EDITORIAL
Elusive discipline
In 1963, the President's
Address to the Joint Session of Parliament was disrupted
by a few members. They took the plea that the President
spoke in English and not in Hindi. The incident was
considered serious enough to cause wide concern.
Jawaharlal Nehru wrote a letter to chief ministers. He
pointed out that the happening was "the first of its
kind In Parliament" and "most
regrettable." He stated: "It is clear that this
kind of thing has to be met effectively, otherwise the
work of our Parliament and Assemblies would be made
difficult and brought into disrepute. This is a vital
matter and I hope Parliament will set a good example
which will be followed in the State Assemblies."
What would have been his reaction to the way the
President's and Governors' Addresses are treated these
days? Does it require any guess? Discipline and decorum
in legislatures has become a bigger casualty since then.
This does not mean that presiding officers and the
members have not been worried. From time to time they
have put their heads together to find a solution. They
devise remedies but find it difficult to stick to them.
It is a routine rather than an exception to stall the
proceedings. Slogans are raised for the asking. The
opposition is bound to be aggressive when it does not get
the desired information. For its part the Government does
not help the matters by withholding it or delaying it for
no apparent rhyme or reason. The purpose of legislatures
is to audit the government's functioning. Any hindrance
in the way can only have a boomeranging effect. The
ongoing session of our legislature is a case in point.
The solemn occasion of the Governor's Address was lost in
a din of boycott and full-throated slogans. Hardly a day
has passed after that when there have not been walk-outs
and disruptions.
Going through the old
records one finds that the All-India Conference of
Presiding Officers, Chief Ministers, Ministers of
Parliamentary Affairs, Leaders and Whips of Parties on
"Discipline and Decorum in Parliament" held in
New Delhi on November 23, 2001 has tried to catch the
bull by the horns. It has identified the following major
contributory factors behind the trend of disorderly
conduct: (a) non-availability of adequate time for
members to raise matters pertaining to their grievances
on the floor of the House; (b) misgivings created at
times by seemingly unresponsive attitude adopted by
government and retaliatory posture by treasury benches;
(c) disinclination, at times, on the part of the
leadership of legislature parties to adhere to
parliamentary norms; (d) absence of prompt and proper
action against erring member under the Rules of
Procedure; and (e) lack of sufficient training and
orientation especially of new members in parliamentary
procedure and etiquette.
These conclusions are
based on practical experience. Their message is loud and
lucid. Everyone concerned must behave. Moreover, the
Government and the Opposition both being the pillars of
the legislature should respect one another for the sake
of greater good of society and the country. After all, it
takes two hands to clap. Admittedly, however, the
scenario has further deteriorated. In the intervening
period more than one Lok Sabha Speaker has threatened to
resign in a desperate bid to restore order. Can our
legislature reverse this negative trend?
Shimmering jewels
Certain information sought
and given in the Legislative Council about some of the
lakes in the State is very revealing. The Dal Lake has
shrunk from nearly 50 square kilometres to 15 square
kilometres so far in this century. If in its present form
it still looks impressive it is only because it has been
bestowed with the nature's munificence in abundance. The
Government has admitted that the Lake has suffered a lot
because of massive encroachments. Many structures
including hotels and houseboats have taken its toll. Some
15000 families live around and within the water body. The
High Court has taken notice of the threats being faced by
the Lake and intervened to apply necessary correctives.
The process of removing infringements has already begun.
Alternative sites have been identified for the
rehabilitation of persons who will be moved out. The
Government has reiterated that it will not hesitate to
shift even the hotels. The measures taken to prevent the
inflow of effluents from hotels and nearby commercial
establishments are not clear. It seems that the concerned
official apparatus is satisfied with all that has been
done so far in this regard under a conservation
programme. On the whole, however, a lot more is required
to be finished. The same is the case with other lakes
especially Wullar, Manasbal and Tso-moriri. Between 2005
and 2010 a sum of Rs 298 crores has been earmarked to be
exhausted for refurbishing the image of the Dal. For the
vast Wullar Lake the Wild Life Protection Department has
prepared a plan for Rs 386 crores: it has been submitted
to the Union Forests and Environment Ministry for
assistance under the Prime Minister's Reconstruction
Plan. A development authority has also been set up for
what is described as Asia's biggest sweet water lake. In
good old days a trip to the Valley was considered
incomplete without sight-seeing around the Wullar. A
thought has also been spared for Manasbal. It is to be
noted that there is no danger yet to the survival of
lakes in the Ladakh region especially in Leh district.
