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Budget 2019-20 does not address key issues

July 15, 2019

The first Union Budget 2019 was tabled in the Parliament by newly elected Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Everyone’s eyes on that day were on Finance Minister to see how she would deal with twin challenges of a slowdown in GDP and increase in unemployment. These were indeed the two key challenges are in desperate need to be addressed. However, the question is, did her budget address them or not?

The Economic Survey which showed that GDP growth had fallen from 8.2 per cent in 2016-17 to 7.2 per cent in 2017-18, the year of demonetisation, and further decreased to 6.8 per cent in 2018-19 and the projection for 2019-20 is 7 per cent. For the 8.27 crore organised sector employees (NSSO 2011-12) and more than double that number of non-agricultural unorganised workers (ILO 2016 estimates) who create the bulk of this GDP, this budget has come up as a big let-down for them.

The budget presented by honorable Finance Minister Sitharaman does not seem to address the problems of private sector workers in crisis while the labour laws are considered the main constraints on the growth of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). 63 million MSMEs-employing around 111 million people and according to for 30 per cent of the GDP and 40 per cent of total exports of the country but there is widespread sickness among them and they are now reeling under a debt burden of Rs 37,000 crore.

Unemployment is one of the major problems of our country that cannot be avoided. According to the State of India’s Environment (SoE) In Figures, 2019 India’s rate of unemployment doubled in past two years as it has gone up from four per cent to 7.6 in the only last two years (May 2017-April 2019). This has particularly affected young graduates. The report reveals that the unemployment rate among the youth (between 20-24 years) who constitute around 40 per cent of India’s labour force, has an unemployment rate of 32 per cent. This rate among the educated is even worse.

The World Bank recently estimated that India needs to create at least 8.1 million jobs every year to maintain its employment rate which has been declining. But what about the emerging danger of tech-induced job losses? According to a new study by the McKinsey Global Institute in June 2019, men could lose roughly up to 44 million jobs and women up to 12 million in India due to automation by 2030. The report comes even as joblessness touches a 45-year high and female labour force participation rate remains a low 27 per cent.

This means at least 50 lakh jobs on an average would be lost per year over the next decade. This has been reiterated by many other studies by international agencies like World Bank and ILO and all of them call for serious mitigation. The Union Budget 2019-20 shows the government ignored the problems. Automation has become a threat to workers around the globe, especially in economies that rely heavily on manual labour in manufacturing and services.

These surveys are highlighting the alarming factors and are in direst need to be solved. So the government must put some measures in practice to prevent this rapid growth in unemployment and downfall in GDP.

By Faheem Usmani Qasmi

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Know why #Chandrayaan2 launch was called off

Web Team

July 15, 2019

The launching of Chandrayaan 2 was called off just 56 minutes before blast-off early this morning due to a technical snag. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said it will announce new date for it later.

According to the ISRO, the powerful GSLV Mark III rocket was set to go up from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh at 2:51 am with a rover that would land on the moon in about two months’ time. After first being put on hold 56 minutes before blast-off, the Chandrayaan launch was called off because of a technical snag. President Ram Nath Kovind was present at the space port for the launch.

As per reports, the countdown was halted 56 minutes and 24 seconds before the planned liftoff at 2:51 am. The snag was in the cryogenic stage or last stage of the rocket before it separates. ISRO had announced one hour before launch that the filling of liquid hydrogen fuel had been completed.

ISRO tweeted around 3 am, “A technical snag was observed in launch vehicle system at 1 hour before the launch. As a measure of abundant precaution, #Chandrayaan2 launch has been called off for today. Revised launch date will be announced later.”

A technical snag was observed in launch vehicle system at 1 hour before the launch. As a measure of abundant precaution, #Chandrayaan2 launch has been called off for today. Revised launch date will be announced later.

— ISRO (@isro) July 14, 2019

ISRO chief K Sivan said that the space agency has another lift-off opportunity tomorrow if it were called off today. But launch windows have to meet several technical criteria and so it could even take weeks or months for a new date.

“It was the right decision to call off Chandrayaan 2 launch. We could not have taken any chance in such a big mission, former Defence Research and Development Organisation’s director of public interface, Ravi Gupta, told news agencies.

It is notable that the 3.8-tonne Chandrayaan 2 spacecraft comprising an orbiter, the lander and the rover was to lift off on the 640-tonne GSLV Mark III (nicknamed “Baahubali”). GSLV Mark III is India’s most powerful rocket. It is as high as a 15-storey building. Once it is launched, Chandrayaan 2 has to separate from the rocket and orbit the Earth several times before being slung towards the moon, a 3.84 lakh-km journey. The orbiter is to circle the moon for about a year.

When the spacecraft reaches the moon 54 days after lift-off, it will engage Vikram, a 1.4-tonne lander. It will in turn set the 27-kilogramme rover Pragyan down on a high plain between two craters on the lunar south pole. After touchdown on the moon, the rover is expected to conduct experiments for one Moon day, equal to 14 Earth days, primarily to check if the lunar south pole has primordial water reserves.

