Indian Navy pledges 1.5 per cent of its Works Budget towards Renewable Energy

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June 6, 2016

The Green Initiatives Programme of the Indian Navy completes two years on World Environment Day. Over this period, considerable impetus has been given to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the Navy. Being a responsible and multidimensional force, the Indian Navy believes in an all inclusive and sustainable growth. Accordingly, the focus has not only been on correcting its ‘impact’ on the energy and environmental footprint, but also to address the root cause of the problem, which lies in the way energy is used.

Creation of an Energy and Environment Cell at Naval Headquarters in Jan 16 to monitor pan Navy implementation of green measures is a concrete step in this direction. This Cell has been tasked to enable the Navy’s vision of adding a Green Footprint to its Blue Water Operations and make it an environmentally responsible force which is not only energy and resource efficient, but also resilient to energy costs/ disruptions.

The Key Result Areas of the INs Energy and Environment Policy underline the triple bottom-line approach of Energy Conservation, Diversification of Energy Supply and Minimising Environment Impact. The ever expanding reach of IN necessitates use of new platforms equipped with cutting edge technology and state-of-the-art equipment. These platforms are energy intensive and have a significant carbon footprint in terms of energy and fuel use. IN has initiated concerted steps to reduce the carbon footprint– through efficient ship design and operations. Mass energy conservation awareness drives are conducted regularly at all Commands and Repair Yards to continuously educate and sensitise personnel on the importance of energy/ environment conservation in an effort to make this a way of life. Apart from greater awareness of the naval fraternity, the efforts have resulted in significant savings of approximately Rs. 12 Cr annually. The efforts of one of the major repair yards have seen it emerge as a model consumer, a feat lauded and recognized by the State Electricity Board.

The Navy has set itself an aggressive target of 21 MW Solar PV installation, to be implemented in three phases. The initiative is in line with the National Mission of Mega Watt to Giga Watt towards achieving 100 GW Solar PV installations by 2022. Additionally, IN has pledged 1.5 per cent of its Works budget towards Renewable Energy generation. Under this scheme, Solar PV projects are being undertaken at various Naval Stations across all Commands. Naval Stations, with scarce available land, have resorted to the deploying Rooftop Solar PV panels.

While the Renewable Energy scenario in the country is dominated by Solar and Wind energy, the Navy is also exploring the possibility of harnessing the Renewable Energy from oceans. Towards this, in consultation with pioneers in the field and MNRE, feasibility of exploiting Ocean Thermal Energy and Wave Energy as sources of power, are under discussion.

The pursuit of green goals of Indian Navy requires sustained and focussed efforts. The Men and Women in Whites, have, nonetheless pledged to walk hand in hand with the national objectives set by the Hon’ble Prime Minister.

M Hamid Ansari interacts with accompanying Media Delegation

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June 6, 2016

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The Vice President, Shri M. Hamid Ansari interacting with the accompanying media delegation onboard Air India One during his way back to India from Tunisia. The Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers, Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir is also seen.

Shift work unwinds body clocks, leads to more Severe strokes !

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June 6, 2016

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Summary:Statistics show that some 15 million Americans don’t work the typical nine-to-five. These employees (or shift workers), who punch in for graveyard or rotating shifts, are more prone to numerous health hazards, from heart attacks to obesity, and now, new research shows shift work may also have serious implications for the brain.

Statistics show that some 15 million Americans don’t work the typical nine-to-five. These employees (or shift workers), who punch in for graveyard or rotating shifts, are more prone to numerous health hazards, from heart attacks to obesity, and now, new research, published in Endocrinology, shows shift work may also have serious implications for the brain.

“The body is synchronized to night and day by circadian rhythms–24-hour cycles controlled by internal biological clocks that tell our bodies when to sleep, when to eat and when to perform numerous physiological processes,” said David Earnest, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine. “A person on a shift work schedule, especially on rotating shifts, challenges, or confuses, their internal body clocks by having irregular sleep-wake patterns or meal times.”

