When giants meet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has just concluded a visit to China, his first since taking the reins at the Centre in 2014. This high-profile visit by Modi attracted global attention as the two Asian giants have begun to form a stronger relationship, based on equality and mutual benefit.

There is little doubt that China and India together can determine the future of Asia. As Jawaharlal Nehru once said, if China and India hold together, the future of Asia is assured. Indeed, the countries share many similarities: large populations, ancient civilisations, developing economies, a history of being wronged by Western powers, immense potential to become global powers. In the past, however, India-China relations have been plagued by mistrust, which stemmed from an unfortunate border war and lingering border disputes. But since Chinese President Xi Jinping took over in 2012, and Modi came to the helm in 2014, things have started to change.

The most important reason behind this sea change in ties is both countries’ realisation that they need to work together to fulfil the “Chinese dream” as well as the “Indian dream”. Both are developing economies with large populations. Their first priority is to reach development to their peoples. And China understands this very well.

That is partly why Xi decided to receive Modi in Xian instead of Beijing, breaking diplomatic protocol and showing special respect for the Indian prime minister. As a result, India and China signed a large number of economic agreements, worth a total of $22 billion. Besides, more agreements on education, scientific research, infrastructure, and cultural exchange have been inked. So, overall, there is no doubt that Modi’s visit to China is a big success.

Of course, there are some remaining issues in India-China ties which would require great wisdom and patience from both sides. As a strong leader, Modi also candidly expressed his opinion on the border issue. Many are doubtful of India and China building real mutual trust, given the stubborn border dispute. But there are good reasons to believe that India is willing to resolve the border issue as soon as possible. This is because, for India, development should be top priority for the coming decades, a goal that China shares. This common national interest is the strongest force bringing the two giants together peacefully. Modi is a pragmatic leader who understands the importance of economic development for India and there is a good chance that the border issue will be resolved sooner than expected.

Then there is the issue of strategic competition between the two giants. India, like China, is an emerging global power. For this reason, a certain degree of competition between India and China is inevitable. Andsometimes both countries cannot fully understand each other’s strategic goals. For example, India is understandably worried about China’s close bond — considered an ironclad relationship — with Pakistan. The Chinese, likewise, worry about India’s increasingly warm relationship with  Japan, China’s primary strategic  rival in Asia. Right now, many Indians are  a bit suspicious of China’s concept of a  “new maritime silk road”, which has caused some deep-rooted insecurities in India. This need not be the case, as China does not seek hegemony in the Indian Ocean.

The so-called “string of pearls” is just a  term for an unreal and imaginary threat posed by China to India.

Many in China worry about India’s interference in the South China Sea issue. Despite the fact that there is some kind of security and economic cooperation between India and Vietnam, no evidence suggests that the former really wants to intervene in the South China Sea dispute. India’s strategy in that region is more likely a response to China’s increasing inroads into the Indian Ocean and continued support for Pakistan. If China is willing to make some concessions in those areas, India is also likely to make some concessions in the South China Sea.

What should India and China do next to further strengthen their relationship then? I have three modest suggestions for both countries. First, both should make a bigger effort to truly understand each other. The sad reality is that, in spite of being the largest populations in the world, very few Chinese and Indians actually visit each other’s country. In this regard, Modi’s announcement that India would grant Chinese nationals an e-visa would help greatly. Both countries are full of tourism resources, and more and more people would love to travel once administrative hurdles are lifted.

Second, as the border issue remains the biggest obstacle in India-China relations, both countries should make an effort to resolve it as soon as possible. The truth is that both need to make some concessions in order to move their relationship forward. Over the past 20 years, China has successfully settled border disputes with many of its Asian neighbours. There is no reason why China cannot reach a satisfactory agreement with India, so long as Xi and Modi can resist domestic pressures. Both are strong leaders, and things look good in this regard.

Third, India and China should cooperate more at the regional and global levels. Both should avoid direct strategic competition in Asia. This means China should respect India’s primacy in the Indian Ocean and and the latter should respect China’s primacy in  the South China Sea. At the global level,  both are members of the BRICS club, and
we should expect more cooperation  there. Indeed, the BRICS bank will be headed by an Indian, showing India’s global leadership capabilities.

