the hindu imp. news feb. 19th 2012
TRANSCRIPT
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THE HINDU
Imp. News
Feb.19th
2012
Page 1
India wants Italian ship captain to surrender:
New Delhi wants the captain of Italian ship Enrica Lexia and two marksmen who shot dead two
Indian fishermen to surrender to Kerala Police on Sunday after several rounds of diplomatic
confabulations on Saturday culminated in a telephonic conversation between External Affairs
Minister S. M. Krishna and his Italian counterpart.
Rome wanted the three to be permitted to go in return for a joint investigation into the
incident. But in the conversation late in the evening, Mr. Krishna turned down the offer an hourafter Kerala Chief Minister Ooomen Chandy sought the Central assistance to persuade the
captain and the two security personnel to give themselves up. Mr. Chandy said his government
was left with no option but to arrest the Italians after receiving advice on the issue from the
State's Attorney- General, said government sources here.
The call from the Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata capped a hectic day of
activity in Rome, where the Indian Ambassador was offered options such as the despatch of a
multi-Ministerial team to Kochi and high level investigation of the incident. The sub-text was
that somehow those responsible for the shooting should be sent home.
CBI announces 10-lakh reward for clues to absconding IPS officer:
Mr. Jain was Rajasthan's Additional Director-General of Police when charges were filed in June
last year. He was declared absconder some months back. The investigating agency has also
announced rewards of Rs.5 lakh each for information on three other police functionaries
Inspector Rajesh Choudhary, Inspector Zulfikar Ali and Assistant Sub Inspector Arvind Bhardwaj.
The encounter which led to the killing of alleged liquor smuggler Dara Singh took place on
October 23, 2006, during the Vasundhara Raje regime. Suspected involvement of her senior
Cabinet Minister Rajendra Singh Rathore is under investigation. The Dara Singh case was taken
up by the CBI following a Supreme Court directive in the wake of his wife Sushila Devi
approaching the apex court. Since then the Court has been monitoring the progress ofinvestigations.
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INTERNATIONAL
China sticks to its guns on Syria:
China on Saturday reaffirmed that it continues to reject the western-backed Arab plan that calls
for the exit of President Bashar Al Assad as the first step towards achieving a political transitionin the strife-torn nation. Visiting Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun made it plain to the
media after talks with Syrian leadership, that contrary to western exhortations, China would
unambiguously support the roadmap scripted by Mr. Assad for stabilising democracy. The plan
calls for an end to violence by all sides and the conduct of a national referendum on February
26, where Syrians would vote for a constitution before the country heads for parliamentary
polls. The new constitution which could anchor the fledgling democracy is expected to
allow the participation of multiple parties during elections.
Analysts say China is beginning to demonstrate exceptional boldness by openly defying the
West on Syria a position that could not have been adopted without detailed deliberations
within the various sections of the Chinese power elite. Signalling that China is recalibrating its
stance, an editorial on Saturday in China's Global Times newspaper, published by the ruling
Communist Party, said China's courage to truly express itself and to calmly stand its ground is
worthy of merit. It added: The trajectory of China's influence on world politics is rising.
Mirroring the tensions inside Syria, Reuters is reporting that thousands poured into the streets
of Damascus calling for Mr. Assad's resignation, following Friday prayers. Opposition activists
claim on Saturday that one person was killed on Saturday when security forces fired live rounds
at a funeral procession for three protesters who were killed the previous day. They also alleged
that there had been no letup in the assault by government troops in Homs, where the
opposition stronghold of Baba Amr is being targeted with artillery and rocket fire a view thatcould not be independently confirmed.
U.S. move on Balochistan tendentious: Pakistan
Pakistan on Saturday reacted sharply to a resolution introduced in the U.S. House of
Representatives by three members asserting Balochistan's right to self-determination. Across
the political spectrum, there was consensus that this amounted to an attack on Pakistan's
sovereignty which could impact U.S.-Pakistan relations.