The moon mission’s success will propel India to an elite league; it would be the fourth country to soft-land a spacecraft on the lunar surface after the US, Russia and China. Israel had tried earlier this year but failed. All the equipment involved in the Chandrayaan 2 mission have been designed and manufactured in India. It is the sequel to the successful Chandrayaan 1, which helped confirm the presence of water on the moon in 2009.

Chandrayaan-2 will go to the Moon’s south polar region. The mission’s aim is to improve the understanding of the Moon – discoveries that will benefit India and humanity as a whole. The Moon is the closest cosmic body at which space discovery can be attempted and documented. It is also a promising test bed to demonstrate technologies required for deep-space missions. Chandrayaan-2 attempts to foster a new age of discovery, increase humans’ understanding of space, stimulate the advancement of technology, promote global alliances, and inspire a future generation of explorers and scientists.

Comparison between two moon missions

Chandrayaan-1 was launched by India’s Polar Satellite launch Vehicle- PSLV-C11 – on October 22, 2008 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. On the other hand, Chandrayaan-2 was slated be launched by the GSLV Mk-III on July 15, 2019. The Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft made more than 3,400 orbits around the Moon. Chandrayaan-1 was operational for 312 days till August 29, 2009. Chandrayaan-2’s orbiter will continue its mission for around a year. The Chandrayaan-2 was originally planned as a collaboration with Russian space agency Roscosmos.

There were 11 scientific instruments onboard the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft. Five of them were Indian while the others were from European Space Agency (ESA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Chandrayaan-2’s orbiter carries eight scientific payloads for mapping the lunar surface and to study the exosphere (outer atmosphere) of the Moon. The lander carries three scientific payloads to conduct surface and subsurface science experiments. All the equipment involved in the Chandrayaan 2 mission have been designed and manufactured in India.

* Lander capable of ‘Soft Landing’ on the lunar surface.

* Algorithm wholly developed by India’s scientific community.

* Rover capable of conducting in-situ payload experiments.

TIMELINE OF CHANDRAYAAN-1

August 15, 2003: Chandrayaan programme is announced by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

October 22, 2008: Chandrayaan-1 takes off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.

November 8, 2008: Chandrayaan-1 enters a Lunar Transfer Trajectory.

November 14, 2008: The Moon Impact Probe ejects from Chandrayaan-1 and crashes near the lunar South Pole – confirms presence of water molecules on Moon’s surface.

August 28, 2009: End of Chandrayaan-1 programme.

TIMELINE OF CHANDRAYAAN-2 MISSION

September 18, 2008: Then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh approved the Chandrayaan-2 lunar mission.

July 9, 2019: Launch window opens.

July 15, 2019: The launching of Chandrayaan 2 was called off just 56 minutes before blast-off.

September 6, 2019: Chandrayaan-2 was expected to land on the Moon.

Letters to the Editor: 15 July, 2019

Web Team

July 15, 2019

BMC has turned parking into business

The civic body has turned parking into a business by collecting Rs. 1.8 lakh by way of penalties in a single day for vehicles parked in ‘No parking zones’. The penalties seem to be unreasonable and steep in a city where parking is a problem due to lack of space though rules and laws need to be followed by citizens if they are in place. Parking zones and parking lots have been turned into a money minting business in the city as vehicle owners are charged exorbitantly which calls for a public debate before implementation.

If citizens are expected to pay exorbitant charges for parking and otherwise, is it not the duty of the state government and civic bodies to provide proper roads and infrastructure for people to drive their vehicles? Mumbai looks a war torn city pot holes and pits all around. The city floods even in a few inches of rainfall and this is a cause for concern. Citizens should not be considered as ‘cows’ who can be milked always and penalties as well as reasonable fines should only be charged after providing them facilities for the various taxes they pay to the govt.

S.N. Kabra

Rahul’s appointment as Head of operations of NCA

It is welcome to know about the recent nomination of Rahul Dravid as the Head of Operations for National Cricket Academy appointed by BCCI. Dravid is a highly talented professional while also being successful as Team India A Coach and is perhaps the best choice for the role. India ‘A’ has already won U-19 World Cup owing to Dravid’s mentoring capabilities and thus the youngsters have tasted success under his leadership as a Coach.

Apart from coaching young Indian cricketers at NCA, Dravid also has an additional responsibility of mentoring women’s cricket team, India U-19, U-23, Head Coaches and Coaches, and Support staff in order to prepare a strong and better products from the academy. The Committee of Administrators (CoA) should also be appreciated for taking a stand on possible conflict of interest in Dravid’s appointment to head NCA by strictly letting him to demit the previously held role. One hopes that under Dravid’s leadership mature and highly skilled cricket talents will emerge through effective key learnings under NCA as an umbrella body.

