Tourism Vision Document 2030

Ministry of Tourism launches several new initiatives on World Tourism Day

Medical and Wellness Tourism Board constituted, Tourism Vision Document 2030 released

The Union Ministry of Tourism launched several new initiatives on the occasion of World Tourism Day today.

The Union Minister of State for Tourism(Independent Charge) , Culture (Independent Charge), and Civil Aviation, Dr Mahesh Sharma announced the constitution of the Medical and Wellness Tourism Promotion Board at a function in New Delhi today. The Board has been formed to tap the potential and advantages that India has in the field of medical and wellness tourism. The Centre of Excellence in Hospitality Education to operate from Hotel Samrat in New Delhi was also inaugurated at today’s function. Release of Tourism Vision Document 2030, launch of the revamped website of Ministry of Tourism http://tourism.gov.in/ which has now been made bilingual, release of Audio Visual Presentation ‘ Introduction to India’ and a seminar on the theme of World Tourism Day 2015 “ One Billion Tourist, One Billion Opportunities” were some of the other highlights of today’s function on the occasion of World Tourism Day.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Mahesh Sharma said that low cost medical facilities are India’s strength and we must take advantage of the same for the purpose of promoting tourism. It is for this reason that the Government took the important decision of setting up the Medical and Wellness Tourism Promotion Board. The Board will have a corpus fund of Rs 2 crore initially, the Minister disclosed. Dr Mahesh Sharma said that the AYUSH facilities will be promoted along with regular medical facilities.

Dr Mahesh Sharma also announced that Discover India fares of Air India. Under the scheme, a tourist can discover India in one or two weeks at a reasonable travel cost. A Tourist can buy 5 coupons for Rs 32,500 (15 days validity) or 10 coupons for Rs 60,000 (30 days validity) for exciting Indian destinations, serviced by Air India & Alliance Air without worrying about ticket price fluctuation. In another initiative, Air India will introduce Incredible Air India holiday packages from 1st December, 2015. Air India will also launch Delhi-San Francisco flight from 2nd December, 2015 onwards which will fly thrice a week, Dr Mahesh Sharma announced.

Secretary, Tourism, Sh. Vinod Zutshi; CMD, ITDC Sh. Umang Kumar; CMD, Air India, Sh. Ashwani Lohani and other Senior Officials and members of the Travel Industry Stakeholders attended the function.

The details of some of the new initiatives launched today are as below:

Medical and Wellness Tourism Promotion Board: The Board will provide leadership of the Government within a framework of prudent and effective measures, thereby enabling promotion and positioning of India as a competent and credible medical and wellness tourism destination. The Board will be chaired by the Union Tourism Minister and consists of members representing the related Government Departments, Tourism & Hospitality sector and experts in the Medical, Wellness and Yoga.

Ashok Institute of Hospitality & Tourism Management – Centre of Excellence : The Ashok Institute of Hospitality & Tourism Management is part of the HRD division of India Tourism Development Corporation Ltd.,(ITDC) a PSU under Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India. As part of its contribution towards supplying trained manpower to the Hospitality Industry, ITDC has envisioned to set up a Centre of Excellence in Hospitality Education at Hotel Samrat, New Delhi. The courses offered by AIH&TM are a blend of the rich heritage and culture of India and hospitality management education system. It provides the students with a world class contemporary education to have an edge over others in the field.

Tourism Vision Document 2030: The document goes into the challenges for the sector and details the way towards Vision 2030. ‘Tourism vision 2030’ has been commissioned by the Experience India Society and prepared by KPMG.

Launch of Bi-Lingual Website of Ministry of Tourism: The official website of the Ministry http://tourism.gov.in/ has been revamped and translated in Hindi. This Administrative website of the Ministry of Tourism contains the activities and information of all the divisions of the Ministry including the web based E-Recognition System for recognition of Travel Trade Service Providers and Approval and Classification of Hotels.

Audio Visual Presentation ‘ Introduction to India’ : The Indian Association of Tour Operators, the Apex Body of Tourism Industry and especially promoting inbound tourism to our country has produced a 6 minutes AV presentation depicting all tourism products of India and a element of human engagement with the various tourism products . This video presentation is to be used by IATO in all its promotional activities including Road Shows, international travel marts and other industry Interactions.

