Chinese intrusion in Indian Territory

There is no commonly delineated Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the border areas between India and China. From time to time, on account of differences in the perception of the LAC, situations have arisen on the ground that could have been avoided if we had a common perception of the LAC. Government regularly takes up any transgression along the LAC with the Chinese side through established mechanisms including border personnel meetings, flag meetings, meetings of Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India- China Border Affairs and diplomatic channels. The two sides agree that peace and tranquillity on the border is the basis for the continued expansion of India-China relations. The Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited India on June 8-9, 2014 as the Special Envoy of the President of China. The External Affairs Minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj held extensive discussions with him. The discussions were comprehensive and substantive and various issues of significance were raised and discussed in a frank and candid manner.

India facilitates entry into force of Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing

The Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar today made a suo moto statement on the floor of Lok Sabha regarding India facilitating entry into force of Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing. The Minister stated that the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing translates and gives practical effect to the equity provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The landmark treaty has received the requisite number of ratifications during India`s Presidency of the Conference of Parties for its entry into force. The Minister congratulated his counterparts for making this happen. The Minister further mentioned that a new era has now ushered in for implementation of CBD that would contribute to achieving sustainable development and a glorious future for all living beings inhabiting our mother Earth. Ratification of the Nagoya Protocol by 51 Parties to the CBD is also a major step towards achieving the first of the global Aichi Biodiversity Targets (Target 16 that by 2015, the Nagoya Protocol is in force and operational), and that too more than a year before its target date, which is quite unprecedented. The pivotal role played by India in achieving this remarkable feat once again showcases India’s leadership on biodiversity in the global arena. The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) will enter into force on 12 October 2014, 90th day of receiving the required 50th instrument of ratification on 14th July 2014. The Nagoya Protocol was adopted at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) held in Nagoya in October 2010. The Protocol significantly advances the objective of the Convention on the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources by providing greater legal certainty and transparency for both providers and users of genetic resources including researchers and industry. By promoting the use of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, and by strengthening the opportunities for fair and equitable sharing of benefits from their use, the Protocol will create incentives to conserve biodiversity, sustainably use its components, and further enhance the contribution of biodiversity to sustainable development and human well-being. India has been a victim of misappropriation or biopiracy of our genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, which have been patented in other countries (well known examples include neem and haldi). It is expected that the Nagoya Protocol on ABS which is a key missing pillar of the CBD, would address this concern. In order to prevent biopiracy, the Government of India in 2002 brought out domestic legislation for ABS, namely, Biological Diversity Act, 2002. After requisite number of ratifications of Nagoya Protocol and its becoming an international law from 12th October, 2014, this will supplement our domestic efforts. India, having hosted CoP-11 to the CBD in Hyderabad in October 2012, is currently the President of CoP till CoP-12 to be held in Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea in October 2014. Facilitating early entry into force of this landmark international treaty has been a priority of India as CoP President. Towards this, India has made significant efforts in the last 21 months through political and diplomatic channels

Increase in Sea Level in Coastal Areas of Goa

The average sea level rise trends along the Indian west coast has been about 3.0 mm/year during the last two decades. Sea level rise is a very slow phenomenon and can be because of physical factors like normal subsidence, coastal erosion and siltation of river channels along the coastline apart from global warming. An isolated incident of flooding on the Morjim beach during 2-6 January, 2014 occurred around mid-night for 3-4 consecutive days largely coinciding with the highest high tide (spring tide) of the year as per the gravitational tidal prediction tables of 2014. The study conducted by the Pune based Central Water and Power Research Station (Union Ministry of Water Resources’ Research) found out that over the years the problems of coastal erosion has accelerated and presently about 25kms is affected. Appropriate protection measures are addressed jointly by respective state governments and the Coastal Protection and Development Advisory Committee (CPDAC) of the Central Water Commission. Earth System Science Organization (ESSO) – Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and Survey of India continuously monitor the sea level measurements all along the Indian coastline.

Manufacturing of Chemicals and Fertilizers by CIL

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed amongst Rashtriya Chemical & Fertilizers Ltd (RCFL), Fertilizer Corporation of India Ltd (FCIL), GAIL (India) Ltd. and Coal India Ltd. (CIL) for revival of the Talcher unit of FCIL to agree in principle to set up a plant for manufacturing Urea & Ammonium Nitrate at the site of Talcher Unit of FCIL. The process of identification of suitable available technology and thereafter preparation of a Detailed Feasibility Report has not been completed. This was stated by Sh. Piyush Goyal, Minister of state for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy (Independent Charge) in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today. The Minister further stated that Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) has signed MoU with M/s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) for taking up Underground Coal Gasification (UCG), Surface Coal Gasification (SCG) and Coal Bed Methane (CBM) on 15.04.2006. The same was further renewed for 5 more years on 18.07.2011. Through this MoU, SCCL and ONGC intend to cooperate in the Service, Operation, Process development and Research related to UCG, SCG and CBM in the Coal bearing states of lndia. Under this MOU, it has been proposed to setup IGCC (Integrated Gas Combined Cycle) Power Plant at Srirampur area and to produce different chemicals, fertilizer by using coal of Chennur mines of SCCL. The “Techno-economic feasibility Study” for this project is prepared by PDIL, New Delhi, the Minister added.