Varun Dambal

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

BJP’s Tripura walkover Splendid or Spoiled?

Vijay Panchal

July 14, 2019

In a surprising and distinguished achievement, the BJP has won 85 per cent of the seats uncontested in the Panchayat polls in Tripura. Opposition parties have alleged that the ruling BJP led by CM Biplab Kumar Deb is threatening and attacking their candidates. Opposition parties said that BJP leaders did not allow them to file nominations. The Panchayat polls is scheduled to be held in the state on July 27 and the counting will take place on July 31.

According to Prasenjit Bhattacharya, Secretary of the State Election Commission, of the total 6,646 seats comprising Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samities and Zilla Parishads, the BJP has won 5,652 seats uncontested. Now, polling will be held for around 850 Gram Panchayats, 85 Panchayat Samities and 80 Zilla Parishad seats. Tripura has a total 591 Gram Panchayats having 6,111 seats, 35 Panchayat Samities with 419 seats and eight Zilla Parishads having 116 seats. July 11 was the last date for withdrawal of nominations. Altogether, 12,03,070 voters, including 6,16,893 males and 5, 86,176 women will exercise their franchise at 2,623 polling stations between 7 am to 4 pm on the polling day. Bhattacharya said, “White ballot papers would be used for Gram Panchayat polls, pink ones for Panchayat Samities and green papers for Zilla Parishads.”

Talking with Afternoon Voice, Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) or SUCI(C) leader Arun Kumar Bhowmik said, “The ruling party BJP did not allow candidates of other parties to file nominations. Is it democracy? No, democracy is not prevailing in Tripura. It is autocracy. They have muscle and money power. Media is also with them. That is why they won panchayat polls uncontested. The day will come, when people will be weary of these undemocratic ways. They will protest it. The day will come and we are waiting for this.”

The Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist)’ or SUCI(C), previously called the Socialist Unity Centre of India and “Socialist Unity Centre” is a communist party in India. The party was founded by Shibdas Ghosh, Nihar Mukherjee, and others in 1948. SUCI(C) follows a Marxist-Leninist ideological line formulated by Shibdas Ghosh. The party rejects political ideas such as glasnost and perestroika as revisionist and claims to uphold the original intent of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and the thoughts of Ghosh.

The CPI(M) and the Congress have alleged that their candidates were threatened and attacked by the BJP-backed hooligans. They have also accused armed gangs of the BJP of preventing their candidates from filing their nomination papers during the scheduled nomination period from July 1 to July 8. The CPI(M) claimed that about 121 party candidates were forced to withdraw their nomination papers on the last day of withdrawal on July 11. The party said, “Physical attacks on candidates and attacks on CPI (M) offices and leaders such as on the North Tripura district committee and sub-divisional office in Dharmanagar were resorted to, creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.”

On the other hand, Rebati Tripura, BJP MP from the Tripura East Lok Sabha constituency, said, “In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won both seats of Tripura. The situation in the state is such that opposition parties are not getting candidates to field in the Panchayat elections. Therefore, a large number of BJP candidates won elections uncontested. People have seen the Congress and the CPI (M). They do not like to contest elections on their tickets. During the Lok Sabha polls, the Tripura Congress President Pradyut Kishore Deb Barman assaulted people and accused the BJP of thrashing common man. Similarly, in Panchayat elections, they are alleging that the BJP is threatening the candidates of the opposition parties. They have lost the support of the voters but they have to say something.”

Prabir Debnath of the Amra Bangali party said, “An atmosphere of fear is strongly prevailing in the state as well the entire country. From news media to independent institutions — all are bowing down in front of the frightening power holders. Common men are being denied their rights. Indian democracy is under threat. However, such a situation won’t continue for long. People especially the youth will stand against it and defeat the miscreants if they don’t check their acts.”

Vice-president of the state Congress unit Tapas Dey also accused the BJP of threatening their candidates. He said, “They (BJP) did not allow many of our (Congress) candidates to file nominations and launched physical attacks on them and our supporters during filing of nominations. We were forced to withdraw 124 candidates from the fray in the face of terror by BJP goons.”

BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya also dismissed their allegations. He said that the candidates of the two opposition parties did not file nomination because they had lost their support base. They could sense their defeat in advance. So, they did not file nominations.

Simultaneous Polls would inject instability at Centre

Vaidehi Taman

July 14, 2019

One Nation, One Election ambition of Narendra Modi is most welcome but the Simultaneous Polls plan has more disadvantages than the advantages. This scheme is not only being discussed in the television studio but even the central government is seeking inputs from ordinary citizens through a website about its interest and related questions; however, not many could participate on this online survey. The government could have chosen other mediums to reach rural and urban voters. One consequence of implementing this plan is that a bigger ‘centralised’ agenda would overshadow the states and their regional issues. The current disseminated system allows each state to push their individual agenda during state elections – something that would be difficult to do in collective polls.