One of them namely Pangong has already won global
acclaim. Its sheer size is breath-taking. Tso-moriri in
the Changthang plateau is equally enchanting although it
is smaller in size. It has amazing species of exquisite
birds around it. It is only befitting that the Government
wants to give them a safe sanctuary. It has sought Rs
26.28 crores from the Centre for the purpose. For the
lakes in this division a Rs 6.91-crore scheme has been
got ready and again given to New Delhi for providing the
necessary finances.
A few lakes like
Khushalsar, Gilsar and Anchar have been made
beneficiaries of a dispensation carved out for them under
the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission
(JNNURM). It is expected to cost Rs 206 crores. The
JNNURM covers the capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu in
the State. Lakes are our shimmering jewels. No effort
should be spared to preserve them in their full glory.
What a feast they provide to human eyes all through the
year including during winters when some among them are
frozen! It is a pity that we don't generate revenue
enough to save them. We should learn to respect the
nature's countless blessings.
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Challenges
before Prasar Bharti
By Sunil
Kapoor
Both Doordarshan and
All India Radio are trying to
make themselves seen and heard
more among people and that, is a
good sign of some aggressiveness.
We also have TAM (Television
Audience Measurement) data that
indicates Doordarshan's (DD)
viewership in cable and satellite
homes has grown by 18 per cent in
one year. What's satisfying in
that such growth has not come for
any other single channel in the
same period.
However, the
progress also signals that DD
will have to work harder to keep
the momentum going, which is the
tougher part of the game.
Especially when an organization
such as Prasar Bharati is put
under the scanner for even the
smallest of things. We are
criticised continuously for not
living up to the image of a
public broadcaster, on the other
hand, the organization is also
expected to be self-sufficient.
But that is part of Prasar
Bharti's life, which always has
so much potential.
Challenges before
Prasar Bharati in the context of
satellite TV being the
pre-dominant medium of
entertainment: improving the
content, especially on DD
channels. This has to be done
have to do keeping in mind Prasar
Bharati's role as public
broadcaster that has to provide
wholesome entertainment to the
masses of India. The task is not
as easy as many will think it to
be. For example, DD has strict
programming codes, which forbid
it from airing many types of
shows that are staple for
satellite entertainment channels.
Another challenge is
to do efficient marketing for
programmes, which used to be
outsourced. From this year it has
decided to do its own marketing
whether it's cricket, serials or
movies.
Prasar Bharati is
also trying to fine-tune the
self-financing scheme relating to
serials, which was introduced
earlier this year. This scheme
helps DD not only to sell airtime
more effectively but also gives
it the ownership on programmes
produced by outsiders with a
chance to control content. In the
past, the rights of some of DD's
best programmes, especially
serials and popular shows, used
to remain with producers as they
brought time on DD channels. We
have done away with the sponsored
slots now.
However, the biggest
challenge, which can also be
called an achievement, is to
change the mindset of people
working in Prasar Bharati. The
outlook has become more
commercial. We cannot change set
notions and perceptions at one
go, but a more concerted effort
is being made to revitalize
manpower, which will bear fruits
in times to come.
