Aditi Arya wins Miss India 2015, will represent India at Miss World

Aditi Arya, 21 years old from Delhi, was crowned FBB Femina Miss India 2015 at the annual ceremony held on March 28th at  Mumbai. Aditi, a research analyst and a  Business Studies graduate from Delhi University earned herself the right to represent India at Miss World 2015 to be held in December. She will try to be a successor of present Miss World Rolene Strauss. Aishwarya Rai from India and Miss World winner 2014 is considered among the most beautiful Miss World ever. 

Crowned as 1st and 2nd runner-ups respectively were Aafreen Rachel Vaz and Vartika Singh. Vartika Singh hails from Lucknow, my hometown. She works with Public health department of World Bank as a consultant.   The Miss India Organization will announce soon in which international events they will compete. In all likelihood, Afreen will represent India at Miss Earth 2015 and Vartika will go to Miss Grand International. 


The show was hosted by the exuberant Manish Paul who kept the audience entertained along with the gorgeous Neha Dhupia joining him for a segment. Touted as the most glamorous and credible beauty pageant of the country, fbb Femina Miss India 2015 saw electrifying performances by Bollywood stars- Kareena Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandes, Shahid Kapoor and Famous singers like Kanika Kapoor, Meet Brothers, and Shalmali Kholgade. The 52nd year of fbb Femina Miss India 2015 was celebrated with glamour and panache.


Aditi Arya was also the winner of Miss Delhi, the same title that Koyal Rana , Miss India 2014 had won before winning the national pageant.

The Grand Finale was judged by eminent personalities from the industry like John Abraham, Manisha Koirala, Sonu Nigam, Anil Kapoor, Feroz Nadiadwala, Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla, Shilpa Shetty, Sonali Bendre, Shiamak Davar and Chitrangada Singh. The glorious Red Carpet event was bustling with the creme da la creme from the fashion, glamour and entertainment industry with names like Manasvi Mamgai, Rocky S, Naseerudin Shah, Paresh Rawal and many more.

India has 5 Miss World crown to its credit second only to Venezuela which has 6. Aishwaraya Rai from India and Miss World 2014 is considered the most beautiful Miss World so far.

Best of Luck to Aditi Arya, Afreen Vaz and Vartika Singh.

Why Indian ocean is called ocean of strategy

As Narendra Modi embarked on his official trip to three Indian Ocean sojourn, all eyes are now set to the changing dynamics of the Indian Ocean. Srilanka, also called the Emerald Island is located very strategically in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka is barely a few tens of miles from the vital sea routes. It is located almost mid-way between the two choke points of the world, the Strait of Hormuz and the Malacca Strait. His visit to Srilanka, first for an Indian Prime Minister in 28 years has ushered a new phase in India-Srilanka relations. Ironically, Srilanka is just 27 miles from India but it took 28 years for a Prime Minister to visit Sri Lanka. Being Sri Lanka’s only neighbor, India should have sought to engage Sri Lanka more. But that was not be. In Sri Lanka, this snub was seen as the government’s attempt to appease the Tamil sentiments. Narendra Modi is there to make up for the last decade. Unfortunately in the same period China had made huge inroad. But all that is set to change now. China has already made huge inroads in our neighborhood. Seen in this context this visit of Narendra Modi becomes extremely important.

This visit becomes even more important in context of increasing Chinese influence in Sri Lanka.
Of late, China has been strengthening its relations with littoral states (Bordering the Indian Ocean) in the Indian Ocean Region, particularly Sri Lanka, as part of its “String of Pearls” diplomacy.  

Sri Lanka had initially offered the Hambantoota Port development project to India but India backed off and seizing the opportunity China stepped in. It would be regretted for long in the Indian Diplomatic circles. Last September, two Chinese (non-nuclear) submarines docked at a Sri Lankan, much to displeasure of India. Though it was said by the Chinese that it was just a usual stop but everyone knows that it was a cover up. Such projects, like the Gwadar project in Pakistan are often set up with military goals in mind.Underlining that the Indian Ocean Region sits atop policy priorities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the time had come for a “strong grouping around the Indian Ocean” and that India will “pursue with this new vigor in the years ahead”.Modi said his government’s vision for the Indian Ocean was rooted in “advancing cooperation in our region” and to use “our capabilities for the benefit of all in our common maritime home”.

Furthermore, In Seychelles Narendra Modi unveiled the Plaque and Operationalized the Radar for CSRS (Coastal Surveillance Radar System) - India-Seychelles Cooperation Project. It has already caused much tension in our western and Eastern neighbor.

Why Indian Ocean is central to our Security

The readers of Indian history would well realize that Indian Ocean has been pivotal in India’s growth. Indian Ocean is the only ocean in the world name after a country. In words Nehru “History has shown that whatever power controls the Indian Ocean has, in the first instance, India’s sea-borne trade at her mercy and, in the second, India’s very independence itself.”