In the official formulation of Pakistan's reaction put out by the Foreign Office Minister
Hina Rabbani Khar took strong exception'' and said it was against the very fundamentals of
long-standing Pakistan-U.S. relations. Maintaining that it was an isolated move, she said the
draft resolution'' is contrary to the principles of the U.N. Charter and international law. Ms.
Khar described the resolution as an unfriendly and irresponsible attempt by a few individuals to
create distrust and hoped that this latest tendentious move'' will not be allowed to sail
through the House by a vast majority of U.S. Congressmen who continued to support friendly
bilateral relations. Referring to the unanimous resolution adopted by the National Assembly
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this week condemning the Congressional hearing , she said that clearly represented the
legitimate reaction of the Pakistani people.
Balochistan's affairs and issues are an internal matter of Pakistan and it is for the people of
Pakistan and our democratic institutions to address these. We would advise those behind this
resolution to reserve their concern and solicitude for problems closer to home. Needless to sayprovocations such as these will seriously impact the Pakistan-US relations. We value this
relationship, but not at the cost of our dignity, sovereignty and territorial integrity,'' said the
statement even as the U.S. embassy in Islamabad distanced itself from the resolution saying the
American administration had nothing to do with it.
One held for U.S. terror plot:
The FBI has been working overtime on sting operations, it was evident, when it announced on
Friday that it had arrested Moroccan Amine El Khalifi (29), an illegal resident in the United
States, for plotting to detonate a bomb in a suicide attack on the United States Capitol Building.
Khalifi's arrest, which occurred as he walked from a parking unit towards the main building
wearing an inert bomb vest earlier supplied to him by an undercover FBI officer, comes in the
wake of a string of similar operations that has netted the FBI numerous would-be terrorists in
recent years. The FBI case against Khalifi noted that during the various meetings he had at that
residence, one individual produced what appeared to be an AK-47, two revolvers and
ammunition... and Khalifi allegedly expressed agreement with a statement by this individual
that the war on terrorism was a war on Muslims and said that the group needed to be
ready for war.
BUSINESS
Pranab Mukherjee holds parleys with regulators on budget:
In possibly the last in the series of pre-budget consultations ahead of the Union Budget on
March 16, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday had a meeting with the financial
sector regulators to discuss ways and means of improving the investment climate and boosting
a sagging economy.
The meeting attended, among others, by Reserve Bank of India Governor D. Subbarao and SEBI
(Securities and Exchange Board of India) Chairman U. K. Sinha and top officials of the Finance
Ministry was described by the apex bank chief as a pre-budget meeting of the Financial Stability
and Development Council (FSDC) headed by the Finance Minister.
Floor bid for FII investment in corporate debt cut:
To encourage greater participation by foreign institutional investors (FIIs), regulator Securities
and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has reduced the minimum bid amount to Rs.1 crore for
allocation of investments in long-term infrastructure corporate debt for such investors. Based
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on the assessment of the utilisation of the limits to FIIs for investments in corporate debt long-
term infra category (with one year lock in and one year residual maturity clause), it has been
decided to allocate the unutilised limits. The bidding of this limit will be done on the National
Stock Exchange on February 29, SEBI said in a circular.
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FATF nod for revised proposals for combating money laundering:
The plenary meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) being held in Paris has approved
the revised recommendations for combating money laundering and financing of terrorism.
According to an official statement here, the plenary also discussed the fourth follow-up report
on India's progress on the action plan that it had committed to in June 2010 and appreciated
the progress it made with regard to the international Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the
Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) standards.
An Indian delegation led by Bimal Julka, Additional Secretary & Director General (Currency) in
the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) is attending the FATF plenary meeting. The FATF is
an inter-governmental body that sets international standards for combating money laundering
and the financing of terrorism. India became a member of the body in June 2010.
A number of FATF member countries, including the Russian Federation, South Korea, Japan,
China, Brazil, Argentina, the U.S., the U.K., Italy, Germany, Australia, and the Eurasian Group on
combating money laundering and financing of terrorism, lauded India on its achievements in
fulfilling the action plan.
