EDITORIAL

George & George

Students of history and of politics in India can’t forget George V. And now their attention has been focused on V George. A world of difference between George V and V George. The former was the King of England. And the latter is, to his loyalists, the ‘king-maker’ in India’s oldest political organisation, Indian National Congress by name. Indeed, V George is Ms Sonia Gandhi’s trusted man. No wonder, the Congressmen have been quietly assigned the crucial task of defending V George, indispensable private secretary to the lady of 10 Janpath. The CBI cannot be faulted for the move against him. However, the timing of the CBI first information report (FIR) has proved somewhat auspicious for V George. The Congress leaders, who wanted to draw maximum political mileage out of the Tehelka expose, were taken aback-indeed, irritated-by the CBI move, which, the tutored defenders of V George insisted was to divert attention from the expose. Ms Sonia has created history of sorts by assuring her "dear" George of her fullest support and cooperation, while the rest of her party leaders saying that the party is in favour of the "law taking its course". This kind of strategy is in line with the Congress stand in the case of Ms Jayalalitha and the former Chief Minister of Bihar, Laloo Prasad Yadav. In both cases, the Congress leadership had argued that a mere FIR was not..more

Chrar: Operation Devastation-VI
Impact of two blunders committed by New Delhi

From B L Kak
Debatable is the question: Is the Kashmir imbroglio the .....more

The XYZ of Open Choice

Academic Pulse
By Prof. S. K. Bhalla
The callous indifference of intel ligentsia in general in the field of education is symptomatic..more

Any lessons from 'Tehelka'?
Tales of Travesty

By Dr. Jitendra Singh
Soon after independence, the Father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi had made a revolting ...more

Beggers pay, Government Servants loot

By Daya Sagar
A common member in a socialistic democracy pays or contributes as per his capacity ....more

Rainwater harvesting-
need of the hour

By Dr B K Fotedar
The union of India is the seventh largest country in the world covering an area of 3287263.......more

On the mission trail again

By Satyendra Pratap Singh
Technology missions are back in business in the Indian science and technology .......more

EDITORIAL

George & George

Students of history and of politics in India can’t forget George V. And now their attention has been focused on V George. A world of difference between George V and V George. The former was the King of England. And the latter is, to his loyalists, the ‘king-maker’ in India’s oldest political organisation, Indian National Congress by name. Indeed, V George is Ms Sonia Gandhi’s trusted man. No wonder, the Congressmen have been quietly assigned the crucial task of defending V George, indispensable private secretary to the lady of 10 Janpath. The CBI cannot be faulted for the move against him. However, the timing of the CBI first information report (FIR) has proved somewhat auspicious for V George. The Congress leaders, who wanted to draw maximum political mileage out of the Tehelka expose, were taken aback-indeed, irritated-by the CBI move, which, the tutored defenders of V George insisted was to divert attention from the expose. Ms Sonia has created history of sorts by assuring her "dear" George of her fullest support and cooperation, while the rest of her party leaders saying that the party is in favour of the "law taking its course". This kind of strategy is in line with the Congress stand in the case of Ms Jayalalitha and the former Chief Minister of Bihar, Laloo Prasad Yadav. In both cases, the Congress leadership had argued that a mere FIR was not enough to prove a person guilty. In fact, the Congress leadership has sought to differentiate between those involved in the Tehelka expose and V George. What is interesting, if not startling, is the stand taken by the critics of V George. These critics, though seemingly against the autocratic style of functioning of George and increasingly anxious for his ouster from the coterie of Ms Sonia, have opined that immediate action against him at this stage will amount to the Government’s confession of guilt. Whatever the attitude of V George’s friends and foes, there is no doubt that many within and outside the Congress party are upset by and critical of the manner in which Sonia and company have taken up the case of an employee facing charges of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. If Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee was forced to get rid of his Defence Minister, George Fernandes, Ms Sonia Gandhi will not desert her own George in the given situation. The word ‘George’ has become quite important now-a-days. Students of politics have, again, been set in motion following the emergence on the scene of yet another George-that is, George Verghese. The Vajpayee Government has appointed George Verghese, former editor, as media consultant to the Defence Minister.