All in all, so long as India and China  continue to build mutual trust through deeper economic cooperation and strategic coordination, the future of the relationship between the two Asian giants is promising. Both can learn a lot from each other.

China should learn from India’s rule of law and democratic spirit. India can learn  from China’s economic dynamism. Indeed, if India and China hold together, the future of Asia is assured.

India’s eye on universe ready for tests

Astrosat launch in October, to provide useful data for country’s astronomers

A fully assembled Astrosat, India’s first space observatory, is ready for intensive tests here before its launch around October.

The Indian Space Research Organisation said on Tuesday that the 1,650-kg spacecraft would orbit Earth equatorially at 650 km and study distant stars, galaxies, black holes and other cosmic objects.

Elite status

The space-based observatory was built at the ISRO Satellite Centre here to operate for five years and will provide useful data for the country’s astronomy community. It will put India in an elite orbit with the U.S., Europe, Russia and Japan.

“Last week, the spacecraft was fully assembled and switched on. All the [six] payloads and sub-systems are integrated into the satellite. Mechanical fit checks of the satellite with the PSLV [polar satellite launch vehicle] payload adaptor were performed successfully,” the space agency said on its website.

One of ISRO directors said Astrosat would be the first such satellite to scan simultaneously the sky in most of the frequency spectra from ultraviolet to optical and low- and high-energy X-ray bands.

Large scale

Although previous national satellites carried small astronomy-related devices, “Nothing on this scale, with a dedicated satellite, has been done before [at ISRO]. It should be of immense benefit to our scientists, who have depended on inputs from other agencies and sources like the Hubble [US-European space telescope],” the official said.

In the coming days, Astrosat will undergo a host of environmental tests — electromagnetic interference, electromagnetic compatibility, thermal vacuum, vibration and acoustics and so on.

Later, the satellite will be shipped to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, for launch.

ISRO developed the six payloads in partnership with the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai; the Indian Institute of Astrophysics and the Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru; and the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune.

Two payloads were developed with the Canadian Space Agency and the University of Leicester, U.K.

India, a victim of e-waste crime

Exporting e-waste to Asia worked out 10 times cheaper than processing it in within these countries."

Much of the 40 million tonnes of electronic waste produced around the world — old smartphones, TVs, laptops and obsolete kitchen appliances — finds its way illegally to Asia and Africa every year, says a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Close to 90 per cent of the world’s electronic waste — worth nearly $19 billion — is illegally traded or dumped each year, to destinations half way across the world. While the European Union the U.S. and Japan are the primary origins of e-waste shipments, China, India, Malaysia and Pakistan are the main destinations, says the report. In Africa, Ghana and Nigeria are the biggest recipients of e-waste.

Destination India

Illegal trade is driven by the relatively low costs of shipment and the high costs of treatment in the developed countries. Quoting an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study, the UNEP report says that exporting e-waste to Asia worked out 10 times cheaper than processing it in within these countries.

The Indian subcontinent has turned into an important destination for European waste. This goes beyond e-waste to include household waste, metals, textiles and tires — which are exported to India and Pakistan, says the report “Waste Crimes, Waste Risks: Gaps and Challenges in the Waste Sector.”

“There is a significant trade in compressors to Pakistan. These should be depolluted prior to export, but waste operators seeking to avoid expense often omit this step,” the report notes.

‘Toxic time bomb’

The vast majority of illegal e-waste ends up in landfills, incinerators, and in ill-equipped recycling facilities. “The waste is dumped in areas where local residents and workers disassemble the units and collect whatever is of value... What is not reusable is simply dumped as waste, creating immense problems and leading to what has been described as a ‘toxic time bomb’.”

While Europe and North America are by far the largest producers of e-waste, Asia’s cities are fast catching up as consumers of electronic goods and as generators of e-waste. In China, for instance, 73.9 million computers, 0.25 billion mobile phones, and 56.6 million televisions were sold in 2011, the report says. Forecasts say that in just two years, the total quantum of e-waste generated around the world will be 50 million tonnes.

