INDIA--ASEAN.

The India –Asian Free Trade Agreement, which came into force on 1^st Jan 2010, is a milestone in the relations between India and ASEAN. The agreement was the result of 6 years of negotiations. The FTA would eliminate tariffs on 4000 products. The tariff on 4000 goods would be reduced by the year 2013 and tariff on the remaining 800 products would be reduced by the year 2016. The FTA was signed on Aug 13, 2009 at Bangkok. The 498 goods excluded from the list of tariff concession and 590 goods excluded from tariff elimination in the FTA are related in the farm products, automobiles, some auto parts, machinery, chemicals, crude and textile products. Tariff cuts in respective of certain sensitive items like palm oil, tea, coffee, pepper would be graduated during a period of 10 years. The FTA is likely to boost trade between the two in coming years. It should be noted that FTA covers trade in goods only. Trade in services and investments are not covered by this agreement. During the Hanoi Summit (Oct 31, 2010) both India and ASEAN have agreed to an early conclusion of negotiations with respect to FTA in services and investments. ASEAN has already signed such FTA’s with China, Japan and South Korea.

India-ASEAN Summits

Ist              Nov, 2002                       Phnom Penh—Cambodia.

IInd            Oct, 2003                       Bali—Indonesia.

IIIrd          Nov, 2004                       Vientiane—Laos.

IVth            Dec, 2005                       Kuala Lumpur—Malayasia.

Vth              Jan, 2007                        Cebu—Phillipines.

VIth            Nov, 2007                       Singapore.

VIIth          Oct, 2009                       Chaam Hua Hin—Thailand.

VIIIth        Oct, 2010                        Hanoi—Vietnam.

IXth            May, 2011                         Jakarta.

XIIth Summit is proposed to be held in India, in 2012 on the eve of 10^th anniversary of beginning of India-ASEAN Summits. A major achievement in the cultural cooperation is the planned development of Nalanda University ( which was a great learning center for Buddhism, in ancient times).

Some highlights of India’s 12th Five year plan (2012-2017).

Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia
(Dy. Chairman Planning Commission, India)

Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia has opened the growth target of 9% to 9.5% for the coming 12^th five year plan (2012-2017) of India. He also clarified that 10% average growth target for 12^th plan period will not be feasible and it would be somewhere between 9%-9.5%. The major area of focus is going to on increasing agricultural productivity. In 11^th plan, the agricultural growth was targeted at 4% on an average but it has been estimated to remain at only 3% level. Planning wants to make sure that agriculture should attain 4% average growth targeted in coming 12^th five year plan. The approach paper of 12^th plan lays stress on “faster more inclusive and sustainable growth”. The outline of the approach paper also puts special thrust on achieving more progress in health and education, besides improving the gender ratio.

Planning Commission has favoured further liberalisation of the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy and improvement of business regulations to raise the growth rate of gross domestic product to 9%-9.5% in the 12^th five year plan (2012-17). Taking the note of weak manufacturing performance, Planning Commission emphasised the need to target a growth of 11%-12% in this sector in 12^th plan period. Infrastructure constraints are the major concerns for the plan panel. Setting up of National Manufacturing investment zones and a better business regulatory framework to ensure a broad industrial base have been outlined by the plan panel. The plan panel has estimated country’s economic growth during 11^th plan (2007-12) at 8.2& on an average which is lower than the original growth target of 9% set for the 11^th plan period. However, the Planning Commission finds 8.2% growth as ‘remarkable’, considering the global economic downturn during 11^th plan period. On micro, small and medium enterprises, the panel supported the idea of promoting clusters to enhance productivity in the sector. The Planning Commission also said that the government should target 4% growth in agriculture, during the 12^th plan period. For this, farmers should be provided with better rural infrastructure, including storage and food processing facilities. The panel had also suggested expanding the Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana to develop the farm sector.

Cloning Matters.

Sir Ian Wilmut

Cloning is an advance technological invention for producing a genetic twin of a living thing, an organism that starts life with the same genes as of its parents. In 1997, researchers at Scotland’s institute, led by embryologist Ian Wilmut successfully cloned a lamb—named Dolly—from the cell of adult "ewe" and this was of its first kind in the world. Sir Ian Wilmut is an English embryologist born on 7^th July 1944 in Hampton Lucy, Warwickshire, England is best known for cloning. He has been awarded with some prestigious awards of OBE, FRS, FMedsci, 1997 Time man of the year runner up.

