Non-Acceptance of Basmati Rice Produced in M.P. by APEDA

The National Agricultural Research System under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation has recognized the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttrakhand, Western U.P. and two districts of J&K i.e. Jammu and Kathua as the traditional GI area for Basmati rice cultivation. APEDA has included the said area in its application submitted to GI Registry, Chennai for registration of Basmati rice as a Geographical Indication (GI). The GI registry has passed a common order on December 31, 2013 with direction to APEDA to file an amended GI application including all uncovered areas where Basmati rice is cultivated in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and other areas of the country. In view of the legal advice and review of the matter on the far-reaching consequences of implementing the order, APEDA has filed an appeal before the Intellectual Property Appellate Board in February, 2014. Easing of Norms for Exporters Increasing exports in specific products and providing necessary thrust by way of strategy is a continuous process through market study initiatives. Issues relating to tariff/non-tariff barriers are actively taken up during the bilateral meetings and also under the Institutional dialogues and accordingly Foreign Trade Agreement (FTA) are signed between countries. The ongoing trade procedures and infrastructure are reviewed through Trade Policy Review regularly. The Government is engaged in negotiating a WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation in terms of the modalities contained in the Ministerial Decision on 7th December 2013. The ongoing WTO negotiations on Trade Facilitation (TF) seek to develop a set of multilateral trade rules that aim to simplify, modernize and harmonize trade procedure with a view to ensure smooth movement of import, export and transit of goods across the international borders. The Foreign Trade Policy provides certain incentives to compensate for high transport costs and offset other disadvantages with a view to enhance exports. Various incentives are supported through the different schemes under Foreign Trade Policy like Vishesh Krishi and Gram Udyog Yojana (VKGUY), Focus Market Scheme, Market Linked Focus Product Scheme and Focus Product Scheme. Apart from above various Industry and Trade Bodies are given support for participation in Buyer Seller Meets (BSMs), Trade fairs and exhibitions in various countries under Market Access Initiative (MAI) scheme. Two percent Interest Subvention Scheme, which was available for certain export sectors viz. Handicrafts, Carpet, Handlooms, SMEs, Readymade Garments, Processed Agriculture Products and Toys, was widened to include 134 tariff lines of Engineering Sector w.e.f 1st January, 2013. Government also enhanced the rate of Interest Subvention under Interest Subvention Scheme from 2% to 3 % with effect from 1.8.2013. To reduce time for clearance at ports, CBEC has started 24x7 customs clearance w.e.f. 1st September 2012 at Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai Air Cargo Complexes. Further, 24x7 customs clearance facilities are available at Chennai, JNPT, Kandla and Kolkata Seaports in respect of the following categories of imports and exports: Bills of Entry where no examination and assessment is required and (i) Factory stuffed export containers and export consignment covered by Free Shipping Bills. (ii) This facility was further extended to Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Kolkata, Cochin, Calicut, Coimbatore, Goa, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Nasik, Vishakhapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram Air cargo complexes with effect from 1.6.2013.

Achievements of ISRO

The satellites of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) have contributed in improving the facilities of telecommunication, distance education, tele-medicine, etc. in rural and far-flung areas of the country.             The extent to which the improvements have been achieved Include.            I.         Television:  Direct To Home (DTH) Satellite Television coverage of 100% area of Indian mainland including rural and far flung areas.         II.         Telecommunication: About 1.75 Lakh satellite communication terminals are supporting various applications like village telephony, data connectivity, broadband connectivity, Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) of banks, etc., covering the rural and far flung areas of the country.        III.         Tele-Education: 56,000 classrooms connected through satellite networking, of which 51,000 are Receive Only Terminals (ROTs) and around 5000 are Satellite Interactive Terminals (SITs) catering to all the sectors of education from primary to higher and professional education.      IV.         Telemedicine: The Telemedicine network connects the patients at a remote hospital to a speciality hospital for tele-consultation. 60 specialty hospitals connected to 308 remote and rural hospitals and 16 Mobile Vans. The Utility study has been conducted by the Government in this regard.                                  The studies have been conducted by Developmental Education and Communication Unit (DECU) of ISRO on the utility of tele-education and tele-medicine networks over the years. The findings of the study indicate the following. (i)                                             Tele-education networks are very effective to reach out remote and rural areas of the country and also to enhance the understanding level of the students. The target audience for tele-education include students from school, technical education, higher education, teachers training including physically challenged students. On an average 2-3 hours of programmes are transmitted for 4-5 days in a week.                 (ii)   Tele-medicine networks are very useful in treating the patients located in remote and rural areas. Through tele-medicine patients get the best doctors for consultation. Tele-medicine provides the advantage of saving time and money to the patients and also provides relief to family members from the hassles of accompanying the patient to speciality hospitals in the urban areas. Mobile tele-medicine vans are found to be ideal to cover larger geographical area with treatment in the fields of Ophthalmology, Diabetic screening, Cancer, General Medicine and hearing impairments in the infants.