Hungarian writer ‪#‎LaszloKrasznahorkai‬ has won the prestigious‪#‎ManBooker‬ International Prize for 2015

Hungarian writer ‪#‎LaszloKrasznahorkai‬ has won the prestigious‪#‎ManBooker‬ International Prize for 2015. He was chosen from a list of 10 contenders from around the world.

About Laszlo Krasznahorkai Laszlo Krasznahorkai was born in 1954 Gyula, Hungary. He had gained recognition in 1985 after he had published his debut novel Satantango, which he adapted for the big screen in 1994. Krasznahorkai’s other famous novels are The Melancholy of Resistance (1989), War and War (1999), Seiobo There Below (2008). Awards and Honours: In 1993, he was awarded Bestenliste-Prize of Germany for his novel The Melancholy of Resistanc. In 2004, he was awarded with most prestigious cultural award in Hungary- The Kossuth Prize.

About Man Booker International Prize The prize, worth £60,000, recognizes an authors’s achievement in fiction. It is a biennial award, bestowed upon a living author who has published fiction either originally in English or whose work is available in translation in the English language. The prize is sponsored by Man Group plc, which also sponsors the Man Booker Prize for Fiction. Unlike the UK Man Booker Prize for Fiction, publishers cannot submit authors’ works for consideration. The Prize is significantly different in that it highlights one writer’s overall contribution to fiction on the world stage. The judges, who solely decide the winner, consider a writer’s body of work rather than a single novel.

Achieving the objective of “Swachh and Swastha Bharat” Radiation Hygienisation of Municipal Dry Sewage Sludge

The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi launched the “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” on 2^nd October, 2014to fulfil Mahatma Gandhi's vision of Clean India. He said that Swachh Bharat would make a significant impact on public health, and in safeguarding income of the poor, ultimately contributing to the national economy. As a part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, various ministries and departments are taking various steps to contribute to a “Clean India”. In this light, recently in April, 2015, the Bahbha Atomic research Centre (BARC) has signed an MoU withAhmedabad Municipal Corporation to set up a 100 tonnes per day Gamma Irradiation sludge hygienisation facility under its scientific and technical support. Such radiation hygienisation facilities would greatly contribute to achieve the objectives of  the mission of “Swachh and Swastha Bharat”.

Sewage is the wastewater discharged from domestic premises consisting mainly of human waste. Sewage typically contains more than 99.9% water and about 0.05% solid.  The solid part results in the formation of sludge. Largely, sludge is disposed in unorganized manner resulting in environmental pollution and spread of diseases. The sludge produced carries a heavy microbiological load and therefore its disposal has been a challenge to the urban development authorities.  Indian cities and towns together are generating an estimated sewage load of 38,254 million liters per day (MLD). Considering 0.05 % solid content, the total potential of sludge generation from the sewage is 19127 tonnes per day(1).   Considering the objectives  of Clean India Mission and Smart Cities, many of   upcoming Sewage Treatment Plants would  further add to the sludge volume.

           

Disposal of municipal sewage sludge, especially in large metropolitan cities is a serious problem due to presence of  potentially infectious microorganisms that can be a serious threat to public health. The present sludge disposal methods have their own limitations. For example, disposal into sea is site specific, incineration is an extremely energy intensive process and land filling involves transporting the sludge to faraway places due to scarce land availability in urban areas. On the other hand sludge is an important source of macro and micro nutrients such as N, P, K and Zn, Fe, Cu etc. respectively. Interest in the use of sludge for application in agriculture has increased among the farming community as well as among the sewage treatment plant (STP) operators. The farming community has realized that the excessive use of chemical fertilizers is not sustainable for long term agriculture. Dry sewage sludge (Dry Sludge) can be beneficially utilized for supplying nutrients to the crop, improving soil physical properties and above all increasing the soil organic matter. This can result in increased crop productivity as well as restoration of soil fertility. For STP operators, it may offer a way of generating a value added by product from waste whose disposal otherwise is a matter of environmental concerns and economic loss to the nation. Therefore, recycling of the sewage sludge for agriculture applications can emerge as an important outlet provided it is carried out in a manner that protects human and animal health as well as environment at large.

