On trial, the criminal justice system, for ias mains

In a recent landmark order in Bhim Singh vs Union of India, the Supreme Court directed the fast-tracking of criminal cases, and the release of undertrial prisoners who had completed at least half their maximum prison term pursuant to Section 436A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Bringing attention to the plight of those languishing in prison while awaiting trial, the court’s order coincides with the Narendra Modi government’s mandate to decongest prisons by releasing undertrials.

First, India has one of the lowest police-population ratios, of 131.1 officers per 1,00,000 population (against the UN norms of 222)

While laudable, these measures reiterate previous judicial directives (SC Legal Aid Committee vs UoI; Rama Murthy vs State of Karnataka) and Law Commission reports (78th and 239th). Releasing undertrials is a short-term solution; as explained below, it does not address the underlying causes for the high proportion of undertrials in India.

Pre-trial detention is a real problem. More than 66 per cent of India’s prisoners are undertrials, which is over twice the global average of 32 per cent. Of these 2,54,857 undertrials, more than 2,000 have been in prison for over five years. Overburdened by the flood of arrestees (nearly 75 lakh were arrested in 2012, according to the National Crime Records Bureau), prisons have experienced an increase in the number of undertrials and overcrowding. The average occupancy rate in India’s prisons is 112.2 per cent, with the situation particularly dire in states such as Chhattisgarh (252.6 per cent) and Delhi (193.8 per cent).

Unfortunately, reforms have favoured measurable quick fixes — fast-track courts and greater judge-population/ police-population ratios — without attempting to understand the high incidence of pre-trial detention. This can be explained by, first, criminal justice functionaries (police, prosecutors, judges and prison officials), who are often overworked, understaffed and underpaid; second, the socio-economic profile of the undertrials, which affects their ability to post bail; and finally, an ineffective legal aid system.

First, India has one of the lowest police-population ratios, of 131.1 officers per 1,00,000 population (against the UN norms of 222).

Corruption is also an endemic problem; in 2013, Transparency International found that 62 per cent people reported paying bribes during their interactions with the police. Misaligned incentives to arrest persons (for example, to demonstrate the progress of investigations) have resulted in 60 per cent of all arrests being “unnecessary or unjustified”.

Prosecutors lack basic facilities, such as access to legal databases, research and administrative assistants. The Delhi High Court, in a March 2014 order, noted that prosecutors’ laptop allowances exclude payment for internet facilities and legal databases; they do not have exclusive office space in courts and lose files because of insufficient file space. As the court observed, “one of the predominant cause(s) for delay in disposal of criminal case is due to shortage of public prosecutors.”

India has around 15 judges per million population, despite the 2002 Supreme Court order, in All India Judges’ Association, directing an increase to 50 judges per million by 2007

- But the bigger problem is the backlog of more than three crore cases, with the SC itself currently hearing 64,000 cases. Delays in the conclusion of trials often result in pre-trial detention being used a punitive measure, causing denial of bail. They also spawn informal justice measures, such as plea-bargaining or jail adalats, where fewer procedural safeguards nudge the accused to plead guilty to escape detention in lieu of the time already served. Prison officials are one of the most important, and often the most neglected, part of the criminal justice system. They regularly review the legal status of undertrials to determine whether they have spent enough time in custody to warrant release under Section 436A. Unfortunately, on average, only 66.3 per cent of the sanctioned posts are filled, with Bihar having only 21.1 per cent of the sanctioned prison official strength. Second, the inability to post bail arises partly due to the profile of undertrials. Some two-thirds are SCs/ STs/ OBCs and three-fourths are illiterate or have studied till below Class X. Low education levels and economic activity mean lower incomes, making it harder to afford bail. Third, the ineffectiveness of the existing legal aid system prevents these undertrials from being able to access statutory and constitutionally guaranteed legal aid. Poverty and low legal literacy makes many undertrials ignorant about the benefits afforded by Section 436A and their right to legal aid. Further, inadequate coordination among the legal services authorities and prison officials results in a failure to identify those requiring legal aid. What are the solutions? Unfortunately, there are no easy answers. Simply sanctioning an increase in the judge-population ratio does not account for the existing reality of 4,564 judicial vacancies. Nor does it consider the work these criminal justice functionaries are doing; police officers often spend their time on law and order and VIP security, instead of criminal investigation. Thus, there are three officers for every “protected person”, but only one officer for 761 common citizens. Similarly, fast-track courts do not resolve the underlying structural problems since they function within the same procedural framework as regular courts. Reforms should be oriented towards bringing criminal justice functionaries together and starting a conversation. Instead of merely announcing new initiatives, emphasis should be on ensuring the implementation of existing provisions, such as regularising the functioning of the Undertrial and Periodic Review Committees. Finally, efforts should focus on improving data collection and digitisation, and on mapping the existing reform landscape to prevent duplication of work. The SC order and the government decision are steps in the right direction. Nevertheless, a lot more needs to be done to mainstream the prison reform agenda to ensure that our undertrial prison population is commensurate with, or below, the global average.