According to Earnest, it’s not the longer hours–or the weird hours–necessarily that is the problem. Instead, it is the change in the timing of waking, sleeping and eating every few days that “unwinds” our body clocks and makes it difficult for them to maintain their natural, 24-hour cycle. When body clocks are disrupted, as they are when people go to bed and get up at radically different times every few days, there can be a major impact on health. Earnest and his colleagues have found that shift work can lead to more severe ischemic strokes, the leading cause of disability in the United States, which occur when blood flow is cut off to part of the brain.

Using an animal model, Earnest and his team, including colleague Farida Sohrabji, Ph.D., also a professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics and director of the Women’s Health in Neuroscience Program, found that subjects on shift work schedules had more severe stroke outcomes, in terms of both brain damage and loss of sensation and limb movement than controls on regular 24-hour cycles of day and night.

Of interest, their study–supported by the American Heart Association–found that males and females show major differences in the degree to which the stroke was exacerbated by circadian rhythm disruption; in males, the gravity of stroke outcomes in response to shift work schedules was much worse than in females.

“These sex differences might be related to reproductive hormones. Young women are less likely to suffer strokes, as compared with men of a similar age, and when they do, the stroke outcomes are likely to be less severe. In females, estrogen is thought to be responsible for this greater degree of neuroprotection,” Sohrabji said. “Essentially, estrogen helps shield the brain in response to stroke.” However, older women approaching menopause show increasing incidence of ischemic stroke and poor prognosis for recovery, compared with men at the same age.

Some of Earnest’s previous work has shown that a high-fat diet can also alter the timing of internal body clocks, as well as dramatically increase inflammatory responses that can be a problem in cardio- and cerebrovascular disease (conditions caused by problems that affect the blood supply to the brain–which includes stroke).

“Next we would like to explore whether inflammation is a key link between circadian rhythm disruption and increased stroke severity,” Earnest said. “With this information, we may be able to identify therapeutic interventions that limit damage after a stroke in patients with a history of shift work.”

“This research has clear implications for shift workers with odd schedules, but probably extends to many of us who keep schedules that differ greatly from day-to-day, especially from weekdays to weekends,” Earnest added. “These irregular schedules can produce what is known as ‘social jet lag,’ which similarly unwinds our body clocks so they no longer keep accurate time, and thus can lead to the same effects on human health as shift work.”

An immediate impact of these studies on human health is that individuals in shift work-type professions should be monitored more closely and more frequently for cardio- and cerebrovascular disease and risk factors such as hypertension and obesity.

In the meantime, Earnest suggests that those with irregular sleeping patterns should at least try to maintain regular mealtimes, in addition to avoiding the usual cardiovascular risk factors like a high-fat diet, inactivity and tobacco use.

Source:Texas A&M University(science)

Agri-Ministry licensing guidelines discourages research & innovation

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June 5, 2016

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The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) expressed concern over recent actions by the Agriculture Ministry, notifying a new framework for licences for agricultural biotechnology covering existing and future technologies and advocated review of the same.

ASSOCHAM believes that this notification creates an environment that discourages research and innovation and, therefore, needs to be reviewed urgently. This draft notification can have a huge negative impact on India’s cotton sector, and will have deep rooted ramifications for all other knowledge and innovation driven sectors.

Commenting on notification issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, ASSOCHAM says this draft notification has serious implications for research and innovation in the country. By trying to determine the price of technology, overriding existing commercial contracts of technology providers and introducing essentially compulsory licensing provisions, it may send a negative message. This could have ramifications across R&D and technology intensive sectors such as pharmaceuticals, telecom and has potential to dampen investor interest in government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.”

Agriculture R&D is a long process that requires substantial investments over decades to develop and launch hybrids and new technologies in seeds. It is, therefore, important for this process to be economically viable and sustainable.

ASSOCHAM further says technology will underpin the future of many so-called traditional sectors and agriculture is one of them. A policy environment that dilutes returns on investments discourages private sector research and investments in agricultural technology, and may ultimately harm India’s farmers by depriving them of access to the best technologies from around the world.