Satellite Launch PADS ,ISRO

India has two operational satellite launch pads located at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.             The launch pads at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota are used exclusively for launch vehicles developed by ISRO.                However, India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), has launched 10 satellites of eight foreign countries (Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, Luxembourg, Singapore, United Kingdom) during the last three years. These satellites belonging to foreign countries are launched by ISRO, on a commercial basis, under a contract between foreign countries and Antrix Corporation Ltd., a commercial arm of ISRO.                The revenue earned by Antrix Corporation Ltd. through launch of these satellites during last three financial years, year-wise is as follows: Financial Year Revenue Earned 2011-12 USD 1,000,000 Euro 540,000 2012-13 Euro 21,095,000 2013-14 ----               The Government is considering setting up a new satellite launching pad, referred as Third Launch Pad, at Sriharikota. The Third Launch Pad is intended to support increased launch frequency, provide active redundancy to existing launch pads and to support launching requirements of advanced launch vehicles. The possible sites for the Third Launch Pad has been identified in Sriharikota taking into account the safety distances and maximal utilization of existing launch pad facilities.              The budgetary allocation made to Department of Space during the last three years are:                                                                                                                                          [`in Crore] Financial Year Amount Allocated Actuals Budget Estimates Revised Estimates 2011-12 6626.04 4432.30 3790.78 2012-13 6715.04 4880.03 4856.28 2013-14 6792.04 5172.04 5168.95                The details of amount spent for R&D, under the Plan budget of Department of Space, which includes Development of Earth Observation Satellites, INSAT/GSAT system, Development of Launch Vehicles, Space Applications and Space Science & Planetary exploration during the last three years are:                                                                                                                                                  [ in Crore] Financial Year Amount Allocated (Plan) Amount Spent Budget Estimates Revised Estimates Total 2011-12 5700.04 3432.03 2791.61 2012-13 5615.04 3800.03 3783.23 2013-14 5615.04 4000.04 3997.93                Major achievements of Department of Space, during the last three years (2011-14) include:                I.      Launch of India’s first interplanetary mission to Mars, Mars Orbiter Mission.             II.     Augmentation of Earth Observation capability with launch of indigenous Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-1) having day & night capability under all weather conditions; Indo-French Joint Missions viz. Satellite for ARgos and ALtika (SARAL) for oceanographic studies and Megha-Tropiques for tropical weather/climate studies;  Resourcesat-2 for natural resources surveys; Advanced Weather satellite, INSAT-3D and science satellite YOUTHSAT.           III.     Indigenous development and flight testing of cryogenic engine and stage on board GSLV-D5.          IV.      Operational flights of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C16 to C22 & PSLV-C25).             V.     Development and qualification of large solid state booster (S200)  and higher thrust liquid stage (L110) stages for the next generation launch vehicle GSLV-Mk III.          VI.     Augmentation of INSAT/GSAT system with Five communication satellites namely, GSAT-7, GSAT-8, GSAT-10, GSAT-12 and GSAT-14 adding 89 transponders in Ku, C, Extended C, S and UHF bands to the transponder capacity.        VII.     Establishment of GPS Aided Geo-Augmented Navigation for safety of life applications for civil aviation sector.     VIII.      Launch of first Indian Regional Navigation Satellite, IRNSS-1A.

