sense of itself as the onlyvictim ever of a nuclear attack, andthus feels especially concerned aboutnuclear proliferation. Despite all ofIndia’s protestations that it has beena responsible nuclear power, Japan hasinsisted for years that India must signthe unfair Nuclear Non-ProliferationTreaty (NPT) before it would workwith India. That insistence has nowbeen dropped quietly, as interestsoverrule moralization.

The sale of the amphibious planealso breaks new ground. Japan’smilitary has been constrained by lawto a very low profile confined to self-defense under a presumed Americannuclear and defense umbrella. For thevery first time since World War II,Japan is now actively selling itsmilitary technology; that India is thepartner seems highly symbolic.Incidentally Japanese aeronautics inWWII was highly advanced: theirMitsubishi Zero fighter plane wasconsidered one of the best in theconflict.

The bullet train collaboration is abig relief for Japan. After pioneeringthe shinkansen that criss-cross the

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Japanese countryside at breathtakingspeeds, they attempted to sell thetechnology abroad. They ran into ahuge roadblock over the past few yearsbecause the Chinese appear to havecovertly expropriated the technologythat Mitsubishi Heavy Industries usedin early bullet train contracts in China.Now they’re competing, and defeatedthe Japanese in a hotly-contestedtender in Indonesia.

Thus, Abe’s recent visit to Indiawas a major step forward in whatshould be one of Asia’s enduringalliances. Despite the dictum thatthere are no permanent interests, thetwo nations have so many intereststhat converge at the moment that thiscould well be, in Abe’s own words,“the most important alliance” forboth countries, especially as Japanpivots and remakes itself for the 21st

century.But India needs to change, too. For

one thing, the fastidious Japanese, whoalso like to eat their unique cuisine,find India challenging. Theomnipresent dirt and dust make themuncomfortable, and so does the lack ofJapanese restaurants and their cuisine.A few have sprung up in Bangalore,thanks to Toyota’s joint venture, butIndia would be wise to invest in more,and in teaching the language – whichis, at least to my ears, euphonious. Thesimple katakana script is not all thatdifficult either, although the kanjiChinese-derived characters are.

There is also a culture clashsituation in terms of business ethics.After dealing with many cultures in

the US, Europe, and Asia, I find theJapanese to be unique in their businessdealings. Since they work byconsensus, it takes a long time foreveryone to come to an agreement. Butthen, they intend to deliver to theletter whatever they say in thecontract, and they absolutely will,without fail. There is the apocryphalstory of a Japanese supplier whosecontract specified no more than 3defective parts per million. Theydelivered a million perfect parts, andthen, separately, 3 parts they hadspecially manufactured to bedefective!

This is likely to utterly shockIndian interlocutors, for whom acontract is merely a promise to put‘best effort’ towards achieving theagreed-upon outcome, and not acommitment to deliver. Thisasymmetry will lead to much heart-burn unless a workable via media canbe arrived at by people from both sides:a little more integrity from the Indianside, a little more flexibility from theJapanese side. The fact that Japanesehave already invested heavily in theDelhi-Mumbai and other industrialcorridors is an indication that thisobstacle can be overcome.A changing Japan is more assertiveabout its own interests

Most of the commentary aboutJapan these days concentrates on itseconomic malaise after a real estatebubble burst almost twenty years ago;with the demographic time-bomb (itis the most rapidly aging nation in theworld), this seems to consign Japan to

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the also-rans. However, a quietpolitical revolution has been takingplace there as well.

In the recent past, Japan has takena few steps to becoming a more‘normal’ country, rather than one thathad to continue to self-abase inatonement for its war crimes (both realand imagined) in WWII. There is adeep sense of shame in Japaneseculture – and this used to mean suicideby seppuku, ritual disemboweling, forthose who brought shame uponthemselves.

The American-imposedConstitution, a vestige of theiroccupation of Japan, was intended todrill into the people a deep pacifism;in effect, breaking their spirit. Butthere also remains a pacifist streak inJapan, which objects to any assertionof national will.

But now, the offending Article 9 isunder fire. It says that “land, sea andair forces, as well as other potential,will never be maintained”, asgeostrategist Brahma Chellaneypointed out (“Loosening Japan’spacifist bonds, The Washington Times,Jan 3, 2016). And exports of militaryequipment are prohibited. Japan doesnot even have the right to defend itself.The fact of China’s saber rattling in theSouth China Sea (through which mostof Japan’s energy imports flow), andof their increasingly shrill claims toJapan’s Senkaku islands (the Chineseeven invented a new name for it,Diaoyu) shows that this diffidence ismisplaced in today’s world.