The government instead of dictating the licence terms and artificial price controls, should focus on creating an environment that encourages research and recognizes the benefit that these technologies bring to farmers,” says the Chamber.

Amidst increasing consumer demand, India’s agricultural sector remains under constant pressure to increase farm output, even as farmers struggle against inclement weather, water shortage and high labour costs that make it an imperative to encourage innovation rather than penalizing innovating firms.

The government has embarked on an ambitious plan to ‘Make in India’ – to turn India into a hub for innovation and knowledge. The Government has articulated its vision, and provided direction in this regard. However, this vision can be undermined by policy contradictions that can result in dissatisfaction among companies operating in India as well as potential investors.

A policy framework that honours the sanctity of mutually agreed contracts, safeguards intellectual property, and encourages investments in research and innovation is the foundation for a knowledge driven India that will enable its citizens to prosper.

India loses to China, Singapore in cost competitiveness in Auto Sector

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June 5, 2016

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India loses out to China, Singapore, Indonesia and even to Bangladesh when it comes to achieving cost competitiveness in the automobile and automobile components industry in terms of major parameters including labour, fuel cost and price of raw material, an ASSOCHAM –Thought Arbitrage joint study has pointed out.

In terms of four parameters – cost of raw material, labour , fuel cost and rent paid, India is a clear loser to China, which is the world’s largest producer and has been developing rapidly since the 1990s, the ASSOCHAM-Thought Arbitrage joint study on ‘ Assesssing India’s Manufacturing Cost Competitiveness’ noted.

Development of the automobile industry in China “primarily came through foreign direct investment, which has come in the form of alliances and joint ventures. Most of the fully Chinese made cars are used in the domestic market and its exports are mostly light trucks and auto parts”, it said.

Compared to China, Indonesia and Singapore, India spends heavily on raw materials for manufacturing automobiles and components. “While these countries spend about 29 per cent, 23 per cent and 57 per cent of their value of output on raw materials, respectively, India spends around 69 per cent, clearly indicating a disadvantage for India”.

Indian auto and auto components industry has high labour costs relative to Bangladesh, Indonesia and China. It enjoys a cost advantage only with respect to Singapore, which spends 13.13 per cent of its output value on wages and other benefits to workers. India spends 8.29 per cent of its output while Bangladesh spends a mere 1.87 per cent, Indonesia 4.46 per cent output value and China nearly seven per cent of its total sales on labour.

In comparison to the proportion of output value spent on fuel by Bangladesh (0.18 per cent) and China (1.22 per cent of total sales), India spends a significantly higher proportion (1.99 per cent ) of its output on fuel, Indonesia is the only country over which India enjoys a slight cost advantage, spending 2.03 per cent of its output on fuel.

“In case, we have to realise the Make in India and attract lot more FDI , we need to work on reducing the cost of production in all the parameters, especially at a time when the world demand is subdued,” ASSOCHAM Secretary General Mr D S Rawat said.

In his comments, Director of the Thought Arbitrage Research Institute , Mr Kaushik Dutta said “To remain relevant in both internal and external market environment, manufacturing sector producers need to be cost competitive as costs have direct impact on price competitiveness”.

ASSOCHAM study :Delhi NCR tops job creation among 8 cities in Q4 of FY 16

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June 5, 2016

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Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region) has emerged as the leader in creating the maximum number of jobs during the fourth quarter of the last fiscal, generating over 2.6 laks new jobs while a total of 8.5 lakh jobs were created in eight major cities, an ASSOCHAM study has found.

Cornering over one-fourth share of the total number of new jobs generated across India, Delhi-NCR emerged on top with over 2.6 lakh new jobs created during January to March 2016 followed by Bangalore (1.9 lakh), Mumbai (1.5 Lakh), Chennai (82.2 thousand) and Hyderabad ( 60 thousand). About 88.9 percent of job openings have been recorded in these top five cities, ASSOCHAM placement study.