Address by the President at the Call on by Probationers of Indian Forest Service 2013-15 Batch

Good Evening! At the very outset, I welcome all of you in Rashtrapati Bhavan. I would like to congratulate you for joining the Indian Forest Service, one of the premier All India Services. It speaks of your academic excellence. By joining the Indian Forest Service, you have taken an important step forward in your professional career. This is just the beginning and you have a very rewarding and challenging career spanning over 33-35 years in the Government. 2. Forests have been an integral part of Indian ethos and culture. Our Civilization has always derived its intellectual and spiritual strength from Forests. The qualities such as tolerance and assimilation are very unique to our ethos as the Indian civilization has its roots in the forests. Forests, therefore, are not merely a resource, but they encompass the cultural, spiritual and intellectual heritage of the country. The Government has entrusted you with responsibility of protecting this greatly valuable heritage. 3. I am reminded of the famous wordings of the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. He had said, (quote) "What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.” (unquote). In the last few decades, the world has woken up to the threats to the very survival of mankind due to environmental degradation, depletion in forest cover and above all, global warming leading to Climate Change. That is why Environment has emerged as the prime agenda for the 21st Century, of which forests are an integral part. To address adverse impacts arising out of climate change it is essential that countries come together to address this issue in a collective manner. 4. Forests, being a potential carbon sink, may be one of the important ways to reduce the increasing green house gases in the atmosphere and consequent threat of global warming. It is a known fact that Mangrove forests on the coast protect the coastal areas from cyclones and tsunamis; forests on the hill slopes protect the soils and prevent landslides and fresh floods; healthy watersheds having good forest cover insulate areas from the draughts and increase agricultural productivity. Indeed, forests take very little from us but they give so much to the mankind. It is imperative for our country to adopt sound practices for forest management to address the local issues as well as the global issues. The recent landslide case near Pune is an eye-opener for us to act immediately with full conviction. 5. The National Forest Policy aims at achieving 33% forest cover for the land mass of our country. The total forest and tree cover is approximately 24%, as per the India State Forest Survey Report 2013. We are still away from our goal. You, as young, enthusiastic and creative minds, are well placed to push for accomplishing this national goal. 6. Millions of poor people, including tribals, live in and around the forests of our country. These people look to the forest to meet their basic requirements of food, fuel wood, fodder and other small needs. I expect you to be sensitive to the needs of this segment of society. In the last few years our country has adopted joint forest management model, based upon care and share principle, which envisages participatory approach involving people in the management of the forests. You must take this forward and try to be a catalytic agent for the ecologically sustainable development of the communities living in and around the forests. There is no dearth of success models, wherein the forests could be effectively protected with the participation of the communities. With your experience, knowledge and training at your Academy, you can develop innovative model for participation of the communities for sharing of this natural wealth with the dependent community on the forest and also for conserving the forest itself. 7. The management of forests and its governance is a challenging task. This can be made citizen-friendly through extensive use of technology. I understand that Ministry is working towards the e-filing system for grant of forest clearance. This is a good beginning to bring technology in the management of forests. I would like to see the extensive use of technology in conservation, mapping and governance of the forests in the country. 8. India has announced its domestic mitigation goal of reducing emissions intensity of GDP by 20–25 per cent by 2020 compared with 2005.We also have the challenge of promoting rapid economic growth to meet the challenges of poverty and unemployment. To achieve the rapid economic growth with our commitment, we need to focus on low carbon inclusive growth strategy. This is where I see you all playing an important role to see India emerging as a ‘low carbon economy’ through innovative forest management and community participation programmes. 9. Being a Forester, your task is not easy one. The challenges before you are complex and the expectations from you will always be very high. Vast areas of this country need to be afforested. The various services and goods provided by the forests, such as clean water and air, Biodiversity values, soil and water conservation need to be enhanced. Satisfying all these requirements is not an easy task and will require not only the skills and knowledge you will learn during the training, but also the use of modern technology to bring about such a change. However with the hard work, determination and commitment towards your work, I am sure, you will be able to fulfill the hopes and trust, the country has reposed in you. 10. Before I conclude, I will request you to continue with the journey of learning. You must keep abreast with the changing international and domestic forest management issues and adopt the best practices in your profession. I will like you to remember what Gandhiji had said.(Quote) "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” (Unquote) Thank you

Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages of India

The Government of India has initiated a Scheme known as “Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages of India”.  Under this Scheme, the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore works on protection, preservation and documentation of all the mother tongues/languages of India spoken by less than 10,000 speakers keeping in mind the degree of endangerment and reduction in the domains of usage.          According to the criteria adopted by the UNESCO, a language becomes extinct when nobody speaks or remembers the language.  The UNESCO has categorized languages on basis of endangerment as follows:- (i) Vulnerable (ii)           Definitely Endangered (iii)         Severely Endangered (iv)         Critically Endangered The Critically Endangered Languages as per UNESCO Report are: LANGUAGE/DIALECT                               SPOKEN MAINLY IN 1.      Aimol                                                   Manipur 2.      Aka                                                      Manipur 3.      Baghati                                     Himachal Pradesh 4.      Bangani                                                Uttarakhand 5.      Bellari                                                   Karnataka 6.      Birhor                                                   Jharkhand 7.      Gadaba                                                Andhra Pradesh 8.      Great Andamanese                               Andaman & Nicobar 9.      Handuri                                                Himachal Pradesh 10.  Jarawa                                                 Andaman & Nicobar 11.  Koireng                                                Manipur 12.  Koraga                                                 Karnataka 13.  Kota                                                    Tamil Nadu 14.  Kuruba                                                 Karnataka 15.  Lamgang                                              Manipur 16.  Lamongse                                             Andaman & Nicobar 17.  Langrong                                              Manipur 18.  Luro                                                     Andaman & Nicobar 19.  Manda                                                 Odisha 20.  Mra                                                      Arunachal Pradesh 21.  Muot                                                    Andaman & Nicobar 22.  Na                                                       Arunachal Pradesh 23.  Naiki                                                    Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh 24.  Nihali                                                   Maharashtra 25.  Onge                                                    Andaman & Nicobar 26.  Pangvali                                                Himachal Pradesh 27.  Parji                                                     Odisha 28.  Pengo                                                   Odisha 29.  Pu                                                        Andaman & Nicobar 30.  Purum                                                  Manipur 31.  Ruga                                                    Meghalaya 32.  Sanenyo                                               Andaman & Nicobar 33.  Sentilese                                               Andaman & Nicobar 34.  Shompen                                              Andaman & Nicobar 35.  Sirmaudi                                               Himachal Pradesh 36.  Tai Nora                                              Assam 37.  Tai Rong                                              Assam 38.  Takahanyilang                                       Andaman & Nicobar 39.  Tangam                                                Arunachal Pradesh 40.  Tarao                                                   Manipur 41.  Toda                                                    Tamil Nadu 42.  Toto                                                     West Bengal

China to ban all coal use in Beijing by 2020

China’s smog-plagued capital has announced plans to ban the use of coal by the end of 2020 as the country fights deadly levels of pollution, especially in major cities.

Beijing’s Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau posted the plan on its website on Monday, saying the city would instead prioritise electricity and natural gas for heating.

The official Xinhua News Agency said coal accounted for a quarter of Beijing’s energy consumption in 2012 and 22 per cent of the fine particles floating in the city’s air. Motor vehicles, industrial production and general dust also contributed to pollution in the city with a 21 million population.

Even with the Beijing ban, coal use is expected to soar in China. Coal-fired power and heating is a major generator of greenhouse gases and has helped turn China into the world’s largest emitter of carbon and other heat-trapping gases.

Pressure is growing on China’s central government to clean up the country’s polluted environment, as discontent over smog and water and soil contamination increases among China’s expanding middle class.

The Central government recently listed environmental protection as one of the top criteria by which leaders will be judged.

In September, the government announced a prohibition on new coal-fired power plants around Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Doordarshan is all set to go global

Christened ‘India Channel’, the programming will showcase India’s “soft power” to the world

Doordarshan programmes will soon be available across Asia, Europe, North Africa and Australia, courtesy a memorandum of understanding signed by Prasar Bharati with German public service broadcaster Deutsche Welle on Tuesday.

Doordarshan will be available as a free-to-air basic package on a DTH platform. Jawahar Sircar, Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati, said the content for this Doordarshan platform, named India Channel, would be created in consultation with various stakeholders and tailored to the demand of the target audience.

The programming will showcase India’s “soft power” to the world and will be available on the DTH Platform of Hotbird-13B satellite and reciprocal distribution of DW-TV on DD Freedish. Hotbird-13B has a footprint covering 120 million homes in Europe, northern Africa and West Asia with 1,534 channels including the BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera.