China tests hypersonic strike vehicle that can breach US missile shield

China has tested a hypersonic strike vehicle, signaling that Beijing is working on a new ultra- high speed weapon system that can breach the existing missile shield of the United States.

The Chinese Defence Ministry has confirmed an earlier assertion of U.S. defence officials that Beijing had tested Wu-14, a hypersonic glide vehicle. It said that the scientific test in western China was “not directed against any specific country or target.” However, it said that the test was part of China’s strategic nuclear programme.

A separate article posted on the Chinese Defence Ministry’s website quoted Igor Korotchenko, director of the Centre for Analysis of World Arms Trade of Russia as saying that the testing of the hypersonic vehicle proved China's enhanced capability to overcome the missile defence system of the United States.

The Russian news agency RIA-Novosti had revealed that the WU-14, launched by an intercontinental ballistic missile, separated from the missile in the upper atmosphere. It then glided and dived towards the earth at a speed that may be 10 times that of the velocity of sound, reaching around 12,800 km an hour — good enough to breach existing anti-missile defences.

Analysts say that the test coincided with the growing militarization of the Western Pacific, and tensions resulting from maritime disputes in the energy- rich South China Sea.

China is concerned about Washington’s intent to deploy 60 per cent of its naval and air forces in the Asian-Pacific region, under its “Asia Pivot” doctrine, despite its decision to cut down the size of U.S. Army from 520,000 to 440,000.

Speaking in November at the 13th Forum for National Security of China, Zhao Nanqi, vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said that the Western Pacific is “an intersection of four major strategic powers, namely China, America, Russia and Japan, with a very complicated strategic situation”.

He added: “To safeguard the national security of China, it is very important for us to have an in-depth study and analysis of the strategic situation in the Western Pacific, see the security pattern in the West Pacific clearly, and have in our hands the initiative of safeguarding peace and stability in the Asian-Pacific region.”

Observers say that the imposition of sanctions against Russia following the crisis in Ukraine has significantly strengthened the

strategic cohesion between Beijing and Moscow. The Russian Tactical Missile Weapon Company is also now engaged in the research and development of hypersonic technology, which had been frozen in the 1980s.

Consultation on Convergence of Resources for Tribal Development Held

Union Tribal affairs Minister Shri Jual Oram  has said that efforts should be made to  bridge the gap of economic and social development between  tribals and non tribals in the country .Speaking at the daylong brainstorming  consultation on convergence of resources for tribal development held here today the Minister said issues like gainful employment, quality education, health facilities and availability of safe drinking water are very important in terms of the development of tribals. He urged the participants to give their suggestion with an open mind.       The day long consultation was attended by senior officials from the Union Ministries of Rural Development, Health and Family Welfare, Culture , HRD, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Agriculture and various states and NGOs. Issues such as feasibilities of convergence of activities, funds and resources with key stakeholders, requisite timelines for effective implementation of programmes, issues and challenges in achieving the intended convergence, opportunities to overcome the constraints, model strategic framework for management of resources and innovative / corrective measures to be incorporated in the existing guidelines to address the critical missing links were discussed. ‘               Both Central Government and State Governments have taken various initiatives for development of tribal people in the past. However, the human development indices for tribal population is not showing expected trend in general over the years at par with other social groups. The indicators in respect of health, education, livelihood, women empowerment, access to drinking water etc. are alarmingly low, as per the figures reflected in Census 2011. Further, preservation, protection and promotion of their rich cultural and traditional heritage calls for  special attention.              Funds for tribal development are sourced from (i) State Plans; (ii) Funds under TSP components of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) administered by Central Ministries/ Departments; (iii) Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub Plan (SCA to TSP), Grant under Article 275 (1) of the Constitution and other schemes implemented by Ministry of Tribal Affairs; and (iv) Institutional Finance.

legislation in parliament

Crucial fourth week of winter session of Parliament to take up Insurance, Companies and Coal Mines Bills Session set for a record in transaction of Legislative Business Lok Sabha passed 13 Bills so far and Rajya Sabha-9; Government proposes eight more at least

The current Winter session of Parliament is set for a record performance  in transaction of legislative business. While the Lok Sabha has already passed 13 Bills in the first three weeks of the session ending on December 12, 2014, the Rajya Sabha has cleared nine of them. Rajya Sabha is still to take up four Bills passed by the Lower House viz., The Appropriation Bill,2014, Payments and Settlement Systems (Amendment) Bill, 2014,The Repealing and Amending (Second) Bill, 2014 and The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, 2014. The legislative business transacted during the 15 sittings of the current winter session so far and the Bills likely to be taken up during the remainder of the session of 7 sittings will surpass by a wide margin the 12 Bills passed during the Budget session this year.             The fourth week of winter session of Parliament beginning Monday i.e December 15, 2014 assumes importance with the government proposing to move reform oriented Bills like The  Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2008  and The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2014 to be taken up for consideration and passing in both the Houses of Parliament. While the Insurance Bill seeks to enhance FDI limit in the capital starved insurance sector, the Companies Bill aims at enhancing the ease of doing business. The Lok Pal and Lok Ayuktas (Amendment) Bill, 2014 is also proposed to be taken in both the Houses.             In addition, the Bills proposed by the Government for consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha during the remainder of the session include:  The Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014, The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Amendment Bill, 2014,The Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Bill, 2014, The Anti-Hijacking (Amendment) Bill, 2010  and The Warehousing Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2014.             In addition to the four Bills to be discussed in the Rajya Sabha as passed by the Lower House mentioned above, the Business Advisory Committee of Rajya Sabha has also allocated time for consideration of The Anti-Hijacking (Amendment) Bill, 2010 and The Public Premises Bill, 2014. Time has also been allocated for taking up two motions in Rajya Sabha relating to annulment and modification of the central government’s notification of December 2, 2014 seeking to increase the Basic Excise Duty on petrol and diesel.                 Details of Bills passed during the first three weeks of winter session are as below: S.No Bill Lok Sabha Rajya Sabha 1. Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, 2014 Passed  - 2. The Appropriation Bill, 2014 Passed - 3. The Payment and Settlement Systems (Amendment) Bill, 2014 Passed - 4. The Repealing and Amending (Second) Bill, 2014 Passed - 5. The Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2014 Passed Passed 6. The Labour Laws (Exemption from furnishing returns and maintaining registers by certain establishments) Amendment Bill, 2014 Passed Passed 7. The Textile Undertakings (Nationalisation) Laws (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2014 Passed Passed 8. The Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Bill, 2014 Passed Passed 9. The Merchant Shipping (Second Amendment) Bill, 2014 Passed Passed 10. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2014 Passed Passed 11. The School of Planning and Architecture Bill, 2014 Passed Passed 12. The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2014 Passed Passed 13. The Indian Institutes of Information Technology Bill, 2014 Passed Passed                 Rajya Sabha lags behind the Lower House in terms of number of Bills passed on account of continuous disruptions for four days during the second week of the winter session on the issue of some observations made by a member of the union council of ministers

DRDO Wins Innovation Excellence Award

Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), has been once again awarded the prestigious Thomson Reuters India Innovation Award- 2014 in category of “Research Institutions”. Shri Avinash Kumar, Additional Director (IPR), DRDO HQ received the award on behalf of DRDO at a function held in Mumbai on yesterday. The award was adjudged on the basis of patents filed, efficiency and effectiveness of research, the impact of innovations as measured by patent citations and international competitiveness. DRDO had also won the Thomson Reuters India Innovation Award- 2011 in the category of “Hi-Tech Academic & Government”. DRDO is dedicated towards enhancing self-reliance in Defence Systems and undertakes design and development of world class weapon systems and equipment in accordance with the express needs and qualitative requirements of the three services and leading them to production with industry. DRDO has been working in various areas of military technology including aeronautics, armaments, electronics, combat vehicles, engineering systems, instrumentation, missiles, advanced computing and simulation, special materials, naval systems, life sciences, training and information systems and has generated cutting edge defence technologies covering various disciplines over the years. The innovation has been integral part of DRDO’s R&D efforts which have led to the current IPR portfolio of around 1600 including patents, copyrights, trademarks and designs. It has also provided ample spin-off benefits to the society by allowing some of its technologies released for civilian applications

Mega Food Park inaugurated at Dabwala Kalan, in Fazilka District Punja

b.

Union Minister for Food Processing Industries,Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated the first of its kind Rs 136 Crore Mega International Food Park at Dabwala Kalan, in Fazilka District Punjab in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal today. Inaugurating the food park, which is among the fourth such parks in the country, the Union Minister gave a clarion call for establishment of more food processing units to reduce the huge food wastage worth Rs 45,000 crores in the country. She said that "This is just the beginning. The Ministry has succeeded in promoting International Food Park by extending a subsidy of Rs 50 crore. In the near future you will see many more parks and food processing units coming up in the State", she said while addressing public gathering on the occasion. Giving details of forthcoming projects in Punjab, Smt Badal said ITC was coming up with a Rs 1,000 crore food park in Kapurthala. "We are also promoting establishment of a cold chain for which we are giving a subsidy of Rs 10 crore besides creation of modern processing centres for milk, fruits and vegetables", she added. Urging farmers to add value to their crops she said they could also form small self help groups for this purpose. Making out a case for diversifying from paddy cultivation, Smt Badal said the need of the hour was to add value to fruits and vegetables grown in Punjab. Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab Sh Sukhbir Singh Badal said diversification would become a reality with creation of more food parks including the one coming up in Kapurthala Sh Badal lauded the food park promoters for providing more than 700 jobs to local youth and said more youngsters would be employed in the park once other companies also established their units in the 55 acre facility. The 55 acre food park has come up at a cost of Rs 136 crore having facilities for processing milk and milk products besides packaging vegetables and fruits.

Measures to make Agriculture Profitable

The Various measures taken for quality improvement and availability of essential factors like fertilizers, seeds,electricity and irrigation facilities for agriculture in order to make it a profitable business include the following:

The Government is implementing various Missions, Schemes and Projects which facilitate production, availability & distribution of quality seeds and fertilizers to farmers. The Government of India has launched a new schemes viz. Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) which aims to provide reliable and adequate power supply to farmers by separation of agriculture and non-agriculture feeders and strengthening of sub-transmission and distribution infrastructure in rural areas, among others. Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana for rural electrification will get subsumed in DDUGJY.

Water is a State subject; water resources/ irrigation projects are planned, executed and maintained by State Governments from their own resources and as per their own priorities. Government of India provides financial and technical assistance to the States under Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme, Repair, Renovation and Restoration of Water Bodies Scheme and CADWM Programme, to enhance the irrigation potential of the country as well as to ensure its effective utilization. Financial assistance is also being provided to farmers for micro irrigation and protected cultivation under various schemes viz., Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), On-Farm Water Management (OFWM) under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). Assistance for micro irrigation is being provided under OFWM @ 35% for small & marginal farmers and 25% for other farmers for an area upto 5 ha per farmer. This assistance is 50% & 35% respectively in the areas covered under Drought Prone Areas Programme, Desert Development Programme and North Eastern & Himalayan regions.

For protected cultivation, assistance is being provided under MIDH @ 50 % for setting up green houses, etc. for an area upto 4000 square meters per farmer. State Governments are also promoting these technologies under RKVY. 

The Government is implementing many Missions/ Schemes such as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP) and Grameen Bhandaran Yojana etc. for raising investments in agriculture. In addition, Government has issued a framework for Public Private Partnership for Integrated Agriculture Development (PPPIAD) for using RKVY allocation for bringing greater association of private sector in agricultural development projects in the States.

Agriculture sector has been identified by Government as priority lending sector, which constitutes at last 18% of the total loan portfolio of the banks. Crop loans are provided to farmers at a concessional rate of 7% per annum with 3% interest subvention for timely repayment. Post harvest loan is also available to farmers on the basis of negotiable warehouse receipts for a period of six months on the same terms so as to prevent distress sales. Thus, crop loans are available to farmers at more favourable terms then loans available to industries sector. However, loans for post harvest management activities including marketing, processing etc. are available on rates decided by the banks concerned.

Government has also taken several fiscal incentive measures such as tax deduction, waiver/reduction of Excise Duty, reduction of Custom Duty on specific food items etc. with a view to encouraging the growth of food processing industries. Agricultural & Processed Food Products Exports Development Authority (APEDA) is also implementing various schemes for promotion of export of agricultural and processed food products.

To provide high quality seeds and fertilizers to farmers, details of various Missions, Schemes and Projects is as follows:

a.      Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) envisages to promote seed production for vegetables and spices. Assistance is provided @ 100% of total cost to public sector. In case of Private Sector, assistance is 50% of the cost as credit linked back ended subsidy for a maximum area of 5 ha. per beneficiary.

b.      Under the Sub-mission on Seeds and Planting Material (SMSP) under National Mission on Agricultural Extension and Technology (NMAET), number of programmes and activities are organized to develop/strengthen seed sector and to enhance production and multiplication of high yielding certified/ quality seeds of all agricultural crops and making it available to the farmers at affordable prices and also place an effective system for protection of plant varieties, rights of farmers and plant breeders to encourage development of new varieties of plants. Financial assistance/grants-in-aid is also provided to private/ public entities under the component ‘Development and Strengthening of Infrastructure Facilities for Production and Distribution of Quality Seeds’.