The sludge after conventional treatment processes at Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) still contains a heavy pathogenic microbial load and needs to be hygienised before it is applied to agricultural land or distributed in bagged form. This necessitates development of technologies that can hygienise the sludge in a reliable, efficient and cost effective manner.  World over, mix of methodologies are applied for disposal of sludge which includes 40-50% of its use in agriculture(2). Lime stabilization, heat pasteurization and composting are some of the known methods of treatment  for use of sludge in agriculture.  In general, EPA or country specific norms are followed for sludge disposal(3).

The high energy radiation has the unique ability of inactivating microorganisms present in the sewage sludge in a simple, efficient and reliable manner. Ionizing radiation emitted by radiation source such as ⁶⁰Co (Cobalt-60) interact with the critical molecules like DNA and proteins present in the cell resulting in the inactivation of pathogens(Table 1.). Indirectly, radiolytic products of water also makes the treatment more lethal to microorganisms. Due to this property, radiation technology is used worldwide for sterilization of medical products. There are  currently 18 Cobalt-60 based gamma radiation facilities  in India and more than 400  world over.

The end product of a standard STP is dry sludge which contains about 75-80% solid( Fig. 1.) and 20-25% water. It should not exceed the specified limits for:

1.                  The presence of pollutants (Arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium and zinc). Domestic sewage is not expected to have high concentration of these metals. Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) and United States Environmental Protection Agency(US EPA) have described similar limits. Radiation processing does not alter the concentration of the heavy metals.

2.                  The presence of pathogens (e.g. bacteria, viruses, parasites)

3.                  The sewage sludge attractiveness to vectors e.g. rodents, flies, mosquitoes, birds etc. which could transfer pathogens to other places and human. STP process reduces this factor(2).

On meeting the above criteria, dry sludge can be safely used in agriculture. US EPA and MoUD have described gamma and electron beam irradiation as one of the effective methods to further reduce bacteria, viruses, protozoan cysts ,helminthes, ova to below detectable level.

Experience gained at Sludge Hygienisation Research Irradiator (SHRI) Facility at Vadodara has established that sludge can be applied on land for farmer's benefit. SHRI  employs  liquid sludge irradiation process (96% water and 4 % solids).  Dry sludge irradiation is  more economical, reliable and scalable to large scale sludge hygienisation. Other solid waste can also be hygienised using the process of dry sludge irradiation. Inoculation of the hygienised sludge with Rhizobium, Azotobacter and Phosphate solubilizing bacteria showed 100-1000 times higher growth in comparison to growth in unhygienised  sludge and  making it a value added bio-fertilizer.

Fig 1 Schematic of Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant With Irradiation Facility

Table 1 Microbiological Analysis of Irradiated Dry Sludge

Results of field trials carried out by  Krishi Vigyan Kendra (ICAR)  and local farmers in Gujarat using radiation hygienised sludge established:

•                    Increased crop yield - direct benefit to the farmers. Improved soil conditions - soil conservation & restoration.

•                    Reduced health risks associated with sludge which reduces potential pressure on the country's health care system.

•                    Reduced demand of water due to higher water holding capacity of the sludge.

•                    The nutrient rich sludge which otherwise is wastefully discarded can be gainfully recycled for economic gain.

•                    Improved overall quality of life.

Thus, such radiation hygienisation facilities can be utilised in other parts of the country also can really contribute in making India Cleaner, healthier and providing better quality of life to the people of India.

Job Creation in Industry and Services is important for overall prosperity - Arvind Panagariya

Job Creation in Industry and Services is important for overall prosperity - Arvind Panagariya

The Vice chairman of NITI Aayog, Arvind Panagariya has underlined the importance of job creation in industry and services for overall prosperity of the nation. He shared the views with the people in his first blog post published on the newly launched website of NITI Aayog in New Delhi today. The full text of the blog post is as follows and can be accessed at www.niti.gov.in.