Chrar: Operation Devastation-VI
Impact of two blunders committed by New Delhi

From B L Kak

Debatable is the question: Is the Kashmir imbroglio the result of contributory blunders committed by all the three parties, namely, India, Pakistan and Kashmir? Much has been said and, perhaps, much more written on this hitherto. Significantly, what has been highlighted this time is the blunder number one and blunder number two committed by the Janata Dal Government in New Delhi.

Blunder number one, as discussed in the book under reference: The handling of the incident of abduction of Ms Rubia Sayeed, daughter of the then Union Home Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, made heroes of young, armed boys and romanticised the charisma of the gun.

"The wholehearted aversions against Indian Government", the book has sought to emphasise, "developed from 1950, when the selection of 75 members to the Constituent Assembly was made, and the subsequent wounds inflicted by those rulers upon the sentiment of the Kashmiris, made the people celebrate this defeat of the mighty rulers in New Delhi". The book opined: "Hence, these boys became harbingers of a revolution that, to the public view, was capable of giving a showdown to ‘hypocritical power politics’. Militancy got popularised directly by this defeat of the arrogant Delhi Darbar".

The second blunder highlighted by the book: The appointment of Mr Jagmohan as Governor of Jammu and Kashmir for a second term within a very short span. Authors of the book commented: "Mr Jagmohan, in spite of his keen interest in the development of roads and buildings, was, for the masses, a butcher of democratic rights, privileges, guarantees and values". Why such a comment? Reply: Mr Jagmohan had "patronised, supervised and conducted wholesale rigged elections in 1987 for the same Dr Farooq whom he had dismissed in 1984".

And the book has also conveyed yet another anti-Jagmohan message: It is he who, while dissolving the Legislative Assembly in 1990, confessed its illegitimate origin. He was in the eyes of the people an accomplice in the rigging. His re-appointment within such a short period was not only pertinent with grave inferences against the intentions of New Delhi but foolish, too.

"The great India", the book says, "had no famine of men". Mr Jagmohan, the book adds, from the Emergency period till his completion of the assignment in Kashmir "lived in controversy and the Indian Muslim had a prejudice against him-genuine or fictitious". Hence the verdict from the book’s authors: It was, therefore, a blunder to send Mr Jagmohan at a critical juncture in Kashmir. In fact, Gauhar and Gowhar have accused Mr Jagmohan of having presided over the bloodbath of Kashmiris.

According to the book, the Kashmiris’ search for "hot ammunition" started after the 1987 Assembly elections. The book has recalled that the Kashmiris, generally, were reluctant to seek direct aid from any quarter, but the Indian leadership, the Governments in New Delhi and their agents both in Srinagar and Jammu had left no alternative for the people of "this unfortunate part of the world to do what their traits and traditions did not allow them to do".

The situation forced them to to look for help towards that very direction which had not come up to their expectations. However, Kashmiris on their part, the book asserts, tried their utmost that the Indian leadership would realise their agonies, redress their grievances and involve them with the process of building their destiny. "But, this was not to be. Hence, the ‘sarad gola’ of brick was shaped into Kalashankov, the stone was replaced by a grenade and the kangri took the shape of a missile", Gauhar and Gowhar have stated.

India, according to the book, always, at every national and international forum, argued that it was Pakistan that had engaged it in a proxy war in Kashmir and India always tried to paint the indigenous Kashmiri struggle as an imported terrorism. And Gauhar and Gowhar have argued that India hadn’t obtained any convincing proof in its contention, but Mast Gul provided it when he faced the world media and that too from the shrine complex of Chrar-e-Sharief. Was he, therefore, acting for India?

Gauhar and Gowhar have reckoned the fact that Pakistan wanted to make deep-rooted hatred against India a common commodity available in every bazaar of Kashmir. They have stated: "There was already contempt and hatred against India. It widened as never to be bridged. So, it required that Indians should commit serious sacrilege either at Hazratbal or at Chrar-e-Sharief".