Separate state elections allow regional parties to attract voters in the gap between central polls – since one would be voting separately for the Union and the state. Combining state and national polls gives an undue advantage to the national parties who can appeal on a pan-India scale over state-level parties. That would really create confusion in voters. In the multitude of messages, the attention that these smaller parties can appeal will be ruthlessly limited.

While the theory of a combined election sounds classy and candid, the framework still does not adequately address what happens in situations necessitating fresh elections before the five-year term lapses – like a hung assembly or if the assembly is dissolved due to a no-confidence motion, etc. This is almost inevitable and will break the system all over again. Of course, this reform is still far off since there are many gaps which need to be addressed for orchestrating elections across such a vast country like India. Simultaneous Elections would have been better if we had a Single Secular Party at the Centre. Now, the Fight over ‘Secularism’ kills the ethos of the Constitution. Simultaneous Polls are not for Indian citizens. Indians don’t cast vote, they ‘caste’ their vote. Let’s First Educate Indians about why they Vote, and then it would be easy to accept Simultaneous Elections. Moreover, there are too many elections in India. Municipal Council, State, Lok Sabha, Panchayat, etc. One needs to really think so that the people and the candidates can get on with a normal life. Streamline the elections so that the public are not affected with having to stand in long queues for meaningless elections as no political party or leader is proven extraordinary in solving people’s problem, they all are there to leech taxpayers’ money and to propagate their own agendas. The Indian electoral system is a big hoax; the elected leaders need accountability and people need an iron hand on them while voting. Till then, whatever one thinks or does, is just a waste of time and money.

In such crises, Simultaneous Election for the Centre and the States are not at all feasible. The government at the centre or the states may fall for various reasons. So, can there be Simultaneous Election every time? Often the not so educated voters (and they form a big majority) will be confused as to why they are voting twice on the same day. When these elections are held on different days, the local politicians will put every effort to educate the voters on the significance of the two elections. Further, the Lok Sabha or Assembly elections at different times give the opportunity to voters to express their happiness or otherwise of the rule at the Centre or State. To clarify the point, if the voters elected a particular party at the Centre and later on elected a different party for the state rule, that shows their unhappiness with the central rule and vice versa. So, since a clear assessment of a particular rule will be always available, all should welcome when elections are held at different times.

Free and fair elections are integral to democracy. Continuity, consistency, and governance are also integral to democracy and democracy, to my mind, also implies good governance. To achieve this, elections are held. However, if the means (elections) become the goal, this will not serve democracy well. Holding Simultaneous Elections will ensure consistency, continuity, and governance, and the elections then will only be the means to achieve this and not an end in them. For it to be feasible, we need a political consensus, which is not easy to achieve.

There has to be a political willingness to discuss this issue before we talk of a consensus. It is good that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is talking about consent instead of forcibly pushing this plan through. His reasons for encouraging Simultaneous Elections are unreasonable expenditure and the repeated dislocation of administrative machinery on election duty throughout the year.

We all know elections have unfortunately become the root cause of corruption. When we are in constant election mode, we are also in undying corruption mode. When crores are spent in elections, crores have to be collected by hook or by crook. The way out is to cut the role played by money in elections, and this can come about only through a maximum of political party spending. The other aspect is the state funding of elections. Besides, elections have become too divisive. Communal riots and caste disturbances are purposely created around election time to ensure the division of communities for electoral gains.

With the emergence of regional political parties, Simultaneous Polls would inject instability at the centre. The present single-party rule of BJP may not last long, with growing caste based forces such as Patels, Jats, Karni Senas, TDP in Andhra Pradesh or Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, political instability in the regions may impact the Centre. Implementing Simultaneous Polls would require a substantial shift from the status quo and would involve amendments to the Constitution and election-related laws. Such grand proposals are not necessarily welcome proposals. Democratic politics has a tendency to be chaotic, but there are limits to the corrective abilities of formal legal provisions. On paper, it looks like a nice idea to streamline the staggered electoral cycle where there is an average of more than five State elections every year. A specious argument is made that such an electoral cycle overburdens parties and the electoral machinery.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

All you need to know about Chandrayaan-2 mission

Web Team

July 14, 2019

Chandrayaan-2 , ISRO — Image Courtesy: ISRO

India will launch a lunar mission on July 15, attempting to become the fourth country to land on the moon after the former Soviet Union, US and China, to cement its place among the world’s space faring nations.

The Chandrayaan-2 mission aims to deliver a rover to an elevated plane close to the uncharted lunar South Pole on September 6 or 7 and investigate the surface for signs of water and potentially new sources of abundant energy. It’s one step in an envisioned progression that includes putting a space station in orbit and — eventually — landing a crew on the moon.

“We will launch our second moon mission (Chandrayaan-2) on July 15 at 02:15 a.m., to land by September 6 or 7 near the lunar South Pole, where no one went so far”, said Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Sivan.