In past centuries whichever power had control over its sea lanes more or less controlled India's trade. First it was the Portuguese (15th century) then English. Back in 1686 when British tried to assert their power in India for the first time they were beaten by Mughals but still their rights to trade in India were not taken away (which were issued by Jahangir in 1686), largely because Mughals were aware that British could hurt India's trade in the Ocean as they were controlling it at that time. Indian Ocean is the only ocean in this world named after a country and it happened for a reason.

Furthermore, in a letter to London a high ranking official in India said, back in 19th century that we will be able to keep India under our control until we are the most supreme naval force. It happened just the way he said. 1946 there was a mutiny in Indian's Navy and that has been underplayed by our historians. British had realized helped by many other concurrent events that now their time was over.

Indian Ocean: Changing Dynamics

As Indians we associate a lot of pride with it. It was through its sea routes that India’s trade happened. A trade that was once called the trade of the world and helped us emerge as the largest economy pre industrial revolution times. Keeping in mind the increased focus of China and its ambitious but surreptitious designs like Maritimes silk route, it has become imperative for India to shift its focus to Indian Ocean as well, if not more than certainly as much as its land frontiers.

Narendra Modi visited Indian Ocean region and its small but strategically located islands. He covered Seychelles, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. A day before the Prime Minister began his tour to the Indian Ocean Region, both the battle group along with warships from Western fleet, armed with fighter jets, helicopters, reconnaissance planes, missiles and other weaponry reached Kochi. It marks an ambitious and well-timed departure from its earlier stand “Indian Ocean as a Zone of peace”. Narendra Modi and his team of advisors led by NSA Ajit Dhoval realize it well that theory cannot always be put to practice.

All these three nations are considered vital for maritime security, particularly with the ever present pirates in the region. The Indian Ocean is going to be the most important ocean with concentration of most important energy routes between Strait of Malacca to the Gulf of Aden, an area which is full of maritime activities as 70 per cent of the oil container traffic passes through.

Off late, China has been deepening its relations with littoral (bordering)  states to the Indian Ocean Region, particularly Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Seychelles as part of its String of Pearls diplomacy to counter India’s Look East Policy, which is often described as Encircle China policy by Beijing.

The Indian Ocean promises to shape the wider geopolitics and balance of power in Asia and beyond. India, in context of Chinese plans like Maritime Silk Route and its ‘development push’ in Indian Ocean region needs to act fast. 

Miss India 2015 gets underway, Winners to compete for Miss World 2015, Miss International and Miss Grand International

Miss India remains a dream that many vie for India. Miss India 2015 is going to take place tomorrow on March 28^th. As for my readers who would be wondering why I often switch from climate change and international readers to world of beauty. The reason is the viewership it has and the number of views is staggering for big ones like Miss Universe 2014/2015 and Miss World.  Miss India is a very respectable name in the world of beauty. India brings a flavor to this world which is hot as Indian spices and intriguing like the country itself.

With a very decent rate of predicting the winners and semifinalists and finalists I always make a post with the favorites. But this year I am doing so for the want of time. But still I will name my sentimental favorite. This year my favorite for the coveted title is Miss Deekhsa Kausal.

Deeksha has a great body frame and stand towering at 5 feet 11. Her beauty is both Indian and western. To complement it she has good articulation and is compendious in her answers.

My another sentimental favorite is my city girl Vartika Singh who was a finalist at Miss Diva 2014.

Miss India has a very good record at Miss World with 5 wins so far and quite a few runners ups and semifinalists. At the most recent event India won Miss Asia title, continental queen of Asia.  

Miss World 2015 is Rolene Strauss and Deeksha resembles her in beauty but I find her beauty more intriguing just the kind I like. 

Good Luck to all the Miss India 2015 contestants 

England vs. Bangladesh: Defeat to Bangladesh rings Alarm Bell before Ashes

Defeat of England Cricket team at the hands of Bangladesh at the recent England VS Bangladesh game has rung alarm bell for the England Cricket team. With the West Indies tour and a series against Australia round the corner, many English Cricket fans have reasons to worry. The recent loss of England team to Bangladesh at the World Cup 2015 was its second straight loss to Bangladesh. They had lost their game against Bangladesh in the 2011 Edition as well.

Ironically ECB had suggested in past that Teams like Bangladesh should play qualifiers before the World Cup. This was not received well in the cricket crazy nation. 

England is one of the most prolific cricket teams alongside Australia. England is home of cricket and Lords is rightly called The Mecca of Cricket. The game of Cricket has its origins in southern England.

England cricket team is the eternal bridesmaid at the world cup with three runners up trophies failing to win it even once. Its last final appearance came in 1992. The other two are 1979 and 1987.  At the second most important event the ICC Champions trophy, the story is same with two final appearances. Though it does have ICC World Twenty20 2010 crown under its belt but its overall record at big events is a huge disappointment for a country where Cricket was first played.

The recent fiasco at the World Cup 2015 has led many English Cricket fans ask why the present coach should be retained. It has received a flak back home with sizeable reporting of the defeat and subsequent ouster from the World Cup 2015 in all the leading newspapers. Almost all the newspapers have covered the story doing their analysis to determine what has gone wrong. As usual keeping the tradition alive most articles sound like most British people, cynical and satirical. The Guardian reports,” And so with Peter Moores, whose suggestion that he’d need to “look at the data” in the wake of England’s World Cup exit at the hands of Bangladesh has failed to cut his detractors off at the pass. Indeed, it has spawned a derision-fest the England coach might have modelled even without the aid of technology. Was 275 chaseable ? Computer says no.”

