Archive for ‘India alert’

25/02/2012

* Indian government action ref nuclear plants

The Hindu: “Close on the heels of the publication of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s assertion in an interview in the latest issue of journal Science that some United States-based NGOs are behind the agitation against the Kudankulam nuclear power plant, the Centre on Friday announced the revocation of the licences of three NGOs.

MESSAGE TO MOSCOW

Simultaneously, India told Russia, which is collaborating with India in the 2,000-MW plant, that the government was engaged in consultations with all stakeholders and appreciated Moscow’s patience.

At ‘Comprehensive Foreign Office Consultations,’ Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai told Russia’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Denisov on Thursday that India was consulting various domestic constituencies and working on the opening of the first 1,000 MW unit, a process that would pave the way for operationalising the second unit six months later.

The Centre has offered half of the electricity to be produced to Tamil Nadu, where four more units have been planned.”

24/02/2012

* Anti-corruption ‘crusader’ donates award money to trust

The Hindu: “Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Thursday vowed to continue his long battle to root out corruption from the system saying he has lived for the country and would die for it.

Speaking after receiving the S. R. Jindal Prize from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at a function here, Mr. Hazare said: “When I was 26-year-old I had decided to live and die for the country. I left my home and did not return. I have no bank balance and all the awards I have received have gone to the Hind Swaraj Trust. The interest earned from the money goes into the expenditure incurred on wedding of youngsters. This award (Rs.25 lakh) will also go to the trust.”

Asserting that he does not accept awards from people or organisations whose hands are tainted, Mr. Hazare said: “Recently I refused to accept an award because the person did not have a clean track record. This award has been presented to me by an incorruptible person and a clean organisation.”

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2925463.ece

18/02/2012

# “Ten reasons why India will not and must not become a superpower”

Ramachandra Guha, the renowned Indian historian and author (India after Gandhi),asserts there are ten reasons why India, despite its enormous economic growth, will not become a superpower.

Guha focuses mainly on the internal problems of the ‘unique political experiment’ India. The ten reasons are:

1. Rise of left-wing insurgency in Central and Eastern India (a brutal civil war between the Maoists and the gvernment).

2. Rise of right-wing religious fundamentalism (BJP/RSS).

3. Decline and corruption of the democratic center (particularly the conversion of political parties into family firms).

4. Degradation of public institutions (such as universities, law courts, hospitals, civil services).

5. Growing (spectacular) gap between the rich and the poor.

6. Rapid pace of environmental degradation (air pollution, dead rivers, depletion of groundwater aquifers, disposal of toxic and nuclear waste, etc.).

7. Superficiality of the mainstream media (or “the Indian media’s complicit worship of wealth, celebrity and super-stardom”) and abandonment of commitment to serious environmental reportage.

8. Political fragmentation and the instability engendered by multiparty coalition governments.

9. Unreconciled borderlands (Kashmir, Nagaland and Manipur).

10. Unstable neighborhood (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka).

Conclusion: In the words of Guha: “There are too many fault lines in our society to be a superpower. As a historian I say: ‘we are not prepared’, as an Indian citizen I say: ‘we should not even attempt to’. India should adhere to its constitutional ideals, fight national fires, and heal and harmonize.

“Ten reasons why India will not and must not become a superpower”

18/02/2012

* 30% of Indian MPs have criminal charges and every MP under 30 ‘inherited’ seat;

Telegraph, June 2009: “A total of 153 of the 543 politicians elected in the biggest democratic election history have criminal cases pending, including nine ministers, according to a study by two non-governmental organisations, the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW)

… there is a possibility that some of the charges were brought by political opponents …”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/5422967/One-third-of-Indian-MPs-have-criminal-charges-filed-against-them.html

Patrick French, in researching for his book  ‘India: A Portrait’, found that every Indian MP under 30 has in effect ‘inherited’ a seat from a family member. Not quite as non-representative as the composition of the Chinese people’s national assembly, but …

13/02/2012

* Reverse outsourcing?

Rock Centre with MSN: “Some jobs that were outsourced to China are returning to the United States. At Lincolnton Furniture in North Carolina, owner Bruce Cochrane has reopened a once-shuttered factory and is proud to announce that his company’s wood furniture is, once again, made in America. His company has created more than 100 new jobs.