Moon vehicle

Chandrayaan, which means “moon vehicle” in Sanskrit, exemplifies the resurgence of international interest in space. The US, China and private corporations are among those racing to explore everything from resource mining to extraterrestrial colonies on the moon and even Mars. “We have left no stone unturned to make the lunar soft landing a success,” Kailasavadivoo Sivan, chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation, the country’s equivalent to Nasa, told reporters at the headquarters in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru.

Most complex mission by ISRO

The upcoming moon mission is the most complex ISRO has attempted. Two Chandrayaan modules — an orbiter and a lander — will be stacked together inside a launch vehicle equipped to lift heavy satellites into orbit. A third module, the lunar rover, will roll out on landing and operate for at least 14 days on the surface. It will wander about 1,300 feet, surveying a surface that reaches minus 250 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 157 degrees Celsius) in the shadows.

Details:

“The orbiter with lander and rover will be launched onboard our advanced heavy rocket (GSLV Mark III) from the Sriharikota spaceport to inject it in the earth’s elliptical orbit at 170km perigee (nearest to earth) and 30,000km apogee (farthest from earth) for cruising towards the moon over the next 16 days,” said Sivan. Sriharikota is an island off the Bay of Bengal in Andhra Pradesh and about 80km northeast of Chennai.

ISRO has named the lander “Vikram”, after India’s space pioneer Vikram Sarabhai (1919-1971) and rover ‘Pragyan’, which in Sanskrit means wisdom.

“The rocket will place the orbiter in the geo-transfer orbit for its passage to the lunar orbit, covering 385,000km from earth to moon in 50 days for the lander to have a soft landing near its south pole,” said Sivan.

The lander will separate from the orbiter through manouvres, when it is at 150km periloon (nearest the moon’s surface) and 18,000 apoloon (farthest from lunar surface) and land on the moon in 4 days after it (orbiter) enters the lunar orbit at 100km from its surface and descends slowly up to 30km for soft landing.

“The six-wheel rover will roll out of it (lander) in 4 hours after landing at a pre-determined site which is free from rocks and is between craters. It will roll 1cm per second and speed up to cover 500 metres.

The experiments (payloads) will be on the mineralogical and elemental studies of the lunar surface.

Interestingly, the lander as well as the rover will have the Indian national flag (Tricolour) painted on them. Ashoka Chakra will be imprinted on the rover’s wheels.

Chandrayaan-2 Mission, ISRO, Chandrayaan-2 — Image Courtesy: ISRO

Cost of the mission

The cost of Chandrayaan-2 mission is Rs 978 crore, including Rs 603 crore for the orbiter, lander, rover, navigation and ground support network and Rs 375 crore for the heavy rocket — Geo-stationary Satellite Launch Vehicle with an indigenous cryogenic engine

Two women are heading this exercise

And heading this exercise are two women — mission director Ritu Karidhal and the project director Muthayya Vanitha, Sivan said. Women employees account for nearly 30 per cent of India’s space agency’s total workforce.

Searching for Water

The idea is to explore virgin territory on the lunar surface and analyze crust samples for signs of water and helium-3. That isotope is limited on Earth yet so abundant on the moon that it theoretically could meet global energy demands for 250 years if harnessed.

The rover will send pictures of the lunar surface within 20 minutes of landing. The landing area in South Pole was chosen as it has no craters or boulders and is nearly flat with very good visibility due to solar light, he added.

Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 orbited the moon and ejected a probe that discovered water-bearing molecules in craters at the moon’s poles, with the highest density inside permanently shadowed craters at the South Pole. The presence of water would be invaluable as missions advance to the next phase: building a station for mission crews.

Conquering space

Government-backed space agencies are jostling with private missions to conquer the cosmos. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has announced he’s sending a spaceship to the moon, and billionaires Elon Musk and Richard Branson are preparing to launch satellites or send astronauts and paying tourists into space. The Trump administration has pushed for a return to the moon.

Space Race

This year alone, Israeli and Chinese missions have targeted the satellite, Earth’s closest neighbour. In April, Israel’s first moon-landing attempt ended in a crash. China plans to launch the Chang’e-5 probe to the moon later this year, with three more in the offing. At least two of them will land on the moon’s South Pole and conduct research.

India’s space agency has ambitious plans for a robotic mission to Venus, and returning to Mars with a rover. A craft called Mangalyaan orbited Mars after its 2013 launch, scouring the atmosphere for methane and carbon dioxide to help determine whether life ever existed there.

Next priority

ISRO’s next priority is the $1.4 billion Gaganyaan mission, which aims to put three Indian “gaganauts” — at least one of which will be a woman — into orbit.

Content courtesy: BS Web Team & Agencies

Budget bonanza and boost in blueprint

Jayanthy Subramaniam

July 14, 2019

It is indeed a welcome budget and we hope and pray it gives desired results and help both backward and middle class grow up confidently in a step by step way and we witness reforms, performances and a transformation that is good for the country. This is a very good budget. It is beneficial to every section of our society and to boost the growth of the Indian economy.