New excise policy for Haryana:
The Haryana Government on Saturday decided not to increase the maximum basic quota of
country liquor and Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) for the third year in a row and keep the
maximum number of retail outlets at the same level as in the current year. Talking to media
persons after presiding over a Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said
there will be 3,500 vends, including 2,265 of country liquor and 1,235 of IMFL.
The rates of import duty have been increased to protect the local manufacturers of liquor and
incentives have been announced for the local winery, wine being a low-alcohol content drink.
The rate of VAT has been reduced from 25 per cent to 15 per cent for all bars. The excise duty
on beer and wine will remain unchanged.
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PERISCOPE
High on logic:
The National Policy on Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances unveiled by the Government for
the first time in the country's history is a timely step at a time when substance and drug abuseby gullible young people goes on unchecked in major cities. It is no doubt delectable to note
that the policy bids fair to curb the menace of drug abuse and is replete with provisions for
treatment, rehabilitation and social re-integration of victims of drug abuse. It is equally
satisfactory to note that the policy plumps for production of Concentrate of Poppy Straw (CPS)
in India by a company or body corporate which would facilitate India to retain its status of a
traditional supplier of Opiate Raw Material (ORM) to the rest of the world.
Indubitably, the government's new narcotics policy is a salutary statement but a reality check is
in order. In its last annual report, the Vienna-based International Narcotics Control Board (INCB)
maintained that in the past 10 years, progress in drug abuse prevention has been 'modest at
best' and demanded governments the world over to make availability of narcotic drugs for
medical purposes a priority of public health issue. "More than 80 per cent of the world's
population has no or insufficient access to pain relief drugs and are suffering unnecessary pain
because of it", the Board rightly rued.
Narcotic drugs such as opioids are needed in the palliative care of cancer patients while
psychotropic substances are a basic ingredient in the treatment of mental illnesses. It is also a
good augury that the new policy lays due emphasis on adequate access to morphine and other
opioids necessary for palliative care, a strategy to address street peddlers of drugs, periodic
surveys of drug abuse to gauge the extent, pattern and nature of drug abuse in the country and
recognition to de-addiction centres. All these measures are over-due as the menace is glaringlystaring across big cities and in semi-urban centres. A research from an NGO citing a UN report
estimates that one million heroin addicts had been registered in India a couple of years ago,
unofficially there are as many as five million with more of revision of the former numbers in the
intervening years with new and designer-drugs catching the caprice of the youth. Cannabis,
heroin and Indian-produced pharmaceutical drugs are the most frequently abused drugs in the
country.
INCB President Prof.Hamid Ghodse, while addressing a high-level meet of the General Assembly
on Non-communicable diseases in New York in September 2011, said that the Board stood
ready to foster and implement national policies and to build capacity for effective drug
regulatory systems at national level.
But the Drugs and Cosmetics (Amendment) Bill 2007 to propose the creation of a central drug
authority with the sole remit for grant of drug manufacturing licences remains in limbo for close
to five years! The Amendment provision, if put in place, would help reduce the countrywide
variation in surveillance and law enforcement that would effectively end drug counterfeiting by
centralising licensing for the manufacture and sale of drugs which today are under the control
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of individual State governments. Reports of fake drugs sold in states and substance abuse by
adolescents would be a thing of the past if the regulatory machinery is robust to avert flagrant
misuse.
As India is proud to proclaim its demographic dividend, the deplorable lack of due primary
health to millions and the burgeoning menace of drug and substance abuse by not only poorbut affluent younger generation cannot be brushed under the carpet. It is time the authorities
beefed up pending legislative bills on this front. A wealthy India as it aspires to be in the
developed country league by 2020 should also be a healthy Bharat.