Even though there is a significant

pacifist sentiment in Japan, especiallyfrom a Buddhist party allied with theruling Liberal Democratic Party, it islikely that there will be an overturningof Article 9 (as PM Abe has suggested)or a broader re-interpretation that canmake Japan at the very least capableof defending itself, and working withallies, such as India.

The other surprise was theirDecember 28thagreement with SouthKorea over ‘comfort women.’ This issuehas been an irritant in relations betweenthe two countries, which are otherwisesimilar, high-achieving democracies.PM Abe issued a formal apology and afund of $8.3 million for the remaining46 comfort women still alive. If this canresolve the issue, Japan will have foundan ally which shares its concerns aboutNorth Korea and China.

A more assertive Japan that livesup to its economic might as the thirdlargest economy in the world, and onethat is more worried about its owninterests than about what theAmericans think, is a welcomedevelopment for India. An alliance oflike-minded nations in Asia is a pre-requisite for containing a rampagingChina and for India’s own ‘PeacefulRise’ as a global super-power. Aneconomic, cultural, and militarypartnership with a benign Japan isperhaps, without hyperbole, India’smost important diplomatic goal.

(The author is a well-knowncolumnist focusing on foreign affairs;he has taught at several IIMs and isMember of India’s national panel on

intellectual property rights)

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The Ujjwal DISCOM AssuranceYojna (UDAY), launched byModi Government, will not

only improve the capability of distributioncompanies but it will also account tocapital savings around Rs.12,000 Crorefor Public Sector Banks (PSBs) asestimated by the Credit Rating InformationServices of India Limited(CRISIL). TheOverall losses of the power distributioncompanies were estimated to be aroundRs.62,000 Crore as of March2015(estimated by CRISIL). This ismainly due to operational inefficiencies,discounted tariffs and subsidies, powerthefts and leftover interest rates on the past

Revolutionizing the Power Sectorthrough a Comprehensive UDAY

Scheme Siddharth Singh

debts. The companies were facing a totaldebt of about Rs.4.3 Lakh Crore and mostof them were on the verge of bankruptcy.So in this backdrop, this scheme has beenlaunched by Modi Government forfinancial restructuring for thesecompanies.How UDAY scheme is implemented:

According to this scheme the Uniongovernment allowed state governments totake 75% of the debt of the distributioncompanies owned by them and pay backthe lenders by selling government bondsand for the remaining 25% the concernedcompanies will be issuing the bonds. The

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State governments will be providedincentives which will allow them toborrow more from the Bond Market. Thebonds issued by the state government areoffered at a coupon of 8-9% and the restwill be reprised at the minimum lendingrate of banks plus 0.1 percent.Positive Outcomes of UDAY scheme forpower DISCOMS

1. It helps to reduce the financialpressure of the power distributioncompanies and reduction in cost ofpower.

2. It helps in improving theoperational efficiencies and toprovide clean and 24×7 powersupply across the nation.

3. It enforces financial discipline inthe companies.

4. This prevents the standing loansfrom converting to Non-Performing Assets.

5. It improves liquidity in thefinancial market.

6. This Scheme has the potential towipe out losses of DISCOMS inAndhra Pradesh, Telegana andHaryana by 2018. For the states ofTamil Nadu, Rajasthan, UttarPradesh Jharkhand and Bihar, loseswill reduce. But the totalelimination will only happen by theimproved performance of thecompanies.

How will UDAY improve the situation?UDAY scheme attempts to buffer the

finances of the distribution companies, ordiscoms, from the subsidies that stategovernments may want to provide for

power. This is done by asking states toissue bonds to banks as repayment fordiscom dues. The states will now have todirectly bear on their budgets the entirecost of the subsidies. It attempts toenforce discipline on States as it requiresthem to absorb a part of future losses ofthe discoms.How is UDAY scheme different?

1. UDAY is about FinancialRestructuring and Not a Bailout.

2. UDAY is not a simple centralgovernment driven bailoutprogramme which just gives cashto discoms and states withoutaccountability.

3. There’s a specific roadmap for debtrestructuring and there are hardbudget constraints imposed forparticipating in the programme.

4. Once on board, the states will notbe able to back out and the onlyprudent course of action for themwill be to drive operationalefficiencies.

5. The centre is allowing states torelax their Financial Responsibilityand Budget Management (FRBM)Act 2003.

6. Under UDAY, participating stateswill take over their public discom(private discoms are not allowed toparticipate in the programme) debtover two years with the debtbenchmarked to September 2015.In 2015-16, they can take over 50%and in 2016-17 25% of theoutstanding debt on their books.

7. State government BONDS as State

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Development Loans and not asStatutory Liquidity Ratio.