Harold Sirkin of the Boston Consulting Group projects that the shift from manufacturing in China back to the U.S., commonly referred to as ‘reverse outsourcing’ or ‘insourcing,’ will have a major impact on employment.

“Our projections are, when you take the manufacturing jobs and then the service jobs that get created alongside those, that we will add two to three million jobs to the U.S. workforce,” Sirkin told NBC’s Harry Smith in an interview broadcast Monday night on Rock Center with Brian Williams.

The news provides hope for some Americans that jobs they thought were lost forever might be making the round trip back to the United States.”

http://rockcenter.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/31/10278345-reverse-outsourcing-could-create-up-to-3-million-new-jobs-in-us

In the UK, River Island has increased it’s UK sourced products as have John Lewis and M&S and several others. The combination of wage inflation in China (and to a lesser degree in India) and the depressed state of the UK economy, combined with cost of logistics is tilting the balance to reverse outsourcing. In addition, local manufacturers are often more amenable to short run contracts, whereas global contracts tend to be based on a whole fashion season.

from The Times, Monday 13 February.

11/02/2012

* India acting contrary

Within weeks, India has taken actions that could be interpreted as re-asserting its non-aligned status:

– Sending a large trade delegation to Iran

– Telling Britain that it’s aid is not needed

– Supporting un-elected Maldives regime

– Buying French fighter rather than Euro-fighter.

As there are no national elections imminent, it is not clear to which audience India is playing.

09/02/2012

* Playing down irritants, India and China call for new, ‘flexible’ approach to ties

The Hindu: “Indian and Chinese leaders on Wednesday laid out a new roadmap for bilateral ties, calling for a “flexible” and “imaginative” approach in 2012 to minimise the effect of persisting political irritants, such as the border dispute and Tibet.

External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, who on Wednesday evening inaugurated India’s new $10-million embassy, which he described as turning “a new page” in ties, underscored India’s willingness to calm sources of tension. He particularly stressed in unusually strong terms New Delhi’s support to Beijing on the Tibetan issue, amid ongoing unrest in Sichuan province that has seen at least 16 self-immolation protests by Tibetans in the past year and clashes last month with police forces that have left at least two killed and dozens injured.”

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2872755.ece

08/02/2012

* Indian Foreign Minister meets Hillary Clinton

Times of India: “Foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai on Wednesday met secretary of state Hillary Clinton and held a series of meetings at the State Department and the White House on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues.

On his first bilateral visit to the US as the foreign secretary, Mathai is understood to have presented India’s perspective on a wide range of regional and global issues including Iran, the peace talks with Taliban and situation in the region.”

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Foreign-secretary-Ranjan-Mathai-meets-Hillary-Clinton/articleshow/11804711.cms

06/02/2012

* India derides UK foreign aid

Times of India: “Britain today defended its multi- million pound aid to India, amid demands by ruling Conservative party MPs and others to end it, saying “now is not the time to quit”.

The passionate debate was reignited on Sunday with the re-publication of remarks by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, who said in 2010 that in the overall context of funds that India spends on development, British aid was “peanuts”, and one that India could do without.”

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/We-are-changing-our-approach-to-India-Britain/articleshow/11779696.cms

03/02/2012

* Dassault to Hold Exclusive Talks on India Order for 126 Fighters Planes

Business Week: “Dassault Aviation SA, seeking its first export order for Rafale fighters, will begin exclusive negotiations to supply 126 jets to India after being selected as the lowest bidder.

“The French company and India’s defense ministry will begin talks within 15 days, an Indian government official told reporters in New Delhi yesterday. Negotiations will probably extend beyond the March 31 end of India’s fiscal year.”

http://news.businessweek.com/article.asp?documentKey=1377-aQTsvG2MxPoI-73IQMDIULOJV791GE0FE2Q4NAD

This news is particularly disappointing to Mr Cameron who had paid a visit to India a couple of years ago and got reassurance that India will try and increase its trade with Britain. Presumably either the British supplier was not able to make as good an offer or the timing was just wrong (or both).

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