A grand move by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has been the relaxation provided on angel tax for start-ups, who can now focus on intensification and modernisation. The government’s allocation of Rs 400 crore to craft a world-class higher education ecosystem is also commendable. For a very long time, there has been a huge gap between the skill set required by the industries and what has been provided by the engineering colleges in our country. The government’s push will advance the skills of youth in areas like 3D printing, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, and Big Data.

The Union Budget 2019-20 is not the only farmer- and industry-friendly, it also addresses the concerns of the youth, women, middle class, poor, and the common man. This Budget would expedite India’s forward march towards progress and prosperity. The target to take the Indian economy to $5 trillion is worth appreciating. Union Budget will take the country towards greater transparency through greater use of technology and accountability. All earlier development schemes are more strengthened. It is a bottom-up, inclusive budget.

The foreign countries in response to the US policies are going to protect markets. Foreign flow of funds and technology in the future will be restricted by governments. It is safer for Bharat to depend on its own resources by offering higher savings and bond rates while investing in physical infrastructure, education and research institutions. Develop local appropriate technology. ISRO is a good example. The proposal to let FIIs and FPIs invest in debt securities issued by NBFC would provide a much-needed boost of capital to a sector now starving of capital; an important prop to several sectors, particularly, real estate and automobile which are reeling for lack of finance to purchasers/buyers. It would be interesting to see the extent and form of relaxation that is announced to local sourcing norms in relation to FDI in single brand retail. This relaxation would certainly encourage more foreign players to explore setting up stores in India.

The boost for MSME, affordable housing and infrastructure sector is expected to generate the growth in the bank credit and that will lead to profitable lending and for increasing business profits in the best way possible. On the whole, the budget has been a positive one. The government has reaffirmed its trust on public sector banks as per the recapitalisation outlay. The NBFC liquidity problem is also addressed through the first loss guarantee on the pool buyouts by banks.

Encouragement of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and increasing the minimum public holding with widespread digitalisation like an electronic trading platform, non-human tax dispute settlements and disincentivisation for cash transactions by business entities are progressive steps. Overall it is a growth based budget a big bonanza in all.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Letters to the Editor: 14 July, 2019

Web Team

July 14, 2019

Failure of top order batsman responsible for Team India’s defeat

With the crushing defeat of Team India in the semi finals at the World Cup tournament, the dream of billions fans has crashed. The Indian team perhaps failed to make the most of the rain affected day and the pitch conditions favouring an easy score chase. The massive collapse of top order batsmen for just 1 run and quick fall of wickets without a formidable partnership only thus resulted in disastrous loss and final exit from the World Cup. The failure of top order batsmen to chase a meagre target of 240 runs under 50 overs cost the Indians the world cup title.

Though the toss played a crucial factor to lose the game, it is ironical to note that the middle order and tail end batsmen were unable to chase a meagre target of 40 runs under 5 overs. Sloppy batting has only affected the overall performance of the team, despite following-on for the second consecutive day of the semi finals. It is high time now for the team to highly introspect batting and bowling performances and change the guard immediately as necessary.

Finally, ICC should take a stand to declare the rain affected match as a completely washed out event and start a new game on the reserve day. Such a decision will give both the sides a fair opportunity to claim the title especially at crucial stages like semi finals. Even the archaic Duckworth Lewis method of calculating the run rate to defend the score in a rain affected match needs an immediate overhaul by ICC.

Varun Dambal

Shoddy work responsible for pot-holed roads

The BMC constructed roads developed potholes within a fortnight as the work is being carried haphazardly overnight. Mumbai has one pothole for every hundred citizens and this number is huge as the city has a population of around 1.5 crores. Citizens are hapless and have no choice as grievances fall on deaf years. The huge fines imposed for parking under certain restricted zones is blackmailing citizens which is unfair in a democratic set-up. If citizens are made to pay heavy fines for not following the law, then why are BMC contractors not booked for potholes that develop on account of inferior work carried out by them?

Mumbai has double the number of potholes than vehicles. State government should fix the potholes and give us good motorable roads before they penalize us for unlawful parking. The taxes we pay should be optimally utilized and the public made aware of the account statements for the contribution they make towards nation building.

S.N. Kabra

Make clay available to sculptors at reasonable price

Environment-friendly organizations advise use of paper-pulp for making Ganesh-idols during Ganesh Chaturthi festival because the idol which is brought home should be eco-friendly. It has, however, been proved through experiments that paper-pulp after dissolving in water, causes more pollution; so how can this option be eco-friendly, is the question. Moreover, as per science, Ganesh-idol worshipped during Ganesh-festival should be made of clay. There has been considerable increase in number of people bringing home, Ganesh-idols made of clay; but idol made of clay is costly as compared to idol made of ‘Plaster of Paris (PoP), therefore, all Ganesh-devotees cannot afford to purchase such idols. The government makes an appeal to celebrate eco-friendly Ganesh festival on one hand while no effort is made to make available idols made of clay at low cost. As such, sculptors also give priority to make idols from PoP. All Ganesh-devotees would afford to buy idols made of clay if the government makes available clay to sculptors at low price. This will help all devotees to bring home eco-friendly Ganesh idols.