Income Through Launching of Satellite

The Government is generating income through various satellite launch missions by providing services, on commercial basis, through Antrix Corporation Limited (Antrix), the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). These services include (i) Marketing and direct reception of data from Indian Remote Sensing Satellites to national and international clientele, and (ii) Leasing of satellite transponders on-board INSAT/ GSAT satellites. The income generated by Antrix, since 1992, for providing the above services is Rs. 4,408.07 Crores. In addition, the satellites of the foreign countries are launched by ISRO, on commercial basis, under contract between respective foreign customer and Antrix. As on date, ISRO has launched 40 satellites from 19 foreign countries; and the income generated through launch of these satellites is € 50.47 million and US $ 17.17 million. The future course of action plan includes, (i) expanding the data and direct reception services of Indian Remote Sensing Satellites to international clientele, (ii) enhancing leasing of satellite transponders to Indian customers, (iii) increasing launch services for foreign satellites on-board Indian launch vehicles, and (iv) enhancing marketing of satellites and sub-systems.

Innovation Scholars Call on The President

Five Innovation Scholars who are part of the first Innovation Scholars-in residence scheme of Rashtrapati Bhavan called on President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee today (July 17, 2014) at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Speaking on the occasion, the President expressed happiness over the success of the scheme and complimented the innovators for having created products which have a larger social purpose. He said there is need to pay special attention to grass-root innovations in society. For a country with over 1.2 billion population, there are large number of problems that call for ingenious solutions. The Rashtrapati Bhavan has provided a platform to Innovators for refining their ideas and products. It will continue to facilitate their future endeavours. Innovators should use the experience and ideas gathered to not only refine existing products but also come out with new solutions to the problems society is facing. The five innovators told the President the experience has been a dream comes true. None of them could believe that they would have an opportunity to live in Rashtrapati Bhavan as guests of the President. The opportunity given to them reflected the President’s respect and support for grassroots innovators of the country. This has sent out a positive message both in India and the world. Innovators who stayed at the Rashtrapati Bhavan were Shri Gurmail Singh Dhonsi, a farmer from Rajasthan, who has invented a Rapid Compost Aerator; Shri Dharamveer Kamboj from Haryana, who was a rickshaw puller 27 years ago in Delhi and has invented a multi-purpose food processing machine; Ms. Manisha Mohan, a final year student of Automobile Engineering at SRM University, who has developed an under-garment which aims to protect women from assault by sending a 3,800kW shock to the attacker; Shri M.B. Avinash, a Ph. D. student at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) in Bangalore, who has invented a Self-cleaning functional molecular material and 16-year-old Tenith Adithyaa who has invented a technology for preserving banana leaves for over two years without using any chemicals.

DRDO Technology to Improve Access in Mountain Regions with Low Cost Foot Bridges

A mountain foot bridge for civil applications developed by R&DE (E), a premier DRDO laboratory was handed over for public use by Dr. R Chidambaram the Principal Scientific Advisor to Government of India today, near HESCO (Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organization), Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Speaking on the occasion Dr Chidambram highlighted the contribution of S&T agencies in improving lives of people in rural and remote areas. Dr AvinashChander, Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister and Secretary Deptt of Defence R&D in his message sent on the occasion said, “DRDO is an innovation based organization and ensures that its technologies developed for armed forces are useful for public welfare as well. The technology of making Foot Bridges for armed forces developed by DRDO can be utilized to bring relief to the flood affected people. Handing over of two such bridges is an example of taking technologies to the people for larger benefit of masses. The low cost mountain foot bridges costing just Rs 6.5 lakh each, being easy to transport and deploy are expected to be of great help by making disaster hit regions accessible and thus facilitating relief and rescue work”. The bridge Is an adaption of 35 m man-portable ‘Mountain Foot Bridge’ (MFB) developed for the armed forces for bridging dry/wet gaps up to 35 m long, with a pathway of 0.8m width especially for inaccessible high altitude regions. After Uttarakhand disaster in 2013, during a visit of PSA and SA to RM at R&DE(E), Pune, it was proposed to develop suitable foot bridges similar to mountain footbridge but in steel to keep the cost of the bridge low. The 13.5 m steel bridge for civil applications has a 1.5 m wide pathway, is launched using the launching system of 35 m Mountain Foot Bridge (MFB) and is deployable within 2 to 3 hrs. Its launch does not require accesses to far-bank or elaborate site preparations and is therefore ideal in disaster situation. The original bridge, successfully developed and realized by DRDO for the armed forces to suite rapid deployment in mountainous regions is capable of bridging gaps up to 35 m. The components of military bridge made of high-strength aluminium alloy are man-portable and weigh less than 18 kg each. The bridge is design to withstanding conditions prevailing in glacial regions. Its man-portable launching system allows bridge to be constructed from near-bank without any access to far-bank. The joints of the bridge facilitate easy assembly in cold conditions and a 35m bridge can be launched in about one hour. Though it is designed to prevent any appreciable accumulation of fresh snow, it has been designed for accumulation of up to 250 mm of fresh snow having density up to 200 kg/m3. The military bridging system has successfully completed user assisted technical trials in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Anil Datar, DS and Director General (Armaments and Combat Systems) stressed on corporate social responsibility of DRDO and called upon scientific community to explore civilian spin offs of defence technologies. He also gave a brief account of immense contribution of DRDO in developing such spin off technologies. Dr Guruprasad, Director R&DE (E) DRDO narrated the development of this bridge. Dr. Anil Joshi founder of HESCO promised to work on delivering this technology to remote areas of Himalayas.