8. Another great point about this planwith respect to the banks is thatthese state government bondscannot be counted against banks’statutory liquidity ratio (SLR)requirements – presumably the RBIwas roped in for this provisionalready. While this will classifythese bonds as state developmentloans (SDLs) available for sale inthe bank books – currentlyoverwhelmed by similar securities– over time, they can create atradable market in these securities.

Value Chain reform in UDAY schemeIndian power sector has a very

complex value chain – which involvesfuel, fuel linkages, power generation,power transmission, power trading andfinancing, distribution, and endconsumption. Different steps in the chainare owned by different parts of the centraland/or state governments. UDAY ensuresthat the discom reforms are not justdistribution centric, but positively impactvarious inputs and outputs to thedistribution function, even those whichare not owned by the centre directly. Thisis a big positive vis-à-vis the past discomreform packages.Reforms related to OperationalEfficiency

UDAY compels the discoms toimprove operational efficiency. Thefinancial restructuring package will bebased on a loss trajectory agreement wherethe discoms will sign up for ensuring theircost of operations reduces and their

revenue from operations is sufficient tocover their cost of supplies. The UDAYpackage will need the states to bring theirAT&C losses to 10% or 15% (customizedfor each state) by 2018-19. This is a hugeask, but if the states achieve this, they willget the additional benefits of betterinfrastructure and technology via thecentrally sponsored schemes. The centralgovernment will be monitoring theprogress on this parameter regularly – aclause built in the UDAY MOU.Towards Cooperative Federalism

UDAY creates enabling provisionsacross the power value chain for statesto choose and do what fits them, with theview of reaching the committedoperational goals. There are incentives atvarious stages of the value chain, and eachstate will find value in choosing differentpaths and different speeds ofimplementation.Conclusion:

UDAY seems to be a well thought-out,scalable, future proof-reform andrestructuring programme for the strugglingpower distribution companies. While thereis nothing certain in a democracy lacedwith electoral populism and constantlyedgy centre-state relations, this plan maywell be the best example of CooperativeFederalism for discom revival. UDAYaddresses a range of issues rather thandoling out cash and hope things willimprove operationally. It is broad-basedand comprehensive, “ready for future” andagreed in principle by the states.

Siddharth Singh is ResearchAssociate with SPMRF

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Cities are the heart of 21stcentury commerce. Theydrive economic growth by

bringing together new ideas,innovative businesses, and theentrepreneurs who shape our globaleconomy. Cities also serve asmagnets for people searching forbetter lives. That is why it isestimated that approximately 300million people will move to India’srapidly expanding cities over the

Modi’s dream of Smart Cities: Ahub of 21st Century Commerce

Siddharth Singh

NATIONAL AGENDA

next 20 years which is roughlyequivalent to the entire populationof the United States. As cities likeDelhi expand, Indian policymakersin NDA Govt came up with theproposal of Smart Cities, an ideawhich was much talked about bynone other than the Prime Ministerhimself in his election campaigns of2014 so as to address the growingneeds of citizens resulting fromurbanisation.

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It is clear that in the time of globaleconomic stagnation, India hasemerged out as a bright spot in theworld economy and India is seizingthe opportunity to attract investmentby deploying smart technologies thatmake its cities more sustainable, whichwill reshape India’s urban landscapeand make the country an attractivelocation for businesses and consumers.As the recent Paris ClimateAgreement demonstrated, a long termtransformation to change the face ofurbanisation in India is underwaythrough building world classinfrastructure in proposed SmartCities.

A smart city’s core infrastructureis information technology, where anetwork of sensors, cameras, wirelessdevices, data centres forms the keyinfrastructure providing essentialservices. Being environmentallyfriendly, smart cities use sustainablematerials for building facilities andreduce energy consumption. Thedevelopment of smart cities will bringwith them innovative solutions likesmart and efficient energy, trafficcontrol and home automation, thelikes of which currently do not existin Indian cities. The government’sdecision to allot Rs 48000 crores for thesmart cities projects will give a muchneeded thrust to the urbandevelopment program of India andwill help will shape the nation’s

growth story and harness fastereconomic development.

The Modi government’s vision ofcreating 100 smart cities will requirean investment of over $150 billionover the next few years with privatesector being a significant contributor.The government has already initiatedtwo programmes with an initialoutlay of $7.513 billion for ‘SmartCities Mission’ and the ‘Atal Missionfor Rejuvenation of UrbanTransformation (AMRUT) for theupgradation of 500 existing cities.

Smart City project, whensynergized with other key programslike Make in India, Skill India andDigital India, will provide a uniqueplatform for Young India to achieverapid, equitable and sustainablegrowth. The move to focus onencouraging innovation in urbandesign through a “City Challenge” isa smart way to begin the Smart CityJourney.