Among top metro cities, Delhi-NCR had maximum share of over 30.1 per cent in job creation while Bangalore witnessed a 23.4 per cent contribution in job creation followed by Mumbai with 18.6 per cent,” said Mr. D S Rawat, Secretary General ASSOCHAM while releasing the study.

Other major cities that have recorded significant job openings during January to March 2016 are Pune (49.2 thousand), Kolkata (25.2 thousand) and Ahmedabad (20.5 thousand), highlighted the study.

Information technology (IT), IT-enabled services (ITeS) and IT hardware sector together accounted for a majority share of about 60.6 per cent in the total number of new jobs generated across sectors during January – March 2016, while services has ranked second with 17.6 percent share followed by manufacturing (9.4 percent), banking, financial services & insurance (7.6 percent) and construction & real estate (3.2 percent) in total employment generation in July, says the chamber study.

A total of over 8,50,000 lakhs new jobs were generated across India during the last quarter of 2016, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) said in a release.

However, banking, construction, financial services, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), human resources (HR), manufacturing, advertising, event management, real estate, retail and telecom are the other sectors which created job creation during 2016.

In Delhi-NCR, out of the total job openings about 61.1 percent of job openings are recorded from ITEs followed by services (18.5), manufacturing (8.4 percent), banking financial services & insurance (7.2 percent) and construction & real estate (3.1 percent) of all the new jobs generated.

MP open to investors in mining; E-auction of limestone & diamond Blocks

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June 5, 2016

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Ministry of Mines

Madhya Pradesh, being touted as an investment hub for mining, is virtually first off the block after the enactment of Amended Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act 2015. The State has put up for investors three limestone and one diamond block for composite lease through e-auction. Giving details of the opportunity for investors in the mining sector in the State at a Road Show here today, Mr. Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Secretary, Mineral Resources Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh, said that by October this year the State Government would put up auction notices for five more limestone blocks, adding that in the next two years about 24 mining blocks would be ready to be offered to investors.

The summit was organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in association with the Government of Madhya Pradesh. Mr. Shukla said the State Government was eagerly looking forward to the framework of a new mineral exploration policy by the Central Government and added that the State Government would welcome the formation of joint ventures between the private sector and the State Mineral Corporation for joint exploration. Mr. Subhash Chandra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Government of India, said that the State Government offered opportunities for investment in major minerals in the fields of exploration, value addition, energy saving, skill upgradation and restoration of the landscape for the benefit of industry and the local populace. He informed that on July 4-5, 2016, a conference would be held in Raipur to work out the contours of a Road Map- 2030 for the mining sector. Sharing the industry perspective, Mr. Harmit Singh Sethi, Deputy Executive Director (Corporate Affairs), Dalmia Group, said that the new revenue sharing model would make for transparency even as he sought to put at rest concerns over the environmental impact of mining.

We have already reached where the developed world wants us to be” in terms of minimising the adverse impact of mining, he said. Mr. Vineet Kumar Austin, Director, Directorate of Geology and Mining, Government of Madhya Pradesh, presented the theme of road show and Mr. Tuhin Mukherjee, Managing Director, Essel Mining & Industries Ltd. and Chair, FICCI Mining Committee, shared his perspective on the topic. SBI Caps Ltd. gave an overview of the auction process, the eligibility conditions and the bidding parameters.

Studying life on the Ice rocks

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June 5, 2016

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Studying life on the rocks-indianbureaucracy

Summary:Researchers have developed an apparatus to meet the growing need for measuring ice as it changes in response to external forces, a process ice scientists call ‘deformational behaviours.” These forces occur on Earth in glacial ice as it flows due to gravity, and in space as icy satellite bodies respond to tidal forces from their parent bodies.

Much of modern life is deeply impacted by the behaviour of ice.

Now, new work from a team at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University in Palisades, New York, gives insights into what is happening inside ice. The team has developed an apparatus to meet the growing need for measuring ice as it changes in response to external forces, a process ice scientists call “deformational behaviours.” These forces occur on Earth in glacial ice as it flows due to gravity, and in space as icy satellite bodies, such as the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, respond to tidal forces from their parent bodies. These planetary icy satellites greatly intrigue scientists with their potential to hold vast oceans under the ice, and possibly, to support life.