Well, we hope England Cricket would recover from this bad phase soon. It would good for Cricket, a game which has been losing ground to Football in England. 

Modi Government launches “Soil Health Card” Scheme, addresses many Challenges

In a brilliant move to address multifold problems of Indian agriculture Modi government on Thursday launched a nationwide scheme “Soil Health Card” from Suratgarh in Rajasthan. Indian agriculture has not witnessed the optimum growth potential it is capable of achieving. While the problems are many, a large part of it has to do with irrational use of fertilizers. With this well needed move the Modi government aims to cut the fertilizer subsidy bill and subsequently the fiscal deficit. 

The proposed “Soil Health Card” will entail the characteristics of soil, both Physical and Chemical. Physical characteristics include texture, compaction, color and depth.

The Soil Card Scheme proposes increasing the soil testing laboratories from about 1200 to 4700. This includes increasing mobile laboratories as well. 

Soil testing laboratories typically charge 150 rupees for basic parameters. For micro nutrients it can cost 100 rupees per parameter.

Chemical characteristics include PH value and the presence of nutrients like Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Iron, Zinc, Copper and Sulphur etc.

The quality and yield of the crop depends significantly on the supply of these nutrients from the soil. Irrational use of fertilizers not only impacts the crop quality and yield negatively but also increases the Fiscal deficit as Fertilizer subsidy is a big part of it. Once the farmer has beforehand information about the nature of soil, he/she can make appropriate use of fertilizers and manure. For instance, if the soil is Acidic then Lime based nutrients can be applied. Similarly for Alkaline and Saline soils gypsum based fertilizer should be applied. It will also help in decreasing the import bill on coal and other inputs like Gypsum which are imported from abroad. 

Similarly it will help the farmers make more informed and rational choices. The use of fertilizers also depends on the choice of crop. For Rice, Nitrogen based fertilizer is required more, whereas for Pulses Phosphorus is more required. Similarly for Potato, Banana and Pineapple, Potassium is indispensable. Further, this could lead to customized products tailored for specific regions in other words growing crops which are suitable for the soil and climatic conditions of the region. Punjab and Rajasthan have started facing problems because of unscientific use of fertilizers. Punjab in particular is worst hit by it leading to many health problems as well.

 As underlined by the recent Economic Survey, the ratio of fertilizer use is heavily flawed. The primary nutrients of the soil are Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium and the ideal ratio of use (in general, it may vary according to locality) is 4:2:1. However the actual ratio (as per Economic Survey 2013)   8:3.2:1, in other words Urea is being used excessively, Urea is a Nitrogen based fertilizer. This also increases Coal import because Coal is used as fuel while making Urea, thereby upsetting the Current Account Deficit. Natural gas is also used in manufacture of fertilizers. Also this is subsidized by the government so the excess use of it increases the Subsidy bill of the government. Fertilizer subsidy is bigger than Fuel subsidy. 

Hence it is a very well thought about move that will not only help our farmers in achieving the maximum potential but also decrease the Fiscal Deficit and Current Account Deficit by rationalizing the use of fertilizers.

Indian agriculture still employs about 55% of our workforce. Many people still practice subsistence based agriculture, in other words they produce mostly for their own use and not much left to be sold in the market. Though Modi Government has made grand plans to make India a manufacturing hub but in this process we cannot ignore agriculture sector. Agriculture provides the raw material to be used in many other sectors like textile. 1 % growth in agriculture production leads to more growth in many other sectors. Manufacturing sector will take time to be robust enough to employ our huge workforce. Furthermore, we would always need a vibrant agriculture sector as we cannot rely on our food needs on any other country/countries.

We need to substantially increase our food production, make it diverse and also change its nature from subsistence based to commercially viable. This would need providing the farmers adequate support, which has been there but has not been rationalized. Now, with Narendra Modi’s pragmatic leadership we hope that agriculture would stop lagging and become revenue earning for the country.

As explained in the passages above, the intention of the government is to improve soil health and contain the mounting fertilizer subsidy bill, which is fully provided for and comes to 100,000 crore annually. Two third of this amount is Urea alone. 

With this decision, Modi Government has sought to address many challenges. Eyeing the Subsidy bill, the Fiscal Deficit and the Current Account Deficit as well.

The vision of Narendra Modi is commendable, it has been rationalizing the resource base of the country to remove the impediments and make the best use of available resources. 

For More such Articles on India check this link : http://thekarmayogi.com/

Narendra Modi upsets Chinese maritime ambitions in Indian Ocean

              अनादि अनँत केवलँ. नमामि राष्ट्र भारतँ.