Plans for
Doordarshan and AIR:
Digitisation, automation and
expansion continue to be our
thrust area since terms of
broadcast development. At present
FM transmission in radio covers
30 per cent of the population. We
have a target to extend the reach
to 50 per cent by the end of the
Tenth Five Year Plan. AIR's News
on Phone service has become
popular in the seven cities where
it is operational now. Plans are
afoot to extend the facility to
more cities. There is a renewed
focus on encouraging in -house
production in Doordarshan. DD
also has an ambitious project of
televising Indian classics in
different languages in hand. The
service is now available in
Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai,
Bangalore, Thiruvananthapura and
Patna.
In a short span of
time Doordarshan's DTH platform
has managed to attract a
subscriber base in excess to 2
million. It is popular in South
India, particularly Tamil Nadu.
DD is increasing the number of TV
channels of DD Direct Plus from
the present 33 to 50. There is a
long queue of private free-to-air
channels coming on the DD
platform, as it offers the
maximum exposure. A couple of
other DTH operators are waiting
in the wings to launch their
platform. But, all these will be
paid platforms.
Even though the
propose to offer free service
during the first year, ultimately
subscribers will have to start
paying for the service. On the
other hand, DD's DTH is the only
Free DTH service in the country
and will remain so in the years
to come.
According to a
recent TAM report DD Direct has a
two-thirds share of DTH market in
India, which is predominantly
rural.
Prasar Bharati has
also decided to charge a carriage
fee for the channels on our
platform. It is true that some
channels are unhappy, but the
carriage fee is just to cover our
expenditure on maintaining and
running the service.
The self-financing
scheme (SFS) puts a stop on the
time slots of the sponsored
programmes which the outside
producers bought on DD after
paying an amount. In return they
got a fixed amount of commercial
time, depending on the amount of
time bought. This free commercial
time used to be howked in the
market by producers who also
retained the rights over the
programmes. Most of the time
intense competition compelled
these producers to undercut
prices (advertising rates) to
fill up inventory, which spoiled
the market for DD programmes.
Under SFS, in short.
Doordarshan appraises programmes
and pays outside producers a
certain amount factoring in a
profit margin for them. Not only
the rights lie with DD now but
the on-air-life of such
programming is linked to ratings.
If a certain programme is not
delivering the desired ratings,
we take it off the air after
giving it a notice.
Other sources of
revenue that Pasar Bharati is
tapping that had not been
explored so far?
DD's marketing on
the Government front has got more
aggressive. A presentation was
made to the Information and
Broadcasting Ministry where the
underlying theme was that if a
Government diktat says all
Government employees should fly
by (state-controlled) India in an
effort to boost its revenues, all
advertising related to the
Government and its agencies
should come to Prasar Bharati.
Gaining from
experience last year where DD
undertook big projects for some
ministries such as Agriculture
and Family Welfare and Health,
this year too we are doing so.
Revenue generation
is the main mantra in Prasar
Bharati. Prasar Bharati's reach
among the masses, which is the
target for the Government, is
maximum amongst broadcasters
present in India. And, what's the
big issue with cricket?
Cricket is a big
revenue earner for us in a big
misconception. Moreover, the laws
enacted by the Government so that
a huge chunk of the population
that does not have access to
cable and satellite TV gets to
see quality sports, which may
include cricket.
Restructuring
enables an organization to tap
the various sources of funds as
the Government backing would
lessen over a period of time as
part of recommendations made in
the Tenth Five Year Plan, which
is likely to be included in the
next Plan period also.
The restructuring
will also help Prasar Bharati go
public if need be. (PTI)
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Militancy
in northeast
By
Sanchet Barua
As
the festering Maoist
guerrilla struggle
spreads from western to
eastern Nepal, India is
wary of its impact on the
bordering Indian States
of Bihar, West Bengal and
the North-eastern
frontier areas, which are
already ravaged by
prolonged insurgency and
ethnic strife.
Intelligence
sources say the immediate
fallout of the Maoist
movement has been evident
with the Maoist cadres
establishing links with
the People's War Group
(PWG), which operates in
the entire belt of
Indo-Nepal border from
Bihar to North Bengal and
maintains close links
with several
North-eastern rebel
groups, particularly
separatist ULFA and the
NDFB of Assam. This, they
fear, will open up a new
conflict zone on the very
sensitive 'Siliguri
corridor' that connects
three neighbouring
countries of Nepal,
Bhutan and Bangladesh and
widen the trans-border
movement of illegal arms
and rebel groups to
facilitate logistic and
operational supports.