A seminar on the theme of World Tourism Day 2015 “ One Billion Tourist,One Bilion Opportunities”was held, with Shri Vikram Oberoi, President Hotel Association of India, Shri Subhash Goyal, President Indian Association of India and Shri Atul Bhatnagar, Chief Operating Officer of National Skill Development Corporation as panellists.

Among other important events, a street play was also enacted today at the Dilli Hatt, INA Market by the Students of Institute of Hotel Management, PUSA, New Delhi on the theme “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan-Swachh Bharat Swachh Paryatan”. Speaking on the occasion, the Tourism Minister, Dr Mahesh Sharma made an appeal to provide clean, safe and hospitable environment to the tourists. It is our moral responsibility to conduct ourselves properly with the tourists and especially foreign tourists, he added. The students performed the play at regular intervals throughout the day to sensitize the tourists and visitors to Dilli Haat about keeping India clean. 

Expert committee constituted to revisit IAS exam pattern: Dr. Jitendra Singh

Expert committee constituted to revisit IAS exam pattern: Dr. Jitendra Singh

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh disclosed that as a follow-up to the decision taken by the government in the month of May this year, an expert committee consisting of leading academicians, technocrats and senior bureaucrats of national repute has been constituted to revisit the entire pattern, syllabus and eligibility criteria for IAS / Civil Services examination. He was speaking to a group of civil services aspirants, here today.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said that based on the report of the Committee, further changes in the civil services exam pattern will be contemplated with the primary objective of providing a level playing field to aspirants from diverse streams of curriculum like mathematics, engineering, medicine or humanities and at the same time, also ensuring that the youngsters who took up IAS as a career possess a genuine aptitude for administrative job.

Till such time as the recommendations of the expert committee are received and the government subsequently takes a decision on the same, Dr. Jitendra Singh clarified that the General Studies Paper-II (CSAT) in the Civil Services Preliminary Examination will remain a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%. Meanwhile, the DoPT’s decision taken last year to exclude the English portion consisting of 22 marks in the General Studies Paper-II of the Civil Services Preliminary Examination from tabulation also continues to remain in force, he added.

Reiterating the Narendra Modi government’s resolve to provide “maximum governance” and “ease of governance”, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, the decision to revise the IAS pattern was a path-breaking one and aimed to achieve the basic objective of ensuring that the best and the most deserving with a genuine aptitude, should get the opportunity to become a part of the administrative set up of rapidly developing 21st century India.

Dr. Jitendra Singh recalled that soon after the present government took over on May 26, 2014, it was confronted with the demands from across the country for revisiting the pattern and syllabus of Civil Services examination. After prolonged deliberations at different levels, he had himself personally studied the question papers of the last 3 years of IAS / Civil Services examination and come to a conclusion that the issue deserved to be re-looked in the background of inputs received from different quarters. It was also being alleged that the present syllabus and pattern tended to benefit students from mathematics and engineering backgrounds, he said. At the same time, there was also risk of the aptitude becoming a casualty in the pursuit of a secure IAS career, he observed. 

India has the makings of becoming the “clean energy world capital.”

PM’s roundtable on renewable energy

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today chaired a roundtable meeting on renewable energy, with top energy CEOs and experts, in San Jose.

Dr. Ernest Moniz, Secretary of Energy, United States; and Prof. Steven Chu, former US Secretary of Energy were present at the roundtable meeting.

Top energy CEOs and investors, including Ahmad Chatila, CEO SunEdison; Nikesh Arora, President and COO, Softbank; K.R. Sridhar, CEO, Bloom Energy; Jonathan Wolfson, CEO, Solazyme; John Doerr, Venture Capitalist; and Ira Ehrenpreis of DBL partners were present.

Prof Arun Majumdar, Prof Roger Noll, Dr. Anjani Kochar, and Prof. Sally Benson, all from Stanford University, participated.

Among the views expressed at the roundtable, was a clear assertion that India has the makings of becoming the “clean energy world capital.” 

The participants said that clean and renewable energy will soon be an inexpensive energy option, with electricity storage becoming cheaper. Participants were of the view that States and Cities in India should be allowed to take the lead in clean energy initiatives. A related thought was that the current grid is not designed for carrying the 175 GigaWatts (GW) of renewable energy that India is targeting, and therefore a complimentary effort is required on the grid side. Private investment was emphasized as vital for realizing the vision of 175 GW, with a parallel example being given of how Israel had solved its water shortage using private investment.