The Lamont-Doherty team’s report on their device — called a cryogenic deformation apparatus — appears in the current issue of the Review of Scientific Instruments, from AIP Publishing.

The paper addresses three basic processes. First, the frictional process of sliding: glaciers are rivers of ice that move (“slide”) ice from centres of accumulation to oceans, a process that affects climate and water levels. The second process is inelastic behaviour of an icy body, which is its ability to turn periodic mechanical energy (from tides, for instance) into heat. The third process, tidal dissipation, has recently become a focus in planetary science as a potential heat source sufficient enough to create and maintain subsurface global oceans and viscous processes affecting ice flow in which disturbances within the crystal lattice allow ice to flow like honey (over long enough time periods).

The apparatus is an adaptation of the classical biaxial friction apparatus used to study fault mechanics and earthquake generation in rocks. Another refinement of the new apparatus is its temperature control capability. It allows scientists to measure a variety of ice behaviours at conditions that are applicable to both terrestrial glaciers and icy moon surfaces. In nature, glacier temperatures are between 0 and -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit). Ice shells of icy satellites can have warm interiors — approximately 0 degrees C — but surface temperatures as low as -200 degrees C (-330 F), like on Saturn’s moon Enceladus, though the team’s apparatus does not reach that extremely low temperature.

Temperature versatility is important because increasing evidence documents dynamic and often unpredicted behaviour of ice that could affect environmental conditions — as with glaciers on earth, for example — and explain the evolution of satellites’ bodies in space, as with Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s Enceladus.

“Our design allows for both glaciological and planetary applications over a range of deformational behaviour including friction, inelastic and viscous [properties]. That range of adaptability we hope will lead to new insights about ice deformation, in particular by combining analysis of different responses and seeing how they compete at different time-scales,” said Christine McCarthy, the study’s lead author.

In particular, the team hopes to extend their study of ice-on-rock friction to include more realistic interfaces, including till and, ultimately, pressurized melt water.

For their next step, the team intends to continue testing ice friction at terrestrial glacier temperatures, in particular exploring how tides affect sliding rates and stability.

For the next iteration of experiments they will dive into much deeper, colder temperatures, approximately -90 degrees C (-130 degrees F), and look at ice with small amounts of ammonia or sulphuric acid, which are second phases suggested for Enchiladas and Europa, respectively.

“We’d like to see if frictional heating on faults of icy moons can explain the geysers of liquid water observed on their surfaces,” McCarthy said.

Source:American Institute of Physics(science)

FICCI Survey says GDP Growth estimated at 7.7% for 2016-17

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June 5, 2016

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The results of latest round of FICCI’s Economic Outlook Survey puts across a median GDP growth forecast of 7.7% for the fiscal year 2016- 17. The growth in 2016-17 is expected to be supported by an improvement in the agricultural and industrial sector performance. Prediction of a good monsoon after two consecutive years of sub-optimal rainfall backs the improved outlook in the current fiscal. According to the survey results, agriculture sector is expected to record a median growth of 2.8% in 2016-17, with a minimum and maximum range of 1.6% and 3.5% respectively. Industrial growth is anticipated to grow by 7.1% in 2016-17, while services sector growth is estimated at 9.6%. The survey was conducted during April/May 2016 among economists belonging to the industry, banking and financial services sector. The economists were asked to provide forecast for key macro-economic variables for the year 2016-17 as well as for Q4 (JanuaryMarch) FY16 and Q1 (April-June) FY17.

The median growth forecast for IIP has been put at 3.5% for the year 2016-17, with a minimum and maximum range of 3.0% and 4.5% respectively. The outlook of the participating economists on inflation remained moderate. The median forecast for Wholesale Price Index based inflation rate for 2016-17 has been put at 2.2%, with a minimum and maximum range of (-)1.3% and 2.9% respectively. The Consumer Price Index has a median forecast of 5.1% for 2016-17, with a minimum and maximum range of 4.5% and 5.5% respectively. Views of the economists were sought on whether the government will be able to achieve the fiscal deficit target of 3.5% in 2016-17. The government has been serious about treading on the path of fiscal consolidation and maintained its credibility by meeting the targeted fiscal deficit of 3.9% for the financial year 2015-16. A majority of the participating economists believe that the fiscal deficit target for the year 2016-17 seems achievable.