Intelligence
officials claim in the
past six months, Maoist
leaders held several
meetings with the
fledgling Kamtapuri
Liberation Organisation
at Naxalbari in the
Jalpaiguri district of
North Bengal. This came
to light after the
Siliguri police arrested
one Durga Rajbanshi, a
suspected Maoist, in
October 2007. The police
claimed the Maoists,
facing a heavy
counter-insurgency
offensive by the Royal
Nepal Army since November
last year, are
desperately looking for
arms and armed training
facilities for their
cadres.
The
anxiety in the Indian
security establishment is
palpable from the fact
that the 'red rebellion'
in Nepal may activate the
isolated and dormant
Naxalite groups in
eastern India. As many as
nine Maoist parties from
Nepal, India, Sri Lanka
and Bangladesh forged a
regional network,
Coordination Committee of
Maoist Parties and
Organisations of South
Asia (CCOMPOSA), last
July. Four Indian radical
left groups-the Communist
Party of India (Marxist
Leninist of Andhra
Pradesh, also known as
PWG), the Maoist
Communist Centre of
Bihar, the Revolutionary
Communist Centre of India
(Maoist) and the
Revolutionary Communist
Centre of India (MLM),
have bases in rural and
backward North Bengal.
Bangladeshi
organisations include
Bangaldesher Samyabadi
Dal (M-L), Purba Bangla
Sarbahara Party-both CC
and MPK groups. Other two
parties are Ceylon
Communist Party and the
Communist Party of Nepal.
The
main objective of the
forum is to expand the
strong rural-based Maoist
struggle throughout the
eastern Himalayan areas
reeling under illiteracy,
acute poverty and
economic deprivation.
Alarmed
by the emerging security
implications of the nexus
between the Maoists and
eastern-India based
militant groups like PWG,
KLO etc., the Union Home
Ministry had convened a
special meeting of top
police and Intelligence
officials of the
North-eastern states,
including Sikkim, at
Gangtok, the capital of
Sikkim early March this
year to discuss the
security threat and
coordination measures
among security agencies
and state law enforcement
authorities.
A
top official of Sikkim
government expressed
concern on the growing
militant activities in
neighbouring states,
which may affect the
state. Sikkim's
geographic continuity and
location, connecting the
strategic corridor-the 22
km. wide 'Siliguri neck',
heightened security risks
and responsibilities.
"We
know they (Maoist rebels)
have contacts with the
PWG groups, which might
provide the former with
safe corridors and
required arms
supply," he said,
adding all the frontier
states had been alerted
and asked to step up
security vigil along the
long, porous
international borders.
Senior
police and Intelligence
officials have, however,
tried to underplay 'the
spillover effect' of
Nepal's Maoist movement
and its linkages with the
PWG, Naxailties and KLO
on the North-eastern
insurgency scenario. They
recognise the region's
vulnerabilities to the
increasing involvement of
the Pakistani
Inter-Services
Intelligence (ISI)
operatives in Nepal and
Bangladesh in anti-India
activities, including
propping up North-east
based armed groups and
providing them with arms
supply and training for
carrying out subversive
operations.
Though
the region was free from
external threat after
1962 Chinese aggression,
the internal security
concerns continued to
increase with the
proliferation of armed
groups and incessant
inflow of illegal arms in
the region that were
procured by the various
militant groups to fight
the Indian security
forces and sustain the
insurgency. Currently
there are 30-odd armed
groups operating within
the region and most of
them have set up training
camps in the neighbouring
countries, especially
Bhutan, Myanmar and
Bangladesh.