The pretext to this piece of writing is Narendra Modi’s statement and vision about Indian Ocean “To me the blue chakra or wheel in India’s national flag represents the potential of Blue Revolution or the Ocean Economy. That is how central the Ocean Economy is to us”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-nation Indian Ocean tour stands in testimony to this region’s critical importance for Indian security. He has once again upset China’s silk route plans and its maritime ambitions. If China gains the upper hand in the Indian Ocean region, it will mark the end of India’s great-power ambitions. India would merely a regional power which would be detrimental to our ambitions. In a major fillip for India in the Indian Ocean, we bagged two important ''infrastructure development rights'' for two islands in the region - Agalega from Mauritius and Assumption from Seychelles. New Delhi marked its Indian Ocean presence with Modi offering to set up joint working groups with the two blue economies in the region to harness potential for economic cooperation.

Underlining that the Indian Ocean Region sits atop policy priorities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the time had come for a “strong grouping around the Indian Ocean” and that India will “pursue with this new vigor in the years ahead”.Modi said his government’s vision for the Indian Ocean was rooted in “advancing cooperation in our region” and to use “our capabilities for the benefit of all in our common maritime home”.

Furthermore, In Seychelles Narendra Modi unveiled the Plaque and Operationalized the Radar for CSRS (Coastal Surveillance Radar System) - India-Seychelles Cooperation Project. It has already caused much tension in our western and Eastern neighbor.

Why Indian Ocean is central to our Security

The readers of Indian history would well realize that Indian Ocean has been pivotal in India’s growth. Indian Ocean is the only ocean in the world name after a country. In words Nehru “History has shown that whatever power controls the Indian Ocean has, in the first instance, India’s sea-borne trade at her mercy and, in the second, India’s very independence itself.”

In past centuries whichever power had control over its sea lanes more or less controlled India's trade. First it was the Portuguese (15th century) then English. Back in 1686 when British tried to assert their power in India for the first time they were beaten by Mughals but still their rights to trade in India were not taken away (which were issued by Jahangir in 1686), largely because Mughals were aware that British could hurt India's trade in the Ocean as they were controlling it at that time. Indian Ocean is the only ocean in this world named after a country and it happened for a reason.

Furthermore, in a letter to London a high ranking official in India said, back in 19th century that we will be able to keep India under our control until we are the most supreme naval force. It happened just the way he said. 1946 there was a mutiny in Indian's Navy and that has been underplayed by our historians. British had realized helped by many other concurrent events that now their time was over.

Indian Ocean: Changing Dynamics

As Indians we associate a lot of pride with it. It was through its sea routes that India’s trade happened. A trade that was once called the trade of the world and helped us emerge as the largest economy pre industrial revolution times. Keeping in mind the increased focus of China and its ambitious but surreptitious designs like Maritimes silk route, it has become imperative for India to shift its focus to Indian Ocean as well, if not more than certainly as much as its land frontiers.

Narendra Modi visited Indian Ocean region and its small but strategically located islands. He covered Seychelles, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. A day before the Prime Minister began his tour to the Indian Ocean Region, both the battle group along with warships from Western fleet, armed with fighter jets, helicopters, reconnaissance planes, missiles and other weaponry reached Kochi. It marks an ambitious and well-timed departure from its earlier stand “Indian Ocean as a Zone of peace”. Narendra Modi and his team of advisors led by NSA Ajit Dhoval realize it well that theory cannot always be put to practice.

All these three nations are considered vital for maritime security, particularly with the ever present pirates in the region. The Indian Ocean is going to be the most important ocean with concentration of most important energy routes between Strait of Malacca to the Gulf of Aden, an area which is full of maritime activities as 70 per cent of the oil container traffic passes through.

Off late, China has been deepening its relations with littoral (bordering)  states to the Indian Ocean Region, particularly Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Seychelles as part of its String of Pearls diplomacy to counter India’s Look East Policy, which is often described as Encircle China policy by Beijing.

The Indian Ocean promises to shape the wider geopolitics and balance of power in Asia and beyond. India, in context of Chinese plans like Maritime Silk Route and its ‘development push’ in Indian Ocean region needs to act fast.

We must capitalize on our geographic advantage

Blessed by a very suitable Geography and its advantages India has an inherent maritime advantages. Due to our troubled relation with Pakistan and China our maritime advantages have not been properly utilized, we have not created deep assets in the region. To make matters worse India diplomatically neglected the Indian Ocean region in the 25-year period from 1989 till now. India’s long neglect has become China’s strategic gain. Narendra Modi is the first prime minister to visit Seychelles in 34 years and Sri Lanka in 28 years.

China helped by its deep pockets has sought to ‘help’ the littoral states in the region, it has even tried to seek possibilities of a naval frontier to neutralize India’s natural geographic advantage.

Alongside developing strategic assets in the region India needs to significantly modernize its naval power. India should have the power to holdback container traffic to China choking its Energy lines should a war be imposed on us.

Takeaways for India

Ø  India signed an MoU with Mauritius for setting up and upgrading infrastructure for improving sea and air connectivity at the outer island of Mauritius

Ø 
India signed another MoU with Mauritius which will provide an extensive framework for cooperation in the field of ocean economy. It will seek opportunities in the field of marine resources, fisheries, green tourism, research and development of ocean technology, exchange of experts and other related activities.