Self-sustainable and sailing:
Sustainable development seems to be part and parcel of state-run Steel Authority of India
Limited's (SAIL) social responsibility agenda in the country. The company has taken up
development of 79 villages spanning the eight states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand,
Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal as model steel villages
(MSVs). All these villages are in backward areas and are deprived of basic needs of a quality life.
The development work undertaken in these villages include medical and health services,
education, roads, connectivity, sanitation, community centres, income generation, sports
facilities. The coverage of population in these adopted villages includes 17.44 per cent
scheduled castes and 27.38 per cent of scheduled tribes. In these villages SAIL is creating
physical and social infrastructure for their overall developmental growth and self sustainable
model of villages. Most of the residents here did not have access to clean drinking water and
drinking water supply has been provided with boring, overhead water tanks and tapped water
supply to the households. Primary Health Centres have been set up and operationalised to
address the most neglected but essential requirement of health in rural India. Regular health
camps, eye camps and free distribution of medicines are common phenomenon in MSVs.According to SAIL chairman, C.S. Verma, in the target villages it was found that poor quality of
primary education, lack of basic infrastructure like toilet and potable water and high drop outs
are major concern and to cope with these issues, SAIL has constructed extra class rooms, toilets
and water facilities. Mr. Verma said that for this activity to become self sustainable, the
company has introduced income generation schemes, livelihood programmes, self help groups,
training programmes, with technical and financial assistance arranged for the beneficiaries. The
income generation schemes include rural skill based activities like fisheries, poultry, goatery,
sewing, knitting, harvesting of mushrooms. Marketing of products and their influx in local
markets are also supported. Social audit is a vital part of the development activities in these
model steel villages and for this purpose gram sabhas are always taken into confidence for all
the activities.
Enlightened self-interest is driving greening initiatives in India-
The Indian government, state governments, corporates as well as small and medium industry
have shown interest and commitment to adopting UNIDO's Green Industry' initiative. But that
by itself is not enough as there are financial barriers. However, the UNIDO chief expressed
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confidence that with the right level of commitment, both financial and political, carrot-and-stick
incentives and strict monitoring and regulation, India can attain the current standards of
countries such as Singapore and South Korea within a decade.
UNIDO has been laying a lot of emphasis on greening of industries. Can you spell out the
concept of Green Industry' and its relevance for developing countries?
Well, Green Industry' means economies striving for a more sustainable pathway of growth by
undertaking green investments and implementing public policy initiatives that encourage
environmentally responsible private investments. Greening of industry is a method to attain
sustainable economic growth and promote sustainable economies. It includes policymaking,
improved industrial production processes and resource-efficient productivity.
Green Industry' promotes sustainable patterns of production and consumption, that is,
patterns that are resource and energy efficient, low-carbon and low waste, non-polluting and
safe, and which produce products that are responsibly managed throughout their lifecycle.
Under the greening agenda, all industries continuously improve their resource productivity and
environmental performance and the initiative also aims to create green industries that deliver
environmental goods and services, including waste management and recycling services,
renewable energy technologies, and environmental analytical and advisory services.
How responsive has India been in adopting UNIDO's green initiative?
The Indian government and companies combined are very sensitive to ensuring that the
industrial manufacturing sector becomes more energy efficient and resource efficient. And
India is no different in terms of interest and commitment from other countries like China and
other major developing countries. Why, for what is driving the green energy initiative that Ihave seen in a number of key Asian emerging economies is national self interest. If you are
more energy efficient, there is good demand management, you have to invest less in energy
and power generation.
UNIDO Director-General Kandeh K. Yumkella on how the organisation's Green Industry'
initiative will help India and the challenges that lie ahead.
SPORT
India rides roughshod over Singapore:
The rout was expected and the result was a foregone conclusion. The margin of victory was the
only thing to predict and India thumped Singapore, separated by 31 slots in the world ranking,
15-1 to open its campaign in the Olympic qualifiers in style. The verdict at the National Stadium
here on Saturday was much bigger than India's 9-0 victory over the same rival in their last
meeting in the 1998 Asian Games.