Changing Team State

Jawaharlal Nehru hoped that his legacy would be 40 crore people capable of ruling themselves. As the unrealistic expectations from the first 100 days of the NDA calm down, I’d like to make the case that the government should take the long view and try to create a legacy that makes an impact: four lakh civil servants who are effective, accountable and bold. A more efficient and adventurous state would need radical changes to the policy on human capital architecture. Currently, this policy ensures that our non-elected senior policymakers are mostly permanent, close to retirement, and share thought worlds.

Legacies are complicated concepts and it’s probably useful to revisit two views of history. The first view, summed up by Thomas Carlyle, believes that the history of the world is the biography of great men. The second view, championed by Leo Tolstoy, believes that there is no such thing as great men, only great times. For me, the second view is too fatalistic, because leaders like Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Akbar and Ranjit Singh clearly bent the arc of history. But accomplishing great things is a team sport. The leaders mentioned above wouldn’t have accomplished what they did without what historian Doris Kearns Goodwin calls a team of rivals; Nehru, Sardar Patel and Abul Kalam Azad for Gandhi, Edward Bates, Salmon Chase and William Seward for Lincoln, Todar Mal, Man Singh, and Birbal for Akbar, Zorawar Singh, Hari Singh Nalwa and Fakeer Azizuddin for Ranjit Singh. Nehru’s legacy, redeemed not wholly or in full measure but very substantially, did lead to a nation that governs itself. But, according to biographer S. Gopal, Nehru regretted not being able to dismantle the administrative system set up by the British. It is a system for centralisation, control and suppressing innovation that is inappropriate for today’s wicked problems.

It is a system for centralisation, control and suppressing innovation that is inappropriate for today’s wicked problems.

It may be useful to learn from technology companies in Silicon Valley, the hub of using adventurous, innovative and curious human capital to solve wicked problems. Their first genius is realising that the team you choose is the company you create: an A team with a B opportunity is preferred over a B team with an A opportunity. Their second genius is a bias for youth: wicked problems need a fresh set of eyes not crushed by history or “how things are done”. The French statesman, Georges Clemenceau, once said that war was too important to be left to generals, and the third genius of the Silicon Valley companies is ensuring that hyper-intelligent engineers are complemented by narrative-creating marketers and tight-fisted financial controllers. Their final genius lies in leadership transition, as companies shift from the hormonal exuberance of adolescence to the cruising speed of adulthood. Founders step back, or are forced to step back, and are replaced by adult supervision. All four have interesting implications but first let’s look atthe case for less permanence, higher diversity and more youth. The rationale for a permanent civil service is that it ensures a non-politically aligned cadre with an institutional memory. But does the de jure square with the de facto? Are they really independent? Organisation memory is not only oversold — most civil servants don’t even meet their successors to hand over responsibility —  but its desirability is also questionable when you want radical change. Younger leaders would tackle timidity; longer tenures allow appointees to take more risk. Youth has more time to recover from mistakes and younger people are still idealistic. The case for diversity is best illustrated anecdotally — for instance, Nandan Nilekani got Aadhaar going because of his decades in technology. The research clearly shows that effective problem-solving synthesises diverse thought worlds. What does this entail? It needs combining the various administrative reform commission recommendations with the Seventh Pay Commission. Replacing today’s objective but ineffective performance management — 95 per cent are rated outstanding — with sharper and earlier differentiation. Figuring out how to give top jobs to 45-year-olds rather than 58-year-olds. Filling all posts above joint secretary level from a UPSC shortlist based on open advertisements. Emulating the lieutenant colonel threshold of the army, so that most civil servants retire early or peak as joint secretary equivalents if they are not shortlisted for moving up. Appointing 25 per cent of our ambassadors from outside the IFS and having direct political appointees make up 10 per cent of the secretaries. Reducing the number and size of Central ministries — two-thirds of IAS officers in Delhi work on state subjects. Barring career civil servants from regulatory posts for five years after retirement. Creating parliamentary oversight or confirmation for 40 key political appointments. Of course, all political appointees, like the Roman general, Cincinnatus, who was summoned from his farm to deal with an enemy attack but returned to the plough once his duty was done, would have tenures that were co-terminus with the government. All governors, political appointees, heads of IRDA, Sebi, Trai, NDMA, CCI, Cerc etc, would resign before a new government is sworn in. Does US policymaking really suffer when more than 4,000 people resign from public policy roles as a new president takes over in Washington? Not all resignations are accepted but it’s wonderful that they are offered. This government has a policy window — described by political scientist John Kingdon as that moment when the three streams, problems, policy and politics, converge. It also clearly believes, like Thomas Hobbes, that the state is an important antidote to nasty, brutish and short lives. Pundits are already speculating whether this government’s first term will be remembered as BJP1, NDA2 or UPA3. But it must pay no attention to the weather of the moment and remember that Hobbes named the state “Leviathan” after a biblical monster. And that re-election — and making history — lie in policy outcomes that need radical surgery to the architecture of India’s four lakh-strong non-elected policymaking Leviathan. -