Ø  Modi also commissioned the India-built coast ship Barracuda in Mauritius on the second leg of his three-nation visit.

Ø  In Seychelles Narendra Modi unveiled the Plaque and Operationalized the Radar for CSRS (Coastal Surveillance Radar System) - India-Seychelles Cooperation Project. It will add a lot to India’s surveillance capabilities in the region.

Summarizing

Acting to correct the loss of the past and the time wasted on account of previous government’s failure, Modi government has sought to address the issue by capitalizing on cultural links helped by his famous Charm offensive.   Taking a note India’s primacy of Indian Ocean for India's security and for maintaining peace and stability in the region Narendra Modi has stressed  that the ''Indian Ocean was and is  going to be India's Ocean''. The competition for influence in the Indian Ocean is pivotal to our global power ambitions. This is a contest India cannot afford to lose.

For more such articles go to : http://thekarmayogi.com/

Why British wanted Bhagat Singh dead at any cost

As the country remembers Bhagat Singh, I would like share something with you all. There were accusations that Gandhi didn't do enough to prevent his 'shahdat'. The truth is that even if Gandhi had tried (if at all ) , the British would not have commuted his death sentence. The reason being his strength of character, courage and his intellect. 

To British, he was more dangerous that Gandhi. For a 23 year old, he was far more courageous, passionate and had everything that a leader needed. Back in those days of Pax Britannica ( the time of their hegemony), when not many would dare to challenge the British like he did, killing Saunders. To make the matters worse for British, he was as intellectual as anybody else in the congress. The difference was that he was brave with a vision and spirit that Angrez could not dominate. He was in the same league as Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Vallabh Bhai Patel and Subhash Chandra Bose , he always put his country first, unlike the self loving Nehru, the narcissistic for whom Gandhi made many short sighted decisions . The irony is that this country (at least in the Congress time) values self loving people like Nehru more than those who actually lived for the country and died for the country. India needs to value the contributions of Patel , maulana Azad and many other heroes/virago who were far more capable than Gandhi-Nehru clan.

Bhagat Singh attained martyrdom on this day, March 31st 1931. His legacy remains alive and would be so, forever. 

IMF Chief says India as the “bright spot” of the global economy

IMF, International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde has lauded India as the “bright spot” of the global economy on Monday ahead of talks in New Delhi with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She was on a two day visit to India, on course of which she met RBI chief, Finance Minister and man at the mission Narendra Modi. IMF chief went on to say that India’s economy is in right hands and appreciated Narendra Modi’s efforts to introduce the best practices followed in the world. She appreciated India and Modi for being well ahead of other countries in implementing Basel 3 norms for standardizing banking systems. 

She remarked, “Among the emerging markets India is a bright spot”. She also went on to say that India is reaping benefits of good policies and policy announcements. She was underling the growth centric policies of Modi government. She urged Modi to do more efforts to open up the economy, she said India had the “opportunity to become one of the world's most dynamic economies” with growth running at above seven per cent.

The International Monetary Fund raised its forecasts of India’s economic growth to 7.2% instead of 5.6% as predicted earlier for the current fiscal year, which runs until the end of March. It stands in testimony to Modi’s policies and leadership that growth estimates are being revised many a times within a year. OECD, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and development has also increased India’s growth estimates.

IMF chief’s observations about India

1)      Team Modi and RBI sound Macroeconomic management:  The government and RBI working together on shifting the focus to good macroeconomic management, transparent government, and inclusive development. She appreciated India’s bold step of inflation targeting.

2)       Growth centric Budget: She called Modi government’s budget growth centric. "It appears that the broad path of reform is established. Now implementation has to follow - as we know, success begets success," she said. She appreciated the budget for its focus on fiscal consolidation and focus infrasturuce development. As fiscal deficit shrinks, Indian banks could shift their focus to more lending to the private sector.

After adjusting for differences in purchasing prices between economies, India's GDP (PPP) will exceed that of Japan and Germany combined by the year 2019 if India follows on the path and implements the policy decisions. She said adding it will also exceed the combined output of the three next largest emerging market economies —- Russia, Brazil, and Indonesia.

Since formation of Modi government inflation has fallen to around five percent, subsequently the interest rates have come down leaving banks with more money to lend.  

Highlights of her observation about India’s Leadership

"My dialogue with Indian leaders has convinced me that the conditions are ripe for India to be a key engine of global growth," Lagarde said in a statement on the conclusion of her two-day visit to India.

“This is India’s moment and India should seize this moment to build a bright economic future of rapid, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth and macroeconomic stability for many years to come"

Expectations and suggestions of IMF

Lagarde lauded Modi's drive to make India a major manufacturing hub and an easier place to do business. She also urged Narendra Modi to open Indian economy more to the world. 

1.        “The economy should be opened more fully to the world, and there's a good case for removing domestic constraints on growth, especially in energy, mining and power,” she said.

2         “Further reforms of India's complex labor laws to encourage young job-seekers. Lagarde said, "Urgent remedies are needed. A good starting point is to make Indian labor markets more flexible."