Jagan Ghanekar

Fare reduction a right step by BEST

The reduction of BEST bus fares to Rs 5 for a journey of up to 5 km is a good move indeed. The BEST should’ve thought of this long back instead of having to incur losses all these years. Now I hope more people will travel by bus instead of travelling by share autos and share taxis.
With the reduction in fares, I hope the conductor has the change to give back to passengers who give them Rs 10 note for a ticket of Rs 5.

Jubel D’Cruz

Simultaneous elections need of the hour

It refers to 10 Congress and 3 JD(S) MLAs quitting coalition government in Karnataka with more quits from ruling coalition possible in days to come, thus possible of fall of state-government just formed after elections recently held in October 2023. Prime Minister is stressing, and rightly too, for simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and all state-assemblies. But how is it practical if mid-term elections may be necessitated through such fall of state-governments.

Only remedy is to elect Chief Minister (or Prime Minister) simultaneously with Speaker and Deputy Speaker by secret and compulsory elections through EVMs equipped with VVPAT on nominations signed by at least 34-per cent members with abstaining members losing right to vote in the House though retaining its membership. Such elected incumbents may be removed only through same process but with compulsion to name alternate leader in the same motion. This procedure can be tried in Karnataka now with certainty of fall of state-government. Heavy expenses made on air-lifting of MLAs outside the state-capital for ultra-luxurious stay in resorts or five-starred hotels just to tighten them in grip of political bosses for saving or falling governments should be probed.

If political-uncertainty continues in Karnataka, then mid-term elections can be held in February 2020 with that of Delhi state-assembly polls. Elections for state-assemblies of Jammu-Kashmir, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Bihar may also be held in February 2020 by keeping Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand under President Rule for some months and pre-matured dissolution of Bihar state-assembly so that any next election may be held only in February 2022 by similar clubbing of elections for state-assemblies of Assam, Goa, Kerala, Manipur, Puducherry and Punjab. Elections to rest other state-assemblies may then be held in February 2024 on similar lines with Lok Sabha elections by pre-mature dissolution of Lok Sabha by few months to make February as permanent election-month.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Kartarpur corridor: Connectivity, Safety of Pilgrims on top priority

Web Team

July 14, 2019

Kartarpur Corridor India and Pakistan on Sunday began the second round of talks over finalising the modalities of the Kartarpur corridor, on the Pakistani side of the border. Connectivity and safety of pilgrims were on top priority of the talks.

Pakistan agreed in-principle to build a bridge on the zero line of the Kartarpur Corridor to provide all-weather connectivity and allow 5,000 pilgrims per day, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement after a two-hour meeting. “Throughout the year, 5,000 pilgrims will be allowed to visit Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara per day… Pakistan highlighted the infrastructural constraints on their side and conveyed that they may be able to accommodate many of the Indian proposals in a phased manner. There should be no restrictions on the pilgrims in terms of their faith,” the Foreign Ministry said.

According to reports, the Pakistani delegation, led by Dr Mohammad Faisal, a spokesperson for Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, showed a powerpoint presentation to the Indian side. Faisal told reporters ahead of the talks, “It is the second round Kartarpur corridor talks as promised by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Pakistan is fully committed and cooperating to operationalise the Kartarpur Corridor. Work from our side is underway in an expeditious manner. More than 70% of the Gurudwara construction work has been completed. We hope to have a productive discussion with the Indian counterparts.”

The Indian delegation is led by SCL Das, Joint Secretary (Internal Security) in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Deepak Mittal, Joint Secretary (PAI-Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran) in the Ministry of External Affairs. Indian officials took up a number of key issues, including infrastructure, pilgrims’ movement, and safety. India’s demand for the construction of a bridge by Pakistan in the creek area was also discussed. India raised concerns regarding the possible flooding of Dera Baba Nanak due to the construction of an embankment-filled road on the Pakistani side. India has already been building a bridge on its side to provide all-weather connectivity for the Kartarpur corridor. It has urged Pakistan to build a similar bridge on their side as it would provide safe and secure movement of the pilgrims while also addressing concerns over flooding.

Kartarpur corridor meeting — Image Courtesy: ANI

The other key issues on the table were the number of pilgrims allowed to access the corridor, safe and unhindered movement of pilgrims throughout the year, whether they would travel as individuals or groups, and whether they would travel by transport or foot.