And the conclusion drawn by Gauhar and Gowhar: "People of J&K found India guilty of intransigent attitude, amounting to sacrilege both at Hazratbal and Chrar. But, at both places, the militants, too, had contributed wilfully or by the compulsions of situation".

The two authors have lamented: "It is unfortunate that a nation that boasts of its high values and preaches the valued ideals of Mahatma Gandhi has, by now, not a single Ashok Mehta in its vastness who, in the murder of Karim Shah saw gthe suffrocation of thesoul of kashmir. Today there are about two dozen murders committed daily. Yet, no India leader has the sensibility or sensitivity of Ashok Mehta, who would express sympathy with this oppressed nation (of Kashmiris)".

(Concluded)

The XYZ of Open Choice

Academic Pulse
By Prof. S. K. Bhalla

The callous indifference of intel ligentsia in general in the field of education is symptomatic of worst times ahead for all of us. A section of this group has compromised with the nefarious practices of the prevailing system which is a very easy option while others are mute spectators to the murky goings on and making the most of the available opportunities. There is still another microscopic lot which feels concerned bitten by a bug and desires to call a spade a spade but owing to psychological blocks cannot afford to come forth.

Without digressing from the issue of this write-up there is no inhibition in writing that the reported demand of students of Colleges of Jammu city for the so called unacademic concessions popularly called 'Open Choice' though half-heartedly rejected by the concerned has something more in it than meets the eye. After the settlement of their grievance with wider ramifications there is no fun in resorting to another instalment of academic unrest. One of the gravest blunders committed by University of Jammu and small time educational leaders of colleges last session was grant of academic concessions when the students agitation had practically failed. At present they appear to be euphoric on account of their apparent success and are agitating to be compensated. This is only one dimension of the whole thing.

A few other questions agitate the mind. Are the teachers in general ready to teach for a few more days viz, 30 to 40 for the completion of courses? They are apparently in a "majority of cases despite the fact that in some city colleges in some subjects the quantum of course taught is not what should have been. Is there then any other agency misguiding the taught behind the scenes? Yes, it is, definitely. Do the students on their own feel that they need be compensated because it is impossible to study at College level now and prepare for examination at home while the teachers are ready to teach? If they are thinking on these lines they must realize that some adjustments have to be made when something goes wrong. The scenario is very unfortunate owing to the dirty face of politics and slanted academic agenda at varied levels leading to further loss of academic work.

It is here only our Principals of city Colleges and teachers can play a positive role if they want to justify their existence in the society otherwise they will have to wear longest faces and accept the stigma of playing a marginal role. Let there be no contradictory noises for the time being. Already the scene is none too rosy. We must jointly educate the students repeatedly through print and electronic media that we are available to teach them in all earnestness till the completion of their courses of study by engaging extra classes too wherever required with all the strength at our disposal. In case they do not heed to our piece of advice and not ("An Appeal") we shall also follow an entirely different course. We teachers at times threaten to boycott examinations for getting grades but to set right an academic aberration come forward reluctantly as we love to play safe. This is exactly what is being discussed by a few right thinking teachers spread in a small measure in colleges.

Alas! This is not as simple. Majority of students these days and in the past including the ring leaders have been controlled by a handful of tuition mongers who shall never guide the students on these lines as it affects their roaring practice. Neither the ring leaders nor the concerned in-service teachers involved in this unethical trade shall ever admit this openly. Funnily, even these students do not accord respect to these teachers after leaving colleges as they in their heart of hearts feel the pinch of paying but being lost temporarily in frivolities of youth they have to pay for making up the deficiency. Even the Govt. does not appear to be in a mood to check them because these gentlemen, gentleladies have spread their tentacles too deep in the system. Unless and untill something is seriously done to puncture this black spot opposed to the great tradition of education nothing substantial could be achieved as this process has given rise to non-seriousness in the city College.

Students must also introspect for a while without any bias. Passing an examination supported on the crutches of open choice shall not in any case enhance their capability. But again the majority is not bothered as a very few study for a brilliant career. Rest just require a degree and would opt for an easier course because in our social set-up in many a case the mere possession of the degree is passport to a decent backdoor job/marriage/adjustment in life in case of those coming from the better strata of society. So why bother for a standards? The standards are only for poor and down and out and rules for fools.