3         Expressed concerns about falling female participation in workforce.

4          Expects more easing of land acquisition and other clearances, will help revive the investment cycle and achieve faster growth.  More needs to be done expediting clearances and establishing a stable regulatory regime so that the private sector can invest. These issues are on the radar of policymakers, which is promising, they must be on the action list," she said.

5         She said that further subsidy reform and implementation of the goods and services tax (GST).

Brace for future shocks from changes in US interest regime

She also said that emerging economies like India face greater risk of high market volatility and sudden outflow of capital as the United States is gears up to hike interest rates by the end of this year, which will cause flow of capital as investment in US will be more rewarding. However, she also remarked India geared to face the situation as its economy is in right hands.

Urgent remedies are needed to push growth, she said, adding that "a good starting point is to make Indian labor markets more flexible". Said the former French Foreign Minister.

 IMF chief warned of high market volatility and capital outflows when US Fed hikes rates next time and asked India and other emerging markets to be prepared for such an eventuality.

Summarizing

In light of the encouraging observations from IMF Chief and OECD, the two giants, we can be certain that our economy is being managed by the best brains aided by a visionary and decisive leadership. We have set the tone right for next 10 years, what is important now is implementation part. We are hopeful that Modi will rock that as well.

Peter The Great, The Russian who modernized Russia

Peter the Great ( 1672-1725 )

Read the biography of Peter the Great by Robert K. Massie. 


Peter the Great is one of my heroes. He modernized Russia, just like Emperor Meiji ( 1852-1912 ) modernized Japan, and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk ( 1881-1938 ) modernized Turkey. All these three modernizers of their countries used ruthless measures to crush the opposition by those who did not want changes.
Peter went to Western Europe in 1697 to study modern technology for shipbuilding and other industries. He wrote on a seal before his departure " I am a pupil, and need to be taught ". Peter went incognito with some companions as far west as England. He personally interviewed and recruited many technical persons for service in Russia. He was shown the British fleet, and he determined to set up a fleet in Russia.
After returning to Russia, Peter began modernizing Russian society and introduced European technology. He crushed the revolt of the Streltsi regiments and Bulavin ruthlessly. He sent young men for technical training abroad, and founded the Russian Academy of Science for scientific research. He also st up several technical institutes such as the School of Mathematics and navigation.
In 1703 Peter built a new capital, St. Petersburg, which remained the capital of Russia till the Russian Revolution of 1917.
By the time Peter died, he had dragged Russia out of much of its backwardness and transformed many of its medeival social and political institutions and customs to modern, Westernized ones, and made Russia a great power in the world.
India too needs to follow Peter's example, and take tough measures to modernize the country and make it a first rate, highly industrialized and prosperous nation in the world

China worried as Modi deftly brings US-India relationship back on track

As expected the most wary and attention worthy response to the visit of US president Barak Obama came from China. Almost every one of us would have expected the Pakistani response to be along the lines it eventually took. However Chinese reaction to the Barak Obama visit was what the foreign policy watchers were waiting for. The State run Chinese daily Global Times in its report cautioned India to not fall in ‘The Trap’ laid by the West.

 It remarked that the visit of US president in more symbolic and devoid of much significance. They do have reasons to worry. The Chinese leadership through this state run newspaper has attempted to give an unsolicited advice to India. This calculated response failed to hide their anxieties with regards to US forging a strategic relation with India. Strategic relationships are formed keeping in mind long term goals. With this master stroke Narendra Modi has now taken another step towards being among the most influential statesman of the time.

India-US relation as remarked by Barak Obama in his 2010 visit is destined to be one of the most important relationships of this century. US leadership played a big role in getting the waiver at the Nuclear Supplier Group. George Bush worked overtime to get a breakthrough for India by getting the Nuclear Deal done in 2008. Getting that deal done required him to phone many head of states to get the hurdles cleared. The Significance of that deal is huge for India. It was at time that Chinese became wary of India-US partnership and went to the extent of saying that US is trying to include India in its containment of ‘Peaceful Rise of China’. Though that peace is nowhere to be seen in East China Sea.

Unfortunately the deadlocks could not be cleared in India after the 2008 deal. USA and its allies had reservations on the Nuclear Liability Bill of India. The tremendous progress made was halted when UPA government got into troubleshooting mode after unearthing of several scams. US believed that India is falling short on its commitments. By 2013, the momentum was long gone and after the Devyani Khobragade incident the relations were at its deepest ebb.

It was in this time when Narendra Modi made his grand entry. He has to be given all credit for his pragmatic and statesman like approach. Despite not possessing much of experience on foreign relations front he has reinvigorated India’s moribund foreign policy. Putting the disappointments of the past (read his denial of Visa), he has breathed new life into India’s foreign relations in such a short time.

It is now understood that many differences between the two countries have been ironed out and with patience and mutual understanding the rest would be ironed out soon. It is believed that India was able to get US on board with regard to surveillance of its nuclear reactors and at the same time not diluting its security concerns and national interests. Though these things are not made public but going by the assertion in foreign secretary’s statement, it does appear that due caution was exercised in getting the deal done in India’s interests. This is a big achievement for Narendra Modi and India’s Diplomatic corp.

