India Seeks Pre-2020 Action Plan on Climate

New Delhi Press Trust of India





India on Monday appealed to developed countries to present their ambitious pre-2020 action plan to reduce emissions well before the crucial global climate conference to be held in Paris later this year. India also pitched for a “balanced and realistic“ Paris agreement that is not “full of pious statements“. The UN climate conference, to be held in Paris from November 30 to December 11, is tasked with finalising a global agreement designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions.Addressing the Sixth Petersburg Climate Dialogue at Berlin today, En vironment Minister vironment Minister Prakash Javadekar said: “India has emphasised that developed countries should present their ambitious targets for pre-2020 action and roadmaps for the same, well before Paris (meeting).“
Ambitious pre-2020 actions of developed countries will create the carbon space required for the developing world, as every poor person has the right to equitable access to the atmospheric resources, he said in a statement issued by the environment ministry .
“It will be ironical that we formulate post-2020 architecture without finalising pre-2020 action plan,“ he said and suggested the ADP should be directed to come up with the draft decision text on pre-2020 actions. The Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP), a subsidiary body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is tasked with drafting climate agreement document. That apart, India demanded that the Warsaw International mechanism, set up in 2013, for loss and damage due to climate change should be operationalised by 2016.

Vedanta - Dialogue for Peace

DAISAKU IKEDA





We must recognise that the present movement towards globalisation contains within it the danger of becoming yet another ideological battle. Specifically , the inflexible application of so-called `global standards' can cause the logic of conflict, exclusion and pressure to be brought to bear on those societies and parts of the world, that do not follow a particular model of development.More than enough warning signs have emerged to temper the enthusiasm of the most dedicated proponents of globalisation. By this, I mean the shocking disparity of wealth between and within societies as well as the purely speculative, non-productive global movements of money that are some times referred to as `casino capitalism'.
We must rep lace unrestrai ned competi tion with an ethos of coex istence, the application of external pressure and force with the autonomous decisions of people and societies. The Buddhist teaching of dependent origination, which places ultimate emphasis on interrelatedness and interdependence, is synonymous with creative coexistence.
Further, in Buddhism, the workings of life are described as `the moment-to-moment spontaneous issuing forth'. Indeed, this phrase describes the essentially inner-motivated, autonomous nature of the vital force of life. Dialogue has the power to restore and revitalise our shared humanity by setting free our innate capacity for good. It is an indispensable lodestone around which people are united and trust is fostered. It was the failure to make dialogue society's foundation that unleashed the bitter tragedies of the 20th century .

May 19 2015 : The Economic Times (Delhi)

It's Indian Science First for ICHR

Ritika Chopra

New Delhi:





Y SUDERSHAN RAO There is a need to review history writing of traditional Indian knowledge systems

The history of science and technology in India starting from the ancient era up to the colonial rule will be among the top focus areas of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), chairman Y Sudershan Rao told ET in an interview recently .“There is a need to review history writing of traditional Indian knowledge systems. For instance, Chemistry, or Rasayan as it was known back then, was one of the advanced subjects of ancient times and this needs to be highlighted. ICHR will help in documenting the comprehensive history of the development of science and technology in the country through the ages,“ Rao said when asked about the priorities of the newly constituted Council under the NDA government.
The chairman added that there enough material in ancient manuscripts in Sanskrit to document the scientific progress and achievements in fields such as astronomy , mathematics, agriculture, metallurgy, among other things. “ICHR can either take this up on its own or fund a project,“ he said. Indian achievements in the field of science and technology have recently been at the centre of a heated debate when Prime Minister Narendra Modi used examples from Mahabharata to illustrate the country's scientific temperament in ancient times.
ICHR member and historian Michel Danino, however, feels that Rao's proposal has merit. “Ancient India's achievements in mathematics, astronomy , chemistry, metallurgy , medicine, water management, etc., are an integral part of our history , yet have been overlooked by most historians and are absent from our history syllabi. This vacuum has encouraged wild exaggeration. I hope ICHR will promote genuine scholarship in the field,“ he told ET over email.
Apart from science, Rao said, will also focus on compiling a “descriptive bibliography“ of historical research on the “ Aryan theory“.

6 Assam tribes may soon get ST status

New Delhi: TIMES NEWS NETWORK





In a move that will turn Assam into a tribalmajority state, the Centre is planning to notify six communities in the state as Scheduled Tribes.“As per a key demand of Ulfa's pro-talks faction, with which tripartite negotiations were held last week, six Assamese tribes -Koch-Rajbongshis, tea tribes, Tai Ahoms, Morans, Motoks and Chutiyas -are being actively considered for ST status. The home ministry is in touch with the tribal affairs ministry to see the proposal through,“ a senior home ministry official told TOI on Monday .
The faction, led by ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, has been voicing concern over the alleged unabated illegal immigration from Bangladesh. It has conveyed to the government that granting ST status to the six communities, now listed as other backward classes (OBCs), was the only way to protect the interests of indigenous people of Assam.
The decision could boost electoral prospects of BJP which has always expressed concern over illegal immigration from Bangladesh, leading to demographic changes in the state.