The ethics of cloning is an extremely controversial issue. The term is generally used to refer to artificial human cloning; human clones in the form of identical twins are commonplace with there cloning occurrence during the natural process of reproduction. There are two commonly discussed types of human cloning : “ Therapeutic Cloning and reproductive Cloning “. Therapeutic  cloning involves cloning cells from an adult for use in medicine and is an active area of research. Reproductive Cloning would involve making cloned humans. A third type of cloning is called “ Replacement Cloning “ is a theoretical possibility, and would be a combination of therapeutic and reproductive cloning. Every such inventions has some merits and demerits. Human cloning could be misused to destroy the existing humanity and civilization. We have seen the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the spectrum of germs and chemical warfare. Scientist, Philosophers, Thinkers, Philanthropists from all over the world spoke out against human cloning, prompted by fears that the world has taken a step further towards nightmare of humans replicated in the laboratory. The human cloning can tear the society into pieces, it can endanger the very existence of human being in this world. Advocates of human therapeutic cloning believe that the practice could provide genetically identical cells for regenerative medicine, tissues and organs would neither trigger an immune response nor require the use of Immunosuppressive drugs. Both the basic research and therapeutic development for serious disease such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes, as well as improvements in burn treatment and reconstructive and cosmetic surgery, are areas that might benefit from such new technology.

India & G-20.

The emergence of G-20 group and  its continuous strengthening highlights the rise of multilateralism in the management of global financial and economic order. This goes well with the policy and position of India. India has been a founder member of G-20 groups. It has played an active role in the summit meetings and other deliberations of G-20. The membership of G-20 has enabled India to play a major role in the global financial and economic matters, which is commensurate with the sustained economic growth and size of the country. The participation of G-20 is likely to boost India’s global image as a responsible emerging power. However, one of the major achievements of G-20 is the reform of international financial institutions, which has been a longstanding demand of India for many years. India being a major developing country, has the opportunity to represent the interest of other developing and Least Developing Countries at the global level through its active participation in a global financial forum like G-20. The active role played by India is likely to strengthen its claim and opportunity to get effective representation in other international bodies like the UN Security Council. India can also utilise G-20 as an effective forum of North-South dialogue.

G-20 facts :

There are striking similarities between G-8 and G-20 as far as their origin is concerned—both originated in the wake of financial or economic crisis. It should be recalled that G-8 was originated in 1975 in the wake of oil crisis as an aftermath of Arab-Israel war, 1973. Similarly the G-20 was originated in 1999 in the wake of Asian financial crisis, 1997. Both were concerned with the management of emerging crisis.

The G-20 originated as a forum of Central Bank Governors and Finance Ministers of 20 emerging economies in 1999. Its first meeting was organised in Berlin (Germany) in December, 1999. These Governors and Ministers used to meet once in a year.

As the global financial crisis deepened in 2008, the G-8 was found inadequate to manage the crisis. Hence, G-20 ministerial meeting was elevated to summit format in 2008. G-20 summits are held twice in a year. The summit meetings so far held are give below:-

   No of Summit          Place                   Country             Date

Ist              Washington              U.S.A              Nov. 2008      

IInd                London                    U.K              April. 2009

IIIrd             Pittsburg               U.S.A             Sep. 2009

IVth               Toronto                Canada             June. 2010

Vth                  Seoul                   S.Korea             Nov. 2010

VIth and VIIth summits are to be held France(2011) and Mexico(2012).

It should be noted that from the year 2011 onwards, the G-20 summit shall be held at annual basis. During the IIIrd summit held at Pittsburg in Sept. 2009, it was decided that G-20 would replace G-8 as the main forum of global financial and  economic consultation.

The G-20 consists of 20 members. These are 19 countries and one regional organisation- European Union. It should be noted that by Lisbon treaty, 2007, the European Union has assumed a separate legal identity and is represented as single entity at various international forum. The 19 members countries of G-20 are:- Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States of America.

The G-20 has so far not evolved any formal organisational structure. However, the work is carried out through the following bodies.

Summits consists head of government of member countries. It is the highest decision-making body of G-20. The personal representative of leaders are known as ‘ Sherpas ’.

Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of member countries. It meets once in a year and prepares agenda of summit meetings.

Working Groups and expert Groups. These groups are established when need to support the works of summit leaders, finance Ministers, central Bank Governors.

So far working groups and three Expert groups has been appointed to carry on the work of G-20.

The four working groups are :

On framework of strong, sustainable balanced growth.

On Anti-corruption (established by Toronto summit).

On Development (established by Toronto summit).

On International Monetary Fund Quota and Governance Reform.

The three expert groups are :- On Financial safety, On Financial inclusion and On Energy.

The work of G-20 is also supported by the key international financial and economic organisations such as World Bank, IMF, OECD (organisation of Economic and Development),  ILO (International Labour Organisation), WTO (World Trade Organisations) and United Nations. It should be noted that the representative of IMF and World Bank take part in the summit meetings of G-20.

Food Crisis in World.

FAO Report

Food and Agricultural Organisations and United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said in its report that the number of hungry people in the world remains unacceptably high despite expected recent gains that have pushed the figure below 1 billion. The new estimate of the number of people who will suffer chronic hunger this year is 925 million—98 million down from 1.023 billion in 2009. But with a child dying in every six seconds because of undernourishment related problems, hunger remains the world’s largest tragedy and scandal. The continuing high global hunger level makes it extremely difficult to achieve not only the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG) but also the rest of MDGs. The recent increase in food prices, if they persists, could hamper efforts to further reduce the number of world’s hungry. It is ironic that the majority of them actually live in rural areas of developing countries. Indeed over 70% of the world’s extremely poor (those people who live on less than US Dollar one a day) live in rural areas. That’s a billion people, and four out of five of them are farmers to some extent or the other. Globally, the 2010 hunger figure marked a decline of 9.6% from the 2009 level. The reduction was mostly concentrated in Asia, where 80 million people were estimated to be going hungry this year. In sub-Saharan Africa the drop was much smaller (about 12 million) and one out of three people there would continue to be undernourished.