c.       The Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) also organise quality seed production and distribution to farmers .During the last one year 1.57 lakh quintal seeds of improved varieties and hybrids of cereals. Oilseeds, pulses, commercial crops, vegetables, flowers, fruits, spices, fodder, forest species, medicinal plants and fibre crops were produced and provided to 2.61 lakh farmers by KVKs.

d.      Under the National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP) support is provided for purchase of breeder seeds, production/ distribution of certified seeds, distribution of seek Minikits (Varietal Diversification) for demonstration of new technologies, seed infrastructure Development, Variety Specific Targeted Seed Production (VSTSP), planting material for oil palm and Tree Borne Oilseeds (TBOs), establishment of seed gardens of oil palm, maintenance cost for oil palm and TBOs. NMOOP also provides support for production of bio-fertilizers/ bio-agents, gypsum/pyrite/ liming /dolomite and construction of vermi- compost.

e.      Under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) certified seeds of high yielding varities/hybrids which have been released during last 10 years are distributed on subsidy to the farmers under NFSM. Micronutrients, soil ameliorants are provided to the farmers on subsidy under NFSM on rice, wheat, pulses, coarse cereals. Bio-fertilizer (Rhyzobium/PSB culture) is given to the farmers under NFSM-pulses on subsidy.

f.        Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1985 has been promulgated for regulation of quality of fertilisers. No person shall manufacture/import for sale, sell, offer for sale, stock or exhibit for sale or distribute any fertiliser which is not notified in the said Order or not of standard prescribed in the said Order. Samples of fertilizers are drawn periodically by notified fertiliser inspectors of State Governments to check their quality whereas in case of imported fertilisers, the fertiliser inspectors of the Central Government draw samples from ships/containers for checking their quality.

g.      The Department of Fertilizers under Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers provides Quality Urea and 22 grades of Phosphatic and Potassic fertilizers to the farmers on subsidized rates strictly as per the stipulation under the Fertilizer (Control) Order (FCO), 1985.

Restructuring of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes

Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) ordinarily covers such subjects which are enumerated in State/concurrent list and are crucial for realising national development goals. While the schemes are implemented by the State Governments, their guidelines are framed by the concerned Central Ministries after stakeholder consultation including consultation with States. This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Planning, Shri Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.           The Minister said that while there is no such specific information that the guidelines of the schemes are very complex, from time to time, many State Governments have raised the issue of looking into the guidelines of the CSS. Their key concern is about providing of requisite flexibility to States to meet their requirements. Many states have pointed out that because of lack of flexibility, it is difficult to spent allocations in many of these schemes.           He said that in view of above, the Planning Commission set up a Committee under the Chairmanship of Shri B.K. Chaturvedi, Member, Planning Commission to look into the issue of restructuring/rationalization of CSS for enhancing their flexibility, scale and efficiency, which submitted its report to Planning commission on September, 2011. Shri Rao said that based on the recommendations and comments thereon by States and Union Ministries, in June 2013, the government has approved restructuring of the CSS which is as follows:  (a) Restructure the existing CSS/ACA Schemes in the Twelfth Five-Year Plan into 66 Schemes, including Flagship Programmes. The Government/Cabinet, while approving the aforesaid re-structuring has also inter-alia approved following for improving their efficiency.  (i) At least 10% of outlay of CSS be kept as flexi fund which may be used for funding innovations or taking up the activities/projects which even though not strictly as per the guidelines of the scheme, serve the broad objective of a scheme. (ii) A provision for introduction of State specific guidelines in a CSS has been provided. For this an Inter-Ministerial Committee under the Co- chairpersonship of the Secretary (Planning Commission) and Secretary (Department of Expenditure) with representative of the State Government and the Administrative Ministries concerned has been constituted to consider the suggestions of the State Governments for introduction of State specific guidelines for implementation of the schemes.  These two measures are expected to provide flexibility in implementing the scheme and would improve their efficiency. (iii) For each new CSS/ACA/Flagship scheme, at least 25% of funds may be contributed by the General Category States and 10% fund by the Special Category States including States of J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.  (iv)The Budget provisions of these schemes would be provided to the Administrative Ministry so that central fund would flow to the States through Consolidated Fund of States.