It was pointed out that some of the enabling factors would include expectation of a normal rainfall, improved buoyancy in domestic growth leading to higher revenue collection through direct and indirect tax collections and government continuing with subsidy rationalization. However, it was also pointed out that it would be important to realize the non-tax revenue target for achieving the targeted fiscal deficit to GDP ratio. Realising the targeted receipts from disinvestment and spectrum sales would be a critical factor. Furthermore, it was mentioned that the economy will have to achieve a GDP growth rate between 7% – 7.75% this fiscal year (as also projected in the Economic Survey) to be able to garner the requisite amount of revenue receipts. It was also felt that going ahead, risk could arise from an increase in global crude oil prices and this could possibly change the projected trajectory of fiscal deficit this year. A few economists also pointed out that continuing productive capital expenditure like infrastructure will be important as that will remain a major driving factor to push the economy forward. Further, on being asked about expectations for recovery of the banking system, majority of the economists felt that while the government and the RBI are working together to address the issues at hand,recovery will take time.

It was unanimously felt that a turnaround in this fiscal year looks unlikely and an improvement in numbers would not come until next financial year. It was also mentioned that the passage of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Bill, 2015 is a very positive step to deal with the challenging issue of exiting unviable businesses. Easy exit for a business would help in speedy winding up, productive redeployment of capital and ensure greater availability of credit by freeing up of capital. In the current round, the participating economists were asked to share their thoughts on bank consolidation. A majority of participating economists said that bank consolidation will be the way forward as it will improve capital efficiency significantly. Further, consolidation would enhance the ability of banks to recover bad loans. A majority of the economists said that we can move forward on the path of consolidation only when the banks’ balance sheets are cleaned.

It would be imperative to ensure that issues related to asset quality of banks and capital shortfalls are addressed. It is essential to empower banks by allowing them greater operational flexibility. Most of the participating economists felt that overhauling the banking industry through consolidation is one of the most challenging tasks in hands of the Bank Board Bureau. In addition, economists also shared their prognosis about the expected recovery in the investment cycle. A majority of the economists were of the view that investment cycle will take at least two more quarters to witness a pickup. It was further opined that an uptick is likely post monsoons as good monsoons will give an impetus to rural demand. Also, urban demand is expected to strengthen once the pay and pension hikes are rolled out. An improvement in demand conditions would be a key driving factor for investments to gain strength. Furthermore, much would also be contingent upon greater infrastructure spending by the government. The interest rate scenario was deemed positive by the respondents for a pick-up in credit growth. In the Union Budget 2016-17, the Hon’ble Finance Minister announced that the government will reorient its interventions in the agriculture sector to double the income of farmers by 2022.

This is an ambitious target; nonetheless an important one given that a majority of our population is still dependent on agriculture. In the current survey, the respondents were asked to indicate the way forward to achieve this target. The participating economists unanimously felt that first and foremost the basics have to be in place. For instance, setting up proper irrigation facilities is definitely a prerequisite. Along with this, encouraging water harvesting, promoting crop insurance schemes with greater vigour and creating a unified agricultural market that would ensure appropriate price for the agricultural produce by eliminating middlemen, will be most critical. Economists were of the opinion that a structural change in the sector is required to invigorate the sector’s growth potential. It was recommended that research and development in agriculture sector should be encouraged along with strengthening of extension services at the ground level to make the farmers aware of the available technology and its usage. It was also proposed that greater investments are needed towards building necessary rural infrastructure (such as warehouses, roads) and rural supply chain infrastructure. This will not only lead to seamless movement of agricultural commodities across the country but will also be the key to generate greater income for farmers. Besides ensuring higher public spending on rural infrastructure, economists believed that increasing expenditure on NREGA will also help increasing farmer incomes especially during distress in the agriculture sector.