“There can be little disagreement that the fastest relief to the poor in India would come from productivity growth in agriculture.  This is where nearly half of the workforce is employed.  With the share of agriculture in the GDP at about 15 percent now, this half of the workforce is also significantly poorer than the other half, employed in industry and services.

But in the longer run, the potential of agriculture to bring prosperity to a vast population remains limited.  Over long periods, experiences such as that of Madhya Pradesh during 2011-12 to 2013-14 whereby agriculture grew in excess of 20 percent annually are rare.  In the recorded Indian history, the fastest that agriculture has grown nationally over a continuous ten-year period has been under 5 percent.  Put another way, in countries experiencing growth rates of 6 percent or more over long periods, overwhelmingly, industry and services have grown substantially faster than agriculture.

            It is in this context that the creation of good jobs in industry and services is critically important. Unless workers have the opportunity to migrate to better paid jobs in these sectors, they will be unable to fully share in the prosperity experienced by a fast-growing economy.  Thus, for example, prosperity was widely shared in South Korea and Taiwan during the 1960s and 1970s because workers in agriculture could migrate to good jobs in industry and services.  The share of industry and services in employment in South Korea rose from 41.4 percent in 1965 to 66 percent in 1980 and further to 81.7 percent in 1990. Correspondingly, the employment share of agriculture fell.  A similar pattern was observed in Taiwan during the 1960s and 1970s and more recently China.

            Indian farmers and their children recognize the superior prospects that faster-growing industry and services can potentially offer.  According to a recent survey conducted by the NGO Lokniti, 62 percent of all farmers say that they would quit farming if they could get a job in the city.  As for their children, 76 percent say that they would like to take a profession other than farming.

             It is in recognition of these aspirations that while reorienting public investment in agriculture toward productivity-enhancing items such as micro irrigation, soil cards, effective extension services and improved seeds, the government has paid special attention to creating jobs in industry and services.  The “Make in India” campaign has provided the umbrella for many of the government’s initiatives in this context.

            Using the instrumentality of cooperative federalism, the government has encouraged states to undertake labor law reforms that would help stimulate jobs.  States of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have taken lead in this area and, going by the reports in the press, the central government is now considering an overhaul of labor-law regime.  It intends to consolidate the 44 central labor laws into five while simultaneously introducing important employment-friendly reforms.

            The government has also greatly cut the inspector raj by introducing a portal that allows small and medium firms to comply with 16 central labor laws through self-certification. Any inspections are performed via a computer generated random selection.  Similarly, to improve access to good jobs, skill development has been greatly accelerated.  Under a recent initiative, 1.4 million workers aged 35 or younger from households that have completed 100 days of work during 2014-15 under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) scheme, would be imparted skills so that they may avail of urban employment opportunities.

            A common fear aired in the media is that the expansion of industry and services would divert land away from agriculture thereby undermining food security.  But these views are aired without attention to the some key facts on the pattern of land use.  Area under non-agricultural use, which includes housing, industry, offices, roads, railways and other similar items, was only 8% in 2011-12, the latest year for which data are available. Fifteen years earlier, in 1997-98, this proportion was 7%.  Accelerated growth over these fifteen years facilitated by the 1 percentage point increase in non-agricultural use of land has produced more gains in per-capita income and poverty reduction than what had been achieved over the entire fifty preceding years.

            Of course, even this 1 percentage point increase did not come at the expense of agriculture.  Increased multiple cropping allowed the gross area sown to rise from 57.8 to 59.4 percent of the total land area between 1997-98 and 2011-12.  And, of course, productivity increases allowed agricultural output to rise proportionately much more.  There remains much scope for further output increase through the extension of the Green Revolution to eastern states and rain-fed regions, as emphasized by the Prime Minister.

            In sum, agricultural growth and the expansion of good jobs in industry and services can go hand-in-hand to bring rapid elimination of poverty and shared prosperity for all.”