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Press Note of Union Ministry of Women & Child Development

Ministry of Women and Child is addressing the needs of over 70% of the Indian people. The Ministry’s functioning is largely guided by the following two objectives: •To empower women to live with confidence, dignity and economic & educational abilities •To nurture children to develop to their full potential, make them safe and healthy in protective environments In the last few months, Ministry has taken up new areas of activities, new processes and new ways of doing things. This is intended to produce more outcomes and results that impact positively on our mandated   community which is women and children.  This period has allowed us to review the past with a view to making future programmes and activities impactful and significant.             Over the last two months our Ministry has worked closely with the Ministries of HRD and H&FW to design and prepare for implementation of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) initiative.   The adverse and declining child sex ratio (CSR) across the States is a major cause of concern as it has fallen from 927 in 2001 to 918 in 2011.  The BBBP seeks to arrest the trend and over time to reverse it.  A 100 critical low CSR districts in all States and UTs have been identified for focused and convergent action by these Ministries.  The Ministry of WCD is the nodal Ministry for this initiative and will carry out training to stakeholders, community mobilization and sensitization.  It will also embark upon a range of advocacy measures and activities, not limited to the 100 low CSR districts but all across the country.  All forms of media and social media platforms would be used for this.  The key to the success of the initiatives would lie with the communities, States, Panchayats and the local self-Government.  On our part we would wish to appeal to the members of the press to take up the cause, to enable the dignity, opportunity and equality with rights of the women to be realized.  At the same time our partner Ministries would also be carrying out actions as per their part of interventions.  The Health Ministry would focus on the implementation of the PC&PNDT Act and to curb the misuse of technology to the detriment of girl children and women.  In a much wider role, the Health Ministry would promote, along with our Ministry, the early registration of pregnancy in the first trimester itself.   Working together on these, the Anganwadis and the health Centres would monitor the CSR, nutrition and health status.  The existing commitments to having all girls in the schools, to discourage and eliminate child marriage would continue.   An important part of the programme is give reward and recognition – all schools, institution workers and volunteers will all be part of this mass campaign.   The Department of School Education would intensify efforts to ensure universalization of enrolment of girls, decrease the dropout rates, establish girl friendly schools and to strictly implement the Right to Education (RTE) Act.  A comprehensive legislation has been drafted that provides measures for children in need of care and protection and children in conflict with law. For the first time, offences have been clearly defined and classified in the Bill as petty, serious and heinous. Special provisions have been made to tackle child offenders committing heinous offences in the age group of 16-18 years. The Juvenile Justice Board has been given the option to transfer cases of heinous offences by such children to a Children’s Court, which is a Court of Session after conducting a preliminary inquiry. The Bill also proposes to place such children in a place of safety both during and after the trial till they attain the age of 21 years. After completing the age of 21 years, if the term of the child is still remaining then the Children’s Court shall conduct an assessment of the performance of the child and if the Court feels that the child may become a contributory member of the society then the Court can release the child under probation. In case the child has not undergone any reformative change then the child is to be shifted to a jail meant for adults.         It is expected that enactment of this Bill will act as a deterrent for child offenders committing heinous offences such as rape and murder and will also protect the rights of victim to justice. Several measures have been proposed for all children in conflict with law such as education, health and nutrition, vocational training, de-addiction measures, if required, counseling, behaviour modification therapy, etc.          Several new offences committed against children which are so far not adequately covered under any other law, have also been included in the Bill. These include: sale and procurement of children for any purpose including illegal adoption, corporal punishment, use of child by militant groups, offences against disabled children and, kidnapping and abduction of children.         Several rehabilitation and social reintegration measures have been provided for institutionalization and non-institutionalization of children. Under the institutional care, children are to be provided with various services including education, health, nutrition, de-addiction, treatment of diseases, vocational training, skill development, life skill education, counseling, etc. to help them assume a constructive role in the society. The variety of non-institutional options provided in the Bill include: foster care including group foster care, open shelters and sponsorship for children in need of care and protection. Child Line (1098) is an emergency outreach service for children in need of care and protection.  Currently the service is available in 282 locations and is likely to be expanded to 343 locations by the end of Financial Year 2014-15.  Approximately 38 lakh calls were received in 2013-14.  