World’s Space Agencies unite to face the Climate Challenge

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June 5, 2016

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For the first time, under the impetus of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the French Space Agency (CNES), space agencies of more than 60 countries agreed to engage their satellites, to coordinate their methods and their data to monitor human-induced greenhouse gas emissions.

The COP21 climate conference held in Paris last December acted as a wake-up call in this context. Without satellites, the reality of global warming would not have been recognised and the subsequent historic agreement at the United Nations headquarters in New York on April 22, 2016 would not have been signed. Out of the 50 essential climate variables being monitored today, 26 – including rising sea level, sea ice extent and greenhouse gas concentrations in all layers of the atmosphere – can be measured only from space.

The key to effectively implementing the Paris Agreement lies in the ability to verify that nations are fulfilling their commitments to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Only satellites can do that. Invited to New Delhi by ISRO and CNES the world’s space agencies decided to establish “an independent, international system” to centralise data from their Earth-observing satellites through the ‘New Delhi Declaration’ that officially came into effect on May 16, 2016.

The goal now will be to inter-calibrate these satellite data so that they can be combined and compared over time. In other words, it is to make the transition to closely coordinated and easily accessible ‘big space data’.

“It is overwhelming to see the unilateral support of all space agencies to use space inputs for monitoring climate change,” said ISRO Chairman Shri A.S. Kiran Kumar. “Earth observation satellites provide a vital means of obtaining measurements of the climate system from a global perspective. ISRO is committed for the continuity of earth observation data, through the thematic series of satellites, with improvements en-route, to meet contemporary as well as future needs. ISRO is also engaging with CNES, JAXA and NASA for realising joint missions for global climate observation with advanced instruments.”

“This is a historic event that reaches far beyond the space sector and is a perfect example of the kind of success that can only be achieved through international cooperation” said CNES President Mr. Jean-Yves Le Gall. “With this consensus among space agencies from more than 60 nations, including the world’s leading space powers, the international space community and scientists now have the tools they need to put their talent, intelligence and optimism to work for the good of humankind and our planet.”

Joint statement of India-Singapore after Defence Ministers’ Dialogue

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June 5, 2016

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The Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar is on a three-day visit to Singapore for his introductory visit and to attend the 15th Shangri-La Dialogue. Shri Parrikar today met the Minister for Defence of Singapore Dr. Ng Eng Hen to co-chair the inaugural Singapore-India Defence Ministers’ Dialogue (DMD).

A joint statement issued after the DMD is as follows:-

“Dr Ng and Mr Parrikar commended the long-standing defence ties between Singapore and India, and noted the DMD would take the relationship to new heights.

Both Ministers welcomed the growth in the defence relationship since the signing of the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) in 2003 and the revised DCA in 2015. Defence cooperation had been identified as a key sector under the India-Singapore Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership signed during the visit of Prime Minister of India Mr Narendra Modi to Singapore in November 2015.

The two Ministers noted that their bilateral defence cooperation has been longstanding. The two navies conducted the first Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) in 1994. SIMBEX has grown more ambitious over the years, incorporating the Republic of Singapore Navy’s Archer-class submarine and the Indian Navy’s Kamorta-class corvette and P-8I aircraft for the first time in May 2015.

The two air forces have also conducted 11 bilateral exercises since 2004, while the two armies have conducted joint artillery and armour exercises since 2005.

The high degree of complexity of the bilateral exercises between all three Services of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the Indian Armed Forces reflects the growing confidence as well as mutual respect for each other’s professional capabilities. Both Ministers committed to further enhancing the scale and scope of bilateral exercises.

Dr Ng thanked Mr Parrikar for India’s strong support for the SAF’s training in India, covered under the ambit of bilateral agreements for Air Force and Army training. Both sides agreed to work toward the renewal of both agreements in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

Both Ministers also commended the progress made in bilateral cooperation in defence R&D and technology. Under the India-Singapore Defence Technology Steering Committee, which was set up in October 2006, both sides have undertaken several joint research projects in a wide spectrum of mutually-beneficial areas, and are deepening cooperation in unmanned systems and soldier performance.