The Government of Indiaannounced the first 20 smart citiesunder ‘Smart Cities Mission’. The listhas been released out of the 98shortlisted cities. These 20 cities willbe receiving finance for their furtherdevelopment into ‘smart cities’ andlater, 40 cities and then 38 cities willbe announced. These cities will bedeveloped to have basic infrastructurethrough assured water and powersupply, sanitation and solid waste

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management, efficient urban mobilityand public transport, IT connectivity,e-governance and citizenparticipation. The shortlisted 20 citiesinclude Bhubaneswar, Pune, Jaipur,Surat, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Jabalpur,Vishakhapatnam, Solapur,Davangere, Indore, Coimbatore,Kakinada, Belgaum, Udaipur,Guwahati, Chennai, Ludhiana Bhopaland New Delhi MunicipalCorporation.

These cities will get a funding fromthe Centre during the currentfinancial year. About Rs 500 crore willbe spent on each city in phases by theCentre, while the remaining amountwill come from the states, urbanbodies and private partners.

Rajasthan was the first state tosubmit Smart City plans last month.The state has proposed totalinvestment of Rs 6,457 crore over thenext five years for developing Ajmer,Jaipur, Kota and Udaipur as SmartCities. The other key states whichhave submitted their Smart Cityplans are West Bengal, Kerala,Punjab, Jharkhand, Karnataka andMaharashtra. While Punjab hassubmitted a Smart City plan forJalandhar, Jharkhand did so forRanchi while Kerala handed in theproposal for Kochi. Bengal hassubmitted plans for New TownKolkata, Bidhannagar and Durgapur.Karnataka submitted Smart City

proposals for Davanagere,Tumakuru, Hubli-Dharwad andShimoga. Union TerritoryPuducherry, meanwhile, submittedits proposal for Oulgaret.Maharashtra has submitted plans for10 cities, including Mumbai, with anestimated cost of Rs 29,647.45 crore.The Mumbai proposal estimate of justRs 1,118 crore is the lowest among allthe 10 cities. The Thane MunicipalCorporation’s proposal with anestimate of Rs 6,630 crore tops the list,followed by Amravati worth Rs 5,305crore and Nagpur - Rs 3,409 crore.The other cities to submit theirestimated proposals include Pune -Rs 2,932 crore, Solapur - Rs 2,921crore, Kalyan-Dombivali - Rs 2,057crore, Nashik - Rs 1,945 crore andNavi Mumbai - Rs 1,734 crore.

There is tremendous potential inIndia to build an effective ecosystemto enable our urban areas to becomesmart by using digital technology. Thisin turn will create employmentopportunities and contribute toeconomic growth through innovation.Our cities are fast becoming thedefining units of human habitation.How smartly we build, manage andoperate our cities will be the singlebiggest determinant of our people’sfuture.

Siddharth Singh is ResearchAssociate with SPMRF

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Today, with the entire world,India is also making variouseffective efforts in the field

of agriculture technology, agriculturetrade and enterprise. In view ofglobalization, the agri-entrepreneurs,scientists and farmers of our country

and various departments of Centraland State government are makingconcerted efforts to move forwardcollaboratively with global fraternity.However, besides formulating a jointstrategy, there is a need fordiscussions, deliberations andcoordination to achieve the targets of

Modi Government’s efforts for SustainableAgriculture Development and Promotion of

Entrepreneurship in Rural areas Siddharth Singh

agriculture development. In past, ourfarmers had accepted the challenge offood production in the country andtheir mindset has been completelychanged after green revolution. Thereis a continuous rise in pressure inagriculture sector due to constraints

like increasing population, climatechange, change in food habits, highinvestment, reducing land holdingsand market sensitiveness. Today,India’s food security has beenstrengthened due to significantsuccess in food production andproductivity increased in milk

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production through White Revolutionand fish production through BlueRevolution.

Agriculture is being developedmore sustainable occupation andprofitable by increasing production,entrepreneurship, cooperativenessand crop innovations. According toNational Sample Survey,approximately 90 percent farmerspossess land holdings less than 2hectare, out of which 42 percentfarmers have taken loans from banksand 26 percent are still dependentupon money lenders. In the presentcontext, due to adverse circumstancessuch as climate change, increasingcost of inputs, lack of remunerativeprices of farm produce, farmers are indistress and rural youths are nottaking interest in farming. In thisregard, Central Government has

introduced new scheme ‘Attractingand Retaining Youth in Agriculture(ARYA)’ so that rural youth may getattracted towards farming to curbrural migration.