The kind of calls received at 1098 include medical help, emotional support and guidance, protection from abuse, shelter, missing children, restoration of children in verdict with law.  Currently Childline services are operated by a single centralized call center at Mumbai, catering to North and Western zones.  Expansion of Childline services are being planned by establishing three other centralized call centers at Chennai, Kolkata and Gurgaon. In the area of adoption the Ministry has taken significant steps in the last few months.  In 2013 the number of adoptions was 1100.  This year in the June to August period 1650 adoptions have been carried.  Further process for improvements and simplification of procedures are being carried out.  New guidelines have been prepared by the Ministry on the basis of the extensive consultations with the stakeholders.  These guidelines are now in the public domain and available for comments and suggestions.  In the next few weeks, and taking into account the inputs received, the Ministry proposes to finalize the new guidelines.  This will make adoption easier, simpler and speedier.  An important change is that the entire process will be carried out online prior to placing the case finally before the court of law.              Financial assistance to the Children Homes under the Integrated Children Protection Scheme (ICPS) has been increased recently.  For example, annual assistance to child care institutions have been increased from Rs. 25 lakh per annum to Rs. 50 lakh per annum and per child maintenance grant has been increased from Rs.750  per month to Rs. 2000 per month.  The Ministry has initiated steps to integrate rapidly expanding Childline facility with the basic structure of Track-child.  Through this effort, citizen initiated information on both missing and found children will be received by Childline and transmitted to the network of police stations and to the child care institutions in all parts of the country.  The mechanism based on a telephone call to the childline is being tested and will be operational shortly.  In addition, a mobile application of Track-child has been developed by the NIC and will also be brought into this integrated system.             For the first time in the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) the approval and release of funds has been linked to the detailed Annual Action Plans prepared by all States in a participatory exercise involving the States.  This has laid the basis for our expectation that from next year the State plan in all States will be based on district level plans in which the line departments – Health, Drinking Water and Sanitation.   Panchayati Raj institutions will also be involved besides, of course, the involvement of Ministry’s own institutions.              As an integral part of our commitment to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, toilets will be constructed by the States in over a lakh Anganwadis.  This is one part of our drive to a cleaner India.  At the same time the Anganwadis will become the hub for good sanitational hygiene practices to be inculcated, for volunteer action to be carried by the Anganwadi community and by the larger community in which Anganwadi is covered.   As a first step from 22ndSeptember to 21st October each Anganwadis has been requested to involve all related stakeholders in improving their surroundings by increased cleanliness to clean not only their Anganwadi, but their neighborhood, in partnership with all members of the community.   This will not be a one-of drive.  We expect the Anganwadis to establish norms of cleanliness and specific action to be carried out around the year.             Taking forward the commitment made by the Finance Minister in his budget speech earlier this year, the contours and content of a new invigorated National Nutrition Mission are being formulated.    The process of the consultation has begun.  On the 22nd and 23rd September at Delhi, stakeholders, academics, experts representatives of States and other stakeholders will meet to take forward the initial ideas and to prepare a rapid road map to finalize the mission in the next few months.             Under the ongoing scheme Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women (STEP) the Ministry is examining the feasibility of introducing more employment oriented programmes for women such as IT, NITES, Gems and jewelry,  transport and tourism, apparel and garment making, etc.  New awards have been instituted to recognise exceptional and selfless work done by women, at district and State levels (throughout the country). These awards will be decided at State/ UT level. The State award (Rajya Mahila Samman) to one woman in each State and UT consists of a cash prize Rs. 40,000 and a scroll / citation. The District award (Zila Mahila Samman) to one woman in each district consists of a cash prize Rs. 20,000 and a scroll / citation. The above awards will be presented on International Women`s Day.             Earlier this year, in June, 2014 the High Level Committee on the Status of Women presented its report of family laws relating to women.  The Ministry will take this report forward through a two stage process.  The first involves consultations at different locations in the country with experts, activists, academicians and other stakeholders on the changes to be brought about, using the report as a base.  The first such consultation was held on 16thSeptember, 2014 at Bhubaneswar.  The entire process will be completed by end of November.  It will provide valuable advice and inputs to the Ministry on the kinds of changes in laws related to women that need to be changed.  To revamp the activities of RMK, a committee of senior bankers, social workers and experts has been constituted.  The committee has held a series of meetings.  The Committee is in the process of preparing a road map for RMK so that it can reduce its non-performing assets and reach out more and more needy women without lose of time.