In this global age where the economic and strategic interest do not always converge. In this context, China and USA though rivals are doing a lot of trade with each other.  India is playing its card well and the credit goes to Narendra Modi. This is not a zero sum game. China-US trade dwarfs the US-India trade yet the Chinese are so wary of US investment. It appears that that they are more concerned at the agreement in the defense sector

China has often used its ‘All Weather Friend” Pakistan as a counter balance to India. This ‘All Weather Friend” is a euphemism used for a relationship which is grossly unequal.  China now alleges that India is joining West’s effort to contain China and its ‘peaceful rise’. China says that differences between India and USA are as large as the distances between the two countries. China needs to be reminded of its former premier Le Kekiang statement that he gave in India in 2013, that big countries have to keep good relations other big countries. China’s concerns are baseless. It is India’s right to take its relationships forward as per the need of time. It also need to be reminded that India did not act like China when talks of a new world order led by China and US were doing rounds.

China tried to encircle India by its famous string of Pearls theory manifested in ports around India. In recent months they have had to suffer setbacks. The new government in Srilanka has stated that it will reviews the procedure undertaken while giving the Hambantoota port to China. Two Chinese submarines have docked at these ports. New Sri Lankan head of state is going to visit India in February. Another important development has been in Myanmar where democracy can upset many Chinese equations as the tempers there are very anti-China now.

Narendra Modi with his “Action East policy” is setting the right tone for India in our neighborhood. On the other hand his tremendous success on India and USA relationship is indeed a masterstroke.

Chinese need to relax and not offer us any unsolicited advice with regards to what should be our trajectory of relationship so far as USA is concerned or for that matter our relationship with Japan.

Modi has been playing many masterstrokes on the foreign policy front and has joined league of statesman now with his deft handling and balancing of our economic and diplomatic relationship with USA and China.

BJP-PDP government formation in Kashmir: Why it was needed

Politics is game of uncertainties where often seemingly impossible becomes possible. After 49 days of governor rule Jammu and Kashmir finally saw a government of elected representatives. BJP-PDP alliance formed the government. Soon to be octogenarian, 79 years old mufti Mohammed Saeed took oath as per the constitution of “India” to uphold the “unity and integrity of the country”. BJP-PDP alliance is being called coming together the two poles as BJP-PDP could not be any more different in their core ideologies. On the same day Nirmal Singh was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister. Furthermore, Sajjad Lone a former separatist leader also took oath as a cabinet minister though much to his displeasure he got Animal husbandry department.

Making the occasion special, Narendra Modi himself was present along with L.K.Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Ram Madhav, a man who played a key role in the discussions during the run up to the government. PDP legislator Haseeb Drabu, who was the chief negotiator from the party in formulating a Common Minimum Program (CMP), was welcomed by the Prime Minister with all hugs and smiles for making the BJP-PDP alliance possible.

The success of these elections holds a many promises to its people. The recent flood that had inundated almost entire valley caused great damage in the state and daunting task of rehabilitation lies ahead. The task of bridging the gap between the three regions Jammu, Kashmir and Laddakh is going to be a big challenge. This is where maximum opportunities lie for BJP making inroads into the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir. 

The most important outcome of BJP-PDP alliance is coming together of two different regions of Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu emerged as a BJP stronghold region whereas Kashmir was almost swiped by PDP. Jammu has had historical grievances since independence and people of Jammu allege step motherly treatment from Srinagar.

This BJP-PDP government is emancipation of hopes of people of Jammu region. There are other important issues like Section 370 and resettlement of Kasmiri Pundits. The issue of refugees (mainly Hindu) from Pakistan also remains very vital. The Armed Forces special powers act is also another very important issue which is very vital to the people of Kashmir region.

For now, BJP has put the section 370 on a backburner and it is a good and farsighted decision. At this moment especially after the devastating floods, the issues like development and rehabilitation are more important as they will bring immediate relief to the people of the state. Though section 370 is one of the core issues of BJP since the time of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee but at this moment providing relief to the people is more important.

In a statement, the BJP spokesman Khalid Jahangir said, “The BJP-PDP government is committed to serve the people and provide them with all the possible relief. “He further said, “New government would ensure that all the issues concerning common people are addressed and they get all the benefits of the centrally sponsored schemes.

Any decision on AFSPA will be taken after consulting and taking the army on board. This would also require a thorough check of ground realties in the notified disturbed areas.

The resettlement of Kashmiri pundits and refugees from Pakistan is one issue which in my opinion is the most important right now. Refugee status is one’s own country is moral defeat for any government worth its salt. I am certain the BJP under the leadership of Narendra Modi would leave no stone unturned to bring respite to these people.

 “People of Jammu and Kashmir have voted for a change and new government is committed to bring the change,” he added. The Laddakh region often gets overshadowed by the bitterness of the two other parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

The people of Kashmir region also have their share of grievances. With the start of militancy in the late 80s, Kashmir lost an entire generation, as in the future of those who were in their youth was held hostage to the separatist elements in the society. It didn’t bring good to anyone. Mothers lost sons, wives lost husbands and families were destroyed because the earning members were either languishing in jails or lost their lives to militancy.