Central Government and speciallyit s Agricultural Department is alsocreating extensive awareness amongfarmers about agri-business, profitableproduction systems, new researchprogrammes & schemes and alsotrying hard to link domestic and globallevel markets and other concernedstakeholders. Modi Government, in itstenure of last 20 months, has shownits firm commitment towardsdissemination of agriculturaltechnologies. Large numbers ofextension workers of StateAgriculture and allied departmentsworking at district level are beingtrained through Krishi Vigyan

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Kendras (KVKs) on practical aspectsof improved technologies and aresuccessfully disseminatingtechnologies to the farmers. Inaddition to research, Government hasalso emphasised on technologydevelopment and its overalldissemination at field level. With this,the Country is moving ahead towardsthe significant progress in productionof pulses, fruits, vegetables, milks,fisheries and eggs.

In line with the far reaching andfuturistic guidance of PM Modi forincreasing the income of the farmers,Government has launched variousschemes for agriculture developmentwhich are directly linked to theinterest of farmers. Ambitiousschemes like ‘Pradhan Mantri KrishiSinchayee Yojana’ is beingimplemented to provide irrigation toevery field; ‘Soil Health Card’ toimprove soil fertility, ‘ParamparagatKrishi Vikas Yojana’ for bringing morearea under organic farming; ‘Agri-tech Infrastructure Fund’ and‘National Agriculture Market’ forproviding remunerative prices tofarmers. Keeping in view thecontinuous intensive cultivation ofland, which resulted in reduced soilfertility, the ‘Soil Health CardScheme’ was launched by the PrimeMinister himself. In order to promoteSoil Health Management,Government provides assistance toState Governments for setting up SoilTesting Laboratories, Fertilizer

Testing Laboratories as well asimplementing of organic farmingproject across the country. In comingdays, Soil Health Cards will be madeavailable to 14 crore farmers duringnext three years.

Modi Government has also shownits firm commitment to promoteOrganic Farming which improves soilhealth and leads to better qualitycrops. Paramparagat Krishi VikasYojana, a new scheme to developogranic clusters and make availablechemical free inputs to farmers is beingimplemented. In the next three years,it is proposed to form 10,000 clustercovering 5 lakh acre area.

Government of India is committedto accord high priority to watersecurity. The objective behind PradhanMantri Krish Sinchai Yojna is “HarKhet Ko Paani’. To achieve synergyof resources, collaboration has beenestablished amongst Department ofAgriculture & Farmers Welfare,Ministry of Water Resources andDepartment of Land Resources toimplement Pradhan Mantri KrishSinchai Yojna (PMKSY). Cultivationof pulses under National FoodSecurity Mission has been started inmany states.

The Agricultural Department hasalso taken various step to formulatea scheme for implementation forNational Agriculture Market throughAgri-Tech Infrastructure Fund (AITF)with an allocation of Rs. 200 crore..ATIF is aimed at implementation of an

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appropriate common e- marketplatform to regulate 585 regulatedwholesale markets in the states acrossthe country.

Agriculture marketing sectortoday presents a scenario whereinthe market is fragmented not onlyamongst states but even withinstates into different market areaseach governed by separateMarketing Committee thus entailingrequirement of multiple licences fortrading, levy of market fee andrestrictive marketing practiceswhich hinder both proper marketaccess for farmers and also thedevelopment of requiredinfrastructure for handling theproduce. To overcome impedimentsin marketing of agriculture produce,the Agriculture Ministry hasinitiated National AgricultureMarket scheme.

Modi Government has alsoinitiated “Blue Revolution” to takeforward the fishery sector as it willcontribute to the betterment oflivehood of fishermen, fisher womenand aquaculture fish farmers, besidesproviding high energy proteins fortackling protein malnutrition andcreation of rural employment throughancillary industries like packaging,transportation, ice manufacturing,processing etc.

Agriculture is not only a source oflivelihood but it also leads to job orentrepreneurship development.Today’s farmers cannot be self reliant

only by using old farm techniquesbecause Agricultural inputs are costlyand in order to use new Agriculturetechnologies, there is necessity of moreinvestment. That is why, ModiGovernment has invested in lot ofscheme like Pradhan Mantri KrishiSinchayee Yojana, New CropInsurance Scheme, and in otherprojects related to agriculture. Govt isalso promoting many schemes as wellas it is encouraging farmers to use lowcost based Agriculture technology toget more crop yield and increase theirincome, so that the dreams of Primeminister “ JAI KISAN JAI VIGYAN”can be fulfilled.