Opening Ceremony : Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2014

The combined Indo-US Military Training, Exercise YUDH ABHYAS 2014 commenced at Chaubattia, Uttarakhand with an opening ceremony on 17 Sep 14. The US Contingent was represented by Company and Brigade Headquarters from an Infantry Division of US Army while Indian side was represented by an equivalent strength from a Mountain Brigade of GARUD DIVISION. Maj Gen Ashwani Kumar of Headquarters Central Command welcomed the US soldiers and urged both contingents to achieve optimum cohesion and interoperability to achieve military objectives of the exercise. He stressed upon importance of free exchange of ideas and concepts between the troops and the necessity to learn from each others’ experiences. The focus of the ongoing exercise is to carryout Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorist Operations in mountainous terrain under United Nations (UN) Charter. The two week long event will see the contingents hone their tactical and technical skills in countering insurgency and terrorism in UN Peace Keeping scenario involving a Brigade Headquarters, an Infantry Company and a detachment of Special Forces. State of the art equipment for surveillance and tracking, specialist weapons for close quarter battle with terrorists, explosives and IED detectors, as well as the latest communication equipment are being fielded by both sides. Both sides will train, plan and execute a series of well developed combined tactical drills for neutralization of likely threats that may be encountered in UN peace keeping operations.

Cairn makes three more oil discoveries in Rajasthan

The Barmer basin in Rajasthan continued its prolific run with Cairn India striking gold with three new oil discoveries in the region.

With these three new discoveries, Cairn took the total number of discoveries made by it in the RJ-ON-90/1 block of the Barmer basin to 36.

“This is a significant discovery, in view of its proximity to the Mangala oil field and fast track appraisal is planned to facilitate rapid commercialization of this discovery,” the company said in a statement.

The block is operated by Cairn India—a subsidiary of Anil Agarwal’s London-based Vedanta Resources— with state-run ONGC holding a 30 percent stake in it.

With the three new discoveries, Cairn India would hope to its production target of 300,000 barrels per day by the end of 2016-17 from the existing 185,000 barrels per day.

The company, which saw its stock gain by about 3 percent with the news of the discovery, also announced an interim cash dividend of Rs. 5 per equity share of Rs.10 face value.

The Barmer or Rajasthan Basin, part of the Thar desert, forms the eastern flank of the Indus geo-syncline and comprises the sedimentary tract to the west and northwest of Aravalis up to the Indo-Pakistan border.

The Cambrian age basin extends over an area of 1,26,000 Sq. km and the Barmer part of it is believed to contain about 3.6 billion barrels of oil, of which 1 billion barrels are potentially recoverable.