One more dimension of the whole thing. By allowing students cleverly to avail of more than required number of days as preparatory holidays for years together, teaching sub-standards syllabus in certain subjects, not trying to evolve novel methods of testing and a lot more we have done more harm than good to our students in general and education system as a whole which has encouraged apathy and indifference towards study. Why not try now for serious and sensible objectives?

Moreover, we have never involved/informed parents as to what their wards in colleges by arranging parent-teacher meetings (though politicians turned educationists, teachers turned businessmen and a wafer thin slice of seemingly dutiful teachers have met of late), never sent the awards of Internal Assessment to parents as is done in prestigious colleges of India and moreover never thought that education at all levels is more of a mission and a sacred commitment. The Govt. should also not encourage those tendencies by which its intentions are ever held suspect at any point of time.

Meanwhile, let us read things dispassionately and with a cool mind as also come forth with some academically befitting solution to the present academic impasse. The deadly virus may spread to school in the coming years, it is feared.

Any lessons from 'Tehelka'?
Tales of Travesty

By Dr. Jitendra Singh

Soon after independence, the Father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi had made a revolting prediction that a day would come when men wearing the Gandhi caps would be stoned in the streets of India. Over 50 years later today, even though the Gandhi cap and Dhoti have yielded place to Safari suit, it has in no way helped prevent the decline of politician's image in public eye.

The question is not whether Bangaru Laxman, as shown in the infamous "Tehelka" tape, accepted the notorious sum of Rupees One lakh for party fund or for personal use? The point to ponder is that anybody who has an amount of Rupees One Lakh in his brief case can gain access to the highest of the highest in political hierarchy. The question is not whether Jaya Jaitley was putting in a word for favours from George Fernandes? The point to ponder is that any woman, or perhaps even man, who shares an intimate liaison with the Defence Minister of the country can aspire for the illegitimate authority to negotiate defence deals that offer attractive kickbacks.

While the opposition political parties are always waiting to exploit each new scam to promote their immediate interests, what is actually disturbing is the fact that by and large the country's intelligentsia and the right thinking citizenry is growing increasingly indifferent to corruption in high places. The honest and the well-meaning people are gradually withdrawing into the background thus inadvertantly leaving the field open for the opportunists, the self-seekers and the money-makers. Each time when there is disclosure of a new scam, the media highlights it with the limited interest of selling a new sensation and very soon the media also dumps it and moves over to yet another populist saleable issue.

Scams and money scandals --- whether it be Bofors or Hawala or Tehelka --- no longer provoke the kind of public outrage that they normally should. The recurrent scams have been simply reduced to sensational pieces of news offering a subject of gossip and amusement for a few days. This paradox could also be linked to the fact that traders, market brokers and black marketeers today enjoy far greater respectability in the society and there has emerged a class of neo-rich activists who are zealously engaged in bending the rules not only to their own convenience but also to the immediate advantage of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats.

Pluto told us centuries ago that the price good men pay for not entering into the Government is to be administered by a bad Government. And, the price that common masses pay for tolerating the vulgar trends of a neo-rich culture is to become a victim of the same culture. Corruption is no longer an issue of concern for a hundred crore nation which is fast adapting itself to live and rejoice in the rule of corruption. In a situation like this, it seems unlikely that any lessons will be learnt from "Tehelka"!

Nonetheless, in a system which is tailored to patronise only the grabbers and the greedy, it is a saving grace that a less privileged common man too manages to survive though with modest comfort and humble profile. It is indeed a saving grace that Umapathy too survives from day to day in hostile environs which essentially cater to those who cheat him, loot him and ditch him thus simulating poet Josh Milliabadi's observation "Shaitaan Raat Bhar Mein Insaan Ban Gaye, Namak Haraam The Jitne 'Captaan" Ban Gaye."