Central Government has madeconcerted efforts for overalldevelopment of Agriculture sector.With a view to actualize the welfaresentiment of farmers, the name ofMnistry of Agriculture was changedto “Minstry of Agriculture andFarmers welfare” so that ministryshould work for Agriculturedevelopment as well as farmerswelfare.

All these efforts will succeedonly when, our entrepreneurs alongwith farmers and departments ofagriculture of various statespromise together for sustainableagriculture development andpromotion of entrepreneurship inthe rural areas.

(Siddharth Singh is ResearchAssociate with SPMRF)

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The Trinamool Congressfought the West BengalAssembly elections on the

plank of “poriborton” promising toturn the state’s fortunes around aftera debilitating 34 years of Communistrule. Yet five years down the line,actual “poriborton”, still eludes thestate and its misfortune still continueseven after four decades.

An uninterrupted four decades ofCPIM led Left Front rule followed byfive years of anarchic TrinamoolCongress rule has proved to be acutelydetrimental to the health of the statein its entire dimension. In assessingthe decline of West Bengal, one seeshow both the CPIM and the TrinamoolCongress governments have failed thepeople of the state, denigrating theiraspirations and reversing thefundamental promises on which theyhad come to power. The confines of asingle report or narrative can nevercapture or recount in its entirety, themagnitude of West Bengal’s problemsand challenges but at least it needsreiteration especially at a time whenthe aspiration for change or at least thehope for initiating a new process ofchange has again picked up. Theassembly elections of 2016 will

The Decline of West Bengal Dr. Anirban Ganguly

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essentially be fought on the argumentthat West Bengal has not yet achievedthe “poriborton” that she waspromised nearly four decades ago.Each phase of poriborton has in factled her down the spiral to the nadir ofstagnation, non-performance,insecurity and instability.

Perhaps one of the greatestpolitical tragedies of post-independent India has been the fate ofBengal. At the forefront of industrialgrowth and development once, thestate began falling back and losingmomentum soon after the CPIM ledLeft Front government took over. Thelast great stalwart of the state was Dr.B.C.Roy who displayed a vision for thestate’s progress and had worked toimplement it in right earnest. Dr.Syama Prasad Mookerjee was theother stalwart because of whom WestBengal existed and was secured. Dr.B.C.Roy is of course forgotten, since heleft behind no dynasty or financiallegacy that could be exploited to createa political empire or narrative. TheCongress, post 1977 rapidlydegenerated into a scattered group inthe state with most of its senior leadersworking to protect and perpetuateLeft rule in return for support in Delhi

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and a few parliamentary berths. In its long tenure in power the Left

Front government not only worked tode-industrialise the state butdeveloped the impression that thestate itself was anti-progress, anti-development, anti-industry and anti-growth. The ruin and run of capitalover the decades, the decay ofeducational institutions and theinability to inspire confidence inindustry and attract prospects ofgrowth and of jobs, encouragement tomilitant trade unionism, interferencein educational institutions andhanding them over to partyapparatchiks, ruined an entiregeneration of youth who either left thestate or stagnated and turned cynicaldue to lack of opportunities andavenues. A well entrenched and well-oiled network and nexus ensured thatonly a handful of conglomerates andparty faithful benefitted, using thesystem and state’s resource topromote the party’s and their owninterests.

For years, communist stalwartssuch as comrade Jyoti Basu andSomnath Chatterjee (laterdisgracefully expelled from the CPIMafter having served the partyfaithfully for decades) as Chairman ofthe West Bengal IndustrialDevelopment Corporation (WBDIC)would ritualistically visit foreign

countries ostensibly to seek investmentfor the state but eventually attractingvery little that could turn the fate ofthe state. Over the years such visitscame to be seen as state sponsoredjunkets and little else. As the flight ofcapital from the state continued theLeft Front government kept denyingthat there was anythingfundamentally wrong in the state ofWest Bengal.

On the education front, the CPIMgovernment packed institutions ofhigher education such as colleges andstate universities with mediocre partyapparatchiks whose notions ofacademic performance and excellencestarted and ended with how well onecould implement the party diktat andserve the local committee and statecommittee bosses. Then CPIMsecretary, the late Anil Biswas, hadparticularly mastered the technique ofcontrolling educational institutions inthe state and of turning them intofronts and bastions of CPIM’sactivism. The state run schools werealso packed with teachers whose mainduty was to attend to party workduring the period when they wereexpected to teach and attend to theschool’s administrative duties. Unlessone was connected to the CPIM,unless one owed allegiance to itsconcept of proletarian revolution –whatever that meant – and unless one

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agreed to carry out its political agendaone could never hope to get a job inthe academia or anywhere in the stategovernment.