Experts were of the view that India has to address issues in four key areas – viz. technology integration; finance; regulatory frameworks; and the right talent pool. They also expressed concern at the financial status of power distribution companies (Discoms) in India.

The CEOs present gave a brief overview of the technologies and innovations being used in their companies. In addition to solar and wind energy, biomass was also suggested as a key provider of clean energy.

The Prime Minister thanked the participants for their views, and emphasized India’s commitment to realize the vision of 175 GigaWatts of clean energy. He said there is massive scope of investment in the sector, for example, through the Railways, where 100 percent FDI has been allowed. He said the Government is working to address issues in regulation, and address the financial health of Discoms.

The Prime Minister also gave an overview of initiatives already undertaken in the area of renewable energy, such as Kochi Airport becoming a solar-powered airport, and solar panels being installed over a canal in Gujarat. He said that early next month, a district court in the tribal belt of Jharkhand will become entirely solar-powered. The Prime Minister also mentioned coal gasification as an important area of research. He expressed confidence of a renewable energy revolution over the next decade. 

SAMVEG IAS MAINS TEST SERIES

US, India and security in the Asia-Pacific

That India-US ties are at the nexus of a new beginning shaping the Indo-Pacific is no surprise. PM Modi's second visit to the US at the beginning of his second year in office only reiterates the importance of this relationship. Although Modi is in New York to attend the 70th annual session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), he will also be in Silicon Valley to interact with business leaders and address the Indo-American community, before meeting President Obama. The presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping in the US at the same time only is testament to the dynamics brimming in Asia. While Modi is scheduled to meet with Obama on September 28, Xi had his meeting at the White House on September 25.

Modi talked about eliminating poverty, tackling climate change and reforming the UN including the Security Council, at the UNGA. These same issues also find their way in the India-US bilateral talks along with other issues such as defence cooperation and Af-Pak relations. The joint statement at the recently concluded maiden India-US strategic and commercial dialogue underlines the growing ambit of this relationship. Washington has voiced its support for India's permanent membership of the UNSC and in the Missile Technology Control Regime. Both sides also recognised the India-US partnership as a significant contributor to peace and stability in the Indian Ocean and Asia-Pacific regions. India forms a significant factor in US policy for the Asia-Pacific and that is why maritime security dominates the agenda on both sides when it comes to regional collaboration in the Indian Ocean and the Asia-Pacific. In the backdrop of Modi's upcoming meeting with Obama, it is worth examining the US-India potential in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions.

Washington currently is keener on India playing an active security role than New Delhi is willing to take on. Support from the US for such a role for India has been tremendous. The article in Foreign Policy - "How India and the United States Are Building a 21st-Century Partnership" - by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, capture the contours of this support building up in US policy for the region. China's dramatic rise and expanding ambitions for the region steered Washington's attention back to the Asia-Pacific sooner than it would have liked. While officials and diplomats continue to assert that American presence in Asia needs no validation, the fact remains that Washington would prefer a network of partnerships to sustain its influence in the region. The US Department of Defense (DoD) is paying special attention to the Asia-Pacific by engaging with old and new friends, keeping in line with its rebalance strategy. In all of this, it is easy to place India's role as the lynchpin.

India looms large in implementing the recent US DoD report, Maritime Security in the Asia Pacific. Released on August 21, the document re-emphasises Washington's commitment, building on Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter's visit to the region in May-June this year. While the report is careful in not targeting China directly, the objectives outlined underpin Beijing as the problem that America has to address in the Asia-Pacific. Combining American objectives with its strategic interests, the document identifies collaboration and strengthening of American allies and partners as the crux in achieving its goals too. Washington particularly "sees a strategic convergence between India's 'Act East' policy and the US rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region" and is "seeking to reinforce India's maritime capabilities as a net provider of security in the Indian Ocean region and beyond".

India playing an active security role is to its advantage, as Chinese expansion into the Indian Ocean has been gradually increasing. While New Delhi has picked up its pace under the Modi government, which has invoked a sharper policy in the maritime domain, it may be struggling to sustain the momentum.