ISC topper scores 399 out of 400

Manash Pratim Gohain & Jhimli Pandey

New DelhiKolkata: TNN





Kolkata, Bangalore and Mumbai shared honours as students registered all-time high scores in the Class X and XII exams conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, led by a Kolkata boy who had a near-perfect 99.75% in the Class XII exam.Arkya Chatterjee of Kol kata's Vivekananda Mission School scored 399 out of 400 in his best-of-four subjects, beating the previous highest score of 398 in 2012. Arkya had three perfect scores -100 out of 100 in mathematics, phys ics and computer science.
So, where did Arkya `slip'?
“A 99 out of 100 in English,“ said the 18-year-old, with a shy smile. He also notched up 99 in chemistry .
A Barcelona supporter and a die-hard Messi fan, Arkya told TOI he spent 10 to 12 hours a day preparing for the exams. “I am a little undecided between taking up pure science or going for engineering. Given a chance I would love to study physics at IISc, Bangalore,“ he said.
The overall pass percentage in ISC (Class XII) was 96.28, up by 1.01% from 2014. South India continued to dom inate the pass percentages in ISC , registering 99.08 (English plus best three subjects).
The commerce toppers this year were S Kavya from Vidya Niketan School, Bangalore, and Rounak Agarwal of Delhi Public School Megacity , Kolkata, who scored 99.50%. Priyanka Sen of G D Birla Centre for Education, Kolkata, with a score of 99.50% was the arts topper for 2015.
The familiar story of girls beating boys continued. The girls' pass percentage in ISC was 97.24 as against the boys' 94.29. A total of 71,141 candidates appeared for the exams conducted in 52 written subjects. The maximum number of candidates were from the northern region. The southern region, though, had the highest percentage of girls, 49.49, who had appeared for the examination.
A total of 138 candidates with special difficulties took the exam, of which six dyslexic candidates and four visually challenged scored over 90%. One of the four candidates who took their exams from hospital also scored more than 90%.
The northern region, where Delhi NCR falls, was fourth in overall pass per centage among the five regions, register ing 96.04%. The north topper was Rupal Goel of Holy Child School, Ghaziabad who scored 99% in commerce.
The council also announced the class X results on Monday , whose overall pass percentage registered a marginal increase. The overall pass percentage was 98.49 up by 0.21% from 2014. Girls' pass percentage was 98.95 as opposed to 98.12 among boys. South zone again topped with 99.66 pass percentage.
For the full report, log on to http:www.timesofindia.com

Economic & Political Weekly: Table of Contents

A Tale of Greed and Cynicism

Vol - L No. 20, May 16, 2015 

• Editorials

Investigation into Madhya Pradesh's Vyapam scam must be completed quickly.

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Editorials Salwa Judum, Version 2.0? Are the knives being readied as another round of "development" is foisted on the Adivasis of Chhattisgarh? Read more	Commentary UK Elections Political Mould Broken or Business as Usual? Kirsty Hughes Though the Tories under David Cameron have won a second term with a majority, the United Kingdom's political mould has broken with the recent elections. Most significantly, Scotland is on a journey of its own--and a largely positive-looking... Read more
Commentary Ecologies of Suffering Mental Health in India Sushrut Jadhav, Sumeet Jain, Nanda Kannuri, Clement Bayetti,MAAN BARUA This article proposes an "ecology of suffering" which mediates between the sufferer and the "clinic." "Ecology" refers to the network of forces acting on and by the people suffering and those around him/her. It is... Read more	Commentary Tackling Transfer Pricing Jomo Kwame Sundaram In the complex set of transactions between the affi liates of multinational enterprises located in different countries, the valuation of such deals for taxation by the host country is a complicated matter. A discussion of the various models and... Read more
Commentary 'Unsilencing Pakistan' Beena Sarwar "Unsilencing Pakistan" was an idea fi rst articulated in 2011. It has been revived following the recent murder of Sabeen Mahmud, who had attempted to create a space where Pakistanis could discuss contentious issues--like the human... Read more	Commentary Kinnaur's Curse? Environmental Threat from Hydroelectric Projects Manshi Asher Kinnaur, one of Himachal Pradesh's most ecologically fragile regions, is under threat from widespread construction activity for hydroelectric power projects. Landslides have become a common occurrence putting lives of villagers to severe... Read more
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Review Article The Making of Asia Kanti Bajpai Makers of Modern Asia edited by Ramachandra Guha, Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2014; pp 385, price not indicated. Read more	Perspectives Reforming Labour Markets in States Revisiting the Futility Thesis Achin Chakraborty Presenting a critical review of the issues in labour market reforms in India, this article places them against the backdrop of trends in labour force participation and formal/informal employment in the organised/unorganised sectors. Critically... Read more
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Special Articles Storytelling in the Time of Hate Deciphering Law(s) through Literature Kalpana Kannabiran From laws on sedition and censorship to the vitality of resistance literature in times of struggle, creative writing and performance have played a critical role in shaping the public conscience. The ways in which law weaves into and through... Read more	Notes When Technology Trumps Labour Trade Union Leadership and Banks Shashi Kant Prasad The capacity of trade unions to bargain or challenge technological change in the workplace has been a crucial aspect of the debate around machine-worker dialectics, which is a neglected area of research in India. Studying bank unions'... Read more
Postscript The Smithy of Words Tejas Harad The utility of dictionaries has increased with new technology and internet apps making reading a better experience for both native and non-native speakers of English. Read more	Postscript Vive la Difference! Sumana Narayanan Trying to organise an international, multicultural and secular wedding in Paris turned out to be a lesson in differing bureaucracies.   Read more
Postscript The View from Above Toothcomber In an effort to impart complex ideas as simply as possible, in this edition of his column, the illogical Toothcomber tackles the profligacy of the poor and economic inequality. Read more	Web Exclusives Vices of Bollywood Mahesh Gavaskar Bollywood’s reaction to the conviction of Salman Khan over the 2002 hit-and-run case shows the corrosion to artistic sensibility it has undergone under the influence of affluence.  Read more
Reports From the States / Web Exclusives Comparing Western UP and Bundelkhand Human Development, Gender and Deprivation Sumit Chaturvedi For large states like Uttar Pradesh, there are always inter-regional comparisons regarding economic development and growth. However, without taking cognizance of the performance on the human development front, such comparisons often yield an... Read more