The only development that theCPIM carried out in the name ofacademic development was thepromotion of cadres within the stateeducation system diverting resourcesin order to build a state-wide base offoot-soldiers who would implementthe party’s political objective. Sodetermined was the Left Frontgovernment in this, that in 2003, abouta year after the flagship Sarva ShikshaAbhiyan (SSA), it was the only stategovernment which refused tocooperate with the Union governmentin its implementation. The CPIM ledgovernment’s insistence that thefunds for the SSA be sent to the stategovernment directly delayed progressof the scheme. A direct control offunds was needed in order to keep thecadre-teacher-political workframework well-oiled. Interestingly,this was also a period which saw thelikes of Professor Amartya Senfrequent the state as a celebrated guestand darling of the ruling elite. Ofcourse speaking on academicmediocrity and communist control ofinstitutions was verboten then.

The comrades and their captiveintellectuals are loudest in their falseaccusations that the BJP has stuffed

bodies such as ICHR withideologues, because they wish tohide their own, disastrous over threedecades performance in WestBengal where they actuallypromoted, patronised and nurturedsome of the most mediocre mindsand party apparatchiks. TheUniversity of Calcutta, PresidencyCollege and other such landmarkinstitutions fell on bad days. But itserved the comrades larger politicalpurpose, they built a cadre ofacademics who were party faithfuls,had no concern for academicexcellence but managed to controlinstitutions and get their way. Inpost independent India’s academichistory, no other political partyperhaps has played such adevastating role in politicising theIndian academia as has the CPIM.

To see it thus speak today ofpropriety and declining academicstandards under BJP rule andNarendra Modi is akin to a hyenaweeping over the carcass of a deer ithad just mangled and devoured. Theruling Trinamool Congress has justtaken over from where the Left Frontleft, with promises it never intendedto fulfil, it has further accentuated thedecline.

(Courtesy: ToI Blog, 30th January2016)

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The recent visit of CrownPrince SheikhMohammed bin Zayed

Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, whowill be the next President of theUnited Arab Emirates, marks theinfusion of fresh spirit in therelationship between India andUAE with a view to consolidatingit as a key partnership.

Prime Minister Narendra

India-UAE relation on the trajectoryof Comprehensive Strategic ties

Siddharth Singh

Modi appreciated thesignificance of a strong bondwith UAE which has the capacityto be a strong source of investiblefunds for India. The UAE is alsohome to approximately threemillion Indians who formroughly a third of the country’spopulation and have been a vitalsource of foreign exchangeremittances over the past threedecades.

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In recent years UAE has comedown hard on terrorism and hasconsciously developedinstitutions to confrontinternational terrorism,especially of the ISIS variety.This alone is a strong ground forenhancing cooperation with AbuDhabi.

While India seek investmentfrom the UAE, the latter looks atthe impressive size of the Indianmarket and India’s othercapabilities. This is the basis ofthe “comprehensive strategicties” the two countries now seekto build. This includescooperation in the field of nuclearpower and aerospace as well.Both sides have much to gainfrom the bilateral direction forties they are looking at.

The two countries signed aslew of agreements in cybersecurity, space, infrastructure,energy and cultural exchange.One of a landmark deal struck onthis occasion will see the UAE’snational oil company Abu DhabiNational Oil Company (Adnoc)store crude in India’s strategicstorage units. In fact, it has alsoagreed to give two-thirds of thisfree oil to India, a move whichwill boost India’s energy security.

The storage, which is likely tomeet India’s oil requirement for10 days, will help her minimisethe volatility in global crudeprices, even if for a brief stint.

UAE’s rethinking on stand onterror will certainly help India’sstrategic security. The twocountries saw the mostsignificant change in theirrelations in terms of cooperationin counter-terrorism plans. TheUAE agreed to cooperate withIndia on the issue of fightingterrorism.

India and the UAE alsorecognise climate change as aserious global challenge and seethe development of sustainableenergy sources as a sharedstrategic priority.

In proclaiming a “naturalstrategic partnership” with theUnited Arab Emirates andputting security cooperation,including counter-terrorism, atthe centre of it, PM NarendraModi has seized a rare momentof change in the Gulf andlaunched a new phase in India’srelations with a very criticalregion.

Siddharth Singh isResearch Associate with

SPMRF

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For the first time in 10 years,Haryana’s child sex ratio (0-6age group) has improved,

crossing the 900-mark in December2015. This is a major jump since 2011when census figures revealed thestate had the worst sex ratio in thecountry with just 879 females per1,000 males. In Sirsa district, sexratio at birth increased from 948 inOctober 2015, to 978 in November,and to 999 in December. Out of the

For First Time In 10 Years,Haryana’s Sex Ratio Crosses

900 Mark!!

100 worst districts in India for sexratio, Haryana accounts for 12districts. Prime Minister NarendraModi had launched the ‘beti bachao,beti padhao’ programme fromPanipat on January 22, 2015 and hadalso expressed appreciation forHaryana, including the ‘selfie withdaughter’ campaign, during hisvisits to Faridabad in September,2015, and Wembley Stadium in theUK on November 13, 2015.