Emphasises on Consistent, Quicker and Efficient Supply Chains for Supply of Farm Produce for Food Processing

Emphasises on Consistent, Quicker and Efficient Supply Chains for Supply of Farm Produce for Food Processing

India is the third largest food producer in the world yet barely 2.2% of fruits and vegetables are processed. Under the visionary guidance of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, Ministry of Food Processing Industries is focusing on boosting the Food Processing Sector so that agriculture sector grows exponentially. To make Food Processing the engine of growth is the motto of Ministry of Food Processing Industries. This was stated by Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Minister of Food Processing Industries here today in an interaction with the media.

Addressing a press conference to highlight the one year’s achievements of Ministry of Food Processing Industries , Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal stated that to address the challenges of insufficient infrastructure leading to huge wastage, undue advantage to middlemen at the cost of farmers remuneration, the government’s focus is on compressing supply chains and to make them consistent, quicker and efficient for supply of farm produce for food processing. The Government also focuses on creating a Cold Chain Infrastructure to link the farmer to the consumer seamlessly and creating a Cold Chain Grid in the entire country. The Ministry has identified creation of modern infrastructure for food processing as a focus area and encouraging private investment. Sanctioning of 17 new Mega Food Parks and 30 Cold Chain projects will attract total investment of about Rs. 3077 crore in the creation of infrastructure in food processing sector.

Smt. Badal further informed that the scheme of Cold Chain, Value Addition and Preservation Infrastructure provides financial assistance up to Rs. 10 crore for entrepreneurs. A total of 138 integrated Cold Chain projects were approved by the Government, out of which 108 projects are under the implementation by the Ministry. Of these, 52 projects have already achieved completion and commenced commercial operation. The capacity created by these 52 projects is 2.16 lakh MT of cold storage/CA/Deep Freezer, 80.3 lakh litres per day of milk processing, 38.5 MT/Hour of Individual Quick Freeze and 271 of Reefer Transport. It is expected that operationalization of 108 projects would create capacity of (a) 3.64 lakh MT of Cold Storage, Controlled Atmosphere (CA)/Modified Atmosphere (MA) Storage, Deep Freezer (b) 90 MT per hour of individual Quick Freezing (IQF) (c) 106.95 lakh litres per day of milk processing and storage and (d) 601 number of reefer carriers.

The Union Minister of Food Processing Industries informed that sanction has been accorded to 30 new Cold Chain proposals for implementation. Total expected grant-in-aid to be released to these 30 project is Rs. 274.9 crore which would attract an investment of Rs. 470 crore. Total Cold Chain infrastructure capacity to be created by these is (a) 1.12 Lakh MT of Cold Storage/CA/MA Store (b) 11.10 Lakh Litres per Day of Milk Processing (c) 28.5 MT/Hour of IQF (d) 1434 MT/Day of Ripening Chamber and (e) 209 Reefer Vehicles.

Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal also informed that to boost the creation of Infrastructure for Food Processing, the Ministry has, in the last one year, inaugurated two Mega Food Parks - one in Karnataka and another in Fazilka in Punjab. Three more Mega Food Parks are to be inaugurated shortly in West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Assam. Government has announced 17 new Mega Food Parks in last one year. It has also completed 14 Cold Chain projects and 30 new Cold Chain projects are being announced.

The Minister informed that the Government has also set up a Fund of Rs. 2000 crores under NABARD for extending affordable credit to entrepreneurs for designated food parks and for setting up of food processing units in the designated food parks. The Government has classified loans to food and agro based processing units and cold chains under agriculture activities for Priority Sector Lending (PSL). The Ministry is working with the industry for imparting industry relevant skill training including development of course content in identified sectors of food processing. The investor-friendly Investor’s Portal has all the required information available online.

Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal expressed confidence that these steps of the Government will create modern infrastructure for arresting post-harvest losses of horti and non-horti produces and provide impetus to the growth of this sector. The timely completion of these Integrated Cold Chain and Mega Food Park projects will not only provide a big boost to the growth of food processing infrastructure in the concerned states but also help in providing better price to famers, reduce wastage of perishables, add value to the agricultural produce and create huge employment opportunities especially in rural areas. These will lead to the stabilization of food products prices and contain inflation in the country.