*****

Beggers pay, Government Servants loot

By Daya Sagar

A common member in a socialistic democracy pays or contributes as per his capacity in the form of direct and indirect taxes for the wages of a legislator but to-day in India a MLA breaks the furniture in the Assembly. You pay for the food of a police man but he hovers his rod over the innocent. You contribute for your security but the security men (servant) drives you away from the road for his own security. You pay for the education of your child but the servant corrupts the tax for his own ward. You pay for the wages of a revenue clerk but your servant from super public sector makes you to run for identifying your own land. Tax is paid for making a road to a remote village but the "servant" makes a way from his own gate to the porch. You pay tax for the wages of a doctor but the doctor buys a "hoarding" for his private clinic.

Tax is paid for the security of the poor & backward but the enemy is kept free to militate, you pay your "servant" to run a school for your children but the "servant" mismanages the school not even worth his own son and you still pay him. "Servant" is paid for settling the disputes but the disputes instead grow multifold.

Must not you ask yourself that why you are paying taxes and what returns are you getting from your "servant" engaged in a Government department?

Question to be agitated:

Why do we pay taxes, is the question which requires to be agitated by every Indian. It may appear strange when some body is told that it is not only the direct taxes like income tax that makes one to qualify for being a tax payee. Even a beggar in a welfare State like India could be called a tax payer. Is it not surprising to call a tax payer? Can a begger also ask for his right to life and security? How do we pay Taxes? What for we pay taxes? And the like are the questions that need to be understood by each & member of the society who is the Master of civil servant.

Taxes are paid as Common contribution:

One would have paid no tax had he the capacity to manage by self the environment and resources as available on the land and if all had to maintain the personal security at individual cost. But, since all affairs could not be managed at individual level, the taxes are paid as contribution to the common cause and cost to perform all the resource management as well as required social functions.

The taxes as paid to State are to ensure our physical security against the enemy across the boundaries, as a safeguard against atrocities that could be committed by a physically and materially strong individual on the weaker ones; for creating favourable environment for health and knowledge of the member of the society; for creating healthy conditions for the people to function and do business to the best of their capacity; and for promotion of economic, scientific & political progress of the community as a whole.

Members of a society pay tax contribution as per their individual capacity to Government for self governess and the Government has to deliver the functional needs through employed (paid) Government servants without any class of favour or discrimination based on caste, religion or social status. This aspect appears to have been totally forgotton by the servant and even the "Master" who appears too tiny before his own servant.

Pension a Humble Contribution:

A Government employee is debarred from doing a private enterprise during his service life (employment period with Government) because it is feared that one could play a partisan role while discharging his duties in favour of one's own enterprise or in favour of some one else to win favours for his trade or transaction. And hence when those employed in service grow old and are retired or relieved from active service, they are supported by paying social contribution in terms of superannuation pension during their last days as a goodwill gesture since they were not allowed to raise their own business enterprise when young and the wages paid by the society may not be that big to have sufficient needed reserves left behind for future use. Even the family members are secured through family pension. The spirit behind it is so, although in to-day's times a Government servant is accused every second moment of doing Government service as business and the Government employees are able to "save" over rupees tens of lacs to even a few crores in cash and assets during service times. Every other day those employed to collect taxes as income tax, excise duty, sales tax, estates tax etc hit the newslines for having been arrested or challaned for having disproportionate asset; what to talk of those who have been employed to execute the schemes through public funds and those who are retained to save you from disease and dangers to your life as well as property.

The members of the society who have to discharge the functions related to above are suitably compensated in the shape of wages and social security to even their families wherever required (within the capacity of the society) alongwith giving the "servant" authority to correct even "his" "employer" for any wrong performance, exercise control and make decisions on the affairs concerning the society and it's individual units.

And incase the cause is not met, the employee is a simple burden and must be shed. But it is possible only when a Government employee understands this truth or the society makes it known to those employed from day one itself as the first lesson. This day the concept appears to be totally forgotten both by the "employer" as well as the "employee".

A Beggar also pays tax:

The revenue in the shape of taxes that is collected by a State is drawn through many channels.

The minerals & oils that are extracted are social mass contribution to the exchequer.