A land aptly called heaven or earth for which Shahjahan once said “Gar Fardaus baru e zamin asto, hami asto hami asto hami asto”, meaning if there is paradise on earth it is here. Kashmir is named after sage Kashyap and has a rich history of Buddhism. The state has immense potential of growth particularly in handicrafts industry and tourism. This BJP-PDP dispensation is paving way for a more representative government. 

Narendra Modi emphasizes on Solar Energy to tackle Climate Change and US Pressure

One of the most important qualities that sets leaders apart from followers is thinking ahead of time. Narendra Modi falls into that rare category of leaders. Climate change seems to be the buzzword for the intellectuals in the west. May be not so much so in the developing countries, but climate change discussions today feature prominently in renowned newspapers across the globe. Almost on every international platform the leaders are expected to come clear of their vision of tackling this imminent danger before humanity. On his maiden speech from Red Fort he addressed the need of ZERO EFFECT, referring to manufacturing products which have zero effect on our climate. This is significant as Climate Change is something that is affecting all us. We all are in it together. We survive together. It would be naïve to assume that Climate Change is a thing of the west, we have to own it together as responsible citizens.

Climate change is an issue that should concern all of us. There are countries and populations which are more vulnerable to climate change by the virtue of their geographic location. The small island nations like Maldives, Mauritius and many other small island nations in the oceans across the world face an existential threat. About 50% of world's population lives within 200 kilometers from the coast. The cities located on the coast line like Mumbai, Shanghai and those like Singapore and Hong Kong are among the biggest business centers of the world. 

On the recent visit Barak Obama urged India to do more on the climate change front. As expected it was one of the two question asked in the joint press conference. Answering a question on whether India is under any pressure from US and China with regards to its efforts on climate change Narendra Modi responded that India is not under any pressure and in fact is strong enough to resist any such pressure. However as a responsible country we understand our collective responsibility and will contribute towards mitigating the effects of climate change.

It is worth noting that Narendra Modi while serving the state of Gujarat as the chief Minister has taken big initiatives to tap the solar energy potential of Gujarat. The Charanka solar park in Gujarat is an “ultra-mega” power project and the biggest in Asia. A brainchild of Narendra Modi. As chief minister of Gujarat, Modi urged the companies to build a solar plants across the state in just a couple of years adding 900 MW to the electricity production. Now, as prime minister, we trust him to deliver more on this front.

Keeping in line with his man of action reputation, the government has identified 17 critically polluting sectors. The Environment Ministry has also mandated stringent rules for cement industries to lessen the pollution. The government plans to engage 3206 units to put in place the monitoring devices on the affluent discharge points and on chimneys of the industries to check the level of pollution”.

The electric fences on our Northern border will be solar powered too. The Military plans to install solar panels producing 1000 MW of electricity. Another 7,000MW of solar is out for tender across the country and the rooftops of Delhi are to be bedecked with panels under a new scheme. The country needs more decentralized power. These rooftop solar panels can also reach the large parts of the country where the grid has not reached yet.

Prakash Javadekar, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Tuesday stated that India can conserve one lakh megawatts of energy by increasing its solar power production to 100,000 Mega Watts by the year 2020. This is a fivefold increase in the previous government’s plan which was 20,000 MW.

Energy efficiency should become the way of life for all Indians," Javadekar stated, speaking at conference on India's climate policy.

This stand of Narendra Modi has to be seen in context of the Blame from the Developed world that India has not done enough to deal with climate change.

US media has often criticized India for not doing enough as the 4th biggest emitter but what they conveniently forget is that India's per capita emission is about 1.5 tons which is far too less than the world average at 4 and far too below than that of US and China despite its huge population. China has said that it is going to peak around 2030, which means that they are going to add more. India happens to be the fourth biggest polluter because of it 1250 million strong populations. It ranks far below the world average per capita emission.

Like always USA is playing it cleverly and has come together with China to pressurize India which at present is a distant 4th in carbon footprint. China as expected is the largest at 24 per cent contribution followed by USA at 17 per cent. If the rise in world's average temperature has to be kept below 2 degrees Celsius then these two countries need to do more and not just act like it. As per Sunita Narain, Director at Centre for Science and Environment China and USA together will account for 50 per cent of 1000 giga billion tons of carbon emission by 2100. At present these two countries contribute about 40 per cent. China and USA have signed a deal this November. Under the deal, China committed to cap its output of carbon pollution by 2030 or earlier and to increase its use of zero emission energy to 20% by 2030. The US agreed to reduce its emissions by between 26% and 28% from their 2005 levels by 2025.

The challenges before Narendra Modi today are of mammoth proportions. The country has to grow and for that we have huge requirements of energy (read petrol, coal, solar etc.). However the need of the hour is sustainable development which requires utmost pragmatism in using the available resources. We have to cut down on coal energy and the way forward is clean energy like solar energy. Narendra has already done wonders in his tenure as Gujarat CM and we are certain that he is the right man to find solutions to India’s unquenchable energy needs.