Singapore and India also convened the first meeting of their Defence Industry Working Group in May 2016. Both sides agreed to set up industry level working mechanisms to foster cooperation in aerospace, electronics and other areas of mutual interest. Both Ministers noted that new opportunities for industrial collaboration, including through Joint Ventures, have opened up due to India’s Make in India initiative.

Both Ministers reaffirmed India’s vital role in the security of the Asia-Pacific region, in particular through the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus platforms. Dr Ng thanked India for hosting the ADMM-Plus Humanitarian Mine Action and Peacekeeping Operations Exercise in March 2016, and for participating in the ADMM-Plus Maritime Security and Counter-Terrorism Exercise in May 2016 with one naval ship with embarked helicopter, Special Forces and infantry teams of over 200 personnel.

Both Ministers also emphasised the importance of international cooperation in tackling transnational security threats. In particular, both Ministers strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms, and renewed their commitment to cooperate in counter-terrorism efforts.

Both Ministers also emphasised their shared commitment to maintaining freedom of navigation in international waters, the right of passage and overflight, unimpeded commerce and access to resources in accordance with recognised principles of international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The two sides agreed on the need to evolve protocols and norms of behaviour in the air and maritime domains aimed at building confidence, defusing tensions and reducing the risks of miscalculations.

Dr Ng also thanked Mr Parrikar for India’s support for the Information Fusion Centre and the Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre.

Mr Parrikar extended an invitation to Dr Ng to visit India on mutually convenient dates to continue the bilateral ministerial dialogue. The invitation was accepted with pleasure”.

India & USA can transform the world with trade and trust, Rajnath Singh

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June 5, 2016

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The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has said that India and USA are natural allies and could transform the world with trade and trust. He was addressing the inaugural session of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce’s (IACC) National Conclave-2016 in Hyderabad today.

Shri Rajnath Singh said the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the US President Mr. Barack Obama have added a new and successful chapter in Indo-US bilateral relations. The US-India trade value was $90 billion during 2009-10. It rose to $100 billion in 2014-15. “Now we should focus on the goal to achieve the $500 billion Indo-US trade value soon,” Shri Rajnath Singh said. “India has enormous potential than any other country in this direction and the ongoing IACC Conclave would deliberate extensively on this,” he added.

Shri Rajnath Singh said that under the dynamic leadership of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India is now the fastest growing economy in the world. At present, all indicators are in the right direction and the country is the most attractive destination for investments. The government is laying emphasis to achieve double digit growth, by following proactive, holistic and integrated approach. To facilitate US investments under the fast track mode, the government has setup ‘One shop investment platform,’ he added.

Shri Rajnath Singh said the recent meetings held by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi with heads of top corporates in the USA were great success resulting in attracting FDIs from these companies. Indian pharma companies are capable of producing affordable generic medicines and the USA needs to permit import of generic medicines to bring down the healthcare costs, he said. India and the USA can explore opportunities in the untapped rural infrastructure development sector. Besides, the youth were being trained under the Skill India programme and the US companies can benefit by utilizing this manpower, said Shri Rajnath Singh. There are ample of opportunities in the Agriculture sector too for both countries to improve economic ties, he added.

The Union Home Minister informed that he will be visiting the United States next month for the dialogue on Homeland Security. “More investments are needed for the Police Modernization programme. Shri Rajnath Singh said Homeland Security is one of the important areas for the nation’s economic development. “If Border Management is proper, then only Internal Security is ensured”, he said. There is a need to use technology for Border Management, he added. The redtapism and governmental procedures were minimized to attract FDIs. Earlier the Government used to sanction Security Clearance for only 3 years and now the same has been extended to 10 years, he said.

The Governor of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Shri ESL Narasimhan, IACC National President, Dr. Lalit Kanodia and other dignitaries were present.

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India & USA can transform the world with trade and trust, Rajnath Singh

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