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Ministry of Power haselectrified 276 villagesacross the country in

the week from 11th to 17th January2016 under Deen Dayal UpadhyayaGram Jyoti Yojna ( DDUGJY). Out ofthese electrified villages, 139 villagesbelong to Assam, 25 villages to Bihar,21 to Jharkhand, 60 to Odisha, 30 toUttar Pradesh and one village fall inthe state of Rajasthan. The progressof ongoing electrification process canbe tracked on http://garv.gov.in/dashboard

276 Villages Electrifiedunder DDUGJY

In view of the Prime Minister,Shri Narendra Modi’s address tonation, on Independence Day,Government of India has decided toelectrify remaining 18,452unelectrified villages by 01st May,2018. The project has been taken onmission mode and strategy forelectrification consists of squeezedimplementation schedule of 12months with 12 Stage milestones forvillage electrification monitoringwith defined timelines.

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Construction of nationalhighways is poweringalong and is set to touch

the maximum distance covered ina year. Work during the currentfiscal is estimated to cross 6,000km, surpassing the previous best —5,700 km completed in 2012-13during UPA-II. In less than twoyears since the Modi governmentassumed office, the average dailyconstruction is set to touch at least17 km.

Ministry data shows an uptick inthe pace of awarding contracts andconstruction as well till December2015 in comparison to thecorresponding period in 2014-15. Totalconstruction between April andDecember, 2015 was about 1,500 kmmore than the corresponding periodin 2014 — the first year of the NDAgovernment. Similarly, the increase inawarding highway projects came to1,900 km during April-December,2015. During January-March 2015,construction almost doubled to 1,500km against the average of about 800km a quarter in the previous three.

The real jump in construction willbe visible over the next two yearsbecause government has set the targetto touch the 30-km-a-day target by2019. This is because the sharpincrease in award of works since June2014 will result in completion of these

Highway construction set to crossrecord 6000 km this fiscal year

stretches in two-three years. Due topositive decisions, including bringingin more public investment in roadprojects and doing away with irritantsin contract norms, award of projectshas increased manifold.

The transport ministry is also in theprocess of putting in place a web-based system called “e-pace” for realtime monitoring of all projects sincetheir inception to accelerate roll outand timely completion.

The Ministry of Road Transportand Highways under Shri NitinGadkari has undertaken severalinitiatives towards fulfilment of itslarger objectives – to create andmaintain a countrywide network ofroad infrastructure that ismechanically strong, designed toensure safety for commuters and iscompatible with the requirements ofefficient and sustainabledevelopment.

SPMRF Desk

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Dr. Syama Prasad MookerjeeResearch Foundation(SPMRF) organized a

Round Table discussion on the topic“India-France relationship” on 22ndJanuary 2016. Dr. Mohan Kumar whois presently Indian Ambassador inFrance delivered the lecture. AmbMohan Kumar pointed out that thereseems to be more popular supportthan ever before in France during PM

Report of program India-France relationship on22nd January 2016 by Amb Dr Mohan Kumar

Modi’s tenure for strengthening therelationship because everyone inFrance believes that PM Modi is aperson who can deliver on theeconomic front. Amb Mohan Kumarsaid that Relations between India andFrance have traditionally been closeand friendly. With the establishmentof strategic partnership in 1998, therehas been a significant progress in allareas of bilateral cooperation through

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regular high-level exchanges at theHead of State/Head of Governmentlevels and growing cooperation andexchanges including in strategic areassuch as defence, counter-terrorism,nuclear energy and space. France wasthe first country with which Indiaentered into an agreement on civilnuclear cooperation. Amb. Kumaralso focused on the growing and wide-ranging cooperation in other areassuch as trade and investment, culture,science & technology-based andeducation. France has consistentlysupported India’s increasing role ininternational fora, including India’spermanent membership of the UNSC.

Ambassador Mohan Kumar alsohighlighted the India-Francecooperation in counter-terrorism areaand said that both countries haverecognized the urgent need to disruptterrorist networks and financingchannels, eliminate terrorist safehavens, training infrastructure andcross-border movement of terrorists.

He also spoke in some detail aboutthe cultural cooperation betweenIndia and France.

The Talk was also attended byformer diplomats, many experts fromstrategic and security fields as well asby some research scholars.

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