Insurgency,
and for that matter, any
kind of armed conflict
requires huge
mobilisation of funds to
procure arms, training of
men and meet all
logistics and operational
costs, and that is where
a vicious cycle of
illegal and clandestine
activities begins to
work. They need money to
buy arms, and there are
three possible
sources-illicit drug
trafficking, extortion
and external support. The
North-east where
insurgency has continued
since 1950s, witnessed
both lows and highs of
violent upsurge over the
decades. This was mainly
due to two major factors.
One, the Pakistan factor
which continued to remain
the main source of
support; in fact, it
intensified after the
humiliating defeat in the
1971 war and creation of
Bangladesh, when Pakistan
through its powerful ISI
network, launched its
proxy war against India
both on the Western front
(J&K) and the Eastern
and North-eastern
frontiers.
Almost
all the major armed
groups, the Nagas (NNC
and NSCN) and the Mizos
(MNF) to begin with and
followed by groups based
in Assam (ULFA, NDFB) and
the Mizos (MNF) to begin
with and followed by
groups based in Assam
(ULFA, NDFB) Manipur
(PLA, UNLF, PREPAK etc.),
Tripura (ATTF, NLFT) and
Meghalaya (HNLC and ANVC)
have received active or
indirect support from
Pakistani ISI network.
The
second factor has been
the impact of the
geo-political
developments in
neighbouring countries,
especially Myanmar and
East Pakistan and later
Bangladesh, on the
security scenario in the
North-east vis-à-vis
separatist armed
conflicts in the region.
Between
the 70s and the mid 90s,
armed conflicts were
widespread throughout the
region as the
North-eastern insurgents
established links with
rebels groups in the
adjoining Asian countries
and received training in
weapons and explosives.
They had also built up
huge bank of arms, mainly
small weapons and
rapid-fire assault rifles
that were easily
available in the arms
bazaar around the famous
Chittagong port that
links the sea routes of
South and South East
Asian countries, which
enabled them to sustain
their armed campaign.
The
ceasefire with the NSCN
(IM) since 1997 and
ongoing peace-talks with
the Naga rebel leadership
along with the
counter-insurgency
operations may have
brought down the level of
violence to some extent,
but sundry incidents of
ambush and encounter in
parts of Assam,
Meghalaya, Tripura and
Manipur continue.
Police
and security officials
also claim mutual
cooperation between India
and the governments of
Bhutan, Myanmar and
Bangladesh has helped
curb the movement of arms
into the region. But
then, seizure of small
arms such as grenade,
explosives, China made 9
mm pistols, AK series of
assault rifles, US-made
carbines at regular
intervals by the law
enforcement and security
personnel clearly suggest
the availability of arms.
Considering
the terrain and porous
borders especially
between the states of
Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram
and Tripura and
neighbouring Bhutan,
Bangladesh and Myanmar,
it is very difficult to
track down the movements
of small groups of
people. As far as the
Mizoram-Myanmar border is
concerned, there has not
been any major arms
movement into the state.
There might be individual
cases of arms smuggling
as physical verification
of every vehicle and
people was not always
possible. INAV
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Bhabha’s
dream comes alive
By
O.P. Sabherwal
Let
me not jolt or surprise
anyone: Nano was born in
the dreams of the great
scientist Homi Bhabha,
father of India's nuclear
programme. Barely a year
before his demise in a
plane crash in 1967, Dr
Bhabha outlined the path
that would lead to
India's emergence as an
industrial nation,
parallel to the Western
industrial powers. Nano
is one of the glittering
prizes from this path
outlined by Bhabha.
In
an elaborate lecture,
"Science And the
Problems of Industrial
Development", Homi
Bhabha advocated creating
a strong base of modern
science and indigenous
technology in India.
"The question (is)
as to whether a
self-generating industry
can be established
without establishing a
powerful scientific
base," he posed. The
answer was in the
negative. Indian
industries development
has so far proceeded on
the basis of setting up
plants and industries
almost exclusively with
foreign collaboration, he
said. And added:
"(Nuclear
industry's) experience,
however, makes it quite
plain that this method
can never lead to a
self-generating industry
without establishing a
powerful scientific
research and development
effort to support
it."