The changing security dynamics in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific are primarily due to an increase in Chinese activities fuelled by the great Chinese dream. Territorial disputes and strategic conflicts in the high seas is a new domain of strategy in Asia - an area which has not been tested as yet. There is a fair amount of nervousness surrounding China's forays into the Indian Ocean and the developments in the East and South China Seas. While the Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean is now a reality, the challenge lies in the uncertainty surrounding the security environment that such a change may bring about. It is unknown whether China is attempting to alter the existing architecture or just tweaking it enough to accommodate itself at the great powers table. Hence, Washington appears to be moving towards a network of coalitions to uphold the current international order and secure its strategic interests.

The Indian response so far has been encouraging, though not at a pace that Washington or other Asean members desire. New Delhi is particularly worried about Chinese investments in Sri Lanka, Maldives and other island nations in the Indian Ocean. The Maritime Silk Road (MSR) initiative running through the Indian Ocean is another area of concern for India. New Delhi is responding by stepping out of its rigid non-alignment policy and collaborating with the navies of the region, both at a bilateral and multilateral level. Although under the Modi government India signed the "US-India Joint Strategic Vision for Asia Pacific and the Indian Ocean Region" and is taking a firm stand on freedom of navigation through the South China Seas, India is unlikely to get deeply involved in the tensions in the Western Pacific.

In the Indian Ocean however, New Delhi must take Washington's support and emerge as a credible net security provider. The Indo-US partnership in this domain carries more strategic advantages than drawbacks. But there are other areas of friction in the Indo-US relationship that may hinder New Delhi's ability to realise the potential of such collaboration: Obama's meeting with both Xi and Modi at the end of this month will provide an insight into the next step of the Indo-US relationship.

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The writer is with the Observer Research Foundation

A recipe to keep the IPCC relevant

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will need to communicate complex scientific findings effectively, enhance scientific rigour and provide more regional climate information

 

 

 

All eyes are on Paris, where this December the conference of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) seeks to conclude a legally binding agreement to combat climate change, one of the greatest challenges of our time. The task is formidable but I am optimistic. This optimism comes from my observation of a situation that is distinctly different from the run-up to previous conferences. First, never before have policymakers disseminated such detailed and robust scientific information on the causes and the serious consequences of climate change, and about the options to confront it; second, never before has the business and financial world acknowledged that climate change is a threat to economic well-being; and third, never before did we have a combination of a top-down and bottom-up approach: the goal of keeping the global warming below 2°C is now combined with the declarations by countries of their own ambitions in contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

My optimism is nurtured by the historic joint declaration of China and the US regarding their greenhouse gas emissions, the announcement by the G7 of a long-term goal of decarbonisation, and India's announcement of ambitious renewable energy targets, especially with emphasis on solar energy. Clear and profound words by religious leaders - the encyclical "Laudato Sì" by Pope Francis and the Islamic Declaration on Global Climate Change - add a completely new dimension to the discussion.

Science has been crucial to establish the understanding of the serious consequences that continued greenhouse gas emissions from burning of fossil fuels and deforestation have on our planet and our livelihoods. Since the foundation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988 we have delivered scientific knowledge to policymakers in the form of comprehensive assessment reports that were created though an open and transparent process by thousands of scientists around the world. Generations of scientists have given their expertise and time voluntarily, which is indeed a unique contribution of the scientific community to all.

After the successful completion of the fifth assessment cycle, the new leadership of the IPCC will be elected in four weeks at its 42nd plenary. How can we make sure that the IPCC continues to assist the policy process of the UNFCCC in as successful a way as it has done over the past 27 years? Do we still need scientific knowledge to make progress in the political negotiations that seek solutions to the challenge of climate change?

I see three priorities that I regard as essential to ensure the continued usefulness and success of the IPCC. The first relates to communication. In the IPCC we need to embark on continuous communication activity. To be effective, communication of complex scientific findings on climate change should be concise and understandable. Statements such as, for example, "human influence on the climate system is clear", succinctly and faithfully summarise complex scientific assessment results. Such headline statements, that we have pioneered in Working Group I and which were much welcomed by all countries, should become a standard element of all IPCC products. This will facilitate communication not only with policymakers but also with the media and the public.