It is remarkable that India will spend Rs 500 crore to build the corridor. This amount would be spent on installing a high tech security and surveillance system to ensure the safety of pilgrims and creating an all-weather facility to cater to 10,000 pilgrims on special occasions and 5000 pilgrims on a daily basis. The Kartarpur route along the India-Pakistan border is three kilometers away from Gurdaspur. Once opened, it would allow Sikh pilgrims direct access to the historic Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur in Pakistan. Guru Nanak Dev passed away in Kartarpur in 1539. As per Ministry of External Affairs, the work on these two projects will be completed in time – one by September 2019 and the other by October 2019.

The first level of talks were held on March 14 and second round, which were to take place on April 2, were called off pending clarifications by Islamabad on New Delhi’s security concerns. In May, India had raised concerns that Pakistan is promoting the interest of Khalistani groups under the garb of the Kartarpur corridor.

Poor social engineering behind security threats to India

Vaidehi Taman

July 12, 2019

The problem with security and intelligence agencies in India is the lack of communication and the greed for credit and power. India is not the only exception or victim of such traits. Politics inside the bureaucracy and the power game is almost the same in all the other countries of the world too; however, the very basic difference between them and us is the fear of getting caught and getting punished. Deterrence of getting caught and failing in investigation and punishments somewhat control their greed.

We lack proper laws and proper implementation of the same. Those in power have every knack and control over twisting the law as per their convenience. Those in power and those who have power are the two most dangerous factors in the administration.

For example, there are a couple of “information and security research organisations” operating from India but they carry out research for the foreign countries. We can’t question them or ask for any clarification as they operate from India in the name of “threat analysis/research”. They are not directly working on hardcore intelligence; instead, they are working on the development and activities of various hackers and another acumen that operate from these regions. Now the question that arises is how the hackers and hacking can be an issue for the national security?

The problems are not limited to specific categories; the majority of issues are on smaller scales and that is the reason why they are less talked, discussed, and thought over. Hence, it’s easier for all these terrorist organisations and other intelligence agencies to target India and that too so frequently. Let us take a simple example of the communication issues over the border areas of India. Mostly, the security personnel/armed forces and terrorists who are deployed in the border areas communicate with each other in more or less the same manner and use almost the same technology and communication devices like the walkie-talkie, wireless frequency, and satellite phones (mostly used in base camps because of its high price).

The way interaction gets trapped is not something extraordinary; it happens because of a very simple reason that the communication cannot be encrypted over such mediums, and that is why it is easier to intercept them. However, the irony is that it is not necessary that the communication that is intercepted is true and accurate. The possibility of making this conversation for the purpose of misguiding the security forces in and around those areas is high.

At the same time, we can’t even ignore them because if by any chance the incident happens, those soldiers who are deployed in the area will be considered guilty because the communication is passed to the senior officers sitting in the base camps. The percentage of the number of security forces deployed in and around the borders is the maximum and the strength of the Indian Army and armed forces is among the top six in the world; so, it is not possible to make any excuses for the “manpower”, if such incidents happen and we fail to avoid them.

The very common problem that seems to be simple and hence ignored is “social engineering”. Most of the time both the forces deployed over the border keeps on scanning the wireless frequency ranges of each other’s and also the different specific frequency on which the patrolling forces are communicating. Because of the similarity in the language spoken, it is not a hard job for someone who is really good in social engineering to fool and collect information from these various patrolling forces/parties. All you need to do is, make a call on the same frequency of the other side party and just ask them in a commanding and confident voice addressing yourself as a senior speaking from their respective bases and ask them for their progress or current location or some other outputs.

Due to the hierarchy in the forces and couple of protocols which we ignore to follow, it makes it very difficult for that soldier to ask many questions regarding the caller’s identification and justify the reason of calling as no one wants to make their boss unhappy and that too if you are in the armed forces.

Thus, these types of problems are not very big and complicated but what makes it more difficult to be taken care of and encountered is the ignorance and lack of interest by those who are responsible for making the protocols and process by the think tanks.

Unfortunately, they are focusing more on the issues that happen less frequently but make big news. The problems occurring because of such ignorance are not much talked about and fail to make big news. The one who has to be held responsible for such ignorance is the irresponsible media operating in these locations.

Now, if we talk about these think tanks and decision and policy makers, then they are busy most of the time giving lectures all over the world. They only talk about big and critical issues, which are not present but are expected to happen or occur in the future. What our intelligence agencies are doing working under the banner of “research organisations” is extracting the money from the central government under the name of “research” or “strategy development” or “analysis”.

Someone told me once about one such research, which was “understanding and studying the mind of “black hat hackers”. In this research, the organisation took assistance from a couple of senior doctors (more preciously – psychiatrists) to complete the entire exercise. During their entire exercise, there was not even a single time they talked or discussed things with any hacker or InfoSec professionals (forget about the black hats). They completed the entire exercise and study within the specific time, even prepared and gave the report to the top bosses. The money spent on such tasks is huge but without any accountability.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

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