India to be Partner Country in Hannover Messe Fair During April 2015

India has conveyed its consent to be the `Partner Country` at the prestigious Hannover Fair in Germany to be held from April 12 – 17, 2015. By accepting the invitation of German Chancellor Ms. Angela Merkel for India to be the Partner Country at Hannover Messe 2015, the Government has sent strong signals to the industry about strengthening global trade and inviting investment into India. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is expected to be present at the world renowned engineering and technology fair beginning April 12. The Department of Commerce has mandated Engineering Export Promotion Council India as the lead agency supported by India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) along with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as the other agencies for Indian participation in the fair. The Hannover Fair attracts nearly two lakh global leaders in business, technology, industrial scientists and policy makers. About 300 Indian companies including public sector giants would be participating in the five day fair, seeking technology collaborations, business tie-ups and showcasing India’s capabilities in global trade. India had been the Partner Country at the Hannover Messe in 2006. With USD 21 billion bilateral trade, Germany is India’s sixth largest trading partner with engagement in the areas of mechanical engineering, automobiles, chemicals, services, nuclear reactors, construction etc. Garments and textile products, chemical products, leather & leather goods, iron, steel and metal goods, electronic components, electrical components, pharmaceutical products, and auto components are major items of exports from India to Germany. The key German exports to India include electrical generation equipment, auto equipment, complete fabrication plants, bearings, gear equipment, measurement and control equipment, primary chemical products, synthetic material, machine tools, aircrafts and iron and steel sheets, etc. The Government is seeing the participation in the fair as an opportunity to increase its global presence in commodities & services, apart from utilizing the event for attracting investments into India as part of the ‘Make in India’ campaign of the Prime Minister. The Department of Commerce is in the process of getting in touch with all key Departments in the Central Government as also leaders of Indian business establishments, seeking their participation and co-operation in making the event a grand success.

Himalayan glaciers losing ice by thinning

The response of the Himalayan glaciers to climate change is very puzzling in many ways. Despite being subjected to similar climate changes, some of these glaciers appear to be stagnant as their fronts (or mouths) appear to be stationary. However, appearances can be deceptive and these glaciers are in one stage of development where they are losing ice by thinning, as revealed by a study published in the Journal of Glaciology.

The paper is authored by Argha Banerjee, now at IISER, Kolkata, and R. Shankar of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai.

Three aspects of the puzzle are interesting: First, despite experiencing similar climatic changes, such as warming, many glaciers appear not to be retreating — in other words, they appear to be stagnant.

Second, there is a marked difference between the average behaviour of extensively debris-covered glaciers and sparsely debris-covered glaciers. Third, there is a large variation in the retreat rates of the “fronts” of glaciers, which is the point where the glacier begins.

“Selecting the problem to analyse was perhaps the most challenging aspect of the study,” says Prof. Shankar. Of the several variables connected with ice loss, a careful study by the researchers indicated that debris cover played a significant role. For instance, of the 128 glaciers with sparse debris cover, only 18 per cent are stationary/advancing and 82 per cent are known to be retreating. In the case of the glaciers with extensive debris cover, as much as 48 per cent are stationary/advancing while only 52 per cent are retreating.

This is all the more puzzling as the two types of glaciers are not geographically separated and do experience similar climates.

“They [the extensively debris-covered glaciers] respond differently from the bare glaciers. They tend to thin and then retreat. So their retreat rate alone may not indicate the ice-volume loss,” he adds.

The group’s numerical investigations reveal that the extensively debris-covered glaciers contain two significant time scales.

During the first period, which can last as long as a century, these glaciers maintain a stationary front while the shape changes and ice is lost by thinning. After this period, it starts to retreat.

The study thus helped in reclassifying the glaciers with extensive debris cover as retreating despite the front appearing stationary. As a result, the fraction of shrinking debris-covered glaciers shot up to 73 per cent.

Thus the percentage of glaciers that are retreating was nearly the same immaterial of whether they were extensively debris covered or sparsely covered.

The group has also obtained the warming rate in the Himalayas from the bare glacier retreat data.

“The glaciated regions in the past 40-50 years experienced an average warming rate roughly the same as the global average warming rate, but with a wide variability,” says Prof. Shankar, referring to local differences in warming rate.