The second priority is maintaining and enhancing scientific rigour, robustness and objectivity in all areas of the assessment. This is important in times where the climate change discussion becomes increasingly political. Only with the authority and credibility of the voice of science will the IPCC be in a position to contribute usefully and effectively to the UNFCCC process.

Third, the IPCC needs to provide more regional climate information. This includes more detailed projections of changes in the water cycle, particularly the monsoon systems delivering water to hundreds of millions of people, and regional projections of sea-level rise that threaten coastal settlements around the world. More robust estimates of the intensity and frequency of extreme events such as drought, flooding, tropical cyclones, and high-sea-level events are urgently needed. This information should be absorbed by impact studies and vulnerability analyses in order to provide quantitative estimates of climate change risks. A much closer interaction between the Working Groups will be required to achieve the regionalisation of information. And an essential element of this third priority must be mentioned: we will not be able to deliver this information successfully without the involvement of the scientists who live and work in these regions. This means that by necessity scientists from all regions, particularly from those that are most exposed to climate change and from developing countries, should become authors and lead authors in the next assessment. Capacity building that targets young experts is the best investment for the future, and will secure a new generation of scientists ready to help in the forthcoming assessments of the IPCC.

The IPCC's work should be recognised in a greater context. By the end of this month, the countries will agree on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals formulated by the UN. The IPCC has concluded in its last Synthesis Report: "Climate change is a threat to sustainable development". Addressing climate change through actions informed by science will send us in the right direction to achieve many of these important goals. However, continued emissions of greenhouse gases and deforestation - in short, business-as-usual - will result in unchecked climate change, creating a world that will be fundamentally different from the one we are now living in. In many regions adaptation will now no longer be possible due to the pervasive changes and worldwide impacts caused by warming and by ocean acidification. This will make reaching most of the Sustainable Development Goals impossible.

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The writer is professor at the University of Bern, Switzerland, and Co-Chair, Working Group I, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Housing for all: Viability & Roadblocks

One of the most enduring problems faced in this country has been that of housing shortage. It is starkly evident in the fact that about 100 million people live in slums in India. With increasing urbanization this problem has been only growing exponentially. In urban areas, India faces a shortage of over 20 million houses at present. Reports indicate that by 2031 about 600 million people live in urban areas, about 200 million more than at present. The union cabinet has approved the Housing for All schemes by 2022 with a slew of measures aimed at helping people to build houses through financing apart from redevelopment of slums among other things. This scheme was announced in the budget this year.
The programme is a key promise in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto for the Lok Sabha election in 2014 — a “pucca” house for every family by the 75th year of Independence. Central grant of an average Rs. 1 lakh would be available for a house under the scheme. Even the State governments can exercise flexibility in spending the grant for any slum rehabilitation project using land as a resource for providing houses to slum-dwellers. An interest subsidy of 6.5% on housing loans availed up to a tenure of 15 years will be provided to economically weaker sections/lower income group (EWS/LIG) categories. It is a Centrally sponsored scheme.
The fundamental problem in not achieving housing for all is not really shortage of resources from government side. It is more of a planning and regulatory issue. People are forced to live in the slums, which are in the heart of cities, more for a economic, safety and day to day commutation needs. This is the major reason for the houses built by the government outside the cities laying vacant. 90% of India’s housing problem is not of absolute homelessness. majority of people are living in houses that are not fit for human habitation. People are forced to live in the illegal settlements because of the commutation problem in urban areas. They do not have access for basic facilities. Hence, legal recognition of their existence is necessary.
Various governments at the centre have been taking a slew of regulatory reforms such as allowing foreign direct investments, improving access to credit by households, providing tax incentives on housing loans. This has propelled private sector participation in urban housing development. However, it has largely resulted in the development of Middle Income Group (MIG) and High Income Group (HIG) houses, leading to significant shortage of EWS/LIG or affordable houses. Economically weaker sections/lower income group (EWS/LIG) categories houses constitute more than 95% of the housing shortage in 2012. The development of urban affordable houses has been limited due to several structural issues making it unfeasible business proposition for the private sector.
Major structural issues restricting private sector participation in urban affordable housing are:

• Rapid urban planning process.
• Lengthy and complex Approval procedure.
• High cost of development.
• Restrictive development norms.
• Cost overrun and project delays.