Some of the Key findings are :

Two thirds of the world’s undernourished live in just seven countries of (Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, China and India).

The region with the most undernourished people continues to be Asia and The Pacific with 578 million.

The proportion of undernourished people remains highest in sub-Saharan Africa at 30% in 2010, or 239 million.

Progress varies widely at country level. As of 2005-2007 the Congo, Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria had already achieved MDG 1 in sub-Saharan Africa; Ethiopia and others are close to achieving it. However, the proportion of undernourished rose to 69% in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In Asia, Armenia, Mayanmar and Vietnam had already achieved MDG 1 and China is close to doing so.

In Latin America and Caribbean, Guyana, Jamaica and Nicaragua had already achieved MDG 1 while Brazil is coming close.

Evolution of Britian’s Voting System.

Jeremy Bentham

Emmeline Pankhurst

                
                       1430 : Males who own land worth 40 shillings so called forty shilling freeholders—had the right of giving vote.

                                                      1817 : Legal and Social reformer Jeremy Bentham was the first to advocate votes for woman.

                   1832 : Reform Act increases number of individuals entitled to vote in parliamentary elections to one in six adult males, but majority of working men still can’t vote.

                    1867 : Second Reform Act doubles electorate to around two million, giving vote to all male householders as well as lodgers who pays rent 10 pound a year or more, agricultural landowners and tenant farmers.

1869 : Municipal Corporation Bill results in unmarried women householders being allowed to vote in local elections.

                           1872 : Voting by secret ballot introduced by William Ewart Gladstone’s Liberal party.

1884 : Third Reform Act extends vote to 2/3 rd of adult males in England and Wales, but servants and most members of armed forces remain disenfranchised. Electorate now totals over 5,500,000.

 1897 : Women’s suffrage campaign, led by Emmeline Pankhurst, gains momentum.

                  1918 : Representation of People Act gives right of voting for women aged 30 and older, and men aged 21 or older.

1928 : Equal voting rights granted to women from age 21.

                   1966 : Harold Wilson’s Labour Government extends vote to 18 year olds.

 2000 : First trials of touch screen electronic voting machines and on-line voting.

                   2001 : Postal voting introduced.

2011 : Uk’s voters had chosen first-past-the-vote against the alternative voting system.

                             United Kingdom’s first referendum in more than 30 years was held on May 5, 2011 when the people had decided not to abandon the current first-past-the-post (which is used to elect MPs to The House of Commons) against the alternative vote ( in which voters ranks candidates in order of preferences ). The voting decision of UK was somewhat like this; 6,152,607 (32.10%) votes was polled in favour of changing to alternative voting system and 13,013,123 (67.90%) votes was polled against changing to alternative voting system. Alternative voting system is practiced only in three countries—Australia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

William Gladstone

Political Cultures.

The Political cultures of Developing and Developed Countries.

The concept of political culture was developed by American scholars like G. Almond, Sydney Verba etc. to analyse the political process of newly emerged developing countries after the Second World War. The concept of political culture refers to the values, belief and emotional attitudes of people towards various aspects of political system. Developing countries are those countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America who got independence from colonial rule and were on the process on socio economic-development. Though, these countries have adopted formal political institutions of developed countries or their colonial masters, their political culture displays distinct patterns in comparison to developed countries. First, according to Almond, developing countries have paroachial or subject political culture, where roles and structures are not diversified and citizens are more concerned with the output aspect of the political system. On the other hand, the political culture of the developed countries is a participant political culture. Second, in developing countries, as distinct to developed countries, the political culture is the mixture of modern values like democracy, rule of law, liberty and equality and traditional affinity of caste, race, family and religious values. In other words, the political culture of developing countries is not secularized to the extent of the political culture of developed countries. 

State politics in India.

Importance of State politics in INDIA

India has opted for the federal form of Government, in view of the size of the country and the nature of regional and cultural diversities found in India. At both the center and state levels, the parliamentary form of democratic set-up has been adopted. A historical overview of the operation of this arrangement shows that the congress, being the party of national movement, was a ruling party at both center and the states, till 1977 with few exceptions. However, since then the hold of Congress party has been weakening at states and regional or state parties have gained ground gradually; which imparted new dynamics in the state politics. This tendency has become more pronounced in late 1980s, having deep bearing on the national politics also. Some of the following points will explain the importance of state politics:- Rise of state parties and weakening of National parties. The practice of coalition politics at national level, where state parties have become king maker. Increasing tendency of regional identity based politics leading to demand of new states. The growing practice of bargaining between the state/regional parties and national parties.