The excise duty that is collected on manufactured goods right from a match box to a commercial vehicle; the sales tax that is collected on the paper that is used by a village or backward student; the toll or octroi that a shop keeper collects from the buyers is a part of the price as tax already paid; and the like are paid for welfare programmes in a democracy. Transporters pay taxes on the trade they conduct and the income they make. A beggar pays out of alms collected by him for a bidi or 'chapati' he may also buy which to has some element of tax included in it's price.

No matter how much one pays but all pay taxes and hence a democratic State has to provide social economic, political and physical security to all without any discrimination.

Dangers Ahead:

As per reports in Bihar some Naxalites are using their own couts and executives to identify and punish the corrupt Government servants. Under their terror many corrupt Government servants have vowed to be honest infuture and some have even returned the cash taken as bribes from the poor. Such stage is not good. Let the servant realise and perform his duty to-wards his "master" who pays the tax in State Fisc.

Rainwater harvesting- need of the hour

By Dr B K Fotedar

The union of India is the seventh largest country in the world covering an area of 3287263 square km and is important country of South Asia. It has recently crossed one billion mark in population. The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle part of India. As a result, the southern half of the country has a tropical climate. During winter, the northern half of India is warmer than areas of similar latitudinal location by 3degree to 8 degree celcius. This is due to the fact the Great Himalaya checks the penetration of cold polar air into India effectively. As against this in countries like the USA and China where there are no barriers of height of Himalayas, cold polar air invades areas as low latitudes as 20 degree north. Since north India is warm or mildly cool during winter and hot for greater part of the year, we generally say that India is essentially a tropical country.

Inspite of the diversities of climate prevailing in India, the Scientists have been witnessing a climatic change throughout the globe. Some times there are unprecedented cyclones in India, other times droughts and still we have been observing changes in general weather conditions in many parts. There are failure in monsoons, or even monsoons many times get delayed considerably affecting large parts of India to remain dry. Snowfalls also occur unusually in odd months and that too very less in amount. With this the volume of ice caps become too less and further due to global warming effect, scientists expect a sea rise, in which many of the coastal areas would be under water in the years to come. There would be overall crisis of water and people will start feeling pinch of the want. In the last a few years, droughts have occurred in many parts of India and this has brought out many miseries in terms of myraids of diseases, malnutrition etc. Then there is El Nino which has definitely an effect on climates particularly on monsoons. Strong El Nino means failure of monsoons. Scientists believe that the greatest droughts occurring in India are associated with El Nino. El Nino has brought destruction in the pacific coasts following devastating fires resulting in the total destruction of crops. There was no rain for months together making weather uncomfortable. In all cases, the atmospheric conditions became such that the rainfall decreases throughout the globe and even drinking water became scarce. It is now agreed upon that water scarcities will become intense day by day.

It has been reported by scientists that India will be critically a dry region by the year 2025 as rural -urban migration will increase to more than 50 percent of the total population by 2020. In Delhi, water supply is expected to fall short by 932 million litres by the end of this year. The city of Delhi is almost perpetually in the grip of water crisis more so during the dry season when serious shortages afflict the city. Population in Delhi is expected to cross about 14 million towards the end of 2001 and hence there would be more demand for water. Presently, the requirement of Delhi people is 3324 million litres per day, the installed capacity is only 2634 million litres per day. Massive plans to build dams like Tehri, Renuka and Kishan are under way in far away Himalayas drowning forests and villages under their reservoirs. And while more and more water is being sucked towards the capital through elaborate channels, 50 percent of the water leaks out from the pipes in the distribution system in Delhi due to bad maintenance. And finally with alarming pollution levels in rivers like Yamuna, which supplies 70 percent of the drinking water for Delhi, it has become imperative to find alternative sources of clean water. On the flip side of the coin, rainwater harvesting system has clearly passed the test of the time. Rainwater harvesting in several villages in drought hit areas of Gujrat and Western M P has prepared their people to face drought hit-situations. The state of Mizoram, which receives around 2500 mm of rainfall every year began to realise the value of rainwater harvesting since the late eighties.