Bhabha's
successors have carried
forward his mantle and
played a worthy role in
bringing high-end
technology to the aid of
Indian industry by their
scientific research and
development. The three
premier nuclear R&D
centres - BARC, Indira
Gandhi Centre for Atomic
Research (IGCAR) and
Centre for Advanced
Technology (CAT) - have
brought into the process
of Indian industrial
development an elevation
through the products of
their scientific R&D.
In fact, close
interaction between
industry and the nuclear
R&D centres is now
part of the mandate for
the Atomic Energy
Commission and Department
of Atomic Energy.
Such
advanced technologies as
non-destructive
materials' testing and
evaluation, lasers for
industry and surgery,
radioisotope-based tools
and techniques, seamless
welding, developing
special material and
alloys - light but strong
- and robotic electronic
devices, are among the
boons from nuclear
R&D centers. Further,
nuclear technology's
impact on industry has
the distinction of
imparting precision,
stringent quality checks,
and standards assurance
to Indian industry.
Now,
a new chapter has opened
in science-backed
technology elevation for
industry by workings of
the office of Principal
Scientific Adviser to the
Government of India, Dr
R. Chidamabaram, former
chairman of the Atomic
Energy Commission,
together with the
Scientific Advisory
Committee to the Cabinet
(SAC-C). Their first
commendable plank is to
bridge the gap between
industry and public
sector R&D, such as
those belonging to Atomic
Energy, Space, Defence
and Agriculture. Among
the first to benefit from
this industry-public
sector R&D
interaction is the
automobile sector.
A
Core Advisory Group on
Automative R&D
(appropriately called
CAR) was constituted in
April 2003, with leading
automobile industry
representatives
(including the chief
designers of Tata Motor's
Indica/Indigo and
Mahindra's Scorpio) and
eminent scientists.
Included in CAR is Dr
S.M, Shahed, an NRI
(ex-President of Society
for Automative
Engineers), and Prof. S.
Mohan of the Indian
Institute of Science, is
the Chairman.
CAR
has set very high goals
in technology enhancement
for the automobile sector
- from two-wheelers
through cars to heavy
vehicles. One of its
first action has been to
draw up a charter,
creating a list of
technologies that are
critical to the
development of world
class automobile sector,
and alongside, listing
out top experts with an
eye on building an
automobile
"Technology
Board". The charter
also seeks to draw up a
'prioritized list of
R&D programmes' that
need to be taken up. The
concept is to identify
emerging frontier
technologies in the
automobile sector on
which R&D has to be
focused. The strength of
the software industry in
India is to be availed
for the needs of the
automobile industry so as
to use this synergy to
develop international
expertise in the emerging
area of automative
electronics and controls.
Tomorrow's
car, with 40 per cent of
its functions performed
by microprocessors and
sensors, is going to be a
virtual computer on
wheels. So, work has to
be done on advanced
materials, telematics,
low-cost safety, new
fuels like hydrogen, and
allied areas.
While
there is little doubt
that the entire
automobile industry in
India is immensely
benefiting from the
working of CAR, those
constituents capable of
integrating the new pool
of high-end technology of
global standards with
their own R&D, such
as Ratan Tata's
dispensation, will gain
most. Science and
technology will here
generate the right mix
for the automobile
sector, spreading out to
all segments of Indian
industry. That has been
Homi Bhabha's dream of
India's industrial
advancement.
Nano
is one of the fruits of
this new industrial
enhancement, thanks to
Ratan Tata's capability.
Ratan Tata has many a
surprise to unveil when
Nano takes to the street,
bustling through busy
urban traffic. The name
'Nano' is no fluke, and
one surprise that the car
project will unveil is of
its advanced technology
component springing from
science-based technology.
India - perhaps the world
at large - is keenly
waiting for this story to
unfold: the industrial
story that incorporates
Dr Bhabha's dream. (IPA)
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