The main cause of water scarcity today makes us to believe that we have forgotten the old traditions of water conservations systems. Starting at the rain drops and wondering why did not follow in the footsteps of their forefathers who traditionally stored rainwater for future use in storage tanks of all the conceivable shapes and sizes, rainwater has successfully been harvested in Kundis in Churu (Rajasthan), Surangams in Kerala, Zings in Ladakh and bens in Jaisalmir. The miracle of rainwater harvesting is illustrated by the contradictory experiences in the arid desert of Rajasthan and the wet hills of Meghalaya. Despite getting only 100 mm of rainfall a year, a severe draught in 1987 saw Jaisalmir city with enough water to drink, mainly due to its water harvesting wells. The Cherapunji district in Meghalaya famous for the highest rainfall in India at 15000 mm, faces acute water shortage and therefore, thy have strictly applied rainwater harvesting techniques. According to P R Pisharoty, one of India's leading metereologists, India receives around 400 million hectare. The distribution of this rainfall varies greatly between 200 mm in areas of Thar desert and 11400 mm in Cherapunji in northeast. Yet he points out that there is almost no area where annual rainfall is less than 100 mm. Even this is adequate to meet local drinking water requirements, it is harvested properly where it falls.

Centre of Science and Environment has started rainwater harvesting in Tughlakabad over its building so that sufficient quantity of rain get stores in the underneath of the building. Even this practice has been started in schools for example Shri Ram School, Vasant Vihar N Delhi who has expressed a deep concern on environmental issues through student activities. The school is now involved in spreading the message of water harvesting and water conservation. Various other schools have also started this technique by excavating trenches and bends to regulate the flow of rain fall runoff.

The actual scheme of water harvesting involves the following steps:

The Water is harvested by allowing it to percolate into the ground for groundwater recharge.

The grooved structure at the roof tops is essential for channelising rainwater to be stored in an underground tank for direct use.

For recharging water, number of bore wells are needed to be constructed around the building. Apart from these an underground tank and check bund are used to harvest water.

Brick check bunds prevent water from flowing rapidly to promote recharge through the recharge bore-wells and so these are necessary.

Mouths of storm water drains need to be raised above ground level to prevent water from draining away.

The recharge borewells need to be 9 meter deep. This has given satisfactory results in many cases.

The structures made within the building need to be inspected frequently.

To prevent leaves and debris from entering the system, mesh filters should be provided at the mouth of the drain pipe. Sand filter should be provided over the tanks storing water.

Besides these the trash generated in the domestic consumption should never be thrown carelessly in the drain pipes.

In Jammu area and in all its adjoining areas, the need of the hour is to start rainwater harvesting at the right earnest. The water crisis is brewing fast as observed since the year 1998. There are many areas even in Jammu proper where water remains a distant dream for days together and in the absence of it the people are put to lot of miseries. Municipal water supplies are inadequate and cannot suffice a large part of the population which is rising at a fast rate for the last two decades. It is therefore, necessary that every house should be constructed in such a manner so that the roof tops contain provision for collecting rain water efficiently. Unfortunately, while so many other states have since started conserving water by Rainwater harvesting technique, Jammu still lags behind. Jammuites have not understood that water is one of the precious commodities that all have to value most. It should be made mandatory for new constructions to have roof tops grooved for collecting rain water and storing the same in tanks. To face the water scarcity in the years to come, the concerted efforts should be made to conserve rainwater. Our main mantra should be ''catch the water where it falls''. The school children should involve themselves in this exercise on the same lines as has been done by many schools in Delhi.

 

On the mission trail again

By Satyendra Pratap Singh

Technology missions are back in business in the Indian science and technology sector. The difference this time around seems to be the emphasis on building the mission programme more on the strengths than the sheer need. Spearheading the mission projects is the Office of the Scientific Adviser to the Government, Mr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

The India Millennium Mission, 2020 (IMM) initiative is the new avatar with a set of 30 integrated national projects which are being structured to help build and protect wealth and transform India from a developing to a developed nation.

Technology missions are not new to India. The experiments driven by the technology-wizard. Mr. Sam Pitroda, the Adviser to the late Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, during the mid-1980s, yielded good results. The focus was on areas of need such as drinking water, oilseeds, sugar, literacy, and so on, with the express intention of improving the overall quality of life of the people.

However, in the post-economic liberalisation phase, with the changed focus of bringing more public-industry collaborations in the civilian sector and a gradual squeeze on state-funding to civilian research a slowdown in the mission programmes was witnessed especially in terms of diversification into more sectors.

A focussed, but small technology development mission project was formulated in 1993-94 with the activity centered around the five Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc). A fund of Rs. 8 crore was made available to them. In partnership with the Indian industry, these institutes mostly concentrated on technology upgradation programmes.

Some of the areas where the contribution of these small-scale mission mode projects are evident are in sugar technology, fly ash utilisation, advanced composites and in drugs and pharmaceuticals sector. The beneficiaries of this exercise were the small and medium enterprises, researchers, IIT teachers and technologists.

The renewal of the technology missions on a national scale in the planned way began again in year 2000. Two key factors that determined the formulation of the India Millennium Mission, 2020, which is the driver for this new initiative, were the massive exercises carried out by the Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The TIFAC, along with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), brought out 18 volumes covering areas such as agriculture, strategic materials, milk and dairying, communications, sensors, aviation with the help of the country's leading experts. The objective was to draw up a road map of development which would lead to the country becoming self-reliant in the particular technology area by 2020. The means to achieve was through a collaboration between researchers and the industry. The DRDO, on the other hand, carried out a detailed exercise on integrated strategies, technologies and missions for comprehensive national security, drawing on the expertise of people over hundreds of man-years. The DRDO was already working on the defined goal of achieving at least 60 per cent self-reliance by 2005, as far as indigenous development of components and key defence products were concerned.

These two independent initiatives in a way addressed the generation of wealth and its protection in a comprehensive manner and identified technology as the linking factor. The India Millennium Missions are the fusion of these two efforts, according to Dr. Kalam, who has played a key role in both the exercises.

The IMM 2020 will be intensely technology-driven and structured as a matrix of 30 inter-departmental national economic and security missions. The Centre has allocated Rs. 50 crore as initial funding from five select projects that were launched during 2000, under the aegis of the TIFAC.

The real test for the success of the projects will depend on the synergy that can be achieved between the Government agencies, especially the research and academic institutions, and the Indian private sector.

The TIFAC has utilised the experience gained in funding projects under its home-grown technologies scheme to bring together private industry, research and development organisation and engineering colleges/universities in a special initiative called REACH (relevance and excellence in achieving new heights in educational institutions).

Similarly, the DRDO has, through its interface with industry, societal mission projects launched with the support of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and private industry, as well as the collaboration with the CII in allowing eight of its laboratories for private participation, gained sufficient knowhow for forging better synergies.

Based, on these experiences, five mega projects have been identified keeping in mind the core competence that can be mustered. These are agriculture and food processing, reliable electric power for all, education and healthcare, information technology and the strategic sectors. In essence, the 30 national IMM 2020 missions will revolve round these areas. To give a fillip to these projects, the Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha announced a 125 per cent weighted tax deduction to all the investments made by the participating industry and NGO groups in the IMM 2020. The tax sop is now applicable to sponsored research in national laboratories, universities functioning under the aegis of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), DRDO, Departments of Biotechnology (DBT), Electronics (DoE), Atomic Energy (DAE), and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

Unlike in the earlier technology mission projects, where the Government was the main funding and driving force, the present IMM 2020 are intended to be more market-driven and a near-equal partnerships between the Government and industry.

A refreshing feature of the upcoming projects would be a pooling up of the core competencies existing among the private industry and the state-funded research establishments. A typical feature is evident in the successful projects in the Space Department like satellite development, or the missile development programme in the DRDO, or the drug discovery projects of the DST and the CSIR. With increasing competition, globally, and tightening trade and patent regimes, the partnership and judicious utilisation of funds is becoming paramount for both the private sector as well as the Government. In this context, the IMM 2020, by reorienting itself to the needs of the market and creation and protection of wealth, can play a catalytic role. INAV



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